Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Part 11 originally published in Bengali
   © 1980 by Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Central)

Part 12 originally published in English
   © 1980 by Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Central)

© 2008 by Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Central)

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ISBN 81-7252-269-X

Part 11 translated from the original Bengali by
   Dr Mohit K. Roy

Published by:
Ácárya Sarvátmánanda Avadhúta
Publications Secretary (Central)
Ananda Marga Publications [[of Tiljala]]

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and

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	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

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Chapter 1	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Náhaḿ tiśt́hámi Vaekuńt́he na ca yogináḿ hrdaye,
Ahaḿ tiśt́hámi Nárada mad bhaktá yatra gáyante.

“Oh, Nárada, I don’t stay in Vaekuńt́ha, nor in the hearts of yogis; but I reside where my devotees sing.”

Vaekuńt́ha is the mythological abode of the Lord. But the Lord says that, that is not an ideal abode for Him. Nor does He like to reside in Yogiis’ hearts, because the Yogiis have their hearts closed. Now if their hearts are closed, where will the Lord reside? So He shifts His abode, His nucleus, to that place where His devotees are singing the Lord’s name, they are doing their kiirtana.

So the Cosmic Entity, the Supreme Father, has no other alternative but to shift His nucleus to the spot where His devotees are singing. So you are to create an environment of Divinity, not only on this small planet, but in the entire Cosmos. So you must. If you want to gain, if you want to taste, the Divine bliss, the Divine nectar, you should be good kiirtanites.

And if you want this artificially-divided humanity to become one – spiritually it is one but in physical and psychic realms defective ideals have divided this singular entity into many – if you want to make them one in the realm of physicality and intellectuality you must bind them, you must bring them to a platform that knows no artificial boundaries.

Chapter 2	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Last night’s discourse was regarding the value of kiirtana in spiritual life. The entire spiritual world is based on divine love. You are the creation. You are the created. And the Supreme Entity is your creator. Your relationship with Him is the relationship of love, not of hatred, or any other such thing.

You see, even if you are a sinner, a so-called sinner – I said so-called sinner, because I never hate anybody, I never scold anybody, saying that you are a sinner. A father can never hate his son or daughter. He may scold, he may punish, but he cannot hate.

Parama Puruśa cannot do two things, and there lies His imperfection. He cannot create a second Parama Puruśa. He always remains a singular Entity. He loves, but while loving He wants that entity to also become Parama Puruśa, like Him. But as soon as that entity becomes Parama Puruśa, that entity becomes one with the original Parama Puruśa. So Parama Puruśa always remains One. He cannot create a second Parama Puruśa. And the second thing he cannot do is: He cannot hate anybody. The society may hate a sinner. The law may hate a sinner. The family may hate a sinner. But Parama Puruśa cannot hate anybody. Even if He wants to hate such a man, or such a girl, He cannot.

You see, everybody in this universe is within Parama Puruśa. He sees everybody within His mind, and because everybody is within His mind, He cannot hate a mental figure of His. So everybody should know that he is not an object of hatred, or object of – what should I say – compassion. No, you are not an object of compassion, either. It is your right, it is your birthright. You get help from the Supreme Father. To attain the supreme state of bliss is your birthright. You will get it from your Father as a birthright, and not as a mark of compassion.

So Parama Puruśa cannot do these two things. That is why I said that the arena of spirituality is based on Divine love. You may or may not be a learned person. You may or may not have a good history. Your only qualification is that you are the affectionate progeny of the Supreme Progenitor. You are His object of affection. Even if you forget Him He will not forget you. He cannot forget you, because everything in this Universe is His mental creation. And as long as His mind is there, you are within His mind.

He cannot say, “Get out, get out! I don’t want to see your face.” He cannot say that, because in that case you will ask Him, “O Lord, you say, ‘Get out,’ but where am I to go? I would always be within Your mind. And if You say, ‘Get out, go beyond the periphery of My mind,’ then certainly O Lord, You are not infinite because there is something beyond Your mind.”

“So just to maintain the prestige and dignity of Your name, You are to tolerate what I do and what I think. And that’s why it is Your duty to guide me. I am Your son, I am Your daughter. I am to do according to Your dictates.”

And not only is this birthright enjoyed by human beings, but by all living creatures. Not only living creatures, but by all animate and inanimate objects. From the mighty mammoth to the small blade of grass, everybody enjoys his birthright. Nobody is insignificant. Nobody is unimportant.

Disparity may be encouraged by a defective social order, or by defective isms, but disparity is never supported or encouraged by the Father. The Father’s love is for all, so nobody is helpless. Nobody is shelterless. And nobody’s future is sealed forever. So in the realm of spirituality you should remember that Divine love is the guiding point, is the terminating point, is the desideratum.

One may or may not establish oneself in the actional field. One may or may not establish oneself in the field of intellectuality. One may or may not establish oneself in the mundane sphere. But one must not forget this fact – that the Supreme Entity is with you, and loves you like anything. And the only goal of one’s propensities must be Him. That is, all the propensities of the human mind should be goaded unto the Supreme Existence. Humanity must not be engaged in actional infighting or intellectual extravaganza. Man’s origin, man’s starting-point, is in Divine love, and his culminating point, his terminating point, lies in Divine existence. It is the Supreme truth of this universe.

Chapter 3	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Intellectuals and scholars say that one may attain salvation by dint of one’s knowledge and intellect. Those who are karma yogiis, that is, those who follow the path of actional cult, say that by dint of action one will attain salvation. (Salvation means emancipation of permanent nature.)

Now you know all are children of the Supreme Father. All the children of the same father cannot have the same intellectual standard – it is an impossibility. But that does not mean that those who are intellectually backward will not get His bliss or Grace. So this idea is a defective one – that one is to attain Him by dint of one’s intellectual knowledge or intellectual stamina. It is a defective idea. A father cannot neglect his son who is intellectually backward.

Not only this. Till recently there was a defective idea in all the corners and amongst all the groups of people on the earth, that males are blessed beings and not females. In your family life, you know, you feel, that the parents cannot have any sense of disparity in their mind regarding their sons and daughters. Both are equally important, both are equally loving. I said my sons and my daughters are just like two hands of mine. They are just like wings of a bird. A bird having one wing cannot fly.

Now the days of those defective ideas are gone. All are equally blessed human beings, and those ideas cherished by those intellectuals, that by dint of one’s intellect, one will get Him, are not only defective but foolish ideas. Similarly, the idea that by dint of actional cult one is to attain Him – this is also a defective idea because in the realm of actionality all have not got equal status. A weak boy, or say a weak girl, physically weak or mentally weak or even weak in spiritual vitality, has also got the birth-right to attain salvation.

First, what is the meaning of salvation? Salvation means becoming one with Him, and each and every child of the Cosmic Father has equal right to sit on His lap. There cannot be any differentiation.

Now what is the guiding factor? Neither intellectuality nor the actional faculty is the guiding factor. Then what is the guiding factor? The guiding factor is that all your ideals, all your propensities, all your thought waves, are to be goaded unto Him. That is, the cult of devotion is the only cult. There cannot be any second cult in the realm of spirituality.

Mokśakárańasamagryáḿ bhaktireva gariiyasii.

The intellectual giant of India, about 1300 years ago, in the post-Buddhistic era, was Shankaracharya. He says – he was a giant intellectual – he said amongst all the approaches, amongst all the cults, the best one is the cult of devotion. So that aspirant is the blessed one who has developed this cult of devotion. You may or may not be an intellectual, you may or may not be established in the actional faculty. But if you can develop love for Him, devotion for Him, you are sure to be successful.

Now how to develop this cult of devotion? The idea is that the All, the entire Universe, is His object, and He is the Supreme Subject. He sees everything and you do not see Him. Now how can He be objectivated when He is the Supreme Subjectivity? The idea, the spirit or the secret to develop devotional cult is to think, while doing anything, while doing any mundane duty or doing any spiritual practice – you should always remember that He is Subject, He is seeing what you are doing. He is hearing what you are thinking. You cannot do anything secretly. He is always with you.

This idea has got one advantage and one disadvantage. The disadvantage is that you cannot even think secretly. All your thoughts are tape-recorded by Him. You cannot think secretly. And the advantage is that you are never alone; He is always with you. You are never helpless, you are never shelterless, you are never weak, you are the strongest personality of the universe, because the Supreme Entity is always with you.

Chapter 4	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

You know there is nothing disorderly in this Universe. Everything moves as per certain rules. In this solar system of ours the sun is the nucleus, and so many planets are moving around the sun. In this ethereal system the earth is the nucleus, the moon is moving around it. Similarly, in the atomic system also there is the nucleus and electrons moving around the nucleus.

In our Cosmic order Parama Puruśa is the Nucleus, and so many animate and inanimate objects are moving around Him, knowingly or unknowingly. In the case of human beings, they are moving, they are dancing, knowingly. And in the case of other animals, and other less-developed living beings, and also in the case of inanimate objects, they are also moving, they are also dancing, but unknowingly, unconsciously.

Even in the case of human beings, when they move around Parama Puruśa, one person moves, one person dances, unknowingly, another person knowingly. Those who are dancing, those who are moving, knowingly, always try to lessen the length of their radii.

Each and every individual has its own radius, and a spiritual aspirant – what a spiritual aspirant does – he always tries to lessen the length of the radius. Moving like this, [demonstrates with hands], having a particular radius. Those who move unknowingly – the radius remains unchanged, or even, due to their mean propensities, may increase like this [demonstrates].

And in the case of spiritual aspirants, what happens? Coming nearer, coming nearer, coming closer – and when a person comes into the closest proximity he becomes one with the Nucleus, and that becoming one with the Nucleus is the stage of salvation.

Now so many entities, so many individuals, are moving around Him, and they are associated with so many physical structures – long, short, white, black, learned, illiterate – so many structures - but the common goal is the Nucleus, Parama Puruśa. There is no shyness, no hatred, no complex, because that Nucleus is the bigger “I” of everybody; that Nucleus is the Supreme Progenitor of everybody. Now each and every entity has its own saḿskara. Saḿskara means “reactive momenta”. The action you did the reaction to which you have not undergone – such an action not satisfied by the reaction is known as what? In the plural, “reactive momenta”. And beings are to move according to their reactive momenta or saḿskara.

Now this movement around the Nucleus is life, rather, human life. Everybody moves, but in the case of humans, the movement is knowingly. We are moving around Parama Puruśa. The human being knows; other animals do not know; and there lies the fundamental difference between a man and an animal. So if, after getting a human structure, a human mind and an objectivated human soul, anybody does not move knowingly, he or she is worse than an animal, because an animal lacks in the developed mind. It cannot understand or practise spirituality, which a man can do.

Now wherever a few spiritual aspirants assemble, whenever there is a gathering of a few spiritual aspirants, I said they should not waste their time in idle gossiping, they should utilize their time in kiirtana, because when the kiirtana is done a spiritual environment is created then and there, and as soon as the spiritual environment is created, the Supreme Nucleus, Parama Puruśa, will then and there shift His headquarters to among those aspirants; because the centre of the Nucleus is above the periphery of time, space and person. He may shift it anywhere, wherever, whenever, so desired by Him.

Now what is His Grace? The moving entity becomes one with the Nucleus, how? It depends on His Grace. It does not depend on human logic, or human intellect; it depends on His Grace. What is His Grace? Mr. A may say, “Why am I not enjoying His Grace?” Mr. B may say, “I am enjoying His Grace.” But what’s the fact? The Grace is everywhere, but you know, just like rainfall – when it rains what happens? If you have an umbrella above your head you will not be drenched. And if you remove the umbrella you will be drenched. So in the case of Divine Grace, it is like rainfall, but there is an umbrella of vanity upon your head, that’s why you are not drenched. Remove the umbrella of vanity and you will be drenched; then you will enjoy His Grace.

And that is the secret, and when you are enjoying the Grace, what will happen? The radius will be shortened, and in this very life you will become one with your Goal, your Nucleus. This Nucleus knows no artificial barrier, nor isms, countries or philosophies. This Nucleus knows that the moving entities are My children – they want to come and sit on My lap.

Chapter 5	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Whenever something is done, the doer should follow certain rules and regulations, and the authority that creates those rules and regulations is known as the “controller”. Here in this Universe of ours, so many actions are done, there are so many manifestations and expressions, so many waves are emanated from so many sources; so there must a strong controller.

But that strong controller must not be a machine, nor should he be of mechanical order. He must be a loving entity.

Now there are so many controllers in different fields and different spheres of our life. There are so many different expressions, so there are different controllers also. But above all controllers there is the Supreme Controller.

In Sanskrit, “controller” is iishvara, and the Supreme Controller is called “Maheshvara.” Now the rules and regulations of lower controllers may or may not be of perfect order, but the rules and regulations of the Supreme Controller must be of perfect order. Otherwise the equilibrium or equipoise of this Universe will be lost.

So our first duty as disciplined human beings is to do as per the desire of the Supreme Controller, of that Maheshvara. Just doing according to the desire of that Controller is a must for all spiritual aspirants. But while obeying Him, while doing as per His desire, one should always remember that Supreme Entity is not the boss; that Supreme Entity is the loving Father. The relationship is not official, the relationship is purely personal.

You know if there is an impersonal entity controlling everything, having no link with you, in that case the psychology of discipline will not be created, because in that case an order is followed or obeyed or adhered to due to a fear complex – but in the field of spirituality there must not be any complex, neither fear complex nor shy complex nor any other complex. So the scriptures saying that if you do not obey Him you will go to Hell, like this, these scriptures are the worst enemy of human society. Because these scriptures create a complex, a fear complex, in the human mind, and that fear complex creates disparity in this human society.

This human society is one. It is a singular entity. It cannot be divided; it must not be divided; and we won’t allow any entity to create any fissiparous tendency in this human society.

Whatever a man is to do in his spiritual life he is to do – why? Because he is in love with the Supreme Entity. Love is the first word, love is the starting point, and love is the last point. And scriptures have no moral right to create a fear complex in the human mind.

Chapter 6	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

You know that even before Sadáshiva there was dance, there was music; people used to sing, also; but everything was in a disorderly manner. The dexterous hands of Sadáshiva made it a science – rather, an artistic science.

It is not an easy job to dance properly and correctly. The fundamental requirements, or the fundamental spirit, of dance, instrumental music, and song were brought within the framework of science by Sadáshiva, and that is why He is also known as “Nat́arája”: “Nat́arája” means “King of the Dancers”. (And another name of Sadáshiva is “Nádatanu”, that is, “music personified”.)

Dance is a highly-developed art. In the Oriental variety of music, you know, three items come within the fold of saḿgiita, or music: dance, song, and instrumental music. The collective name in Sanskrit is saḿgiita. Lord Sadáshiva brought everything within the framework of science, and just now I called it “artistic science”.

In the Oriental variety of dance there are several mudrás, that is, postures. When giving something to a living being, the mudrá is like this [demonstrates]. When giving something to something past, not present in the world, the mudrá is like this [demonstrates]. The “don’t fear” mudrá is like this. The “take what you want” mudrá is like this. The “come forward” mudrá is like this. The “be serpentine” mudrá is like this. “Be subtle, maintain a link with the earth” is like this. There are so many mudrás used in the Oriental variety of dance. It is not an easy job to learn it, but rather a very difficult job.

Now the fundamentality, or rather the primordial phase of Oriental dance, is táńd́ava. It is not a very easy job either. The knees must cross the navel. When they cross the navel it is called Brahma táńd́ava. When they cross the anáhata [mid-point of the chest] it is called Viśńu táńd́ava. When they cross this portion [indicates the throat], it is called Rudra táńd́ava. It is very difficult to dance Rudra táńd́ava. It requires long practice.

That is why Lord Sadáshiva is known as Nat́arája. And when these boys [indicates them] were dancing, it was just like a picture of Nat́arája in táńd́ava mudrá. It is called táńd́ava; táńd́ava is a mudrá.

Why is it called táńd́ava? In Sanskrit tańd́ means “to jump”. Tańd́u means “of jumping habit”. Táńd́ava means “having the use of tańd́u, the use of jumping”. But jumping in the proper style, not in a disorderly manner. You should learn it properly in a disciplined way.

And táńd́ava represents life; you know Tantra is a cult of life, it is not a cult of death. For Tantra you should be strong physically, mentally and spiritually. First in the present tense; Lord Shiva says all your expressions, all your manifestations, must be based on the present tense. So this táńd́ava is the starting phase of Tantra.

This táńd́ava I said represents life, it represents vitality. There are so many forces that want to destroy you, so many forces forces that are inimical to you by nature. Say a snake – a snake is a born enemy. There are many such born enemies. As Tantra represents life, táńd́ava says that one’s spirit should be based on vitality, based on the principle of survival.

This human skull represents death. You are surrounded by death, but you must not be defeated, you must not develop the psychology of fear or defeatism. So the knife is with you to fight against death.⁽¹⁾ Yours is a fight for survival. In the daytime one may also use a snake to represent death – not an ordinary snake, but a venomous snake. In India our boys dance with a snake. But at nighttime neither a skull nor a snake will be visible. Here there is light, they will be visible, but in a burial ground, in a cremation ground, where there is darkness, a snake or skull will not be visible. There you may use fire to represent death.

This is the spirit of Tantra. To fight, to fight for survival. [[It is the normal wont of all living beings to fight for survival.]] It is normal life moving towards the supreme state of abnormality.

Lord Shiva started this táńd́ava dance, and his spouse, Párvatii, started the lalita dance, lalita mármika. What you did just at present while singing kiirtana, that is called lalita. Lalita represents that now we are enjoying bliss, we are in a happy mood. We are in a happy mood, and the hands should be above ninety degrees. Do you follow? I think you followed me. Lalita represents a happy mood, and it was invented by Párvatii, Lord Shiva’s spouse. Lalita helps people in their spiritual progress and psychic expansion.

Now the devas, the Tantrics of that era, about seven thousand years ago, learned táńd́ava and lalita and wanted there to be a musical expression for the general public. That is your RAWA.⁽²⁾

For the general public there was the middle course. This middle course is called madhyama márga in Sanskrit, majhjhimá mágga in Buddhist scriptures. And that path, where the subtle aspects of spirituality combined with the subtle aspects of vitality, was represented by [tála].

A middle course was invented, and in Oriental music it is called tála. Oriental music is based on tála. Tála means – the first sound of táńd́ava is tá, and the first sound of lalita is la – tá plus la.

Yes, this was the origin. And on the basis of tála, Oriental music invented so many rágas and ráginiis, so many tunes and sub-tunes, in the hoary past.

Now in all of South Asia and Southeast Asia the music is based on this tála. It is the happy blending of táńd́ava and lalita, and in it there are two main offshoots. One is known as the Áryávarta offshoot, from Persia to Vietnam, and the other is the Dákśińátya offshoot of all South India, Ceylon, Indonesia, Malaysia and up to Australia.

This is the science, and this science was invented by Sadáshiva. It is to be learned with proper care and proper respect. These boys displayed excellently what I am trying to say. I am extremely pleased with the sweetness they displayed.

Footnotes

(1) Táńd́ava is performed with a skull or a snake in the left hand, and a knife or d́ambaru [a small drum shaped like an hourglass] in the right hand. Regarding the use of fire (a mashál, a torch), compare the last sentence of this paragraph with “Táńd́ava Dance – What and Why?” in the author’s Saḿgiita: Song, Dance and Instrumental Music. –Eds.

(2) Renaissance Artists’ and Writers’ Association. –Eds.

Chapter 7	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

While explaining the inner significance of táńd́ava, I was saying one of the names of Sadáshiva is “Nat́arája” that is, “The King of Dancers.” There are so many names, so many attributes, but occult science says He is beyond the periphery of all attributions, beyond the scope of all qualifications.

Why is He beyond the scope of all attributions? There are two reasons. One is that He is the creator of everything, so He is the creator of qualifications also, attributions also. So how can He be within the binding scope of those principles, of those qualifications? And certainly He is beyond the reach of these qualifications. In Sanskrit, qualification or attribution is called guńa, and He is called “Guńátiita”, that is, “beyond the bondage of any guńa”.

And there is another reason also, and that is – suppose a man is an MA in thirty subjects. Still, he cannot be an MA in an infinite number of subjects. Human possibilities have certain limitations. But He is beyond all limitations. So how can one say that He has got this quality or that quality? That’s why He is “Guńátiita”.

Once upon a time some devotees approached one poet, one Sanskrit poet, to get him to write something regarding the qualifications of Parama Puruśa. He said, “Yes, I’ll write something, I’ll do the duty within a few seconds.” Then that poet wrote a shloka in Sanskrit, that is, a poem in Sanskrit. Poems are called shlokas in Sanskrit. And he wrote,

Asita girivara kajjalaḿ sindhupátre
Surataruvara shákhá likhanii patra muravii,
Likhitvá yadi grhitvá sáradá sarvakálam
Tadápi tava guńanáma iisha páraḿ na yáti.

[If the ink tablets were as big as the Himalayan mountains, and the ink pot as large as the oceans; and if one of the branches of the divine tree Párijáta were used as a pen, and if the earth’s lithosphere were used as a sheet of paper; and if Sáradá, the goddess of learning, agreed to write through all the ages, even then, O Lord, all Your qualities could never be described.]

Now if we want to write about His qualifications we require ink, we require paper, and we require – what? We require one writer. To write about His qualifications we require these things, So the poet said, “If we get the mighty Himalayas as an ink tablet” – we require ink – “and as an ink pot, all the oceans of the world”; and then a pen.

The biggest imaginary tree of Heaven is known as Párijáta. “If we use that tree as the pen and if this entire lithosphere is used as paper” – and who is to write? – “If the imaginary goddess of learning, the mythological goddess of learning, Minerva, writes with this ink tablet, ink pot, paper and pen” – for how many days? – “for an innumerable number of days, even then it won’t be possible for her to write all His qualifications.”

He is beyond the periphery of all qualifications. That’s why He is “Guńátiita”. Nat́arája is one of His qualifications, it is not everything. He is also called Parama Puruśa.

What is the meaning of Parama Puruśa? What is the meaning of puruśa?

You know this physical body, this physical body is – what? It is one of your cells, it is a physical cell. And within this physical cell, there is the psychic cell. And there is the spiritual body. Now the entity that always remains with you, within your physical structure, within your psychic structure, and also closely associated with your spiritual structure, is puruśa. Pura means “representing the structure”; the entity who is always present with you, within your structure, is puruśa.

Now each and every entity, each and every living being and each and every inanimate object, has puruśa in it. Some objects are animate, due to the presence of afferent and efferent nerves, due to the presence of so many organs; and when puruśa is there those organs can function. In the case of inanimate objects – stones, sand, earth, water – due to the absence of those nerves and organs they cannot realize anything, they cannot feel anything, they cannot witness anything. But the puruśa is there. puruśa is present everywhere.

Now the individual puruśas lying covert within your existence are unit puruśas, your individual “I’s”, your little “I’s”. And the Supreme is called Parama Puruśa.

