RELATIVITY AND THE SUPREME ENTITY official source: Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 10 cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 11 this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 11, 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 square brackets [ ] are corrections that did not appear in the printed version. The subject of today's discourse is "Relativity and the Supreme Entity". The innate propensity of human beings is to seek freedom from all bondage. Whenever they are placed in bondage they try their utmost to free themselves. It was this effort to liberate oneself from bondage that caused love or dharma to develop in the human mind. I will free myself from all sorts of bondage. This inspiration, this existential stamina, this motivation inspired human beings to tread the path of Dharma. It is due to this driving urge that human beings have mastered and will master all matters concerning Dharma. These bondages are of three types : physical, psychic and spiritual. The first category comprises all those bondages which concern time, space and person in this quinquelemental world. For instance, if a person wants to reach Dacca immediately, he or she will not be able to do so ; this inability is physical bondage. Human beings want to reach their destination at once but they cannot, and the consequent disatisfaction created in their minds is the physical spatial bondage. Likewise there are temporal bondages also. Perhaps a desire may arise in someone's mind today to see what India was like at the time of Lord Krs'n'a, 3500 years ago; but this cannot be done due to temporal bondages. Likewise there are personal bondages also. There are also psychic bondages, the various types of mental limitations and afflictions that arise due to our sam'ska'ras ; and finally, there are the spiritual bondages. Human beings, through the cultivation of knowledge, become convinced that their nearest and dearest one is Parama Purus'a, that He is the soul of their souls. Parama Purus'a is dearer even than their own existential "I" feeling, because one's "I" feeling is not something permanent--it will not last forever. But Parama Purus'a, the Supreme "I" of one's small unit "I", will remain forever, and thus only He can be the dearest Entity. In the material sphere we wrongly think that the existential "I" feeling of the human mind is our most beloved entity, but if we penetrate deeper into the matter we will understand that Parama Purus'a is indeed dearer than our own "I" feeling. Yet even after this understanding, when we do not actually attain him within the scope of our realsation, then this painful sense of separation is spiritual bondage. That which brings about the permanent cessation of these three types of bondages is called Parama'rtha, the Supreme Good. Trividha duhkhasya a'tyantikii nivrttih. Out of the endeavour to liberate themselves from these three bondages, human beings have cultivated material science, and in this way they have learned and discovered many things. In overcoming the psychic bondages they could not achieve any significant progress ; and although they have attained some success in overcoming physical bondages, yet they could not permanently conquer any of the three factors of time, space and person. Even if they go to Dacca from Calcutta by rocket, it will take some time to reach the destination: they will never be able to conquer time altogether. Nevertheless people go on trying to surmount the limitations of time, space and person. Is any psychic progress attained in this continuous endeavour to overcome physical bondage, ? It may be possible to acquire some objects of enjoyment or to transcend the temporal, spatial and personal bondages to some extent. But will this really bring psychic elevation? No, not even the slightest. Suppose a highly elevated person is travelling by bullock cart, and a degraded person is travelling by rocket. Does the person in the rocket become more elevated because he is moving at a high speed? The affluent countries have purchased the brains of the intellectuals and invented many new things: does this mean that they are highly developed? Are those countries which could not develop, those inventions, like India and other Third World countries, underdeveloped countries? Not at all. The progressiveness or backwardness of a certain country cannot be judged in this way. A progressive country is one in which human beings are developing. Even cows, goats and other animals can be sent into space in rockets--does that mean that they are more developed ? So it is clear that time, space and person can never be completely conquered. Likewise, in the psychic sphere also some people try to explain things to their fellow human beings, thus removing their psychic hunger. Suppose people do not know the meaning of a word. They may suffer some psychic discomfort for a time, but once the meaning of the word is conveyed to them their mental affliction is removed. Then they discover another word whose meaning is unknown to them! Among human beings you will never