SELF-REALIZATION IS THE REAL KNOWLEDGE NITYA'NANDA AND LIILA'NANDA SELF-REALIZATION IS THE REAL KNOWLEDGE official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 6 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 6, 1st edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. What is jina'na? There are two types of jina'na: mundane knowledge or Apara'-jina'na and spiritual knowledge or Para'-jina'na. Mundane knowledge may be defined as the internal projection of the external physicality. And Para'-jina'na or spiritual knowledge is the internal projection of the internal or cosmic spirituality. This is all jina'na. In a discussion about jina'na we must also say something about `Smrti'1 or memory. 1 In Bengali language it is pronounced as `Sriti'. Why is `Smrti' pronounced as `Srti' in Bengali? So `Smrti' ought to be pronounced as `Srti'. There is a rule in Bengali language that when `ma', `ba', or `ya' is suffixed to any other consonant then the latter's pronunciation will be doubled - `ma', `ba', `ya' won't be pronounced. That is if `Ma' is added to the letter `Da', then it should be pronounced as `Dda' and not `Dma'. For example, `Padma' would be pronounced as `Padda' and not as `Padma'. The system in Bengali pronunciation is like this. So it should be `Srti' and not `Smrti'. It has been said `Anubhuta vishaya' sampromoshah smrti'. Smrti is the capacity to recreate an image in the mind of something which has already been perceived. Now what is the meaning of `Anubhava'? In Sam'skrta if the word `An'u' is written with guttural `n'a' it means "tiny or molecule" and if it is written with dental `na', it means `following' or `after' - such as `Anugata' which means `follower' - that is, `who is following'. So `Anubhava' (Bhu + Al = Bhava which means `to become' and `Anu' which means following) means `to become the same afterwards'. Imagine you have just seen an elephant. The feeling in your mind will become `elephant-like'. This is your perception. You have experienced what an elephant is like. After seeing the elephant your mind becomes `elephant-like'. This `becoming' is `Bhava' - from which the word `Anubhava' comes. So by `anubhava' one's mind becomes the same object which one has earlier seen. The mind may recreate or become that which was once heard. For example, suppose someone is singing the tune based on `Asha' vari' `Ra'ga'. On hearing that ra'ga, your mind will start dancing accordingly and you will feel the tune being sung in your mind. Similarly imagine you eat some food and say "it's too spicy". What happens then? Your mind also become `very spicy'. We often say "I feel bitter about the way he behaved". Good heavens, how can the mind be bitter? There are many bitter fruits and vegetables which can be eaten as food. But when such food is tasted the mind also becomes bitterish, and only then do you realize that such and such an item is `bitter' - you identify ucche- you identify karala. All these kitchen vegetables taste bitter. So only observing is not perception or an experience. Any sensible object, when it is perceived in the mind, gets the same feeling as that of the object. In other words the mind becomes similar and identical to that object. Hence once the mind has become an object it can revive that same perception later by applying will- force, this is `Smrti' or memory. "Anubhuto Vishaya' `sampromoshah smriti'. Now one whose mental power is weak, whose nerve-cells are feeble, who has little will-power, who cannot make his or her mind singularly pointed or concentrate sharply, has a short memory. He or she is unable to remember what has been seen or though after a lapse of time. On the other hand some people can remember the pin-drop sound which they heard fifty years ago. They have kept that sound alive in their memory. But there is a difference between this memory and apara-jina'na. Apara'-jina'na is the internal projection of external physicality - that is, the outside world gets projected in the mind. Now there is a basic difference between this Apara'-jina'na and memory. In memory we have only the feeling of the bitter taste. For example a man has heard the singing of a `Dhrupada' song and he at once perceived and built that Ra'ga and the song of Dhrupada in his mind. This is called perception. But afterwards when he recreated an image of Dhrupada in his mind that became his memory. But that does not mean or prove that he `knew' or `understood' what a Dhrupada song is. Jina'na is the knowledge or understanding of what Dhrupada actually is. So memory and jina'na are not one and the same. Now what is knowledge? This knowledge can be the internal projection of external physicality or the internal projection of internal (cosmic) spirituality. These are the two types of jina'na. Now this projection can only be had when the sense of the object's existence is still vividly alive in the mind. In other words when one has the full knowledge about a song, when and how is it sung, etc., - that is called jina'na. Once one has understood it one may recreate that Dhrupada song in the mind anytime at will, one has simply memorized it, it cannot be said that one has the full knowledge about the song Dhrupada. So the difference between the two is vast, but dialectically speaking there is little difference. Now those who can easily recollect any perception they had in the past may be called `recollector of their memory' or Dhruva'smrti. For example every human should mentally ideate `Japakriya' 24 hours a day. Yet nobody does