RAM AKTI MISSION

BULLETIN NO: 86 16th January 1975

Shraddha (spiritual faith) and Buddhi (reasoning intelligence) are the two faculties in
man, which together constitute the lims of dharma! "hen the power of shraddha and
the light of intelligence are #oined together, dharma emerges as the guiding force in
human conduct! $his force shelters the sadha%a against the attac% of mental modes
and leads him safely to lieration! &ife is a urden for the ignorant who is not conscious
of his own dormant spiritual potentialities! But intelligence yo%ed to shraddha has the
power to lighten this urden and ta%e you across the ri'er of transmigratory e(istence,
)ha'a*nadi+!
Buddhi without shraddha is of no use in spiritual field, it has no intrinsic worth! But when
shraddha awa%ens in one, his uddhi ecomes luminous! -t ecomes pure, sharp,
sutle and powerful and shines forth with 'arious faculties! -t gets the power to grasp, to
discriminate, to analyse, to restrain the mental modes, to guide one on the righteous
path and to lead the sadha%a towards the summit of .oga! Shraddha is the firm inner
grasp on truth! -t is a spiritual certitude that the /uru'a%ya is true!
Shraddha lin%s consciousness with the 0i'ine! "hen this lin% with the 0i'ine is
estalished, a supply of numerous powers comes to the uddhi! Buddhi thus emerges
as a powerful instrument of the 0i'ine and di'ine intelligence! -ntellect is an offshoot of
a'idya! -t is included in the category of pra%rithi! $herefore it cannot outgrow its own
limitation! Just as a ird cannot fly out of the s%y, so too, intellect cannot go eyond
pra%rithi! 1ow then can the intellect apprehend the truth, which is eyond its range2
"hat is intellect2 $he principle of intellect is a compound, a comination of
3onsciousness (Bodha), 4'arana and 5i%shepa! 4'arana and 5i%shepa are powers of
a'idya! 4'arana is of tamoguna! 5i%shepa is of ra#oguna! 4'arana is the power that
ma%es one forgets /od or one+s own true Self! "hen one+s own true Self is hidden from
'iew, one mista%es the unreal for the real, the ody for the Self! $his false notion is
)5i%shepa+! 3onsciousness element in uddhi elongs to the 6eality! "hen a'arana
and 'i%shepa are remo'ed, uddhi emerges as consciousness itself! Buddhi is then no
longer the egoistic intellect, which is an instrument of a'idya, ut 4wa%ened
3onsciousness itself, which re'eals the 6eality!
$he function of shraddha, therefore, is to lierate consciousness from the twin powers of
a'idya! 7rom a'idya, which is eginning less, arises antha%arana! $he 6eality, the
3hith, the 3onsciousness, gets reflected in the antha%arana! "hen consciousness gets
reflected in the antha%arana, a modification arises in the antha%arana! $his mode is
called the )-*mode+ or the ego! $he reflected consciousness, coming in contact with the
ego*mode, ecomes totally identified with the ego! $his personali8ed consciousness is
called the #i'a!
"hat is clear from this is the fact that the ego is a constitutional defect in the #i'a!
1a'ing een identified with the ego, the #i'a cannot free himself from the clutches of the
ego through his own effort! 1e who says that he is free from ego is in fact displaying his
own deepest ignorance! 1e affirms his egoism!
RAM AKTI MISSION Tel: 0824 2231360.
KULSHEKAR, SHAKTINAGAR, MANGALORE-! 016. E"#$l: %e&'e(#')*'#"#%#+($"$%%$,-.,'.
RAM AKTI MISSION
9ntil shraddha dawns, one cannot separate the intellect from the ego! "ith the
egocentric consciousness, one cannot tread the path of Jnana! :ne cannot pursue
e'en the philosophic in;uiry! <go clouds the 'ision! <go is the greatest impurity! "hen
tainted with the ego, intellect lands itself in confusion! 3larity goes! -n such a state, the
intellect cannot do 'ichara or estalish itself in Jnana =ishta! "hat is %nown, as )Budhi
.oga+ is pursuit of in;uiry and practice of Jnana =ishta with the help of a purified and
sharpened intellect, which is de'oid of ego*touch!
