Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Neohumanism is a world-view characterized by love for the Supreme. In the early stages of developing one’s spiritual devotion, the adoption of Neohumanistic principles – that is, abjuring all prejudices against other races, groups, religions, and less-evolved creatures – will safeguard and enhance the development of that devotion.

And once, in turn, a person comes to feel devotion for the Supreme, that devotion or love will ultimately overflow onto all objects created by the Supreme. One will come spontaneously to love all beings and objects as one loves the Supreme, free from any discrimination.

So devotion expands one’s world-view, and the more expansive the world-view, the more one finds the ecstasy and peace of devotion.

Yet in the course of fighting for a Neohumanistic society, one will have to use all one’s rational faculties and all the resources of information at one’s command. One will have to take a courageous and also a very hard-headed approach in identifying and combatting forces of selfishness and vested interest.

Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar first focused the attention of his students and disciples on the concept of Neohumanism in 1981, with the series of discourses that came to be published as The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism. But in fact he had already been using the term Nayá Mánavatávád or Navyamánavatávád (“Neohumanism”) for at least ten years prior to that. Six years after the publication of The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, he authorized the start of a series designed to contain his other Neohumanism-related discourses: those that had come before The Liberation of Intellect, those that had come after The Liberation of Intellect, and those that might still come in the future (as of 1987). Two parts of that series – Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 and Part 2 – were published during the author’s lifetime, and at least one more part, Part 3, is expected to come soon. (The present book is the second edition of Part 1.)

Please note that the article “The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata”, originally published under that title in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6, was later published in the First Edition of Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 as “Trifarious Development in Human Life”. In this Second Edition, the original title has once again been used.

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.

In all cases where a tape was in existence for a discourse given in English, we have re-edited the published discourse with reference to that tape. Where a tape was in existence for a discourse given in three languages, we have re-edited the published discourse with reference to the English portions of that tape.

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

Wherever it is noted below that there was more than one existing translation of the same discourse, all the existing translations have been consulted in preparing the discourse for this edition. All retranslations (“retr.”) that were done for this edition took all possible material from existing translations.

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.

“The Neohumanism of Sadvipras”. Originally published in Bengali as part of “Sámájik Múlya o Mánavik Maola Niiti” in Abhimata 2, c. 1970. First English publication as part of “Social Values and Human Cardinal Principles”, in a magazine. Second English publication as part of “Social Values and Human Cardinal Principles” in Supreme Expression 2, 1978. Third English publication as part of “Social Values and Human Cardinal Principles” in A Few Problems Solved Part 2, 1987, retr. by ÁVA and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Retr. by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Ádhyátmika, Mánasika o Jágatika Bhúmi” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 6. First English publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 6, 1987, tr. by ÁVA and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Second English publication as “Trifarious Development in Human Life” in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, retr. by ÁVA. Retr. by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“An Ideal Life”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Ádarsha Jiivana” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7. First English publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, retr. by ÁVA. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Exploitation – No More”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Shośańa Calbe Ná” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7. First English publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Subjective Approach through Objective Adjustment”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 14, 1981. Re-edited.

“Dogma and Human Intellect”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in Bengali as “Bhávajad́atá o Mánava Maniiśá” in Abhimata 4, 1985, tr. by ÁVA. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Re-edited.

“Dogma – No More”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 14, 1981. Re-edited.

“Rise above All Complexes”. Discourse in English. Originally published in Bengali as “Sab Rakam Kamplekser Úrdhve Ut́hbe” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 15, 1980. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 4, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“The Liberation of Intellect”. Originally published in Bengali as “Buddhir Mukti” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 18. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 4, 1988, retr. by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Liberation from Staticity”. Originally published in Bengali as “Jad́atár Mukti” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 18. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 4, 1988, retr. by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“What Is Dogma?” Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “D́agmá Jinist́á Kii?” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 19. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Reality and Intellectuality”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Vástavikatá o Baoddhikatá” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 19. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Pseudo-Spirituality and Neohumanism”. Discourse in Bengali, English and Hindi. Tape. Originally published in English in a booklet. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Third English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988. Re-edited.

“Perfect Spirituality and Neohumanism”. Discourse in Bengali, English and Hindi. Tape. Originally published in English in a booklet. First Bengali publication as “Vishuddha Ádhyátmikatá o Navyamánavatá Márga” in Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 16. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Third English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988. Re-edited.

“The Status of Inanimation in the Philosophy of Neohumanism”. Discourse in English. Tape now inaudible. Originally published in Bengali as “Navyamánavatáváde Apráńiinatár Sthána” in Abhimata 5, 1985. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Humanity Is at the Threshold of a New Era”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in Bengali as “Mánavatá Nava Cintádhárár Caukát́he” in Abhimata 5, 1985. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Re-edited.

“Trifarious Expression.” Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Trimukhii Abhivyakti” in Abhimata 5, 1985. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Education and Neohumanism”. Discourse in English. Originally published in Bengali as “Shikśá o Navyamánavatávád” in Abhimata 5, 1985. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Existential Flow and Its Culminating Point”. Discourse in English, Bengali and Hindi. Tape. Originally published in Bengali as “Ástitvik Gati o Caram Parińati” in Subháśita Saḿgraha 17, 1987. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Re-edited.

Key:
ÁVA = Ácáryá Vijayánanda Avadhúta
ÁAA = Ácáryá Acyutánanda Avadhúta

Chapter 1	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

To sadvipras [spiritual revolutionaries] the value of human life surpasses all other values. So states and scriptures, societies and religions, acquire significance only insofar as they develop humanity to the maximum through learning, culture, physical health and economic plenty. It is for the sake of developing humanity that civilization has so many institutions of different kinds, that states take their various forms, that theories proliferate, and that the scriptures abound in ordinances and regulations. What in the world does the state stand for, what is the use of all these regulations, and what are the marvels of civilization for, if people are prevented from manifesting themselves, if they do not get the opportunity to build good physiques, to invigorate their intelligence with knowledge, or to broaden their hearts with love and compassion? If, instead of tending to lead human beings to the goal of life, the state stands in the way, it cannot command loyalty, because humanity is superior to the state. According to Rabindranath Tagore, “Justice and law at the cost of humanity is like a stone instead of bread. Maybe that stone is rare and valuable, but it cannot remove hunger.”

It is customary to give preference to social value⁽¹⁾ over human value. Sadvipras want to strike at the root of this custom. For them, human value takes precedence over social value. Human beings form the society, and hence human value must lay the foundation for the social value. In other words, those who show respect to human value will be entitled to social value. It was mentioned earlier that human value means nothing but to treat the joys and sorrows, hopes and aspirations of human beings sympathetically, and see them merged in Cosmic Consciousness and established in divine majesty. And if one is to elevate oneself to that sublime height, he or she will have to be supplied with an environment suitable to his or her physical, mental and spiritual existence. It is the birthright of everyone to make headway in their trifarious existence. It is the duty of society to accord recognition to this human right. Society has failed to do its duty, and that is why life is full of sorrow and suffering.

No one can say for certain that no great person might have emerged from among those wayward urchins whom we are wont to slight and hate. Women who have turned to prostitution for the sake of their physical existence might have grown into noble personalities if their agony had been appreciated sympathetically, and if they had been rehabilitated by society. But since society has nothing to do with human value, a good number of great personalities are withering away in their embryonic stage. The sadvipras will undertake to revive this neglected section of humanity. To them no sinner is contemptible, no one is a rogue. People turn into satans or sinners when, for want of proper guidance, they are goaded by depraving propensities. The human mind goaded by depraving propensities is satan. If their propensities are sublimated, they will no longer be satans; they will be transformed into gods. Every course of action of society ought to be judged with an eye to the dictum “Human beings are divine children.”

Thus the purpose of the penal code which will be framed by the sadvipras will be to rectify, and not to punish, a person. They will knock down the prisons and build reform schools, rectification camps. Those who [are] inborn criminals, in other words, those who perpetrate crimes because of some organic defects, ought to be offered treatment so that they may humanize themselves. And regarding those who commit crimes out of poverty, their poverty must be removed.

The significance of society lies in moving together. If in the course of the journey anybody lags behind, if in the darkness of night a gust of wind blows out anyone’s lamp, we should not just go ahead and leave them in the lurch. We should extend a hand to help them up, and rekindle their lamps with the flames of our lamps.

Vartiká laiyá háte calechila ek sáthe
Pathe nibe geche álo pare áche tái
Tomrá ki dayá kare tulibená háth dhare
Ardhadańd́a tár tare thámibená bhái.

[While marching together with lamps in our hands, someone’s lamp has gone out, and he is lying beside the road. Brothers and sisters, will you not stop for a moment to lift him up?]

Stop we must, otherwise the spirit of society is in jeopardy.

A rśi [sage] has said: Samamantreńa jáyate iti samájah [“Society is the collective movement of a group of individuals who have decided to move together towards a common goal”]. That is, whether people are pápii or tápii [sinners or victims], thieves, criminals, or characterless individuals, they are so only superficially; internally they are filled with the potential for purity. The principal object of the sadvipras is to explore and bring this potentiality into play. They will accord human value to everyone without exception. Those who have done hateful crimes must be punished, but sadvipras will never hate them, or put an end to them by depriving them of food, because sadvipras are humanists. The pandits puffed up with vainglory could turn their attention to their books instead of attending on the ailing non-Hindu Haridas, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu found it impossible to remain indifferent to him. He took Haridas in his arms and nursed him carefully, and thus showed respect to human value.

However, when the question of social responsibility arises, it must be considered with great care. Irresponsible people cannot be entrusted with social responsibility, because those who shoulder social responsibility will have to lead humanity on the path of development, and correct the ways of sinners. If they themselves are of evil mentality, it will not be possible for them to discharge their social responsibility. It has been said: “The collective body of those who are engaged in the concerted effort to bridge the gap between the first expression of morality and establishment in universal humanism is called society.”⁽²⁾ So social responsibility should be entrusted to those who are capable of discharging it creditably. If moralism is the starting-point of the journey of society, then those who are at its helm must be moralists. And since society aims to establish universalism, those people must be universalists. And if the gap between moralism and universal humanism is to be bridged, spiritual sádhaná is a must, so those people must practise rigorous sádhaná. Their philosophy of life must be, “Morality is the base, sádhaná is the means, and life divine is the goal.”

This great responsibility must never be entrusted to those who are themselves criminals. Unless and until such people correct themselves, they will not be given any social value, though in no way will they be denied human value. At present social value is given importance, but those who are selected to discharge social responsibility do not possess the aforesaid qualities. They have occupied their posts on the strength of their money or on the basis of patronage, but this has not resulted in any collective welfare. That is why there is an instruction in our social scripture:

Do not be misled by anyone’s tall talk. Judge merit by seeing the performance. Remember, whatever position one is in offers sufficient opportunity to work. One whose character is not in accordance with Yama-Niyama should not get opportunity [to become] a representative.… to [[vest]] an incompetent person with power means to push society towards destruction knowingly and deliberately. (“Society” in Caryacarya Part 2, 1999)

The sadvipras will install qualified persons in power, and the social order which will be evolved by virtue of their leadership will give due importance to one and all. In this new society based on Neohumanism, everyone will find their life worth living. All will regain their lost positions of honour.

Footnotes

(1) Earlier in the complete discourse of which this is the concluding part, the author had explained “social value” as the recognition that society pays to its leaders by virtue of their position. –Eds.

(2) Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, “Moralism” in Human Society Part 1 (slightly rephrased here by the author). –Eds.

Chapter 2	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Human life has three strata, in other words, it functions in three spheres. The first one is the spiritual sphere, the second one is the psychic sphere and the third one is the crude physical sphere. While talking to someone this morning, I said that human beings remove the afflictions in the spiritual sphere by dint of their personal efforts; combined with that, there is also the blessing of great personalities and the grace of the Almighty Lord – Mahat krpayaeva Bhagavatkrpáleshádvá [“By the blessings of realized personalities and a wee bit of the divine grace”]. Human beings must make a sincere endeavour. Endeavour is a must; then the blessings or grace of the realized personalities, and only a wee bit of the omniscient grace, will be enough. Just a small bit of the Cosmic grace will suffice. A huge quantity is not at all required.

This is regarding the spiritual sphere. Human beings need not worry about it. They need not worry because the very existence of Parama Puruśa is meant for promoting the well-being of the jiivas [microcosms, living beings]. Had the question of the microcosmic well-being not existed, Parama Puruśa would have remained as a nirguńa [transcendental] entity. He would not have come down to the level of Saguńa Brahma or Táraka Brahma. That is to say, His main purpose is public welfare – the welfare of human beings. That is why He has declared:

Paritráńáya sádhúnáḿ vinásháya ca duśkrtám;
Dharmasaḿsthápanártháya sambhavámi yuge yuge.

[I incarnate Myself in this world from age to age for the protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the wicked, and the restoration of dharma.]

Now the question is: what is the necessity of the advent of Parama Puruśa onto this earth again and again? The answer is: He wants to bring about the welfare of human beings. “Human welfare” here means, primarily, welfare in the spiritual sphere, and secondarily, in the mental and physical spheres, as Parama Puruśa is a veritable embodiment of the supreme welfare of humanity. All created beings are His progeny. It is not possible that He would bring welfare only in the spiritual sphere and not in the psychic and physical spheres. In fact He will promote welfare in all three spheres of life.

