EE7.5 - Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]

A Guide to Human Conduct

Published in:
A Guide to Human Conduct
Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]
The Great Universe: Discourses on Society [a compilation]

Notes:

official source: A Guide to Human Conduct

this version: is the printed A Guide to Human Conduct, 4th edition, 5th printing, version (obvious spelling, punctuation and typographical mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

These articles originally appeared as A Guide to Human Conduct. The “Introduction” later appeared as the “Morality” chapter of The Great Universe. Still later, the “Ahiḿsá” and “Satya” sections appeared as one chapter, “Ahiḿsá and Satya”, of Prout in a Nutshell Part 11.

In The Great Universe, the chapter “Morality” is an abridged version of the Introduction.

In The Great Universe, the chapter “Purity (Shaoca)” is an abridgement of the “Shaoca” section.

Morality is the foundation of Sádhaná (spiritual practice). It must, however, be remembered that morality or good conduct is not the culminating point of the spiritual march. As a moralist one may set an ideal for other moralists, but to do this is not something worth mentioning for a Sádhaka (spiritual aspirant). Sádhaná, in its very start, requires mental equilibrium. This sort of mental harmony may also be termed as morality.

People often say, “I follow neither a religion nor rituals; I abide by truth; I harm nobody and I tell no lies. This is all that is necessary; nothing more need be done or learnt.” It should be clearly understood that morality is only an effort to lead a well-knit life. It will be more correct to define morality as a dynamic force rather than a static one, because balance in the extroversial spheres of life is maintained by waging a pauseless war against all opposite ideas. It is not an intro-external equilibrium. If the unbalanced state of mind takes a serious turn by pressure of external allurement, and if the mental disturbance is found to be intense, it is likely that the power for internal struggle may yield and consequently the external equilibrium, the show of morality, may at any moment break down.

That is why morality is, no doubt, not the goal, not even a static force. The morality of a moralist may disappear at any moment. It cannot be said with any certainty that the moralist who has resisted the temptation of a bribe of two rupees would also be able to resist the temptation of an offer of two hundred thousand rupees. Nevertheless, morality is not absolutely valueless in human life. Morality is an attribute of a good citizen and it is the starting point on the path of Sádhaná.

Moral ideals must be able to furnish human beings with the ability as well as the inspiration to proceed on the path of Sádhaná. Morality depends on one’s efforts to maintain a balance regarding time, place and person and therefore there may be differences in moral code. But the ultimate end of moralism is the attainment of Supreme bliss and therefore there should not be any possibility of any imperfections of relativity. It cannot be said that the ultimate aim of human life is not to commit theft; what is desirable is that the tendency to commit theft should be eliminated. Not to indulge in falsehood is not the aim of life; what is important is that the tendency of telling lies should be dispelled from one’s mind. The Sádhaka starts spiritual practices with the principles of morality, of not indulging in theft or falsehood. The aim of such morality is attainment of such a state of Oneness with Brahma where no desire is left for theft; and all tendencies of falsehood disappear.

In the Sádhaná of Ananda Marga, moral education is imparted with this ideal of oneness with Brahma, because Sádhaná is not possible without such a moral ideation. Sádhaná devoid of morality will divert people again towards material enjoyments and at any moment they may use their mental power, acquired with much hardship, to quench their thirst for meagre physical objects. There are many who have fallen from the path of Yoga or Tantra Sádhaná and are spending their days in disrepute and infamy. Whatever little progress they achieved through forcible control of their instincts, was lost in a moment’s error in pursuit of mundane pleasures.

It must, therefore, be emphasized that even before beginning Sádhaná, one must follow moral principles strictly. Those who do not follow these principles should not follow the path of Sádhaná; otherwise they will bring about their own harm and that of others. Ácáryas must have noticed that people of over-selfish nature fear Ananda Marga itself for fear of following its strict moral principles. They are concerned that the spread of Ananda Marga may inconvenience the fulfilment of their mean, selfish desires and therefore, they malign the Márga in an effort to conceal their own weakness and dishonesty. But remember that those who are lacking in moral spirit do not deserve to be called human beings. However hard they may try, their tall talk alone cannot camouflage the meanness of their minds for a long time.

The first lesson of human conduct is Yama Sádhaná. We shall discuss all the aspects of Yama Sádhaná. You know that Yama consists of five principles – Ahiḿsá, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacarya and Aparigraha.

The practice of these five principles achieves control by different processes. The word Saḿyama in Saḿskrta means “regulated conduct”. It should be clearly understood that Saḿyama does not imply destroying something or somebody.

Ahiḿsá means not inflicting pain or hurt on anybody by thought, word or action. This word is wrongly interpreted by many. Some so-called learned persons in fact, define the word ahiḿsá in such a manner that if one adheres to it strictly, it is impossible to live not only in a society but also in forests, hills and caves. In such an interpretation of the term ahiḿsá, not only is killing prohibited, but even to fight a defensive fight is not allowed. By tilling the land one may cause the death of innumerable insects and creatures under the earth’s surface. Therefore, the use of a plough is not permissible. The followers of such an interpretation of ahiḿsá say that those who want to lead a religious life should not use the plough themselves, but employ other low-born people to do the same to save themselves from the sin of destroying life. Sugar must be poured into the abodes of the ants; no matter whether human beings have food or not. The poor must spare their blood from their bodies to save insects, the born enemies of human beings.

This is no definition of ahiḿsá. It merely causes confusion. It is contrary to true dharma; it is against the very laws of existence. Even the process of respiration involves the death of numberless microbes. They are all living beings and to save them one will have to stop breathing. The administration of medicines to the suffering will have to be stopped, because such medicines cause the destruction of disease-causing bacteria. If ahiḿsá is so interpreted, where will such interpreters be able to stand? They will have to give up even filtered water, because the process of filtration of water means destroying the insects that cause impurity. It is also not possible to drink impure water, because then it is likely that such microbes might die in the stomach.

In the post-Vedic age this type of ahiḿsá was practised in India for a long period, and as a result life for ordinary citizens became very miserable. The populace viewed with fear the religion dominated by this so-called ahiḿsá. They were forced to accept an atheistic belief, and they left the path of dharma. Devoid of any code of conduct, and intent on giving first preference to their own selfishness, such atheists became a burden to the society and to the world. Those who wanted to enforce the so-called ahiḿsá-influenced religion, became impractical and impotent by nature. Thus there is a pressing need in the modern age to re-think these historical facts from a new angle of vision.

This age was followed by another wherein another new definition of the word ahiḿsá was propagated. According to this definition, hiḿsá meant to cause pain to living beings, but did not include the slaughter of animals for food. This idea is very much mistaken. If causing pain amounts to hiḿsá, the slaughter of animals for food must also be called hiḿsá, because the animals do not offer their heads willingly at the altar of death for this cause.

Recently one more interpretation for this word has been heard. It somewhat resembles the second definition described earlier, but it even lacks the simplicity or sincerity of that interpretation. According to this interpretation, ahiḿsá means non-violence or non-application of force. Possibly it is this interpretation which has distorted most the meaning of ahiḿsá. In all actions of life, whether small or big, the unit mind progresses by surmounting the opposing forces. Life evolves through the medium of force. If this force is not properly developed, life becomes absolutely dull. No wise person would advocate such a thing, because this would be contrary to the very fundamentals of human nature.

The champions of non-violence (so-called ahiḿsá) have, therefore, to adopt hypocrisy and falsehood whenever they seek to use this so-called ahiḿsá for their purposes. If the people of one country conquer another country by brute force, the people of the defeated nation must use force to regain their freedom. Such a use of force may be crude or subtle and as a result, both the body and mind of the conquerors may be hurt. When there is any application of force, it cannot be called non-violence. Is it not violence if you hurt a person not by your hands but by some other indirect means? Is the boycott movement against a particular nation not violence? Therefore I say that those who interpret non-violence and ahiḿsá to be synonymous have to repeatedly resort to hypocrisy to justify their actions. The army or police are necessary for administration of a country. If these organizations do not use force even in case of necessity, their existence will be of no meaning. The mark of so-called ahiḿsá or non-violence on a bullet does not make the bullet non-violent.

Those who are not adequately equipped to oppose an evil-doer should make every endeavour to gain power and then make the proper use of this power. In the absence of ability to resist evil, and in the absence of even an effort to acquire such ability, declaring oneself to be non-violent in order to hide one’s weaknesses before the opponent may serve a political end, but it will not protect the sanctity of righteousness.

The meaning of the word ahiḿsá in the sphere of Sádhaná has already been explained. According to its correct meaning, one will have to guide one’s conduct carefully to ensure that one’s thought or actions cause pain to nobody and are unjust to none. Any thought or action with the intention of causing harm to someone else amounts to hiḿsá. The existence of life implies destruction of certain lower forms, no matter whether there is intention of doing harm or not. The process of respiration kills thousands of millions of protoplasmic cells. Whether one knows it or not, in every action such living cells are dying and being destroyed. The use of prophylactics means destructions of millions of disease-carrying germs. The crop-eating insects, parasites, mosquitoes, bugs, spiders, etc. are also being killed in innumerable ways. This is necessary to maintain one’s livelihood; it is not with the intention of causing pain to them. Such acts also, therefore, cannot be classed as hiḿsá; they are to be done for self-defense.

As a result of clash and cohesion within the physical structure of every entity and also for the maintenance of structural solidarity at every moment, a process of formation and deformation is always taking place. Rice is obtained from paddy – is there no life in paddy? Paddy can sprout. It is also capable of reproduction. For the preservation of the physical body you prepare rice by killing the paddy. Do you have any intention to harm anybody while preparing rice? It is thus seen that life depends on other forms of life for its very existence. There is no question of hiḿsá or ahiḿsá here. If this is conceived as hiḿsá living beings will have to subsist on bricks, sand and stone. Even breathing will have to be stopped or one will have to commit suicide.

It is, however, very necessary to remember two things in respect of edibles. First, as far as possible, articles of food must be selected from among those items in which development of consciousness is comparatively little; i.e., if vegetables are available, animals should not be slaughtered. Secondly, under all circumstances before killing any animal having developed or under-developed consciousness, it must be considered whether it is possible to live in a healthy body without taking such lives.

The human body is constituted of innumerable living cells. These cells develop and grow with the help of similar living entities. The nature of your living cells will be formed in accordance with the type of food you take. Ultimately all these together will affect your mind to some extent. If the cells of the human body grow on rotten and bad-smelling food, or on the fresh flesh of animals in which mean tendencies predominate, it is but natural that the mind will have a tendency of meanness. The policy of eating, without due consideration, whatever is available cannot be supported in any case, even though there may not be any question of hiḿsá or ahiḿsá. It should not be your policy to do what you wish. You must perform actions after due thought. For continued subsistence a policy will have to be adopted for taking food; otherwise it will be against the code of aparigraha. What aparigraha means will be explained later.

Hiḿsá and the use of force are not identical. Sometimes the use of force may result in hiḿsá, even though there is no thought in the mind to cause pain. When the pressure of circumstances compels the use of force against certain individuals resulting in hiḿsá, such individuals are termed as átatáyii in Saḿskrta.

Kśetradárápahárii ca shastradhárii dhanápaháh
Agnidagaradashcaeva śadete hyátatáyinah

“Anyone who, by the use of brute force, wants to take possession of your property, abducts your wife, comes with a weapon to murder you, wants to snatch away your wealth, sets fire to your house or wants to take life by administering poison, is called an átatáyii.” If any person or a nation wants to occupy all or part of another country, the use of physical force against such invading forces is not against the principle of ahiḿsá. Rather, by a wrong interpretation of the term ahiḿsá or by interpreting hiḿsá and brute force as identical, common people will have to suffer from loss of wealth, happiness, or other hardships.

