Prama
(-The
Cosmic Principle maintaining stable balance in the
Universe)
Introductory:
The
Vedas say, “A’nanda’dhyeva
khalvima’ni bhuta’ni ja’yante,
A’nandena ja’ta’ni jiivanti,
A’nandam prayantyabhisamvishanti.”
And,
Tantra says: “Maddhyeva sakalam
ja’tam Mayi sarvam pratist’hitam
Mayi sarvam layam ja’ti tad
brahmadvayamasmyaham.”
According
to Tantra this universe is constantly in the process of
coming from, existing in and going back to Brahma. The Vedas say that it is
“Ananda” where this flowing
universe is emanating from, existing in and culminating into. In this
way, both confirm that this universe is a flow; a flow of coming in, staying
along and going away; a flow of appearing, existing and disappearing. According
to Ananda Marga the entire universe is nothing but a
flow of GOD -- Generation, Operation and Destruction. Shrii Shrii
Anandamurtiji’s approach has been that “Ananda” is verily the other name of
“Brahma”.
“Anandam Brahma ityahu”, says the Ananda
Sutram.
He
further discloses that there are some cosmic principles at work, maintaining a
perfectly balanced, blissful stability in this ever-dynamic
universe.
It is important (and advantageous) to understand the nature of the universe that surrounds us in order to live in harmony with it, for therein lies the secret of bliss (Ananda), desired by all creatures. In the midst of a river, one should swim along the direction of its current. Then it becomes very smooth for the person to continue and reach the desired destination, blissfully. Thus, the stabilising principles of the universe should be understood and applied to in the practices of life for enjoying the harmonious blissful flow of the cosmos, so long as we exist there in as a microcosmic unit.
All entities in this creation directly obey the rhythm of the Nature’s flow; they have to. This brings smooth and blissful progression for them as a result. Like other creatures, humans also did so since its inception, a million years ago. There was complete composure, unhindered joy and happiness in their life then, as long as humans were concerned only with their very personal trifarious – physical, mental and spiritual affairs alone. However, this situation changed with the sprouting of their psychic desires of developing a civilisation during the Rga Veda period, some fifteen thousand years ago. It was then for the first time that finer human sentiments started to feel need of shaping an ideal civilisation for the flowering culture of humanity. We can trace such sentiments in “Saungacchaddhvam Samvadaddhvam…” and others Rca’s of the Rga Veda. But thence on we also find the multitude of crises that arose in the lack of balance amongst the trifarious affairs of human life, individual as well as collective.
“It is somewhat strange that although the human beings had come onto the earth about a million years ago and although the human civilisation had started about fifteen thousand years ago from now, they could not bring about perfect balance in the three spheres of individual and collective life. What is more strange is this, that they did not even feel the necessity of establishing balance in individual and collective life”, says Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji.
He
further adds, “in the first phase there is perfect balance in the Loka Trikona
or Prama Trikona of individuals, but in subsequent stages, due to the influence
of time, place and person; and due to clash of Vrttis or psychic propensities,
the balance of Prama Trikona gets lost.”
It
is evident or it appears that while striving for shaping a civilisation-plan the
need for the maintaining the trifarious balance in the physical, psychic and
spiritual affairs of individual and collective life got
ignored and over-looked. At least that seems to be the case so far.
Normally
other forms of life, except we humans, enjoy blissful stance as they live. It is
natural for them. But the most advanced and highly
equipped section of humans, with their high dreams for civilisation, lost
adjustment in their Physico-psycho-spiritual Triangles of life, due basically to
the clashes amongst their psychic propensities in changing influence of time,
place and person. This adversely affected all – humans as well as other forms of
life in creation. They have been interfering with the otherwise blissful natural
existence of the rest of the creation, least caring for the
physico-psychic-spiritual well being of the others. Their actions caused further
lopsided growth in case of fellow humans, non-humans, and other animate or even
inanimate beings; finally resulting in the near collapse of the
Eco-system.
Addressing the crises of humanity, Shrii P.R. Sarkar approaches to work for gradually restoring the lost Prama in various fields, whether in individual human life or in our collective affairs and activities. Then only, according to Shrii Sarkar, the liberated humans would be able to “enjoy the bliss of discovering the Parama Shiva (Pure Consciousness), lying quiescent in ones very existence and will be able to re-establish oneness with Him.” He continues, “ Very often ignorant of real spirituality and goaded by religious dogmas, people undertake such means which bring much trouble and no spiritual good to them.”