Regarding the spiritual sphere it has been said: Mahat krpayaeva Bhagavatkrpáleshádvá. How much can human beings accomplish by their own efforts? Aghat́ana ghat́ana pat́iiyasii Máyá [“the dexterous hand of Máyá that can even create things impossible to create”] – how much can human beings by dint of their individual efforts fight against this all-powerful Máyá? That is why it is said that the blessings of realized personalities and just a wee bit of Cosmic grace are indispensable.

Mahat means a great personality, a highly-evolved personality. The blessings of such a person are immensely helpful, and together with this a small bit of the Cosmic grace is required. Not much is required, only a wee bit will be enough. In fact, this is what ensured the spiritual progress of individual human beings in the past, is also doing so at present, and will do so in the future, also.

And what about the psychic sphere? The reaping of consequences of original actions performed by a human being occurs mainly in the psychic sphere. And if a person attains the blessings of evolved beings and the Cosmic grace in that same psychic sphere, the problem is solved. Pain and misery is bound to come. Depending upon one’s inborn saḿskáras and the actions performed, tortures and afflictions are bound to be undergone – the expression of one’s own reactive momenta. Tortures and afflictions will not be as severely painful as before; with the blessing and grace, the psychic afflictions will be removed. Well, when there is pain and the pain is not felt as such, should it then be called pain? In this case, in the psychic sphere, one will remain in a state of bliss. Let the afflictions come. When the affliction and pain are not felt as such, one should not worry about it.

Then what about the physical sphere? It is true that in the physical sphere there is the utmost necessity of food, clothing, education, shelter, medical treatment, etc. Now what has Parama Puruśa done for jiivas? He has already scattered wealth in the world for human consumption. Enormous wealth has been distributed everywhere. He has also given human beings intellect for them to utilize, so that they can live collectively on this wealth. For mental peace, He has given people instructions to practise the science of spirituality. This will bring them spiritual emancipation and will remove their psychic afflictions. In fact, this is the Cosmic grace, the divine grace, that He has already showered on humanity. He has already proclaimed that He will bestow His grace on all human beings. That is why He has unequivocally declared: sambhavámi yuge yuge [“I incarnate myself in every age”]. So no one need be worried on this account.

Now the problem remains in the crude physical sphere. Regarding this sphere, people were instructed during the days of Lord Shiva and again during the days of Lord Krśńa to live and enjoy the [world’s] property collectively – Devábhágaḿ yathápúrve saḿjánáná upásate [“let us share our wealth without differentiation, like sages of the past, so that all may enjoy the universe”]. But unfortunately people have not done this, and as they have not done this, they have had to suffer various physical hardships, and are still suffering.

Now, in order to remove people’s sufferings in the physical sphere, common sense dictates that the wealth of the entire universe should be considered as common patrimony. The wealth is meant for all, so that all can live collectively. It is not proper that one person will snatch away the morsels of food from the mouths of others. So there has been a need to introduce a system where all human beings would distribute the entire wealth among the collective body in a collective way. Unfortunately, no great person ever did this in the past, nor did even Táraka Brahma do it. It was not done, therefore the problems and difficulties in collective life have continued. Because of these shortcomings, human life is full of pain and misery.

Now the time has come when this has got to stop. How can we allow such a thing to continue? When human beings are predominantly intellectual beings, why will such a major lacuna be allowed to perpetuate itself for days and months on end, for years and centuries together? Such a thing must not be allowed to continue. Yet the strange thing is that this lacuna in the physical sphere, and the consequent disparity, is the noumenal cause of all phenomenal troubles. Due to this noumenal cause, peace in the psychic sphere is being disturbed again and again.

With this end in view, with the sole purpose of removing physical misery and affliction, and keeping in view the higher goals of human life, the Prout⁽¹⁾ philosophy has been formulated. There was no alternative but to propagate the Prout philosophy. Had it not been done, maybe human sorrows and sufferings would have been perpetrated for centuries together. Mean opportunists would have continued their exploitation, taking advantage of the simplicity or intellectual deficiency of the innocent and credulous masses. This exploitation has been perpetrated mainly in three ways: oppression, suppression and exploitation. I have not mentioned repression, because repression is inseparably associated with exploitation.

Now, the point is that the entire population of the world has got to be saved from oppression, suppression and exploitation – by any means, fair or foul. What will then be the result? Human suffering in the physical sphere will be overcome. Of course there has never been lack of adjustment in the spiritual sphere, nor will there ever be. Human beings can rest content in this regard. Only in the psychic sphere will they have to acquire power. And for what? People will have to acquire psychic power in order to overcome the psychic affliction which is the result of past reactive momenta. That is to say, with the establishment of Prout, the problems in the physical sphere and in the spiritual sphere will have been solved. And what about the psychic sphere? Of course the requital of unserved saḿskáras will surely affect the mind, but it is also a fact that human beings will acquire enough strength to overcome the psychic afflictions.

Bearing this in mind, you should build a new human society at the earliest possible moment. Regarding those who are likely to create obstacles in your path – let them do so. You should remember that those who are the actual pioneers, the real vanguard of the society, are always a microscopic minority, but it is they who are destined to be victorious. Those who once opposed, or are now opposing or will oppose in the future, will in the future admit: “Yes, we are now driving our vehicle safely and comfortably along the very path which that vanguard once opened by clearing the jungle.” This means that those who cleared the obstacles in the beginning will later be recognized as pioneers. The funny thing is this, that people do not give recognition at the time it is due. This is the natural law. And at the same time you should also remember this simple truth: that in a jungle the number of tigers and lions is always few; the jackals far outnumber them. Yet in the jungle the tigers and lions reign supreme, not the jackals. The jackals are sure to howl, that is their nature; but the tigers and lions will not be frightened.

Footnotes

(1) Progressive Utilization Theory. See Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, Idea and Ideology, 1959. –Trans.

The Five Fundamental Principles of Prout:

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

–Eds.

Chapter 3	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Yacchedváuṋmanasiiprájiṋastadyacchejjiṋána átmani;
Jiṋánamátmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchánta átmani.

[Wise persons first merge their indriyas (sense organs) into their citta (mind-stuff), then their citta into aham (doer “I”), then aham into mahat (“I exist” feeling), then mahat into jiivátmá (unit spirit, soul), and finally their jiivátmá into Paramátmá (Supreme Consciousness).]

I have already told you how spiritual aspirants should live their lives. I have said that a real sadhaka [spiritual aspirant] will properly discharge their duties in the relative world, and will at the same time attend properly to their duties in the spiritual world; and between the two worlds, there will be a happy blending. In the external world there should be an objective adjustment, and at the same time there should, in the psychic world, be a subjective approach.

Furthermore, never forgetting that human life is an ideological flow, human beings should always move towards the supreme ideology. They have been moving in this direction since time immemorial and, through this process of movement, have reached the present stage of humanity. Passing through many lives as worms, insects, birds, and animals, they have undergone countless pains, miseries, tortures and humiliations. Take for example the life of a goat. A goat spends its life eating grass, until the day comes when the butcher grabs it, kills it, skins it and sells its flesh piece by piece in the market. That goat at one time had to live such a miserable life. But today it has forgotten all this. Through a process of forward movement, today it may have attained a human life.

Human life is more secure than animal life. Many animals live in the jungle where there is something to fear every minute; where the weak are the prey of the strong. To escape this atmosphere of fear and insecurity, many wild animals have sought refuge with human beings. They have been fed grass, leaves and other types of fodder until the right moment came to kill them for their flesh. Even today, this is generally what happens. Animals fully trust human beings; they trust them even up to one minute before their death. But when they see a person approaching them with a weapon in hand, they realize that those they had trusted as their friends are actually their enemies. Although human beings feed their animals, the love or attachment which they have for them is purely external. There is no genuine love in humans. This is how wretched animal life can be.

Every human being has had to pass through that sort of painful animal life in the past. But that does not mean we should be the cause of misery for those animals who have taken shelter with us today. On the contrary, we should have a merciful attitude towards them. A woman who has been badly treated or humiliated by her mother-in-law should be careful that she does not treat her daughter-in-law in the same way. Human beings should carry out their duties properly in the external world and should always ensure that no being suffers unnecessarily from any undue mistreatment. In the physical sphere, the rights of all should be protected. Each and every human being should be guaranteed the basic necessities of life: food, clothing, medicine, shelter and education. “I won’t exploit anyone, and I won’t allow others to exploit me.” This is the spirit of proper objective adjustment. And while this proper objective adjustment is maintained, work must continue in a progressive way. You will have to move ahead on the path of life while keeping an adjustment with the external world.

You must always remember that your existence is not only a physical one. It is animals who are primarily concerned with the physical world, who struggle merely to survive. Those animals which live in jungles are constantly confronted by the fear of tigers, lions, bears, elephants, snakes, crocodiles and a host of other ferocious creatures; while those which have surrendered to human beings, such as goats, sheep and cows, are confronted in the last moment of their lives with the fear of being slaughtered by a human. So it is quite obvious that animal life is less secure than human life.

In today’s world, human beings face difficulties in maintaining an objective adjustment with the physical world. As we have not yet been able to build an ideal human society, we will have to first concentrate on providing everyone with the basic requirements of life. Once that task is accomplished, we will be able to build an ideal society. To enable society to progress spiritually, people will be given sufficient scope and time for spiritual practices.

The subjective approach is to first withdraw the crude mind gradually from the external world and merge it in the subtle mind, and then to merge the subtle mind in unit consciousness. When unit consciousness is merged in Cosmic Consciousness, a human being is said to have attained the supreme fulfilment in life. In the present world, human beings face such tremendous difficulties in maintaining their objective adjustment that they cannot afford to give any time for their subjective approach. This is the greatest tragedy of the day! That is why I would like to advise you to build a healthy human society as early as possible, so that each and every human being gets enough scope and time for spiritual progress.

Chapter 4	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

I have already said that human beings use only a very small percentage of their inherent capacity – less than one percent, to be precise. Even people whom society has accepted as great personalities use hardly ten percent of their inherent capabilities, and the remaining ninety percent remains unutilized. To put it very plainly, human beings waste ninety percent of their capacity. Those who are very crude by nature waste half of their time in idle pursuits, and the rest of the time they only use a small percentage of their capacity for worthwhile tasks. The term “crude” refers to those people who utilize their physical capacity but totally neglect their mental and spiritual power.

Why do human beings fail to utilize their total capacity? First, they do not know how to utilize their capacity – they lack proper knowledge as to what should be done and what should not be done. Secondly, they are habitually indolent, suffering from psychic and spiritual inertness.

Some people think early in life, even at the age of twelve or fourteen, about how they can utilize cent percent of their psychic power and perfect themselves through spiritual practices. Unfortunately, due to lethargy, they fail to utilize their capacity and thus their potentiality gradually diminishes. Even those who are acclaimed as great personalities in this world utilize hardly ten percent of their capacity in the intellectual and spiritual spheres. This is really very unfortunate. But even more unfortunate is that some people not only fail to utilize their own capacity, but block the progress of others – they do not want others to prosper at all. This mentality is shameful, deplorable, and highly detrimental.

Suppose a very dark-complexioned boy is called a “nigger” by his classmates and even his teachers. This certainly depresses him and blocks the expression of his capabilities. He thinks, “I am inferior. I am downtrodden. I am ugly.” Similarly, those who are born into so-called low-caste families are criticized for being of low birth. People say derogatorily, “Ha! What sort of education can such low-caste people expect?” As a result, their minds contract and their progress is thwarted. In exactly the same way, poor people are subjected to all sorts of indignities and harassments because of their financial difficulties. Suppose a poor but meritorious boy is making excellent progress with his studies: his envious classmates comment, “Why do you bother to study? Shouldn’t you get a job as a servant?” Because of such attitudes, many brilliant and gifted people are forced to let their inherent potentialities go to waste. This is not only a matter of regret and shame, it is an act of blatant oppression, suppression, repression and exploitation! Consequently, the genius in many people gets choked. This is called “intellectual exploitation” in philosophy. You must oppose it.

It is sad that human potentiality is not fully utilized. Those who utilize a mere ten percent of their potentialities are considered to be great people by society. Imagine what the result would be if a person were to use cent percent of his or her potentialities.

As I mentioned earlier, the first reason for this waste of human potentiality is ignorance about the right path, and the second reason is lethargy. There is a third reason. Sometimes, even if people are aware of the right path and are not at all lethargic – even if one is a genius – they cannot express their full potentialities as they are subjected to unusual intellectual or social pressure. Thus, the natural expression of their potentialities is checked. This socio-intellectual exploitation is highly detrimental. You must oppose it.

There are many petty criminals in today’s society. If you keep calling them sinners, they will develop a complex deep in their minds. “I am a sinner. I am a wretch. I am mean and vile. I have no future,” they will think. You must not do anything like this. Rather, you should find their good qualities and praise them. This praise will encourage them to cultivate their attributes and move along the path of virtue. They will concentrate more on their good qualities than on their wickedness, resulting in the gradual diminishment of their sinful tendencies. Finally the day will come when they will be so preoccupied with doing good deeds that they will cease to commit any crime. That is why I say, “Praise the good qualities in human beings.”

