The Master unfolds in this Chapter a panoramic vista of the stages the aspirant comes across during his progress on the Path of Realization. The Master endowed with an extraordinary degree of spiritual sensitivity has been able to identify the multifarious spiritual conditions encountered and gone through by Him till He reached the Ultimate condition possible to a human being.

As He puts it elsewhere one should possess the capacity to move up and down through the various planes of spiritual consciousness, secure mergence in a particular knot or sub-centre before putting down the experience had in that place in terms of the thought content, feelings and attitude one forms towards the self, Master, God and existence in general through the perspective gained from the experience at that place. In the case of the Master He started writing about the various conditions after He secured the subtlest and the most sublime heights in spirituality endowing the account with the authority of direct intuitional insight. The Master has always stressed the superiority of experiential knowledge and that too as obtained through yogic intuitional insight and He has stated elsewhere that His views and conclusions as to the nature of Reality are based upon His own direct anubhava whatever Sankara or Ramanuja might say. He says again characteristically that the yogi does not infer fire from smoke but sees things directly.

The Master has presented His system of Rajayoga in several ways. In His first work, ‘Commentary on Ten Commandments of Sahajmarg’, he presented it from the point of practical methods to be adopted to achieve the desired goal namely, moderation in daily life. This work constitutes the ethics of the system. In His book, ‘Efficacy of Rajayoga in the light of Sahaj Marg’ He has revealed the possibilities of human consciousness for evolving from the absolutely self-centered one to the purely Divine oriented through various levels called by Him as Heart region, Mind region and Central region. It is in this work He has presented to the world His inventions of points ‘A’ and ‘B’ located in the chest region of the human frame and counseled meditation on these points for the evolution of consciousness. In His book, ‘ Towards Infinity’ He has delineated the various levels of consciousness lying twisted due to the very nature of evolution (involution) itself and identified mainly 13 knots and many more minor ones for general assessment of spiritual growth of an individual (Imperience beckons p141).

The subject of this Chapter is a thumbnail sketch as it were of His more detailed work, ‘Towards Infinity’, commented upon by Revered. K.C.Narayana in ‘Path of Grace’ already referred to. It is quite illuminating to go through some key ideas expressed by Revered. Dr. K.C.Varadachari in his Foreword on the original work of the Divine Master for comprehending the real significance of the Master’s work. He states therein that the Master gives in the book an inward account of the progress of the experiences as the soul passes from one state to another. These bhumikas or stages of the Ultimate have indeed been formed for each individual ray or soul through a process of creative descent and has formed the several knots or granthis or planes each developing a particular law of its own which has made for the bondage and sorrow. It is inevitable that a soul that has formed its descent should attempt to return. The awareness of the steps of the descent having been forgotten it remains for it to seek one who not only knows the steps but has gone beyond to the Ultimate and can lead one up through yogic transmission from stage to stage. It is understandable that one should seek the assistance from such a Master who would have crossed all the stages as a lesser person however advanced he might be compared to the ordinary human condition might have been caught up in some higher knot of being that is but rotating him in that higher circle or wheel.

The originality of these descriptions and the method of transcendence of these knots or circle of being and the experiences of the different kinds of Ananda that has made for the descent, and now makes for the ascent, reveals a new technique unknown to earlier yoga literature. We do have descriptions of the bhumikas (sapta bhumikas) and granthis in some of the Upanishads- for instance in the Mundaka Upanishad which states ‘bidyate hrdaya granthih… tasmin drishte paravare’ (II.2.8)- but we never come across the psychological proof of their nature and being and status of jnana. The Master gives us an account of the thirteen knots and throws wonderful light on them. They are not to be cut but loosened and transcended. Going further than any He shows higher levels of being which transcend the Jnana bhumikas and arise at the supreme transcendent states open to the human being. A keen sadhaka under the guidance of the capable Master can, through his abhyas, discern the stages at which some of the greatest sages of the past had arrived at during their lives and verily in himself the blessedness that is waiting to be explored. The authentic voice of the great Master, whose love for man transcends anything that one knows of, filters through the fascinating account of the soul’s sojourn towards Infinity. That all could achieve emancipation at the same time (sarva mukti) and should is a fervent hope that has hardly divine possibility. But one should realize that individual emancipation is the first step towards universal emancipation and it is possible even in one life for every one provided he really seeks emancipation, transformation and supramentalization. The true seekers of the Ultimate experience and the solution of problem of life would find this work of utmost help and relevance as they would be guided by the authentic voice of the true Guru who is fully competent to take them to the final destination.

Dr. K.C.Varadachari states that there are many men earnest for the higher life and there are many voices, many doctrines and multitudinous aspirations. But the spiritual solution alone would be the true solution and none who has not discovered true spirituality can really be able to help in the regeneration of mankind. There are many voices of lesser caliber being heard even in the field of spirituality, notes of pseudo spirituality such as humanism, humanitarianism and so on which are only expressions of spirituality and not spirituality per se. There is an urgent and pressing need to arrive at that real thing which is unadulterated spirituality for the present age is a more complicated age than the earlier ones, requiring a complete transformation of man all over the world in all his attitudes. True unity in the world, all other cooperative enterprises international and inter-racial can hardly touch the core of the problem. Thus all men of serious purpose should seek the real and ultimate stuff. When it is said that one should regain that awareness and experience of the Ultimate state for each, it is not implied that he is dissolved in the primeval and original substance and be lost or merged in it for ever. It does not mean the extinguishment of the ‘ray of creation’ in the individual on his attainment of ‘Mukti’ leaving the world poorer and God without a ray of ‘Life’. On the contrary such great and noble souls who have journeyed the farthest and moved on deeper and deeper in negation will be able to express the Divine better and better and participate with the Divine in the execution of its plan for humanity namely the divinization of man.

The Master’s incomparable work will inspire every one who studies it with ardour and reverence, create in him an inexhaustible craving and thirst for realization of the Ultimate and enable him eventually to be a willing and able participant in the Divine Endeavour.

The ‘Stages of Progress’ naturally imply that there is a goal towards which one is moving or advancing and the ‘stages’ denote his experiences on the way. Progress in the spiritual context also means that there is a steady improvement in the spiritual condition of the aspirant in the sense that he is becoming subtler, lighter and more integrated day by day. He is moving on from the plane of ‘lower’ or animal consciousness which restricts him to the sphere of satisfaction of the baser instincts and impulsive urges to the ‘upper’ or higher consciousness- the human level wherein his life is governed and driven by the spiritual values of satya (truth), ahimsa (non-injury in thought, word and deed), astheya (non-stealing), aparigraha (non-covetuousness), brahmacharya-a balanced life in tune with and dedicated to the Divine Consciousness, kindness, moderation, concord, compassion and contentment. This has been called by the Master as the inferior type of Super-Consciousness residing in the ‘heart’. This is the growth from the pashu-animal or creature state through the nara-man-animal state to the manava the thinking and willing human being who has become really ‘humane’ governed by the aforesaid values. Now he is moved by considerations of parahita or the common good of others and has progressively overcome by his assiduous sadhana and the assistance of a capable guide through Pranahuti, in the context of the system of SRRY. The growth towards stabilization in the ‘upper’ or ‘U’ plane we have talked about can take a very long time and even several lifetimes for the most dedicated aspirant without the assistance of Pranahuti and the practice on the part of the sadhaka of the special meditations invented by the Divine Master on points ‘A’ and ‘B’ which help immensely in balancing the twin most powerful urges of ‘kama’-desire, lust and passion and ‘krodha’-anger. These two urges, which in a sense are really one because anger is nothing but thwarted desire, have been responsible for the downfall of so many spiritual stalwarts. The Lord states in the Gita (Ch. 3-37, 39) that kama and krodha are ‘great craving and great sin’ born out of rajoguna and a formidable enemy in this world of manifestation to the soul set on achieving the ultimate goal; desire itself is fire unappeasable. Before discussing the further transformations in consciousness possible to the aspirant on the path towards the Infinite, we will do well to consider the nature of the goal towards which the aspirant in PAM is moving for getting a proper perspective.

