By Shrii P. R. Sarkar
The word prama' is derived as pra-ma' + d'a + t'a. The meaning of the root-verb ma' is to measure, to fathom. So the etymological meaning of prama is balance. In English the two words equilibrium and equipoise are used in this sense. But there is some practical difference between these two words. Equilibrium is used in the sense of balance in physical strength and equipoise is used in the sense of balance in weight. Suppose there is a tug-of-war between two parties. If both the parties are equally strong, no party is able to pull the other party towards itself, i.e. there is a physical equilibrium between the two parties. Take another case. Suppose there is a one-kilo weight on one side of a scale and on the other side there is one kilo of eggplant. As there is equality of weight on both sides, the scale is evenly balanced. This balanced state in weight is called equipoise. Equilibrium and equipoise are collectively known as pramá.
Just as equilibrium and equipoise – pramá – is indispensable in individual life, it is equally true in collective life as well. The superiority or excellence of the social structure or the culture and civilization of a community of people is derived by the degree of pramá which that community attains in its individual and collective life. It is somewhat strange that although the human beings had come onto the earth about a million years ago and although the human civilization had started about fifteen thousand years ago from now, they could not bring about perfect balance or prama' 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 prama' in individual and collective life.
For instance, though the western world has made some material progress and tried to bring a certain degree of pramá in the physical sphere, they did not make any sincere effort to establish prama' in the spiritual sphere nor are they doing the same even today. Of course, they made some effort to bring prama' in the psychic sphere by bringing about some development in the intellectual sphere. India is the only country in the world where at least some attempt was made to introduce pramá in the spiritual sphere but it did not reach the state of perfection. Like the West, India also made some attempt to establish prama' in the psychic sphere. But that attempt was not remarkably successful.
If we analyze the history of different communities of people of the world, we notice that despite the tremendous physical, psychic and spiritual potentialities in them the opportunity was not utilized for the establishment of prama' in individual and collective life. This was due to their defective way of life, their dogmas, their defective ideas and practices and the faulty social and economic system. They could not strengthen the human society by developing different branches of knowledge, its culture and civilization, its intellectual and spiritual advancement. In the absence of pramá they could not contribute to human society to the extent they could in developing different branches of human knowledge, in uplifting the standard of culture and civilization, and raising the level of intellect and intuition. (By Shrii P. R. Sarkar, February, 1987, Calcutta, “Prout in a nutshell”- 9)
Lack of prama in the physical sphere
Nature has been bountiful to each and every region of the world and has endowed enormous wealth both on and under the surface of the earth. In fact, different areas of the world are full of agricultural, mineral, aquatic, medicinal and forest resources; yet in many economic regions of the world there is utmost poverty, low standard of life, and cultural and industrial backwardness. As a result, with the curse of acute scarcity of food, clothes and accommodation, as well as lack of education facilities, even today in the 20th century when material science claims to have made strident progress, millions of people are fighting for their physical survival. There is no shortage of physical resources in any economic region due to the blessings of nature. But due to the lack of benevolent propensities those materials were not utilized for social and economic development. In consequence, the basic physical necessities of people (food, clothes, accommodation, medical treatment and education) could not be fulfilled. Obviously there is large-scale want of prama' in the physical sphere.
Let us take the case of Ra'r'h – the starting point of human civilization. Nature has provided the hilly land of Ra'r'h with enormous resources. In the different strata of old hard rock there are gold, silver, copper, mercury, mica, manganese and many other minerals. There are large deposits of quartz and various types of other valuable minerals in the stratum of hard igneous rock. There is good-quality coal and sand in the stratum of ancient alluvial rock and dead stone. Western Ra'r'h is rich with mineral wealth. The soil of eastern Ra'r'h, it having been formed form the seabed, is comparatively new. There is a great possibility that mineral ore may be extracted from its bosom, especially in those areas that were covered by the Sargasso Sea in ancient days.
Eastern Ra'r'h is as rich in on-surface wealth as western Ra'r'h is rich in underground wealth. The sort of rich fertile land we find in Burdwan, Hooghly, Howrah, eastern Midnapur and Kandi subdivision is very rare in the whole world. The reason is that the rivers of Ra'r'h such as Damodara, Ajaya, Mayu'ra'ksii', Kam'sa'vati, Suvarnrekha, Vakreshvara, Kopai, Shilavatii, Hinglo have carried alluvial soil enriched with calcium and various mineral resources and made the surface of the earth very rich; as precious as gold. In that fertile soil there can be bumper harvests of paddy (rice), wheat, sugarcane, pulses, cotton, mulberry and non-bulberry silk and many other agricultural products.
