1-25 Bha'vah bha'va'tiitayoh setuh Ta'rakabrahma
Purport: The bridge between Nirgun'a Brahma and Sagun'a Brahma is called
Ta'raka Brahma. (AS)
== HEAVEN AND HELL ==
Namaskar,
Since some time this was confusion in my mind. In so many discourses it is
said that He is the controller of Hell. Many such teachings are there about
this which have been cited in the note section. So when I read all these
things then I got confused that, is there any hell? Because one hand Parama
Purusa is the controller of earth, heaven, and hell. And yet, the opposite
way has been written in Ananda Sutram. Which is as follows:
2-20 Na svargo na rasa'talah
"Purport: There exists no such thing as heaven or hell. When a person does
a virtuous act or enjoys the fruits thereof, the environment around him is
then called heaven; and when he does an evil act and endures the
consequences thereof, then the environment around that person becomes a
hell for him." (AS, Sutra 2-20)
So on one side there is the teaching that there is heaven and hell, and on
the other side there is another teaching - that there is no heaven or hell.
It was quite confusing for me.
CONTRADICTION IS NOT POSSIBLE
I myself was thinking that it cannot be because Baba is Parama Purusa and
He always tells the perfect truth and He is beyond time, place, and person.
And He is the controller of everything so it cannot be contradictory.
Indeed AM shastra is such a deep thing that it needs explanation. That is
why in Namah Shiva'ya Shantaya book, Baba tells that scriptures should be
well-explained. So due to my shallow understanding I am confirming with
others. This is the confusing point; such confusion can come to any
ordinary person. Because in Sanskrit one word can have many meanings. And
the second point is that scripture is written in a very concise manner. So
in that way people may not understand properly.
TALKING WITH A FAMILY ACARYA
Thinking all these things, I reached to a senior family kapalika acarya.
And I placed my question. And he replied that, 'Baba's discourses are very
deep. To understand you have to go more deeply. And then you will find that
what Baba has written that is apta vakya, perfect. There is no question of
any contradiction.'
On the point of heaven and hell, here the Family Acarya's reply was very
simple. He told that, 'Read this discourse of 7th April '79, Patna. The
point will be very clear.'
And he also began to explain as follows.
We all have human mind and with that comes a dark side and a good side.
When people are moving more towards spirituality that is the brighter side
and when attracted with that those negative propensities that is the darker
portion. And in that dark side there are seven lower-most stages. And there
are some persons who are so degenerated that they are doing robbery and
cheating others day and night. And if confronted about that they have all
sorts of justifications. And they will say that 'this is the way; everybody
is doing like this; so accordingly I am doing the same'. So their mind is
very low-- they do not understand. So this is all associated with that
lower side.
And on the other side there are people who have very good minds. And day
and night they are working for the service and welfare of one and all. And
they are dedicated to pleasing Parama Purusa and they working for the
upliftment of all. So such persons are established on the wave of
brightness. Thus they are in the divine world.
So this entire description of heaven and hell is totally dependent on one's
state of mind and dealing and it is not a physical place. Accordingly,
then hell is not a particular place. but a state of mind where it is
surrounded by avidya maya.
BABA'S GUIDELINES
Baba says, "Asuriya nam...Narak is the loka of the dark world. That means,
the effulgence of the sun does not reach there. It is always surrounded
with cimmerian darkness. Darkness is so deep, that human beings cannot see
themselves. Such a deep darkness is called "anda tamisra'". Where a human
being cannot see oneself, or others. Is this a type of hell? Yes, where
there is no effulgence, those who are covered by cimmerian darkness. Those
who do not do spiritual practice, those who do not do sadhana, they move
towards this loka of cimmerian darkness -- rasatala, hell."
"Uta means hell. In the hell, there are seven layers: Tala, atala, vital,
tala'tala, pa'ta'la, atipa'ta'la, and rasa'tala. Same way, in the world of
effulgence, nectar, there are seven layers - bhuhloka, bhuvahloka,
svahloka, mahahloka, janahloka, tapahloka, satyaloka. Parama Purusa is the
controller of these two worlds, heaven and hell. You must not
forget that all these seven lokas which are the underworld, of hell, or
these higher lokas which are the world of effulgence, they are not any
particular place. They are different stages of mind." (AV-9 (H))
So here Baba tells that regarding hell you will not find any particular
place which is like the earth or moon or mars.
In another discourse Baba makes it very clear, that hell is a status of mind.
Baba says, "Those human beings who do not do sadhana for their spiritual
development, they are sure to get degenerated. Because in this universe,
nothing is immobile. Whether one likes it or not, one has to move. So those
who are not doing the sadhana of moving upward, they will not remain where
they are. Rather they will fall down. Because, they will have to move. If
one does not go up, then one has to go down. There are seven layers of the
mind, towards the downwards direction also. -Tala, atala, vital, tala'tala,
pa'ta'la, atipa'ta'la, and rasa'tala. Those human beings who are crude
minded, reach in hell-- rasa'tala. That is the lower-most stage. Such a
human being is not human. He is not animal also. The stage of such a
person, is lower than animal..."
"When human beings get completely degenerated, then they create logic
and reasoning in the favor of their sinful deeds. So you think carefully.
That is the stage of cimmerian darkness where human beings cannot see their
own hand. Because they are surrounded by anda tamisra', lower most of lower
lokas, rasa'tala. This is the path of degeneration." (AV-24 Hindi, p.167)
And here Baba further describes that stage of degeneration.