But if these criminals are neglected, their progress will be checked and they will become even more sinful. If they are repeatedly called sinners, if they are subjected to social punishment, their habit of committing crimes will become stronger.

Even the worst sinners have some good qualities. If you appreciate their good qualities, they will be encouraged to take to the righteous path – there will be a great change for the better in their lives. This is the right approach. If, instead, so-called sinners are ostracized or criticized by society, they will no longer strive to cultivate their inherent good qualities but will stick to the path of vice so tenaciously that one day they will become a great burden on society.

As most people do not know basic human psychology, their actions result in the so-called criminals becoming a greater burden on society. Having been subjected to much social injustice and criticism, some people think, “Now that I have stepped onto the path of vice, now that I have fallen down, I will not stop until I reach the deepest hell.” You should not do anything, even unconsciously, which goes against fundamental human psychology, and you should ensure that other people do not get any scope to make such mistakes either. If so-called sinners are repeatedly scolded, they will never become transformed into good people. Even bad people, under indirect pressure, or external attraction, or urge for Parama Puruśa, can turn into good people.

You should lead the wicked people to the path of virtue. You will see for yourselves that they, too, will feel an attraction for Parama Puruśa. You should encourage them to develop the noble qualities lying dormant in them without delay. This is the proper psychological approach, the real path of rectification.

Let us consider two points: attraction for the Great and collective pressure. As a result of attraction for the Great, one joins the path of virtue; and, as a result of collective pressure, one’s attributes get scope for external expression. Here, social pressure does not mean declaring anyone an outcast or ostracizing anyone or stopping the supply of anyone’s basic needs. This is not proper social pressure; rather it is a useless approach, having no positive effect on people. On the contrary, it merely strengthens the determination of the sinner to sin. What is proper social pressure? It is to find the good side, the noble aspects, of a person’s character, and help bring about a change in his or her life. In fact, a human being has but one task: to remove that which is harmful or detrimental in society. As you march along your path of movement you should oppose those people who work against the collective interest; you should raise the slogan, “Human exploitation – No more, no more!”

Chapter 5	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

As the sphere of knowledge increases, many secrets of the world do not remain secret. Yoga is such a secret. It is a cult, and by dint of practising this cult one comes in contact with the causal factors of many secrets. About seven thousand years ago a great yogi, Sadáshiva, systematized different branches of yoga. His spouse, Párvatii, was also a yoginii; and for the welfare of the entire human society Lord Shiva and Párvatii tried their best to create a practical cult. The questions placed before Shiva by Párvatii and the answers given by Shiva to Párvatii collectively form the shástras [scriptures].

Now, many important questions of the human mind were placed before Shiva. These questions, that is, the question portion, was known as nigama, and the answer portion, ágama. The collective name of ágama and nigama is Tantra.

Once upon a time Párvatii asked Shiva, “O Lord, for many duties, many posts, there are prescribed minimum qualifications; for this job the minimum qualification will be this or that. But for attaining salvation what are the minimum qualifications?” Shiva said that the minimum qualification for the attainment of salvation is nothing but a human body and a human mind. That is enough. There is no racial bar, no colour bar, no regional bar, nor any bar of any other type. He said:

Átmajiṋánamidaḿ Devi paraḿ mokśaekasádhanam;
Sukrtaermánavo bhútvá jiṋániicenmokśamápnuyát.

[Self-knowledge, Párvatii, is the greatest means to attain salvation. People are born as human beings due to their past good saḿskáras, but to attain non-qualified liberation they will have to attain Self-knowledge.]

“For attainment of salvation one should know oneself, and by knowing oneself one attains salvation.” Now, let us see what knowing is, and what knowing oneself is – what Self-realization is. The human mind has got three types of movement. The first type is extro-internal projection, that is, an external object moving towards the inner side of existence. The second type is intro-external. The sentiment comes from the inner side and is expressed in the physical world. And the third one is the movement of the mind towards the Spirit.

Now generally “to know” means subjectivization of external objectivity. When the external object becomes one with the objective portion of the mind, that is, takes place in the objective compartment of the mind, it is called knowing or knowledge. And what is self-knowledge or self-realization? In this case the mind knows the spirit, that is, the movement of the mind is towards spirit. Now, how can the mind know the spirit when the Supreme Spirit, Parama Puruśa, Parama Pitá [Supreme Father], the Supreme Entity, is the Omniscient Entity, is the only Omniscient Entity of this world? The Supreme Entity, Parama Puruśa, is omniscient. He not only sees what you do, He also sees what you think, what you are contemplating, what the thought-waves of your mind are. Then He is omniscient, and you are His object. He sees what you do. He is the subject, you are the object. Then how can the mind know Him? That is, how can the mind be the subject and He be the object? He sees your mind; how can your mind see Him? How can your mind accept Him as the object and your mind be the subject? Yes, there lies the secret. What is the secret? It is that whatever you are doing, whatever you are thinking, you should always remember that that action of yours, those thoughts of yours, are being witnessed by Him. If you remember this, He remains the subject and you remain the object.

But what happens? Because you are always thinking of Parama Puruśa, indirectly He also becomes the object; although actually He is the subject and you are the object, because He is the all-witnessing faculty. And this is a very clever policy of devotees. Devotees are very clever; not only clever, they are very cunning. Because with their developed mind, pinnacled mind, pinnacled intellect, they bring the Supreme Entity within the periphery of their minds. So the path of devotion or the path of spirituality is for those who are extremely cunning and clever. And those who think that Parama Puruśa is not seeing them are the most foolish amongst the fools.

Lord Shiva said that the minimum qualification is a human mind and a human body, and with the help of this human mind and human body one may attain salvation. One may come in His contact; because it is only the human mind that can think that Parama Puruśa is witnessing all one’s activities and all one’s thoughts. When one is established in this stance, it is said that one has attained salvation.

There are so many created beings. These quinquelemental factors of the world – air, water, earth – they are also of Cosmic creation, but their mind is in an inert condition. It cannot function. In the case of protozoa, there is mind, but it is guided only by instincts, inborn instincts. In the case of plants, there is mind, but the mind is guided by inborn instincts, there is no independent thought in them. In the case of animals, in the case of metazoa, there is inborn instinct, but no independent thought. But in the case of developed metazoa, developed animals, there is a bit of independent mind, and amongst those developed metazoa, those who come in contact with human beings, as a result of clash and cohesion in the intellectual world and in inter-cellular structure, their minds develop a bit – as in the case of dogs, monkeys and so on. They have got a bit developed mind because of their coming in close contact with human beings.

But in the case of human beings, the mind is very developed, and with this developed mind one can feel that whatever one does, whatever one thinks, is always being witnessed by Parama Puruśa. Nobody can do anything secretly.

Now, everything is a creation of the Supreme Father; but in the course of introversion, as a result of clash and cohesion, the mind develops, and the stage of man, the stage of humans, is the most developed stage in the process of introversion. So human beings are blessed beings because they can feel the charm and love and all-pervading existence of the Supreme Lord.

You are all human beings. You are all dignified human beings. Forget all fissiparous tendencies that sometimes function within the human mind. Remember, you are the loving children of Parama Puruśa, and your goal is Parama Puruśa. Your goal is the Supreme Entity. Yours is a subjective approach through objective adjustment. Your movement is towards the Supreme Entity. But while moving towards the Supreme Entity, you are to do all your worldly duties in the social, economic and all other spheres. That is, your hands should be engaged in worldly duties, and your mind should be moving towards the Supreme Entity.

Chapter 6	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Today’s subject is “Dogma and Human Intellect.” What is the human intellect for? A human body has three functions: its crude physical movement and physical progress, its intellectual progress, and its spiritual progress. So far as intellect is concerned, it has two duties: to think and to remember.

What do we mean by “thinking”? What is thinking? The human mind is a collection of ectoplasmic stuff. And whenever we create any figure [in the mind] with the help of that ectoplasmic stuff, we say it is a thought – that we are thinking. To think means, then, to speak internally, and according to what we speak, we create a figure.

Although different inferences have got different implications for the human mind, the more important, rather, the two most important, inferences are visuality and audibility. What we create in the mind, we speak mentally and at the same time we hear mentally. “I’ll go to Delhi.” – when you think like this, you utter this sentence mentally: “I – will – go – to – Delhi.” And you hear mentally the sound “I – will – go – to – Delhi.” And at that time mentally you see the picture of Delhi, either a projection of the actual external Delhi or an imaginary figure of Delhi that you created.

Now, what we think, sometimes we think from the extro-internal projections and sometimes from the memory. When we see an elephant [externally], at that same moment we see it mentally; and when we see it mentally, then we feel that we are actually seeing the elephant. And sometimes without seeing an elephant you can remember an elephant. That is, in your memory you can create an elephant. It is an act of re-creation.

Now, human knowledge or knowing is divided into two portions; that is, the compartmentalized object may be of two types – one direct and the other taken from memory.

It is said that knowledge or the knowing faculty is infinite. Then, if the knowing faculty is infinite, is the human brain or human cranium infinite? No, certainly not. The cranium is something finite, something very little. And the human brain, although it has immense potentialities, is finite. Its qualities are very big, but not infinite.

Human thought-waves and human knowledge may be directed towards two objects. One is the objective psychic stance, and the other is the objecto-subjective spiritual stance. When it is the objective psychic stance, then as a result of that objective movement on the psychic level, what happens? The mind becomes bigger and bigger. And in order to serve the purpose of the mind, both the nerve-cells and the nerve-fibres of the human brain also become stronger and bigger. As a result of this enlargement of the nerve-cells, what will happen? In the future, the human cranium will become bigger, and limbs and other parts of the body will become lean and thin. But it is also a desired future for humanity, because when the mind will be developed, what will happen? Spiritual progress will be easier.

And the other psychic approach is objecto-subjective, or you may say, the subjecto-objective spiritual stance. In that case, you withdraw different mental faculties or propensities and make them pinnacled. And when those mental faculties are apexed, then what do you do? You offer that pinnacled human mind at the altar of the supreme spirituality. This is the spiritual approach.

Now, if anyone says that in human life knowledge has little value or no value, that person will not be cent percent correct. In spiritual progress, if the knowledge, or the course of knowledge, or the avenue of knowledge, is subjective physicality, then in that case the progress may be delayed, but it will not be blocked forever. For intellectuals, spiritual progress is always delayed, and the reason is this – that their intellectual body goes on increasing, but for want of the apexed mentality, the goal remains far away. But when the intellectual body is highly enlarged, it is sure to become one with the Macrocosm. And when this enlarged ectoplasmic structure becomes one with the Cosmic ectoplasmic structure, certainly a person will feel his oneness with the Supreme.

For spiritual aspirants, this type of intellectual progress may be meaningless, may be treated as superfluous; but for the all-round progress of human society, for human society as a whole, this type of intellectual progress cannot be discouraged, must not be discouraged; rather it should be encouraged.

I want that our boys and girls who are intellectually developed, or who want intellectual development, should encourage this intellectual progress of human society, which will finally help human society in all types of progress. I hope you boys and you girls will feel, will realize, the utility of intellectual progress, and start your RU [Renaissance Universal] clubs in all towns and even in all big villages of the world.

Chapter 7	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

[I have told you] that nothing is insignificant in this world. Each and every sound has got its meaning. We may or may not know the meaning, but the meaning is there. Similarly, each and every syllable has got its meaning. Each and every word has got its meaning. And what is a sentence? A sentence is a collection of words. Each and every sentence has got its own significance.

If we say, “God is one,” “Parama Puruśa is one,” that “one” denotes a particular pointedness. If we say “two”, although “two” denotes two points, still the psychology is the same. If we say “He is finite,” it is a particular psychic projection, and if we say “He is infinite,” it is also a psychic projection. For a philosophic ideology there is little difference between finite and infinite, because both are different projections of the same mind. Still we say that Parama Puruśa is one, and we also say that He is infinite. We say He is one because we can come in His contact, we can ensconce ourselves in Him, only when our mind becomes one. That is why we say, just to satisfy our sentiment, that He is one, He is a Singular Entity. We say He is infinite, because His wonts are fathomless, we cannot count them. There are so many qualifications and attributions in Him that we fail to count. That is why we say He is infinite.

He is sourceless, He is non-causal. Everything in our universe is causal. Everything is guided by, controlled by, the theory of cause and effect. This theory of cause and effect was propounded by Maharshi Kanada long ago. As per this theory, the effect of a particular cause becomes the cause of the next stage; that is, an effect is the cause of the following stage, a cause is the effect of the previous stage. In this world, everything is causal. If we go to the root, if we can touch the rudimental entity, we get the cause, we get the subtler entity. The cause is generally subtler than the effect. And in this way we come to a particular point wherefrom we cannot go onwards, we cannot move onwards. We cannot get the still subtler entity, we cannot get the causal entity. Such a stage is reached where our mind becomes non-existent. From the cruder physical entities, if we go inwards, we get the subtler mind. If we go inner, we get still subtler mind, and so on. But when we reach the primordial stage of mind, we cannot move further inward, that is, we cannot get the causal entity. So if one tries to go beyond the seed of the mind, one cannot go, cannot move, because all these measurements are done by the mind. Actions are of the mind.