Parama. The word parama has two meanings, two significances. One meaning is “Supreme”, another meaning is “the final para”. What is para? Suppose you are seeing an elephant. Here you are the subject and the elephant is the object. Now, because the elephant is the object, we say the elephant is the apara entity and you, the seer, are the para entity.

Now who is seeing? Your eyes are seeing. Why are your eyes seeing, how are your eyes seeing? Because your mind wants it. So in the next phase, that is, in the first inner phase, who is the apara and who is the para? The eyes are apara, object, and the mind is para, subject. Then in the next inner phase the mind is apara and your átman, the witnessing entity, is para. But you know Parama Puruśa is seeing everything. What your átman is witnessing, that thing is also witnessed by Parama Puruśa. So your átman is apara and the Supreme Entity is para. So He is the Supreme Para, that’s why He is called Parama Puruśa. This is the exact meaning of the term Parama Puruśa.

Now this Parama Puruśa is the Supreme Witnessing Entity. What your individual puruśa is seeing or is witnessing or is feeling – everything is being witnessed by the Supreme Entity.

Now how is everything being witnessed by the Supreme Entity? Suppose you are creating a rhinoceros in your mind and that rhinoceros is moving within your mind. Whatever that rhinoceros is doing, you are seeing. Whatever that rhinoceros is saying, you are hearing. And whatever that rhinoceros is thinking you are hearing. Whatever the rhinoceros does, there and then it is being witnessed by you. No activities, no thought waves, of that rhinoceros, are a secret for you – you know everything. And whatever is being done in the Universe is nothing but a mental creation of Parama Puruśa. Everything is within His mind. He is the Macrocosm, and everything is microcosm.

So each and every man is moving within His mind. Everything is within Him, nothing is without. Whatever is being done He sees, He knows, He feels. This universe is nothing but a mental projection of that Parama Puruśa.

Hence He is Parama Puruśa, and because everything is His mental creation, everything, everybody, is – what? His child. He is not the ruler; He is not the administrator; He is not the boss. He is the creator, the generator; He is the operator; and He is the destroyer. When He withdraws His thought waves within Himself then nothing will remain. You came from Him, you are moving within His mind, and finally you will be one with Him. That’s why I said that He as Generator is represented by “G”; He as Operator is represented by “O”; and He as Destructor is represented by “D” – G-O-D. He is “God”.

Now let me explain the meaning of the word deva first. The root word is div The Sanskrit word is deva. Deva means “vibrating faculty”. The entity due to whose presence everything in the Universe vibrates is deva or div, and its Latin adjective is “divine”.

Everything, each and every expression, is represented by a particular type of wave. There are sound waves, there are light waves; some waves may or may not be properly understood or assimilated by your organs. Some sounds are audible, some sounds are not audible. Some of the light waves are visible, some of the light waves are not visible. But all those waves are devas, because they vibrate the entire creation.

Now all these waves emanate from a particular source. The source is a singular one, so the source that controls all these devas, all those vibrations or vibrational faculties, is Mahádeva. Mahá means “great”. “The Great Deva”. Hence Parama Puruśa is called “Mahádeva”. That is, another name of Parama Puruśa, another name of God, is “Mahádeva”.

A very popular name is Hari. In Sanskrit the root verb har means “to steal”, and “Hari” means “The Stealing Agent”.

It is fundamentally against Sixteen Points and Yama and Niyama, so how can Parama Puruśa steal? He is stealing, that is, His actions are ultravires to the principles of Sixteen Points, and Yama and Niyama? It is against asteya.

Though He cannot go against the principles of Sixteen Points, asteya and Yama and Niyama, but the very name says that He is a thief. You heard “Hari” means “thief”?

Yes, He is a thief, but He is not against Sixteen Points or Yama and Niyama. How can this be? As explained, each and every entity is within His mind; He is the Generator, Operator and [[Destructor]]. Everybody is His, all are His loving children. But you know, whatever a man does, that very man will have to undergo the reactive momenta of his original action or actions. Suppose a man committed so many sins in so many lives; now he will have to undergo the reactions of those actions, of those bad actions. Then for [[millions]] of years he will have to pass through so many troubles, so many pains, so many mental tortures. A father cannot like this, a father cannot think that His children will have to go through so much trouble because of their past bad actions. So what does He want? He wants His sons to give Him – what? The sins committed by them. But the sons will say, the daughters will say, “No, Father, we will give you flowers, we will give you sweets, we will give you so many things; but we can’t give you our sins. We can’t.”

Then what will this loving Father do? He will secretly take away the sins. He is [[a thief. He finds no other alternative but to steal the sins of His children, just to save the children from the tortures of their reactive momenta. That’s why He is Hari – He is a thief, The Great Thief.]]

Chapter 8	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Last night I was explaining the meanings of some spiritual terms, first Parama Puruśa, then “Hari”. There is another very popular term and that one is “Keshava”. The word comes from “Keshi”. “Keshi” was the name of a mythological giant.

Actually, what is keshi? Keshi is the respiratory organ in a disordered form. You know that the mind or mental concentration has a very close relationship with the respiratory organ. When the respiration is [disordered] – the inhalation or exhalation is very [disordered] – the mind becomes restless. When running, inhalation and exhalation are both very [disordered]. So in that state you cannot concentrate your mind. When running, your mind cannot be concentrated because of [disordered] inhalation and exhalation. To correct this, one should try to pause physically and the respiration should be brought under control. Respiration in a disorderly way or disorderly style is called keshi.

Práńán yamayatyeśah práńáyámah – “By the process of práńáyáma one is to control the respiration,” and when, by controlling the respiration, one is controlling the mental propensities, the mind will be concentrated. One can do it by a special process, and that system is to be strictly adhered to for proper control over the respiratory organ. And without this control, the mind cannot be concentrated, and without concentration of mind there can be no spiritual progress.

The Lord by whose grace one establishes one’s control over the respiratory system is “Keshava”.

Now during kiirtana what happens? The mind gets automatically concentrated. So kiirtana helps much in concentrating the mind. And if one who practices práńáyáma simultaneously practices kiirtana, he will get double the benefit. So Keshava, the Lord, Parama Puruśa, always encourages kiirtana.

Now you have understood the meaning of “Keshava”. Another popular name is “Náráyańa”.

In the Sanskrit language the word nára has three meanings. One meaning of nára is niira, that is, “water”. Another meaning of nára is “devotion”. You know, in ancient times, there was a great sage. His name was Nárada. “Nárada” means “the man who distributes devotion”. Nára means “devotion”. And the third meaning of nára is the Cosmic Operative Principle, the Cosmic creative faculty.

And ayana means “shelter”. Now who is the shelter of the Cosmic Operative Principle? Who is the shelter of the Cosmic creative faculty? Parama Puruśa. Hence “Náráyańa” means Parama Puruśa, the same meaning as “Keshava”.

Parama Puruśa, “Hari”, “Náráyańa” have the same meaning. “Water”, aqua, jal, pánii, eau have the same meaning.

Another name is “Mádhava”. In Sanskrit the word má has three meanings. One meaning of má is simply a negative term, just like “not”, “no”. Another meaning of má is “tongue”. And the third meaning is “Cosmic Operative Principle”. And dhava has two meanings. One meaning is “husband”. Another meaning is “dress”, “cloth”. Now, “Mádhava” means “Lord of the Operative Principle”, same as “Náráyańa”: that is, Parama Puruśa. So “Mádhava” also means Parama Puruśa.

And the very popular name “Svádhá” or “Khudá” means “the Self-Creating Entity”. In old Vedic, svádhá, in old Iranian, khudá, means “he who creates himself”.

Then another popular word is “Ráma”. The word comes from the Sanskrit root ram. Ram means “getting pleasure”, “enjoying bliss”. Ram is a root verb, not a word. You know, with a root verb, if we add a suffix a word is created, and if we use a prefix the meaning is changed. With the root verb “ceive”, we may use the prefix “re” – “receive”, or “per” – “perceive”, “con” – “conceive”. Similarly, the word ram is a root verb, not a word. And when it becomes a noun or adjective, it becomes ráma. Ráma means “the object from which the spiritual aspirant gets pleasure”.

It is the wont of human psychology that a person is never satisfied, because his goal is infinite and whatever he gets is finite. Suppose one has a weakness for cake. You are enjoying the cake, but only until it passes the tongue do you enjoy the taste. After that – the cake is finite, it is something finite, so when it comes here [points to the throat] the taste is lost. Similarly, it is human nature that a person wants to enjoy something infinite. But in our world of relativities nothing is infinite, everything is finite.

So all sorts of enjoyment are finite. The only infinite entity is Parama Puruśa. So when one loves Parama Puruśa, one enjoys infinite pleasure, infinite bliss.

So “Ráma” means Parama Puruśa, because yogins, that is, spiritual aspirants, get infinite pleasure in Him. [[Ra’mante yoginah yasmin]] – “the only object from which they get pleasure”. All other things are finite, just like the cake.

Another meaning of “Ráma” is Ráti mahiidhara Ráma – “the most glittering object in the entire universe.” It is the most glittering Entity because all other entities get light from it. Here in our solar system the sun is the most glittering entity because all planets are getting light from the sun. There are so many solar systems in the universe, and all those solar systems get light from Parama Puruśa. Hence, He is “Ráma”. He is the source of all lights, all energies.

The sun may die. Other stars may die. When will they die? When they do not get sufficient energy from the Cosmic Nucleus. But as long as they are getting that energy they are living. Similarly, when a human structure gets heat and other energies from Him, that structure is a living structure. When Parama Puruśa wants this boy or this girl to change the body, to get another body, He stops supplying energy to that particular body, and starts supplying fresh energy to a new body. We say it is the person’s rebirth. So the most glittering entity, the stock or the original source of all energies, is Parama Puruśa. Hence He is “Rama.”

And a third meaning is Rávańasya marańam Rámah.

In this Universe two forces are functioning simultaneously. One is Vidyá, the other is Avidyá. Vidyá means “centripetal force” and Avidyá is “centrifugal force.” Vidyá is the centre-seeking force; that is, Vidyá is helping everybody in their movement towards the Supreme Nucleus; it is the centre-seeking force. And the other force is Avidyá.

Now, the human mind undergoes distortions due to the influence of Avidyá. And due to the influence of Avidyá, human propensities, moving in so many directions – in ten directions – the human structure gets distorted. Now this human mind is moving in ten directions under the influence of Avidyá. Avidyá is just like a demon. It has a deteriorating effect on the human mind. Hence it is known as a “demon”. The human mind, being influenced by that centrifugal force, moves towards crude matter, and when the goal is matter, the very structure is also [[changed]] into matter. Because the mind takes the form of its object, so where matter is the object, the mind is slowly converted to matter. So this Avidyá, goading the human mind unto crude objects in ten directions, is called “Rávańa”.

There are ten directions. East, west, north, south, up, down – these six directions are called pradisha; and the four corners are called anudisha. These are the ten directions. It is called a ten – it is just like a ten-faced demon. The ten-faced demon is called “Rávana”.

Now how can you kill, how can you destroy this Rávańa? This depraving force, this degenerating force is “Rávańa”. How can you destroy the Rávańa? You can destroy this Rávańa only when you take shelter in Parama Puruśa. So Rávańasya marańam Rámah; here “Ráma” means Parama Puruśa. Without the help of Parama Puruśa one cannot destroy this ten-faced demon.

This demon is inimical not only to a particular person but to a family, to the entire human society. And this demon is the worst, rather, the blackest spot in the human mind – in our individual life, also in our collective life. And this darkest spot in the human mind is mutual intolerance and hatred. A spiritual aspirant must know that in a civilized society there is no scope, no room, and no option for hatred or mutual intolerance. All are equally-blessed human beings. All have the same parentage, and will have to move with all others. And our process of marching should go on until all of humanity attains salvation.

Chapter 9	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

You know lalita mármika dance used during kiirtana is a purely spiritual dance, and kaośikii is a psycho-spiritual dance – it starts on the psychic level and culminates on the spiritual level. And táńd́ava is physico-psycho-spiritual.

In lalita mármika, the position of the arms is above ninety degrees. This denotes that (it is a mudrá – in Sanskrit it is called a mudrá) – this mudrá means, “O Supreme Creator, Thou art mine and I am Yours. I am Thine.”

Now everywhere in the world you will see one entity is in the possessive case and another is owned by that person or that entity. That is, each and every object has a certain entitative relationship with others. And what’s the entitative relationship with the Supreme Creator? The Supreme Creator belongs to one and all and the created beings all belong to the Supreme Entity.

This is the philosophical interpretation. Even in the field of occult science it is the [[only]] interpretation. But for a devotee, the interpretation is not like that.

Amongst devotees there are three clear categories. One category, call it “third-grade,” says, “O Lord, You belong to everybody – You belong to one and all – and because I am also included within the scope of ‘all’, You belong to me also.” And the second-grade devotee will say, “No, no, no. That is not the correct psychic approach. You belong to me, and because You belong to me You belong to all. That is, the first thing is that You belong to me. And the second thing, because You belong to me, is that You belong to others also.” And the first-grade devotee says, “No, no, no, that’s not the correct approach. You belong to me and You belong to me only and not to others. The relationship is purely personal. I don’t know any philosophy, I don’t know any occult science. I know that You are mine and I am Yours. In this realm of relationship I do not allow any third person to come. The relationship is purely mutual. I will share anything and everything with others; but You are one hundred percent mine.”

I hope you boys and you girls belong to the first grade of devotees. That is, the relationship is a personal one.

And regarding this personal relationship there are some other important aspects of philosophy. Now, in pure philosophy, Parama Puruśa is an impersonal entity. In occult science He is a blending of personal and impersonal entities. Just now I said that in philosophy Parama Puruśa is an impersonal Entity. He is the Nucleus of this Cosmic order. That Nucleus is certainly not a personal entity. Because He is above the scope of all mundane explanations. So He is certainly an impersonal entity. And in the realm of spiritual cult, He is a blending of personal and impersonal entities. That is, while approaching Him, while accepting Him as the only object of adoration, He is looked upon as a personal entity. But when His entitative existence is accepted not as the object of adoration but as the source of creation, in that case He is an impersonal entity. That’s why I said that in the cult of spirituality He is a blending of personal and impersonal entities.

But in the realm of devotion He is purely a personal Entity. He is mine, He is my Father, He is my closest relative. He is my bigger self. He is not a second entity; that is, the relationship is purely a personal one. There cannot be any love with an impersonal entity. One cannot be in love with an impersonal entity. Love requires a personal entity.

Now as the relationship is a personal one, and as the entity of Parama Puruśa is purely a personal one in the field of divinity or in the field of devotion, the interpretation of the creation also varies from [[that of]] philosophy or that of occult spirituality. Ask a philosopher why this Universe was created, for what Parama Puruśa created this Universe. He will not be able to satisfy you with His reply. He will say “Perhaps this was His idea,” or “Perhaps that was His idea,” “Perhaps this was the motive,” “Perhaps that was the motive;” but the reply is vague. Not to the point, never to the point. Ask an adherent of the actional cult. He will not be able to satisfy you with his reply. He will say, “There are so many flows of expression. This Universe is a [[mesh]] of waves of different lengths, of different sounds, of different colours.”

But these replies will not satisfy a spiritual aspirant. The spiritual aspirant, or the devotee, will say the reply is very simple – “Before the creation, my Supreme Father was alone in this Universe. There was nothing, and for want of the quinquelemental factors, there was nothing to see, nothing to do. He was alone. Suppose you are alone in a particular village or in a particular house. What will be your position? What will be your mental condition? You will be just like – what? An insane person, a madman. So in this vast Cosmos my Father was alone. Just try to feel what His condition was, what His mental condition was. So just to save Himself from the monotony of singularity, He created this Universe. Just to play with His children. This is the only reason. I know no other philosophy.” This will be the reply of the devotee.

Sá vá eśa tadá drśt́á na pashya drshya mekarát́
Me ne santamivátmánaḿ supta shaktirasupta dik.

[Parama Puruśa had the power of observation. He had the hearing capacity and the power to speak. But there was no jiiva to observe. There was no need to ascertain the fundamentals of truth because there was no second entity, there was nobody except Him. There was nobody to converse with.]

And this creation, what is it? It is nothing but different portions of His Divine body. And that’s why I said that there is no sinner in this world. All are his loving children. You boys, you girls – forget your past and start your life afresh with this subtlest and noblest idea – that you are inseparable particles of that Supreme Entity, of that Parama Puruśa.

Chapter 10	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Eko avarńo bahudhá shakti yogád
Varńánekán nihitártho dadháti;
Vicaeti cánte vishvamádaya sa deva
Sa no budhyá shubhayá saḿyunaktu.

“The Creator is a singular Entity, and He creates this world of colours, this world of sounds; but He Himself is beyond the scope of colours and sounds.” Why is He beyond the scope of colours and sounds? Because He is the hub of the Universe. All waves of colours, of sounds, and of other inferences come out from this universal hub. So, He Himself is beyond the scope of all such waves. This circumrotatory Universe is moving around Him, but he is beyond the scope of time, space, and person. He is creating so many things, so many colours, so many sounds, with the help of His Operative Principle. This Operative principle is doing as per His desires. The Operative Principle, although it has the potentiality to do something or to do anything and everything, cannot do anything without His approval, because He is the hub and all waves emanate from Him. His approval is a must in this respect. That is, if He does not like, not even a blade of grass can move.

Each and every intelligent man and each and every spiritual aspirant should remember this fact. And one who remembers this fact, that not a single blade of grass can move without His approval, will not be suffering from any sort of fear complex or defeat complex. One day I told you that the scriptures have no moral right to create an inferiority complex or fear complex in your mind. Parama Puruśa is above all scriptures. Man created scriptures just to come in contact with Parama Puruśa, but the scriptures, creating inferiority and fear and hatred complexes among men, drifted men away from the Supreme Hub.

Now this Supreme Creator, this hub of the Universe, is the Supreme Guardian. He knows what is your want, He knows what is your requirement. A babe of three months does not know what its requirement is, but its mother knows. The babe is solely dependent on the mother. Similarly, you are a babe and He is the Supreme Guardian. He knows what your requirement is. You need not say, “Oh, God, give me food, give me water, give me this or give me that.” He is more intelligent than you are. [[So you need not remind Him, “Oh, God, give me this or give me that.”]]⁽¹⁾ Let Him do His duty. You need not remind Him, “Oh, God, it is Your duty, You should have done like this.” He knows His duty.

And you are to learn your duty from Him. Now what should you do? What a good man should do, what an intelligent man is to do, what a spiritual aspirant is to do, is always to remember his loving Father. And this is what meditation is. Why should he always remember his loving Father? Because he will have to keep in the closest psychic and spiritual touch with the Supreme, because He is the supreme abode of all. And finally one will have to sit on His lap. That is the final Desideratum.

Vicaeti cánte vishvamádaya sa deva – “That Supreme Deva, that Supreme Divine entity, is the starting point of the Universe, and that Supreme Entity is the culminating point of the Universe.” So your starting point is in Him, your terminating point is in Him, and your presence, your existence, is also in Him. So you should always remember Him.

And you know, the Cosmic Father is the Supreme Subjectivity; that is, He sees everything – everything is within His mind. He sees everything. He is the Supreme Subject, and everything else is the object.

The seer is the subject and the seen is the object, so how can you accept Him as your object of meditation? He is the subject, you are the object. So during meditation how can you accept Him as your object? He is the Subject. You are the object. A very knotty question?

No, it is not at all a knotty question. During meditation you should remember, “I am the object and He is seeing me.” This is the secret of meditation. You can never be the subject and He can never be the object. During meditation you are to remember this fundamental truth – that you are doing His meditation. How? You are remembering the fact that the Supreme Subjectivity, Parama Puruśa, is seeing what you are doing. This is the secret.

Vicaeti cánte vishvamádaya sa deva
Sa no budhyá shubhayá saḿyunaktu.

And if you are to say anything you should say – what? You may use only one sentence. “O Supreme Father, guide my intellect unto the path of bliss. I want nothing else, nothing more.”

Footnotes

(1) [[The foregoing two sentences have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.]]

Chapter 11	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Last night during DMC I said Parama Puruśa is the only object of ideation. Now when civilization started, the primitive men of that prehistoric era became nature-worshippers. And as human society and human civilization went on progressing, they started on philosophical surveys, just to find the person behind the curtain. Behind all these natural manifestations, these many ostentations of pomp and grandeur, these many emanations of lights and colours, there is a personality that lies covert. And He is Parama Puruśa.

But during this search, during this intellectual, intuitional research, they created so many scriptures. Where their logic failed, they said that something was the word of the Lord. And they did many a thing that did not help human society to become one. Knowingly or unknowingly, consciously or unconsciously, they encouraged fissiparous tendencies.

The subtlest [tinge] of veracity remained covert behind those many scriptures. That is why it has been said that once upon a time King Yudhiśt́hira was asked several questions regarding human values; rather, cardinal human values; regarding spirituality. The basic question was, “What is the correct approach, what should be the correct approach?” So many scriptures say so many things. So many social codes say so many things. So what is an ordinary man to do? What is an ordinary spiritual aspirant to do?

The reply was,

Shrutayoh vibhinnáh smrtayoh vibhinnáh
Na eka munir yasya mataḿ na bhinnam;
Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ
Mahájano yena gatah sah panthá.

“So many scriptures say so many things,” and they are sometimes contradictory to one another. Now what to do? What is an ordinary man to do? Whom to follow and whom not to follow? Smrtayoh vibhinnáh. There are so many social codes in the world. Whom to follow and whom not to follow? And amongst intellectuals there are so many – there are diversities of opinion. One intellectual doesn’t [[carry]], doesn’t recommend, doesn’t support, the views of others. And it is the greatest weakness of intellectuals that they always encourage disunity. They always support heterogeneity. And one spiritual aspirant, once upon a time, remarked that these intellectuals are polished satans. Na eka munir yasya mataḿ na bhinnam.

Then where lies the secret of dharma? Dharma means “spirituality” – not “spiritualism”, but “spirituality”. Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám.

Now the Supreme Entity, the Controlling Entity, the final stance of dharma, lies covert within one’s own “I” feeling. That is, you are to search internally and not externally. Everything is within you, because Parama Puruśa always remains within, within the very core of your heart. So search within, O spiritual aspirant, not without, but within, within your very existence.

Mahájano yena gatah sah panthá. So you are to follow the path, you are to follow the cult, and you are to do according to the approaches of the aspirants of the past, the kaolas⁽¹⁾ of the past. You are to be practical in your life of occult science. Your only object of ideation is Parama Puruśa, and not any dogma, nor any scripture.

Footnotes

(1) One who has raised one’s own kulakuńd́alinii. –Eds.

Chapter 12	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Last night during DMC I said that neither the tempus eternal nor nature nor fate nor accident nor the quinquelemental factors is the causal matrix, and therefore they cannot be accepted as the object of ideation. Not only that – they are not perfect in themselves, but even if these entities come into actional proximity with one another – even under such circumstances – they cannot be accepted as the goal of human life.

