Ananda Marga

Meditation and Yoga Philosophy eCourse
Session 1 - Mind, Mantra and Meditation

Session 2 - Yoga Postures
Session 3 - Biopsychology (Glands, Hormones and the Mind)
Session 4 Morality
Session 5 - Food and Consciousness
Session 6 - The Cosmic Cycle
Session 7 Parapsychology
Session 8 - Who am I?
Useful Tips - Meditation and Yoga Philosophy ecourse
Layers of the Mind eCourse
Session 1 - The Physical Body
Session 2 - The Crude Mind
Session 3 - The Subtle Mind
Session 4 - The Supramental Mind
Session 5 - The Subliminal Mind
Session 6 - The Subtle Causal Mind
Session 7 - Beyond the Mind
The Cosmic Philosophy e Course
Session 1: The Cosmic Cycle 1
Session 4: Neohumanism
Ananda Marga
Meditation and Yoga Philosophy eCourse
Session 1 - Mind, Mantra and Meditation

Welcome Lorrie to the first session of the Meditation and Yoga Philosophy
ecourse.
The course is a series of 8 sessions. You'll receive one every 3 days.
Now for the first session!
Meditation means to look within yourself for infinite happiness; perfect
peace and contentment. And yoga means "to unify." It's the holistic
approach to all aspects of life: physical, mental and spiritual. There's been a
popular misconception that yoga only means the physical postures. In fact,
it's a whole lifestyle that includes yoga postures as one of its many
components. Yoga is a comprehensive, scientific and practical system, and
its main technique meditation - leads to what we call self-realization: the
full experience of infinite peace and happiness.
Ready to try it?
* Find a comfortable place on the floor and sit with your legs crossed. Place
your hands one on top of the other in your lap, keep your back straight,
eyes closed and tongue on the roof of your mouth. Your breathing should be
calm and relaxed, through the nose. Spend a minute or so concentrating on
your breath, feeling the air flowing through your nostrils.
* Now imagine that you're sitting in the most peaceful place you can think
of. Feel that you're sitting there in complete peace. Now imagine that
infinite happiness is surrounding you in every direction. Feel you're
completely surrounded by that infinite peace and happiness. Now start to
repeat within your mind the following mantra:
BABA NAM KEVALAM
Baba means "beloved". It refers to your deepest self: the Supreme Self, the
source of infinite peace and happiness. Nam means "name" or "to identify
with", and Kevalam means "only". So the mantra means "Only my Beloved".
Think of the meaning as you're repeating it, and feel the infinite peace and
happiness all around you and within you. Continue for as long as you like,
then open your eyes.
"You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars guides you
too."
Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

Don't worry if you have trouble concentrating - that's normal. It takes some
time and practice to be able to focus on the one thought. The main thing is
to keep practicing.
You can meditate any time, but the best times are in the morning before
breakfast, and in the evening before dinner.
Try to find a quiet, out-of-the-way place where nobody will disturb you - a
separate room, a corner of your bedroom, a peaceful spot in the garden.
Sit on a blanket or mat, and keep it only for your meditation. If you have
trouble sitting cross-legged, put some more cushions under you so your
backside is higher off the ground. That will take some of the pressure off
your legs, and help keep your back straight. Avoid resting your back against
the wall - you may get too relaxed to concentrate.
Try repeating the mantra throughout the rest of the day, singing it if you
like. That will give you a continual feeling of lightness and happiness, and
make it easier to meditate.
Now it's really important that you spend the next three days getting used to
the meditation technique. Practice twice a day - in the morning and in the
evening - and really try and tap into the flow of the ideation. It is difficult to
concentrate at first, but this is the time when it's crucial to stick with it and
try and get a bit of concentration. As time goes on it will get a lot easier, but
if you give up now you'll never get to that stage.
Write to meditation@anandamarga.org if you have any questions.
Ananda Marga - "Path of Bliss"
Session 2 - Yoga Postures

Welcome Lorrie to Session 2 of the Meditation and Yoga Philosophy ecourse.
In Sanskrit, we call yoga postures "asanas". Asana means a "posture giving
physical comfort and mental composure." Yogis in the past observed that
animals had characteristics that were related to their posture. In other
words, the posture affects the mind.
So the main effect of yoga postures is on the mind.
That's because they put pressure on the internal glands, and that balances
the hormones secreted from the glands. It's the hormones that affect how
we feel. If the hormones are balanced, the emotions will also be balanced.
So yoga postures keep the mind calm and balanced, and prepare it for
meditation.
They also have many physical benefits: they increase the flexibility of the
spine and joints, massage the internal organs, as well as cure many
diseases.
Now we'll go through three yoga postures that are very simple and effective.
If you practice them daily, you'll soon see how they keep your mind calm
and relaxed, making it a lot easier to concentrate.
Find a warm, clean room (usually the same one you use for meditation) and
lay a blanket on the floor. Make sure there's no draught. If you've eaten in
the last hour or so, wait until your stomach is less full (2-3 hours after
eating).
* The first asana is called Yogamudra: Sit cross-legged. Hold your left wrist
with your right hand behind your back. Slowly lowering your chin, then your
neck, bend down as far as you can go, breathing out as you go down. Stay
there for 8 seconds with your breath held out then rise up, breathing in.
Practice eight times.
* Now the Cobra: Lie down on your stomach. Put your hands facing down on
the floor beside your ears. Supporting your weight on your palms, push up
and raise the chest, looking up towards the ceiling. Breathe in while rising,
and hold your breath in that position for 8 seconds. Come down to original
position while breathing out. Practice eight times.
* Finally the Long Salutation: Kneel down with your

buttocks resting on your heels and your toes
pointing forward. With your palms together, extend
your arms up next to your ears. Slowly bring your
arms and head down as one, first bending your neck
then the whole upper body, until your fingers hit the floor,
keeping your buttocks on your heels all the time. Now stretch
out along with your forehead and nose resting on the floor. Breathe out as
you go down and stay there with your breath held out for 8 seconds. Then
rise up, breathing in. Practice eight times.
During asanas, a particular type of oil is secreted from the sebaceous glands
out of the pores of the skin. This is beneficial to the skin, so after asanas we
do a skin massage to rub it back in.
The skin massage increases the beauty and glow of the skin. It also relaxes
the nerves, and increases the blood and lymph flow. It's not a deep muscle
massage. It's a light going-over of the skin, as well as some extra attention
to the lymph glands - under the chin and around the throat, under the
armpits, in the groin, and behind the knee.
* First rub your palms together a few times to warm them up. Start at the
head and face and work down. Rub your hands directly over the surface of
the skin, and when you get down to your feet, pay particular attention to
the soles. That will indirectly give your internal organs a good massage as
well.
Now we'll finish this session with "deep relaxation."
It gives the body a chance to assimilate the positive energy of the asanas. It
also relieves stress, lowers blood pressure, and decreases the need for
sleep.
* Using the same blanket as for asanas, lie on your back with your arms by
your side, and make sure that your breathing is calm and relaxed. Now go
through your whole body, starting at your feet, consciously making sure that
each part is completely relaxed with no muscular tension at all. Go from
the feet up the legs, consciously checking each part, into the groin area,
into the abdomen (also feeling that your internal organs are relaxed), into
the chest and shoulders, from the fingers and hands up the arms, then into
the neck and up into the face, relaxing the facial muscles, including the
eyes, and finally to the top of the head, feeling your brain is also relaxed.
Check once more that your breathing is calm and relaxed, and imagine
you're lying in the most soothing place you can think of: it could be floating
on top of the sea, suspended in space, on top of a

mountain - wherever you like. Now stay like that,
fully relaxed, for a few more minutes.
Practice the asanas, massage and deep relaxation after meditation.
Remember: twice a day!
Session 3 - Biopsychology (Glands, Hormones and the Mind)