find anyone who knows everything, nor is that possible in practical life. An omniscient person never comes within the scope of relativity: he or she may remain outside the realm of relativity but not within it. What ordinary people learn one day they forget the next. Those of you who are graduates and post-graduates will admit that if I ask you to sit for the school final examination now, you will certainly not pass the exam. This shows that you have studied but quickly forgotten what you learned. You have not gained much, so it would not be wise for you to consider your education as a glorious achievement. The fact is that human beings have tried, are still trying, and will continue to try to overcome their physical and psychic bondages. That which helps one overcome physical and psychic bondages to some extent--that, for example, will reduce the minute--is called artha. Hunger is a physical bondage--it is related to the physical body of this quinquelemental world. To remove hunger you require money to buy food in a restaurant. Eating the food brings temporary release from the bondage of hunger; and thus money, the object which brought about this release, is called artha. Let us take another example. "Antidisestablishmentarianism" is the longest word in the English language. Until people know the meaning of this word, they remain in psychic bondage. If someone says that that particular word means "meaningless" or "useless," then that psychic bondage is removed. The next moment, however, another question arises in the mind: "What is the meaning of asam'kramsahah ?" Unless someone gives the meaning, one's mind is disturbed. Only when the meaning is known does the mind return to its normal state. Hence the meaning of a particular word is also called artha in Sam'skrta, because knowing the meaning brings temporary relief from psychic bondage. [The Sam'skrta word for "notebook" is artha pustakam': pustaka means "book" and artha means "meaning."] When people know in theory that Parama Purus'a is always with them, that He is their nearest and dearest one, and yet He does not come without their personal realisation, this is called spiritual bondage. For such people Parama Purus'a remains confined to the abstract striptures, and does not become a living realisation. Spiritual aspirants must liberate themselves from this bondage by dint of their sa'dhana'. So people may attain temporary freedom from physical or phychic bondages, but they fall into those bondages again the next moment. There may be temporary victory, but it is again followed by defeat: ultimate victory is impossible. (In Sam'skrta "victory" is jaya and "complete victory". is viiaya.) Spiritual bondage is different from psychic or physical bondage, because once the spiritual aspirant realises Parama Purus'a, that realisation becomes permanent. If you take food in a restaurant daily, you will also have to pay every day--you cannot pay once for always. Hence the term artha is not used in the spiritual sphere ; rather we use the word Parama'rtha--the ultimate, permanent relief from bondage. This Parama'rtha, as I said earlier, remains confined to the scriptures of the philosophers, and thus the thirst of their hearts is never quenched. They waste their valuable time in useless philosophical discussions. Parama Purus'a may or may not remain in the book of the devotees but He is surely present in their hearts. By dint of sa'dhana' and kiirtan devotees bring the supreme flow of spirituality into the practical world ; they taste it and bathe in it. Parama Purus'a is not an object of bookish knowledge, of philosophical speculation--He is the soul of souls, the nearest Entity to a devotee's heart, the One with whom a devotee is constantly playing and conversing with laughter and joy. That blissful satisfaction in a devotee's heart is conspicuously absent in that of a philosopher. Thus the Supreme Entity is beyond the scope of the physical and psychic spheres. The physical and psychic spheres are assailed by the limitations of relativity, but the spiritual world is free from such limitations. The Supreme Entity is absolute, but It also touches the realm of relativity. This descent from the absolute to the realm of relativity is not properly understood by the philosophers. They say that the realm of the absolute is not at all accessible to the human mind, and hence the mind is incapable of judging or analysing the Supreme Entity. Thus philosophers are totally incapable of explaining why Parama Purus'a is so closely associated with the relative world, and with human beings. In none of the books of the philosophers can we find the proper reply to this query. Devotees are always ready to reply. They say, "Oh philosophers, it is a fact that Parama Purus'a resides in the unmanifested world. Now, you philosophers, just imagine that you are alone in this universe. Will you not become mad if you remain alone with your analytical bent of mind? In the same way our Lord did not want to remain alone, so He manifested Himself in various forms just to associate Himself with them, to play with