SHRII PRABHAT RANJAN SARKAR

PROUT IN A NUTSHELL

VOLUME THREE


The pratiika (Ananda Marga emblem) represents in a visual way the essence of Ananda Marga ideology. The six-pointed star is composed of two equilateral triangles. The triangle pointing upward represents action, or the outward flow of energy through selfless service to humanity. The triangle pointing downward represents knowledge, the inward search for spiritual realization through meditation. The sun in the centre represents advancement, all-round progress. The goal of the aspirant’s march through life is represented by the swastika, a several-thousand-year-old symbol of spiritual victory.

PROUT IN A NUTSHELL

VOLUME THREE

Second Edition


Prout in a Nutshell was originally published simultaneously in twenty-one parts and seven volumes, with each volume containing three parts, © 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991 by Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saîgha (Central). The same material, reorganized and revised, with the omission of some chapters and the addition of some new discourses, is now being published in four volumes as the second edition. This book is Prout in a Nutshell Volume Three, Second Edition, © 2020 by Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saîgha (Central). Registered office:

Ananda Nagar, P.O. Baglata, District Purulia, West Bengal, India

All rights reserved by the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. First edition edited by: Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Párthasárathi Second edition edited by: Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta, Párthasárathi, Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta and Ácárya Vimalánanda Avadhúta

ISBN Electronic Edition: 978-81-941215-2-7 (Volume Three) ISBN Electronic Edition: 978-81-941215-4-1 (Set of four volumes) Published by: Ácárya Hariishánanda Avadhúta Publications Secretary (Central) Ananda Marga Publications Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saîgha (Central)

CONTENTS

Roman Saîskrta xi Publisher’s Note xv

1. Saîgacchadhvaî 29 2. Artha and Paramártha 34 3. Song, Dance and Instrumental Music 40 4. The Social Order and Superiority and Inferiority Complexes 46 5. Can Atom Bombs Destroy Human Civilization? 51 6. The Importance of Society 54 7. The Four Vargas and Devotion 61 8. The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata 70 9. Aesthetic Science and Supra-Aesthetic Science 76 10. Supra-Aesthetic Science and Music 78 11. The Transitional Period 81 12. Exploitation – No More 84 13. Sadvipra, Táraka Brahma, Sadáshiva and Shrii Krïòa 88 14. The Evolution of Human Civilization 94 15. Dynamicity and Staticity 103 16. The Ever-Expanding Domain of Microcosm 108 17. Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 3 117 18. Genius and Technician 127 19. Elevating Backward Classes 139 20. Some Specialities of Prout’s Economic System 143 21. Art and Science 153 22. Beware of Dogma 160 23. Plants, Animals and Human Beings 165 24. Socio-Economic Groupifications 175 25. Fundamentals of Language 184 26. Development Planning 191 27. Liberation from Staticity 202 28. Let History Be Rewritten 206

29. What Should History Be Like? 209 30. Reality and Intellectuality 212 31. Various Forms of Exploitation 217 32. Some Hints on Education 221 33. The Continuous Effort to Promote Universal Well-Being – I 224 34. The Continuous Effort to Promote Universal Well-Being – 2 227 35. Some Education Policies 237 36. Women’s Rights 240 37. The Language Issue 242 38. Population Growth and Control 249 39. Capitalism in Three Spheres 255 40. Block-Level Planning 260 41. Economic Exploitation of Bengal 268 42. East-Wet Theory 283 43. Sama-Samája Tattva 287 44. Farmers’ Cooperatives 290 45. Decentralized Economy – 1 296 46. Exploitation and Pseudo-Culture 308 47. The Role of Scripture 322 48. River and Civilization 334 49. Samatat 339 50. Humanity Is at the Threshhold of a New Era 342 51. Human History and Collective Psychology 350 52. Polarization Strategy 354 53. Education and Neohumanism 365 54. Renaissance in All the Strata of Life 367 55. Keep Money Circulating 375 56. Sin, Crime and Law 378 57. Principles of Balanced Economy 384 58. Quadri-Dimensional Economy 390 59. Economic Self-Sufficiency for Bengal 396

60. Economic Democracy 446 61. Tripura 455 62. Requirements of an Ideal Constitution 460 63. The Origin of Existential Stamina 471 64. The Transformation of Psychic Pabula into Psycho-Spiritual Pabulum 475 65. The Man and the Ideology 482 66. The Role of Youth 486 Glossary 487

ROMAN SAÎSKRTA Realizing the necessity of writing swiftly and of pronouncing the

words of different languages correctly, the undernoted Roman Saîskrta (Sanskrit) alphabet has been adopted. Those not familiar with either the Devanágrii alphabet or the Bengali alphabet below, please see the pronunciation key on page xii.

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a á b c ì d e g h i j k l m î n ò ô o p r s ï t í u ú v y

It is possible to pronounce the Saîskrta, or Sanskrit, language with

the help of only twenty-nine letters of Roman script. The letters “f”, “q”, “qh”, “z”, etc., are required in the Arabic, Persian, and various other languages, but not in Saîskrta.

“ìa” and “ìha”, occurring in the middle of a word or at the end of a word, are pronounced “óa” and “óha”, respectively. Like “ya”, they are not independent letters. When the need arises in writing non-Saîskrta words, “óa” and “óha” may be written.

Letters newly added to the Bengali alphabet in order to render certain words of foreign languages:

qua qhua za óa óha fa ya lra t aô

SANSKRIT PRONUNCIATION KEY This key is a guide to the pronunciation of the Sanskrit words in this

book. In the cases of those words of other languages (such as Bengali and Hindi) romanized in this book, the pronunciations will be similar but not exactly the same.

a = “a” in “mica” á = “a” in “father” i = “i” in “folio” ii = somewhat prolonged i u = “u” in “lute” ú = somewhat prolonged u r (alone or followed by consonant) = ri in Spanish carido rr = rri in Spanish corrida lr = l +ri

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lrr = l + rri e = “e” in “cachet” ae = “ai” in “kaiser” o = “o” in “open” ao = “au” in “sauerkraut” î = a nasalization of the preceding vowel, sometimes similar to “ng”

in “sung” h (following vowel, but not followed by a vowel) = aspirated version

of the vowel, or ha sound appended to the vowel. E.g., vah = either va with aspiration (expelling breath), or vaha sound.

kh, gh, ch, jh, íh, ìh, th, dh, ph = aspirated versions of consonants (expelling breath)

uôa = nasalized “wa” (“a” in “mica”). Combining form uô before k, kh, g, gh = “n” pronounced naturally for that location.

iôa = nasalized “ya” (“a” in “mica”). Combining form iô before c, ch, j, jh = “n” pronounced naturally for that location.

í = cerebral “t” (tip of tongue touches centre of palate) ì = cerebral “d” (tip of tongue touches centre of palate) ò = cerebral “n” (tip of tongue touches centre of palate) t = dental “t” (tip of tongue touches upper teeth) d = dental “d” (tip of tongue touches upper teeth) y at beginning of word =“j” in “jump”. In middle of word = “y” in

“you”. v at beginning of word =“v” in “victory”. In middle of word = “w” in

“awaken”. sh = palatal “s” (tip of tongue touches back of palate), “sh” in “shall”

or “ss” in “issue” ï = cerebral “s” (tip of tongue touches centre of palate), “sh” in “shun”

or “bush” kï = either aspirated version of “k” (expelling breath), or “k” + “sh” ô (preceded by vowel other than i or u) = nasalization of vowel jiôa = “gya” (“a” in “mica”) jiôá = “gya” (“a” in “father”)

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Prout, an acronym for Progressive Utilisation Theory, is a comprehensive socio-economic philosophy developed by the author from the beginning of 1955 until his death in October 1990. The author defined Progressive Utilization Theory as the “progressive utilization of all factors” and those who support this principle as “Proutists”.

Prout, however, is more than just a theory or philosophy. It is also a social movement based on spiritual culture, a model of a socio-economic system, a vision of the good society and a practice. And, as the author himself once indicated, Prout is also a universal resource, capable of finding a just and rational solution whenever it is properly applied to a socio-economic problem.

In essence, Prout aims to establish a new social system. In the discourse “Dialectical Materialism and Democracy”, which is contained in Volume Two of this series, the author explains that the social system that will come into being will maintain adjustment and harmony with time, space and person. It will move step by step towards establishment in spirituality, without regard to any ism.

For a discussion on the reasons why the author propounded Prout, the history of the term “Prout”, the origins of the Prout in a Nutshell series, and how best to study Prout, see the Publisher’s Note in Volume One.

This book is Prout in a Nutshell Volume Three, Second Edition. The second edition of the series contains four volumes and twenty parts, with each volume containing five parts. This volume contains Part 11 to Part 15. It spans the period from the October 1978 to the end of 1986, and contains sixty-six chapters. It also contains two new chapters that were not included in the first edition of the series: “The Transitional Period” and “Sadvipra, Táraka Brahma, Sadáshiva and Shrii

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Krïòa”. Details about the source of each of the discourses in this volume are set out at the end of the Publisher’s Note.

Part 11 to Part 15, based on the Contents, are divided as follows:

Part 11: “Saîgacchadhvaî” (chapter 1) to “The Ever-Expanding Domain of Microcosm” (chapter 16); Part 12: “Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 3” (chapter 17) to “What Should History Be Like?” (chapter 29); Part 13: “Reality and Intellectuality” (chapter 30) to “Decentralized Economy – 1” (chapter 45); Part 14: “Exploitation and Pseudo-Culture” (chapter 46) to “Quadri-Dimensional Economy” (chapter 58); and Part 15: “Economic Self-Sufficiency for Bengal” (chapter 59) to “The Role of Youth” (chapter 66). To assist researchers, the original language of each discourse

is mentioned below, together with the date and place it was given, and where, if other than in this book, it was originally published.

The abbreviation “DMC” at the end of a discourse signifies Dharmamahá Cakra. It was a special gathering addressed by the author as the preceptor, or guru, of Ananda Marga. The abbreviation “RU” at the end of a discourse indicates that the discourse constituted a Presidential speech to Renaissance Universal.

Square brackets […] in the text indicate translations by the editors or other editorial insertions. Round brackets (…) indicate a word or words originally given by the author. If brackets surround one or more words that are italicised, the brackets themselves are also italicised.

The author used a certain shorthand for explaining the etymologies of words. Under this system, a minus sign (-) follows a prefix, and a plus sign (+) precedes a suffix. Thus ava – tr + ghaiô = avatára can be read, “The root tr prefixed by ava and suffixed by ghaiô becomes avatára.”

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Generally non-English words in the text, such as Sanskrit, Bengali and Hindi words as well as words from some other languages, are italicised. Several words of Sanskrit origin, however, are considered to have passed into the English language; such words are treated as English words and are not italicised. These words include dharma, guru, mantra and sadhana.

Finally, throughout this series, and indeed in all the author’s works, the terms shúdras, kïatriyas, vipras and vaeshyas (lower case and italic) and the terms Shúdra Age, Kïatriya Age, Vipra Age and Vaeshya Age (capitalized, non-italic and each with “Age”) refer to social classes, collective psychologies, and are applicable to all societies. They have nothing to do with the caste system in India. The terms Shúdras, Kïatriyas, Vipras (or Brahmans) and Vaeshyas (capitalized, non-italic and without “Age”) refer to the castes in Indian society.

“Saîgacchadhvaî”. Given 12 October 1978, Patna. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 3, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 11 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 3, Second Edition.

“Artha and Paramártha”. Given 4 November 1978, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 4, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 11 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Song, Dance and Instrumental Music”. Given 9 November 1978, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 3. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 10 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

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“The Social Order and Superiority and Inferiority Complexes”. Given 20 November 1978, Delhi. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 5, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, 1 January 1987. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 7, Second Edition, 1987.

“Can Atom Bombs Destroy Human Civilization?” Given 2 December 1978, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 3. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 7, April 1988, and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“The Importance of Society”. Given 8 December 1978, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 3. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“The Four Vargas and Devotion”. Given 11 December 1978, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 11 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata”. Given 12 December 1978, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 11 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 1.

“Aesthetic Science and Supra-Aesthetic Science”. Given 23 December 1978, Kolkata. Published as “Aesthetic Science and Music” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 10 and

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Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Saîgiita: Song, Dance and Instrumental Music, First Edition. “Supra-Aesthetic Science and Music”. Published in A Few Problems Solved Part 4. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 10 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“The Transitional Period”. Given 30 December 1978, Patna. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 7, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. 13 May 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 7, First Edition, 1987.

“Exploitation – No More”. Given 4 January 1979, Patna. Published as “No More Exploitation” in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 7, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, 13 May 1987. Published as “No More Exploitation” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 7, 1987.

“Sadvipra, Táraka Brahma, Sadáshiva and Shrii Krïòa”. Given 17 January 1979, Bangaon. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 8, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 8, First Edition. “The Evolution of Human Civilization”. Given 3 March 1979, Siliguri. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 3. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Dynamicity and Staticity”. Given 10 March 1979, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 3. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 7 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

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“The Ever-Expanding Domain of Microcosm”. Given 16 June 1979, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 4. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 14, July 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 3”. Given 16 June 1979, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 3. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 7, and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Genius and Technician”. Given 19 June 1979, Kolkata. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 3. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 14, July 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from the Prout in a Nutshell. “Elevating Backward Classes”. Given June 1979, Kolkata. Discourse in English. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 15, and Volume 5, November 1988. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992.

“Some Specialities of Prout’s Economic System”. Given June 1979, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published as “Some Features of Prout’s Economic System” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. Published as “Some Specialities of Prout’s Economic System” in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992.

“Art and Science”. Given 16 August 1979, Taipei. Discourse in English. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 14, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 10 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 14.

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“Beware of Dogma”. Given 15 September 1979, Istanbul. Discourse in English. Published in the first edition of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 9 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30.

“Plants, Animals and Human Beings”. Given 15 October 1979, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 4. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 16, January 1990, and Volume 6, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Socio-Economic Groupifications”. Given October 1979, Kolkata. Compiled in English from English and Bengali. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992.

“Fundamentals of Language”. Given 1 November 1979, Kullu. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 4. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Development Planning”. November 1979. Compiled in English from discourses given in several languages during the author’s November and December 1979 tour of India to demonstrate the practical application of socio-economic groupifications. Published as “Some Aspects of Socio-Economic Planning” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 15, and Volume 5, November 1988. Published as “Developmental Planning” in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992.

“Liberation from Staticity”. Given 28 January 1980. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 4. Published in the first

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editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8, and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from A Few Problems Solved Part 4. “Let History Be Rewritten”. Given 29 January 1980, Patna. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 4. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8, and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from A Few Problems Solved Part 4.

“What Should History Be Like?” Given 28 February 1980. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 4. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8, and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from A Few Problems Solved Part 4.

“Reality and Intellectuality”. Given 17 May 1980, Varanasi. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 5. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 14, July 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from A Few Problems Solved Part 5.

“Various Forms of Exploitation”. Given 19 August 1980, Kolkata. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18 and Volume 6, 1990. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Some Hints on Education”. Given 19 August 1980. Discourse in English. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18 and Volume 6, 1990. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “The Continuous Effort to Promote Universal Well-Being – 1”. Given 19 November 1980, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published as “Yatamána – 1” in Mánasádhyátmika Sádhanár Staravinyás, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Published as “The Continuous Effort to Promote Universal Well-Being – 1” in the first

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editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18 and Volume 6, 1990. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“The Continuous Effort to Promote Universal Well-Being – 2”. Given 26 November 1980, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published as “Yatamána – 2” in Mánasádhyátmika Sádhanár Staravinyás, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Published as “The Continuous Effort to Promote Universal Well-Being – 2” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18 and Volume 6, 1990. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Some Education Policies”. Given April 1981, Kolkata. Discourse in English. Published as “Some Educational Policies” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18 and Volume 6, 1990. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Women’s Rights”. Given April 1981, Kolkata. Discourse in English. Published in in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 9. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “The Language Issue”. Given 1981, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 9. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Population Growth and Control”. Given 1981, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 9. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Capitalism in Three Spheres”. Given 1981, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved

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Part 9. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Block-Level Planning”. Given 1981, Kolkata. Compiled in English from English and Bengali. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 8. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 12 and Volume 4, December 1987. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Economic Exploitation of Bengal”. Given 1981, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published as “Three Forms of Economic Exploitation” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 19 and Volume 7, 1991. Published as “Economic Exploitation of Bengal” in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “East-Wet Theory”. Given 1981, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 19 and Volume 7, 1991. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992.

“Sama-Samája Tattva”. Given 31 December 1981, Ananda Nagar. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, 1982. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, Fourth Edition, 1999. “Farmers’ Cooperatives”. Given February 1982. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 20 and Volume 7, 1991. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992.

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“Decentralized Economy – 1”. Given 16 March 1982, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published as “Decentralized Economy” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 21 and Volume 9, 1991. Published as “Decentralized Economy – 1” in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Exploitation and Pseudo-Culture”. Given 21 March 1982, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first edition of The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, 1982. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, Fourth Edition, 1999. “The Role of Scripture”. Given 9 July 1982, Patna. Discourse in Bengali. From “Shiva’s Teachings – 2”, Shivopadesha 4 (Discourse 14) published in Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. 1982. Published as “Shiva’s Teachings – 2 Shivopadesha 4” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 10 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Third Edition, 1995. “River and Civilization”. Given 2 September 1982, Allahabad. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 5. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 9 and Volume 3, November 1987, and contained two sections. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell, and contains only the first section. “Samatat”. Given 1984, Kolkata. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 19 and Volume 9, 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Humanity Is at the Threshold of a New Era”. Given 26 May 1984, Ranchi. Discourse in English. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 5. Published in the first editions of Prout in a

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Nutshell Part 9 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from A Few Problems Solved Part 5. “Human History and Collective Psychology”. Given 11 August 1984, Kolkata. Discourse in English. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 7. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 9 and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Polarization Strategy”. Given 31 December 1984, Kolkata. Discourse in English. Published as “Socio-Economic Movements” in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 9. Published in the same name in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 13, April 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Education and Neohumanism”. Given 25 May 1985, Kolkata. Discourse in English. RU discourse. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 5. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, and Volume 6, 1991. The chapter in this edition is from A Few Problems Solved Part 5. “Renaissance in All the Strata of Life”. Given 2 January 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in English. RU discourse. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 7. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 9, and Volume 3, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from A Few Problems Solved Part 7. “Keep Money Circulating”. Contains two sections. 1) Given 20 March 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Shabda Cayaniká Part 4. 2) Given 21 December 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Shabda Cayaniká Part 10. Both sections published as “Keep Money Rolling” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 12 and Volume 4, December 1987, and in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic

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Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is retranslated from Shabda Cayaniká. “Sin, Crime and Law”. Given 23 March 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Shabda Cayaniká Part 4. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 12 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “Principles of Balanced Economy”. Contains two sections. 1) Given 6 April 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Shabda Cayaniká Part 5. 2) Given 17 September 1987, Kolkata. Both sections published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 12 and Volume 4, December 1987. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Quadri-Dimensional Economy”. Given 5 June 1986, Kolkata. Compiled in English from English and Bengali. Published as “The Parts of the Economy” in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 9. Published in the same name in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 12 and Volume 4, December 1987. Published as “Quadri-Dimensional Economy” in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Economic Self-Sufficiency for Bengal”. Given 6 June 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published as “The Socio-Economic Potential of Bengal” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 20 and Volume 7, 1991. Published as “Economic Self-Sufficiency for Bengal” in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Economic Democracy”. Given June 1986, Kolkata. Compiled in English from English and Bengali. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 19 and Volume 7, 1991. Published in

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Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Tripura”. Given July 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 21 and Volume 7, 1991. Published in Proutist Economics – Discourses on Economic Liberation, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992. “Requirements of an Ideal Constitution”. Given 22 September 1986, Kolkata, in English. Dictation taken by Ác. Jagadishvaránanda Avt. Published in the first edition of A Few Problems Solved Part 8. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 12 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “The Origin of Existential Stamina”. Given October 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in English. Published in A Few Problems Solved Part 8. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 12 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “The Transformation of Psychic Pabula into Psycho-Spiritual Pabulum”. Given October 1986, Kolkata. Published in A Few Problems Solved Part 8. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 12 and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “The Man and the Ideology”. Given November 1986, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Shabda Cayaniká Part 5, from “Kulála”, Discourse 33. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 14, July 1998, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. “The Role of Youth”. Discourse in English. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18 and Volume 6, 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

SAÎGACCHADHVAÎ

Now there will be an interpretation of another common Vedic shloka [couplet]. It is,

Saîgacchadhvaî saîvadadhvaî saî vo manáîsi jánatám, Devábhágaî yathápúrve saîjánáná upásate. Samánii va ákútih samáná hrdayánivah, Samánamastu vo mano yathá vah susahásati.1 Saîgacchadhvaî. Here the prefix sam means “in the proper

style”, “in the proper way”, “in the proper rhythm”. Now, everybody moves, everything as a whole moves, and each and every entity in its individual capacity also moves. And what is movement? Movement means changing place. Movement denotes velocity. The Sanskrit root verb gam denotes velocity. It denotes life also. So each and every living creature will have to move. There is no alternative.

But not all movements are saîgacchadhvaî. What is society, what makes it up? What is saîaja [“society”]? Samánam ejati iti samájah. [Saîaja is the collective name of a group of people who have made a unanimous decision to move together towards a common goal.] Ejati means gacchati.2 For movement, for walking, there are several verbs in Sanskrit – gacchati, calati, carati, vrajati, ejati – so many verbs having

1 This shloka is generally translated as follows: “Let us move together, let us radiate the same thought-wave, let us come to know our minds together. Let us share our wealth without differentiation, like sages of the past, so that all may enjoy the universe. Let our aspirations be united, let our hearts be inseparable. Let our minds be as one mind, so that we live in harmony and become one with the Supreme.”

–Eds.

2 The third-person form of the root gam. –Eds.

30 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3

different meanings and different imports. Now, here we have so many people moving together. Here “moving together” does not mean march or double march, here “moving together” means that all portions of society, all portions of the collective body, should have the spirit to move ahead. Suppose you have gathered sufficient money, and there is no dearth of food in your house, but the remaining portion of society, your neighbours, your friends, are suffering from a dearth of money, or food, or clothes. Then it means that you are not following the spirit of saîgacchadhvaî. Saîgacchadhvaî means to build a strong, well-knit society where there shall be no exploitation, no superiority complex or inferiority complex.

Just to represent the spirit of saîgacchadhvaî, I propounded the theory of Prout. So the entire theory of Prout stands upon this Vedic sermon of saîgacchadhvaî.

Then saîvadadhvaî. In Sanskrit the verb va means “to speak”. Everybody speaks, so what is the import of saîvadadhvaî? Saîvadadhvaî means that you are to be guided by that Supreme Spirit that makes you speak in the same line; that is, your language must not have any ambiguity. It should be free from all ambiguities. It should be clear, conclusive and decisive.

Saî vo manáîsi jánatám. Vah means “your” in the plural. Vah is Old Sanskrit, that is, Vedic. In Laokika Saîskrta, that is, Later Sanskrit, the term for “your” is yusmákam, but in old Vedic Sanskrit it is vah. The root verb is vah. As becomes ah, that is, as and ah are the same thing, so it is vah. Saî vo manáîsi jánatám means vo manáîsi sama jánatám.

You should know that the source of all creation, and also the source of all microcosms, is the Supreme Progenitor. You should know that from the Supreme Progenitor come all the microcosms. You should never forget this fundamental truth. The difference among the units is the difference in their microcosmic reactive momenta, but you should remember

SAÎGACCHADHVAÎ 31

always that the source of all these microcosms is the Singular Entity, the Singular Macrocosm. Then the relationship among human beings will become closer and closer. Saî vo manáîsi jánatám. You should know this fact, you must not forget this fact.

Devábhágaî yathápúrve saîjánáná upásate. Now, the word deva comes from the root word div. Div means “a divine existence”. So deva means “a divine existence”.

Maharshi Yájiôavalkya says, Dyotate kriiìate yasmádudyate dyotate divi; Tasmáddeva iti proktah stúyate sarvadevataeh. [The vibrational manifestations emanating from the Supreme Nucleus are known as devata’s, and these devata’s address that Supreme Nucleus as Deva. He with His powers vibrates the entire universe, makes the entire universe dance; and He by dint of His occult and supra-occult powers brings everything back onto His lap.]

Those divine vibrations, those divine manifestations, the vibrating attributions of the Divine Father, are deva. Devábhágaî yathápúrve – that is, “the divine vibrations of the past”. Why has the word “past” been used? Because from the very dawn of human civilization there have been these divine vibrations, and these divine vibrations know no differentiations. And in the actional sphere also, there have been no differentiations. Equality and parity have always been maintained.

Just see the case of air, light, water, respirations and everything. The need for these things is the same for all individuals. There have been no differentiations. These differentiations that we see in society are creations of vested interests, creations of depraved persons, of degenerated, immoral people. So you should not support these actional


defects of immoral persons. You should follow the divine vibrational system, that is, you must not try to find any differentiations among individuals. Devábhágaî yathápúrve saîjánáná upásate. It is the wont of divine expressions that there be no differentiations, no class of exploiters and exploited. That is, this wont of not creating any differentiations was not only their duty, it was their upásana, the desideratum of their existential march.

Samánii va ákútih. When everything comes from the same source, from the same Progenitor, and when finally everything goes back to the same desideratum, there must be the same aspirations, the same longing, in the heart of each and every individual. But due to the depraving actions of immoral people, those exploited, those downtrodden people are forced to forget their goal. They are [carried] away from the desideratum of their life. This should not be done. Everybody should get the chance to develop their natural longings for Him [i.e., Supreme Consciousness].

Samáná hrdayánivah. When everything comes from the same Progenitor and moves along the same path towards the supreme culminating point, then should there be any cordial difference between one person and another? No, there must not be. Everybody should be given the scope or circumstances should be created such that nobody gets the scope to feel that their future is sealed forever, is blocked. So let everybody feel that everybody in this expressed universe belongs to the same big human family. Ek caoká, ek culhá, ek hyay mánav samáj. [One kitchen, one fireplace, one human family.]

Samánamastu vo mano. All microcosms come from the same Macrocosm, and finally, all microcosms will become one with the same Singular Macrocosm. So, while they are in society, while they are in the phenomenal world, they should remember this supreme truth: that actually they are one, one Entity expressing Itself through so many different corporeal

SAÎGACCHADHVAÎ 33

structures. And when this is done – and it is not at all a difficult job to do it – then what will it be? It will be a society in the proper spirit of the term. And this is the loftiest, it is the highest mission of all human beings. Those who do not recognize this fact, or those who want to forget this fact, are actually enemies of human society. Those who support casteism, racialism, provincialism, parochialism, nationalism, even inter-nationalism, are enemies of the big human society. Human society is, rather should be, based on only one ism, and that ism is universalism.3

12 October 1978, Patna Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 3

3 The author also says universalism is not actually an ism because it is beyond all

isms. See, for example, “Problems of the Day”, section 18, and “Discourses on Prout”, section 2, in Volume 1. –Eds.

ARTHA AND PARAMÁRTHA

Páshabaddho Bhavejjiivah páshmukto bhavecchivah. [An individual enmeshed in the snare of Máyá (the Cosmic Operative Principle in Her phase of creation) is called a jiiva or “microcosm”. And a person who is free from the fetters of Máyá becomes one with Shiva.]

It is the nature of jiivas [living beings, unit entities] to live in bondage. However, the one endowed with Cosmic grace gets liberation from these bondages by dint of sadhana and attains oneness with that Supreme Entity (Shiva). There is only one fundamental difference between Shiva and jiivas: Shiva is free from bondage whereas jiivas are chained by the shackles of bondage. Who wants to live in bondage? No one. Everyone wants to attain freedom, to be liberated from all sorts of bondages. Human beings can be liberated from certain bondages temporarily, but after a while those bondages will again return. This situation can be compared to a bird which is released from its cage and allowed to fly around a large room for a while, but after sometime is again confined to the same cage.

Artha

Now, what happens to the jiivas during this temporary

liberation, termed artha in Sanskrit? Hungry people are compelled to search for food with hunger pangs in their stomachs. When they eat something, they will get temporary relief from hunger; that is, they will attain temporary liberation from the influence of the bondage of hunger. Where did this food come from, and how did they procure it? With the help of money. Another meaning of artha is “money”. And its third meaning is “meaning”. Money brings temporary relief from

ARTHA AND PARAMÁRTHA 35

bondage. Today a hungry person may get relief from hunger with the help of money, but tomorrow the hunger will again return and the person will require more food. Liberation with the help of money can never be permanent. Yet in this ephemeral world we need to use transient objects. It is a relative world composed of relative objects and entities. And that’s why our natural question is, “How should we live our lives?” The answer is that we should move towards the Supreme Entity while maintaining an adjustment with the relative world. We cannot ignore the external world, we cannot live without artha or money. To obtain temporary liberation from pains and miseries money or artha is required, but to attain permanent liberation we need Paramártha. This is the basic difference between artha and Paramártha.

Paramártha

Human capacity is very limited – we cannot ignore this truth.

Human afflictions are trifarious: physical, psychic and spiritual. The physical afflictions originate from the material world and the psychic afflictions from the unmanifest world or human mind. In some countries of the world people have abundant supplies of food and clothes, but are they happy? No, they too suffer from pains and miseries, troubles and diseases. They too mourn the loss of their nearest and dearest ones. These are psychic afflictions. Next are the spiritual afflictions. The periphery of the human mind is small, and this small mind remains engrossed with limited objects. The mind must be raised above these limited objects, above the world of limited happiness, into the limitless spiritual world. Limited psychic wealth is the root cause of spiritual afflictions. The state of breaking the bondages of limitations is known as “spiritual liberation”. When that liberation is permanent, it is called “salvation”.

36 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Human capacity is limited. Money helps one attain

temporary liberation from afflictions, but that money is also limited. If someone accumulates money, another person is deprived of it; so no one should accumulate an unlimited amount.

Some means must be discovered to remove human afflictions. With this in mind I have formulated a new socio-economic theory that will remove those afflictions. It is called Prout. Prout alone can save humanity from its woes. It is useless to preach the gospels of Paramártha to a person who has no food to eat.

To live in this physical world, to preserve our existence, artha or money is essential. However, we also require Paramártha. Paramártha is that factor which brings about the permanent cessation of the triple afflictions. Here permanent cessation means cessation of those afflictions which, once removed, will never return again in the future. That artha which brings permanent relief from the pangs of hunger, which is the instrument of permanent cessation, is called Paramártha. It is important that you understand the true significance of Paramártha. Today society desperately needs a theory that can be applied in practical life with immediate effect. A new theory cannot originate from a mind of limited dimensions, but only from a person who looks at this universe with an evolved, enlightened mind. And for this Paramártha is a very important factor indeed.

Something else can be said about Paramártha. On one side stand the human beings who suffer from numerous defects and imperfections, and on the other side stands the great, inscrutable Máyá, poised against them. This tremendously powerful Máyá is intent upon ensnaring human beings within the grip of various instincts, which scatter the mind. Humans are under the domination of that powerful Máyá, are controlled and guided by that Vishva Máyá, according to Her own sweet


will. And when She observes that Her influence is waning, She strives to further mislead humans with various forces so that they remain within Her grip. In such an atmosphere of servility, humans can never attain Paramártha.

All obstacles, be they in the form of husbands, wives, parents or indeed the society at large, are the creation of Vishva Máyá. These obstacles and hindrances must be overcome. If Vishva Máyá becomes extremely angry and powerful, what should human beings do? Actually, there is no reason for humans to worry about this, because the blessings of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] are always with them. There are two shlokas [couplets] in this regard:

Daevii hyeïá guòamayii Mama Máyá duratyayá; Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetám taranti te.1

* * *

Tvam vaeïòavii shaktiranantaviiryá vishvasya biijaî paramá’si Máyá Sammohitaî devii samastometad tvaî vae parasanná bhúvi mukti hetuh. [This Máyá of Mine is of the nature of three principles, and is almost insurmountable. Only those who take refuge in Me can overcome this Máyá.] Parama Puruïa is the actual controller of Máyá, so a person

who takes refuge in Him cannot be harmed in any way. However little strength one may have, one will be able to resist Máyá in all circumstances. To tell you the truth, it is not always necessary to fight against Máyá: She eventually meets Her own

1 Bhagavad Giitá. –Eds.


defeat and surrenders. So what should an intelligent person do? The other day I said that all human beings should surrender their ego. They should only think that they are the children of Parama Puruïa, sitting on His lap. If they think in this way, Máyá will be unable to harm them.

Another thing should be mentioned in this context, about which I have already spoken. There are many people who think, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner.” This is not the right attitude as thoughts are often expressed externally. So the person who always thinks “I am a sinner” will ultimately become a sinner, even though he or she is not a sinner at all. One should not think such undesirable things – it is a type of perverted thought. Yádrshii bhávaná yasya siddhirbhavati tádrshii. [As you think, so you become.]

There are different types of criminals or wrongdoers, such as pickpockets, burglars and so on. Each criminal has his or her own circle of acquaintances and a place in a certain social hierarchy. For example, a confirmed thief will not pay much attention to a mere pickpocket. Similarly, sinners also have their social circles. A sinner who is called a sinner by other sinners, or a wrongdoer who is hated by other wrongdoers, is the worst of the worst. However, even if the worst sinner thinks of Parama Puruïa with undivided attention and takes shelter in Him imagining that he or she is sitting on His lap, saying, “Oh Lord, I am your child, save me”, Parama Puruïa will free him or her of all sins. No one need have any doubt about this.

If such people, however dark or ignominious their past may have been, ask Parama Puruïa for shelter, they will certainly be absolved of all their sins – there is no doubt about it. “I am a sinner, I am a sinner.” One must not give indulgence to this


type of thought. In this context you should all remember the story of Madálasá.2

4 November 1978, Kolkata

Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 4

2 The author says: “Madálasá is one of the great personalities of Indian history.

She left two important messages for her son. The first one was, ‘Shun all sorts of company in your life. If you are unable to do that, you should only keep the company of pious people.’ The second message was, ‘Avoid all kinds of desires in your life. If you are unable to do that, you should cherish only one desire, the desire for salvation.’” See “Remain United with the Supreme Benevolence”, given on 11 November 1978, in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 4, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

SONG, DANCE AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Once a certain boy asked me to say something on music and dance. I said that the subject was very interesting, that I would write an essay on it in the future – that would be better. Now I will only say something in brief.

Everyone knows that Sadáshiva was the original propounder of the science of music in this world. The same Sadáshiva was the propounder of [vaedyaka shástra], the [Tantra-based] science of medicine.1 At the same time he invented dances, songs, the science of instrumental music and many other things. Now, the question is, why was Sadáshiva so interested in the arts of dance, song and instrumental music? Besides these he also invented shástras [scriptures]; that is, he found the link between the exhalation and inhalation of breath on one side, and dance, song and instrumental music on the other. This is called svara shástra. The collective name of dance, song and instrumental music is saîgiita [music]. The word giitá [song] is derived from the root gae plus the suffix kta.

I have already said on many occasions that ours is a subjective approach with objective adjustment. Objective adjustment means to arrange everything in such a way as to be acceptable. For instance, while cooking something an expert cook always takes care that things are neither salty, nor pungent, nor sour – everything is in proper proportion. For

1 The author also says: “…vaedyaka shástra [which included dissection of

cadavers] was originated by Lord Sadáshiva. Actually, ayurveda was known to the Aryans earlier than Lord Shiva. But Lord Sadáshiva brought about a blending between vaedyaka shástra and ayurveda.” See “The Medical Science of the Age”, given on 17 September 1967, in Discourses on the Mahábhárata. Sadáshiva lived about 7,000 years ago. –Eds.

SONG, DANCE AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC 41

instance, while preparing pulses (legumes), additional spices are added and then thoroughly mixed into the dish. This is called sambara [“mixing”] or santulan in Bengali. Santulan means “to bring a mixture to the point of being tasty”.

When Sadáshiva introduced the science of intuitional practice, he had to keep in mind that there must be adjustment in the objective life of those who followed dharma sádhaná [a spiritual way of life]. In the absence of this adjustment the mind becomes irritated and degenerates, and no concentration in sadhana is possible for such a mind. Thus Shiva selected three things which are very much in use in the objective world but which are, at the same time, immensely helpful in spiritual life as well. These three are collectively known as saîgiita, of which the first part is giitá, or song.

Songs are rooted in the physical world, but their impact is on the subtler layers of the human mind. The mental world is the ectoplasmic world, the world composed of ectoplasmic stuff (cittánu). Songs produce a vibrational wave which makes our mental waves straight, and these straightened mental waves in turn ultimately touch the point of the soul. Now, to touch the embodied soul, the songs must have rhythm, melody and feeling (bháva).2 If there is no feeling, the song will lack sweetness. Therefore songs must have deep ideas. Simultaneously, Lord Shiva invented two more things: vádyá [instrumental music] and nrtya [dance].

What is vádyá? Indo-Aryan music is divided into two main schools: Hindustani music and Deccan or Carnatic music. The basic characteristics of those two schools of music are that, based on specific rágas or ráginiis [classical melodies], they give expression to different feelings. Then again, there are

2 The author also says when psychic waves attain a parallelism with the spiritual

waves of the átman (soul, unit consciousness), this psycho-spiritual parallelism is known as “idea”, or bháva. See “Psycho-Spiritual Parallelism” in Idea and Ideology, 1959. –Eds.


other sub-schools of music. Each person tries to please Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] in a particular style, which is unique to him or her; these styles are known as gharana. In Bengal there is Viïòupari gharana. In kiirtana [devotional chanting] there are different musical styles or gharanas, such as Manoharshahi, Ranihati, Garanhata, Mandarram, etc.

The speciality of these gharanas is that they channelize a specific mental feeling towards the Supreme Desideratum through the structures of the rágas and ráginiis. Songs have suggestive meanings (bháva) and rhythm and melody also. But their soul is bháva. Vádyá or the playing of musical instruments is not like that. Then what is the role of vádyá? It vibrates the mind and hence directly vibrates the ectoplasm and maintains parallelism with bháva. Once vádyá loses its basic property to maintain parallelism with bháva, it becomes useless.

Now, regarding dance: dance expresses inner psychic feelings through chanda [rhythm] and mudrás [specialized gestures], without the help of language or words. In occidental dance, there is more beauty in rhythm. But oriental dance utilizes both rhythm and mudrá. These mudrás, because of their close association with rhythmic qualities, have become more expressive and beautiful than the rhythmic occidental music. For instance, when we offer something we perform a particular mudrá, which is called sampradan mudrá. Similarly, there are other mudras, which also indicate different styles of offering, for example, prakïepa and Náráyána mudrás. We can offer things in any style we choose; we can direct a person to stop with a variety of mudrás also. Here we express ourselves without the use of words.

Now, how do these mudrás originate? The source of all sound is paráshakti [the primordial phase of linguistic expression], which is such a vast entity that it cannot be explained in words. Then pashyanti shakti – that is, I visualize


in my mind that which I am about to say. Next comes madhyamá shakti, in which we try to translate the bháva into action. When translating bháva into language, we will need to take the help of our vocal cords. Then [dyotamáná] shakti. At first we try to express something; we know what we want to say, but we may or may not be able to say it. In your own life sometimes you might have experienced that you are unable to exactly remember a person, for instance, Hari Babu, whom you have seen numerous times; his name does not come to mind at all. “What is it, what is it” – you struggle with the name like this. This is called dyotamáná shakti. [The next stage is vaekharii shakti.] Then shrutigocará shakti. What you have felt, what you have wanted to say, you now finally express in words. The last stage is shrutigocará shakti. For this shakti, mudrás can be used instead of language.

Now, the characteristic of dance is to use mudrás to give expression to this last item, this shrutigocará shakti, without the help of words. The mudrás of dance are directly related to the ectoplasm. Thus the specialities of oriental dance are easily appreciated by all.

Now, for objective adjustment in the physical world, Shiva propounded song, dance and instrumental music in such a manner so that they would directly vibrate the ectoplasm, so that the ectoplasmic movement would touch the soul point at a particular point in the body. That is why great people of all ages have encouraged all three aspects of music. In the history of saints it is known that Maharshi Narada played violin, sang songs and danced at the same time. In more recent times Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Deva also encouraged these three things – he said that the lyrics of the song should directly reflect Parama Puruïa Himself. And this category of song, directly reflecting Parama Puruïa, is known as kiirtana. The other category of song that also reflects Parama Puruïa, but which expresses many tangential ideas before returning to the


one central idea of Parama Puruïa, is called bhajana [“devotional songs”]. This is the basic difference between bhajana and kiirtana. In this respect I fully agree with the previous propounders; I also encourage these three things.

Now, lalita mármik dance can maintain adjustment with kiirtana without causing fatigue in the human body; that is why lalita is prescribed in kiirtana. Mahaprabhu also prescribed it as part of kiirtana. Now, mármik means “that which touches the innermost recesses of the heart”, so it is called lalita mármik. The inventor of this lalita dance was Párvatii; Shiva himself did not invent it. He did invent táòìava, however. The inner motivation of táòìava is the following: “Destruction is inevitable, but I will continue to fight against destruction through struggle.” So there is a skull in one hand and a dagger in the other. The skull represents destruction, and the dagger represents fight. The underlying feeling is, “I will not surrender to destruction or death. I will continue the struggle with this dagger.”

Furthermore, it is found that human beings are sometimes affected by various diseases, and frequently they are faced with various difficulties with respect to their sadhana. These impediments may or may not be major. For instance, small diseases like liver trouble may cause problems from time to time, and to remove these types of hindrances, I invented the kaoïikii dance on the 6th of September 1978.3 This dance serves as an antidote to twenty-two types of diseases.

All these [i.e., song, dance and instrumental music] are primarily meant to first of all vibrate the ectoplasmic stuff (cittánu), which in turn is concentrated at a certain point touching the point of the soul, where Parama Puruïa resides.

3 The author also composed 5018 songs, collectively known as Prabhát Saîgiita

(“Songs of the New Dawn”). –Eds.


This is, broadly speaking, a reply to the question of the boy. If I am to reply in greater detail, I will write a longer essay on the subject, which I propose to do in the future.


A Few Problems Solved Part 3

THE SOCIAL ORDER AND SUPERIORITY AND

INFERIORITY COMPLEXES

Most people suffer from either a superiority complex or an inferiority complex. A balanced state of mind is one of the most essential qualities that one should possess. It is that state in which a person does not suffer from any complex, that is, neither from superiority complex nor from inferiority complex, neither from fear complex nor from hate complex. People should be free from each and every kind of complex, they should not suffer from any of these. People have many vices and virtues. One of the virtues is to be free from any kind of complex. What is vice?

Types of Vice

Nidrá tandrá bhayaî krodha álasyaî diirghasútratá, Ete hátavyáh, sadado ïáh bhútimicchatá. “In this manifested world there are six kinds of main vices: nidrá [sleep], tandrá [drowsiness], bhaya [fear], krodha [anger], álasyaî [lethargy] and diirghasútratá [procrastination].”

Nidrá means sleep. No one should be a slave to this habit. Tandrá means you are hearing but your mind is somewhere else. I will tell you one story on tandrá from the Rámáyaòa. (The Rámáyaòa is a puráòa [fictitious story]. It is not a narration of facts, but an educative story. When something has got some educative value, it is called a puráòa.) Ráma and Lakïman went into exile. Lakïman took the responsibility of security but he felt sleepy. This became very embarrassing for him and he picked up his bow and arrows ready to attack the

THE SOCIAL ORDER AND COMPLEXES 47

goddess of sleep. On seeing this, the goddess of sleep told Lakïman that it was not fitting for such a brave and gallant man as him to attack a woman with his arrows. Lakïman replied that he was on security duty. They then made a pact that the goddess of sleep would not sit on his eyelids for fourteen years, that is, till the period of exile was over. On returning to Ayodhya, after the lapse of fourteen years, Ráma’s coronation ceremony was held and on that occasion Lakïman was fanning Ramchandra [King Ráma]. As the period of fourteen years was over, Lakïman felt sleepy. He was about to pick up his bow and arrows but the goddess of sleep protested saying that she had come after fourteen years in accordance with their pact and so Lakïman had no right to use his bow and arrows. Lakïman entreated that he was very busy waving a fan for Ramchandra and should therefore be spared from sleep on that occasion. The goddess asked where she should go as she had already arrived with her full force. Lakïman suggested that she should go and sit on the eyelids of any sinners who might be attending a spiritual function. So be careful, all of you, and do not sleep when you come to attend a spiritual function.

Bhayaî. Fear complex is another human shortcoming. The other remaining vices are krodha, álasyaî and diirghasútratá (procrastination, that is, to postpone today’s work for tomorrow and then for the day after).

Maintaining a balanced mind is one of the greatest virtues. There are no complexes in a balanced mind. One neither feels inferior nor superior to others; one never fears anybody nor ever gets perturbed. One maintains a mental balance.

Inferiority and Superiority Complexes

Inferiority and superiority complexes – not fear complex,

which is altogether different – arise due to a defective social order. Some people have to live like slaves in the society and


thus suffer from a strong inferiority complex – their heads remain forever bowed – while others inherit vast wealth as well as family pride from their ancestors and keep their heads held so high that at times it appears as if it will fall backwards. These complexes are due to a defective social order. The complex is in the crude physical world and in the socio-economic strata, not in the stratum of spirituality.

There cannot be any complex in the spiritual level or existential sphere. In spirituality there is no complex because every person has contact with Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] on a purely personal level. There is no third existence between them. There are only two: the spiritualist and the Parama Pitá [Cosmic Father]. Spiritualists move towards the Cosmic Father and sit on His lap. To do this is everyone’s birthright. Nobody can be debarred from doing so on the pretext of inferior caste, colour, education or poverty. Since this is everyone’s birthright there cannot be any complex in the arena of spirituality. The defective social order injects an inferiority complex in the mind, which often persists even when people enter the spiritual field. They feel that as the Cosmic Father is so great, how can they, being of low caste or poor or uneducated, go to Him? This is called mahimnabodha in the shástras [scriptures]. But one should not forget that the relation of father and child exists. Even if the father is a great scholar, the uneducated child will go to him and ask for whatever he requires because he or she has affection for the father.

Just now I said that in the field of spirituality there cannot be any complex, but there are complexes due to social defects. It is our spiritual duty to rectify the social order. If we fail, there may not be good spiritualists. Even those who have the potentiality to become good spiritualists may not progress. They may be like a flower that dies before it blossoms. I cannot allow this to happen. For this reason the theory of Prout has

THE SOCIAL ORDER AND COMPLEXES 49

been given, so that every person can progress speedily in the field of spirituality without any complex.

In the existential sphere, too, there should not be any complex because every one is the child of the Cosmic Father. If there is any superiority complex, it should be the common one that one is the child of the Cosmic Father who is so great, so potent. One may only have this superiority complex. Whatever people possess is given by the Cosmic Father, and therefore no individual has the right to have a superiority complex. So in the existential sphere there is no reason for any complex to remain. In other words, it can be said that there will be a common complex that all are the children of the Cosmic Father, no one being inferior and no one being superior.

Parama Puruïa is neither nearer nor further away from anybody because it is His duty to look after His children. Since it is His duty to look after them, He will take proper care of them. He will take proper care of each and every human being and see everything. He has to do so even if He does not like it, because this is His duty. Suppose a son falls into bad company when he reaches the age of twenty and forms the habit of smoking cigarettes. He may not want his father to know about his smoking habit but the Cosmic Father sees everything. He may not say anything because the son may blush! He has to be with everyone to keep Himself informed of everything they do so that He can take proper care. Therefore He is associated with each individual unit and this is called ota yoga. Collectively He is associated with all and this is called prota yoga. Parama Puruïa sees those who are in an existential form, that is, a physical body. He also sees those who have left the physical form and have not got a new physical body but are in the existential world. He is with all of them. Parama Puruïa is with everyone, therefore no one can be inferior or superior. As such, in the existential sphere there cannot be any sort of complex, and our social order should be such that there remains


no room for any complex. We have to make such a social order and we have to make it immediately without any loss of time.

20 November 1978, Delhi


CAN ATOM BOMBS DESTROY HUMAN CIVILIZATION?

A few days ago a journalist asked me my views about the destructive effectiveness of atom bombs and their future [danger for] the human race. Ordinarily I do not have any contact with journalists. But I did give a reply to this question. I said, “Human strength is much more powerful than the strength of atom bombs.” Therefore, to think that atom bombs will annihilate the human race is nothing but to defame human intellect and psychic power, because atom bombs are the creation of human beings. Human beings are the creators of atom bombs, so how can atom bombs destroy human beings?

It is a fact that in the past human beings discovered many destructive weapons and those weapons have killed human beings. In that sense atom bombs can also kill human beings – hundreds of thousands of people may be killed at a time. The operation of many gigantic machines by human beings can kill many lives. This fear of atom bombs is of course there, but that is not the appropriate reply to the question. The reply is that human beings are the creators of atom bombs – the physical strength that a person has is definitely much less than the physical strength or the crude strength that atom bombs have. The physical strength of human beings is much less than that of an elephant, but when a small mahout sits on the elephant, the strength of the elephant is fifty times more than that of the mahout who drives the elephant. No matter how great the strength of an elephant and how little the physical strength of a person, in psychic strength human beings far exceed the elephant. Similarly, if an atom bomb is taken to be a gigantic rakïasa [demon] which has physical strength but no psychic strength, human beings can keep it under control. Not only that, human beings can easily discover a weapon to counteract the


strength of atom bombs, and the function of that weapon will be to obstruct and to hinder the destructive reaction of atom bombs. Now, the point is that where the creator is a unit mind, its physical strength will always be less powerful than its psychic strength.

Whatever a person manufactures contains only physical strength; it does not possess any psychic strength. Atom bombs have nothing which can be called a mind. But in the future human beings may manufacture something about which I have already hinted which may possess a mind also, but in that case the mind of that object will be weaker than the mind of its creator, the human being.1 Its physical strength may be more – definitely it may be more. So there is no reason to be restless and to cry about the [possible] impending dangers from atom bombs. There is only one thing for human beings to be afraid of. What is that? Human beings have to be alert against those who are demons in human form, those who possess immense psychic power and yet behave like demons, causing harm to humanity. Collective efforts have to be made to protect humanity from these demons. That is the only fear. What is the way out?

Yato váco nivarttante aprápya manasá saha; Ánandaî Brahmaòo vidván má vibheti kutashcana. [Brahma (the Supreme Entity) is the One from whom words and mind return disappointed, after failing to fathom Its depths. But one who has known the blissful nature of Brahma is not afraid of anything.]

1 Here the author appears to be referring to advanced robots or androids that will

have mind, meaning in the future scientists will discover a way to combine mind and robotics. However, he also says that it will be beyond the scope of human endeavour to create mind. See the section Laboratory Babies in “The Observer’s Diary” in Volume 2. –Eds.

CAN ATOM BOMBS DESTROY CIVILIZATION? 53

Where did these immoral persons get their psychic strength? They got it from Parama Puruïa. And the moralists who are afraid of the immoralists also got their strength from Parama Puruïa. So instead of thinking that you are fighting the battle alone, if you think that you are the children of Parama Puruïa and have come to this world to accomplish the job assigned by Parama Puruïa, that you are never alone and that you are a small baby always sitting on the lap of Parama Puruïa, why should you be afraid of anything? There is no reason to be afraid of any thing. Na vibheti kutashcana. [One who attains Brahma is not afraid of anything.]

You should not be afraid of any power in the universe. Atom bombs are so insignificant. Human beings will discover much more powerful weapons in future, so there is no reason at all why moralists should be afraid of them.

2 December 1978, Kolkata


THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIETY

Samánam ejati iti samájah. [Samája (“society”) is the collective name of a group of people who have made a unanimous decision to move together towards a common goal.] When the members of society unanimously decide, “We’ll move together, we’ll live together in good times or bad,” their collective movement is known as samája. Some may be far ahead of the others; some may have lagged behind; some may be unable to walk due to pain in their legs; some may have fallen on their faces. Those who do not care to help their companions trailing behind them are not fit to be called members of society. The proper approach is for all the members of society to advance together, and as they advance each member should feel a personal responsibility for every other member of society. Those who are unable to move should be carried to prevent the rhythm of the collective movement from being broken.

At present we see everything in this world in relation to our solar system, even if we do not yet look at things from a Cosmological perspective. We must advance, looking upon this solar system as one integral entity. In the future human beings from other planets and satellites will also join our movement; we will have to build a society that includes everyone. We will have to look upon the whole [universe] as one integral entity.

What do we see today? In some homes people are rolling in luxury; in others people are dying of starvation. One section of society is breathing a free atmosphere of light and air while the major portion of society, perhaps as much as 80% of the population, has been confined within their four walls. In other words, one section of the population has been granted the freedom to do whatever they please, and no one even raises a finger in protest, while the remaining sections are punished

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIETY 55

severely by society for even the slightest mistake. This sort of discrimination cannot be tolerated.

Discrimination has been practised for a long time. But today the gap between an educated and an uneducated person has grown too wide to bridge. A male member of a family may be highly educated while his wife is totally illiterate; the gap between them is extremely wide. There are many undesirable social discrepancies like this. Even if we cannot increase our speed, we will have to take with us all those who are moving slowly or who have lagged behind. If, as I move together with all, my speed decreases somewhat, people will have to accept it. But we must move together; this is of paramount importance.

Those who wish to advance together require a certain amount of physical and psychic strength. And if they really wish to move collectively, they must possess some additional strength as well. That is why I tell you that you must not be like average people; you must be above average. It is not enough to advance alone; you must take others with you, and for that you will have to acquire extra strength. You should prepare yourself accordingly.

Some time ago I said, Trividha dukhasya átyantikii nivrttih paramártháh. [“Permanent relief from the triple afflictions (i.e., physical, psychic and spiritual) of human beings can only be brought about by Paramártha.”]1

Suppose a man feels cold because he has no clothes. He has no money so he cannot afford to buy clothes, and he has no food so he feels hungry. If he gets some money, he can buy some food and alleviate his hunger, thus removing [one of] his afflictions. We therefore say that artha is that which removes afflictions. People buy food, clothes, etc., with money, and so money in Sanskrit is called artha. But it should be remembered

1 See “Artha and Paramártha”. –Eds.


that money is only artha and not Paramártha, for Paramártha means “that which removes one’s afflictions forever” – once the afflictions are gone, they will never return. Suppose we take some money and buy some food today; tomorrow we will again feel the pangs of hunger. So money is artha, not Paramártha. Paramártha is that which brings about the permanent cessation from the triple afflictions: physical, psychic and spiritual.

Physical Afflictions

All physical afflictions are caused by lack of food, clothes

and the like. Now, the question is, to what extent can money solve these afflictions? You can at best temporarily relieve them, but the next day the trouble will start all over again. The only way to gain permanent relief is Paramártha. With the help of Paramártha, human beings can develop a new type of social order where there will never be a shortage of food, clothes, etc. This will require a fundamental change in the social order.

And those who are the pioneers of such a task, what will they do? They will have to acquire far greater strength than average people. Pioneers who want to travel through thick jungles have to clear part of the jungle and build a road. Once the road is constructed, those who follow behind will be able to travel easily through that jungle.

Psychic Afflictions

What are psychic afflictions? Suppose we solve all the

mundane problems forever. (Prout was formulated for the very purpose of solving mundane problems and helping human beings to attain Paramártha.) I have never said that society should give large amounts of money to everyone. I have only said that the purchasing power of every individual should


increase. Suppose the price of rice is Rs. 5/- per kilo, it does not matter if the per capita income is as much as Rs. 1,000/-. Whether a person’s salary is high or low is not the point; the main thing is the purchasing power. If the purchasing power of every individual increases, there will be no physical problem. But, even if physical troubles are removed, psychic afflictions will still remain. Even then pain and grief will remain; there are sorrowful feelings and sentiments. Everyone mourns the death of their nearest and dearest, so psychic afflictions remain. To eradicate them, one must undergo proper psycho-spiritual training so that one’s mind can be properly prepared to fight against adverse circumstances. All responsible members of society will have to do this.

Here, whom do I mean? I mean those who have realized that they will have to acquire the requisite power, or even more than the requisite power, to equip themselves for the onerous task before them. Those who do not have the capacity to realize this, those who have understood little, are also our blood brothers and sisters; they too are our close relations. In order to help them, we must acquire a little more strength than necessary. Otherwise we will not be able to help them.

Take the case of India. We are not as developed as we should be. Why? One of the reasons is that we have kept women confined within the walls of their homes, resulting in the progress of only 50% of the population, the males. And as only the men are progressing, they will have to carry the burden of 50% of the population. Thus the speed of their progress is reduced. Ideally women should also move with their own strength and with the same speed as their male counterparts. In the process of moving, if they feel pain in their legs, if they fall on their faces, they should be physically carried. But women are not the only ones who may need assistance; men may also fall down, and then it will be the duty of women to extend a helping hand and to carry the load of their male counterparts.


We cannot expect that, in relation to men, the position of women will remain one of subordinated cooperation. It may also become one of coordinated cooperation. The position of males may even become one of subordinated cooperation. Nothing is permanent in this world. The fact is that we must move in unison with all.

In the psychic sphere too, the same practice should be followed. Those who have begun to realize this should understand it still more deeply. Then they will be able to comprehend the position of those who have less capacity to understand or to judge.

Spiritual Afflictions

The third category of affliction is spiritual affliction.

Whatever people might say outwardly, they know that they are the progeny of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] and that He is always observing them. They know that they are never alone, not even for a moment. Even confirmed atheists, whatever they say outwardly, pray in their heart of hearts, “Oh Lord, please save me.” So those who say that they do not believe in God should be regarded as hypocrites, for they do not say what is really in their minds. No indulgence should be given to hypocrisy. All human beings know that Parama Puruïa belongs to them and that they belong to Parama Puruïa. But, in spite of this knowledge, they cannot easily attain Parama Puruïa with their whole being. The pain caused by the inability to attain Parama Puruïa is called spiritual affliction.

One can overcome spiritual affliction only through spiritual practices. The supreme and final aspect of spiritual practices is devotion. One may not possess knowledge or intelligence, but if one has devotion, it is enough. So devotion must be aroused


by any means. Contact with a devotional person can turn thousands and thousands of people into devotees.

Many people are aware of the fact that Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Deva had a great devotee, called Yavana Haridas, who was of a low caste. When Haridas did kiirtana [devotional chanting], Mahaprabhu would often touch his body. The orthodox pandits would say, “You had better take a bath in the Ganges now, otherwise you won’t be able to enter the house.” So Mahaprabhu had to take a bath in the Ganges, even in the cold of winter. How troublesome for him! Haridas used to say, “Thakur, why do you touch my body? For this you have to take so much trouble at night.” However, Mahaprabhu continued to touch him. So Haridas developed the habit of sitting at some distance from Mahaprabhu, and when Mahaprabhu was about to touch him, he would run away as fast as he could. But Mahaprabhu was about twenty years old at the time, while Haridas was much older. So how could he escape from Mahaprabhu? Mahaprabhu easily overtook him. Then Mahaprabhu would again have to take a bath in the Ganges. With tears in his eyes Haridas complained, “Oh Lord, why do you touch me? What do you gain from it? You simply give yourself a lot of trouble because you have to take a bath on a cold winter’s night.” Mahaprabhu said, “Haridas, you are such a good devotee, you have such devotion in your heart, that I just want to touch you to make myself holier. You are so full of devotion that you can make the whole universe holy.”2

Devotion has far greater power than knowledge or action. In fact jiôániis [intellectuals] have a subtle sense of vanity which ordinary people are afraid of. So they keep a certain distance from the jiôániis saying, “Good heavens, they are such scholars, how can we go near them?” But no one is afraid of

2 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in 1486 and died in 1534. Haridas was one of

his most devoted disciples. –Eds.


devotional people. Rather they think, “After all, they are devotees, so let us go and sit near them for a while.”

So if you can arouse devotion, thousands upon thousands of people will attain real Paramártha and spiritual salvation. That is, in order to attain liberation from the triple bondages – physical, psychic and spiritual – you will have to attain Paramártha, and you will have to attain it in such a way that those who are spiritually undeveloped will also be benefited by contact with you.



THE FOUR VARGAS AND DEVOTION

There is a short story. Once Maharshi Vishvámitra was crossing the Ganges River with Ráma and Lakïmaòa on his way to Mithila.

The Four Categories of Sanskrit Literature

You all know that Sanskrit literature is divided into four

categories: kávya [poetic verse], puráòa [fictitious, educative stories], itikathá [factual history] and itihása [cultural history].

Kávya: Kávya is defined as vákyaîrasátmakaî kávyam. When a story is explained in a lucid way, in a very systematic way, it is called kávya. It may or may not be factual, it may or may not be educative, but it must be narrated in a very lucid way.

Puráòa: What is puráòa? It is that branch of literature in which all compositions are fictitious and have an important educative value. The sage Vyása Deva composed eighteen Puráòas for the sole purpose of mass education. He depicts various stories about different gods and goddesses. But as the stories are not true, he felt some remorse in his mind after writing them. Deeply saddened, he apologized to Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]:

Rupaî rúpavivarjj itasya bhavato’yaddhyánena kalpitaî, Stutyá’nirvacaniiyatá’khiloguro dúriikrtá yanmayá, Vyápitvaîcr nirákrtaî bhagavato yattiirtha yátrádiná, Kïantavyaî jagadiisho tadvikalatá doïatrayaî matkrtam.

[You who are formless, I have given You form, though You can only be realized in meditation,

62 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 You who are inexpressible, I have limited You by my eulogies, You who are all-pervasive, I have confined You to places of pilgrimage, O Lord, for these three faults of mine, arising due to my mental distortion, please pardon me.]

“Oh Parama Puruïa, You have no form and yet I have depicted the various goddesses in various forms. I have described ten-armed gods, four-armed gods, and so on. My sole intention was to educate the common people, but in that endeavour, oh formless Lord, I have tried to limit You to the bondage of form. This is my first mistake. My second mistake is that even though You are beyond all qualities – indeed, all qualities are under Your control – I have composed many eulogies and hymns extolling Your various qualities, but that has only belittled Your greatness. My third mistake is that even though You are omnipresent, I have said that God acted in a certain way during a certain pilgrimage. I have confined You to a specific place. This is an error on my part, as the whole universe is Your place of pilgrimage. You exist everywhere, yet I have wrongly tried to limit You to a few places of pilgrimage. So, oh Lord, I beg Your forgiveness. Please pardon me for having made these three mistakes in a moment of mental weakness.”

This is a puráòa. Even though it is not factually true, it has great educative value. The Rámáyaòa is one such puráòa. Its story is not factually correct, but is very educative.

Itikathá: Itikathá is a chronological record of events. That is, events are recorded in a sequential order and propagated for public knowledge. In Sanskrit itikathá is also called purákathá, itivrtta and purávrtta. In English it is called “history”.

Itihása: Itihása is that part of itikathá whose study leads to human welfare. It has immense educative value. A study of all history may not be beneficial for the reader, but that little

THE FOUR VARGAS AND DEVOTION 63

portion of history that we call itihása is definitely beneficial for human welfare. Itihása has no English synonym.1 The History of India is wrongly translated as Bhárat barïer Itihása. It should be translated as Bhárat barïer Itikathá. So the fourth type of literature is itihása, which is of great educative value. It has been said,

Dharmárthakámamokïárthaî niitivákyasamanvitam; Purávrttakatháyuktamitihásah pracakïyate. [That part of history which helps people attain the four vargas – káma (physical needs), artha (physico-psychic needs), dharma (psycho-spiritual needs) and mokïa (spiritual emancipation) – and which imparts moral education, is called itihása.]

The Mahábhárata is a good example of itihása. That which

is taught in schools in the name of itihása, however, is mainly itikathá, or [factual] history. What do people attain from the study of itihása? They attain the moral code of conduct and an inner understanding of the four vargas.

The Four Vargas

The first varga is káma, the fulfilment of physical

necessities. In order to survive, human beings need food, clothes, shelter, medicine, education, etc. If these basic necessities are not provided, life becomes unbearable. This first varga, this fulfilment of physical necessities, is káma. How does one learn about it? By studying itihása. And how can

1 Regarding itikathá and itihása, the author also says: “…one portion [is] the

factual panorama and is ‘history’ or itikathá, and the other portion is cultural history or the history of civilization, known as itihása in Sanskrit.” See “Guidelines for Some Faculties of Gurukul” in Volume 4. So although itihása has no English synonym, it can be considered to mean cultural history. –Eds.


those minimum necessities be provided to all? Through the implementation of a social ideology: through itihása.

In order that the basic necessities might be provided to all, I was forced to formulate the theory of Prout under pressure of circumstances. Before everything else, one must first provide physical food to a hungry person. Once the physical needs have been satisfied, one may impart spiritual knowledge and instruct him or her to sit in meditation. Yes, we will certainly not provide food to antisocial people who jump from tree to tree like monkeys; we will certainly make them sit in meditation. But before that we’ll have to make provisions for their food, winter clothes, shelter, medical treatment, etc. Without fulfilling these basic necessities, it will be impossible to promote the collective welfare of the human race.

It has been said, Varttamáneïu vartteta. [“No one should try to move ahead ignoring the present.”] This was the clear instruction of Shiva. In Ananda Marga also we have not ignored this advice, and thus I have formulated Prout philosophy. No one can deny the importance of Prout. If they do, they are denying their very existence. So káma is the first of the four vargas.

The second varga is artha. Artha is the fulfilment of needs in the physico-psychic sphere. Through artha the physico-psychic needs are relieved temporarily. That which brings permanent relief from these needs is called Paramártha. Artha is temporary, Paramártha is permanent.2 Here artha does not mean money. Of course, money is also loosely called artha because it brings temporary relief in the physical sphere. That is why money is called artha in Sanskrit. Furthermore, whenever people do not understand the meaning of a word – the word kadalii, for example – there is a certain want in the mind. And as soon as one learns that kadalii means “banana”,

2 See “Artha and Paramártha”. –Eds.


that psychic want is removed. Hence, the meaning of a word is also called artha in Sanskrit, because when one comes to know what a particular word means, the want is removed from the mind. So artha means “money”, “meaning” and “that through which physico-psychic needs are fulfilled”.

The third varga is dharma, which fulfils the psycho-spiritual necessities. Not only do human beings have physical needs, they have more subtle ones as well. Those who have no desire for any of the physical necessities sometimes leave their homes and embrace the life of a monk. Why should they make such a choice? Why would a prince become a renunciant? What sort of desire prompted Mahaprabhu Chaitanya to accept the life of a sannyásii [renunciant]? What prompted Buddha to relinquish his beautiful kingdom? They all had no further physical desires. There was no further need for káma and artha in their lives. But why did they choose to completely give up their worldly lives? The reason is that there was a very deep desire in the back of their minds. When people reach a subtler level of existence, they realize that they are hopelessly ignorant. Having just entered that higher stratum, they are unable to understand the subtler expressions of life. This leads to a longing for the spiritual. This is the third varga, dharma, which leads to the fulfilment of the psycho-spiritual necessities.

The fourth varga is mokïa. When human beings attain the fullest expression, they feel that it is a liability and become eager to return the gift to Him from whom it came.

Tava dravyaî, Gobinda tubhyameva samarpaye; Nivedayámicátmanaî tvaî gatih parameshvara. [Your objects, O Lord, I offer unto You. I surrender myself up to You, as You are the Supreme Terminus, O Lord.]


This is the last stage. It is called mokïa [“spiritual emancipation”].

Itihása is that literature which prepares the mind for the fulfilment of all four vargas. Itihása in the true sense of the term is not taught in schools and colleges. Remember that the Rámáyaòa is a puráòa, it is educative fiction.

The Story from the Rámáyaòa

To return to the original story. Vishvámitra was going to Mithila with Ráma and Lakïmaòa.

Remember that I have already told you that the Rámáyaòa [from which this story has been taken] is pure fiction, and thus one should not expect it to be consistent with reality. It is educative, no doubt, but not factually true. When they reached the other bank of the river, they saw to their amazement that, at the touch of the holy feet of Ráma, their boat had been transformed into gold. The astonished boatman exclaimed, “Good heavens, what an amazing thing. He must be an extraordinary person.” He ran home and narrated the astonishing incident to his wife, who immediately grabbed as many things as she could carry – kitchen utensils, furniture and the like – and rushed to where Ráma was standing. She placed all the objects at his feet to convert them into gold. To carry all the wooden furniture to the boat, get it converted into gold and then carry it all back again was a Herculean task. Things become a lot heavier when they are converted into gold. So the boatman’s wife had aches all over her body and pains in her back and hands, and soon the poor wife was no longer able to carry the load. But under the spell of greed she wanted to acquire more and more gold. People do their utmost to bind themselves to worldly bondages and often they fall prey to the instinct of greed. So even though her back was aching badly, she was unwilling to stop carrying the wooden furniture to get


it converted into gold. This was just like the condition of gluttons at a feast who, even after eating so much that they are completely full, still manage to stuff one or two more pieces of rasogolla [milk sweet] into their mouths. If ever such people get a chance to eat at others expense, they are ready to eat for days together. The boatman’s wife was suffering from a similar psychic ailment. Even though she was no longer able to carry the load, she was helplessly goaded on by greed.

The poet Rabindranath Tagore has said: Jaráye áche bádha, cháráye jete cái Cháráte gele byathá báje Mukti cáhibáre tomár káche jái Cáhite gele mari lage.3 [Obstinate are the trammels, but my heart aches when I try to break them. Freedom is all I want, but to hope for it I feel ashamed.]

This can be said about all ordinary human beings. Then the boatman said to his wife, “Stop this folly! How

much longer will you be able to carry the load! You’ll get deeper and deeper into difficulty. Your greed for gold will never end and you’ll probably die under its weight. You’ll never be able to satisfy your greed, so stop this folly, stupid woman!” “Yes, may be I am stupid,” she replied, “But now I’m helpless. There’s nothing I can do about it.” The boatman advised, “Instead of carrying repeated loads of wood and gold, why don’t you simply carry those two feet which have such extraordinary qualities and at the touch of which everything

3 The poem “Jaráye Áche Bádha” was written by Tagore (1861-1941) in 1910

and is included in the anthology Gitanjali, which was published in Bengali on 14 August 1910. Below is Tagore’s own English translation of the lines from his poem. –Eds.


gets converted into gold?” So she went up to Ráma and said, “Well, you’ll just have to come along with me.” At first, Ráma was unwilling to go, but due to her insistence, he finally agreed, and sat down in the boat. Then, strangely enough, the boatman’s wife forgot her desire to get everything converted into gold and became totally absorbed in the thought of those two feet. Having attained the ultimate thing, why should she bother about the gold? Now she could get anything converted into gold whenever she wished.

The boatman’s wife said, “Ráma, please leave something with me as proof of your visit to my house.” So Ráma gave her four delicious fruits. She asked what they were, where they were grown, what they signified, and what their names were. Lakïmaòa told her the names of those four fruits. They are káma, artha, dharma and mokïa. Lakïmaòa further said, “After attaining these two feet, one needn’t look for the four vargas, they will come to the recipient automatically. One need not worry about them.”

One who is a genuine devotee should not worry about all these things concerning the attainment of the vargas.

I have formulated Prout to resolve the defects and discrepancies which exist in the mundane world. There was no necessity to think about the attainment of the vargas in the past, nor is there in the present, nor will there be in the future. To prevent the possibility of problems and inconsistencies arising in the future, I have formulated Prout.

Then everyone said to Lakïmaòa, “Your elder brother has given fruits, so you should give us at least one.” Lakïmaòa replied, “What can a poor man like myself offer you? I only have one fruit which I will be happy to give you.” “What’s that fruit called?” they asked. Lakïmaòa told them, “Unless and until you hold this fruit in your hand, you will never be able to attain the other four.” “Please tell us what it’s called,” they said impatiently. “Please give it to us so that we may attain the four


others.” Lakïmaòa said, “You know, I’m a very poor man. The name of my fruit is devotion.”



THE PHYSICAL, PSYCHIC AND SPIRITUAL STRATA

Human life has three strata, in other words, it functions in three spheres. The first one is the spiritual sphere, the second one is the psychic sphere and the third one is the crude physical sphere.

The Spiritual Sphere

While talking to someone this morning, I said that human

beings remove the afflictions in the spiritual sphere by dint of their personal efforts; combined with that, there is also the blessing of great personalities and the grace of the Almighty Lord – Mahat krpayaeva Bhagavatkrpáleshádvá. [By the blessings of realized personalities and a wee bit of divine grace.] Human beings must make a sincere endeavour. Endeavour is a must; then the blessings or grace of the realized personalities, and only a wee bit of the omniscient grace, will be enough. Just a small bit of the Cosmic grace will suffice. A huge quantity is not at all required.

This is regarding the spiritual sphere. Human beings need not worry about it. They need not worry because the very existence of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] is meant for promoting the well-being of the jiivas [microcosms, living beings]. Had the question of the microcosmic well-being not existed, Parama Puruïa would have remained as a nirguòa [transcendental] entity. He would not have come down to the level of Saguòa Brahma [the Qualified Supreme Entity] or Táraka Brahma [the Supreme Entity in Its liberating aspect]. That is to say, His main purpose is public welfare – the welfare of human beings. That is why He has declared:

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Paritráòáya sádhúnáî vinásháya ca duïkrtám; Dharmasaîsthápanártháya sambhavámi yuge yuge.

–Bhagavad Giitá

[I incarnate Myself in this world from age to age for the protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the wicked and the restoration of dharma.] Now, the question is, what is the necessity of the advent of

Parama Puruïa onto the earth again and again? The answer is: He wants to bring about the welfare of human beings. “Human welfare” here means, primarily, welfare in the spiritual sphere, and secondarily, in the mental and physical spheres, as Parama Puruïa is a veritable embodiment of the supreme welfare of humanity. All created beings are His progeny. It is not possible that He would bring welfare only in the spiritual sphere and not in the psychic or physical spheres. In fact He will promote welfare in all three spheres of life.

Regarding the spiritual sphere, it has been said: Mahat krpayaeva Bhagavatkrpáleshádvá. How much can human beings accomplish by their own efforts? Aghaíana ghaíana paíiiyasii Máyá [The dexterous hand of Máyá (the Creative Principle) that can even create things impossible to create] – how can human beings by dint of their individual efforts fight against this all-powerful Máyá? That is why it is said that the blessings of realized personalities and just a wee bit of Cosmic grace are indispensable.

Mahat means a great personality, a highly-evolved personality. The blessings of such a person are immensely helpful, and together with this a small bit of the Cosmic grace is required. Not much is required, only a wee bit will be enough. In fact, this is what ensured the spiritual progress of individual human beings in the past, is also doing so at present, and will do so in the future as well.


The Psychic Sphere And what about the psychic sphere? The reaping of

consequences of original actions performed by a human being occurs mainly in the psychic sphere. And if a person attains the blessings of evolved beings and the Cosmic grace in that same psychic sphere, the problem is solved. Pain and misery is bound to come. Depending upon one’s inborn saîskáras [reactive momenta] and the actions performed, tortures and afflictions are bound to be undergone – the expression of one’s own reactive momenta. Tortures and afflictions will not be as severely painful as before; with the blessing and grace, the psychic afflictions will be removed. Well, when there is pain and the pain is not felt as much, should it then be called pain? In this case, in the psychic sphere, one will remain in a state of bliss. Let the afflictions come. When the afflictions and pain are not felt as much, one should not worry about it.

The Physical Sphere

Then what about the physical sphere? It is true that in the

physical sphere there is the utmost necessity of food, clothing, education, shelter, medical treatment, etc. Now, what has Parama Puruïa done for jiivas? He has already scattered wealth in the world for human consumption. Enormous wealth has been distributed everywhere. He has also given human beings intellect for them to utilize, so that they can live collectively on this wealth. For mental peace, He has given people instructions to practise the science of spirituality. This will bring them spiritual emancipation and will remove their psychic afflictions. In fact, this is the Cosmic grace, the divine grace, that He has already showered on humanity. He has already proclaimed that He will bestow His grace on all human beings. That is why He has unequivocally declared:


Sambhavámi yuge yuge. [“I incarnate Myself in this world from age after age.”] So no one need be worried on this account.

Building a New Society

Now, the problem remains in the crude physical sphere.

Regarding this sphere, people were instructed during the days of Lord Shiva and again during the days of Lord Krïòa to live and enjoy the [world’s] property collectively: Devábhágaî yathápúrve saîjánáná upásate. [“Let us share our wealth without differentiation, like sages of the past, so that all may enjoy the universe.”] But unfortunately people have not done this, and as they have not done this, they have had to suffer various physical hardships, and are still suffering.

Now, in order to remove people’s sufferings in the physical sphere, common sense dictates that the wealth of the entire universe should be considered as common patrimony. The wealth is meant for all, so that all can live collectively. It is not proper that one person will snatch away the morsels of food from the mouths of others. So there has been a need to introduce a system where all human beings would distribute the entire wealth among the collective body in a collective way. Unfortunately, no great person ever did this in the past, nor did even Táraka Brahma do it. It was not done, therefore the problems and difficulties in collective life have continued. Because of these shortcomings, human life is full of pain and misery.

Now the time has come when this has got to stop. How can we allow such a thing to continue? When human beings are predominantly intellectual beings, why will such a major lacuna be allowed to perpetuate itself for days and months on end, for years and centuries together? Such a thing must not be allowed to continue. Yet the strange thing is that this lacuna in


the physical sphere, and the consequent disparity, is the noumenal cause of all phenomenal troubles. Due to this noumenal cause, peace in the psychic sphere is being disturbed again and again.

With this end in view, with the sole purpose of removing physical misery and affliction, and keeping in view the higher goals of human life, the Prout philosophy has been formulated. There was no alternative but to propagate the Prout philosophy. Had it not been done, maybe human sorrows and sufferings would have been perpetrated for centuries together. Mean opportunists would have continued their exploitation, taking advantage of the simplicity or intellectual deficiency of the innocent and credulous masses. This exploitation has been perpetrated mainly in three ways: oppression, suppression and exploitation. I have not mentioned repression, because repression is inseparably associated with exploitation.

Now, the point is that the entire population of the world has got to be saved from oppression, suppression and exploitation – by any means, fair or foul.1 What will then be the result? Human suffering in the physical sphere will be overcome. Of course there has never been lack of adjustment in the spiritual sphere, nor will there ever be. Human beings can rest content in this regard. Only in the psychic sphere will they have to acquire power. And for what? People will have to acquire psychic power in order to overcome the psychic afflictions which are the result of past reactive momenta. That is to say, with the establishment of Prout, the problems in the physical sphere and in the spiritual sphere will have been solved. And what about the psychic sphere? Of course the requital of unserved saîskáras will surely affect the mind, but it is also a fact that human beings will acquire enough strength to overcome the psychic afflictions.

1 See also “Suppression, Repression and Oppression” in Volume 4. –Eds.


Bearing this in mind, you should build a new human society at the earliest possible moment. Regarding those who are likely to create obstacles in your path, let them do so. You should remember that those who are the actual pioneers, the real vanguard of the society, are always a microscopic minority, but it is they who are destined to be victorious. Those who once opposed, or are now opposing or will oppose in the future, will in the future admit: “Yes, we are now driving our vehicle safely and comfortably along the very path which that vanguard once opened by clearing the jungle.” This means that those who cleared the obstacles in the beginning will later be recognized as pioneers. The funny thing is this, that people do not give recognition at the time it is due. This is the natural law. And at the same time you should also remember this simple truth: that in a jungle the number of tigers and lions is always few; the jackals far outnumber them. Yet in the jungle the tigers and lions reign supreme, not the jackals. The jackals are sure to howl, that is their nature; but the tigers and lions will not be frightened.