Before we do meditation, asanas, eat or sleep, we do what's called a "halfbath."
That doesn't mean you wash only one side of your body!
The half-bath is the yogic way of balancing the body temperature and
calming and refreshing the mind. It works by cooling the body, especially
the organs, which usually get heated in daily activity.
The half-bath also stimulates what's known as the "dive reflex" (the same
one that enables dolphins and other marine mammals to conserve oxygen
when they dive), lowering the heart rate, respiration and blood pressure.
It also cools the brain directly through the optic nerves when you splash
water in your eyes, and it strengthens the eyes too.
Here's how to do it:
* Use cold water, or lukewarm water in cold weather.
* First go to the toilet, then pour some cold water over the urinary organ.
* Then pour water on your arms up to the elbows, and your legs up to the
knees.
* Take a mouthful of water, and while holding the water in your mouth,
splash water in your eyes and on your face at least 12 times. It's best to
keep your eyes open, so the water hitting the surface can directly cool the
retina and optic nerve.
* Wet the ears and the back of the neck.
* Flush the nose with water (but only if your stomach is empty): suck water
into each nostril and spit it out through the mouth. You can swallow the
water, but it's better to spit it out. If you can't suck it through to the mouth,
blow it out the opposite nostril. If you can't do that, then blow it out the
same nostril.
Now do meditation, asanas, massage and deep relaxation.
Remember: it's a matter of practice to be able to concentrate on the feeling

of the mantra. Keep practicing. Every time you realize your mind has
wandered away from the mantra, concentrate on it again it will get easier
the more you do it.
Biopsychology is the science of the relationship between the glands,
hormones and the mind. The glands are the link between the body and
mind. They secrete the hormones that affect the way we feel. So they
determine the emotions, based on signals from the mind. For example, we
all know that we feel a fright in the gut. That's because the mind
gives the "fright" signal to the adrenal glands at the level of the stomach. It
can also work the other way as well: the glands also affect the mind.
Here are some examples:
* Did you know that when the sex glands develop, we get the sense of duty
and responsibility? That's why children don't have such a good sense of
responsibility. The sex glands also give rationality and intelligence.
* The prostate and other glands in the navel area develop around the age of
five. That gives the feeling of shyness. Of course you've noticed that
children under five are not ashamed to run around naked. If there's an oversecretion of hormones from this area, it causes mental depression. An under
secretion causes increased fear.
* We feel love in the heart through subtle glands in the chest. Normally that
love is for our close family and friends, especially children, but it can be
expanded to universal love.
* The thyroid gland (at the throat) controls the metabolism of the whole
body. It also gives the feeling of self-reliance. The parathyroids (around the
thyroid) cause intellectuality and rationality.
* The pituitary gland (in the center of the brain) controls all the lower
glands. It's also the seat of the mind. Through it, it's possible to know
everything - past, present and future!
* The pineal gland - at the top of the brain - is the master gland. It controls
the mind as well as the body. It's this gland that's activated when we
meditate. The hormone melatonin, which it secretes, gives the feeling of
bliss - infinite happiness.
Continue your meditation to feel that bliss.

Session 4 Morality
Start off by doing the half-bath like last session.
Now, before you meditate, listen to the mantra being sung. This is called
"kiirtan." It gives a general feeling of happiness and lightness to the mind,
and prepares you for meditation by helping you to relax and concentrate.
You can find kiirtan streaming links at: http://www.anandamarga.org/selfrealization/kiirtan.htm
Now do the meditation, asanas, massage and deep relaxation as before.
Now we'll run through the yogic principles of morality. They're important to
follow in day-to-day life, especially if you're meditating. Our conscience is
disturbed if we do something wrong, and that disturbs our peace of mind,
making it difficult to concentrate. So following the principles of morality is
essential for meditation as well as a harmonious and peaceful society.
The principles are not hard-and-fast rules - they're flexible, according to the
circumstance. Each situation is unique. Use your conscience to decide the
best thing to do.
* Non-harm in thought, word and action. This means maintaining the least
harm in any given situation. It's the intention that's important here. Nonharm does not exclude the possibility of using physical force to defend
oneself or others if necessary.
* Benevolent truthfulness. This is the use of mind and words in the spirit of
welfare. The emphasis is on "helpful" truthfulness (as opposed to unhelpful
truthfulness!). Buddha said the first priority for words is that they should be
helpful to others. The second priority is that they should be true. And the
third priority is that they should be sweet-sounding. Note that sweetsounding comes in only third!
* Non-stealing. Not to take what belongs to others without their permission.
It also means not to deprive others of what you owe them.

* Universal thinking. To consider everything as an expression of the Cosmic
Consciousness. By doing this regularly, the thought that we are all part of
the same Cosmic family will gradually increase in the mind. There's an
amusing story to illustrate this principle: A man used to always say that
everything is God. Whatever happened, he said it was God. His friends were
accustomed to hearing this all the time, and used to joke about it amongst
themselves. One day they saw him being chased by a bull, and shouted out
to him, "If everything is God, then the bull is also God, so why are you
running away from it?" As he was running for his life, he shouted back in
mid-stride, "My running away is also God!"
* Simple living. Not to accumulate more than you need for a reasonable
standard of living. This has personal consequences as well as social. We can
never be satisfied with what we have unless we stop accumulating things
unnecessarily. Also, the physical wealth of this world is limited, but there is
enough to go around if nobody hoards anything that they don't need. By
accumulating excessive physical wealth you would be depriving others of
their necessities.
* Purity of mind and cleanliness of body. To keep the body clean not only
means externally. There's no use in washing your car on the outside only if
the inside is like a pigsty! Internal cleanliness depends on what we eat, and
other things we ingest.
* Mental ease and contentment. Living simply is essential for peace of mind.
Only when the mind is at ease is it possible to be satisfied with your life, and
to infuse others with your cheerfulness and enthusiasm.
* Social service. This means to help others in need without expecting
anything in return. There is a flow of love within us that we can only express
when we give willingly and selflessly to others. Note that it means to others
that need it. Giving money to a rich man is not service!
* Inspirational reading. To read uplifting books, understanding their
underlying meaning. This is best done after meditation, when the mind is
most receptive to deep ideas and higher thinking.
* Meditation. To concentrate on the Cosmic Consciousness. This gives the
realization that you are one with the Infinite Consciousness, and this
realization in turn gives you the strength to do great things in your life.
Continue your meditation to experience that.