The goal before the abhyasi can be described and looked at from different angles. It can be taken to be oneness with the God as expressed in the 3rd Commandment where the term God indicates that it is the final one independent of all else and there is really nothing beyond or behind That. That is the ultimate state one has to aim at.

The Master has stated elsewhere that the goal of life for an earnest seeker interested in the real solution of the problem of life can not be merely deliverance from the pains and miseries of life or achieving the greatest possible comfort and prominence in the world. It can neither be the enjoyment of the eternal joy of paradise after death nor even salvation which is but a temporary pause in the cycle of birth and death. The problem before us is not merely to find out a solution of our present life but for all lives we may henceforth have. The endless circle of rebirth ends only when we have secured liberation which is the state of freedom from bondage and that is the end of our pains and miseries. The natural yearning of the soul is to be free from bondage. Thus the minimum goal of life shall be liberation though a lot remains to be achieved beyond it.

The goal of life means nothing but the point we have to finally arrive at; it is in other words a reminiscence of our homeland or the primeval state of our present solid existence which we have to return to. We need to fix our goal as the highest possible so that we may not stop short of the final mark. Generally persons worship the two incarnations Sri Rama and Sri Krishna with faith and devotion for securing union with them. This then becomes their goal of life and at the utmost they can secure approach up to the level of the respective incarnation. Master reveals a little known secret of Nature when He asserts that the Incarnations generally descend from the sphere of Mahamaya which is the state of Godly energy in the subtle and hence, the most powerful form. The Incarnations were unique personalities vested with supernatural powers to work as medium for the accomplishment of the work demanded by Nature at the time and for which their descent took place. The highest possible human approach is far beyond the sphere of Mahamaya and it is where every kind of force power or activity or stimulus disappears and a man enters a state of complete negation; Nothingness or Zero. This is the final goal of life.

Before we move further to discuss the stages of progress further, it will be appropriate to consider some other practical perspectives from which the goal of human life may be viewed for facilitating successful sadhana. The prayer states that the Master is the goal of human life. Thus the idea of the Master as the goal of life may attract many ideas about God/ Master we have been habituated to through study or cultural inheritance and come in the way of attaining goal clarity. The most mature idea in this regard is to view Him as a Samavarthi who does just.

Another view of the goal having enormous practical utility in one’s sadhana is taking the total fulfillment in letter and spirit of the 9th Commandment which exhorts the abhyasi to mould his living in such a manner so as to rouse a feeling of love and piety in others. The Master is asking all of us as expressions of Divinity to live in the way He Himself lived motivating every one to think in terms of Divinity. We are to live in such a way that we are the most humble servants of the Divine who is trying to express fully through us and we are allowing only the Divinity to express itself rather than allowing our creation to be expressed. As long as our creation is in tune with His and used solely for enhancing the beauty of His creation it will be in order. That will be the playing our proper part in His creation and the fruition of His purpose wherein we are purifying and dedicating our individual wills along with the God-given instruments of knowledge and action for the fulfillment of His purpose following His light.

The third view of the goal is to come up to the level of leading a balanced existence- interested readers may refer to the detailed treatment of this aspect in the related article (BP V1 p 367-411). The Gita states that the state of balance or samatva is the hall mark of yoga and praises the wise person living in state of sthitha prajna, the state of spiritual equanimity highly. (Gita Ch.2). The Master has stated in His message, ‘Solution to the Problem of Existence’ (SDG p- 118-9) that when one ponders over the problem (the Destination), he will surely come to the conclusion that he is sailing towards his own Home wherefrom he has been snatched by the Irony of Fate. Explaining further the concept of the ‘Irony’, the Master says that it evokes the idea of ‘unbalanced character’. So long as one is in the balanced state he had no form of his own. The unbalanced character has created all the intricacies of existence and the way out is to unfold ourselves and restore our own balance which had been lost. The SRRY is the system which enables the sadhaka to recover the balanced state.

Put very briefly, most of us are aware the two aspects to the existence, one called the Jivatma, the lower self and the Antaratma, the higher self as described earlier under the heads of the characteristics of the ‘L’ and ‘U’ parts into which the heart has been divided by the Master. If one yields to the Jivatma he will end up as a Jivi or Prani, just another living existence and nothing more whereas if he yields to the Antaratma he moves further in spirituality. God loves us most, the human beings which species is the best among all His creation to our knowledge and experience so far. We are endowed with that precious instrument, the ‘mind’ with which we can see either up towards the Source, the Divine or down towards the creation. We have so far been squandering the trust He has placed in and the great love He has for us by diverting our attention towards and yielding to the lower self disproportionately and seldom thinking about and arousing the divine potential in ourselves. As it has been said in the Prayer we are slaves of wishes of the bestial nature and seem prepared to sink to any level degrading our own dignity and the Divine dignity in ourselves. This affects the parallelism between the divine and human lines and is the cause of losing balanced character referred to above. Skews and curves which are not in tune with the original line of Divinity have been created in our lives by such yielding to the lower self. The aspirant has to make a desperate resolve as the Master calls it, to come out of the situation and the Master is always ready to assist through the process of Pranahuti, such a sadhaka who has thus resolved rightly. This is the only way to make the line of humanity to be in consonance with that of Divinity. The Master says the line of divinity is characterized by tranquility and poise and if one has to keep pace with Divinity he has to adopt a similar posture. The process of Pranahuti introduces equanimity and moderation in the lives of the aspirants thus enabling them to lead a balanced existence. The ancients of this land had recognized the problem posed by the animal nature in man and thought that the only solution to the problem was total annihilation of the animal nature essentially expressed through kama and krodha, the instincts of preservation and propagation. This approach will only introduce yet another skew or unbalanced character. The Master has stated clearly that both kama and krodha are God-given, hence can not be annihilated but can be moderated for leading a balanced existence and has given the method to arrive at the state of balanced living through His unique inventions, namely the location of the points ‘A’ and ‘B’ and the meditations to be performed thereupon.

The Master uses a diagram of twenty three concentric circles drawn around the Centre ‘C’ (Ref. Fig. in the original text) to roughly denote as He says, the different spiritual spheres we come across during our progress. Beginning our march from the outermost circle we proceed towards the Centre crossing each circle to acquire the next stage. It is a very vast expanse. The stage of Liberation which is thought of by persons in general as a far off thing to be attained after persistent efforts over a number of lives (at least seven according to tradition) lies between the 2nd and 3rd circle with the various conditions required to be secured for attaining that state being acquired within a circle and a half. Considering the same state from the point of view of the knots in the human frame which will be discussed subsequently, the state of freedom from birth in the material plane is acquired after the person crosses the five knots in Pind Desh and enters the sphere of Brahmand or the Cosmic Consciousness of the first order so to speak (D1 (Divine) Consciousness as called by the Master in Practice and Efficacy of Rajayoga). After achieving the state of liberation we go on crossing further circles till we cross the fifth one. This is the Un-differentiated state or Avyakta Gati. At this stage a man is totally free from the bounds of Maya. Very few of the sages of the past could come up to this stage. Raja Janak was one of those who could reach up to this stage and this was considered such a great attainment that even the prominent sages of the time used to send their sons to him for training. The Master links the descriptions of Regions given by Him in Efficacy of SRRY at this point to state that the Heart Region is crossed when the fifth circle is crossed and the person enters the Mind region. From the point of view of the knots the Ten knots and the sahasrara are to be crossed before one can enter the Mind Region which is comprised again of eleven circles or stages of egoism. The condition is more subtle and grows finer as we march through the region. By the time one reaches the 16th circle he is almost free from egoism and the condition here is almost inconceivable. It has been rarely attained by even the greatest of sages and as far as the vision of the Master goes it is only Saint Kabir who could have secured approach up to that stage. What remains when one has crossed this circle is a mere identity which is still in gross form.

