Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti’s dedication for the welfare of humanity made him create a social theory, Progressive Utilization Theory of PROUT.

PROUT stands for rational distribution, development and maximum utilization of all the resources of this world – physical, mental and spiritual – all has to be taken care of. This theory will create harmony and peace in the society, a society where exploitation and corruption will not exist.

In order to satisfy and develop all human potentialities of the world, Ananda Marga has become a many-branched organization providing guidelines for all aspects of life – education, relief, welfare, medical, arts, etc.

All the philosophy and spiritual practices he gave have meditation as their foundation. Though this is a short explanation of the organization he has created, we can understand a little about what he is. He has not done this to gain some personal benefit, but his constant love and selfless care for the world family has made him sacrifice himself to the task of changing the whole world to become a better place for us to live. His only desire has been to guide and help all towards liberation, the state he always dwells in.

However Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti has received much opposition in India, to the extent of persecution by the government.

This collection of a selected few of Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti’s discourses is but a drop in the ocean of his wisdom. These articles were selected in order to give the reader a touch of his social teachings, and as an inspiration to us all to make the greatest use of our human form for the development of ourselves, as well as our human society.

Chapter 1	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

The quinquelemental creation is the final manifestation of Bráhmiicitta [Macrocosmic ectoplasm]. During pratisaiṋcara,⁽¹⁾ when the quinquelemental factors started to be slightly affected by Puruśottama [Nucleus Consciousness], the vibration of animation first arose in them. The more that animated entities continued to be illuminated by the divine effulgence of Nucleus Consciousness, the more they developed their contemplative power, propelling them further down the path of self-awareness. The greatest among these contemplative entities became capable of tremendously accelerating their own individual movements along the path of Macrocosmic pratisaiṋcara. These superior beings are called mánava or mánuśa, meaning "contemplative beings".⁽²⁾

Contemplative power is not manifest to the same degree in every human being; no two human beings even are equal in this respect. From the perspective of time, primitive humans made less use of the power of contemplation than the people of today. When the first human babies evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago in the process of the Cycle of Creation, those humans did not find the world such a safe place to live in. There were dense forests infested with wild, ferocious animals and venomous reptiles. Gigantic carnivorous creatures with huge protruding teeth prowled everywhere in search of prey. The first human beings were not blessed with a sweet, homey environment to protect them from violent storms, terrifying thunder and lightning, and falling meteors. The scorching rays of the midday sun threatened to destroy the lives of those babies. Such was their condition.

How little scope the human beings of that age had to develop their contemplative power, to explore the pathways of their inner world. People spent all their energy on survival, fighting ceaselessly against the ruthlessness of nature.

During that age of struggle in that primitive human society, what counted most was brute force – sheer physical strength. In that distant age people lived according to the maxim "Might is right." When they realized that the forces of nature were hostile to them, they did not think it wise to live separately in an isolated, scattered way. Thus they began to come together and to form many small groups, gotras [clans] or tribes, with the sole purpose of surviving through collective struggle. In that age of physical might the strongest person became the leader of the clan and was worshipped by society as a hero. In this way the kśatriya social structure first developed in the ancient world.

The world continued to evolve. The social structure developed by those primitive people could not maintain its status quo. Society began to understand that mere physical strength was insufficient; it required the support of intellect. That intellect would control and direct physical might and point the way to real prosperity. Those who first discovered how to make fire by friction, providing comforting warmth to the human body when it was chilled by cold winter nights, came to be viewed as the greatest people, not because of their physical strength, but due to their merit and intellect. Society hailed them as rśis [pioneers of human welfare].

In the following age human beings made food palatable and easily digestible by roasting it over a fire. Those who first taught this use of fire to others were also acclaimed as rśis; they were the successors of the previous rśis. Those who first invented the art of weaving cloth to cover the naked human body, those who first taught animal husbandry and the use of cow’s milk to feed babies deprived of their mother’s milk, and those who first solved the problems of transportation by inventing the now-outmoded bullock cart, were all rśis, the original benefactors of humanity. They were all the ancestors of the human race, hence they were all worthy of being remembered and revered. Those rśis, the messengers of the new, were naturally held in the highest esteem by kśatriya society. They were known as vipras and given unstinting respect.

Time passed. Human beings came in closer contact with the external world and learned better how to use various material objects, or learned the necessity of rendering those objects fit for use.

Naturally some people had to be engaged in producing mundane commodities. The class that was thus engaged was called the vaeshya class.

As the result of a natural process, the kśattriyas and vipras gradually became subservient to the vaeshyas in order to maintain their mundane existence. In the absence of farmers no food could be produced; without weavers no clothes could be made – blacksmiths, potters, cobblers, etc., were also indispensable. Thus gradually the vipra society had no alternative but to accept the supremacy of the vaeshyas.

Those who were devoid of the qualities of the kśattriyas, vipras or vaeshyas had no option but to become their obedient servants. They were exploited by all three classes in the same manner – ruthlessly.

The world advanced still further, and along with this the social structure also underwent changes. As a natural consequence of the flow of creation, human beings invented money. Gradually money itself became a source of pleasure. People scrambled among themselves, because the more money one accumulated, the richer one became; one could become the owner of as much land as one wished or as many luxuries as one desired. In the vaeshya-dominated society the vaeshyas were undoubtedly the most affluent; the other classes, for their subsistence, were totally dependent on the favours dispensed by the vaeshyas. This vaeshya-dominated society continues even today.

Due to exploitation, the kśattriyas and vipras are gradually degenerating to the level of shúdras. It is a natural law that the affluent cannot be in the majority in any society; only the shúdras can be the majority. Now these shúdras collectively want to destroy the dominance of the vaeshyas and annihilate them. That is why shúdra domination is emerging in society today. But is shúdra domination the final stage? If the control of society slides into the hands of the shúdras, will not the mundane prosperity and spiritual progress of humanity suffer a set-back? As the shúdras’ struggle to gain domination continues, people are gradually realizing what form of society is most conducive to real human welfare.

It is not proper for one particular class to dominate society. If one class is dominant, it will surely continue to exploit the other classes. Hence Ananda Marga wants a society without divisions or discrimination, where everyone will be entitled to equal opportunities and equal rights.

For humanity to progress, a harmonious social system is most essential. How many meritorious students are forced to abandon their education for want of money, and, for the same reason, how many artists are compelled to suppress their extraordinary talent before it is expressed. This is due to a defective social order. Such a situation cannot be allowed to continue any longer. The system of divisions and discrimination is like the tightly-woven nest of the weaver-bird; it must be broken into pieces forever. Only then will human beings be able to lead the entire human race along the path towards spiritual welfare. Until then a handful of people will perhaps be able to attain the pinnacle of spiritual progress, but it will be extremely difficult to establish all humanity in the supreme stance. The intense clashes and conflicts of the physical world will continually turn people’s attention towards external objects of enjoyment and create obstacles to their spiritual progress.

In a harmonious social order no one will run after fame or wealth like a mad dog. A congenial external environment will assist them in achieving mental balance, and people’s psychic poverty will also gradually decrease.

Sa tu bhavati daridra yasya áshá vishálá;
Manasi ca parituśt́e ko’rthaván kodaridrah.

[Those who have many desires are poor.
When the mind is contented, who is rich and who is poor?]

O human beings, try to understand human needs and build an appropriate social system. Do not try to do anything for your petty personal or group interests, because nothing done with a narrow outlook bereft of Cosmic ideation will last. The cruel hand of time will obliterate all your achievements and plunge them into an oblivion you cannot fathom. It is not necessary to study books to know how to move, what to build, what to break, what to preserve. You should look upon every living being of this universe with sincere feelings of love and compassion. Only then will you realize that whatever you break, build or preserve is already contained within and vibrated by the flow of the blissful Macrocosmic Entity. Through action mixed with devotion and knowledge you will discover the life of your life, the supreme treasure of your inner being, that Supreme Entity, which you have unknowingly kept hidden in the golden temple of your heart.

Sei Ánanda carańa páte;
Śad́ rtu ye nrtye máte.
Plávańa bahe yáy dharáte;
Varań giiti gandhere.

–Rabindranath Tagore

[At the silent footsteps of the Supreme Entity,
The six seasons⁽³⁾ burst into dance.
The whole world overflows
With welcoming songs and fragrance.]

Footnotes

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

(2) For a detailed discussion of the author’s cosmological system and the place of human beings in it, see Idea and Ideology, 1959. –Eds.

(3) In Bengal (the birthplace of Tagore), as in all northeastern India, there are six distinct seasons: summer, rainy season, early autumn, late autumn, winter and spring. Each season is approximately two months long. –Eds.

Chapter 2	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Prakrti or the Supreme Operative Principle, the authoress of multiplicities, has been carrying on Her endless creation or diversity. The beauty, the sweetness and the wonder of this diversity is manifest in every place, in every stratum of creation. Human beings have emerged as the highest beings at an evolved stage of Her creation along Saiṋcara and Pratisaiṋcara. And there are a great many diversities and apparent distinctions within humanity itself.

The people of some countries have dark skin, tall bodies, black irises, black hair, thick lips and flat noses, while the people of other countries have a fair complexion, medium height, blue irises and aquiline noses. There is a remarkable difference, a wonderful diversity, in regard to physiognomy – hair, eyes, skin, nose, lips, etc. – among the inhabitants of the different parts of the world. In fact, this difference between human beings is so staggering that sometimes people are wrongly led to believe that the white people are perhaps superior to the black population, and that the blacks are only a little higher than our animal ancestors on the scale of evolution. As human beings were not able to unravel the mystery of this diversity, they wrongly preached the doctrine of racial supremacy, resulting in hated of their fellow human beings and heartless cruelty, and indulged in savagery and bloody warfare – these were the darkest and the most lamented chapters in human history. Even today in Europe, particularly in Spain and Portugal, and in the USA, South Africa and Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe], one unmistakably notices the curse of this ignorance.

But is racial supremacy a scientific concept? Is it humanly justified? What does ethnology say? What is the origin of humanity? Did the ancestors of human beings of various colours belong to the same stock, or were they different? According to ethnology the human ancestors were the same. From them originated the Aryans, the Austrics, the Mongolians and the Negroes of today. Those first forebears of the human race have been termed Australopithecus in ethnology. On an auspicious day in the remote past, say 1,000,000 years ago, the first human being saw the light of this verdant earth. The Australopithecus group branched out into two categories of creatures – chimpanzees and orangutans on one side, and human beings on the other side.

The first human beings were born in the vast geographical area between the Java Islands and Palestine. The Australopithecus gradually transformed themselves into human form but this great transformation did not take place overnight, nor even in one century, but by slow degrees. Ethnologists, to be more precise, have conceived of an intermediate stage of beings – the Homo Erectus – who are neither Australopithecus nor exactly human beings in form and nature. The fossils of these creatures have been found in different parts of Java, China, and East and North Africa. These creatures of the Homo Erectus species emerged in the unknown past, chiefly during the Pleistocene Age of the earth.

Everything on this earth is subject to the rule of change and progress. Eventually there came about enormous changes in the environment and natural conditions of the earth in subsequent ages, and consequently thousands of species entirely vanished. Because of the immutable law of nature, these species also had to leave this earth forever, without leaving any trace behind.

But before their extinction they left behind their descendants – Homo Sapiens were the first ancestors of humanity.

The different groups of Homo Erectus spread out in different directions. Some of the groups were doomed to extinction in the face of the fierce onslaught of hostile nature, while other groups had the advantage of congenial environments and gave rise to a higher species. Those who were responsible for the advent of the human race could not maintain their survival because they could not adopt themselves to the enormous changes in the natural environment of this earth.

The first Homo Sapiens did not remain tied to one place. In quest of greater ease, comfort and safety in life, they spread out from Eurasia to the Arctic Ocean, from the Bering Strait to Melanesia, and from there again they moved in other directions, to find new homes in unexplored horizons.

Thus the single species of Homo Sapiens scattered itself over different parts of the world. At first the colour and physiognomical differences between the scattered Homo Sapiens were not very prominent. But with the passage of time, as they passed their lives over long periods amidst diverse geophysical conditions, differences in their physical structures became more and more apparent. Thus the apparent diversity in the human world today is the product of natural conditions.

Geographically this planet of ours is divided into a few distinct zones: the snow-covered poles; the hot, sandy and dreary deserts; the roaring and ruffled seas and oceans extending up to the distant horizons; and the silent and motionless, high and intractable mountains. In some places rivers cut vast plains into two; at other places high waves break upon the banks of great lakes with a thudding sound.

Human beings, since their advent onto this earth, found themselves confronted with these types of conflicting natural environments. They had to fight tooth and nail against those particular adverse circumstances to preserve their existence, and that process brought about marked changes in their outward physical structures.

The greater the heat of the sun, the greater the amount of ultraviolet rays in the sunlight. A study of geography tells us why there are differences in the degree of heat of the sun’s rays. Where the sun’s rays fall on earth obliquely, there is less heat of the sun, and where the sun’s rays fall straight on the earth, the heat is greater. In very hot countries white-skinned people find it very hard to live, because their skin, having less of the chemical substance called melanin, is unable to stand much heat. Body skin with a great quantity of melanin in it turns jet black, and obviously a lesser quantity of melanin makes one’s skin white.

If ever white people are forced for some reason to live long in a hot climate, their colour turns brown. In 1939-40, when British soldiers came to India for war purposes, their colour became brown due to the great heat. Naturally, as the skin of these soldiers had to adjust with the hot climate of India, there were some necessary changes in their skin to effect acclimatisation.

In hot countries the irises of people’s eyes are generally black, because more melanin is required to protect the eyeball from the scorching rays of the sun.

The nostrils of people in hot countries are comparatively large and the front of the nose is extended. Why does this happen? Because external heat makes the internal air heated. The body temperature having increased, the internal heat tries to force its way out rapidly. As a result of the rapid exhalation of heavy, hot air, the diameter of the front portion of the nose increases.

People who live in cold countries develop fatty tissues in their bodies. These tissues are particularly helpful in maintaining body temperature. And though their noses are high, their nostrils are comparatively small because if a large amount of chill air enters the body it will inevitably affect the lungs and vocal chord. That is why nature has made the constitution of the inhabitants of cold countries so ideally suited as not to allow a greater than necessary amount of air to enter the body at the time of breathing.

In the same way the variation in natural environment and climate has variously effected other changes in the physical structure of human beings. Some people are jet-black, some reddish white, some yellow, while others are brown. The one species of Homo Sapiens has become divided into four distinct races (living under different circumstances), but basically they all originated from one and the same source – from Australopithecus to Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. The same stock is divided into various so-called races – white, black, brown and yellow. These races are as different from one another as the rivers Ganga, Meghna, Padma and Bhagirathi, which spring from one common source, the Gangotri in the Himalayas.

There are four main races in the world today – the Aryans, the Austrics, the Negroes and the Mongolians.

The Aryans first moved from West Asia and migrated to different parts from the Black Sea to the Danube Valley and then to Central and West Europe. They advanced and settled in Iran, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa and Spain, and along the Mediterranean coast. They spread out from West France to the British Isles, and later spread to Afghanistan, the Indus Valley, the Red River Valley, and Korea and Japan in the Far East.

The Mongolians had China as their main homeland. Later they spread out from the Arctic Ocean to the Bering Straight and to the White Sea. They could not move westward because of the obstruction of high mountains in Asia. So they advanced eastward and southward and reached Burma, Siam (Thailand), Indochina, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Philippines and Japan, and joined the original inhabitants of those places.

The Negroes lived near the equator in Africa and New Guinea, near the southern coast of the Indian Ocean. Their descendants are found in South India, the Andaman Islands, the Malayan Peninsula and the Philippines.

Human society comprises these various branches of various races. There is no reason whatever to recognize one race as superior to another race. The external differences in constitution among these human groups cannot alter their basic human traits – love and affection, pleasure and pain, hunger and thirst. These basic biological instincts and mental propensities equally predominate in human beings of all complexions in all countries and in all ages. A mere rustic, unlettered, half-naked tribal mother of an unknown hamlet of Chotanagpur Hills (in Bihar in India) bears deep maternal affection for her young children; in the same way, a well-educated mother of a locality of New York pours out of her heart a great love for her own children. The subterranean flow of love and affection exists in all hearts alike. Every person cries out in pain, everyone feels pleasure when there are occasions of joy and happiness. In different geographical, cultural, social and other environments the lifestyles of different human groups may vary – a few special psychic traits of some of those groups may assert themselves – but fundamentally their mental existence flows along the same channels of ideas and consciousness. Containing the same cosmic momentum and under the same cosmic inspiration, they all have set out for a tryst with the same destiny.

From the unknown past until this day, the various branches of the human society have given rise to different civilizations. The Alpines and the Mediterraneans (two branches of the white race) produced the Hellenic, Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations. The Nordics and the Dravidians were responsible for the Indus Valley civilizations. And the yellow race produced the Chinese and Japanese civilizations. The Red Indians built up the American civilizations.

Black people did not lag behind either. True, compared with other races their contribution to human civilization is less impressive, not because of their racial inferiority, but because the so-called civilized races (for their selfish political interests) deprived them of sufficient scope in their development. Furthermore, the hostile natural environment did not allow introversion of their psychic potentialities. There is still the burning desert of the Sahara right in the heart of Africa, surrounded by sea on most sides, and there is still the deep and impenetrable forest thwarting any easy human communication. This unfavourableness of nature prevented the Africans from looking within and that accounts for their failure to build any civilization in the past. In spite of that, there are immense human potentialities lying dormant in them too. And for that the most pressing need is to develop those possibilities by creating a congenial environment.

There is an admixture of blood of different races. In India, all the four prominent races – the Aryans, the Mongolians, the Austrics and the Negroes – have been inseparably mixed up. The present Filipinos are a mixture of Negro, Mongolian and Aryan races, though the Mongolian elements are predominant. Ethnological research has proved that the present Philippino race grew out of a heterogeneous mixture of people from India, Indonesia, Malaya, China, Africa and Arabia. Similarly, the Japanese race was evolved out of a blood mixture of the Aynus (a sub-branch of white people) hailing from the banks of the Amur River, a sub-branch of the yellow race from Korea, and a hybrid community of browny-black coloured people who migrated from Malaya and Indonesia. The Chinese people are composed of people from South Russia and Central Asia. The population of Great China is a mixture of those different communities.

Only recently Hitler fed the German nation on the spurious notions of Aryan supremacy and incited the vain and arrogant Nazis to fight a horrible war. He raised his arrogant slogan – “The Aryans are not to be ruled but to rule”. But is this chauvinistic and blind concept of Aryan supremacy supported by the science of ethnology? No, this science holds that the modern Germans are not a homogeneous race. They are a mixed race. Thus, if analysed, it will be found that none of the existing human races are free from admixture of the blood of other races. Therefore the talk of “purity of blood” of a race is meaningless, for there cannot be any purity of blood of a particular race. Rather, blood is always pure.

In India, the maximum mixture of blood has been in Bengal. The Bengali race evolved out of the Aryans, Mongolians, Austrics and Negroes. The people of Bihar and Orissa and the Kayastha (a high-caste Hindu community of East India) belong to this Bengali race. In southern India, too, Negro blood came to mingle with the Austric blood, and a new race, the Dravidians emerged.

Thus in the dim past of unknown history, different human groups came in one another’s contact. There was unavoidable intermingling of blood, and ultimately there arose many so-called new races after gaps of long periods. The innate migratory nature of human beings has goaded them to journey from one horizon to another, from one hemisphere to another. For more than one reason, human beings have broken narrow geographical boundaries and set out for other lands and associated with other communities. The direct and indirect causes of their association with other races are roughly as follows:

(1) To preserve their existence, fighting collectively against hostile natural forces.

(2) Through wars, victories and defeats of warriors, and expansion of kingdoms.

(3) For inner attraction because of common religion.

(4) Because of geographical proximity.

(5) For reciprocal trade and other communications.

(6) Through linguistic and cultural exchanges.

The above-mentioned factors brought the various human groups in close contact with one another. And goaded by an innate instinct, they freely mixed among themselves. This contact and close relationship among various groups gave birth to the many so-called races of today.

Ultimately this close association amongst themselves culminated in marital bonds. Many small races were fused into a new race through inter-racial marriages. For instance, in South America, as a result of constant intermingling of the blood of the Negroes, the Europeans and the Indians, a new race has emerged. Similarly, in Colombia and Mexico, a new Mestizo community has come into being as a result of interracial marriages between the Europeans and Indians. That is why it is not proper to attach much importance to differences in respect to noses, eyes, hair, height, etc.

Human society is continually striving to arrive at a synthesis through analysis, some sort of unity through diversity. The natural obstructions of small clans, narrow communal interests, geographical distances and intractable customs and usages – none of these obstacles could hinder the steady and silent movement towards a supreme goal. That is why the policy of apartheid, the vanity of racial superiority, national chauvinism or regionalism – these relative doctrines or social philosophies – could not thwart the progress of human society. The outdated ideals of nationalism are crumbling to pieces today.

The newly awakened humanity of today is anxious to herald the advent of one universal society under the vast blue sky. The noble and righteous persons of all countries, bound by fraternal ties, are eager to assert in one voice, with one mind, and in the same tune that human society is one and indivisible. In this voice of total unity and magnanimity lies the value and message of eternal humanism.

Chapter 3	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Human beings are social beings, hence, they have to follow certain social codes. But they must follow some spiritual codes as well. Because of illusion or some other reasons, if people break these codes, these “dos” and “don’ts”, sometimes we call it “sin” or Pápa and at other times, “crime” or Aparádha. If the violation is in the spiritual code, rather the religious code, it is termed as “sin”. If the violation is against the legal code it is known as “crime”. Sin is sometimes based entirely on dogmas and not on cardinal human values. Wise people will never entertain a conception of sin based on religious dogma. Rather, they will judge with discrimination the correctness of the code according to cardinal human values. The concept of sin has been given by people on the basis of religion, religious dogmas and cardinal human values. As intellectuals and developed people of the second half of the 20th century, we should keep away from religious dogma and attach the highest importance to cardinal human values.

Long ago Vyása said the following about sin:

Aśtádashapuráneśu Vyásasya vacanádvayam
Paropakárah puńyáya pápáya parapiid́anam.

That is, that action which checks the progress of the society is sin, and that action which accelerates social progress is Punya or virtue. This is a fact. But what is crime? Any action which goes against the different legal codes made by the different nations, according to their spatial, personal and collective differences, is crime. In Saḿskrta crime is known as Aparádha. Sin or Pápa should be formulated on the basis of cardinal human values. This was also supported by Vyasa.

Criminal codes are generally framed by politicians according to their own standards. Sometimes they include a tinge of humanity and sometimes they do not. Thus the present-day legal codes are not necessarily humanitarian. Rational people may defy a legal code but they should never violate cardinal human values. I would never tell the people of a country to follow their legal codes blindly, but would tell them to always follow cardinal human values. The cardinal human values are the silver lining between the psycho-spiritual world and the spiritual world. They are at the meeting-point of these two strata – the spiritual stratum on one side and the psycho-spiritual stratum on the other.

In Saḿskrta there are two words for sin – that which should be done but is not done is called “Pratyaváya”, and that which should not be done but is done is “Pápa”. The combined name of Pápa and Pratyaváya is “Pátaka”. Here I will make use of the word Pápa because it is more popular.

Wherever we mention cardinal human values, we are not referring to any religious code, for that is based on religious dogmas. Again I repeat, why should the people of the second half of the 20th century follow religious dogmas? I advise you not to follow them but to revolt.

As far as possible the gap between cardinal human values and crime should be lessened. The smaller the gap the better it is. Cardinal human values are mostly unchangeable. They may change after a long time as they remain associated with the physical world, but it is natural that they will not have frequent changes because of their subjective approach. Crime will undergo trans formation according to changes in time, space and the collective body. Hence, both the conceptions cannot be exactly the same – difference between them will remain. But efforts should be made to lessen the differences. This task will be the duty of Sadvipras or spiritual revolutionaries.

Now, let us come to the three causes of sin. If sin and crime are considered together there are three reasons for them. The first cause is shortage of physical and psychic pabula. The second one is non-utilization of over-accumulated physical and psychic pabula. The third one is stagnancy in the psychic and physical strata.

Let us discuss the first cause.

If human beings lack the basic physical necessities of life they will not be able to follow higher pursuits. You will find that a person’s sense of discrimination is disturbed if he or she is confronted with only a little physical hardship. If an intellectual becomes angry, he or she may utter insentient words. Hence, the shortage of physical wealth results in restlessness and causes the loss of people’s sense of discrimination, and then people naturally tend towards brutality. It is because of this that communism has tended towards brutality. This is the underlying psychic reason. Likewise, if there is a dearth of intellectual pabulum and the intellectual standard of the people is not high, they can take “dos” to be “don’ts” and vice versa. Take for example, a communal riot where a little innocent boy is killed, and when the person who encourages the riot becomes the people’s leader. Where the intellectual standard of the people is low, people commit blunders – prompted by such leaders they become beasts. Those backward countries which have less socio-politico-economic consciousness in the people tend to have more immorality. In such countries the leaders misguide the people in order to collect votes. I call such leaders “political satans” or “political pigs” Such pigs become leaders only when the intellectual standard of the common people is low. In a country with shortages of physical and intellectual pabula, people ultimately become beasts and commit sins and crimes. To murder a person during a riot is both a crime and a sin. In political clashes innocent people are killed. This is also a crime as well as a sin. So, to summarize, when physical and intellectual pabula are lacking, people become beasts and commit sins and crimes. Among the three reasons for sin, this is the first and primary one. It is prevalent everywhere in the world although it is less evident in a few of the more affluent countries.

The second cause is non-utilization of over-accumulated physical and psychic pabula. Where there is over-accumulation of physical wealth several problems occur. Human beings do not have many needs. Primarily they need satisfying meals and clothing, according to their necessities. Most people do not even want many things. The desire to accumulate money is actually a mental disease. The accumulators do not accumulate to fulfil their basic needs a human needs are few. For instance, if a person has a mango grove which yields 500 mangoes and a family of five, what will he do with so many mangoes? In cases of over-accumulation there is very little chance of utilization. Hence, if the Sadvipras are not vigilant, where there is over-accumulation non-utilization will occur. Moreover, where there is over-accumulation people tend to misutilize wealth by indulging in their baser propensities rather than their finer ones. Therefore you will mark, as I am making it crystal-clear to you, that most of the kings and Nawabs of ancient times were, and most of the aristocrats and wealthy people of today who have nothing to do are generally wicked and mean-minded. In addition, you will see that government officers who do not have psychic and spiritual interests also become mean-minded. When we have to judge, we must be frank. It can be observed that it is natural for people to move towards sin if over-accumulated physical and psychic pabula is not utilized. If people have developed intellects which are not properly directed, and there is no administration of the Sadvipras, people become polished satans and inflict sufferings on others. If the parents of a boy die and he has no guardian, due to a lack of proper guidance the boy may easily become reckless and a sinner.

To repeat, non-utilization of over-accumulated physical and psychic pabula is the second cause for becoming a sinner. I have already discussed the problems of the “have’s”, and the “have-nots”. To satisfy the greed of the have’s, the have-not’s become slaves, and to appease their own hunger they become sinners. The have’s mis-utilize the intellectual and physical wealth of the have-not’s to satisfy their baser propensities. In the back ground sit the big capitalists; in the foreground, as their agents, are half-naked children! This is the cause of the downfall of society.

There is still one thing more. There are countries in the world where the average standard of living of the people is quite high and where there are no have-not’s who become slaves due to the evil designs of the have’s. Where there is excessive wealth, the feeling of, “What should I do?” crops up in the minds of the people. Moreover, people take to the path of suicide in the absence of proper direction. They also become addicts and social parasites and they do not know what they should do and what they should not do.

Let us now come to the third reason for sin. The sign of life of everything in this universe is dynamism. It was said in an earlier discourse that progress actually does not take place in the physical and psychic strata. Progress takes place only in the spiritual stratum. Of course, while there is no progress in the physico-psychic sphere, movement is there. Had there been no movement, the physico-psychic world would have met its doom. Thus there is movement but no progress or Pragati.

Prakśt́ha gati ityarthe pragati.

That is, that which leads to betterment is progress, but that which causes movement without development, is not progress. For example, suppose one bull moves along a road and another one walks round and round in a grinding mill. The former is able to freely cover a few miles but the latter moves without getting anywhere.

Ásana máre kyáyá huyá yo gayii na mankii ásh
Jav kalu ká balad so gharhii kosh paṋcás.

[What is the benefit of asanas if the desires of the mind are not exhausted?]

In the physical and psychic worlds, there is movement but no progress. Ten thousand years ago people practiced Sádhaná and attained Brahma. After these ten thousand years you have been born. Today there is much dynamism in the physical sphere and there is great intellectual speed. Your intellect might be more than the intellect of Vasthista and Vishvamitra, but your progress is not much more. Is it clear?

Lack of movement in the physical and psychic spheres is also a cause of sin. This is the third reason. Here there might not be the over-accumulation of physical and psychic pabula. In the absence of over-accumulation sin may also be accounted for. Every existence has its aim. All entities are moving according to their speed whether there is progress or no progress. But on the way if something comes which has no movement, which remains as it is, it affects the speed of others. In the society, due to old dogmas, weaknesses and lack of proper education, when the human mind becomes inert and dormant it not only destroys itself but affects the movements of others also. “My ancestors were doing this, so how am I to forgo them?” This is nothing but the same stagnancy. If your ancestors were wearing their Dhotis above their knees and a napkin tied around their heads, why then do you put on pants and a terylene shirt? Nobody follows their ancestors. It is a weakness for a person to take the lead from their ancestors only, ignoring everyone else. Mental stagnancy is a kind of disease. It is motionlessness.

People should not be allowed to rely on the dogmas of their ancestors as it obstructs their own mental pursuit and those of others also. Suppose a cart is in an inconvenient place, blocking the road. The cart has to be pushed to one side. If it cannot be pushed easily it will have to be moved more forcibly. You will have to go ahead – this is the law. It will not do for you to say, “Let the cart remain as it is.” Similarly, you should not say, “The members of my family hold conservative views,” and use this as an excuse for inaction. This should not be allowed. People who hold conservative views are really materialists and are mentally stagnant. Speed has to be infused in them. And not only this, there is need for acceleration in the speed.

What is the solution to the first of the three causes of sin? For those who lack physical pabulum, minimum requirements will have to be guaranteed to everyone. If you do not supply people with the minimum requirements you will meet your Waterloo. If your neighbor’s house is on fire, your house will also catch fire. To supply the minimum requirements to everyone, both a strong administration and an intellectual approach are necessary. Those capable of providing these things to humanity will be called Sadvipras. In the absence of Sadvipras, society cannot survive.

For the solution to the second of the three causes of sin, an intellectual approach, intellectual propagation, is required. For the materialization of this, physical force will have to be utilized as per necessity. Those who use both the proper physical and intellectual approach are Sadvipras. Without Sadvipras the survival of society is not possible. At one place, because of over-accumulation, food becomes rotten; and at another place, because of shortages, people become sinners. We cannot allow this to continue.

The third cause of sin is stagnancy. This is the greatest burden of the human society: it is the greatest disease. It is a psychic disease. People often say, “Our forefathers used to do it, so we should also do it.” But you are not your forefathers! You must behave as yourselves. Suppose the son of one Shri Simhasana is Shri Ramadhar. If Shri Ramadhara Singh says he must do like his father, does he become his father, Shri Simhasana? No, he does not. This sort of stagnancy is suicidal. For the sign of life is dynamism, and where there is no dynamism, there is death. Without dynamism people harm themselves and others.

Bhayáńáḿ bhayaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhiiśańánáḿ
Gatih prańináḿ pávanaḿ pávanánám.

[He is the worst of the fierce – the fear of fear. He is the most terrible of all the terrible things. He is the supreme destination of all. He is the purest of all the purifying objects.]

As dynamism is precious for the Jiivas or unit beings, so is Parama Puruśa or the Supreme Entity precious for them. A doctor feels the pulse and examines its movement to determine the health of his or her patient. If the pulse does not move the patient is pronounced dead. Movement is life. To solve this cause of sin, the intellectual approach does not work. The dogmatic-minded people, the traditional people, are neither human beings nor animals. They do not listen to reason. They are to be struck, and those who do the striking are Sadvipras. The striking is to be done with a hammer! They are to be hit not with a hammer, but with a sledge hammer.

Suppose the Sadvipras do not hammer the dogmatic-minded people, what will happen? Because of their unnecessary presence the speed of others is retarded. The stagnant people commit suicide and become the cause of death for others. Sadvipras will not leave or forgive such people, but will set them right with an iron hand. Dogmatic-minded people cannot be checked by the sanguine eyes of the so-called intellectuals or by the arms of the military. Humanity wants to move ahead, but the stagnant people who are neither human beings nor animals have blocked the way of the Sadvipras and have obstructed their movement. The common mass will not tolerate these obstructions.

This suicide is not deliberately done by the people. Those who commit suicide, do it when their mind is in a negative state. It is unnatural. Therefore, Sadvipras will remove this unnaturalness with the blows of their hammers. None can check it.

The duty of the Sadvipras will be to hammer these stagnant people who are a burden to society, who suffer from inertness in their physico-psychic sphere, at the appropriate moment so that the path of human progress becomes straight, clear and well-constructed.

When will the three causes of sin be removed? Only when the Sadvipras will be ready to fight against them with an iron hand. Today, at this hour, it is my call to the Sadvipras of the world not to delay any longer. They should march ahead and save human ity and make the path of humanity free of thorns.

Chapter 4	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Parents⁽¹⁾ often allege that teachers do not teach anything worthwhile nowadays, but I do not feel that this is a very well-considered remark. In actual fact they are only making excuses in order to avoid their responsibilities. At the same time, however, I should add that most teachers demonstrate, through their mental outlook or their actions, far less awareness of their social responsibilities than concern for their own interests. They do not devote even a fraction of the time and energy to building society that they spend making money by any means possible, such as by writing “made easies” [course summaries] or study guides.

Sometimes uneducated or semi-educated parents abuse their children, using bad language and beating them, but the behaviour of teachers is often far more despicable. In many cases, even after studying numerous books on psychology, they deliberately wound the sentiments of their students with their offensive remarks. Instead of trying to rectify the bad habits of their students, they assail their minds with caustic language. There are many teachers who hurt the feelings of students by ridiculing either their castes or their fathers’ occupations, saying, “The plough suits you better than the pen, my boy,” or “You had better join your father at the potter’s wheel.” Even today such utterances come out of the mouths of many teachers. If a student is ugly, there are teachers who will make faces and say, “Your intelligence is like your appearance” – not to mention the beatings and other kinds of physical torture. Even today we can observe that many teachers use fear tactics to compel the students to prepare their lessons. The day such teachers are so unfortunate as to fall sick and miss school, their students go into raptures of joy.

How many teachers try to awaken a genuine thirst for knowledge in their students? Some teachers say, “The education system is itself only a profit-making business. What are we supposed to do?” Can they escape their responsibilities with such remarks? Is profit-making education no education at all? Is there no scope for acquiring knowledge in such education? Is it devoid of the seeds of welfare? And surely teachers cannot dismiss everything by saying, “How can we give attention to one child out of a crowd of two or three hundred?”

It must be the teachers’ responsibility to impart knowledge, teach restraint in social life, and give instruction about all the various aspects of collective endeavour, but the parents will have to take on most of the responsibility for the moral and spiritual education of the child. It should be the duty of society as a whole to ensure that the children of immoral and unrighteousness parents are brought up as virtuous citizens. If possible such children should be removed from the unwholesome environment of their parents.

The Role of Teachers

Before making further comments about the responsibilities of parents, it is necessary to say something more about teachers. The first point is that teachers must be selected carefully. High academic qualifications do not necessarily confer on a person the right to become a teacher. Teachers must possess such qualities as personal integrity, strength of character, righteousness, a feeling for social service, unselfishness, an inspiring personality and leadership ability. They are samája gurus,⁽²⁾ and for this reason it is not possible to accept just anyone as a teacher. Because teachers have an extremely important role to play, their professional standards must be very high.

Many people today recall the forest hermitages of ancient India, admonish starved or half-starved teachers for deviating from the lofty ideals of the past, and say that they should again live up to those ideals. Such glib talkers ignore the fact that their high-sounding platitudes do not remove the pangs of hunger. A person who is constantly hungry thinks about food all the time. So if a teacher, under compulsion of poverty, works as a private tutor in four or five places and due to extreme fatigue fails to teach his or her school students properly, should he or she be censured? No, the teacher is not to be blamed at all. In many countries the cost of the monthly meat ration for the dog of a rich person exceeds the salary of a teacher. Under such circumstances how much social consciousness can we expect from the teachers? The salaries of teachers in every country should be on a par with, if not higher than, the salaries of public servants in the judiciary and the executive. It should not be forgotten that the sages of the past used to receive temple endowments, gifts of land and regular sacerdotal fees from the kings. They did not have to go from house to house as tutors to support their families, because the government was directly responsible for solving their mundane problems. While it is true that such sages provided food and clothing to their students, the money for this came from the public and was donated out of reverence.

Simply raising the salaries of teachers, however, does not automatically mean that they will have the opportunity to create ideal men and women, because today in most countries of the world (where teachers generally have the opportunity to live fairly well) teachers nevertheless do not have the right to formulate educational policies. Rather educational policies are generally formulated by professional politicians, most of whom have perhaps no experience in education. If teachers are to be held responsible for building ideal men and women, they must also be given the right to formulate educational policies, instead of being mere teaching machines.

Governments may submit their [social] and political needs to the teachers, but the teachers should be free to accept or reject the governments’ proposals without interference. Of course, if the teachers do support any state policy, on the basis of national security or for the good of society as a whole, they will have to actively implement that policy, because the state will then have every legitimate right to their services.

I mention these things mainly because in our modern world, in those societies where democracy predominates, political factionalism has become a routine affair. In these circumstances it is but natural for every ruling party to try to influence the adolescent mind to further its party interests. But teachers should not try to ingratiate themselves with so-called political benefactors. They should always keep higher ideals before them as they work. Those who are not teachers should not be allowed to interfere in educational matters that come within the jurisdiction of a school.

So far we have discussed who has the right to determine educational policies, but the matter does not end there. In many countries we can observe in regard to school administration also that people are often given important posts as administrators only because of their wealth, while they themselves are, colloquially speaking, complete idiots. Their great wealth is their sole qualification. Such things occur only in countries where the state, for some reason, fails to carry out its educational responsibilities. Such wealthy school administrators often consider the educated teachers to be mere objects of pity. They put pressure on them in order to ensure that their brainless, dull-witted children pass the examinations. They unnecessarily interfere in educational matters. When their children are taken to task, they angrily chastise the teachers. Such a situation is not at all desirable and does not encourage teachers to perform their duties conscientiously. In their poverty teachers, out of fear of starvation, “serve their term” perfunctorily day after day, or, as a result of continuous attacks on their virtue, one fine morning resign in extreme bitterness and set out in quest of some other profession. If teachers have to work under such conditions, how can they possibly have the strength of mind to keep a watchful eye on their students?

The Problems of Students

These are the problems of teachers. The students also have some special problems which many people choose not to consider.

I have already pointed out that it is improper to extort anything from students through undue pressure and intimidation. Intimidation appears to work to some extent, but it does not yield lasting results. Whatever students learn from their parents and teachers out of fear fades into oblivion as soon as the agencies of fear disappear. The reason is that their learning and their fear were inseparably associated, so with the disappearance of fear, the knowledge that they had acquired in the course of their education also disappears from the more developed parts of their minds. As soon as the bullying teacher leaves the classroom the students heave a sigh of relief. Within a few hours, whatever they had committed to memory starts growing hazy. Out of fear of failing their examinations students work hard, poring over books, and accomplish ten days’ work in one hour. But after completing their examinations and playing a game of football or visiting the cinema, they forget much of what they had learned, due to the absence of fear.

People in many countries throughout the world are painfully experiencing the detrimental effects of education through the medium of fear. Most educated people lose the abilities they acquired through education after they graduate from school or university and enter their field of work. If I were to assess the value of the education these people received, I would say that most of their time, ability and labour had been wasted or had been spent meaninglessly.

So as I was saying, it will not do to impart education through intimidation. A thirst for knowledge must be awakened, and, to quench that thirst, proper education must be given. Only then will education be worthwhile and develop the body, mind and ideals of the student.

Children are by nature most inclined towards play, so a thirst for knowledge will have to be awakened in children through the medium of play – children should be educated through play methods. Children are also by nature inclined to listen to fantasies and stories. Through stories children can easily be taught the history and geography of various countries, and they may also be taught the initial lessons of how to practise universalism in their lives. Children love play and stories almost equally, so in their case the two should be equally utilized.

The dream of the future first crystallizes in the mind of the adolescent. So adolescents should be taught, without indulging in narrow-mindedness, through the medium of idealism.

The minds of young adults are, however, somewhat inclined towards realism, so in their case pure idealism will not suffice. In order to educate such young adults, a harmonious blend of idealism and realism is required.

Teachers must bear in mind that their students – whether adolescents, youths, old people or actual children – are, to them, all just children of different ages; and that they themselves are children like their students. If teachers distance themselves from their students or continually try to maintain a forced gravity, they will not be able to establish sweet, cordial relations with their students. The free and frank exchange of ideas is simply not possible unless a feeling of mutual affection is established. The lack of cordial relations causes many children to heartily wish for the death of either their severe teachers or their abusive parents.

The Education System

In many newly-independent countries an attempt is made to recast the education system in a national mould. Without going into the merits of such attempts, it may undoubtedly be said that if these changes do not take into consideration the needs of the students, the education imparted may be nationalistic, but it cannot be humanistic. Like provincialism and communalism, nationalism is highly detrimental to the minds of children. Children’s crystalline judgement power is to a large extent sullied by these sentiments. In newly-independent countries such perverted ideas as “Only my country’s products are good; we need learn nothing from others,” may be heard expressed at any time. Assertions such as “Everything is in the Vedas,” or “The social system that the great prophet So-and-so commanded us to follow cannot be even slightly changed because it is based on the words of God,” or “Such-and-such country learned how to make aeroplanes by studying our country’s Rámáyańa and Mahábhárata” are the results of the national, religious or communal rigidities that have been injected into the minds of the students.

When the propounders of an education system are obsessed by chauvinistic nationalism, they often, in the name of preserving the national character, try to keep the students of that country segregated from the rest of the world. It must always be borne in mind that the bonds that afford opportunities for mutual contact and understanding between people should never be weakened but should always rather be strengthened, for in this lie the seeds of collective welfare. In order to create a feeling of genuine collective welfare, extreme nationalistic zeal may have to suffer a little jolt, but intelligent people will have to absorb that jolt and make a tremendous effort to overcome that prejudicial zeal.

I mentioned the bonds of human unity. Take, for example, the case of pre-Independence Pakistan or India. Although English came from overseas, it alone was responsible for forging a unifying link among the diverse population of India. Not only that, Indians were introduced to and became acquainted with the rest of the world population through the medium of this language. In those days Indian students who had a general knowledge of two languages – their mother tongue and English – would become eligible to enter the temple of knowledge. If today anybody in India tries to remove the English language, their efforts will be nothing but attempts to break that unifying link.

It is not proper, under any circumstances, to burden the young shoulders of students with a heavy load of languages simply to satisfy the political whims of the leaders. Just imagine the fate of Sindhi-speaking students in Pakistan today [now Pakistan and Bangladesh]. How many languages do they have to learn? 1) Sindhi, their mother tongue; 2) English, the world language; 3) Arabic or Persian, the religious language; and 4) Urdu or Bengali, the national language, or both these languages if they want good jobs. In other words, as many as five languages are being imposed on the students. Are these students supposed to acquire knowledge or to stagger about carrying a heavy burden of languages? If, however, the nationalistic sentiment can be to some extent restrained, all the languages can be excluded from the syllabus except two: English and the mother tongue. If students study in or awaken their thirst for knowledge through these two languages, then in time, propelled by their own urge, they may learn not only the other three languages, but ten or twenty more as well. In schools and colleges also, it is desirable to offer as many optional languages as possible. Such a policy is not likely to be criticized by anyone.

In order for people around the world to be able to communicate, a vishva bháśá [universal or world language] is needed, and the teaching and study of that language should be given equal importance in every country. If we consider the following three qualities of a language – that it should be widely spoken, be easily understood and be capable of powerful expression – English alone is qualified to become the world language. No one in the world should consider English to be the language of England alone, but should rather accept it with an open mind as the common language for the communication of ideas. Doing this will in no way harm any mother tongue.

If a false sense of prestige prevents any country from adopting the world language, it will certainly not add to the glory of the human race. It is not at all desirable for the people of one country to remain incomprehensible to those of another country. Of course in the distant future people may select another language to replace English as the world language, in accordance with the needs of their age; English cannot keep its position as the world language forever.

It is surely a great injustice to burden the shoulders of the young with the responsibility of paying off the whimsical nationalistic, communalistic or any similar prejudices of their elders. Adults should of course determine the type of education to be given to students to help them develop into worthy citizens in the future. Adults should not, however, be given a completely free hand in the formulation of educational policies merely to allow them to give expression to their predispositions and caprices. The needs and well-being of the younger generation must be safeguarded.