12 December 1978, Kolkata Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 6

AESTHETIC SCIENCE AND SUPRA-AESTHETIC SCIENCE

Perhaps you know something about nandana vijiôána [aesthetic science]. There are things that are not expressed in normal language; subtle feelings are expressed through the most subtle modes of expression. Suppose I saw something for a particular length of time and enjoyed seeing it. The feeling behind such enjoyment, that is, the bháva [idea] – the reason why I like it – all these, when expressed through sweet, subtle language, are what is called “aesthetic science”. Flowers can be put in a haphazard way on the floor of a house. If instead, however, you pick up the flowers and arrange them meticulously in a decorative style, this will come within the purview of aesthetic science. Suppose your house is not sparsely furnished with tables and chairs but they are placed randomly. The sight will not be pleasing. If you regroup them tastefully, this will come under the category of aesthetic science. Suppose you want to convey to others the intrinsic beauty of all the things that give delight to everyone. You may arrange those things artistically, or you may not only arrange them but also describe them to others in very sweet and lucid language. Then again, you may not even achieve this objective using exquisite language; the message can also be conveyed with the help of a brush or a pen. This is what is known as aesthetic science.

The feeling that is at work behind aesthetic science is nothing but pleasure. But what is behind this pleasure? I like this flower. I take delight in a particular arrangement. I feel amused with a special style of speaking. This is how dramas came into being and how human beings invented recitation. When this pleasure fills my mind, “I” becomes the subject or the possessive case and that which enthralls me becomes the

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objective case. If such a state of affairs continues, a stage is reached when the Supreme Entity feels that “I” am dear to Him. Thus the reverse occurs. If this stage continues over a considerable length of time, one loses oneself. As long as I enjoy, my unit existence persists. As I exist, I can enjoy, and when I lose myself, when “I” becomes dear to that Entity, when “I” becomes the source of joy to that Entity, a stage is finally reached when my unit existence is completely lost in that Entity. The losing of oneself, the state of being lost, or as a matter of fact the beginning of the process of losing oneself, to the very source of joy, is known as mohana vijiôána [“supra-aesthetic science”]. And the Entity to whom we lose ourselves is Mohana [the Attractive One]. Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] is Mohana, because He has kept all His created entities completely enthralled. Had Parama Puruïa not enchanted the world, no one would have wanted to live here.

Imagine how many problems people have to face in their lives; afflicted with such torments and difficulties, they would have left the world long ago. They do not do so because of their inextinguishable love for that Mohana. Even if one does not like this world, one somehow remains here due to love for Parama Puruïa. And when one loves Parama Puruïa, and when one is dear to Parama Puruïa, where will one go? For this very reason, it has been said that human beings invented dharma, as a result of their love for Mohana, or due to falling into His charming clutches. In this way, dharma first originated in human life.



SUPRA-AESTHETIC SCIENCE AND MUSIC

Are art, music and mohana vijiôána [supra-aesthetic science] inseparable? To proclaim the glories of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] loudly is termed kiirtana [“devotional chanting”]. The Sanskrit root verb kirtt means “to utter something loudly so that others may hear it”. Thus kiirtana means “to proclaim the glories of the Lord loudly for all to hear”.

Now, the question is, does Parama Puruïa really want people to sing His glories? He never tells anyone to do kiirtana, so why should people do it? There is a subtle science behind kiirtana. Human beings always want to proceed from the crude to the subtle in all spheres of life – they always seek the subtle amidst the crude, and after finding something subtle, they always seek the subtlest thing; this is how they advance towards greater and greater subtlety.

Primitive human beings living in the distant past used to appreciate the harmony of music; they also liked to dance in joy. However, the music of the people of the prehistoric age was extremely crude, and so was their style of dance. Nevertheless their urge to seek the subtle amidst the crude was very strong, and in their effort they evolved various kinds of rhythmic dance and various rhythmic styles. Similarly, they came to appreciate subtle aesthetic beauty in melody as well; they brought songs within a definite system and created various rágas and ráginiis [classical melodies]. This was largely done by Sadáshiva. Later a perfect blending of song and dance through tála [metre] was developed. It was Shiva who first introduced the particular dance of táòìava, and his wife Párvatii who developed another special dance known as lalita lásya. This is how, in the process of the artistic endeavour to

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advance from the crude to the subtle, people developed the science which is called nandana vijiôána [“aesthetic science”]; and as a result of this subtle development, people no longer appreciated the cruder expressions of life.

Once upon a time people preferred baked or roasted food; in fact, in ancient times they used to eat everything baked or roasted, for they did not know how to cook at all. Gradually they developed the art of cooking by adding spices, and thus they learned how to prepare special, delicious dishes, such as ghaòía, shukto, etc. Once they experienced the taste of something subtle, they no longer appreciated anything prepared crudely. Similarly, once people had heard something rhythmic and melodious, they could no longer appreciate any crude song or music.

Previously people only watched silent films, but once the “talkies” were introduced, they no longer appreciated silent movies. Nowadays if silent films are shown in a city cinema, even free of charge, very few people attend; people would much rather go elsewhere, making polite excuses. However, at cinemas where contemporary films are shown, people rush to purchase tickets, even on the black market.

Thus the general psychology is that once people experience something subtle, they automatically discard the crude. This continuous progress from the crude to the subtle and from the subtle to the subtlest aspects of life comes within the scope of aesthetic science. Through this process ultimately we reach a state in which our refined tastes, refined feelings and refined expressions transport us into the realm of eternal beauty. Those who attain such a state will no longer possess the ability or capacity to taste the beauty of anything; the beauty of music or the beauty of dance will no longer remain an objective experience for them, because at that time they will have attained a state so intoxicated with joy that they will lose their limited identity and thus their ability to experience anything.


This exalted state, beyond even aesthetic science, is called mohana vijiôána. That is, those who are enthralled with delight can no longer experience anything at all, because their very entitative rhythm is almost lost.

The diverse schools of music and dance that people have developed so far, and the many more varied branches of music and dance that will be developed in future, are all meant to provide joy to people through aesthetic science. But kiirtana was first invented by devotees to give joy to Parama Puruïa, and in the process of pleasing and delighting Parama Puruïa, the devotees lost themselves. Thus kiirtana belongs to the category of supra-aesthetic science.

Now, the question may be asked, what is supra-aesthetic science? To put it precisely, it is the endeavour to ensconce the microcosmic entity, the individual entitative rhythm, in the eternal bearing, the infinite rhythm of Parama Puruïa. So of all the branches of music, kiirtana is the best. And since saîgiita [music] is the composite of song, dance and instrumental music, kiirtana is not only song, it also includes instrumental music. 1 These three aspects of music, when combined together, create such an unblemished, heavenly environment that people completely forget themselves. This is the charm, the excellence, of kiirtana. So those who are truly intelligent should certainly do kiirtana, either in public, or if they feel shy, in private.


1 See also “Song, Dance and Instrumental Music”. –Eds.

THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD

What does yugasandhi mean? Yuga means “age” and sandhi means “joint”. Therefore yugasandhi means “juncture between ages”.1

At a certain stage in the movement of human society along its path, the behaviour, manners, customs, intellect and wisdom of the people cease to develop – they become static; and society loses its capacity to move forward. This is the critical juncture in history when the society feels the need for an extraordinarily powerful personality, a Mahásambhúti.2 At this juncture the advent of such a mighty personality is inevitable.

It has already been said that sadvipras will be at the hub of the social cycle to guide and control the movement of the society. They will not allow anyone to perpetrate torture or exploitation. However, at that stage of acute staticity in the society, which occurs every 3,000 or 4,000 years, a great and extraordinarily powerful person’s advent is extremely necessary. Such a figure or Mahásambhúti infuses dynamism in the social body and accelerates the speed of movement. All the virtuous people in the world respond to His call and rally around Him. He creates a polarization in the society: the

1 The author also says: “The period of transition from one age to another [in the

social cycle] can be said to be yuga saîkránti – ‘transitional age’.” See “The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra” in Volume 1. Again, he says: “The first chapter of human history was the dark age, the age of the shúdras; then came the Kïatriya Age followed by the Vipra Age and finally the Vaeshya Age. Each of these transitions from the previous era to the next one was yugasandhi.” See “Action Leads to Progress”, given on 11 July 1979, in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 13, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. So he uses both yuga saîkránti and yugasandhi to refer to the period of transition between one age and the next in the social cycle. However, as is seen in this discourse, he also uses the term yugasandhi to refer to the transition between ideological periods in the war between dharma and adharma. –Eds.

2 When Táraka Brahma (Supreme Consciousness in Its liberating aspect) utilizes the five fundamental factors to express Himself through a body, this is known as His Mahásambhúti. –Eds.


virtuous versus the wicked. In the clash between the two groups, the virtuous people emerge victorious by dint of their special efforts coupled with the grace of that great personality. His advent itself signifies victory in the war. The mark of victory is sure to be imprinted on the forehead of the virtuous. The brave companions of this Mahásambhúti accompany Him from age to age preferring to work with Him than attain their own liberation. They may or may not have great ambitions, they may or may not suffer from superiority or inferiority complexes, but there is no evil element in this world that can defeat these blessed people. Rather, in the last phase of the conflict, the evil forces are bound to accept total defeat. Therefore, to those of you marching forward on the path of virtue, the path of dharma, I say, “Keep marching on safely and without concern.”

Shiva’s companions were not reputable scholars, but were virtuous people who were always ready to fight against sin. In history they are called “Shiva’s spiritual soldiers”. You should remember that in the present world you are Shiva’s retinue or gaòa. That is, you have come to the world for victory and not for defeat. A few thousand years ago, Krïòa was born. At this time also, His companions, the gopas and gopis [cowherds; devotees of Krïòa] of Vraja, who worked with Him to accelerate the speed of the social movement, were also not profound scholars or learned people, but it is they who were victorious. In those days many songs were sung in praise of those great people.

In the present day also, you can see for yourself how the social movement is grinding to a halt. When social progress loses its velocity it is called yugasandhi (“transitional period”) in Sanskrit. You have all been born in such a transitional period and have assembled here today. In the future the honest and virtuous people of the society will respond to your call and will unite. The same polarization is taking place now as occurred in

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the past: the honest people are with you and will remain with you; the dishonest people win oppose you now and will continue their efforts to block your progress in future. Whenever there is a war between dharma and adharma [that which goes against dharma], you are sure to be victorious. You are not alone – dharma is with you, the benevolent intellect is with you, and I am also with you.

30 December 1978, Patna


EXPLOITATION – NO MORE

I have already said that human beings use only a very small percentage of their inherent capacity – less than 1%, to be precise. Even people whom society has accepted as great personalities use hardly 10% of their inherent capabilities. To put it very plainly, human beings waste 90% of their capacity. Those who are very crude by nature waste half of their time in idle pursuits, and the rest of the time they only use a small percentage of their capacity for worthwhile tasks. The term “crude” refers to those people who utilize their physical capacity but totally neglect their mental and spiritual power.

Why do human beings fail to utilize their total capacity? First, they do not know how to utilize their capacity – they lack proper knowledge as to what should be done and what should not be done. Secondly, they are habitually indolent, suffering from psychic and spiritual inertness.

Some people think early in life, even in their teens, about how they can utilize 1% of their psychic power and perfect themselves through spiritual practices. Unfortunately, due to lethargy, they fail to utilize their capacity and thus their potentiality gradually diminishes. Even those who are acclaimed as great personalities in this world utilize hardly 10% of their capacity in the intellectual and spiritual spheres. This is really very unfortunate. But even more unfortunate is that some people not only fail to utilize their own capacity, but block the progress of others – they do not want others to prosper at all. This mentality is shameful, deplorable and highly detrimental.

Suppose a very dark-complexioned boy is called a “nigger” by his classmates and even his teachers. This certainly depresses him and blocks the expression of his capabilities. He thinks, “I am inferior. I am downtrodden. I am ugly.” Similarly,

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those who are born into so-called low-caste families are criticized for being of low birth. People say derogatorily, “Ha! What sort of education can such low-caste people expect?” As a result their minds contract and their progress is thwarted. In exactly the same way, poor people are subjected to all sorts of indignities and harassments because of their financial difficulties. Suppose a poor but meritorious boy is making excellent progress with his studies, his envious classmates comment, “Why do you bother to study? Shouldn’t you get a job as a servant?” Because of such attitudes, many brilliant and gifted people are forced to let their inherent potentialities go to waste. This is not only a matter of regret and shame, it is an act of blatant oppression, suppression, repression and exploitation! Consequently the genius in many people gets choked. This is called “intellectual exploitation” in philosophy. You must oppose it.

It is sad that human potentiality is not fully utilized. Those who utilize a mere 10% of their potentialities are considered to be great people by society. Imagine what the result would be if a person were to use cent percent [i.e., 100%] of his or her potentialities.

As I mentioned earlier, the first reason for this waste of human potentiality is ignorance about the right path, and the second reason is lethargy. There is a third reason. Sometimes, even if people are aware of the right path and are not at all lethargic – even if one is a genius – they cannot express their full potentialities as they are subjected to unusual intellectual or social pressure. Thus the natural expression of their potentialities is checked. This socio-intellectual exploitation is highly detrimental. You must oppose it.

There are many petty criminals in today’s society. If you keep calling them sinners, they will develop a complex deep in their minds. “I am a sinner. I am a wretch. I am mean and vile. I have no future,” they will think. You must not do anything


like this. Rather you should find their good qualities and praise them. This praise will encourage them to cultivate their attributes and move along the path of virtue. They will concentrate more on their good qualities than on their wickedness, resulting in the gradual diminishment of their sinful tendencies. Finally the day will come when they will be so preoccupied with doing good deeds that they will cease to commit any crime. That is why I say, “Praise the good qualities in human beings.”

But if these criminals are neglected, their progress will be checked and they will become even more sinful. If they are repeatedly called sinners, if they are subjected to social punishment, their habit of committing crimes will become stronger.

Even the worst sinners have some good qualities. If you appreciate their good qualities, they will be encouraged to take to the righteous path – there will be a great change for the better in their lives. This is the right approach. If instead so-called sinners are ostracized or criticized by society, they will no longer strive to cultivate their inherent good qualities but will stick to the path of vice so tenaciously that one day they will become a great burden on society.

As most people do not know basic human psychology, their actions result in the so-called criminals becoming a greater burden on society. Having been subjected to much social injustice and criticism, some people think, “Now that I have stepped onto the path of vice, now that I have fallen down, I will not stop until I reach the deepest hell.” You should not do anything, even unconsciously, which goes against fundamental human psychology, and you should ensure that other people do not get any scope to make such mistakes either. If so-called sinners are repeatedly scolded, they will never become transformed into good people. Even bad people, under indirect

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pressure or external attraction or urge for Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness], can turn into good people.

You should lead the wicked people to the path of virtue. You will see for yourselves that they, too, will feel an attraction for Parama Puruïa. You should encourage them to develop the noble qualities lying dormant in them without delay. This is the proper psychological approach, the real path of rectification.

Let us consider two points: attraction for the Great and collective pressure. As a result of attraction for the Great, one joins the path of virtue; and, as a result of collective pressure, one’s attributes get scope for external expression. Here, social pressure does not mean declaring anyone an outcast or ostracizing anyone or stopping the supply of anyone’s basic needs. This is not proper social pressure; rather it is a useless approach, having no positive effect on people. On the contrary, it merely strengthens the determination of the sinner to sin. What is proper social pressure? It is to find the good side, the noble aspects, of a person’s character, and help bring about a change in his or her life. In fact, a human being has but one task: to remove those tendencies which are detrimental or degrading [to both themselves and society]. As you march along your path of movement, you should oppose those people who work against the collective interest; you should raise the slogan, “Human exploitation – no more, no more!”

4 January 1979, Patna Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 7

SADVIPRA, TÁRAKA BRAHMA, SADÁSHIVA AND SHRII KRÏÒA

In individual and collective life, changes are constantly taking place: minor changes frequently and major changes intermittently. Primitive human beings came onto this earth about 1,000,000 years ago, but the present human beings had their origin only about 100,000 years ago. The pace of human progress these last 1,000,000 years has been very slow; humans advanced at barely a snail’s pace. It took those primitive people hundreds of thousands of years to discover fire, and hundreds of thousands of years more to invent the bullock cart.

Many ancient civilizations have disappeared from the annals of history simply because they could not invent the wheel. They were able to invent the boat, but as they had not invented the wheel, they could not make carts and chariots. For this reason the Mayan civilization of South America had its downfall.

The speed of social progress in those days was very slow and only began to accelerate during the last 15,000 years, after the composition of the Rgveda.1 The history of these 15,000 years of progress can be considered as the real history of human civilization.

Generally humans adapt themselves to minor changes through individual or collective endeavour. Sometimes, if the need arises, they cause minor changes themselves and progress accordingly. Whenever one or both of these two situations occurs, that is, when people feel the necessity to introduce minor changes to adapt themselves to the changed conditions, various leaders emerge who guide the society. In ancient times

1 The composition of the Rgveda began about 15,000 years ago, and can be

considered to be the beginning of the Vedic Age. –Eds.

SADVIPRA, TÁRAKA BRAHMA, SHIVA, KRÏÒA 89

these leaders were called rïis [sages]. Many such leaders lived in past, many are living in the present, and many will live in the future, because changes are sure to come in human society. Whatever is created will certainly move ahead through changes. Everything which exists in the universe will certainly have to undergo change. When the difference between the two forms, past and present, becomes too vast, we say that the past is dead and gone.

Death is also a type of change in which the present form seems to lose its link with the past. Suppose there is a small baby. When it grows into a boy a distinct change occurs, but we understand nevertheless that the same baby has grown up into a boy. In due course the same boy becomes a youth, the youth a middle-aged man, and after a certain period the middle-aged man becomes an old man. We can divide a person’s life into different stages of growth in this way. But when the same old man is reborn as a child, the difference becomes so vast that one fails to discover the link between the two lives. Thus death is a change, and rebirth is also a change.

A study of history reveals that minor changes take place continuously, and major changes occur at longer intervals. Before the discovery of fire, the ancient human beings used to heat things with the scorching rays of the sun. Much later, when fire was discovered, it was considered a major change in human history. When the ancient humans first invented the bullock cart, it was considered as a sign of far-reaching scientific progress.

We can roughly say that civilization first started sprouting after the prehistoric age of the human race, that is, from the days of the first composition of the Rgveda, about 15,000 years ago.2 A major change took place during the days of Lord Shiva,

2 The Rgveda was composed between about 15,000 and 10,000 years ago. The

Rgvedic period lasted from about 15,000 to 7,000 years ago. –Eds.


towards the end of the Rgvedian period (which lasted [about 8,000] years).3

Human life is characterized by various kinds of expressions – people eat and drink, wear clothes, sing and dance, build houses, undergo medical treatment, and so on – which are collectively known as culture. Any one of these expressions is not culture; culture is the sum total of them all. Sadáshiva wanted to systematize all those expressions of human life – dance, music, medicine, civilization, in fact, every aspect of life. This was a big change, a revolutionary change. Nothing like it had ever taken place before. Such far-reaching changes are not easily brought about by ordinary leaders or rïis. Those who help people adapt themselves to the changed situation, I have called sadvipras. But the one who actually initiates the major change is called a Mahásadvipra.4 Sadvipras know how to lead people in perfect adjustment with the changed circumstances, and guide them along the right path.

So the initiation of a revolutionary change is not the work of a sadvipra, but the work of a Mahásadvipra. Mahásadvipra is the philosophical term; in the scriptures he is called Táraka Brahma [Supreme Consciousness in Its liberating aspect]. Sadáshiva was one such Táraka Brahma – a versatile guide in all aspects of human life. In the post-Shiva period, however, the speed of social progress eventually slackened. It lost its momentum, and degeneration set in. The various parts of the social machinery became rusty. The situation demanded the advent of another great personality who was capable of pushing the society ahead and leading the people along the right path. Thus about 3,500 years ago another great leader emerged – Shrii Krïòa. He also caused a big change in the society and infused a tremendous wave of social progress.

3 Sadáshiva lived about 7,000 years ago. –Eds. 4 Literally, “Great Sadvipra”; the creator of sadvipras. –Eds.


One may ask whether Sadáshiva alone brought about these major changes in the society. No, certainly not. He was assisted by numerous sádhakas [spiritual aspirants], devotees, intellectuals and ordinary people. In the scriptures they are known as Shiva’s gaòa [retinue]. It is said that other gods and goddesses were decorated with various kinds of ornaments – some wore ear-rings and crowns, others carried conches and lotuses and weapons such as discs and clubs – but in the case of Shiva, his ornaments were his devotees who worked tirelessly to build the society according to his instructions.

What happened during the days of Shrii Krïòa? He, too, brought about a revolutionary change in the society. Those who assisted him in the revolutionary task were not necessarily wise and intellectual people; nor were they all well-versed in all the scriptures. Many of them were ordinary members of society. But it is a fact that they were ardent devotees and sincerely worked for the welfare of humanity under the directions of Shrii Krïòa (Vraja).5 Their wealth was their love for their iïía [spiritual goal], their devotion to Krïòa. And because of their devotion, they became successful in their lives. People achieve more with their sincerity than with their knowledge.

This age, too, has undergone a marked change. Various kinds of problems have arisen in the society of today. New types of preparations – mental, physical and all-round preparations – are necessary to cope with the present situation. Corruption and degeneration have entered the minutest pores of the social body. The honest people will have to work towards a major change by fighting unitedly against this adverse situation. To succeed in this task, however, people will have to make thorough preparations. Just as one needs to make preparations before doing a bad action, one must also make preparations before doing a good deed. Good people will do good deeds.

5 Vraja Krïòa is the lord of devotion. –Eds.

92 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 There is a preparatory stage before each action. In fact, long

preparations have been going on, and today, change has become inevitable. The situation brooks no further delay. About [3,500] years have passed since the days of Lord Krïòa, and about 7,000 years have passed since the days of Shiva. The people of today will have to become prepared, just as they were in the past. They will have to plunge themselves into a new battle with a new ideology to bring about the total well-being of the human race.

When a major change took place in the past, such as in the days of Shiva and Krïòa, a new philosophy, a new way of life, a new light inspired people to move along, and that is why they could accomplish their task in an incredibly short time. To bring about a major change, fight is inevitable, be it short or protracted. When people fight under the inspiration of a mighty personality, the task is accomplished within a short period. The people then decide, after deep thought, what the main problems confronting society are, and then make necessary preparations to solve those problems. Once they are prepared, they can attain success very quickly.

Human society today must be viewed with a universal outlook and not in a sectarian way. We must resolve all problems, major or minor. We must start the work of solving the major problems immediately because the need to bring a change in the society has already come. The more we delay, the more the darkness will linger. Today a new philosophy, a new form of humanism, a new form of socio-economic thought has already come, with the sole intention of promoting collective social welfare. That is why I advise you not to waste your time any longer. Utilize your time in worthwhile pursuits. It is said, Shubhasya shiighram ashubhasya kálaharaòam. [“Whatever is good, do it right away; whatever is bad, delay it as long as possible.”] Before starting a noble task you need not consult the almanacs or the positions of the stars; start it immediately.


But when you want to do something harmful, try to delay it for as long as you can. With the passing of time, and a change in mentality, you may decide not to do it any more.

While you are executing your noble task, do not waste your time. In this practical world, in this relative world, the most valuable relative factor is time. Once the time has passed and gone, it does not return again, so never misuse time. May you prosper. May victory be with you.

17 January 1979, Bangaon Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 8

THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION

Let us analyse the way human beings have evolved

physically and psychically since their advent on this earth 1,000,000 years ago. Human existence is trifarious: physical, psychic and spiritual. Spiritual progress is movement towards Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] while at the same time maintaining adjustment with the mundane world. The closer human beings come to Parama Puruïa, the more their existence radiates His divine effulgence and the more they expand. When they come very close to Parama Puruïa, they attain the state called sárïíhi [spiritual absorption]; they become like Parama Puruïa. When they merge in Him, no duality remains; duality is converted into singularity. Spiritual progress depends on two main factors: the first determines a person’s physical existence, and the second determines a person’s psychic progress.

I have already said in one of our Renaissance Universal meetings that real progress is spiritual progress.1 Although there is some progress in the quinquelemental and psychic spheres, it is largely offset by the numerous obstacles which tend to arise on the path of progress. So on the whole one can say that there is no real progress in the mundane and psychic worlds. However, human beings will never cease in their efforts to progress, because to remain stagnant is contrary to human nature.

Nothing in this universe is stagnant; every entity is moving. Movement is the essence of life. This world is called jagat, which means “that entity whose essential nature is to move”.

1 See “The Human Search for Real Progress” in Volume 2. The author founded

Renaissance Universal on 27 January 1958. –Eds.

THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION 95

(The root verb gam + kvip = jagat. Gam means “to go” and the suffix kvip is used to denote habitual nature.) When movement stops, existence is jeopardized. When we say that an entity exists, it is implicitly understood that the entity is moving.

Here we shall make an appraisal of how far human beings have progressed in the mundane world and in the psychic world. We will leave out of our considerations the obstacles and hindrances that have beset the path of progress, because I have already said in this regard that ultimately real progress takes place only in the spiritual sphere and not in the other two spheres.

Physical Progress

There is considerable difference between the physical

structure of today’s human beings and the physical structure of prehistoric humans who came onto this earth 1,000,000 years ago. The cranium of prehistoric humans was small, the skull was large, the hands were long, and the lymphatic glands were very active. They were quite adept at running and jumping and could easily jump from one tree to another, just like other members of the ape family. In fact, human beings were themselves members of the tailless ape family and thus there were many similarities between them and the other members of the family: chimpanzees, orang-utans, gorillas, etc. However, these animals have made very little progress in the mundane sphere compared to human beings.

Considerable changes have also taken place in the human structure. What is the reason for this? Without going into detail, these changes in human beings have been brought about by clash and cohesion. The nerve cells of tailless apes have had comparatively less scope for expansion and development than those of human beings. For this reason tailless apes have lagged behind whereas human beings have progressed.

96 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 So clash with the natural environment has been extremely

helpful for human beings. Like gorillas, primitive human beings exhibited a strong preference for building their homes on hilltops and occasionally in trees, which were relatively safe. Over the course of the years they migrated through the jungles and along riverbanks towards the delta regions. This migration is a landmark in human civilization.2

There is concrete evidence to prove the above theory. A hill in Old Sanskrit was called a gotra. In those early days a group of people would settle on a particular hill. The hill would be named after the group leader. When meeting an unknown person it was customary to ask, “Which gotra do you belong to?” to which the person would reply, “I belong to such-and-such gotra.” Thus the term gotra came into common usage as a means of identifying one’s lineage.

Like animal societies, early human society was completely matriarchal in nature. One introduced oneself using one’s mother’s or grandmother’s name because in those days it was difficult to determine the identity of one’s father. The marriage system had not yet been introduced.3

In this way society progressed. In those days life was full of conflict. There were frequent clashes between the different hills. The people living on one hill treated each other as brothers and sisters, so whenever they wanted to get married, they had to bring men and women from other hills. Those who emerged victorious in an inter-hill conflict would marry the women of the vanquished gotra. These women were brought to the victor’s hill bound in chains. Even today in eastern India, particularly among the women of Bengal, there is a custom of

2 See also “River and Civilization”. –Eds. 3 About 7,000 years ago, Sadáshiva introduced a formalized marriage system in

which the bride and bridegroom equally shared full responsibility for their marriage. No consideration was given to caste, community or lineage. Previously conjugal relationships tended to be informal and non-binding. –Eds.


wearing iron bangles. These bangles, reminiscent of those ancient chains, symbolize that the bride has been brought home as a captive. Many women also had their heads cracked open in battle. Blood flowed from their gaping wounds. These days, of course, such atrocities do not occur. However, to represent the flowing blood of women who were wounded in battle, a vermilion mark is placed on the forehead of a newly-married woman. Thus human civilization evolved out of its primitive past.

Women were clan mothers. Every hill was governed by a leader, who in the early stage was the clan mother. In Meghalaya the matrilineal order continues to this day. In later times the system of clan mothers was replaced by the system of clan fathers, and the pravar [ancestral lineage] system was introduced at the same time. Men became the heads of the gotras.

Civilizations slowly advanced through clash and cohesion. Human beings racked their brains to find new ways to win battles, and their brain cells developed as a result. They busied their brains in various ways; they were constantly trying to devise new ways to preserve history. After some thought, they devised pictures to represent words. By looking at the pictures, they remembered what they did ten days ago. This is called pictography. The pictorial script was devised for this purpose. Even today China uses a pictorial script, the alphabet in pictures. Human beings discovered all this out of necessity.

By the same process they also managed to conquer the animal world. Then they started to fight with each other. Those who were less intelligent were defeated and considered to be low caste; they were exploited, and thus degenerated. Those who were more intelligent were considered to be upper caste.4

4 The author also says the caste system was initially introduced into India by the

Aryans, about 10,000 years ago. See, for example, the section The Aryan and Non-Aryan Nations in “To the Patriots” in Volume 1. –Eds.


And those who were even more intelligent were considered to be the highest caste. And thus intellectual clash began.

Human beings continued to progress. They also progressed in the physical sphere. To protect themselves from the cold, humans started wearing clothes. They then started thinking about how to move more quickly and invented the wheel. This invention occurred long after the dawn of civilization. It marked the beginning of a new era in human civilization. If the wheel had not been invented, fast-moving vehicles could not have been built.

The Mayan civilization is a transplanted Indian civilization. It migrated to Central America during the rule of the Pallavas in South India. Thus the original [i.e., classical] Mayan civilization and the Indian civilization existed side by side. The difference between them was that the Indians invented the wheel. Mayan civilization lagged behind as it did not have the wheel.5 Soon after the invention of the wheel, bullock carts were invented. That invention was also a great step forward. Human beings had invented something which accelerated their progress.

All this took place in the physical sphere. To keep pace with these changes, corresponding changes took place in the human physical structure: the cranium became larger, the skull became smaller, the arms became shorter, the amount of body hair decreased, and the jaw became higher. In different parts of the world these changes took place in different ways. In some places the jaw became higher, in other places it dropped. In

5 Archaeologists consider that the Mayan civilization first emerged over 4,000

years ago and that its classical period was between 250 and 900. The Pallava Empire lasted from 275 to 897. The wheel was invented in India at least 7,000 years ago.

In this passage the author appears to be saying that the Mayan civilization during its classical period was a transplanted Indian civilization, and that the knowledge of how to make the wheel was not passed on by the migrating Indians and was not discovered by the Mayans. In “Genius and Technician” the author also says the Mayan civilization “was unable to invent the wheel”. –Eds.


some regions the human complexion became brown, in other regions white, and in still other regions reddish. These physical changes occurred to adjust with changes occurring in the physical world. This is how human beings developed.

Psychic Progress

Where do the thoughts which create evolutionary change originate? They originate in the nerve cells. The human mind has two functions: thinking and memorizing. The more the thinking capacity increases, the more the memory power develops. The nerve cells also change, leading to a corresponding change in the nerve fibres. These changes create a revolution in the world of thought.

Human beings started thinking, “Who am I?”, “Where have I come from?”, “Where shall I go when I die?” No other creature thinks like this; only human beings have the ability to contemplate.

Ma go ei bhávaná Ami kotháy chilam kotháy elam kotháy ja bo Náy thikáná. [Oh mother, I have only one thought in my mind. Where do I come from? Where am I now? Where am I going? I have no answer to these questions.]

No other creature thinks like this. This sort of human contemplation was gradually reflected in literature, art, etc.

Human beings continued to progress; in the mundane sphere they quickly discovered physical sciences and in the psychic sphere philosophy. In the process of discovering philosophy, they began to search for answers to the questions “Why?”, “Where?”, “What?”, etc.

100 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Human beings were still searching for answers when

Sadáshiva was born about 7,000 years ago. He consolidated the people’s endeavours, gave a form to their ideas, and systematized them. This led to the creation of an education system, [synthesized] ayurvedic medical science, dance, song, etc. Everything was systematized and thus received new life.

Lord Krïòa came much later. 6 He further consolidated human endeavours, and by laying a strong foundation stone restructured society.

While pursuing answers to the questions “Why?” and “What?”, human beings made further advances in philosophy. Maharshi Kapil propagated the first philosophy.7 He tried to explain how different objects and entities came into existence.

Spiritual Progress

But human beings did not stop there. They continued to

progress, and even today they are progressing steadily along the path of spirituality.

Later, with the further development of science and philosophy, people faced fewer impediments to their spiritual growth than those primitive humans who lived at a time when science and philosophy were undeveloped. People today do not have to labour quite as hard as Vashiïía8 and Vishvámitra in order to discover the way forward, because modern science and philosophy are valuable aids to human progress. Today people are able to realize Parama Puruïa in one lifetime, or even in fifteen to twenty years, whereas in the past they had to do penance for lives together in order to attain their goal.

Apart from the direct help of science and philosophy, the spiritual quest itself has also greatly helped human beings to

6 Shrii Krïòa lived about 3,500 years ago. –Eds. 7 I.e., Kápila Sáîkhya, about 3,500 years ago. –Eds. 8 Vashiïía lived about 5,000 years ago. –Eds.


elevate their minds. The humans of today have started to realize that they are the progeny of Parama Puruïa, that they are an integral part of Parama Puruïa. If people can ideate properly on Parama Puruïa, they will realize Brahma [the Supreme Entity]. Cosmic ideation will cure all kinds of ailments.

Thus human beings are advancing and will continue to advance in the future. In the absolute sense there cannot be any progress in the physical and psychic spheres; nor can there be any progress in the relative sense. However, the effort to progress has its own importance. In this effort lies the glory and superiority of human beings.

It is a fact that human beings will continue to progress in the future. In this effort they will be assisted by sadvipras. Those who try to obstruct human progress are rákïasas [demons]. Not only will human beings have to strengthen the hands of the sadvipras in order to smooth the path of social progress, they will also have to remain ever-vigilant and wage constant war against demons in human form. No one should hesitate. Human progress is endless. Human beings must advance.

Some people think that one day the universe will meet its thermal death. They believe that the universe will freeze solid and become unfit for human habitation, leading to the extinction of the human race.9 Their statement is partially true, but the universe as a whole will never face thermal death. A certain planet [or celestial body] may experience thermal death, but certainly not the entire universe. Before thermal death occurs on any planet, its human inhabitants will make great technological advances and move to other planets by rocket. So there is no plausible reason for them to fear the prospect of thermal death.

9 The theory of the thermal death of the universe postulates a state in which the

universe has no thermodynamic free energy and reaches a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, but it does not imply any particular absolute temperature. –Eds.

102 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Once I was asked by a Hindi journalist if I believed that atom

bombs would destroy the human race.10 I replied that my firm conviction is that atom bombs do not have the power to annihilate the human race because they are merely a product of the human mind. They do not have the power to destroy the minds of those who created them. The human beings who invented atom bombs will also be able to provide safeguards against them. So no one has any reason to be unduly worried or afraid.

3 March 1979, RU, Siliguri A Few Problems Solved Part 3

10 See “Can Atom Bombs Destroy Human Civilization?” –Eds.

DYNAMICITY AND STATICITY

During my talk at the Renaissance Universal Club in Siliguri,1 I said that civilization has been advancing. Whether people like it or not they will have to move ahead, they will have to advance. They must not stagnate either physically or mentally, but move ceaselessly, because movement is the sign of life not only in body but also in mind; it is also a sign of progress.

As they advance, human beings will have to pass through different stages. They are born and then they die, to be born again and to die again. What is the significance of death? Life and death can be compared to taking a step. Lifting up the foot is life and placing it on the ground is death. In one’s individual life, in one’s individual movement, one is obliged to place the foot on the ground; this is the state of pause. People may think, “Is it not possible to keep moving and avoid the state of inertness? Can movement be unbroken?” Neither absolute speed nor absolute pause is possible. Speed and pause are always relative; the very existence of anything is relative. This universe is composed of numerous relative factors; nothing is absolute.

Somewhere in our philosophy I have said that the stage in which the foot is placed on the ground may be called death in common parlance, but it is not really death. The actual physical death of human beings – when the dead body is buried or cremated – is not death in the real sense, but a state of pause in preparation for the next step forward. As we walk, if we do not place one foot on the ground, we will not be able to take the next step. So in order to take the next step forward, that is, to

1 See “The Evolution of Human Civilization”. The author founded Renaissance

Universal on 27 January 1958. –Eds.


place the left foot on the ground, the right foot must make suitable preparation. This is crucial for successful movement.2

Thus, any statement we may make about speed or the characteristics of movement will have to include an acknowledgement of the necessity of the state of death, for without death it will not be possible to move into the next stage. Moreover the movement of that systaltic order must have pulsation. The right foot is placed on the ground and preparation is made to move the left foot, which is then picked up and placed on the ground. The right foot then gathers momentum and this moves it forward.

There is also speed and pause in the psychic sphere. In the state of pause people gather momentum for the next stage.

When people listen to a new idea, it is not immediately assimilated. It is only assimilated when the mind is in a state of pause. Its subsequent expression takes place in the state of speed. Before you reply to something someone said, what you heard enters your ears and then it is assimilated when your mind is in a state of pause. After that, when your mind is again in a state of speed, you reply using your vocal cord and mouth to produce sounds. Suppose someone says loudly, “Why did you do such a thing?” You hear this through your ears. After hearing this your mind reverts to a state of pause and then you assimilate what the person has said: “Why did you do such a thing?” Suppose someone says, “Coward, why are you running away?” The message you assimilate is that someone is calling you a coward. Maybe you are actually a coward, but whether or not you admit it will depend on the state of pause of your mind. Then in the subsequent stage of speed you will say, “I won’t run away – never”, or you will say, “Do you think I’m going to stay here? It’s best to run away.” Such decisions take place in

2 See, for example, “Dhruva and Adruva”, given on 14 November 1965, in

Subháïita Saîgraha Part 21, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

DYNAMICITY AND STATICITY 105

the state of pause. This is how human beings experience the states of speed and pause.

Similarly, while doing sadhana in the spiritual sphere, one may experience the state of pause. Sometimes people say, “How strange! A few days ago I was having excellent meditation, but now I can’t seem to concentrate at all. That’s very sad.” Or at times one may say, “The other day while meditating my body began to quiver. It was quite a pleasant experience. Why can’t I experience the same thing today?” This sort of blissful experience during meditation is assimilated. It becomes internalized. But if it does not express itself in the mind, you can never experience it. After a few days you may experience even greater bliss during japa [incantation] or dhyána [deep meditation]. All this means that even in the spiritual sphere there is speed and pause.

In every sphere of life it is the same. This sort of experience is as applicable to the individual body, mind and soul as it is to the collective body, mind and soul. In collective life the body, mind and soul experience the same speed and pause. In this systaltic movement whatever is assimilated in the state of pause is expressed in the state of speed. Sometimes, or in certain places, students read something out loud or a person listens to something with the auditory sense organ – with the ear – but that listening or hearing alone is not enough. It has to be assimilated. Some people say, “Sh, sh”, or “Keep quiet. Let me listen.” This act of listening is not necessarily only listening with the ears; it is also an act of assimilation. No doubt the person listens with his or her ears, but in subsequent stages when he or she says, “Sh, sh. Let me listen please,” listening is not the only thing that is happening. Here listening is also accompanied by assimilation.

Suppose there are some delicious food items, say some rasamálái [milk sweets] or other delicious sweets. (Can you say who first invented these sorts of sweets? Sandesh was first


invented by the confectioners of Sarai village in Hoogly district. You will often find another sweet, nimki or triangular nimki, in sweet shops these days. In North India it is called Báîlá nimki and was first invented by the famous confectioner Puníúm Mayra of Sarai village.) Suppose you are offered a sweet and told to run as fast as you can. If you want to enjoy the full flavour of the sweet, you should not run. If you run quickly, you will not be able to taste the sweet properly. After running you will probably say, “Wait a moment please. Let me rest for a few minutes and then I will enjoy the sweet little by little.” In a state of motion the state of pause cannot occur; while running the speed of pulsation is so great that no pause can occur. That is why you will not be able to completely enjoy the taste of the sweet. You will only be able to enjoy it once you have stopped running.

In collective life human beings reach a stage where they prepare themselves for the next period of speed. In India’s social life there have been long periods of pause. Sometimes during periods of pause it appears as though society will die forever, that it will never be able to raise its head again. During the last part of the British rule of India,3 it appeared as though the country had no future. The people wondered if the British would ever leave the country. Some thought that perhaps they would not, so what was the use of continuing to struggle for freedom. This thought frequently crossed people’s minds. Such thoughts were due to the state of pause, the stage of gathering momentum for the next phase.

In the social life of Bengal there have also been long periods of pause followed by long periods of speed. During the Buddhist period there was a long period of speed. Then, during the early part of the Hindu period, the speed decreased. Later,

3 British rule of India lasted from 1757 to 1947. Here the last part of British rule

refers to the first half of the 20th century. –Eds.

DYNAMICITY AND STATICITY 107

during the early part of the Pathan Age, the speed picked up. During the last part of the Mughal Age, there was no speed at all. Again, during the early part of British rule, there was tremendous speed. And again, during the last part of British rule, the speed slowed down.4 Now there is no speed at all. But some day the speed will pick up again.

This process of speed and pause will continue. Pause means the gathering of momentum for speed in the subsequent phase. If one closely watches the effect of speed on a particular community or on the entire human race, one sees that generally people eulogize the period of speed. However, we cannot afford to ignore the state of pause, because by analysing the previous state of pause, we can calculate the speed of the next phase.

There are some people who are pessimistic. They say that the outlook of society around us is very bleak, that it has no expression of vitality and that it seems that everyone is in a deep slumber. Pessimists say this because they have never made a detailed study of human history, nor do they care to. Had they done so, they would certainly be optimistic, because if they had looked carefully at the symptoms of pause, they would have realized that significant preparations were being made for the subsequent phase of speed. So under no circumstances should human beings be pessimistic. That is why I am an incorrigible optimist; I know that optimism is life.

10 March 1979, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 3

4 The Buddhist period lasted from about 2,500 years ago to 700; the Hindu period

from about 700 to 1200; the Pathan Age from 1193 to 1526; and the Mughal Age from 1526 to 1857. The early part of British rule refers to the second half of the 18th century. –Eds.

THE EVER-EXPANDING DOMAIN OF MICROCOSM

Today’s topic of discussion is “The Ever-Expanding Domain of Microcosm”. The domains of all microcosms are not equal. It also cannot be said that they all expand in all spheres, because certain microcosms, according to their destination or goal, lose their psychic dimensions; they gradually become smaller and smaller. As their psychic dimensions shrink, their existences also become cruder. As a result they gradually lose the opportunity for psychic receptivity.

The Struggle to Expand the Mind

In spite of that it must be said that the microcosmic entity people possessed in the prehistoric age functioned within a very limited scope. In the most ancient times, in the very first stage of manifestation, human beings, like animals, used to roam about the whole day worrying about either food or how to find the means to protect themselves from their enemies. They had no other work. Through clash and cohesion the area of the microcosmic mind gradually began to expand, and the human body as the vehicle of the microcosm also gradually increased in complexity. Now, the interesting aspect of this is that although the container of the microcosm, the human body, became more and more complex with increasingly complex permutations and combinations of páiôcabhaotika [the five fundamental factors], its physical strength did not increase; on the contrary, it lost some of its physical power. As the nervous system developed, the hands and legs, teeth and nails lost some of their strength, and the eyesight also became weaker. All these fundamental developments in the microcosm took place

EVER-EXPANDING DOMAIN OF MICROCOSM 109

due to clash and cohesion, and the microcosmic arena expanded as a result, as did its vitality.

In ancient times people were divided into small groups or clans. During the daytime they used to come down to the plains and at dusk they used to climb up trees or onto hillocks. With whatever materials they could gather, they used to bind their small huts into the tops of trees, in the same way as birds build their nests. Even today in some colloquial languages, especially in colloquial Bengali, people do not say “building a house”, they say “binding a home”.

As the struggle of life intensified, human beings also began to think more deeply, and as a result their nervous systems developed to fulfil the requirements of their expanding psychic domain. This transformation of their nervous system was also reflected in their skin and other parts of their bodies.

The people of one clan used to treat the people of other clans who lived on different hilltops or in trees in different places as their enemies. Thus people began to identify themselves according to their particular lineage and the locality in which they lived. With or without cause, one group would start fighting with another group. The more their groupism and numbers increased, the more conflict developed, and as a result of these clashes the activity in their psychic sphere also began to intensify.

I have said that no true progress can occur in the psychic realm or in the physical realm of páiôcabhaotika; progress occurs only in the spiritual sphere.1 But due to the expansion of the dimensions of their mental realm, human beings became very active. One of the many reasons for their hectic activity was the increasing distrust among them. In those times this distrust found its outlet in open fighting and clash, but not

1 See also, for example, “The Human Search for Real Progress” in Volume 2. –

Eds.


today. Today the thoughts, words and deeds of human beings never coincide. In civilized language what we call “diplomacy” is also increasingly practised. As a result people have lost their tranquillity; with the increase in mental stimulation, peace of mind is lost. What is the overall consequence of this phenomenon? Mental disorders have become rampant; more and more people are becoming insane. Not only that, a plethora of doctrines and ideologies are proliferating among the people of the world today.

Let me give you an example. Buddha did not leave behind anything in writing. As a result of this lapse, great differences in opinion developed among the bhikïus [Buddhist monks] sometime after his death. Two groups of bhikïus emerged: Sthaviravádiis, who developed the southern school of Buddhist doctrine, and Mahásáîghikas, who developed the northern school. Later their doctrines became known as “Hiinayána” and “Maháyána” respectively. But that was not the end of it. Innumerable branches and sub-branches emerged: countless philosophies, such as Sthaviraváda [the doctrine of renunciation according to the southern school of Buddhism], Vijiôánaváda [the doctrine of transience], Shúnyaváda [the doctrine of nihilism], Mahásukhaváda [the doctrine of hedonism] and Atisukhaváda [the doctrine of ultra-hedonism]. Each one of these groups became so engrossed in their own ideologies, doctrines and sub-doctrines that they did not have time to do any constructive work; they were always engaged in vindicating their own doctrines and maligning others. In other words, they strayed far from their original ethics and objectives.

This state of affairs, which began to develop in the Buddhist Age,2 still continues, and not only in Buddhist sects. It may be observed in all spheres of life. Wherever there are two

2 The Buddhist Age lasted from about 2,500 years ago to 700. –Eds.


individuals, two parties emerge. Conflicts between ideologies have become unavoidable and have become the order of the day. The reason for this is that human beings have progressed in the mental sphere but not in the spiritual sphere.

The Path Of Synthesis

The spiritual goal is one. But in the absence of this unitary goal, factionalism emerged. Factionalism does not mean only groupism; it is also a conflict of doctrines. And it will continue until in the process of synthesis human beings accept a singular goal. “Stop! Stop! Do not quarrel. There is no use in fighting. Peace. Peace.” Uttering all these good words will not do; it will not stop anyone. Temporary peace may be established, but it will not be permanent; like an ash-covered spark, unrest will again flare-up. If human beings want to save themselves from this catastrophe, the only way is to march forward towards a single goal. Humanity must be encouraged to follow the path of synthesis and not the path of analysis.

There is also a lack of amity among human beings. The cause of this lack of amity is the same: an analytic outlook which lacks synthesis, which compels people to see differences and create divisions among different nations. In the human race there are Aryans, Negroes, [Austrics] and Mongolians. Among the Aryans there are Mediterraneans, Nordics and Alpines; there are also subdivisions of Latins and non-Latins. An analytic perspective creates divisions, and divisive tendencies impede peace. The only solution to save human beings from destroying their tranquillity is to adopt the path of synthesis; there is no other way.

Some people argue that the evolved human intellect developed religion for the sake of human welfare. Those who utter these words are noble, civilized people and are entitled to deliver such sermons. But I do not use such polished language;


I speak frankly. I must say clearly that, while welfare might be a factor involved in the development of religion, the desire to indulge in factionalism was more evident. If human welfare was the actual aim, people should not have allowed themselves to be accused of perpetrating falsehood. I do not want to hurt anybody’s feelings, nor do I intend to do so. Yet I will say openly that many scriptures contain statements which are completely illogical. These sayings lose their credence if they are put to the test and measured with the yardstick of humanism. Therefore, if we want to do something for human welfare, we should follow the path of synthesis and not the path of analysis. “Your God is the only God. You are His blessed sons and daughters, and others will burn in the fire of hell.” Such sermons can never create unity among human beings.

The human entity exists within the boundaries of time, space and person. Although people exist within the scope of time, space and person, they should endeavour to transcend these limitations and march towards the infinite. There is no other way to reach the goal of the infinite except to follow the path of synthesis, except to evolve a synthetic consciousness. Thus one will have to adopt the path of mysticism; in other words, one will have to break free from the bondages of limitation and merge with the infinite. There is no other alternative.

But this is not happening now. Limited human beings have confined themselves to smaller and smaller areas, resulting in the emergence of many types of isms. In each area people inhabiting a particular country have a particular identity. And not only do they have a particular identity, they are also unable to feel close to other people who have a different identity from their own. As long as they are unable to counteract this phenomenon by adopting the path of synthesis, peace in human society will not be established. Continually mouthing the empty slogan, “Peace, peace” is nothing but a hollow sham.


Cutting the roots of a tree and then pouring water on top of it will yield no result. We must emphasis fundamental unity, which will be achieved by following the path of synthesis and not the path of analysis. Human beings will advance only when they cherish noble values and ideas. Creating Unity by Developing Language

Any effort to create unity among human beings will require a thorough understanding and the proper expression of humanity’s inner vital wealth. The full expression of that inner vital wealth will lead them along the path of synthesis. Therefore human beings will have to learn many things and they will have to make united efforts to establish themselves in the Supreme. They will have to bring the entire human race around to the same way of thinking, and in order to do so, they will have to make enormous progress in the way they think. It is therefore also imperative to develop language as the vehicle of thought.

In the world today language is undeveloped; the vocabularies of the world’s languages are very poor. In German, English and Sanskrit we do not find more than 500,000 words, including all the groups, sub-groups, suffixes and prefixes. Most languages suffer from this deficiency. The fact that our vocabularies are very poor generally escapes our notice. If we pay attention to this, the expression of our thought process will develop, and that development will enable us to embrace everyone as a part of the same whole.

In India the Bengali language, with about 125,000 words, has the largest vocabulary. The second richest language in India is Gujarati, which has 92,000 words. The most developed species of apes have a vocabulary of only about 800 words or sounds, whereas the most backward human tribes have a vocabulary of about 900 words. What difference is there, then, between these


undeveloped humans and the apes? Practically speaking, there is none. We have been unable to bring those people who possess only about 900 words in their vocabulary close to us. We have been unable to do so because we have not followed the path of synthesis, and now we are suffering the consequences: distrust among human beings is at the present time rampant.

So people who have an expanded vocabulary should come forward to help people with undeveloped vocabularies so that their expression may become more eloquent. It is our duty to help them to increase their capacity to express themselves, but so far we have failed to do this. That is, we have not directed the ever-expanding domain of microcosm towards the goal of welfare; instead we have used it to our own advantage. The Defects of an Analytic Approach

Because we have taken an analytic approach, human treatises and scriptures have not become as progressive as they should have. Likewise, in archaeological research we have made few inroads; many old scripts are yet to be deciphered. Even now many scriptures remain entirely unread and unknown. The methods of studying and teaching different subjects, such as history, geography, philosophy, etc., are still unevolved. And yet our intellect is developing well. This is not a matter of glory; rather it is a most inglorious chapter of our failure.

How much progress has been made in the sphere of social science? Whatever progress we have made, we have utilized it for our own self-interest and welfare, and thus we have harmed ourselves through our social progress. And what is the result? Today the material scientists of the world have become objects of fear for the human race, because they may invent and produce new types of lethal bombs.


And in the field of science, applied psychology, which is regarded as the most advanced subject, has not really been developed. As a consequence the number of insane people has increased in most parts of the world. We have not been able to supply these people with proper medical treatment. We have not given them proper love and affection, for we have followed the path of analysis, not the path of synthesis.

In the course of 15,000 long years of human civilization, only occasionally and for short periods have we followed the path of synthesis. By following the path of analysis and neglect for most of this period, we have lost a great opportunity to build a noble society.

Human beings have an inborn instinct to love beautiful and subtle things. They appreciate and try to cultivate what is beautiful and subtle in their internal and external lives and in the world of ideas. This love of art is the basis of nandana vijiôána [aesthetic science].3 Yet we have shattered the science of aesthetics by stamping doctrines upon it. If we had been wise, we would have utilized aesthetic science for our welfare, and through aesthetic science we could have guided human beings to follow the path of synthesis, which, alas, we did not do.

In my opinion, people with developed intellects realize that their intelligence is gradually increasing. They should take it as their foremost duty to refine aesthetic science and make untiring and impartial efforts to create further avenues for its expression. Aesthetic science elevates people above the dust of worldly life and enables them to taste and feel subtler worlds. We must therefore make every effort to develop aesthetic science; this task is definitely not beyond the capacity of human beings.

3 See also “Aesthetic Science and Supra-Aesthetic Science”. –Eds.

116 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 As I said before, the periphery of human intelligence and

knowledge is constantly expanding. The level of human wisdom is also very steadily and rapidly increasing. Now is the time for human beings to achieve greatness in the physical and mental spheres.

Efforts to increase knowledge should go on side by side with the development of aesthetic science. People should therefore study and impartially develop all the various scripts and utilize the results to further develop aesthetic science. They are then sure to make rapid progress and the conflict between states, between societies and between races will cease in no time at all.

Human beings must march ahead vigorously with firm steps, keeping their common goal ever before their eyes. Caraeveti, caraeveti. [March on, march on.] This should be the slogan of today’s humanity.

16 June, 1979, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 4

HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 3

I have been saying for a long time that human society is a

singular entity, that human society is indivisible. 1 Human beings, because of their petty interests, prefer to remain oblivious to this truth. But one should remember that to forget altogether and to remain forgetful are not the same. So many near and dear ones, so many kith and kin, whom you had loved so dearly in the past, are no longer in the world. Have you forgotten them? No, you have not. You remain forgetful of them.

Bhule thakáse to nay bhola Vismrtir marme pashi Rakte more diyeche ye dola. [To remain forgetful is not to forget altogether. If a thought enters my blood or the core of my memory, It stirs up an inspiring vibration.] Human beings remain oblivious of many things and events

because if one remembers everything one’s life becomes unbearable. Judged from this viewpoint, such forgetfulness is a blessing to human beings. It is not necessary for human beings to remember the dark days of sorrow and misfortune, the calamitous nights of violent thunder and lightening. If all these images are stored in one’s memory, life will become almost unbearable.

1 See also “Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 1” and “–2” in Volume 2. –

Eds.

118 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 One does not forget the fact that human society is one and

indivisible, but one may remain forgetful of it. In most cases, forgetfulness is caused by the spell of selfishness. It is evident that the behavioural patterns of selfish people are the same everywhere. Factors that Can Divide Society

People tend to classify human beings as rich or poor,

educated or uneducated, etc. Those who are rich today may become poor tomorrow, and conversely those who are poor today may become rich tomorrow. To permanently divide humanity on the basis of poverty and affluence is therefore neither possible nor feasible.

People whom I hate today as exploiters may deserve that hate. Under the influence of inauspicious stars, however, the same exploiters may fall to the level of the exploited. Did the same people change overnight? No, that is not the case. It is only a reversal of roles. They changed from the role of the exploiters to the role of the exploited. Conversely, those who are exploited today may become the exploiters tomorrow. So to divide the human race on the basis of such a frail classification is not feasible. The exploited have the same value as the exploiters. The only line of demarcation between them is exploitation. If we remove exploitation from society, there will be neither exploiters nor exploited. The fundamental disease is exploitation, and once it is removed there will be no further demarcation on that basis. The opportunists who utilize a situation to create rifts in the society will not get any scope to do so when exploitation is removed. That is why intelligent humans who are keen to promote the well-being of humanity will try to eradicate exploitation from the human society. Consequently the struggle between the exploiters and the exploited will come to an end. Human beings will realize the

HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 3 119

supreme truth that all of humanity is bound together by common ties of fraternity.

At various times we come across ideological conflicts among human beings. What does this ideological conflict really mean? Let human beings follow the path, the ideals, which appeal to them. If a particular theory or ideology is acceptable to some people, let them follow that ideology. Why should there be conflict between people? Such conflicts should never occur. If anyone wants to drive a wedge into the one and indivisible human society on the basis of some ideology or theory, then this is nothing but a totally mischievous plan. Human beings can easily co-exist despite mere ideological differences.

Suppose there are four brothers in one family. Surely all four of them can hold different ideas and views. Of course, these ideas and ideals should not be detrimental for human beings. Those ideologies which are harmful for the human race should never be tolerated. That would be suicidal. Different theories and doctrines with their numerous interpretations and connotations should be developed. No one should object to that, because intellectual clash and cohesion cause the human intellect to progress. Why should we keep all the doors of the human intellect closed? Let sufficient light and air enter the intellect for its overall enrichment.

Let us consider the case of race. Many people identify themselves with a particular race. If we look deeply into the subject, we come to the conclusion that the human race is one. Some people have black skin, some people have yellow skin, and some people have white skin. Does it make any difference to the inner human being? No, none whatsoever. The same mother may have two children of different complexions, one fair, the other dark. Will she launch a racial fight over that difference? Will one child join the black community and the other the white community? Of course not. That would be


nonsensical. The inner person has nothing to do with the colour of the skin.

Differences created on the basis of caste are also pure deception.

Bráhmaòo’sya mukhamásiit váhurájanyo’bhavat; Madhya tadasya yadvaeshya padbhyá shúdra ajáyata. [Brahmans came out of the mouth (of the Supreme Entity), Kïatriyas were born from the arms, Vaeshyas came out of the trunk of the body, and Shúdras were born from the feet.]

This is the interpretation given by supporters of casteism. The true fact is that every created being in this universe longs for shelter at the feet of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]. The Shúdras, who are also [supposedly] born out of the holy feet of Parama Puruïa, certainly deserve to be revered by all. Hence, the system of casteism is totally baseless. The so-called scriptures which are based on casteism are equally baseless. What was the motive behind this? The only motive was individual interest. Later on, the totality of individual interest took the form of collective interest.

Next comes religion. On the basis of religion human beings group together and indulge in internecine feuds. Such religions are responsible for spilling the blood of innocent men and women. I do not want to single out any particular religion as most do not follow the path of logic. Instead they prefer to inject a certain type of cheap sentiment into the human mind to cripple the intellect and impair rational judgement. Majhab me ákkl kádakhl nehi hay. [In religion there is no room for logical argument.] In actual fact it makes the clear thinking of the human mind turbid. Religion has always commanded its


followers to abide by its tenets. Those who dared show any logic were injected with a kind of fear complex.

Moreover the followers of the religions declared that their teachings were the revelations of God and had to be dutifully followed. Out of fear people submitted to this mandate. This is the basic defect of religion. On the basis of this hundreds of so-called scriptures were written in ambiguous language. Anything that destroys free thinking should not be called a scripture at all. Only that which develops the spontaneous development of human beings deserves to be called a scripture. Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirtitah. [Shástra (scripture) is that which controls the society by shásana (imposing codes of discipline).] Anything else is not scripture at all.

Religions create undue fear complex in the human mind. Utilizing the lure of heaven and the dread of hell, they destroy rationality and humanity. Motivated by their own petty interests, they create artificial divisions in the human society.

Should intelligent people be bound by the serpentine noose of such religions? No, they should not; they must not. If at all people allow themselves to be bound by a noose, it should be understood that they are intellectually bankrupt. In all countries of the world such people form separate communities. Perhaps religion has done the most damage to humanity. After all, it is in the name of religion that most human conflicts have occurred. Now the time has come to put an end to the conflict over religion forever.

There is still another thing which sounds a little harsh when clearly described, yet all intelligent people realize its malevolent influence from the depths of their hearts. It concerns the barriers of so-called nationalism. Once Jessore and Bangaon were in one country. Suddenly a few people arbitrarily decided to put these two towns in two separate countries. Illiterate people living in Jessore heard one find


morning that they were Pakistanis, while the people of Bangaon, equally ignorant, suddenly, as they cultivated their fields, heard that they were citizens of India.2 This decision was enforced from the top without the prior knowledge of those at the bottom. Common people could not know anything about the crime which forced them to desert their ancestral homes forever as helpless refugees. They were unable to identify those who made them refugees.

What is the value of nationality when it changes overnight? Is it ever feasible to draw a line of demarcation between one human and another on the basis of such superficial considerations? Or is it wise? Such distinctions, imposed as they are from above, are mere figments of some people’s imagination. They are not supported by developed mentality and do not enjoy the sanction of higher human conscience. On such a basis we should never divide the human race. I repeat again, human society is a singular entity. It is indivisible.

It is often found that people who speak different languages co-exist peacefully within the same nation. Conversely it is also found that people speaking the same language are divided into different nationalities. So it is quite clear that the question of nationality is completely meaningless and something devoid of rational judgement. One can safely conclude that anything not supported by rational judgement is prompted by selfish motives. Some people enjoy top positions without taking any responsibility or risk. They fulfil their own whims while countless common people have to carry their load, getting nothing in return. Once I said, while paraphrasing Rabindranath Tagore, that the common people who are tortured, neglected, humiliated and exploited are just like the lamp stand, while those at the helm of society are like the lamp.

2 In 1947 India was divided into the Dominion of India and the Dominion of

Pakistan. Both the Punjab and Bengal were partitioned. Today Jessore is in Bangladesh (previously East Pakistan) and Bangaon is in West Bengal. –Eds.


Everything is illuminated by the lamp except the lamp stand, which remains obscure in darkness. Moreover, the lamp stand has to endure the burnt oil from the lamp, which trickles down its sides.3 Nationality is something like this. There is no logic behind it, nor, indeed, within it. It, too, should not be the basis for the fragmentation of the human society. Again I repeat, human society is a singular entity.

Next comes the question of language. Language is only a vehicle of expression. How does it occur? There are six stages to the expression of language: pará, pashyanti, madhyamá, dyotamáná, vaekharii and shrutigocará. Paráshakti, the seed of all expression, lies in the múládhára cakra [terranean or basal plexus, as the base of the spine], but the seed is not transformed into language. It is just the seed of the idea. This is called pará in Sanskrit. Pashyanti, the stage where the seed of the idea sprouts, lies in the next higher cakra, that is, the svadiïthána [fluidal plexus, at the genitals]. In the next stage, madhyamá, the idea is consolidated to give a picture to it. That is to say, people visualize the form of the idea they want to convey. In the maòipura cakra [igneous plexus, at the navel] there is an urge to transform the idea into sound form. In Bengali we sometimes say that such and such word is in my mind but I cannot articulate it. That is, the flow of the expression has reached the maòipura cakra but it is not transmitted through spoken words. The memory, due to distortion, has become a little old, so the picture of the word is hazy. That is why it is difficult to transform the idea into language. In the next stage, that is, dyotamáná, the idea acquires the form of language. Dyotamáná means “vibrational”. In this stage there is some vibrational expression but the exact word is not formed. In the fifth stage, when the vibration reaches the vocal cord, the idea gets transformed into

3 See “The History of Bengal – 1”, given on 15 April 1979, in A Few Problems

Solved Part 3. –Eds.


language. This is vaekharii shakti, or the transformation of ideas into language. The last stage is called shrutigocará and occurs when the word gets vocalized with the help of the tongue. These are the six main stages of the expression of language. In all languages pará, pashyanti, madhyamá and dyotamáná are uniform. Only in the fifth and sixth stages is the expression different.

So, on the basis of language, how is it possible to divide human beings? If an English-speaking boy is brought up in a Bengali family from his childhood, Bengali will become his natural tongue and he will develop total affinity for the Bengali language. Having listened to Bengali from the beginning of his life, the vaekharii and shrutigocará are adjusted with the Bengali language. Suppose his brother is brought up in a German family, then German will become his brother’s natural tongue. Would these brothers fight a fratricidal war on the basis of language?

At the same time I will also unambiguously say that no language should ever be suppressed. If anyone tries to suppress any language, the result will be disastrous, because human beings will not tolerate any undue pressure on their vaekharii and shrutigocará. No injustice against any language can be allowed. All languages must be given equal respect.

One should remember that all languages are the languages of Parama Puruïa. I may master perhaps one, two, three or maybe 100 or 300 of these languages, but it does not mean that the languages I do not know are not the languages of Parama Puruïa. Hence it is absurd to divide humanity on the basis of language.

In this case, as in the case of nationalism, I will sound a word of warning. Petty nationalism is detrimental to human civilization, and those who seek the collective well-being of human civilization should abolish the system of passports, visas, permits, etc. The consequences of such a system are not


beneficial for humanity. In the same manner I will sound a word of warning that there should not be any attempts to suppress a language. The same amount of freedom that was granted to languages during British rule in India has not been granted in post-independence India. Attempts have been made to throttle a few languages, and the result has not been good.4 Those who have perpetrated this sort of injustice should be cautious in the future. Overcoming Divisive Factors

So we cannot divide the human race on the basis of the rich

or the poor, the educated or uneducated. Nor can we divide it on the basis of ideology. It is natural that there should be minor differences of opinion, but we must see to it that the differences do not obstruct human progress. If they do, they must be resisted with an iron hand. If they do not, they should be tolerated. Let human beings follow their professed ideals, as that will develop human intellect.

Again, on the basis of race we should not divide humanity into black and white, into Aryans and non-Aryans. All human beings are equal. There are only differences in the colour of people’s skin.

And as I have already said, religion is almost a non-entity. It rests on quicksand. Spirituality and religion are not synonymous; rather they are totally separate entities. Spirituality is an endless endeavour to link the microcosm with the Macrocosm, and this endeavour in individual life will stop when individuals come in closest proximity to Parama Puruïa. Human society will never attain samadhi [spiritual absorption] collectively. It is never possible to attain liberation or salvation

4 British rule lasted from 1757 to 1947. In post-independence India, Hindi has

been imposed on non-Hindi-speaking people, suppressing their mother tongues. –Eds.


collectively. So in individual spiritual life what is important is the feeling that human beings move collectively and help one another. In religion the feeling is that everything of mine is good and everything of yours is bad. While fighting over this, people lose their natural judgement. Humanity should never be divided on the basis of such things.

Next comes nationality. The idea of nationality is so absurd, so nonsensical, that it changes its form overnight. The people of Jessore became Pakistanis in one night, and the people of Bangaon became the citizens of India overnight. So the whole idea is useless.

Finally, language. In connection with language I mentioned six stages of expression. Of the six, there are differences only in the last two. The other four are all equal. Furthermore, one should remember that all languages are the languages of Parama Puruïa. Intelligent people should never try to suppress any language. The result of suppression can never be worthwhile.

Intelligent people must avoid these aforesaid factors, on the basis of which some selfish people try to create rifts in human society. Wherever these factors create excessive divisions, they should try to integrate the human society, because the process of disintegration of the human society does no good to individuals, society, or to any part of society. The more human beings live in unity, shoulder to shoulder, the greater the welfare of the human race will be. Let no one try to suppress others on the basis of nationality, language, religion or anything else in any sphere of life. Let the path of full expression of human intelligence be kept open forever.

17 June 1979, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 3

GENIUS AND TECHNICIAN

Most of the people who realize that they have to work hard in life often think to themselves, “Indeed I must work, but how little is my knowledge, how scant my intelligence, why should anyone listen to me or follow me?” Yet it is true that there is a lot of work to be done. The Rise and Fall of Civilizations

Human beings have made very little progress since their evolutionary journey began. During the long span of 1,000,000 years since human beings came onto this earth, they have not been able to advance significantly. Since the days of the bullock carts, they have acquired a lot of knowledge. Perhaps you know that many of the world’s civilizations are very ancient: the Indian, Chinese and Egyptian civilizations and the Mayan civilization of the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. But considering the vast period of evolution which human beings have passed through, we cannot say that they have made very remarkable progress. In some civilizations they have made some progress, yet even those civilizations could not defend themselves against the onslaught of time. The reason for their failure to survive was their inability to coordinate the various aspects of life – they could not bring about a proper adjustment among the different spheres of existence.

Some people advised the entire society to renounce everything and retreat to the Himalayas; obviously if they did this other aspects of life would be neglected. Others advised, “No, it is not necessary to renounce everything; everyone should remain householders, for they also have to encounter a multitude of problems. If we tell someone to set out


immediately for the North Pole, will he or she be able to do it? Rather he or she will say, ‘No, I cannot; I must wait three months. My daughter will get married and my son will have to take his examination.’ Householders face countless such problems in life.” According to yet others, it is sufficient to follow moral principles. But the question is, is this really enough to follow the path of dharma? Suppose the path you are following is very good, but how will you reach your destination? It is not enough to move upon the right path; you must also know your goal. Leading a righteous life and knowing your goal are both necessary.

You must know how to move along the right path; in other words, you must make proper preparations for the journey ahead, you must establish a proper adjustment among all spheres of life. Due to lack of adjustment some ancient civilizations have perished; some are at their last gasp; and some have come in contact with other civilizations and have been so completely transformed by that contact that their original form is no longer recognizable.

Perhaps you know the old story of the milk vendor. Once a customer asked a milk vendor, “How is it that you sell me one kilo of milk for one rupee, whereas the other vendor sells it to my neighbour for two kilos a rupee?” The vendor replied, “If you like, I will also sell it to you for two kilos a rupee.” So the vendor started selling milk at that price. After a few days the customer said to him, “Look here, another milk vendor sells sixteen kilos of milk for one rupee. Why don’t you do that?” The vendor replied, “I can, if you like.” After a few more days the customer said, “See here, another vendor is selling milk at eighteen kilos for a rupee!” “I can also do that if you want,” answered the vendor, “but I will not be able to retain the colour of the milk!” In other words, the vendor will have to pour such a large quantity of water into the milk that it would no longer be white!

GENIUS AND TECHNICIAN 129

After coming in contact with other civilizations, some civilizations have been so completely transformed that their original form is hardly recognizable. Take the case of our ancient civilization of Bengal. Bengali civilization is pre-Aryan, prehistoric; its original form is no longer discernible. The women of ancient times did not wear a veil on their heads because they used to place a compact containing collyrium in their hair bun. You know that if a collyrium compact is tucked into the hair, a veil cannot be worn. But today Bengali women no longer wear a collyrium compact in their hair. Similarly, all the youths of Bengal used to keep with them a small box for pan and betel nuts and leaves, but they do not do that any more. Yet even today at his marriage ceremony, the bridegroom carries a nutcracker for betel nuts, and the bride wears a sis in her hair. If one examines these remnants of the old customs, one can easily surmise what type of ancient civilization it was. Now these old customs are no longer observed.

Everything in this universe is changing; nothing remains the same. In some ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptian and Mayan civilizations, even the remnants of the old customs have disappeared. What was the cause of their downfall? The Mayan civilization lagged behind for one reason: they were unable to invent the wheel. Their sledges were drawn by deer. In the snowy and ice-covered regions around the North Pole, sledges without wheels are still in use. Wheels are symbols of speed, and as the Mayans were unable to invent the wheel, they could not develop wagons and carts.1 And because transport and communication were slow and mechanical energy could not be harnessed, the civilization began to loose its momentum.

1 The author also says the Mayan civilization is a transplanted Indian civilization.

See “The Evolution of Human Civilization”, where he also appears to imply that the knowledge of how to make the wheel was not passed on by the migrating Indians. –Eds.

130 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 The Egyptian civilization, which once preserved mummies

and gave birth to so many spectacular inventions, also began to loose speed due to the lack of kïatriya spirit, which is essential for the survival of a civilization. The Chinese civilization did not perish entirely; it still survives in a metamorphosed form. The Indian civilization did not perish either; it, too, has survived by being transformed. But it has undergone so many changes that today it is extremely difficult to recognize its original form. There is little similarity between the pre-Vedic and the Vedic way of life and that of modern India. One can only discern the remnants of these mighty civilizations with great difficulty.

Care has to be taken regarding the different aspects of civilization in order to ensure its survival; a civilization can only survive if there is a proper balance among all its various aspects.2 Harnessing Human Potential

Now, let us return to our original topic. In a spiritual way of life no aspect of life should be excluded or ignored. I have already said that dharma requires a balance among all aspects of human life. Our ideology also provides a code of conduct for householders.3 Our social life includes everyone; we do not exclude anything or anyone, nor will we do so in the future, because we want to utilize the services of all. We have to unite the entire human race under one banner, and in the future we will perhaps be able to do this in an even better way.

You should always keep this in your mind as you perform your mundane duties. You should remember that human life is

2 See also “The Future of Civilization” in Volume 2. –Eds. 3 See Ánanda Márga Caryácarya, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.


not like a single flower; it is like a bouquet or a garden of flowers blooming with many varieties of flowers. And this variety of blossoms adds to the beauty of the whole garden. Had there been only Magnolia graniflora or only one variety of rose blooming in the garden, although that single flower might have been very attractive, still the garden as a whole would not have been very beautiful. The beauty of a garden is increased if it includes a wide variety of flowers of different hues.

Similarly, as we human beings progress, we must also maintain a harmonious adjustment among all the diverse aspects of individual and collective life. We must discover unity in the midst of colourful diversity. We will not only realize this in the future, we are realizing it even today, and thus we have been able to consolidate our limited power. And you know that if even a little power is consolidated, it becomes stronger than a mighty force. You should always be vigilant that not a single individual of our collective body is in the least neglected or ignored. Let not a single boy or girl feel within them that no one cares about them; let not a single person be allowed to think, “No one cares whether I have taken my food or not.” You must pay special heed to this.

Particularly those of you who are in responsible positions of leadership should remember that you should never think, “No one is bothering to enquire whether I have eaten or not.” Rather you should always think about the needs of others, not your own. You should always think more about your duties and responsibilities than your rights.

Women already have the natural habit of paying attention to others’ comforts and needs, and I expect our girls to pay even more attention to others’ needs. It is a fact that women habitually eat less, sacrificing their share of food to feed the other members of their family; this is a woman’s nature. It is never the nature of a woman to eat more, depriving her guests.

132 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 So you should always be vigilant in collective life that no

one is ignored, that no one is deprived. The seed of the true progress of society lies in remembering this principle, of thinking of others’ interests first.

Sakaler tare sakale ámra; Pratyake ámrá parer tare. [We are all for all; Each of us is for others.] I said that the ancient Mayan civilization was unable invent

the wheel, and since they had no wheels, they had no carts. This was due to a very minor defect in society.

There are many individuals who think that they should do something, but in spite of thinking that, they cannot actually do anything. Others think, “Something should be done, and I will do it.” They also have the desire to work but they cannot, because they see many imperfections in themselves. They feel that they lack the knowledge or the capacity to make the strenuous effort required for the task. There are many reasons why people cannot accomplish more in their lives. Some people have the desire to work, but they have no confidence in their own strength. They think, “Can I really do it? There are many people more intelligent than I who are not able to do it! There are many people more courageous than I who cannot do it! How shall I be able to succeed?” Such people’s minds are full of doubts and hesitations. Once I said that according to Lord Shiva, of all the factors needed for success in life, the first and most important is firm determination: Paliïyatiiti vishvásah siddher prathamá lakïanam,4 “I must succeed” – this sort of firm conviction is required for success in life. Firm

4 Shiva Saîhita. –Eds.


determination is the most important quality. 5 If one lacks determination, how can one develop it? The Difference between a Genius and a Technician

You know, we cannot make someone a genius, but we can make someone a technician. A genius is born a genius, and a technician becomes a technician due to constant practice. Some people succeed in their efforts and some do not; but those who have inborn capacity will inevitably succeed in life. Rabindranath was an inborn poet.6 Some people may suddenly develop the desire to write poetry, but some can do it and some cannot. Moreover, many people who do write do not have a very high standard; they are only able to make their lines rhyme with much difficulty. For example, they will write one line:

Páíay pare nishir shishir... [On every leaf falls the night dew...]

Then it may take them several hours to find another line to rhyme with the first one:

Ráte kibá jay ashe ámar sisir? [What does this matter to my ant?]

Poets of this type are called technicians, not genii.

5 See, for example, “The Seven Secrets of Success”, given on 3 October 1978, in

Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 3, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds. 6 In “The Vipra Age” in Volume 2, the author also says Tagore (1861-1941) is

“universally loved and revered as the world’s greatest poet”. He won the Noble Prize in Literature in 1913. –Eds.

134 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 There are many people who have virtually no capacity for

original thinking. What can they do in the field of literature? Those who have no capacity for original thinking yet still have the desire to write, select two forms of literary composition: one is literary criticism and the other is parody. While making a critical appraisal of Sarat Chandra,7 literary critics observe, “Had Sarat Chandra written in this way instead of that, it would have been much better. It was incorrect of him to write thus...” But they themselves cannot write a single line; they cannot create anything original themselves, so they become experts at criticizing others. Regarding this type of literary critic, we may say that their creativity has descended into negativity. When the sáhityikas8 are unable to offer any original ideas to society, they turn to criticism. This is very bad. Or they write parodies, which merely alter another person’s original composition. For example, one poet wrote:

Pákhii sab kare rab rát poháila.

[The birds are chirping for the night is past.] As a parody of this original line, someone wrote,

Pákhii sab kare rab fazar haila.

[The birds are chirping, the dawn has come.] Or, suppose the original line is,

7 Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (1876-1938) was a well-known Bengali writer

and novelist. –Eds. 8 There is no equivalent word for sáhityika in English. Sáhityikas are those who

write with the thought of the welfare of all humanity uppermost in their minds. –Eds.


Otho shishu mukh dhao paro nija besh; Ápan pátïhete man karaha nivesh. [Oh child, get up and wash your face, put on your dress, and turn your mind to your lessons!]

As a parody of this, someone writes,

Otho shishu ojukaro para lungi fej; Ápan kitábe man karah ámej. [Oh child, get up and take a half bath; put on your lungi and cap, and try to concentrate on your books.] Of course, Rabindranath and other genii like him themselves

sometimes parodied their own compositions. One of Rabindranath’s devotees was an excellent musician. Once Rabindranath went to the Star Theatre with him. They sat in different places. After some time Rabindranath said, “I see something shining below.” When they met again, Rabindranath said, “When I was looking for you, I saw something shining below, and I was convinced that it was you sitting there with the light reflecting off your bald head!” Rabindranath had previously composed this song:

Amala dhabala pála legeche; Manda madhura háoya. [On the brilliant white sails blows the gentle breeze.]

Then he parodied his own lines:

Telalo cheíao táke leeheche; Jhánjhálo roder háoya.

136 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 [On the gleaming bald head is reflected the scorching heat of the sun.]

However, this sort of parodying does not indicate that the poet has exhausted his or her genius; a genius always writes or does something original.

Here we are not discussing technical skill; we are discussing genius. Genius is an inborn faculty; all people do not possess it. But one must always attempt to utilize whatever potentiality one possesses, and the best approach in this regard is to remember that, “Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] is always with me, and I get my strength from Him; I am strong because of Him.” One need not complain about one’s lack of strength; one should think, “Since Parama Puruïa is inseparably associated with me, the flow of capability and energy will emanate from Him and operate through me. Then why can I not do great things like others – of course I can!”

