EE7.5 - Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

The Subháśita Saḿgraha (“Collected Discourses”) series assembles all the Dharma Mahácakra (DMC) discourses given by Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Dharma Mahácakras, large spiritual congregations addressed by Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, were held in cities and towns all over the world. They were an important feature of Ananda Marga throughout most of Ánandamúrtijii’s long life as its preceptor. The first DMC was held on 1 January 1955, and within less than two years, that DMC discourse and ten more appeared in book form as Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 1.

As far as possible throughout the publication of the Subháśita Saḿgraha series, the chronological order of the discourses, both within each part and among the various parts, has been maintained. However, pressures such as those occasioned by the Emergency meant that many discourses, though preserved in one medium or other, were unavailable when their normal turn came for publication. Starting with Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 18 (1991), such discourses have been published (so as not to delay their printing) in the order in which they happened to be recovered by our archivists. Within each separate part, however, the chronological order has been maintained.

The present volume, Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24, contains eleven discourses. The discourses were given by the author on diverse occasions over a period of fourteen years, but they have not been published before in authorized book form. Most of the discourses in this volume have been transcribed from tapes. Two of those for which no tape was available, “What Is the Primary Cause of the Universe and Who Is the Only Object of Ideation?” and “Mysticism and Spirituality”, were originally published in Ananda Marga magazines (the former as “Srśt́icakra and the Dhyeya of the Microcosm”), and subsequently in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23. They have now been reprinted here, as recent research has proved that these are DMC discourses and therefore rightly belong in the Subháśita Saḿgraha series. “Mysticism and Spirituality” appears here without change. In the case of “What Is the Primary Cause of the Universe?”, however, whose sole previous source had been Cosmic Society, another translation was found in the Prout newspaper (from which the date and place were gleaned), so the discourse as printed here represents a combination of the two translations.

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

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

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

The author used a certain shorthand for explaining the etymologies of words. Under this system, a minus sign (–) follows a prefix, and a plus sign (+) precedes a suffix. Thus ava – tr + ghaiṋ = avatára can be read, “the root tr prefixed by ava and suffixed by ghaiṋ becomes avatára.”

“What Is the Primary Cause of the Universe and Who Is the Only Object of Ideation?”. Discourse in Hindi. First published in English as “The Goal of Life” in Prout. Second English publication as “Srśt́icakra and the Dhyeya of the Microcosm” in Cosmic Society, 1 Jan. 1966. Third English publication as “Srśt́icakra and the Dhyeya of the Microcosm” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23, 1994 (English re-editing by Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta).

“The Supreme Cognition”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English as “The Cognitive Principle and the Causal Matrix” in Prajiṋá Bháratii (it was mistakenly identified as a 1971 Vizag General Darshan).

“Mysticism and Spirituality”. First published in English as “Mysticism and Spiritualism” in Divine Flame, 1970. Original language, date and place not identified in Divine Flame. Second English publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23, 1994 (English re-editing by Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta).

“Longing for the Great”. Discourse in English. Tape. First published in English as “Self-Knowledge: The Way of the ‘Practical Man’” in The New Generation. The main basis for considering this article a DMC discourse is that a 1969 Ánanda Dúta report on the author’s tour of the Philippines mentions that there was a DMC in Manila about “the aim of a yogi”. Of all known discourses given on that tour, that description best fits this one. Also appeared in Bábá’s Grace and Supreme Expression 1 (the latter from Nirvikalpa Printing, ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, 1978.)

“Incantation and Human Progress”. Trilingual discourse in Bengali, Hindi and English. Tape. Original Bengali and Hindi portions tr. by Ác. Vijayánanda Avt. and Avtk. Ánanda Rucirá Ác.

“Macrocosmic Conation and Microcosmic Urge”. First published in English in a magazine. English re-editing by Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta.

We particularly wish to thank Ácárya Prańavátmakánanda Avadhúta, who went to much trouble to recover archival material, and Táttvika Dhanjoo Ghista, who sent us discourses that he had collected.

The Noumenal Progenitor

Published in:
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

The subject of today’s discourse is “The Noumenal Progenitor”. The creative faculty of the universe is the fundamental Operative Principle, Prakrti. If She is called the Causal Matrix, then the Transcendental Cognition should be termed the Noumenal Father or the Noumenal Progenitor. This Noumenal Progenitor not only is the Supreme Causal Factor but also has transmuted Himself into the objectivities of His progeny. This Noumenal Entity is not only the Supreme Progenitor; He is also the Supreme Witnessing Entity. He is the nave of this Cosmological order. He is the hub of this circum-rotarian universe.

The Supreme Progenitor in His role as the witnessed objectivity has permitted the Supreme Operative Principle to create, to emanate, innumerable waves of innumerable lengths in His transcendental body. And the portion of this Progenitor that has attained the original status (known as the parama pada) is the Witnessing Entity when associated with creation; and also remains as a non-witnessing, non-attached, absolute Entity when He is in His original seity, or in His supreme stance.

But this nave of the Cosmological order is the only witnessing entity of each and every created being. Each and every created being has knowingly or unknowingly adored Him, accepted Him, as the only object of ideation. Somebody ideates on Him knowingly, somebody unknowingly; somebody positively, somebody negatively. But He is the supreme terminus of all the marches of all the created beings. That’s why it has been said,

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante tasmin haḿso bhrámyate Brahmacakre;
Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá juśt́astatastenámrtatvameti.

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

“Everybody, animate or inanimate, knowingly or unknowingly, moves round Him.” They will have to move round Him; there is no alternative for created beings. And each and every entity is moving round Him with their own peculiar psychic pabulum. Mr. X is worshipping Him in the form of money, Mr. Y is worshipping Him in the form of name, another in the form of fame, another in the name of landed property, and so on. They are worshipping Him unknowingly. So it has been said that each and every entity is moving round Him with their own peculiar psychic pabulum. And the collection of all these pabula is the Supreme Entity. That’s why the spiritual aspirant, while dealing with, or while coming in contact with, any expression of this quinquelemental universe, ascribes Brahma-hood to that physical object.

If while coming in contact with money, a person thinks “This is money,” that person is doing something crude. That person is crudening his or her psychic body. But if while coming in contact with money or some other mundane object, the person ascribes Brahma-hood to that object, then he or she is coming in contact with That Entity, and it will be nothing but intuitional practice, spiritual sádhaná.

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante tasmin haḿso bhrámyate Brahmacakre – “The many entities moving around that Supreme Hub have not got a singular physical structure, they have got so many structures, so many frameworks, with so many mental pabula.” No two physical structures are the same, because the psychic pabula of no two physical structures are the same. The physical structures, the physical frameworks, vary according to the variations in psychic pabula. The psychic pabulum of a goat and the psychic pabulum of a human are not the same. The psychic pabula of Mr. X, a man, and of Mr. Y, another man, are not the same. And that’s why they have not got similar physical frameworks. And when the psychic pabulum of a person becomes one with the psychic pabulum of the Supreme, one requires no physical structure, one becomes one with the Supreme. Do you follow?

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante tasmin haḿso – “This haḿso (haḿso means jiiva [unit being])” – bhrámyate Brahmacakre – “is moving round this Cosmological Hub in this Brahma Cakra, in this Cosmological system.” You know, in this universe everything is systematic. Nobody can function without a system. In our social life, in family life, everywhere there is a system; and there should be a system. One who goes against that system commits a social crime. This is what is called indiscipline. In our life in India today there is indiscipline in the social order, and that’s why there is every chance of social disintegration, which is dangerous. Do you follow?

So, haḿso [“the unit being”]. Now, in the smallest system, that is, the atomic system, there is a nucleus and electrons; electrons are moving around that nucleus. In the ethereal system, the nucleus is the earth, and the moon is moving round the earth, round this nucleus. In the solar system also, the sun is the nucleus, and so many planets are moving round that nucleus. There is order, there is system. And in this vast Cosmological order, Parama Puruśa, the Noumenal Father, is the nucleus, and the jiivas are moving around Him.

Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá juśt́astatastenámrtatvameti – “And they will move round Him” - for how many years? Why do they move round Him? Because they have forgotten the supreme truth that they are one with the Hub. And unless and until they get free from this ignorance, they will have to move round Him.

Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá. Átmánam, that is, “the self, the jiiva”, and preritáraiṋca, “its centre”. That is, the Supreme Hub is the centre. “The jiiva and Shiva are the same” - this idea helps the jiiva to become one with Shiva. And “We are different; we are two entities” – this idea compels the jiiva to move round that Supreme Hub. What is your sádhaná? By sádhaná you are to free yourself from this ignorance, from the slumber of ignorance.

Now, wherever there is any system, there is a nucleus in the middle, [and] other objects, other entities, are moving round that nucleus. There are two forces, two active forces, two operative forces. One force is the concentric, centripetal, force, and the other is the centrifugal force. One is centre-seeking, moving towards the centre, and the other drifts one away from the centre. In this Cosmological order also these two forces are functioning.

Here, in this case, the concentric force is called vidyá - vidyá shakti. This concentric force has two kinds of effect on the human mind – on the human entity, rather.

First of all, let us take the case of the eccentric force. The eccentric force is called avidyá shakti. This avidyá shakti has two kinds of influence on the jiiva. One is spirituo-psychic and the other is psycho-physical. The spirituo-psychic influence of the eccentric force on the human entity, on the jaevii entity [i.e., the jiiva, the unit being], is called vikśepa shakti. Vikśepa means “the drifting away of the entity from the hub”, that is, increasing its radius. This vikśepa shakti teaches a person to keep away from the Father.

And another influence is psycho-physical. The psycho-physical influence is called ávarańii shakti. In Sanskrit, [ávarańa] means “to cover”. That is, one tries to cover one’s eyes so as not to see the Lord. One’s intention is that one will not see the Lord, that is why one covers one’s eyes. It is just like a rabbit that thinks that because it closed its eyes with the help of its ears and is not able to see the hunter, the hunter will not see it either. This is the effect of ávarańii shakti on the jiiva’s mind. While committing anything antisocial, committing a sin, a person is influenced by this ávarańii shakti of Avidyámáyá. He or she thinks, “This particular action of mine is not being witnessed by the Supreme Father.” This is ávarańii shakti.

Similarly, the influence of the concentric force, the vidyá shakti, has two effects. One is samvit shakti, another is hládinii shakti.

A depraved person, a degenerated person, all of a sudden one fine morning starts thinking, “What have I done in this life? I have been given a human structure, a human body, a human mind, a human soul, but I haven’t yet utilized that structure. What have I done? I have misused my human potentiality.” This idea is created by the concentric force. It is physico-psychic. Ávarańii was psycho-physical, and this one is physico-psychic – moving from physicality towards the realm of mentality. This samvit shakti creates the urge in the human mind to do something noble, to do intuitional practice. “Now I must not waste my time. I should do something noble, something concrete.” After that, what does it do at that moment? It gets His krpá [grace]. And one gets the chance to know, to do, to practise, intuitional science.

So what will be the next phase? In the next phase one is helped, one gets help from, the concentric force in the form of hládinii shakti.⁽¹⁾ Hládinii shakti means the shakti that helps, that propels, that directs, the jiiva towards the realm of supreme beatitude. This is hládinii shakti. Hládinii shakti is also known as Rádhiká shakti in Sanskrit, and the Supreme Hub is called Krśńa. Rádhiká shakti helps the jiiva in coming in contact with Krśńa. Then there will be union of Krśńa and Rádhá [the unit entity].

Now, it is the duty of each and every human being, each and every jiiva in human structure, to encourage this hládinii shakti and to discourage that vikśepa shakti and ávarańii shakti. You must remember that nothing remains covert in this universe, everything is public.

So you are all sádhakas, and my instruction to you is that you must not waste a single moment; and you are to try your best to encourage, to strengthen, your hládinii shakti and fight against the immorality appearing before you in the form of vikśepa shakti and ávarańii shakti. Be one with your hládinii shakti.

What Is the Primary Cause of the Universe and Who Is the Only Object of Ideation?

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24
Supreme Expression Volume 1 [a compilation]

Notes:

This discourse was originally published, as “Srśt́icakra and the Dhyeya of the Microcosm”, in an Ananda Marga magazine. It was subsequently published in Supreme Expression Part 1, and later once again in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23, under the same title. It has now been reprinted in Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24, as recent research has proved that this is a DMC discourse and therefore rightly belongs in the Subháśita Saḿgraha series.

What is the primary cause of this creation and what is it that humans should worship? In reference to this, scripture says that no relative factor can be the primary cause of creation:

Kálah svabhávo niyatiryadrcchá bhútáni yonih puruśa iti cintyá;
Saḿyoga eśáḿ na tvátmabhávád átmápyaniishah sukhaduhkhahetoh.

[It is debatable whether time, nature, fate, accident; or the five fundamental factors of matter; or unit consciousness – any of these separately – is the ultimate cause of creation. Even collectively they are not the cause of creation, although the átman, unit consciousness, is the catalytic agent. The unit consciousness is not the cause of creation, because it can be affected by virtue or vice.]

Kála. Does this universe, comprising all these animate and inanimate objects, owe its existence to kála [time]? Is this universe inherent in the womb of time? No, time is no independent factor. Time is the psychic measurement of the motivity of action. For there to be time, there has to be a “place”, for without a place no action can be performed. Over and above time and place, a “person” is also necessary, for that person will take the measure of the motivity of action. And thus where there is kála [time], there have to be place and person as well. So time is a relative factor, not an eternal or absolute factor.

Space, or place, is that in which all the solar systems of the universe exist. Round the nucleus of one solar system, that is, the sun, the earth revolves. When the earth completes one such circumambulation, we say that a year has gone by [i.e., we have defined time in terms of place].

But the mere existence of the sun does not give us the idea of a year, nor even does the existence of the earth and the sun together give us the measure of time. For this a person, endowed with the power of judgement, becomes indispensable. So we see that in the absence of a person also, time does not exist; so time is entirely a relative factor. Some people say that “Mahákála”, or “Eternity”, knows whatever took place in the past, whatever is taking place in the present, and whatever will take place in the future. But as a matter of fact there exists no such absolute or supreme entity as “Mahákála”, for time is measured on the basis of relativity, that is, of place and person. Hence time cannot be the noumenal cause of this phenomenal universe.

Svabháva. Then is svabháva the primary cause of this creation? The English equivalent of svabháva is “nature”. Nature is a blind force. Everything mundane is dependent on nature. But if we leave everything to nature, all sorts of confusion will arise. An infant has neither any intelligence nor any judgement; but when it puts its hand into a fire, its hand gets burnt. Wise people would not punish the little child in this way; but nature admits of no judgement. So this discriminating world can never be evolved by undiscriminating nature. Thus svabháva, or nature, is not the rudimental cause of the creation of the universe either.⁽¹⁾

Niyati. The word niyati is derived ni [-] yam + ktin, [and its synonym is adrśt́a.] [Adrśt́a means] “what is not seen with the eyes”.⁽²⁾ That which seems to be invisibly controlling us is called niyati. Niyati in English is “fate”. But is the advent of humans in this world only a play of fate? Humans experience various kinds of pleasure and pain in their lives. But are they due to fate?

To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Original actions are of two kinds – psychic and psycho-physical. A person steals mentally; then he or she repeats the performance physically, but at the behest of his or her mind. So [in either case] the responsibility for the act lies with the mind. Therefore it is in the body of the mind that reaction will get awakened. If we think uncharitably of others, we have to endure the reaction or requital thereof in our mind. Reaction must follow mental action, whatever it may be. Reaction takes place in accordance with the nature of the original action. So we have got to be ever alert about our actions, not about their fruits. In reference to this the Giitá says:

Karmańyevádhikáraste má phaleśu kadácana;
Má karmaphalaheturbhúmá te sauṋgo’stvakarmańi.

[You have the right to action but not the right to the fruits of the action. You must not do actions that will bind you, but you must not be averse to action, either.]

When an action has taken place but the karmaphala-bhoga [reaction] has not, the reaction to the action remains in seed [form], which is called saḿskára, or reaction in its potentiality. When the reaction immediately follows the performance of some action, a person says that he or she is undergoing or experiencing the fruits of such-and-such action. But when the body undergoes a change due to physical weakness or infirmity (that is, when death takes place), then in the next birth the person has to serve the accrued requitals, that is, the unserved reactions of the previous birth – and at that time persons will not be able to understand which of their actions have brought upon them the reaction that they are now serving. It is just because [the cause] cannot be seen or understood that it is called adrśt́a, or unseen, requitals, or fate. Niyati, or fate, is merely the accrued reactions of the original actions. Niyati is no guiding factor. Wise persons do not waste time musing on reactions. Humans can mould their own fate in accordance with their actions. They must not become slaves to their fate.

Yadrcchá. The English equivalent of yadrcchá is “accident”. I must say at the very outset that accident can never be the primary cause of evolution or of the Cycle of Creation. Kárańábhávát káryábhávah; that is, “Without a cause there can be no effect.” When we come across an effect and along with it we get acquainted with its causal factor, we then call that effect an “incident”. But when, due to ignorance, we cannot know the cause of the effect, or when the causal factor gets transformed suddenly into the effect factor, we call that effect an “accident”. But in the universe there is no such thing as an accident. It is only to cover up one’s ignorance of the real cause that one talks about an “accident”.

Bhúta. Bhúta is translated “matter” in English. There are many materialists, such as Charvaka, who say that this universe is begotten of matter alone. According to Charvaka what is non-perceptible is non-existent. We cannot see the mind, or air, but do they not exist? Through our judgement we know that matter is an inert object, and hence without intelligence. Intellect, and conscious beings, cannot be begotten of a non-intelligent inert object, that is, matter.

Prakrti. Now the question is, whether Prakrti [Cosmic Operative Principle] is the primary cause of this manifest universe. No, it certainly is not. Pra karoti iti Prakrti [“The entity that gives form to different objects is called Prakrti”]. A light bulb is lit by electrical energy. A fan, too, moves electrically. But this electrical energy is controlled and harnessed by humans; there is a switch for it, also. If people do not want any electric light, they just switch it off, and there is no light. The manifestation or unmanifestation of electrical energy depends on the human will. The shakti [energy, power] of Prakrti is that of Puruśa – Shaktih Sá Shivasya Shaktih. So without the permission of the Supreme Puruśa, the universe could not have been evolved. Prakrti is the secondary [efficient cause], Puruśa is the chief [efficient cause].

Jiivátmá [synonymous with puruśa in the shloka]. Is the jiivátmá [unit átman, unit consciousness] then the causal factor of this Srśt́icakra [Cycle of Creation]? Sáḿkhya philosophy says that in the universe there are many jiivátmás and one Prakrti. But we know that a jiivátmá has no independent entity of its own. It is upahata [affected] by, and vulnerable to, pleasure and pain, though it does not take part in action. A mirror has no colour, but it becomes red if a red flower is placed before it. That is why the átmá of a pápii [sinner] is called pápopahatátmá [átman affected by sin] and that of a puńyaván [virtuous person], puńyopahatátmá [átman affected by virtue]. Both pápátmá [sinful átman] and puńyátmá [virtuous átman] are wrong terms. When a football match is being played in some field, keen competition exists between the two groups. The spectators too betray their mental agitation regarding the defeat or victory of a particular side. Similarly with the jiivátmá. The átman which is involved with the mind⁽³⁾ [is] an entity vulnerable to vice and virtue, and can never be the causal factor of the universe.

[Saḿyoga, “combination”.] Two imperfect entities together cannot create an infinite entity, either. So [no combination of] time, nature, fate, accident[, and jiivátmá] collectively can create a Supreme Entity. None of these entities is the subtlest entity.

