Concepts of Parmatma Antaratma Anatma in Philosophy of Dada Bhagwan

Author(s): S R Bhatt
Publisher: S R Bhatt

Page 20

thinking and in our ways of living. In our worldly existence we are circumscribed by body, senses, antahkarana and mundane relations. There is nothing wrong in all these if we have proper vision about them. We have to live with them but not necessarily in them. We are destined to be in the world (farjiyat) and we are not free in that. Jean Paul Sartre puts it as facticity'. We are given a particular psycho-physical ser-up and an external surrounding. We have no say in that as it is due to our past karmas. We have to have it. But we are free to make the best use of it. To that extant we are free. (marjiyat). There is something decided' but there is a scope for decision'. We have to take decision as to how to live, how best to live. It is for us to decide whether we want to live the life of strife and struggles and the resultant sorrow or strive for a life of perpetual happiness and peace. The choice is ours and we have to take a decision. Human being has the advantage and prerogative to be situated at the cross road. He can choose the path of misery or of bliss. He can remain bahirmukhi and continue looking outside the Self, at the not-self. This is the life of bahiratma. This is rooted in 'wrong belief (mithya pratiti) which Sartre calls as 'bad faith'. He can find it alluring and enticing but then he is condemned to suffer. The law of karma is there to control his life. He may get so much entangled, may even feel perplexed and baffled, that he may not think of or may not be capable of thinking of going out of this labyrinth. Alternately, he can receive a ray of light from inanipurusa, he can turn inward, listen to the call of antaratma and be antarmukhi. He can visualize the real inherent in him and know that he is not what he thinks him to be. He is Pure self, uncontaminated saccidananda. Then he becomes urdhvamukhi and experiences himself as Paramatma.
So, there are two languages to understand the concepts of Paramatma, Antaratma and anatma. One is the language of nis'caya and the other is that of vyavahara. The former is non-entitative and the latter is entitative. From the point of view of the former these three are only drstis (our ways of thinking and believing). They are not finite things like the objects of the world. It is better to take them as pada (state) or bhava (outlook) or das'a (condition). From the point of view of vyavahara Paramatma is believed to be God and may even be personified. All relative religions are based on this belief. Likewise individual self is also regarded as an entity and may be said to pervade entire body and undergo transmigration. In reality there are only two things which are real; one is Pure Self, the Saccidananada and the other is multiple pudgalas.
S.R.Bhatt
Appendix.
HOLISITC VISION AND HOLISITC SCIENCE
Holistic Science is an interesting, insightful and thought provoking system propounded by Dada Bhagwan which is of practical value and utility, if properly understood and practiced. Some of its instructive and illuminating points are worth pondering. 'Vitrag Vignan', its central thesis, is an innovative interpretation of the seminal ideas and practices of Indian culture. It is a fresh approach to understand the nature of reality and