Students go to school and sit for examinations in order to pass. Examiners should bear this fact in mind. They should not adopt the rigid position that “Only such-and-such percentage of students will be allowed to pass.” Examiners should take into account only the range of knowledge and the extent of the thirst for knowledge the students possess. They should not trouble themselves over students who omit to dot their “i’s” or cross their “t’s”. Nor do they need to addle their brains about how much lime has fallen from their betel leaf!⁽³⁾

The Ideals of Teachers

Having discussed teachers and the education system, something can now be said about ideals. The failings of the education system or the grievances of teachers should not be cited as excuses to avoid this subject.

Take, for instance, the psychological atmosphere within which knowledge is imparted to students. It is not [unusual] to see teachers who try to somehow extract the correct answer from their students without having either awakened in them the desire for knowledge or taught them how to acquire the necessary knowledge. There are also many teachers who would like to lecture only and be free of any further responsibilities. These are unpleasant truths, needless to say. Whether such conditions existed in the past or not is for historians to judge, and I certainly hope that they will not exist in the future, but it must be admitted that such a state of affairs does exist at present.

(The unprofessional behaviour of a handful of teachers may be the reason why the whole teaching profession has become an object of ridicule. If so, I would say that those genuine educators – those who have even a little capacity to work or to make others work according to their own will – should deal very seriously with unprofessional behaviour. This is possible only for those who are directly engaged in the teaching profession, and not for school inspectors.)

Society will gain no lasting benefit if teachers force students to swallow knowledge like quinine pills instead of awakening the thirst for knowledge in the minds of young children, or for that matter in the mind of any student.

Speaking of ideals, yet another point comes to my mind, and that is the moral character and conduct of teachers. Many teachers demonstrate a flagrant lack of restraint over their language. There are also teachers who, after discussing the abuses and evils of intoxicants in the classroom, immediately go outside and start smoking. This sets an extremely bad example. If the teachers would just use intoxicants, without saying anything about them, it might not be so bad. But this approach naturally encourages the students to be undisciplined. They will think that the use of such things must be enjoyable, and that their teachers deprive them so that they can enjoy them alone.

In many educational institutions there are two or more factions among the teachers, and each faction tries to draw the students into its own camp. Such teachers try to generate a feeling of disrespect in the minds of the students of their group towards the teachers of the other camps by speaking against them. As a result, ultimately a feeling of indiscipline is aroused in the minds of students. It is futile to complain about this and say, “Nowadays students don’t respect law and order.” Is it the fault of the students if those who are supposed to teach them discipline do not discharge that duty properly?

Many teachers and professors actively take part in politics; they often abuse their personal influence and use simple, idealistic young students as tools to achieve their political ends. How on earth can students learn discipline under such circumstances? Politics, at least politics today, is just an instrument for mutual mudslinging. In the political world such things as honesty, simplicity and a sense of discipline simply do not exist. “Crush your adversaries by fair means or foul” is the creed of politics today.

The principal cause of indiscipline among students is an extreme obsession with politics. Other causes are clearly secondary, and result from the failings of a mercenary social system. The influence of the education system and the behaviour of parents, however, cannot be entirely discounted when it comes to awakening a sense of discipline or not.

I do not think that the interest some students develop in politics can be dampened by those who, for whatever reason, previously encouraged their involvement, no matter how strongly they may later advise them. At present the situation has come to such a pass that mere exhortations will have no effect. To solve this problem the entire education system will have to be reorganized. It is necessary to have a thorough grasp of the psychology of students in order to be able to infuse a sense of discipline into their minds and impart proper education.

The Responsibilities of Parents

The mental outlook of children has already been moulded in a particular fashion by the influence of their family environment before they start school. No matter what or how much they learn at school, it is extremely difficult for them to free themselves from the influence of their family. Drawing on what they have learned in the family, the immature minds of children begin to learn about the world and understand it, and to receive ideas and master language so that they can express those ideas. Unhesitatingly they adopt their elders’ way of looking at the world. Hence the primary responsibility for acquainting children with the world lies with their parents or guardians. Children will become assets of society in the future to the extent that their parents or guardians discharge their duties properly.

I have no hesitation in saying that today’s adults have not yet developed a scientific method of training children’s minds. Even most so-called educated and refined people, let alone average adults, are either ignorant about or indifferent to the education of their children. Their ignorance may be pardoned, but how can we forgive their indifference? The family into which a child has been born will naturally have to bear the primary responsibility for the physical, mental and spiritual development of that child.

It can be said that ordinary people, like teachers, face many types of problem in their lives; in fact teachers’ problems are only a reflection of larger social problems. It is quite true that in the modern material world strenuous efforts to conquer the limitations of time, place and person are apparent everywhere. It is as if human beings are being forcibly dragged forward by the hair of their heads. Speed is the main consideration; whether any good is accomplished or not is a secondary factor. Thus different social trends are unable to maintain a harmonious pace in their forward movement. Some trends are far advanced in their development while others lag behind. This causes some parts of the social structure which were close together to move apart, and other parts which were once apart to come together, leading to the collapse of the entire structure. The thatched hut is still the same, but electrical wiring has been strung through it. The only food available is salt and boiled rice, but the ordinary old clay stove has been replaced by an electric “heater” [hotplate]. Such incongruities are now common in society.

The views established in our psychic world regarding the different trends of life have so unnaturally diverged from one another that the naturalness of the human mind has been spoiled. Human beings have lost the capacity to think anything, but somehow pass their days with a lot of hollow, mechanical mental objects. The caravan of our social life thus rolls on.

So today parents may rightly say, “We have almost no vital energy left after exchanging blows and counter-blows with life. We have no chance to mould the minds of our children with the care and tenderness of our hearts. All the sweetness and finer sensibilities of our minds have been sucked dry by the harsh realities of life. How can we take care of our children? We cannot even provide them with proper food and clothing. How can we know what they are thinking? Do we have the time to understand anything properly at all? We know children should be taught through the medium of play and entertainment, both at home and outside, but is it possible for us to do that? We even have to disturb our talented son at his studies to send him to the grocer’s to buy salt, cooking oil, spices, etc. We know it is wrong, but there is no alternative, for keeping a servant is beyond our means.”

There may be some truth in this, but it is not the point at issue here. In order to develop a healthy outlook, the most important thing children need is robust idealism. To impart this, parents require only two virtues: self-restraint and good judgement. Let us discuss good judgement first.

The method of extracting work by terrorizing the minds of children is not only made use of by a particular type of teacher, it is also often still more harmfully practised by parents. They frighten their children, tell them lies, engage in scurrilous brawls before them, and deceive and torment them; but they still expect that some day their children will become respectable members of society – that their children will bring glory to their family name. When their children are reluctant to drink milk or sleep, they terrify them by invoking imaginary goblins or frightful ghosts. Children initially have no fear, yet a fearful panorama is played out before them. Through this practice the parents may achieve some temporary gain, but even if the children wait a lifetime, they can never be compensated for the harm done to them. Even when these same children attain young adulthood, the thought of ghosts will not leave their minds – ghosts will become their permanent companions.

When the parents are about to go on a trip or go to a show, or when they are invited to a pleasant function or a social outing, the children may start whining or nattering to accompany them. At such times many parents tell lies without a qualm; somehow they dupe their children and leave. When the children realize what has happened, they also learn to tell lies; and to hide their intentions or their actions from their parents, they gradually start lying more and more.

Parents deceive their children in many ways. By calling sweet things bitter and pleasant things unpleasant, they prevent their children from enjoying them. But by disregarding parental injunctions and prying inquisitively, as is the wont of human nature, children discover the truth. Then they realize that their parents have been deceiving them. As a result they start deceiving not only their parents, but their friends and classmates as well. So it is abundantly clear that children are taught the first lessons in the arts of lying and deception by their own parents at home.

In a family it is natural that differences of opinion will arise among the adults; when they do, the adults should reconcile their differences considering each other’s opinions. Unfortunately they often lack the requisite mental make-up to reach an amicable agreement – each tries to convince everybody else of his or her viewpoint without caring about the opinions of others. The result is an outburst of unreasonable obstinacy – the adults lose all self-control and behave in a gross and vulgar manner. The effect on the minds of the children is disastrous. Children thus learn obstinacy from their elders. If the mother or those with whom the children spend most of their time is obstinate, the neglected children will, in most cases, become noticeably obstinate, and they will have to carry this psychic ailment around with them for a long time. If, on the other hand, as is sometimes the case, the wishes and desires (if they are not unreasonable) of children are fulfilled, the children will not have the opportunity to learn obstinacy.

In some families the parents have lost their peace of mind due to poverty or some other cause and oppress their children with or without reason. Naturally the children lose respect for their parents, which further aggravates family indiscipline. The parents have to put up with more unrest, adding to their lack of peace.

Parents who are middle- or high-level officials in the public works or police departments have to get work done through others or supervise manual labourers or subordinates, so they often forget to talk sweetly. Some become accustomed to using abusive language, and some to issuing commands. Due to this their children do not have an opportunity to learn to speak with restraint. Such children suffer from a superiority complex, even within their circle of friends. In their future lives it will be extremely difficult for them to love people and create a congenial social environment.

Some parents may claim that it is impossible to maintain a balanced life in an age full of problems, where they are extremely busy with numerous activities. I maintain, however, that it is possible for an intelligent parent to avoid the mistakes I have discussed. If parents fail to carry out their basic duties, I am compelled to say that, although they live in society, they are guilty of encouraging an antisocial mentality. By encouraging their children to develop a criminal psychology, they give unnecessary trouble to the police. The main point is this: for want of a little care, children are deprived of the opportunity to become complete human beings, even though they have a human structure.

Sáhityikas – the Teachers of Society

There is yet another section of society whom I cannot absolve from the responsibility of educating children. They are the sáhityikas.⁽⁴⁾ Actually sáhityikas are a type of teacher – they are the teachers of society.

Humans have a deep longing for things far away. No one is satisfied by things that are within their grasp. Even if the mind is satisfied, the soul remains dissatisfied. That is why the world of dreams is sweeter than the mundane reality. Sáhityikas catch an image of the mundane world in the mirror of fantasy, which is why their literature easily attracts the human mind.

Such dream castles take on most importance in the minds of children. The more children get used to the impact of reality as they grow up, the more the dream subsides. People growing up want to bring the mirror of dreamland down closer to the mundane world, in order to see a reflected picture that is more like their own lives; but this would never occur to the minds of children. Children want to release their golden pegasus so that it will fly towards a coloured rainbow in the sky of their dreams. They want to run away to some unknown destination and play with the moon and the stars. Losing themselves in such fantasies, they surrender to the soothing influence of a lullaby and gradually fall asleep. Those sáhityikas who keep this peculiarity of the child’s psychology in mind as they write can easily win children’s hearts. Their wise words and precepts will then be readily absorbed. That is why I call sáhityikas the teachers of society. If these teachers are conscious of their responsibilities, children may be brought back to the right path despite improper guidance at home.

Cheap detective novels, adventure stories and nationalistic or communalistic stories may attract youngsters, but they gradually deprive them of sound judgement.

The biographies of great personalities can attract youngsters if they are written in simple and attractive language. By great personalities I mean only those who work with the good of all humanity in mind. I am not thinking of a great Indian, a great Englishman or Englishwoman, a great Russian or a great American. In society, however, there are few people who can claim to be worthy human beings. Because of their saḿskáras [mental reactive momenta], their fear or their deliberate pursuit of self-interest, people often want to divide human society. Such people try to impose their defective outlook on the minds of children through the literature about them, so that in the future these children will become their ardent supporters. Literary biographers must keep their pens scrupulously free from the influence of these non-humans (that is, those who should not be called humans but rather something else).

Nowadays some countries are propagating particular communal or economic theories which support intolerance; thus through perverted literature the minds of children are becoming contaminated. In the future these children may become the members of a community, or of a party which propagates a particular ism, but to what extent will they identify as human beings?

Radio

There is much scope for telling well-written, educational stories on the radio. Radio broadcasters can very easily delight the ears and minds of children with attractive and educational stories written by sáhityikas who have a knowledge of child psychology. If parents cannot afford radios at home, educational programmes can be broadcast at some scheduled time in schools, parks or even playgrounds.

However, the problems referred to above may remain unsolved if broadcasting networks are under the control of a particular party, because then the networks will be more interested in creating supporters to further the interests of their party than in building people’s character. Of course there is a way to avoid such an eventuality, and that is to entrust the management of broadcasting networks to boards of non-political, cultured educators.

Commemoration Ceremonies

Some time ago many educated sections of society around the world complained that the commemoration ceremonies held in their respective countries for their departed leaders and great persons were not being observed in a befitting manner. That is to say, these countries, by neglecting their revered personalities, were gradually losing their ideals. Such complaints may not be wholly unfounded.

Observing the manner in which these ceremonies and anniversaries are celebrated, however, I do not think that they have any value. Unscrupulous Mr. Cutthroat Crook or Mr. Villainous Leech, who has no ideology at all, is invited, in the hope of his making a fat donation, to act as the president or chairman. The speakers, one after another, deliver high-sounding speeches in polished and literary language, often concluding with, “The time has come to reflect anew over the legacy that So-and-so has left us. Just delivering and hearing speeches will not do; his legacy must be translated into action. Then and then alone will this commemoration ceremony be worthwhile.” At the end of the speech, looking proudly left and right, they ask, “Well, how was my lecture?” Evidently the speaker never meant to translate So-and-so’s ideals into action, but spoke to solicit the approbation of the audience.

I have not said, nor will I say, that these commemoration ceremonies are totally useless. If it is the genuine wish of the sponsors of anniversaries or commemoration ceremonies to give a practical shape to the ideals of a deceased person, the ideals should be given greater prominence in such functions and should be clearly presented to the public, especially to children, instead of reducing them to platitudes mouthed by dishonest speakers.

Pictures and Dramas

This can best be done through the use of pictures and dramas. The Rámáyańa is more appealing and educational when presented in pictures than when depicted in books, because those who cannot read can thereby understand the inner language of the artist.

After pictures come dramas. In a well-written and well-acted drama the audience feels the living reality of each character. A favourite leader, a revered and distinguished personality, is presented speaking to people, particularly to the children, in a congenial manner. Then the audience open the closed doors of their minds and enter into a free mental communion. So in my opinion no matter what the age of the student, a well-written and well-acted drama can do a tremendous amount of good, and can be a great asset to the spread of real education.

Cinema

Today the cinema seems to be very popular with people of all ages. As a result film technology will gradually rise to ever-greater heights of technical excellence. The opportunity provided by the cinema to establish good relations with people can be very well utilized for educational purposes.

Seduced by the bestial instincts hidden in the secret recesses of their minds, people surrender to base propensities. But improvements in education and the social environment can help to bring this beast under control and make it obey their commands. To achieve this the first thing people have to do is to wage war against their animal propensities, which is no easy task. So cunning exploiters, by encouraging animality, are able to bring people under their sway.

The cinema industry suffers from this malady. This industry is controlled by a handful of business persons who make films according to popular taste and demand. While ordinary people naturally run after those films which in their ideas, language or visual images cater to their base propensities, such ideas, language or images instantly distort the ideals of the idealist beyond recognition. It is quite in character for purely commercial film producers to exploit these human weaknesses to their own advantage, and this is exactly what is happening. Generally youngsters outnumber older people at movies marked “A” (“For Adults Only”). Sometimes the words “For Adults Only” are so alluringly displayed that young people feel even more attracted.

For the sake of social education, such a situation cannot be permitted to continue for a long time. If we have even the slightest intention of using cinema for the benefit of society, it has to be placed in the hands of non-governmental cultural bodies and not in the hands of business persons or the government. Because in countries where the cinema is under government control, the possibility exists of using the film industry more for party propaganda than for the spread of education.

A great drawback to the cinema when it is used solely for propaganda is that the beauty of both drama and literature is not given the scope to fully develop – the cinema is reduced to the level of a megaphone, spouting forth party propaganda.

Giving experienced and competent directors the opportunity and the complete freedom to make benevolent cinema does not yield bad results. Rather it can spread joy and education simultaneously. This fact was fully substantiated by a film produced by the West Bengal government some time ago.⁽⁵⁾

Finally I would like to say that those teachers, dramatists, actors, writers and radio artists whose help is essential to sow the seeds of true development in the minds of children and to ensure that these seeds grow into small seedlings, flourish, and bring forth foliage, flowers and fruits, must be freed from worldly worries so that all their energies and capabilities can be completely and properly utilized. Nothing will be achieved if we repeatedly talk to them about the magnitude of their responsibilities without trying to solve their problems.

Footnotes

(1) Throughout this chapter, “parents” should be understood as “parents or guardians”. –Trans.

(2) Elsewhere the author defines samája gurus as follows:

“Samája gurus are those who lead the entire society by virtue of their extraordinary intelligence, deep wisdom, towering personality and leadership ability. Hence it can be easily imagined that this world has been blessed with few such [samája gurus].” (“Vraja Krśńa and Sáḿkhya Philosophy” in Namámi Krśńasundaram, 1997)

“In the history of our human society sometimes it so happens that a major portion of the people, [who used to get inspiration from their enviroment, cannot, due to the influence of antisocial elements,] get that inspiration. When such a situation is created, it is the duty of the nobler and better portion of the human race to guide others so that they may not feel any difficulty due to unfavourable environmental pressure. These people are the samája gurus.” (“The Phases of Human Approach” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30, 1996)

Also see “Samája Gurus and Sadvipras” in Volume 2. [Additional line used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 2, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

–Trans.

(3) In South Asia chewing betel-nut and betel leaves mixed with lime is a popular practice. The metaphor is a common one in India, and refers to a negligible shortcoming which does not indicate a real defect. –Trans.

(4) There is no equivalent word for sáhityikas in English. Sáhityikas are those who write with the thought of the welfare of all humanity uppermost in their minds. –Trans.

(5) Pather Panchali by Satyajit Ray was partly financed by the West Bengal government. When it was released in 1955, it received great acclaim both from the critics and the public. –Trans.

Chapter 5	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

The underlying spirit of the word vicára [“justice” in English] is “a particular type of mental process to ascertain the truth”. Although human actions depend on relative principles, whatever appears to be the truth in this relative world, within society, is justice. The greatest benefit of the proper application of justice is that in the struggle between progressive and regressive forces, between good and evil, which is a permanent feature of society, the human intellect has an increasing number of opportunities to choose the path of righteousness.

Administering Justice

Many people say, “When human beings possess so little intelligence, how can they be qualified to sit in judgement over others? No one has the right to judge others.” I do not completely reject this argument, though I will raise the following question: “Is it not injustice if people do not use the intellect they have been endowed with in this relative world?” Judgements may not always be correct, the determination of judicial criteria may be flawed, or the mental faculties or the way of thinking of the judge may create doubts in the eyes of people about whether he or she can be considered an ideal person. Should we therefore abandon the judicial system altogether? No, certainly not. No particular standard for measuring intellectual progress has ever been or will ever be accepted as absolute. Nevertheless, in every sphere of life there must be an ongoing effort to progress from imperfection to perfection. This effort will, if only indirectly, make social progress and all-round welfare more accessible to the human race.

A judicial process ends once a verdict is reached about anything, so a judicial process is not something complete in itself. Only once the verdict is implemented is the full process complete. In other words, the utility of justice in social life is felt only when a penal measure, or better still, a corrective measure, for the concerned individual or group is implemented as per the verdict. But if at any stage the judicial yardstick is not identical with truth beyond a shadow of doubt, no one can deny that special care will have to be taken at the time of passing sentence on the accused in accordance with the verdict given.

I am personally of the opinion that since flaws will always unavoidably remain, no matter how good the judicial system, it is not the intent of nature for one human being to penalize another. Moreover, a detailed analysis reveals that whenever a punitive action is taken to penalize somebody, a feeling of vindictiveness arises in the minds of those administering the punishment, which in turn creates a malevolent mentality. I therefore think that the term “penal system” should be deleted from social terminology. If and when somebody, whether a judge or an ordinary person, takes any type of action against another, it should be corrective, not punitive.

If a system of corrective measures is introduced, criminals, whether they were deeply involved in the crime or not, will have no reason to complain against anyone. Although there may be flaws in the judgement, it will not harm them in any way. A person who is definitely guilty will benefit from a system of corrective measures, and even a person who is not guilty will benefit from such a system.

Thus my opinion is that no innocent person should have the opportunity to think or say, “Although I am innocent, I am being punished because I couldn’t afford a good lawyer” due to flaws in the judicial system. No doubt society will be adversely affected if an offender evades the law and is not arrested by the police due to their incompetence, but far greater damage will be done if an innocent person is penalized because of a defective judicial system.

From the social or human viewpoint, everybody has the right to correct the behaviour of everyone else. This is the birthright of every human being. No scholar can dispute the right of people to correct the shortcomings of those with whom they come in contact. The recognition of this right is indispensable for the health of society.

Thus it is clear that corrective measures are necessary to complement justice. Such an arrangement prevents a government from getting any scope to impose a violent, cruel penal system and an oppressive dictatorship on the masses.

Here lies the basic difference between the administrative system and the corrective system. The severe discipline that is needed in the administrative system to strengthen the framework of society or that of the state is not necessary in the judicial system; rather the judicial system is based on rational, tolerant, humanistic ideas and benevolent sentiments. Thus we see that in many cases there is a fundamental difference between the administrative and the judicial systems. Judges can and will frequently temper the merciless attitudes of the administration with humane reasoning; the verdicts of humane judges will therefore be more acceptable to the populace of a state than the pronouncements of an insensitive administration. If this does not happen it will immediately become clear that either an individual or party is abusing the power vested in them by the state.

The Role of Judges

People judge the mistakes of others to the best of their own intellectual capacities. I do not feel that there is anything wrong in this as long as people keep the ideal of welfare in front of them.

People may judge others, but there has always been and still is a difference of opinion among moralists concerning the final stage of the judicial process: in other words, concerning the extent to which people have the right to penalize others. If a person is tried and no action is taken as a result of the trial, the person in question will not have to face the possibility of a miscarriage of justice. But if in the event of a miscarriage of justice the person is penalized on the basis of the verdict, an innocent person will be made to suffer. In other words, penalizing a person on the basis of a verdict involves considerable risk.

Judges can rarely say with total conviction that one person is guilty and another innocent. Their verdicts are based on the testimonies of witnesses, the evidence and the arguments of lawyers. They have very little scope to verify whether or not the witnesses are telling the truth or whether or not the evidence is genuine. Experienced lawyers often win cases because even an eminent judge becomes confused by their arguments. Moreover, if the experienced lawyers also happen to be retired judges, it will be very easy for them to win over the judge. A judge who previously worked under an experienced lawyer will usually find it difficult to reject his or her evidence and arguments. In other words, such lawyers exert a personal influence over the judge. Of course in most developed countries nowadays retired judges are prevented from practising law. This regulation is highly commendable, and results in the general public getting a better chance of receiving justice. However, there is still no guarantee that people will receive impartial justice, because in practice very few judges are able to verify whether the witnesses are telling the truth or whether the evidence is genuine, or to closely scrutinize the verbose arguments of experienced lawyers.

In order to determine whether the witnesses are telling the truth and whether the evidence is genuine, judges will have to take considerable help from detectives. The workload of detectives will increase as a result, and thus it may be necessary to increase the number of detectives. By merely increasing the number of detectives, however, we cannot expect that this problem will be solved, because if the seeds of corruption are hidden in the detective department itself, it will be virtually impossible to eliminate them. In other words, if detectives take bribes out of greed, the accused or the plaintiff will suffer as a result. While it is necessary for a country to have an adequate number of detectives, it is impossible for a government to recruit a large number of highly proficient detectives. It will therefore be necessary for the investigations carried out by the detectives into whether the witnesses are telling the truth and whether the evidence is genuine to be verified again by the judges.

Judges, however, do not need to take sole responsibility for this work in all cases; part of it may be performed by a jury. This will result in an increase in the importance of the jury system. The only criterion for selecting members of the jury should be honesty. Educational qualifications and social status should not be taken into consideration.

It is preferable that the final responsibility for a judgement rest with the judge, not the jury. So judges should be carefully selected from among those whose strength of character is irrefutable. Generally the number of judges is smaller than the number of police or detectives, and their salaries are higher, so with proper efforts it will not be impossible for a country to procure the competent judges that it needs. Local autonomous bodies should be given the responsibility for selecting the members of the jury; business people, brokers and political leaders or party workers should not be eligible to be jury members.

We cannot expect judges to agree with the jury in all cases because that would limit their authority. Nor should we expect that the members of the jury will make good judges, no matter how honest and upright they may be. Furthermore, after conducting investigations into the event in question, the judge and jury may arrive at different conclusions; it will not be wrong to conclude that the judge’s conclusion should carry more weight. However, it is possible for a judge to be partial, out to satisfy a personal grudge or in collusion with the accused; if so, what should be done? If the members of a jury become suspicious of the judge’s conduct or dissatisfied with his or her behaviour during the course of a trial, the entire proceedings of the case should be brought to the notice of a higher judicial authority before the judge delivers his or her final judgement in court. If the higher judicial authority shares the opinion of the members of the jury, it would be unwise to retain the judge.

Although I do not fully support the way in which justice was administered by the káziis [Muslim judges] in the Middle Ages, it would be useful if judges today emulated their dedication. The káziis took great risk and personal responsibility when they disguised themselves and went to seek the truth at the scene of the crime, or tried to extract a confession from the accused or the plaintiff by using a clever ruse. Such efforts would place greater responsibility on the judges, and thus it might be necessary to increase both their number and their salary. Besides this, it might also be necessary to increase their authority so that they could deliver judgements on the basis of their findings and experience.

However, no matter what efforts we make to ensure fair judgements, we cannot expect them to always be correct. The jury may make a mistake, or both the judge and the jury may make a mistake. Both may acquiesce in injustice due to transitory emotions or excitement. Hence, under no circumstances can a judgement be taken as the final word. So I am constrained to say that if there is any doubt at all about the accuracy of a judgement, no punishment should be given.

From the moral viewpoint also it is obvious that, if they wish to preserve social purity, people only have the right to take corrective measures and not punitive measures. The law that controls every pulsation of human existence has the sole authority to penalize people, and no other. Still, if people could have demonstrated that their judgements were absolutely free from defects or established that their system of punishment was legitimate, there would have been something to discuss. But human beings are incapable of doing this. So for the preservation of society, if people want to take measures against others, those measures will have to be corrective, not punitive. Even if the judicial system is defective, if only corrective measures are taken then there is no possibility of anyone coming to any harm.

Before looking more deeply at corrective measures, it is necessary to closely examine the standard of judges. Those who are permitted to sit in judgement over others and have the power to punish must be closely monitored to see whether any degeneration has occurred in their intelligence, capacity for deliberation, or moral character. From time to time, as and when necessary, reports about the character and conduct of judges may be required by bodies representing the people. A judge who is a drunkard, of dubious character or engaged in any form of antisocial activity has no right to pass judgement on others. I am emphasizing the personal standards of judges because the nature of justice is such that higher priority has to be given to temporal, spatial and personal factors than to legal processes.

In the event of conflict between the criminal code and the moral code, the moral code must take precedence.

While presiding over a trial a judge should not be prejudiced against the accused, but should consider whether he or she has committed a crime or not; and if so, under what circumstances, and whether the crime was committed voluntarily or at the instigation of others. This is the main point for consideration during a trial. The person on whom society has bestowed the solemn office of judge has therefore to be of a higher standard than an ordinary person.

I am not ready to accept that a law student who has graduated with distinction from the law faculty of a university will necessarily make a competent judge. While it is undeniable that good lawyers and barristers have knowledge of the law and skill in presenting arguments, this is no guarantee that they will make equitable judges. Instances of equitable justice can be seen in countless large and small events which occur in individual and social life.

When sitting to pass judgement on an offender the first thing for the judge to consider is whether the accused has committed a crime or not. For the purpose of analysing the types of crime committed by a criminal, and whether his or her offences were committed voluntarily or at the instigation of others, criminals may be classified into the following five categories.

(1) Criminals by Nature

Some few men and women are born with a deranged mind. The cause of their mental derangement is concealed within the defects of their body and glands. Such people can be divided into two main groups.

The first group is composed of people who are normally very quiet, but in whom truthfulness and doing good to others are against their nature. They derive malevolent pleasure from lying and harming others. They are generally poor at managing their worldly affairs and incapable of comprehending the difference between good and bad. They act according to their limited mental capacity. Although they are mentally underdeveloped, they are deprived of the same kindness and compassion that other simpletons, due to their innate purity, receive. They take a long time to learn how to walk and talk and to understand simple matters, and they continue to dribble for a large part of their lives. Despite the sincere efforts of their parents and teachers, they fail to acquire any education. Even before they reach adulthood they manifest their base propensities. They generally become petty thieves, not armed robbers. Although they have a bad character, they do not have the courage to perform antisocial activities openly. They commit offences on their own initiative and at the instigation of others.

The second group of born criminals is more dangerous. Throughout their lives they revel in displays of provoked or unprovoked cruelty. They have a natural inclination to kill or maim others. They become members of criminal gangs and commit murder and other horrendous acts. Generally they do not become pickpockets, petty thieves or burglars. They consider such things to be the activities of petty criminals and as such beneath their dignity. In criminal circles they are usually greatly feared. From their mode of thinking or lifestyle, it appears as though they were born only to commit crimes. They consider compassion and conscience to be mere frailties; the importance of such attributes is beyond their understanding. Although they may be slow when it comes to worldly affairs, they are not fools. At the time of committing their instinct-inspired crimes, they give ample proof of their intelligence. They demonstrate their intelligence through their knowledge of osteology and psychology, and by their behaviour when dealing with the police and the public. Even if they are born into a salutary environment, this type of inborn criminal ultimately takes to a life of crime. Women with this kind of nature are quite incapable of leading chaste lives; even if they have good husbands, they often decide to become prostitutes.

The natures and lifestyles of born criminals are as diverse as their crimes. Some pose as honest people and secretly steal and commit robberies. Some gain a lot of money through forgery or armed robbery and donate it to the poor. Some like to prey on helpless victims. Among those who commit crimes because they derive pleasure from it, some do not have the opportunity to earn a living, or if they do, do not utilize that chance to lead an honest life. The natures of born criminals, the lifestyles they lead, and their preferences for particular types of crimes are usually consistent with each other.

Psychologists have learned a great deal about criminals and are trying to research them more. If they receive cooperation from the government, and especially from the police department, they will make rapid progress in the study of criminal psychology. An analysis of criminal psychology is not the subject under discussion, but still it is a fact that born criminals are society’s greatest burden and greatest responsibility. Although such criminals are born with human bodies, mentally they are sub-human. And that is not all: even the physical structure of such people is different from that of ordinary people.

The sweet family environment that is within easy reach of human beings due to their developed intellect and which becomes even sweeter in time due to their natural qualities, is not accessible to born criminals. Even if they are born into a good environment, they cannot fully accept it. Just to satisfy their perverse mentality, they may poison their benevolent fathers out of any misunderstanding, or may brutally stab their loving mothers in the heart. From a viewpoint of normal human behaviour, it would be extremely difficult to treat born criminals as human beings.

Nature normally bestows different strengths and weaknesses on different persons, but this principle takes a deviant twist in the case of these people. Born criminals can understand or grasp many natural phenomena more easily than highly-intelligent or wise people. Many underdeveloped creatures have a greater capacity than human beings to foresee the future, and it can be seen that born criminals also have this ability.

Through the observations and investigations psychologists have made while studying criminal psychology, they have gained a great deal of useful information about born criminals. But until now no physiological or psychological treatment has been developed to reform their nature. Psychologists or physiologists know the cause of their deformities or abnormalities, and they even know [theoretically] how their abnormalities can be cured, but in practice it is extremely difficult to cure them. No country in the world has ever wished to demonstrate any enthusiasm for curing the diseases of these unfortunate people. They live like animals, senselessly performing wicked acts. And like animals, they allow their pointless lives to end with a rope around their necks.

If “a life for a life” is considered an unassailable principle of justice, then there is nothing more to say. But remember that born criminals commit their crimes due to their physical or psychic abnormalities; are not the so-called civilized people who make no effort to cure such born criminals, guilty of the same crime? Does not capital punishment amount to cutting off the head to get rid of a headache? In my opinion to take the life of a born criminal of this type is as much a crime as it would be to pass a death sentence on a patient just because we could not cure the person’s illness. It is the duty of a civilized society to arrange for born criminals to be cured of their ailments. Killing them to lighten the burden caused by their lives is certainly not indicative of a developed civilization.

So in my opinion the trials of born criminals should not concentrate solely on the magnitude of their crimes. Such criminals will have to be regarded with benevolent, humanistic sentiments, and means of curing them must be suggested.

Doctors quarantine those with an infectious disease to prevent the disease spreading to healthy people. Similarly it is necessary to isolate born criminals, indeed all types of criminals, from other people. The treatment of criminals should be undertaken in a prison, or better said, in a corrective centre. Prisons are not for punishment, rather prisons are hospitals for treatment of disease.

Psychologists cannot treat the mental diseases which inflict born criminals all alone; the cooperation of physicians and sociologists is essential. Psychologists will diagnose the mental disease and explain its origins, and they will also play a role in helping cure it as far as possible. Doctors will be responsible for curing the disease through medicine or surgery, insofar as it is caused by physiological abnormalities. Then sociologists will have to arrange for the social rehabilitation of the criminal after he or she has recovered. If psychologists only describe the nature of the disease, or if doctors only diagnose the physiological disorders and nothing more, it will not be possible to accomplish anything productive. Of course at the present time the patient may not make a complete recovery despite the concerted efforts of psychologists and sociologists, because psychology is still in an underdeveloped state. Moreover, doctors have not yet acquired the skills needed to remove the physiological abnormalities responsible for mental disease. And furthermore, the science of sociology has only just emerged; it is developing extremely slowly. However, we must take the above measures for born criminals.

As long as society fails to take such humanistic measures in dealing with born criminals, it is farcical to compel them to stand trial.

One must always remember that born criminals are patients, and that their disease is stubborn. It can of course be cured quite quickly through spiritual practices, and in a slightly longer period through yogic methods, but for this a congenial environment is essential. Prison environments should therefore be made more pure, more humane.

(2) Criminals out of Habit

Where (a) moral integrity is low, where (b) no effort is made to develop mental force, or where (c) social control is slack, people will be influenced by their ripus,⁽¹⁾ and will not hesitate to choose a path which enables them to express their propensities unchecked. Ordinary people manage to keep their base propensities under control through internal moral reasoning, and thus avoid indulging in antisocial activities. But those who lack mental strength often knowingly commit crimes in an almost mechanical way, even though they possess a sense of morality. Such people who possess a sense of morality but lack mental strength normally keep their momentary mental weaknesses under control out of fear of what society might do, and as a result the health of society and the purity of individual life is upheld. But if any one of these three obstacles which keep people from moving along the path of evil becomes weak, people will tend to engage in antisocial activities; in the absence of fear of these obstacles, they will gradually become increasingly addicted to such activities. In this way people get accustomed to performing antisocial activities and finally turn into hardened criminals.

The diseases of habitual criminals are not congenital, so in treating these people there is little place for a physiologist or doctor. However, habitual criminals can easily be treated if they are provided with a proper moral education, a method of acquiring moral strength and a strictly regulated social environment. So during the trials of habitual criminals, the judge should focus more on the provisions of the penal code than on humanitarian sensibility; this approach will benefit society.

No matter how villainous habitual criminals become, and no matter how notorious, they will never be as dangerous as born criminals. Because they possess some sense of discrimination, they should not be automatically pardoned on the grounds of mental illness. They also possess the ability to feign innocence. They behave like saints by day and steal by night; they live like landlords one moment and like armed robbers the next; they are chaste in public and promiscuous in private. Generally the scale of their criminal activities is greater than that of other criminals.

Psychological treatment and strict prison discipline help to a great extent in reforming the nature of habitual criminals. (Of course such criminals must live in a pure social environment as well.)

This type of criminal nature is often formed as an indirect result of people being forced to submit to strict control without being given any moral education or guidance as to how to develop strength of mind. For example, some parents do not impart moral education to their children, and do not help them to acquire strength of mind or teach them how to lead a virtuous life; instead, they beat their children with or without justification. It is the children of such parents who later take part in antisocial activities.

If parents fail to educate their daughters out of fear that they will go astray, fail to provide them with a moral education, fail to help them acquire strength of mind by holding up high ideals before them, and try to forcibly keep their unmarried or widowed daughters confined behind the purdah, naturally the secret desire will awaken in them to leave home and experience the world. As a result they will put on a show of purity in public while indulging in sinful conduct in private. Often they will even break away from the constraints imposed on them and openly engage in antisocial activities.

Although it is extremely difficult to convince habitual criminals to follow the path of spirituality, it may be possible through psychological means.

In most cases they are intelligent, but out of petty selfishness they rebel against society, country and state. Many habitual criminals become politicians in order to further their own selfish ends and cheat the public day after day. Most of the great wars fought in the world have been started by such criminals. The leaders of the criminal community come from this group. Sometimes the unfortunate public grabs hold of these leaders, just as fishermen catch fish in a net and drag them onto the shore, and sometimes these leaders break the net and slip away. Not only is intelligence required to bring these criminals to justice, a great deal of caution and courage is required as well. Black marketeers and adulterators who operate on a large scale should also be included in this group of criminals.

Habitual criminals sometimes also try to influence judges. They intimidate them in the hope of ensuring the successful continuation of their criminal activities. In order to punish habitual criminals, it is necessary to give judges far greater power than they now possess.

(3) Criminals Due to Environment

Many people in society do not become criminals because of physiological or hereditary factors. Nor do they become involved in criminal activities due to the influence of base propensities, or due to lack of education or social control. Yet today civilized society looks down on them because they are criminals when they could have been revered as ideal human beings with impeccable characters if they had been given a proper environment.

They are glaring examples that honest people can become dishonest as a result of environmental pressures. The sensitive, honest son of a villainous father is compelled to participate in antisocial activities out of fear of paternal abuse. This creates a habit which eventually becomes part of his nature. The daughter of a prostitute, despite her best efforts to live a virtuous life, is forced to lead the life of a social outcast due to unbearable maternal abuse or circumstantial pressure. At first we usually censure the parents or guardians for the helpless condition of such women, but the parents are not always completely to blame. Sometimes personal difficulties, such as financial hardship or poverty, compel them to take such steps, even when they know that what they are doing is wrong. Due to circumstantial pressure they encourage their children to do wrong and force them to commit crimes.

Those who denigrate refugees, seeing an antisocial mentality in some of them, will notice on closer examination that it is only because of lack of money that refugees encourage their children to act in an antisocial manner.

But antisocial behaviour is not always caused by lack of money. Where the parents or guardians are evil by nature, they try to infect the other members of their family with their disease. A few days ago I read in the newspaper that an upper-middle-class lady used to encourage her son to steal clothes, etc., from her neighbours by offering him money for cinema tickets if he did – in other words, by applying indirect pressure. When the incident became public, it was discovered that her family was not in financial difficulty. By putting pressure on her son, the lady was infecting him with her own mental disease.

There are many parents who, due to miserliness or whatever reason, deprive their children of delicious food and drink. (If there is some reason for this deprivation, they do not explain it to their children.) They serve such food and drink to others in the presence of their children without explaining to them why they are being deprived. As a result, the children, under the pressure of circumstance, steal to try to satisfy their natural desires.

There are many people who themselves, that is, together with the members of their family, consume delicious food and drink but provide poor-quality food to their servants. The servants subsequently develop the habit of stealing out of greed.

There are many parents who directly encourage their children to fight and abuse others. I have also observed quiet-natured children who often disagreed with the opinions of their parents, being forced to follow their parents’ orders out of fear of physical abuse. In a remote village I once observed a young man, who was a member of a social group which followed the Dáyabhága system,⁽²⁾ abuse his innocent wife and torture her at the instigation of his cruel father, out of fear of losing his right of inheritance.

These are just a few examples of crimes due to environment.

During the trials of criminals due to environment who have not yet turned into habitual criminals, the judge should not attach too much importance to the provisions of the penal code. If, after thorough investigation, it is discovered that particular people or circumstantial pressure have caused these criminals (whatever their age) to take part in antisocial activities, it will be the duty of the judge to remove them from that environment with the help of sociologists and psychologists. Such cases rarely require further corrective measures. But if those who are criminals due to circumstantial pressure become habitual criminals as a result of a long-standing habit, a change of environment alone will not suffice. Corrective measures in accordance with the provisions of the penal code will also be necessary.

Those who are born with fairly healthy bodies and minds, who do not lack knowledge of morality or live an undisciplined social life, or who have not become dishonest as a result of circumstantial pressure, often unwittingly take to the path of dishonesty because they keep bad company. Perhaps as many as ninety-nine per cent of people talk about themselves in the following way: “I do not need to bother about the company I keep, as long as I am good myself. I can remain good in all types of company. I am old enough to understand the difference between good and bad.” In other words, such people do not like to think, or rather feel piqued at the thought, that somebody should try to dissuade them from keeping bad company. Especially if a less-educated person advises a more highly-educated person to avoid bad company, that person will do it all the more. In society people who regard themselves as superior in status, wealth or education generally believe that it is entirely unwarranted for others to give them advice. That is why an educated but wayward son often disregards the good advice of his parents.

The natural characteristics of the human mind, however, tell a different story than what that ninety-nine percent think. A person of any age between seven and seventy is invariably influenced by the company he or she keeps. In other words, where goodness is predominant, bad people will slowly but surely become good, and where the opposite is the case, good people will become bad. Even a saintly person will go astray after a few days of close association with bad people.

Suppose a teetotaller mixes regularly with a group of alcoholics. The frequent anti-teetotaller gibes and the positive portrayals of the wondrous virtues of wine by the alcoholics will one day tempt the teetotaller to taste a little wine. His or her drinking friends will say, “We don’t want you to become drunk. But what’s the harm if you just taste a little! This surely won’t make you a bad person! What a moralist you are! Oh friend, to be such a moralist in the world today is ridiculous!” So one day the teetotaller tastes wine and this becomes the cause of his or her downfall. But on the day the unsuspecting teetotaller took wine, he or she did not realize that from that very day wine would become the cause of his or her degeneration.

Similarly, by keeping bad company people become debauched, slanderers and thieves. Men or women who have to do little or no household work, who fail to cultivate high ideals in life, who are unable to evolve a spiritual outlook, or who do not have to work hard for a living, generally develop an extremely critical nature. By constantly associating with such people, those who possess high ideals or a diligent nature will gradually begin to spend their leisure time in slanderous gossip. If the parents or older members of a family are quarrelsome, the children will also become quarrelsome due to constant association. Similarly, if the women of a family have a highly critical nature, the children will invariably become critical because they will learn how to criticize from their elders. Children will also tend to become depraved if they associate too closely with older children in schools or colleges. When they stay among children their own age, however, they generally play in an innocent, joyous way. Childhood companions should be selected with great care, but young children are incapable of doing this.

The base propensities which lie dormant in everyone are easily stimulated by constant association with bad people. Through the united efforts of parents, people living in the locality and educators, it may be possible to save children from bad company. But it is very difficult to save them from the evil influences which reside in their own homes or preponderate in their neighbourhood. The only way to overcome such influences is to popularize the ideals of dharma, spread moral education and train an honest police force.

In the modern world there is a wide variety of films which excite the passions and have a degrading influence on boys and girls, adolescents and young men and women. Such films create in cinema-goers the desire to emulate in their individual lives the criminal activities, the vulgar expressions of love, or the adventurous behaviour that they see enacted on the screen. This is another example of how keeping bad company causes depravity. Many cinema-goers imagine that the characters that they see on the screen are their actual acquaintances, but when they try to emulate these characters, they discover that the real world is much tougher than the world portrayed by the cinema. If their family ties are weak, if they are their own guardians or if they have no high ideals to inspire them, it will be extremely difficult, although not impossible, to save them from bad influences.

As long as those who become criminals due to keeping bad company are not transformed into habitual criminals, they will return to their normal good behaviour as soon as they give up the bad company. Therefore, during the trials of such criminals, corrective measures should be taken only after giving due consideration to the company they keep and the influence of this company on their behaviour. But in the case of those who have become habitual criminals, simply removing them from bad company will not suffice, because they themselves are their own bad company. For them, stricter measures will be needed.

Nearly all deceitful acts, such as swindling, fraud, gambling, looting, seducing women, and travelling without a ticket, are commonly a result of the influence of bad company.

In prisons also those criminals of this type who have already turned into habitual criminals should be housed with great care, otherwise their disease will spread to others.

(4) Criminals Due to Poverty

Most crimes throughout the world are committed due to poverty, except in countries where the minimum necessities of life have been met. Of course the tendency to engage in antisocial activities because of poverty does not manifest equally in all places or among all people. The degree of such crimes varies according to the moral strength of an individual. But no matter how strongly developed the moral consciousness of a person, if poverty threatens his or her very existence, usually the person will try to attack the prevailing social structure. This being the case, I cannot in the name of human dharma reject the reasons such people give, if they give any reasons at all, in defence of their actions. They demand simply the right to live, and on this human right stands the well-being of society, the justification for its existence.