The citta [ectoplasm, mind-stuff] is responsive to material waves. When the movement of the [citta is pro-noumenal, the citta merges in the spiritual sphere. When the movement is pro-phenomenal], the sense of the material waves wakes up in the citta. We then call it bodha [perception]. But when the psychic pro-[noumenal] wave is reflected on the átmá, it is jiṋána.

The reflecting plate is more important than the reflected one. So among all these factors, the subtlest and final plate [within the unit] is the átmá [unit cognition]. But though it is very subtle, it is shelterless, so it always needs a vast shelter. The unit cognitive force is in search of that vast shelter, which is the Supreme Cognition. This Supreme Cognition is the noumenal cause or the Causal Matrix. The Vedas say,

Yato vá imáni bhútáni jáyante yena játáni jiivanti;
Yat prayantyabhisaḿvishanti tad vijijiṋásasva tad Brahma.

[All created beings emerge from, are maintained in, and finally dissolve in, the Supreme Entity. You should desire to know that supreme stance as Brahma.]

So this Supreme Cognition, and no second entity, is your dhyeya [object of meditation].

A question arises: “Have all the above – time, nature, etc. – no value at all?” But the answer is, yes, they certainly have.

The Supreme Cognition is called Parashiva in the scriptures. The movement towards Parashiva is called parágati, or introversive movement. For this movement all the aforesaid relative factors – time, nature, fate, accident, and matter – are certainly needed.

Time, as has already been said, is purely a relative factor. But time should not be neglected, as neglect of the time factor produces many undesirable consequences. A child of five, for instance, thinks that he or she will start sádhaná at the age of twenty-four. When he or she becomes a young person of twenty-four, the person thinks that he or she will start sádhaná at the age of forty-five. And at the age of forty-five the person decides to start it ten years later. Thus time is wasted, and at the end of the person’s life the person realizes his or her mistake.

The study of nature is no less important, when you come to serve the world. When you attend on a patient, if you are aware of the svabháva, or nature, of the disease, treatment becomes easy. If you know the nature of your friend and foe, you will know better how to deal with them individually.

And fate serves as an eye-opener. When a person does an act, the person forgets that one day he or she will have to serve the reaction to that action. So when people suffer, they should understand that they are being punished for their past misdeeds. This will help the person to be serene [about the punishment] and alert about the consequences of any [future] evil act.

“Accident” is a misnomer. No effect can take place without a cause. When a person receives an opportunity to do sádhaná, it is to be understood that the person is being allowed today to do sádhaná due to the good and virtuous deeds he or she performed in various past lives. The opportunity is the effect of the factors that lie behind it. So the present should be properly utilized for the future.

And finally, our bodies have come from this material world, so we must not neglect matter. Since matter too is a manifestation of God, we should behave properly with it; otherwise living will be impossible, and so will sádhaná.

So we see that humans are benefited by these things, but this does not mean that they are the only aim of human beings. The summum bonum of human life is to attain Parashiva. To attain that Supreme Entity you will have to adjust with these ingredients.

Shakti helps in such adjustments. You cannot [ignore] Prakrti. A sádhaka of Shivatva or Cosmic Consciousness does not disregard Shakti. One who is a Shaeva in the world of thought is indeed a Shákta on the path of sádhaná. (And, since Viśńu means “All-Pervading Entity”, one who sees the All-Pervading Entity in every object of this practical world is indeed a Vaeśńava.)⁽⁴⁾ There is no question of quarrelling among Shaivite, Shákta and Vaishnavite.

Shakti is not the dhyeya. Shakti is earned through the thought of Shiva, but Shiva is not attainable through the thought of Shakti. Shaktih Sá Shivasya Shaktih – “Shakti abides in Shiva.” Shakti is always being converted into Shiva. In reference to the ways of Shiva and Shakti, the Vedas say, Sa nityanivrttá [“She is ever-waning”]. After a limitless time [according to the Vedas] all the shaktis will be transformed into Shiva, and then alone will the universe come to its end.

There is [only a philosophical] difference between Shiva and Shakti. Let no one say that they could not worship Shiva for want of Shakti.

People may think, “Will Shiva be kind to us? Will He not be angry since our past is full of ills and depravities?” To Him there is no difference between sinners and the virtuous. On the contrary, a virtuous person may harbour vanity. The person may think, “I have never done anything wrong.” But a sinner is a helpless person. He or she has nothing to his credit. He or she is absolutely shelterless. So Shiva extends His arms first to the sinners. Giving help and shelter to the helpless and shelterless is indeed the mark of real greatness, of the really great. If Shiva failed to give shelter to the sinners, we might infer that hatred abided even in Paramátman, and that He distinguished between a sinner and a virtuous person.

What does a mother do? If one of her two sons is strong and the other weak, she takes more care of the weak child. Similarly Shiva showers His blessings more upon the helpless.

There is no need of flowers, etc., in the sádhaná of Shiva. To progress towards Paramashiva, love is necessary. Verbal enthusiasm alone will be of no use.

Go forward. Forget all about your past. Advancement and progress must come your way. Victory shall be yours.

(1) A sentence that may have been mistranslated in the original magazine publication of this discourse omitted here. –Eds.

(2) A sentence that may have been mistranslated in the original magazine publication of this discourse omitted here. –Eds.

(4) The major three of the traditional five schools of Tantra are Shaevácára, Sháktácára, and Vaeśńavácára. –Eds.

The Causal Matrix

Published in:
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

Notes:

Many words and phrases were not clearly audible on the tape, so in this discourse many of the square brackets represent the most likely inferences (from the context) as to the meaning.

Yato vá imáni bhútáni jáyante yena játáni jiivanti;
Yat prayantyabhisaḿvishanti tad vijijiṋásasva tad Brahma.

“The Supreme Entity from whom everything cometh, in whom everything remaineth, and to whom everything goeth back, is Brahma. The spiritual aspirant is to know Him.” He is the Transcendental Entity. He is the Supreme Entity. He is the creator of this Cosmological order.

Kálah svabhávo niyatiryadrcchá bhútáni yonih puruśa iti cintyá;
Saḿyoga eśáḿ na tvátmabhávád átmápyaniishah sukhaduhkhahetoh.

This Transcendental Entity, this Creative Principle, cannot be the time factor. Time is not an eternal factor. Because what is time? It is mental reckoning of the motivity of action. This mental reckoning of the motivity of action [means that] where there is no action, there cannot be any time. The earth moves around the sun; that is how we get the solar year, the solar month, the solar day. The moon moves round the earth; that is how we get the lunar month, the lunar year, the lunar [day]. And the solar year or lunar year, the solar day or lunar day, are mental reckonings of their movements. Wherever there is no action, the possibility of measurement does not arise. And where there is action but no personal entity, no personal factor to measure the motivity, there cannot be any time. So the time factor is a relative factor; there cannot be eternal time. Time cannot be the absolute factor; so it cannot be the Causal Matrix, it cannot be the Creative Faculty. So time should not be the object of meditation. Time should not be your supreme desideratum. Time is not the Transcendental Entity.

Next item, svabháva. What is svabháva? You know, the functional side of this universe, the most important factor, is the Operative Principle. Now, what is the Operative Principle? At a particular time,⁽¹⁾ the particular style followed by the Operative Principle is called nature. So nature cannot be the Creative Faculty. Some people say “[The entire universe] is the creation of nature. It has come from nature.” No, no, no. Nature cannot create anything. Nature is the mode of work of the Operative Principle. The style followed by Prakrti, the style followed by the Operative Principle, rather the Creative Principle, is called nature, svabháva. So svabháva, or nature, cannot be the Creative Faculty. Nothing cometh from nature; nature is the style of working. It is due to the misguiding effects of defective materialistic philosophy that people say that everything has been created by nature. Now, this nature [is the creation] of the Operative Principle.

Kála, svabháva, then niyati. Niyati means “fate”. Is fate a guiding factor? No, it is not at all a guiding factor. Fate does not control human movement. What is fate? It is the unexpressed resultant momenta of your past actions. You have done something good or bad, so you will have to suffer the consequence, you will have to face the result. And unless and until the reaction in seed form is properly satisfied, you cannot get salvation, you cannot get emancipation. Now, these [reactive momenta], these unquenched reactive momenta, come before you in the form of fate. You committed some bad thing, now you will have to undergo punishment. The reactive momenta take the form of punishment.

And [usually] somewhere on this earth or on any other planet, [there will be] a particular structure or [configuration] of the stars and planets. So-called astrologers say that because you were born when the moon and such-and-such star or planet were within the jurisdiction of such-and-such zodiac [sign,] you took birth in this way. No. Because you committed this type of action, you were born within such-and-such structure or such-and-such zodiac [sign]. It is because of [your] actions that you were born on the earth and should suffer like this; not because of the [influences of] the stars. Do you follow? These actions brought you within the structural limits of such-and-such zodiac [sign] and such-and-such planets. So the stars do not [control] you; your original actions control you. And where [the original action] is not known to you, but the result is known to you, the result is experienced by you, you say it is niyati. It is also called adrśt́a in Sanskrit. Adrśt́a means “not-drśt́a, not seen”. Where you feel the reaction, where you witness the reaction, but you cannot see the original action, it is called adrśt́a, that is, unseen. You do not know what the original crime was that you committed, but you are [driven by] the reaction. So you say, “It is my adrśt́a.”

So fate cannot be the controlling factor, cannot be the creative factor, and so fate must not be your object of meditation, your object of adoration, or your object of worship. Human destiny is not controlled by fate. A human’s destiny is his or her own creation.⁽²⁾ You have to fight against bondage; you have to fight against fate and do something original by your personal [effort].

After kála, svabháva, niyati: yadrcchá [accident]. Some people [of misguided intellectual outlook] say, “It is something accidental.” Just to conceal their ignorance, they say it is accidental. You know, there is nothing accidental in this universe. For each and every incident there is some cause. We may or may not know the cause, but we must not say it is accidental just in order to conceal our ignorance. Everything is causal. Nothing is non-causal in this universe of causality.

Sometimes it so happens that the cause is translated into effect in a very short span of time; the translation period is very short. In that case, the effect is called “accidental”. [But is it really accidental?] And sometimes you see the result but you do not know the cause; in that case also you say it is an accident.⁽³⁾ You do not know the cause, so you say, “It is an accident, it is an accident.” No, there is no accident; everything is incident. So yadrcchá means “accident”. The accident cannot be the real cause, cannot be the causal factor. An accident cannot be your object of meditation or object of adoration.

Kálah svabhávo niyatiryadrcchá bhútáni… [“Time, nature, fate, accident, matter…”] Some people say, “You know, the original cause [is] matter – this quinquelemental universe came from ádibhúta, from matter.⁽⁴⁾ Matter is the rudimental cause, matter is everything.” If matter is everything, how does the Causal Mind come from matter? The mind is something superior to matter. So matter is not the ádibhúta. Human intellect, the human spirit, is far superior to matter, so matter cannot be the rudimental cause. Matter cannot be the Causal Matrix. And by worshipping matter, a person will be converted into matter. A person will be degraded to the status of animal and finally to the status of matter. So matter cannot be your object of ideation.

… bhútáni yonih puruśa iti cintyá [“… matter, the jiivátman (unit consciousness) – it is debatable”]. Now, is the jiivátman the rudimental cause? No. The jiivátmá cannot be the rudimental cause, because there are so many jiivátmás. For each and every entity there is one jiivátman. And even in matter there are jiivátmás. Because of their undeveloped mind,⁽⁵⁾ the existence of the átman is not experienced, but the átman is there. A particular jiivátman, a particular entity, cannot be the supreme causal factor of the entire universe. So the yonih puruśa [unit consciousness] is not the causal factor.

You know, whenever any mind, any microcosm, feels any good or bad experience, the concerned jiivátman is affected by that feeling.

Suppose there is a football match. There are two parties, and you are the spectators. You are not the players, remember; the results of the match [will not directly affect you. Yet you will feel affected.]

Similarly, whenever pleasure or sorrow is experienced by the mind, the [human] mind, the concerned jiivátman is affected by that particular pleasure or sorrow. Suppose there is a red flower and there is a looking-glass. That looking-glass has no colour, while the flower is [red], but because of its proximity to the red flower, the looking-glass will also become red. Similarly, the jiivátmá gets assailed by the pleasures and sorrows of the human mind. That entity that gets assailed by pleasures and sorrows cannot be the Causal Matrix, cannot be the supreme cause; so it cannot be your object of ideation.

Saḿyoga eśáḿ na tvátmabhávád átmápyaniishah sukhaduhkhahetoh – “nor can the combination of these factors – kála, svabháva, niyati, yadrcchá – be the causal factor.” Why? Because in each and every item we find there are certain imperfections. Imperfect entities cannot be the supreme cause of this universe.

Then is Prakrti the supreme causal factor, is the Operative Principle the supreme causal factor? No, certainly not. When the triangle of principles, the triangle of rudimental principles, gets unbalanced, its equipoise is lost. Then the resultant faculty comes out from one of its vertices. That resultant is the first phase of creation. But that resultant, the basic faculty, cannot do anything concrete without the help of the Cognitive Factor. In the second phase, in the primordial stratum, it requires the presence of the Cognitive Principle still more. And in the final stage of creation, in the case of the vibrational faculties, it requires the presence of the Cognition still more. So the Operative Principle (or, when helped by the Cognitive Principle, more popularly known as the Creative Principle, or Mahámáyá, in Sanskrit) cannot be the creative force, cannot be the Causal Matrix. Mahámáyá cannot do anything without the help of Shiva [Cognitive Principle]. Only with the permission of Shiva can She do something. So Mahámáyá, or the Operative Principle, is not the Causal Matrix, Shiva is the supreme cause.

Kśaraḿ Pradhánamamrtákśaraḿ Harah kśarátmanáviishate Deva ekah;
Tasyábhidhyánát yojanát Tattvabhávát bhúyashcánte Vishvamáyánivrttih.

[Pradhána, or Prakrti, is mutable, but Hara, or Puruśa, is immortal and immutable. That Deva controls both Prakrti and the attributed Puruśa. Through abhidhyána, through association with the Supreme, and through Tattvabháva (half-meditation on the Supreme while in the midst of action), one can overcome the powerful spell of Vishvamáyá – the universal Máyá.]

Kśaraḿ Pradhánam [“Prakrti is mutable”]. Prakrti, the Operative Principle, is also known as kśaram. Kśaram means “waning”, “undergoing changes”, “undergoing metamorphosis”, “transient”, “transitory”. Prakrti is not something transcendental, something intransient; She has to undergo changes.

[That which liberates through a] code of discipline is shástra [scripture] – Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirtitah. In the shástras it has been said that Prakrti is nityanivrttá. Every day at each and every moment She is waning, She is dying out, She is being transformed into Puruśa. It is just like the condition of ghee in fire. Ghee helps the fire to maintain its existence, but the ghee itself is metamorphosed into ashes.

Kśaraḿ Pradhánamamrtákśaraḿ Harah [“Prakrti is mutable, but Parama Puruśa is immortal and immutable”]. But Hara means [Shiva]. Shiva is the root cause; Parama Puruśa, the Transcendental Entity, the Supreme Puruśa, the Supreme Cognition, is the Causal Matrix, and not the Operative Principle.

Amrtákśaraḿ Harah – “Hara is amrta and akśara.” Hara: Harati pápáni ityarthe Harah [“He who steals one’s sins is called Hara”]. Harati in Sanskrit means “to steal”. “He who steals pápa [sin] from you is Hara.” He is stealing something from you. And that something is what? Pápa. Amrtákśaraḿ Harah – “Hara is amrta and akśara.” That is,⁽⁶⁾ Hara is akśara. He undergoes no transmutation.

And amrta. Amrta means “immortal”. Do you know what death is? Death means a change of form. A boy of five years became a young man – now, the body of that boy underwent death. That young man became old – the body of that young man underwent death. That old man died and he again came here in the form of a little boy – the body of that old man underwent death. Death means a change of form.

Vásáḿsi jiirńani yathá viháya naváni grhńáti naro’paráńi;
Tathá shariiráni viháya jiirńányáni saḿyáti naváni dehii.

“Just as you change the old cloth for a new cloth, similarly you change the old body and you reappear in this world in a new body.” This is what death is. Amrtákśaraḿ Harah – “This Hara is akśara and amrta – immortal, undergoing no change, undergoing no metamorphosis.”

Kśarátmanáviishate deva ekah [“that immortal and immutable Deva also controls the mutable Prakrti”]. But this Hara is the Attributional Consciousness, Attributional Entity, Attributed Entity. Why Attributed Entity? Because of Its proximity to the Basic Principle, the primordial principle, and also because of Its proximity to the vibrational principle. You know this Basic Principle is called Kaośikii Shakti or Mahásarasvatii in Sanskrit. And the primordial principle is called Bhaeravii shakti. And the vibrational principle is called Bhavánii shakti. When Hara is in contact with the Basic Principle, He is Paramashiva; when He is in contact with the primordial principle, He is Bhaerava; and when He is in contact with the vibrational principle, He is Bhava. So because of His proximity to, because of His close contact with, the creative faculties, He cannot be the supreme factor, although He is the Supreme Causal Entity. He has got something to do with the created universe. That’s why although He is the Causal Entity, He is not the Supreme Beatitude. Because of His proximity to the Operative Principle, He is an attributional entity, not the Non-Attributional Entity. He is savisheśa [attributional], He is not nirvisheśa [non-attributional].

Kśarátmanáviishate deva ekah. Both these faculties, the Operative Principle, Mahámáyá, and Hara, are controlled by a third factor, and that third factor is the supreme factor, and that third factor is Puruśottama, the hub of this Cosmological order.

Tasyábhidhyánát yojanát tattvabhávát bhúyashcánte Vishvamáyánivrttih – “and for liberation, for psycho-spiritual salvation, one is to ideate on that third factor, and He is Puruśottama.”

How can one attain that supreme stance? How can one ensconce oneself in that Supreme Beatitude? Tasyábhidhyánát [“by abhidhyána on Him”]. [Tasya means “His”. What is the meaning of abhidhyána?] In abhidhyána there are two phases: prańidhána and anudhyána. Prańidhána means “withdrawing the mental [flows] from all objects and guiding that collective strength unto one object”. This is called prańidhána. You know Iishvara prańidhána.⁽⁷⁾ Withdrawal of the mind from all other entities and guiding that mental power unto the Singular Entity is prańidhána. Ananyámamatá Viśńormamatá premasauṋgata – “Withdrawing from all other entities and guiding towards Viśńu is prańidhána.”

And anudhyána.⁽⁸⁾ Suppose a spiritual aspirant suffers either from an inferiority complex or from a sinner’s complex. “I am a sinner I am a sinner. I am a degraded man. How can I attain that supreme position?” [Sinner’s complex.] Or “I am an ordinary jiiva, how can I be one with my Lord?” Inferiority complex. Because of these complexes, one notices that it is a very difficult job for him to become one with the Lord, to merge with Him.

[Then what is anudhyána?] Suppose that because of one’s past sins, the Lord may not agree to be one with him or her. [The Lord may not encourage a person to be one with Him.] It may be like this. But even then, by practising anudhyána, the sádhaka is to say, “O Lord, I may be a sinner, I may be a degraded person, but still I am Yours. I am Your child.⁽⁹⁾ I won’t spare You. [I will take refuge in You,] till I become one with You.

“I won’t spare you. I am a sinner.⁽¹⁰⁾ I am a sinner, but even then I will not spare You, because You are a sinner’s Father!” [laughter]

Tasyábhidhyánát – that is, prańidhánát and anudhyánát. Tasyábhidhyánát yojanát Tattvabhávát [“through abhidhyána, through association with the Supreme, and through Tattvabháva (half-meditation on the Supreme while in the midst of action)”].

