Human life has three strata, in other words, it functions in three spheres. The first one is the spiritual sphere, the second one is the psychic sphere and the third one is the crude physical sphere. While talking to someone this morning, I said that human beings remove the afflictions in the spiritual sphere by dint of their personal efforts; combined with that, there is also the blessing of great personalities and the grace of the Almighty Lord – Mahat krpayaeva Bhagavatkrpáleshádvá [“By the blessings of realized personalities and a wee bit of the divine grace”]. Human beings must make a sincere endeavour. Endeavour is a must; then the blessings or grace of the realized personalities, and only a wee bit of the omniscient grace, will be enough. Just a small bit of the Cosmic grace will suffice. A huge quantity is not at all required.

This is regarding the spiritual sphere. Human beings need not worry about it. They need not worry because the very existence of Parama Puruśa is meant for promoting the well-being of the jiivas [microcosms, living beings]. Had the question of the microcosmic well-being not existed, Parama Puruśa would have remained as a nirguńa [transcendental] entity. He would not have come down to the level of Saguńa Brahma or Táraka Brahma. That is to say, His main purpose is public welfare – the welfare of human beings. That is why He has declared:

Paritráńáya sádhúnáḿ vinásháya ca duśkrtám;
Dharmasaḿsthápanártháya sambhavámi yuge yuge.

[I incarnate Myself in this world from age to age for the protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the wicked, and the restoration of dharma.]

Now the question is: what is the necessity of the advent of Parama Puruśa onto this earth again and again? The answer is: He wants to bring about the welfare of human beings. “Human welfare” here means, primarily, welfare in the spiritual sphere, and secondarily, in the mental and physical spheres, as Parama Puruśa is a veritable embodiment of the supreme welfare of humanity. All created beings are His progeny. It is not possible that He would bring welfare only in the spiritual sphere and not in the psychic and physical spheres. In fact He will promote welfare in all three spheres of life.

Regarding the spiritual sphere it has been said: Mahat krpayaeva Bhagavatkrpáleshádvá. How much can human beings accomplish by their own efforts? Aghat́ana ghat́ana pat́iiyasii Máyá [“the dexterous hand of Máyá that can even create things impossible to create”] – how much can human beings by dint of their individual efforts fight against this all-powerful Máyá? That is why it is said that the blessings of realized personalities and just a wee bit of Cosmic grace are indispensable.

Mahat means a great personality, a highly-evolved personality. The blessings of such a person are immensely helpful, and together with this a small bit of the Cosmic grace is required. Not much is required, only a wee bit will be enough. In fact, this is what ensured the spiritual progress of individual human beings in the past, is also doing so at present, and will do so in the future, also.

And what about the psychic sphere? The reaping of consequences of original actions performed by a human being occurs mainly in the psychic sphere. And if a person attains the blessings of evolved beings and the Cosmic grace in that same psychic sphere, the problem is solved. Pain and misery is bound to come. Depending upon one’s inborn saḿskáras and the actions performed, tortures and afflictions are bound to be undergone – the expression of one’s own reactive momenta. Tortures and afflictions will not be as severely painful as before; with the blessing and grace, the psychic afflictions will be removed. Well, when there is pain and the pain is not felt as such, should it then be called pain? In this case, in the psychic sphere, one will remain in a state of bliss. Let the afflictions come. When the affliction and pain are not felt as such, one should not worry about it.

Then what about the physical sphere? It is true that in the physical sphere there is the utmost necessity of food, clothing, education, shelter, medical treatment, etc. Now what has Parama Puruśa done for jiivas? He has already scattered wealth in the world for human consumption. Enormous wealth has been distributed everywhere. He has also given human beings intellect for them to utilize, so that they can live collectively on this wealth. For mental peace, He has given people instructions to practise the science of spirituality. This will bring them spiritual emancipation and will remove their psychic afflictions. In fact, this is the Cosmic grace, the divine grace, that He has already showered on humanity. He has already proclaimed that He will bestow His grace on all human beings. That is why He has unequivocally declared: sambhavámi yuge yuge [“I incarnate myself in every age”]. So no one need be worried on this account.

