THE DEVOTEE AND THE LORD [to be retitled "The Lord of the Devotee"] official source: Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 9 cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 10 this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 10, 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. The subject of today's discourse is "The Devotee and the Lord." The Lord belongs to all, yet we call Him "the Lord of the devotees". Why ? It is said that only the devotee realises the Lord. The one who cultivates knowledge by studying the scriptures will say, "The Lord belongs to all", but spiritual aspirant says, "It is true that the Supreme Lord belongs to all, but only devotees can bind Him." Now the question is, how can the Supreme Entity be attained ? In the scriptures it is said. Na'yama'tama' pravacanena labhyo Na medhaya' na bahuna'shrutena Yamevaes'a vrn'ute tena labhyastasaes'a A'ama' vivrnu'te tanu'm' sva'm. "This Atman or Self cannot be attained by giving learned discourses, nor by listening to pedantic discourses. Rather the Self is attainable by that spiritual aspirant to whom It manifests itself." Through erudition, deep study, or intellectual cultivation, no one will ever attain the Supreme Entity. Human life is short. Within this short span of time human beings have much work to do. It is not advisable to waste one's valuable time in vain debate or fruitless study. Similarly, by giving lengthy discourses or by becoming profound scholars, no one can attain Parama Purus'a. The minium qualification required to tread the path of spirituality is a pure heart. If one has a pure heart, this is sufficient. The so-called scholars vainly think that when they can speak in calculated language and smile in a measured way they are superior to the common masses. But in my opinion, how much intellect can be contained in a small cranium ? When people become insane, they are laughed at and teased by others. Similarly, when people grow old they lose their power of memory. To cherish the vanity of intellect is meaningless. Some people think, "Well, since I have listened to so many learned discourses I have nothing else left to do." If listening to learned discourses were sufficient, then the microphone I am using now certainly would have attained salvation, because it has heard many beautiful discourses. Listening to others' discourses is not enough. It is only when He showers His grace upon one that one attains everything. No one can be a member of the inner circle of Parama Purus'a (Hariparimandal) by listening to many discourses. Only when one attains the minimum qualfication, a pure heart, can one realise the true nature of Parama Purus'a. One can look upon Parama Purus'a as one's personal treasure only by virtue of devotion. A devotee can give up everything except Parama Purus'a, for He is the life of a devotee. If ever a devotee is separated from Him he win surely die. In this case a devotee is like a miser. How does Parama Purus'a manifest Himself to His devotees? Everyone longs to attain Parama Purus'a, but the problem is, how? The scriptures say, Na'yama'tma' balahiinena labhyo Na ca prama'da'ttapaso va'pyaliunga't Etaerupa'yaeyatate yastu vida'n Stasyaes'a a'tma' vishate brahmadha'ma'. When the Supreme Operative Principle (Parama' Prakrti) functions through a certain structure, the energy functioning within that structure is called bala (energy). In the human being there are three kinds of energy : physical, psychic, and spiritual. Physical energy, by personal endeavour, can be converted into psychic energy, and psychic energy can be metamorphosed into spiritual vigour by virtue of sa'dhana'. Spiritual power is the strongest. Those who are timid shout "Non-violence! non-violence! " at the top of their voice. All kinds of timidity should be swept away. This requires tremendous psychic energy, which depends on moral or spiritual force. The question is, how can one acquire such spiritual force? By sincerity, one can acquire psychic force, and through the practice of sa'dhana' one can acquire spiritual force. Those who are persistent in their endeavour do acquire psychic force. When one sits down to meditate after attaining that sort of psychic energy one easily acquires spiritual force. That spiritual force lies latent in you; it is not difficult to attain. You should ensure that the path of sa'dhana' you choose is not a defective one in which there is a mistake in the beginning, middle, and end. One should move ahead in one's mission after determining one's goal. Once the goal is fixed there remains almost no possibility, of error; hence you should always remember your goal. But once you fall into the trap of error it leads to