Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

The Ánanda Vacanámrtam (“Blissful Discourses”) series assembles all the known General Darshan discourses given by Márga Guru Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. General Darshan (GD) speeches, or discourses, were those given to Ananda Marga members, often as a part of the daily routine, in whatever locality Márga Guru happened to be staying in at the time. Normally briefer and lighter in tone (though no less profound in their fundamental meanings) than the discourses given on the formal occasions of Dharma Mahácakra (DMC), these talks were sometimes delivered in a very intimate way to relatively small groups of Margis.

The Ánanda Vacanámrtam series was begun in 1978 with the GD discourses given by the author at that time; it then kept pace with the GD discourses that the author gave over the subsequent six years. Starting with Part 23, the series has included GD speeches given before 1978.

Some of the discourses in the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series were recovered in the form of typed discourse notes; or if recovered from an established magazine of the mission, then recovered in the form of an article that appeared to be a summary or approximation of the original discourse, but perhaps not an exact rendering. It has been thought advisable to locate such discourses separately within each part of Ánanda Vacanámrtam, in an appendix called “From the Notebooks of Devotees”. In the present volume, the discourse “You Must Live Glorious Lives” will be found in that appendix in the last pages of the book. Writers who wish to quote from this discourse should attribute the material to the “Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33 appendix”.

To assist researchers, it is our policy to indicate here – in addition to the original language of each speech, the date and place, by whom it was translated, and where, if other than in this book, it was originally published – whether or not a tape of the speech is in existence. At the time of this printing, however, not all the cataloguing of tapes has been finished. Further information as to tapes will be given in future printings.

In the cases of some of the discourses published here, no written record was found of the language in which the discourse was given; but if the language could be clearly inferred from the location and other circumstances of the discourse, we have cited that language.

Footnotes by the editors have all been signed “–Eds.” Unsigned footnotes are those of the author.

Many readers are concerned that the author’s speeches, as published, should adhere as closely as possible to the precise wording the author used in speaking. For this reason, in the case of discourses given originally in English, the editors have not altered pronouns and other terms which the author in his lifetime considered “common-gender” words. As the author once said, “You know, ‘man’ is not only masculine gender, ‘man’ is common gender also. ‘Man is mortal’ – here ‘man’ means both male and female.”

The author was a natural advocate of women’s rights and on at least one occasion indicated that “lopsided justice” in language should be eliminated at some future date. In keeping with this guideline and with present-day trends, it is our policy in the case of translated discourses (where the published wording will necessarily be that of the translators) to use gender-neutral language.

Square brackets [   ] in the text are used to indicate translations by the editors or other editorial insertions. Round brackets (   ) indicate a word or words originally given by the author.

Twenty-nine of the discourses presented here, that is, all except three of the discourses in this book, were given in Hindi in or around the “Sádhaná Year”, 1969. These twenty-nine as well as other discourses from that period were recorded in the form of handwritten notes taken by Ác. Vijayánanda Avt. The others from that period have already been published in Bengali in Tattva Kaomudii Parts 2 and 3, and in both Bengali and English in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Parts 4 and 5.

The [[twenty-nine discourses]] were originally published in English in various issues of “Notes on Spiritual Philosophy” (also known as “Seminar Notes”) in 1969 or within a year or two thereafter. Minor English re-editing has been done by Ác. Acyutánanda Avt. The titles of two of the discourses as they appeared in “Notes on Spiritual Philosophy” have been changed here to avoid confusion with other discourses given at other times and places. “Svábhávika Dharma and Bhágavata Dharma” originally appeared as “Bhágavata Dharma”, and “Atimánasa Yoga Samádhi” originally appeared as “Samádhi”.

The other three discourses herein:

“Brahma Cakra”. Discourse in English. Tape.

“The Three Vital Factors”. Discourse in English. Tape.

Appendix: From the Notebooks of Devotees

“You Must Live Glorious Lives”. Source: typed notes. Original language not identified in the typed notes. The typed notes were headed “Discourse on Vijaya Dashamii, Calcutta, 10 October 1989.” English re-editing by Ác. Acyutánanda Avt.

We particularly wish to thank Shrii Vinaya of New York Sector, who sent us, along with other discourses from old magazines, or in the form of typed notes, already published in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Parts 30 and 31, one discourse that is included here.

Chapter 1	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Now, the subject of our discourse will be “Brahma Cakra”.

Everywhere in this observable universe we find that there is a system. The mighty Himalayas follow a particular system. The wee bit of material expression also follows a particular system. Everywhere there is a system, there is an order. Nothing can be done in a disordered way.

The smallest article that can be seen by the human intellect, if not by human eyes, is the atom. And in the atom also there is a particular system, the atomic system, and the centre, that is, the nucleus, has electrons moving round that nucleus. This is the atomic system. These systems are called cakras in Sanskrit. So for this atomic system the Sanskrit name should be páramáńavik cakra.

The same system is followed by the earth also. Here in this ethereal system we see that in the middle is the earth, and the moon is moving around that nucleus. It is the same system. This one may be called párthiva cakra. That one páramáńavik cakra, this one párthiva cakra.

Now the next bigger cakra or bigger system is the solar system, and that is: the sun is the nucleus, and so many planets are moving round that sun. The same system.

And the biggest cakra, the biggest system, is Brahma Cakra, the Cosmological system. In that Cosmological system, the nucleus is Puruśottama. The hub of that Cosmic [[wheel]] is Puruśottama, and so many jiivas [unit beings] are moving around that Puruśottama. The same system. So this Cosmological system, or this Cosmological order, is called Brahma Cakra in Sanskrit.

Now in this cakra or in these cakras two forces are working: one is the eccentric force and the other is the concentric force. For this eccentric force, or centrifugal force, the Sanskrit term is Avidyámáyá or avidyá shakti; and the concentric force, or centripetal force, is called Vidyámáyá or vidyá shakti in Sanskrit. Both are Máyá. Both concentric and eccentric, vidyá and avidyá, are expressions of the same Máyá, the same Creative Principle. And that Nucleus is the lord of that Creative Principle, is the svámii of that Creative Principle.

Now this avidyá shakti, or Avidyámáyá, centrifugal force, has got a two-fold expression, two different expressions. One is called vikśepa shakti and the other is called ávarańii shakti. Avidyámáyá has got two expressions. And jiivas are moving around this Nucleus Puruśottama with the help of these two forces (“two forces” means Vidyámáyá and Avidyámáyá), and when a balance is there, a balance between Vidyámáyá and Avidyámáyá, the radius of that jiiva’s circle, the circle of that particular jiiva, will neither increase nor decrease.

Now, the first portion of avidyá shakti is called vikśepa shakti in Sanskrit. Vikśepa means a repulsive force, the force repelling the jiiva from its Nucleus. That is, a jiiva is darted away, is drifted away, from its Nucleus by⁽¹⁾ propensities, by depraving ideas, by depraving propensities. So these depraving ideas or depraving propensities are what is called vikśepa shakti. Clear? The jiiva is darted away from Puruśottama by mundane propensities.

And the second expression of avidyá shakti is ávarańii shakti. In Sanskrit ávarańa means “to cover”. This shakti [force] is just like a black curtain in between Paramátmá and jiiva. And because of that ávarańii shakti, that dark curtain of ávarańii shakti, that sombre curtain of ávarańii shakti, jiivas cannot see the Lord. Jiivas think that “Whatever we are doing, nobody sees, nobody can see” – “I am doing everything secretly, nobody will see me.” The condition of a jiiva committing pápa [sin] secretly is just like that of a rabbit when followed by a hunter. It is said that when a rabbit, a hare, is followed by a hunter, it shuts its eyes with the help of its ears. And it thinks that “As I am not seeing the hunter, the hunter is also not seeing me.” And such is the condition of the jiiva under the influence of this ávarańii shakti. Due to vikśepa shakti it moves away from its Lord, and due to ávarańii shakti it cannot see its Lord.

That misguided and misdirected jiiva does not know that it is under the influence of ávarańii shakti. But the vision of his Lord remains unassailed by the cimmerian wonts of that ávarańii shakti. His vision can pierce through that black curtain. The jiiva committing misdeeds, committing sins, secretly, thinks that its action will remain covered forever.

These are the two expressions of avidyá shakti: vikśepa shakti and ávarańii shakti.

Now regarding the vidyá shakti, the concentric force, the centripetal force, the force moving towards the hub of the wave: A man following the path of vidyá shakti naturally will be decreasing the length of his radius, the radius of this Brahma Cakra. The radius will go on decreasing in length. But this vidyá shakti has also got two influences on the minds of individuals, on microcosms.

Of these two expressions, the first one is called samvit shakti. Samvit means spiritual consciousness, spiritual awakening. A man engaged in bad things all of a sudden feels that “No, I shouldn’t do all these things. No, I should be a good man henceforward.” Such an idea all of a sudden comes in his mind. And this thing, this change of mental tendency, is brought about by samvit shakti of Vidyámáyá. Do you follow? This is what is called samvit shakti. “No, henceforward I must be a good man. No, henceforward I must be a spiritualist. I must not encourage any depraving idea.” Samvit shakti.

And the second expression of Vidyámáyá is hládinii shakti. After a man decides that “Henceforward I will be a good man, henceforward I will be a sádhaka [spiritual practitioner],” he gets the krpá of that Almighty Lord. (Regarding krpá I will say something afterwards.) And after getting His krpá through some medium he gets initiation. After being initiated he is to move along that spiritual path. That movement along the spiritual path is brought about by hládinii shakti.

This hládinii shakti is also known as Rádhiká shakti in Sanskrit. “Rádhá” means spiritual aspirant, “one who is engaged in árádhaná”. One who is engaged in árádhaná is called “Rádhá” in Vaeśńava [Vaishnavite] philosophy. And Puruśottama is called Krśńa. Rádhá moving towards Krśńa. So that hládinii shakti is called Rádhiká shakti. Clear?

Now in a particular shloka [couplet] it has been said:

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante tasmin haḿso bhrámyate Brahmacakre;
Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá juśt́astataste-námrtatvameti.

[All unit entities, all unit structures, revolve around the Nucleus Consciousness in the Cosmic Cycle of creation. This rotation of theirs will continue as long as they think that they are separate from their Creator. When they become one with the Nucleus, they will attain immortality.]

Ájiiva. Ájiiva means “occupation”. Here ájiiva means “mental occupation”, “mental objectivity”, “mental pabulum”. Now in this Brahma Cakra, around this Nucleus Puruśottama or Krśńa, all the jiivas are moving; they are hovering around that Puruśottama along with their peculiar physical frames and their peculiar mental objectivities, along with their peculiar mental longings – they are hovering around that Puruśottama. Each and every creature is moving like this. Their radii are neither increasing nor diminishing. If a man encourages Vidyámáyá the radius will be diminished; if a man encourages Avidyámáyá it will be enlarged, it will be increased.

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe – “With different structures and with different mental longings”, so many creatures are hovering around that Puruśottama.

Tasmin haḿso bhrámyate Brahmacakre. Haḿso means jiiva. And Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá [“This rotation of theirs will continue as long as they think that they are separate from their Creator”]. Why do they hover round that Puruśottama? Because in their minds there is a sense of separateness, sense of separation, from their Cosmic Lord. They think that they are separate entities from Puruśottama. They do not feel their unison with Puruśottama, that’s why they hover round that Nucleus. And when they come to think that they are not separate entities from that Hub of the wheel,⁽²⁾ all of a sudden that radius will cease to exist, and with the help of Vidyámáyá the merger will take place. And that merger is the unison of Rádhá and Krśńa. Do you follow?

So, Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá – “They feel that they are separate entities from that Hub, and that’s why they are hovering round.”

Juśt́astatastenámrtatvameti [“When they become one with the Nucleus, they will attain immortality”]. Just now I said that by His krpá, that samvit shakti⁽³⁾ is awakened. Now, what is krpá? Here the rśi [sage who composed the shloka] says that “being benefited by Him, he becomes one with his Nucleus” – the merger takes place, and he attains immortality.

Mortality and immortality. This movement round that Nucleus takes place within the three fundamental factors of relativity. And those three fundamental factors are the spatial factor, the temporal factor and the personal factor. There are three fundamental factors in the sway of relativity, in the realm of relativity. And these three fundamental factors are time, space and person. Temporal bondage, spatial bondage and personal bondage. Jiivas move through the realm of these three factors. And this movement naturally brings about certain changes in their body and mind; and this change, this transmutation, this metamorphosis, is called death, is called márańa. What is márańa, what is death? Death means change. Death is nothing but change. From childhood, boyhood came – childhood died; from boyhood, adolescence came – boyhood died… So death means change. Death is nothing but change. When an old man dies and a babe is born, it is also a change. But where the link between the preceding stage and the succeeding stage is missing, we say it is physical death. Because in that case, that is, when an old man dies and a new babe takes a place and sits in a mother’s womb, we cannot find the link. And that’s why we say, “That old man has died.” This is also an ordinary change. Do you follow?

But where there is no movement, we say those items moving round that Nucleus are passing through the realm of time, space and person; but the Nucleus doesn’t pass through time, space and person. It is above the realm of time, space and person. It controls time, space and person. And that’s why it undergoes no metamorphosis, it undergoes no transmutation. That’s why it is beyond the pale of life and death. It is beyond the periphery of life and death. It is beyond the compass of woes and agonies. And that’s why when one is ensconced in that supreme centre, one establishes oneself beyond life and death. One is established in amrtatva, one is established in immortality.

Now, in the shloka it has been said, “Being benefited by You”. That is, “After getting His krpá.” What is krpá?

God cannot have any partiality in Him. He has got equal love for each and every creature of this universe, for all animate and inanimate objects. His krpá and His compassion is being equally showered upon each and every individual, upon each and every object. He bestows His compassion equally on each and every object. Equally on pápiis [sinners] and puńyavánas [the virtuous]. But common people do not feel it, they do not feel that they are getting His krpá. Why do they not feel it? That krpá, that water of compassion, is being showered on each and every creature equally, but ordinary people do not feel that they are being drenched by those sacred waters. Why? Because they are holding the umbrella of vanity over their heads, that’s why they are not being drenched. And what is sádhaná? You will have to remove that umbrella from above your head and get yourself drenched by the sacred water. You will have to remove that umbrella of vanity, you will have to remove that umbrella of hatred, you will have to remove that umbrella of shyness and get yourself drenched by that water; and then you will feel that you are being graced by Him. This is what is called krpá. Krpá is there, but you will have to come to feel it by your sádhaná. And when you will remove that umbrella, you will get proper direction, and then you will be guided by hládinii shakti, by Rádhiká shakti. Here you will come in contact with His núpura dhvani [sound of ankle bells], you will come in contact with the enchanting flute of Krśńa.

What is that flute? The oṋḿkára. In the first phase, the sádhaka comes in contact with a hissing sound, just like the sound produced by that insect known as cricket in English. Yes. And in the second stage it is called núpura dhvani – a jhum jhum jhum jhum jhum jhum jhum jhum sound – like this. It is called Krśńasya núpura dhvani. In the third stage it is just like the sound of a flute, and it is called Krśńasya bánsharii dhvani, muralii dhvani. You will hear these sounds both internally and externally. In the course of your sádhaná you will come in contact with these sounds.

So Rádhá, that is, the sádhaka, became mad when she came in contact with that soothing sound of Krśńa’s flute. She became mad. And that madness, that spiritual madness, is begotten of what? Hládinii shakti. And by that shakti, Rádhá and Krśńa became united. Rádhá came in unison with that Cosmic Puruśottama – with that Puruśottama who is the hub of this Brahma Cakra.

Footnotes

(1) An adjective here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) Some words here were semi-audible on the tape. The idea seems to have been that the rim of the wheel will merge with the Hub. –Eds.

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

Chapter 2	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

One point, the vital point that spiritual aspirants must always remember, is that they are the progeny of the Supreme Progenitor, and that Supreme Father is omnipotent and omniscient. So there must not be any inferiority complex in the mind of a sádhaka [spiritual practitioner], there must not be any fear complex in the mind of a sádhaka, because sádhakas are progeny of the Supreme Progenitor, and the only goal for them, the only goal for a sádhaka, is that Supreme Father. A sádhaka will have to become one, rather, he will have to be unified, with the Supreme Father – not united, but unified.