The Master states that Lord Krishna had given His Virat roop Darshan to Arjuna during the Mahabharat war from the Virat region of the Sahasra –Dal-Kamal (thousand petalled lotus) which the aspirant passes through before reaching the Mind region. The Sahasrara is the macrocosm and the aspirant begins to experience to some extent a changeless condition which may be called Brahmagati or State of the Divine. The Master emphasizes the indispensability of Pranahuti from the capable Master who has crossed all stages to the aspirant for performing the journey in a part of his lifetime through the circles described above, each of which has innumerable points and knots having their own particular conditions.

The march now leads us into the Central Region where we find seven rings of something called ‘light’ by the Master for the sake of expression. The form of dense identity grows finer and subtler to the last possible limit. The person now secures a position most proximate to the Centre and it is the highest possible approach for man. This is the final goal of life which is expressed by the Master as the state of Complete Negation, Nothingness or Zero. As pointed out earlier it is the total negation of the individuality feeling and the creation of a consequent vacuum which will be filled by the Divine and utilized solely by the Divine without any impedance from the part of the individuated soul for the expression of the Divine and the fulfillment of the purpose of the Divine. Such a soul has nothing to be called its own and its will is totally subordinated to the Divine Will. It becomes at this stage of total negation, the ideal vehicle or instrument in the hands of the Divine to be used entirely for the purposes of the Divine as the Divine deems fit. The Master Sri Ramchandraji is a perfect example of this state which was so totally owned up by Him that it became the Stage, the Ultimate Stage which all the abhyasis under PAM aspire to get into through the grace and help of the Ultimate Power, the only God and Power, again the Master Himself, as expressed through the Prayer given by the Master who has also become verily the Goal of life itself. Now the person is in close harmony with the Real condition. The Master however says that complete merging with the Centre is not possible in order to maintain a nominal difference between God and soul.

We had referred earlier to ‘knots’ discovered by the Master and located in the human frame which have to be loosened and transcended on the aspirant’s march towards the Infinite Centre. The term may be taken to correspond to the ‘granthis’ or ‘plexuses’ of the different Yoga systems. The Master has also used the term ‘points’ in this work equivalently to denote ‘knots’ of which thirteen are the major ones and innumerable minor ones are to be encountered and their bhog gone through during the course of one’s march. It will be necessary for us to get some working idea of the nature of the knots before we pursue the discussion of the varied experiences or anubhavas the traveler enjoys when he journeys in and through them. The principal difference between the approach of the Master and that of the older Yoga schools is that the Yoga schools advocate the breaking or the piercing of the knots for moving upwards and onwards on the path of spiritual evolution while the Master proceeds by loosening them by the application of the power of Pranahuti for facilitating the spiritual progress of the aspirant. Cutting the knots would make for discontinuity whereas loosening them would enable the flow of the energy back to the Origin or Base thus harmonizing and balancing the entire existence and facilitate its divinization. One can visualize the manifestation as a spiraling out from the Centre of the thought energy constituting the Primary Stir and the involution as the processing of spiraling inwards going through the twenty three levels(or circles?) of being to the Ultimate Centre or God.

It is to be noted that the spiralling movement consists both of the circular movement and an axial or directed linear movement and does not involve the cutting of the circle for moving from one level to the next. The flow of the Original Thought energy down towards existence is characterized by twists and turns. These twists are the knots which are centres of the various powers of nature or expressions of divinity each of them having its own unique characteristics.

The flow of oil can be used as an illustration of the nature of flow of energy in the knots with the flow taking place within a bracket or a valve whose both ends are tightly gripped as if it were. This does not permit a free flow of the energy through the knot in either direction i.e. from the Centre down to the heart or from the heart up towards the Centre. The flow of thought-energy trapped within each knot is of a circulating or whirling nature keeping the aspirant enwrapped in it without allowing a free passage to the next one. Balancing the flow inside the knot is the task of the abhyasi and he is assisted by the trainer through Pranahuti in the process.

The thirteen major knots are distributed in the human frame portion, the forehead and the back of the head in the following manner: five in the chest portion, five more in the forehead portion and the last three in the back of the head (see Path of Grace for detailed diagrammatic representation). The first five (1-5) constitute Pind Desh, the sphere of the localized and particularized consciousness confined to the cage of the elements, the next five (6-10) spans the sphere of the cosmic and para cosmic consciousness (Brahmand and Parabrahmand Mandal), knots 11 & 12 cover the Mind Region or the region of Godly Mind while crossing of the last one, the 13th, situated at the Occipital prominence, takes one to the border of Rings of Splendour in the Central Region. Besides these there are 64 points which are Master’s discovery distributed in the sahasrara having special significance with regard to the transcendence of the five kosas without which liberation is not possible. It is not the intention to discuss here in any detail or depth about the nature of all the knots, points and regions mentioned above, the experiences gained therein by the sadhaka by means of the yatra or journey through them and a comparative study of what the traditional yoga including the kundalini yoga and some siddha purushas have to say about the various chakras or granthis, their distribution over the human frame and associated spiritual conditions on the path towards Infinity. For the above is precisely the subject matter of the excellent treatise, Path of Grace, on the subject entirely founded upon practical experience on the path of SRRY gained by Revered. K.C.Narayana, the author of the said work, through his own practice and while guiding many aspirants on the path and to which interested readers are referred. However a brief overview follows on the nature of knots in general from the point of view of the characteristic consciousness lying twisted in each, the changes or transformations occurring in attitudes, feelings and behaviour of the aspirant as he undergoes the yatra or journey in them.

The five knots of pind desh in which the first one has two sub-knots are all related to the elements in some way or the other. The five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether are well known as constituting the physical world in philosophy. The Master states that we proceed methodically awakening the various centres of power which are helpful in our pursuit. The heart is the nucleus and we go on meditating at this point till the goal is achieved. The journey through the five points or knots is done in a zig-zag manner as it is difficult to move up straight against the powerful flow of the downward current descending into the heart from the Centre, though there may be some rare fish which can swim against the current upwards directly. When the fifth point is reached the passage towards the Ajna chakra becomes straight.

The knot 1 is the point of meditation which is the nucleus of the human system, the heart where activity and inactivity meet, the intertwining nature of matter and spirit is observed. It is of the nature of the element earth. The 2nd knot correlates with the water element, representing feelings, here especially feelings of compassion, empathy, dependency, love for God and one’s fellow beings. The third knot is associated with fire, the burning aspiration and the fourth with water while the fifth partakes the nature of air and ether or space as well. The knots have almost the same characteristics but each one has something of the whole more preponderantly. Thus the point of water has earth, water, fire, air, ether also but water is predominant. It helps greatly in comprehending our experiences on the path to note the fact that the elements go to form the five kosas, or veils that have formed around the soul and that the five senses symbolize five forms of perception (activities of consciousness) relating to the elements. Thus touch is symbolic of perception in the physical plane (anna maya), taste in the emotional (prana maya), smell in the mental and moral (manomaya), hearing in the spiritual (vijnanamaya) and sight in the ether plane (ananda maya or bliss). It is also to be seen that the traditional path of spiritual journey from Mooladhara to Sahasrara is modified in the system of SRRY to commence from the heart to Visuddha through a zig-zag path as noted above.