Session 5 - Food and Consciousness

Start off by doing the half-bath and listening to the music (kiirtan) at
http://www.anandamarga.org/self-realization/kiirtan.htm
Now do the meditation, asanas, massage, and deep relaxation as before.
Now we'll talk about one of our favorite subjects - food!
A healthy mind lives in a healthy body, and a healthy body depends on what
we eat: "You are what you eat." Or more precisely, what you eat goes to
make up the cells of your body, and the cells of your body affect your mind.
That's the main reason why a vegetarian diet is good for the body and good
for the mind. Here's a more comprehensive rundown of the reasons for
being vegetarian:
* It costs about ten times more to produce the same amount of meat protein
as vegetable protein. That's a cost to society, considering there are enough
resources in the world for every human being to live at current middle-class
American standards. If everyone ate only half as much meat, it would
release enough food reserves to feed the entire developing world.
* Meat production uses 17 times more land and 8 times more water. That's a
cost to the environment.
* Animals do actually suffer when they're killed, not to mention their daily
suffering in the cramped and artificial conditions of "factory-farms." And
yes, contrary to Western religious teaching, they do have souls. George
Bernard Shaw once remarked, "Animals are my friends, and I don't eat my
friends."
* Vegetarian food is better for the body. Many big-time Western diseases are
caused by meat and the constipation it causes. Also the toxins, hormones
and chemicals used to produce it. People often ask: where do you get your
protein from? Well vegetable protein such as in beans, dairy products, nuts
and seeds is proportionately higher than in meat, and much easier for the
body to digest and absorb. And the myth about meat giving more physical
strength can easily be ruled out when you consider that the elephant is the
strongest creature in the world. Many athletes are now switching to
vegetarianism. The tortoise is one of the longest-living creatures, and it's
also vegetarian. The Hunza people - vegetarians - have the longest lifespan
of all.
* Vegetarian food is better for the mind. It makes the mind calm and alert,
increases concentration, memory and intelligence (by the way, Einstein was
vegetarian), and generally makes you feel more relaxed, contented and
happy.
Note that vegetarian food means no meat of any kind (red meat, poultry,
fish, seafood, etc), as well as animal derivatives such as animal fat, gelatin
and eggs. Onions, garlic and mushrooms also have a negative effect on the
mind, as well as intoxicating drugs. All the better if you can cut down on
these too. Milk and dairy products are okay though, because of their positive
effect on the mind.
Session 6 - The Cosmic Cycle

Go through all the practices as before, but this time sing along to the
mantra while you're listening to the kiirtan. It also helps to sing the mantra
any time, to any tune you like - when you're walking down the street,
driving your car, cooking in the kitchen - wherever.
Now here's a brief summary of the yogic philosophy of life, the universe and
existence:
* The Cosmic Entity is everything. Everything exists within it, and nothing
exists outside it.
* The main part of the Cosmic Entity is Cosmic Consciousness.
* Within that Consciousness is the Cosmic Mind (just as our own mind is
within our own consciousness).
* The universe is a giant thought of the Cosmic Mind (one of the differences
between It and our own minds is that the Cosmic Mind can think of
everything at the same time).
* The universe is composed of 5 fundamental factors:
- space
- gas
- heat/light
- liquid
- solid
* Each factor is "created" by the thought-projection of the Cosmic Mind. So
the Cosmic Mind is within every object, and the Cosmic Consciousness is
also within every object because It is within the Cosmic Mind.
* The individual mind originally comes out of the solid factor (from a small
part of the Cosmic Mind originally in that factor). That's why we say in yoga:
"The microcosm is a miniature of the Macrocosm."
* The individual mind "develops" over many different births, in many
different bodies. "Develop" means that the consciousness within it becomes
gradually more and more apparent. For example, in undeveloped creatures,
consciousness is hidden within them, and their sense of awareness is not
very strong. They act mostly by instinct. As the

mind develops, that sense of awareness increases as the consciousness
within it becomes more expressed. Instinct gradually gives way to intellect.
For example, a dog has a certain amount of intellect as well as instinct.
Finally, at the human stage, our consciousness is much more expressed, so
we have a clear awareness of our individual existence as well as of the
universe in general. We mostly operate on intellect, and a certain amount of
instinct too. But we also have
intuition, which gives us a deeper conscience and the capacity for creative
insight and discovery.
* Very developed human minds eventually become so aware of the
universal existence that they lose awareness of their own individual
existence. At that stage the mind merges back into the original state of
Cosmic Consciousness, or full Cosmic awareness.
* Since the Cosmic Mind originally came from that Cosmic Consciousness,
the whole process is a cycle: from Cosmic Consciousness, to Cosmic Mind,
to matter, to individual mind (undeveloped, developed, human), to Cosmic
Consciousness again.
* Note that this cycle doesn't happen all at once for all minds. It's a
continual process with different parts of existence all at different stages.
That explains why there are so many different creatures with so many
different minds. It also explains why scientists have discovered new stars
within old galaxies - new matter is formed from the Cosmic Mind while old
matter gets gradually transformed into individual minds.
* The characteristic of the Cosmic Entity is infinity - it is the only infinite
entity. In fact, not only infinity, but infinite happiness, perfect peace - bliss.
That's why we want infinite happiness, because we're naturally attracted by
the Cosmic bliss.
"He is infinite. He has no beginning and no end. He is the unbroken flow of
pure and serene bliss stretching from beginninglessness to endlessness."
Session 7 Parapsychology
Do everything as before: half-bath, kiirtan, meditation, asanas, massage and
deep relaxation.
Now, what's parapsychology? It's the psychology of the mind in relation to
cause and effect. This universe is an intricate web of vibrations. Everything
is connected. Whatever happens is the effect of something else, and the
cause of something else again. "When a blade of grass moves, the whole
universe quivers." Everything is incidental; nothing is accidental. We usually
refer to something as an "accident" because we can't see what caused it,
but certainly it was caused by something. "Everything comes from
something. Nothing comes from nothing."
This concept is expressed by Newton's 3rd Law: "For every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction."
That's also true for the mind. Whatever happens to us we store in our mind
until it can be expressed as a reaction. Take the example of a rubber ball:
you press into it with your fingers (that's the action); the dent stays there
for some time (that's the potential reaction); then the dent comes out again
(the reaction).
If we experience a bad reaction, we tend to say that something bad
happened. But it was only the reaction of a previous action, because
everything is stored in the mind waiting for the chance to express itself. The
more chances of expression, the more pure the mind will become, and the
more free and at ease we will feel mentally.
So everything happens for the best. Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant, we
should always view it as something positive because it's freeing the mind of
it's past actions.
There was a very popular emperor called Akbar who ruled in India in the
16th century. His favorite minister was Birbal, a very wise and witty man.
One day the two of them went hunting. Akbar was cutting his arrow out of
an animal he had just killed. His knife slipped and he cut his finger off. Birbal
told him: "Don't worry, everything happens for the best." Akbar was
enraged at the seemingly uncompassionate Birbal. He told him to get out of
his sight and never to return. Akbar was then captured by a local forest
tribe. On that day, according to their custom, they were supposed to
sacrifice a man to the "gods." So they decided to sacrifice Akbar. But the
chief noticed he had a finger missing, and let him go because he wasn't
worthy enough. Akbar realized that Birbal had been right: if he hadn't cut
his finger off he would be dead by now! When he got back to the palace, he
ordered his men to find Birbal and bring him back. But it took them a whole
month to find him: he'd had a bit of a rough time, living in the forest on
berries and roots. When he was finally brought before the emperor, Akbar
saw his sorry condition and asked his friend and minister for forgiveness.
Birbal replied, "No, it's okay, everything happens for the best." "But how can
you say that, after all you suffered?!" Akbar exclaimed. Then Birbal replied,
"Because if you hadn't sent me away when you did, they would also have
captured me, and since I hadn't cut my finger off, I would have been killed!"
Session 8 - Who am I?
Welcome Lorrie to the final session of the Meditation and Yoga Philosophy
ecourse.
Do all the practices as usual. Now, another story.
A lioness gave birth to a baby lion. It was a boy. But during the birth she
died. The cub was hanging around her body when a pack of jackals came to
feed on the corpse. Out of compassion they adopted the lion cub as one of
their own. He grew up not knowing anything except the life of a jackal. He
thought he was one of them, and behaved just like a jackal too! One day a
fully-grown male lion came across the pack, and was surprised to see the
young lion amongst them. He ran into the pack - of course they all scattered
caught the young male by the scruff of the neck, dragged him to a nearby
pond, and put his face over the still water so he could see his reflection. The
young lion was scared at first to see "another" lion staring back at him, but
he soon realized that it was only his own reflection. He realized that he
wasn't a jackal after all - he was a lion, the king of the jungle!
"Guru" is a very loosely-used word these days, but its proper meaning is:
"the one that removes the darkness from one's life." The real Guru is,
essentially, the Cosmic Consciousness.
Just as the adult lion showed the young lion who he really was, the Guru is
the one that shows us who we really are, because we have also forgotten
our true nature. We identify ourselves with our name, our family, our body;
but we are more than that - even more than our mind, because the mind
also changes. Your body and mind are not the same as they were ten years
ago, even one year ago, or one second ago!
The essence of matter is mind. The essence of mind is the feeling "I am."
And the essence of that "I am" feeling is Consciousness.
"Cosmic Consciousness abides in the very sense of existence, in one's very
heart's desire."
When the body and senses are stilled, we can look into the calm waters of
our existence (just as the lion cub did) and discover our true Self. The
realization "I am the Cosmic Consciousness" is called self-realization in
yoga, and its essence is the same infinite happiness; perfect peace and
contentment - bliss - that we wanted in the first place. The more we feel it,
the more our inner peace increases, until we realize the infinite love and
peace pervading the whole universe.
"If you want to know all, know One, and that One is your own inner 'I'feeling."
Keep going with all the practices to be able to experience that in your life.
Useful Tips - Meditation and Yoga Philosophy ecourse