it, they always forget. This what normally happens. Imagine while cooking one says, "I'll have to add salt to the curry" but no sooner has one uttered the words, `to add salt' one forgets to do so. So people are always forgetful. But those who have developed a memory capable of retaining information do not forget anything any more. That is, they always mentally remember God. Then what happens in that condition? They get their memory firmly implanted - firmly based in a solid foundation - and they never forget. And that condition of never forgetting anything, is called Dhruva'smrti. And memory then stands firm and sure. Then you have full control over your memory according to your wish. Such people are called Dhruva'smrti - they can always remember God and thus feel a special kind of A'nanda or bliss in their minds. That A'nanda is called Dharmamegha'nanda. In the sphere of jina'na when people make their minds singularly pointed - when they reach the pinnacle of intellect then they can, at will, place and establish the mind on any particular point or vindu. What happens then? This outer world - the external physicality, the material existence comes under the purview of their memory. That is, whenever they wish they can recollect or evoke anything in their mind. So in that state of affairs the fun is that the whole world then becomes their special point or vindu for concentration and recollection by becoming one and the same with the singular minded individual. So if that individual wished to know some thing he or she will not need to go through any books and scriptures. By simply closing his or her eyes, he or she will be able to perceive what is written in what particular page of a book and in what library. People will think - "Oh God! What a learned person he or she is. Just see how much he or she has studied." But actually he or she did not know anything, he or she did not learn anything. He or she only perceived the whole world in his or her mind and has kept the recollection of the universe alive in his or her memory, and he or she started recollecting things such as `this is that' or `that is that'. And the people will be wondering how clever that person is. No credit or bravado is there - the entire physical world. This is only possible when one can make an internal projection of internal spirituality. That is, when one attains God, one becomes omniscient. Brahmavid sarvavid a'tmavid brahmavid. So how can one acquire true knowledge? If you want to know all - know one. Then only everything will be known to you. People wish to know everything but the human cranium is small, and the brain even smaller. So how much can one know? Also whatever one learns today one forgets tomorrow. Yes, one who was a Maha'mohapa'dha'ya, a pandit, would no longer be able to remember the `sabdarupa' of `Nara' if after leaving his or her original occupation he or she became engaged in agricultural work. This is the situation that usually happens. So the main thing is `know all - know one'. What is the use of reading and forgetting so many books? If one reads more books one will forget more things and make more mistakes. So what is the use? No permanent benefit is derived from being a book-worm. I encourage the general education - laukika education - so that people can understand the shallowness of laukika knowledge. So it has been said in the scripture. `A'tmajina'nam Vidurjina'nam jina'na'nya nya'niya'ni tu. Ta'ni jina'na'vabha'sa'ni sa'rasya naeve bodhana't'.' The word `knowledge' in old Latin is `Keno'. From the old Sam'skrta language the word has become `know' in modern English. Although the letter `k' is not pronounced in `know', `knowledge', etc. it is still kept because the root word was `keno'. Excepting self-realization or A'tma-jina'na - all other knowledge is of no value. Every object has two types of shadow: the umbra and penumbra. Shadows are unsubstantiated knowledge - they are not real jina'na. They are only the shadows of the things. By observing the shadows you cannot identify or recognize the original object. You cannot distinguish between a Bakul tree or a Lichu tree by observing its shadow. To identify two trees you will have to observe and examine their leaves, and not their shadows. Similarly all mundane knowledge is only a shadow it will not help you recognize the real thing. Hence the more quickly people understand the real truth the better. And until they realize that real truth they should be content for the time being with apara' jina'na or mundane knowledge. 13 December 1978, Calcutta NITYA'NANDA AND LIILA'NANDA official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 6 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 6, 1st edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Those following the path of sa'dhana' ma'rga are familiar with two words:`Nitya'nanda' and `Liila'nanda'. When Parama Purus'a remains engrossed in Himself - the a'nanda or bliss that He feels is called `Nityananda'. `Nitya' means `eternal'. For Him external bliss is meaningless, as everything is lying within Himself. When He plays with His created beings: plays the game of joy and sorrow, that is called His Liila'nanda. What else can the game be called? It is like a drama. In a drama some of the characters weep, some laugh and some are impassive. Who is the witnessing entity of all these actions? The spotlight which lights up the players on the stage is the witnessing entity. Parama Purus'a is also like that. He is just like the spotlight casting light