Homomorphic
metamorphosis:
The
Cosmology of Ananda Sutram says:
Triguna’tmika’
Srs’t’ima’trka’ Ashes’a Trikon’adha’ra’.
The
Srs’t’ima’trka’ (Causal matrix of creation) is Triguna’tmika’ (three principled, made up of
Sat, Raj and Tam nature) and it flows endlessly in form of
triangles.
Purport: “In the primordial phase of creation triple attributional shakti evolves countless geometric figures which all eventually get transformed into triangles of forces ("Gun'atrikon'a"). Whenever there are more than three forces operating, the tendency is invariably to form a stable triangular figure. As long as this Gun’atrikon’a or Gun'ayantraka is in a balanced state, the sentient is converted into mutative, the mutative into static and the static into sentient. This process of mutual conversion has been going on endlessly. Due to the homomorphic conversion the balance of the triangle of forces is maintained”.
A
multitude of various different geometric shapes and structures are formed due to
the haphazard interaction of the three forces of Sat, Raj and Tam (of Nature) in
the void of Parama Purusa. But then, due to constant
mutual conversion or HOMOMORPHIC Metamorphosis amongst these three
forces, they all ultimately settle down, in mathematically the most stable
triangles. And, thereby a perfect balance of the
Gun’atrikon’a continues in the universe.
A
directional sequence of this flow of the homomorphic conversion may be shown as in the figures 1a. and 1b. below, where in a systematic
manner, the Sentient becomes the Mutative, the Mutative becomes the Static and
later, the static becomes the sentient again. This sequence continues onwards
for ever and a balance is
maintained.
Directional
representation
Mutative
Sentient
Static
Homomorphic
-
-
metamorphosis
Mutative
Sentient
Static
(Figure
1a.)
(Figure
1b.)
As
a general rule,
the Static nature pre-dominates the Physical stratum, while the Mutative
dominates Psychic stratum and the Sentient, the Spiritual
stratum.
Some mysterious homomorphic triangles at work:
While human life is trifarious, it seems some sort of a triangular arrangement has been a handiwork of nature maintaining blissful stability in its dynamics. Humanity has ever been discovering and establishing the need of such triangular arrangement for stability in various fields. Consider the following:
1. In Mathematics the most stable structure is found to be “a triangle”.
2. We have three universal factors of “Time, Space, and Person”.
3. Time is also known to have three dimensions of “Future, Present and Past”.
4. Space has 3 Dimensions i.e. our 3D Space; all movements in space are possible in three dimensions of; a. Up and down, b. forward and backward; and c. Left and right. The planet earth includes “the terrestrial, the waters and the sky” (popularly known as Jala, Thala and Nabha).
5. We have so many essential triangles in our life; viz. our life has three aspects of “Physical, Mental and Spiritual”;
6. Our physical body has three main parts: “below waist, above waist up to the shoulders and above shoulders i.e. head with the linking neck”. -Our limbs all have three parts constituting them; we have “the arms, the hands and the palms”; “the thighs, the legs and the feet”. On our feasts, we have “the fingers on one side, the palm in the middle and the thumb on the other side”. And fingers of the claw have three parts enabling them to hold fast and strong.
7. Biological life has three stages of “ the childhood, the adult life and the old age”.
8. Mind has three parts: “the Citta, the Aham and the Mahat”.
9.
All forms of life operate on the principles
of “
10.
Food also has three varieties “the Tamasik, the Rajasik and the Sattvik”.
11.
A State functions on the
triangular arrangement of “Legislature, Executive and Judiciary”.
12. Economy: The physical side rests on the triangle of “Supply, Distribution and Demand”.
The psychic side of economy works through a triangle of “Production, Trade/Commerce and Consumption”.
13. The regular Military is organised in “Army, Navy and Air force”. And also, traditionally for administration 3 sections make a platoon, 3 platoons make a company.
14. There is a factor of trinity in the Hindu mythology, “Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh”. So also, the Christianity invented their trinity factor in “God, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit”.
15. The animated creation has three distinct categories of Plant kingdom, Animal kingdom and Human beings.
16. Every thing has got three stages A’di, Madhya and Anta.
17. When we write or draw any sketch on a surface, we start with a point and continue to finish with a point at the end. Now, the initial point has sentient energy with a latent potential for expression. The sketch is its expression; it is mutative energy influencing the psyche in its own particular way. The end point of the sketch has nothing but staticity. It represents the exhaustion of the potential sentient energy of the initial point that was being expressed. Baba said, “A flower bud is in sentient state that blooms into a flower of mutative state and finally fades in staticity.” According to AM philosophy mutative state is nothing but a state in transition from sentient to static.