$herefore, intellect without ego*touch means intellect graced y shraddha! Shraddha is
not a ;uality of the intellect or a power, which is eyond the intellect! But the power of
shraddha needs a 'ehicle for e(pression and that 'ehicle is the intellect! 1e who has
guruha%thi alone de'elops shraddha, ecause ultimately, it is y the mystic touch of the
/uru that shraddha dawns!
$o recei'e the mystic touch, one should e de'oted to the /uru and should open himself
to grace! 4tman cannot e %nown y intelligence! But he who has with him fully
de'eloped shraddha, awa%ens to enlightenment! So says the Shruthi! "hen Shraddha
dawns, you are ale to function in the le'el of the pure uddhi! $hen you are ale to
detach yoursel'es from the ego and the emoti'e modes! 1e who can function in the
le'el of pure uddhi, without getting entangled in ego and the emoti'e modes, is the true
intellectual! 1e who is a sla'e of desires, who is controlled y his own mind, who cannot
resist the lure of pra%rithi, is not an intellectual, e'en though he might ha'e mastered all
the 5edas and the 9panishads! Scholarship without purity and shraddha, has no 'alue!
By concentration of mind and de'elopment of intellect, one can ha'e some
achie'ements in the mundane world! But if you want to enter the spiritual plane of
consciousness and reali8e the Supreme, you need shraddha and de'otion to /uru!
"hen intellect is endowed with shraddha, the discriminating power ecomes 'ery %een!
$hen you %now the real nature of e'en the sutlest of the modes of pra%rithi! .ou will
gain sutle and sulime perception with which to reali8e your own defects and
shortcomings!
-f you do not reali8e your own shortcomings, how can you o'ercome them2 1ow can
you sincerely in'o%e the aid of /od through prayer2 1ow can you ma%e efforts on the
path of self*correction, self*analysis and self*restraint2 9nderstanding one+s own
mista%es and rectifying them is the 'ery first step in spirituality!
$hat intellect which imputes faults to others and not to oneself, which rings arguments
to hide one+s own e'il nature, which is 'ery cle'er in sitting in #udgment e'en o'er the
wise, which refuses to learn the lesson of humility, is a croo%ed intellect! -t cannot open
itself to grace! -t is an enemy of the #i'a! -t is an ostacle to the dawn of shraddha!
7rom shraddha comes re'erence to /uru+s words> to 1is in#unctions, prohiitions and
commands! 7rom re'erence comes to 'irtue of oedience with real understanding!
"hen you oey the /uru+s ehests, you are in righteousness! "hen you are in
righteousness, you recei'e the grace! "hen grace descends, you get clarity of inward
perception! &ight dispels dar%ness of dout, delusion and illusion from the inner path!
.ou then egin to see the guiding 1and of /od at e'ery step! "hen you percei'e the
power of /od in your life and acti'ity, the ego will recede and e'entually you will e led
to mystic illumination!
RAM AKTI MISSION Tel: 0824 2231360.
KULSHEKAR, SHAKTINAGAR, MANGALORE-! 016. E"#$l: %e&'e(#')*'#"#%#+($"$%%$,-.,'.
RAM AKTI MISSION
"hen shraddha awa%ens, wa'ering gi'es place to steadiness and the mind comes
under the watchful ga8e, guidance and control! 7ic%leness (chanchalatha), per'ersion
(chapalatha) and dout are the three forms of mental impurity! Shraddha remo'es these
impurities and rings the mind to a state of constant cheer, serenity and purity!
Shraddha rings certitude to intellect, strength and steadiness to the mind and
righteousness to actions! -n the asence of shraddha, it will e the ego that dominates
the intellect, the mind and the action! <go rings delusion to the intellect, passions to
the mind and e'il to actions! <'il action means adharma!
&i%e #nana, shraddha is steady! &i%e #nana, shraddha too is free of dout! "hat then is
the difference etween shraddha and Jnana2 "hereas shraddha is an inner grasp on
the 6eality, Jnana is intimate e(perience of the 6eality! Shraddha shows the way to
6eality, ut #nana is the 'ery radiance of 6eality! Shraddha guides one+s conduct along
the principle of righteousness, ut in Jnana, righteousness ecomes natural! Shraddha
%eeps the indi'idual sadha%a attuned to $ruth, ut in the la8ing spiritual illumination that
is Jnana, there is no indi'idual! $ruth shines resplendent without di'ision!