them." The explanation of the devotees is simple and straightforward. Some people may complain about this strange game (liila') of Parama Purus'a. (In Sam'skrta, an action whose cause is known to human beings is called kriira', and an action whose cause is not known is called liila'. The actions of the Supreme Consciousness are called liila' because we do not know their cause.) They may say, "What a strange liila' is this! Because of this liila' we have to undergo so many trials and tribulations! " But the point is, He is playing His liila' with none other than His own creations. Thus He certainly has the moral right to do so. The devotees tell the philosophers that Parama Purus'a has the right to play His divine sport with them, thus they find no reason to complain. This sets the philosophers thinking. They conclude that the devotees are correct because the devotees have a very close relationship with Parama Purus'a, whereas they are outside of His intimate circle. They fail to understand where to draw the line of demarcation between the Macrocosmic flow and microcosmic flow: they simply churn through hundreds of pages of books without any practical realization. So the philosophers feel deflated, while the devotees proclaim, Nitya a'chi Vrinda'bane A'mi to nai ha'ri cha'ra' D'a'kle Hari a'sbe ka'che D'a'kle parei dey se sha'r'a. "I am always in the divine realm of Vrinda'van I am never without my Lord. My Lord will come to me whenever I seek Him- He responds to my slightest call." So the devotees truly enjoy the presence of Parama Purus'a whereas the poor philosophers are so foolish that they remain far from Him. Then the philosophers start pondering over the issue of conversion from absolute into relativity. They wonder, "How is it possible, how can it be done ? What is the Primordial Factor, the Causal Matrix behind this creation ?" The philosophers start racking their brains to find the answer. Ka'lah svabha'vo niyatirjadrccha' bu'tani yonih purus'a eti cintya' Sam'yoga es'a'm' na tva'tmabha'va'da'tma''pyaniishah sukhaduhkhahetoh. Ka'la svabha'va. What is that Absolute Entity? Some say it is maha'ka'l or Time eternal, because, they say, everything is imbeded in Time. However, everything occurs within the vast scope of eternity, thus can we call Time the Absolute Factor ? The devotee objects: how can the time factor be the Supreme Entity ? Time is the mental measurement of the motivity of action. Where there is no action or where there is no mind to measure, there cannot be any time either. If there were no earth, or if the earth had not revolved around the sun, or if there were no developed living beings to measure the movement of the earth around the sun, then there would have been no days, months or years. We could not have measured them, and thus there would have been no time either. Hence the existence of time depends on two factors : the motivity of action and the instrument to measure this motivity of action. Judged in this light, time cannot be the ultimate factor, so the devotees advise the philosopher to look elsewhere for the Absolute. There is nothing like Eternity, because what we call Eternity is a collection of numerous fragments of time. The concept of fragments of time arises in the human brain. Suppose a person becomes senseless at twelve o'clock. When that person regains senses after five hours, he thinks that it is still twelve o'clock. During the period of senselessness his mind was not able to measure the motivity of action, and hence time ceased to exist. Then should the philosophers not admit that the devotees are correct? Then the philosophers turn to another hypothesis : that nature or svabha'va is the Absolute Entity, but this is also not acceptable. Whatever is taking place in this universe happens in a particular style, and that style of functioning is called "nature." Nature cannot be considered to be the Entity which creates this style of functioning, because Nature is not a conscious agent. There can be no intellectual justification for this supposition. Nor can we call Nature a blind force because it follows a particular system, a particular style of functioning. Suppose a person is cooking food according to a particular style. Who is cooking: that person, or the style of cooking? The answer is, the person is cooking. The sun rises at a particular time and sets at a particular time--it follows a particular system, which we call Nature. However, the conscious agent which is working in this particular style is not nature. The philosophers must accept this argument also. So the philosophers turn to still another hypothesis, that niyati or "fate" is the absolute factor. "Whatever is fate cannot be averted," they say. This is equally unacceptable to the devotees because, after all, who is that Entity who spins our fate ? Ram's fate is different from Shyam's fate. Who created these different fates ? Fate herself cannot determine that. Daevena deyamiti ka'purus'ah vadanti Udyoginam' Purus'asim'hamupaeti Laks'mii Yatne krte yadi na sidhyati ko'tra dos'ah. Cowards say that everything is determined by