IN ADORATION OF THE SUPREME official source: Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 6 cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7 this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7, 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. From the dawn of intellectual development human beings started their quest for their origin. Even the pre-historic humans realized that the emergence of life from the cimmerian darkness was not an accident. To unravel the mystery of creation and to find an intellectual justification for their existence, they began their deep metaphysical probing. Before creation where did this manifest universe lie in its seed form? The Entity in which the seed lay embedded must be the noumenal cause of this phenomenal universe. The materialists identify nature as the cause of the universe. But is nature really the primordial cause ? The Sam'skrta equivalent of nature is svabha'va (and not Prakrti) or "characteristic" of an object. If one agrees with the materialists on this point, one will have to admit that everything in this universe comes out of svabha'va. The word sva means "own"; and bha'va means "idea". So the etymological meaning of svabha'va is one's inherent ideal or fundamental characteristic. One's own characteristic means one's own distinctive style of expression or functioning. Hence svabha'va is not the subjective counterpart, but rather an objective counterpart, and thus cannot be accepted as the noumenal cause. The way in which the universe is unfolding may be said to be the characteristic of this universe at best. The Entity behind the unceasing flow of creation is certainly not svabha'va or nature. Rather, that Entity is the subject of both the universe and nature. Svabha'vameka kavayo vadanti ka'lam tatha'nye parimuhyama'na Devasyaeva mahima' tu loke yenedam' bhra'myate Brahma cakram. Most materialists claim that everything is born out of nature. But they fail to clarify the true nature of this nature. Moreover, there is no consensus of opinion among them. Like idealists, they also conjecture and make incoherent statements, and throw stones in the dark. Their arguments are not based on a strong foundation. To accept something which is only a distinctive style of functioning, or which is bereft any subjective bearing, means to try to hide one's ignorance and side-track the main issue in order to throw the unwary masses into confusion. This illustration proves just how hollow materialism is. It is very difficult to understand how these people who are reluctant to accept anything beyond perception as real agree that nature is the noumenal cause of these apparent realities. Some philosophers declare that time is the ultimate cause. Time can best be defined as the mental measurement of the motivity of action. If this is so, how can the time factor be the absolute cause ? It is true that in every atom of this expressed universe there is movement, but it is also true that the speed of movement is never uniform. Depending upon the different types of movement, the mental measurement is also not uniform. And the sense of time is not the same in all spheres. So time, the entity which undergoes transformation, the entity which is a composite of action and the unit mind, cannot be the absolute factor because it is dependent on other factors for its existence. It would be erroneous to consider time as beginningless and endless. Because of the link between the different human minds since the distant past, time has an apparent sequential identity of being beginningless and endless. Yet time is not an unbroken singular entity. Being a form of measurement, it cannot be the subject. To ascribe authorship to the time factor would be sheer folly. One rotation of the moon around the earth is conceptualized by the mind as a segment of time called a lunar month. The lunar month is not the agent which causes the moon to revolve, but rather is the name given by the witnessing human mind to one orbit of the moon around the earth. Thus, the lunar month has no authorship. Similarly, the awareness of the solar month arises due to the movement of the earth around the sun. Had there been no sun or earth, or had the earth not moved around the sun, there would be no solar year, nor seasons, months, days or nights. Hence relative time cannot be the ultimate factor. Those who believe that time is a continuous and uninterrupted flow from beginninglessness to endlessness; or those who imagine time to be a special form of energy that flows from beginninglessness to endlessness in a perpetual rhythmic dance, identifying her with the energy of creation, should think deeply about