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Swami: Oh! How is this? You have come so early this time?
Bhakta: You made me come, and so I have come! Is there anything I can call mine?
Swami: That is true; but will even a scrap of paper move without some cause? So too, for you to come so early, there must be some reason.
Bhakta: Nothing else, Swami! Hearing that You are proceeding to Thiruvananthapuram on the 16th itself, at the invitation of Sri Ramakrishna Rao, Governor of Kerala, I felt that I may not get much chance to speak to You if I come on that day only. So, I came now, please forgive me!
Swami: That is well done! But why do you ask that I should pardon you? Really speaking, one should not ask for pardon, even when one commits wrong! Then, why to ask for it when you have done the right thing?
Bhakta: Swami, why should we not ask for pardon, when we commit wrong?
Swami: No, you must not ask, either for pardon when wrong is done, or for reward, when right is done! Doing right is but man’s duty; so, it is its own reward. What other reward can there be? The joy of having done one’s duty is your reward! Doing wrong is against the duty of man. So, one should pray repentantly, for the intelligence and discrimination necessary for not repeating the wrong already committed. Beyond this, it depends on His Grace, whether He punishes and protects or pardons and corrects.
Bhakta: That is very fine. Henceforward, I shall do so, Swami.
Swami: Let that be! Are you treasuring the gems given on the Birthday and making good use of them?
Bhakta: As far as possible! With my maximum effort, using the buddhi granted by You, I am putting them into action.
Swami: What do you mean by “as far as possible?” For bhaktas like you, what other task is there greater than this? Why is it not possible? You only need faith and the Will. Then, it should not be difficult at all to carry out the Duty.
Bhakta: Swami, You have Yourself said that even when there is faith and even when one has the Will, putting things into practice may be difficult for want of favourable circumstances and also because the meaning of things may not be grasped clearly.
Swami: Oh! That means that both these, want of favourable circumstances and want of understanding, are bothering you! Well, if you have not understood, ask; and, if you have no favourable circumstances, tell me what is the obstacle.
Bhakta: Doubt is the biggest obstacle. What can be bigger than that? Even after hearing so much, that demon catches hold of me, off and on. I do not know why.
Swami: The first reason for that: your not having faith in yourself, that you are really atma-swarupa (Embodiment of atma, God). The second reason: mistaking the Divinity in humanity as humanity only and getting lost in the pursuit of vishayavanchalu (sensual desires). This demon of doubt pounces on you for these two reasons only. Instead, if you establish yourself in God, understanding the Divinity in humanity as Divinity itself, this demon of doubt will not attack you. You simply must give up this adhyasa (superimposition) which makes you mix things up.
_Bhakta: T_here! You use now and then un-understandable words! That makes me even more confused, Swami!
Swami: I will never tell you un-understandable words. You have no power to understand, so you feel worried. I use them, really, in order to make you understand their meaning! Now, in what I told you, which is the difficult word?
Bhakta: You used the word, adhyasa. What does it mean, Swami?
Swami: What! You do not know the meaning of that! “Seeing one form and deluding it to be another, superimposing one thing upon another.”
Bhakta: How is that? On which object do we superimpose another? Please explain.
Swami: Well, seeing a rope and imagining it to be a snake; seeing waves of hot air in the sun and imagining them to be horses; seeing a mirror shining in the sun and taking it to be a lamp….
Bhakta: But what is it that I see and what do I delude it to be?
Swami: You see paramatma in this form of prakriti, and take It to be mere prapancham, or the world, and you are afraid. It is on account of this delusion that you have become the victim of all these varieties of weakness, and you are declining through doubt and illusion. If you see It right, the delusion will vanish. The fear will disappear; the faith that It is paramatma will be firmly established in you. To get that firmness, the lamp of viveka (Discrimination) is necessary. How much a man suffers, so long as he sees the rope as a snake! How much is the fear! How delusive! Can it be realised how all that fear and delusion vanishes as soon as it was seen in the light? Similarly, these doubts and delusions too will vanish unawares, as soon as you know that prakriti is paramatma. Imposing a delusion on a delusion, imagining one object to be another, this is called adhyasa, my boy!
