Those following the path of sádhaná márga are familiar with two words: “Nityánanda” and “Liilánanda”. When Parama Puruśa remains engrossed in Himself – the ánanda or bliss that He feels is called “Nityananda”. “Nitya” means “eternal”. For Him external bliss is meaningless, as everything is lying within Himself. When He plays with His created beings: plays the game of joy and sorrow, that is called His Liilánanda. What else can the game be called? It is like a drama. In a drama some of the characters weep, some laugh and some are impassive. Who is the witnessing entity of all these actions? The spotlight which lights up the players on the stage is the witnessing entity. Parama Puruśa is also like that. He is just like the spotlight casting light on the stage. He is witnessing everything. After the performance, the stage empties and the actors and actresses, the male or female singers, can no longer be seen on the stage. What does the light witness then? It observes that there is no-one on the stage. The light always acts as a witness and in this case witnesses that there is no-one on the stage. Seeing nobody on the stage is also an observation.

Before Parama Puruśa created this universe – what did He see and observe? He saw no-one – He found nobody. And after the creation of the universe what did He do with His created beings? He started playing the game of joy and sorrow with them just as in a drama. To Him it is nothing but a drama of joy and sorrow. And if the actors in that drama think: “I am merely playing a part,” “I am only acting” they will never be disturbed by undue pain or pleasure. Those who play the role of Sah jahan shout, jump or try to escape from prison. But the persons playing the part of Sájáhán know very well that they are only acting in a drama. They know that after having played their role they will go home and eat rice and curry. But on this universal stage, however, those people, those jiivas, who act in the drama, forget that they are mere actors, that their real home is elsewhere, that this universe is only a stage – a platform and that they will go home and eat rice and curry. While taking part in the drama they think that they are actually the characters of the drama – the real Sájáhán. And as a result they either suffer from too much pain or enjoy too much pleasure. Sometimes out of too much joy they lose their equilibrium – their common sense. In Bengali parlance it is said that when people are puffed up with pride they spurn the world. But why does this happen? It happens because the jiivas forget they are playing a role, acting in a drama. In a drama some play a tragic role – others a joyful role. If those who are sádhakas are constantly aware that they are merely playing a role as an actor, they will never be overcome by sorrow or overwhelmed with joy.

Before the creation of this universe, Parama Puruśa was in His Nityánanda stance – He was enjoying Himself. He was overwhelmed with His own ánanda. After the creation of the universe, He had His Nityánanda and also His Liilánanda. To play with lesser jiivas is His Liilánanda. Now the jiṋániis and the karmiis will declare – “Oh, what a terrible game, what a terrible liilánanda our Parama Puruśa is playing with us: He enjoys His liilánanda but we can hardly tolerate it any more. We have to earn a living and buy a house – there are so many problems to face in life. Yet He is playing His game of joy and sorrow with us.”

But the bhaktas (devotees) do not entertain such sentiments. They declare that Parama Puruśa is playing the game with the parts of His own body. He enjoys playing with His own limbs, with His hands and legs. What else is to be said about that? Nobody has any ground to pass any opinion. The jiivas are not entities which roam outside His domain but are a part and parcel of Parama Puruśa Himself. The jiivas are His fingers, His hands and His legs. Hence nobody has any right to criticize. And you poor people, if while acting this drama you take it for real, should the dramatist be held responsible? No, the fault is yours. These are the comments of the bhaktas in this regard.

I have already told that the bhaktas realize that Parama Puruśa did not create this universe just to torture or inflict pain upon any body. He has been playing with Himself. Previously in the beginning, when He was alone, He was not amused. Who likes to stay alone in this creation? So He divided Himself into many tiny parts and started playing His liila with those parts. So nobody has anything to say in this regard.

Savá eśa tadá draśtá na pashydrśtmekarát.
Me ne santanivátmánám suptashakti rasuptadrk.

“My Parama Puruśa had the power of observation. He had the hearing capacity and the power to speak. But there was no jiiva to observe, no one’s reports to listen to, and nobody to whom the effect and cause could be explained. There was no need to ascertain the fundamentals of truth because there was no second entity, there was nobody except Him. There was nobody to converse with”.

Na kartrttvam na karmáni lokashya sryate prabhu,
Na karmaphalah saḿyoga svabhávastvát prjáyate.

There was nobody so what was the use of saying “Why have you done this? Don’t you deserve punishment my boy; you must be punished”. It was pointless to say such things because there was no-one to listen.

I have already said that Parama Puruśa wanted to talk to people but there was no one present with whom to establish a relationship there. The bhaktas say that to be alone is a very harrowing experience. So in order to save Himself from the boredom of being alone, Parama Puruśa divided His one self into many selves and then started enjoying His Liilánanda. One who comes from Parama Puruśa stays in Him and returns back to Him. The Vedas said:

Anandaddhyeva khalvimáni bhutáni jáyante
Ánandena játáni jiivanti,
Ánandam prayantabhisam vishanti vá.

[“Out of Anandam or Supreme Bliss, this universe of created beings has emerged. They are living the midst of Anandam. And finally they will merge again in Supreme Bliss.”]