the subject. Generally the time factor is given importance by those people whose goal of life is material enjoyment. In fact the underlying propensity of enjoyment which causes certain people to recognize the time factor as the ultimate cause of creation is contrary to spiritual ideology, as is the doctrine of nature (svabha'va). On deeper analysis we find that the Charvak and other schools of materialistic philosophy propagated certain doctrines which were more a revolt against the prevailing religions than an expression of a rational and benevolent outlook. They protested loudly against the clergy or religious traders who composed the so-called scriptures in the name of dharma(in fact it was not dharma, but religion); who took advantage of the fear psychosis, in the name of god, to ruthlessly exploit society. The Charvak and other materialistic philosophies were motivated to strike against religious exploiters. They were fully aware of the way the vested interests exploited society, and they knew that nobody had the right to deprive others of their properties, since every thing of this earth is the common patrimony of all, yet they did not endeavour to lead humans along the path of rationality or formulate a healthy social and spiritual ideology. The reason for this was that they lacked convincing arguments to stand against the sharp intellect of the vested interests. Thus, they merely attempted to negate the fundamental tenets of the vested interests, often with rather abusive language. Due to the weakness of their argumentation it was easy for the vested interests to emerge and gain strength in the subsequent period. The rs'i says, "Neither nature nor time is the ultimate cause of creation. The creation is the play of the Supreme Entity, an expression of his divine glory." The energy whose manifestation we notice in this universe is not without a base anywhere : it always vibrates through one of the fundamental factors. The ethereal factor, which is the subtlest of all the fundamental factors,is created due to the influence of the binding principle(Prakrti) on the Macrocosmic Consciousness. In the absence of the binding principle, the existence of ether as a fundamental factor would have remained unsubstantiated, unexpressed. Due to the influence of the subtler binding principle of Prakrti, the mind-stuff of the Cosmic Mind is crudified into the etherial factor. Thus the mind-stuff is the essence of the etherial factor. The binding principle, in varying stages, is something sentient, sometimes mutative, and sometimes static. The essence in the flow of creation has been called devata' by the rs'is. The binding principle which produces diversities and multiplicities is the Immanent Power, the triple-principled Prakrti. This flow of creation, the expression of energy and the vibrations of the thought world, are moving around the Macrocosmic Nucleus,Purus'ottama, who is free from bondage, yet controls all those in bondage. This vast cycle of creation is termed Brahma Cakra. The rs'i says that Brahma Cakra revolves due to the exalted glory of the Supreme Entity. Yena'vrtam' nityamidam' hi sarvam' Jina ka'lka'ro gun'ii sarvavid yah Teneshitam karma vivartate ha Prthvya'pyate jo'nilakha'ni cintyam. Purus'ottama, the Nucleus of the cycle of creation, is intimately linked with all objects through His individual association (ota yoga) and pervasive association (prota yoga). He is engulfing all entities. Had He remained only as the Nucleus, having no relationship with the created objects, He would not have had any controlling capacity, and the objects would not have had any inherent dynamism. Thus the Macrocosmic Nucleus is not a mere Witnessing Entity, but is also the source of all impetus and inspiration. Being the Supreme Source, He maintains the closest contact with all microcosms and all entities. The association of this Eternal Entity with every microcosm is that of the knower and source of inspiration. This association has caused the entitative existence of microcosms to come into being. And only due to His inherent dynamicity have unit minds developed the capacity to mentally measure time. It is therefore illogical to accept the time factor as being the ultimate cause of creation. If one attempts to find the ultimate cause through philosophical analysis, one will have to retrace the step of the universal creation backwards along the path of cause and effect. Those who accept time or nature as being the fundamental factor will have to explain logically why they are the original cause, and why they have no preceding cause. Up till now such people have been a total failure in this respect. But wise people,in the