The laterite soil of Ra'r'h is so rich with calcium that good quality apples, pears, oranges, papayas, guavas, grapes, castor-apples and many other fruits can be grown in abundance. By introducing various kinds or irrigation systems (small irrigation, lift irrigation, excavation of tanks, etc.) efforts may be made for the growth of orchards and for the cultivation of three crops of rice in a year (early autumn, winter and summer). On the basis of the tremendous potentiality for agricultural production, numerous agrico-industries and agro-industries could be established in Ra'r'h, but unfortunately, this potentiality has not been tapped so far. The forests of Ra'r'h are also full of resources. They have an abundance of sal, piyasal, hizal, polash, ashok, kusum, jam (blackberry), jackfruit trees, etc.
So although there are enormous natural resources of various types in Ra'r'h, its people are under-nourished, half-naked, badly housed, decimated by disease and illiterate. Had the economic plans of the country been based on the principle of prama', the social and economic picture of Ra'r'h would have been completely different from what it is now. There is another economic region, the adjacent state of Orissa, which is equally rich with natural resources and yet equally poor. The economic potential of Orissa, abundant with tremendous agricultural, mineral and forest resources like Ra'r'h, is very bright. On its long coastal belt, there is immense potential for starting large numbers of farms and factories. There are also good possibilities for the growth of iron and steel industry, shipbuilding industry, port-dock industry, tidal electricity generation, etc. Moreover, on the basis of the agricultural resources of Orissa, thousands of agro-industries and agrico-industries can be started. But due to the absence of any social and economic planning based on prama' in this region, a large percentage of the people of Orissa are living in abject poverty. Why should we single out only Ra'r'h and Orissa? Almost all the countries of the world are faced with nearly the same sort of economic crises due to a lack of prama'. (By Shrii P. R. Sarkar, February, 1987, Calcutta, “Prout in a nutshell” – 9)
Lack of prama in the psychic sphere
The human mind has two main functions: thinking and recollecting. The human being is predominantly a mental being. So the greatness and excellence of human beings lie in their thinking capacity, intellectual subtlety and brilliance, and wisdom. Human beings, in the process of expressing their creative faculties, externalize the colorful and varied ideas of their psychic world in a variety of ways: on canvas with colors and brushes, in poetry and literature with the touch of pens, and in sculpture with the subtle use of hammers and chisels. Their philosophical ideas, their scientific observations and experiments, and the study and analysis of various branches of knowledge are exclusively within the psychic preserve of the human mind and have been honored as the golden harvest in the psychic realm. But if there is a lack of prama' in the psychic sphere, then many ommissional and commissional mistakes and defects are bound to creep other branches of human knowledge. Dance may lose rhythm, painting may lack proportion, music may lose its harmony in tune, melody and rhythm and in the various branches of literature there may be an overgrowth of parasitic weeds of immature expression.
Suppose a painter is drawing a picture. There is a small pond. The pond is full of beautiful transparent water upon which a fully flowered lotus sits. Suppose the pond occupies a square inch of space, whereas the petals of the lotus occupy two square inches of space. In this case, the painter has clearly lost the basic sense of proportion and impaired the spirit of balance in art. That is, the painter has violated the principle of prama' in the creation of his art. Naturally, in the absence of prama', artistic creation cannot be symmetrical or systematic.
Let us take the case of poetry. Successful poetry is a balanced blending of idea, language, metre and expressional beauty. But if a poet has only a flair for language and depth of ideas, and is not skilled in metrical rhythm or cannot introduce beauty in composition, then the poetry will suffer from lack of prama'. Poetry devoid of prama' cannot attain the height of success.
Similarly, song is the inner blending of idea, language, melody and rhythm. In the absence of any of the four, prama' will be lost and the song will lose its charm and beauty. It will be nothing but a random composition, a few lines of lifeless words.
