KIIRTAN AND DANCE / THE PSYCHIC ORDER official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 14 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 14, 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. Words in double square brackets [[ ]] are corrections that did not appear in the printed version. Lalita Marmika dance. [[ This portion [toe tip] is -- ? [Audience replies: "Dhae".] This portion is dhae. And this portion [the heel] is -- ? [Audience replies: "Ta'".] This portion is ta'. Here [toe tip] is the dhae portion. You are touching the earth with the dhae portion. The dhae portion means the spiritual touch, the dhin portion means psychic touch, and the ta' portion means the physical touch. Ta'! Ta'! ]] -- with maximum strength, with maximum weight of the body.* [[* Elsewhere the author has said: "The heel of the foot is related to the sound ta', the ball of the foot to the sound dhin, and the toes to the sound dhae." -Eds.]] You are on this earth. You are to do all worldly duties, all psychic duties, all spiritual duties, but your [[pressure]] on the Earth should be minimum. You should give least pressure on the Earth so that the Earth may not think you are a liability to the Earth. Be an asset. So, by touching the Earth with this portion ( the toe tip ), you are giving minimum pressure. That's why you are to touch the Earth with that portion. Yes, with the 'Dhin' portion. This [[position]] of the hand ( downward ) is the most natural physical position of the hand, is it not ? Under normal conditions you will remain in this position. It is the most natural physical position. And while doing any hard work, your hand will be in this position. You can't use a hammer in this position ( arm up ), can you ? No, You will have to keep the hand in this position ( down ). This is the most natural physical position. And this is 90 degrees ? While maintaining your hand in this position, you are to utilize your psychic strength. When your mind will desire, only in that condition can your hand remain like this. Otherwise, your hand will be in this position (down). When you will desire it, when you will want it, only in that condition will it be like this. Is it not a fact ? We say, "Raise the hand", you are raising your hand with your mental strength. Mind likes it. That's why it is raised. This is the style for using, for exercising the mind. This is physical ( down ) and this is mental ( 90 degrees ). Now, while you do kiirtan, Lalita Ma'rmika, what is your position ? You are using your mental power or your psycho-spiritual power ? Psycho-spiritual. It should not be in this position ( 90 degrees). In psycho-spiritual approach, this angle must be more than 90 degrees. This shows that your hands are now at the mercy of Parama Purus'a. Your hands are in this position ( up ), not by your psychic power, but because of the mercy of Parama Purus'a your hands are in this position. So, in Lalita Ma'rmika, hand must be more than 90 degrees. In this Universe, everything moves. Nothing is fixed. Nothing is stationary. Willingly or unwillingly, everyone will have to move from eternity to eternity, from infinity to infinity. This movement goes on in this biological order, in this zoological order, botanical order, archaeological order [[starting from the Palaeozoic Age of about 400 million]] years ago, the Earth is moving. Everything is moving except the Supreme Nucleus, Parama Purus'a. Parama Purus'a is stationary simply because it is supra-spatial, supra-temporal, and supra-personal. Had it been within the periphery of time, space, and person, He too would have been moving. Everything within the scope of time, space, and person is moving. This movement is the order of the Universe. It is the situation. So in human life, where a man doesn't want to do anything, unknowingly or unconsciously, he is going against the very spirit of the Universe. Because, the soul of the Universe is to move. In Sanskrit, this Universe is called Jagat ; jagat means the entity whose characteristic, whose nature is to move. [[ Here everything moves. Now, in these so many orders of zoology, botany, archaeology, and so many archaeological ages, [palaeontological] ages -- Tertiary Age, [Cretaceous] Age, Pliocene Age, Miocene Age, Oligocene Age, Mesozoic Age, Cenozoic Age -- So many ages existed in this world with their specialities in lithosphere, in atmosphere, in animal world, in psychic world, during the last 400 millions of years. But Parama Purus'a sees everything that is happening. ]] He knows what is happening, what did happen, and what will happen. Does it require any book ? From the very start of the Universe was there any book at that time ? And in theory, when this world, this particular world will come to an end, will there be any man to record its end ? But Parama Purus'a will be knowing it. Everything moves. But whenever there is movement, there must be some starting point and there must be some terminating point. Where is the starting point or culminating point ? They coincide. What's the meaning 'of coincide' ? To come to one point. Everything started from that Parama Purus'a, and passing through long distance, through so many physical, psychic, and [vital] metamorphoses, they are just now in the present position, and they will be undergoing so many metamorphoses and finally will be one with the Parama Purus'a, the starting point. So many changes--physical, mental, spiritual, vital. [[ Somebody is in this position, some plants in this position, animals in this position, undeveloped animals, developed animals, cows, buffaloes, monkeys, apes, ape-man, proto-ape, Australopithecine, Java Man, Old China Man, gorilla, chimpanzee, orang-utan, pygmy, Zulu, finally modern civilized man, highly-developed man, man who became one with Parama Purus'a. This is the psychic order. So every man is somewhere in this line, here or here or here or here. So I may say, rather, we may say, our movement is a movement from imperfection towards perfection.