light of theory of Brahma Cakra, can explain why this Supreme Entity and His Divine Principle are the Noumenal Cause of creation, and why they are not preceded by any previous cause. Purus'ottama is the knower of all the entities created due to the influence of the binding principles of Prakrti and is thus called Gun'a'dhisha'(Lord of the gun'as). Since He controls all the entities which are gun'adhiina(bound by the gun'as). He is indirectly in contact with the gun'as and thus cannot be called Guna'tiita(beyond the gun'as) or Gun'avarjita(having no link with the gun'as ). Purus'ottama is the knower of each entity in His individual association (ota yoga), and of the entire creation in His pervasive association (prota yoga), and as such is omniscient. As He knows everything, nothing can be done secretly. As He is the Entity behind the Cosmic conation, no action is possible in His absence. None of the five fundamental factors ( etherial, aerial, luminous, liquid, solid), or their initial stages, or any so-called matter, can be called the cause of creation, because they are exclusively dependent upon the grace of the Cosmic Entity for their existence. The so-called materialistic philosophies while describing matter as the cause of creation, deliberately ignore the fundamental spirit of the low of dynamism. Tatkarma krtva' vinviarttya bhu'yastattvasya tattvena sametya yogam Ekena dva'bhya'm tribhiras'tavirbha' ka'lena caeva'tmagun'aeshca-su'ks'maeh. Did the Supreme Entity, after creating the five fundamental factors in the extroversial flow of the Cosmic Imagination, put an end to the cycle of creation ? No. With the emergence of the five fundamental factors one after the other, as progressively cruder expressions in the Cosmic flow, one phase of creation was complete. The other phase of creation began from that point. With the help of His As't'a-Prakrti(eight-fold Prakrti) and S'or'as'a Vikrti(sixteen modifications) increasingly complex structures were created. Today He is still creating more complex structures with the permutation and combination of any number of these factors. The growth in complexity precipitates a tremendous internal clash in microcosmic structures. Where the degree of diversity in these belligerent forces is extreme, there arises the expression of life and the capacity of mental thinking. In such cases, there is some kind of capacity to maintain an adjustment between the internal life and external life. But where life dose not evolve, and the unit mind remains unexpressed, the material structures ultimately explode in the form of jad'asphota,and, generating tremendous heat in a particular portion of the universe, provide new impetus to the Cosmic flow of creation. When a microcosm develops as a result of the combination of the fundamental factors, it gains an awareness of the time factor. Time, as the motivity of action, comes within its micropsychic capacity of measurement. Where the time factor has become linked with the fundamental factors, the developed mind is said to be functioning. In the flow of Pratisaincara, the microcosm then rushes towards the Witnessing Force (Macrocosmic Consciousness). There is also a qualitative change in the nature of bondage. In Macropsychic conation, that complex structure, with the help of the subtler binding faculties, takes the form of developed beings or human beings, who move gradually along the path of progress with the indomitable vitality of spiritual inspiration. Arabhy karma'nigun'a'nvita'nibha'va'm'shca sarva'n viniyojayed yah Tes'a'mabha've krtakarmana'shah karmaks'aye ya'ti sah tattvato'nyat. As unit macrocosms move along the path of progress, not only does thinking power develop, but various psychic propensities find expression, because the mind requires such propensities to maintain its individual existence. The driving force of the propensities leads unit beings to bondage, not to liberation. So in the earliest stage of microcosmic growth, that is, in the creatures of the primordial phase, the materialistic proclivity is predominant, and the expression of Consciousness is very little. Even after the development of greater thinking power, if the mind remains engrossed in material enjoyment instead of advancing towards Consciousness, there is a greater possibility of psychic degeneration. This is the reason why physically developed human beings should be very particular about the nature of their thoughts and actions. Under normal circumstances living beings advance from an undeveloped stage to a developed one. Thus the history of all living beings is the history of their undeveloped stages, the history of the predominance of crude materialistic