You know, to unite and to unify are two different things. When sand and sugar are mixed together, that physical mixture is unity. They are united: sand and sugar are united. But when water comes in contact with sugar, it is a case of unification. We get sarvat [syrup]. In sarvat, we will not find those separate entities of sugar and water. So your union with the Supreme Father will not be a case of unity, but a case of unification. That supreme unification is the goal of your life, and your march towards Him should be done through three vital factors. And those three factors are Prańipátena, pariprashnena, sevayá⁽¹⁾ [“By surrender, spiritual questioning, and servicefulness”]. That is, the first point is prańipáta, the second point is pariprashna, and the third point is sevá.

What is prańipáta? Prańipáta means offering oneself as an oblation at the altar of the Almighty. People offer oblations for their forefathers – pińd́am. A sádhaka is to offer himself as an oblation at the altar of the Supreme Father. He is the pińd́am, He is the oblation. This is what is called prańipáta. Do you follow?

The second point is pariprashna. Sometimes people ask questions only for the sake of knowledge, only for the sake of tarka [debate], but it is not pariprashna. Pariprashna means to know what to do and how to do. That is, the person is prepared to do something. He is prepared to do sádhaná, and for that purpose he wants to know how to do, what to do. This special type of question is called pariprashna. Sádhakas have got nothing to do with ordinary prashna [questions]. A sádhaka is to ask pariprashna – what I am to do, how am I to do. “I am ready to do. I have got nothing to do with logicians’ philosophy. I want to do.”

And the third point is sevá. I explained before about sevá. Sevá means offering maximum service to others and offering minimum service to himself. And where the service offered to himself becomes zero, it is the stage of pratiśt́há [becoming established] in sevá.

So you have to come in contact with your Supreme Father through these three items, through these media: prańipáta, pariprashna and sevá. You are all sádhakas, you are all spiritual aspirants, you will have to do it. And I know certainly you will be successful in your mission.

Kalyáńamastu [May you be blessed].

Footnotes

(1) Bhagavad Giitá. –Trans.

Chapter 3	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

According to our philosophy, dharma is of two broad categories: (1) svábhávika dharma and (2) Bhágavata dharma. Svábhávika dharma means that dharma by the performance of which physical integrity is maintained – that is, áhára, nidrá, bhaya and maethuna [eating, sleeping, survival and procreation]. Bhágavata dharma is that which differentiates human from non-human.

The object of both, svábhávika dharma and Bhágavata dharma, is the same: to get sukham [pleasure]. But in svábhávika dharma the intensity of sukham is limited, while in Bhágavata dharma it is beyond any measure, it is ananta. As a man thinks, Nálpe sukhamasti Bhúmaeva sukham [“One does not get infinite happiness from limited objects; one gets it only from something infinite”]. One can be satisfied with Bhágavata dharma alone.

Bhágavata dharma is quadruped: (1) Paramátmá, (2) vistára, (3) rasa and (4) sevá.

(1) The first leg is beyond the scope of the microcosm.

(2) The second leg is vistára, which means perpetual expansion beyond the scope of all relative horizons. This jagat [world] is the expanded form of vistára, that is, kárya bhávana. Vistárah sarvabhútasya Viśńorvishvamidaḿ jagat – “The microcosm is to see Viśńu everywhere in this universe.” This is what is known as Átmavat sarvabhuteśu [“One should see the Átman, or Self, in all expressed objects”]. The scope of expansion is infinite till one reaches Viśńu [Supreme Entity in the sense of that which pervades everything]. This is vistára.

(3) Rasa means “flow”. Human existence is a flow, or rasa; of the two ends of human existence, at one end there is Paramátman, or Paramarasa, or the Macrocosmic flow; at the other there is viśayarasa, or the flow of the crude world. Now, human existence is svarasa. In Tantra there is a type of sádhaná, that is, rasa sádhaná. The object of rasa sádhaná is to merge the svarasa (entitative rhythm) into parama rasa (Macrocosmic rhythm). The conception of rásaliilá has been derived from the idea of Puruśottama [Nucleus Consciousness] encircled by innumerable devotees (svarasas); each and every svarasa tries to become one with Paramarasa (Parama Puruśa [or Puruśottama]). This is what is known as rásaliilá. Here the sádhakas will accept the divine wish as their own wish. They will pray, “O Lord, let Thy will be done, not mine.”

(4) Sevá [service] is of two types: (a) váhyika [external] and (b) ántarika [internal].

The spirit of váhyika sevá is the proper application of methodology and service to the creation, ascertaining the nature of service required – shúdrocita, kśatriyocita, viprocita or vaeshyocita.⁽¹⁾

Ántarika sevá – The essence of ántarika sevá lies in the internal service of the Iśt́a [Goal]. During sádhaná we often find that the mind runs away. Now, the best way to catch the mind is to think about the physical service of the Iśt́a in dhyána [meditation in which the psyche is directed towards Consciousness].

Footnotes

(1) Physical service, martial service, intellectual service and economic service. See “The Four Kinds of Service” in Ánanda Vacańamrtam Part 30. –Eds.

Chapter 4	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Human progress has been steadily increasing in speed. Progress during the last two hundred years has been very fast in comparison to that in the preceding three hundred years. In education and culture, in dress and food habits, in mode of living, in transport and communication, there has been a fast and tremendous change, with great speed. Wearing habits have changed. Terylene, terycotton, nylon, bush-shirts, hats have become the fashion of the day. Bullock carts, hackney coaches and ferry-boats have been replaced by speedy conveyances such as motor cars, trains and planes.

People were carefree on elephants’ backs, but they are sufficiently careful when they are driving a motor car or scooter. When going to the moon or Mars, people should be sufficiently cautious. The body and mind should be properly adjusted. This is called environmental adjustment. Ásana, práńáyáma [yogic postures and breathing], etc., help us in this adjustment.

Punishment

Ananda Marga philosophy lays down that punishment can be given only in the social sphere, not in the spiritual sphere.

No Economic Pressure

Our philosophy clearly states that there will be no economic pressure. The dowry system, offering costly presents, offering feasts with loans, are against the social code of Ananda Marga. Economic pressure makes a person a brute.

Provision for Changes in Social Rights

For the present, social rights have been defined.⁽¹⁾ But for the future society, enormous scope has been given for future readjustment in case the situations so demand.

Recognition of Changes

In Ananda Marga philosophy it has always been mentioned that this universe is always subject to changes in time, space and person. So this universe cannot be accepted as eternal and unchangeable. But at the same time we do not deny the existence of the world as did Shankaracharya.

Footnotes

(1) See Caryácarya Parts 1-3, the social code of Ananda Marga. –Trans.

Chapter 5	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

The Cosmic Mind is a combination of Cosmic Mahat, Aham and citta.⁽¹⁾ This Cosmic Mind is created in the extroversial phase of creation. In the beginning there was Cosmic Consciousness, which is a transcendental entity. The flow of Prakrti [Operative Principle] goes on, and gradually the geometrical figures of sentient, mutative and static are formed. According to the law of svarúpa parińáma these multi-conical figures are transformed into a triangle. After that, the resultant form comes out from one vertex of the triangle.

That force is sentient in nature and gives bondage to Puruśa, and Puruśa gets a subjective feeling: “I [exist.]” This is called philosophically Mahattattva.

[The extroversial phase] proceeds on, and the mutative [force] crudifies a part of Mahattattva and gives another feeling to Puruśa – “I do,” or Ahaḿtattva.

Lastly, due to the domination of the static force, Puruśa gets an objective feeling – [done “I”], or citta. The combination of these three counterparts is called the Cosmic Mind.

Sáḿkhya Concept of Evolution

In Sáḿkhya, the whole course of evolution from Prakrti to the gross physical elements is divided into two stages, namely, the psychic and the physical. The first includes the developments of Prakrti as buddhi [or mahat], ahaḿkára [ego] and the eleven [sensory] and motor organs. The second is constituted of the evolution of the five subtle physical essences, the gross elements and their products.

According to Sáḿkhya philosophy, with the contact of Puruśa and Prakrti there is a disturbance of the equilibrium in which the guńas [binding principles] were held before creation. There is a gradual differentiation and integration of the three guńas, and as a result of their combination in different proportions, the various objects of the world originate. The course of evolution is as follows:

The first product of Prakrti is the mahat, or buddhi. The functions of this buddhi are ascertainment and decision. The second product of Prakrti, which directly arises out of the mahat, is the ahaḿtattva, or ego. The function of this ahaḿkára is the feeling “I and mine”. This ahaḿkára is said to be of three kinds, according to the predominance of the guńas. It is called sáttvika [sentient] when the element of sattva predominates, rájasika [mutative] when that of rajah predominates, and támasika [static] when tamah predominates. From the first kind arise the eleven organs, namely the five organs of perception, the five organs of action, and the mind. From the third arise the five subtle [essences and gross] elements [i.e., the tanmátras and the bhútatattvas to which they correspond⁽²⁾]. The second is concerned with both the first and the third and supplies the energy needed for the change of sattva and tamas into their products.

Our Concept of Cosmic Mind and Unit Mind

1. The Cosmic Mind is uni-purposive and multilateral.	The unit mind is multi-purposive and unilateral.
2. The entire world is internal to the Cosmic Mind.	The world is external to the unit mind.
3. The Cosmic Mind does not require any organ, or indriya.	The unit mind cannot function without organs.

The Cosmic will guides animals and other objects of the universe. Humans are also guided by Him. But due to the influence of ego, humans are directly controlled by ego and indirectly by the Cosmic Mind. If humans move according to the will of the Cosmic Mind, their speed will be accelerated.

Origin of Life: Mechanism and Vitalism

What is life? Mechanism makes no distinction between organic and inorganic. In explaining life, from the simplest amoeba to the most complex human beings, it assumes no other materials and no other forces than those present in inorganic nature, as for instance in the formation of rock or of chemical compounds. The physical and chemical laws that operate in the inorganic world are regarded as sufficient to explain all forms of life. Ultimately, according to mechanism, living things can be adequately described in terms of just matter and motion. Ultimately living things are all groupings of the same primitive atoms whirling through space.

Mechanism describes the origin of life in this way: Atoms of creation – hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, etc. – moving by the forces pertaining to them, strike against one another and adhere together in clusters and arrange themselves at last into the protoplasmic cell with which life begins. Next, the movements of atoms within the cell draw into it (the cell) more atoms from outside and at last split it up into two cells; and these ultimately split into many thousands. Then follow interactions of the different cells, leading to their differentiation into the tissues and organs having different functions. Finally, the motions of the atoms and interactions of the organs spontaneously adjust themselves in such a way as to reach a state of moving, self-sustaining equilibrium which constitutes the living organism as a whole. So it will be found that life is nothing other than this mechanical resultant of interaction of the molecules constituting the body. If we understand life in this way, as the equilibrium of colliding atoms, we have to admit that living creatures originate from that which is lifeless – the theory of abiogenesis. This is the theory of mechanism in its essence.

It is difficult to explain life by means of matter and motion only. The animal sense acts for its own preservation. When I step on a floating log and find it to be a crocodile, the change in my knowledge is due to the kind of motion in the crocodile which logs do not and cannot present: a flexible action which appears to come from within and to aim at self-preservation. There is something else that is real in a living body besides the material elements and the physical and chemical processes, to account for its characteristic behaviour. Thus we are led to the opposite theory of vitalism.

The vitalist argument may be briefly stated thus: Every living object is an organized whole. Its parts exist and function for the organism’s total well-being. In it the whole exercises control over the parts. And there, in that power, lies the instinctive character of life. Nowhere in the inorganic world can this characteristic be found. The characteristic power of life can be detailed as follows:

1. The power which the organism possesses for exposing its own molecules to oxidation for the production of heat and energy.
2. The power to apply part of its energy to change its own form and position in such a way as to resist external forces and adapt itself better to outward circumstances for the preservation of its whole being: for example, the movement of an insect towards food or away from an injurious object.
3. The power of applying part of its energy to seizing for itself materials from outside and assimilating them to its own body, thereby making up the internal waste.
4. The power of coordinating the work of different organs so as to make them cooperate for the good of the whole system, and, if necessary, compensating the loss of the function of any injured organ through the strengthening of some other organ.
5. The power of giving off cells in the form of buds or germs which grow into new organisms, and thereby of preserving the species for unknown ages.

None of these powers oriented to the single goal of the whole organism’s well-being fall within the scope of the mechanist explanation. This is why we have to postulate the pressure of something new in the living organism to explain these peculiar functions. And this is entelechy, or the vital principle.

The main objection to the vitalists’ theory of life is that there is an element of mystery about the concept of the vital principle.

Our Concept Of Life

If the resultant force, the force that comes into being as a result of both external and internal frictions in the object-body, “happens to be interial in character, a nucleus is formed within the solid factor” in some part of that body, and the powers or energies active in that body are collectively called práńáh, or vital energy. In Sanskrit the word práńáh “is always used in the plural number, because it is a collection of ten váyus, or ten important forces working within… the physical structure.”⁽³⁾

How It Originates

The external pressure of the static principle on the… five factors is known as bala. As a result of this bala, two opposing forces develop.… The centre-seeking or interial force tries to maintain the structural solidarity of the object, while the centrifugal one has a fissiparous tendency, that is, it tries to split up the object into thousands. The collective name of these exterial and interial forces is práńa, or “energy”. Every solid factor therefore possesses práńa. Práńa is the eternal game between the Cosmic cause and its crudest effect. In práńa there exists an internal clash in which either of the aforesaid active forces may win. If the interial forces win, that is, if the resultant force created happens to be interial in character, a nucleus is formed within the solid factor. Under such circumstances a solid structure is created and maintenance of its physical solidarity depends upon the bala or external pressure.…

Let us see how life gets expression within the physical unit structure. These physical structures are composed of five fundamental factors – ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid, and solid – and so, for their own existence as unit structures, they must have the controlling nuclei of the respective factors within their composite body. All these factors should remain in requisite proportion, and on the mutual cohesion amongst these factors depends the resultant interial, or the práńáh. The controlling nucleus of all these fundamental physical nuclei is the controlling point of the collective práńa. This collection of práńa is called práńáh, or “vital energy”.…

The manifestation of práńáh depends on two essential conditions. First, the resultant of práńáh must be an interial force, and secondly, there must be a congenial environment. For want of a congenial condition in the present-day world, a number of giant animals of the remote past have either been transformed into smaller species or have vanished altogether.

(Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, “Saiṋcara and Práńáh” in Idea and Ideology, 1993)

How Life Is Created

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

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

This is how life comes into physical creation.

(Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, “Life, Death and Saḿskára” in Idea and Ideology, 1993)

Our Concept of Creation and Evolution of Unit Mind

Development of the organism is a phenomenon of the progressive manifestation of dormant consciousness. The first and primary streak of awakened consciousness finds its way through the crudest portion of the mind-entity. With simple cellular structures, the mind is confined to a few expressed elements of the body, its pleasure and protection. Whatever propensity exists is only for protecting the entity against environmental pressures and for increasing the number of similar creatures. That is why uni-cellular organisms are equipped with intense sexual power. Both male and female capacities are combined in the one body.

The plant world that precedes the cellular animal organisms also has the privilege of the manifestation of mind.

In the cellular animal organisms, however, the expressions of propensities are very distinct. Though the initial tendencies remain confined to the preservation of material existence, with a gradual instinctive clash in progress, new propensities find their way, making the manifestation of the dormant consciousness still more distinct as the older structures are evolved into the forms of new species.

The organs themselves are shaped and their relative strength is determined according to the needs of the mind for preserving the body against environmental conditions. Thus the physical structure goes on developing and getting complex with the development of the mind. The dimension of the psychic plate increases with the increase in the number of propensities.

The power of self-expression remains confined to the instinctive desires of self-preservation and procreation in the most underdeveloped organisms. But with the widening of the psychic horizon, this power goes on increasing and finally finds the highest expression in the form of human beings. Lower organisms are slaves to matter – they can make adjustments in the environment but cannot mould it. According to the degree of freedom, their existential consciousness has formed the body-feeling; their power of doership increases; and accordingly they become competent to turn the environment to their advantage. An ape can throw a rock or a branch of a tree in self-preservation, but a serpent has to rely on its poisonous gland. Nature has provided the lower organisms with sufficient weapons of protection in their own bodies.

With the increase in psychic power, fierce physical potentialities go on waning, and at the stage of human beings the power of protection lies more with the mind than with the body. Though the acquired tendencies of the animal play no mean role in the life of human beings, the developed ego-consciousness or intellectual faculty finds adequate expression in their behaviour. It is they alone who have the power to introspect within the real nature of their existence and find its final abode, or generative place. Animal consciousness identifies body-consciousness with the existential consciousness, but human consciousness tries to investigate on the synthetic plane.