It is illuminating to consider here the observations made by the author of Path of Grace in this context. The above five knots are in a sense part of the anahad or heart centre. In as much as the journey in the lower centres of swadhishtana, manipura and mooladhara is not taken in the beginning and is taken at the end of the journey, the Great Master identified and located certain centres or knots as termed by Him in the organic region having certain characteristics which are similar or identical to those of the plexuses mentioned above. Though air is the element that represents the fifth knot as per the original work of the Master, it is the heart centre where the voices are heard (inner voice or conscience and the communications from the Masters and other elevated souls). Anahad itself means unstruck sound yielding us the clue for assigning such a role to the ‘heart’. The solar centre or manipura having control over the element fire is represented as knot 3, the centre relating to devotion and fire. The sacral centre or swadhishtana relating to water element connected with taste is represented as knot 4 relating to water. The basic plexus, mooladhara relating to element earth is located as knot 1 connected to the same element and sense of touch and aspect of Viveka, discriminative intelligence. Thus there is a one to one substitution of the lower centres of the Shatchakra path into the knots of Pind desh, a remarkable discovery of the Master which reduces the difficulties in Sadhana for one who proceeds with total faith in the Master. It is to be noted here that the Master’s work ‘Towards Infinity’ does not take any direct cognizance of these shat chakras and His remarks related to these chakras, kundalini as such and the yoga practices connected to this path are to be gleaned from His letters to some aspirants by way of clarifications and talks. The last state of TAM as the highest approach possible for the blessed and determined seeker described in His works is not referred to at all in the traditional schools of yoga which limited themselves to the approach up to the Sahasrara, the higher approaches beyond being considered by them as inaccessible to the aspirant while with the body.

The Master has stated rather emphatically in His writings that the arousal of Kundalini is not necessary for the realization of the highest state and the power is automatically aroused in such a person for carrying out nature’s work as and when such a demand arises of him.

We have seen earlier that the knots are centres of force on the one hand and on the other they also prevent energy from flowing freely from above (higher and divine centres) to the heart. This is one of the main reasons why ordinary man feels remote and cut off from the Divine. Though this may be good in one sense that the heart is thereby preserved from tensions, yet in so far as they work as brakes the flow from above is impeded. When the free flow is restored through their loosening by the application of the power of Pranahuti by the trainer in PAM the heart gets its supply of spiritual energy and works to its fullest potentiality and capacity. The knots are also hidden powers and most siddhas tend to utilize these powers for the performance of supernormal feats, the so called miracles. Such dissipation of powers in the display of miracles at each knot not only prevents them from being used for the upward movement but is also suicidal for the aspirant’s progress on the path of spirituality. On the other hand in the yoga of SRRY, power in each knot is utilized for the upward movement till the final goal is reached. We may say that the power of the knots in the lower level is being utilized as successive rockets for going out into the vast spaces of one’s spiritual life.

The knots have to be first entered into and this is facilitated by the regular practice of PAM according to the instructions of the Great Master. The entry into the knots where various spiritual states are experienced can not be done without the whole surface being cleaned of dark sediments etc. which have collected over the knot. These specks or sediments and even firm slabs are to be removed by the application of the will of the trainer through transmission of the spiritual life force or Prana. The knot is gently opened up through transmission and with this the soul is enabled to move freely in the knot without in any way affecting the structure. When it is said that the soul is moving freely in the knot it is meant that the consciousness (the Chit component of the soul-conglomerate) moves in that realm and has full awareness of the nature of the knot and the fact of purification of the knot is known when the characteristics of the knot is felt by the aspirant.

The Master talks about the four conditions felt in each one of the knots, namely: A) when the journey comes to a stage of nearing the entry into a knot restlessness in the condition is felt (called Sameepyata-nearness); B) when one gains entry into a certain knot he, his consciousness rather, goes round and round in it gaining a thorough knowledge of the same and begins to absorb in him the state prevailing in the knot. Once he gets saturated his merging in that knot comes into effect (Salokyata-literally views everything in the colour of the knot or according to its light so to speak); C) the saturation continues till the fact of being saturated with the condition is forgotten, the state being called Saroopyata- of the same form. This culminates in the last stage D) where the memory of the condition in which one is merged is totally erased called Sayujyata – a condition of union and oneness where the aspirant is totally and naturally in tune with the condition and expresses in thought, word and deed the characteristic of the knot without any awareness that he is doing so. It has become his very nature to be so and he is said to have owned the condition of the knot.

The Master has used elsewhere the analogy of the administered medicine being dissolved in one’s system, assimilated into it and commencing to act upon the system to illustrate the assimilation of the spiritual condition into one’s being and his thought, feeling and action being dictated by such an assimilation. The yatra is performed essentially by the aspirant of course with the assistance of the trainer through Pranahuti in each knot with the express purpose of owning the condition of the knot. The yatra is done only in the five knots of Pind Desh and later in the Brahmand and higher centres it is only expansion. However it is done in the 64 points after the Parabrahmand for the stabilization of the aspirant in that condition. It is to be borne in mind that while transmitted power of the trainer or Master is of great help and even indispensable in the journey through the higher and divine realms, one can not achieve the final goal only through transmission. For the knots have the capacity to bind the sadhaka through their characteristics as he starts enjoying the same and tends to linger in the same sphere. It is only the supreme dedication to the cause and unremitting sadhana along with the invaluable help of the guide or Master through Pranahuti can ensure final success.

As the descent has taken place through a series of inversions, one observes similarity in the states of consciousness as he moves along which fact however, can only be discerned by owning the conditions of the various knots. Again it is found through actual imperience by the sadhaka that the joy or happiness or peace of one plane is the agony of the next plane which is another consequence of the inversions mentioned above.

A very brief sketch follows of the experiences and wisdom gained as a result of the journey in the five knots of Pind Desh and their links to the implementation of the Ten Commandments of the Master; it is to be noted that same conditions are undergone in the higher realms in a subtler manner. The major discriminative intelligence that develops in the first knot is regarding goal clarity. This begins as the awareness of a higher power than us which seems to govern us and from which everything has come down. This awareness of the source is the beginning which ends in the last ring of splendour after going through various conditions of modification of the knots. That sloth and indolence is to be given up, the animal nature is to be overcome and that the prayer is to be offered not for the solution of problems in life but for the solution of the problem of life itself are the next levels of growth of Viveka in this knot. These are expressed through the first three commandments of the Master and the yatra in the first knot along with the special meditational practices (A & B) enable the aspirant to follow the commandments better in letter and spirit which in turn facilitates progress in the first knot.

Another aspect relates to the worship of so many gods and goddesses for umpteen purposes, various forms of worship and our ideas and notions about them which constitute a tough obstacle in the path of progress. Clarity in this respect occurs only after much load shedding and yatra in the first knot which is the toughest of the regions of travel and most fundamental for our onward march. The awareness of the goal as applicable to all the planes of our existence and mergence in this condition is the major index of our laya or mergence in this knot.

Nature has everything in place and everything is interwoven intricately with others. The insufficiency of the individual is evident and dependency on others is understood. The lessons in ego-reduction start and the person starts feeling humble. Interdependency between him and others and also God is imperienced, the closed fists open and charity and sacrifice get expressed. In addition the aspirant looks for ways and means by which cohesion with all existence can be built into his life. The person goes through various states that he is the king pin before attaining maturity in the 2nd knot. The maturity in this knot enables the person to practice the fourth commandment which requires that one should be plain, simple and identical with nature. The sadhaka secures now nearness to the condition of devotion, the chief characteristic of the 3rd knot.

The practice of the commandment 5 requiring him to be true to his essential nature helps the aspirant to negotiate the various hardships and difficulties in life treating them as divine blessings. Of course the practice of the commandment is supported by the journey in the third knot which in turn ensures better compliance of the same. This also demands further maturity in goal clarity. Several stages in devotion staring from downright flattery to total silence before the Lord are gone through. Devotion implies duality between the goal and the individual who weaves different patterns of loving attachment to the goal as already dealt with earlier and performs services of different kinds. Mergence in this condition leads to dumbness which further develops into a profound feeling of insufficiency realized earlier. When this insufficiency develops into a state of total helplessness, the aspirant feels that surrender is the only way.