However little your capacity, if you constantly remember that Parama Puruïa is always with you, that you are in the closest contact with Parama Puruïa, you will be able to do everything. People are not as insignificant as they think. And as long as they remember this close association with Him, they can do much more than ordinary human beings. When this idea becomes permanently established in their minds, they become great. This is why no one should be disappointed or depressed in any circumstance; let everyone constantly perform great deeds, remembering that the flow of their capacity comes from Parama Puruïa, and thus they will be able to do everything. Those people whom we call genii are also like this – Parama Puruïa has infused them with a special capacity, not in great measure, but to some degree. I say only to some degree because I have always maintained that human beings use only a small fraction of their innate ability, perhaps only 1% or 2% of their capability, and 98% remains unutilized.


Let us take the case of Rabindranath Tagore. We think that he was such a great poet, but Rabindranath hardly utilized 10% or 15% of his entire capacity. We did not give him the opportunity to fully utilize his potentialities for he had to cope with numerous vicissitudes in his life. Had we saved him from all those troubles, perhaps he would have produced much more literature. It is my personal opinion that we should help those people who have some genius to utilize their potentiality to the maximum. Human beings have to exhaust so much of their energy in dealing with the numerous mundane problems of life that they do not get any opportunity to utilize their higher capabilities. If Sarat Chandra had not had to struggle for his survival, perhaps he could have produced much more literature than he did. The same applies to Rabindranath Tagore as well. In fact, this applies to most people of genius. We never appreciate them during their lifetime; rather we treat them with hostility and obstruct their activities. As a result the whole of society is harmed.

Before Rabindranath was awarded the Nobel Prize, there were many scurrilous attempts to belittle him in every way. A similar thing happened to Michael Madhusudhan Dutt. He was the genius who first introduced blank verse into an Indian language. (Actually it is incorrect to say into any Indian language, because blank verse was already used in Sanskrit. Therefore it would be better to say that he first introduced it into a modern Indian language.) But his writing in blank verse met with hostile criticism.

Michael was the first to use nám dhátu [nouns as verbs]. For instance, he wrote:

Calechaki naranáth yujhite samare; Praviiraputtrer mrtyu pratividhitsite.

138 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 [Are you going on an expedition to avenge the death of your valorous son?]

The use of this nám dhátu was not previously in vogue. People used to parody his language saying, Huó huó kari, huóukila masharila masha! [“Clubs clubbing him and mosquitoes mosquitoing him!”] That is, they criticized him for overusing nám dhátu.

We should develop our character in such a way that we encourage people to express their latent genius, rather than pulling them down by throwing obstacles in their path. One of the main defects people suffer from is jealousy. Let us all be free from this defect. If someone prospers in life, others always try to pull him or her down saying, “Why are you rising so high above us? Sit down! Don’t rise; we cannot tolerate it!” If we encourage a genius to develop his or her potentialities, the whole society will be benefited.

And if those who have less genius or none at all remember that Parama Puruïa is with them, He will supply them with the strength they need. With this thought in mind, if they devote themselves to any task, they will also be able to accomplish great deeds. Such people will achieve more than twice as much as ordinary people; in fact they will achieve 200 or even 500 times more!

So now you understand the difference between a genius and a technician. Genius is an inborn faculty; it cannot be created. A technician possesses an ordinary qualification, developed to an extraordinary degree of efficiency. This is the fundamental difference between a genius and a technician.


ELEVATING BACKWARD CLASSES

Throughout the world today many groups of people are in

urgent need of relief. They are suffering from physical, psychic and spiritual deprivation because the different socio-economic systems in vogue only pander to particular sections of society, neglecting those in need and society as a whole.

Marxism, for example, divides society into the capitalists and the proletariat. The state is theoretically for the welfare of the proletariat or shúdras and the non-proletariat are suppressed or oppressed. This is the rule of the shúdras. But actually there cannot be any rule of the shúdras. The very concept of proletariat dictatorship is unrealistic, impractical and unscientific. Marxism is a utopian ideal, which has no roots in the soil of reality.

In 1977 there was a great change in the constitution of the Soviet Union. It gave up its stupid bogey of proletariat rule and declared itself a welfare state.1 But even still, Marxism is like a house of cards that will fall apart after a light hammering.2 It will leave no impact in this practical world.

In capitalism or democracy the state is theoretically for the welfare of the majority, but in practice it is the rule of a minority of vaeshyas. Other groups of people are forced to become second-grade citizens.

1 The Preamble to the Constitution and Fundamental Law of the Union of Soviet

Socialist Republics adopted on 7 October 1977 includes the following: “Socio-political and ideological unity of Soviet society, in which the working class is the leading force, has been achieved. The aims of the dictatorship of the proletariat having been fulfilled, the Soviet state has become the state of the whole people.” –Eds.

2 Communism collapsed in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989 and 1990 and in Russia in 1991. –Eds.

140 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 The Proutistic social order follows the principle

sarvajanahitárthaî [“for the all-round welfare of all”]; that is, Prout is for the welfare of all. 3 Nobody is suppressed or oppressed. Prout supports the rule of sadvipras. Only sadvipras can guarantee the all-round welfare of all groups of people, because they represent the interests of all classes in society.

Until Prout is established, however, special efforts should be made to protect the interests of backward classes. For example, tribal people are among the most deprived of the backward classes. In Tripura and many parts of India, and in other countries of the world as well, tribal people are poor and illiterate. Special steps should be taken to immediately enhance their socio-economic development. Such steps should include the removal of all educational inequalities; the widespread establishment of cottage industries; proper agricultural facilities, especially irrigation water; self-reliance in energy production, such as electricity; increased communication facilities, such as telephones; and better transportation infrastructure, such as railways.

In addition, the population of several other groups in the world is rapidly decreasing, and some groups are in danger of extinction. Immediate efforts should be made to save them. These groups include the Zulus and Pygmies of Africa; the Lodhas of Bengal; the Birhars of Chotanagpur; the Málas of Malda; the Angars of Rohtas in Bihar whose language is Bhojpuri; the Ladakhis of Kashmir; the Scheduled Castes of Kinnaur; the Romansh of Europe; and the [Aborigines and] Maoris of Australia and New Zealand [respectively]. Although the Kaevartas [of Ráóh] are not in danger of extinction, their rate of population growth is less than the normal rate.

In some countries of the world, such as India, job reservation has been introduced to provide employment to backward

3 See also the conclusion to “The Principles of Prout” in Volume 2. –Eds.

ELEVATING BACKWARD CLASSES 141

classes and thereby ensure their economic advancement. However, job reservation is not in tune with the ideology of Prout. That is, when Prout is established nobody will feel the necessity of job reservation, because everybody’s progress is guaranteed in Prout. In the Proutistic system, people will not seek jobs, jobs will seek people.

In the present socio-economic environment, however, if the following preferential system is adopted as a temporary measure, the suffering of the people may be alleviated. First, poor people coming from backward families should get first preference in the fields of services and education, irrespective of their birth affiliation. Second preference should go to the poor people coming from non-backward families. Third preference should go to the non-poor people coming from backward families. Last preference should go to the non-poor people coming from non-backward families. Here “backward” means “families who did not get any services or education in the past”. Such families should continue to get these facilities until there is no poverty in the country; that is, until the minimum requirements are guaranteed.

Thus the criteria for receiving preferential services and education should not be birth affiliation but a person’s economic condition. A so-called low-caste, shoe-repair man may be economically well off, thus the advantage of job reservation is superfluous for him and misleading for society. There is no need of job reservation in these circumstances. On the other hand, there may be a Maethil Brahman who comes from a so-called high-caste family but is economically very poor. Job reservation is essential for him, and would increase the economic standard of the entire society.

Many undeveloped and developing countries are struggling to elevate their backward classes. For example, Bihar is at war over the question of backward and forward classes. If the above system is followed, it would certainly end all possibility of


struggle among backward and forward classes in India, as well as in other countries of the world. At the same time it would automatically provide people with the opportunity for social justice and economic self-sufficiency. Without giving any consideration to caste, creed, religion, race, language or sex, governments would be able to create a suitable environment for the all-round and quick development of all local people, providing them with food, clothing, housing, education and medical care. This would eliminate any feeling of inferiority from their minds, and all would have the opportunity to earn their livelihood on the basis of their capabilities.

June 1979, Kolkata

SOME SPECIALITIES OF PROUT’S ECONOMIC SYSTEM

There are several specialities of Prout’s economic system. These include guaranteed minimum requirements, increasing purchasing capacity, cooperatives, industrial development, decentralization and development planning. Prout also has its specialities in trade and commerce.

Guaranteed Minimum Requirements

Prout’s economic system guarantees the minimum requirements of life – that is, food, clothing, accommodation, medical treatment and education – to each and every person. Once the minimum requirements have been guaranteed, the surplus wealth is to be distributed among people with special qualities and skills, such as physicians, engineers and scientists, because such people play an important role in the collective development of society. The quantum of the minimum requirements should be progressively increased so that the standard of living of the common people is always increasing.

The concept of equal distribution is a utopian idea. It is merely a clever slogan to deceive simple, unwary people. Prout rejects this concept and advocates the maximum utilization and rational distribution of resources. This will provide incentives to increase production.

Increasing Purchasing Capacity

To effectively implement this, increasing the purchasing

capacity of each individual [is essential; it] is the controlling factor in a Proutistic economy. The purchasing capacity of common people in many undeveloped, developing and


developed countries has been neglected, hence the economic systems in these countries are breaking down and creating a worldwide crisis.

The first thing that must be done to increase the purchasing capacity of the common people is to maximize the production of essential commodities, not the production of luxury goods. This will restore parity between production and consumption and ensure that the minimum requirements are supplied to all. The Cooperative System

According to Prout, the cooperative system is the best system

for the production and distribution of commodities. Cooperatives, run by moralists, will safeguard people against different forms of economic exploitation. Agents or intermediaries will have no scope to interfere in the cooperative system. One of the main reasons for the failure of the cooperative system in different countries of the world is the rampant immorality spread by capitalist exploiters, whose main intention is to perpetuate their domination.

Cooperatives develop in a community that has an integrated economic environment, common economic needs and a ready market for its cooperatively-produced goods. All these factors must be present for cooperatives to evolve. Properly managed cooperatives are free from the defects of individual ownership. Production can be increased as required in cooperatives due to their scientific nature.

For their success, cooperative enterprises depend on morality, strong supervision and the wholehearted acceptance of the cooperative system by the people. Wherever these three factors have been present in some measure, cooperatives have achieved a proportionate degree of success. To encourage people to form cooperatives, successful cooperative models

SPECIALITIES OF PROUT’S ECONOMIC SYSTEM 145

should be established and people should be educated about the benefits of the cooperative system.

The latest technology should be used in the cooperative system, both in production and distribution. Appropriate modernization will lead to increased production.

Cooperative managers should be elected from among those who have shares in the cooperative. Members of agricultural cooperatives can earn dividends in two ways: as a return on the land placed under the management of the cooperative and for their productive manual or intellectual labour. To pay this dividend, initially the total produce should be divided on a fifty-fifty basis: 50% should be disbursed as wages and 50% should be paid to the shareholders in proportion to the land they contributed. Local people should get first preference in participating in cooperative enterprises.

Development planning should be adopted to bring about equal development in all regions instead of just some regions. Local wealth and other resources and potentialities should be utilized in the development plan.

The controversial problem of the ownership of land can be solved by the phase-wise socialization of land through agricultural cooperatives. Cooperative land ownership should be implemented step by step, in adjustment with the economic circumstances of the local area. During this process, the ownership of land should not be in the hands of any particular individual or group. Industrial Development

Prout divides the industrial structure into three parts: key

industries managed by the immediate or local government, cooperatives and private enterprises. This system will eliminate confusion regarding whether or not a particular industry should


be managed privately or by the government, and will avoid duplication between the government and private enterprise.

In many undeveloped and developing countries of the world, there are too many people working in the agricultural sector. It is not proper for more than 45% of the population to be employed in agriculture. In villages and small towns, a large number of agro-industries and agrico-industries should be developed to create new opportunities for employment. In addition, agriculture should be given the same status as industry so that agricultural workers will understand the importance and value of their labour.

According to the wages policy of Prout, wages need not be paid only in the form of money. They can also be paid in the form of essential goods or services. It is advisable to gradually increase this component of wages in adjustment with the monetary component of wages.

Prout supports maximum modernization in industry and agriculture by introducing the most appropriate scientific technology, yet modernization and rationalization should not lead to increased unemployment. In Prout’s collective economic system, full employment will be maintained by progressively reducing working hours as the introduction of appropriate scientific technology increases production. This is not possible in capitalism. Decentralization

To materialize the above economic programme, Prout advocates a unique approach to decentralization based on the formation of socio-economic units throughout the world. Socio-economic units should be formed on the basis of factors such as common economic problems, uniform economic potentialities, ethnic similarities, common geographical features and people’s sentimental legacy. People’s sentimental


legacy arises out of their common socio-cultural ties, which are created by such things as language and cultural expression. Each socio-economic unit should be completely free to draft its own economic plans and devise ways to implement them.

Within each socio-economic unit there should also be decentralized planning, which is called “block-level planning” in Prout.1 Block-level-planning boards should be the lowest level planning bodies.

A political unit, such as a federal or unitary state, may contain a number of socio-economic units. For example, the state of Bihar in India can be divided into five socio-economic units: Angadesh, Mithila, Magadh, Bhojpuri and Nagpuri.2 Based on the above factors, the whole of India may be divided into forty-four socio-economic units. 3 These units must be guaranteed complete freedom so that they can achieve economic self-sufficiency through the implementation of their own economic plans and policies.

If the local people in these units organize large-scale programmes for their all-round socio-economic and cultural

1 See “Block-Level Planning”. –Eds. 2 In 2000, after this discourse was given (in June 1979), the state of Jharkhand

was formed from 18 districts in South Bihar. These districts are also included in Nagpuri, Magadh or Angadesh. (Some districts in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh are also included in Bhojpuri or Magadh.) –Eds.

3 On 30 and 31 December 1978, the author began creating 44 socio-economic movements, also called samájas, for India. These samájas are: 1) Amra Bangali; 2) Angika; 3) Mithila; 4) Magahi; 5) Bhojpuri; 6) Nagpuri; 7) Utkal; 8) Koshal; 9) Bhutia; 10) Bodo; 11) Assamiya; 12) Lepcha; 13) Avadhi; 14) Braj; 15) Haryanvi; 16) Garhwali; 17) Kumayuni; 18) Punjabi; 19) Sirmauri; 20) Pahari; 21) Kinnauri; 22) Dogri; 23) Kashmiri; 24) Ladakhi; 25) Marwari; 26) Harauti; 27) Mewari; 28) Kacchi; 29) Kathiawari; 30) Gurjar; 31) Vidarbha; 32) Sahyadri; 33) Malwa; 34) Bundeli; 35) Bagheli; 36) Chhattisgarhi; 37) Telangana; 38) Circar; 39) Rayalaseema; 40) Tamil; 41) Malayali; 42) Kannada; 43) Tulu; and 44) Konkani. Each socio-economic movement corresponds to a socio-economic unit or groupification. (Amra Bangali corresponds to Bangalistan, Angika to Angadesh, Magahi to Magadh, etc.) And each socio-economic unit covers a distinct geographic region, which collectively encompass all of India. See also “Socio-Economic Groupifications” and “Development Planning”. –Eds.


liberation, there will be a widespread socio-economic awakening in the whole of India. Regardless of whether they are rich or poor, old or young, educated or illiterate, if the local people are inspired by anti-exploitation sentiments and universal sentiments, they will be able to start powerful movements for socio-economic liberation. If people merge their individual socio-economic interests with the collective socio-economic interest, the outflow of economic wealth from a region will cease and exploitation will be completely rooted out. The right of full employment for all local people will be guaranteed and the employment of local people will take precedence over non-local people.

In places where there is no proper economic development, surplus labour develops. In fact all undeveloped economic regions suffer from surplus labour. If the surplus labour migrates to other regions, the region remains undeveloped forever. In areas of surplus labour, ways should be found to immediately employ the local people.

While providing employment to local people, local sentiments should be taken into consideration. In addition, maximum agro-industries and agrico-industries should be established on the basis of the socio-economic potential of a region, and various types of other industries should be established according to the collective needs. This approach will create enormous opportunities for new employment. Through such an employment policy, increasing the standard of living of the local people will be made possible.

In a decentralized socio-economic system, the modernization of industry and agriculture can be easily achieved and the goods that are produced as a result will be made readily available in the market-place. As each socio-economic unit develops its economic potential, disparities among different regions based on the per capita income will decline and the economic position of the undeveloped regions will be raised to


that of the developed regions. Once every region becomes economically self-reliant, the whole country will rapidly be able to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Economic prosperity will be enjoyed by each and every person. Development Planning

Prout’s decentralized economy follows a specific guiding

principle. That is, effective economic planning should be based on four fundamental factors: the cost of production, productivity, purchasing capacity and collective necessity. Other related factors include natural resources, geographical features, climate, river systems, transportation, industrial potentialities, cultural heritage and social conditions.

Due to the lack of a well-defined principle of economic planning and the dominance of various narrow sentiments, India’s economy has been paralysed by inertia. Steel plants have been built where there is no supply of cheap power, and huge oil refineries, such as those in Mathura and Barauni, have been constructed where there are no raw materials for 1,000 miles.4 Such a policy is not only a great misuse and waste of resources, it also illustrates the ignorance and lack of foresight of India’s planners.

This situation is reminiscent of the British period when raw jute from Bengal was sent to Dundee in Great Britain to develop the British jute industry. When the supply of raw jute from Bengal was stopped, all the jute factories in Dundee were closed down. If the finished jute products made in Dundee had not been sold in Bengal, the Dundee jute industry would not have survived.

4 The Mathura Refinery processes crude oil from Mumbai High, in the Arabian

Sea, and from Africa and the Middle East. The Barauni Oil Refinery processes crude oil piped from Naharkatia in Assam. –Eds.

150 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 This episode of economic history is relevant to the dying jute

industry in Bengal today. The present political climate is full of slogans like, “Let the closed jute factories be nationalized,” and “Stop the lockout.” Trade union leaders are amassing great wealth by exploiting this depressed industry while thousands of unemployed workers are being subjected to deprivation, starvation and untold suffering. Bengal does not even grow sufficient raw jute to run its own jute mills, so raw jute has to be imported from outside the region to supply the existing mills.

If people want to make the jute industry healthy, some clear-cut, bold steps will have to be taken. The number of jute mills should be reduced so that it corresponds to the dwindling supply of raw jute. The additional mills should be closed down or converted to the production of other essential commodities. The mills engaged in jute production should produce mainly jute thread rather than other jute products, and jute thread should be distributed among farmers and weavers through a system of jute cooperatives. If such a policy is adopted, the large demand for thread in Bengal will be met and the surplus production can be exported. As the industry will be decentralized, the wealth generated from thread production will be spread among the local people, ending the widespread exploitation by wealthy jute merchants and raising the standard of living of the local people.

So, on the basis of the above factors, each socio-economic unit should draw up its own development plan for socio-economic self-sufficiency and then implement it. Grandiose planning that is irrelevant or inappropriate for the local economic conditions should not be imposed from the outside. It should not be allowed.

Centralized planning has totally failed in all countries of the world, including India. In Prout’s system of decentralized planning there should be one coordinated plan for the whole


socio-economic unit, based on block-level planning. For example, for the entire western Ráóh, including Bankura, Purulia, etc., there should be a sub-plan. Similarly, there should be another sub-plan for Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Siliguri and Goalpara. In addition, there should be proper block-level planning throughout the socio-economic unit. Thus, the seed of economic centralization will be destroyed. Trade and Commerce

Prout also has its own specialities in the fields of trade,

commerce, taxation and banking. The distribution of essential commodities will have to be done entirely through consumer cooperatives, not through the government, business people or various levels of middlemen [intermediaries]. This approach will not leave any scope for manipulation by profiteers. As far as possible, barter should be the basis for trade among self-sufficient socio-economic units.

Essential commodities will have to be entirely tax free. There will be no income tax. Instead taxes should be levied at the starting point of production.5

The banking system will have to be managed by cooperatives. The central or federal bank should be controlled by the immediate or local government.

5 The author also says: “Prout advocates the abolition of income tax.” See the

section Socio-Economic Development in “Development Planning”. No income tax means the abolition of personal income tax. He also advocates limiting the individual accumulation of physical wealth. Regarding cooperatives, he says: “Cooperative ownership cannot stand in open competition with individual enterprise. Thus it requires protective armour – that is, exemption from sales tax, duties, etc. This protection should be withdrawn slowly. Protective armour should be limited to essential commodities only.” See “Discourses on Prout”, section 3, in Volume 1. And regarding farmers’ cooperatives, he also says: “Taxes, levies, excise duties, etc., should be collectively paid by the cooperative, thus freeing individual farmers from financial pressure and economic exploitation.” See the section Farmers’ Cooperatives in “Cooperatives” in Volume 4. –Eds.

152 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 The maxim of Prout’s productive economy is, “Above all

else, increase the purchasing capacity of the common people.” If this maxim is followed in practice, it will be easy to control the prices of commodities through the cooperative system and economic decentralization.6

June 1979, Kolkata

6 After this discourse was given, the author gave a number of economic concepts

that can also be considered to be specialities of Prout’s economic system. –Eds.

ART AND SCIENCE

The fundamental difference between Art and Science is that one is movement towards finer sentiments, and the other is a rational expression with each and every stage having cause and effect

What is Art? You do many things. If you do these things in a fine way, in a subtle style, then within that style they come within the scope of Art, as in the art of [speaking] and writing languages.

When you are doing something along a rational line or on the basis of logic and at the same time you are drawing attention to cause and effect, it is Science. In this world everything comes within the scope of causality. Nothing in this world is non-causal. What we can detect by seeing has got some causal factor. You see sugar. What is the cause of the sugar? The cause of the sugar is sugar cane or sugar beet. Where sugar cane or sugar beet is the cause, sugar is the effect. Then, where sugar cane or sugar beet is the effect, the seed is the cause. So, in all spheres of life, there is a cause.

What is Science? Science means, “that which is based on rationality and pays proper attention to cause and effect”. About 2,000 years ago one philosopher named Maharshi Kaòáda said, Káraòábhávát káryábhávah. [“Where there is no causal factor, there cannot be any effect.”]1

Spiritual practice comes within the scope of Science. The first scientist, who invented this science, was Lord Shiva, who was born about 7,000 years ago. The name of his spouse was

1 Maharshi Kaòáda propounded Kaòádiiya Nyáya, also known as Vaesheïika. The

author also says: “And among philosophers, the first philosopher who spoke regarding this cause-and-effect theory was Maharshi Kaòáda. He was a great scientist. His was the original atomic theory.” See “Unit Spirit and Cosmic Spirit”, given on 21 October 1971, in Subháïita Saîgraha Part 21, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.


Párvatii. In Old China [i.e., Old Chinese], Párvatii was known as Tárá. Now, this spiritual science was divided into two portions, two compartments, just like the two wings of a bird. One portion was known as nigama, and the other portion, ágama. The questions of Párvatii were known as nigama, and the replies of Shiva were known as ágama.

Once Párvatii asked Shiva, “Oh Lord, in different spheres of life we see that there are certain fixed minimum qualifications. Before becoming a doctor, a person must be a medical graduate – that graduation in medical science is the minimum qualification for becoming a physician. In all [the] different walks of life, there are certain minimum qualifications. Now, according to this science of spirituality, what is the minimum qualification? There must be some minimum qualification.”

Shiva said, [Átmajiôánamidaî Devi paraî mokïaekasádhanam; Sukrtaermánavo bhútvá jiôániicenmokïamápnuyát.] [Self-knowledge is the greatest means to attain salvation. People are born as human beings due to their past good saîskáras (reactive momenta), but to attain non-qualified liberation they will have to attain self-knowledge.]

In the process of introversion – the introversial march of this created world – everything moves from crude to subtle. What happens? Due to eternal clash and cohesion in the material world, primitive protozoa or protozoic cells develop, and as a result of further clash and cohesion, these protozoic cells get converted into different metazoic structures. And finally, these metazoic structures, maintaining a standard of intellectuality, take the form of human beings. In other living creatures, in other living forms, there is intellectuality, but [they lack] intuition. In the case of human beings, there is intellectuality

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and there is also the intuitional faculty. Human beings have a peculiar nature. Certain portions of their minds are conscious and certain portions are unconscious, and therein lie all their potentialities [of intuition]. Lord Shiva said when one acquires the human form and develops devotion, that is the minimum, final and only qualification.

Everyone should remember that when there is a human body, then that human body, by dint of its devotion, is able to attain the Supreme Stance, the Divine Stance. Nobody is inferior or superior to others. It is the birthright of all humans to attain the non-attributional stance, which is the Supreme Goal, the Supreme Desideratum. There cannot be any distinction of caste, creed, race or academic qualifications. The person who has acquired immense educational wealth may lag behind if he or she has not one drop of devotion, and an illiterate person can attain the Supreme Status or the Supreme Position if there is devotion in him or her. This was the reply of Shiva.

I have told you that the Old Chinese name of Párvatii was Tárá. Tárá asked Shiva, “How can one know that devotion is the only way, and how, when one feels that devotion is the only way, can one devote all one’s possibilities, potentiality and stamina to developing devotion?” When one devotes everything to Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness], those devoted propensities of the human mind make a person a devotee, and his or her faculties are then known as devotion. The collective name of these propensities devoted to Parama Puruïa [is] known as devotion, because they are devoted to Him.

Shiva said, [Átmajiôánamidaî Devi paraî mokïaekasádhanam; Sukrtaermánavo bhútvá jiôániicenmokïamápnuyát.]


Now, what is Átmajiôánamidaî? Then he answered Párvatii’s question. Shiva said,

Átmajiôánaî vidurjiôánaî jiôánányanyáni yánitu; Táni jiôánávabhásáni sárasyanaeva bodhanát. [Self-knowledge is true knowledge, while all other branches of knowledge are mere reflections of knowledge. They are the umbra and the penumbra of knowledge.] I am using Sanskrit shlokas [couplets] and not Páli because

Páli may not be intelligible to you. Sanskrit is better understood. That is why I am using Sanskrit shlokas.

When a person knows something, what is the actional side of [the process of] knowing? The science of knowing is but the internal projection of external vibration. Introversial projection of external feeling, external vibration, is known as knowledge. In philosophical language you may say that knowledge means the subjectivization of objectivities. A certain portion of your mind is the knower, and a certain portion of your mind is metamorphosed into the known when you are knowing something external.

But when you are to know yourself, that is, in self-realization, what are you to do? Your knower portion is the subjective mind, which is seeing an elephant, which is seeing a cow, but it is not seeing itself. It is seeing so many things, but it is not seeing itself. So what is Átmajiôánaî, what is self-realization? Self-realization is when one sees one’s subjective entity with the vibrative faculty of one’s spirit, of one’s consciousness. So Shiva says that actual knowledge is knowing one’s self, knowing the subjective portion.

There are certain defective philosophies which think that the material world is everything. When matter becomes everything, then matter becomes the goal of life. And consequently human

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existence, human consciousness, the subjective portion of the human mind, everything, will become like earth and stone. That is why such a philosophy is detrimental to human development. Reverend Karl Marx preached that defective philosophy. You should keep your mind free from the bindings and fetters of such a defective philosophy, because it is anti-human – [and not only] anti-human, it is most detrimental to human existence and human development. You should never forget this.

Now, Shiva says that self-realization, when the subjective portion of the mind is metamorphosed into Consciousness, is the proper knowledge. Other knowledge is of no avail.

Átmajiôánaî vidurjiôánaî [jiôánányanyáni yánitu; Táni jiôánávabhásáni…]

You, students of science, know that in a shadow there are two portions: the umbra portion and the penumbra portion. Here Lord Shiva says that neither the umbra nor the penumbra are the actual jiôánaî [knowledge]. He says all objective knowledge, where knowing means subjectivization of objectivity, is actually not knowledge. There lies the umbra and the penumbra of shadows. By seeing the umbra and penumbra, you cannot have a proper idea of the actual thing. There is a lychee tree; there is a guava tree. By seeing the shadows, you cannot understand which is the shadow of the lychee tree and which is the shadow of the guava tree. You have to see the original tree. This was the reply given by Lord Shiva, who started spiritual science.

The question asked by Párvatii was, “Oh Lord, there are many people who say, ‘This place is a holy place; that place is an unholy place.’ They go on moving through the world in search of many tiirthas, places of pilgrimage. What is the correct approach?”

158 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Shiva said,

Idaî tiirthaî idaî tiirthaî bhramanti támasáh janáh; Átmatiirthaî na jánanti kathaî mokïa varánane. [Here is one place of pilgrimage, there is another place. People of static nature wander from the one place to the other. But without finding the real place of pilgrimage within themselves, how can they attain salvation?]

“Oh my Lord, so many people are moving throughout the world. They do not know that the highest Tiirtha lies [coverted] within their very existence. One need not go elsewhere in search of Tiirtha.”

Just now I told you that in the case of physical knowledge, external or extroversial knowledge, the process of [acquiring] knowledge means the subjectivization of external desideratum. But in the case of true knowledge, as explained by Lord Shiva, what happens? The very subjective mind is metamorphosed into Consciousness, Átmá, the Supreme Knowing Entity. So, when the final goal, the supreme desideratum, is metamorphosed into the Supreme Knowing Entity, the Supreme “I”, that is the best Tiirtha, rather the only Tiirtha, and that lies [coverted] within your I-feeling.

Each and every person has the feeling that “I exist”. This feeling of “I exist” is the final form of the expressed world. Behind that final form of the expressed world there lies [coverted] the Supreme Consciousness, the Átmá. So Átmá is the best Tiirtha; Átmá is the Supreme Tiirtha. Rather Átmá is the only Tiirtha.

You are all spiritual aspirants. You should remember that your movement is not from subtle to crude, but from crude to subtle. [But] you must not neglect the crude world, because your existence is being nourished by the crude world. That is

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why you should pay proper respect to the crude world also. That is why I say, ours is a subjective approach through objective adjustment.

16 August 1979, Taipei


BEWARE OF DOGMA

So far as structural solidarity is concerned, the best shape is the oval shape. Oval means (in Latin ovum means “egg”) “similar to an egg, not exactly like an egg, but to some extent like an egg; not exactly elliptical, but to some extent elliptical”. All celestial bodies are of that shape. That’s why in Sanskrit this universe is called Brahmáòìa. (Aòìa means “egg”. And from the Sanskrit word aòìa it became aòìá in the Urdu language.)

Now, this universe of ours is very big, but not infinite. It is an elliptical figure, an oval figure, which means it has a boundary line. Yes, it is very big, and actually so big that we cannot measure it; but in theory it can be measured.

Just now I said that the most convenient figure is the oval or elliptical figure. Take the case of a small atom. Here what happens? In that structure there is the nucleus, the heaviest matter of the structure, and the electrons are moving around that nucleus. A similar structure is our ethereal structure: the earth is the nucleus, and the moon is moving around that nucleus. The next bigger structure is our solar system: the sun is the nucleus, and so many planets are moving around it. And the biggest structure is the Cosmological structure: Parama Puruïa (Puruïottama, the Supreme Nucleus, the Supreme Hub) is in the middle, and so many animated and non-animated objects are moving around It.

Now, this movement is affected by two forces. All students of science know that they are the centrifugal force and the centripetal force. The centripetal force tries to decrease the radius and the centrifugal force tries to drift the moving object away from the nucleus. In Sanskrit this centripetal force is called Vidyá and the centrifugal force is called Avidyá. (In

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common parlance, for Avidyá we use the word Shaytán – “Satan” in English.)

Now, knowingly or unknowingly, consciously or unconsciously, each and every entity, either physical or psychic, is moving around that Parama Puruïa. In the case of finite objects or finite structures or systems, when one moving entity goes far away from its nucleus, it is attracted by another nucleus, and in the course of this there take place so many clashes among so many nuclei. But in the case of the Cosmological order, there is a single nucleus for the entire [expressed] universe. The question of going beyond the jurisdiction of that nucleus does not arise. That is, when human beings are highly influenced by Avidyá, their radius from the nucleus increases, but the radius is always there. A human being, an animal, a plant, an inanimate object – every body will have to move; and that’s why I said movement is life. Stirlessness means death.

Dogmas

And when people are guided by – not guided by, controlled

by – dogmas, their stir is lost, so they become lifeless. They are worse than dead bodies. So you boys and you girls, you should know that you must never allow any dogma to goad you, to drift you, away from your nucleus. Never allow your radius to increase. Always try to decrease your radius. Always try to come in closer and closer proximity to the nucleus of this universe.

You may ask, “Baba, 1 what is dogma?” You should remember, you are all educated boys and girls. Dogma is a psychic structure. All ideas are psychic structures; but regarding their boundary lines there should be some flexibility.

1 An affectionate name for the author, used by his disciples. –Eds.

162 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 I think some of you have come in contact with our Prout. I

think you have gone through it. There is the fifth item, the fifth fundamental factor [i.e., principle], where it is said that the style of utilization should vary in accordance with [changes in] time, space and person.2 Didn’t I say like this? That is, there is, or there lies, scope for flexibility – no rigidity, flexibility. Because the human mind will not tolerate anything rigid. It wants movement. Not only movement, it wants accelerated movement.

But what is dogma? Dogma is also an idea, but there is rigidity of the boundary line. Dogma will not allow you to go beyond the periphery of that boundary line. That is, dogma goes against the fundamental spirit of the human mind.

Knowingly or unknowingly, each and every object will have to move around the Supreme Nucleus. There is no alternative. But in the case of dogma, what happens? While moving near the Nucleus, the unit mind is highly influenced by the Cosmic Mind as it proceeds towards the Nucleus for the purpose of coincidence. And when it actually coincides, the unit mind becomes one with the Cosmic Mind, and the Cosmic Mind knows no dogma.

So, from the very starting point, you should be active, you should be vocal, in fighting against the influence of dogmas. It is due to these dogmas that human society could not progress properly. Otherwise human intellect has developed much during the last 5,000 years; it has developed still more during the last 200 years; and since the Second World War3 – during the last few decades – it has developed still more.

2 The Fifth Fundamental Principle of Prout says: “The method of utilization

should vary in accordance with changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of progressive nature.” See Principle 16 in “The Principles of Prout” in Volume 2 and “The Speciality of the Fifth Fundamental Principle of Prout” in Volume 4. –Eds.

3 Second World War: 1939-1945.

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A Crisis of Civilization Now, although there has been intellectual progress, there is a

crisis of civilization. What is the breeding ground of this crisis? Why the crisis? The crisis is that human existence, which is highly [developed], has been endangered by dogmas. Its very existence on the psychic level has been endangered by dogmas. On the physical level it may or may not be endangered, but on the psychic level there is danger. If you get guarantees on the physical level regarding eating and drinking, sleeping and getting shelter, that will not suffice. You want to be danger-free in the realm of your mind, in the realm of your intellect. You want unbarred, unobstacled, psychic progress – intellectual progress. But certain dogmas with their devouring mouths are trying to eat you up.

Take, for example, communism, Marxism. It is such a dogma. It will not allow you to think beyond its periphery. So it is the duty of all intellectuals to make people conscious of their present and future, and cautious of the all-devouring influence of dogma.

Yours is a path forward towards supreme bliss, and you will have to move forward towards the Universal Nucleus. Now, [plants and animals] have all got minds. I told you that in the case of undeveloped creatures, mind is inborn instinct, but in the case of human beings, mind remains an ever-expanding force. Everybody is moving, knowingly or knowingly, with so many ideas, with so many feelings, with so many propensities, with so many desires. But each and every aspirant, each and every artist, each and every scientist, and each and every philosopher must be ensconced in this supreme veracity – that they will have to be one with the Supreme, that each will have to coincide his or her microcosmic nucleus with the Macrocosmic One. And while moving towards this Macrocosmic Nucleus, no bar should be tolerated, no obstacle


should be encouraged. Let there be an unbarred movement of humanity, let there be an unbarred progress of humanity – humanity that knows no colour, no racial or garb barrier, no historical or traditional barrier. Human beings have got the same human legacy, and they must boldly stand upon that legacy and move forward with the banner of universal humanity.

[Following the discourse, the author gave a blessing:] Let everybody in the universe be happy. Let everybody in the universe be free from all ailments. Let everybody in the universe see the bright side of everything. Let nobody be forced to undergo suffering.

15 September 1979, Istanbul Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30

PLANTS, ANIMALS AND HUMAN BEINGS

The philosophers of the past used to say that human beings are rational animals. They used to believe that the only difference between human beings and animals was that the former were endowed with rationality and the latter were not.1 While it is true that human beings are rational beings, it is not true that animals are completely devoid of rationality. You must have noticed that domesticated dogs certainly have some sort of rationality, and that they are guided by more than just natural instinct. By coming in close contact with human beings, a dog learns a lot. It learns what to do, when to do and how to do. This is a kind of rationality. Hence, it is not proper to say that humans are rational animals. In doing so one does not do justice to human beings. Yet the philosophers of the past argued along these lines.

Plants and Animals

Here a question crops up: what is the difference between

animals and plants? Primarily, plants are stationary, whereas animals are mobile. With the gradual evolution of the minds of plants, a time comes, a stage comes, when plants reach their zenith point of evolution. But for animals, this is the lowest point. There are some well-known plants which catch their

1 Aristotle, in Nicomachean Ethics, is considered to be the first to hold this view,

although he did not use the term “rational animal”; he used “rational principle” and “rational faculty”. The Latin term for “rational animal” originated in scholasticism.

In this discourse, the author corrects this view. He also refutes Aristotle’s main arguments on this subject, which were also espoused by a number of other philosophers, and which are contained in Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1, chapter 7, by explaining the nature of plants and animals, instincts, the speciality of human beings, and the four aspects of human dharma. –Eds.


prey and kill it. They extend their branches and sub-branches, grab hold of their nearby prey, then eat it. To a great extent these plants behave like animals. In some other plants floral nectar is produced in the flowers. It attracts hundreds of insects, which hover around the centre of the flower and suck up the sweet nectar. The flowers of some of these plants gradually close around the unsuspecting insects and devour them. This kind of plant cannot ordinarily be put in the category of plant, because such behaviour resembles that of animals. Such plants are not mobile – this is the only difference. However, there are some aquatic weeds, grasses and creepers which are also able to move about. They drift from one place to another in lakes, rivers and the sea, stopping wherever they can obtain the maximum food. Hence it is more accurate to describe these plants as mobile rather than immobile.

There is an aquatic plant called jalakumbhii [“water hyacinth”] which is like this. You probably know that the water hyacinth first sprouts in water, has large leaves, like spinach leaves, and is spread throughout India. It can certainly be called mobile. About eighty years ago the Commissioner of Dhaka, Mr. Lee, visited South America. There he noticed some blue flowers in a big pond. Mrs. Lee liked the flowers very much, so she brought some back and planted them around the official residence in Dhaka. From there they spread all over India. In Hindi they are called shos’. They are also known as jalakumbhii in different parts of the country.

As plant life progresses along the path of evolution, it reaches a terminating point, and there animal life commences. Animal life also reaches a similar terminating point, and there human life begins. Until now, no amount of research has been able to uncover the culminating point of animal evolution and the starting point of human evolution. With more research human beings will one day certainly discover this missing link.

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Once this unknown link is discovered, enormous changes will occur in the field of genetics, and revolutionary changes will take place in the world of medicine.

There is a great deal of difference between human beings and animals. For example, human beings are inquisitive by nature; they want to learn and understand everything. This is a fact. While explaining the difference between plants and animals, we would not say that an animal is a moving plant. No, we would not say this. In the same way we would not say that human beings are rational animals. Human beings are human beings. Why should we hurt human sentiments by calling human beings rational animals? One who is born a human being today, even a person who has engaged in sinful acts, will become a great person in the future if he or she adopts disciplined habits, so why should we call human beings rational animals? Hence, the opinion of philosophers of the past is unacceptable because it is illogical.

Moreover rationality is not the only speciality of human beings. There are some special attributes that plants, animals and human beings have in common which can be termed their práòa dharma or jaeva dharma. Jaeva dharma has more meaning than práòa dharma. Dependence on food and water, inactivity, the capacity to work, death, rest, reproduction, growth and the instinct of self-preservation are common characteristics of plants, animals and human beings. These are the characteristics of all living beings, their jaeva dharma. Wherever there is life, these characteristics will exist.

Besides this, plants have some additional attributes. For example, only plants can gather vitality from within the earth. Neither human beings nor animals can do this. Plants can even take food from the atmosphere and supply it with some of its food. Human beings and animals can also do this, but to a lesser extent. Human beings and animals share some


characteristics not found in plants. The special qualities of plants are called udvid dharma [“plant dharma”].

Plants also have another attribute: they drink with their legs. It is because of this unique quality that trees are called pádapa in Sanskrit. Udvid means “that which sprouts from the earth”. Mahiiruha means “that which comes up from underneath the soil”.

Likewise, animals also have some special characteristics. On the basis of these characteristics, animals have been divided into different categories. For example, some animals are carnivorous and others are graminivorous. Carnivorous animals eat fish, meat and eggs. According to the law of nature, canine teeth are necessary to chew meat properly. Carnivorous animals, such as cats, dogs, tigers and lions, possess canine teeth. But cows, monkeys, elephants, yaks, etc., do not. Nature does not want them to eat meat. But what do greedy human beings do? Even though they do not possess canine teeth, they cook meat so that they can eat it. They do this out of greed.

According to the law of nature, human beings are not carnivorous. So if they eat meat, they will catch numerous diseases. Vegetarians generally suffer from fewer diseases than non-vegetarians, because their dietary habits are in greater harmony with natural laws. You must have noticed that those who violate the laws of nature and become non-vegetarian, even though they do not possess canine teeth, have peculiar eating habits. Sometimes it even seems as if non-vegetarians eat like dogs. Non-vegetarians have trouble chewing meat properly due to the absence of canine teeth.

There are also other ways of categorizing animals. For instance, some animals are gregarious and others are not. The tiger is not a gregarious animal; it prefers to roam about alone. Goats are not gregarious, but sheep, elephants and lions are. Human beings are social beings. They do not like to live alone.


Natural Instincts Besides this, animals are also guided by their natural

instincts. I once told you about an animal called the octopus, which lives under the sea. It has eight legs, so it is called an “octopus”. (In Latin octo means “eight”.) Crabs are one of its favourite foods. In Sanskrit a crab is known as karkaía, and in Latin, cancer. (The pain caused by the bite of a crab and that experienced in the disease known as cancer are very similar, therefore the disease cancer was named after the Latin word for crab.2) As the octopus lives beneath the sea, it is able to see other creatures near the surface. When it catches sight of a crab, it rises up from the depths and devours it. The octopus does not understand that a creature like the crab may enjoy playing in the sea. It only knows that creatures with eight or ten legs are food. If you make some crabs unconscious and take them to the bottom of the sea where an octopus can see them, the octopus will not be able to tell whether or not the crabs are edible because they are immobile. These are the expressions of natural instinct. In Sanskrit “instinct” is called sáhajáta vrtti.

Human beings remain under the control of their natural instincts until they complete their development. In infancy and childhood, human beings are guided totally by their natural instincts. For example, when children get hungry they start to cry so that their mothers will understand that they want something to eat or drink. They suck the breasts of their mothers to get milk due to natural instinct. There is no need to teach children to do this.

The evolution of human beings began with the proto-ape-men and then the ape-men. Next came Australopithecus, with

2 The Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BCE) was the first to use the term

carcinos (or karkinos), which is Greek for crab, to describe tumors. Later the Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus (about 25 BCE to 50) translated the Greek term as cancer, the Latin word for crab. –Eds.


their various branches and sub-branches, 3 followed by the proto-humans. One branch of proto-humans was the ancestor of human beings, and another branch was the ancestor of chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans, etc. The latter group do not have prominent tails. The foetus of an animal in this group will have a tail in the early stage of pregnancy, but later the tail will decrease in size. In the distant past there was some resemblance between primitive human beings and chimpanzees and orang-utans. The former group developed intellectually but the latter group did not. As a result the former group evolved into human beings while the latter group remained in the animal stage.

Natural instincts did not vanish with the advent of human beings. Have you seen monkeys quarrel? They chatter and show their teeth. Human beings also behave like this when they quarrel in anger. However, monkeys are entirely dominated by instinct; they have not lost any of their natural instincts. How did primitive ape-men behave? They used to live in trees, and because of this the word “monkey” means shákhámrga in Sanskrit. (Shákhá means “branch” and mrga means “wild creature”.) In Marathi the word mrga means “any wild animal”, thus mrga carma means “the skin of any wild animal”, not only “the skin of a deer”. Ape-men used to grasp the branches of a tree in the same way as monkeys still do today. This natural instinct is also evident in human beings whose infants keep their hands closed. If monkeys are afraid or quarrel with other monkeys, they catch hold of a branch very tightly to prevent themselves from falling. When human beings are gripped with fear or ready to fight an enemy, they also clench their fists very tightly. These are examples of natural instincts.

In the course of time instincts became less influential in human beings than in jánvárs [animals], so human beings

3 The various species of Australopithecus lived about 4.4 to 1.4 million years ago.

–Eds.


evolved into a separate species. Human beings are not animals but jándárs [living beings]. In the Persian language the suffixes dár, gar and var are used to indicate possession. One is called jándár [“living”] to indicate that one possesses life. If jan is used in the same sense and var is added, it becomes jánvár. Jánvár and jándár are not the same. In some cases the suffix gar is also used. For instance, jádugar means “magician”, saodágar means “merchant”, etc. The Speciality of Human Beings

The speciality of human beings is that, first, they are

endowed with conscience and rationality. Secondly, they have a unique dharma known as máòava dharma [“human dharma”], just as plants have a unique dharma called udvid dharma. And thirdly, they have the capacity to follow a spiritual way of life. Animals follow pashu dharma [animal dharma]. There is nothing wrong in animals following animal dharma: a tiger may attack and kill a human being; but it cannot be blamed for this. However, if human beings consume beef, they are following animal dharma. Human beings should follow human dharma, and the speciality of human dharma is rationality.

Human dharma has four aspects. Those who follow these four aspects can be described as following the path of human dharma. Dharma differs from group to group: udvid dharma for plants, pashu dharma for animals and máòava dharma for human beings. Another name for human dharma is Bhágavata Dharma. Bhágavata Dharma recognizes no divisions, such as the division between one religion and another. This dharma is for all human beings. That is why we popularize the slogans Máòava máòava eka hai [“Humanity is one”], and Máòava kádharma eka hai [“There is only one human dharma”]. This dharma alone is Adi Dharma, Sanátana Dharma [eternal dharma].

172 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Bhágavata Dharma has four aspects: vistára [psychic

expansion], rása [flow], sevá [service] and tadsthiti [attainment of the supreme state]. The fundamental aim of Bhágavata Dharma is vistára, psychic expansion. But in order to expand their minds, human beings have to realize that they are a part of the supernatural Cosmic flow. As they advance they have to maintain their connection with the Cosmic flow, merging their pleasure and pain, hopes and aspirations in the Cosmic rhythm. So human beings have to bring their minds into harmony with the Cosmic flow as they advance. This alone is known as the rása liila [the Cosmic dance] of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]. Human beings have to take part in this rása liila as they advance towards their goal. An indivisible Cosmic rhythm which started from beginningless time marches ever on towards infinity. No creature can remain separate from this flow of Cosmic bliss.

The third aspect is sevá. In the life of an animal there is no scope for service. There is only scope for mutual exchange, which we call a transaction. Phelo kari mákha tel. [Pay money and take the goods.] This is the policy.

Perhaps you know about the crocodile, which is called makar in Sanskrit, magarmecha in Hindi and kumiira in Bengali. The crocodile is a carnivorous animal. Although it likes to spend its time in the water, it is not an aquatic animal. It enters the water to catch its prey, and, after devouring it, returns to the bank and lies there quietly with its mouth open. Small birds often come and eat the pieces of meat stuck between the teeth of the crocodile. What is the result? The birds get their food, and the teeth of the crocodile get cleaned. While the birds are eating the crocodile does not close its mouth, or else the birds would be killed. This is a transaction, a relationship of give and take.

Human beings alone have the special capacity to do service. Service is motivated by the feeling, “I shall render service; I will do something for others, but I will not seek anything in


return.” Service is one-sided. When human beings give something, they do not expect anything in return. For example, if you give something to a beggar, you do not expect anything in return. Furthermore, once you have given something, you forget about it. This is the special quality of human beings.

However, some people give donations for other reasons. For example, suppose a man donates Rs. 100,000/- to a charity. That night he will not be able to sleep because he cannot stop thinking that in the morning he will get up and read in the newspaper that he, Chottamal Ìákuráî Báípáriya,4 donated a large amount of money for the public welfare. You should not behave like this. After donating something, you should immediately forget about it. A donation is one-way. If, as you offer flowers to Parama Puruïa, you think, “Parama Puruïa, my son has just appeared in his examinations, please see to it that he does very well,” or “Please help my daughter to get a good husband and a good house,” or “Please help me to win my court case against my cousin,” etc., this will not do. You have to offer yourself without expecting anything in return. If you offer yourself completely at that time, you will attain the highest benefit. You will become one with Parama Puruïa; you will become Parama Puruïa. But if out of one rupee you keep even one paise, you will not be able to become one with Parama Puruïa because of that one paise. Hence if you want to offer yourself, offer yourself 100%. This alone is real service.

The fourth aspect of human dharma is tadsthiti. The final goal of human beings is to become one with Parama Puruïa. This is not the case with animals. Hence in the Giitá it is said: Svadharme nidhanaî shreyah paradharmo bhayávahah. “O human beings, bear in mind that you have attained a human body, a human mind. Hence, you have to follow human dharma. Firmly establish yourself in it.”

4 Chottamal means “cheat”, ìákurám means “thief” and báípáóiya means “king of

thieves”. –Eds.

174 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Even if you meet death while following this dharma, it is

well and good. Never follow any other dharma. That is very dangerous; very, very bad. Here “other dharma” means plant dharma or animal dharma. Human beings must not follow this kind of dharma.

In the Bhagavad Giitá Shrii Krïòa said something more. He said that even if human dharma causes pain and torture, and even if another dharma is easy to follow and results in a bed of roses being spread out before you, it is still preferable to follow human dharma. Human beings should strictly avoid other kinds of dharma under all circumstances.

15 October 1979, Nagpur A Few Problems Solved Part 4

SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROUPIFICATIONS

In today’s world large animals are on the verge of extinction. Environmental conditions do not support the existence of big animals any longer. In the past many large creatures inhabited the earth, but as environmental conditions changed and human beings extended their domination over the planet, giant animals became extinct.

Similarly, small states are struggling to survive. People are more interested in forming larger and larger socio-economic units to ensure the welfare of all than in maintaining many small states. Narrow sentiments are gradually fading away and a universal outlook is arising in the minds of human beings. Science and technological development have exposed the blind faith and dogma that have suffocated many sections of society, and gradually humanity is advancing towards an age of rationality and common interest. The present age is not the age of large animals or small states.

In accordance with this trend, Prout advocates the formation of self-sufficient socio-economic units throughout the world.1 They will work to enhance the all-round welfare of the people in their respective areas and unite humanity on a common ideological base. The interests of all local people will be guaranteed and gain proper recognition. As each unit becomes strong and prosperous, it will merge with other units. The formation of a world government will assist this process of integration. Socio-economic units will thus facilitate the comprehensive, multifarious liberation of humanity.

1 For a list of the 44 socio-economic or samája movements the author created for

India, see the footnote in “Some Specialities of Prout’s Economic System”. –Eds.


Liberty

Since the beginning of history, there has been an incessant fight for freedom from natural, social, economic and political bondages. This fight is inherent in human nature. Human beings want freedom both as individuals and as members of society, and to achieve this freedom they must fight against all types of oppression. Yet we find that when any oppressed group or class gained some measure of freedom, it in turn oppressed others.

Whatever liberty exists in society today is the result of prolonged struggle by many individuals and groups. At the root of this struggle is the innate human desire for happiness – the longing to establish oneself in the supreme flow of bliss. To fulfil this longing in individual life, human beings have to attain the Absolute State and break all shackles of relativity. It is a natural human tendency to liberate the mind from the bondages of time, space and person, but only the attainment of the Absolute can fulfil the innate desire for happiness.

Society will have to encourage the individual search for absolute freedom because the psychic and spiritual realms are unlimited, and possession in these spheres does not hinder the progress of others. But unrestricted freedom to acquire wealth in the physical sphere has every possibility of permitting a few people to roll in luxury while hampering the all-round growth of the majority, because physical resources are limited. Individual liberty in the physical sphere must not be allowed to hamper the development of the complete human personality, and at the same time it must not be so drastically curtailed that the all-round growth of society is impeded.

Freedom is a right of every human being. To encourage comprehensive, unbarred human expression in the different spheres of social life, a congenial socio-economic environment

SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROUPIFICATIONS 177

has to be created, because such an environment does not exist today.

Criteria for Groupification

While forming socio-economic units, several factors should be considered. These include: same economic problems, uniform economic potentialities, ethnic similarities, the sentimental legacy of the people, and similar geographical features.

“Same economic problems” refers to the common economic problems confronting people in a particular unit, and may include the lack of markets for locally-produced goods, surplus or deficit labour problems, communication or transportation difficulties and lack of irrigation water. Ascertaining whether or not a similar set of economic problems exists in an area is the first thing that should be clearly analysed when forming a socio-economic unit. The economic problems of the socio-economic unit and their solutions should be well understood.

Secondly, there should be uniform economic potentialities in the unit. Although natural variations may exist from place to place, overall the people throughout a unit should enjoy similar opportunities for economic prosperity. Disparity between the haves and the have-nots and the rich and the poor will have to be progressively reduced so that the collective wealth will increase and society will become bountiful.

Thirdly, there should be ethnic similarities. In the past many races and sub-races have been suppressed and exploited by powerful or dominant races. Racism has been propagated by those with evil designs in order to divide society and establish their own pre-eminence. Society must guard against such narrow and dangerous sentiments. This can be done only if every ethnic group has adequate scope for its expression and development. The multi-coloured garland of humanity will be


enriched to the extent diverse human groups blend together from a position of strength and independence out of a genuine love for each other; they should not be forced together through fear or compulsion.

Fourthly, sentimental legacy includes factors such as language, historical traditions, literature, common usages and cultural expressions. It is the common chord in the collective psychology of a particular group of people, which gives them their unique identity and sense of affinity. Human beings are predominantly sentimental by nature. They establish some kind of relationship with the many objects of the world through their day-to-day activities. If the sentiment for a particular favourite object is adjusted with the collective sentiment, that sentiment can be utilized to establish unity in human society. The human sentiment for many objects may sometimes run counter to the collective sentiment and create great disunity, so those sentiments which are conducive to human unity should be encouraged and the sentiments which divide human society should be rejected. This is the approach adopted by Prout’s socio-economic units.

Finally, the similarity of geographical features, such as topography and river systems, together with rainfall and irrigation water, should also be considered in the formation of a socio-economic unit.

Socio-economic units will give expression to popular sentiments and fight against all forms of exploitation to meet the demands and aspirations of the local people. Movements will have to be launched throughout the world to establish self-sufficient socio-economic units. They should be based on the maxim, “Know the area, prepare the plan and serve the people.” Local people are those who have merged their individual socio-economic interests with the socio-economic interests of the socio-economic unit they live in.


Self-Sufficient Socio-Economic Units Each socio-economic unit should prepare and implement its

own development programmes. Factors like natural resources, topography, river systems, cultural conditions, communication and industrial potential need to be considered to facilitate proper planning and development so that each unit can become economically self-sufficient and prosperous. If a significant part of the production of a unit is misutilized or capital is sent outside, the unit cannot increase its prosperity, hence there should be maximum utilization of all resources and no drainage of capital.

The Indian state of Orissa [Odisha] is very rich in mineral resources such as coal, bauxite and manganese, but the present leaders export these mineral resources to other countries. If the raw materials had been utilized for indigenous industrial production, four large steel plants could easily have been established. This would have substantially raised the per capita income. But the leaders, instead of paying attention to such things, whimsically frame five-year plans. These plans neither remove economic disparity nor increase collective wealth.

To achieve these objectives, the Indian economy has to be thoroughly overhauled. At the very outset, in order to facilitate socio-economic development, the country should be divided into socio-economic units. If state boundaries are demarcated on the basis of political and linguistic considerations,2 socio-economic plans will never be properly prepared and implemented, and various economic problems will not be given proper attention. Self-sufficient units are indispensable for expediting the country’s economic progress.

2 The States Reorganization Act, 1956, reorganized the states of India along

linguistic lines. The negative consequences of that approach still continue today. –Eds.


Merging Socio-Economic Units

Where there is economic parity, cultural mixing, communication facilities and administrative efficiency, it will be easy and natural for two or more adjoining units to cooperate, because they will have attained a high degree of socio-economic uniformity. In such cases they should merge to form a single larger unit. This will further the welfare of their respective citizens and enhance their socio-economic interests.

In some places, regions with different economic problems are located within the same political unit. For example, in the Chotanagpur Hills in Bihar there is an acute problem of irrigation, whereas in the plains of North Bihar there is the problem of water drainage. These two regions should be formed into distinct socio-economic units. Rayalaseema, Srikakulam and Telangana have all been annexed to the one political state of Andhra, although their economic problems are different. In the interests of the people living in these three regions, each should be formed into a distinct socio-economic unit. 3 If these three regions are converted into a single economic unit right now simply for administrative purposes, it may lead to complications. Thus in some cases one political unit may be divided into two or more socio-economic units. That is, there can be more than one socio-economic unit in a political unit. This approach will enable different socio-economic units to develop to a level that fulfils their potentiality.

If a particular state in a federal system cannot get economic justice, it may agitate for the separate allocation of funds within

3 According to the author’s socio-economic groupifications, the Chotanagpur

Hills are in Nagpuri, the plains of North Bihar are predominantly in Mithila, Srikakulam is in Circar, and Rayalaseema and Telangana are distinct units. See also the footnote in “Some Specialities in Prout’s Economic System”. In 2014 Telangana became a separate state. –Eds.


the federal budget. If, after launching such an agitation, it still fails to secure proper justice, it will have no alternative but to demand the formation of a separate state. However, Prout does not favour the formation of many small states, each with its separate budget and administration. Numerous state divisions will only compound socio-economic problems, causing unnecessary duplication, and are costly and wasteful. Rather small states should be expanded into larger socio-economic units.

When two units reach a similar level of development, they should merge together to form a larger unit. This process of unification will gradually result in the formation of one socio-economic unit for all India. In the next phase, through continued growth and development, the whole of South and Southeast Asia will become one socio-economic unit. Eventually, the whole world will function as one integrated socio-economic unit. After reaching this stage of development, socio-economic groupifications will have attained a state of equipoise and equilibrium, and universal fraternity will become a reality. Universal in Spirit , Regional in Approach

Socio-economic units are bound to gain great popularity all

over the world within a short time. While there may be diverse cultural expressions and socio-economic potentialities in different units, the points of difference should not be allowed to divide humanity. If the common sentiments of human beings are given prominence and the points of unity are made the basis of collective development, diversity will enrich humanity rather than tear it asunder. If each socio-economic unit is inspired by a comprehensive ideology and a universal outlook, human society will move ahead with accelerating speed towards a sublime ideal.

182 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 A sound ideological base is a prerequisite for socio-

economic groupifications. Such a foundation is provided by universal humanism, which has the potential to unite all humanity. Universal humanism will not be established on the hard crust of the earth overnight, but will come to fruition gradually, stage by stage. It will include each and every person in the world, as well as animals, plants and inanimate objects. If a single person remains outside the influence of universalism and becomes a victim of exploitation, then the foundation of universal humanism will be undermined. Hence Prout has adopted a rational method to solve socio-economic problems, which may be characterized as universal in spirit but regional in approach. Protection from Exploitation

Once socio-economic units are established throughout the world, how will exploitation be avoided in the future? Society will enjoy lasting protection from all types of exploitation only if an integrated ideology, an empirical spiritual base, spiritually-oriented cadres and proper institutions are well established in social life.

An integrated ideology should have several aspects. It must be the basis for the rational analysis of socio-economic problems and the formulation of comprehensive, appropriate and logical solutions. Secondly, it must not ignore the human need for psychic expansion and spiritual emancipation. And thirdly, it should be imbued with inherent dynamism and vitality so that it can guide humanity forward in its quest for all-round progress.

An empirical spiritual base will protect society from all fissiparous tendencies and group or clan sentiments, which create shackles of narrow-mindedness. Spirituality does not recognize any unnatural distinctions between human beings. It


stands for evolution and elevation and not for superstition or pessimism.

Spiritually-oriented cadres will provide a moral check against all forms of exploitation, and propagate moral and spiritual values throughout society according to the maxim, “Self-realization and service to humanity”.

Finally, proper institutions are necessary to reflect the needs and aspirations of the people and work for the cause of human welfare. The need for a world government is already apparent to many people, and in the future, once it is established, its powers should be progressively strengthened. Each socio-economic unit will have to get ample scope for its integrated development within the framework of the world government.

Prout’s system of socio-economic groupifications is a comprehensive approach to the socio-economic problems confronting society. If people adopt such an approach, society will move along the path of progress with increasing speed, overcoming all bondages and hindrances. Human society will enjoy a bright and glorious future.4

October 1979, Kolkata

4 In November and December 1979, the author visited a number of regions in

India to explain the practical application of his theory of socio-economic groupifications. See also “Development Planning”. –Eds.

FUNDAMENTALS OF LANGUAGE

Every language must possess five fundamental characteristics.1 The first is that it must have its own verbal forms. For instance, in English we say, “Ram is going,” in Hindi, Rám ja raha hay, and in Sanskrit, Rámah gacchati. English has its own verbal form, “is going”, and Sanskrit also has its own verbal form, gacchati. Pahari Punjabi is also a language because it too has its own verbs, for example, akïa bháïá or akïaóa bháïá.2 This is the first characteristic of a language – it has its own verbs. In Sanskrit, there are several verb endings, such as -ti (gacchati), -tah (gacchatah), -anti (gacchanti), -si (gacchasi), -thah (gacchathah), -tha (gacchatha), etc.

The second characteristic of a language is case endings for nouns. For example, “Ram’s sister is eating bread.” In Sanskrit we say, Rámasya bhaginii roíikáî khádati. In Hindi we say, Rám kii bahan roíii khá rahii hay. And in the Pahari language, Rám rii bahan roíii khándii. In Bengali there is a tendency to pronounce in the tirjak style (the “a” tends to be pronounced like an “o”). In English, “Ram’s” means “of Ram”; in Sanskrit, it is Rámasya (we add -sya); in Hindi, Rám kii; and in Pahari, Rám rii (the suffix -rii is added). These are all case endings and they vary from language to language. From the linguistic point of view, every language which has its own case endings

1 These fundamental characteristics are: verbal forms, case endings, pronouns,

vocabulary, and written or unwritten literature. The author also says, however, that a fully-developed language should have an additional three characteristics: pronunciation, psycho-acoustic and inferential acoustic notes, and syntax. See “The Language Issue”, or Varòa Vijiôána, 1983. –Eds.

2 Bháïá means “language”. Pahari uses an Indo-Aryan alphabet, which starts with the letter “a” and ends with “kïa”. Pahari evolved from Paeshácii Prákrta. –Eds.

FUNDAMENTALS OF LANGUAGE 185

deserves to be recognized as a language. For this reason Pahari Punjabi is regarded as a separate language from Hindi; they have different case endings.

The third characteristic of a language is that it has its own pronouns. For example, we say in English, “He is going to Kolkata”; in Sanskrit, Sah Kalikátám gacchati; in Hindi, Vah Kalikátá ja raha hay; and in Pahari, Naeïae Kalkátta calao jásao. Thus we see that each language has its own pronouns: “he” in English, vah in Hindi, sah in Sanskrit, and sao in Pahari. (There is some similarity between Pahari and Sanskrit.) In this respect Pahari is a separate language, not merely a dialect. Dogri, too, is a separate language, as I have told you before.

The fourth characteristic of a language is that it must have its own vocabulary. Even if an educated person contradicts you in this regard, you should give a firm reply. It is my conviction that everyone will accept your logical opinion regarding the science of linguistics. Any language which has its own vocabulary has to be recognized as a separate language.

There are reputed Hindi scholars who may dispute this; hence you should know the correct reply in advance. Some orthodox supporters of the Hindi language may argue in Hindi, and you will have to reply in Hindi. If you speak in English, they may not want to speak to you, because in their opinion English is a foreign language. There are some people who do this to hide their weakness in English. But the strange thing is that they send their children to study in English-medium schools.

The word “wheat” in English is gehun in Hindi, kanaka in Pahari, kanakha in Punjabi and kanaka in Dogri. In Paeshácii Prákrta the word was originally kanaka, and from it the words kanakha, kanakan, etc., have been derived. The three languages Dogri, Pahari and Punjabi have evolved from the mother language Paeshácii Prákrta. For example, we say in English,


“What is the staple food of the Punjab?” (Usually the article “the” is not used before the name of a province, but it is used before Punjab. This is a peculiarity of the English language.) The Sanskrit translation of this sentence will be, Saptanadasya mukhyánnah godhúmo’sti. In Sanskrit godhúma means “wheat” and asti means “is”. (Asti in Sanskrit; astá in Persian. You can see that there is a great similarity between these two languages.)

Again, in the Persian language it is said, Hanoj Delhii dúr ast. [“Delhi is still far from here.” And,] Yá dost nist dushmane dushman ast. [“He is not my friend; he is the enemy of my enemy.”] In Sanskrit, násti [“is not”], in Persian, nist; what a close similarity. There is also another word: nest nábud [no solid ground under one’s feet]. The Hindi rendering of the Sanskrit sentence Saptanadasya mukhyánnah godhúmo’sti will be Gehun Punjáb kámukhya khadya, and in Pahari it will be Ka naki Punjab naedii pradhána, or Kanaka Punjab nadii khás. “Wheat” in English is godhumá in Sanskrit, gehun in Hindi and kanaka in Pahari. Thus these four languages have different vocabularies. As Pahari has its own vocabulary, it should be recognized as a separate language.

The fifth characteristic of a language is that it must have its own literature, classical or folk. Now, when the Pahari farmers sing songs during harvest time, are these songs composed in the pure Urdu of the city of Lucknow? Certainly not. Are they composed in Hindi? Definitely not. They are composed in the farmers’ own language, Pahari. The songs are their folk literature.

The five above-mentioned characteristics are the essential requirements for an independent language. In my opinion Pahari is therefore a full-fledged language. Pahari is not Hindi; it is a completely different language. In fact, those who cry “Hindi! Hindi!” want to forcibly impose the Hindi language on the Pahari people to enslave them to Hindi-speaking people,


just as English was imposed on the Indian people to enslave them. This is a type of psycho-economic exploitation. Try to clearly understand the implications of this.

Psycho-Economic Exploitation

Let me clarify the matter of psycho-economic exploitation

even further. Suppose a certain Hindi chauvinist has come to see you. When you talk to him, you will certainly speak in Hindi, and so will he. But he is speaking his mother tongue, whereas you are not. Perhaps ungrammatical Hindi words will come out of your mouth. It is obvious from your expression that you are making some fundamental errors, and the way you use words will not be precise or to the point. This will create diffidence in your mind, a kind of inferiority complex, whereas the Hindi-speaking person may suffer from a superiority complex. He may think, “What a fool he is. He cannot speak grammatically.” If instead you speak in your mother tongue, your expression will be grammatically correct. So, when you speak Hindi you become somewhat inferior to Hindi-speaking people, and they may take advantage of your inferior position to exploit you economically. They should not be given such an opportunity for psycho-economic exploitation.

If this sort of psycho-economic exploitation is tolerated, if people are given the opportunity to continue exploiting others over a long period of time, they will become the rulers and you will become their subjects. This is how psycho-economic exploitation is developed. In the first stage the exploiters create inferiority complexes in your mind by applying psychic pressure. When your language is suppressed, you will feel mentally inferior and develop psychic weaknesses. The exploiters will take advantage of these psychic weaknesses to continue their psycho-economic exploitation.

188 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 So those who promote Hindi are in fact paving the way for

psycho-economic exploitation. Actually, they are not your friends.

It is true that the Hindi language has many dialects. The way it is spoken varies from district to district. But Pahari is not a dialect of Hindi. Pahari is completely different from Hindi. I hope you have clearly understood these five characteristics of language.

If the Pahari-speaking people demanded the use of the Pahari language in all spheres of their social life, that would not be at all irrational. In fact, Pahari should be used in courts, schools, colleges, official correspondence, airports, radio stations, etc.

Scripts

Pahari can be written in three scripts: the Táîrii script,

which is the popular script of the region; the Dogri script, which is used in Dogri-speaking areas; and Sirmauri script, which is used in the Nahan region. The Devanágrii script is not popular in this area; it is widely used in Gujarat. Hindi is also spoken in Gujarat. It has no relation to the script used in this area. The inscriptions found on the rocks and stones excavated from this area are not carved in the Nágrii script because Nágrii was never popular here.

The Táîrii script is also popular in the Kinnore region. It bears some similarity to the Tibetan script. In a mountain cave in Tibet, Oôî maòipadme hummm, Oôî maòipadme hummm3 is written in Táîrii script. Thus the Pahari language should be written in the Táîrii script.

3 The meaning of this mantra is, “Using aum, I remember Parama Puruïa

[Supreme Consciousness], and as maòipadma [or múládhára cakra, at the base of the spine] is the seat of that coiled serpentine, that sleeping divinity, in the human body, I remember that entity also.” See “Acoustic Roots”, given on 25 August 1979, in Discourses on Tantra Volume 1, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.


As I have already told you, if the Dogri language is used for local purposes, Dogri-speaking people will feel proud. They will think that they too have something of their own, that they are not anyone’s slave. If someone contradicts you on this point, you should give them a suitable reply.

Although not a single book written in the Dogri script is available today, 300 or 400 years ago books written in the Dogri script were found in this area. If there are any Sanskrit scholars here, they will be able to tell you all about it. There should be many scholars here who know Sanskrit, because in every kingdom there were Sanskrit schools and Sanskrit scholars. You should search for old manuscripts written on bhurjapatra [leaves or bark from bhurja trees]. I can see many bhurja trees all around this area.

As I told you before, in this area old books were not written in Devanágrii because it was imposed from outside. In fact, the Devanágrii script is the script used by Gujarati scholars. Because most people do not know the exact history, they incorrectly think that Sanskrit was originally written in the Devanágrii script; but this is not the case. Actually, Sanskrit has no script of its own. It was therefore the rule that Sanskrit could be written in any script. Thus Sanskrit was always written in the script of the local area. It is written in Bengali script in Bengal and in Tamil script in Madras [Chennai]. It is not written in Devanágrii script in Chennai. When the British established universities for higher education, they decided that Devanágrii script would be used to write Sanskrit wherever it was taught.

The language of Himachal Pradesh, the local language here, was born from Paeshácii Prákrta. Hindi was born from Shaorasenii Prákrta. Many people are not aware of this fact. Had they been aware of it, there would not be as much conflict over languages and scripts. Even those who are educated and respected are not aware of this fact. Had they been aware of it,


they certainly would have conveyed this historical fact to others.

1 November 1979, Kullu


DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

According to Prout, human society is one and indivisible. Human society is like a garland which is made of different types of flowers, linked by a common thread. The overall beauty of the garland is dependent upon the beauty of each flower. Similarly, every section of society is linked together. To maintain the unity and solidarity of the social structure, all areas of social life must be strengthened and developed.

To establish a well-built social order in any country, three factors are essential. First, there must be proper ideological inspiration for individual and collective progress. All-round progress and advancement can be achieved only when society is based on universal principles which are given practical shape; they then become a fundamental part of the socio-economic structure of society. The second factor is discipline. Some countries of the world are fast losing their power because there is no discipline in individual or collective life. To build a well-knit social order, discipline is an essential prerequisite. Thirdly, there must be economic stability. The economy of a country must be sound.

A sound economy entails proper plans and programmes. As socio-economic factors vary from place to place, socio-economic potentialities also vary. Factors such as the fertility of the land and the availability of labour may be diametrically opposite in different regions, so there should be separate planning for each region. For example, the northeast and southeast districts of Bihar suffer from the problems of surplus and deficit labour respectively, hence it is foolish to prescribe the same planning for both areas. Experiments in centralized planning tried to solve such problems, but they inevitably failed. The only alternative is to adopt decentralized economic planning.


Decentralized Planning Proutistic economic planning is based on the ideal of the

welfare of all. This guiding ideal will illuminate the path of socio-economic liberation for human beings. Capitalist planning is not based on collective welfare but on individual or group interest. A principal characteristic of capitalist exploitation is that capitalists gain control over the raw materials in a region in the pursuit of profit. This should not be allowed to continue. Rather available resources must be utilized for the socio-economic development of local people.

In Proutistic economic planning, every section of society will come within the scope of planning. Not only will it be possible to fulfil the economic hopes and aspirations of the local people, but also individual, group or party interests will not get the opportunity to control the economy. Through this approach it is possible to effect the all-round growth of individuals and the collectivity. The creation of such a socio-economic environment not only will fulfil the material needs of human beings, but also will provide a firm foundation for their psychic and spiritual elevation.

Those powers that directly relate to economic decentralization should be in the hands of the states or the concerned lower-level bodies. If this is not done, it will not be possible for them to materialize the economic programmes that are vested in them by decentralization. So the first step in decentralized planning is to make an economic plan according to the needs of the lowest level.

Economic plans and programmes should never be imposed from the top. On the contrary, there must be adequate scope for them to emerge from the grass roots. Every economic plan should be prepared in the concerned local area. For example, the economic planning for Pundibari in the Cooch Behar district of Bengal cannot be formulated sitting at Binnaguri in

DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 193

Jalpaiguri district. The development plan for Pundibari must be prepared in Pundibari itself, on the basis of the intelligence, expertise and resources within the locality. While formulating economic plans and programmes, the hopes and aspirations of the local people must be taken into consideration. Thus, to develop an area economically, planning must start at the grass-roots level. The direction of economic development should be from the bottom to the top, not from the top to the bottom. The latter approach is impractical and a utopian myth.

In drafting the economic plan of a particular region, local engineers, economists, scientists, professionals, technicians, farmers, industrial labourers, intellectuals and other specialists should be consulted, but the responsibility for implementing the economic plan should be in the hands of local moralists. They will have to play the leading role. The duty for materializing each aspect of the plan should be vested in those established in morality and spirituality.

Proutistic economic planning will reorganize the structure of the population on a scientific basis from the very outset. A floating population will have to either merge its individual socio-economic interests with the interests of the region or return to its own region. Those who share a similar cultural legacy and uniform socio-economic potential will then be well-established in each region. In every region, socio-economic problems can be solved by the maximum utilization and rational distribution of the resources and potentialities in that region.

Until now, no serious effort has been made by the leaders of India, either in the pre-independence period or in the post-independence period, to bring about the economic development of the country. The post-independence period can be divided into three main phases: the Nehru era, the Gandhi era and the Janata government. All these eras came within the jurisdiction of the Vaeshya Age, or capitalist rule, and they all had one


thing in common: they had a soft-state policy towards the capitalists. The Janata government represented a counter movement within the Vaeshya Age. It was neither an intellectual revolution nor an intellectual counter-evolution, but simply a movement of capitalist mentality. It was a reformist intellectual approach motivated by capitalist interests. To strengthen its position, the government tried to give the capitalists better scope to chew the bones and marrow of the shúdras, kïatriyas and vipras. As it was a counter movement, it was short-lived and brought shúdra revolution1 nearer, hence there was no economic development during that period. Consequently there was no alternative for Proutists but to form socio-economic units.2

Socio-Economic Units

Socio-economic units should be formed throughout the world

on the basis of the same economic problems, uniform economic potentialities, ethnic similarities, common sentimental legacy and similar geographical features. The whole of India and the entire world can be reorganized into socio-economic units based on these factors.

These units should not be merely geographical areas but self-sufficient socio-economic groupifications. The fundamental basis of these groupifications is social, cultural and economic, and not religious or linguistic. Socio-economic units will have to adopt economic decentralization so that the local people will be able to obtain all the requirements necessary for their

1 See “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society” in Volume 2. –Eds. 2 Nehru era: 1947-1964; Indira Gandhi era: 1966-1977; the Janata government:

March 1977 to January 1980. The author began forming 44 socio-economic units for India on 30 and 31 December 1978. See “Socio-Economic Groupifications”. –Eds.


physical, psychic and spiritual progress. This concept is an important aspect of applied Prout.

Economic planning will aim to make each socio-economic unit self-sufficient. Information should be collected to facilitate the maximum utilization of the local potentialities, such as the geographical resources of the area, including the capacity of the rivers, lakes and canals, and the location of the hills and mountains; the location and size of mineral, forest and aquatic resources; the agricultural and industrial resources, including the possibilities for agro-industries and agrico-industries; the demography, including the labour skills, health and psychology of the people; the agrarian potential, including the distribution of land for collective needs; and the communication requirements. Planning for economic self-sufficiency will have to proceed on the basis of implementing the principles of Prout by making proper use of this data and information.

In India, as a first step, forty-four socio-economic units may be formed.3 Many socio-economic units may also be formed all over the world. In most cases each socio-economic unit will correspond to one political unit, but in some cases more than one socio-economic unit may form one political unit. Each socio-economic unit represents a collection of human beings who want to move together, hence all the people in these units should feel that they are brothers and sisters. Such groupifications can never be ultravires to humanity.

Any non-human or human being who wants to break the solidarity of society must be opposed. You will have to fight against such elements. You will have to fight all antisocial and anti-human forces in Asia, Europe, the world and the entire universe, and you must fight as a single entity. Whenever you

3 For a list of the units, see the footnote in “Some Specialities of Prout’s

Economic System”. –Eds.


fight against inhuman forces, all socio-economic units will fight as one. In this fight you must fight for all the suppressed and oppressed people of the world. Cultural Expression

Socio-economic units will not only have to fulfil people’s social and economic needs, but also their cultural aspirations. Culture denotes all sorts of human expressions. Culture is the same for all humanity, though there are differences in cultural expression.

The best means of communicating human expressions is through one’s mother tongue, as this is most natural. If people’s natural expression through their mother tongue is suppressed, inferiority complexes will grow in their minds, encouraging a defeatist mentality and ultimately leading to psycho-economic exploitation. Thus no mother tongue should be suppressed.

The imposition of the Hindi language as the national language of India by a section of Indian leaders is an example of linguistic suppression.4 Hindi is not the natural language of the people in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other parts of North India. There are many local languages in these regions, which are suppressed and need immediate encouragement. To arouse the cultural legacy of the people in these areas and raise their socio-economic consciousness, they must be made aware of who the exploiters are and the nature of their psycho-economic exploitation; then they will become imbued with fighting spirit.

All languages must be encouraged, but this does not mean opposing the languages spoken by others. In this regard the

4 India does not have a de jure national language; it has two official languages:

Hindi and English. However, at the time this discourse was given (in November 1979), Hindi was sometimes considered to be the de facto national language. –Eds.


language itself is of secondary importance. Of primary importance is the negative cultural and socio-economic consequences of linguistic imperialism.

A language usually changes about 1,000 years and a script about 2,000 years. There was no script in the time of the Vedas. The composition of the Vedas started 15,000 years ago and ended 5,000 years ago, thus the entire composition was done over 10,000 years. Script in India was invented about 5,000 years ago.5 In those days people used to write on the skin of sheep. Later they started to write on papyrus, and still later papyrus became paper. Bengali was written with wooden pens and Oriya with iron pens. To prevent the paper from being cut by the iron pens, Oriya letters became round. The seed of expression of all languages is the same.

Geo-racial differences were responsible for the emergence of the different races; they in turn developed numerous languages. The four races in the world are the Austrics, Negroids, Mongolians and Aryans.

