INTEGRAL AND NON-INTEGRAL OUTLOOK

official source: Tattva Kaomudii Part 3

cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 5

this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 5, 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 universe is born out of Macrocosmic imagination. Every entity of this universe, manifest or unmanifest, is maintained in the vast Cosmic Mind. So the Cosmic Consciousness is the primary cause of everything. And not only is the primary cause, He is also is the witnessing entity.

	I exist because He exists and wants me to exist. No other entity except the Supreme One should be contemplated upon. He is the Supreme Destination of every finite entity.

	When due to ignorance, microcosms think that there is something more besides Parama'rtha it is called the non-integral outlook. Conversely, when they feel in the core of their hearts that there is nothing within or without except Parama'rtha, and that whatever exists is nothing but His imagination, that is called the integral outlook.

	To attain savikalpa, nirvikalpa, and samprajina'ta sama'dhis the development of an integral outlook is essential. Whenever there is a decline in spiritual culture in the world the cause is a lack of spiritual aspirants and qualified preceptors. In this modern world developed and effective spiritual science is freely available, but there is certainly a lack of inquisitive spiritual seekers and qualified teachers.

	Qualified spiritual teachers are those with a developed integral outlook and a capacity to impart it to their students. Unfortunately so many so-called spiritual teachers are inculcating defective and narrow ideas in the name of spirituality to serve their own self-interests. Some of them even enter meaningless controversies such as whether God has a form or not, or is black or white, etc. Some even try to teach their disciples that there are as many as 300 million different gods and goddess! Others cite mythological stories to explain that certain gods bestow their powers on the faithful disciples, but other gods mercilessly punish the detractors. They jump at every opportunity to take advantage of the sentimental weaknesses of their credulous disciples, and in the name of spiritual training create obstacles on the path of spiritual progress by relating all kinds of cock and bull stories about heaven and hell. These "religious merchants" with their non-integral outlook, want to divide humanity into different groups (Indians, Germans, Russians, etc.) or into communities (Hindus, Muslims, Arya Samajis, etc.) Obviously blind religioud supporters cannot form an integral view of the world. Rather they say, "Well in spite of having distributed so much food and water to the poor, and having undergone such severe penance, we still haven't been blessed with God-realisation." This is an utterance of one with a non-integral outlook. Parama Purus'a cannot be attained by such people.

Parama Purus'a looks deep into the inner thoughts and feelings of human beings. He is omniscient, forever watching throughout the creation those who are meditating upon Him with undivided attention, and those who have been patiently waiting with an unwavering mind to realise Him. These are expressions of those with an integral outlook. Only such people, irrespective of caste, colour, creed, community, national or geographical barrier, etc. can look upon each and every human being as their own kith and kin. They are free of all discrimination. They even treat the animals and plants as being intimately related to themselves.

To attain any object of this mundane world human beings usually depend on the mind, intellect and sense organs. The capacity of the sense organ is extremely limited. How can these organs, which are incapable of perceiving the subtle ethereal factor, perceive Parama Purus'a, who is so many times more subtle than the five fundamental factors. In fact He is beyond the power of human comprehension.

      Yato va'co nivartante apra'pya mamasa' saha
	A'nandam bra'hmana vidva'n ma' vibheti kutashcana."

      "Brahma is not attainable either by mind or words.
	He is only attainable through blissful cognitive bearing."

      Brhacca taddivyam acintyarupam' su'ks'ma'ccatat su'ks'mataram'vivhati 
	Du'ra't sudu're tadiha'ntike ca pashyatsvihaeva nihitam' guha'ya'm.

	He is Brhat or immeasurable, beyond the capacity of the sense organs, beyond perception and intellect, He is Mahadeva, for each and every vibration and sensation (deva) of this universe emanates from Him. Sarva dystana'tmakah akhan'd'a cidaekarasah. That is, He is the nucleus of all vibrations and sensations. He is the embodiment of an unbroken flow of cognition. Because He is the Supreme Source of all emanations, He is called Mahadeva. He is the subtler than the subtlest; He is too subtle to be grasp by unit beings. He is so far that the human mind cannot conceive the great distance; yet He is so near that the human mind cannot conceive the proximity.