This is the condition in the fourth knot which is actually the inversion of the second knot. Practice of the commandments 6 and 7 help the progress in this knot. The realization of the inseparable relationship with others and the divine had in the 2nd knot matures further along with the realization that all are forms and expressions of divinity, the basis for the expression of karuna or compassion and ahimsa. There is total dedication to the divine which is a way of purification as well. The person enters into the state where faith matures into total and unconditional surrender to the Divine on mergence in this knot. Surrender is essentially the state of settledness – settled in the confidence that the Master takes care of everything. The fifth knot is one of balance which on maturity gives the craving of going beyond the bodily limitations. One finds himself expanding losing the awareness of the body. Prejudices and conflicts die down. The practice of the 8th and 9th commandments helps the person a great deal in maintaining the condition in a subtle way all through.

He feels the experience of a samadhi (absorbency) condition far superior to the ordinary states. There is a feeling always that he is growing banishing barriers of being and dwelling in consciousness per se. This is felt differently by various aspirants as constant remembrance, constant state of vibrations through the body etc. The practice of the tenth commandment starts the process of development of humility further and in the deep core of our being we come to understand how much we are attached to the ideals and ideas and got stuck. The state of Viveka gains deeper meaning and restlessness in the condition is felt. However the transition to the next higher region, that is, Brahmand is not that easy. Trust in the Master and the push by a competent guide takes us to that realm. We have already seen that the conditions get inverted as we move from a knot to the next one. However the inversion at the 6th knot is a radical one, the transition being from the gross realm to a subtler one. Unless there is sufficient movement in the earlier knots in the Pind Desh the inversion here is difficult to happen and one lingers in the lower plane. The maturity of the first and second knots is the deciding factor here.

The Master states that the passage to the Cavernous plexus (Ajna Chakra) or Trikuti, becomes straight on crossing the fifth point and from here on the chromatic perceptions had in the Pind end. This is the beginning of the domain of the Divine where the various colours seem to fuse into a state of colourlessness. One experiences something like shadowy darkness giving the clue that he has to finally go beyond light the real nature of which is neither light nor darkness but a dawn like colour. This is the point of distribution of power to the lower centres and a person feels the flow downwards as a tingling sensation. The Master says that the person who has entered into the sixth knot will not be reborn again on the earth i.e. the material manifestation of the Jiva ends here.

The next knot the seventh is abutting this knot and both together form a figure of the numeral eight. This is fully in the supra-mental sphere (Brahmand Mandal) and is also known as the region of Virat. Holiness and piety are predominant though matter still breathes here as the Master says. The powerful electric energy of which a yogi must have full control over is in abundance at this point and a Yogi who is merged in it can set at naught even the fiercest explosives. This centre is the store-house of inexhaustible energy supplying power to everything in the Pind-desh. All events occur here in astral form before they actually occur in physical form on the earth and one can read them before they come into action in the material world. The Master further states that a sensitive seeker would be able to discover at even the minor points in this region the presence of great powers which govern parts of the universe they are connected with. The seeker who achieves mergence in this vast region feels his expansion all over the world, realizing the universal consciousness.

The charm of this centre can enwrap the aspirant who might become drunk with power literally and there is the risk of his becoming an Avadoot and lose sight of the real goal turning into a Yogabrashta (one who has fallen from the ideal of Yoga). This is also the region where the Anahat ajapa- the eternally present sound is heard by those who have developed inner perception. Actually it is the culmination of the natural vibrations which start in the heart and are heard as ‘Om’ when the person goes deeper and deeper in meditation. This is termed ‘ajapa’; the vibrations spread later on to all the plexuses till it is felt throughout the entire being. The Anahat really begins when one arrives at Trikuti during the march, the Master describing the experience as one of feeling some thought current descending from head to heart and sound vibrations being produced resounding inside the body. The seventh knot is connected with the so called Rudra Shakti, the capacity to upset others and make them weep.

The Master states in this context that this power had grown abnormally great in the case of Rishi Durvasa making every one from the ordinary mortal to Indra, the king of the gods, tremble at the very prospect of inviting the slightest displeasure of the sage lest he be burnt to ashes through his curse. The knot is also represented by the Third Eye as in tradition of Lord Shiva. It is not possible to go into all the details of the characteristics connected with this vast and powerful centre for which account the reader may refer Path of Grace. We may sum up however the criteria of Brahmand as the feeling of Anahat which may also be experienced as an intense throbbing sensation around the middle of the forehead and the shadowy darkness around objects and impressionlessness of the persons and objects whom one comes across in daily life.

The Master in His message on the Efficacy of Pranahuti (SDG p 109-10-2005 ed) traces the evolution of the soul or consciousness beyond the fifth knot stating that one reaches the Brahmand Mandal, the cosmic region or the macrocosm after the yatra is over in all the five knots in the Pind Pradesh, microcosm. It is a very big region but vaster are the regions coming after. All the powers of Nature are at work here and we try to absorb in them. The readers may recall from our earlier discussion that the mighty power behind the great wheel of Lord Krishna, the Sudarshana Chakra (its purpose being destroying evil and promoting the good, the mission of all divine descents) resides here. The still mightier power, the wheel of Time, Mahakal Chakra being used by the Special Personality for the overhauling of nature is also present here. Both these powers inhere in the knot 7 of the Brahmand mandal. The aspirant enters the Parabrahmand Mandal on crossing the Brahmand Mandal and then into the Prapanna gati(surrendered) where he feels the utmost devotion and greatness of God. After this comes the condition of Prabhu where he feels his share in creation followed by the condition of Prapanna Prabhu wherein both the conditions stated earlier are in rarefied form. Thereafter one comes across the 64 points which are all Master’s discoveries. The aspirant becomes potentialized when he crosses these points with yatra. Upon crossing these points one gets the tidings to enter the Central Region which is purely the Realm of God. There are the seven rings of splendour which can only be crossed with the help of a capable Master who has gone the full distance and is firmly established in the Highest.

The cycle of conditions relating to Viveka, vairagya, swaswaroopa jnana, devotion and surrender get refined in the knots 6 to 10. There is no journey as such in these knots and no master cell as such in them with the corresponding master cells being only in Pind Desh. It is to be noted by discerning sadhakas that progress and growth in the realms of Brahmand and higher are possible only when the quality of purity is improved in the various knots of the lower region and there is total dedication of one’s faculties and intelligences for their utilization in the divine purpose.

It has been said that as in brahmand so it is in pind desh but it is more true to say that the individual brahmand is a replica of the conditions of the pind desh we form. The conditions we have owned in the Pind desh give the impetus in the higher region for growth and development in the astral plane. The work done in the Pind alone works as there is no work in the higher planes where there is only planning. Despite any number of defects in the Pind desh, it is only here our fate is formed in the higher regions.

It is to be noted that the 64 points are not specifically mentioned in the Master’s original work of Towards Infinity and they find mention in His letters to Revered. Dr. K.C.Varadachari (PG 217-21). There are 63 points plus the Brahma Randhra in all. It is also clear from Master’s writings that these minor knots need not be necessarily gone through and the Master or the Guide who is totally merged in Him can pull up a blessed soul beyond these knots. In Master’s words, ‘It is admitted that the crossing should be given to the abhyasi from the point K2 direct to the Central Region not stopping at Brahma Randhra—yet the yatra should be carried out on all the points’. The author of Path of Grace comments that yatra in these points is possible only for such souls who seek total merger or laya in the great Master through love and total surrender. The Laya Avastha is a condition of non-difference between the Master and the self. Though the aspirant has been transported directly into the Central Region, it is essential that he undergoes the yatra in all these points subsequent to the consummation of spiritual sadhana. But for the great wonder of this system and the unbounded grace of the Divine Master, the Special Personality, it is not possible to reach the Central Region without performing the yatra in these points which are closely connected to the five kosas as already observed.

