Chapter 1	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

Bhútatattva: As has been discussed earlier, saiṋcara is a process of analysis and as such it transforms one into many. Avidyámáyá is the operative force behind its multicreative characteristics. At different phases of this saiṋcara, bhútas with their peculiar properties come into existence.

The significance of the term bhúta is “created being”. In the general sense the term bhúta refers to the past. It has already been said that through the influence of the sentient force on Puruśottama, Mahattattva comes into being; by the activation of the mutative force this Mahattattva is metamorphosed into Ahaḿtattva; and afterwards the static force converts a part of the subjectivated “I” into the objectivated “I” or done “I” or citta of the Cosmic Entity. This combination of Mahattattva, Ahaḿtattva and citta is what is known as Cosmic Mind. The stages of transformation of Cosmic Consciousness prior to the exhibition of Cosmic citta are not objective realities in the strict sense of the term, and as such the existence of the Cosmic Mind cannot be established unless and until its psychic projection is logically dealt with.

Even after the formation of citta, static Prakrti goes on influencing the Cosmic citta more and more and results in further crudification or decrease in the intermolecular and interatomic spaces and gradual increase in the chemical affinity. In the first phase of this crudification the chemical affinity permits the transmission of sound waves only. Hence at a stage when the citta, getting a bit cruder, is able to carry sound waves, it is said that ákásha, or the ethereal body, has been formed. This ákásha is the first rudimental factor on the physical level.

The continued influence of static Prakrti goes on increasing the chemical affinity and decreasing the intermolecular and interatomic spaces, making the factor or bhúta still more crude than ákásha, and enables the second factor to carry the wave or sensation of touch over and above the extant capacity of transmitting sound waves. The second factor is váyutattva or aerial factor.

As a result of the ever-increasing influence of static Prakrti, there takes place an internal clash in the váyubhúta giving rise to sparks of light; that is, the váyubhúta is slowly converted into a luminous factor or tejastattva. The sense of vision or radiation of rúpatanmátra is the special property of this third factor.

With the continued action of the static principle, the liquid body and finally solid structures are formed. The liquid entity is perceptible by the additional sense of taste (or flow) and the solid body by the further addition of the sense of smell.

The above formations are not abrupt but gradual. The intermediate stage between citta and ether is neither an abstract nor matter. Similarly the sun is at an intermediate stage between the aerial and the luminous factors. The earth in its infancy was in a stage that can be termed neither luminous nor liquid. Gradually it was converted into a liquid body and slowly the outer surface was turned into solid. In its inner body the earth is still in liquid form; and in the more interior portion the luminous and gaseous factors are being slowly converted into liquid.

Each and every bhúta is accessible to a certain sense of conceptions or perceptions, by which the sensory organs recognize or classify it. Various combinations of these bhútatattvas result in the physical creation, first of the inanimate, and later of the animated structures. The very start of the animated stage is the beginning of the process of pratisaiṋcara.

The crudest solid is the final stage of saiṋcara. The energy or práńa working therein slowly gets converted into práńáh, vital energy. This vital energy functions as the direct cause of life and thus controls the activities of the animated physical structure. Hereafter the circle of pratisaiṋcara starts functioning with the coordinated cooperation of the práńáh and mind. But in the absence of a congenial environment for the práńáh to get expressed, as in the case of dead or dying celestial bodies, the physical structure will explode owing to ever-increasing internal pressure. This explosion is called jad́asphot́a. Dissociated component factors (dissociated as a result of jad́asphot́a) get mingled up with their respective tattvas.

This process of jad́asphot́a, as a result of which the crudest factor, solid, gets converted into certain subtler factors, may be termed “negative saiṋcara”: the solid factor can never, as a result of negative saiṋcara or jad́asphot́a, be transformed into a factor subtler than the subtlest physical factor, that is, the ethereal factor, because were it converted into the next subtler factor, citta, it would mean the withdrawal of the thought-waves of the Macrocosm.

Thus the only logical exposition is to say that the bhútas are not any new stuff but only the crudified forms of Cosmic citta, which get manifested at different stages of the saiṋcara process when the intermolecular and interatomic spaces decrease and chemical affinity increases due to the external pressure of static Prakrti.

Tanmátratattva: Tat + mátra = tanmátra. In Sanskrit tat means “that”, mátra means “minutest quantity”. Hence the term tanmátra denotes a microscopic fraction of “that” (of “that bhúta”).

According to the philosophy of Ananda Marga, Brahma Cakra – the Cosmic Circle – is but a Cosmic dance in which every created object, under the magic spell of the Cosmos, is moving in proper harmony and rhythm. In other words, it may be said that an object or objectivity is nothing but a wave motion within the body of the Cosmos. The philosophy of Ananda Marga thus establishes the wave theory of modern science through an independent logical outlook, and that life consists only of an ocean of waves.

Every bhúta from the ethereal to the solid is in an eternal flow. The very existence of bhútatattva is just a pattern of waves, a microscopic fraction of waves taken in a collective form by the sensory-organs-cum-citta. These microscopic fractions carried through waves are called tanmátras. Hence tanmátras are nothing but the waves produced by the objects concerned as a result of reflection of the subtler bhúta on the cruder ones. Tanmátras in the mathematical sense are not something homogeneous. They are heterogeneous in character and their heterogeneity gives rise to the varieties in the perceptible external world. This heterogeneity is specialized by the difference in wavelengths amongst different tanmátras within or without the scope of any particular bhúta.

Ákásha or ethereal factor is more or less a theoretical factor and being the subtlest of all the bhútas has got the maximum wavelength, so its flow faces no physical hindrance, whereas the other bhútas do face some. A wave can move freely only when it is in harmony with previous waves and their curvatures. A wave can pass through an object where there is no physical obstruction or hindrance from a subtler wave, that is, subtler waves can pass through cruder waves; and under such circumstances there is always an adjustment of wavelengths resulting in the creation of physical diversities. Proper adjustment of wavelength means adjustment at the two pauses of the waves – the sentient pause and the static pause. The sentient pause in the wave denotes the point where upward momentum is finally exhausted and the wave is just about to start downward movement, and the static pause is at the point where downward movement has ended and upward motion is just about to start. They represent the crest and trough of physical science. The greater the wavelength of any bhútatattva, the more is the chance of this adjustment of the striking waves passing through.

When an object permits the passage of a wave, it does not come within the scope of sensory nerves, but when the wave does not get such a passage, that is, it is reflected back, under such circumstance only is there a perception of its existence by our sensory nerves.

Let us examine the process of actual perception and see how it occurs. It has been shown earlier that the existence of a physical structure is nothing but a state of continuous vibration. The very existence demands eternal movement. This vibration creates waves which strike the gateways of the organs. A sympathetic vibration within the sensory nerve occurs which is conveyed to the site of the actual organ in the brain. In the brain the unit citta takes the form of the vibration and the ego feels that it is perceiving its object. For example, when the light waves coming from an object strike the retina of the eye, the optical nerve creates a similar vibration in the optical fluid and conveys the vibration to a point in the brain known as cakśu indriya. Citta takes the form of the object and ahaḿtattva or ego feels – “I am seeing the particular object.” Thus actual perception is made through a process in the different nerves carrying vibrations from the gateways of the organs to the sites of the particular organs in the brain. This is the case with taste perception and other sensory activities. If any of the sensory nerves be defective, that type of perception will not be experienced by the ego. In other words, the objective perception is always attributed with the merits and demerits of the sensory nerves. The type of vibration radiated by an object may be termed the “out-going tanmátra”, and the particular wave received by the sensory nerves is known as the “incoming tanmátra”.

Indriyatattva: The mind is the master which perceives, orders and acts, and this it does with the help of indriyas, both sensory and motor. The indriyas or organs are ten in number – five sensory and five motor. The function of the sensory indriyas is to receive the different tanmátras and that of the motor indriyas is to create tanmátras according to the inherent saḿskára and transmit them in an extroversial style.

A very important point to be noted here is that the immanent capacity of an object, whether ethereal or solid, for discharging tanmátras, remains the same. Any increase in the number of sense perceptions does not affect the total intensity of perception. It remains constant in a mathematical manner. If the solid can transmit the five fundamental perceptions of sound, touch, form, taste and smell with equal intensity, it does not mean that each and every perception of this solid tanmátra will have the same intensity of sound waves transmitted by the ethereal body. The ethereal body having the singular characteristic of transmitting sound waves has the collective intensity of all the five tanmátras transmitted by the solid body having the multilateral sensory functions.

Sensory organs: These are five in number – (1) cakśuh (eye), (2) karńa (ear), (3) násiká (nose), (4) jihvá (tongue) and (5) tvak (skin). Their functions are – darshana (to see), shravańa (to hear), ághráńa (to smell), ásvádana (to taste), and sparshana (to touch), respectively. According to the process of perception they help the mind in assimilating the tanmátras.

The motor organs or karmendriyas are also five in number. They are (1) vák (vocal cord), (2) páńi (hand), (3) páda (leg), (4) páyu (anus) and (5) upastha (genitary organ). Their functions are – kathana (to speak), shilpana (to work), carańa (to move), varjana (to let out waste) and janana (to give birth), respectively.

Organ	Passage	Controlling nerve
Upastha	Shukra Nád́ii	Aopasthya (controlling genitary organ)
Páyu	Shaunkhinii	Ashvinii (controlling anus)
	Vajráńii	Kuhu (controlling urinary organ)

Chapter 2	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

Mind: In the process of saiṋcara, the transcendental entity Puruśa, under the localized influence of His immanent principles, is transformed into Mahattattva, Ahaḿtattva and citta. In the first two stages the bondage, being theoretical in character – that is, the movement or vibration being unrestricted by the relative factors of time, space and person – does not come within the scope of perception. But in the third stage, He, under the influence of the static principle, is converted into the objective “I” and this objectivated “I” comes within the jurisdiction of autoperception. Mind is a coordination of the aforesaid three factors, that is, the Mahattattva, Ahaḿtattva and citta. In the process of pratisaiṋcara, the crudest matter, by division and decimation, gets metamorphosed into subtler factors and the unit mind is created. The stuff of the unit mind is just the same as that of the Cosmic Mind. The Cosmic Mind is formed in the saiṋcara process under the influence of the innate tendencies, while the unit mind is created in the process of pratisaiṋcara under the influence of the belligerent crystals of the Macrocosm.

In the extroversial phase, both in Macrocosm and microcosm, the static principle predominates, while in the introversial phase the predominating principle is the sentient one; but in both phases all three principles are in existence. Even in Nirguńa Brahma, or the Unsubjectivated Transcendental Entity, these principles do not cease to exist. It is the stage of pará shánti (absolute peace) because there the three principles are present in a balanced style. Hence in Nirguńa Brahma there is no humming up of waves, no clash within or without. Prakrti, the omni-active entity, lies quite in a quiet stage; the transcendental sublimity remains unpolluted. In Tantra this latent Prakrti is known as Anucchúnyá Prakrti. This Anucchúnyá Prakrti is the causal stage of the three expressed principles and is purely abstract in character. When the Anucchúnyá gets disturbed, the three fundamental principles start functioning, and as a result of their expressed svabháva (characteristics), Saguńa Brahma, or the Subjectivated Transcendentality, gets stirred in Its impersonal exhibition.

Saguńa Brahma is exhibited through the activities or the activating potentialities of the three expressions of Ucchúnyá Prakrti. These three expressions are the fundamental creative principles and they are sattva (sentient), rajah (mutative), and tamah (static). They are known as guńa in Sanskrit. These names have been allotted according to their respective functions, and the diversities of the created world depend upon the comparative domination of one over the other two. In both the saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara processes, that is, in the entire survey of the Macrocosm, the Supreme Entity appears to have lost its transcendentality under the influence of these three fundamental factors.

Activation of any force signifies a change in position of the body on which said force is applied. Hence during the creation of mind certainly a localized change takes place within the infinite space of the Transcendental Entity. The Cosmic Mind, though big, is therefore limited; and as such its localized characteristics debar it from becoming absolute.

Mind cannot maintain its existence without objectivity. During its course of creation, mind automatically gets an objectivity in the form of the done ego or static “I”. Thus the fundamental mental objectivity is, correctly speaking, a projected objectivity. The mind where the projected objectivity presents itself in a collectivated form, maintaining closest alliance with the projector, is called the “Macrocosm”, or the “Cosmic Mind”; and where this projected objectivity (or objectivities) appears to be independent of other diversities and detached from the projecting apparatus, it is termed “microcosm” or “unit mind”. So to the Macrocosm the projected objectivity (or objectivities) is neither diverse nor without, while to the microcosm, it appears to be in diversities and also beyond the scope of its existence.

One more vital difference between Macrocosm and microcosm lies in their capacities of thought power. The former, by mere vibration of its thought-waves, is able to get itself metamorphosed into many, which for the latter appear to be the original actualities of the physical strata. The imaginative process of the microcosm can produce no actuality in the physical world. In case of hypnotism or ghost-affectedness, the mental image of the unit mind gets projected and appears to be a fact, but actually it has no physical existence. In the physical world, whatever the microcosm creates with the help of its physical structures is nothing but a chemical or physical transformation of the five fundamental factors created as actualities by the Macrocosm in the saiṋcara process.

Práńendriya: During the mental process of extrovert and introvert, there is always a clash within the physical body due to the external pressure of static Prakrti. The resultant interial and exterial forces working within the physical structure are known as práńa; and the cooperative activity of the ten váyus – five interial and five exterial (práńa, apána, samána, udána and vyána; and nága, kúrma, krkara, devadatta and dhanaiṋjaya) – is known as práńáh.

The positions of the indriyas are actually in the brain and not on the external surface of the physical body. There are gateways of the indriyas on the external surface of the physical body receiving tanmátras emanated from different objects. The tanmátras received through these gateways are converted into psychic objects according to the inherent saḿskáras of the individuals. The position of práńendriya is in the heart – not in the mechanical heart which palpitates but in the yogic centre of heart, that is, in the middle point of the anáhata cakra.

During enumeration práńendriya does not come within the category of indriyas, not only because its site or controlling point is different from that of other indriyas, but for another reason as well. The ten indriyas function only to perceive tattvas, but práńendriya, being the collective name of the ten váyus (and váyu being a bhútatattva and a fundamental factor formed due to crudification of ether), comes under the category of tattvas. Indriyas, therefore, are the activators and perceivers of the bhútatattvas, and práńendriya is more or less a correlated activity of ten analysed sub-factors of váyutattva.

Práńendriya plays the most vital part on the physical and psycho-physical level. Every activity of the práńendriya is pulsative – contracting and expanding (saḿkoca-vikáshii). The auxiliary waves of the práńendriya flow in a pulsative manner, that is, there is an arrangement of alternative motions and pauses in their flows. It is during the state of pause and potentiality that the citta is able to receive the tanmátras and takes the form of shapes represented by those tanmátras. Unless citta takes the form of incoming tanmátras no perception is possible, because the ego can work only when the citta adopts a form.

This fact becomes evident by analysing a very common experience. Even if the tanmátra-discharging objects be present and the afferent nerves working quite all right, there may not be any perception if the citta does not receive the tanmátras. If one eats something while walking or running, one is not able to enjoy the taste fully. This is due to the citta not being able to receive the tanmátras under such a circumstance. One is not able to receive and understand a bháva (idea) simultaneously with some other physical and mental activity. The secret is with the práńendriya.

Práńendriya has got the capacity to let all the nerves flow in the pattern in which it itself is flowing. This means that if práńendriya is in the expansive stage and not in the contracting one, every nerve, along with citta itself, is in the expansive stage flowing in the same wavelength. The result is that incoming tanmátras face hindrance and cannot activate the citta. Thus either there is difficulty in perception or there is no perception. Therefore, even if all the other factors responsible for perception are working quite satisfactorily, the práńendriya in its expansive stage will cause the citta and nerves to vibrate sympathetically and thereby hamper the movement of the incoming tanmátras. But if the práńendriya be in the controlling position or at a pause, it creates such a calmness throughout the psycho-physical structure that the correct perception is possible. So actually práńendriya plays a vital part in helping the organs indirectly to receive the tanmátras, in assisting the citta to perceive them correctly, and thus in letting the ego have a cognition in that connection.

This is the psycho-philosophy behind the practice of práńáyáma, wherein the sádhaka tries to let this práńendriya remain in the state of pause, thereby merging the paused unit mind into the ocean of consciousness just to have the experience of the supramental stratum.

In our daily life the experiences of soft and hard, melodious and harsh, hot and cold are being experienced by our práńendriya. These experiences do not come within the scope of the five fundamental perceptions of shravańa (hearing), sparshana (feeling by touch), darshana (vision), ashvádana (taste) and ághráńa (smell). The aforesaid subtler experiences, not coming within the jurisdiction of crude fundamentality, are felt by the sixth organ – práńendriya. The special function of práńendriya is to recognize the objectives from different experienced sense perceptions and innate psychic projections. Práńendriya also works as an auxiliary force in some of the internal mental activities, and with the help of this práńendriya one feels that a particular person is very kind and affectionate, or a particular person is unkind and antipathetic. (Such an experience is based more on a subjective feeling than on any outer objective correlation.)

In certain philosophies the word bodhendriya is also used for práńendriya, but a better term for expressing the essence of this indriya shall be bodha vivikti. And the other fundamental indriyas may be conveniently termed bodhendriyas.

Vrtti: Mind is a state in the process of Brahma Cakra. It, being the result of changing positions, is essentially a stage in the process of motion, and implies a momentum which it has to express. To find expression the mind adopts certain inter- and intra-ectoplasmic occupations. These occupations (love, hatred, fear, etc.) are known as vrtti. In other words, vrtti may be defined as “the way of expression of mind”. On the psychic level this occupation is called “expressed sentiment”.

Sentiments affecting subsidiary glands are known as “instincts”. Here the term “subsidiary gland” has been used for any gland other than the pineal and the pituitary. Some psychologists define “instinct” as “accumulated sentiment”. By this they imply that instincts are later stages of sentiments, that is, that instincts are created when sentiments get themselves habituated. This is a theoretical definition. A sádhaka, who is a practical psychologist, realizes that instinct is a sentiment affecting the subsidiary glands.

These subsidiary glands are the sub-stations of organs whose main controlling station, as already discussed, is located in the brain. For the evolution of saḿkalpátmaka and vikalpátmaka mind (the mind is said to be saḿkalpátmaka when its internal occupations lead towards the Great, and vikalpátmaka when they lead towards the mundane or crude) and for the creation of external waves, the help of the organs has to be taken. This help is also essential for crude manifestation in the physical stratum and other multifarious activities. The subtle brain does not work directly. It requires cruder sub-stations under its control.