* Do you understand? Do you relish it? Is it a palatable dish? * A few Sanskrit or Hindi words here were not clearly audible on the tape. They seemed to repeat the idea of imperfection towards perfection. --Eds. Then, this is the movement, the movement is from -- [Someone replies: "Imperfection to perfection."] Imperfection to perfection. And that's why I said actual development, actual progress, cannot be in the realm of physicality or in the psychic world. Actual progress is where the proximity to Parama Purus'a is increasing -- that is, going closer to Parama Purus'a. That is progress. But while moving in this way, if the mind remains in that position, if the a'tma', spirit, remains in that position, only man invents new dress, and television, or radio, or so many* teleprinters, and so many newer vehicles, is it progress? No. Progress is -- what? When he comes near this point. That is the only progress. * A word here was inaudible on the tape. -Eds. So there can be progress only in the spiritual sphere. In physical and psychic spheres there cannot be any progress. You will be where you were. Only when your spirit, your a'tman, your soul, comes closer to the starting point, that is the only progress, that's why there can be progress only in the spiritual stratum. Do you follow? In physical spheres, no. Suppose a man is mentally just like a monkey, and he wears a good silken dress* and drives an ultra-modern vehicle, but has there been any progress? He is in the monkey state, not in the human stage. So he is a monkey, a well-dressed monkey. So there cannot be any progress in physical and psychic spheres. * A word or two here were inaudible on the tape. -Eds. Now what is spirituality? Spirituality means that which helps you in moving towards that goal from where you started your long journey. To go back to the original home after passing through so many lives, is the spiritual practice and spiritual progress. While moving like this, when you are in, say, the inanimate stage -- stone, earth, water -- and after that plant, after that animal -- Up to the stage of animal, the mind is very undeveloped. It cannot do anything independently. Undeveloped beings do everything being goaded by instinct, inborn instinct. You know the octopus, an aquatic animal? People eat it. An eight-legged creature in the water, in the sea? To some extent it looks like a spider, you may say water-spider. The octopus is an aquatic animal. I say that below the level of human beings, most creatures are guided by -- what? Inborn instinct, and not by intellect. Have you seen water buffaloes? Yes, you have seen them. And you have seen cows also. And have you seen bullock-carts? A cart drawn by bullocks? Have you seen the picture? There is a cart, a wheeled cart, drawn by bullocks. And similarly there may be a buffalo-cart also, a buffalo drawing the cart. But you know, the buffalo is more wild in instinct than the cow. From here you may go to Tainan by bullock-cart. It will take a long time -- in the past people used to go, but it will take long time. But if you go there by buffalo-cart, you may go, but because the buffalo is more wild in instinct, what will happen is that if by the side of the road from Kaohsiung to Tainan there is any lake, the buffalo will go into the lake along with the cart and along with the passenger. [laughter] It is so wild in its instinct. But cows have become more intelligent, because of their long association with men for about twenty-five [thousand] years. Buffaloes have been tamed, you see, but not for more than five thousand years. Very recently it was a wild animal. Is there any buffalo here in Taiwan? ["Yes."] Now you have understood. Animals who have developed themselves to some extent, mentally, spiritually, just like monkeys, just like dogs, have got some intellect. Although they are also guided by instinct, because of close association with human beings that intellect has been a bit developed. A dog can carry a hurricane lantern like this, can carry a stick like this. It can feel the pains and pleasures of its master. Sometimes it can see, it can witness, dreams. Dogs and monkeys can see dreams, other animals cannot.* * Some words here were inaudible on the tape. -Eds. Now, the movement is like this, and it goes on like this. So animals are guided by instinct. The octopus is there in the water, and one crab is also there. And the crab moves its legs like this. You know crabs? With so many legs, and two main legs? Is it found here? There are many big types of crabs also. The crab is a very favourite food of the octopus, and the octopus will know what a crab is by seeing the movement of its legs. If you kill a crab, and after cleaning it, place that crab before an octopus, the octopus won't eat it. Because the octopus will say: "No, no, no, this animal is not moving its legs like this, so it is not my food." Do you follow? The animals are guided by instinct, but a man by intellect. Now human intellect says that human progress is only on the spiritual level -- on physical and psychic levels there cannot be progress. And if a man, in spite of his having a developed intellect, doesn't utilize his intellect, is he not worse than an animal? Because an animal has no intellect -- it doesn't get the scope to utilize the intellect -- but a man has got the intellect, and if even then this intellect is not used and utilized by him, certainly he is inferior to an animal. An animal is helpless, it has no intellect, but man is not helpless, he has an intellect; and, having the intellect, he is not using it. So a man who is not on the track of spirituality -- logic says he is inferior to animals. Is he like plants?* Is he like plants? Is that man like a plant? No, no, he is inferior to a plant. A plant cannot do spiritual practice because it has no intellect, it is guided by instinct. So a man having a developed intellect -- if a man doesn't move along the track of spirituality, he is worse than a plant even. I think I'm quite clear? So try to bring one and all unto the path of spirituality. It will be the greatest service to human society. * A few words here were inaudible on the tape. -Eds. ]] 21 August 1979, Kaohsiung