What is anudhyána and prańidhána? The sádhaka comes in close contact with Supreme Puruśa. In the Rgveda it has been said:

Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yadbhútaḿ yacca bhavyam;
Utámrtatvasyesháno yadannenátirohati.⁽¹¹⁾

[Puruśa knows whatever happened in the past and whatever will happen in the future. He is the Lord of all, because He has created everything.]

“This Supreme Puruśa knows everything, each and every incident of the universe.” And for Him there is no difference between a puńyaván and a pápii, a person of virtue and a person of vice. Because the virtuous and the sinner both are His children, both are His progeny. Because He is the Supreme Progenitor, all are His children. He cannot hate anybody, although He knows everything. He knows what you did, He knows what you said, He knows what you thought, because everything is within His mind. [Everything is] a Macropsychic conation.

Yojanát means “by dint of your sádhaná”. By Iishvara prańidhána and anudhyána you come in close contact with Him, and this is yojanát. For yojanát in Sanskrit there are two verbs.⁽¹²⁾ One is yuj and the other is yuiṋj. Yuj means to come in close contact but maintaining one’s individuality. It is [just like] a mixture of sand and sugar. There is close contact between the sand and sugar, but they maintain their individual identities. And then there is yuiṋj. Yuiṋj means [not just] to come in contact, but to become one with each other. One is addition and the other is unification. The root verb yuj means “to add” and the root verb yuiṋj means “to unify”. Here, yojanát means unification. When a river comes in close contact with the ocean, yojanát takes place, and that yojanát is of the root verb yuiṋj, that is, “unification”.⁽¹³⁾ Similarly, when a sádhaka comes in contact with Him, that is, yojanát becomes established, one becomes one with the Supreme Self. [Let us say] his name is Mr. X. Mr. X was his little “I” and [God was] his big “I”. His little “I”, X, becomes one with his big “I”, God. Do you follow?⁽¹⁴⁾ The little I becomes one with the big I.

Yojanát tattvabhávát. Tattvabhávát. In Sanskrit, tat means “that”. Here “That” means Parama Puruśa. For Parama Puruśa, Paramátmá or Parama Brahma it is [normal] usage to use “It” as neutral gender. Neither masculine nor feminine, neuter gender. So here the word “He” has not been used, the word “That” has been used. Tat means “That”, and tva is [a suffix to make] an abstract noun [meaning “ness”]. So Tattva means “Thatness”. For example, mahattattva. So Tattvabhávát – that is, “one is to establish one’s mind in the idea of Thatness.” Whatever I see,⁽¹⁵⁾ everything is That; everything is Parama Puruśa. By constant meditation, by constant repetition of your guru mantra – [what you learned in your] second lesson⁽¹⁶⁾ – [you perform] Tattvabhávát. [Ascribing] Brahma-hood to each and every entity is Tattvabhávát.

So, Tasyábhidhyánát (that is, prańidhánát and anudhyánát) yojanát Tattvabhávát!

Bhúyashcánte Vishvamáyánivrttih [“one can overcome the powerful spell of Vishvamáyá, the universal Máyá”]. The Vishvamáyá – the Supreme Creative Faculty is called Vishvamáyá. When She works within the scope of all the strata of expression She is called Mahámáyá, and when She [works within the physical stratum], She is called Vishvamáyá. When one becomes one with this Causal Matrix, this Causal Faculty, the Supreme Cause, what happens? The insurmountable Máyá surrenders before him or her. For an ordinary mortal, this Máyá is insurmountable, very difficult to cross. Lord Krśńa said,

Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama Máyá duratyayá;
Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.⁽¹⁷⁾

“This Máyá of Mine.” Whose Máyá? “My Máyá,” says the Lord. “[It is] insurmountable, very difficult to cross.” But, Mámeva ye prapadyante – “He who has taken My shelter,” – Máyámetám taranti te – “Máyá surrenders before him or her.”

Bhúyashcánte Vishvamáyánivrttih. [For] one who takes shelter, ensconces oneself, in Parama Puruśa – in the Supreme Puruśa, in the Supreme Cause, in the Supreme Controlling Faculty of this Cosmological order – what happens? Vishvamáyá surrenders before him. He becomes a free man, a muktapuruśa; he or she attains salvation. Now by individual effort it is very difficult to fight the overwhelming effect of Mahámáyá. The easiest way is to take shelter in the Supreme Puruśa. As Máyá is the faculty of Parama Puruśa, when one has taken shelter in Puruśa, naturally Máyá will surrender before him or her, and actually Máyá surrenders before him or her.

How to become one with Parama Puruśa? By prańidhána, by anudhyána, by yojanát and by Tattvabhávát. And how are all these things, all these [treasures] – anudhyána, prańidhána, yojanát and tattvabhávát – established? With the help of only one faculty, not mentioned in this shloka, and that faculty is devotion.

(4) Ádibhúta, in materialistic philosophies, is matter conceived of as the “primary factor”. –Eds.

(12) I.e., the one word yojanát can be derived from either of two verbs. –Eds.

The Supreme Cognition

Published in:
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

Notes:

This discourse was transcribed from a tape. There was clearly more at the beginning and end of the actual discourse than was on the tape.

The Cosmic Operative Principle, or Cosmic Creative Principle, or Causal Matrix, is sheltered in the Transcendental Entity, the Supreme Cognition.

Nára has three imports. One meaning of nára is niira, that is, water. Another meaning of nára is “devotion”. The sage whose only duty was to preach the gospels of devotion was called “Nárada”. Da means “donor”, “giver”, and nára means “devotion”. And the third meaning of Nára is the Supreme Operative Principle.

And because the Supreme Operative Principle, or Nára, has been sheltered in the Transcendental Entity, the Supreme Cognition, the Supreme Cognition is called Náráyańa. Nára + ayana [shelter] = Náráyańa.

Now, the Supreme Cognition is a non-attributed entity, and the faculty of attribution lies with the Operative Principle. Theoretically, when there was no expression, no manifestation, there were innumerable flows of different waves of this Supreme Operative Principle, but they could not create any geometrical figure. And when the first geometrical figure was created, in that first geometrical figure, in that Causal Matrix, there were so many waves.

But all those waves can be brought under three main categories according to wavelength. Where the waves are subtlest, that is, moving almost in the form of straight lines, that particular variety [of wave] is called the sentient principle. [And another variety of wave] comes within the scope of the mutative principle. And the crudest one, the static principle. So in that first figure, in that first geometrical figure, at the dawn of creation, there may be more than one line, but there were only three principles. And finally, as a result of their mutual inter-transmutation, there remained only three lines, that is, there remained only one triangle. And this is what is called the triangle of forces. Even within that triangle of forces there were inter-transmutations – sentient being converted into mutative, mutative into static, static into sentient… This process of inter-transmutation is called svarúpa parińáma in the shástras.

First you should know what shástra is. Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirtitah [“That which liberates through discipline is called shástra, or scripture”]. Shásana means [“control”]. That which controls your activities just to help you in your march towards the Supreme Entity is shástra. Tra means “liberator”. Shás means “to control”. So in the shástras, this inter-transmutation is called svarúpa parińáma. This first triangle of creation is, however, a theoretical creation. Here the Operative Principle does not create anything concrete. It was in the seed form of creation, and in that Operative Principle, the Cognitive Principle was also there. But It, the Cognitive Faculty, was not in an expressed form. In that triangle of forces, the Operative Principle is called Prakrti and not Máyá, because in that stage She was not able to create anything concrete. The Operative Principle in the triangle of forces is called Kaośikii Shakti or Shivánii Shakti, and Its witnessing counterpart, the Cognition, is called Shiva.

Now in the next phase, as a result of constant inter-transmutation, force was released from one of the vertices of the triangle, and when it came out, that starting point was the first point of creation. There Prakrti became fully attributed, and Puruśa is also attributed because of Its witnessing something attributed. You know, when energy is all of a sudden released, its movement is just like a straight line, and after that it acquires curvature due to clash and cohesion. So that released force moving just like a straight line is something attributed.

Prakrti in the triangular form is called the Basic Principle. Then in this second form, moving in a straight line, [She may be termed Bhavánii shakti,] and in Bhavánii shakti the [succeeding] curvature always tries to follow the [preceding] curvature; that is, the succeeding curvature is just like, though not exactly the same as, the preceding curvature. Suppose one man is A. His son is B. B is just like A – B is also a man, not a goat. Then his son, C. C is just like B – he is also a man, not a dog. That is, the following curvature is to some extent like the preceding curvature.

This process of following the preceding curvature is called sadrsha parińáma in the shástras. Sadrsha means “similar”. You will see there is hardly any difference between B and C; C is following B. But there is a gulf of difference between A and Z. Suppose A was an australopithecine of the Pliocene Age, and Z is a man of this Cenozoic Age. This change is going on in the realm of the vibrational principle. In our philosophy, Bhaeravii shakti is called the primordial principle, and Bhavánii shakti is called the vibrational principle. Now, here we are in the realm of the vibrational principle.

What is the role of the Cosmic Cognition? The Cosmic Cognition is beyond the scope of time, space and person, because these three fundamental relative factors are the creation of the Operative Principle, and the Operative Principle is sheltered by the Cognition. So the Cosmic Cognition is beyond the realm of the Operative Principle, and so beyond the realm of time, space and person. It is simply the witnessing factor. Whatever is being done in the arena of the Operational Principle is being witnessed by the Cognition. That is why the Cognition is called jiṋána svarúpa [“of the nature of knowledge”] in the shástras.

Now, what is human existence? This quinquelemental universe has been created in the extroversial phase within the realm of the vibrational principle. Wherever, in this quinquelemental universe, there is an adjustment of the five fundamental factors, there we find life. Life is a creation of proper balance or proper adjustment, proper equipoise, of the five fundamental factors. And when life is created, life, or the vital principle, the vital force, as the propelling energy, converts some portion of those quinquelemental factors into a subtler object. That subtler object is the ectoplasm.

The human mind is a creation of physical factors. Ectoplasm is a creation of physical factors. The human mind is a creation of the human body. The quinquelemental universe is a creation of the Cosmic Mind, of the Macrocosm, but the microcosm, the unit mind, is a creation of the quinquelemental factors. The human mind did not come directly from the Macrocosm; it came from matter. And matter is a creation of the Macrocosm. Do you follow?

Now, after the creation of the ectoplasmic structure in living beings, the introversial phase starts. In this introversial phase, we get ego, we get intellect, we get intuition. And the best intuitional faculty, the best creation of intuitional stamina, is the process of cogitation. The cogitative mind tries to express all its experiences, but it fails to express its experiences properly.

You came in contact with fire. You said, “Oof.” This “oof” does not represent properly the feeling that you experienced when you came in contact with fire, but you tried to express your tactual experience by uttering the word “oof”. Do you follow? When you feel pleasure, you try to express your sensory feeling by uttering the word “ah!” But the “ah!” cannot fathom the depth of your pleasure. Similarly, “oof” cannot fathom the depth of your predicament. But it is the human wont to try to express one’s sensory or psychic feelings. There lies the speciality of the microcosm. And there starts the intuitional practice of the microcosm; there starts sádhaná.

The Supreme Cognition, being beyond the arena of personal, temporal or spatial factors, does not come within the periphery of any acoustic expression. Even then, humans try to express It. The Supreme Cognition, Parama Puruśa, cannot be expressed, cannot have any acoustic expression. Even then, humans try to express It, just to satisfy themselves. Paramátmá kabhii ucchiśt́ nahiin hue haen. [“Paramátmá can never be brought within the scope of the mind”]. The Vedic rśi [sage] says regarding that Parama Puruśa, that Supreme Cognition:

Eko Devah sarvabhúteśu gúd́hah sarvavyápii sarvabhútántarátmá;
Karmádhyakśa sarvabhútádhivásah sákśiicet kevalo nirguńashca.⁽¹⁾

[That Supreme Singular Entity lies hidden in the innermost recesses of all created beings. He pervades everything; He is the innermost self of all beings. He presides over all actions and is the final shelter of all beings. He alone is Cognition in the form of Witnessing Entity, beyond all guńas, or attributes.]

Eko Devah [“That Supreme Singular Entity”]. Eka means “one”.⁽²⁾ When you say “one”, it is a particular psychic projection, is it not? When you say eka, it is a particular psychic projection, and when the word eka is used for a particular object, that object comes within the periphery of your psychic body. But He is beyond the scope of time, space and person. How can you use the word eka for Him? You cannot. Nor can you use the word aneka [“not one”, “many”] for Him, because aneka is another psychic projection. But even then the rśi says eka. Because when the mind becomes eka, one comes in contact with Him. Do you follow?

You know, in the human mind there are so many propensities. In the human [body] there are fifty main glands and sub-glands. Now the hormone created, secreted, by each and every gland or main sub-gland controls a particular propensity of the human mind. These hormones are called granthisudhá or granthirasa in Sanskrit. In the human mind there are fifty expressions, depending on the secretion of hormones from the fifty main glands and sub-glands. And you know, each and every propensity, when expressed, moves in a particular line with a particular wavelength. The wavelength of ghrńá [hatred] is quite different from that of lajjá [shame] or bhaya [fear].

Each and every propensity has got its peculiar wavelength, and wherever there is any vibrational expression there is sound and colour. So the fifty propensities are called fifty colours (“colour” is varńa in Sanskrit). So these are fifty varńas, and each and every propensity, each and every expression, has its sound also – acoustic expression also – so there are fifty sounds. Those fifty sounds, those fifty colours, are a, á, i, ii, u, uu, and because they have their peculiar colours, they are called varńamálá, “a collection of colours”.⁽³⁾

In the Tantric varńamálá, the first letter is a. A represents the propensity of creation. Whenever you are going to create something, a particular wave is radiated from your mind, is emanated from your mind, and that emanated wave has a particular colour and a particular sound. The sound of the faculty of creation is a-a-a-a-a. First creation, then other things. Hence, a is the first letter of the Tantric varńamálá. What is the first letter of the Gujarati varńamálá? A. Very good. Have you understood why a comes first and not á?

When these propensities are moving towards so many mundane and supramundane objects, your mind gets divided and subdivided due to your internal fissiparous tendencies. So what is your sádhaná? You are to withdraw those expressions, those fifty expressions, and bring them to a particular point, and guide that singular flow unto the Supreme Self. You can come in contact with Him only when these fifty expressions become one. Hence the rśi says, Eko Devah. Hence the word eka has been used, and not aneka. Do you follow? Very good.

You see, human cogitation tries to explain Him. But human language fails to express Him properly. It is just like mysticism. You know what mysticism is; mysticism is a never-ending endeavour to find a link between the finite and the infinite. It is a never-ending process. Similar is the case with these things.

Then the rśi says Deva. What is deva? The Supreme Cognition is the hub of this Cosmological order. In the case of an atom, there is a particular nucleus. That nucleus is the hub of that atom, in that smallest atomic system. Then again, in this ethereal system, the earth is the hub, the earth is the nave, and the moon is moving around the earth. It is the ethereal system. Then we come to a still bigger system – the solar system. Here the sun is the nave, and so many planets are moving around it. And then the biggest system, Brahma Cakra, the Cosmological order, the Cosmological system; there Parama Puruśa is the nucleus, the hub, the nave, and so many jiivas [unit beings] are moving around Him with their respective saḿskáras, their respective reactive momenta. Do you follow? Very good. The entire expressed universe, as I just said, is a mesh of vibrations of different wavelengths, and these vibrational expressions came out emanated from the Supreme Hub, Parama Puruśa. Each and every expression emanating from the Supreme Hub is certainly a divine expression, and each and every divine expression is called a deva. So these fifty letters are all devas. They are of divine expression, and that’s why they are called mátrka varńa, that is, “causal matrix”: colour serving as the causal matrix, the mátrka varńa (“mother of this universe”) – these letters are mothers of this universe.

Deva. He is the supreme Deva – Eko Devah. He is the Deva of all devas, He is the Father of all fathers. He is not pitá [father], He is Parama Pitá [Supreme Father]. Just like the moon. The moon is the mámá [maternal uncle] of everybody. Your mámá, your father’s mámá, your father’s father’s mámá; Chandamámá [Uncle Moon] is the mámá for all. He is your mámá and your maternal uncle’s mámá also. Because he is your maternal uncle’s mámá, he is not your maternal grandfather. He is also your maternal uncle. Do you follow?

So, Eko Devah – “He is the Supreme Deva.” That is, He is Mahádeva, the Deva of all devas, the multiple of all the multiplicities of the universe.

Sarvabhúteśu gúd́hah [“hidden in the innermost recesses of all created beings”]. Sarvabhúta: Bhúta means “created beings”. Bhúta means “past”, that is, “created”. And sarvabhúta. What is sarva? What is the meaning of sarva in the Gujarati language? “Everything”. Yes, yes. But why “everything”? You should know. Just now I have said that wherever there is an expression, there is a colour, there is sound. That colour may or may not be visible. That sound may or may not be audible. For very long or very small wavelengths it is not audible. For very long or very short wavelengths it is not visible. Only from a particular wavelength to a particular wavelength does it come within the scope of audibility or visibility. So sarva means “everything”, and sarvabhúta means “each and every created being”.

But why does the word sarva mean “everything”? In sarva there are three words, sa, ra and va. Sa means dantya sa [dental “s”]. Just now I said, for each and every entity there is a particular sound, a particular colour. Now the acoustic root, the sound, of the sentient principle, the first principle of creation, the first principle of the Operative Principle,⁽⁴⁾ the first phase of the Operative Principle, is dantya sa. Dantya sa sattvaguń ká biija mantra haen [“Dantya sa is the biija mantra, the acoustic root, of sattvaguńa”]. So when the sprout of creation came out from one of the vertices of that Shivánii Shakti, the triangle of forces, that starting point, the vertex, was in close contact with Parama Puruśa. Hence it was sentient by nature. So everything comes out from that particular point, from that fundamental positivity of creation, from that fundamental positivity of the universe. So the starting point for each and every object is sa. The sentient principle is the starting point, the fundamental positivity.

Then the letter ra. Ya,⁽⁵⁾ ra. Ra is the acoustic root of energy. When force functions within the scope of matter, that force is called energy. And the acoustic root of energy, that is, the sound wave, the sound of the wave, is ra. “Created by the sentient sa, maintained by the energy ra.” Everything is maintained by energy, the energy ra.

And the third letter is va. Va represents the wont of a particular object, the characteristic of a particular object. Each and every object in this universe has its own peculiar characteristics. Fire burns, water drenches. This drenching or this burning are the particular characteristics of those items. Now the acoustic root of wont, acoustic root of property, acoustic root of characteristic, is va. Ya, ra, la, va.

So “created by the sentient sa, maintained by the energy ra, and also having its own peculiar property va”: sa, ra, va. Now each and every object of this universe is controlled by these three letters, sa, ra and va. Hence Sa ra va sarva ucyate [“Sa, ra, and va are called sarva, everything”]. Because of the influence of these three letters, “everything” is sarva. Do you follow? Sarva means “everything”.

So sarvabhúteśu gúd́hah – “that Supreme Cognition lies covert in each and every created being.” Eko Devah – “Human cogitation is trying to express Him.”

Sarvavyápii sarvabhútántarátmá [“He pervades everything; He is the innermost self of all beings”]. Sarvavyápii: sarva you know; vyápii means “pervasive”. That Supreme Entity is not only a covert entity, not only lies covert within each and every entity, but is all-pervasive. Each and every entity has got its individual cognition. There may or may not be any psychic expression, there may or may not be any mental expression, but there is átman [soul] in each and every entity.

