– Shrii P. R. Sarkar
Now there will be a short discussion on “Pseudo-Spirituality and Neohumanism.”
On the one hand, there is pseudo-spirituality. We cannot call it “spiritual maximitis”, because “spiritual maximitis” means movement from imperfection to perfection. In the process of movement a very exalted position may be attained; but that exalted position is not the final stratum. That is why I prefer to call it “pseudo-spirituality”. What is pseudo-spirituality? It is spirituality that is not in perfect order, but is to some extent spirituality, having something to do with spirituality.
And on the other hand there is Neohumanism.
Human life – and not only human life but the life of other living beings also – is divided into four main strata. The first stratum is the physical stratum; the second one is physico-psychic; the third one psychic; and the final one is psycho-spiritual. In these four strata there is movement; everything moves, nothing is stationary. Even in the last stage, which I did not mention, that is, the stage of pure spirituality, there is movement; but we cannot bring it within the scope of speed, of velocity, because that movement is free from all bondages of relativity.
Now let us see how much pseudo-spirituality can help us or does help us in all these four strata.
In this physical world, we are to be guided by rhythms. Each and every object has its own characteristic. In this case, it is not at all relevant how much existential value or utility value an entity has for human beings. The fact is that the created beings in this universe are all moving in this harmonious Cosmos. Innumerable entities are moving, and their movement towards supreme fulfilment, towards the final attainment, does not at all depend on their utility value or existential value. Everything is moving to its own particular rhythm, but that individual rhythm is an inseparable part of the Cosmic rhythm.
In the great Cosmos, we are to be guided by the Cosmic rhythm, but in the human world, what do people do? They are not guided by the Cosmic rhythm, they are guided by group interest, individual interest; that is, there is a clash between the rhythm of group interest and the rhythm of Cosmic movement. So this pseudo-spirituality fails to satisfy human demands. In the realm of physico-psychic movement also, the psychic ups and downs, the psychic waves, the psychic vibrations, are affected by physical vibrations due to group interest and individual interests; so in the realm of the physico-psychic world also, pseudo-spirituality bears no significance.
Now in the case of Neohumanism, we have to consider how far the individual rhythms of human beings and other living creatures and plants are maintaining adjustment with the Cosmic rhythm. And herein lies the greatest application of the human intellect. But because of the deficiency of the human intellect, people never consider things in their proper perspective: they do not think for the collective well-being of their fellow humans, far less for the welfare of the flora and fauna. They only think for their group interest or individual interest. That is, they are not guided by the Cosmic rhythm, they are guided by group interest or individual interest, so there is clash between the group interest and the rhythm of Cosmic movement.
Why do human beings think for their narrow interests? Because they are goaded by dogmas, and these dogmas certainly affect the Cosmic rhythm of the universe and the collective interest of the plant world, the animal world and the human world as well. Dogma affects the free and natural movement of the collective world.
Thus wherever there is pseudo-spirituality, there is the seed of dogma. Pseudo-spirituality harmfully affects the rhythmic movement of the physical world; it does not promote the cause of human welfare.
The second stratum is the physico-psychic stratum. The physico-psychic stratum usually maintains adjustment with the rhythms of the physical world. But often the psychic ups and downs, the psychic waves, the psychic vibrations, are affected by physical vibrations because of group interest and individual interest. Due to extremely narrow and selfish thoughts, human thought processes degenerate and people lose rhythm in the psychic world. Thus they deviate from the mainstream of the Cosmic rhythm of the universe. So in the realm of the physico-psychic world, pseudo-spirituality bears no significance. We do not want pseudo-spirituality, we want perfect spirituality.
Pseudo-spirituality cannot help us in our free thinking either, for our thinking is badly affected by dogma. When a human being sits alone and thinks, if the person thinks for the collective interest, then such thoughts are proper; but usually people do not think in this way. Usually they lament over the worn-out skeletons of the past. “This was done by, this was imposed by, our forefathers – when our forefathers have said this, why should I break with the old traditions? It was written in this way in the scriptures; and moreover if I follow these old conventions and traditions, what is the harm?” These types of dogmatic and dogma-ic thoughts will naturally stifle the free flow of human thought. And that is why whenever there is dogma, human thinking cannot be free; and for want of, for paucity of, free thinking, there cannot be any proper psycho-spiritual progress either. So here what we want is perfect spirituality and not pseudo-spirituality.
Pseudo-spirituality cannot promote the cause of human welfare; the seed of welfare does not lie there. The seed of welfare cannot exist where the seed of dogma exists.
In the psycho-spiritual sphere also, where the speed of progress is the maximum, that speed becomes thwarted because of dogma, for there is a defect in the initial stage. If people’s very thoughts are defective, then how far can they progress towards perfect spirituality under the weight of those defective thoughts?
So pseudo-spirituality, full of dogma, does not lead to collective welfare either in the physical, physico-psychic, psychic or spiritual worlds. What we really want is perfect spirituality, not pseudo-spirituality.
Everything in this universe moves, and this movement is from imperfection towards perfection. So perfect spirituality is our goal, and Neohumanism is our approach. What is Neohumanism? The collection of all natural human expressions, the collection of all natural expressions of all flora and fauna, is Neohumanism. All these movements of human sentiment and all these movements of flora and fauna are towards perfect spirituality. So that perfect spirituality cannot be the cult – it is the goal, it is the desideratum, it is the culminating point of all movements.
All the movements of human sentiment and – as I just now said – all the movements of flora and fauna are unto the perfect spirituality. So that perfect spirituality cannot be the cult, it is the goal. And what is the cult? The cult is the movement of Neohumanism. That is, the cult is the movement of all human expressions, all human manifestations – and not only human expressions and manifestations, but all expressions, all manifestations, of all living beings, including flora and fauna. This is the cult, this is Neohumanism.
So our approach, our cult, is Neohumanistic, and our goal is perfect spirituality. And this Neohumanistic approach is our human asset; it is the charm of human existence, it is the fascination of human existence, and it is the glamour of human society.
31 December 1982, Anandanagar