You see, if the tempus eternal comes in very close proximity with nature, even then we get nothing concrete, nothing adorable. And as you know, nature functions within the scope of the tempus eternal. So even if this tempus eternal comes in closer contact with nature or any other factors, we get nothing new, nothing fresh, nothing adorable. And accident, all accidents, take place within the scope of the tempus eternal. There is nothing new in accident. That is, it constitutes no philosophical addition. And fate, what is fate? Fate is the unquenched reaction, unsatisfied reaction. When action is done, it is within the scope of the tempus, and when reactions take place, that is also within the scope of the tempus. The quinquelemental factors – they are the apparent cause of the tempus. So wherever there is the tempus or there is so-called fate or so-called accident, the quinquelemental factors are there. So their mutual touch or combination doesn’t make – does not create – anything noble that can be accepted as the Desideratum of human life.

“Desideratum” is a singular word, and I said the plural term “desiderata” should not be used. The Desideratum is a singular one. And that one is Parama Puruśa.

Now when Parama Puruśa directly or physically comes in contact with these factors, what happens? Parama Puruśa is beyond the periphery of the tempus, but when He comes in contact or comes within the jurisdiction of the tempus, what happens? Do we get something new then? Parama Puruśa is beyond temporal and spatial and personal boundaries. But when He comes within their jurisdictions, what happens? Or what may happen? Under such circumstances, we say Parama Puruśa has become Táraka Brahma. Under such circumstances He comes here on a particular date, leaves this earth also on a particular date, takes the birth of His quinquelemental body, the death of His quinquelemental body. This we find, and, as you know, as the hub of the Universe He is an impersonal entity. But when He comes within the jurisdiction of these relative factors, temporal, spatial and personal, He no longer remains an impersonal entity. He becomes something personal, something closer, something closely related, and that is our Táraka Brahma.

Now why does He come in contact with the quinquelemental factors? Why does He come within the jurisdictions of the temporal-spatial-personal factors, these three fundamentally-related factors? What is the cause? There are two reasons. One thing is, the human intellect may get satisfaction after coming in psychic contact with the Impersonal Entity, but the human heart is not satisfied with that Impersonal Entity. The human heart wants something closer, something more sentimental, something more pleasing. And that’s why just to satisfy, just to give pleasure to, His progeny, He comes within the scope of these relative factors. Parama Puruśa becomes Táraka Brahma. And the second reason is that in this created world, in this universe, each and every progress is a progress through clashes and cohesion. And human beings must have sufficient intellectual stamina to move forward, fighting against all those pebbles of obstacles. When the human intellect fails to do something new in helping society to move forward, Parama Puruśa finds no alternative but to bring Himself within the scope of the temporal-spatial-personal factors just to guide the depraved and degenerate human society.

Now when the society is in a degenerate or depraved condition, where fissiparous tendencies dominate, where the static principle dominates, it becomes impossible for Parama Puruśa to remain unaffected or unassailed by human sentiments and human cries and human demands. Then and then only does He come in the form of Táraka Brahma. Táraka means “The Liberator.” And that Táraka is the Bábá of the created world. For Him devotees sing, Bábá náma kevalam.

Chapter 13	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

In Switzerland I said there are three categories of devotees: A, B, and C. The C category of devotees says, “Parama Puruśa is the creator of everything, He is the creator of the entire Universe, and I am also a part and parcel of this Universe, so he belongs to me also.” The B category of devotees says, “Parama Puruśa is mine, but because others are also creations of Parama Puruśa, Parama Puruśa belongs to others also.” But the first thought is that Parama Puruśa is “mine”, and the second thought is that Parama Puruśa belongs to others also. The A category of devotees says, “I am ready to share everything with others, but regarding Parama Puruśa I am selfish. Parama Puruśa belongs to me only, and to nobody else.”

Now let us see which one amongst these three is philosophically correct, or psychologically or scientifically correct. Suppose there is a flower and there are two hundred mirrors. The reflection of the flower is in all two hundred mirrors. Will it be incorrect if each particular mirror says, “The flower is mine only”? So it is not selfishness, it is a fact, it is a crude reality, that for each and every entity, Parama Puruśa is a personal entity, Parama Puruśa is non-transferable. It is a fact, that is, Parama Puruśa is personal property. What is spiritual practice? It is the movement of the mirror towards the Nucleus, towards that flower.

So B- and C-category people are defective in their thought. It will not be possible for them to enjoy the supreme beatitude. All should be of A category.

What’s the meaning of “devotee”? There are two requisite points. The first point is, the person must be a devotee of Parama Puruśa, not a devotee of wine, money, name or fame. A devotee can only be for the Infinite Entity. If the object of ideation be finite, the term “devotion” should not be used; “addiction” is the proper language. Where the object is infinite, then the psychic movement is called “devotion”. The second requisite factor concerns whether the psychic action should be unilateral or mutual, a knotty question. You see, you are giving money to shopkeepers to get something. The relation is “give and take” – mutual. In the case of the Supreme Entity also – that is, devotion – the relationship, we can say, is mutual. But in this case what are you to do?⁽¹⁾ In the case of devotion, you have to give your very existence, your very self. You are giving yourself and getting Him in return. But after giving yourself, who is there to get Him? You become one with Him. Even though the motive was a mutual one, finally it cannot remain mutual. It becomes unilateral.

So the two requisite factors in devotion are one, that the object of devotion has to be infinite, otherwise it is addiction; and, two, that it is unilateral, because in the process of giving and taking, you become one with Him and there is nobody to take anything from Him. You become one with Him.

A devotee naturally becomes a universalist. A devotee knows Parama Puruśa. Parama Puruśa is all-pervasive, is universal. So a devotee is universal, too. So a devotee will always try to serve all, and his desire is that everybody try to move towards the Supreme Goal. He helps everybody. This universalism is called Vaeśńava-ism in Sanskrit, and a universalist is called a “Vaeśńava.” This Universe is an expression of Parama Puruśa. I love Parama Puruśa, that’s why I love His expression, the Universe, also. This is the central idea. A devotee cannot hate anybody. Parama Puruśa cannot hate anybody.

Parama Puruśa is omnipotent, but He cannot do two things: one, He cannot create another Parama Puruśa; and, two, He cannot hate anybody. Whoever comes near Him becomes one with Him. So Parama Puruśa remains a singular entity. Secondly, Parama Puruśa creates everybody in His mind; He cannot hate his own mental creation. So Parama Puruśa, although omnipotent, cannot do these two things.

Parama Puruśa is omnipotent, but He never discourages anybody. Suppose there is a display of kaośikii dance before Parama Puruśa and the display is very, very bad. What will Parama Puruśa say? “Very bad, very bad”? No, Parama Puruśa will say, “Excellent, excellent.” He wants everybody to be encouraged to move towards the Supreme Goal of human life, the Supreme Desideratum of human existence.

Footnotes

(1) The foregoing four sentences have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

Chapter 14	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

[Bábá to one avadhúta:] Come here, come here. If eternal time and nature are working in closest cooperation, then can [[that cooperative body,]] that cooperative entity, be accepted as the goal of human life?

[Avadhúta: “The tempus eternal and nature combined together can never be the object of ideation for microcosms, for these reasons: first, because ‘the tempus eternal’ means – due to psychic measurement of the motivity of –”]

[B:] The tempus is the psychic measurement –

[A: “The tempus is the psychic measurement of the motivity of action. Now wherever there is a question of psychic measurement, it is the unit mind that will measure, the unit mind being the measuring rod. That measuring instrument can never become the object of ideation: it is quite imperfect. The second thing is, when there is a question of the measurement of the motivity of action –”]

[B:] Measurement is a psycho-physical action. It starts in the psychic sphere and ends in the physical sphere.

[A: “So the psychic action that starts in the psychic sphere and continues in the physical sphere is also circumscribed by time, space and person. So in that case also we find that it comes within the scope of relativity. And anything that comes within the scope of relativity can never be the object of ideation. The same thing can apply to the question of motivity. Because motivity always takes place within the psychic sphere, [[the psychic realm,]] [and] anything coming within the scope of relativity can never be the object of ideation.”]

[B:] Motivity functions in both the psychic sphere and the physical sphere.

[A: “So in that case, we do not find anything transcendental. So that which remains within the realm of physicality or the realm of psyche can never be the transcendental goal of the microcosm.”]

[B:] Then no non-transcendental entity can be the goal of human life.

[A: “Then again – the motivity of action: action is always done either in the physical or in the psychic sphere.”]

[B:] What is action?

[A: “Action is the change of place of any object.”]

[B:] The bolster is there, the bolster comes here. There has been change of place. So some action has been done.⁽¹⁾

[A: “Naturally for any action to be manifested in this expressed universe space is required. Anything that comes within the scope of space is bound to be [[circumscribed by]] the factors of relativity and hence can never be transcendental in character.”]

[B:] Anything that comes within the scope of space, comes within the scope of time and person also, so it is a creation of relativity.

[A: “Hence it does not deserve to be the goal or the object of ideation of the microcosm. Then again, nature. We know very well that nature is not any conscious entity. It is just a style of functioning of the Cosmic Operative Principle, just a mechanical style.”]

[B:] [[The root of “nature” is [the French word] nature. And nature means “following a particular course of action”. Nate means “birth”. It is a French word whose root was old Greek.⁽²⁾ From it the word “natural” comes; and also]] “native” – “born in that particular space”. It comes from the word nate, N-A-T-E. “Conation” – “born at the same time”. “Co” – nate + “ional”.⁽³⁾

[A: “If nature is just a style of the mechanical functioning of the Cosmic Operative Principle, it can never be the goal of human [[beings]].”]

[B:] As for example, any work, any movement, is of systaltic nature, or pulsative nature – like this – it is nature.⁽⁴⁾

[A: “The Cosmic Operative Principle, under the guidance of the Supreme Force, which is much higher than that principle, has been instrumental in the expression of this universe, and this nature is nothing but expression of the style in which this manifested universe is coming into being. So this style can never be the goal of ideation of the microcosm, hence neither the tempus nor the tempus eternal –”]

[B:] Tempus eternal – mahákála in Sanskrit.

[A: “or nature or these factors together combined should ever be accepted as the goal of microcosms.”]

[B:] And if there is a very happy blending between the tempus eternal and accident?

[A: “In that case also, the combination of these factors does not deserve to be the goal of the microcosm because these factors are not transcendental in character. They have to work within the scope of [relativity].”]

[B:] If “Mahákála” says, “I am the Tempus Eternal, I am the Lord of everything, I am the Lord of all I survey,” then what will be your rejoinder?

[A: “The time factor is a part of relativity. The time factor is a condition or is a by-product, or is one aspect, one facet, of the Cosmic Operative Principle, and the Cosmic Operative Principle is not the supreme factor.”]

[B:] She is not the supreme factor.

[A: “Not the supreme factor.”]

[B:] Go on explaining.

[A: “Because actually the –”]

[B:] Let me learn a little more. [laughter] Go on, go on explaining.

[A: “Time, space and person: there are these three dimensions. These are the expressions of relativity. And relativity can never be the object of ideation for human beings, because it is dependent on certain other factors. It is not svadhá, it is not a self-creating entity.”]

[B:] Not svadhá.⁽⁵⁾

[A: “[[If]] there is no action in this universe, there is no question of psychic measurement. So naturally, since they are bound by –”]

[B:] Tethered by –

[A: “– tethered by imperfection, by the temporal, spatial and personal limitations, naturally they can never be accepted as the object of ideation of a human being.”]

[B:] And if they are accepted as the object of ideation, ascribing Parama Puruśa-hood to them, then what will be the result?

[A: “In that case, they cannot be accepted as the goal. We will have to work within the scope of these things, but they cannot be accepted as the goal.”]

[B:] But if Parama Puruśa-hood is ascribed to them, ascribed to that cooperative body of tempus eternal and accident? A knotty philosophical question.

[A: “According to our philosophy, if we work, we have to work within the scope of this manifest universe. But while dealing with each object of this manifest universe, or working within the scope of time, place and person, we ascribe Náráyańa-hood, or Brahma-hood, to the form or to the idea of an object. Then the so-called physical [[work]] with which we [[engage ourselves]] will be transformed or converted into spiritual work.”]

[B:] Into the Transcendental Entity.

[A: “So by ascribing Náráyańa-hood to any object of the universe –”]

[B:] Any object. It is not a special case with the tempus eternal and accident.⁽⁶⁾ But regarding the tempus eternal and accident, what is your reply?

[A: “So the ascription is the only process. We have to remain within the realm of relativity, and from our stance within relativity, we have to [[aspire]] to the Supreme stance of salvation.”]

[B:] Tempus eternal and accident, a happy cooperation, a happy cooperative blending, then, can it be accepted as the goal? No.

[A: “If it is done from the spirit of ascription –”]

[B:] No, no, I said – there is no question of ascription.

[A: “Then in that case, if there is no ascription of Náráyańa-hood to those factors – then naturally, they themselves cannot be accepted as the goal of human beings.”⁽⁷⁾]

[B:] If there is a happy cooperation between nature and accident – Accident means accidental happening. “This universe is an accidental happening.” [[There are people who]] say like this.⁽⁸⁾

[A: “Actually, there are some people who illogically put forth the view that this universe came into being out of an accident. But we know fully well that there is nothing like an accident in this universe. Everything is incidental, because we always require two factors: first of all, there must be a cause leading to a particular effect. Sometimes out of our ignorance we overlook the cause and simply come to the conclusion that the effect is there. But it is the wrong conclusion. It is simply due to ignorance that we are misled that way. So that this universe came into being was definitely the effect of some cause. And this cause was the Supreme Entity, or I should say the Macropsychic conation. It must have been there at the beginning of the manifestation of this universe.”]

[B:] You know there is a fine line of demarcation between transcendental entities and non-transcendental entities. Now the causal factor lies beyond that line, beyond that fine line of demarcation. And the effect factor below that line. So when we move forward, towards the Causal Entity, I say the Causal Matrix, what happens when we cross that line? There remains no microcosm, no Macrocosm even. So human beings fail to find the link between transcendental and non-transcendental. And when a person becomes one with the Transcendental, he maintains no link with the non-transcendental entity at that time. After that, he says, “Oh, I am lost in the kingdom of bliss.” Always only that Transcendental Entity can be accepted as the object of adoration, and nobody else, and nothing else. So if there be a combination of nature and accident, the combination cannot be the object of adoration either.

Now, the quinquelemental factors. If there is a cooperative structure of nature and the quinquelemental factors, can it be the object of ideation, can it be the goal, can it be the Desideratum?

[A: “The cooperative structure of nature and quinquelemental factors, similarly, cannot be accepted as the goal of ideation. Because the quinquelemental factors, combined together, constitute the material universe, the expressed universe. This universe you see, which comes within the scope of our senses –”]

[B:] What is matter?

[A: “Matter is nothing but the combination of all five fundamental factors.”]

[B:] How are those fundamental factors created – the rudimental factors?

[A: “These five rudimental factors, first of all –”]

[B:] It is better to use the word “rudimental.” Not “fundamental”. “Fundamental” means “based on fundament”, “rudimental” means “based on the root”. From “root” the word “rudimental” comes, and from “fundament” the word “fundamental” comes. So in our philosophical expressions here regarding the quinquelemental factors, we should use the word “rudimental” and not the word “fundamental”.

[A: “The five rudimental factors, that is, ether, air, gas, liquid and solid – these five rudimental factors, when combined together –”]

[B:] How are they created?

[A: “In the beginning, I should say, the supreme causal factor was one. Eko’haḿ bahuśyám – ‘I am one, I shall become many.’ In the beginning there was only one Entity and there was nothing else.

“This Entity, this Parama Brahma, comprises two aspects: the cognitive and the operative aspect. These two aspects together constitute one Supreme Entity. That was the state where there was no scope of expression. [[The seed was there, but there was no scope of expression.]] So in that state, ultimately, Parama Puruśa imagined, ‘I am one today, but let Me be many’ – Eko’haḿ bahuśyám.”]

[B:] Ekah Sadviprah bahudhá ca yad vadanti – “That one Supreme [[Sadvipra, He]] speaks through so many vocal cords.” [[That one Supreme Sadvipra, Mahásadvipra, He speaks through so many vocal cords.]]

[A: “There was a state where there was no scope of expression, but ultimately a state came where there was some sort of imagination or some sort of kalpaná.”]

[B:] In the case of the jiiva it is called kalpaná. You create an elephant in your mind; that is kalpaná.

Is there any girl here named “Kalpaná”? No.

And when this kalpaná is His, then it is called saḿkalpa. This means “firm determination”.

Now if your kalpaná creates an elephant, that elephant may remain in your mind for a few minutes or a few seconds – it is not of permanent nature. But when He took His saḿkalpa, that is, firm determination, He created everything – this world, this particular planet, everything. It is not so temporary. Although it is also moving, a passing show, a moving panorama.

[A: “With His saḿkalpa, in the state of Supreme Transcendentality, the centrifugal process began and the first phase of the centrifugal process emerged, the first part of the Cosmic Mind, which we call Cosmic Mahat. In the gradual process of further crudification, we find the emergence of Cosmic Ahaḿ and citta. These three functional chambers, with the vast Macrocosmic body, constitute Cosmic Mind.”]

[B:] That is, it is solidified Cognitive Principle. The quinquelemental factors are solidified Cognitive Entity. Then?

[A: “Then in the second phase, after the emergence of Cosmic Mind, there is a completely inanimate state. Or not actually inanimate state, but, you can say, purely mental state.”]

[B:] Now in the process, five quinquelemental factors were created.

[A: “In the process of crudification we find the emergence of the five factors, the first one being ether.”]

[B:] The question was, if there is a cooperation of nature and the quinquelemental factors, and if that is accepted as the goal, what will be the result?

[A: “If nature, in [[combination]] with the quinquelemental factors, goes on creating, ultimately we will find something which will never be beyond the scope of relativity. Anything which remains confined by the limitations of materiality – how can it be the object of ideation of the microcosm? Because the microcosm will have to go beyond the scope of relativity; it will have to become one with the supreme state of transcendentality. So thus we can say that the quinquelemental factors combined with nature can never be the goal of the human being, because this combination can never lead humans towards emancipation.”]

[B:] So idolatry, which is so prevalent in India, is meaningless, has got no value in the realm of spirituality.

Footnotes

(1) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(2) A sentence here was unclear on the tape. –Eds.

(3) The foregoing eight sentences have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(4) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(5) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(6) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(7) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(8) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

Chapter 15	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Kaośikii has become popular within a very short span of time. It was invented on the sixth of September 1978, not even one year ago. It should be done by boys as well as girls.

Now what’s the meaning of “Mádhava”? Everybody should know the meaning of his name, and the meaning of the name of his village. One should know everything. You also should be omniscient, because you are all my guardians.

What were the names of those who took part in the dance? Mádhava, Prańava, Balarája, Kusumitá and Sulocaná.

First “Mádhava”. In the old Sanskrit language the word má had three meanings, three interpretations. One meaning of má was – what? Who will say?

[A Margi: “Mátá”.]

Mátá which means “mother”? No, that má is modern Bengali and modern Hindi. Its root was mátá. The Sanskrit word is mátr; the old Sanskrit word was mátr – M-A-T-R, mátr. Mátr means “mother”. Mátr,⁽¹⁾ mère, mátr, “mother”.

But here má is a Sanskrit word [not Bengali or Hindi]. What is the meaning? In the case of “mother”, the Sanskrit word is “mátr”. And the modern Indian word, the modern Hindi-Bengali word, is má. But here má is a Sanskrit word, an old Sanskrit word; fifteen thousand years ago that language was the people’s language.

Here, one meaning of má is “no”. That is, “Don’t go” – Má gaccha. Gaccha” means “go”, and má” means “not”. So one meaning is “no”. The second meaning is “tongue.” The third meaning is Prakrti. These are the three meanings.

And dhava – the second portion is dhava. Má – dhava. Now what is the meaning of dhava? One meaning is “husband”, in the sense of lordship, ownership. Now I’ll explain this thing. With “Mádhava” we will take some time.

In the primordial phase of human civilization, the reigning social order was – what? Matrilineal. And the system of inheritance was also matrilineal.

Nowadays, almost everywhere in the world, excepting in a few tribal groups of Africa and Asia, there is patrilineal order. To some extent in Meghalaya State, to some extent in Kerala State and to some extent in Bengal – to some extent, not fully – there is a matrilineal system or matrilineal order. But in the past, in the primary phase of civilization, everywhere there was matrilineal order, that is, “What is your name please?” “My name is such-and-such.” “What’s your mother’s name? What’s your grandmother’s name?”

This was the social system. Now the system is “What’s your father’s name? What’s your grandfather’s name?” But at that time the order was mostly matrilineal, everywhere in the world.

Afterwards the order was transmuted into patrilineal order, and now there is patrilineal order everywhere, and after marriage generally ladies use the title of the husband’s family, the surname of the husband’s family. Nowadays what’s the system? “Amita Basu”, when married to one “Ananda Chatterji”, will become “Amita Chatterji”. This is the system, I think? Almost everywhere in the world, because the social order is patrilineal.

Now when the society became patrilineal the position of ladies in the society degenerated – they became just like inanimate properties, domestic animals, etc. It was a very humiliating condition for ladies. That was the second phase of civilization. Now, at that time, the husband became the owner of the lady just like other properties of the house. This phase of human civilization was not at all glorious for ladies. This system started about twelve thousand years ago. It was the first step in the patrilineal system and the patriarchal order. In the patrilineal system the son inherits the father’s property.

Now at that time the meaning of dhava was both “husband” and “owner”, because the husband was the owner. (The other meaning of dhava was “clothes”.) In Sanskrit a widow is always called vidhavá, that is, “whose husband has died.” Dhava – “husband”, vidhav́a – “a widow”.

Now let us come back to the original [[item]], “Mádhava”. Here the meaning of má is Prakrti. What is Prakrti? The Operative Principle.

Whenever we are to do anything there must be the Operative Principle, there must be the creative power, the creative faculty. But along with the creative faculty, there must be – what? There must be the support of intellect. Energy, the blind force, cannot do anything in a systematic order unless and until it is supported by intellect.

So the root cause, the Operative Principle, is Prakrti, but Prakrti has to do as per the demand or desire of intellect. There is electricity in the cloud, but that electricity is not used by us. We cannot get any service from it. But with the help of our intellect we get service from electricity.

So here má means “Operative Principle”, Cosmic Operative Principle, and dhava is its owner. Dhava is the intellectual force behind má, behind Prakrti. So “Mádhava” means “the Cognitive Faculty”, Parama Puruśa, “the Cognitive Principle”. I think you understood what I said.

Next? “Prańava” – pra – nu + al. Nu is the root [[verb]], al is the suffix, pra is the prefix. (In “submission”, “sub” is the prefix, “mit” is the root word, “ion” is the noun-making suffix. Similarly, here, pra is the prefix, nu is the root [[verb]], and al is the noun-making suffix. Do you follow me?) Pra means in Sanskrit “in proper style”. You should remember, pra means “proper”, “in proper style”, “in a proper way”. And nu means “to goad”. And al makes it a noun, that is, “the Cosmic acoustic expression, the Cosmic acoustic faculty, that goads a man towards the Supreme Goal”, towards Parama Puruśa. That acoustic expression of this Cosmic order is called prańava.