Bhakta: But, Swami, how can it be possible to call prakriti as paramatma? When sahaja manavas (ordinary men) are asked to discern this world, which appears as prapancham to their eyes, as paramatma, doubt is sure to arise.
Swami: That is true my dear! However, if the reality is enquired, even this drasyam (that which is objectifiable perceptually or inferentially and not merely that which is seen visually) will appear as paramatma. Cloth cannot be formed without yarn, isn’t it? Yarn is essential for cloth. In fact, it is all yarn. In spite of this, yarn is not spoken of as cloth, nor is cloth spoken as yarn. This is exactly the relationship, between prakriti and paramatma. Paramatma is the yarn of which the cloth, prakriti, is formed. In that case, has the yarn and the cloth become separate? No. The yarn is used in one way, the cloth in another way. But for this reason only, it would be wrong to consider yarn and cloth as different.
Bhakta: Yes, Swami. Since prakriti is formed of paramatma, it is clear that they are not separate. Now, if both these are the same, which among these is jiva?
Swami: That is exactly the doubt that is tormenting you, my boy. Jiva is the one who gave room to the “I” consciousness! Jiva is associated with the upadhis (manifesting mediums) of the body and the senses. But He is the atma, jivatma (Individualised Soul), pratyagatma (Inner presiding atma), chidatma (Super-consciousness atma), karta (Doer), bhokta (Enjoyer), everything.
Bhakta: Again, another word jada is used. What is it, this jada? How does it operate? Please explain.
Swami: From buddhi (Intellect) to Body, all transformations of prakriti are jada. This is the asat (unreal, non self-existent), the achetana (inanimate, non-living). You must take everything that is not sat and chit as jada. In essence, the world is really jada and nothing else. Jada cannot manifest without the union of chaitanya, or chit and sat, just as air is inseparable from the atmosphere. Has it not been said in the Gita in the past, that all movable and immovable creation is due to the union of prakriti and purusha?
Bhakta: Then what is the relationship between buddhi and manas on the one hand and atma on the other? And, how is that relationship?
Swami: Well, though there is no special relationship between them and the atma, atma is pure and without blemish. Buddhi too is pure and without blemish. And, just as the Sun is reflected in a mirror, the splendour of the atma is reflected in the buddhi. Then, the shining chaitanya of the buddhi is reflected in the manas; the shining of the manas falls upon the senses; the light from the senses falls upon the Body. Now, what is the connection among all these? The relationship of all is the splendour of the atma, is it not? The activity of every other thing is caused by the fact that there is a mirror called buddhi, which can reflect that splendour, is it not? So, note how the buddhi is related: this side with the atma; and that side, with the manas and the indriyas, senses!
Bhakta: Then, what is the relation between the jiva, which is “I”, and the senses and the body?
Swami: There is no relation at all! The “I” is separate from the body, the manas and senses. The body-consciousness, the sense-consciousness and the internal behaviours of the mind, etc., simply get superimposed on the jiva (“I”). For example: “I am fair” says the jiva, superimposing body-consciousness upon itself, something with which it has no connection. “I am dumb,” it says, superimposing sense-consciousness upon itself. It says it has this desire and that, and imposes on itself the activities of the manas, etc. All this is mere superimposition. The basic truth is only One, the paramatma, the paramjyoti (Supreme Effulgence), the Eternal, the True, is only One! Understand this well.
Bhakta: Ah, what a superb teaching, easily understandable to all! Swami, if only this teaching of the Principle of the atma, which even children can grasp, spreads over the whole world, the world will emerge from darkness to light.
Swami: That is the reason why I converse with you about every point and allow all to partake in it. The Sun’s light falls upon the mirror, the light from the mirror falls upon the bungalow, the light upon the bungalow falls upon the eye. Similarly, this Sandeha Nivarinee has been Willed by Me so that the illumination of My Teaching may fall upon the bhakta mirror, and thence onto the sanathana sarathi bungalow, in order that from there, its effulgence may shed Light on the Peace and Harmony of the world.