Throughout history millions of people have died due to artificial famines created by other human beings. While walking along a road, weary, plodding legs have given way and a person has collapsed in a pitiful heap on the ground, yet he or she has refrained from stealing. Although a high standard of morality is one reason why the person did not make a last desperate bid for self-preservation, it is not the only reason. Starving people, particularly if they lose their vitality by slow degrees, do not have the moral courage to fight. Knowing the end is sure, they seek refuge in the arms of death. Basing their way of life on incorrect philosophical and religious teachings, they accept their miserable situation as destiny. Perhaps, at that time, if they were led by a spirited leader and inspired by his or her fiery lectures, or if they received guidance about the course of action to take, they would collectively attack the prevailing social structure. In such circumstances, their actions might perhaps be described as immoral, but they certainly would not contravene the dharma of human existence.

Sometimes honest people, who hate corruption from the depths of their being but fail to keep their mental balance due to the pressure of poverty, resort to crime just to maintain their existence. What will happen in such circumstances if the judge looks only at the crime, or is even slightly indifferent to the questions of cause and effect related to the crime? Such offenders – who may be more honest than most well-fed, well-dressed, so-called honest people – will be thrown into jail and branded as criminals merely because of deficiencies in the system of production and distribution of basic requirements. Due to the bad company there, and overcome with shame, hatred and humiliation due to their punishment, they will gradually turn into habitual criminals after being released from jail.

In areas hit by famine many crimes are committed due to poverty, but as soon as the economy improves the number of crimes decreases. This proves that most of the people in whatever country are not by nature criminals, nor for that matter is the human race in general. People want to be properly clothed and fed and to pass their days happily. They do not want to have the path of their natural development stop at an impenetrable iron door constructed by narrow-minded social-law-givers.

Those who ignore their conscience and repeatedly commit crimes due to poverty, eventually turn into habitual criminals. If somebody steals or robs out of hunger, or is goaded by their propensities into some mean act, it will be the duty of society to find out what the person’s needs are and then remove them in some lawful way. But if society fails to do its duty (I have already said that human beings have not yet been able to create a society in the true sense of the term) and punishes such criminals instead, focusing only on the magnitude of their crimes, all feelings of remorse will vanish from their minds and in their place a sense of desperation will arise. They will feel that since they have already been stigmatized and have nothing further to lose, there is no point in suffering by earning a living in an honest way. They will think, “As I am sinking, let me sink to the depths of hell.” Those who have committed crimes due to poverty (whether due to lack of food or clothing, or physical or mental factors), will blame society for their offences. They will claim that their poverty is the result of a defective social structure, and in most cases this allegation will be true.

If the breadwinner of a family dies a premature death, a dark shadow of poverty will often fall over the family, and it may disintegrate. Its sweetness and purity will be destroyed due to poverty. The young boys and girls will become beggars, increasing the number of parasites in society, or they will become the playthings of antisocial forces, eventually turning into thieves, armed robbers, thugs, pickpockets or agents of some professional beggars’ association. They will become slaves in order to survive. Young widows from communities which follow a double standard of morality will also be compelled or tempted by various forces to lead antisocial lives.

Hence the solution to all these different antisocial activities is hidden in the creation of a sound economic and social structure. The man who is despised as a thief or treated with contempt by society might have been a genius if he had been brought up in a healthy social environment. The woman who is shunned as a prostitute might have been respected as the leader of a women’s organization or honoured as the mother of a famous person, had she received a little sympathy from society in the early part of her life. That is why I contend that those unfortunate men and women carry a burden of sin created through the collective efforts of society as a whole. They are not responsible for their sins, or if they are, their sins are considerably less, or at least no greater, than the sins of selfish, mean-minded people who call themselves honest.

It is doubtful whether the Supreme Creator, let alone humanity, has the right to punish those who commit crimes due to poverty. Still, from the moral standpoint, I cannot support criminal acts. I would suggest that before committing such crimes they should become revolutionaries. It is the duty of those with a good knowledge of morality to guide them in their revolutionary activities. Let them separate the gold from the dross in the fire of revolution.

On the subject of corrective measures for those who become criminals due to poverty, honest people have no alternative but to exhort them to launch a revolution. In this situation the position of a judge is like that of a figurehead; he or she has nothing to say or do. Psychologists and sociologists also have very limited scope for action; the pathways that lie open to them are very circumscribed. The solution completely depends on the firm economic foundation of the different individual countries as well as of the entire world. If anyone is at fault it is every one of the world leaders. Their responsibilities do not end when they gain power by creating false hopes and deceiving the common people with remote and unattainable dreams.

People can score points in intellectual battles by hiding their inefficiency behind grandiloquent speeches, but if they do, the demands of the proletariat, who struggle for existence like animals, will not be heard. They will never be able to forget their hunger and ignore their psychic longings and simultaneously dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the enormous task of developing their country and building a universal human society in a better way.

Those whose stomachs are full can always forget about the hunger of others. The world has become accustomed to, but has experienced quite enough of, the procrastination and heartless histrionics of such blood-sucking brutes. By inventing crises, they force the needy to commit crimes; by hoarding grains, they cause artificial famines and indirectly incite starving people to steal; and by making people’s circumstances difficult and subsequently enticing them with money, they encourage men to abandon their families and compel women to earn their living in an immoral way. Because they remain above suspicion and appear to be honest according to the laws of the land, which in many countries are enacted for the benefit of the upper stratum of society, ordinary people are unable to raise their voices in protest. It can be said that the only path open to them is the path of revolution.

People look among the leaders of their country for someone to take up the noble task of protecting ordinary, simple people like themselves from the exploitation of blood-sucking brutes. Those who transform ordinary people into beasts by forcing them to live in extremely difficult circumstances are, in my opinion, the ones who should be put on trial. To burden judges with the trials of those who become criminals due to poverty, is to do an injustice to them.

However, it is fallacious to think that the economic structure is the sole cause of crimes committed due to poverty. There are many instances of affluent people also indulging in drink, drugs, gambling, licentiousness, luxurious living, gluttony, etc., in order to forget their psychic problems or to gratify their instincts. Due to their addiction, they lose their wealth and finally get into debt to finance their bad habits. Eventually, when it becomes impossible for them to pay off their debts, they get involved in a wide variety of criminal activities which have a highly deleterious effect on society. Privation is clearly the superficial cause of such crimes, but society is not responsible for this type of privation as it is entirely self-created. It is imperative to take corrective measures to reform such types of criminal. In order to be able to reform them, it is essential to cure them of their addiction.

(5) Criminals out of Momentary Weakness

Another type of crime occurs occasionally. This is a temporary criminal urge, a special type of mental disease which suddenly appears in a certain type of environment and again subsides after a short time. Kleptomania is an example of this kind of mental disease. After committing a crime kleptomaniacs feel ashamed and are anxious to return the property that they have stolen to the owner. They have sudden fantasies about stealing, abducting people, becoming drunk or indulging in decadent activities. But analysis shows that they do not in fact have the slightest personal interest in such things.

Usually weak-minded people who have witnessed larceny, murder or any other crime, are deeply affected by their experience, and due to the ensuing extreme agitation that occurs in their minds, they deviate from the path of common sense. If the feeling of mental agitation recurs due to the influence of temporal, spatial or personal factors, they will immediately commit a crime.

If a person who is not actually a thief constantly thinks about stealing and about the various techniques that can be used to steal, it may happen that he or she will begin to talk in a way that will give people the impression that he or she is really a thief. After witnessing a brutal murder, sometimes such weak-minded people begin to think of themselves as criminals, and under the influence of such thoughts, they conceal some clothing, a dead body or parts of a body, or some other items in their houses, and then start describing the modus operandi of the crime to others. They will say, “I dragged the person away like this; I stabbed him like that;” etc. In such circumstances it will not be surprising if the police regard the person as a criminal and if, after listening to the testimony of witnesses and seeing the evidence, the judge takes action against him or her. In such cases if there is even the slightest defect in the confidential enquiries, the proficiency of the police or the insight of the judge – any of the three – in all probability an innocent person will be punished.

Poverty is the root cause of most crimes, but it is not the only cause. Even if the economic structure is sound, other factors which cause crimes may be present, jeopardizing social peace and discipline. With the eradication of poverty, crimes caused by keeping bad company and by personal difficulties may to some extent decrease, but there will be little decline in the number of crimes committed by born criminals or habitual criminals.

If we undertake a rational analysis of the causes of crimes and a scientific categorization of these causes, what stands out most is the variety of the propensities of the human mind and the weakness or strength of the mind according to changes in time, place or person. As a result those investigating the causes of serious crimes may become confused. The accused could be a criminal who does not fit the previously-established categories. If the crime is grave, it will not be possible to pardon the person or disregard the crime on the grounds that it was committed accidentally or in a moment of weakness.

Crimes Involving Cruelty

Crimes involving cruelty are generally caused by the following factors:

1. loss of judgement due to intoxication or extreme excitement;
2. jealousy over property or wealth;
3. a severe blow to one’s prestige or the influence of any of the ripus;
4. fights over women;
5. serious differences of opinion.

It is possible for a person who lacks mental straightforwardness, though [[that person]] may be a good person, to commit a crime due to any of these factors. But not all crimes are committed in a moment of anger. Even a cool-headed person may be influenced and overwhelmed by any of the factors listed above except the first, and these factors may have disturbed his or her mind for so long that the crime cannot be classified as a crime committed in anger. A cool-headed person with no criminal background may even plan a serious crime as much as six months in advance. The causes of these types of crime, as I mentioned above, lie in the weaknesses of the human mind. The manifestation of malevolent propensities depends on the environment and is subject to differences in time, place or person; sometimes it occurs after a few years and sometimes after a few minutes.

When a crime is committed within five or ten minutes of provocation, the offence is generally viewed with leniency because it was committed in a moment of anger. However, where the thought of committing a crime gradually develops over a long period of time, where the offender deliberately becomes intoxicated in the hope of committing the crime with calm nerves, or where the offender gets others intoxicated in order for them to commit a crime with calm nerves, it is rare for the offender to receive clemency. In reality, of course, the crimes of both groups are equal in magnitude, and from the psychological point of view there is only a slight difference between them.

Benevolent people may wonder how much value corrective measures have for criminals who, for whatever reason, have not turned into habitual criminals but still do not show any sense of remorse after committing a crime; for first-time offenders who have not produced any type of evidence to demonstrate that circumstantial pressure was the reason for their crime; or for those who have not shown any physical or psychological symptoms which would warrant their being declared mentally ill. In such circumstances experienced judges and social well-wishers would take penal instead of corrective measures. From the moral standpoint, we cannot but support this. Yet when we know that weak-minded people, who are slaves to their lower propensities, have committed and are continuing to commit crimes due to circumstantial pressure created by temporal, spatial and personal factors, is it not society’s duty to make them aware of their wrongdoing and help them to learn how to develop their higher propensities and strengthen their minds? And is it not also the duty of society to ensure that this awakening is a corrective rather than a penal process? Of course it is necessary to retain tough penal measures as a part of the corrective system. Moreover, if punishment has an important place in correcting behaviour, people will, out of fear of being punished, avoid drifting along according to the inclinations of their lower propensities. As a result of this environmental pressure, dishonest people will be compelled to live an honest life and society will be greatly benefited. People who have succumbed to the influence of their base propensities will with society’s sanction get the opportunity to become good. And those who are aware of the influence of their own base propensities will also feel encouraged to keep striving to become internally civilized – to become civilized people in a civilized society.

Crime and Politics

Calumny, jealousy, factionalism, indolence, grandiloquence, etc., are all social defects which, given a congenial environment, turn people into great criminals. These human defects are glaringly apparent in the modern world; the reason for this is the proclivity to indulge in politics. Politics today is concerned solely with satisfying the desire for power; all connection with selfless service has been lost. Unless the desire for power loosens its grip on the human mind, the unhealthy proclivity for politics will not be eliminated from modern society.

Seeing the way in which political involvement gradually transforms people into habitual criminals, benevolent people can no longer afford to stand by and watch. All good people should now work together to formulate a comprehensive, well-thought-out plan for the all-round development of society. If the entire human race turns into habitual criminals, if people are no longer ready to listen with tolerance to the opinions of others, or if they sell their treasures of higher intellect to gain power and prestige, the age-old struggle to build human civilization, and all efforts to discover the value of human existence, will go in vain.

Virtue and Vice

In most countries crime is defined with reference to a sense of pápa [vice] and puńya [virtue]. These have their roots in the religions of individual countries. For example, English people customarily believe that suicide is one of the gravest sins. According to the customary belief of Indians, suicide is considered to be a sin, but it is not a grave sin. And the Japanese do not consider suicide to be a sin at all. That is why the penal codes of these three countries are different. In Japan neither suicide nor attempted suicide constitutes a crime, and thus neither is a punishable offence. In India today the attempt to commit suicide is a crime, but suicide itself is not, hence only the attempt to commit suicide is a punishable offence. And in England the attempt to commit suicide and actual suicide are both crimes, hence both are considered to be punishable offences.⁽³⁾ So those who rend the air arguing about virtue and vice are not usually listened to outside their own countries.

Ideas about virtue and vice are based on one or both of the following factors: different religious beliefs, and traditional or contemporary social beliefs created by factors other than religion.

These ideas change not only according to place, but also according to time and person. In ancient India, for example, people used to burn defenceless widows to death without a twinge of conscience. The thought that this might be a sinful or unlawful act never entered their minds. Indians of that time believed that those who opposed sati were being antisocial, unpatriotic and sinful. It would not be correct for us to feel hatred or disdain towards those ancient people, living as we do in a different era. Perhaps those who burnt Joan of Arc to death did not commit a crime according to the concept of virtue and vice prevalent at the time.

Different concepts of virtue and vice may also coexist in one country. For example, for a Shákta [devotee of Shakti] eating meat is not a sin, but for a Vaeśńava [Vaishnavite, devotee of Viśńu] even to see an animal being slaughtered is a sin; he or she cannot even think of eating meat.

Since the concept of virtue and vice is completely relative, it is meaningless to loudly support or oppose the views of a particular community or the laws of a particular country as if they were the absolute truth. Today, therefore, everyone should develop a magnanimous outlook in such matters; otherwise their extreme intolerance will, in the name of spreading religion or of protecting virtue, result, as it did in the Middle Ages, in the entire world being bathed in human blood.

No matter what type of government a country has, it is not desirable for the state to blindly follow particular scriptural injunctions relating to virtue and vice. In this era of popular awakening, it will be impossible for the state to maintain its existence if it commits such an error.

Virtue and vice are psychic expressions which are defined by changes in time, place and person; a type of mental aberration that one person in one place and at one time calls a sin is considered a virtue by another person in another place at another time. Under these circumstances, what should the basis of legal codes be? If legal codes are based on the different concepts of virtue and vice professed by different groups of people, a question will arise: “If two litigants, a plaintiff and a defendant, belonging to two different communities, appear in court, on which community’s legal code will the judicial process be based?” We can therefore see that crime cannot be defined by legal codes developed according to the concepts of virtue and vice followed by different groups of people.

Society will have to define what constitutes a crime and what does not in accordance with a moral standard. I define immorality as that which, in order to further the personal interest of an individual or group, aims to exploit another individual or group or the rest of society, or aims to deprive them of the right to self-preservation. Behaviour based on such immoral intentions is a crime.

If the concept of virtue and vice of a particular person or a particular time is taken as absolute, the opportunity to introduce corrective measures into the law will be severely limited and restricted, and this will severely retard the dynamism of that society, leading to chaos and collapse. This is what happened to the ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek and pre-Buddhist Vedic societies. If there had been no scope for reforming the Indian legal system in this way, sati would still be practised today. This is because, according to ancient beliefs, cremation by sati was considered to be a virtuous act. Every rational person will therefore support giving scope to alterations and additions to legal codes.

In India, too, as soon as the social codes of the Vedic Age lost their flexibility due to the intransigence of Aryan vested interests, the Buddhist revolution took place. This significantly raised the consciousness of the people. In a later period, people of all religious affiliations – Buddhist, Jain, etc. – automatically accepted the idea that changes in the social code were desirable, that the concept of virtue and vice would inevitably change according to the needs of the age. Thus we see one kind of social system in the age of the Paráshara Saḿhitá, another in the age of the Rámáyańa, yet another in the age of the Mahábhárata, and still another in the age of the Manu Saḿhitá.⁽⁴⁾

Those who think that they can arbitrarily impose their judicial system or legal codes on people with the help of the power of the state, regardless of differences in time, place or person, are mistaken. The principles underlying the legal codes will have to be based on people’s social needs and not on the whims of an individual or group or the biases inherent in a particular concept of virtue and vice.

Society is a dynamic entity. It has to progress by endlessly struggling to break through ever-changing barriers. It has to equip itself in different ways to respond to changing conditions and new challenges. Society cannot afford to forget that the type of struggles it had to go through in the past will not be the same as the struggles it has to go through in the present, and that the struggles of today will not be the same as those of the future. Thus, as the environment changes, newer and newer codes of justice will have to be formulated on the basis of the moral code. The duty of those who frame legal codes is to fully recognize the essential characteristics of life and not violate the interests of individuals, groups or society as a whole. Otherwise the codes will be seen as unnatural and will not be accepted, which means that the state will have difficulty in implementing them effectively. (For example, during the British rule of India, the Sarda Act⁽⁵⁾ was not properly enforced due to a lack of education.) If a large section of the society is confronted with the possibility of being considered criminals in the eyes of the law, they will engage in deceitful conduct and other antisocial acts to avoid punishment. Thus the standard of morality will decline considerably. Therefore, if such codes are ever formulated, the state will lose its credibility and become the laughing-stock of society.

If somebody commits a violent crime, generally he or she will not receive any sympathy from the public. But if somebody chooses the path of violence to protest against practices which are abhorred by his or her fellow citizens, he or she will, in all likelihood, enjoy popular support.

The Judicial System

Although the system of capital punishment is unacceptable from the moral viewpoint, people do sometimes resort to this custom under specific circumstances. It does not contain any corrective measures and has no purpose other than to instil fear into people’s minds. Therefore the practice of taking a life for a life out of anger cannot be accepted in a civilized social system. Even if somebody is a genuine criminal who has no public support (no matter how notorious a criminal he or she may be, he or she is still a human being), should not he or she have an opportunity to become an asset to society? It is possible that although the person fails to evoke our sympathy because of the seriousness of his or her crimes, he or she may sincerely repent and be prepared to dedicate the rest of his or her life to the genuine service of society. Furthermore, if those who commit crimes are afflicted with a mental disease, is it not our duty to cure them of their disease instead of sentencing them to death?

Most civilized countries follow the line of reasoning that criminals who commit a crime on the spur of the moment are to be treated with comparative leniency. Other types of criminals as well can hope, on the same line of reasoning, to receive comparatively good treatment. Should decapitation be prescribed as the cure for a headache?

Some people argue that if criminals who commit serious offences are not given capital punishment, they will have to be sentenced to life imprisonment, because few countries have the facilities to cure them of their mental disease. But such a decision may cause overcrowding in the prisons. Is it possible for the state to provide so many people with food and clothing? Rather I would ask, “Why should such criminals live off the state at all?” The state will have to see to it that it receives suitable work from them. And after the completion of their sentence, the state should sincerely make arrangements to find them employment so that they will be able to earn an honest living.

A prison should therefore be just like a reform school, and the superintendent should be a teacher who is trained in psychology and who has genuine love for society. Hence a jailer should possess no less ability than a judge. To appoint a person to this post on the basis of a degree he or she has earned from some university or according to his or her capacity to please a superior, would be most detrimental. If those charged with antisocial activities and sentenced to prison experience daily injustices, feel a lack of open-heartedness from others, or receive less food and poorer-quality food than that sanctioned by the government, their criminal tendencies and maliciousness will develop and manifest all the more.

In this context yet another thought comes to mind. If a criminal is imprisoned for a serious crime, what will happen to his or her dependents? They will still have to somehow go on living. The boys of the family may join a gang of pickpockets and the girls may take to prostitution. In other words, by trying to punish a single criminal, ten more criminals may be created. Thus when sentencing a criminal, one will have to take into consideration the financial condition of the members of his or her family, and the state will have to provide them with the means to earn an honest living.

If the judicial system is to be totally accessible to the public, ordinary people will have to be able to afford it. Therefore one of the most important things to do is to increase the number of judges.

It is true more or less everywhere in the world that judges, due to pressure of work, are often compelled to adjourn cases. I do not completely oppose the practice of adjournment, because at times an adjournment can be advantageous to innocent people. But it can be of equal value to criminals who get the opportunity to tamper with evidence, to influence witnesses and to find false witnesses. This cannot be denied. Experienced judges know if and when it is necessary to adjourn a case in the interests of the public, but if the public interest is not served by this measure, no judge in all conscience should adjourn a case simply due to pressure of work. It is therefore essential to increase the number of judges.

Increasing the number of judges is not, however, an easy matter. It requires a thorough examination and careful selection of candidates. Relatively simple and ordinary cases can even be entrusted to responsible citizens. To deal with such cases it is not a bad idea to employ honorary magistrates. However, these honorary magistrates will also have to exhibit a highly-developed sense of responsibility at the time of discharging their duties. In countries where they are selected from among business people who have made a quick fortune or from among known sycophants, they will be mere liabilities to the people. I once heard a story about an ever-so-learned judge who delivered judgements for and against defendants according to the nostril his clerk used to inhale snuff. Needless to say, whoever passed sufficient money to the clerk would win the case. As members of a civilized society in the twentieth century, we would like to see such an occurrence as a story from the past, not as a feature of modern life.

The Need for a Spiritual Ideal

The proverb “Prevention is better than cure” may be applied to all aspects of life. It is undeniable that, when we see the variety and seriousness of crimes increasing with the so-called advancement of civilization, it becomes necessary for crime-prevention policies to be given greater importance than remedial action. Civilized people today should be more interested in preventing base criminal propensities from arising in human beings in the first place, than in taking corrective measures to cure criminals’ mental diseases.

“Good” or “bad”, “virtue” or “vice” from the worldly standpoint not withstanding, people act in order to attain happiness. We judge people’s actions as “good” and “bad”, “virtue” and “vice”, only after evaluating those actions in terms of a goal and steps to reach that goal.

It is true that the majority of people are not born dishonest. Although there are differences among people insofar as their goals and their efforts to reach their goals – differences caused by defects in their bodies’ various glands – I do not believe that this situation cannot be corrected through collective effort. If one’s goal is a pure and pervasive one, then the defects in the process of attaining the goal can never transform a person into a sub-human creature. And if these efforts are in harmony with people’s psychology, this will be extremely beneficial. As a result many people will harmonize the rhythm of their diverse ideas and ideologies and progress together, thereby gradually transforming the inherent individualism and disparity of social life into one symphonic chord, one unified rhythm, which will become the genuine prototype of a healthy human society.

This idea of oneness is fundamentally a spiritual idea. Individually and collectively human beings will have to accept the Supreme and the path to realize the Supreme as the highest truth, and this will have to be recognized as the highest goal of human life. As long as human beings do not do so, the human race will find it impossible to implement a sound, well-thought-out plan of action for social progress. No penal or social code, no matter how well-planned, can liberate society. Without a spiritual ideal, no social, economic, moral, cultural or political policy or programme can bring humanity to the path of peace. The sooner humanity understands this fundamental truth, the better.

Virtue and vice are both distortions of the mind. That which may be considered good in one particular temporal, spatial or personal environment may be considered bad in another. A country generally bases its penal code on the concept of virtue and vice which prevails in that country, and the concept of virtue and vice in turn is based on accepted religious doctrines. In my opinion virtue is that which helps to expand the mind, by whose assistance the universe increasingly becomes an integral part of oneself, and vice is that which makes the mind narrow and selfish. And the realm to which the mind of a person engaged in virtuous activities travels, is heaven, and the realm where the mind of a sinner races about in a wild frenzy, is hell.

I do not see any reason to discuss the ideas contained in the various religious scriptures.

A Universal Penal Code

Finally, it is my sincere belief that, except for those social problems which are caused by geographical factors, the solution to all complex social problems may be found by implementing a universal penal code, one which is applicable to all humanity. It is not desirable for different laws to bind different peoples, countries or communities. All human beings laugh when they are happy, cry when they are sad and mourn when they feel despair, and all need food, clothing and housing; so why should people be separated from each other by artificial distinctions?

The constitution of the world should be drafted by a global organization recognized by the people, otherwise the possibility exists that at any moment a minority in a country might be persecuted. Everyone knows that when a revolutionary is victorious in the political struggle of a country, he or she will be considered a patriot, and when a revolutionary is defeated, he or she will face death and be branded as a traitor despite his or her innocence. In nearly every country the law is based on the opinions of powerful people, and their autocratic style cannot be questioned. But is such a situation desirable? Does this not undermine civilization? That is why I contend that laws must be drafted by a global organization, and, further, that the supreme authority to judge or to try a person should be vested in that organization. If that global organization then refrains from interfering in the internal affairs of countries, powerless groups or individuals will be forced to lead the lives of virtual slaves, in spite of written assurances that they are free.⁽⁶⁾

Footnotes

(1) The ripus, or śad́aripus (six enemies), are underlying mental weaknesses which cause immense harm to people. They are: káma (physical desire); krodha (anger); lobha (avarice); mada (vanity); moha (blind attachment or infatuation); and mátsarya (jealousy). –Trans.

(2) In the Dáyabhága system the heirs’ right of inheritance is subject to the discretion of the father, who has the right to disinherit any of the heirs. –Trans.

(3) After the Suicide Act 1961 was passed by the British Parliament, it was no longer an offence to commit suicide under English law. –Trans.

(4) These books contain mainly stories and codes of conduct. (While they have all provided social and ethical guidance to Indian society in their respective periods, only the Rámáyańa and the Mahábhárata continue to be extremely popular today.) –Trans.

(5) The Sarda Act was intended to prevent the marriage of girls below the age of fourteen. –Trans.

(6) For further discussion on a global constitution, see “Requirements of an Ideal Constitution” in Volume 3. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 2, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

Chapter 6	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Dedication
To the memory of Sudha Ranjan,
Sahus Tank, Muzaffarpur
–Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
[Dedication not included in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 4, 1st
edition, publication of this discourse.]

There are numerous divergent views regarding the exact interpretation of the term “nation”. Some are of the opinion that the inhabitants of a particular state form a nation. Even if the terms “state” and “country” are taken to be synonymous, the controversy over “nation” does not end. Some people hold the view that the structure of a nation depends on language. Others are of the opinion that the foundation of a nation depends on one or more than one factor from among the following: similar manners and customs, similar mode of living, similar traditions, racial similarity, religious similarity, etc. But practical experience does not indicate that these factors are especially important.

How Is a Nation Formed?

Indians, Pakistanis and Burmese were once the indigenous population of the same political unit, the country of India, but they failed to constitute a nation.

Linguistic similarity is not an essential factor in forming a nation. If it had been, the English-speaking people of America would not have formed a separate American nation in cooperation with the French- and Spanish-speaking people, outside the British empire. If language were the only basis of forming a nation, Switzerland would have split up into three or four parts. The German-speaking people would have wanted to merge their area into Germany, separating it from Switzerland, and would have taken pride in introducing themselves as members of the German nation. Similarly, the French- and Italian-speaking people would have wanted to annex their areas to France and Italy. But this did not happen. The Swiss are a nation with four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch. Likewise, the French-speaking people of Belgium prefer to look upon themselves as a Belgian nation and not as a French nation.

Only recently the people of West Bengal expressed their eagerness to reside in India as Indian nationals, and the people of East Bengal supported Pakistan and declared themselves Pakistanis, though both of them spoke the same language – Bengali. They did not demand an independent Bengalistan on the basis of the Bengali language; no, they did not even like to introduce themselves as Bengali nationals. The common people did not attach any importance to the Suharwardy-Sarat Bose formula of Bengalistan (United Socialist Bengal).⁽¹⁾

There is little difference between Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking people regarding manners and customs. Concerning language, there is very little difference between Spanish and Portuguese. The manners and customs in almost all the countries of Western Europe are practically the same; still they are not one nation. In the past, to save the prestige of their respective nations, they fought many sanguinary battles among themselves. On the other hand, the Welsh-speaking people take pride in calling themselves British, though their language, and manners and customs are quite different. The mode of living all over Europe is almost the same, and we find the same thing throughout South Asia (including India and Pakistan), but no one could form a compact nation on the basis of that factor.

The inhabitants of Bengal have an identical tradition; so do the people of the Punjab. There is no difference of tradition between the Jews and the Muslims of Arabia. Still, neither the Bengalees, nor the Punjabis, nor the Jews and the Muslims of Arabia together, could form a nation. Rather, much blood has been shed among them on the basis of religion.

There are no racial differences among the inhabitants of Iberia, nor among the Scandinavians, yet they are divided into different nations. The tie of blood could not unite them. Therefore, efforts to establish a nation on the basis of race or blood relations will not always be effective.

If religion had been the only basis for forming a nation, there could not have been more than six or seven nations in the world. Most of Europe, on the whole, would have been divided into two nations – Catholics and Protestants. But this has not happened.

How, then, is a nation formed? In reality, a kind of sentiment created either directly or indirectly on the basis of one or more factors such as country, language, religion, etc., plays a vital role in forming a nation. The factors themselves are quite insignificant. It is the sentiment and nothing else that creates a nation.

Let us see if there was such a sentiment at any time in India. That is, let us see whether or not there ever was something in India that could be called a nation.

The Aryan and Non-Aryan Nations

In olden times, when the Aryans came to India, there was no compact social order in the land of India. The population of India consisted of small or big tribes of Austric, Dravidian and Mongolian origin. An absolutely different race (Caucasian Aryans) [Mediterranean Aryans from Caucasia] came to India. They brought with them the Vedic lifestyle and language; and the Vedic administration, social order and methods of warfare. They began to use the derogatory word Anárya [non-Aryan] for all the indigenous people of India. Slowly India was divided into two clearly different mental structures. One was the sentiment born of the vanity of the victorious Aryans, and the other was the sentiment created by the inferiority complex of the vanquished non-Aryans. Thus, two nations were formed in India – the Aryans and the non-Aryans.

Years rolled on. As a result of contact with the non-Aryans, the Vedic language of the Aryans underwent a change. Different regional languages came into existence. All efforts to avoid blood relations between the Aryans and the non-Aryans proved futile. Racial blending between the Aryans and the non-Aryans took place.

Gradually the non-Aryans were accepted as Shúdras or the fourth group in Aryan society, and as a result of this social blending both the Aryan sentiment and the non-Aryan sentiment lost their respective specialities. These two nations died out with the weakening of the two sentiments which had caused the formation of the Aryan and the non-Aryan nations. In other words, India again became nationless.

The Buddhist and Brahmanical Nations

In this nationless age, or age of chaos, the Buddhist upheaval in India occurred. Again a section of people became united with a common sentiment – the Buddhist sentiment. They formed a new nation. In the beginning the non-Buddhists were disunited, and hence they could not form a nation. But when the Buddhists, puffed up with pelf and power, began to be unfair to the non-Buddhists with the help of the ruling authorities, an anti-Buddhist sentiment grew up among the non-Buddhists, just as an anti-Aryan sentiment had previously grown up among the non-Aryans as a reaction to the oppression by the Aryans. Towards the end of the Buddhist period, two nations, roughly speaking, were to be found in India – one based on Buddhist sentiment, and the other on anti-Buddhist sentiment.

The death of the Buddhist nation was caused on the one hand by the downfall of the bhikśus [Buddhist monks], the disorderly state of affairs in organizations and monasteries, the lack of support from the government, and above all, the want of renowned scholars among the Buddhists; and on the one hand by the support of the ruling authorities for the non-Buddhists, and the appearance of the great scholar and logician Shankaracharya. These factors brought about not only the defeat of the Buddhists, but also dissension within the Buddhist community. The new sentiment, known as the Sanátanii or Bráhmańya [Brahmanical] religion, which came into existence with the cooperation of Shankaracharya and the patronage of various non-Buddhist kings, was based on anti-Buddhist feelings. This is why, after the death of the Buddhist nation, the Brahmanical nation could not last long. Again India became nationless.

The Muslim and Hindu Nations

In the Post-Vedic Age, when both the Aryan and the non-Aryan nations died, no foreign invasion took place. Within the country, the Buddhist revolution occurred. Had a foreign invasion taken place, the nationless India would have been very easily conquered by the invaders. But as ill luck would have it, when India became nationless for the second time after the demise of the Buddhist and the Brahmanical nations, there was no internal revolution. Instead there was the Muslim invasion from outside.

The Muslims were able to conquer India only when Buddhism completely disappeared and shortly thereafter the Brahmanical nation also died. They were not able to conquer India before that. They had to wait for a long time after the invasion of Sind.⁽²⁾ Although the Brahmanical nation had split up in South India also, the newly-formed small nations were not weak, and that is why they were able to resist the Muslim invasion in that part of India.

After the Muslim occupation, a new Muslim nation came into being. The Muslims had their own language (formerly Turkish and later Persian), manners and customs, dress, racial peculiarity, mode of living and religion, and on the basis of these factors a sentiment developed. Their sentiment was the sentiment of the ruling people.

It is no use denying the fact that the victorious Muslim nation played the role of oppressor and did much injustice to the inhabitants of India, as was done by the Aryans to the non-Aryans, by the Brahmanical nation to the Buddhists, and by the Buddhists to the non-Buddhists. The oppression and injustice done by the Muslims made the non-Muslims unite anew – an anti-Muslim sentiment grew among them. Thus two nations were formed – the victorious Muslim sentiment based on the Persian language created one nation, while the Hindu sentiment based on the Sanskrit language created another. These two nations existed for a long time side by side in India.

The sentiment with which the Muslim nation started was entirely new, but the Hindus or non-Muslims had no equally strong sentiment, and therefore they had to form a strong anti-Muslim sentiment. Just as the leaders of the Brahmanical nation had to use the anti-Buddhist sentiment as their only capital, the leaders of the Hindu nation made the anti-Muslim sentiment their capital.

The Hindus started doing the complete opposite of what the Muslims would do. While offering prayers the Muslims would not wear their káchá;⁽³⁾ therefore the Hindus would wear it. Beef and fowl were favourite foods of the Muslims; so they were inedible to the Hindus. The Muslims would pray facing the west; therefore the Hindus were forbidden to do this. There were many things like this. I cannot say that these types of dos and don’ts were harmful to the Hindus. By means of these social directives a strong anti-Muslim sentiment was formed among the Hindus, as a result of which a Hindu nation was formed. Otherwise it would have been impossible for the non-Muslims of that age to maintain their independent existence.

As we have seen in the case of the Aryans and the non-Aryans, two nations living side by side cannot maintain their independent sentiment for long; the same thing applied in the case of the Hindu and Muslim nations. Persian, the language of the Muslims, was a completely foreign language, while Prákrta, the language of the Hindus, was born in the soil of India. Therefore, the Muslims of the capital [the area in and around Delhi] developed the Urdu language – a blending of eastern Punjabi [or Hariyánavii] of the [Demi-Shaorasenii] Prákrta language, or western Hindi, with Persian. Through this the national sentiment of the Muslims was weakened. They had to make an adjustment with the Hindus. Innumerable Persian words found a place in other languages of the Hindus, which resulted in the development of Bengali, Maethilii, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi and other languages which are common languages of Hindus and Muslims. Muslim scholars began to learn Sanskrit in order to be well-acquainted with India. The Hindus began to learn Urdu and Persian. The Hindus began to use Muslim dress (páyjámá and sheroyánii), while the Muslims began to use Hindu dress (dhoti and cádar). The Muslims began to use the Hindu titles Choudhury, Mandal, etc., while the Hindus began to use the Muslim titles Mullick, Khan, Sarkar and Mazumdar. The Hindus offered shirńii [a mixture of banana, sugar and milk] at the Dargah of Pirsaheb [a sacred place of worship for the Muslims]. The Satyanáráyańa [a celebrated god] of the Hindus became the Satyapiir [a revered saint] of the Muslims.

The previous relation of the victorious Muslims with the vanquished Hindus ceased to exist. The Hindus and the Muslims began to treat each other as brothers and sisters. The Muslim sentiment of the Muslims weakened beyond expectation. With the disappearance of both sentiments, both the Hindu and Muslim nations died. India became nationless for the third time.

It was under such circumstances that the Marathas, the Rajputs and the Sikhs declared their independence. But they were also the creations of anti-Muslim sentiment. So when a Hindu-Muslim fraternity was established, the Maharashtra, Rajput or Sikh sentiment could not last long. For want of a sentiment, India was split up.⁽⁴⁾

The Indian Nation

When India had become nationless for the second time, the Muslims invaded the country. And when India had become nationless for the third time, the British incursion into India began.⁽⁵⁾ The British very easily conquered the nationless India.

The Muslims no doubt conquered India, but they looked upon it as their mother country. Nobody would say that they only exploited India as foreigners; but the case of the British was different. They came to India not to settle but to earn money.

After conquering India they started their machinery of exploitation in full swing, and formed a strong government to facilitate exploitation. They formed an English-knowing society to run the government smoothly. The exploitative machinery of the British opened the eyes of all classes of Indian people. The whole of India was united on the basis of an anti-British exploitation sentiment. This was the first time that all India had formed a nation. The English language served as the unifying link in India. English was no longer the language of the British only – it had become the lingua franca of multilingual India.

An Indian nation developed as a result of the British, though they did not intend it. India, which had been split up into hundreds of parts, became united in the form of a country or a nation, which had never occurred in the past. India, which had innumerable languages, scripts, castes, races, manners, customs, diets, dresses, etc., had no history of its own. From time immemorial India had been divided into many kingdoms. Each had its own history. Neither the Pandavas, nor Ashoka, nor Kanishka, nor Samudragupta could form one government throughout India. But the British did.

The Indian people learned a practical lesson from the national spirit of the British, and nationalism grew in them also. The Indian nation’s fight for independence against the alien British nation began.

India’s Fight for Independence

In this fight for independence, the Indian leaders committed a blunder. They should have engaged themselves in an economic fight instead of starting a political movement. The British took advantage of this blunder of the Indian leaders. They got the opportunity to divide India into two parts. They infused in the Muslims the idea that the Hindus formed the majority, and that therefore if the British quit India the government would naturally go into the hands of the Hindus, and the Muslims of the whole of India would remain as their subjects.

This shrewd policy yielded good results. A Hindu phobia grew among the Muslims. The Muslim leaders began to propagate this Hindu phobia at the top of their voices, and as a result of this anti-Hindu sentiment created out of Hindu phobia, a Muslim nation was again born in India in this twentieth century. Directed by this Hindu phobia, they demanded a separate homeland for the Muslim nation. It was not possible for the Hindus to resist this demand for a separate homeland, because at that time no nation which could be termed a Hindu nation was formed in India. The reason for this is quite simple. Because of the numerical strength of the Hindus in India, there was no Muslim phobia among the Hindus, and for want of an anti-Muslim sentiment, no Hindu nation could be formed anew.

In the Punjab and Bengal, where the Muslims formed the majority, the case was different. If these two provinces went entirely for the Muslim homeland, the Hindu population in these areas would have to remain as subjects of the Muslims. Because of this fear the Hindus in these provinces were seized with Muslim phobia, and that is why they demanded an independent homeland for the Hindus. With the partition of India, the Punjab and Bengal were also partitioned.

Where did the mistake lie? When, as a result of anti-British sentiment, the Indian nation was formed in the nineteenth century, the then leaders of India should have started a struggle for economic independence instead of launching a political movement. All Indians could have fought together unitedly, there being no Hindu, Muslim, Punjabi or Marathi feelings in this economic struggle, and as a result an anti-exploitation sentiment could have been developed in India. This sentiment could have made Indians stronger. If there had been no fight for political independence, the fear that the Muslims would have to remain under the suzerainty of the Hindus after the independence of India could not have crept into their minds. In the absence of Hindu phobia, there would have been no demand for the homeland of the Muslim nation, and when India would have gained economic independence, Hindus and Muslims would have lived together as brothers and sisters in undivided India. The fight for economic independence would have brought political independence also. There might have been some delay in it, but political independence would have surely come.

The Partition of India

When the British decided to quit India under economic and political pressure, undivided India was the demand of the Hindu leaders, while the Muslim leaders demanded a Muslim homeland. There was no scope for an amicable settlement between these two demands. Therefore the British had to divide India. It mattered little whether India liked it or not.

Under such circumstances, was there any way for the leaders to avoid the partition of India? Yes, there was. Had they started a movement for economic independence instead of accepting the partition of India, it would have been possible to form a united and independent India. But neither the Hindu nor the Muslim leaders did so, for reasons best known to them. The economic struggle could not have remained confined to British exploitation only, but would have extended to the Indian exploiters (social, economic, psychological). When the British would have realized that their exploitation was not going to continue, they would have been compelled to grant political independence to India, and with political independence exploitation by the local people would have come to an end also. But the Hindu and Muslim leaders came from the bourgeois class and so they did not like this idea. They wanted liberty keeping capitalism (social, economic, psychological, etc.) alive. For this reason they accepted the political independence of divided India.

There are two more reasons why they did not want economic independence. One of these reasons was that those who were leaders in the struggle for political independence might not prove to be suitable leaders in the struggle for economic independence. Especially, the struggle for economic independence might lead to mass revolution and bloodshed at any time. And there was every possibility of young leaders appearing among the revolutionaries. The leaders did not want this. They tried to check the sanguinary revolution by preaching the theory of non-violence.

The leaders had one more weakness in this matter. Most of the leaders, both Hindu and Muslim, had grown old in the course of the political struggle. Possibly they thought that if they started a fresh fight for economic independence, and if the fight lasted a long time, the chance of controlling the government would not come to them. Perhaps with this idea in mind they gave their consent to a heinous crime such as the partition of India.

Where did the mistake lie? The factors which made Europe a country of many nations are applicable to India also. Rather, the differences which exist in India between one provincial nation and another are greater than those existing in Europe. The provincial nations have their own languages, manners, customs, mode of living, race, intonation, history and traditions. Some of them have their own scripts, almanac, dress and code of law of inheritance. The differences among the European nations are not as great. Still, in the struggle for independence, the English language and the anti-British sentiment had made India one nation. With the departure of the British there is no anti-British sentiment, and so the Indian nation has died.

Today there are only a few persons who regard themselves as Indians; some look upon themselves as Punjabis, some as Andhrites, some as Bengalees, some as Bhumihars, some as Rajputs, etc. None of them are Indians. The only connecting link which exists today is the weak tie of the English language. Those who are guided by a false sense of patriotism are trying even to do away with this language today. It is crystal-clear that with the banishment of the English language, the funeral ceremony of an Indian nation will be complete.

With the departure of the British from India – that is, with the death of the anti-British sentiment – a new sentiment should have been created, but the Indian leaders failed to do so. The Pakistani leaders did so to some extent. In the beginning they utilized anti-Hindu sentiment in place of anti-British sentiment, and later anti-Indian sentiment was created on the question of the Kashmir issue. These sentiments helped the people of Pakistan to some extent, but in India there is no sentiment at all. Like Pakistan, India had ample opportunity to utilize several sentiments, but the leaders did not use them. They roamed in the realm of imagination.

The Lapses of Indian Leadership

It is a matter of great regret that no effort was made to form a nation on the basis of a strong sentiment. On the contrary, the little bond of unity which existed in Indian society is going to be spoilt by the unwise actions of these leaders. The three great lapses of the present leadership which are going to destroy the unity of India are: (1) the effort to demarcate provincial boundaries on a linguistic basis; (2) the question of national language; and (3) the use of local languages as the media of instruction in higher education.

Provincial boundaries: I have already said that India is a country of many languages, religions and customs. An ordinary student of political science can easily understand that the result of giving any sentiment the opportunity to grow on the basis of these differences will be detrimental to the interests of the country. Still the leaders committed that very mistake by taking up the work of forming provinces on a linguistic basis. Today there is a tug of war among different linguistic groups on the question of who controls districts, subdivisions, police stations, and even villages. The consequences of such disputes will be extremely dangerous in a country where there is nothing that can be termed a nation. Now the day has come for the well-wishers of India to ponder over this issue.

It would have been tolerable to some extent if states could have been completely formed on the basis of language within a very short span of time, but even that was not done. Of course, it is not possible to accurately ascertain the boundaries of provinces on a linguistic basis; that is, everywhere there will be some bilingual or trilingual areas. Even then, what could have been done on a linguistic basis has not been done by the leaders. The result is that linguistic minorities all over India are suffering from a complex of despair. Really speaking, it was improper for the leaders to raise the question of the formation of states on the basis of language.

Some time ago, in a certain state, some leaders stated that the boundary commission⁽⁶⁾ had not done them justice, hence they would dissociate from India. Just see the condition of the so-called Indian nation!

National language: A great folly has been committed by raising the controversial issue of national language. It has not added to the growth of unity; on the contrary, it has increased disunity.

Some people have been thinking of introducing one script throughout the whole of India. Is this practical or desirable? Have they forgotten the consequences of the attempt to introduce Urdu script throughout the whole of Pakistan? What to speak of India, a land where the national sentiment has not yet crystallized!

India has many scripts. Many of these scripts are very old. From time immemorial Sanskrit, the common property of India, has been written in different scripts. Sanskrit has no script of its own. Though the Indian alphabetical order is scientific with regard to phonetics, the scripts are not scientific in the practical field. Even though Roman script is the most scientific script, I do not think that it is desirable to impose this script on the living languages of India which have a developed literature. It is, however, not disadvantageous to use the Roman script for those languages which have practically no literature at all (such as Konkani, Santhali, Khasia, etc.), or for those which are not spoken languages (such as Sanskrit and Pali). The interests of the languages which have a rich literature (such as Bengali, Hindi, Tamil and Gujarati) will be greatly affected if the Roman script is imposed on them, because by doing so the link between the past literature and the future literature will be cut off.