Sometimes it so happens that people instead of convincing superstitious people, injure their sentiments by their behaviour. A perusal of history shows that the antagonists of idolatry have, on many occasions, destroyed beautiful temples which were unique examples of architecture. They destroyed the beautiful images which represented the expressions of sculptural art. All these acts are extremely violent, because they cause severe pain to the idolaters, and consequently the idol-worshippers adopt an obstinate attitude towards idols even though they are fully convinced that idol-worship is futile. As a result, not only is the spiritual progress of the idol-worshippers hampered, but the progress of the whole human society is retarded. It is worth noting that even if in any country all the people without exception give up idolatry, the spiritual aspirants, who follow the principles of Brahmacarya, will preserve images carefully in museums out of appreciation for sculpture and aesthetic taste. They will not destroy these beautiful works in any circumstances. Destroying a work of art also results in the destruction of the sense of subtle appreciation, and this is in no way proper.

While the mind is still attached to religious or sectarian signs or submits to superstitious rituals, it remains engrossed in crude objects. Any crude method to prevent such sectarian superstitions will cause reactions in the mind and this will hamper Sádhaná. The best course, therefore, is to help these persons to expand their minds by means of Brahma bhávaná – cosmic ideation – and only in that case will they be able to give up superstitions easily.

The principle of ahiḿsá, one of the aspects of Brahma Sádhaná, must have been clearly understood now. Let us now consider whether parents punishing a child amounts to hiḿsá or ahiḿsá. No, it is not hiḿsá because there is no intention of causing harm or pain at all. The purpose of such punishment is not to make the child shed tears, the purpose of such action is only correction. Whether it is a thief or a robber or a gentleman or a friend or anybody else, any action with a true spirit of rectification cannot be termed as hiḿsá, no matter how harsh it may seem.

It must now be clear that in day-to-day life it is not at all difficult to follow the path of true ahiḿsá. Taking meat as food is harmful in hot countries, especially where vegetables are available in abundance. However, under medical advice, as a diet after recovery from illness or as one of the constituents of medicine, eating meat cannot be called either hiḿsá or greed, because the meat is eaten under those circumstances only to maintain life. In extremely cold countries people eat animal flesh, wear animal skins and burn animal fat under the pressure of necessity.

Heroism is revealed in fight against aggressors. Consider the Rámáyańa, the great epic. It describes Shrii Ráma waging a war with all his might against Rávańa, who abducted his wife. Shrii Ráma’s action was in no way against the principle of ahiḿsá, because he did not invade Lanká with any desire to conquer the territory or to cause harm.

Consider the Mahábhárata. Mahápuruśa Shrii Krśńa had insisted to the Pandavas to take up arms against the Kaoravas, because the Kaoravas were aggressors (átatáyii) who had taken possession of the land by force. No one would accuse the very incarnation of love, Shriiman Maháprabhu, one of the great revolutionists in the social and spiritual world, of adopting ways associated with hiḿsá; but he too pounced like a lion on the tyrant Kázii (Judge). If hiḿsá and use of force were synonymous, Maháprabhu, the incarnation of mercy, certainly would not have done so.

The use of force against an aggressor is valour and desisting from such use of force is cowardice. But the weak people must assess their strength before indulging in violent conflict with a powerful aggressor; otherwise, if a fight is started without acquiring proper strength injustice may temporarily triumph. In history such an error has been called “Rajput folly”. The Rajputs always went forward with courage to resist Mughal invasion. No doubt, they fought valiantly, but they faced the enemy without assessing their own strength. They suffered from intrigues and internal dissensions and hence they always lost battles and died a heroic death. It is, therefore necessary to acquire adequate strength before declaring a war against an aggressor. To pardon aggressors before correcting their nature means encouraging injustice. Of course, if you find that the aggressor is bent on destroying you, whether you use force or not, it would be proper to die at least giving a blow to the best of your might without waiting to assemble the adequate forces.

Satya implies proper action of mind and the right use of words with the spirit of welfare. It has no English synonym. The word “true” or “truth” would be translated in Saḿskrta as “rta” (to state the fact). The Sádhaka is not asked to follow the path of rta. One is to practise Satya. The practical side of Satya is dependent on relativity, but its finality lies in Parama Brahma, the Supreme Spiritual Entity. That is why Brahma is often referred to as the “essence of Satya.”

Even though the objective of a Sádhaka is to achieve that ultimate entity, in the process Sádhakas have to deal with the relativity of their surroundings. Humans are rational beings: they possess in varying degrees the capability to do what is necessary or good for humanity. In the realm of spirituality such thought, word or action has been defined as Satya.

For example, a person rushes to you for shelter. You do not know whether he is guilty or not, or perhaps you know for certain that he is not guilty. He is followed by a ruffian bent on torturing him. If this terrified man seeks refuge in your house, and then the ruffian comes and asks you regarding his whereabouts, what should you do? By adhering to rta or truth you would inform the ruffian of his whereabouts. Then if he is murdered, will you not be responsible for this murder? Your mistake may have resulted in the murder of an innocent person. By adhering to rta or truth you become indirectly guilty of this heinous crime. What would be your duty if you followed the correct interpretation of Satya? It would be not to reveal the whereabouts of the person and rather to misguide the aggressor so that the refugee may safely return home.

Suppose your mother is taking food. A letter is received about the death of your maternal grandfather. If mother enquires about the contents of the letter, what reply will you give? If you adhere to “truth”, you will reveal the news of her father’s death, which will cause a great shock to her mind and she would not even be able to take her food. It would be preferable in this case to state that all is well in their family. After your mother has had her food, a mention of her father’s illness would prepare the ground for her to bear the news of the tragedy. In this way, even though something other than truth was uttered, the dignity of Satya has been maintained.

Not to take possession what belongs to others is asteya. It means non-stealing. Stealing may be of four types:

1. Physical theft of any material object. Ordinarily those persons who steal material objects are called thieves. But thieves are not only those persons who flee with stolen objects after committing armed robbery. Whatever is taken in possession by the use of brute physical force, of arms or of strength of intellect, whether it is money or goods, amounts to theft, because behind such actions there is the intention of taking others’ property deceitfully. However, acceptance of anything like money, crops, gold, etc., in exchange for money in a proper way is not theft.

2. Psychic theft. Here you did not take material possession of anything, but you planned it in your mind. This also called theft, because you have mentally stolen. Only the fear of law or of adverse criticism prevented you from doing the action physically.

3. Depriving others of their due physically. Even if you do not take possession of what belongs to others, but you deprive others of what is their due, you become responsible for their loss. This is also stealing.

4. Depriving others of their due mentally. If you do not actually deprive anybody of what is justifiably their due, but you plan in your mind to do so, that too amounts to theft.

Some explanation here is necessary regarding the third and fourth types of theft referred to above. You may have seen that many educated people travel by train without purchasing proper tickets. They do not directly steal money from the Railway administration, but they deprive the railway administration of its due. A little thought will reveal that there is a sort of barter relationship of the passengers and the railway administration and therefore ticketless travel amounts to theft of the type referred to under 3 and 4 above. Those who travel by train have obtained the facility from the railway administration. By purchasing tickets they pay for that facility in full and consequently the railway administration cannot be held in high esteem for rendering a social service. When the railway is not rendering free services, not to pay one’s travelling fare is theft.

Consider for a moment: what type of person commits such a theft for a few rupees only! Often people of the type indulge in all types of tall talks, freely criticize the leaders, and accuse them of corruption and nepotism. If their shortcoming is pointed out, they plead “It is difficult to live in the world with such strict morality. Those who run the railway administration in such a manner deserve it – this type of theft is justified.” Missionaries or ascetics who convey a divine message, or political leaders with the noble purpose of doing good to the country, are seen to be often indulging in ticketless travel. This is a daily occurrence. Bribing government employees to evade income and other taxes, or demanding travelling allowance for a higher class when they actually travel in a lower class, these are all nothing but cheating. It is not only theft, it is also pettiness.

All these tendencies to steal are contradictory to the code of asteya. In many cases even educated people often act knowingly against the principle of asteya or do not want to accept that petty stealing violates it. The author was once questioned by an acquaintance who was a Railway employee as to why he had purchased a full ticket for a nephew aged thirteen years, when a half ticket might have done (half tickets being permitted up to the age of twelve only).

There are some moralists who do not want to cheat any particular individual, but do not consider anything wrong in cheating the well-to-do or the government. Many a shopkeeper would sell adulterated commodities to his customers but entertain his own friends and guests with genuine items. It should be remembered that all actions with such a psychological background are against asteya. The easiest way of practising asteya, as in the case of all other principles of Yama and Niyama, is auto-suggestion. If people, right from the childhood, remember these codes and remind themselves what is correct, they will not go astray when they grow up – even in the midst of temptations – and they will be able to maintain the high standard of thoughts and character.

The correct meaning of Brahmacarya is “to remain attached to Brahma”. “Brahmańi vicarańam iti Brahmacaryam”. Whenever people do some work or think of doing any work extroversially, they look upon the object, with which they come in contact, as a crude finite entity. Because of their constant aspiration for material achievement their mind is so engrossed in material objects that their very consciousness becomes crude. The meaning of practising Brahmacarya Sádhaná is to treat the object with which one comes in contact as different expressions of Brahma and not as crude forms. By means of such an ideation, even though the mind wanders from one object to another, it does not get detached from Brahma because of the Cosmic feeling taken for each and every object. As a result of this Preya Sádhaná (extroversial approach) is converted into Shreya Sádhaná (introversial approach) and Káma into Prema. ([Preya means attraction towards crude material objects, while] Shreya means attraction towards the ultimate reality. Káma means desire for finite objects and Prema means desire for the Infinite).

Many misinterpret Brahmacarya to mean preservation of semen. It should be remembered that neither the word Brahma nor the word carya has any relevance to the word “semen”. Moreover, even physiologically such a preservation of semen is a bluff. Either owing to the disease in certain glands or by the use of similar other processes, unless one becomes maimed, it is not possible to observe such Brahmacarya. It is certainly true that if the correct meaning of the word Brahmacarya is accepted (that is, to feel the Cosmic Entity in every material object), control in life becomes essential, but such control does not imply disobeying the laws of nature. Control means to abide by nature’s laws.

The prevention of the discharge of semen by some special measures or prevention of its surplus formation by fasting is ordinarily termed as so-called Brahmacarya. For those who are not married, this so-called Brahmacarya (which is really not Brahmacarya) has some meaning, because it reduces the possibility of sexual excitement and thus prevents a discharge which may occur due to excitement while awake, asleep or dreaming. This is because when there is no formation of surplus semen, there is no physical desire to waste it. Further consideration will, however, show what this so-called Brahmacarya is worth. Are the prevention of formation of surplus semen and the loss of surplus semen not one and the same thing? All that can be said is that the first alternative is good for the unmarried and the second for the married.

People who by different suppressive methods seek to prevent the discharge of semen, create a bad reaction on their body and mind. Their bodies become rough and lack in lustre. A suppression of the sexual desire results in other desires, especially anger, taking a more terrible form. In the olden times only the actual meaning of Brahmacarya was accepted. Later, when society was dominated by the intelligentsia, the so-called monks, who had taken to complete exploitation, thought that if ordinary citizens were allowed to pursue spiritual practices, they might lose the machinery of exploitation at any moment, of which they were so fond. If common people are inspired by spiritual ideals their rationality will grow and grow. The monks realized therefore that the people will have to be kept maimed and helpless. Fear and inferiority complex will have to be infused in people to exploit them. They found that such an exploited mass consisted of ordinary worldly people, most of whom were married. If, therefore, the loss of semen was anyhow declared as anti-religious, they would be able to gain their end without difficulty.

And the result was promptly achieved. Ordinary worldly people began to think that they, by leading a married life, had committed a serious wrong, a heinous sin: they had indulged in activities against Brahmacarya. The monks observed celibacy and were, therefore, far superior. The so-called recluses took advantage of the situation and have, without difficulty, been exploiting the society.

Whether these recluses in fact are naeśt́hika Brahmacáriis (those who do not waste semen at all) cannot be decided by arguments. This can be decided by medical test. But it can be said without doubts that many of the so-called monks will not pass this test.

