Susila Budhi Dharma

1. While receiving, it is best to put your thinking aside, in order to let the feeling in your body be pure and clear. For truly the mind always hampers progress in receiving, and indeed by nature it enjoys thinking about matters that make no sense and imagining things that overstep the bounds of reality.

2. Now to tell of something else: that is, of the things that comprise the instruments and the other requirements for writing, and also about the nature of the mental skills learnt in schools or centers of study.

3. All these also embody the pull or power of the material force. Plainly, then, brainworkers from clerks to high-ranking officials use skills in their work that are derived from the force of matter.

4. That being so, both a person's thoughts and the work thought about and done are encompassed by the material force.

5. He certainly does not guess, and possibly would not believe, that material objects could sway his thinking to such an extent, seeing that these things are made by man; yet this is the very reason why people do not realize that their heart and mind are activated by the power of matter.

6. The greater part of mankind does not yet suspect this, for the instrument needed to understand and analyse the differences and the division of the forces remains of such a nature that people cannot truly feel which of the contents of their heart and mind come from man's inner self and which from matter. This is why one must not always trust the heart and mind and follow their will. In other words, though people should not forsake their heart and mind, they must be able to recognize the sources of the impulses which finally shape their will.

7. This being the case, please do not misunderstand what has just been said and deliberately negate the zeal of the heart and mind, thus weakening your efforts to live a life of the best kind here on earth. The root of the problem is this, that you need to understand the differences in kind between the forces associated with your life and the force of man's inner self. Once these forces have been put into order, people will be able to conduct their lives as befits human beings called noble creatures.

8. There is nothing wrong in having a well-developed mind. On the contrary, as many people as possible need to acquire advanced and wide-ranging knowledge, provided such know­ledge really becomes a means for them to live as God ordains and a means to better the lives of their fellow men. Doing this will enable them to reach the level of creatures who can broaden the scope of their life to benefit society.

9. That is the use of men of ability, so that with their knowledge they may fill the world with all the arts and skills helpful to human society, and that the light of these, shining radiantly, may enable society to live in peace and prosperity.

10. So will it be, my children, when the role of knowledge is understood. Thus there is truly nothing wrong in people seeking knowledge. Rather is it a need, a necessity, for it enables them to lead fuller lives. The case can be likened to that of a master and servant: it is all right to have a stupid servant, but still better to have a clever one. Only, it is necessary to remember that the master must not then let himself be made a fool of by his servant.

11. So the master must be aware to what extent his servant (the heart and mind) is clever. And he must also know what the habits of this servant are. For unless he understands his servant's cleverness, the master can easily be fooled by it and will inevitably sink into a trough of misery.

12. For this reason, many people, at the end of their life's journey, regret the outcome of their actions. The cause is solely their own misdeeds, for they simply followed the impulses of the heart and mind without knowing their source, and were unaware that they came from a force other than their human inner self.

13. These people then blame themselves and even their families, feeling that their families too have partly caused their errors. Such is the attitude of those who do not understand about man's nobility and so do not feel the guidance for their life that is present in their jiwa.

14. It is different for one who has discovered the true meaning of man's noble status. The nature of feelings that arise in the body and how the heart and mind work with their associated forces will be made clear to him, and hence he will prosper and be happy in everything he does.

15. This is the best path to enable him to live in the state he hopes for. Nevertheless many people still give this matter no attention. Indeed, those who happen to live in luxury and have highly developed minds may have only the faintest feeling for the subject of the inner self. Because the right way is still unknown to them as yet, their attention is always on the extent and importance of the material force.

16. As time goes on, their outlook on life and their mental interests focus more and more on the material world, until they reach a state of mind in which their life is like a coconut shell in mid-ocean, tossed to an fro by the waves. Inevitably, then, the life and death of such people can be said to be at the mercy of the power of matter.

17. Such is the kind of influence exerted by the power of matter. So, not surprisingly, there are people whose conduct goes beyond the limits or whose deeds deviate from what is fitting. For these people are not clever at making use of their cleverness, but on the contrary are used by it. So in reality they are victimised by their own ability.

18. That is as seen from the viewpoint of man's inner self, but the people who behave in this way do not believe they are in the least at fault. Rather, they sometimes regard their clearly wrong behaviour as a mark of importance and superiority. When accused of something, they even go so far as to put the blame on their accusers, even at times confirming their counter-charges under oath.

19. Thus does the power of matter triumph over people still weak in their inner self. For, as explained earlier, the material force can get into people's thought and imagination. Hence, my children, do realize that you must be able to see the different forces contained in everything you do, so that you may find a fitting path for your life.