In this connection we should remember that at the time when Kamal Pasa of Turkey introduced Roman script for Turkish in place of Arabic, or at the time when Nagri script was introduced for the Marathi language in place of Moŕi, these languages had very poor literature. It will be extremely harmful today for either Turkish or Marathi if they change their script [again]. However, the decision whether a change in script is desirable or not should be left to the free will of the people speaking the particular language.

In this regard there is another big problem. Of the Indian languages, Bengali and Urdu are both Indian and Pakistani languages, so to change the script for either entire language is beyond the jurisdiction of either India or Pakistan. If throughout India only Bengali or Urdu script is used, while Pakistan does not accept this, the problem will not be solved. If the scripts of these languages are changed in either state, the languages will be harmed enormously. People do not like to see their mother tongue harmed. If it is they will revolt, which is what happened in East Pakistan when an attempt was made to impose Urdu script on Bengali. Is it wise to implement a policy which has the potential to foment trouble in future? Let the leaders come down from the realm of imagination to the hard reality of the earth. The soil of reality is very hard – very merciless.

Higher education: Today local languages are being used as the media of instruction in higher education. During the British regime in India, English was the medium of instruction in colleges and universities. Students of any province could get higher education in any university of India. As a result of the close association of students, a spirit of all-India fraternity developed among them. But nowadays the opportunities for interprovincial contact are rapidly decreasing as a result of the acceptance of local languages as the media of higher education. Possibilities for the growth of the spirit of fraternity among Indians are dwindling day by day. In most cases students remain confined to their provinces, and provincialism will gradually crop up as a result of want of an all-India sentiment.

The Immediate Course of Action

What is to be done now? The leaders should totally forget the question of organizing states on the basis of language and instead take up the task of reorganizing the states entirely on the basis of economics. In all spheres of life, along with English, maximum facilities are to be also afforded to each and every language of India, in their respective regions as the official language, and as the medium of public contact. There should not be any tendency to suppress anybody. If equal facilities are afforded to all in the matter of language, nobody will think of forming states on a linguistic basis.

A strong Indian nation of the future may, however, review the issue and come to a decision according to the demands of the changed circumstances; the present leaders need not bother about this issue at all. Also, they need not bother about the necessity or otherwise of having any other language as the national language in place of English. First let them form a strong nation on the basis of a strong sentiment. The Indian nation of the future will take the responsibility for arriving at a decision on national language. It is not the proper occasion to waste time and energy on this sort of issue, creating regional controversies. No nation exists now!

India, the land of many nations, is just like a joint family full of internal dissension. Although it is not possible for these nations to form one nation through their joint efforts, they can live together amicably as a joint family by forming a group of nations (a compact multinational unit) based on one ideology. It is to be remembered that the solidarity of a joint family cannot be maintained if activities are always determined by counting votes. In that case those who are defeated will quit the joint family – that is, it will be ruined.

A joint family is nurtured by the goodwill of each of its members (in the present case, of each of the nations of India). It is a matter of great regret that there is a dearth of this goodwill in India today. Even powerful leaders are looking after the interests of their own nations (the basis being language, states, communalism or casteism as the case may be), instead of thinking of the interests of India as a whole. None of these leaders are the leaders of India; they are all the leaders of their own nations. The interests of others are not safe in their hands.

It is proper that English should continue as the medium of instruction in colleges and universities. Question papers, too, should be in English. But students should have the right to answer according to their convenience – in English or in any other language or languages approved by the university. In this respect, the greater the number of languages approved by the university, the better. The students taking final school examinations should be also given the right to give answers in English or in other approved languages. The media of instruction should be English and other approved languages, and the question papers should be printed in the approved languages also. Students may feel inconvenience if the medium of instruction is English only or if the question papers are in English only. Still, English must be an approved language, otherwise it will be almost impossible for students coming from distant provinces to get an education when their mother languages are not included in the schedule of approved languages.

What More Should Be Done?

All these suggestions are efforts to help check the fissiparous tendencies that exist in India. But we require something more as a nation-building element. What more should present-day India do towards the formation of a nation or a group of nations?

Most of the people of India are poverty-stricken. They want to get rid of exploitation. Political independence has no value for them if it cannot give them economic independence. I have heard many poor villagers say, “Can we not cast our votes in the box marked for the British? We will do that. Their government was good.” These remarks certainly do not add to the glory of the present leadership. If a strong nation or group of nations is to be built, a fight against exploitation will have to be launched. Only high-sounding talks of socialism, a socialistic pattern, or a welfare state will not yield any result. No sentiment is growing in the minds of the people as a result of these slogans. Unless a strong sentiment is created, a nation or a group of nations cannot be formed. The government gets hardly any support or cooperation from the people in its welfare work for want of a sentiment among the people.

India has had many opportunities to create sentiments, and even today they exist, but in the interests of world fraternity one may not support them. If an anti-exploitation sentiment is created among the poverty-stricken mass of India, not only will a strong nation or a strong group of nations be formed, but this nation or group of nations will continue with due solidarity for a long time. The leaders should, therefore, rectify the errors of the past and vigorously launch a fresh anti-exploitation campaign. There is no other alternative to save India.

But will the leaders be able or willing to do this? If they are, it is well and good. If they are not, perhaps they will try to unite the people forcibly through the pressure of governmental machinery. But will this be possible? The different characteristics of the peculiar land of India cannot be pounded into dust by the steamroller of governmental machinery, and such unity is not at all desirable. The more the steamroller is used, the greater the dissatisfaction among the people will be. If anything is to be done by force, the condition of India will become like that of the Balkan states. The whole of India will be split up into innumerable states, big and small. Innumerable nations, big and small, will fight among themselves. So it seems that the present leaders need to retire in the interests of India.

I find it necessary to say one more thing in this connection. Those who think that the Bhúdán and Sarvodaya movements⁽⁷⁾ are a fight against exploitation are mistaken. Rather, these movements very carefully avoid an anti-exploitation campaign. They will only be advantageous to the capitalists because the fighting spirit of the people is tactfully suppressed.

Politics is neither my hobby nor my profession. I am a student of history. I feel it my duty to draw the dreadful picture which I visualize about India, otherwise future historians will not forgive us. The highest responsibility in this respect, however, rests with the leaders of the country. They can save or sabotage the country.

To save India the present leaders should immediately chalk out a policy to convert the people of India into a strong nation or a strong group of nations. Any pretext or jugglery of words in this matter will be fatal to the cause of the country. If the leaders do not do this, I am afraid the political unity and geographical integrity of India will be affected at any moment; especially when there are fissiparous tendencies active in the country. We should not forget that in the past it was the want of unity which brought India under the yoke of slavery time and again. If there is lack of unity at present, it should be understood that India has become intellectually bankrupt.

I am an optimist. I hope that the leaders will realize their mistakes and will face reality with courage. If they fail to do so, India will create new leaders in the future, and those future leaders will save India from destruction. India will not die.

The Primary Duty Today

Today the primary duty of the common people of India is to rectify the errors committed by the leaders and unite India through an anti-exploitation campaign. India has got to be saved. This anti-exploitation campaign will not only unite India, but also India with Pakistan and with each of the poor and backward countries of Southeast Asia. A strong nation or group of nations will thereby grow up. It matters little what name is given to that nation or that group of nations.

It is through this anti-exploitation movement that Russia, the country of many nations, was united. This movement has made China a strong state. The nations in the capitalist countries are not united on the basis of this anti-exploitation sentiment. Their unity is based on some other sentiments. They have, however, maintained their unity by clearly recognizing their internal diversities. The leaders of India should study the conditions of such nations with due care.

Although the anti-exploitation sentiment is the most important factor in building a nation or a group of nations, this sentiment will not be able to sustain a nation or a group of nations for a long time. One day exploitation must cease. If it is not stopped completely, it can be confidently said that in the future the intensity of exploitation will be much less than what it is today. As soon as administrative power passes into the hands of moralists, then exploitation will cease to exist. In the absence of exploitation the anti-exploitation sentiment will die out, and consequently a nation or a group of nations based on the anti-exploitation sentiment will not exist either.

What will happen then? The sentiment of spiritual inheritance and Cosmic ideology will keep people united. It is true that this spiritual sentiment will not help to form a nation inside any particular country, but it will definitely unite the entire planetary world, and even the universe, into a nation. Then there will be only one nation – a universal nation.

Today human beings, to whatever country they may belong, should, on the one side, propagate an anti-exploitation sentiment (exploitation does not mean exploitation in the economic sphere only, it includes all sorts of exploitation), and form strong nations in their respective countries; and, on the other side, preach the theory of one spiritual inheritance – that every living being is the child of the Supreme Entity, and that all the people of all nations belong to the same family. This will have to be explained to all, that there will be clash among different nations as long as national feelings exist. People may talk of disarmament, but military preparation will go on underground. And if people dedicate themselves to the welfare of the entire human race, their respective nations will also be benefited indirectly because their nations are not outside the universe!

Along with the theory of spiritual inheritance, one Cosmic ideology will have to be propagated too, and that ideology is that one Supreme Entity – the Cosmic Entity – is the goal of all living beings. This spiritual sentiment will keep human beings united for all time to come. No other theory can save the human race.

Footnotes

(1) Bengal was partitioned for the second time when India gained independence from the British. Dr. Suharwardy and Sarat Bose, prominent Muslim and Hindu leaders respectively, proposed the formation of a United Socialist Bengal to counter the threat of partition. The proposal was subsequently rejected by their respective political parties, and Bengal was partitioned in 1947. –Eds.

(2) Sind was captured for the first time by the Muslims in 712, but the first major Muslim invasion of India took place at the end of the twelfth century, after which the Muslims established their rule in India. –Eds.

(3) North Indian Hindu males usually wear a dhoti (lower-body garment), which is tied around the waist. The káchá refers to the custom of tucking one corner of the dhoti behind the body between the lower back and the portion of the dhoti tied around the waist. This is done so that the dhoti does not touch the ground. –Eds.

(4) This process had commenced by the beginning of the eighteenth century. –Eds.

(5) By the middle of the eighteenth century, the British had established a powerful military presence in India. (After the Carnatic Wars and the Battle of Plassey, the British had become the supreme military authority in the country.) –Eds.

(6) The boundary commission was instituted shortly after India gained independence to settle boundary disputes among the provinces. –Eds.

(7) In the Bhúdán movement launched by Vinoba Bhave and the Sarvodaya movement started by Jayprakash Narayan, an attempt was made to convince landlords to donate land to poor, landless people. (Bhú means “land” and dán means “donate”; sarva means “all” and udaya means “rise”.) –Eds.

Chapter 7	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

The theory which springs out of fundamentals can be materialized with little effort. But that materialization will depend upon the effort, time and opportune moment. When theory precedes practice, however, the theory may or may not be materialized. There are four main factors which are responsible for the failure of any theory.

The first factor is the hypocrite’s psychology. Hypocrites formulate theories without the least intention of materializing them. By exploiting the name of a theory they serve their own purpose and that of their group. But without making any effort to materialize their theories, how will they be put into practice? They are obviously only for show. People formulated many such theories in the past and are still doing so even today. Such hypocrites want to misguide the people by their tall talks alone. Lord Shiva had this to say about such people: “Loka Vyámoha Káraka.” That is, “They create disease in the minds of the people.” Their aim is not to solve society’s problems. Rather, they are the chief cause for the downfall, retardation and sad plight of human society. The present crisis in today’s civilization is due to them. Their theories are based on the psychology and intellectual extravaganza of the hypocrite. You will certainly encounter many such theories in the social sphere, the economic sphere, and other spheres of life. This is not the problem of a single country, but of the entire intellectual world. Again I repeat that the crisis in civilization today is due to the intellectual extravaganza of these hypocrites, these polished satans. Take the mixed economy, for example. Those who have any sense know that it is a farce. It was neither implemented in the past nor will it ever be implemented in future. It is a white lie. Nor are its exponents interested in implementing it, for their motive is simply to dupe the people. Peaceful coexistence is another case in point. It too has never been put into practice, nor will it ever be in the future. Democratic socialism is yet another example. It is as good as golden plaster. Plaster should be made of stone and not gold. Behind all this works the hypocrite’s intellect, one of the four factors responsible for the failure of a theory.

The next factor is the theoretician’s psychology. When theoreticians expound a theory they do not study the world to ascertain its practical application. Blind to what is underneath their feet, and with total disregard for reality, they build castles high in the sky. After some time most of the theoreticians’ philosophies fade into obscurity.

So many theories have been expounded throughout the history of India. Some of them even had some practical application and, to some extent, met with success. But you will notice that, among the five theist philosophies, the Nyáya philosophy (not the Nyáya of Kanáda but that of Gautama) soars high without having any concern for the practical plane. Therefore, no practical cult was possible on the basis of Gautamiiya Nyáya. In medieval India, many scholars of Nyáya uselessly researched year after year the question [[Pátrádhára taela kiḿvá taeládhára pátra? – “Is it oil contained in a pot, or is it a pot containing oil?”]] This has nothing to do with the real world. Some people may wonder why there was not more development in Pathan India, in spite of a high population of scholars. The reason is that Nyáya philosophy, the philosophy divorced from practicality, had too great an influence on life.

There is one more defect in the theoretician’s psychology. Human life is trifarious: physical, intellectual and spiritual. However, the theoreticians remain confined to the intellectual realm, ignoring the physical and spiritual spheres. Thus they make no effort to practically materialize their theories. First, their theories are impractical; second, they make no efforts to materialize them.

The third factor is inefficiency in the field of application. Even if the theory is correct, it is not materialized due to inexperience or other defects.

Sometimes people are efficient in individual life, but totally unsuccessful in collective life. Many great saints lived in India during the Baoddha Yogácára period, but they were only successful in their individual lives. They did not care for the world, neither did they attempt to make people more efficient in their practical lives. Those who are acquainted with the philosophical life of India of those days know that, due to the lack of a proper theory, people were defeated by the philosophy of Shankaracharya. This resulted in an intellectual vacuum in India after Shankaracharya, a vacuum which proved damaging. This vacuum occurred between the death of Shankaracharya and the advent of Maháprabhu.

The fourth factor is environmental difficulty. The expounder of any theory remains engrossed in a particular mental environment. He or she creates a world in the mind and tests the theory on the mental plane. Let’s take Marxism as an example. Its propounder was very perceptive. The theory which he created in his mental environment was correct to a certain degree. But the crust of the earth and the environment of the mind are certainly not the same. The crust is quite hard. When this particular theory was manifested in the practical world, it was a total failure. It was of course correct in the artificially created mental environment, but in practice it was found to be not at all in consonance with the intellectual environment. To give another example: In your psychic world you can imagine that there is no water in the River Ganges, but milk. You can then go to plan how you will make delicious sweets out of that mentally created milk, and how you will export them. But remember, water flows in the Ganges, not milk! Hence, the theory made in a particular environment can be a total failure in practice.

If theory precedes practice many difficulties will be encountered. But when theory succeeds practice it has a practical application. First the apple fell and then the theory was formulated. The apple did not fall according to the theory. Lord Sadashiva was the first to realize that a theory can only have some practical value if it follows practice. He observed all the big and small events of this world to which people attach themselves little knowing the reasons behind them. He eventually discovered the reasons and expounded a theory in consequence. He saw the practical manifestation of the theories governing art, architecture, literature, dance, music, science, etc. For example, after studying the details of a particular style of dancing he formulated a theory. His theory of Tantra was the laboratory notes of a practical scientist. He discovered a particular dance which vibrated the lymphatic glands in such a way that it developed manliness. He called the dance Tandava which is derived from the Saḿskrta word Tańd́u, meaning jumping. Because it is supported by the theory of Tańd́u, it rightly called Táńd́ava. Another dance evokes feelings of softness (Lasya) in the mind due to the way its soft vibrations contract the lymphatic glands. As it softens the mind of people according to the theory of Lasya, its name is Lalita Nrtya. Thus Lord Sadáshiva perceived the spirit behind each action, gave it a theory and propagated it. A theory which follows practice will be successful.

When two successfully proven theories merge, a new resultant in the form of a new theory comes into being. When this resultant is mixed with yet another theory, another resultant is created. Thus, by different syntheses six Rágas and thirty-six Ráginiis came into being. The science of music was formulated in this way. It was successful because theory succeeded practice. Taking “Ta” from Lord Sadáshiva’s Táńd́ava Nrtya and “La” from Párvati’s Lalita Nrtya, a new resultant theory came into being in Indian music called “Tála”.

You must always ascertain which comes first, the theory or the practice. If theory succeeds practice it will definitely be materialized. One of the main variables is the time factor, and that will depend on the effort applied. The greater the effort, the less time required for its materialization. Even if little effort is applied, it will still be materialized, but after a long time.

I have already told you that human civilization is in danger. The chief reason is that in so many cases theory has preceded practice. You must not entertain any of these four factors which hinder a theory’s application.

Chapter 8	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

For the existence of human beings in society, the following fundamental factors are necessary: (1) unity, (2) social security and (3) peace. What is actually required under each of these fundamentals is discussed below.

Unity

Unity among the members of any society or social structure is absolutely necessary, otherwise the structure will start disintegrating. Lack of unity among the members of society because of too much self-interest in the individual members, the formation of groups for economic or social advantage, and the lack of understanding of others, act not only to bring about the downfall of society, but also can wipe it out completely from the face of the earth. Instances of many groups and empires disappearing altogether are not rare in the little-known history of this world.

The problem, therefore, is the preservation of unity in society. Unity in society will be ensured if it is possible to enthuse the members of society with the following: a common ideal, a casteless society, collective social functions, and no capital punishment.

A common ideal: It is often heard that a particular country was never so united as during war. This is partly due to love of one’s motherland, but more importantly, it is due to all the individuals having a common ideal: facing the perils of war. This common ideal is, however, a very temporary phenomenon and disappears when the dangers of war diminish.

In Ananda Marga the seed of a common ideal is sown from the very beginning of a child’s life. At the age of five, when the child has acquired only a preliminary understanding of his or her surroundings, he or she is given the idea of Brahma [the Supreme Entity]. The entire society of Ananda Marga is thus founded on a common ideal or goal – Brahma. This foundation will never be lost like the dangers of war. Such an ideal will not disappear like the common ideal of facing the dangers of war; so the unity in a society founded on the ideal of Brahma will be everlasting.

In Ananda Marga, even in the economic field, there is a common ideal, as the whole property of the earth is common property and is to be shared by all members of the society. This is instilled in every member by reciting the following shloka [couplet] at the commencement of every function held by the members of Ananda Marga:

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

[Let us move together, let us radiate the same thought-wave, let us come to know our minds together,
Let us share our wealth without differentiation, like sages of the past, so that all may enjoy the universe.
Let our aspirations be united, let our hearts be inseparable,
Let our minds be as one mind, so that we live in harmony and become one with the Supreme.]

Love for all – the ideal of the whole of humanity being one family, utilizing all the property of the world as one unit – coupled with the idea given to all those participating in the Námakarańa [baby naming ceremony] that the social, psychic and spiritual upbringing of the child is the common responsibility of all – provide an undying common ideal.

A casteless society: Caste is another important factor which disrupts society. The evils of the caste system are nowhere better known than in India. For unity in society, there should not be any small groupings within the society claiming economic and social privileges.

In Ananda Marga, where "love for all" and "humanity is one family" are the guiding principles, and where individuals identify themselves as jiiva mátra [living beings like any other], a casteless society is the only society which can exist. In all the social functions in Ananda Marga, the prominent guides and workers are guru bhái [disciples of the same guru] and not játa bhái [members of the same caste] as is the prevalent custom. From the very beginning of a child’s life, that is, when his or her worldly identity is established at the time of the Námakarańa, up to the Shráddha Kriyá [funeral ceremony], when his or her worldly identity is lost, the persons participating in all the functions as guides and workers are only guru bhái, and may be from any caste.

This, along with the common goal of Brahma, inspires the formation of a society where individuals identify themselves as jiiva mátra and do not belong to any particular caste, creed or sect.

Also, no family is debarred from taking part in our social functions because of the fault of a member of that family. With this the chances of the formation of a society of outcaste families are eliminated.

In such a society, where belonging to a particular group or section is not necessary for marriage, for learning the Vedas, or for making efforts to achieve anything, the formation of castes is not possible. In Ananda Marga, where the upbringing of every child is a combined responsibility, where the whole property of the universe is to be collectively utilized, and where there is no caste bar for spiritual practices, the formation of castes for social, economic or spiritual reasons is not possible.

Collective social functions: Many of the ills of society develop because people do not care to know other members of society. This may not only mean ignorance of the condition and difficulties of others, but also leads to intolerance and a lack of interest in the affairs of the other members of society. Common social functions bring different members of society together and are therefore a great unifying force. By performing certain functions collectively, all the members are engaged in doing the same thing for some time, and this brings about a feeling of unity and interest in others.

In Ananda Marga such common social functions are especially encouraged. Milita snána [collective bathing] and dharmacakra [collective meditation] provide grounds for common social functions in the physical, psychic and spiritual fields. Common participation in such functions is a very great unifying force. The participants in such functions will have no intolerance for each other, and will instead get more united. Such functions are, therefore, a great unifying force.

No capital punishment: Capital punishment⁽¹⁾ brings about deterioration in society and stops further progress of the individuals on whom capital punishment is inflicted. Such individuals⁽²⁾ form sects or groups which become the lower or discarded groups of society, and give rise to discord and disruption in society.

In Ananda Marga capital punishment, whether social or physical, is not permitted under any circumstances. The only punishment permissible in the Marga is disallowing a defaulter to take part in social functions for a fixed period. After the period is over, the individual starts taking part in all the functions as usual. No dependents are to suffer the punishment inflicted on such individuals. This punishment leaves no mark on the individual after the period of punishment, as does outcasting a family or even imprisonment.

The other punishment specified is to bring to the Marga, that is, to show the right path to, ten persons before the individual is allowed to attend social functions.

Punishments of this type are corrective and, instead of retarding individual progress, give more chance to the individual to correct his or her conduct and to adopt correct pursuits during the period of punishment. As these punishments do not leave a permanent mark on the individual or the family, they do not bring about discord and disunity among the members of society. On the contrary, those undergoing such punishment are employing themselves in better pursuits than in their normal life by making efforts to show the right path to ten people. They are thus not only improving themselves, but are also making efforts to improve society, and are bringing about more unity in society.

Social Security

Lack of security in society leads to the disintegration of society itself. Any society where security against injustice is not provided to individuals cannot exist for long. Lack of security in society also arises because of indiscipline. If the laws of society are not obeyed, social security will not be possible. The most important requisites for social security, therefore, are that there should be no injustice and that there should be strict discipline.

No injustice: If security in society is to be maintained, there should be no injustice, whether economic, or because of the sex or race of a person.

Economic injustice is usually the result of lack of appreciation for the dignity of labour. Trade-wise distinctions⁽³⁾ in society lead to economic injustices.

In Ananda Marga it is laid down that it is better to work as a sweeper and earn one’s own living than to be dependent on others for one’s livelihood. If such importance is given to one’s own earning and living, many economic injustices will cease to exist.

Economic injustice also comes about because of the hoarding instinct in individuals. People want all property for themselves only. If they only felt that property should be shared by others also, many economic injustices would not be committed.

In the Marga all the property of the universe is to be considered as common property and has to be utilized jointly. This idea leaves hardly any scope for economic injustices.

Another form of injustice in society is discrimination based on sex. Instances of one sex being considered inferior to the other are very common. Women in a considerable area of the world are considered to be the private property of men, meant for their pleasure only. In many other, so-called advanced, countries of this world, women do not have the right to vote in the general elections held by the government of the country. In other countries women are considered unfit to take part in spiritual practices.

In Ananda Marga both men and women have equal responsibility. In the manner prescribed for marriage in the Marga, both the man and the woman have to take equal responsibility. In Ananda Marga there is no bar on women being entitled to spiritual practices. Women and men are considered to be on the same footing, and there is no question of men considering themselves to be superior to women.

Members of a particular race who consider themselves superior to others also very frequently inflict injustices on other sections of society. The expulsion of the Jews from Germany by Hitler’s so-called superior Aryan race is a glaring example of racial injustice in society. In this country, also, injustices on Harijans by the so-called superior races have caused a tremendous amount of disruption in society. To obviate this type of social injustice, the first attempt should be to do away with racial distinctions in society.

In Ananda Marga the first step that one takes is to forget one’s race or sect – to no longer identify oneself with one’s race, caste or sect – regardless of whether it was superior or inferior.

Racial prejudices figure very prominently in social functions based on racial considerations. In [Ananda Marga] collective functions members of all races, castes or creeds take part as equals. Community or caste, race or nation, is often the main consideration in arranging marriages, etc. In the Marga there are no such considerations. In the Marga these petty differences among human beings are not given any importance.

In the Marga the seeds of an ideal humanity are sown from the very beginning of life, and humanity as a whole is considered to be one family belonging to the race of jiiva mátra. In such a society injustices due either to economics or to sexual or racial considerations will be unknown.

Discipline: Lack of discipline in a society has often been seen historically to be the main reason for the extermination of that society. Indiscipline in some members of a society may make the peaceful existence of other members impossible. Discipline is, therefore, absolutely necessary for the preservation of society.

Indiscipline in a society arises when some members think that the laws of the society are wrong. If their thinking is confined to thinking and arguing only, and does not lead to breaking the laws of the society, there will be no indiscipline. In order to maintain discipline, the laws of a society should be rational and capable of change from time to time according to the development of the society, then alone discipline can be preserved.

In the Marga anything which is not rational has no place. When reason is given so much importance and change due to reason is accepted, all chances of dissatisfaction leading to indiscipline are eliminated. At the same time, in the Marga reasoning or arguing comes only after obedience. This ensures discipline in society. If, after obeying the laws of society, one feels that they are wrong, one has every right to argue and have the laws changed, but argument before obedience leads to indiscipline.

In a society such as the Marga, which is based on rationality alone and not on prejudices, there is no chance of indiscipline creeping in and undermining the social security of individuals.

Peace

Psychic equilibrium is peace. It is therefore to be seen what brings about psychic equilibrium and what disturbs it. Spiritual practices will bring psychic equilibrium, and a belief in superstition will disturb it. Hence, for the preservation of peace, spiritual practices and fighting against superstition are necessary.

Spiritual practices: Relief from duhkha [suffering] is the main desire, and without the fulfilment of this desire peace is not possible. This remission is called nivrtti [the cessation of suffering]. Nivrtti is of two types: one is called [sámayikii] nivrtti [the temporary cessation of suffering], and the other atyantikii nivrtti [the permanent cessation of suffering]. One thing which helps in getting remission, or nivrtti, is called artha [that which provides temporary liberation from mundane desires]. But artha is purely physical, so it can bring only physical and temporary remission. For everlasting freedom from duhkha, Paramártha [that which provides permanent liberation] is the only remedy. Paramártha does not bring only temporary remission, but everlasting freedom from duhkha. Atyantikii nivrtti can be obtained only by Paramártha which relieves one of all duhkha: physical, mental and spiritual. This Paramártha can only be obtained by sadhana, that is, spiritual practices. For maintaining peace psychic equilibrium is necessary, and for maintaining this equilibrium freedom from all duhkha forever is necessary. Freedom from duhkha or atyantikii nivrtti can be obtained only from Paramártha, and Paramártha can be achieved only by sadhana, or spiritual practices.⁽⁴⁾

In the Marga spiritual practices begin when the child reaches the age of five. From the very beginning of a child’s life, he or she is initiated into spiritual practices. With the advance of the child’s life the spiritual practices also advance, bringing within their scope not only the mental sphere, but also bodily development.

The sadhana, or spiritual practices, of the Marga do not teach forsaking the world. They teach the right and correct use of all property, crude or subtle. Our sadhana is a systematic and scientific method for physical, mental and spiritual progress and advancement by which permanent psychic equilibrium, and thus everlasting peace, is established.

Fighting against superstition: The svabháva [natural tendency] of mind is to become like its object. Superstition of any kind – social, psychic or spiritual – influences the mind to such an extent that the mind, due to its worries, leads a person into trouble. The mental equilibrium of one believing in superstition is disturbed, and the result is that one not only loses peace, but one is also led to do some action which is detrimental to oneself. This only further strengthens belief in superstition. Any ordinary incident is magnified and attributed to some durlakśańa, or bad omen, by the believers of superstition.

It is only because of the mind’s nature to become like its object that people see ghosts, which are purely the mental creation of those who believe in this superstition. If only these persons had the courage and mental strength to catch the ghost, they would very soon realize that their mistake was believing nothing to be something.

Such superstitions have not left any field uncontaminated. In the social sphere there is no dearth of superstitions. Witchcraft, discrimination against widows, etc., are curses in society only due to such superstitions. In the psychic sphere there are deep-rooted superstitions such as the belief in ghosts (bhút), etc. Not only this, but superstitions related to shráddha [funeral ceremonies], etc., have also bound down even the progeny of a person. In the spiritual field, also, ignorant people have been forced to do many things only because of the deep-rooted superstition of heaven and hell. All these only disturb psychic equilibrium and bring about discord and worry in society. For the preservation of peace, the fight against superstition is of prime importance.

In Ananda Marga none of these superstitions have been given any place. In the social field witchcraft has been discredited as only a psychic creation of some kusaḿskárii [evil] person. Widows have been given the same status as unmarried women, there being no restrictions on their dress, behaviour, living, etc. Exercising any influence on widows [to compel them] to adopt a particular pattern of life based on the social superstition of disallowing their presence in social functions, is strictly prohibited.

The psychic superstitions of ghosts, shráddha, etc., also do not find any place in the Marga. Ghosts are only imaginary, and performing shráddha by giving dána [gifts] to Brahmans to take a departed soul across the Vaetárnii River [the mythological river which must be crossed to enter heaven], is only a psychic misrepresentation inculcated from the very beginning. These ideas are not rational, and therefore believing in them is not correct. This is the view taken in the Marga.

The spiritual superstitions of heaven and hell and fear of God make individuals suppressed, and they lose their peace. Not infrequently fear in terms of such superstitions creates a very undesirable reaction in people, and thereby causes a loss of peace.

In the Marga spiritual practices are based on rationality. Fear and superstition do not have any part in them. A systematic and scientific method of spiritual practices in the Marga leaves no place for these superstitions.

It can thus be seen that an ideal society will come into being only when there is unity, social security and peace. To provide for such a society, Ananda Marga is founded on Brahma as a common ideal. Unity in Ananda Marga is secured by evolving a casteless society where capital punishment is prohibited, and all take part unitedly in social functions irrespective of caste, creed or race. In such a society social injustice due to trade-wise distinctions, sex or race is not possible. Ananda Marga further strengthens society by refuting and discouraging all superstitions, whether social, psychic or spiritual, and by providing a systematic and scientific method of spiritual practices and codes for physical, mental and spiritual progress and advancement towards permanent peace in an ideal society.

Footnotes

(1) Capital punishment here means both social ostracism and punishment by death. –Eds.

(2) I.e., those ostracized by society. –Eds.

(3) The terms “trade-wise classifications” and “trade-wise classes” refer to the classifications or classes that developed because some individuals were more suited to certain types of work. (See the section Economic System in “Ananda Marga – A Revolution”.) Distinctions, i.e., discrimination, based on these classifications or classes lead to economic injustices. –Eds.

(4) For further discussion on artha and Paramártha, see “Artha and Paramártha” in Volume 3. –Eds.

Chapter 9	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Today, the subject of my discourse is “Civilization, Science and Spiritual Progress”. The collective name of different expressions of human life is culture. I may as well tell you at the very outset that culture is one for the whole human race.

What is civilization? The subtle sense of refinement that we come across in the different expressions of life is called civilization. Let me give you an example. Suppose some guests have arrived at our home. We may address them imperatively, “Come” or we may welcome them by saying, “Please come in.” This polite address by adding the word “please” speaks of civilization or a civilized address, for herein the subtle sense of refinement is evident. The imperative word, “come”, bereft of warmth, only smacks of lack of culture. So we see there are both good and bad sides to culture, but the subtle sense of refinement is the touch-stone of civilization. The subtle sense of refinement that we get in culture intrinsically imbibes the human power of discriminative judgement. We may call those human acts and behaviour civilized that give evidence of this discriminative judgement, in a great measure. It is sometimes noticed in certain groups of people that their actions have the support of judgement, and then again in some others that there is an absence of it. If judgement were based merely on this basis, to call the former civilized and the latter half-civilized would not be fair or desirable.

In the Indian social system women have been given a motherly status, but in the practical field they are not given the same amount of prestige. Conversely, in the European society, though motherly status is nil, women certainly enjoy equal rights and prestige in the practical field. Now it is very hard to say which of the two is more civilized. But I would say, the greater the support of judgement in action and behaviour, the better shall be the expression and development of civilization.

There is a subtle difference between civilization and culture. Culture is the collective form of all the expressions of life. Culture is the expression of the intellectual stratum whereas civilization is the expression of the physical aspects of life. So people may be civilized by way of material development, but so far as their mental development is concerned, they may not be culturally endowed. In the absence of intellectual development it is not possible for a person to be properly civilized.

How does the development of civilization take place? Civilization has an intimate relation with science. They progress together. But where scientific progress supersedes civilization, there civilization meets its Waterloo. Take, for instance, the history of Egypt and Greece. So long as the scientific progress of these two countries did not supersede civilization, civilization prospered very well. But when the ingredients of enjoyment grew up in abundance, the civilization of both countries got destroyed, because science had occupied a higher position than civilization.

What is science? That which teaches the proper use of material things is science. Where the development of civilization is utterly negligible and science gradually attains the apogee of development, science only paves the way for destruction instead of doing any good to humanity. And so, study and practice of science, though unavoidable, should not be given a higher place than civilization.

Now let me say a few words about intuitional knowledge. In India, from the Tantric period to the Gupta period, civilization and science progressed side by side and never did science enjoy greater prestige than civilization. The Gupta period was the golden period of India. After the end of the Gupta era scientific progress was overlooked. This resulted in degradation and downfall. In the Pathan period there was neither the development of civilization nor progress of science, with the result that the progress of society was thwarted. For the all-round progress and development of the human society, both civilization and science have got to be encouraged and pursued. If you see development of civilization, you will find that there is intellectual development as well. Where there is cultivation of science, there too, intellectual analysis is a necessity. And so, for both civilization and science, intellectual knowledge is indispensable. Spiritual or intuitional development is possible through the happy blending between civilization and science. Even where there is no such blending at all, intuitional progress may yet be possible, but if science and civilization are harmonized, intuitional progress gets accelerated. Therefore, people of wisdom should proceed and progress, blending these two. It is useless to think of intuitional progress without effecting the harmony between the two.

What is our duty today? We should cultivate science but we should equally pay our attention to the development of civilization as well. Taking a comparative view between ancient India and modern India, we notice that the progress of science today is greater than that of those days of yore, but civilization in those days was certainly of a high order, particularly during the days of Vashishtha, Vishvamitra and Astabakra. In the present age, civilization is on the wane due to science enjoying the pride of place. But developed as science is today, if civilization is pushed up again to the top, people can reach a greater height than ever before.

Chapter 10	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

That which keeps something alive is said to be its vrtti [occupation]. The [[pabula]] on which the mind depends for its existence and development, or the objects on which the mind ideates, are one’s mental occupation. The subtlest feeling a person can experience, which fills the mind with bliss, can be said to be one’s spiritual occupation. In the same way there are various physical occupations which preserve one’s physical existence and maintain the body. A means which one adopts to stay alive in the physical sphere is called an occupation; for example, one may be a doctor, a teacher, a businessman, etc.

It requires very little thought to realize that the different occupations create divisions between human beings. As a result people who lack high ideals usually form groups. The psychological reason is that the people’s feelings are shaped by the nature of their occupation. And these feelings together with the identical nature of the people’s mental occupations encourage the formation of groups. No matter how intense their professional jealousy or rivalry, a lawyer will seek out the company of another lawyer, a soldier that of another soldier, a doctor that of another doctor, and a renunciant that of another renunciant.

A detailed analysis of human psychology will clearly reveal that because psychic pabula are connected to matter due to the need to preserve physical existence, they are strongly influenced by matter. However, if a person has high ideals, his or her materialistic ideation will be transformed into psychic ideation which in turn will develop a spiritual quality. One will thus acquire the capacity to rise above group [groupist] psychology.⁽¹⁾ But due to an absence of spiritual idealism and universal outlook, some of those engaged in different occupations become exploiters instead of assets to society. They completely ignore the fact that their individual or group interests are not separate from, but are a part of, the collective interest.

Lawyers

Let us start by discussing lawyers. I do not belong to a particularly fastidious or orthodox section of society. The popular allegation that lawyers earn their living by deceiving others and by encouraging litigation is, according to my understanding, not totally correct. But is this frequently-made allegation totally false? Although it cannot be proved conclusively, we can say that in general most lawyers would like disputes in society to continue.

After the abolition of the zamindary system in a certain state of India, a lawyer complained to me, “Before the abolition of the zamindary system, there were constant lawsuits between one zamindar and another as well as between a zamindar and the people under his jurisdiction, and we used to earn money from this. But now the people who used to be under the jurisdiction of a zamindar do not have to come to court, and the number of civil and criminal cases has declined.” Just imagine! The good lawyer said this because he was concerned about his livelihood. In his personal life he was extremely honest and peace-loving, but the nature of his profession encouraged him to support disturbances, feuds and murder.

Though they understand the magnitude of their clients’ crimes, competent lawyers, due solely to financial greed, use their intelligence and clever arguments to get criminals honourably acquitted. Such actions certainly do not help to preserve the purity of society. Are not those who lead society into the quagmire of sin in order to further their individual interest and for financial gain as guilty as criminals? If, in the eyes of the law, associating with evil people is regarded as an evil, the attempt to help criminals avoid corrective measures (I do not like to use the term “penal system” because I am not ready to accept at all that one human being has the right to penalize another) is most certainly an antisocial action.

There is yet another and more serious consideration in regard to this sort of conduct. The process of passing a judgement does not end when a criminal is released from the corrective system. Sometimes criminal leaders derive sadistic satisfaction from seeing innocent people victimized. Cunning lawyers, when they become directly responsible for the victimization of innocent people, definitely commit a greater crime than criminals.

In spite of all this, I do believe that lawyers are necessary and have an extremely important role to play in society. Common people often cannot express themselves coherently. During a trial a frightened, nervous person sometimes behaves in such a way that his or her facial expressions arouse suspicion in the mind of the judge, which in turn influences the judgement. It is indisputable that lawyers are needed to protect common people from such dangerous situations. Apart from saving the innocent, lawyers can and do help to save criminals from unjustifiably harsh sentences which stem from prejudice or strong bias.

If supporting the guilty is an antisocial activity, is it not antisocial to appeal for leniency on behalf of the guilty? In my opinion, no. It is a lawyer’s duty to see that a person is not severely punished for a small crime. It is the lawyer, and not the public, who should clearly explain to the judge the sort of circumstantial pressure that forced a criminal to commit a crime and the extent to which the criminal was responsible (or not responsible) for the creation of these circumstances. Considering that criminals are human beings and helpless during their trials, it is certainly not a crime to provide them with proper representation. That is why I do consider it an injustice to call lawyers social parasites. They are an indispensable group of intellectuals in society.

Although I do not doubt their intentions, I do feel that those who advocate the arbitration and panchayat [village council] systems in order to reduce the cost of lawyers, should not entrust the functioning of the judicial system to the whims of an individual or a particular group. The subtle intelligence that is required in judicial procedures cannot generally be found among the majority of members of arbitral bodies or the leaders of village councils. If the selection of those on arbitral bodies and village councils is entrusted to experienced judges, it may be possible to hope for good judgements from them, but it may also turn out that those selected, despite their integrity and sincerity, pass a wrong judgement at any moment due to insufficient or incorrect knowledge of the law. Such mistakes are not normally expected from lawyers. If somebody wants to extensively implement the arbitration and village council systems in order to teach the members of the legal profession a lesson, he or she will have to agree that, for the sake of public welfare, the members of such bodies should be selected, not elected. Of course only lawyers should be eligible for selection. Such an approach is not bad.

There was a time when lawyers had both prestige and money, but today they are on the verge of losing both. Many lawyers who have little work start giving fiery lectures from political platforms. I am not suggesting that none of them are dedicated to social service. Still, most of them do not aim to serve their country but simply to solve their personal problems. They think, “It would be good if I could further my political ambition. One day I may be elected a member of parliament or even become a minister. If this does not happen it does not matter, because my work situation will still improve due to the political support of my party.” Today educated people can easily understand the motives behind their fiery lectures. Very little investigation is required to reveal that in democratic countries politics is full of lawyers who were unable to secure briefs. No other profession than this has so much scope to exploit people in the name of public service.

But why is this so? Are they alone responsible for their deceitfulness and mental degradation? Certainly not. I do not blame them in the slightest. In order to obtain their basic necessities, poor intellectuals use these kinds of psychic means instead of stealing or committing armed robbery.

The implementation of various economic-development projects should be increased, and the number of lawyers should be reduced. In the field of education, students should give most importance to the study of science and technology, followed by commerce and then the arts. Only talented arts students should be given the opportunity to pursue higher studies in the arts. A small percentage of these students should be encouraged to study law, provided they can demonstrate proficiency in sociology, civics, political science and logic. It is not at all desirable to encourage immorality by providing unlimited opportunities for students to study law, thus overcrowding the profession.

Doctors

Shatamárii bhavet vaedyah sahasramárii cikitsakah [“If one kills a hundred people, one may qualify as a quack, but if one kills a thousand people, one can qualify to be a doctor”]. It is both amusing and infuriating, yet it is true. Like an old barber, a young doctor cannot be trusted. But this is not the end of the matter. It is possible to earn the name shatamárii [one who has killed a hundred people] or sahasramárii [one who has killed a thousand people] by killing mice or guinea pigs in laboratory experiments, but is it not tragic if the killing continues after one has qualified as a doctor?

No matter what country you belong to, tell me honestly, how many doctors can you really trust and respect? Among the doctors you know, you may believe in one or two at the most, but those who have won your faith may or may not command your respect. In other words, the doctors whom you believe in, who can cure a patient, are not accessible because they cost too much. In such circumstances your confidence in the ability of doctors remains intact, but you cannot consider them as friends; nor do you have any real proof of their humanity, hence you cannot give them your respect either.

Moreover, the medical profession as such has more to do with social service than with professionalism. Social service is the main aim of the medical profession. But then social workers cannot live on air, so they have to accept some money for their livelihood from the government, autonomous bodies, public institutions or ordinary people: in short, from those they serve. To be a doctor may appear to be a way of earning a living to an unemployed person, but it cannot be categorized as a business under any circumstances. A helpless person, no matter how great his or her financial, social or intellectual capacity, considers a doctor to be a ray of light in the darkness or a lifeboat which can save him or her from drowning.

Of all the doctors you have come across, how many are idealistic and dutiful? If you visit a doctor, he or she will prescribe strong medicines for a light illness. This will inevitably be the case if he or she owns his or her own dispensary. But the same will be the case if the doctor operates a “chamber practice” out of his or her home; he or she will force some patent medicine down the patient’s throat. The doctor’s special “mixture” will also be prescribed as a matter of course. Here, of course, I am referring particularly to allopaths. The most disconcerting thing is that they frequently diagnose a case by guesswork. An examination of the blood, stool or urine often reveals that their diagnosis was totally wrong; yet the patient depends on the doctor’s guesswork and as a result is required to swallow medicine after medicine. Is this not deplorable? What a cruel joke that doctors do such things to helpless patients!

Methods of medical treatment: Current methods of medical treatment can be roughly divided into three groups.

The most common method is to fight disease with strong pills and injections. Allopathy, ayurveda and hekemii [hakims]⁽²⁾ can be included in this group because they use strong medicines and also poison as a medicine, although their methods of diagnosis and remedies differ. In this method of treatment the selection of medicines involves great risk, because more emphasis is placed on the indications of the disease than on those of the patient, and because of the possibility of causing death.

The great danger in diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medicines according to the germs and diseases present in the body is that it is nearly impossible to arrive at a firm conclusion about the precise nature of germs. Whether diseases are caused by germs or germs are created from diseases which are caused by other factors is a matter of controversy.

The symptoms of one disease may be identical to those of another, and the remedy for one may prove to be completely ineffective or even harmful in the case of the other. Moreover, as poisons are used, they may seriously affect the vitality of the patient. Just imagine, if the doctor is incompetent or is completely motivated by a business mentality, what will the plight of the public be?

There was a time when diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medicines were not very difficult because diagnoses were based on three constituents of the body – air, bile and phlegm – with blood as a fourth constituent. But increased physical and glandular complexity has led to a corresponding increase in the number and complexity of diseases. So to what extent can this method of diagnosis be useful to a doctor? Is it not simply guesswork to prescribe medicines for a particular disease when the medicine is prescribed for the disease but the disease is diagnosed according to the bodily constituents? If you mentioned this to an allopath, ayurvedic doctor or hakim he or she would probably hand over his or her stethoscope or mortar and pestle and reply, “Here you are, sir. You had better treat the disease yourself.” This, of course, is an angry remark. While I recognize that a lay person should not have the audacity to counsel a doctor, I must also point out that everyone has the right to consider the merits and demerits of a particular type of medical treatment.