Now, whatever is being done or has been done or was done by your physical body is known to your mental body; in that case, your mental body is the knowing counterpart of your physical actions. And similarly, what is known by your mind is witnessed by your átman; in that case, where the mental function is to know, there the witnessing counterpart is the átman. To know is the faculty of the mind. To witness is the faculty of the átman. Clear? The mind knows, and the átman witnesses that the mind has known. The mind is knowing. Do you follow? Suppose your son has passed his MA. He has learnt much. But you know about it. Know what? That “my son has passed the MA examination”. This witnessing is the faculty of the átman, and knowing is the faculty of the mind.

And whatever is witnessed by your individual átman, individual cognition, is also witnessed by the Supreme Cognition. So when your átman is the individual átman or jiivátmá for you, then the Átman of Parama Puruśa is the Antarátman for you, inner Átman for you. Sometimes we use the word “inner voice”. The inner voice [is] Paramátman [the Supreme Soul], or the Antarátmá. (This Antarátmá is also called Pratyagátmá in Sanskrit. Pratiipa means opposite. Pratiipaḿ vipariitaḿ aiṋcati vijánáti iti pratyak [“That which takes a stance opposite to a thing and witnesses it is pratyak”].) So He is the Sarvabhútántarátmá.

That is why it is said that you have got two “I’s”. Not these [physical] eyes, “I”. One “I” is your small “I” – “I am going,” “I am doing,” “I am the owner.” This “I” is your small “I”. And another “I” is your big “I”. Paramátman is your big “I”. Smaller “I”, bigger “I”. You know, so many entities have so many “I”s and so many “my”s. But that bigger “I” is a singular entity. All these persons, that is, all the expressed entities of this entire universe, have got only one “I”, one big “I” and that big “I” is Paramátman. He is the “I” of all “I”s. You love your small “I” very much, and unknowingly you love that Paramátmá more than you do yourself. Clear? You have nourished an unknown love for Paramátman and a known love for the small “I”s. That love for Paramátman is unknown. And when one gets diikśá [initiation] and does sádhaná, that unknown love becomes known.

Karmádhyakśa sarvabhútádhivásah [“He presides over all actions and is the final shelter of all beings”]: Karmádhyakśa [“He presides over all actions”]. You do so many things, and you think that you have done them. “I have donated so much. I have done this. I have done that.” You say this. But wherefrom doth that energy come? It is not your individual energy. If you are not given food or water for a few days, what will happen? You will not have any energy. You cannot create any energy. Through food, physical energy is transmuted into your individual vital energy.

You do something with the help of your intellect. But wherefrom doth the intellect come? From Him. He is the perennial source of all energies – physical or intellectual or spiritual. You are not the owner of any energy or any force or any other mundane or supramundane object. You are simply to serve with His energy, with His intellect, with His spirit.

So karmádhyakśa. He is the lord of all karma, not you. You are simply a machine. You must not forget this fact, that you are simply a machine. You are not the machine-man. You should not have this sort of vanity. You should not say that you are the machine-man, that you have done this or you have done that. You should think that He has done His work, and He used this physical structure as His machine, as His medium. “I am fortunate because He used my structure as His machine. He used my structure as His medium.” So He is the karmádhyakśa. He is the adhyakśa of karma.

Sarvabhútádhivásah [“He is the final shelter of all beings”]. He is the adhivása of sarvabhúta. He is not only the Witnessing Entity, not only the karmádhyakśa, not only the Antarátmá. He is not only the All-Pervading Entity, Viśńu. (“All-Pervading Entity” in Sanskrit is Viśńu; viśńu means “all-pervasive”.) Viśńu Sarvabhútádhivásah – “He is the adhivása of sarvabhúta.”

(2) A question here, probably an aside to the audience, was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) Varńamálá, literally “a collection of colours”, has the derived meaning of “alphabet”. A, á, i, ii, u, uu are the first letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. –Eds.

(4) Another in this series of appositive phrases, here, was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(5) The author’s pronunciation here was i-a. Ya, ra, la, va are a sequence of letters in the Sanskrit alphabet known as semi-vowels. Ya, for instance, is between the vowel sound i-a and a consonant sound. –Eds.

The Grandeur of the Supreme Entity

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Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

The subject of today’s discourse is “The Grandeur of the Supreme Entity.” Here the Supreme Entity means the Supreme Cognitive Principle. Really speaking, this Cognitive Principle is the Supreme Entity and not the Operative Principle, because this Cognitive Principle is a transcendental entity, and the Operative Principle, or the Creative Principle is His [principle] functioning within His jurisdiction.

Everything functions within Him, nothing can function without Him. This universe is the creation of the Operative Principle within the jurisdiction, within the campus, of the Transcendental Entity, the Cognitive Principle. And when this Operative Principle creates something concrete, that is, where under Her influence Consciousness is transmuted into abstract or abstract is metamorphosed into the quinquelemental world, then that Operative Principle or that stage of the Operative Principle is called the Creative Principle. In Sanskrit, this Creative Principle is called Máyá, and the collection of the functional attributes of this Creative Principle is nature.

[So] the Creative Principle and nature function within the scope of Consciousness. Prakrti functions, Shakti functions, on the chest of Shiva.⁽¹⁾ Here Shakti is an innate principle. She can dance, She can function, only when She is permitted to do so by that Consciousness, Paramashiva. So the Supreme [Entity] means Paramashiva, that Supreme Cognition.

The Cognitive Principle in His role as the witnessing entity is witnessing the entire universe, both Macrocosm and microcosm. The Macrocosm is the psychic counterpart of the Supreme Cognition, and the microcosm is the direct psychic counterpart of unit cognition and indirect psychic counterpart of the Supreme Cognition. This quinquelemental universe is, as I just said, a metamorphosed form, a transmuted form, of the Macrocosm. I said it is the result of Macropsychic conation. And the microcosm, the unit mind, the jiiva mind – the mind of Ram, Shyam, Jadu, Madhu – is not the direct creation of the Macrocosm, that is, it has not been created directly by the Cosmic Mind; it is the creation of the quinquelemental universe, it is the creation of matter. That is, matter is the creation of the Supreme Mind, matter is the creation of the Cosmic Mind, but the unit mind is the creation of matter.

When, as a result of internal clash and cohesion, the external force starts functioning within the scope of matter and gets its centre of activity within the scope of that material structure, we say that the external force has been converted into vitality, into vital force. We get life in that matter. And when, due to further internal clash and cohesion, matter gets powdered down, that powdered-down matter is called mind. It is the basic form of mind, the undeveloped, underdeveloped, mind of protozoa. When, as a result of further clash and cohesion, we get metazoic structures, we get further-complicated minds. And so finally in this world of ours we get the human structure, and because of its physical complexities and complications, the mind also becomes complex and complicated. We have got, for the proper expression of the complex mind, several types of hormones in the physical bodies of human beings, produced from different glands and sub-glands; and those glands and sub-glands, those hormones, control each and every propensity of the human mind. And that is why in the realm of intuitional practice, when an intuitional aspirant wants to control his or her mind or any of his or her propensities, he or she should control the concerned gland or sub-gland. And this is what our sádhaná, our intuitional practice, is. It is a science.

Now, the entire quinquelemental world is governed by the functional faculty of the Operative Principle which is known as nature. Hence it cannot remain outside, cannot go beyond the campus of, the Transcendental Entity. And when the unit mind, the microcosm, ideates on the Supreme Mind, it is transformed into the Supreme Mind. And when that aspirant develops implicit faith in and love for the Supreme Father, what happens? His or her mind gets suspended. One surrenders oneself at the altar of the grandeur of the Supreme, and becomes one with the Supreme Cognition. The aspirant’s feeling of oneness with the Supreme Cognition is called nirvikalpa samádhi in Sanskrit. And the aspirant’s oneness with the Macrocosm is called savikalpa samádhi in Sanskrit.

A person may be intellectually developed, but even then one’s microcosm functions within the physical structure with a certain point in the brain as its nucleus. And for the proper functioning of the microcosm, one is to operate different nerve cells and also, indirectly, different nerve fibres. So one has to function under certain limitations. And that is why one is called a “microcosm”.

These microcosms create their own worlds. In your mind you can create many things, but those things are purely psychic for you and have got no value for others. In your mind you have created an elephant. That elephant may be witnessed only by you, and nobody else will witness it, so it is purely yours. Nobody else has got anything to do with it. But because everything remains within the scope of the Macrocosm, whatever He thinks becomes something physical for all. The physical elephant that you see externally is an internal creation of the Macrocosm. He is thinking of the elephant in His mind, and for you it is a reality. And when you create an elephant within your mind, and you create a man within your mind, for that man of your mind, that elephant of your mind is a reality.

Now, the Macrocosm can create anything according to His desire or according to His [psychic] conation, but the microcosm has to work functioning under certain limitations. By nature, this microcosm is multi-purposive in motive but unilateral in action. And the Macrocosm is uni-purposive in motive but multilateral in function, in action.

The microcosm is multi-purposive in motive. You want to become rich; you want to become a learned man; you want to become a good doctor; you want to render social service. You want to do so many things, you have so many longings. You cherish so many longings in your heart, but while functioning you can do only one thing at a time, only one work at a time. But the Macrocosm is uni-purposive in motive. His only motive is to help His progeny in their all-round development, in their all-round progress. That is the only purpose. So He is uni-purposive in motive, but multi[lateral] in activity.

He is doing so many things for you, for all, for the entire universe, for each and every entity. You are witnessing only your own mental faculty, your own mental [thoughts], but He witnesses everything: His Macrocosmic existence as well as the microcosmic existence of so many jiivas. In the collective Macrocosmic Entity His witnessing faculty is called prota yoga, and His relationship with each and every unit is called ota yoga.

Ota and prota. He has got a direct relationship with each and every entity and He has got a collective relationship with this collective world. That is why it has been said that He is multilateral in action. And that’s why in the “Puruśasúktam” of the Rgveda it has been said:

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

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

[Sahasrashiirśá.] The microcosm functions with the help of only one brain. And the capacity of the brain is not more than the capacity of the [cranium]. But “He functions with the help of innumerable brains,” because all the brains are His creations, and the potentiality of so many brains lies covert within this vast Macrocosm. That’s why one cannot challenge the authority of the Macrocosm.

Sahasrákśa. Whatever you see, you see with the help of your two eyes with limited sight. Your witnessing of the world depends on several factors: your eyesight, your ocular stamina, your optical strength, and so many things. But He, being omnipresent, being the Transcendental Entity, witnesses everything without the help of any physical organ. So it has been said He is sahasrákśa – “He has got so many eyes.”

Sahasrapát. Whenever you have to go to some place, you go with the help of your two feet. But “He has got innumerable legs,” because He is omnipresent. One foot is here, another is in Bangalore and another in Delhi and another in New York. For Him there is no spatial factor. That’s why He is sahasrapát.

Sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá’tyatiśt́haddasháḿgulam – “He is the all-pervading Entity,” not only within the scope of this quinquelemental world, not only within the scope of the abstract, but above that. Above that He is His original seity.

Atyatiśt́haddasháḿgulam. I have already said in Dharma Mahácakra that in the human body the controlling point of the microcosm is the pituitary gland, which is controlled by this trikut́i [and in turn controls] directly the conscious, indirectly the subconscious, and second-indirectly the unconscious. But He is witnessing not only your physical or abstract expressions; above that, your controlling hub is also being witnessed by Him. So not only is He all-pervasive in the realm of physicality and mentality, but your unit cognition is also being controlled and witnessed by Him. Atyatiśt́haddasháḿgulam – “He is ten fingers above” the realm of the pituitary gland, that is, the pineal gland. Four… four… two.⁽³⁾ Yes, this is the controlling point of the pineal gland – atyatiśt́haddasháḿgulam – above the realm of abstract and physicality, “He is ten fingers above” the controlling point of the mind.

Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yad bhútaḿ yacca bhavyam. This Supreme Entity, this Supreme Puruśa – Puruśa means Pure shete yah sah puruśah – “He who resides within this dehapura, within this physical structure, is Puruśa.” Because of the fact that the three fundamental relative factors – the spatial factor, the temporal factor and the personal factor – are all created within His campus, whatever was done by these three factors, whatever is being done by these three factors, and whatever will be done by these three factors, is known to Him. Here in this shloka [couplet], in this rk [verse], it has been said, Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yad bhútaḿ yacca bhavyam – “Puruśa knows whatever was done in the past and Puruśa [knows] whatever will be done in the future.”

But you may say, “Then Puruśa does not know the present? He knows the past and He knows the future, but nothing has been said regarding the present – the present tense.” But you know, philosophically and psychologically, there is no such thing as the present tense. There is past and there is future. Whatever I say, when I am saying it, it is future for you. And when you hear it, that is, when the air carries this sound, when you are actually hearing it, it is past for me. My saying it and your hearing it are not done simultaneously, there is a gap. Do you follow? So that is why the shloka says, “whatever was done, and whatever will be done.”

Now for us, for microcosms, that portion of the past and that portion of the future which can be easily correlated by the microcosm is called “the present”. So philosophically and psychologically, there is nothing present. There is past, there is future. And that’s why in this shloka it has been said that Parama Puruśa knows the past, He knows the future. Yad bhútaḿ yacca bhavyam – “what has happened, what will happen.”

Utámrtatvasyesháno yadannenátirohati – “He is the Lord of the nadir point of creation, He is the Lord of the zenith point of creation.” A person may think that he or she is a debased person, a depraved person, that he or she is an animal in human structure. One may think like this. But one must remember that animals are also the progeny of the Supreme Father, the children of the Supreme Father. The Father cannot hate His animal son. So He is the Lord, He is the Father, of the zenith point as well as of the nadir point.

You know, in Tantra, when a person starts sádhaná, in that phase he or she is no better than an animal. The structure is that of a human, but internally one is just like an animal. So when that “animal” starts sádhaná, he or she requests the Lord, “O Lord, I may be an animal, I may be a brute, I may be a pashu [animal], but Thou art my Lord. I am pashu, Thou art Pashupati [the Lord of Animals].”

[Now in this march of life – and particularly in human life – there are three kinds of expression. Those three expressions or factors are jiṋána (knowledge), karma (action) and bhakti (devotion). Bhakti is the supreme one. And how to acquire bhakti, how to get bhakti? The simple formula is, karma minus jiṋána is equal to bhakti. Suppose there is a Mr. X. Mr. X has no jiṋána, he is illiterate; but he has rendered five hundred degrees of service, selfless service, to society. So in his stock of karma there is five hundred; and jiṋána is zero, nil; five hundred degrees minus zero is equal to five hundred – he acquires]⁽⁴⁾ five hundred degrees of devotion. And that is why we find that in the case of less-educated people, bhakti, devotion, is developed very quickly. The so-called intellectuals suffer from the ailment of their intellectuality. They suffer from a sort of mental ailment, mental disease. They think, “I know this, I know that. I know this, I know that;” but they know nothing. Once I said that if a man thinks he is a master of geography, and if I ask him, “O gentleman, can you say how many bricks there are in the town of Bangalore?” he will not be able to give a satisfactory reply; but this question comes within the scope of geography.

Suppose a man is an MA in twenty subjects, and his stock of jiṋánam is four hundred degrees, but he has rendered five hundred degrees of selfless social service to society. In that case, his balance of bhakti will be: five hundred minus four hundred is equal to one hundred. So in this case, jiṋánam is nothing but a liability. And if he wants to acquire five hundred degrees of bhakti just like that illiterate fellow, what will he have to do? He will have to render nine hundred degrees of social service: nine hundred minus four hundred is equal to five hundred. So for the jiṋániis I will not discourage jiṋánam – although I am not a jiṋánii, I will not discourage jiṋánam – but I will ask the jiṋániis to render more selfless service to the society.

Now, bhakti means withdrawing the mind from crude objectivities. The psychological principle for attaining salvation is also that – that is, withdrawing the mind and guiding it unto the Supreme Self. So fundamentally there is no difference.

Now you know, in the case of bhakti, there are so many types, so many varieties. There are so-called bhaktis and there are actual bhaktis. Within so-called bhakti there are three varieties: static bhakti, mutative bhakti and sentient bhakti (sentient devotion).

What is static devotion? One says, “O Lord, O Náráyańa, Mr. X is my enemy, please kill him.” Is this bhakti? I say it will not be possible for a person to get Náráyańa through this type of bhakti. Why? One’s longing was for the killing of Mr. X and not for Náráyańa. So Náráyańa may or may not grant one’s request, may or may not kill Mr. X, but because one’s desire was not to get Náráyańa, it is sure that one will not get Náráyańa.

The second type of bhakti is mutative devotion. The devotee with mutative devotion does not say, “O God, O Náráyańa, kill him,” but says, “O Náráyańa, I am your devotee. I would like to come out successful in this MA examination,” or “My daughter has attained marriageable age, please arrange a groom for her.” This type of bhakti, this type of devotion, is called mutative devotion. But here also the longing was not for Náráyańa, not for God, but to get something physical. So something physical may or may not be granted by Náráyańa, but it is sure that as one did not want to get Náráyańa, one will not get Him.

And the third type is sentient bhakti. What do people with sentient bhakti say? “O God, now I have become old. I cannot digest poláo kálya [a rice delicacy]. What is the necessity of this type of life? Please either cure my disease or take me.” This type of bhakti develops in old age after retirement. And sometimes people say, “O God, give me mukti [liberation], give me mokśa [non-qualified liberation, salvation]. Give me mukti, give me mokśa.” That is, the desire is for mukti and mokśa and not for Náráyańa. In that case also, one may or may not get mukti or mokśa – that is to be decided by Náráyańa – but it is sure that one will not get Náráyańa. These are all so-called bhakti, these are not at all bhakti, not at all devotion. This is selfish prayer, nothing but selfish prayer.

Now as you know, [actual] bhakti is of two kinds. One is, “O Náráyańa, I love You. I don’t want anything from You. I want You. I love You because by loving You I get pleasure. That’s why I love You. I don’t want anything from You.” This bhakti is called rágánugá bhakti, non-qualified bhakti.

When a spiritual aspirant develops rágánugá bhakti, in the first stage he or she feels that his or her Supreme Father, the Supreme Entity, is always with him or her. One feels His existence everywhere, within and without, within the mind and also in the physical world. One feels that whatever one does, whatever one is thinking, is being witnessed by the Supreme Self; that one is being witnessed by the Supreme Father. He or she cannot do anything secretly. When this type of feeling develops in the mind of a spiritual aspirant, we say he or she has attained sálokya samádhi. One feels that one’s every action is being witnessed by the Supreme Entity. Sálokya.

After that, by dint of one’s sádhaná, one feels that gradually one is moving nearer the Supreme Nave, the Supreme Hub, of the entire Cosmological world. One is moving nearer; the proximity is increasing. This type of dynamic experience is called sámiipya samádhi.

Again, as a result of further sádhaná, what happens? One feels that one is in close touch with Him. In pleasure, in predicament, one always feels that one is in close touch with Him. You see, when you are being punished by Him, do you not feel His existence? Do you not feel His touch? You feel His touch. So this is called sáyujya samádhi. In both pleasure and predicament you feel you are in touch with Him.

And the next stage of this rágánugá samádhi (here rágánugá samádhi, rágánugá bhakti, means, “O God, O Náráyańa, I don’t want anything from You; I love You because by loving You I get pleasure”) is sárúpya. In sárúpya one feels, “There is hardly any difference between myself and my Lord.” The poet Vidyapati of Mithila said: Mádhava Mádhava anukhana sumari Sundarii Mádhava bhelii [“Rádhá while constantly remembering Mádhava became Mádhava Himself”]. Here, Sundarii means Rádhá. She always ideates on Mádhava. What is the meaning of Mádhava? Má means “the Operative Principle”, and dhava means “husband, controller”. The Operative Principle is Paramá Prakrti, and Her dhava, husband, is Parama Puruśa. So “Mádhava” means the husband of Prakrti, that is, Parama Puruśa. So Rádhá always ideates on Mádhava, and what is the result? Finally Rádhá feels that she has become Mádhava. This is what is called sárúpya samádhi. And this is the last stage of rágánugá bhakti.

