SHAKTI AND ITS PROPER APPLICATION

official source: Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 7

cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a 
	Nutshell Part 9

this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell 
	Part 9, 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 subject of today's discourse is "Energy and its Proper Application." In the absence of duality energy (shakti) finds no scope for its application. The existence of energy is dependent on duality.

      The term shakti has various meanings and as such has no proper English equivalent. 'Energy' is the term generally used in English, but it does not convey the full import of shakti. The sentient, mutative and static principles of Prakrti are called shakti ( Prakrti is called Pra'krta Shakti or Supreme Operative Principle. ). The way in which Prakrti functions is called shakti. The flow of the tanmatras or inferences is called shakti. The luminous factor is called shakti in a limited sense. And the energy which a living body acquires from its surroundings is called shakti. This is the broad range of meanings that the term shakti encompasses. Purus'a is also a kind of shakti - Citi Shakti or Cognitive Faculty.

      Let us see how material energy originates. What is the relationship between energy in the mundane sense and the energy of the three principles ? Although the sentient principle influences Purus'a (Cognitive Faculty) to some extent, it cannot bring Purus'a within the limitations of bondage. The influence of the mutative principle arouses the feeling of authorship in the Cognitive Faculty, but it cannot bring Purus'a within the scope of objectivisation and demarcation. Objectivisation and demarcation can only occur under the influence of the static principle. The Cognitive Faculty comes within the scope of bondage (theoretically) due to sentient influence ; comes within the bondage of authorship due to mutative influence; and assumes the shape of certain demarcated forms due to static influence.

      When form remains in the abstract realm it is called energy; when it comes into the material realm it is called matter. Energy is not one of the fundamental factors, but a stage prior to the metamorphosis of the Cosmic Citta into the five fundamental factors.

      Expression is the innate characteristic of shakti. The sentient, mutative and static principles are born at a particular time but lie latent within shakti. They are the creators of the mind. It would be futile for the unit mind to attempt to trace the origin of these three principles because in the process it would land itself in the fallacy of infinite regress. When microcosms become active the unborn Prakrti is not manifested in them spontaneously. Microcosms have to draw the impetus to arouse Prakrti's principles from the Macrocosm. Matter receives its impetus from both microcosm and Macrocosm.

Expression of energy is systaltic. And in this systaltic expression the three principles have their respective roles to play. The initial expression of a wave is sentient. When it reaches maturity it becomes mutative. The period of maturity is followed by a period of contraction. When the most contracted stage is reached the mutative principle is finally superseded by the static principle. This stage of maximum contraction contains the seed for the subsequent stages of expression. It marks the completion of one phase in the cycle of actional flow. At this point the microcosm gathers momentum for the next stage: the gradual unfoldment of microcosmic mind.

Human beings acquire the necessary strength and stamina for their personal endeavour from the Macrocosm. The more strength they require prior to the actual execution of work, the more powerful they become. This strength may be preserved in the body, the mind or in the nerve-cells and nerve-fibres which maintain a coordination between body and mind. The more strength one acquires in a particular sphere, the more permanent one's base in that sphere becomes.

The unit mind draws inspiration from the Macrocosm when the psychic wave is in a state of maximum pause. The Cosmic Mind also acquires impetus to manifest Its dormant sam'ska'ras when Its mind is in a state of pause. The seeds of expression which manifest themselves after the state of pause in the psychic wave are called reactive momenta ( sam'ska'ras ). The higher the frequency of the wave, the more numerous the points of pause, the greater the number of sam'ska'ras, and the cruder the expression. The entity in which there is maximum crudification is called jar'a or matter. At these pause points in the psychic waves of the unit mind the feeling of ego ( asmita' ) arises. To overcome ego one must throw oneself in the whirlpool of activity in order to increase one's psychic wave-length. Action is a must.

      Action can be divided into four stages : initial activity, maturity, lessening of momentum, and lapsing into the state of inaction. The process of respiration can serve as an example. The first stage of respiration is inhalation ( manifestive stage of action ), the second stage is retention (maturity of manifestation), the third stage is exhalation ( contractive stage of action ), and the fourth stage is complete exhalation ( nadir point of contraction ). In the fourth stage if there is any residual momentum left in the psychic wave, then the unit body may continue to derive inspiration from the state of pause of the Macrocosm, thereby giving a continued expression of life. But if the psychic wave loses its residual momentum, or if the psychic wave loses parallelism with the physical wave, the unit being loses the capacity for further inhalation. This is called death. If the contractive wave imbibes momentum for subsequent expansion, unit life and unit mind cannot be separated from the unit body. The air which one inhales will certainly be exhaled. One cannot die before exhalation. When there is the potentiality of further development in the mental sphere, but the physical body does not have the required capacity to express it, the unit mind receives momentum from the state of pause of the Cosmic Mind for acquiring a new physical body. If there is no parallelism between the microcosmic waves and the cruder portion of the Macrocosmic mind, one cannot acquire a new body from Macrocosmic stuff.