What is time? Time is psychic measurement of the motivity of action. So everywhere the psychic body must be present.

Regarding Parama Puruśa, our mind fails to measure His arena, our mind fails to touch Him in the rudimental stage, and that is why we say He is non-causal, He is causeless. When one comes in contact with Him, when one loves Him sincerely, one may ask Him, “O Parama Puruśa, what is Your cause?” Before that, one cannot know it. So His cause is known only to His devotees and to nobody else. That Supreme Entity who is beyond the periphery of the microcosm, is the creator of the microcosm. So when a microcosm is to know Him, the microcosm is to become one with His Macrocosm.

That Macrocosm creates so many things, so many varieties, within the jurisdiction of That, of Its infinite wonts. And this universe of varieties is nothing but some psychic crudifications of His supreme stuff. Units exist within His jurisdiction, and He is within each and every pore of the unit. That is why He is all-pervading. And He is not only within, but without, outside. That is why He is within you, He is outside you, He is all-pervading and He is all-covering. When one enlarges one’s jurisdiction as a microcosm, when one’s nucleus coincides with the nucleus of the Supreme, one becomes one with the Supreme.

And in order to do it, what is one to do? One is to increase the periphery of one’s mind. And how is one to enlarge the periphery of one’s mind? By a constant fight against all limitedness, against all physical limitedness and against all psychic dogmas.

Physical limitedness – You know, this physical world, although it is very big, is not infinite, because it is a limited projection of the Macrocosm. The entity that has got boundaries cannot be infinite. So our universe with so many planets and so many galaxies, is very big, but not infinite.

Similarly, in the psychic realm, if there is an idea, that idea may be big, but if that idea is surrounded by boundary lines, and no microcosm is allowed to go beyond those boundary lines, that idea is called dogma. Dogma seals the future of the human intellect. So the man, the spiritual aspirant, who wants to establish himself in the supreme stance, must fight against dogmas. In the realms of philosophy, economics, history, archaeology, sociology and all other branches of science and humanities, dogma is a dangerous factor.

You boys, you girls, you the spiritual aspirants, must always remember that you must never surrender at the altar of dogma. In the past, dogma committed so many nuisances, dogma created so many fissiparous tendencies in this human society. Your slogan should be “Dogma – No more! Dogma – No more!” Establish yourselves above the boundaries of dogma, and be established in the excellence of human glory.

Chapter 8	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

You know, in this universe nothing is fixed, nothing is stationary. Everything is on the move, everything has to move. Cessation of movement means death. We know that in a stagnant pond nothing but weeds grow. When weeds grow, the growth of important plants becomes retarded or impeded. That is why we must not give encouragement to stagnancy or immobility of any sort, under any circumstances.

The most essential factor of the human mind is its movement. The Cosmic Mind also is in constant movement. Now, movement can be of two types: extro-internal and intro-external. There should be a perfect balance between these two types of psychic movement. As long as the balance between the two types is maintained, one’s mind is established in equilibrium and equipoise; the mind in this state of balance is recognized as the greatest treasure of human society.

The movement of the human mind arises first in the physical sphere and then shifts towards the psychic sphere. In the second stage the mind moves in the purely psychic sphere. Then, thirdly, the movement is in the psycho-spiritual sphere. And fourthly the movement is in the purely spiritual sphere. When the mind moves, starting from the physical sphere right up to the spiritual sphere, one will have to maintain a balance between extro-internal and intro-external movements of mind. That is why Lord Sadáshiva said: Caturtho samatábhávo [“The fourth requirement for success is equanimity of mind”].⁽¹⁾ In order to attain success in life, especially in spiritual life, the fourth indispensable factor is balance of mind, samatábhávo. In other words, one must maintain the state of psychic equilibrium. In its absence, no progress in any sphere is possible, not even in the spiritual sphere.

As far as you are concerned, you must never encourage any superiority complex, inferiority complex, fear complex, defeatist complex, etc. You are the very children of Parama Puruśa. Hence you are not inferior to anyone. You must not encourage any inferiority complex, for you are the members of the highest and noblest family. I have told you that your Father is the most revered Entity of the universe. Likewise you should not encourage any superiority complex, for this entire universe is the creation of the Supreme Father. No one in this universe is inferior to you. All the created beings of this universe inherit a common patrimony. Therefore it would not be proper for anyone to encourage a superiority complex.

In the same way, you must not give indulgence to any fear complex. Why should you be afraid of anyone? When the Supreme Entity, the Supreme Father Himself, is your constant companion, then why should you fear anyone? You must not be afraid of anyone – neither any human being, nor any theory, nor any doctrine, nor any dogma.

Perhaps you know what “dogma” means. “Dogma” means an idea around which some line is drawn, beyond which it is prohibited to go. “You will have to accept this doctrine, you cannot go beyond it.” This sort of restrictive idea is called a dogma. You should never be afraid of any dogma of this sort. You should also see that no sort of fear complex ever grips your mind. Remember, you are not alone in this world. Not only on this planet; nowhere are you alone. This entire universe is pervaded by Parama Puruśa. We are always sitting on His very lap, we are always sleeping on His lap. Then why should we be afraid of anyone?

Next comes the defeatist complex, or complex of hopelessness. This sort of complex should never be encouraged either. Your path of movement towards Parama Puruśa is always unbarred. So why should you submit to any defeatist complex or complex of hopelessness? The path of your journey towards the Supreme Entity is wide open. Hence, there is no question of defeat for you. So how can the idea of defeat arise?

Now, where lies the greatest fulfilment of human existence? Human existence is an ideological flow. The starting-point of this flow is the supreme positivity, and after passing through the supreme negativity, you will again return to the supreme positivity. In other words, you move forward in your evolution from the stage of crude animality towards subtler humanity. Your final destination is extremely glorious, crowned with supreme effulgence. So where is the scope for you to be afraid of defeat of any sort?

Nothing in this universe is insignificant, and every expression of this universe carries significance. You boys and you girls, every one of you is a VIP – a very important person.

Footnotes

(1) Phaliśyatiiti vishvásah siddherprathama lakśańam;
Dvitiiyaḿ shraddhayá yuktaḿ trtiiyaḿ gurupújanam.
Caturtho samatábhávo paiṋcamendriyanigrahah;
Śaśt́haiṋca pramitáháro saptamaḿ naeva vidyate.
–Shiva Saḿhitá

(There are seven requirements for success in any mission. The first is firm determination: “I must succeed.” The second is reverence. The third is guru pújá, or constant remembrance of one’s spiritual master. The fourth is equanimity of mind. The fifth is control of the senses. The sixth is a balanced diet. The seventh – There is no seventh requirement.)

–Eds.

Chapter 9	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

The subject of today’s discourse is “The Liberation of Intellect”. Every living being, every entity, wants liberation. Unless and until an entity attains liberation, whether in the crude physical sphere or in the subtle sphere, its natural development does not take place. Unless its natural development takes place we cannot obtain detailed knowledge about that entity, and for that reason we cannot achieve maximum utilization of that object.

One of the valuable treasures of human beings is their intellect. Of course, you may say that intuition is more valuable than intellect. It is true, indeed. But the fact is, that intuition is generally a substance of the spiritual world, whereas the domain of intellect is both the crude world and the subtle world. In the spiritual world also, the inspiration from intellect is a very important factor. That is why we cannot ignore the contribution of intellect. If we ignore intellect, we will have to deny the difference between human and non-human beings in the mundane world.

What is intellect? In the process of evolution, when the ahaḿtattva (ego), the subtler form of the citta (elementary mind), has a greater area than that of the citta, then the enlarged area of ahaḿtattva is called buddhi [intellect].

Bodhi [intuition] is different. When the existential “I” feeling, or mahattattva, becomes larger in area than the ahaḿtattva, then the enlarged area of existential “I” feeling is called bodhi (intuition). This intuition establishes the link between the crude world and the subtle world. And as a result of a closer link being established between the subtle and spiritual worlds and as a result of its closer acquaintance with the sweetness of the spiritual world, this intuition guides human beings along the path of spirituality. And for those who have both intellect and intuition, intuition being more colourful and more sweet, intellect becomes somewhat dimmed or lustreless. This is why some people are of the opinion that people of the spiritual world are less intelligent; but the fact is different. It is not that spiritual people are less intelligent, but that to them the intellect, as compared to the intuition, is less colourful. That is why they do not make full utilization of their intellect. They remain always preoccupied with intuition.

The subject of today’s discourse is “The Liberation of Intellect”. Intuition is an inborn faculty of human beings. Thus no effort is necessary for the liberation of intuition. The liberation of intuition comes automatically, without making any effort. But with intellect it is different. Different kinds of blow start coming from all sides on the human intellect, on the natural intellect of human beings. And due to these constant blows, the spontaneous development of intellect becomes thwarted, and consequently it starts degenerating. Human beings have got to be saved, in various ways, from this degeneration of the human spirit. If we do not protect the human intellect from undesirable onslaughts from various directions, then the future of the human race is surely enveloped in cimmerian darkness. To save the human race from that cimmerian darkness is the bounden duty of every individual.

Now a question arises: what is the real nature of intellect? When individual beings develop some kind of “I” feeling after coming in contact with matter, then that initial stage of undeveloped mind is termed the citta. And when there arises a subtler “I” feeling in the citta which does something more than merely establish a link with matter, that is, which acquires the capacity to direct matter according to its own desire, it is termed buddhi [intellect]. So this is the special nature of intellect.

The people of today are utilizing the quinquelemental universe in a better way than did the ancient human beings. With their intellect, people have made hundreds of scientific discoveries; with their intellect, people have learnt much from the practical world. In the future also, they will learn much more and they will do much more with their intellect. But if the spontaneous growth of intellect is stifled, as is happening in certain countries of the world, the individual and collective welfare of humanity will become impossible. In this world there were some people in the past, there are some even today, and there will be some in the future also, who do not want the human race to attain intellectual progress.

Why does this happen? I have already said that the task of intellect is to properly utilize all the properties of the universe, of the expressed world. But there are some selfish people in the world who are not in favour of the maximum utilization of mundane wealth, because they fear the control of the developed intellect over the material forces; and selfish people do not like that. They do not want anyone except themselves or a handful of their own group to attain any progress. Rather they would be happy to see that the individual and collective progress of others gets jeopardized.

Human beings are a kind of living being. Just as they have certain especial physical characteristics, just as they have certain especial psychic characteristics, so they have certain especial arrangements regarding food. Now, if the especial subtle and refined propensities of human beings are developed properly, they will be gradually elevated to the status of divinity.

Simultaneous with the development of especial human characteristics, there emerge certain especial racial characteristics in certain countries at certain times. Self-seeking people do not want the collective intellect of the human race to be utilized for the welfare of the entire human race; rather they, in the name of humanity, want to perpetuate divisive tendencies in society, because if they succeed in creating a rift in human society, that will pave the way for their personal benefit or self-aggrandizement. Thus they concoct various so-called scriptures and formulate all kinds of logic. They maintain to humanity that the different races in this world are not equal. Thus instead of considering the interests of the entire human society, they give preference to the interests of a particular community. This loud-mouthed propaganda in favour of a particular community, this parading of irrational logic, this sort of fallacious argument, all combine to stifle the spontaneous growth of human intellect. This sort of mentality is called dogma. A person who wants to promote others’ welfare, a person who wants to serve the entire humanity, must keep away from dogma. In addition to that, he or she will have to staunchly resist dogma. It is not enough to keep away from something which is considered a veritable sin, it is not enough to lodge only verbal protest against sin – one will have to wage an uncompromising fight against it. This is the greatest criterion of a truly righteous person.

The same thing applies to economic life also. All the five fundamental factors of this world, including monetary wealth, are all created by Parama Puruśa for the benefit of the entire human race. To remain under the same shelter of Parama Puruśa, to live and grow in proper rhythm, and to make one’s existence successful in all respects, is the birthright of every individual. Of course, there are a few opportunists whose very nature is to exploit their fellow humans. But they will not confess this openly. Rather, by resorting to irrational logic, they say that it is a providential decree for a certain percentage of people to remain neglected forever, that those people are destined to continue their existence of inhuman tortures, and that a handful of people are destined to roll in riches and live in plenty and prosperity. This is also dogma. Those who are intelligent as well as righteous must vehemently protest, and carry on a pactless fight against dogma, because that which throttles the free intellect of human beings is sure to frustrate their intellectual liberation.

A similar thing has happened in the social sphere as well. For instance, some people announced that women are not entitled to spiritual salvation. If women want to attain spiritual emancipation they will have to be reborn as men. What an absurd proposition! All are the progeny of Parama Puruśa; some of them are sons, some are daughters.

Can Parama Puruśa ever decree that only His sons will be entitled to liberation and salvation, and His daughters will not attain it? This is indeed a strange and unnatural proposition; it is sheer villainy. This sort of repulsive logic was injected into human brains by constantly harping on the theme that women have no right to spiritual salvation; and thus the spontaneous intellectual growth of women was impeded. The liberation of their intellect was curbed, and their spiritual progress and social advancement was severely hindered in many countries.