And what happens after rágánugá bhakti? The final stage of bhakti develops in a spiritual aspirant. And what is that bhakti? What is that devotion? It is rágátmiká bhakti. “O God, O Náráyańa, O Krśńa, I love You. Why do I love You? Not for my own pleasure. I love You because I want to give You pleasure. I want my love to give You pleasure. That’s why I love You.” This is rágátmiká bhakti.

What is the result of this rágátmiká bhakti, this supreme bhakti? The first stage is sárśt́hi and the last stage kaevalya. When the sádhaka starts this type of bhakti, he or she enjoys sárśt́hi samádhi. The sádhaka and his or her Lord are the same, but there is a little touch of duality. And in the final stage, kaevalya, there is only one entity: you may call it Krśńa or you may call it sádhaka. It is the stage of supreme pleasure. Whenever a person gets a little touch, a little wee bit, of pleasure, he or she becomes unbalanced. One finds it very difficult to maintain one’s mental equipoise. And when a sádhaka enjoys that supreme pleasure from that supreme ocean of divine nectar, he or she forgets himself or herself. This stage of supreme forgetfulness, this stage of forgetting all the pleasures and predicaments of the little microcosm, is the stage of kaevalya. It is the result of the supreme bhakti. So whenever bhakti is developed in the mind of a sádhaka, that sádhaka, that devotee, may or may not have any longing for salvation, but it is sure that he or she is to enjoy that salvation, that supreme beatitude.

You are all sádhakas. You should remember that you are to develop bhakti. And how to develop bhakti? Karma minus jiṋána is equal to bhakti. And after developing bhakti, you may or may not have any desire to get salvation, but it is sure that you are to enjoy that supreme bliss, you are to enjoy that salvation.

(1) This alludes to imagery in which a personified Shakti dances on the chest of a supine Shiva. –Eds.

(3) The author is measuring out the distance (ten finger-widths) between the trikut́i, located at the mid-point between the eyebrows, which is the controlling point of the ájiṋá cakra (and hence of the pituitary gland and the mind), and the sahasrára cakra, located at the crown of the head, which is the controlling point of the pineal gland. –Eds.

(4) There was a gap in the taped discourse at this point. The gap has been filled by slightly adapting a passage which the author used in a similar context in “Rádhiká Shakti”, Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23, 1994. –Eds.

Mysticism and Spirituality

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 19
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

Notes:

official source: Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 19

this version: is the Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24, 1st edition, version. I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

This discourse originally appeared in Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 19 as “Spiritual Cult: Progress from Crudest Matter to Subtlest Entity”. It thereafter appeared, inadvertently, in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23 and in Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24 as “Mysticism and Spirituality”. It will be omitted from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 23 and Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24 when those books are reprinted. Which title will be used remains to be decided.

Those who have established themselves in their spiritual being through the practice of spiritual cult are the real human beings. Others, who do not move on the subtler and sublime path of spirituality, and behave like animals, are humans only in name. Human beings alone have the privilege to do sádhaná. Animals, because of their intellectual deficiencies, are unable to adhere to the spiritual cult.

Animals are guided by instincts. They do not know the why and the how of things. Human beings, on the other hand, are led by the mind.

Animals cannot go beyond their instincts. In case of [great] intellectual clash, however, the animal mind, like the human, gets subtilized. This is generally found to occur with those animals who remain in contact with humans. But the development that is discernible in this case is not spiritual, it is simply intellectual. Dogs and monkeys who are trained, for instance, can be made a bit [more intelligent] than other ones.

Human beings, on the other hand, have the capacity to develop even in the spiritual realm. Those who do not pay heed to this special gift are animals, nay, even worse than animals. Animals are unable to make efforts for their spiritual development, whereas humans do have this ability. You cannot call a beggar a miser, for the beggar has no money to donate. If a moneyed person, on the other hand, hesitates to donate, that person is presumably a miser.

The human is sometimes described as a rational animal. Such a view does not seem consistent. A human cannot be an animal. In the Cosmological order, at one particular stage of development a unit is called an animal; at another particular point it is inanimate; and at another particular point it is a plant. Therefore, it does not behove to call a human a rational animal, for in that case the human can also be called a rational stone. When in the process of psycho-physical development the physical structure becomes complicated, and the psychic structure also develops to the extent that it starts controlling the physical body, you call that particular phase human.

In the creation of the universe, the consciousness that is existing as the nucleus of the triangular Basic Principle is the Supreme Father, the Basic Cognition. The avidyá shakti that is working with the Basic Cognition as the Operative Principle, but is not yet manifested, is called the Basic Principle. There is no expression in the Basic Principle, neither physical nor psychic. She is active but there is no effect of operative nature. The expression does not occur so long as there is proper equilibrium between the Basic Principle and the Basic Cognition. When they lose their balance, a theoretical expression takes place as a sequel. In this stage it is called the Primordial Principle. The Primordial Principle is something theoretically manifest. It does not fall within the periphery of experience, due to the equilibrium of Shiva and Shakti [Basic Cognition and Basic Principle], but it is theoretically well established.

It does not seem proper to attribute… to such a state, yet the situation is akin to…⁽¹⁾ There is actional vibration in the Basic Principle, but due to the absence of any measuring psychic entity it cannot be said to be temporal, though it is related to the time factor. There does not exist any second entity brought about due to curvatures in the Primordial Principle. That is why we do not find another, time-measuring, factor there. This curve is its special characteristic.

In the third phase of manifestation, due to internal clash and cohesion, curvatures come into existence. The difference between the vibrational principle and the Witnessing Counterpart becomes explicit. The vibrational principle is called in Sanskrit Bhavánii shakti. The temporal factor is established in the development of kála. What is kála, or time? Time is nothing but the psychic measurement of the relative motivity.

If the vibrational expression is towards the crude, the unit will face retardation. The final, or culminating, point of retardation [contains within it] the history of the full expression. In the crudest point of the human mind, therefore, lies the history of its innumerable lives. Even a timorous stroke will rip open the burden a person is carrying and make one able to see oneself. The development [upwards] from the nadir of Supreme Cognition is progress. So long as the fundamental negativity does not receive a stroke, there does not occur any progress, any development. A seed sprouts forth if struck by light, water, and soil. Similarly, when the fundamental negativity of a unit – that is, the kulakuńd́alinii – receives the stroke of the mantra, it awakens. But so long as the desire to move towards Paramátmá is not aroused, this phenomenon does not take place.

This does not happen with an animal because of its intellectual deficiency. Matter, due to external and internal clash, is converted into ectoplasm – the crude stuff is metamorphosed into cittáńu [“mind-atoms”, ectoplasmic particles]. The intensity of this clash and cohesion depends upon the intensity of internal and external clashes. [After] the animal mind, the mind that succeeds due to immense physical and intellectual or even intuitional clashes is the human mind, and the body that is associated with it is the human body. Sádhaná, the spiritual cult, is a progress from the crudeness of matter to the subtlest entity, that is, a march, a movement, from the last point of the vibrational principle to the nucleus of the Basic Principle, the controlling point of the fundamental triangle of forces. Sádhaná is, therefore, a march to the place from where one has come.

Those who want to make themselves the attraction or the ideal of the world add a Shrii before their names. The term connotes the charming entity, Máyá, Prakrti. Supreme Cognition is the shelter of Shrii, and that is why He is also called Shriinivása in Sanskrit. The movement towards the entity that has sheltered the universe is sádhaná.

Since humans [are] weak, they need the aid of some other entity for this movement. From where will they get the stamina, the strength, for this movement? Assuredly it can be had only from the Entity that is the source of this stamina, this strength. Whatever stamina, physical, mental, or spiritual, exists within you, is not your creation. Can you create anything? No, you cannot. You convert the external energy derived from food, light, water and soil into vital energy. You cannot create any energy, you can simply convert it into other forms. You convert sound energy, magnetic energy, etc., into vital energy. You then reconvert that vital energy into other forms of energy. While working, you convert your vital energy into mechanical energy. While speaking, you convert your vital energy into sound energy. The moment this vital energy is gone, the living unit turns into a corpse. You derive your vital energy from the external world, a gift of Parama Puruśa. Similarly, the strength to move towards the Supreme Father can also be obtained from Him. But the tragedy is that you do not ask for spiritual force from Him. Your sole concentration is on earning name, fame, money, promotion, prestige, and other such worldly gains. You remain so busy with your worldly desires that you hardly manage to get any time in your daily life to ask for spiritual strength.

In ancient times, when the desire to move on the path of spirituality was aroused, human beings felt the need of a guide to show the path. It is this desire that is manifested in the Vedas. When the desire to move on the path is aroused, He is compelled to come as a guide to the seeker. He cannot just ignore the seeker. Ask the way and you will get it.

But it is not enough to get the way, for one also needs to walk on that way, on that path. The strength to move forward lies within you – the only impediment being the encumbrance of sins that is on your head due to your past actions. Remove that burden, be light, and march on. Bhagaván [Lord] Buddha said the same thing when he asked his disciples to jettison the burden that is in the boat. Desire is, therefore, not enough. One needs to perform some tangible action. That action is called intuitional practice – spiritual cult. This cult is also called Tantra. It is not enough to read books, scriptures – one will have to be practical, will have to do something in practical life. You need to move from the fundamental negativity to the fundamental positivity. Thus, through sádhaná, a person makes himself or herself light and at the same time gets the attraction of Him. Furthermore, one needs to surrender oneself completely. Until and unless there is cent percent surrender, it is naive to think in terms of accomplishing the task.

The story goes [in the Mahábhárata] that so long as Draopadi kept even a grain of dependence on her own strength, she remained constantly under the threat of being exposed before the congregation. The moment she found herself completely helpless and reposed all faith in the Lord, Náráyańa, she got the divine help. So one who feels this attraction and surrenders oneself completely to Him is bound to get His help. One, on the other hand, who keeps even one paisa with oneself, fails to get that help.

A natural question comes up here. Since human life is evolved through animal stages, the impression of the animal life is bound to work within the framework of human psychology. In this situation, it is not unlikely for human beings to commit mistakes, to commit sin. How is it possible to move forward with this encumbrance acquired during the animal stages?

The answer has been provided by the Lord Himself. If even the most degraded person remembers Him single-mindedly, He will relieve that person from his burden of sin.

There is, however, a difference between the English term “sin” and the Sanskrit word pápa. In “sin” there are involved religious, doctrinal and biblical connotations. The Sanskrit term pápa is more explicit. Paropakárah puńyáya pápáya parapiid́anam – “Those actions that help to develop the physical, intellectual, and spiritual strata of human beings are puńya, and those that obstruct this are pápa.” The biggest pápii is called durácárii in Sanskrit, and one whom even the durácáriis call pápii is a sudurácára.

There is a common term in Sanskrit, pátaka [sin]. There are two forms of pátaka, pápa and pratyaváya. Going against the don’ts is pápa; pratyaváya means not to do what one should do. In Sanskrit dos are called vidhi and don’ts niśedh. The whole social structure revolves around vidhi and niśedh.

Those who shirk duties and responsibilities do commit a great harm to society. It is this lack of dutifulness in our country [India] today that has caused great retardation in different spheres of life. It has also caused spiritual degeneration. One should perform good actions regularly, should do sádhaná properly – these are the dos which everyone is expected to perform. Those who do not pay heed to these responsibilities do indulge in pratyaváya. Pátaka is the collective name of pápa and pratyaváya.

Pátakas are of three kinds. First, the ordinary kind. These are undesirable acts after which the person [may repent]. For instance, someone takes the money of others. That person’s act will be called pátaka, for he or she can pay back the money and repent of the act.

There is no atonement, however, for atipátaka. If, for example, one chops off the [arms] of an innocent person, one cannot pay those limbs back in the same capacity. According to the shástras [scriptures], persons indulging in these atipátaka acts can make atonement only if they renounce their worldly life and fully offer themselves to the cause of humanity in the service of mankind.

The third kind of pátaka is mahápátaka. There is no penance that will atone for mahápátaka, either.

Furthermore, the result of mahápátaka is of recurring nature. If a businessman, for instance, discovers a new method of adulteration, he commits mahápátaka. Mixing papaya seeds with the black pepper is bound to deceive purchasers. The discoverer of this new method shows the world a new path in the sphere of adulteration. The effect of this act is bound to be of recurring nature. The atonement for mahápátaka is like atipátaka, that is, this person also should renounce his or her worldly life and should offer himself or herself in the service of mankind. There is, however, a difference. Since this person’s act is more serious, this person will have to invent something that will have a recurring good effect on society. The invention of penicillin would be a case in point. There is no other way out for the mahápátakii.

There is an interesting story about this. When the defeat of Ravana became almost certain, he sat in prayer, imploring Lord Shiva to save him from the oncoming disaster. But Lord Shiva remained quiescent and did not pay heed to his prayers. Párvatii was also there. What happens is that the heart of the mother is more soft than that of the father. Seeing the miserable condition of Ravana, a devout of Lord Shiva, she started pleading with Lord Shiva on his behalf. The latter, however, refused to listen to even Párvatii’s implorings. He had to see to his duties and not to hear Párvatii’s lecture. When Párvatii finally pressured Him very much, Lord Shiva revealed the situation. He said that Ravana was a great pápii, so He could not do anything for him. Párvatii continued in her obstinacy. Pleading on behalf of Ravana, she said that at most he might be an atipátakii. The Lord thereupon said that he was a mahápátakii. Though it would have been atipátaka to kidnap a lady, Ravana’s act was mahápátaka, for he carried out his act in the garb of a sádhu. If he had done it as Ravana, he would have been an atipátakii. His act would not have had a lasting effect. But since thenceforward no housewife would believe a sádhu, the effect of his act was of recurring nature.

There is, however, a way out even for the mahápátakii. If the mahápátakii dwells on the Lord in his or her thought single-mindedly, and offers himself in the service of humanity, he or she will also be able to lead a respectable life, he or she will also get liberation.

Parama Puruśa, the Father of all fathers, the multiple of all multiplicities, the nucleus of all nuclei, knows everything. He is omniscient. He knows sarva – the Cosmic Father knows everything. He is omniscient, prescient and post-scient. The earth is [created] in Him. What has happened in the past comes within the vibrational principle. What is going to happen in the future also comes within the vibrational principle. (The present has no independent existence. It is nothing but an adjustment between the past and the future. That is why the present varies in accordance with personal differences.) The omniscient Puruśa, Pratyagátma, is the Lord of both heaven and hell. He is the Father of both developed sádhakas and of sudurácáras or mahápátakiis. There is, therefore, no question of His hating the sudurácáras and loving the good sádhakas. All are one to Him. He cannot ostracize the former and embrace the latter. There is no place outside Him where He can throw off the sudurácáras. He cannot disown them either, for in that case He would not remain Patitpavan [Saviour of the Degraded].

It is, therefore, naive to lose heart. Even if one is a sudurácára, he or she should not get discouraged. He or she should, on the contrary, do sádhaná and undergo the prescribed penance. There is no reason to fear. This world is not for cowards. Only the brave can enjoy the world. If love for Him is awakened, there is no reason to fear.

Your longing for Him, however, should not be attributional. On the contrary, it should be non-attributional. Your attraction to the Supreme is called devotion [bhakti], whereas attraction to any finite objectivity is called ásakti. Attraction to friends is ásakti, attraction to God is bhakti. In the case of ásakti the object is limited, in the case of bhakti it is unlimited.

Mysticism is a never-ending endeavour to find a link between finite and infinite. It is the first phase of non-attributional devotion. Attributional devotion is no devotion.

There are two types of non-attributional devotion. The first is psycho-spiritual devotion, whereas the second is pure spiritual devotion. The reactive momenta remain mixed into this type of psycho-spiritual devotion of internal projection of the subliminal human mind, and these reactive momenta of the subliminal human mind disturb mental equipoise. As a result, the mind eventually comes back again to the lower status. A person rises during the period of sádhaná and comes back to the original stage when in normal life. Here, love for God does not become of permanent nature. (While quarrelling unnecessarily, one does not remember the untoward nature of one’s act. Later on one repents. But when the remembrance of the nature of the act becomes of permanent nature, it is called dhruvásmrti.⁽²⁾) In the non-attributional devotion of pure spiritual type, the reactive momenta cannot function within the scope of the subliminal stratum.

Even where the sádhaka does not long for name, fame and wealth but worships Him in order to experience inexplicable bliss, the devotion is attributional – it is attributional psycho-spiritual devotion.⁽³⁾

But where the devotee worships Him only in order to please Him, there the devotion is of purely spiritual nature. Here there does not exist the feeling of duality. Such a devotee is called a gopii [or gopa]. The term connotes one who worships God only to please Him – Gopáyate yah sah gopah.

One who has made it a mission to attain Paramátmá will assuredly attain Him. You are sádhakas, and you should always remember this. Your love for God, your devotion for God, should be of non-attributional, or spiritual, nature.

(1) The ellipses, indicating missing words, occurred in the original magazine publication of this discourse. The missing words may have expressed that at this stage of manifestation it does not seem proper to attribute a practical differentiation to the relationship between Shiva and Shakti. In Idea and Ideology (1959), the author has described the difference between Shiva and Shakti at this stage as “tending from the theoretical to the practical aspect”. –Eds.

(2) And when love for God becomes of permanent nature, it is also called dhruvásmrti. –Eds.

(3) Though the author has above called it the first type of non-attributional devotion, it is attributional in that the selfish desire for bliss is still contained within it. –Eds.

Longing for the Great

Published in:
Bábá's Grace [a compilation]
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24
Supreme Expression Volume 1 [a compilation]

Notes:

The Bábá’s Grace chapter “Longing for the Great” is an abridged version of this discourse.

Words in double square brackets [[ ]] are corrections that did not appear in the printed version.

Each and every living being has got the longing for the Great. Each and every human being wants to do something noble, something lasting. But the life of each and every person is not crowned with success, because the thing that a person requires most is proper guidance.

There was a yogi-king in ancient India about thirty-five hundred years ago, and his guide was Lord Krśńa. Krśńa was a great yogi. The name of that yogi-king was Yudhisthira. Yudhi means “in war, in battle”, and śt́hira means “unaffected, unassailed” – “balanced”. One who can maintain one’s mental balance even in wartime is “Yudhisthira”.

Now, he was a yogi; “yogi” means a practical person. A yogi has got little to do with theory. A yogi is not a theoretician, a yogi is a practical person.

He was asked a question, and that question was, “What is the proper path, proper way?” And the answer of King Yudhisthira was – let me repeat it in Sanskrit –

Shrutayo vibhinnáh smrtayo vibhinnáh naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam;
Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ mahájano yena gatah sa pantháh.

[The scriptures differ, the social codes differ; each sage has a different opinion. The essence of dharma lies deep in the mind; the realized one follows the true path.]

He replied that one is to follow the practical person and not the theoretician. The theory may or may not be a success in the field of application. It may be good in books, it may be good in theory, it may be good in contemplation, but it may or may not be useful in practical life. So a yogi, a spiritual aspirant, has to follow the practical person. That is, a yogi is to follow a maháyogii [great yogi].

Shrutayo vibhinnáh. Now, there are so many scriptures in the world, but these scriptures vary from one another. Now, the supporters of those scriptures, the supporters of each and every scripture, say, “Ours is the message of God. It cannot be challenged.” By saying this, that is, that it cannot be challenged, they try to block the intellectual progress of human society. [By saying] that one should not think beyond this [they] want to do – what? They try to block, to seal, the intellectual progress of human society. They are enemies of human progress, they are enemies of human civilization. Had there been no intellectual progress, then even in this second half of the twentieth century, we would have been in the stone age. So there must be intellectual progress, and no power, no theory, should try to block this progress.

