EE7.5 - Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]

The Only Way to Salvation

Published in:
Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 6 [a compilation]
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]

Notes:

official source: Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5

this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell 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.

Sádhaná is an effort to remove one’s internal distortions – an endeavour to extract the gold from the alloy, so to speak – in order to become established in one’s original stance which, for a jiiva (unit being) is “Puruśa” or Átman (Cognitive Principle or Consciousness). The only duty, the only mission of a sádhaka (spiritual aspirant) is to a fight against the impurities and distortions that arise due to the influence of Prakrti. To liberate the Puruśabháva from the bondage of the witness-ship of these distortions, they should not be cast aside but should be smelted in the fire of sádhaná and restored to their pure and original form. And once purified they will almost be indistinguishable from the witnessing Puruśottama, When the witnessing Puruśa is relieved of the bondage of witness-ship of those distortions He, too, will merge in the Supreme Cognition.

In the unit or collective body, Consciousness is first metamorphosed into Mahattattva and thereafter is subject to a series of gradual transformations. If we call this process anuloma vyávasthá (descending order of metamorphosis) the process of sádhaná should be described as pratilom vyávasthá (ascending order of evolution. Through the process of sádhaná a sádhaka proceeds from crude to subtle, from psychic to spiritual, from the mental sphere to the metempirical sphere of Consciousness. Here a question arises: When unit beings reach increasingly subtle realms, will the quinquelemental world become non-existent? I would say in reply that this quinquelemental world is not the creation of the unit mind, but is the creation of Macropsychic conation and thus much more powerful than the unit mind. So as long as the unit mind exists the quinquelemental world will certainly exist. It will still exist when the unit mind becomes pinnacled or apexed and merges in the Cosmic Mind, not as a relative truth but as various imaginative flows. But when the unit mind reaches the ultimate stage and dissolves in Cosmic Consciousness, it ceases to exist for the Macrocosmic mind itself loses its identity.

So the unit mind should be withdrawn from the world of fundamental factors and focused on the Non-attributional Entity. When the mind is completely withdrawn from the relative world a sádhaka is said to have attained the original stance.

The emergence of the five fundamental factors occurred due to the movement of the Macrocosmic mind from subtle to crude. In the process of crudification the cosmic mind-stuff (citta) was metamorphosed into the ethereal factor, which comes within the scope of microcosmic perception. The ethereal factor further condensed and crudified and was metamorphosed into the aerial factor, coming within the more direct perception of the unit mind. The aerial factor, becoming even more condensed and crudified, was transformed into the luminous factor, the medium of perception of the visual organ. The luminous factor, in the process of further crudification, was converted into the liquid factor, becoming a drinkable substance for living beings. And the liquid factor, in the process of even further crudification, was metamorphosed into the solid factor. In this descending order of movement, the crude manifestations of the Cosmic Mind can be perceived by a greater number of sense organs (indriyas) than the subtle ones. So in the process of withdrawal (pratyáhára) one should first withdraw one’s mind from those crude physical objects which are perceptible to a greater number of sense organs, and then direct it towards subtler objects, thus completing the process of bhúta-shuddhi (an important part of spiritual cult). The initial struggle that a sádhaka has to wage, standing firmly on the ground of yama and niyama, is the struggle against the static pressure of the five fundamental factors. It is the struggle to perfect pratyáhára sádhaná.

Yathaeva bimbaḿ mrdayopaliptaḿ
Tejomayaḿ bhrájate tat sudhántam
Tadvátmatattvám preasmiikśya dehii
Ekah krthártho bhavate viitashokah

Do you know what unit beings are? They are like impure gold. Put this impure gold – and its impurities are not unnatural – in the hands of an experienced goldsmith, and it will become pure and glittering after the impurities are removed through the application of heat and other processes. The impurities are bound to be removed. In a similar manner, human beings will have to remove their mental impurities with the help of the heat of sádhaná, after first washing the human mind with the holy water of yama and niyama (the first two limbs of the eight-limbed aśt́áuṋga yoga). An intelligent person never misutilises or under-utilises any object. The impurities are not an integral part of your original stance, but are distortions created by Prakrti. To realize that original stance they must be removed. However, they are embedded in the mind, they are inseparably associated with it, they are the propensities causing pleasure (positive mental propensity) and pain (negative mental propensity). If these propensities lie dormant or are unexpressed, the mind is unable to maintain its existence centring around its Mahattattva or existential I-feeling, and when they are over-active they lead microcosms far away from the original stance. Those people can be called krtátma (successful in their mission) who have freed themselves from these distortions, like pain and pleasure, and have thus become as pure as gold.

Yadátmatattvena tu brahmatattvaḿ
Diipopameneha yuktah parpashyet
Ajaḿ dhruvaḿ sarvatattvaervishuddhaḿ
Jiṋátvá devaḿ mucyate sarvapáshaeh

It is only possible to understand the nature of Brahma with the help of one’s individual self (Átman). You cannot understand the Supreme Entity with the help of your psychic factor because He is beyond the scope of the mind. And with the sensory organs, which are even cruder than the mind, it is even more impossible to understand Him. He is beyond the grasp of everything. The gross indriyas are the cruder manifestation of the distorted mind. This distorted mind (even though it is inherently subtle) often fails to understand or realize that Entity because the unit citta, created as it is by the static principle, is only able to perceive finite entities. But by ideating on unlimited Brahma one can become established in the cosmotheistic bearing, causing the static bondages of citta to snap and the citta to lose its existence. The moment this happens, the existence of the unit ahamtattva and mahatattva, the controlling faculties of citta, also become unsubstantiated, resulting in the entire microcosmic bearing becoming free from the bondages of limitations. With the dissolution of the unit mind there remains only the pure self. To attain or not to attain this pure self at this stage is equal for a sádhaka because after the dissolution of the unit mind, the Consciousness reflected on the unit mental plate does not get any base in the temporal factor and returns to the original Macrocosmic bearing, becoming one with Puruśottama. That is to say, whenever sádhakas realize the unit soul, they discover that the unit soul and Brahma are the same. Once the impurities are removed from the mind, the separate existence of these two entities is lost.

As long as the feeling of individuality exists, unit beings see the diversities in the multi-dimensional imaginative flow of the Supreme Entity. Their vision thus impaired by non-integral knowledge, they run in pursuit of these diversities and make themselves their slaves. Wherever there is a unit mind there will be spatial, temporal and personal factors. The One who is beyond the periphery of these three factors is eternal. He is the Absolute Entity, others are only relative truths. This endeavour to liberate the unit consciousness from the unit mind, the base of all relativities, is what is termed sádhaná. And in this endeavour one must free the self from the domination of the eight fetters (bondage of lineage, vanity of culture, false sense of prestige, hatred, doubt, shame fear and backbiting) and the six enemies (anger, greed, lust, pride, envy, enchantment). The degree of bondage on the human mind is determined according to the intensity of the propensities, which are of various types: some pertaining to physicality, some to reactive momenta, some to education, etc. The unit mind can only guide and control its propensities when its actions are original. In all other cases the mind is guided by the propensities themselves (which may be good or bad). The propensity through which one expresses one’s psychic power depends in most cases (except in the case of original actions) on the influence of physical constitution, education and the environment. Hence, to maintain purity of the psychic propensities, the purity of the body, the reactive momenta and the environment is crucial. It is not altogether impossible for someone to be transformed into a virtuous person if his or her neighbours are good people. We can describe the collective endeavour of ideal neighbours as the purification of the body, education and environment with the help of the collective mind. We are perfectly aware of the fact that if education, the environment, etc., are uncongenial it becomes impossible for even honest people to be virtuous.

In our practical life we call those people great who, knowingly or unknowingly, keep their unit minds engaged in cosmic ideation. But those people who attach excessive importance to the microcosmic ego, and thus begin to discriminate between objects and individuals, become a burden to society. You may have seen priests who after preaching eloquent and verbose religious sermons get themselves entangled in useless arguments with the laity over their sacerdotal fees. Such people shed copious tears whenever they preach the all-pervasiveness of God, yet strive to maintain their “purity” by keeping the so-called untouchables at a safe distance. Such people only eat food after first offering it to the Lord, yet are very concerned about the caste of the cook. This discrimination is the distortion of an analytic human mind and is the characteristic of those who want to keep their Lord at a distance out of contempt. As a result they will never attain Him.

To attain Him, the unit mind, the base of all such discriminatory feelings, has got to be immersed in the cosmic flow. There is no other way. If someone argues that an arum dish rather than a potato dish should be offered in the temple of Jagannath because potato is non-indigenous it is the height of absurdity. Does Jagannath make any discrimination between different countries? Is there any difference for Him between the river Ganges and the Jordan? All lands are His own land; everything is within His mind, created with His own atoms and molecules, and resonated with His sacred ideation. Those whose preachings encourage such discriminatory feelings are the worst enemies of humanity. These are the people who in every age in the name of religion have caused blood to flow, and have injected the fear of heaven and hell, of ghosts and demons into the human mind. These are the people who made human beings lifeless puppets. And even today these vested interests are still trying to perpetrate discrimination in a thousand and one ways. It is said, “One who knows Brahma becomes a Brahman.” But this definition of a Brahman is inconvenient for them so they have declared that the son of a Brahman is a Brahman and the son of a Vipra is a Vipra, whether they merit the title or not. In this way they have cheated the simple, mute and gullible masses for centuries together. They do not have the key to salvation; no, they hold only one thing in their hands: the binding rope. They don’t possess the spirit or the valour to sing the songs of human emancipation. Their eyes do not shine with the radiance of universalism, but squint with the greed and cruelty of vultures. Buddha was the first person to revolt against their cruelty and devouring greed. He declared unequivocally,

Na jaccá pasalo hoti na jaccá hoti Bráhmańa
Kammaná basalo hoti Kammana hoti Bráhmańa.

Nobody is born low, nobody is born a bráhmiń. Human beings are considered low only because of their bad actions. But when they see Brahma in each and every finite entity, and act accordingly, they attain the rank of bráhmiń, they become established in integral knowledge. A bráhmiń is not a caste, it is not a rank; it is the vast Cosmic Entity established in universalism. Mahaprabhu Caetanya also sang the song in chorus with Buddha. He said,

Cańd́al cańd́al nay yadi Krśńa bale,
Dvija dvija nay yadi asatpathe cale.

[An untouchable is not an untouchable if he takes the name of Krśńa. A Brahman is not a Brahman if he follows the dishonest path.]

Those who ideate on Brahma can remove the bondages of limitations and establish themselves in an infinite, emancipated life. Such people do not bear the identity of either a Brahman or a so-called untouchable, although common people call their physical bodies those of Brahmans. To attain this supreme height of spirituality one needs a combination of devotion, knowledge, and action. Knowledge and action, however, play a secondary role and are important only as aides to devotion. When they are not used for the cultivation of devotion, they become an obstacle. Whatever actions you perform and however hard you try to know Brahma by cultivating knowledge, if you are bereft of ardent love for Brahma, you will ultimately discover that you have no balance left in your bank account. The attempt to surrender oneself through devotion forms the essential part of your sádhaná. That Supreme Birthless Entity who is beyond the three realms of time is the most sacred Entity (as He is beyond the periphery of time He is not bound by the limitations of creation, preservation, and destruction). He is the Ageless One, the Permanent One.

One who can establish oneself in ideation on that Entity, one who can realize Him, will not be affected by bondages. To know Him and to attain Him is the essence of liberation.

Eśa ha devah pradisho’nusarváh purvo ha játah sau garbhe antah
Sa eva játah sa janiśyamáńah pratyauṋ janáḿstiśt́hati sarvatomukhah.

In crude analysis, the mundane entities of the world are all material. So, being nothing but crude matter, should you ignore their existence? What we see as crude matter, due to ignorance, is essentially a psychic manifestation created by the static influence on Cosmic Consciousness. When human beings look upon an object with a non-integral outlook, they either develop an attraction or a contempt for it; they treat such entities as mere relativities. But if they probe deeper they will discover that these so-called relative entities are the spatial, temporal and individual manifestations of the Supreme Entity. It would be wrong to treat the development projects of Saharasa district as something non-integral, for example. Saharasa district is a manifestation of Brahma, hence the service to Saharasa is Brahma sádhaná.

Brahma exists in all directions (pradisha – east, west, north, south, above and below) and all corners (northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest), and so to a Brahma sádhaka all countries are equally holy, all directions equally charming. He or she knows that whatever has been created in the universe, and whatever lies in the mother’s womb, are all the manifestation of Brahma, and thus are equally venerable. Whatever has been created, or whatever is being created is all that Supreme Entity.

As Sarvatomukha (having faces in all directions) and Sarvatosáksii (the witness of all phenomena) He is always manifesting Himself in and through each idea. Puffed up with microcosmic vanity, never think for a while that you can do anything secretly. He maintains closest vigil over every action of yours, small or big. All your internal thought waves, auspicious or inauspicious, are being created, maintained and dissolved centring around your microcosmic existence in one part of His vast Macrocosmic mind. Hence not even the least portion of your thought process can remain secret for Him. If you disown Him under the spell of your ego He will laugh. And if you run to Him with ardent devotion, discarding your vanity, He will place you on His lap. With His all-pervasive bearing He is inseparably connected with each and every microcosm. Every secret thought lying within the most obscure corners of your mind is as clear as daylight To Him. If you steal something He will see it immediately. If the police arrest You He will Know it immediately. You know that you have stolen something, so He also knows. You know that the police have arrested you on a charge of theft, so He also knows. If you tell lies to the police to avoid punishment, He also knows that you are telling lies. If the dishonest police accept your bribe and release you, you know they have accepted a bribe, so He also knows. When the same dishonest policeman, while in uniform, tries to show off his dutifulness, you knew that he is an infidel creature in human form, so He also knows.

It is true that He is omnipresent and truer still is that in His perishable stance (Kśara) He is everything, and in His imperishable stance (Akśara) He is the knower of everything.

Yo devah agnao yah apsu yo vishvaḿ bhuvanamávivesha,
Ya ośadhiiśu yo vanapatiśu tasmae deváya namonamah.

What is that entity which looks like fire? It is His luminous expression in its perishable form. You see Him in the manifested world according to your mental outlook, benevolent or malevolent: with fire you can cook food or burn your neighbour’s house. If you use it to do the latter His manifestation in the form of fire should not be blamed but your intellect and your action. What is that entity which we see as liquid? It is His liquid expression in its perishable stance. He lies pervasively throughout the entire universe. The annual flowering plants are the manifestations of His benevolence; the towering trees proclaim His vastness. We offer our salutations to the Supreme Brahma, the Lord of all Gods.

Ya eko jálavániishata iishaniibhih sarvánlokániishata iishaniibhih
Ya evaeka udbhave sambhave ca ya etadviduramrtáste bhavanti.

That Supreme Entity is the unique magician. You may have seen a magician’s performance. At first he increases the range of his psychic power with the help of a magic spell, causing the minds of the spectators within a certain radius to be vibrated with his thought waves. To use one’s psychic power to influence restless human minds is a difficult task, so the magician uses a black curtain, an incandescent light or a glossy coloured mirror, and sometimes plays flute or tells his audience to clap their hands to make their minds temporarily concentrated. At that time, when the mind-stuff of the spectators is temporarily concentrated, he casts his magic spell. The spectators then begin to see things according to the magician’s thought projections. In spellbound amazement they watch pigeons vanish, boulders appear from nowhere and so on while the magician stands still in one place imagining mentally and spreading his supremacy on their minds with the help of his magic power. The spectators, charmed with the magic show, laugh, cry and sing, but the magician, although he is a witness to their smiles, tears and songs, is not moved by the show, because it is the deceptive play of his magic.

Likewise, Saguńa Brahma is creating and destroying the worldly phenomena with His expansive imaginative flow while the Cognitive Faculty, Puruśottama, remains unassailed as the nucleus of this creation. In His diversified creation some people are laughing, some are dancing, and some are singing; some are broken by pains and agonies, sorrows and afflictions; while some are inflated with pride. He is the witness of all this, but remains unaffected, unassailed by the clashes and conflicts of His divine play using His infinite psychic power. He exercises His dominance on all. Everything and everyone emanates from Him and is maintained within Him. He knows that no entity has an absolute existence.