On one side the malevolent forces are keen to establish their professed dogmas, and on the other hand, Parama Puruśa wants the all-round development of human intellect. Hence I call upon you to carry on a ceaseless and pactless fight against dogma. You are sure to be crowned with victory.

Chapter 10	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

The day before yesterday the subject of discussion in the Renaissance Club was “The Liberation of Intellect”. Now, a question may arise in some minds: when liberation is meant for all human beings, what does the liberation of intellect mean? Intellect is primarily an impersonal or an abstract idea. Can the question of liberation of something which is impersonal, which is only an abstract concept, arise? In this connection my considered opinion is, yes, the liberation of intellect is indeed necessary. In fact whatever is in this universe – crude matter, subtle idea or consciousness – everything needs to be liberated. In the absence of liberation, the natural expression of an object or an individual does not take place. That is, if we want to see the full expression or the total unfoldment of the qualities and capacities that are latent in anything, the liberation of that object or that individual is indispensable.

Human beings long for liberation from the bondage of staticity. Now what is the nature of this liberation? It is not possible to attain liberation from this crude physical body; liberation from the physical body means death. But to attain liberation from the bondage of staticity, one will have to make an effort. The effort to attain liberation from economic bondage, political slavery and all sorts of social dependence in the physical world, is the liberation from staticity in the crude world. In order to attain liberation from worldly bondages of this sort, human beings will have to make conscious efforts.

If a certain country is held in bondage to another country, then that subjugated country will have to wage war in order to attain liberation from the chains of slavery. That is why liberation from worldly bondages is essential for human beings. We have noticed that wherever there is worldly subservience – whether economic, political or social – the proper development of the innate qualities, or the genius of human beings, remains remote. That is why in every sphere of life liberation is necessary; liberation from the bondage of staticity is a must.

Subtler than matter is the mind. From psychic slavery, also, the mind should be liberated. We notice in human society various forms of psychic pressure, numerous ways of exploitation. In order to attain liberation from this exploitation and tyranny, human beings must endeavour for liberation from psychic bondages. The internal urge to attain liberation in every sphere of life is a natural wont of each and every human being.

The essence of the human mind is known as intellect. Intuition cannot be precisely called the essence of mind. In fact, intuition is subtler than the mind, and a very special aspect of human existence. Intuition should be called the eleventh organ or the sixth sense. Discrimination between holy and unholy, permanent and impermanent, pure and impure in the intellectual sphere has a certain yardstick of its own. This yardstick should remain unstained. Due to the bondage of various types of exploitation and tyranny against the intellect in the physical sphere, the human spirit writhes in suppressed agony. Likewise in the mental sphere, the human capacity to think is snatched away. And in the same way in the intellectual sphere, when human beings try to think and act for their spiritual and intellectual unfoldment, various kinds of dogmas arise and create obstacles.

What is dogma? Dogma is a preconceived idea which forbids human beings to outstep the limits of that idea or object. In this situation the human intellect cannot freely function. Some people say, “All right, we may not get the maximum utilization of our intellect, yet we can have at least ten to twenty percent of its services.” My considered opinion is that where there is dogma, even ten to twenty percent of the human intellect cannot be properly utilized; and the meagre amount of intellect used is not something worthwhile. The greatest treasure of human beings is their psychic faculty, or their intellect. When I cannot utilize this precious intellect to its fullest advantage – what more tragic situation could there be than this! So we need the liberation of the human mind, and even before this we need the liberation of the human intellect.

Let me further explain what dogma is. Suppose the intellect wants to follow a particular path; in the meantime dogma comes from all sides and forbids it, “Oh no, no! Don’t take a single step further on that side. If you do, you’ll be burnt in eternal hell-fire. You’ll be doomed to hell for eternity.” When the intellect wants to make the fullest utilization of mundane wealth, dogma comes in and says, as it were, “Oh no – you must not do it. It is harmful for human beings, it is sheer blasphemy. It will lead to the degradation of humanity.”

When the human intellect becomes ardently eager to venture into a new enterprise in the psychic sphere, dogma again comes into the picture and insists, “Oh, no! You must not do like this. It will bring about your ruin.” Thus, in every sphere, at every step, dogma puts a blockade on the human mind, on the human intellect. That is why until we can liberate our intellect from bondages, we cannot make the fullest utilization of that intellect. For the service of humanity, the intellect has to be liberated from all sorts of bondages, from all kinds of dogma, from all manner of unholy influences. Unless that is achieved the human race cannot have a radiant future. If the present humanity wants to herald the advent of a golden dawn they will have to bring about an all-round emancipation of human intellect through a relentless struggle against dogma, backed by unlimited, uninhibited courage. This is why, in all corners of the world and in all directions, one and only one slogan should echo and re-echo from all mouths, “Dogma – No more, no more!”

Chapter 11	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Our subject of discussion yesterday was action, the reaction of action, and doership.⁽¹⁾ In that connection, I explained what Parama Puruśa can do: what are the actions He performs directly and what are the actions He gets done through His agents. In this context a fundamental question arises – what are the steps Parama Puruśa adopts to redeem so-called sinners? People say that when sinners and evil-doers come under the shelter of Parama Puruśa, they attain salvation. Now if people can be redeemed from sin, intellectuals may naturally ask a question: “How to attain that salvation?”

You all know that the most detrimental thing for human society and human progress is dogma. What is dogma? Where there is no logic, where there is no support of intellectuality, where there is no debate and free discussion, but there is only a severe imposition forcing people to accept something, there is dogma. What type of people preach this sort of dogma? The answer is: the blind followers of religion. It is quite natural for the followers of religion to say all kinds of dogmatic things. That is why people say that there is no room for logic in religion. But genuine dharma is completely based on logic and supported by intellectuality. In the case of dharma, people are convinced by logic; and people analyse and accept it after free and frank discussion and accordingly start moving in the path of life. The question is: how can people follow something which is not properly understood by them? And another question is: can one get redemption from sins, or not? It is said:

Nábhuktaḿ kśiiyate karma kalpakot́ishataerapi;
Avashyameva bhoktavyaḿ krtaḿ karma shubháshubham.

“Unless one undergoes the requitals of one’s mental reactive momenta – good requitals to good actions, bad requitals to bad actions – one cannot attain liberation.” Avashyameva bhoktavyaḿ krtaḿ karma shubháshubham – “whether an action is good or bad, the reaction must be experienced.” Then, if one is bound to undergo a bad reaction to a bad action, how can one hope to be redeemed from sin, because we already know that the reactions of sins must be required? But Lord Krśńa declared, by way of consoling human beings: “However durácárii or sudurácárii a person may be, if he or she comes under My shelter I will certainly save him or her from all sins. I will help him or her to attain liberation or salvation.” Here durácárii means a sinner, a person whose actions are opposed to ideology, whose thoughts and activities are opposed to morality, justice and the spirit of dharma. And sudurácarii means a person whom even the durácáriis consider a sinner, and whose company they will try to avoid.

Are not these two things self-contradictory? On the one side it is said that one must reap the consequences of actions, and on the other side people are advised to take the shelter of Parama Puruśa to attain salvation. Is this also a dogma?

This is a knotty question indeed. Now the question is, who performs action? It is the human mind which performs action.

Mana eva manuśyáńáḿ kárańaḿ bandhamokśayoh;
Bandhasya viśayásaungii mukto nirviśayaḿ tathá.

Mano karoti karmáńi mano lipyate pátako;
Manashca tanmaná buddhayá na puńyaḿ na ca pátako.

“It is the human mind which is the cause of bondage or liberation. If the mind is in bondage, the person is also in bondage. Similarly, if the mind is liberated the person is also liberated. After all, it is the human mind which engages in auspicious actions. Now, if this mind is kept engrossed in the ideation of Parama Puruśa, then it gets totally merged in Consciousness. In that case, where is the scope for virtue or vice for that person?”

If an ordinary sinner or a confirmed sinner remains absorbed in the thought of Parama Puruśa to the exclusion of all other thoughts, then his or her mind becomes pointed. This is called agryábuddhi [pinnacled intellect] in Sanskrit. In that state of mind the spiritual aspirant gets well established in pinnacled intellect. Unless and until the ordinary human intellect is elevated to the level of pinnacled intellect or apexed intellect, the continuous rise and fall of innumerable vibrations within one’s existence continues. These psychic vibrations are sometimes the vibrations of virtue, sometimes the vibrations of vice, sometimes the vibrations of the reaction of sinful deeds, sometimes of virtuous deeds. Unless the human mind is pointed, this rise and fall of antagonistic psychic vibrations will go on. The moment the mind is centred on Parama Puruśa, then that mind will naturally become pointed. In that state there is no scope for the rise and fall of any wave – neither the wave of virtue nor the wave of vice. Thus it is said that when a spiritual aspirant is established in pinnacled intellect, there cannot be any question of virtue and vice. A person who has taken the Cosmic shelter goes far above the scope of virtue or vice. This is something very natural.

And thus so-called sinners and evil-doers should not be worried at all. Krśńa has rightly said, “If even a diehard criminal comes in My shelter, I will save him or her from all sins; I will see to it that the person attains liberation or salvation. Hence no one, no spiritual aspirant – however black or despicable one’s past life might be – should be worried about anything.” This statement of Parama Puruśa is unalterable, inviolable. This statement is neither a philosophical assertion nor any dogma. Then what sort of statement is it? It is clear and simple. It conveys the idea that human beings should not be anxious under any circumstances, Parama Puruśa is always with everyone. If one has love for Parama Puruśa, the door of liberation or salvation will immediately open.

Footnotes

(1) “Karma, Karmaphala o Kartrttva” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 19. –Eds.

Chapter 12	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

The subject of today’s discourse is “Reality and Intellectuality”. While talking or arguing, we usually say, “It is reality,” or “This is a matter of fact,” or “This is abstract.” We use various terms to express the idea of reality. Now, let us consider the concept of reality, and then we will examine intellectuality.

People often say that “So-and-so is highly intellectual.” People speak in this way about intellectuals. But before we begin our discussion on intellectuality, let us first understand the concept of reality.

Reality

To human beings, [reality] is that which they can perceive with their sensory organs. What I can see with my eyes I call reality. How does a person perceive an object? The tanmátras⁽¹⁾ of sound, touch, form, taste and smell of an object reach the gateways of the sense organs as vibrations of different wavelengths. These vibrational expressions, these movements, are not linear, but are of systaltic order. In every phase there is pulsation, there is systalsis. Every vibrational expression is pulsative. Whatever we receive (or emanate) through our sensory or motor organs follows a systaltic movement. Waves appear for a fraction of a second and again disappear in the next moment. So when a wave appears, we can perceive it. When the action is there, we observe the object, we absorb it; in the pause phase we neither observe it nor absorb it. For example, when we say that we are seeing an elephant or a camel, we do not see them incessantly – now they appear, and the next moment they disappear. From the total of all these appearances and disappearances, we know what we are seeing.

The fundamental characteristic of the human mind is to receive or absorb something; that is, usually it has a positive tendency to see, to touch, to smell or to taste some object. Thus when we see numerous fragments of an object in the expressive phase, we integrate them into a whole and then say that we have seen this or that object, that we have touched or smelt this or that thing.

But if the mind has a negative tendency then it will, in the same way, integrate all the pause phases of the vibrational flow and we will say, even after seeing an elephant or a camel, that we did not see any elephant or camel at all. This indicates that there are positive tendencies and negative tendencies in the mind. On the basis of the positive tendency, we see and feel and taste different things. But the negative tendency will cause us not to perceive anything.

So that which we call “reality” has two subdivisions – positive and negative. Duality always exists in reality. Because of the existence of duality, reality cannot be an absolute entity. The existence of reality is not substantiated. So that which we call reality is not reality – if we happen to have a positive tendency in the mind, we think: “I am perceiving the real world.”

One more point should be mentioned in this regard. The process of perception by the sensory organs may be defective. Suppose you are looking at a sandy area at night from a distant point. In the darkness, the sands may appear to you as an expanse of water, or as a river, or as sheets of corrugated metal. This is an optical illusion. And this is not the end of the matter. The perceptive capacities of the sensory organs vary from one individual to another. There is no recognized standard of reality. Moreover, each sensory organ has its own limited capacity. Each sensory organ functions within its own defined limits and within its own jurisdiction. In addition, there are objects which we can perceive with the help of sensitive instruments but cannot perceive with the naked eye. We perceive some objects with the help of radio waves. Can we call such things perceptible by the senses? No, we cannot. That is why what we call reality or crude fact, on which the whole concept of materialism stands, is not at all real. So how and where can materialism get a foothold? Materialism is based on so-called reality, but that so-called reality is itself defective and full of ambiguity; the meaning of “reality” is not clear. Where there is duality, how can there be truth?