Philosophy had its beginning in the distant past to discover and realize the mysteries of creation. Various scholars in different branches of human knowledge established various schools of philosophy in different ages. Some of these philosophies were idealistic, some were materialistic. What is the purpose of philosophy? The purpose is to discover the unmistakable link between the Creator and His creation. But philosophers, in spite of their sincere efforts, have not yet been able to build a bridge between the relative world and the absolute world. It seems philosophy has lost its way in a labyrinth of metaphysics. The defective conclusions of philosophers have made respective schools of philosophy dogma-based intellectual extravaganza. Regarding these types of philosophies Lord Shiva said: lokavya'mohaka'raka – they are the cause of psychic disease. (By Shrii P. R. Sarkar, February, 1987, Calcutta, "Prout in a nutshel"- 9)
Questions and answers on PRAMA
Question: Suppose a particular country is very poor – there is no shortage of food, but there are other shortages in the realm of physicality. Can there be psychic prama’trikon’a or physical prama’trikon’a there? Then what is that country to do ? Should that country attack another affluent country to get its necessities of life? Should it become fascist or imperialistic? How is it to develop? Suppose it is thickly peopled, then? Until it develops agriculture there won't be any prama’trikon’a in the physical sphere?
Answer: Can't the problem be solved through commercial transaction or barter trad? Say one country has surplus food or hide, leather or jute. Can't the problem be solved through barter trade? Burma has a shortage of leather and hide; Bangladesh has a surplus of leather and hide but a shortage of rice. There can be barter trade between them.
Question: Suppose in a particular land there is no shortage of food and other physical necessities of life, but the psychic structure moves within the four walls of a particular ism – there is no scope for free psychic movement. Can there be physical or psychic prama’trikon’a in that land?
Answer: Where nature is bountiful or human dexterity is bountiful, there cannot be physical prama’trikon’a if there is want or shortages in neighboring countries. In India, Punjab and Haryana are a bit affluent; Orissa, East U.P and Bihar are extremely poor. Side by side light and darkness cannot remain. Naturally political peace is sure to be disturbed. America is affluent, Canada is affluent, Mexico is poor: therefore there cannot be any peace in NY Sector. So there cannot be any peace in our world.
In Africa, countries south of the Sahara are extremely poor; physical prama’trikon’a is not possible in such countries. For physical prama’trikon’a there must be sufficient food and other physical necessities for the entire world.
Question: There are certain psychic diseases that have their origin in the physical sphere – they are physicopsychic diseases. Can there be a radical cure of these diseases if there is no free psychic movement?
Answer: There are certain diseases that have their origin in the psychic sphere - they come to the physical level from the psychic level. Microvita may create physicopsychic diseases also – diseases starting from the physical level and coming to the psychic level. If the psychic self is not properly balanced, a radical cure is not possible.
Question: Suppose in a particular country people are very much moralist; there is no dearth of food and other physical necessities, and there is free psychic movement also – there is no bar in reading a particular book or coming in contact with a particular philosophy. Even in that case can there be spiritual prama’trikon’a in that country?
Answer: For spiritual practice you are to create a spiritual urge. Therefore you are to create a proper system of education. Education should be imparted in spiritual and psychic style. When they get proper education proper spiritual urge is created - then they will start sa'dhana'. So we must start primary schools throughout the entire world to create a spiritual urge amongst the little pupils. I am not in favor of starting colleges [initially]; I am in favour of starting primary schools. In the entire world we have got one degree college at Ananda Nagar and thousands of kindergarten schools. (Shrii P. R. Sarkar, February, 1987, Calcutta, “Prout in a nutshell” – 9)
Lack of prama in the spiritual sphere
The main purpose of spirituality is to discover the Supreme Consciousness (Parama Shiva) who is lying quiescent in every human existence, and to establish oneness between Macrocosm and microcosms, between Cosmic Being and human beings, between parama'tma and jiiva'tma'. Very often, ignorant of real spirituality and goaded by religious dogma, people undertake long and hazardous journeys to places of pilgrimage, sometimes even selling their earthly possessions like houses, cultivable land, etc. to make the trip possible. They hope to attain virtue by taking a holy dip in sacred rivers. It is needless to say that this causes a loss not only of energy, time and money, but brings much trouble and no spiritual gain. This is one of the glaring examples of lack of prama' in the spiritual sphere. (By Shrii P. R. Sarkar, February 1987, Calcutta, “Prout in a nutshell”- 9)
Prama’samvrddhi, prama'rddhi and prama'siddhi
It has already been said that the importance of prama' in all the three phases of human existence is tremendous. Physical progress is deeply associated with the psychic and spiritual development of human beings. When the balanced state of material development, having reached a supreme height, maintains proper adjustment with the psychic and spiritual elevation of individuals and the collectivity, it is called prama’samvrddhi.
Similarly prama'rddhi occurs when the balanced psychic stratum attains the peak of progress and maintains adjustment with the material and spiritual progress of individuals and the collectivity. In this state of prama'rddhi the ectoplasmic stuff of mind gets powdered down. It develops not only in mass and volume, but moves forward towards the pinnacled intellect (agryabuddhi), while maintaining psychic adjustment, in order to attain sharp penetration.