Hi Lorrie.
How's your meditation going? It's important that you keep practicing twice a
day because it's only by continued effort that you'll realize the benefit of it.
To help you structure your day, and incorporate the practices into your daily
lifestyle, here's a rough guide to where everything fits in:
Morning:
* Take a half-bath
* Sing kiirtan
* Meditate
* Do the asanas, skin massage and deep relaxation
* Eat a vegetarian breakfast
Throughout the day:
* Follow the principles of morality
* Take a half-bath before eating a vegetarian lunch
* Repeat the mantra during the day to stay calm and relaxed
Evening:
* Take a half-bath
* Sing kiirtan
* Meditate
* Do the asanas, skin massage and deep relaxation
* Eat a vegetarian dinner
* Take a half-bath before you sleep
Don't worry if it takes a while to get used to everything these things take
time; practice makes perfect. Take each day as it comes, but don't give up.
This is the most important part of life: everything else hinges on your
internal wellbeing, so it's essential to get it right and make it an integral
part of your lifestyle. Take the determination to succeed and you will attain
the greatest goal in life.
Visit http://www.anandamarga.org/articles/meditation-tips.htm for useful tips
to help you on your way.
Email meditation@anandamarga.org to learn more advanced lessons of
meditation.
Otherwise feel free to write if you have any questions, comments or

suggestions in general.
Meanwhile in 3 days you'll get an invitation to subscribe to a new course the Layers of the Mind ecourse. Keep practicing until then!
Ananda Marga
Layers of the Mind eCourse
Session 1 - The Physical Body

Hi Lorrie. How is your meditation going? Don't hesitate to write if you have
any questions.
Now, welcome to the Layers of the Mind ecourse, the follow-on of the
Meditation and Yoga Philosophy ecourse.
In the next 7 sessions we'll explore the realms of human existence and
beyond, and continue with our inner search for bliss. To give you time to
assimilate the knowledge, we'll space the sessions out at one per week.
As we're going through this course, continue with the daily practices we
established in the last course:
* Half-bath before meditation, asanas, food and sleep.
* Kiirtan before meditation (and also throughout the day). Remember the
Kiirtan page at http://www.anandamarga.org/self-realization/kiirtan.htm
* Meditation twice a day. Go to http://www.anandamarga.org/selfrealization/meditation.htm for an update of the meditation technique. You'll
see a photo there of the meditation posture called the Lotus. If you can sit
like that in meditation it will help you to concentrate. The Lotus flower keeps
its roots in the mud while facing the moon. This symbolism perfectly
describes the effect of the Lotus Posture, because its effect is to sublimate
the mind towards higher thinking by switching off the lower organs. To do it,
place your right foot on your left thigh and your left foot on your right thigh.
But be careful! You may need to wait until your leg joints become more
flexible with continued meditation before you can get into it.
* Asanas after meditation, followed by skin massage and deep relaxation
(http://www.anandamarga.org/self-realization/yoga-asanas.htm)
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In yogic philosophy it is said that there are five layers of the human mind:
crude, subtle, supramental, subliminal and subtle causal. Well, today we're
not going to talk about any of them! We'll start off with the physical body,
since that's the crudest layer of our existence. Although not part of our own
mind, each human body contains the innumerable minds of all the different
cells that make it up. Each cell is a living organism that's operating almost
entirely according to the basic instinct of self-preservation. Although each of
the cellular minds are primitive in nature, their combined effect influences
the way we think on the superficial level. So it's important to keep the cells
of the body as subtle and refined as possible. Hence the importance of diet.
Vegetarian food has a positive effect on the mind because the cells in it are
fresh and sentient - they encourage the brain cells to subtler and higher
forms of thinking. Also, because plants don't pump adrenaline and other
stress chemicals through their bodies when they sense they're going to be
killed, vegetarian food doesn't cause the stress and anxiety that meat does
in the mind.
Apart from food, exercise and asanas are also important. Continue with the
asanas that we went through in the last course. There are also two special
exercises that are known to very few instructors, let alone students, that are
very beneficial to practice each day. They have a positive effect on the mind
as well as the body. One is especially beneficial for women and the other for
men. Both are total body exercises and prevent and cure many diseases as
well as increasing longevity. You will get a chance to learn those exercises
along with your personal meditation lesson.
"The attainment of one's inner self is only possible through love for the
Infinite... Fill your heart with love of the Infinite, and your soul will be
transformed into the Supreme Soul. No worldly happiness is limitless.
Dedicate yourself completely to the blissful ocean of the Supreme Soul.
Then alone will you realize what happiness really is."
Session 2 - The Crude Mind

Hi Lorrie, and welcome to Session 2 of the Layers of the Mind ecourse.
In Ananda Marga we say as a general greeting, "Namaskar". It means "I
salute the Divinity within you with all my mind and all my heart."
So, Namaskar!
Yogic philosophy teaches that "the mind is composed of five layers, just like
the banana flower." Because the banana flower is closed, you can only see
the innermost petals when you've removed the outer petals. Similarly with
the mind, to understand deeper things we have get to the deeper layers.
We usually utilize only the superficial layers of mind, so we end up using
very little of our overall potential. Most people use no more than two
percent of their mental capacity. A genius may use ten percent, but not
much more. So we have a lot of capacity that we don't tap into. In the next
sessions we'll look at how we can use all the layers of the mind and develop
our capacity to the fullest extent.
The outermost layer of the mind is called the Crude Mind, or Conscious
Mind. It's this most superficial layer of the mind that's responsible for
sensing the world around us. It registers the information from our senses,
then provides the instinctual response to that information - either attraction
(to pleasurable sensations) or aversion (to painful stimuli). For this reason
it's known as the "layer of desire."
This layer of the mind is developed naturally through what we call physical
clash. That means all types of physical pain: illness or accident, feeling cold,
hungry, etc. In yoga this natural means of development is accelerated by
following a balanced lifestyle and the principles of morality that we talked
about in the last course.
The mind is likened to the driver of a chariot, and the senses to the horses
which pull the chariot. It is up to the mind to control the horses (through the
reigns) rather than the horses controlling the mind and leading the body
(chariot) into trouble. There's a story that once when a yogi's arm was cut
off, he nonchalantly picked it up and walked calmly away. When approached
as to how he could remain so cool in such a situation, he replied "Don't do
what you want, then you may do what you like", meaning that self-restraint
leads to control of the mind and personal fulfillment, regardless of the
external circumstances.
Session 3 - The Subtle Mind

