Just as this material world made of the five fundamental factors cannot be neglected, similarly the human mind which is made of ectoplasmic stuff also cannot be ignored. The mind evolves due to clash and cohesion in the material world. Similarly, out of clash and cohesion within the psychic body, Self or unit consciousness evolves. This is why the path of psychic culture cannot be ignored or neglected. As a result of constant psychic culture, the mind will be elevated to higher states of spirituality, and that evolved mind naturally seek to merge into the Cosmic Entity. The human entity wants to be identified with the Supreme Entity. The microcosms long to expand themselves until they are as vast as the Supreme Entity, because expansion is the very nature of human dharma, that is, Bhagavad Dharma.

Vistára (expansion), rasa (flow), seva (service) and tadsthiti (attainment of the Supreme) are the four aspects of human existence, and there must be progress in all these spheres. That progress occurs through the process of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. In the second stage of progress, the synthesis becomes the thesis and it is again opposed by antithesis. The resultant of the clash between the new thesis and antithesis is again synthesis, and this synthesis becomes the thesis in the third stage. This process of movement applies in the mundane sphere as much as it does in the sphere of ideation.

This movement in the physical sphere takes place as a result of the fight against inertia in all respects. Many people hesitate to point out this simple truth, and others do not care to be reminded of it. For example, from the Medieval Age until the present there was a custom that upper caste people were not authorized to till the land, since tilling the land was considered a sin. When I decided to break this dogma by ploughing the land with my own hand, many opposed me. They objected saying, “No, no, no – to use a plough is forbidden. You must not do it!” But I did not heed their advice. I went against their dogma and ploughed the land with my own hands and found to my satisfaction that no harm resulted. They cautioned me again and again that such intransigence on my part would bring about my ruin. But I was not harmed in any way; their arguments were just useless dogma. When human beings are advised or forced to follow something irrational, that is a dogma. Why should ploughing the land be forbidden? Why should one incur sin by doing that? Strangely, after crops are grown as a result of ploughing the land, eating those crops is not forbidden. This means that the person who grows crops for me by ploughing the land will incur the sin for me! What kind of logic is this? In fact it is no logic at all. So movement in the physical sphere means to fight against this kind of inertia. That which thwarts your progress and endangers your very existence is your enemy. You have to smash the shackles of those obstacles and break through to a new light.

Our physical body exists and works within this quinquelemental world. For the maintenance of this gross quinquelemental body there are the necessities of food, clothing, education, shelter and medical treatment, and in this regard you will have to establish yourselves through struggle.

Human beings are social beings: they cannot live in isolation. The establishment of oneself through struggle no doubt takes place through individual efforts, but this individual effort has to be supported by collective approval and collective urge. On the foundation of this collective effort, human beings will continue their struggle. If the collective foundation is free from any flaw, then human beings will certainly establish themselves in their cherished goal.

Thus human beings should have firm determination and a sound philosophy. They must continue their struggle in the physical sphere for the preservation of their individual and collective existence. The psychic inertness which I term dogma will seek to thwart your progress with all its might; this is quite natural. One should not be fearful and stop moving due to this dogma. It should be borne in mind that forward movement always implies facing obstacles created by inertness. It would be unnatural if obstacles did not come. If obstacles do not block your path, it means you are only indulging in tall talk, you are not actually trying to move forward. We often hear people saying, “I just commenced a project and such-and-such person opposed me”. This is quite natural. If you want to do something concrete, inertness in various forms and various ways will stand in your path. You will have to welcome these obstacles with a smile and say, “Hello obstacles, you have come. You do your duty and let me do mine.” In Ananda Sútram it has been said, Bádhá sá yuśamáná shaktih sevyaḿ sthápayati lakśye “Obstacles are the helping forces which establish people in their cherished goal.”

There is also the vast psychic world of human beings which is composed of ectoplasmic stuff, which evolves out of the powdered-down five fundamental factors. It should be borne in mind that this quinquelemental world is a crudified form of the Cosmic Mind. Out of this quinquelemental world, through clash and cohesion, the ectoplasm or the psychic world has evolved. If human beings try to avoid struggle in the physical sphere, if they wrongly attempt to circumvent those obstacles, they cannot succeed. Rather as a result of their aversion to struggle, they will not undergo any ectoplasmic development, and this will be harmful for them. Then when greater obstacles appear before them, they will not be able to confront them staunchly. Thus the struggle in the physical sphere is a necessary preparation for the struggle in the psychic sphere. Similarly due to expansion in the psychic sphere, various new ideas and facts will flash before a person’s mind, and these will be a positive help in the struggle in the physical sphere. Such forceful ideation and unflickering psychic steadiness will help people in their spiritual expansion, and this spiritual expansion will lead them closer and closer towards Parama Puruśa. Then their minds will desire only that their small “I feeling” should be merged in the infinite, unbounded expanse of Parama Puruśa. And in that state they will be able to devote themselves more completely to individual and collective welfare.