fate. In reality, however, those people with tremendous initiative or enterprise are crowned with success. Cowards say, "If one makes intense efforts and then fails, what is the harm ?" But devotees say, "No, no, this is sheer fatalism. One who believes in fatalism will have to simply lie inert." Devotees say that fate is simply the collection of unrequited sam'ska'ras. A person who performs an action has to undergo the reaction to that action. If his body is old, the reaction of that action may not be expressed in this lifetime. Only when the same person is reborn will his unserved sam'ska'ras be expressed. He cannot remember the action of his previous life because he has acquired a new brain. So he takes the expression of those sam'skaras to be his fate. In fact they are not his fate--they are merely the reactions of his previous actions of his previous life. The philosophers contend that astrologers are able to predict people's future by preparing their horoscopes. They may be correct, for in this universe everything follows a particular rhythm. Nothing is isolated, everything is interconnected. Even a tiny ant does not die a premature death. If an ant does die prematurely, the entire universe becomes unbalanced and loses its rhythm. Everything in this universe, whether great or small, is a dignified member of the universal family. To enjoy equal importance; none should be slighted. When people are reborn, they carry the sam'ska'ras, the reactive momenta, which remained unrequited in the previous life. According to their sam'ska'ras, they are born under a certain planetary system in the solar system, and during their lives they must act and move within the scope of a particular sign of the zodiac. Thus everything follows a particular system. It can be inferred that people of such-and-such nature are born under a certain planetary position. The science of astrology was formulated on the basis of such a theory. But in this regard, simply surrendering to fate would be sheer foolishness. The philosophers say to the devotees, "Yes, these ideas appear to be logical," but then they take up another hypothesis. "Is yadrccha' or accident the cause of creation?" they ask. Some people say that this creation is accidental, but the devotees retort that this is simply absurd. In this universe nothing is accidental; so how can accident be accepted as the ultimate cause of creation? It is merely a simplistic attempt to hide one's ignorance about the ultimate cause. One should remember that each and every incident is causal, nothing is non-causal. When some incident takes place abruptly we call it an accident, because the effect has taken place so suddenly that we can not determine its cause. Thus we use the word "accident" just to cover up our failure to detect the cause behind the effect. These arguments convince the philosophers that the idea that accident is the ultimate cause of the universe is simply absurd. Then is matter, of which this universe is composed, the ultimate cause of creation? Here the questions arise, from where does matter come? And from where does intellect, the subtle mind of a human being, come? We must accept that the potentiality of mind was lying hidden in matter, otherwise, how could mind originate from matter? The strange thing is this: that the same mind which originated from matter is also controlling matter. The hands, feet, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, etc., of the human body, which are all material, are all controlled by mind or intellect. If mind originated from matter, then how does mind control that same matter? Suppose the body is hungry for food, but the mind insists that it will not eat anything; it would prefer to commit suicide rather than eat. Then who will win--mind or matter? Mind will certainly triumph over matter. This proves that mind exercises authority over matter. Mind is subtle and the crude emerges from the subtle. Matter works under the guidance of the Cosmic mind. So the philosophers are convinced that matter, too, is not the ultimate cause of creation. Then is unit consciousness or jiiva'tma' the ultimate cause of creation? The devotees argue, "How is that possible? Although the jiiva'tma' is the witnessing entity which cannot perform any original action by itself, it always maintains the closest proximity to the mind, and is inseparably associated with it. Suppose a person does something wrong physically or mentally, and imbibes a set of sam'ska'ras. According to the previous sam'ska'ras he was a human being, but according to the newly acquired sam'ska'ras he is reborn as a dog. The progress or degradation of the human mind has a direct effect on the apparent progress or degradation of the soul, because of the soul's close proximity to the mind. Suppose a piece of red cloth is placed in front of a mirror: the mirror will appear to be red, but in reality it is the cloth which is red, not the mirror. The same applies to the unit consciousness. Hence an entity which is affected by the mind cannot be the ultimate cause of creation. When it has the limitation of being