Namaskar Lorrie, and welcome to Session 3 of the Layers of the Mind
ecourse.
The next layer of mind is called the Subtle Mind, otherwise known as the
Subconscious Mind. It's this layer which gives the experience of pleasure
and pain through thought, memory and dreams.
* Thought means the process of analysis and computation. This is what's
usually tested by the IQ test. So "intelligence" according to the IQ test is
only based on this part of the mind: it only measures the capacity for
reasoning and problem-solving - the intellect and doesn't take into account
the development of the deeper layers.
* Memory is the recollection in the mind of past events. Everything we
perceive is stored in the mind, although we may not be conscious of it.
Hence the term "subconscious": it's there but we're not consciously aware of
it. For example, while walking down the road you pass a number of
lampposts but you don't remember consciously how many. If you can access
the information in your subconscious mind you will be able to recall the
exact number of lampposts. It's the same with reading or studying:
everything is there - it's just a matter of accessing it. When you need to buy
some obscure product that you don't usually use, you suddenly remember a
shop that sells that kind of product and its exact location, even though
you've never consciously registered that shop in your mind before.
* Dreams are of two types, normal and intuitive. More about intuitive
dreams in the next session. Normal dreams are the reassembly of
subconscious impressions during sleep. Because there's no direct
connection with the outside world in this state (the crude mind is inactive),
dreams are accepted as "real" by the subtle mind.
Although dreams fulfill the role of expressing desires that can't be expressed
in the waking state, they're also caused by physical factors such as
weakness of the nerves due to illness, heat in the brain due to too much
thinking, or gas caused by weak digestion, constipation, over-eating or
eating just before sleeping. Dreaming is different to dreamless sleep in that
it uses energy rather than replenishing it. In dreamless sleep the nerve cells
(which have become fatigued due to physical or mental labor) get the
chance to rest completely. You feel more rested if the amount of dreamless
sleep compared to dreaming sleep is increased. This can be achieved
through regular meditation, good health and dietary restraint.
This layer of mind is developed naturally through physical clash, and in yoga
by special breathing exercises that are part of the more advanced lessons of
meditation. The process of thought is linked to the breath. The more calm
and relaxed the breathing is, the more calm and relaxed the mind will be.
When you're out of breath, you can hardly read the time on your watch.
Conversely, when you concentrate the mind your breathing slows down and
can sometimes even stop completely, like when you're watching a
captivating movie. When the suspense is over you take a deep breath again
because your concentration is broken. So control of the breath leads to
control over this layer of mind.
There's a story that a man was imprisoned in a high tower. When his wife
came to visit him at the foot of the tower, he asked her to bring a beetle,
cotton thread, string and a sturdy rope. Well, needless to say she thought
he'd completely lost it! Anyway, she brought the stuff and according to his
instructions tied the end of the cotton thread to the beetle and placed it on
the wall of the tower facing up. The beetle climbed up the tower trailing the
thread behind it and when it got to the window at the top he took the end of
the thread. Then his wife tied the end of the string to the other end and he
pulled up the string. Finally she tied the end of the string to the rope and he
pulled up the rope, and after securing it to the top of the tower he was able
to escape.
The cotton thread is like the breath and the mind like the rope. Although the
thread may outwardly seem inconsequential, control of it gives control of
the mind. Whenever you do meditation, make sure your breath is calm and
relaxed before starting to repeat the mantra.
Session 4 - The Supramental Mind

ecourse.
We've gone through both the crude and subtle minds. Now we come to the
Causal Mind. In Western psychology it was given the name "unconscious",
and although Freud recognized it on the individual level, it was Carl Jung
who went on to develop the idea of the "collective unconscious", although
the idea had already been around a long time in Eastern philosophy.
Because the term "unconscious" tends to imply absence of consciousness the exact opposite of the actual reality - the better name is "causal" mind,
signifying that it is the deepest layer of the mind in the most direct contact
with the causal consciousness within which the mind exists and from which
all knowledge emanates.
The crude and subtle minds are the layers we use most. We need them to
take care of all the different problems that come up in our lives, but their
over-use inhibits the expression of the Causal Mind. Whereas the crude and
subtle minds are characteristic to each individual, the Causal Mind is
common to everyone, being the deepest layer of the Cosmic Mind. It can be
likened to the depths of the ocean, where the waves on the surface
represent the subtle and crude layers of individual minds. On the surface
the water is "divided" into different waves, but in the depths there is no
turbulence or division.
The Causal Mind itself has within it three different depths. The first shallow
layer is called the Supramental Mind. This is the layer of intuition, which
gives the capacity for such phenomena as intuitive dreams, clairvoyance,
telepathy and creative insight.
Intuition is sometimes known as the "Sixth Sense." You may have noticed
that sometimes when you think of something it happens. You may think of a
friend and then almost immediately she or he will call or email. This is a
type of intuition.
There are many examples of important discoveries or great works of art
coming from inspiration from the Supramental Mind. Intuitive insight is
transferred through this layer from the vast storehouse of infinite Cosmic
knowledge in the deeper layers of the Cosmic Mind. One way in which this
happens is through intuitive dreams. For this reason they have real
significance in life because they can reveal important information. They
often occur when someone is thinking very deeply about a certain problem
and their mind is concentrated very acutely on that problem.

A man called Elias Howe was working on an invention. He had everything
worked out except for one problem that he just couldn't solve. Then one
night he dreamt that he was captured by a tribe of people and they were
dancing around him with spears in their hands. Then he noticed something
unusual about those spears: each one had a hole in the tip. In a flash of
insight he got the solution to his problem: put the hole at the tip of the
needle, and he invented the first sewing machine!
So intuition can be a very useful faculty to develop. Its natural means of
development is through psychic clash. This means the clash between minds
- having a disagreement with friends or family, exam pressure, stress at
work, etc. Through this type of clash the mind develops from the subtle
(cognitive) into the causal (intuitive) sphere. This development is
accelerated by special techniques of meditation that allow the mind to
withdraw itself from the day-to-day reality of everyday life and come into
contact with the deeper intuitive layers. These techniques are part of the
more advanced lessons of meditation. Email meditation@anandamarga.org
if you would like to learn them.
Session 5 - The Subliminal Mind

ecourse.
The second layer of the Causal Mind is the Subliminal Mind. It is sometimes
referred to as the layer of "special knowledge" because it includes many
higher qualities of mind such as kindness, tolerance, compassion and
wisdom. Wisdom includes conscience: the ability to determine right from
wrong, and the permanent from the temporary. Conscience leads to nonattachment, because once we realize the impermanence of things we
become less inclined to be attached to them. Non-attachment does not,
however, mean renouncing the world or becoming emotionally detached
from others: it means to keep everything in the right perspective and not to
give undue importance to things that don't deserve it. For example, we tend
to give too much weight to material wealth and objects of desire that can
divert our attention from the more important things in life.
Once a student asked his guru, "What is the nature of attachment?" The
guru replied that he would tell him later. Later on that day they were
walking through a forest when suddenly the guru embraced a tree and
started shouting "Help! This tree has caught me!" The student looked at him
perplexed. "Sir, what are you talking about? The tree has not caught you;
you have caught it! Then the guru said, "Yes, that's the nature of
attachment - we hold onto things that we do not need to hold on to."
In the Subliminal Mind there is full Cosmic knowledge of past, present and
future. It's all there to be tapped, but to be able to do that we first need to
control the cruder layers of mind and develop our access to this one.
The natural development of this layer of mind is through psychic clash. This
development is accelerated by special techniques of concentration that you
can learn as higher meditation lessons.
Session 6 - The Subtle Causal Mind