Another name of prańava is oṋḿkára. “Expression of oṋḿkára” is called “Oṋm Prakásha”. Is there any boy named Oṋm Prakásha here?

Prańava, have you understood the meaning of your name? The sound that helps one in moving towards the Supreme Entity, Parama Puruśa, through the acoustic expression of this Cosmic order – that acoustic expression is prańava.

“Balarája” means – but ladies are being neglected – it is very bad, very bad – bala means “the supreme cosmic stamina”, the stamina that creates and breaks, and rája means “the king”, “the ruler”. That is, “the Supreme King who controls bala, the Cosmic stamina, the force that can create and that can break”, is “Balarája”.

Next? “Sulocaná”. Who is Sulocaná? You know for each and every expression, or each and every entity, each and every human mind, each and every human body, each and every material or abstract entity in this world, there are two sides, the bright side and the dark side. Suppose a man has so many qualities, but he is a miserly fellow – the dark side – he doesn’t want to spend. One dark side and so many good qualities. Now a man takes the form, takes the shape, of his object of ideation. If his goal is lofty, he will become lofty. If his goal is, say, humiliating, his nature will also be like that. “Sulocana” means the man who sees only the bright side of everything, only good qualities, only the good side, and not the bad side, [[who never supports any sort of destructive criticism, always constructive criticism,]] who always sees the good side of everything. This is “Sulocana” in the masculine; and in the feminine it will be “Sulocaná”. One a is to be suffixed to the word.

You should learn Sanskrit.

“Kusumitá”. Kusuma means “charming expression.” Some expressions are charming, some expressions are not charming. Not all the expressions of this world are charming, some are not charming, some are attractive, some are repulsive. Kusuma means “charming expression”, and the abstract noun for it is kusumitá. And had it been kusumiká, its meaning would have been a charming expression but of very little form, very small size, very tender size, a little charming expression. But it is kusumitá; it is the abstract noun of “charming expression”. The name is very good.

All done? [[But]] you know, I do not know Sanskrit. [laughter]

And you know, the Sanskrit language is divided into two portions, the older portion and the later portion. The older portion, that is, older than five thousand years old, is known as “Vedic”, and the later Sanskrit is known as “Sanskrit”. “Mádhava” is an older Sanskrit word, and “Kusumitá” a later Sanskrit word.

And Oṋm Prakásha, have you understood the meaning of your name? You should try to known the meaning of your own name, the meaning of the name of your town or village. You should try to increase the length of the radius of your knowledge, just increasing like this.

One night I was saying that shrama means “intellectual labour” and parishrama means “manual labour”. The person who is engaged in shrama, who by nature has got a special tendency towards shrama, is called “Sharmá”, and the abstract form is sharmańya. Sharmańya means “of intellectual labourers”. And this land of Germany is called in Sanskrit “Sharmańya Bhúmi”. Bhumi means “land”. “Sharmańya Bhúmi” means “Land of Intellectuals”. Do you follow me? That is also old Sanskrit, not modern Sanskrit. There is a very close proximity between these two words, “Sharmańya” and “Germany”. “Sharmańya” – “Germany”.

Now I’m going to learn Sanskrit from someone here. Anything else?

[A devotee asks: “I don’t understand when you say ‘abstract form’ – I don’t understand what you mean.”]

Within the scope of our perceptions, there are certain things that we can see or feel, certain inferences coming within the jurisdiction of our sensory or motor organs: hot, cold, red, yellow, round, rectangular. Coming within the scope of our sense, they are called “material”, pertaining to matter – heavy, light. But there are certain things that we feel within. “Good boy” – the boy I can see, but “good” I cannot see. “Good” we cannot touch, so it is abstract.

I can say, “You are a very naughty girl.” I’m not saying that you are a naughty girl, but if I say, “You are a naughty girl,” then that “naughty” cannot be seen. You are something material, but “naughty” is not something material. But I feel that you are a naughty girl. You never said, “Bábá, I have prepared this food for you.” So you are a naughty girl. But that “naughty”, or naughtiness, cannot be seen, cannot be touched. Do you follow me? That thing is abstract.

You see, I’m neither a teacher nor a lecturer, so I’m very poor in expression, but I try my best to make you understand. Did you understand? And why did you become naughty? Because you did not prepare any food for me. Now, because you did not prepare any food for me – that was my mental projection – because she did not produce any sandwich for me, that’s why she is a naughty girl – it was my mental projection. And that projected entity⁽²⁾ within my mind is also an abstract. Do you follow me? Did I explain properly?

Matter and abstract. Matter is in the cruder arena, in the cruder stratum, but abstract is in the ectoplasmic stratum. The subtle matter that creates your mind – the mind is created out of a subtle matter that can be perceived mentally, that can be conceived mentally, but that cannot be shown. When you are in mental agony, can you show it to anybody else? You cannot show it. Your agony will be represented by a few tear drops. And tears are something material. Then others will feel that you are in mental agony.

Now this material expression is something very crude, but behind that material expression of a few drops, there is a mental agony which is abstract. When you are in joy, tears will move like this [indicates a tear curving from the outer corner of the eye down the cheek]. In Sanskrit it is called ánandáshru. And when you are in pain, tears will move like this [indicates a tear falling straight downward] – in Sanskrit it is called shokáshru.

Now that crude matter, those tears, represent your mental agony. And above your mental agony there is your “I” feeling, your “I” who is undergoing the mental pain. Do you follow me? Behind your mind there is one “you” – “I am”, “I exist”. In each and every living being there is this feeling of “I am”. And that is your astral existence.

Material, then [[abstract]], then astral. And the hub of your astral existence, the nave of your abstract existence, is your soul, or spirit. And your soul, or your spirit, which is the nave of all your subtler existences, is moving or dancing around Parama Puruśa, knowingly or unknowingly, consciously or unconsciously. So He is Parama Puruśa, that is, the “Great Lord”. That around which your pure “I”, the nave of all your expressions and existences, is moving, is Parama Puruśa. Is it clear?

So you are not an ordinary girl. You are the glorified expression of that Parama Puruśa. Do not think that you are made of a few bones and flesh. You are something above it. Could all of you follow me?

Now the question was, what is abstract? Whenever there is any movement in the material stratum or in the abstract stratum or even in the astral stratum, the root, the rudimental Entity, is Parama Puruśa. Because your pure “I”, your nave of existence, came out of that Supreme Parama Puruśa. And that’s why His existence is called “noumenal existence” and yours is “phenomenal existence”.

“Noumenal” is a very old German word. It means “the final cause”, “the original cause” – “noumenal”. Parama Puruśa is your noumenal cause and you are His phenomenal expression.

“Phenomenon” – singular; “phenomena” – plural. “Noumenal” is an old German term; it is neither Latin nor Greek.

His existence is noumenal and your existence is phenomenal. He is the noumenal cause of the entire Universe, He is a singular entity, that Parama Puruśa. Everything comes from that Singular Entity – he is noumenal, but on the phenomenal level there are so many expressions, so many entities. He is the only Father of all phenomenal expressions. He is Parama Pitá.

Pitá – the Sanskrit root term is pitr. From pitr”, in the nominative case it becomes pitá.

You are His phenomenal expression because you have the sense of a separate identity. You always think, “I am Dr. Such-and-such, I have come from India” – like this. But He thinks, “I am.” Each and every phenomenal expression is within His Mind. So for Him there is no second entity. And that’s why I told you He cannot hate anybody. Everybody is within the scope of that Noumenal Entity. Do you follow me?

Within the scope of infinite space, and without the scope of infinite space, He is the Singular entity. So nobody is outside Him. So He is the only goal. He is the only Desideratum, and for Him you say, Bábá náma kevalam. That is, “I am taking the name of that Singular Entity.”

Kevalam – “only” the name of that Noumenal Entity because he is the only Noumenal entity and there is no second Entity. So there is no alternative but to move and dance and sing around Him, just as the earth, Saturn and Mars are moving and dancing around the sun.

This is a very sweet subject. For “matter”, the Sanskrit term is jad́a, and for “abstract” the Sanskrit term is bháva, and for “astral” the Sanskrit term is sámánya, and for “noumenal” it is múlakárańa [[or]] cakranábhi [[– two words]].

Now I hope this kiirtana, Bábá náma kevalam, will give you still more pleasure.

Footnotes

(1) A word here was not clear on the tape. –Eds.

(2) [[Earlier in the discourse, the author had used the term “abstract entity”. He had not said exactly “abstract form” (as the questioner to whom he is replying had quoted him). –Eds.]]

Chapter 16	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

You know, human expressions are trifarious in character. Human beings have so many physical manifestations, psychic desires and longings, and also a spiritual thirst. This spiritual thirst is the specialty, or rather the special characteristic, of human beings, and there lies the difference between man and other animals. Where there is no spiritual thirst in a man, physically he may be like a man, but actually, psychologically, he is not a man. So this special wont of human beings should always be encouraged, so that man may develop from an ordinary human being to a superman.

His position should be exalted to that of superman. And this is the only way, only secret, to encourage the supreme human propensity towards the Supreme Being.

Yes, human expressions are trifarious in character, but human approaches are not trifarious. There are four kinds of human approach. One, the physical approach: Human beings do so many things, have so many physical approaches, they have created so many sciences, just to get more physical pleasure. So many science subjects have been invented and will be invented.

Here – that is, in inventing so many science subjects – man does not differentiate himself from animals, because science in some form or other is being invented, is being followed, by other animals also. Birds know how to prepare their nests in a very scientific style. Ants also have very developed science in their society. So this science, this physical science, is not something that may differentiate man from animal.

The second human approach is physico-psychic and/or the reverse approach, psycho-physical. Here lie some differences between man and animal. In the case of animals or other creatures, the approach is physico-psychic, no doubt, but it is never psycho-physical. In the case of man, it is both physico-psychic and psycho-physical.

And the third human approach is purely psychic. There are certain developed creatures – dogs, monkeys – where there is this psychic approach; a bit psychically-developed animals have this wont.

And the last one, that is absent in all other animals, is the psycho-spiritual approach. This psycho-spiritual approach is developed or is created or can be found only at a certain stage of developed mind. It is a specialty of humans. If we are to establish ourselves in the full glory of humanity, we must encourage this psycho-spiritual approach, that is, spiritual sadhana.

This psycho-spiritual approach starts from the realm of the mind, and ends in the jurisdiction of the Supreme Nucleus. Now for this, the movement of our existence should maintain a parallelism with the movement of our idea. Entitative waves maintaining a parallelism with incantative waves. And that’s why I have said that ours is a subjective approach with objective adjustments.

Those physical expressions, those psycho-physical or physico-psychic expressions, and also the pure psychic expressions, all come within the scope of objective adjustment; and the last one, that is, the psycho-spiritual approach, is the subjective approach. Ours must be a happy blending of these two.

In the case of the psycho-spiritual approach, or psycho-spiritual movement, we should always remember that human beings are just like electrons moving around the nucleus of an atom. And by dint of our spiritual cult we will have to reduce the difference between the moving electron and its nucleus. The length of the radius is to be lessened by dint of our sadhana. And a day is sure to come when the length of this radius will become zero and the electron will become one with the nucleus; that is, the jiiva, the spiritual aspirant, will be one with Parama Puruśa.

While doing spiritual practice, spiritual sadhana, while singing kiirtana and dancing, we should remember the fact that all our spiritual activities are just a dance around Parama Puruśa, lessening the distance, lessening the length of the radius, coming from close to closer proximity to our ideological Desideratum. We should always remember this fact. And there cannot be any peace, any happiness or any beatitude till the aspirant comes in tactual contact with the Supreme Self.

Chapter 17	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Last night I said that human expressions are trifarious in character: physical, psychic and spiritual. And human approaches are four in number: physical, physico-psychic, psychic and psycho-spiritual.

The woes and anxieties, the pleasure or composure, that a man or an animal enjoys in the physical stratum are extremely limited. That is, the waves of woes and anxieties, or pleasure, function within a short sphere, and that is why they are purely of a temporary nature. The person or the space is also extremely limited.

In the case of humans, and also in the case of a few developed animals – animals like dogs or monkeys – there are physico-psychic pleasures and physico-psychic pains also. Although the jurisdictions of those pleasures or those pains are limited, those jurisdictions are bigger than the first one, that is, bigger than the jurisdiction of purely physical pleasure or physical pain.

In the case of humans, there is psychic pleasure or psychic pain. In the case of animals, most of them have their pleasures and pains only in the physical stratum, and they come, or they are created, as an inborn instinct.

But in the case of developed animals and humans, all is not only inborn; some things are imposed. And not only imposed, there are some things developed by themselves. In them, that is, in developed animals and in humans, there are both genius and technician. But in the case of undeveloped animals, there is nothing like a genius or technician.

You know, genius is an inborn faculty. And what is a technician? “Technician” means that an ordinary faculty is developed to an extraordinary degree of efficiency. This can be done by developed creatures and humans. Tamed dogs, tamed monkeys, may do many a thing, because although animals, they are developed animals. But genius you will hardly find in any developed animal. You will find it only in humans.

Now when a man gets the chance to enjoy physico-psychic pleasures, he does not find any interest in physical pleasures, because physical pleasure is not only crude in quality, but also of very temporary nature. It lasts for a short span. On the psychic level, man is the dominating living being. He does something new, he wants to do something new, to get more psychic pleasures; and he invents so many things, and engages himself in psychic pursuits. These things cannot be done by [undeveloped] animals or even by other developed creatures. And here lies the speciality of human beings. But I will not say that it is the speciality of human beings, because in psychic spheres the pleasure you get is nothing but a sort of positive projection of your mind. It creates nothing concrete, nothing lasting. And whenever this sort of positive projection takes place, there comes another projection, a negative projection, just to bring the mind back to normalcy. That is, the psychic pleasure that you get is counteracted or neutralized by a negative projection – by the pain you get due to a negative projection. Plus and minus make it zero. So I said there cannot be any development or any progress in physical or psychic spheres.

Now in the case of psycho-spiritual approach, what happens? Human approach towards spiritual affairs means fighting against the limitations of time, space and person. So it is the best wont of human beings. And here lies the difference between man and animal. Even the developed animals cannot do it. Now in the course of this psycho-spiritual advancement, when the particular aspirant crosses the silver line of demarcation between relativity and absolute, he goes beyond the touch of all mundane bondages. And that is the final destination, and that is the desideratum, of all human beings. And this approach of humans is called Bhágavata dharma. It is the proper dharma, it is the actual dharma. All other ideas are based on isms and dogmas. They can function within the scope of three relativities – temporal, personal and spatial factors. The man who is intelligent should from his very childhood move along this path of psycho-spirituality. The sooner a man starts or moves along this path of psycho-spirituality, the better it is. He is the blessed one.

Chapter 18	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Last night I said that in our psycho-spiritual process, our starting point is within the realm of time, space and person. And our goal, for which I use the term “Supreme Noumenal entity”, is beyond the reach of time, space and person.

Now in the course of occult practice, the bondages of the mutative principle, static principle and sentient principle become loose. When the bondage of the static principle disappears, the aspirant enjoys a particular nature of bliss. There, that is, in that stage, there remains no static bondage, but the bondages of the mutative and sentient principle are there. Then the bondage of the mutative principle disappears. And finally, when the bondage of the sentient principle disappears, man becomes one with his object of ideation.

Now when, in the primordial phase, after starting in the physical sphere, the aspirant is just about to cross the cordon of the static principle, he enjoys a special nature of pleasure. We may say “pleasure”, because it is not the supreme beatitude, but is a modified form of beatitude. Not purely pleasure, something higher, something subtler, something more charming, more beautiful – more than pleasure. That enjoyment, that psycho-spiritual enjoyment, is known as dashá in Sanskrit.

In the dashá phase, the aspirant enjoys a sort of inner pleasure, but his sensory and motor organs fail to express it. Even language is too weak to convey the experience. That stage of the human mind is called dashá. The mind tries to express something but the vocal cord cannot produce the appropriate sound. In that stage the aspirant may create a sound like oṋ . . . oṋ . . . oṋ, like this, but no definite language is produced.

Just when the aspirant crosses the cordon of the supreme static point, just on the other side, he feels another type of pleasure, and in that case (it is a subtler phase) he feels that he is with his Goal, he is with the Supreme Entity. The Universe is also there, but he feels that he has become a strong person – physically, mentally, spiritually – and under such circumstances, he does not care a fig for what the world says. This phase is called bháva. When a man is in bháva, it will be very easy for you to know it, because there will be a certain expression, not in the vocal cord, but from here [taps the anáhata cakra]. Perhaps you have seen someone saying “Bábá! Bábá!” – saying like this. Have you seen it? Because the expression comes from this point [indicates anáhata cakra again].

Then when the aspirant crosses the cordon of the mutative principle, that stage is known as bháva samádhi. At that stage the aspirant feels that he is with his Cosmic Goal. There is no Universe. At that stage, he ignores the entitative existence of the Universe. But he feels that he is with his Lord. He enjoys divine bliss, but it becomes very difficult for him to express, that is, he cannot express it.

In the final phase, when he crosses the jurisdiction of the sentient principle, he feels that there is no duality, that is, the duality of him and his Lord, this duality, disappears. He feels there is only one existence – he feels “he is” or he feels “the Lord is.” “I am with my Lord” – “I” and “Lord” – this duality disappears. This is called mahábháva.

Now all higher samádhis are different experiences of this mahábháva. It depends on the style of ideation. But when one attains the stance of mahábháva it is not at all difficult or impossible for the aspirant to enjoy other kinds of samádhi. Not bháva samádhi, but actual samádhi, that is, the highest form of samádhi.

But all those samádhis which are within the boundaries of the sentient principle are qualified samádhis, attributional samádhis. And the mind remains – either in the form of the microcosm or in the form of the Macrocosm, the ectoplasmic stuff is there. But when the aspirant brings his mind to a pointed form, to a pinnacled form, to an apexed form, the mind, the ectoplasmic stuff, disappears due to extreme concentration, and under such circumstances the Supreme Cognitive Faculty remains. This is called “non-qualified, non-attributional samádhi” – nirvikalpa samádhi in Sanskrit.

By dint of japa kriyá, japa, one attains the attributional stage of samádhi, and by dint of one’s dhyána one attains the non-attributional stance of samádhi, which is the goal of each and every individual of this Universe. You should know it and you should do accordingly.

Chapter 19	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

I will explain only one shloka.

You’ve heard so much regarding Shiva and Párvatii. Párvatii was the spouse of Shiva.

What is Tantra? In Tantra there are two portions, ágama and nigama, just like the two wings of a bird. Nigama is the philosophical questions and ágama is the practical cult. The cult side is ágama and the philosophical side is nigama. These are just like the two wings of a bird, and the bird is Tantra.

Ágataḿ Shiva vaktebhyaḿ
Gataḿ ca girijá shrutam,
Mataḿ ca vásudesya
Tasmád ágama ucyate.

Párvatii asked and Shiva gave the reply. One question of Párvatii was, “O Lord, what are the secrets of success? Many people do many things, but not all are successful in their lives. What’s the secret of success?”

Shiva said, “There are seven secrets”:

Phaliśyatiiti vishvása siddherprathama lakśańam
Dvitiiyaḿ shraddhayá yuktaḿ
Trtiiyaḿ gurupújanam.
Caturtho samatábhávo
Paiṋcamendriya nigraha,
Śaśt́haiṋca pramitáhárah
Saptamaḿ naeva vidyate.

“‘I must be successful in my mission.’ This firm determination is the first factor.” This firm determination is the first requisite factor out of these seven factors. And what is this firm determination?

Nindantu niitinipuńah yad vá stavantu,
Lakśmii samávishatu grahaḿ gacchatu vá yatheśt́ham;
Adyaeva marańamastu yugántare vá,
Nyáyát pathi pravicalanti na dhiiráh.
Prárabhyate na khalu vighna bhayena niicaeh,
Vighnavihitá viramante madhyá,
Vighnaer muhur muhur api pratihanyamánáh,
Prárabhya uttamajano na parityájanti.

What am I going to do regarding the mission of life? If logicians and philosophers condemn me, saying, “That is a very bad man,” let them say this. Or if, due to my mission, due to my movement towards my goal, a certain portion of society appreciates my action, let them appreciate it – it will not affect me. I will not be assailed by such appreciations. And if, due to my action, Lakśmii (Lakśmii is the mythological goddess of riches) comes and resides in my house, it is good. If Lakśmii says, “No, I will quit you forever, I won’t remain with you” – that is, you will have to suffer from poverty – let Lakśmii quit my house. And if, due to my course of action, due to my ideology, Pluto, that is, the god of death, comes and says, “I’ll take you,” let Pluto do it! I do not care! Or if, due to my course of action, due to my ideology, I am forced to live here for an indefinite period, I am ready to live here. You know life becomes boring if one lives for a long period, but I am ready to undergo that boredom, that monotony, for the sake of my ideology.

I know that among human beings there are three categories. The third category will not undertake any responsibility for fear of being defeated. And in the second category, they undertake the duties and responsibilities, but when they face the reactions, when inimical forces come forward and harass them, they drop the work. They are the second category of people. And in the first category, that is, the best category, they say, “Once I have undertaken the duty, I will do it. I will get the work fully complied. Before that I won’t take any rest.”

So this is firm determination. It is the first requisite factor, as Lord Shiva said. Phaliśyatiiti vishvása siddherprathama lakśańam.

Dvitiiyaḿ shraddhayá yuktam. A man must have shraddhá for his ideology. What is shraddhá? Shraddhá is a very old Vedic term. Shrat” means “recognized status of veracity”, and “dha” means “movement towards it”. That is, when the ideological goal has been accepted, all my might, all my propensities, should move unto that goal. This is shraddhá.

Trtiiyaḿ gurupújanam. I must have reverence for the guru. What is the guru? Gu means “darkness”, that is, darkness in the psycho-spiritual sphere. And ru means “dispelling agent”. That is, he who dispels darkness from my psychic and spiritual body is the guru. Gu means “darkness”, ru means “dispeller”. “Trtiiyaḿ gurupújanam. That is, you must have respect for the guru.

Caturtho samatábhávo. And the fourth requisite factor is that you must maintain a mental equilibrium, rather, a mental equipoise; you must not suffer from any sort of inferiority complex, or superiority complex, or defeatist complex, or complex of hopelessness or despair. That is, your mind should always be in a balanced condition. Caturtho samatábhávo. This is the fourth factor, fourth requisite factor – you must not suffer from an inferiority complex or from a superiority complex.

Paiṋcamendriya nigraha. You must have self-restraint. Without self-restraint, nothing concrete can be done.

You should remember these factors.

