EPISTLES TO DISCIPLES: RIYA BHATTACHARYA ... 1

EPISTLES TO DISCIPLES: 

RIYA BHATTACHARYA ... 1 

LETTER 1:

Dear Riya,                              14.10.2025 

      Fun comes after God-realisation, not before. Then the world is viewed as a circus where clowns are performing to nonsensical merriment. This circus element was mentioned by Swamiji to one of his western lady disciples, so far as I can recall. She had mentioned that the world was like a school where dwellers had assembled to learn the lessons of life. Swamiji countered her saying that the world is a circus where clowns keep tumbling for no reason whatsoever. This is what Thakur had mentioned by way of 'এ সংসার মজার কুটি | আমি খাই, দাই আর মজা লুটি |' (This world is a mart of joy. I eat, drink and make merry.) A sharp contrast to his censure of Bankimchandra at his mention of the purpose of life being 'আহার, নিদ্রা, মৈথুন |' (eating, sleeping and procreation) The distinction to be made here is this: Are we speaking from the lower sensory standpoint or are we speaking from the transcendental altitude as was the case with Thakur-Swamiji? There is a heaven and hell difference between the two. Herein comes knowledge of the scriptures for those who have not yet arrived at the transcendental truth. 

Keep chanting, reading and working with full concentration while remaining detached to the outcome of work. Work is for chittashuddhi (purification of the mind-stuff) that will eventually lead to the plane of liberation in the sahasrār which is located in the sacral plexus of the brain, the realisation leading one beyond perception of the body and the mind unto the unitary consciousness of the Ātman. 

This much for now. More later. 

With blessings on you and yours, 

Gurudev

LETTER 2: 

Dear Riya,                                        15.10.2025 

     In the Geeta we hear of Buddhi Yoga. Possibly this means that communion with the Divine takes place by Divine grace once the aspirant's intelligence has been clarified of material dross that clogs the path to Illumination. Therefore, the scriptures enjoin upon us 'svādhyāy' or study of the scriptures with due diligence and purity. The intelligence must be made subtle before spiritual perception takes place. The Kathopanishad says,

"Eṣa sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍho'tmā na prakāśate |

dṛśyate tvagryayā buddhyā sūkṣmayā sūkṣmadarśibhiḥ ||" 

Therefore, the scriptures speak of 'chittashuddhi' (purification of the mind-stuff). A purified mind and a purified body are the fit instruments for perception of the Divine. And one way of making the mind subtle at the elementary level is to study the scriptural texts which help focus the mind constantly on the Divine, for every verse of the Shāstras speaks of nothing else but the Divine and the various ways to reach the spiritual goal.

With blessings for your spiritual progress,

Gurudev