The Ánanda Vacanámrtam (“Blissful Discourses”) series assembles all the known General Darshan discourses given by Márga Guru Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. General Darshan (GD) speeches, or discourses, were those given to Ananda Marga members, often as a part of the daily routine, in whatever locality Márga Guru happened to be staying in at the time. Normally briefer and lighter in tone (though no less profound in their fundamental meanings) than the discourses given on the formal occasions of Dharma Mahácakra, these talks were sometimes delivered in a very intimate way to relatively small groups of Margis.

The Ánanda Vacanámrtam series was begun in 1978 with the GD discourses given by the author at that time; it then kept pace with the GD discourses that the author gave over the subsequent six years. The present, twenty-third, part of the series includes for the first time a number of GD speeches given before 1978.

Some of the discourses included here, judging from their length and style, may well have been DMC discourses. We would appreciate any information that readers can provide in this regard. Any discourses that can be identified as DMC’s will in future be transferred to the Subháśita Saḿgraha series.

Within each part of Ánanda Vacanámrtam, the chronological order of the discourses has been maintained.

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.

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. In the case of only one translated discourse in this book was the original language still available. That discourse was retranslated (“retr.”) taking all possible material from the existing translation.

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

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

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

“Srśt́icakra and the Dhyeya of the Microcosm” [[(retitled, after the current edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam 23, “What Is the Primary Cause of the Universe and Who Is the Only Object of Ideation?”)]]. First published in English in Cosmic Society, Jan. 1966. Original language, date and place not identified in the magazine. English re-editing by ÁAA.

“Devotion: The Only Way to Salvation”. Discourse in English. Originally published in English as “Devotion: The Only Way of Salvation” in Education and Culture, Aug.-Sept. 1966.

“Rádhiká Shakti”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English in Prajiṋá Bháratii, Vol. 14, No. 9, July-Aug. 1993. Re-edited.

“How to Concentrate”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English in Prajiṋá Bháratii, Vol. 14, No. 9, July-Aug. 1993. Re-edited.

“The Dialogues of Shiva and Párvatii – 1”, “– 2”, “– 3”, and “– 4”. Discourses in Hindi. First published in English as “Hara-Párvatii Saḿváda” in Bodhi Kalpa: Parts 2 and 3 in Jan.-Mar. 1968,

Parts 1 and 4 in April-June 1968. (A different translation of a portion of Part 1 was published earlier, as “Concept of Music, Dance in Tantric Cult”, in Cosmic Society, Vol. 3 No. 10, October 1967.) English re-editing by ÁAA.

“Accomplish Your Work with This Body Only”. Discourse in English. Source: “Bábá’s Discourse” Philippines cyclostyle.

“I Am Yours”. Discourse in English. Source: “Bábá’s Discourse” Philippines cyclostyle.

“Utilize All Your Potentialities”. Discourse in English. Tape.

“Stages of Samádhi”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English in Discourses on Tantra Vol. 1, 1993. Re-edited.

“Kaola and Mahákaola”. Discourse in English. Tape.

“Movement towards Perfection Is Dharma”. Discourse in English. Source: “Bábá’s Darshan” Philippines booklet.

“The Lord’s Play”. Discourse in English. Source: “Bábá’s Darshan” Philippines booklet.

“Consciousness”. Discourse in English. Source: “Bábá’s Darshan” Philippines booklet.

“Mysticism and Spirituality”. First published in English as “Mysticism and Spiritualism” in Divine Flame, 1970. Original language, date and place not identified in the magazine.

“Safeguards against the Defects of Jiṋána and Karma”. First published in English as “Safeguards against the Demerits of Jiṋána and Karma” in Education and Culture, Nov.-Dec. 1970. Original language, date and place not identified in the magazine.

“Oṋḿkára and Iśt́a Mantra”. Discourse in English. Tape. Originally published in English as “Oṋḿkára” in a magazine. Re-edited.

“Your Personal Relationship with God”. Discourse in English. Source: Shrii Mauṋgal Bihari discourse notes.

“The Bliss of the Devotee”. Discourse in English. Source: Shrii Mauṋgal Bihari discourse notes.

“Properly Utilize Yourself to Reach God”. Discourse in English. Source: Shrii Mauṋgal Bihari discourse notes.

“God Is with You”. Discourse in English. Source: Shrii Mauṋgal Bihari discourse notes.

“Dharma Is Your Real Friend”. Discourse in Hindi. First published in English as “Advent of the Lord” in Prout, Nov. 27, 1971. English re-editing by ÁAA.

“The Real and the Unreal Knowledge”. First published in English in Education and Culture, June 1972. Original language, date and place not identified in the magazine. English re-editing by ÁAA.

“Silent Action”. Discourse in Hindi. Tape. Originally published in English in Prajiṋá Bháratii, April 1982. Retr. by ÁVA, ÁPaA and ÁAA. Re-edited.

“Mobility and Cognitive Stance”. Discourse in English. Originally published in English in Prajiṋá Bháratii, Aug. 1983.

“The Ultimate Aim of All”. Discourse in Hindi. First published in English in a magazine. English re-editing by ÁAA.

“Dharma Samiikśa”. Discourse in English. Originally published in English in Supreme Guide, Vol. 3, No. 12, Aug.-Sept. 1981.

The active help and cooperation of Ácárya Prańavátmakánanda Avadhúta and Avadhútiká Ánanda Rucirá Acáryá deserves special mention. The former went to much trouble to collect Márga Guru’s GD discourses from old magazines and newspapers, and from the notebooks of different sádhakas; while the latter took pains to research and set up the necessary software, and to assist in the layout.

Key:
ÁVA = Ác. Vijayánanda Avt.
ÁPaA = Ác. Pareshánanda Avt.
ÁAA = Ác. Acyutánanda Avt.