8 - Discourses on Tantra Volume Two 

Chapter 1

Sádhaná (6)

Surrendering Actions to Brahma (2)

Suppose you have incurred a loan of a thousand rupees. If you repay the loan in monthly instalments of one rupee it will take you a thousand months to clear the loan. One rupee being such a small amount, this will hardly cause any suffering at all. But if you want to free yourself from the debt quickly, you will have to pay a larger amount every month, which will obviously cause more suffering. Likewise, if one does not feel the need to be freed of one’s reactive momenta quickly, one can undergo less affliction, but then one may have to wait ten or twenty lives to exhaust all the reactive momenta. Moreover, within those ten or twenty lives one will probably undergo psychic degeneration, and due to one’s mean actions imbibe new reactive momenta.

Hence genuine sádhakas always strive to be relieved of their acquired saḿskáras as early as possible; therefore they surrender completely to Brahma. The consummation of self-surrender precipitates the requital of saḿskáras, and this requital may take place in the Shákta, Vaeśńava or Shaeva stages, but in the Shaeva stage the requitals are not felt so keenly, and therefore may be considered not to be requitals in the true sense of the term. The requital of reactive momenta is felt most acutely in the Shákta stage, because this stage involves a tremendous fight against Prakrti.

The Shákta stage is dominated by jiṋána and karma, not by bhakti.(5) Wherever there is struggle, action is bound to become predominant; likewise one will have to acquire knowledge – the knowledge of how to struggle. Through knowledge, Shákta sádhakas become fully aware that all their sorrows and afflictions are the results of their past original actions. In order to be relieved of their affliction they do not cry pitifully to Parama Puruśa, but, displaying the spirit of valour, say, “O Parama Puruśa, give me strength to continue the struggle. I do not want to escape from affliction and suffering, I want to attain You in a joyful struggle against the affliction and suffering.” The great poet Rabindranath Tagore said in this regard,

Vipade more rakśá kara e nahe mor prárthaná, Vipade yena ná kari kabhu bhay; Duhkha tápe vyathita cite nái bá dile sántvaná Duhkhe yena karite pári jay.

[My prayer to You is not “Save me from danger,” but “Bless me so that I can overcome danger.” You need not console me in my suffering, but bless me so that I can overcome suffering.]

This is the underlying spirit of a Shákta.

The underlying spirit of Vaishnavite sádhaná is somewhat different. The mundane obstacles, the friends and foes, merge in the Vaishnavite sádhakas’ world of blissful ideation. With whom will they fight? They feel that the entire universe is an unbroken divine play composed of Rádhá and Krśńa. In this stage there is a clear dominance of action and devotion. Vaishnavite sádhaná is a blissful flow indeed. Such sádhakas are like points on the circumference of the Cosmic Circle, moving towards the Nucleus, Puruśottama, along the radius, which is their sádhaná. And the expanse through which they move towards Him along the radius is the rúpaságar [ocean of beauteous forms], the rasámrtasindhu [ocean of bliss]. Such sádhakas reap only, through reactive actions, the consequences of their past actions. Jiṋána is not dominant in this Vaishnavite stage. Vaishnavite sádhakas say that Puruśottama is enacting His liilá [divine game] through this expressed universe. They say, “O Lord, You are both wisdom and ignorance, happiness and sorrow. Some people You place on golden thrones as kings, others You throw into the street to beg from door to door with outstretched begging bowls. You are my joy, You are my sorrow. Do whatever You like with me.” Such sádhakas would never say, “O Lord, save me from danger,” but

Sudháraseo bhásáo yakhan Dhanya Hari dhanya Hari; Vyathá diye kándáo yakhan Dhanya Hari dhanya Hari.

“When You float me on the waves of bliss, O Lord, You are really gracious, and when You make me cry in pain, You are equally gracious. In happiness I feel Your sweet touch, and burst into laughter, exhilarated by Your divine sport. In sorrow I also feel Your sweet touch, and burst into tears, overwhelmed by Your divine sport. How strange You are! How wonderful! I have nothing to complain about.”

In the final stage of Vaishnavite sádhaná, the unit mind becomes one with the Cosmic Mind. The moment before the final merger, sádhakas realize that the Entity who has come in the form of happiness is their dearest Lord, and the Entity who has come in the form of sorrow is also their dearest Lord. They feel the divine joy of the Cosmic play. They never retreat, for having passed through the Shákta stage they have acquired immense courage and valour. One who has not been an ideal Shákta cannot be an ideal Vaeśńava. In the final stage of the Vaeśńava cult, sádhakas offer their greatest treasure – their mind – to Brahma, and in exchange for this supreme gift expect nothing in return. In the absence of mind they cannot enjoy the sweetness of the divine play any longer. At that supreme stage of surrender liilánanda is transformed into nityánanda. When sádhakas become ensconced in nityánanda they are said to have attained the Shaeva stage. One who has not been an ideal Vaeśńava cannot be an ideal Shaeva. Shaivites have no minds of their own, for they have already surrendered their minds to their dear Lord. This is the supreme surrender, this is the supreme attainment.

Ratnákarastava grhaḿ grhińii ca padmá; Deyaḿ kimapi bhavate Puruśottamáya. Ábhiiravámanayanápahrtamánasáya; Dattaḿ mana yadupate tvamidaḿ grháńa.

[Your abode is brimming over with gems and jewels. The goddess of fortune is Your housekeeper. What can I offer to You, O Lord? Oh yes, there is one thing You lack, as it has been stolen by Your devotees; it is Your mind. I therefore offer my mind to You. Please accept it.]