Marriage is a natural function like bath, food, sleep, etc. Therefore, there is nothing to be condemned in it, nor does it go against dharma. When a great man or an elevated sádhaka is not prohibited from taking food, etc., there is no reason why he or she should be debarred from marriage. But proper control is no doubt greatly needed, not only over food and sleep, but in every walk of life. The lack of such control causes disease. Food is essential for life, but absence of control over eating causes indigestion. A bath is refreshing, but in absence of control over bath, i.e., a long-continued bath, would make one catch cold. Similarly, marriage has its function but the absence of restraint in married life would cause various diseases in body and mind.

Marriage is slightly different from other natural functions in life, such as eating, sleeping, etc. Marriage is not so essential for life as are food and sleep.

The need for marriage differs with individuals. That is why in the opinion of Ananda Marga every individual has complete freedom in matters of marriage. For example, marriage of those persons who suffer from some physical or mental disease, or who are not financially well off, or whose present circumstances are not favourable for marriage (i.e., where marriage can cause unhappiness), is not desirable. Those who are constantly engaged in the fulfilment of an ideal, or those who have to spend the greater part of their day in earning their livelihood or some mental occupations, should not marry, because they will not find it possible to fulfil their family commitments properly. The marriages of such people are harmful to the society in many cases. Although marriage is not desirable for those who are suffering from some disease or whose circumstances are not favourable to getting married, there remains a possibility of their indulging in vices stealthily if they are not married. To avoid this, they should work for the attainment of some high ideals or do rigorous spiritual practices. The psychological degeneration which is inherent in the suppression of psychic tendencies can be avoided only by an effort to fulfil a lofty ideal.

It has been said earlier, and it is being repeated, that one has to exercise control in every sphere of life, whether big or small. Such control does not imply killing the desire but controlling it. Desires and tendencies are natural attributes of a living being. Therefore, those who want to kill the desires should better adopt some easy method of committing suicide instead of pursuing any difficult method of spiritual practices. I do not find any reason to support the so-called Brahmacarya for those who are Shaeva, Shákta, Vaeśńava, or who believe in Puráńas, because their deities, Shiva, Viśńu, Krśńa and others, were what is commonly known as worldly people. In Puráńa the names of their wives and children are also mentioned.

Dharma is based on Satya, “Dharma sah na yatra na satyamasti.” “Where there is no satya there is no dharma.” This peculiar interpretation of Brahmacarya may contain anything and everything save except satya. Hence there is no dharma or Brahma in it.

Humanity has to progress towards the ultimate reality by accepting what is truth. That is the path of a sádhaka; that is the path of dharma. It may be a privilege to parasitic religious professionals to deny what is simple truth in practical life, but thereby the sanctity of dharma cannot be maintained. It is not the path of satya, it is nothing but hypocrisy.

In case of enjoyment of any material object, the control over the subjectivity is called Brahmacarya while the control over objectivity is aparigraha.

“Deharakśá tiriktabhogasádhanásviikaro’parigraha.” Non-indulgence in the enjoyment of such amenities and comforts of life as are superfluous for the preservation of life is aparigraha. For our existence we require food, clothes, and also a house to live in. Provision for old age and money and cultivable land for one’s dependents are also essential. Therefore, a number of factors have to be taken into consideration to determine an individual’s necessity for the preservation of life. It may be that the requirements of any two persons are not similar. It is therefore, difficult to determine the minimum requirements for any particular person, because it is entirely a relative factor. The minimum requirement of a person can, to some extent, be determined and decided by the society.

For example, no one shall accumulate more than a certain amount of money or no one shall possess more than a certain number of houses or no one shall be owner of more than a certain area of landed property. But it is not possible for the society to fix the minimum limit in all spheres. Even after setting a limit for land, property etc., it is not possible to fix a quota in respect of edibles. The voracious may overeat and be attacked with diseases, the seekers of luxury may overspend on their luxuries and incur debt. That is why it will be easier for an individual to be established in aparigraha, if the individual and the society work together cooperatively. Those items of personal requirement which are left to the discretion of the individual largely depend on the conception of that individual’s happiness and comforts.

This also changes according to time, person and place. For example, one person may easily bear certain physical hardships, while another person under the same circumstances may possibly die. Under these circumstances the latter requires greater comforts of life than the former to remove his or her difficulty and this will not be against aparigraha. The place is to be considered also. In the summer season in India woollen clothing is unnecessary, but it is a necessity in Siberia during that time. Time should be considered also. The minimum necessity of an ordinary person today is not limited to the minimum necessity of an ordinary person in prehistoric age. The reason is that the objects of pleasure are more easily available today and will be available even more easily in the future. Therefore, while practising aparigraha, if the time factor is neglected, one will become unfit for social life and will have to withdraw from the physical world. Advocating the use of [raw sugar], i.e., guŕ, in the age of sugar, and bullock-cart in the age of railways, has no meaning in the practice of aparigraha. Today for an ordinary person whose time is not more valuable than that of another, travelling by aeroplane is definitely contrary to aparigraha, whereas travelling by rail is certainly not against aparigraha.

That is why I said that the society may help individuals to be established in aparigraha by setting a standard in certain spheres of life. But the complete establishment in aparigraha ultimately depends on the individual.

Aparigraha is an endless fight to reduce one’s own objects of comforts out of sympathy for the common people, after ensuring that individuals are able to maintain solidarity in their physical, mental and spiritual lives for themselves and their families.

In practising aparigraha the objects of pleasure will increase or decrease with person, place and time; but the definition of aparigraha, as mentioned above, will be applicable to all persons, in all countries and at all times.

The establishment of an ideal society depends on the mutual help of the members and their cooperative behaviour. This cooperative behaviour depends on the practice of the principles of Yama and Niyama; so, spiritual practices, especially the practice of Yama and Niyama, are the sound foundation of an ideal society.

It is often noticed that individuals incur debt because of their violating the principles of Yama and Niyama, especially due to their extravagance – and as a result, they approach the society for relief. In this connection I must point out that just as the society is duty-bound to give relief to individuals by combined efforts, so also it must have control over the conduct of individuals, over their practice of the principles of Yama and Niyama, and also over their expenditure. Not to consult anybody at the time of spending money but to ask for help from all when in debt, is not a good practice. Such a mentality cannot be encouraged.

To purchase, by incurring debt, serge where tweed will do, or gaberdine where serge will do, is surely against the principle of aparigraha. Similarly, people should take food which is nutritious but not rich. They have to give up the practice of feeding others with money taken on loan. That is why social control over the individual’s conduct and expenditure is indispensably necessary. Hence, all Ananda Margis, when they see other Margis acting against the principles of Yama and Niyama, must make them shun this habit either by sweet or harsh words or by dealing even more strictly. Thus they will have to make the society strong. Henceforth I direct every Ananda Margi to keep strict vigilance on other Ananda Margi to make them practise the principles of Yama and Niyama and also to accept calmly directions of other Margis in this connection.

I am also giving one more advice in regard to aparigraha. If any Margis have to spend on anything in addition to the fixed expenditure (for example, expensive clothing, ornaments, articles of furniture, marriage, building, etc.), they should, before incurring such expenditure, obtain a clear order from their ácárya, unit secretary or district secretary, or any other person of responsible rank. Similarly, permission is to be obtained before taking loan from any businessman or money-lender. Where one’s own ácárya or any person of responsible rank is not easily available, consultation or rather permission is to be obtained from any other ácárya, táttvika or any right-thinking member of the Marga. Every member should follow this instruction strictly.

The initial phase of the yaogika cult is the practice of Yama. This has already been explained. Today’s discourse will be on the practice of Niyama. The practice of Brahmacarya is held in higher esteem than the other four items of Yama. Similarly, in Niyama, the most important item is Iishvara prańidhána. To be more clear and concrete we may say that out of the ten principles of Yama and Niyama the remaining eight are subordinated parts of the two items, Brahmacarya and Iishvara Prańidhána. While dealing with their specialties, we may say that Yama Sádhaná is the practice of the physical and psychic strata while the Niyama Sádhaná carries equal weight in mundane, supramundane and spiritual strata.

The first aspect of Niyama Sádhaná is Shaoca. It means purity or cleanliness. It can be subdivided into two parts, one relating to external sphere, i.e., external cleanliness, and the other to mental sphere, i.e. internal cleanliness.

Shaocantu dvividhaḿ proktaḿ báhyamábhyantarantatha
Mrjjalábhyaḿ smrtaḿ báhyaḿ manahshuddhistathántaram.

The proper use of soap, water or other cleansers to keep the body, clothes or surroundings clean is external cleanliness. By this cleanliness the physical objects with which people are directly associated are cleaned and made fit for use.

When people, driven by instincts, direct their mental stuff blindly towards the objects of pleasure without taking any help from their conscience – or when mind ultimately gets crudified by being constantly goaded by selfish motives – whether or not they think of doing harm to others, their minds get distorted. The complexes by which this distortion occurs are the dirts of the mind. For example, if any acquaintance suddenly earns much name, fame or knowledge, many will develop a feeling of jealousy towards him. People suffer from mental trouble at the prosperity of others; they do not give the least thought as to how much potentiality they themselves possess to earn those things or to acquire those qualities. Though that fortunate person did no harm to them, yet being overpowered by jealousy they create trouble for, or think ill of, him or her.

Where selfish interest is hampered, the minds of even the so-called honest people also become distorted within a very short time. Just as one’s clothes and houses get dirty very quickly in a dust storm, so also the mind becomes much more polluted by the storm of even insignificant passion in much less time. Therefore, it is a necessity to maintain the cleanliness of body, dress and house, but the need to keep the mind clean is still greater. Cleansing the mind is a far more laborious job than cleansing the body, clothes, house, etc.

Intelligent people should not, therefore, allow their mental purity to be stained. You must always guard against the tempest of passion. You must not yield to such storms. One more difference between external and internal cleanliness is that to remove external dirt – while cleansing the body, clothes or houses – one has to come in contact with impurities for some time. But in the mental sphere the cleansing process does not require your coming in contact with any filth. The application of force is necessary to remove the impurities. The weight of the actual gold can be determined only by removing the impurities from the gold.

The application of force must be a special type of action. External shaoca is an external activity and mental shaoca is an internal activity. If the impurity of selfishness, which, by entering into every cavity of the mental body, makes it weak – makes life a heavy burden – it has to be removed, it has to be burnt and melted in the fire of sádhaná. Such sádhaná is just the opposite of mean and selfish sádhaná; it is such that no impurity, no black spot, remains in the mind. The feeling of selflessness, the feeling of universalism is the only remedy to remove mental impurities. People who have fascination or temptation for any material object, can gradually remove that mental pollution arising out of selfish [motives] by adopting just the reverse course. Those who are very greedy for money should form the habit of charity, and they can serve humanity through such a practice. Those who are angry or egoistic should cultivate the habit of being polite, and they should serve humanity through that practice. Therefore, only selfless service to humanity and the efforts to look upon the world with a Cosmic outlook alone can lead to establishment in mental shaoca.

Human beings’ desire to acquire things from others knows no bounds. Their hopes are never quenched, but their spirit of giving to others is very meagre. Generally when people do give something to others, the intention of charity or service is absolutely secondary; their predominant feeling is to receive something in exchange. In other words, they have extreme greed to garner fame by one hand and give charity by the other. A sádhaka will have to adopt the opposite course to get rid of the burning flames of greed, he/she will have to develop an infinite desire to give to others with no intention at all of obtaining anything from them. You will have to establish yourselves in the realm of infinity by smashing the fetters of unit ego.

You must have seen many people who become angry and sorrowful at the time of his distress saying, “I helped those persons in their adversity, served them so much on their sick-bed, but today they are so ungrateful that they do not even cast a glance at me.” They may even curse, “God is witnessing everything – they will have to reap the consequences of their actions.” You know that such remarks are an extremely vulgar expression of mental meanness. Such persons have not done sádhaná for mental purification, nor have they truly served anybody in adversity or sickness. In fact they took advantage of other people’s distress and gave them some assistance as an advance; but the motive behind such assistance was to recover it with full interest.

A question may be raised as to how much people should donate for shaoca sádhaná. Should they make paupers of themselves? Where service is the goal, people should fully observe aparigraha, acquiring only the bare necessities of life, for themselves and their direct dependents, without which they cannot live, and utilize the rest for the collective welfare of the universe.