Śaśt́haiṋca pramitáhára, that is, balanced diet, balanced food. You must not take this much [stretches arms far apart], you should take this much [holds hands closer together]. But the food should be substantial. And not only that, it should be good for your body, mind and spirit. Meat and other animal products may be good for the body, but not good for the mind and spirit. So yours should be a careful selection of food. It is called pramitáhára – pramita means “balanced”, áhára” means “food”.

“And the seventh”, Lord Shiva says – He said there are seven factors, now He says, saptamaḿ naeva vidyate – ‘There is no seventh factor.’”

You should remember these seven factors. These are the secrets of success.

[To a devotee:] What is the seventh factor?

[Devotee: “Bábá, there is no seventh factor.”]

[Bábá:] No seventh factor. [laughs heartily, all laugh]

You should always remember these seven secrets of success.

Chapter 20	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Lalita mármika is purely a devotional dance. The elbows must be placed above the 90-degree position in relation to the shoulders. The upraised hands indicate the spirit of surrender.

Hands placed at 90 degrees indicate the strength of the arms of the dancer. Táńd́ava expresses the spirit of strength. Your arms express strength and vigour. They are straight, meaning thereby that they are ready to fight death. One hand, holding a skull or fire or a snake, represents death, while the other hand is holding a dagger, representing the spirit to fight death.

Kaośikii: The two hands upraised and folded together represent, “Now I am trying to establish a link with Parama Puruśa.” Both hands bending to the right indicate, “I know the right way to request You.” The bending of the body should be at a 45-degree angular projection. The leftward movement represents, “I know how to fulfil Your demands.” The movement of bending in front suggests complete surrender. The backward bending represents, “I am ready to face all troubles that may come.” The last tá, tá represents, “O Lord, I repeat Your rhythm.”

All three of these dances are devotional dances, and as such are mudraic.

Even before Sadáshiva there were songs and dances, but there was no system. Lord Sadáshiva brought that music and those dances within the scope of a system. There are mainly two kinds of dances. Some are more rhythmic and less mudraic while others are more mudraic and less rhythmic. The Oriental school of dance is more mudraic and less rhythmic, while the Occidental dance is more rhythmic and less mudraic.

A mudrá expresses bháva without creating any sound. For example, if you call someone to come near you, you make a particular movement of your palm [gives mudrá]. When you tell somebody to go away you make another kind of movement with your palm [gives mudrá]. Similarly, when you feel very hot and need a fan you make a particular style of movement with your hand. Again, when you feel thirsty and need a glass of water to drink you make a particular corresponding mudrá.

Thus while offering something respectfully to your superior you make a forward and then downward movement of both palms with palms upwards [gives mudrá]. But such offerings are meant for those who have died – or the “Pitrpuruśa” is made by another type of movement of the palms rotated sideways.

Similarly, there are dharmacakra pravarttana mudrá, varábhaya mudrá and many others. Among the mudrás, some are meant for the psycho-spiritual benefit of sádhakas. Similarly, there are some bad mudrás which are used in Avidyá Tantra. For instance, while cursing somebody, the forefinger is raised and used. In Sanskrit the forefinger is called tarjanii, which means “scolding”. The movement of the forefinger represents vanity, and therefore at the time of japa the use of this finger should be avoided.

Good men should never curse anybody.

Lord Shiva invented all mudrás. Incidentally, there are more than 12,000 mudrás.

Brahma is a composite of Puruśa and Prakrti. The name for the cognitive aspect is in the masculine gender, and the name for the operative aspect in the feminine gender. But Brahma is in the neuter gender. Brahma is not a personal God.

One should not think that inanimate objects have no minds. They too have minds, but in a dormant stage. Inanimate objects cannot function for want of nerve cells and nerve fibres. They move according to Cosmic momentum. Parama Puruśa is the Supreme Nucleus, not a personal God. It remains fixed and all animate and inanimate objects keep moving around that Supreme Nucleus just as electrons move around their nucleus. Inanimate objects move unconsciously, but human beings have minds and can move voluntarily. This movement is both centripetal, or centre-seeking – Vidyá, the movement towards the Nucleus – and centrifugal – Avidyá, that is, away from the Nucleus.

It is the natural wont of the mind to take the shape of its object of meditation. If the object of worship is crude, say money or any other crude thing, the mind takes the shape of that crude thing in the course of time. Hence the proverb “As you think so you become.” For instance, when someone constantly thinks of a ghost, he actually becomes a ghost one day. One then starts behaving in an abnormal way. Again, if someone concentrates upon two hundred dollars, one day the person will become an actual dollar. Hence human beings should be very, very cautious in what they ideate upon, in their objects of contemplation.

All complexes – the fear complex, the defeatist complex, the inferiority complex, complexes of hopelessness or hatred, etc. – are creations of Avidyá. Now if one curses another person, saying, “Let that fellow die,” one is resorting to Avidyá. In that case the cursed person may not die, rather, the cursing man will die. Similarly, if a person constantly thinks, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner,” the habit of sinning will come to him and he will really be a sinner one day, though he was not a sinner previously.

Instead of wishing harm to a person, try to instruct him. Do not try to destroy him, that is not a proper expression. In that case your defective psychology will destroy you.

In this connection, the spirit of people should be like this:

Akkodhena jine kodham asádhuḿ sádhuná jine;
Jine kadariiyaḿ dánena satyena alikavádinam.

If someone is angry, you must win him over just by a cool temper. If someone is dishonest, win him over by your honesty. If someone is a miser, win him over by spending something on him. When you meet a liar, be veracious with him, or win him over to absolute truthfulness.

When fighting darkness, will you carry darkness in your pocket, or will you carry a torch? Certainly a torch. Similarly, to fight a man of Avidyá, do just the opposite thing to him, and then you will be victorious. These are the secrets of success.

I hope you will all do it.

Chapter 21	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

You know, the cult of spiritual practice, the cult that leads one to the final desideratum of human life, is called Tantra. In Tantra, there is hardly one percent theory; ninety-nine percent is practice. And you also know that a good theory may not help a person, it is practice that counts.

Suppose you know how to prepare a particular sweet, but practically you cannot do it. In such a case, will you get that delicious taste? Theory will not be able to help you. In Tantra there is ninety-nine percent practice, and practice precedes theory. The theory was prepared on the basis of practice and not practice on theory.

It may be that a theory is very sweetly worded but cannot be translated into action. In Tantra, the theory succeeds the practice, that is, the practice precedes the theory. And when the Tantras were invented, there was hardly anything in black and white, because it was practice. Later the Tantras were given book form.

Tadekaḿ japáma tadekaḿ smaráma
Tadekaḿ jagatsákśiirúpaḿ namámah;
Tadekaḿ nidhánaḿ nirálambamiisham
Bhavámbodhipotaḿ sharańaḿ vrajámah.

[Tadekaḿ japáma.] You say so many things, and major portions of what you say are meaningless, simply a wastage of time and energy. And not only do you say things, but you speak in your mind. And that is also a wastage of energy. Before going to Stockholm, you may say within your mind a thousand times, “I have to go to Stockholm, I have to go to Stockholm, I am to go to Stockholm” – a mere wastage of time and energy.

What is thought? Thought means to speak within. Thought is closely related to soliloquy. Suppose there is nobody to hear you and you are speaking. What is that? It is just like a thought. When you are speaking to yourself, it is called “soliloquy”. Thought is also like that. Some of your thoughts are of such a nature that, if others hear them, they will say you are insane.

So here the Tantric says, “Look, what I am to say within my mind, speak to myself, I should speak regarding You, and not regarding this or that, that or this; so my time will be properly utilized – there will not be any wastage of time and energy.”

Tadekaḿ smaráma. You may be remembering, “Oh, when I went to Alaska, my host served me a very delicious menu.” You are thinking like this – a story of, say, twenty, or perhaps twenty-five or thirty, years ago. You are remembering – what? It is a sweet memory. What is the necessity?

Memory should be of – what? A tactual experience that took place in my mind in the course of my sadhana, or the bliss that I enjoyed during kiirtana. Memory should be like this. “My memory should also be centred around You, so there will not be any wastage of time and energy.” What do people do generally? People generally remember past stories of pain and happiness, sweet stories of near and dear ones. But all those things are a mere wastage of time and energy.

Tadekaḿ jagatsákśiirupaḿ namámah – “If I am to pay respect to anybody, I am to pay respect to You only.” Because all other objects of this universe are expressions of that very Parama Puruśa. So I pay respect to the Nucleus who created all these great personalities, all these little and big ones.

As per yoga and Tantra, to Parama Puruśa one is to do namaste. Namah plus te – “I pay respect to You” – namaste. And namaskára means, “I am paying my respects.” And that is why you may use the word namaste only for Parama Puruśa, but namaskára for both Parama Puruśa and the jiiva [unit being]. Tadekaḿ jagatsákśiirupaḿ namámah – “If I am to pay respect to anybody, I am to pay respect to You only.”

Tadekaḿ nidhánaḿ nirálambamiisham. Whenever one is doing something, there is some goal, there is some objective. Whenever one is moving, one must have some destination, one must have some culminating point, one must have some terminating point. So then, what are You? “You are the Terminus of all termini.” You are going to Stockholm. Stockholm is the terminus. You are going to London. London is the terminus. But for all these termini, the Supreme Terminus is You.

Nirálambamiisham [“there is no authority over You, nor are You contained within anything”]. Why? All these termini are located within certain boundaries. London, for example, is a city in Great Britain. You are going to Paris, Paris is a town in France. [[That is, they are]] under certain limitations, certain boundaries. But You, the Supreme Terminus, You are beyond the peripheries of time, space and person, above all boundaries, and that is why You are the Supreme Desideratum.

I have said so many times that “desideratum” is such a point, such a term, that it should not have any plural form. That is, there should not be any word such as “desiderata”. “Desideratum” always remains singular. Because You are the Singular Entity, You are the Single Desideratum.

Bhavámbodhipotaḿ sharańaḿ vrajámah. Say, from here, if you were to go to England – how are you to go if you are not to take the help of any vehicle? Perhaps running up to the shore and then swimming. But is it practical or practicable? No. Is it feasible? No. Then what will be the better or the practical approach? By truck up to the beach and then a boat or a big steamer.

Now, if you are to cross the peripheries of time, space and person, what are you to do? You require a big ship. Bhavámbodhipotaḿ sharańaḿ vrajámah – “O Parama Puruśa, Thou art a big ship, and we have taken shelter in Thee.” Bhavámbodhipotaḿ sharańaḿ vrajámah – “O Parama Puruśa! Thou art the best ship. So I pay my respect to Thee.”

Bhavámbodhipotaḿ. Bhava means “any entity coming within the scope of time, space and person”. Ambu means “water”. Ambodhi means “ocean”. Potam means “ship”. “Thou art the ship, and taking shelter on this ship, we will cross the ambodhi of bhava, we will cross the ocean of time, space and person.”

This is the spirit of this shloka of Tantra.

Chapter 22	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

[[Kaośikii is not an ordinary dance. It is, along with physical exercise, a spiritual practice. It is a very, very good dance. The human entity is not only a physical one – you are something more than a physical structure, you are something more subtle, more sweet, more charming and more fascinating. Your existence is not within the boundaries of your bones and flesh. You are something higher, something greater, something bigger. A man must not forget this rudimentary truth.]] Man is not an ordinary being.

The other day I was saying that human existence is more a psychic than a physical one. A man must not forget this truth. For a psychic sentiment, for a psycho-spiritual goal or for a pinnacled psychic existence, a man becomes ready to quit this physical body even. And when the parallelism between the psychic flow and the entitative flow is broken, a man wants to quit this world.

This is not the case with other animals, whose existence is more physical than psychic. That’s why we may say that human existence is a psychic existence.

You know that the science of homoeopathy is based on the psychic existence of human beings. And because human existence is a psychic existence, there is a spiritual tendency in human beings. In developed animals, the tendency is towards psychic development, and because man himself is a psychic being, in developed human beings the tendency is towards the spiritual goal.

The physical stratum, the psychic stratum, the spiritual stratum: Animals are more physical than psychic, so in the case of developed animals, that pinnacled physical sense of existence moves towards psychic existence, the psychic stratum; and in man, having a more psychic existence, what happens? [[Being more]] psychically developed, his pinnacled psychic existence moves towards spirituality. So wherever, in any corner of this planet or universe, there are human beings, the developed human beings are spiritually-minded, and it is the natural movement of development. Wherever there is any psychic development in human beings, they are all spiritually-minded, they will be spiritually-minded.

There is no alternative, because psychic existence has certain imperfections of its own. Man, when he wants to go beyond the periphery of psychic existence, naturally resorts to spirituality. There is no alternative. And that is the transformation expressed between a psychic being and a spiritual being, that is, a man becomes more a spiritual being than a psychic one.

Monkeys, or, say, dogs, when they get proper training, slowly become psychic and not physical. An ordinary dog is a physical being, but a trained dog is more psychic than physical. It comes nearer to man. It maintains a closer proximity to human existence. Developed monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans, dogs – many animals of the canine group, but not of the bovine group – they are less developed – when those animals, a bit developed animals, get proper training, they do something extraordinary. Similarly, when a man gets proper training, a training in occult science, be gets more developed and finally he becomes a spiritual being.

And his ordinary human qualities are developed to an extraordinary standard of efficiency, and those extraordinarily developed qualities are called “occult powers”, the powers that one acquires by dint of his cult. That which one gets through cult is an occult power. The person may easily become omniscient, he knows everything, he will know everything – why?

Because the Supreme Creator knows everything. And why does the Supreme Creator know everything? Because everything is His internal psychic projection, and nothing is external, nothing is without, everything is within. So when, by dint of one’s practice of cult, one ensconces himself in the Supreme Existence, one becomes one with the Supreme, and that is why everything comes within the periphery of his mind – he also becomes omniscient.

It is nothing extraordinary. You as the Supreme Being are omniscient, but because of a feeling of – your feeling of microcosmic existence, you do not realize your own potentialities, and that is the only trouble with ordinary human beings.

What are you to do? You are to transform your psychic existence into spiritual existence, and ordinary physical and psychic powers into occult powers. And when you become one with Him, the entire Universe becomes your internal psychic projection, rather, intro-psycho-spiritual projection. You know everything. You are one with everything. You love everybody. You cannot hate. Even if you try to hate, it won’t be possible for you.

I said so many times that the Supreme Father, Parama Pitá, cannot do two things – one thing, He cannot hate anybody. Even if He so desires, He cannot hate.

One imperfection with Him is that – He is perfect, but He has two imperfections – one is that He cannot hate. Suppose He is hating Mr. X. He’ll say, “Oh, X, get out.”

Then X will ask Him, “O Father, everybody says – and when everybody says it, that means You want everybody to say it – that’s why everybody says it, You get it said by everybody – that You are infinite. And You told me to get out. But how can I go beyond the jurisdiction of infinity? It’s impossible. So You have two alternatives: either You should withdraw what You say, or You should change your name, because You no longer remain infinite.”

A dangerous challenge, badly affecting His prestige. [laughter] He cannot hate – one imperfection.

And the second imperfection is that He cannot create another Parama Puruśa like Himself. That is, Parama Puruśa always remains One. How, why?

When a spiritual aspirant comes into His contact, develops love for Him, his apexed mind becomes one with Him. He no longer retains his separate entity. So Parama Puruśa always remains a singular entity. Even if He so desires, He cannot create another Parama Puruśa.

So the conception of God and Satan is defective. If we accept the existence of Satan, it means there are two Gods, one God positive and the other God negative – that is, Satan – and that Satan challenges the authority of Parama Puruśa. That cannot be. So there is no Satan. Everywhere is the rule of Parama Puruśa. Nowhere is the rule of Satan.

Satan is the centrifugal force, the Avidyá force that takes an aspirant, a man, away from the Supreme Nucleus.

So the Satanic conception is a defective conception. There is no Satan. Everywhere you are with Parama Puruśa, and never in this Universe, nowhere in this Universe, are you alone. So you are never helpless. Wherever you may be, do your kiirtana, Bábá náma kevalam. He is with you. You are never alone. You are never weak. You are never helpless.

Chapter 23	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

In the realm of the animated world, there are two broad categories. Certain living beings are social creatures, and some others are non-social. Generally, animals of the cat group are non-social. Cats, hyenas, black tigers, leopards, panthers, jaguars, Royal Bengal tigers – they are all animals of the cat group. They are non-social animals. [[And]] animals of the dog group are to some extent social. They are dogs, wolves, and lions. And there are certain animals which do not have canine teeth. [[They are the most social animals in the world.]] They belong to the ape group and proto-ape group. [[Also]] within this category are other animals who are still to be domesticated.

Man is a living being. However, man comes within the ape group – that is, man is a social animal, [[a social being rather,]] though logicians of the past used to say that man is a rational animal.

[[You see, there is the plant world, there is the animal world, there is the human world.]] What is the difference amongst them? [[Between animals and plants,]] the difference is that animals can move whereas plants are stationary. But regarding animals, can we say animals are moving plants? No. Similarly, the fundamental difference between animals and human beings is that human beings have got dharma whereas animals are without dharma. But as we cannot say that animals are moving plants, we cannot say that man is a dharmic animal.

A human being is a social being. Social beings cannot lead a secluded life. They need friends. They also want friends. If a person is to live alone in a big town or in a village, he will become insane. His mental equilibrium will be lost because by nature he is a social being. And human philosophy also reflects this human characteristic.

When asked by a logician, a philosopher will say that this universe is a Macropsychic conation; that multiplication is the wont of creation – “one” becoming many, “mono” becoming “multi”. But those philosophers will not be able amplify the idea. And ask a person engaged in actional cult as to why the universe was created. He will say: “When movement is the order of creation, there must be spatial and personal differences, and that is why the universe was created.” If you request him to go into details he will not be able to amplify the idea either. But when you ask a devotee why the world is created, he will apply the theory that man is a social being. When man is a social being, naturally for him his Supreme Father, Parama Puruśa, is also a social being. Suppose you are fond of cheese, you will always be thinking that all the living beings of this universe are also fond of cheese. This is the psychology, that is, your philosophy will be reflected on others. This is the human characteristic. So the devotee will think in this line. Since a man is a social being, so his Creator, his Progenitor, is also a social being. He also wants to live with all and does not want to lead a secluded life.

The idea or the reply of the devotee is, “I do not know philosophy, I do not know the actional cult. My reply is, When there was nothing in the Universe, that is, when my Supreme Father, my Parama Puruśa, was alone in the universe, just try to have an idea regarding His position – how boring it was – what a monotony! He was alone in the Universe. There was no Universe even. As soon as the Universe is created, heterogeneity is also created. That heterogeneity saves Him from the pains of monotony. But there was no heterogeneity because there was no Universe even. So just to save Himself from the trouble and pains of monotony my Lord Parama Puruśa Himself divided His existence into many. “Mono” became “multi”. He was a singular entity and now He created this diversity within His mind – not “without” His mind, because outside Him there is nothing.

So man is a social being and his Parama Puruśa is also a social being. He cannot live alone. He wants to play with His children. That is why He created many. And now He is not alone. He is within the mind of each and every creation, and nobody, no mind and no soul, is alone in this world. He wants that there should be many, otherwise He would become insane, mad, because of the monotony of singularity.

Now, who is the real friend? Say there is Mr. X and Mr. Y. Did they come into this world at the same moment? No, one earlier and the other later. Will they leave this world just at the same moment? No, one earlier and the other later. Nobody is actually contemporary to others. Is it not a fact?

[[In Sanskrit there are four words for the English word “friend”.]] But you know, identity is ultravires to the spirit of nature. No two things of this world are identical to one another. They may be similar, there may be similarity, but no two things are identical to one another. Two tumblers are created by the same potter but they are not identical. And when we say “They are all synonymous expressions” – it is incorrect. The inner significance of each and every word varies. For “village” there are two Latin adjectives. One is “rural” and the other is “rustic”. “Rural” is used in a good sense and “rustic” in a bad sense. They may be similar but they are not identical. For “child” two adjectives are “childish” and “childlike”. “Childlike” is always in a good sense and “childish” always in a bad sense. No two words are identical. Neither are things.

In Sanskrit there are four words for “friend”, but they are not identical to one another. They may be similar. Those four words are bandhu, suhrd, mitram and sakhá. Bandhu means “those within the bondage of love”. That is, when one cannot tolerate the idea of separation one is called bandhu. Now, have you got any bandhu in this world? No. Even your friend, your best friend, did not come at the same time as you, and after leaving the cremation ground there is permanent separation. He will be with you up to the cremation ground. After your cremation he will not be with you. So he is not bandhu, he is not a friend, for he can tolerate the idea of separation. So who is the real friend? Parama Puruśa. When you are in this physical framework, in this quinquelemental framework, He is with you, with your body, with your mind and with your spirit. After death, He will be with your mind, with your soul. When the body is lost, the body will become one with the earth but mind and spirit will remain. He will be with you. So He is the real friend, He is the real bandhu[[, and there cannot be any mundane friend, mundane bandhu. It is a false utterance to say that a mundane friend is the best friend. Nobody is your friend. Only Parama Puruśa is your friend, and nobody else is your friend.

The second word is suhrd. Suhrd means “with whom there is never any clash, clash of ideology”. You must see in your family there is psychological clash amongst brothers, sisters, husband and wife. So everywhere there is psychological clash.]] In that respect nobody is your friend or comrade. So many fissiparous tendencies exist in the realm of intellectuality. [[So]] can there be a suhrd [[in this world]]? No. But your ideas are always respected by or approved by Parama Puruśa. Because they are approved by Parama Puruśa, you get the scope to express your views. So He is the only suhrd. No one else in this world is your suhrd.

The fourth one is sakhá. (About the third one I will speak later.) [[The root meaning is]] “one entity in two different structures”. That is, structures vary but the entitative flow does not vary. With your friends or relatives or even amongst family members there is no such love [[– that the physical bodies,]] the physical structures, vary, but the inner self does not vary. It is not the case with anybody in this world. But it is the case with Parama Puruśa because He is within. So there are differences in entitative structure, but there is no difference in ectoplasmic structure. So Parama Puruśa is the only sakhá. Nobody else can be your sakhá.

The third one is mitram. Mitram means “colleague”. Two physicians are mitram. Two thieves, two pleaders are also mitram; that is, they have a similar duty and profession. When the duty is similar, the term “colleague” is used – the Sankrit term of which is mitram. [[You may have mitram in this world but they are colleagues and nothing else. You have seen that mitram may or may not be friends.]] Two physicians of a small village are not friends – they are at best colleagues because there is competition between them. Parama Puruśa alone is your real friend. It is your duty to strengthen the hand of your real friend, that is, of Parama Puruśa. How can you do it? Just be a moralist – move along the path of spirituality and help His ectoplasmic structure with that of yours. Be a machine in the hands of Parama Puruśa and help Him in creating a more beautiful world and a [[more]] beautiful human society.

