EE7.5 - Niiti and Dharma

Niiti and Dharma

Published in:
Bábá's Grace [a compilation]
Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 21
Supreme Expression Volume 1 [a compilation]
The Great Universe: Discourses on Society [a compilation]

Notes:

The Bábá’s Grace chapter “The Essence of Spirituality” is an abridged version of part of this discourse.

In The Great Universe, the chapter “Righteousness” is an abridged version of the first third of this discourse.

Online additional information

What is niiti? Kśemárthe nayanam ityarthe niiti. The word niiti has been derived from the root verb nii and the suffix ktin. It means “that which has the capability to lead”. But “to lead” to where?

The definition is Kśemárthe nayanam ityarthe niiti. Nayana means “to lead” – as for instance the organ of the body which leads people toward external objects [the eye] is called nayana – and niiti is that which leads a unit being towards kśema.

There are a number of words that seem to have the same meaning as kśema. But there is some subtle difference among the various words. For instance, there is a word hita whose colloquial meaning is “good”, but which actually means the desire for physical, mental and spiritual progress. But since no real progress is feasible in either the physical or the intellectual realm, the word hita has no meaning. Another word is shubha. It is used for progress in the intellectual and spiritual realms, but since there cannot be any progress in the intellectual realm, this term also becomes meaningless. And as regards spiritual progress, there are two words, kalyáńa and kśema. Kalyáńámastu means “Let there be spiritual progress” – and kśema means the same as kalyáńa.

So, Kśemárthe nayanam ityarthe niiti – that is, “That which leads you in a particular direction for your kśema is called niiti.” That which teaches you how to thieve, how to rob, and how to take bribes, is not niiti, for there is no intention of kśema there. This is the definition of niiti as in the scriptures.

In common speech niiti means simply “that which leads”, or “the entity which possesses the capability of leading”. So in common speech we can use terms such as kuniiti, durniiti, suniiti, satniiti, rańaniiti, etc. But in a spiritual [context] the words suniiti [niiti conducive to welfare] and kuniiti [niiti conducive to harm] cannot be used, since the word niiti means only Kśemárthe nayanam ityarthe; that is to say, since niiti [is automatically conducive to welfare and] can never be harmful.

The word “morality” is generally used as the English synonym for niiti (niiti as scripturally defined). Morality is that effort or idea which keeps a person away from sin – sin being that which is not prescribed in the Bible. Niiti is different from morality. There is no exact synonym for niiti.

Another thing to bear in mind is that “sin” in the English language is not the pápa of Sanskrit. As already said, “sin” means to go against that prescribed in the Bible. But pápa is explained in the phrase Paropakárah puńyáya pápáya parapiid́anam – that is, “Any action by one individual which leads to the development of others is puńya [virtuous deeds], and any action which does the opposite is pápa.” Bhagaván Shankaracharya has said,

Tyaja durjanasaḿsargaḿ bhaja sádhusamágamam;
Kuru puńyamahorátraḿ smara nityamanityatám.

[Avoid association with the wicked and associate with the virtuous. Do good twenty-four hours a day, and remember the eternal.]

Tyaja durjanasaḿsargam – avoid association with the durjana (wicked). Who are durjana? Those who bring about the spiritual degeneration of others are durjana. But durjana is also a relative term. A particular individual may be wicked for one person (i.e., the cause of that person’s degeneration), yet may not be wicked for another person.

In a unit there are both righteousness and unrighteousness. Suppose that in one person the righteousness is twenty percent and the unrighteousness is fifteen percent – the resultant five percent will be righteousness. But if in another person the righteousness be ten percent and the unrighteousness two percent, then the resultant eight percent will be that person’s righteousness – which means that that person turns out to be a greater moralist, though he or she is possessed of only ten percent righteousness. What counts is the [resultant quantity] of righteousness, not the righteousness in itself.

