VASHIIKA'RA -- 1

official source: Ma'nasa'dhya'tmika Sa'dhana'r Staravinya's [Stages of Psycho-
	Spiritual Sa'dhana']

cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 6

this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 6, 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.

      Movement is the essence of existence. Existence is pushed from behind, and moves forward towards the Supreme pole star of all movement. This guiding force is not linear but systaltic. The degrees of its systalsion in one stage is not the same as in the subsequent stage. The reason behind this non-uniformity is that the path of movement is divided into a few stages. Any systaltic or pulsative movement within the realm of the relative factors starts from one point and terminates in another point within the domain of space. The intervening space between the two points is measured by the time factor and substantiated and sustained by the personal factor.

      When movement is in the psychic realm it usually starts from a crude mental idea, and from there proceeds towards subtlety. The crude mind of the first stage, becomes increasingly subtle in the subsequent stages, and eventually becomes so subtle that it becomes non-existent.

      Human beings guided by the sweetness and charm of the inner heart pray to the Lord,

      " Namah shiva'ya sha'nta'ya ka'ran'atraya hetave
	Nivedaya'mi chatma'nam tvam' gatih parameshvara"

      " Salutations to Shiva, the Supreme Controller and the Lord of the crude, subtle and causal worlds. I completely surrender myself unto you, Oh Lord. You are the Supreme destination of all microcosms"

      Sa'dhakas first address the Lord of their life " Oh Parama Purus'a, You are the Supreme Entity, You are Shiva. Here Shiva means the Supreme Cognitive Faculty who is watching,hearing, understanding and witnessing everything in the capacity of His individual and pervasive association. One cannot think of anything secretly, what do speak of doing anything without His knowledge. This pinnacled entity who remains as the silent witness of all phenomena is Shiva. He plays the role of the hero in all dramas, He is the unblemished,omniscient one, pervaded with the thought of the welfare of all at all times. So His role is not only that of a witness. " Shiva" also means the embodiment of welfare. Had He not played the role of a Supreme Benevolent Father, microcosms would not have been able to live for even a single moment. Human beings survive because they feel His benevolent touch every moment. In Him all movements culminate, in Him the supreme faculty of benevolence lies embedded, and thus He is the most lovable object in this universe. And He is not only the Supreme Cognitive Faculty, the embodiment of absolute well-being - He is much greater, much deeper than that. For He lies in the subtlest thoughts of one's mind and exists as the limitless sphere beyond the periphery of the limited human mind. Whatever human beings want or whatever they receive is His manifestation. Yet He is beyond the capacity of the human mind to comprehend. So, one should only prostrate before such an entity. The amount of bliss which human beings attain after surrendering their everything to Him is too deep to be measured by the small human mind.

      In the above sloka Parama Purus'a has been described as Sha'nta. As long as the human mind is attracted towards the glamorous external objects, as long as mental progress is checked by the pursuit of gross physicality, the human heart remains restless, and utters mournfully " I am hungry. I am hungry" This insatiable hunger cannot be satisfied by anything from the mundane world, and that is not possible either. So what is the solution? Only Sha'nta, the Supreme Tranquil Entity, in whom all the objects of this universe, whether animate or inanimate, positive or negative, take shelter and controls all His latent potentialities by dint of His unfathomable valour can satisfy the unlimited hunger of human beings. Only He can establish human beings in the world of supra-aesthetic joy, the abode of bliss, by applying the balm of inner peace. Another name of this Tranquil Entity is Shiva.

      In the field of manifestation, there are crude, subtle and causal expressions. The entity which appears as crude to me is necessarily so, for it too is saturated with the sweetness of Parama Purus'a. Whatever I consider subtle is the subtler sweetness of Parama Purus'a. He is at the root of everything of the universe. In the causal world His sweet smiling form is being transformed according to His wish and radiating divine effulgence throughout the universe. Parama Purus'a is the Supreme Entity who is the seed of the three worlds.

      " I surrender myself unto you, Oh Lord because You are the Supreme Shelter. I offer my everything at Your feet". There is no second entity in the universe to whom everything can be surrendered. If human beings surrender themselves to mundane or psychic objects they will ultimately be converted into crudity in their lives - misery will be their fate. No wants this. All human beings want to attain lasting happiness. But for this they will have to surrender themselves at the altar of Parama Purus'a. The culminating point of the path of movement where every manifestation culminates is also Parama Purus'a. He is the Supreme terminus of all movement.

      Thus the psycho-spiritual path is divided into four stages: yatama'na, vya'tireka, ekendriya and vashiika'ra. When the mind hovers between the crude and the subtle it is the yatamana stage. When, after vacillating between petty gains and losses one wishes to want to snap the bondage of gains and losses for good and plunge into the world of psychic bliss, It is the second stage, vya'tireka. When bliss comes like a flood of light on a moonlit night, it is ekendriya. And when one strives hard to establish oneself in the absolute word by suspending all the mundane longings through psycho-spiritual endeavour it is vashiika'ra.

6 December 1981, Calcutta
Ma'nasa'dhya'tmika Sa'dhana'r Staravinya's [Stages of Psycho-Spiritual 
Sa'dhana']