assailed by another entity, it is certainly not the Supreme Agent. The philosophers are now quite confused, but the devotees are guided by clear logic. According to them all objects and actions that we perceive are reflected on the Supreme Reflecting Plate. If this reflection does not take place, the existence of an object or action remains unsubstantiated. Suppose you come in contact with an object. To you the object is real because the vibrations of that object are reflected on your mental plate. You extend your hand, and your hand feels the existence of that object. Due to this tactual contact you accept that the object exists. Likewise, when the vibrations of external objects transmitted through your nerves are reflected on your citta, and those vibrations on the citta are reflected on the ahamhattva, and those on the ahamhattva are reflected on the mahattattva, and finally when those on the mahattattva are reflected on the unit consciousness, you have attained your real A'tma' or Soul. Although the A'tma' itself has no merits or defects, it is affected by the sam'ska'ras of the mind. Only when the unit consciousness is fully reflected on the Supreme Reflecting Plate, Cosmic Consciousness, is the real Parama Purus'a attained. The philosophers are finally convinced by this cogent logic. When you realise that everything is Parama Purus'a, you will have to channelise all your physical, psychic and spiritual faculties, all your hopes and aspirations, longings and desires, towards that Supreme Entity. Only then will you come in the closest proximity to Him. Let us take an analogy: Yatha' darpan'a'bha'vo a'bha'saha'nao mukham' vidyate kalpana'hiimekam Tatha' dhiiviyoge nira'bha'sako yah sah nityopalabdhi svaru'pe'ma'tma. Suppose there is a certain person surrounded by fifteen or twenty mirrors. In those mirrors fifteen or twenty faces are reflected. Each mirror thinks that it possesses a particular face. The real face is amused at this, because it knows that it is not possessed by any mirror. Those faces reflected in the mirrors are just like the microcosmic minds. Every human being, every unit entity, has a mind. In matter mind is dormant, but the potentiality of mind is ever present. Mind even exists in wood, rocks, sand, stone, etc. Wherever there is the expression of mind, there is also the reflection of the unit consciousness. Through scientific research this dormant mind may also express itself one day, even in matter--it is not it all impossible. A tiny grain of sand today will one day be transformed into a great scholar, an extraordinary personality. Every atom has that possibility. Thus those reflected faces in the mirror are the unit consciousnesses, and the real face is Parama Purus'a. When this reflection is stopped, the unit consciousness will also cease to exist, and the existential "I"-feeling of the microcosm will also cease to exist. But how to do this? The task of all the images in the mirrors is to rush headlong and merge themselves in the Supreme Entity. That is, the devotees must channelize their minds towards Parama Purus'a and stop all reflections forever. Tatha' dhiiviyoge nira'bha'sako yah. When they merge their "I"-feeling (mahattattva) with all their joys and sorrows, thoughts and moods, hopes and aspirations in Parama Purus'a, there remains no reflection, and no unit consciousness: there remains only the One Supreme Entity. They should not attach any importance to obstacles they may meet along the way. Trampling down on the thorns on the path, they must move ahead, undaunted. Parama Purus'a is also attracting all created beings towards Himself, and they consciously or unconsciously are moving towards Him. No one can escape this movement. When people realise that they are moving towards Him, the speed of their movement is tremendously accelerated. They move on and on, meeting no defeat. Chot'e ye jan banshiir t'a'ne Se ki ta'ka'y pather pa'ne "Those who rush in response to the call of the Divine Flute--do they pause to look back?" Whatever might be the obstacles, the devotee must move on like a flying bird. True spiritual aspirants will never be frightened by any circumstances, for they are born warriors, ready to move on amidst all struggles. They will smash all obstacles relentlessly. This is the creed of their lives. What is the result of this headlong rush towards the Supreme One? The result is that one becomes one with the Supreme Entity. Hence the devotees channelise all their longings and urges towards that Supreme One. They recognize only that One and no second entity. I narrated a story some time ago that is highly illustrative. Once a few people asked Hanuman, "You know that Ra'ma and Na'rayan' are one and the same entity?" What is the meaning of Na 'ra'yan'a? The Samskrta word [na'ra] has three meanings. One is "water," niira: Nitram' toyam' jalam' udakam' kambalam' pa'niiyam' ka. The second meaning is "devotion" : na'ra+da'+d'a=na'rada; that is, one who distributes devotion. If we take the first meaning of the word na'ra, in that case Na'rada means "the person who supplies water in the railway