But one who is dedicated to an ideal must be prepared to gladly and eagerly give up one’s all – even one’s life – for the collective interest. Even in a house where food is not abundant, you should keep something for the residents of the house to appease their hunger, and donate the rest to the needy. In this case, thinking of the residents’ necessities is not narrowness or meanness, because the preservation of life is certainly very important, though not the ultimate aim. When one is fighting for an ideal, however, to accept defeat means to plunge in severe gloom. Where there is not the least possibility to remove the gloom, one will have to sacrifice everything to uphold one’s ideal. You should always be ready like an armed soldier to meet such exigencies.

Tośa means the state of mental ease. Santośa, therefore, means a state of proper ease. Contentment is not at all possible if the individual is running after carnal pleasures like a beast. As a result of extroversial analysis, the objects of enjoyments go on increasing both in number and abstraction and that is why one’s mental flow never gets any rest. Under such circumstances how can one attain perfect peace of mind? Achieving the desired objects may give one pleasure for an hour or so, but that will not last long. The mind will again run in pursuit of new objects, leaving behind the objects already tasted – the long-cherished objects will lose their importance. This is the rule; this is the law of nature.

Human desire knows no end. Millionaires want to become multimillionaires, because they are not satisfied with their million. Ask the millionaires if they are happy with their money. They will say, “Where is the money? I am somehow pulling on.” This answer indicates their ignorance of aparigraha. But such feelings have another adverse effect on body and mind. Out of excessive fondness for physical or mental pleasures people become mad to earn money and amass wealth. As money becomes the be-all and end-all of life, the mind gets crudified. Constant hankering after money results in negligence of one’s health, and this makes the body unfit. Therefore, santośa sádhaná lies in being contented with the earnings of normal labour, without any undue pressure on the body and mind. To remain contented, one has to make a special type of mental effort to keep aloof from external allurements.

You are aware that there are two effective methods to detach the mind from tendencies; one is auto-suggestion and the other outer-suggestion. If anyone always tries to think thoughts just opposite to the mean tendencies which occupied the mind, a change in one’s nature is bound to occur. This is auto-suggestion. A change in one’s nature is also brought about if such ideals are repeatedly conveyed to one’s ears by some external agents. This is called outer-suggestion. In the case of santośa sádhaná the aspirant must always follow auto-suggestion.

Santośa sádhaná does not imply that you should allow yourself to be exploited or oppressed by someone who takes advantage of your simplicity, and you should tolerate it silently. It is by no means proper for you to give up your right of self-preservation or your legitimate dues in life. You have to go on fighting with concerted efforts for the establishment of your rights. But you must never violate the principle of santośa by wasting your physical and mental energy under the sway of excessive greed.

Tapah means to practise penance to reach the goal. To practise shaoca it is not necessary to undergo physical discomfort to serve humanity. A donation of ten rupees brings no physical discomfort for millionaires. It is, therefore, not tapah for them but this gift helps them in practising mental shaoca. There must be one and only one purpose behind the practice of penance and that is to shoulder sorrows and miseries of others to make them happy, to free them from grief and to give them comforts.

Just like shaoca sádhaná, in the practice of tapah there must not be even the least bit of commercial mentality. Shudrocita sevá (physical service) in almost all cases relates to tapah. Therefore, those who are afraid of physical labour or hate the shúdra (labourer) can never become a tápasa. If you serve sick people who are in great pain for hours together to give them needed relief, this is tapah; but if you serve them with the selfish motive of securing their assistance in your bad days, the entire effort of tapah is lost in a moment. Tapah sádhaná is, therefore, to be above selfishness. As a rule, practice of tapah will lead to mental dilation, and this dilation will certainly help a sádhaka, to a large extent, in practising Iishvara prańidhána. The sádhakas of tapah know that the served is Brahma, their cherished goal. They are servants and the service rendered by them is their sádhaná.

The very purpose of tapasyá of those who ready themselves to render service to the served only after consideration of their caste, creed, religion or nationality is defeated, because it is not possible for them to serve with due sincerity with such a lack of large-heartedness. Those who look upon the served only as an expression of the Cosmos and look after their comforts selflessly develop devotion or love for the Supreme in a short time. When love is aroused, and devotional sentiment is expressed, what else remains to be achieved?

What place does knowledge or reasoning occupy in tapah sádhaná? This is a very important question. Truly speaking, far greater knowledge is required to render service pertaining to tapah than to render service pertaining to shaoca. Tapah devoid of knowledge is bound to be misused.

The opportunists will misuse your energy by extracting work from you to serve their selfish ends, and at the same time this will deprive the real sufferers of their due services from you. A rich miser approaches you with a tale of woe and entreats you to give him relief. Being moved with pity, if you do what is needed to relieve him of his suffering, the very purpose of tapah will be defeated, as it is without any knowledge or reasoning. The end result of your service will be that the rich man whom you have served will become more miserly and more selfish and will, in the future, try to deceive in a greater way people who dedicate themselves to the service of humanity. Secondly, as you will, to some extent, know his inner motive, you will become mentally depressed and you will also develop a hostile attitude towards him.

Therefore, while following the principle of tapah you should ascertain fully well whether the person you are going to serve, really needs your service. Only then should you engage yourself in service.

In practising tapah you should always give consideration to those who are inferior to you and not to those who are superior. Your responsibility is greater for those who are weaker, poorer, less educated, more ignorant and downtrodden in comparison with you. Your responsibility is very little for those who are above your level, who are better off and more powerful than you. Therefore, you will have to ascertain with discrimination where your responsibility lies and to what extent; otherwise all your time, energy and labour employed in tapah will be in vain. To banquet the rich is of no use – give food to the starving. There is no need to send presents to your superiors – send medicine and food to the sick. Don’t waste your time in flattering the rich; it will yield no result. Conquer the hearts of the underprivileged by your sympathetic behaviour and accept them in your society.

You cannot attain Brahma by tapah, if it is devoid of discrimination; because in such cases you do not make the proper use of objects. Of course it is better to do something than nothing and with this end in view, tapah even without discrimination has some value. It has some psychological benefit. Buddha said,

You can definitely influence a miser by your charity, and there is nothing bad in this; but it is not what is understood by the term “tapah”.

There is another peculiarity in tapah. When the activities of human beings are not guided by discrimination, they are goaded by instinct. Tapah with discrimination changes the course of action and leads people towards emancipation. Of course, devotion also gives rise to discrimination but such devotion cannot be aroused in those who have not experienced Cosmic bliss.

Svádhyáya means the clear understanding of any spiritual subject. In ancient days students carried on their day-to-day Svádhyáya in the hermitage of the rśis. But the circumstances have changed and the term Svádhyáya has also lost its meaning with passage of time. Nowadays reading religious scriptures without grasping the meaning is also considered to be Svádhyáya. Religious professionals have misguided the public by their misinterpretation of the term svádhyáya. They say, “These are the results of reading such-and-such books; it matters little whether you understand the meaning or not. If you cannot find time to read books, simply touch your head with them thrice; or if you have no time to hear religious sermons, offer fruits or sweets to the deity. This will yield the same result. This is the real thing”.

Svádhyáya means not only to read or hear a subject, but also to understand its significance, the underlying idea. Acceptance of the outward or crude meaning has only led to the corruption of Vaeśńava and Shákta sádhaná and this ultimately greatly distorted people’s religious belief. For example, one aspect of tantra sádhaná is called máḿsa sádhaná. What is this máḿsa sádhaná?

Má shabdát rasaná jineyá tadamshán rasaná priye
Yastad bhakśayennityaḿ sa eva máḿsa sádhakah.

“Ma” means “tongue” and “máḿsa” means “action of the tongue”, i.e., vocal expression. The sádhaka who takes máḿsa (vocal expression) every day, i.e., who practises control over speech, is a máḿsa sádhaka. How beautiful the meaning is! But the so-called interpreters who are dominated by their material desires never hesitate to slaughter innocent goats at the altar of the deities in the name of máḿsa (meat) sádhaná. The number of goats to be sacrificed is determined by the number of those who will eat the flesh. Alas! what an interpretation!

To understand the underlying meaning of what is laid down in scriptures, the idea is to be grasped first; otherwise the proper spirit will never be realized. If I say, “Shaońd́ikah surálayaḿ gacchati,” it will naturally mean “The liquor merchant is going to the liquor (surá) shop.” But if I say, “Naradah surálayaḿ gacchati,” it means “Nárada is going to the abode of surá (heaven).” But in the former case it was the house of surá, i.e., liquor shop. Thus the same word carries different meanings in different contexts. You have now understood how cautious you have to be in practising svádhyáya. Those with vested interest seek to keep the public away from the true spirit of the true shástras, because this facilitates their exploitation.

There may be many interpretations of the term “Iishvara.” But it commonly means “the controller of this universe”. He who controls the thought-waves of this universe is Iishvara. Therefore, “Puruśottama” and “Iishvara” are not identical conceptions. In philosophy the word “Iishvara” has one more meaning – it is the witnessing counterpart of the objective Prakrti where the static principle is dominant. It is the witnessing entity of the causal world, it is the magnified essence of prájiṋa, it is an entity free from all bondages.

Whatever may be the minor differences, to a sádhaka, Iishvara is understood to be nothing other than Saguńa Brahma or God.

Prańidhána means to understand clearly or to adopt something as a shelter. Therefore Iishvara prańidhána means to establish oneself in the Cosmic idea – to accept Iishvara as the only ideal of life. The physical body constituted of five fundamental factors does not disobey the laws of the cycle of His thought-wave, extroversial or introversial. It is your mind that violates them, and this results in the degeneration of the unit consciousness; because unit consciousness is reflected in the mind and nowhere else. So Iishvara prańidhána means to move with accelerated speed towards that Supreme Shelter, God. Therefore, Iishvara prańidhána is absolutely based on bháva, or ideation – it is a mental effort in its entirety. Shouting at the top of one’s voice for a big crowd to assemble, or showing devotion by beating drums, etc., has got no place in it. Your Iishvara is not deaf. Don’t shout to convey your mental feelings to Him.

One will have to detach the mind from worldly propensities while meditating upon Iishvara (God). First the mind will have to be withdrawn from the limited “I” feeling, and focused at a point. Then one will take the thought of the Macrocosm around that point with the help of the ideation of the mantra prescribed according to one’s own saḿskára (mental potentiality). He is the subtlest Entity; therefore He can be realized only through feeling and by no other means.

Perhaps you know that japa is of three kinds – vácanika, upáḿshu, and mánasika. Vácanika japa, the attempt to attract His attention by reciting prayers in a loud voice, is absolutely meaningless. Respect, affection, sincerity and devotion are attributes of the inner heart and are not to be expressed loudly in the language of flatterers. Vácanika japa, therefore, serves no purpose. However when a desire for vocal expression of an internal feeling is aroused, the divine touch can be expressed in sweet language in the form of a verse or song. As for example the mantra “Oṋḿ namaste sate sarvalokáshrayáya” occurs to my mind. Mantras of this type are very good, but they cannot serve the purpose of auto-suggestion of Iishvara prańidhána.

Verses or mantras uttered in such a low tone that they are hardly audible are called upáḿshu japa. Although this is better than vácanika japa, it cannot be considered an ideal style of japa. Mental japa is the best process of Iishvara prańidhána. One’s ideation should be expressed mentally and the mind should be its witnessing entity.

If this mental japa is practised regularly and properly after learning the same from a competent teacher, the mind will progress in a particular flow, a forward movement on the path of Pratisaiṋcara of Brahma. The speed of the mind generated by a Sádhaka by means of Iishvara prańidhána is faster than the mental speed of Brahma by which He is leading His psychic creations towards perfection through the path of Pratisaiṋcara.