6eason (uddhi) can go only to a certain e(tent, eyond that, it is shraddha that leads
the sadha%a! 7inally, it is shraddha itself that emerges as <nlightenment, Jnana!
Shraddha and uddhi ecomes #ointly the luster called dharma! -n that luster, the path to
$ruth shines illumined! 1olding fast to dharma you at last reach the origin of dharma
itself, which is $ruth!
$ruth is /od! 0harma is orn of truth! -t is the effulgence of $ruth in manifestation!
?nowledge and action are oth dynamism of $ruth! Both ha'e the effulgence of dharma!
"hen ?nowledge remains 'eiled, $ruth is hidden from 'iew! "hen $ruth is hidden from
'iew, action ecomes adharma! "here there is immo'ale faith in /od, there, dharma
is manifest! -n those who ha'e no faith in /od, dharma does not shine! -n the realm of
untruth also, there is a %ind of oldness! -t is not the courage of the righteous! -t is a
de'ilish rashness! "ith this rashness, one is not reluctant to do any sin!
1e, who %nows the :mnipotent "itness within, li'es in fear of moral law! But the
ignorant is in dense dar%ness! 1e is not aware of any power other than his own ego!
$hat accounts for his so*called oldness! "hen you %now that /od aides as the Self,
you will not decei'e yoursel'es! .ou will e incapale of deflecting from $ruth and
6ighteousness! $he %nowledge, which is not reflected in conduct, is no %nowledge at
all! @aintain a relationship with /od! /od is the unseen power! 1ow then can you
enter into a relation with 1im2 $o get ac;uainted with the ?ing, one should win the
friendship and fa'our of @inister! Similarly, win the fa'our of the /uru and then only you
can get ac;uainted with /od dwelling in your heart! 4tman is the ?ing! Buddhi
endowed with shraddha is the @inister! "hen this uddhi ecomes fa'ourale, it
introduces you to 4tman! $ruth shines in e'ery one, ut the %nowledge of $ruth lays
oscured, y the 'asanas! 5asanas %eep the mind in a state of constant agitation!
7rom the moment you are awa%e, and till the moment you fall asleep, 'ritties flow li%e a
stream!
Just as when the water is dried up, there will e no ri'er as such, so too, when the flow
of 'ritties stops, there is no ri'er of illusion, )@ayanadi+! $o stop this stream of 'asana
modes, one powerful mode is created! $hat is the =ame or the 5a%ya or the Arana'a
RAM AKTI MISSION Tel: 0824 2231360.
KULSHEKAR, SHAKTINAGAR, MANGALORE-! 016. E"#$l: %e&'e(#')*'#"#%#+($"$%%$,-.,'.
RAM AKTI MISSION
which /uru gi'es! "hen the practice of the =ame or the 5a%ya or the Arana'a
ecomes unro%en, worldly modes cease to e acti'e, the mind ecomes filled with one
single idea, the idea of /od!
7inally, this idea also susides and in that silence and stillness, $ruth or /od re'eals in
all glory! <ither in the state of awareness coming from shraddha, #ust as you safely plant
a sapling in a pit, #ust as you raise a strong pillar y fi(ing it y means of cement, granite
pieces etc, so too consciousness (pra#na) should e fi(ed in the /uru'a%ya y means of
shraddha! $he e'il of ?aliyuga is not outside you! -t is within your own mind! $hat e'il
force, which sha%es one+s faith, is ?ali! ?ali cannot approach a genuine de'otee
estalished in shraddha!
$hin% not that ha%ti is so easy to de'elop! Bha%thi is the most superior and priceless
oon from /od! "ithout ha%thi there is no ha'a! @ind cannot find satisfaction without
ha%ti! Bhagawan 5eda 5yasa compiled all the four 5edas and yet he could not get
satisfaction! $here was a 'oid in his osom! 7inally it was when he composed
Srimadhaga'ata, glorifying /od+s sporti'e play that his mind ecame contented! 4s
you go on contemplating and descriing the glories of /od, your mind ecomes purer
and purer! $hen come the states of identity, ecstatic merger and ultimate union with
/od! Such is the supremacy of Bha%thi! 0harma, in the metaphysical sense, is the
6eali8ation of /od!
RAM AKTI MISSION Tel: 0824 2231360.
KULSHEKAR, SHAKTINAGAR, MANGALORE-! 016. E"#$l: %e&'e(#')*'#"#%#+($"$%%$,-.,'.