Neohumanism is a world-view characterized by love for the Supreme. In the early stages of developing one’s spiritual devotion, the adoption of Neohumanistic principles – that is, abjuring all prejudices against other races, groups, religions, and less-evolved creatures – will safeguard and enhance the development of that devotion.

And once, in turn, a person comes to feel devotion for the Supreme, that devotion or love will ultimately overflow onto all objects created by the Supreme. One will come spontaneously to love all beings and objects as one loves the Supreme, free from any discrimination.

So devotion expands one’s world-view, and the more expansive the world-view, the more one finds the ecstasy and peace of devotion.

Yet in the course of fighting for a Neohumanistic society, one will have to use all one’s rational faculties and all the resources of information at one’s command. One will have to take a courageous and also a very hard-headed approach in identifying and combatting forces of selfishness and vested interest.

Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar first focused the attention of his students and disciples on the concept of Neohumanism in 1981, with the series of discourses that came to be published as The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism. But in fact he had already been using the term Nayá Mánavatávád or Navyamánavatávád (“Neohumanism”) for at least ten years prior to that. Six years after the publication of The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, he authorized the start of a series designed to contain his other Neohumanism-related discourses: those that had come before The Liberation of Intellect, those that had come after The Liberation of Intellect, and those that might still come in the future (as of 1987). Two parts of that series – Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 and Part 2 – were published during the author’s lifetime, and at least one more part, Part 3, is expected to come soon. (The present book is the second edition of Part 1.)

Please note that the article “The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata”, originally published under that title in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6, was later published in the First Edition of Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1 as “Trifarious Development in Human Life”. In this Second Edition, the original title has once again been used.

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

In the cases of some of the discourses published here, no written record was found of the language in which the discourse was given; but if the language could be clearly inferred from the location and other circumstances of the discourse, we have cited that language.

In all cases where a tape was in existence for a discourse given in English, we have re-edited the published discourse with reference to that tape. Where a tape was in existence for a discourse given in three languages, we have re-edited the published discourse with reference to the English portions of that tape.

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

Wherever it is noted below that there was more than one existing translation of the same discourse, all the existing translations have been consulted in preparing the discourse for this edition. All retranslations (“retr.”) that were done for this edition took all possible material from existing translations.

Many readers are concerned that the author’s speeches, as published, should adhere as closely as possible to the precise wording the author used in speaking. For this reason, in the case of discourses given originally in English, the editors have not altered pronouns and other terms which the author in his lifetime considered “common-gender” words. As the author once said, “You know, ‘man’ is not only masculine gender, ‘man’ is common gender also. ‘Man is mortal’ – here ‘man’ means both male and female.”

The author was a natural advocate of women’s rights and on at least one occasion indicated that “lopsided justice” in language should be eliminated at some future date. In keeping with this guideline and with present-day trends, it is our policy in the case of translated discourses (where the published wording will necessarily be that of the translators) to use gender-neutral language.

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

“The Neohumanism of Sadvipras”. Originally published in Bengali as part of “Sámájik Múlya o Mánavik Maola Niiti” in Abhimata 2, c. 1970. First English publication as part of “Social Values and Human Cardinal Principles”, in a magazine. Second English publication as part of “Social Values and Human Cardinal Principles” in Supreme Expression 2, 1978. Third English publication as part of “Social Values and Human Cardinal Principles” in A Few Problems Solved Part 2, 1987, retr. by ÁVA and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Retr. by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Ádhyátmika, Mánasika o Jágatika Bhúmi” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 6. First English publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 6, 1987, tr. by ÁVA and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Second English publication as “Trifarious Development in Human Life” in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, retr. by ÁVA. Retr. by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“An Ideal Life”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Ádarsha Jiivana” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7. First English publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, retr. by ÁVA. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Exploitation – No More”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Shośańa Calbe Ná” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7. First English publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Subjective Approach through Objective Adjustment”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 14, 1981. Re-edited.

“Dogma and Human Intellect”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in Bengali as “Bhávajad́atá o Mánava Maniiśá” in Abhimata 4, 1985, tr. by ÁVA. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Re-edited.

“Dogma – No More”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 14, 1981. Re-edited.

“Rise above All Complexes”. Discourse in English. Originally published in Bengali as “Sab Rakam Kamplekser Úrdhve Ut́hbe” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 15, 1980. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 4, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“The Liberation of Intellect”. Originally published in Bengali as “Buddhir Mukti” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 18. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 4, 1988, retr. by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Liberation from Staticity”. Originally published in Bengali as “Jad́atár Mukti” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 18. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 4, 1988, retr. by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“What Is Dogma?” Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “D́agmá Jinist́á Kii?” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 19. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Reality and Intellectuality”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Vástavikatá o Baoddhikatá” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 19. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Pseudo-Spirituality and Neohumanism”. Discourse in Bengali, English and Hindi. Tape. Originally published in English in a booklet. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Third English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988. Re-edited.

“Perfect Spirituality and Neohumanism”. Discourse in Bengali, English and Hindi. Tape. Originally published in English in a booklet. First Bengali publication as “Vishuddha Ádhyátmikatá o Navyamánavatá Márga” in Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 16. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Third English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988. Re-edited.

“The Status of Inanimation in the Philosophy of Neohumanism”. Discourse in English. Tape now inaudible. Originally published in Bengali as “Navyamánavatáváde Apráńiinatár Sthána” in Abhimata 5, 1985. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Humanity Is at the Threshold of a New Era”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in Bengali as “Mánavatá Nava Cintádhárár Caukát́he” in Abhimata 5, 1985. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Re-edited.

“Trifarious Expression.” Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Trimukhii Abhivyakti” in Abhimata 5, 1985. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Education and Neohumanism”. Discourse in English. Originally published in Bengali as “Shikśá o Navyamánavatávád” in Abhimata 5, 1985. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by ÁVA. Second English publication in A Few Problems Solved 5, 1988, retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Retr. from the Bengali by ÁVA and ÁAA.

“Existential Flow and Its Culminating Point”. Discourse in English, Bengali and Hindi. Tape. Originally published in Bengali as “Ástitvik Gati o Caram Parińati” in Subháśita Saḿgraha 17, 1987. First English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987. Re-edited.

Key:
ÁVA = Ácáryá Vijayánanda Avadhúta
ÁAA = Ácáryá Acyutánanda Avadhúta