When the mental flow of a spiritual aspirant moves along the introversial phase of Macrocosmic meditation, one’s animative force, having the potentiality of divinity itself, rises above all tendencies – all saḿskáras – and proceeds towards Eternal bliss. In this state the mind is vibrated with Cosmic feeling. The unexpressed divine qualities of the higher glands find expression and the resonance of the mind vibrates the nervous system. This gives rise to pious expressions in the physical body. In the case of those people whose occult feelings are not physically expressed due to causes associated with the nerves, the mental vibrations cause certain radical changes, in the various glands within the body. These occult feelings are basically of eight types: stambha (astounding), kampa (trembling), sveda (sweating), svarabheda (hoarseness of voice), ashru (tears), romáiṋca (horripilation), vaevarńa (change of colour) and pralaya (fainting fit). There are other feelings associated with these major feelings. For examples, nrtya (dancing), giita (singing), viluńt́hana (rolling), kroshana (weeping), huḿkára (roaring), lálásráva (salivating), jrmbhańa (yawning), lokápekśá tyága (indifference), at́t́ahásya (bursting into laughter), ghúrńana (whirling), hikká (hiccoughing), tanumot́ana (relaxation of the physical body) and diirghashvása (deep breathing).

The probability of such signs is very little in the case of vácanika and upáḿshu japa. That expression is very natural in case of those who have learned the correct process of sádhaná. These are associated with pleasure, and not with pain of any kind. Therefore, those who do not practise sádhaná should not be unnecessarily afraid of these signs.

When such occult symptoms appear, the sádhaka also should not worry in any way. In this state if the sádhakas pay attention to expressing those signs, their progress will be retarded. If they suppress these occult feelings, their bháva or ideation itself will be disturbed and their minds will become detached from Iishvara prańidhána. You should always remember that Cosmic feeling is above everything else; it is unwise to waste time paying attention to the external symptoms of the ideation or bháva.

These occult symptoms disappear as soon as the mind is detached from Cosmic objectivity. When sádhakas attain the capability to establish themselves in Cosmic feeling for long periods, those ideations are confined to the mental body only and the physical body becomes calm to a great extent.

It is desirable to practise various lessons of sádhaná alone, in a lonely place, but Iishvara prańidhána can be practised both individually as well as collectively. In collective Iishvara prańidhána the combined mental efforts work together, and so give rise to the expression of the higher signs in a very short time. Therefore, like all other aspects of sádhaná, Iishvara prańidhána should positively be practised alone, in a lonely place; but in addition, do not miss the opportunity of collective Iishvara prańidhána whenever some of you conveniently meet together. The indomitable mental force aroused as a result of collective Iishvara prańidhána will help you solve any problem, great or small, on this earth. It is for this reason that you should always be zealous to attend weekly dharmacakra regularly.

Expression and Symbolization

Published in:
A Few Problems Solved Part 6
Discourses on Neohumanist Education [a compilation]
Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]
Supreme Expression Volume 1 [a compilation]

Notes:

official source: A Few Problems Solved Part 6

this version: is the printed A Few Problems Solved Part 6, 1st edition, version (obvious spelling, punctuation and typographical mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

In this expressed universe whatever happens is within the scope of space, time and person and both human beings and other Jiivas (unit beings) have to take the help of symbolization. Without symbolization expression is not possible. This principle is applicable as much in the world of the five rudimental factors as it is in the psychic world. That is, in this expressed uni verse wherever there is no manifestation, no expression, all activity is within the sphere or in the framework of symbolization. When symbolization is not possible one is apt to say that it is inexplicable. Actually it would be wrong to term it as inexplicable, it would be more correct to say that its symbolization is not possible.

What is this universe? It is nothing but an combination of different kinds of waves. Not only human beings, but every living being has very limited powers. The different organs of perception can catch only waves falling within a very limited range – they are incapable of catching waves that are cruder or subtler. The organs thus function with very limited powers. In other words in this phenomenal universe, whatever powers get expressed the human organs can perceive not even one per cent of them – indeed very much less than that can be grasped by the organs. As a matter of fact not only the majority of the waves get vibrated, but indeed almost all of them, are beyond the capacity of human perception. It has, therefore, been said that the expressed universe is a very small island in the ocean of the unexpressed universe. This universe itself is such a small island, how very much less is the capacity of a human being.

Human beings have very little scope of really knowing what is happening. See what limited powers and scope for functioning human being and other Jiivas work with. Yet, despite their limited intellect, their limited power they are filled with ego. It is not possible for the Jiivas to know fully what this thing or that thing is like, for their power of perception is limited. Many things are happening before your eyes in this quinquelemental world which your eyes cannot even see. What you see and think is very big is only very small, avery small part indeed of the expression of Parama Puruśa. How vast is the expression of the Parama Puruśa when you see vastness in the smallest of His manifestation! From your small experience how can you understand the greatness of Parama Puruśa? You cannot even know how many kinds of matter there are in the air and water all around you.

The kinds of waves which one particular living organism can grasp, another species of living organism may not be able to grasp. What we see or experience is within the scope of human perception. But before an event happens or before the coming of these waves, subtler waves come which human beings cannot grasp but which some cruder living beings of the animal world can, and thus they know in advance that something is going to happen. It is also possible for some human beings to have such knowledge. Actually what is this? It is nothing but the power of perceiving the subtler waves and we call it the science of premonition. This power increases with Sádhaná. The function of the eyes is to be activated by the light waves. The eyes may or may not grasp such waves. You may look in one direction but still may not be able to see a thing which is there. In the same way you will not be able to catch sound waves which do not fall within the range of human hearing. You do not even know how many kinds of sounds are present around you. The same can be said in respect of your powers relating to smell, touch, and taste.

Now understand that your sensory organs come into contact with only a minimal part of the waves, of the vibrations, that are in this phenomenal world. It is only after this that you perceive them and get them assimilated in your mental sphere. After perceiving them, what do you do? You seek to give expression to them. Only a very small fraction of the waves come within the scope of expression and out of these only a part of them could be perceived by you because the sensory organs have limited powers. Then how are you to give them expression? While seeking to give expression you have to take the help of symbolization. If you delay in symbolization, the impression of the experience will remain in the psychic plane only and you will not be able to give it expression. Suppose a good singer is singing – you can catch only a small part of the melody and the sound waves of his or her singing. What you could not catch was beyond your capacity to grasp since your ears were not properly trained. To understand music one has to be trained. What you heard you wanted to express. On trying you find that you could not sing the way you had heard. After hearing for some time you may want to sing in tune but what do you find? You find that you have not been able to do so because you have not been able to symbolize it. Why were you not able to symbolize it completely?

In this expressed universe there are many kinds of sounds which you can hear but you cannot reproduce. What is the reason? Is it not because there has not been proper symbolization? Now consider the different Ragas that exist and how these have been classified. We have divided the musical scale into seven notes. We call it Surasaptaka. The musical scale in the West is the octave. The vibrations on the Surasaptaka have been decided keeping in view the capacity of human hearing may grow and accordingly expression may also increase; that is, the capacity of acoustic symbolization may increase. In that case the present octave will not do and it will have to be changed. It’s scope will have to be increased. If the human race on this earth exists for hundreds of thousands of years, a time will come when it will be necessary for it to change the octave and the present musical scale will no longer continue. Through permutation and combination thousands and thousands of Ragas and Raginis will be created. According to the needs of the age a change in our music will come about. Now see, on touching a hot thing you say, “Oh”. On touching even a hotter object you say “Oh” and symbolize it. But here is a difference between your first “Oh” and the second “Oh”. In the first case your finger got burnt, and in the second cased your whole hand got burnt. Your power of expression, however is very limited. You have to convey your feeling with only a few words like “Oh” or “Uf”.

Suppose you see a beautiful scene. Your eyes cannot grasp all its beauty. You are able to feel only a part of its beauty. If you want to express it through drawing a visual picture, you can bring out only a small percentage of what you have felt or observed mentally. That is to say your creation can never be complete. A feeling of dissatisfaction, insufficiency or incomplete ness will remain in the mind and what you wanted to draw has not been fully expressed.

However great one may be one will never be able to accomplish what one wanted to. There will always be a distance between idea and expression, and those who are geniuses actively seek to lessen it. However neither has the genius been able to lessen the distance, nor has the technician been able to bridge the gap. But this urge to lessen the distance between idea and expression or to remove this distance is symptomatic and it is of basic importance. It is a very congenial urge. The effort will continue but it will never end. The technician will always be reducing that distance but the distance will never be removed. The same thing can be said in regard to form, taste and smell. You may see a shocking, gruesome scene but you are not able to express it fully, and your faculties of expression are always unable to correctly bring out your feelings.

Your symbolization is successful only up to the extent of your imbibing it, but that does not serve the full purpose. In this expressed universe everything is within the scope of relativity. Because of the limitations of symbolization itself relative expression becomes extremely difficult. To express, therefore, that which is infinite and boundless is quite out of the question. Even that which is within the bounds of relativity you are unable to express as its symbolization also becomes impossible. How will you symbolize that which is Absolute? It is just out of the question. Something more will be said about this later on. At present only symbolization which is circumscribed by relativity will be discussed.

Three basic ideas have to be understood about relative symbolization. First, that which gets symbolized is never complete. It has already been explained that between an idea and its expression a gap remains. There is never complete expression, and a feeling of insufficiency, of dissatisfaction, remains. You could not achieve all that you wanted.

Secondly, symbolization is not of the same character. Suppose two individuals are the victims of a similar sorrow. One of them may go mad because of it, and the other may weep for a few minutes and then call for a cup of tea! This is what happens in this world. We see that feelings and ideas never finds identical expression and identical symbolization. This is because of differences in the individual psyches. In some persons there is a greater degree of self-discipline – self-control – and in others less. Some can symbolize more that others. To the extent to which people have greater self-discipline they are better integrated personalities. Those who can symbolize better are really better technicians. Remember that a genius has inborn talents, but who is a technician? Technicians are those who have ordinary qualities, but by dint of application (Sádhaná) and effort they have converted these into outstanding skills. This is the basic difference between a genius and a technician. From a age to age also there is a difference. Ten thousand years ago, for instance, the manner in which people symbolized their feelings of sorrow and happiness was quite different from how they do it today. Suppose two or three hundred years ago you accidentally hurt somebody – what would you have done? You would have caught hold of his hands and expressed your distress, and then tried to render first aid to him. That is how people used to behave two or three hundred years ago, but this is not so today. If anybody gets hurt, often it is sufficient to just utter, “Oh, sorry”. The nature of expression has changed and so has the symbolization. The change came in accordance with the change in times.

In the same way changes are occurring in relation to different countries. In one country, for instance, if somebody shoots another person, people would say how wrong it was and even the assailant would feel ashamed, regret it an try to run away. In some other country it may be that when someone has shot another and is asked why he did so, he will reply, “Why are you speaking against me? The person I shot has died and you feel much sympathy for him, while you have no sympathy for me, although I have lost so many bullets!” See how symbolization has changed with the change in the country. Hence there is change according with time and space. “Come in” is a verbal symbolization can also express shades in sentiment. Similarly the Saḿskrta word “Agachha” is a different symbolization of the same idea. “Come in” can be said in different ways conveying different meanings. Thus, “Come in” can be said in a very polite manner, it can be said in a tone of command, it can also be said in an ordinary way. Symbolization cannot remain static, that is, there are quick changes in it.

Two thousand years ago when people used to live in the mountains, in caves, the way people used to express themselves was not how they express themselves now. Changes have come. Because of such changes there also have been changes in the fields of art, architecture, literature and in fact in all finer human qualities. Such changes will continue to come – this is the nature of expression. If anybody were to insist that art, architecture, literature, etc. have to follow the traditional pattern it can only be said that he or she is living in a fool’s paradise. Human feelings have to be expressed in the form reflecting the prevailing age. So far as relativity is concerned, the same principle operates in the realms of both physical and psychic expression. Mentally also you cannot symbolize everything. Even if you can symbolize it externally through the expression of your eyes, or orally or by the gestures of your hands and feet.