Finally, prama'siddhi. Prama'siddhi is a state when the mind, having transcended the psychospiritual stratum, attains a pinnacled state and absolute equilibrium in spiritual progress and maintains an adjustment with the physical and psychic development of individuals and the collectivity. (By Shrii P. R. Sarkar, February, 1987, Calcutta, “Prout in a nutshell” 9)
Lokatrikona
Lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a (balanced triangle) of individuals and the collectivity is formed in the physical, psychic and spiritual spheres. In the flow of evolution, lokatrikon'a comes at the first phase of creation emanating from the sprout of Parama Purus'a. In the first phase there is balance in the lokatrikon'a of individuals, but in subsequent stages, due to the influence of time, place and person and due to clash of vrttis, the balance of lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a gets lost. This state of loss of balance in prama’trikon'a or lokatrikon'a is called the stage of derangement. At this stage if the lost prama' is re- established it is well and good. If it is not, the lokatrikon'a in the downward movement gets worse and enters the stage of disruption. If people fail to counteract this trend of downward movement, the lokatrikon'a further descents to the stage of degeneration. Human society today has reached the stage of degeneration and, as a result, is lost in the wilderness of economic bankruptcy, social unrest, cultural degeneration and religious superstition.
Some solutions
Once the society reaches the state of degeneration, the balance of lokatrikon'a cannot be restored. Rather, society will have to be lifted up step by step from the stage of degeneration to the stage of disruption, and then from the stage of disruption to the stage of derangement, and in the final stage balance in prama'trikon'a or lokatrikon'a will have to be established. Although all three aspects of life, physical, psychic and spiritual, carry equal significance, the physical stage should be given greater importance in the initial stage. If prama' is lost in the physical sphere, the anti-social elements will have the upper hand in society. They will pollute the social environment. Consequently, prama' in the mental and spiritual spheres will be lost. The mental condition will tend to move towards further degeneration. So, in the physical sphere, the establishment of prama'trikon'a or lokatrikon'a is the foremost necessity.
Now the question is, what should be done to restore order in lokatrikon'a and prama'trikona? First, we must divide each stratum into various substrata. For example, we may divide the physical stratum into the following strata: agriculture, industry, trade and commerce, medicine, irrigation, physical education, etc. Here it should be mentioned that as far as education is concerned, the science subjects come within the scope of the physical stratum as they are directly concerned with the material world. On the other hand, the humanities (language, literature, history, philosophy, etc.) come within the scope of the psychic stratum. By forming sub-triangles for each substratum, a greater degree of balance can be established. The physical stratum will then have to be gradually elevated from the stage of degeneration to the stage of disruption. Later, after restoring a greater balance in the sub-triangles, it will have to be raised form the stage of disruption to the stage of derangement. There will be a perfect balance in lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a of the physical stratum when all the sub-triangles are in perfect equilibrium.
Similarly, there are also many substrata in the psychic stratum, such as physicopsychic, psychospiritual, etc. When the degree of balance within these substrata increases, the psychic stratum will be elevated from the state of degeneration to the state if disruption, and from the state of disruption to the state of derangement, and finally there will be a perfect balance in lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a in the psychic stratum.
Now let us come to the question of the spiritual stratum. It, too, may be divided into several substrata, although they will be comparatively few in number. The degree of balance within the substrata will also have to be increased gradually. Thus, the spiritual stratum will be raised through the stages of degeneration, disruption and derangement. Balance in the natural lokatrikon'a of the spiritual stratum will then be established.
To restore balance in the lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a of the physical stratum, the following four factors should be considered:
1. The physical demand at present and the physical demand in the foreseeable future.
2. The physical supply at present and the physical supply in the foreseeable future.
3. The maximum utilization of land.
4. The five fundamental principles of Prout concerning that item.
For example, while trying to solve the food problems of any economic zone, the sub-triangle of agriculture will have to be created. A proper irrigation system may have to be introduced, and high-breed varieties of seeds may have to be used. By extensive cultivation of land using tractors and necessary fertilizers, three or four crops may be harvested every year. The proper crops for the proper soil will have to be selected. Agricultural cooperative and agricultural producers' cooperatives will have to be started. Farmers’ brigades will have to be formed. Agriculture should be conducted on the basis of the principle of consumption, and not the principle of profit making. There should be a proper preservation and distribution of agricultural products. A proper balance in the lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a of agriculture will help establish balance in the lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a in the physical stratum.
