I would advise that instead of pondering over how the universe came into existence, we should admire the Being that brought it into existence. We have set up a tiny creation of our own individual material existence having layers after layers of grossness and opacity. What is now to be done is to shatter off those layers of opacity one by one and assume the Absolute as we had at the time of creation.

Our existence in the present grossest form is neither sudden nor accidental but it is a result of the slow process of evolution. The latent motion, which led to the formation of the universe, may be called the first super-mind of the Almighty. We owe our origin to that mind which we call the first mind. At the back of the mind there is the Centre or the state of tam. The existence of the soul can be traced as far back as to the time of creation when it existed in its naked form, as a separate entity. From the primary state of existence of the soul in its most subtle form we marched on to the grosser and grosser forms of existence. These may be expressed as coverings round the soul. The earliest coverings were of finest nature and with them we existed in our homeland, the realm of God. The additions of more and more coverings of ego continued, and subsequently manas (psyche), chit (consciousness), buddhi (intellect) and ahankara (ego) in cruder forms began to contribute to our grossness. In due course samskaras began to be formed which brought about their resultant effects. Virtue and vice made their appearance. Slowly our existence assumed the densest form. The effect of samskaras is the commencement of feelings of comfort, miseries, joys and sorrows. Our likings for joys and comfort and dislikings for sorrows, and miseries have created further complications. Consequently we find ourselves surrounded by pain and miseries and we think that deliverance from them is our main goal.

Man is a bipolar being. It has got its root nearest to the Base and the other end towards the world. If somehow the individual mind gets moulded towards its cosmic mind it begins to appear in its true colour. As a matter of fact, the human mind is a reflection of the kshobha, which set into motion the force of nature to bring the creation into existence. The individual mind is thus a part of the Godly mind (kshobha). If we somehow turn its downward trends towards the Base, it will become quiet, calm and peaceful. So far as my personal experience goes, I find that only the help of a dynamic personality can turn it towards the Base. It is only the power and the will of such a personality that makes a mark in this respect. Reading and writing are of little avail. The man with faith, devotion and self-confidence wins.

Man is Nature’s instrument. He possesses immense power and has the implement required for the utilisation of that power. That wonderful implement is the mind and it is exclusively the possession of man. Even God who is thought to be the object of worship does not have mind. Animals are however said to possess mind but it is of a different nature. It is, so to say, in an inert state in comparison to man’s mind, which is full of life and activity. The mind owes its origin to the first Stir, which came into effect by the will of God to bring the creation into existence. Such being the nature of the human mind, it is highly incorrect on the part of the pseudo-mahatmas to rail at it in the bitterest terms, proclaiming it as the worst enemy of man. They do not take into account its real value and merit. In fact, it is the only instrument for bringing things into action. It is the original cosmic power in miniature form, which brought into existence the tiny creation of man. It is the same power, which is in action at the root of everything. Whose power is it, of God or of man? The answer is simple. It is definitely of man because God possesses no mind. If He had it, He would have been subject to the effect of samskaras. It must, therefore, be the human mind that works at the root.

Every particle of the human body possesses immense force and the entire universe is closely connected with it. Every point of the spinal column is full with the greatest power. But no heed has so far been paid to it. People are all crying for kundalini alone, hankering madly after its awakening. Every particle in the composition of the kernel (nucleus) of the various brain cells has its own powerful force, which surpasses that of kundalini. But nobody has yet tried to utilise it for the good of humanity. My view may not be acceptable to most of the jnanis; and even if I demonstrate it to them, they may not be sensitive enough to realise It. A time has however to come, as it must, when people will understand and realise it.

It is commonly believed that God created man in His own form. All the religions, philosophies and sciences of the world more or less agree on this point. It does not mean that the physical form of God is the same as that of man, the human body made of flesh, bones, skin, etc., possessing arms, legs and other limbs. It really means that man possesses or is composed of all the powers, forces and energy, which are present in Nature, in the same order.