Sometimes you acknowledge that you have understood a thing but cannot explain it. Sugar is sweet, and so is Rasagolla, but you are not able to state the difference. All you can say is that some thing is sweet like sugar, or Rasagolla or mango. You can tell the difference but you cannot express exactly what you experience. You are unable to express your feelings. The case of the spiritual field is similar. You are not able to express that which you experience. You can do it only partially – 99 per cent remains unexpressed. Parama Puruśa, who is an Absolute Entity, cannot be explained in any way. It is simply not possible. One becomes dumb and speech becomes impossible. That is why it has been said that Parama Puruśa, who is an Absolute Entity, cannot be explained in any way. It is simply not possible. One becomes dumb and speech becomes impossible. That is why it has been said that Parama Puruśa has never been defiled by the palate. If you want to describe Him by words, because the mouth is used He will get defiled. But He cannot be defiled because it is not possible to describe Him any way. When because of the depth of the inner feelings, your mental waves seek symbolization but do not succeed, the mind itself ceases working. Such a state is called Samádhi. To explain Parama Puruśa at such a time is even more impossible. It can be said that human beings describe by using words like Parama Puruśa, Bhagaván, etc.

Parama Puruśa is Absolute. Many ideas and feelings that are within the scope of the mind cannot be expressed through the sensory organs. Those things that are not Absolute or are in the sphere of feeling and emotions cannot be expressed or symbolized by the sensory organs. It is too much to suppose that the sensory organs can in any way express Parama Puruśa, as Parama Puruśa is a Supreme Entity as much form the psychic and philosophical points of view as form the view of thoughts and feelings.

It is not possible for mental faculties to symbolize Him. They fail to describe Him. That is why it has been said:

Yato vaco nivartante aprapyamansa saha,
Anandam Brahmano bidvana ma vibheti kutascana

“When you want to say something about Parama Puruśa, what will happen then? Words cannot be uttered because the vocal organ itself fails. The mind fails in symbolizing Him. People can ask, ‘Are not those who call for Parama Puruśa engaged in a subtle endeavour?’”

What is this really? This is a symbolization of language. This may be so, but the word “Parama Puruśa” is not a symbolization through language of Parama Puruśa. What we do through symbolic expression or expressed or expressed symbolization? We only want to say that Parama Puruśa cannot be symbolized, and this idea is what the words “Parama Puruśa” symbolize. It is this idea that is symbolized when we do invocation to Parama Puruśa. It has been said that when someone wants to tell another about Parama Puruśa, at the time of speaking neither is the symbolization of the words possible, nor is the symbolization of what is heard by the listeners possible. That is, for both speaking and listening the symbolization of words is difficult. It is indeed a difficult state and the Guru becomes dumb and the disciple becomes deaf. What can the Guru except become dumb? Because of the limited scope of language, He cannot express Himself. How can Parama Puruśa be symbolized in words? The capacity of the ears is also limited. Even if there is adequate expression in words, will the ears grasp fully? That is why Krishnacharya has said that in such a condition the Guru is dumb and the disciple deaf:

Já teṋi boli te tabi tál
Guru bob se shiiśá kál
Bhańai Káhńu jina raan bi kaesá
Káleṋ bob samvohia jaesá.

What you speak or express is within the scope of relativity and is not of the Absolute. In this condition, how can the Guru who tells about Parama Puruśa speak about Him who is Absolute? Therefore the Guru has to be dumb and his disciple deaf. What will the spiritual aspirants do then? Even if it is not possible they will make an effort. Krishnacharya himself answers what is to be done. He asks how the deaf and the dumb converse amongst themselves? They do so by means of different gestures and vocal sounds which are themselves a kind of symbolization, although subtler symbolization. When they talk they do so by keeping silent and taking recourse to subtler symbolizations. You have to express yourself just as the deaf and the dumb do. What else can be done in such a state of helplessness?

Now you see, there is one more kind of symbolization and this is subtle symbolization. When an idea is imbibed through your sensory organs, after it gets crystallized it finds expression through your motor organs. In a similar way your Saḿskaras or the reactive momenta of your mind act whether they are carried over from your previous lives or have been acquired in the present life, and this we call Prarabdha.

The mental feelings or thoughts, before getting expressed in a symbolized form, really get symbolized in the mental stuff. If these do not find outwards expressions, or if an effort is not made for such an expression, then these latent symbols constitute the Saḿskaras or the reactive momenta. They remain in the mind as symbols. These mental symbols will one day have to be given expression as physical symbols. As long as these physical symbols do not get expressed, you will be carrying the load of those mental symbols from one life to another. This is the reason why people take rebirths until such time when all their mental symbols get converted into physical expressions.

The expressed universe is only a very small fraction of the full symbolization. Of that small fraction your organs can catch a very small portion only and you can grasp much less through the mind. Very much less of what you have grasped mentally can you express through symbolization. In other words, your power of creative expression is extremely limited. By skill of his hands a man may express himself by painting, by the skill of his feet through dancing, and by employing his vocal faculties he may express himself through music. We do not call one who is a good singer a “Shilpi”. Those who use the skill of their hands as painters are “Shilpi”, are “Citra shilpi”.

Everything is ensconced in the unexpressed universe. What your organs can grasp in the mental sphere is only a negligible portion of the unexpressed universe, and that part of this negligible portion that was reconverted in your mind, and is reassimilated or accumulated, is all ensconced in the unexpressed universe or the Cosmic mind. Therefore, everything is dependent upon the Cosmic Mind. Therefore, everything is dependent upon the Cosmic Mind, or what may be described as spiritual flow or cosmic flow.

Why should you, then, be waiting for your symbolization, to get converted into physical symbolization? Though subtle processed you should direct your mental symbolization so that it finds shelter in the spiritual flow. In this way your symbols will be converted into psycho-spiritual waves. What will happen then? In that case it would not be necessary for you to wait for your psychic symbols to get converted into physical symbols. Where the change has been made to the psycho-spiritual plane it has to be converted into the spiritual, and since the Átman, the soul, is beyond the sphere of symbolization, the problem of symbolization ends. It will mean final liberation, Moksa. Human beings have been aspiring for this final liberation since time immemorial and those who have understood it should know that they do not have to wait for it endlessly form one life to another. In this very life convert your psychic symbolization into psycho-spiritual symbolization and become and emancipated being.

Saḿgacchadhvaḿ

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 3
Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]

Notes:

official source: Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 3

this version: is the printed Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 3, 2nd edition, version (obvious spelling, punctuation and typographical mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

This is Discourse 70 of the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series.

Saḿgacchadhvaḿ saḿvadadhvaḿ saḿ vo manáḿsi jánatám,
Devábhágaḿ yathápúrve saḿjánáná upásate.
Samánii va ákútih samáná hrdayánivah,
Samánamastu vo mano yathá vah susahásati.

“Saḿgacchadhvaḿ”. Here the prefix “sam” means “in the proper style”, “in the proper way”, “in the proper rhythm”. Now, everybody moves, everything as a whole moves, and each and every entity in its individual capacity also moves. And what is movement? Movement means changing place. Movement denotes velocity. The Saḿskrta root verb “gam” denotes velocity. It denotes life also. So each and every living creature will have to move. There is no alternative.

But not all movements are “saḿgacchadhvaḿ”. What is society, what makes it up? What is samáj? “Samánam ejati iti samájah”.

“Ejati” means “gacchati”. For movement, for walking, there are several verbs in Saḿskrta – gacchati⁽¹⁾, calati, carati, vrajati, ejati – so many verbs having different meanings and different imports. Now, here we have so many people moving together. Here “moving together” does not mean march or double march, here “moving together” means that all portions of society, all portions of the collective body, should have the spirit to move ahead. Suppose you have gathered sufficient money, and there is no dearth of food in your house, but the remaining portion of society, your neighbours, your friends, are suffering from a dearth of money, or food, or clothes. Then it means that you are not following the spirit of “saḿgacchadhvam”. “Saḿgacchadhvam” means to build a strong, well-knit society where there shall be no exploitation, no superiority complex or inferiority complex.

Just to represent the spirit of “saḿgacchadhvam”, I propounded the theory of PROUT. So the entire theory of PROUT stands upon this Vaedika sermon of “saḿgacchadhvam”.

Then “saḿvadadhvam”. In Saḿskrta the verb “va” means “to speak”. Everybody speaks, so what is the import of “saḿvadadhvam”? “Saḿvadadhvam” means that you are to be guided by that supreme Spirit that makes you speak in the same line, that is your language must not have any ambiguity. It should be free from all ambiguities. It should be clear, conclusive and decisive.

“Saḿvo manáḿsi jánatám”. “Vah” means “your” in the plural, “Vah” is old Saḿskrta, that is, Vaedika. In Laokika Saḿskrta, that is, later Saḿskrta, the term for “your” is “yusmákam” but in old Vaedika Saḿskrta it is “vah”. The root verb is “vah”. “As” becomes “ah”, that is, “as” and “ah” are the same thing, so it is “vah”. “Saḿvomanáḿsi jánatáḿ” means “vo manáḿsi sama jánatám”.

You should know that the source of all creation, and also the source of all microcosm, is the Supreme Progenitor. You should know that from the Supreme Progenitor cometh all the microcosms. You should never forget this fundamental truth. The difference among the units is the difference in their microcosmic reactive momenta, but you should remember always that the source of all these microcosms is the Singular Entity, the Singular Macrocosm. Then the relationship among human beings will become closer and closer. “Saḿvo manáḿsi jánatám”. You should know this fact, you must not forget this fact.

“Devábhágaḿ yathápúrve saḿjánáná upásate”. Now, the word “deva” comes from the root word “div”. “Div” means “a divine existence”. So “deva” means “a divine existence”.

Dyotate kriidate yasmádudyate dyotate divi,
Tasmáddeva iti proktah stúyate sarva devataeh.

Those divine vibrations, those divine manifestations, the vibrating attributions of the Divine Father, are deva. “Devábhágaḿ yathápúrve” – that is “the divine vibrations of the past”. Why has the word past been used? Because from the very dawn of human civilization there have been these divine vibrations, and these divine vibrations know no differentiations. And in the actional sphere also, there have been no differentiations. Equality and parity have always been maintained.

Just see the case of air, light, water, respirations and everything. The need for these things is the same for all individuals. There have been no differentiations. These differentiations that we see in society are creations of vested interests, creations of depraved persons, of degenerated, immoral people. So you should not support these actional defects of immoral persons. You should follow the divine vibrational system, that is, you must not try to find any differentiations among individuals. “Devábhágaḿ yathápúrve saḿjánáná upásate.” It is the wont of divine expressions that there be no differentiations, no class of exploiters and exploited. That is, this wont of not creating any differentiations was not only their duty, it was their upásaná, the desideratum of their existential march.

“Samáni va ákuti”. When everything cometh from the same source, from the same Progenitor, and when finally everything goeth back to the same desideratum, there must be the same aspirations, the same longing, in the heart of each and every individual. But due to the depraving actions of immoral people, those exploited, those downtrodden people are forced to forget their goal. They are drifted away from the desideratum of their life. This should not be done. Everybody should get the chance to develop their natural longings for Him.

“Samánáhrdayánivah”. When everything comes from the same Progenitor and moves along the same path towards the supreme culminating point, then should there be any cordial difference between man and man? No, there must not be. Everybody should be given the scope, or circumstances should be created, such that nobody gets the scope to feel that their future is sealed forever, is blocked. So let everybody feel that everybody in this expressed universe belongs to the same big human family. “Ek caoká, ek culhá, ek hyay mánav samáj”.⁽²⁾

“Samánamastu vo mano.” All microcosms come from the same Macrocosm, and finally, all microcosms will become one with the same Singular Macrocosm. So, while they are in society, while they are in the phenomenal world, they should remember this Supreme truth: that actually they are one, one Entity expressing itself through so many different corporeal structures. And when this is done – and it is not at all a difficult job to do it - then what will it be? It will be a society in the proper spirit of the term. And this is the loftiest, it is the highest mission of all human beings. Those who do not recognize this fact, or those who want to forget this fact, are actually enemies of human society. Those who support casteism, racialism, provincialism, parochialism, nationalism, even internationalism, are enemies of the big human society. Human society is, rather should be, based on only one ism, and that ism is universalism.