The original home of the Aryans was southern Russia, east of the Ural Mountains, now known as the Caucasus. The Muslim region of the Soviet Union includes Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Azerbaijan, etc. Today the Aryans can be divided into three groups: Nordic, Alpine and Mediterranean. Nordic Aryans come from the Scandinavian countries and they have a reddish-white complexion and red or golden hair. Alpine Aryans come from Germany and the surrounding area. They have a white complexion, bluish-black hair and blue eyes. Mediterranean Aryans come from southern Europe and have a fair complexion, black hair and black eyes.

The Mongolians have yellowish skin and little hair on their bodies. They can be divided into five groups: the Nipponese, who have big faces and big bodies; the Chinese, who have flat

5 The oldest script is about 6,000 years old. See the subsection Language in “How

to Unite Human Society” in Volume 2. –Eds.


noses and slanting eyes; the Malays, who have small bodies and flat noses; the Indo-Burmese, who have flat noses and comparatively big bodies; and the Indo-Tibetans, who have flat noses and are good-looking.

The Austrics have medium-sized bodies and mud-black skin, while the Negroids have black skin, curly hair and are often quite tall.

Geo-racial conditions produce changes in the vocal chords and other centres or plexi, and consequently the entire pronunciation and other aspects of language change. Thus, while no language should be suppressed and cultural expression must always be encouraged, language alone is not a sound basis upon which to demarcate socio-economic units or build an integrated society. Socio-Economic Development

To ensure socio-economic development, several additional

points also will have to be considered in the course of economic planning. For example, people who have to travel to other regions to find employment face various difficulties. Often they have to travel long distances, involving considerable expenditure, and there is the unnecessary burden of maintaining two establishments. Generally it is preferable if people do not leave their own area to find employment. There is sufficient scope to create full employment in every socio-economic unit.

The drainage of money from one region to another also must be checked, otherwise the per capita income in a socio-economic unit cannot increase. Every socio-economic unit should demand the cent percent [i.e., 100%] utilization of state or central revenue raised in its area until the per capita income is on par with the most developed area in the country. Stopping the drainage of money from a socio-economic unit is the most


practical and courageous approach to uprooting exploitation. However, the present leaders will never dare adopt this approach.

To fulfil the mutual needs among socio-economic units, the barter system should be encouraged. For undeveloped and developing countries, the export system may encourage unfair competition, drain scarce resources and lead to exploitation.

Prout advocates the abolition of income tax. If income tax is abolished in India today and excise duty on excisable commodities is increased by only 10%, there will be no loss of government revenue. When there is no income tax, nobody will try to accumulate black money. All money will be white money. As a result there will be economic solidarity, an increase in trade and commerce, more investment, more employment and an improvement in the position of foreign exchange. Intellectuals should demand the abolition of income tax.

In addition, there should be free education for all students up to the highest degree, guaranteed employment for all youth, irrigation facilities for all farmers, and cheap rations, that is, rations which are cheaper than the present ration rate, for all labourers for all essential commodities, such as rice, pulse, flour, sugar and cooking oil.

Prout’s fundamental policy is that it is against small states because they become taxing and burdensome to the citizens, but in certain circumstances the formation of small states may be justified. For example, a state in a federal system that is not self-sufficient urgently needs development programmes, and to materialize these it may demand a separate allocation of funds in the federal budget. If a state finds that obstacles are being created from some quarter in materializing its development programmes, it will have no other alternative but to demand the formation of a separate state.

200 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 The sizes of Prout’s socio-economic units are ever-

expanding. Smaller units will merge together to form bigger ones. A day may come when all of Southeast Asia will become one unit. The following factors provide the basis for socio-economic units to merge together: economic parity, cultural mixing, communication facilities and administrative efficiency.

Lastly, geo-psychological characteristics should also be considered in socio-economic planning. For example, in India people living in east-wet areas tend to be weak and lethargic, while those living in west-dry areas tend to be strong and active. This may be called the “East-Wet Theory”. 6 Such characteristics are not caused by individual strengths or weaknesses but are the result of geo-psychological factors. The Punjabis live in a dry, western region and are physically strong and hard working. The Assamese live in a wet, eastern region and are [comparatively] physically weak and lethargic. Such factors should be given due consideration when formulating socio-economic plans.

The applied side of Prout is based on universal sentiments and not geo-political patriotism, as are other theories and philosophies. While such theories encourage enmity and rivalry, Prout’s socio-economic units will all work together and cooperate with each other. Some Examples

Finally, let us discuss a few examples of how decentralized

planning can benefit particular industries. First, take the jute industry. In Bengal many jute factories were closed after the British left India. This was a disaster for the jute farmers. They were at the mercy of middlemen because they had to sell their jute crops immediately [they were harvested]. The main

6 See “East-Wet Theory”. –Eds.


problem of the jute industry at that time was to eliminate these middlemen. To salvage the jute industry today, jute growers should establish producers’ cooperatives to manufacture and supply jute thread from raw jute. Spinning mills should purchase jute thread directly from the jute producers, and manufacture items such as bags, coarse cloth, jackets and coats for consumers’ cooperatives.

Tobacco is grown in the north of India, processed in the south, and then taken back to the north and sold. Farmers in the north should have the facilities to convert raw tobacco into chopped tobacco. There should be no need to send it to South India for processing. This will lead to more employment.

The match industry was functioning successfully through cooperative production. However, the government undermined this industry by coming to the assistance of big manufacturers when they were being undersold.

The tea that is grown in South India should be replaced by rubber plantations. Although both require much rain, rubber is more useful and profitable than tea. A product should have both usefulness and a ready market.

In Bengal pineapple-leaf fibre can be used for the manufacture of cloth, limestone from Purulia district can be used for making cement, stone chips from Bankura district can be used for roads, raw sugar and mung dhal can be produced in Nadia district, abundant fish can be bred through pisciculture in Birbhum district, and hydroelectric plants can be built in North Bengal where there is much rain.

In western Uttar Pradesh and the Punjab, sugar-cane pulp can be used in the paper industry.7

November, 1979

7 This chapter was compiled from notes taken during the author’s November and

December 1979 tour of a number of regions in India to explain the practical application of his theory of socio-economic groupifications. –Eds.

LIBERATION FROM STATICITY

The day before yesterday the subject of discussion in the Renaissance Club was “The Liberation of Intellect”.1 Now, a question may arise in some minds: when liberation is meant for all human beings, what does the liberation of intellect mean? Intellect is primarily an impersonal or an abstract idea. Can the question of liberation of something which is impersonal, which is only an abstract concept, arise? In this connection my considered opinion is, yes, the liberation of intellect is indeed necessary. In fact, whatever is in this universe – crude matter, subtle ideas or consciousness – everything needs to be liberated. In the absence of liberation, the natural expression of an object or an individual does not take place. That is, if we want to see the full expression or the total unfoldment of the qualities and capacities that are latent in anything, the liberation of that object or that individual is indispensable.

Human beings long for liberation from the bondage of staticity. Now, what is the nature of this liberation? It is not possible to attain liberation from this crude physical body; liberation from the physical body means death. But to attain liberation from the bondage of staticity, one will have to make an effort. The concerted effort to attain liberation from economic bondage, political slavery and all sorts of social dependence in the physical world, is the liberation from staticity in the crude world. In order to attain liberation from the worldly bondages of this sort, human beings will have to make conscious efforts.

If a certain country is held in bondage to another country, that subjugated country will have to wage war in order to attain liberation from the chains of slavery. That is why the liberation

1 See A Few Problems Solved Part 4, 1987. The author formed the Renaissance

Club, or Renaissance Universal, on 27 January 1958. –Eds.

LIBERATION FROM STATICITY 203

from worldly bondages is essential for human beings. We have noticed that wherever there is worldly subservience – whether economic, political or social – the proper development of the innate qualities, or the genius of human beings, remains remote. That is why in every sphere of life liberation is necessary; liberation from bondage of staticity is a must.

Subtler than matter is the mind. From psychic slavery also, the mind should be liberated. We notice in human society various forms of psychic pressure, numerous ways of exploitation. In order to attain liberation from this exploitation and tyranny, human beings must endeavour for liberation from psychic bondages. The internal urge to attain liberation in every sphere of life is a natural wont of each and every human being.

The essence of the human mind is known as intellect. Intuition cannot be precisely called the essence of mind. In fact, intuition is subtler than the mind, and a very special aspect of human existence. Intuition should be called the eleventh organ or the sixth sense. Discrimination between holy or unholy, permanent or impermanent, pure or impure in the intellectual sphere has a certain yardstick of its own. This yardstick should remain unstained. Due to the bondage of various types of exploitation and tyranny against the intellect in the physical sphere, the human spirit writhes in suppressed agony. Likewise in the mental sphere, the human capacity to think is snatched away. And in the same way in the intellectual sphere, when human beings try to think and act for their spiritual and intellectual unfoldment, various kinds of dogmas arise and create obstacles.

What is dogma? Dogma is a preconceived idea which forbids human beings from stepping outside the limits of that idea or object. In this situation the human intellect cannot freely function. Some people say, “Alright, we may not get the maximum utilization of our intellect, yet we can have at least


10% to 20% of its service.” My considered opinion is that where there is dogma, even 10% to 20% of human intellect cannot be properly utilized; and the meagre amount of intellect used is not something worthwhile. The greatest treasure of human beings is their psychic faculty, or their intellect. When I cannot utilize this precious intellect to the fullest advantage – what more tragic situation could there be than this! So we need the liberation of the human mind, and even before this we need the liberation of the human intellect.

Let me further explain what dogma is. Suppose the intellect wants to follow a particular path; in the meantime dogma comes from all sides and forbids it, “Oh, no! No! Don’t take a single step further on that side. If you do, you’ll be burnt in eternal hell-fire. You’ll be doomed to hell for eternity.” When intellect wants to make the fullest utilization of mundane wealth, dogma comes in and says, as it were, “Oh, no, you must not do it. It is harmful for human beings, it is sheer blasphemy. It will lead to the degradation of humanity.”

When the human intellect becomes ardently eager to venture into a new enterprise in the psychic sphere, dogma again comes into the picture and insists, “Oh, no! You must not do like this. It will bring about your ruin.” Thus, in every sphere, at every step, dogma puts a blockade on the human mind, on the human intellect. That is why until we can liberate our intellect from bondages, we cannot make the fullest utilization of human intellect.

For the service of humanity, the intellect has to be liberated from all sorts of bondages, from all kinds of dogma, from all manners of unholy influences. Unless that is achieved, the human race cannot have a radiant future. If the present humanity wants to herald the advent of a golden dawn, they will have to bring about an all-round emancipation of human intellect through a relentless struggle against dogma, backed by unlimited, uninhibited courage. This is why, in all corners of

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the world and in all directions, one and only one slogan should echo and re-echo from all mouths, “Dogma – no more, no more!”

28 January 1980 A Few Problems Solved Part 4

LET HISTORY BE REWRITTEN

The three worlds – the human world, the animal world and the plant world – have some characteristics in common which determine their respective identities. However, living beings and plants are not exactly the same. Living beings have certain special duties and characteristics which distinguish them from plants. Had living beings not possessed these special characteristics, we would not have called them living beings; we would have called them plants. There are some characteristics that are common to animals and plants which are also shared by human beings, but human beings also have other qualities. These qualities distinguish human beings from birds, animals, plants, creepers, etc. It is the bounden duty of every human being to awaken and develop his or her unique qualities, for upon this depends the excellence of the human race.1

Human beings who lack these qualities are not worthy of being called human; they should be called something else. No human being wants to degrade him or herself. To prosper in life, to move along the path of development step by step, is the natural desire of all. It is the duty of those who excel to move together with the rest of society. For some to advance far ahead while others lag behind is not at all desirable. If anything like this happens, it will not be at all to the credit of those who have progressed independently.

History has been written and is read; it was written in the past and it will be written in the future. But I suggest a radical change in the way history is written. The history that has so far been written is the history of kings and monarchs. It should be thoroughly overhauled and completely rewritten in a way that

1 See also “Plants, Animals and Human Beings”. –Eds.

LET HISTORY BE REWRITTEN 207

reflects the interests of humanity and the universal well-being of the human race. If history merely chronicles past events, such as who succeeded to the throne and when, who plundered neighbouring countries or kingdoms and who became a minister, it will be of no importance whatsoever, nor, indeed, of any interest to the common masses. If human beings are to profit from the study of the annals of history, it must reflect the weals and the woes, the hopes and the aspirations of the masses.

The annals of human history should show which communities brought about what type of progress and prosperity in which area of social life and in which part of the world; only significant events such as these are worth recording. History should also maintain special records of the trials and tribulations people faced, how those trials and tribulations were overcome, how people solved the numerous problems they faced to effect greater social development, and so on. I would only call such history the complete history or the complete cultural history of the human race.

The history of the human race should take into account the special, inherent characteristics of human beings. Only then will we know how successful earlier human beings were in developing their latent noble qualities and how much they have progressed today. Out of millions only a handful of people will attain the pinnacle of progress and provide inspiration to thousands, but this will not benefit the entire human race. It will require a great deal of perseverance to ensure that the special qualities, that is, the innate dharma, of all the people are fully developed. Some people may be dissatisfied with this way of writing of history, but from this type of historical analysis people will gain inspiration and derive the tremendous strength needed to advance.

Some people say that both sannyásiis [renunciants] and householders are required for the smooth running of society.


Now, the question is, is their dharma different? Will they have a separate history? My emphatic answer is “No”, because the four-dimensional máòava dharma [human dharma] is one and the same for both. It includes: vistára [psychic expansion], rása [flow], sevá [service] and mokïa [spiritual emancipation].

Is the observance of Bhágavata Dharma [human dharma] equally obligatory for both renunciants and householders? The only difference between them is this: householders have to care for two families whereas renunciants have to care for only one. The householders’ two families are their own small family consisting of their father, mother, brothers, sisters, husband, wife, sons, daughters, etc., and the larger human family, that is, the entire universe. The householder will have to maintain a balance between both these families. The householders will have to look after the larger family as well, but for that they may take the assistance of the renunciants. Renunciants do not have a small family of their own; their family is the entire universe. In order to maintain that family, they, in turn, may take the help of the householders. Therefore it is clear that máòava dharma is the same for both householders and renunciants.

The history of genuine human progress will contain in gold letters the glorious role played by both householders and renunciants. Only by writing such a history will human beings one day prove not only to this world but also to the entire universe that Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] was justified in creating human beings.

29 January 1980, Patna A Few Problems Solved Part 4

WHAT SHOULD HISTORY BE LIKE?

Yesterday I said something about history. I said that modern

history usually deals with very common events, such as when a certain king succeeded to the throne or plundered a neighbouring country or perpetrated atrocities against his subjects or died, and so on. What benefit could common people possibly derive from studying such useless information? This is why they have no interest in studying this sort of history at all. True history should be a faithful record of the whole of human life.

The recognized definition of history is, Itihásati ityarthá itihása. [“Itihása is that part of history that has some educative value.”] That is, history is a resplendent reflection of collective life whose study will be of immense inspiration for future generations. Itihásati literally means “a glowing example of glorious human dignity”.

Human beings should not be compared to individual flowers, but to an entire flower garden. A flower garden is made up of innumerable varieties of flowers, each with its own fragrance and colour. Human history is like that: the beauty of history lies in its kaleidoscopic spatial, temporal and personal variations. We cannot afford to spoil its characteristics, nor can we forcibly impose a particular type of history on any community. Due to their own inner vitality, every individual or community will advance the collective development and thereby contribute to the entire humanity. This is the true spirit of history.

Those who write history will have to examine the various aspects of human life and ensure that proper guidelines are given for the development of each aspect. For example, history


should examine the education system, cultural standards, thoughts and ideas, dress, the social condition of women, the role of women in the social and economic spheres, and the socio-economic conditions of the weak and backward sections of the society of a particular age. If history omits to mention any of these aspects, it will be incomplete.

There is yet another popular definition of history:

Dharmárthakámamokïárthaî niitivákyasamanvitam Purávrttakatháyuktamitihásah pracakïyate. [That part of history which helps people attain the four vargas – káma (physical needs), artha (physico-psychic needs), dharma (psycho-spiritual needs) and mokïa (spiritual emancipation) – and which imparts moral education, is called itihása.]

Only a treatise which increases people’s arena of spiritual awareness and thus makes the intellect more subtle, which increases their knowledge of various branches of art and science, such as literature, fine art, pure science, technology, social science, etc., and which provides human life with a firm foundation, deserves to be called genuine history.

Let us see how people write history or arrange for it to be written. In most cases history is written at the behest of a particular vested interest. History books aim to establish the glory of a particular era. For example, the heroic tales of the chivalry of the kïatriyas, their war strategies, etc., form the basis of the history books written about the Kïatriya Age. Such books are filled with eulogies of the bravery and chivalry of the kïatriya rulers. Similarly, the history of the Vipra Age is full of praises for the glorious deeds of the vipra leaders, and the history of the Vaeshya Age contains an abundance of stories glorifying the vaeshyas. The readers of such biased history lose both interest and patience. The study of this sort of so-called

WHAT SHOULD HISTORY BE LIKE? 211

history also injects various kinds of dogma in the reader’s mind, which chokes the development of people’s capacity to think spontaneously.

The study of history should be given due importance. But that history must be real history, not the history of a particular class, king or minister. Unfortunately history is always biased and is written according to the dictates of the ruling class of different countries. The study of such biased history is detrimental to society. It should be stopped.

You people of today are more enlightened. Your intellectual capacity is no less than anyone else’s. So you should make a collective effort to write a new history of the human race. The history that you write must unequivocally include such important factors as how society has evolved through trials and tribulations, what difficulties it has faced, and how human beings overcame them and moved towards their goal with firm steps, and how even today they are advancing by solving numerous problems.

28 February 1980 A Few Problems Solved Part 4

REALITY AND INTELLECTUALITY

The subject of today’s discourse is “Reality and Intellectuality”. While talking or arguing, we usually say, “It is reality,” or “This is a matter of fact,” or “This is abstract.” We use various terms to express the idea of reality. Now, let us consider the concept of reality, and then we will examine intellectuality. People often say, “So-and-so is highly intellectual.” People speak in this way about intellectuals. But before we begin our discussion on intellectuality, let us first understand the concept of reality.

Reality

To human beings, [reality] is that which they can perceive

with their sensory organs. What I can see with my eyes I call reality. How does a person perceive an object? The tanmátras [inferential waves] of sound, touch, form, taste and smell of an object reach the gateways of the sense organs as vibrations of different wavelengths. These vibrational expressions, these movements, are not linear, but are of systaltic order. In every phase there is pulsation, there is systalsis. Every vibrational expression is pulsative. Whatever we receive (or emanate) through our sensory or motor organs follows a systaltic movement. Waves appear for a fraction of a second and again disappear in the next moment. So when a wave appears, we can perceive it. When the action is there, we observe the object, we absorb it; and in the pause phase we neither observe it nor absorb it. For example, when we say that we are seeing an elephant or a camel, we do not see them incessantly – now they appear, and the next moment they disappear. From the total of

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all these appearances and disappearances, we know what we are seeing.

The fundamental characteristic of the human mind is to receive or absorb something; that is, usually it has a positive tendency to see, to touch, to smell or to taste some object. Thus when we see numerous fragments of an object in the expressive phase, we integrate them into a whole and then say that we have seen this or that object, that we have touched or smelt this or that thing.

But if the mind has a negative tendency then it will, in the same way, integrate all the pause phases of the vibrational flow and we will say, even after seeing an elephant or a camel, that we did not see any elephant or camel at all. This indicates that there are positive tendencies and negative tendencies in the mind. On the basis of the positive tendency, we see and feel and taste different things. But the negative tendency will cause us not to perceive anything.

So that which we call “reality” has two subdivisions: positive and negative. Duality always exists in reality. Because of this existence of duality, reality cannot be an absolute entity. The existence of reality is not substantiated. So that which we call reality is not reality – if we happen to have a positive tendency in the mind, we think, “I am perceiving the real world.”

One more point should be mentioned in this regard. The process of perception by the sensory organs may be defective. Suppose you are looking at a sandy area at night from a distant point. In the darkness the sands may appear to you as an expanse of water, or as a river, or as sheets of corrugated metal. This is an optical illusion. And this is not the end of the matter. The perceptive capacities of the sensory organs vary from one individual to another. There is no recognized standard of reality. Moreover each sensory organ has its own limited capacity. Each sensory organ functions within its own defined limits and within its own jurisdiction. In addition, there are


objects which we can perceive with the help of sensitive instruments but cannot perceive with the naked eye. We perceive some objects with the help of radio waves. Can we call such things perceptible by the senses? No, we cannot. That is why what we call reality or crude fact, on which the whole concept of materialism stands, is not at all real. So how and where can materialism get a foothold? Materialism is based on so-called reality, but that so-called reality is itself defective and full of ambiguity; the meaning of “reality” is not clear. Where there is duality, how can there be truth?

Intellectuality

Now, what about intellectuality? The flow of ectoplasmic

waves moves continuously on, and those waves are also systaltic, with crests and troughs, speed and pause, contraction and expansion. They sometimes come in the mind and sometimes not. But when there is a positive tendency in the mind, it integrates everything which it receives and claims that it has seen an object, such as an elephant. Now, suppose that there is not a positive tendency but a negative tendency in the mind, what happens? In that case, though the mind projects an elephant within, we will not see it. Even if we try to imagine an elephant in our minds, we will not be able to see it. And not only this. Because of this psychic defect or disorder, we have hallucinations, sometimes positive and sometimes negative. In our inner thoughts as well, sometimes such positive or negative hallucinations can occur. Obviously, whatever an intellectual thinks in his or her arena of intellect is completely defective. There always remains scope for doubt in intellectuality. So intellectuality is also baseless, because the very movement of the ectoplasm is baseless.

Intellectuals think that they are not ordinary persons. They think that they can do so many things and that they know so

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many things. But they should keep in mind that their thoughts may be defective, because in their thought-waves crests and troughs are always operating. Within their thoughts there is sometimes speed and sometimes pause. If the sum is taken of all those psychic pauses together, then intellectuality amounts to nothing.

Intellectuality does not depend on thought-waves alone. Here, the crux of the problem is not that thought-waves are defective, but that such thought-waves become defective because the mind’s subjectivated compartment has no control over its objectivated mental chamber. As a result the mind may think that an object is non-existent, although it actually exists. Similarly, sometimes an object appears to the mind to exist, although actually it does not. This kind of intellectuality is affected by ambiguity.

So we see that there is ambiguity in both reality and intellectuality. The possibility of such ambiguity remains because of the positive tendencies of the mind. So we see that reality is not actually reality, and intellectuality is not actually intellectuality either.

Spirituality

Now, what should be our final conclusion? We can say that

in this world neither intellectuality nor reality exists. So what course should intelligent and wise people adopt in this world? They should search for something beyond this pulsative order of contraction and expansion, speed and pause. And what is that something? It is nothing else but spirituality.

The movement of spirituality is never pulsative in character, but rather linear – it flows in a straight line. Due to this straightness, it has no positive curvature or negative curvature. Yet for the sake of convenience we can call it the supreme positivity; and it fatherest extremity, the point where all human


existence resides, the starting point of all intellectuals and non-intellectuals, can be termed the supreme negativity. So the movement of a living being starts from the supreme negativity, and as it gradually flows towards the supreme positivity, that is, towards spirituality, its line of movement becomes straight. This is the real path. At the end nothing exists – neither intellectuality nor reality – only spirituality pervades everything. No entity in the external world can claim the status as an absolute entity. Spirituality alone is the absolute stance; and to search for it is the real intellectuality. Whatever people do apart from this is nothing but the expression of their distorted propensities.

17 May 1980, Varanasi


VARIOUS FORMS OF EXPLOITATION

Very often people say that a particular individual or community is badly exploited. What they mean by “exploited” is this: that people are being exploited in the economic stratum. But if we go deeply into the matter, we will discover that the exploitation has been perpetrated not only in the economic stratum, but also in the other strata of human existence – in different forms and on various pretexts. When there is exploitation in the physical stratum, it is not necessarily economic in nature in all cases; it is often social, and in many cases, indirectly social. For instance, vested interests inject complexes into the public mind at a certain stage, and at a much later stage they exploit those psychic complexes. At that time the exploitation may as well be physical instead of economic. But ultimately this physical exploitation is as good, or as bad, as economic exploitation.

Exploitation in the psychic stratum is mostly perpetrated or perpetuated in the first phase through dogma. Dogmas are also the harbingers of economic or social exploitation. Sometimes the exploitation carried on in the spiritual stratum is also perpetrated through some kind of dogma. In the spiritual stratum, as in the physical stratum, the exploiters create inferiority or superiority complexes in the minds of the people through dogma, and later perpetrate economic or social exploitation. When the exploitation in the physical stratum is directly economic in character, even the common people can understand it, and they need not work hard to reach that understanding. This is because in the case of economic exploitation, the exploited people can easily understand who the exploiters are. But in the case of exploitation in other social spheres, the exploited people are not even aware that they are


being exploited. This is why it is easy to exploit them in the social sphere. Inferiority complexes are then created in their minds to keep them under prolonged administrative domination and perpetuate the exploitation. This is easily done by the cunning exploiters. And the tragedy is that the exploited masses cannot understand – they do not try to understand, and they even refuse to try to understand – that they are victims of exploitation. So this is more dangerous.

When the exploitation takes place in the economic sphere directly, the people easily understand it, but when the exploitation is perpetrated in the socio-economic sphere or the psycho-economic sphere, the situation becomes complicated. In the case of exploitation is the socio-economic sphere, the people raise a little murmur against the social exploitation, but they fail to take note of the economic exploitation which is the final result of such socio-economic exploitation. And in the case of psycho-economic exploitation, the people feel a little aggrieved because they are being suppressed from the psychic point of view, but they are not aware that the ultimate result is also economic exploitation.

Today all over the world people have a greater economic awareness than before, which is why the cunning exploiters have resorted to the path of either socio-economic exploitation or psycho-economic exploitation. The exploiters have spread their trap over a large area hoping to reap a rich harvest. I shall not discuss all this in further detail here, because in fact I have a mind to write a book on the subject in future.1

As regards the psychic sphere, I can say this: there can be numerous modes of exploitation in the psychic sphere, and to comprehend all these, the people must be more educated and more intelligent. As regards the social sphere, the exploiters deliberately confuse social exploitation in the psychic sphere

1 See The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, 1982. –Eds.

VARIOUS FORMS OF EXPLOITATION 219

with spirituality, and thus pave the way for prolonged exploitation. This is how dogma arose in the past, and even to this day these dogmas are being made use of.

Ananda Marga is, for the first time, making the utmost effort to establish pure spirituality against dogma. Those who have leaned heavily on dogma so far are raising a lot of hue and cry against Ananda Marga. They feel that their days of exploitation are over, and that people are no longer willing to live in a fool’s paradise.

It is impossible to establish genuine spirituality until the common masses are taught to raise their heads against dogma. On the one hand there is a saying which says, “Where science ends, philosophy begins,” and on the other hand there is another saying which says, “Where philosophy ends, faith starts.” This is arrant nonsense. One of the most valuable treasures of humanity is intellect. When people are advised to desist from following the path of logic and reason, it means that the vested interests are out to buy the human intelligence engaged in the fight against dogma.

Merely saying, “Do not do this; it will be a sin to do so” will not do. If you say, “Do not do this” you have to state why one should not do it. Similarly, if you say, “Do this” you should also state why one should do it. In this way the human intellect will attain freedom. Through the movement for the liberation of human intellect, through the effort for the liberation of the human intellect, human beings are established in spirituality. Lack of this effort turns human beings into religious bigots, and feuds in the name of religion are the result.

I have already said that Ananda Marga is the first movement which aims to liberate spirituality from the unwholesome influence from dogma. Hence you must not in any way encourage dogma. Rather you should carry on an endless fight against dogma. And while fighting against dogma, you will realize the actual truth, and when you will come in contact with


truth, you will be established in real spirituality. Remember, you have to be established in real spirituality, because in spirituality alone lies the highest fulfillment and achievement of human life. Otherwise there is hardly any difference between human beings and animals. That human beings are not animals is the supreme veracity and the supreme actuality. So human beings have got to be established in human excellence and carry on a ceaseless struggle against dogma.

Spiritual aspirants – those who love spirituality, who have a genuine concern for it, and who wish to pursue the path of real humanity – must not be static, must not be inert. Rather they should be very active, bumptious and dexterous in their work. In a word, they must be real karma yogis. Unless one is a karma yogi, one cannot be established in devotion, one cannot be a bhakti yogi. And unless one is first entrenched in the cult of devotion, unless one is a real bhakti yogi, one cannot achieve the closest communion with Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness].

19 August 1980, Kolkata

SOME HINTS ON EDUCATION

How to impart education has always been a very poignant question.

The influence of the environment has a tremendous impact on the human mind. The environment in which one is born and brought up continues to exert a tremendous influence till the last days, till the dying stage, of human life. According to the type of education imparted, one’s psychic environment is built up. The psychic environment is more powerful in human life than the physical environment.

Let me drop a few hints. You apply your intelligence and try to understand. Suppose a man is born in a minority community in a particular country. He is put under severe strain because of the atrocities perpetrated on him. In this case, though the country does have an environmental influence on him, due to psychic pressure he leaves his country and defects to another country. This happens because psychic influence is stronger than the influence of the physical environment.

If we wish to do maximum good to the people, we must find out the proper way, the best way, to impart education. If we can mould our minds in the proper way, then everything is accomplished. As soon as the mind is in the proper shape, the people understand where to seek inspiration from. That is, it is to be sought from Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness].

Education is just remoulding the old structure of the mind and goading it unto the highest state of realization, the exalted status of supreme veracity, the highest status of factuality.

We have to keep in view three fundamentals before imparting education. The first is that education must always be based on factuality. There must not be the injection of any dogma or fanaticism or any type of geographical or racial chauvinism in the education system.

222 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 The second fundamental is that education must awaken the

thirst for knowledge in the students’ minds. The students themselves will create environmental pressure by persistent demands for answers to queries like, what is the answer? Is it correct? The longing, “I wish to know.... I wish to understand and assimilate the entire universe” should be created. Such a thirst for knowledge should be created in the minds of students. A learner in Arabic is called tálib-ul-ilm, meaning “a genuine seeker of knowledge”. So a tremendous thirst for knowledge must be awakened in the students’ minds. They will constantly pry their teachers, their parents and their neighbours with questions like, why is this so? What is that? Why does that happen? Why does this not happen? Etc. They are ready to assimilate the entire universe.

The third fundamental of education is that teachers and students should have a balanced mind, unaffected, unassailed by unimportant entities.

These are the three fundamentals of education. Education is a must not only for human beings, but also for all living beings. For instance, if you train a dog, you can take much work from it. If you train a cow, it will give greater service.

Some people may ask, why does Ananda Marga run many kindergarten schools and not many high schools, degree colleges and universities? A kindergarten school is something basic and the mission of making human beings is accomplished here. If one has already become a thief or a criminal, in that case university education for such a person is of no avail. One is to be moulded in one’s childhood. If one receives the fundamentals of education in the formative period of one’s life, one will keep oneself alright in the teeth of the greatest trials and tribulations in life. A bamboo, when green, can be shaped or bent in any way you like. Once it ripens, any attempt to reshape it will break it. This is why more stress is to be laid on

SOME HINTS ON EDUCATION 223

kindergarten schools. Such schools are the first phase of making human beings.

So what is the need of education? Proper education enables one to stand against the influence of the physical environment and awaken the psychic urge to attain a higher life, that is, the ideological goal. This gives a person much inspiration. We should do our best to impart proper education not only to the entire humanity, but also to all created beings. We can impart training to all trees, plants and birds, and put them on the path of welfare.

August, 1980

THE CONTINUOUS EFFORT TO PROMOTE UNIVERSAL

WELL-BEING – I

It is said that the path of human progress is chiefly divided into four stages: yatamána, vyatireka, ekendriya and vashiikára.1 These stages deal with the three strata of human life: the physical, psychic and spiritual worlds.

Yatamána is derived from the Sanskrit root verb yata plus the suffix shánac and means “one who is endeavouring”. In a previous Dharmamahá Cakra [spiritual congregation], I spoke at length about yatamána.2 Now, is yatamána only a mental effort or only a physical effort or does it emanate from a realm higher than the mind? When people consciously perform any action, that action must have the sanction of the mind. But even if an action is sanctioned by the mind, it does not necessarily mean that it also has been sanctioned by the self. Moreover, even if the mind performs an action that is in accordance with the guidelines of a noble philosophy, it does not necessarily mean that the mind’s psychic sanction is supported by the átman [unit consciousness, self].

There are many philosophies which tend to crudify the human mind, making people violent and inconsiderate. They lead people to believe that they are God’s favourite children and that the rest of humanity is cursed. Although these views have the sanction of a philosophy, they will not be sanctioned by the átman.

1 These are stages of sadhana, spiritual meditation. This discourse discusses the

first stage, yatamána, which promotes universal well-being. –Eds. 2 See “Sádhaná” in Discourses on Tantra Volume 2, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –

Eds.

THE EFFORT TO PROMOTE WELL-BEING – 1 225

There is only one instance when Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] sanctions people’s thoughts. What is that? It is when the human mind is dedicated to the welfare of the entire human race without any discrimination, when the sole intention is to promote universal well-being. When the human mind is motivated by such sentiments and engages in action through the body, only that action can be regarded as genuine yatamána. All other endeavours are not actually yatamána.

Sometimes it also happens that the body acts without the prior approval of the mind – a person frightened by a robber, for example. People do not always act voluntarily, but sometimes out of fear, just like the slaves in the olden days. A slave would labour hard at the command of his or her master. Such actions are purely limited to the physical sphere. They are actions no doubt, but they do not enjoy the support of the mind and naturally do not have the support of the átman or Parama Puruïa. Such deeds do not bring any welfare to the slave and thus cannot be categorized as yatamána. According to true spirituality, human beings should not be reduced to slavery.

It is said that slavery has been totally abolished from the world today. While this may be true in theory, a handful of people who deserve no better name than intellectual satans have been enslaving people by propagating defective philosophies. In a way the people they exploit are no better than slaves for they have lost their intellect. Even when one tries to enlighten them with logical arguments, they refuse to listen. Are they any better than slaves? Intellectually they are certainly slaves, and hence in the material world they are also slaves. Thus none of the actions they perform can be considered as yatamána, because they will never lead to well-being. The first stage of human progress, yatamána, is not achieved by their activities.

What should be done to bring about progress in the yatamána stage? One should learn a proper philosophy from a


competent person. One should distinguish between a proper philosophy and a pseudo-philosophy by analysing the extent to which the philosophy treats the entire human race as a singular entity and promotes its unity. Only a philosophy which propagates universal sentiments is acceptable to human beings, for it alone reflects the spirit of yatamána. Other types of philosophy will spoil humanity’s treasure and lead to the degeneration of human beings to the level of animality or even lower than that, even though they are endowed with eyes, feet, hands, etc. Animals fight with each other over food, but these crude people do not need to procure food for their survival, yet they misuse their authority to destroy or subjugate innocent people. The people of today must understand this basic fact, and keep a vigilant watch on the intellectual satans and blood-sucking exploiters.

The people of today must advance while fighting against two enemies: the blood-suckers who exploit in the economic sphere and the intellectual satans who not only exploit human beings but also reduce them to the level of animality. I exhort the people of today to wage an endless fight on these two fronts. They should remember that on both these fronts they are fighting against enemies who are guided by dogma and whose method of exploitation has no logic to it. And although they are exploiting people in the socio-economic, socio-intellectual and spiritual spheres, once people’s conscience is aroused against dogma, their exploitation will automatically cease. The gigantic demons of exploitation will vanish in a flash.


from Mánasádhyátmika Sádhanár Staravinyás

THE CONTINUOUS EFFORT TO PROMOTE UNIVERSAL

WELL-BEING – 2

While explaining yatamána [the first stage of sadhana], I said that it is one of four stages of human progress. I further explained that the different stages of human progress are concerned with the three strata of life: physical, psychic and spiritual. I also said that unless the human intellect is liberated, human beings will not be able to attain substantial progress in the material sphere.1

Artha and Paramártha

The physical bondages which keep people confined to gross

physicality and deny the fullest expression of human genius are called ádhibhaotik. The endeavour to liberate oneself from these physical bondages becomes meaningless unless ádhidaevik [freedom from psychic bondages] is also attained. There are three types of bondage: physical, psychic and spiritual. [The means of obtaining] permanent liberation from these three bondages is called Paramártha; and [the means of obtaining] temporary liberation from them is called ártha. Bondages such as hunger, thirst, the need for clothes, accommodation, medical treatment, etc., are related to this quinquelemental world and are physical in nature. That which brings temporary relief from these bondages is called ártha. Suppose a man is hungry; if he has money, he can go and buy some food. In this case money is the medium through which he attains temporary relief from the bondage of hunger. Hence

1 See “The Continuous Effort to Promote Universal Well-Being – 1”. –Eds.


money is called ártha in Sanskrit, because it brings temporary freedom from bondage. Human beings must make continuous efforts to attain ártha if they have not yet attained Paramártha.2

Those who teach that everything in this world is false obviously do not see themselves as unreal. They propagate such misleading teachings in order to exploit the masses and thereby further their own selfish interests. Of course I do not say that everyone does that, but I must point out that some religious and intellectual leaders have badly cheated their fellow human beings. I would like to reiterate that what I say does not apply to all. I declare in unambiguous terms that people will have to continue in their efforts to attain ártha, and in the future will continue trying to do so.

Yatamána should be a prerequisite for the attainment of Paramártha, but at present it is being utilized to gain ártha. If you analyse the matter a little more deeply, you will find that it is not even being used to attain ártha because the intellect on which yatamána depends cannot function independently. We sometimes say in colloquial Bengali, “He has even taken out a mortgage on his pigtail.” Thus even the intellect is in bondage and has lost the capacity to think independently. Such an intellect can be likened to a bird which is confined to a tiny cage for some time after being used to soaring high in the open sky. If one opens the door of the cage, the bird will think, “I am quite comfortable here. Why should I risk flying in the vast blue sky? After all, I get all the water and birdseed I want inside my little cage.”

In the physical and psychic spheres people have been wrongly taught to avoid trying to attain Paramártha. Even in the mundane sphere they do not get sufficient opportunity to stand on their own feet. It is constantly drummed into their

2 See also “Artha and Paramártha”. –Eds.


minds in such a negative manner that they are unable to utilize the opportunities which come their way.

In the social sphere (which comes under the scope of ádhibhaotik) the same thing happens. For ages together simple, innocent people have been taught that they belong to a low caste. If one asks them to sit on a chair, they will reply, “No, I am fine here on the floor.” Even if the mind gets an opportunity to become independent, it cannot express itself freely. In the same way that a little bird kept confined to a cage develops rheumatism in its wings, the human mind gets paralysed when it constantly thinks negative thoughts. It is not only the so-called upper castes who are to blame; the so-called lower castes have passively accepted this sad plight like caged birds, and have even sometimes encouraged it. This is a shame, a matter of immense regret.

Bráhmaòo’sya mukhamásiit váhurájanyo’bhavat; Madhya tadasya yadvaeshya padbhyá shúdra ajáyata. [Brahmans came out of the mouth (of the Supreme Entity), Kïatriyas were born from the arms, Vaeshyas came out of the trunk of the body, and Shúdras were born from the feet.]

Some people even deny the Supreme Entity, that formless omnipresent Parama Brahma who belongs equally to all, who is the light of all light, our dearest and nearest. It has been said in the above shloka [couplet] that the Vipras have been born out of the mouth of Brahma; the valorous Kïatriyas have emerged out of His3 arms; the Vaeshyas out of His trunk; and the Shúdras out of His feet. If this were true, I would say that

3 Brahma (the Supreme Entity) is usually spoken of philosophically in neuter

gender. Here the author uses “Him” for Brahma to emphasize the paternal relationship that exists between Supreme Consciousness and living beings. –Eds.


the Shúdras are the greatest because everyone longs to touch the feet of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]. As the Shúdras are born out of His holy feet, they must certainly be the most revered. So if we are to accept the caste system, we should treat the Shúdras with the respect due the highest caste. And if you are reluctant to accept that, let everyone belong to the highest caste; then all will be equal. Due to the totally absurd dogma of the caste system, people have been mentally paralysed.

It should be understood that if people want ártha or Paramártha in the socio-economic sphere and Paramártha in the psycho-economic sphere, they should first liberate their intellect. If one attains socio-economic freedom, one may or may not attain psycho-economic freedom. Socio-economic freedom means that all the members of society are equal in the social and economic spheres. It is as if one is providing a cow with a belly full of fodder and then extracting maximum labour from the cow. This analogy shows that the cow has been granted socio-economic liberty. However, guaranteeing freedom in the socio-economic sphere does not necessarily mean that there will be liberty in the psycho-economic sphere. In other words, one may not have gained complete freedom of thought. In a word, one may be guaranteed ample supplies of food but denied intellectual liberty.

Once psycho-economic freedom is attained, people enjoy material wealth as well as freedom of thought. But in order to attain true freedom in the psycho-economic sphere, one must liberate one’s intellect; this is subtler than attaining psycho-economic freedom. Without intellectual liberation, yatamána is meaningless in the intellectual sphere and ineffective in the physical sphere. As a result one will be unable to perform the noble tasks which usually require the help of the intellect. Intellectual freedom is a fundamental need of the intellectual world; this you are lacking.


Exploitation and Dogma Those who exploit others in order to further their personal

interests do not want people to gain socio-economic freedom. For this reason they perpetrate their psycho-economic exploitation by manipulating people so that they do not clamour for socio-economic freedom. They do not directly exploit people in the social or economic spheres, but in the psycho-economic sphere they do, and they do it so intelligently that people are totally unaware of it, and are hence unable to fully develop a yatamána outlook. Moreover the exploited masses are also unable to develop economically because the exploiters exert subtle control over the economy.

However, a day comes when a group of intelligent people emerges from the exploited masses after detecting the exploiters’ techniques to dupe the people, in spite of media control. At this stage the exploiters become intellectually active to prevent the germination of the seed of liberation. They take control of the education system, the printing presses and the propaganda agencies in a last and desperate attempt to erect high embankments to stem the surging tide of popular discontent. But within a short time the day of change arrives; the vikïubdha shúdras [disgruntled workers] rise up in revolt, and the high embankments made of sand get washed away by the floodwaters of revolution.4

After this the masses make an independent appraisal of the type of socio-psycho-economic exploitation they have been subjected to. Before the revolution they may have discussed social injustice among themselves in private, but if they had tried to express their discontent publicly, their tongues would have been cut out.

4 See also “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society” in Volume 2. –Eds.

232 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 To control the masses in the psychic sphere, a fear complex

was forcibly injected into their minds. Their religious leaders openly preached: Binu bhai hoi ná piirit. [“Devotion cannot be aroused without an element of fear.”] In other words, if you want to love Parama Puruïa, you will have to fear Him also. This does not sound logical, of course. Logic says that you may fear Parama Puruïa and you may also love Him, but that does not mean that in order to love Parama Puruïa you must fear Him. Fear and love are two different things. One must fear Parama Puruïa and at the same time love Him as well. But it can never be said that there can be no love without fear. Parama Puruïa is a great administrator and so it is natural for one to fear Him. At the same time Parama Puruïa is your nearest and dearest, so obviously you should love Him deeply. The opportunists of the past injected this type of dogma into people’s mind to perpetrate socio-economic and psycho-economic exploitation. It was of course unsuccessful because human beings definitely advance. No one can check their progress.

Hundreds of dogmas were imposed on people: “Do not do this; it is prohibited. If you do it, you will go to hell.” The effect of such a statement was to inject a fear complex into people’s minds. According to mythology, the so-called upper castes were born from the mouth of god. It was stated that so-called low-caste people were not entitled to wear shoes or carry umbrellas over their heads in upper-caste areas. The common people believed these things. They were further told that their kings were incarnations of Lord Viïòu, so their every command should be obeyed. So the kings also mercilessly perpetrated harsh exploitation and brutal dictatorial rule. This is how things were in the past.


The Exploitation of Women Women were subjected to countless impositions and

restrictions, innumerable do’s and don’ts. Men were free to eat and drink anything, but not women, for that would be considered an act of sin on their part. Strangely, women calmly accepted these injustices. Women were not allowed an education, so they could not protest against these illogical impositions. Mr. Drinkwater Bethune’s5 attempts to spread education among the women of Bengal met with violent protests from a group of selfish people. They argued that if women were given a western education, they would degenerate and end up in hell. And if they went to hell, who would do the housekeeping? One zealous poet wrote:

Ágekár sab meyegulo chila bhála dharmakarma karta sabe; Eká Bethune esei sheï kareche ár ki táder teman pábe? A-B-C shikhe bibi seje biliti bol kabei kabe. [The women of the past were good because they followed religious observances. But single-handedly Mr. Bethune has done immense harm to them. Their ways are different now; now they have learned the A-B-C, dress in European clothes and have started speaking English as well!]

If someone speaks English, what is the harm? Moreover the

effect of education on women has been good – 100% – and yet the attempt to educate them was opposed. Why? The reason was that the intellectual exploitation of women met with no opposition. Obviously, if women remained illiterate, they could be easily exploited in the socio- and psycho-economic spheres.

5 John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune (1801-1851) was a British barrister who was

posted to India in 1848. Together with Bengali reformers, he opened the secular Native Female School in 1849 in Kolkata, pioneering women’s education in Bengal. –Eds.


The lack of education turned women into ineffective, immobile pieces of living baggage, who could be exploited by their male counterparts according to their sweet will. A man was permitted to marry as many as 200 wives, but after the death of her husband a woman was not even permitted to remarry. Rather the notion was injected into women’s minds that it was a sin for them to remarry. Women were taught that to remain devoted to their husbands in their present and subsequent lives was the greatest virtue. Even if a wicked husband were to go to hell after his death to graze as a cow-ghost in a field, his educated, devoted and virtuous wife would have to go with him and graze beside him. All this was mandatory and had to be accepted. These are all mischievous ways of injecting a fear complex, of spreading dogmas, not into the body, but into the mind to paralyse it; such methods are totally anti-human.

Even in petty matters the exploiters resorted to dogma. For example:

Amuker sinni kheye ye nákhay pani, Galáy galagaòìa hay cakïe paóe cháni. [Those who do not drink water after eating the sweet of a certain deity will surely develop goiter in their throat and cataracts in their eyes.]

These exploiters created a good number of deities, and around each deity a powerful priestocracy emerged. They used fear to instill devotion in people, which provided them with ample scope to perpetrate their exploitation.

If you analyse all the aspects of human history in a new way, in a new light, you will find that many attempts have been made to exploit others by injecting a fear complex into their minds.


Parama Puruïa is the life of your life, and obviously you will love Him; you will do sadhana to attain Him. Why should you be terrified of Him? What a nasty psychology it was to inject a fear complex into people’s mind in the name of God! Here lies the difference between religion and dharma. You will find that in all religions fear complexes have been created in people’s minds. So many rigid rules and regulations have been made to force women to respect men and stand before them in awe with folded hands. But for men there are no such rules and regulations. For example, women were forbidden to utter the names of their husbands or the husband’s elder brothers. For what reason? To make women exceedingly reverential towards their menfolk. What justification can there be for a virtuous lady with the border of her sari wrapped around her neck being forced to lie in prostration before her immoral husband? It is completely absurd, meaningless!

Shvashur bhásuóer nám karle adhahpáte yáy; Mámá shvashurer nám karle álajib khase yáy. [Soyámiir nám karle dudhe bháte kháy.] [A woman who utters the name of her father-in-law or her husband’s elder brother will degenerate. If she utters the name of her husband’s maternal uncle, she will lose her prestige. (But if she utters the name of her husband, she will get to eat nice food.)] All these are examples of how dogmas were created to

paralyse women’s minds. Thus religious bondage renders meaningless yatamána not only in the physical sphere, but also in the psychic sphere.

It is very difficult for a woman suffering from a psychic ailment such as an inferiority complex to approach Parama Puruïa. She is bound to think, “I am low-born. I am a woman. I have no rights. How can I go close to Parama Puruïa? At the most I can stand in one corner of the verandah.” Opportunists


proclaim that women are not entitled to salvation and if they want to attain it, they will have to be reborn as men. A few years ago I publicly declared that this notion is antisocial and totally ultravires to humanism, and that those who utter such statements are exploiting women and trying to check the collective growth of humanity. You are to be vocal against such exploiters.

Do not tolerate injustice. This will not only harm women, who are one of the most neglected and downtrodden segments of humanity, but will also cause a large carbuncle to grow on the vast body of society. That carbuncle will be so poisonous and infectious that it will infect the entire society. Do not allow such a thing to happen under any circumstances. Now that your eyes have been opened, make sure you do not stray from the path of practicality.


from Mánasádhyátmika Sádhanár Staravinyás

SOME EDUCATION POLICIES

According to Prout, the aim of education is: Sa vidyáyá vimuktaye. [Education is that which leads to complete emancipation.] The real meaning of education is trilateral development: simultaneous development in the physical, mental and spiritual realms of human existence. This development should enhance the integration of the human personality. By this, dormant human potentialities will be awakened and put to proper use. Educated are those who have learned much, remembered much and made use of their learning in practical life.

In Prout’s education system, emphasis should be given to moral education and the inculcation of idealism, not only to philosophy and traditions. The practice of morality should be the most important subject in the syllabus at all levels. The sense of universalism should also be awakened in the child. Etiquette and refined behaviour are not enough. Real education leads to a pervasive sense of love and compassion for all creation.

As I have mentioned before, the word E-D-U-C-A-T-I-O-N itself has special significance:

E - Enlargement of mind D - DESMEP (D - Discipline, E - Etiquette, S - Smartness,

M - Memory, E -English, P- Pronunciation) U - Universal Outlook C - Character A - Active habits T - Trustworthiness I - Ideation on the Great O - Omniscient grace N - Nice temperament

238 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Special importance should be attached to children’s

education, because today’s child is tomorrow’s citizen. The receptive capacity of a child is great, but to enhance the receptivity the method of education should be thoroughly psychological.

From the beginning, children in India can be taught three languages: their mother tongue or natural language, basic Sanskrit or the appropriate classical language, and the world language. Students should be encouraged to learn the history of their respective mother tongues. By learning the world language, students will develop a feeling of world citizenship in their minds.

According to the [language] policy of Prout, besides their mother tongue, students may also learn as many languages as possible. Let people know as many languages as they can. But in the practical field, in government and non-government work and court work, the mother tongue should be used.

During secondary education, vocational education should be introduced according to the natural tendency and spontaneous aptitude of the students. Talented students should be provided with special facilities, [especially] if they are poor. After higher education, students with talent should get the opportunity to do research work with the financial aid of the government.

The examination system should undergo a radical change so that the knowledge of the student both in the applied and theoretical sides can be properly assessed. Students should be encouraged to involve themselves in social welfare and other constructive activities within their school or campus. After completing their education, students should be guaranteed appropriate employment.

Proper care should be taken in the selection of teachers. Academic certificates are not the only criteria for selecting teachers. Qualities like a strong character, righteousness, social service, selflessness, an inspirational personality and leadership

SOME EDUCATION POLICIES 239

ability should be evident in teachers. Teachers should get the highest respect in society and their economic needs should be properly looked after.

The framing of education policies, the control of the education system and all other activities concerned with education should be managed by a board comprised of efficient teachers. This board should enjoy full freedom and authority to carry out its duties. Education must be free from all political interference. Education should be free at all levels.

Should Prout support the participation by students in the administration of education institutions? Grown-up students, that is, adults, may take part in the non-academic side of administration. The academic side should be controlled and managed by educationists with the help and cooperation of grown-up students, just as grown-up children may help their parents a lot in managing family duties. The relation between students and teachers should be sweet.

Radio, television, films and other media must be free from exploitation and vested interests. Qualified professionals should utilize such media for the benefit of students to ensure high-quality education.1

The teaching of science must always be encouraged. The study and application of science will assist in the spread of knowledge and help to ensure that the right to knowledge in every sphere of life – the social, economic, psychic and spiritual – is attained by all. Knowledge and science must be free like the light, the air and the unhindered wealth of nature. They must serve all and supply the vital juice of life.

April 1981, Kolkata

1 The author also says: “Institutions that have educational value should not be

controlled by political leaders. Educators should control the education system. Educators will also control the wireless and radio networks…” See the section The Education System in “The Observer’s Diary” in Volume 2. –Eds.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

We, men and women, are the progeny of the same Supreme Consciousness. Women and men are equally divine and inherit similar and equal rights to life, liberty and expression. The significance of life does not lie only in living. Animals also live. But life to us means something more; rather something much more. To us, life means living for a great cause. Life implies the endeavour to have the freedom to express one’s potentialities in the physical, economic, psychic and spiritual realms. It means real liberty, and not license to commit anything good or bad.

In the annals of human history we do find women whose memory glorifies not only womanhood, but the entire human world. In philosophy and spirituality, social reform and educational pursuits, science and technology, they stand second to none. Women are found discussing the riddles of philosophy, solving problems of social and educational reform, and inspiring men in times of struggle. They have their potentiality, no less than men. The difference in natural and biological characteristics between men and women speaks only of coordinated cooperation not of subordinated cooperation.

Yet the annals of history depict the sad and painful episodes of women’s exploitation throughout the world. To fulfil this sinister design, dogmas were created which led to psycho-economic exploitation. Dogmas were cunningly popularized, and women degenerated into slavery. Psychic exploitation has been infused into the minds of women, and many symbols, which are religiously observed, are nothing but symbols of slavery. In many religions of the world today women are not allowed to become priests in the religious hierarchy.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS 241

Women’s exploitation is more or less the same everywhere. Is it not a fact that in many countries even franchise rights were not given equally to men and women?

Even today women are slaves to the male-dominated social order. This is not only bad, but deplorable. We should decry such domination of women and their psycho-economic exploitation through the evil design of dogmas. To abolish dogma and liberate women from psychic exploitation, there should be:

1. Free education for all women in all countries of the world. 2. No discrimination in the social, educational and religious

realms. 3. The provision of economic and social security to all

women. We stand to create a powerful, dynamic and upsurging social

consciousness, especially amongst women, so that they are inspired to rise, abolish dogma and annihilate all symbols of slavery, and usher in a new era of coordinated cooperation and glorious achievement. Let women be the vanguard of a new revolution which humanity must achieve for a glorious tomorrow.

20 April 1981, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 9

THE LANGUAGE ISSUE

Every living being has its own inherent tendency to express and to symbolize. In the process of evolution higher species have evolved that try to express their feelings through gestures, postures or sound. This acoustic expression of ideas is generally known as language. The chirping sound of a bird is its language. Zoologists and ornithologists have established this fact. Even monkeys have their own language, which consists of about 850 sounds. In the case of human beings, who are the highest creations of this Cosmological order, acoustic expression has developed into a well-knit and well-integrated linguistic system. Language is a powerful medium for the expression of the inner thoughts of human beings; it is a vital inner asset, which is inseparably linked with their práòa dharma1 [innate characteristics].

From the psycho-physical or theoretical viewpoint, people everywhere in the world have the same language. That is because the essence of language, or idea, is one and the same for all languages. Phonetics may differ from one language to another due to variations in the geographical environment. This also causes racial differences and leads to variations in the biological structure of the vocal cord. Thus, when the idea to drink water appears in the mind, people express it in different ways. Some say, Ámi jal khába [in Bengali, which means “I will drink water”], while others say, Mu jala pibi [in Oriya, which also means “I will drink water”]. Behind these different expressions, the same idea prevails.

Through this process about 300 languages have emerged in the world today. Culture is the same for all humanity, though there are variations in cultural expression due to time, space

1 See “Práòa Dharma” and “Deprivation of Práòa Dharma” in Volume 2. –Eds.

THE LANGUAGE ISSUE 243

and person. These variations are not indicative of many different cultures, as all the world’s languages are fundamentally one and the same. Consequently all languages should carry equal importance and command equal respect. We should therefore keep all these points in mind when we look deeply into the question of language problems.

Fully-Developed Languages

According to Prout, a fully-developed language contains

eight factors: verbal forms, case endings, pronouns, vocabulary, written or unwritten literature including folk literature, pronunciation, psycho-acoustic and inferential acoustic notes, and syntax. If either pronunciation or literature or unwritten literature is missing, the language is called upabháïá [“a dialect”] or khaòì upabháïá [“part of a dialect”]. On this earth there are many dialects. For example, in Bhojpuri there are three dialects, in Oriya there are two dialects, and in Chhattisgarhi there are three dialects.

In India almost all the prevailing languages have developed from Prákrta-Sanskrit.2 Prákrta means “familiar to the common people”. In the course of time Prákrta-Sanskrit was transformed into seven languages and many dialects from which the present Indian languages developed. Those seven languages are:

1. East Indian Mágadhii Prákrta, which gave rise to Bengali, Oriya, Maethili, Angika, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Nagpuri (Sadari), Chhattisgarhi, etc.

2. Central and North Indian Shaorasenii Prákrta, which gave rise to Avadhi, Bundelkhandi, Baghelkhandi, etc.

3. Northwest Indian Paeshácii Prákrta, which gave rise to Punjabi, Dogri, Pahari, etc.

2 The Prákrta languages evolved from Sanskrit between about 4,000 and 5,000

years ago. Mágadhii Prákrta originated about 3,500 years ago. –Eds.

244 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 4. Extreme northwest Indian Páshcáttya Prákrta, which gave

rise to Pashto and Kashmiri. 5. Sindhi-area Saendhavii Prákrta, which gave rise to Sindhi

and Baluchi. 6. West and Central Indian Málavii Prákrta, which gave rise

to Gujarati, Saurastri, etc., and 7. Southwest Indian Maháráïírii Prákrta, which gave rise to

Marathi, etc. All the languages mentioned above are rich in the eight

constituent factors of a fully-developed language. Not only this, these languages are more than 1,000 years old.

In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, people are of the wrong opinion that all these languages are mere dialects of Hindi. This interpretation is not only wrong, but deliberately propagated with the intention of misguiding people. From a correct philological viewpoint, Hindi is not even a real language in comparison to Angika, Magahi, Bhojpuri, Maethili, Nagpuri, Avadhi or Braja. The reason for this is as follows. Hindi as a language is not even 100 years old. The British developed this language during their rule by mixing together different languages and dialects from various places in and around Delhi. Of the above eight factors, Hindi has no folk literature or folk songs, but Angika, Bhojpuri, etc., have folk literature as well as the other seven factors required to qualify as a fully-developed language.3 To be frank, Hindi is nobody’s mother tongue.

Mother Tongue

What does “mother tongue” mean? That language in which

we can freely, smoothly and spontaneously express our ideas in 3 See also the secton Hindi in “The Evolution of Indian Languages” in Volume 4.

–Eds.


an unobstructed way, just as we feel a loving closeness with our own mother when talking to her, is our mother tongue. For example, a man of Purnea will talk to his close friends only in the Angika language and not in any other language.

Now, let us see how close is the relationship between language, socio-economic progress and cultural development. I have already said that language is the vehicle for expressing thoughts and ideas. It is thus inseparably linked with human práòa dharma.

People can express their thoughts and ideas in their own mother tongue in a way they cannot do in any other language. People feel uneasy when they speak in a language that is not their mother tongue. If they constantly feel such uneasiness, their práòashakti [vital energy] will be disturbed and weakened. In such circumstances a sort of psychological crisis will occur in the collective mental body as well as in the individual mind. This will lead to the development of inferiority complexes, which will debilitate the mind. People whose language is suppressed lose their moral courage, initiative and power to protest. Ultimately they develop a defeatist psychology, and as a group such people face the prospect of total annihilation.

Thus the suppression of language has a very dangerous effect on the human mind. As a result of this unrelenting suppression, people will lose the capacity to raise their heads and they will die a premature and unnatural death. The most important point in this regard is that such a linguistically-suppressed group of people will always remain economically backward due to continuous psycho-economic exploitation. It is a matter of great regret that this tragedy is going on all over the world, including India.


Language Policies The meaning of the word samája [“society”] is to move

together: Samánam ejati iti samájah. [Society is the collective name of a group of people who have made a unanimous decision to move together towards a common goal.] People should make every effort to carry with them those who are lagging behind. This is the spirit of society.

Prout clearly states that in every progressive and dynamic social system, all languages should enjoy equal rights, equal opportunities and equal recognition. One should also remember that this recognition should not remain theoretical or confined only to reading and writing. Languages should be utilized in day-to-day life and in all related activities. In all spheres of life – in offices, courts, railways, airports, trade, commerce and private concerns – the medium of expression should be the mother tongue. In the educational sphere there should be no bar on learning languages other than one’s mother tongue in order to expand the breadth and depth of one’s knowledge. However, in the practical arena, where there is some special or technical necessity, whether in public or private life, the compulsory use of one’s mother tongue may create confusion. In such circumstances an appropriate common language may be used.

Concerning the spirit of society, no obstacle should be placed in the way of propagating and popularizing a particular játiiya bháïá [national language] or vishva bháïá [world language] as the link language according to necessity, providing all other languages are afforded equal opportunity. Such an approach depends upon the goodwill and benevolence of the people. Many countries are in fact multilingual and they are managing their affairs very smoothly, like Switzerland, for example. If a man from Allahabad comes to Kolkata to live, he may feel difficulty in seeing or reading the signboards, name plates, advertisements, cash memos, official papers, etc., which are


written in Bengali. He may think that if he went to France on business he would encounter the same sort of difficulties. Under such circumstances a person should develop an urge to learn the local language, as this is helpful for developing love and respect for everything in that local area. If such a practice is encouraged, there will be true communication of thoughts and feelings between people and a rapid mutual exchange of ideas and cultural expressions between different social groups.

In dealing with a knotty problem like language, governments should not be in a hurry to make decisions. In a country like India, which has numerous languages and a variety of cultural expressions arising from constant clash and cohesion, to introduce new language policies quickly without proper consideration would be foolish. While all languages should have compulsory constitutional recognition and all languages should enjoy equal importance, the language chosen as the lingua franca should not suppress any other language. In a multilingual country like India, either a common language which is the basis of all languages, like Sanskrit, should be used, or a link language should be employed which will not give preference to or suppress any of the local languages. In due course, with the development of the country’s various languages, a national language will gradually emerge and be accepted by all. Until this stage is reached through natural evolution, English should continue as a link language even after the establishment and proper recognition of local mother tongues.

We should not forget that today, due to historical and many other practical reasons, English is not only the language of England, but it has become the language of international communication. All the people of the world should have equal rights to this language. In the future some other language may acquire the status of the lingua franca, but today English should be accepted as the link language of the world. Without


introducing and adopting a policy based on the natural process of language selection, if someone tries to forcibly impose any particular language on others, it will lead to clash, dissension and disintegration among the different interest groups in a country. Such a situation will encourage linguistic fanaticism among the people and poison the environment of the whole society.

In order to solve the language problem and adopt the correct course of action in this regard, we need foresight, tolerance, practical knowledge, universal love, a proper ideology, sincerity and intelligence. If we move along the stormy path of our lives with a constant source of inspiration, not only language problems but all problems, no matter how difficult they seem, will be easily solved, and human existence will become glorious with the radiance of victory.

1981, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 9

POPULATION GROWTH AND CONTROL

The socio-economic environment of society today is

extremely restless and disturbed. In this abnormal environment population growth has been projected as a menacing threat to the existence of human society, but in fact this sort of propaganda is nothing but an evil conspiracy engineered by vested interests. No problem is greater than the human capacity to solve it. Like all problems confronting humanity, the problem of population growth should be tackled and solved in a proper way.

In the natural course of evolution, birth and death maintain the continuity of the never-ending flow of creation. Every day, with the birth of babies, the parents and the other family members naturally enjoy great happiness. But it is a matter of sorrow that there are some people in the government or other spheres of public life who consider the increase in the birth rate a curse on the society. This negative attitude is definitely a blot on the human race, which has achieved a degree of intellectual development and scientific knowledge. Population Growth

Is the population problem really a natural problem? The

population problem should be considered in the context of two vital factors: the availability of food and the availability of space. Today human beings have sufficient means to manage their food. The earth is abundant enough in food resources to feed many times more than the present population. Due to lack of coordinated cooperation, collective effort, a proper ideology and sound planning, society has been fragmented into many


belligerent groups and sub-groups, and rich and poor nations have been created. As a result of this fissiparous tendency, society is presently incapable of producing enough food to meet human requirements. The tragedy is that even though there are enough resources to supply nutritious food to all the human beings on the planet, due to the defective socio-economic systems an efficient method of distribution has not been developed.

Moreover, there is no shortage of living space on the planet if the existing space is properly utilized. Because the earth has been balkanized due to so many arbitrary social, economic and political restrictions and the pervasive influence of evil dogma, people are unable to tackle problems in a natural way. If there were maximum utilization and rational distribution of all natural resources, pressing socio-economic problems could be easily solved.

It is a law of nature that a mother is provided with sufficient breast milk to feed her newly born baby. In the same way nature has generously provided sufficient resources to meet the food and other essential requirements of all human beings. People need to utilize these natural resources in a proper way. Shortages of food or space cannot be blamed on nature. These problems are essentially the results of the mistakes made by human beings.

It is a fact that the population of the world is rapidly increasing, and consequently many people have become frightened. In capitalist countries there are sufficient reasons for such fear. In these countries an increase in the population means a corresponding increase in the poverty of the people. But there is no reason for such fear in a collective economic system. In the event of shortages in food and accommodation, people will collectively convert barren land into arable land, increase agricultural production by scientific methods, and produce food by chemical processes using the potentiality of

POPULATION GROWTH AND CONTROL 251

earth, water and air. And if this earth loses its productivity, then human beings will migrate to other planets and satellites and settle there.

If people living in capitalist countries voluntarily adopt birth control methods to avoid economic hardship, perhaps we should not criticize them. But it should be mentioned here that using birth control methods which deform the bodies of men and women or destroy their reproductive powers forever cannot be supported, because this may cause a violent mental reaction at any moment.1 Prout’s Policy

Under the present socio-economic conditions, Prout

advocates a comprehensive, clear-cut policy to tackle the population problem. According to Prout, population growth will automatically find a natural level if the following four factors exist in society.

First, there should be economic liberty in society so that people may get a nutritious diet. In Scandinavia, for example, the purchasing capacity of the people is high and they enjoy a good standard of living. Because of this they do not face the problem of overpopulation.

Secondly, everybody should have the right to enjoy sound health. If people have a healthy body and mind, their glandular system will remain balanced, and they can easily transform their physical energy into psychic energy and their psychic energy into spiritual energy. Through this effort of channelizing the mind in a spiritual direction, the baser mental propensities are easily controlled.

Thirdly, people should be free from unnecessary mental worries and anxieties. When one suffers from mental agonies

1 See also the section Family Planning and Birth Control in “The Observer’s

Diary” in Volume 2. –Eds.


continually, the mind naturally indulges in baser physical enjoyment to get rid of that unwanted condition. When mental agonies disappear, human beings will enjoy peace of mind and be able to assimilate subtle ideas.

Fourthly, the intellectual standard of humanity will have to be elevated. With intellectual advancement, human beings will develop their all-round psychic potentiality and can easily evolve their psycho-spiritual potentiality. Through continuous effort human beings will be able to attain the supreme stance, merging their individual unit existence into Cosmic existence.

Thus, the population problem is not just an economic problem – it includes economic, biological, psychological and intellectual aspects. Today people give more importance to the political than to the bio-psychological and economic aspects of population growth.

The theory that population increases at a geometric rate while food production increases at an arithmetic rate 2 is completely defective. Such a situation can only occur in an imbalanced economic system. In a progressive and balanced economic system, no such problem will exist. Collective Economy

It is completely wrong to propagate the idea that a rapidly

increasing population will affect the collective economic structure. Today capitalists are trying to check population growth by propagating birth control because an increasing population is detrimental to capitalism. In a collective economic structure, there will be no need to support birth control. Rather an increasing population will help in the production of the essential commodities.

2 Thomas Malthus set out this theory in his 1798 work, “An Essay on the

Principle of Population”. –Eds.

POPULATION GROWTH AND CONTROL 253

Good varieties of seed, fertile land, adequate nourishment, light, air and water are all essential for good reproduction in both the plant and animal kingdoms. In this respect human beings are no different from other creatures. In human society the selection of suitable males and females is desirable for reproduction of a high order. Until human beings are produced in scientific laboratories, it will be detrimental to society if this matter is neglected.

If people of sublime intelligence and brilliance reproduce more offspring, it will be very beneficial for society. The responsibility for nurturing and bringing up these children will have to be taken by the society or the government. Similarly, it will be harmful for society if mentally deficient, naturally delinquent3 or insane persons produce many children. In fact, society will be benefited by the permanent destruction of their reproductive capacity, providing this does not cause any harmful reaction.

Science has reached such a stage that it can usher in a new era. It can produce synthetic food in the form of tablets to help solve the food problems of the world. A single food tablet can be sufficient to provide sustenance for a whole day, so we need not fear population increases. Future generations will spend more of their time and energy on subtle psychic and spiritual activities, so their demand for physical food will decrease.

Through oceanographic research, abundant food resources have been discovered within the ocean and on the seabed. With the application of science and technology we can harness these resources to meet the challenge of the food problem. The crisis faced by society today indicates that humanity is not encouraging the maximum utilization and rational distribution of the world’s potentialities. Science today is being used to

3 Here “naturally deliquent” people refers to the second category of born

criminals, who are among the most dangerous and cruel criminals. See the section 1. Criminals by Nature, in “Justice”, in Volume 1. –Eds.


develop increasingly destructive weapons of war rather than for benevolent and constructive purposes.

Society will have to adopt a collective economic system for maximum production and economic security in order to control accumulation, ensure the rational distribution of collective wealth through a well-knit cooperative system, implement decentralized socio-economic planning, and secure the maximum utilization of all types of mundane, supramundane and spiritual potentialities. So far society has not adopted such an approach, so it has been unable to solve the food problem.

Instead, certain inhuman birth control practices have been forcibly promoted. Not only are such practices detrimental to a healthy human body and mind, they cause physical deformity, disturbances and misunderstandings in family life, and mental derangement and debility. Those inflicted with such psychic ailments lose the courage to face adversity in life and the power to fight for social justice.4

Imposing a fear of population growth is nothing but a cunning conspiracy by vested interests to misguide people and exploit society. Optimistic people throughout the world will have to unite and raise their voices against such a heinous conspiracy, and work together to construct a just and benevolent society.


4 Here the author is referring to forcible sterilisation (also known as compulsory

or coerced sterilisation). Since the 1970s, successive Indian governments have carried out forcible sterilisation, targeting poor, underprivileged men and women. Today the vast majority of sterilisations in India are performed on poor women. A number of other countries, including Germany, United States, China, Peru, Russia and South Africa, have also carried out forcible sterilisation. –Eds.

CAPITALISM IN THREE SPHERES

While trying to fight against any sort of exploitation, first we

must have a clear understanding of the nature of the exploitation. Today human society is subjected to ruthless exploitation by capitalists. Capitalist exploitation has brought humanity to the brink of disaster by spreading its exploitative tentacles into every aspect of human life.

According to Prout, capitalist exploitation is perpetuated in three spheres: the physical sphere, which we are well aware of, and the intellectual and spiritual spheres. Each of these types of capitalist exploitation is equally dangerous. Capitalism in the Physical Sphere

To solve the problem of capitalist exploitation in the physical

sphere, we will have to ensure that the movement of money does not become restricted or immobile in the hands of a few capitalists. The present economic system should be thoroughly transformed, and a comprehensive and completely new economic system should be built in its place. In this new system, money will not be restricted or immobile in the hands of a few capitalists. The more the optimum mobility of money is kept unrestricted, the more it will strengthen and invigorate the socio-economic life of the collective body.1 Capitalism in the Intellectual Sphere

In the psychic sphere there is a noticeable lack of motivation

and effort on the part of intelligent and educated people at 1 See also “Keep Money Circulating”. –Eds.


present to properly utilize their acquired knowledge for the collective welfare. This is the psychology of an apathetic and elitist class who do not like to move from their privileged position to work for the welfare of the common people. This psychology gives rise to a special type of intellectual capitalism.

Intellectual capitalism causes several pressing problems in society. First, the literacy skills of a large part of the population are not developed. Secondly, the socio-economic consciousness of the indigenous people is not encouraged. Thirdly, unhealthy inferiority complexes and fear complexes influence the minds of the people so that they are kept psychically weak. Fourthly, the intellectual and moral development of human beings is hindered, so intellectual backwardness and irrationality become rampant in society. Finally, narrow sentiments like geo-sentiment and socio-sentiment start exerting a destructive influence on society. Consequently intellectual exploitation, dogmatic theories and doctrines, and religious superstition and rituals become widespread.

Intellectual inertia has assumed dangerous proportions. Taking advantage of this intellectual stagnancy, rapacious capitalists deviously spread a subtle web of exploitation and suck the vitality of society. Through this process capitalists are able to perpetuate their insidious rule of exploitation.2

People have been loudly protesting against capitalism for a long time, and on numerous occasions have launched agitations against capitalist exploitation. Remaining vigilant about people’s dissatisfaction with the capitalist system, capitalists have continually changed their methods of exploitation. For

2 See also, for example, “Various Forms of Exploitation” and “Exploitation and

Pseudo-Culture”. –Eds.

CAPITALISM IN THREE SPHERES 257

instance, they have bought off disgruntled intellectuals and used them as tools of exploitation in their economic schemes.3

Capitalism has always adapted to changing circumstances. Thus we see that in different periods there have been different forms of capitalist exploitation, such as feudalism, laissez-faire capitalism, imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, mixed economy, multinational corporations, etc. Today even communism, which was once a deadly weapon against capitalist exploitation, has become a blunt and obsolete tool.

Psycho-economic exploitation is the latest form of dangerous and all-devouring capitalist exploitation. It is a special type of exploitation, which first weakens and paralyses people psychologically in various ways and then exploits them economically. Some of the methods of psycho-economic exploitation include, first, the suppression of the indigenous language and culture of local people; secondly, the extensive propagation of pseudo-culture, exemplified by pornographic literature which debases people’s mind and particularly undermines the vitality of the youth; thirdly, the imposition of numerous restrictions on women, forcing them to be economically dependent on men; fourthly, an unpsychological education system with frequent political interference by vested interests; fifthly, the negation of dharma in the name of secularism; sixthly, the balkanization of society into numerous castes and groups; seventhly, the damaging of society by the use of unnatural and harmful methods of birth control; and eighthly, placing the control of different mass media, such as newspapers, radio and television, in the hands of capitalists. Both intellectual exploitation and psycho-economic exploitation are great dangers to the human race today.

3 See also the section Pseudo-Vaeshyas in “The Vaeshya Age” in Volume 2. –

Eds.

258 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 To counteract this threat, powerful popular sentiments will

have to be generated immediately for the liberation of intellect. For this, the first requisite factor is that intellectuals must keep their intellects pure and unblemished. Casting aside all their inertia and prejudices, intellectuals will have to mix with the common people and engage themselves in their welfare. They will have to assist the common people in their development and extend their support to all anti-exploitation movements. This approach will help to root out exploitation, stabilize the structure of society and expand the intellectual standard of the common people. Human society will move forward to a brilliant future with rapid steps.

Capitalism in the Spiritual Sphere

Besides the physical and intellectual spheres, capitalism also exists in the spiritual realm. Some people neglect their family and society and go to caves in the mountains and perform arduous penance to fulfil their longing for spiritual emancipation. Because of their selfishness, they keep spiritual knowledge to themselves and do not bother to arouse spiritual awareness in individual and collective life. This is capitalism in the spiritual sphere. It is ultravires to the very spirit of spiritual practices, which is: Átmamokïárthaî jagaddhitáya ca. [Self-realization and the welfare of humanity.] To a spiritualist, everything, right from the creator down to a small blade of grass, is the manifestation of Supreme Consciousness. The state of equanimity is one of the main characteristics of spirituality. Without attaining this quality, one cannot establish oneself in the supreme state, and one’s movement towards Supreme Consciousness will be hindered at every step. In ancient times many people found themselves in this tragic predicament.

CAPITALISM IN THREE SPHERES 259

Genuine spiritual practice is the birthright of all people. In all spheres of collective life – economic, political, social, etc. – a scientific and rational outlook is essential. The inculcation of cardinal human values is an urgent necessity. This is the demand of the age. Because such higher values are lacking in social life, there are many incongruities and confusions in society.

Today there is an urgent need for an all-round spiritual revolution in individual and collective life under the leadership of a group of accomplished and idealistic leaders. These leaders should be endowed with spiritual power, and their ideology should be based on the solid rock of spirituality. Such highly qualified leaders are called sadvipras. They will ensure social progress in all countries in all ages.

All genuine spiritualists will have to adjust with the level of the dusty earth inspired by the spontaneous love of their hearts. They will have to share the wealth of their developed intellects with others to lighten the sorrows and sufferings of humanity. Through their guidance and leadership, human thinking will take a new turn and move along an entirely new path. The latent spiritual power in human beings will be awakened. Through their effort and inspiration, the new people of a new generation will be armed with a bold new optimism and vision of the future, and march forward triumphantly.


BLOCK-LEVEL PLANNING

In a decentralized economy, economic planning is to be undertaken for the welfare of the local people. Economic planning will utilize all the mundane and supramundane potentialities of the local area to meet the local requirements. Factors of Planning

Economic planning should include the following factors: the

cost of production, productivity, purchasing capacity and collective necessity.

Cost of production: In many rural economies, it is a traditional practice for farmers and their family members to work in the fields to grow crops. At the time of fixing the price of their produce, they do not calculate the labour costs involved in cultivating the land or pay wages to their family members. Nor do they determine the cost of the tools or machines they use in the fields, or count the other expenses incurred in producing their crops. Hence they fail to systematically calculate the per unit cost of production. As a result they incur losses or perpetually get low prices for their produce.

To solve this problem, agriculture must be reorganized and established on the same basis as industry through the cooperative system. According to Prout, agriculture should be treated as an organized industry. Only then can the per unit cost of production be systematically determined and the poverty of farmers end. Farmers will get proper prices for their commodities and stability in the agricultural sector will be achieved.

In a Proutistic economy, the cost of production should be systematically determined and kept at the minimum level. All industries, including agrico-industries and agro-industries, must

BLOCK-LEVEL PLANNING 261

see that the cost of producing a particular commodity does not exceed its market value. Every production unit must be economically viable.

Productivity: The economy will have to be organized in such a way that it has its own innate power to produce more and more. Money should be invested – money should be kept rolling rather than hoarded – so that the collective wealth of society is continually increased.

This principle guides planners so that maximum production will occur according to the collective needs. There should be increasing production based on consumption and full employment for all local people. Products should be developed wherever raw materials are available, and under utilization of any production unit should not be allowed.

If people are guided by the needs and potentialities of their socio-economic unit, 1 the law of productivity is benign. Maximum production in the economy will provide a congenial environment for more investment, more industrialization, more employment, increasing purchasing capacity and increasing collective wealth in an ever-progressive manner.

Purchasing capacity: Planning should also result in the increasing purchasing capacity of every person. Prout does not support the existing practice of considering the per capita income as the index of people’s economic standard. Per capita income is a deceptive and defective measure of collective wealth popularized by capitalist economists to fool people and cover their exploitation. The genuine measure of people’s economic advancement is increasing purchasing capacity.

To increase people’s purchasing capacity, the easy availability of the minimum requirements, stable prices, progressive, periodic increases in wages and salaries, and increasing collective wealth must be ensured.