The principles, application and philosophy of homoeopathy are completely different from the above medical treatments. Homoeopathy treats the symptoms of the patient, not the disease or its symptoms. So there is very little possibility of causing harm, even if the diagnosis is not quite correct. A doctor with good powers of observation and a subtle sense of discrimination can easily prescribe remedies according to the patient’s symptoms. Another speciality of homoeopathy is that medicines are administered in subtle doses, not in the form of strong tablets, and such doses quickly become active in the molecules of the patient’s body as well as in his or her mental sphere.

The greatest difficulty with homoeopathy is that it is based upon the subtle intellect of the doctor, and to achieve such a degree of subtlety regular, sustained effort is absolutely essential. Yet homoeopathic treatment is generally quite slack, and slackness is particularly evident in the proficiency of homoeopaths. Anybody can become a homoeopath by studying a few books. No one will object. In most countries there are no proper regulations either.

Surgery and injections are not acceptable to homoeopathic philosophy, but in certain instances the need for surgery as well as injections cannot be denied. Nowadays of course surgery is gradually being incorporated into homoeopathy. This is definitely a positive development.

Naturopaths do not believe in using medicine. They think that it is possible to cure patients through the gifts of nature only – through earth, water, light, heat and air, together with a proper diet. I do not deny that this is possible, but it is also often difficult to gradually and completely attune the body to nature. People should recognize that medicine does not cure disease, rather nature cures disease with the help of the body’s own healing power. Medicine only helps to accelerate the activity and speed of the healing process.

In cases where disease is caused by unnatural activity, I do not see the harm in using medicines to help nature. Just as earth, water and air are medicines, are not various types of medicines also prepared by selecting ingredients from nature? Of course precautions must be taken when using medicines to help the healing power of the body, to ensure that they do not cause physical side-effects or psychic disturbances. Where a person has not engaged in unnatural activity, he or she may still contract a disease due to pollution in the air, earth or water. In such cases is it possible to attune the body to nature? Furthermore, the diets and lotions prescribed by naturopaths are often very expensive and beyond the means of the poor.

Ápascavishvabheśajii [“Water is the universal remedy”]. I do not disagree with this assertion of the Rgveda. However, although I have a deep regard for various aspects of hydropathy and naturopathy, I do not see any reason to support the view that all types of medicine and surgery are harmful. Biná cikitsáy yata lok mare tár cáite beshii lok cikitsáy mare [“More people die with medical treatment than without it”] – nor am I prepared to accept this view, because in the acute stage of an illness even very poor people get or try to get medical treatment. I do not think such views are worth commenting on.

Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the majority of those who die while under the care of doctors die due to incorrect diagnoses and wrong prescriptions. All medical systems can be equally faulted for wrong diagnoses; but as far as wrong prescriptions that lead to death, in my opinion more blame should fall on those who use heavy doses of medicine.

The welfare of the patient should be the main aim of the medical profession, regardless of the philosophical or logical ramifications of a particular system of medicine. Doctors may find it somewhat difficult to work with such a principle, because it is unreasonable to expect them to be experts in all the medical systems. In reality, it is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, what is not possible in a doctor’s chambers may be possible in a hospital.

In the hospitals of some countries the welfare of the patient is given top priority and the patient is treated accordingly. Immediately after being admitted, he or she is thoroughly examined by an appropriate board of doctors who determine the most suitable system of medical treatment. In other words, if the patient’s disease can be easily cured by allopathy, he or she will be treated by an allopath; if by homoeopathy, by a homoeopath; if by naturopathy, by a naturopath; and so on. If various types of treatment are available, changing from one type to another will not be difficult in the event of the patient not responding to a particular type of treatment.

The healing power of nature: The healing power of nature cures disease; medicine only helps nature. The mind of the patient helps to activate the healing power of nature. If a doctor in whom the patient has complete faith prescribes water instead of medicine the patient will be quickly cured, but if the patient regards the doctor as a quack the disease will not be cured, even if the purest medicines known to medical science are prescribed and properly administered. It is obvious then that the disease is actually cured by the power of the mind, the medicine being secondary.

However, I do not support orthodox psychologists who believe that all diseases can be cured by psychological treatment, because psychological treatment does not work in all cases; it just cannot. Those who believe, as idealists do, that only the mind exists and not the five fundamental factors⁽³⁾ (of such idealists Lenin said, “They believe that there is a mind but not a head”), argue that the mind is responsible for all diseases. But does mind alone determine human existence? Does not the mind, which becomes agitated when the physical body is pinched, depend on the physical body? Taking hashish, marijuana, opium or wine causes a peculiar change in the mind. This is but one proof of the mind’s dependence on the body and its nerves.

A disease can be mental or can be physical. Similarly, medicine may be mental or may be physical; hence it is most desirable and productive if both kinds of medicine are administered simultaneously in all diseases, whether they are physical or mental. Those who only believe in psychological treatment for mental disease know from experience that such treatment will not permanently cure the disease and the patient will soon relapse. Only where, along with psychological treatment, guidance concerning diet, bathing and behaviour is given, and to normalize the diseased glands of the body medicines prepared from the five fundamental factors are prescribed, can the disease be permanently cured.

In the same way, if patients suffering from a physical disease are given proper medicine, food, light and air but at the same time are subjected to constant criticism and humiliation, it will be difficult for them to fully recover. Even though some people have everything they physically need, they become mentally debilitated, like a worm-eaten, withered flower. So it is evident that patients suffering from a physical disease need proper psychological treatment and a congenial environment in order to maintain their mental health.

The conduct of doctors and nurses: The patients’ faith is more important than medicine in curing a disease, but where does their faith come from? From the conduct of the doctors and nurses, who have to win their confidence and inspire them with faith. Labourers perform manual work in order to earn their livelihood; they therefore dig the ground without regard for the earth. The relationship between doctors and patients should not be like this. Doctors must use all the qualities of their minds to win over their patients. It will certainly not add to the glory of any country or government if doctors and nurses complain, “Because of the tremendous pressure of our work, we have lost all our sympathy, tenderness and sweetness.”

But to become mechanical due to the pressure of work, on the one hand; or on the other hand to show a lack of humanity by selling hospital medicines on the black market in collusion with dishonest traders, or by illegally using food, such as fruit and milk, allocated for patients; are certainly not the same thing. Can doctors and nurses involved in such activities defend themselves against the accusations of the public? Exasperated by such dishonest, exploitative bloodsuckers, the public often severely criticizes the government. However, in my opinion the government is in most cases not to blame. Of course it is quite a different matter if the government sanctions insufficient money to properly maintain hospitals, but in most cases this is not the problem.

In medical institutions where the public is made to suffer, you can be sure that improper dealings exist from top to bottom (that is, from the chief medical officer down to the orderlies and sweepers); there is an immoral association among these thieves, regardless of their rank. They are all experts in the art of exploitation – they all share the spoils. Needless to say, in such places neither the doctors nor the hospital can ever inspire faith or confidence in the minds of the patients. This is the reason that today, even after the lapse of half the twentieth century, I notice that in many countries people are still as afraid of hospitals as they are of prisons.

People try to keep out of the hands of doctors just as earnestly as they try to avoid the claws of a tiger. Doctors who operate “chamber practices” out of their homes we may be able to tolerate, but those who themselves dispense patent medicines never let a patient leave without selling him or her ten or twenty rupees worth of medicine, whether he or she needs it or not. These words may seem harsh, but anybody who has had such an experience will agree with what I have said.

Our complaints are endless. In every sphere of society there is a terrifying conspiracy. Patients are completely helpless. When we discover deficiencies in those who have made it their life’s work to cure patients of their diseases, we naturally become all the more offended and begin to complain bitterly. But while complaining we fail to notice all the difficulties that doctors and nurses have to face in their daily lives. If we discuss such matters not as patients but as human beings, then perhaps we might see that those against whom we have a long list of complaints have been forced by society, consciously or unconsciously, to get involved in antisocial activities.

Those doctors who continue to treat patients as their friends and serve society as genuine social workers while living in an antisocial environment deserve our deepest respect. But what should be done with those who are incapable of doing this, who are full of sin and can be described as antisocial bloodsuckers? According to criminology we may find among such doctors criminals due both to instinct and to poverty. To rectify them corrective measures will have to be taken, such as providing them with a proper education, imparting a proper ideology and creating a proper environment. A dishonest doctor or nurse is more harmful to society than an ordinary criminal, because such doctors and nurses not only harm society directly, they also add to social problems by not performing social service according to their capacity. Their problems should be seriously and sympathetically considered and their difficulties should be immediately solved.

I once knew an extremely honest and capable doctor who suffered greatly due to lack of money during the last years of his life. While active he was a dedicated, exemplary social worker, but when he became physically incapacitated society failed to recognize this. Is it any wonder that such circumstances force doctors to become mercenary?

I have encountered some doctors such as this who did not exploit their patients. Not only did they not take fees from poor patients, sometimes they provided medicine free of charge as well. But some patients think, “If a doctor distributes free medicine, he or she must have an ulterior motive,” so they would rather not visit such doctors. Some of these doctors are forced to maintain their families by private tuition. Perhaps that is why we hear many people say, “The medical profession is a business like any other. Can such a business prosper without doing anything wrong? It is impossible to run a business if one is totally honest.”

Let me recount an incident that occurred several years ago. In 1940 I went to a homoeopathic pharmacy. With me was a boy of twelve or thirteen, the younger brother of an acquaintance. I had gone there for some medicine for the boy. The doctor took pains to examine the boy properly, then prescribed some medicine. He said, “Please return with his medical report on Saturday afternoon.” I replied, “Will Saturday morning not do? On Saturday afternoon I will be going out of town; I will be going home.” Further discussion revealed that we came from the same district and our homes came under the jurisdiction of adjacent police stations on opposite sides of a river. The doctor then asked me to return the medicine and said, “I am giving you another medicine.” When I asked why he said, “Both medicines are good, but I give the first medicine to people I do not know because it takes a little longer to cure the patient, hence I sell more medicine. Sometimes I am requested to make house calls too. What can I do, sir? Character is the first casualty of want.”

This incident is neither to the doctor’s credit nor to that of society. The doctor is losing his character due to poverty, caused in turn by a defective social system – isn’t this true?

Sociologists will agree that it is not desirable for those who are involved in saving lives to face financial difficulties. If in any country the people believe that they have more doctors than necessary, the study of medicine should be strictly supervised so that only competent and talented students have the opportunity to become doctors. That way, by reducing the number of unwanted doctors, those who enter the medical profession will be able to earn sufficient money with the cooperation of society and the state. In the absence of want, there is no risk of their losing their character.

But what is the situation in the world today? How many countries can claim to have more doctors than they need? In most countries there is a shortage of capable doctors. And in those countries where there is little or no shortage of doctors, ordinary people are often unable to get medical help because of financial difficulties. As a result capable doctors also experience financial difficulties which compel them to become involved in antisocial activities.

To eliminate the financial difficulties faced by doctors, temporary arrangements can be made. For example, young doctors who have financial difficulties can be sent from countries with surplus doctors to countries with insufficient doctors so that they can get the opportunity to earn a living and serve society. Education will be necessary to overcome attachment to a particular country.

Criminals are of many types and so are criminally-inclined doctors. As with criminals due to poverty, there is also no dearth of criminals due to instinct in the medical profession.⁽⁴⁾ These monsters in the form of doctors (colloquially speaking, cámár d́áktár [vile, low-class doctors]) are the scourge of society. Sometimes they behave so atrociously with helpless people – manipulating dying patients for the sake of money – that I really do not like to consider them as human beings. Such hellish creatures can be found in nearly every large or small city. Very strong measures should be taken against them with the active cooperation of society, the state and socially-concerned doctors.

Once I heard about a doctor, standing by the bed of a poor, distressed patient, who said in an authoritarian way, “You must pay my fees at once. I won’t listen to any excuses.” A poor relative of the patient left the house in despair, borrowed money by giving an IOU, and paid the doctor’s bill. I doubt whether a country can be considered civilized if the strictest reform measures are not taken against such human demons.

I once saw with my own eyes a well-educated doctor snatch a bottle of medicine from the hand of a female patient who had offered twelve instead of fourteen annas for the medicine, saying, “Must I wait till you bring me the two annas from your house? When I was studying in medical college, would the college authorities have allowed me to continue studying had I paid my monthly fees in arrears?” As she was an uneducated rural woman, she could not fully understand what he was saying. But with that humiliating rejection, she had to return home weeping without the bottle of medicine. Although this incident took place a long time ago, it remains indelibly etched on my mind.

Good and bad exist everywhere. But regrettably, among the multitudes of the “bad,” the “good” are in danger of being lost. The harshness of reality becomes glaringly apparent if we consider the medical profession as a reflection of society. On the one hand there are good doctors sincerely serving poor patients on their own initiative, and on the other hand we may observe immature young doctors proudly boasting to each other about their career prospects. Regrettable though these things may be, I do not feel that there is any reason to lose hope.

Countless complaints can be made against doctors and the medical profession. Although it would take a lot of space to list them all, let me briefly mention a few: patients have to settle for adulterated medicines unless they bribe the pharmacist; sweepers, orderlies and nurses do not take proper care of a patient’s needs unless they are tipped; a patient writhing in pain may be rebuked instead of being given medicine; if one does not call the doctor at least once for a personal consultation so that that doctor can earn some extra money, one may be unable to secure a bed on one’s next visit to the hospital; a medicine that is supposedly out of stock in the hospital can be illegally purchased in a nearby shop at an exorbitant price; without bribing the doctor a sick patient will not be admitted to the hospital; during the compulsory medical examination for a new job, all the medical staff put out their hand for a bribe; the doctor in collusion with the optician fails many people in their eye tests so that they will have to buy glasses; hospital patients are served food which is cheaper and of poorer quality than what they are entitled to; milk and fruits reserved for patients are consumed by the hospital staff; spurious drugs and injections are administered to patients. Such grievances are endless. Some are extremely serious, involving accusations of such irresponsibility that it is difficult to believe that people actually have these experiences.

Usually the public blames the government for such lapses, but in my opinion, if anyone is to blame, it is the public itself. The government is not an individual who accepts bribes or encourages immorality. The government does not support the distribution of spurious drugs. If the distribution of spurious drugs ever does get sanctioned by the government, it is due to the mistakes of immoral officials. They surrender their humanity to the rich out of greed for money. Dishonest business people are aware of their own guilt and are constantly troubled by it, but they receive encouragement from greedy and mentally-weak police and anti-corruption officials. Why not earn a hundred thousand rupees by paying a bribe of a thousand rupees! Most business people wait for the right opportunity with this type of outlook. For these reasons I do not blame the government for such immorality. Now, let us return to our topic.

The key to solving the medical problem is in the hands of the public. This is the actual truth of the matter. One may ask, “Why does the public not do something to rectify the situation?” Some maintain that these problems only occur in underdeveloped countries and that the people there tolerate evil because they are unaware of their rights. But is this correct? In underdeveloped countries there are educated people who staunchly support the different political parties and who can provide the people with leadership. Although they cannot inspire the whole society, they are certainly able to solve some of the problems. So why do they not do so? The reason is perfectly simple. A large section of the upper stratum of society is involved in corrupt practices. That is why uneducated people do not have the courage to raise their voices in protest, prevent immorality and take corrective measures against the corrupt elements active in every sphere of society.

A large number of clerks, teachers, engineers, government officials and business people who comprise the so-called educated section of society indulge in immorality and corruption in their respective professions. Their weak minds indirectly criticize injustice but cannot directly confront it. Thieves can criticize other thieves in a society of thieves, but they cannot offer suggestions in a society of honest people because their lips will quiver and their hearts will palpitate; the condition of corrupt educated people in the upper stratum of society in underdeveloped countries is similar. The Second World War has further complicated the situation.

The characters of such people have to be transformed and they will have to become honest, otherwise none of the evils in society will be eliminated, none of the problems will be solved.

So it is madness to hope that the efforts of the government alone will eliminate the problems in the medical profession, as if by magic.

To turn people into real human beings is the burning issue today, the greatest challenge. There are very few people who can take the lead in this undertaking, this sacred endeavour. Today tormented souls look to the purodhás [spiritual vanguard] of society with great expectations.

Politicians cannot provide what is needed. During the last six thousand years of human history, they have failed at every step. Hence, it would be wise for them to resist the temptation to try and take the lead in any sphere of society.

Business People

Is the medical profession alone floundering in the quagmire of sin? No. Delve into the recesses of any business person’s mind and you will find, in most cases if not all, that the garbage of sin collected there has become utterly putrefied and decomposed and polluted his or her entire psychic environment. The situation has become so bad that in most parts of the world embarking on this profession is tantamount to becoming a refined criminal. I use the term “refined” because no matter what type of business a person may start, their success depends upon their skilful use of persuasive language.

Can a business be run honestly? Why not! Of course it can. But an honestly-run business cannot make one rich overnight. In ancient times, when the varńáshrama [caste] system was in vogue, managing a business honestly was considered to be the social dharma of Vaeshyas.⁽⁵⁾ But today it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for people to run their businesses honestly.

Vaeshyas’ means of earning a living are such that at any moment they may fall victim to greed and indulge in contemptible activities. So the vaeshyas of ancient times had the term sádhu [Sanskrit for “honest”] attached to their names to help them to keep the ideal of honesty constantly alive in their minds. They were known in society as Sádhu (which became Sáhu in Prákrta and finally Sáu or Sáo⁽⁶⁾ today). History tells us that from ancient times vaeshyas have, by monopolizing trade, frequently degraded themselves and betrayed their humanity, and that since the Buddhist Age, they have accumulated most of the wealth in society.

It is worth noting that according to ancient social literature, sociologists and diplomats took a series of measures to save society from the greed and excessive hoarding of the vaeshyas. In the first part of the Middle Ages the power of the government, which was controlled by kśatriyas, was used to launch various campaigns whenever and wherever necessary to limit the hoarding tendency of the vaeshyas.

Chanakya said that a business person who becomes extremely rich is harmful to the state. If a king finds that somebody has become extremely wealthy, he should reduce the person’s wealth and property by imposing direct and indirect taxes on them. If he does not do this, the vaeshyas may destroy the structure of the government unless they can make it the tool of their exploitation. Chanakya also said that if the imposition of taxes fails to stop or control extremely wealthy vaeshyas, the king should poison them to death through a secret agent. These are indeed strong recommendations, but in that age of social darkness there was no alternative. Vaeshyas received the good advice that their responsibility was to earn money and undertake charity, not to hoard wealth.

But the vaeshyas of other times and other countries were unable to fulfil the duties connected with their nature. Because the ignorant people of ancient times were more religious, the vaeshyas used to undertake a little charity in the hope of deriving some benefit in their next life. But today in this age of materialism, vaeshyas are not the slightest bit interested in undertaking charitable work in this life in the hope of gaining some benefit in their next life.

According to Indian social treatises, “Those who donate to others in this life are misers, and those who are misers are actually donors.” This ironic statement was made about hypocritical vaeshyas. “Those who donate to others in this life are misers” means that those who give donations to others in this life have deposited something in their next life’s account; that is, they have successfully arranged so as to maximize their accumulation. And “those who are misers are actually donors” means that misers when they die give up all their hard-earned wealth, because they have not deposited anything in their next life’s account. But the vaeshyas of today are not to be charmed by such humour.

Regarding earning money and hoarding wealth, most vaeshyas today are pishácavats [ghouls]. In Sanskrit pisháca means “one who breaks the neck of an animal and then sucks out all the blood, leaving only the flesh and bones”. In India it is said that it is extremely difficult to understand the nature of these bloodsucking pisháca vaeshyas – because when they drink water, even if it is already pure, they filter it; but on other occasions they drink people’s blood, which, even if it is not pure, they do not bother to filter! Sometimes they kick the heads of their customers, and sometimes they lick the soles of their feet.

Incidentally, the word vaeshyas actually means “those who produce through various occupations”. But today the meaning has completely changed. Today vaeshyas means “those who profit by trading and broking without being directly involved in production”. Where profit is the only objective, there is every possibility that all types of selfish and antisocial activities will flourish. In one sense the vaeshyas of developed countries are better than those of other countries because although they engage in activities which are detrimental to the welfare of the public, they generally prefer not to undertake activities which are harmful to public health, due to either their own consciences or people’s awareness of their rights.

If, after analysing the economic structure of society, I described vaeshyas from developed countries as polished devils, I would find it extremely difficult to find a suitable term for their counterparts in underdeveloped countries. Such vaeshyas are not satisfied with just sucking people’s blood, they often devour their flesh and bones as well; then they beat drums made from the skins of their victims as they deliver religious and philosophical discourses, build temples and construct lodgings for pilgrims, and undertake various other activities. They criticize materialism and try to retard its progress not because they object to it philosophically or psychologically, but because in a materialistic system there is every possibility that their vested interests would be adversely affected. Although they support spirituality, they are not motivated by spiritual sentiments. The fake spirituality they preach actually injects impotency into society. In their endeavours they are assisted by like-minded exploiters who trade in religion.

There is an unhealthy collusion between vaeshyas and those who trade in religion to try to prevent human beings from forcefully asserting their rights. They try to persuade people that exploitation, the sucking of blood, by vaeshyas, is not an outrage but a law of nature; that it is useless to try to bring about social welfare by establishing human rights. The exploited people should forget about the world and support those who trade in religion in order to enjoy unlimited happiness in an imaginary heaven.

Now, let us return to our previous subject. The vaeshyas of today have let loose the reins of their greed. Perhaps they can hear the sound of their death-knell. Because they lack a spirit of sacrifice and are not prepared to undergo hardships in order to progress, the great majority of them are unable to find their path in life. They believe that their business will be short-lived, and like Abu Hussain [a fictitious character who became king for a day] they lack discrimination, plundering as much wealth as they can to satisfy their greed without caring about right or wrong.

Among these vicious vaeshyas there are some who project themselves as philanthropic politicians. They also devour the people, but they shed a few false tears. They too have not discovered any real meaning in life. Their only aim is to fool the public in order to prosper in business. They try to prevent class struggle by advocating non-violence and preaching utopian philosophies, although they realize full well that if spirituality, whether or not it is practised in individual life, is not practised in at least an important section of collective life then it will be impossible to remove the economic disparity and exploitation of the vaeshyas without conflict.

Only the small number of good vaeshyas in whom humanism has begun to develop and who have discovered the meaning of life, should be eligible to guide and manage the material affairs of society. Some among them may say, “What I save, I lose. It is a sin to die rich.”

Business enterprises: Is there any way to escape from the uncontrolled propensities and ghoulish hunger of the vaeshyas? Some argue that all business enterprises should be directly controlled by the state so that people will be free from exploitation. Others argue that all businesses should be run by cooperatives so that people will be able to control their own economic destiny. Still others argue that businesses should be owned by private enterprise, that the state should only indirectly control businesses, and that greedy exploiters should be controlled through legal means; or, if indirect state control is not possible, the state should curb the wealth of the vaeshyas by imposing high taxes. I prefer not to mention the views of those who directly support capitalism, because their opinions are not worth noting. They want the shortcomings in society to remain so that they can continue to exploit the situation.

The widespread nationalization of industry cannot be supported for a number of reasons. The two main reasons are as follows. First, if a state is completely dependent on its bureaucrats (it should be kept in mind that no matter what people say, bureaucrats will always play an important role in the structure of a government, because without them the administration cannot function), it will not be possible to properly run all the large- and small-scale businesses and industries spread over the entire country. Officials are required not only to keep accounts, but also to supervise workers. Secondly, it is not possible for state-controlled industries to be as proficient either industrially or commercially as private enterprises which can make any product more cheaply and with greater efficiency than a state-controlled industry. Without the backing and preferential treatment of the state, state-controlled industries cannot compete with non-government enterprises.

The proposal to run all industrial and commercial enterprises as cooperatives is also unrealistic. This is because a cooperative enterprise is built with the collective labour and intelligence of a group of people who share a common economic structure, have the same requirements, and have markets available nearby for the goods they produce (or purchase). Although an enterprise may be called a business venture and be run using the limited resources of its members, it cannot be called a cooperative unless these three factors are all present. It will not have the fundamental characteristics of a cooperative.

To run a business as a private enterprise under state control is worse than running a business that is completely nationalized, because it will not only suffer from the defects inherent in nationalization, it will also lead to the creation of a group of rich but vikśubdha [disgruntled] vaeshyas in society who in all likelihood will express anti-national sentiments and stoop to any means to re-establish their power. Indirect state control over industrial enterprises and attempts to prevent them from increasing their profits are doomed to failure, because it will not be difficult for business people to deceive the government by falsifying their accounts with the collaboration of dishonest officials. In such a system businesses will not retain the same prices as when they were non-government private enterprises; they will increase their prices due to increased expenditure.

Most countries realize that only imposing high taxes will not be successful once uncontrolled commercial freedom has been granted to business people. In most countries today the revenue collected through sales tax, service tax, income tax, wealth tax, etc., is only a very small fraction of the total revenue that could be collected. Tax evaders are much more intelligent and skilful than those who collect taxes. They are also united by their mutual interests while tax collectors are not. This is because tax collectors fight among themselves for a share of the spoils, remain divided over policies, and show a lack of mutual trust. Hence it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to curb the domination of vaeshyas by trying to force them to pay high taxes. Even if this became possible as a result of tremendous efforts, the common people would not really benefit.

In my opinion we should take a middle path in order to save society from the enormous greed of the vaeshyas. By middle path I do not mean compromising with them and partially tolerating their greed. What I mean is that whatever we do we should do so as to maintain the balance of society. It is inadvisable to act rashly or out of jealousy, because this may adversely affect some spheres of social life, thus undermining the good and honest aspects.

The production and distribution of food and clothing: The most essential things for self-preservation are first food and then clothing. So let us discuss the problems of food and clothing.

In most countries the distribution of food is controlled by business people, and in many countries they control not only the distribution but also the production of food. That is, business people who are farmers in name only own large areas of land legally in their own names or illegally in the names of others, while the farm labourers, peasants or sharecroppers who are the actual farmers, grow golden crops through their own labour and give most of each crop to their non-labouring masters. Almost everyone in the world today has in principle acknowledged that only genuine farmers should own arable land, and that no third party should come between them and the revenue department of the government. So it must be accepted that in the production of food, the question of ownership by non-producing business people does not arise at all.

But those who are themselves farmers, that is, those who, in principle, can be called vaeshyas, is it proper for them to have individual ownership of land? No, certainly not. The amount of arable land one farmer is capable of farming is not very large, so if he or she owns a large amount of land, it will not be possible for him or her to efficiently arrange seeds, improved manure, irrigation, etc. Personal problems also sometimes arise resulting in seeds not being sown or harvests not being reaped on time. Hence, the land may remain uncultivated. Uncultivated land is a liability for the human race.

Land is also unnecessarily wasted by demarcating the boundaries of privately-owned land. (Actually it is a complete waste of land to demarcate the boundaries of land where land is of the same level.)⁽⁷⁾ It is also difficult to introduce improved methods of cultivation on small plots of privately-owned land. Because of this problem many countries, despite being educationally and intellectually developed, have not been able to introduce tractors, the latest technology and scientific systems in the field of agriculture. If anyone thinks that land should be owned by individual cultivators because they are deeply attached to their land, we may also argue that those who own land but do not work in the fields have and will continue to have a deep attachment to their land. Actually in this matter we should give more importance to collective welfare than to the sentiments of the individual.

In my opinion all the land in the entire universe is the common property of every human being. A particular individual, group of individuals or state should only have the right to preserve and properly utilize a particular piece of land. No one should need to worry about the ownership of land.

The preservation and utilization of land should be the responsibility of the local government, which in turn should carry out its duty through producers’ cooperatives composed of actual farmers. The disadvantages of private ownership will not manifest if the land is collectively owned in a cooperative system. The use of proper scientific methods will make it possible to increase crop production without much effort.

It is undesirable for business people to have the right to distribute food grains. Only consumers’ cooperatives should have this right. As long as the production and distribution of crops is controlled by vaeshyas rather than by cooperatives, it is absolutely impossible to stop hoarding, speculation, black marketing and adulteration in food markets. The slightest weakness in such matters will have extremely dangerous consequences. Such weakness is not at all desirable in those who love humanity and practise politics. It is completely immoral for food grains to lie in the warehouses of black marketeers and speculators to be eaten by rats while people die little by little of starvation.

Besides food and clothing, fuel may also be considered an essential commodity. Distributing fuel through business people has the same drawbacks as distributing food. Local consumers’ cooperatives should have the sole right to distribute essential, though not all, varieties of clothing, and the essential fuels produced in their countries (wood is used in some places, and coal or oil in others) in any given age. Producers’ cooperatives should have the sole right to produce essential clothing and, as far as practicable, essential fuels. Where this is not possible (such as where the conditions and climate are unsuitable for spinning thread) the right to produce the associated raw or half-finished materials for a particular industry and to supply them to producers’ cooperatives, should belong to the state government or local autonomous bodies and not to business people. At most, business people should have the right to produce and distribute non-essential foods and fuels, because then there is virtually no chance of their exploiting the common people by exerting undue pressure on them.

The production and distribution of other commodities: Business people should not be given the right to produce reading and writing materials or any commodities not classified as luxury items (such as razor blades, washing soap, etc.) Only producers’ cooperatives or the state government should have this right. These goods should, of course, be distributed through consumers’ cooperatives. Business people may be permitted to produce and distribute commodities considered to be luxury items.

Business people should not have the right to produce materials for constructing houses (such as cement and metal products) that cannot be easily manufactured everywhere. Such materials should be manufactured directly by the state government or by large cooperatives which are supported by the state government. Distribution should be directly arranged by the state government or by state-controlled autonomous bodies. Business people should not be allowed to meddle in such matters at all because they will try to create artificial scarcity, to increase the demand for commodities which are in limited supply.

On the subject of housing materials, I have observed that dishonest business people, in collusion with dishonest government officials, compel the owners of incomplete houses to buy cement, corrugated tiles, etc., from black marketeers by creating circumstantial pressure. Those who are socially aware and have had bitter experiences in such matters should carefully eliminate the cause of this problem.

As with construction materials, the manufacture of drugs is not safe in the hands of business people.

Out of their greed some people add flour, guŕer bátásá⁽⁸⁾ or other things to milk and then demonstrate its thickness with a lactometer, ignoring the detrimental repercussions their actions have on unsuspecting consumers, especially children and sick people. It is not desirable to entrust the production or distribution of any necessary item to criminals who betray society by adulterating medicines, pushing sick people little by little into the jaws of death.

The right to manufacture medicines should be entrusted to autonomous bodies which can distribute the medicines themselves or through consumers’ cooperatives. If necessary, certain types of medicines may be manufactured by the state or central government, but it is preferable for them to be distributed by autonomous bodies or cooperatives.

The production and distribution of [non-essential] housing materials and non-essential food items (such as sweets, betel, etc.) may remain in the hands of business people.

Business people should not have the right to manage banks, because past experience has shown that managers who are dishonest business people have seldom protected the hard-earned savings of ordinary depositors. Many have profited by illegally or recklessly investing the bank’s money; their activities have also ruined many middle-class families. The number of middle-class people who have lost the money they were saving for their old age is not small.

The less private enterprise is provided with business opportunities and the more production and distribution is carried out through cooperatives⁽⁹⁾ and autonomous bodies, the better. The less the government is involved with the public in the areas of production and distribution the better its relationship with them will be, and the less power the central government has in these areas the better.

Trading: In the area of trade, state governments must have the right to take action against those involved in black marketeering, speculation, adulteration, illegal misappropriation and the creation of artificial scarcity, but broad-based autonomous bodies (such as district boards or municipal corporations) should also have sufficient power to act. This is because if ordinary people want to take action against a local offender they may have to register their complaint with an individual police officer, then with the police station, then with the sub-divisional administration and finally with the district administration, the entire process taking about six or nine months, and when they reach the state capital, they learn that such matters come under the jurisdiction of the central government and not the state government. This type of situation is certainly not desirable. The state government must have the right to pass and enforce anti-corruption laws.

To eliminate dishonesty in business, free trade should be established throughout the world as far as possible and the speculative markets of all countries should be immediately closed down.

Actors

I do not believe that all singers, artists or actors who awaken the subtler faculties of mind in others by inspiring them through their art, are business people. (Here I am using the term “business” to describe the people’s mental make-up. It is not correct to call artists who accept money for their own or their families’ basic requirements business people or business-minded.) However, the vast majority of artists (most of whom are actors) are one hundred ten per cent business-minded. My discussion here focuses on these artists.

The purpose of inspiring people through art is to illuminate the dark and lonely recesses of their minds, to remove their monotony and make their life joyful, at least for a little while. But this joyful experience is socially justified only when it spreads a sweet feeling of benevolence in all spheres of society. In other words, art should inspire the creation of sweet, benevolent sentiments and the continual reawakening of latent faculties.

Everyone will agree that this aim can only be achieved when there is a sweet relationship between the artist and the audience. It is not possible through business. Art cannot be allowed to remain in the hands of those who exploit artistic endeavour for business purposes.

Today in most countries of the world those who are not business people or who do not exploit art for business purposes but are genuine artists or art lovers, face acute financial as well as other difficulties for the sake of art. Those who exploit art for business purposes gain name, fame and money and dominate social life. They are the heroes of the youth or the adored goddesses of the cinema-goers. Their pictures adorn living rooms and their autographs are preserved in collectors’ albums. Sarasvatii [the goddess of art and knowledge] has to be liberated from her enslavement to Lakśmii [the goddess of wealth]. Ample opportunities have to be provided to talented artists, and the performances of those who exploit art for business purposes have to be controlled. Speculating on theatrical or cinematic productions has to stop.

Some people maintain that the ownership and management of cinemas, theatres and all types of concert halls should be in the hands of artists’ cooperatives. Although this sounds like a good idea, it does not merit our full support because born artists keep their minds engrossed in benevolent thoughts in order to inspire ordinary people, and thus tend to forget about the hard realities of life. They generally lack the practical intelligence needed to run a cooperative. In my opinion the right to own and manage cinemas, theatres and all types of concert halls should be in the hands of local autonomous bodies which are supported by the state government. However, artists should be completely free to select films and live performances and all other activities related to art.

The salaries of artists should depend upon their abilities and the needs of their families. A large percentage of the net profit from artistic events should be distributed among the artists as bonuses. Provision should also be made so that they receive pensions when they retire.

The youth of a country are attracted to artists; it is therefore the duty of society and the state to monitor these artists’ ideals and character. Otherwise they may exert a harmful influence on young men and women who are the future hope of society. For this reason it is essential for artists to have impeccable conduct, a healthy lifestyle and strength of character. If those whom youths respect as ideal men and women possess an ideal character, the characters of those whom they influence will no doubt also be positively affected. In addition, ideal artists and actors who have a strong character will be able to express their artistic brilliance more sweetly and completely. Characterless, drunken or greedy artists will be considered liabilities by their fans and society.

The nature of art is such that in order to develop it subtle intellect and appreciation as well as deep sensitivity is required. Thus, during that time that artists do not devote to their artistic efforts, they often feel compelled to express their subtle intellect, appreciation and deep sensitivity in a demeaning way. Due to this psychological tendency, we generally find that artists whose singing, dancing, acting or other artistic achievements earn the unstinting praise of hundreds of spectators express their subtle artistic power in quite opposite ways in private life through the pursuit of material gratification. Thus we hear obscene language from devotional singers and observe a strong worldly attachment in detached spiritual aspirants. Those who are fanatically sanctimonious in their youth become immoral lechers in middle age. Actors are no exception.

The only way to save oneself from this kind of psychological degradation is to keep one’s mind constantly engaged in the thought of the Great and to always look upon the world with sweet, benevolent sentiments. Artists and actors must never forget this even for a moment because they have a great responsibility to society and an immeasurable influence over it.

Unlike in the past, people today do not want to establish separate theatrical societies for artists because of immoral conduct. Actors are now a part of society and this will continue. This is necessary in the greater interest of society.

Although actors are not fully accepted in Indian society today, in practice they are becoming or are in the process of becoming fully accepted. So under these circumstances strict vigilance should be kept over the purity of their individual conduct. They should not become the cause of a disease which invades the whole social body like a cancer. If actors and actresses fail to acquire a basic level of personal purity or are reluctant to acquire it, it will be the duty of society and the state to compel them to lead good lives by creating circumstantial pressure. No matter how talented they may be, immoral actors and actresses will have to be deprived of their right to exhibit their artistic talents, and sent to reform schools.

Footnotes

(1) For further discussion on group psychology, see “Service Psychology and Group Psychology” in Volume 4. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 2, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(2) Ayurveda and hekemii are traditional Indian systems of medicine. –Trans.

(3) All matter is constituted of one or more of the five fundamental factors: the ethereal factor, the aerial factor, the luminous factor, the liquid factor and the solid factor. –Trans.

(4) For further discussion on criminals due both to poverty and to instinct, and on the other categories of criminals, see “Justice”. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 2, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(5) “Vaeshyas” are members of the second-lowest caste in the Hindu caste system of India; vaeshyas are those with a capitalistic mentality. –Trans.

(6) Common surnames. –Trans.

(7) Demarcating land with a low mud wall, a foot or so wide, renders that much land unarable. –Trans.

(8) Bátásá are sweets in the form of small, lumpy balls – in this case made from guŕ (raw sugar, boiled sugar-cane juice). –Trans.

(9) For further discussion on cooperatives, see “Agrarian Revolution” in Volume 2, “Farmers’ Cooperatives” in Volume 3, and “Cooperatives” and “Cooperative Production” in Volume 4. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 2, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

Chapter 11	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

To the great hero Shrii Subhash Chandra Bose
whom I did love and whom I do love even now.

1

Parama Puruśa [Supreme Consciousness] is my Father, Paramá Prakrti [Supreme Operative Principle] is my Mother, and the universe is my homeland. We are all citizens of this universe. The universe is the thought projection of the Macrocosmic Mind, and it is in the extroversial and introversial phases of the Cosmic imaginative flow that the creation, preservation and destruction of all entities continues.

When an individual imagines an object, then that person alone, and no one else, is the owner of the object. For example, when an imaginary human being roams about in an imaginary green field, the imaginer, and not the imaginary person, is the owner of the field. The universe is the thought projection of Brahma [the Supreme Entity], so the ownership of the universe lies with the Supreme Entity, and not with His⁽¹⁾ imagined beings.

None of the movable or immovable property of this universe belongs to any particular individual; everything is the common patrimony of all, and the Father of all is Brahma. All living beings can enjoy their rightful share of this property, like members of a joint family in the Dáyabhága⁽²⁾ system. As members of a joint family, human beings should safeguard this common property in a befitting manner and utilize it properly. They should also make proper arrangements so that everyone can enjoy it with equal rights, ensuring that all have the minimum requirements of life to enable them to live in a healthy body with a sound mind.

We must not forget, even for a single moment, that the entire animate world is a vast joint family. Nature has not assigned any portion of this property to any particular individual. Private ownership has been created by selfish opportunists, as the loopholes in this system provide them with ample scope for self-aggrandizement through exploitation. When the entire wealth of the universe is the common patrimony of all living beings, can the system in which some roll in luxury, while others, deprived of a morsel of food, shrivel up and starve to death bit by bit, be said to have the support of dharma?

In a joint family every member is provided with adequate food, clothing, education and medical treatment, and amenities, as per their individual needs, according to the financial capacity of the entire family. If, however, any member of the family appropriates more grains, clothes, books or medicines than he or she requires, will that person not be the cause of distress to other members of the family? In such circumstances his or her actions will be certainly against dharma – certainly antisocial.

Similarly, the capitalists of this modern world are anti-dharma, or antisocial, creatures. To accumulate massive wealth, they reduce others to skin and bones gnawed by hunger and force them to die of starvation; to dazzle people with the glamour of their garments, they compel others to wear rags; and to increase their own vital strength, they suck dry the vital juice of others.

A member of a joint family cannot be called a social being if he or she does not possess the sentiment of oneness with the other members, or if he or she does not want to accept the lofty ideal of joint rights and the principle of rationality. According to true spiritual ideology the system of private ownership cannot be accepted as absolute and final, and hence capitalism cannot be supported either.

2

Considering the collective interests of all living beings, it is essential that capitalism be eradicated. But, what should be the proper method to achieve this end?

It cannot be denied that violence gives rise to violence. Then again, nothing can ensure that the application of force without violence, with the intention of rectification, will necessarily bring good results. So what should be done under such circumstances?

Nothing would be better, if it were possible, than the eradication of capitalism by friendly persuasion and humanistic appeals. In that case the peace of the greater human family would not be much disturbed. But can it be guaranteed that everyone will respond to this approach? Some people may say that a day will come when, as a result of repeatedly listening to such appeals and gradually imbibing them over a long time, as well as through proper mental and spiritual education, good sense will prevail among the exploiters. This argument is very pleasant to hear. Such attempts are not reprehensible. But is it practicable to wait indefinitely for good sense to prevail among the exploiters? By then the exploited mass will have given up the ghost!

Though the humanistic approach works in some cases, in most instances it does not produce any result; and even where it does work, it takes a very long time. So, wherever necessary, capitalism must be forced to abandon its ferocious hunger by taking strong measures. But it cannot be assumed that even these measures will be completely successful, because those who appear to be under control due to fear of the law will adopt other ways to fulfil their desires. Black marketing, adulteration, etc., cannot be totally eradicated by threats or by arousing fear of the law.

Thus, stronger measures will have to be taken; that is, tremendous circumstantial pressure will have to be created. To create this sort of circumstantial pressure, the application of force is absolutely necessary. Those who believe that the non-application of force alone is ahiḿsá [not to hurt anyone] are bound to fail. No problem in this world can be solved by adopting this kind of ahiḿsá.

3

I cannot support the attitude of those who denounce capitalism at every opportunity, because this allows capitalists to become alert and invent more scientific and devious ways to exploit the people. Those who lack a constructive ideology will never be capable of destroying capitalism, even if they speak sweet words, use threats, or create circumstantial pressure.

4

The ambition to become rich by exploiting others is a type of psychic disease. In fact, if the infinite longing of the human mind does not find the proper path leading to psychic and spiritual fulfilment, it becomes engaged in accumulating excessive physical wealth by depriving others. If any member of a joint family appropriates food from the family food store by using physical or intellectual force, he or she becomes the cause of misery to others. Similarly, when capitalists declare, “We have amassed wealth by our talent and labour. If others have the capacity and diligence, let them also do the same; nobody prevents them,” they do not care to realize that the volume of commodities on the earth is limited, whereas the requirement is common to all. Excessive individual affluence, in most cases, deprives others of the minimum requirements of life.

The incapability to recognize the requirements of others because of insensitiveness is a psychic disease. Those afflicted with this disease are also members of the vast human family; they are also our brothers and sisters. So, either by making humanitarian appeals or by creating circumstantial pressure, arrangements will have to be made to cure them of their ailment. It would be a great sin even to think of their destruction.

5

Even if extreme steps, such as threats and circumstantial pressure, are taken, can it be said that the nature of those with vested interests is going to be reformed? Rather, they will always search for suitable opportunities to launch a counter-revolution.

To protect the common people from the clutches of exploitation, as an initial measure we will have to create circumstantial pressure, but to reform the character of these ailing people, long-term arrangements will also have to be made for their psychic and spiritual education. Human society is ready to wait indefinitely to reform their character by psychic and spiritual methods, because by then their fangs will have been broken, and by creating circumstantial pressure, their capacity for exploitation will have been snatched away.

6

Another excellent example of vested interest is the caste system! Once a section of people established its supremacy over others through the power of superior knowledge and intellect. Even today the descendants of that section of people want their social supremacy and opportunities for exploitation to continue unchallenged.

7

We cannot neglect even a single living being in this creation, nor can we ignore the smallest part of the universe. So, as far as possible, the industrial system should be organized according to the principle of decentralization.

Industrial development in one part of the world cannot satisfactorily eradicate poverty or unemployment in another part. Therefore, in the industrial system, it is necessary to build up numerous self-sufficient units, at least for those industrial and agricultural commodities which are considered to be essential for maintaining life. Otherwise people will have to suffer tremendous hardships during war and other abnormal circumstances. With the development of transportation and communication, the size of these units can be expanded.

8

In the field of industry, the necessity of both small-scale and large-scale industries will have to be accepted. For example, the requisite amount of yarn needed to meet the demand for cloth in a self-sufficient unit may be produced by many big yarn mills. Here the production of yarn can be treated as a large-scale industry, and with the help of this industry, numerous small-scale industries will prosper. Viable weavers’ cooperatives can be established, centred on each yarn mill. Weavers will then get the opportunity to weave cloth while remaining in their own homes. They will no longer be required to leave their homes at the call of a distant large-scale industry. At the same time the weaving industry will not suffer even during times of war, because everything will be within easy reach.

The acceptance of both small-scale and large-scale industries does not mean that old machinery is to be encouraged. With the development of science, advanced machinery will have to be utilized. The attempt to stop the use of sugar by advertising the benefits of molasses, or to campaign against mill-made cloth by extolling the virtues of khadi, is senseless. As long as advanced mechanization and scientific decentralization have not been adopted, molasses, hand-spun cloth and similar enterprises should be encouraged, and their importance to the rural economy must be accepted.