Intellectuality

Now, what about intellectuality? The flow of ectoplasmic waves moves continuously on, and those waves are also systaltic, with crests and troughs, speed and pause, contraction and expansion. They sometimes come in the mind and sometimes not. But when there is a positive tendency in the mind, it integrates everything which it receives and claims that it has seen an object, such as an elephant. Now suppose that there is not a positive tendency but a negative tendency in the mind, what happens? In that case, though the mind projects an elephant within, we will not see it. Even if we try to imagine an elephant in our minds, we will not be able to see it. And not only this. Because of this psychic defect or disorder, we have hallucinations, sometimes positive and sometimes negative. In our inner thoughts as well, sometimes such positive or negative hallucinations can occur. Obviously, whatever an intellectual thinks in his or her arena of intellect is completely defective. There always remains scope for doubt in intellectuality. So intellectuality is also baseless, because the very movement of the ectoplasm is baseless.

Intellectuals think that they are not ordinary persons. They think that they can do so many things and that they know so many things. But they should keep in mind that their thoughts may be defective, because in their thought-waves crests and troughs are always operating. Within their thoughts there is sometimes speed and sometimes pause. If the sum is taken of all those psychic pauses together, then intellectuality amounts to nothing.

Intellectuality does not depend on thought-waves alone. Here, the crux of the problem is not that thought-waves are defective, but that such thought-waves become defective because the mind’s subjectivated compartment has no control over its objectivated mental chamber. As a result, the mind may think that an object is non-existent, although it actually exists. Similarly, sometimes an object appears to the mind to exist, although actually it does not. This kind of intellectuality is affected by ambiguity.

So we see that there is ambiguity in both reality and intellectuality. The possibility of such ambiguity remains because of the positive tendencies of the mind. So we see that reality is not actually reality, and intellectuality is not actually intellectuality either.

Spirituality

Now, what should be our final conclusion? We can say that in this world neither intellectuality nor reality exists. So, what course should intelligent and wise people adopt in this world? They should search for something beyond this pulsative order of contraction and expansion, speed and pause. And what is that something? It is nothing else but spirituality.

The movement of spirituality is never pulsative in character, but rather linear: it flows in a straight line. Due to this straightness, it has no positive curvature or negative curvature. Yet for the sake of convenience we can call it the supreme positivity; and its farthest extremity, the point where resides all human existence, the starting-point of all intellectuals and non-intellectuals, can be termed the supreme negativity. So the movement of a living being starts from the supreme negativity, and as it gradually flows towards the supreme positivity, that is, towards spirituality, its line of movement becomes straight. This is the real path. At the end nothing exists – neither intellectuality nor reality – only spirituality pervades everything. No entity in the external world can claim the status of an absolute entity. Spirituality alone is the absolute stance; and to search for it is the real intellectuality. Whatever people do apart from this is nothing but the expression of their distorted propensities.

Footnotes

(1) Tanmátra literally means “minutest fraction of that”, i.e., of a given rudimental factor of matter. It is also translated “inferential wave”. The various types of tanmátra convey the senses of hearing, touch, form (vision), taste and smell. –Eds.

Chapter 13	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Now there will be a short discussion on “Pseudo-Spirituality and Neohumanism.”

On the one hand, there is pseudo-spirituality. We cannot call it “spiritual maximitis”, because “spiritual maximitis” means movement from imperfection to perfection. In the process of movement a very exalted position may be attained; but that exalted position is not the final stratum. That is why I prefer to call it “pseudo-spirituality”. What is pseudo-spirituality? It is spirituality that is not in perfect order, but is to some extent spirituality, having something to do with spirituality.

And on the other hand there is Neohumanism.

Human life – and not only human life but the life of other living beings also – is divided into four main strata. The first stratum is the physical stratum; the second one is physico-psychic; the third one psychic; and the final one is psycho-spiritual. In these four strata there is movement; everything moves, nothing is stationary. Even in the last stage, which I did not mention, that is, the stage of pure spirituality, there is movement; but we cannot bring it within the scope of speed, of velocity, because that movement is free from all bondages of relativity.

Now let us see how much pseudo-spirituality can help us or does help us in all these four strata.

The First Stratum

In this physical world, we are to be guided by rhythms. Each and every object has its own characteristic. In this case, it is not at all relevant how much existential value or utility value an entity has for human beings. The fact is that the created beings in this universe are all moving in this harmonious Cosmos. Innumerable entities are moving, and their movement towards supreme fulfilment, towards the final attainment, does not at all depend on their utility value or existential value. Everything is moving to its own particular rhythm, but that individual rhythm is an inseparable part of the Cosmic rhythm.

In the great Cosmos, we are to be guided by the Cosmic rhythm, but in the human world, what do people do? They are not guided by the Cosmic rhythm, they are guided by group interest, individual interest; that is, there is a clash between the rhythm of group interest and the rhythm of Cosmic movement. So this pseudo-spirituality fails to satisfy human demands. In the realm of physico-psychic movement also, the psychic ups and downs, the psychic waves, the psychic vibrations, are affected by physical vibrations due to group interest and individual interests; so in the realm of the physico-psychic world also, pseudo-spirituality bears no significance.

Now in the case of Neohumanism, we have to consider how far the individual rhythms of human beings and other living creatures and plants are maintaining adjustment with the Cosmic rhythm. And herein lies the greatest application of the human intellect. But because of the deficiency of the human intellect, people never consider things in their proper perspective: they do not think for the collective well-being of their fellow humans, far less for the welfare of the flora and fauna. They only think for their group interest or individual interest. That is, they are not guided by the Cosmic rhythm, they are guided by group interest or individual interest, so there is clash between the group interest and the rhythm of Cosmic movement.

Why do human beings think for their narrow interests? Because they are goaded by dogmas, and these dogmas certainly affect the Cosmic rhythm of the universe and the collective interest of the plant world, the animal world and the human world as well. Dogma affects the free and natural movement of the collective world.

Thus wherever there is pseudo-spirituality, there is the seed of dogma. Pseudo-spirituality harmfully affects the rhythmic movement of the physical world; it does not promote the cause of human welfare.

The Second Stratum

The second stratum is the physico-psychic stratum. The physico-psychic stratum usually maintains adjustment with the rhythms of the physical world. But often the psychic ups and downs, the psychic waves, the psychic vibrations, are affected by physical vibrations because of group interest and individual interest. Due to extremely narrow and selfish thoughts, human thought processes degenerate and people lose rhythm in the psychic world. Thus they deviate from the mainstream of the Cosmic rhythm of the universe. So in the realm of the physico-psychic world, pseudo-spirituality bears no significance. We do not want pseudo-spirituality, we want perfect spirituality.

The Third Stratum

Pseudo-spirituality cannot help us in our free thinking either, for our thinking is badly affected by dogma. When a human being sits alone and thinks, if the person thinks for the collective interest, then such thoughts are proper; but usually people do not think in this way. Usually they lament over the worn-out skeletons of the past. “This was done by, this was imposed by, our forefathers – when our forefathers have said this, why should I break with the old traditions? It was written in this way in the scriptures; and moreover if I follow these old conventions and traditions, what is the harm?” These types of dogmatic and dogma-ic thoughts will naturally stifle the free flow of human thought. And that is why whenever there is dogma, human thinking cannot be free; and for want of, for paucity of, free thinking, there cannot be any proper psycho-spiritual progress either. So here what we want is perfect spirituality and not pseudo-spirituality.

Pseudo-spirituality cannot promote the cause of human welfare; the seed of welfare does not lie there. The seed of welfare cannot exist where the seed of dogma exists.

The Fourth Stratum

In the psycho-spiritual sphere also, where the speed of progress is the maximum, that speed becomes thwarted because of dogma, for there is a defect in the initial stage. If people’s very thoughts are defective, then how far can they progress towards perfect spirituality under the weight of those defective thoughts?

So pseudo-spirituality, full of dogma, does not lead to collective welfare either in the physical, physico-psychic, psychic or spiritual worlds. What we really want is perfect spirituality, not pseudo-spirituality.

Everything in this universe moves, and this movement is from imperfection towards perfection. So perfect spirituality is our goal, and Neohumanism is our approach. What is Neohumanism? The collection of all natural human expressions, the collection of all natural expressions of all flora and fauna, is Neohumanism. All these movements of human sentiment and all these movements of flora and fauna are towards perfect spirituality. So that perfect spirituality cannot be the cult – it is the goal, it is the desideratum, it is the culminating point of all movements.

All the movements of human sentiment and – as I just now said – all the movements of flora and fauna are unto the perfect spirituality. So that perfect spirituality cannot be the cult, it is the goal. And what is the cult? The cult is the movement of Neohumanism. That is, the cult is the movement of all human expressions, all human manifestations – and not only human expressions and manifestations, but all expressions, all manifestations, of all living beings, including flora and fauna. This is the cult, this is Neohumanism.

So our approach, our cult, is Neohumanistic, and our goal is perfect spirituality. And this Neohumanistic approach is our human asset; it is the charm of human existence, it is the fascination of human existence, and it is the glamour of human society.

Chapter 14	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Today’s topic of discussion is “Perfect Spirituality and Neohumanism.” The inner spirit of the path of sádhaná is expressed in a particular shloka:

Yacchedváunmanasiiprájiṋastadyacchejjiṋána átmani;
Jiṋánamátmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchánta átmani.

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

The entire phase of the divine cult is divided into different sub-phases.

The First Phase

In the first phase one withdraws the mind from external physicalities and establishes oneself in the realm of done “I”, that is, objectivated “I” feeling (extro-internal objectivated “I”, not intro-external objectivated “I”). And under such circumstances, what happens? One certainly establishes full or part control over external physicalities, and one will be in a position to help the world in that realm, if not fully, certainly partly. But when the mind is goaded by certain dogmas, one cannot have a clear idea regarding the external physicalities. So one fails to do one’s duty in that realm of extro-internal movement.

The Second Phase

Similarly, in the second phase, the done “I”, the objectivated “I” [feelings] of the mind, are withdrawn from that realm of affairs and established in the pure doer “I” feeling. Under such circumstances it is quite natural that we feel all the pains and agonies, all the pleasures and joys of the human mind, and help the world accordingly – help the entire world, not only the living world but both the animate and inanimate worlds – and become assets to human society. That is, such people’s approach must be Neohumanistic. But if the mind is not pure, if it is amalgamated by dogma, then certainly even if such persons are spiritual aspirants they cannot be assets to human society. The very approach is defective, the approach is not pure. Even if they do sádhaná for twenty hours out of twenty-four hours in a day, you can be sure that their sádhaná is not on the right path, because theirs is not the path of Neohumanism. It is a defective path – it is a path rent by dogmas.

The Third Phase

And the third phase is when the ego is merged in the pure “I” feeling. In this way, a personal ego, rather, all the egoism of an individual, is withdrawn from the world, and one is established in the pure “I”. Under such circumstances, we may expect that such a person will feel the charm of all human lives, the charm of all living creatures, or rather the charm of living of the entire universe. And you know, this charm of living is not only associated with flora or fauna, but is associated with all beings, even inanimate objects – gold, iron, water, and everything – because everything is moving in this universe, everything is dancing to the rhythm of Parama Puruśa.

Pránáh yathátmano’bhiiśt́áh bhútánámapi te tathá;
Átmaopamyena bhútánaḿ dayáḿ kurvanti sádhavah.

“Just as one’s own life is dear to one’s own self, so the lives of other creatures are equally dear to them. Those who realize this truth are the real sádhus.” In this phase of sádhaná, such sádhakas feel that all living beings are their own. In sympathy with the joys and sorrows of all living beings, they help all creatures.

But where such a [mentality] is wanting, where there is such a mental defect, or defect in the approach, the approach is not Neohumanistic. Where such a mentality is wanting, where people are guided more by ahaḿtattva [doer “I”, ego], they say: “I am doing, I am giving. This was done by me, that was done by me,” and so on. [The higher faculty of mahattattva, pure “I” feeling, is not affected by any sense of ego or vanity.] Though people at this stage are moving on the path of sádhaná, still there is some defect in them. Their minds do not inspire the lives of others, their minds do not touch the minds of others. They do not reach the sweetness of others’ “I” feelings, for they are too preoccupied with themselves. Their approach is defective; their path is not the path of Neohumanism.

The Fourth Phase

And when spiritual aspirants enter the final stage, become one with Parama Puruśa, certainly there remains no duality in them. They will realize the fact that everything is in Him, everything cometh from Him, remaineth in Him and goeth back to Him. No, there is no question of any duality. Everything becomes theirs, and they become everyone’s.

So under such circumstances, such persons cannot say: “I am the messenger of God, and what I say is the way. And those who follow me are the blessed people, others are the cursed people.” No, there cannot remain such a defective idea in such persons; everything is theirs. But when such an idea is working, there is certainly some defect in them; it is something faulty, something non-Neohumanistic. Those who think thus are not guided by the spirit of universalism, and it should be understood that they can never attain the Supreme Goal in life. They are neither apostles nor prophets nor realized souls. They themselves are following a defective path – not a Neohumanistic path – and they also explain things wrongly to others. People thus far have obeyed them out of fear, but in fact they have merely confused others.

Now the last point is that those who are established in Cosmic Cognizance, Cosmic Cognitive Principle, certainly do something for the universe both in action and thought. Those who do not do so are either far away from that supreme stance, or have missed that supreme stance in the late hours, that is, just before attaining salvation. If spiritual aspirants accept Neohumanism from the very first step of their spiritual movements, spiritual approach, then because of their Neohumanistic approach, the world will have been benefited by them.