This is Shrávańii Púrńimá. It is an important day. Then I was very young, studying in Vidyasagar College in Calcutta. One evening a very interesting event took place. Suddenly a wicked person came near me. I use the word “wicked”, but it is not a permanent state of human beings. A person who is wicked today may be a noble person tomorrow, and one who is dull or stupid today may be wise tomorrow. These are all relative matters bound by the bondages of relativity. No one can be called permanently wicked. It should always be borne in mind that one should always try to develop the good and the subtle in a wicked person.

The word “good” in Bengali is bhála; this word has come from the Saḿskrta word bhadra. Bhadra became bhadda in Prákrta-Pali, bhalla in demi-Prákrta, bhálá or bháilá in old Bengali, and bhála in modern Bengali. In the villages in Faridpur District of Bangladesh, there is a rhyme, Bhála áila burá gela; “So the good came and the bad disappeared.”

Bhála means “good”. Again, there is a 1200-year-old Bengali poem:

Pár gazara saḿga soi durjana saḿga abasara toi
Ńda na bindhu na ravi ná shashimandala
Ujure uju chári ná leo re bánka
Niori bohi na kháore laḿka Háthe kaḿkana ná leo dápan
Appane appa bujhata niya mana
Pár gazara soi durjana saḿga abasara toi
Báma dáhina yo khala bikhalá
Saraha bhanai báppá uju báta bhaelá.

So here bháilá or bhadra means “that which progresses in all the three spheres”: physical, psychic and spiritual. To willingly subject oneself to humiliation without protest, to tolerate injustice and accept all the agonies of exploitation as divine providence without resistance, is not the mark of a good person. The characteristic of good people is to fight against injustice, to firmly adhere to truth and righteousness, to protect the helpless and fight against all evil persons. Those who are merely simple and are of a meek and goody-goody nature are not good people.

Let us return to our original topic. That evening a certain wicked person came to me. What could he expect from me? But then he came. In accordance with natural human psychology, I asked him, “What do you want? Why do you adopt this evil path?” In the course of our conversation, he realized that he should change the course of his life, and he took initiation. That was the first spiritual initiation I ever imparted to anyone. And that same day, Shrávańii Púrnima, has again returned.

A long time has elapsed since then. That was perhaps in 1939. This all took place 41 years ago. You must try to arouse the seed of benevolence that lies hidden in the inner recesses of the human mind. How can this seed be aroused? Human beings will have to apply all sorts of measures – persuasion, scolding etc.; and at the same time you will have to continue your efforts so that the dormant seeds of psychic potentialities express themselves. And with their expression, the whole society will be benefited. Today human beings must be inspired and motivated, and thus discipline is essential. To impose discipline is not bad. It has been said in the scriptures: Hitarthe shásanam ityarthe anushásanam. “That discipline which leads to the welfare of all human beings is called anushásanam.” Society requires enforced discipline. In the scriptures it is also said: Nigrahánugrahe shakto gururityabhidhiyate: “One who is capable of punishing or rewarding one’s followers is called a Guru, a true teacher”. Only one who can discipline as well as love a person, can be called a Guru.

One who only punishes a person is not a Guru, and one who only loves is also not a Guru. Rather he or she is an enemy, for excessive love and affection spoils a person. Only one who does both these things is a real Guru. That is why people should be trained with both love and punishment. Where love fails, punishment helps. Medicine is not necessarily always sweet; sometimes bitter medicines are necessary as well. Patients often refuse to swallow bitter medicines; they cry in protest. But the ideal physician will force the patient to swallow the medicine. This is the proper way.

Today the entire body of the human society is riddled with numerous ailments of dogmas – as if the whole social body were stricken with leprosy. Under these circumstances humanity will have to undergo the necessary treatment and then move forward.

Once again I repeat that no human being should be considered irrevocably wicked. One should always try to find the good lying latent in all people, because as their good qualities develop, society will respect them more. We should try to restore those sinful persons to an honourable position in society. Those who will not support your endeavour to establish those people in a respectable position, or those who openly harm society without restraint, will have to be dealt with firmly. And this will be for the welfare not only of those downtrodden human beings but also of the greater humanity, as well as for the satisfaction of Parama Puruśa.