The one who knows Him, who has understood His original stance, remains undifferentiated from Him and gets ensconced in that Puruśottama, the ocean of divine nectar. One who knows the secrets of magic will easily see through the magical techniques and dexterity of the magician, if he accepts him as one of His intimate team.

Eko hi rudro na dvitiiyáya tasthur
Ya imánnllokhániishata iishaniibhii
Pratyaunjanáḿstiśt́ate saincukopantakále
Saḿsrjya vishvábhuvanáni gopáh.

There is a singular Supreme Entity who, with His divine occult power is controlling every entity of the seven realms of existence. He is the One Singular Entity. The countless entities of this observable world are ever increasing, but on analysing them with the proper application of intellect and a spirit of synthesis, it will become apparent that these multiplicities are the expression of that Supreme Multiple. That Singular Entity, with the help of His power of contraction, can merge the multiplicities of His imagination into His original stance. By stopping His imaginative flow the multiplicities and diversities will merge in the Supreme Singularity, thus ending the scope of His analytical bearing. That infinite Entity is the Creator of this universe and much more: He permeates every pore, every atom and molecule of this vast universe.

Vishvatashcakśuruta vishvatomukho vishvato báhuruta Vishvataspát
Sa báhuyáḿ dhamati sampatatraedyávábhúmi janayan deva ekah.

Can you say where He does not exist? He exists everywhere. He witnesses everything. When He witnesses the infinite number of objects simultaneously He is called Anatacakśu (having an infinite number of eyes). He surrounds each entity with His innumerable eyes, and thus it is impossible for anyone to do anything secretly. He is also Anantamukha (having an infinite number of mouths) and thus conveys His ideas in countless ways. He is withdrawing the creative flow within Him in countless ways. “O foolish creature where will you escape? He is everywhere, He is everything.”

Ácha anala anile cira nabhoniile
Bhúdhare ságare gahane.
Ácho vit́apii latáy Jalader gáy
Graha tarakáy tapane.

[You exist in the fire and in the air; You remain in the vast blue void, The lofty mountain and the silent depths of the ocean. You are in the creepers and climbers, You are in the clouds, stars, moon and sun.]

Those who think that to attain the Supreme Entity they have to sever contact with their near and dear ones and retire to the seclusion of the forest are entirely mistaken. By rejecting their family environment they do great injustice; they are mentally unbalanced.

He is Vishvatováhu because He calls you with His countless outstretched hands. Will you not look towards Him? Will you not come within His loving embrace? With His powerful hands He is playing with each and every entity in this vast universe. Oh misguided human beings, what are you so proud of? Before whom do you express your vanity? He is the one with countless feet. The sweet touch of the dust particles from those feet eternally vibrates the flow of this universe. He is the creator of everything of the physical and metaphysical universe. Your physical body is created within His mind; your mental sky is created and maintained in the vast space of His cognition. You cannot think of anything secretly. Whatever you have thought or are still thinking you may forget, but He will never forget.

Tatah paraḿ brahmaparaḿ brhantaḿ
Yathánikáyam sarvabhúteśu gúd́ham
Vishvasyaekaḿ pariveśt́itáram
Iishaḿ taḿ jiṋátvámrtá bhavanti.

Parama Brahma is the greatest of all the entities. He is beyond comparison. To compare two separate entities they must possess certain common merits or demerits. For example, if we compare the Himalayas with the Vindhya mountains we can say the former are taller and covered with huge areas of snow whereas the latter are smaller, etc. Likewise, one can also draw a comparison between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean or between a well and an ocean, saying that an ocean is vast, the well tiny. But nothing can be compared with Parama Brahma, the beginningless and the endless Entity, because He is beyond the scope of the mind. He is vast, immeasurably vast. To demonstrate His smallness, you should compare Him with another entity of His size, but this is impossible for although He is so minute He is also beginningless and endless – no other tiny object can ever be without a beginning and an end. Hence idol-worship or of image-making in the name of Brahma are totally unwarranted. This vast entity lies covert in all the fundamental factors; He is right inside you lying hidden in your existential I-feeling. Through synthetic analysis you will realize Him as the knower of your existence, as the knower of your existential I-feeling. This Supreme Entity exists everywhere surrounding the entire universe. Where the universe is unmanifest He exists, and where it is manifest He also exists; where the universe is manifest He reigns supreme, where the universe is unmanifest He also reigns supreme. He is the witness of the undeveloped celestial bodies of the nebulae and milky way, and He is the witness of your developed intellect. Be it a nebulae or the human intellect, all are moving entities, none remains permanently. Only He is eternal. Only His divine sweetness pervades the past, present, and future. If one can know Him, if one can establish oneself in Him alone, one attains immortality.

Vedáhametaḿ Puruśaḿ mahántam ádityavarńaḿ tamasah parastát;
Tameva viditvátimrtyumeti nányah panthá vidyate’yanáya.

The rśi says, “I have known that Supreme Entity. He is immensely great because He is beyond comparison. Dominated by the sentient principle His brilliant white effulgence dispels all darkness. He was, He is, and will remain. By knowing Him alone one overcomes death. Only by constantly ideating on Him can one escape the judgement of the Arbiter of Death.”

Yasmát paraḿ náparasmati kiiṋcid
Yasmánnáńiiyo na jya yo’sti kiiṋcit
Brkśa iva stavdho divi tiśt́hatyeka
Stenedaḿ Púrńam puruśeńa sarvam.

Beyond Him there is no second entity. None but He alone can claim superiority. Others’ vanity crumbles to dust before His vastness. He is constantly engaged in the divine play of creation, converting His vast mind into minute fractions, smaller than atoms. So tiny are His unit manifestations that none but He can claim minuteness. So vast is He as the Supreme Arbitrator of the sport of creation that none but He can claim His vastness. As Puruśottama He lies covert as the witness of the subtle realms of all subtle entities, as calm and tranquil as the towering forest trees. He lies hidden in all entities in His individual and pervasive association and fills everything with His cognition. While measuring His minuteness you may think that the molecule is the smallest particle but on further analysis you will discover that you are wrong, for atoms are even smaller. And when you probe even deeper you will discover smaller particles such as protons, electrons, neutrons, etc. In the process of further analysis your mind will lose its capacity to function; for you can never discover the smallest particle, you can never measure His minuteness.

The same thing applies to His vastness. If you proceed along the path of synthesis your mind will also cease to function, you will never fathom His vastness. This universe is the collection of His innumerable finite expressions; yet is also established as a continuous, vast, unbroken entity.

Yato yaduttarat́araḿ tadrúpamaná mayam
Ya etadviduramrtáste bhavantyathetare duhkhamevápiyati.

If you move along analysing the theory of causation you will arrive at the cause by seeing the effect. Thereafter you will see that the cause is the effect of a previous cause. The cause of a rasagollá is milk, and the milk is the effect of the cow. Thus you will discover the unbroken thread of causation. While following this thread your mind will get fatigued and will be compelled to stop thinking further, because at the end of the thread there lies the Supreme Cause, the Cause of all causes, the Supreme Brahma. He is the Universal Father, but Himself is self created (Svayambhu). As He has no previous cause His symbolisation is impossible: to give Him a special form or a special base is out of the question.

One who realizes Brahma in this way attains immortality. But the one who tries to attain Him in a limited way, by making images of Him, by eulogizing Him, or by ascribing limitations of caste, colour, community to Him, and by worshipping those limited forms, meet with utter disappointment. Those foolish people who worship their deities with ulterior motives are sure to suffer devastating consequences.

Only when one has embraced the Supreme Cognitive Force with utmost reverence, single minded devotion and extreme sincerity, can one hope to be established in immortality, the permanent cessation of the triple afflictions.

That which removes human afflictions is called artha. As the pangs of hunger are removed by food the means of procuring food is called artha. The pain of disease is alleviated by medicine, hence the means of procuring medicine is called artha. Artha, however, cannot bring permanent relief to pain and miseries. Hunger removed today will return tomorrow; a disease cured today may strike again tomorrow. Artha cannot guarantee permanent security or lasting happiness. But in Brahma, the Entity who liberates one from all mundane ailments and the cycle of rebirth, lies the total cessation of all afflictions, the freedom from all ailments. He is the only dependable panacea for microcosmic distortions and imperfections; there is none other than Him - Nányah panthá vidyate ayanáya.

Microcosm and Macrocosm

Published in:
Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 6 [a compilation]
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]

Notes:

official source: Subha’s’ita Sam’graha Part 5

Today I would like to say something regarding Macrocosmic excellence and vastness, and microcosmic limitations.

Whatever we can think of and whatever we cannot think of in this vast universe, whatever we know and whatever we do not know of this vast creation, are all within the Macrocosmic mind. For Him there is nothing external – everything is being created, maintained and dissolved within His Cosmic Mind. This internal psychic world of Brahma appears to be an external world to the finite entities. They have no capacity whatsoever to properly understand the true nature of this vast external universe. The jiivas (finite entities) with the help of their indriyas (sense organs) receive the subtle tanmátras (inference) from this vast external world. According to those inferences, and on the basis of the transformation of their mind stuff (citta), the finite beings try to understand the world. But the true form of the universe remains embedded in the Cosmic Mind. The form of the world assimilated by the unit mind depends entirely on the power of assimilation of the inferences and the proper functioning of the indriyas.

The unit mind can be compared to a water bubble in the vast ocean of the Cosmic Mind. Although these microcosmic imaginations bear some resemblance to those of the original entity, they are not actually original or fundamental emanations. Rather, they are the inferential and nerve-carried reflections or shadows of the Macrocosmic imagination. What we understand by Miccrocosmic mind is only a transformed state of Macrocosmic Consciousness due to the influence of Prakrti. That’s why Saguńa Brahma, although He pervades the infinite time, space and individualities, is manifesting the troughs and crests of His psychic wave in and through the three relative factors. This is the reason why none of His manifestations are absolute truth: neither did they exist in the past, nor will they exist in the future. Even a statement regarding the present is not an undisputed axiom. So when properly analysed this expressed universe is nothing but a collection of temporary entities which are undergoing constant metamorphosis according to the sweet will of Prakrti. It would be more precise to call those temporary entities “shadowy objects” as opposed to “original objects” due to their impermanence and total dependence on the Macropsychic imagination. If the mundane objects are mere shadows created by the Supreme Objective Principle, then for the unit minds, this world, perceived as it is through the inferences, is the shadow of the shadows.

In the practical world for the substantiation of one’s shadowy existence other shadows cannot be ignored. Nothing of this world should be ignored, because even though everything is a shadow, it is nevertheless a shadow of Brahma (that is a spatial, temporal, or individual manifestation of His cosmic bearing) and not an inconsequential shadow of the relative world. Hence, to ignore this manifested world is out of the question. While trying to ascertain the proper relationship between the subject and the object, we conclude philosophically that we cannot ignore this manifested world. However, it is a fact that not only is the mind constantly preoccupied with objects which are merely shadows of shadows, but is proud of the apparent control it has over those shadows. If one tries to assess the real worth of the microcosmic existence in this world it comes to nothing more than zero!

Whatever the endeavour of the microcosmic mind it can never go beyond the periphery of the Macrocosmic mind. If the unit mind does try to expand its power of imagination beyond the periphery of the Macrocosmic mind it will reach the state of non-existence. There is nothing beyond or outside the Cosmic Mind. The hopes and aspirations, the pains and sorrows, the active endeavour and the inertness of the unit mind are all within the Macropsychic arena, creating temporary ripples within the vast ocean of the Macrocosmic mind. The sum total of the microcosmic restlessness does nothing more than to create a few ripples on the surface of the vast cosmic ocean. When the unit mind ideates on the Cosmic Mind and converts its finite objects of enjoyment (preya) into cosmic benevolence (shreya), then that finite unit being, who was a mere water bubble up till then, expands beyond its limited form and attains the identity of the ocean. That finite entity which initially thought of self-glorification ultimately forgets itself and becomes totally absorbed in the thought of the Cosmic Entity. It no longer proclaims its own greatness, but heralds the excellence of the Supreme Macrocosmic Entity. The unit beings, due to ignorance, look upon these numerous animate and inanimate entities as finite expressions of that Infinite Entity. Later, in the process of cultivation of knowledge and action, they begin to understand that they are the multifarious expressions of that Infinite Entity. Still later when they reach the pinnacle of devotion they see the Supreme Entity is everything. At that moment all feelings of discrimination evaporate, all concerns about real and unreal, propriety of action and impropriety of action, vanish completely from the mind. There remains only the singular urge to serve the Lord with utmost devotion. When the devotee surrenders his or her entire existential feeling at the altar of the Almighty, there remains no further differences, only an unbroken, sweet blissful ocean in which the Supreme Entity manifests Himself endlessly in His innumerable waves. The sweet relation between the devotee and the Lord provides an unending impetus to the ocean of joy. The Supreme Lord remains absorbed in His divine play with innumerable divine manifestations. What is playful for Him is meaningful for the unit entity.

Sahasrashiirśá Puruśah sahasrákśah sahasrapát;
Sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá’tyatiśt́haddasháuṋgulam.⁽¹⁾

“The Divine Entity has an infinite number of heads, an uncountable number of heads.” Each entity which expresses intellectuality is one of His heads. No single head can be described as “His head” because His head is the totality of all heads. Similarly, the Supreme Entity has innumerable eyes which assist Him in seeing every entity of the universe in innumerable ways from innumerable angles of vision. You cannot do anything unknown to Him. Likewise with the help of His innumerable mental feet He moves throughout the entire moving universe. The instrument through which movement is performed is called carańa (foot). He is the carańa of the limitless objects of this universe. Of course, these countless heads, eyes and feet of His have no physical existence. When you want to see something in your mind you use your mental eyes. Brahma, with His mental eyes, is watching. His mental indriyas continuing the creation, preservation and destruction of this universe. Just as you can use your mental head to cook food and your mental tongue to enjoy its taste, in the same way Brahma is enjoying His creation internally – there is nothing outside or beyond Him. Most of His mental creations are external to you, but all the created objects, including you, are internal to Him. When you perform an action it is either psycho-physical or psychic, but in the case of the Supreme Entity every action is psychic. This quinquelemental world, however vast it may appear to you, originated from Macrocosmic mind-stuff (citta) surrounded by the static portion of His mind, and that’s why it is circumscribed by limitations. This extremely vast Cosmic citta is not Brahma in His entirety; He is vaster than that. This great universe lies in a remote corner of His endless mind. So the rśi says that Brahma exists within and surrounding the entire universe. As the Macrocosmic Ahamtattva (Cosmic doer-I) and Buddhitattva (Cosmic existential I) are not bound by the demarcating lines of the static principle, they are infinite; and His witnessing faculty which is inseparably associated with this infinite Macrocosmic mind is also infinite. But His Knowing Faculty is also not His total entity. The rśi has expressed unequivocally that He is established in the Supreme Blissful Stance beyond the domain of the witnessing faculty.

Some confusion arises regarding the meaning of the word dasháungulaḿ used in the above shloka – Some scholars have given a rather peculiar interpretation that Brahma resides at a place ten fingers above His universe. The actual significance of the term is best illustrated in the yogic cult. The non-attributional supreme rank of Parama Puruśa is located at the pineal plexus (sahasrára cakra), ten fingers above the pituitary plexus (lunar plexus or ajiṋa cakra, the location of mind as well as kut́astha caetanya). By trying to describe the location of the Cosmic Consciousness in relation to human physiology, the rśi wants to convey that the cosmic excellence does not end in the mind. Of course, the mind is a powerful controlling entity – being the controller of the five fundamental factors of the human body it is the controller of the five lowest cakras – yet it is only located in ájiṋá cakra. The seat of Cosmic Consciousness is located ten fingers above the seat of mind at the sahasrára cakra. During sádhaná when the serpentine power (kundalini) pierces the pituitary plexus one attains savikalpa samádhi. Still higher, at sahasrára cakra, kuńd́alinii shakti becomes one with Parama Shiva, and one attains the non-attributional stance (kaevalya samádhi).

Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yadbhútaḿ yacca bhavyam;
Utámrtatvasyesháno yadannenátirohati.⁽²⁾

Suppose you are imagining Bhagalpur railway station within your mental arena. Not only can you see the travellers rushing through the station, you can also see their individual minds. The Macrocosmic mind (Saguńa Brahma) knows whatever is happening in the entire universe for His cosmic imagination flows everywhere. He knows and understands every thought-wave, every idea of the innermost recesses of the unit minds in the universe. Apart from being the witness to all events He is also the witness to every microcosmic thought-wave, whether good or bad. He is also aware of every incident of the past, present and future. Time is a relative factor dependent on space and individuality. These relativities of space, time and individuality are created out of His Cosmic Mind, thanks to His grace, and will continue to be created in the future. As He is not limited by the demarcation lines of the time factor He is the witness of all ages. An ordinary person may not be able to detect the hypocrisy of a sinner who pretends to be a decent man, but the Supreme Entity is well aware of that hypocrisy. It is a futile attempt by the hypocrite to throw dust into the eyes of that Infinite Entity, the Witness of all.

The Entity whose thought world is this vast universe is not only the Universal Witness but the Universal Controller too. Even the meanest of the mean, the nastiest of the nasty, and the most infernal insects are not deprived of His grace, are not beyond His controlling touch. Conversely, even the greatest of the great, the overlord of the sea-girt earth, and the most venerable and distinguished people are powerless before Him, behumbled by His awesome personality. The sweet springs of nectar flow at the behest of His towering personality.

Sarvatah pańipá padantat sarvalokśi shiromukham
Sarvatah shrutimanlloka sarvamávrtya tist́hati.

Whenever something is imagined the sensory and motor organs become activated by its inferential vibrations. In dynamic thought processes there is mental agitation: when you imagine accepting something, your mental hands start working; when you imagine seeing or hearing something your mental eyes and ears start functioning. Perhaps you know that after deep introspection the subtle mind takes over from the crude mind as the controlling entity of the physical body and indriyas. In sorrowful dreams people burst out crying, in happy dreams they laugh. The reason is the same in both cases: due to the temporary cessation of the functioning of the crude mind, the dreamers “see” the dreams with their mental eyes and take them to be the reality, and their minds get completely overpowered as a result. Just as in deep introspection or sleep people laugh, cry, sit, stand, sleep, eat and drink, etc. with the help of their mental indriyas, similarly Brahma, the author of this vast cosmic imagination moves everywhere within the universe, His vast Macropsychic arena, with His mental feet. He catches all the objects of this universe with His all-pervasive mental hands. He is the intellect, the intuition and the witnessing faculty of the innumerable created objects and hence we can say that He has His all-pervasive mental heads. Similarly, as the witness of all the macropsychic entities, He has innumerable mental eyes; and to hear their words, spoken or secret, and every loud or soft sound, He has His all-pervasive ears. He exists surrounding all objects with His own identity. You can keep nothing secret or private from Him - He knows more about you than you know about yourself. Behind all His pervasive faculties of knowing, understanding and hearing lies His Macropsychic stance. Hence, no temporal, spatial or personal factor, circumscribed by limiting bondages, can be accepted as Purnabrahma (Brahma in His entirety). The great mystic Ramaprasad has said,

Tribhuvan ye máyer múrtti
Jeneo ki tá jánaná?
(Ore) kon práńe, táṋr mát́ir múrtti
Gaŕiye kara upásaná.
Mon tomár ei bhram gela ná.

[Don’t you know that the three worlds are the expression of the Divine Mother? Then why do you foolishly make clay images of the Mother and worship them? Oh mind, you can still undo the blunder.]

To give a limited form to that unlimited entity is a grave error; to present crude offerings to the Supreme Entity is meaningless. For ideation on Brahma there is no need to spend even a cent. If the worship of Brahma was a very expensive affair then none but a handful of billionaires would have been able to do it. Sádhaná is the birthright of all people just like light, air, and water; the Infinite Entity is the common patrimony of all, not the private property of any particular individual.

Sarvendriya guńabhásam Sarvendriyavivarjitam
Sarvasya prabhumiishánaḿ
Sarvasya sharańaḿ brhat.

In each indriya a particular principle is dominant, sometimes the sentient, sometimes the mutative, sometimes the static. During the Bhagalpur Dharma Maha Cakra I said that a merit or demerit in a particular indriya is determined by its capacity to assimilate inferences. Of all the, inferences, sound and touch are very subtle and so their receptors, the ears and the skin, are dominated by the sentient principle. The smell and taste tanmátras are very crude and hence their receptors, the tongue and the nose, are dominated by the static principle. The remaining form tanmátra, which is neither crude nor subtle, has the eyes as its receptor and is dominated by the mutative principle. Regarding the motor organs, the vocal cords and the hands are dominated by the sentient principle, the legs by the mutative principle, and the anus and genital organs by the static principle. To perform crude physical actions, or to assimilate the inferences of crude objects the importance of the indriyas is undeniable. As the Supreme Entity doesn’t require to be associated with any external physical object, He does not require any sensory or motor organs. To create or destroy an image within His Macropsychic arena He uses His mental indriyas which have the qualities He requires to guide the whole universe with His mental power. Even though He doesn’t have a single physical indriya, He possesses the qualities of all the indriyas.

He is the controller of those entities who are endowed with individual feeling or awareness and those which are not. Each land every object of this universe is floating on the crests and troughs of His psychic waves: the original wave emanates from Him only. He is the source as well as the controller of all waves. He provides impetus to all entities of His mental creation and so He is Iisha or Controller. Here a question may arise: Being the source of momentum for the created entities, why do some entities behave like gods, while others act like demons? Can He be accused of partiality? No, that is impossible. When everything is His mental creation, why should He be accused of partiality. Jiivátma or unit consciousness is His reflection and the unit mind is the reflecting plate or mirror. The clearer the mirror, the clearer its reflection of the Original Entity. If the mirror is dirty it will not be able to reflect the brilliance of the Original Entity, but for that He should not be blamed. His waves emanate from Him as usual but due to the defect in the mirror the vibrationtion cannot be properly reflected. So if the unit metal mirror cannot properly receive the impetus from Him, Paramátma should not be accused of partiality. He is just like a magnet which attracts all pieces of iron towards it except the rusty ones. Some people respond to His call, some do not. That’s why I say, “O sádhakas make your [[minds]] free from impurities. Follow the path of cosmic ideation. You need not conduct any ritualistic worship or observe meaningless vows, or undertake hazardous pilgrimages. Just try sincerely to remove the dirt from your mind. When you feel the attraction of the Supreme Entity in every atom and molecule of your existence, you will realize that He is showering His grace equally on all”. Some wrongly think that Parama Puruśa bestows His grace with partiality; but in reality all are equally dear to Him.

Some sádhakas experience the Supreme Attracting Entity as effulgence, others as oṋḿkara, the primordial cosmic sound. Those determined to receive His momentum feel attracted towards Him, and, advancing along the path of effulgence, finally merge their existential-I feeling in the ocean of His cosmic effulgence. Those who realize Him in the form of oṋḿkárá, advance along the path of oṋḿkárá and finally become ensconced in Puruśottama, the source of oṋḿkara, the nucleus of all emanations. The unit entities in which His divine expression are fully manifest are said to have attained the height of fulfilment physically, psychically and spiritually. They realize in the core of their hearts that the entire human life is a “sádhaná”. Each and every mundane action of theirs, such as eating, sleeping, dressing and even breathing, are an integral part of that “sadhaná”. But those who have not understood the Supreme Entity and His creation in this light will say, “Well I don’t steal, and I don’t tell lies, so why should I do Brahma sádhaná.” They think that moralism alone is the highest goal in this world – but remember, moralism is not the goal – it is the starting point. If the Supreme Controller is disowned, the so-called morality of the moralist can be lost at any moment, and does get lost. Such people end up pretending to be moralists externally but internally become immoralists. This is the height of hypocrisy in the society. The different spheres of social life, such as education, industry and trade, commerce and politics are overcrowded with this class of human brutes, because of a lack of dharma sádhaná. Those who are compelled to become moralists under social pressure, or those who put on a show of being moralists from the rostrum or pulpit, or in short stories, novels and poetry, are actually misguided fools, however intelligent they may think themselves to be. Inflated with the vanity of pedantry they lose all their common sense and behave like lunatics. And the worst thing about them is that to fulfill their petty narrow interests they hoodwink the innocent, simple, unwary, gullible masses. Internally they wish to become ministers to serve their selfish interests, outwardly they say they want to serve the society in the interest of the common people, Their one intention is to fill their pockets with money, but they publicly pronounce that they want to follow the gospels of Dharma. Oh human beings, beware of these impostors. Try to apply your power of discrimination to know who are your friends and who are your foes. You should never allow yourselves to fall victim to these political and religious traders. Remember that every individual has immense potentialities. Tap those potentialities and advance resolutely along the spiritual path. If you cannot stand erect on the solid ground on the strength of your spiritual power, no one can support you with a prop. You need not employ a paid agent to help you express your innate potentialities. Oh human beings, you alone are the proper judges of your mind. You are quite aware of how much filth lies stinking in the corner of your mind.

With cosmic ideation set out from the starting point of moralism and advance towards supreme realization. Your feet may bleed, cut by the thorns scattered on the road, the sky, rent asunder by the lightning and crashing thunder of the fearful storm, may fall on your head, but proceed you must. You are a born fighter, To flee the battle in fear and hide like a corpse in the hills is ultravirous to your existential vitality. You must advance towards the Supreme Entity, your original abode, smashing all obstacles on the path. From time immemorial you have been listening to the sweetness of His divine call. Can you remain oblivious to it, engrossed in your little world created by Máyá?

Merge the propensities expressed by your indriyas into citta (mind stuff), citta into ahamtattva (doer I), ahamtattva into mahattattva (existential-I feeling), mahattattva into jiivátmá (unit consciousness) and jiivátmá into Paramátmá (Universal Consciousness). That will be your Supreme fulfilment, the state beyond which there remains nothing to be attained.

Yallabhánnáparo lábho yatsukhánnáparaḿ sukham
Yajjiṋánannáparaḿjiṋánaḿ tadbrahmetyava dháraya.

On attaining Brahma there remains nothing to be attained, no further peace to be sought, no further knowledge to be acquired. On attaining Him you will realize that all objects created out of time, space and individuality are already in you. You need not go anywhere else to attain Him because everything is sheltered in Him. Nobody in this universe is shelterless; all are in His safe shelter. Sarvasya sharáńam brhat. The Supreme One is the Supreme shelter of all.

Apáńipádo javano grahiitá
Pashyatyacakśuh sa shrńotyakarńah
Sa vetti vedyaḿ na ca tasyásti vattá
Tamáhuragryaḿ puruśaḿ mahántam.

He is the Unique Entity, having no hands or feet, no eyes or ears, yet doing everything that is done by such organs and limbs. With His mental hands He is plays with each and every object of the world, with His mental feet He moves everywhere, with His mental eyes He sees everything, with His mental ears He hears even the most secret thoughts of the human mind. He knows whatever is knowable, but no one knows Him, so He is the greatest of all. And the uniqueness of that Unique One does not end here: there is so much to be said about Him that it can never be said.

Ańorańiiyán mahato mahiiyanatmá
Guháyám nihito’sya jantoh
Tamakratuḿpashyati viitashoko
Dhátuh prsadánmahimánamiisham.

The capacity of human beings to receive tanmátras is limited. You cannot perceive a very slow or rapid vibration – your capacity of perception is restricted to an intermediary stage between these two extremes. When someone whispers softly or when something makes an extremely loud sound you are unable to hear. You are unable to perceive the inferences of very subtle objects, such as atoms or molecules, nor can you see something very big. The Cosmic Entity is much subtler than the subtlest objects of the universe because they are the temporal, spatial and individual expression of His Macropsychic conation. If you try to contemplate on them, what to speak of seeing them, your mind will lose its existence.

Brhcca taddivyamacintyarúpaḿsukśmácca tattsúkśmataraḿ vibháti.
Dúrát sudure tadihántike ca pashyatsvihaeva nihitaḿ guháyám.

The Effulgent Entity is so vast that He is beyond your capacity of perception; so tiny that He is beyond your capacity of conception. If you think that He is very far from you, He will remain forever beyond your reach. If you think that He is near, He will be so near that you need not move even an inch to attain Him.

Those who call out loud to attain Him wrongly believe that He is far away from them. However loudly they might call, their call will never reach Him. To call that Supreme Entity the mind must be introverted with proper ideation. The scriptures describe three types of incantation: vácanik (verbal repetition), upáḿshu (muttering repetition), mánasik (mental repetition). Verbal repetition means to call Parama Puruśa loudly on the supposition that He is far, far away. In muttering repetition there is a slight movement of the lips causing the incantation to be audible to oneself only. In the third category of incantation it is the mind which utters and listens to the incantation; no one even gets the least hint that you are engaged in iishvara prańidhána (cosmic ideation – a vital part of the spiritual cult). Among sádhakas there is a popular saying:

[Inferior people count on their beads or fingers. The superior ones repeat their mantra internally.]

That Supreme Entity lies covert within your existential-I (One who is born is called “jantu” – root verb jan means “to be born”). In every created entity there exists the existential-I feeling and the ever-wakeful presence of that Supreme Effulgent Entity. The Átman or unit consciousness does not lie hidden in humans and animals alone; it also lies within the trees and plants because they too have minds, they too have existential awareness. This fact was known to the ancient sages, and proved scientifically at the turn of the century by the famous scientist Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. The reflection of Puruśottama on the unit existential-I feeling is called jiivátma. To attain Him you will have to look within your existential-I feeling. To run around in pursuit of Him in far places is futile. Antarete nái se ye antare áche. [“He lies not in the heart but in the innermost cavity of one’s existential-I feeling.”] To attain Him You will have to become like Him. He is devoid of the thought of enjoyment, He is bereft of all desires and volitions. To attain Him you will have to think of Him, to ideate and meditate on Him. There is no other way to become one with Him.

As one thinks so one becomes. If one thinks that one is a sinner or a thief one will actually become a sinner or a thief one day. Never allow such negative thoughts to take root in your mind. Whenever you think, think of the Supreme. Your greatness will be determined by the greatness of the object of your thought or ideation.

Salvation and the attainment of Brahma are synonymous. Only those who are devoid of desires and volitions, only those who are unblemished can embrace that Supreme Entity as their psychic pabulum. To attain salvation through supreme intuitional knowledge is only possible for those people.

By doing sádhaná on Him, by virtue of His grace, you will become one with Him, and will overcome all your pains and miseries. You will attain the capacity to accept every worldly conflict as the playful expression of the merciful Lord. That is the stage of the attainment of Brahma, that is the state of a liberated soul.

Vedáhametamajaraḿ puráńaḿ sarvátmánam sarvagataḿ vibhutvat.
Janmanirodhaḿ pravadanti yasya brahmavádino bhivadanti nityam.

The rśi says “I know that Immutable Entity (Ajara). He is called Ajara because He is unassailed by the transformations which occur in old age (jara).” Due to overwork or other reasons, the physical glands of the human body become incapable of functioning properly and so it becomes decrepit. Any entity only becomes decrepit when it comes in contact with external objects through action. As Brahma is the Singular Entity having no second entity or action external to Him, He is beyond the state of decrepitude. In every action the presence of three factors is indispensable: the doer, the deed, and the instrument of deed. Parama Puruśa is immutable (Ajara) because the deed and its instrument originate from His, the doer’s psychic body. As time space and individuality do not exist externally to Him, the vibrations in the state of existence or functioning remain unsubstantiated. He is Purátma, the Ancient One, who existed before the beginning of creation and exists even today. He is sarvátma, the Soul of all souls, the One reflected on the existential-I feeling of all entities. He is reflected where the existential-I feeling is developed and where it is latent. All objects, even sand, stone, bricks and wood, big or small, animate or inanimate, are blessed with the reflection of Parama Puruśa. All are illuminated with His effulgence; all constitute His universal body.

The one who knows this Supreme Entity attains the supreme non-attributional stance and is never born again. Such, a person does not suffer the afflictions of the whirlpool of life and death. One who has attained His eternal stance, the essence of all emanations, attains the supreme state of eternal bliss. The realized sádhakas sing the glories of the Supreme Eternal Entity.

Ya eko’varńo bahudhá shaktiyogád varnánaneká nihitártho dadháti
Vicaeti cánte vishvamádau sa devah sa no buddhya shubhayá saḿyunaktu.

The Supreme Entity is the Singular, Colourless Entity. Due to the influence of the sentient, mutative and static principles various colourful psychic expressions originate from Him. In fact the difference in the nature of the psychic emanations is the cause of the differences in their colourful expressions.