on the stage. he is witnessing everything. After the performance, the stage empties and the actors and actresses, the male or female singers, can no longer be seen on the stage. What does the light witness then? It observes that there is no-one on the stage. The light always acts as a witness and in this case witnesses that there is no-one on the stage. Seeing nobody on the stage is also an observation. Before Parama Purus'a created this universe - what did He see and observe? He saw no-one - He found nobody. And after the creation of the universe what did He do with His created beings? He started playing the game of joy and sorrow with them just as in a drama. To Him it is nothing but a drama of joy and sorrow. And if the actors in that drama think: `I am merely playing a part' "I am only acting" they will never be disturbed by undue pain or pleasure. Those who play the role of Sah jahan shout, jump or try to escape from prison. But the persons playing the part of Sa'ja'ha'n know very well that they are only acting in a drama. They know that after having played their role they will go home and eat rice and curry. But on this universal stage, however, those people, those jiivas, who act in the drama, forget that they are mere actors, that their real home is elsewhere, that this universe is only a stage - a platform and that they will go home and eat rice and curry. While taking part in the drama they think that they are actually the characters of the drama - the real Sa'ja'ha'n. And as a result they either suffer from too much pain or enjoy too much pleasure. Sometimes out of too much joy they lose their equilibrium - their common sense. In Bengali parlance it is said that when people are puffed up with pride they spurn the world. But why does this happen? It happens because the jiivas forget they are playing a role, acting in a drama. In a drama some play a tragic rote - others a joyful role. If those who are sa'dhakas are constantly aware that they are merely playing a role as an actor, they will never be overcome by sorrow or overwhelmed with joy. Before the creation of this universe, Parama Purus'a was in His Nitya'nanda stance - He was enjoying Himself. He was overwhelmed with His own a'nanda. After the creation of the universe, He had His Nitya'nanda and also His Liila'nanda. To play with lesser jiivas is His Liila'nanda. Now the jina'niis and the karmiis will declare - "Oh, what a terrible game, what a terrible Liila'nanda our Parama Purus'a is playing with us: "He enjoys His Liila'nanda but we can hardly tolerate it any more. We have to earn a living and buy a house - there are so many problems to face in life. Yet He is playing His game of joy and sorrow with us." But the bhaktas (devotees) do not entertain such sentiments. They declare that Parama Purus'a is playing the game with the parts of His own body. he enjoys playing with His own limbs, with His hands and legs. What else is to be said about that? Nobody has any ground to pass any opinion. The jiivas are not entities which roam outside His domain but are a part and parcel of Parama Purus'a Himself. The jiivas are His fingers, His hands and His legs. Hence nobody has any right to criticize. And you poor people, if while acting this drama you take it for real, should the dramatist be held responsible? No, the fault is yours. These are the comments of the bhaktas in this regard. I have already told that the bhaktas realize that Parama Purus'a did not create this universe just to torture or inflict pain upon any body. He has been playing with Himself. Previously in the beginning, when He was alone, He was not amused. Who likes to stay alone in this creation? So He divided Himself into many tiny parts and started playing His liila with those parts. So nobody has anything to say in this regard. "Sava' es'a tada' dras'ta' na pashydrs'tmekara't. Me ne santaniva'tma'na'm suptashakti rasuptadrk." "My Parama Purus'a had the power of observation. He had the hearing capacity and the power to speak. But there was no jiiva to observe, no one's reports to listen to, and nobody to whom the effect and cause could be explained. There was no need to ascertain the fundamentals of truth because there was no second entity, there was nobody except Him. There was nobody to converse with". "Na kartrttvam na karma'ni lokashya sryate prabhu, Na karmaphalah sam'yoga svabha'vastva't prja'yate". There was nobody so what was the use of saying "Why have you done this? Don't you deserve punishment my boy; You must be punished". It was pointless to say such things because there was no-one to listen. I have already said that Parama Purus'a wanted to talk to people but there was no one present with whom to establish a relationship there. The bhaktas say that to be alone is a very harrowing experience. So in order to save Himself from the boredom of being alone, Parama Purus'a divided His one self into many selves and then started enjoying His Liila'nanda. One who comes from Parama Purus'a stays in Him and returns back to Him. The Vedas said: "Anandaddhyeva khalvima'ni bhuta'ni ja'yante A'nandena ja'ta'ni jiivanti, A'nandam prayantabhisam vishanti va'". "Out of Anandam or Supreme Bliss, this universe of created beings has emerged. They are living the midst of Anandam. And finally they will merge again in Supreme Bliss." Therefore the source of every existence is A'nanda or bliss. Everything originates from Nitya'nanda, remains in Liila'nanda and eventually returns back to Nitya'nanda. The jiivas say, the bhaktas