Waves have to be developed for other manifestation of the internal saḿskáras, and these waves have to be created in the nerves and in the blood. According to the sanguinary flow and strength of the nerves, sub-stations of the mind go on transmitting the waves.

The seed of every vrtti is in the brain. But the first expression occurs in the sub-station. Waves, after being created by the glands or sub-stations of the mind, are expressed outside through efferent nerves. The motor organs work with the help of efferent nerves, but the secret of the working lies with these mental sub-stations or glands.

The number of vrttis varies according to the complexity of the physical structure. The more complex the structure, the greater shall be the number of vrttis. The more-developed animals, therefore, possess more vrttis than the less-developed ones. Generally there are one thousand vrttis in the human structure. In their development and expression on the ordinary crude level they are fifty in number. The collective number being one thousand, the seeds of all those thousand vrttis are present in the brain. Because of the existence of these seeds of one thousand vrttis in the pineal gland, the yogins have named it sahasrára cakra [sahasra means “thousand”]. The subsidiary glands control forty-eight vrttis and the pituitary controls two – saḿkalpátmaka, or one leading to parávidyá (knowledge of the Great) and vikalpátmaka, relating to aparávidyá (knowledge of the mundane). The pineal as a structure controls all these fifty vrttis taken internally and externally by all ten indriyas. 50 x 2 x 10 = 1000. Yogis having control over the sahasrára cakra attain nirvikalpa samádhi, a state where they are beyond the approach of all the vrttis. Within the scope of these vrttis lies the seed of saḿskára – good or bad. So the attainment of such a state means the end of all the saḿskára, exhaustion of all the previous momentum accumulated by the mind due to its previous journeys in Brahma Cakra. This is what is called mokśa – union with the Transcendentality.

Chapter 3	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

Consciousness is the supreme subjectivity and all other, mundane, subjectivities or objectivities are mere blendings of the absolute subjectivity. Therefore, the mind is not an absolute entity either but a transformed state of consciousness. For the performance of its actions the mind depends on the motor or sensory organs as its direct agents. Afferent and efferent nerves, in their turn, act as direct agents of these organs. The nerves, which convey the tanmátras from objects to the mind, or activate the object with the force they acquire from the mental structure, and in this way link the mind with the external objectivities, are the indirect agents of the mind.

Whenever the out-going tanmátras carrying mental force get reflected, the objects come within our scope of sensation, perception and conception. When they get refracted, the objects partially come within our scope of sensation, etc. When the tanmátras are neither reflected nor refracted or when there is little reflection or refraction, the objects do not come within the scope of our feeling.

The correctness of perception depends upon a good many factors. The objects transmitting tanmátras must be in healthy condition. The gateways of the organs must be healthy, and also the reflecting tanmátras should be defectless. The afferent and efferent nerves and the citta should be sufficiently strong and active, and the last but not least factor is that the ego (ahaḿtattva) should be ready to receive them. Any defect or slackness of any of the above factors results in incorrect perception and hence in incorrect conception.

For example, in the case of persons suffering from glaucoma, watery fluid is deposited in the optical nerve, which causes a dispersion of light inside. As a result even the white rays transmitted by objects appear to be spectrum-colored.

So far as the efferent nerves are concerned, it is primarily upon the activating capacity of the ego that the process of physical activity depends. One’s personality also depends on the activating (radiating) capacity. The more developed is the radiating power, the more glaring will be one’s personality.

Thus it has been examined that the function of the mind is to act through the organs and nerves and thereby either to receive or radiate the tanmátras. The portion of mind which deals with indriyas is named kámamaya kośa. This kámamaya kośa controls the physical longings of the microcosm.

As regards the Macrocosm the mind is said to be started at that stage where the sense of subjectivity (Mahattattva), the subjectivated “I” (Ahaḿtattva) and the objectivated “I” (citta) are all present. Hence in the stage of citta we get Mahattattva and Ahaḿtattva as well.

In the extroversial saiṋcara process citta gradually crudifies under the influence of static Prakrti, till the crude solid is created. This process of crudification of citta, having a coordination of Mahattattva and Ahaḿtattva, is divided into five stages known as kośas. According to their relative density of crudeness developed through the bondage of the static principle, the five kośas, starting from the initial stage, are hirańmaya kośa, vijiṋánamaya kośa, atimánasa kośa, manomaya kośa and kámamaya kośa. The kámamaya kośa is the crudest stage of citta, where it is metamorphosed into the crudest stuff. With the five manifested fundamental physical factors (it is physical for the microcosm but mental for the Macrocosm) the Macrocosmic Mind displays its will. Macrocosmic control over the five fundamental physical factors means the internal display of the Macrocosmic kámamaya kośa. Nothing is beyond the scope of Cosmic Mind, that is, everything comes within that mental scope; and so the Macrocosmic Entity needs no nervous system or indriyas for controlling these operations and, therefore, the Cosmic Mind at this stage requires no physical structure as the unit mind does.

The manomaya kośa is subtler than the kámamaya kośa and it has the capacity of recollection and contemplation (smarańa and manana). The kámamaya kośa, being the crudest in structure and in the case of the microcosm dealing with the external paiṋcabhútas, is called the “crude mind” or sthúla manah. The manomaya kośa is known as the “subtle mind” or súkśma manah. The remaining three kośas, being still more subtle and also being the rudimental stages of sthúla and súkśma manah, are collectively termed “causal” or “astral” mind. The psychological nomenclature of “conscious”, “sub-conscious” and “unconscious” minds for the crude, subtle and causal minds does not appear to be correct.

From the microcosmic angle of vision the kámamaya kośa of the Macrocosm is expressed through the five rudimental physical factors from which the physical body of the microcosm and other physical objects come into being. The kámamaya kośa of the Cosmic includes, therefore, the annamaya kośa of the unit. Here it may be pointed out that the Macrocosm in its flow of imagination creates actualities for the unit mind, whereas the kámamaya kośa of the unit cannot create physical actualities by its imagination. As already seen, the kámamaya kośa, having the function of dealing with the bhútas, is said to be the crude mind in the case of the microcosm also. The manomaya, performing the function of recollection and contemplation, is known as the subtle mind of the microcosm also. And as in the case of the Macrocosm, the atimánasa, vijiṋánamaya and hirańmaya are the causal portion of the microcosm. But the division of the microcosm into a causal portion is merely a theoretical proposition. There is no separate existence of the unit causal mind from the Cosmic causal mind. In case the crude and subtle portions of the unit mind suspend their work by the process of sádhaná or otherwise, the causal portion of the unit mind will not be able to maintain its separate identity; only the seed of past action will remain just to differentiate the microcosm from the Macrocosm. By a process of correct sádhaná, the sádhaka will feel that there is one causal mind in the universe. There is no causal difference between the microcosm and the Macrocosm. Similarly, by the subtleness of projection, subtle and crude portions of the unit mind can connect themselves with the subtle and crude portions of the Cosmic Mind. The way to achieve this subtleness of projection is the process of yogic sádhaná.

The entire body (here “body” does not mean any crude physical structure) of the Macrocosm can similarly be divided into three parts – crude, subtle, and astral or causal. The physical world being within the psychic scope of the Macrocosm, the Macrocosm cannot have any crude or physical body in the sense the microcosm has, yet because of the inclusion of the five bhútas within its mind, the kámamaya kośa of the Macrocosm is often termed the crude body of Paramátman. The remaining portions of the Macrocosmic kośas are the subtle body, or the súkśma deha, of Paramátman. Ahaḿtattva and Mahattattva of Paramátman are known as Its astral or causal body.

The concept of “causal body” is a philosophic proposition, because philosophy says that the moment Nucleus Puruśottama appeared to have been influenced by His immanent sentient principle, the seed of creation got an expression and His bodies and lokas were created.

Similarly the annamaya kośa of the unit is its crude body (sthúla deha). The kámamaya, the manomaya, atimánasa, vijiṋánamaya and hirańmaya kośas constitute the subtle body of the unit. Above the scope of hirańmaya and till the merger into Puruśottama the unit certainly possesses a body but that body cannot be termed causal. It, being the last phase, is known as sámánya deha.

By its very nature, if the mind is to possess objectivity it must also have a witnessing entity. The witnessing entity is the summum bonum of the mind. Philosophy has given different names to the witnessing entity according to the differences in the nature of the objective mind. But this does not mean that the same Puruśottama is not acting as the witnessing entity at different stages of the mind. It is He who reflects Himself as the witnessing counterpart by functional difference due to the changing mental status. At different stages, different names have been adopted for that singular entity. The Puruśottama witnessing the causal Cosmic mind, subtle Cosmic mind and crude Cosmic mind, has been called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, Hirańyagarbha and Iishvara, respectively. Similarly, the Puruśottama witnessing the microcosm at the causal, subtle and crude stages is termed Vishva, Taejasa and Prájiṋa respectively.

The Cosmic Entity extends in different lokas wherein the different kośas and the unit minds dwell. The term loka refers only to the Macrocosm and not to the unit. The kámamaya kośa of the Cosmic where material structure has taken form is called bhurloka (“physical world”). The kámamaya kośa of the Cosmic Entity where material structure has just begun taking form but has not actually acquired it is called bhuvarloka or “crude mental world”. The levels of manomaya, atimánasa, vijiṋánamaya and hirańmaya kośa are known as svarloka or “subtle mental world”, maharloka or “supramental world”, janarloka or “subliminal world” and taparloka, respectively. Above that, since the causal body is conceived to be in existence from a philosophic point of view, it is termed Satyaloka.

The above kośas, different stages of mind, witnessing entities and lokas are tabulated below.

MACROCOSM
	Kośa	Mind	Witnessing Entity	Deha (Body)	Loka (World)
Mahattattva			Puruśottama	Causal	Satya
Ahaḿtattva
Citta	Hirańmaya	Causal	Virát́a or Vaeshvánara	Subtle	Tapah
	Vijiṋánamaya				Janah
	Atimánasa				Mahah
	Manomaya	Subtle	Hirańyagarbha		Svah
	Kámamaya	Crude	Iishvara	Crude	Bhuvah
					Bhuh

	Annamaya			Crude
Citta	Kámamaya	Crude	Prájiṋa	Subtle
	Manomaya	Subtle	Taejasa
	Atimánasa	Causal	Vishva
	Vijiṋánamaya
	Hirańmaya
Ahaḿtattva	above Hirańmaya Kośa		Puruśottama	Sámánya Deha
Mahattattva
	Kośa	Mind	Witnessing Entity	Body
MICROCOSM

Chapter 4	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

Due to internal clash and cohesion amongst the three immanent principles (sentient, mutative and static), the resultant force bursts out at any one vertex of the triangle formed due to the ever-flowing eternal force. Puruśa, or Consciousness, is the Nucleus from whom commences the process of saiṋcara, or uniform movement from the subtle to the gross, from the one to the many. Mahattattva, Ahaḿtattva and citta are formed as a result of increasing crudeness, and mind is born at the stage where all three – Mahattattva, Ahaḿtattva and citta – are present. The original entity is the unqualified undivided Macrocosm. By further crudification the citta gets metamorphosed into five fundamental factors, namely, ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid. Right from Nucleus Puruśottama to the crudest solid, there is no change in Puruśadeha. The action and interaction of the three forces of Prakrti cause a change in appearance whereby the Transcendent Entity appears to have lost its transcendentality. This phase of evolution, named saiṋcara, is the inanimate phase of creation, and represents the Cosmic Mind, or Macrocosm, in different stages. In the living bodies after the formation of crudest kśititattva, or solid factor, division and association of matter result in the formation of mind.

The process of pratisaiṋcara commences at this point. It is the counter-movement wherein the unit mind gets dilated ever-increasingly, the volume and mass of the unit mind increases due to increasing reflection of Cosmic Consciousness, and matter gets decimated continuously, till in the end the unit mind achieves mental liberation. Philosophy terms it savikalpa samádhi.

Throughout pratisaiṋcara the unit mind or microcosm exists in different stages. Thus the inanimate phase of creation, or saiṋcara, is a stage of the Cosmic Mind, and the animate phase of pratisaiṋcara is the stage of unit minds.

Each and every atom and molecule of the Macrocosm is nothing else but Puruśottama. It is He who radiates Himself everywhere; it is He who is omnipresent as the witnessing entity as well. As the sun by its radiation pervades the solar system, so does Puruśottama His system by His Citishakti. Thus in the Cosmic Mind both the radiated stuff and the witnessing entity are Puruśottama Himself. In the second phase of evolution, that is, at the different stages of the unit mind, Puruśottama is the witnessing entity, all other objects being crude derivatives of citta. In the phases both of saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara, Puruśottama is the Consciousness. He witnesses the microcosms and Macrocosm. Puruśottama is, therefore, also called “Collective Consciousness”.

As witnessing entity Puruśottama connects Himself to his mental object with the help of His Avidyámáyá and reflects Himself on the object as Citishakti. This reflection is not like a reflection in a mirror but a reflection involving association like the rays of the sun. Association of Puruśottama with the Cosmic Mind, whereby He functions as the witnessing entity, is called prota yoga; association of Puruśottama with the unit minds separately and individually, whereby He functions as the witnessing entity for each individual unit mind, is called ota yoga. His association with the unit minds in collectivity is also termed prota yoga. Thus in saiṋcara there is only prota yoga but in pratisaiṋcara both prota yoga and ota yoga are there.

It has been fully explained previously that the resultant force of Prakrti bursts out from one of the vertices of the triangle of forces of Prakrti, and that this is the origin of creation. The mid-point of this triangle of forces from whose vertex the bursting occurred is Puruśottama. The mid-points of these triangles of forces having bursting vertices coincide, and hence Puruśottama is a singular entity. Philosophers have defined Paramátman as the collective name for Puruśottama, His prota yoga in saiṋcara and ota and prota yogas in pratisaiṋcara. Paramátman signifies “conscious of creations”. It is the consciousness in the Nucleus and the consciousness in the Macrocosm and microcosms.

Macrocosm and microcosms themselves have not been included in Paramátman. The collectivity of Paramátman, Macrocosm and microcosms is Saguńa Brahma, that is, Brahma in which Prakrti appears in manifestation. In Saguńa Brahma, Puruśottama is the Nucleus Consciousness and so the latter is also named Kút́astha. The Nucleus Consciousness or the Átman in the unit structure is also called kút́astha caetanya. Its controlling station is the middle point between the eyebrows, the place where the functioning of the pituitary gland is located.

Saiṋcara is movement away from the Nucleus – the Nucleus itself being the centre of Brahma Cakra, or the great cycle of creation. The force of saiṋcara is, therefore, centrifugal. Philosophy refers to this outward movement as domination by Avidyámáyá or illusion of ignorance. Under the effect of Avidyámáyá creation moves from the subtle to the gross, finally reaching the farthest point in saiṋcara where the crudest solid or kśititattva is formed – where the metamorphosed form of the citta possesses the maximum chemical affinity, with no possibility of any further reduction in the intermolecular and interatomic spaces.

Depending on conditions, either the unit structure bursts at this point or jad́asphot́a occurs, or the mind is formed by a process of division and association of matter. The formation of mind is the start of the process of pratisaiṋcara or the cycle for the unit to progress from the crude to the subtle. This progress is effected by the domination of Vidyámáyá or illusion of knowledge, whereby the direction of motion is towards the Nucleus Puruśottama, the centre of all creations. Every step in this direction is a step nearer the centre, the destined goal of all, the ultimate result of all creations. This force is centripetal and is associated with the growing attraction of Puruśottama. This attraction is His blessing by which He leads every being of His towards the kindly divine light. The associated reflection of Puruśottama increases the proximity of the unit mind to Puruśottama. The mind proportionately expands and progresses till the gradual expansion brings about similarity of the microcosm and the Macrocosm and the former gets merged into the latter. This process occurs in pratisaiṋcara under the centripetal force of attraction from the Nucleus Consciousness, Puruśottama.

The unit mind, however, can accelerate the speed of this motion by realizing His blessing more and more and thereby acquiring a psycho-spiritual parallelism with greater speed. This attempt to accelerate the movement towards the ultimate goal is sádhaná. Only human beings possess the ego to perform this sádhaná. Spiritual sádhaná is nothing but the attempt to accelerate the motion of pratisaiṋcara and thereby cover up the painful hours of divine separation as early as possible. The touchstone of spiritual sádhaná is therefore the feeling that “I am tending towards Him.” Every delayed moment of life is only a moment of pain. That alone which brings His realization is His spiritual practice, all other actions being ritualistic ostentations.

Consciousness in the psycho-physical unit structures gets manifested in the process of pratisaiṋcara when Puruśottama by His ota yoga associatively reflects on the unit psychic plate. It is through this process, pratisaiṋcara, that the Ever-Merciful elevates each creation of His by the force of Vidyámáyá. As already discussed, the physical and psychic clash and the attraction of the Great cause psychic dilation, and ultimately the unit psychic body can attain its final liberation or mukti by its spiritual sádhaná. Different unit minds exist at different levels and experience varying degrees of His love and proximity depending upon their progress in the process of pratisaiṋcara. The auspicious day of infinite ánanda descends, and all the bondages of Prakrti shatter down, when Brahmatva is attained.

Such individuals set the ideal for humanity and, in turn, humanity starts paying homage to them. Only such elevated beings can and should be called Mahápuruśa, meaning thereby elevated psychic beings. Unto their holy feet, one can offer the flowers of devotion and aspiration, but they desire no crude earthly flowers and offerings.

The advent of Mahápuruśa is misinterpreted as incarnation. Incarnation is an illogical hypothesis. The whole universe being created out of Him and by Him is His incarnation. The term avatára means a “derivation”, and the application of this term to individual units who are far advanced in the process of pratisaiṋcara is a misleading misnomer. It is illogical to consider that the Macrocosm metamorphosed Himself directly into some unit structure, in most cases a human being. Human beings are the most evolved individual units as a class in His creation, and every stage of the elevated psychic Mahápuruśa is the result of saiṋcara and then pratisaiṋcara. It is a gradual elevation and not an abrupt descent or occurrence.

Logically speaking, therefore, it will be correct to designate any unit consciousness as incarnation of God or to say that the Messenger of God traverses the path of saiṋcara, goes through a process of evolution and importance, and through psychic dilation in the process of pratisaiṋcara reaches different stages of elevation. The incarnation theory, or avatáraváda, however, hypothesizes that the incarnated being is the direct descent of the Almighty, the rest of His creation remaining unexplained as to its source of origin.

The word avatára [derives from ava – tr, which means] “descend”, “derive” or “degenerate”. The incarnated being, according to this dogma of degeneration of Puruśottama, cannot have an equal status with Puruśottama. When the psychic status of a created being assumes sameness with the Cosmic Entity, the unit psychic entity actually merges into the Cosmic Mind leaving no dualism. Hence how can any equal status with Puruśottama be imagined existing as a separate entity in any stage within Brahma Cakra? The whole theory of incarnation or avatáraváda is, therefore, not convincing and rational for an intellectual analysis.