      Material bodies disintegrate due to the inadequacy of the energy already acquired, and due to vibrational conflict. When this occurs the reactive potentials lose their physical base and drift in the Macrocosmic flow. Later they are reborn as separate psychic waves as a result of clash amongst the different waves within the Macrocosmic body. The reappearance of these pychic waves is called rebirth.

      In subtle analysis, every state of pause of the systaltic movement is a kind of death. It may not necessarily be the death of the physical body, but the death of waves of vital energy. Hence microcosms die millions of times every day.

From where do microcosms acquire vital energy ? From the state of pause of the Cosmic Mind. But why do they inhale ? They inhale to maintain the existence of their unit bodies and minds. The more they inhale, the more the unit-I acquires the scope to expand itself due to the influence of the mutative principle. The fullest inspiration means the maximum expansion of aham'tattva. When the mind attains its fullest expansion it becomes free from its numerous objects. It becomes tranquil and acquires the scope to be pinpointed on one object for a long period. At the time of exhalation the air returns to the state of pause of the Cosmic Mind. In this phase aham'tattva also contracts gradually. The stage of fullest exhalation is the stage of maximum tranquillity of mind. The relationship between pra'n'a ( vital energy ) and aham'tattva is called pra'n'a taraunga.

As long as the I-feeling exists there is the possibility of rebirth. But when the waves of vitality and the psychic waves become parallel with the state of Cosmic pause no more rebirth is required to perpetuate the I-feeling. This is called maha'mrtyu, the great death.

After worldly death the disembodied soul will have to breathe in from the state of pause of the Cosmic-I to perpetuate its I-feeling, or course through the medium of a different body. That is why the unit mind should exhale with Cosmic ideation, for this leads to parallelism between the Macrocosmic waves and the microcosmic waves. At this stage there remains only one unbroken Cosmic flow which means liberation for the microcosm. As there is only Svarasa within the Macrocosm, and no other individual flow, It does not need to effect any internal change within Itself. But microcosms have to bring about change within themselves in order to merge in the Macrocosmic flow. The flows of energy within the microcosm originating from the static and mutative principles are gradually transformed into the Cosmic flow with the help of the sentient principle. This is the internal application of shakti.

      The waves of the Cognitive Faculty are beyond microcosmic perception and therefore beyond the scope of the three principles. The Cognitive Faculty moves along in Its own flow, and not in the flow of the three principles of Prakrti. The resultant flow created due to clash between the waves of the Cognitive Faculty, and those of the three principles of Prakrti, is called the spiritual flow. And the special resultant created in microcosms by this spiritual flow is called spiritual inspiration.

      Inspiration and the thought of universal welfare are inseparable. The spiritually inspired mind should apply its power on the material world so that matter can be used benevolently for human progress. Trees, stones and earth are not easily moved by spiritual inspiration ; nor are people of static nature. The difference between human beings and inanimate objects is that the former possess minds. If crude people fail to imbibe spiritual vibrations, highly evolved sa'dhakas, using the powerful thought of human welfare, should create spiritual vibrations in their minds. This endeavour is called proper application of spiritual energy. Dull or crude people who are not easily moved by the application of spiritual energy will have to be transformed with the proper application of psychic power ; that is, they will have to be convinced through logic and reasoning, and rectified by creating psychic clash within their minds. If that fails, it should be understood that the static pressure of the Cosmic Mind has a firm hold on their minds. Unless powerful vibrations are created in their bodies and minds, no effective change will ever take place. In that case one will have to temporarily create a powerful physical impact instead of a psychic or spiritual one. Spiritual vibrations do not work at all times ; sometimes the help of physical energy is required.

      The Cognitive Faculty exerts its influence on body and mind. Human beings can benefit from that influence only when the mind remains in a state of tranquillity. Thus they should only indulge in virtuous deeds. If people keep bad company, their psychic bodies will be misguided by the negative physical and psychic energies of those bad elements. Mental restlessness and the unhealthy waves of the environment will cause them to stray from the path of righteousness. Hence, each and every human being should keep good company. One should move according to the spiritual flow and not according to the psychic flow of others.

      The physical body of living beings is made of the five fundamental factors, and is thus the crude resultant of the forces of Macrocosm. Hence the physical body is naturally guided by spiritual impetus. The psychic waves of human beings want to direct the physical body. Unless there is a serious disharmony between the psychic waves and spiritual waves, the physical body of living beings moves on in its natural rhythm. But once serious disharmony occurs, there arises a clash between the body and mind. Human beings wake up startled after a frightening nightmare, tormented by a cruel deed they performed in the past. While giving false evidence in court, their bodies tremble and their throats become parched. Of course, once their sins and crimes become habitual, their bodies become adjusted with the crude waves. Then there occurs no clash between the body and mind even while performing evil deeds. But when spiritual inspiration exerts its influence the body and mind become transformed. The mind begins to move towards Purus'ottama and becomes centered on the pituitary plexus.

