Text in black is that published by the Tiljala Group in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12. Text in red is text the Tiljala Group has omitted i.e. opted not to print. That text has been placed below, in red, to show where it is meant to appear.
----------------
Towards the Noumenal Entity
8 June 1979 evening, Bombay
Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12
In this circumrotatory Universe, the controlling nuclei of all created entities are themselves moving, and their existence remains within the scope of the three fundamental relative factors – time, space and person. But in the case of the Supreme Entity, Its Nucleus is beyond the scope of the three fundamental relative factors, so it does not move. Whether an entity is mobile or immobile is dependent on whether it comes within the scope of time, place and person.
In this Universe, nothing in motion can be considered as absolute. Such things are always relative. Their movement is relative. Regarding Parama Puruśa, it has been said that It is non-moving. The fact is that the Entity which is not relative is beyond the arena of mobility or immobility because It is beyond the periphery of time, place and person. We can neither say that It is moving nor say that It is non-moving.
Now the question is, what should human beings do to attain the supreme stance? Human beings have to take their minds out of the arena of innumerable objectivities.
In fact, the human mind is engrossed in crude physicalities. In this crude world also we find many small objectivities, and above these smaller objectivities there are some big objectivities, followed by still bigger objectivities. Just as there are many crimes, and we say that crimes are innumerable. But in this mundane world, what is the worst crime? Some will say it is stealing, others will say dacoity, while still others will say something else. But, on analysis, you will discover that behind the vices there is one fundamental vice. And that primary vice is falsehood. Here falsehood is the fundamental sin from which other sins originate.
In the old German language, the fundamental entity on which other entities are based is called the “noumenal entity” and other entities are called “phenomenal entities” in old Latin. So whatever we see in this observable world is “phenomenal”. In this crude world, whatever we see, hear, taste, touch or smell comes within the scope of the phenomenal. Behind the phenomenal lies the noumenal. With a little effort, we shall discover that what is working behind the curtain is the noumenal entity, just as falsehood is the root of all vices.
If a thief shuns falsehood, the base of all vices, he will also have to give up stealing, because people will catch him. If he is virtuous, then he will admit his guilt and will have to give up stealing. That is why people say that thieves should not have two characteristics, namely, they should not speak the truth, and they should not have the disease of coughing. In case a thief goes to steal and starts coughing, the householders will catch him. So the thief should not have these two attributes.
We deduce conclusions just from whatever we observe in this external phenomenal world. We should try to see the subtle cause behind the crude phenomenal world, but we do not see it. For instance, a particular person stole something, and when we say, “Thief! Thief!” people will start beating him. If we try to inquire about the reasons for the theft, we may come to know that he had been hungry for the last three days. And how are we treating him? We are beating him rather than giving him food. So we should think and try to find the noumenal cause behind the phenomenal world. If he was hungry and so stole, then we are more responsible for that theft than he, because we failed to build up society, so that he had to remain hungry. So we must see, and try to find the noumenal cause behind the prima facie observable world. If we are intelligent beings, possessing intellect, we must discover the noumenal cause. It is not proper to arrive at conclusions from mere observation of outward expressions.
In some places today, a person’s hand is cut off if he engages in stealing. With a little thought it can be seen that this is not at all a humanistic recourse to eliminate stealing. We must seek the noumenal cause behind all actions.
All activity, good or bad, has a centre of action, and actions are controlled by the mental nucleus in the same manner as electrons move around their controlling nucleus. We have, therefore, to seek that Cosmic centre and find out where lies the nave of that Cosmic wheel. If we do not seek it, we do harm to both individuals and society.
So in every action there is movement, a change of place. Whatever you see in this observable universe has some centre of action. The nuclei are themselves activated, are non-stationary. The desire to eat rasagolla stems from a particular point in the mental arena, and this point is constantly moving from one object to another. This is the characteristic of the mind.
Today
your mind desired that “let us eat rasagolla.” This feeling came
from a particular point and according to that feeling you acted. And tomorrow, the same point may deviate slightly and you will say –
“No, let us not eat rasagolla but rather let us eat shreekhańd́
today.”
[Laughter]
What
do you say? Don’t people belonging to this region eat shreekhańd́
a lot?
[Laughter]
Yes.
So see, your center of action also underwent a change in place. That
is also not a fixed or stationary entity. And, even if you want,
still you cannot keep it stationary. Every day if you eat
shreekhańd́ then you will not like it. You will say, “No
shreekhańd́ today”.
What
do you say? Don’t you people do like that?
Every
day you will not like to eat the same thing. Not only will you not
like eating it daily, but women will also not like to prepare the
same thing every day. Yes. They will keep making changes.
Don’t
you girls make changes in the food menu?
Yes,
this is the rule.
[Laughter!]
Behind all phenomenal, actional, faculties lies the noumenal entity. And behind even this noumenal entity [there is an entity] that may be called “supra-noumenal”. Everything that comes within the scope of time, place and person is charming. So noumenal entities also undergo metamorphosis. If you research the noumenal causes, you will discover the root cause behind all actions. What is noumenal in the first phase becomes phenomenal in the next phase, and so on.
Behind all actions lie the seeds of saḿskáras, reactive momenta. The motor and sensory nerves also keep adjustment with the mental vibrational flow. The mind runs after whatever gives it most pleasure. In the process of introspection, you will find that what is noumenal in one phase is phenomenal in the next phase, and beyond it lies the supra-noumenal – the final Noumenal Entity. This Noumenal Entity is beyond the reach of time, space and person. There is no movement in this ultimate noumenal phase. It is fixed, and there is no noumenal entity beyond it.
I explained that it is difficult to say whether the centre of actions of this circumrotatory universe is moving or non-moving, because both movement and non-movement fall within the scope of time, place and person; while that Supreme Entity, the nave of the Cosmic wheel, is beyond the scope of the three fundamental relative factors. It may be said either that there is absolute speed or that there is absolute pause, but in this observable world, absolute speed or absolute pause is not possible.
In the introversive phase, the movement of the mind from the phenomenal towards the noumenal brings immense pleasure. The farther the movement towards the Supreme Noumenal Entity, the greater the degree of bliss. The merger of the entitative nucleus of the unit existence with the Supreme Noumenal Entity is called “salvation.” So dharma sadhana, meditation, is an introversive movement, not an extroversive intellectual extravaganza.
As regards progress, there is no progress in the mundane, or physical, sphere, nor even in the mental sphere. This is because the movement of both of these spheres is transitory. Only the movement towards the Átman is true progress, because its controlling nucleus is beyond the ambit of any movement. Spiritual progress is the only real progress. Those who deem mundane or psychic movement to be true progress are misguided and are wasting their time.
Whatever Kála Puruśa giveth with one hand He taketh with the other. Intelligent people will remember this. It is said, “To ask for anything is to die. Don’t beg.” Wise people have added, “One gets pearls without asking, but fails to get even a penny if one asks.” Therefore, never ask anything from Parama Puruśa. If the Lord does wish to give something, ask only for Him and nothing else.
8 June 1979 evening, Bombay
Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12
----------------
Above is the Discourse "Towards the Noumenal Entity" as published in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12 by the Tiljala Group. There are many distortions in the publication when compared with the actual, original "As Is" Hindi as spoken by Baba. One of the most egregious distortions is the omission of a large block of text from the middle of the discourse. That block of text has been translated into English and placed in its rightful place in the middle of the above distorted version published in AV-12.
Text in black is that published by the Tiljala Group in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12. Text in red is text the Tiljala Group has omitted i.e. opted not to print. That text has been placed above, in red, to show where it is meant to appear.