or animalistic tendencies. Timid people are always afraid of taking risks. They have immense difficulty severing their blind attachment to the past to welcome the new. They think that the life of crude pleasure is the 'natural' life. Even after the development of greater psychic strength and subtle analytical power, they misuse their potentialities in the pursuit of crude pleasures. This psychic movement towards crudity is dominated by the static principle. They rapidly degenerate and court a life of mean pursuits. But since most actions are related to matter, and since one is obliged to work in the mundane world for one's self preservation, what should be the proper way to live? Is it possible to attain liberation from bondages even while busily engaged with the day-to-day activities of one's life? One will have to work. Those who wish to attain liberation from bondage will have to free themselves by their actions from the fetters of the mind (as'tapa'sha: bondage of lineage, vanity of culture, false sense of prestige, hatred, doubt, fear, share and censure). However, when every action is associated with the binding faculties (gun'a'shrayii), how can one liberate oneself by performing actions? The rs'i says that those who work only for work's sake will be engrossed in the gun'as. Their actions have every possibility of causing even greater bondage. But if people perform actions while ideating on Brahma, their actions cease to be the cause of bondage, and rather become an integral part of Brahma sa'dhana'. When actions are performed with the right ideation, they become part of one's sincere endeavour to free oneself from the bondage of the fetters of the mind (pa'shas). As a consequence of such actions, one transcends all the bondages of the gun'as and attains complete emancipation. Hence, O sa'dhakas, ensure that the psychic flow of your karma Sa'dhana' is directed towards Brahma sa'dhana'. Merge your individual existence into the Cosmic existence. Transform your mundane actions into spiritual actions through your Cosmic ideation. An expression of adhya'tma yoga becomes an expression of bhuta yoga. With this ideation, and in the process of sa'dhana', the sense of doership gradually vanishes and the sam'ska'ras (reactive momenta) get exhausted. When Brahma is realized as the actual doer of all actions, the unit mind is no longer defined as the author of actions. And with the annihilation of all sam'ska'ras, the microcosmic entity loses its individuality, merging into the non-attributional stance, and attaining the supreme beatitude. There are two types of actions: pratyayamu'laka (original actions) and sam'ska'ramu'laka (non-original or reactive actions). Human beings have the freedom to perform original actions as they think fit, whereas in non-original actions they are mechanically guided by the mutative force of Prakrti, who creates a congenial environment for the expression of their reactive momenta. If one performs original actions while ideating that Brahma is the actual doer, surrendering the results of actions to Him, one will not acquire any sam'ska'ras from those actions. As one has relinquished the authorship of action, one's unit aham (existential I) is not affected by the consequences of the actions. Thus, in the process of constant Cosmic ideation, one attains freedom from the bondages of action. During the period of requital of the reactive momenta if one surrenders one's samska'rik sam'vedana* to the Cosmic will, then psychic afflictions will no longer remain as afflictions. One will accept endless torture and humiliation as the severe and fearful expressions of one's dear Lord. One will feel blessed to have attained Him in that form, albeit a severe and fearful one. Thus, even in His fearful form, He assists microcosms in attaining liberation from the serpentine noose of original deeds. Developed sa'dhakas, instead of feeling agonized by the suffering caused by their reactive momenta, will rather feel delighted that their reactive momenta are now on the wane. * The mental state born out of one's embedded sam'ska'ras; in strict philosophical parlance it should be called pratisam'vedana because sam'ska'ras are imbibed while performing original actions. Adid sa sam'yoganimittahetuh parastrika'la dakalo'pi drst'ah Tam'vishvaru'pam bha'bhu'tamiidyam devam' svacittasthamupa'sya pu'rvam Whenever unit beings come in contact with physical objects there arises the will to do something. The unit mind can only think to act if it is linked in some way with physical objects. Citta, without an object, does not find an initial medium of vibration. At that time there is no conscious desire to acquire an