ecourse.
The most subtle layer of the Causal Mind is called the Subtle Causal Mind.
Here we've almost reached direct experience of Supreme Consciousness.
There is only the separation of a thin veil of ignorance. In this layer lies
direct awareness of the unity of the whole universe. Peace of mind increases
as the experience of the inner flow of infinite bliss deepens. We see the
universe more and more as an expression of the infinite source of bliss
within. The feeling of universal love for all created beings increases as we
embrace all as brother and sister, the whole universe as our home. Here lies
the realization that "all is one."
The mind has developed up till this stage through clash. Physical clash is felt
physically and psychic clash is felt mentally. But here we come to a different
means of development - the attraction for the Great. That's the intense
desire to experience the Cosmic bliss. This happens naturally as one
progresses on the path of self-realization. The attraction for the Cosmic
Consciousness gradually increases and this is accelerated by more
meditation.
Once a student asked his guru, "When will I attain enlightenment?" The guru
took him to a well and shoved his head in the water until he almost
drowned. Afterwards he said, "When your desire for the Supreme is as
strong as your desire for air was just now, then you will attain
enlightenment." Well, you don't have to go through the near-drowning
experience yourself! Just continue with your meditation.
Session 7 - Beyond the Mind

Namaskar Lorrie, and welcome to the final session of the Layers of the Mind
ecourse.
Beyond the deepest layer of the mind is nothing but the pure Cosmic
Consciousness - the essence of all layers of mind; the ultimate existence;
the complete awareness of infinite happiness - bliss. It's here that the sense
of individual existence completely merges with the infinite Cosmic existence
- just as a river merges with the sea - and becomes one with the deepest
layer of the Cosmic ocean serene and still, only the total experience of
Cosmic bliss remains.
Those that have experienced this state have been powerless to describe it
to others, because it's completely beyond the mind. It cannot even be
thought of, let alone expressed in words. Ramakrsna, a yogic master who
lived in the 19th century, used to slip in and out of this state all the time.
When asked to describe it he had no choice but to remain silent.
After a long evolutionary journey the individual mind finally attains the
complete experience of the Infinite: the merger of one's limited "I"-feeling in
the infinite and eternal Cosmic "I"-feeling: the Cosmic bliss. We feel hesitant
to dive into that ocean of bliss because we don't want to sacrifice our
individual sense of existence. We don't realize that we would gain
something far greater in return. Once a worldly man went to visit a saint
who lived by himself in a cave. The man remarked to the saint that he had
sacrificed a lot living the way he did. The saint replied, "On the contrary, it is
you who has sacrificed. Before you came I was enjoying the company of my
Beloved."
This is self-realization; the attainment of our deepest desire: complete
identity with the Cosmic Self.
Email meditation@anandamarga.org to learn more advanced lessons of
meditation.
Meanwhile in 3 days you'll get an invitation to subscribe to a new course the Cosmic Philosophy ecourse. Keep practicing until then!

Write to meditation@anandamarga.org if you have any questions,
comments or suggestions in general.
Ananda Marga
The Cosmic Philosophy e Course

Namaskar Lorrie. How is your meditation going? Don't hesitate to write if
you have any questions.
Now, welcome to the Cosmic Philosophy ecourse, the follow-on to the
Layers of the Mind ecourse.
As with the last course, we'll space the sessions out at one per week. Don't
worry if it takes a while to grasp the concepts: continued meditation will
bring a deeper understanding.
Continue with all your daily practices as we go through the course. If you
haven't already done so, this is a good time to learn your personal
meditation technique. Everyone has a personal vibration, so the optimal
mantra for you will also be personal. This will give you more meditative
power and accelerate your progress into the deeper realms. There's no cost
involved, but it needs to be taught offline. Reply to this email and let us
know your local area so we can give you a contact phone/address.
The Cosmic Cycle is called Brahma Cakra. It's named as such because it
occurs within the Cosmic Entity (Brahma), starting and ending at the point
of pure Cosmic awareness. So the whole universe exists within the infinite
Cosmic Entity in a never-ending flow. All its diversities are the transitory
transformations of part of the Cosmic Entity in a continual process, with
different parts of existence at different stages at any one time. This implies
that life and the universe will never end, but that parts of it are continuously
being created from the Cosmic Entity and concurrently merging back into It.
The Cosmic Entity (Brahma) is everything. Everything exists within It, and
nothing exists outside It. In fact, there is no "outside" because It is infinite
and eternal. There can be no existence separate to infinity.
Brahma is composed of two parts: the Cognitive Principle (Consciousness),
and the Operative Principle (Force). They are inseparable, just as fire cannot
be separated from its capacity to burn, or two sides of a piece of paper
cannot be separated from each other.
For philosophical purposes, Consciousness is given the male gender and His
Force the female gender. Under His direction She transforms part of Him
into the universe. She is always under His control. He does not act but
allows Her to act. It's as though a blind person was carrying around a
paralyzed person: the blind person moves around under the direction of the
one who can't move. One is the action; the other the thought behind the
action.
The Operative Principle (Force) has three attributes, or sub-forces. The

subtlest is the sentient force; the middle the mutative force; and the crudest
is the static force.
The Cosmic Mind is formed from the Cosmic Consciousness in three stages
by the action of these three forces. First a small portion of Consciousness is
metamorphosed into the Cosmic sense of existence (feeling of "I am") by
the sentient force. Then a small portion of that I-feeling is transformed into
the feeling of "I do" by the mutative force. Finally part of the "I do" feeling is
transformed into the "I have done" feeling by the static force. All three
states together make up the Cosmic Mind, existing within the original
Cosmic Consciousness.
Then continued pressure by the static force on the "I have done" feeing of
the Cosmic Mind causes further metamorphosis of the "I have done" feeing
into the fundamental factors of the universe. So the Cosmic Mind comes
from the Cosmic Consciousness, and the universe comes from the Cosmic
Mind.
"This path to attain happiness... I call absolute devotion. Carry on
performing your worldly duties with sincerity, and at the same time
think about the pure Self within you. The constant thought of your
pure inner Self will certainly one day establish you in your original
source, and this is the ultimate aim of spiritual practice."
Reply to this email if you have any questions.
Ananda Marga: "Path of Bliss"