Though the potentiality of the highest consciousness is always latent even in the lowest organisms, its coruscation becomes clearer with the increased circumference of the mind. This presupposes the adequate and consummate unfolding or awakening of the working and intuitive intellects. It is on the pure existential intellect that the reflection of the Cognitive Entity or Knower-Progenitor finds clearest expression. As the lower rungs of psychic consciousness are merged in the intuitive intellect through the sublimation of propensities, the feeling of body and environment merges in the surging flows of Cognitive Force and the unit loses its individuality for the time. If the cerebral nerves stop functioning and all the psychic momenta of the past are exhausted, the unit existential intellect loses its entity permanently in the ocean of blissful Consciousness. This is the end of the journey of the microcosm.

Footnotes

(1) “I exist,” “I do,” and done “I”. –Eds.

(2) The five bhútatattvas are the five fundamental, or rudimental, factors of matter (ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid, solid). Tanmátra literally means “minutest fraction” of any given rudimental factor. It is also translated “inferential wave”. These inferences radiate from material objects and are received by the sensory organs, resulting in perceptions of sound, touch, form (vision) taste and smell. –Eds.

(3) Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, “Saiṋcara and Práńáh” in Idea and Ideology, 1993.
When this discourse was originally published in “Notes on Spiritual Philosophy” around 1969, since certain portions of the discourse closely followed portions of Idea and Ideology, the text was excerpted from Idea and Ideology rather than relying on handwritten notes. At that time, of course, an early edition of Idea and Ideology was followed. For the present book the seventh, 1993, edition has been followed. (Only minor grammatical corrections had been made in the interval).
–Eds.

Chapter 6	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Guńa here [in spiritual philosophy] means “binding principle,” not “quality” as it commonly implies. Puruśa is pure consciousness; it cannot be activated without a second principle. Prakrti [Operative Principle], with Her inherent binding principles, binds Puruśa, of course with the due permission of Puruśa, and as a result the Cosmic Mahat [“I exist”], Aham [“I do”] and citta [done “I”] come into being.

Even after the formation of the Cosmic Mind, the process of saiṋcara⁽¹⁾ continues under the gradually-increasing domination of static Prakrti, and, as per degrees of crudification, the ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid factors come into being. The stronger the bondage upon anything, the cruder the thing becomes.

On account of the firmness of bondage, the inter-atomic and inter-molecular distances go on decreasing, as the result of which the internal frictions in the material body go on increasing. The external pressure of attributional bondage and the internal frictions compel greater and greater attributional expressions in the bodies of objects.

Here one should bear in mind that “attributional expression” does not mean the [amount] of attributional capabilities, but the [variety] of the attributional manifestations as well as the attributional diversities. The ákáshatattva [ethereal factor] has the sound-carrying attribute. If, suppose, we fix its measure at one hundred, in that case, when the ákáshatattva gets metamorphosed into the váyutattva [aerial factor], on account of greater static bondage, the attribute of touch is also expressed therein along with the sound-carrying attribute. [I.e., as a result of further crudification of ether into air, it has both the attribute of carrying sound and that of carrying touch. A new attribute is expressed.] But the [total] attributional capacity remains what it is – unenhanced. The sound-carrying attribute wanes in the váyutattva as compared to the ákáshatattva, but, all the same, the combined measure of the sonic and the tactual attributes still remains at one hundred.⁽²⁾

In exactly the same way, when the aerial factor becomes metamorphosed into the luminous factor as a result of greater static bondage, there emerges a third attribute of form in addition to the former two attributes of sound and touch. Degrees of the aforesaid two attributes wane in correlation with ákáshatattva [ethereal factor] and váyutattva [aerial factor]. Likewise, due to more and more crudification, along with the emergence of apatattva [liquid factor] and kśititattva [solid factor], the two more attributes of taste and smell occur, and to that extent, the degrees of the former attributes of sound, touch and form decrease as compared to the other factors. And the total capacity still remains unenhanced.

Thus we find that the stronger the bondage, the cruder the thing becomes with the origination of more attributes. Due to external static pressure, the number of attributional peculiarities increases, but not the attributional capability.

Jad́asphot́a

Jad́asphot́a means “material explosion” of any physical body. In the process of centrifugal movement in saiṋcara, the material body composed of five fundamental factors comes into being. But even after that stage, the static Prakrti exerts her crudifying force. This external pressure from static Prakrti is known as bala.

As a result of this bala, two opposing forces develop, one centrifugal and the other centripetal in character. The centre-seeking or interial [centripetal] force tries to maintain the structural solidarity of the object; while the centrifugal one has a fissiparous tendency, that is, it tries to split up the object into thousands.

When the structural solidarity of anything is maintained, it means that in that particular unit structure, all the component five factors are in requisite proportion,

and on the mutual cohesion amongst these factors depends the resultant interial, or the práńáh.⁽³⁾

But if the exterial forces win, the resultant exterial cannot form any nucleus within that physical structure. The resultant interial force, therefore, is the only factor that can create a nucleus within a solid body and thereby maintain its structural solidarity. Even if the structural solidarity of the unit be maintained, there can be spaces or portions within the unit structure where the exterial forces dominate over the reacting materials.

In such a portion dissociation occurs and the portions under the influences of a resultant exterial force get detached from the parent body. This is wear and tear experienced in our unit structure. The physical deficiency caused by this wear and tear is compensated by the práńa [energy, vital energy] we acquire from food, light, air, water, etc. …

The wear and tear within a physical structure results in the deficiency of some factor or other and may also tell upon the resultant activity controlling the subjective nucleus and maintaining structural solidarity. Now if the deficiency caused thereby is not adequately compensated, and if the requisite proportion of any factor or factors is not met, the resultant interial will begin varying in intensity; and the unit structure may lose its solidarity.…

Even if the resultant interial be the winning factor in práńa, the physical structure will split up into innumerable subtler particles if the atmospherical condition be not congenial to the expression of the vital energy. In the absence of a proper environment life does not get an expression; but static Prakrti continues exerting external pressure or bala on the unit structure. Consequently a stage will come when there will be little interatomic space within the solid body. Now if static Prakrti exerts more pressure, [the equipoise of the component elements gets lost and] there will be a tremendous reaction within the physical body (affecting both the interial and exterial forces) resulting in structural dissociation. This is called jad́asphot́a.

Jad́asphot́a occurs only in dead or dying celestial bodies. In a living celestial body, the existing congenial environment will be the cause of transformation of práńa into práńáh. This eliminates the chance of jad́asphot́a.

These jad́asphot́as can be instantaneous or gradual. Conditions for its instantaneous occurrence have been described above. But if, due to exterial forces of práńa, dissociation occurs gradually in some portions of the structure, the phenomenon of bursting up becomes gradual.

Due to jad́asphot́a… the component factors of the physical structure get dissociated into the five fundamental factors.

(Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, “Saiṋcara and Práńáh” in Idea and Ideology, 1993)

The ethereal element of the Cosmic Mind gets gradually cruder and cruder as per degrees of the ever-increasing flow of the guńas.… The more the progress of these metamorphoses, the more varied the attributional peculiarities noticeable in the material bodies, and their dimensions also get shrunk and diminished. The dimensional contraction means the increase of internal frictions, and this happens due to the excess or magnitude of the external attributional flow. Due to these excessive internal frictions, explosions take place in the material bodies and they get pulverized into subtler elements. (Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Chapter 1 of Ánanda Sútram, 1995)

Footnotes

(1) In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter. –Eds.

(2) Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Chapter 1 of Ánanda Sútram, 1995.
When this discourse was originally published in “Notes on Spiritual Philosophy” around 1969, since certain portions of the discourse closely followed portions of Idea and Ideology, the text was excerpted from Idea and Ideology rather than relying on handwritten notes. At that time, of course, an early edition of Idea and Ideology was followed. For the present book the seventh, 1993, edition has been followed. (Only minor grammatical corrections had been made in the interval).
The editorial notes in square brackets above are as in “Notes on Spiritual Philosophy”, c. 1969. –Eds.

(3) Vital energy, life. See previous chapter of this book, and Idea and Ideology, 1995. –Eds.

Chapter 7	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Mind is created in the phase of pratisaiṋcara⁽¹⁾ as a result of tremendous friction created inside an object due to the force of attraction of Puruśottama. The entirety of pratisaiṋcara is dominated by this attractive force. The friction generates in the object a tendency to split up. Gradually, a portion of the object is powdered down, and that becomes the first mind. This mind is nothing but citta [objective mind, mind-stuff]. Therefore in the mind of undeveloped creatures and plants the major portion is nothing but citta.

Two subtler manifestations, the mahattattva [“I exist”] and ahaḿtattva [“I do,” ego], are in a dormant stage within the scope of citta. The ego does not appear in the primary stage of mental creation. Under such circumstances the blind práńáh [vital energy] cannot activate the physical structure. In this initial stage, the functions of the mind are for maintenance of the entitative structure and for procreation. It is nothing but the kámamaya kośa [crude mind].

This undeveloped mind gradually proceeds on the path of pratisaiṋcara. As it comes close to the Nucleus its scope is diluted. This dilution is not abrupt. There are many intermediate stages of evolution. At first, only the citta portion exists. Citta is the crudest counterpart of the mind. This mind is attracted to the Nucleus, and at the same time there are physical and psychic clashes. As a result of this, there is tremendous internal friction, which subtilizes the crude mind. The ahaḿtattva is subtler than the citta. In the later stage of evolution of mind a portion of the citta is converted into ahaḿtattva. That means that in that mind there are citta and ahaḿtattva both. But the area of the citta is bigger than that of the ahaḿtattva. In certain creepers and plants we find these two parts of the mind. The mind where there exists only citta can take the form of the matter around it, but as there is no aham, or ego, it cannot use the matter. And due to the absence of mahattattva, it has no feeling of existence either.

But the mind where there exists citta and ahaḿtattva both can take the ideation of matter with the help of the citta and keep contact with matter through the ahaḿtattva. But due to the lack of mahattattva, it does not feel that it exists.

These creepers and plants where both citta and ahaḿtattva exist are underdeveloped organisms. If the body of one of these organisms is bisected, the two separate parts will be two organisms again. No part will die, because in that mind there was no unit feeling of separate existence. The branches of certain flower plants are [cut off] for a separate plant. In those plants there is absence of mahattattva.

In developed organisms there are citta, ahaḿtattva and mahattattva. As a result of continuous clashes and attraction, certain parts of ahaḿtattva are converted into the subtler part of the mind – mahattattva. But even in that case, the area of mahat will be smaller than that of ahaḿtattva.

Gradually the internal friction increases and the mind becomes more and more subtle. The dimension of aham becomes greater than that of citta. Therefore the citta remains inside the ahaḿtattva.

Greater attraction from the Nucleus increases the scope of mahattattva and it envelops ahaḿtattva. That mind is superior to all lower minds. And the organism possessing that mind becomes conscious of its existence and is called a human being. The fundamental difference between the mind of a developed organism having citta, ahaḿtattva and mahattattva, and the mind of a human having mahattattva, aham and citta, is that the former is guided by instinct because the scope of the citta is bigger than that of the other two parts, while the latter is guided by intellect and intuition, because in it the scope of the mahat and the aham is bigger than that of the citta.

Footnotes

(1) In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. –Trans.

Chapter 8	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

In the course of sádhaná, the unit mind takes the ideation of Parama Puruśa. According to the very nature of the mind, it will one day become converted into Parama Puruśa. Before being finally merged in Parama Puruśa, sádhakas [spiritual practitioners] pass through different phases of samádhi,⁽¹⁾ of which savikalpa and nirvikalpa are prominent.

After continued practice of sádhaná, when the mahattattva [“I” feeling] of the unit mind gets metamorphosed into the Cosmic “I” feeling, the citta [done “I”] of the microcosmic mind merges in the aham [“I do” feeling], the aham in mahat.

When an object is converted into its cause, this merger is called prańásha (utter destruction). Mahat is the cause of Aham. Aham is the cause of the citta of the Macrocosm (Bhúmá), and in the path of pratisaiṋcara⁽²⁾ the citta merges in the aham and the aham in mahat. The unit mahat becomes one with the Macrocosmic Mahat.

At this stage, the unit mind feels that there are two entities – “I” and “my Lord”. The mind cannot think or feel anything except the existence of its own self because the feeling of the doer “I” is metamorphosed into the pure “I” feeling.

There are two tendencies of the mind – saḿkalpátmaka and vikalpátmaka. When the mind thinks and plans⁽³⁾ to do this or that, it is the saḿkalpátmaka portion of mind, and those feelings or thoughts are translated into physical action by the vikalpátmaka portion of mind through the sense organs. In savikalpa samádhi, the vikalpátmaka portion of the mind is totally suspended; only a small portion of the saḿkalpátmaka mind remains active. The sádhaka thereby attains saguńásthiti. That is why it has been said in Ánanda Sútram,⁽⁴⁾ Bhúmávyápte mahati ahaḿ cittayorprańáshe saguńásthiti savikalpa samádhi vá [“When the aham and the citta merge into the Macrocosmic Mahat, the merger is called saguńásthiti or savikalpa samádhi”].

But when the goal of a spiritual aspirant is Nirguńa Brahma [Non-Qualified, or Non-Attributional, Supreme Entity] then ultimately the microcosmic mahat will also merge in pure Citishakti.⁽⁵⁾ The unit mind will totally lose its individual existence and become one with Supreme Consciousness. In such a case, where all mental activities are suspended in Bhúmábháva [Cosmic ideation], it will be a case of objectlessness, or nirvikalpa samádhi (the trance of indeterminate absorption, or total suspension of the mind).

This stage of spiritual attainment is only possible when all the guńas, or binding factors, have ceased exerting a static influence on the mind. This state is the state of mindlessness and consequently objectlessness.

This state is verbally inexpressible, because Tasya sthiti amánasikeśu – “This state of objectlessness being beyond the orbit of the mind, it is not mentally apprehensible.”

Proof of Samádhi

During samádhis, spiritual aspirants attain immense bliss, which the sádhakas feel and cannot describe. Then what is the proof that the one in samádhi actually experiences that bliss? In this connection Ánanda Sútram states:

Abhávottaránanda pratyayá lambanirvrttih tasya pramáńam.

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

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

Footnotes

(1) “Absorption” of the unit mind into the Cosmic Mind (savikalpa samádhi) or into Consciousness (nirvikalpa samádhi). –Eds.

(2) In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. –Eds.

(3) To think and plan is saḿkalpa. –Eds.

(4) Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Ánanda Sútram, 1995. –Eds.

(5) Cognitive Principle, Puruśa, Pure Consciousness. –Eds.

Chapter 9	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

The Transcendental Entity, or Puruśa, is one infinite entity and its immanent principles are the sentient, the mutative and the static. In the Supreme Puruśa, a countless number of linear waves are emanating in the different flows of the sentient, mutative and static principles. These triple-attributional flows are running from [all] sides in infinite directions. When they run parallel, no figure is formed. But when they lose parallelism, they form multi-conical or polygonal diagrams. All these forces are belligerent in nature. Prakrti here is called anucchúnyá (unmanifested) and Brahma here is objectless (niśkala), because there is no question of subjectivation or objectivation. Brahma is nirguńa here because the balanced Prakrti has not been able to influence Brahma. Later on, these polygonal diagrams gradually get transformed into triangles of forces due to homomorphic evolution, or svarúpa parińáma. This triangle of forces is endless and is flowing eternally.

In the initial stage, there is balance in the triangular figure. The reason for formation of triangular figures is this, that when more than two forces act at a place, the figure of forces tends to become triangular in shape. The multi-conical figures have been transformed into a triangle of forces, but no resultant is formed, because of proper adjustment.

This triangle of forces, or Guńayantraka, is called Srśt́imátrká, or the Causal Matrix. Because, though the actual creation does not start from this stage, metamorphosis is imminent. Very soon the forces lose their equipoise and the unbalanced forces burst out through one of the vertices and start the creational evolution.

So long as these forces maintain a perfect equipoise, Prakrti is called Múlá Prakrti. But these forces cannot remain equipoised forever. When the three forces act on the three sides of the triangle with their respective natures and degrees of influence, it is just possible that one force will enter into the sphere of another force, which will result in change in the pattern of attributional flows. Moreover, when forces act on the same line, the forces will change their respective peculiarities. In this process of mutual conversion, the sentient is penetrating into the mutative, the mutative into the static[, the static into the mutative and the mutative into the sentient.] There is a constant exchange of identities amongst the three fundamental principles. This mutual exchange or transformation is called svarúpa parińáma, or homomorphic evolution.

