Law of Causality

By

Sri Ramen Basu

As with material science, the ‘Law of Causality’ also holds in true for the spiritual science. What is Causality? Shortly defined, it is that cause begets effect, and effect in turn begets cause. Like the number 8, it narrows and enlarges itself over and again endlessly. Subjective and objective laws have the same reasoning as also the same concept. For a person unaware of spiritual science, it is rather difficult, if not impossible, to relate a cause with an effect. In material science Newton’s third Law says ‘Every action has an equal and opposite reaction’. In spiritual science the very same law exists, but whether the reaction is equal and opposite or not, is sometin that only a true spiritual scientist, a Satguru, can say. This is so because both the actions and the effects happen on a subtler level than in physical science.

Presume that most non-spiritual scientists don't bother about such things - they go ahead with whatever their minds dictate. Mind has an outer and and an inner aspect. The outer aspect of mind is governed by Tamas and Rajas gunas, for their qualities are directly connected to the worldly aspects of life. The inner aspect of mind is, when connected to the pure Conscience, governed by Sattva guna, and is Pure Intelligence or Iswara. When Sattva has impurities, it represents the perceptible human life.

Sri Sri Babathakur, as a spiritual scientist, could interpret the cosmic phenomenon consisting of Conscience (Viveki Budhi), Prescience (Pure Sattwa), Science (impure Sattwa) ending in nescience. To take the other way around, one may say there are both an ascending and a descending path working simultaneously. The descending path goes from Conscience (full awareness) - passing through the steps of prescience (mixed) and science (material), ending in nescience. The ascending path goes from nescience to Conscience - passing by science and prescience. As can be seen, both science and prescience are the middle steps on both the ascending and descending paths, and are thus the two steps non-realized souls may evolve to through a bit of self-effort combined with Blessings

Sri Sri Babathakur, in His treatise ‘Atma Tattva’, wrote about ‘Samskaras’ (inherent tendencies) and action of the mind-body complex according to the triple gunas. Life science is the science of samskaras and life style habits, which in turn are activated by Daiva (destiny) and Purusakar (self-effort ). The inborn/transmigrated samskara is the root cause of any action. All experiences of past lives leave subtle markings in the storehouse called 'Akashik record' (heavenly record), which can be visited in deep trance (Samadhi). The Daiva - a part of it - acts as the cause, and the Purusakar part prompts activity in the present life. These samaskaras are divide into three parts namely: 1) Prarabdha (inherent tendencies), 2) Sanchita (present actions) and 3) Anagata (future action). Prarabdha samskar is the cause of present life, which again is divided into three parts 1) Ichha Prarabdha , 2) Anichha Prarabdha and 3) Pareccha Prarabdha.

As only the present is known to spiritually ignorant persons, let us look into three kinds of Prarabdha: Ichha Prarabdha, Anichha Prarabdha and Parechha Prarabdha. Ichha Prarabdha is the compulsive obsessive action of persons, who knowingly act without realizing the ensuing results. This is very difficult to circumvent, for the Lord wants the results of this behavior pattern to be experienced as they may contain necessary teachings for the course of evolution. The pain/sufferings generated from such kinds of actions will act as reminders for the reprieve, the sadhana or tapasya of the person concerned.

Anichha Prarabdha compels a person in spite of unwillingness, to become engaged in bodily desires and become enraged when he/she fails to control it. In Sri Bhagavat Gita this is called the enemies of the spiritual aspirant. However, by changing habits this can be circumvented.

Parechha Prarabdha bound persons out of compassion, and undertake some actions for the benefit of others. Such actions don't carry permanent results for a Realized Soul. However, ordinary persons must experience both pain and pleasures from such actions. Actions beget results. Sri Sri Babathakur mentioned three kinds of results: 1) auspicious [Sattvic], 2) mix of auspicious and inauspicious [impure sattvic] and 3) inauspicious [Tamasic]. The action is determined according to the prevalent guna at that paticuclar time and for the person concerned. Thus a realized soul (the Jnani) knows that the triple gunas of Prakriti is the doer and not the ‘I-impersonal’ and thus the action carries no reactionary effect, whereas the spiritually ignorant thinks he/she is the doer and experiencer and the effect is therefore carried along.