      Psychic waves, whether good or bad, first create vibrations in the pituitary plexus. According to the nature of these vibrations a particular hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland. The lower glands of the body are influenced by this hormone, which ultimately brings about a great change in the physical body.

      When the application of energy is internal it is called a'dhya'tmik saldhana' or spiritual practice. Spiritual practice is a constant process of purification of body and mind. It causes the physical and psychic waves to attain greater parallelism with the Cosmic wave. When the mind finally dissolves in the Cognitive Faculty it ceases to exist, for at that stage its mind-stuff has been completely powdered down. This process of powdering down the mind-stuff with the help of spiritual waves is called moks'a sa'dhana', the endeavour to attain salvation.

      What is the best way to attain salvation ? When the human mind imbibes spiritual inspiration from the Macrocosm, it also imbibes the idea of Purus'a, the Cognitive Faculty, causing a corresponding vibration to occur within the mind itself. At that stage the waves of the Cognitive Faculty and the resultant waves of the three principles of Prakrti in the process of svarupa parin'a'ma ( homomorphic evolution ) attain some kind of parallelism. Then the Cognitive Faculty moves completely in Its own natural flow together with the psychic flow of individuals. When the unit cognitive flow attains parallelism with the Macrocosmic flow it is called moks'a ( salvation ). Moks'a is attained by the mind, and not the body. But the physical body is an important factor and should by no means be neglected. It is the vehicle which carries one along the path of sa'dhana'. Thus one must strive continuously to rectify the defects of the physical glands to prevent them from misguiding the mind to engage itself in mean thoughts and actions.

The result of spiritual practice is the gradual surrender of body-centredness and mind-centredness to cognition. As spiritual waves are subtler than psychic waves, and thus beyond the realm of psychic functioning, we cannot give them any particular name. But we can certainly give a name to the functions of body and mind.

When psychic waves are directed towards Consciousness it is called bhakti or devotion. As long as bhakti remains within the psychic sphere, it is sentient in nature, no matter how subtle it might be. But when devotion touches the spiritual wave of pure Consciousness, which is beyond the three principles, it can no longer be called sattvagun'ii ( sentient ) or sagun'ii ( related to Sagun'a Brahma ), but can legitimately be called kevala'. In kevala' bhakti there remains no bondage of limitation. One who reaches the stage of kevala' bhakti forgets all protocol, and dances, sings, cries, and laughs in supreme joy. It is only at this height of spiritual elevation that worldly bondages, enemies, fetters and social restraints cease to exist.

When the psychic waves develop, smashing the bondages of matter as they advance, it is called karma or action. Genuine devotion originates from sentient inspiration ; proper action originates from the inspiration of the mutative principle. Even while saturated with the sweet waves of spiritual inspiration one can still continue to act and struggle against the forces of matter. Before commencing this struggle, if one wants to know the proper relation between action on the one hand and the Macrocosm or microcosm on the other hand, one will have to know the true nature of matter. The endeavour to know matter is called jina'na sa'dhana'. And the endeavour to establish a happy co-relation between Consciousness and matter is called jina'na yoga. In the initial stage of one's attempt to know matter, jinana is static by nature. I am using the word jinana here in the sense of relative or mundane knowledge. In the absolute sense this sort of knowledge is not actually jinana. In fact, there is no difference between real knowledge or parajinana and devotion. Bookworms do not deserve to be called jinaniis.

      When movement is analytical or towards crude matter, the pursuit of knowledge is static by nature. Since relative knowledge is static by nature, people easily develop pride as they acquire more of it. But relative knowledge cannot be denied ; it is a necessity in the mundane world. One must acquire it, yet eliminate its defects, and that can only be done by imbibing Cosmic ideation. One will have to move in the mundane world with the help of madhuvidya' ( superimposition of Cosmic ideation on thoughts and deeds ). For those lawyers, government officials, actors, actresses and political leaders whose profession brings them in close contact with wicked people, there remains the possibility of downfall at every step. The sinful and criminal thoughts of those they rub shoulders with can easily have a negative influence on their minds. Therefore they should take Cosmic ideation more than ordinary people, otherwise degradation is unavoidable.

      How should one take Cosmic ideation ? Human beings make the mistake of mostly thinking about material objects (vis'aya), subtle or crude. Parama Purus'a, to Whom you are an object, is your subject. How can you take Him as your object ? To accept Parama Purus'a as your object means to surrender your microcosmic identity to His Macrocosmic identity. You must take yourself back to your original stance--an act of total surrender at the altar of Parama Purus'a.

On the occasion of the inauguration of the Central Ja'grti at Jamalpur

19 December 1958, Jamalpur
Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 7