Behind the superstitious belief of avatáraváda lies one more social current created by a class of vested interests. Inquisitiveness and reasoning is a natural impulse in human beings. Due to certain pressing circumstances or intellectual renaissance there was a reaction against the illogical faiths and superstitions prevalent in society. These superstitions provided a strong basis for exploitation of society by intellectual parasites who had learnt to live on the blood and labour of others. To maintain their domination through a system of superstitious belief, these parasites invented means to curb this growth of reaction and intellectual rationalism and presented to the mass a sentimental appeal. Any command, rational or irrational, was enforced on society with so-called divine force by enunciation of the incarnation theory. Corruption was perpetrated in the name of God, and all those raising their heads against such commands or preachings were called reactionaries, atheists, and curbed drastically. “Give the dog a bad name and hang it,” was their motto. They went to the extent of manipulating, polluting and misinterpreting even the precious writings of many great philosophers whose work had been respected as religious treatises from ancient times – all with an ulterior motive, to get their interests served.

Táraka Brahma

In Brahma Cakra (the collective name of saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara) there is no uniformity of flow. The speed of the sentient force is greater than that of the mutative, and the mutative has more speed than the static. Thus in the beginning of saiṋcara the speed is greater. Similarly, after elevation, under the influence of the sentient force or reaching sámánya deha (a stage beyond the hirańmaya kośa where the unit mind experiences only the sentient force), the speed is greater. The speed of the unit mind far exceeds the normal flow in the Cosmos, and it gets accelerated if the unit mind as a result of spiritual practice tends itself towards the Nucleus Consciousness.

Since the beginning of creation humans have been aspiring for this merger with the Nucleus Consciousness. The non-uniformity of speed changes the movement of the unit mind to an elliptical force, and the motion changes to oval from circular. They get merged in Puruśottama who aspire for Him as the ultimate destiny, but those who aim at mokśa, where sádhaná is the complete surrender of self into That (Nirguńa Brahma, the Objectless Consciousness), get out of this Brahma Cakra by a tangential touch. At this point of tangential touch is the abode of Táraka Brahma (who resides within the scope of both Nirguńa and Saguńa Brahma). Táraka Brahma is a concept of Tantra.

In Tantra the whole creation is known as sambhúti. When Táraka Brahma by His own will takes the help of the five fundamental factors (the paiṋcabhútas), His physical entity comes within the scope of Saguńa Brahma, otherwise He is Nirguńa Brahma. When Táraka Brahma takes the assistance of the five fundamental factors, according to Tantra it is called His Mahásambhúti.

In Tantra sádhaná or in Ananda Marga sádhaná one whose goal is Puruśottama merges in Saguńa Brahma, and one who aims at Nirguńa Brahma becomes surrendered into the Objectless Entity. It is only in Tantra that the sádhaná of Táraka Brahma has been specially defined distinct from the sádhaná of Nirguńa and Saguńa and has its own peculiarity. Theoretically speaking, Saguńa Brahma has infinite saḿskáras, and so for an infinite time to come Saguńa Brahma will continue to enjoy the fruit of Its own past actions. Nirguńa is the Objectless Entity with no action or derivation, but Táraka Brahma is the middle point and can fulfil the function of both. He guides, loves and favours His affectionate sons and daughters. His children say that He cannot live without loving them and address Him, “O our great Father, our affectionate Mother, our All, we remember Thee, we adore Thee. O Witnessing Entity, we offer our homage to Thee, Thou art the only rescue in this crude worldly ocean, so to Thee we surrender ourselves.” This complete surrender is the summum bonum of all spiritual sádhaná, which only can lead to Him from where decline is not even imaginable. Really blessed is one who has attained this complete surrender unto Him, like the piece of salt which went to measure the depth of the ocean – but a momentous divine jerk and an attraction occurred and the bit of salt was lost, no one knows where.

(Táraka Brahma is not a figure of philosophy – it is a creation of devotional sentiment.)

Chapter 5	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

Saccidánanda is derived from a conversion of three terms, namely: sat, cit and ánanda. These are so often translated as “existence”, “knowledge” and “bliss”. This is not only loose terminology but incorrect.

Correctly speaking, sat means “that which undergoes no change” – a Transcendental Entity. “Existence” is a relative term and conveys the sense of existence under certain relative conditions of time, place and person. Sat implies “unchangeable”. The Transcendental Entity may appear to undergo a metamorphosis but actually undergoes no qualitative change. Hence Sat can only mean the Transcendental Entity – an absolute entity which undergoes no change.

The meaning of ánanda is of course “bliss”. It may more correctly be translated as “divine bliss” – the bliss experienced subjectively and not in an objective manner.

Cit does not mean “knowledge”. It means “consciousness”. It is by the power of cit that the Cosmos is created, and it is this power that through the unit mind experiences or activates created substance. This subjectivation is only due to the Consciousness or Citishakti in Brahma.

It was seen in the last chapter that Saguńa Brahma includes in Itself all of microcosm, Macrocosm, Puruśottama and Paramátman. The whole Cosmos in Saguńa Brahma is the thought-projection of the Macrocosm. Let us analyse the process of perception of different objects in the Cosmos by the microcosm.

The microcosm possesses ten organs – five sensory and five motor organs. Sensory organs receive tanmátras from the objects which are perceived. These organs or indriyas are, therefore, the knowers of these objects. In the next stage, through the afferent nerves, citta receives the tanmátras and takes the form of the object perceived; ahaḿtattva feels the subjectivity – “I perceive” – but this subjectivity itself depends upon the existence of “I”, because one cannot work unless one feels that one exists. “I” exists first and then the “I” works. This feeling of existence is mahattattva. The combination of ahaḿtattva and mahattattva is the instrument for the perception of tanmátras which have been brought in by the organs. The mind, the combination of the three (mahat, aham and citta) is thus the knower of the indriyas, that is why the mind is said to be the master of the organs. But is mind the real knower? If not, who is the real knower?

“I exist,” “I do,” and done “I” are functional forms. There is another entity who is the master of functions and who witnesses that these functions are performed. We thus come to the entity witnessing mahattattva. This witnessing entity is the átman, or the unit consciousness. The knower of the mind itself is the átman. Hence the ultimate knowership (jiṋátrtva) lies in the átman and not in the mind; the átman, or the reflected consciousness on the unit psychic plate, is not only the active element; the knowership lies in him as witnessing entity. The átman knows because it is an active participant in the function of the mind.

The function of the five motor organs is to activate tanmátras. The organs work by translating their potentialities into action with the help of the out-going tanmátras radiated through the motor nerves, which (the motor nerves) in their turn receive the tanmátras from the mind. So it seems that the doership lies in the mind and not in the motor organs. The real doership cannot be established in the absence of the átman, who witnesses that the mind is activating the internal saḿskáras, or accumulated momenta, in the form of tanmátras. The átman is not active, but it is due to the átman – due to its omnipresence – that the mind is able to work. To this extent in the átman lies the knowership or doership. The átman itself does not work, but its existence is the ultimate cause of knowing and doing.

Any object first exists in the organ; on further introspection it depends on the existence of the organ within the scope of the mind; and ultimately the real knowership or doership is established in the átman. The ultimate existence of the mind is itself in the átman. Thus the ultimate knowership, doership and existence are in the átman, and the collective name given for the three is “witnessing entity”. This will be more clear if it is remembered that the mind is nothing but a state of never-ending clash amongst three combined principles. These correlated belligerent combined principles are the main attributes leading to the formation of the mind. As the mind is only a never-ending clash and an ever-changing relative functional organism, there must be an absolute entity to witness the mind in all the aspects of time, in all the dimensions of space and in all forms – physical and psychic. This witnessing entity is the átman, and the mind is only the result of ever-changing functional metamorphosis.

The witnessing entity must exist at all stages in Brahma Cakra. In saiṋcara, Puruśottama acts as the witnessing entity of the Cosmic Mind. The Átman of the Macrocosm is, therefore, Puruśottama Himself. In pratisaiṋcara, Puruśottama by His ota yoga reflects associatively upon the microcosm, and the reflection in each mental plate is the jiivátman, the witnessing entity of the unit mind. The átman is not an active counterpart.

The mind is an ever-changing functional organism and so it must have a momentum. From where does the mind derive this momentum? Every stage results from the previous stages. The stage after formation of the unit mind is also the effect of all the past stages. The effect of action in the past stages is called saḿskára, which gives momentum to the unit mind. The initial creation of the unit mind is the result of certain forces reacting in saiṋcara. The ultimate cause of momentum of every force is, of course, the Macrocosm, the entire working principle in saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara. It is, therefore, the Macrocosm who works through the media of microcosms and provides the momentum for the unit mind. The attraction of the Great gives an acceleration to such momentum. At the nucleus point where the first manifestation of Prakrti took place, the momentum of creation lay in latent form. The momentum of the universe is the momentum by the Cosmos through the media of microcosms and also through the medium of the inanimate portion of the Macrocosm. This is the play of One in many forms. Before the formation of microcosms only the Macrocosm existed, and all projected activities lay in the Macrocosm, and all the diversities were in collective unity there. All the Cosmos resides in Him and, therefore, there is no question of life, death or saḿskára in this inanimate phase of creation, that is, from the first bursting out of Prakrti to the development of crudest solid matter.

In the journey of pratisaiṋcara the crude mind gets momentum from the Macrocosm. In the first stage the microcosm evolves neither ego (ahaḿtattva) nor mahattattva, so it is devoid of any saḿskára, and the eternal force of the Macrocosm moves the microcosms further towards the Nucleus. In a later stage, the ego is evolved but the unit mind feels it and accepts it as a possessor of saḿskára or momentum; and afterwards a stage comes when this ego starts controlling the mental activities.

This stage in evolution is represented by human beings. Humans instead of going further towards the divine goal according to the movement of pratisaiṋcara can retrace, or adopt the path of negative pratisaiṋcara. The momentum for this negative movement being the accepted momentum of the unit mind, it is said that the saḿskára of any living animal inferior to the human is “infused” but that of the human is “acquired”. Inferior animals, therefore, continue to march further on the path of pratisaiṋcara (because of their less-developed ego), while humans may retrace by adopting mean objectives.

While maintaining the unit structure of any object in the animated phase of evolution, proper adjustment amongst mental waves, physical waves and the práńáh is an essentiality. Any object, mental or physical, always emanates waves. If these waves from the physical body and the mental body have a parallelism, then and then only is a cooperative unit structure maintained.

This parallelism can be lost as well, causing a dissociation of the composite factors by a maladjustment or unadjustable elevation or degradation of any one of the constituent factors. In the animated phase of evolution elevation occurs due to physical clash, psychic clash, or the attraction of the Supreme. To take an example, if a dog comes in contact with a human, the mental waves of the dog contact and clash with the waves of the human and thereby the dog’s mental waves get evolved and attain a greater wavelength. A stage may be reached when the evolved mental wavelength of the dog may lose proper adjustment with its physical structure. This loss in parallelism will cause dissociation, and the dissociated mind will have to find a physical body with which it can find proper adjustment. In common parlance it will be said that the dog has “died” and undergone a corporal change.

If a psychic clash with higher thought brings about the better wavelength and thereby becomes the cause of a more evolved physical body, contact and clash with meaner thought will lessen the wavelength of the mental waves. Here, as well, the loss of parallelism shall occur and the physical and psychic bodies shall dissociate from each other. For example, if the mental wavelength of a person cannot adjust properly with the human body, the psychic body of the person will have to be associated with a properly adjustable physical structure, which may be of an inferior animal, a plant or still cruder matter. The symbolic story of the epic Rámáyańa, wherein Ahalyá, the wife of Gaotama Muni, was transformed into stone for some sin done by her, is just to illustrate the process of negative pratisaiṋcara. The imbibing of waves of higher wavelengths can rarefy the psychic body of a lower animal or plant, so that it can have an association with the human physical structure, and vice versa, if the wavelength is made cruder by inculcating meaner thoughts.

Association by proper adjustment and parallelism between the psychic and physical bodies causes life, and dissociation under adverse conditions results in death. Such association can also take place if the waves of the physical structure get cruder due to old age or any other physical deficiency. Here the physician may come to help and by some means or other attribute to the physical body the requisite wavelength. Through science the span of life can be made longer by properly adjusting the waves of the physical bodies; but if a change in the mental body be made by changing the brain, its personality itself will also get changed. Such a change will mean the transformation of the person himself, and thus not Mr. X but Mr. Y shall regain life.

For the existence of life or for association, proper adjustment between the waves of the psychic body and of the physical body is an essentiality, and also adjustment with the práńáh is necessary. Práńáh is the collective name of ten váyus, five internal and five external. The internal váyus are práńa, apána, samána, udána and vyána; and the external váyus are nága, kúrma, krkara, devadatta and dhanaiṋjaya.

The jurisdiction of práńa is between the navel point and the vocal cord, and its function is inhalation and exhalation. Apána resides from the páyu (anus) to the navel point. Its function is to control the movement of urine and stool. Samána resides in the navel sphere and its function is to maintain adjustment between práńa and apána. Udána has its place in the throat, and it controls the vocal cord and the voice. Vyána regulates blood circulation and physical function of the afferent and efferent nerves.

The function of the external váyus is as follows: Nága (meaning “serpent”) gives the power to jump or to extend the body and also to throw an object. Kúrma (meaning “tortoise”) gives the function of contraction. Krkara helps in yawning. Devadatta is responsible for thirst and hunger, and dhanaiṋjaya causes sleep and drowsiness (tandrá).

A physical deficiency or defect in any portion of the body results in the weakening of práńa and apána, and samána may become unable to maintain adjustment between práńa and apána, as a result of which there takes place a vehement fight in the navel area and in the vocal cord. In physiology, this is called “navel breathing” or nábhishvása. When samána loses its vitality, all the three váyus – práńa, apána and samána – are transformed into one and strike udána. The moment udána loses its separate identity, vyána also comes in contact with their collective force and all the internal váyus, getting associated into one, move throughout the physical body with great force and strike at every delicate point for an outlet. The combined váyus pass out, and with their passing away from the physical structure all the external váyus, except dhanaiṋjaya, also leave the physical structure. Dhanaiṋjaya causes sleep, and so to cause the deep sleep of death dhanaiṋjaya remains in the body even after all the váyus have left. When the dead body is burnt or gets totally decayed, dhanaiṋjaya as well leaves the body and remains in the Cosmos to act again according to the will of Prakrti.

The loss in the parallelism of physical and mental waves causes death. The physical cause of death is the passing away of the nine (ten minus dhanaiṋjaya) váyus into eternal space. The psychic waves, finding no proper adjustment with the physical waves, also dissociate and pass into eternal space. This detached mental body possesses the unexpressed momentum of its previous lives (which it had to express according to the universal law of Prakrti that every force must have its expression). Now it is the duty of the Cosmic mutative force to provide it a proper physical parallelism for due expression. This it does by making the dissociated mind penetrate into a subtle physical structure.

Since the mind exists, the mental plate exists, and the reflection of Puruśottama must remain; the Átman, therefore, remains associated with the jiivátman. The ultimate knowership, doership and base of existence lie in the átman. The átman is the witnessing entity without which there is no meaning of the mind working or activating the internal saḿskáras into tanmátras. Without the átman the mind cannot perceive or receive the incoming tanmátras, that is why the ultimate knowership or doership lies in the átman. As the átman witnesses the mind itself, the ultimate residence of the mind is the átman. The dissociated mind has, therefore, the witnessing entity who witnesses the mind which is in a state of inaction (or converted into karmáshaya – saḿskára, or reaction in its potentiality).

The physical cause of death has been discussed above. Let us now see the physical cause of life.

Food taken, after mixing with the digestive fluids, gets transformed into rasa, the unnecessary material being rejected in the form of urine and other waste matter. The essence of rasa is transformed into blood, waste matter once again being rejected. The essence of blood changes into flesh and the essence of flesh into meda or vasá (fat), and so on, till it changes into bone, bone marrow and ultimately into shukra. The physical body is constituted of these seven materials, of which shukra is the final essence. This vital fluid has three stages: lymph, or práńa-rasa (lasiká); spermatozoa; and seminal fluid.⁽¹⁾

The lymph forces through lymphatic vessels which run side by side with the arteries. The glands through which lymphatic vessels pass are known as lymphatic glands. The function of the lymph is to purify the blood and maintain the beauty and glory of the body; and by getting into the glands it enables proper secretion of hormones. For the proper development of innate qualities, an adequate amount of lymph is necessary. The lymph rises up and gets into the brain, thus strengthening it. For intellectuals an adequate amount of lymph is necessary. A deficiency or defect in the lymph causes some disease in the organ where the deficiency has occurred. For example, defects of the lymph [system] in the leg will result in elephantiasis of the leg.

Some nerve plexuses get developed at the age of twelve to fourteen in hot countries and thirteen to sixteen in cold countries. In the male body they are the testes and in the female the ovaries. After a due supply of lymph to the brain, the extra lymph comes in contact with the testes and is transformed into spermatozoa. By a proper system of observing fast, the excessive formation of lymph can be checked. Impure thoughts also cause excessive formation of spermatozoa from lymph. If the surplus lymph is destroyed there is no harm. Spermatozoa with lymph and other fluids collected in the seminal sac are known as “seminal fluid”.

In the female body this excess lymph is converted into ova and the unused ova together with other seminal wastages are discharged every month during the last three or four days in the monthly menstruation. If the sperms of the male and the ova of the female get together, they constitute one physical structure. When the physical structure commences formation, there is no question of extra seminal fluid or seminal wastage, and that is why in the stage of pregnancy there is no menstruation. All the seminal fluid is utilized in forming the body of the embryo.

In the uterus the basic physical structure is first formed. This structure has potential energy and emanates a wavelength. It receives the potentiality from the momentum of the spermatozoa. Spermatozoa get their motion from the vital potentiality of the male body, and that is why the living being is said to reside first in the seminal fluid of the male and then in the mother’s womb; after which the bosom of Mother Earth receives it.

Since the physical structure starts from spermatozoa, which has a positive motion and, therefore, a wavelength, the physical structure thus formed must have a wavelength accordingly. We have already seen that the dissociated mind also has a wavelength (in a potential form) and a momentum which has to be expressed. The dissociated mind needs physical parallelism for proper expression, and therefore the Cosmic mutative force causes the dissociated mind from eternal space to enter the adjustable physical structure, assuming a form in the mother’s womb.

This is how life comes into physical creation.