object. Parama Purus'a is the fundamental cause behind the relation created between the unit mind and its objects. In the process of Saincara and Pratisaincara the psychic expressions and material molecules created by Macrocosmic conation are subject to the laws of attraction and repulsion, speed and adjustment. In accordance with these laws, a unit mind gets the opportunity to come into contact with another unit mind or the five fundamental factors. So Parama Purus'a is the efficient cause for the coordination between abstract and abstract, between abstract and matter, and between matter and matter. Microcosmic feelings of pain and pleasure are also born out of this coordination between the unit minds and the physical objects. Another result of this coordination in the awareness of the time factor which arises in the unit mind as the measure of pain and pleasure. As there is no entity, psychic or physical, outside Sagun'a Brahma, the experience of pain and pleasure is purely internal. And since the number of internal objects is unlimited, Sagun'a Brahma's pain or pleasure is also unlimited. The innumerable microcosmic minds within Him perceive time as an infinite entity. But as there is no spatial entity outside Sagun'a Brahma, for Him there cannot be any awareness of the time factor as the measurement of pain and pleasure. Hence, He is beyond the periphery of the three realms of time. His emergence took place before the beginning of time, and His all-pervasiveness spans across the past, present and future. But human beings' awareness of time does not extend very far into the past or the future. That which is beyond the periphery of the past is called aka'la. Human beings, individually and collectively, only have the capacity to comprehend a fixed period of time. With the advancement of knowledge the range of time can be extended, as depicted in the pages of history; but aka'la (timelessness) is beyond the reach of history. Parama Purus'a, though, certainly witnesses aka'la, and aka'la sees Him, too. This entire universe is His manifestation. Even in the period which people call aka'la. He was manifesting Himself as an infinite number of microcosms, and is still doing the same today. Whatever there was, is, and will be, in the crude, subtle and causal spheres of the universe, is a special manifestation of the Supreme Entity. He is adorable to all objects born out of bhava (the bundle of reactive momenta responsible for the rebirth of microcosms). By accepting Parama Purus'a as the Nucleus of this supracosmic flow of imagination, unit beings can establish themselves on the path of progress. To assimilate the essence of that Supreme Entity with undivided attention and a pure heart is the highest sa'dhana'. Sa brks'akala'krtibhi paro'nyo yasma't prapainca parivarttate'yam Dharma'baham pa'panudam bhagesham jinna'tva'tmasthamamrtam' vishvadha'ma. Everyone has the right to hold the Supreme Entity in their citta, but can His form be held in the same way as the objects of the quinquelemental world? No. He cannot be perceived in the same way as things like horses, elephants or buildings. Instead He must be perceived by the citta as its sustaining force. The citta radiates with His brilliant effulgence. When the citta is expanded beyond its limits, the microcosmic mind ultimately will be transformed into the Macrocosmic Mind. The ordinary criteria * of the perceivable world are conspicuously absent in Him. He is beyond anything mundane, including the time factor. The five fundamental factors which shelter in His vast Macropsychic body are moving endlessly through constant changes. The vibration of the universal Pran'a dharma is emanating from Him. He is the universal singer of the song of dharma. * For a materialist, the criterion which makes a tree a tree is that its roots are firmly planted in the ground to draw nourishment from the Earth. For a spiritualist, however, the tree is depicted as having its roots in the air, for sustenance is drawn, not from the mundane world, but from the Universal Spirit. The performance of sinful deeds in contrary to the introversive and extroversive Macrocosmic flow. Thus he endeavours constantly to pull microcosms out of the mire of sin and lead them to Supreme benevolence. He is Bhagavan, the master of the divine qualities (bhaga): unbounded occult power (aeshvarya), infinite valour (viirya), limitless reputation (yasah), endless charm (shrii), immeasurable knowledge (jina'na), and supreme non-attachment(vaera'gya). Aeshvarya includes an'ima (the power to become the lightest), mahima' (the power to become the heaviest), vya'pti (the power of maximum expansion), praka'miya (the power to