The emergence of Saguńa Brahma is beyond the law of causation and hence the concept of His origin does not come within the periphery of human comprehension. Why has the Colourless Entity allowed the Supreme Operative Principle to create colourful diversities within His Macropsychic body? The answer lies in the Non-Attributional Entity (Nirguńatattva). It is a very deep concept which the ordinary mind does not have the capacity to analyse. This cause of creation is not even included within Saguńa Brahma. Had been it so Saguńa Brahma would have been a limited entity. That’s why in the Násadiiya Súkta it has been said,

Iyaḿ visrśt́iryata ávabhúva yadi vá dadhe yadi vá na,
Yah asyádhyakśah parame vyomnát so’uṋga veda yadi vá na veda.

This Entity exists equally before creation, within creation and after creation. To this Supreme Entity our prayer is, “Guide our intellect and wisdom along the path of righteousness.” Human beings receive the necessary guidance to move along the path of righteousness from Saguńa Brahma. He creates diverse situations and provides constant inspiration to enable human beings to learn and move along the path of virtue. The awe-inspired human beings should pray to Him alone for the secret hints to move along the right path so that they can fulfil His desire as His willing instruments. He is the only hope and aspiration of all the microcosms of the universe.

“Oh Parama Brahma, I am not outside your universe. I surrender to you, and pray, ‘Lead me along the path of righteousness, lead me according to your will.’”

Tadevágnistadá dityastadvayustad candramáh
Tadeva shukraḿ tadbrahma tadapastat prajápatih.

The sun, fire, air, and moon are all expressions of Brahma the planets, stars, and celestial bodies are all His manifestations. He is engaged in creation in the form of Brahma. This entire manifestation of Brahma lies embedded in the world of His imagination. Whatever is actional or whatever is the expression of energy in the universe is His finite bearing. While ideating on this Brahma a sádhaka becomes awe-struck. What are microcosms after all? From an absolute point of view they are nothing. They are merely His finite manifestations; tiny molecules in the vast ocean of the Cosmic Mind. He has manifested Himself in an infinite number of entities, big and small, and in an infinite number of blissful forms. In this universe only His supremacy is established, only His glory is proclaimed. With countless forms He spreads His glory everywhere. He is testing all in various ways.

Tvaḿstrii tvaḿ pumánasi tvaḿ kumara uta va kumárii
Tvaḿ jirńodańd́ena vaiṋcayasi tvaḿjáto bhavasi vishvatomukha.

“Oh Parama Brahma, the entity I see as a woman is your expression in the form of mother. I salute you in the form of mother. The entity I see as a man is your expression in the form of a valorous male. The entity I disregard, thinking it to be a mere child is also your expression. You have come to me in the form of a tiny child. The sweet expression of a small girl is an expression of your sweetness. And the old man who is hobbling along with the support of old staff is also your expression. You are testing me in the form of an old man. You want to see whether I take proper care of him. I know I have no right to ignore or neglect anyone. Your faces exist in everything throughout the universe. You are the knower of all, You are the witness of all. You maintain your vigil on each and every entity of the vast creation. Your attention is directed to all with your countless faces.”

Niilah pataungo harito lohitákśastad́idgarbhá rtavah samudrá;
Anádimastvaḿ vibhutvena vartase yato játáni bhútáni vashvá.

“The tiny butterfly, the small, yellow, red eyed bird…
All are your manifestations.
Even the tiny forms radiate the glow of your beauty”.

Patra-puśpa ’pare dekhi ye sab rekhá,
Rekhá nay tomár dayár námt́i lekhá;
Sundar námt́i vihauṋga aunge áṋká
Premánanda náme jagat prakáshicha.

Are you only small? Those dark rain clouds that fill the sky to the distant horizons are also Your manifestation. So why should I fear the roar of thunder and the flashes of lightening? We should not neglect the tiny butterflies nor fear the thundering storm clouds because they too, are Your manifestations. Even eternal time is not unrelated to you. The months, the seasons, the years formed by splitting the flow of time are also Your manifestations. Oh Universal One, all centre around You, all throb with Your universal life, all pulse with Your universal rhythm, all have been proclaiming Your excellence since the dawn of time. The vast, unfathomable ocean extols Your limitlessness, the roaring waves of the sea cause the sky and earth to resound with Your shouts of victory. Whatever is created vibrates with the endless flow of the jingling ankle bells.

Ajámekám lohita shukrśńám vahviim prajáh srjamánáḿ sarúpám.
Ajohyeke jusamá no nushete jahátyenám bhuktabhogá majo’nyah.

This diverse creation is caused by Your special emanent power. You were associated with that Supreme Operative Power even before the dawn of creation. Sometimes You give Her the power of expression, and sometimes You don’t. You are Unborn (Aja), She is also Unborn. You have no father but are the Father of this universe. She, too, has no cause, yet is the Mother of the universe. This unborn Prakrti, by whom You are activated, is not an entity separate from You because You are the composite of both; Puruśa and Prakrti. Your name Brahma means the combination of both the Supreme Cognitive Faculty and the Supreme Operative Principle. According to the difference in the nature of the three principles of Prakrti, three colours are produced in the vast cosmic body; white, red and black. Innumerable finite entities originate expressing these colours related to the three principles of Prakrti. “Though all the microcosms are the reflections of that Infinite Unborn One they worship Prakrti as Her slave because their minds are dominated by Máya”.

Mon gariiber kii doś áche;
Tumi bájiikarer meye shyámá,
Yeman nácáo temni náce.

[What’s the fault of the mind? It dances as You, the magician, want it to dance.]

This Unborn Original Entity does not depend upon the favour of Prakrti for His existential substantiation. Although He is reflected on the mental mirror of the microcosms, His existence remains unimpaired. Thus the reflected Consciousness on the unit mental plate is called Máyádiina (dominated by Máyá) whereas the Original Supreme Entity is Máyádhiisha (Lord of Máyá). One who has been able to merge in the Original Stance of Supreme Consciousness can easily recognize the constant metamorphosis affected by Prakrti on Puruśa. Hence sádhakas want to overpower the influence of Prakrti by ensconcing themselves in the state of tranquillity.

Dvá Suparńá sajujá sakháyá samánaḿ brkśaḿ pariśasvajáte.
Tayoranyah pippalaḿsvádvattyanashnanyo’bhicákashiti.

Do you know the nature of the relationship between jiivátma and Paramátma? It is as if two friendly birds with beautiful plumes are sitting on the same branch of a tree. One is the Original Entity, Paramátma, and the other is jiivátma, the reflection of Paramátma on the unit mental plate. Whenever the unit entities do something auspicious with the help of the mind, the jiivátma, due to its contact with the mind, experiences its positive effect. So the rśi says, “One bird (jiivátma) enjoys the sweet fruits of the tree while the other bird witnesses its enjoyment”. Paramátma, being the Original Entity, is not affected by the activity of the unit mind. He remains as the Witnessing Entity of all actions.

Samáne brkśe puruśo nimagno’niishayá Shocati muhyamánam.
Juśt́aḿ yadá pashy tyannyamiishamasya mahimánamiti viitashokah.

Two birds – jiivátmá and Paramátmá – are perched on the same tree. Due to the influence of reactive momenta the jiivátma has to undergo suffering, bent double under the tremendous weight of afflictions. It appears to be inseparably associated with the unit being’s sense of individual identity. Although, the jiivátman is not the original author of actions – it is just the witness – it appears to be caught up in the cycle of action and reaction. Human beings call some jiivátmá mahátma (high soul), some punyatmá (pious soul) and some papátmá (wicked soul), but in fact it contains neither sin nor virtue, neither good propensity nor bad. It is forced to assume these epithets because of its supposed association with the psychic propensities.

But whatever might be the nature of one’s jiivátma, the grace of Paramátma is bestowed equally on all. He provides inspiration and momentum to all His created entities equally. That’s why the rśi says, “When the jiivátma comes to know the Supreme Truth through the guidance of the Sadguru and the grace of Paramátman, the Original Entity, it attains the proper knowledge about its own self, then gets relieved of its microcosmic bearing”. When the unit mind pursuing the path of intuitional science realizes the greatness of the Macrocosmic Mind it merges itself into the Macrocosmic Stance, ripping apart the bondages of virtue and vice, hope and despair. At that stage no grief, no distortion, can affect or contaminate it. When the microcosm totally surrenders itself to the Macrocosmic excellence the jiivátma also becomes free from microcosmic bondages and its separate individuality gets merged into the Macrocosmic vastness.

The Expansion of the Microcosm

Published in:
Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 6 [a compilation]
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]

Notes:

official source: Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5

The excellence and subtlety of expansion are inseparable. Brahma is the most expansive entity, the all-pervading existence. His subtlety is unfathomable. Due to subtlety His identity cannot be perceived by the senses. It is not accessible to the extroversial mind.

The cruder the object, the less its capacity of expansion and vice versa. Thus the degree of expansion and subtlety of liquid is greater than that of solid. The aerial factor is even subtler than liquid. The ethereal factor is the most expansive and subtlest of all the five fundamental factors. That’s why it is not perceptible to the indriyas. It is not possible to determine its size or fathom its subtlety, nor to make any measuring rod for that purpose. This ethereal factor, although one of the five fundamental factors, is almost beyond the scope of human perception (it requires a highly developed human intellect and continuous scientific pursuit for its perception) so how can a common person grasp something which is even more subtle than that?

I have said earlier that the subtler an object the less the capacity of the indriyas to perceive it. As the greatness of expansion depends upon the degree of subtlety of an object, the more expansive an object the more difficult it becomes for the indriyas to perceive it. To grasp such an object requires constant endeavour and a refined intellect. That’s why human beings try to understand subtler objects with the help of their minds. What is beyond the perception of the crude physical organs, the eyes or the ears, can often be perceived with the help of the internal ears or internal eyes, or the introversial mind. Wherever the extroversial mind might work in the internal mind or in the external world, it cannot go beyond the periphery of the ethereal factor and is thereafter forced to return to its own abode.

Human beings are constantly coming in contact with an entity beyond the periphery of the five fundamental factors. That entity is the human mind. Although the mind cannot be perceived by the indriyas, with a little introversion its existence is substantiated without doubt in individual life. However hard a so-called pandit (scholar) may try to convince you through powerful logic that you have no mind, you will not accept it because mind is a natural entity for you. You do not require any logic from any outsider to understand your own mind.

There is another entity which is even subtler than the mind – the Cognitive Faculty (Puruśatattva or Bhahmatattva). Being subtler than the mind, it is beyond the capacity of the mind to grasp it. But in the process of sadhana, when the mind becomes so subtle and expanded that it loses its individual existence, the Supreme Cognitive Factor can be recognized.

Rco akśare parame vyoman yasmin devá adhi vishve niśeduh
Yastanna veda kimrcá kariśyati ya ittadvidusta ime samásate.

While discussing a subtle entity one is continuously reminded of the ethereal factor, the subtlest factor of this perceivable world. That is why people loosely describe Brahma as being “like ether” or “beyond ether”. This Supreme Entity who is as subtle as ether (in fact, He is much much subtler than that) is called Akśara because He is not transmuted from the Original Stance. Conversely, the entity or entities which have been transmuted and are undergoing various transmutations are called kśara. Only the Supreme Entity, Parama Puraśa, is Ákśra. The various emanations of the Supreme Entity which are subject to constant change are known as devatas (mythological gods or dieties). These devatas or divine emanations lie embedded in the cosmic body.

Brahma is the source of infinite energy. Whatever has been created, or is being created, or will be created is a vibrational flow emanating from Him. The seed of all emanations lies embedded in Him. The controlling faculties of the vibrational flows are called devatas.

These devatás, or divine emanations, have no absolute or separate identity. The manifestation of this relative universe is caused by their collective expression. The sound created by the vibrational expression of each devatá, in which its potentiality of expression lies, is called its acoustic root, and the totality of these acoustic roots is called oṋḿkára or prańava. Hence oṋḿkára is the seed of the cosmos.

Those who worship the various deities in pursuit of artha (mundane wealth) and not Paramártha (Supreme wealth) do so because those deities are the controllers of the transient wealth of the universe. Those who worship these deities to attain Brahma will be sadly disappointed for it is impossible to attain the infinite through the worship of the finite. The one who declares that a particular deity is Brahma may have an element of devotion, but must be totally devoid of rationality.

Dyotate kriid́ate yasmádudyate dyotate divih
Tasmáddeva iti proktah stuyate sarvadevataeh.

So devatá is a particular vibrational flow whereas Brahma is the ocean of universal flows, the ocean of divine nectar. It is totally unnecessary for a spiritual aspirant to worship any particular deity. The rśi says, “For one who has not realized Brahma, ritualistic worship, the study of the scriptures, religious pilgrimages, charitable activities or scriptural recitation are all meaningless”. Such ritualistic observances devoid of cosmic ideation do not deserve to be called anything less than ostentatious public displays, or pretentious demonstrations of intellectual vanity.

Only that person who remains free from all superstitions and moves towards the Supreme Entity with genuine devotion, and one-pointed ideation on Him, and whose inner soul runs unhindered towards the cosmic soul, attains Him, attains everything in life, and attaining Him gets merged in Him. Merging in the ocean of nectar, one also becomes nectar. Hence the Vedas declare, “Brahmavid Brahmaeva bhavati” (one who knows Brahma becomes Brahma).

This imperishable Parama Brahma is the paramount topic of the Vedas. Many people think that the Vedas only teach the worship of Brahma, but it discusses so many other subjects such as chanda (rhythm), mantra (holy chants), vyakarańa (grammar), and a host of other rules and regulations, dos and don’ts. Should we study all the Veda’s teachings? In reply one can only say that one may accept the essence of something without accepting its non-essential aspects. If someone says “I eat wood apple” it doesn’t mean that he eats its skin, seeds or gum. Similarly to eat a mango does not mean to devour its skin and stone but to eat the essential part discarding the rest. So to accept a scripture means to accept the essence which stands the test of rationality, and to discard the rest. Rational people should never declare that the teachings of the scriptures should be followed blindly. The rśi says,

Yuktiyuktamupádeyaḿ vacanaḿ bálakádapi;
Anyaḿ trńamiva tyajyamapuktaḿ padmajanmaná.

[The rational words spoken by a child should be given importance, but the irrational utterings of even the creator Brahmá Himself should be rejected as a straw.]

Kevalaḿ shástramásrtyaḿ na kartavyo vinirńayah;
Yuktihiinavicáre tu dharmaháni prajáyate.

[Do not make decisions on the basis of scriptural study. For if your analysis of the scriptures is irrational it may undermine dharma.]

The Vedas expound the science of metre, the rules of religious sacrifices and various other observances, describe vows and paraphernalia, and make certain pronouncements about the present, past, and future. They also expound the science of intuitional practice. An intelligent person should reject the inconsequential portion of the Vedas and only accept the important part that is the description of intuitional science (Brahma-vijiṋána).

According to the Vedas the Supreme Entity (Parama Brahma) is giving expression to this created universe with the help of His immanent principle, His divine Máyá. Shiva, latent in the microcosm, is creating a world of imagination in collaboration with Prakrti. Similarly, the Supreme Entity, in collaboration with His immanent power, continues the cosmic flow of creation, the Macrocosmic conation, from which all microcosmic entities emerge. As microcosms are born out of the influence of Máyá they are subject to Her spell as long they remain in the microcosmic stance. But the Supreme Entity, the Supreme Witness, is beyond the influence of Máyá for He is the Lord of Máyá. Had He been under Her influence, the secret of salvation from Máyá would have eluded Him.

The Máyá who continues this cosmic imagination for the exhaustion of Saguńa Brahma’s samśkaras is subservient to the Supreme Cognitive Faculty of Parama Puruśa because He is ensconced in the highest state of awareness. The Cosmic Imagination starts as a reactive expression from that supreme state.

Máyántu prakrtiḿ vidyánmáyinantu maheshvaram
Casyávayavabhútaestu vyáptaḿ sarvamidaḿ jagat.

