Chapter 1	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part… [upcoming part, not yet published in any language]

Mahatá param Avyaktam avyaktá puruśa;
Puruśamgam parama kiiṋcit sá kastá sá parágati.

[shloka translation to be added]

⁽¹⁾ The superior one is called Paramátman and the inferior one is called Átman.⁽²⁾ Some portion of the Cognitive Faculty undergoes metamorphosis. Then the metamorphosed portion of the Cognitive Entity is called Apará Brahma. And the pure cognitive portion, the portion that remains unassailed, unaffected, by the [binding principles] is called Pará Brahma.

Mahatá param Avyaktam. Now when the Cognition comes under the binding influence of the Operative Principle, that is, when the Operative Principle becomes [dominant],⁽³⁾ in that case that metamorphosed portion of Cognition is called Mahat. It is the subtlest mind.

Mahatá param Avyaktam – “Avyaktá is subtler, superior to, the subtlest mind.” That is, the Operative Principle is subtler, is superior to, the subtlest portion of mind. Mahatá param Avyaktam – Avyaktaḿ mahatá param.⁽⁴⁾ Here, Avyaktá means the Operative Principle. Because cognition, or the Cognitive Entity, is metamorphosed into “I” feeling by⁽⁵⁾ the Operative Principle. That’s why the Operative Principle is superior to pure mind or “I” feeling.

Avyaktá puruśa param. Now this Avyaktá,⁽⁶⁾ the Operative Principle, is inferior to Puruśa, the Supreme Puruśa, the Supreme Consciousness. Why? Now, Puruśa is the shelter of the Operative Principle. The Operative Principle is not the shelter of Puruśa; Puruśa is the shelter of the Operative Principle. And that’s why Puruśa is called Náráyańa. Nara means the Operative Principle, and ayana means “shelter”. Parama Puruśa is the shelter of the Operative Principle,⁽⁷⁾ is the shelter of Avyaktam. And that’s why Parama Puruśa is superior to, is greater than, Avyaktam, the Operative Principle. Parama Puruśa is the Transcendental Entity, and the Operative Principle is His inner principle.

Puruśamgam parama kiiṋcit. And “Puruśa is the Supreme Entity.” There is no other entity superior to the Puruśa. Why? Because He is the Transcendental Entity, that’s why He is the sublimest, He is the subtlest, entity. And that’s why Sá kastá sá parágati – “Puruśa is the Supreme Desideratum of human life, Supreme Goal of human life.” Sá kastá sá parágati – “He is the terminus of all movements. He is the Supreme Goal of each and every entity of this expressed universe.” A sádhaka’s sadhana, the sadhana of a spiritual aspirant, is for this Puruśa and for nobody else and for no other entity.

Footnotes

(1) A sentence following this shloka was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) A word or two here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) A word or two here were inaudible on the tape. The meaning seems to have been “dominant”. –Eds.

(4) A Sanskrit word or two here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(5) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(6) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(7) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 2	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part… [upcoming part, not yet published in any language]

[To see if this discourse is now available online, click Online additional information or click the link at the bottom of this page. (If you have opened this page under Books on the home page, first reopen it under Discourses on the home page.)]

Chapter 3	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part… [upcoming part, not yet published in any language]

You know, nothing is fixed or stationary in this universe of ours. Everything moves. Movement is the order of the day. Movement expresses living stamina. Even the big bodies, even this universe, are not fixed or stationary; because the earth moves, and along with the movement of the earth, the big body also moves. So everywhere there is mobility and motivity.

This world is created by Parama Puruśa through the movement of His Macrocosmic stuff. So nobody can remain fixed in this universe. One must move, and that movement may be positive movement or may be negative movement, but movement must be there.

This psychic movement of Parama Puruśa is known as saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara. And human movement towards Parama Puruśa, towards the subtler, rather, subtlest goal is nothing but an accelerated movement of pratisaiṋcara. If a man says, “I am not doing any spiritual practice, but I am a moralist. I won’t budge on moralistic principles,” such a man, we should know, will have to move. And because there is no positive movement of pratisaiṋcara, his movement will be negative. That is, a day will come when the man will become worse than human beings. So just to maintain the acceleration of pratisaiṋcara, a man must do spiritual practice, otherwise there must be downfall.