But in order to attain the goal of salvation, of final emancipation, one will have to accept Neohumanism [if not at the first step, then] as the final course of action; one will have to establish oneself in Neohumanism just on the eve of one’s final merger with Parama Puruśa – maybe for a few moments only; otherwise it is impossible for one to establish oneself in perfect spirituality and attain Parama Puruśa. Neohumanism is the last word for attaining Him.

Those who did not accept Neohumanism from the beginning – who accepted it just before the final stage – also followed a defective path. If Neohumanism is accepted just before the final state, then the world will have been deprived of those people’s service. Perhaps they did not lose anything personally, but there was certainly a collective loss for the whole humanity. Had they really accepted Neohumanism from the very first step of their spiritual movement, then the trees and plants, the animals and other creatures – all the animate and inanimate worlds – would have benefited immensely. But as they did not accept it in the initial stage, so the world was at a loss.

And those who have been declared as being established in pure spirituality, in perfect spirituality, but show no reflection of Neohumanism in their external dealings – those whose minds are assailed by divisive tendencies, who want to keep one community separate from another and create confusion in the minds of others in the name of scriptures – it should be clearly understood that what has been declared about those people is not true. If the path one follows is not true, then it is impossible to reach the goal. Neohumanism is the only way – human beings will have to accept it today or tomorrow.

Chapter 15	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Neohumanism includes within its scope not only human beings and animate creatures, such as plants and animals, but all inanimate entities as well, for the scope of Neohumanism extends down to the smallest particles of sub-atomic matter.

What is Neohumanism? Neohumanism is newly-explained humanism. “Humanism” and “humanity” have been very popular words for the last century, but only human beings have come within the scope of humanism and humanity. This explanation [of the concept] is not sufficient – it cannot quench the thirst of the developing human society. Why should the love and affection of developed human minds be restricted to human beings only? Why should it not include all living beings, including plant life? This is the new explanation of humanism – Neohumanism – for within Neohumanism the entire animate world is included.

But what is the status of inanimation [the inanimate world] in Neohumanism? Fundamentally there is hardly any difference between the world of animation and the world of inanimation. Some people explain that when there is a characteristic of movement within a structure it is animate, otherwise it is inanimate. But this explanation is not sufficient, because there is a characteristic of movement within both animate and inanimate objects. Others say that if the source of this internal characteristic of movement is the unit mind, it is animation, otherwise it is inanimation. But this is not a perfect interpretation either.

Even within inanimate objects as minute as the atom and smaller particles, there are still smaller particles that maintain their structural unity and struggle against their internal and external fissiparous tendencies. If the scope of Neohumanism is extended in this way from an extensive scope to an intensive scope, then we should go deeper into matter – not only into composite structures of animation and inanimation, but within the subtlest and smallest assembling structures.⁽¹⁾ And within the smallest assembling structures, where the point is nadir, the assembling body is the perfect status. But that perfect status can be reached only theoretically, never in the realm of practicality.

So in Neohumanism our movement, our progress, must be not only extensive – that is, bringing within its scope the whole world of animation; it should also be intensive, a never-ending movement from the imperfect world of humanism to the perfect world of the unit assembling body, to the original primordial phase of perfection.

And that golden day is sure to come when that perfect stage of structure, that is, unit existence in the intra-atomic world, will be reached, when human intuition will realize that the essence in the sub-atomic world is pure Consciousness.

Footnotes

(1) The smallest essential sub-atomic particles. –Eds.

Chapter 16	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

Baraśá eseche niipanikuiṋje
Vetasakuiṋje nácite nácite;
Shikhiirá sakale chande meteche –
Viińára dhvanite mandrita giitite
Chandahárá dhará práń peyeche.

Júthira suvás bháse sajala háoyáy,
Manera parág háse madhura Máyáy;
Chande chande vipulánande
Ádhmará taru sab jege’ ut́heche.

[In the bower of kadamba flowers, the rains have come
Dancing, dancing in the grove of cane.
And all the peacocks have started prancing in rhythm.
In the vibrant songs from the sounding lyres,
The world without rhythm has found new life.
The fragrance of jasmine floats in the wet air.
And the pollen of mind smiles in the sweetest love.
Thrilling in blissful rhythms,
The half-dead trees have all sprung into life.
And all the peacocks have started prancing in rhythm.]

Baraśár dine sabákár sane
Aekatáne egiye calo
Egiye calite náhi cáho jadi
Jhará pátári galpa balo.
(Shuye) jhará pátári galpa balo.

Sabái ájike meteche chande
Kekákalarab shikhiira kańt́he
Salája dharańii neche cale se je
Sabujer sáje man bholálo.

Hásikhushii bhará ei samárohe
Utalá pavan náná dike bahe
Álápe ábeshe gáne ulláse
Sabár jiivan bhariye tolo. ⁽¹⁾

[In these rainy days, together with all Let us move forward in concert If you do not want to move ahead, Then lie down and tell tales of fallen leaves. All are today intoxicated with joyful rhythm With the piercing sound in the throats of peacocks This blushing earth dances along Its verdant beauty enchants the mind. The people are full of gleeful mirth In all directions the restless wind blows With banter and festivity, songs and delight Let us fill the lives of all. Let us move forward together, in concert.]

Humanity is now at the threshold of a new era. We do not want any dogma. The age of dogma is gone. What we want is an idea based on Neohumanism. We are for the entire created world; and not only for human beings or living beings, but for the entire animate and inanimate universe.

Now when you are in a mood of pleasure, just distribute it throughout the universe – let all the hearts of the created universe dance in ecstasy and throb with energy. And this is the gospel of the day: we are for all, we are for the Neohumanistic progress of the entire Cosmos. This is the idea.

Baraśá eseche bharaśá eseche
Cátaker trśá mit́eche

Shuśka trńerá shyámala shobháy
Gálicár rúp dhareche.

Jal paŕiteche jhamájham kare
Amarár sudhá jena jhare paŕe

Háráno mádhurii tarute phireche.
Jiiverá nútan práń peyeche.

(Áji) calo chut́e cali lakśyer páne
Dúranta gáne durdama práńe
Phire cahibár ghume kát́ábár
Sab abasar cale’ geche
(Áj) sab abasar cale’ geche.⁽²⁾

[The rains have come, and hope has returned
The skylark’s thirst is quenched
The once-parched grasses in verdant new beauty
Carpet the earth.
The rains are pattering on the ground,
As if heavenly nectar is dripping down
The lost sweetness has returned to the trees
And all the creatures have found new life.
Let us rush today towards our goal supreme
With full-throated songs, with indomitable spirit.
And now there is no time to look back or sleep.]

In the primordial phase of human creation, say about one million years ago, when human beings [had just evolved on earth], the cranium was small, the brain was small, and the nerve-cells had meagre capacity to think and to emanate thought-waves. The nerve-fibres were also less efficient in [expressing] human ideas. But now human beings are developed creatures. The brain has much increased, the nerve-cells are more developed, and the human brain and human nerve-cells can emanate more thoughts. So under such circumstances we can say, as I just told you, that humanity is now at the threshold of a new era. We must not waste our time. There must be maximum utilization of all human potentialities.

In the first phase of human creation, when humanity, rather, civilization, was just in the form of a new[-born child], humans were almost like other animals. There was little difference amongst apes, proto-apes and humans – ape-men and humans.⁽³⁾ In the realm of physicality, humans were almost like other ape-men – there was no socio-economico-cultural life, and there was hardly any spiritual life.

[The age] moved on. Humanity passed through several transmutations, through several changes, and through many metamorphoses. Human ideas underwent changes as a result of the development of human cells – protoplasmic cells in the realm of physicality, and nerve-cells in the realm of intellectuality. Some people came forward who became the leaders of the society. Hero-worship started – [the worship of heroism] in human structure. And there came the first phase, the rudimental phase, in human socio-economico-cultural life. [And a great acceleration] of spirituality came; human values increased. Cardinal human values underwent a bit of assessment. Human existence came upon a new era. There was hardly any economic life, but there was a wee bit of cultural and social life.

Metamorphosis went on. Age after age came; era after era came; so many small and big epoch-making events took place – the collection of these became the history of prehistoric men. This was the first phase of primitive history. Then finally the reign of intellectuality started. Along with intellectuality there was certainly much intellectual extravaganza. Dogma replaced simplicity: the social life was goaded by dogma in the name of so many faiths and so many creeds and so many cults. Those creeds and faiths and cults had nothing to do with the collective progress of human beings; they did much harm to our collective body, not only in a particular corner of the earth, but in the entire universe. And the main structure of the society, rather, the bulk of the society, moved on goaded by these dogmas, and this movement of dogma was known as the mainstream of life. Those who did not accept this, those who were guided by reasoning and rationality, were treated as unwanted beings.

Now dogma is fast being replaced by rationality and reason. Human beings with their developed brains, developed nerve systems and developed nerve-cells started thinking that we are not to do something for a particular tribe or a particular clan or a particular nationality; we are to do whatever we are to do, whatever we must do, for the entire humanity of the Cosmos.

But even that is not sufficient; even that will not suffice in preserving this human stock. In this mid-portion of the Cenozoic Age, we are to think once more what we are to do. Is humanity the summum bonum of existence? No, no, no, certainly not. The universe does not consist only of humans; other animals, other creatures, other plants, also have the right to live. So our universe is not only the universe of humans but the universe of all – just now I said, for all created beings, for all living beings, and for both the animate and the inanimate universe.

So ours is the age of Neohumanism – humanism supplying elixir to all, one and all. We are for all, and with everything existent we are to build up a new society, a Neohumanistic society. So we must not waste our time. And if we are late in doing our duty, the dark shadow of complete destruction will overpower our existence. We should be conscious of this; we should be cautious of this; we must not waste a single moment of our valuable existence. So what I said just now is that now humanity is at the threshold of a new era. And so many epoch-making events, so many annals of history, are to be created by you boys and you girls. Be ready to shoulder that responsibility of ages to come. You boys and you girls, what do you say? Are you ready for your revised duties and responsibilities?

[Audience: “We are.”]

Very good, very good. “Dogma – No more, no more.” Ours is the age of Neohumanism. Very good. And let there be one more song.

Mánuś sabái ápan –
Eki marme gánthá sabára hiyá, sabákár eki áyojan.

Duhkhe kándi morá, sukhe hási, priyajan priyamukh bhálabási;
Morá kśudhár anna-jal milemishe khái;
Bujhi sabákár táhá prayojan.

Sabái bhálabási ei dharańii, ákásher cánd-tárá,
arańyánii;
Eki chánde náci morá, eki práńe gái –
D́áki Parama Puruśere haye ekman.⁽⁴⁾

[All human beings are our own –
All hearts share the same innermost heart, the needs of all are the same.
We cry in sorrow, we laugh in joy, we love to see the faces of our dear ones;
We share food and drink all together;
We realize that all share the same needs.
We all love our universe, the moon and stars above and the forest below;
We dance to the same rhythm and sing with the same life’s urge –
We link our minds together to call to the Supreme Lord.]

All humanity is a singular entity, it is one and indivisible. (Go on singing.)

The feelings and sentiments of all human beings are the same; and preparation for a nobler life is the same for all. The requirements and necessities of all humanity are the same. So humanity is a singular entity, humanity is one and indivisible. And for this purpose we should always maintain an equilibrium amongst different humans, and there must be one equipoise for the development of all, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality and clan isms.

There must not be any shortage of food or water in this world. Still there are so many places where there can be more production, where there is pure water; so all the requirements, all the potentialities, all food and water should be distributed throughout the world. Nowhere in this world should men die of starvation. We are for all and everything is for all. (Go on singing.)

So many gospels of peace, so many texts and sermons, have been preached. But those who were so-called apostles of peace, preached the gospels of peace, but kept their powder dry. They were not sincere in their mission. We want no more gospels. We want something practical, something practical for the elevation, or for the exaltation, of the entire human race. As a result of the elevation of the human race, all other living beings, all other animate and inanimate objects, will also be elevated. So what is required now is the elevation of human existence, the elevation of human mind and human spirit. We require no dogma – we require more reasoning, more rationality – rationality moving unto the terminus of Parama Puruśa;⁽⁵⁾ the Supreme Desideratum is that Universal Nave.

So many waves of so many feelings have been emanated from the nucleus of this Cosmological Order. Each and every existence has its own peculiar wavelength and peculiar rhythmic order; but when the movement is towards that Supreme Unity, all those heterogeneities will become one. So many colours moving on, moving on, with so many rhythms, with so many wavelengths – but when it comes to the supreme culminating point, all the rhythms will be united – there will be complete unison. And when there will be complete unison, in that Desideratum (as I told you, there cannot be “desiderata” – it always remains in the singular number, it is a singular entity) all waves will also attain singularity, there will not remain any heterogeneity; everything will become homogeneous in the final point of this universal march of ours.

This Neohumanism, only this Neohumanism, can save our universe, can save human existence. So now we are to sing the song of Neohumanism. We should [forget] all our omissional and commissional errors of the past. Forget the past. Be the [vanguard of] a bright future; and the crimson light of that future breaks on the eastern horizon. We should welcome it – we must welcome it. There is no alternative but to welcome it.