18. Ananda Marga ideology stands on the trinity of Morality, Humanity and Spirituality. It has been explained as; “Morality is the base; Sadhana is the means; and Life Divine is the goal”.
19. The guiding axiom of Ananda Marga has been, “It is action that makes one great, be great by your Sadhana, Service and Sacrifice.”
20. Yoga finds perfection in its triangular arrangement of “Karma, Jinana and Bhakti”, as practised in AM.
21. And Baba used to bless the responsible ones with wishes for “Peace, Prosperity and Progress.”
The above may be elucidated through the various sketches in (Figure 2) where the base is of static nature, the next right arm of the triangle is sentient and the other left arm is mutative.
(Figure
2)
Jnana
Bhakti
Karma
Bhati
Prosperity
Navy
Air force
Judiciary
Time
Space
Legislative
-
Person
Army
Executive
Production
Supply
Demand Consumption Future
- Past
Distribution Trade/commerce Present
(consumption)
Adult
Infancy Mental
Spiritual
Sacrifice
Sadhana
.
Aged
Physical
Service
The
concept of Balance:
But then, what is this concept of “balance”?
The
concept of balance requires that,
1.
one
force does not affect the individuality of the other, instead it should properly
adjust with; it should recognise the existence of the others without hindering
the scope of their progression.
2.
it
is of dynamic nature, and staticity is non-existent there at any
stage.
Prama:
Etymologically,
Prama is (pra-ma+d’a+t’a).
To
Shrii Sarkar, it means equilibrium + equipoise. Equilibrium denotes being
perfectly balanced (or equal) in physical strength where as equipoise signifies
perfect equality in mass/weight.
Now
as mathematical representation we may consider the
following:
1.
Equilibrium
is seen in a vote or tug of war where a certain number
of people on one side hold out a number of people on the other; here they are
able to exert equal physical strength. Here unknown capacity of one group is
being matched the same of the other. It is subjective in
nature.
2.
Equipoise
is like weighing 1kg of Potatoes. They may be 13 in number or may be only nine.
It is, in fact, immaterial. Here number of potatoes is not at
all counted, what is counted is the predetermined weight. Hence it is of objective nature.
Equilibrium
is subjective while Equipoise is objective. In view of Ananda Marga every thing in this universe has two facets; subjective
as well as objective, Prama connotes properly measured balance from aspects of
both subjective as well as objective.
In
his model of World Government, Shrii Sarkar constitutes the Upper and the Lower
Houses as follows:
1.
Upper
House,
being the conscience keeper, is subjective and has a nation-wise representation. Here only a single member would
join from each nation, small or big,
2.
Lower
House
is objective, where the representation on basis of the mass of population in a
nation. One single large nation like
In
this way participation in the World Government
legislature gets perfectly balanced. Here, Shrii Sarkar has considered balancing
the global socio-polity of nations on the principle of Prama; subjectively as well as objectively.
The
Triangular PRAMA:
As discussed above, due to the flow of Homomorphic conversion amongst the three forces of the Cosmic Operating Principle (Fig.3a. - 3b.), a natural mix of equilibrium and equipoise pervades the entire creation, as a natural law. As shown in the figure below, the SENTIENT Nature merges into the MUTATIVE, that later merges into the STATIC. But interestingly, the Static again, following the same flow of direction awakens in the form of the Sentient. Such is the style of Homomorphic metamorphosis. The flow continues smoothly, and Prama is maintained unhindered. This is how a bud (of Sentient nature), blooms into a beautiful flower (of Mutative nature) which fades into staticity. This staticity ends up in seeds, which again awakens in sprouts of (Sentient nature). An infant grows into youth to old age. And before dying out, one lives again in form of progeny, repeating the same sequence of flow. We find numerous such examples around us. (Give more examples) An attempt has been made through various triangular sketches in Figure 2. (Find excerpts….)
Loss of PRAMA
However, the problem starts when the direction of the homomorphic flow gets interfered. If the sentient force instead of its natural direction, shown by arrow, of continuously merging in the mutative and likewise the mutative into static, starts moving in both directions. Meaning thereby if the sentient reverts also in the direction of the static, or the static start reverting also in the direction of the mutative and consequently when the mutative have pressure from both the sides, there appears a crisis of instability in the natural flow of the PRAMA triangle. Shrii Sarkar calls it as a state of Derangement, (Fig. 4). If this state prolongs, the pressures from both sides, on the three vertices of the balanced Prama triangle start to demolish the arrangement, giving rise to irregular or multilateral structures. This Shrii Sarkar calls the state of Disruption, (Fig. 5a, 5b, 5c) of the Prama Triangle. Finally, a continued state of disruption causes the ultimate loss of Prama, called a state of Degeneration, (Fig.6).