The triangle of forces is flowing endlessly. The conical points of these triangles are called biija bindu. The forces of triangles are mutually transformed due to homomorphic evolution. The three guńas have three types of vibration, and according to the nature of these vibrations, the respective properties of these guńas are determined. Due to the homomorphic evolution, one guńa is constantly transformed into another at the conical points. As a result, the three forces, due to non-uniformity of flow, cannot remain in a triangular figure, and the resultant force is compelled to burst out of one of the vertices. This bursting out of the forces through one of the vertical points signifies the state of disequilibrium in the triangle of forces, and the point through which the unbalanced forces burst out is called kámabiija. This imbalance or lack of balance is [called] guńakśobha in Tantra. From this point of bursting out, the creation starts, and Prakrti starts exerting influence on Puruśa. That is why this point is called the noumenal cause of the phenomenal.

Svarúpa Parińáma According to Sáḿkhya Philosophy

During dissolution of the world, according to Sáḿkhya, the guńas change, each within itself, without disturbing the others. That is, the sentient changes into sentient, the mutative into mutative and the static into static. Such transformation of guńas is called svarúpa parińáma.

Chapter 10	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

In our philosophical treatise, Ánanda Sútram, it has been enunciated, Bháva bhávátiitayoh setuh Tárakabrahma – “The common point bridging together the empirical state of Saguńa and the metempirical state of Nirguńa is called Táraka Brahma.”

In Brahma Cakra (the collective name of saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara⁽¹⁾) there is no uniformity of flow. The speed of the sentient force is greater than that of the mutative, and the mutative has more speed than the static. Thus in the beginning of saiṋcara the speed is greater. Similarly, after elevation, under the influence of the sentient force or reaching sámánya deha (a stage beyond the hirańmaya kośa [subtle causal mind] where the unit mind experiences only the sentient force), the speed is greater. The speed of the unit mind far exceeds the normal flow in the Cosmos, and it gets accelerated if the unit mind as a result of spiritual practice tends itself towards the Nucleus Consciousness.

Since the beginning of creation humans have been aspiring for this merger with the Nucleus Consciousness. The non-uniformity of speed changes the movement of the unit mind to an elliptical force, and the motion changes to oval from circular.…

[In Tantra sádhaná or in Ananda Marga sádhaná one whose goal is Puruśottama (Nucleus Consciousness) merges in Saguńa Brahma (Qualified Supreme Entity), and one who aims at Nirguńa Brahma (Non-Qualified Supreme Entity)] get[s] out of this Brahma Cakra by a tangential touch. At this point of tangential touch is the abode of Táraka Brahma (who resides within the scope of both Nirguńa and Saguńa Brahma). Táraka Brahma is a concept of Tantra.

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

Saguńa Brahma has infinite saḿskáras [mental reactive momenta], and so for an infinite time to come Saguńa Brahma will continue to enjoy the fruit of Its own past actions. Nirguńa is the Objectless Entity with no action or derivation, but Táraka Brahma is the middle point and can fulfil the function of both. He guides, loves and favours His affectionate sons and daughters. His children say that He cannot live without loving them [and with deepest reverence and complete surrender proceed to Him]. (Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, “Átman, Paramátman and Sádháná” in Idea and Ideology, 1993)

When Does He Appear?

He comes on earth when there is too much sin and it is difficult for virtuous people to live on this earth. When dharma declines and adharma, or sin, gets the upper hand; when the virtuous and the pious are tortured and the dishonest and evil-doers tyrannize over the good; in a word, when the human intellect is guided along degraded and destructive channels; Táraka Brahma forms a desire to come on earth with a specific mission of restoring dharma by launching a ceaseless fight against all injustice and sin.

There are a few notable criteria by which to distinguish Táraka Brahma from other mahápuruśas:

1. He Himself is a born guru and has no spiritual guru.
2. He comes with a specific mission, which is to restore morality and dharma. The entire society becomes divided between moralists and immoralists. A fight between them is inevitable, and ultimately dharma comes out victorious.
3. His emergence means a new era of white peace and dharma.

He needs no sádhaná, but just to set an example to others, He performs sádhaná with the masses.

Footnotes

(1) In the Cosmic Cycle, respectively, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter; and the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. –Eds.

Chapter 11	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Those who want to become one with Parama Puruśa must be free from spatial, temporal and personal bondages. But in the physical sphere the spatial factor shall exist; in the psychic sphere also there will remain some bondage; but in the spiritual sphere it is quite possible to remove all bondages.

This expressed world is relative. One aspiring to be established in the Absolute must go beyond the scope of relativity. But the question is – how to do that?

While doing sádhaná, the mind frequently runs after external things. It is very difficult to concentrate the mind, which is by nature restless, on a certain object or idea. Why is the mind fixed on a particular point in sádhaná? Because that point is the veritable link between the relative world and the Absolute; the point exists where the relative world ends and the Absolute begins. This point is representative of the Cosmic Entity. Once this point is controlled, the attainment of the highest state of spirituality becomes easy. To control this point means to be one with Paramátmá.

Therefore to come out from the scope of the relative world, one must concentrate on this point. One will surely continue to suffer in the sorrows and miseries of the relative world till one’s mind becomes one-pointed.

Abhedajiṋána⁽¹⁾

What are the criteria of relativity? Wherever there are svajátiiya, vijátiiya and svagata bheda (intra-specific, inter-specific and intra-structural differences), we shall call that entity relative. The moment these differences are removed, the relative entity merges into the Absolute.

Vijátiiya: Suppose in an orchard there are various kinds of tree, such as mango trees, jám trees, jackfruit trees, etc. Though all are trees, the different trees are vijátiiya.

Svajátiiya: Suppose someone has gone to a garden of mango trees. He will see there are many varieties of mango hanging from the branches of various trees. (There are varieties of mango, such as leḿŕá, fazli, Bombái, begunphuli, etc.) Though all are mangoes, difference in variety is svajátiiya.

Svagata: When one looks at a mango tree, one will see that in the mango tree itself there are branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. The tree is one, but even the one tree contains many parts, which are svagata.

Whenever there are the above-mentioned differences, there is the relative world, and when the differences are no more, there is sámarasya (equipoise). Sámarasya may be established in the psychic and spiritual spheres but never in the physical sphere.

Daeshika Vyavadhána Vilopa⁽²⁾

Sámarasya may be established in the psychic sphere if one constantly takes the ideation of one dhyeya [object of ideation]. In that case one’s mind comes in close proximity to the Cosmic Mind, and gradually with the covering of the inner gaps the two minds will become one. The spatial gap between the two minds has been removed, and at once the unit mind will go to the absolute world from the relative world.

This removal of the spatial gap in the psychic sphere depends solely upon the degree of keenness of one’s desire to realize Paramátmá. To realize that Parama Puruśa, one need not look for the help of external objects – name and fame, wealth and power, etc. None of these can establish anybody in the spiritual stance. The only thing essential is one’s unshaken faith in one’s goal, and persistent efforts. That will please Parama Puruśa so much that He will most graciously lift the veil of Máyá from the jiiva [unit being] and make him or her free. Bhakti, or devotion, is the thing that counts in the spiritual sphere.

Demonstration

[Bábá⁽³⁾ touched the various cakras of a sádhaka (spiritual practitioner) and asked him whom he was seeing in each of his cakras. The sádhaka replied that in every cakra he was seeing only Bábá. When the kuńd́alinii shakti (latent divine force) reached the anáhata cakra (fourth psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located at the mid-point of the chest), the sádhaka lost his outward consciousness. He could not sit erect any longer. Even then Bábá went on saying, “Let the eyes not see anything external; let the ears not hear anything; let the nose not smell anything; let the tongue taste only parama rasa (divine taste); let the skin feel only the divine touch.” By now the sádhaka had lost all his external activity; even his sensory organs had lost their powers. This physical world of ours lost its meaning and existence altogether to the sádhaka. He was then a man of a different world.]

The ordinary human mind, bound by the shackles of ripus (enemies) and páshas (fetters) is drawn easily to the external world; a person’s sensory and motor organs tempt the person to enjoy crude physicality, but they cannot help in spiritual realization. The real destination of human beings – the world of supreme beatitude – remains unknown to them. To reach there, the mind must be free from the influence of the indriyas;⁽⁴⁾ it must proceed towards the world of átmá [soul]. These very sense organs are the obstructions between the mind and the átmá.

That is why when sádhakas land in the world of spirituality beyond the scope of the sense organs, of course by the grace of guru or Brahma, they enjoy great bliss. Here there is no spatial gap between sádhaka and Paramátmá, between bhakta and Bhagaván – they belong to the same world. There of course will be temporal and personal gaps. When these also are removed, one attains nirvikalpa samádhi. One need not depend upon external things to attain that stance; one is only required to develop kevalá bháva [the feeling that only the Supreme Entity exists], and those who have it are really fortunate. They may be so-called untouchables and low-bred, but still, they are the fittest recipients for God’s grace. Those who have not this love for God are wretched fellows, worse than animals, though they may be high-caste.

Cańd́alo’pi dvijahshreśt́hah haribhaktiparáyanah;
Haribhaktivihiinashca vipro’pi shvapacádhamah.

[Even a cańd́ala (lowest caste), if blessed with love for the Lord, is far better than a high-born Brahman. A high-born Vipra, a Brahman, if devoid of love for the Lord, is worse than a low-born person.]

Footnotes

(1) Integral knowledge, “the knowledge that comes from transcending bhedas, or differences”. –Eds.

(2) “The obliteration of the spatial gap” (between the unit mind and the Cosmic Mind). –Eds.

(3) An affectionate name for the author, used by the author’s disciples. –Eds.

(4) An indriya is a sensory or motor organ, together with its respective nerves, nerve fluid and site in the brain. –Eds.

Chapter 12	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Humans, in spite of their numerous defects and loopholes, are divine beings. Sometimes due to their momentary weaknesses they commit some mistakes or crimes; but after all, they are manifestations of God. Everyone is a divine creature and everyone is destined to be perfect some day or other. Whatever we are now is the result of our thoughts and actions in the past, and whatever we shall be in the future will be the result of what we think and do now. Our past actions determine our present state, and our thoughts and actions now will determine our future. We have all come from the invisible divine source and again after a limited period we shall go back to that invisible divine source. No earthly object or human being is our permanent friend or relative. Therefore, we should not lament over anything.

Ádarshaná ápatitah punashcádarshanaḿ gatah;
Násao tava na tasya tvaḿ tatra vrthá ká parivedaná.

[Everything has come from the world of invisibility and will ultimately go back to the world of invisibility. In fact, nothing belongs to you, nor do you belong to anyone. So why should one unnecessarily bother about anything?]

Therefore wise persons conclude that the attainment of Brahma is the principal aim of human life; other aims are only secondary. When people withdraw all their mental propensities from all crude worldly objects and direct them towards Brahma, they are bound to feel immense bliss. Their constant contemplation of God lands them in the world of spiritual ecstasies. In Vaeśńava [Vaishnavite] philosophy, these various states of spiritual ecstasy are described as dashá, bhává and mahábháva.

Each and every sádhaka, however black and inglorious their past might be, is entitled to spiritual realization. Notorious criminals such as Ratnakar, Angulimala, etc., who are said to have committed numerous crimes in their past lives, were great devotees of God later, and became the finest of human beings. The one thing that always counts is one’s latent devotion and great desire to become pure and holy in life. The rest is managed by God. Since diehard criminals of this type were changed into holy men in only a short time, there is no reason why others also might not be equally blessed by the Lord. The Lord’s blessings and mercy are always with men and women. Just as God has His duty towards human beings, human beings have a duty towards God. The duty of humans is to perform only those deeds which will give pleasure to God. God never makes any distinction between a holy man and a so-called sinful man. If God wills, that so-called sinful man may become a great devotee of God in no time.

Demonstration

[A sádhaka (spiritual practitioner) was standing in front of Bábá. Bábá simply touched the index finger of His one hand with that of His other. The sádhaka immediately fell down and began to roll on the ground. Bábá described this samádhi as mahábháva, described in Vaeśńava philosophy.]

This is a kind of savikalpa samádhi. The conscious, subconscious and unconscious minds become fused into one. The eyes become fixed and red. The person feels the tactual presence of Parama Puruśa, and he holds Him, as it were, tightly.

This mahábháva is clearly distinguished from dashá and bháva. When the sádhaka clearly feels the thrill of divine existence around him at the time of sádhaná, the state of bliss as experienced by the sádhaka is described as dashá. When the sádhaka feels the existence of the divine world around him, as also the source from which the divine existence comes, the state of bliss the sádhaka experiences at the time of sádhaná is bháva. Again, when the sádhaka feels the closest proximity of Parama Puruśa, even within his embrace, that bháva is called mahábháva.

At the time of dashá, the sádhaka feels bliss within and falls down, and during bháva, the sádhaka feels proximity to God, feels great bliss and falls down.

At the time of mahábháva, the sádhaka feels the tactual presence of Parama Puruśa and falls down. At that time, every nerve-cell, every nerve-fibre and every pore of the human body feels the divine touch.

The entire [extent] of the conscious, subconscious and unconscious minds becomes filled with devotion. But devotional expression is much more in the heart, the sentiment being strongly aroused. During floods, the rivers, tanks, pools, etc., all become filled and begin overflowing. Similarly, the mind and heart of the sádhaka are filled to the brim with devotion when flooded by bháva.

The sádhaka attains states of dashá and bháva according to saḿskáras. Again, according to one’s dashá and bháva, one attains mahábháva. That is why one who has attained mahábháva becomes sometimes restless, sometimes calm, now laughs and now weeps.

Demonstration

[Bábá called one sádhaka and aroused his devotion by touching his anáhata cakra (fourth psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located at the mid-point of the chest). The sádhaka felt the divine proximity and bliss within. He immediately lay down. He felt the tactual presence of God. But he was a bit restless, according to his saḿskáras (mental reactive momenta). He was in mahábháva.

Another sádhaka also experienced the state of mahábháva. He was calm and placid, according to his saḿskáras.]

The sádhaka feels waves of devotion in body, mind and heart, and feels so much proximity to God that he completely forgets his physical existence. At that time, the dháma, or stratum, where he moves mentally is Nitya Vrndábana or Vaekuńt́ha.

Chapter 13	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

In philosophical parlance, samádhi means unification of the unit mind with the Cosmic Mind, or merger of the unit mind into the Cosmic Mind. Ordinarily, the conscious mind performs physical actions through sense organs and nerve-cells and nerve-fibres, while the subconscious performs thinking, recollection, etc., and the unconscious is all-knowing. In samádhi, the three chambers of the mind are fused into one. During samádhi, the mind remains full of knowledge (prajiṋá). This is a positive state; though the mind remains inactive, still it is full of knowledge.

Mrtyu, death, on the other hand, is a negative state. Because of lack of psycho-physical parallelism, the sense organs, the nerve-cells, nerve-fibres, etc., will stop functioning, as a result of which the entire body will be as inert as a block of wood, that is, hardly distinguishable from matter. All the expressions of mental faculties become suspended. It is a state of complete lifelessness devoid of any prajiṋá.

Samádhi is not possible merely through one’s own efforts. It is absolutely dependent on the grace of Paramátmá. Death is a providential arrangement. Man must make efforts to attain samádhi. So far as death is concerned, it will come as a matter of course. Through this arrangement of death, Parama Puruśa is continuing the flow of creation; otherwise this creation would have stopped. It is natural that when people lose their dear and near ones, they feel the pangs of bereavement. When operated upon, patients certainly feel pain, but all these things are unavoidable. One who is born must die. Anything, once created, must undergo change and, ultimately, meet destruction.

Suppose somebody does something which may cause some physical harm, should we call it the sádhaná of death or of prajiṋá? Those who subject themselves to all sorts of tortures, who stand in deep water on chilly nights for hours together, are certainly not making spiritual progress. Even those who are taking holy baths on Mághii Purńimá [the full moon of mid-February to mid-March] are not enhancing their spiritual progress. If merely a dip in the Ganges made one holy, then the fish that are always in the river would be the most virtuous and holy. Pilgrims do not gain morally or spiritually from their holy baths, but, on the contrary, have to suffer bitter experiences – physical troubles, loss of money, mental anxiety, and humiliation at the hands of robbers and thieves. Spiritual elevation is possible by introverting all the mental propensities and directing them towards the Supreme Desideratum (one’s dhyeya [object of ideation]) and thus becoming one with Him.