20. By this means your condition will be a balanced one, in which the activity of the inner self will always be followed by the heart and mind, and they will only do the duties given them. So it will be as when there is a master who gives orders and a servant who carries out the tasks he is told to do. In such circumstances a sharp mind will be more useful than a dull one.

21. The outcome, when you can behave in that way, will be that at length you will find peace in your life and while working at your daily tasks will always remember the Greatness of God.

22. This means that whenever you are working you will be accompanied spontaneously by praise of the Greatness of God, and hence in whatever you do you will get the guidance you need. Such is the bliss of those who have been granted the Grace of God, and through it they will be more obedient in all things to God's Power.

23. Now to come to the less educated people, who generally have jobs only as clerks and the like, and who work for their living merely because the needs of life compel them to.

24. If they have not yet had guidance from the inner self, their inner feeling will be in greater darkness, for they feel that the locality where they work is the only place to live and they no longer give a thought to other places where they could also make a living.

25. So they feel no urge to change their location, particularly if their employer takes notice of them and if their pay is often raised. These things strengthen their loyalty to their employers and make them feel sure that the place where they work is the place for them to live their lives out.

26. Such is the state of mind of people really under the sway of the material force. Their jiwa not being revived yet, naturally they cannot feel inner guidance about a suitable course for their life, and their minds are no longer open to accept advice and explanations from other people about a better and broader path of life which could ensure their permanent security.

27. The cause of their attitude is that they have been put in thrall by the power of matter. If at length they meet with hardship through dismissal from their work, only then do they realize that the job was not of a kind to which they could cling forever.

28. Consequently, in time, they feel benighted and so see no sign of the broad prospects that lie beyond the scope of their ability to think. This state forces them to abase their inner feeling and be ready to enslave themselves to anybody who may be able to give them some measure of security.

29. Some security seems indispensable to people misled all their life by the power of matter. They therefore have no inkling that, in truth, their self is always accompanied by guidance for the course of their life.

30. This guidance, which certainly is present within one, is truly something that comes easily - more easily than thinking about anything, for it appears when the activity of the mind is stilled. Yet, easily though it comes, a man cannot readily stop the mind's activity, because it has been so very strongly influenced by the power of matter. This problem can be tackled before hardship is experienced, but many people, while still living in comfort, feel that they have no time to examine their inner self. Having long come under the power of matter, they are more interested in the path of materialism.

1. Consequently their inner feeling diverges ever more from their real being, so that they fall into darkness and their mind is adept only at picturing things that can never be put into effect.

2. At times they show a desire to work for a living, but this is due solely to pressure by friends or other people. At times too they feel impelled to do a dishonest job.

3. Such a state of affairs has even become commonplace among people of limited understanding, for it exactly matches their mind which, filled with the material force, knows not the pattern of the perfect life.

4. Certainly, my children, as leading creatures you must strengthen the bond between your inner feeling and the One who watches over you, so that you may readily obtain all that you truly need. And doing that will signify that you really are high creatures of God.

5. Thus you will no longer be just things filled with air, but human vessels containing an eternal inner self. So, may you not neglect your training in the realm of the jiwa.

6. Nor go on being led by your heart and mind, occupied as they are by the nafsu, which care only to have what they think will please them, and regard the kejiwaan as boring.

7. Whereas the kejiwaan must truly be regarded as a necessity - even indeed the main necessity - for your life to be happy.

8. So if you become a clerk, do not at once feel content with what you happen to earn, nor count on your job being permanent, but try to find something real within you that will enable you, when later you meet difficulties, to keep them in perspective.

9. As has been said, your circumstances really cannot be relied on. They very easily change, and indeed always will change. The danger is that these changes are bound to affect you, causing you misfortunes not easy to bear.

10. You should remember that nothing stays as it is. Even something as large as a mountain is sure to change, though man cannot tell when it will change or collapse.

11. It is more alarming still if people entrust their fate just to a small, weak undertaking. It may collapse or change at any time. Sometimes just a drop in profits makes it necessary to reduce the staff.

12. Therefore it is essential for you, without delay, to seek a way to attain insight into life, so that you will be prepared for whatever befalls you.

13. If you can do this, your life will really be happy, and whenever you meet difficulties your inner feeling will not easily be shaken.

14. For you will soon get spontaneous guidance about various jobs you can then do, because you will have had this training and have received indications of the way of working that is best for you and that matches your jiwa.

15. Moreover, doing work suitable to the jiwa broadens your view of life and your understanding of how to put human life to use, and strengthens the bond with the One who watches over you.

16. If you have achieved this, even though your fellow men do not count you as well-educated, you will not lag far behind in position.

