PINNACLED EXISTENCE

official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 14

cross-references: also published in Ba'ba' in Taiwan

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.

      Last night, I said something regarding extro-internal movements and also some thing regarding positive hallucination and negative hallucination. And I also said that intellectuals, by dint of their intellectual power won't be able to reach the goal, and that those engaged in actional faculties also can't reach the goal. It is only the devotees who reach the goal. I didn't say much regarding their movement.

	Their movement is movement of pinnacled existence. Your existence is divided into so many projections. You like this thing, you like that thing. You love this thing, you love that thing. So your existence has been projected. There are multifarious projections of your existence.

	For a man who always runs after money, what will happen when that money is lost ? He will die. Sometimes, due to economic depression or devaluation, many people die because their existence was solely on money. But when your existence is pinnacled, that pinnacled existence comes in contact with the Supreme. So it is said that the devotees are the most cunning fellows. Who are the most cunning fellows ? Devotees are the most cunning fellows. Others are fools.

	But how is one to move along that path ? How is one's existence to be pinnacled ? Human existence is trifarious -- physical, mental, and spiritual, but the stages or layers are four in number -- physical, psychic, psycho-spiritual, and spiritual. In Sanskrit those physical entities with which, we say, human existence is closely coordinated is called 'Ka'ma'. You cannot do without these things -- food, clothing, education, medical treatment. These things are essential for human life. They come within the grasp of Ka'ma, the lowest layer. Those that think that this world is nothing, or those who say that a good man should keep no connection with the world are in Fool's Paradise. Yet you should remember that these things should not be the goal of your life. So many times I have said, yours should be subjective approach with objective adjustment.

	For your development in this crudest, physical layer, you should build up a strong society. You should see that everyone gets enough food, clothing, housing, medical treatment, education, you should see to it. It is your social duty.

	Just above Ka'ma is Artha, pure psychic. The crudest one is physical, next is psychic. It is called 'Artha'. What is Artha ?

	When the psychic want is quenched, when the psychic thirst is quenched, when the psychic hunger is satisfied, that quenching of thirst or satisfaction of hunger is called Artha, in psychic level, not in physical level. In physical level, I have already said that it is called Ka'ma. This is Artha.

	In Sanskrit, Artha has got two meanings, two significances. One is purely psychic. Another is psychic but associated with physical. When it is purely psychic, the word Artha means "meaning". "What is its Artha ?" means "What is its meaning ?" Another meaning of Artha is the object, the token, the entity with which you can quench your thirst, that is....Money ! (laughter). There are two meanings of Artha. Artha functions in psychic level. So for a devotee, this movement will be from Ka'ma, pointed towards Artha. The supreme point of Ka'ma should merge, should be one with the stratum of Artha. There must not be any want in your mind. If you want to know the meaning of 'rudimental', you will ask, 'What is the meaning of rudimental'. One man will say, 'Rudimental means 'fundamental'.' If rudimental means fundamental, why are there two words ? First, thirst of mind -- "What is the meaning of 'rudimental' ?" Somebody said that rudimental means fundamental. Then the second thirst, when rudimental means fundamental, why are there two words ? Why not just say 'fundamental' ? Then a new thirst is created in the mind. Unless and until this thirst is quenched, there won't be any mental concentration. (Baba pretends to meditate -- Publisher.) What's the difference ? It is a psychic thirst. During your lishvara Pran'idha'na, you are doing the Pran'idha'na not of Iishvara, but of 'rudimental'. 'Rudimental, rudimental.' Is it not a fact ?

	Then how is that thirst to be quenched ? It is for those intellectual fools. Ordinary devotees won't have this type of thirst. My thirst is quenched, my throat is quenched. Then one man will say that 'fundamental' means concerning the base, and 'rudimental' means concerning the root. This is psychic. Have you understood ? Unless and until all these thirsts are quenched, there cannot be concentration. So what is a devotee to do ? These thirsts are of mind, and mind has got so many flows, so many propensities, so many propulsions. You have to withdraw all these propensities and goad them to a higher level. Again it is to be pinnacled, and that point is to come into contact with spiritual level. When it is from psychic level to spiritual level, the movement is psycho-spiritual. This psycho-spiritual movement is the third phase. It is called Dharma. In Pali, Dhamma, in Sanskrit Dharma. That is why Lord Buddha used the word Abhidhamma for initiation. It means "getting the way to Dharma."

	Now, this psycho-spiritual movement is withdrawal of all propensities. It concerns the psychic body, but movement of the collective propensities is something psycho-spiritual. It starts from the psychic level and ends in the spiritual. A devotee has got nothing to do with intro-external or extro-internal activities. This is purely internal.

	In the first phase, it is physical, the projerdon of physicality on mind. In the second phase, pure psychic ; in the third phase, psycho-spiritual, known as Dharma. The fourth stage is purely spiritual. It is called Moks'a or Parinirvan'a -- both are Sanskrit words.

	What is Moks'a ? Should one do anything for attaining Moks'a ? The English term for Moks'a is salvation. Not liberation, but salvation. Salvation means liberation of permanent nature. Emancipation of permanent nature is salvation. We must not use this term salvation for physical liberty or psychic liberty. It is to be used only in the case of spiritual liberty because in all other three spheres, physical, psychic, and psycho-spiritual, there can't be liberty of permanent nature. it is called Moks'a.

	For the attainment of Moks'a what is one to do ? That pinnacled psycho-spiritual existence of yours is to be offered at the altar of the Supreme. The dearest entity for each and every human being is his existence, is his feeling of existence. 'O Parama Purus'a, I offer this feeling of existence, I offer this mind at your feet." This is the practice of Moks'a as taught by the A'caryas during Dhya'na (meditation). It is the practice of Moks'a.

	 The day before yesterday, I said that the devotees are very cunning. They are cetainly clever ; not only clever, they are cunning too,because their approach is neither extro-internal nor intro-external. Their approach is pinnancling from physicality to psychic existence, from psychic existence to psycho-spiritual, and finally to the stance of spirituality. Extroversality has got nothing to do with a devotee.

26 August 1979, Taipei