Baba says, "Those who have human body but their deeds are not humane, what
is their stage? Their body is in bhurloka, but their mind is far lower than
bhurloka. After such demise they not got get human form. Instead they will
be crudified a become like wood, bricks, and stone. These are all truth--
logical things. But the tales of heaven and hell, vahista-dozalokha is just
gossip talk." (AV--19, Hindi, p.12)
After reading this, the whole point is very clear. That, these worlds
heaven and hell, have no physical existence. It is a stage of mind. When
one does sadhana and feels the proximity of Parama Purusa Baba, then one is
in the higher world. And when mind is degenerated, selfish, crude, engaged
in heinous, sinful activities, then they are a creature of hell.
So it takes a deep and dharmic mind to understand that meaning and spirit
of Baba's divine teachings.
Namaskar,
Ram
Note 1: MORE ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF HELL
In the following quotes, Baba talks in such a way about hell that
people may easily confuse that hell is one physical place.
Baba says, "U'ta'mrtasyesha'no: He is not only the Lord of heaven, He is
the Lord of hell also. U'ta' means hell. So even a sinner of hell should
not become mentally disturbed because the Lord of hell is with him."
(SS-11, p.51)
Baba says, "The loving inspiration of Shiva made those mute people
eloquent, and they proclaimed with a sweet smile on their faces, Hararme
pita' Gaorii ma'ta' svadeshah bhuvanatrayam ["Shiva is my father, Pa'rvatii
is my mother, and the three worlds of earth, heaven and hell are my native
land"]. (NSS, p.233 '85 Ed.)
Baba says, "Shiva's household is the three worlds."
Hararme pita' Gaorii ma'ta' svadesho bhuvanatrayam.
[Hara is my father, Gaorii is my mother, and the three worlds of earth,
heaven and hell are my native land.] " (DT-1, p.173)
Note 2: NOT LITERAL MEANING
And here Baba's use of 'hell' is to refer to a mental state can be
likened to these following examples:
Similarly if when talking about someone you say 'That person is negative'.
It does not mean if you bring a north pole magnet near him it will attract.
Because, your meaning is not about his physical body, but rather that his
mind is negative.
Or if you say 'That person is crude', it does not mean that if you touch
him or bring a hammer to his body, his body will be like stone. Because
your sense refers not to his body, but to his mind which is crude.
Or if you say, 'He is soft'. It does not mean that person's body his soft.
But rather, that his mind is soft.
And for example if you say, in discussing someone's dogmatic view on
something 'That fellow is blind'. Then by that you mean not that the person
is physically blind. But rather, that he is mentally blind and does not
have a sense of discrimination.
So the above descriptions, although they use physical type language, but
they refer to a person's state of mind. And not their physical existence.
Similarly, as Baba explains that hell is a state of mind. It is not
something physical. But rather, it is a mental state.
Note 3: MENTAL STATE
Baba says, "Svahloka means manomaya kosa. The feeling of pleasure
and pain happens in this loka. Svah + ga = svarga. Svaloka is the subtle
mind. And manomaya kosa means mental state." (AV-19, p.10)
Note 4: JUST THEIR LOW DEVOTION
In the common Marga society sometimes we come across a few persons
who think that Baba is contradictory. But their devotion is low and they do
not understand and instead of accepting their own foolishness and ignorance
they talk like that-- accusing Baba. But those who have a certain
understanding about Baba, such persons realise that this is all just
toughness of the scriptures.
Note 5: JUST THEIR FOOLISHNESS
Here is an example where people foolishly blame Baba for being
self-contradictory.
They say, 'Just see SS-4, discourse-2, "Matter and Spirit", and another
discourse in MNS, "Matter and Abstract". In the first discourse, Baba talks
that matter is bottled up energy. And in the second discourse, Baba talks
that matter is not bottled up energy.'
About matter is bottled up energy, the Family Acarya told that both the
discourses are 100% correct. If anybody those who are not overpowered by
vanity, easily they will understand. And he made me understand. I do not
have time to explain all those things, but anyone can read both the
discourses and they will understand. That the same Ananda Marga philosophy,
Baba is explaining in two ways.
Note 6: ABOUT SCRIPTURAL INTERPRETATION
Baba has explained this very point, that the scriptures are not
easy to understand. Baba further tells that people easily confuse the
scriptures, especially when unqualified persons are acting as the
scriptural interpreters. Here below Baba explains this point.
Baba says, "I have already said that there are various types of scripture
pertaining to the different spheres of life, and in the scriptures, too,
the ideas are presented in a few words. In very few cases only are they
elaborated. To present dharma sha'stra [spiritual scriptures], dharma guru
[spiritual preceptor], darshana sha'stra [philosophical treatises],
darshana pravakta' [propounder of philosophy], sama'ja sha'stra [social
code], sama'ja neta [social leaders] and sama'ja a'darsha [social ideals]
in the proper perspective is the main purpose of sha'stra vya'khya'na.
Without proper interpretation, the sha'stras 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 sha'stra vya'khya'na, 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." (NSS, p.202
'95 Ed)
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Need of the Day
Baba says, "The newly awakened humanity of today is anxious to herald the
advent of one universal society under the vast blue sky. The noble and
righteous persons of all countries, bound by fraternal ties, are eager to
assert in one voice, with one mind, and in the same tune that human society
is one and indivisible." (AFPS, pt 2 p.25)
Note: Nowadays in our Marga society, a few are forgetting this truth. They
should understand that this is not in the favour of dharma. Rather the call
of dharma is to form one human society.
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