Where industrialization is intended to plunder profits, obviously the policy of decentralization is not likely to be supported. But where industrialization is intended to meet the requirements of society, there can be no objection to the policy of decentralization.

9

In fact, the use of advanced scientific technology means rapid mechanization. Conservative people vociferously criticize this mechanization. Actually, such mechanization within a capitalistic structure inevitably brings more misery, in the form of unemployment, to the common people. That is why conservative people oppose it.

Those who want to promote public welfare without antagonizing capitalism will have to oppose mechanization. This is because when the productive capacity of machinery is doubled, the required human labour is decreased by half, so the capitalists retrench large numbers of workers from their factories. A few optimists may say, “Under circumstantial pressure other ways will be found to employ these surplus labourers in different jobs, and the very effort to find these alternatives will accelerate scientific advancement, so the ultimate result of mechanization under capitalism is, in fact, good.” This view, though not useless, has no practical value, because it is not possible to arrange new jobs for retrenched workers as quickly as they become surplus labourers due to rapid mechanization. Surplus labourers are ruined, bit by bit, due to poverty and hunger. A few among them try to keep body and soul together by resorting to petty theft, armed robbery, profligacy and other sorts of antisocial activities, but this situation is certainly not desirable.

In a collective economic system there is no scope for such an unhealthy situation; in this system mechanization will lead to less labour and more prosperity. With the double increase in the productivity of machines, the working hours of labourers will be reduced by half. Of course, the reduction in working hours will have to be determined keeping in view the demand for commodities and the availability of labour.

In a collective economic system the benevolent use of science will bring about human welfare. It is possible that as a result of mechanization no one will be required to work for more than five minutes a week. Not always being preoccupied with the problems of acquiring food, clothing, etc., people’s psychic and spiritual potentialities will no longer be wasted. They will be able to devote ample time to such activities as sports, literary pursuits and spiritual practices.

10

The necessity of the trade union movement, to safeguard the interests of workers, cannot be denied. To guide this movement along the proper path, appropriate steps must be taken.

Generally it is observed that trade union leaders do nothing to make workers conscious of their responsibilities in comparison to the extent to which they try to create in workers an awareness of their rights and demands. The best way to rectify this situation is to clearly accept the right of workers to participate in the management of industrial, trade and commercial enterprises. In this regard idealistic sermons or moral preaching will not bring positive results.

Another great defect in the trade union movement is that its leadership does not always remain in the hands of true manual labourers or other workers. Political leaders with party interests tend to dominate trade unions. Their primary objective is to promote the selfish interests of the party, not the welfare of the workers.

11

Industry, agriculture, trade and commerce – almost everything – needs to be managed, as far as possible, through cooperative organizations. For this, special facilities will have to be provided to cooperative organizations whenever necessary. Adequate safeguards will have to be arranged, and slowly private ownership, or the system of individual management, will have to be eradicated from specific areas of agriculture, industry, trade and commerce.

Only those enterprises which are difficult to manage on a cooperative basis because they are either too small, or simultaneously small and complex, can be left to individual management. Similarly, the responsibility for those enterprises which cannot be conveniently managed on a cooperative basis because they are either too large, or simultaneously large and complex, can be undertaken by the immediate state government (in the case of a federation), or by the local body (in the absence of a federation).

It is desirable that the management of industrial, agricultural, trade and commercial enterprises not be in the hands of the central government or the world government (after the establishment of the world government). If it is, the common people will not get the direct or even the indirect opportunity to participate in the management of these enterprises. In such cases capitalists, opportunists or self-seeking politicians can easily take control of them and misappropriate public wealth.

12

In all human actions the tender touch of humanity should be present. Those with the tendency to not deprive others cannot, on the grounds of justice and equity, accept the principle of private ownership. The economic structures in the world today, however, are not based on human rights. In order to recognize human rights, one will have to be ready for revolutionary changes, and one will also have to welcome them. The socialization of landed property, industry, trade and commerce – almost everything – is the major objective of this revolution.

Here, in this context, I deliberately have not used the term “nationalization”. Just as the slogans, “Landlords are not the owners of the land” and, “Industrialists are not the owners of the factories” are incorrect, similarly the slogans, “Land belongs to those who push the plough” and, “Factories belong to those who wield the hammer” are also incorrect. The people in general are the real owners of all the wealth in this world, and that is why I have used the term “socialization”.

Among those who support the elimination of private ownership, some consider that adequate compensation should be paid before taking over landed properties, factories and commercial enterprises. Others consider that, until now, the capitalist owners of such enterprises have perpetuated immense exploitation, so the question of compensation cannot arise. If the payment of compensation continues for a long time, it is very true that the rapid welfare of the people will not be possible. Hence, the proposal to purchase the properties of capitalists cannot be supported.

It is also true that the owners of such properties are not always physically fit or financially well off. The owner of a property may be a helpless widow or an extremely old invalid. In such cases, certainly, a pension should be arranged for them. Of course, if the owner of a property happens to be a minor, then, definitely, a stipend has to be arranged for his or her upbringing and education! Even in the case where the owner is a strong and healthy man, if there is no other means of livelihood, suitable opportunities will have to be made for his income, according to his qualifications and capacities. This is the proper humanistic arrangement.

13

Those who shudder at the sight of various social vices and lament, “Everything is lost; righteousness is gone; morality has vanished…” should realize that among all the causes behind this so-called all-round degeneration, social injustice is the principal one.

Because of injustices against women with respect to their social rights and because women are economically crippled, a section of women is compelled to take to prostitution. Although there are many causes of this profession, these are the main two.

Ananda Marga recognizes that women are as dignified human beings as men. Ananda Marga, in addition, wants to encourage women to be economically independent of men. The system in which characterless men swagger about in society while fallen women are denied proper opportunities despite their sincere desire to lead an honest life, can never be supported by justice. Women who desire to lead an honest life must be given a respectable place in society.

14

The dowry system is yet another glaring example of social injustice. In my book Human Society [Part 1], I have already mentioned that the dowry system has two major causes: the first is economic, and the second is the numerical disparity between women and men.⁽³⁾ With the decreasing economic dependence of women on men, the inequity of the dowry system will cease to exist. But to expedite this process, it is essential to propagate high ideals among young men and women. Our sons and daughters are not commodities like rice, pulse, salt, oil or cattle that they can be haggled over in the marketplace.

15

The cry, “Peace! Peace!” has become a craze in the world today. Can anything be achieved by such cries? There is no way to establish peace except to fight against the very factors which disturb peace. Even in the personal life of every human being, there is a constant fight between the benevolent and the malevolent intellect, or between vidyá and avidyá. At times vidyá triumphs, while at other times avidyá wins. In social life, too, this fight between vidyá and avidyá continues.

Vidyá has to fight avidyá, and in this fight wherever and as long as vidyá remains triumphant, there is a special type of peace which may be called sáttvikii shánti [sentient peace]. Similarly, wherever and as long as avidyá remains victorious in this fight, there, also, a special type of peace prevails which may be called támasikii shánti [static peace]. Thus we find that peace is actually a relative factor.

Absolute or permanent peace cannot occur in collective life because the created universe, which is embedded in the process of saiṋcara [extroversion] and pratisaiṋcara [introversion] is, in fact, dominated first by Avidyá [extroversial force], and then by Vidyá [introversial force], respectively.⁽⁴⁾ When the existence of the universe is rooted in the existence of these two, then permanent peace (támasikii or sáttvikii as the case may be) in the universe would mean the cessation of the activities of either Vidyá or Avidyá, or both. This is why it has to be said that collective peace in the universe cannot occur except in the case of pralaya,⁽⁵⁾ and the concept of pralaya is illogical. However in individual life human beings can certainly achieve absolute peace through sadhana. From the worldly viewpoint I consider this state to be the pralaya of individual life.

Where government servants are strong, static, antisocial individuals maintain a low profile. Then a special kind of peace prevails in a country, and this I call “sentient peace”. Where government servants are weak, righteous people bend their heads before the dominant influence of antisocial individuals. This is also a kind of peaceful state, which I call “static peace”.

Static peace is definitely not desirable. Suppose a particular group of people belonging to a particular region oppress or attack another group of people of the same region or of some other region. In such circumstances, if all others simply remain mute spectators or resort to the path of negotiation, compromise or mutual settlement as the only solution, it should be clearly understood that they are encouraging static peace.

Now, suppose a man seems to have good relations with his neighbours, but it becomes apparent that he is about to murder his wife, what should be the duty of the neighbours? Will they remain tight-lipped, sit quietly with their arms folded, and dismiss the situation as purely a domestic affair, thereby making the murder of the woman easier, and thus assist in establishing static peace? No, that is not the dictum of human dharma. On the contrary they should rush to the house, break down the door, save the woman, take suitable action against the male tyrant, and in this way come forward to establish sentient peace.

Likewise, if any country perpetrates atrocities on its minorities or attacks a weak neighbouring country, then the other neighbouring countries should, if necessary, resist the oppressor with the force of arms, and thereby come forward to establish sentient peace.

Thus, those who are keen to establish sentient peace must endeavour to acquire strength. It is impossible for goats to establish sentient peace in the society of tigers.

Regrettably, it has to be said that those who hold the view that non-violence means non-application of force can neither establish sentient peace, nor defend their hard-earned freedom. Their declaration of non- violence may be deceitful, or a diplomatic manoeuvre to conceal their weaknesses, but it will never be possible to establish sentient peace through this type of approach.

16

Every atom and molecule of this universe is the common property of all living beings. This has to be recognized as a matter of principle. After recognizing this fact, statements such as, “This is indigenous and that is foreign”, “So-and-so is qualified for the citizenship of such-and-such country while others are not” and, “Such-and-such community will get certain political rights, neither more nor less than that”, are totally irrelevant. In fact, such statements nakedly expose the vested interests. Where the people of one country suffer due to lack of land or food, while those of another country have abundant land and plentiful food, what else is it but a type of capitalism!

All people have the right to travel and settle anywhere and everywhere they like and live as dignified human beings – this is their birthright. If certain groups in any country refuse to accept this fundamental right of human beings, then it is to be understood that their slogans for peace are nothing but mere hoaxes intended to hoodwink the people. What to speak of this tiny earth, every planet, satellite, star, meteor and galaxy is the homeland of human beings! If anyone wants to deprive people of this birthright, human beings will have to establish it by force.

Sab deshe mor desh ache
Ámi sei desh laba bújhiyá

[All countries are my native land;
I shall select my own homeland.]

17

The absence of collective outlook is the root of all evil. The strong are perpetrating atrocities and injustices on the weak; powerful human groups are exploiting powerless ones. Under such circumstances it is the duty of virtuous people to wage war on the oppressors. It is no use sitting quietly, waiting indefinitely for moral preaching to bring results. All virtuous people will, therefore, have to become united. At the same time preparations will have to continue to fight against the demons.

Those who perpetrate atrocities on collective life or on a particular human group, cannot be pardoned. In such cases pardoning not only reflects weakness, it also encourages injustice, because the oppressors become more tyrannical. In individual life, if an innocent person is oppressed by dishonest people, the person, if he or she so desires, may pardon the oppressors, just to test his or her capacity for tolerance or for some other reason. But if the oppressors torture a human group, in that case no single individual, as the representative of the group, can pardon them, and actually that person has no right to do so. If the representative acts beyond his or her jurisdiction, that person will be denounced by the group he or she represents. So it has to be said that pardoning is a practice for individual life only, not for collective life.

18

The more the human mind becomes magnanimous or expanded, the more it rises above the sentiments of tribalism, communalism, provincialism, etc. Often I hear people say that nationalism is an appreciable sentiment and that there is no narrowness in it. But is this true? Nationalism is also relative, just like tribalism, communalism or provincialism. In some places it is more worthwhile than tribalism, communalism or provincialism, while in other places it is less worthwhile.

Let us consider, for example, the case of a Portuguese nationalist. The mental object of a Muslim communalist is certainly larger than that of a Portuguese nationalist, because the former desires the welfare of a greater number of people than the latter. This is because the number of Muslims in the world is greater than the number of Portuguese. Judged from this perspective, I cannot denounce the sentiments of a Muslim communalist in comparison to a Portuguese nationalist. Similarly, it has to be accepted that the sentiments of a Rajput casteist are broader than those of a Portuguese nationalist, because the former desires the welfare of more people than the latter. Likewise, the feelings of an Andhrite provincialist will have to be considered broader than those of a Portuguese nationalist. If one supports provincialism with seventy-five million Bengalees, it must be accepted that these feelings are more expanded than the nationalism of most of the nations of the world. (The population of most of the nations of the world is less than the population of Bengal.)

Hence it is observed that communalism, casteism, provincialism and nationalism are all of the same defective type. Those who are able to capitalize on one of these sentiments advocate it volubly. In fact, every one of these sentiments suffers from the defect of ism, and is completely filled with narrowness, violence, envy, mean mindedness, etc. Those who enter the field of social welfare by creating divisions between “yours” and “mine”, substantially widen the fissures of fissiparous intellect in human society.

Those who want to promote the welfare of all human beings, remaining above all sorts of parochial sentiments, have no alternative but to embrace universalism with their heart and soul – there is no other way. As universalism is totally devoid of any characteristic of ism, it is not proper to depict universalism as an ism. If everyone is looked upon as one’s own, no one remains beyond the periphery of one’s kith and kin. Naturally, then, there is no scope for violence, envy, narrowness, etc.

19

The more time is passing by, the more the glare of casteism, provincialism, communalism and nationalism is fading away. The human beings of today must understand that in the near future they will definitely have to accept universalism. So those who seek to promote social welfare will have to mobilize all their vitality and intellect in the endeavour to establish a world organization, abandoning all plans to form communal or national organizations. They will have to engage themselves in constructive activities in a straight-forward manner, instead of resorting to duplicity and deceitfulness.

Many people say that divergent national interests are the only impediments to the formation of a world organization, or a world government. But I say this is not the only obstacle, rather it is just a minor impediment. The main obstacle is the apprehension of local leaders that they will lose their leadership. With the establishment of a world government, the total domination which they exercise today in their respective countries, societies and nations will cease to exist.

Divergent national interests and popular scepticism may stand in the way of the formation of a world government. To allay baseless fears from the minds of the people, this task should be carried out step by step. Obstacles will have to be negotiated with an open mind, and the world government will have to be strengthened gradually, not suddenly. For example, to run the world government, two houses may be maintained for an indefinite period. The lower house will be composed of representatives from various parts [countries] of the world, elected on the basis of population. The members of the upper house will be elected country-wise. This will provide opportunities to those countries which cannot send even a single representative to the lower house due to their small population, because they will be able to express their opinions before the people of the world by sending their representatives to the upper house. The upper house will not adopt any bill unless it has been passed by the lower house, but the upper house will reserve the right to reject the decisions of the lower house.

Initially the world government should go on working merely as a law-framing body. The world government should also have the right to make decisions regarding the application or non-application of any law, for a limited period, in any particular region.

In the first phase of the establishment of the world government, the governments of different countries will have only administrative power. As they will not have the authority to frame laws, it will be somewhat difficult for them to arbitrarily inflict atrocities on their linguistic, religious or political minorities.

20

With advances in technology, the mastery of human beings over space and time will continue slowly to increase, so the necessity of a world government, also, will be profoundly felt. Gradually the people in one region of the world will have to interact more with the people in various other regions, and in the course of this interaction they will have to try to understand one another better.

The human race has numerous languages. Each language is our language, the language of all of us. In this context sentiments such as, “My language; your language” or, “Indigenous language; foreign language” are extremely defective. Only this much can be said: that we have many languages, but I can express myself in one or more than one language among them.

Although all the languages of the world deserve equal respect, a common language for the convenient exchange of ideas among people of different regions of the world will have to be selected. The most widely spoken language in the world will have to be accepted with an open mind as the vishva bháśá [universal or world language]. As long as the world government is not vested with full administrative authority over the entire world, different states in various parts of the world may, at their convenience, accept the world language or any other local language as their official language. What- ever language may be accepted as the official language by any particular state, it will not be proper to allow any slackness in facilitating the study and teaching of the world language. Under no circumstances can we keep ourselves cut off from the rest of the world like frogs in a well. Or, staying away from our other brothers and sisters throughout the world in the name of nationalism, under no circumstances should we die, breaking our heads in darkness.

Although, at present, English is the world language, all languages are subject to birth and death. So it cannot be said that English will continue to enjoy the same status for eternity. The most widely spoken language in the world in any particular age will have to be acknowledged as the world language of that age.

21

For the general convenience of the people of the world, the necessity of a world script is not as great as the necessity of a world language. But then, it cannot be denied that learning languages will be easier if the different languages of the world are written in one script.

Among all the scripts prevalent in the world, the Roman script is the most scientific. But if this script is used for all spoken languages, certain practical difficulties will arise. Besides this, people are partial to their regional scripts. In my opinion it is better if the decision whether to use the Roman script for different languages or not is left to the people who speak those languages. The greater the number of people who learn the Roman script as the world script, the better it is.

There is no rule that the script of the world language of a particular age is to be the world script of that age. Rather, the script which is judged to be the most scientific script of the particular age will be the world script. The study of the world language of the age should be undertaken in that very script.

22

Compared to the world language, the necessity of a world script is much less, while a world dress is not necessary at all. Why only a world dress? In my opinion even the national dress of different countries is not desirable.

People select their dress in accordance with the local climate and environment, depending upon their physical needs and professional requirements, hence it is better not to criticize anyone’s dress. For example, the normal dress in eastern India and East Pakistan [Bangladesh] is lungi, dhoti [men’s lower-body garments] and punjabi [a style of men’s shirt], but men wear trousers, as required, while working in factories. Likewise, in north-western India and West Pakistan [Pakistan], while the traditional dress is páyjámá [loose-fitting pants] and sheroyánii [another style of men’s shirt], peasants never wear this dress while ploughing the fields. Under such circumstances, the question whether one dress is good and another is bad does not arise.

23

The human race has only one culture. I am not prepared to accept that there are numerous cultures. But then, this much can be said: the dances, songs, pronunciations and festive celebrations of various groups of the human race have their local peculiarities. These local peculiarities, or differences in manners and customs, cannot be considered separate cultures.

Such differences in the local manners and customs of human beings cannot be removed by the force of law or by dictatorial rule. If attempts are made to destroy local manners and customs, languages, and other social conventions in the name of national unity, human unity, or national sentiment, in all likelihood that will result in the escalation of mutual distrust and violence, which will lead collective life down the path of destruction.

I am in favour of social synthesis. In my opinion, the more intimately people associate with one another and the more closely one corner of the earth comes to another corner, the more local specialities in customs and manners will create newer forms as a result of frequent intermixing. The flowers of different gardens will be gathered together and transformed into a bouquet. The beauty of the bouquet will be no less than the beauty of the individual flowers, rather it will be more beautiful. The melody of Dhrupada⁽⁶⁾ will be transformed into Kheyal,⁽⁷⁾ while classical music will be changed into kiirtana, bául, bhát́iyálii, járii, darbeshi,⁽⁸⁾ etc.

If different countries or if people of so-called different communities show enthusiasm for increasing social interaction and matrimonial relations, within a very short time social synthesis can be achieved. To some extent we notice the positive effects of such synthesis in cosmopolitan cities.

24

The population of the world is rapidly increasing. Naturally, many people have become extremely alarmed about this. In capitalist countries there are sufficient reasons for such alarm, because in these countries the increasing population means greater poverty for the people.

In a collective economic system, however, there is no reason for such alarm. In the event of shortages in the food and accommodation of an entire population, people, through their collective efforts, will convert uncultivated regions into new cornfields [arable land], increase the productivity of the soil by applying scientific methods, and produce human food from the earth, water and air by chemical processes. If the earth becomes depleted of resources, the people of the world will rush to other planets and satellites in search of new land.

In capitalist countries, if people adopt birth control methods to avoid financial hardship in their families, there is nothing to be said against them. However, using birth control methods which deform the bodies of men and women or which destroy their reproductive capacity forever, cannot be supported, because in such cases a severe mental reaction may appear in them at any moment.⁽⁹⁾

25

Science is moving fast – it is moving ahead and it will continue to move ahead. Nobody can check the advancement of science by criticizing it. Those who try to make such attempts will themselves lag behind – they will be rejected by the modern world.

Human beings will definitely be able to increase human longevity by scientific techniques. In certain special cases they will even be able to restore life to dead bodies. The endeavour to expedite the advent of that auspicious day of science is certainly an important part of social service.

One day human beings will also learn how to produce human babes in science laboratories. Perhaps then it will be possible for human beings to place an order for their children and to get children according to their choice. Why should these laboratory babes lag behind modern humans with respect to intellectual and spiritual wealth! Those opposed to science today challenge, “Let human beings demonstrate that they can produce living entities!” By producing laboratory babes, the human beings of the future will give a befitting reply to this challenge.⁽¹⁰⁾

The development of intuition will make human beings more spiritually inclined. What Saguńa Brahma [the Qualified Supreme Entity] is directly doing today will be done increasingly by the human beings of tomorrow. In that age the reproductive capacity of the human body will gradually cease to exist.

26

Party politics is one of the factors which stands, or tries to stand, in the way of human unity. In fact party politics is even more dangerous than disease-causing germs. In party politics all the refined attributes of the human mind, such as simplicity and the spirit of service, slowly but surely get totally destroyed. Party affiliation commands more respect than individual ability; service to self, not service to people, is the main motto; ministerial office, rather than human welfare, is considered superior; and mass deception, political somersaults, etc., are most common phenomena.

Instead of rectifying themselves, politicians want to accomplish everything through their grandiloquence. By identifying the weaknesses in others and by resorting to bombastic language, they incite one section of people against another so that they can usurp the seat of power and cling to it. Human beings will have to remain vigilant against persons of this type.

Politicians want to poke their noses into every aspect of life: social, religious, educational, literary, etc. Under the hypnotic spell of power, politicians remain oblivious of the fact that experience and wisdom in various spheres of life cannot be acquired by merely mouthing high-sounding slogans from public platforms.

27

Honest and benevolent individuals should carefully steer clear of party politics. The question may arise, In the absence of party politics, will honest individuals succeed on their own in forming governments or in serving the state? Is there any necessity for organized endeavour? In answer to this question I will say that those who are honest, who really want to promote human welfare, and who believe in a world government and the ideals of Ánanda Parivára [a blissful, universal family], must possess the spirit of mutual cooperation. They may form themselves into boards exclusively for the purpose of rendering social service collectively (and not for fomenting politics), but it will not be proper for such boards to contest elections.

People should cast their votes for deserving human beings – not for the lamppost holding the party ticket.⁽¹¹⁾

To further the interests of the party, party politics may publicly oppose something which is often secretly encouraged. Communalism, provincialism, casteism, etc. – none of these are considered bad for the sake of party interests. The only identity of human beings is that they are humans – living beings. Party politics strives to keep people oblivious of this fact – it tries to pulverize the psychic wealth of human beings under the steamroller of party interests.

28

The fight between vidyá and avidyá will continue as long as the creation exists. Politicians averse to spirituality will never be able to stop this fight by delivering high-sounding speeches from public platforms or by releasing white doves. To fight against avidyá, human beings will have to become powerful. For this, the power of weapons, psychic power and spiritual power – all three – are required.

Those who are professional hypocrites will never perform spiritual practices. Even if they deliver high-sounding speeches on spirituality to further their own interests, they will not be able to inspire the common people to adopt spiritual practices, because they themselves lack the required strength of character. Bitterly disgusted with the deceitfulness of such leaders, the common people will not get any of the ingredients necessary to increase their psychic wealth. Finally politicians will come to depend solely on the strength of arms. Thus it is found that brute force alone is their only refuge.

29

The common people can be temporarily bewildered by the chicanery of party politics, and this is especially so when politicians happen to be good orators. By the power of their oratory, politicians try to escape from the consequences of their misdeeds. It is noticeable that politicians, to further their party interests and to enhance their individual power and position, do not hesitate even to cause suffering to millions of people. Perhaps, out of a sense of duty, the common people should impeach (in a court of justice) culpable politicians.

By merely delivering a few fiery lectures before less intelligent common people, the protagonists of party politics tear apart all the hopes and aspirations of the common people and undermine their prosperity. Various bizarre ideas jumble the minds of the common people, and they become dumbstruck.

30

The fight between vidyá and avidyá will go on forever; so the necessity of more or less police and military will also go on forever. But then, when the world government is established, this necessity will decrease.

As there is always fight between vidyá and avidyá, more or less class struggle, too, will continue forever. Hence those who day-dream that, after establishing a classless society, they will be able to enjoy a sound slumber with their arms and legs outstretched, will be totally disappointed.⁽¹²⁾

31

It is essential to keep the educational system meticulously free from the clutches of party politics. The financial responsibility for the educational system lies with the state, but the absolute right regarding formulating courses of study, evolving teaching methodology, preparing curricula, etc., should remain solely with educationists or the universities, but it cannot dictate to them. It may send proposals for due consideration, but it cannot exert pressure for their acceptance.⁽¹³⁾

The same applies to the broadcasting networks, cinema, etc., which are crucial for imparting mass education. It is not permissible for these to be converted into the victory drums [propaganda machinery] of party interests.

32

The question may arise, Is it possible to establish the world government and Ánanda Parivára without struggle? In reply I will say, “Yes.” The greatest social welfare for the human race will be accomplished if those who aspire to establish the world government or Ánanda Parivára engage themselves only in constructive activities and selfless service, instead of wasting their vital energy in the vortex of politics, or in political conflicts. They will have to go on rendering social service with steadfast commitment, without any ulterior motive in their minds.

Those states which cooperate with such missionaries in their social service activities will be considered to be desirous of establishing the world government or Ánanda Parivára. The common people of those states which do not cooperate will become agitated, and these agitated people will form the world government or Ánanda Parivára through revolution. For this, the missionaries need not enter the dirty arena of party politics.

Those who want to cure society of disease will have to keep an eye on every individual, because collective purification lies in individual purification. Otherwise, by delivering high-sounding speeches from political platforms, it will not be possible to raise the collective standard of living.

Only psychic and spiritual education can create sadvipras. Only those who are established in Yama and Niyama⁽¹⁴⁾ – who are imbued with Cosmic ideation – I call sadvipras.

Political leaders cannot create sadvipras by haranguing people from public platforms – this demands righteousness and the practice of self-purification in personal life. Furthermore, what type of people come to deliver lectures from these platforms? Are they not the ones resorting to mud-slinging for the sake of party politics? Most of them are blinded by their obsession for power, so what can they teach others?

Andhenaeva niiyamánáh yathándháh

[They are just like the blind leading the blind.]

33

As a system of government, democracy cannot be accepted as the highest and best. Among all the systems human beings have been able to devise so far, democracy can be considered to be the best of a bad lot. If human beings can devise a better system in future, it will be proper to accept it wholeheartedly. Many defects in democracy have been discovered by human beings who have already started rectifying them.

In a democratic system securing the highest number of votes is proof of a person’s eligibility. However this eligibility is not adequately examined in all cases. In my opinion the popularity of a candidate securing the highest number of votes needs to be tested again if he or she polls less than half the total number of votes cast. In this test arrangements will have to be made so that people can vote either for or against the candidate. If the candidate polls more favourable votes, only then will he or she be declared elected.

No candidate should be declared elected without a contest. Rich and influential people can compel other candidates, by financial inducements or intimidation, to withdraw their nomination papers. So in cases where it is found that there is only one candidate, the popularity of the candidate will have to be tested. If the candidate fails in this test, the candidate and all those who withdrew their nomination papers will forfeit the right to contest the subsequent by-election for that constituency. This means that they will have to wait until the next election.

Although the system of seat reservation⁽¹⁵⁾ is against democratic principles, temporary arrangements for seat reservation, if desired, may be permitted for backward communities.⁽¹⁶⁾ But generally it is found that among the representatives of backward communities, the number of competent persons is very few. Hence the right to contest reserved seats should not be limited to those belonging to a particular community. At the time of the primary election of the candidates for the reserved seat, however, only those belonging to the community for which the seat has been reserved will enjoy the right to vote. That is, two people will be nominated for the one seat in the primary election. Later, either of the two will be finally elected by the vote of the general public. If, in the primary election, only one candidate is nominated – that is, there is no other contestant – in that case his or her popularity must be tested before the general public. Only if a backward or minority community clearly demands seat reservation will it be adopted, otherwise not.

A candidate must declare his or her policies in black and white. After an election, if it is found that a candidate is acting against his or her declared policies and this is proved to be the case in court, his or her election will be cancelled.

The slogan “adult franchise” is, of course, very pleasant to hear, but the fact that voters without political consciousness weaken the governmental machinery cannot be denied. In the interests of the general public, it is desirable that uneducated and less-educated people do not have the right to vote.

Democracy is a mockery in a country of uneducated people. In such a country cunning, fraudulent persons very easily secure or purchase the votes of illiterate people. Moreover, the general public in such a country is easily misled by the propagation of casteism or communalism.

The success of democracy depends upon educated, sensible voters. Hence, in a democratic country, the spread of education is of the highest priority. For the convenience of the general public, the educational system must be free of cost. No overbearing government pressure should be exerted on the educational system, otherwise the party in power will continue to propagate its ideas through the medium of education. Frequent changes in the government will also result in frequent changes in the educational system, consequently the entire system of education will be jeopardized.

No ism except universalism can be allowed in the educational system. The thirst for knowledge will have to be awakened among students, and reverence, devotion, orderliness and discipline will have to be taught as well. Along with this, a scientific outlook will have to be inculcated. If veneration for science is awakened, superstition will not find any room in the minds of students, nor will high-sounding isms bewilder them. Students will easily acquire the qualities to become sadvipras later in life.⁽¹⁷⁾

34

The samája cakra [social cycle] moves on. After the Shúdra Age [the age of manual workers] comes the age of warriors – that is, the Kśatriya Age; next comes the Vipra Age [the age of intellectuals]; then the Vaeshya Age [the age of capitalists]; and then, after shúdra revolution,⁽¹⁸⁾ in the second parikránti [peripheric evolution] of the social cycle, comes a new Kśatriya Age – the age of the kśatriyas who led the shúdra revolution. The social cycle moves on in this manner. By merely espousing idealism, its rotation cannot be checked.

One age follows another in succession. The end of one age and the advent of another can be called kránti [evolution]. The period of transition at the end of one age and at the beginning of another can be called yuga saḿkránti [transitional age]. And we can call one full rotation of the social cycle – that is, from one shúdra revolution to the next shúdra revolution – parikránti. In every age a particular varńa⁽¹⁹⁾ [social class] emerges, both as ruler and as exploiter.⁽²⁰⁾

The universe and the society belong to all. Every dust particle of the universe is the common patrimony of each and every one of us, so it is not at all proper to allow a particular social class to perpetuate its rule. The peripheric evolution of the social cycle will continue, and along with this the fight of the sadvipras against the supremacy of each social class will also have to continue.

Society belongs to all, but its leadership will be in the hands of sadvipras. The responsibility for leading society cannot be left in the hands of the kśatriyas, because they will try to enforce kśatriya rule. They will exploit the non-kśatriyas and chew the bones and marrow of the weak. Nor can the responsibility for leading society be left in the hands of the vipras, because they will try to establish vipra rule. They will exploit the non-vipras and chew the bones and marrow of the non-intellectuals. Likewise, the responsibility for leading society cannot be left in the hands of the vaeshyas, because they will try to impose vaeshya rule. They will exploit the non-vaeshyas and chew the bones and marrow of the toiling mass. Shúdras cannot undertake the leadership of society. Hence the victory mark⁽²¹⁾ of the successful shúdra revolution indeed embellishes the forehead of the kśatriyas.

The responsibility for leading society can only be entrusted to the sadvipras because they are well established in Yama and Niyama – they are imbued with Cosmic ideation. The social cycle will surely rotate, and as a rule the dominance of the kśatriyas, vipras and vaeshyas will take place in succession. But if sadvipras control the nucleus of society, these social classes may attain some degree of prominence in social life, but they will never be able to become the absolute rulers.

Sadvipras will never have any rest. They will have to continue fighting tirelessly. This fight is the life of living beings. In the absence of this fight, the creation will cease to exist. Sadvipras are vipras, kśatriyas, vaeshyas and shúdras all in one, hence the leadership of the sadvipras will mean the victory of every social class.

35

All movements are systaltic. If the phase of contraction is made more stringent by the application of force, a forward galloping jump occurs in the following phase of expansion. Evolution which takes place as a result of this forward galloping jump is properly called viplava [revolution]. Similarly, if the phase of expansion is prolonged by the application of force, then the following phase of contraction will undergo greater inertia.

If any age reverts to the preceding one by the application of force – that is, if the Vaeshya Age reverts to the Vipra Age or the Vipra Age reverts to the Kśatriya Age – we can call this vikránti [counter-evolution]. Similarly, the movement of the social cycle by a backward galloping jump can be called prativiplava [counter-revolution]. Neither counter-evolution nor counter-revolution lasts long.

Today, in the modern world, the Kśatriya Age and the Vipra Age are still evident in some undeveloped countries. In most developed countries the Vaeshya Age is prevalent. In a few countries a new Kśatriya Age has emerged following shúdra revolution, and in one or two places we can even see indications of the emerging Vipra Age.

36

A correct spiritual ideology is the only solution to the problems confronting the world. From this perspective we can call Ananda Marga ideology the philosophers’ stone. Just as the philosophers’ stone is meant to transform everything into gold, Ananda Marga ideology can, most definitely, find a just and rational solution whenever it is applied to any problem.

37

Human longings are infinite. If these infinite human longings are allowed to run after objects of worldly enjoyment, conflict among human beings is bound to take place. As material wealth is limited, over-abundance for one leads to crippling scarcity for others. These infinite human longings can be fulfilled only through psychic and spiritual wealth. Brahma has generously arranged infinite psychic and spiritual wealth for human beings; humanity will have to properly utilize that wealth.

Unity and benevolent intellect lead human beings towards supreme fulfilment. Reading voluminous treatises on philosophy will be of no use in awakening this benevolent intellect. For this, one will have to sincerely follow Yama and Niyama in individual life. To establish unity, the society will have to select an ideology which remains unassailed by any spatial, temporal or personal differences. That is why only Cosmic ideology will have to be adopted as the polestar of life.

I have already said that those who are established in Yama and Niyama – who are imbued with Cosmic ideation – are genuine sadvipras. They alone can represent human beings. They alone can serve living beings selflessly. People will recognize such sadvipras by their conduct, dedication to selfless service, dutifulness and moral integrity.

These sadvipras will firmly declare, “All human beings belong to one race. Everyone has equal rights. Human beings are brothers and sisters!” These sadvipras will sternly warn the exploiters of society, “The exploitation of human beings cannot be allowed!” and, “Religious hypocrisy cannot be tolerated!” Giving a clarion call to the fragmented human society from beneath the saffron flag, the symbol of service and sacrifice, they will proclaim at the top of their voices, “Human beings of the world, unite!” And they will sing in chorus:

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

[Let us move together, let us radiate the same thought-wave, let
us come to know our minds together,
Let us share our wealth without differentiation, like sages of
the past, so that all may enjoy the universe.
Let our aspirations be united, let our hearts be inseparable,
Let our minds be as one mind, so that we live in harmony and
become one with the Supreme.]

Footnotes

(1) Brahma is the composite of Puruśa and Prakrti, and is therefore usually spoken of philosophically in neuter gender. Here the author uses “His” (and in the following paragraph, “Father”) for Brahma to emphasize the paternal relationship that exists between Supreme Consciousness and living beings. –Trans.

(2) In the Dáyabhága system the heirs’ right of inheritance is subject to the discretion of the father. For a more detailed discussion of the author’s views on inheritance, see the chapter “Ideal System of Inheritance”, Caryácarya Part 1, 1956. –Trans.

(3) For further discussion on socio-economic units, see “Socio-Economic Groupifications” in Volume 3. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(4) See The Status of Women in “Social Justice”. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(5) For a more detailed discussion of the author’s cosmological system, see Idea and Ideology, 1959. –Trans.

(6) Philosophically, pralaya means annihilation. In individual life pralaya refers to spiritual emancipation, not physical death. –Trans.

(7) Dhrupada is the earliest and purest form of classical music in northern India. –Trans.

(8) Kheyal is a later blended form of classical northern Indian music. –Trans.

(9) These are various styles of Indian music from Bengal. Kiirtana (which originated in Bengal) is devotional chanting; bául is folk music sung in a particular devotional style; bhát́iyálii is folk music sung by boatmen, usually while rowing on rivers; and járii and darbeshi are localized styles of folk music. –Trans

(10) For further discussion on population growth, see “Population Growth and Control” in Volume 3. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(11) The first test-tube baby was born in the USA in 1978. –Trans.

(12) In some countries, such as India, party tickets, authorizing approved candidates to contest from particular constituencies, are issued by political parties prior to elections. The “lamppost” refers to an undeserving candidate favoured by the party. –Trans.

(13) Here the author is criticizing the aspirations of a section of communists. –Trans.

(14) For further discussion on education, see “Education”, and “Some Hints on Education”, “Some Education Policies” and “Education and Neohumanism” in Volume 3. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(15) Yama and Niyama are the cardinal principles of human morality. See A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957 [in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article, “ ‘The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra’ or A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957”], by the author. –Trans.

(16) “Backward communities” refers to those communities which have not had access to social services and education. Generally only the members of such communities have the right to contest reserved seats.

For a discussion on how to solve the problems of backward communities, see “Elevating Backward Classes” in Volume 3. [Additional line used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

–Trans.

(17) For further discussion on democracy, see “The Future of Democracy” and “Dialectical Materialism and Democracy” in Volume 2, and “Democracy and Group-Governed States” in Volume 4. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(18) Shúdra revolution occurs when the warriors and intellectuals are reduced to the level of manual labourers as a result of exploitation during the Vaeshya Age [in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article, “See ‘Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society’ in Volume 2”]. –Trans.

(19) The Sanskrit word varńa means “colour”. Here it refers to the predominant psychic colour, or psychic characteristics, of each of the four social classes in the social cycle. (The psychic colour of the shúdras is said to be black; the kśatriyas, red; the vipras, white; and the vaeshyas, yellow.)

Also see “Mental Colours” in Volume 2. [Additional line used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

–Trans.

(20) This applies to the kśatriyas, vipras and vaeshyas. The shúdra varńa neither rules nor exploits the other social classes. –Trans.

(21) “Victory mark” refers to the Indian custom of smearing a special mark, usually made with the right thumb after it has been dipped in sandal paste, on the forehead of those celebrating victory. –Trans.

Chapter 12	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Spirituality is not a utopian ideal but a practical philosophy which can be practised and realized in day-to-day life, however mundane it be. Spirituality stands for evolution and elevation, and not for superstition in action or pessimism. All fissiparous tendencies and group or clan philosophies which tend to create the shackles of narrow-mindedness are in no way connected with spirituality and should be discouraged. That which leads to broadness of unison alone should be accepted. Spiritual philosophy does not recognize any distinctions and differentiations unnaturally made between one human being and another, and stands for universal fraternity.

In the present environment many fissiparous tendencies are working to divide humanity into mutually-belligerent groups. Spirituality must inculcate sense in human psychology, and develop a natural affinity amongst this species of the creation. The approach of spirituality should be psychological and rational, and should offer a touching appeal to the deepest psychic sentiments of human beings. Human beings should appreciate by a rational analysis their relationship with the Cosmic Entity and recognize the most benevolent kindness of the most beloved Entity. Spirituality should lead human beings to the one Cosmic truth from which they have derived their selves,⁽¹⁾ and which is the ultimate destiny. That ultimate and absolute ideal is the Cosmic ideal – an ideal beyond the scope of time, place and person. It is the Absolute, without and beyond relativity. It stands with its own lustre for all times and for every factor of the Cosmos, may it be a human being or a less-evolved animal. The Cosmic ideal alone can be the unifying force which shall strengthen humanity to smash the bondages and abolish all narrow domestic walls of fissiparous tendencies.

All the sentiment-provoking ideas should be firmly opposed. This does not mean an attack on those sentiments, traditions and habits which are innate in human beings and which do not hamper their Cosmic development. For example, the movement for uniformity in dress for all people will be but a ridiculous and irrational approach. Different selections of dress are the result of climatic factors and corporal necessities. Moreover, dissimilarity in dress is not detrimental to world fraternity.

There will also be many zonal or regional differences as regards other traditions and customs. These should be appreciated and encouraged for the indigenous development of society. But under no circumstances should there be a compromise in principle or yielding to tendencies detrimental to the inculcation of Cosmic sentiment.

The inspiration of Cosmic sentiment will depend upon certain objective physical problems which must be solved on a collective humanitarian basis. In the relative objective sphere the following few fundamental problems must be attempted at [tackled] and solved. These are:

1. Common philosophy of life
2. Same constitutional structure
3. Common penal code
4. Availability (production, supply, purchasing capacity) of the minimum essentialities of life

Common Philosophy of Life

A common philosophy of life demands a clear conception in the human mind that the development of the human personality means an evolution in all the three spheres – physical, metaphysical or mental, and spiritual. Some objective materialist thinkers have held the opinion that spirituality is a utopian philosophy, bereft of practicalities pertaining to actual problems of life. Other thinkers conceived it as a wise and intelligent device to befool the toiling mass. But the logical analysis given above must have clarified to thoughtful readers that spirituality is the summum bonum of life in all its aspects.

Those who think dharma to be an individual’s concern conceive it in a very narrow sense. Dharma leads to Cosmic unity, inculcating in the individual mind Cosmic idealism. Religion, in the sense of dharma, is the unifying force in humanity. Moreover, spirituality provides a human being and humanity at large with that subtle and tremendous power with which no other power can be compared. Therefore, with spirituality as the base, a rational philosophy should be evolved to deal with the physical, psychological and socio-philosophical problems of the day. The complete rational theory dealing with all three phases – spiritual, mental and physical – of human development shall be a philosophy common to humanity in general. This will be evolutionary and ever-progressing. Of course, small details may vary according to the relative environment of the age.

Nationalism is fast getting out of date. Not only has national sentiment given humanity rude shocks in the world wars of the present century, but the social and cultural blending of the present age also shows the domination of cosmopolitanism in world affairs. Vested interests, however, continue to cause certain fissiparous tendencies. There are some who fear loss of their economic or political domination and are directly responsible for these detrimental or retrograde reactions.

Same Constitutional Structure

Despite these obstacles, a social blending of humanity is in progress and needs a common constitutional structure to be evolved to cement the solidarity of the world.⁽²⁾ A world government is also very essential for exercising full control in certain spheres; for example, there should be only one world militia.

The world government should form certain autonomous units, not necessarily national (based on problems of education, food supply, flood control, public sentiment), which should look after mundane and supramundane problems. The boundaries of these units may be readjusted to suit any change in the environment – for instance, development in the techniques of communication. Development in the means of communication brings the different remote parts of the world nearer, and the world, therefore, grows smaller. With this well-developed swifter means of communication, units with bigger areas can work smoothly and efficiently.⁽³⁾

Common Penal Code

A common penal code must be evolved. Legislation must be progressive and capable of gradual adjustment with the prevalent conditions. Any theory which does not hold a parallelism with the ever-changing conditions of time, place and person, is sure to decay and be lost in oblivion. Hence, there must be a never-ending effort for amendment with a view to rectification.

Crimes are acts forbidden by the law of the government concerned, and virtue and vice (puńya and pápa) are the outcome of traditional customs. The sentiments of the lawmakers are very much influenced by the prevalent traditions and customs regarding the concept of virtue and vice of the locality or of the people concerned. The sense of crime, therefore, has a parallelism with the concept of virtue and vice. The idea of virtue and vice is different in different countries. The aspirants of world fraternity should try to lessen the difference and reduce the gap amongst cardinal, moral and human laws. All those actions which help in the growth of the spiritual, mental and physical aspects of human beings in general should come under the category of virtuous deeds, and those actions which go against humanity in its spiritual, mental and physical development must come under “vice”. This conception of virtue and vice applies commonly to humanity in general.

Minimum Essentialities of Life

The availability of the minimum essentialities of life plays a vital part not only in achieving world brotherhood, but also in the development of human personality. This should be tackled on a world footing, and should be based on certain fundamental presumptions. Every human being has certain minimum requirements which he or she must be guaranteed. Guaranteed availability of foodstuff, clothing, medical assistance and housing accommodation should be arranged so that human beings may be able to utilize their surplus energy (energy up till now engaged in procuring the essentialities of life) in subtler pursuits. Side by side, there should be sufficient scope for providing other amenities of the progressive age. To fulfil the above responsibilities, enough purchasing capacity should be created.