Footnotes

(1) The three stages of shukra are the same in both the male and the female, except that in the female, as the author will explain in a following paragraph, excess lymph is converted into ova rather than into spermatozoa. In other words, the first stage of shukra is lymph, in both males and females; the second stage is spermatozoa in males, and ova in females; and the third stage is seminal fluid, in both males and females. The term “seminal fluid” as applied to males comprises certain fluids and the spermatozoa suspended in them. “Seminal fluid” as applied to females clearly refers at least in part to substances in the female reproductive system which contribute to the nurture of the ovum.
It is generally considered that the author conceptualized the actions of lymph in the body in terms not only of the lymph system as narrowly defined, but of a system that would embrace many of lymph’s ramifying effects as well.
–Eds.

Chapter 6	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

In the previous chapters, it has been clearly explained that the Transcendent Entity is one Infinite and Its immanent principles are the sentient, the mutative and the static. By their very nature these forces are belligerent. Their direction is haphazard, forming infinite figures with innumerable sides. Prakrti here is said to be anucchúnyá, and Brahma here is objectless, because there is no question of subjectivation (feeling of Doer “I”) or objectivation (feeling of done “I”), and therefore Brahma is called nirguńa, “beyond all the attributes” of Prakrti. In common language it is said that Prakrti has not been able to get Brahma influenced or metamorphosed. Here, therefore, there is not even the seed of creation.

If more than two forces are acting at a place the figure of forces tends to become triangular. These belligerent forces, therefore, make a triangle of forces. In the initial stage, there is balance in the triangular figure. The hectagon, septagon and other multi-sided figures have been transformed into triangles of forces, but no resultant is formed because of proper adjustment of the three types of forces. In this state of equilibrium, the triple qualities of Prakrti exist, but in a balanced state. This state, however, differs from the previous one not only in the fact that a triangle of forces has been formed, but also in the fact that the sentient, the mutative and the static forces are clearly distinguishable. In the previous stage the forces had no clear identity; they were flowing without any feelings. But in this triangular stage there is a constant exchange of identities amongst the three fundamental principles (forces). This mutual exchange or transformation is called svarúpa parińáma. The conversion involves no bondage, and though the sentient is penetrating into the mutative, the mutative into the static and so on, there is a perfect balance here. The balanced Prakrti is addressed simply as Prakrti (without any adjective).

Puruśa is the fundamental entity at every stage. When He gets encircled by the triangle of forces (sentient, mutative and static), though no resultant force has formed, there is a theoretical difference between the Puruśabháva in the first stage when Prakrti was anucchúnyá, and the Puruśabháva in the second stage when Prakrti has shaped Herself into a triangle of forces. In the later stage not only is Puruśa in a theoretical bondage of the three principles, but also there is a chance of His being expressed. Puruśa has not yet metamorphosed, due to equilibrium of the triangle of forces, but the chance of metamorphosis is imminent, so in spite of the fact that Puruśa here is unaffected, there is a theoretical speciality in Puruśa at this stage. This Puruśabháva is called Shiva, and Prakrti, Shivánii or Kaośikii. Prakrti is called Kaośikii because She is the cause of origin of different kośas which are formed later on in the process of evolution.

The difference between Shiva and Shivánii here is merely theoretical because no actual manifestation has occurred. Practical difference between Puruśa and Prakrti starts arising the moment a resultant of forces is formed. Imbalance or lack of equilibrium in the three belligerent forces causes this resultant, and metamorphosis of Puruśa starts due to activation by this Prakrti. The point at which the resultant force bursts out is known as biija – in Tantra, it is called kámabiija. Here lies the innate desire of creation.

Shiva Shakti vibhágena, jáyate srśt́i kalpaná, that is, “Shiva, the Transcendental Entity encircled in the triangle of forces, and Shakti, or Prakrti, on being acted and reacted within themselves, are the cause of the divine desire of creation.” This point (kámabiija) is static and is dominated by Avidyámáyá and rests within its scope of activity. This is the point wherein lies the Cosmic desire. It, therefore, can also be termed icchábiija, or “seed of desire”.

The next stage after this point is the expression of desire or the expression of the resultant force, which must be in a straight line (jiṋánashakti náda) because every force expresses itself by a direction. Philosophically speaking, even though the point is dominated by the static force, further expression is due to the sentient force. Prakrti has a tremendous force but is mainly sentient at this stage, even though the mutative is well active within it. At this stage the flow of expression must, therefore, be in a straight line, because the sentient-dominated force itself must be a straight line.

Prakrti by nature merges Herself in Puruśabháva regularly but by degrees. Hence the flow changes and the force of expression gradually becomes less and less. There is also a never-ending clash amongst the belligerent forces of Prakrti, due to which internal friction increases. Thus due to gradual merger of Prakrti and growing internal friction (known as guńakśobha in Tantra) within Prakrti, the flow ceases to be in a straight line, tends to take up curvature and attains a wavelength. The first curvature thus formed is termed kalá (kriyá shakti). Prakrti is active from kámabiija to the kalá and is called Bhaeravii in the náda stage, and Puruśa is termed Bhaerava.

The conquest of the mutative over the sentient and the gradual movement towards domination (second occasion) by the static force results in curvatures following the preceding curvature. Kalá is followed by further formation of curvatures one after another, but each succeeding curve is not necessarily of the same wavelength as the preceding one. In fact, the difference goes on increasing as the wavelength continues to decrease. This sequence of curvatures is known as sadrsha parińáma. Here the static-dominated mutative Prakrti is responsible for the expression of the universe. The universe gets created. Prakrti responsible for this creation or metamorphosis is known as Bhavánii; She is the energy of evolution. The metamorphosed Puruśabháva under the influence of Bhavánii is called Bhava. In Sanskrit bhava means “to become”. Here Puruśa has become the universe of creation and therefore Puruśa is called Bhava. The practical difference between Bhava and Bhavánii is the maximum, whereas the difference between Bhaerava and Bhaeravii was tending from the theoretical to the practical aspect.

In the first chapter, on “Saiṋcara and Práńáh”, it was pointed out that the whole universe is the thought-projection of the Cosmic Mind, or Macrocosm. The projection of Macrocosm towards expression is a singular positive approach by which the Cosmos appears to have taken the shape of this universe. In this path of evolutionary expression, the human physique gets its existence at a later stage of the formation of the curvatures. The complexity of the physical curvature goes on increasing, yet it is very near the point of its descent. The mental body is much more subtle and can by sádhaná, or spiritual practice, trespass and counteract the force of Avidyámáyá and proceed forth to come under the influence of Vidyámáyá, the force of Cosmic attraction. Mental liberation, or mukti, is possible this way.

Non-qualified liberation, or mokśa, is, however, only possible if the mental body, starting from the crudest mental subjectivity of the physical body, can, by any force, retrace against the singular positive force emanating due to the thought-projection of the Macrocosm. This force against the singular positive force must be a negative one. Hence the path of non-qualified spiritual practice which can reach final mokśa is always the path of negativity. The theoretical negative force with its fundamental negativity, which tends towards the final merger into Puruśa for attaining mokśa, is called kulakuńd́alinii – the “coiled serpentine”.

Since kulakuńd́alinii is the negative force of the unit body, it is different for each individual. As the sádhaná is more or less for a psycho-physical liberation in the initial stage, its starting-point must be in the crudest manifestation. It must reside in that portion of the physical body from which the crudest matter (kśititattva) of the body is controlled. The starting-point of the kulakuńd́alinii, therefore, is in the múládhára. It is fundamentally negative in character, and its starting-point is the negative kámabiija of the living being, just as the point from which the positive resultant force of Prakrti got expression is the kámabiija, or icchábiija, of the Cosmic Being.

The arena in which the kulakuńd́alinii resides is known as káma-piitha. The starting-point of the fundamental positivity, that is, the kámabiija of the Cosmic Being, is on the back of Shambhúliuṋga, and that of negativity on the back of Svayambhúliuṋga. Within the self of the yoga sádhaka, or one who practises the scientific method of spiritual approach with the help of this kulakuńd́alinii, the force of fundamental negativity fights out and aggressively rises up against the force of Avidyámáyá and thereby gets domination over the flow of fundamental positivity. This path of non-compromising aggressive spirituality is the only way to ultimate oneness with Infinite Consciousness.

Chapter 7	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

In a previous chapter, “Life, Death and Saḿskára”, it was shown that with the help of His Citishakti Cosmic Consciousness acts as the witnessing entity. The wavelength of this Citishakti is infinite, and therefore we say that it flows in a straight line. When the mind or manah takes the átman – the witnessing entity of the unit mind – as its so-called object (this is to be done by complete surrender – there is no other way because actually the mind is the object of the átman), the mental waves will get straightened gradually.

In the end, when its wavelength will, as well, become infinite, and those waves will also flow in a straight line, the mind will get transformed into the átman. This state is called samádhi. Here the psychic waves have attained a parallelism with the spiritual waves of the átman. This psycho-spiritual parallelism is known as “idea”, or bháva. When this bháva or idea is conceived on the psychic level, it is “ideology”. Ideology, therefore, is the conception of idea and nothing else.

Hence when we call some materialistic or political principles of a person, party, nation or federation an “ideology”, it is a wrong use of the term. “Ideology” involves in it a spiritual sense; it is an inspiration which has a parallelism with the Spiritual Entity.

Shabda or sound is in its initial stage a psychic wave. Let us see what artha, or meaning, is. We hear a sound, but the concept of the word uttered is not clear till the mental waves are brought in contact with the physical concept involved. A child hears the word “cat”. He sees a cat and the mother says, “See, my son! That is the cat which drank your milk yesterday.” The boy associates the word “cat” with the cat seen. That means he establishes a parallelism between the mental waves created by uttering the word “cat” and the physical wave coming from the physical form of the cat. Hence psycho-physical parallelism is the meaning of a word which itself (the word) is a psychic wave. So psycho-spiritual parallelism is idea and psycho-physical parallelism is artha, or meaning.

This psycho-physical parallelism can be either direct or indirect. Indirect parallelism will be the case when the object expressed in the word (psychic wave) is not perceived directly and thus physical parallelism cannot be made directly, but the physical parallelism has been made with the help of some internal saḿskára already formed or through some description made by some other source.

Psycho-physical parallelism always tends to make the psychic waves cruder, and if the mental wave gets cruder, human beings will be transformed into cruder beings (the path of negative pratisaiṋcara will be taken by them) and spiritual elevation will remain a dream. But then in day-to-day business, we have to conceive the meaning of words and thereby establish psycho-physical parallelism. Then, is human destiny sealed for ever? No, it is not! We can have a supreme position of the spiritual wave over the physical wave and perceive the latter as one of the manifestations of the spiritual infinite one. This is what Ananda Marga philosophy means by Brahmacarya. Brahmacarya does not mean celibacy but means the assimilation of the psychic wave of the unit mind into the eternal waves of the Macrocosm. Ananda Marga lays down for the spiritual aspirant a practical method by which this spiritual imposition is done and the mental waves are saved from becoming cruder. Rather by bháva sádhaná (spiritual practice of auto-suggestion) at the time of action laid down by Ananda Marga, the mind will tend towards Brahmacarya and thereby towards psycho-spiritual parallelism, the only way to ultimate liberation. Because, for mental liberation, the psychic waves must be made subtler, and this is only possible if one either entertains only subtler mental waves or by inspiring with a spiritual force gets a parallelism of the mental waves with spiritual ones.

According to the philosophy of Ananda Marga, complete development of the integrated personality is an essentiality for perfect spiritual realization of the human being. Personality includes all three – the physical body or jad́ádhára, the mental body or bhávádhára, and the spiritual or supramental body, or cetanádhára. This means, it is a collaborated composition of physical, metaphysical and spiritual bodies. So the proper development of each is essential.

For the physical, there must be proper nourishment (for this, see Ananda Marga Caryácarya Part 3, where food habits for spiritual aspirants and others have been dealt with). Struggle in the physical field or physical labour helps in purifying the physical structure. The mental or metaphysical body needs physical and mental struggle and also mental food. Mental struggle results from aggressive adoption of newer and progressive thoughts rather than blind clinging to faiths devoid of any rationality, simply because they prevailed in ancient days and were supported by our forefathers. Mental food can be had from ideas (ideas meaning psycho-spiritual parallelism). The spiritual body is the higher mind, subtler taste or higher taste. When the microcosm keeps itself absorbed in the Macrocosm, the meaner and cruder thoughts wave away. The spiritual body gets strengthened by longing for the Great – an intense desire to be for Him. This is the real bhakti or devotion. This is the ultimate and only way to final liberation or final union.

Shrii Shrii Shankaracharya has declared bhakti as the best way to mokśa – the ultimate liberation: Mokśakárańa samagryáḿ bhaktireva gariiyasii.

Chapter 8	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

Primitive human beings had no society and the whole set-up was individualistic. Even the concept of family was absent. Life was brute and non-intellectual. Nature was the direct abode and physical strength ruled the day. The strong enjoyed at the cost of the weak, who had to surrender before the voracity of the physical giants. However, the sense of acquisition had not developed in them, and they worked manually, and there was no intellectual exploitation in that age. Though life was brute, it was not brutal.

If shúdras be defined as those who live by manual work or service, this primary stage of nature’s brute laws could be named the Shúdra Age, because all were manual workers. The reliance on physical power gradually led a chosen few to lead the rest by the strength of their muscles. They were the leaders of the shúdras.

Simultaneously, the family developed. And the above-mentioned leadership, once based upon the superiority of muscles, passed on from the father to the son or from the mother to the daughter, partly due to the momentum of fear and power commanded, and partly because of superiority of animalic breed.

Superior strength requires the assistance of other superior strengths in the neighbourhood for all to maintain their status. Generally such superior neighbours belonged to the same parenthood or were related through matrimonial ties. Gradually the leaders by physical might started a well-knit group, and ultimately formed a class known as the kśatriyas. The age when the power to rule, or supremacy in arms, was the only material factor that mattered, was the Kśatriya Age. The leaders of the Kśatriya Age were Herculean, huge giants who depended on the supremacy of personal valour and might, making little or no use of intellect.

With the development of intellect and skill as a result of physical and psychic clash, physical strength had to lose its dignified position according to the growing intensity of intellectual demand in the kśatriya-dominated society. One had also to develop skill in the use of arms, and even for this the physical giant had to sit at the feet of some physically-common men to learn the use of arms and strategy. A reference to the mythology of any ancient culture reveals numberless instances where the hero of the day had to acquire specific knowledge from teachers. Subsequently this learning was not confined to the use of arms only but extended to other spheres, such as battle-craft, medicine and forms of organization and administration, so essential for ruling any society. Thus the dependence on superior intellect increased day by day, and in the course of time real power passed into the hands of such intellectuals. These intellectuals, as the word implies, justified their existence on intellect only, performed no labour themselves, and were parasites in the sense that they exploited the energy put in by others in society. This age of domination by intellectual parasites can be called the Vipra Age.

Even though the vipras came into the forefront by the use of their marked intellect, it is more difficult than in the case of the kśatriyas to maintain a hereditary superiority of intellect. In an effort to maintain power amongst the limited few, they actively tried and prevented others from acquiring the use of the intellect by imposing superstitions and rituals, faiths and beliefs, and even introducing irrational ideas (the caste system of Hindu society is an example) through an appeal to the sentiments of the mass (who collectively cannot be called intellectual). This was the phase of human society in the Middle Ages in the greater part of the world.

The continued exploitation by one section of society resulted in the necessity for the collection and transfer of consumable goods. Even otherwise, need was felt very badly for the transport of food and other necessities of life from surplus parts to deficit parts. Also, in the case of clan conflicts, the result of the resources of one community or class versus another gained importance. This aspect was confined not only to the producers but also to those handling the goods at various stages up to the point of consumption. These people became known as vaeshyas, and ingenuity and summed-up production began to enjoy supremacy and importance, till an age was reached when this aspect of life became the most important factor. These vaeshyas, therefore, began to enjoy a position of supremacy, and the age dominated by this class is said to be the Age of Vaeshyas.

Individualistic or laissez-faire sense develops [into] capitalism when the means of production pass into the hands of a few who are more interested in personal exploitation. At this stage it can be said that the instinct of acquisition has developed tremendously. The thirst for acquisition instigated them to [develop] the psychology of complete exploitation of the human race also, and this resulted in a class by itself. In the race for greed and acquisition not all could survive, and only a few remained to dominate the society in general and the economic set-up in particular by their capital. The great majority were either duped into believing that they would be allowed to share such resources, or were neglected and left uncared-for for want of strength and did not survive the race. Such people in society ultimately occupy the place of exploited slaves of the capitalists. They are slaves because they have no option other than to serve the capitalists as labourers to earn the means of subsistence.

We may recall the definition of shúdras as persons who live by manual work or labour hard for their livelihood. This age of capitalism is the age when the large majority of society turn into such shúdras. This develops into dejection and dissatisfaction on a large scale because of an internal clash in the mind, because the psychology of society is essentially dynamic in nature and the mind itself exists as a result of constant clash. These conditions are necessary and sufficient for labourers, whether manual or mental, to organize and stand up against the unnatural impositions in life. This may be termed “shúdra revolution”. The leaders of this revolution, also, are people physically and mentally better-equipped and more capable essentially of overthrowing the capitalistic structure by force. In other words, they are also kśatriyas. So, after a period of chaos and catastrophe, once more the same cycle – Shúdra Age to Kśatriya to Vipra, and so on – recommences.⁽¹⁾

In this cycle of civilization one age changes into another. This gradual change should be called “evolution” or kránti. The period of transition from one age to another can be said to be yuga saḿkránti – “transitional age”. One complete cycle from the Shúdra Age evolving through the other [three] ages is called parikránti.⁽²⁾

Sometimes the social cycle (samája cakra) is reversed by the application of physical or psychic force by a group of people inspired by a negative theory. Such a change is, therefore, counter-evolution – that is, against the cycle of civilization. This may be termed vikránti. But if this reversal of the social cycle takes place, due to political pressure or any other brute force, within a short span of time, the change thus brought about is prativiplava, or “counter-revolution”. It is just like the negative pratisaiṋcara of Brahma Cakra.⁽³⁾ Thus the progress and march of civilization can be represented as points of position and as the speed of approaching Puruśottama, respectively, by a collective body in Brahma Cakra.

The world is a transitory phase or changing phenomenon within the scope of the Cosmic Mind. It is going in eternal motion, and such a motion is the law of nature and the law of life. Stagnancy means death. Hence no power can check the social cycle of evolution. Any force, external or internal, can only retard or accelerate the speed of transition, but cannot prevent it from moving. Therefore progressive humanity should cast off all skeletons of the past. Human beings should go on accelerating the speed of progress for the good of humanity in general.

Those spiritual revolutionaries who work to achieve such progressive changes for human elevation on a well-thought, pre-planned basis, whether in the physical, metaphysical or spiritual sphere, by adhering to the principles of Yama and Niyama, are sadvipras.