get every desire fulfilled), iishitva (the power to exert complete and natural control over something), vashitva (the power to enter into something and bring it under one's control), and pra'pti or ka'mavasha'yitva (the Supreme attainment). But, as Bhagesha He is superior even to Bhagava'n, and is therefore above all bondages (Gun'a'dhiisha). I have already told you that He is not Gun'a'tiita (beyond the scope of bondage) as it is commonly understood. It is not enough to hold this vast Purus'ottama in the citta: rather, one will have to come in His contact and realise Him as the Creator of the universe deep within oneself. Only then can one attain immortality. The supreme goal of sa'dhana' is not to ideate on Him, but to bring about a total merger of the unit mind in the Cosmic mind, of the unit consciousness in the Cosmic Consciousness. This is the only real attainment in human life. Which is the best way to attain Him? Some people preach the excellence of knowledge, others proclaim the importance of action, and others emphasize the superiority of devotion. In my opinion all three - knowledge, action and devotion - are necessary. But devotion is more important than the other two, because it is the most helpful in the process of merging oneself in the Supreme. In the regard the role of knowledge and action is secondary. Knowledge and action can produce a feeling of vanity in the human mind at any moment, and actually they do just that. However, even if a devotee develops some devotional vanity, it will not do much harm, because it is still the Supreme Lord who remains as the devotee's object of vanity. Herein lies the excellence of the cult of devotion. Bhagava'n Shankara'ca'rya said, Moks'a ka'ran'a samagra'm' bhatireva gariiyasii. "Of all the ways to attain salvation, devotion is the best". Those who advance along the path of knowledge while maintaining devotional spirit eventually attain Brahma in the form of an embodiment of knowledge and merge into the Ocean of Consciousness. But those who acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake, ignoring their worldly duties , will meet an unhappy end. Devotees, however, discovering the playful expressions of their Lord in everything, remain deeply absorbed in the flow of bliss. They do not neglect anything or any entity, but prefer to endlessly enjoy the ocean of sweet bliss while sincerely carrying out their mundane duties. Here lies the charm of the cult of devotion. And, if supplemented by knowledge this devotion becomes even more charming. In this case the devotees, at the end of their enjoyment of divine bliss, become ensconced in the eternal Macrocosmic Stance, and lose their individual identities in the Supreme One. To be established in that exalted state both knowledge and devotion are necessary. To complement them action is an invaluable aid for mental perfection. (citta shuddhi). Human life is meant for the practice of this blissful path of sa'dhana'. For those who fail to undertake this practice, it becomes pointless to continue carrying the burden of existence. Ja'tashca eva jagati jantavah sa'dhujiivita'h Ye punarneha ja'yante shes'a'h jat'hara gardabha'h. Success and fulfillment in life lie in the spiritual pursuit. Only by pleasing one's Lord through sincere spiritual practice can one attain freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Those who do not follow the spiritual path, even after being born on this earth in human form, can be said to be misusing their vital force and intellectual capacity. The wise say that such people are no better than donkeys. (Jata'haragardabha'). The great devotee Narottamda's Tha'kur also said, Krs'n'a bhajiiba'r tare sam'sa're a'inu Miche ma'ya'y baddha haye brks'asama hainu "To worship Lord Krs'n'a I came onto this earth, but unfortunately I became like a tree caught up in the snare of illusion." Brahma sa'dhana' (intuitional practice) is the first and the foremost duty in human life. In spiritual practice, there is no scope for pompous exhibitionism . Momentum in spiritual practice is gained through deep sincerity, and rapid progress is made through the cultivation of pran'ipatena (self-surrender), pariprashnena (appropriate querying) and sevaya' (selfless service). On this path one must move in unison with many, because this path is the path of synthesis, of non-differentiation. Genuine dharma-sa'dhakas will never bother to know whether one is a Hindu, a Muslim or a Christian. All are the spatial, temporal or personal expressions of the same dear Lord. True dharma-sa'dhakas can never engage themselves in any fratricidal war in the name of prapatti (spirit of self-surrender) or dharma. They