The most secret place of the human being is within the existential feeling (mahattattva) or "I" feeling. Parama Purus'a is the witnessing entity of this "I" feeling also. That's why elevated people try to realise the Supreme Entity in the innermost cavity of their hearts with an integral outlook.

Tanurdarshamgu'r'ajmanupravis't'am'guha'hitam' gavahvares't'hampuranam 
A'dya'tmayoga'dhigamema devam'ma'tva'dhiiro hars'shokao jaha'ti."

The Supreme entity is durdasha. In the case of Parama Brahma human beings cannot see Him as easily as they can see the external objects with help of their eyes because He is "Oran'niiyan mahato mahiiya'n." That is, He is smaller than the smallest, yet greater than the great. To see subtle molecules and atoms one requires the help of scientific instruments. Just as one requires an intellectual and scientific vision to conceive of atoms, one needs a spiritual vision to know the Supreme Entity. To attain Him human beings have to take recourse to shravana (constant hearing), manana (constant ideation) and nididya'sana (constant meditation). The Supreme Entity is Gurha, that is, He is lying hidden in the innermost recess of the human entity. To attain Him one must penetrate deep within oneself, and for that the development of an introversial outlook is essential an extroversial outlook will be no assistance. What we call inanimate matter with our extroversial vision is actually a conscious entity if analysed with an integral outlook.

He lies in the innermost core of all objects in His original stance. If one could visualise the original form of the Supreme Entity all the apparent external differences would vanish into nothingness. In fact, the fundamental spirit of intuitional practice is to realise the Supreme Unity in the midst of diversity.

He is Guha'hita for He remain hidden in the most secret regions of the human mind, where He observes one's hidden thoughts and feelings. He is the most Ancient One, existing beyond the scope of time, space and person. Such an Absolute Entity cannot be realised by a person with a crude, mundane outlook. To realise Him one must direct all one's sentiments and propensities -- in fact the entire psychic flow with its integral outlook -- towards one's inner existence. Only on this path of supreme synthesis can human beings attain the Supreme Entity and transcend the bondages of pain and pleasure, old age, death, etc.

The sages of the Upanisads say,

"Na'yama'tma' balahiinema labhyah na medhyah na bahumah shruteme".

The A'tman cannot be attained by the immoralist or the materialist. And the one who listens to learned discourses or reads the scriptures in the hope of realising the A'tma'n with the help of keen intellect will surely be disappointed.

How can one know the A'tma? The answer is, by performing spiritual practice (sa'dhana') with devotion and sincerity. For human beings spiritual practice in individual life is mandatory. Without sa'dhana' one cannot expect to make any progress. If one learns the secrets of spiritual practice from a learned preceptor and practices regularly one will realise intuitively the existence of the Supreme Cognitive Faculty guiding the entire creation; that the vast play of creation and destruction is being enacted at His bequest. One's narrow vision will be lost. One who does not have a deep knowledge of geography may argue that the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are different oceans. But one who is well-versed in geography will say that they are two different local names of the same Indian ocean.

The cognitive faculty is the only integral entity. It is due to the static influence of the Operative Principle (Prakrti) in Consciousness (Purus'a) that different emanations have occurred. Yet the original stuff behind this plethora of emanations is the same. The apparent diversities of the universe are similar to gold bangles, gold necklaces and other items of jewelry made of gold. People treat their items of jewelry in different ways, they love relating the history of each one, and wear them in various ways. But to a goldsmith, all the ornaments are nothing but gold -- he is not concerned with their different names and forms, he is only concerned with the actual value of the gold.

In the case of energy, we see that the same energy is manifested in different ways -- light, heat, sound etc. The diverse manifestation of the same energy may surprise an uneducated person, but to an experienced scientist, energy is one material energy expressed in various ways in different situations. Just as material energy works in various ways and forms, similarly the A'tman, who is the material cause of all created objects, and the witnessing entity of all, is installed in various entities. When the knower, the knowable and knowledge are fused into one, He still exists as the non-attributional entity. 