Now when the movement is towards the subtler entity, that movement is called devajiṋána or amrtajiṋána.⁽¹⁾ And where the movement is a negative one, that is, negative pratisaiṋcara, it is called bhútajiṋána.⁽²⁾ So if a man is a super-moralist, but he doesn’t do any spiritual practice, his downfall is inevitable; that is, his movement towards bhútajiṋánii is inevitable. So wise people must do spiritual practice.

Now, Parama Puruśa is everywhere. Amrta [spiritual nectar] is a creation of His. Bhúta [solid factor] is also a creation of His. So when a man resorts to devajiṋána or amrtajiṋána, Parama Puruśa is with him and helps him in all possible and impossible ways. Similarly, when a man resorts to bhútajiṋána, Parama Puruśa is with him and helps him in all possible and impossible ways. Parama Puruśa is always with each and every creature, the virtuous or the sinners; both are equally helped by Him. The virtuous can see him, can feel His existence, and the sinners cannot. This is the only difference. And why can the virtuous feel His presence, and why can the sinners not feel His presence?

It is a knotty question, but the reply is not at all knotty, the reply is very simple. Between the virtuous and Parama Puruśa, the veil of Máyá is very thin, and it disappears very easily; when a man’s distance from the Cosmological Nucleus goes on decreasing, the veil of Máyá becomes thinner and thinner and finally disappears. And when a man resorts to bhútajiṋána, the veil of Máyá is very thick, and goes on becoming thicker and thicker as his distance from the Cosmological Nucleus increases.

Now due to this veil of Máyá, due to the dexterous hands of Máyá, the crude world stands between the man and his Parama Puruśa, where otherwise there is no difference. The difference is of Máyá-ic creation.

Tayorvirodho’yaḿ upádhi kalpito na vástvah kashchidupádhireśah;
Iishádyamáyá mahadádikárańaḿ jiivasya káryaḿ shrńu paiṋcakośam.

[The difference between the two (unit consciousness and Supreme Consciousness) really lies in their respective upádhis, differentiating faculties; there is no other substantial difference between the two. Prakrti acts upon Puruśa in order to bring about the creation from the "I exist" feeling down to the state of crudest matter. O human beings, this is what the unit should remember.]

[The difference between the two (unit consciousness and Supreme Consciousness) really lies in their respective upádhis, differentiating faculties; there is no other substantial difference between the two. Prakrti acts upon Purus?a in order to bring about the creation, from the "I exist" feeling down to the state of crudest matter. O human beings composed of the five fundamental factors, remember this.]

Etávupádhi Parah jiivayostayoh samyaunnirásena Parah na jiivah;
Rájyaḿ narendrasya bhat́asya khet́akastayorapohena bhat́o na rájá.

[These upádhis, differentiating marks, are characteristics of both the Supreme Subject and of the unit. Once these marks are obliterated, the microcosm will become the Macrocosm – just as a single individual will be considered a king if he has a kingdom, a warrior if he is holding a club. Take away these differentiating marks, and it will be difficult to distinguish between the two.]

And finally, when this veil of Máyá disappears, there is no difference between microcosm and Macrocosm, no difference between jiiva and Shiva.⁽³⁾ The difference between the jiiva and his Lord Parama Puruśa is just the difference of titles.

When there remains the veil of Máyá, the Cosmic Entity is the nucleus of the order and is the creator of everything including this quinquelemental world. And at that time the jiiva is the creator of his physical, psychic and other bodies. And when this veil of Máyá disappears, the jiiva becomes Shiva and there remains no individual small body or small mind or anything that may be treated as a projection of microcosm.

Etávupádhi Parah jiivayostayoh samyaunnirásena Parah na jiivah;
Rájyaḿ narendrasya bhat́asya khet́akastayorapohena bhat́o na rájá.

But when due to disappearance of this veil of Máyá, that is, when the Máyá becomes thinner and thinner and finally vanishes, what does happen? Samyaunnirásena Parah na jiivah – “There remains neither the objective counterpart nor the subjective counterpart.” The object and the subject become one, and that oneness is the supreme oneness, the supreme singularity of the Macrocosm, the supreme singularity of the Cognition. As long as there is Máyá, there is title. When we give a club to a man, we say he is a wrestler. When we attach a kingdom to a man, we say he is a king. And when the title of “club” or the title of “kingdom” is taken away, we say he is a man. There remains neither any wrestler nor any king; these are of titular creation. Similarly, the difference between jiiva and Shiva is of titular creation, and this difference of title is created due to the veil of Máyá. Now how to do away with this veil of Máyá? The reply is very simple. The Lord says:

Daevii hyeśá guńamayii Mama Máyá duratyayá;
Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.