Therefore the source of every existence is Ánanda or bliss. Everything originates from nityánanda, remains in liilánanda and eventually returns back to nityánanda. The jiivas say, the bhaktas say, “I exist, my God exists”. The liilá that God plays with us gives us supreme bliss. But the monists say, “No, Brahma is true and this universe is false. Parama Puruśa is the only truth and everything else is false. The jiivas and the entire universe are false”. My goodness. If everything is false who is identifying and establishing the fact that only Parama Puruśa is truth? For to know the truth another true entity should be present who can declare “Yes, I know my Parama Puruśa exists.” So the learned monists will never attain peace of mind in their lives because philosophically their argument has not been substantiated. How will the monist enjoy joy or Ánanda? The bhakta says “No, no, monism does not stand on logic because in that doctrine there is no trace of Ánanda – no feeling of bliss can be perceived. There is no sustaining effort to acquire Ánanda.” So the theory of monism is nothing but [[an intellectual extravaganza of the jiṋániis]].

Vák vaekhari sabdájhari shástravyákhyána kaoshalam,
Vaeduśyám vidusám tadvat bhuktaye na tu muktaye.

“By giving pedantic lectures the learned people (jiṋániis) derive a kind of strange pleasure but salvation cannot be achieved in that way.”

Such theorizing is hollow. Besides, this Vedantic monism only accepts the existence of Parama Puruśa and nobody else, not even Paramá Prakrti or “Máya”. So if that is true then who is that entity who tells us that “There is no other being”. For a second entity must exist to make such a declaration. Is it not true? That is, there must be someone else there to declare “Parama Puruśa exists”. So from the logical point of view the conclusion and argument of the monists is unacceptable.

And those who are real bhaktas desire that at the end they will merge with Parama Puruśa and become one with Him. These bhaktas also know that while moving towards Him they enjoy the bliss after attaining Him – that Ánanda which he or she is enjoying that feeling of Ánanda is also His Liilánanda. By attaining God what ánanda one feels – it is also Liilánanda. Some people often say:

Cini hate cái ná re man,
Cini khete bhálobási.

[I want not to be the sugar
For sugar I love only to taste.]

“If I become sugar myself, if I merge with Brahma then I would never have the pleasure of tasting sugar any more. So I do not want to be one with Him. I want to stay separate”. This type of idea is also undesirable. Because so long as one is merging with Brahma, one remains in the Causal (I stance) or (I exist) stance. Parama Puruśa is there and from Him one derives both joy and sorrow, because jiiva comes from Ánanda and stays also in Ánanda. The poet has said:

Sab devatár árádhya dhan
Nityakáler tui purátan
Tui prabháter álor sama bayashi.
Tui asiimer utsya hate
Esechis Ánandasrote
Nutan haye ámár buke bilsi.

“Esechis Ánandasrote” [“One has merged out of the flow of Ánanda”]. So one who gets merged as one with Parama Puruśa can there be then any paucity of Ánanda for oneself? So long as one remained separated from God, one also enjoyed Liilánanda. But as soon as the sádhaka merged with Brahma he or she also shares His Nityánanda stance with Him. So there is no chance of any loss from any direction for the sádhakas.

Hence it should be kept in mind that this Liilánanda, which perhaps God first thought of and created for His own enjoyment, is also being shared by the jiiva. The jiiva is a partner in the enjoyment of that Ánanda. God does not deprive the jiiva from enjoying that Ánanda. Krśńadás Kavirá has said: -

Gogi darashane Krśńer ye ánanda hai,
Tadápeksá kotiguńa Gopi ásváday.

That is, when the jiivas come nearer to Parama Puruśa it of course causes immense bliss to Him – which is called Liilánanda. But the volume of bliss of the jiiva is a billion times greater than what Parama Puruśa enjoys out of that Liilánanda. That is why people should devote themselves to sádhaná. As long as one remains a sádhaka one enjoys and stays in Liilánanda. And when he or she has become successful and merges with God, he or she stays in Nityánanda. So one always gains never loses.

The closer one moves towards Parama Puruśa the more one is freed of one’s sins and thus the purer one becomes. The nearer one moves towards God, the more sins get burnt. Those who think they are “sinners” have doubts about their attaining Parama Puruśa. But such thoughts are totally meaningless, unnecessary and foolish and should never be entertained. Once I told you that no one should be worried about sin or committing sinful deeds. I have also told you that I never consider “mental sins” as “sin”, although it is a fact that mind’s sinful thoughts may ultimately take shape as sinful deeds. But so long as the sinful thought is not expressed externally it is neither condemnable nor punishable and should not be called a sin as the person concerned did not cause any harm to the world or any or its people. Only that action which harms others is wrong and should be punished. Here I want to tell you all very clearly that if under any circumstances any such sinful thoughts every enter your mental sphere and have not yet transformed themselves into physical action you should immediately start singing kiirtana at the top of your voice.

I have made a rhyme:

Bábá nám kevalam yata páp hare
Pápiider sádhya nei tata páp kare.

[The repetition of Bábá nám kevalam even once kills so many sins that the worst sinners could not accumulate them.]