Máyá and Prakrti are almost synonymous. The etymological meaning of Prakrti is the “entity who is creating diversities in the infinite cosmic body”. Usually, when the sentient, mutative, and static principles remain in a state of balance, it is called Prakrti, and when balance is lost, due to the dominance of the sentient principle, it is called, Vidyámáyá. But when the balance is lost due to the predominance of the static principle it is called Avidyámáyá. So the rśi says, “In reality Máyá and Prakrti are almost the same. The entity who remains beyond their influence is the Supreme Controller.” Both the concept of Puruśa and Prakrti are very subtle, too subtle for you to understand with the indriyas. But when (as a result of the combined association of Puruśa and Prakrti) their existence comes down to the psychic level due to the crudifying influence of Prakrti, then your intellect, your subtle power of perception, can perceive their existence. The subtler the object, the less capacity the indriyas have of perceiving it. A subtle mind can only fathom a subtle object like the mind, but nothing subtler.

The crudest manifestation of the Cosmic Mind is the quinquelemental universe. Hence the rśi says, “This vast quinquelemental universe is His physical body”. His subtle and causal body and His stance as Puruśottama are beyond the scope of perception of the indriyas. Microcosms can never fathom the extreme subtlety of these states of cosmic existence. To bring the vast cosmic body within the scope of perception is beyond the microcosmic capacity.

The word “jagat” is derived as gam (root verb) + kvip (suffix) and means “ a moving entity.” Due to the extroversive (Saiṋcara) and introversive (Pratisaiṋcara) flows of cosmic imagination everything of this universe is in a state of continuous flux. Most of the manifested universe cannot come within the scope of perception of the sense organs and the mind of microcosms. Some part of it can only be realized by the subtler layers of mind and intellect, while the subtlest portion can only be assimilated through deeply universalistic spiritual immersion. Materialistic philosophy does not want to transcend the scope of the crude perceiving mind, and there is no harm if it doesn’t! The nature of an object depends upon the mental outlook of the subject. It is foolish to try to deny the existence of something which is beyond the scope of perception through vain intellectual debate. It is certainly not wise to say that something does not exist simply because it is beyond one’s power of comprehension. If a blind man says that the world is colourless, will it lose its colour? A wise man can only say, “I do not understand anything beyond this.” So it can safely be declared that a materialistic philosophy is no philosophy because the totality of the universe is not within the scope of its purview.

Yo yonimadhitiśt́hatyeko yasminidam saḿ ca vi caeti sarvam.
Tamiishánaḿ varádaḿ devamiid́yaḿ nicáyyemaḿ shántimatyantameti.

He is the Noumenal Cause of the universe. He shines in the various expressions of the fundamental factors. He is the flower, He is the honey, He is the bee. It is only due to the varying degree of influence of the static principle that He manifests Himself in these three different ways. With the help of Prakrti His Macrocosmic bearing is controlling the various manifestation of His own Self. He is playing with Himself.

Whatever may be the apparent differences between one object and another, if one proceeds along the path of synthesis one will ultimately arrive at the Supreme One. Whether you call this entity small or vast, its depths are unfathomable. Countless unit expressions of finitude lie embedded in the singular identity of the ocean. The diverse expressions of this changing universe are embedded in the singular body of the universe and the diverse expressions of the celestial world are embedded in the infinite void. The same vast space you will see both outside and inside your citta. If you analyse the various symbols of the myriad of diversities you will discover that they are all merging in the Supreme Singularity. This is true in the case of the individual and the collectivity. He is the subject, the object and the connecting link – all in one.

What is the vast play of cosmic imagination? Does it originate from the noumenal causal factor – the collective creation of Puruśa and Prakrti? Is it not a fact that the causal factor, due to the varying degree of influence of the static principles, is manifesting itself in countless ways? In reality, this causal factor is the Causal Mind of the Supreme Entity, and the countless finite emanations are the minutest expressions of His Citta. All the quinquelemental objects perceived in the universe today had their origin in a previous subtler stage. If we trace these subtler stages back to their original source will finally arrive at the Supreme Causal Factor. Prakrti (which is inconspicuous in Nirguń Brahma) lies dormant as a causal factor in the initial stage of Saguńa Brahma. One who is asleep cannot said to be non-existent. That which is unmanifest is of course unexpressed, but the principle which causes its manifestation cannot be said to be non-existent. It does exist but in a subdued form – it’s action expression is unsubstantiated, and is this incapable of giving a subjective bearing to Puruśa.

Suppose a distinguished poet is sleeping. While sleeping is he devoid of poetic genius? No, but at that time the poetic talent remains dormant in a causal stage in his individual mind – his poetry and his faculty to compose are unexpressed. Since He is not expressing himself as a poet he does not deserve to be called a poet.

Parama Puruśa, under the influence of Prakrti, manifests the glory of His poetic expression along the path of Saiṋcara, and finally, in the introversial flow of Pratisaiṋcara, merges Himself in His original stance.

The creation of the universe has been continuing to originate from the Cosmic Causal Factor. The first perceptible form that the citta has assumed in the cosmic extroversial flow is the ethereal body. At this stage He doesn’t have any physical body but exists in a virtual abstract form. Yet human beings with the help of the subtler sensory organ (organ of hearing), and by applying certain scientific methods, can assimilate the sound tanmátra from the subtler ethereal body to some extent.

Thereafter the aerial body is created with the application of a cruder force of Prakrti. The aerial body’s sound tanmátra can also be heard by the ears. The ethereal body, while being constantly formed out of His unmanifested cosmic potentialities is also being transmuted into the aerial body, without losing its inseparable association with the Witnessing Faculty. The aerial body is thus a cruder manifestation of His mind. In the further extroversive flow of Macropsychic manifestation, both within and without, there is a ceaseless clash of vital force causing subtlety to become increasingly crude. The intermolecular space decreases giving a concrete form to the Cosmic Mind in its metamorphosed form. The internal and external clashes increase proportionally. In the ethereal factor there is no difference between the internal and external forces, but in the case of the aerial factor there is greater internal clash. Although the molecules in the aerial factor are scattered far from each other there is something external to it – some external pressure – which it develops the capacity to resist.

The next stage of crudification (resulting from the further crudification of the inter-molecular space) in the flow of Saiṋcara is the luminous factor. It derives its luminosity from the intense clash of forces. It has an even greater capacity to resist the external factor. We can see the luminous factor in the various celestial bodies of the vast space which, although in most cases are not yet converted into solid or liquid, have assumed a particular shape. In the flow of Saiṋcara these luminous entities gradually get crudified into the liquid factor. Their intermolecular space further decreases causing greater internal conflict. This internal contraction results in its assuming a particular shape and size and developing an even greater capacity to counteract its exterial forces.

When the burning celestial bodies begin to condense in the process of Saiṋcara they are converted into a liquid ocean of fire. This planet earth, after its immediate dissociation from the burning Sun, was in the liquid state for some time. When this liquid factor reaches the nadir point of the flow of Saiṋcara, its molecules and atoms reach the zenith point of proximity resulting in intense clash within its internal space. Its material flow is perceivable to all the indriyas. And its internal capacity to fight against its opposing forces become tremendous.

The movement in the process of Saiṋcara takes place due to the increasing influence of tamaguna. The more the cosmic cycle moves through the phase of Saiṋcara, the more the physical form of objects becomes evident. The greater the action of the internal force, the greater the conflict between the inter-molecular space, and the greater the capacity to assimilate the different tanmatras.

The ethereal factor carries only the sound tanmatra. When it is transformed into the aerial factor it acquires the capacity to carry a greater variety of tanmatras (but not a greater quantity of tanmatras). Thus the aerial factor can carry two tanmatras, sound and touch. However, the sound tanmatra it carries is not as subtle as the sound tanmatra carried by the ethereal body. When the same aerial factor is converted into the luminous factor its total capacity for carrying tanmatras remains unaltered, but it acquires the capacity of radiating light and can thus carry the form tanmatra (as well as the sound and touch tanmatras). The sound tanmatra it carries is not as subtle as the aerial factor’s sound tanmatra. As the process of crudification continues there is more internal clash (and less external clash) resulting in the increase of the capacity to carry an even greater number of tanmatras.

The force which plays a special role in balancing the interial and exterial forces within the structure is called práńa. In this struggle if the opposing exterial forces are dominant the material structure collapses, and we declare it as dead. But actually it doesn’t die, it maintains its existence in the midst of countless forms of the expressed universe.

Tomár mahávishve kichu háráy náko kabhu
Ámrá abodh andha máyáya khunje berái prabhu.

[In your vast universe nothing is ever lost.
Because of the dark spell of illusion
We mistakenly believe that things die.]

When the physical structure vibrates strongly due to the clash of internal forces a certain control must be exercised over the structure to ensure neither explosion nor implosion occurs. Under such circumstances the práńa will have to act under its own initiative otherwise it will be difficult to maintain the balance between the two opposing forces. To help the individual structure to maintain a balance between the exterial and interial forces the Cosmic Mind creates a sub-centre or individual mind within that structure. When the life force, due to the complexity of the structure, takes the unit mind as the apparent source of its actual flow, that is called life or vital energy (práńáh). Práńáh is the collection of ten vayus. (That’s why in Saḿskrta it is always used in the plural number. In modern Indian languages born out of Saḿskrta we use the word práńa in the sense of práńáh). The microcosm which guides its entire structure with práńáh is called a living being.

Práńa originates after the emergence of the five fundamental factors in the phase of Saiṋcara. The origin of práńáh marks the beginning of Pratisaiṋcara, the introversive phase of the Cosmic Cycle, which moves towards Consciousness from matter according to the dictates of Vidyámáyá. Initially it is initiated by sattvaguna and ultimately merges in the vast Cosmic Mind.

[[Do the quinquelemental entities move towards Brahma in all cases with the help of their physical body and vital energy? No, this flow can take two different paths, one rapid, the other delayed. The path of microcosmic development is the path of rapid development. With the awakening of Consciousness in matter, the microcosm overpowers the influence of Prakrti and attains oneness with Consciousness.

Of course microcosms acquire the capacity to move independently before attaining oneness with consciousness; they acquire it as soon as they attain a human mind. At that stage they can either accelerate their movement in pratisaiṋcara towards the Cosmic Mind and Supreme Consciousness or, by ideating on crude matter, they can degrade their minds and consciousnesses to such a degree that they become undeveloped microcosms or even crude matter. That is, they can regress.]]

Those who move forward properly along the path of Pratisaiṋcara or accelerate their speed through the process of sadhana are true human beings. The further the microcosmic body moves along the path of Pratisaiṋcara the greater its structural complexity. To cope with this complexity the microcosm, out of its physical structure, evolves a more developed and capable psychic body. That’s why we notice that the greater the complexity of the physical structure, the greater the protoplasmic and glandular complexities and the greater its psychic expansion. With the increasing complexity of the body and mind the human hopes and aspirations, pains and pleasures, sorrows and afflictions also increase. The boss running an office of a huge corporation requires far more psychic power than the boss running the office of a small company, for he has to shoulder greater responsibilities and run greater risks. A person who lacks the requisite psychic capability for his job is demoted. Similarly, if a human being is preoccupied with crude thoughts he will have to be reborn in a crude body for he is not utilizing his full potential. Human beings, the crown of creation, due to their heavy responsibilities, have more qualities than other creatures. The reflection of Consciousness becomes more distinct on a mental plate of a person whose mind is highly expanded. Such a mind overflows with bliss when it receives cosmic inspiration, and with the help of sádhaná develops a greater power to realize the Supreme Entity. The day one gets the Supreme attainment marks the end of the Pratisaiṋcara phase of the cosmic cycle for that particular microcosm.

But not all physical entities are converted into Consciousness. Where the vital energy and mind are not developed the entity will have to follow the path of stagnation and can only be established in Consciousness after arousing the vital energy and mind. If it fails to do that, its physical structure will be controlled by the Cosmic Will. Undeveloped physical structures do not try to direct their self will against the natural forces, but human beings, due to the greater complexities of their physical structure, and the greater development of the energy and the mind, challenge the natural forces and sometimes, with the help of their developed vital energy and psychic power, can overpower them in both individual and collective spheres. If matter guided by energy (práńa) can be called Union Territories (such as Goa and Pondicherry) then the living sub-human creatures together with their vital energy (práńah) can be called Indirectly Centrally Administered Areas whose budget is passed by the government; and the living beings endowed with more developed minds and lives can be compared to A-class States (such as India). Normally Direct Union Territories are considered part of the federal state and their civil servants are considered as the employees of that central government. However, under certain circumstances, these employees are accorded different rights and responsibilities. This is the same in the cosmic world too: inanimate matter, sub-human creatures, and human beings have their respective rights and responsibilities. The present state of Bihar is a part of India. The government of Bihar is a part of the Indian government, yet the praise and criticism for or against the government of Bihar does not directly concern the government of India. The government of Bihar will have to plan according to its own state exchequer not the central government’s.

The same thing applies to human beings with developed minds. When life evolves from matter the Macrocosmic Mind helps in the evolution of the human mind. But when that composite structure increases in complexity in the phase of Pratisaiṋcara, guided by cosmic imagination, its mental capacity increases and proportionately it is accorded greater rights and responsibilities. When the unit mind takes responsibility for the authorship of action it must also take responsibility for the consequent praise or criticism. If the government of Bihar finds itself helpless in certain circumstances it can surrender it’s entire burden to the central government. Similarly, the unit mind can relinquish its authorship and surrendering all its rights and responsibilities to the Supreme Entity, can become one with that Entity by merging the unit mind in the Supreme Mind. But when inanimate matter does not follow the path of living beings, [[it]] follows the path of stagnation. When unicellular beings moving along the path of Pratisaiṋcara come in contact with other living beings they evolve into multicellular creatures. Through the same process these multicellular creatures can increase their multicellular complexities. When the intensity of the internal struggle increases the psychic body has to become stronger according to the intensity of the struggle. No matter how powerful a creature may be, if its physical complexities are less, its psychic and spiritual complexities will be proportionately less. That’s why the mighty elephant and rhinoceros have to suffer the fate of being the slaves of human beings.

As the psychic realm of a unit being develops its capacity for self expression gradually increases enabling it to struggle against obstacles and move towards a brilliant future. Human beings, due to their greater control over their propensities, try to express their desires and ambitions after due deliberation. But an undeveloped creature rushes immediately towards any object it sees which excites its greed. Human beings do not act like that, of course – they control their instinct of greed through proper and rational discrimination. And this discrimination is the result of psychic expansion which itself is the result of the reflection of the Supreme Consciousness on the unit mental plate.

Thus humans reach higher stages of psychic expansion as they advance on the path leading to the attainment of the Supreme Entity. This expansion causes them to become established in the subtler world of cognition. Finally one glorious day they will either attain liberation by merging their individual minds in Saguńa Brahma or salvation by merging their existential feeling in Nirguńa Brahma. But if they remain preoccupied with petty thoughts they will be converted into sub-human creatures or even into the crude fundamental factors.

Thus there are three paths open to human beings: salvation (mokśa), liberation (mukti), and complete crudification. When the five fundamental factors do not get the scope of acquiring a mind in a physical structure they move towards even more crudity – the solid becoming more solid; the liquid becoming solid; the luminous becoming liquid and ultimately solid; the aerial factor becoming luminous then liquid, then solid; and the ethereal factor becoming aerial, then luminous, then liquid, then solid. As a result of the continuous crudification of the fundamental factors the physical structure becomes more condensed. This path of crudification is the path of degeneration. All the perceptible physical objects of the world are composed of the five fundamental factors. If the subtle factors within them crudify that is are converted into solid one day due to extreme condensation, their existence will go beyond the sense of perception, becoming extremely small. This process of contraction increases the internal clash within the material structure. When the internal clash becomes so intense that the structure can no longer maintain it’s structural solidarity it is called jad́asphota. Jad́asphota converts all the fundamental factors into the ethereal factor, from which they again move within the flow of Saiṋcara evolving once more to their solid base where they again get the scope to become a living structure.

On one branch of the evolutionary tree the solid structure develops a crude mind and evolves as a unit being. On the other branch due to the process of degeneration, or the lack of scope for evolution, the solid structure suffers the fate of jad́asphota.