Footnotes

(1) Prabháta Saḿgiita is a body of 5018 spiritual and psycho-spiritual songs composed by the author. Songs numbers 116 and 117 were sung before the author and the congregation on this occasion. The author then began to speak, elaborating, as he began, particularly on the last lines of song 117. –Eds.

(2) The author paused and allowed Prabháta Saḿgiita number 118 to be sung, after which he resumed his discourse. –Eds.

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

(4) Prabhát Saḿgiita number 1090, a song of Neohumanism, was then sung. The author punctuated the performance every few lines with further commentary, until both the song and his discourse were finished. The “innermost heart” of line 2 refers to the Cosmic “I”. –Eds.

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

Chapter 17	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

You know, all expressions in this universe are divided into three strata – physical, psychic and spiritual – and not a single stratum among them is unimportant or negligible. For the integrated development of this world, we want all three of these strata to be properly developed, and their speed to be accelerated. Not a single stratum is unimportant – neither the physical stratum, nor the psychic stratum, nor the spiritual stratum.

For physical development you are to work, you are to create certain physical factors guided by psychic faculties. Regarding development in the psychic world – since the psychic stratum is the controlling faculty of the physical world, automatically there will be certain processes which develop the physical world also. And the spiritual world is the apex form of the psychic world. So for psychic development there must be spiritual development, there must be spiritual progress. For the integrated development of the world, not only the human world or the animal world or the plant world, but for the development of the entire animate and inanimate universe, there must be progress in these three arenas.

The psychic world, partly directly and partly indirectly, controls the physical world, and the spiritual world, partly directly and partly indirectly, controls the psychic world. As the psychic world is the apex form of the physical world (mind is the subtilized form of matter), we cannot afford to neglect or ignore the development of the psychic world. And as the spiritual world is similarly the apex form of the psychic world, for psychic development, for development in different spheres of intellectuality, we cannot neglect the spiritual world.

This has been our failing: that we neglected the spiritual faculties of human life, we neglected the cardinal spiritual points of life. If we are interested today in the welfare of this beautiful universe, we should try more and more to accelerate the speed of spiritual progress. If the acceleration of spiritual progress becomes tremendous, then not only in the human world, but also in the physical, psychic and spiritual spheres of the entire world – and not only of the entire animate world, but of both the animate and inanimate worlds – there will be tremendous progress. And this is what we want. Now we are anxiously waiting for that crimson dawn on the eastern horizon.

Chapter 18	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

You know, it is the inherent nature of all living beings to expand their physical arena, and for this purpose, rather, because of this fundamental characteristic (this trait is nothing but a sort of fundamental characteristic), they exploit others, they forget the interest of other living beings. Just now I said that this is the inherent nature of all living beings, both humans and animals. But human beings have another characteristic, another inborn instinct, and that is to expand their psychic arena also. So unlike other animals, human beings have the opportunity to divert their physical longings into spiritual longings, into spiritual aspirations. Other animals do not have this opportunity. But because of this psychic characteristic human beings exploit others on the psychic level as well as on the physical level, and this exploitation on the psychic level is even more dangerous than on the physical one.

So that there may not be any intellectual extravaganza or any physical subjugation, human beings require proper training both physically and mentally. And this is what is called education – properly training the physical and also the psychic existences. Because of the lack of such a training at the proper time, there is no perfect coordination, no happy adjustment, between one’s inner being and outer being. Sometimes people seem very sincere to hear them talk, but there is not an iota of sincerity in their inner world. And this is what happens in the modern world: both individual and collective existence has become one-sided, it has lost its balance. Thus what we require most is a proper system of education.

Just to show their sincerity of purpose, just to show that they are developed human beings, sometimes people speak of disarmament. They say that there should be a check, a control, over the manufacturing of deadly weapons. They express this idea vocally, but internally they surreptitiously are prepared for even worse weapons, even more deadly weapons, just to keep others under their servitude in the physical sphere. This is nothing but the worst type of brutality. Once a certain leader said, “Keep the prospects of peace alive, but keep your powder dry.” That is what is happening today. This physical longing should be diverted towards psychic longings; but if it is diverted towards psychic longing by proper mundane education, that will not suffice. In that case there still remains the fear of psychic subjugation. So the remedy lies elsewhere.

Yes, people should be motivated by human feelings, human sentiments, human ideas. No doubt it would be good if human feelings could serve as a moral check in this competition of weapons, but don’t take this prospect as the last word: human feelings cannot check the infighting prevalent among human beings. For this purpose we should have a two-fold approach. For the purpose of training this turbulent mind, what should be done? We will have to educate the mind properly, along the lines of Neohumanism. This Neohumanist education will impart proper training to the mind. And at the same time there should be spiritual practice for proper psychic transformation. This is what we require most. There is no alternative.

Chapter 19	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

The subject of today’s discourse is “Existential Flow and Its Culminating Point”.

There is mind, there is microcosm, in each and every existence of this universe. In inanimate objects the mind is in its stagnant point, in cimmerian slumber; but amongst animated beings the mind plays a very important role; and amongst those animated beings or animated creatures, in humans the mind plays the most dominant role. [It is] the most dominant factor amongst humans. We may say that human beings are more psychic beings than physical ones.

[One] characteristic of the mind is that it moves – it cannot remain stationary, it must move. Even when [quiet], it goes on moving;⁽¹⁾ movement is a must. In order to maintain its existence, the mind must maintain its dynamicity.

Now, for the Macrocosm, the movement is in a particular line, in a particular flow, in a particular direction, following a particular route. And in each and every object of this universe, the movement is in a particular way, unless and until diverted or redirected to some other way by a stronger mental faculty. But in the case of microcosms, and especially of human beings, it is something different – it has a certain speciality of its own. A river moves from the mountain towards the sea, and never from the sea towards the mountain; but in the case of human minds, or human microcosms, the movement may be from the mountain towards the sea or from the sea towards the mountain. This is the speciality of the human mind.

[It is a fact of life also] that we as a people sometimes leave a particular country and go to another country, and people do this less because of physical requirement and more because of psychic urge. This is a fact of life also.

Now, the objectivated [human] mind may move from subtle towards crude or from crude towards subtle, unlike the movements of other entities of this universe. If the movement towards crude is encouraged, the mind – and at the same time the entire existence of the human being – will be converted into crude matter. That is, it will [take] the path of negative pratisaiṋcara.⁽²⁾ And if the movement towards subtle is encouraged, then one’s entire existence will be converted into either Cosmic Mind or Cosmic Cognitive Faculty. This is the speciality of mind, and that is why it is said:

Mano karoti karmáńi mana lipyate pátakaeh;
Manashca tanmaná bhútvá na puńyaeh na ca pátakaeh.

Mana eva manuśyánáḿ kárańaḿ bandhamokśayoh;
Bandhastu viśayásaungi mukto nirviśayaḿ tathá.

[It is the mind that performs good actions and it is the mind that sins. For the mind that is immersed in the thought of God, there is no virtue, no vice.]

[The mind of a person in bondage is attached to his or her objects of enjoyment, whereas the mind of a person who has attained liberation has no mental object.]

“The mind is the cause of bondage, and this mind, this very mind, is the cause of liberation, is the cause of emancipation.” If the movement towards subtle is encouraged, and there is movement with proper acceleration, then what will happen? There will take place one of two different things: either one’s existence will be converted into the Cosmic Mind – that metamorphosis of unit mind into Cosmic Mind is known as the qualified stance – saguńásthiti – or, if the very “I” feeling is surrendered at the altar of Supreme Existence, then the alternative will be that the entire existential factor will become one with the Supreme Cognitive Faculty, with the Cognitive Principle – one will become omniscient, an all-knowing entity.

Thus one will attain saguńásthiti or nirguńásthiti (the non-attributional or non-qualified stance).

Now, movement or mobility is a must for psychic existence, for any existence. Otherwise nothing will exist in this universe.⁽³⁾ And this movement is called [vrtti]. In English you may say “propensity”, but “propensity” is not the proper term. Vrtti. And when this vrtti, this psychic urge, or this psychic mobility, is towards the crude, it is called pravrtti; and when it is towards the subtle it is called nivrtti. The sages used to say: Pravrttireśá bhútánáḿ sthúlá nivrttistu maháphalá [“The pravrtti of human beings is a crude thing, but nivrtti is something that yields good results”]. Now if this urge towards matter, this material longing, is properly directed – that is, if the movement towards matter is redirected towards something subtle, towards the Cognitive Faculty, or towards the Cosmic Mind – then what will happen? This urge, this pravrtti, will be converted into nivrtti. Your longing for money, your longing for name or fame, may be converted into a longing for Parama Puruśa, who is the goal of your life.

So extroversial movement, if properly directed, may be converted into nivrtti, that is, introversial movement, at any moment. So do not think that you are beyond the pale of humanity. Just convert your physical urge into an urge for spirituality. The surging waves of pravrtti today will tomorrow be converted into subtle blissful vibrations. Thus one should not be concerned at all in this regard. Pravrttireśá bhútánáḿ sthúlá nivrttistu maháphalá.⁽⁴⁾

And the culminating point, the desideratum, is Parama Puruśa – love, eternal love, universal love, personified. What is Parama Puruśa? Universal love, when personified, is Parama Puruśa. Your march, your movement, is towards Him. That is, your mind moves from crude to subtle, from matter to Parama Puruśa; in this march, in this universal march,⁽⁵⁾ everybody has the right to do it; everybody has the birthright to move along this path of righteousness. Just show people the path – just tell them: “O human beings, the path is ready for you, you just come!” Whoever is endowed with a human mind and a human body is entitled to follow this path, and at the end of the journey, one day, one is destined to attain Parama Puruśa. When Parama Puruśa, the Cosmic Cognition, is your goal, success is a must, success will be with you.

But during this march, the approach is two-fold. One [approach is], Parama Puruśa is your goal, Parama Puruśa, love personified, is your goal, and you must get Him. When you have accepted Him as your object of adoration,⁽⁶⁾ you must get Him. And the other approach is, while moving towards Him, in that movement, you are fighting against all your internal and external bondages.

While moving towards the Cosmic goal, while moving towards the Cosmic Cognitive Faculty, one will go on fighting against one’s internal and external bondages. These external bondages, that is, imposed bondages, imposed from outside, are known as pásha:

Ghrńá shauṋká bhayaḿ lajjá jugupsá ceti paiṋcamii;
Kulaḿ shiilaiṋca mánaiṋca aśt́ao pásháh prakiirttitáh.

[Hatred, doubt, fear, shyness, dissemblance, vanity of lineage, cultural superiority complex and egotism – these are the eight fetters.]

These are the eight external bondages, or imposed bondages. One must fight against these imposed bondages, one must wage war against these bondages. And then there are the six ripu. Ripu means “internal enemies” – not imposed saḿskáras, imposed bondage, but inborn bondage.

So one should wage war against these eight⁽⁷⁾ external bondages and six internal bondages. This fight is with the left hand, and with the right hand what is one to do? One is to serve the entire universe without any restriction of caste, creed or nationality, and with the sentiment of, with the feeling of, with the knowledge of, Neohumanism: “The universe is mine; all living beings are mine. I am to serve them, I am to help them. If I don’t serve them, if I don’t help them, who else is to help them?” If, in this way, you are fighting those inner and outer bondages with one hand, and serving the universe with the other hand, what will happen? Your existence will be blissful in each and every field of your movement. So one’s very existence will be joyful, one’s very existence will be blissful.

Human existence is a psychic flow, and to attain proximity with Parama Puruśa, to become one with the Cognitive Principle, is the goal of human life, is the desideratum of all human existential flows. We should remember this, and our movement should always be with never-ending acceleration. We are to move on, and our only march, our only desideratum, is that Supreme Cognitive Principle. And there cannot be more than one desideratum for human existence.

Footnotes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

	Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]

ÁCÁRYA m. or ÁCÁRYÁ f. Spiritual teacher qualified to teach all lessons of meditation.
AHAM, AHAḾTATTVA. Doer “I”, ego, second mental subjectivity.
ANANDA MARGA. Path of divine bliss; Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Ananda Marga organization).
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.

BRAHMA. Supreme Entity, comprising both PURUŚA, or Shiva, and PRAKRTI, or Shakti.

CITTA. Done “I”, objective “I”, objective mind, mind-stuff.

DHARMA. Characteristic property; spirituality; the path of righteousness in social affairs.

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, JIIVÁTMAN. See ÁTMÁ.

MAHAT, 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.

NIRGUŃA BRAHMA. BRAHMA unaffected by the guńas (binding factors or principles); Non-Qualified Brahma.

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.
PURUŚA. Consciousness. Supreme Consciousness, the consciousness of the Cosmos, is PARAMA PURUŚA, and a unit consciousness is an ańu puruśa.

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

SÁDHANÁ. Literally, “sustained effort”; spiritual practice; meditation.
SADVIPRA. Spiritual revolutionary.
SAGUŃA BRAHMA. BRAHMA affected by the guńas (binding factors or principles); Qualified Brahma.
SAḾSKÁRA. Mental reactive momentum, potential mental reaction.

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.
TÁRAKA BRAHMA. Supreme Consciousness in Its liberating aspect.