1 See “Socio-Economic Groupifications”. –Eds.

262 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 In a Proutistic economy, there will be no limit to purchasing

capacity – that is, purchasing capacity will be ever increasing. The minimum requirements must be guaranteed and should always be increased according to time, space and person, and this can best be done by continuously increasing the purchasing capacity of the people in relation to the economic development of the concerned socio-economic unit. The greater the purchasing power of the people, the higher their standard of living.

Collective necessity: Planners will also have to consider the existing collective needs as well as the future requirements of a socio-economic unit, and chalk out their development programmes accordingly. In India many industries have been established but the production of electricity has not been increased. Through lack of proper planning, power production has lagged behind industrial development. This is especially evident in Bengal and Bihar.

Most importance should be given to the production of the minimum requirements, so planners will have to make provision for the minimum requirements of all, but the requirements of both meritorious people and those with special needs should not be neglected, otherwise the requirements of the age will not be met. Block-Level Planning

Planning should function on various levels such as the block,2 district, state, national and global levels, but block-level planning will be the basic level of planning. Block-level planning is essential for economic decentralization, so it should be adopted in all blocks. There should be provision in the

2 In countries where there is no block system, a block means an urban or rural

locality with a population of about 100,000 people. –Eds.


constitution for block-level planning for socio-economic development.

The amount of natural and human resources varies from block to block, hence separate economic plans will have to be made for each and every block. There should be a block-level planning board in every block for this purpose. The block-level planning body will prepare a plan for the development of the block and accordingly implement the local developmental programmes. Above the block level there will be a district-level planning board. Thus, from the block level upwards, there will be planning boards to prepare and implement the local plans and programmes. It must be remembered that planning should be of ascending order, starting at the block level, and including all the levels of a socio-economic unit.

Most blocks are currently demarcated on the basis of political considerations. Prout does not support such divisions. Block divisions should be reorganized according to such factors as the physical features of the area (including river valleys, varying climatic conditions, topography, the nature of the soil, the type of flora and fauna, etc.), the socio-economic requirements and problems of the people, and their physico-psychic aspirations. Thus blocks should be scientifically and systematically demarcated as the basis for efficient decentralized economic planning.

Each block should be made economically sound so that the entire socio-economic unit will be self-sufficient. Only then will a country or federation become economically strong and developed in the real sense. This is a unique feature of Prout’s decentralized economic planning.

When planning is prepared for the all-round growth of a single block exclusively, it is called “intra-block planning”. Each block must have its own development plan, adjusting with the overall plan of the socio-economic unit at its various levels.

264 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 However, there are problems which traverse block

boundaries and cannot be tackled or solved by one block alone, such as flood control, river valley projects, communication systems, higher educational institutions, afforestation projects, the environmental impact of development, the establishment of key industries, soil erosion, water supply, power generation, the establishment of an organized market system, etc. So cooperation among blocks is necessary. Planning among blocks is called “inter-block planning”. Inter-block planning is an economic venture into some selected fields to organize and harmonize socio-economic development in a few adjoining blocks through mutual coordination and cooperation.

At each and every level of planning, there should be short-term and long-term planning. In all cases, the maximum time limit for short-term planning should be six months and the maximum time limit for long-term planning should be three years. Short-term and long-term plans should be drafted in such a way that they are complementary to each other. The immediate goals of planning at each level are to guarantee the minimum requirements of the local people, eliminate unemployment, increase purchasing capacity and make socio-economic units self-sufficient. Benefits of Block-Level Planning

There are many benefits to block-level planning. The area of

planning is small enough for the planners to understand all the problems of the area; local leadership will be able to solve the problems according to local priorities; planning will be more practical and effective and will give quick, positive results; local socio-cultural bodies can play an active role in mobilizing human and material resources; unemployment will be easily solved; the purchasing capacity of the local people will be


enhanced; and a base for a balanced economy will be established.

The development of local industries will provide immediate economic benefits. The unemployment problem will be rapidly solved, and in a short time it will be possible to create a congenial environment for permanent full employment. In fact, the only way to solve unemployment and bring about full employment throughout the world is by developing block-level industries. The growth of local industries will provide social security to the local people and create greater opportunities for their all-round advancement, because all their basic needs will be met.

The population of every socio-economic unit should be organized on a scientific basis. The problem of a floating population should be tackled on the block level itself. Where there is a floating population, it should be either permanently settled or returned to its original region. Differences in Planning

It is inevitable that there will be differences in planning for

different regions. Let us take an example. Will the planning for the Punjab and the Cauvery Valley3 be the same? The planning cannot be the same in these areas for three main reasons.

First, the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej Rivers in the Punjab are all of Himalayan origin. They provide a perennial source of water because they are ice fed. The Punjab rivers maintain their existence with the help of molten ice. But the rivers of the Cauvery Valley – the Tungabhadra and Cauvery – are of Ghat origin; that is, they originate on the eastern side of the Western Ghat. They depend upon seasonal

3 In this section, the Cauvery Valley includes the Cauvery and Krishna River

Basins (the latter also includes the Tungabhadra River) and the southern part of the Deccan Plateau. –Eds.


rainfall. Although there are two rainy seasons in a year in the Cauvery Valley, they are not perennial sources of water because they are not ice fed. No hydroelectricity can be generated from the Cauvery Valley rivers because of the uncertainty of the water supply, but hydroelectricity can be generated at the Bhakra-Nangal Dam4 because the rivers in the Punjab contain water throughout the year.

Secondly, the Cauvery Valley, being nearer to the equator, has an extreme climate. The Punjab also has an extreme climate, but this is due to the different winds coming from the northwest and the east. The Cauvery Valley does not depend on any winds. Climatic variations will have to be considered in areas such as agriculture and power generation.

Thirdly, the central portion of the Cauvery Valley consists of wavy, laterite soil and is called the Deccan Plateau. There is a small slice of land situated between the hills and the sea, which is comprised of alluvial soil and plain land. Only a small portion of the Deccan Plateau contains alluvial soil. The Punjab is plain land. The Deccan peninsula consists of four coasts: the Utkal Coast, stretching from the Mahanadi to Godavari;5 the Coromandel Coast, from Godavari to Cape Comorin; the Malabar Coast, from Cape Comorin to Goa; and the Konkan Coast, from Goa to Gujarat. These coastal areas are not composed of wavy land. These coastal portions are known as the granaries of India. In the Telangana area of the Deccan Plateau, there is a chronic shortage of food. For the Cauvery Valley, the eastern coastal area – the Coromandel area – a development programme should be chalked out. The Deccan

4 The Bhakra and Nangal Dams (together called the Bhakra-Nangal Dam) are

located on the Sutlej River. (The Nangal Dam is about 14 kms by road downstream from the Bhakra Dam.) –Eds.

5 I.e., from the mouth of the Mahanadi River to the mouth of the Godavari River. –Eds.


Plateau can grow palmyra trees but not coconut trees, whereas the coastal areas can grow both.

A proper approach to planning will take into account all the relevant factors before development schemes are implemented.


ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION OF BENGAL

According to Karl Marx, the creation of surplus value is the

source of economic exploitation. Capitalists convert the surplus value into money value and that is how they accumulate profit. After analysing the capitalist economy, Marx reasoned that all profit is exploitation because profit means the denial of the legitimate right of the working class to the wealth they produce. Consequently profit is nothing but the exploitation of labour. Marx concluded that the creation of surplus value will stop only when economic exploitation ends.1

All communist states, including the Soviet Union, China and Vietnam, have rejected Marx’s theory of exploitation. According to these countries, the creation of surplus value in the economy is an indispensable part of national prosperity. In repudiation of Marxist ideas, profit is not considered exploitation. If Marx made the first attempt to analyse and define exploitation, then it must be said that his work is not free from defects. This is because Marx tried to interpret exploitation only from the economic point of view.

According to Prout, economic exploitation involves the unrestricted plunder of the physical and psychic labour of a particular community together with the natural resources in their local area. In Prout’s view, exploitation is not confined to only economic exploitation, but includes psychic and spiritual exploitation as well.

Economic exploitation has various forms, and includes colonial exploitation, imperialist exploitation and fascist exploitation. There are similarities and dissimilarities in both the principles and characters of these forms of exploitation. Let

1 Marx (1818-1883) set out this theory principally in Capital Volume 1. –Eds.

ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION OF BENGAL 269

us examine each of these three forms of exploitation by taking the example of Bengal. Colonial Exploitation

In the case of colonial exploitation, the exploiters first

capture a market and then gain control of all the raw materials available in that area through monopoly rights. They produce finished goods out of the raw materials in their own factories within their own region, and then sell the finished goods to the people in the occupied market. Thus they get double the opportunities to misappropriate wealth – the exploiters deceive the local population while procuring their raw materials at cheap rates, and then they sell their finished products in the same markets at exorbitant prices. By capturing the local market, the colonial exploiters succeed in totally destroying the local industrial system.

The first part of British rule2 in Bengal was a period of colonial exploitation. The British capitalists, in order to capture the markets of Bengal, systematically destroyed all Bengal’s industry and forced the local manufacturers and skilled labourers to work in British-owned factories.

The British East India Company used to collect raw materials by looting and intimidating the local people. It contracted a pledge from those who worked in cottage industries that they would buy raw materials only from the company, and sell finished products only to the company. The company used to sell raw materials at high rates, and buy finished products at 25% below their actual market price. The manufacturers who refused to agree to the terms of the company were handcuffed and publicly flogged, and the thumbs of many weavers who resisted the demands of the company were chopped off to

2 The first part of British rule, by the East India Company, occurred from 1757 to

1858. –Eds.


destroy their capacity to weave fine cloth. Because of this kind of oppression, the weavers of Bengal could not compete with the weaving industry that was being developed in Manchester.

Within ten years after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, most of the important industries in Bengal, such as silk, cotton, sugar, salt, colour dyes, machine parts and shipbuilding, had been systematically destroyed. The manufacturers and skilled labourers who had been employed in various industries for generations were uprooted from their natural source of livelihood and pushed towards agriculture. The inevitable result was the catastrophic famine of 1770.3 Thus Bengal was converted into a supplier of raw materials and a market for British products. This type of economic exploitation is called colonial exploitation.

Even thirty years after Indian independence, the vestiges of colonial exploitation have not been obliterated from Bengal. Rather exploitation by the Indian capitalists has been deepened and widened. These Indian capitalists are outsiders who have not identified their own socio-economic interests with the interests of the local area. Today they look upon West Bengal and its adjoining areas as merely a source of raw materials. These capitalists purchase the agricultural, mineral and forestry resources of Bengal at cheap rates and convert them into manufactured goods in their own factories in Gujarat, the Punjab, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and then sell the finished products in the Bengal market at high prices.

Almost all items of daily use in Bengal are manufactured outside Bengal but sold in the West Bengal market. At the same time, Bengal’s own industries have either been paralysed or destroyed so that the goods produced in Bengal can never compete with those of the Indian capitalists produced outside

3 The Great Bengal Famine occurred from 1769 to 1773. –Eds.


Bengal. This is the reason why West Bengal does not get the chance to establish new industrial enterprises. The Punjab and Harayana have been turned into monopoly centres for the leather industry, but strangely, in both these states, hides are scarcely available. Industrialists from these states procure animal skins from the forests of the Terai and the Duars in North Bengal and the deltaic region of the Sundarbans in the south of the state, and sell their finished leather products in Bengal. West Bengal has no hide industry to supply finished products to its own market. Only a small percentage of the leather shoes produced in Batanagar is supplied to the West Bengal market, and the largest percentage is exported to foreign markets. The same situation prevails in the sports goods industry. Needless to say, the owners of most of the essential industries in West Bengal are outsiders. To them West Bengal is merely a colony to acquire raw materials as well as a vast market for the sale of finished goods which are manufactured in their own regions. All these outsiders are guided by one psychology: “As we have come to a foreign land, let us try to loot as much as we can.” Imperialist Exploitation

Next comes imperialist exploitation. In this case the

exploiters fully exercise their political and economic power for their own economic exploitation. The second half of British rule in India4 was characterized by imperialist exploitation. In fact, the imperialist exploitation of Bengal can be traced to the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar about 400 years ago.5 There is a reference in the book Ain-E-Akbari [The Laws of Akbar] that Bengal had to supply 23,301 cavalrymen, 801,159

4 The second half of British rule, by the British government, occurred from 1858

to 1947. –Eds. 5 Akbar reigned from 1556 to 1605. Aurangzeb reigned from 1658 to 1707. –Eds.


infantrymen, 4,400 ships, 4,260 cannons and 108 elephants to the Mughal army. Bengal also had to pay a large tribute to meet Akbar’s military expenses, supply provisions to the Mughal army, and pay taxes to offset the losses incurred in Akbar’s campaigns. And when Aurangzeb deployed a large Mughal army to suppress the Marathas in the Deccan, Bengal again had to supply a large part of the provisions and running expenses of his army. In the process, the economy of Bengal was completely drained and the people impoverished. As a result of the Mughal exploitation, Bengal was confronted by a series of economic disasters and famines, and the Mughal rulers, with the help of their functionaries, ruthlessly suppressed all local revolts.

The Mughal misrule of Bengal was closely followed by the British colonial and imperialist exploitation. When Clive left India,6 he took away millions of rupees in cash. The East India Company and its employees took a bribe of 30 million rupees to carry out the exploitation of Bengal, and the British officers looted and plundered a vast amount of wealth from the palaces of the indigenous rulers.

As a result of the devastating famine of 1770, about 10 million people died, including artisans, skilled labourers and farmers. Before India entered the nineteenth century, all of Bengal’s important industries had been destroyed. Dhaka, a most prosperous city, was a famous weaving and commercial centre, but it lost its pre-eminence and the population declined because the people were uprooted from their traditional means of livelihood. The unemployed skilled labourers left Dhaka and travelled to the countryside in search of new occupations, and finally took to agriculture. Naturally, these new workers became landless labourers and the agricultural sector became

6 Lord Clive made three journeys to India: 1744-1753, 1755-1760 and 1765-1767.

He was instrumental in establishing the military and political supremacy of the East India Company in Bengal. –Eds.


overcrowded. This was how important industrial centres such as Murshidabad and Pandua lost their economic prosperity. Innumerable unemployed youth were created in the industrial sector of Bengal’s economy, and they had no alternative but to resort to agriculture.

After completely destroying the industries of Bengal, the British capitalists turned their attention to the rural sector. In 1779 the British colonialists forced the Bengalee peasants to cultivate indigo in their paddy lands because there was a great demand for colour dyes in the European market. The problem was that once indigo was planted it took two to three years to mature, and in this time no other crops could be cultivated. The peasants refused to cultivate indigo instead of paddy, and consequently they were subjected to inhuman torture and oppression. This continued for eighty years, then the people of Bengal revolted and the cultivation of indigo stopped.7

Along with the cultivation of indigo, the British merchants cast their greedy eyes on Bengal’s jute and tea industries. In order to further increase their profits, they began to exploit these two commodities. In 1793 Lord Cornwallis tried to impose British feudalism on the rural economy of Bengal through the system of Permanent Settlement.8 According to this system, zamindars were armed with enormous economic power. They were given the authority to impose revenue taxes on land, evict farmers, arbitrarily sell farmers’ moveable and immoveable property, and if necessary prosecute farmers and sentence them to death. In exchange for all these privileges, the landlords had to pay a fixed amount of money to the British

7 The indigo revolt occurred in 1859. –Eds. 8 Permanent Settlement, also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal, was

one part of a body of legislation introduced in 1793 known as the Cornwallis Code. The Cornwallis Code divided the East India Company’s service personnel into three branches: revenue, judicial and commercial. Revenue was collected by zamindars, indigenous Indians who were treated by the company as the landowners. –Eds.


Raj at the end of each year. If that amount was not deposited in the treasury at the appointed time, the landholdings of the landlord were auctioned. Naturally no landlord wanted his land auctioned, so regardless of the climatic conditions or the size of the crops, he forced the farmers to pay the required taxes. Besides paying their government revenue, the landlords always tried to make a profit, so they collected more than the prescribed amount from the farmers.

The landlords, however, encountered certain difficulties when they tried to collect tax revenues directly by moving from place to place. Consequently the system of collecting taxes through agents was introduced. These agents gave the responsibility for collecting taxes to another set of people, thus between the landlord and the farmer there were agents of different strata. The agents at the lowest stratum used to deduct a certain percentage of the tax revenue and give the rest to the higher-level agents. Thus the farmers had to bear the brunt of this enormous financial burden. Moreover, the agents did not issue any receipts, so there was no limit to the exploitation and looting of the farmers who were impoverished beyond their means.

Besides the landlords and their agents, another group of exploiters emerged who took advantage of the poverty of the farmers. These were the moneylenders, who lent money to the farmers at exorbitant rates of interest. The farmers were forced to take loans which they could never repay, so they mortgaged their lands. Eventually the moneylenders became the owners of the farmers’ lands, and the farmers were thus converted into landless labourers. Such a huge population of landless labourers was found only in Bengal.

The complement to economic exploitation is political oppression. British political exploitation reduced the number of Bengalees by dividing Greater Bengal into numerous fragments and annexing those areas to adjoining states. The people of


Bengal were deprived of the natural resources of those regions, which were later formed into Assam, Bihar and Orissa [now Odisha]. The ethnic Bengalees of those areas, after only a few generations, became separated from the main stream of Bengalee life and culture. The British did not apply this policy of divide and rule to any other part of India.9 Just to perpetuate their economic exploitation in Bengal, the British resorted to political oppression. Bengalees had experienced the tyranny of highly-placed people, but they had never before experienced oppression that completely stifled their means of commerce and livelihood, and almost destroyed their very existence.

In 1947, when the British left India, another era of exploitation by Indian imperialists started in the wake of the partition of Bengal. Despite the long period of British exploitation, in the initial phase after independence the state of Bengal was more advanced than any other state in India, and many Bengalee industrialists had developed. The outsiders started to systematically eliminate the Bengalee industrialists from specific areas of trade and industry. This methodical economic oppression of Bengal started immediately after India attained freedom.

During this period, West Bengal’s paddy land was converted into jute production in order to earn more foreign exchange from jute. The farmers were losers on two fronts. First, their income from paddy was totally stopped, and secondly, they were not given the market value of the jute they produced. The outsiders benefited in two ways. They exported much of their jute to foreign countries to earn foreign exchange, and they supplied rice to Bengal produced in their own areas. At that

9 Divide and rule is the policy of maintaining control over one’s subordinates or

opponents by encouraging dissent among them, thereby preventing them from uniting in opposition. Although the British did not apply the policy of divide and rule to any other part of India at that time, subsequently, while leaving India, they applied the policy to partition the country. –Eds.


time there were approximately eighty jute mills in West Bengal, all owned by outsiders, who made a total profit of hundreds of millions of rupees per annum. The central government earned a similar amount by exporting jute, and another few hundred million rupees as taxes, duties, etc., on jute products. About 20% of India’s total foreign exchange came from Bengal’s jute industry, but Bengal’s indigenous jute farmers were deprived of any profit from jute production.

West Bengal earns no percentage of the foreign exchange acquired from its natural resources. The central government sells cotton to Maharashtra and Gujarat at comparatively low prices, whereas the farmers of Bengal are forced to buy the same commodities at high prices. Naturally the cost of producing cotton cloth and hand-spun clothes is higher in Bengal than in other states. The same thing applies in the case of sugar. Furthermore Bengal has to sell coal and iron ore to other parts of the country without making any profit, and it has to buy edible oil and other essential food items at extra cost.

Due to this exploitation by outsiders, the economic structure of Bengal has been shattered and a large percentage of Bengal’s population now lives below the poverty line. Tens of millions of rupees are drained out of West Bengal every month by outsiders, and many of Bengal’s own industrial enterprises have been destroyed. The important industrial sectors together with trade and commerce are now in the hands of outsiders. Millions of able-bodied young Bengalees are unemployed, whereas the non-Bengalee capitalists employ much of their workforce from outside the state. Fascist Exploitation

The final and most dangerous form of economic exploitation

is fascist exploitation. In order to canvass national support to justify their exploitation, the imperialists popularize the theory


of nationalism.10 They portray their exploitation as rational and constitutional and based on the national interest. The British imperialists, in order to legitimize their exploitation, embraced nationalist theory. Following the example of the British, Mussolini of Italy and Hitler of Germany moved along the same path. When communist imperialism was established after the Second World War, the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin propagated the concept of the Slavic supremacy. Likewise, the Chinese leader Mao Zedong built up Chinese superiority.11

As soon as an imperialist power is transformed into a fascist power, it spreads out its tentacles to psychically and culturally oppress a vanquished people. To perpetuate unhindered economic exploitation, psychic exploitation starts almost simultaneously. Where psychic exploitation is used to further economic exploitation, it is called “psycho-economic exploitation”.

At the very outset, the fascist exploiters select a weak community that inhabits a region rich in natural resources. The fascists socially and culturally uproot the victimized community by imposing a foreign language and culture on them. Because the local people cannot easily express their individual and collective feelings and sentiments in a foreign language, they develop a defeatist psychology and inferiority complex with respect to the exploiters. This defeatist psychology destroys the natural spiritedness and will to fight of the local people, and the fascists skillfully utilize this golden

10 The author defines Fascism as “a form of government which is backed by

brutal force or the warrior class”. See “Various Forms of Government” in Volume 4. Fascism generally includes elements of nationalism, racism and militarism in a centralized, autocratic government. In essence, it is a period of oppressive military rule within a capitalist age. In this case, the British government used its army to oppress the people of India in order to further the interests of British capitalists. –Eds.

11 Mussolini: 1883-1945; Hitler: 1889-1945; Second Wold War: 1939-1945; Stalin: 1878-1953; Mao: 1893-1976. –Eds.


opportunity. The primary interest of the fascist exploiters is to gradually suck the vitality of the local community so that they can pillage and plunder their natural resources, but if necessary they will even obliterate the local community from the face of the earth.

During the British rule of India, the Bengalees were the victims of various types of rapacious psychic exploitation by the British fascists. The British adopted several methods of psychic exploitation. For instance, the British exploiters, obsessed with crushing freedom struggles and national revolts, tried to destroy the revolutionary spirit of the Bengalees. To achieve this objective they also started psycho-economic exploitation. Besides this, in order to reduce the Bengalee population, they divided Bengal into different regions and annexed them to the adjoining states. A large section of the population became separated from the mainstream of Bengalee life and identified with the cultural heritage of the newly-formed states. The same approach is being followed even now.

The Indian capitalists followed the example of the British. The exploitative psychology of the Indian capitalists was clearly manifest in the refugee policy. By the end of 1949, the rehabilitation problem of the refugees who came from West Pakistan [now Pakistan] had been completely solved but the refugees who came from East Pakistan [now Bangladesh] were subject to an altogether different policy. The Bengalee refugee problem was kept in abeyance. Many Bengalee refugees, by dint of their self-confidence, physical capabilities and hard work, struggled by themselves to survive in Tripura, Assam, Bihar and Orissa [now Odisha]. Even now, in 1981, millions of poor and helpless refugees still live on the streets in the towns


and cities of Bengal, wandering aimlessly in search of food and shelter.12

The plan to reduce the size of the Bengalee population is being implemented through the systematic destruction of the vitality of the Bengalee people. The most powerful means of expression of a people’s collective psychic power is their language and literature. Hence, to try and uproot a people from their culture is a special form of psychic exploitation. The cultural suppression of Bengalees throughout eastern India is rampant. To undermine the morality and integrity of Bengal’s national character, lewd films and books have been spread throughout the state like ulcerous wounds.

In the factories and the rural production centres, the capitalist exploitation of India continues unabated, and the landholders, as the last vestiges of a feudalistic social order, perpetrate their exploitation in the villages. The capitalists and landlords carry on their exploitation hand-in-hand. The survival and social security of the landless labourers depends solely on the whims of the landlords, who can expel the labourers at any time on any pretext.

The exploitation by capitalists and landlords is accompanied by the exploitation by moneylenders. In the rural economy they lend money to the farmers and rural peasants, and are present in nearly every village and hamlet of West Bengal. Where the landlords are not physically present, their loyal agents are very active. The moneylenders have nothing to do with the land – they merely give loans to the poor farmers at high interest. Sometimes poor farmers cannot afford to procure farming implements, hence they are compelled to take loans from the moneylenders. If a moneylender gives Rs. 100/- to a farmer,

12 The author also says many refugees from Bangladesh became permanently

settled in the eastern states of India: “They have cleared the land in certain areas, constructed villages and developed stable means of livelihood.” See “East-Wet Theory”. –Eds.


the farmer will have to repay Rs. 200/- with interest, but the moneylender does not take back the loan in cash. Instead he realizes the amount in kind in the form of paddy, potatoes, etc., at cheap rates at the time of the harvest. The poor farmer, under the pressure of circumstances, has to accept this unwelcome system. He is a double loser: first, he has to pay more than double the amount of the original loan, and secondly, this amount is paid in kind at the rate of the harvest price of the crop, which is naturally very cheap. This whole process is conducted through agents, who also take their profit. Thus, the peasants and farmers of India are deprived of all their agricultural produce in four to five months of the year to repay the moneylenders, so for the remaining seven to eight months they have to approach the moneylenders again for fresh loans. At first they mortgage their implements, and then they are forced to part with their land. When the amount of the loans with compound interest increases to the point where the interest and the mortgage is equal to the price of their land, the moneylenders confiscate the land of the farmers. Consequently the farmers get evicted from their land and move from village to village, living on the streets as beggars.

The direct representatives of the capitalist exploiters in the rural economy are the middlemen. They take advantage of the poverty and distress of the farmers and force them to depend on the capitalists for their production. For example, in West Bengal, Kolkata is the main centre of the capitalists, but of course they have subsidiary centres in various parts of the state. For instance, they have centres in Siliguri in North Bengal, Sainthia in Birbhum district, Purulia town in Purulia district and Midnapur town in Midnapur district. From these centres the capitalists, through their agents and middlemen, control the rural economy of West Bengal. The farmers depend on these middlemen not only to procure farm implements, but also to sell their agricultural produce. They also take advantage of the


illiteracy of the simple, uneducated farmers, collect their signatures or thumb prints for a larger loan, and pay them less than the market value of their produce.

Indian society is basically capitalistic, and the administrative system is a capitalist-dominated democracy. It is the capitalists who control and direct the social, economic and political systems of India. The problem of how to remain in power is the most important issue for every political party that comes to power in an election. When political interest is of paramount importance, naturally the government will frame laws to safeguard the interests of the capitalist exploiters. The responsibility of upholding the interests of the exploiters in the name of law and order devolves onto the bureaucracy and police. The political leaders merely engage in internal bickering over their share of the ill-gotten gains.

India’s peasants, under the enormous weight of the exploitation by capitalists, landlords, moneylenders and corrupt politicians, together with the crippling burden of poverty, have been pushed to the brink of death. At any cost, the peasants will have to shoulder the responsibility of freeing themselves from the jaws of destruction. But what is the way out for them? Is sanguinary revolution the surest way of attaining freedom? Is there any other way out? In my opinion, if the path of bloodshed can be avoided by some means or other, and if the exploiters can be brought back to their senses, that would be the most preferable option. But to do this the following requirements would have to be fulfilled.

First, a decentralized economy which replaces the current centralized economy must be introduced. Economic planning should be based on block-level planning and include every village. This is the only way to put an end to colonial, imperialist and fascist exploitation.

Secondly, in every aspect of the economy, the cooperative system must be expanded so that no one can take an undue


share of the collective wealth produced by the industrial and agricultural labourers.

Thirdly, moneylending by private capitalists should be banned and provisions must be made to pay loans in advance to the farmers through the banks. This will eradicate the exploitation by moneylenders and political cadres.

Fourthly, the floating population of any state must be either settled where it is living or made to leave that area and return to its original region. It will have to choose either option.

The progress of history can never be reversed – the current of destiny can never be resisted. The elevated and benevolent intellect is the solution to all human problems.

1981, Kolkata

EAST-WET THEORY

The vast area of eastern India comprising West Bengal, Bangladesh, Tripura and Assam has a distinctive climate, which is hot and humid. Because of the proximity to the sea, the cold and heat are not extreme, yet there is some difference between the climate of the eastern and western parts. The climate of the western part is comparatively hot and dry, and the temperature reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit in summer, but in winter it comes down to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The climate of the eastern part, that is, Tripura and Assam, is comparatively wet and humid. The amount of average rainfall in the Ráóh area in the western region varies from 50 to 55 inches, whereas the rainfall in the eastern part, in Assam and Meghalaya, is 508 inches. In the north, in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, the amount of rainfall is 120 inches per year. In the Sundarban area in the south, the average rainfall is 100 inches. As the southeastern monsoon moves west it lashes the Himalayas, causing rainfall in Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh, West Bengal, Ráóh and Bihar, but the more it proceeds westward, the more the moisture in the atmosphere decreases.

The geographical environment largely controls and influences the food habits, dress, daily activities and behaviour of the local population. The local climate even controls the moods and sentiments, ethnic characteristics and social habits of the people. People who live in humid climates tend to be less active than the inhabitants of a comparatively dry area. Both the humidity and heat in the climate reduce the level of activity of the local inhabitants, making them somewhat averse to physical labour.

By applying this principle, one will discover that the more one proceeds towards the west of India, and the amount of the humidity decreases, the more the inhabitants become active and


proficient. A dry climate increases the working power of the inhabitants, and this is the reason why the people of western India are physically more industrious than the inhabitants of eastern India.

The Punjab is the westernmost state of India, and Assam is the easternmost state. With respect to humidity and dryness, there is a tremendous difference in the climate of these two regions. The climatic differences have brought about differences in the food habits, clothing, social customs and characteristics of the people. The Punjabis of the westernmost part of India live in the driest climate and are physically more active and tire less easily than the people of the other states, whereas the Assamese, living in the humid and wet regions of eastern India, are much less active and more lethargic than the people in the rest of the country. That is why the Punjabis find it easy to settle in any part of India, but the people of eastern India find it difficult to settle down and work hard in the dry regions of the west. The people of the east cannot adjust and compete physically with the more industrious population of the west.

This is also the reason why the refugees from East Bengal [now Bangladesh] who settled in India after partition could not successfully adjust with the hot and dry climate of Dandyakaranya in Madhya Pradesh. Of course, their inability to adjust also had an economic cause, because they were not provided with an adequate means of livelihood. In comparison, the East Bengal refugees who settled in Assam, Meghalaya and the Andaman Islands easily adjusted with the local environment. The main reason for this was that the refugees in these areas readily adapted to the local climate. The refugees who settled in Dandyakaranya are still regarded as a floating population, whereas those in the eastern states – Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur – are permanently

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settled. They have cleared the land in certain areas, constructed villages and developed stable means of livelihood.

The East-Wet Theory of population provides a natural and scientific solution to the refugee problem. According to this theory, people can take full advantage of the local climatic conditions. The East Bengal refugees who settled in eastern India were able to utilize their working capacity, and they established permanent homes in the eastern regions. They totally identified with the economic interests of the local population who were already settled there. To try and dislodge them would not only be unscientific, but also inhuman.

The Congress leaders,1 on the eve of the partition of Bengal, repeatedly promised the minority community of East Bengal that they could settle in any part of India. The East Bengal minorities believed these promises and accepted the partition of Bengal. Now an agitation is going on in Assam to try and expel the East Bengal refugees who settled there. The central government should adhere to its original promise and negotiate with the Assamese agitators to ensure the welfare of the refugees who settled in Assam.

Most of the refugees who settled in Nadia and 24 Parganas districts in Bengal have become the permanent residents of these areas. They have had no difficulty whatsoever in utilizing their physical capacities, because they are the members of almost the same physico-socio-economic zone and enjoy the congenial atmosphere of the local climate. However, some of the refugees who settled in 24 Parganas are still a floating population even now, because sufficient means of livelihood has so far not been made available to them.

The psychological defect of a floating population is this: the people fail to accept a new locality as their own home, so they cannot forget the land they left behind. This is the reason why

1 I.e., the leaders of the Indian National Congress, or Congress Party. Bengal was

partitioned in 1947. –Eds.


the speed of their socio-economic integration and progress is slower than that of the local people.

1981, Kolkata

SAMA-SAMÁJA TATTVA

Dynamism is the essential characteristic of this world. The world is called jagat because it is always in motion.1 Just as there is individual movement, there is movement in collective life as well. This very movement requires three things: first, an inspiration, an impetus from behind. When someone stops moving, another will have to push from behind saying, “Move ahead!” Secondly, the capacity for movement; that is, the one who moves forward must have the requisite strength to do so. In the absence of adequate strength, how can one move forward? Thirdly, the goal of movement. These three factors are absolutely essential for any movement.

The movement that the ancient human beings started, collectively as well as individually, has not yet come to an end. Nor will there be any comma, semi-colon, colon or period to check that movement; it is uninterrupted.

Now, the question arises, by what inspiration, by what strength, and towards which goal do human beings move? It has been observed that human movement is inspired by two ideas. In my recent book Sabhyatár Ádibindu: Ráóh [Ráóh: The Cradle of Civilization] I have used two terms for these ideas: átma-sukha tattva [principle of selfish pleasure] and sama-samája tattva [principle of social equality].

The Principle of Selfish Pleasure

Whatever human beings do motivated by átma-sukha tattva

is for the sake of pleasure. This principle of selfish pleasure rests on dogma. All the social, economic and geographical forces that motivate human beings are guided by dogma; and

1 The Sanskrit word jagat is derived from the root verb gam plus the suffix kvip,

and means “an entity that has an inherent tendency to move”.


this dogma in its turn is entirely based on átma-sukha tattva. Human beings yield to this dogma with the sole intention of attaining selfish pleasures; even educated people knowingly submit to dogma. They know that they are surrendering their intellect to dogma, and that the outcome will be undesirable; they know and understand everything – why, even then, do they knowingly submit to it? They are all deliberate sinners and intentionally accept dogmas as truth. They observe that these dogmas are based on átma-sukha tattva, but they think, “I don’t care whether it does good or harm to others, because at last I have got some pleasure out of it!” Being motivated by this idea, they enslave themselves to dogmas.

In the civilized world, even educated people knowingly follow dogmas because they have a desire in the back of their minds to attain some mundane pleasure in this physical world. Even in this civilized world where so much progress has been made in the field of knowledge, people are still following these dogmas, as if they are blind. The snares of these dogmas will have to be shattered to pieces; the iron prison gates of dogma will have to be crushed to dust.

The Principle of Social Equality

The second principle is sama-samája tattva. Parama Puruïa

[Supreme Consciousness] is the goal of everyone. We are all moving towards Him, both individually and collectively; but we will not be able to move ahead if we compromise with all the disparities and inequalities of collective life. We should eradicate all these inequalities, while at the same time we move together towards our spiritual goal. The progress of all would be accelerated if the inequalities were uprooted, if this were the motivation behind our movement towards the Supreme. We may not attain selfish pleasure, but we will enjoy spiritual

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peace, and pure spiritual bliss in the realization of Cosmic grace.

So the endeavour to advance towards the ultimate reality by forming a society free from all inequalities, with everyone of the human race moving in unison, is called sama-samája tattva. That is why I say categorically that we must totally reject all those hypocritical ideas which are contrary to this sama-samája tattva, and we must welcome all those ideas which will help human beings to be established in it. All opposing theories must be removed mercilessly, just like thorns from our path.

And in this process we must not give indulgence to any dogmas or supernatural ideas. This should be the task of today’s human beings; all people should combine their efforts and strive unitedly to accomplish that end.

It is futile to think of an individual’s past; we must not discriminate whether one is black or white. We should only remember that we must establish ourselves in the ultimate reality, by forming a new social order based on sama-samája tattva. When we have embraced the ideal of sama-samája tattva, when we have attained the physical strength, psychic intellect and spiritual wisdom to materialize it – should we not play a successful role to implement this noble and sublime ideal? Our coming to this earth and our remaining here, our every breath, every vibration of our existence – should this not attain supreme fulfilment? Should we not, by utilizing all our physical, psychic and spiritual powers, attain the pinnacle of human glory?

31 December 1981, Ananda Nagar The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism

FARMERS’ COOPERATIVES

Providing food, clothing, housing, education and medical treatment is most important for social security. These five minimum requirements are indispensable to raise the living standard of the people. To guarantee these, the principle of production based on consumption has to be adopted. Special emphasis should be placed on agricultural production because the provision of food is of vital importance, and for this the cooperative system should be rapidly expanded.

According to Prout, too many people should not be engaged in agriculture. Rather a major part of the population should depend on industry. Not more than 30% to 45% of the population should be employed in the agricultural sector.1

Land is usually divided into economic holdings and uneconomic holdings, according to productivity. Economic holdings are those where the market price of the produce will exceed the cost of production, including capital, labour and machinery. Lands which produce economically viable agricultural wealth, that is, where output exceeds input, are called “economic holdings”. Uneconomic holdings are those where the market price of the produce is less than the cost of production after including the costs of all the inputs. As uneconomic holdings are not profitable, the landowners usually refrain from producing any crops. In the rural economy of a country such as India, if a village is accepted as a production unit, then there may be many plots of land in a village which are not used for producing crops because they are uneconomical.

1 See also “Agrarian Revolution” in Volume 2. –Eds.

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Introducing Farmers’ Cooperatives While implementing Prout, the question of agrarian

revolution will automatically arise. As I have already said, agricultural land should be brought under cooperative management, but the cooperative system should be introduced in two stages. In the first phase of the socialization of land, Prout will not raise the demand for land ceilings, but the sale of agricultural land will be prohibited and uneconomic landholdings will be brought under cooperative management. The responsibility for cultivating this land will not lie with the landowners but with the cooperatives under the aegis of the immediate government, and with its assistance. The landowners of the uneconomic landholdings in each village will become the members of the cooperatives in this phase. Thus cooperatives will only consist of those who merged their land together to make uneconomic landholdings economic. The landowners will give their land, and in this phase they will remain the owners of the land. In cases where the landowners employ labour for cultivation, 50% of the net profit will go to the landowners and 50% to the labourers who work in the cooperatives.

In this phase, the rivers and streams in a village should be harnessed for the collective welfare. For instance, by constructing embankments and small dams on the rivers, large-scale irrigation, electricity generation, and industries based on local needs should be established.

The first steps must also be taken to alleviate the population pressure on land. An increasing percent of the rural population will have to be employed in industry by establishing agrico-industries and agro-industries. There should be provision for the preservation of crops by building stores and cold-stores under the control of local administrative boards. The cooperatives should be supplied with tractors, manure, seeds,


water pumps and other farming equipment through producers’ cooperatives. Consumers’ cooperatives will supply the commodities necessary for daily consumption to the rural population.

In the very first phase of establishing cooperatives, agricultural labourers, landless labourers, day labourers and sharecroppers will come within the scope of cooperatives. From this phase, the education system in rural areas should be thoroughly reformed. To arouse the cooperative spirit among the people, there should be extensive training and education, but moral education must take precedence over everything else so that people do not give greater importance to individual interests at the expense of the collective interest.

In the second phase of implementing agricultural cooperatives, the economic holdings of the landowners should be brought under cooperative management. However, only after all the uneconomic holdings in a village are brought within the scope of cooperatives should the economic holdings be brought under cooperative management. In this phase it will be easy to apply science and technology extensively in agriculture, increasing the amount of production.

In this second phase, all should be encouraged to join the cooperative system. The net profit will be increased in favour of the labourers working in the cooperatives so that 25% of the net profit will go to the landowners and 75% to the labourers. Here labourers means those who employ either their physical or psychic labour in the cooperative. The landowners will benefit in two ways. First, as landowners, they will get 25% of the net profit of the produce from the land, and secondly, if they are part of the cooperative labour force, they will be entitled to a portion of the 75% of the profit distributed among the cooperative members.

In this phase, there must be emphasis on the rapid and large-scale establishment of agrico-industries and agro-industries so


that the rural population will be dependent more on industry than on agriculture. With the development of such industries, there should be simultaneous emphasis on educational and cultural reforms to further develop the cooperative mentality of the rural population.

From this second phase, production for consumption will increase the standard of living of the rural population, and the basic criteria of social security, that is, the minimum requirements of life, must be arranged for the people. Consolidating Farmers’ Cooperatives

In the third phase, there should be rational distribution of

land and redetermination of ownership. The rational distribution of land will depend on two factors: the minimum holding of land necessary to maintain a family, and the capacity of the farmer to utilize the land. In this phase, the landowners will not be able to employ individual labourers, landless labourers or sharecroppers for the cultivation of land, so it will be more beneficial for them to participate fully in the cooperative system.

In this phase, it will be easy to establish big cooperatives with the extensive application of science, but these cooperatives will not be anything like the huge collective farms of the Soviet Union or China. If cooperatives are allowed to become extremely large, it will be difficult to utilize natural resources efficiently and this will lead to complications in the sphere of production. One of the main defects of the collective farms in socialist countries is their unmanageable size.

In Prout, the farmers’ cooperatives themselves will determine the size of the cooperatives. But while building up the cooperative system, two factors should be kept in mind: first, the high quantity and quality of production should be ensured through the application of science and technology


while keeping production costs at a minimum; and secondly, the cooperative members must be encouraged to attain maximum psychic and spiritual development at their highest level in exchange for their minimum physical labour.

In the third phase of implementing the cooperative system, 100% of the net profit will be distributed among the cooperative members. The former landowners will identify fully with the cooperatives in this phase.

Through these three phases it will be possible to reduce the excessive population pressure on land and to engage 30% to 45% of the population in agriculture. In the second phase, the problem of unemployment will be tackled through the large-scale establishment of industry, and by the third phase there will be no unemployment problems for the agricultural labourers. By the end of the third phase, the rural sector will be freed from the vexing problems of agricultural and industrial production, unemployment and social security.

In the fourth phase of implementing the cooperative system, there will be no conflict over the ownership of land. The agrarian problems of every village will be solved. All the social security arrangements concerned with food, clothing, housing, education and medical treatment will be easily provided to the people. In this phase it will be possible to make the maximum utilization of the collective physical, psychic and spiritual wealth of every village.

For the total implementation of the cooperative system, there must be proper psychic preparation through internal urge and external pressure, adjusting with the time factor, because people will never accept a system which is forcibly imposed on them. Such a change in the collective psychology will not occur overnight, but will depend on the sentiment of the people.


The time period from the first phase to the fourth phase of the implementation of the cooperative system can be called the transitional period for the implementation of Prout.

February 1982, Kolkata

DECENTRALIZED ECONOMY – 1

The most important economic issue before the leaders of all the countries in the world today is how to increase the standard of living of their citizens through the economic prosperity of the state. This is a burning question, especially in those countries which are economically backward. The matter is not very simple because in many countries people are still directly dependent on nature for their subsistence. Only in a few countries have people been able to utilize their knowledge and wisdom to solve their economic problems.

Most countries in the world – whether capitalist or communist – have adopted the policy of economic centralization. While the economies of the capitalist countries are centralized in the hands of a few capitalists or a few capitalist institutions, the economies of the communist countries are centralized in the hands of the party. After so many years of economic centralization, how successful have these countries been in improving the standard of living of the people? To assess this, the main issue is whether or not economic exploitation has been eradicated and the common people have been guaranteed ever-increasing purchasing capacity. The fact is that in a centralized economy there is no possibility that economic exploitation can ever be eradicated or that the economic problems of the common people can ever be permanently solved.

As far as India is concerned, the common people have been led astray time and again by vested interests. Innumerable promises have been made by political leaders, but they have proved to be nothing more than cruel hoaxes. The policy of economic centralization stands exposed as merely a strategy to accumulate increasing capital in the hands of the capitalists. On

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the one hand the incredulous masses are kept in good humour by promising them something negligible, and on the other hand the capitalists go on amassing enormous wealth. If we examine why this is happening, we will find that the cause is clearly evident. All the economic policies in the country are formulated by a handful of people who are pillars of capitalism.

There is only one way to stop economic exploitation and alleviate the plight of the common people, and that is to implement a policy of decentralized economy in all the sectors of the economy. Successful planning can never be done by sitting in an air-conditioned office thousands of miles away from the place where planning is to be undertaken. Centralized economy can never solve the economic problems of remote villages. Economic planning must start from the lowest level, where the experience, expertise and knowledge of the local people can be harnessed for the benefit of all the members of a socio-economic unit.1 All types of economic problems can be solved only when economic structures are built on the basis of decentralized economy.

The basic question is how to remove the unhealthy influence of centralized economy. The real issue is, who will bell the cat? If the vested interests fail to be guided by righteous intellect, then people will have to take matters into their own hands. They will have to create circumstantial pressure from all sides, uniting around the slogan: “Abolish centralized economy to end exploitation; establish decentralized economy.”

Decentralized economy is the only way that people can attain all-round welfare because it will not only guarantee economic prosperity, but also pave the way for individual and collective psycho-spiritual progress. Once people’s mundane problems have been solved, they will have greater opportunities to develop their potentialities in the psychic and spiritual spheres.



With the establishment of decentralized economy, economic and psycho-economic exploitation will be eradicated, the gap between the rich and poor will be minimized and individual and collective welfare will be greatly enhanced. This in turn will create greater opportunities for the psychic and spiritual progress of all members of society. Principles of Decentralized Economy

The first principle of decentralized economy is that all the

resources in a socio-economic unit should be controlled by the local people. In particular, the resources which are required to produce the minimum requirements must be in local hands, and all the industries based on these resources will have to be controlled entirely by the local people. Local raw materials must be fully utilized to produce all kinds of commodities necessary for the economic development of a socio-economic unit.

Local people are those who have merged their individual socio-economic interests with the socio-economic interests of the socio-economic unit in which they live. Clearly, this concept of local people has nothing to do with physical complexion, race, caste, creed, language or birthplace. The fundamental issue is whether or not each person or family has identified their individual socio-economic interests with the collective interests of the concerned socio-economic unit. Those who have not done so should be branded as outsiders.

No outsider should be allowed to interfere in local economic affairs or in the system of production and distribution, otherwise a floating population will develop, causing the outflow of economic wealth from the local area. If this occurs the area will become vulnerable to outside economic exploitation and decentralized economy will be undermined.


The surplus wealth, after meeting the minimum requirements of the people in the local area, should be distributed among the meritorious people according to the degree of their merit. For example, doctors, engineers, scientists and other capable people engaged in various activities require extra amenities so that they can perform greater service to society. While a common person may require a bicycle, a doctor may require a car. But there must also be provision in the economy for reducing the gap between the minimum requirements of all and the amenities of meritorious people. To increase the standard of living of common people, they may be provided with scooters instead of bicycles. Although there is some difference between a scooter and a car, the gap that existed between a car and a bicycle has been partially reduced. The economic gap between common people and meritorious people should be reduced as much as possible, and ceaseless efforts must be made in this regard, but this gap will never vanish altogether. If the gap increases, the common people will be deprived and exploitation will re-emerge in society in the guise of amenities. Decentralized economy leaves no such loophole because on the one hand the standard of the minimum requirements must be increased, and on the other hand the provision of amenities will be assessed from the viewpoint of the collective welfare.

The second principle of decentralized economy is that production should be based on consumption, not profit. Most countries in the world have adopted economic systems which are profit oriented – that is, production is undertaken for profit. Producers give first preference to those items which bring maximum profit, so everywhere there is keen competition regarding the production of the most profitable goods. India is no exception. To increase the standard of living of the people, a new system of production will have to be introduced. Consumption, not profit, should be the underlying motive in the field of production.

300 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 In a decentralized economy, the commodities produced by a

socio-economic unit will be sold in the local market itself. As a result, there will be no uncertainty in the local economy or the economic life of the local population. In addition, money will be circulated within the local market so there will be no outflow of local capital. The possibility of an economic catastrophe in the local economy will be largely eliminated. In such a system, people’s income will have an upward trend and their purchasing capacity will continuously increase. No economic system in the world has been able to continuously increase the purchasing capacity of the people, because economic power is concentrated in the hands of a few.

The third principle of decentralized economy is that production and distribution should be organized through cooperatives. One of the principal reasons for the past failure of the cooperative movement is economic centralization. It is extremely difficult for cooperatives to succeed in an economic environment of exploitation, corruption and materialism, so people cannot accept the cooperative system wholeheartedly. Cooperatives are forced to compete with the monopoly capitalists for local markets, and the rights of the local people over their raw materials are not recognized. Such circumstances have undermined the success of the cooperative movement in many countries of the world.

On the other hand, decentralized economy is one of the principal reasons for the success of the cooperative system. The availability of local raw materials will guarantee constant supplies to cooperative enterprises, and cooperatively produced goods can be easily sold in the local market. Economic certainty will create increasing interest and involvement among the cooperative members, and as the local people will be confident of their economic security, they can wholeheartedly accept the cooperative system.


As far as possible, agriculture, industry and trade should be managed through cooperatives. In these sectors of the economy private ownership should be abolished in stages. Only where production cannot be undertaken by cooperatives because of the complex nature or small scale of operations should it be undertaken by private enterprises. The distribution of commodities should be done through consumers’ cooperatives. Adequate safeguards for cooperatives will also have to be arranged.

The cooperative system is a must, and it is only possible through decentralized economy. The cooperative system and decentralized economy are inseparable.

The fourth principle of decentralized economy is that the local people must be employed in local economic enterprises. Unless the local people are fully employed in the local economy, unemployment can never be solved. Local people should determine the quantum of minimum requirements and the basic policies connected with their own economic well-being. If this principle is followed, the problem of outside interference in the local economy will not arise at all.

Cooperatives will provide employment for local people, and also ensure that the skills and expertise of the local people are fully utilized. Educated people should also be employed in cooperatives so that they do not leave the local area in search of employment or move from the countryside to the cities.

For the development of agriculture there is a great need for specialists and technicians, so cooperatives will have to train unskilled rural people so that they can acquire the necessary skills to develop the agricultural sector. In addition, all types of agro-industries and agrico-industries will have to be developed according to the needs and resources of the local area, and these industries should be managed as cooperatives.

The fifth principle of decentralized economy is that commodities which are not locally produced should be


removed from the local markets. As decentralized economy aims to develop local industries and create employment for the local population, those commodities which are not produced within the local area should be banished from the local market as far as possible. It is essential that the local population utilize the commodities produced in their own area to ensure the prosperity of the local economy. Initially, local commodities may be inferior, more costly or less readily available than outside commodities, yet in spite of this, locally-produced commodities should still be used by the local people. If local commodities do not meet the needs and aspirations of the people, immediate steps must be taken to increase the quality, reduce the price and increase the supply of local goods, otherwise illegal imports will be encouraged.

In a decentralized economy, the application of this principle is very important. If it is neglected, the local industries will gradually close down, local markets will go out of the hands of the local people and unemployment will increase. Once locally-produced goods are accepted in principle, not only will local industries survive, but with their further development the local economy will thrive. The outflow of capital from the local area will be checked, and because it will remain in the local area, it will be utilized to increase production and enhance the prosperity of the local people. With the increasing demand for local commodities, large-scale, medium-scale and small-scale industries will all flourish. Economic Transformation

The agricultural, industrial and trade policies of a socio-economic unit will have to be formulated according to the principles of decentralized economy. The maximum utilization and rational distribution of local resources and potentialities to ensure full employment should be given priority, keeping in


view that there should be uniform economic development in all regions of a socio-economic unit.

The members of the cooperatives should decide the policies concerning such things as agricultural production, price fixation and the sale of agricultural commodities. Local people should not only control cooperative bodies, but also supervise all activities related to the local economy. The local administration will have to assist the economic development of cooperatives. The price of agricultural commodities should be fixed on a rational basis by taking into account the price of commodities; the cost of labour, raw materials, transportation and storage; depreciation; sinking funds; etc. In addition, this price should include a rational profit of not more than 15% of the cost of production. In a decentralized economy agriculture will have the same status as industry.

The industrial system must also be reorganized according to the principles of decentralized economy. If a certain part of a country is over-industrialized, it will impede the economic progress of other regions. Economic decentralization will not allow such a situation to arise. In a decentralized economy, key industries, medium-scale industries and small-scale industries will be managed by different groups of people. In a centralized economy – whether capitalist or communist – these industries are usually managed as either private companies or state enterprises. Most key industries should be managed by the local government but they should be guided by the principle of “no profit, no loss”. Most medium-scale industries should be managed as cooperatives, but they should not be guided by monopoly production and profit. The cooperative sector will be the main sector of the economy. Cooperatives are the best means to organize local people independently, guarantee their livelihood and enable them to control their economic welfare. Most small-scale and cottage industries will be in the hands of individual owners. Small-scale industries should be confined


mainly to the production of non-essential commodities, such as luxury items. Though privately owned, they must maintain adjustment with the cooperative sector to ensure a balanced economy.

A rural economy should not depend solely on cottage industries, otherwise the economic welfare of the rural population will be jeopardized. If cottage industries are properly organized, rural women will also get ample scope to earn a decent livelihood. Cooperatives and the local administration will have to take the responsibility of supplying cottage industries with raw materials so that they do not suffer from scarcity.

The local administration will also have to arrange for the supply of sufficient power to facilitate industrial production. Every region in a socio-economic unit must strive to be self- sufficient in power generation. The local administration will have to supply locally-generated power, such as solar energy, thermal energy, bio-gas, hydroelectricity, nuclear energy, pneumatic energy, electromagnetic energy and tidal power, or any other power which is easily available locally. The generation of power is a key industry which should be run on a no profit, no loss basis so that the cost of production is minimized and the purchasing capacity of the people is increased. For example, if batteries are produced through cottage industries, power should be supplied on a no profit, no loss basis, but the battery producers will be able to sell their batteries at a rational profit. Here the power that is used to manufacture the batteries is not an industrial commodity but a raw material. The power for such things as transportation, communication, schools, colleges and hospitals should also be supplied on a no profit, no loss basis to maintain social dynamism. The immediate government or the state government will have to take the responsibility to supply power as a key industry.


All kinds of industrial activities, from key industries to cottage industries, should be organized with the cooperation of the local population. Care should also be taken so that private enterprises are set up by the local people. Local people must be given preference in employment, and all local people should be locally employed. If this policy is followed, there will be no surplus or deficit labour among the local people, and if many people do come from outside areas, they will not find a place in the local economy. Where a floating population exists in a particular region, the outflow of capital remains unchecked and the economic development of the area is undermined.

Trade in a decentralized economy should be organized by distributing commodities through consumers’ cooperatives. There will be no income tax, but there should be a tax levied on the production of each commodity. Commodities should be exported from one region or socio-economic unit to other regions or units through cooperatives.

In the decentralized economy of Prout, exporting local raw materials is not supported. Only finished goods should be exported under certain circumstances. After all the requirements of the local people in a socio-economic unit have been met, the surplus goods may be exported, but only to a socio-economic unit which has no immediate opportunity or potential to produce them, in order to meet the requirements of the people in that unit. And even then, the whole transaction of importation and exportation should be undertaken directly by cooperatives, and the exportation of commodities must not be motivated by profit. If there are insufficient raw materials in any socio-economic unit to meet the minimum requirements of the local people, the necessary raw materials may be imported from another socio-economic unit providing it can be carefully verified that the raw materials in the latter unit are surplus. Free trade should be encouraged once self-sufficiency is attained, as this will help facilitate increased prosperity and encourage


economic parity among socio-economic units, and lead to the formation of larger socio-economic units.

Another important characteristic of decentralized economy is that money [should not be prevented from circulating, rather the circulation of money should be increased;] hence the economy will move with accelerating speed. The value of money depends on the extent of its circulation. The more frequently money changes hands, the greater its economic value. 2 The greater the value of money, the greater the prosperity in individual and collective life, and the greater the opportunities for all-round welfare.

There is a close relationship between the economic prosperity of people and their psychic and cultural development. Improvements in individual and collective life will lead to the all-round welfare of people. If local people do not develop a sense of self-confidence in their economic activities, then they become mentally weak, and this inherent weakness becomes an impediment to their economic well-being. Such a community will become an easy victim of economic, political and psycho-economic exploitation by vested interests. This unhealthy situation must be firmly resisted. Thus the local language is to be used in all local dealings and transactions. That is, the local language should be used in the administration, the education system, the economy, and in cultural activities. All official and non-official bodies and offices of a particular socio-economic unit should use the local language as the medium of communication.

The overall well-being of society is the ultimate goal of decentralized economy. This is a comprehensive ideal and should be established in each and every socio-economic unit. It

2 See also “Keep Money Circulating”. –Eds.


will bring about economic prosperity as well as ensure greater opportunities for the psycho-spiritual elevation of all members of society.3

16 March 1982, Kolkata

3 See also “Decentralized Economy – 2” in Volume 4. –Eds.

EXPLOITATION AND PSEUDO-CULTURE

At the very outset let me state that many theories have been propounded on this earth. Some of them survived for some time and then gradually passed out of existence; others emerged like meteors, exhibiting their dazzling radiance for a very short time, and then vanished into darkness. The mere existence of a theory is not the essential point; what is important is whether the theory promoted the welfare of all, the spiritual well-being of all – otherwise its advent on this earth was quite useless. Such useless theories are not even worth mentioning.

Any theory will contain the seed of well-being if its firm foundation is sama-samája tattva [the principle of social equality].1 It may survive for a very long period, even for eternity, if it cherishes the ideal of forever promoting the welfare of all. This is the essential point.

I have already said several times, and I repeat, that while moving towards the inner world, human beings have to maintain equilibrium and equipoise in the external world. If some declare that Brahma satyaî jaganmithyá [“Only Supreme Consciousness is real and the world is an false”], they will not be able to do anything in this “false” world. They are simply deceiving themselves – it is a sign of hypocrisy. An honest person should never resort to hypocrisy in any sphere of life; under no circumstances must he or she compromise with any unjust theory. This is the rule; this is correct. Propriety dictates this.

So you who want to be real human beings must continue your sadhana in your inner life and strive ceaselessly for God-

1 See “Sama-Samája Tattva”. –Eds.

EXPLOITATION AND PSEUDO-CULTURE 309

realization, and with equal effort you must see to it that no irrational, undesirable or detrimental theory is propagated in the external world, which can harmfully influence the human mind. You must be ever-vigilant in this regard. That is why I told you to be vocal against all sorts of injustice. Otherwise your goal will not be achieved. Psychic Diseases and Complexes

In the objective world human beings have their religious,

cultural, political and economic lives, and so on. Who can deny these? Whoever denies them must be an impostor; he or she is distorting the truth. Such people can never do any good either for themselves or for their world. They always suffer from the disease of dualism (that is, there is no correspondence between their inner minds and their outer expressions). This psychology of duality within a single personality creates a very serious psychic disease which will ultimately destroy them. Sama-samája tattva or Neohumanism2 will liberate people from this disease of dualism, so they will be able to do good to themselves and to others also according to their abilities; for everyone is endowed with some degree of ability.

In this world we find different varieties of group sentiment and socio-sentiment. For example, a small group may be composed of only a very few people, which we call a family. There are still larger groups, such as castes, [religious] communities, tribes and nationalities; and behind all those groups the same mental weakness, the same psychic disease, is operating. As a consequence of this disease, people confine themselves within a particular group, and due to this confinement, they suffer from different types of complexes. Sometimes they praise and applaud each other, saying, “How



fine this gentleman speaks! How nicely he acts!” Actually this applause comes from those who share the same psychic complex.

Within a gang of thieves, one of them says appreciatively, “Oh! The sleight-of-hand of such-and-such thief is marvellous – he has made a fool of me!” Here one pickpocket is praising another, because they belong to the same group. But one who does not belong to that gang of pickpockets will never appreciate it.

In actuality, it so happens that a person belonging to a group whose boundaries are larger will always disparage and denounce a group whose boundaries are smaller. The person who is concerned only with his own family and nothing else, merely goes to the office, strolls home and reads the newspaper. Those who have formed a group on the basis of caste – the organizers of the “All-India Such-and-Such Association” – what will they do? They will criticize that person, saying, “He is concerned with his family only.” Again, those who are involved with a slightly larger community – the “All-India Such-and-Such Society” – will say about them, “Pooh! They are concerned only with their caste? Is this proper?” But those whose minds are still more expanded, what would they do? They will say, “Pooh! These communities, these castes – they are contrary to nationalism. If we concern ourselves with caste, community, etc., it will weaken the foundation of our nation. They are the enemies of the state – they cause harm to the society by spreading communalism and other narrow ideas!” They forget that they are all suffering from the same disease – the only difference is, one’s circle is slightly larger than the other’s.

They may indeed be quite conscious of the fact that they are all suffering from the same disease, but still they propagate these sorts of ideas because they are motivated by selfish interest. Thus those who confine themselves within any


specific circle, regardless of its circumference, all come within the scope of socio-sentiment.

Where there is no such limitation or confinement, where socio-sentiment is transcended, I call this “general humanism”, but this is not something noble to gloat over either.

Now, in socio-sentiment, it happens that a certain group exploits another, and that exploited group in turn exploits a third. In Hindu society you will notice that there are many divisions of caste, high and low. You will hear many people saying lightly, “It is the Brahmans who are responsible for all this!” But the same person who holds the Brahmans responsible, will refuse to touch the people of a caste slightly lower than his or her own, so as not to pollute oneself by their contact. Still others hold two or three castes responsible, but they themselves also refuse to touch lower-caste people. A person of the low Tentule Bagdi caste says, “Dule Bagdi caste people are lower than me – so I will not touch them!” But the same Tentule Bagdi caste person complains, “We are ruined by the Brahmans!” In fact these are all expressions of the mental disease I referred to. One who is confined within a certain circle condemns other groups. You should never hold any particular caste or community responsible for the ruin of the society – this is completely false. You yourself are responsible for it.

Now, those who are courageous enough to speak out this truth in clear language – those who say, “Shatter this bondage of limitation!” – their path is called the path of revolution. And those who say, “Everything will be done gradually... why so much haste?” – their path is called the path of evolution. They can never accomplish any glorious task.

There are still others who say straightforwardly, “No, no, how can I contradict the way followed by my ancestors – my father, my grandfather?” They are reactionaries. They suffer from a mental disease. They are afraid to accept the new; they


suffer fear complex. They utter high-sounding phrases, but their hearts are filled with fear complexes. Not that they are terribly reprehensible. They say outwardly, “We are just doing the same as our ancestors did.” But their ancestors used to wear wooden sandals instead of shoes, and shawls instead of tailored shirts, eat guó [raw sugar] instead of refined sugar, and drink water from wells instead of from taps – do they follow this also?

I know a certain lady who never drinks tap water, because, according to her, “People of all castes work in the waterworks – how can I drink such water?” She drinks only pure Ganges water – as if that water were touched only by the holy Brahmans! Behind this reluctance to accept the new in place of the old lies fear complex.

Exploitation

Motivated by this socio-sentiment, one group harms and

exploits another group in the social, economic, cultural and religious spheres.

Social exploitation: Such groups perpetuate exploitation in the social sphere by injecting fear complex in the minds of those whom they want to exploit. They infuse the feeling in their minds, “We are inferior, and they are superior.” As the inevitable result, the so-called low castes of India really consider themselves to be inferior, and this becomes an ingrained habit. Even if you catch hold of their hands and cordially invite them to sit on your cot, they refuse, because over centuries they have developed such an inferior mentality. By creating fear complexes in others’ minds, such groups indirectly inject inferiority complexes in them and superiority complexes in themselves. This is how they widen the social gap, until the framework of society is broken. Thus a well-knit society can never develop.


When those with superiority complexes possess even the slightest degree of power, they fulfil their desires by injecting inferiority complexes in others. Forty-five or fifty years ago [in India], some special train compartments were reserved for those people who wore European dress, and those in Indian dress would be rejected. This is a clear instance of injecting inferiority complex in people’s minds. What was the result? It merely paved the way for psychic exploitation, and based on this, all other kinds of exploitation could easily take place.

Some time ago those who could not speak English were considered to be uneducated, and even now this is the case, even if the person is a scholar in Sanskrit. This is another result of injecting inferiority complexes.

The very purpose of injecting this inferiority complex is to exploit people on the psychic level, and this is exactly what happens in many spheres of social life. In some places you may notice some signboards written in a language not used by the local people. What is the purpose of putting up a signboard? It is just to give the local people certain information. If the letters are written in the language of the ruling exploiters and not in the language of the exploited – or if the local language is printed in small and humble letters underneath – what reaction will this create in the minds of the exploited? It is bound to generate an inferiority complex regarding their language and social position (the language of slaves is derogatorily called “vernacular” in English), and they will continue to suffer from this mental disease. Thus the ruling exploiters create indirect pressure on others’ minds so that their language maintains its high prestige and an inferior feeling arises in the minds of the people: “Ah! That is the language of the rulers!”

The moment an inferiority complex is created, the ruling class uses it to exploit them psychically; those who are motivated by socio-sentiment continue their social exploitation in this manner. They infuse the same inferiority complex in


other spheres of life also; then psychic exploitation occurs as a matter of course.

Psychic exploitation: Psychic exploitation is two-fold. Sometimes it occurs only in the mental sphere, and sometimes partially in the mental sphere and partially in other spheres, such as economics, politics, culture or religion – in all spheres of life. That is why I said previously that socio-sentiment is much more harmful for society than geo-sentiment. What is socio-sentiment? People forget their own rights, and even forget that they are human begins, that they too have the right to live with dignity. Thus socio-sentiment is more harmful. Socio-sentiment perpetuates psychic exploitation by injecting inferiority complexes in others’ minds, and this psychic exploitation is the basis of other types of exploitation.

This happens in the economic sphere. One social group, guided by a particular type of social sentiment, exploits another group. First, the exploiters inject the idea in the minds of the exploited that the latter are degraded while the former are elevated – so they are entitled to greater rights, even to the right to exploit the inferior group. They are the first-class citizens, and the exploited are second-class.

If you analyse the history of the world, you will find that whenever one group exploited another in the economic sphere, they first created psychic exploitation by infusing inferiority complexes in the minds of the exploited mass. You will find that in each case of economic exploitation, psychic exploitation was the foundation – if you go deep into the background, you will discover a continuous and cunning attempt to create inferiority complexes in the minds of the exploited.

Economic and political exploitation: Economic exploitation is perpetrated in two ways: one of the two is psycho-economic exploitation, as I have said, and the other is politico-economic exploitation. Where psycho-economic


exploitation is combined with politico-economic exploitation, it becomes doubly dangerous.

In the past most countries of the world were victims of politico-economic exploitation – and many are even today. In order to save humanity from economic exploitation (whether politico-economic or psycho-economic), you must raise the people’s consciousness, otherwise they will never be able to successfully resist psycho-economic or politico-economic exploitation.

In India, the masses were inspired to fight for independence without arousing their consciousness. As a consequence, India ultimately attained political independence, no doubt, but the people have not attained politico-economic independence as yet. Even today, they are the victims of psycho-economic and politico-economic exploitation.

Now, let us see how this psycho-political or political exploitation works.

Motivated by socio-sentiment, one social group tries to forcible dominate another social group, with the intention that “We will utilize the exploited group or their land” – here the group is more important than the land – “as a source of raw materials. The finished products will be manufactured within our area, and then we will utilize the exploited country as the market for our goods.”

What can the financially-handicapped groups do in this situation? They are forced to enslave themselves to the powerful countries or groups because of their fear complex born of their impotence or poverty. And what is the outcome of such slavery?

In the next phase the exploited painfully find themselves reduced to the position of suppliers of raw materials and purchasers of finished products. They are economically ruined. Such things happen as a result of both psycho-economic


exploitation and politico-economic exploitation. Intelligent people should analyse this carefully.

When this exploitation is perpetrated by the application of brute force, it is politico-economic exploitation; but when it is done not through brute force but through the application of cunning intellectual strategy, it is primarily psycho-economic exploitation.

Now, whatever may be the nature of this psycho-economic or politico-economic exploitation, its inevitable outcome is that the exploiters not only exploit the people directly or indirectly, but also govern them. This makes the exploitation easier for the rulers.

Vocal revolutionaries and reformists: What about those who do not rule but exploit indirectly? They purchase the rulers with their wealth. And what is the result? The ruling classes do their utmost to please those by whom they were bought, win elections with their money, and outwardly speak against the social, economic and political exploitations. But in fact they support these things. I have branded these people as “vocal revolutionaries”. They deliver long lectures against exploitation, but they do the opposite in practice.

I have already said that the reformists are somewhat better than those vocal revolutionaries. The reformists say, “Let us go slowly on the path of reform.” But actually they intend that the process of exploitation should continue without interruption. There were many reformists in the world, but in reality they did not want the welfare of the society; they only wanted to perpetuate the process of exploitation by bringing about some patchwork improvements.

You may have observed many people in the world who delivered long lectures against caste discrimination and untouchability, saying, “No, all are equal. I will take food touched by any caste. If you give me filtered water in a clean glass, I will not hesitate to swallow it – just watch me drink!”


And the audience applauded, “Very good! Very good!” These people are called reformists; but their inner intention was to maintain the caste system. Had they really wanted to remove caste discrimination, they would have declared, “The cause of this untouchability is the caste system. Because of the caste system, discriminations have emerged between high and low, touchable and untouchable, one caste and another. So let us first of all break the bondage of caste!” If they had had the courage to proclaim this directly, they would have become revolutionaries. But they lacked such boldness, and thus they did enormous harm to humanity by delaying revolution.

The reformists in any age are not the real well-wishers of society. Rather they seek to preserve the defects of society by any means. They are motivated either by fear complex or by a despicable cunning. And when awareness finally dawns on those who were so long exploited in the politico-economic field, the reformists lose their prestige, and also their popular support.

Those who have been exploiting directly on the politico-economic or the psycho-economic levels, and indirectly supporting other exploiters, are bound to ultimately lose their popular support, because when the people’s eyes are opened, no tricks or stratagems can succeed. At that time, the exploiters cannot move even one step forward without the help of their bureaucracy, and, goaded by this bureaucracy, they continue their activities. They can no longer face the awakened masses; they cannot act independently. Thus in this process, the bureaucracy is gradually transformed into a kind of oligarchy, and this abominable oligarchy oppresses society like a heavy load. This is indeed a ruinous and unendurable position for society.

To liberate society from this unbearable situation, consciousness will have to be aroused among the people; their eyes will have to be opened by knowledge. Let them


understand the whats, the whys and the wherefores. Thus study is essential, very essential.

Religious exploitation: Besides this, there is the domineering influence of religion on the human mind. You know that religions are based on dogmas. The propagators of religion never cared to preach Bhágavata Dharma, the universally applicable human dharma free from all narrowness, rather they always feared and avoided it. What have they preached instead? They have always declared, “I am not speaking with my own voice, I am speaking with the voice of heaven. I am the messenger of God. Don’t take these words to be mine – they are the message of God, and so you will have to accept them. You must not question whether they are right or wrong; to question is a sin. If you question, your tongue will fall off!” They have tightened the noose of dogma around the people, so that they fear to move a single step over the line, thinking, “How terrible! If I do so, I will be burnt in hellfire for eternity!”

Thus those who sought to confine different groups within the bondage of dogma in the aforesaid ways are the so-called religious leaders or gurus; they have done enormous harm to the human society. The various religious groups have fought many bloody battles, because their dogmas were totally contradictory; if one group turned to pray towards the north, the other turned toward the south. Their leaders, meanwhile, fulfilled their own petty, selfish interests, saying, “These are God’s commands.”

In this way one group has tried to capture another group to be its arena of exploitation. As in the socio-economico-political field, so in the religious field. They have tried to create satellite groups. For instance, one affluent group tries to utilize a less-developed group as its satellite group. That is, they want to obtain their raw materials and force them to buy the finished products, which they produce in their own factories. It occurs


just this way in the religious field also. And, being supported by the money of those who want to create satellites, the propagators of religious faiths idle away their days. Most of these propagators of religion are not even aware of the fact that they are helping the exploiters create satellite groups; but some are doing it consciously.

You must awaken those religious people who are not aware of what they are doing, and make them aware. Let the ideals of Neohumanism reach their ears and be implanted in the core of their hearts. With their liberated intellects, they will throw all their illusions into the dustbin.

But those who are deliberately propagating dogmas as the agents of injustice will become furious and violent when they hear the propagation of truth. Let them so become – let them fill their cup of sins to the brim. Their destruction is inevitable – their annihilation is the inexorable decree of fate.

So in the sphere of religion also, if you look carefully, you will see that behind those who have been knowingly or unknowingly operating this machinery of exploitation, there are certain wealthy parties. Those parties want to create their satellites. In every sphere of life you will find such wealthy people in the background. Pseudo-Culture

Now, there is another aspect: culture. As you know, the subtler and sweeter expressions of human life are generally termed “culture”. Suppose someone offers you food; you may eat without washing your hands and feet, or you may eat after washing thoroughly. The refined manner of eating in a hygienic way is called the “culture of eating”, while those activities expressing the subtler and sweeter aspects of life are called “culture” in a general sense.

320 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Human culture is one, though there are some local variations

in its expression. But a particular group which is motivated by socio-sentiment to exploit others, tries to destroy the local cultural expressions of other groups. It forcibly imposes its language, dress and ideas on other groups, and thus paves the way for exploitation by paralysing those people psychologically. This is how people guided by socio-sentiment perpetuate exploitation in cultural life.

This is occurring throughout the world. Is it not your noble duty to save these simple and persecuted people from exploitation? Certainly it is. Those of you who did not understand this before, now do understand it clearly; or you will come to understand it later from others. Human beings must be saved. Why should innocent people be forced to live like sacrificial lambs? This must not be tolerated.

Suppose a particular group has a high standard of arts (theatre, cinema, etc.), but the number of rich people in that group is comparatively few. The culture of another group, on the othe hand, is very undeveloped, but among them there is a greater number of wealthy people. Now, the latter group wants to maintain its exploitation over the group that has a more developed cultural heritage, because one way that psycho-economic exploitation can paralyse people in the psychic sphere is cultural exploitation – to impose vulgar cinemas and dramas upon those good people.

As you know, the mind has a natural tendency to degrade itself; it flows more easily downwards than upwards. So if some people, by virtue of their wealth, impose vulgar cinemas and dramas on others, this will break the latters’ spines and they will become paralysed. And those paralysed, spineless people will thenceforth never be able to stand unitedly against cultural or any other kind of exploitation. They will never be able do so, because mentally they will be completely dead –


their capacity to raise their heads in protest will have been crushed forever. How can they raise their heads again?

This exploitation in the cultural sphere is accomplished by the propagation of pseudo-culture. Every honest, virtuous, rational person must fight against this pseudo-culture, and inspire others also to do the same. If this is not done, the future of humanity will be sealed. It is proper for human beings to struggle for political freedom, for social emancipation; but if their cultural backbone is broken, then all their struggles will end in nothing – like offering ghee to a fire that has died out.

If one’s spine is shattered, it is impossible to hold one’s head erect. Can those whose necks and backs are crushed under the weight of pseudo-culture be expected to hold their heads high in any sphere of life? Hence it is the bounden duty of every rational person to save innocent people from pseudo-culture.

21 March 1982, Kolkata The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism

THE ROLE OF SCRIPTURE

Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirttitah. [That which liberates through discipline is called shástra (“scripture”).] Each and every structure should have a controlling force, for in the absence of that controlling force, the different parts of that structure dissociate from the parent body, and this erosion ultimately results in its destruction. Now, these controlling forces of the parent body are of three types, since there are three spheres of existence. The controlling force of the physical sphere is either a living being or any mechanical device controlled by a human being. In the psychic world the controlling force is a realistic and practical philosophy, and in the spiritual sphere the controlling force is the intense urge towards God-realization. Those who are endowed with this intense urge can say:

Ámarái jay kariba ei bhuban Raòamukhii nay harimukhii kari’ man. [We shall conquer this world Not by military might, but through God-realization.]

Victory by swords lasts only a short time. Before the swords become rusty, the victory has vanished into nothingness.

The Physical Sphere

I was explaining the necessity of a controller of this physical

world, and that controller is either an individual or a mechanical device made and controlled by an individual. A human individual is short-lived, and so is a mechanical device. So anything controlled by them cannot last long.

THE ROLE OF SCRIPTURE 323

I just said that not by the sword nor by any other military force, nor by manufacturing iron chains or coats of mail, can humans or machines or military weapons maintain any structure.

Svaráj shudhu átmá hatei antarete mukti cái, Asir bale, masiir bale, peshiir bale mukti nái. [One can attain freedom only spiritually, for freedom lies in the mind. One cannot attain freedom with the help of a sword, or pen or muscle.] I said long ago, and I repeat, that human beings have no

reason to worry about hydrogen bombs.1 A hydrogen bomb is only a mechanical device made by humans. One day, in the course of time, it will also be destroyed – its present importance, its current horror, will all vanish into nothingness. The same human intellect which invented these bombs will one day, in the natural course of events, invent a deterrent force against them.

Yes, it is true that all weapons can destroy a certain number of people – some kill 100, some 1,000, some 100,000. That is how the lethal capacity of a weapon is measured. But, however terrible a weapon might be, one day all its might will vanish into the void. There was a time when human beings were frightened by bows and arrows; today’s humans, when they hear of battles with bows and arrows, simply laugh. This shows that however great might be the strength of weapons in a war of any age, or however powerful their controllers might be, their grip will one day be loosened, and the structure will decay into dust – just as the plaster on the wall gradually crumbles into the ground.

1 See “Can Atom Bombs Destroy Human Civilization?” –Eds.

324 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Still, a controller is necessary in the physical sphere, highly

necessary, because in this physical sphere those of animal nature seize the morsels of food from other’s mouths like mad dogs. In this material sphere, living beings in human form, driven by dogmas, dash the only children of widows to the ground. In this material sphere, demons greedy for wealth starve the simple, innocent and disunited people to death, bit by bit. In this material sphere, the mighty rip out the tongues of the weak and silence their voices forever; they deprive them of the opportunity to express their inner urges. Thus there is a great necessity of a strict, disciplinary code for this physical world. It is not necessary for this code of discipline to be always in the form of a book. Rather a benevolent person of spirited intellect can work more effectively than a book in this regard.

I have often repeated that in this material world no structure can be maintained for long. It may be maintained somehow, but this maintenance becomes possible only when constant metamorphosis of the structure removes it far from its original form. This means that when a structure maintains its existence for long, it is found that it is surviving through constant changes. If this metamorphosis does not occur, even then it can survive, but this is very rare, and that existence is not like the glorious existence of enlightened and powerful people; the maintenance of such an existence is just like that of an earthworm – lowly and downtrodden.

If a person, rather than a written scripture, seeks to maintain any structure through the power of administration, then he or she must be as benevolent as the scripture. Where the question of benevolence and malevolence is concerned, we will not deviate an inch from our ideology, nor will we allow others to do so. One cannot promote human welfare if one bothers too much about public criticism, about the reaction in the papers or among the voters.


The Psychic Sphere The structures in the psychic world are created on the basis

of specific ideals. These ideals are either a set of guidelines or an exemplary personality whose life is a beacon to others. But what really happens in the practical world? When we deeply analyse these ideals, we find two aspects: external and internal.

When ideals are propagated in such a way as to create a sweet synthesis between the internal and external worlds – that is, when that internal sweetness is expressed externally and there is a harmonious parallelism between internal and external – then those ideals become permanent. It will not be wrong to say that there has never been such an ideal. Thus people, while trying to express so-called ideals, have met with opposition at every step.

By opposition here I do not mean that opposition which seeks to thwart one’s progress – that opposition is a helping force. Here by opposition I mean that difficulty which emerges from the so-called ideology itself – when the ideology itself is a block to progress. We have seen many apostles of non-violence in this world of ours who gave the impression by their writings and speeches that they had come to transform the very dust particles of the earth into spiritual essence, into a spiritual paradise. People offered all the sweetness of their hearts and all the benevolent thoughts of their minds unto their feet. But later they discovered that these apostles, making an abrupt about-face, deserted them at the time of crisis. They polluted their tongues with their hypocritical statements, and the people felt helpless and betrayed.