Take the case of this planet earth which is composed of the five fundamental factors. The living beings of this earth are presently able to select the path of salvation or liberation. But when, due to the crudifying influence of Saiṋcara, the earth’s environment will become uncongenial for habitation, unit beings will not get any further scope to advance along the path of liberation. Under these circumstances the planet and its atmosphere will gradually get condensed. It will become so small that it will become unrecognizable as a planet. When its internal factor reaches the nadir point of crudity it will appear to be non-existent outwardly. At this stage it will experience jad́asphota causing an immense explosion. That tremendous energy release converts the solid body into the ethereal factor. The celestial bodies of the universe which are unfit for human habitation are all moving through the process of jad́asphota and are hurtling towards a catastrophic explosion. This is the inevitable fate of each and every celestial body. But it is possible to increase longevity of a particular planet with the assistance of a highly powerful celestial body such as a comet or nebula.

This phenomenal event of jad́asphota is nothing but the recoiling of the cosmic waves. These recoiling waves become straightened by the explosion. If the ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid factors that form the physical structure of a six foot tall human being are condensed to such a degree that the inter-protoplasmic gap becomes completely non-existent that healthy gentleman will be a billion times smaller than a poppy seed!

Behind all these diversities of the creation is Brahma the Supreme Entity. Everything is created, maintained and dissolved in Him, nothing lies beyond His Macrocosmic arena. The rśi says, “He is Ishán, the Supreme Controller of everything, showering grace upon everyone and everything. He is adored and worshipped by all, even the gods. He is the God of the gods, He is, Mahádeva. In Him lies the real peace. Do not ideate on anything other than the Supreme Entity.”

Yo devánáḿ prabhavashcodbhavashca vishvádhipo rudro maharśih;
Hirańyagarbhaḿ pashyate jáyamánaḿ sa no buddhyá shubhayá saḿyunaktu.

What are these manifestations, these expressions of divine power? All these emanate from Him. The gods cannot claim any special credit or originality for their extraordinary faculty of action or their divine sports. All the inspirations or the impetus comes from Him only.

The gods are like puppets in a puppet show which only dance when someone pulls their strings above. They enjoy no rights, no freedom, no responsibilities. He is the fundamental force behind the expression of the various powers of the different gods in the universe. Not only does He provide inspiration and momentum as the Cognitive Faculty but as the Causal Matrix is continuing the entire creation of this universe. He is the Creator and Controller of the universe and is thus called Vishvadhipa, the Supreme Lord of the Universe. He also withdraws this created universe in Himself and is thus called Rudra, the entity which causes others to weep even while giving them liberation.

The whole phenomenon of creation is moving in a particular flow. When an individual flow comes in contact with another individual flow, and when the intellectual movement comes within the scope of measurement, the time factor is created. The collective name of universal movement is Kála or Rudra philosophically. This time factor is a partial manifestation of the Supreme Entity or Maharśi (Maha + rśi). A rśi is one who cultivates wisdom, who enriches the intellectual field through deep research and innovative discoveries and harvests the fruits of wisdom. Those who invent deadly weapons such as the hydrogen bomb, which caused the frightening holocaust, do not help the human intellect attain the height of human perfection, but rather direct their intellect towards crudeness. These types of inventors and their patrons do not deserve to be called rśis, rather, they are worse than demons, far worse than internal creatures, having forfeited their right to human identity. The rśi says Brahma is Maharśi, the Sage of the sages.

When Prakrti exercises Her sentient influence on the Supreme Cognitive Principle, the latter, in the Macrocosmic stance, is called Virata, and in the microcosmic stance, Vishva. Similarly when Prakrti exercises. Her mutative influence on Puruśa, the latter, in the Macrocosmic stance, is called Hirańyagarbha, and in the microcosmic stance, Taejas. The universe is essentially vibrated with the vibrations of the Hirańyagarba. (You should not confuse this Hiranyagarba with the Hiranyagarba which is the name of the metamorphosed form of Saguńa Brahma. This Hiranyagarba is basically a philosophical term which doesn’t have any relevance for spiritual practitioners). It is dominated by the mutative principle and was created after Prakrti exerted Her influence on Brahma. Thus the cosmic existential-I was the witness of the origin of Hiranyagarba. “Let this vast Macrocosmic Entity who is the witness of Hirańyagarbha’s origin connect our intellect with Supreme Benevolence, let Him give us proper guidance.” This is our sole prayer unto Him. The same prayer has been repeated in the Savrti Rk of the Vedas.

Oṋḿ bhúh bhúvah svah oṋḿ tatsaviturvareńyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo mah pracodayát oṋm.

[I meditate on the divine effulgence of that Supreme Father, the Creator of the seven lokas, so that He can lead my intellect to the Supreme Benevolence.]

Asado másadgamaya tamaso má jyotirgamaya
Mrtyormámrtorgamaya ávirávirmayaedhi.

[Oh Lord lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to effulgence, from death to immortality. Oh Lord, manifest your divine effulgence in me.]

Súkśmátisukśmam kalilasya madhye vishvasya sraśtáramanekarúpam.
Vishvasyaekaḿ parivest́itáraḿ jiṋátváshivaḿ shántimatyantameti.

However small the root of an idea may be, or however subtle might be the circle of energy, you will see the reflection of Parama Brahma, the infinite creator. His Divine Excellence does not end in atoms and molecules, but permeates even smaller particles. Whatever tiny particles you might imagine such as neutrons, electrons, protons, and positrons, all are radiant in His Divine Effulgence, all are His playful expressions. That’s why from the point of subtlety He is beyond conception. He is the manifestation of all visible objects such as the big and small entities, and all the subtle entities such as the atmosphere. He is the veritable Shiva, blessedness personified. Whatever He does, He does for all. Just as parents sometimes have to punish their children and cause them to weep to rectify their bad habits, similarly Parama Puruśa leads human beings to Supreme Blessedness through trials and tribulations. If once you can know Him, you will attain bliss.

Saeva kále bhuvanásyásyá goptá
Vishvádhipah sarvabhuteśu gúd́hah
Yasmin yuktábrahmarśayo devatáscha
Tamevaḿ jiṋátva mrtyupáshaḿ shchinatti.

This creation which seems to be real to the microcosm is actually the psychic conation of the Macrocosm. Only He knows the secret of this phenomenon. Suppose you are thinking of Laheriasaral (in Bihar, India). Are you not inseparably associated with the Laheriasarai of your mind? Does not your individual identity lie in the atoms and molecules of that Laheriasarai? Is not the subject closely associated with the object? Certainly. Likewise His divine glory is inseparably associated with every molecule of this world of imagination. Just as you can build, preserve, or destroy the Laheriasarai of your imagination according to your own sweet will, likewise the Supreme Entity has the absolute right to play with His creation according to His Sweet Will. Hence He is rightly called Vishvadhiipa, the Supreme Lord of the Universe. Thus we see that on the one hand He is the Supreme Controller of the Macrocosmic thought projection, and on the other hand He is the universal life inextricably related with his entire creation both in the individual (ota yoga) and pervasive (prota yoga) associations.

The immense potentiality with which this vast creation is flowing lies embedded in that Supreme Entity. On the one hand matter, together with práńa (energy), through the process of jadásphota (structural annihilation) is moving along the path of Saiṋcara, on the other hand, the práńah (vital energy) of the living entities is gradually merging into the Supreme Entity as the culmination of the flow of Pratisaiṋcara.

The as-yet-unexpressed mental potentialities of Brahma are presently moving towards the Supreme Entity along the path of [[expression of saiṋcara either in a rapid or delayed movement]]. Thus unexpressed potentialities will continue to find expresson for eternity. [[ [The transition] from the unexpressed to expression results from the initial impact of Prakrti’s rajogun’ii shakti, which follows the stage where sattvagun’a alone was influential.]] The degree of mutative expression within the cosmic cycle (comprising Saiṋcara and Pratisaiṋcara) is not uniform anywhere, nor can it be.

Due to the ever-increasing progress and the resultant greater psychic clash in the vast cosmic body, the intensity of the mutative vibration increases. Hence, it is not possible for all parts of creation to have a uniform temperature or a simultaneous death. When the energy of the material structure gets concentrated in its centre due to extreme crudity jadásphota occurs. This releases vast amounts of energy within the universe thus maintaining the thermal disparity of the universe and the continued flow of the cosmic imagination. That is why the fear of some scientists that the universe will meet a thermal death is baseless. Partial thermal death may occur in part of the universe, but the total thermal death of the universe will never be a reality.

If the atmosphere gets too polluted, or if the release of energy from the sun decreases, this world may become unfit for human habitation. But in the universe as a whole there will never be lack of space for human habitation. People of this earth may settle on other planets which may not be included in our present solar system. Many of the planets, satellites, suns, stars and comets which are presently burning will be converted into beautiful, habitable planets. The very thought of thermal death is unwarranted – there is no sound philosophical reason to substantiate it. This vast universe comprising the stars, planets, satellites and other celestial bodies is the psychic imagination of the Supreme Entity. Those who separate themselves from that Supreme Entity cannot properly understand this diversity. So the gods and brahmarśis always remain united with Him because being united with Him is the greatest benevolence. The only duty of a person seeking liberation is to become one with Him. On attaining Him the bondages of fear and decay and death, of hatred and apprehension, etc. will be shattered beyond recognition.

Ghrtát param mańd́amivátiśukśam jiṋátva shiváḿ sarvabhúteśu gúd́ham
Vishvasyaekaḿpariveśt́itáraḿ jiṋátvá devaḿ mucyate sarvapáshaeh.

Just as the essence of clarified butter remains hidden in milk similarly, Parama Puruśa, as the Witnessing Force, is the fundamental essence lying hidden in all objects. The controlling power of the cosmic cycle is called Puruśottama. Shiva is not only the Puruśottama or Parama Shiva of objects, He is the witnessing force of each and every molecule. He is also the power behind sight, and the driving force behind each action.

When He remains associated with the collective manifestation of the universe as its witnessing force that is His prota yoga, and when He remains associated with the individual microcosm as its witness, that is His ota yoga. Thus He lies covert in each and every entity in His individual and collective association. The human beings, after knowing the Supreme Entity, attain liberation from all fetters (páshas).

The Supreme Entity in its movement from crude to subtle gradually becomes “free” from the influence of Prakrti and begins to imbibe the qualities of Puruśa. The subtlest portion of the citta is the hirańmaya kośa. Just above this layer is the all-blissful stance of the Supreme Entity. Both inside and outside the [[microcosmic]] structure, the Cosmic process of Pratisaiṋcara is working. Thus He not only exists surrounding all the entities, but with the help of His immanent power, He stimulates His imaginative flow. Thus the material structure endowed with its so-called vital energy becomes increasingly complex and is converted into annamáya kośa, supported by práńáh. It also acquires kámamaya kośa as its activating force. In the next stages, with the help of the extroversive flow of the cosmic cycle, the manomaya kośa evolves out of kamamaya, the atimanas evolves out of manomaya, the vijiṋánamaya out of atimanas, and the hiranmaya out of vijiṋánamaya. The hiranmaya kośa finally merges into the Supreme Cognition as the witnessing force. This cosmic imagination is an action and hence it has a sound of its own. It is so subtle that it is extremely difficult for the ear to hear it, but not impossible.

There is diversity in the sound owing to the variation in the degree of subtlety or crudity of the vibrated object. The rhythm in which the vibrational flow of the cosmic mind vibrates the annamáya kośa of individual microcosms – veins, nerves, arteries, blood, lymph, etc. – is the initial stage of the divine cosmic sound. When this sound is heard in the anamáya kośa it resembles that of a cricket. When this cosmic sound vibrates the kámamaya kośa it resembles the sound of ankle bells. In the manomaya kośa it resembles a flute (the mystic sadhakas of the Vaesnava cult describe it as the sound of Lord Krśńa’s flute); in atimánasa kośa, the resonance of a gong; in vijiṋánamaya kośa the buzzing of bees or the rolling of ocean waves; and in hirańmaya kośa, a prolonged oṋḿ sound. Thus the cosmic sound is expressed in various ways according to the degrees of crudity or subtlety in relation to the fundamental factors. There are various physical and psychic expressions centring around the various degrees of cosmic sound. When one’s mind is confined to a particular stratum one hears the sound peculiar to that stratum only. A person who lacks concentration of mind cannot hear any expression of the cosmic sound. In the field of spiritual practice the divine sound is expressed in a spontaneous way. When the existential awareness of living beings becomes concentrated with the cognitive bearing, it is not attracted to any sort of sound. Even the sound oṋḿ of the hirańmaya kośa becomes non-existent in the non-attributional stance because every sound is a particular expression of a guńa or principle (sentient, mutative or static principle), or as an expression of an action. A person who is emerged in the Cognitive Bearing does not need to make any psychic endeavour with the help of any acoustic root. He or she is free from bondages, from all fetters, having attained karma samádhi.

This Supreme Cognitive bearing is the final destination of all human beings. It is He who provides the impetus and inspiration necessary for spiritual progress, for movement along the path of Pratisaiṋcara. And to attain Him one should not perform ritualistic practice. All that is required is to move towards Him with ardent love and devotion for Him.

While moving towards Him do not neglect the world or the path of action. Although devotion is the most essential aid to help one to attain the Supreme Stance, yet knowledge and action are very important. Without them the possibility of downfall cannot be ruled out. Yet for a sádhaka devotion is the highest quality.

Bhaktirbhagavato sevá bhaktih premasvarúpińii
Bhaktiránandarúpáca bhaktih bhaktasya jiivanam.

[Bhakti is service to the Supreme Entity. It is love personified, bliss personified, the breath of a devotee.]

Eśa devo vishvakarmá mahat́ma sadá janáńam hrdaye sanniviśt́ah
Hrdá maniiśá manaśabhiklrpto ya etadviduramrtáste bhavanti.

Brahma, who has imagined and created this vast universe, is the only entity worthy of the epithet Mahat́ma. What we call jiivátmá or átmá is only the reflection of Cosmic Consciousness on the mental plate, and thus finite human beings should not be called mahátmá (noblest soul). Instead of being called mahátmá, durátmá (wicked), papátmá (sinful), or punyátmá (virtuous), human beings should either be called pápohate átma (a soul assailed by sin) or punyopahata (a soul assailed by virtue).

This Supreme Entity lies hidden in the existential feeling of each individual as its witness. He is reflected on the mirror of the buddhitattva (existential-I) of every entity. One who has made this reflecting mirror spotless through the constant practice of sádhaná can better understand the glory of this Entity. Those who have known this Entity have attained immortality.

This Entity is the Ocean of Nectar. He is ever-ready to guide individuals towards immortality, by His grace. Human beings must make the best use of His grace. Only He is the Pure Universal Preceptor.

Nityaḿ shuddhaḿ nirábhásaḿ nirákáraḿ niraiṋjanam;
Nityabodhaḿ cidánandaḿ Gurubrahma namámyaham.

Form and Formless

Published in:
Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7 [a compilation]
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]

Notes:

official source: Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5

this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7, 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. Words in double square brackets [[ ]] are corrections that did not appear in the printed version.

What we belittle as matter is nothing but a varying form of energy. To maintain the inertness of matter the existence of energy as well as its application is undeniable. And this concentration of energy, being crude, expresses crude waves which are black. So the energy which causes inertness in objects is an expression of the static force of Prakrti on Puruśa.

The influence of the sentient principle is the exact opposite, for it is effulgent and expressive. It is characterized by its excellence of expansion and subtlety. The characteristic of the static principle is to bind whatever is subtle within the limitations of forms and lines, thus bringing it within the periphery of sense perception, and within the scope of human conception. Thus, due to the static influence of Prakrti, the abstract is brought into the initial stage of matter (ether). Its nature is to give a concrete form to the absolute idea. When there is the unfoldment of the mutative and sentient principles they cannot give any expression to their limited ideas in the absence of a proper object, though they have the potentiality of expressing themselves. As they do not have any finite medium their expression cannot be manifested.

Due to the bondage of the static principle, the expansiveness of the sentient and mutative principles, bound by the limitations of forms, appears as a material object. But since the characteristics of the sentient and mutative principles are unlimited, the static principle actually creates not a limited number of finite entities but an unlimited number of infinite entities. The characteristic of the static principle to bring the subtle within the periphery of finitude is the actual cause behind the manifestations of both actions and objects. These finite expressions of the practical world are the limiting actional expression of the static principle. Names, forms and other symbolisations have been ascribed to them by the doer-I.