The principles of Yama are ahiḿsá, satya, asteya, aparigraha and Brahmacarya. Ahiḿsá means not causing suffering to any harmless creature through thought, word or deed. Satya denotes action of mind or use of words with the object of helping others in the real sense. It has no relative application. Asteya means non-stealing, and this should not be confined to physical action but [extended] to the action of the mind as well. All actions have their origin in the mind, hence the correct sense of asteya is “to give up the desire of acquiring what is not rightly one’s own”. Aparigraha involves the non-acceptance of such amenities and comforts of life as are superfluous for the preservation of the physical existence. And the spirit of Brahmacarya is to experience His [the Supreme Entity’s] presence and authority in each and every physical and psychic objectivity. This occurs when the unit mind resonates with Cosmic will.

The five rules of Niyama are shaoca, santośa, tapah, svádhyáya and Iishvara prańidhána. Shaoca means purity of both physical and mental bodies. Mental purity is attained by benevolent deeds, charity, or other dutiful acts. Santośa means “contentment”. It implies accepting ungrudgingly and without a complaint the out-turn of the services rendered by one’s own physical or mental labour. Tapah means efforts to reach the goal despite such efforts being associated with physical discomforts. Svádhyáya means study of the scriptures or other books of learning and assimilating their spirit. The whole universe is guided by the Supreme Entity, and nothing that one does or can do is without His specific command. Iishvara prańidhána is an auto-suggestion of the idea that each and every unit is an instrument in the hands of the Almighty and is a mere spark of that supreme fire. Iishvara prańidhána also implies implicit faith in Him irrespective of whether one lives in momentary happiness or sorrow, prosperity or adversity.⁽⁴⁾

Only those who by their nature adhere to the above ten commands in their normal and spiritual conduct are sadvipras. Such a morally- and spiritually-equipped sadvipra has to perform a fundamental and vital duty to society.

In the cycle of social evolution, during each age before it is succeeded by another age, one particular class enjoys the position of domination and superiority. Such a class, while in political power, has every chance of exploiting the society. History has shown that this is not mere chance, but has been repeating itself. Now the duty of the sadvipra is to see that the dominating class does not take recourse to exploitation. The four classes – shúdra, the toiling class; kśatriya, the warrior class; vipra, the intellectual class; and vaeshya, the capitalist class – have remained well defined in the cycle of human civilization, and the gradual domination and decline of each class shall continue to occur in this cycle.

Life is a dynamic principle, and the movement of the samája cakra continues without any break or pause. The cycle cannot be checked, as stagnation implies death. The function of a sadvipra shall, therefore, be to see that the dominating or the ruling classes do not have any scope for exploitation. The moment one class turn into exploiters, the life of the majority becomes miserable; a few enjoy at the cost of many whose lot is only to suffer. More than that, in such a state of society both the few and the many get degenerated. The few (exploiters) degenerate themselves due to [an] excess of physical enjoyments and the many (exploited) cannot elevate themselves, because all their energy is taken up in mundane problems and all their mental waves are always tending to attain psycho-physical parallelism, thus getting day by day cruder. Hence, for the physical, mental and spiritual welfare of the administrator and the administered of the society as a whole, it is essential that no one be given any scope to exploit the rest of the society.

Sadvipras are not inactive witnesses. They are active participants to see that no person or class exploits the rest. For this they may have to resort even to physical violence, because the sadvipras will have to strike at the source of the power [of the class] which is tending to become the exploiter. In case the kśatriya class are becoming exploiters, the sadvipras may have to resort to physical force, and in an age where the intellectual or vipra class are dominating, they will have to bring about a revolution in the intellectual field. In case the vaeshyas are dominating, the sadvipras may have to contest and win elections, because the vaeshya class rules by democracy, and the democratic set-up enables them to accumulate undue gains.

Footnotes

(1) A period of chaos and catastrophe ends when kśatriya leadership re-emerges, signifying the start of the next Kśatriya Age. For a more detailed discussion of this process, see “The Shúdra Revolution and the Sadvipra Society” in Human Society Part 2 by the author. [In the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article, this footnote is replaced by “Also see ‘The Shúdra Revolution and the Sadvipra Society’ in Volume 2.”] –Eds.

(2) See also the definitions of parikránti in the author’s Problems of the Day, section 34, and Ánanda Sútram, Chapter 5, Sútra 7. Eds.

(3) Brahma Cakra is the Cosmic Cycle of creation. The “negative pratisaiṋcara of Brahma Cakra” refers to the devolution of human beings to animals, plants, or even matter. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(4) For further discussion on Yama and Niyama, see A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

Chapter 9	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

Spirituality is not a utopian ideal but a practical philosophy which can be practised and realized in day-to-day life, however mundane it be. Spirituality stands for evolution and elevation, and not for superstition in action or pessimism. All fissiparous tendencies and group or clan philosophies which tend to create the shackles of narrow-mindedness are in no way connected with spirituality and should be discouraged. That which leads to broadness of unison alone should be accepted. Spiritual philosophy does not recognize any distinctions and differentiations unnaturally made between one human being and another, and stands for universal fraternity.

In the present environment many fissiparous tendencies are working to divide humanity into mutually-belligerent groups. Spirituality must inculcate sense in human psychology, and develop a natural affinity amongst this species of the creation. The approach of spirituality should be psychological and rational, and should offer a touching appeal to the deepest psychic sentiments of human beings. Human beings should appreciate by a rational analysis their relationship with the Cosmic Entity and recognize the most benevolent kindness of the most beloved Entity. Spirituality should lead human beings to the one Cosmic truth from which they have derived their selves,⁽¹⁾ and which is the ultimate destiny. That ultimate and absolute ideal is the Cosmic ideal – an ideal beyond the scope of time, place and person. It is the Absolute, without and beyond relativity. It stands with its own lustre for all times and for every factor of the Cosmos, may it be a human being or a less-evolved animal. The Cosmic ideal alone can be the unifying force which shall strengthen humanity to smash the bondages and abolish all narrow domestic walls of fissiparous tendencies.

All the sentiment-provoking ideas should be firmly opposed. This does not mean an attack on those sentiments, traditions and habits which are innate in human beings and which do not hamper their Cosmic development. For example, the movement for uniformity in dress for all people will be but a ridiculous and irrational approach. Different selections of dress are the result of climatic factors and corporal necessities. Moreover, dissimilarity in dress is not detrimental to world fraternity.

There will also be many zonal or regional differences as regards other traditions and customs. These should be appreciated and encouraged for the indigenous development of society. But under no circumstances should there be a compromise in principle or yielding to tendencies detrimental to the inculcation of Cosmic sentiment.

The inspiration of Cosmic sentiment will depend upon certain objective physical problems which must be solved on a collective humanitarian basis. In the relative objective sphere the following few fundamental problems must be attempted at [tackled] and solved. These are:

1. Common philosophy of life
2. Same constitutional structure
3. Common penal code
4. Availability (production, supply, purchasing capacity) of the minimum essentialities of life

Common Philosophy of Life

A common philosophy of life demands a clear conception in the human mind that the development of the human personality means an evolution in all the three spheres – physical, metaphysical or mental, and spiritual. Some objective materialist thinkers have held the opinion that spirituality is a utopian philosophy, bereft of practicalities pertaining to actual problems of life. Other thinkers conceived it as a wise and intelligent device to befool the toiling mass. But the logical analysis given above must have clarified to thoughtful readers that spirituality is the summum bonum of life in all its aspects.

Those who think dharma to be an individual’s concern conceive it in a very narrow sense. Dharma leads to Cosmic unity, inculcating in the individual mind Cosmic idealism. Religion, in the sense of dharma, is the unifying force in humanity. Moreover, spirituality provides a human being and humanity at large with that subtle and tremendous power with which no other power can be compared. Therefore, with spirituality as the base, a rational philosophy should be evolved to deal with the physical, psychological and socio-philosophical problems of the day. The complete rational theory dealing with all three phases – spiritual, mental and physical – of human development shall be a philosophy common to humanity in general. This will be evolutionary and ever-progressing. Of course, small details may vary according to the relative environment of the age.

Nationalism is fast getting out of date. Not only has national sentiment given humanity rude shocks in the world wars of the present century, but the social and cultural blending of the present age also shows the domination of cosmopolitanism in world affairs. Vested interests, however, continue to cause certain fissiparous tendencies. There are some who fear loss of their economic or political domination and are directly responsible for these detrimental or retrograde reactions.

Same Constitutional Structure

Despite these obstacles, a social blending of humanity is in progress and needs a common constitutional structure to be evolved to cement the solidarity of the world.⁽²⁾ A world government is also very essential for exercising full control in certain spheres; for example, there should be only one world militia.

The world government should form certain autonomous units, not necessarily national (based on problems of education, food supply, flood control, public sentiment), which should look after mundane and supramundane problems. The boundaries of these units may be readjusted to suit any change in the environment – for instance, development in the techniques of communication. Development in the means of communication brings the different remote parts of the world nearer, and the world, therefore, grows smaller. With this well-developed swifter means of communication, units with bigger areas can work smoothly and efficiently.⁽³⁾

Common Penal Code

A common penal code must be evolved. Legislation must be progressive and capable of gradual adjustment with the prevalent conditions. Any theory which does not hold a parallelism with the ever-changing conditions of time, place and person, is sure to decay and be lost in oblivion. Hence, there must be a never-ending effort for amendment with a view to rectification.

Crimes are acts forbidden by the law of the government concerned, and virtue and vice (puńya and pápa) are the outcome of traditional customs. The sentiments of the lawmakers are very much influenced by the prevalent traditions and customs regarding the concept of virtue and vice of the locality or of the people concerned. The sense of crime, therefore, has a parallelism with the concept of virtue and vice. The idea of virtue and vice is different in different countries. The aspirants of world fraternity should try to lessen the difference and reduce the gap amongst cardinal, moral and human laws. All those actions which help in the growth of the spiritual, mental and physical aspects of human beings in general should come under the category of virtuous deeds, and those actions which go against humanity in its spiritual, mental and physical development must come under “vice”. This conception of virtue and vice applies commonly to humanity in general.

Minimum Essentialities of Life

The availability of the minimum essentialities of life plays a vital part not only in achieving world brotherhood, but also in the development of human personality. This should be tackled on a world footing, and should be based on certain fundamental presumptions. Every human being has certain minimum requirements which he or she must be guaranteed. Guaranteed availability of foodstuff, clothing, medical assistance and housing accommodation should be arranged so that human beings may be able to utilize their surplus energy (energy up till now engaged in procuring the essentialities of life) in subtler pursuits. Side by side, there should be sufficient scope for providing other amenities of the progressive age. To fulfil the above responsibilities, enough purchasing capacity should be created.

If the supply of requirements be guaranteed without any conditions of personal skill and labour, the individual may develop the psychology of idleness. The minimum requirements of every person are the same, but diversity is also the nature of creation. Special amenities should, therefore, be provided so that the diversity in skill and intelligence is fully utilized, and talent is encouraged to contribute its best towards human development. It will, therefore, be necessary to make provision for special emoluments which can cater for special amenities of life according to the age and time. But at the same time, there should be a constant effort to reduce the gap between the amount of special emoluments and the bare minimum requirements of the average individual. The guaranteed supply of minimum requirements must be liberalized by increasing the provision of special amenities pertaining to the age and also, simultaneously, by bringing about a decrease in the provision of special emoluments given to the few. This never-ending effort of proper economic adjustment must ceaselessly continue at all times with a view to assisting the spiritual, mental and physical evolution of human beings, and to let humanity develop a Cosmic sentiment for a Cosmic ideal and world fraternity.⁽⁴⁾

In this socio-economic set-up people are at full liberty in the spiritual and mental spheres. This is possible because the spiritual and psychic entities for which people can aspire are themselves unlimited, and the extent of possession in this sphere does not hamper the progress of others in their quests. But the supply in the physical sphere is limited, and hence any effort for disproportionate or unrestricted acquisition of physical objects has every possibility of creating a vast majority of have-not’s, and thus hampering the spiritual, mental and physical growth of the larger majority. So, while dealing with the problem of individual liberty, it must be kept in view that individual liberty in the physical sphere must not be allowed to cross a limit whereat it is instrumental in hampering the development of the complete personality of human beings; and, at the same time, must not be so drastically curtailed that the spiritual, mental and physical growths of human beings are hampered.

Thus, the social philosophy of Ananda Marga advocates the development of the integrated personality of the individual, and also the establishment of world fraternity, inculcating in human psychology a Cosmic sentiment. The Marga advocates progressive utilization of mundane and supramundane factors of the Cosmos. The society needs a stir for life, vigour and progress, and for this Ananda Marga advocates the Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout), meaning thereby progressive utilization of all factors. Those who support this principle may be termed “Proutists”.

The principles of Prout depend upon the following fundamental factors:

1. No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the clear permission or approval of the collective body.
2. There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane, supramundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe.
3. There should be maximum utilization of physical, metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of unit and collective bodies of human society.
4. There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, mundane, supramundane and spiritual utilizations.
5. The method of utilization should vary in accordance with changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of progressive nature.

Hence, ours is a Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout).

Footnotes

(1) Unit selves, or jiivátmans, are derived from the Cosmic Self. See “Pratisaiṋcara and Manah” for a discussion of the reunion of the two. [In the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article, this footnote is replaced by “Unit selves, or jiivátmans, are derived from the Cosmic Self. For further discussion on this concept, see ‘Pratisaiṋcara and Manah’ and ‘Átman, Paramátman and Sadhana’ in Idea and Ideology, 1959.”] –Eds.

(2) For further discussion on a global constitution, see “Requirements of an Ideal Constitution” in Volume 3. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(3) For further discussion on socio-economic units, see “Socio-Economic Groupifications” in Volume 3. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(4) For further discussion on minimum requirements and special amenities, see “Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities” in Volume 4. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(5) These principles, named the “Five Fundamental Principles of Prout” by the author, were added to the first edition of Idea and Ideology as it was being printed during November 1959. However, since the author included them as part of this discourse, “The Cosmic Brotherhood”, which was given on 5 June 1959, they are dated accordingly. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

Chapter 10	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

1-1. Shivashaktyátmakaḿ Brahma.

[Brahma is the composite of Shiva and Shakti.]

Purport: Brahma [Cosmic Entity] is the composite of Shiva [Consciousness] and Shakti [Operative Principle].

A piece of paper has two sides. Although they are two for the sake of argument, they cannot be separated from the one paper entity. Removal of one side of the paper jeopardizes the existence of the other. So is the relation of Puruśa [Consciousness] and Prakrti [Operative Principle] in the Cosmic Entity. None of them can stand without the other. That is why it is said that they are an inalienable concomitance.

Although as a philosophical word, shiva or puruśa is extensively used, in common parlance the word átmá [“soul” or “self”] is more extensively used in the same sense. Shiva means “witnessing consciousness”. So does puruśa – Pure shete yah sah puruśah, that is, “The witness-ship that lies quiescent in every entity is the puruśa.” And átman means “that which is omni-telepathic”.

The physical sense of the body is telepathized on the mental plate. In other words, the physical sense is awakened in the mental plate due to the reflection that follows the impact of the crude physical waves on the mental plate. Similarly, the sense of every crude object is awakened in the mental plate as soon as the reflection takes place following the impact of the waves of the objects on the mental plate. Identical mental waves hit the soul entity, causing the reflection of those mental waves, and this awakens in the unit a sense of its indivisibility from the soul. If, in the language of philosophy, mental waves, that is, thought, be called thought-waves, then the reflection of the mental waves on the soul-plate will have to be termed telepathic waves. And so in reference to the soul-plate, we may say that it is telepathic to the mind. All mundane objects, crude, subtle or causal, consist in mental waves or thought-waves, and so in the fullest accord with reasoning and logic, we may call the Soul omni-telepathic. It is because of this omni-telepathic Átman that the existences of all mundane objects, visible or invisible, large or small, find their factual substantiation and recognition. Had there been no Átman, the existence of everything would have been in jeopardy.

1-2. Shaktih Sá Shivasya Shaktih.

[Shakti (the Operative Principle) is the shakti (force) of Shiva.]

Purport: Every object has a material cause and an efficient cause. Over and above these there is also a conjunctive agency linking the upádána kárańa [material cause] with the nimitta kárańa [efficient or instrumental cause]. The determination of the firmness or laxity of the relation of the material cause with the efficient cause depends on the degree of conjunctive functions. In the process of creation, Puruśa is the material factor, and Prakrti is the linking force consummating the relation between the material and the efficient causes. As the efficient cause, Puruśa is the primary factor, and Prakrti is the secondary one.

Puruśa is the all-pervading entity, and so no one else except Him can be the material cause. Prakrti, not being all-pervading, is sheltered in Puruśa. In the body of Puruśa, Prakrti can only work as much as She is given opportunity to by Puruśa. And so, in the science of creation, Puruśa alone as the doer entity is the chief efficient or instrumental cause; and since Prakrti has been posing as the doer with the authority given to Her by Puruśa, She is the subordinate efficient cause. The distortions or expressions which are taking place in the material cause through the efficient cause and which we call worldly manifestations, are effected by the three guńas [attributes or binding principles: sattva, rajah and tamah] of Prakrti. This accounts for Prakrti being the linking force between the efficient cause and the material cause. So the firmness or feebleness of the object-body fully depends upon the degree of the influence of Prakrti.

The role of Puruśa is foremost in all the spheres. Prakrti only acts to whatever extent Puruśa has authorized or authorizes Her to act. In the process of evolution, Puruśa gives Prakrti the authority to work, and She goes on working. The subtle Puruśa goes on attaining crudity gradually due to the bondage of the three guńas of Prakrti. In the ultimate state of His crudity, Puruśa slowly and gradually keeps shrivelling up the opportunity and liberty of Prakrti previously given to Her, and thus the crudified Puruśa, gradually regaining His subtlety, returns to His own ultimate characteristic state. The flow of manifestations of the Puruśadeha [Cognitive Body] under the binding influence of Prakrti is what we call saiṋcara [extroversion from the subtle to the crude], while the gradual process of liberation that results in the Puruśadeha due to progressive looseness of the bondage is what we call pratisaiṋcara [introversion from the crude to the subtle]. It is now abundantly clear that even though Prakrti is free to make honest use of Her acquired power, the attainment or non-attainment of this power depends on Puruśa, or Citishakti [Cognitive Principle], and so we have to say, Prakrti is but the characteristic of Puruśa Himself – Shaktih Sá Shivasya Shaktih.

1-3. Tayoh siddhih saiṋcare pratisaiṋcare ca.

[Puruśa and Prakrti find their fulfilment in saiṋcara (extroversial movement) and pratisaiṋcara (introversial movement.]