Now suppose that in Mr. X [the resultant] unrighteousness is fifteen percent, and in Mr. Y it is ten percent. If a third man possessing less than ten percent resultant righteousness comes in contact with them, he will become degenerated. But if in this man the righteousness is twenty-five percent, he cannot become unrighteous in contact with X and Y, on the contrary he will make those two righteous. Therefore one person cannot be durjana for all other persons. A person may be durjana for those who possess less of righteousness than he or she does of unrighteousness, but the same person cannot be durjana for those who possess more of righteousness than he or she does of unrighteousness – rather the latter persons will make the former person good.

If, when making an effort to reform a person, your righteousness is not much more than the unrighteousness in that person, you should take with you a few other moralists when you go to reform the person. The collective righteousness will gain in strength, and it will have its impact on the person, and the person will be reformed. The person could be reformed not by the influence of one good person but by that of an assemblage of good people. So, Tyaja durjanasaḿsargaḿ bhaja sádhusamágamam.

And what is the meaning of the word sádhu [in the shloka]? Really sádhu means “those by whose contact others become good”. One does not become a sádhu simply by wearing saffron dress. Those who have the capability of leading others towards sádhutá [saintliness] are alone sádhus. One may be a sádhu even wearing a suit. So, “One should associate with sádhus.”

Then, Kuru puńyamahorátram – that is, “Do puńya to others all day long and all night long.” What is puńya? Paropakárah puńyáya [“Any action by one person which leads to the development of others is puńya”].

The real service is the service that you render to others for their spiritual upliftment, and that is known as viprocita sevá. But other services such as shúdrocita sevá [physical service], vaeshyocita sevá [economic service] and kśatriyocita sevá [martial service] help you in rendering viprocita sevá to others. When someone is dying of some ailment you cannot preach spiritual gospels to the person, rather you should help that person with medicines and physical services. Then when the person gets well you should teach something spiritual to him or her. Then the person will have been permanently benefited. Hence, Kuru puńyamahorátram.

What is the ahorátra? The ahorátra means the time stretching from one sunrise to the next. The time from one sunrise to the sunset is called a dinamána, and the time from that sunset to the next sunrise is called a rátrimána. The dinamána combined with the rátrimána is called the ahorátra.

The European system of time measurement starts from twelve in the night, whereas the Indian system starts from sunrise. In the Indian system the date changes with the rise of the sun.

So do puńya, ahorátra – all day long and all night long. Here someone may ask how it is possible to do puńya while sleeping. Let me explain it to you.

Among all puńya karmas [virtuous actions], the best is the performance of pracára [spiritual propagation]. (Pracára can be done only by those who themselves are spiritual aspirants.) Doing sádhaná and rendering social service are also puńya karmas. But for ordinary people who work in [government] offices or in businesses (not very spiritual activities), what is the way out? Even while working in the world, they should take their worldly work to be the work of the Lord. The worldly work as well will then become a puńya karma. If they keep their minds engaged in the thought of the Supreme, they will not be able to do anything wrong. The feeling of rendering service to others will remain in their minds. And what about during sleep? Before sleeping take His name – sleep too will become a puńya karma.⁽¹⁾ That is why it is said, Kuru puńyamahorátram.

Then, Smara nityamanityatám. Nityam means “always” – “Remember always the transitory nature of things.” [Anityatám means “the ephemeral”, “the transitory”.] That which was in the past, is in the present and will continue to be in the future is nitya. If even one of these three aspects of time be absent, the thing is not nitya. For example, that which is in the present and will continue to be in the future, but was not in the past, is not nitya, but anitya. From among beginning, middle and end, if even one is not there, then that is not nitya. A thing which was born will die one day; that which is unborn will not die. That which comes within the scope of the spatial, temporal and personal factors will alone be born and die, but that which is beyond these three and is the base of them all will neither be born nor die. And that alone is nitya.