But scriptures vary from one another. And the supporters of each and every scripture say, “Ours is the message of God, it is the supreme word.” Then if all the scriptures are messages of the same Supreme Being, why do they vary from one another? The Supreme Being is one, and if all the scriptures are messages of that single Supreme Being, then there should not be any variation amongst themselves. This shows that those scriptures are not the messages of that Supreme Being.

But what is a common person to do? Whom to follow? In a particular scripture it will say that during meditation a person, a sádhaka, should be facing east. Another scripture will say no, a sádhaka should be facing west. Now how to adjust? Then if a sádhaka wants to make an adjustment, he or she either has to face north or south – an adjustment between east and west! Either north or south. A very difficult job, a knotty problem, a very knotty problem!

Now, those spiritual scriptures – not spiritual, those scriptures – vary from one another. What is a common person to do? Smrtayo vibhinnáh. In Sanskrit smrti means “social code”. “The scriptural codes vary;” the social codes also vary. In ancient times there were so many social systems, and now there are so many social systems in different portions of the world, and amongst different races of the world, and amongst different races of a particular country. In the same country there are so many social codes and social usages. Whom to follow? Which one is absolute? Which one is perfect? What is a common person to do? A very knotty problem. What to do and what not to do?

Naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam. And intellectuals, you see, “always quarrel amongst themselves.” Non-intellectual people may have love and affection amongst themselves, but intellectuals, you know, learned people, always quarrel amongst themselves. And they think if a particular intellectual supports the view of another intellectual – well, it is rather an insultation to support others! One should create a particular school of thought of one’s own – one should not support others. So intellectuals always quarrel amongst themselves.

The common person is to follow – whom? Intellectual A says Mr. B, another intellectual, knows nothing. And Mr. B says that Mr. C knows nothing. What is a common person to do, and whom to follow? Is one to follow Mr. A or Mr. B or Mr. C? A knotty problem. You see, intellectuals always vary – naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam.

Now what is a person to do? What is a common person, a practical person, a yogi, to do?

Yudhisthira, as I said, was a yogi-king. He says: “Now what is the goal of life? The supreme goal of life, the supreme physical, intellectual, mental and spiritual goal of the entire Cosmological order, is the same, the same desideratum for all.” And where lies that desideratum? Who is that supreme point? What is that supreme terminus? What is that supreme culminating point? And where doth lie that supreme point?

Yudhisthira says, Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám. The essence of spirituality lies coverted in the “I” feeling of each and every individual. You know, when “I” is connected with some other physical object, when “I” is connected with, related to, some other physical being, then that physical being is the object. “I” is the subject and that connecting link is the verbal expression. “I”… “food”: “I eat food.” “I”… “mango”: “I eat mango.” This “eat” is the connecting link, “eat” is the verbal expression. “I”… “water”… “drinking”: “I am drinking water.” Here “am drinking” is the connecting link. Subject, object and connecting link.

Now, there is “I” in each and every living being. There is one “I” in you. “I am going.” “I am seeing Bábá.”⁽¹⁾ There is one “I”. Each and every individual has got one “I”. And that “I” is connected with external physicalities, external objects. Now, when “I” is connected with external objects, that “I” is the subtlest mind. That “I” is the subtlest portion of mind.

“I exist”: this “I” is the subtlest point of mind. And “exist”: while saying “exist”, we indirectly say, “I exist in the world, I exist in such-and-such place.” The object is mute here, the object is not expressed, but the object is understood. This “I” of “I exist” is the subtlest mind.⁽²⁾ “I” is the subtlest mind.

Now you know, in the mind of each and every living being there is this feeling of “I exist”. There is one “I exist” in you. “I exist.” “I am.” “I exist.” Mm? This “I” is the subtlest mind. But don’t you know that there is the feeling of “I exist” in you? You know it, you know this fact, that there is the feeling of “I exist” in you. Don’t you know it? You know that there is a feeling of “I exist” in you. Then, “I know the fact that I exist. I know the fact that there is a feeling of ‘I exist’ in me.” Now here the “I” of “I exist”, the subject of the sentence “I exist”, is the subtlest mind. And the “I” of “I know” – “I know the fact that I exist” – the subject of the sentence “I know”, that “I” is the átman, is the spirit, is the soul. It is not mind. There is a feeling of “I exist” in me – “I exist”. That “I” is the subtlest mind. The feeling that “I exist” is in me, is known to me. That knowing “I” – “I know that I exist” – that knowing “I” (the “I” of “I know”) is the átman, the spirit, the soul.

Now, this “I exist” is the subtlest mind, and it is called guhá in Sanskrit. And what is the essence of spirituality? The “I” of “I know” – “I know that I exist” – that “I” of “I know” is the essence of spirituality. You know so many things, but you have to know your self. When you know your self, that stage, that stance, is the supreme stance. And for that realization, to know your own “I”, is your sádhaná, is your spiritual practice.

And when you know your own “I” – You try to know so many people, but you don’t know your self. It is just like a citizen of Manila: he wants to see Hong Kong, he wants to see Tokyo, he wants to see Rangoon, but he does not know Manila. Áre,⁽³⁾ first know Manila! First know your self, first know your inner “I”.

You know, a person can easily become omniscient. How can a living creature, a living being, be omniscient? The secret is, if you want to know all, know one. And that one is your own “I”. And if you want to know everything, if you try to know everything, you will not be able to know anything. If you want to know all, know one. And that one is your own “I”.

So the yogi-king Yudhisthira says: Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám – “The spirit of dharma, the spirit of spirituality, the spirit of yoga, lies coverted, in” – what? “In your own ‘I’ feeling, in your own ‘I exist’.” Because “I know” – the “I” of “I know” – lies coverted in the “I” of “I exist”.

Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám. And who is your nearest person, what is your nearest object? You know, you try to know so many things, but you should know first of all your nearest object. Which one is your nearest object? Hand? Finger? Your nearest object?

Finger? No, no, no. Arm? No, no, no. Face? No, no, no. Hmm? What is the nearest point?

“I” is your nearest entity. And the distance cannot be measured. Can you measure it? The distance cannot be measured. So it is the nearest entity.

First of all you should know, you should come in close contact with, all the wonts of your own “I”, all the characteristics of your own “I”. In your books, your laboratories, you study; you try to learn the characteristics of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen monoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and so many elements and compounds. But you do not know the characteristics of your nearest object. Try to know all the characteristics of your nearest object in your mental laboratory.

How to do it? In the laboratory, a theoretician will not be of any help, will not be able to help you in your research. A theoretician, no, no. You require a practical [[demonstrator]] there in the laboratory.

So King Yudhisthira says: “In the realm of spirituality, in the realm of yoga, whom to follow? Not those scriptures – you may or may not follow those scriptures, you may or may not follow those social codes, and you may or may not follow – you may or may not ditto – those intellectuals.” What are you to do? You are to follow those practical [[demonstrators]], that is, you have to follow the [[yogis]]. And certainly, as per that yogi’s direction, you will attain that supreme stance, you will enjoy that supreme beatitude.

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

(2) An explanatory remark intended for the listening audience, not necessary for readers, omitted here. –Eds.

The Cosmological Order

Published in:
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

Notes:

Various words and phrases were not clearly audible on the tape, so in this discourse many of the square brackets represent the most likely inferences (from the context) as to the meaning.

The subject of today’s discourse is “The Cosmological Order”. In this universe of Macropsychic conation, everywhere there is a system. There is an order, there is a rational expression. All the structures, all the frameworks, are guided by a law; and the name of that law is “nature”. The name of the working faculty is Prakrti, and the Supreme Entity controlling the functional expression of Prakrti is Parama Puruśa.

In each and every structure there is one controlling entity, and that controlling entity is the para portion of that structure; and the remaining portion of that structure, that is, the portion controlled by the para portion, is called apara. In an atom, the para, that is, the controlling portion, is the nucleus. And electrons are moving around that nucleus. In the case of an atom, the moving entities, the controlled entities, are the apara entities, and the [nucleus], the controlling entity, is the para entity.⁽¹⁾

In this mundane structure, this ethereal structure, the para portion, the controlling portion, is the earth, and the controlled portion, the apara portion, is the moon moving around the earth. The apara is dependent on the para. Again, in our solar system, the para portion is the sun, and so many planets with their respective satellites are moving around the sun – they are the apara. Here also the vital stage lies with the sun. The heat, the warmth, the vitality, everything, these planets acquired from the para, from the sun. In the case of this solar system, death of the sun would mean death of the planets, the thermal death of this solar system. And similarly, for the entire universe, for this entire Cosmic world, the para portion is Parama Puruśa, is Puruśottama, and all the “planetary systems”, all the jiivas, are moving around that para as satellites, getting the vitality, getting everything of the earth, from that supreme para, from that nucleus. He is the Hub. He is the Nave of this Cosmological order. This Cosmological order is known as Brahma Cakra in Sanskrit.

Now as you know, in each and every structure the apara moves around the para, and this movement around the para, this movement around the nave of the structure, is affected by two forces. One is the centre-seeking force, or centripetal force, and the other is the centrifugal force.

In the case of the nucleus of the Cosmological order, the para, the nucleus, is called Puruśottama, and so many animate and inanimate objects are moving around Him. So here also, two forces are acting. One force is centre-seeking, centripetal – goading, rather, helping the movement of the jiiva towards the centre, towards Puruśottama. And the other – the force that drifts the jiiva away from Puruśottama – increases the length of the jiiva’s radius; and that is the centrifugal. And so far as this Cosmological order is concerned, the centripetal, or centre-seeking, force is called vidyá; and the centrifugal force is called avidyá.

You know, the function and the existence of each and every entity in this universe has a certain influence on all other entities. The life, the movement, the thought-waves, of an ordinary ant affect you. Even the thought-waves of an ordinary ant affect your destiny. Nobody is alone in this universe. And this mutual attraction amongst all the entities of the world maintains the balance of the universe. If even an ordinary ant dies a premature death, the balance of the universe will be disturbed. So nobody, no entity, no human being, nothing in this universe, is meaningless. Each and every entity [in] this universe is valuable because it helps in maintaining the balance of the universe.

Now this vidyá, that is, this centre-seeking, centripetal, force, helping the jiiva in its movement towards the Supreme, towards Parama Puruśa, has two [effects] on living bodies and living minds. These effects of vidyá on the human mind – two in number, as I said – are samvit shakti and hládinii shakti.

And the two influences of the centrifugal force on the human mind are vikśepa shakti and ávarańii shakti.

Now, what is the effect of vikśepa shakti? When someone is fully under the control of vikśepa shakti, that person thinks that if he or she goes away, moves away, keeps himself aloof and away from the centre, then the centre will not be in a position to control his or her destiny. And by this force a person is [often] misguided. The person thinks that running away, moving away, from the Supreme, will [keep] him or her from undergoing the [reactions] to his or her actions. This is vikśepa shakti.

And the other influence of this centrifugal force on [a person] is ávarańii shakti. Such persons think that if they keep themselves engaged in worldly [actions], and if they do not ideate on God, then God also will not think about them. God will also forget them. And thus they will not have to suffer the consequences of their past actions. This is called ávarańii shakti. Ávarańa means “to cover”. That is, one tries to cover oneself, one’s mind and body, so that God will not be able to see them. It is another folly. But those are the two expressions, two influences, of the centrifugal force, that is, avidyá shakti, on the human mind. Do you follow?

And the other force is vidyá shakti, the centripetal [force. It also has two expressions –] one is samvit and the other is hládinii.

What is samvit? Someone who is simply eating, drinking and sleeping, living like an ordinary animal, [all of a sudden thinks] that he or she should do something. [One is a] human being, one shouldn’t waste one’s valuable time, one’s valuable life. One should do something, one is to do something. Each and every life, each and every human life, is nothing but a mission. Human life is nothing but an ideological flow. Life is a mission. The person thinks like this. This feeling in the human mind is created by the samvit shakti of vidyá. “I should do something.”

Now after this feeling [is aroused] in the mind – “I should do something” – then what happens? The person tries to [think] how to do something.⁽²⁾ How to move towards the Nucleus? How to become one with [that Entity]? This desire, this longing, for the Great is aroused in the person’s mind. And the next moment what happens? By the grace of the Supreme the person gets the path. And he or she starts moving towards the Supreme in an accelerated speed. This movement is called hládinii shakti. Hlád means [the entity that gives] pleasure. This shakti gives pleasure to the aspirant, that’s why it is called hládinii shakti. So [we see] how this Cosmological order is composed: first, in the centre, is Puruśottama, the Hub, Parama Puruśa; and there are so many animated and inanimated objects moving around that Nucleus; and this movement is affected by two forces, vidyá and avidyá. Vidyá has two effects, samvit and hládinii, and avidyá has vikśepa and ávarańii.

So what are these entities moving around the nucleus? Actually, as planets are mostly creations of the controlling stars – in our solar system the sun is the controlling star – similarly those animate and inanimate objects moving around the “sun” of this Cosmological order, moving around Puruśottama,⁽³⁾ are just like planets of Puruśottama. They are the jiivas. Now in this order, just as in the solar system we see satellites moving around the planets, and planets moving around the sun, [there are entities that move around Puruśottama, while the jiivas are controlled by those entities.] In the case of this Cosmological order, there are several guiding faculties. Actually they are working like planets, and jiivas are working like satellites. So these “planets”, rather these controlling faculties, moving around Puruśottama, are called devas. Devas are moving around Puruśottama – and that’s why Puruśottama is called Mahádeva. And jiivas are being directly controlled by the devas, and finally by Puruśottama, Mahádeva.

So what are these devas? Devas are emanated waves, emanated waves of the Supreme Hub. So many waves, carrying so many ideas,⁽⁴⁾ are emanated from the controlling hub. And these faculties are called devas, and these devas [control] the actional side of all living beings.

Dyotate kriid́ate yasmádudyate dyotate divi;
Tasmát deva iti proktah stúyate sarvadevataeh.

[The vibrational manifestations emanating from the Supreme Nucleus are known as devatás, and these devatás address that Supreme Nucleus as “Deva”. He with His powers vibrates the entire universe, makes the entire universe dance; and He by dint of His occult and supra-occult powers brings everything back onto His lap.]

“These devas, these waves, these vibrational expressions, actually control all the universal phenomena.” Now, these are the devas. Now, so far as human psychic structure is concerned, the psychic structure⁽⁵⁾ is a collective expression of a certain number of devas. In the human body there are several glands and sub-glands, and the hormones secreted from different glands and sub-glands create waves, different types of waves, in the human body; and these waves are carried by, are re-vibrated by, so many nerves, nerve fibres, nerve cells. So in the human body the number of devas is more than the total number of nerve fibres and nerve cells. They are so many in number within a small human body – because the human body is controlled, is vibrated, by so many propensities, so many faculties, so many qualifications, so many attributions. So the entire Cosmological order is being vibrated by so many devas. And that’s why regarding the Controlling Faculty, Mahádeva, it has been said, Sarvadyotanátmaka akhańd́a cidaekarasah [“Supreme Consciousness exists in the form of an unbroken flow of cognition, the supreme source of all kinds of emanative vibrations”].

He is an all-vibrating, infinite ocean of divine nectar. Sarvadyotanátmaka akhańd́a cidaekarasah.

Raso vae sah – “He is the Cosmic elixir personified.” Now the controlling entity⁽⁶⁾ is the controlling deity – He creates, He controls, all the vibrations of those devas. He is the Controlling Entity, He is the Shaḿkara. Sham means “to control”. He who controls the entire universe is “Shaḿkara”. He is Parama Puruśa, He is Mahádeva, He is Shaḿkara also. And He is Krśńa also, because He is attracting each and every unit towards Himself. But there is no difference amongst Krśńa, Mahádeva and Shaḿkara.

Now, this entire Cosmological order is an ocean, an infinite ocean, of divine nectar. And the so many vibrations created in this universe, so many waves, are different devas. And the life of an individual moves – goes up and down – just like a boat in the sea, according to the length of the wave.

This rhythmic expression of the divine nectar, of the divine wave, has an acoustic counterpart also. It is not only moving, it is not only dancing, it is singing also. And these movements, these vibrations, these waves,⁽⁷⁾ are being controlled by the divine flute of the controlling entity, Krśńa. This movement, these dances, are a creation of that supreme controller, Krśńa, according to the rhythm created, according to the rhythm emanated, from His divine flute. And He is in the centre of this ocean of divine nectar. And the ocean, this kśiirasamudra [ocean of kśiira, a sweet milk preparation], is the sudhárasam [flow of divine nectar]. So He is dancing in the centre playing on this divine flute, and all the jiivas are dancing according to His desire. One will have to dance according to that Cosmic rhythm. One may or may not like it, but one will have to dance. This liilá of Parama Puruśa, who is the controlling entity standing in the middle of this divine ocean, is known as His rásaliilá.⁽⁸⁾ Liilá means rásasamudra [ocean of bliss], [His] rásaliilá. Each and every living entity will have to take active part in this rásaliilá.

Now you see, all these waves have their original source in the Nave of the universe. That is the first stage. These vibrations are called the basic stage or basic expression. The basic expression is just near, [in] close proximity to, the Controlling Entity. Then the next one is the primordial expression. It is almost a straight line.

Shuddhasattvavisheśád́vá premasúryáḿshusámyabhák;
Rucibhishcittamásrńya krdasao bháva ucyate.

[That which makes one extremely pure and sentient, which causes the sun of love to shine, which makes the mind clean-surfaced and soft owing to the spiritual effulgence, is called bháva.]

This second stage is called bháva. And then the next one is the vibrational expression.⁽⁹⁾ And this quinquelemental universe is created in this vibrational stage. The jiivas, according to their spiritual status, according to their sádhaná, according to the intensity of their longing for the Great, are in different positions, and attached to different waves.⁽¹⁰⁾ And what is your sádhaná? To do sádhaná is to lessen the length of the radius with the help of the hládinii shakti. You have to lessen the length of the radius. But knowingly or unknowingly, each and every jiiva is to take part in that rásaliilá and move around Parama Puruśa . . .

[The discourse up to this point was transcribed and edited by staff of Ananda Marga Publications, using a copy of the recording that ended at this point. A transcript was also made by an experienced and reliable transcriber using a copy of the recording that included material subsequent to this point. We have included that subsequent material below, but as of the release of this Electronic Edition, it has not been possible for the staff of Ananda Marga Publications to verify and authenticate the below material. Without authentication it has not been possible to edit the below material either, hence the material appears here just as originally transcribed by the person mentioned. The below material does not appear in the printed version of the discourse.]

. . . because you cannot go beyond the jurisdiction of this divine dance. You have to remain in and take part in the divine dance.

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

So many jiivas with their so many physical structures and psychic pabula are moving round the Cosmological order. Each and every Jiiva, each and every microcosm has got its own physical structure. Somebody is black, somebody is white, somebody tall, somebody dwarf, somebody man, somebody goat – they have got separate physical structure according to the nature of reactive momenta. And similarly according to the original action and original longing they have got different psychic pabula. Somebody meditating on money, somebody meditating on ministry, somebody meditating on social cohesion, somebody meditating on the result of examination. And so many psychic pabula are moving round the Cosmological order. No two stuctures are similar. No two pabula are similar.

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante tasmin haḿso bhrámyate Brahmacakre. Haḿsa means microcosm – jiiva. They are bhrámyate – they are moving. Where? Brahmacakre – “in the Cosmological order”. There is no other alternative – they move in their respective radius by their materialistic outlook. They have to decrease the length of their radius by spiritual approach. They have to remain in the periphery of the Cosmological order. And the movement goes on till Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá – [as long as] he thinks that he and his Lord, he and the Supreme goal, he and the Supreme nave, are the two different entities – [as long as] he realizes this, [as long as] this idea of differentiation, [as long as] this idea of separation, is there.

Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá – “I am different from my Creator” – this idea separates him from the Creator. When he thinks that he is one with the Creator, the length of radius goes and he becomes one with the centre, he is one with the Goal.

Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá. He moves because he thinks that he is a different entity from his centre, from that of his Creator, from that of his Progenitor. Juśt́astataste-námrtatvameti. But he will attain, he will acquire, immortality when he thinks – juśt́astataste-námrtatvameti – what is immortality? Immortality means where there is no mortality. What is mortality? Mortality means death. What is death? Death means change. Where there is movement, there is change, there is relativity. Where there is relativity, there must be change, and there must be death.⁽¹¹⁾ The centre is a fixed point. So wherever there is movement in the relative world, there is death, there is mortality. But the Nucleus is in the centre, and so there is immortality and there lies the permanent abode of the Amrta Puruśa.

Juśt́astataste-námrtatvameti – that is, “he attains immortality” – that is, “he becomes one with the Nucleus” – when juśt́astataste – that is, “when he is benefited, when he is helped” by His grace. Juśt́a means “helped, benefited”. There is a man, an aspirant, a particular sádhaka. He will get His grace and others will not get – is it desirable? Then certainly there is partiality.⁽¹²⁾ But you know, it is the nature of the bhaktas, of devotees, that they hold brief in favour of their Lord. They always plead for their Lord. Even if there is predicament they won’t charge the Lord, rather they will hold the whole brief in favour of the Lord. They will plead for their Lord. They will say: “No, no, my Lord is not at fault.”

Here, the devotee says that his Lord always showers grace upon each and every individual, but the individual has to develop [devotion] for Him. Those who are not in love with Him, they do not realize the grace – but the grace is always upon each and every individual. And why they don’t realize the grace? The devotee says that because they hold the umbrella of vanity upon them. You see whenever there is rainfall, what happens? A man who is holding an umbrella upon his head, he won’t be drenched by the rain. He won’t be wet. And he who is not holding an umbrella will be drenched. Now the devotee says, the bhakta says: he who holds the umbrella of vanity, umbrella of ego, upon his head is not being wet by His grace; and he who has removed the umbrella of vanity will be wet by His grace. So grace is there. You have to realize it by removing the umbrellla of ego, by removing the umbrella of vanity. And this endeavour, this path, of removing the umbrella of vanity is your spiritual sadhana. It is the sadhana to remove the umbrella of vanity from upon the head.

Abhimánaḿ surápánaḿ
Gaoravaḿ raoravaḿ dhruvam;
Pratiśt́há shúkariiviśt́há
Trayaḿ tyaktvá Hariḿ bhajet.

[Abhimána is like surápána, gaorava leads to raorava, and pratiśt́há is like shúkariiviśt́há: an inflated ego is like drinking wine, self-aggrandizement leads one into the deepest hell, and social status is like the excrement of a pig. Give up all three of these and only sing the glories of the Lord.]

Abhimánaḿ surápánaḿ.⁽¹³⁾ Gaoravaḿ raoravaḿ dhruvam – – “self-aggrandizement has got its abode in naraka [hell].” Pratiśt́há shúkariiviśt́há – “pratiśt́há, that is, love for a social position, is the worst thing, and you should give up this thing.”

And you should give up these things. What? Abhimánam, gaoravam and pratiśt́há.

(8) “Parama Puruśa has created an endless network of waves from the Cosmic Nucleus according to His own sweet will.… Each of these waves is a deva, but the fundament upon which these waves have been created is called rasa.… The divine sport of these innumerable waves is called the rásaliilá.” (“Vrajagopála and Aesthetic Science” in Namámi Krśńasundaram, 2nd ed., 1997) –Eds.

(13) Here the author’s translation or explanation of this phrase was not clear on the tape. –Eds.

(14) There may have been more at the end of the actual discourse than was on the tape. –Eds.

Bhakti, Mukti and Parama Puruśa

Published in:
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

The subject of today’s discourse is “Bhakti, Mukti and Parama Puruśa”. [The existence of] living beings, and especially of human beings, is based on four principles, four fundamentals: physical; physico-psychic; psychic and psycho-spiritual; and pure spiritual. These four strata are known as caturvarga in Sanskrit. But human endeavours and human expressions are trifarious. Existence itself is based on the fourth one, that is, the spiritual one, so there cannot be any expression in that stratum.

And in all those three strata where human endeavour functions, there are several bondages. Those bondages are personal, spatial and temporal. From the very dawn of human civilization, human beings have been trying to get liberation or emancipation from these bondages. And whenever they could solve a particular problem or a particular bondage, partially or temporarily, they called it artha. And when they liberated themselves permanently, they called it Paramártha.

Now, this liberation from temporal, spatial and personal bondages in the three spheres [or strata – physical, physico-psychic and psychic/psycho-spiritual] is [known] as artha. Human beings tried to liberate themselves with this artha, [but certainly that liberation was never perfect]. Only liberation in the spiritual stratum can be of permanent nature, hence it is called Paramártha. One can get mukti from the first three bondages, but never vimukti. Vimukti is liberation of permanent nature.

The first bondage is the bondage in the physical stratum. You are hungry – you want food. Food gives you temporary liberation from the bondage of hunger. You purchase food with the help of money. So in this case money is your temporary liberator; so money is called artha in Sanskrit.

Suppose you do not know the meaning of a particular word. You consulted a learned man and you got a reply. Your mental thirst was temporarily quenched; your hunger was temporarily satisfied. So “meaning” is also known as artha in Sanskrit. Artha is temporary liberation, temporarily liberating you from your psychic hunger or psychic thirst. But “money” in the sense of artha, or “meaning” in the sense of artha, cannot grant you permanent liberation.

But in the spiritual sphere – What is spiritual bondage? Spiritual bondage is: You are one with the Supreme Entity. The Supreme Entity is always with you, and you are always with Him. You should have this realization permanently, but you lack this realization. Your lacking in this realization is your spiritual bondage. And when by dint of your sádhaná, your devotion, your self-sacrifice, you get that realization permanently, then you have got what is known as Paramártha – not artha, but Paramártha.

So human existence is based on four fundamentals, but human endeavours are trifarious. These four spheres are physical; then physico-psychic; psychic and psycho-spiritual; and spiritual. The first one is known in Sanskrit as káma, the second one is known as artha, the third one is known as dharma, and the fourth is known as mokśa, mokśa [giving Vedic and Tantric pronunciations]. Emancipation means liberation from these three bondages. Now, how are you to liberate yourself? There are mainly three approaches: jiṋána, karma and bhakti.⁽¹⁾

Jiṋánam. A jiṋánii [person of knowledge] will say, Satyaḿ jiṋánam anantaḿ Brahma – “Parama Puruśa, the supreme goal, is the absolute truth, and He is infinite.” You are to be one with Him. When someone instructs you, “Be one with Him,” it is simply a [theory]. How can you be one with Him? What is the practical approach? What should be the practical course? The jiṋániis have nothing to say in this respect. They cannot give you practical guidance, though it is a fact that Satyaḿ jiṋánam anantaḿ Brahma.

Then karmiis [persons of action] will say, Karma Brahmeti karma bahukurviita – “Look upon karma as Brahma and do as much karma as possible.” But how do you look upon karma as Brahma? There was no reply.

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

[Bhakti is service to God; bhakti is the form taken by divine love; bhakti is the embodiment of bliss; bhakti is the life of the devotee.]

You know, the jiṋániis are simply theoreticians, and in the final phase of their karma, the karmiis are also theoreticians. That’s why the well known jiṋána márgii [follower of the path of jiṋána] of India, Sri Shankaracharya, said, Mokśakárańasamagryáḿ bhaktireva gariiyasii – “Amongst all the ways and approaches to mokśa, bhakti is the best.”

Now, what do the bhaktas say? Bhaktir Bhagavato sevá [“Bhakti is service to God”]. There are two gentlemen, Mr. X and Mr. Y. Now how can Mr. X come in close contact with Mr. Y? “Oh, Mr. X, ásálám válekum.” “Válekum sálám.”⁽²⁾ But do they come in close contact? Or do they keep a gentleman’s gap? Certainly they are maintaining a gentleman’s gap; but in case of Bhágavata sevá, when you are doing sevá you come in closest contact. Is it not a fact?

The bhakta says, Bhaktir Bhagavato sevá bhaktih premasvarúpińii – “Bhakti is prema personified.” What is prema? In this universe each and every object attracts all other objects. And by this mutual attraction, the balance of the entire universe is properly maintained – the equilibrium is maintained, the equipoise is maintained. So this attraction is natural for all created beings, animate or inanimate. Attraction is natural; repulsion is not natural. Repulsion is negative attraction, but attraction is not negative repulsion. Now, the attraction of a particular created being for another finite object is called káma, and one’s attraction for the Infinite Entity is called prema.

Samyauṋmasrnito svánto mamatvátishayánkitah;
Bhávah sa eva sándrátmá budhaeh premah nigadyate.

[That whereby one’s own identity is lost, whereby intense mamatá (mine-ness) is imprinted on the mind, and which causes a bháva (mental stance or attitude) that is soft and pleasing to the soul, is called prema by scholars.]

So this is prema. And for a bhakta? Bhaktipremasvarúpińii. For a bhakta, “bhakti is prema personified.” Bhakti is the spirit of prema.

Bhaktiránanda rúpá ca. And you know ánandam [bliss]. When one comes in contact with another object and after coming in contact with that object a sympathetic psychic vibration is created, and that sympathetic psychic vibration maintains a parallelism with the physical vibration of that object, then we say it is sukham [pleasure, happiness]. And when the psychic vibration of a person cannot maintain parallelism with the physical vibration of that object, then we say it is duhkham [pain, sorrow]. Suppose a gentleman comes in contact with a rose. And after coming in contact with that rose, a vibration is created in the mind of the gentleman, and when that vibration maintains parallelism with the physical wave, light waves and other waves of that rose, then we say the gentleman is feeling sukha. And suppose you come in contact with a decomposed dead body. A certain mental vibration is created, and if your mental vibration cannot maintain parallelism with the physical vibration of that decomposed dead body, then we say you are feeling duhkha. This is the difference between sukha and duhkha. And when the wavelength of sukha, the wavelength of the sympathetic vibration, becomes almost infinite, that is, becomes straightened just like a straight line, then it is sukham anantam [endless happiness]. It is ánandam. So, Bhaktiránanda rúpá ca – “Bhakti is ánanda personified.”

Bhakti bhaktasya jiivanam – “and for a bhakta, bhakti and his life, his vitality, his vital energy, his very existence, are inseparable.” If suppose a robber, a dacoit, says, “Oh, bhakta, I want, I’ll take, your bhakti!” the bhakta will say, “You better take my life! Let me keep my bhakti.” Bhakti bhaktasya jiivanam. So that’s why it has been said, Mokśa kárańasamagryáḿ bhaktireva gariiyasii.

Now, when one lacks proper [culture] one distorts the very spirit of his or her psychic object. Bhakti is closely associated with prema. So, there can be bhakti only for the Supreme, for prema is always for the Infinite; so bhakti can only be for the Infinite. But there can be distortions. When one wants money from Parama Puruśa one says, “O Parama Puruśa, I am Your devotee.” No, [that person] is not His devotee! Because he or she does not want Parama Puruśa, he or she wants money from Parama Puruśa. “O Parama Puruśa, I’m Your devotee. I have got a girl of marriageable age, I want a groom. I don’t want to spend a farthing.” Is he a bhakta? No, no, no. Now, there have been distortions. These are all distortions of bhakti.

That’s why it has been said that these are all aparábhakti. When one wants something else from Parama Puruśa other than Parama Puruśa, then that bhakti is called aparábhakti, and when one wants Parama Puruśa from Parama Puruśa, then that bhakti is parábhakti.

The bhaktas say: Suppose Parama Puruśa appears before you and says, “O my boy, do you want something from Me?” then what should be your reply? Your reply will be, “What I require and what I do not require is best known to You. You know better than I do. So You do according to my requirements. I won’t say anything.” But if even then He says, “O my boy, say something, try to get something. Ask something, say something. I want that you yourself say, ‘O Parama Puruśa, I want this thing or that thing’” – in that case you should say, “O Parama Puruśa, give me parábhakti.” Or you should say, “O Parama Puruśa, give me shuddhá buddhi.”

Shuddhá buddhi means “benevolent intellect”. That is, the intellect should always be associated with benevolence. If it is not associated with benevolence, then that particular person will be worse than an animal. Nobody can check his or her degradation. And when the bhakta has shuddhá buddhi, benevolent intellect, he or she will certainly acquire parábhakti. Wherever there is shuddhá buddhi, there must be parábhakti, and wherever there is parábhakti there must be shuddhá buddhi. So you should remember that bhaktas are very [intelligent] and jiṋániis are [foolish].

There are three classifications within aparábhakti. When a so-called devotee (aparábhakti means they are not devotees, they are so-called devotees) says, “O Parama Puruśa, I am Your devotee,” and then says, “X is my enemy. Please kill him, please kill him!” this type of bhakti is called támasika bhakti. Actually it is not bhakti. When someone says, “O Parama Puruśa, I am Your devotee, but You know, I am not getting any employment, please arrange for my employment,” he is not trying to harm anybody, but he wants physical development or physical elevation, his [physical] betterment. His bhakti, his so-called bhakti, is known as rájasika bhakti. And that is also aparábhakti, and aparábhakti is not bhakti. And suppose someone says, “O Parama Puruśa, I am Your devotee, and You know, I want mukti, I want mukti,” and Parama Puruśa asks, “O my boy, why do you want mukti?” “Oh, I don’t find any charm in this world, because I lost my digestive power. Either give me back my digestive power or give me mukti.” This is sáttvikii bhakti. Actually sáttvikii bhakti is not bhakti; aparábhakti is not at all bhakti.

What is bhakti? Parábhakti is bhakti. So when you are asked by Parama Puruśa for the second time, “What do you want?” You should say, “I want parábhakti or shuddhá buddhi.” And what is parábhakti? “O Parama Puruśa, You know whether I am Your devotee or not. It is You who are to judge whether I am Your devotee or not – but I want You.” The child says, “O mother, I don’t want any toys from you, I want you.”

So, “I want You. And why do I want You? Because I want to serve You.” And, “O my boy, why do you want to serve Me?” “Because I get pleasure in serving You; that’s why I want to serve You.” This is parábhakti.

But this is not the highest phase of parábhakti. In the highest phase, when asked by Parama Puruśa, “O my boy, why do You want to serve Me?” the reply should be, “By serving You I want to give You pleasure. That’s why I want to serve You. I don’t want to enjoy pleasure.” This is the highest phase of parábhakti. This is what bhaktas say. And jiṋániis maintain a gentleman’s gap. Now have you understood everything?

A devotee who has developed parábhakti develops a family relationship with the Supreme. And the bhaktas who have developed parábhakti are of three categories: A-category, B-category and C-category. A-category is the highest order.

C-category: When asked by anybody they will say, “You know, Parama Puruśa belongs to me.” “Why? Why does He belong to you?” “You know, Parama Puruśa belongs to all, and I am also a part of all, so certainly He belongs to me. Since He belongs to all, then certainly He belongs to me also. I am also included within the scope of A-L-L.” They are of C-grade. They have developed parábhakti, but they are C-category.

And the B-category bhakta will say, “Yes, Parama Puruśa belongs to me.” “Why? Why does He belong to you?” “He belongs to me; He is my personal property. He belongs to me, but because He belongs to me, He belongs to others also.”

That is, C-category bhaktas say, “He belongs to all, that’s why He belongs to me.” B-category bhaktas say, “He belongs to me, and His relationship is with me. He has the same relationship with others as He has got with me. So He belongs to me, and He belongs to others also.” They are of B-category.

And the devotees of A-category will say, “He belongs to me. He is my personal property. He belongs to nobody else.”

So for the devotee of the highest order, Parama Puruśa is his or her personal property, and the notion of sharing with others does not arise.

Now, through bhakti one can come in closest contact with the Supreme. So an intelligent person is to develop bhakti. One may or may not have jiṋána, one may or may not have karma, but one must have bhakti.

Bhakti bhaktasya jiivanam. This portion is very important. You know, jiṋána is a practice. Karma is also a practice. But bhakti is not a practice, it is a principle. It is something quite natural, and naturally associated with your life. So, when one becomes a [bhakta], one becomes natural in one’s mode of life.

In all the bhakti shástras [devotional scriptures] you will see that people do not criticize others. Whatever they have to say, they say regarding Parama Puruśa, regarding their goal, regarding their desideratum. And you know, with this little human brain and little human intellect, it is not at all possible for a person to fight against Paramá Prakrti, to fight against the binding principle. For this one must get special favour, special help, from Parama Puruśa, otherwise it is not at all possible – not “difficult”, but rather “not at all possible” – for a person to fight against Paramá Prakrti, to fight against Mahámáyá.

But when one ensconces oneself in Parama Puruśa, surrenders at the altar of Parama Puruśa, it becomes a very easy job for him or her. And while surrendering oneself at the altar of the Supreme, what is one to do? One must not ask for anything from Parama Puruśa. [For example,] for a bhakta, mukti has got no importance. A bhakta wants Parama Puruśa, and nothing from Him, not even mukti. Suppose Parama Puruśa says, “O devotee, what do you want?” – his or her reply is, “I want You.” One must not say, “I want mukti,” because suppose one says, “I want mukti,” one may get mukti, but one may not get Parama Puruśa. Which is more valuable – mukti or Parama Puruśa? Parama Puruśa!

In támasika aparábhakti: “O Parama Puruśa, that man is my enemy, Mr. X. Kill him.” In that case, Parama Puruśa may or may not kill that Mr. X. But it is sure that one will not get Parama Puruśa, because one did not say, “O Parama Puruśa, I want You.” In rájasika bhakti one says, “O Parama Puruśa, I want a job.” One may get it. One may or may not get a job; it depends upon the sweet will of Parama Puruśa. But it is sure that one will not get Parama Puruśa, because one did not say, “O Parama Puruśa, I want You.” In sáttvikii bhakti also one may get back one’s digestive power [laughter], but one may not, will not, get Parama Puruśa because one did not say, “O Parama Puruśa, I want You.” So for a bhakta, for a devotee, Parama Puruśa is more important than mukti.

Now, when one is in closest contact with Parama Puruśa, one becomes Parama Puruśa. Brahmavid Brahmaeva bhavati [“The knower of Brahma will become Brahma”]. So under such circumstances mukti has got no meaning, no importance. And with the help of Parama Puruśa, it will be a very easy job for one to liberate oneself from the binding influence, from the binding faculties of Paramá Prakrti.

Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama Máyá duratyayá;
Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.⁽³⁾

“This Máyá is a very strong power. For a unit being it is very difficult to fight this Máyá. She is insurmountable. But those who have taken shelter in me can easily fight against this Máyá.”

And I already told you that in the case of a bhakta, in a bhakta’s life, his or her relationship with Parama Puruśa is just like a family relationship. For a bhakta, unlike for a jiṋánii or a karmii, He is not a magistrate or a judge; He is the family father. And so a bhakta must not think – and a bhakta never thinks – that he or she is a pápii [sinner] or was a pápii, because it is a family relationship. In a court of law one may maintain that one is a criminal, but so far as the relationship with Parama Puruśa is concerned, it is purely a family relationship. And that’s why each and every sádhaka, each and every spiritual aspirant, must remember that he or she must not have any inferiority complex in coming in contact with Parama Puruśa. Parama Puruśa is one’s personal property.