17. Having been trained in the manner spoken of, you will receive whatever guidance you need.

18. Accurately felt, the understanding about the course of your life that comes from the latihan is far fuller than you learn at an ordinary place of study. What is more important, you will then no longer enjoy empty chatter and unseemly showing-off.

19. Truly, your own heart and mind will be amazed at how you are able to understand whatever is necessary for your life by a means so simple.

20. This certainly is something extraordinary, beyond expectation; for understanding usually comes from hard mental study, but in this case it is obtained without even making any use of thought.

21. How necessary this is for people who outwardly still know very little, to enable them to get what they so much need! Do not let your self remain in darkness, unable in the least degree to understand your value as a high creature.

22. Such is the importance for man of this kejiwaan training. Anyone who does not want to undertake it - especially if his mind is not well-developed - is bound to have endless bitter experiences in his life. The more so when it is remembered that such a man has a weak nature which can always be affected by hazards and dangers.

23. Inescapably, then, he will suffer during his life, and if this suffering goes on and on he is sure also to come to an untimely end.

24. Indeed this often happens. But most people do not think so far ahead. On the contrary, while their labour is still needed by their employers - meaning while they are still needed as tools for the pursuit of profit - they believe they are held in high regard.

25. And among them are some who, being highly regarded by their employers, feel they have authority in their section of the work and then behave arrogantly towards their co-workers.

26. In these circumstances they very easily become possessed by their work, leaving their heart and mind with no time any more to consider their real self.

27. Day and night they think of nothing else but their work, until their inner life is similarly affected and is also aware of nothing but their work.

28. The result of their having lived outwardly and inwardly for their work is, in truth, that later, when death ends their life, their faith will quit them to turn back to that work.

29. As to matter, if you really fathom its condition you will be able to know that it seems there like our world and also that the beings there resemble mankind in their earnest devotion to God Almighty.

30. Those entities seem in our world just lifeless things, because in the scheme of human life they are merely tools or aids for mankind's activities; hence human eyes see them merely as things to be made into whatever man wishes.

31. Nevertheless the life of material things in their own world can be likened to that of a man in his; so things can also worship God at their own level.

32. Their attitude to God is no different from man's, except that their level or status as creatures of God is far below the human level.

33. For this reason, material things yearn to be linked to human thought, to enable them to raise their own status to the high level of mankind.

34. So they unreservedly obey man's will, simply going along with his wishes, in order that they may remain settled close to his mind until the moment he dies.

35. Material things can thus follow man into his world - a world far higher than that of matter, which in men's eyes seems completely void.

36. That is how life is ordered for matter; and people need to understand it so that they may know the nature of the influence of the material force, which always takes part in their life. Then they will be able to regulate that ancillary force rightly.

37. The truth is that these material things naturally want to join in human activities, for they thus fulfil their destiny - to become the servants of mankind.

38. What happens, however, is the opposite: man serves material things, so instead of raising their level he sinks into the realm of matter.

39. There - could he retain his memory - he would be shocked, because he would be unable to find anything real.

40. He would also feel that nothing he experienced there, in the material realm, tallied at all with his experiences when he was still in the ordinary world.

41. But, my children, the feelings of a man who sinks into the material realm do not remain valid. For once he has gone down into such a realm he is completely immersed in it and therefore no longer has the human feelings he had in the world.

42. In consequence, though he knew it once, he can no longer feel the difference between right and wrong. That place so moulds him that whatever he experiences there feels normal.

43. There, too, are to be found all kinds of pleasure and places of entertainment - in short, many ways to find enjoyment and to display the luxury of his circumstances. On the other hand, suffering is not lacking either.

44. Matter regards this all as a good repayment, for matter is under an obligation to man. So there is no deception in this nor any intention to lead him astray; for matter, this is really an act of true devotion.

45. For the man, however, when it is remembered that mankind's place in the scheme of life is really a sublime one, such a state is worse than wrong. It is a great fault in the man, for he completely fails to live up to his commitment as a creature capable of bringing order to existence.

46. Because such errors are possible, my children, may you never neglect to do reverence to God. Make time for your latihan, and never give way to your heart and mind when they suggest that you have no opportunity to do this training any more time to spare for your necessary worship of God, for the heart and mind are always concerning themselves with matters that lack reality.

48. This is precisely the condition that you must overcome, so that your thoughts will no longer obstruct the self.

49. Moreover, when they have ceased to be obstacles - that is to say, when your heart and mind no longer impede your latihan - your actions will be more resolute and mature, and your heart and mind will truly be the self's servant or bondsman.