“This Máyá, this omnipotent Máyá, is a principle of Mine – Shaktih Sá Shivasya Shaktih [‘Shakti (the Operative Principle) is the shakti (force) of Shiva’]. It is a principle of Mine – Daevii hyeśá guńamayii Mama Máyá duratyayá – ‘It appears to be insurmountable.’ ”⁽⁴⁾

But Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te - “but⁽⁵⁾ the jiiva who has taken My shelter, who resorts to the Cosmic shelter” – Máyámetáḿ taranti te – “he can easily surmount this Máyá” with the omnipotence of the Supreme Entity.

Nányapanthá vidyate-ayanáyá – “There is no second way.” That is, the only path, only way, the only secret to surmount the influence of Máyá, is to take shelter of the Cosmic Entity.

Footnotes

(1) At this point on the tape, the author said "Jiṋána means . . ." The next few words were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) At this point on the tape, the author mentioned another name for this negative kind of jiṋána, but that name is not clearly audible. –Eds.

(3) A sentence here regarding jiiva and Shiva was not clearly audible on the tape. –Eds.

(4) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(5) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 4	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part… [upcoming part, not yet published in any language]

The subject of today’s discourse is “What Is the Philosophical Interpretation of Progress?” As we know, really speaking there cannot be any progress in the physical stratum or the mental stratum; progress is only for the spiritual stratum. Progress in physical and mental strata may be accepted as relative progress, because in physical and psychic strata there cannot be any absolute speed; that’s why there cannot be any [absolute] progress.

Now what is “progress”? There are two parts: one is “pro”, another is “gress”. “Pro” is the prefix, “gress” is the root verb. Now in the physical stratum, what happens? In each and every phase of movement there is a tendency to maintain the status quo. In each and every phase of our lives, when something new comes, when a novel idea comes, most of the people in the first phase will try to retain the status quo. They will say “No, no, no. What our forefathers did, and what is being followed even now, should be retained. There should not be any change.”

The psychic reason is that change is always risky; people want to avoid that risk; that’s why they want to retain the status quo.

When in a man or anything, any living object, even in the case of certain inanimate objects also, there is a tendency to retain the status quo, there cannot be any progress. In their lives, the age of the bullock cart still goes on. And that’s why in certain civilizations of the world, progress stopped. In certain civilizations, progress stopped when they couldn’t invent the wheel.

Now those who want progress in the physical stratum, what are they to do? They are to change the status quo, they are to metamorphose the structure of the status quo and create another framework. In the second phase also, they will have to change the status quo, and as a result of metamorphosis create a third framework, a third structure; and the process goes on like this.

Hence we may say that in the physical stratum, progress means a never-ending process of metamorphosis. If there is any weakness in the mind of an individual or in the mind of a collective body, weakness for any particular status quo, weakness for any particular framework, then there cannot even be any relative progress in the physical stratum. So those who embrace progressive ideas must remember this fundamental fact – that if they are actually progressive, if they are not reactionary, then they should always be ready to change the status quo and create a newer one. If this process, this continuous process, of metamorphosis, goes on unbarred, then we may say that that man or those men are progressive, because they have understood the spirit of progress and they have developed the psychology of a never-ending fight against the status quo. Do you follow?

Then on the psychic level – man moves not only on the physical level, he is even more mobile in the psychic stratum. And because of this dominating psychic stratum, he is known as ma’nus’ya. Ma’nus’ya means “the entity, the living body, where mind dominates and not the physical structure”. In mental progress also, there are tendencies to retain the status quo. And what is the status quo in the psychic stratum? The status quo is so many irrational theories, so many irrational ideas, so many ritualistic weaknesses, and so many dogmas which are nothing but ideas having no legs to stand upon. These ritualistic weaknesses, or say, these irrational theories, they are also parts of “dogma”, they also come within the bigger field of “dogma”. So if one wants progress on the psychic level, one must be ready to change the structure of dogmas. Suppose there is one dogma – just change its structure by psychic hammering, by logical hammering, by intellectual hammering. We should always be ready to hammer those old ideas which are dogmas in the proper spirit of the term, because they have no logical legs to stand upon. And in the realm of rationality,⁽¹⁾ in the psychic realm, in the psychic sphere, if one idea comes, and if you see that that idea has no logical support, no scientific support, no support of rationality, just give up that idea, and be ready to welcome newer ideas, novel ideas. Don’t be guided by dogmas if you want any progress on the psychic level.