Now the problem remains in the crude physical sphere. Regarding this sphere, people were instructed during the days of Lord Shiva and again during the days of Lord Krśńa to live and enjoy the [world’s] property collectively – Devábhágaḿ yathápúrve saḿjánáná upásate [“let us share our wealth without differentiation, like sages of the past, so that all may enjoy the universe”]. But unfortunately people have not done this, and as they have not done this, they have had to suffer various physical hardships, and are still suffering.

Now, in order to remove people’s sufferings in the physical sphere, common sense dictates that the wealth of the entire universe should be considered as common patrimony. The wealth is meant for all, so that all can live collectively. It is not proper that one person will snatch away the morsels of food from the mouths of others. So there has been a need to introduce a system where all human beings would distribute the entire wealth among the collective body in a collective way. Unfortunately, no great person ever did this in the past, nor did even Táraka Brahma do it. It was not done, therefore the problems and difficulties in collective life have continued. Because of these shortcomings, human life is full of pain and misery.

Now the time has come when this has got to stop. How can we allow such a thing to continue? When human beings are predominantly intellectual beings, why will such a major lacuna be allowed to perpetuate itself for days and months on end, for years and centuries together? Such a thing must not be allowed to continue. Yet the strange thing is that this lacuna in the physical sphere, and the consequent disparity, is the noumenal cause of all phenomenal troubles. Due to this noumenal cause, peace in the psychic sphere is being disturbed again and again.

With this end in view, with the sole purpose of removing physical misery and affliction, and keeping in view the higher goals of human life, the Prout⁽¹⁾ philosophy has been formulated. There was no alternative but to propagate the Prout philosophy. Had it not been done, maybe human sorrows and sufferings would have been perpetrated for centuries together. Mean opportunists would have continued their exploitation, taking advantage of the simplicity or intellectual deficiency of the innocent and credulous masses. This exploitation has been perpetrated mainly in three ways: oppression, suppression and exploitation. I have not mentioned repression, because repression is inseparably associated with exploitation.

Now, the point is that the entire population of the world has got to be saved from oppression, suppression and exploitation – by any means, fair or foul. What will then be the result? Human suffering in the physical sphere will be overcome. Of course there has never been lack of adjustment in the spiritual sphere, nor will there ever be. Human beings can rest content in this regard. Only in the psychic sphere will they have to acquire power. And for what? People will have to acquire psychic power in order to overcome the psychic affliction which is the result of past reactive momenta. That is to say, with the establishment of Prout, the problems in the physical sphere and in the spiritual sphere will have been solved. And what about the psychic sphere? Of course the requital of unserved saḿskáras will surely affect the mind, but it is also a fact that human beings will acquire enough strength to overcome the psychic afflictions.

Bearing this in mind, you should build a new human society at the earliest possible moment. Regarding those who are likely to create obstacles in your path – let them do so. You should remember that those who are the actual pioneers, the real vanguard of the society, are always a microscopic minority, but it is they who are destined to be victorious. Those who once opposed, or are now opposing or will oppose in the future, will in the future admit: “Yes, we are now driving our vehicle safely and comfortably along the very path which that vanguard once opened by clearing the jungle.” This means that those who cleared the obstacles in the beginning will later be recognized as pioneers. The funny thing is this, that people do not give recognition at the time it is due. This is the natural law. And at the same time you should also remember this simple truth: that in a jungle the number of tigers and lions is always few; the jackals far outnumber them. Yet in the jungle the tigers and lions reign supreme, not the jackals. The jackals are sure to howl, that is their nature; but the tigers and lions will not be frightened.

Footnotes

(1) Progressive Utilization Theory. See Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, Idea and Ideology, 1959. –Trans.

The Five Fundamental Principles of Prout:

(1) No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the clear permission or approval of the collective body.
(2) There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane, supramundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe.
(3) There should be maximum utilization of physical, metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of unit and collective bodies of human society.
(4) There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, mundane, supramundane and spiritual utilizations.
(5) The method of utilization should vary in accordance with changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of progressive nature.

–Eds.