If the supply of requirements be guaranteed without any conditions of personal skill and labour, the individual may develop the psychology of idleness. The minimum requirements of every person are the same, but diversity is also the nature of creation. Special amenities should, therefore, be provided so that the diversity in skill and intelligence is fully utilized, and talent is encouraged to contribute its best towards human development. It will, therefore, be necessary to make provision for special emoluments which can cater for special amenities of life according to the age and time. But at the same time, there should be a constant effort to reduce the gap between the amount of special emoluments and the bare minimum requirements of the average individual. The guaranteed supply of minimum requirements must be liberalized by increasing the provision of special amenities pertaining to the age and also, simultaneously, by bringing about a decrease in the provision of special emoluments given to the few. This never-ending effort of proper economic adjustment must ceaselessly continue at all times with a view to assisting the spiritual, mental and physical evolution of human beings, and to let humanity develop a Cosmic sentiment for a Cosmic ideal and world fraternity.⁽⁴⁾

In this socio-economic set-up people are at full liberty in the spiritual and mental spheres. This is possible because the spiritual and psychic entities for which people can aspire are themselves unlimited, and the extent of possession in this sphere does not hamper the progress of others in their quests. But the supply in the physical sphere is limited, and hence any effort for disproportionate or unrestricted acquisition of physical objects has every possibility of creating a vast majority of have-not’s, and thus hampering the spiritual, mental and physical growth of the larger majority. So, while dealing with the problem of individual liberty, it must be kept in view that individual liberty in the physical sphere must not be allowed to cross a limit whereat it is instrumental in hampering the development of the complete personality of human beings; and, at the same time, must not be so drastically curtailed that the spiritual, mental and physical growths of human beings are hampered.

Thus, the social philosophy of Ananda Marga advocates the development of the integrated personality of the individual, and also the establishment of world fraternity, inculcating in human psychology a Cosmic sentiment. The Marga advocates progressive utilization of mundane and supramundane factors of the Cosmos. The society needs a stir for life, vigour and progress, and for this Ananda Marga advocates the Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout), meaning thereby progressive utilization of all factors. Those who support this principle may be termed “Proutists”.

The principles of Prout depend upon the following fundamental factors:

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

Hence, ours is a Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout).

Footnotes

(1) Unit selves, or jiivátmans, are derived from the Cosmic Self. See “Pratisaiṋcara and Manah” for a discussion of the reunion of the two. [In the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article, this footnote is replaced by “Unit selves, or jiivátmans, are derived from the Cosmic Self. For further discussion on this concept, see ‘Pratisaiṋcara and Manah’ and ‘Átman, Paramátman and Sadhana’ in Idea and Ideology, 1959.”] –Eds.

(2) For further discussion on a global constitution, see “Requirements of an Ideal Constitution” in Volume 3. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(3) For further discussion on socio-economic units, see “Socio-Economic Groupifications” in Volume 3. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(4) For further discussion on minimum requirements and special amenities, see “Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities” in Volume 4. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(5) These principles, named the “Five Fundamental Principles of Prout” by the author, were added to the first edition of Idea and Ideology as it was being printed during November 1959. However, since the author included them as part of this discourse, “The Cosmic Brotherhood”, which was given on 5 June 1959, they are dated accordingly. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

Chapter 13	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Modern minds are often perplexed by the fear and doubt of the extinction of the human race within a short period. People deem that civilization is passing through a very critical phase and there is no possible escape from its total annihilation. But this can’t happen.

Both individuals and society are dependent on three factors for their existence, viz., Asti, Bhati and Ananda. Dwelling place, food, clothing, education and medical facilities are the sine qua non for Asti or existence. The term Bhati means Vibhati or development and progress. The mere earthworm for instance, has existed for hundreds of millions of years, yet it does not signify existence in the true sense of the term. That is to say, there has to be Bhati, progress and development. Eating, drinking and being merry cannot represent a true life. It would be an encumbrance, a boredom.

For the all-round development of an individual or a society a goal is needed. But for this determined goal the direction and purpose of development will remain confused. A bud blooms into a flower; this is what you may call its development. The purpose of Bhati or development is the attainment of Ananda or bliss. The term Ananda connotes infinite happiness, the equipoise of pleasure and pain, the perfect mental peace.

The absence of any of the aforesaid factors may cause a great consternation or convulsion in individual or social life. The earth came into existence [[crores]] of years ago. Though from the archaeological point of view it is still in its infancy, one day or the other it is bound to meet its Waterloo. This will naturally mean the extinction of the human race. Is it so?

The destruction of a particular planet or solar system does not mean the end of the human race. There are numerous other stars and planets in the universe. With further development of science and by the help of inter-planetary rocket systems, human beings will move to other planets. What is a dream today will become a reality tomorrow. It is the inherent desire of an individual and the collective body which takes a concrete shape. It was an age-old desire of human beings to fly in the sky like birds. The aeroplane was a product of this desire. Desire is the mother of action. In coming days, you will see such rockets which may enable human beings to travel to other planets. And if one day these planets and stars also perish people will move to other planets. It may also be argued that a day may come when due to constant radiation of heat and light the temperature of the entire universe may become the same, that is, the thermal death of the universe may occur. In the absence of external heat the universe may cease to exist. This means that humanity will also perish. But it can’t happen. There can’t be a thermal death of the universe. The solidification of the object will result in Jadasphota. Tremendous heat will be released due to the Jadasphota or exploding apart of a particular planet, and new galaxies and stars will be formed out of it. There is therefore, no cause to fear. The earth may one day become extinct but humanity can’t cease to exist. You can rest assured of Asti.

Numerous factors are needed for the development of a group of people. But the following six are the most important of them.

There should be a spiritual ideology in the life of both the individual and the collective body. Much of your energy is misused due to the ignorance of your own self and the destination towards which you are moving. This misuse of energy is bound to cause destruction.

The second factor for the progress of society is spiritual cult, a Sádhaná process. Everyone has got a physical structure. The problem with every individual is to produce more and more ectoplasmic stuff by the body and then to convert it into consciousness. There should be a proper process for this conversion. Spiritual cult consists of the conversion of the five rudimental factors into ectoplasmic stuff and then into consciousness through a special scientific process. This is a process of metamorphosis. Spiritual cult therefore, is indispensable. But only spiritual ideology and spiritual philosophy will not do.

The third factor which is a blending of Asti and Bhati is a socio-economic theory. There should be a priori knowledge regarding the social structure, the distribution of wealth and its growth. For want of this knowledge there can’t be a solid ground for the construction of the social edifice.

The fourth one is social outlook. All living creatures in this manifest universe are the children of the same Cosmic Entity. They are the progeny of the same Supreme Progenitor. Naturally they are bound in a thread of fraternal relations. This is the central spirit. A socio-economic theory is of no use but for this fraternal feeling. The implementation of this theory is an impossibility without Sádhaná.

The fifth factor for the progress of society is for it to have its own scripture. There is a need for the company of elevated persons (satsauṋga) in all spheres of life.

The authority whose contact means satsauṋga for you is the shástra. That which elevates society by dint of sháśana is called [[shástra]]. We should have a shástra of our own. The last but not the least important factor for the progress of society is for it to have its own preceptor.

The entire social structure is dependent on these six factors. Bhati is meaningless without them. The weakness of one among them may jeopardize the very existence of Bhati.

From ancient times many groups of people came into existence. Some of them somehow managed to drag on, some became extinct and some continued to exist in a metamorphosed form. About one thousand five hundred years ago, Arabs were very developed in science. But they were defeated by the Islamic wave, for they were lacking in the six aforesaid factors, while the latter had at least five of them. The same is the case with Egypt. It was fully developed in the spheres of art, architec ture and science. It is the Egyptians who made the pyramids which needed subtle geometrical knowledge. Moreover, they were also very advanced in the sphere of civilization. Despite this, they could not prevent their defeat. Today’s Egypt is the Egyptian form of Arab civilization. The cause of the death of its older form was the lack of the aforesaid six factors.

The Christian or Roman civilization was also considerably higher on the ladder of development. Yet they were lacking in social outlook. There were no feelings of fraternity and equality. The slave system was rampant and human feelings were on the wane. Furthermore, the lack of a proper socio-economic theory generated a kind of fascist mentality in them. Those rolling in luxury and adverse to labour became indolent. Naturally they were defeated by a stronger and more strenuous force. The destruction of the Greek and Chinese civilizations was also caused by the lack of the factors of Bhati. The Aryans could defeat the indigenous Indians only due to the latter’s lacking in the factors of Bhati. They had several factors of Bhati but there was no preceptor and hence they were defeated.

In the future also, for want of the six factors of Bhati, the extinction of a concerned group of people is sure to happen. But where these factors are present, there the movement is to wards Ananda or divine bliss, and due to this movement the chance of their elimination becomes nil. Such groups which have the six factors in their possession will be able to produce Sadvipras. Sadvipras are those whose all efforts are directed towards the attainment of Ananda. They are also conscious of Asti and don’t lack in the six factors of Bhati. They are strong in morality and are always ready to wage war against immoral activities.

Tapah Siddhi is an impossibility without the six factors of Bhati. Those who strictly adhere to the principles of morality, are ensconced in Tapah, and are ready to wage a war against immoralists are sadvipras. Only those Sadvipras are safe from destruction and extinction who can work for the welfare of the human society. Therefore, it becomes the prime duty of all people to make themselves and others Sadvipras. By Sadvipra it is not meant those who practice Mala-Jap or Práńáyám. In Práńáyám also there are three stages – Purak means to inhale; Kumbhak which is to hold the breath and recak which to exhale. The Práńáyám of the Sadvipras will be to inhale the entire universe in Purak, to keep it within in Kumbhak and then to exhale it after mixing it with their own greatness and good will in Recak.

Sadvipras will wage a ceaseless struggle against immorality and all sorts of fissiparous tendencies. Those who pose as Dharmic but are bashful with the spirit of fight cannot be called Sadvipras. Shiva was great because his Trishul was always ready to strike at the immoralists. Krishna was great because his arrows were meant to curb the anti-human and immoral elements. He also encouraged the moralists to wage war against the immoral ists. They were not only Sadvipras but also the parents of Sadvipras – the great Sadvipras.

These Sadvipras are always busy in the task of promoting the elevation of human beings. When this earth will become old they will lead human beings to other planets by directing scientific endeavours.

Some people fear that atom or megaton bombs may one day cause the extinction of the human race. But such fears are ill-conceived and meaningless. It is human intellect which is responsible for their production and so naturally intellect is superior to its products. It may one day invent such weapons which may render ineffective even atom or megaton bombs. The cry for disarmament, therefore, will strengthen the destructive capacity of the atom bombs. It may lead humanity towards it total annihilation. It is, therefore, a great obstruction, an impediment in the progressive development of the human society. We need more powerful weapons than atom or hydrogen bombs. Sadvipras will manufacture such powerful weapons. If the human race is to survive, if millions of innocent lives are to be saved, it becomes the duty of the apostles of peace to utilize more powerful weapons than what they have at present.

Sadvipras will never lag behind in making scientific experiments. When the earth will become uninhabitable for human beings they will shift them to other planets.

Food shortage is not a new problem. Only Sadvipras and not the politicians and experts can save the world from it. They will produce such tablets which will be substitutes for food grains. By making a useless fuss over problems one will not ease the trouble. The spirit to fight against all odds alone can solve the problems confronting human beings. March ahead and wage war against all difficulties, every impediment. Victory is sure to embrace you. Difficulties and encumbrances cannot be more powerful than your capacity to solve them. You are the children of the great Cosmic Entity. Be a Sadvipra and make others Sadvipras also.

Chapter 14	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

What is progress? “Prakrsta gati ityartha pragati.” Where movement is towards Shubha it is called progress. Where movement is not associated with Shubha it is retardation. For instance, going up the hill or down are both movements, but in different directions.

What is progress in the real sense? Normally, people associate the word progress with scientific progress, but actually, scientific progress may or may not be true progress. The essence of progress is movement towards Shubha.

Human existence is trifarious. It has the physical, the intellectual and the spiritual aspects. There is movement in all three spheres, and therefore there can be progress in all three spheres. The main consideration, however, is what is the goal or the aim of movement? Or in other words, what is the summum bonum of life? The movement which leads from Shubha to Parama-shubha is progress.

Let us examine in what sense the word progress is commonly used in the physical sphere. People think that the use of a motor vehicle in place of a bullock cart, the use of an aeroplane in place of a motor vehicle, or the use of a rocket in place of an aeroplane is progress. To take another example: At first people used to sleep on the ground, then they used charpoy and now they sleep on spring mattresses. This is also considered as progress. In olden days, people used to write on palm leaves and on Bhurja-patra. Nowadays, they write on paper. The prerequisite of progress in all these examples appears to be the attainment of more pleasure in the use of things. In other words, progress is considered synonymous with the enjoyment of more pleasure. There is greater convenience in sleeping on a spring bed than on the ground. Similarly, the aeroplane takes away much of the tedium of travel. So progress is considered as the harbinger of material enjoyment. This enjoyment is not necessarily limited to the physical sphere. It is also available in the intellectual and spiritual spheres. Who is the subject of the enjoyer? It is the mind. The mind experiences physical as well as intellectual pleasure. The experiences of spiritual happiness is psycho-spiritual. There, also, it is partly mental.

If all experience of pleasure is through the mind, it follows that pleasure is born within the vibrational scope of the mind. Progress, then, cannot go beyond the vibrational principle. All existence in this universe is vibrational. Physical and intellectual happiness, both of which are enjoyed by the mind, are therefore both vibrational. In the vibrational field, equipoise and equilibrium are only maintained by the balance of the two opposites, i.e. the positive and the negative. In other words, unhappiness and happiness increase proportionately. Thus, we see that in the physical stratum, the so-called progress of science is responsible for an equal degree of happiness and unhappiness. The use of motor cars in place of bullock carts involves not only greater comfort for the body, but also involves far greater risks of accidents. The use of aeroplanes increases the comfort of travel and the risks in almost equal proportions. Thus, we find that the enjoyment of material pleasure in the physical sphere is neutralized by the negative side of pain.

The experience of pleasure through the mind can be divided into five varieties:

1. Anukulavedaniiyam
2. Pratikulavedaniiyam
3. Avedaniiyam
4. Nirapekśavedaniiyam
5. Aplutavedaniiyam

These are the five forms taken by feelings. All progress is through the experience of these feelings. Wherever there is progress, one or more or all of the expressions of these feelings are present. In the realm of physical progress, we mainly find only two of these expressions, and they are primarily physicopsychic. There is no experience of pleasure in the physical body as such. The experience of pleasure in the physical body means relaxation of nerves. The relaxed nerves emanate the peculiar mental vibration which is called Anukulavedaniiyam. Where there is tension or the striking on the nerves, another kind of vibration is generated which is expressed through Pratikulavedaniiyam. The other three expressions of feelings are not present in the physical stratum. What we call progress in the physical stratum is only the awareness of Anukulavedaniiyam in the physical world. We either fail to see or purposely ignore the corresponding Pratikulavedaniiyam.

There is sometimes a conscious effort to forget this opposite side, and therefore we add the positive marks for Anukulavedaniiyam and place zeros on the debit side and proclaim that we are making progress. In fact, if we could see both sides, we would find that the balance is nil and as a result, we would realize that there is no progress in the physical stratum. It is like a government accepting the recommendations of a commission to increase the pay scale of the employees and to recover the increased expenditure through higher taxation. Will this be called economic progress? Certainly not, for it fails to increase purchasing power. The acceptance of progress in the physical field is only wrong mathematics.

Let us now examine the psychic sphere. In this sphere there are four expressions of feelings: Anukulavedaniiyam, Pratikulavedaniiyam, Avedaniiyam and Nirapekśavedaniiyam. One more distinction from the physical sphere is to be noted. In the psychic sphere, the relaxation or strain of the nerves is not the primary cause of feelings. In the psychic sphere, the main feature is that the sense of mental pabulum increases. The food of the mind increases but not its dimensions. So Anukulavedaniiyam in the psychic sphere would mean that state of the mind which provides more food for it. It would naturally result in a corresponding increase of Pratikulavedaniiyam, also, so that the balance of the pendulum may be maintained in the vibrational sphere. By way of illustration, it may be noted that in ancient times, when human beings were intellectually backward, they also had less emotional disturbances. One who is intellectually deficient is also less receptive to emotional disturbance. Highly intellectual people are extra sensitive in the emotional sphere. They create unnecessary problems out of nothing and waste sleepless nights over them. Thus, as far as Anukulavedaniiyam and Pratikulavedaniiyam are concerned, they balance each other in the intellectual sphere, also.

Relatively speaking, absence of pain or pleasure – which is called Nirapekśavedaniiyam – is in effect psychic suppression or repression. This is an unnatural state of mind and whether it lasts five minutes or ten minutes, five days or ten days or even a period of years, when the control is removed it again bursts forth in the form of Anukulavedaniiyam or Pratikulavedaniiyam. Psychic suppression or repression, therefore, does not lead to progress.

What is Avedaniiyam? In ordinary circumstances, Avedaniiyam is most unnatural. Under this condition, either the function of nerve cells stops or is forcibly stopped. In other circumstances in the mental sphere it may amount to refusal to admit the existence of the mundane world. It is a denial of crude physicality. It is an attitude which holds that whatever exists is only illusory. This is a form of self-deception. It is a state comparable with death. Such an attitude promote nihilism. It is not the property of life to promote nihilism. Therefore, the ultimate effect of Avedaniiyam is also visible in the form of Anukulavedaniiyam or Pratikulavedaniiyam. The expression of this effect will emerge when there is either an internal or external blow on the mind.

Thus we notice that so far as the mental sphere is concerned, there is no progress in it. For instance, it may be true to say that people in India were intellectually backward a thousand years ago as compared with today. The same mental pleasures were not available to them as are enjoyed by the present Indian population. But it is also true that the mental agonies to which the present day population is subjected were not so acute in the past. Thus, after taking into account all the pluses and minuses, we will notice that there cannot be any progress in the realm of intellectuality.

Now, let us examine the spiritual field. There is no Anukulavedaniiyam, Pratikulavedaniiyam, Avedaniiyam or Nirapekśavedaniiyaḿ in the spiritual field. The reason is that as the goal is not finite, the states described in Anukulavedaniiyam, Pratikulavedaniiyam, Avedaniiyam, and Nirapekśavedaniiyam do not exist. Only one form of feeling is expressed in the spiritual realm and this is Aplutavedaniiyam. This expression is either non-lateral or multilateral. Being non-lateral, it does not allow the formation of reactive momenta, and being multi-lateral, it is immune from the effect of reactive momenta. The multilateral expression which is in the nature of Cosmological vibration can be called Samismrta Vedana in Saḿskrta. The non-lateral expression, i.e. the non-subjective vibration, may be called Bahuprajiṋána Vedana, or Bhásottara Vedana. Áplutavedaniiyam functions through pointed psychic existence which is a non-subjective vibration. The speciality of Bhásottara Vedana is that to maintain the equilibrium of the pendulum in this phase negative speed is not required. In the absence of negative speed, every movement is progress. Thus, there is no question of minuses; there are only pluses. This is a movement from negativity to positivity and this, therefore, is the real form of progress.

Samismrta Vedana is psycho-spiritual: the event happens in the psychic sphere but comes in contact with the spiritual sphere. There can be no progress in the physical sphere as the pluses and minuses there cancel each other out. Similar is the condition in the intellectual sphere. But in the intellectuo-spiritual sphere progress is possible. It can also be measured to some extent, but progress in the purely spiritual sphere cannot be measured as we have no measuring scale for that realm.

The so-called physical progress is termed Káma in Saḿskrta. The so-called intellectual progress is termed Artha. “Artha” has a dual meaning: it is used in the sense of purport, as well as in the sense of wealth which solves a pending problem. The progress in the psycho-spiritual field is termed Dharma. And pure spiritual progress, which is progress in the real sense, is called Mokśa. The only difference between the intellectuo-spiritual progress and spiritual progress is that the former can be measured where as the latter cannot. The combined name of Káma, Artha, Dharma and Mokśa is Caturvarga. People should aim at Dharma and Mokśa and not Káma and Artha, as only through the medium of Dharma and Mokśa is real progress possible.

It has been stated above that there is no progress in the physical and intellectual spheres. So should all efforts in these fields be stopped altogether? Should there be no effort to develop physical sciences? No, we shall continue to make efforts in these fields, also. We have only to be cautious about the effects of such efforts on human society, human mind and even human physique. What happens with the so-called progress in the physical sphere is that the speed of life gets a quick momentum which effects the nerves. The effect on the nerves increases the function of the cranium and it results in the weakening of the heart. As a natural consequence, to the extent the physical sciences will advance for physical progress, the diseases of the heart and mind will increase in the same proportion. It will be noted that many so-called civilized people cannot sleep as their nerves are under strain. The diseases which were considered fatal 200 years ago are no longer so nowadays. They have become common diseases today. The fatal diseases in modern times are mostly connected with the heart and nerves. This is the result of so-called progress in the realm of physicality. In the future, the physical structure of human beings will be effected by these factors. The nerves will stiffen and the cranium will become larger. The bones, on the other hand, will become thinner. This will result in a change in the stature of human beings. They will have lean and thin limbs and a disproportionately big head. This change will come soon and fast.

The so-called intellectual progress effects the mind intensely. The nervous system and mind are not the same. The nerve cells are physical and any disease connected with them is, therefore, physical. What we term as madness is either due to nervous disorder or mental disorder or both. The progress in the intellectual sphere will result in a greater clash of emotions and will consequently increase insanity. There will be a noticeable growth of mad people in society. This will make it even clearer that intellectual progress is no progress. The real progress is only spiritual. In the spiritual field, due to the absence of the reactive momenta, there is no retardation, there is only movement forward. This is the nature of true progress.

Spiritual progress can only be attained on a firm physical mental base. Therefore, this physical and intellectual base has to be progressively adjusted to the changing conditions of time and space. Spiritual aspirants have to devise ways to protect themselves from the reactive momenta in the physical and intellectual spheres. In the age when the nerves of human beings will fatten and the cranium will enlarge, the Sádhakas will also be subject to these changes. What, then, is the way to escape? There should certainly be some way to escape the extreme effects of these changes. The cruder waves should be consumed by subtler ones. When the vibrations of pain or pleasure in the physical realm are consumed in the physico-psychic vibrations, the feeling of pain or pleasure will not be so acute, although the physical sphere will remain as large as before. In other words, this process will save the mind from reaction. As there will be no attraction towards pleasure, it will also save one from pain, not fully, but partially. Similarly, in order to escape the reactive momenta, the intellectual waves will have to be transmuted into intellectuo-spiritual ones. This will protect one from the reactive momenta in the psychic sphere to some extent – neither pain nor pleasure will overwhelm the mind. This stage is described in the Gita as “Dukhesu anudvigna manah, sukhesu vigatasprahah”. To the extent the desire for pleasure is less, one escapes from the reaction of pain.

The only true progress for human beings is spiritual progress. The wise will, therefore, concern themselves only with the spiritual sphere. The only concern with the physical and intellectual spheres will be adjusting the base on which spiritual progress will thrive. While concerning themselves with the adjustment in the physical and intellectual spheres, the wise should also continue to consume cruder waves in subtler ones according to the process described above. The absence of such consumption or transmutation in the physical and intellectual spheres is bound to lead to retardation. The wise, remembering that the goal of life is the subtlest goal, will make efforts to reach supreme blessedness. This is the only way to progress. There is no other way. “Nanyapantha vidyate ayanaya.”

Chapter 15	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

The spirit of the word Samája (society) signifies a group of people who move together. All are not of equal strength or intellect. Hence the shortcomings in one must be compensated for by another. Different people have varying abilities: some have physical strength but no brains; others have the brains but not the strength to work; and others have neither the strength not the brains, but work well and with a peaceful mind under the guidance of their supervisors. We can always see around us people of differing types and qualities. Judged by the crude codes of this world, no one is totally independent. Everyone relies on someone else in some way or other. Everyone makes up for their deficiencies by taking help from others. Whenever a large group of people strive to make up for their relative differences on terms of mutual understanding, we call it a society or society.

What is society like? It is like a group of people going on a pilgrimage. Try to imagine the scene! Suppose one of the pilgrims is struck down by cholera. Will the rest of them continue on their way, leaving the sick man behind? No, that would be inconceivable for them. Rather, they will break their journey for a day or two, and cure him of his disease. If he is still too weak to walk they will carry him on their shoulders. If some people run short of food, others share what they have with them. Together they share their possessions, and together they march ahead, singing in unison. In their eagerness to move ahead with others they forget their trifling differences which might have led to angry exchanges and court cases in their families, even down to three generations. It is because of the petitions of the complainant in a land dispute that some people go so far as to spend ten or twenty times more than the piece of land is worth. The essence of cooperation resulting from this collective movement aims at expanding a person’s mind by striking down the barriers of meanness. I repeat that a true society is like such a group of pilgrims who attain a deep psychic affinity while travelling together which helps them solve all the problems in their individual and social lives.

If we take the full meaning of the term society into consideration, it will be seen that till now human beings have not been able to form a real society. If India builds a society for only Indians, Pakistan for only Pakistanis, and England for only the English, then three separate societies will exist, but we cannot look upon them as the society of humanity. Because humanity is divided into groups, one society will naturally try to thrive by exploiting the vitality of others. On observation you will notice that efforts are being made to establish so-called societies in some particular part of the world, for some particular section of the people, and based on some particular “ism” or faith. A social consciousness based on such divisions lies latent in the minds of the people, whether they are Indian, Pakistani or English, so they remain absorbed in thoughts of their smaller groups. It is actually due to some external impact that social consciousness takes the form of a really all-embracing Indian, Pakistani or English consciousness. The social consciousness of an enslaved nation is never more keenly felt than when the people are at war with the dominating colonial power. After independence that consciousness is lost.

Examples of antisocial fissiparous tendencies do not stop here. Even in different regions of the same country people do not live within one social group. The creeds of the Brahmins, the Rajputs, the Kayasthas, and other different castes urge people to belong to their own societies. And yet the antisocial spirit of self-differentiation does not end here. There are the even smaller groups of Bundellas, Rathores, Sishodiyas and Caohans among the Rajputs, and there is the antisocial eagerness for relative supremacy in the social sphere between the Paiṋca Gaodiiyas and Paiṋca Dravidiis of the Brahmins.

To what state has society effectively been reduced? I reaffirm the fact that human beings have still not been able to form a human society, and have still not learned to move with the spirit of a pilgrim. Although many small groups, motivated by self interest, work together in particular situations, not even a small fraction of their work is done with a broader social motive. By strict definition, shall we have to declare that each small family unit is a society in itself? If going ahead in mutual adjustment only out of narrow self interest or momentary self-seeking is called society, then in such a society, no provision can be made for the disabled, the diseased or the helpless, because in most cases nobody can benefit from them in any way. Hence it will not suffice to say that all people marching ahead is only a collective form of segregated psychic phenomena; for in that case there always remains the possibility of some people getting isolated from the collective. All human beings must attach themselves to others by the common bond of love, and march forward hand in hand, then only will I proclaim it a society.

You will hear many a vain and assuming person say, “I don’t need anyone’s help, I’m doing very well by myself. I don’t want to concern myself with anyone else’s affairs and I don’t expect anyone else to bother about mine.” Nothing could be more foolish than this statement. Medicine and nursing are necessary to cure diseases; the neighbours’ help is needed to cremate a dead body; and for the regular supply of food and cloth the cooperation of farmers and spinners is essential. Remember, no created being in this universe is independent. No one can exist alone, everyone has a supra-cosmic relationship with the whole, at times prominent, at times indistinguishable. In this scheme of mutual relationships, even the slightest mistake or discord will raise a furious furore in the universe. In this mighty creation, the brilliantly luminous sun and the tiny ant have the same existential value, having combined together to make the universal family. Similarly, in human society, the importance of a powerful and eminent person is no less than that of a disabled and dying patient. None can be ignored. The least injustice done to anyone will cause the break down of the entire social framework.

In this universe of living beings there are some fundamental problems applicable to all which are to be solved by all. These problems may be taken as the common features in the life and Dharma of living beings, and the all-round health of living beings depends on the happy solution of these problems. The more these problems are solved with mutual cooperation, the more beneficial it will be. We must remember in this regard that rights and responsibilities belong to all. Lack of consciousness about rights and responsibilities drives social beings towards a tragic end. It results in the collective fate of living beings being determined by a particular dominating group. The vital energy of society is sapped through such group or class exploitation. Nature’s wealth belongs to all living beings. What is a burden to the earth is a burden to all. Disregard of these ultimate truths eventually leads to disorder in social life, and society’s potentialities are destroyed before they have a chance to develop.

Why have schools been established? Is it not to enable children to learn? All parents want their progeny to acquire knowledge and develop intellect. But even today many parents are unable to send their children to schools. Why is this? Surely, everyone should be given equal opportunities to benefit from any institution established for public welfare. This is everyone’s birthright. Some people wear a mask of culture in public, but in private pursue personal or class interests. This hypocrisy has no place in the human society. It is the cause of the sad state of education in the world today. The same is true for the supply of food, clothing, housing and medical care. The significance of founding a true society lies in solving all problems in a collective way.

There are some tendencies and instincts which are manifest in both animals and humans. In fact, these tendencies are the evidence for existence of animality in humans. These tendencies may be suppressed in the face of stern rhetoric, but to do that is not only undesirable but impossible, because they support the principle structure of existence. Having identical tendencies, humans and animals both belong to the same category of living beings. The difference lies in the fact that the animal in a human body can refine those tendencies and express them in a more subtle manner. This refinement is called culture. To eat is equally essential for all, but people, even when extremely hungry, do not rush up to the table like dogs and sit down to eat with total disregard for their surroundings. Unless their hunger is more powerful than the faculty of reasoning, they will wash their hands before eating. This is a part of culture.

Civilization is not unchanging. There is nothing stationary on this earth – everything is dynamic. Civilization is also a progressive phenomenon, moving from good to better, from imperfection to perfection towards the ultimate goal: perfect Brahma. The greater the tendency of refinement in people, the more cultured they are. We must remember that refinement and hypocrisy are not the same. There is a heaven and hell difference between the external show and the inner motives of a hypocrite, and the inner and outer consistency of a refined individual. Whatever is done in a refined way, is done with reasoning and propriety, and thus, instead of being a cause of social breakdown, will be a cause of social well-being. Let me give an example. The drinking of water is basically an animal instinct. It would reveal a complete lack of culture for anyone to drink drain-water simply because they were thirsty. To ascertain whether the water is pure before drinking, and to ensure that all towns and villages receive a regular supply of pure water, are signs of a civilized society. But to say, “I’m doing a dry fast” after having secretly drunk a glass of water is the height of hypocrisy.

Judged in the relative perspective, the more civilized we become, the more helpless we become. A new-born baby is completely helpless. Just think of the plight of a helpless child in the delivery room the very first day it appears in society! The more cultured people become in a refined social environment, the greater their sense of duty for their children. For this reason children lose the capacity to do anything themselves. According to the Laws of Nature, the more developed the mother’s affection and intellect, the more dependent the child becomes on its mother. In the animal world, the lesser the maternal affection, the shorter the time it takes the offspring to grow strong and selfdependent. Nature takes the responsibility of assisting those neglected offspring by providing them with the necessary survival instincts. A baby monkey has to learn quickly to cling to its mother’s belly as the mother needs to use all four limbs to jump around the forest. The mother can’t carry her baby by its neck, because the baby would die if its neck was twisted. A kitten, however, is blind at birth and thus unable to see its mother, let alone cling to her belly. Thus mother cat is obliged to carry her babies in her mouth. A baby rhinoceros, on the other hand, runs away from its mother after birth! And rightly so, for the mother’s tongue is so rough that several licks might actually kill the baby. The baby rhinoceros waits for its skin to harden a little before returning to its mother.

Society must ensure that proper care is taken of human babies who are totally dependent on the care and protection of their parents for their existence. These helpless children can only convey their pain and discomfort through tears. To raise children from infancy to maturity is an immensely important task. I have said before that the members of society must advance in unison. The newborn babe is another traveller on the path. To adopt a child as our companion, as one included in the society, is called the “Játakarma” of the child.

Living beings may be divided into two main groups based on intellect: those who want to share their wisdom, and those who do not. Those who favour the exchange of wisdom have a greater social awareness. But those who oppose it cannot develop a collective social mind due to a lack of mutual understanding. Human beings are basically beings of social inclination. They must always remember that those possessing little strength and ability, and those not provided with the means to survive the struggle for life by Nature, must be led along in companionship. Those who take great pains to assist the helpless are more civilized and endowed with greater awareness. They are the socially-minded beings who readily embrace the underprivileged, the downtrodden and the rejected people of society.

Ananda Marga keeps its gates open so that each and every man and woman may enter. Anybody may join, anybody may sing in chorus with the rest. The united march of the people is a march of victory. Ananda Marga states this in unequivocal language.

Chapter 16	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Having progressively crossed the different evolutionary stages since the distant past human beings have at last reached the present stage. The journey has not been solitary: People have advanced together in society. Even in the primitive past, humans lived in clans and tribes, for alone they could not easily procure the means of livelihood. An individual who totally shuns collective life finds existence difficult, for humans are essentially social beings. Whenever one thinks of a human being one automatically thinks of the society in which he or she lives. Human existence is thus two-sided – individual existence and collective existence – and as such it has two sets of values: social values and human cardinal principles.

The social values of human beings are ascertained on the basis of social responsibilities. As a member of society a person has to discharge certain duties and responsibilities. Those who shoulder great responsibility are naturally accorded due recognition and respect, because the good of all depends upon the proper execution of one’s duties.

An analysis of history will show that in the Kśatriya era kings and emperors were honoured most. In their courts everyone bowed before them in spontaneous respect for they had conquered the hearts of the people by virtue of their heroism, valour and chivalry. During the Vipra era the Kśatriyas and other social classes were so overwhelmed by the Vipra’s intellectual might – which they had used to invent various things to further human welfare – that they surrendered before them. The Vipras were regarded as wise because their intellectual research benefited the common people. Out of awe and respect everyone prostrated at the lotus feet of these great people.

The truth is that human beings have always and everywhere paid tribute to social values, but never, not even for a moment, has anyone respected human cardinal principles.

Human Cardinal Principles

Human cardinal principles are the silver lining between the psycho-spiritual and spiritual strata of human existence. The meeting point of the spiritual and psycho-spiritual strata is called the human cardinal stratum. Human existence is trifarious, a combination of three currents: physical, mental and spiritual. Most people cannot transcend the limits of their physical existence: crude worldly pleasures become the only enjoyment of their lives. They embody all that is beastly in nature, goaded and tormented as they are by carnal desires. The subtle feelings of life, the subtle expressions and practices are beyond their reach. Their world is limited to their bodies and physical requirements.

Other people are more concerned with their minds. They feel that it is the supremacy of the mind that has differentiated them from animals. Their lives are guided by their desires for mental satisfaction. By virtue of their endeavours they create poetry, art, music, sculpture, etc. They express the finer human feelings of mercy, sympathy, love, friendship and pity. They believe that the mind flows for the sole purpose of attaining the Infinite, and hence they focus their energies on the contemplation of the Transcendental Entity. They are the spiritual aspirants, they alone are worthy of being called human beings. Drawn by the magnetic attraction of the Cosmic Consciousness they speed forward and reach the stage which marks the end of mental existence and the beginning of spirituality. At that stage one is no longer a human being, one is a veritable god. It is the duty of every person to reach this confluence of the mental and spiritual strata. It is the pinnacle of human progress. The point where humanity ceases to exist as it merges in divine beatitude. The culminating point of animality is the commencement of humanity. The highest peak of human progress is the beginning of divine bliss. Where animality ends, humanity begins, where humanity ends, divinity begins. The meeting point of the highest attainment of humanity and the blossoming of divinity is the base on which the cardinal human principles are established.

A glimpse through human history reveals that nowhere have human values been truly honoured. What is worse, nobody has looked upon humanity with sympathy. Only those were respected who, by serving their self-interests, climbed onto the higher rostrum of society. It is difficult to step down from the high position of vainglory to rub shoulders with the downtrodden. The neglect of humanity was particularly acute towards the end of each era of the social cycle. The progeny of the noble Kśatriyas, on gaining power, engaged themselves in the pursuit of pleasure and comforts, utterly neglecting their sacred duty to serve their subjects. They never cared to know people’s suffering. They were not concerned by the bent old man, decimated by poverty in the Himalayas, being mercilessly beaten by a royal servant for defaulting on his tax payment. Kind-hearted and philanthropic kings did exist, but was there any king who, besides meeting the psycho-physical needs of his people, opened the gateway to realization of the Infinite? For self-aggrandisement and in a bid to conquer the world they invaded countries, one after another. How could they afford to inquire into the tragic plight of the common people?

The Vipra era illustrated the same thing: the scholarly Vipras were hardly accessible to the common people. The innocent masses were busy appeasing the Vipras with oblations, honorariums and floral offerings. Where was the time for them to take of the needy families of the poor neighbourhoods who were perhaps dying of starvation? And what would be the material benefit of such an action? Service to the poor would pay nothing, so let them go to hell, let them die en masse. So nobody had anything to do with the poor. And anyway, the Vipras were busy with worship, prayer and observance of sacraments. All their energies were spent in the appeasement of the gods and goddesses enthroned in the temples, churches or mosques. There was simply no opportunity to inculcate more humane qualities. According to Vipran scriptures, a temple made of bricks and wood was of more value than humanity itself. Suppose an old beggar, numbed with the cold chill of the night, is standing wearily in front of a temple, his begging bowl empty. The temple is reverberating with ringing bells, and the deity is being worshipped in accordance with the scriptural dictates. While the devotees stand before the deity with hands folded in reverence, the beggar shivers bitterly outside. On completing the ritual, the people leave the temple one by one, followed by the priest. The beggar entreats him to let him sleep in one corner of the temple, but the priest replies emphatically, “I can’t afford to pollute the temple for your sake.” And the old man has to trudge into the world of uncertainty, and perhaps bury himself in the coffin of the cold. The sanctity of inert wood and bricks is valued more than a man’s life.

Notions of vice and virtue, codes of justice and scriptural texts – which are claimed to be the word of God – have been formulated by different religions to further vested interests. Those who oppose the scriptures or the system they propound are subject to severe punishment. To socialize with a person of a different caste is a great sin and those who commit such sacrilegious acts will be excommunicated. They have to make atonement according to scriptural decree, and sometimes the magnitude of their penance may be the cause of their death. If they plea for a milder dose of punishment, the priests express their helplessness: one cannot defy the scriptures!

Those who are ensnared by the scriptures cannot be expected to know the value of human life. It takes millions of years, lives and stages to get a human body. But nobody knows how many invaluable lives have been nipped in the bud, or how many innocent lives have been slaughtered at the altar of the scriptures.

Vice and virtue are the outcome of mental perversion under the influence of time, space and person. The mental perversion which is vice in one country or in one age passes for virtue in another country or another age. Thus it is unwise to attach absolute importance to the notion of vice and virtue nurtured by some individuals at a given time. Vice and virtue have their origins either in religious faith or social prejudices, as a of natural or other causes, and they undergo changes in time, space and person. In ancient India grief-stricken wives, mourning the death of their husbands, were dragged pitilessly onto the funeral pyre and burnt to death. Those who did this remained unaffected because according to the their scriptures it was a virtuous act. Today, however it is treated as a vice.

These fabricated religious injunctions have been a repeated cause of exploitation. Placing blind faith in the scriptures people used to derive pleasure from cruel human sacrifice. The scriptures also proclaimed that to live the life of a virgin was a vice. Hence, it was not uncommon for a nine year old girl to be forced to marry an old man waiting at the jaws of death. After the death of her old spouse, hymns were chanted to make the young bride believe that she was destined to return to her husband after her own death and had no right to turn a new leaf in this life by marrying again. What a tragic existence for a sentimental woman to have to live a life of austerity to ensure unison with a husband in the life hereafter.

Polygamy, on the other hand, was not forbidden for men. A woman who was married to a man having a number of wives suffered a life of misery due to her co-wives. The folk lores or doggerels bear an excellent testimony to this: “Peace will come with my co-wife’s death. Oh what joy! I shall kill my co-wife and adorn my arm with bangles.” Even today within the same social group the cutting remarks of the mother-in-law and the husband’s sisters rob the wife of her zest for life. The story goes that a wife had her rice rationed to one earthen cup full by her mother-in-law. One day, as luck would have it, that measuring cup broke into countless pieces. Oh, what joy the wife felt. But the mother-in-law cruelly remarked, “The small earthen cup has broken, but the big one is left for us. Your joy is in vain, daughter-in-law, for my hand will now be your measure.” Can there be any greater cruelty than this? Even when supplying the minimum requirements meanness was perpetrated with such cruelty.

The inhuman rules and regulations and tortures inside the house filled a woman’s life with bitterness. Nobody knows how many have wept away sleepless nights having suffered tortures for which no redress was possible. The dogma of the scriptures crushed their emotional feelings, their hopes and aspirations like a steam roller flattening soft clay. Nobody has paid any heed to their sobs and tearful outbursts. The irrational social dictates based on vice and virtue have been a perennial source of injustice for human beings. Humanity has always been hated and trampled.

I repeat that no scripture should gain supremacy by slighting or neglecting humanity. Scriptures should be written to further human progress. They should provide rules, but these rules should in no way send humanity to its grave. Their utility lies in promoting freedom from bondage and leading humanity along the path of union with Cosmic Consciousness, the source of everything. Scriptures that throttle society to death or arrest its natural movement, should never be accepted.

Vice and virtue should be defined in the interest of human values not on the whims of certain individuals. People must move towards that stage which is the zenith point of human progress and from which no further advancement is possible. That which blocks this movement is vice and that which facilitates it is virtue. To exploit an individual, a group or the entire society for one’s own interest or the interest of the group is vice. To rob a person of the right to exist is also vice. There should be scope to punish such acts; but punishment is not an end in itself. If punishment kills or prevents one from progressing along life’s path, it may also be treated as vice. Punishment should be for rectification. The penal code will be based on human values. Ananda Marga’s social treatise states: First use sweet words and inform the offender of their mistake. Then use harsher words to convince them of the social damage caused by their actions. In the third stage, inform them about the possibility of penal measures. And in the fourth stage, if the situation warrants such action, take penal measures against him, but remember, punishment should be inflicted humanely.

Those who commit acts of vice, for whatever reasons should be given scope for rectification. If they fail to realize what they have done, they should be convinced by logical argumentation. If they ignore such reasoning they will be liable for punishment. Only the offenders themselves will be punished – under no circumstances will their relatives be punished too. Penal measures will be withdrawn as soon as the offenders have corrected themselves. An entire life should not have to be wasted over a single act of vice. On no account should anybody be branded forever.

Those who worship a marble deity in the dark corner of a temple and neglect the poor multitudes – who are themselves an embodiment of God – gain nothing in this life nor for the life hereafter. The neglect of a person who is the embodiment of God is tantamount to neglecting God Himself. A truly righteous person realizes that God does not confine Himself to the temple, but manifests Himself in His creation.

“Why are you lying in the gloom of the temple?
Raise your eyes. Look! God is not confined to four walls.
He has gone where the farmers are tilling and toiling all year round”.

–Rabindranath Tagore

In the Vipra era, humanity was affronted by the creation of divisions between high and low. People of high-birth would lose their caste if they merely stepped on the shadow of the so-called low-castes. Even worse, if a Vedic Brahman touched a person from a low family he was declared an outcaste. In no other age has humanity suffered such hatred and insult. Rabindranath says, “By standing aloof from your fellow man daily, you have hated the God enthroned in his heart.”

Instead of hating anyone, the Sadvipras will encourage everyone to build good careers. This will be Sadvipra’s principle duty. None should feel that they have been doomed for good.

The Present Age and Human Values

At present life is valued on the basis of money.

Yasyástivittam sah sarah kuliinah sah panditah
Sah shutaban gunagnah sa eva vaktása ca darshaniiyah
Sarve gunah kancanámá trayanti.

That is, these days, a person who possesses wealth is respected and revered whereas a person without money is a person honoured by none. The poor, whoever they may be, have to woo the rich just for the sake of earning their livelihood. Human values have become meaningless, for human beings have become the means for the rich to earn money. The rich, having purchased the human mind with their money, are busy playing a game of chess with the other members of society. Bereft of everything, people toil round the clock to earn a mere pittance. Today the motto of people is, “I have to send some food particles into the apathetic stomach after somehow taking a dip in the muddy water amidst hyacinths.”

Those who are at the helm of society, constantly suspicious of others, forever count their losses and profits. They have no desire to think about the plight of humanity. Rather, to gratify themselves they are ready to chew the human bone, and suck human blood. For the self-centred there is no place for feelings of mercy, sympathy or camaraderie. The railway stations and market places are full of half-clad beggars and lepers desperately stretching out their begging bowls, earning their livelihood in the only way they know. They are fortunate if anyone contemptuously flings them a copper coin. The old blind beggars sitting all day long on the steps of a bridge automatically lift their bowls whenever anyone walks past. But their hungry pleas fall on deaf ears. On the other side of the social coin, sumptuous dishes are being prepared to entertain the rich dignitaries. These contrasts ridicule the present human society.

Today, those who occupy high posts are also respected. Dignity is attached to post or rank. A station master will take great pains to prepare the railway minister’s visit, but will never trouble himself with the inconveniences faced by the ordinary passengers. Luxurious houses are built for high-ranking officers while the poor live in shanty towns, barely protected from the elements. I don’t say that large houses should never be built, but that everyone should be provided the minimum requirements. “I admit that both rice and tasty dishes are necessary for people, but I shall not demand a sumptuous dish from the goddess of food until I see that India has been overflooded with an abundance of rice.”