This [physical universe] is anitya because it was born. It will die one day. That which is in the universe is anitya, and that which contains the universe is nitya. Hence this world is transitory. It was born one day and it will surely die.

A person who keeps this always in mind, [using] the discerning nityánitya faculty [nityánitya viveka], will not commit any wrong deed. Since the time of yore sádhakas have liked cremation grounds for their sádhaná, because the final end of the human body is most vividly manifested there. So one will tend not to perform any work improperly, and one’s mind will not be attached to crudity.

Niiti has a very close association with dharma. What is dharma? That which sustains the jiiva is dharma. And the practical side of dharma is expressed in the words Ácárańát dharmah, that is, “Dharma is the assemblage of all your conduct” – the way you eat, the way you speak, the way you perform sádhaná. If your conduct is good, dharma is with you; if your conduct is not good, dharma is not with you. And if dharma is not with you, what comes about is your sarvanásha, or sarvátmaka vinásha – that is, your physical, mental, and spiritual ruin. Now you may say that your átman cannot be ruined. That is correct, but your átman will not remain in the form of átman. It will become crudified.

In the first stage of dharma, the greatest helping factor is niiti. In other words, the function of niiti is to help dharma, to help dharmácarańa [practice of dharma]. Therefore niiti plays a vital role in the life of a sádhaka. But niiti is not the culminating point of life, it is simply a starting point. In order to enter a house one has to pass through the gate, and this passing through the gate is niiti. But one has not gotten into the house simply by passing through the gate; to get in, one has to knock on the door. The entering into the house after knocking on the door is dharma sádhaná. Just to be a moralist is not enough, it only provides one with a passport to enter the house. As said above, Ácárańát dharmah [“Dharma is the assemblage of all your conduct”], and the first phase of your conduct is niiti. Therefore those who are bereft of niiti cannot be dharmic, and those who are dharmic cannot go against niiti.

Now the question crops up whether niiti is a relative factor or an absolute factor. Niiti is not cent percent relative, but it is not absolute, either, because niiti does not have any direct relation with Paramátman – it cannot by its own force help one attain Him. Niiti is a happy blending of relative and absolute.

The final goal of dharma is Paramátman, so for a dharma sádhaka there can be no other end. Those sádhakas who think that through sádhaná they will acquire occult powers, are wrong. Or, they may attain supernatural powers, but those powers will not help them to attain Paramátman. Those powers will not satisfy human longings, because even those powers are something worldly. That which we call supernatural is not really so, “supernatural” is rather loose terminology; any power or object which has come within the bondages of the world is not supernatural, but natural. Those who think that sitting in sádhaná they can obtain ańimá, laghimá, mahimá, prápti, prakámya, etc. [names of occult powers], are in delusion. They are simply wasting their valuable time. A devoted sádhaka never aspires for these things. Even if Paramátman comes to such a sádhaka and says, “My child, take all these powers,” the sádhaka will reply, “Paramátman, keep those powers for Yourself. I don’t need them. I want You, and You alone. I long for You and not for Your powers.”

A mother tries to coax and cajole her crying son, and offers him some toys to divert his attention, so that she can work in the kitchen. The child stops crying and forgets his mother for the time being. But if he is a bit naughty, he will again resume his effort to reach the breast of his mother. He will throw away the toys and cry for Mother only. And the mother ultimately has to come and take the child on her lap. A devoted sádhaka is like this child. He or she will say, “O Father, this world that I see all around is a plethora of toys. This world took its birth at a certain time, so it will also come to an end at some time or other. This world has not been given permanently to anybody.” If God is asked whether He has given this world-toy to anybody forever, He will not be able to answer, for He does not give things forever. He gives with the right hand and takes away with the left.

Lord Buddha has said, Konuhása kiimananda nittam pajjalite sate. This means that Paramátman has given you a rope, one end of which you are holding, and on the other end of which He has lit a fire. Sooner or later the fire will burn all of the rope and your hand as well. Hence one should not ask anything from Paramátman.