Chapter 24	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

There was an intellectual – an intellectual giant. His name was Shankaracharya. Although he was an intellectual he said, Mokśa kárańasamagráḿ bhaktireva gariiyasii. That is, “Amongst all the approaches, all the spiritual cults, devotion is the best – devotion is the highest order.” So a man [[who]] may or may not be an intellectual and who has not been established in the actional faculty, may attain salvation if only he has got bhakti in him, devotion in him. Truly speaking, knowledge or intellectual pursuit is itself a cult. The actional faculty is also a cult. But bhakti is not a cult. Bhakti is the goal. Devotion is not a cult – devotion is the goal. Shankaracharya, the great intellectual, said:

Tyaja durjana saḿsargaḿ bhaja sádhu samágamam;
Kuru puńyam ahorátraḿ smara nitya anityatám.

[Avoid association with the wicked and associate with the virtuous. Do good twenty-four hours a day, and remember the eternal.]

What is a devotee to do? Tyaja durjana saḿsargam – “you should give up the company of durjanas.” Who is a durjana? I will explain. A man whose company will deteriorate or deprave the standard of others is a durjana for those persons. Suppose you have fifteen degrees of virtue and another man has vice of twenty degrees. What will be the resultant balance? The resultant balance will be five in favour of vice. You will acquire five degrees of vice. So that man having twenty degrees of vice is a durjana for you. Have you understood the meaning of durjana?

However, if a saint who has got eighty degrees of virtue comes in contact with that bad man having twenty degrees of vice, what will happen? That bad man, that durjana, will become sajjana. That bad man will become good. But if you come into contact with that bad man, you will become bad because his degree of vice is more than your degree of virtue. So you should avoid the company of your durjana. A great man, a saint, may not need to avoid the company of that bad man because for him he is not a bad man. But for you he is a bad man. So you should avoid the company of such persons who are durjanas for you.

Thus durjana is a relative term. The first point – the first direction – of Shankaracharya was Tyaja durjana saḿsargam – “You should avoid the company of persons who are durjana for you,” whose degree of vice is more than the degree of virtue in you.

Bhaja sádhu samágamam – “try to be with sádhus.” Who is a sádhu? The man whose company will develop your standard of morality, your standard of virtue, and who will exalt you towards spirituality, is a sádhu for you. You should always try to remain with a sádhu.

Kuru puńyam ahorátram – “You should always be engaged in puńya.” What is puńya? There was a great saint who lived about 3500 years ago. His name was Vyása. Vyása wrote eighteen scriptures. Vyása said while explaining puńyam:

Ast́ádasha puráńeśu Vyásasya vacanádvayam;
Paropakára puńyáya pápáya parapiid́anam.

In those eighteen scriptures written by Vyása, the central idea was that whenever you do something good, when you render some selfless service to the society, there must be some reaction. Each and every action has got an equal and opposite reaction, provided those three fundamental relative factors – time, space and person – remain unchanged. This is the rule. If you do something good, naturally there will be a good reaction. Whenever you render any service to a man, and especially a selfless service, in reaction you will get something. You may or may not want it but the reaction will be there and that reaction is called puńya. And if you do anything bad, anything harmful or deteriorating, then that reaction is called pápa or sin.

Kuru puńyam ahorátram. You should be engaged in puńya work ahorátram. Ahorátram means “all the twenty-four hours”. As per occidental calculations of astronomy as well as of astrology, the day starts from zero hours just after twelve midnight. As per oriental calculations, the day starts at sunrise. From sunrise to sunrise – twenty-four hours – is the oriental system of calculation, and from zero hour to twenty-four hours, midnight, is the system of occidental calculation. Ahorátram – aho means “daytime” – from sunrise to sunset – and rátram means “nighttime” – from sunset to sunrise. So for all the twenty-four hours you should be engaged in what? puńya. And what puńya is I have just now explained.

Now, one may ask, “In the daytime you may do puńya work, but while sleeping how can you do puńya work?” The reply is that for doing puńya work, you require psycho-spiritual strength. For doing something bad you do not require any moral courage, or any spiritual strength. But for doing good work you must have moral and spiritual strength. That strength you acquire through dhyána and japa – that is, meditation and repeating the incantation within your mind.

Now this japa is adjusted to your breathing, inhalation and exhalation. So if you practise it properly what will happen? Even while sleeping, automatically this japa kriyá will go on in accordance with your respiration – in accordance with your inhalation and exhalation. So while asleep you can do this thing. This is called ajapájapa. That is, there is no special endeavour from your side – the japa goes on automatically. Thus during the night you can also do puńya. Kuru puńyam ahorátram – “For all the twenty-four hours you can do puńya.”

Smara nitya anityatám. You should remember always that you have come here for a short span. You won’t remain in this world for a long period. You may remain here, say, for ninety or a hundred years, or say for 150 years. Some saints like Traelauṋga Svámii lived here for 350 years. He lived in Varanasi in India and died in this twentieth century. But you are to live under certain limitations – limitations of time, space and person.

So you should always remember that you have come here for a very short span. It is just like a waiting room of a railway station. You remain there for a short period and when the train comes, you leave the waiting room. This world is just like that waiting room. You are to remain here for a very short span.

You should always remember this fact – “I have come here for a short span and I won’t remain here for a very long period. My home is elsewhere. I am just like a tourist.” You should always remember this fact. And as a universal tourist, you, while leaving for your permanent home, will not require a passport.

Chapter 25	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

There are so many numerals. And numerals are innumerable in number. So why for Parama Puruśa should we use the word “one”?

Any numeral – “one”, “two”, “three”, “four”, any numeral, even “infinity” – all numerals are different kinds of projections of the mind. And those projections are sometimes introversive and sometimes extroversive. So why should we use the word “one” for Him?

Actually we cannot use any numeral for Him. If we use any numeral it comes within the jurisdiction of vocabulary. It comes within the bondage of vocabulary whether it is “one” or “two” or “ten” or “thirteen”. But the numeral “one” is used. Why?

When the mind gets pinnacled, when the mind gets apexed, comes to a particular point, that is, comes to one point only, under such circumstances jiivas, created beings, get the chance to be one with Him. That is why the numeral “one” is used; there is no alternative for you but to use the numeral “one”.

Now this Universe of ours is a positive introversive projection, not a refraction, of the Supreme Entity. It is within His ectoplasmic structure. And hence everything is within Him, nothing without. Now for Him the root verb and also adjective div is used in most of the old languages of the world, in Latin and Sanskrit and Vedic. Div means “vibrating entity”, all-vibrating entity, all-vibrating potentiality. Now whatever things we see, whatever things we here, are all waves of different lengths. Everything is wavy, a creation of waves, an infinite number of waves – in the sphere of lights, in the sphere of acoustics. We may or may not be able to hear those sounds, but the sounds are there. We may or may not be able to see so many lights, but the lights are there.

Now each and every expression of wave is vibrational, vibrated; and each and every wave creates something, and each and every wave is emanated from the Supreme Nucleus. These waves are called div, or deva or dieu (the adjective is “divine”), and from this div comes the word deva. Deva means “god”. Small “g”, not big “G”. But the Controlling Entity of all these gods (small-“g” gods) is the Supreme God, Mahádeva. Hence the Supreme Hub, the Supreme Father, Parama Pitá, is Mahádeva; not Deva, but Mahádeva.

He is great – He is very great – but is He only great? He is big, but He is also at the same time smaller than an atom, smaller than an electron. And that is why He is all-pervasive. That is, he has an easy access into the ectoplasmic stuff of each and every expressed entity. He knows everything, He is omniscient, because He resides within your mind, and the things that you think or that you speak internally are all soliloquies, are then and there tape-recorded by Him.

He knows everything, because He is within the mind. He is covert, he lies covert within; not “coverted” but “covert”. “Coverted” will be used if it is done by somebody else. But He is not to be replaced or assailed by any second entity. By nature He lies covert.

Now you know there is butter in milk, but if you look like this, is there any butter? No, you will not see any. To get the butter or cream, what do you have to do? You have to churn it. After churning you get the butter that remained covert in the milk. Butter remained covert in the milk, but to get it you have to churn it. There is oil in sesame, but to get oil you have to press it, otherwise you will not see any oil. There is a subterranean flow of water everywhere, but to get the water you have to dig the earth.

And there is the potentiality of frictional heat in each and every object of the world. But for this you have to apply the process of friction.

Similarly, Parama Puruśa is within him, within you, within everybody, within each and every entity animate or inanimate, but for that, to get Him, to enjoy Him, to be one with Him, to see Him, to witness His glories, what are you to do? You are to churn your mind. And what is churning, how are you to churn the mind? He is the butter of your mind; you are to churn it. He is within your mind as butter is within milk, and you are to churn Him. How to churn Him? By doing Sádhaná you are to keep the mind in a composed form, in a state of composure.

Or you see, you are doing japa, saying “Rám, Rám, Rám, Rám, saying, Rám, Rám, Rám – I will have to go to Birmingham from London – Ram, Ram, Ram.” What then are you doing? Your mind is in London or Birmingham, and again Rám, Rám, Rám. That won’t do. There are three or four projections of your mind at the same time, one Rám, Rám, another “London”, another “Birmingham”, another “Liverpool”. It is not pointed. I told you that when the mind gets apexed, becomes one, then one will enjoy Him.

But doing it in this way you will not enjoy Him. Your mind wants to be one-pointed. So your mind must be in the form – in the state – of composure while doing your sadhana, and in order to bring the mind to a state of composure you are to do – what?

You are to do kiirtana. During kiirtana what happens? The mind gets lifted, exalted, and as a result you will enjoy a particular nature of peace. And if you start your sadhana just after doing kiirtana, you will enjoy bliss. So kiirtana is a necessity, is an indispensable necessity for proper sadhana.

And what is kiirtana? You are teaching your mind, you are teaching your ear, what you are saying with your vocal cord. What is that? To take only His name, and not so many names – “London”, “Liverpool”, “Birmingham”, “Santiago”. And there lies the speciality of sadhana. What is the meaning of kiirtana? Bábá náma kevalam. Bábá means “the Dearest One”. “Only the name of the Dearest One, only the name of Parama Puruśa,” and not so many names – “Helsinki” or “London” or “Santiago” or “Georgetown”.

Now Parama Puruśa lies covert within your very “I” feeling. There is “I” feeling in each and every living being. “I am.” “I exist.” This type of “I” feeling is present in each and every living entity.

And He is the central point of that “I” feeling of each and every entity. He is the purest “I” of your “I” feeling. He is your great “I”, and Mr. XYZ-ABC is your small “I”. While you are doing sadhana on the Supreme Entity you are doing sadhana on your great “I”. And the greatest “I” is Bábá. Bábá means “the Dearest One”.

Now, you see that many people are under the impression that there is a Satan. No, there is no Satan. The Singular Entity, Parama Puruśa, plays with the universe with the help of His two forces, we may say two cardinal forces or two vital forces, and they are the Demi-Causal Matrix. These two forces are the Demi-Causal Matrix, and one force, the centripetal one, is known as Vidyá, and the centrifugal one is known as Avidyá. This Avidyá is Satan. Satan is not an independent entity, and it can never challenge the authority of Parama Puruśa. You take shelter, you try to ensconce yourself within the Supreme Entity; there will be no Satan before you; no Satan can challenge your authority. No Satan can challenge the authority of a devotee. Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Entity within you, will always help you, He will always help you. It is His duty to help you. So you are never alone, you are never helpless. And you are always with the Supreme Entity. You are the strongest personality of the entire universe. Do not be affected, do not be [[assailed]], by any complex – inferiority, superiority, defeatist, or any complex. You hail from the noblest family of the universe. Parama Puruśa is your Father.

Chapter 26	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

The entire expression of this Universe is vibrational. Whenever there is vibration, there is sound, there is colour. So whatever you see or whatever you feel has an inference or inferences that come in contact with your sensory or motor organs – has some sound. You see, when you are moving, you are walking, a particular sound – t́ak, t́ak, kat́, kat́ – is created. That particular sound, sound representing an action, is called “acoustic root” – in Sanskrit, biija mantra. There is a sound just to represent the spirit of that being, of that deed.

While you sit you are doing something, that is, your respiratory organ is functioning. When a man is dead, the physical body also does something, though it is done not by that man but as per the direction of the Supreme Entity that controls matter, that controls the inanimate objects of the universe.

Similarly, some of those sounds are audible to us, some are inaudible. Certain waves of short length or of very long wavelength cannot be understood or are not audible to us. Similarly, there are waves and colours, and each and every existence has its own colour. That colour or those colours may or may not be visible, but the colours are there. These are ocular roots, in Sanskrit varńa matrká, or “colour matrix”.

So all these inferences come within the scope of the word sarva in Sanskrit. The sound sa represents the sentient principle, and due to the effect of the sentient principle the feeling of existence comes. There is no bondage, but there is the feeling of existence; no particular location, but just the feeling of existence.

And in the word sarva there are three sounds. The second one is ra; ra represents energy, all sorts of energies. And what is energy? Energy is the released force of the creative principle. And when this energy gets bottled up, it is matter. So the sound ra represents energy. The third sound, va, represents special wonts, the special qualities or characteristics. I said nothing is unimportant in this world, because each and every entity has its peculiar wonts, peculiar qualifications. Nobody is inferior to others.

Sa-ra-va means that the sentient principle creating the feeling of existence is there; the energy is there; and the special characteristics are there.

Now the sentient principle cannot function, and the energy cannot function, and the characteristics cannot function, without the support of an intellectual force, intellectual entity.

There is electricity. But without the help of the human intellect it cannot be properly utilized. Similarly, the sentient principle, the crude energies, and the many characteristics of so many articles, so many entities, become meaningless if they do not get the support of the Supreme intellect. But here, in the case of the Supreme intellect, we will not use the word “intellect”, we will use the word “intuition”. What is the fundamental difference between intellect and intuition? Intellect is an ectoplasmic function, but intuition is above the periphery of the ectoplasm. It is the flow of the Cognitive Principle.

Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Cognitive Principle, is within each and every expression. He may be in the desert, He may be in the ocean. He may be, say, on top of a high mountain. Wherever you go, the sa, ra and va, the sentient principle, the energy, and the special characteristics are there. So Parama Puruśa is also there, because He is the intuitional support of these functions.

A man may or may not be highly educated, may or may not be an intellectual, but he has these three requisite factors in him; that is why Parama Puruśa is always with him. He is with his physical body, with his ectoplasmic body, and with his spirit also. So a man, an expression, is never alone, can never be alone, because if anything is alone it cannot function. To function it requires the support of the supreme intuition, and this supreme intuition is the Noumenal Entity for all individual and collective phenomenal expressions. You must remember this fact.

Now in the individual capacity, so many works are done by so many people, but from where do they take the energy? “I have done this, I have done that.” But to do, one requires energy; is that energy the person’s individual one, is that energy created by him? No, man cannot create anything. Man cannot create any original entity. What a man can do, he can create physical mixtures and chemical compounds with the elements he gets from the universe, the elements created by Parama Puruśa. So a man is never the actional faculty; the actional faculty in him is His; and not only that, He is the Supreme shelter of everything. A man cannot be the shelter. Parama Puruśa is the shelter.

For example, this city of Stockholm is sheltered in the country of Sweden. Sweden is a bigger space than the city of Stockholm.⁽¹⁾ This country of Sweden is sheltered in the continent of Europa, whose shelter is this planet earth; the shelter of this planet earth⁽²⁾ is the solar system, and the shelter of this solar system is the Cosmological Order. And this Cosmological Order is nothing but an internal psychic⁽³⁾ projection of Parama Puruśa. So He is the Supreme Shelter.

And not only that. Because of His intuitional entity’s presence in each and every expression, He witnesses everything. Nothing is secret for Him. You may think that those⁽⁴⁾ affairs, those things that I did, perhaps Parama Puruśa did not see those. [laughter] “He is so busy in so many works, perhaps He neglected it.” No, He sees everything, because it is His duty to see. He sees, but it does not mean that He hates. Because He sees, but He has sympathy for each and every expression. Why? Because each and every expression is an emanated expression of His cordiality. So each and every expression is an object of affection for Him.

A bad man is a misguided son of Parama Puruśa. A father must have,⁽⁵⁾ and actually a father has got, immense love for all his children. Son or daughter, good boy or bad boy; but when a son or a daughter is misguided, he wants that he or she should come to the proper way, he or she should resort to the proper path. This is the [[difference]].⁽⁶⁾ It is His duty to see that everyone moves towards the Supreme Goal, towards the Supreme Desideratum.⁽⁷⁾ And He is always ready to help anybody and everybody; and He helps, and He will be helping in future, because it is His only [duty]. And for the created beings, their only duty is to move along the path of beatitude shown by the Supreme Father.

So in the case of Parama Puruśa and His progeniture, the love is mutual. He loves His progeniture not for the purpose of getting love from the progeniture. But in the case of the progeniture, it is just the reverse.⁽⁸⁾ [[So I say it is mutual.]] Suppose He says, “No, from this very moment I will not love My creation,” then and there the creation will cease to function. Because the movement starts from love, the movement resides on love, and the movement finally goeth back to love. So I said love is mutual.

And when His progeny sing Bábá nám kevalam openly, He sings Bábá nám kevalam secretly. Because the Progenitor is the nearest and dearest one for the progeny, hence the progeny also is the nearest and dearest one for the Supreme Progenitor. Both are bábá to each other and one another.

The entire creation is the creation of that Singular Entity. So everybody comes from a very high family, a very noble family. Nobody is unimportant.⁽⁹⁾ Nobody deserves hatred.

Sarve’tra sukhinah bhavantu sarve santu nirámayáh;
Sarve bhadráńi pashyantu na kashcid duhkhamápnuyát.

“Let everybody be happy; let everybody be free from all psychic ailments; let everybody see the bright side of everything; let nobody suffer from [any trouble under pressure of circumstances].”

I hope in future these Margis of ours will be an asset to human society.⁽¹⁰⁾

Footnotes

(1) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(2) “of this planet earth” – these words have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(3) The word “psychic” has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(4) [[An adjective here was unclear on the tape. –Trans.]]

(5) “A father must have, and” – these words have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(6) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(7) “towards the Supreme Desideratum” – these words have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(8) The word “progeniture” occurring several times in the foregoing sentences has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(9) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(10) The foregoing three paragraphs, including the Sanskrit shloka, have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

Chapter 27	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Dancing is an expression of human life. Kiirtana is an expression of the human mind. There are so many expressions of the human self. The particular nature of expression through dance and through kiirtana which brings the inner self outward, that is, gives proper expression to the inner self – that particular nature of dance, together with kiirtana, is called Kaośikii. Kośa means “inner self”, and that’s why this dance has immense value in the psychic and spiritual strata of human life.

… Whenever something is done, there must be three essential factors. You are seeing. The three essential factors are: first, the verb “to see”, or seeing; second, the seer, the man who sees; and third, the object which is seen. Within the periphery of relativities there must be these three requisite factors.

But so far as the essence of philosophy is concerned, there must be a fourth factor which is above, or rather beyond, the arena of relativities – that one is the witnessing factor. This witnessing factor, when in the realm of physicality and the psychic world, may also be treated as the reflective entity. Then the original action, that is the actional side, the verbal side, is the reflected or refracted entity. When something is being done, the Witnessing Entity remains a reflecting plate, just like a mirror, a looking glass. Its role is multifarious – sometimes it is a passive agent also.

The witnessed entities have a trifarious existence – doer, doing and done, a trifarious existence – and above those three is the Witnessing Entity. So far as the human structure or a living structure is concerned, when you are seeing something, the object is the done or seen, your eyes are the vehicle, and the person in the nominative case is your optical nerve, and is the witnessing entity also. Similarly, where the inferences are in the role of objects, the mind itself is the witnessing counterpart. Because the mind is, the organs function. If the mind does not want it, if there is no approval by the mind itself [as] the witnessing counterpart, then even if you have got the power to see, you won’t see.

Suppose you are moving along the road and there is a horse, but your mind is somewhere else: you won’t see the horse, will you? No. And when people say, “Didn’t you see the horse?” you will say, “No, no, I was thinking about something else, that’s why I could not see.” Sometimes don’t you say this? That is, in that case there was no support of the mind – without the support of the mind, the function was imperfect; rather, the function could not get any recognition. In the case of a dead body, the eyes are there, but those eyes cannot see because there is no support, no approval, by the mind.

Similarly, in the case of so many functions done by minds, minds are the objective counterparts, and the átman, the supreme knowing entity, the spirit, is the nominative counterpart, is the witnessing counterpart. And in the case of so many functions, so many works done by so many people and witnessed by so many souls, so many spirits – all those things remain unrecognized, if they do not get the sanction of the Supreme Source, the Supreme Spirit, Paramátman.

So whatever is done is being witnessed by Him. You cannot do anything secretly. Whatever you do, it is something reflected or something refracted, and those reflections or refractions must get the support of the Supreme Source. And that’s why nobody, neither a man nor a goat nor a cow, can do anything secretly – everything is known to Him. And that’s why He is known as Antarátma, that is, the Inner Soul, the Supreme Soul. And that’s why it is said that this Supreme Soul, this all-witnessing entity, is all-pervading.

Your mind-stuff, your ectoplasmic structure, is also in the scope of this supreme faculty; and each and every inter-ectoplasmic gap is filled up by His essence – there is no vacuum. So He is within, He is without. And He is in the closest proximity – you are never away from Him. You can never be an outcast, and you can never be hated by Him. The society may hate you, but He cannot hate you, because the so-called gaps of your ectoplasmic structure are filled up by Him. There cannot be any vacuum in your ectoplasmic structure.

So what is your duty? Your duty is to move along the path of righteousness, along the path of beatitude. And when you have been doing so, all crude elements of this universe will be converted, first, into ectoplasmic stuff, and in the second phase, into the form of the cognitive faculty; that is, slowly you will become one with Him. And when your mind gets completely apexed, you will be completely one with Him.

And that’s why it is said, in your kiirtana, Bábá náma kevalam, that is, “Only that target, that goal, is yours.” In your life there cannot be two goals, and when you are doing kiirtana, ascribing God-hood to all your internal and external objectives, slowly your very structure, your very being, your very sense of existence will be converted. That’s why it is said, kevalam; kevalam means it is the way, it is the route, there is no alternative.

Now when the psychic objective (you know the objective is always psychic, there cannot be any physical objective) – when the objective is something crude, what will happen? Your very psychic structure will be converted into matter, and a day may come when you will be converted into matter.

Parama Puruśa in the course of His thought projection was first converted into matter; and in the course of pratisaiṋcara, in the introvert phase, you slowly, due to internal clash and cohesion within matter, became subtle; and by dint of your occult actions you will convert your entire entity, not into the supra-mundane, but into the Supreme Cognitive Faculty, into Supreme Cognition; and this is the path of spirituality – this is the path of humanity.

Chapter 28	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Lord Buddha said, samyak karmánta. There are subtle instructions which have cardinal human value. Lord Buddha’s instruction to common people, one and all, was that everybody should follow eight such principles.

You know buddha means “he who has deep spiritual knowledge”, “he who is guided by intuition”.