danger. This is the reason why I advise people to remember their guru mantra, to always remain aware of the goal. The souls of those people who practice sa'dhana' in this way enter the abode of Brahma. Persistent endeavour and practical cult are essential to reach the goal. Hence, in sa'dhana' one should remember two essential factors: constant awareness of one's goal, and persistent endeavour to attain that goal. During sa'dhana' the spiritual aspirants should bear in mind that the Supreme Entity does not reside in any particular heaven or vaekun't'ha, but remains with them at all times. Tiles'u taela'm dadhiniiva sarpira'pah Srotahsvaran'iis'u ca'gnih Evama'tma'tmani grhyate'o sao Satyena'nam' tapasa' yo'nupashyati. "Parama Purus'a resides in you, just as oil resides in the sesame seed, or butter in milk, or water in the river current, or fire in a flint." Parama Purus'a hears all your internal thoughts. Nothing is unknown to Him. He is like a tape recorder in your mind. You may be forgetful with the passage of time, but not Parama Purus'a. Oil resides in sesame, yet it is not visible. If you crush the seeds the oil comes out, and the remaining non-essential parts are discarded. For the attainment of Parama Purus'a an introverted mind is indispensable. In milk lies clarified butter or ghee: but the butter can only be had if the milk is churned.Likewise, Parama Purus'a lies hidden in the cavity of the human. mind. If people roam around in the external world in search of Him, they will never succeed. Idam'tiirthamidam' tiirtham' brahmati ta'ma'sa'h jana'h A'tmatiirtham' na ja'na'nti katham' moks'a bara'nane. "People of static nature wander about, bathing in places of pilgrimage in the hope of attaining merit." Perhaps the places of pilgrimage are full of polluted, murky water, infested with poisonous insects and worms. A dip in that water may cause skin disease. In that case a visit to a place of Pilgrimage ultimately causes disease and suffering. What should be done by those who are virtuous at heart? They should take a holy bath in their own mind and discover the inner Place of pilgrimage, instead of wasting time and energy in bathing in external places of pilgrimage. The question of fasting (upava'sa) arises in this context. The Sam'skrta prefix upa means near. Upava'sa means sitting near. So upava'sa by connotation means sitting near Parama Purus'a as opposed to being extroversial. On the day of fasting people abstain from eating solid food. It is easier to concentrate the mind on those days than on other days. The meaning of the word anashana is "not taking food". So you understand that it is not possible for people of static nature to attain liberation. Butter lies latent in cream and appears when the cream is churned. Parama Purus'a is like butter: He resides inside you, not outside. But instead of realising this, people worship Parama Purus'a with flowers and wood-apple leaves. This is completely misleading. It is said in A'nanda Sutram : Pra'rthana'rcana'ma'traeva Brahmamu'lam : Prayer and worship are all misleading. If one removes the sand from a dry river bed, one will discover the flow of pure water. Here the sand symbolises impurity and the water represents Parama Purus'a. If you rub two flints together fire is produced : this fire represents Parama Purus'a. This is how you will attain Him - by doing sa'dhana'. It has been said earlier that the grace of Parama Purus'a is only showered on devotees. His grace is all that matters. It is true that the people of knowledge (jinanis) and the people of action (karmiis) may labour harder, but it is the devotees (bhaktas) alone who attain Parama Purus'a. There are two major obstacles on the path of knowledge: lethargy and vanity. A vain person remains far away from Parama Purus'a. Of all the different types of lethargy, spiritual lethargy is the worst. Spiritual lethargy means not to sit for meditation regularly. Those with spiritual lethargy have time for all other actions, but for spiritual practice there seems to be no time. They say, "It's already late today--I'll do a short meditation right now, and devote more time to sa'dhana' tomorrow." They sit attentively inside the cinema hall, but in dharma sa'dhana' they feel sleepy. Let me tell you a story in this connection. Laks'man accompanied Ram and Sita to the forest. For a long period of fourteen years, his duty was to keep watch at all times. One day he felt sleepy, and dozed off. Suddenly he woke up and was about to shoot the Goddess of Sleep with his bow and arrow. She said, "Laks'man, how unbecoming it is for you to do such a thing! People call you a great hero, but you are using your arrow against a woman." Laks'man replied, "You