In niiti there is a happy blending of the relative and the absolute. So niiti is based on certain mundane and supra-mundane principles. Dharma, on the other hand, is ácárańa [conduct] – Ácárańát dharmah. It is, therefore, something practical. It is a cult. It is not a theory but a desire, a will to do something.

But the question arises, what to do. As regards niiti, one can deliver some speech, say something on Yama and Niyama, and that too can be understood. But as regards dharma, one has to actually do something. So what to do and what not to do? What are people’s dos and don’ts?

In the case of niiti, indeed, there are certain dos and don’ts. In Sanskrit these dos are called vidhi, and the don’ts are called niśedha. The collection of dos and don’ts is niiti. But as regards dharma there are no don’ts, everything is do; that is, everything is a conduct which has to be performed.

For example, “Serve the patient,” “Don’t steal,” “Speak the truth,” “Don’t tell a lie” – such a combination of [observances and restrictions] is niiti. Dharma, on the other hand, is ácárańa, not anácárańa – that is, it is only “do this,” “do that.” “Do sádhaná for Paramátman like this,” “Sing bhajans like this,” “Do práńáyáma like this,” “Do nyása [a kind of breath-control] like this” – there is only vidhi and no niśedha. This is the fundamental difference between dharma and niiti.

So in dharma there are only dos. Now common people will naturally ask, What is it that we are to do?

Shrutayo vibhinnáh smrtayo vibhinnáh
Naekamuniryasya mataḿ nábhinnam;
Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ
Mahájano yena gatah sa pantháh.

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

Shrutayo vibhinnáh – Among the different Vedas and shástras there are mutual differences. There are differences even between the mantras of the Rgveda and those of the Yajurveda. In the one it says pitrasva and in the other pitrastám. The one says sarvatomukha and the other says vishvatomukha. So the Rgveda and the Yajurveda are not identical. They have differences wide and deep. So what should common people do? Which should they accept? Similar is the case with niiti. One person will say that sádhaná must be done facing the east, and another will say facing the north – will say that instead of facing the sun while meditating, one should face the polestar. Yet another person will say that sádhaná should be done facing the west [from India], that is, facing Mecca. Only poor south has not received anybody’s sanction. But really Paramátman is in all the directions. Do not all these directions belong to Paramátman? How could Paramátman be only in the east and not in the west? But niitivádiis (exponents of principles of niiti) will quarrel among themselves. As said earlier, there is something relative in niiti.

As far as the controversy regarding the four directions is concerned, sádhakas will say,

Eśo ha deva pradisho’nu sarvá;
Púrvo hi játah sa u garbhe anta.
Sa eva játah sah janiśyamána;
Pratyaiṋjanaḿstiśt́hate vishvatomukha.

[The Singular Entity has manifested Himself in the form of the ten directions. He has been born in the past as the offspring of different living beings, and will continue to be so born in the future. He inheres in every object and is the witnessing counterpart of those objects.]

Eśo ha deva pradisho’nu sarvá – “The Singular Entity, Paramátman, has manifested Himself in the form of pradisha and anudisha.” Six of the ten directions – north, south, east, west, up, and down – are known as pradisha, and the remaining four – northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest – are known as anudisha. So this one Paramátman appears in the form of the six pradisha and the four anudisha. Which directions will you accept and which reject? If you speak in favour of the east, it means you are speaking against the west – and haven’t you then gone against the Lord manifested in the form of the west? So it is very difficult to talk about this. Dharmic people will not say anything about this. They will say,

[Whom should we criticize, whom should we worship? Between the two there is an even balance.]