The common man is guided by intellect or experience or by inborn instincts or inborn faculties. The octopus knows that the crab is its food. This knowledge it acquires from whom? From experience? No. From books? No. It is inborn instinct. The peacock knows that the snake is its enemy. The snake knows the peacock is its enemy. These things are not book knowledge or knowledge acquired through experience or clashes or cohesions. These are all inborn instincts, or you may say inborn rights. In case of some developed animals, they acquire some knowledge through experience – clashes and cohesions. In the case of some more-developed animals, they acquire some training – they acquire knowledge through training. They undergo certain training. That is like dogs, monkeys. And in the case of man, there is a subtler knowledge, [[rather the subtlest]] knowledge, and that knowledge is intuitional knowledge.

The man who has acquired intuitional knowledge is called “Buddha” in Sanskrit. His instruction to the common man, this eight-fold path, is known as Aśt́áuṋga Mágga.

Aśt́áuṋga means “a collection of eight”, and [[mágga]] comes from the Sanskrit word márga, as in “Ánanda Márga”. (Márga means “path” in Sanskrit, and during Buddha’s time the Sanskrit language ceased to exist, and the people’s language was a daughter of Sanskrit known as Prákrta. In that Prákrta márga became mágga.)

This past instruction was – the eight instructions are – samyak darshana, samyak saḿkalpa, samyak vák, samyak ájiiva, samyak vyáyáma, samyak karmánta, samyak smrti, and samyak samádhi. These are the Eight-Fold Path.

What is samyak darshana? In Sanskrit and Prákrta – the Sanskrit language was spoken by the Aryan people from 15,000 years ago to 5,000 years ago, for a long range of 10,000 years, and Prákrta from 5,000 years ago to 2,000 years ago, that is, for a period of about 3,000 years. In Lord Buddha’s period, distorted Prákrta was the common mass language, that is, the people’s language. In the later Sanskrit, you may say Demi-Sanskrit – it is another system, that is, a daughter of Vedic Sanskrit.⁽¹⁾

([[And Latin has]] two offshoots: one is Oriento-demi-Latin, and the other Occidento-demi-Latin. Oriento-demi-Latin languages are French and Italian, and Occidento-demi-Latin are Spanish and Portuguese. Latin is the source – was the source. Similarly in Lord Buddha’s time the language was Demi-Prakrta.)

Now in pure Sanskrit the word darshana has two meanings, two imports. One meaning is “to see”, as a man sees, “to see”; and another meaning, the meaning found in Prákrta, is “to see with intuition”, that is, inner seeing, inner vision. Suppose you see, and you are thinking, that a man steals; but if you apply intuition, you will see that the man was hungry for four days. Now he steals. If you see externally, you will see that the man is stealing. He should be punished. Shouldn’t [[a thief]] be punished? Yes, he should be punished. It is ordinary seeing. But if you apply your inner vision, that is, intuitional seeing, you see that the man was without food for four days, and so under pressure of circumstances he had to steal. So after this inner seeing or inner vision, you will come to the decision that you will remodel the socio-economic structure so that never again will he be compelled to steal under pressure of circumstances, from being hungry for several days. I think you have fully understood the difference between the two seeings.

Now when I started Ananda Marga, I wanted all humanity to stand upon the strict code of cardinal principles, human values, and spirituality; and when I saw everything internally I came to the decision that there are so many loopholes in human society. Human beings came here about ten lakhs of years ago, but they have not yet been able to form a well-knit social order. We require a strong social order. That’s why I had to create another branch of philosophy, known as Prout,⁽²⁾ through which we are to remodel the social order so that nobody is compelled to do anything, nobody is compelled to resort to immorality, for want of food or clothes or other necessaries of life.

Are you able to follow me? Samyak darshana means not only seeing externally with these crude eyes, or rather, with the help of your [[optical]] power only; inner darshana means seeing with your inner ocular force; and this is the difference between “optical” and “ocular”. “Optical” is always physical, and “ocular” is physico-psychic and at the same time psycho-physical.

Now samyak darshana means that whenever you are to see anything, your vision should be inner vision, that is, ocular vision also. You must not say that somebody is a sinner. Just find the reason, the causal factor, that made him a sinner. This is what is called samyak darshana, the first item – “to see properly”. Samyak means “to do properly”, in proper style.

Then samyak saḿkalpa. Philosophers and logicians of the past used to say that man is a rational animal; that is, man is also an animal, but this animal is guided by rationality. But as per Ananda Marga, man is not an animal. Plants have got lives, but plants are not animals, because there is no mobility in them.

Animals can move and the mental faculty is also a bit developed. Man also can move and the mental faculty is still more developed. But the difference between man and animal, the fundamental difference between man and animal, is that [[human life is an ideological flow – man]] moves towards spirituality, and for an animal there is no spirituality – only eating, drinking, sleeping and dying. Human life is an ideological flow, and there lies the fundamental difference between man and animal. So what should a man do? A man should decide at an early stage of his life what he is to do, what his mission in life is. The sooner it is done, the better it is, because you will get more chance, you will get ample scope to do, to materialize, to translate this goal into the actional flow.

This is samyak saḿkalpa. A man should decide what to do – what should be his mission in life. “Mission” – the word “mission” comes from the root mit. Mit means “to do something worth doing”. To do something worth doing is a mission. “Mission” is the noun for the root verb mit – “submit”, “commit”, “omit”, “admit”. One’s mission in life – this is the second requisite factor, samyak saḿkalpa. In Sanskrit saḿkalpa means “firm determination”. “I must do it. I must be successful in my mission. I must adhere to the principles of my life.” This firm determination is the second requisite factor.

The third one is samyak vák. Vák means “expression of the motor organs” – hands, feet, tongue, etc. Expression of the motor organs, that is, whatever you do with the help of your motor organs, it should be for the welfare of living beings. An ant is moving. You may kill it, you may not kill it. Why should you kill it? You must not. [[This is]] proper use of your motor organs. You may use a bad word for a man – for an innocent man – you may not use a bad word. Why should you use a bad word? Do not use a bad word. Proper use of the vocal cord. So there should be proper use of all your motor organs, efferent organs.

Then the fourth one is samyak ájiiva, proper occupation. You may earn money by stealing, by doing so many – by engaging in so many antisocial activities, but it is not samyak ájiiva. Your occupation should be harmless. It must not go against the interest of any good people. This should be your occupation. But you know “occupation” actually means to keep your activity, to keep your vitality, engaged in the job. “Occupation”. But you know the occupation is not always physical. The occupation is psychic also, mental also. You may not steal physically but mentally you can steal. Physically you are not doing any harm to anybody, but mentally you may do harm to somebody. So that will be mental occupation. You should have a pure goal for your physicality and for your psychic faculty. That is, mentally also you must not do any harm to anybody. That is, you should – all your activities of sensory organs also should – be properly controlled. (In the case of samyak vák, I said that all expressions of your motor organs should be properly controlled. This is samyak ájiiva. Do you follow me?)

Then the fifth one is samyak vyáyáma. You see, for development of the physical body you undergo so many exercises – exercises with instruments, exercise without instruments – so many exercises, for development of the physical body. But one secret you should know, when the physical body is properly exercised for its development, and the mental body is neglected, those physically strong people will become a bit deficient intellectually. So in that respect it is a bit harmful. There should be an adjustment between physical development and psychic development; that is, along with physical exercise for development of the physical body there should be psychic exercises for development of the psychic body. And if physical exercises go on generation after generation, what will happen? The cranium itself will become smaller in size, as a result of which the brain will also be smaller and intellectual faculties will go on lessening. Do you follow me? There should be proper exercise of your physical body, of your psychic body, and also of your spiritual body. A man may be physically strong, and by dint of proper psychic exercise he may be psychically strong, but if there is no spiritual practice he will be no better than a plant, and such persons are called “satans” of the society – they are polished satans. They are, in common mass language, known as “hypocrites”. So there should be samyak vyáyáma, proper exercise of your physical body, your psychic body, and also of your spiritual body. This is the fifth item.

Then the sixth one is samyak karmánta. Suppose you have started a particular work. Now you must not leave that work until that work is properly finished, till there is a happy finishing. Finishing should be done properly. This is called karmánta.

Now one ácárya was initiating a man, and I asked him, “Now go. Complete the work. [[Then]] come here.”

That is, there should be samyak karmánta. You have understood the spirit. You should remember this thing in your private life, family life, social life. In each and every stratum of your life there should be samyak karmánta. Each and every job should be properly complied with.

Then samyak smrti. What is smrti? The English term is “memory”. The Sanskrit, Anubhútaviśaya sampramośa smrti. Suppose you acquire a certain experience. You saw something. You came across an elephant. Now when you saw that elephant, what happened? There was an inner psychic projection of the elephant in your mind. After seeing that external elephant, another elephant was created within your mind as the internal psychic projection. Now after a few months, or three years, or thirty years, when you are able to recreate that elephant within your mind, it is called smrti, or “memory”. But when you are no longer able to recreate that elephant within your mind as per your own experience, then you will say, “I have forgotten. I do not remember.”

Now samyak smrti is remembering whatever is congenial to the spirit of never-ending human progress, and other items you may forget. Suppose a man unnecessarily wounded your sentiment. If you remember it you will be suffering from internal pain, mental agony. Try to forget it. It is better to forget it. If you want peace, you should forget it.⁽³⁾ But suppose you have learned something good. You should retain it. Those items coming within the second scope, that is, the scope of retention, are samyak smrti. And the best thing that you must always try to retain within the scope of your smrti, within the periphery of your smrti, is the name of Parama Puruśa, is the idea of Parama Puruśa. You must not forget it even for a single moment.

When you are established in such a faculty, that is, when you never forget the name of Parama Puruśa, it is called dhruvásmrti, that is, when one never forgets the fact that Parama Puruśa is with me, He is my Supreme Desideratum, such a mental condition, rather such a stance, is called dharmamegha samádhi. One must try one’s best to attain this supreme stance of dharmamegha samádhi by encouraging samyak smrti.

The last item is samyak samádhi. Samádhi means suspension of mind. If one always thinks, “I should earn money, money, money, money, money,”⁽⁴⁾ then that money becomes his mental object. His mind will be suspended on money, and a day is sure to come when he himself will be money⁽⁵⁾ and his very entity will be converted into money. When he always thinks about his enemy, then slowly he will acquire all the disqualifications of his enemy.⁽⁶⁾ How horrible it is! So one should always ascribe God-hood to each and every entity of the world, each and every objectivity of the world. And as a result of this ascription of God-hood, what will happen? Finally his mind will be suspended in God-hood. And finally, what will be the result? One will become one with his goal, one with God, one will be God, one will attain salvation, the goal of all humans. These points are the Aśt́áuṋga Márga. Each and every spiritual aspirant, each and every good man, should know it and do accordingly.⁽⁷⁾

Footnotes

(1) [[A few words here were unintelligible on the tape. –Eds.]]

(2) Progressive Utilization Theory – a socio-economic theory propounded by the author. –Eds.

(3) The foregoing two sentences have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(4) “. . . money, money, money, money . . .” – these words have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(5) “. . . a day is sure to come when he himself will be money . . .” – these words have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(6) The words “very entity” and “slowly” in the two foregoing sentences have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(7) The words “the goal of all humans”, “point”, “each and every” in the foregoing three sentences have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

Chapter 29	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

I told you, or I have been telling you, that a man takes the form of his psychic object; that is, your very existence will be converted into your psychic object. You should select your psychic object very carefully,

There is a small animal of the lizard group. It can change its colour according to the necessity, that is, it knows the art of natural camouflage. And what is done by that lizard-like animal? When it wants to be of a red colour, it takes up red colour, and automatically its skin becomes red.⁽¹⁾ You’ll find that small animal in equatorial and lower temperate areas.

Similarly, a man takes the form of his object and this changing of the form is of two kinds. One is intro-subjective[[, another is extro-objective]]. One is external projection of your thought, another is internal projection of your thought. [[In one case the pinnacled mind goes outward, and in another case the pinnacled mind goes inward.]] In the case of [[extro-objective]] change, what happens?

Suppose in daytime you are in a lonely place. It may or may not be a lonely place. Suppose in daytime you are alone in a big house, and some people told you that there is a ghost – “Ghost… ghost… ghost.” You heard it. The acoustic wave touched your mind, touched the subconscious portion of your mind, and after that you are told, “You know, Mr. X, there is a ghost in this house.” And you are Mr. X. “There is a ghost in this house.” All the nerve fibres fail to function. What will happen then? [[It just touches]] the conscious level of your mind, and as an extro-objective creation, as an external reflection of your very ectoplasmic stuff, you will see a ghost. And what sort of ghost will you see? The description of a ghost that you read in your books or you heard from your granny, “A ghost is like this.” In broad daylight you will see the ghost.

But in this case your very existence has not been converted into a ghost. You are the witnessing entity, you are the seer of the ghost, and a certain compartment of your mind went outside as an external projection and took the form of the ghost; that is, the very structure of the ghost is ectoplasmic in nature and that ectoplasm came from your source. You are the creator of that ghost. Actually there is no ghost. But you will see many a respectable man who will say, “Yes, I have seen it! Yes, I have seen it!” He is not incorrect in saying this. He saw it, but the ghost was of his creation. It was an outer or external objective reflection, or external objective projection, or external positive hallucination.

And sometimes it may so happen that people say to a gentleman, “Here there is a ghost, and the ghost may enter your body. You may be caught by the ghost, and then only an experienced exorcist can save you.”

“I may be caught by the ghost and only an experienced exorcist can save me!” This is called “soliloquy” – “talking to one’s own self”. “Ghost, a big ghost. Big, black, big nails, reddish-like teeth, with a black bag in his hand and with a rope. Sometimes visible, sometimes invisible. I may be caught by the ghost… ghost.” There will be an internal psychic projection and a certain portion of the man’s mind will be converted into the ghost and more than ninety percent of his ectoplasmic structure will become a ghost.

Perhaps the people said, “There was once a witch and she died here and her name was Henriette. She has become a ghost.”

Now, “Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?” the people are asking.

“I am Henriette, I am Henriette, I am Henriette,” the man replies. His very existence has been converted into a ghost, and unless and until the exorcist comes, that Henriette won’t leave his body; and when the exorcist says, “Who are you?” although he’s a gentleman, he’ll say, “I’m Henriette.” (French pronunciation is “Áṋ-ri-et”.)

“Won’t you leave this body?”

“No, I won’t leave this body.”

“You have to leave this body.”

“No, I won’t leave this body.”

“What do you want? Say what you want.”

“I want mutton curry.”

“Supply her with mutton curry.” Although the person is a gentleman, the exorcist says, “Supply her with mutton curry.” Then, “Are you still Henriette?”

“I’m leaving this body.”

“What is your name?”

“I’m Joseph.”

“Ah, what! where is Henriette?”

“Henriette has left this body.”

But Henriette was a psychic creation of Joseph. As you think, so you become. Have you followed the entire process?

So now, if a man always thinks, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner,” then in a weak moment that will happen? [whispering] “I am a sinner, I am a sinner. I will have to go to hell. The priest said he won’t grant me a gate-pass to heaven. I don’t know who will issue a gate-pass to heaven to that priest! If he won’t issue a gate-pass to heaven, certainly for this hypocrisy he should also be served with a gate pass to hell!”

So you should not develop the sinning complex or sinner’s complex in your mind. Rather, yours should be a positive ideation. “I am the son of Parama Puruśa. I am never alone. I am an inseparable portion of that Supreme Entity.” What will happen? Your mind will be strengthened. You will get immense psychic power, and that psychic force will get affixed by dint of your meditation, japa and dhyána. This is the positive approach and this you must do. You must not develop the complex of sinning, You must not develop the complex of inferiority – “I am illiterate. I am a fool.” A complex like this also makes a man weak, mentally weak.

Suppose you want to do something and you say, “I will try to do it.” If you grant this slackness to yourself, you will never be successful. Don’t say, “I’ll try;” say “I will do!” If you say, “I will try” it may take more than a thousand years to develop the psychology properly – to reach the required standard. So there is no question of trying. The question is of being. To be, not to try.

There was a drunkard. Everybody said, “Your liver has been badly damaged. You should stop drinking.”

First he got a thought-wave, “Yes, I should give up drinking. But it should not be done starting today. After two months – that is, New Year’s Day, and it is a very auspicious day, I will give up drinking on that day.”

What is the inner psychology? He gets another two months’ license to drink.

He thought, “At six o’clock on New Year’s Day, I’ll stop drinking.” Then at 5:30 what did he do? He drank several bottles, because at six o’clock he would be giving up. Then he thought, “Let us go to the church, and standing just in front of the church I’ll say, ‘I have given up drinking.’” But at 5:30, with a bellyful of liquor, he went in front of the church and said, “I have given up drinking.” Then he went ten or twenty steps forward. Then the sinner psychology, his psychology, said, “Oh my God, are you brave! Oh my mind, are you brave! You have given up drinking! You took wine at 5:30 and now it is after six – say 6:10 or 6:15. You are brave. O mind, you are a hero, and I should give some prize to this hero mind. O mind, I’ll give [[you]] another bellyful of liquor.”

You see, this is a psychology of drinking. Don’t be guided by this psychology, “I will try.”

“No, I won’t try, I will be. I will do starting at this very moment.” For a man, for a perfect man, each and every moment is an auspicious moment. Do you follow me? What you want to do, do starting at this very moment. Don’t give any prizes to your mind for doing something bad or good. Your very action is your prize. You must not require any more prize or any further prize or any additional prize. The sole action that you did is itself your prize. Do you follow me? The action itself is the prize.

Footnotes

(1) [[Bábá in Fiesch, which was published in December, 1979, and Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12, which was published in 1980, each contained a version of this discourse. The two versions may have resulted from two independent transcriptions of the same tape when the tape was available. This sentence was identical in both versions. However, it is possible that if the tape quality was indifferent, the words heard by the transcribers as “it takes up red colour” were really “it thinks of red colour.” – Eds.]]

Chapter 30	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Everything cometh from something. Something cannot come from nothing. And the source of anything has an inherent link with its expression. The source may be cruder or subtler, but the inherent link must be there. The human body, the physical body, along with the nerve cells and nerve fibres, although there may be a psychic body and a psychic structure, themselves are something physical. Structures coming from something of quinquelemental origin have the mind, the psychic body, in them; the potentiality of the mind was in the physical structure. So-called quinquelemental entities have in them the potentiality of living minds, and that’s why we can get living minds or microcosms from them. Had there been no mental potentiality in this quinquelemental universe, there would have been no possibility of the human mind. And this physical word, because of its having the possibility of mental expression, certainly had its origin in some entity in which there was immense psychic expression. So the microcosm had its origin in the quinquelemental entity, and the quinquelemental entity had its origin in the Macrocosm. Microcosms, as the name denotes, are many in number. There are innumerable microcosms. But the root, the source, is single. The Macrocosm is a singular Entity.

Now is this Macrocosm the Causal Matrix? No, it is not the Causal Matrix either. Because “Macrocosm” means a kind of movement, and what is movement? Movement means change of place. This bolster is here; I put it here; this is movement. That is, movement means change of place. And the Macrocosm, what is it? A wavy movement. Macrocosmic movement means wave, means vibrations. So for Macrocosmic expression or Macrocosmic movement there must be space. The spatial factor must be there.

And not only that – because there is movement, there must be some intellectual support behind it. So not only the spatial faculty or the spatial factor, but also the personal faculty is a necessity. And whenever there is action in the realm of physicality there must be the tempos eternal. There must be the time factor. So the Macrocosm that can function within the periphery of time, space and person cannot be the supreme cause, cannot be the Causal Matrix.

Now [[this movement]] of the Macrocosm – because there is motivity and mobility there must be energy. Any form of energy – [[vital]] energy is also a form of energy. And [[how does]] that energy function? It functions with the support of a cognitive faculty – with the support of cognition. Without the support of cognition there cannot be any movement, there cannot be any spatial, temporal or personal factor. [[So]] the Macrocosm cannot function. And the [[Macrocosm’s]] existence is within the arena of these three fundamental relative factors.

So we see the Causal Matrix or the root cause is that Supreme Cognition. And that Supreme Cognition is called Parama Puruśa. So for each and every expression in this Universe of ours there is Parama Puruśa as the Causal Matrix, as the supreme cause, as the Noumenal Entity. He is the Supreme Father. And within the scope of human expression of any living entity there are physical atoms, physical cells – and along with the physical cells, for movement and for actional expressions there must be the support of cognition.

So that Parama Puruśa, that Supreme Father, is with each and every entity. No man, no expression, is ever alone in this world. He is always with you. Science says this, philosophy says this. And under no circumstances should a man suffer from a complex of helplessness or hopelessness or fear. You are the dignified children of Parama Puruśa, and He is always with you. You are never alone.⁽¹⁾

He is with the Universe, that is, the entire Universe is His object. And not only that, He is with each and every expressed unit entity, with each and every individual also. That is, collectively He is attached to the world, to that expressed world; and singularly He is with you. You are never alone.⁽²⁾

This thing has got two aspects. Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Father, is always with you and you are never alone. This has two aspects – one advantage and one disadvantage. The disadvantage is that He is always with you and therefore you cannot do anything secretly. You cannot do anything behind the curtain. And not only that, you cannot think anything secretly. Whatever you may be thinking, it will automatically be tape-recorded by Him.

You cannot think secretly. If you say, “You know, my friend, we will do this and that very secretly, and I think Parama Puruśa is over-busy with this Universe, perhaps He’s not hearing what I said,” this thing also will be heard. So that is the disadvantage; nothing can be done secretly.

And “I won’t take part in kaośikii today. Let me see what the first group does. After that I may also take part tomorrow” – suppose you are thinking like this, it will be also heard by Him.

And the main advantage is – the advantage is a very great advantage, and that is – you are never alone. And because He is with you, you are the strongest person in the universe. He is with you. You are never alone. It is the greatest advantage. There is a disadvantage, but the advantage is greater than the disadvantage.

Now the human side. What should you do, what should we do?

In the world, you see, in the first stage the creation moved from subtle to crude, from Parama Puruśa to this crude world. That is, from subtle to crude. Movement was from subtle to crude. But in the phase of creating living beings, from protozoic cells to metazoic cells and so on and so forth, the movement is from crude to subtle. There came the animals of the human group, that is, proto-apes, those animals of the Pliocene or Miocene or Oligocene Age. From proto-apes there came apes, chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans, then primitive man. The movement is from crude to subtle. So the history says, that advancement is from crude to subtle. In the world of animacy movement is from crude to subtle, and it is the duty of each and every individual to encourage this movement from crude to subtle.

And at the base, the mental faculty, the peculiar faculty of the mind, is that it takes the form of its object. The mind takes the form of its object.

Recently in Valencia I explained how a man is caught by a ghost. In daytime you may be caught by a ghost. Suppose there is outer-suggestion from some corner that there is a ghost in this house. You may be thinking, “Ghost in this house, ghost – ghost.” Automatically there will be an outer psychic projection of a certain portion of the ectoplasmic structure. The ectoplasmic structure will take the form of a ghost and you will see the ghost even in daytime. That ghost was of your creation. You created that ghost and you may be killed by that ghost. The mind takes the form of its object. Sometimes you yourself, that is, your very entity, may be converted into a ghost due to fear. “Ghost, ghost, ghost – I am a ghost, I am a ghost.” The man will be like a ghost. Perhaps you have seen it – the man himself behaves like a ghost, moves his head occasionally and says, “I am a ghost.”

