Comparing the spiritual state of an advanced man to an ocean, I might say that just as we find flakes of foam at the surface caused by the up-surging of waves, similarly there are numerous such things in the form of thoughts and ideas floating over the surface level of the state prevailing in a certain region, and which pass by, touching one swimming through it. They never attract his attention in the least. In the same way when one is absorbed in the spiritual state in which he is swimming, it is not surprising to find his attention diverted away from those flakes of foam which are only momentary, and which are formed and destroyed over and over again by the action of the waves. They do not however affect the purity and the smoothness of the sphere at all. Such is the state of the brahmanda mandal or virat. Occasional thoughts arising in the mind during the course are like flakes of foam created by the action and counter-action of the waves in the region, and they are only momentary and of no consequence at all. The reason why they are there at all is that from the very first day we have continuously been making thought after thought, all of which are floating in the region and touching all those passing by. This is but natural. But the most unhappy phase comes in when one begins to treat them as his own. This is the greatest blunder on the part of the abhyasi. In another way it reflects directly upon the predominance in him of the feeling of ‘mine-ness' which is so common among the professed jnanis of today.

The prefix ‘maha’ before a word denotes a condition which is higher than that implied in the word. For instance, the prefix ‘maha’ added to the word ‘maya' denotes the condition which is beyond the normal level of maya. Maya may be taken to be something within the limits of a certain sphere. But when one goes beyond, maya dissolves. It is then denoted as mahamaya. The exact conception of it is however impossible, just as a true conception of the region of air may be possible only when one is able to go beyond the last limit of airspace. But even then it would be quite difficult to determine the exact line of demarcation because of the gradual melting away and the transformation of the condition. Suppose you throw a ball high up in the air, you will never be able to fix up an exact location of it there, though it may well be in your sight. Anything coming out of the limitless must have a tinge of it in some respect at least. Now what makes you realise it is undoubtedly the thought, as one would usually say. But in the strictest sense it is not even thought but definitely something quite apart from it. Roughly it may correspond to a great extent with that which may be the ‘thought out'. In other words the two i.e., the ‘thought' and the ‘thought out' run in concurrence with each other. For all practical purposes we say that it is the thought that realizes, but then it would be very difficult to specify its actual level. If we attempt to do so, we only mean to convert the Limitless into the limited. Think for yourself how it may then be possible to locate the exact position of the sphere of mahamaya. Suffice it to say that it is a mere region, for the sake of understanding.

SIX DARSANAS

Apparently there seem to be contradictions in the Vedas, and the six schools of philosophy are the result. In this way each has built up its own theories on the basis of one's knowledge and understanding and the approach in that direction. But the sage Manu is quite justified when he says that only that part of the Vedas which agrees with reason is the Veda in the real sense, land this is no doubt very creditable of him. Of all the scriptures of the world it is only the Vedas that speak like that in plain terms. But in respect of the actual realisation, the study of the Vedas is but secondary. The word study implies a sense of practical realisation of the reality at the bottom, and that can be acquired neither by reading and believing nor by reasoning and discussing, but only by super-conscious perception. We go on and on through different conditions casing off our assumed colouring, till finally we become quite colourless. Pains and pleasures of which we have ever been taking impressions are but the diversely coloured shades of our thoughts. They are not different from each other but only coloured as they are by the action of the imaginative faculties. For example, the theory of ghosts, real or imaginary, is there to frighten one but not another. Those who are in fear of ghosts are often found to be harmed by them. But the fact is that they are actually harmed by themselves through the ghost. Similarly treating maya as a ghost, it is really not the maya that puts us to harm but our own self through the agency of maya. Our boat is sailing on the glassy surface of maya which is spreading forth both its wings to take us in, in order to present us to the Master. Our existence in the world would never have been possible had there not been this network of maya. Should such a thing of merit and value ever be reviled and cursed? Those who do so lack proper understanding of its value and utility. For this reason alone it presents to them an ugly picture of its own. If we attach ourselves to the brighter side of it, it will make us brighter still. It serves no purpose at all to remain here after getting away from maya, but the proper course would be to adhere firmly to the One, the Real, and ignore everything else as of no serious importance. In this way everything needed for the purpose shall follow by itself. That is the easiest solution of the problem.

MAYA

The world is said to be unreal like a dream, and the learned teachers induce people to think like that. But a dream is never unreal to anyone so long as he is in the dream. In the same way, so long as we are in this dream-land of the world it can never appear unreal to us. A dream appears unreal to us only when we are awake, or, in other words, we are off from it. Similarly the world can appear unreal to us only when we have gone beyond the sphere of physical Consciousness. But this can never be attained by mere thinking, imagining, or by continuous repetition of the words like, ‘The world is unreal', ‘Every thing is maya or illusion'. Proper means are required for developing that condition.

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ESSENCE OF NATURE

Simplicity is the very essence of nature. It is the reflection of that which existed in the Absolute in a latent state. It promotes growth. It can aptly be described as the quintessence of the ultimate. Activity starts from this point which is verily the origin. All that follows falls within the sphere of maya, where the people mostly abide in and pursue their activities accordingly. In fact, it is this one that led to the composition of forms. This continued to develop in the man too and finally led to the formation of strong knots which are now even difficult to undo except by the special power of will.

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