Api cet sudurácáro bhajate mámananyabhák;
So’pi pápavinirmuktah mucyate bhavabandhanát.

“If even a sudurácárii, that is, a sinner of worst degree, ideates on Me – that is, if a sinner withdraws his or her mind from all other objects and guides that mind, those collective propensities, unto Me – I assure him or her that he or she must get mukti; he or she must get everything.” So in the realm of spirituality a sádhaka must not suffer, must not entertain, any inferiority complex. You are all His loving sons, His loving daughters. You are sure to get Him; it is your birthright to be one with Him.

(1) Jiṋána, karma and bhakti are forms of spiritual practice which emphasize, respectively, discrimination, selfless action, and devotion. –Eds.

Incantation and Human Progress

Published in:
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

The subject of today’s discourse is “Incantation and Human Progress”. What is incantation? “Incantation” is a Latin term. It means “repeating a particular word”. And that word creates a special type of vibration, and that vibration will have actional effect on the material world. But the Sanskrit term for incantation is mantra. The rudimental meanings of “incantation” and [mantra are not the same]. Mananát tárayet yastu sah mantrah parikiirttitah – “The sanctified word that helps one in attaining salvation [is a mantra].” So they are not the same, but because of the fact that there is no proper Latin term for mantra, I find no alternative but to use the word “incantation” for mantra.

Every living being has to move, every animate and inanimate object has to move. As such, human beings also have to move. In this world, living beings are born to do something, to move forward. No thing and no one is stationary. No one can remain static.

There is no such thing as absolute speed or absolute pause in this universe. Wherever there is the realm of relativity, there must be speed, and that speed is always relative speed. And because this universe is something created, is a created being, there is continuous flow in this universe – a flow of so many waves of so many lengths, of so many vibrations of so many inferences.

Human beings are moving and will continue to move. This movement knows no starting point, and in the realm of physicality and also in the psychic sphere there is no last point either. There is no cessation or gap in this process of movement. (There is no full stop or semi-colon, though there may be commas!)

In the mundane world, people are always moving towards some material goal. If they move without first defining their goals, then their movement will be nothing but a waste of time and energy. There may be movement, but there will be no progress. A bullock tied to an oil mill may trudge along for a hundred miles [in a circle], but not even a step of that distance will signify real progress.

So in the mundane world, people will have to move towards a particular goal. They must keep their eyes fixed on that goal, otherwise their movement will go to waste. Intelligent people do not waste their time, their labour or anything worthwhile. Intelligent people keep their eyes fixed on the goal as they are moving ahead. Only movement towards a fixed goal, in perfect adjustment with the environment to right and left, is movement worthy of the name.

How should one move in the psychic and spiritual realms, on the other hand? There a person should move with eyes closed to the mundane world, as if it does not exist.

When people move in the psychic sphere they should define a mission in their minds, and they should move towards the fulfilment of that mission. As long as one remains in this world, one will have to maintain progress in the mental sphere. Suppose a student is studying. He will have to remember that he has to pass an examination. If he does not think about passing the examination, if he studies only for the sake of study, he will never pass it. To keep a mission before one’s eyes is mandatory. If there is no mission, then psychic endeavour will become meaningless. It will be just a waste of time. As far as human endeavour is concerned, there should be a mission, and one must always remember that mission. (If one wants to remember one’s mission, one can keep written reminders here and there. [This will help to keep it] in mind.)

Kurvanneveha karmańi jijiivisecchataḿ samah;
Evaḿ tvayi nanyathetosti ná karma lipyate nare.⁽¹⁾

Why do you want to live for a hundred years? To do more and more work. You want to live long because you hope to do more and more work in this life – being goaded by this desire, you wish to live a long life. So in the psychic sphere one must always remember that one has a mission in life, and just to materialize that life, for proper practication of that mission, one is to remain in this world; otherwise one must not remain here, one should retire from life as early as possible.

Once I said, “It is good to die working, but still better to work even while dying.” So one should always bear in mind, “I am alive in this world for the fulfilment of my mission. This is the reason I am eating, dressing, sleeping. Apart from this, I have no worth.” And if one ever lives a life without a mission, then in that case, no endeavour in the psychic sphere will bring success. If you do not want to work, if you do not want to serve the world, you will become a burden on the world. It would be better to leave the world than to live as a burden on it. Human life should be enriched with intense activity.

Above the mental sphere there is the spiritual sphere. In the spiritual world, it is not enough to think (as in the psychic sphere) only of one’s mission, because the purpose of a mission is service in the external world. Whatever might be one’s [specific] mission in the objective or expressed world, fundamentally one’s mission is to promote the welfare of the world. But when the movement is internal, that is, when the movement is from mind to spirit, then a mission of no importance, because you are withdrawing your entire existence towards supreme fulfilment. You may be active in your mission to promote the welfare of the world – jagaddhitáya – but that is not enough.

Why do you undertake a mission? Átmamokśarthaḿ jagaddhitáya ca [“For Self-realization and for the welfare of the universe”]. You certainly undertake it in order to promote the welfare of the world. Along with this you have to take up another mission, and that is to bring about your own spiritual salvation. If one does not try for one’s own salvation, if one does not do spiritual practice, one can never serve society. It will be totally impossible. When you take a vow to work for your mission, just remembering that vow will not make it possible for you to win salvation, though through that vow you can serve the world.

So in the spiritual sphere your progress does not depend only on your mission. The very import of human existence is, one is to serve the world, and one is to do one’s sádhaná for one’s all-round salvation. Here you must remember that salvation does not mean salvation in the spiritual stratum only. Humanity must get salvation in all spheres of life, in all strata of life, without any exception. All humanity wants salvation in the social sphere, they want salvation in economic strata, they want salvation in the realm of intellectual liberty, and they want salvation in the spiritual sphere. These are the minimum wants of human beings.

In this sphere of spiritual progress – Átmamokśarthaḿ [“For Self-realization”] – the mere thought of one’s mission will not suffice. Your work in pursuance of your mission will be considered your service, and when your service will be sanctified by guru mantra, you will spiritually advance. But when it is a question of spiritual salvation, spiritual beatitude, there what you need is Iśt́a mantra.⁽²⁾

What is mantra? Mananát tárayet yastu sah mantrah parikiirttitah – “Mantra is that which when repeated again and again shows the way to tráńa, liberation”. Here one should remember that tráńa is a common term. But in the spiritual sphere, the word tráńa is used in the sense of paritráńa [permanent liberation]. The word tráńa is derived from the Sanskrit root verb trae plus anat́, and means “saving from danger, relief from bondage”. Supposing someone binds you hand and foot, and by some means your bonds are untied. It means you have attained liberation; but at any time you may again fall into bondage. Today there is no bondage, but tomorrow it may come back again. There is no permanent escape in tráńa. But paritráńa means that once the bondages are removed, they will never come back in the future. In the spiritual realm, tráńa always means paritráńa. Hence that thing or that consecrated word which, by repeating it internally again and again, will bring about one’s permanent liberation, is termed a mantra.

Now let us see how a mantra should be used. The vibrational expression and vibrational emanation of the psycho-spiritual entity that forms the subtlest part of human existence is guided by the mantra. During sádhaná, the mind advances more and more in accordance with the vibration. This is the work of a mantra. This is the excellence of a mantra. Human beings have faith that the mantra will lead their existence forward.

You cannot call all the sounds of the world mantras. Why? Because they do not possess the capacity to liberate a person from bondage. There are so many sounds, so many syllables and so many words in this universe. Each and every word is meaningful. Each and every syllable bears a special import; nothing is meaningless and nothing is insignificant, but only that sound whose acoustic expressions or acoustic waves have the stamina to goad the subtlest portion of the human mind unto the supreme stance can be a mantra. Other words are mere words, ordinary syllables, and nothing else.

Now why is a particular word or a particular syllable to be treated as a mantra, and how can we know whether it has that certain stamina or not? It has been said in the shástras [scriptures]:

Caetanya rahitáh mantráh proktavarńástu kevalam;
Phalaḿ naeva prayacchanti lakśa kot́i japaerapi.

“If there is no consciousness in a mantra or if the vitality of a mantra is limited, then even if it is repeated millions and millions of times, it will not bear fruit.” When a Mahákaola⁽³⁾ chooses a word or words, fills them with the Cosmic vibration and makes that vibrational flow move in perfect rhythm with the Macrocosmic vitality, then that mantra is called a siddha mantra [perfected mantra]. Only a siddha mantra can show one the path of liberation, because in such a mantra there lies hidden so much vital energy that can draw out the subtler aspects of humanity.

Even when the human mind understands everything, it still runs towards crude physicality. People realize what is detrimental and what is beneficial, yet despite that they move towards things that are detrimental to them. It can happen that way, and it does happen quite often.

Svarasováhii viduśo’pi tathárúd́ho’bhiniveshah – “Even a great scholar, a highly learned person, who knows what is proper and what is improper, is still driven by his or her inherent reactive momenta, and knowingly moves towards improper and undesirable things.” This mental disease, which is in fact a crude movement driven by avidyá [ignorance, force of extroversion from the Cosmic Nucleus], is called abhinivesha. When even the mind of a learned person runs towards crude physicality, then what can forcibly draw the mind towards subtlety, towards benevolence, and break the shackles of crude bondage? The living mantra can. Only [siddha mantras] are the real mantras, the rest are not mantras, but mere collections of words.

If one can keep one’s mission in mind, then there will be progress. Of course, human progress in the mental sphere cannot be called real progress. We may call it “a change of place”, because there is no spiritual progress. Except in the spiritual sphere, progress is only a change of place. Take the case of this bolster. It is here. Now there has been a change of place. Certainly it is a change of place, but it is not advancement. Progress is when one moves in the spiritual sphere.

And for spiritual progress, the system of mantra is indispensable. Without spiritual progress, one’s existence will not be meaningful. So we can say that an intelligent person should learn as early as possible in life in life to use a mantra in accordance with his or her own saḿskáras [mental reactive momenta]. And in accordance with one’s mantra, one shall keep moving ahead in the spiritual sphere, because progress is only possible in the spiritual sphere. An intelligent person should move in that world where there is a possibility of real spiritual progress. And while one is moving in the spiritual sphere, one will at the same time have to discharge his or her duties towards the psychic and physical world in a proper way. This is what human life is.

For progress in the spiritual realm, one must not ignore the psychic realm or the mundane external sphere. One will move steadily in the spiritual sphere, and the rjutá [straightforwardness], sáhas [courage] and satyaniśt́há [love of truth] that grow as one progresses in the spiritual sphere will be utilized for the mental welfare of the entire world. Spiritual aspirants will engage themselves in the welfare of the entire world – the physical world, the quinquelemental world – because no one can render service as much as a spiritualist can. Hence a person who moves ahead in the world of spirituality should bear in mind that he or she is doing sádhaná for spiritual salvation, and their endeavour for spiritual salvation will be successful only if they dedicate themselves to the service of the world. One should remember that service is possible only for those who do sádhaná for their spiritual elevation, and that spiritual progress can only be attained by those who think for the welfare of the world.

So, today’s subject of discourse is “Incantation and Human Progress”. We must remember that actual progress can be made only in the spiritual stratum. There cannot be any progress in the physical stratum, or the physico-psychic stratum, or even in the psychic stratum. Whatever is known as progress is actually change of place and nothing more.

Always remember, human life is very meaningful, and human beings can make it more meaningful through their own efforts. You have got human life. By dint of your actions and your sádhaná you will increase the value of your human life. Why should you live like ordinary humans? Become extraordinary! Extraordinary people ultimately raise themselves to divinity. That is, humans become devatás [gods], and devatás become Parama Brahma.

As you have got a human body, utilize it at every moment. Let there be maximum utilization of your very existence. Make your existence great by dint of your extraordinary action. Your life will become more and more meaningful if you do more and more work and more and more meditation.

Human life is more important than animal life because human beings can make their lives meaningful. Animals cannot do that. The [utilitarian] value of animals, plants and trees is derived from [their utilization by] human beings. But the meaning of human life can be increased by one’s own individual efforts, and it is mantra that helps one in his or her effort to do so.

Your Iśt́a mantra is your most cherished object. This is why its secrecy should be maintained. Something which is very, very dear to one’s heart should be preserved very carefully. Hence it is said that one’s Iśt́a mantra should not be repeated aloud, it should be repeated mentally. And the mind will move towards the Átmá [Soul] while repeating it. In a person’s life it will continue to [resonate] internally, not externally.

Finally, with the help of mantra, one will attain mantra caetanya.⁽⁴⁾ And when one attains mantra caetanya, one finds a beacon to guide one onward towards his or her goal.

(1) Iśa Upaniśad: “While performing actions in this world” (the shloka previous to this one explained that actions should be performed with ideation on Brahma) “cherish the desire to live for a hundred years. You will not get enmeshed in actional bondage. There is no other way.” –Eds.

(2) Guru mantra (“important” mantra) and Iśt́a mantra (mantra leading one to the Supreme Goal) are learned as lessons of Ananda Marga meditation. –Eds.

(3) A Tantric guru who can raise not only His own kuńd́alinii (dormant divine force) but those of others also. –Eds.

(4) The awakening of the mantra; the conceptual understanding of and psychic association with the mantra. –Eds.

Macrocosmic Conation and Microcosmic Urge

Published in:
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

Notes:

This discourse was originally published in an Ananda Marga magazine that identified it as a DMC. Since, however, this is clearly just a summary of the DMC, and since the original language is not known, it should not be taken as a verbatim rendering of the discourse. –Eds.

There is nothing beyond the periphery of the Macrocosm.⁽¹⁾ The natural wont of everybody is to know one’s surroundings; and each and every existence is surrounded by Him, the Macrocosm. So the unit being, with limited knowledge and limited ability, tries to know Him, although He is beyond the reach of his or her endeavours, either positive or negative.

The Macrocosm is guided by His own philosophy, own logic and rationality which is beyond all human [intellect]. Human existence, the human mind, is a small, a very small, fraction of that Supreme Entity. Hence it is not possible for a human being to know Him either intellectually or through any other type of human endeavour. And because He remains unknown, the human mind tries to move towards Him. And this movement towards that Supreme Unknown is the human urge, is the microcosmic urge.

This is the urge. There is never-ending attraction. There cannot be any repulsion. There is only attraction, whether negative or positive. In the phase of extroversion, crude matter is created because of the negative attraction. But there cannot be any repulsion, nothing can remain outside Him. There cannot be anything outside the Macrocosm. So in the phase of extroversion, there is negative attraction. Attraction is always there.

In the counterpart to extroversion, that is, in the phase of introversion, the urge is also there. And who created this urge? That very Entity, that very supra-psychic Macrocosmic Entity created that urge. And that urge has four aspects:

These are the four phases of urge in the microcosm created through the grace of the Macrocosm.

From the side of the Macrocosm, there is attraction, Macrocosmic attraction. From the side of the microcosm, there is the four-fold urge. This attraction and this urge – the Macrocosmic attraction as an emanation of the Macrocosmic conation, and the microcosmic urge – keep the balance of this universe. They keep the equilibrium of this universe and maintain the equipoise of this Cosmos. This is the liilá [divine sport] of Parama Puruśa. To surrender oneself in this liilá is the wisest thing.

(1) Sentence that was unclear in the original magazine publication of this discourse omitted here. –Eds.

Glossary

Published in:
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 24

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

BHAKTA. Devotee.
BHAKTI. Devotion.
BRAHMA. Supreme Entity, comprising both PURUŚA, or SHIVA, and PRAKRTI, or SHAKTI.

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

DEVA. Mythologically, a god, a deity. Philosophically, any vibration, or expression, emanating from the Cosmic Nucleus.
DEVATÁ. Mythologically, a god or goddess. Philosophically, a minor expression of a DEVA, controlled and supervised by the deva. (Deva and devatá are sometimes used interchangeably.)
DHARMA. Characteristic property; spirituality; the path of righteousness in social affairs.
DHYEYA. Object of meditation.

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

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

KÁLA. Time.
KARMA. Action.
KARMII. A SÁDHAKA who follows the path of action or work.
KIIRTANA. Collective singing of the name of the Lord, sometimes combined with a dance that expresses the spirit of surrender.
KRŚŃA. The historical Krśńa of about 1500 BCE played two roles. In His early youth He awakened the devotion and spiritual ardour of one and all in Gokula and Vrindavana. As an adult, as a great kśatriya leader and king, He played a pivotal role in a campaign (known as the Mahábhárata) to unify India and to restore DHARMA. Philosophically the word Krśńa has been used in many ways, particularly to represent PURUŚOTTAMA.

MAHÁMÁYÁ, MÁYÁ. Creative Principle, PRAKRTI in Her phase of creation. One aspect of Máyá is the power to cause the illusion that the finite created objects are the ultimate truth.
MANTRA. A sound or collection of sounds which, when meditated upon, will lead to spiritual liberation. A mantra is incantative, pulsative, and ideative.
MARGI. A member of Ananda Marga.
MOKŚA. Spiritual emancipation, non-qualified liberation.
MUKTI. Spiritual liberation.

PÁPA. Sin.
PARA. Subjective; controlling. See also APARA.
PARÁBHAKTI. Highest devotion to the Supreme; devotion to Para Brahma, the unexpressed aspect of BRAHMA. See also APARÁBHAKTI.
PARAMA PURUŚA. Supreme Consciousness.
PARAMÁTMÁ, PARAMÁTMAN. Supreme Consciousness in the role of witness of His own macropsychic conation. Paramátman comprises: (1) PURUŚOTTAMA, the Macrocosmic Nucleus; (2) Puruśottama’s association with all creation in His extroversive movement (prota yoga); and (3) Puruśottama’s association with each unit creation individually (ota yoga) and (4) with all collectively (prota yoga) in His introversive movement.
PRAKRTI, PARAMÁ PRAKRTI. Cosmic Operative Principle.
PURUŚA. Consciousness.
PURUŚOTTAMA, PARAMASHIVA. The Nucleus Consciousness, the witness of saiṋcara (extroversion from the Nucleus) and pratisaiṋcara (introversion to the Nucleus).

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

RÁDHÁ. In mythology, the foremost female devotee of Lord KRŚŃA; hence metaphorically any devotee (and all unit consciousnesses are, knowingly or unknowingly, devotees).
RÁDHIKÁ SHAKTI. See HLÁDINII SHAKTI.

SÁDHAKA. Spiritual practitioner.
SÁDHANÁ. Literally, “sustained effort”; spiritual practice; meditation.
SAMÁDHI. “Absorption” of the unit mind into the Cosmic Mind (savikalpa samádhi) or into the ÁTMAN (nirvikalpa samádhi).
SAḾSKÁRA. Mental reactive momentum, potential mental reaction.
SAMVIT SHAKTI. An expression of vidyá shakti, or VIDYÁ, which one experiences as the realization that life has a higher purpose.
SHAKTI. PRAKRTI; energy; a deification of Prakrti.
SHÁSTRA. Scripture.
SHIVA. A great Tantric guru of 5000 BCE who guided society while His mind was absorbed in Consciousness; hence, Infinite Consciousness, PURUŚA.
SHLOKA. A Sanskrit couplet expressing one idea.
SVABHÁVA. Nature.

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

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

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

	Publisher's Note
1	The Noumenal Progenitor
2	What Is the Primary Cause of the Universe and Who Is the Only Object of Ideation?
3	The Causal Matrix
4	The Supreme Cognition
5	The Grandeur of the Supreme Entity
6	Mysticism and Spirituality
7	Longing for the Great
8	The Cosmological Order
9	Bhakti, Mukti and Parama Puruśa
10	Incantation and Human Progress
11	Macrocosmic Conation and Microcosmic Urge
	Glossary