It is also worth mentioning here that the conditions undergone during the yatra in these points have been revealed for the first time by the author of Path of Grace through the observation of his own condition and while training some of the advanced aspirants (see list of the conditions against the points p- 226 of the book) for the benefit of all seekers of Ultimate Reality who would be greatly indebted to him for this most inspiring and laudable contribution to the system of SRRY and the path of Yoga in general.

The journey through the 64 points is easy or difficult according to the extent of owning the conditions in the Pind desh. The 64 points can be considered in five groups of thirteen points being allocated respectively to the five kosas starting from the anna maya. Of these the yatra in the first three sets of thirteen points corresponding to the anna maya, prana maya and mano maya is much more difficult to perform as these are the most potent layers exerting a lot of influence on the individual psyche which in addition is exposed to an environment severely polluted by lust, passion, violence, greed, pride and prejudice compounding the problem. They constitute a big drag on the sadhaka making him slip from the higher and subtler conditions created in him through fomentation by a capable trainer who is firmly established in the higher realms.

It is only through the determined and assiduous practice of the commandments, the meditations at A & B and prayer at bed time that the aspirant would be able to get rid of the dirt and grossness in the various knots of the Pind desh and thus complete the yatra through these points. The fourth and fifth set of points relate respectively to the Vijnana and the Ananda maya kosas and the journey through these is usually by passed by the grace of the Master according to the author of Path of Grace.

Looking at the whole process of movement from knot 1 to knot 13 and onwards into the Central Region as an evolution in consciousness we may state the following. The particularized consciousness restricted to the body ‘boundary’ and hitherto oriented towards oneself in the Pind Desh changes its dimension and develops into a concern for others which further turns to be all pervasive in the Brahmand Mandal- the realm of universal consciousness. This transformation into transpersonal realms is crucial and the real value of human existence is appreciated only through such a transformation. The average man who is constrained and contented to live and move in the realm of matter and self-aggrandizement has really no inkling of the infinite potential lying buried in him. The message in the real sense broadcast from the lives of prophets and divine descents is that they show through their lives and works the higher possibilities open to man.

But the fact remains that mankind finds it convenient to make Gods out of them and worship them rather than follow their examples in actual living. Again the dedicated aspirant supported by the wonderful power of Pranahuti from a capable guide actually enters into and imperiences the condition ‘Aham Brahmasmi’- the feeling of inseparateness which turns into the feeling of ‘All is Brahman’ conveying a sense of universal inseparateness culminating in the form of the feeling ‘All from Brahman’. The last condition conveys a sense of extinction of every view. It is to be noted that these are all the celebrated maha vakyas of Vedanta (Upanishads) which are now the subject of direct imperience for an aspirant under proper guidance from a capable Master. It is appropriate to consider what the Master says in this context, ‘This is perhaps the most popular sign of the so called Jnani of to day who goes about reciting mechanically similar phrases to impose upon others a show of achievement. It is not mere recitation of the phrases which make one a jnani but the actual merging in the state when it is arrived at internally. In strict sense it applies to an inner consciousness of the feeling of inseparableness with the Absolute according to the level of approach of the abhyasi’.

It may also be noted that the super consciousness of the inferior type which blooms while traversing knots 1 and 2, the super consciousness of the higher type, namely, D1 gets exhibited while the aspirant moves through Brahmand Mandal. Further there is inversion in the hemispheres expressing the lower and higher consciousness in each succeeding level of consciousness. The remarkable thing about the system is the cleaning of A and B in the heart is all and sufficient to keep the corresponding points i.e. A1 and B1 for instance in the D1 realm, in the successive higher realms of consciousness (Fig.9 PG p 191).

The Master emphasizes the need for assiduous cleaning of A and B and maintaining the purity in them even to have access to the higher realms of super consciousness. It is also seen that the purely altruistic prayer to be offered at point A is not really possible unless the Pind consciousness is transcended fully.

The spiritual consciousness of the aspirant having moved through the state at Trikuti which is all powerful (Ajna or 7th knot) gets transformed into pure Satchidananda at Sahasrara where the aspirant will enjoy the bliss of Sat Chit and Ananda. Nothing above this was ever contemplated in the traditional systems. It is also to be noted here that in SRRY there is no mention of the experience of transcendental bliss at the Sahasrara, the reason being this centre being only an anubhava chakra and not a sadhana chakra and not having any practical value in realization. For realization viewed properly should only mean significant service to others with total dedication and sacrifice and not mere enjoyment of bliss however transcendental it might be. Now the consciousness becomes further refined as compared to the D1 consciousness referred to above and this superfine consciousness is called D2 by the Master (see Fig.16 PG p- 230 for location). This is an all embracing one and does not permit distinction between beings or several existences being of the nature of pure Sat Chit and Ananda. The only concern is of Viswa Santhi; the consciousness has transformed from an exclusive concern with the body and mind of the individual to one of Parahita in the D1 state and further as Visva hita at the D2 state. The person who has now developed a spiritual contact with all, lives and moves in the Visva roopa of God and any event happening anywhere gets reflected in him. One of the main facets of this consciousness is that it is not felt intensely by the sadhaka who is now accustomed to receive the grace of God and be in His thoughts constantly if not continuously.

The realms beyond Sahasrara are purely Divine and the journey in these realms are possible only due to the Grace of the Master and the Saints of the Order. The knots 11, 12 and 13 relate to these realms.

Knots 11 and 12 belong to the Mind Region, the Mind of God. The Master states in His commentary on the condition at the 11th knot that the essence of the heart region is in this knot and it is the realm of manifestation in its initial stages. It is the most powerful Region of God and may be called the powerhouse for setting the Godly machinery a going. The super consciousness of this region is only hinted at by the Master with no description being given for it as the sadhaka has nothing to do with this super consciousness. The aspirant having moved through the five kosas binding him experiences the pure and simple awareness, his consciousness being totally drowned in the memory of the Divine to be not even aware of itself. Even the feeling of ‘existence’ is lost and the stage of ‘awareness of Ultimate Reality’ is arrived. There is a dryness which becomes part and parcel of being as the aspirant has crossed the Ananda Maya kosa. There is no concern for one’s progress or regress but only the craving to reach the Ultimate takes over.

The consciousness here, which can not be considered conscious at all, is of a transcendental nature having no particular connection with the individual in the sub-conscious, conscious and super-conscious levels or even in the transpersonal consciousness which is yet in the realm of Maya or Original Stir. The knot 12 can be considered in a sense a consummation of all the earlier knots and contains the potentiality of all. There is no tinge of ‘I’-ness here and the sadhaka who has become living dead, dead to his living except for the craving for the Master gets entitlement for plunging into this state. The love of the Divine which has developed through various stages has arrived at the refined identicality with the Divine. But still the identicality is there and this awareness is still a barrier which is crossed through the various stages of splendour. The manifestation of the Center caused due to the Original Stir is entering the gross realms for the first time here. The invisible motions at the Origin become visible taking more twists and turns and this indeed becomes the power which is behind the grosser powers of nature identified with the gods such as Indra, Agni, Vayu and so on even as metaphorically described in the Kenopanishad.

The Master talks about the 11 rings of egoism which have been dealt with in detail in ‘Path of Grace’ and here the attempt is only to give an overall idea of the same for the sake of completeness. The ego we talk about here is not the conventional one which is used alternately for ‘pride’ and ‘arrogance’ but that which is related to the realm of possessiveness involving ‘me’, ‘mine’, ‘we’ and ‘our’. One moves on from these states of possessiveness to discover that it is all ‘His’ in every sense of the term. The problem continues even in the higher stages and so long as the Jiva is there some residual ego will be there. The rings of egoism span the heart and mind regions and the last ring is very near the Central Region. The basic problem of the egoistic consciousness is associated with the ‘doership’, ‘knowership’ and ‘enjoyership’. The ego goes through various stages of evolution from the crude identification with the body to the very fine stage where the person performs all work as if automatically without awareness of the work before or after the event. It is a state of total unawareness wherein higher type of work is allotted and this is the condition of the ego in one at the Prapanna Prabhu level (beyond Brahmanda and Parabrahmanda levels but still in the Heart Region).