Generally people use the empty words of philosophy like tinsel to cover their internal blackness of character. Some of this tinsel is golden, some silver, some of a variety of colours. At first people who have lost their way or strayed from the path are attracted by these bright colours, like those deceived by a


mirage. Later on they lose everything and, their knees broken, they fall and meet their deaths in the scorching heat of frustration. Sometimes, before their deaths, they are able to recognize the illusion of the mirage, but in most cases they are unable to discover it before they breathe their last. The lethal nature of these defective philosophies remains unknown to them forever. In the psychic world, the implementation of these fatuous philosophies can wreak havoc.

Human beings are predominantly mental beings. Psychic urges and mental preoccupations influence them much more than the stimuli of the physical world, and bring them greater opportunities for self-expansion. But if there is the slightest defect in the drives and urges that guide them in the psychic world, then this not only affects a single individual, it affects the larger community, and that too not only for a short while – it submerges the entire community in the quagmire of frustration for an extended period of time. And when the people discover that they are immersed in this all-engulfing morass, and try to save themselves by pulling themselves out of it, step by step, they sink more and more deeply into it. Thus the system of control in the psychic world should be even stricter than in the physical world.

If one is not able to give the people proper guidance, then at least one should not misguide them. One must not divert them from the proper path by exploiting the tender and delicate sentiments of the human mind. In the physical world there should be a strict controller as a shástra [literally, “scripture”; more broadly, a guiding entity, whether a person or a book], and it is better to have a strong personality than a written book; but in the mental sphere the scripture and the person who upholds the scripture have equal importance as far as their utility and practical value is concerned. There must be an excellent and all-embracing philosophy, in which there should be no loophole in any sphere of mind as far as possible. Exactly


in the same way, to implement that philosophy, there must be a pioneering personality of high integrity and superb intellect. If there is any defect in the philosophy, but if there is no defect in that great personality, then during the lifetime of that personality the defect of the philosophy will not be able to do any considerable harm to the community; normally the harm will come after his or her demise.

But even if there is no defect in the philosophy but the person who takes the responsibility of implementing the philosophy is full of defects (actually we cannot call such a person a “pioneer”), then that high philosophy will remain confined to books only. The society will rush headlong to the depths of degradation, and no one will remain to save it. The people’s copious tears will drench their clothes, and they will die, banging their heads against the closed doors of human liberation. For them there will be no escape.

In the past, hundreds of philosophies emerged on this earth; these philosophical treatises developed the psychic structures of human beings and became the fountainhead of human thought; even if they tried, people could not avoid the influence of those philosophical ideas. Whatever they might say or write, their thoughts always hovered around those ideas that were so deeply implanted in their minds. Thus those who seek to provide a lasting philosophy to society will have to shoulder a great responsibility – to be successful, they must combine a profound knowledge of philosophy with a deep sense of responsibility and an unblemished love for humanity.

At one time people were told that this world is for human enjoyment only, so the existence of all the plants, of all the birds and animals in the world, is intended merely to provide objects of enjoyment for human beings. Their hopes and aspirations, their intense desire to live, their pains and pleasures, their affectionate family or community lives, are simply without value. However much a baby goat may wish to


live, the main consideration is how much meat that kid carries on its frame. This defective philosophy has made people ruthlessly violent – even more dangerous than bloodthirsty tigers. Tigers kill only to fill their stomachs, to preserve their physical existence, whereas human beings kill animals mostly out of greed. Generally people have resorted to hypocrisy to camouflage this instinct of greed; they have killed animals on the pretext of pleasing the gods, while actually their main motive in doing so was to please their own tongues. These are all the inevitable results of such defective philosophies.

Some philosophies have taught their own [religious] communities, “The members of this community are the favourite children of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] – others are cursed and unwanted.” Due to this defective teaching the people of one community even considered the destruction of the members of another community as an act of virtue, and stained the stony altar of human society with the blood of innocent people. In the blood of these innocent victims, the blind adherents of such defective philosophies have taken a holy bath of “liberation”. What a horror! Such false philosophies have taught, “Well, if we exploit the people with our intellect, what’s the harm? It is also a labour to apply the intellect and we have the right to do so!” On the basis of this argument, a handful of parasites have gorged themselves on the blood of millions of people, while countless people have been reduced to living skeletons. Such fraudulent philosophies have diverted many people from the path of morality and made them devoid of dharma, addicted to carnal pleasures – infernal creatures. By providing such a distorted interpretation of dharma, they have deliberately prevented people from gaining a correct understanding of dharma, and thus they have betrayed humanity in the most inimical manner. They have taught people to view each other with suspicion. By restricting social welfare activities to their community, they have kept the rest of


the people in the dark about the true state of affairs. They have not let the people know whether they were actually the promoters or detractors of human welfare. By raising an iron curtain, a veil of dark ignorance, before them, they have taught people to chatter a few chosen, tutored sentences. They have confined them within a small dungeon, with its doors and windows locked – they have converted them into owls of darkness. This is the inevitable outcome of those pseudo-philosophies.

I said a little while ago, and I say again, that the psychic structures of human beings should be created by an all-encompassing philosophy, which combines the magnanimity of the sky with the vibrational vastness of the ocean, ruffled by endless waves. A philosophy which fails to do so plunges people into the dark caverns of dogma and stifles their mundane, supramundane and spiritual progress under its crushing weight. People forget that the unlimited expansion of intellect is the predominant quality of human beings. When they lose this quality and become like beasts drawn to sensual pleasures, then regardless of what they might have achieved, they hardly deserve to be called human beings. Thus it is the duty of human beings to embrace with an open heart and outstretched arms that all-inclusive philosophy which will never encourage them to harm humanity, either directly or indirectly.

The Spiritual Sphere

It is universally true, for all ages and all realms, that dharma

is the main current of human life. It is the impetus of living beings; it is also their source of wealth and the guidance for their journey through life. In the pervasive sense of the word, all objects, animate and inanimate, have their respective dharma; that is, dharma denotes the very existence of an object.


In its narrow sense, dharma is less manifested in inanimate entities and more manifested in animate ones. In inanimate entities, the manifestation of the dharma of non-human creatures is instinctive and inborn. But the dharma of human beings is much more than this – it permeates and penetrates each and every sphere of life. Hence, in the realm of dharma, the only true guide and controller, motivating force and protector of the people, is an excellent and comprehensive ideology which provides definite, clear-cut and bold directions for all aspects of human life – from one’s personal daily routine, to one’s social activities and collective motivation, to the spiritual inspiration which brings one closer and closer to God. A scripture which does not fulfil these conditions is not worthy of being called a scripture at all. Such a scripture does not contain the light of consciousness according to the definition Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirttitah.

We should also remember that in the realm of dharma there must be clear-cut injunctions in the form of dharma shástra [scriptural treatises] and simultaneously there must be strict guardians who during their lifetimes guide themselves as well as others according to those scriptural injunctions. After their demise they will live forever in their teachings, which, though given for a particular age, will become a code of conduct for all time.

The spiritual world is the source of all the actions of passion and dispassion in human life and is the life-giving current of all the codes of conduct of existence. Thus in the spiritual world there should not be anything which will divert human beings form the path of synthesis to that of analysis, which will provoke divisive tendencies and restrict collective existence within narrow confines.

Nothing should ensnare people in the illusory net of pettiness in any sphere of life, from the general code of spiritual conduct to the universal and eternal principles of life, lest the voracious


fangs of all-consuming Máyá [the Creative Principle] devour them. Thus the scriptures containing spiritual injunctions must be totally flawless, and the pioneering personality must be a strict and benevolent guardian with unyielding conviction.

Thus I repeat: Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirttitah. There is the necessity of scripture in all the four vargas [i.e., the physical, physico-psychic, psycho-spiritual and spiritual spheres] of human life.

Types of Scripture

The scripture which is required in the spiritual field is called

dharma shástra, the treatise of spiritual injunctions, as discussed above, and Brahma [the Supreme Entity] in the form of guru is the controller of the scriptures. [The second factor is dharma guru (spiritual preceptor).] The third factor is the philosophical treatise relating to the mental world, called darshana shástra. And with this third factor there must also be a fourth factor: darshana pravaktá, that is, a propounder who will train the people in philosophy, for the philosophical treatises may be wrongly interpreted. For instance, it was written, Vidhavá agre gamiïyati. [“A widow should go (die) before (her husband).”] But later, due to a defective interpretation, this was misread as, Vidhavá agne gamiïyati. [“A widow should go into the fire.”] As a result, hundreds of thousands of innocent widows were burnt alive on the funeral pyres of their husbands. Hence the necessity of a proper trainer, well-versed in philosophy.

In the scripture of the psychic world, generally called darshana shástra [“philosophical treatise”], there should not be the least sprinkling of dogmas, because this sort of philosophically-oriented dogma cumulatively increases the distortions in the psychic world. These dogmas enter the human mind like fine needles and come out like iron ploughs.


If one tries to cast them off, the whole psychic structure is demolished. If a tender banyan plant grows at one corner of a fine mansion, and if its growth is unchecked for long, then that small plant develops into a gigantic tree, and when one tries to tear it down, the entire mansion crumbles to the earth.

In the mundane sphere, as well, there is the necessity of a scripture which will systematically control the undulating waves of the psychological, political, social and economic aspects of human life. There must not be the least dissonance in the social harmony. Along with a scripture for the mundane world, there must be the powerful control of an enlightened and fiery personality; otherwise the swarms of self-seeking ants, greedy for enjoyment, will devour all the sugar prepared with such arduous human labour; otherwise the gluttonous cattle, thrusting their heads through the holes in the hedgerows beside the road, will ravage the tender green plants of the psychic world of human beings. This controlling scripture is the samája shástra, or social code, and the special spirit which this social code generates in human minds is the social spirit.

When a particular shloka [couplet] or sútra [aphorism] or any expression is presented to an inquiring person in a particularly dignified way, this is called vyákhyá or vyákhyána [“interpretation”]. The readers or audience cannot properly grasp the inner essence of a succinct shloka or aphorism, thus for the easy understanding of the readers or audience, the shlokas should be properly explained with relevant commentaries and annotations. The words which are usually neglected are thus given new significance and presented to the readers with special dignity. This is the inner spirit of vyákhyá or vyákhyána.

I have already said that there are various types of scriptures pertaining to the different spheres of life, and in the scriptures, too, the ideas are presented in few words. In very few cases only are they elaborated. To present dharma shástra [spiritual


scriptures], dharma guru [spiritual preceptor], darshana shástra [philosophical treatise], darshana pravaktá [propounder of philosophy], samája shástra [social code], samája neta [social leaders] and samája-ádarsha [social ideals] in the proper perspective, is the main purpose of shástra vyákhyána [scriptural interpretation]. Without proper interpretation, the shástras remain difficult to understand and sometimes unintelligible. Thus the scriptures should always be interpreted by qualified scholars, competent philosophers and penetrating thinkers. If one tries to interpret a profound scripture with superficial knowledge, the interpreter appears ridiculous and the audience is confused.

There are some people who are neither scholars, nor philosophers, nor penetrating thinkers, but merely wander about interpreting scriptures as a means of livelihood. They utterly fail to present the proper matter in the correct perspective before the audience. Such people may be successful in earning a living in the name of shástra vyákhyána, but they do more harm than good to the society. There are still others who interpret the scriptures just to exhibit their intellect – to procure for themselves a certificate of erudition. They too remain far from the living spirit of the scriptures, from the one who is their fountainhead of inspiration. So how can one attain liberation through scriptural interpretation? Rather some interpreters become inflated with vanity and stray from the supreme goal of life. They become more degenerated than common people; and thus it has been said by Shiva, Na muktih shástra vyákhyáne. [“Scriptural interpretation does not lead to liberation.”]

9 July 1982, Patna From “Shiva’s Teachings – 2 (Discourse 14)”, Shivopadesha 4

Namah Shiváya Shántáya

RIVER AND CIVILIZATION

Human life is the most developed and the final stage of animal life. The speciality of human life is that it has dharma. In animal life there is no dharma.

A civilization is a collection of usages, manners, customs, formalities, ideologies and loving sentiments. The culture of the entire humanity is the same, but civilization varies from society to society.

Human civilization is created in and moves along river valleys. Like a river, human civilization has three stages: the hill stage, the plain stage and the delta stage. From the hill stage it moves to the plain stage, and from the plain stage to the delta stage. A civilization starts in the hill stage, develops in the plain stage, and matures in the delta stage.

Why are civilizations created in and why do they move along river valleys? In ancient times, up to the Stone Age, humans could not dig wells and depended upon natural sources of water. As such, human habitation started from springs, fountains, waterfalls, rivers, etc. Animals also select such places for habitation; only birds do not follow this rule. Thus human habitation started near valleys, fountains, waterfalls, springs, and particularly near rivers. Due to the assemblage of humans in river valleys, the first stage of civilization started there.

The relationship between one man and another, between men and women, between individual and collective requirements, and between individual and collective responsibilities – that is, how to move individually and collectively – the collection of all these relationships, is civilization. It has already been said that civilization starts in the hill stage, develops in the plain stage, and attains maturity in the delta stage. Naturally the delta stage is the final stage of a civilization.

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The hill stage of the Ganges River Valley civilization in India started from the Garwal and Kumaun Ranges of Uttar Pradesh. The rest of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is in the plain stage, and the delta stage starts from Maldah in West Bengal. The hill stage of the Brahmaputra Valley civilization starts from Tibet and Arunachal. Its plain stage lies in Assam, and its delta stage starts from the districts of Goalpara, Mymensingh and Rangpur.

The delta stage is that stage where the river starts to merge in the sea by the shortest route. In the delta stage tributaries have no prominent role. In the hill stage tributaries play the dominant role, and there are hardly any branch rivers. In the plain stage also, tributaries play the dominant role in the growth and manifestation of civilizations, but branches also have some importance. However, in the delta stage branch rivers have a more important role than the tributaries.

Maolik sabhyátá [original, or simple, civilizations] and vimiishra sabhyátá [blended civilizations] are the two basic types of civilization. A particular civilization changes in a particular way as a river moves and merges with other rivers, thus giving rise to sub-civilizations.

The Mandakinii and Alakánanda River civilizations emerged. We find the blending of these two civilizations at the hill stage. After passing through many mountains, hills, waterways, etc., these two rivers, the Mandakinii and the Alakánanda, come in contact with each other at the hill stage. They merge near Hardwar, and there the two simple river civilizations, the Garwali and the Kumauni respectively, combine to produce a blended Ganges civilization, which goes as far as Prayag.

Now, another river-valley civilization, the Jamuna civilization along the Jamuna River, is also a collection of several sub-civilizations comprising many customs, usages, manners, etc. It also goes as far as Prayag. The blended Ganges


civilization and the blended Jamuna civilization merge at Prayag, and a blended Ganges-Jamuna civilization occurs after the river confluence at Prayag, and moves towards Varanasi. Prayag is the second blending of manners, customs, etc., of the Ganges and Jamuna civilizations. After Prayag we find another blending of civilizations.

Therefore there are variations in the manners, customs, languages, intonations, physical structures and economic conditions of eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Uttar Pradesh. A further blending occurs in the blended civilizations of the Ganges and the Jamuna when the Gomati, Rapti, Sone and Saraju Rivers bring new trends from the northern portion of the Himalayas and the Chambal-Ghagher River from the Vindhya Ranges.

Thus civilizations vary and sub-civilizations, branch civilizations, emerge at different stages of the movement of a river and its blending with other river civilizations.

The Bundela sub-civilization emerges due to the blending of the Jamuna and the Chambal civilizations. The Bagheli sub-civilization emerges due to the blending of the Jamuna and the Sone.

After Kashi there is another blending of civilizations where several other rivers merge. Thus in this plain stage tributaries and branch rivers play an important role in the emergence of new civilizations.

After Maldah in West Bengal, the Ganges enters the delta stage, a stage where branches have the dominant role. The blended civilization of the Ganges attains maturity in Bengal. Daha means “the circular movement of water in a river”; hence the name “Maldah”. At Maldah, the Ganges turns to the right. The blended Ganges civilization is in its highest form in the delta stage in Bengal.

Now, it is clear that the hill stage of the Indian civilizations occurs in the hill area of Uttar Pradesh, and the rest of Uttar

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Pradesh and Bihar are in the plain stage, where the Bagheli, Bundeli, Avadhi, Bhojpuri, Magadh, Mithila and Angika sub-civilizations emerged.

The Brahmaputra civilization is a combination of the proto-Chinese and the Indo-Tibetan civilizations. The civilization of Assam is a blending of the Tibetan-Chinese and the Ganges civilizations, due to the proximity of Assam to the Ganges civilization. After this the Brahmaputra turns left and enters Bengal, which is its deltaic stage. The deltaic stage of the Brahmaputra civilization is its final stage. Bengal is the final stage of the Brahmaputra civilization.

In Bengal there is another civilization as well, the civilization of Ráóh. 1 The hill, plain and delta stages of the Ráóh civilization are in Bengal. Many rivers in Ráóh merge in the area of lower Bengal, which results in further blending.

Thus in Bengal there is a blending of three delta civilizations: the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Ráóh civilizations. This is the most-blended civilization in the world. Nature helps the people of Bengal in their intellectual progress, because nowhere else in the world do two great rivers like the Ganges and the Brahmaputra merge together.

In original civilizations people are physically strong. In blended civilizations people are strong in the psychic stratum and the civilization is complicated as well as forceful. In the simple Ganges civilization people are simple and physically strong; in the delta stage people are complicated, less physically strong and strong psychically.

The people of Bengal are intellectually developed because first, Bengalee civilization is a blending of three deltaic civilizations, and secondly, it is not a simple civilization but a great, complicated civilization – the blend and final stage of

1 Ráóh corresponds to an area approximately equivalent the western part of West

Bengal. –Eds.


three deltaic civilizations. Naturally, therefore, it is a powerful civilization, advanced in the intellectual and as well as the other spheres.

2 September 1982, Allahabad A Few Problems Solved Part 5

SAMATAT

Ancient Bengal was divided into five distinct zones: Ráóh, Samatat, Vauôga, Barendra and Mithila. Mithila is now part of Bihar.

The vast area along the coastal plains of the Bay of Bengal, which contains no mountains but is built on the sandy alluvial soil of the Padma and Bhagirathi Rivers and crisscrossed by lakes, canals, tributaries and hills, is known as Samataí in Sanskrit. In colloquial Bengali it is known as Bágrhi. This region is full of natural beauty and rich in agricultural resources. Samatat was called “Golden Bengal”, which is why Bankim Chandra, 1 the famous novelist, observed: Sujalám suphalám malayaja shiitalám mátaram. [“I salute Mother Bengal, which is well-watered, has abundant fruit, and is cooled by the refreshing southern breeze.”]

The inhabitants of Samatat – in health, wealth, vivacity and simplicity – are the golden children of the Golden Mother. But ironically, in the past these golden children were regarded as an invincible race. Over the last 5,000 years, Bengalees have been depicted as an indomitable sea-faring people. The people of Samatat richly deserve this epithet. The Mughal emperor Akbar was forced to respect their fighting power, and even the British government was afraid of their fighting spirit. The British divided Bengal into two parts, and successfully drove a wedge between East Bengal [now Bangladesh] and West Bengal by applying the Communal Award.2

1 Bankim Chandra was born in 1838 and died in 1894. –Eds. 2 The Communal Award was announced by the British Prime Minister Ramsay

MacDonald on 16 August 1932, and granted separate electorates in India for various groups, including Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Europeans, special interests and depressed classes (so-called untouchables). Subsequently the offer of separate electorates for depressed classes was withdrawn. The Award expanded on the communal approach adopted in previous legislation, and became

340 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 In West Bengal there has been relentless exploitation and

misrule by capitalists from other parts of India. The immense agricultural, forest and aquatic resources of Samatat have been ruthlessly exploited by neo-colonialists.3 36% of the foreign currency reserves in India come from the natural resources of Samatat, but not even 1% of that foreign exchange is utilized for the development of the local area. The rural economy of Samatat is heavily exploited by outsiders. 60% of Samatat’s population is extremely poor, uneducated, malnourished and unemployed. 77% of the population of Samatat is employed in agriculture, and as the agriculture on which this huge percentage of the population depends is undeveloped, it is fast moving towards economic ruin. The Marxists thrive on the disastrous economy and helplessness of the inhabitants of Samatat.

Since independence, the national wealth and labour of Samatat have not been utilized for the benefit of the indigenous population. Rather they are being utilized to serve the vested interests of outsiders. So far no government has formulated any plan for the economic development of the Samatat people. The so-called friends of the poor do not want to hurt the capitalist and [neo-colonial] interests. So Samatat, which was once an invincible power, is rapidly moving towards economic ruin due to capitalist and communist exploitation,4 even though it has vast natural resources.

In spite of abundant agricultural production every year, the people are beating their heads in desperation for a mere bowl of

the basis of the Government of India Act, 1935, passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. –Eds.

3 Here “neo-colonialists” refers to Indian capitalists from parts of India other than Bengal who follow exploitative policies similar to those of the British. –Eds.

4 In 1977 the Left Front won the state assembly elections in West Bengal. The dominant party in the Left Front was the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The “so-called friends of the poor” in the previous sentence refers to the communists. –Eds.

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rice. A significant percentage of the population has taken to begging in the streets due to long-standing poverty. To strengthen their party base, the politicians introduce programmes like “Food for Work” among the rural population. The students and youth are taken in by in such schemes. However, by giving unemployment benefits to a certain percentage of the population, the politicians are misguiding the poor in the name of an ism. They are keeping the people occupied with menial economic activities and have so far prevented a genuine social revolution.

It is not proper to surrender Samatat to such antisocial forces and allow this undesirable situation to continue. Today a great call has gone out for a general revolution. The people of Samatat must also participate in this struggle for freedom. The Samatat of Mahaprabhu Chaitanya, Rabindranath, Bankim Chandra, Madhusudan, Bhaga Yatiin and Subhas Chandra, with its glorious heritage and culture, will not be cast into oblivion. No sensible Bengalee wishes to see this happen. So the people of Samatat must wake up to the reality of the present, take up the challenge, and strive to attain economic self-sufficiency. They must also demand in one voice: “We, the 14 million Bengalees of Samatat, want to move together in unison. We want to materialize our hopes and aspirations together. We want a prosperous Bengal free from exploitation. We want a self-sufficient socio-economic zone – Bangalistan.”

1984, Kolkata

HUMANITY IS AT THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW ERA

Baraïá eseche niipanikuiôje Betasakuiôje nácite nácite. Shikhiirá sakale chande meteche Biiòára dhvanite mandrita giitite Chandahárá dhará práò peyeche. Júthira subás bháse sajala háoyáy Manera parág háse madhura Máyáy Chande chande bipulánande Ádhmará taru sab jege uíheche. [In the bower of kadamba flowers, the rains have come Dancing, dancing in the grove of cane. And all the peacocks have started prancing in rhythm. In the vibrant songs from the sounding lyres, The world without rhythm has found new life. The fragrance of jasmine floats in the wet air. And the pollen of mind smiles in the sweetest love. Thrilling in blissful rhythms, The half-dead trees have all sprung into life. And all the peacocks have started prancing in rhythm.] Baraïár dine sabákár sane Aekatáne egiye calo Egiye calite náhi cáho jadi Jhará pátári galpa balo. (Shuye) jhará pátári galpa balo. Sabái ájike meteche chande Kekákalarab shikhiira kaòíhe Salája dharaòii neche cale se je Sabujer sáje man bholálo.

THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW ERA 343

Hásikhushii bhará ei samárohe Utalá pavan náná dike bahe Álápe ábeshe gáne ulláse Sabár jiivan bhariye tolo.1 [In these rainy days, together with all Let us move forward in concert If you do not want to move ahead, Then lie down and tell tales of fallen leaves. All are today intoxicated with joyful rhythm With the piercing sound in the throats of peacocks This blushing earth dances along Its verdant beauty enchants the mind. The people are full of gleeful mirth In all directions the restless wind blows With banter and festivity, songs and delight Let us fill the lives of all. Let us move forward together, in concert.]

At the Threshold Humanity is now at the threshold of a new era. We do not

want any dogma. The age of dogma is gone. What we want is an idea based on Neohumanism.2 We are for the entire created world; and not only for human beings or living beings, but for the entire animate and inanimate universe.

Now, when you are in a mood of pleasure, just distribute it throughout the universe – let all the hearts of the created universe dance in ecstasy and throb with energy. And this is the gospel of the day: we are for all, we are for the Neohumanistic progress of the entire Cosmos. This is the idea.

1 Prabhát Saîgiita is a body of 5018 spiritual and psycho-spiritual songs

composed by the author. Songs numbers 116 and 117 were sung before the author and the congregation on this occasion. The author then began to speak. –Eds.


344 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Baraïá eseche bharaïá eseche Cátaker trïá miíeche Shuïka tròerá shyámala shobháy Gálicár rúp dhareche. Jal paóiteche jhamájham kare Amarár sudhá jena jhare paóe Háráno mádhurii tarute phireche. Jiiverá nútan práò peyeche. (Áji) calo chuíe cali lakïyer páne Dúranta gáne durdama práòe Phire cahibár ghume káíábár Sab abasar cale’ geche (Áj) sab abasar cale’ geche.3 [The rains have come, and hope has returned The skylark’s thirst is quenched The once-parched grasses in verdant new beauty Carpet the earth. The rains are pattering on the ground, As if heavenly nectar is dripping down The lost sweetness has returned to the trees And all the creatures have found new life. Let us rush today towards our goal supreme With full-throated songs, with indomitable spirit. And now there is no time to look back or sleep.]

In the primordial phase of human creation, say about

1,000,000 years ago, when human beings [had just evolved on earth], the cranium was small, the brain was small, and the nerve-cells had meagre capacity to think and to emanate thought-waves. The nerve-fibres were also less efficient in [expressing] human ideas. But now human beings are

3 The author paused and allowed Prabhát Saîgiita number 118 to be sung, after

which he resumed his discourse. –Eds.


developed creatures. The brain has much increased, the nerve- cells are more developed, and the human brain and human nerve-cells can emanate more thoughts. So under such circumstances we can say, as I just told you, that humanity is now at the threshold of a new era. We must not waste our time. There must be maximum utilization of all human potentialities.

In the first phase of human creation, when humanity, rather civilization, was just in the form of a new[born child], humans were almost like other animals. There was little difference amongst apes, proto-apes and humans – ape-men and humans.4

In the realm of physicality, humans were almost like other ape-men – there was no socio-economico-cultural life, and there was hardly any spiritual life.

[The age] moved on. Humanity passed through several transmutations, through several changes, and through many metamorphoses. Human ideas underwent changes as a result of the development of human cells – protoplasmic cells in the realm of physicality, and nerve-cells in the realm of intellectuality. Some people came forward who became the leaders of the society. Hero-worship started – [the worship of heroism in the] human [social] structure. And there came the first phase, the rudimental phase, in human socio-economico-cultural life. [And a great acceleration] of spirituality came; human values increased. Cardinal human values underwent a bit of assessment. Human existence came upon a new era. There was hardly any economic life, but there was a wee bit of cultural and social life.

Metamorphosis went on. Age after age came; era after era came; so many small and big epoch-making events took place – the collection of these became the history of prehistoric men. This was the first phase of primitive history. Then finally the reign of intellectuality started. Along with intellectuality there

4 A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.


was certainly much intellectual extravaganza. Dogma replaced simplicity; the social life was goaded by dogma in the name of so many faiths and so many creeds and so many cults. Those creeds and faiths and cults had nothing to do with the collective progress of human beings; they did much harm to our collective body, not only in a particular corner of the earth, but in the entire universe. And the main structure of the society, rather the bulk of the society, moved on goaded by these dogmas, and this movement of dogma was known as the mainstream of life. Those who did not accept this, those who were guided by reasoning and rationality, were treated as unwanted beings.

Now dogma is fast being replaced by rationality and reason. Human beings with their developed brains, developed nerve systems and developed nerve-cells started thinking that we are not to do something for a particular tribe or a particular clan or a particular nationality; we are to do whatever we are to do, whatever we must do, for the entire humanity of the Cosmos.

But even that is not sufficient; even that will not suffice in preserving this human stock. In this mid-portion of the Cenozoic Age, we are to think once more what we are to do. Is humanity the summum bonum of existence? No, no, no, certainly not. The universe does not consist only of humans; other animals, other creatures, other plants, also have the right to live. So our universe is not only the universe of humans but the universe of all – just now I said, for all created beings, for all living beings, and for both the animate and the inanimate universe. The Age of Neohumanism

So ours is the age of Neohumanism – humanism supplying

elixir to all, one and all. We are for all, and with everything existent we are to build up a new society, a Neohumanistic


society. So we must not waste our time. And if we are late in doing our duty, the dark shadow of complete destruction will overpower our existence. We should be conscious of this; we should be cautious of this; we must not waste a single moment of our valuable existence. So what I said just now is that now humanity is at the threshold of a new era. And so many epoch-making events, so many annals of history, are to be created by you boys and you girls. Be ready to shoulder that responsibility of ages to come. You boys and you girls, what do you say? Are you ready for your revised duties and responsibilities?

[Audience: “We are.”] Very good, very good. “Dogma – No more, no more.” Ours

is the age of Neohumanism. Very good. And let there be one more song.

Mánuï sabái ápan – Eki marme gáôthá sabára hiyá, sabákár eki áyojan. Duhkhe káôdi morá, sukhe hási, priyajan priyamukh bhálabási; Morá kïudhár anna-jal milemishe khái; Bujhi sabákár táhá prayojan. Sabái bhálabási ei dharaòii, ákásher cáôd-tárá, araòyánii; Eki cháôde náci morá, eki práòe gái – Ìáki Parama Puruïere haye ekman.5 [All human beings are our own – All hearts share the same innermost heart, the needs of all are the same. We cry in sorrow, we laugh in joy, we love to see the faces of our dear ones; 5 Prabhát Saîgiita number 1090, a song of Neohumanism, was then sung. The

author punctuated the performance every few lines with further commentary, until both the song and his discourse were finished. The “innermost heart” of line two refers to the Cosmic “I”. –Eds.

348 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 We share food and drink all together; We realize that all share the same needs. We all love our universe, the moon and stars above and the forest below; We dance to the same rhythm and sing with the same life’s urge – We link our minds together to call to the Supreme Lord.] All humanity is a singular entity, it is one and indivisible.

(Go on singing.) The feelings and sentiments of all human beings are the

same; and preparation for a nobler life is the same for all. The requirements and necessities of all humanity are the same. So humanity is a singular entity, humanity is one and indivisible. And for this purpose we should always maintain an equilibrium amongst different humans, and there must be one equipoise for the development of all, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality and clan isms.

There must not be any shortage of food or water in this world. Still there are so many places where there can be more production, where there is pure water; so all the requirements, all the potentialities, all food and water should be distributed throughout the world. Nowhere in this world should men die of starvation. We are for all and everything is for all. (Go on singing.)

So many gospels of peace, so many texts and sermons, have been preached. But those who were so-called apostles of peace, preached the gospels of peace, but kept their powder dry.6 They were not sincere in their mission. We want no more gospels. We want something practical, something practical for the

6 Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) is generally considered to be the author of the

maxim “Trust in God and keep your powder dry.” The words appeared in print, however, in 1834 in the poem “Oliver’s Advice” by William Blacker. In the poem Blacker wrote: “Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry.” –Eds.


elevation, or for the exaltation, of the entire human race. As a result of the elevation of the human race, all other living beings, all other animate and inanimate objects, will also be elevated. So what is required now is the elevation of human existence, the elevation of human mind and human spirit. We require no dogma – we require more reasoning, more rationality – rationality moving unto the terminus of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness];7 the Supreme Desideratum is that Universal Nave.

So many waves of so many feelings have been emanated from the nucleus of this Cosmological Order. Each and every existence has its own peculiar wavelength and peculiar rhythmic order; but when the movement is towards that Supreme Unity, all those heterogeneities will become one. So many colours moving on, moving on, with so many rhythms, with so many wavelengths – but when it comes to the supreme culminating point, all the rhythms will be united – there will be complete unison. And when there will be complete unison, in that Desideratum (as I told you, there cannot be “desiderata” – it always remains in the singular number, it is a singular entity) all waves will also attain singularity, there will not remain any heterogeneity; everything will become homogeneous in the final point of this universal march of ours.

This Neohumanism, only this Neohumanism, can save our universe, can save human existence. So now we are to sing the song of Neohumanism. We should [forget] all our omissional and commissional errors of the past. Forget the past. Be the [vanguard of] a bright future; and the crimson light of that future breaks on the eastern horizon. We should welcome it – we must welcome it. There is no alternative but to welcome it.

26 May 1984, Ranchi A Few Problems Solved Part 5

7 A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

HUMAN HISTORY AND COLLECTIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Human history is made by the collective urge or collective psychology. In the past the popular concept of history was that a certain king or queen ruled for a certain period and fought a few battles; some they won, others they lost; and they killed others or they were killed themselves. But the modern concept of history is quite different. History these days is not merely the history of monarchs. History also comprises all kinds of people and their psychic urges and psychic movements.

In primitive society men and women enjoyed equal freedom. Subsequently women had greater importance and a social order emerged which can be called both matriarchal and matrilineal. In a later period the importance of physical strength became more important than any other attribute. Obviously, the males, having greater physical strength, became more important than the females. This gave rise to the social order which can be called patriarchal and patrilineal. But in this modern age people are experiencing that physical strength is becoming less important than intellectual power. Previously people would apply great physical stamina to operate a hammer, but today the electric hammer is 100 times more powerful than an iron hammer – an electric hammer operates by turning on a simple electric button. This illustrates that the importance of intellect is increasing.

Well, there is now the question of how the awakening of women will take place. Let me say a few words about the future. The awakening of women will bring about equal rights between the sexes. Nobody will be considered superior or inferior. What will be given utmost importance is keenness of intellect, and that keen intellect will not necessarily be the exclusive quality of men alone or women alone. Whoever will

HISTORY AND COLLECTIVE PSYCHOLOGY 351

have keen intellect will gain pre-eminence in society. Of course, in this regard all persons will not be equal.

History is made by collective psychology. The days of the monarchy are gone. In the days of the monarchy the queen or king was the focal point of history, and history was the history of monarchs. In later times history was the history of ministers. Soon a period will come when history will move around common people.

In the days of the monarchy one could hardly think that history could be written excluding kings and queens. Even now, where there is no monarchy, the government houses are called “Rajabhavan” [“Royal House”], and people cannot keep themselves free from the illusion of the word rája [“royal”]. In one town I noticed a signboard which said “Rajanukul Hospital”, meaning “Royal Hospital”. In former days, in the Deoyániikhás [Privy Councils], monarchs and nobles were prominent, but now government employees are prominent, which gave rise to the term “secretariat”. Similarly, among the common people a new awakening will come, a keen intellect and wisdom will emerge, and a new pattern of history will be the result. In fact, a new pattern of history has already started to emerge, and in the future this development will undergo further change.

You should remember that in human society nobody is insignificant, nobody is negligible. Even the life of a 100-year-old lady is valuable. In the universal society she is an important member – she is not to be excluded. We may not be able to make a correct appraisal of her importance and we may wrongly think that she is a burden to society, but this sort of defective thinking displays our ignorance. There is a historical necessity for everything, but we do not bother finding that historical necessity out. Had we bothered, we could ascertain the historical necessity behind every incident, behind every trough and crest of this universe.

352 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 If we think deeply and try to trace the significance of

different events, we shall find that nothing in this universe is useless. Everything is happening with a definite message for the future, with a great potentiality for the future. Nothing in this universe is insignificant, nothing is to be belittled. Atoms and molecules were once considered very small and insignificant, but after the invention of atom bombs people started dreading the same atoms. No one really knows how much potentiality this or that object has. One can get an exact idea of the potentiality of something only after a thorough investigation. In this world everything comes to fufil a historical necessity. Ananda Marga has also come to fulfil a historical necessity.

When I was a young boy – that was long, long ago1 – there was large-scale injustice in all walks of social life. In music, literature and cinema there were clear signs of social degeneration. There was widespread exploitation – imperialistic exploitation, social exploitation, economic exploitation – all types of exploitation. The position of women was very bad. Some time ago women were even deprived of their voting rights. In India women had voting rights in the Licchavii republic of Vaishali, in Bihar, but they were not allowed to contest elections. Everywhere there was a sentiment to restrict the prestige of women. In no country were equal rights granted to women by law. Only today have women acquired certain rights through some struggle. Some exploitative males (all males were not exploiters, many of them were quite rational) wanted women to live in an exploited position, and they were not inclined to grant freedom to women. They thought that women were not entitled to liberation or salvation. In their opinion females should serve males. Perhaps in their next life or one or two lifetimes after

1 The author is referring to the 1920s. –Eds.

HISTORY AND COLLECTIVE PSYCHOLOGY 353

that, they might be reborn as males and only then attain salvation. Just imagine the audacity and villainy of these males. They invented ways to exploit women by permanently injecting inferiority complexes into their minds. Now all their mischievousness stands exposed.

There are many other examples of women’s exploitation. According to the laws of France, women were not allowed to ascend the throne.2 In the days of Manu,3 husbands would beat their wives with a shoe, but today one would resent it and protest against it.

A fast change in the collective psychology is taking place. In human society the value of intellect is considered much greater than that of physical strength. This intellect is not only with a handful of people, but is in our collective life. Because of the development of intellect, the change in collective psychology will be very comprehensive and very quick.

11 August 1984, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 7

2 Here the author appears to be referring to a decision of the assembly of the

French nobility, taken in Paris on 2 February 1317, regarding Philip V’s accession to the thrown. The assembly supported Philip’s view that women do not succeed the kingdom of France, a principle that remained in force until the end of the monarchy in 1792. –Eds.

3 Manu lived about 2,000 years ago. –Eds.

POLARIZATION STRATEGY

In nearly all countries of the world, economically privileged or advanced groups are mercilessly exploiting economically backward groups and sucking their vitality, gagging their voice and closing all the doors to their future progress. To overcome this tyranny and exploitation, movements will have to be launched for suppressed people so that they can stride boldly forward, fight against all exploitation and attain economic independence. Nobody can deny the need for such an approach, such movements, because it is truly humanistic. If such an approach is not adopted, it will be unnatural and anti-human. In fact to oppose such movements amounts to working as an agent to protect the interests of the exploitative and reactionary forces.

Let there be polarization between the exploiters and the exploited. Let there be two camps. Let there be a fight. Let the exploited masses know who the exploiters are and how they are being exploited. Let there be a fight.

The purpose of polarization strategy is to create the maximum distance between the exploiters and the exploited, as in the distance between the North Pole and the South Pole, isolating the exploiters from the exploited people. Prout always stands for the exploited people, irrespective of their race, nation, religion, etc., and always opposes all types of exploitation. But as poverty is the main problem in the world today, Prout gives top priority to opposing economic exploitation, as this affects people’s livelihood and very existence.

To solve this problem as well as other pressing socio-economic problems, popular movements based on anti-exploitation and universal sentiments should be launched throughout the world. Such movements should oppose all

POLARIZATION STRATEGY 355

forms of exploitation, including economic, psychic, cultural and psycho-economic exploitation. In addition, they should undertake appropriate practical programmes to enhance the all-round welfare of the people.

In order to root out exploitation and build a just and benevolent society, the following six points should be borne in mind. 100% Employment for Local People

First, there should be 100% employment for the local people. The basic right of all people is to be guaranteed the minimum essentials for their existence, including proper food, clothing, housing, education and medical care. This basic right should be arranged through cent percent [i.e., 100%], guaranteed employment, not through welfare or dole-outs. Unemployment is a critical economic problem in the world today, and 100% employment for the local people is the only way to solve this problem.

Local people are defined as those who have merged their individual socio-economic interests with the socio-economic interests of the socio-economic unit1 they live in. The primary consideration is whether or not people have merged their individual interests with their socio-economic unit, regardless of their colour, creed, race, mother tongue, birthplace, etc. Those who earn their livelihood in a particular socio-economic unit but spend their earnings in another socio-economic unit should be considered as outsiders or non-local people, as this practice is not in accordance with the interests of the socio-economic unit in which they are employed. It results in the drainage of the capital necessary for the continued growth of that unit and undermines its economic development.

1 See also “Socio-Economic Groupifications”. –Eds.

356 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Capitalists, both individually and collectively, are the most

pernicious economic exploiters today. All over the world they are continually exploiting local economies and draining their wealth. In nearly all cases the profits they accrue are spent outside the local area and remitted to outside stockholders and parent companies. To control this type of economic exploitation, it is essential that the speculative markets in all countries of the world are closed down immediately.

To create 100% employment among local people, Prout supports both a short-term and a long-term economic plan. In the short-term plan, labour-intensive industries based on the collective minimum requirements of life should be started immediately or made more productive where they already exist. These industries should be based on the consumption motive. They should also provide a rational profit in order to guarantee adequate purchasing capacity to those employed in them and to ensure their continued existence and growth. In North Bihar, for example, where there is virtually no industry, all kinds of agro-industries and agrico-industries can be developed to alleviate the unemployment problem.

In the long-term plan, capital-intensive industries should also be developed to increase the productive capacity of the socio-economic unit. Prout advocates a three-tiered economic structure, that is, small-scale, privately-owned businesses, medium-scale cooperatives, and large-scale key industries managed by the immediate government. Such an economic structure should be based on the principles of self-reliance, maximum utilization, rational distribution, decentralization, rationalization and progressive increases in the standard of living of all people. Through the never-ending creation of new industries, new products and new production techniques incorporating the latest scientific discoveries, the vitality of the economy can be increased. As part of the long-term economic


plan, working hours may also be progressively reduced to maintain full employment.

To solve unemployment, there must be an accurate understanding of the surplus and deficit manual and intellectual labour trends. In India, for example, there is surplus manual labour in North Bihar, which is based upon an agricultural economy, and surplus intellectual labour in Calcutta [now Kolkata]. In both places there is high unemployment. In most of the countries of the world where there is high unemployment, there is surplus manual labour. So manual-labour-intensive industries are required to create employment. In some instances where deficit labour exists for an expanding industry, retraining programmes may equip workers with the necessary skills for employment.

Another way to help solve unemployment, especially in rural communities, is the utilization of plants for economic self-reliance. All socio-economic units have the potential to increase their plant and crop varieties by properly matching them with the soil, topography, climatic conditions, etc., in their units. Reafforestation can reclaim arid and semi-arid regions, and some unique plants, like the peranica, or fern, which has the capacity to attract clouds, can help radically transform the rainfall and weather patterns of a region. Agro-industries and agrico-industries based upon the productive potential of different plants can also help solve rural unemployment by creating a range of new goods and services. There are many dimensions to this revolutionary plant rationalization programme, which is also a practical expression of the ideals of Neohumanism.2



Maximum Industrial Development

The second point of Prout’s approach is that maximum industries should be developed in the local area according to the availability of raw materials for local consumption. The implementation of this principle will develop the economic potential of a socio-economic unit by placing economic power into the hands of the local people and divesting outsiders of their control over the economy. In a Proutistic economy most industries will be run as agricultural, producer or consumer cooperatives, creating a new kind of cooperative spirit, or cooperative dynamo. Such an approach will place economic power into the hands of those who work physically or intellectually for proper production, stripping capitalists of their exploitative economic power. Thus maximum industrial development will be assured.

Several corollaries arise from this second principle. First, industries should utilize locally-available raw materials and should not import raw materials from outside the socio-economic unit. Raw materials are the basic ingredients or resources necessary to make finished products. The tyre industry, for example, requires rubber plantations, as rubber sap is the basic raw material for this industry. If the topography of the local area favours the ample growth of rubber trees, industries may be created around this raw material. Or, if alternative synthetic materials are available, a synthetic tyre industry may be developed.

There are several reasons why industries should utilize locally-available raw materials. First, not all areas have the same socio-economic potential. Different areas will naturally be conducive to producing different kinds of raw materials, as in the case of plant-based raw materials. Industries based on locally-available raw materials can produce commodities cheaply, be located near ready supplies of raw materials, and


ensure greater self-reliance. These advantages are not apparent where there is dependence on outside raw materials.

Secondly, raw material producers, especially producer cooperatives, will prosper, as there will be ready markets for their products.

Thirdly, industries will feel secure when they know that sufficient raw materials are available to supply their needs, and they will be able to plan their future production efficiently.

Fourthly, many large capitalists deliberately influence the economic and political policies of a local area by preventing the growth of local industries based on the local raw materials. They further exploit the local people by selling manufactured goods in the local markets, which are made from locally-produced raw materials. Australia, for example, imports many manufactured goods from Japan, which are produced from Australian raw materials. Encouraging the growth of local industries based on local raw materials will terminate the dominance individual and collective capitalists exercise over the local markets, ending the drainage of capital vital for the local area’s economic growth.

A second corollary of the second point is that local raw materials should not be exported; only manufactured goods should be exported. Local raw material prices in the export market are subject to manipulation and erratic fluctuations as they are currently traded through speculative commodity markets, which are controlled by vested interests. To root out dishonesty from the field of trade, free trade should be established throughout the world as far as possible.3

3 To trade commodities, commodity markets are essential, but the author opposes

allowing vested interests to speculate on commodities for profit. In the subsection Trading in “Various Occupations” in Volume 1, for example, he says: “To eliminate dishonesty in business, free trade should be established throughout the world as far as possible and the speculative markets of all countries should be immediately closed down.” –Eds.

360 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Manufactured goods, on the other hand, are generally subject

to less price manipulation and command better prices than raw materials. By manufacturing locally-finished products, a socio-economic unit [or the country in which it is a part] can conserve its reserve bullion and improve the purchasing capacity of the local people.

A third corollary is that if no potential exists to produce the manufactured goods required by industry in the local area, only then should the importation of such goods be allowed. Importation of manufactured goods means that local capital is being transferred to another socio-economic unit that has produced the product. The drainage of capital is always detrimental to the economic growth of a socio-economic unit, therefore unnecessary importation should always be discouraged. Barter trade agreements should be arranged between trading units so that no net loss occurs to either of the trading partners. Barter trade agreements in foreign trade are especially beneficial for those socio-economic units which have very few commodities to sell but a large number of commodities to buy, and their saleable commodities, though few in number, are large in quantity.

Thus, where there is a plentiful supply of local raw materials, industries can be developed for local demand according to local consumption, and if applicable the surplus may be exported. The availability of raw materials will ensure the long-term viability of local industries.

Avoid Importing Outside Products

The third point of Prout’s approach is that outside finished products that can be locally produced should not be imported. This point implies that the local people should support their local industries by purchasing their own finished products. They should buy the finished goods of the local industries even


if initially they may be of poorer quality than the finished goods manufactured outside the socio-economic unit, as this will ensure the continued economic viability and growth of the industries in the unit. With continued local support, the local industries will develop to a stage when they will be able to produce goods of better quality. But if, due to economic, political or psycho-economic exploitation, people purchase finished goods made outside their socio-economic unit rather than those made locally, local developing industries may be forced to close down, creating unemployment and other social and economic problems.

Thus people’s sentiments should be aroused so that they buy locally-produced products rather than outside finished products wherever possible. To achieve this, popular movements should be started so that the economic awareness of local people is increased.

When the British were ruling India, India imported salt even though the potential to manufacture salt locally existed in India. The Indian leaders organized a movement and people started to make their own salt, boycotting British-made salt. This movement caught the imagination of the people and won their support, thus the Indian people became conscious of British exploitation. It brought down the price of salt, an indispensable part of most Indian dishes, and provided employment by building up the local salt industry. It also saved the country from the drainage of wealth, which previously went into the coffers of the British salt manufacturers. In addition, it heightened the consciousness of the Indian people and helped polarize the population into the pro- and anti-British camps.4

4 British rule lasted from 1757 to 1947. In 1923 the British doubled the tax on

salt, which was deeply unpopular. Subsequently, the 1930 Salt March from Ahmedabad to Dandi focused national and international attention on the high British salt tax. The salt movement continued until 1934, and although it failed to win any major concessions from the British, wherever people began manufacturing salt, generally the price of salt came down. –Eds.


The Local Language, the Medium of Instruction

The fourth point of Prout’s approach is that the medium of instruction from primary to university level should be in the local language. The sum total of human expression is culture, and language is the best medium to express human culture. While different socio-economic groups should encourage every language, each socio-economic unit should use the local language to inspire self-confidence and self-respect among the local people. Encouraging a positive cultural identity is an important ingredient in the socio-economic development of the local area, and is an essential factor in generating a sense of affinity and unity among the people.

The use of non-local languages as the medium of instruction only results in the suppression and subjugation of the local language, and inevitably means the suppression of the local culture. This in turn leads to psychic demoralization, inferiority complexes and a defeatist mentality. Whenever the sentimental legacy of a group of people is undermined, they become easy prey to the economic, political and psycho-economic exploitation of vested interests. Such a strategy of cultural suppression was adopted by the English, French, Dutch, Spanish, [Portuguese,] American and other colonial powers. If local people develop a sublime awareness of their cultural heritage, they can readily throw off all psychic inferiority complexes that prevent them from attaining socio-economic self-reliance.

The introduction of the local language as the medium of instruction from primary to university level will also put the local people in control of their educational institutions, thus ridding them of those cultural prejudices, biases and teachings which perpetuate subjugation. In Bengal and Chhattisgarh, for example, many of the educational institutions are controlled by non-local people who have migrated from outside the region,


and have maintained their cultural prejudices. The same situation occurs in many undeveloped and developing countries. The Local Language, the Medium of Communication

The fifth point of Prout’s approach is that the local language should be the medium of communication in governmental and non-governmental institutions and offices. When the British were ruling India, they concentrated their economic activities in a few centres, such as Bombay [now Mumbai], Calcutta [now Kolkata], Delhi and Madras [now Chennai]. The indigenous capitalist class, who were in collusion with the British, usually brought in labourers and managers from outside the local area to disrupt the local economy and make it amenable to their control. The English language was imposed on local people, and the British administration went to great lengths to train up tens of thousands of Indian clerks in the English system of education to ensure British cultural dominance of the Indian economy.5

So, if the local people demand that the local language be the medium of expression in the workplace, the non-local people who control the local industries will be easily forced out of the local area, creating more opportunities for the local people. Local Socio-Economic Demands

The final point of Prout’s polarization strategy is that particular demands pertaining to the local area should be implemented. The local situation should be carefully studied and programmes should be adopted as per the requirements of

5 With the passing of the English Education Act, 1835, English was used in

education and to promote English literature and science. –Eds.


the particular locality. For the socio-economic groups in Germany, Ireland and Korea, for example, the major focus should be on the unification of their divided nations.6 In other socio-economic groups, local people may demand the construction of bridges and roads in order to make raw materials more accessible, as the first step in developing new industries. And in those places which are dependent on agriculture, small-scale irrigation projects may be necessary to increase the number of crops grown per year.

This last point includes all the local needs necessary to expedite the socio-economic development of the local area.7

3 February 1985, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 9

6 The reunification of East Germany and West Germany in 1990 is officially

celebrated on 3 October, which is known as the Day of German Unity. At the time of publishing, Ireland and Korea remain divided. –Eds.

7 The author began forming socio-economic groupifications on 30 and 31 December 1978, initially creating 44 samájas or socio-economic movements for India. Subsequently, on 3 February 1985, he gave this discourse, to accelerate the establishment of samájas both in India and throughout the world. –Eds.

EDUCATION AND NEOHUMANISM

You know, it is the inherent nature of all living beings to expand their physical arena, and for this purpose, rather because of this fundamental characteristic (this trait is nothing but a sort of fundamental characteristic), they exploit others, they forget the interest of other living beings. Just now I said that this is the inherent nature of all living beings, both human and animals. But human beings have another characteristic, another inborn instinct, and that is to expand their psychic arena also. So unlike other animals, human beings have the opportunity to divert their physical longings into spiritual longings, into spiritual aspirations. Other animals do not have this opportunity. But because of this psychic characteristic, human beings exploit others on the psychic level as well as on the physical level, and this exploitation on the psychic level is even more dangerous than on the physical one.

So that there may not be any intellectual extravaganza or any physical subjugation, human beings require proper training both physically and mentally. And this is what is called education – properly training the physical and also the psychic existences. Because of the lack of such a training at the proper time, there is no perfect coordination, no happy adjustment, between one’s inner being and outer being. Sometimes people seem very sincere to hear them talk, but there is not an iota of sincerity in their inner world. And this is what happens in the modern world – both individual and collective existence has become one-sided, it has lost its balance. Thus what we require most is a proper system of education.

Just to show their sincerity of purpose, just to show that they are developed human beings, sometimes people speak of disarmament. They say that there should be a check, a control,


over the manufacturing of deadly weapons. They express this idea vocally, but internally they surreptitiously are prepared for even worse weapons, even more deadly weapons, just to keep others under their servitude in the physical sphere. This is nothing but the worst type of brutality. Once a certain leader said, “Keep the prospects of peace alive, but keep your powder dry.”1 That is what is happening today. This physical longing should be diverted towards psychic longings; but if it is diverted towards psychic longings by proper mundane education, that will not suffice. In that case there still remains the fear of psychic subjugation. So the remedy lies elsewhere.

Yes, people should be motivated by human feelings, human sentiments, human ideas. No doubt it would be good if human feelings could serve as a moral check in this competition of weapons, but do not take this prospect as the last word – human feelings cannot check the infighting prevalent among human beings. For this purpose we should have a two-fold approach. For the purpose of training this turbulent mind, what should be done? We will have to educate the mind properly, along the lines of Neohumanism. 2 This Neohumanist education will impart proper training to the mind. And at the same time there should be spiritual practice for proper psychic transformation. This is what we require most. There is no alternative.

25 May 1985, RU, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 5

1 Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) is generally considered to be the author of the

maxim “Trust in God and keep your powder dry.” The words appeared in print, however, in 1834 in the poem “Oliver’s Advice” by William Blacker. In the poem Blacker wrote: “Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry.”

Here it is unclear whether the author is referring to Cromwell or to a later leader who reworded Cromwell’s original maxim. In “Mass Murder” in Volume 4, the author is also critical of hypocritical politicians who adopt the policy: “Preach the gospels of peace, but keep your powder dry.” –Eds.


RENAISSANCE IN ALL THE STRATA OF LIFE

The subject of today’s discourse is “Renaissance in All the

Strata of Life”. The real meaning of the word “renaissance” is reawakening. That is, humanity was sleeping, and now it must wake up from that Cimmerian slumber1 and do something in all the spheres of life, in all the strata of existence.

There are three important strata in life: the physical stratum, the psychic stratum and the spiritual stratum.

The Physical Stratum

In the physical stratum there are many strata: say, scientific

achievement, social progress, political life, economic life, culture life. People often say that this twentieth century is the century of science. No, it is not the truth. Human life has been associated with science from the prehistoric era, from the very birth of humanity on this earth about 1,000,000 years ago, and not only in this twentieth century. And as long as there will be a single human being, there will be an age of science.

Nowadays science means creating new weapons – strengthening the hands of warmongers – but the spirit of science should not be like this; and at the start, in the primordial phase of human life, it was not so. Yes, there is necessity of weapons – weapons not for strengthening the hands of warmongers, but for providing security for good ideas, good thoughts and good persons. Science should be just

1 According to Greek mythology, the Cimmerians are a mythical people living in

perpetual mist and darkness near the land of the dead. Homer supposes the Cimmerians to live in a land and city “wrapped in mist and cloud”, where the sun never shone (Odyssey, xi, 13). And Milton, in “L’Allegro”, said: “In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.” –Eds.


like art: science for service and beatitude. Art for service and beatitude, I said;2 and now I say, science is also for service and beatitude. Science should always be utilized for the proper progress of human society.

Then the social. In the social sphere there are several sub-strata, and the real spirit of social progress is to dispel all social disparities. Each and every member of the human society should enjoy equal rights as members of the same family, but there is disparity; and it is the duty of the Renaissance movement3 to dispel the disparity and bring about equality, equilibrium and equipoise amongst human beings.

There are disparities, disparities of different types and different kinds. For instance, there are biological disparities existing in the society, which are being encouraged by certain selfish persons. The biological disparity between human and animal, between human and plant, between animal and plant – that disparity must not be there. Just as a human being wants to survive, a pigeon also wants to survive; similarly a cow also wants to survive, or a tree. Just as my life is dear to me, so the lives of created beings are also equally dear to them. It is the birthright of human beings to live in this world, and it is the birthright of the animal world and plant world also to remain on this earth. To recognize this right, and to get it recognized by the entire human society, the Renaissance movement will have to do something concrete.

Then there is disparity due to birth – disparity between people of higher caste and people of so-called lower caste. People of a particular country die of starvation, and people of another country die due to over eating due to voracity. It is a disparity – it is bad. It is a creation of selfish people, not of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]. The Renaissance

2 See “The Practice of Art and Literature” in Volume 1. –Eds. 3 The author founded Renaissance Universal on 27 January 1958. –Eds.

RENAISSANCE IN ALL THE STRATA OF LIFE 369

movement will have to do something concrete in this respect also. All are equal, with equal glamour as human beings.

Now, difference of colour. Due to geographical conditions, due to historical facts, there are differences in colour. A particular human being may be of white complexion, someone black, someone very black, someone yellow. It is not an innate difference, it is an external difference. Why should there be a special type of scripture based on these differences? No, there must not be any difference of colour, or any social disparity because of difference of colour.

Now, there is the sex difference. Females are debarred from many socio-political rights. You know, a few hundred years ago they had no voting rights in many countries of the world. Why? They are also human beings – they also have the same rights as men. Renaissance people will have to start a movement for social equality and fight against such inequality based on sexual difference. Are women like cattle or sacks of cloth that people give as gifts at the time of marriage? Are they slaves to be sold to others? As long as women lacked courage or intellect, they tolerated these things – but what a great humiliation! To submit them to such indignities is far worse than to whip them publicly on the road. Are women simply like bundles of cloth to be sent to the washerman’s house? Women must not be suppressed, and there should not be domination of males in the society. Society should have a cooperative leadership, not a subordinated leadership; there should be a coordinated, cooperative leadership, leadership between males and females. Renaissance people will have to start a movement immediately to fight against all these disparities; otherwise, if 50% of the population, that is, the ladies, remain downtrodden, how can there be all-round progress of human society?

So these are all the social duties, the social responsibilities, of the Renaissance movement. Renaissance people will have to


wage war on these disparities, these inequalities. They will have to be rooted out of the society.

In political life a group of people exploit another group of people of the same country or of some other country. There is political inequality. Still there is a sort of economic polarization, economic exploitation, and not only that, there are social and cultural disparities, and social and cultural exploitation also. Renaissance people will have to bring this fact to the notice of one and all – this disparity cannot be supported by good-thinking, by right-thinking people, and so we will not support it. Yes, in the political sphere there should be the rule of moralist people, for immoralist people cannot lead the society; they cannot goad the people onto the path of righteousness. And this political life should also be based on universalism, without forgetting the fact that a particular area of the world has its own particular problems and its own particular conditions.

Economic life. In economic life there is extreme inequality and exploitation. Although colonialism no longer exists openly in the political and economic spheres, still it persists indirectly, and this should not be tolerated. The Renaissance movement will have to do something in this respect. You should remember that in economic life we will have to guarantee the minimum requirements to one and all. There cannot be any second thought, there cannot be any sort of adjustment as far as this point is concerned. The minimum purchasing requirement must be guaranteed to all. Today these fundamental essentialities are not being guaranteed. Rather people are being guided by deceptive economic ideas, like outdated Marxism, which has proved ineffective in practical life and has not been successfully implemented in any corner of the world. Why do people still believe in such a theory, which has never been proved successful? The time has come for people to make a proper assessment whether they are being misguided or not.


Then comes one of the important points: cultural life. What is culture? Culture is the collection of different expressions of human life. The culture of the entire human race is one, but there are different local expressions. This difference in local expressions does not mean that people of different corners of the earth have different cultures – culture is the same, but the expressions vary.

Education is a part of cultural life. Education should be free, and education must be based on universalism. While imparting education you should also remember that there are certain local conditions, local problems and local requirements; so while formulating the educational structure, we should do everything remembering this fundamental fact.

So you see, the scope of the Renaissance movement is vast, and you will have to start your work from this very moment; it brooks no delay.

These are the different types of inequalities prevailing in the physical world.

The Psychic Stratum

In the psychic world also there are so many ailments, and

Renaissance people will have to wage war against these inequalities and man-made differences. There must be progress in the psychic realm, in the psychic arena. In the psychic arena the progress should be unbarred and unaffected. There are so many ailments in the psychic sphere. You see, in the psycho-physical sphere many people are guided by, rather goaded by, dogmas. Dogmas have taken root in the human mind. People cannot get rid of these false ideas because they have been injected into their minds since childhood. As a result one human society is divided into different nations, and one nation is divided into different religions; religions also have different castes, and caste also have different sub-castes. What kind of


situation is this? We have only learned how to divide and subdivide humanity, and we never learned how to unite the people. This is all due to the defective teachings of dogmas.

Some people think that the particular group of people to which they belong are the blessed beings of Parama Puruïa, and others are cursed beings. This is a very bad type of dogma – opportunists have introduced all this. Renaissance people will have to fight against these dogmas, and carry on the struggle endlessly. For that, they may have to confront numerous obstacles, censure and humiliation, but they will have to move on undaunted and unaffected. Dogmas are psycho-physical diseases.

Then there are physico-psychic ailments. Some people argue that animals have been created by Parama Puruïa for our food. I knew a certain person who used to say that if people do not eat goat’s meat, the world would become populated only by goats. And others said that if people do not eat chickens, there would not be even a single inch of space on this earth, it would be filled with chickens! Now, my point is, even though human beings do not eat vultures, is there a crowd of vultures in the world? How foolish such people are! People do not eat earthworms – has there been an uncontrollable growth of earthworms on Earth? Only out of excessive greed people eat chickens and goats, and are simply searching for logic to support their actions and cover up their weakness. This sort of cunning will not do. In the mobility of the psychic world, there are certain defective thoughts prevailing – that we humans are destined to rule this earth, and the creatures are destined to be ruled by us. You will have to fight against this type of psychology with the help of your strong weapon. What is that weapon? Neohumanism.4 All have the equal right to live here –



this universe is for all. It is not the patrimony of human beings only. This is also the duty of Renaissance people.

Then there is the progress in the pure psychic level. In the pure psychic level defective thoughts prevail in human society, and as a result an individual or a group of people often try to suppress or oppress others. Due to this type of defective psychology, a vast section of the populace suffers from psychic depression. The Renaissance movement will have to be active against this sort of exploitation, and it will have to save human society from the clutches of these defective philosophies. These ailments should be removed and dispelled from the minds of human beings.

There may be another disease, another psychic ailment, and that is in the psycho-spiritual stratum. In the psycho-spiritual stratum, the movement is a pinnacled one; that is, all ideas coincide in a particular point, and that point moves towards the Supreme Entity. But the movement is certainly a synthetic one, not analytic. However, if the movement is extroversial, the path naturally becomes an analytic one, and that is dangerous. In the name of a psycho-spiritual approach, in the false name of religion, disparities are created in the human society, differences are created between human beings. In the name of religion so many sanguinary battles were fought in the past, and even now people belonging to one religious group cannot rely on other groups or pay credence to other groups. Thus one should remember that only the Pinnacled Entity, the Apexed Entity, is our saviour – He is the only goal of our life.5 This is the panacea for all psychic ailments.

5 Philosophically, Supreme Consciousness is referred to as male and the Supreme

Operative Principle as female. The Supreme Entity, a combination of the two, is referred to in neuter gender. –Eds.


The Spiritual Stratum And the third stratum is the spiritual stratum. In this stratum

the natural path is to convert everything into spirituality. This conversion should be in the realm of learning, in the realm of language, in the realm of studies, in the realm of solidarity. That is, in every arena of our spiritual life this conversion should take place – the conversion of your entire existence, the parts and portions of your existence, into spirituality. But due to defective philosophy, defective guidance, people forget this fact, and they convert spirit into mind and mind into matter. That is, they take the path of negative pratisaiôcara [devolution], and that is detrimental to the cause of human progress.

Renaissance people will have to raise their voices against this, and they will have to do it now – they will have to do it immediately.

And I also desire that you all should move on the path of Renaissance, which is fully supported by rationality, from today, from this very moment. Let victory be yours.

2 January 1986, RU, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 7

KEEP MONEY CIRCULATING

If a business is built with the help of loans from any source, that business or enterprise is termed kálriká in Sanskrit. Suppose someone has no capital but wants to start a business by taking a loan; that business is called kálriká vyavasáya [“a business enterprise started with a loan”]. You might have noticed that there are many countries that suffer from financial stringency, so they take loans from other countries. These loans are then used for ventures such as constructing large dams on their rivers.

Economics teaches that money taken on loan should not be prevented from moving. In other words, business people should not invest this money in non-productive 1 investments. Sometimes business people misuse loans to construct an unnecessary building or new showroom for their business, but doing so does not produce any extra income. Rather borrowed money should be invested to increase the inventory of goods. Economics teaches that money borrowed for business investment should always be utilized for productive purposes and should not be utilized in any non-productive (non-yielding) venture. Foreign loans, for example, should not be used to construct large railway stations instead of constructing railway lines.2

1 Here, and two sentences below, aphalraprada is used in the original Bengali;

beside the second occurrence the English term “(non-yielding)” also appears. –Eds. 2 In “Economic Depressions” in Volume 4, the author also says: “If countries that

are prosperous in various spheres and economically unrelated to other countries undergoing a depression, invest their wealth in enterprises of a non-productive (non-yielding) nature, such as excessive defence spending, superfluous construction of large buildings, over-production of luxury goods, etc. – investments that do not earn any income in return – these countries will also suffer from economic depression.” –Eds.


20 March 1986, Kolkata Shabda Cayaniká Part 4

*****

The value of money increases with its mobility. That is, the

more that money changes hands, the greater its value. On the other hand, the more that money is kept immobile in a safe, the more it loses its utility and thus its value decreases. This is a fundamental principle of economics.

The banking system is indispensable for promoting both collective welfare and the all-round economic advancement of people. The maxim “Keep money moving” is as true as the saying “Keep the wagons moving.” However, the banking system must be vigilant about two defects. First, the intrinsic, demonic greed of the banking system must not be allowed to jeopardize the life of the common people by charging high interest. In the past this has happened, and today as well it is continuing to happen in most countries of the world, not only in undeveloped countries but also in developing and developed countries. Secondly, the banking system must not allow unwise administrators or governments to print monetary notes indiscriminately without reserving adequate amounts of bullion in their treasury or [central] bank.

The first defect not only ruins low- and middle-income groups, but also impoverishes wealthy families. The second defect, of not having sufficient bullion reserves, systematically damages social life. It leads to widespread inflation, which in turn jeopardizes internal trade and commerce as well as both foreign trade and barter. And even if there is abundant production in a country, it is not utilized for consumption by the common people. The rich become increasingly rapacious and get more opportunity to continue their merciless mode of exploitation. In the system of state capitalism, the exploitative

KEEP MONEY CIRCULATING 377

rulers sit like a heavy millstone on the chest of the common people. State capitalism may call itself capitalism, socialism or communism, but ultimately it stands before the common people as more dangerous and bloodthirsty than bloodsucking ghouls and demons.3

The interest system and the banks will have to continue, otherwise the mobility of money will be hindered. If people oppose the interest system because they are guided by selfish whims or any other selfish sentiment, their economic activity will be compelled to go back to the Dark Ages.4 They are bound to lose pramá [dynamic equipoise and equilibrium] and become lopsided in the physical sphere, and as a result they will also appear before others as objects of ridicule in the psychic and spiritual spheres.5 Having to face such a state of affairs is beyond comprehension.

So you see, the fundamental aim of the interest system and the banks is to allow money to keep circulating; make sure governments are proactive. Let people purchase as much rice, pulses, vegetables, oil, salt, sugar, etc., as they need with money. Let money go to the grocers, the cane sugar vendors,6

the confectioners, the factory workers, the manual labourers and the weavers. And may the colourful saris of the weavers be purchased and worn by the newly-married brides, adding to the beauty and prosperity of society.

21 December 1986, Kolkata Shabda Cayaniká Part 10

3 See also the section State Capitalism in “The Vaeshya Age” in Volume 2. –Eds. 4 In western European history, the Dark Ages refers to the period between the fall

of the Roman Empire and the high Middle Ages, from about 500 to 1100 (or to the beginning of the Renaissance, at the start of the 14th century). More generally, it refers to a period of unenlightenment. –Eds.

5 In this passage the author is referring to those countries that do not adopt a system of interest because of the teachings of their religion. –Eds.

6 They sell the juice from freshly crushed sugar cane. –Eds.

SIN, CRIME AND LAW

You certainly know that even though generally speaking if any action goes against dharma we call it pápa [“sin”] and if any action violates a social code we call it aparádh [“crime”], the word pápa is also used both in a general sense and in a specific sense. In a general sense, pápa means pátaka. Pátaka means “an action that goes against dharma”. Pátaka can be divided into two categories. One category is pápa. If something is done which should not be done, it is called pápa. If something is not done but should be done, it is called pratyaváya. Pápa and pratyaváya are both undesirable, but according to the ancient saints and sages, pratyaváya is more objectionable than pápa.

Types of Sin

According to the degree of severity of pátaka, sin is divided

into three stages: pátaka [ordinary sin], atipátaka [sin of a serious nature], and mahápátaka [sin of an extremely serious nature].

If the reactions of a sin can be quickly exhausted by atonement through a certain amount of active endeavour or sacrifice, the sin that caused those reactions is termed pátaka. Suppose someone stole Rs. 200/- from a person, but sometime later returned the amount to the owner with interest or with more than the stipulated interest together with an apology; this type of pátaka can be absolved. To wound someone’s sentiment by using offensive language or by doing something similar, is also an ordinary sin of this type. Suppose someone’s sentiments are injured, but later he or she is repeatedly offered an apology. If the offended person forgives the misdeed from

SIN, CRIME AND LAW 379

the core of his or her heart, it may be assumed that the sin is absolved.

Atipátaka can only be expiated through severe penance. For example, if, through omission or commission, you cause permanent injury to another person, that is considered atipátaka. To state it in plain language, there is no atonement for this type of serious sin. But if you dedicate yourself wholeheartedly for the rest of your life to make good the damage done to the person, and if that person forgives you from the core of his or her heart, that sin can be considered absolved. But actually this rarely happens, because how can a person whom you have permanently injured forgive you from the core or his or her heart?

We find a good number of examples of extremely sinful deeds of this nature throughout history. King Ajtáshatru [the king of Magadh] killed his father Bimbisar [because he was a disciple of Buddha]. This is an example of a person who committed a sin of a very serious nature. King Shasháuôka [the king of Ráóh] invited King Rájyavardhana [the king of Sthániishvara] to attend peace talks and then killed him. This is also an example of a sin of a serious nature. The way King Harïavardhana [the brother of King Rájyavardhana] killed Queen Jayasháuôkarii [the wife of King Shasháuôka] and her young son is a glaring example of a serious sin.

The worst type of sin is called mahápátaka. The basic difference between mahápátaka and atipátaka is this. The misbehaviour of an atipátaka does not have a recurring sinful effect on humanity, and people may forget the incident. But the misbehaviour of a mahápátaka has a recurring negative influence on humanity. For example, if Rávaòa [a character in the mythological epic, the Rámáyaòa,] had abducted Siitá [the wife of Ráma] in a straightforward way, it would have been an example of atipátaka. But Rávaòa appeared before Siitá in the disguise of a sannyásii [renunciant], and due to this treacherous


action was able to kidnap Siitá from her cottage. The negative effect of Rávaòa not dressing in his usual way but in the disguise of a sannyásii is bound to have negative repercussions. Even today, if a housewife sees an innocent sannyásii, she may suspect him of being a thief in disguise, like Rávaòa.

Another branch of pátaka is pratyaváya, which literally means “not to do what one should do”. For example, responsible parents should arrange a proper education for their children and ensure that they develop the capacity to earn a living. They should also arrange the marriages of their marriageable daughters. (If their daughters are well-educated and self-reliant and reluctant to marry, the parents are not responsible.) People should gratefully remember the help given to them by their benefactors and move along the path of righteousness. If people do not do or think the things that they should and instead do the opposite, they are committing pratyaváya.

Crime and Law

Going against a recognized legal code is a crime. Every

community or state is governed by certain fundamental rules and regulations. When these rules and regulations concern the laws of the state, they are called the constitution. When these rules and regulations relate to the administration of justice, they are called social laws. Any action that violates the constitution or the social laws is considered to be a crime. That is why in different countries differences exist on many issues, except on a few cardinal human principles. The constitution, legal code, administration and judiciary are bound to vary among different groups of people and among states. For this reason, when people live in a particular country they are required to follow the constitution, laws, judicial codes and executive decisions of


that country. Otherwise they will be accused of committing a crime.

If we try to expand the scope of the few fundamental cardinal human principles and draft the constitution, legal code, administrative and judicial systems according to the expanded scope of those cardinal principles, it will lead to greater unity in human society. Progress towards a Neohumanistic1 society will thereby accelerate; this is one of the essential features for healthy development. If society becomes more and more unified and divisive differences steadily decrease, humanity everywhere will inevitably unite under a common ideology. This should not remain a utopian dream. It should be the first expression of the practical wisdom of humanity.

Fetters and Enemies

Any action that creates a strong reaction in a person’s body

and mind and provides a lesson to that person and an impetus to steer clear of such thoughts or actions, creates a mentality that reacts against that type of action. Such a mental reaction is called ghròá [“hatred”]. Hatred is a fetter which is imposed on the mind, so it is included in the aïía páshas [eight fetters].2 That which originates in the mind and expresses itself in the external world, is called a ripu [an “enemy”]. There are six ripus [ïaìaripus]: káma [physical desire], krodha [anger], lobha [avarice], mada [vanity], moha [blind attachment or infatuation] and mátsarya [jealousy]. That which originates in the external world and influences the mind, is called a pásha. Thus ripus are intro-external and páshas are extro-internal.

1 See The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, 1982. –Eds. 2 The aïía páshas are: ghròá (hatred), shauôká (doubt), bhaya (fear), lajjá

(shyness), jugupïa (dissemblance), kula (vanity of lineage), shiila (cultural superiority complex) and mána (egoism). –Eds.

382 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 An intelligent or wise person should keep the ripus under

control and resist the páshas. The ancient saints and sages did not prescribe any method for resisting the ripus because the ripus should be regulated. If a ripu is resisted or suppressed, it expresses itself through another ripu. Suppose in a particular person the instinct of greed is very strong but he or she is compelled to keep it under control due to poverty. And suppose that person also habitually takes bribes and then refrains from taking bribes due to the law enforcement department. His or her suppressed greed will manifest itself through anger or another ripu, and as a result he or she will burst into a violent rage.

So the psychological approach to the ripus is to keep them under control and not allow them to violate a recognized code of social conduct under any circumstances. Some people may be very greedy for food. It is just possible that they may die prematurely due to overeating or indulging in unhealthy foods. Intelligent people will control their instinct of greed and thus avoid catching a disease.

Take the case of alcoholics. Under the spell of liquor, people become the helpless victims of their habit. If they channelize their addiction into an ardent love of music, painting or any of the fine arts, their instinct of addiction will be to some extent gratified, and they will prevent any further harm to themselves.

Regarding the páshas, the considered opinion of the elevated sages of the past was that the páshas had to be resisted. To successfully combat the fear instinct, one has to march with rapid steps towards the source of fear, and, if necessary, arm oneself with the requisite physical and psychic weapons. If one hides behind locked doors, the fear will become so entrenched in one’s mind that one will not be able to free oneself from it.

So it must be remembered that the ripus have to be controlled and the páshas must be resisted. The way to get rid of the páshas is to expand the mind, to develop one’s full


potential. Páshabaddha bhavet jiivah pásha muktah bhavet Shivah. [Those who are bound by the páshas are jiivas (unit beings) but one who is free from the páshas is Shiva.]

23 March 1986, Kolkata Shabda Cayaniká Part 4

PRINCIPLES OF BALANCED ECONOMY

There are three main reasons why cities and states in the past

lost economic balance and declined after achieving the height of prosperity. First, if the city or state developed following the course of a river system and the river suddenly changed direction or dried up, its economy was adversely affected. Secondly, if industries moved away from rural villages, the balance of the economy was also destroyed. The third reason was a defective education system. If there are defects in the rural educational system and the social system, economic balance is lost.

In order to build a sound economy, 30% to 40% of the people in an area – neither more nor less – should depend directly on agriculture. If the percentage is smaller, agriculture is neglected. Conversely, if the percentage is greater, there will be a heavy strain on agriculture. This is exactly what happened in Ráóh – and not only in Ráóh, but throughout Bengal, India, China and Southeast Asia. To solve this problem today, a new socio-economic analysis is required.

Just as agriculture will have to be based on a scientific system, industry also will have to be organized in perfect adjustment with agriculture. It is not proper under any circumstances if the percentage of the population depending directly on agriculture exceeds 40%. Because rural industries have been destroyed, a major part of the population once engaged in that sector has now moved towards agriculture. For a perfectly balanced economic environment, it is required that some 30% to 40% of the population should depend directly on agriculture, and about 20% on agro-industries, 20% on agrico-

PRINCIPLES OF BALANCED ECONOMY 385

industries, 10% on general trade and commerce, and 10% on intellectual or white-collar jobs.

In India village industries have been ruined, and those who depended on these industries have turned towards agriculture. While the percentage of traders has not increased much, the opportunities for further growth have decreased. In addition, the number of white-collar job seekers has increased, resulting in soaring unemployment. The sons of rural peasants who have had a little education are no longer willing to labour in the fields. They want to become so-called gentlemen thriving on the labour of others. They consider agricultural work inferior. As a consequence, on the one hand there is a dearth of educated youths in agriculture, and on the other hand an increasing number of people from the ruined rural industries have moved towards agriculture. In rural areas the percentage of the population depending on agriculture has gone up to 70% or 80%. What an unbearable situation!

Non-agricultural industries (such as steel plants, the brass industry, the metal industry, oil refineries, the salt industry and non-herbal pharmaceuticals) mean those industries which are not directly agrico-industries (such as the production of picks, axes, spades and tractors) and industries which are not directly agro-industries (such as flour mills, jute mills, oil mills, cloth mills, paper mills and herbal medicine factories). The percentage of people engaged in non-agricultural industries should be formed by reducing the percentage of people depending directly on agriculture, agrico-industries and agro-industries. The percentage of people engaged in non-agricultural industries will have to be kept within 20% to 30% of the total population.

If the percentage of the population engaged in non-agricultural industries in a country is less than 20%, the country is said to be industrially undeveloped. The per capita income of the people cannot be very high. The standard of living also


cannot be very high because people’s purchasing capacity remains very limited. Because of the low capacity for purchasing consumer goods, the import index always remains lower than the export index, or in other words the area has to remain a satellite of a developed country. Consequently the balance of power in the world is jeopardized and war is always possible.

If the percentage of people engaged in non-agricultural industries is kept within 20% to 30% of the population, this is the state of balanced economy – a really balanced socio-economic structure. If the percentage goes beyond 30%, the area becomes industrially developed. Then, the more this percentage increases above 30%, the more over-industrialized the area becomes. In order to procure agricultural produce, over-industrialized countries try to grab productive agricultural regions or countries and make them their satellites. These over-industrialized countries also find it necessary to keep industrially undeveloped countries within their control in order to use them as a market for their finished goods. If they do not get a market to sell the consumer goods produced in their countries, they will suffer from economic depression and growing unemployment.