The composition of man is exactly the same as that of the universe. Just as behind this solid external universe there are innumerable others of finer and still finer types, so behind this gross physical form of man there are numerous finer and still finer forms of existence. The outermost form is the gross body (sthula sharir) behind which there exists the astral body (sookshma sharir) and causal body (karana sharir). Besides these three outer forms there are innumerable others which are so fine and subtle that thinkers do not call them bodies but only as fine coverings round the soul. It is really very difficult to assign a name for each one of them, which may be countless. With all these innumerable forms, from the finest to the grossest, man is in existence in the material world as a true copy of the universe or the entire manifestation of God. Represented by a complete circle from the outermost circumference to the innermost centre or Zero, man’s existence and of God’s manifestation are really the same. This is why realisation of God means the same as the realisation of the self and vice versa. The entire universe came into existence from the same point, the Zero, through the process of evolution. Similarly, man’s existence too developed from the same point.

We belong to the country where religious spirit has ever been flowing in one or other form. We are bred to have union with the Reality we have emerged from. We have brought with us the very essence of the Infinite. They say that God is within man. Thus our ultimate purpose can be served only when we keep pace with Divinity and link it with out line of humanity. As stated earlier, humanity was akin to Divinity at the source of creation; and assumed grosser form as the result of the jerks caused by actions and counter-actions in the process of evolution. We have only to bring all the constituents of the human frame of existence again to their original state of poise and tranquillity to keep up its link with Divinity. This is achieved by introducing into them proper moderation; and we do the same in Sahaj Marg. The routine practice of meditation really aims at removing immoderation there from by the action of our will so as to keep up the balance. Thus the humanity in us begins to get transformed into divinity. That is in fact the exact sense conveyed by the term divinisation of man. This having been done, the parallelity disappears and both – Divinity and humanity – become almost one. Humanity, however, can never become totally extinct so long as one has his body with him. Thus by the effect of meditation under the system of Sahaj Marg, we go on reducing the intensity of the force working along the line of humanity. Divinity thus begins to gain ground, and parallelity begins to diminish. In other words humanity begins to get charged with the force of divinity, which in course of time begins to prevail all over. When the conditions get settled fully the parallelity is gone and humanity along with its force of creation is reduced to insignificance. In this way, God being infinite, man at that highest level of approach too, is likewise within the sphere of humanity. When human limitations are gone, the expanse of self becomes unlimited, so much so that the entire universe seems to be contained within self. Anything then that strikes anywhere in the universe, causes an echo in his heart. Everything within Nature is then in his knowledge and perception.

From time immemorial God realisation has been trumpeted to be the goal of human endeavour (purushartha) and existence, specially in India. But just like the concept of God (i.e., Ultimate Reality) the idea of God realisation too has become shrouded in such sheaths of mystery that a sincere man of reason and science begins to feel disgusted at the very mention of the term.

Most of the scholarly saints have defined the state of realisation in numerous odd ways, but to me it appears that so far as it can be defined, it is not realisation. It is really a dumb state which is beyond expression. Feeling or observing luminosity within or outside is not realisation at all. During the early period of my abhyas, I often felt and witnessed luminosity. But that not being the goal, I proceeded on under the watchful support of my master. Really it is a tasteless state – unchanging and constant. There is no charm, no attraction, and no anandam in the popular sense of the word. It can more appropriately be described as ‘sang-e-benamak’ (i.e., a lump of salt from which saltishness has been taken away). One having attained the state of realisation develops an unfailing will in the spiritual sphere.

Generally, learned men express their opinion about realisation or its conditions on the basis of learning and not on that of their experimental knowledge, which is the real one. For that reason I regret to say that realisation has now become a present-day art. The Reality, in fact, has sunk down deep leaving out its colours according to their mental taste and skill. The result is that people begin to focus their attention on those very paintings and get into them to the extent that is neither spirituality, nor Reality. I believe that one must not have the right to touch the subject of realisation unless he has attained it in the true sense, whereby the divine wisdom has awakened in him. Only the life of practicality is required for the solution of the problem.