Swami: Oh! How is this? You have come so early this time?
Bhakta: You made me come, and so I have come! Is there anything I can call mine?
Swami: That is true; but will even a scrap of paper move without some cause? So too, for you to come so early, there must be some reason.
Bhakta: Nothing else, Swami! Hearing that You are proceeding to Thiruvananthapuram on the 16th itself, at the invitation of Sri Ramakrishna Rao, Governor of Kerala, I felt that I may not get much chance to speak to You if I come on that day only. So, I came now, please forgive me!
Swami: That is well done! But why do you ask that I should pardon you? Really speaking, one should not ask for pardon, even when one commits wrong! Then, why to ask for it when you have done the right thing?
Bhakta: Swami, why should we not ask for pardon, when we commit wrong?
Swami: No, you must not ask, either for pardon when wrong is done, or for reward, when right is done! Doing right is but man’s duty; so, it is its own reward. What other reward can there be? The joy of having done one’s duty is your reward! Doing wrong is against the duty of man. So, one should pray repentantly, for the intelligence and discrimination necessary for not repeating the wrong already committed. Beyond this, it depends on His Grace, whether He punishes and protects or pardons and corrects.
Bhakta: That is very fine. Henceforward, I shall do so, Swami.
Swami: Let that be! Are you treasuring the gems given on the Birthday and making good use of them?
Bhakta: As far as possible! With my maximum effort, using the buddhi granted by You, I am putting them into action.
Swami: What do you mean by “as far as possible?” For bhaktas like you, what other task is there greater than this? Why is it not possible? You only need faith and the Will. Then, it should not be difficult at all to carry out the Duty.
Bhakta: Swami, You have Yourself said that even when there is faith and even when one has the Will, putting things into practice may be difficult for want of favourable circumstances and also because the meaning of things may not be grasped clearly.
Swami: Oh! That means that both these, want of favourable circumstances and want of understanding, are bothering you! Well, if you have not understood, ask; and, if you have no favourable circumstances, tell me what is the obstacle.
Bhakta: Doubt is the biggest obstacle. What can be bigger than that? Even after hearing so much, that demon catches hold of me, off and on. I do not know why.
Swami: The first reason for that: your not having faith in yourself, that you are really atma-swarupa (Embodiment of atma, God). The second reason: mistaking the Divinity in humanity as humanity only and getting lost in the pursuit of vishayavanchalu (sensual desires). This demon of doubt pounces on you for these two reasons only. Instead, if you establish yourself in God, understanding the Divinity in humanity as Divinity itself, this demon of doubt will not attack you. You simply must give up this adhyasa (superimposition) which makes you mix things up.
_Bhakta: T_here! You use now and then un-understandable words! That makes me even more confused, Swami!
Swami: I will never tell you un-understandable words. You have no power to understand, so you feel worried. I use them, really, in order to make you understand their meaning! Now, in what I told you, which is the difficult word?
Bhakta: You used the word, adhyasa. What does it mean, Swami?
Swami: What! You do not know the meaning of that! “Seeing one form and deluding it to be another, superimposing one thing upon another.”
Bhakta: How is that? On which object do we superimpose another? Please explain.
Swami: Well, seeing a rope and imagining it to be a snake; seeing waves of hot air in the sun and imagining them to be horses; seeing a mirror shining in the sun and taking it to be a lamp….
Bhakta: But what is it that I see and what do I delude it to be?
Swami: You see paramatma in this form of prakriti, and take It to be mere prapancham, or the world, and you are afraid. It is on account of this delusion that you have become the victim of all these varieties of weakness, and you are declining through doubt and illusion. If you see It right, the delusion will vanish. The fear will disappear; the faith that It is paramatma will be firmly established in you. To get that firmness, the lamp of viveka (Discrimination) is necessary. How much a man suffers, so long as he sees the rope as a snake! How much is the fear! How delusive! Can it be realised how all that fear and delusion vanishes as soon as it was seen in the light? Similarly, these doubts and delusions too will vanish unawares, as soon as you know that prakriti is paramatma. Imposing a delusion on a delusion, imagining one object to be another, this is called adhyasa, my boy!