So we see that there are differences of opinion even in the shrutis – shrutayo vibhinnáh. The smrtis also differ. What is a smrti? That which controls the worldly life of a person is called smrti, and that which controls the spiritual life of that person is called shruti. Shruti means dharmashástra (spiritual code), and smrti means samájashástra (social code). In ancient times there were the Parashar Saḿhitá, the Nárada Saḿhitá, and the Manu Saḿhitá; and today you will find the Hindu Code. All of these are smrtishástra. Smrtishástra is more relative than shrutishástra, for society changes with the change of time. But there are differences among the shrutis also, and, Naekamuniryasya mataḿ nabhinnam – “There is no muni [saintly intellectual] who does not differ from other munis.” Some munis will say to offer pińd́á [oblations] in a particular way, and some in some other way. (But actually, not all of these people are [even] real munis. Only “those who have merged their minds” in Paramátman are real munis – Munih dugdhabálakah munih saḿliinamánasah.)

A modern person might ask whether it is really possible to merge one’s mind in this way. It is a difficult task, but since dharma consists in doing something in practical terms, one should make the effort. But with the shástras and munis differing so widely, what are common people to do?

[The essence of dharma is hidden in your own “I” feeling; the path pursued by practical saints is the real path.]

“The essence of dharma is hidden in the guhá.” The term guhá in Sanskrit has two meanings. The first is “cave”. So does the shloka mean that Paramátman is concealed in a cave in some mountain; does it mean that to realize Him one will have to leave the world and go to the wilderness? No, it would not be wise to leave the world, to leave off service to humanity, and go to the Himalayas to attain Paramátman. This world itself is Paramátman’s – where will you go if you leave it? In the world one may believe that one will be unable to concentrate their mind because of the din and bustle; but in a cave in the Himalayas, one will start thinking that one was unable to get sweet fruit in a particular jungle, and that hence tomorrow one would have to go get ripe plums in a different jungle two or three miles away. Either in the world or in the wilderness one will not necessarily be free. If Paramátman does not want you to know Him, then you will not be able to attain Him in either place; whereas if He wishes you to attain Him, you can get Him here and now. What He sees is your aspiration for Him. Remember that at every step of your life He is testing you to see whether or not you have been able to arouse love for Him in your mind. He is testing you as to whether you want Him or want worldly objects.

There should be oneness in thought and speech. If there is some difference between the two, one will not be able to arouse love for Him. Suppose that in sádhaná one says that one requires only Paramátman. If then, when before the Lord, that person prays for the cure of his or her asthma, that will not serve the purpose.

The other meaning of guhá is “I am.” Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ – “The essence of dharma, that is, Paramátman, is hidden in your own “I”-ness.” Is it essential for you to go to the Himalayas in search of that which is hidden in your own “I”-ness? Do you require the help of a mirror to see the wristwatch on your wrist? No, and neither for Paramátman, who is hidden in your “I”-ness, do you need go to the Himalayas. Live in the world and put forth your entire self for the service of society, and then you must attain Paramátman. Paramátman is hidden in you, and He is witnessing all your activities, physical or mental, and seeing whether you aspire for Him or for worldly objects. So what will sádhakas do? Mahájano yena gatah sa pantháh. The cover of “I”-ness is to be removed [from Paramátman, the essence of dharma] – those who try to remove it are mahájanas, practical people, practical sádhakas. And whatever these practical sádhakas have done and are doing, you have to follow. This cannot be brought about with niiti. This is entirely a spiritual cult. You are sádhakas, you have to follow the mahájanas, and achieve your end by removing the cover of your “I”-ness. You will find that your goal is hidden in your own “I”-ness.

Hence niiti will help you, but only through dharma sádhaná will you be able to attain Paramátman. That is why it has been said, Ácárańát dharmah – “Conduct is the principal factor in dharma.” Be a sadácárii, a person of good conduct, and you will surely attain Paramátman. What to speak of getting Him in the future – you have already got Him, you simply are not able to see Him.

(1) In “Under the Shelter of the Guru”, in Yoga Psychology (1994), the author explains how ajapá japa and adhyáná dhyána can go on during sleep. –Eds.