Demonstration

[Bábá called one sádhaka and told him to concentrate his mind on his toes and do the prescribed dhyánam⁽¹⁾ there, and then at his heels. Next he was told to practise dhyánam on múládhára, svádhiśt́hána, mańipura and anáhata,⁽²⁾ and establish a devotional relationship with Paramátmá. Next he was told to do dhyánam on vishuddha cakra.⁽³⁾]

The more the mind gets concentrated, the more the mind goes deep, the more bliss a person will experience. Ultimately, they will become one with the Supreme Mind. On their part there will be no physical or psychic effort. They will have living bodies which, without any movement, will look like dead bodies. This is sárúpya samádhi – the individual and Paramátmá become one. In this state, the sádhaka’s mind remains full of knowledge. During samádhi, the body does not become as stiff as it becomes in the case of death.

At the time of sádhaná, all the energy becomes concentrated and we can see the expression of that energy. Consider the Indian military, which may be stationed in Patna, Calcutta, Lucknow, Delhi, etc. Now if the entire military force of the whole of India is concentrated in Delhi alone, the whole of India except Delhi will become devoid of military power.

[In order to demonstrate this point, Bábá snatched away from the sádhaka the vital energies from the múládhára, svádhiśt́hána, mańipura, anáhata; and then went up to the highest regions. For some time the lower regions moved a little and then became motionless. In this case, the power was not taken out of the body, it was only shifted from lower parts to higher parts. Consequently, the lower regions became inactive and devoid of vital energy.]

Footnotes

(1) Meditation in which the psyche is directed towards Consciousness. –Eds.

(2) The first four (lowermost) psycho-spiritual centres, or plexi. –Eds.

(3) The fifth psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located at the throat. –Eds.

Chapter 14	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

The Supreme Entity is one without a second. At that stage that Entity does not create anything. The flow of creation starts when Nirguńa Brahma [Non-Qualified, or Non-Attributional, Supreme Entity] becomes Saguńa [Attributional Supreme Entity]; and Prakrti [Operative Principle], which starts the creative flow, does not get the opportunity of unfolding Her creative faculty by Herself.

Puruśa is the material cause on the basis of which Prakrti is creating the numerous entities. So when Brahma or His Prakrti is continuing the creation along the processes of saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara,⁽¹⁾ that is the liilábháva of Parama Puruśa. One Puruśa becomes many. The quinquelemental universe with its innumerable entities with their varied shapes and sizes, forms and colours, has come into existence due to His liilábháva. (The word liilá means that the purpose of the game is not known, whereas the game whose purpose is known is kriidá. The term liilá is used in the case of the divine game only.) In nityabháva, this varied expression is conspicuously absent. There Puruśa remains in His original stance, original rank, even though He is the source of this entire creation.

The sádhaka who looks at this expressed universe from the absolute point of view will see that all the five fundamental factors, the sky and the earth, the sun and the moon, have all vanished into nothingness; everything has merged into the Non-Attributional Entity. Ekohaḿ Sad vipráh bahudhá vadanti – “He is one, [intellectuals] describe Him variously.” When the same sádhaka (being associated with Puruśottama [Nucleus Consciousness]) looks at this universe, he sees the universe with men and things and the various movements and actions. He will see different pictures at different angles, although he will look at the same thing from the same place. In the first case, he will see that Saguńa Brahma, Puruśottama, Bhagaván and the universe are all non-existent, there being only one Supreme Entity – infinite, without any beginning or end, all-pervading – only Nirguńa Brahma. He is in His original rank – nityabháva. In the second case, he sees the universe with people and other living and non-living beings. He sees the universe, with all the varied and kaleidoscopic creation. Which of the two is better is difficult to say because without both of these aspects, it is not possible to realize the madhura bháva [sweet stance] of Parama Puruśa.

Footnotes

(1) In the Cosmic Cycle, respectively, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter; and the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. –Eds.

Chapter 15	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

To attain Parama Puruśa, to become one with the Supreme Reality, He must be made the summum bonum of human life. But the attainment of the Supreme Reality is not possible overnight. For that the sádhaka [spiritual practitioner] will have to undergo the systematic and methodical process of spiritual sádhaná for a long period, till every nerve-cell, nerve-fibre, every bit of his physical existence is divinized. Sádhaná, after all, is a scientific process by which the entire psycho-physical existence is divinized.

Those who are fortunate enough to have good spiritual saḿskáras [mental reactive momenta] due to their past karma can easily have a balanced mind that will slowly and steadily take them to their goal. But in most cases it does not happen like that. Citta nádii ubhayatah praváhinii – “The mind can have both spirit and matter as its object.” But it is difficult to make spirit the object because spiritual ideation is not possible through inferential vibrations (tánmátrik spandana). The senses do not help a person in spiritual sádhaná. On the contrary, the sense organs are always ready to help the mind to flow extroversially. Material objects, through their tanmátras (shabda, sparsha, rúpa, rasa, gandha),⁽¹⁾ always attract the mind.

Psycho-physical parallelism is very easy, while psycho-spiritual parallelism requires repeated mental efforts. That is why wise sádhakas superimpose Brahmabháva on physical objects and mental thoughts. At once they cease to be physical or mental, they become spiritual. After all, each and every object – physical or psychic – is nothing but an expression of Brahma. As a result, one will not have to reap the consequences of one’s actions. This is the only way by which one can prevent one’s mind from being crudified due to constant psycho-physical parallelism.

Ordinarily, people who are not on sádhaná márga [the spiritual path] look upon physical things as mere things. While they eat food, drink water, read books, talk to friends or perform any action, they get into bondages due to work. Their minds become assailed by karma bandhana. They won’t attain salvation till their saḿskáras are finally exhausted. Hence to get rid of this karma bandhana [bondage of action and reaction], one must take Brahmabháva [ideation on the Supreme].

Over a thousand years ago, there was a wise and devout Buddhist bhikku in Bengal, popularly known as Bhusuku. He was a good poet, a humourist, and a sádhaka of excellent category.

When the mind rises above body-consciousness and takes constant spiritual ideation, one enjoys the parama rasa [supreme taste]; one who, on the other hand, thinks of gross material objects gets the viśaya rasa [taste of objects]. The latter is only preferred till one experiences the former; once parama rasa is tasted, the other becomes tasteless. On this point Bhusuku humorously remarked: Áj báuṋálii haili [“I became a báuṋálii today” (Báuṋálii can mean Bengalee)]. Here báuṋálii means one who has risen above body-consciousness; the vauṋga, this state, he attained as he took Cosmic ideation constantly.

Bhu: At the time of bhojana (food), he used to think of Parama Puruśa.

Su: At the time of shayanam (lying down), he used to think of Parama Puruśa.

Ku: Before every karma (action), he used to think of Parama Puruśa.

One who always takes the name of Parama Puruśa while eating and drinking, sitting and walking – before every action – is called “Bhusuku”.

When one sleeps on a cot, one’s body comes in contact with the cot. When eating, one’s hand and mouth come in touch with rice, vegetables, etc. When thinking, the mind comes in touch with thought. Everything crude or subtle is His manifestation. In the process of taking constant Cosmic ideation, the sádhaka experiences great bliss within – this is called dharmameghánanda.

Demonstration

[Bábá called one sádhaka and told him to lie down. The sádhaka lay down and Bábá touched his lower four cakras with a stick. Then he asked the sádhaka:] Do you feel the presence of somebody, the touch of somebody? [The sádhaka replied yes. Then the sádhaka sat up.

Bábá again asked the sádhaka whether he was feeling His presence, His touch, His affection or not? The sádhaka’s answer was always in the affirmative; this time the sádhaka stood up.

Bábá again asked him:] Do you feel He is holding your hands, loving you? [Then the sádhaka began to mark time. Even then he felt His presence and affection.

Next the sádhaka was told to think of something mentally. He was told not to think of anything but Him. In his múládhára, svádhiśt́hána, mańipura, anáhata,⁽²⁾ he felt His loving presence all the while.

Next the sádhaka went deep into samádhi – in Vaekuńt́hadháma – maintaining the mundane, supra-mundane and spiritual link.]

Footnotes

(1) Tanmátra literally means “minutest fraction” of a given rudimental factor of matter. It is also translated “inferential wave”. These inferences radiate from objects and are received by the sensory organs, resulting in perceptions of sound, touch, form (vision) taste and smell. –Eds.

(2) First, second, third and fourth psycho-spiritual centres, or plexi, located respectively at the base of the spine, the base of the genital organ, the navel, and the mid-point of the chest. –Eds.

Chapter 16	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

In the course of sádhaná the sádhaka [spiritual practitioner] has to pass through four stages: yatamána, vyatireka, ekendriya and vashiikára. There is a shloka [couplet]:

Yacchedváuṋmanasi prajiṋastadyacchejjiṋána átmani;
Jiṋánamátmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchánta átmani.

[Wise persons first merge their indriyas, sense organs, into their citta, then their citta into aham, then aham into mahat, then mahat into jiivátmá, and finally their jiivátmá into Supreme Consciousness.]

In yatamána, the first stage, the mental propensities are directed towards the citta [objective mind, mind-stuff]. It is a very difficult stage: difficulties arise from within as well as without. The internal difficulties are created by the untrained mental propensities, which misbehave like wild animals. After a moment of control, off they go again, dashing about like unbroken horses. The external troubles arise from concerned friends and relatives who resent the spiritual beginner’s efforts. They fear that he will become an ascetic and renounce worldly ties. These internal distractions and external pressures try the patience and steadfastness of the spiritual novice.

In the second stage, vyatireka, the propensities are directed from the citta to the ahaḿtattva [doer “I”]. This stage is less trying than yatamána. In fact, occasionally it is slightly pleasing. The kicking wild horses have been broken to some extent, and for brief intervals these partially-tamed mental propensities do follow the direction from the citta to the ahaḿtattva. During these intervals the sádhaka enjoys bits, shreds, and glimpses of bliss. Tears of such bliss may roll down his cheeks. In this period the external pressures are also lessened, because friends and relatives have become somewhat reconciled to the other-worldly pursuits of the sádhaka.

In the third stage, ekendriya, the upward direction is followed from the ahaḿtattva to the mahattattva. As the very name ekendriya implies,⁽¹⁾ the sádhaka gains control over some single propensity or organ, which brings to him a corresponding occult power.

Occult power (called vibhúti or aeshvarya in Sanskrit) is the supernatural power gained from the practice of the psychic mystic cult. The eight vibhútis are ańimá, laghimá, mahimá, prápti, iishitva, vashitva, prákámya, and antaryámitva. This stage marks a great step forward. However, this is a dangerous stage also. The danger comes more from inside than from outside. The sádhaka may get intoxicated with the feeling of the occult power and be tempted to abuse it. Moreover, there is the external threat that somebody may provoke him into such abuse. Any misuse of these powers causes a setback or even a downfall in the spiritual journey. Abuse of power is bad in any sphere. Even in the temporal sphere misuse of power leads to downfall. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely – unless there is the strength to control the power.

The fourth and last stage of sádhaná is that of vashiikára, when the propensities are all completely directed from the mahattattva towards the one original and ultimate Self: that is, the sádhaka is established in his svabháva [nature] and svarúpa [own form]. As the very word vashiikára implies [vash means “control”], all the propensities are completely under control. Worldly friends and relatives have already deserted the sádhaka as they desert a dead body after cremation or burial, and he becomes merged in the permanent and lasting Self, Brahma.

The sádhaka should ask for and pray for the Lord Himself and nothing else. He should not even pray for worldly power without at the same time praying for the ability through sádhaná to restrain that power. Better still, if the Lord is so omnipotent as to be able to grant the worldly power and the spiritual strength to restrain that power, then why not pray for the Lord Himself? Boons (baradánas) may be pleasing to some, but in reality they are simply an adjustment in time, shape, or [degree of concentration or dispersion] of what the sádhaka is entitled to by virtue of his karma. If one attempts to acquire power that is beyond his due, he may find that his inability to handle it makes a menace out of a seeming boon.

There is the story of the grant of a dried hand of a monkey to an aspirant. The dried hand was powerful enough to fulfil three wishes. The grantee first of all demanded a fortune of fifty thousand rupees from the dried hand. In a few moments there came a knock at his door and a man appeared with fifty thousand rupees; but this money represented the insurance payment of his son, who had suddenly died in an accident. The grantee, who regarded himself as a clever person, demanded as the second request that the son should be brought to him alive. In a few moments there came the clattering sound of somebody approaching the house. When the father looked out, to his horror, what was coming was the skeleton of his deceased son. It was walking by itself and therefore might be said to be alive, but it was nevertheless a skeleton. The father was so terrified that he asked the dried hand of the monkey to drive the skeleton away. The dried hand did this, but it was the last of the three wishes and the dried hand was exhausted of its power. So the father got his fifty thousand rupees, but lost his son.

Footnotes

(1) Eka in Sanskrit and Sanskrit-derived languages means “one”. –Eds.

Chapter 17	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

In the beginning, Parama Puruśa was one. Eko’haḿ bahusyam – “I am one and I will be many.” In the course of the centrifugal movement of the Cosmic Cycle, we find the emergence of five fundamental factors; and in pratisaiṋcara⁽¹⁾ we find the creation of innumerable living entities with their respective bodies, minds, lives, consciousnesses, etc. Thus arose the kaleidoscopic creation with Parama Puruśa as the Supreme Progenitor.

This vast universe is the manifestation of Paramátmá. The unit body, mind, etc., depend on His sweet will. The sun, the moon, the human kingdom, in fact, the entire natural world is dependent on Him for its very existence and unfoldment. The final ownership of everything, manifest or unmanifest, lies with Him. He can put any object into any position He likes. For example, He can change an adult into a tender child, a male into a female, or a man into an animal. Nothing is difficult for Him.

Demonstration

[Bábá gave a practical demonstration on this point at the Lucknow airport in front of numerous sádhakas (spiritual aspirants). He pointed to a sádhaka and said that he (the sádhaka) might be converted into a child, an animal, or a female. In the presence of all, He transformed him within minutes first into a child, then into a female, and lastly into a goat. Parama Puruśa can effect such changes by touch or gestures or even by mental processes. With the help of a little stick, Bábá touched the body of a sádhaka and removed the vrttis (propensities) of hatred, shame, and fear, and the sádhaka felt himself to be a small child. He was so simple, like a child, that he could even go out naked and move about throughout the town of Lucknow. Then he was changed into a female. His physical gestures were much akin to those of ladies. Next he was converted into a goat, which stood on all fours. He began to rub his head against Bábá’s body. He totally lost human sense, even his capacity for human hearing. He was unable to follow the language Bábá was using to make others understand.]

Human beings who do not practise sádhaná are no better than these goats.

[Later on Bábá patted him on the back and said, “Be a man as before,” and slowly the sádhaka got back human sense and behaviour.]

Footnotes

(1) In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. –Eds.

Chapter 18	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

The jiiva [unit being] has its origin in Shiva, and the jiiva has the potentiality to merge again into Shiva. What separates the two are the bandhanas [bondages], the páshas [fetters], which in the human body are represented by the cakras. As soon as these cakras are pierced and these bandhanas broken, the jiiva becomes Shiva

In the ordinary state of human life the mind remains at the level of the múládhára cakra.⁽¹⁾ This cakra is called mańipadma by the Buddhists. (Padma because of the lotus-like shape.) The Tibetan prayer Oṋḿ mańipadme hummm refers to the múládhára, the starting-point of sádhaná, with hummm referring to the struggle that we call sádhaná.

When sádhaná consists in concentration on this cakra, the feeling that accompanies the mastery of the cakra is called sálokya. This feeling that the jiiva is not alone, but that the Lord is with the person, is a sign that the múládhára has been crossed. The colour visible here is the golden yellow of the earth and the sound is like the tick-tick of the cricket. The shape is square.

The feeling at crossing the next higher cakra, the svádhiśt́hána cakra, is that of sámiipya, the feeling of nearness. The sound resembles that of the páyala, bells affixed to a dancer’s legs. The colour is a watery white and the shape the half-moon.

The crossing of the mańipura cakra produces the feeling of close touch, sáyujya. The sound is like a sweet flute, the colour is red, and the shape is triangular.

When the anáhata cakra is crossed the shape is hexagonal or circular. The colour is first blue and then greenish. The sound resembles that of a [gong] or at times that of the sea. The feeling is that of sárúpya, a feeling of sameness.

The crossing of the vishuddha cakra produces the feeling of sárśt́hi, the feeling of “I am He.” There is no particular shape and there is a mixture of various colours. The earlier sounds of bell, flute and sea develop into the beginning of the sound oṋm, and this becomes clearer and clearer until the full-fledged oṋm sound comes at last.