Artha and Paramártha

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 4
Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]

Notes:

official source: Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 4

this version: is the printed Prout in a Nutshell Part 11, 1st edition, version (obvious spelling, punctuation and typographical mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

This is Discourse 89 of the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series.

“An individual enmeshed in the snare of Máyá is called ‘jiiva’ or ‘microcosm’. And a person who is free from the fetters of Máyá becomes one with Shiva.”

It is the nature of jiivas to live in bondage. However, the one endowed with cosmic grace gets liberation from these bondages by dint of sádhaná, and attains oneness with that Supreme Entity (Shiva). There is only one fundamental difference between Shiva and jiiva (Supreme Entity and unit entity): Shiva is free from bondage whereas jiiva is chained by the shackles of bondage. Who wants to live in bondage? No-one. Everyone wants to attain freedom, to be liberated from all sorts of bondages. Human beings can be liberated from certain bondages temporarily, but after a while those bondages will again return. This situation can be compared to a bird which is released from its cage and allowed to fly around a large room for a while, but after sometime is again confined to the same cage.

Now, what happens to the jiiva during this temporary liberation, termed “Artha” in Saḿskrta. Hungry people are compelled to search for food with hunger pangs in their stomachs. When they eat something, they will get temporary relief from hunger; that is, they will attain temporary liberation from the influence of the bondage of hunger. Where did this food come from, and how did they procure it? With the help of money. Another meaning of “Artha” is “money”. And its third meaning is “meaning”. Money brings temporary relief from bondage. Today a hungry person may get relief from hunger with the help of money, but tomorrow the hunger will again return and the person will require more food. Liberation with the help of money can never be permanent. Yet, in this ephemeral world we need to use transient objects. It is a relative world composed of relative objects and entities. And that’s why our natural question is, “How should we live our lives?” The answer is that we should move towards the Supreme Entity while maintaining an adjustment with the relative world. We cannot ignore the external world, we cannot live without Artha or money. To obtain temporary liberation from pains and miseries, money or Artha is required but to attain permanent liberation, we need Paramártha. This is the basic difference between Artha and Paramártha.

Human capacity is very limited – we cannot ignore this truth. Human afflictions are trifarious: physical, psychic and spiritual. The physical afflictions originate from the material world and the psychic afflictions from the unmanifest world or human mind. In some countries of the world people have abundant supplies of food and clothes, but are they happy? No, they too suffer from pains and miseries, troubles and diseases. They too mourn the loss of their nearest and dearest ones. These are psychic afflictions. Next are the spiritual afflictions. The periphery of human mind is small, and this small mind remains engrossed with limited objects. The mind must be raised above these limited objects, above the world of limited happiness, into the limitless spiritual world. Limited psychic wealth is the root cause of spiritual afflictions. The state of breaking the bondages of limitations is known as “spiritual liberation.” When that liberation is permanent it is called “salvation”.

Human capacity is limited. Money helps one attain temporary liberation from afflictions, but that money is also limited. If someone accumulates money, another person is deprived of it; so no one should accumulate an unlimited amount. Some means must be discovered to remove human afflictions. With this in mind I have formulated a new socio-economic theory which will remove those afflictions. It is called PROUT. PROUT alone can save humanity from its woes. It is useless to preach the gospels of Paramártha to a person who has no food to eat.

To live in this physical world, to preserve our existence, Artha or money is essential. However, we also require Paramártha. Paramártha is that factor which brings about the permanent cessation of the triple afflictions. Here permanent cessation means cessation of those afflictions which, once removed, will never return again in the future. That Artha which brings permanent relief from the pangs of hunger, which is the instrument of permanent cessation, is called “Paramártha”. It is important that you understand the true significance of “Paramártha”. Today, society desperately needs a theory which can be applied in practical life with immediate effect. A new theory cannot originate from a mind of limited dimensions, but only from a person who looks at this universe from an evolved, enlightened mind. And for this, Paramártha is a very important factor indeed.

Something else can be said about Paramártha. On one side stand the human beings who suffer from numerous defects and imperfections, and on the other side stands the great, inscrutable Máyá, poised against them. This tremendously powerful Máyá is intent upon ensnaring human beings within the grip of various instincts which scatter the mind. Humans are under the domination of that powerful Máyá, are controlled and guided by that Vishva Máyá according to her own sweet will. And when she observes that her influence is waning, she strives to further mislead humans with various forces so that they remain within her grip. In such an atmosphere of servility, humans can never attain Paramártha.

All obstacles, be they in the form of husbands, wives, parents or indeed the society at large, are the creation of Vishva Máyá. These obstacles and hindrances must be overcome. If Vishva Máyá becomes extremely angry and powerful, what should human beings do? Actually, there is no reason for humans to worry about this, because the blessings of Parama Puruśa are always with them. There are two slokas in this regard;

Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama Máyá duratyayá;
Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.⁽¹⁾

Tvam vaeśńavii shaktiranantaviiryá vishvasya biijaḿ paramá’si Máyá
Sammohitaḿ devii samastometad tvaḿ vae parasanná bhúvi mukti hetuh.

“This Máyá of limitless power is My divine force; her power and strength are all Mine. She cannot harm the one who has taken shelter in Me, because she is an inseparable part of Me.”

Parama Puruśa is the actual controller of Máyá so a person who takes refuge in Him cannot be harmed in any way. However little strength one may have, one will be able to resist Máyá in all circumstances. To tell you the truth, it is not always necessary to fight against Máyá: she eventually meets her own defeat and surrenders. So what should an intelligent person do? The other day I said that all human beings should surrender their ego. They should only think that they are the children of Parama Puruśa sitting on His lap. If they think in this way, Máyá will be unable to harm them.

Another thing should be mentioned in this context about which I have already spoken. There are many people who think, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner.” This is not the right attitude as thoughts are often expressed externally. So the person who always thinks, “I am a sinner”, will ultimately become a sinner, even though he or she is not a sinner at all. One should not think such undesirable things – it is a type of perverted thought.

There are different types of criminals or wrongdoers, such as pickpockets, burglars and so on. Each criminal has his or her own circle of acquaintances and a place in a certain social hierarchy. For example, a confirmed thief will not pay much attention to a mere pickpocket. Similarly, sinners also have their social circles. A sinner who is called a sinner by other sinners, or a wrongdoer who is hated by other wrongdoers, is the worst of the worst. However, even if the worst sinner thinks of Parama Puruśa with undivided attention, and takes shelter in Him imagining that he is sitting on His lap, saying, “Oh Lord, I am your child, save me”. Parama Puruśa will free him or her of all sins. No one need have any doubt about this.

If such people, however dark or ignominious their past may have been, ask Parama Puruśa for shelter, they will certainly be absolved of all their sins – there is no doubt about it. “I am a sinner, I am a sinner.” One must not give indulgence to this type of thought. In this context you should all remember the story of Madhálasá.

The Social Order and Superiority and Inferiority Complexes

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 5
The Awakening of Women [a compilation]
Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]

Notes:

This is Discourse 108 of the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series.

Most people suffer from either a superiority complex or an inferiority complex. A balanced state of mind is one of the most essential qualities that one should possess. It is that state in which a person does not suffer from any complex, that is, neither from superiority complex nor from inferiority complex, neither from fear complex nor from hate complex. People should be free from each and every kind of complex, they should not suffer from any of these. People have many vices and virtues. One of the virtues is to be free from any kind of complex. What is vice?

Nidrá tandrá bhayaḿ krodha álasyaḿ diirghasútratá,
Ete hátavyáh, sadadośáh bhútimicchatá

In this manifested world there are six kinds of main vices – nidrá, tandrá, bhaya, krodha, álasya, and diirghasútratá.

Nidrá means sleep. No one should be a slave to this habit. Tandrá means you are hearing but your mind is somewhere else. I will tell you one story on tandrá from the Rámáyańa. (The Rámáyańa is a puráńa, it is not a narration of facts, but an educative story. When something has got some educative value it is called a puráńa.) Rama and Laksmana went in exile. Laksmana took the responsibility of security but he felt sleepy. This became very embarrassing for him and he picked up his bow and arrows ready to attack the goddess of sleep. On seeing this the goddess of sleep told Laksmana that it was not fitting for such a brave and gallant man as him to attack a woman with his arrow. Laksmana replied that he was on security duty. They then made a pact that the goddess of sleep would not sit on his eyelids for fourteen years, that is, till the period of exile was over. On returning to Ayodhya, after the lapse of fourteen years, Rama’s coronation ceremony was held and on that occasion Laksmana was fanning Ramchandra. As the period of fourteen years was over, Laksmana felt sleepy. He was about to pick up his bow and arrows but the goddess of sleep protested saying that she had come after fourteen years in accordance with their pact and so Laksmana had no right to use his bow and arrows. Laksmana entreated that he was very busy waving a fan for Ramchandra and should therefore be spared from sleep on that occasion. The goddess asked where she should go as she had already arrived with her full force. Laksmana suggested that she should go and sit on the eye lids of any sinners who might be attending a spiritual function. So be careful, all of you, and do not sleep when you come to attend a spiritual function.

Bhayam [fear]. Fear complex is another human shortcoming. The other remaining vices are krodha [anger]; álasya [lethargy] and diirghasutrata (procrastination, that is to postpone today’s work for tomorrow and then for the day after).

Maintaining a balanced mind is one of the greatest virtues. There are no complexes in a balanced mind. One neither feels inferior nor superior to others; one never fears anybody nor ever gets perturbed. One maintains a mental balance.

Inferiority and superiority complexes – not fear complex which is altogether different – arise due to a defective social order. Some people have to live like slaves in the society and thus suffer from a strong inferiority complex – their heads remain forever bowed – while others inherit vast wealth as well as family pride from their ancestors and keep their heads held so high that at times it appears as if it will fall backwards. These complexes are due to a defective social order. The complex is in the crude physical world and in the socio-economic strata, not in the stratum of spirituality.

There cannot be any complex in the spiritual level or existential sphere. In spirituality there is no complex because every person has contact with Parama Puruśa on a purely personal level. There is no third existence between them. There are only two – the spiritualist and the Parama Pitá [Cosmic Father]. Spiritualists move towards the Cosmic Father and sit on His lap. To do this is every one’s birthright. Nobody can be debarred from doing so on the pretext of inferior caste, colour, education or poverty. Since this is every one’s birthright there cannot be any complex in the arena of spirituality. The defective social order injects an inferiority complex in the mind which often persists even when people enter the spiritual field. They feel that as the Cosmic Father is so great, how can they, being of low caste or poor or uneducated, go to Him? This is called mahimnabodha in the shástras [scriptures]. But one should not forget that the relation of father and child exists. Even if the father is a great scholar, the uneducated child will go to him and ask for whatever he requires because he or she has affection for the father. Just now I said that in the field of spirituality there cannot be any complex, but there are complexes due to social defects. It is our spiritual duty to rectify the social order. If we fail, there may not be good spiritualists. Even those who have the potentiality to become good spiritualists may not progress. They may be like a flower that dies before it blossoms.

I cannot allow this to happen. For this reason the theory of Prout has been given so that every person can progress speedily in the field of spirituality without any complex.

In the existential sphere, too, there should not be any complex because every one is the child of the Cosmic Father. If there is any superiority complex, it should be the common one that one is the child of the Cosmic Father who is so great, so potent. One may only have this superiority complex. Whatever people possess is given by the Cosmic Father and therefore no individual has the right to have a superiority complex. So in the existential sphere there is no reason for any complex to remain. In other words it can be said that there will be a common complex that all are the children of the Cosmic Father, no one being inferior and no one being superior.