Purport: The existence of any entity is known by the process of its activity, thought or witness-ship, of which witness-ship belongs to Puruśa and the other two substantiating factors primarily belong to Prakrti; and so the fact of Prakrti being the causal entity of the stream of action and thought will be recognized only when She completely identifies herself with objectivity. This appropriation of objectivity by Prakrti depends on Her ever-increasing (saiṋcara) or -decreasing (pratisaiṋcara) influence on Puruśa. Prakrti’s manifestation lies in the saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara processes. In all these manifestations of Prakrti, Puruśa exists not only as the material cause, but as the witness as well, in all states and conditions.

1-4. Paramashivah Puruśottamah vishvasya kendram.

[Supreme Consciousness at the nucleus of the universe is known as Paramashiva or Puruśottama.]

Purport: The trivalent Prakrti has been apparently crudifying the original Puruśa through Her own binding forces – this is one of the processes of Her activity. Her other process being that by gradually relaxing the influence of Her three attributes on the crude object, She regains the characteristic of Puruśa, thus putting an end to Her binding operation. The first-named process of Prakrti is centrifugal and the other one is centripetal. The Brahma Cakra, or Srśt́i Cakra [Cosmic Cycle], is manifested through the combination of these very centrifugal and centripetal actions. The nucleus of this Cosmic Cycle is indeed the svabháva [characteristic bearing] of Puruśa. The material cause of the entire Brahma Cakra is Puruśa, or Shiva, and we shall call this nucleus Paramashiva or Puruśottama.

1-5. Pravrttimukhii saiṋcarah guńadháráyám.

[Saiṋcara (in the Cosmic Cycle) is the gradual extroversial movement under the increasing influence of the guńas (binding principles).]

Purport: The object-ward movement or expression of Puruśa from the nucleus of the Brahma Cakra under the influence of Prakrti is called pravrtti (extroversial phase). As the result of the initial impact of Prakrti on the witnessing Puruśottama, there awakens in Him the sense of existence, which in the language of philosophy is called the Mahattattva [Existential “I”], and the operative force concerned, whereby this Mahattattva comes into being, is called sattvaguńa (the sentient principle) of Prakrti. (Guńa means “binding principle”.) The second impact of the operative force of Prakrti results in the emergence of the sense of doership or authorship. This changed expression of Puruśa is called the Ahaḿtattva (Doer “I”), and the operative force concerned is called rajoguńa (the mutative principle) of Prakrti. Finally, through the greater impact of the operative force of Prakrti in the wake of Her successive attacks, comes the crudest objectivity or complete objectivation of Puruśa (the crudest objective counterpart of the subjective Cosmos). This condition of Puruśa is called citta (mind-stuff). The operative force concerned, whereby such objectivation takes place, is called tamoguńa (the static principle) of Prakrti. That is to say, with the onset of pravrtti [desire and attachment], saiṋcara issues right from one and the same Puruśa through the gradual process of the guńas.

1-6. Nivrttimukhii pratisaiṋcarah guńávakśayeńa.

[Pratisaiṋcara (in the Cosmic Cycle) is the gradual introversial movement under the waning influence of the guńas.]

Purport: The excess of vrtti [desire] is pravrtti [attachment or the accelerated momentum of desire]. The recessive or waning momentum of vrtti is nivrtti [detachment or the loss of desire in the introversial phase]. During the centrifugal movement, desire finds its fullest expression in Puruśa under the static influence of Prakrti. The citta entity that comes into play in the body of Puruśa under the static influence of Prakrti, when accepted by the jiivátman [the individual soul or the subjective part of the microcosm] as something perceivable or knowable, appears as the five gross physical elements, ten indriyas [organs] and five tanmátras [sensible and super-sensible inferences or generic essences]. When the attributional flow reaches its finality, then starts the shedding of the guńas – that is to say, Puruśa then keeps contracting the power of Prakrti. The result is that Prakrti, attracted by Puruśa, gets drawn to Puruśottama. Consequently again, the five gross physical elements gradually get metamorphosed into body, vital energy and mind of the unit. Finally the unit mind merges into Puruśottama as the result of shedding of the binding principles. It is because of the merger of the unit mind into its primal cause that the ultimate state of pratisaiṋcara is a non-attributive one. This may be called the dissolution of the individual life.

1-7. Drk Puruśah darshanaḿ Shaktishca.

[Puruśa is the substantiator, the ultimate witness; (the actional faculty of) Prakrti is the act of witnessing (and that which is witnessed).]

Purport: Acting is seeing, witnessing is drk [substantiation]. In the absence of the latter, seeing remains unsubstantiated. Thinking, speaking, moving, accepting – these fall in the category of action. The witness-ship that vouches for the existence of these activities, that substantive bearing, is Puruśa, and the expression of activity that takes place under His witness-ship is charged with the guńas of Prakrti. If we call the expression of the material waves actional faculty, its apparent witness will be the citta entity. If the citta-ic expression be termed actional faculty, then its apparent witness will be the Ahaḿtattva (or Ego). If the expression or manifestation of the Ego be called actional faculty, then its apparent witness will be the Mahattattva [sense of “I”-ness]. If we call the sense of “I”-ness actional faculty, then its witness-ship, that is, “I-know-I-am”-ness, will be acceptable as the ultimate witness. This “I know” is not the apparent witness of anybody or anything, it is the absolute witness of everything in all conditions. Hence candidly this bearing alone falls in the category of drk [ultimate cognition]. This in truth is the attributed consciousness of Puruśa.

1-8. Guńabandhanena guńábhivyaktih.

[As the guńas increase their bondage, they express themselves fully in the emergence of the fundamental factors.]

Purport: Guńa means “binding principle”. The stronger the bondage upon anything, the cruder the thing becomes. When in Her freedom acquired from Puruśa, Prakrti binds Puruśa, the conscious Puruśa gets metamorphosed into Mahattattva, Ahaḿtattva, citta, etc., under the ever-increasing binding factors, and then as the result of the gradually greater and still greater bondage of tamoguńa there come into being as per degrees of crudification, the ethereal, the aerial, the luminous, the liquid and (ultimately) the solid factors. Even in the latter there are degrees of bondage. On account of the firmness of bondage, the inter-atomic and inter-molecular distances go on decreasing, as the result of which the internal frictions in the material body go on increasing. The external pressure of attributional bondage and the internal frictions compel greater and greater attributional expressions in the bodies of objects.

Here one should bear in mind that “attributional expression” does not mean the excess of attributional capabilities, but that of the attributional manifestations as well as the attributional diversities. The ákáshatattva [ethereal factor] has the sound- carrying attribute. If, suppose, we fix its measure at one hundred, in that case, when the ákáshatattva gets metamorphosed into the váyutattva [aerial factor] on account of greater static bondage, the attribute of touch is also expressed therein along with the sound-carrying attribute, but the attributional capacity remains what it is – unenhanced. The sound-carrying attribute wanes in the váyutattva as compared to the ákáshatattva, but, all the same, the combined measure of the sonic and the tactual attributes still remains at one hundred.

1-9. Guńádhikye jad́asphot́ah bhútasámyábhávát.

[Due to excessive pressure of the guńas, proper balance among the bhútas (five fundamental factors) is lost and jad́asphot́a (explosion of matter) occurs.]

Purport: If, even after the transformation of the object body into kśititattva [the solid factor], the onslaught of the binding principle continues unabated, the equipoise of the elements gets lost and jad́asphot́a [explosion of matter] takes place. As a result of this explosion kśititattva, due to its excessive internal friction, gets pulverized into subtler elements such as the ap [liquid], tejas [luminous], marut [aerial] and vyoma [ethereal] factors, completely or partially, that is to say, its movement undergoes the process of negative saiṋcara. Nevertheless, the resultant subtler elements after the explosion, of course, retake the same old path of saiṋcara.

The ethereal element of the Cosmic Mind gets gradually cruder and cruder as per degrees of the ever-increasing flow of the guńas, that is, from ákásha, or vyoma, to marut, from marut to tejas, from tejas to ap, and from ap to kśiti. The more the progress of these metamorphoses, the more varied the attributional diversities noticeable in the material bodies, and their dimensions also get shrunk and diminished. The dimensional contraction means the increase of internal frictions, and this happens due to the excess or magnitude of the external attributional flow. Due to these excessive internal frictions, explosions take place in the material bodies and they get pulverized into subtler elements. These explosions owing to hyper-attributional pressure occur only when the degree of the tension of the solid element becomes abnormally high as compared to other elements. In the absence of any wide disparities (either too high or too low) in the tensional relations of the elements, living organisms come into being instead of explosion.

1-10. Guńaprabhávena bhútasaungharśádbalam.

[Due to the increasing influence of the guńas, clash occurs among the fundamental factors and bala (energy) is produced.]

Purport: The firmer the binding factor on the object body, the greater the internal friction in it. This clash or play of forces is called bala or práńa [power or energy]. This práńa exists more or less in all objects or elements, although its expression has not taken place or does not take place in them in equal proportion.

1-11. Dehakendrikáńi parińámabhútáńi baláni práńáh.

[The resultant interial force forming the nucleus within the physical structure and maintaining its solidarity, is called práńáh (vital energy).]

Purport: If the resultant force – the force that comes into being as a result of both external and internal frictions in the object-body – finds its own nucleus in some part of that body, the powers or energies active in that body are collectively called práńáh [vital energy].

The word práńáh is used in the Sanskrit language in the plural number because it really stands for ten váyus [vital forces in the body].

1-12. Tiivrasaungharśeńa cúrńiibhútáni jad́áni cittáńu
mánasadhátuh vá.

[Due to excessive clash, some crude matter is pulverized, and cittáńu (ectoplasmic particles), or mind-stuff, is evolved.]

Purport: If the manifestation of energy be too great in the object-body, some portion of the crude entity gets pulverized as the result of excessive friction in the object-body and gets metamorphosed into cittáńu [mind-stuff], which is subtler than ether. That is to say, mind is born out of matter.

1-13. Vyaśt́idehe cittáńusamaváyena cittabodhah.

[Through the combination of ectoplasmic particles in the unit structure, the feeling of citta (objective mind) evolves.]

Purport: The coordinated totality of all the cittáńus [ectoplasmic particles] that remain in the individual object-body centring round its totality constitute the sense of citta of that body. This citta is the done “I”, or objective “I”, of the unit mind. Unperceived shall remain all the perceptions, whether seen or heard, of an individual, unless the citta identifies itself with their reflections on itself.

1-14. Cittát guńávakśaye rajoguńaprábalye aham.

[As the influence of the guńas wanes and rajoguńa becomes dominant, the aham (sense of doership) evolves out of the citta.]

Purport: When, by the attraction of Puruśottama [the Cosmic Nucleus], the mind-stuff is gradually goaded forward under the influence of vidyá shakti [the introversial force], the predominance of tamoguńa gradually wanes and the increasing influence of rajoguńa becomes evident. The part of the mind-body where the predominance of rajoguńa is noticeable, is called the ahaḿtattva [doer “I” or owner “I”].

1-15. Súkśmábhimukhinii gatirudaye ahaḿtattvánmahat.

[With further movement towards the subtle, the mahat evolves out of the ahaḿtattva.]

Purport: By the attraction of vidyá shakti, even the influence of rajoguńa over the ahaḿtattva gradually starts shedding, indicating the predominance of sattvaguńa. The part of the ahaḿtattva where the predominance of sattvaguńa is established, is called the mahattattva [pure “I” feeling].

1-16. Cittádahaḿprábalye buddhih.

[When the aham is greater than the citta, the buddhi (intellect) evolves.]

Purport: If the periphery of the aham be greater than that of the citta, the citta-less surplus portion is called the buddhi (intellect).

1-17. Ahaḿtattvát mahadprábalye bodhih.

[When the mahat is greater than the aham, the bodhi (intuition) evolves.]

Purport: If the dimension of the mahattattva be greater than that of the ahaḿtattva, the surplus part of the mahat is called the bodhi [intuition].

1-18. Mahadahaḿvarjite anagrasare jiivadehe latágulme kevalaḿ
cittam.

[In undeveloped living organisms, creepers and shrubs where aham and mahat have not yet evolved, there is only citta.]

Purport: It may be discernible in undeveloped organisms or creepers and shrubs that the manifestation of citta only has taken place, but not that of mahattattva or ahaḿtattva.

1-19. Mahadvarjite anagrasare jiivadehe latágulme cittayuktáham.

[In undeveloped organisms, creepers and shrubs where mahat has not yet evolved, there is aham as well as citta.]

Purport: It may also be that in undeveloped organisms or creepers and shrubs the manifestation of mahat has not taken place, but those of aham and citta have.

1-20. Prágrasare jiive latágulme mánuśe mahadahaḿcittáni.

[In developed organisms, creepers and shrubs, as well as in humans, there is mahat, aham and citta.]

Purport: In comparatively developed organisms, creepers and shrubs as well as in human beings, all three, mahattattva, ahaḿtattva and citta, get manifested.

1-21. Bhúmávyápte Mahati ahaḿ cittayorprańáshe
saguńásthitih savikalpasamádhih vá.

[When the aham and the citta merge into the Macrocosmic Mahat, the merger is called saguńásthiti or savikalpa samádhi.]

Purport: When after continued spiritual practice the mahattattva, that is, the “I” feeling, gets metamorphosed into the Macrocosmic “I” feeling, the citta of the microcosmic mind merges in the aham and the aham merges in the mahat. When the object merges in its cause, that merger is called pralaya or prańásha [utter destruction]. Since the citta of the Macrocosm grows out of the Macrocosmic Aham, and the Macrocosmic Aham out of the Macrocosmic Mahat, when in pratisaiṋcara’s introversial movement the [unit] citta merges in the aham and the aham in the mahat, to call it prańásha is quite logical and reasonable. The state of utter destruction of the citta and the aham and the state of all-pervasiveness of the mahat constitute saguńásthiti [the state of transcendentality], or savikalpa samádhi [the trance of determinate absorption].

1-22. Átmani mahadprańáshe nirguńásthitih
nirvikalpasamádhih vá.

[When the mahat merges into the Átman, it is called nirguńásthiti (state of objectlessness) or nirvikalpa samádhi (the trance of indeterminate absorption, or total suspension, of the mind)].]

Purport: The totally-absorbed state of the mahat, after merging that “I” feeling in the Citishakti [Cognitive Principle] – rather than doing the sádhaná of installing the mahat in the Macrocosmic Mahat – is nirguńásthiti [a state of objectlessness] or nirvikalpa samádhi [the trance of indeterminate absorption, or total suspension, of the mind]. Due to the absence of any guńa, this state is called nirguńásthiti, the state of objectlessness. This state is verbally inexpressible because…

1-23. Tasyasthitih amánasikeśu.

[This state (of nirvikalpa samádhi) is beyond the mind.]

Purport: This state of objectlessness being beyond the orbit of the mind, it is not mentally apprehensible.

1-24. Abhávottaránandapratyayálambaniirvrttih tasya pramáńam.

[The lingering bliss which follows this state of vacuity is the proof of that state, the means of firm belief in that state.]

Purport: In the state of wakefulness all three stages of the mind, namely, conscious, subconscious and unconscious, remain active, but the subtler condition is inconspicuous due to the activeness of the cruder condition. While dreaming, the crude or conscious mind remains dormant, the subconscious and the unconscious minds remain active. During sleep, only the unconscious mind remains active. The opinion that the state of sleep is the state of the sense of vacuity is unacceptable to a subtle philosophical judgement, because at that time the works of both the conscious and the subconscious minds are done by the unconscious mind. The real state of vacuity is verily the state of utter destruction of the mind, and so even savikalpa samádhi is not a state of vacuity. Only the state of nirvikalpa is the state of vacuity. In this state of absolute vacuity, the spiritual waves of exhilaration that fill the unit entity still continue to flow and trail on for some time even after that state of vacuity, that is, after the mind returns due to unserved saḿskáras [the consequential reactive momenta of one’s past deeds]. These very trailing waves of exhilaration and joyous exuberance keep reminding the “mindful” sádhaka [intuitional practitioner] that his or her “mindless” state had been one of absolute bliss.

1-25. Bhávah bhávátiitayoh setuh Tárakabrahma.

[The bridge between Nirguńa Brahma and Saguńa Brahma is called Táraka (Liberating) Brahma.]

Purport: The common point bridging together the empirical state of Saguńa and the metempirical state of Nirguńa is called Táraka Brahma. Táraka Brahma appears in saguńa [embodied] form as Mahásambhúti.

Chapter 11	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

2-1. Anukúlavedaniiyaḿ sukham.

[A congenial mental feeling is called happiness.]

Purport: If the mental waves of someone whose saḿskára happens to be the quiescent form of those waves, find similar waves emanating either from any crude object or from any other mind-entity, then those waves, in that person’s case, are said to be complementary and reciprocal. The contact of these mutually-sympathetic waves is what is called happiness.

2-2. Sukhánuraktih paramá jaeviivrttih.

[The attachment to happiness is the primary vrtti (propensity) of living beings.]

Purport: Every living being wants to keep itself alive, and this self-preserving instinct is a mental faculty. Want of happiness endangers one’s very sense of existence, and so one does not want the want of happiness; one wants to have the pervasiveness of happiness as one’s sole refuge.

2-3. Sukhamanantamánandam.

[Infinite happiness is ánanda (bliss).]

Purport: No living being is content with a little, not to speak of human beings. And so, small happiness fills nobody’s bill. One wants endless happiness. This endless happiness is a condition beyond the precincts of weal and woe, because the sense of happiness that is perceivable with the help of the senses oversteps the limit of the sense organs when established in limitlessness. This limitless happiness is what is known as ánanda [bliss].

2-4. Ánandaḿ Brahma ityáhuh.

[This ánanda is called Brahma.]

Purport: The limitless object is one, not many. Many-ness can have no quarter in endlessness. That self-same blissful entity is indeed Brahma, which is the composite of Shiva and Shakti.

2-5. Tasminnupalabdhe paramá trśńánivrttih.

[That (Brahma) having been attained, all thirst is permanently quenched.]

Purport: There is in the living being a thirst for limitlessness. It is not possible for limited objects to quench one’s thirst. Brahma is the only limitless entity, and so establishment in Brahma’s bearing alone puts an end to all thirsts or cravings.

2-6. Brhadeśańáprańidhánaḿ ca dharmah.

[To long for and run after the Great is dharma.]

Purport: And so knowingly or unknowingly, human beings are indeed running after limitlessness. When knowingly one tries to attain the Great and to that end one prays, that bearing is called dharma, and the effort involved is called dharma sádhaná [the practice of dharma].

2-7. Tasmáddharmah sadákáryah.

[Therefore dharma should always be practised.]