When the ájiṋá cakra at the trikut́i is crossed, there is no feeling of “I” or “He”, but only the feeling of “You” (“Thou art”). The remaining feeling is now simply of oneness. This feeling is called kaevalya, and there is no sound and there is no colour, because there is no expression. The state of kaevalya has some internal stages, and the last stage is called nirbiija nirvikalpa.

In sádhaná, as the mind ascends higher and higher, piercing one cakra after another, the shape at the cakra changes, the colour changes, the sound changes, and the very ectoplasm changes subtly. Finally, once the One Supreme Ultimate, which is beyond time, space, and person, is reached, there remains nothing to change.

Those who proclaim any philosophy other than the ultimate and everlasting preach falsity. Those who profess a faith claiming to be the last word from the last prophet follow an incorrect line. Prout [Progressive Utilization Theory] philosophy is ahead of such philosophies and faiths. As is stated in its fifth principle, it is a philosophy which not only sets its goal as the ultimate subjectivity (Brahma, who is unchangeable and eternal), but also adopts the objective course of adjustment according to time, space and person.

[Bábá demonstrated these basic points by touching and sending into samádhi four persons. He also showed that through the grace of the Almighty as represented by guru krpá (the guru’s grace), the evolutionary rise through sádhaná can be accelerated, and the slow walk can be maximized into a gallop. In this way samádhi can be induced from any cakra. But a success easily gained may not be fully appreciated and valued. Therefore, normally the sádhaka should be allowed to work out his success through the hard way of diligent sádhaná.

The demonstration further showed that while the samádhi experienced remains in the subconscious, sádhakas may manage to keep some control over their bodies; they may stand in the beginning and sit later on without help. But the unconscious helps only slightly and indirectly in the subconscious mind; therefore, once the subconscious fully gives way to the unconscious, the control is lost and the body falls. That is why sádhaná has to be performed sitting in a firm ásana (posture) and on a blanket or other protection, so that, should the body fall, there may be the least possible injury to the head.

Further, Bábá advised all sádhakas not to retire from society into the life of a recluse in the forest. The sádhaka should help other persons spiritually. Those engaged in worldly life should serve mankind in worldly matters, while those leading spiritual lives should serve humanity in the development of their spiritual potential. Prout wants maximum utilization of the spiritual potential of the unit as well as of the universe. Bábá said that the avadhúta who had been one of the media of the demonstration had been a great saint in his previous life, his only sin having been his self-centred abstention from any spiritual help to mankind.]

Footnotes

(1) First psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located at the base of the spine. The next five cakras are located at the base of the genital organ, at the navel, at the mid-point of the chest, at the throat, and at the trikut́i (between the eyebrows), respectively. –Eds.

Chapter 19	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

After millions of years, people have attained human form. In the course of evolution, people have passed through various stages of animal life, and as such they have accumulated many animal propensities which become manifest in the unguarded moments of life. Humanity is a stage in the process of pratisaiṋcara, whereby people have developed a special will which they can direct either towards Parama Puruśa, or towards gross matter in the path of negative pratisaiṋcara.⁽¹⁾ Human beings, due to their prominent past animal experiences, are drawn easily towards such experiences, whereas they feel less attraction towards subtle spiritual experiences.

Tantra takes note of the basic human psychology, which closely resembles that of animals. Every individual has his or her own saḿskáras, or reactions in potentiality, or complexes and sentiments. Initially, humans are ordinary animals. That is why the human being has been called a rational animal.

What is pardonable in lower life is unthinkable and intolerable in the case of humans, who have progressed a great deal in the course of spiritual evolution.

Sarve ca pashavah santi talavad bhútale naráh;
Teśáḿ jiṋána prakásháya viirabhávah prakáshitah.
Viirabhávaḿ sadá prápya krameńa devatá bhavet.

[In the beginning everyone is a pashu, an animal. But when spiritual thirst develops, these people become viira, heroic. And when they are firmly established in viirabháva, they become devatás.]

In the crude state, everyone is an animal. In any case, the first lessons in spiritual practice are intended to elevate human from their animal tendencies, and those lessons are called pashvácára or pashubháva.

With continued spiritual practice according to the dictates of the master, the aspirant comes to [human status], or viirabháva. Animals need external pressure: in pashvácára sádhaná; one controls oneself to attain elevation to viirabháva. Those beyond the animal stage cannot get elevation through external control only. They need external pressure and internal urge. With the rise of a spiritual inspiration, the aspirant becomes a viira (noble) and when this viirabháva is fully assimilated, the person becomes godlike.

This practical truth is the basis of the science of Tantra. There is no conflict between Tantra and natural sciences. According to their mental stages, human beings can be classified into animalistic, noble and godly. The master initiates the disciple according to the person’s mental and spiritual stage.

In pashvácára sádhaná, aspirants think of themselves in terms of animals (pashu), and think of their Lord as “Pashupati”. They suffer from some sort of inferiority complex. They think themselves to be very ordinary persons and incompetent to follow higher spiritual practices.

In the viirácára stage, spiritual aspirants attain greater mental and moral force. They gradually start thinking that they are no longer ordinary persons. They overcome all their inferiority or fear complexes. They attain mental stability, also. They are viira (noble), and their Lord is “Viireshvara”.

In divyácára sádhaná, they attain still loftier states of mind and establish themselves in the realm of divinity. Here they are devas [gods] and their lord is “Mahádeva”.

Footnotes

(1) Pratisaiṋcara in the Cosmic Cycle is the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. So the path of pratisaiṋcara is the path of spiritual evolution. Negative pratisaiṋcara is a step backward in one’s spiritual evolution, caused by crude or selfish thinking. –Eds.

Chapter 20	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

[Today’s topic of discussion was the differences among samádhi, senselessness and sleep.]

Samádhi: While practising spiritual sádhaná, the mind is progressively withdrawn from the physical to the psychic and then to the spiritual. The trend in spiritual practice is to merge the extroversial propensities of the indriyas [sensory and motor organs] into the citta [objective mind, mind-stuff], the citta into the aham [doer “I”], the aham into the mahat [“I exist”], and the mahat into consciousness. In the case of samádhi, the conscious mind merges into the subconscious, and the subconscious into the unconscious.⁽¹⁾ In the case of savikalpa samádhi, the unit unconscious mind becomes one with the Supreme Mind, whereas in nirvikalpa samádhi the unit unconscious mind becomes one with Supreme Consciousness.

Senselessness: The conscious mind functions with the help of both nerve-cells and nerve-fibres, while the subconscious and the unconscious function with the help of nerve-cells only. If these nerve-cells and nerve-fibres should stop functioning due to physical or mental [abnormalities], then the conscious, subconscious and unconscious will also stop functioning. This cessation of functioning produces the state of senselessness.

Sleep: Due to excessive physical and mental labour, the nerve-cells and nerve-fibres become fatigued and demand relaxation, forcing the conscious mind to cease functioning and producing the state of sleep. Often the subconscious ceases also, leaving only the unconscious to continue the work of the brain. However, sometimes the nerve-cells begin functioning during the latter part of the night, due to sudden heat in the back portion of the cranium or to an upward movement of gastric wind. The subconscious mind accordingly starts thinking or remembering, producing dreams. In the absence of the functioning of the conscious mind, these products of the subconscious are accepted as true and practical. Sometimes the dreamer actually believes that he is flying, for the non-functioning of the conscious mind prevents him from perceiving this idea to be pure imagination. Some people become extremely frightened by their dreams and produce inarticulate mutterings of fear; at times dreamers even die of heart failure. To assist a person out of a disturbing dream it helps to bring the person’s hands or feet into contact with the ground, for this aids the conscious mind in beginning to function again.

Footnotes

(1) The conscious, subconscious and unconscious minds, also known as the crude, subtle and causal minds, are the three layers of the citta. –Eds.

Chapter 21	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Even a golden vessel needs polishing occasionally. Unmaintained it gathers dust and dirt and loses its lustre. Similarly, even a good person or a sádhaka needs proper maintenance, for in a world of constant change, care must be taken that the change be always towards the better or the higher. Keeping good company is essential for this positive development. While bad company strengthens the bondage of the soul, good company is conducive to liberation and salvation. The keeping of good company is conducive to liberation and is known as satsauṋga in Sanskrit. When satsauṋga is followed, either physically or mentally or both, the subconscious mind, and thus the conscious mind, are charged with better and higher influences. This change will move the follower forward towards higher and better goals. The alternative is asatsauṋga, the keeping of bad company, which leads one into greater and greater bondage. It has been said:

Satsaungena bhavenmuktirasatsaungeśu bandhanam;
Asatsauṋga mudrańam yat tanmudrá parikiirtitá.

This means that through satsauṋga one achieves liberation; whereas asatsauṋga leads to greater bondage. [And the meaning of the second line is: “The mudrańam – shunning – of bad company is called mudrá sádhaná.”]

There are two types of satsauṋga – external and internal. Just as the best medicine is Parama Puruśa Himself, the best satsauṋga is also Parama Puruśa. Internal satsauṋga is the satsauṋga of Parama Puruśa, that is, the thought of Parama Puruśa during all the [waking] hours of the day, even when the bodily organs are engaged in worldly activities.

Internal satsauṋga is absolutely essential. Those practising internal satsauṋga may, as far as practical, attend external satsauṋga also, but if they cannot do so at any time, there will be no harm. But mere external satsauṋga, that is, the mere sitting among good persons while the mind forgets Parama Puruśa or remains engrossed in undesirable thoughts, is not good.

The importance of satsauṋga lies in the subconscious mind. In the realm of the conscious layer of the mind, processes are natural and mostly alike between human and animal, and no pápa [sin] is incurred. The unconscious layer is beyond the sphere of the active mind. The subconscious layer of the mind is of basic importance because it affects the conscious as well as the unconscious minds. It is like a two-way flow from the subconscious mind. The flow is swifter downwards, that is, towards the conscious mind. It is slower upwards, that is, towards the unconscious mind.

The subconscious mind is subject to three processes, namely, smarańa, manana and nididhyásana.⁽¹⁾

Strictly speaking nididhyásana takes place mostly beyond the subconscious mind, but the subconscious leads to it.

Smarańa means the recollecting and rethinking of what was heard earlier.

Manana means the recollecting and the rethinking of what was imbibed earlier through the other sense organs. This rumination which is involved in smarańa and manana influences the conscious mind and activates it into causing actions, good or bad, depending upon the nature of the impressions recollected and rethought during smarańa and manana. Moreover, the unconscious mind is also concerned. Thus satsauṋga, where one hears, sees, smells, etc., desirable things, leads to desirable smarańa and manana and to good actions, while the reverse is the result of bad company. When the subconscious has desirable smarańa and manana, and if they are collected and directed one-pointedly through the [subconscious] mind to Parama Puruśa, that is known as holy smarańa and holy manana. And if the subconscious smarańa and manana are focused through the unconscious onto Parama Puruśa, there is nididhyásana. Here again lies the importance of satsauṋga.

The human body is a machine moved by fifty propensities (vrttis) in the mind. These propensities are dharma, artha, káma, mokśa, avajiṋá, múrcchá, prashraya, avishvása, sarvanásha, kruratá, lajjá, pishunatá, iirśá, suśupti, viśáda, kaśáya, trśńá, moha, ghrńá, bhaya, áshá, cintá, ceśt́á, mamatá, dambha, viveka, vikalatá, ahaḿkárá, lolatá, kapat́atá, vitarka, anutápa, śad́aja, rśabha, gándhára, madhyama, paiṋcama, dhaevata, niśáda, oṋm, hummm, phat́, vaośat́, vaśat́, sváhá, namah, viśa, amrta, apará and pará.⁽²⁾ These mental propensities are regulated by certain glands in the body. This bodily machine can be manipulated at will by one who can control these glands. Control over the glands will control the propensities and this will in turn control the bodily functions.

[This was demonstrated by Bábá by taking control of certain glands in the bodies of two avadhútas.]

Footnotes

(1) And three indispensable points “in order to return home”, i.e., to attain the Supreme, are shravańa [hearing about the Supreme], manana and nididhyásana. (“Mantra Caetanya” in Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 11, 1990, or Discourses on Tantra Volume 1, 1993.) –Eds.

(2) For further information about the vrttis, see “The Subtlest Propensity” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30, 1996; “The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet” in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 8, 1988, or Discourses on Tantra Volume 1, 1993; or “Plexi and Microvita” in Yoga Psychology, 1998. –Eds.

Chapter 22	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

In the first mańd́ala [chapter] of the Rgveda, there is an important shloka:

Sarvatah páńipádantad sarvatosákśii shiromukham;
Sarvatah shrutimanloke sarvamávrtya tiśt́hati.
Sarvendriyaguńábháśáḿ sarvendriyavivarjitam;
Sarvasya Prabhu ishánaḿ sarvasya sharanaḿ vrhat.

“Parama Puruśa is infinite and omnipresent; therefore His hands and feet are spread in all directions. As this entire creation is His mental projection, it has no absolute existence to Him. He does not require any physical hands or feet; even without them He can get any work done or go anywhere He likes, through mental imagination.”

He is sarvatosákśii – that is, “He has His eyes everywhere and therefore can see everything.” In fact, without His witness-ship, no existence, whether of any object or of any mental action, can be substantiated. He does not require any physical eyes, because He resides in the very “I” of individuals. He is the Witnessing Entity behind every phenomenon. He is the head of the creation. Similarly, He has faces on all sides, because He is infinite. He has no ears as such, but still He hears because He is knowledge itself. All knowledge emanates from Him only. Therefore, although He has no sensory organs such as ears, he has no difficulty in [acquiring knowledge]. In fact, whatever, there is to be heard, He hears. He is all-pervading. In fact, the entire creation is projected on Puruśadeha.⁽¹⁾ He is sarvadyotanátmakah, which means that He is the source and repository of infinite vibrations and sounds. Therefore, there cannot be any vibration, any sound, outside or beyond Him. So all the vibrations and sounds reverberating in this universe are known to Him.

Human beings, endowed with sensory and motor organs, acquire knowledge with their help. But Parama Puruśa, being infinite, does not require any external physical sense organs.

He is the Supreme Controller, the Lord of all lords. The supreme lordship lies with Him alone.

Footnotes

(1) Literally, “body of Puruśa”; the entire created substance, causal, subtle, and crude, of the Macrocosm; Cosmic “I” + Cosmic Doer “I” + Cosmic done “I”. –Eds.

Chapter 23	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

[A good sádhaka (spiritual practitioner) was the medium for the demonstration of this samádhi. He was first asked by Bábá to examine the audience carefully with open eyes and to estimate roughly the number of individuals. He estimated there were about two hundred fifty individuals. He further stated that as he beheld all those various individuals, his mind registered different feelings and became disturbed. Then Bábá made him close his eyes and touched him.

On being asked what he saw with closed eyes, he responded, “Unity.” He saw nothing but oneness.

Then Bábá asked him to concentrate on the various cakras, from múládhára upward, and each time to try to imagine or see oneness. As the cakras under concentration rose higher and higher, the sádhaka said that he was feeling oneness more. Moreover, his mind was becoming more and more tranquil, in contrast to the disturbance he had felt earlier when viewing the audience. Finally, when his concentration reached and surpassed the ájiṋá cakra at the trikut́i (between the eyebrows), the sádhaka got more and more deeply immersed in samádhi till at last he lost control of his body.

Bábá explained that the Cosmos was, externally, a phenomenon of analysis (vishleśańa), diversity, clash, disturbance of mind and materialism (jad́atá); and internally, a matter of synthesis (saḿshleśańa), oneness, peace, tranquillity and spirituality (ádhyátma). Apará knowledge, that is, the knowledge of the external objectivity, is necessary for worldly activities, but pará knowledge, that is, the knowledge of matters internal, is supreme and superior. Apará knowledge should be controlled by pará knowledge. Educational institutions where only apará knowledge is imparted are not sufficient. Side by side the controlling pará knowledge must be taught. In fact the pará knowledge should have precedence over the apará knowledge, because uncontrolled by pará knowledge, apará knowledge will tend to produce literate brutes who might misuse their knowledge of worldly things. Controlled by pará knowledge, apará knowledge will be used for the welfare and elevation of all of humankind.