Namaskar Lorrie. Welcome to Session 2 of the Cosmic Philosophy ecourse.
The universe is made up of five fundamental factors: the ethereal factor
(space), aerial (gas), luminous (heat/light), liquid, and solid. Each factor is
formed from the subtler factor preceding it; from the transformation of part
of the factor from which it comes. Hence the aerial factor comes from the
ethereal factor, the luminous from the aerial and so on. All factors exist
within the Cosmic Mind from which they came, and the Cosmic Mind is
inherent within them all. The universe is thus a thought-projection of the
Cosmic Mind. As the Cosmic Mind also exists within the Cosmic
Consciousness, everything is a part of Him and He is within everything.
The dominance of the Operative Principle (Force) over the Cognitive
Principle (Consciousness) increases with each successive stage, each stage
being cruder and denser than the one before it, the solid factor being the
crudest and densest stage of manifestation.
Energy is formed in each factor from the "friction" caused by the pressure of
the static force on that factor. Vital energy is formed from the combination
of all the different energies of each fundamental factor within a solid body.
So each factor has its own energy, but the solid factor also has vital energy the combination of the energies of all the factors that are within it.
Due to the continued pressure of the static force on the solid factor,
eventually the pressure becomes excessive and one of two things happens:
1. Explosion
If the factors within it are not in the right balance, eventually the solid factor
(as a celestial body) will blow up, and all the factors within it will merge
back into their respective factors of the universe. For example, the ethereal
factor will merge back into the surrounding space, the aerial factor into gas,
etc.
2. Life
If the environment is favorable, and the factors are in the right balance,
some portion of the solid factor gets pulverized subtler than ether, and the
"I have done" feeing within it (remember the fundamental factors originally
came from the "I have done" feeling of the Cosmic Mind) manifests as mindstuff, which gives the feeling of "I have done" (or "done-I") to a new unit
mind. That mind gets attached to an appropriate body and controls the vital
energy of that body, which in turn controls the body's functions.
Because the individual mind originally comes out of the solid factor from a
small part of the Cosmic Mind within that factor, it is said that "the
microcosm is a miniature of the Macrocosm." It can therefore be seen that
mind comes from matter, and matter - via the Cosmic Mind - from
Consciousness.
Now we're into the second half of the cycle. The first half was up to the
crudest manifestation of the solid factor. You could say this is the inanimate
phase. Now in the second half (the animate phase) we have all the
individual unit minds evolving back to their source: the Cosmic
Consciousness. In this "returning phase" of the cycle, Consciousness
gradually withdraws the power from His Force. He has permitted Her to bind
Him to the greatest state of crudity. Now He contracts Her power until the
unit mind merges back into Him. This corresponds to the gradual freeing of
the mind through expansion, gradually to infinity.
In this process the unit mind gradually evolves over many different births, in
many different bodies. It adopts more complex bodies as it evolves,
appropriate to what it wants to express. Note that there is a clear distinction
here between body and mind. The body is the vehicle that the mind adopts
according to its degree of evolution, "life" being the existence of mind in
association with a particular body, and "death" being the temporary loss of
a body until a new one is attained by the mind.
performing your worldly duties with sincerity, and at the same
time think about the pure Self within you. The constant thought of
your pure inner Self will certainly one day establish you in your
original source, and this is the ultimate aim of spiritual practice."

The mind develops as the pressure of the binding principles decreases. At
first the static force within the mind dominates, giving the feeling of "I have
done." This is expressed as instinct (Crude Mind). In the course of
development, the mutative force eventually becomes dominant and the "I
do" feeling develops as intellect, or ego (Subtle Mind). Finally, the sentient
force dominates the mutative, and the unit "I-feeling" (feeling of pure
existence) evolves out of the "I do" feeling. This manifests as intuition
(Causal Mind).
So we may find creatures and plants with only instinct, or with intellect as
well, or with all three: instinct, intellect and intuition. In undeveloped beings
it is instinct which dominates. In developing beings there is an increase of
intellect over instinct, but it is only at the human stage that intellect
dominates.
Then with the development of intuition the mind starts to question the
nature of its own existence and the spiritual quest begins. The desire for
spiritual practice develops as ego is replaced by intuition and attraction for
the Cosmic Nucleus. This attraction is called devotion. Devotion is love for
the Infinite. It is said that when devotion is attained, everything is attained,
because it leads to oneness with the Supreme.
Attraction towards the Cosmic Nucleus accelerates as the mind expands and
becomes more subtle. One begins to experience the merger of mind in the
Infinite: absolute bliss - complete absorption in Cosmic Consciousness. It's
not possible to come even close to describing this state, let alone thinking
about it, because it's beyond the mind. One's mind exists in and of
Consciousness. We cannot think about it simply because it's not possible to
think of anything beyond the boundary of one's own mind.
"I do not say that I know Him; nor do I say that I do not know
Him. Because I know that He is beyond all knowing and not
knowing."
Spiritual practice, therefore, is the process of transcending the mind to the
Consciousness within which it exists: the Cosmic Consciousness. It is this
transcendence of the "I-feeling" that results in the supreme experience of
the Absolute: "Where 'I' is, 'He' is not; where 'He' is, 'I' is not."
"The Supreme Entity is the vastest entity;
the ultimate source of all cosmic emanations.
The Supreme Entity, which is difficult to conceive,
is the subtlest of the subtle.