Realisation can better be defined as a state of changelessness, which is a condition seldom bestowed upon man even in the course of thousands of years. But if one happens to get a master who has attained it in full, and the abhyasi too is keenly interested in and earnest about it, it becomes quite easily attainable. But so long as there exists the feeling of ‘is’ (existence), it is not complete realisation. It follows therefore that even bliss is a drawback.

People often ask me to let them know first what realisation is, and afterwards they would start worshipping. It is just as one may say, “Let me first understand the thoughts of Shakespeare or Milton, and afterwards I shall try to learn the alphabet.” It is the same as an abhyasi saying, “Let me first realise God, and then I shall start worshipping Him.” When the very thing you seek comes to you, why should you then worship at all. He alone can climb up a height who has created in himself the recognition of his low-lying state. The spiritual discontent is rightly recognised as the starting point of philosophic endeavour in the tradition of Indian philosophy.

Realisation has now, today, become very easy because of the presence of the Divine Personality. The thought of people generally does not go beyond the point of liberation, which they take to be the final limit of human approach. But that is a wrong idea. As a matter of fact, liberation is one of the lowest attainments on the divine path, hence it is just like a toy for a child to play with. Beyond that there is yet a lot to be achieved. The infinite ocean lies still ahead, which is but a limitless expanse. Have your eyes fixed upon That and That alone; and go on and on to trace It out.

Nirvikalpa samadhi is also a yogic attainment, but it will not solve the problem. The real state of samadhi is that in which we remain attached with Reality, pure and simple every moment – no matter how busy one may be all the time with worldly work and duties. It is known as sahaj samadhi – one of the highest achievements, and the very basis of nirvana. Its merits cannot be described in words, but can be realised by one who abides in it. It is not so easy as its name denotes. It was highly spoken of by Saint Kabir, and it is the thing worth gaining.

There are numerous means and practices prescribed for the realisation, out of which we have to choose that which guarantees speedy success. Now what it may be, let every one judge for himself. For a hint, I accept the judicious opinion of Swami Vivekananda on this point, “That it is raja yoga alone that can successfully lead a man up to the highest level of approach; and that none but one having the capacity to apply his own internal powers through pranahuti is fit for being a guide or Master”. I may also assure you that hatha yoga has no access beyond ajna chakra. Besides, there is also another serious defect in it. When we start with the bodily exercises of hatha yoga, the consciousness of our physical efforts, with the idea of self in the background also remains all through. Thus the ego instead of getting reduced goes on increasing thereby. But that is not the case with raja yoga, wherein one proceeds with the subtlest means for silencing the ever-active tendencies of the mind. Besides, while practising this, one is always away from the idea of the body since he has fixed his attention on the subtlest.

In order to realise the subtle Being, we must take up means which are equally fine and subtle. The difficulty arises only when intricate methods are applied for the solution of the simple problem. In other words they apply huge cranes for picking up a small sewing needle. God is simple and can be achieved by simple means. So, in order to realise Him, we should adopt such methods through which we may be able to free ourselves from things created by our own will, actions and surroundings. All our thoughts should be regulated and our individual mind should be cleared of the burdens lying on it. We should be as light as cotton so that we may start our flight towards Him with the help of a single push from a capable Master. In our sanstha, Reality is infused at the first stroke of will, which serves as the seed in the long run. The process is generally set in by one’s Master so that the seed may grow easily, and scorching winds may not burn it up. The disciple waters it by constant remembrance, which is the only thing, needed on the path of realisation.

Grihastha ashram (family life) is not a bar in gaining the real aim of life. I think this is the best ashram in which higher approach is easily possible. I am a grihastha, and my Master was also one. I assure you that a perfect saint may be found in this ashram alone. We perform our duties, and remember Him as Ultimate Reality.