Agnir yathaeka bhuvane pravis't'o
Ru'pam' Ru'pam' Pratiru'po Jaga'm
Ekastatha'sarvabhu'ta'ntara'tma'
Ru'pam' Ru'pam'pratiru'po vahishca.

Although human beings are the progeny of Parama Purus'a, the human mind can move in two directions -- towards the finite or towards the infinite; towards shreya (permanent bliss) or towards preya (illusory happiness).

As human beings have passed through so many animal lives in the process of saincara to attain the human life, the material objects of enjoyment easily drag their minds towards preya. But preya only brings temporary relief to human afflictions before it throws them into the dark pit of misery. Human beings are by nature short sighted and remain engrossed in the temporary pleasures of the present, for which they unnecessarily waste their valuable time and energy. for a patient of beriberi, the use of salt is prohibited, but in the pursuit of temporary satisfaction he or she may use salt, even while knowing that it is harmful. The result is a more serious attack of the disease. Human beings read in books since their childhood that to tell lies is a sin, yet they do not hesitate to lie for their own petty self interest. Dishonest government employees know in their heart of hearts that it is illegal to take bribes, yet for small gain, they take money from others out of greed. In consequence they have to suffer tremendously. Whatever is done with a narrow outlook is bound to meet with afflictions in the future.

Intelligent people seek the permanent cessation of misery. This attainable only on the path of shreya, not preya. Thus before accepting any object, they analyse calmly and dispassionately if it is shreya or preya. By verifying the characteristics and symptoms of objects they will be able to discern shreya from preya, and follow the path of shreya even though it may bring temporary sorrow to them.

The story goes that the tyrannical king Hiran'yakashipu wanted to murder his own son due to devotion to Krs'n'a. First he tried to impale him on a sharp trident, but that didn't work. Then he throw him into a tub burning oil, but even after that he was alive. So in a last desperate attempt he threw him off a mountain top, but to no avail. The devotee was unaffected by these tortures and was ultimate victorious. When Mahars'i Ya'jinavalkya wanted to offer abundant wealth to Maetreyi, his wife, she refused to accept it saying, Na' ham' namirta' syam tena' ham' kim' kunya'm'. "What shall I do with that which will not establish me in immortality?"

	Whatever is finite is limited by nature.  The attraction for finite entities is ka'ma, and the attraction for the Limitless Entity (Brahma) is prema.  Those who are preoccupied with preya are guided by the small "I" -- their mental expansion remains a far cry.  Many so-called scholars are obsessed with their petty prestige, but one day that sense of prestige will crumble into dust.  But shreya is infinite.  It has no beginning and no end, it is an unbroken flow of pure and serene bliss stretching from beginninglessness to endlessness.  This is the Bramha of the sa'dhaka.  People who are under the illusory spell of avidyama'ya' leave the benevolent path of shreya and rush headlong towards the deceptively alluring preya.  But preya, after giving them only temporary happiness, like a flash of light, will throw them into the darkness of despondency, and they will stand like the scorched shell of a tree struck by lightening in the desert lamenting the endless drought.

"Jainha' ka'm ta'inha nehi Ra'm
	Jainha' Ra'm tainh a nehi ka'm."

	Where there is a longing for physicality there is no absolute Consciousness, and where there is Consciousness there is no longing for physicality.  Hence enlightened people will choose the benevolent path of shreya for the highest fulfillment of human life.

	"Krs'n'a na'm bhayajiiva a'r sav miche
	Pal'aite path na'i yam a'che piche

	Krs'n'a na'm harina'm bar'ai madhur
	Jeijan Krs'n'a bhaje se bar'a catur."

	Oh human beings take the name of Lord Krs'na.  All other entities are unreal.  If you forget the Lord where will you go?  The God of death is waiting just behind you.  The name of the Supreme Entity is the sweetest.  Wise are they who take His name.

Tattva Kaomudii Part 3