Now I come to your question, “Whether life has got some meaning". I may quote here a verse to give you some idea of it.

"Life means liveliness; damnation is for those who are dead at heart."

Whatever poetical meaning it might carry, my view-point will be clear by the following interpretation. What is liveliness? It is to live with a heart. But what kind of life would it be? In a word I may say, "Give away your heart to another, what remains then is only life". If you ponder over the word ‘life' you will come to the conclusion that life is only that which is connected with living. My expression makes it clear that there is certainly some type of living with which life is connected. At the same time it is also clear that the living with which this life wants to remain connected is eternal and immortal. If we merge our life in that life it is then the real life, where there is neither bliss nor sorrow, neither pleasure nor pain. I wish to lead you all to that life which alone is the goal of life as I have put it. Whatever sense you apply to the sentence, "give away your heart to another", will be correct if that is associated with the feeling of love. But it is also definite that Reality can never be revealed through mere interpretations because that would be far away from mental grasp. My object in writing all this is that the real being which is shrouded over with worldliness, or the heart which is inclined towards silly pleasantries, should be turned round. This is all that one has to do in life — the heart to be His, and you to be yours!

Regarding your question as to what you shall get by this kind of life, I may say that the question of getting arises only when there is a motive at the bottom. But when the heart itself is no longer ours the question of motive does not arise at all. What will you get then? Only that which is really yours. You had certainly a life prior to this one, and your coming into this life is the result of that. Now if you want to have your past life again, it is impossible. The worry for the next one should not also be there since you have surrendered your mind and heart to another, as you say.

Diversity is life. Had there been no diversity, what would life have meant? Now, how did it come about? The answer would be that we went on solidifying our thoughts to the extent that the real thing at the base got veiled within. The glamour and the glitter alone remained to view, with which we fell in love to the extent of getting intoxicated with it. When you became tipsy you went on spinning round like a top. You danced and felt delighted with it. Now please decide for yourself what part in the work-house of Nature did you play for your own making, which was exclusively your own responsibility.

It is good that you do the puja for half an hour but it would be better if you do it for an hour. Constant remembrance shall help you to cross all stages. All the different stages and the various types of superconsciousness are unfolded thereby, and it connects you with Reality. You seem to be a bit perplexed at the idea that it is impossible to answer every ‘why'. Let me give you certain examples. The problem whether the seed came first or the tree has not yet been solved. But my view is that it was the seed that came first, and that was due to the effect of quakes and shocks of the Divine vibrations. One might as well ask why was the world created at all, or where did God come from? Just think for yourself what the answer can possibly be. I think if God could be asked where He did come from, He would not be able to answer. If he replies at all He cannot be God then, because with the reply the limitation would at once set in and His unlimitedness would be lost.

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EDUCATION

Education causes only an expansion of brain, whereas the most essential factor for the expansion of mind is culture which puts the channels of our thought and actions in order. Mere reading of books without a close study of the Heart's book is of no avail. But since I am not very learned, I may possibly be misunderstanding the real meaning of ‘Education'. It was in the state of ignorance that I was born, and I am more so now because when I opened the book of my heart for the purpose of study, I found in it only one word, ‘Ignorance'.

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PRESENT EDUCATION – FALLACIES

Our present education, being dyed in the gaudy colours of Western thought, tends towards the increasing of necessities of life to an abnormal limit. All through life people go on striving for their procurement with the full force of their thought and effort. That becomes their main pursuit of life. Reverses and failures create unhappy effects upon them and spoil their mood. The real cause of anger is usually one's own refractory temperament. A stubborn nature cultivated by the effect enshrouds one's sense of judgement. The distinction between right and wrong having thus been lost, he remains rigidly fixed upon his views and allows no accommodation to other's views. This is undoubtedly a serious block in the way of spirituality. One on the path of spirituality should necessarily be as light in mind and spirit as possible. He should be free from even the weight of the feeling of what he is after. This is in fact the real secret of a strong will which I disclose to you today. In such a case, whatever thought gets settled in shall have its action. Permanency in this state is an attainment of a high order.

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HELL, HEAVEN AND BRAHMA LOK

Everyone praises men of wisdom and I too do so. At some place I have also humourously remarked that even God does not help the weak persons. And he alone is weak who lacks self-confidence. Now, I say that God has reserved a place for those who are foolish, and that is heaven. The hell is heaven for the sinners and for the ignorant. For the wise there is heavenly heaven; and for the innocent “brahmalok“. I think the above divisions are correct. If I explain it, it will require a number of pages. Therefore I leave the explanation to you people.

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LAYA AVASTHA IN BRAHMAN

The experience of the Ultimate begins when every other experience dies out. Those who have acquired laya avastha in Brahman, as much as is possible for the human being, remain in it sometimes with the full depth, and sometimes a little shallow. A man fully absorbed in Brahman all the time can do any work but will look like a statue.

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GODLY MIND

It is impossible to reach Reality through the medium of reason. Reality is after all an intuitional (Wajdani) thing. This is quite true and the Sufis (Muslim Mystics) mostly consider the Wajdani (intuitional) condition to be the Real condition. But our thinkers have gone still further than this. Wajdan is, nevertheless, connected with matter and the “I-ness” is hidden in it. The condition which lies beyond this can indeed be called the Real condition. Reason cannot reach there. When individuality goes away from the individual mind, the mind alone remains which is one only, and it can then be called the Godly Mind. Just that alone brings to view the real condition of the self. The reach of reason is to the extent to which you view the other thing with import.

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ZERO

It is possible that I cannot understand the meaning of Zero in as good a manner as others do, because the zero cannot know the condition of another zero, nor can the dead know the condition of the corpse. In a way, you may call such a condition as that where all dualities whatsoever go away, and we become living dead. Or we get dissolved in Reality in such a way that every discrimination is lost,and the difference between the Real and the imitation is not discerned.

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REAL SPIRITUALITY

Real spirituality lies in actually becoming colourless, odourless and tasteless, because God has got none of these. In our system, it is endeavoured to take one up to Reality. If any colour remains, there can be no purity at all. You know all these things.

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PERCEPTION

There is a Persian Proverb: “See Laila with the eyes of Majnu”. That is, as Laila was an ugly girl, it required the eyes of a Majnu only to see her. In the same way, if we have to see God, the same mad looks are required.

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CONCEPTS OF GOD

The most commonly accepted conception of God is Eternal Power. But the philosophic view goes much beyond and includes the idea of Nirguna Brahma or Indeterminate Absolute which is above all multiplicity and distinctions. It is the ultimate cause and substratum of existence, the supra active Centre of the entire manifestation or the Absolute Base. It is beyond quality, activity or Consciousness. It is also known as Para Brahma. Next comes the idea of God as Supreme existence. We see the universe with all its diversities and differentiations and we are led to believe in it as creator and controller. We call him as Ishwar or Saguna Brahma (Determinate Absolute). Really God is neither Nirakar nor Saakar but beyond both.

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