can never waste their valuable time arguing which propounder of which religion is superior, or inferior. Their only endeavour is to inspire people to develop a pinnacled intellect and pursue the synthetic path of knowledge, devotion and action, a path which is totally free from narrow, communal prejudices. They will not give the least importance to ritualistic differences. Where there is no internal progress, where there is no effort made for the attainment of Brahma, we cannot call it dharma, it is simply religion. Human beings must not entertain any divisive religious tenets. People must be freed from the spell of scriptural authority and led along the path of rationality. They should be made to understand that to run towards Parama Brahma- the essence of all essences- is the one and only dharma. There is no other dharma for human beings. Onm namaste sate sarvaloka' shraya'ya Namaste cite vishvaru'pa'tmaka'ya. Namo'dvaetata'ttva'ya muktiprada'ya Namo Brahman'e vya'pine nirgun'a'ya. Tvamekam' smaren'yam' tvamekam' varen'yam' Tvamekam' jagatka'ran'am' vishvaru'pam. Tvamekam' jagatkartrpa'tr prahartr Tvamekam' param' nishcalam' nirvikalpam. Bhaya'na'm' bhayam' bhiis'an'am' bhiis'an'a'na'm' Gatih pra'n'ina'm' pa'vana'm pa'vana'na'm. Mahoccaeh pada'na'm' niyantrtvanekam' Paresha'm' param' raks'akam' raks'aka'na'm. Paresha prabho sarvaru'pavina'shinna Nirdeshya sarvsendriya'gamyasatya. Acintya'ks'ara vyapaka'vyaktatattva Jagadbha'saka'dhiisha pa'ya'dapa'ya't. Tvamekam' smara'mastvamekam' japa'ma Stvamekam' jagatsa'ks'iiru'pam' nama'mah. Tvamekam' nidha'nam' nira'lambamiisham Bhava'mbodhi potam'sharan'am' vraja'mah. We are running and shall continue to run to take shelter aboard the only dependable ship on the ocean of the physical universe - the Supreme Entity. That Supreme Entity is the only shelter of all (though He Himself has no shelter). We have none but He, we have no other desideratum. Tamiishvara'n'am' Paramam' Maheshvara'n'a'm' Tvam' devata'na'm' Paranam'ca daevatam' Patim' Patiina'm' Paramam' Parasta'd Vida'ma devam' bhuvaneshamiid'yam. In this universe those entities which are considered controllers of events are often called gods or devata'. There are various controllers for various events. Parama Purus'a is the Controller of all these controllers and hence is called Parameshvara or Maheshvara . Each and every presiding deity of every expression of Cosmic energy is called devata' or god. Parama Brahma is the God of all gods. Behind each and every action, there is a particular vibrational flow of Brahma. Those who seek to know that particular vibrational flow without trying to know the entire entitative bearing of Brahma, only discern a partial expression of Brahma which they call god or devata. Suppose you are studying and learning something, by the grace of Brahma. The particular abstract faculty of Brahma with the help of which you are able to acquire knowledge, is called Sarasvatii (the goddess of learning) whose acoustic root is aem. These so-called gods or goddesses are nothing more than certain finite expressions of the infinite Supreme Entity. Ignorant people want to remain preoccupied with the replicas rather than the Original Entity and worship the finite gods and goddesses instead of the Supreme Entity. Deaf to the Cosmic sound, onmkara, which represents the vast Cosmic Entity, they endeavour to fulfill their desires by clinging to the acoustic sounds of the gods which are only a limited fraction of that all-pervasive onmka'ra. Is it wise for human beings to remain obsessed with the finite expressions, forgetting the Supreme Source(the Causal Matrix)? It may be that the Supreme Entity is beyond the periphery of human comprehension, but should one ascribe finitude to Him simply to bring Him within the periphery of the human mind? He is the Master of all masters, the Controller of all controllers. He is higher than the highest dignitary of the world. He is wiser than the one you consider to be the wisest, more handsome than the one you consider to be the most handsome. That Lord of the universe is to be adored by all. He is beyond the periphery of your tiny analytical mind. If you try to judge Him, or analyse Him, or use your vocal power to describe Him, you will be utterly disappointed. However hard you may try, you will end up banging your head against a wall, for you will never attain Him. The only way to attain Him is to merge your individual I-feeling into His vast Macrocosmic I-feeling. That Supreme Entity, who is greater than any other great entity, is the Supreme Desideratum of all organisms. A'nanda Pu'rn'ima' 18 May 1957, Monghyr Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 6