station." The third meaning of the word na'ra is Parama' Prakrti or the Supreme Operative Principle. Here the suffix ayana means "shelter." So na'ra+ayana=Na'ra'yan'a, "Parama Purus'a, who is the shelter of Prakrti." Likewise the book in which the character of Rama is described is called the Ra'ma'yan'a. The word Ra'ma means "Parama Purus'a:" Ramante Yoginah Yasmin Sah--"the One whose very thought exalts the spiritual aspirants is Ra'ma." The light of the earth comes from the sun, the light of the moon also comes from the sun, and the light of the sun comes from Parama Purus'a. No entity possesses any light of its own. Na tatra su'ryo bha'ti na candra ta'rakam' Nema' vidyuto bha'nti kuto'yamagnih Tvameva bha'nta'manubha'ti sarvam' Tasya bha's'a' sarvamidam' vibha'ti. "Before that effulgent Supreme Entity, neither the sun shines, nor the moon nor the stars. Nor does the lightning flash, what to speak of fire. In Parama Purusa's light all other entities shine. His effulgence illuminates all luminous entities". Ra'ti mahiidharah ra'mah. The first letter of the word ra'ti is ra, and the first letter of the word mahiidhara is ma--from this the word Ra'ma has come. This may also be explained: Ra'van'asya ma'ran'am'. Here Ra'van'a means all the baser propensites of the mind. Since all these baser propensities work in ten directions, it is said that they are like a ten-headed demon. If one seeks to annihilate this demon, one will have to take the shelter of Parama Purus'a. The entity who is instrumental in that annihilation is called Ra'ma. Thus you see the meaning of Ra'ma and of Nara'yan'a is the same. When Hanuman was asked why he was so insistent on taking the name of Ra'ma and never taking the name Na'ra'yan'a, he promptly replied: Shriina'the ja'nakiina'the ca'bheda Parama'tmani Tatha'pi mama sarvasvah Ra'mah kamalalocana. "I know by philosophical analysis that there is no difference between Na'ra'yan'a and Rama, and yet I will channelize my mind towards One Entity and not many. For me there is no Na'ra'yan'a, there is only Ra'ma." Likewise for the genuine spiritual aspirants there is only One Entity, and they rush only towards that Supreme One. Their minds move only in one direction, not in a thousand directions. The devotees say: Tadekam' smara'mah tadekam' japa'ma Tadekam' jagatsa'ksiiru'pam' nama'mah. If I remember anyone,I will remember only that One Entity and not many. If I repeat anyone's name, I will repeat only the name of the Lord. If I ever salute anyone, I will salute only the Supreme One and no one else." The rule is, if you pay salutations to a human being, you should say "Namaskar", but if you pay salutations to Parama Purus'a, you must say "Namaste." Namaste means "I salute Thee." Human beings are greeted with the word "Namaskar" because they are considered to be the expressions of the Supreme Being. They should not be greeted with "Namaste." In the case of Parama Purus'a either "Namaste" or "Namaskar" is permissible. The mental strength that develops through one-pointed concentration accelerates the speed of the aspirants' minds. When they proceed towards Parama Purus'a with accelerated speed they are destined to reach Him. Always bear in mind that the Lord of the philosophers (jina'nis) is only an impersonal God, whereas the Lord of the devotees is a personal God--a personal relationship is established between the devotees and their Lord. The Lord of the philosophers bears so many glamorous epithets that it is difficult to understand Him. He sits like a magistrate, presiding majestically over his courtroom, trying human beings according to various sections and sub-sections of the penal code. The relationship between the devotees and their Lord, however, is very intimate--here the question of courts or law does not arise. There is only a sweet relationship of love between them. Thoughts, fears, anxieties are the concern of the philosophers, and hence the Lord also remains somewhat aloof from them. The difference between the philosophers and the devotees is illustrated in the following Sloka: Brhacca taddivyamacintyaru'pam' Su'ks'ma'cca tat su'ks'mataram' vibha'ti Dura't sudu're tadiha'ntike ca Pashyatsvihaeva nihitam' guha'ya'm. The Lord is far, far away from the philosophers, but the devotees know that their Lord is in the innermost recesses of their hearts. The philosophers say that the Lord is beyond the reach of the ordinary human mind; but the devotees say that the Lord resides within the innermost cavity of the human mind as the subtlest entity, subtler than any subtle creation. He is the closest entity to the human heart. Toma're pa'che sahaje pa'i ta'i ki eta liila'r chal Ba'hire ya'der ha'sir chat'a' bhitare tha'ke cokher jal Bujhi go a'mi bujhi tava chalama' Ye katha' tumi balite ca'o se katha' tumi balana' Toma're pa'che sahaje dhari kichui tava kina'ra' Dasher dale pheli go pa'che vimukh tumi viru'p ta'i Bujhigo a'mi bujhigo tava chalana' Ye pathe tumi calite ca'o se pathe tumi calana' Sava'r ceye adhik ogo ta'i ki tumi phiriya' ja'o Khela'r ghare khela'r mata bhiks'a' yadi bha's'iye da'o Bujhechi