Purport: Since happiness is the cherished goal of all, and the desire for happiness is not to be satiated without the attainment of limitlessness, and then again since this attainment of limitlessness itself is dharma sádhaná, then dharma sádhaná is indispensable for every living being. Creatures inferior to humans cannot do dharma sádhaná due to their undeveloped minds. But humans can, and the one who does not do it ill fits the epithet of human being.

2-8. Viśaye puruśávabhásah jiivátmá.

[The reflection of Puruśa in a unit object is called the jiivátmá (unit soul).]

Purport: In spiritual parlance the Soul is one. In whatever condition the mind be – manifest (e.g., in animate beings and plants) or unmanifest (e.g., in inanimate earth, iron, etc.), the Átmá goes on reflecting itself on it and its objects – the crude objects. The reflection of the Soul on the mind is called the jiivátmá, and in that case the Reflector-Soul is called Paramátmá [Supreme Soul] or Pratyagátmá. (Pratiipaḿ vipariitaḿ aiṋcati vijánáti iti pratyak [“That which takes a stance opposite to a thing and witnesses that thing is pratyak”].) The jiivátmá may also be called ańucaetanya [microcosmic consciousness]. Similarly we may call Paramátmá by the name of Bhúmá Caetanya [Macrocosmic Consciousness]. The totality of microcosms is the Macrocosm. In a way this assertion is true, because every mind or crude entity is holding the Supreme Spirit according to its individual capacity. Their collective capacity is indeed the capacity of the Macrocosmic Mind. The Paramátmá is the ultimate knower of the Macrocosmic Mind, and that is why Paramátmá is called Bhúmá Caetanya.

2-9. Átmani sattásaḿsthitih.

[Every entity is embedded finally in the Átman.]

Purport: The object-entity finds its substantiation in the receptacle of the citta; the receptacle of the citta in the Doer “I”, or Owner “I”, that is, in the Ahaḿtattva; the receptacle of the Doer “I”, or Owner “I”, in the sense of existence (i.e., in “I am” or Mahattattva). The knowledge of the “I am” entity, that is, “I know I am” – in the absence of this knowership, the entitative sense of “I am” or “my existence” remains in jeopardy – unsubstantiated. And so at the root of everything remains “I know” and the next that follows is “I am”. This “I” of “I know” is the Soul, and so the sense of all entities depends on the Átman.

2-10. Otahprotah yogábhyáḿ saḿyuktah Puruśottamah.

[Puruśottama is linked to each entity individually and to all entities collectively.]

Purport: Puruśottama, the Nucleus of the universe, is the witness of and is directly concerned with every unit entity. This association of His is called ota yoga [the yoga of individual association]. Evidently Puruśottama is the collective entity of the universe as well as witness of the collective mind. This association of His with the collectivity is called prota yoga [the yoga of pervasive association]. In other words, it may be said that the one who is associated with His objects through both ota and prota yogas at the same time is Puruśottama.

2-11. Mánasátiite anavastháyáḿ jagadbiijam.

[The seed of the universe lies beyond the mind, in a state the mind cannot comprehend.]

Purport: Every created object obeys the law of cause and effect. In our quest for the cause of action in pratisaiṋcara, we arrive at the five fundamental elements. Similarly, in our quest for the cause of action in saiṋcara, we arrive at the Mahat of the Great. The mind having no locus standi beyond the Mahat, such a state is the supra-mental state of the mind. In this supra-mental state, it is beyond the capacity of the mind to determine the principle of cause and effect, for further probings will entail the fallacy of infinite regress; that is to say, to think of the existence of the mind in a state where it does not exist is indeed fallacious. Hence the query as to when did the creation take place, and why, is redundant and untenable.

2-12. Saguńát srśt́irutpattih.

[The creation originates from Saguńa Brahma.]

Purport: But since the created world is concerned with the guńas, then it is true that it was evolved in Saguńa Brahma, not Nirguńa.

2-13. Puruśadehe jagadábhásah.

[The universe takes form within the Cognitive Body.]

Purport: All that is manifest and unmanifest in the world is embodied in the Bráhmiidehe [Cosmic Body]. No one and nothing is outside Brahma. The name “outsider” is a misnomer – a nonentity.

2-14. Brahma Satyaḿ jagadapi satyamápekśikam.

[Brahma is Absolute Truth; the universe is also truth, but relative.]

Purport: Brahma is Satya [Truth], that is, unchangeable. But we cannot say that the changes that are perceived apparently on the body of Brahma under the influence of Prakrti and the three fundamental relative factors of time, space and person are false, nor can we say that they are eternal truths. All that we can say is that they are relative truths, for the apparent changes are dependent on the relativity of these three factors, that is, time, space and person. The unit-entity or the unit mind, also, in its progressive bearing, is involved with these three factors, hence its existence also is a relative factor. One relative entity appears to be a spiritual truth to another relative entity, and so the changeable world appears to be a truth to the changeable living unit.

2-15. Puruśah akartá phalasákśiibhútah bhávakendrasthitah
guńayantrákashca.

[Puruśa does no action (directly), but is the witnessing entity of actions and reactions; located at the nucleus of Saguńa Brahma, He is the controller of the guńas.]

Purport: That Puruśa is established at the nucleus of all entities is true of both individuality and collectivity. This very Puruśa of the nucleus of the collectivity is Puruśottama. When energy is begotten in the object-body in the wake of the flow of the Operative Principle, then the controller of this energy is called kartá. Puruśa does not control this sort of energy, on the contrary, He, being established at the nucleus of the guńas, controls those very guńas through which energy emanates. Hence the controller, Puruśa or Puruśottama, is not subject to the guńas but is the governor or sovereign head thereof.

2-16. Akartrii viśayasaḿyuktá buddhih mahadvá.

[The buddhitattva, or mahattattva, itself is not the doer, but remains associated with objects.]

Purport: The buddhitattva, or mahattattva, itself does not do anything, but remains involved with the objects.

2-17. Ahaḿ kartá pratyakśaphalabhoktá.

[The aham is the doer, and directly enjoys or suffers the results of action.]

Purport: The ahaḿtattva is really the master or doer of acts and also is the enjoyer and endurer of the fruits of actions.

2-18. Karmaphalaḿ cittam.

[The citta takes the form of the results of actions.]

Purport: The citta takes the form of the fruits of actions.

2-19. Vikrtacittasya púrvávasthápráptirphalabhogah.

[The process through which the distorted citta regains its original state is the enjoyment or suffering of the results of actions.]

Purport: Action means transmutation of citta. If we call this attainment of simulative transformation vikrti [distortion], then the process of citta’s re-attaining its previous state is to be called karmaphala bhoga [the experience of requitals (pleasure and pain)].

2-20. Na svargo na rasátalah.

[There is neither heaven nor hell.]

Purport: There exists no such thing as heaven or hell. When a person does a virtuous act or enjoys the fruits thereof, the environment around him or her is then called heaven; and when he or she does an evil act and endures the consequences thereof, then the environment around that person becomes a hell for him or her.

2-21. Bhúmácitte saiṋcaradháráyáḿ jad́ábhásah.

[In the flow of saiṋcara, matter takes form in the Cosmic citta.]

Purport: The ákáshatattva [vyomatattva, ethereal factor] is evolved through the greater influence of Prakrti’s static principle over the Cosmic citta. The influence of the static principle over the ákáshatattva begets the maruttattva [aerial factor]. In this way are evolved the tejastattva [luminous factor] from the marut, the apatattva [liquid factor] from the tejas, and the kśititattva [solid factor] from the liquid. These ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid factors are known as the five mahábhútas [fundamental elements] because all other bhútas [bodies] or evolved objects are begotten out of these elements.

2-22. Bhútalakśańátmakaḿ bhútabáhitaḿ
bhútasaungharśaspandanaḿ tanmátram.

[Tanmátras (microscopic fractions of bhútas, or fundamental factors) represent the bhútas, are carried by the bhútas, and are created by vibrations from the clash within the bhútas.]

Purport: The stirrings in the object-bodies that are created through internal and external pressures reach the different gates of the indriyas [organs] of the unit-body in the form of waves flowing through the media of subtler bodies. These waves, flowing from those gates of organs through different nerves or with the help of internal secretions thereof, reach particular appropriative points of the brain. Thereafter, according to those waves, the simulative citta [mental plate] adopts the vibrative forms of the external bodies. Those simulative, appropriative waves bring the citta into contact with external bodies such as sound, touch, form, taste or smell. Such waves are called the tanmátras [sensible or super-sensible inferences or generic essences].

2-23. Bhútaḿ tanmátreńa pariciiyate.

[The bhútas are recognized by their corresponding tanmátras.]

Purport: The category of the physical elements an object belongs to is determined by the tanmátra emanating from that object. The ethereal factor has the capacity of imbibing or carrying the sound tanmátra, the aerial factor has the capacity of imbibing or carrying the sound and touch tanmátra, the luminous factor, of the sound, touch, and form tanmátras, and the liquid factor, of the sound, touch, form and taste tanmátras. The solid factor has the capacity of imbibing or carrying all five tanmátras: sound, touch, form, taste and smell.

In order to ascertain the category of the physical elements an object belongs to, we will have to base our findings on the crudest of the tanmátras the particular object carries. The function of the five sensory organs – eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin – is to receive the tanmátras from the external objects or elements. The function of the motor organs – vocal cord, hands, legs, anus and generative organ – is to transmit the inherent tanmátras outside with the help of saḿjiṋá [internal sense], and the function of the práńendriya [vital forces] is to conjoin the objectivity with the mind-stuff, as well as to create in the citta a sense of lightness, heaviness, warmth or coldness.

2-24. Dvárah nád́iirasah piit́hátmakáni indriyáńi.

[The indriyas (organs) are the composite of: the gateways of the organs, the nerves, the nerve fluid, and the appropriative piit́has (seats) of the organs (in the brain).]

Purport: The gates of organs (i.e., the gates of the living bodies where tanmátras first bring the objectivity), the nerve fibres, which react to the waves of the tanmátras, the nerve secretions, which get vibrated by the tanmátrik vibrations, and the points of the nerve-cells, whereat the tanmátrik waves are conjoined with the citta, are collectively called the indriyas [organs]. That is to say, the optical nerve, the optical fluid and the optic point of the nerve cell that are active behind what we commonly call the eyes are collectively called the eye indriya.

Chapter 12	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

3-1. Paiṋcakośátmiká jaeviisattá kadaliipuśpavat.

[The living being is the composite of five kośas (layers of mind), like a plantain flower (with its petals).]

Purport: In pratisaiṋcara, after the citta comes into being, there ensues gradually the pervasive manifestation of mind. And in this manifestative flow we find in the unit-body that the crudest sheath or cell is the kámamaya kośa [conscious mind], subtler than this is the manomaya kośa [subconscious mind], subtler than this subconscious is the atimánasa kośa [supra-mental mind], yet subtler than this supra-mental mind is the vijiṋánamaya kośa [subliminal mind], and the subtlest of all kośas is the hirańyamaya kośa [subtle causal mind]. The crude receptacle of the unit is the annamaya kośa [physical body], which is the property of saiṋcara. The kámamaya and manomaya kośas are called the crude and subtle minds, respectively, and the other three kośas, that is, the atimánasa, vijiṋánamaya and hirańyamaya, are called the causal [or astral, or unconscious] mind collectively. The witnessing puruśa of the crude mind is called Prájiṋa, that of the subtle mind is called Taejasa, and that of the unconscious mind is called Vishva. Saiṋcara’s annamaya kośa, the crude receptacle of the living unit, is called the sthula deha [crude body]. The five kośas, from the kámamaya to the hirańyamaya, are called the sukśma deha [subtle body], and the mahattattva and ahaḿtattva are called the sámánya deha [supra-causal body, i.e., the body between the hirańyamaya kośa and (till merger into) Puruśottama]. As with the plantain flower, in the case of these kośas also, subtle things are observed and understood only after removing their crude parts.

3-2. Saptalokátmakaḿ Brahmamanah.

[The Cosmic Mind is the composite of seven lokas (layers, worlds).]

Purport: The Cosmic Mind is held in seven lokas [worlds], namely bhú [physical world], bhuvah [crude mental world], svah [subtle mental world], mahah [supra-mental world], janah [subliminal world], tapah and Satya. Puruśottama Himself, who is the witnessing entity of the Cosmic Mahattattva and Ahaḿtattva, is known as the Satyaloka. He is also called the Causal Cosmic Body. The cognitive puruśa (knower) of Brahma’s hirańyamaya kośa [causal cosmic mind], is called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned is called the taparloka. The witnessing puruśa of Brahma’s vijiṋánamaya kośa [subliminal cosmic mind] is also called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned goes by the name of janarloka. The witnessing puruśa of Brahma’s atimánasa kośa [supra-mental cosmic mind] is also called Virát́a or Vaeshvánara, and the loka concerned is called the maharloka. The collective name of these three kośas is “causal cosmic mind” or “subtle cosmic body”. The manomaya kośa of Brahma is called the subtle cosmic mind, and its witnessing puruśa is called Hirańyagarbha. This also falls within the scope of the subtle cosmic body, and the loka concerned is called the svarloka. The kámamaya kośa of Brahma is called the crude cosmic mind, and its witnessing puruśa is called Iishvara. This may also be called the crude cosmic body. As per degree of expression of subtlety or crudity, this kośa is called partially bhuvah [crude mental world], and partially bhúrloka [crude physical world].

3-3. Kárańamanasi diirghanidrá marańam.

[Long sleep in the causal mind is death.]

Purport: In wakefulness all three minds, namely, conscious, subconscious and unconscious, remain active. In dream, only the crude or conscious mind remains asleep, and the other two minds remain active. In sleep, both conscious and subconscious minds remain inactive; only the unconscious mind remains awake and does the work of the other two minds. When there occurs a vibrational disparity in the psycho-physical parallelism, the unconscious mind also becomes inactive. This state is called death.

3-4. Manovikrtih vipákápekśitá saḿskárah.

[A distortion of the mind-stuff waiting for expression (i.e., a reaction in potentiality) is known as a saḿskára.]

Purport: Virtuous or non-virtuous, whatever the act be, it begets a sort of mental distortion. The mind, however, regains its normal composure through vipáka, that is, after undergoing the consequences of one’s good or bad deeds. Where action has taken place, but the consequences thereof have not been gone through or served, that is, the vipáka has been kept in abeyance, such suspended or deferred vipáka is called saḿskára [reaction in its potentiality].

According to the nature of the saḿskáras held in the causal, or unconscious, mind at the time of death, Prakrti, in order to get those saḿskáras served through vipáka, effects the contact of the bodiless minds with living structures⁽¹⁾ in the wombs of different beings – living structures that have parallelism with those bodiless minds’ saḿskára-determined mental waves. This we call the rebirth of the unit concerned. One generally goes away after death with saḿskáras in accordance with one’s deeds performed during one’s lifetime.

3-5. Videhiimánase na kartrtvaḿ na sukháni na duhkháni.

[In the bodiless mind there is no doership, no feeling of pleasure or pain.]

Purport: After the separation of the mind from the body, that is, after death, the sense of weal or woe cannot exist in the unit, because for perception of pleasure and pain cerebral nerve cells and, partially, nerve fibres are necessary (which the bodiless minds do not have after death); and so the popular dogmas and beliefs that So-and-so’s bodiless soul will be happy with such-and-such observances, or be unhappy and miserable with such-and-such acts, or will satisfy its revengeful propensities, are utterly and completely wrong.

3-6. Abhibhávanát cittáńusrśt́apretadarshanam.

[The sight of ghosts is created by the cittáńu (mind-stuff) in concentrated thought.]

Purport: Actually spirits and ghosts do not exist. When in a frightened or indignant or hypnotic state a person attains temporary concentration of the mind, his or her mind-stuff takes the form of the object imagined. In such a state one sees the vision of one’s thought without as well. Thinking about ghosts and spirits in solitude, he or she sees them also in the open. The external vision of the internal thought may be termed as positive hallucination. Conversely, in such a state of mind even the actually existent object may appear as non-existent. This we may call negative hallucination. Those that say that they have seen a ghost do not lie. Only the delusion of the mind appears to them as visual perception.

If hypnosis be thoroughly introspective, one may mistake one’s own entity for a spirit or ghost. In such an event the person behaves in such a manner that people start saying that So-and-so is possessed by a spirit. Theomania or theophanic possession is also of the same variety.

3-7. Hitaeśańápreśito’pavargah.

[The requital of an action is guided by the (divine) longing for welfare.]

Purport: Even behind the requital of an act (the fruits that follow the completion of an act) lies the divine desire of benevolence. The punishment for an evil act teaches one to keep away from evil doings. The reward for a good and benevolent act teaches people that they will never get such a reward if ever they commit an evil act.

3-8. Muktyákáunkśayá sadgurupráptih.

[Out of the intense desire for mukti (liberation), one attains one’s sadguru (perfect master).]

Purport: When a vehement desire for emancipation wakes up in a person, he or she attains his or her sadguru [true spiritual preceptor] on the strength of that desire.

3-9. Brahmaeva gururekah náparah.

[Only Brahma is the guru, no one else.]

Purport: Brahma alone is the guru. Brahma alone directs the units to the path of emancipation through the media of different receptacles or bodies. No one except Brahma conforms to the real significance of the word “guru”.

3-10. Bádhá sá yuśamáná shaktih sevyaḿ sthápayati lakśye.

[Obstacles are the helping forces that establish one in the goal.]

Purport: Obstacles in fact are no foes on the path of sádhaná [spiritual practice], but indeed friends. They only do service to a person. It is on account of these obstacles that the battle rages against them, and this counter-effort alone carries the sádhaka [spiritual aspirant] to his or her cherished goal.

3-11. Prárthanárcaná mátraeva bhramamúlam.

[Prayer and ritualistic worship [[are but]] a source of confusion.]

Purport: It is useless to pray to God for something, for He is sure to give what is necessary. Solicitation or importunity in the name of worship is nothing but toadyism and flattery.

3-12. Bhaktirbhagavadbhávaná na stutirnárcaná.

[Devotion is ideation on God, not flattery of God or ritualistic worship.]

Purport: Being merged in the constant thought of God is devotion. Devotion is not related to the chanting of hymns or ritualistic worship with different paraphernalia. A devotee may perform these, but they are not an indispensable part of devotional sádhaná.

Footnotes

(1) “Living structures” did not appear here in the previous English edition. “With living structures” is a rendering of “jaevii dehe” in the original Bengali sentence. –Eds.

Chapter 13	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

4-1. Triguńátmiká srśt́imátrká asheśatrikońadhárá.

[The tri-attributional primordial force (progenitrix of creation) flows on in endless triangular forms.]