Although psychic progress is a relative progress, that progress has immense import for human society and the human future. If the future of humanity in all its layers, in all its strata, is to be assured, there must be psychic progress, and one must not discourage psychic progress. Psychic progress will help man in finding out the true from the mist of so many years.

But as I told you, true progress is in the realm of spirituality. In spirituality the idea becomes one with the ideology, and the ideology coincides with the nuclear Puruśa. So in the realm of psychic progress the question of a continuous process of metamorphosis doesn’t arise, but in that case there is progress; and what is that progress? When you are one with Parama Puruśa, when you are in love with Parama Puruśa, when all your goals of life coincide with the Supreme Nave, then what progress is to be made? Certainly there is room for further progress, and what is that thing? That thing is: go on loving Parama Puruśa, loving, still more loving, still more loving, till finally your idea, your “I” feeling, your everything, becomes one with Him. So, the true progress is in the realm of spirituality, but we must not forget that for all-round development of human society, physical progress, that is relative physical progress, and relative psychic progress, cannot be neglected, nor can they be ignored.

Footnotes

(1) Several words here were unintelligible on the tape. –Eds.

	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part… [upcoming part, not yet published in any language]

FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF DEVOTEES

This appendix comprises one discourse noted down by hand by a devotee.

Writers who wish to quote from this discourse should attribute the material to the “Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part – appendix”.

Chapter 5	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part… [upcoming part, not yet published in any language]

We did not mean to harm anyone. But when adhármika [unrighteous] people use force against you, you must act in self-defence. This is not hiḿsá [violence], it is pratirodha [self-defence]. Those who opposed us met a pathetic end and have now merged with the soil.

People who follow unrighteousness believe they have the right to do anything they want. One lady thought she could do anything she wanted with her power. When no reaction comes immediately, sinners think they can get away with more. But gaining power, going up, does not mean that they are getting elevated. Like the Indian washerman who raises the clothes high over his head, they go up very high only to come smashing down.

Some people say that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. But I do not say that. After time, the reaction is greater because it comes with interest.

Three thousand five hundred Margis and workers were arrested by the government. All were innocent, yet the political leaders felt no guilt at all in using their power against these innocent people.

In jail, the Central Bureau of Investigation authorities harassed me in every way. For example, there was a rule that when I met with visitors the officers could be present, but not within hearing distance. One time, though, a new CBI man stood very close, silently listening. I asked him who he was – he replied that he was newly appointed. So then I asked him his name and address. He became nervous and could not reply. So I shouted and abused him until he ran away. Then the other officers, who clearly were aware of this plot, began to criticize that man in order to appear innocent.

But I had bit down so hard while scolding him that two of my dentures broke. The next day, two specialists came from the government hospital to replace the broken teeth. I asked them, “How is it that these teeth broke so easily?” They replied, “Bábá, they are only plastic, they are fragile.” But according to the prison regulations, the treatment of the eyes and teeth of prisoners is their own responsibility, not the government’s. I knew these specialists had been sent because the officers were feeling guilty at what they had done. So I asked them, “How can I chew my food every day with teeth given by the sinful government?” Then my personal assistant suggested that if we paid them for the work it would be all right, so I agreed.

When I was released, there was such a long procession – do you remember? The jail authorities, seeing the crowds waiting, told me that they would also be willing to undergo imprisonment if such a procession would be awaiting them on their release.

I faced so much trouble in the jail. When I was released, I could not walk. To go to the toilet I had to hop on my hands like this [demonstrates]. I had to use a wheelchair. I remember that my elder sister brought me two lucis [unleavened bread puffed by deep frying] and vegetables, but after my long fast I could only eat half of one of the lucis with great difficulty.

I do not want anyone to undergo the same trouble that I did. But in the struggle for dharma, if some trouble comes, you should accept it. If you pick a flower, you may be pricked by its thorns. Your consolation is that your struggle will surely end in victory. Our path is kliśt́á-akliśt́á – initially there is trouble, but in the end there is no trouble.

Dharma is the cause of victory. Intelligent people should take the help of dharma. If you want to go to Jammu, you should take a seat on the Jammu Express train – automatically you will reach there. Similarly you should follow the path of dharma and surely you will be victorious.