What are the stages? (Suppose the little boy cannot get through the books of philosophical science – so there are stages.) I told you that amongst humans, there are three species, pashu, viira, and deva – animals in human form, men in human form, and gods in human form.
Those who are in pashu form have to elevate themselves to the standard of man-god, that is, God. Pashu form means always moving in order to eat, drink, or sleep – for these things. They will have to elevate their standard to become human both in mind and body. This style of practice is known as pashvácára, as taught by Lord Shiva about seven thousand years ago.
For those who are humans both in mind and body, the style of practice is called viirácára. Our avadhútas and avadhútikás practise viirácára. Viira means brave. Why is it called brave? It is because they are fighting against the fetters of mind, they are fighting against the satanic fetters. So certainly they are brave. This viirácára is of two kinds. In the southern Himalayas, the practice taught by Shiva is known as viirácára. North of the Himalayas – in Tibet, China, Siberia, etc. – the practice taught by Shiva was known as Ciinácára, that is, “the Chinese style”.
From ancient India, the great Tantric yogi Vashistha came to China about five thousand years ago to learn this Ciinácára, the Chinese style of viirácára, and the Chinese-oriented [Tantra]. About 1500 years ago, a great yogi from China, named Pa Fa Hu Le, went to Bengal to revive Ciinácára.
Those who are established in viirácára have elevated themselves to the standard of deva. They are gods in human structure. What is the meaning of “god” here? Here “god” is meant with a small “g”, not a capital “g”; the feminine form is “goddess”. For “God” with a capital “g”, there is no feminine form; “God” is common. So, what is God?
Everything in this universe emanates from the Supreme God – capital “g”. All are different waves, coming out, emanating, from the Supreme Entity. All the waves have their peculiar length, no two waves are the same. That is why in Ánanda Sútram I said, Vaecitryaḿ Prákrtadharmah samánaḿ na bhaviśyati – “Variety is the law of nature, there cannot be cent per cent equality.”
Each and every entity has its peculiarity, its speciality. No two articles or expressions of the world are the same. These expressions of Parama Puruśa are devas. The controller of these devas, or the factor just above these devas, is Mahádeva. Mahádeva means the Supreme God, Supreme Entity. Here the “g” is capital “g”. Those who have elevated their status and are recognized as deva – their goal is attainment of Mahádeva, attainment of the status of Mahádeva, to be one with the Supreme Entity. This is divyácára. Their souls, their spirits, their entities, their existences, finally become one with Mahádeva. Hence they are deva.
The first style, from animality to humanity, is known as pashvácára. The second stage, or the second style, is viirácára in the south of the Himalayas and Ciinácára north of the Himalayas. As the final stage, divyácára is for all people who want to elevate themselves to the supreme excellence of Parama Puruśa.
18 August 1979, Taipei
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