The difference between objects is caused by varying degrees of bondage of the static principle. The indriyas (human sense organs) and their controller, the mind, accept the collectivity of these objects, bound by the limitations of forms, as the expressed universe. Where there is no staticity there is no awareness of creation. Because there are no limiting bondages, the very expression of the creation remains indistinct. That is, in the absence of the static inertness, nothing can be brought within the field of perception.

Take the case of the precious metal gold. Whenever you say “gold” you refer to gold in general, the gold of the universe. To be of some practical use, the gold will have to be brought within the limitation of a certain form, such as a gold necklace, a gold bangle, or gold tiara. Women may get a certain pleasure by wearing these gold ornaments, but for the goldsmith has no practical use for them as ornaments. He is only concerned about one thing – gold. Likewise, due to the influence of the static principle, an infinite number of names and forms have emerged out of Parama Puruśa, the Singular Entity. Most people enjoy using these finite names and forms, but to practical spiritual aspirants they have no special importance. Sádhakas are only interested in the original substance and not its finite forms. Thus, their only object of ideation is Parama Puruśa. They only accept Parama Puruśa, the Singular Entity, as the goal of their lives, just as the goldsmith is only interested in the gold and not its different forms.

How can one shake off the influence of static inertness? How can one get freedom from the bondages of names and forms? Just as the goldsmith uses a hammer and process of melting (in fire) to extract the real gold from the various ornaments, similarly a practical spiritual aspirant will have to break the bondages of names and forms in this expressed world through the cultivation of knowledge (which is mutative), devotion (which is sentient). By virtue of the heat of the fire of sádhaná and the strength derived from sustained intuitional practice, a sádhaka can overcome the static inertness, the apparent cause behind the quinquelemental universe. Life and the world will become effulgent with the resultant unfoldment of latent consciousness.

Yadátamastanna divá naratrirna sanna cá saincchiva eva kevalah
Tadakśaraḿ tat saviturvareńyaḿ prajiṋáca tasmát prasrtá puráńii.

As soon as mental darkness is dispelled, one will see everything as effulgent in the light of knowledge. The entire universe will appear as an unbroken, infinite, radiant entity. There will be no difference between night and day, between real and unreal. Diversity will merge into singularity. All finite expressions will merge in the integral Macrocosmic Entity.

This Supreme Conscious Entity beyond the veil of cimmerian darkness is called Akśara Puruśa (the immutable Entity). He is the One to be adored by all. He is the Universal Father. Out of His Infinite Cognition emerges everything.

To realize the all-pervasive Supreme Entity the static darkness has got to be dispelled from one’s mind – there is no other way. Those who grope in the darkness of staticity are bound to differentiate between various objects, and will certainly be goaded to worship various finite objects. When one develops real love for the Supreme through unflinching sincerity and intense spiritual practice, the bondages of inertness gradually loosen and finally snap open. Those who take the finite to be the infinite, and ascribe Brahmahood to finite objects, ultimately degenerate into inert matter. They are psychologically unable to transcend the bondages of lineage, caste, community and state. They may deliver noble-sounding speeches, but in reality they look upon this world through the spectacles of meanness. To fulfil their selfish group interests they utilize their intellectual power and physical energy for internecine feuds and battles, mutual slandering and jealousy, and thereby vitiate the atmosphere of the entire universe.

Some intellectuals are in favour of respecting all religions. I say that such people cannot do anything to promote the solidarity of the human race, for most religions demand blind faith rather than rationality from their followers. “Don’t argue,” they proclaim. “Accept the teachings of the scriptures for they are the direct word of God.” The cunning intellectuals of the past imposed the importance of blind faith on the minds of their gullible followers. They told them to obey the teachings, rational or irrational, otherwise there would be no respite from the endless suffering of human life, no other path to take them to the eternal bliss of heaven.

In most cases religions took advantage of human weaknesses, crippled the people’s rationality, and sapped their strength, thus facilitating their exploitation by the religious traders. When the vitality and strength of the masses remains unexpressed, the exploiters will be able to exploit them in the economic and other spheres of life for a long time with relative ease. In the annals of human history it can be seen in all ages that the various exploiters were the patrons and the preachers of religion.

Dharma is altogether different from religion for it teaches human beings to advance while mercilessly smashing all obstacles that thwart human progress. Its inherent qualities are subtle analysis, ideological strength and the brilliance of valour. That’s why the vested interests cannot tolerate it and use all their strength and machinery to oppose it. They claim they are protecting religion. The greater the conflict between person and person, between community and community, between state and state, the greater is their advantage. But when many people form a collective mind through sincere sacrifice and ardent practice while advancing towards the realization of oneness with the Supreme, it will be difficult to continue exploiting people on any pretext.

In fact the ignorance of Brahmaváda (intuitional science) and dharma has done enormous harm to the human race. In the modern civilized society the same thing should not be allowed to be repeated. By accepting the all pervasive and all-permeating Brahma as the primordial factor for the crude, subtle and causal worlds; by realizing Brahma as the nucleus of the enjoyer, the enjoyed and the enjoyment; and by keeping the Supreme Cognition fixed before the mind, human life should be rebuilt on a strong foundation. All spheres of life should be completely restructured. All feelings of differentiation – his god, her god, the Hindu’s Hari and the Moslem’s Álláh – should be abandoned and that Supreme Entity accepted from the core of one’s heart. That Supreme Imperishable Entity is the final desideratum, the culminating point of all entities. We should not bother the least who addresses Him as Hari or who addresses Him as Álláh.

Those whose existence is filled with cosmic ideation do not and cannot support any discrimination regarding Parama Puruśa and His creation. But those who have not properly understood the concept of the Absolute Entity confine Him within the bonds of limitation by petty squabbling (over such insignificant arguments as to whether Hari is greater than Álláh, or Álláh greater than Hari), or claiming that He resides in certain holy places of pilgrimage. Some of them raise their hands and proclaim, “God is listening to everything from above.” Others believe that the Supreme Entity remains within the confines of temples, mosques and churches and hands out His favours to all. Now can you ever keep that Infinite Entity confined to a limited place or idea? Leave aside the temples, mosques and churches; even a continent, a solar system or the entire universe cannot confine Him. Dull-witted people, due to the influence of the static principle, wrongly ascribe Brahmahood to finite objects, and worship them. They present logical arguments to attempt and justify their support of superstition due to their samskaras accumulated over many lives.

Naenamúrdhvaḿ na tiryaiṋca na madhye parijagrabhat
Na tasya pratimá asti yasya náma mahadyashah.

Those who say that the all-pervasive Brahma resides above are wrong. No doubt He remains above, but His remaining in that state is a partial and spatial expression, and not His full manifestation. Had He any replica (pratimá), He would have been confined to a particular space, but He has none. The derivative meaning of pratima is “ a thing in its miniature form”. If an object, however big it might be, is circumscribed by demarcating lines, one can easily create a miniature form to make it easier for the common masses to understand. The earth, the Pacific Ocean, and the solar system are big, but they are not infinite, and thus can be displayed on a map or a chart.

The simplistic statement “I am trying to discover consciousness in a clay image” may sound pleasing to the ear but logically is totally unacceptable for it is merely an expression of sentiment. The Supreme Consciousness exists in all countries and in all ages equally. There is no question of confining Him within something limited. All talk of His invocation, installation or immersion in the form of a deity is meaningless. Also the question of whether a particular day is auspicious or inauspicious for the worship of the Supreme Entity is of no significance whatsoever.

The only way to become ensconced in His all-pervasive Macrocosmic stance is to practice Brahma sádhaná. To merely cherish an ardent desire that the Supreme Entity will appear before one in the form of a human being to fulfil one’s every wish, will not help one to attain the Supreme goal. Those who claim that their god appeared before them and granted them boons, or prescribed medicine for their ailments after they performed a long dhara (sitting in front of a deity for a long long time, in the expectation of receiving a divine message) mislead themselves. Their visions of gods and goddesses are created out of their own mind stuff due to their mental concentration, and the so-called divine messages come from the vast fold of cognition of their own causal mind. It is the latent omniscience of their own causal mind which confirms the information already received by the manomáya kośa (knowledge from the unconscious mind seeps into the conscious).

If you want to compare one object with another you will have to select an object which has similar qualities. For example, you can give someone an idea about the whiteness of lime by them showing curd because both of them are white. Similarly, you can give someone an idea about the taste of sugar-cane molasses by giving them date molasses to eat, because both are sweet. But you cannot give anyone an idea about the nature of water by showing them a piece of iron because they are different categories of objects.

Likewise, if you want to convey the concept of Brahma you will have to take the help of another entity like Brahma, but there is no second entity like Him. He is beyond comparison. He is the Infinite Entity, the embodiment of Supreme Bliss, existence and knowledge personified. So to make a comparison you require a finite object which is infinite, and supremely blissful. But how can the finite become infinite? Hence, no finite object can be His replica. The rśi says, “The Supreme Entity who has no periphery, whose glory and excellence have no end, can never have any replica of His own.”

Na saḿdrshe tist́hati rupamasya na cakśuśá pashyati kashcanaenam
Hrdáhrdisthaḿ manasá ya enamevaḿ viduramrtáste bhavanti.

Nowhere in the universe can you see His full form because your limited optical nerves are unable to perceive Him in His entirety. If you say that Parama Puruśa exists in a certain place of pilgrimage, it is as good as saying that He does not exist in any other part of the universe. He has no spatial form, nor does He occupy any special place. Your crude eyes can only perceive the spatial factor, and nothing beyond. As his expression is not limited to any particular space He does not come within the scope of sense perception.

In such circumstances How can one attain Him? One has to make the mirror of one’s existential-I (buddhitattva, which contains the urges for action) absolutely spotless. As long as the existential-I is covered with layers of darkness, it cannot reflect Cosmic Consciousness. It will not be visible on that defective mental plate. To realize His manifestation in the vast sky of your inner mind you will have to make your mental plate absolutely clean and spotless through the process of sádhaná. In this process of mental purification you will experience that the Supreme Entity has come within your inner mind (buddhitattva) and has established it’s contact with the inner core of your heart. Remember that He is only attainable through ideation. You will never find Him in the temples and mosques, the churches and the synagogues. He is not to be found anywhere externally, for He has already taken shelter in the sanctuary of your inner mind.

Sádhaná is the endeavour for self purification (átma suddhi), and mental purification (citta suddhi). Those who take a holy dip in the river Ganges at sundown after spending the day robbing people and accepting bribes are not the followers of dharma; nor are those who build churches, mosques, temples and pilgrims’ rest houses with part of their huge fortune amassed through black marketing and adulteration. They cannot escape the results of their sins in this way. Those who commit sinful deeds accumulate a crude bundle of saḿskáras; a heavy load which no one else can carry. But if you make your mental mirror absolutely spotless, Parama Puruśa will appear in your mind with all His effulgence and fill your entire being with immeasurable bliss.

It is true that the emancipation of one entity doers not lead to the emancipation of other entities. Suppose a lotus has been placed in the middle of a circle of ten mirrors. Its reflection will be most distinct on the cleanest mirror. And only by observing that reflection can one acquire proper knowledge about that particular lotus. If you look at the other mirrors you won’t get anything like a clear image of the lotus. Is the lotus to be blamed for the imperfect images? No, the defect lies with the mirrors.

Intuition can be likened to the microcosmic mirror. That mirror which attains the Cosmic One due to it’s spotlessness is liberated, the rest are not. The Macrocosmic Entity is not to blamed for that; the fault lies with the microcosm, for it does not try to remove the layers of darkness from its mind. Intuition is the reflection of incoming perception, the reflection of psychic assimilation. But where intuition has not been awakened, no incoming perception is reflected on it and that is why an object is called matter. This matter has no capacity of internal assimilation and as such is completely guided by the Cosmic Will.

The reflecting mind often thinks that it’s secret activities or its hidden thoughts are unseen and unknown by anyone else. However, as soon as an image is formed in the unit mind it is immediately reflected on the Cosmic Mind. That’s why one cannot do anything unknown to Him. When a man steals something, the Supreme Entity will immediately come to know of the theft. When the police arrest him and he denies his crime, he knows that he is telling a lie and so the Supreme Entity also knows he is telling a lie. If the dishonest policeman accepts a bribe and lets him go, the man knows that the policeman has accepted a bribe, so Parama Puruśa also knows. Later, when that policeman suffers a major tragedy, such as the death of his son, his eyes fill with tears of bitterness, and he complains, “Why has such a terrible misfortune struck me. I haven’t done anything wrong.” This complaint will immediately be heard by the Supreme Entity, who will ask the policeman in the core of his heart, “Did I take the bribe?” That Supreme Entity knows everything. To know that Supreme Entity, the Benevolent One, one will have to keep one’s mental plate perfectly clean by practising intense intuitional sádhaná.

The first stage of sádhaná is yama and niyama (strict moral observances), the foundation of spiritual life, the light which dispels the darkness of static ignorance. By perfecting the ten principles of yama and niyama, spiritual aspirants gain the spiritual vigour required to wage the constant war against the dullness of staticity. Theirs is a valiant and relentless fight against the obstacles created by avidyámáyá which try to detract them from the path of the attainment of Brahma, their supreme goal, their final desideratum, their polestar, the only ideal of their lives. In the social sphere they struggle not to reform society for the sake of reformation, but to combat the defects and inconsistencies in all walks of life which are detrimental to spiritual life and a stumbling block on the path of attaining the Supreme goal. In short, they seek to build a balanced, harmonious spiritual society. Their endeavour to remove the thorns scattered along the path of progress is ceaseless.

Usually those people whose sole aim is to bring about social, intellectual and economic reforms collapse in exhaustion after achieving a certain amount of success and either give up or get confused. But this does not happen to sádhakas because their main focus is not the struggle, but how to reach the goal. Thus they wage a ceaseless struggle against all kinds of defects and distortions with their two most important weapons: yama and niyama. All sádhakas are soldiers whose rations are knowledge, whose drink is action and whose salt is devotion.

Just as food without salt becomes bland, similarly, knowledge and action without devotion become meaningless. You should bear in mind that if there is devotion there is everything, and if there is no devotion, there is nothing. It is true that without knowledge one may be misguided, and without action one may become inert, but it is only through devotion that one can attain the Supreme Stance. Knowledge and action alone cannot lead one to the attainment of the Supreme Entity in practice (although in theory it may be possible). Their importance lies in the way they complement devotion.

Suppose you know a man called Ramesh lives in a certain far off place. This is the extent of your knowledge about him. To meet him you undertake a long and arduous train journey. This is your action. On arriving at his house you knock at his door and call him so that he comes to greet you and invite you inside. This is your devotion. If a person lacks knowledge and action and calls Him on the strength of devotion it is not altogether impossible to attain Him, but that path is somewhat inconvenient. That’s why I say that even though one’s mission may be fulfilled through the devotion alone, it is better to complement devotion with knowledge and action.

Dry knowledge, whatever its quality, cannot help a person to attain the supreme goal of life because it lacks sweetness. A life devoid of sweetness ultimately becomes useless, like the hollow shell of a tree struck by lightning. Neither can action alone bring the highest fulfilment to human life, because people tend to become so wrapped up in it that it becomes their obsession. Their fundamental goal gets obscured before their eyes. Those sádhakas who advance maintaining a balanced adjustment amongst the three will ultimately realize the Supreme Entity. Even those who want to remove the feeling of differentiation from the relative world and look upon the Supreme Entity with an integral outlook, need to develop their knowledge, action and devotion, yet in this case, too, devotion is more important than knowledge and action. Those sádhakas whose hearts overflow with sweet devotional sentiment can break the shackles of superstition far easier than those following the cults of knowledge and action.

It is often seen that those who deliver bombastic speeches on the merits of knowledge or those who have some reputation as social activists unhesitatingly support narrow sentiments such as casteism, provincialism, nationalism, etc. It is often the so-called pandits who fall prey to social vices such as acceptance of bribes, falsehood, promiscuity, or alcoholism. Many of those who have encouraged discrimination between human beings and caused the pages of the history books to be stained with blood are the same people whom society respects as pandits and activists. But such feelings of pettiness are absent in devotees for they love humanity out of deep devotional sentiment. Would you ever ask a drowning person, “Are you a Hindu, a Moslem, a brahmin or an untouchable?” Of course not. The inspiration not to do that lies hidden in your underlying devotional sentiment.

Bhaktirbhagavato sevá bhaktih premasvarupińii;
Bhaktiránandarúpá ca bhaktih bhaktasya jiivanam.