He is farther away than any other entity,
but again He is nearer than the nearest.
Only the one who looks into the innermost recesses
of himself or herself can realize the Supreme Entity."
Session 4: Neohumanism
We are all members of the same universal family because all beings in the
universe exist within the one infinite Cosmic Consciousness. To express that
relationship of unity, the mystic philosopher Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
introduced the term Neohumanism. It means the practice of love for all
created beings of the universe, animate and inanimate. Humanism means
proper regard and compassion for people - for human beings. But it doesn't
include other beings - animals, plants and the various aspects of nature.
Neohumanism is the spirit of humanism extended to all: the elevation of
humanism to universalism. It is an all-encompassing concept - embracing
the whole world as our home and family; an interconnected and harmonious
web of unity. It means the expansion of one's inner love for humanity in
every direction to include all people and all creatures of the universe, as
part of the one Cosmic family.
"When some people started advancing, they thought more about
themselves and less about others; nor did they think about the animals and
plants. But if we analyse with a cool brain, it becomes quite clear that just
as my life is important to me, others' lives are equally important to them;
and if we do not give proper value to the lives of all creatures, then the
development of the entire humanity becomes impossible. If people think
more about themselves as individuals or about their small families, castes,
clans or tribes, and do not think at all about the collectivity, this is decidedly
detrimental. Similarly, if people neglect the entire living world - the plant
world, the animal world - is this not indeed harmful? That is why I say that
there is a great need to explain humanity and humanism in a new light, and
this newly-explained humanism will be a precious treasure for the world."
Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
Session 5: Prout 1
As human beings our aim is self-realization - complete awareness of the
infinite Cosmic Consciousness. That's our inner search. But there's also our
external world of relationships and responsibilities. So we need to strike a
balance between the internal and external aspects of life. In 1959 Prabhat
Ranjan Sarkar (Shrii Shrii Anandamurti) introduced a socio-economic theory
to achieve just that. It's called Prout - the Progressive Utilization Theory,
meaning the progressive utilization of resources for the welfare and
happiness of all. In the next two sessions we'll go through some of the main
aspects of it, and how it relates to our spiritual search.
Prout is based on spirituality and universalism
The thirst for infinite happiness is the overriding human desire, and to
quench that thirst a proper system of spiritual practice is needed. But for
spiritual practice you need a healthy mind, and for a healthy mind the body
must also be strong and healthy. Basic requirements must be met before
one can think about spiritual development and elevation. So spirituality is
linked to the socio-economic necessities.
"Prout is a spiritual theory.
It will be established by seeing One in many."
The outlook of a truly spiritual philosophy cannot be anything other than
universalism: love for all creatures of the universe; not just human beings,
but animals and plants too. "It is the Cosmic ideal alone which will unify
humanity," because only when one realizes the unity in all diversity can the
feeling of love for all beings be developed, transcending all apparent
differences. Love for the Infinite inculcates love for all as members of the
same Cosmic family.
"Human society is one and indivisible. Don't try to divide it.
Each and every individual should be looked upon as the
manifestation of the Cosmic Entity."
A happy blending of individual liberty and collective responsibility
A tree has the freedom to grow and produce fruit, but it also has the
responsibility to give shade. Likewise a proper social system needs to be a
happy blending of individual liberty and collective responsibility. Individual
good lies in collective good and vice-versa: the welfare of the individual is
inextricably linked to the welfare of the collective.
"One will have to promote individual welfare motivated by the
spirit of promoting collective welfare."
Same constitutional structure
For all people of the world to live in harmony, we will need to have
fundamental principles of life common to everyone. That is, we should have
a common constitution by which we will all live by, including a common
philosophy of life (that of Cosmic fraternity), a world language (in addition to
local languages), and a world government to coordinate development and
settle regional and international disputes. Fundamental human rights will
have to be guaranteed, as well as the minimum necessities of life for all
people.
Moral leadership
Human capacity and potentialities, both individual and collective, need to
be developed for the benefit of the world as a whole. This implies that the
leaders of society, responsible for controlling resources and making policy
decisions, should have strong moral integrity and selfless dedication to
society, thus avoiding the diversion of resources away from the public
interest. Authority should not be centered in the hands of individuals, but
should be expressed through collective leadership. In any electoral process
the electorate as well as the candidates would need to possess three
qualities in order to validate the election: morality, education, and sociopolitical consciousness.
Political centralization and economic decentralization
The most effective method of legislation and coordination would be that of a
world government for overall supervision, combined with local (immediate)
governments for control of local resources, economic planning and
coordination. Both world and local governments would have an overall
board of moralists as well as legislative, executive, and judicial boards.
While political power must be in the hands of moralists, economic power
and decision-making should be under local control, because it is the local
leaders and planners who understand the problems of the area and are able
to implement policies quickly and effectively. The freedom of the local
people to make all their economic decisions is called economic democracy.
Generally a local area is defined on the basis of common factors such as
ethnicity, culture, language, economic situation, and geographic location.
With increasing similarity among these factors neighboring local areas can
merge, improving their collective wealth. With improvements in technology
and communication it will eventually be possible for all local areas in the
world to merge as one. So while the application is regional, the outlook is
universal.
Session 6: Prout 2
Namaskar Lorrie. Welcome to the last session of the Cosmic Philosophy
ecourse.
Let's go on now to conclude our look at the main aspects of Prout.
Cooperatives
Cooperatives are "the best expression of human sweetness in the physical
realm" because they function as units of coordinated cooperation, and each
member has the feeling of oneness with the work because she or he
contributes directly to the operation and decision-making process of the
cooperative. Incentives provide inspiration and motivation, and the wealth
and resources of many individuals are combined in a united way.
Cooperatives will be the optimal means of production and distribution of
goods and services in any decentralized economy. In fact, they must
operate within a decentralized economy for their success.
In general, production should be for consumption rather than profit. In other
words it should be according to real demand, not artificial demand created
by misleading advertising or other means.
Maximum utilization of all resources and potentialities
Maximum utilization means that any particular object serves the maximum
number of people for the maximum amount of time. This implies
modernization. The effects of modernization in an economy where
production is for consumption and not profit are: decreased work hours,
increased quality and quantity of production, the saving of time and energy,
and the freedom of people to use their spare time in enjoyable and
elevating pursuits.
Rational distribution of wealth
The universe is the collective property of all, because we are all members of
the one universal family. But people often express their inherent desire for
expansion materially; by accumulating material wealth and resources. The
world's material resources are, however, limited. The human desire for
expansion must be catered for, but at the same time it is unrealistic for any
one person or group to accumulate material wealth without limitation
"If a person acquires and accumulates excessive wealth, he or
she directly curtails the happiness and convenience of others in
society. Such behaviour is flagrantly antisocial."
So the resources of the world should be rationally distributed, just as a

healthy human body distributes and utilizes all its resources in a balanced
way.
Rational distribution means the distribution of wealth primarily according to
one's needs, and secondarily according to one's contribution to society. It
does not mean equal distribution regardless of contribution, as that would
discourage the incentive for work in people's minds.
Minimum requirements of life guaranteed to all
The basic necessities of life are food, clothing, shelter, education and
medical care. Everyone should be able to get these necessities through
adequate purchasing capacity from either meaningful employment or social
welfare for those unable to work.
"If a single person dies due to lack of the minimum
requirements of life, the whole society is to blame."
Purchasing capacity is the true reflection of the standard of living. It should
increase with increase in the collective wealth. In addition, appropriate
incentives for merit and skills beneficial to society should be provided to
encourage the dynamism and evolution of human endeavor and
achievement. The spirit of the workforce should be one of coordinated
cooperation, leading to a steady increase in the collective wealth of the
society and all-round social progress.
Freedom of expression in all spheres
Prout encourages freedom of expression in all aspects of life beneficial for
the collective good.
The fundamental human rights are spiritual practice, indigenous culture,
education and local language. Education should be free for everyone up to
the highest level, and should be based on strong foundations of morality
and spirituality. Art, music and literature - as with science - should always be
in the spirit of welfare. For this reason science and technology should always
be under moralist control, and the media - along with the arts and education
- should be completely free from political interference, either direct or
indirect.
"Always utilize science for the welfare of humanity. Those who
misuse science for destructive purposes are enemies of
humanity. Science should always be cultivated with a sentient
motive. The collective welfare of living beings will remain a
distant dream unless science and worldly power are fully
controlled by sentient people."

Ecologically sound policies such as integrated farming, forestation, water
conservation and alternative energy must cater for the integration of human
culture within the ecosystem, thus extending the concept of welfare to
animals, plants and the whole planet.
"Human beings must be cautious from now on. They must
restructure their thoughts, plans and activities in accordance
with the dictates of ecology. There is no alternative."

Ananda Marga

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Meditation and Yoga Philosophy eCourse

Session 1 - Mind, Mantra and Meditation

Session 1 - Mind, Mantra and Meditation

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

Session 2 - Yoga Postures

* Finally the Long Salutation: Kneel down with your

on top of the sea, suspended in space, on top of a

Session 3 - Biopsychology (Glands, Hormones and the Mind)

Remember: it's a matter of practice to be able to concentrate on the feeling

Write to meditation@anandamarga.org if you have any questions.

It also means not to deprive others of what you owe them.

Write to meditation@anandamarga.org if you have any questions.

Session 5 - Food and Consciousness

Session 6 - The Cosmic Cycle

very strong. They act mostly by instinct. As the

Useful Tips - Meditation and Yoga Philosophy ecourse

Otherwise feel free to write if you have any questions, comments or

Session 1 - The Physical Body

Now for the first session!

Session 2 - The Crude Mind

Session 3 - The Subtle Mind

Session 4 - The Supramental Mind

and their mind is concentrated very acutely on that problem.

Session 5 - The Subliminal Mind

Ananda Marga - "Path of Bliss"

Session 6 - The Subtle Causal Mind

Ananda Marga - "Path of Bliss"

Session 7 - Beyond the Mind

Then alone will you realize what happiness really is."

Session 1: The Cosmic Cycle 1

The Operative Principle (Force) has three attributes, or sub-forces. The

Session 2: The Cosmic Cycle 2

Session 3: The Cosmic Cycle 3

is the subtlest of the subtle.

So the resources of the world should be rationally distributed, just as a

controlled by sentient people."

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