know that I am on duty here, yet why have you come to trouble me?" The Goddess of Sleep said, "But it is also my duty to come and sit on your eyelids". After a long discussion they finally reached a compromise. They decided that after fourteen years, when Ramchandra would return to Ayodhya to ascend the throne, the Goddess of Sleep would sit on Laks'man's eyelids, because at that time he would have no more work to do. Fourteen years passed. It was the day of Ramchandra's coronation. Laksman was on duty. Suddenly Laksman felt extremely sleepy and was unable to prevent sleep from overpowering him. The Goddess of Sleep had not come alone--she was accompanied by a large retinue. Laksman felt embarassed. He thought, "What a nuisance this sleep is ! If I fall asleep now my elder brother will think that I'm not interested in his coronation". But the Goddess of Sleep was adamant. Then Laksman said, "Well, I understand your difficulty. But you should find another place to cast your spell. I suggest you go to a place where someone is delivering a spiritual discourse and sit on the eyelids of those in the audience who are impious." And since then, this tradition has been maintained. One of the major defects of people of action is vanity. Devotees have no such defect--they work by virture of their implicit devotion to Parama Purus'a. There is no room for lethargy in their lives. For devotees, Parama Purus'a is their controller--the machine operator--and they are mere tools in His hands. They think that if they do not do Parama Purusa's work, then who else will do it ? Thus devotees are greater than both jinaniis and karmiis, people of knowledge and people of action. People of knowledge seek their Lord in books and not through practical realisation. The scriptures say, Anubhu'tim' vina' mur'ho vrtha' brahman'i modate Prativimbitasha'kha'graphalasva'danamodavat. "Foolish people without any God-realisation wrongly feel that they have attained Brahma ; their elation is pure vanity. It is they who taste the reflection of a fruit in a pond and claim they have tasted the real fruit. People of knowledge do not enjoy the real fruits, they enjoy only their reflections. The Lord of the people of action is like a steamroller--an animate machine. Unless one is endowed with devotion, one cannot realise the Supreme Entity. Devotees feel that their Lord is their constant companion. They feel, "I am one with Him". People of knowledge know that Parama Purus'a is beyond the scope of word and thought-ava'unmanasogocara--and hence they can never reach Him. People of action are almost like mechanical objects. But the sole intention of the devotees is service to God. For this one will have to come in the close proximity to the Lord. One will have to touch Him. The sama'dhi of the people of knowledge is a theoretical sama'dhi, whereas the devotees' sama'dhi is one of realisation. Devotees are happy even when the Lord threatens to punish them because they know that the Lord cannot punish them without touching them. So punishment is also a kind of boon for them. It is through service that devotees come in contact with Parama Purus'a. To render service to Parama Purus'a you should sing kiirtana loudly. This can be nicely illustrated with an analogy. Suppose a mother has three children--a jinanii, karma, and a bhakta. The jinanii reasons, "Mother is cooking in the kitchen. I will see her in my spare time." A karmii thinks, "What's the necessity of meeting her? I will just try to satisfy her through service." But the bhakta, instead of thinking, will burst into tears. Parama Purus'a in the form of the mother will have to come close to the devotee. The bhakta applies his or her intelligence to come in contact with Parama Purus'a and attain Him. What is the relation between the devotees and their Lord? It is said in the scriptures, Tvamiishvara'n'am paramam' maheshvaram' Tvam'devatanam' paramainca daevatam. You are the Lord of this universe, so you are Maheshvara.You are the Supreme Source of all the occult powers, so you are Maha'deva. You are the Lord of all Lords; You are the original and everyone else is a copy. You are the real King; the rest are theatrical kings. Suppose there are two young boys--a prince and a farmer's son. The prince becomes a king, but the farmer's son merely plays the role of a king in a play. You are all the children of Parama Purus'a, and thus you are His princes and princesses. You should never allow any inferiority complex to dominate your minds. Always remember the Supreme Truth that you are the powerful and beautiful children of Parama Purus'a. You are destined to be victorious. 1 January 1971, Patna Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 9