To transcend the law of triple gunas which influences the action of humans, one must seek help from the injunctions of the Shastras or Guruvani, which supposedly is Pure Sattva, the very nature of a genuine Sadguru. By aligning one’s own thoughts and behavior with those of a Sadguru (whether present in the body or not), one should take recourse to His words and songs. It is far easier to follow an ideal and to surrender to the Divine than to struggle with intellectual machinations, which often represent a bar to progress on one's chosen spiritual path. ‘Seeing is believing’ it is said - so even if progress towards Realization seems slow, one is sure to advance by reminding oneself of the above mentioned steps. Practice makes perfect, if it is done dispassionately with full awareness. Dispassion and discrimination go together to strengthen awareness of the underlying Conscience. Man can overcome nescience, the need for objects, pleasures, riches and name and fame, but only after realizing the limitations of them all. That becomes obvious when one studies the life of Sri Sri Babathakur and His revealed spontaneous utterances.

Habit (Avyas) is the second nature of Jivas . So along with the ‘samskaras’ of the past, a person can change it by creating new habits, change one's life style. When one becomes aware that prevailing habits will hurt or deflect one from one's purpose of life (which is to Realize the Self), one should surrender to the teaching of a Sadguru such as Sri Sri Babathakur.

A person may fail, if the samskaras are strong. If the self-effort fizzles out due to the vagaries of the mind, the role of heart becomes important. Love one and all, see one and all with the eyes of Love. One ought to nurture the words 'Indivisible One Consciousness' and accept, adjust and accommodate that to be That. The principle of ‘all in all’ to ‘One in all’ and ‘all in One’ makes mankind ready for ‘One in One’. The steps are usually jagged with hindrances of old habits, but one must be patient. Create new habits in the fashion lovingly inculcated by Sri Sri Babathakur. The essence of Sri Sri Babathakur is none other than His words and songs. By singing and following His words with devotion, the path becomes sweet and the striving for change becomes less arduous. With the purification of ego and mind (enabled by following the words of the Sadguru), mind and intellect become ready for Divine Knowledge and absorption in the Self.

A child’s grasping the hand of the Mother, trusting her to guide him/her on the path of life is parallel to holding the hand of Sri Sri Babthakur. We, the devotees/followers, when walking along without support, are often unsteady and are likely to slip many a times. Truth is bound to dawn on us if we stick to His teaching. Wrong habits, determined by Daiva-purusakar complex, have to be eliminated and we must get up again, leaving the old habits through creating new habits.

Let me conclude the article by quoting some pertinent sayings of Sri Sri Babathakur from the lecture on Saraswati Puja day, on February 13th, 1986 as noted by Smt. Bani Chakravarti in ‘Smritigatha’, vol 2:

"Sportful dramatic sameside game of Self Consciousness"
"All Divine for all time as It Is"
"All acceptance/all embrace is the means for the realization of the Supreme Divine Self – the Absolute I-Reality"
"God Reality, Brahman Reality, Atman Reality and Absolute I-Reality’ all are one and the same Truth and Reality"
"Absolute I-Reality is the most easiest one for the perfect Self Realization and Self Identity of one and all as per the present day need"
"All sorts of understanding and awareness in life finally culminate into I-Reality"
"The best and the highest of the scriptural knowledge is intellectual knowledge, hence indirect knowledge, whereas Absolute I-Reality is the Direct Knowledge , Knowledge of Knowledge, Oneness of Knowledge /Knowledge of Oneness".

'Let your kindly light shown above in Your words be the guidelines of days to come' is my prayer to Sri Sri Babathakur for help in removing my shortcomings. Kowtowing to Him in loving remembrances of the days that flew by.