The Supreme Self is the peak of subjectivity. Because He is the goal, our approach in each and every worldly activity should be subjective; however, in the actual physical performance of activity we will have to follow the method of objective adjustment. Even when dealing with the many, one must remember that, behind the many, there is the One. We must never lose sight of the fact that the many are but the facets of the One. Even a criminal whom we may have to punish is, ultimately, a chip off the same block, Brahma. Thus orientated internally, our physical actions will always remain moral, ethical and spiritual. There will be no sins committed and there will be no degradation of the soul, even if a physical action outwardly damages or destroys someone.

In the end Bábá exhorted every Ananda Margi to work tirelessly with a smiling face in the service of mankind and at the same time devotedly and constantly perform sádhaná. Then he promised everyone his grace and the blessing of samádhi that the aforesaid sádhaka was enjoying. The name of the samádhi that he was enjoying was atimánasa yoga samádhi.]

Chapter 24	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

[One day Bábá was talking about the dilemma of the sense organ. Bábá said incidentally that there are certain aquatic animals unknown even to biologists, from whose bodies some kind of light emits. With the reflection of their light, they can see other creatures and objects around them. There are also, in less deep seas, some animals that generate electric lights to catch hold of their prey.

In this context, Bábá asked one sádhaka (spiritual practitioner) whether the human body can generate electric current or not. The sádhaka having failed to give a correct reply, Bábá explained that it was quite possible. He explained that in sádhaná human vital energy is converted into spiritual energy. In our daily life we exhaust our vital energy and compensate the same by taking food, drink, light, air, etc. While working, vital energy is transformed into mechanical energy. The same vital energy can be transformed into electric energy also, but in that case, the body will be electrocuted and the person will die. Human vital energy can be converted into magnetic energy as well.

[The process of conversion can involve many possible effects.] In the case of conversion of vital energy into spiritual force, it does not affect the body and mind. But in the case of conversion of vital energy into magnetic energy, it does affect body, mind, etc.

Demonstration

Bábá told one sádhaka to take off his garments and sit on his woollen cloth without touching the ground (woollen cloth is a non-conductor). Then Bábá touched his right and left ribs and navel and told him to concentrate his mind.

After a few minutes, his palm was trembling. Then Bábá asked another sádhaka to [touch the left rib of the first sádhaka.]

The second sádhaka did so and felt an electric shock. Then three sádhakas more touched the first sádhaka’s body and felt the same kind of shock. Next Bábá took the sádhaka on his lap and rubbed his sweet hand on his body, hand, etc. Next Bábá touched him on the trikut́i (between the eyebrows) and helped him to go into a trance. This time his vital energy was reconverted into spiritual energy.]

Chapter 25	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Bhaktir Bhagavato sevá bhaktih prema svarúpińii;
Bhaktiránanda rúpá ca bhakti bhaktasya jiivanam.

“Bhakti means rendering service unto Parama Puruśa. It is of the nature of love and ánandam, or bliss. It is verily the life-force of the bhakta.”

Now what is bhakti? Bhakti has been defined in Ánanda Sútram⁽¹⁾ as Bhaktirbhagavad bhávaná na stutirnárcaná [“Devotion is ideation on God, not flattery of God or ritualistic worship”]. The word bhakti is derived from the root verb bhaj plus the suffix ktin. It means “to worship”.

One may have attachment towards physical objects as well as towards Parama Puruśa. The attachment to physicality is called ásakti or viśayánurakti, while the deep attachment to Parama Puruśa is called paránurakti or bhakti.

Sá paránuraktiriishvare – “To take the constant ideation of Parama Puruśa is bhakti.”

Na stutirnárcaná. The word stuti is derived from stu plus the suffix ktin, and means “to praise to the very face”. Bhakti cannot be identified with árcaná either, which means to worship the deity with flowers, leaves, [holy] water or other articles. Stuti is no better than toadyism or flattery. In it there is little of sincere devotion.

Suppose a father is praised by his sons and daughters to his very face. He may actually be angry with them instead of being pleased. Similarly, worship with external objects only takes place within the scope of time, place and person. It is difficult [in this way] to establish oneself in the realm of the Absolute. It is only with His ideation that the spiritual aspirant proceeds towards Parama Puruśa bit by bit. The more one takes His ideation, the more one will near Him. This general increase in proximity will generate devotion in the heart of the spiritual aspirant.

Cittanádii ubhayatah praváhinii. This means that the human mind may flow towards the relative world as well as towards the Absolute. This extroversial trend of the mind towards matter is aparánurakti, and the introversial trend is paránurakti. Bhakti, or attraction, is a natural law in the universe. The vast solar universe retains its balance because of the mutual attraction of the planets. Human beings are drawn easily to the fertile alluvial plains where there is easy scope for plenty of production of food materials. Sweet and scented flowers attract honey-bees. Human beings madly run after money and materials as they provide them with security and comforts. But no non-integral object can ever be the strong and permanent fundament of human life. Only Parama Puruśa, who is eternal and unchanging, can provide the permanent basis of human life.

This world is a changing phenomenon. That is why it is foolishness to depend on any changing reality for permanent shelter. In accordance with changes in time and space, there shall be changes in the names and forms of things. The boy of today becomes a young man, and the youth becomes the old and decrepit man of tomorrow. Only Parama Puruśa is unchanging; therefore, only He is to be accepted as the goal of life.

There are different gradations of devotion, such as nirguńa bhakti, vaedhii bhakti, jiṋánamishrá bhakti, kevalá bhakti, rágánugá, rágátmika, etc., in accordance with the degree of intensity of the love for Parama Puruśa.

Footnotes

(1) Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Ánanda Sútram, 1962. –Eds.

Chapter 26	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Along with changes in the wavelengths of objects, there are corresponding changes in the external surfaces of physical structures. Vibrations, sound, form and colour also change.

Demonstration

[One day two sádhakas [spiritual practitioners] were sitting on Bábá’s lap. Another sádhaka clearly saw that two living human beings were sitting on Bábá’s lap. The next moment, when, as directed by Bábá, he looked at those two figures, he saw, to his utter amazement, two stone chips. Later on, he began to mark, with still greater wonder, that those two figures were successively changed into (1) two terrifying giants, (2) two ferocious tigers, (3) two human skulls, (4) two monkeys, (5) two mangoes of leḿŕa variety, (6) two sweet potatoes, (7) two grains of paddy, (8) two grains of cúŕá [beaten rice], (9) two goats, (10) two dogs, (11) two lotuses, etc. Later on, when the observing sádhaka joined hands with them, all three were transformed into (1) three one year-old children, (2) a three-legged table, (3) a chair, (4) a copy of Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 1.

This series of changes occurred due to changes in the wavelengths of different entities.

Chapter 27	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

[The first topic involved five things, namely, the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, the unconscious mind, cerebral memory and extra-cerebral memory. Physical actions such as seeing, smelling, hearing, etc., are within the scope of the conscious mind. Functions such as recollection and thinking fall within the field of the subconscious mind.]

Cerebral memory is achieved by the subconscious mind with the help of the nerve-cells and the nerve-fibres. This is the first prong in the three-pronged activity of the subconscious mind, [the other two being extra-cerebral] memory and revelation. This first prong, cerebral memory, covers recollection only of the things belonging to the present life.

The second prong is extra-cerebral memory, which is the recollection of matters of previous lives. The subconscious mind achieves this independently of the nerve-cells and nerve-fibres.

The third prong deals with the sudden flashes of profound knowledge called revelations. These flashes originate from the unconscious mind and are received from there and transmitted to the conscious mind by the subconscious mind with the aid of the nerve-cells and the nerve-fibres.

[The second item dealt with the subject of saḿskáras (mental reactive momenta) as they exhibit themselves in colours. Bábá touched various persons and also various parts of the body of the same persons. From the reactions uttered by those so touched he demonstrated the following truths:]

1. Different persons have different lights at one and the same time.
2. The same person has different lights at different times.

[The conclusion was that, although there is a certain definite proportion in which paiṋcabhútas (five fundamental factors) exist in the body, the proportion changes slightly at different times, depending upon the saḿskáras ruling at a given moment, and the lights change accordingly.]

Sitting in viirásana [hero posture] and gazing at the tip of the nose, one will see some colour or other. The mind has to be kept away from the tip of the nose. What colours are seen in this posture will determine whether the faculties are in an aptitude for physical or mental or spiritual activity.

If the colour is golden-yellow or earth-yellow, then kśititattva [solid factor] dominates, and if the colour is watery white, then apatattva [liquid factor] dominates. Both these colours are good for physical activities. When the red colour appears there is a domination of tejastattva [luminous factor], and the time is good for physical activity and, to some extent, for mental activity.

If the colour is blue or green, then maruttattva [aerial factor] is in preponderance and the time is opportune for mental activity and also for spiritual activity.

With the light showing is snow-white or a mixture of colours, the time is ideally suitable for spiritual activity, such as sádhaná, and there is a dominance of ákáshatattva [ethereal factor].

[While dealing with the unconscious mind and the extra-cerebral memory, a question was posed by Bábá whether they could be equated on the ground that both are beyond the subconscious. The answer as given by an avadhúta and amplified by Bábá himself was that the two could not be equated. First, the extra-cerebral memory remembers only the past lives, whereas the unconscious mind knows all about the present and the future as well as the past. Secondly, while nerve-fibres and nerve[-cells] come into play when the subconscious mind receives flashes of the knowledge from the unconscious, there is no dependence upon these cells and fibres when the extra-cerebral memory is concerned.]

Chapter 28	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Sádhaná takes place in the subconscious mind.

Human beings are called mánuśya or mánuśa, etc. They are called by terms in which the word mana [mind] occurs in one form or other, because the human is a mana-pradhána [mind-dominated] creature. They are beings in whom the mind and thinking are the predominant moving forces, and in whom the instinct does not play the role which it plays in the other animals.

Demonstration

[Bábá touched a person at various cakras, starting from the mańipura and proceeding upwards to the ájiṋá cakra.⁽¹⁾ Sounds beginning with the tick-tick of a cricket and growing finer and sweeter into the sound of the páyala [ankle bells], and later into the sounds of a flute, were heard by the medium of the demonstration. At the anáhata cakra,⁽²⁾ the páyala sounds kept rhythm with the heartbeats as if in a dance. Bábá explained that there is a primordial Cosmic sound that corresponds to the initial creation, when the planets are in formation; while the flute sound corresponds to the stages of control of unit minds by the Creator in the fully-created Cosmos. This mind-stealing sweet sound is called muralii manohara kii dhvani by yogis.]

Footnotes

(1) That is, from the third psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located at the navel, up to the sixth plexus, located between the eyebrows. –Eds.

(2) Fourth psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located at the mid-point of the chest. –Eds.

Chapter 29	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

There are two kinds of knowledge, namely, pará and apará. Apará knowledge seeks to subjectivize the external objectivity, while pará aims at the subjectivization of the internal objectivity.

Apará is temporary and imperfect in the very nature of things. If a graduate in any subject were to reappear for examination in the same subject with the same question paper after a considerable lapse of time, that person might not be able to pass the examination because in the meantime they would have forgotten much of the apará knowledge they possessed at the time of the examination. Moreover, if the medium is defective in some way or other, the very initial impartation of the knowledge may be defective. There may be a printing mistake, or there may be an error on the part of the author himself, or the external objectivity which forms the subject may itself have changed and what was taught about it some time ago may no longer be correct.

Pará knowledge, on the other hand, is always exact and correct and permanent and lasting, because its subject is Parama Puruśa Himself.

Comparatively speaking and in ultimate terms, it is pará knowledge which is worthwhile rather than apará knowledge. But because Ananda Marga is a path on which the external objectivity is not ignored, although the ultimate goal remains the ultimate subjectivity, that is, Parama Puruśa, the correct course is to gain the maximum pará knowledge and along with it to acquire such and so much of apará knowledge as may be found helpful and necessary while dealing with the external objectivity.

Shastra knowledge and shástra knowledge are both necessary. If the one is lacking the other gets jeopardized. Shastra [literally, “weapon”] denotes what protects the physical, the metaphysical and the spiritual existence. Shástra, which has its root in the word shásana [administration], means the discipline that leads to spiritual perfection. If there be no protection for the physical and the metaphysical existence, then the spiritual journey cannot begin at all. If a sádhaka [spiritual practitioner] cannot have the security of life and limb to perform his sádhaná, the very question of sádhaná will not arise. Without shástra, on the other hand, shastra will be useless and aimless, because the ultimate objective of Parama Puruśa can be gained only through shástra.

There are fifty mental propensities in a human being. The lower creatures have fewer and fewer propensities as each species descends lower and lower on the scale. The human is the most complex creature. Each propensity is controlled by its respective gland. Forty-nine of the fifty pertain to the field of apará knowledge, while the fiftieth is the pará propensity, ruled by its gland.

[Bábá demonstrated this by touching some of these fifty glands, including the pará gland, and by obtaining answers at each stage from the sádhaka who was the medium of the demonstration.]

There are the following three mental attitudes for a sádhaka, vis-a-vis the Lord, in rising order of excellence:

Good: “He belongs to everybody and therefore He belongs to me also.”

Better: “He belongs to me and therefore He belongs to everybody.”

Best: “He is my personal property and He does not belong to anybody else.”

Chapter 30	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Ati-snáyukaośika jiṋána (extra-cerebral knowledge) and sútrátmágata jiṋána are two types of knowledge. Their expression is possible only in human life. Human life is, therefore, very, very important. Persons who do not utilize their valuable human life in fullest measure can be called anything, but not wise.

Do ati-snáyukaośika jiṋána and sútrátmágata jiṋána come within the periphery of absolute knowledge, or do they come within the scope of relative knowledge?

We call “absolute knowledge” that which concerns the One Supreme, who is also called sahaja. (Sahaja means “one who is born [of oneself]”: saha means “together” and ja means “born”. Alternatively, sahajáta.) And that is why ati-snáyukaośika jiṋána and sútrátmágata jiṋána both are relative knowledge – because they are dependent on the relative factors of time, space, and person and are not concerned with Him.

For example, in about 1920 there were only the three districts of Dacca, Mymensinghganj and [Bakharganj] in Dacca Division, but because of change in time during the span of fifty years, now, that is, in 1969 AD, places and persons have also changed and there are four districts in Dacca Division. [Bábá cited a few other examples also.]

Change occurs in a collection of waves of different wavelengths. Change in waves results in the change in their wavelengths, and that causes change in things. When you get vibrated by particular visual waves under particular circumstances, you see one thing. What you saw may be correct or may not be correct. That depends completely on the circumstances in which you saw the thing. The unit mind and the Cosmic Mind both emanate light-waves and also accept them. As when you think of an elephant, you know that the elephant created in your imagination is not true. Similarly, the elephant that is created in the imagination of the Lord is not true for Him but is true for humans. What the Lord creates in His imaginative flow is liilá for humans, as humans do not know the cause of that creation. And what jiivas create through their own imaginative power is kriidá for them. Whatever you create is a mere reflection of His liilá and not the original. You cannot create anything original. Things created by your kriidá must have resemblance to one or other thing created in His liilá or a mixture of those things.

The Lord creates original things in His liilá. When the jiiva is in his or her jiivabháva (is individuality-conscious), his internal waves are imaginary for him, but external things are true for him, as they are the result of His liilá or His saḿkalpa. Humans perceive external things according to their reactive momenta or saḿskáras. But while you are experiencing a dream, what you think in the dream [is as true for you as what you see externally while awake]. When through sádhaná your mind gets unified with that of the Lord, this external world becomes imaginary for you.

The universe is but the play of vibrations and can be controlled by developing control over these vibrations. When the causal factor is known to you, it is kriidá, and when the causal factor is not known to you, it is liilá.

When you bring under your control this world which is made by the vibrating waves of His liilá, this world is subject for you. Yours is a subject without any object and that is pralaya⁽¹⁾ in unit life.

If Saguńa Brahma withdraws Its thought-waves, this world will be destroyed and there will occur pralaya in collective life. But pralaya in the collective life of the universe is impossible.

[Then Bábá demonstrated how by controlling vibrations and by effecting changes in the wavelengths of these vibrations, existent things disappear and non-existent things appear. He also demonstrated the display of internal vision (antardrśt́i, or antaryámitva). At last he concluded:] Be one with Him and know everything. If you want to know all, try to know One. If you try to know all, you won’t be able to know anything.

Footnotes

(1) Literally “annihilation”. Objectivity is annihilated, meaning that the distinction between subject and object is lost. This is spiritual emancipation. –Eds.