[Devotion is the spirit of service to the Supreme Entity. It is an embodiment of selfless love, an embodiment of bliss, the very life of a devotee.]

Dve akśare Brahmapare tvanante vidyávidye nihite yatra gúd́he;
Kśaraḿ tvavidyá hyamrtaḿ tu vidyá vidyávidye iishate yastu so’nyah.

The Supreme Entity who is the culminating point of the path of devotion is infinite. From whatever viewpoint you analyse Him He is unending. Vidyá and Avidyá, the [[two]] aspects of Prakrti, are sheltered in Him; they remain dormant in Him. Due to the dominance of the static principle on the Macrocosmic Entity, [[Avidyá]] becomes manifest. By virtue of Her ávaranii shakti and vikśepii shakti She engages Herself in the creation of the universe. Hence, Avidyá is kśara shakti (perishable), for She causes mutation or movement towards degeneration. Likewise due to the dominant influence of the sentient principle on the Macrocosmic Body the force of Vidyá becomes manifest. By virtue of samvit shakti (the force which arouses consciousness) Vidyá helps the individual microcosm to attain immortality. Hence Vidyá shakti is an elevating force.

The Supreme Controller of Vidyá and Avidyá shakti is Puruśottama. He is the Supreme Cognition, above Vidyá and Avidyá; above Para (controlling the Supramundane world) and Apara (controlling the mundane world). To become established in the stance of Puruśottama (or Saguńa Brahma), a spiritual aspirant will have to initially seek the help of Vidyá Shakti. Even to attain the non-attributional stance (Nirguńa), the assistance of Vidyá Shakti is indispensable. After attaining the attributional stance both Vidyá and Avidyá have a certain controlling authority to some extent, but after attaining the nonattributional stance they cease to exist.

Namaste paramaḿ brahma namaste Paramátmane
Nirguńáya namastubhyaḿ sadrúpáya namo namah.

[Salutations to the Supreme Entity, I salute the Supreme Cognitive Faculty. I salute the Non-attributional Entity. Salutations to the Supreme Being.]

The microcosms reap the consequences of their original activities. Is this ordained by the Supreme Entity? Yes, it is, although He does not inflict punishment on anyone directly. He has only ordained that every action will contain the seed of reaction. He has given the freedom to developed microcosms to decide whether to act or remain inert or whether to perform virtuous deeds or sinful ones.

The more microcosms advance along the path of Pratisaiṋcara, the more developed they become, and the more freedom they are granted to act independently. Of course they can only enjoy as much freedom as the Supreme Authority chooses to give them. The amount of suffering caused by reactive momenta depends upon how microcosms use or misuse this freedom. It serves no purpose whatsoever to blame the Supreme Entity for this suffering. After all, you have been given the freedom, the full liberty, to perform the original deeds as you think fit. Since every action contains a seed of reaction you will have to undergo the reactions of your actions. These seeds or reactive momenta are expressed through your non-original deeds (saḿskára múlaka) over which you have no control.

A person is reborn in a physical structure and physical environment which are congenial for the expression of the unrequited saḿskáras. The Cosmic Mind directs the disembodied soul to that particular environment where it will get the maximum opportunity for the expression of it’s latent saḿskáras. That’s why some people live miserable lives in squalid conditions and suffer from poor health while others lead joyful, healthy, and worry-free lives in a comfortable environment. Yet no matter what circumstances one finds oneself in, one must realize and accept that no situation is without hope. For one’s psychic expansion, one will have to keep one’s mind fixed on the Supreme Entity, one will have to advance towards that Absolute Entity while removing all obstacles from the path.

One should not entertain any thought or illusion about the past. If one clings to worn out objects and allows pitiful tears to flood one’s life, one loses the rhythm of movement and gradually gets converted into inert matter. One should never allow the darkness of cowardice to engulf one’s entitative existence.

The microcosmic movement towards the Supreme Goal of life through endless fight against all sorts of formidable obstacles is true dharma. Human beings need cosmic inspiration to motivate them to move forwards. Their psychic development is not possible through intimidation or by creating circumstantial pressure.

Those who are motivated to undertake missionary work only due to financial backing or royal patronage, or who are guided by scriptural sanction rather than logic or rationality, are not at all capable of leading the human race along the path of genuine progress.

Is it possible to truly convert thousands of poor people into a certain religion by applying physical force or by spending large sums of money? Such so-called new converts no doubt give up their own religion, but they cannot imbibe the best aspects of the new religion because they have not accepted it through religious inspiration or spiritual inquisitiveness. In fact, such new religious converts often prove to be a liability to the religious society which converted them.

The only way to bring about the real well-being of human beings is to arouse spiritual inspiration. One will have to create a thirst for spirituality and a fervent interest in sádhaná. People must realize that dharma is the essence of life, the breath of life.

In the practice of spiritual cult there is no distinction nor can there ever be – between men and women. As jiivátmá (the soul) is not composed of the five fundamental factors there cannot be any sex distinction in it.

Naeva strii na pamáneśa na caeváyaḿ napuḿsakh
Yadyacchariiramádatte tena tena sa rakśate

For the proper expression of one’s latent saḿskáras one gets reborn into the body of a woman or a man or sometimes a hermaphrodite. There is no question of high or low, superior or inferior, noble or ignoble because whatever might be the sex of the body, the jiivátmá is just the witness of the mind it is attached to. It is unassailed by the sexual differences of the quinquelemental bodies. The unexpressed psychic reactions (saḿskáras) of the disembodied soul are guided by the Cosmic Mind and adjusted with a proper structure, at a proper time and a proper place, providing a congenial environment for the expression of the unrequited saḿskáras.

Depending upon the nature of the saḿskáras there is either the predominance of the tendency to attract (saḿyojanii shakti) or the predominance of the tendency to be attracted (vibhájanii shakti) The nature of the force of attraction is to draw the object of enjoyment towards itself, and the nature of the force which is attracted is to move towards the object of enjoyment. When there is dominance of saḿyojanii shakti in one’s latent saḿskáras, the disembodied soul attains a female body for its outward expression, and conversely where there is a dominance of vibhájanii shakti, it attains a male body. Where there is an approximate balance between the two the disembodied soul attains the body of a hermaphrodite. Of course, even in the hermaphrodite the balance between saḿyojanii and vibhájanii shaktis is not perfect; there is a slight tilt in favour of one or the other. That’s why some hermaphrodites are more inclined towards masculinity, and some are more inclined towards femininity.

In undeveloped creatures, there is a balance between the saḿyojanii and vibhájanii shaktis and thus they are asexual. Being subjected to less internal struggle and more external struggle these undeveloped creatures can divide their bodies into a number of parts. But developed creatures do not have this possibility. In order to increase their numbers they are compelled to take the help of one another with the saḿyojanii and vibhájanii forces. Hence there are sexual differences among all developed creatures, without which the preservation of their different species could never be maintained. Thus, sexual differences exist to permit the proper expression of saḿskáras. However, these sexual difference have no absolute value whatsoever.

So the characteristic of the human mind to attract or to be attracted depends on mental tendency. If there is a glandular change in the physical structure there will be a corresponding change in the saḿyojanii or vibhájanii forces of the mind. Even if the mind thinks deeply about a person of the opposite sex, its own inherent saḿyojanii or vibhájanii shakti gets changed to some extent. If there is a major change in either of the forces there will be a corresponding change in the physical body. As a result, males can be converted into females and females into males.

You may have noticed in the practical world how men and women treat physical objects in different ways. This is due to the difference in the degree of expansion of saḿyojanii and vibhájanii shakti.

Thus the characteristics that determine sex, whether male, female, or hermaphroditic, are not fixed or final. On the basis of this concept there should not be any discrimination between people – there is no sex difference in the jiivátman. In spiritual practice, too, no artificial distinction between men and women should be encouraged. Only in those aspects of spiritual practice which depend upon the harmonious functioning of the body and mind (such as asanas and mudras), should glandular and psychological differences be taken into consideration.

Saḿkalpanasparshanadrśtimohaergrásámbuvrśt́á cátmavivrddijama
Karmánugányanukrameńa dehiis tháneśu rúpáńyabhisamprapadyate.

The initial force that causes sex differentiation and the assumption of various forms is called saḿkalpátmaka. The resolve to be manifested in the created universe is the noumenal cause of birth. When one ideates on the pleasures of the world and clings to objects of enjoyment, one is bound to assume a physical body in the next life. The saḿskáras born out of the determination to be reborn are termed bhava in scripture.

Immediately after saḿkalpa, indriya vrtti occurs (the externalization of the resolve through the sense organs). The mind constantly runs towards the physical objects for enjoyment with the help of the indriyas in its endless attempt to get them within its reach. Human beings want to acquire all the name and fame the world has to offer to become the most distinguished individuals; they want all the world’s money to be deposited in their coffers. When they acquire certain objects they strive to keep them well within their vision. Finally, due to the extreme influence of Avidyámáyá, they become so blindly attracted to those pleasurable objects that they cannot bear to be physically separated from them, even for a second.

One’s bhava [bundle of saḿskáras] gets strengthened due to development of one’s resolve and the increased desire to touch, see and cling to one’s objects of desire. This process has been going on for millions of lives. The Cosmic Mind provides a base for the microcosm in a particular form and place in the subsequent life which gives the maximum scope for the expression of its own inherent saḿskáras. Thus a microcosm can be born on any planet throughout the universe.

It is said in the scriptures that the disembodied soul first accepts the [[sperm]] with the help of the Cosmic Mind and then, getting united with the [[ovum]], produces an embryo for the proper expression of its latent saḿskáras. On the one hand the embryo acquires psychic nourishment, on the other hand its saḿskáras are expressed internally. Until the mind acquires sufficient power to act according to its developed existential Ifeeling, it will have to undergo the torments of afflictions (bhava jantrańá) internally as the doer of non-original actions. At that time it is not the doer. But as soon as the nerve cells acquire the capacity to work according to the developed I-feeling, it starts to perform original actions (pratyaya mulaka karma).

Wise people say that the living being gets nourishment first in the father’s body, then in the mother’s womb, and finally on the earth after being born. Usually after the age of thirty-nine (of course, the period may vary slightly according to changes in time, space and person) its body begins to deteriorate.

Sthuláni sukśmáni bahúni caeva rúpańi dehii svaguńaervrńoti
Kriyáguńaerátmaguńaeshcáteśáḿ saḿyogaheturaparo’pi drśt́ah.

One acquires a physical body according to the nature of one’s samskaras. A human being who behaves like a goat or a dog may be born as a goat or a dog in the next life, because such an animal body is the proper base for the congenial expression of the latent saḿskáras. Hence it is not at all impossible for a human being to be reborn as a hog, a worm, a tree, or even a piece of stone. One’s destiny will be decided according to the nature of one’s karma – this is an infallible law. In this regard, neither Paramátmá nor Prakrti can do anything to help. But Parama Brahma out of His Infinite grace, will reconvert these ahalyás (those converted into stone as a result of crude actions) into glorious human beings in the process of Pratisaiṋcara, and provide opportunities for their movement towards the most exalted life.

To be more precise it is the saḿskáras (reactive momenta) which are reborn. Philosophically speaking it is not correct to say that the átman (unit consciousness) is reborn, because Átman is neither body, intellect, nor mind; it is just the witnessing entity, the subject witnessing the metamorphoses of its object, sometimes into another finite form and sometimes into an infinite form.

Átman is not subject to either pain or pleasure because they are the psychic propensities of the mind. Of course, the desires and longings of the unit mind do affect the Átman to some extent. And it apparently seems as if the Átman is also involved in the vicious cycle of actions and reactions.

When, due to the grace of Parama Brahma, techniques of intuitional practice (sádhaná) are imparted to the unit mind through the medium of a Guru, the way to emancipation from bondages is opened, and the unit mind begins to transcend all sorrows and miseries. By virtue of this sádhaná one can also free oneself from the vicious cycle of karma, resulting in the Átman getting immediate liberation from all mental bondages. Having relinquished the desire for finite objects in different places, in different forms, and in different ways, and having embraced the Supreme Original Entity, one attains the highest fulfilment. This attainment is achieved with the grace of Parama Puruśa in the form of a Guru. Hence there is only one Guru: the Supreme Entity alone is the Universal Guru.

Nityaḿ shuddhaḿ nirábhásaḿ nirakáraḿ niraiṋjanam;
Nityabodhaḿ cidánandaḿ Gurubrahma namámyaham.

[I offer my salutation to Brahma in the form of the Guru, who is eternal, ever-pure, without replica, formless, absolutely unblemished, and ever-ensconced in the deep, intuitional stance and cognitive bliss.]

Anádyanantaḿ kalilasya madhye vishvasya srastáramanekarúpam
Vishvasyaekaḿ pariveśt́itáraḿ jiṋátvá devaḿ mucyate sarvapáshaeh.

When one is ensconced in the exalted state due to the grace of Guru, what stage does one’s intuition reach? What sort of realization does one attain? One discovers the divine play of the Infinite Entity in each and every finite manifestation. One realizes that the Infinite Entity who is ever-present in His vast Cosmic stance is also ever-present in every molecule and atom. One experiences that the entire universe is vibrated and invigorated with His unending Cosmic flow. Every entity of this universe, big and small, every minute expression of pain and pleasure of the numerous microcosms lies within His vast Ocean of Cosmic Bliss. In this ever-playful universe He is the Supreme Arbitrator. One realizes that the Supreme Cognitive Faculty resides in His tumultuous Macrocosmic creation, and is thus the Supreme Desideratum of every finite entity. Sádhakas realize Him as manifested in His many forms, and merge their individuality in Him.

Is there any place where He does not reside? He was residing in every place long, long before you even knew it existed, filling its space with His Cosmic bliss. Thus, for the devotees, this entire universe is a blissful expression of the Supreme One.

Behind this playful stance of the Cosmic Entity lies His eternal immutable stance, which is a passive witness to the ever-changing forms of His Macropsychic manifestation. When devotees see His mutable forms with genuine spiritual vision they realize that they are already ensconced in His immutable stance. This is the state of supreme realization. In this state the miseries caused by the binding fetters vanish and the sádhakas become illuminated by the sweet touch of the playful, blissful, immutable Parama Puruśa. This is the supreme spiritual fulfilment.

Nityánandaḿ paramasukhadaḿ kevalaḿ jiṋánamúrtim;
Vishvátiitaḿ gaganasadrshaḿ tatvamasyádilakśyaḿ.
Ekaḿ nityaḿ vimalam acalaḿ sarvadhisákśiibhútam;
Bhávátiitaḿ triguńarahitaḿ Sadguruḿ Taḿ namámi.

[I offer my salutation to the Sadguru who is the embodiment of absolute knowledge in the form of eternal bliss; who provides unending joy; whose periphery extends beyond the vast azure sky, beyond the last boundary of the universe; who is One without a second, one with the import “Thou art that;” who is ever permanent, ever steadfast, ever spotless, the witness of all beyond the scope of thought, and free from the influence of the triple principles.]

Although He is hard to attain, He is not unattainable. One whose existence is saturated with the flow of knowledge, action and devotion can easily attain Him.

Bhávagráhyamaniid́ákhyaḿ bhávábhávakaraḿ shivam
Kalásargakaraḿ devaḿ ye viduste jahustanum.

You will never attain Him through your erudition, intellect, valour, or vanity. You are to attain Him through constant ideation, sweet devotional sentiment, and intense spiritual longing. You can only attain Him in exchange of your entire individual existence. As a rule, one has to offer something to a person in exchange for an object. If you want to get rice, salt, oil, butter and so on, you will have to pay money. Similarly, to attain Him you are to pay with your existential-I, you are to surrender yourself completely unto Him. Those sádhakas who have accepted the Supreme One as their only goal in life can never worship Prakrti, because they know that the entity they long to attain is everything which exists, and which is yet to exist. This vast flow of creation is the playful expression of that Eternal Entity.

The sixteen factors (śoŕashakalá) of which microcosms are composed, this entire phenomenon of creation, are the finite expressions of the Infinite Supreme Entity. Those who take shelter in that vast Integral Entity have no feelings of pettiness or individual imperfection. Such people are not born again after death. One who has known Brahma becomes Brahma.


Chapter 1	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]


Chapter 2	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]


Chapter 3	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]


Chapter 4	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 5 [unpublished in English]