Bhakta: But, Swami, how can it be possible to call prakriti as paramatma? When sahaja manavas (ordinary men) are asked to discern this world, which appears as prapancham to their eyes, as paramatma, doubt is sure to arise.
Swami: That is true my dear! However, if the reality is enquired, even this drasyam (that which is objectifiable perceptually or inferentially and not merely that which is seen visually) will appear as paramatma. Cloth cannot be formed without yarn, isn’t it? Yarn is essential for cloth. In fact, it is all yarn. In spite of this, yarn is not spoken of as cloth, nor is cloth spoken as yarn. This is exactly the relationship, between prakriti and paramatma. Paramatma is the yarn of which the cloth, prakriti, is formed. In that case, has the yarn and the cloth become separate? No. The yarn is used in one way, the cloth in another way. But for this reason only, it would be wrong to consider yarn and cloth as different.
Bhakta: Yes, Swami. Since prakriti is formed of paramatma, it is clear that they are not separate. Now, if both these are the same, which among these is jiva?
Swami: That is exactly the doubt that is tormenting you, my boy. Jiva is the one who gave room to the “I” consciousness! Jiva is associated with the upadhis (manifesting mediums) of the body and the senses. But He is the atma, jivatma (Individualised Soul), pratyagatma (Inner presiding atma), chidatma (Super-consciousness atma), karta (Doer), bhokta (Enjoyer), everything.
Bhakta: Again, another word jada is used. What is it, this jada? How does it operate? Please explain.
Swami: From buddhi (Intellect) to Body, all transformations of prakriti are jada. This is the asat (unreal, non self-existent), the achetana (inanimate, non-living). You must take everything that is not sat and chit as jada. In essence, the world is really jada and nothing else. Jada cannot manifest without the union of chaitanya, or chit and sat, just as air is inseparable from the atmosphere. Has it not been said in the Gita in the past, that all movable and immovable creation is due to the union of prakriti and purusha?
Bhakta: Then what is the relationship between buddhi and manas on the one hand and atma on the other? And, how is that relationship?
Swami: Well, though there is no special relationship between them and the atma, atma is pure and without blemish. Buddhi too is pure and without blemish. And, just as the Sun is reflected in a mirror, the splendour of the atma is reflected in the buddhi. Then, the shining chaitanya of the buddhi is reflected in the manas; the shining of the manas falls upon the senses; the light from the senses falls upon the Body. Now, what is the connection among all these? The relationship of all is the splendour of the atma, is it not? The activity of every other thing is caused by the fact that there is a mirror called buddhi, which can reflect that splendour, is it not? So, note how the buddhi is related: this side with the atma; and that side, with the manas and the indriyas, senses!
Bhakta: Then, what is the relation between the jiva, which is “I”, and the senses and the body?
Swami: There is no relation at all! The “I” is separate from the body, the manas and senses. The body-consciousness, the sense-consciousness and the internal behaviours of the mind, etc., simply get superimposed on the jiva (“I”). For example: “I am fair” says the jiva, superimposing body-consciousness upon itself, something with which it has no connection. “I am dumb,” it says, superimposing sense-consciousness upon itself. It says it has this desire and that, and imposes on itself the activities of the manas, etc. All this is mere superimposition. The basic truth is only One, the paramatma, the paramjyoti (Supreme Effulgence), the Eternal, the True, is only One! Understand this well.
Bhakta: Ah, what a superb teaching, easily understandable to all! Swami, if only this teaching of the Principle of the atma, which even children can grasp, spreads over the whole world, the world will emerge from darkness to light.
Swami: That is the reason why I converse with you about every point and allow all to partake in it. The Sun’s light falls upon the mirror, the light from the mirror falls upon the bungalow, the light upon the bungalow falls upon the eye. Similarly, this Sandeha Nivarinee has been Willed by Me so that the illumination of My Teaching may fall upon the bhakta mirror, and thence onto the sanathana sarathi bungalow, in order that from there, its effulgence may shed Light on the Peace and Harmony of the world.