Purport: In Parama Puruśa a countless number of linear waves are taking place in the different flows of sattva [sentient], rajah [mutative] and tamah [static]. Their triple-attributional flows go on evolving triangles or different other multi-conical or polygonal diagrams. Even these polygonal diagrams are gradually getting transformed into triangles due to svarúpa parińáma [homomorphic evolution]. This triple-qualitative mátrkáshakti [primordial force] is endless.

4-2. Tribhúje Sá svarúpaparińámátmiká.

[In the triangle of forces, the three attributes of Prakrti are locked in endless mutual transformation.]

Purport: In these triangles transformations of sattva into rajah, rajah into tamah, then again of tamah into rajah and rajah into sattva, have been going on back and forth endlessly. These transformations are called svarúpa parińáma [homomorphic evolution].

4-3. Prathamá avyakte Sá Shivánii kendre ca Paramashivah.

[In the first stage (not yet a stage of actual manifestation), Prakrti is called Shivánii, and the witnessing Puruśa at the nucleus is called Paramashiva.]

Purport: The thread wherewith the mid-points of these triangles are interwoven is Puruśottama, or Paramashiva. So long as these triangles do not lose their equipoise in the wake of developing forces, we may regard it as the initial stage of the triangular receptacles. This first stage is verily the pre-evolutional stage and hence it is purely a theoretical stage. Prakrti, the creatress of these initial receptacles, is called Shivánii or Kaośikii, and the witnessing Puruśa is called Shiva.

4-4. Dvitiiyá sakale prathamodgame Bhaeravii Bhaeraváshritá.

[In the second phase, when the germ of evolution sprouts, Prakrti is called Bhaeravii, and the witnessing Puruśa is called Bhaerava.]

Purport: With the loss of equipoise of the triangle, the germ of evolution sprouts forth from any of the vertices and moves forward as a straight line as per degrees of the guńas. This state is really the manifested state of Puruśa and Prakrti. Here Puruśa is saguńa [qualified], for Prakrti has got the opportunity of expressing Herself. Prakrti the creatress of this state is called Bhaeravii shakti, and the name of the witnessing Puruśa is Bhaerava.

4-5. Sadrshaparińámena Bhavánii Sá Bhavadárá.

[In the vibrational world there is a sequence of similarity of curvatures (homogenesis). Here Prakrti is called Bhavánii and the witnessing Puruśa is called Bhava.]

Purport: In time as the result of internal clashes the flow of forces betrays some curvatures, and the density of the Puruśabháva [stance of Consciousness] also goes on decreasing. In this very condition develops the first kalá [curvature]. The second kalá is similar (not identical) to the first, and the third is similar to the second, and so on. So goes the kalá praváha [sequential or phasic flow]. This sequential evolution of kalás is called sadrsha parińáma [homogenesis, or similitude]. In these homogenetic waves are evolved the mental and physical worlds. It is due to this (homoform) curvilinear evolution that we find that the child of a human is a human and tree begets tree. The kalás are similar but not identical, and so although the difference between two successive kalás is not clearly perceivable, the differences of kalás having distant mutual relations are clearly understandable. Although the physical changes of one whom we see every day are not understandable, we can certainly make out the difference if we see a child of five, after twenty years, as a youth of twenty-five. Although human begets human, there will be a gulf of difference between a human of a million years ago and a human of today. In fact the creatress of the manifest world is this sequential force, which is called Bhavánii shakti and whose witnessing Puruśa is Bhava. The word bhava means “creation”.

4-6. Shambhúliuṋgát tasya vyaktih.

[The process of creation starts from Shambhúliuṋga.]

Purport: Actually the evolution from the theoretical stage to the practical manifestation dates from the very first expression of Bhavánii emanating from one of the points of the triangular receptacle. The common point of the theoretical and the practical evolution is called Shambhúliuṋga [Puruśa at the vertex of the triangle, the source of saiṋcara]. Actually this Shambhúliuṋga is the root-point of the fundamental positivity, after which comes the náda [flow without any curvature], followed by kalá.

4-7. Sthúliibhavane nidritá sá kuńd́alinii.

[In the ultimate state of crudification, the paráshakti lying dormant at Svayambhúliuṋga is called the kuńd́alinii (“coiled serpentine”).]

Purport: The last expressional point, which is the fringe of the Bhavánii shakti, is the ultimate state of expression of force – the ultimate state of crudity. In this state of crudity the paráshakti [introversial pervasive force] that is lying in a quiescent state as the jiivabháva [finite subjectivity], is called the kulakuńd́alinii [“coiled serpentine”, or force of fundamental negativity].

4-8. Kuńd́alinii sá múliibhútá rńátmiká.

[The kuńd́alinii is the (force of) fundamental negativity.]

Purport: The ultimate point of manifestation is called Svayambhúliuṋga. Svayambhúliuṋga is the ultimate point of negativity, wherein resides the kulakuńd́alinii force, quiescent and coiled like a serpent. If Shambhúliuṋga be the fundamental positivity, then the kulakuńd́alinii, lying at Svayambhúliuṋga, we may call the force of fundamental negativity.

Chapter 14	Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]

5-1. Varńapradhánatá cakradháráyám.

[In the movement of the social cycle, one class is always dominant.]

Purport: Since no well-knit social order had evolved in the distant past, we may call that age the Shúdra Age; in those days all people survived by their manual labour. Then came the age of clan leaders – the age of the strong and the brave – which we may call the Kśatriya Age. This was followed by the age of intellectuals, which we may call the Vipra Age. Finally came the age of capitalists, the Vaeshya Age.

When the warriors and intellectuals are reduced to the level of manual labourers as a result of exploitation during the Vaeshya Age, shúdra revolution occurs. The shúdras have neither a well-knit social order nor sufficient intellect to govern society. Hence, the post-capitalist administration passes into the hands of those who provide the leadership in the shúdra revolution. These people are brave and courageous, so they begin the second Kśatriya Age.

In this way the Shúdra, Kśatriya, Vipra and Vaeshya Ages move in succession, followed by revolution; then the second cyclic order begins. Thus, the rotation of the samája cakra [social cycle] continues.

5-2. Cakrakendre sadvipráh cakraniyantrakáh.

[Located in the nucleus of the social cycle, sadvipras control the social cycle.]

Purport: Those who are staunch moralists and sincere spiritualists, and who want to put an end to immorality and exploitation by the application of force, are called sadvipras. They do not belong to the periphery of the social cycle because they are to control society remaining firmly established in the nucleus of the social cycle.

The social cycle will no doubt rotate, but if, due to their dominance, the warriors in the Kśatriya Age, the intellectuals in the Vipra Age or the capitalists in the Vaeshya Age degenerate into rapacious exploiters instead of functioning as benevolent administrators, the sacred duty of the sadvipras shall be to protect the righteous and the exploited and subdue the wicked and the exploiters through the application of force.

5-3. Shaktisampátena cakragativardhanaḿ krántih.

[Accelerating the movement of the social cycle by the application of force is called “evolution”.]

Purport: When warriors degenerate into exploiters, sadvipras will establish the Vipra Age by subduing the exploiting warriors. Consequently, the advent of the Vipra Age, which should have occurred through a natural process, is expedited by the application of force. A change of ages in this way may be called kránti [“evolution”]. The difference between evolution and svábhávika parivarttana [natural change] is only this: in evolution the movement of the social cycle is accelerated by the application of force.

5-4. Tiivrashaktisampátena gativardhanaḿ viplavah.

[Accelerating the movement of the social cycle by the application of tremendous force is called “revolution”.]

Purport: When a particular age is replaced by the successive age within a short time, or when the application of tremendous force is necessary to destroy the entrenched hegemony of a particular age, then such change is called viplava [“revolution”].

5-5. Shaktisampátena vipariitadháráyáḿ vikrántih.

[Reversing the movement of the social cycle by the application of force is called “counter-evolution”.]

Purport: If any age reverts to the preceding one by the application of force, such a change is called vikránti [“counter-evolution”]. For instance, the establishment of the Kśatriya Age after the Vipra Age is counter-evolution. This counter-evolution is extremely short-lived. That is, within a very short time this age is again replaced by the next age or the one after it. In other words, if the Kśatriya Age suddenly supersedes the Vipra Age through counter-evolution, then the Kśatriya Age will not last long. Within a short time either the Vipra Age, or as a natural concomitant the Vaeshya Age, will follow.

5-6. Tiivrashaktisampátena vipariitadháráyaḿ prativiplavah.

[Reversing the movement of the social cycle by the application of tremendous force is called “counter-revolution”.]

Purport: Likewise, if within a very short time the social cycle is turned backwards by the application of tremendous force, such a change is called prativiplava [“counter-revolution”]. Counter-revolution is even more short-lived than counter-evolution.

5-7. Púrńávartanena parikrántih.

[A complete rotation of the social cycle is called “peripheric evolution”.]

Purport: One complete rotation of the social cycle, concluding with shúdra revolution, is called parikránti [“peripheric evolution”].

5-8. Vaecitryaḿ prákrtadharmah samánaḿ na bhaviśyati.

[Diversity, not identity, is the law of nature.]

Purport: Diversity, not identity, is the innate characteristic of the Supreme Operative Principle. No two objects in the universe are identical, nor two bodies, two minds, two molecules or two atoms. This diversity is the inherent tendency of the Supreme Operative Principle.

Those who want to make everything equal are sure to fail because they are going against the innate characteristic of the Supreme Operative Principle. All things are equal only in the unmanifest state of the Supreme Operative Principle. Those who think of making all things equal inevitably think of the destruction of everything.

5-9. Yugasya sarvanimnaprayojanaḿ sarveśáḿ vidheyam.

[The minimum requirements of an age should be guaranteed to all.]

Purport: Hararme pitá Gaorii mátá svadeshah bhuvanatrayam. That is, “Supreme Consciousness is my father, the Supreme Operative Principle is my mother, and the three worlds are my homeland.” The entire wealth of the universe is the common patrimony of all, though no two things in the universe are absolutely equal. So the minimum requirements of life should be made available to everybody. In other words, food, clothing, medical treatment, housing and education must be provided to all. The minimum requirements of human beings, however, change according to the change in ages. For instance, for conveyance the minimum requirement may be a bicycle in one age and an aeroplane in another age. The minimum requirements must be provided for all people according to the age in which they live.

5-10. Atiriktaḿ pradátavyaḿ guńánupátena.

[The surplus wealth should be distributed among meritorious people according to the degree of their merit.]

Purport: After meeting the minimum requirements of all in any age, the surplus wealth will have to be distributed among meritorious people according to the degree of their merit. In an age when a bicycle is the minimum requirement for common people, a motor vehicle is necessary for a physician. In recognition of people’s merit, and to provide the meritorious with greater opportunities to serve the society, they have to be provided with motor vehicles. The dictum “Serve according to your capacity and earn according to your necessity” sounds pleasing, but will yield no results in the hard soil of the earth.⁽¹⁾

5-11. Sarvanimnamánavardhanaḿ samájajiivalakśańam.

[Increasing the minimum standard of living of the people is the indication of the vitality of society.]

Purport: Meritorious people should receive more than the amount of minimum requirements allocated to people in general, and there should be ceaseless efforts to raise the minimum standard of living. For instance, today common people need bicycles whereas meritorious people need motor vehicles, but a proper effort should be made to provide common people with motor vehicles. After everybody has been provided with a motor vehicle, it may be necessary to provide each meritorious person with an aeroplane. After providing every meritorious person with an aeroplane, efforts should also be made to provide every common person with an aeroplane, raising the minimum standard of living. In this way efforts to raise the minimum standard of living will have to go on endlessly, and on this endeavour will depend the mundane development and prosperity of human beings.

5-12. Samájádeshena viná dhanasaiṋcayah akartavyah.⁽²⁾

[No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the clear permission or approval of the collective body.]

Purport: The universe is the collective property of all. All people have usufructuary rights but no one has the right to misuse this collective property. If a person acquires and accumulates excessive wealth, he or she directly curtails the happiness and convenience of others in society. Such behaviour is flagrantly antisocial. Therefore, no one should be allowed to accumulate wealth without the permission of society.

5-13. Sthúlasúkśmakárańeśu caramopayogah prakartavyah
vicárasamarthitaḿ vańt́anaiṋca.

[There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane, supramundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe.]

Purport: The wealth and resources available in the crude, subtle and causal worlds should be developed for the welfare of all. All resources hidden in the quinquelemental world – solid, liquid, luminous, aerial and ethereal – should be fully utilized, and the endeavour to do this will ensure the maximum development of the universe. People will have to earnestly explore land, sea and space to discover, extract and process the raw materials needed for their requirements.

There should be rational distribution of the accumulated wealth of humanity. In other words, all people must be guaranteed the minimum requirements. In addition, the requirements of meritorious people, and in certain cases those with special needs, will also have to be kept in mind.

5-14.
Vyaśt́isamaśt́isháriiramánasádhyátmikasambhávanáyáḿ
caramo’payogashca.

[There should be maximum utilization of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of unit and collective bodies of human society.]

Purport: Society must ensure the maximum development of the collective body, collective mind and collective spirit. One must not forget that collective welfare lies in individuals and individual welfare lies in collectivity. Without ensuring individual comforts through the proper provision of food, light, air, accommodation and medical treatment, the welfare of the collective body can never be achieved. One will have to promote individual welfare motivated by the spirit of promoting collective welfare.

The development of the collective mind is impossible without developing proper social awareness, encouraging the spirit of social service and awakening knowledge in every individual. So, inspired with the thought of the welfare of the collective mind, one has to promote the well-being of the individual mind.

The absence of spiritual morality and spirituality in individuals will break the backbone of the collectivity. So for the sake of collective welfare one will have to awaken spirituality in individuals. The mere presence of a handful of strong and brave people, a small number of scholars or a few spiritualists does not indicate the progress of the entire society. The potential for infinite physical, mental and spiritual development is inherent in every human being. This potentiality has to be harnessed and brought to fruition.

5-15. Sthúlasúkśma kárańo’payogáh susantulitáh vidheyáh.

[There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, mundane, supramundane and spiritual utilizations.]

Purport: While promoting individual and collective welfare, there should be proper adjustment among the physical, mental and spiritual spheres and the crude, subtle and causal worlds. For instance, society has the responsibility to meet the minimum requirements of every individual, but if it arranges food and builds a house for everyone under the impetus of this responsibility, individual initiative is retarded. People will gradually become lethargic. Therefore, society has to make arrangements so that people, in exchange for their labour according to their capacity, can earn the money they require to purchase the minimum requirements. In order to raise the level of the minimum requirements of people, the best policy is to increase their purchasing capacity.

“Proper adjustment” also means that while taking service from a person who is physically, mentally and spiritually developed, society should follow a balanced policy. Society will take physical, intellectual or spiritual service from a person depending upon which of these capacities is conspicuously developed in that person. From those who are sufficiently physically and intellectually developed, society will follow a balanced policy and accordingly take more intellectual service and less physical service, because intellectual power is comparatively subtle and rare. From those who are physically, mentally and spiritually developed, society will take maximum spiritual service, less intellectual service and still less physical service.

As far as social welfare is concerned, those endowed with spiritual power can render the greatest service, followed by those endowed with intellectual power. Those having physical power, though not negligible, cannot do anything by themselves. Whatever they do, they do under the instructions of those endowed with intellectual and spiritual power. Hence the responsibility of controlling the society should not be in the hands of those who are endowed only with physical power, or in the hands of those endowed only with courage, or in the hands of those who are developed only intellectually, or in the hands of those with worldly knowledge alone. Social control will have to be in the hands of those who are spiritually elevated, intelligent and brave all at the same time.

5-16. Deshakálapátraeh upayogáh parivarttante te upayogáh
pragatishiiláh bhaveyuh.

[The method of utilization should vary in accordance with changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of progressive nature.]

Purport: The proper use of any object changes according to changes in time, space and person. Those who cannot understand this simple principle want to cling to the skeletons of the past, and as a result they are rejected by living society. Sentiments based on narrow nationalism, regionalism, ancestral pride, etc., tend to keep people away from this fundamental principle, so they cannot unreservedly accept it as a simple truth. Consequently, after doing indescribable damage to their country, their fellow citizens and themselves, they are compelled to slink away to the backstage.

The method of utilization of every object changes according to time, space and person. This has got to be accepted, and after recognizing this fact, people will have to progressively utilize every object and every idea. For instance, the energy which a powerful person utilizes to operate a huge hammer should be utilized through scientific research to operate more than one hammer at a time, instead of wasting the energy to operate just one hammer. In other words, scientific research, guided by progressive ideas, should extract more and more service from the same human potential. It is not a sign of progress to use outdated technology in an age of developed science.

Society will have to bravely confront different types of obstacles, large or small, that are likely to arise due to the use of various resources and materials created by progressive ideas and developed technology. Through struggle, society will have to move forward towards victory along the path of all-round fulfilment in life.

Pragatishiila upayogatattvamidaḿ sarvajanahitárthaḿ sarvajanasukhárthaḿ pracáritam. [This is the Progressive Utilization Theory, propounded for the happiness and all-round welfare of all.]

Footnotes

(1) On 13 October 1989 the author gave the discourse “Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities” (Proutist Economics, 1992), and instructed that the essential ideas contained in this discourse should be added to the present chapter. These ideas were summarized by the author as follows: “(1) Minimum requirements are to be guaranteed to all. (2) Special amenities are for people of special calibre as per the environmental condition of the particular age. (3) Maximum amenities are to be guaranteed to all, even to those who have no special qualities – to common people of common calibre. Maximum amenities are to be guaranteed to all as per environmental conditions. These amenities are for those of ordinary calibre – the common people, the so-called downtrodden humanity. (4) All three above are never-ending processes, and they will go on increasing according to the collective potentialities. This appendix to our philosophy may be small, but it is of progressive nature and progressive character. It has far-reaching implications for the future.” –Eds.

(2) In 1959 the author gave five principles in English known as the “Five Fundamental Principles of Prout”. They were published as part of the discourse “The Cosmic Brotherhood” in Idea and Ideology. Subsequently, in 1961, the author dictated Ánanda Sútram, whose fifth chapter contains, as we see here, sixteen Sanskrit sútras, or aphorisms. Aphorisms 12 to 16 correspond to the Five Fundamental Principles given earlier in English. In this edition of Ánanda Sútram, the author’s original English of each of the Five Fundamental Principles has been printed below the corresponding Sanskrit aphorism. (Though in each case it is the author’s English, it has been presented in square brackets because it was not originally given in the context of this book.) What follows every other Sanskrit aphorism in this chapter and other chapters is a translation of the aphorism rendered by the editors. Thus the bracketed English below the Sanskrit in each of Aphorisms 12-16 is not a translation as such. Note that the word samája in Sútra 5-12 is normally translated “society”; “collective body” appears in the English. Parivarttante in Sútra 5-16 is normally translated “does vary” (present indicative); “should vary” appears in the English. –Eds.