Mathematical
representation of Prama Trikona due to homomorphic conversion:
Mutative
Mental Spiritual
Sentient
Physical
Static
(Fig. 3a.)
(Fig. 3b.)
Mathematical
representation of Derangement, Disruption and
Degeneration:
Derangement
Disruption Disruption Disruption
Degeneration
(Fig. 4)
(Fig. 5a.)
(Fig. 5b.)
(Fig. 5c.)
(Fig. 6) Restoring the lost PRAMA: Once the situation has gone to the state
of degeneration, according to Shrii Sarkar, Prama can be
restored only in gradual steps. From a stage of degeneration, attempts
should be made to restore a state of Disruption, first.
The state of Disruption then should be improved into
derangement. Only from the state of derangement can we step into restoring
Prama. State of The various forms of Prama and
Guna-Trikona: Established Prama in Physical stratum
is called Prama Samvrddhi, Psychic Prama is called
Prama Rddhi and Prama in Spiritual stratum is Prama Siddhi. When these three are
put together in proper adjustment as suggested by Shrii Sarkar, then
Prama Trikona or Loka Trikona is formed. (Figure 7).
&
The Ananda Marga Pratiika
a
(Fig.
7) “When all the
loka trikon'as or Prama' trikon'as of the physical, psychic and spiritual strata
collectively form the final loka trikon'a or Prama' trikon'a, its central point
will coincide in a perfect balance with the central point of the Supreme Gun'a
trikon'a. A perfect state of balance will be
established between individuals and the collectivity and between the
collectivity and the cosmos. This supreme balance in all spheres will bring a
perfect state of Prama' everywhere. The society will attain Prama' Samvrddhi in
the physical stratum, Prama' Rddhi in the psychic stratum and Prama' Siddhi in
the spiritual stratum. That will be the stage of all-round welfare, progress and
perfection for the entire humanity, for the entire living
world.” In
(Figure
7),
‘a’ is the centre of the Prama Samvrddhi triangle of physicality, ‘b’ is the
centre of the Prama Rddhi triangle of psychic stratum and the centre of the
Prama Siddhi triangle is ‘c’. Now they are put together
in a concentric manner in such a way that their arrangement follows the
direction of the homomorphic conversion in (Fig.1). The physical (Prama
Samvrddhi) is at the base, on to its right side is the triangle of the
spiritual (Prama Siddhi) and the next right is the psychic Prama triangle of
(Prama Rddhi). As
a result, finally, a triangle with its centre ‘d’ is formed. It is
Loka Trikona or Prama Trikona, made up as a result of the three triangles of
Prama Samvrddhi, Prama Rddhi and Prama Siddhi coming together, having their
central points a, b and c respectively.
But
when the three central points of these triangles coincide and get linked,
another triangle with centre ‘e’ is formed. It has been
named the Guna Trikona, where all of the Prama triangles converge at one
centre at the seat of Parama Purus’a. It is the final triangle of stage of
primordial Prama. Surprisingly
then, there emerges the Ultimate Yantra as a consequence -- the symbol of AM
ideology, our Pratiika. Thus, each and every component
of Ananda Marga Pratiika represents Prama. It is a composite of Prama Samvrddhi,
Prama Rddhi, Prama Siddhi, Loka Trikona (or Prama Trikona of the creation) and
the Guna Trikona (of the Cosmos) — all coincided in one. In
the midst the symbol of advancement (the rising Sun) and the symbol of spiritual
progress (Swastika) are located, well placed. It signifies that the life style
and other such practices in Ananda Marga society, with our ideological
representation of Pratiika, as such, stand for promoting equilibrium, equipoise
and well being in Cosmology. In
addition, a Tantric of Ananda Marga exists in order, to
constantly enliven the significant vibes of such a composite of Prama
(Pratiika) Triangles, with all his/her benevolent attitudes in personal
practices, as well as their social activities during their mortal existence in
the Universe. --The End. --Acharya
Vimalananda Avadhuta, Ananda
Purnima, 2000 A.D. Kalikata,
Guna-Trikona
b
e
c
d