say, "I exist, my God exists". The Liila' that God plays with us gives us supreme bliss. But the monists say, "No Brahma is true and this universe is false. Parama Purus'a is the only truth and everything else is false. The Jiivas and the entire universe are false". My goodness. If everything is false who is identifying and establishing the fact that only Parama Purus'a is truth? For to know the truth another true entity should be present who can declare "Yes, I know my Parama Purus'a exists.' So the learned monists will never attain peace of mind in their lives because philosophically their argument has not been substantiated. How will the monist enjoy joy or A'nanda? The bhakta says "No, no, monism does not stand on logic because in that doctrine there is no trace of A'nanda - no feeling of bliss can be perceived. There is no sustaining effort to acquire A'nanda. So the theory of monism is nothing but a worldly due between education and the intelligence of the learned. "Va'k vaekhari sabda'jhari sha'stravya'khya'na kaoshalam, Vaedus'ya'm vidusa'm tadvat bhuktaye na tu muktaye". "By giving pedantic lectures the learned people (jina'niis) derive a kind of strange pleasure but salvation cannot be achieved in that way." Such theorizing is hollow. Besides, this vedantic monism only accepts the existence of Parama Purus'a and nobody else, not even Parama' Prakrti or `Ma'ya'. So if that is true then who is that entity who tells us that "There is no other being". For a second entity must exist to make such a declaration. Is it not true? That is, there must be someone else there to declare "Parama Purusa exists". So from the logical point of view the conclusion and argument of the monists is unacceptable. And those who are real bhaktas desire that at the end they will merge with Parama Purus'a and become one with Him. These bhaktas also know that while moving towards Him they enjoy the bliss after attaining Him - that A'nanda which he or she is enjoying that feeling of A'nanda is also His Liila'nanda. By attaining God what a'nanda one feels - it is also Liila'nanda. Some people often say: - "Chini hate caina're man Chini khete bha'loba'shi' ("I want not to be the sugar For, sugar I love only to taste".) "If I become sugar myself, if I merge with Brahma then I would never have the pleasure of tasting sugar any more. So I do not want to be one with Him. I want to stay separate". This type of idea is also undesirable. Because so long as one is merging with Brahma, one remains in the Causal (I stance) or (I exist) stance. Parama Purus'a is there and from Him one derives both joy and sorrow, because jiiva comes from A'nanda and stays also in A'nanda. The poet has said: `Sab devata'r a'ra'dhya dhan Nityaka'ler tui pura'tan Tui prabha'ter a'lor sama bayashi. Tui asiimer utsya hate esechis A'nanda srote Nutan haye a'ma'r buke bilsi". "One has merged out of the flow of A'nanda. So one who gets merged as one with Parama Purus'a can there be then any paucity of A'nanda for oneself? So long as one remained separated from God, one also enjoyed Liila'nanda. But as soon as the sa'dhaka merged with Brahma he or she also shares His Nitya'nanda stance with Him. So there is no chance of any loss from any direction for the sa'dhakas." Hence it should be kept in mind that this Liila'nanda, which perhaps God first thought of and created for His own enjoyment, is also being shared by the jiiva. The jiiva is a partner in the enjoyment of that A'nanda. God does not deprive the jiiva from enjoying that A'nanda. Krs'n'ada's Kavira' has said: - `Gogi darashane Krs'n'er je a'nanda hai, Tada'peksa' kotigun'a Gopi a'sva'day'. That is, when the jiivas come nearer to Parama Purus'a it of course causes immense bliss to Him - which is called Liila'nanda. But the volume of bliss of the jiiva is a billion times greater than what Parama Purus'a enjoys out of that Liila'nanda. That is why people should devote themselves to sa'dhana'. As long as one remains a sa'dhaka one enjoys and stays in Liila'nanda. And when he or she has become successful and merges with God, he or she stays in Nitya'nanda. So one always gains never loses. The closer one moves towards Parama Purus'a the more one is freed of one's sins and thus the purer one becomes. The nearer one moves towards God, the more sins get burnt. Those who think they are `sinners' have doubts about their attaining Parama Purus'a. But such thoughts are totally meaningless, unnecessary and foolish and should never be entertained. Once I told you that no one should be worried about sin or committing sinful deeds. I have also told you that I never consider `mental sins' as `sin', although it is a fact that mind's sinful thoughts may ultimately take shape as sinful deeds. But so long as the sinful thought is not expressed externally it is neither condemnable nor punishable and should not be called a sin as the person concerned did not cause any harm to the world or any or its people. Only that action which harms others is wrong and should be punished. Here I want to tell you all very clearly that if under any circumstances any such sinful thoughts every enter your mental sphere and have not yet transformed themselves into physical action you should immediately start singing kiirtana at the top of your voice. I have made a rhyme: `ba'ba' na'm kevalam jato pa'pa hare pa'piider sa'dhya nai tato pa'pa kare.' "The repetition of Ba'ba' na'm kevalam even once kills so many sins that the worst sinners could not accumulate them." 14 December 1978, Calcutta