In the same way, if there is a perfect balance in the sub-triangles of the substrata, there will be a balance in the lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a in the psychic and spiritual strata.
When all the lokatrikon'as or pramatrikon'as of the physical, psychic and spiritual strata collectively form the final lokatrikon'a or prama'trikon'a, its central point will coincide in a perfect balance with the central point of the Supreme Gun'atrikon'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. (By Shrii P. R. Sarkar, February 1987, Calcutta, “Prout in a nutshell”- 9)
The principle of social equality
Dynamism is the essential characteristic of this world. “The world is called jagat" because it is always in motion. The Sanskrit word jagat is derived from the root verb gam plus the suffix kvip, which means "an entity that has an inherent tendency to move”. Just as there is individual movement, there is movement in collective life as well. This very movement requires three things: first, an inspiration--an impetus from behind. When someone stops moving, another will have to push from behind saying, “Move ahead!” Secondly, the capacity for movement; that is, the one who moves forward must have the requisite strength to do so. In the absence of adequate strength, how can one move forward? Thirdly, the goal of movement. These three factors are absolutely essential for any movement.
The movement that the ancient human beings started, individually as well as collectively, has not yet come to an end. Nor will there be any comma, semi-colon, colon or period to check that movement; it is uninterrupted.
Now the question arises, by what inspiration, by what strength, and towards which goal do human beings move? It has been observed that human movement is inspired by two ideas. In my recent book "Sabhyata'r A'di Vindu-Ra'r'h", I have used two terms for these ideas, Principle of selfish pleasure (a'tma-sukha tattva) and Principle of social equality (sama-sama'ja tattva).
Whatever human beings do, motivated by the principle of selfish pleasure, is for the sake of pleasure. This principle of selfish pleasure rests on dogma. All the social, economic and geographical forces that motivate human beings are guided by dogma; and this dogma is entirely based on the principle of selfish pleasure. Human beings yield to this dogma with the sole intention of attaining selfish pleasures; even educated people knowingly submit to dogma. They know that they are surrendering their intellect to dogma, and that the outcome will be undesirable; they know and understand everything – why, even then, do they knowingly submit to it? They are all deliberate sinners and intentionally accept dogmas as truth. They observe that these dogmas are based on the principle of selfish pleasure; but they think, “I don't care whether it does good or harm to others, because at last I have enjoyed some pleasure!” Being motivated by this idea, they enslave themselves to dogmas.
In the civilized world, even educated people knowingly follow dogmas because they have a desire in the back of their minds to attain some mundane pleasure in this physical world. Even in this civilized world where so much progress has been made in the field of knowledge, people are still following these dogmas, as if they are blind. The snares of these dogmas have to be shattered to pieces; the iron prison gates of dogma will have to be crushed to dust.
The second principle is the Principle of social equality. The Supreme Consciousness (Parama Purus'a) is the goal of everyone. We are all moving towards Him, both individually and collectively; but we will not be able to move ahead if we compromise with all the disparities and inequalities of collective life. We should eradicate all these inequalities, while at the same time we move together towards our spiritual goal. The progress of all would be accelerated if the inequalities were uprooted, if this were the motivation behind our movement towards the Supreme, we may not attain selfish pleasure, but we will enjoy spiritual peace, and pure spiritual bliss in the realization of Cosmic Grace.
So the endeavor to advance towards the ultimate reality by forming a society free from all inequalities, with everyone of the human race moving in unison, is called the principle of social equality. That is why I say categorically, that we must totally reject all those hypocritical ideas that are contrary to this the principle of social equality, and we must welcome all those ideas, which will help human beings to be established in it. All opposing theories must be removed mercilessly, just like thorns from our path.
And in this process we must not give indulgence to any dogmas or supernatural ideas. This should be the task of the present human beings; all people should combine their efforts and strive unitedly to accomplish that end. It is futile to think of an individual's past--we must not discriminate whether one is black or white. We should only remember that we must establish ourselves in the ultimate reality, by forming a new social order based on the principle of social equality. When we have embraced the ideal of the principle of social equality, when we have attained the physical strength, psychic intellect and spiritual wisdom to materialize it – should we not play a successful role to implement this noble and sublime ideal? Our coming to this earth and our remaining here, our every breath, every vibration of our existence – should this not attain supreme fulfillment? By utilizing all our physical, psychic and spiritual powers, should we not attain the pinnacle of human glory? (Shrii P. R. Sarkar, 31 December 1981, Anandanagar, "The Liberation of Intellect:Neo-Humanism”)