We may consider that the rings of ego have almost ended here. In the Mind Region the ego undergoes a transformation and the feeling that one is a subject of Master or God disappears here. Though the ‘doer’ is gone, ‘knower’ and ‘enjoyer’ continues in the individuality. It is to be noted that it is the Mind of God which rules here and not the individual mind of the aspirant which is gone in the beginnings of Brahmand if he has been keen on reaching the Goal. One needs a very strong determination to move on and he should yield totally to the work of the master who is giving the push. All the shades of egoism may still be extant here and a slip is possible from this condition if any or some of them take a grosser turn. The movement further on can take place only in the case of the blessed souls chosen by the Divine (Master) who enjoy His grace and which can be deserved only through service to His cause and mission.

The ego continues in the rings of splendour as mere identity being barely conscious and it continues in the Central Region till it reaches the Centre undergoing further refinement with the Identity remaining naked before the Master. The Master states that the state of humanity remains nominally even after laya in the Absolute and this does raise questions of serious philosophical concern. The system of the Master being entirely new and since the possibility has been opened for the first time before the seeker to have the imperience of entering into the Central Region even while living in the body all due to the boundless grace of the Great Master, we can not adopt the definitions of laya given in the scriptures or vedantic texts but have to go by the anubhava pramana substantiated by the imperience itself.

When one enters the 13th knot by the grace of the Divine Master, he does not feel the journey at all and neither duality. It is only Master (God) which is experienced. A sheet of vast openness colourless with no other feeling other than awe or wonder is felt.

The rings of Maya and those of egoism are now crossed and the border of the rings of splendour cast their fragrance here. A new and wonderful phase of journey opens before the aspirant. The state of knowledgelessness (called Jnanahinata by the Master) starts and knowledge implying a knower, known and the process of knowing ceases. The sea of wonder before the aspirant becomes the point of attention and the plunging into it is consequent to this reach. The Master says that there is nothing but swimming in the vast expanse and we swim on and on covering leagues after leagues. The vastness of the surface is experienced very rarely as the aspirant is drowned in unawareness. He comes across during the course of his voyage numerous ripples, folds, wrinkles but all of them are quite silent and inactive but for a faint impression of their being. We proceed on with it till at last the impression too fades away and the surface becomes quite smooth without folds or wrinkles.

This condition verily refers to the seven rings of splendour. Knowledgelessness which has brought us thus far now bids good bye and awareness alone remains, namely, that of the Divine without any adjectives or characterizations of it or our relationships with it.

The rings of splendour are not described by the Master as they are indescribable according to Him. They are the regions of the original manifestations of the Kshob and at this stage they are only latent motions or vibrations which take more concrete forms later on in the Mind and Heart Regions. The realm of splendour is a realm of supernal happiness, refined Bliss and unmanifested Beauty. The Divine plan of expression is revealed in its original (mother tincture as expressed by the Master) shade. Long meditations with fervent prayers to the Master have to be practiced by the sincere seeker for grasping the refined consciousness of this region. The author of ‘Path of Grace’ has done yeoman service to all sincere and keen seekers on the path by revealing for the first time the nature of imperiences undergone by him in this wonderful and awe inspiring region of God and the interested reader is directed to the corresponding section in the ‘Path of Grace’ for acquainting himself with the account presented therein.

The Master describes the scene unfolding before the seeker who has crossed the rings of splendour by virtue of the grace and power of the capable Master. He enters the vast and limitless expanse, the Infinite and starts swimming in it. The Guru’s assistance is still needed here since even the subtlest force of the swimmer in the act of his heavy swimming sets up waves of energy that erect a barrier against progress. Only the experienced capable and watchful Guru helps in settling the waves and teaching the swimmer the art of swimming which is almost akin to floating but still is not floating, the important aspect being that it does not set up opposing waves. Another important role of the Guru is to see that the swimmer does not slip into enjoying the state of light- swimming which will impede his further progress and take him on the further journey. The traveler now enters into the sphere of the Dormant Centre which seems to be surrounded by something like a ring.

The Master, the irrepressible experimenter that He is, attempted to enter into the ring for the sake of experience only to be thrown back by a sudden and forceful push after He managed to have a moment’s peep into it. The Master concludes that this is the highest possible approach to the human being and wishes with His unbounded generosity and universal good will that every one may have access up to this stage and even beyond if it were possible! The aspirant at this stage has secured a position which is near-most to the Centre, the highest possible approach for man. He is in close harmony with the Real condition. The form of (dense) gross identity has been all the time getting finer and subtler to the last limit and when he gets into close touch with the Bhuma, the Ultimate or God in His absolute state, what or where he is, is beyond his understanding. As the Master puts it elsewhere, having arrived at the Destination the seeker does not know where he is.

The Master places before the reader the wonderful possibility, the highest approach open to man and states that such a destiny awaits every one who has his eyes fixed upon the final state as described above right from the beginning and has the support of a Master of caliber who has traveled the entire distance and is endowed with the power of Pranahuti.

It is an emphatic declaration by the Master it is through Pranahuti alone such wonderful results can be brought about in such a short time, that is, within one lifetime. Very few of the yogis or saints of the past could have ever had the conception of the last limit of human progress on the spiritual path. The farthest the best amongst them could have been up to the 2nd or 3rd circle and the unfortunate aspect of it was even at this very early stage they considered their achievement to be very great. The Master ends His account of the Stages of Progress by stating that the only purpose behind His above account being to enable the people to judge the so called great Doctors of Divinity who are said to have attained perfection and are generally accepted as such by the gullible masses who are carried away by their outward appearance or elegance.

While discussing the Central Region in His book on the Efficacy of Rajayoga, the Master refers to the super-finest state of super consciousness lying in that region. Calling it D3 (see Fig. 21 PG p 265) and locating it at the occipital prominence, He says that that is the last stage of super consciousness and which is reserved for the Incarnation of Deity.

He states further that this consciousness is sometimes bestowed upon the Special Personality who enjoys practically the status of Incarnation as regards the working of Nature. The state of perfection which is total and integral does not permit any of the known states of happiness or peace or bliss or any other term to be used to denote conditions of perfection, the condition being one of dryness termed ‘dreary waste’ by the Master. To the best of our knowledge there was no such person except Sri Ramchandraji of Shahjahanpur to have achieved such an exalted spiritual stage. Nature conferred upon Him the position of Maha Parishad (Ref. Dawn of Reality), which is the highest rank in the hierarchy of functionaries in Nature. This status is rarely conferred except when Nature stands in urgent need of drastic change or an overhauling of the world.

The Special Personality enjoys the highest power and it starts from the right region of the occipital bone, the principle of Invertendo operating here as well, the ‘upper’ or higher consciousness hemisphere being located on the right side once again as in the heart after undergoing the inversion in the previous lower regions. This is the sphere of Tam as already discussed earlier; the state of negation which one craves for and which is the real life abides in it and all activities cease before one reaches this sphere. It is beyond purity, simplicity and peace and the greatest of saints have remained short of the mark despite persistent labour over several lives. It is also to be noted as we have had occasion to do so that Tam as the highest possible approach for the human being could be revealed to man only after the advent of Revered. Lalaji Maharaj and His structuring of His greatest and most worthy disciple Sri Ramchandraji Maharaj and thus the great saints of the past could not have really had this supreme condition in their view as the goal to be aimed at. The state of Total or Complete Ignorance rules in the person in this state of consciousness and when that state is in full swing in him he, at the highest pitch of advancement is like an infant baby having no awareness of his own condition.