In this regard there is no difference between the communist and non-communist countries. They are equally aggressive in their approach. They desperately look for the kámadhenu. (Dhenu means “cow” and káma means “desire”. Kámadhenu is a mythological cow that gives as much milk as its master demands.) They want to keep it tied to the door, feeding it the minimum amount of fodder. They want the maximum output with the minimum investment. This is why there is so much war psychosis and sabre-rattling in the world today.

Efforts must be made so that each and every country of the world can enjoy socio-economic balance in both agriculture


and industry, otherwise the socio-economic equilibrium of the world is bound to be destroyed.

The harmful internal consequences of over-industrialization not only affect the personal, social and national health of the people, they also precipitate gradual individual and collective psychic degeneration. A type of psychic epidemic may arise which can poison almost all expressions of life and destroy them. This may not happen today, but it will surely happen in the very near future.

Where the industrial system – the agro-industries, agrico-industries and non-agricultural industries – depends on outside labourers, it will lead to an extremely precarious situation. The speed of psychic degeneration will rapidly increase, and people will face permanent scarcity of food. There will be little possibility of expanding the markets for their consumer goods. Rather the existing markets will gradually contract.

As examples we may cite Howrah, Hooghly, 24 Parganas and Burdwan in West Bengal. Most of the manual labourers in these districts are outsiders, hence the local people will never experience a good standard of living. However industrially developed or over-industrialized these districts might become, they will be seriously affected by the harmful internal consequences of over-industrialization, and will never enjoy any of the benefits of industrialization. This miserable picture can be seen every morning and evening in Howrah district.

On the other hand, there are many areas in India where 90% of the population is dependent on agriculture. There is no industry whatsoever in these areas. They are areas of surplus labour. In a balanced socio-economic structure, there will be no such thing as surplus labour or deficit labour. Such a condition will never be allowed to arise.

The agricultural system should be structured as an industry. That is, the prices of agricultural produce should be determined


by considering basic factors such as agricultural income, expenses and necessities.

The farmers of Burdwan and Birbhum must not be forced to sell their rice at throw-away prices; the growers of Hooghly district must not be compelled to sell their potatoes at very cheap rates; and the peasants of Nadia district must not be made to sell their jute at extremely low prices to pay off their debts.

6 April 1986, Kolkata Shabda Cayaniká Part 5

*****

You know, in a balanced economy there should be proper

adjustment among agriculture, industry and commerce. For example, a fixed percentage of people should be engaged in agriculture, another fixed percentage in industry and some percentage in commerce. Otherwise there will be no equipoise or equilibrium in the socio-economic sphere of life.

Unfortunately no such adjustment exists in any country of the world today. Even in industrially advanced countries like Great Britain, there is no proper adjustment. While England is developed, Scotland is backward. Even among the counties of England, some are developed and some are backward. Lancaster, for instance, is highly developed but Yorkshire is undeveloped. Sussex, Essex and Kent are not equally developed.

In Bengal, some districts are highly developed whereas other districts are backward. The economic structure is not properly balanced, and due to this people suffer. For example, Calcutta [now Kolkata], Hooghly, Howrah, Burdwan and 24 Parganas are industrially developed, but the neighbouring districts of Midnapur, Bankura, Birbhum and Murshidabad are backward.


So you must try to bring about an industrial revolution in the country. Just as there was a French Revolution, there should be an industrial revolution in Bengal.

For this industrial revolution, we must not depend upon raw materials from foreign countries. Remember that no country should depend on imported raw materials for development. Indigenous raw materials, that is, materials available within the country itself, must be used for this purpose. Those who love society – those who love the people of their country and are keen to bring about their socio-economic elevation – must think in terms of an industrial revolution based on the raw materials available in their own socio-economic unit.1

The districts of North Bengal – Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and West Dinajpur – can produce and supply enough raw materials for industrial development. We must utilize the available raw materials. For example, Cooch Behar district can supply jute and tobacco; Jalpaiguri district can supply pineapple fibres; and the western part of Jalpaiguri district can supply jute fibres. Malda district can supply mango, textiles, silk, rice bran for producing edible rice bran oil, and jute and maize, which can be used to make paper. The Malda silk industry can successfully compete with Chinese and Japanese silk, but unfortunately Malda, which has so much industrial potential, is the third poorest district in Bengal.

These things should be done, and they should be done in a short span of time. No industry in Bengal should depend on raw materials imported from outside.

You should bring about this revolution. You should collectively chalk out plans and programmes and demand such a change, such a revolution. Do not delay.

17 September 1987, Kolkata

1 See also “Socio-Economic Groupifications”. –Eds.

QUADRI-DIMENSIONAL ECONOMY

A developed economy should consist of four parts: people’s economy, psycho-economy, commercial economy and general economy. This quadri-dimension of the economy is a vast expansion on the contemporary and co-contemporary conceptions of economic activity.

Most economists today understand only a little of the principles of general economy and something of commercial economy, but both of these parts are still in an undeveloped stage. People’s economy and psycho-economy are totally overlooked by modern economists, and as such could find no place in the present mode of economic thinking. People’s Economy

People’s economy deals with the essential needs of the

people in general – the production, distribution, marketing, shipping, storage, pricing, sales, freight charges, pro forma costing, and all related activities of such essential needs. Most importantly, it is directly concerned with the guaranteed provision of minimum requirements, such as food, clothing, housing, medical treatment, education, transportation, energy and irrigation water. Continuous improvement in and ready availability of these requirements is the key factor in people’s economy.

The minimum requirements can be assured through guaranteed purchasing capacity, which should be enshrined in the constitution as a fundamental or cardinal human right. This will give the citizens of the country legal power if their minimum requirements are not met, hence the necessity of purchasing capacity will be reinforced by constitutional law.

QUADRI-DIMENSIONAL ECONOMY 391

As people’s economy will deal with minimum requirements and people’s subsistence problems, it must take precedence over other parts of the economy.

People’s economy should also be concerned with the development of both private and cooperative industries. Private industries would be limited in size and scope to prevent monopoly production and exploitation, and would be required to function as cooperatives once they grow too large. Cooperative industries are the best means of independently organizing people so that they take collective responsibility for their livelihood.

People’s economy also includes employment for all; the eradication of mass poverty; the development of rural economy; the phase-wise socialization of land into the hands of those who work physically or intellectually for proper production; practical training programmes to impart skills which enable people to find employment in their immediate urban or rural locality; work placement; and the transportation, transshipment, loading and unloading of any materials, even if they are not economically viable in the short-term. It is also concerned with the generation of cheap power and the supply of water, which are essential if people are to control their local economies. Finally, it includes economic decentralization, cooperative dynamo and block-level planning.

Take the example of Bengal. The following programme based on the provision of the minimum requirements may be adopted to improve the economic standard of Bengal.

Food: Although Bengal is fertile, it is divided into two parts: areas short of rainfall, and areas with no shortages of rainfall but which experience water shortages in winter. In both parts water conservation is required. The irrigation problem can be solved by any of several methods, including shift irrigation, lift irrigation, tank irrigation and small-scale river projects. The quality of water varies among different rivers. Some water is


sweet, and discriminating use of this water can improve agricultural production. Different crops, fruits and vegetables can be grown all over Bengal, which is capable of feeding its entire population of around 70 million people through its own resources if they are properly managed.

Clothing: The type of clothing that people wear depends primarily on climatic conditions and the availability of raw materials. In Bengal, four major raw materials are available for clothing: cotton, mulberry silk, non-mulberry silk, and synthetic silk and other materials. Bengal can become self-sufficient in cotton, silk and synthetic materials, and can even produce a surplus for export to other regions. Mulberry silk is ideally suited to Bengal because it requires a slightly dry climate, which is found in eastern Bengal. Non-mulberry silk can also be grown throughout Bengal. Fibres can be produced from copra, rice husks, bamboo, coconut shells, banana leaves and pineapple leaves, which are all widely available. Bengal can also grow wool, and even jute can be used for clothing.

Housing: Construction materials are abundantly available throughout Bengal. Three essential requirements are sand, lime and cement. The clay soil of Bengal is suitable for manufacturing bricks, fire-bricks and tiles, while enormous limestone deposits have been discovered. Bengal can be self-sufficient in the production of building materials, and can also export to other regions. Industries that manufacture construction materials can be quite profitable.

Medicine: Bengal is richly endowed with both herbal and mineral medicines. The major ailments of Bengal are fever and stomach diseases. It is the practice of nature to abundantly produce the herbs that cure the common diseases of the people in their locality. Some districts in Bengal are suitable for herb cultivation, while other districts are rich in mineral medicines.

Education: One’s mother tongue is the natural medium of expression, hence Bengali should be the medium of instruction


in Bengalee schools. English, which is presently the global language, should be the second language, so higher education should be imparted in English. Sanskrit should also be taught to enrich the cultural heritage of Bengal.

Education materials, such as paper and ink, are also available in Bengal. Paper can be manufactured from different grasses and plants, which can be readily grown in several districts. Ink can be manufactured from synthetic processes or from indigo.

Energy and transportation: Until solar energy can be manufactured cheaply, other energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, thermal power, tidal power and wind power, can be utilized. All the raw materials necessary for transportation are also available, including rubber, steel, mica, mercury, silver, copper, quartz and manganese. Hence, Bengal can develop all kinds of transportation. Psycho-Economy

While people’s economy is concerned primarily with the

provision of the minimum requirements of life, psycho-economy is concerned with increasing the psychic pabula of the individual and collective mind through appropriate economic activity. People’s economy will be the main concern of undeveloped and developing countries, but psycho-economy will gain increasing importance in the future once the problems of subsistence are gradually solved. Psycho-economy will be of major importance in a highly developed and mechanized economy where people may only work a few hours a week and have much spare time.

Psycho-economy has two branches. The first branch endeavours to eradicate exploitative and unjust economic practices, behaviours and structures. It will counter all economic and psycho-economic exploitation and make people aware of how capitalists, in their singular or collective roles,


exploit society and create unhealthy, artificial demands, which not only poison the mind but encourage dangerous habits detrimental to psychic sanctity and expansion. The first and foremost duty of psycho-economics is to wage a tireless fight against all degenerating and dehumanizing economic trends in society.

The second branch of psycho-economy develops and enhances the psychic pabula of the individual and collective minds. This branch is virtually unknown today, but it will become an extremely important branch of economics in the future. It will ensure equilibrium and equipoise in all levels of the economy. It will find new and creative solutions to economic problems to nurture the maximum utilization of psychic and spiritual potentialities. Psycho-economics will add to the glaring glamour of economics. Commercial Economy

This part of the economy is concerned with the development

of scientific, efficient methods of production and distribution, which will not incur loss and where output will exceed input. The aim of commercial economy is to ensure the maximum utilization and rational distribution of resources for the benefit of all. General Economy

Although some development has occurred in both

commercial and general economy, there is scope for much greater development.

Prout advocates a three-tiered industrial structure, which includes key industries managed by the immediate government, cooperatives, and privately-owned enterprises. Key industries will function on a “no profit, no loss” principle. General


economy includes the organization of the industrial structure and the coordination of economic planning at all levels to ensure collective welfare.

These four parts of the economy should be integrated and

adjusted according to Neohumanistic1 principles to ensure the maximum utilization and rational distribution of all resources, and to harmonize human progress with all creation.



ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR BENGAL

The poorest districts of Bengal are Bankura and Purulia – the economic condition of these districts is the worst in the state. Here the people are so poor that they live on grass seeds for three or four months of the year. Other districts, such as Nadia, Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Karimganj, are better off economically.

To make all of Bangalistan economically self-sufficient, two things are important: self-sufficiency in the production of the minimum requirements of life, and the large-scale production of cash crops and non-agricultural products. Both are of paramount importance if the people of Bangalistan are to prosper. Minimum requirements include the provision of adequate food, clothing, housing, education and medical treatment. To guarantee these minimum requirements, there must be self-sufficiency in the production of staple food items, cloth, housing materials, educational equipment and medicines. In addition, cash crops and non-agricultural products must be produced profitably. Let us discuss each item to examine how the people of Bangalistan can become economically self-sufficient. FOOD PRODUCTION

The main obstacles to self-sufficiency in food production in Bangalistan are the scarcity of rain in the winter and the problem of drainage in the rainy season. Bengal often receives a lot of rainfall during the monsoon, but that is only for six to eight weeks of the year. Due to large-scale deforestation, the amount of rainfall has substantially decreased. In comparison to the needs of Bengal, there is now a shortage of rainfall that

ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR BENGAL 397

hampers the production of crops. The rivers do not have plenty of water, and the irrigation system does not function well. For want of rain in the winter, the winter and summer crops suffer terribly. Due to the defective drainage system, the river water is not utilized for the production of food crops.

To combat these kinds of adversities, the irrigation system must be thoroughly overhauled. Where there is a continuous scarcity of rainfall in Bengal, particularly in the Ráóh area, there should be maximum emphasis on shift and lift irrigation, tank irrigation and small-scale river-valley projects. Simultaneously, the rivulets and canals should be properly utilized and the drainage problem should be completely controlled. If the irrigation problem is solved properly, abundant crops can be harvested four times a year. For example, the áman, boro and áus varieties of paddy can be grown in rotation throughout the year. In ninety days, one rice crop can be grown.

In Japan there is enormous population pressure. In British India, Tripura, Noakhali, Comilla, Chandpur and Brahmanberia were overpopulated. The population density in Japan today is much greater than in those areas at that time, nevertheless Japan has been able to attain self-sufficiency in food production.

The sticky soil of Ráóh can hold water for a long time, and such soil is ideal for constructing tanks, ponds, reservoirs and dams. Naturally pisciculture can be developed because water can be conserved in the soil. Moreover sticky soil is ideal for áman paddy. In some places in North Bengal there is sticky soil, while in other places there is sticky, sandy (doyáôsh) soil, which is approximately one-third sticky and two-thirds sandy, as in Dinajpur district. Of all the districts in North Bengal, Dinajpur is the most ideal for the production of áman paddy. The soil of Bangladesh is generally sandy and is ideal for áus production. Sticky, sandy soil is suitable for áus and jute.

398 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 The climate in Tripura is very similar to that of Ráóh, and

although Tripura is a rain-shadow area, the amount of rainfall in Tripura is greater than in Ráóh. The soil of Tripura is ideal for áus paddy, summer crops and potato. Jute may be grown, but there will not be an abundant harvest. Chilli can be grown in abundance and will have a large market in Bangladesh. Ráóh can grow an abundance of mustard seeds, whereas the other regions of Bengal can grow sesame seeds, from which many oil products can be easily made. Sesame is an ideal cash crop. There should be greater emphasis on the production of sugar beet than sugar cane, because the cultivation of sugar cane occupies farmland for a full year. Sugar beet can be grown profitably in the Ayodhya Hills in Purulia district and the Shushunia Hills in Bankura district. Sugar can be easily processed from sugar beet and sweet potato (shákálu). North Bengal is ideal for the cultivation of tobacco, which needs black soil. Ráóh has ideal soil for the cultivation of pulses and potato. Usually a damp climate is not congenial for potato cultivation, which is why North Bengal and Assam get their supplies of potato from Birbhum district. Hooghly district supplies potato to Kolkata, Burdwan district does the same for Bihar, and Midnapur does the same for Madhya Pradesh. In the eastern portion of Ráóh, potatoes grow quite well.

Although Tripura is a rain-shadow area, its hills receive substantial rainfall because there is less movement of water vapour in Tripura than in the rest of Bengal. The Cherapunji area of Assam receives the most rainfall in the world; the adjacent rain-shadow area of Shillong receives much less rain. Water vapour condenses into rain on the Cherapunji Hills, consequently little moisture is left for Shillong, which is why the average amount of rainfall in the Cherapunji Hills is 900 inches a year, but the amount of average rainfall in Shillong is only 80 inches a year.


One of the main differences between Tripura and Ráóh is that Tripura receives much more rain. The weight of one potato is nearly half a kilogram in Ráóh, but in Tripura it is much less; however, Tripura can grow many more potatoes than Ráóh. In fact, Tripura can grow so many potatoes that it can supply Bangladesh and earn a lot of foreign exchange. Tripura can also grow a lot of mustard seeds, which can be exported to Bangladesh. The sticky, sandy soil of Bangladesh is not suitable for growing mustard seeds. In Tripura the soil is heavier than in Ráóh, so Tripura can grow pineapples and bananas. Jackfruit does not require any special soil and it can be grown throughout Bengal. Tea can be grown in Tripura but not very well because it requires sloping, hilly land, where water does not accumulate, and heavy rainfall. The amount of the tea harvest generally depends on the amount of rainfall.

Silchar, Karimgarj and Tripura can grow rubber, but the harvest will not be abundant. Jute requires heavy rainfall plus fertile soil, so it will grow better in Mymensingh district than in Tripura. Mymensingh district is called the “Dead Valley of Brahmaputra”. A lot of wild arum can also be grown in Tripura.

For the cultivation of vegetables there must be a constant supply of water, but not necessarily rainwater. Nadia and Kusthia districts can easily grow abundant vegetables. In these areas cabbages, cotton (cás kápás and gách kápás) can also be grown abundantly. Nadia and Murshidabad can grow much wheat. Cotton can also be grown profitably in Tripura. Rubber cultivation can be undertaken in that part of Tripura which has much rainfall.

Coconuts require saline water, hence in the coastal areas of South Bengal many coconuts can be grown. For example, in the entire coastal area of South Bengal – 24 Parganas, Noakhali, Chittagong, Coxbazaar and some other places – coconuts can be grown in abundance. This coastal area is called


“Marine Bengal” and is the coconut belt. It can also be utilized for the shipbuilding industry. The Sanskrit equivalent of “coconut” is kalpataru vrkïa. In Siliguri, Cooch Behar, Cachar and Karimganj the soil is ideal for the cultivation of betel nut. In the same soil black pepper can also be profitably grown. The cultivation of betel leaf requires saline soil. The soil of the Tamluk subdivision of Midnapur is ideal for betel leaf, and it can supply the entire Indian market. All of South Bengal can grow betel leaf.

Except for jute, all these crops come within the scope of food items. From jute many other subsidiary industries can be developed, such as paper, rayon and silk. Paper can be produced from bamboo also, but it will be a little more expensive. The economic planning of all Bengal must be done block-wise. The soil and climate of Rajganj in South Bengal are not the same as those of Malda and Raiganj in North Bengal, hence the planning in the two areas must be different. Although the economic planning of Bengal must be on a large scale, there must still be block-level planning.1

Paddy

Of all the varieties of grass in the world, bamboo is the tallest. The shortest is durvá grass. Durvá is a Sanskrit word. Durvá grass is quite short and grows in abundance in the Chotanagpur area. Grass of all varieties has medicinal value. There are over 250 varieties of bamboo. Besides this, sugar cane, paddy, vicali and wheat come within the category of grass. People sometimes eat the seeds of certain varieties of grass, but not of all varieties. Although sugar cane produces flowers, we rarely see its seeds. Sugar cane sprouts out of the joints of the plant. Bamboo flowers are not suitable for human

1 See “Block-Level Planning”. –Eds.


consumption. Vicali grass produces tiny seeds, and during times of famine sometimes people survive on vicali grass seeds. Madur grass also produces seeds, but they must not be eaten by human beings.

Paddy, commonly called rice, is the staple food for many people in the world. There are different varieties of paddy. The plants of some varieties are seven to eight feet tall, whereas other varieties are two-and-a-half to three feet tall. Barley is also a kind of grass. Wheat is smaller than barley. Maize, or corn, and millet (bájrá) are other varieties of grass, but their leaves are more flat. The speciality of corn is not in the tip of the stem like paddy, but in the joints of the stem where the ears grow. Rice, wheat and barley are staple foods. Some local varieties of grass found in Bengal, such as shyámá, nárkátiá, káun and kodo, are regarded as food. During periods of extreme food shortages, the seeds of these grasses are eaten.

The Sanskrit word dhánya means “green vegetation”. [In Bengali, it means “paddy”.] When the Aryans came to India,2

they saw green vegetation [of the type found in a subtropical climate] for the first time. But there is a difference between the paddy of Bengal and the green vegetation in Sanskrit vocabulary. Paddy was first seen by the Aryans when they reached Persia [now Iran], although very little paddy was grown there. The Aryans called paddy briihi, that is, “the crop which has vast potential as a food”. Paddy is easily digestible and it also has medicinal value. The English word “rice” came from the Sanskrit word briihi. After 1,000 years briihi became rihi in Persian, which became risi in Old Latin after another 1,000 years, and then “rice” in modern English.

Boiled rice, fried rice, puffed rice and beaten rice are made from rice. Wheat increases physical strength, but as it is a bit acidic, it reduces vital energy after the age of fifty-five.

2 The Aryans first began migrating to India about 10,000 years ago. –Eds.


According to some people, wheat bread brings strength to the body but dulls the brain, but rice is free from this defect. Rice takes up much room in the stomach,3 which is why people feel lethargic and sleepy after a meal of rice. When the Aryans entered India, they noticed that the land grew lush, green vegetation, so they called it “Harit Dhánya”. This became “Hariyahánna” after 1,000 years, then “Harihána” after another 1,000 years, and now it is “Haryana” – the land of abundant green vegetation.

Paddy had already been used for a long time by the Dravidians and Austrics before the Aryans first saw it. Paddy was the main crop of Ráóh. By sowing the paddy seeds in a small plot of land, farmers first prepare the seedlings. In Sanskrit seedlings are called ásphota, and a pit for the seedlings is called biijatalá. If Sanskrit had not been the indigenous language of India, how could the illiterate villagers of Ráóh have known Sanskrit words before the Aryans entered India? Hence, it is clear that Sanskrit was the original language of Ráóh, Greater Bengal and India. In Dhanbad, Deoghar, Dumka, Pakur, Godda, Birbhum and other places in Ráóh, words which originated from Sanskrit are used extensively.

When human beings first started to eat a vegetarian diet, they collected fruits, roots and vegetables from trees and plants. Sometimes they also ate grass seeds. Among the grasses, they discovered that the rice seeds did not taste bad, and gradually they became habituated to eating rice regularly. In the Stone and Bronze Ages, people used to collect paddy seeds and remove the husks with stone implements. This process ultimately led to the invention of improvised husking machines. After the discovery of fire, 4 human beings also began to boil rice. They also discovered that rice can be dried

3 I.e., depending upon how rice is prepared, it can expand in the stomach after it

has been eaten. –Eds. 4 I.e., after the discovery that fire can be used to cook grains. –Eds.


in the sun and eaten instead of boiling it. However, rice prepared in this way tends to cause constipation, so people preferred boiled rice. The people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are accustomed to sun-dried rice. If sun-dried rice is eaten after midday, there is less possibility of getting constipation. People began to fry boiled rice on primitive earth pans, and learned that fried rice prepared in this way was a bit hard. Consequently they boiled rice twice, and from this muói or puffed rice was prepared. Moreover rice was fried on earth pans to prepare khai or wholegrain puffed rice. The nutritional value of puffed rice is negligible, but it can be used as a breakfast cereal. Thus people began to prepare different kinds of food from paddy, and this is the reason why the intelligent Aryans called rice briihi.

In the primitive stage of agriculture, people used to merely scratch the surface of the soil with a stick or stone implement and scatter the seeds onto the land. When the rain came, the seeds would sprout, and in due course, grains and tuber crops would be produced. The people would harvest these crops, then burn the stalks, which would serve as manure. Gradually the fertility of the soil diminished, so they began to wonder how to increase the fertility of the soil. Some intelligent people conceived of making deep holes in the soil and extending the area of arable land. In the process, people invented the method of farming the land with ploughs and bullocks. They also discovered that cow dung was an ideal manure. With the help of ploughs, the soil could be tilled deeper and made more fertile. In olden days, people would sometimes let the land lie fallow for one to two years to increase its fertility. This system is practised even today in some places. Subsequently, people also discovered that if two seeds are sown in the same place, the plants will not grow properly, so they developed the system of planting seedlings so that each seed had its specific place – thus they developed the system of transplantation. This is


called ropana in Sanskrit, while sowing seeds is called vapana. As a result of transplantation, paddy grows well and produces large amounts of flowers, the overall growth of the plants reaches the maximum size, and many offshoots grow out of the roots. Through these kinds of discoveries, farmers were able to increase the productivity of the land and get a better harvest from each plant.

In Bangladesh it is difficult to transplant seedlings because if the seedlings are prepared in seedbeds, they may be drowned due to the extensive rainfall. Consequently paddy seeds are sown long before the rainy season so that by the time the rain starts, the seedlings will have grown to a suitable height. The rule for growing paddy is, if the tips are submerged in water due to sudden rainfall, the paddy will decompose and the plants will die, but if the water level is increased gradually, the seedling will keep growing to stay just above the water.

Varieties of paddy can be grown in all seasons. Áus is harvested in [the month of] Bhádra [mid-August to mid-September], but in the rainy season, early autumn and late autumn, áman grows. From the last part of winter to the summer season, boro can be grown. Hence, different varieties of rice can be grown throughout the year.

Áus is grown in comparatively dry soil, which receives little rain. It prefers sticky, sandy soil. If water accumulates in the soil around the roots of the áus crop, the plants will wither. In Murshidabad, Jessore, Khulna, Nadia and North 24 Parganas, there is plenty of sticky, sandy soil. Áus can grow abundantly in these districts. The districts of North Bengal are also fit for áus cultivation.

Sun-dried áus does not cause constipation, but as it is coarse, people do not normally like it, which is why the rich people of Ráóh used to donate the áus crop to the poor people. Good-quality bread can be made from áus paddy, hence the bakery industry can be developed in every block and locality. People


of average means can eat bread made from áus flour for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Such bread can be eaten frequently because it is not made of wheat, so regular consumption will not cause acidity. Among rice eaters, there is a high number of intelligent people. Rice eaters can also eat áus bread.

The production of áus will be abundant if it is grown in Vaeshákh [mid-April to mid-May] and harvested in Bhádra. Áus can also be grown in Jyaeïíha [mid-May to mid-June] and Áïáóh [mid-June to mid-July]. In North India áus is called bhádoi. In olden days people would cultivate áus because the early autumn was the lean season and the áman crop was still in the field, so if the áus could be harvested in the early autumn, they would get some money to pay revenue taxes. In the past during the festival to worship the snake god, villagers used to cook áus and prepare a dish made from arum. There is little risk involved in the cultivation of áus because the seeds will almost always grow if they are sown in moist soil. Only one or two showers are enough for the plants to grow and flower. In those areas of Ráóh where there is chronic drought, áus can be grown profitably. Like other varieties of rice, áus has little fat.

From áus bran, bran oil can be made. The cement industry can be developed by using áus bran and áus husks, mixed with limestone and marine soil. In western Ráóh and the coastal region, the cement industry can flourish. Cement made from áman husks is better in quality than that prepared from áus husks.

With áus, a “pigeon crop” of [páyrá phasal]5 is not very productive nor should pisciculture be developed, because in the áus paddy field there is little water. In some parts of Bengal the seeds of áus are sown in the field and not transplanted, because

5 A pigeon crop is a secondary crop; the seeds for a pigeon crop are sown by

casting them in the same way that one might cast grain to pigeons. Páyrá phasal is a minor crop grown as a pigeon crop in the same field as the main crop. –Eds.


muddy soil is necessary for transplanted áus. In Bangladesh there is so much water that it is difficult to make mud, so áus seeds are sown directly in the field before the rainy season. As I said earlier, Murshidabad and Nadia districts have rich, sticky, sandy soil, which is ideal for abundant áus. These areas can attain self-sufficiency in food production if áus is cultivated properly. With a little care, the production can be increased by 150% to 200%.

Áus straw cannot be used for thatching houses but it can be used as a cattle fodder. When straw decomposes, it produces a special kind of mushroom called kavaka in Sanskrit. Though it contains some food value, it is a static food,6 and as such is forbidden for Ananda Margis. Good-quality paper and fibres may be prepared from áus straw.

Áman can be grown both by sowing the seeds and by transplanting the seedlings. As the people of Bangladesh are less industrious than the people of West Bengal, they now cultivate áman by sowing the seeds in the field, but if they will transplant the seedlings, production will increase. It should be noted that the inhabitants of Bangladesh have less physical endurance than the people of West Bengal due to climatic factors. 7 For the cultivation of áman, the soil should be ploughed four times. The land should be ploughed first in the summer when the soil is dry, again before the rainy season, then after the rainy season, and finally when transplanting is being done. In Bangladesh people usually plough the land just once, then sow the seeds.

The process of cultivating transplanted áman is as follows. First the seeds are sown in the seedbeds and allowed to grow for four to six weeks before the seedlings are transplanted. The seedlings should be planted in a triangular formation in parallel

6 Static food is food that is harmful for the mind and may or may not be good for

the body. –Eds. 7 See “East-Wet Theory”. –Eds.


lines,8 and there should be some water in the field. An áman field should be inundated with water before the time of flowering, and preferably there should be rainfall to nourish the flowers. Without rain the plants will not flower properly. If the plants flower in Áshvin [mid-September to mid-October], after two months the paddy can be harvested. The kálá kárttik variety of paddy is harvested in Kárttik [mid-October to mid-November] and then the summer crops can be planted. A pigeon crop of the rái variety of mustard, small black peas (íhikre maíar), small black Bengal gram (íhikre cáná) or black lentils (íhikre masur) can be grown as an associate crop.

Where kálá kárttik paddy has been harvested, green gram (big variety), peas (big variety) and potato can be grown. These days, people prefer the hybrid variety of paddy. After paddy is harvested in October, the summer crop can be grown in the same land. The best time to grow wheat is in Kárttik, and if it is grown at this time the harvest will be plentiful, but if wheat is grown in Agraháyaò [mid-November to mid-December], it will be the late variety and the harvest will be smaller. If hybrid áman is cultivated in Nadia and Murshidabad, it can be harvested before the early variety of wheat is grown, but as the soil is sticky and sandy, the water does not accumulate, hence it is not ideal for the áman crop.

The soil of Ráóh is sticky, so it retains water; hence there are more ponds and tanks in Ráóh than in other parts of Bengal. In Burdwan district there are over 25,000 ponds and in Purulia district over 10,000 ponds, so the soil of Ráóh is very congenial for the cultivation of áman paddy. When it is time for the áman paddy to flower, seedlings of áus should be grown in comparatively high land. As soon as áman is harvested, the vacant field should be ploughed and the áus seedlings

8 Ideally each seedling should be planted opposite the seedling in the adjacent row

at an angle of sixty degrees, forming equilateral triangles, thereby maximizing the number of seedlings that can be planted in a given area of land. –Eds.


transplanted. This crop will be winter áus. By the time winter áus is harvested, boro seedlings should be separately planted in the same land. As áman occupies the land for four months, up to six weeks can be taken to prepare the seedlings, so then the paddy will grow in the field for only two-and-a-half months.

Boro requires three times more water than wheat, hence it is more profitable to grow wheat in Nadia and Murshidabad districts than boro. Where deep tube wells are available, boro can also be grown.

In the boro fields pisciculture may also be developed. As there is plenty of water in áman and boro paddy land, people can profitably grow the nayata, khyara, kunti and kharshota varieties of fry, which lay their eggs in ponds. The people of Ráóh do not relish dried fish, but dried fish can be prepared in Ráóh and exported to other regions. They should cultivate fry but not big fish such as bata, pabda and carp.

The soil of Ráóh can produce bumper harvests if it is properly irrigated. Burdwan, Hooghly and Howrah districts produce abundant boro.

The straw of the áman paddy can be used for thatching houses, as a cattle fodder, and in the paper industry. The straw of boro paddy is not very healthy, and even cows refuse to eat it, nor can it be used for thatching, but it can be used for producing good-quality paper and fibres. It can also be used to grow mushrooms. When boro straw decomposes, it produces high-quality mushrooms.

In northern India áus is called “autumn paddy”, áman is “winter paddy” and boro is “summer paddy”. The outer skin of the áman paddy can be used to produce cement of the best quality. In Nadia district three or four cement factories can profitably run from the winter paddy crop. In the adjacent district of 24 Parganas, lime made from the shells of small snails and shellfish can be manufactured and supplied to Nadia district. So in 24 Parganas the lime industry can be developed


to supply Nadia district, thus two districts can develop their industrial potentiality.

Before the partition of Bengal,9 boro was widely cultivated in [what is now] Bangladesh, particularly in the Kishanganj subdivision of Mymensingh district and the Habiganj subdivision of Sylhet district. These days even Ráóh is growing a lot of boro.

Pulses do not require much water, but wheat needs to be irrigated three times during its growing cycle. Boro needs three times more water than wheat. Hence in sandy soil and sticky, sandy soil, one should not cultivate boro, because water does not accumulate at the root of the plant. But boro is profitable, which is why if farmers get the scope to cultivate it they do not grow wheat. Wheat requires cold weather as it matures, but it is adversely affected by extreme cold. In foggy weather potato is also infected with diseases. Let the farmers grow boro on most of their land, wheat in smaller areas, and áus in the barren, dry land.

Áman bran can be utilized to manufacture bran oil, while the straw can be used in the paper industry. As a general rule, it is always more profitable to establish an industry in the local area where there is a ready supply of raw materials than to transport the raw materials to some distant place. While cultivating áus in Ráóh, the farmers should pay more attention to transplanted áus than to sown áus because transplanted áus is more productive. Flour can be made from the outer skins of áman and used to manufacture good-quality bread, which will have a large market. Madras [now Chennai] has already established factories to produce biscuits from áman flour. Bengal can do the same.

China produces more rice than any other country in the world, followed by Burma [now Myanmar], India and then

9 Bengal was partitioned in 1947. –Eds.


Thailand. Since China and India have to feed huge populations, they cannot export rice to other countries, whereas Myanmar and Thailand can export rice because their populations are much smaller. The Philippines, Taiwan and Japan are self-sufficient in rice production. In Bengal most rice is produced in Burdwan, Birbhum and West Dinajpur, followed by Midnapur, Bankura and Cooch Behar. Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Murshidabad and Nadia are deficit districts.

The soil of North Bengal, Bangladesh and Assam is very good for growing sesame. Sesame is of three varieties: the red variety, which grows in winter; the white variety, which grows in summer; and the black variety, which grows in the rainy season. Sesame does not grow well in a damp climate. The skin of sesame can be used as a good-quality manure. It can also be used to make oil cake, which is both a good cattle fodder and also a manure. Sesame can also be used as flour to produce bread, pudding and porridge. It is easy to remove the skin of sesame. Simply soak the seeds in water overnight, put them in hessian cloth and rub them. The skin will automatically drop off. Skinless sesame is used for preparing some delicacies such as til sandesh, the famous sweet of Burdwan, and tilkut, the most delicious sweet of Gaya district of Bihar.

Sesame is a three-month crop. The land should be ploughed three times and irrigated twice. Black sesame is the best variety. Its oil is a good medicine for those who get angry easily. White and red sesame can be used to make edible oil. Sesame oil can be utilized as a scented oil, because it has a tremendous capacity to absorb different fragrances. Coconut oil has the least capacity to absorb fragrances, but it is the best hair oil. White sesame looks good. Some of the delicacies produced in Lucknow are prepared with white sesame.

Because much of the land in North Bengal and Bangladesh remains under water or contains much flowing water in certain periods of the year, it is difficult to develop pisciculture, so the


dried fish industry cannot be developed. In West Bengal there are many canals, which is why much fish is produced there that can be easily exported to Myanmar, Thailand and Japan.

Land which cannot be ploughed and is not suitable for paddy can be utilized for pigeon crops. On the boundaries of the áman paddy land, Bengal gram can be grown in abundance. On the same land paddy, fry and gram can be cultivated, hence people can produce rice, fish and pulse simultaneously.

Liquid manure should be added to the paddy field after the weeds have been pulled out, otherwise the weeds will absorb the manure from the soil. Similarly, before sowing pigeon crops manure should be added to the soil, otherwise the pigeon crops will absorb the nutrients that are intended to fertilize the paddy. The pigeon crops should be sown after the paddy flowers. If they are sown earlier, the small fish in the paddy fields will not be able to move freely, restricting both their growth and the growth of the paddy.

Cashew nut processing plants may be established in Midnapur, particularly in the Ramnagar, Sutahata and Nandigram blocks. Cashew nut flowers should not be separated from the fruit. Floral nectar can be gathered from the flowers, which can also be utilized for the preparation of alcohol through fermentation for the pharmaceutical industry.

Seaweed can be gathered from the coastal areas of Bengal to manufacture iodine. The tobacco processing industry can be developed in Cooch Behar and Bankura. Silk spinning mills can be established at Malda, Sujagang, the Jangipur and Lalbag subdivisions of Murshidabad, Vasoa Vishnupur in Birbhum district, and the Visnupur subdivision of Bankura district. Wheat

Wheat is the second most popular staple food in the world, after rice. When the Aryans were living in Central Asia, they


were only acquainted with barley. They first came in contact with wheat after coming to Persia. Barley has food value but it does not taste as good as wheat. Barley is prepared by removing the skin of the grain. If the skin is not removed and the wholegrain is fried and ground, fried wholegrain flour will result.

In olden times wheat was ground by using hand-grinding machines because there were no mills. When the Aryans came to Persia they discovered wheat and liked its good taste, so they began to search for a suitable name for this new grain. The delicious taste of a food is experienced by the tongue. The Sanskrit synonym for “tongue” is go, and that which brings good taste to the tongue is called godhúma in Sanskrit. Dhúma means merriment, festivity or delight. The Sanskrit word godhúma was later transformed into gohuma, then into gaham. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, it is called gehuma. In Ráóh and Orissa [now Odisha], it is called gaham; in Bengal, gam. In the Punjab, it is called koòaka. Mature wheat is golden in colour, hence it is called komaka, which means “golden colour”. In Tamil it is called godhumái; in English, “wheat”. The abstract nouns of the adjective “white” are “whiteness” and “wheat”. In certain places godhúma looks white, so it was called “wheat” in Old English.

After the Aryans came to India, they noticed an abundant growth of wheat in the western regions. In southern India wheat was totally unknown. Usually wheat requires fertile soil, plain land, little water and a cool breeze. Of course these days there is some cultivation of wheat in South India. Wheat is a summer crop. It does not require much water – it is enough if the soil is moist – but it needs a cool breeze. The best time for cultivating summer crops is when the sun begins to move towards the north for people in the southern hemisphere, and when the sun begins to move towards the south for people in the northern hemisphere. In India, by the time the sun moves


south of the equator, the harvesting of wheat should have been completed.

Wheat is a three-month crop. During the cultivation of wheat, the land should be irrigated three times for the best harvest: once before planting, once while the crop is growing, and once while the crop is flowering. Wheat needs fertile land, but the soil must be sticky and sandy. If water accumulates at the root of the plant, it will wither and die. In those areas of Ráóh where sticky, sandy soil is available, wheat grows well. The best places for cultivating wheat in Bengal are Malda district, the Lalgola and Baharampur subdivisions of Murshidabad district, Nadia district and North 24 Parganas, and in Bangladesh the northern parts of Jessore and Khulna districts.

Generally speaking, the soil and climate of Bangladesh is not suitable for growing wheat. Even if the plants grow, the seeds will be susceptible to fungus because of the damp climate. But in Kusthia district, wheat may be grown. This district was formerly part of Nadia district. In Faridpur and Dhaka districts, wheat will not grow because the climate is damp.

For the same reason wheat cannot be grown properly in Assam and certain parts of North Bengal. If wheat is grown in these places, seeds will not be produced, and even if the seeds are formed, they will be susceptible to fungus.

In Bihar, ideal wheat production is not possible in Magadh but Mithila can produce bumper crops. Uttar Pradesh and Haryana will have good harvests, but the best state in which to grow wheat in India is the Punjab. Of all the districts of the Punjab, Ludhiana has the most outstanding harvests.

In Bengal, Memari-1 block of Burdwan can produce the most wheat. Galsi-2 block is ideal for yellow mustard, and the Jamalpur area of Burdwan and Farukhabad in Uttar Pradesh can produce the most potato.

414 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 Wheat can be used to make flour and porridge. Wholegrain

wheat flour or coarse flour is good for the stomach, but flour produced by removing the skin of wheat is not. Of all the districts in Bengal, wheat grows well in the inland, wavy land and the land adjacent to rivers in Malda district, the Lalbag and Berhampore subdivisions of Murshidabad district, the entire Nadia district, the entire 24 Parganas district, and eastern and western Ráóh. Bankura district supplies the best wheat seeds in Bengal. After harvesting high-breed áman, that is, áman paddy which comes from a bumper crop, the empty land should be ploughed twice at right angles, then the land will not require levelling. At the time of the second ploughing, the seeds should be sown. When they sprout, the first irrigation should be done.

The best time for sowing wheat is when Libra remains at ninety degrees with Scorpio and Sagittarius, which is in the Bengali months of Kárttik, Agraháyaò and Paoï [mid-December to mid-January]. The early variety of wheat must be sown between the first of Kárttik and the middle of Agraháyaò, and the late variety can be sown up to the seventh of Paoï. If adequate irrigation can be arranged in Ráóh, wheat can be easily grown there.

Small-scale irrigation projects should be undertaken for rivers such as the Mayurakshi, Kopai, Ajay, Bakreswar, Dwaraka, Barakar, Kansai, Kumari, Dulung, Keleghai, Chhotkiguwai, Barhkiguwai and Suvarnarekha in Ráóh. In these small irrigation projects, the authorities should not construct large dams, rather they should confine their expenditure to between 2.5 million rupees to 5 million rupees. As far as the standard of soil for wheat production is concerned, Samatat, or Bagói, is the best, then East Ráóh, then North Bengal. Due to the damp climate of North Bengal, wheat seeds are easily susceptible to fungus. Wheat production per acre in Jalpaiguri is half the quantity produced in Nadia district.


Nitrogen, which increases the fertility of soil, is produced at the root of all the pulse crops. In wheat fields, pulses should be grown as associate crops as this will automatically increase the production of wheat. According to the seasonal schedule of wheat planting, the relevant pulse should be planted as a blended crop. That is, early wheat should be grown with early pulses and late wheat with late pulses. The rái variety of mustard is also nitrogenous. If 90% of a field is cultivated with wheat and 10% with pulses, farmers will get the equivalent of 100% wheat production as well as the 10% production of pulse, thus increasing the overall productivity. This is due to the effect of the nitrogen. Hence, the pulse crops will provide extra profit for the farmers.

The disadvantage with wheat is that when the wheat grain is growing but not yet fully matured and the easterly wind blows, the wheat will not ripen properly, and fungus will affect the seeds. If instead, however, the westerly wind blows, it will be extremely beneficial for the crop. As wheat depends on a cool breeze, with the increase in the coolness of the climate the productivity of the crop increases, but with the decrease in the coolness, it decreases. If, however, there is snow or heavy frosts, the wheat crop will be destroyed. In wheat cultivation, manure is also important. The nutritional value of wheat is slightly more than that of sun-dried rice.

In Bengal, Samatat has the maximum potential to produce wheat, but it does not have an adequate river irrigation system. But by God’s blessing, the water level in this area is not very low, so the farmers can cultivate wheat with the help of shallow tube wells. There is an extensive market for wheat throughout the world.

Those areas of Ráóh where the soil is yellow are not suitable for the cultivation of mustard seeds. Wheat requires fertile soil but soil which contains lots of pebbles and stones. Where the climate is very cold, barley rather than wheat can be produced.


In the soil of Bangladesh, sesame grows quite well. The areas where the climate is a bit warm are good for wheat, but barley is not usually grown.

Countries that are very cold cannot grow wheat, but they can grow oats well. The nutritional value of oats is less than that of wheat, but not by much. Oats have large coarse grains. It is difficult to make bread from oats. Oat bread will usually crumble into pieces, so the slices will not remain intact. In spite of excellent crops of wheat and rice, the farmers of Uttar Pradesh eat coarse grains. The large variety of oats is called jai and the small variety is called rye in Sanskrit. Some people consider these as completely separate varieties. In rich countries, oats are used as fodder. In Great Britain, England is fertile but Scotland is infertile, hence wheat grows well in England but oats are grown in Scotland. Oats are also grown in the northern parts of Russia. Oat porridge is a staple food of the Scottish people.

Some time ago India was dependent upon other countries for the supply of wheat, but now it is self-sufficient in wheat production. Bengal grows a lot of wheat. When Bengal started producing wheat in Nadia district about thirty years ago, the wheat seeds were mixed with oat seeds. As a result the oats began to grow better but they did not produce seeds, while the wheat did not grow properly and produced only small harvests. Consequently the government decided to supply better-quality wheat seeds to the farmers. Wheat is also grown in Burdwan, Hooghly and Howrah districts.

The cultivation of boro is quite profitable. In western Ráóh wheat grows better than boro, but in the low-lying areas boro may be cultivated. In Nadia district wheat is more profitable than boro. Nowadays boro is being cultivated with the help of deep tube wells, but this system of irrigation is not scientific. The same amount of water which is brought to the surface does not seep back down into the water-table, because much of the


water dries up due to the hot sunshine or is absorbed by the trees and plants. Hence, the water-table is rapidly declining. If the practice of deep tube well irrigation continues in Malda, Nadia and other districts, the water-table will decline so much that one day there will be no water for irrigation, and the grain crops and fruit orchards will wither and die. The farmers must be very vigilant about this problem. The wisest approach is to depend upon surface water for irrigation.

To save the Kolkata Port, the navigability of the Bhagirathi River must be maintained at any cost. The government of India constructed the Farakka Bridge to divert water to the Kolkata Port. Today Bangladesh should get as much water as India through the Bhagirathi, otherwise the rivers in Bangladesh will dry up and the economy of the country will be ruined. So the waters of the Brahmaputra should be diverted toward Rampur, Dinajpur, Malda (Manikchok) and finally merge in the Ganges. The natural course of the Brahmaputra is through Dugri, South Shalmara, Mankachar and on to Mymensingh. From there the river flows towards Bahadurabad, takes a left turn and proceeds towards Barabazar, and eventually arrives at Mezra. From here the Brahmaputra commences a new course via Pabna and Sirajgunge. Even 150 years ago, this course of the river was non-existent. Once the Tista River was heavily flooded and the Brahmaputra could not absorb the extra flow of water, so a new course was created because the river turned right and went all the way to Goalanda in Bangladesh, and then merged into the river Padma. The old course of the river became a stagnant lake, and as a result there was a devastating outbreak of malaria in Mymensingh. The water in the newly created section of the Brahmaputra has been well utilized by the people of Bangladesh. The water of the Brahmaputra can be easily diverted at Dhubri, and this will not cause any difficulty for Bangladesh. Hence, in my opinion, the people of Nadia should


not unnecessarily bother about installing many new shallow and deep tube wells for irrigation.

Although the nutritional value of wheat is higher than that of sun-dried rice, wheat causes acidity. After about fifty to fifty-five years of age, people who eat wheat excessively may be affected with gastric trouble and colic pain. Sometimes one may even be affected by tuberculosis and a malnourished brain. So wheat only should not be eaten twice a day. The people of Bihar undertake a lot of physical labour, but they eat wheat during the day and rice at night.

It is not profitable to use wheat stalks in the preparation of paper, but they can be used for fodder. Wheat husks are not good for pigeons and parrots because they will cause the birds stomach trouble.

It is difficult to distinguish between the seeds of wheat and of oats. The government of West Bengal should open a farm in Bankura to grow wheat seeds for cultivation throughout the state.

Poppy seeds can be cultivated with wheat as an associate crop. Poppy seed is a favourite item of the people of Ráóh. West Bengal buys at least 15 million rupees worth of poppy seed a year, but the central government does not allow the people of North Bengal to grow poppy seeds. There is a popular myth which says that if a wage labourer in Ráóh earns eight paise a day he will save three paise and shop with five paise, buying three paise of rice, one paisa of oil, salt and spices, and one paisa of poppy seeds. The people of Ráóh can forgo fish and meat, but they cannot do without poppy seeds. The seeds of poppy are sentient, the plant is mutative, and the sap is static.10 Poppy sap is intoxicating, hence it is called

10 Sentient food is conducive to physical and mental well-being. Mutative food is

good for the body and may or may not be good for the mind, but it is certainly not harmful for the mind. (And as mentioned in a footnote above, static food is harmful for the mind and may or may not be good for the body.) –Eds.


ahiphena in Sanskrit. Ahi means “snake” and phena means “foam”. The English word “opium” comes from the Sanskrit word ahiphena.

The seeds of almost all grasses are sentient. Sun-dried rice, which is usually prepared by soaking paddy and drying it in the sunshine, is also sentient. The women of the carpenter families in rural Bengal usually prepare beaten rice. If cooked rice is soaked in water overnight together with tamarind, it ferments, and if the next morning the water is poured off and used with salt and chilli, it is called ámáni, which is static. Ámáni is a medicine which prevents sunstroke. Coca-Cola, Campa-Cola, etc., are mutative. Monks, nuns, missionaries and probationary monks and nuns should avoid static and mutative food. Fresh wheat is sentient, but when it is fermented for the purpose of preparing alcohol, it becomes static. All liquor or alcohol prepared by distilling wheat is static. Distilling apparatus was invented by the Buddhist monk Nagarjuna. Wheat porridge is sentient, but beer is static.

Wheat has two main varieties: early (dudhiya) and late (lalka) varieties. The late variety is the tastier. Today people are trying to increase the production of wheat, but the wheat which is grown today is not as tasty as it used to be. Personally, I am in favour of encouraging science. I would like to appeal to the agricultural scientists to pay as much attention to the taste of wheat as to the amount of production.

Oats and rye make good fodder, particularly in rich countries, where they are often used as fodder for horses. In India poor people also eat these grains. Rotten wheat flour, which even animals refuse to eat, is sometimes used for food in the poor countries of Asia.


Maize

Maize, or corn, is an indigenous American grain and was brought to India from the USA. It grows all year round and takes sixty to eighty days to mature. In some parts of India, a particular variety called Rájendra bhuííá takes about fifty days to grow, but the quantity of production is low. This variety of maize was named after the first president of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Maize prefers fertile soil and a dry climate. Water must not accumulate at the root of the plant. Conversely, jute requires a damp climate and plenty of rain. By grinding maize we get coarse flour, but it is difficult to prepare small pieces of bread from it. Big pieces of bread can be made with some effort. Maize bread is called manda, or maòra in Angika. If the skin of maize is removed, ordinary-quality flour can be produced. Some dishonest businessmen mix maize flour with the flour of other grains. Maize flour is not very good at holding water.

Corn is often fried in a pan to make popped corn, which does not have much taste but is nutritious. Popcorn can also be turned into beaten corn, just like beaten rice, but the corn should be soaked in water and boiled before preparing it. Japan is a rich country, yet the breakfast commonly eaten by the people is corn flakes.

Bihar and Assam in India import rice from other states of the country, but Uttar Pradesh does not import rice because the people there eat less rice. The Burdwan district produces two-and-a-half times more rice than what is required by the local people.

If there are good rains in Bankura, Purulia and Cooch Behar during the paddy season, these districts will not suffer from deficit production. But Howrah, 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts are always deficit areas. Of these districts, Darjeeling is a hilly


region, and enough maize grows there to supply food for only five months of the year. The food supply for the other months of the year comes from the plains of Bengal. Burdwan district gets water from the Damodar Valley Corporation, so it can produce three paddy crops: áman, áus and boro. Howrah district can easily produce three paddy crops in a year also and be self-sufficient in food production.

Maize is an all-season crop, which can also grow in barren soil. In Darjeeling, as the land is hilly, maize should be grown by terracing the land. Winter paddy is grown almost everywhere in Bangalistan in early or late autumn, so there is not much scope for the cultivation of maize. During the other seasons, such as spring and summer, maize can be cultivated, or it can be grown as a buffer or boundary crop between two other crops.

Some people think that in the Bhutan Plateau no crop other than maize can be grown, hence they say that it is wise to cultivate as much maize as possible. Maize is called makai in Hindi and bhuííá in Bengali. In those parts of India where the climate is dry and the rainwater does not accumulate, maize can grow in abundance. Pulses

The consumption of static types of animal protein by human beings is slowly but surely coming to an end, because there is a shortage of pastureland to graze animals. Even a few decades ago in India, there used to be large open fields to graze cattle. People would collect the cow dung and use it as manure. Due to the increase in population and other natural factors, these vast pasturelands are fast disappearing, so cows and buffaloes are also disappearing. Fish, meat, eggs, milk, cream, butter and cheese are all animal proteins. Milk, cream, butter, etc., contain


much fat. If the present trends continue, in the not too distant future animal proteins may not be available at all.

Different countries have different types of staple foods. For instance, rice is the staple food of Bengal; potato is the staple food of Ireland; and bread and butter are the staple foods of some other countries. A time will come when the populations of the meat-eating countries will be in great trouble due to the absence of animal proteins. Cows can be tied to a fixed place, but sheep require vast tracts of land. Similarly, in the absence of suitable pastureland, it will be impossible to rear goats, hens and ducks. Naturally, we will have to depend more on pulses as the only viable alternative to animal protein and fats.

Of all the states in India, Gujarat has the most vegetarians. The people there depend upon vegetarian protein, like pulses, and prepare various food items with pulse powder. Pulse cakes are a very good food for post-convalescent tuberculosis patients. In Bangalistan, the most readily available pulses are first Bengal gram (cháná), then cowpea (aóahar), then green gram (mug), then lentil (masur), then peas (maíar), then kurti. Of all the pulses, black gram (biri kalái), Bengal gram, cowpea and green gram have the most food value. Cowpea provides reserve energy and physical strength, while green gram supplies instant energy but no reserve energy. Black gram provides both. Cowpea is more difficult to digest than green gram, but Bengal gram is even more difficult to digest. Black gram is comparatively easy to digest.

The quantity of pulses grown in Bangalistan at present can only meet the demands of the people for five months of the year. The rest of the demand is met by importing pulses from other states of India. In Bengal, only Nadia district is self-sufficient in pulse production. Malda and Murshidabad somehow manage to meet their own needs if all the varieties are taken together. As far as black gram is concerned, Birbhum, Burdwan, West Dinajpur and Cooch Behar are self-sufficient.


A certain amount of black gram is exported to the Punjab and Tamil Nadu from West Bengal.

If the people of Ráóh do not eat poppy seeds, pulses or plum chutney, they will not feel that their diet is balanced, but if they overeat these items from the early spring to the end of summer, the dry and rough climate of Ráóh will affect their health and blood will flow from their noses. The nutrition in lentils is less than in the other pulses, while overeating peas leads to skin allergies. All lentils are mutative during the day and static at night. Pulses get sour at night and then become reddish. Those who want to develop their intellect should refrain from eating lentils. As lentils tend to be static, Ananda Margis should avoid them too.

After harvesting áus or áman paddy, the field should be carefully ploughed and the big variety of pink Bengal gram, the big variety of peas and the big variety of green gram should be sown. For three to four months after harvesting áman, there is no water in the fields, but during the early part of Áshvin, the soil remains somewhat muddy and sticky. At that time the small variety of Bengal gram, peas, lentils and horse gram should be soaked in water overnight, and after they have sprouted, they should be sown as pigeon crops. Just as food grains are scattered before pigeons, the seeds of some pulse crops are scattered in a field as pigeon crops or secondary crops. The big variety of gram cannot be sown as a secondary crop because in the month of Áshvin the paddy grows quite tall, so the sun’s rays cannot penetrate through the paddy to the field, hence the seeds of the pigeon crop will not sprout. Black Bengal gram, black pea and lentil can be used as pigeon crops. The leaves of the small variety of peas are a little bitter and are harmful for the stomach. When paddy is harvested, the tops of the pulses are cut off, so new offshoots grow from the pulse stalks. This process produces a large number of new offshoots from the stalks, increasing the overall production of the crop.


The offcuts can be used for fodder. It is not necessary to apply fresh manure at this time because the pulses will extract what they need from the unconsumed nutrients still in the soil from the previous manuring. After the secondary crop is harvested in the month of Phálgun [mid-February to mid-March], mustard and summer soybean can be grown in the same field.

Usually at this time most of the land in Bengal does not lie fallow. After the áus paddy is harvested the land is often ploughed twice, and then the large varieties of pea and Bengal gram are grown, provided there is adequate provision for irrigation. The big variety of pea, Bengal gram and lentils are white, pink and red respectively. When pulses are ground by hand they split in two, but if they are ground in an improvised grinding machine with sand, they will not split apart.

If khesári is overeaten, it is harmful for the stomach. Khesári does not smell or taste good, and it sometimes causes paralysis because it contains poison. Just below the skin and just above the surface of the pulse poison develops, and this is what causes paralysis. I heard that the government had developed a variety of khesári which is not bad for the stomach. If one wants to avoid the adverse affects of khesári, it should be soaked overnight and thoroughly washed the next morning. Through this procedure the poisonous substance on the pulse will be washed off.

In Rajanagar, Dubrajpur, Mamudbazar, Murarai and Rampurhat blocks, pulses can be grown after the paddy is harvested. The chaff of khesári is a good fodder for cattle. Pulses are very nutritious for human beings.

The water and air of Ráóh are good for health, and the people of Ráóh have a strong physical structure. But as they do not get nutritious food, they do not get the scope to develop properly. The people of Purulia, Bankura and other adjoining districts easily contract leprosy because they lack nutritious food. Although there is poverty in Birbhum district, the people there


do not suffer from leprosy. The reason is that the subterranean soil of Birbhum district contains a lot of sulphur.

The Sanskrit word for “pea” is kaláya, and the Sanskrit words for “Bengal gram” are canaka and buòíika. From canaka comes the North Indian word cáná, and from buòíika comes buí. Cáná is the big variety of Bengal gram. The Sanskrit word for khesári is tripuíi, and the English is “horse gram”. The Sanskrit for biri kalái is máïkalái, and the English is “black gram”.

On elevated land in moderately fertile soil, black gram grows well. Associate crops such as soybean, peanut and sunflower can also be grown. Black gram takes four to five months to grow. If the land is manured excessively, pulses will grow very large but they will not produce seeds, so the branches should be cut. These offcuts can be used for fodder. Similarly, if paddy land is manured excessively, the plants will grow very large but the harvest will be smaller.

Green gram (mug) has several varieties. Golden gram (soná mug) grows all the year round, but it should not be grown in the rainy season. Green gram can be grown throughout the year while black gram grows only once a year, so it is better not to grow green gram in land which is suitable for black gram. Green gram can be grown as an associate or secondary crop with any other crop, and the plants are good fodder for cattle. When the seeds mature, the plant should be harvested. The difference between green gram and other varieties of pulses is that the seeds of green gram can be readily separated by tapping the plant lightly.

In the early part of the rainy season, the seeds of cowpea (aóahar) are spread on the soil. Cowpea has two main varieties: late winter (mághii) and late spring (caetii). In the Balagarh subdivision of Hooghly district and in Nadia and Murshidabad districts, these pulses grow easily. Castor can be grown with


cowpea as an associate crop, ensuring that every piece of land is properly utilized. Áus can also be grown simultaneously.

In the month of Kárttika, the land can also be used for tuber crops, such as sweet potato and red potato. Both crops can be grown together. In Nadia district, cowpea and áus are usually grown together. In all the high, arid land of West Ráóh, áus and cowpea can be grown together. The land should be utilized all the year round.

Silkworms which live on castor leaves can also provide a lot of silk, and much cheap silk can be gathered in this way and used for clothing. Castor is both a cash crop and a food crop. Tobacco

Dumka, Dhanbad, Purulia, Singhbhum, Bankura, Jharagram and West Burdwan were all full of kendu [tendu] trees. These trees also grow in Birbhum district. The great poet Jaydev11 was born in a village called Kenduli. In Kolkata the tendu fruit is called gáb, and in Ráóhii Bengal indigenous cigarettes (kendu bióis) can be made from tendu leaves.

As long as the biói industry remains, kendu leaves will be used commercially in Ráóh and other parts of India. After people stop smoking bióis, kendu leaves will lose their commercial importance. Bióis are cheap stimulants for poor people. When people realize that smoking bióis is detrimental to their health, they will act according to the principles of psycho-economy and reject kendu leaves on the one hand and tobacco on the other. At that time, the tens of thousands of labourers who work in the biói industry will have to be provided with alternative employment.

11 Jaydev was born about 1170 and lived during the Sen dynasty. He composed

the devotional poem “Giitagovindam”. –Eds.


The tobacco produced in Myanmar and some other countries is of better quality than Indian tobacco. The custom of chewing tobacco (doktá) leaves among young women is gradually dying out. The people of North India are also discarding the habit of chewing tobacco.

As long as people in India continue to smoke cigarettes, tobacco will be grown in India, and the forestry departments of different states will earn some revenue by selling kendu leaves. At present Purulia, Dhanbad, Baharampur, Manbazar, Barabazar, Jhargram, Visnupur, Malda, Dhulian and Pakur are prominent centres for the biói industry. Most of the people involved in this industry are tribals and Bengalee Muslims. Recently, some people of the Mahato community have also become engaged in this industry. Most of the labourers working in this industry suffer from lung diseases. CLOTHING

The clothing that people wear in a particular region depends upon two factors: the local climate and the availability of raw materials to make fibre. Let us discuss these factors in the context of Bangalistan.

The raw materials available in Bangalistan are mainly of four types: cotton, mulberry silk, non-mulberry silk, and synthetic silk and other materials. Cotton

Cotton is of two types: tree cotton (gách kápás) and bush cotton (cás kápás). Cotton trees bear fruit after three to four years and then die. They require a dry climate to grow properly, so although Ráóh and Tripura may grow cotton trees, Burdwan and Purulia in Ráóh are the ideal places. This variety of cotton is also called dev kápás. In Murshidabad, Nadia and


Dhaka, cotton trees will not grow well, but from these areas high-quality silk cloth was once exported to overseas countries. Even today expert silk weavers can be found in these areas. Silk fibres usually come from Malda, Bankura, etc. Those districts are not famous for tree cotton but are ideal for bush cotton. The Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra grow bush cotton. Cotton trees may grow, but not very well. During the Pathan period 12 in India, North Bengal and Tripura were famous for manufacturing fine silk clothing.

Bush cotton can grow very well in Ráóh and Tripura. After hybrid paddy is harvested, bush cotton can be grown from November to February in vacant paddy land, and simultaneously sweet potato can be grown. From sweet potato we can get four by-products: raw sugar, molasses, yeast and alcohol. Ráóh and Tripura can grow both tree cotton and bush cotton, whereas North Bengal and Bangladesh can only grow bush cotton. Mulberry Silk

Mulberry silk can grow well in Ráóh and to some extent in Central Bengal, Tripura and North Bengal. If mulberry silk is grown in Tripura, a lot of money can be earned. The climate of most parts of Bangladesh is not suitable for mulberry silk, but the climate of Rajahsahi, Rongpur, Dinajpur, Jessore and Kushtia is somewhat dry, so these areas can easily grow mulberry silk. Mulberry silk can be used to produce two types of high-grade silk wrappers: fine-quality silk and rough-quality silk. Fine silk can be produced in two colours: milk white and cream. Fine silk is called garad, while rough silk is called maíká. Rough silk is used to produce pants and jackets and is usually a dark colour.

12 The Pathan period lasted from 1193 to 1526. –Eds.


Non-Mulberry Silk

In North Bengal, Tripura and Bangladesh, non-mulberry silk will grow very well. Non-mulberry silk includes tasar, eòìi and muuôgá. Eòìi can be grown from castor trees, muuôgá from drumstick (morunga) trees, and tasar from plants such as sal [Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.], Indian plum and Indian rosewood. Tasar is of two types: one is fine and subtle, and the other fine and coarse. The fine tasar can be used to make shawls, and the coarse to make coats. Synthetic Silk and Other Materials

Nylon, rayon and jute’s-wool come within the next category. Nylon fibres can be made out of coconut fibres, paddy husks and jute. Rayon can be made from jute skin, pineapple leaves and banana stalks. Tripura enjoys special providential favour in this regard. The nylon and rayon industries can make enormous profits.

Ráóh and Tripura can also produce good quantities of wool because they have sufficient pastures to graze cattle and sheep. It is not difficult to rear sheep in Ráóh. By mixing the wool of Ráóh and Tripura and nylon made from the jute of Central Bengal, jute’s-wool can be produced and used to make high-quality, warm clothing. Jute’s-wool cloth will be very useful for the people of Bengal in winter.

We can manufacture four by-products from the coarse fibre of jute: hessian cloth, carpets, suiting and shirting. Spinning mills for manufacturing suiting and shirting should be well established. Clothes can be made in every house as a cottage industry, and women and children can also participate. In every subdivision of Bengal there should be at least one spinning mill.

430 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 These days fine fibres are being produced from linseed, okra

and sesame, and are sent to Ahmedabad to produce fine cloth. Throughout West Bengal linen cloth can be prepared in abundance. Linseed and sesame skins can also be used as an alternative food to coarse wheat flour.

From linseed we can get four by-products: fertilizer, food, oil and fibres. From okra we can get four similar by-products. We can also produce plastic to make shoes from coarse jute (mestá páí). Plastic can also be made from hyacinth. Mestá páí is called jute though it is not really jute. The Sanskrit term for real jute is called páía or kaïíá. 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, the women of Bengal used to wear fine jute clothing. BUILDING MATERIALS

Building materials include vehicle-building materials, house-building materials and other building materials. Vehicle-Building Materials

Vehicle-building materials include shipbuilding materials. Bengal has an old tradition of shipbuilding. Since the Vedic Age, more than 5,000 years ago,13 the engineers of Bengal have known how to build ships. Most of the shipbuilding yards were located in South Bengal: Midnapur, Howrah and 24 Parganas. Midnapur was in Danda bhukti, Howrah was within Burdwan bhukti and 24 Parganas was within Nadia or Samatat bhukti. In Khulna, Bakharganj (the old name was Chandradipa), Noakhali (the old name was Bhalluka, but later it became Bhulua) and Chittagong in Bangladesh, there were shipbuilding centres. The engineers of these regions were experts in shipbuilding. As a

13 The Vedic Age lasted from about 15,000 to 2,200 years ago. –Eds.


huge stock of garáò or sundari wood was available in South Bengal, which was ideal for shipbuilding, the industry thrived. Boats and small ships were made with garáò wood. Carpenters and fishermen would make small fishing boats with this type of wood. Even today, plenty of wood necessary for building boats and ships is readily available in the Sundarbans in South Bengal.

The metals necessary for shipbuilding are available in Ráóh, where there are large deposits of iron ore, manganese, copper and silver. Various types of metals necessary for building ships are also easily available in Bengal, so Bangalistan can be easily self-sufficient.

The total area of the Sundarbans is 4,000 square miles. Out of this, 1,600 square miles fall within West Bengal and the remaining 2,400 square miles within Bangladesh. Bangladesh has cleared a major part of the Sundarbans and converted it into arable land. Even today in South Bengal the shipbuilding industry can be easily established at Khulna, Bakharganj and Noakhali in Bangladesh, and in Basirhat, Diamond Harbour and Alipore in West Bengal.

One of the most important materials for building vehicles is rubber. A vast area of North Bengal [and Nepal], comprising the Duars, the Terai, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, and Jhanpa, which is now in Nepal, can produce much rubber. Rubber can also be grown in Tripura. Rubber cultivation requires moderate rainfall, laterite soil and wavy land, so Bangalistan can easily produce sufficient amounts of rubber.

The remaining materials necessary to construct vehicles can be easily produced in Ráóh, including manganese, mica, silver, mercury, quartz and copper. Jhalda, Arsha, Puncha and Jaipur in Purulia district and Khatra in Bankura district have large deposits of these raw materials.


House-Building Materials

All of North Bengal, Tripura and the Chittagong Hills can develop a flourishing house-building-materials industry. The most important materials for house building are bricks and cement. Bricks and tiles can be easily made throughout Bangalistan.

The necessary amount of lime can be produced from limestone and ghutiî, a kind of clay, which is about 90% lime. Besides this, there is a huge stock of calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide in Ráóh; lime can also be produced from these materials. In the northern parts of Jalpaiguri, in the Jayantia Hills, there is a good supply of dolomite and limestone. Dewangari was previously in Bengal, but at the time of independence it was given to Bhutan. It has a large stock of dolomite and limestone, which can be used to produce lime. Sufficient quantities of lime necessary for the house-building-materials industry can also be produced in the coastal areas of South Bengal, from shells and oysters. Large deposits of limestone available in the southern part of Ráóh are now in the hands of Marawari merchants. They export huge quantities of lime to other parts of India, which is used in the cement industry. At Jhalda, Purulia and Bankura cement can be easily produced from limestone, ghutiî, dolomite, oysters and conch shells. In the northern part of Sylhet, there are also limestone deposits. In Khaosia, Jayantia Hills, Maulavi Bazaar and the remaining parts of Sylhet district, except Habiganj, there are deposits of limestone.

The soil of Ráóh contains a good percentage of calcium, which is why it is ideal for growing oranges. Calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate are also available in Ráóh.

I am certain that the amount of cement necessary for house building will be easily available in certain parts of Bangalistan. High-quality, cheap cement can be easily produced from the


husks and stalks of áman paddy mixed with ghutiî lime. Cement factories based on the husks of paddy can be established in Ráóh, North Bengal, Mymensingh, Sylhet and the southwestern parts of Tripura. Cement can be readily manufactured in these areas. Cement can also be made from mixing ghutiî and limestone.

Another house-building material is sand. Mogra is situated beside a stagnant tributary of the Damodar River, which contains large quantities of high-quality sand.

Previously the people of North Bengal and the eastern districts of Bangladesh would collect house-building materials from Tripura. For example, they would bring chan grass to thatch houses. Bushes and bamboo can also be used as house-building materials.

Beside every road in Ráóh, there is plenty of ghutiî. In the coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal, there are plenty of seashells and oysters, which can be utilized to produce lime. At Jhalda, we must establish cement factories immediately. Except for Habiganj, all of Sylhet has limestone deposits.

As I see it, in almost every village of Bangalistan there can be cement factories. Within a period of six to seven days a house can be built. Other Materials

Brahminberia in Mymensingh has deposits of underground natural gas. Naranganj and Barabazar in Dhaka district also have underground natural gas. Natural gas can be used as fuel.

Doors, windows and accessories for house building, and other building materials, can all be manufactured in factories throughout Bangalistan.


EDUCATION MATERIALS

The natural vehicle for the expression of internal ideas is one’s mother tongue. Bengali is the mother tongue of the Bengalee race, whose original boundary was the Arakans in the east, Ramgarh or the Parasnath Hills in the west, the Lower Himalayas in the north, and the Ganges Delta of the Bay of Bengal in the south. The southern deltaic region was built up by the branch rivers and tributaries of the Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers and the rivers of Ráóh. In the Vedic Age, Bengal was called “Vauôgabhúmi” and “Samataí”. The Ráóh area was called “Ráííha”. In Persian, the word for Bengal was Báuôgál; in Turkish, Báuôgálá; in Latin, Báiôjál; in Chinese, Báiôjálá; in Sanskrit, Vauôga or Ráóh; in Bengali, Báuôgládesh; in Urdu, Báuôgál; and in English, “Bengal”.

Bengali is one of the Prákrta languages of the Mágadhii group. Mágadhii Prákrta originated about 3,500 years ago. Modern Bengali originated about 750 years ago, and the Bengali script about 1,200 years ago. (The Bengalee race is about 5,000 years old). Bengali is now the mother tongue of 160 million people.

The natural medium of expression in Bangalistan should be Bengali. The second language as a medium of expression should be English, because English is the link language with people who speak other languages. Besides this, the Sanskrit language should be taught as a compulsory language in the lower classes.

Bangalistan has been a principal education centre in the world since earliest times. Even about 5,000 years ago, Chinese scholars used to come to Bangalistan for higher study. There were three great seats of learning in Bengal: Vikramanipore, or present-day Vikrampore in Bangladesh, Burdwan and Contai.

The most important material for education is paper. The raw materials to make paper include jute, mestá páí, stalks of boro


paddy, corn cobs, hoop pine, vicali grass, and bamboo, which can also be used to make nylon.

The other essential materials for education, such as fountain pens, nibs and ink pots, are easily available in Ráóh. Plenty of raw materials to make writing ink are also available in Ráóh, and include hematite, blue vitriol, ferrum sulphate and indigo. Through synthetic processes, all kinds of colour inks can be made.

So there is no reason why Bangalistan cannot be self-sufficient in the production of all the materials necessary for education. MEDICINES

Ráóh has huge deposits of minerals. If all these materials could be properly utilized, a large number of industries could be easily established. To tell the truth, Ráóh has greater industrial potential than even the Ruhr region in Germany. In Ráóh there are extensive deposits of coal, coal gas and natural gas. These mineral resources are extremely useful in building industrial complexes. All raw materials for making items such as glass and laboratory instruments are also easily available in the southwestern part of Bangalistan, particularly in Hooghly district. In Bengal there are abundant resources of lead, manganese, iron ore, copper and mercury. These materials and metals can be widely used to manufacture medical equipment. Medicinal Plants

Bengal is a land with a hot and humid climate. Most of the people who live in Bengal are poor. Naturally a large percentage of the people suffer from fever, diarrhoea, dysentery and dyspepsia. Many of the medicinal plants that are


essential for the treatment of such diseases are available in various parts of Bangalistan.

The most important regions for medicinal plants are the Duars, Goalpara, the plains of Darjeeling district in North Bengal, and Jhanpa district. These areas abound in medicinal plants. Jhanpa district is now part of Nepal, but previously it was included in Cooch Behar. The Gorkha leader Prithvi Narayan Saha14 forcibly seized this district from the king of Cooch Behar. The language of this district is Rangpuri, a dialect of Bengali. The Duars and other areas in North Bengal are very rich in medicinal herbs. To cure common diseases, such as fever, stomach problems and dysentery, people can easily use these medicinal herbs.

Of all the remaining regions that are rich in medicinal plants, Assam, Meghalaya and the Sundarbans is the second most important area. The third important area is Ráóh and Tripura. The rest of the plains of Bangalistan are used extensively for paddy cultivation, so obviously in those areas medicinal plants will not be available.

Ráóh is the richest area in Bengal as far as the availability of mineral medicines, and includes Jhargram, Birbhum, Dhanbad, Purulia, Singhbhum and the Bengali-speaking areas of Ranchi district. The resources in these areas can be easily utilized for preparing medicines. For instance, in this region plenty of antimony and urea can be found. Quinine can also be found in the Kurseong Hills, Ayodhya, Tilabhani and the Dalmar Hills.

Plenty of materials for making medicinal instruments are available in the Kurseong Hills of Darjeeling district. Medicinal plants are also plentifully available. The Kalimgpong Hills, which has a humid climate, is not an ideal place for medicinal plants. The previous name for Kurseong

14 Prithvi Narayan Saha ascended the throne of the Gorkha kingdom in 1743. He

died in 1775. –Eds.


was “Kharsan”. Once it was a part of Sikkim. The name “Kharsan” is wrong. The previous name of Siliguri was “Dalimpur”, and once it was a part of Bhutan. The king of Bhutan once forcibly occupied this region. The previous name of Darjeeling was “Dorjiliî”.

Of the various medicinal plants, jaíámáîsii and ipikak grow well at high altitudes. A large area from Jhalda to Angara – that is, Jhalda, Muri, Silli, Gautamdhara and Angara – is an ideal place for cultivating herbs. This particular region of Ráóh experiences greater rainfall than the other regions of Ráóh. Plenty of medicinal plants can also be acquired from Sabrum, Panisagar and Dharmanagar in Tripura. In the forests of the Sundarbans, plenty of medicinal plants can be found. Saline soil itself has medicinal value. Starch, which is used to stiffen shirts, can be made from gol fruits. Plenty of gol trees grow in the Sundarbans. Similarly, the Garo Hills of Meghalaya and the Hojai and Lanka subdivisions of Nagaon district in Assam can supply plenty of medicinal plants. Mineral Medicines

Plenty of mercury is available in Ráóh, along with other mineral resources. Mercury in the crude form of mercury sulphate can be found. There is also plenty of copper. If mercury and copper are mixed, many types of medicines can be made. The Tamakhun area of Manbhum district is full of copper. Copper was profitably exported to overseas countries in the past from the port of Tamralipta. In olden days boats and ships plied on the Kangsavati River, but nowadays the river has almost dried up.


PROFITABLE INDUSTRIES

The profitable industries in Bengal are mainly of two types: cash crops and non-agricultural industries. Cash Crops

Sufficient black pepper can be grown in Tripura because the

climate is congenial there. Of course, Tripura already grows black pepper and hot chilli, but the production should be increased. There is a very good market for hot chilli in Bangladesh.

Bengal is deficient in the production of pulses. It only produces enough pulses to meet the demand of the people for five months of the year, so for the remaining seven months pulses are imported from outside. After áus paddy is harvested, three crops of green gram can be grown. Golden gram can be grown on the field after the paddy has been harvested. After one month when the hybrid variety of áus is harvested, the tops of the green gram should be lopped off. Many shoots will grow from the stalks, which can be harvested after sixty days. Through this process golden gram can be harvested three times a year. The offcuts can be used for cattle fodder.

There are two main varieties of cowpea: the late winter variety (mághii aóahar), also known as the small variety of cowpea, and the late spring variety (caetii aóahar), also known as the big variety of cowpea. Besides these two, there is another variety of cowpea, the late autumn variety (ághanii). In the high and barren land of Ráóh, this variety of pulse can be grown with áus paddy. Black gram can grow in abundance in Bengal. It is a five-month crop. It grows abundantly in Cooch Behar, Dinajpur, Burdwan, Malda and Purulia.

Bengal gram is a five-month crop. It is spread in the wet áman field in those areas where there is a shortage of water. If


you want to grow the big variety of green gram, the seeds should be sown in October after harvesting the hybrid paddy. This crop is harvested in Caetra [mid-March to mid-April], the last month of the Bengali year.

Horse gram is grown in abundance throughout Bengal, but it is not good for health as it can cause paralysis. These days there is a new variety of gram in the market, which is a bit soft. Although it is a four-month crop, its cultivation is not very profitable.

Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda, Raiganj, the Islampur subdivision of Dinajpur district, the Mekhlinganj subdivision of Cooch Behar district, and parts of Jalpaiguri district minus Dinhata subdivision are ideal for the cultivation of wheat. Lentils can be grown in the wheat field as an associate crop.

In the comparatively dry regions of Tripura, green gram can be grown early. If the production of pulses is increased, the total amount of pulses grown in Bengal will be more than the requirement of the people, and the surplus can be exported. All varieties of pulse except lentils are presently imported. The surplus pulses grown in Tripura can be exported to Bangladesh. The skins of pulses are very healthy fodder for cows. As there is a shortage of pasturelands, the chaff of pulses can be used as a good cattle fodder.

Rubber is a very good cash crop. Rubber can be grown in abundance in those areas of Bengal that have plenty of rainfall; the land is wavy but rainwater does not accumulate. In Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Dhubri, the northeastern part of Cachar district, and Tripura, rubber can grow particularly well.

For cocoa cultivation, extensive and heavy rainfall is required. For coffee, a moderate amount of rainfall is required. Coffee can be grown in the Birbhum, Purulia and Bankura districts of Ráóh. Coffee can be cultivated even in the dry, infertile land of Ráóh, but tea cultivation may not be as profitable. There is much similarity between Tripura and Ráóh,


so coffee can be grown in both places. Similarly, cocoa can be grown in Tripura. Cocoa trees are called “cacao” and the fruit is called “cocoa”.