bujhechi a'mi tava chalana' Sava'r ya'he trpti halo toma'r tithe halana' "Do You playfully avoid me lest I should attain You easily? Those who outwardly smile but inwardly shed tears of sorrow--these tricks of Yours I understand, Oh Lord. You do not say exactly what You want to convey, lest I should attain You easily. You have made Yourself boundless. When I treat You as an ordinary entity You turn Your face away from me. I understand Your tricks, oh Lord, I understand. You do not walk the path which you want to tread. You always demand the maximum and if we give you anything less, You turn Your face away from us. Everyone else may be satisfied with his or her lot, but you alone remain ever unsatisfied." When human beings ask for money they must send some application letters, but when Parama Purus'a wants something from you, He will not ask for it, He will demand it. What He will ask you for, you will hesitate to give; for He will ask for nothing less than your whole existence. Those who are prepared to give their all, even though they may be the most ,degraded sinners, become the full responsibility of Parama Purus'a, because they have surrendered themselves completely to Him. They have not given away fifteen a'nna's, keeping one a'nna' for themselves [there are sixteen a'nna's in one rupee.] Hence it is the moral responsibility of Parama Purus'a to care for such people. Those who dwell in the "Heaven of Knowledge" may say, "Such a degraded person has committed such a dastardly crime--his liberation is impossible, for his past was so black!" The philosophers might busy themselves dabbling in knowledge, but those who have completely surrendered themselves to Him, will certainly be cared for by Him. Take the case of flower: it may be defiled with dirt and dust, but if that flower is offered to the water, will the water not accept it? Certainly it will. Likewise the devotees will never be concerned with what a person did in the past. They will think, "I am like a flower offered at His feet which He has graciously accepted." Api cet sudura'ca'ro bhajate ma'manyabha'k So'api tu vinirmuktah mucyate bhava bandhana't. The Lord says, "Even if the worst of the sinners worship me exclusively, they will be liberated from all worldly bondages." This total surrender is not attainable as long as there is any vanity of knowledge in a person's mind--it is not possible for such a person to become an A-grade devotee. (Devotees are of several categories). No matter how sinful people may be, they need not worry about anything if they come within the shelter of Parama Purus'a. Only this has to be ensured, that their surrender is cent per cent. The devotees know that their Lord cannot do two things: the first is that even if He wanted to, He cannot create another Parama Purus'a like Him, for there remains always only one Supreme Consciousness. Hence self-surrender means surrender to the one and only one Parama Purus'a. The second thing which Parama Purus'a cannot do is He cannot hate anyone. He does not have this capacity at all. This is one of His major weaknesses, and the devotees take full advantage of it. They know that however sinful or wicked they may be, Parama Purus'a, cannot hate them, so there is no need to worry. Thus you see that those who possess knowledge mixed with some devotion are bound to dabble in intellectual speculation, while those who possess devotion mixed with some knowledge are the best type of human beings. Devotees are classified into three categories: the devotees of the third category say that "The reflected consciousness of the unit mental plate is the jiiva'tma', and my existential "I"-feeling is embedded in it. Since Parama Purus'a is reflected on each and every mental plate, He is also reflected on mine as well. Since Parama Purus'a belongs to all, and I am included in all, therefore He belongs to me as well." The second or medium category of devotees says, "As Parama Purus'a is reflected on my mental plate, He is mine. Perhaps He is also equally reflected on other mental plates, and may be related to others as He is related to me. Thus Parama Purus'a belongs to me, and He belongs to others as well." The first and highest category of devotee says, "I belong to Him. Since my heart and mind are dancing in His divine flow, and are becoming effulgent, He is mine--He is my personal property. I don't care if He belongs to others or not. I am not prepared to share Him with others. In this universe everything is transitory: what exists today will not remain tomorrow. Nothing will last forever--neither wealth, nor name, nor fame, nor power, nor prestige. I am prepared to give up all relative objects, but Parama Purus'a is my permanent treasure--I will never share that treasure with anyone." Such sa'dhakas who move towards the Supreme Goal with undaunted speed will never recognize any obstacles on the way. Their only goal is to realize that "Parama Purus'a is mine. He is my personal treasure. I will live with Him, and I will never give Him up." 29 November 1971, Calcutta Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 10