These days educated people are so proud of their erudition that they detest illiterate people and avoid the company of commoners. Thus they shun village life and live in towns. When the question of returning to the village crops up, they say, “What on earth would we do in a village? There’s not a single person to talk to. Only idiots live there.” This explains why almost all attention is focused on the urban areas to the detriment of the villages. While soliciting votes, political leaders pay a short visit to the villages with a mouthful of attractive promises. They promptly inform the ignorant populace about their great achievements in constructing huge dams; though perhaps village cultivation is becoming impossible due to want of irrigation. They give detailed descriptions about their plans to build bridges and bungalows and install television sets, though perhaps in that village people die for want of medicine, or beg for food in poverty-stricken desperation. And yet the common villagers constitute the backbone of society. Even in the towns not everyone gets equal opportunities. The pavements have become the home for so many people. Rabindranath says, “ There are always a number of uncelebrated people in the human civilization. They are the majority, and they are the medium, but they have no time to become human beings. They are raised on the leftovers of the national wealth. They are poorly dressed and receive little education, yet they serve the rest of society. They give maximum labour but are rewarded with ignominy – they die of starvation or are tortured to death by those they serve. They are deprived of all life’s amenities. They are the candlestick of civilization: they stand erect with the candle resting on their head. Everyone gets light from it, while they suffer the discomfort of the wax trickling down their sides. In this way, the dishonest of humanity or the neglect of human values has become a social malady.”

Another glaring example of the neglect of human values is the present judicial system. When arrested, people have to stand in the dock for the accused and face a trial based on evidence and the lawyer’s eloquence, no matter if they are guilty or not. A criminal who can afford to hire a reputable lawyer may emerge from the legal processes unscathed, whereas an innocent person of meagre financial means who is unable to appoint a good counsel, may end up in prison. If a thief is set free it is a crime, no doubt; but if an innocent person is punished it is a severe dishonour to humanity.

One of the primary causes of crime today is the lack of virtuous people. Those who are honest try to follow moral principles in their private lives, but at times have to abandon moralism under the pressure of poverty. Eventually they may find themselves in the dock of the accused, charged with committing theft. The law is not concerned with the poverty which forced them to steal, nor, indeed, does the law make provisions for the maintenance of their families if they are given a prison sentence. As a consequence, their children will have to become pick-pockets and petty thieves and their unfortunate wives have to embrace an ignoble and sinful life in the underworld, for survive they must. On being released from jail, the men will meet social discrimination and alienation and, with little other choice, will be forced to select crime as their profession. In this way hundreds of families are being ruined each day. Nobody feels their agony or offers them sympathy; for today the common people are not anybody’s concern.

The black marketeers who escape punishment by virtue of money are now occupying the commanding positions in society – the more one is devious and hypocritical, the more powerful one becomes.

[This last section was also printed separately as “The Neohumanism of Sadvipras” in Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1. This is the Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1, 2nd edition, version.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

However, when the question of social responsibility arises, it must be considered with great care. Irresponsible people cannot be entrusted with social responsibility, because those who shoulder social responsibility will have to lead humanity on the path of development, and correct the ways of sinners. If they themselves are of evil mentality, it will not be possible for them to discharge their social responsibility. It has been said: “The collective body of those who are engaged in the concerted effort to bridge the gap between the first expression of morality and establishment in universal humanism is called society.”⁽¹⁾ So social responsibility should be entrusted to those who are capable of discharging it creditably. If moralism is the starting-point of the journey of society, then those who are at its helm must be moralists. And since society aims to establish universalism, those people must be universalists. And if the gap between moralism and universal humanism is to be bridged, spiritual sádhaná is a must, so those people must practise rigorous sádhaná. Their philosophy of life must be, “Morality is the base, sádhaná is the means, and life divine is the goal.”

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

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

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

Footnotes

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

Chapter 17	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Primitive human beings had no society and the whole set-up was individualistic. Even the concept of family was absent. Life was brute and non-intellectual. Nature was the direct abode and physical strength ruled the day. The strong enjoyed at the cost of the weak, who had to surrender before the voracity of the physical giants. However, the sense of acquisition had not developed in them, and they worked manually, and there was no intellectual exploitation in that age. Though life was brute, it was not brutal.

If shúdras be defined as those who live by manual work or service, this primary stage of nature’s brute laws could be named the Shúdra Age, because all were manual workers. The reliance on physical power gradually led a chosen few to lead the rest by the strength of their muscles. They were the leaders of the shúdras.

Simultaneously, the family developed. And the above-mentioned leadership, once based upon the superiority of muscles, passed on from the father to the son or from the mother to the daughter, partly due to the momentum of fear and power commanded, and partly because of superiority of animalic breed.

Superior strength requires the assistance of other superior strengths in the neighbourhood for all to maintain their status. Generally such superior neighbours belonged to the same parenthood or were related through matrimonial ties. Gradually the leaders by physical might started a well-knit group, and ultimately formed a class known as the kśatriyas. The age when the power to rule, or supremacy in arms, was the only material factor that mattered, was the Kśatriya Age. The leaders of the Kśatriya Age were Herculean, huge giants who depended on the supremacy of personal valour and might, making little or no use of intellect.

With the development of intellect and skill as a result of physical and psychic clash, physical strength had to lose its dignified position according to the growing intensity of intellectual demand in the kśatriya-dominated society. One had also to develop skill in the use of arms, and even for this the physical giant had to sit at the feet of some physically-common men to learn the use of arms and strategy. A reference to the mythology of any ancient culture reveals numberless instances where the hero of the day had to acquire specific knowledge from teachers. Subsequently this learning was not confined to the use of arms only but extended to other spheres, such as battle-craft, medicine and forms of organization and administration, so essential for ruling any society. Thus the dependence on superior intellect increased day by day, and in the course of time real power passed into the hands of such intellectuals. These intellectuals, as the word implies, justified their existence on intellect only, performed no labour themselves, and were parasites in the sense that they exploited the energy put in by others in society. This age of domination by intellectual parasites can be called the Vipra Age.

Even though the vipras came into the forefront by the use of their marked intellect, it is more difficult than in the case of the kśatriyas to maintain a hereditary superiority of intellect. In an effort to maintain power amongst the limited few, they actively tried and prevented others from acquiring the use of the intellect by imposing superstitions and rituals, faiths and beliefs, and even introducing irrational ideas (the caste system of Hindu society is an example) through an appeal to the sentiments of the mass (who collectively cannot be called intellectual). This was the phase of human society in the Middle Ages in the greater part of the world.

The continued exploitation by one section of society resulted in the necessity for the collection and transfer of consumable goods. Even otherwise, need was felt very badly for the transport of food and other necessities of life from surplus parts to deficit parts. Also, in the case of clan conflicts, the result of the resources of one community or class versus another gained importance. This aspect was confined not only to the producers but also to those handling the goods at various stages up to the point of consumption. These people became known as vaeshyas, and ingenuity and summed-up production began to enjoy supremacy and importance, till an age was reached when this aspect of life became the most important factor. These vaeshyas, therefore, began to enjoy a position of supremacy, and the age dominated by this class is said to be the Age of Vaeshyas.

Individualistic or laissez-faire sense develops [into] capitalism when the means of production pass into the hands of a few who are more interested in personal exploitation. At this stage it can be said that the instinct of acquisition has developed tremendously. The thirst for acquisition instigated them to [develop] the psychology of complete exploitation of the human race also, and this resulted in a class by itself. In the race for greed and acquisition not all could survive, and only a few remained to dominate the society in general and the economic set-up in particular by their capital. The great majority were either duped into believing that they would be allowed to share such resources, or were neglected and left uncared-for for want of strength and did not survive the race. Such people in society ultimately occupy the place of exploited slaves of the capitalists. They are slaves because they have no option other than to serve the capitalists as labourers to earn the means of subsistence.

We may recall the definition of shúdras as persons who live by manual work or labour hard for their livelihood. This age of capitalism is the age when the large majority of society turn into such shúdras. This develops into dejection and dissatisfaction on a large scale because of an internal clash in the mind, because the psychology of society is essentially dynamic in nature and the mind itself exists as a result of constant clash. These conditions are necessary and sufficient for labourers, whether manual or mental, to organize and stand up against the unnatural impositions in life. This may be termed “shúdra revolution”. The leaders of this revolution, also, are people physically and mentally better-equipped and more capable essentially of overthrowing the capitalistic structure by force. In other words, they are also kśatriyas. So, after a period of chaos and catastrophe, once more the same cycle – Shúdra Age to Kśatriya to Vipra, and so on – recommences.⁽¹⁾

In this cycle of civilization one age changes into another. This gradual change should be called “evolution” or kránti. The period of transition from one age to another can be said to be yuga saḿkránti – “transitional age”. One complete cycle from the Shúdra Age evolving through the other [three] ages is called parikránti.⁽²⁾

Sometimes the social cycle (samája cakra) is reversed by the application of physical or psychic force by a group of people inspired by a negative theory. Such a change is, therefore, counter-evolution – that is, against the cycle of civilization. This may be termed vikránti. But if this reversal of the social cycle takes place, due to political pressure or any other brute force, within a short span of time, the change thus brought about is prativiplava, or “counter-revolution”. It is just like the negative pratisaiṋcara of Brahma Cakra.⁽³⁾ Thus the progress and march of civilization can be represented as points of position and as the speed of approaching Puruśottama, respectively, by a collective body in Brahma Cakra.

The world is a transitory phase or changing phenomenon within the scope of the Cosmic Mind. It is going in eternal motion, and such a motion is the law of nature and the law of life. Stagnancy means death. Hence no power can check the social cycle of evolution. Any force, external or internal, can only retard or accelerate the speed of transition, but cannot prevent it from moving. Therefore progressive humanity should cast off all skeletons of the past. Human beings should go on accelerating the speed of progress for the good of humanity in general.

Those spiritual revolutionaries who work to achieve such progressive changes for human elevation on a well-thought, pre-planned basis, whether in the physical, metaphysical or spiritual sphere, by adhering to the principles of Yama and Niyama, are sadvipras.

The principles of Yama are ahiḿsá, satya, asteya, aparigraha and Brahmacarya. Ahiḿsá means not causing suffering to any harmless creature through thought, word or deed. Satya denotes action of mind or use of words with the object of helping others in the real sense. It has no relative application. Asteya means non-stealing, and this should not be confined to physical action but [extended] to the action of the mind as well. All actions have their origin in the mind, hence the correct sense of asteya is “to give up the desire of acquiring what is not rightly one’s own”. Aparigraha involves the non-acceptance of such amenities and comforts of life as are superfluous for the preservation of the physical existence. And the spirit of Brahmacarya is to experience His [the Supreme Entity’s] presence and authority in each and every physical and psychic objectivity. This occurs when the unit mind resonates with Cosmic will.

The five rules of Niyama are shaoca, santośa, tapah, svádhyáya and Iishvara prańidhána. Shaoca means purity of both physical and mental bodies. Mental purity is attained by benevolent deeds, charity, or other dutiful acts. Santośa means “contentment”. It implies accepting ungrudgingly and without a complaint the out-turn of the services rendered by one’s own physical or mental labour. Tapah means efforts to reach the goal despite such efforts being associated with physical discomforts. Svádhyáya means study of the scriptures or other books of learning and assimilating their spirit. The whole universe is guided by the Supreme Entity, and nothing that one does or can do is without His specific command. Iishvara prańidhána is an auto-suggestion of the idea that each and every unit is an instrument in the hands of the Almighty and is a mere spark of that supreme fire. Iishvara prańidhána also implies implicit faith in Him irrespective of whether one lives in momentary happiness or sorrow, prosperity or adversity.⁽⁴⁾

Only those who by their nature adhere to the above ten commands in their normal and spiritual conduct are sadvipras. Such a morally- and spiritually-equipped sadvipra has to perform a fundamental and vital duty to society.

In the cycle of social evolution, during each age before it is succeeded by another age, one particular class enjoys the position of domination and superiority. Such a class, while in political power, has every chance of exploiting the society. History has shown that this is not mere chance, but has been repeating itself. Now the duty of the sadvipra is to see that the dominating class does not take recourse to exploitation. The four classes – shúdra, the toiling class; kśatriya, the warrior class; vipra, the intellectual class; and vaeshya, the capitalist class – have remained well defined in the cycle of human civilization, and the gradual domination and decline of each class shall continue to occur in this cycle.

Life is a dynamic principle, and the movement of the samája cakra continues without any break or pause. The cycle cannot be checked, as stagnation implies death. The function of a sadvipra shall, therefore, be to see that the dominating or the ruling classes do not have any scope for exploitation. The moment one class turn into exploiters, the life of the majority becomes miserable; a few enjoy at the cost of many whose lot is only to suffer. More than that, in such a state of society both the few and the many get degenerated. The few (exploiters) degenerate themselves due to [an] excess of physical enjoyments and the many (exploited) cannot elevate themselves, because all their energy is taken up in mundane problems and all their mental waves are always tending to attain psycho-physical parallelism, thus getting day by day cruder. Hence, for the physical, mental and spiritual welfare of the administrator and the administered of the society as a whole, it is essential that no one be given any scope to exploit the rest of the society.

Sadvipras are not inactive witnesses. They are active participants to see that no person or class exploits the rest. For this they may have to resort even to physical violence, because the sadvipras will have to strike at the source of the power [of the class] which is tending to become the exploiter. In case the kśatriya class are becoming exploiters, the sadvipras may have to resort to physical force, and in an age where the intellectual or vipra class are dominating, they will have to bring about a revolution in the intellectual field. In case the vaeshyas are dominating, the sadvipras may have to contest and win elections, because the vaeshya class rules by democracy, and the democratic set-up enables them to accumulate undue gains.

Footnotes

(1) A period of chaos and catastrophe ends when kśatriya leadership re-emerges, signifying the start of the next Kśatriya Age. For a more detailed discussion of this process, see “The Shúdra Revolution and the Sadvipra Society” in Human Society Part 2 by the author. [In the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article, this footnote is replaced by “Also see ‘The Shúdra Revolution and the Sadvipra Society’ in Volume 2.”] –Eds.

(2) See also the definitions of parikránti in the author’s Problems of the Day, section 34, and Ánanda Sútram, Chapter 5, Sútra 7. Eds.

(3) Brahma Cakra is the Cosmic Cycle of creation. The “negative pratisaiṋcara of Brahma Cakra” refers to the devolution of human beings to animals, plants, or even matter. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

(4) For further discussion on Yama and Niyama, see A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957. –Eds. [Footnote used in the Prout in a Nutshell Volume 1 Part 3, 1st edition, publication of this article.]

Chapter 18	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

The behaviour of the respected and elder persons in society is an example and ideal for others; it is followed and imitated by the succeeding generations as well. Today there is catastrophe and misery in human society and there is one reason: the defective leadership of society. People blindly follow even unintelligent leaders. The leaders hypnotize and attract thousands with their tall talks, gestures and other dramatics. Understand that the poverty and misery of any people in any country are the sins of the leaders. True leaders should always be vigilant and think how to work best for human society: they must be ever cautious that under their guidance the people are not led to darkness, death and immorality.

Those who have the responsibility to show the path to others should be of superlative character with the most refined conduct. They and their followers must move constantly towards all-round development and shreya [ultimate spiritual attainment]. Persons who teach such well-regulated behaviour to others by their own conduct are called ácáryas.

Bear in mind that people may be harmed or misled by even a small weakness or defect in the conduct of an ácárya. Just as it is the duty of a father to educate his children properly by his good conduct, an ácárya or ácáryá should always instruct by his or her exemplary actions and words.

In every period of history, some people are heard saying: “Today’s society is ruined, the people degenerated. Life was better in the old days.” The same view is expressed in every era. Have human beings really lost their humanity? Don’t they hold the highest position in the evolution of living things?

All the psychological diseases of humanity are the result of not having bhúmadrśt́i (Cosmic outlook) in life. The diseased persons do not consider others, but think only about themselves. They are busy thinking about their own families, employers, etc., and they forget everyone else. This is a terrible malady. But it is a mere expression and symptom of narrow-mindedness, the real root and reason for psychological disease. The cure is to reverse the trend of behaviour to rid the fallen human beings of narrow-mindedness. The medicine is one and only one: Brahmabháva [ideation on Supreme Consciousness]. But just adopting the supreme goal does not immediately establish one in that. It is the work of the ácárya to recognize if a person is on the right or wrong path and course of action. The ácárya should give direction and guidance in every work, big or small. When he or she is to impart any duty to anyone, he should be strict, strong and exact, like a diamond. He or she should never consider social position, wealth, rank, etc. Only those who are established in Yama and Niyama [moral code] and practise sádhaná can be given any responsibility.

Remember, Ananda Marga is a man-making mission. Both quantity and quality are important. Everyone should be free to join Ananda Marga, to take part in social functions, etc., but only those established in Yama and Niyama may be given any position to work in society. Just to satisfy someone and compromise [with] sin is unthinkable. We can in no case ever compromise with injustice. An employer and a worker may compromise after a struggle. But Ananda Marga is fighting for Satya (Absolute Truth) and unless and until we get total victory in both individual and collective life we must not stop the struggle. Compromising with injustice during battle is asatya [untruth]. Achieving only seventy-five percent Satya and twenty-five percent asatya is no victory. Quinine suppresses the symptoms of malaria, while the disease still remains in the blood. But the disease must be destroyed. Therefore, until you banish asatya you shall not stop your battle.

Society is the collective name for those who want to move ahead together. The struggle against sin must be waged individually as well as in a well-unified way in collective social life. There is a story in the Márkańd́eya Puráńa. In it, the demons defeated each of the gods individually, but then the gods united all their individual strengths and formed a tremendous collective force, thereby routing and destroying the demons. It is a very good story and there can be practical application of its meaning in every collective endeavour. It is the duty of an ácárya to develop this great collective force of society by awakening the masses to unite and destroy the evil, demoniac forces existing in society. The struggle between good and evil forces goes on. Sound an urgent clarion call in this battlefield of life. Ácáryas must give such inspiration to the people. You know, a son must remove the debt of his deceased father – he is morally bound to do so. Similarly, you are to purify society by purging it of sin. It is more than an obligation, it is your bounden duty. You must do this or total destruction is inevitable. To take leadership in society you must be established in Yama and Niyama in just such a strict way.

Chapter 19	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

Human beings cannot propagate a great ideology by their knowledge, intellect or social status alone. They can only do it through their conduct. Human conduct gets purified by intuitional practices. It is not necessary that one should come from a so-called high family, or that one should have completed university studies. Rather, these factors may create false vanity in one’s mind which may ultimately stand in the way of reforming one’s conduct.

In this universe of ours, two forces are working side by side – the sentient and the static. Sometimes the sentient force and at other times the static force dominates. There is no scope for a pact between these forces. Human beings will have to march ahead amidst the ceaseless struggle of these opposite forces. In the society, on the one hand we see the hoards of antisocial elements, and on the other hand we feel a sense of frustration among the moralists. These moralists have therefore developed a tendency to go out of the society. With more wealth and strength, the antisocial elements are in an advantageous position, and the moralists appear to be the culprits. This state of affairs is neither desirable nor behooving, and it should not be allowed to continue.

Your duty will be to unite the moralists. Let there be two camps. Let there be an open fight. The moralists have been scattered for so long that they could not fight. The united strength of five moralists is much more than the united strength of a hundred immoralists because there is an unholy alliance amongst the latter. Meditation behind closed doors will not do. Gather strength by intuitional practices and unite yourselves against the immoralists.

So your duty is three-fold. Your first duty is to observe morality and to do intuitional practices. Without this you cannot have mental determination. Your next duty is to unite the moralists of the world, otherwise Dharma will not endure. The exploited mass who do not observe Yama and Niyama – the cardinal moral principles – cannot fight against their own sense of frustration. It is therefore necessary to unite the moralists. This will be your real Dharma. You will become great by doing this, because ideation of the Great makes a person great. At the third stage, you will have to mercilessly fight against sin wherever it has taken root in this world.

You will have to propagate this mission from door to door. No political party or so-called religious institution can bring salvation. Praising God in concerts with drums and cymbals will not bring salvation either, because this will not bring the sinner to submission. To curb the onslaughts of the immoralists today, arms are more necessary than drums and cymbals.

It is not possible to fight against sin as long as there is some weakness in your mind. In this fight, your goal is not the sin or the sinner, your goal is the Supreme Consciousness. Anything that comes in the way of this has to be removed mercilessly. When clouds collect around the pole-star and cover it, your duty will be to remove the clouds and follow the pole-star without caring to see where the clouds have gone. If you always think of your enemy, your mind will adopt the bad qualities of your object of ideation, but if the Supreme Being is your goal, your mind will be metamorphosed into the Supreme Being itself.

Remember – you have to serve humanity. You have to dedicate yourself to the cause of humanity as a whole. Your life is valuable; your time is all the more valuable. You should not waste a single moment. The task is glorious. The task is novel. Lead the life of a warrior and constantly fight against evils. You will be victorious. So march ahead!

Chapter 20	Supreme Expression Volume 2 [a compilation]

(1) The Supreme Spirit within humanity, neglected for ages, has awakened today. This awakening will initiate a new chapter in human history. You will all be the pioneers of the new trend.

1 January 1956

(2) A sádhaka is verily a soldier. The pricks of thorns on the difficult path signify one’s progress. The collective welfare of the universe is the crowning glory of one’s victory.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1956

(3) Thorns on the path cannot deter those who have assembled with the determination to march in unison. They are blowing the trumpets of victory in an effort to conquer the universe of a timid mind. O human beings march ahead – let the song of march be your only slogan.

1 January 1957

(4) The purport of Dharma Sádhaná is to look upon every person, every object of this universe as one integral entity. To jeopardize the unity of the human race by creating factions is not the purpose of Dharma. Those who encourage vested interests survive on the mental weaknesses of people and their dissensions, and that is why they are scared of the spread of the ideals of Dharma and exhibit their intolerance towards it in all sorts of immoral ways, such as abuse, false propaganda and lies. People must not be cowed by this, they have got to march ahead. It is to be borne in mind that hindrances are beneficial to human beings on the path of righteousness and to continue to fight against them is what is sádhaná.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1957

(5) The accumulated distortions of many lifetimes cannot be removed in the twinkling of an eye. The removal of these distortions requires prolonged cultivation of knowledge, selfless devotion and untiring action.

The world expects tremendous work from you; so you must not sit idle like a frog in a well under the spell of inertia. Therefore awake, arise.

Shrávańii Púrńimá 1957

(6) Don’t compare life to a pool of muddy, stagnant water. Life resembles an ever-flowing spring. Pushing aside the stones of obstructions and difficulties, marching on with vigorous speed is its Dharma. Hence it is clear that those who want to keep away from obstacles have lost the Dharma of life – verily they are dead. The graveyard, not the society should be their abode.

1 January 1958

(7) In the transitional period of civilization, honesty in individual life is a prime necessity. We shall have to remain ever vigilant that the darkness of petty self-interest may not shroud this supreme human treasure. With the very extinction of honesty, civilization too will not survive; the long sádhaná of the human race will go in vain, and all intellectual achievements will become meaningless. Book knowledge that cannot be utilized in life has no value.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1958

(8) Those who can maintain their restraint in spite of intense provocation are the real spiritual aspirants. They alone have overcome anger. Inspire those who are liars and criminals to live honest lives by pointing out their defects. This is the only spiritual approach to punish wrongdoers. Supreme truth is ever resplendent and can never be tarnished by false propaganda.

Shrávańii Púrńimá 1958

(9) Struggle against evil forces is life. We have to remember this fact once again on this threshold of a happy New Year.

1 January 1959

(10) That which impairs the naturalness of the life of individuals and society is the sádhaná of the dead. It is not the sádhaná of the living because the seeds of injustice, immorality and destruction dwell in unnatural life only. The wise and the well-wishers of society therefore, never support unnaturalness in life.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1959

(11) Struggle is the essence of life. Yours should be a pauseless struggle against corruption, hypocrisy and animality.

1 January 1960

(12) Life is a spiritual sádhaná and the result of this sádhaná is to be offered at the altar of the Supreme.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1960

(13) Your ideal is represented by your conduct. Your learning, your social or economic status have nothing to do with your ideal.

1 January 1961

(14) Fight for your Ideology. Be one with your Ideology. Live for your Ideology. Die for your Ideology.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1961

(15) Life represents Ideology. Life should be sacrificed for Ideology.

1 January 1962

(16) The only creed of a spiritual aspirant is to love the Universal Consciousness and the creation. One must not be guided by any national, caste, linguistic or religious sentiment and must not tolerate any fissiparous tendency.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1962

(17) To love Parama Puruśa and the creation is the only Dharma of spiritual aspirants. They should never be misguided by any sentiment of caste, creed or language and they should never tolerate any sense of discrimination.

Shrávańii Púrńimá 1963

(18) Peace is the result of fight. Peace-lovers of the universe must not keep themselves away from fight.

1 January 1963

(19) Encourage everyone to build their career in a nice way. Let none get the opportunity to think that their life has become useless.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1963

(20) It is action that makes a person great. Be great by your sádhaná, by your service, by your sacrifice.

1 January 1964

(21) Human society is one and indivisible, don’t try to divide it. Each and every individual should be looked upon as the manifestation of the Cosmic Entity.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1964

(22) Those who can dedicate their all to the thought of the Great and the inspiration of the Supreme are verily the most heroic. Indeed, they are the virtuous, and they alone are capable of taking human history from darkness to light.

1 January 1965

(23) You have no right to hate even a single living creature. The best you can do is only to serve. Remember, you are to serve bearing in mind that every creature is verily the living manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness. Remember also that the credit of service is not yours; it is due to the Supreme and the Supreme alone, whose ideation has inspired you to acquire the capability of rendering service.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1965

(24) The marching together of all in unison is termed as the society. Instead of despising those who have lagged behind, help them to advance. This alone will be your social Dharma.

1 January 1966

(25) Knowing oneself is the real knowledge; serving all with the ideation of Náráyańa, the real action, and the vow to please Parama Puruśa the real devotion.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1966

(26) Human civilization now faces the final moment of a critical juncture. The dawn of a glorious new era is on its one side and the worn-out skeleton of the past on the other. People have to adopt either of these two.

You are the spiritual soldiers, you are the worshippers of Life Divine, hence I call upon you to adorn this crimson dawn deluged with glorious light.

Victory is surely yours.

1 January 1967

(27) Today all over the world, a grim fight has started between the evil forces and the benevolent forces. Only those who possess the moral courage to fight against the evil forces, can give a soothing touch to the struggle-torn earth with the balm of peace. Remember you are spiritual aspirants. Hence you alone shall have to undertake the mighty task of saving the earth.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1967

(28) All human beings are to be served with the same steadiness in all the three strata – physical, mental and spiritual – and you have to render the service by ascribing Náráyańahood to the served. Remember that your service does not oblige the Supreme, rather you are obliged because you have such a chance to serve the Supreme in the form of living beings.

1 January 1968

(29) Marching ahead is life, crushing the pebbles of hindrances and obstacles with a stroke of your feet, disdaining the frowns of tornadoes, meteors and roaring thunder, and rendering all superstitions to ashes without any second thought. March on and on, Parama Puruśa is with you. Victory is yours.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1968

(30) The fact that the fortune of every individual, not only of this earth but of the entire cosmos, has been wreathed together, will have to be admitted one day by people. The spiritual aspirant has to hasten that auspicious moment by pauseless effort, service and propagation of the great Ideology. This alone is the Supreme task for the present humanity.

1 January 1969

(31) The entire universe has to be brought within the realm of your mind and made wholeheartedly your own. This indeed is the way to benediction, the way to all-round prosperity and success. This is the only path of your individual and collective survival.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1969

(32) Marching ahead from cimmerian darkness to the stratum divine is the true spirit of life. Staticism, superstition and narrowness stand for cimmerian darkness. Ensconcing oneself in the Cosmic Soul is the life divine. Striving ahead, together with the entire universe, along the path of spirituality is verily the greatest task for humanity.

I hope, in the fresh dawn of the New Year’s day, you will all ponder anew this eternal and sacred Truth.

1 January 1970

(33) After millions of animal lives, a created being attains the human form. That is why all the sacred books speak of the rarity of human life. The wise properly utilize all objects and this utilization alone makes the existence of the object worthy.

You have achieved the human frame. You must make it meaningful by your sádhaná, service and sacrifice. Engage yourself in such useful pursuits that even your worst enemies have hardly any chance to despise you. Utilize yourself in such a manner so as to satisfy yourself mentally, that you never wasted your time uselessly on this earth.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1970

(34) Just as the advent of the purple dawn is inevitable at the end of the cimmerian darkness of the inter-lunar night, exactly in the same way I know that a gloriously brilliant chapter will also come after the endless reproach and humiliation of the neglected humanity of today.

Those who love humanity and those who desire the welfare of living beings should be vigorously active from this very moment, after shaking off all lethargy and sloth, so that the most auspicious hour arrives at the earliest.

1 January 1971

(35) People have great expectations from their fellow human beings. In order to fulfil those expectations, go on working without the least respite. Remember that a healthy human society, free from exploitation, hatred and malice, must be built.

In this great task, the blessings of Parama Puruśa are sure to be with you.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1971

(36) Clouds cannot overcast the sun for a long time. The creatures of darkness never want the expansive exaltation of human society. Even then, human beings shall march ahead. No one can arrest the speed of their progress. You must be the harbingers, you must be the pioneers of this victorious march. See that not a single individual lags behind.

1 January 1972

(37) Those who introduce new ideas are invariably subjected to the trammels, tyranny and lure of sinful temporality. But people must not yield, people must not stop. Remember that light, not darkness is veritably the truth of life. The light of new ideas shall certainly illumine every nook and corner of human habitation, in spite of the inroads of countless forces of denunciation, denigration and contempt.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1972

(38) The entire humankind of the universe constitutes one singular people. All humanity is bound together; those who are apt to remain oblivious of this very simple truth, those who are prone to distort it, are the deadliest enemies of humanity. Today people should identify these foes very well and build up a healthy human society, totally ignoring all obstacles and difficulties.

It must be borne in mind that so long as a magnificent, healthy and universalistic human society is not well established, humanity’s entire culture, and civilization, its sacrifice, service and spiritual endeavour, shall not carry any worth whatsoever.

1 January 1973

(39) However dense the cimmerian darkness may be, the crimson dawn must follow. The fiends of hell may burst out in loud laughter, but all must fade in the void with the sunrise.

The light of sádhaná shall dispel the thick darkness, notwithstanding the night of the pangs of humanity. Sunshine is destined in human life.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1973

(40) The opportunists tried in the past, are trying at present and will try even in the future to fulfil their narrow desires by keeping the human race disunited. By severely reproaching this opportunistic craftiness through your noble deeds, you draw nigh the unknown strangers living far away and build a healthy world-based human family. Ignoring the brute forces, the sky-kissing arrogance, hypocrisy, immorality and glib outbursts of the conceited people, go ahead towards your cherished goal. The blessing of Parama Puruśa shall be with you alone.

1 January 1974

(41) History bears testimony that whenever a person states the absolute truth in any sphere of life, whether it be spiritual, social, economic or otherwise; sought clarification of doubts or protested against injustice and wrongs, the evil forces forthwith plotted against the person, administered poison, slandered and assaulted that person with rage, misused authority and mercilessly dealt blow after blow; but the blows boomeranged and ultimately the evil forces were annihilated by those very blows. Remember, by an unalterable decree of history, the evil forces are destined to meet their final doom.

1 January 1974

(42) Despite its advent onto this earth many thousands of years ago, humanity is not yet capable of building a well-integrated and universal human society. This is in no way indicative of the glory of human intellect and erudition. You, who have understood the predicament, realized the urgency, seen the naked dance of evil and heard the hypocritical and raucous laughter of the divisive forces should throw yourselves into this noble task without further delay. When the ends are just and noble, success is inevitable.

1 January 1975

(43) Marching ahead is Jiivan Dharma (the characteristic wont of life). To march ahead, carrying all, viewing the world humanity as an integral entity, is the principal aspect of Jiivan Dharma. Resolve courageously to observe this Jiivan Dharma. Remember:

“Yato dharmah tato iśt́ah, yato iśt́ah tato jayah”. “Where there is Dharma, there is Iśt́a, and where there is Iśt́a, there is victory.”

Ánanda Púrńimá 1975

(44) Be firm on sixteen points. Unite all the righteous forces. All the tall talks of the evil forces will be silenced.

1 January 1976

(45) The very import of the history of human welfare is the history of struggle and strife. Even the sweet gospels of peace could not be preached in an environment of peace and composure. Devils did not allow the apostle of peace to work peacefully – that is why I say that peace is the outcome of fight.

This endeavour at the well-being of the human race concerns everyone – it is yours, mine and ours. We may afford to ignore our rights, but we must not forget our responsibilities. Forgetting the responsibility implies the humiliation of the human race.

In order to march ahead on the road of human welfare, we will have to strengthen ourselves in all the arena of life. The complete seeds of welfare in all the spheres – physical, mental, moral, social and spiritual – are embedded in the sixteen points. Hence be firm on the sixteen points.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1976

(46) Parama Puruśa has blessed you with hands to work and legs to move; has infused you with the stamina to act; has endowed you with practical intelligence, so make the best use of them in the fight against the demons. You must not sit idle relying on fate. Be vigorously active.

1 January 1977

(47) The struggle between the good and the evil forces terminates in the latter’s rout – this you have seen, are seeing and will see in future. Only remain vigilant that the evil forces under no circumstances receive any indulgence from your side.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1977

(48) That which renews human existence and makes it full to the brim and overflowing with the joy of living is termed a festival. Let Sháradotsava (autumn festival) inspire all people to live with a new spirit like true human beings. Let it inspire them with the fact that all humanity is an indivisible entity. On this auspicious day this is my inner wish.

1 October, 1977

(49) The flame of a lamp lights up countless lamps. The touch of a great personality wakes up innumerable sleeping hearts. In the same way, the eternal glow of the boundless élan vital of Cosmic Consciousness has been illuminating the life-lamp of universal humanism since time immemorial, is illuminating it, and in future will do so even more intensely. That is why I say, the future of the human race is not dark, rather it is strikingly resplendent. So proceed on, ignoring the frowns of darkness.

1 January 1978

(50) The prehistoric human beings remained involved in group and clan clashes. The present humanity is involved in crude wars for dogmas. Then how far have they advanced? Let the marching ahead towards the supreme desideratum, taking all together, be the only mission for today’s human race, and let the pauseless fight against any and all opposing forces on the way to fulfilment of this mission be the sole fight befitting a human being. Let this very struggle be reckoned as the Supreme Expression.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1978

(51) With the progress of science, the globe has become smaller to the human eye. No place on the earth is now inaccessible, and this is why it is the most opportune moment for building a universal human society. Set yourselves to task without any further delay. Remember, a human society based on ideology must be built with the help of all the moralists and progressive people of the universe. This is the only way for the survival of human civilization.

The task will inevitably be fraught with obstacles, and by combatting them you will have to be victorious.

1 January 1979

(52) Since the very dawn of civilization, numerous isms have emerged before the humanity. Various rhythms of mobility have appeared but none of these has taught to look upon the entire humanity as an integral and indivisible entity. Hence, there is so much infighting so much intolerance amongst human beings.

The human society of today has advanced considerably in the intellectual sphere. It must no longer sit inert. By applying all its might, the march of universal humanism must be made smooth by hook or by crook. Hence no latitude in procrastination or cowardliness of any sort should be permitted in this regard.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1979

(53) The humans of today are possessed of spirited intellect and accomplished wisdom. They are keen to advance with rapid step shattering the shackles of dogmas. They will no longer be entrapped by the illusion of opportunism. The rays of the crimson dawn of a new humanity on the eastern horizon have started weaving textures of colours on their eyelids and in the subtle recesses of their minds. As for those who have been dreaming of keeping humanity imprisoned by dogmas, their days are numbered; their blissful dreams are being shattered to pieces. I call upon all enlightened people and say: “Go ahead with courage. The humanity has been awaiting you. Establish it in the excellence and grandeur of glory.”

1 January 1980

(54) The most valuable treasures on the path of human progress are honesty, simplicity and spiritedness. In no stratum of life should you allow the standard of honesty to deteriorate. In no situation, except during the struggle for Dharma, should you indulge in diplomacy or duplicity. In other words you must keep yourself straight in all other strata just as in Sastáuṋga Prańáma, and remain vigilant that the fire of your spiritedness is under no circumstances buried beneath a heap of ashes.

None of these three – honesty, simplicity or spiritedness – are found in dogma, hence you should strictly avoid dogma.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1980

(55) Amidst endless reproaches and humiliations, profuse sweating and bloodshed, through the ordeal of unbearable torments and agonies, humanity has evolved to the present status. [[The very existence implies struggle. Nevertheless, it’s your duty to accelerate the speed of human progress.

Your endless efforts to broaden and smoothen the path of human movement will render your present existence, and your future history inestimable.]]

1 January 1981

(56) The entire humanity must be looked upon as one integrated existence – and move collectively towards the all-round perfection of human life. All actions are bound to confront obstacles. It has to be borne in mind that the nobler the task, the mightier the obstacle. For human emancipation, there is no other way but to march ahead crushing the towering peaks of obstacles with a benevolent intellect and collective endeavour.

Hence I reiterate, go ahead with courage and unity. You have to move on ensuring real justice to all individuals and all geographical people.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1981

(57) Spread out the sermons of amity amongst the humanity. Remind one and all that the establishment of human excellence does not lie in hypocrisy but in simplicity and sincerity. Make them all realize that every individual human problem, whether big or small, is the problem of universal humanity. Make them also understand that the origin as well as the finality of the entire humanity is one and the same.

1 January 1982

(58) All the beings of this universe are the kith and kin of one another. No one is despicable. All are equally respectable and entitled to equal love and affection. No problem is to be ignored as an individual or group affair. Every problem is to be considered as the collective problem of universal humanity and is to be resolved collectively and resolved it must be.

Let it be the vocal panorama of the newer world of today – the continuous musical notes behind the movement of Neohumanism.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1982

(59) The more the honest people are firm on morality, the more the evil forces will be active against them. So all the moralists of the universe should remain organized and confront the evil forces unitedly.

1 January 1983

(60) Human society is one and indivisible. Keeping this supreme truth ever fixed in one’s vision, one will have to think of promoting human welfare, love for humanity, human solidarity and universal fraternity, and move accordingly. Not for a single moment should one forget it nor even ignore it. Due to lack of intellect or mutual conflicts in the past, a vast number of creatures have become totally extinct from the surface of the earth. Let human beings not meet the same dreadful consequence.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1983

(61) Human history today has reached such a transitional phase that universal humanity, forgetting all spatial, temporal and personal differences, shall have to move, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder towards the new dawn with rapid steps. Humanity must respond to this call. With the reddish glow of the dawn, the collective body, mind and soul will be radiant with joy. And that alone will be the real progress of universal humanity, the firm establishment of unified humanism.

1 January 1984

(62) Human beings will have to draw up all sorts of plans and programmes for the collective welfare of universal humanity. This will accelerate the speed of their movement and enable them to easily remove the thorns from the path. Obstacles are inevitable on the path of movement. In fact, in all actions, auspicious and inauspicious, obstacles arise, but the innate force lying in each thought and every action, from the cosmic perspective, provides the necessary stamina for forward movement. Let us not forget this fact.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1984

(63) That very irresistible aspiration which leads human beings towards their goal with tremendous speed, also builds all sorts of social structures and generates newer social consciousness. With all sincerity in thought, words and deeds you have to build that aspiration, you have to awaken the cognitive faculty latent in the innermost golden cavity of every microcosmic mind. For you have to work to bring about the well-being of every entity; no benevolent individual can neglect anyone.

1 January 1985

(64) All the entities of the universe are on the move. No one has come to rest, to lament unnecessarily. And in this movement lies the success of every entity, the colourful glamour of one’s existence. So move on individually, move on collectively. Let your sincere help illuminate those who have lagged behind on the path of movement.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1985

(65) The Supreme recognition of the meaning of existence lies in the vigorous march from imperfection to perfection. This is as true in family, social and political life as it is in individual life. In individual life the movement from imperfection to perfection is easy to some extent due to the lack of diversity, but in family, social and political life it is comparatively difficult due to the extreme influence of staticity. On no account can one afford to stop moving in any sphere of existence, nor is it possible to do so.

Through clashes and conflicts one must move towards the Supreme Desideratum. One who has lost the very spirit of forward march has lost the inner vitality of life and reduced oneself to an inert skeleton. You must not allow such a thing to happen.

Keep moving onward, singing the song of the forward march.

1 January 1986

(66) From place to place, from age to age, the elixir of immortality has been flowing forever. Through the medium of human structures this message of immortality is transmitted onwards. So no human beings should ever belittle or slight themselves, rather they should make rigorous efforts to become worthy mediums (media). The wise and intelligent ideate less on their defects and demerits and more on the Supreme desideratum.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1986

(67) The movement and the path, the means and the chariot are all inseparably linked. The path is not always easily accessible, smooth and littered with flower petals; nor is it always inaccessible, thorny and covered with stones. One must keep one’s eye fixed on the Goal. This Goal provides inspiration, supplies the means for forward movement and makes the little lamps of life infinitely effulgent. Since eternity this very Goal has provided and is providing inspiration to all and will continue to do so in future; and by revitalising the life-force as if with a flow of water, it will make the earth ever full of sweetness, and at the same time it will keep the triumphant flag of humanity flying on top of the golden mountain peak. So let one’s vision be fixed on the goal. There is no necessity to think of anything else.

1 January 1987

(68) The first and the final word of manifestation is mobility or dynamicity. Just as movement has no cessation, the path of movement also has no end. In this very movement lies the happy union between eternal ethics and the ageless supra-sensory realization – their centripetal affinity.

It is not enough for a person to merely understand and abide by the truth, rather it must be translated into reality in the practical lives of living beings. With the greatest fulfilment in buds, flowers and fruits, each and every life must be made effulgent. Everyone should be made to realize that in the path of movement the Supreme fulfilment is the highest truth.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1987

(69) The night of cimmerian darkness is bound to disappear seeing the advent of the dawn. That which is ever-true, which is eternal, is destined to be illuminated with the rise of the crimson dawn. Be ready for the grand ovation to that new crimson dawn in every house. Be prepared physically and mentally, armed with the force of righteousness, for the auspicious moment of the enthronement of the ever-new. Be ready to respond to the supra-cosmic trumpet.

1 January 1988

(70) In the crimson rays of the early dawn floats the trumpet sound from the distant blue void. The call resounds: Arise, awake and waste no time in sleep. Tear off the fog of dogma and march on smashing under your feet the sky-kissing challenges of the rocky mountains. Remember that victory does not come by itself. Victory has to be invited and welcomed with sweat, the warmth of the blood and the fiery flames of hard labour. The task you have undertaken has to be brought to its consummation. When the mission is noble victory is sure to come. So do not sit inert wasting your valuable time. Be ready to give a fitting response to the clarion call of the cosmos. Be ready from this very moment.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1988

(71) The despondent humanity, in the monumental task of searching for veracity, sees the beacon leading to the path of effulgence. This immense task makes humanity’s existence resplendent and illumines its path of movement with the blazing tenderness of humanism. You are the blessed travellers on that effulgent path. Let the unique blending of your profound wisdom and intense urge for action rend asunder the mists of sinful deeds and smash to dust the jagged rocks of hypocrisy, and establish you in the realm of supreme fulfilment. This is my wish for you on this auspicious New Year’s day.

1 January 1989

(72) We are proceeding from darkness towards effulgence, from imperfection along the golden steps to perfection. No obstacle on the way will be able to stop our advancement. Pushing aside and smashing all obstacles and impediments we will move along our destined path. Our ideological rationality is our valuable asset; the blissful glow of Macrocosmic effulgence is our goal and the inherent desire to bring well-being to all living creatures is our way.

Moving ahead is the very wont of life. Wasting valuable time in lethargy is nothing but inertness; hence we must keep moving. The chant of our forward movement will be our vocal expression, the very pulsation of our life.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1989

(73) Those entities in whom psychic and intellectual powers are looked upon as more gorgeous than the physical ones are called humans – predominantly mental beings. Hence, to bring about the real well-being of humanity, greater attention has to be paid to the psychic and intellectual expressions of human beings, for that will lead to perfect spiritual composure and all-round fulfilment in human life.

Competition in the realm of physical pabula may bring satisfaction in material enjoyment, but it leads human beings far, far away from inner tranquillity. It is true that to give emphasis to existential security of human beings food, clothes, accommodation, education and medical care are absolutely necessary. Accepting these requirements as indispensable needs for living beings, you will have to move forward. But remember that while giving utmost importance to these requirements, human characteristics should not be even slightly neglected under any circumstances. You must also remember that the physical expressions of life and the increasing spiritual unfoldment of human beings are not antithetical, rather they are complementary to one another in the task of establishing a great ideology.

So keep moving, enlighten humanity with crimson rays, and make your existence meaningful and effulgent. Move on, move on.

1 January 1990

(74) Everything in this universe is moving. The hours, days, human beings, stars, planets, nebula – all are on the move. Movement is a must for all, there is no scope for its cessation. The path of movement is not always smooth or strewn with flowers nor is it always beset with thorns or encumbered with violent clashes. According to the nature of the path, human beings will have to prepare themselves and move courageously. In that movement alone lies the very essence of life.

Ánanda Púrńimá May 1990