Jute is also a cash crop, but instead of using jute for sacks, it could be better utilized in making coarse clothing. In Cachar, Sylhet and the Sabrum area of Tripura, oranges can be grown, but not abundantly. In Tripura and southern Bengal cashew nut can be a good cash crop. It was first cultivated in Midnapur, and was known as hijli bádám. Cashew nut has tremendous food value. It is also a very lucrative cash crop. In the Contai subdivision of Midnapur, cashew nut is being produced on a large scale.

Bangladesh has only two cash crops: raw jute and hide. If hide is tanned and exported to different countries, it may bring in a lot of foreign exchange. But as there is no developed tanning technology in the country, Bangladesh sustains heavy losses by exporting untanned hides to foreign countries. If people continue to use plastic goods instead of leather products, then both the jute and leather markets will suffer severely. I am sorry to say Bangladesh does not follow the rules of nature.

Of all the sericultural items, silk and lac are the most important cash crops. Non-mulberry silk can be grown on Indian plum trees, and high-quality silk can be grown on kusum [Schleichera trijuga Willd.] trees. Lac is of three varieties: Jhalda, Murshidabad and Baharampur. These three places are famous for lac production. There is a good market for lac throughout the world. However, in Bengal the demand is decreasing day by day, because once Bengalee women would use lac ornaments but now this practice has gone out of fashion.

In Bangalistan, beeswax does not have a good market. Paraffin wax has supplanted beeswax. Beeswax has great medicinal value. For beekeeping, the best places are the


Sundarbans, Meghalaya, Tripura and Ráóh. Beeswax cannot compete successfully with paraffin wax.

In olden times paddy was regarded as the goddess of fortune, and the husk was called tus. About 1,200 years ago, Mansingha15 lived in Ráóh and Manbazar was the capital of his kingdom. He had two daughters, Bhádumani and Tusumani. After he died, Tusumani ascended the throne and became a very popular queen. In Ráóh there is a festival called “Tusu” in her honour. Unfortunately, these days tus is indiscriminately burned.

There are several types of land from the viewpoint of the retention of water, and include:

1. High, dry land (táôó land). This land is barren and little or no water is retained in the soil.

2. Barren, plain land (bad land). Barren, plain land will hold water in the soil with some effort. Áus and áman can grow to some extent.

3. Average land (káòali land). This type of land will hold water for a longer period than barren, plain land, but it is inferior to moist, fertile land.

4. Moist, fertile land (bahál land). This land retains water well and is suitable for most types of farming.

Although high, dry land is not ideal for the production of cash crops, some crops can be grown profitably on this type of land. For example, some crops that can be grown permanently in high, dry land include palmyra, dates, vakul [Minisapes elangi], khayer [Acasia catechu Willd.], Indian plum, kusum and palásh [Butea frondosa Koenig-ex Roxb.]. A temporary crop which can be grown in the same type of land is lemon grass for the cosmetics and medicine industries. If high, dry land can be ploughed, then in the month of Áïáóh, the first

15 I.e., King Mansingha Dev. Manbhum was named after him. –Eds.


month of the rainy season, cowpea and either the Rájendra bhuííá variety of maize (a forty-five-day to fifty-day crop) or early áus can be grown together. After sixty days, when the cowpea is harvested, the áus will remain in the field and be harvested in Áshvina. The stalk of the early variety of áus is a good cattle food and can also be used for bran oil.

The seeds of maize or corn are human food, the cobs can be used in the paper industry, and the stalks are a useful cattle fodder. If corn is fried in an earthen pan, popped corn is produced. If corn is fried and ground before the corn pops, fried corn flour is the result. If the corn is ground without removing the skin and without frying, coarse corn flour is obtained.

After maize is harvested, sweet potato can be planted in the holes in the ground. The potatoes should be watered by sprinkling water on the field until new leaves grow. After that, water will not be required. Sweet potato has more nutrition than red potato.

Sunflower can be grown with maize as an associate crop. However, sunflower and maize cannot be grown as associate crops with áus. The sunflower and maize draw moisture from deep below the soil, and that moisture also helps in the growth of the red potato and the sweet potato.

Sargujá [an oil plant] can be grown on high, dry, level land which cannot be ploughed or dug with a spade but can be broken with some difficulty. Sargujá can be grown in the high, dry land of Ráóh. The oil has a pungent odour, which is why many people do not like to use it, but if it is deodorized it can be widely used. Cowpea, áus and sunflower cannot be grown in high, dry land, but sábui grass can be grown and is very useful for the paper industry. Lemon grass too can be grown and can be used for preparing medicines and cosmetics. Where even lemon grass and sábui grass cannot be grown on high, dry land, plants such as palm, sal, piyáshál [Pterocarpus


marsupium Roxb.], Indian plum, kusum, palásh, khayer, and wild blackberry can be grown. If necessary, this sort of land can be used as pasture for cattle. If the area of the high, dry land is quite large, along the borders we can grow banyan, sishu [Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.], oak and wild blackberry for both wood and medicine; African sweet berry for sugar and alcohol; and Indian olive (mohul), which is very useful for making honey, bread, alcohol, molasses, oil and tasty foods. If these trees are grown, on the one hard we can prevent soil erosion and retain the fertility of the soil, and on the other hand the land will develop the capacity to retain water.

The juice extracted from sweet potato can be used to produce sugar and raw sugar and the remaining pulp can be used in the paper industry. Sweet potatoes can also be grown on high, dry land, but the tubers will be small. Sweet potato is a three-month crop and is harvested in Paoïa, the first month of winter. People can make pancakes out of sweet potato, although they will not be very nutritious. Tapioca is nutritious. On all high, dry land cowpea can be grown. Lavender (keyá) can also be grown, and with some effort we can get good fibre crops. In Vaeshákh and Jyaeïíha, the land is usually left fallow.

Cowpea stalks can be used for fencing, fuel and thatching. The empty pods can be used for fodder, and pulses can be prepared from the seeds. If high, dry land is used for cultivation, it may be difficult to raise cattle for want of pastureland. High, dry land that can be ploughed should not be used for pastureland. In high, dry land, all types of cattle can be reared. In Ráóh the people mostly rear sheep, and in the month of Áshvin the sheep farmers of Ráóh usually leave their homes with a flock of sheep and move to Madhya Pradesh in search of healthy grass. From acacia we get tasar silk and medicine, and from Indian plum we get tasar, lac, and wood for sports goods. Wild berry (káíhjám) can be used to prepare various types of medicines and non-mulberry silk. The berries can also give


honey, but this honey is a bit hot. In olden times the kings of western Ráóh used to plant sal, palm and piyáshál. Non-Agricultural Industries

Ráóh has plenty of mica. The mica was formed about one billion years ago. The Sanskrit name is abhra. It is readily available at Ananda Nagar. In Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Cooch Behar and Brahmanberia of Sylhet district, which is at present in Bangladesh, natural gas and oil are available. In other parts of Sylhet and the Khowai subdivision of Tripura, natural gas can also be found. There are large sulphur deposits stretching for eighty miles from Bakreswar to Nanur in Birbhum. The people of Birbhum, Purulia and Bankura are almost equally poor. Recently, after the Mayurakshi Dam was constructed, there has been a slight improvement in the standard of living of the people of Birbhum.

Leprosy is a disease of malnourishment and poverty. Although the people of Birbhum, Purulia and Bankura are equally poor, there are many cases of leprosy in Bankura and Purulia and few cases in Birbhum because of the presence of sulphur deposits. Sulphur is a useful antidote for skin diseases. Sulphur can also be utilized as an ingredient for various medicines.

Iodine is also a useful ingredient for various medicines. A large amount of iodine can be easily processed from seaweed in the Digha coastal area. It can also be extracted from seawater. The term “seaweed” includes many types of sea vegetation. In the coastal areas of Chittagong, many types of seaweed are available. In fact, in all the coastal areas of Bangalistan, seaweeds with a high percentage of iodine are available. The best place to process iodine is Digha. Iodine and chlorine are marine products. Iodine can only be manufactured in South Bengal, not in North Bengal. Many people in North


Bengal suffer from goitre, but in South Bengal the disease is almost eradicated. Borine can also be extracted from borax to make medicine. Borax can be found in the Bengali-speaking area of Ranchi district.

In Ráóh there can be prosperous aluminium factories in the belt from Jhalda to Angara. In the Bengali-speaking areas of Ranchi district, there is a long bauxite belt. Ráóh can easily develop factories that produce aluminium profitably. It has more aluminium deposits than it needs to meet its own requirements.

In the areas close to the sea, canals can be constructed and filled with water. After a few days the water will evaporate and a layer of salt will remain on the canal bed. In a number of places the salt industry can be established commercially in Bangalistan. The salt industry can thrive in Digha, Ramnagar, Mohanpur, Contai and Junput and, to some extent, on the Kutubdiya Island in Bangladesh.

Midnapur, 24 Parganas, Khulna, Bakharganj, Naokhali and Chittagong are all coastal districts. The climate of Midnapur is like that of western Ráóh. In the summer season the hot winds start blowing over the land and the climate is dry, so water evaporates very fast. Obviously salt can be easily and profitably produced. The three main blocks of Midnapur district that have the greatest possibility of developing the salt industry because they are closest to the sea are Digha, Contai and Ramnagar.

6 June 1986, Kolkata

ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY

Nearly all the countries of the world today have come under some sort of democratic structure. Liberal democracy has been established in such countries as the USA, Great Britain, France and Canada, while in the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam and Eastern Europe socialist democracy is the dominant system. The plight of the people in liberal democratic (so-called democratic) countries is not as miserable as it is in communist countries, because in communist countries the political and economic system is imposed on society by party officials, causing untold human suffering and severe psycho-economic exploitation. Both liberal democracy and socialist democracy may be considered forms of political democracy because these systems are based on economic and political centralization. Political Democracy

In all countries where democracy is in vogue today, people

have been deceived into believing that there is no better system than political democracy. Political democracy has no doubt granted voting rights, but it has snatched away the right of economic equality. Consequently there is gross economic disparity between the rich and the poor, immense inequality in people’s purchasing capacity, unemployment, chronic food shortages, poverty and insecurity in society.

The type of democracy prevalent in India is also political democracy, and it has proved to be a unique system of exploitation. The Indian constitution was created by three groups of exploiters: the British imperialists, the Indian imperialists and the ruling parties representing the Indian capitalists. Many provisions in the Indian constitution were framed keeping an eye on furthering the interests of these

ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY 447

opportunists.1 Just to hoodwink the masses, the people were granted the right of universal suffrage. Millions of Indians are poor, superstitious and illiterate, yet the exploiters, through such practices as making false promises, intimidation, gross abuse of administrative power and vote rigging, repeatedly win over the electorate. This is the farce of democracy. Once they form the government, they get ample opportunity to indulge in rampant corruption and political tyranny for five years.2 In the subsequent elections – whether on the provincial or state level – the same absurdity is repeated.

This type of political opportunism has been going on in India since independence. For the last thirty-five years, the political parties have maintained that in order to attain economic parity with the industrially developed countries of Europe, India must follow the democratic system. To support this argument, they cite the examples of America and Great Britain or China and the Soviet Union.3 The political leaders urge the electorate to vote in their favour at election time so that the country’s starving masses can reap the benefits of a developed economy. But once the elections are over, the exploitation of the common people continues unabated in the garb of political democracy, and other areas of social life are completely neglected. Today millions of Indian citizens are being deprived of the minimum requirements of life and are struggling to procure adequate

1 Given that the author on several occasions has described India as a multinational

and multilingual country, in this passage “Indian imperialists” includes both the economic exploitation by those in one part of the country of those in other parts and the imposition of Hindi, a regional language, on those living in the rest of the country. See, for example, “Requirements of an Ideal Constitution”. –Eds.

2 The term for the members of the lower house, the Lok Sabha, in India’s bicameral parliamentary system is five years. –Eds.

3 In order for India to become economically developed, various capitalist parties would advocate following the liberal democracies of America or Great Britain and various communist parties would advocate following the communist states of China or Russia. –Eds.


food, clothing, housing, education and medical treatment, while a handful of people are rolling in enormous wealth and luxury.

One of the most obvious defects of democracy is that voting is based upon universal suffrage. That is, the right to cast a vote depends on age.4 Once people reach a certain age, it is assumed that they have the requisite capacity to weigh the pros and cons of the issues in an election and select the best candidate. But there are many people above the voting age who have little or no interest in elections and are not conversant with social or economic issues. In many cases they vote for the party rather than the candidate, and are swayed by election propaganda or the false promises of politicians. Those who have not reached the voting age are often more capable of selecting the best candidate than those who are entitled to vote. So age should not be the yardstick for voting rights.

Whether or not a candidate gets elected usually depends upon party affiliation, political patronage and election expenditure. In some cases it also depends on antisocial practices. Throughout the world money plays a dominant role in the electoral process, and in nearly all cases only those who are rich and powerful can hope to secure elected office. In those countries where voting is not compulsory, often only a small percentage of the population participates in the electoral process.

The prerequisites for the success of democracy are morality, education and socio-economico-political consciousness. 5 Leaders especially must be people of high moral character, otherwise the welfare of society will be jeopardized. But today in most democracies people of dubious character and those

4 Although universal suffrage means the right to vote in elections regardless of

such considerations as property ownership, income, race, gender or ethnicity, this right is generally restricted to adult citizens. –Eds.

5 See also “Dialectical Materialism and Democracy” in Volume 2. –Eds.


with vested interests are elected to power. Even bandits and murderers stand for election and form the government.

In almost all the countries of the world, the masses lack political consciousness. Cunning, erudite politicians take advantage of this shortcoming to confuse people and attain power. They resort to immoral practices, such as bribery, vote rigging, booth capturing and buying votes, and stand unopposed for elections. Consequently the standard of morality in society is declining, and honest, competent people are relegated to the background. Moral leaders have less chance to win elections because election results are rigged through financial inducements, intimidation and brute force. In the present democratic system, all sorts of immoral and corrupt practices are given the opportunity to pervert society. The very nature of the present system is that it favours the capitalists and exposes the administration to immoral and corrupt forces.

The farce of democracy has been likened to a puppet show where a handful of power-hungry politicians pull the strings from behind the scene. In liberal democracies capitalists manipulate the mass media, such as the radio, television and newspapers, while in socialist democracies the bureaucrats lead the country to the brink of destruction. In both forms of democracy there is little scope for honest, competent leaders to emerge in society, and virtually no possibility for the economic liberation of the people.

Political democracy has become a great hoax for the people of the world. It promises the advent of an era of peace, prosperity and equality, but in reality it creates criminals, encourages exploitation and throws common people into an abyss of sorrow and suffering.

The days of political democracy are numbered. Prout demands economic democracy, not political democracy. To make democracy successful, economic power must be vested in the hands of the common people and the minimum


requirements of life must be guaranteed to all. This is the only way to ensure the economic liberation of the people. Prout’s slogan is: “To end exploitation, we demand economic democracy not political democracy.” Economic Decentralization

In economic democracy, economic power and political

power are bifurcated. That is, Prout advocates political centralization and economic decentralization. Political power is vested with the moralists, but economic power is vested with the local people. The principal goal of the administration is to remove all the impediments and obstacles that prevent the economic needs of the people being met. The universal aim of economic democracy is to guarantee the minimum requirements of life to all members of society.

Nature has been kind enough to provide abundant natural resources to every region of this earth, but she has not given guidelines on how to distribute these resources among the members of society. This duty has been left to the discretion and intelligence of human beings. Those who are guided by dishonesty, selfishness and mean-mindedness, misappropriate these resources and utilize them for their individual or group interests rather than for the welfare of the whole society. Mundane resources are limited but human longings are limitless. Hence, for all the members of society to live in peace and prosperity, human beings have to adopt a system which ensures the maximum utilization and rational distribution of all resources. To achieve this human beings will have to establish themselves in morality and then create a congenial environment for morality to flourish.

Economic decentralization means production for consumption, not production for profit. Economic decentralization is not possible under capitalism, because


capitalist production always tries to maximize profit. Capitalists invariably produce at the lowest cost and sell for the most profit. They prefer centralized production, which leads to regional economic disparity and imbalances in the distribution of the population. In the decentralized economy of Prout, on the other hand, production is for consumption, and the minimum requirements of life will be guaranteed to all. All regions will get ample scope to develop their economic potentiality, so the problems of a floating population or overcrowding in urban centres will not be allowed to arise.

Unless a country attains optimum development in industry as well as the other sectors of the economy, it is impossible for it to be highly developed. If more than 30% to 45% of a country’s population is engaged in agriculture, there will be excessive pressure on the land. Such a country cannot become highly developed, nor can there be balanced, decentralized development in all sectors of the economy. India is a classic example of this. About 75% of India’s population is dependent on agriculture for its livelihood.

In some democratic countries, such as Canada and Australia, a large percentage of the population were engaged in agriculture, and although these countries are now regarded as agriculturally developed, they depended on industrially developed countries because they themselves were industrially undeveloped. For instance, Canada traditionally depended on the USA and Australia on Britain.

As far as India is concerned, as long as around 75% of the population is engaged in agriculture, the unbearable economic plight of the people will continue. Any country confronted with such circumstances will find it very difficult to meet its domestic and international responsibilities. The purchasing capacity of the people will keep decreasing, while economic disparity will go on increasing. The social, economic and


political environment of the whole country will degenerate. India is a clear example of all these evils.

So economic decentralization does not mean that the majority of the population will be dependent on agriculture for their livelihood or that the other sectors of the economy will remain undeveloped. Rather each sector of the economy must strive for maximum development, and all sectors must strive for maximum decentralization.

In all the democratic counties of the world, economic power is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals and groups. In liberal democracies economic power is controlled by a handful of capitalists, while in socialist countries economic power is concentrated in a small group of party leaders. In each case a handful of people – the number can be easily counted on one’s fingertips – manipulates the economic welfare of the entire society. When economic power is vested in the hands of the people, the supremacy of this group of leaders will be terminated, and political parties will be destroyed forever.

People will have to opt for either political democracy or economic democracy. That is, they will have to choose a socio-economic system based on either a centralized economy or a decentralized economy. Which one will they select? Political democracy cannot fulfil the hopes and aspiration of people or provide the basis for constructing a strong and healthy human society. The only way to achieve this is to establish economic democracy. Requirements for Economic Democracy

The first requirement for economic democracy is that the

minimum requirements of a particular age – including food, clothing, housing, education and medical treatment – must be guaranteed to all. Not only is this an individual right, it is also a collective necessity, because the easy availability of the


minimum requirements will increase the all-round welfare of society.

The second requirement for economic democracy is that increasing purchasing capacity must be guaranteed to each and every individual. In economic democracy local people will hold economic power. Consequently local raw materials will be used to promote the economic prosperity of the local people. That is to say, the raw materials of one socio-economic unit6

should not be exported to another unit. Instead industrial centres should be built up wherever raw materials are available. This will create industries based on locally-available raw materials and ensure full employment for all local people.

The third requirement for economic democracy is that the power to make all economic decisions must be placed in the hands of the local people. Economic liberation is the birthright of every individual. To achieve it, economic power must be vested in the local people. In economic democracy the local people will have the power to make all economic decisions, to produce commodities on the basis of collective necessity, and to distribute all agricultural and industrial commodities.

The fourth requirement for economic democracy is that outsiders must be strictly prevented from interfering in the local economy. The outflow of local capital must be stopped by strictly preventing outsiders or a floating population from participating in any type of economic activity in the local area.

For the success of economic democracy, Prout must be implemented and the economic welfare of all people must be enhanced step by step. This in turn will lead to greater opportunities for the spiritual emancipation of human beings.

Finally, it should be remembered that economic democracy is essential not only for the economic liberation of human beings, but also for the universal well-being of all – including



plants and animals. Economic democracy will devise ways and means to effect the smooth progress of society by recognizing the unique value of both humans and non-humans alike.

June 1986, Kolkata

TRIPURA

Since the dawn of human civilization, Tripura has been a part of Bengal. In fact Tripura is nearly as old as Ráóh. Its soil, water, people and language have the same origins as those of other areas of Gondwanaland. 1 The Bengalees, an ancient people, have been living in Tripura since time immemorial.

500 years ago, Tripura was called “Shriibhum”. The name “Tripura” is not very old. Present-day Tripura, Noakhali, Hilly Tripura, Kachar, Manipur, Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts, and a part of the Arakan Kingdom formed the land of Shriibhum. In ancient records Shriibhum was called “Upabauôga”. Upa means “nearer” and Bauôga means “Bengal”. The original inhabitants of Upabauôga were Bengalees, except for a group of tribals called “Tipprahs”, who lived in one small region. The Tipprah tribals came from northern Myanmar about 550 years ago. Under the leadership of Mu Chang Fa, they settled in Tripura permanently. Later they defeated the Hindu king of the area and established the kingdom of Tripura. Since that time the part of Shriibhum controlled by Mu Chang Fa was called Tripura, as it was a land administered by the Tipprahs.

About the same time a movement for cultural synthesis under the leadership of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was going on in Bengal.2 Chaitanya went to Tripura to preach his Vaeïòava philosophy. Mu Chang Fa and the members of his royal family were very impressed with Chaitanya’s ideas and the rich

1 The term “Gondwanaland” can be used to refer either to the ancient landmass

that formed about 600 million years ago and began to break up about 180 million years ago or to the remaining parts of that landmass collectively as they exist today. Here the author is referring to the potion of Gondwanaland that forms the Indian subcontinent. –Eds.

2 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in 1486 and died in 1534. At the age of about 20, he started popularizing Vaeïòavism in Bengal. –Eds.


Bengali language he spoke, so they took initiation from him. The king embraced Bengalee culture as his own culture. After that all the members of the royal family took Bengali names to replace their tribal ones, and adopted Bengali instead of their tribal language as their family and court language. From that time to the end of British rule in India, Bengali was the official language of Tripura, and Bengalee culture was the culture of the region.

The Tripura tribals have their own dialect, called “Kak-Barak”, which is of Burmese origin. However, the dialect does not have all the characteristics of a developed language. After independence Bengali was replaced by Hindi or English. Under the regime of the Left Front government, 3 the communist leaders, in an effort to materialize their separatist policies, recognized the Kak-Barak dialect as the official state language. They imposed the dialect, which is spoken by 700,000 tribals, on the 1.75 million Bengalee people in the state. Thus the communists undermined the cultural synthesis which had been taking place in Tripura for the last several hundred years between the original Bengalees and the tribals.

During the ancient Hindu period, the Buddhist, Pathan and Mughal periods, and even in the British period,4 Tripura was economically self-sufficient, but Tripura’s economy received a severe set back with the partition of Bengal in 1947. The Radcliffe Commission5 decided to include the part of Tripura

3 The Left Front governed Tripura from 1978 to 1988. The Communist Party of

India (Marxist) was the dominant party in the coalition. –Eds. 4 The ancient Hindu period: before 2,500 years ago; Buddhist period: about 2,500

years ago to 700; Pathan period: 1193 to 1526; Mughal period: 1526 to 1857; and the British period: 1757 to 1947. –Eds.

5 The Radcliffe Commission (or Boundary Commission) was established in July 1947 by Lord Mountbatten to recommend how the Punjab and Bengal were to be divided between India and Pakistan when India became independent from Britain later that year. It consisted of four members from the Indian National Congress and four members from the All-India Muslim League, and was chaired by Sir Cyril Radcliffe. –Eds.

TRIPURA 457

rich in agricultural potentialities in East Pakistan, while the remaining part, consisting of hills, forests and jungles, was included in the Indian Union. Thus, in the constitutional structure of the Indian Union, the hilly, undeveloped areas formed the basis of the economically shattered state of present-day Tripura.

Since independence Tripura has suffered from negligence, deprivation and exploitation. In the interests of Indian capitalism, the central government has held Tripura at its mercy, and as a result the people in the state have barely survived. The abject poverty of the 2.45 million people in Tripura has now become a weapon in the hands of the political parties in the state, who try to use it to further their own political advancement. Intense economic insecurity and a violent political atmosphere are deliberately encouraged to check the awakening political consciousness of the people. Tripura is being forced to experience many traumatic and violent events due to the manipulation of the political leaders. In addition, nearly 70% of Tripura’s land has been distributed among the 700,000 tribals through the Autonomous District Council Act, depriving many of the 1.75 million Bengalee people of land. The present situation in the state is the result of a far-reaching, anti-Bengalee campaign by the central government, and an antinational, separatist conspiracy by the communists in Tripura.

In spite of Tripura’s current economic and political instability, the region has a very bright future, because it is rich in natural resources. The topography of Tripura is shaped like a saucer: the outer border area is more elevated than the inner central portion. In this respect it resembles Ireland. The main differences between the two are that the structure of the hills and subterranean rocks in Tripura are composed of granite, so Tripura is more rocky, and Ireland is colder. Although Ireland


is not highly developed, it can serve as a useful model for Tripura in the preparation of its development programmes.

In ancient times large forests inhabited by animals such as the elephant and the rhinoceros covered the inner part of Tripura, and the provincial towns and agricultural areas were located around the borders on the outer rim. The soil in the inner portion is suitable for growing cashew nuts, pineapples and bananas. The soil covering the granite rocks throughout Tripura is generally sticky soil and is ideal for agriculture, especially for growing oranges. The border area adjacent to Bangladesh is a rain-shadow area.

There is tremendous agricultural potential in Tripura. However, due to the granite bedrock, the áman variety of paddy does not grow well; the áus variety grows better. Áus paddy should be followed by the cultivation of chilli. Chilli is an excellent cash crop because it is in great demand in Bangladesh. When the land is still wet after harvesting the áus paddy, dry chillies should be sown. Dry chillies need to be watered like wheat. Where there is a scarcity of water, small gram can be grown instead.

Huge quantities of red-skinned potatoes can be grown, as in Ireland, where the people eat a great deal of potatoes and porridge. Tripura can grow enough potatoes to feed the whole of Assam, and it can develop a flourishing powered potato industry. Potatoes, pineapples and cashew nuts can be grown on the higher land, while bananas can be grown on the lower land. Ginger of all varieties – white, yellow and black – can also be grown. Large quantities of arum can be grown too, but arum takes nearly a year to mature. It is also important to know the type of mixed crops to grow and where to locate them.

Tripura can grow the second-best bamboo in the world, after Mizoram, hence paper mills can be started. Pháôpá báôsh [hollow bamboo] is the best type for paper production.

TRIPURA 459

Tripura should cultivate more sugar beet than sugar cane, because four sugar beet crops a year can be grown, as opposed to one crop of sugar cane. Sugar beet can produce sugar but not guó [raw sugar, boiled sugar cane juice], and it is a good cash crop. Guó can be produced from sugar cane, and the waste can be used to manufacture good-quality paper. Sugar beet seeds should be grown in cold climates; the best places are Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. Ideally, however, one should produce seeds in one’s own land. Both agro- and agrico-industries should be started.

Alcohol, pharmaceuticals, medicinal plants and silk can all be produced in Tripura, and inferior-quality coal is available. Once Tripura was part of a sargasso sea, so it also has the potential to produce oil.

You should have an integrated knowledge of the condition of the soil, the river systems, the irrigation system, the power and energy supply, the mineral resources, the people’s culture, and the agricultural, horticultural and industrial possibilities. If socio-economic planning is done in a proper way, the future of Tripura will be very bright.

July 1986, Kolkata

REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL CONSTITUTION

With the changes of the social cycle, the human society has

developed several social institutions to carry out its duties and responsibilities. The state is one such vital institution, which organizes a group of people in a certain area of land, rules them, promotes their welfare and oversees their good. This institution is powerful because it also enjoys sovereign power.

Accumulation of power is dangerous if it is not guided by some rules and basic principles. The guidebook in which all such rules, regulations and principles for the proper conduct of a state are codified is called a constitution. A constitution guides a state with policies and principles to render all-round services to the people for their rapid progress.

The first written constitution was framed by the Licchavi dynasty of Vaishali (in northern Bihar) in ancient India, over 2,500 years ago.1 Prior to that the words of the king were law and kings ruled according to the advice of their ministers. The first republican democracy was established by the Licchavis. The Licchavi republic comprised some portion of Muzzaffarpur, portions of Begusarai, Samastipur and Hajipur, between the Gandak and Kamala Rivers, all in the present state of Bihar. It was the first democratic state and they had their own written constitution. Differences among Some Constitutions

There is nothing like a [written] British constitution – it is

only a collection of traditions and conventions and not a

1 Located on the northern bank of the Ganges River, Vaishali was an important

trade and cultural city 600 years BCE. –Eds.

REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL CONSTITUTION 461

written document. The theoretical head is the crown queen or king. All power is vested with the crown, but practically it is exercised by the prime minister in a parliamentary form of government. The French system is a presidential form of government where the president appoints the prime minister and all other ministers. The USA also has a presidential form of government. In France and the US there are written constitutions. In the US the president exercises power or rules the country through secretaries appointed by the president who is directly elected by the electorate. There are no ministers, only secretaries, in the US system, whereas there are ministers in the French system. When there is no ministry in Britain, a lame-duck ministry is formed by the crown and the crown can head that ministry until a new parliament is elected.

In India the president has no power and is only a signatory authority or rubber stamp. The Indian president cannot even head a caretaker government. The Indian prime minister can remove the president but the president cannot remove the prime minister. Although the prime minister is powerful according to the constitution, he or she is not directly elected by the electorate, that is, by the people. The prime minister is elected only as a member of parliament and then is made prime minister by the party.

The US presidential form of government is a better form of government, but there is a shortcoming in the US constitution, and that is that individual rights are given maximum scope. This leads to an unrestrained capitalist order. Now India is also going to suffer the same disease and this is leading to regionalism.

Too much individual freedom should be curtailed in an ideal form of government. Prout will introduce social controls so that collective interests will be supreme. In the US constitution purchasing power is not guaranteed to the people. The best form of government is the presidential form where the


president is elected directly by the electorate and there is less individual liberty. Common Constitutional Defects

Everyone has the right to physical, mental and spiritual

development. But all constitutions have been written in such a way that they do not ensure the all-round welfare of all citizens. A constitution should be fair and just. The least bias on the part of the framers towards any particular ethnic, linguistic or religious group may undermine the unity and solidarity of the concerning country and thus disturb the peace and prosperity of the society as a whole.

Judged from this perspective, some of the defects of the Indian constitution are easily discernible. India should have a new constitution to establish unity in diversity in a multilingual, multi-social and multinational country.

While drafting the constitution of a country, the framers should keep in mind the population structure of the concerning country. The population of India is a blended population of the Austric, Mongolian, Negroid and Aryan races. But the Indian constitution, due to inherent defects, has not helped establish social amity, cultural legacy, equality and unity among these races. As a result fissiparous tendencies have developed in the country.

There are several fiscal and psychological loopholes in the Indian constitution. The fiscal loopholes include the following. First, there is no check on unbarred capitalist exploitation. This is because the leaders of the independence struggle did not give any economic sentiment to the people. The only sentiment was an anti-British sentiment. Thus the independence struggle was only a political movement and not an economic movement. After 1947, instead of ‘white’ exploitation ‘brown’ exploitation came up. 1947 brought only capitalist political liberty but not


economic freedom. As a result unbarred economic exploitation continues today.

Secondly, the constitution gives no guarantee for increasing the purchasing capacity of every individual.

Thirdly, the president has no constitutional power to check financial or fiscal matters. The Indian economy is controlled by a few business houses through some chambers of commerce. The president has no constitutional power to check either the price level or the level of exploitation. Neither the president nor the prime minister can check these.

Fourthly, there is no provision for inter-block planning for socio-economic development.

Fifthly, no clear concept of balanced economy is found. The psychological loopholes in the Indian constitution

include the following. The first is the imposition of Hindi as the national language.2 English imperialism has been followed by Hindi imperialism. Hindi is a regional language. The selection of one such regional language as the official language adversely affects the psychology of non-Hindi-speaking people. As a consequence of such a defective language policy in the constitution, the non-Hindi-speaking people face unequal competition at the national level, and they are forced to use a language, either Hindi or English, which is not their natural language. Hence they are relegated to B-class citizens. No regional languages should be selected as an official language in

2 The Indian constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950. Article 343 (1)

states that the official language of the union government shall be Hindi. The use of English for official purposes was to cease 15 years after the constitution came into effect, i.e., on 26 January 1965. Due to widespread opposition to this policy, however, in 1967 the Official Languages Act was amended to guarantee the indefinite use of both Hindi and English as official languages. So, although India does not have a de jure national language and has two official languages, Hindi and English, the Constitution of India attempted to impose Hindi on the people of India. Vested interests continue that imposition today. Various other languages are also recognized in the Constitution of India. –Eds.


a multinational, multilingual and multicultural country like India. Such a selection would affect the minds of other, non-Hindi-speaking people. Hindi is just a regional language, like Tamil, Telegu and Tulu. Hindi is a good language but it should not be forcibly imposed on others.

India is a secular country, but Pakistan is a Muslim state and Nepal is a Hindu state. They may or may not impose a language on others, but in India imposition should not take place. The spirit of secularism provides equal scope and equal avenues for all, for the maximum psycho-social-economical development of every individual.

When the Indian parliament debated the issue of official languages, the Constituent Assembly was equally divided into two. The then chairman of the Constituent Assembly, at that controversial stage, cast his all-important vote in favour of Hindi. Thus Hindi becomes the official language of India by a casting vote.3

Sanskrit may be the national language of India. It is the grandmother of almost all the modern languages of India, and has a great influence on the languages of India. It may take 5, 10, 50 or 100 years to spread this language to all people. Roman script should be used for the language since Sanskrit has no script of its own. All groups of people, including the linguists of India, should get together and decide this controversial matter.

The second psychological loophole is that there are several disparities in the law. The Constitution of India proclaims that all are equal in the eyes of the law. But in practice this principle is not followed, and as a result disparity is growing in the arena of law and justice. Such disparity is adversely

3 The Constitutent Assembly was formed on 6 December 1946, and it held its

final meeting on 24 January 1950. On 26 November 1949 it adopted the constitution, and the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950. On 14 September 1949, the assembly adopted Hindi as the official language of the Indian union. –Eds.


affecting the different groups of people in the country. For example, there are disparities between the Hindu Code and the Muslim Code.4 Hindu women and Muslim women, although they are all Indian citizens, do not get equal advantages in law. In Hindu law men cannot have more than one wife but Muslim men can have two, three, four, etc., wives. Both Hindu wives and husbands have to go to court to get a divorce, but Muslim men can say Talaq, talaq, talaq and divorce their wife.5 Thus Muslim men do not have to go to court to secure a divorce. Moreover Muslim men can divorce their wives but Muslim women cannot divorce their husbands [in the same way as Muslim men]. Also it is not necessary for Muslim men to give any reason for their divorce.

Disparity in the eyes of the law is creating all these problems. The root of all these evils lies in the psychological loopholes of the Indian constitution. Why is the constitution allowing the Hindu Code and Muslim Code to stand side by side? Let there be only one code – the Indian Code. This Indian Code should be based on cardinal human values, with a universal approach and Neohumanistic spirit. 6 Then only equality before the law can be established in practice, and equal protection of the law for all can be guaranteed. So the constitution should remove the psychological loopholes by eradicating existing disparities in the eyes of the law.

4 The Hindu Code is the common name for various pieces of legislation dealing

with civil law enacted by the Indian parliament from 1955, (although some pieces of legislation enacted before this date have also been included in the Hindu Code,) and pertains to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, etc. The civil affairs of Muslims are covered by a different code. –Eds.

5 Talaq, talaq, talaq is generally known as “triple talaq”; talaq is Arabic for “repudiation” or “divorce”. In May 2017 five Supreme Court judges of India convened to consider the constitutional legality of triple talaq. In August 2017 a majority of the bench declared triple talaq unconstitutional and ruled “the practice of talaq-e-biddat – triple talaq – is set aside”. –Eds.


466 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 3 The third psychological loophole is that there is no law

against the indiscriminate destruction of flora and fauna, due to the absence of Neohumanistic sentiment. In the Cosmic family of the Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness], humans, animals, plants, and inanimate objects exist together and maintain a harmonious balance. However, human beings, because of their superior intellect, are indiscriminately destroying plants and animals for their own narrow, selfish ends. In the constitution there is no provision for the safeguard of the plants and animals. In a constitution there should be safeguards for the lives of plants and animals. The absence of such provisions in the constitution creates psychological loopholes, which should be corrected without delay.

Fourthly, the relation between the centre and the states in a confederation should be clearly defined in the constitution. Otherwise there will be centre-state conflict and the whole country will be psychologically affected. Among all the aspects of this relation, two important aspects should be clearly defined: the right of self-determination, and the right of secession of a particular component from the confederation. In the Constitution of India these are not clearly stated. As a result the relation between the centre and the states is always strained and under pressure.

Fifthly, in the Constitution of India no clear definitions of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes are given.7 Rather these lists have been wrongly prepared on the basis of racial considerations. Instead of this unscientific approach, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste lists should be based on economic backwardness and educational backwardness.8

7 Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes are officially designated groups of

historically disadvantaged indigenous people. Although the terms are recognized in the Indian constitution, they are not clearly defined. These groups are also sometimes referred to as depressed classes. –Eds.

8 See “Elevating Backward Classes”. –Eds.


Constitutional Reforms To overcome these [types of] fiscal and psychological

loopholes, all constitutions in the world today need to be reformed. The following reforms should be implemented.

1. Dissolution of the ministry or parliament. The president may discharge the ministry or dissolve the parliament under certain circumstances: in case of inimical action within the country; in case of disorder or the breakdown of law and order; in case of external inimical activity; and when a democratic ministry is rendered a minority in the parliament. When a democratic ministry is discharged because it is a minority in the house, the president has to explain the reasons for his or her actions before the parliament within one month from the day of taking such action against the ministry. If the parliament is already dissolved, then the president will have to arrange a general election within six months, and explain the position before the newly-elected parliament within one month of the election.

2. Period of emergency. The president may continue the period of emergency with the approval of parliament for a period of six months, and with such a parliament the president may continue a period of emergency for not more that two years.

3. Advice of a lame-duck ministry. The president may or may not act on the advice of a lame-duck ministry. If the advice of a lame-duck ministry is not honoured by the president, then the parliament will be dissolved. A new parliament will have to be formed through a general election, and the president will have to explain his or her position before the new parliament within one month of its formation.

4. The moral standard and character of the president and prime minister. The president and prime minister must be of high moral character. The president and prime minister must


not divorce his or her spouse, marry a divorcee or have more than one spouse.

5. The power of the president to issue any statement. The power of the president to issue any statement should be controlled. The president must not issue any statement under normal conditions without consulting the parliament or the prime minister. In normal conditions, when there is a ministry, the president will have to act according to the advice of the ministry. In case the ministry is dissolved, the president will have to act according to the advice of parliament.

6. Parliament in the role of Constituent Assembly. The parliament will play the role of Constituent Assembly only with a majority of 7/8ths of the members,9 because changing the constitution at regular intervals reduces the status of the constitution.

7. Language. All the living languages of a country must have equal status before the state or the government.

8. Equal rights. All citizens must have equal rights before the law. Physical requirements are to be equally considered for all citizens so that all citizens will have equilibrium and equipoise in collective life.

9. Review board. To review the economic progress and development of the different parts of the country, a high-powered review board should be constituted by the president. If there is any difference between the ministry and the board, the president must act according to the advice of parliament. And if there is any difference between the parliament and the board, the president should seek advice from the Supreme Court of the

9 I.e., in a bicameral system where parliament can change the constitution by

passing an amendment rather than by some other process, such as holding a referendum, a vote of at least 7/8ths of the total membership of each house would be required for an amendment to be adopted. (In the Indian constitution at the time this discourse was given (1986), the requirement was not less than 2/3rds of the total membership of each house.) –Eds.


country and act according to their official advice, according to the provisions of the constitution.

10. A case against the prime minister or president. A case may be filed in the Supreme Court against any person in the country, including the prime minister and president, because every citizen in the country is equal before the constitution.

11. The right of self-determination and plebiscite. The right of self-determination for a part of the country may be recognized only on the basis of a plebiscite held in that area with the permission of the parliament functioning as a Constituent Assembly. If a plebiscite is to be held, it should be held under the strict control and supervision of the central government by the chief election commissioner of the country.

12. Education. Primary education for all must be guaranteed and education should be free from all political interference.

13. The law and the constitution. The law and the constitution should be the same. The law and the constitution should be the same for the entire country, as each and every individual is equal before the law and before the constitution. According to the constitution, each and every part of the country will enjoy the same power. For example, special rights or facilities for Kashmir should not be allowed. Today a Kashmiri can go to Bengal and purchase land, a house, etc., but a Bengali in Kashmir cannot enjoy that facility. This kind of discrimination must end.

Charter of Rights

The formation of a world government will require a world

constitution. A charter of principles or bill of rights should be included in such a constitution and encompass at least the following four areas. First, complete security should be guaranteed to all the plants and animals on the planet. Secondly, each country must guarantee purchasing power to all


its citizens. Thirdly, the constitution should guarantee four fundamental rights: spiritual practice or dharma, cultural legacy, education and indigenous linguistic expression. Fourthly, if the practice of any of these rights conflicts with cardinal human values, then that practice should be immediately curtailed. That is, cardinal human values must take precedence over all other rights.

All the constitutions of the world suffer from numerous defects. The above points may be adopted by the framers of different constitutions to overcome these defects.

22 September 1986, Kolkata


THE ORIGIN OF EXISTENTIAL STAMINA

Átmani sattásaîsthitih. [Every entity is embedded finally in

the átman (unit consciousness).] The sum total of our existential potentialities emanating from unit consciousness, interacting through the motor and sensory organs in our physical stratum, interplaying through ectoplasmic projections in our psychic stratum, and flowing one-pointedly through the psycho-spiritual approach in our spiritual stratum, constitute our ástitika práòiinata [existential stamina].

Now, the question arises, what is the origin of our existential stamina? Is it bháva pravanata [sentiment], yukti [logic], lakïa [desideratum] or karmaeïana [actional faculty]? In fact the answer is “None of these.” Actually the true source of our existential stamina is none other than our jiivátman [unit consciousness].

The object entity finds its substantiation in the receptacle of the citta (done “I”), the citta in the ahaîtattva (doer “I”), the ahaîtattva in the mahattattva (“I am,” “I exist”). But even the “I am” feeling of mahattattva would remain in jeopardy without the witness-ship of jiivátman. In order to substantiate the “I am” feeling, we require the sense of knowership, that is, “I know I am” [or, “I know I exist”]. First comes “I know” and then comes “I am”. So the origin or source of our existential being is rooted in the “I” of “I know”, and that supreme identity is indeed our soul, our unit consciousness – jiivátman.

What are the limitations of the four drives?


Sentiment

To find expression, mind adopts certain inter- and intra-ectoplasmic occupations. These occupations (love, hatred, fear, etc.,) are known as vrttis [“propensities”]. Vrtti may be defined as “a way of expression of mind”. On the psychic level this occupation is called “expressed sentiment”. In short, sentiment is an outburst of psychic energy, which may or may not be rational. As a result, at any moment sentiment may be clouded over by dogmas. Such an undependable source cannot be the origin of our existential stamina. Furthermore, as sentiment is a purely psychic occupation, it cannot be the source of our entire stamina, which includes the spiritual stratum. Logic

Logic stands on three legs: pratyakïa [direct knowledge], anumána [inference] and ágama [authority]. (Authority may stem from either an authoritative book [i.e., an authoritative scripture] or an authoritative personality.) Unfortunately, none of these three sources of knowledge are fully dependable. In the case of direct knowledge [i.e., direct perception], wrong conclusions may be drawn due to the limitations of our sensory organs, defects in our sensory organs, or defects in the environmental conditions. Inference may also prove faulty in the absence of sufficient or correct data. And finally, authority may be misleading due to temporal or personal factors.1 Desideratum

The first point is that desideratum must be correct. If

someone imagines that his or her desideratum is to become rich

1 See also “Relative Knowledge and Absolute Knowledge” in Volume 2. –Eds.

THE ORIGIN OF EXISTENTIAL STAMINA 473

or famous, or even if one aspires to have a post-mortem gate pass to the mythological kingdom of heaven, surely this can prove to be very dangerous. But even if the desideratum is correct – that is, the attainment of perfection or oneness with Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] – even then, that cannot be a stable source for our existential stamina. Imagine that one is guiding a lifeboat in the vast ocean by means of the polestar. That is all right. But what happens if the sky of our life becomes covered by clouds? In fact, there are many clouds: vrttis, saîskáras [mental reactive momenta], páshas 2 and ripus. 3 Thus even the correct desideratum is still not dependable. Actional Faculty

Work for work’s sake has the tendency to increase bondage rather than to liberate. Action begets reaction. So when saîskáras are increasing, (whether they be good saîskáras or bad saîskáras, chains of gold or chains of iron,) the mind easily gets crudified. A human being in this life may well be reborn as an animal, plant or even a rock in his or her next life. How then can the actional faculty be accepted as the source of our existential stamina?

Clearly these four drives – sentiment, logic, desideratum and actional faculty – are all unworthy foundations of our existential stamina. Nevertheless we must not discard these four drives, because in spite of their defects they can certainly contribute to our understanding of existential stamina.

2 The páshas, or asta páshas (eight fetters), are: ghròá (hatred), shauôká (doubt),

bhaya (fear), lajjá (shyness), jugupïa (dissemblance), kula (vanity of lineage), shiila (cultural superiority complex) and mána (egoism). –Eds.

3 The ripus, or ïaìaripus (six enemies), are: káma (physical desire), krodha (anger), lobha (avarice), mada (vanity), moha (blind attachment or infatuation) and mátsarya (jealousy). –Eds.


Sentiment, when guided by Neohumanism, 4 can elevate humanity through devotion as a mission. Logic, when properly guided by rationality, can eliminate the influence of geo-sentiments in society, and when guided by intuition, can become a beacon of light [radiating] in all directions. Through psycho-spiritual practices, all the clouds may be removed from the sky of our life, and in that event the clear vision of our desideratum allows us to proceed unerringly on the path of liberation. And finally all bondages [created] through action may be eliminated by the three-fold approach of madhuvidyá [ideation on Supreme Consciousness], surrendering the vanity of actions, and detachment regarding the results of our work.

October 1986, Kolkata



THE TRANSFORMATION OF PSYCHIC PABULA INTO

PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL PABULUM

The innate instincts of crude psychic propensities of human beings instigate them to accumulate and enjoy material objects in an unlimited manner. These psychic urges towards the acquisition of physical wealth are common to all living beings, but in human beings they are infinitely insatiable. Psychic pabula are nothing but these different psychic urges projected objectively.

Psychic Pabula and Capitalism

The impetus from crude psychic urges gave birth to

capitalism. In capitalism the psychology of the acquisition of material wealth, be it land, money, metal or other property, strongly predominates. Such crude psychic urges and psychic pabula remain unchecked and unbridled in capitalism, and turn into a hungry profit motive in the market system. As a result, traders, industrialists and business people suffer from the psychic disease of accumulating more and more wealth by any means, even to the point of depriving other human beings of their basic requirements.

Those dominated by these hungry psychic urges or psychic pabula run after material gains and do not hesitate to exploit others mercilessly. Exploitation starts when one violates the principle of aparigraha1 and accumulates more physical wealth

1 Aparigraha involves non-acceptance of such amenities and comforts of life that

are superfluous for the preservation of physical existence. See also “The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra” in Volume 1, or A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.


than one actually needs for survival and progress in the world. The exploiters forget the basic truth that this material world is very limited, whereas psychic pabula is propelled by an unlimited urge. When unlimited pabula are let loose in the limited material world, exploitation starts. A few become rich and the others become poor. In such a condition millions die without food, live without shelter, work without education, suffer without medicine and move about without proper clothing. The society then splits into two distinct groups: the haves and the have-nots. The former is the class of exploiters, the capitalists, and the latter is the class of the exploited, the vikïubdha shúdras [disgruntled workers].2

So the unchecked psychic urges and psychic pabula for material acquisition end in merciless exploitation. This inhuman exploitation causes mass-level deprivation of millions of people. The curse of capitalism engulfs the whole of society. Thus capitalism is anti-human.

Psychic Pabula and Communism

Communism is also a socio-economico-political theory

based on materialism. In communist society people’s psychic urges and psychic pabula instinctively run after material acquisition and crude enjoyment. When psychic pabula are guided by a materialistic outlook, human beings develop negative behaviour patterns. For example, they become extroversial in nature, develop strong attachment to material wealth and worldly pleasure, become aggressively intolerant of other’s views and thoughts, resort to brute force to repress opponents, deny the existence of spirituality, and suppress the psychic urges or pabula of the people. The communist society suffers from all these evils.

2 See “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society” in Volume 2. –Eds.

PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL PABULUM 477

The psychic urges and psychic pabula in a communist society are bound to develop a tendency towards materialism and physical accumulation because the mind does not get any scope in such an atheistic society to divert the flow of its propensities towards spirituality. As a result, psychic pabula indulge in material pursuits. The totalitarian rule of the communist world then desperately tries to suppress the tendency towards material enjoyment by brute force in the name of equal distribution, a proposition which is basically wrong and illogical.

At this stage, communist society is tragically caught in a triple bind. First, it is based on the ill-founded ideological proposition of equal distribution. Secondly, the irresistible materialistic tendencies of communist society emanate from unchecked psychic pabula, fed by the poison of materialism. Thirdly, there is the vain effort by the totalitarian communist state to suppress people’s psychic urges and psychic pabula. These urges and pabula cannot be suppressed by brute force for a long time, not even in communist states, behind their “iron curtains”.3

In such a defective society, life loses its dynamism – the power of imagination gets overshadowed and the urge [to take] initiative is weakened. Thus communist society sinks into a state of doldrums. This degradation quickens the downfall of communism. The state of doldrums then further degenerates into a state of Babel’s 4 pandemonium through a process

3 The Iron Curtain was the name for the boundary dividing Europe into two

separate areas from the end of World War Two in 1945 to the end of the Cold War and the collapse of communism in Russia in 1991. It symbolized the efforts of Russia to block itself and its satellite states from open contact with non-communist, liberal democratic countries. –Eds.

4 Babel (Hebrew for “gate of God”) was a prominent city in Shinar, ancient Babylonia, and later became Babylon. According to the Old Testament (Gen. xi 4-9), its inhabitants tried to build a tower to reach heaven, but a confounding of their language took place and chaos ensued. –Eds.


[similar to] capillary attraction. Today communist society is heading towards this inevitable, tragic end. Both Capitalism and Communism are Defective

Both capitalism and communism are anti-human. Under both

these systems, psychic urges and pabula, instead of being properly channelized, are involved in detrimental physical, psycho-physical and psychic interactions, causing [negative] pratisaiôcara [i.e., devolution, or counter-evolution] or negative movement of the mind.

In capitalism, the rich, in their affluence, misuse their psychic urges and direct their psychic pabula towards the pursuit of material gains. And the poor, in their extreme poverty, misdirect their psychic urges and concentrate their psychic pabula on antisocial activities in their struggle for existence.

In communism, the elite and the party leaders, the [so-called] new class, misuse their psychic urges and direct their psychic pabula towards political manipulation and totalitarian oppression. Under the oppression of communist rule, the psychic pabula of the general people are suppressed, [and as a result they sink] into a state of doldrums.

In both cases psychic urges are misutilized for subhuman activities in the physical, psycho-physical and psychic spheres. This must be stopped.

Psycho-Spiritual Channelization – the Only Panacea

What are psychic pabula? The word “psychic” means

“mental”, and “pabula” implies “mental objects” or “mental foods”. Communism and capitalism are essentially materialistic philosophies. Both encourage a psychology of material attachment, which in turn encourages the pursuit of money,


name, fame, etc. People living under either of these two systems develop psychic pabula which run after crude physicalities. All these objective tendencies are the inevitable outcome of the continuous extroversial movement of the psychic urges, insatiably driving themselves from one object to another. While running after such material attachments, mind constantly creates objects in its citta bhumi [objective chamber]. All these mental objects are mental food, and they are called psychic pabula.

Similarly, while engaged in physical or psycho-physical interactions, mind thrives on these pabula. When it changes its outlook and goal, its objects or pabula also change. So the human mind is continuously dragged in thousands of directions, creating innumerable objects within itself. These objects are nothing but psychic pabula (“pabula” are plural), always alluring and always detracting the mind. All these pabula grow out of psychic urges, psycho-physical demands, the reactive momenta of the mind, and objectified environmental conditions.

A mind driven by many psychic pabula is a prisoner of innumerable predicaments. In such a condition the human mind becomes extroversial, multi-directional, weak and static. It is propelled by the principle of selfish pleasure,5 which leads it down the path of counter-evolution. It always adopts an analytical approach to life, never a synthetic one. As people have to satisfy their unrestrained psychic pabula with limited objects of wealth, they often create inter-personal and inter-group conflicts. The collective psychology arising from many objectified human minds gives rise to social inequality, economic exploitation, political repression, religious bigotry, cultural perversion, and the all-round degradation of the individual and the society. Crude psychic pabula cause the

5 See “Sama-Samája Tattva”. –Eds.


degeneration of the individual and collective mind, and thus bring about the downfall of the society.

So psychic urges must not be objectified and nor should they be suppressed; rather they must be channelized towards the Supreme Desideratum through the proper psycho-spiritual approach. The Supreme Entity is always one – there is no room for duality in infinity. In the psycho-spiritual approach, the goal of psychic urges is always singular. With constant spiritual practice, the mind, with its 1,000 propensities,6 becomes one-pointed, and is goaded towards the Supreme Singular Entity. At this stage of advanced psycho-spiritual attainment, all psychic urges with the many psychic pabula, are channelled and converted into one psycho-spiritual pabulum – Cosmic Consciousness.

This inner channelization and one-pointed conversion into psycho-spiritual pabulum brings about radical changes in individual and collective life. The psycho-spiritual approach makes a person deeply introversial, one-directional, strong and dynamic. He or she is inspired by the principle of social equality, leading him or her along the path of spiritual attainment. He or she always adopts a synthetic approach to life, never an analytical one. Such a magnanimous and devotional mind rises above petty quarrels and inter-personal and inter-group conflict. Those imbibed with spiritual idealism are dedicated to the all-round elevation of humanity, free from the slavery of capitalism and the repression of communism; they are established in the glory of Neohumanism.7

With the smooth, natural and progressive channelization of the psychic urges of the individual and collective mind into the Supreme Entity, psychic pabula will be converted into psycho-spiritual pabulum. Then each person will be a sadvipra, and the

6 See Yoga Psychology, 1991. –Eds. 7 See The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, 1982. –Eds.


whole society will be a sadvipra samája [society] – an Ánanda Parivára [a blissful, universal family]. So the transformation of psychic pabula into psycho-spiritual pabulum is the only panacea.

October 1986, Kolkata A Few Problems Solved Part 8

THE MAN AND THE IDEOLOGY

The Sanskrit word kulála means “a person who has a special intellectual talent in the artistic, intellectual or ideological spheres of life”. Such a person advances towards their cherished goal according to their own individual plan. Many people are frightened of individuality or scientific planning. The supporters of different ideologies feel particularly threatened by individual ideas and spit venom at those extraordinary people who propound them. We will have to assess such people like an impartial judge or a fair-minded critic.

On the eve of Indian independence,1 the method of struggle which most stirred public opinion was a special technique of political warfare evolved by Subhash Chandra Bose.2 The time has now come for those who have remained neutral regarding the utility of such a strategy to peruse this subject and to make a proper assessment of this controversial issue.

Without wishing to express the least disregard for the leaders of the independence movement, I would like to state that they lacked social awareness and revolutionary zeal. They did not have a clear-cut, constructive political strategy or socio-economic programme. What they wanted to do was to whip up public sentiment against the British through a variety of strategies, anger them, and by gently applying the sickle of political agitation in the country, reap the harvest of political freedom. The leaders were aware that this sort of action would neither kill the snake nor break the stick.

1 India became independence from the British in 1947. –Eds. 2 The author dedicated his book Problems of the Day, a discourse given on 26

January 1958, to Bose, writing: “To the great hero Subhash Chandra Bose, whom I did love, and whom I do love even now.” See also the footnote at the beginning of “Problems of the Day” in Volume 1. The author personally initiated Bose into spiritual meditation in Jamalpur in mid-1939. –Eds.

THE MAN AND THE IDEOLOGY 483

Some people may think that the path of ahiîsá is no path at all, that it is just the political stunt of a helpless individual, but they should remember that the thinking of the leaders of the independence movement was not born out of a helpless situation.3 These leaders exerted a profound influence over the people and could easily have kindled popular sentiments and launched a mass political movement. However, although it is undeniable that Mahatma Gandhi awakened mass consciousness, he did not channelize this awakened mass consciousness along the path of struggle. Instead, the so-called original thinking, which led to the formulation of all his principles and policies, was directed into a negative and passive movement, which was adverse to struggle.

The style of thinking of Subhash Chandra Bose was completely opposite. He wanted to make the best utilization of the opportunities available. To state the case more clearly, he wanted to seize independence by rendering his adversaries ineffective; he wanted to strike at the enemy while the iron was hot. This strategy was the cause of the conflict between his style of working and that of other contemporary leaders.

The so-called Gandhian doctrine of non-violence was not completely lacking in simplicity, but it certainly could have been simpler than it was. Perhaps some of Gandhi’s followers were not as simple as Gandhi himself in their personal lives. This difference in the style of functioning between Gandhi and some of his followers became very noticeable to outside observers. In fact, the contest between Subhash Bose and Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya for the Congress president in the All-

3 Here the author is referring to the path of non-violence (satyágraha) adopted by

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) and the leaders of India’s independence movement, who interpreted ahiîsá to mean non-violence. Ahiîsá, however, does not mean non-violence. Ahiîsá means “not causing suffering to any harmless creature through thought, word or deed”. It is one of the cardinal principles of human morality. See also “The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra” in Volume 1, or A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.


India Congress Committee was a contest between these two styles of functioning.4 Maybe Gandhi was a simple man, and that is why he remarked in unambiguous language at the defeat of Sitaramayya and the victory of Bose: “Sitaramayya’s defeat is my defeat.” Subhash Bose never allowed the differences between himself and Gandhi to interfere in their personal relationship. Nor did Gandhi. But some ambitious Congress leaders exploited the situation. The expression of their personal animosity and the serpentine noose of so-called ahiîsá were the main reasons why Subhash Bose had to leave the country.5

Instead of analysing the political situation more deeply, some politicians branded Subhash Bose as a misguided patriot and a quisling due to their own superficial knowledge of politics and their desire to slander him. They did not understand, for example, that Britain, France and America could sit together at a dinner table with the Russians and discuss the sovereignty of their respective countries despite the fact that their professed economic doctrines were poles apart. What wrong did Subhash Bose do when he, as the representative of a freedom-loving country which was trying to attain independence and which was devoid of a military force, sought the help of the Axis powers? In fact the Second World War was a war between two imperialistic and expansionist forces. Neither the Axis powers nor the Allied powers6 were the holy copper vessel and basil leaves that are bathed in the water of the Ganges. The opponents of Subhash Chandra Bose would undoubtedly have maligned him, regardless of which party he joined in his efforts to gain independence for India.

4 Dr. Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya (1880-1959) lost the contest to be the

president of the Indian National Congress to Subhash Chandra Bose in 1939. –Eds. 5 Bose resigned during his second term as president of the Indian National

Congress in 1939 and left India in 1940. –Eds. 6 The Axis powers were Germany, Italy and Japan. The major Allied powers were

the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and the United States. The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945. –Eds.

THE MAN AND THE IDEOLOGY 485

Those who declared that Subhash Bose’s style of functioning and his idealism were “Subhashism” are wrong, for there is no such thing as Subhashism. Subhash Bose only longed for the independence of his country, and he longed for it passionately. This was the reason he seized the opportunities that arose to work for the freedom of India. We can conclude that those who criticized him wanted to advance politically by taking the least political risk possible, and did not want to risk even the slightest scratch to their bodies. While the Allied powers criticized Subhash Bose for their own social and political reasons and declared Tojo7 a war criminal, was it justifiable for those Indian people who may have differed with him and his methods of struggle to criticize him and join in the chorus of propaganda of the Allied forces?

The fact is that where people have a serious difference in their style of functioning or approach, clear vision and rational intellect become clouded. As a result every ripple of social life becomes turbid; this is not at all conducive to lofty thinking. A divisive mentality is the nastiest expression of geo-sentiment and merely demonstrates that people are poles apart in their views.

November 1986, Kolkata from the section on “Kulála”, Discourse 33

Shabda Cayaniká Part 5

7 Hideki Tojo (1884-1948) was Prime Minister of Japan from 1941 to 1944. After

the Second World War, he was tried and found guilty of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and hanged. –Eds.

THE ROLE OF YOUTH

The nature of life is to change and to grow. Where there is no change, it is just like the condition of death. In all living structures, the young are resilient and open to change. If a limb of a child is broken, it heals quickly. If a child is mentally wounded, he or she soon recovers. When new ideas and technology come forward, it is the young minds that can grasp them. The old become fossilized. To move the old is an effort; for the old to adapt to change is difficult.

Our world needs a great change in order to move forward and progress. A new order, a new wave, will have to take the place of the old to remedy all the physical, social, intellectual and spiritual ills of the world. As the vanguard of this new movement, the youth are indispensable. It is the youth, and the youth only, who have the vigour to bring about the necessary change. It is the youth who have the resilience to change and adapt and implement the vision of a new society. Without this vision, without the youth, the world will continue in the morass of suffering, injustice and exploitation that is our present social condition. It is the youth of the world only who can help bring about the new world order and the vision of a new humanity.

GLOSSARY

ácárya m. or ácáryá f. Spiritual teacher qualified to teach all lessons of meditation.

adharma That which goes against dharma. aham, ahaîtattva Doer “I”, ego. ahiîsa Literally, “not to harm anybody”; not to cause suffering to

any harmless creature through thought, word or deed. álambana Literally, “support”. álápa The introductory portion of a classical piece of music. anáda Beginningless. ánanda Divine bliss. Ananda Marga Path of divine bliss; Ánanda Márga Parcáraka

Saîgha, Ananda Marga organization. Ánanda Parivára A blissful, universal family; a universal

government, a universal social order. ananta Endless. Anárya Non-Aryan, in a derogatory sense. aparavidyá Mundane knowledge. ápta vákya Absolute knowledge. artha Anything (especially wealth) that gives temporary relief from

suffering. aïíapásha Eight fetters of the mind, namely: ghròá (hatred),

shauôká (doubt), bhaya (fear), lajjá (shyness), jugupïa (dissemblance), kula (vanity of lineage), shiila (cultural superiority complex) and mána (egotism).

asti Requirements for individual and social existence; the minimum requirements of food, clothing, housing, education and medical care.

ástika Theistic. átmá, átman Soul, unit consciousness, self, spirit, unit puruïa, pure

cognition. The átman of the Cosmos is Paramátman, and that of the unit is j i ivátman.

átma-sukha tattva The principle of selfish pleasure.


Avidyámáyá Centrifugal or extroversial force; aspect of the Cosmic Operative Principle that guides movements from the subtle to the crude. See also Vidyámáyá.

ayurveda A traditional Indian system of medicine that is more than 7,000 years old. In this system, medicine is applied not to treat the disease but to bring about a balance among various factors.

bala In a general sense, personal force or capacity in any of the

three spheres: physical, mental or spiritual. bataidars, bargadars Sharecroppers. Bhagaván Lord. Bhágavata Dharma Human dharma, the dharma to attain the

Supreme; the path of spirituality. bhajana Devotional songs. bhákhá Colloquial language, vernacular (sometimes used in a

derogatory sense). bhaotika vij iôána Physical science. bháïá Literally, “language”. bhati Development, progress. bhávavádiis Idealists. bhikïus Buddhist monks. bhogavádiis Materialists. bhútas Fundamental factors. bodhi j iôána Intuitional faculty. Brahma The Supreme Entity, comprising both Puruïa, or Shiva,

and Prakrti , or Shakti . Brahmavidyá Intuitional science. Brahma Cakra The Cosmic Cycle – the cycle of creation out of

Consciousness and dissolution back into Consciousness, through saiôcara and pratisaiôcara.

Brahma sádhaná Cosmic ideation, meditation on the Supreme Entity. Also, sadhana.

Brahma vij iôána Intuitional science. Brahman A member of the highest caste in India, synonym Vipra. Bráhmiicit ta Macrocosmic ectoplasm.

caetanya Consciousness.

GLOSSARY 489

carká Spinning wheel. caturbhútas Four fundamental factors, namely: kïiti (earth), apa

(water), teja (fire) and marut (air). caturtattva The theory of the four fundamental factors. caturvaròa Literally, “four varòa”; four social classes: shúdra,

kïatriya, vipra and vaeshya. Adj: cáturvaròika, as in cáturvaròika social system.

catuïpáíhiis Vedic schools or education centres. chátra Literally, “jurisdiction”; students learning under the

jurisdiction of a particular teacher. ci t ta Done “I”, objective “I”, objective mind, mind-stuff. ci t tánu Ectoplasmic mind-stuff.

dána Gifts. darshana Literally, “philosophy”. Dáyabhága A system of inheritance, once prevalent in northeastern

India, in which the heir’s right of inheritance was subject to the discretion of the father, who had the right to disinherit any of the heirs.

dharma Characteristic property; spirituality; the path of righteousness in social affairs.

dharmacakra Collective meditation; Buddha’s “wheel of dharma”. Dharmamahá Cakra A spiritual congregation addressed by the

author (abbreviated as “DMC”). dharma ráïíra Religious state, theocratic state. dharma sádhaná Developing one’s spiritual potential, a spiritual

way of life. dharma yuddha The war of dharma. dhyána mantra A Sanskrit verse listing the attributes of a deity, to

be used for visualizing that deity in meditation. duhkha Suffering. duhkhaváda Literally, “the doctrine of pessimism”, that is, the

four noble truths of Buddhist philosophy. durlakïaòa A bad omen.

ekádashii The eleventh day after the new moon or full moon, days

on which fasting is especially advantageous.


gati vij iôána The science of dynamics in Prout, a sub-theory in Proutistic theory.

gii tá Song. gotra Clan. guó Raw sugar, boiled sugar-cane juice. guru bhái Disciples of the same guru.

Hiinayániis , Sthaviravádiis or Therávádiis Followers of the

southern school of Buddhism.

I ishvara Literally, “the Controller of all controllers”; the Cosmic Controller.

i t ihása The aspect of history that focuses on the progress of human society and has educative value; cultural history.

i t ikathá The aspect of history that focuses on the chronological record of past events; factual history.

jaìa Matter. jaìabuddhi Crude intellect, intellect ensconced in matter. jaìasphoía Structural dissociation. jagat The physical world, universe. játa bhái Members of the same caste. j i iva An individual being. j i ivátmá, j i ivátman See átman. j i iviká Occupation. j iôána Knowledge, understanding. j iôániis Intellectuals.

káma Physical longing. kaoïikii A spiritual dance invented by the author on 6 September

1978. káraòa Cause, as in cause and effect. karma Action, positive or negative action that produces

saîskáras. karma yoga A form of spiritual practice that emphasizes selfless

action. karmaphala The reactions of action.

GLOSSARY 491

karmaváda The doctrine of action and reaction of the Bhagavad Giitá.

kárya Effect, as in cause and effect. kathá A long story. kathániká A short story. kathányása A novel; a long fictional story. kavi Seer. kázii A Muslim judge. kevalá bhakti One-pointed devotion. khadi Hand-spun cloth. kiir tana Devotional singing, chanting the name of God. kránti Evolution. kriyá káòìa Vedic rituals. Krïòa The historical Krïòa of about 3,500 played two roles. In his

early youth he awakened the spiritual ardour and devotion of all those living in Gokula and Vrindavana. As an adult, as a great leader and king, he played a pivotal role in a military campaign (known as the Mahábhárata) to fight against those doing evil in society and to unify India. Philosophically, the word Krïòa has been used in many ways, particularly to represent Puruïottama.

krïíi Culture, in a general sense. Also, saîsktri . kïaòika Transient. kïatriya Written as kïatriya, a person whose mentality is to

dominate over matter, a member of the warrior class; written as “Kïatriya”, a member of the second-highest caste in India.

Kïatriya Age The warrior age. kusaîskárii Evil.

madhyavitta samája Middle class; poor people who have the

minds of kïatriyas or vipras; see also vikïubdha shúdras. maktabas Muslim schools. Mahábhárata Literally, “Great India”; the name of a military

campaign guided by Krïòa around 3,500 years ago to fight against those doing evil in society and to unify India; the epic poem written by Maharshi Vyása about this campaign.

mahápuruïa A spiritual being.


Mahásadvipra Literally, “Great Sadvipra”; the creator of sadvipras.

Mahásambhúti When Táraka Brahma utilizes the five fundamental factors to express Himself through a body, this is known as His Mahásambhúti.

Mahásaîghikas or Maháyániis Followers of the northern school of Buddhism.

mahat, mahattattva “I” (“I am”, “I exist”) feeling, existential “I”. mahátmá An elevated soul. Maháyániis or Mahásaîghikas Followers of the northern school

of Buddhism. mánava Contemplative being. mánuïa Contemplative being. Máyá Creative Principle, Prakrti in Her phase of creation. Also,

the power of the Creative Principle to cause the illusion that the finite created objects are the ultimate truth.

Máyáváda Doctrine of illusion. mili ta snána Collective bathing. mohana vij iôána Supra-aesthetic science. mokïa Emancipation. mudrá Gesture. mukti Liberation.

Námakaraòa Baby naming ceremony. nandana vij iôána Aesthetic science. Náráyaòa Literally, “the Lord of Nara (Prakrti)”; the Supreme

Entity. nástikas Atheists. nástika mata The school of atheism. náíáyana Literally, “drama”, a form of literary presentation. nii t i Morality. Nirguòa Brahma Non-Qualified Brahma, or Supreme Entity. Niyama Literally, “observances”; a moral code, spiritual morality,

cardinal moral principles, the five moral observances. niyoga prathá Fathering a child by a woman other than one’s wife. nrtya Dance.

GLOSSARY 493

paiôcabhútas Five rudimental or fundamental factors: ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid.

panchayat A jurisdiction covering several adjacent villages; the administrative system of such villages.

pápa Vice, sin. Paramártha That which provides permanent relief from suffering. Paramátmá, Paramátman Supreme Consciousness in the role of

witness of His own macropsychic conation. Paramátman comprises: 1) Puruïottama, the Macrocosmic Nucleus; 2) Puruïottama’s association with all creation in His extroversial movement (prota yoga); 3) Puruïottama’s association with each unit creation individually (ota yoga); and 4) with all collectively (prota yoga) in His introversial movement.

Parama Pitá Cosmic Father. Paramá Prakrti Supreme (Cosmic) Operative Principle. Parama Puruïa Supreme (Cosmic) Consciousness. paráshakti The primordial phase of linguistic expression. paravidyá Spiritual knowledge. parikránti Peripheric evolution – one rotation of the samája

cakra, from one shúdra revolution to the next shúdra revolution. país Paintings. paíuyás Painters. pisháca Literally, “one who breaks the neck of an animal and then

sucks out all the blood, leaving only the flesh and bones”. pisháca vaeshyas Blood-sucking vaeshyas; vaeshyas who

(colloquially speaking) sometimes kick the heads of their customers and sometimes lick the soles of their feet.

pishácavats Ghouls. Prabhát Saîgiita Literally, “Songs of the New Dawn”; a

collection of 5018 songs composed by the author. pracar Propagation. pragati Progress. Prakrti Supreme (Cosmic) Operative Principle. pralaya The annihilation of the world. Philosophically, pralaya

means annihilation, but in individual life pralaya refers to spiritual emancipation, not physical death.

pramá Dynamic equilibrium and equipoise.


pramáòa Validation, which is of three kinds: pratyakïa, direct perception; anumána, inference; and ágama, authority.

práòa dharma The cardinal characteristics of a person which differentiate one person from another; the innate characteristics of people’s existence, especially their collective psychological and cultural structures.

práòa shakti Vital energy. prápta vákya Relative knowledge. pratisaiôcara In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion

and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to the Nucleus Consciousness.

prativiplava Counter-revolution. prema Literally, “love”; the true characteristic of prema is supra-

physical, beyond the bondage of any limitation; divine love. preya Sensory pleasure. pseudo-vaeshyas Those vipras whose economic intellect is

awakened during the Vaeshya Age, and towards the end of the Vaeshya Age their dominance of society becomes evident.

puòya Virtue. puráòa Mythological story with a moral import; educative fiction. purodhás Spiritual vanguard. Puruïa Consciousness. Supreme (Cosmic) Consciousness, the

consciousness of the Cosmos, is Parama Puruïa, and a unit consciousness is an aòu puruïa, or simply puruïa.

Puruïottama Nucleus Consciousness, the witness of saiôcara (extroversion from the Nucleus) and pratisaiôcara (introversion to the Nucleus).

rága A classical melody. rágánuga bhakti Attributional devotion. rágátmiká bhakti Non-attributional devotion. ráginii A classical melody. Rámáyaòa An epic poem of India, which is the mythological story

of King Ráma, or Ramchandra. r ipus Literally, “enemies”, underlying mental weaknesses. Also,

ïaìaripus.

GLOSSARY 495

rïis Pioneers of human welfare; those who, by inventing new things, broaden the path of progress of human society.

Ïaìadarshana Six major schools of orthodox Indian philosophy,

namely: Kápila Sáîkhya; Pátaiôjala Darshana (Pátaiôjala philosophy), also known as Hindu Yoga Darshana; Gaotama Nyáya; Kaòáda Nyáya, also known as Vaesheïika; Púrva Miimáîsá, or Early Miimáîsá philosophy; and Uttara Miimáîsá, or Later Miimáîsá philosophy. According to orthodox tradition, all these schools are theist, although Kápila Sáîkhya is actually atheist.

sádhaka Spiritual aspirant, spiritual practitioner. sadhana Literally, “sustained effort”; spiritual practice; spiritual

meditation. Also, sádhaná, as in Brahma sádhaná. sádhu Literally, “honest”. Virtuous person; spiritual aspirant;

renunciant. ïaìaripus Literally, “six enemies”, underlying mental weaknesses,

namely: káma (physical desire); krodha (anger); lobha (avarice); mada (vanity); moha (blind attachment or infatuation); and mátsarya (jealousy). Also, r ipus.

sadvipras Those established in Yama and Niyama and imbued with Cosmic ideation; spiritual revolutionaries.

Saguòa Brahma Qualified Brahma, or Supreme Entity. sáhitya Literally, “that whose characteristic is to move with the

tends of life”; also literally, “that which co-exists with hita (welfare)”; literature (see also taíastha sáhitya and yuga sáhitya).

sáhityika One who writes with the thought of the welfare of all humanity uppermost in his or her mind.

saiôcara In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from the Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter.

samája Society samája cakra Social cycle. samája gurus Those capable of leading the entire society by virtue

of their extraordinary talent and ability; outstanding educators. samálocaná Literally, “criticism”; constructive literary criticism.


sama-samája tattva The principle of social equality. saîgiita Literally, “music”; the combination of giitá-vádyá-nrtya,

song, instrumental music and dance respectively. saîkránti or yuga saîkránti Transitional age. saîskára Mental reactive momentum, potential mental reaction. saîsktri Culture, in a good sense. Also, krïíi . sannyása marga The path of renunciation. sannyásii m. or sannyásinii f. Literally, “one who has

surrendered one’s everything to the Cosmic will” or “one who ensconces oneself in Sat, the Unchangeable Entity”; a renunciant.

samája Society. samája cakra Social cycle. samája gurus Those capable of leading the entire society by virtue

of their extraordinary talent and ability; outstanding educators. satyágraha humanistic appeals; the principles of truth and non-

violence as defined by the Gandhian movement founded by Mahatma Gandhi.

sáttvikii shánti Sentient peace. savikalpa samádhi Qualified Cosmic absorption. Shakti Energy; Prakrti ; a deification of Prakrti. shástra Literally, “scripture”; more broadly, a guiding entity,

whether a person or a book. Shiva A great Tantric guru of 7,000 years ago who guided society

while his mind was absorbed in Consciousness; hence Infinite Consciousness, Puruïa. Also, Sadáshiva.

Shiva-liuôga Originally a phallic symbol, but later given philosophical significance as “the Entity from which all things originate”.

shloka Couplet. Shráddha Kriyá Funeral ceremony. shreya Blissful spiritual union. shúdra Written as shúdra, a person with a mentality of physical

enjoyment only, a member of the labourer or worker social class; written as “Shúdra”, a member of the lowest caste in India.

Shúdra Age The age of physical labourers; primitive society. Sthaviravádiis , Therávádiis or Hiinayániis Followers of the

southern school of Buddhism.

GLOSSARY 497

svabháva Natural tendency; the true nature of humanity. svábhávika parivarttana Natural change.

támasikii shánti or tamoguòii shánti Static peace. tamoguòii shánti or támasikii shánti Static peace. táòìava A spiritual dance invented by Shiva. Tantra A spiritual tradition that originated in India in prehistoric

times and was first systematized by Shiva, 7,000 years ago. It emphasizes the development of human vigor, both through meditation and through confrontation of difficult external situations, to overcome all fears and weaknesses. Also, a scripture expounding that tradition.

tantraváda The doctrine of Tantra. Táraka Brahma Supreme Consciousness in Its liberating aspect. taíastha sáhitya Coastal literature; taíastha, “coastal”, refers to the

“coastline” or “shoreline” between the temporal and the eternal; literature that is ahead of its time.

Therávádiis , Hiinayániis or Sthaviravádiis Followers of the southern school of Buddhism.

Tripiíaka Three groups of Buddhist teachings compiled in three parts: 1) Vinaya, the practical side; 2) Sutta, the theoretical side; and 3) Abhidhamma, the philosophical side.

Upanishads A book complied from the spiritual portions of the

Vedas.

vádyá Instrumental music. vaeshya Written as vaeshya, a person of acquisitive mentality, a

member of the capitalist social class; actually means: “those who produce through various occupations”, but nowadays means: “those who profit by trading and broking without being directly involved in production”; written as “Vaeshya”, a member of the second-lowest caste in India.

Vaeshya Age The capitalist age. varòa Social class; mental colour. vicára Literally, “a particular type of mental process to ascertain the

truth”; justice.


Vidyámáyá Centripetal or introversial force; force of attraction to the Nucleus Consciousness; aspect of the Cosmic Operative Principle that guides movements from the crude to the subtle.

vikára Transformation. vikránti Counter-evolution. vikïubdha shúdras Disgruntled shúdras; the kïatriya-minded

and vipra-minded shúdras who emerge in the Vaeshya Age in the lead up to shúdra revolution.

vikïubdha vaeshyas Disgruntled vaeshyas; those rich vaeshyas who, once stripped of their power, will stoop to any means to try and regain it.

viplava Revolution. vipra Written as vipra, a person who controls others by his or her

wits, a member of the intellectual social class; written as “Vipra”, a member of the highest caste in India, synonym Brahman.

Vipra Age The intellectual age. vishva bháïá Universal or world language. vrt t i Literally, “that which keeps something alive”; mental

propensity; occupation.

yajiôa Ritual sacrifice. Yama Literally, “regulated conduct”; moral code, spiritual morality,

cardinal moral principles, the five abstinences or principles of regulated conduct.

yuga sáhitya Epochal literature; literature that expresses in clear terms the demands of an age.

yuga saîkránti or saîkránti Transitional age. yugasandhi Transitional period. yuga shilpii Artists of a particular era.

zamindar, zamindary Landlord; the system of land ownership

and management that was prevalent in India until quite recently.

SHRII PRABHAT RANJAN SARKAR

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