Thus the spiritual journey which commenced from the initial state of ignorance (avidya) and graduated through various intermediary stages of knowledge, jnana or vidya culminates in Total Ignorance. The Master calls this as the highest condition which is neither avidya symbolized by ‘darkness’ nor vidya represented by ‘light’, but beyond both; the goal in SRRY is neither light nor darkness but that which is beyond both. For lack of any other word for expressing this basically inexpressible condition the Master uses the term ‘Complete Ignorance’, of course vastly different from the state of preliminary ignorance.

The Master describes the development of ‘Special Will’ as the hall mark of a realized person. The will of ordinary man is not always firm being swayed by environmental or other factors. However when he does spiritual sadhana he is able to develop will power through which he can bring about changes within himself and also be able to modify circumstances external to himself. Telekinesis, telepathy and many other mental powers displayed by some persons are the manifestation of such developed will. But the discriminating sadhaka does not apply his developed will to alter circumstances as that will be against the principle pf practicing submission to divine will as taught by the great Masters through their own personal examples in this regard.

Great saints have never sought to display so called super normal feats or miracles through their developed powers of the mind. The way to develop such a will is to use it for a good cause with selfless and noble intention, faith in Justice and Balance and in the deservancy of the effort on the part of the aspirant coupled with compassion and love (when the will is used for his spiritual upliftment) and an unfailing determination to succeed. Normally one thinks of will as a development of the Ego of the individual. But the Master has a different approach; when the ego has been reduced to a state of ‘nothingness’ and remains as bare identity we may say that it is hardly present in the individual. The person who has negated himself is said to have no ‘personality’ at all, the word ‘persona’ standing for mask which is a great barrier for those who seek to know, live and move in the Ultimate Reality, or Base. The Special Personality, who has reached such a state of nothingness, is such a person having no real personality.

The Master describes further the state of such a non-person person and states that at this stage the devotee no longer remains a supplicant in the strict sense though his humble supplications persist still as duly they must. Really it is on account of his gentleness of character that the relation which has brought him up to it is maintained all through. In accordance to it he receives commands for the work required for the world, his own position in this respect being nil practically. He is in a way part of the Bhuma. Such a condition falls very rarely to one’s lot and at any given time there can be only one such in the entire world and that too only when Nature has a dire need for the same as seen earlier. It may be noted that such personalities come once in a millennia and are not really born as such; rather they develop into such a personality by thoroughly negating themselves so that the Divine may express itself through them and accomplish its will through them. The examples of such great Masters in the past could be found in Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed. Their consciousness was not tainted with ego of any kind and it was all the time divinity which expressed through them. Similar has been the case with Sri Ramchandraji Maharaj of Shahjahanpur who through His sadhana and the grace of His Master was in a position to enter the state of complete negation and the divine chose to express through Him from the date He got into such a state which is around the year 1944. His negation of himself is such that he exhorts others also to come to that stage.

The prayer he has given to the world defines the goal as nothing less than what he has himself achieved-total negation of oneself and total absorption of oneself in the Divine. The Master Himself has hinted while commenting on the condition of knot 7 that the Special Personality is making use of the Power of Time itself-Mahakal Chakra- residing at the higher edge of that knot. Comparing this with the power of Sudarshana Chakra or Finger wheel- actually it is not a material instrument as suggested by the popular imagery but a subtle power in the form of a revolving ring having the full power of Virat behind it- over which Lord Krishna had control and used it to bring about changes in the world structure at that time, the Master says that the Wheel of Time is a far greater power which descends under rare circumstances and it is being used as the overhauling of the universe at the present time is a far heavier task than the one faced by Lord Krishna.

The present Personality being in close proximity to the Divine is in a position to use this power at its finest level and in His case it is almost Divinity in action as He has effaced Himself totally and is merged with the Divine. The entire humanity stands to benefit by understanding the above spiritual fact and cooperate with Him in His work of bring about the much needed change in the fabric of human life.

It will be fitting to end this Chapter on Stages of Progress with a delineation of the Sri Ramchandra Consciousness which is weaving the common spiritual destiny of mankind. Sri Ramchandraji, the grate Master and the special Personality covers in Him all the earlier prophets, saints and messiahs who have voluntarily merged in Him. So has Lord Krishna, the reigning Avatar till the next avatar comes into being even according to Hindu belief. As such there is no difference between Him and Lord Krishna and Lord Buddha. The task before Him is far more complex and involved unlike it was the case before either Lord Rama or even Lord Krishna when either one advanced soul or a group of hundred persons tried to violate the rhythm of the Universe. Today the world has many persons who would make those legendary villains pale into insignificance and the tyrannical culture pursued by many countries has brought the entire world to the brink of an ecological and environmental catastrophe threatening all of God’s creation with extinction.

Again today’s human being refuses to be convinced of the need to transform himself and mould himself in the pattern dear to the divine by witnessing certain miraculous deeds and show of power by the divine incarnate. The calls of the great masters and saints, avatars and messiahs for reformation and moulding into personalities of selfless service have gone waste. Even Lord Krishna had the mortification of witnessing His own clan perish in a struggle consequent to jealousy and prejudice. Apparently He could not succeed in converting His intimate Arjuna, the recipient of His message to the required extent as Arjuna was the fourth to fall in the Mahaprasthana according to the Mahabharat.

The present Personality has totally effaced Himself allowing only His Consciousness to work, the name and form having been rendered superfluous. This is something unheard of altogether in the field of psychology as a personality is identified only through name and form and thus this is a novel experiment by Nature wherein the concept of personality is itself transcended. In the case of Revered. Sri Ramchandraji the Divine has made it possible for a human being to transcend these limits and get expressed in Him in all its nobility and grandeur. He has fulfilled the declaration of the Upanishad, ‘Isavasyam idam sarvam’ through His expansion throughout the universe and is to be experienced in every atom and particle. The Divine has shown through His example the possibilities of human consciousness to become synchronomous with itself.

The task of the Supreme Personality is to make the animal man, man first and then transform him into a divine being, the real man. Such a transformation is possible only through the diversion of the flow of thought and consciousness in man from the animal and bestial instincts to the Divine (through the process of Pranahuti).

This is a task which He had already commenced during His earthly sojourn and is carrying on from the astral plane. He has also taken upon Himself the responsibility of the compelling need to cleanse the sky of human consciousness of the diseases of greed, jealousy and avarice and the task of cleansing the atmosphere of physical, vital, mental and spiritual impurities the effects of which are already visible for those with eyes to see. The very forms and names of the earlier personalities such as Jesus have become barriers in reaching the Ultimate. Prophet Mohammed no doubt tried deliberately to ensure that his form is not worshipped but the Koran took the place of the Personality with his followers, similar being the case with Sikhism. In the case of the Master Nature has tried an altogether novel approach in that the personality here is totally veiled and no material object has taken the place of the Divine which has made itself totally available to humanity through the consciousness of Sri Ramchandra. This consciousness is ever present; there is no space or time barrier to it.

It percolates through the atmosphere and starts pouring into the heart at its earnest call with the sole objective of transforming the human system. The transformation aimed at is total and the call of Nature is either to mend or end. The destiny of humanity being parallel to the Divine is something yet to be established and its refusal by humanity is entirely due to its own creation of its worlds. Man has not been able to come out of the clinging to animal (asuric) or bestial nature despite the realization by several noble souls that the transcendence of the base nature is a must if the world has to be a peaceful and happy place for living. The Master asserts that passion and anger are the gifts of God and hence can not be eradicated but they must be harmoniously blended and moderation is to be maintained in life. Such a balanced existence alone can enable the continuity of the Divine will for expression and the personality at work is granted all powers necessary by the Divine so that the divine will to express is not thwarted by perverse human nature.

-------OM SANTHI SANTHI SANTHI-------