Chapter 31	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

[This discourse centred mainly on the idea that nothing in this expressed universe is to be depended on absolutely because there is nothing absolute. Only one Absolute Entity, who is the very nave of this entire universe, and eternal, is to be depended on absolutely. Absolute dependence should be only upon Him who can do anything and everything, who is omniscient. He does whatever He likes according to His whims. He is not to be guided by anyone’s logic, reasonings and desires. How can He be expected to be guided by reasonings of beings who have been created by Him during His liilá (divine sport)?

Then Bábá demonstrated how things can be seen by organs other than the eyes, namely, the skin, the ears, the nose, the tongue, and even without the help of any organ, if so desired by Him.

He explained that actually the eyes, nose, ears, etc., are not the organs. They are only gateways through which different waves enter and activate the mind, and the mind starts seeing, smelling, hearing, etc. If the mind can be activated otherwise, the mind can perceive things even without the help of any organs. That can occur only if so desired by Him. Anything and everything can happen if He pleases. A man can be converted into a stone, a stone can be changed into a man. A man can be transformed into a woman or an animal and vice versa. But it is desirable that a stone should be transformed into a man and not vice versa.

If a man is transformed into a woman, then by gradual glandular change the man’s body will be transformed into that of a woman. But if the man is converted into an animal, the man will die, because there is a vast difference between a human body and the body of an animal.

Every bodiless mind has a light according to the reactive momenta it is carrying. If a particular person lends a bit of his own ectoplasmic stuff to that bodiless mind, it will get a form (mental body) according to its saḿskáras [mental reactive momenta], and the form can be seen. Thus it can be seen what that bodiless mind will be after rebirth, etc.

After demonstrating thus so many phenomena, as mentioned above, Bábá concluded:] No use in seeing all these things. Try to see only One.

	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF DEVOTEES

As mentioned in the Publisher’s Note, in the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series some types of discourse are normally assigned to this appendix. The discourse “You Must Live Glorious Lives” was recovered in the form of typed discourse notes and hence has been assigned here. For more information regarding the source of this discourse, please see its individual entry at the end of the Publisher’s Note.

Writers who wish to quote from this discourse should attribute the material to the “Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 31 appendix”.

Chapter 32	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

Human beings want to live dignified lives; they do not want to live insignificant lives like earthworms. If someone is told to live like an earthworm, he or she will simply refuse. In the Vedas it has been said:

Kurvanneveha karmáńi jijiiviśecchataḿ samáh;
Evaḿ tvayi nányatheto’sti na karma lipyate nare.⁽¹⁾

[While performing actions in this world, cherish the desire to live for a hundred years. You will not get enmeshed in actional bondage. There is no other way.]

“While living a life charged with action, one should pray to live for one hundred years, only to continue performing noble deeds.”

There is a common notion that people in ancient times lived longer than the people of today; but this is incorrect. Rather due to scientific progress and advances in medical science, as well as spiritual progress in Tantra Yoga, modern humans are living longer lives than the ancients. People in the olden days hardly lived longer than forty-five years; but today people live much longer. To live a life of one hundred years was a rare accomplishment in those days. And thus the sage said, “Human beings may pray to God for a long life of one hundred years – in order to perform noble deeds” (otherwise why should they drag on their existences unnecessarily?). In the present-day world, there are a few people who have passed the age of one hundred, but not very many. There is a Bengali poem:

Nará gajá bishe sha-y tár ardhek bánce hay;
Báish balda tera cháglá bale gela bará páglá.

[Humans and elephants live for one hundred twenty years. A horse lives for half that time; a bullock for twenty-two years, and a goat for thirteen years. That was the calculation of the astrologer Baraha.]

Human beings and elephants live as long as one hundred twenty years; bullocks live over twenty-two years, and goats thirteen years. This was observed by the great astrologer Baraha. But although the human beings of today may live even longer than that, mere survival is not enough; what is important is to live a dignified life. The excellence of human life lies in action; it is through action that human beings survive. They should aspire to live long while performing noble deeds; it is futile to live just like an earthworm. Indeed, each and every human being should vow, “I do not know how long I will survive; but as long as I exist I will live a glorious life, not an ignominious existence like that of an earthworm.”

Human beings have to earn their livelihood and perform their assigned duties. The degree of physical labour they have to perform depends on the economic condition of their land. The citizens of those countries which are socio-economically developed have to perform less physical labour; instead their intellectual labour has increased. This is the natural law. The human beings who lived one hundred years ago used to perform much more manual labour than do those of today. Those who washed clothes used to stand in knee-deep water. This type of life for years on end markedly reduced their longevity, and thus washermen and women did not live longer than forty to forty-five years; their excessive physical labour would shatter their health. Due to their lack of knowledge of hygiene and absence of spiritual practice, their life-spans were shortened.

Spiritual practice makes the mind calm and quiet, and maintains the nerves in a state of equipoise; and thus spiritual practice increases longevity. Those Vaishnavites who are vegetarians, who regularly sing spiritual songs, do meditation, perform virtuous deeds and think pure thoughts, live longer than ninety years.

Now, one may say that some people like Vivekananda did not live long; but the cause of their early death was excessive labour. Extreme physical labour definitely reduces one’s longevity. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lived [less than fifty] years; he could perhaps have lived longer, but due to excessive labour, he could not survive. He undertook long tours throughout India on foot. Shankaracharya did not live long, either, because he also toured India on foot; he walked from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas. This extreme physical labour told upon his health; otherwise he could perhaps have lived longer.

I want you all to live long – but you must live glorious lives, not like those of earthworms. Your lives should be bustling with activity.

Human beings always yearn for the destruction of the evil forces, for the removal of darkness and the flooding of effulgent light. Let your dynamic forward movement make your lives ever joyful – see that you never lag behind, or slump down dejected. No human being wants this. Rather let your slogan always be, Caraeveti, caraeveti [“Move on, move on”]. Let the chant of your forward movement be ever on your lips.

In India, particularly in Bengal in early autumn, when, in the midst of constant movement, people get a slight respite from their worldly responsibilities, they get the scope to think deeply about life. In the month of Bhádra [mid-August to mid-September] the early autumn paddy has already been harvested, and the late autumn paddy will be harvested some time later. During this period people cannot remain inactive: they will have to move ever forward. During this time, they long in their heart of hearts for the victory of the righteous forces over the evil forces.

You might have noticed in the pillars of King Ashoka, a lion is standing upon a wheel. Here the lion is the symbol of the evil forces: it may be the king of beasts, but however powerful it might be, it is after all only an animal. Tathápi siḿgha pashureva nanyah – “Yet a lion is an animal, nothing more.”

Here [in relation to Bengal] the lion means Mansingha [the general of Akbar]. Once Mansingha sent a letter to Pratapaditya, the king of Jessore, and along with the letter he sent a chain and a sword, asking him to choose between the two. King Pratapaditya quickly called a meeting and told his courtiers that he was going to choose the sword, and leave the chain for the animals. To him a lion, however powerful it might be, was after all only an animal. For his part in this Mansingha was universally condemned: his action was despicable because he was trying to seize someone else’s freedom. People always long for the victory of the righteous forces over evil, and in this autumn season people pondered deeply over this. In the process, they developed this festival of victory, celebrating the triumph of humanity over the negative forces.

At the time when Krittivas, the famous Bengali poet, wrote the Bengali Rámáyańa, long after the time of Valmiki’s original Rámáyańa, all languages except Sanskrit were considered to be people’s languages [dialects]. Krittivas wrote the Rámáyańa in Bengali during the Pathan rule, in the reign of Nawab Hussain Shah. In his book Krittivas linked this autumn festival to Ramchandra’s victory celebration as depicted in the original Rámáyańa.

You should remember that this type of victory celebration was also popular during the Buddhist period, when people used to organize autumn festivals with much music, dance and revelry. In the original Rámáyańa, Ramchandra attained victory in the Lanka war, and hence there was a victory celebration. But Krittivas added a religious dimension to the victory celebration of Bengal. Actually the former victory celebration was nothing but an autumn festival.

During this season, all of nature remains pure and sentient: the sky is free from clouds, and there is an atmosphere of joy all around. A sweet breeze blows, and the beautiful kush and kásh grasses abound everywhere. In fact, the entire environment makes people intoxicated with joy. Against this background, people long for the victory of righteousness over the evil forces, the victory of knowledge and wisdom over the darkness of ignorance. This is how the autumn festival originated in Bengal. At an early stage, this autumn festival had nothing to do with the worship of Durgá [attributed by Krittivas to] by King Ramchandra.

Moreover, when the goddess Durgá was worshipped in earliest days, she was an eight-armed deity. In all the Puranas [mythological scriptures] over 1200 years old, such as the Márkańd́eya Puráńa, the Brhat Nandikeshvara Puráńa, the Devii Puráńa and the Káliká Puráńa, the deity was invariably eight-armed. In those days in Maharashtra also, the custom of worshipping the eight-armed goddess was also popular. The worship of the ten-armed goddess Durgá was first introduced by Kansa Narayana, king of Taherpur of Rajsahi District of Bangladesh.

This victory celebration was clearly symbolic of the victory of humanity over the evil forces, over the forces of destruction. Thus human beings should take a vow that their lives will be utilized in waging a ceaseless struggle against the demonic forces. The very prospect of this struggle brings joy, and the joy becomes still greater when the evil forces are totally vanquished and righteousness is established. And in this great task of establishing righteousness, we also should make a maximum contribution.

Footnotes

(1) Iśa Upaniśad.

	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 33

ÁCÁRYA m. or ÁCÁRYÁ f. Spiritual teacher qualified to teach all lessons of meditation.
AHAM, AHAḾTATTVA. Doer “I”, ego, second mental subjectivity.
ÁNANDA. Divine bliss.
ANANDA MARGA. Path of divine bliss; Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Ananda Marga organization).
ÁRÁDHANÁ. Irresistible urge for the Lord; forgetting oneself in the pursuit of the Lord.
ÁTMÁ, ÁTMAN. Soul, consciousness, PURUŚA, pure cognition. The átman of the Cosmos is PARAMÁTMAN, and that of the unit is the jiivátman.
AVADHÚTA m. or AVADHÚTIKÁ f. Literally, “one who is thoroughly cleansed mentally and spiritually”; a monk or nun of an order close to the tradition of Shaeva Tantra.
ÁVARAŃII SHAKTI. An expression of avidyá shakti, or AVIDYÁ, which one experiences as the delusion “If I do not think about the Supreme, the Supreme will not think about me either, and I will escape the consequences of my past actions.”
AVIDYÁ. Ignorance; centrifugal, or extroversial, force; force of repulsion from the Nucleus Consciousness; aspect of the Cosmic Operative Principle which guides movements from the subtle to the crude. See also VIDYÁ.

BÁBÁ. Affectionate name for Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti.
BHAKTA. Devotee.
BHAKTI. Devotion.
BRAHMA. Supreme Entity, comprising both PURUŚA, or Shiva, and PRAKRTI, or Shakti.
BRAHMA CAKRA. Cosmic Cycle.

CAKRA. Cycle or circle; psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus. The cakras in the human body are all located along the suśumná canal which passes through the length of the spinal column and extends up to the crown of the head. Some cakras, however, are associated with external concentration points. The concentration points for the cakras: (1) for the múládhára cakra, the base of the spine, above the perineum; (2) for the svádhiśt́hána, the base of the genital organ; (3) for the mańipura, the navel; (4) for the anáhata, the mid-point of the chest; (5) for the vishuddha, the throat; (6) for the ájiṋá, between the eyebrows; and (7) for the sahasrára, the crown of the head.
CITTA. Done “I”, objective “I”, objective mind, mind-stuff.

DÁDÁ m. or DIDI f. Literally, “elder brother” or “elder sister”; may refer to an ÁCÁRYA or ÁCÁRYÁ of ANANDA MARGA.
DHARMA. Characteristic property; spirituality; the path of righteousness in social affairs.
DHYÁNA. Meditation in which the psyche is directed towards Consciousness.

GUŃA. Binding factor or principle; attribute; quality. PRAKRTI, the Cosmic Operative Principle, is composed of: sattvaguńa, the sentient principle; rajoguńa, the mutative principle; and tamoguńa, the static principle.

HLÁDINII SHAKTI, RÁDHIKÁ SHAKTI. An expression of vidyá shakti, or VIDYÁ, which one experiences as a desire to do something practical towards spiritual attainment.

INDRIYA. One of the five sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin) or five motor organs (hands, feet, vocal cord, genital organ and excretory organ). The eye indriya (for example) comprises the eye itself, the optical nerve, the fluid in the nerve, and the location in the brain at which the visual stimulus is transmitted to the ectoplasm, or mind-stuff.

JIIVA. An individual being.
JIIVÁTMÁ. See ÁTMÁ.
JIṊÁNA. Knowledge; understanding.
JIṊÁNII. A SÁDHAKA who follows the path of knowledge or discrimination.

KARMA. Action.
KARMII. A SÁDHAKA who follows the path of action or work.
KRPÁ. Spiritual grace.

LIILÁ. Divine sport.

MAHATTATTVA. “I” (“I am,” “I exist”) feeling, existential “I”.
MARGI. A member of Ananda Marga.
MÁYÁ. Creative Principle, PRAKRTI in Her phase of creation. One aspect of Máyá is the power to cause the illusion that the finite created objects are the ultimate truth.

OṊM. The sound of the first vibration of creation; the biija
mantra (acoustic root) of the expressed universe. Oṋḿkára
literally means “the sound oṋm”.

PÁPA. Sin.
PARAMA PURUŚA. Supreme Consciousness.
PARAMÁTMÁ, PARAMÁTMAN. Supreme Consciousness in the role of witness of His own macropsychic conation. Paramátman comprises: (1) PURUŚOTTAMA, the Macrocosmic Nucleus; (2) Puruśottama’s association with all creation in His extroversive movement (prota yoga); and (3) Puruśottama’s association with each unit creation individually (ota yoga) and (4) with all collectively (prota yoga) in His introversive movement.
PRAKRTI, PARAMÁ PRAKRTI. Cosmic Operative Principle.
PRATISAIṊCARA. In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to the Nucleus Consciousness. (Prati means “counter” and saiṋcara means “movement”.)
PUŃYA. Virtue.
PURUŚA. Consciousness.
PURUŚOTTAMA, PARAMASHIVA. The Nucleus Consciousness, the witness of saiṋcara (extroversion from the Nucleus) and pratisaiṋcara (introversion to the Nucleus).

QUINQUELEMENTAL. Composed of the ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid factors, or elements.

RÁDHIKÁ SHAKTI. See HLÁDINII SHAKTI.

SÁDHAKA. Spiritual practitioner.
SÁDHANÁ. Literally, “sustained effort”; spiritual practice; meditation.
SAIṊCARA. In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from the Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter.
SAMÁDHI. “Absorption” of the unit mind into the Cosmic Mind (savikalpa samádhi) or into the ÁTMAN (nirvikalpa samádhi). There are also various kinds of samádhi that involve only partial absorption and have their own distinguishing characteristics, according to the technique of spiritual practice followed.
SAḾSKÁRA. Mental reactive momentum, potential mental reaction.
SAMVIT SHAKTI. An expression of vidyá shakti, or VIDYÁ, which one experiences as the realization that life has a higher purpose. SANNYÁSII m. or SANNYÁSINII f. Literally, “one who has surrendered one’s everything to the Cosmic will” or “one who ensconces oneself in Sat, the unchangeable entity”; a renunciant.
SATSAUṊGA. Good company.
SHAKTI. PRAKRTI; energy; a deification of Prakrti.
SHÁSTRA. Scripture.
SHLOKA. A Sanskrit couplet expressing one idea.

TANTRA. A spiritual tradition that originated in India in prehistoric times and was first systematized by Shiva. It emphasizes the development of human vigour, both through meditation and through confrontation of difficult external situations, to overcome all fears and weaknesses. Also, a scripture expounding that tradition.

VEDA. Literally, “knowledge”; hence, a composition imparting spiritual knowledge. Also, a religious or philosophical school which originated among the Aryans and was brought by them to India. It is based on the Vedas and emphasizes the use of ritual to gain the intervention of the gods.
VIDYÁ. Centripetal, or introversial, force; force of attraction to the Nucleus Consciousness; aspect of the Cosmic Operative Principle which guides movements from the crude to the subtle. See also AVIDYÁ.
VIKŚEPA SHAKTI. An expression of avidyá shakti, or AVIDYÁ, which one experiences as the delusion that if one remains aloof from the Supreme, the Supreme will not be in a position to control his or her destiny.

YOGA. Spiritual practice leading to unification of the unit ÁTMAN with PARAMÁTMAN.