As the sphere of knowledge increases, many secrets of the world do not remain secret. Yoga is such a secret. It is a cult, and by dint of practising this cult one comes in contact with the causal factors of many secrets. About seven thousand years ago a great yogi, Sadáshiva, systematized different branches of yoga. His spouse, Párvatii, was also a yoginii; and for the welfare of the entire human society Lord Shiva and Párvatii tried their best to create a practical cult. The questions placed before Shiva by Párvatii and the answers given by Shiva to Párvatii collectively form the shástras [scriptures].

Now, many important questions of the human mind were placed before Shiva. These questions, that is, the question portion, was known as nigama, and the answer portion, ágama. The collective name of ágama and nigama is Tantra.

Once upon a time Párvatii asked Shiva, “O Lord, for many duties, many posts, there are prescribed minimum qualifications; for this job the minimum qualification will be this or that. But for attaining salvation what are the minimum qualifications?” Shiva said that the minimum qualification for the attainment of salvation is nothing but a human body and a human mind. That is enough. There is no racial bar, no colour bar, no regional bar, nor any bar of any other type. He said:

Átmajiṋánamidaḿ Devi paraḿ mokśaekasádhanam;
Sukrtaermánavo bhútvá jiṋániicenmokśamápnuyát.

[Self-knowledge, Párvatii, is the greatest means to attain salvation. People are born as human beings due to their past good saḿskáras, but to attain non-qualified liberation they will have to attain Self-knowledge.]

“For attainment of salvation one should know oneself, and by knowing oneself one attains salvation.” Now, let us see what knowing is, and what knowing oneself is – what Self-realization is. The human mind has got three types of movement. The first type is extro-internal projection, that is, an external object moving towards the inner side of existence. The second type is intro-external. The sentiment comes from the inner side and is expressed in the physical world. And the third one is the movement of the mind towards the Spirit.

Now generally “to know” means subjectivization of external objectivity. When the external object becomes one with the objective portion of the mind, that is, takes place in the objective compartment of the mind, it is called knowing or knowledge. And what is self-knowledge or self-realization? In this case the mind knows the spirit, that is, the movement of the mind is towards spirit. Now, how can the mind know the spirit when the Supreme Spirit, Parama Puruśa, Parama Pitá [Supreme Father], the Supreme Entity, is the Omniscient Entity, is the only Omniscient Entity of this world? The Supreme Entity, Parama Puruśa, is omniscient. He not only sees what you do, He also sees what you think, what you are contemplating, what the thought-waves of your mind are. Then He is omniscient, and you are His object. He sees what you do. He is the subject, you are the object. Then how can the mind know Him? That is, how can the mind be the subject and He be the object? He sees your mind; how can your mind see Him? How can your mind accept Him as the object and your mind be the subject? Yes, there lies the secret. What is the secret? It is that whatever you are doing, whatever you are thinking, you should always remember that that action of yours, those thoughts of yours, are being witnessed by Him. If you remember this, He remains the subject and you remain the object.

But what happens? Because you are always thinking of Parama Puruśa, indirectly He also becomes the object; although actually He is the subject and you are the object, because He is the all-witnessing faculty. And this is a very clever policy of devotees. Devotees are very clever; not only clever, they are very cunning. Because with their developed mind, pinnacled mind, pinnacled intellect, they bring the Supreme Entity within the periphery of their minds. So the path of devotion or the path of spirituality is for those who are extremely cunning and clever. And those who think that Parama Puruśa is not seeing them are the most foolish amongst the fools.

Lord Shiva said that the minimum qualification is a human mind and a human body, and with the help of this human mind and human body one may attain salvation. One may come in His contact; because it is only the human mind that can think that Parama Puruśa is witnessing all one’s activities and all one’s thoughts. When one is established in this stance, it is said that one has attained salvation.

There are so many created beings. These quinquelemental factors of the world – air, water, earth – they are also of Cosmic creation, but their mind is in an inert condition. It cannot function. In the case of protozoa, there is mind, but it is guided only by instincts, inborn instincts. In the case of plants, there is mind, but the mind is guided by inborn instincts, there is no independent thought in them. In the case of animals, in the case of metazoa, there is inborn instinct, but no independent thought. But in the case of developed metazoa, developed animals, there is a bit of independent mind, and amongst those developed metazoa, those who come in contact with human beings, as a result of clash and cohesion in the intellectual world and in inter-cellular structure, their minds develop a bit – as in the case of dogs, monkeys and so on. They have got a bit developed mind because of their coming in close contact with human beings.

But in the case of human beings, the mind is very developed, and with this developed mind one can feel that whatever one does, whatever one thinks, is always being witnessed by Parama Puruśa. Nobody can do anything secretly.

Now, everything is a creation of the Supreme Father; but in the course of introversion, as a result of clash and cohesion, the mind develops, and the stage of man, the stage of humans, is the most developed stage in the process of introversion. So human beings are blessed beings because they can feel the charm and love and all-pervading existence of the Supreme Lord.

You are all human beings. You are all dignified human beings. Forget all fissiparous tendencies that sometimes function within the human mind. Remember, you are the loving children of Parama Puruśa, and your goal is Parama Puruśa. Your goal is the Supreme Entity. Yours is a subjective approach through objective adjustment. Your movement is towards the Supreme Entity. But while moving towards the Supreme Entity, you are to do all your worldly duties in the social, economic and all other spheres. That is, your hands should be engaged in worldly duties, and your mind should be moving towards the Supreme Entity.