Why is Aśt́áuṋga Yoga called Dharma? The purpose of Dharma is to attain perfect happiness and perfect happiness is the attainment of the soul, there being only partial happiness in each Kośa. So long as the soul is not attained every Kośa has to be perfected. Each Kośa has to be taken care of. One Kośa cannot be perfected to the exclusion of the rest. Where there is perfect happiness there is Dharma. Everything else yields only partial happiness and is therefore sectism. Sectism leads to preya (superficial and immediate gains) and only Dharma leads to Shreya (ultimate and real gains.) Everything else leads to crudeness. Dharma leads to Supreme Consciousness and only that which upholds and sustains the soul is Dharma. The Dharma of fire is to burn and the Dharma of living beings is to attain happiness. Where there is pursuit of Preya there is Avidyámáya. The happiness of heaven and the fear of hell are creations of the mind. Dharma has no fear since through Dharma one attains the original state. Ánanda Márga alone is Dharma and all the rest are sectisms.
All inspiration for a person practising Dharma is derived from Saguńa Brahma through His grace. For this reason one must be indebted to Saguńa Brahma. The person who does not practice Sádhaná is inferior to a tree, for the tree has no capacity for Sádhaná, whereas the person has. The wise avail themselves of this beneficence. Those who do not are ignorant. You have got divine grace and a human frame, so make use of this grace properly. Do not waste this golden opportunity.
Krśna nam harinám baŕai madhur
Jejan kaśńa bhaje se baŕa catur.
Din gela miche káje rátri gela nide
Nábhajinu Rádhákrśńa carańaravinde.
–Narottamda- s
You human beings are fortunate that you do not have to live as stones or trees. The entire universe has the grace of Brahma, but human beings enjoy greater grace. They are endowed with the privilege of practising Sádhaná. It is the special grace of Brahma to appear as Sadguru and teach spiritual practice to human beings. Is it not His special grace when Brahma attracts a person?
When one person attracts the Hirańmaya Kośa of another it is termed Brahmavidyá. The one who attracts the Hirańmaya Kośa of a person is the Supreme Guru.
When the Hirańmaya Kośa of one person attracts the Vijiṋánamaya Kośa of another it is termed Daevii Vidya. When the Vijiṋánamaya Kośa of one person influences the Atimánas Kośa of another it is called Gandharava Vidyá. A person with this capacity is also called Madhyama Guru. Such a person awakens the sentiments of Dharma in the mind of the disciple through sweet sounding Kirtan, etc. If the Atimánasa Kośa of one person attracts the Manomaya Kośa of another it is called Rákśasii or Paeshácika (demonic Vidyá. When the Manomaya Kośa of one person attracts the Kámamaya Kośa of another it is Bhuta Vidya or hypnotism. If the Kámamaya Kośa of one person attracts the Annamaya Kośa of another, it is known as the force of physical attraction. Saguńa Brahma graces the living beings with divine grace. You have been blessed. Use it properly and attain the state of Nirguńa Brahma by annihilating the barrier between the subjective and objective angles of vision. The highest object, the supreme attainment, is to attain the Nirguńa state. The aspirant says:
Nivedayámi cátmánaḿ tvaḿ gati Parameshvara.
O human beings, you are fortunate. The clarion call of the Universal has reached you. Not only has the call come, but you are hearing it and it is vibrating in every cell of your body. Will you now lie in the corner of your house as an inert being and waste your time by clinging to old skeletons and bemoaning them? The Supreme Being is calling you in the roar of the ocean, in the thunder of the clouds, in the speed of lightning, in the meteor’s flaming fires. Nothing good will come from idleness. Get up and awake the clouded chivalry of your dormant youth. It may be that the path is not strewn with flowers and that inferiority complex will be attempting to hold fast your each advancing step, but even then you have to proceed onwards tearing the shroud of darkness. You will tear the thick darkness of despair as you advance in the racing chariot radiant with the Sun’s brilliance towards the attainment of the Supreme state.
Jyaeśt́ha Púrńimá 1955 DMC
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