Parama Puruśa is neither nearer nor further away from anybody because it is His duty to look after His children. Since it is His duty to look after them, He will take proper care of them. He will take proper care of each and every human being and see everything. He has to do so even if He does not like it, because this is His duty. Suppose a son falls into bad company when he reaches the age of twenty and forms the habit of smoking cigarettes. He may not want his father to know about his smoking habit but the Cosmic Father sees everything. He may not say anything because the son may blush! He has to be with everyone to keep Himself informed of everything they do so that He can take proper care. Therefore He is associated with each individual unit and this is called ota yoga. Collectively He is associated with all and this is called prota yoga. Parama Puruśa sees those who are in an existential form, that is, physical body. He also sees those who have left the physical form and have not got a new physical body but are in the existential world. He is with all of them. Parama Puruśa is with everyone therefore no one can be inferior or superior. As such, in the existential sphere there cannot be any sort of complex, and our social order should be such that there remains no room for any complex. We have to make such a social order and we have to make it immediately without any loss of time.

The Four Vargas and Devotion

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6
Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]

Notes:

official source: Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6

This is Discourse 127 of the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series.

There is a short story. Once Maharśi Vishvamitra (Maharśi means “great sage”) was crossing the River Ganges with Ráma and Lakśmańa on his way to Mithilá. You all know that Saḿskrta literature is divided into four categories: kávya (poetic verse), puráńa (fictive tales), itikathá (history) and itihása (benevolent history).

Kávya: Kávya is defined as “vákyaḿrasátmakaḿ kávyam.” When a story is explained in a lucid way, in a very systematic way, it is called kávya. It may or may not be factual, it may or may not be educative, but it must be narrated in a very lucid way.

Puráńa or fictive tales: What is puráńa? It is that branch of literature in which all compositions are fictive and have an important educative value. The sage Vyása Deva composed eighteen puráńas for the sole purpose of mass education. He depicts various stories about different gods and goddesses. But as the stories are not true he felt some remorse in his mind after writing them. Deeply saddened, he apologized to Parama Puruśa;

Rupaḿ rúpavivarjj itasya bhavato’yaddhyánena kalpitaḿ
Stutyá’nirvacaniiyatá’khiloguro dúriikrtá yanmayá,
Vyápitvaḿcr nirákrtaḿ bhagavato yattiirtha yátrádiná,
Kśantavyaḿ jagadiisho tadvikalatá dośatrayaḿ matkrtam.

“Oh, Parama Puruśa, you have no form and yet I have depicted the various goddesses in various forms. I have described ten-armed gods, four-armed gods and so on. My sole intention was to educate the common people but in that endeavour, oh formless Lord, I have tried to limit You to the bondage of form. This is my first mistake. My second mistake is that even though You are beyond all qualities indeed, all qualities are under your control – I have composed many eulogies and hymns extolling Your various qualities, but that has only belittled Your greatness. My third mistake is that even though You are omnipresent, I have said that God acted in a certain way during a certain pilgrimage. I have confined You to a specific place. This is an error on my part as the whole universe is Your place of pilgrimage. You exist everywhere, yet I have wrongly tried to limit You to a few places of pilgrimage. So, oh Lord, I beg Your forgiveness. Please pardon me for having made these three mistakes in a moment of mental weakness.”

This is a puráńa. Even though it is not factually true, it has great educative value. The Rámáyańa is one such puráńa. Its story is not factually correct, but is very educative.

Itikathá: Itikathá is a chronological record of events. That is, events are recorded in a sequential order and propagated for public knowledge. In Saḿskrta, itikathá is also called “purákathá”; “itivrtta” and “purávrtta”. In English it is called “history”.

Itihása: Itihása is that part of itikathá whose study leads to human welfare. It has immense educative value. A study of the entire history may not be beneficial for the reader, but that little portion of history which we call itihása is definitely beneficial for human welfare. Itihása has no English synonym. The “History of India” is wrongly translated as “Bhárat barśer itihása”. It should be translated as “Bhárat barśer itikathá.” So the fourth type of literature is itihása which is of great educative value. It has been said;

Dharmárthakámamokśáthaḿ niitivákya
Samanvitaḿ Purávritta kathájuktamitihás apracakśate.

“Itihása is that portion of itikathá which assists people to attain the four vargas – kama (psycho-physical wealth), artha (psychic wealth), dharma (psycho-spiritual wealth) and mokśa (spiritual emancipation) – and which contains the moral code of conduct.”

The Mahábhárata is a good example of itihása. That which is taught in schools in the name of itihása, however, is mainly itikathá or history. What do people attain from the study of itihasa? They attain the moral code of conduct and an inner understanding of the four vargas.

The first varga is káma, the fulfilment of physical necessities. In order to survive, human beings need food, clothes, shelter, medicine, education etc. If these basic necessities are not provided, life becomes unbearable. This first varga, this fulfilment of physical necessities, is káma. How does one learn about it. By studying itihása. And how can those minimum necessities be provided to all? Through the implementation of a social ideology: through itihása. In order that these basic necessities might be provided to all, I was forced to formulate the theory of PROUT under pressure of circumstances. Before everything else, one must first provide physical food to a hungry person. Once the physical needs have been satisfied one may impart spiritual knowledge and instruct him or her to sit in meditation. Yes, we will certainly not provide food to antisocial people who jump from tree to tree like monkeys; we will certainly make them sit in meditation. But before that we’ll have to make provisions for their food, winter clothes, shelter, medical treatment etc. Without fulfilling these basic necessities it will be impossible to promote the collective welfare of the human race.

This was the clear instruction of Shiva. In Ananda Marga also we have not ignored this advice and thus I have formulated PROUT philosophy. No one can deny the importance of PROUT. If they do, they are denying their very existence. So káma is the first of the four vargas.

The second varga is artha. Artha is the fulfilment of needs in the physico-psychic sphere. Through artha the physico-psychic needs are relieved temporarily. That which brings permanent relief from these needs is called paramártha. Artha is temporary, paramártha is permanent. Here artha does not mean money. Of course, money is also loosely called artha because it brings temporary relief in the physical sphere. That’s why money is called “artha” in Saḿskrta. Furthermore, whenever people don’t understand the meaning of a word – the word “kadali”, for example – there is a certain want in the mind. And as soon as one learns that “kadali” means “banana”, that psychic want is removed. Hence, the meaning of a word is also called “artha” in Saḿskrta because when one comes to know what a particular word means, the want is removed from the mind. So “artha” means “money”, “meaning” and that varga through which physico-psychic needs are fulfilled.

The third varga is dharma which fulfils the psycho-spiritual necessities. Not only do human beings have physical needs; they have more subtle ones as well. Those who have no desire for any of the physical necessities sometimes leave their homes and embrace the life of a monk. Why should they make such a choice? Why would a prince become a renunciate? What sort of desire prompted Mahaprabhu Caetanya to accept the life of a sannyasi? What prompted Buddha to relinquish his beautiful kingdom? They all had no further physical desires. There was no further need for káma and artha in their lives. But why did they choose to completely give up their worldly lives? The reason is that there was a very deep desire in the back of their minds. When people reach a subtle level of existence, they realize that they are hopelessly ignorant. Having just entered that higher stratum, they are unable to understand the subtler expressions of life. This leads to a longing for the spiritual. This is the third varga, dharma, which leads to the fulfilment of the psycho-spiritual necessities.

The fourth varga is mokśa. When human beings attain the fullest expression, they feel that it is a liability and become eager to return the gift to Him from whom it came.

Tava dravyaḿ, Gobinda tubhyameva samarpaye,
Nivedayámicátmanaḿ tvaḿ gatih parameshvara.

[Your objects, O Lord, I offer unto You. I surrender myself up to You, as You are the Supreme Terminus, O Lord.]

This is the last stage. It is called mokśa or salvation. Itihása is that literature which prepares the mind for the fulfilment of all four vargas. Itihása in the true sense of the term is not taught in schools and colleges. Remember that the Ramayana is a puráńa, it is educative fiction.

To return to the original story. Vishvamitra was going to Mithila with Ráma and Lakśmańa. Remember that I have already told you that the Rámáyańa (from which the story has been taken) is pure fiction and thus one should not expect it to be consistent with reality. It is educative, no doubt, but nor factually true. When they reached the other bank of the river they saw to their amazement that, at the touch of the holy feet of Ráma, their boat had been transformed into gold. The astonished boatman exclaimed, “Good heavens, what an amazing thing. He must be an extraordinary person.” He ran home and narrated the astonishing incident to his wife who immediately grabbed as many things as she could carry – kitchen utensils and the like – and rushed to where Ráma was standing. She placed all the objects at his feet to convert them into gold. To carry all the wooden furniture to the boat, get it converted into gold and then carry it all back again was a Herculean task. Things become a lot heavier when they are converted into gold! So, the boatman’s wife had aches all over her body and pains in her back and hands, and soon the poor wife was no longer able to carry the load. But under the spell of greed she wanted to acquire more and more gold. People do their utmost to bind themselves with the worldly bondages and often fall prey to this greed instinct. So even though her back was badly aching she was unwilling to stop carrying the wooden furniture to get it converted into gold. This is just like the condition of gluttons at a feast who, even after eating so much that they are completely full, still manage to stuff one or two more pieces of rasagolla (Indian sweet) into their mouths. If ever such people get a chance to eat at others expense, they are ready to eat for days together. The boatman’s wife was suffering from a similar psychic ailment. Even though she was no longer able to carry the load, she was helplessly goaded on by greed.

Jaráye áche bádha, cháráye jete cái
Cháráte gele byathá báje
Mukti cáhibáre tomár káche jái
Cáhite gele mari lage

[I am tied to so many bondages.
I want to get rid of them.
When I try to do so, those bondages affect me.
When I approach You with the prayer of liberation from those bondages,
I feel extremely ashamed.]

This can be said about all ordinary human beings. Then the boatman said to his wife, “Stop this folly! How much longer will you be able to carry the load! You’ll get deeper and deeper into difficulty. Your greed for gold will never end and you’ll probably die under its weight. You’ll never be able to satisfy your greed so stop this folly, stupid woman!” “Yes, may be I am stupid,” she replied, “but now I am helpless. There’s nothing I can do about it.” The boatman advised, “Instead of carrying all the loads of wood and gold, why don’t you simply carry those two feet which have such extraordinary qualities and at the touch of which everything gets converted into gold?” So she went up to Ráma and said, “Well, you’ll just have to come along with me.” At first, Ráma was unwilling to go, but due to her insistence, he finally agreed and sat down in the boat. Then, strangely enough, the boatman’s wife forgot her desire to get everything converted into gold and became totally absorbed in the thought of those two feet. Having attained the ultimate thing, why should she bother about the gold? Now she could get anything converted into gold whenever she wished.

The boatman’s wife said, “Ráma, please leave something with me as proof of your visit to my house.” So Rama gave her four delicious fruits. She asked what they were, where they were grown, what they signified, and what their names were. Lakśmańa told her the names of those four fruits. They were kama, artha, dharma and mokśa. Lakśmańa further said, “After attaining these two feet, one needn’t look for the four vargas, they will come to the recipient automatically. One need not worry about them.”

One who is a genuine devotee should not worry about all these things about the attainment of these Vargas. I have formulated PROUT to resolve the defects and discrepancies which exist in the mundane world. There was no necessity to think about the attainment of the Vargas in the past, nor is there in the present, nor will there be in the future. To prevent the possibility of future problems and inconsistencies arising I have formulated PROUT.

Then everyone said to Lakśmańa, “Your elder brother has given fruits, so you should give us at least one.” Lakśmańa replied, “What can a poor man like myself offer you? I only have one fruit which I will be happy to give you.” “What’s that fruit called?” they asked. Lakśmańa told them. “Unless and until you hold this fruit in your hand, you will never be able to attain the other four.” “Please tell us what it’s called,” they said impatiently. “Please give it to us so that we may attain the four others.” Lakśmańa said, “You know I’m a very poor man. The name of my fruit is devotion.”

The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6
Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]
Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]

Notes:

official source: Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6

this version: is the Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1, 2nd edition, version. I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

This discourse originally appeared in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6. It was reprinted in Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1, 1st edition, as “Trifarious Development”. In Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1, 2nd edition, the orginal title was once again used.

This is Discourse 128 of the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series.

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.

(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 1	Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]


Chapter 2	Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]


Chapter 3	Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]


Chapter 4	Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]


Chapter 5	Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]


Chapter 6	Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]


Chapter 7	Prout in a Nutshell Volume 3 Part 11 [a compilation]