So the mind has this potentiality – it takes the form of its object. If you say, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner,” you will be a sinner. Even if you are not a sinner but you always think, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner,” you will be a sinner because that sinning becomes your mental object. So you should never say, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner.” You should say, “O Lord, I am your child, I am your son, I am your daughter. I have the birthright to sit on your lap. Please purify me.” This is the proper approach. This is the proper approach.

“My dress has become dirty. Please get my dress clean and take me on your lap.” This should be the proper approach, and not, “Oh, I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner.” Never say this, that I am a sinner. Do not be guided by this sin complex or a complex of hopelessness, or helplessness, or a complex of defeatism.

And in personal life you should move along the path of righteousness, towards the Supreme Goal, towards your Supreme Father. Nobody is unimportant, nobody is insignificant. You all belong to the noble family because your father is the Supreme Father. Nobody is unimportant, nobody is insignificant.⁽³⁾

And you should never think, “Oh, because the priest didn’t issue me any ticket for heaven, I won’t be able to go to heaven.” No, no, no, don’t [[think like]] that. The priest has no right to issue you a ticket,⁽⁴⁾ and who is going to issue you⁽⁵⁾ a ticket to hell? No, no, no, your good actions will bring you closer to Parama Puruśa, and finally you will become one with Him by dint of your sadhana, by dint of your occult practice.

And just to concentrate your mind during your occult practice, you must dance and sing kiirtana, because kiirtana is the best purifying agent. It purifies the mind, and its meaning is also very good. Its meaning is, “O Father, I am to take your name and your name only.” Bábá means “the nearest and dearest one”.

So my advice to you all, my direction to you all, my instruction to you all, is that you should move along the path of spirituality fearlessly, and you should remember that as Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Father, is your Father, you cannot be an insignificant person. You must not suffer from any sort of inferiority complex. You are the glorious child of the Supreme Entity.

Footnotes

(1) The foregoing sentence has been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(2) The foregoing two sentences have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(3) A word here was not clearly audible on the tape. –Eds.

(4) Some listeners hear this word as “him”. See also “Select Your Object Very Carefully”. –Eds.

Chapter 31	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

Last night I said something regarding the potentiality of the human ectoplasmic faculty, and of the cognitive faculty, in the expressed material world. That is, there were so many potentialities in the quinquelemental factors. Now this was the stage of introversion for the Supreme Cognition, that is, man is created in the phase of introversion, coming back. Coming back for whom? For the Supreme Cognition. Regarding man, what should be the process of his movement?

First, what is matter? Matter is bottled-up energy. And, what is mind? Mind is when matter gets powdered down, then it is mind.

Suppose you are to undergo hard physical labour; in that case your physical body will become – what? It will be tired. But suppose you did not undergo any physical labour, you did intellectual labour, say for ten or twelve hours continuously. In that case also, you will feel tired, and that tiredness will be not only of the mind but of the body also. Is it not a fact?

So the human body is not only a material body, but a psychic body and also a spiritual body. But actually there cannot be any spiritual body. There is the physical body, the quinquelemental body of human beings; and there is the psychic body, and the psychic body has several layers – crude psychic, subtle psychic, supra-psychic and so many layers. But in the spiritual realm there cannot be any body. Spirituality is the witnessing factor. It is not a body.

But it is attached to the body. Whatever the physical body is doing, your spirit, that is, the cognitive faculty, remains attached to it, and knows and sees and witnesses what it is doing. Similarly, your spirit is the witnessing factor of your psychic bodies, of what your mind is doing. It is the witnessing faculty, it is not a body.

And when this witnessing faculty remains attached to a particular individual, we say it is the individual witnessing faculty, or jiivátmá, or unit spirit. And when it knows everything, anything and everything of this Universe, it is the Supreme Cognition, Supreme Cognitive Faculty. When the spirit knows only what this little boy is doing, then it is called jiivátmá or “unit cognitive faculty”, and when that very entity knows everything of this Universe, it is the Cosmic or Supreme Cognitive Faculty. So the Supreme Cognitive Faculty is Parama Puruśa, is Parama Pitá, and the unit cognitive faculty is the jiivátmá, unit spirit.

Now here lies the difference between the Cosmic and the unit. The unit knows what the unit mind and unit body are doing. Suppose a gentleman is undergoing fasting, and secretly in a closed room, he takes chocolate. [laughter] “No one will know, nobody will know.” But it is not so. His unit cognition will know that he has taken chocolate. And similarly, the Cosmic Father will know that in a particular room one unit body took chocolate very secretly, and that unit body is still thinking that the fact that he took chocolate on a fast day is not known to anybody. It is known to everybody. Nothing is a secret.

“Now on this night I won’t join General Darshana and I will sing Bábá náma kevalam just on the footpath.” Suppose person A is thinking this. But A’s thought-waves will be known to the Supreme Father also. The Supreme Father will say, “Hmm, A is thinking this. Issue a banning order! A won’t be allowed to attend any General Darshanas.” Nothing is a secret.

Now what is spiritual practice? Spiritual practice is just the conversion of the unit objectivity into Cosmic objectivity.

Let me be more clear. Suppose, there is some unit thing. It is some unit thing because it has the bondage of – what? Boundary lines are there. Boundary lines mean the static force. Anything having a boundary line is within the scope of the three fundamental faculties, sattvaguńa, rajoguńa and tamoguńa; the sentient principle, the mutative principle and the static principle. When the thing is something limited, something small – when the object is small – in that case the subject, the subjective counterpart, is the unit consciousness.

Whenever something is done, there are two main entities, the object and the subject. And there is also the link between subject and object. The seen is the object, the seer is the subject, and then there is the action of seeing that links the subject with the object. Three entities.

Now where the object is limited, restricted, small, then the subject is the jiiva, that is, the unit consciousness. This is an ordinary being. And when the object becomes infinite, is converted into the Infinite, then the subject becomes Cosmic. The subject no longer remains something limited, something unit.

Now spiritual practice, occult practice, is the conversion of that small object into that infinite object. When you think, “This small body is mine,” you are unit consciousness. And when you think, “This vast universal body is mine,” you are Parama Puruśa. When this unit body is yours, you know all the secrets of this unit physical body, unit psychic body; and when this vast Cosmos is your object, you will know everything of this infinite space. And that is the difference, and your spiritual practice is just a practice of conversion, conversion of small into big.

Now, this process of conversion makes the man universal. And his very existence goes beyond the scope of time, space and person. And at that time what happens? He becomes not only omnipotent, but also omniscient. He knows everything without going through any books.

But when the unit wants to [[earn]] any knowledge, acquire any knowledge, the unit will have to go through several practical experiences, and also learn through books and through other people. And another thing you should know is that in the case of the unit there are so many worries and anxieties, so many pessimisms and optimisms, so many clashes and cohesions.

But in the case of the Supreme, there is no complex of pessimism or optimism,⁽¹⁾ there is no question of clashes or cohesions, because in the case of the Cosmic everything is internal, nothing is external. Everything is within and nothing is without. The entire Universe comes within the range of His mind, within the range of His mental faculty, so there remains no second entity, no second individual; so the question of any clash doesn’t arise.

When one wants to get peace, what is one to do? One is to convert one’s small objectivity into infinite objectivity; and that is the only way to get peace. There is no alternative. Just simply preaching the gospels of peace will not give you any peace. You are to convert yourself from small into big. There is no alternative.

The spiritual practice, or actually the occult practice, is a practice of increasing one’s own psychic radius. When one increases one’s radius, it becomes bigger and bigger and the range of mind is bigger. And when by increasing in this way, the radius becomes infinite, the aspirant becomes one with the Supreme. So the aspirant becomes one with Parama Puruśa.

This becoming one with Parama Puruśa, [[this]] supreme union with the Supreme Faculty, and is called salvation or emancipation. Emancipation in this case is liberation of permanent nature. Salvation is something of permanent nature. When once acquired, acquired forever, [[retained]] forever, and that is the [[stage]] of supreme composure. Each and every spiritual aspirant should know it and be infinite.⁽²⁾

Footnotes

(1) The words “so many worries and and anxieties” and “or optimism” in the forgoing two sentences have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

(2) The words “occult”, “composure” and “infinite” in the forgoing two paragraphs have been transcribed from the original tape for this edition and incorporated here. –Eds.

Chapter 32	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

In the prehistoric world, on this globe of ours, the first language that was spoken was about six million years ago. The language came but the intellectual standard was very poor. At that time even the forefathers of present human society, the apes, the proto-apes were not here.

Modern humans came about one million years ago. They had language, but at that time their intellectual standard was also very poor. As the intellectual standard was poor, so vocabulary was also very poor.

Among even the developed species of apes, the vocabulary is about eight hundred. And in the most undeveloped species of humans, the vocabulary is a little more than nine hundred, whereas in the modern French language the vocabulary is more than four lakhs, that is, four hundred thousand.

Now, when the first humans learnt how to speak, their expressions were mostly confined within the jurisdiction of the physical body and of mental phenomena concerning the physical body. And nothing more than that. Anthropological and archaeological history also says this. There was nothing called cardinal human value. Man was no better than animals.

But as a result of clash and cohesion in the process of introversion, intellect developed. The eternal questions arose in people’s minds. Who am I? Where did I come from? Where to go? Their first intellect said, “Who am I?” They got the reply, “His; thou comest from Parama Puruśa.” “Where to go?” The second reply also was given, that is, “Parama Puruśa is that Desideratum.” But there came another question. “Who art Thou? Who are You, O Parama Puruśa”? Now, at this point philosophy comes. According to the records of human history, the first philosopher was Maharshi Kapila. He lived about 3500 years ago.

Now, “Who art Thou?” So far as ordinary human intellect, not intuition, but human intellect, is concerned, there is no reply. Why no reply? The physical structure, the material structure, functions within the three fundamental relative factors – time, space and person. Physical movements, physical activities, cannot be done beyond the range of time, space and person. The jurisdiction of the physical structure is extremely limited. And because of the limitation of its jurisdiction, it cannot [[go]] beyond the starting-point of individual or collective human structures, [[collective]] human intellect. That is, the individual or collective human intellect has a starting point, and its range, or its activities, cannot go beyond that point. It will have to function within a particular jurisdiction, because where it is non-existent it cannot go. That is, as it moves towards the source, when it comes to the starting point – beyond that starting point it cannot go, because beyond the starting point the mind cannot function. It can function only within the range of the functional periphery of the mind. And this was the main difficulty with individual minds. And the existence and the qualifications and non-qualifications of the Supreme are all beyond the periphery of the mind. The human mind functions within the limitations of time, space and person.

And when the mind tries to come in contact with Him, what happens? The mind gets suspended. And when again the mind comes back from the Supreme touch, the mind comes within the jurisdiction of time, space and person. It cannot express the feeling, the feeling that it had, it experienced, when it went beyond the jurisdiction of time, space and person, because its functional jurisdiction cannot go beyond time, space and person. And when due to mental concentration it went beyond the scope, the mind was suspended.

So it is possible for human beings to feel Parama Puruśa with their intuition and not with their intellect. Parama Puruśa is something that can be touched by your intuition and not by your intellect. In Vedic language, intuition is called bodhi and intellect is called buddhi. The Supreme is beyond the range of your buddhi. It is within the range of your bodhi.

Now when bodhi developed after thousands of years, those human beings felt, understood, and realized that there are certain cardinal human principles. And there lie the cardinal values of human existence. After understanding that, men realized the real value of the human entity. And they also realized that the only goal of human existence is Parama Puruśa. There cannot be any second goal.

And the only human development is man’s movement toward Parama Puruśa, and in no other stratum of life can there be any development. Development means progress in the realm of spirituality and in no other realm. Human progress has nothing to do with religions; human progress has everything to do with human beings’ occult movement, that is, movement towards the Supreme.

And this movement towards the Supreme is the movement of synthesis, and all other movements, all other approaches, are movements of analysis, converting one into many. But this movement towards the Supreme, Supreme spirituality, is converting many into one. From heterogeneity to homogeneity.

And all other movements are movements from homogeneity to heterogeneity. And this must not be encouraged if humanity is to progress. If humanity is to march forward, humanity must not have anything to do with the analytical approach to life; the approach should always be synthetic.

The first developed human language was the Vedic language. But at that time there was no script. Those Vedic Aryans who used to speak in the Vedic language about 15,000 years ago could not write. They learned how to write about 5600 years ago. Their Macrocosmic ideas, supra-mundane ideas, their Supreme aesthetic stances, were all narrated vocally to their followers but could not be recorded because there was no A-B-C-D, no alpha-beta-gamma.

Now in this march of spirituality, there was no systematic approach. About 7000 years ago, it was Lord Shiva who brought everything into a systematized form, systematized structure, and that is yoga, that is Tantra. The same thing was done again about 3500 years ago by Lord Krśńa.

Now, in this process of spiritual march, march towards the spiritual nave, humanity sometimes for want of proper guidance was depraved, was degenerated, and under such circumstances it suffered from the psychology of sinning, a sinning complex. I told you that you must not say, “Oh, Lord, I am a sinner, I am a sinner,” because it will develop the psychology of sinning. If you are not actually a sinner, you will be a sinner if you say this, if you think this. It is a defective psychic approach. And some people exploited this sinning complex of human beings and created so many differences, so many groups, so many diversities, in this human society which is actually a singular entity.

Human society is a singular entity. But those people tried to create diversity in this singular entity. The educated and intellectuals of this twentieth century should carefully save themselves and also save the innocent human mass from their exploitation, from their physico-psycho-spiritual exploitations.

Now in the past also, people were depraved for want of proper guidance. There was a sinner’s complex in the mind of the common mass, and at that time in the hoary past, Lord Krśńa openly said, openly declared,

Apicet sudúrácáro bhajate mám ananyabhák;
So’pi pápa vinirmukto mucyate bhavabandhanát.

Parama Puruśa, Parama Pitá, says that even if you are the worst type of sinner, that is, he whom the sinners hate as a sinner, what will bappen? Bhajate mám ananyabhák. If you take the shelter of Parama Puruśa, then what will happen? Parama Puruśa will save you from all those serpentine nooses of sin. (You know “serpentine noose”, a noose which catches a snake like this? It is called a “serpentine noose”.) And for those who take shelter, those who resort to Parama Puruśa, what will happen? Parama Puruśa will save them from this serpentine noose of sin. So a person must not be afraid of sin, he should be free from all worries and anxieties regarding sin. Parama Puruśa will help him. Parama Puruśa is always with him.

So no person should suffer from an inferiority complex or sinner’s complex. When the Supreme Father is with a person, why should he suffer from such a complex and why should he approach the Father saying, “O Father, I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner”? Father will do what is needed. He should completely surrender at the altar of the Supreme Entity, at the altar of the Supreme Father, this is what he is to do. So’pi pápa vinirmukto mucyate bhava bandhanát – and, in so doing, will attain the supreme stance. He will get the supreme bliss. So no person should suffer from any sort of complex, any sort of defeatism. Parama Puruśa is with you. If, knowingly or unknowingly, you have committed any mistake or any sin, then your repentance and your singing kiirtana, wholeheartedly, will free you from all sins. So, your future is always bright, never dark, never dark.

Chapter 33	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

In this world of objectivity, everything comes within the territory of time, place and person; and it is the wont of every created being, and especially of human beings, to search for a shelter. And a shelter of permanent nature is extremely necessary for these floating microcosms.

What will be the best shelter? Everything that comes within the jurisdiction of temporal, spatial and personal factors is moving, is of transient nature. So nothing in this world can be your permanent shelter. If you want permanent shelter, you will have to go beyond the jurisdiction of this expressed world of three fundamental relative factors, and such a transcendent factor is Parama Puruśa. Hence Parama Puruśa is your only shelter. There cannot be any second shelter.

Once I said, He is the only Desideratum and there should not be any plural for “Desideratum”. That is, “desiderata” should never be used, because He is a singular Entity, and He is the goal. So the path of spirituality is the path of wise men.

And each and every human being moves within boundaries of perfection. Human progress is nothing but a movement from imperfection to perfection. It is the natural wont of the human mind that whatever is its object, it is converted into that object. And when that Supreme Entity becomes your object, you will take the form of the Supreme Entity. You will be one with Him.

And one thing I told you in a mahácakra – you should not think that Parama Puruśa is your object and you are the subject, because He is the Supreme centre of all objectivities. He cannot be your object; you are His object. Each and every entity in this Universe is His object. He cannot be your object. While doing sadhana, while doing your meditation, you should always think, remember, that whatever you are doing, He is seeing. That is, you are the object, He is the subject. He sees whatever you do. He sees whatever you think.

To think is to speak within the mind. Whatever you think, whatever you speak within your mind, is then and there tape-recorded by Him. So nothing remains secret. So while doing your meditation and other forms of sadhana, you should always remember that He is your Supreme Subject and you are His object. He sees whatever you do, and this is the final secret. What should I say? This is the greatest secret of the Universe, and this secret no longer remains a secret because all of you know it.

Chapter 34	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

In this circumrotatory Universe, the controlling nuclei of all created entities are themselves moving, and their existence remains within the scope of the three fundamental relative factors – time, space and person. But in the case of the Supreme Entity, Its Nucleus is beyond the scope of the three fundamental relative factors, so it does not move. Whether an entity is mobile or immobile is dependent on whether it comes within the scope of time, place and person.

In this Universe, nothing in motion can be considered as absolute. Such things are always relative. Their movement is relative. Regarding Parama Puruśa, it has been said that It is non-moving. The fact is that the Entity which is not relative is beyond the arena of mobility or immobility because It is beyond the periphery of time, place and person. We can neither say that It is moving nor say that It is non-moving.

Now the question is, what should human beings do to attain the supreme stance? Human beings have to take their minds out of the arena of innumerable objectivities.

In fact, the human mind is engrossed in crude physicalities. In this crude world also we find many small objectivities, and above these smaller objectivities there are some big objectivities, followed by still bigger objectivities. Just as there are many crimes, and we say that crimes are innumerable. But in this mundane world, what is the worst crime? Some will say it is stealing, others will say dacoity, while still others will say something else. But, on analysis, you will discover that behind the vices there is one fundamental vice. And that primary vice is falsehood. Here falsehood is the fundamental sin from which other sins originate.

In the old German language, the fundamental entity on which other entities are based is called the “noumenal entity” and other entities are called “phenomenal entities” in old Latin. So whatever we see in this observable world is “phenomenal”. In this crude world, whatever we see, hear, taste, touch or smell comes within the scope of the phenomenal. Behind the phenomenal lies the noumenal. With a little effort, we shall discover that what is working behind the curtain is the noumenal entity, just as falsehood is the root of all vices.

If a thief shuns falsehood, the base of all vices, he will also have to give up stealing, because people will catch him. If he is virtuous, then he will admit his guilt and will have to give up stealing. That is why people say that thieves should not have two characteristics, namely, they should not speak the truth, and they should not have the disease of coughing. In case a thief goes to steal and starts coughing, the householders will catch him. So the thief should not have these two attributes.

We deduce conclusions just from whatever we observe in this external phenomenal world. We should try to see the subtle cause behind the crude phenomenal world, but we do not see it. For instance, a particular person stole something, and when we say, “Thief! Thief!” people will start beating him. If we try to inquire about the reasons for the theft, we may come to know that he had been hungry for the last three days. And how are we treating him? We are beating him rather than giving him food. So we should think and try to find the noumenal cause behind the phenomenal world. If he was hungry and so stole, then we are more responsible for that theft than he, because we failed to build up society, so that he had to remain hungry. So we must see, and try to find the noumenal cause behind the prima facie observable world. If we are intelligent beings, possessing intellect, we must discover the noumenal cause. It is not proper to arrive at conclusions from mere observation of outward expressions.

In some places today, a person’s hand is cut off if he engages in stealing. With a little thought it can be seen that this is not at all a humanistic recourse to eliminate stealing. We must seek the noumenal cause behind all actions.

All activity, good or bad, has a centre of action, and actions are controlled by the mental nucleus in the same manner as electrons move around their controlling nucleus. We have, therefore, to seek that Cosmic centre and find out where lies the nave of that Cosmic wheel. If we do not seek it, we do harm to both individuals and society.

So in every action there is movement, a change of place. Whatever you see in this observable universe has some centre of action. The nuclei are themselves activated, are non-stationary. The desire to eat rasagolla stems from a particular point in the mental arena, and this point is constantly moving from one object to another. This is the characteristic of the mind.

Behind all phenomenal, actional, faculties lies the noumenal entity. And behind even this noumenal entity [there is an entity] that may be called “supra-noumenal”. Everything that comes within the scope of time, place and person is charming. So noumenal entities also undergo metamorphosis. If you research the noumenal causes, you will discover the root cause behind all actions. What is noumenal in the first phase becomes phenomenal in the next phase, and so on.

Behind all actions lie the seeds of saḿskáras, reactive momenta. The motor and sensory nerves also keep adjustment with the mental vibrational flow. The mind runs after whatever gives it most pleasure. In the process of introspection, you will find that what is noumenal in one phase is phenomenal in the next phase, and beyond it lies the supra-noumenal – the final Noumenal Entity. This Noumenal Entity is beyond the reach of time, space and person. There is no movement in this ultimate noumenal phase. It is fixed, and there is no noumenal entity beyond it.

I explained that it is difficult to say whether the centre of actions of this circumrotatory universe is moving or non-moving, because both movement and non-movement fall within the scope of time, place and person; while that Supreme Entity, the nave of the Cosmic wheel, is beyond the scope of the three fundamental relative factors. It may be said either that there is absolute speed or that there is absolute pause, but in this observable world, absolute speed or absolute pause is not possible.

In the introversive phase, the movement of the mind from the phenomenal towards the noumenal brings immense pleasure. The farther the movement towards the Supreme Noumenal Entity, the greater the degree of bliss. The merger of the entitative nucleus of the unit existence with the Supreme Noumenal Entity is called “salvation.” So dharma sadhana, meditation, is an introversive movement, not an extroversive intellectual extravaganza.

As regards progress, there is no progress in the mundane, or physical, sphere, nor even in the mental sphere. This is because the movement of both of these spheres is transitory. Only the movement towards the Átman is true progress, because its controlling nucleus is beyond the ambit of any movement. Spiritual progress is the only real progress. Those who deem mundane or psychic movement to be true progress are misguided and are wasting their time.

Whatever Kála Puruśa giveth with one hand He taketh with the other. Intelligent people will remember this. It is said, “To ask for anything is to die. Don’t beg.” Wise people have added, “One gets pearls without asking, but fails to get even a penny if one asks.” Therefore, never ask anything from Parama Puruśa. If the Lord does wish to give something, ask only for Him and nothing else.

	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12

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