50. And after that you will soon become aware of and be closely connected with the One who watches over you.

1. And when you are in that state indications and counsel of great benefit to your self will pour into you.

2. That, my children, is the good fortune man has been able to receive. Limited though your ordinary mental ability may be, you can yet come to understand all that is necessary without having to use your acquisitiveness, but just by being patient and quiet.

3. You will also become aware of all your past errors and spontaneously repent of what you have done wrong. And it will gladden your heart and make you feel happy that you have really drawn close to the One who watches over you.

4. That is all as to the significance of the power of matter. Now the subject changes to the power of plant-life or vegetation, a force which also takes part in man's life on earth.

5. The power in plants can influence human life even more, for without it man would have no vigour nor a body like his present earthly one.

6. In fact the force from plants is an absolute need for life. From the start, while still in his mother's womb, a human being obtains the essences of plants through his mother, and is thus inseparable from food up to the moment of his birth.

7. God has willed that human strength should come from food derived from plants, so the human body is nourished and formed by plant essences.

8. In short, people certainly cannot do without such food, even though their full diet also includes meat - but that subject is better left until later, after the nature of the force in vegetation has been discussed. The reason for this is to avoid a tangle of subjects that would make it difficult to understand what is really intended.

10. You must realize that actually the essences of the power in plant-life are already present in mankind, though in a form that cannot be detected by the ordinary eyes, but only by an inner feeling that is truly pure - clean and clear or quite free from the influence of thinking. So when the essences of food from plants enter man's body, to form, nourish and strengthen it, their entry signifies a meeting with the essences already there.

11. Truly, then, this is a meeting between external and internal, as between the outer life and the inner. So if what comes from outside is not suited to what is inside, an unpleasant feeling will arise that will readily make the human body unwell.

12. Although flavour cannot be detected by the eyes, the essences of it present in mankind can recognize it by such tastes as sweet, nutty, bitter, sour, hotly spiced, salty, tart, and brackish. Mankind is endowed with these essences of flavour, which correspond to the tastes of the food he eats.

13. Foods vary widely in outward form, but are merely vessels for their essences, whose differences lie in taste, the real purpose of which is to make it easy for what is outside and what is inside to meet.

14. And their meeting takes place in man when he eats, which means that, in reality, man when eating is only a medium for the force of the plant essences outside him to meet the force of those within him.

15. The human being who enacts that role has carried out his obligation in this matter properly, and may truly be called a high and enlightened creature of God.

16. The wisdom of such a person is rightly praised by the participants - that is, the essences, both from inside and from outside, of the power in plant-life - because he has been able, after they have long awaited his help, to open the path to bliss for them.

17. This meeting between the forces of plant-life from without and within is like a long-awaited meeting between husband and wife. How great is their joy needs no description, for you can imagine it. What does need to be said about this, however, is that in this situation man is already free from the sway of the power of vegetation.

18. For accomplishing this will enable you to know how life is arranged in the plant world, and also how the influence of its force on mankind can be dangerous, even though all these forces are intended to take part in your life as a creature of high level.

19. In their outer nature, as food, plants when eaten are of course able to build up the strength of the human body, with its flesh, blood, and so on.

20. Even so, you should certainly not depend solely on the strength derived from plant-life, for it is really not permitted, as that is only one of the means willed by God to enable you to live on earth.

21. Thus, had God decreed that mankind be provisioned only with the vital essences of air and water, people would of course be able to live just by breathing air and drinking water. But then they would certainly not have been formed as you are.

22. Clearly then, as has been said, human being have to eat grown food because they have been endowed by the Will of God with the essential qualities of such food, in order that eventually these essences should all live together in harmony.

23. Although human food is derived from living plants, when these are eaten or made into food they certainly appear dead.

24. Nevertheless their essences remain alive and await the fulfilment of their desire, spoken of already.

25. Their desire is the same as man's: to find the right way to live in order that, when their end comes, they may return to the glory of the eternal world.

26. So if you do not reach your real level - meaning the level at which you can put your ancillary forces in their right places - naturally you will not be able to rise higher; that is, to the greater, noble life meant for humanity.

27. So is it for plants. Really and truly they long to be united by human agency with their counterparts, and thus return to a high and glorious realm.

28. Hence plants believe it far better for their essences to be eaten by human beings than just to drop to the ground and rot or only become food for animals.

29. Indeed, when eaten by human beings, plants rejoice and greatly praise God and liberally thank mankind for so glorious a death.

30. So their situation, my children, is like that of the force in material objects, discussed earlier. The difference between the two forces is that the material force affects only thinking, whereas the force of plant essences affects the feeling throughout man's body.

31. But although both these forces have so close a link with man, and blend with him, they are only his ancillaries.

32. Now, having completed the explanation of how the force of vegetation acts on mankind, it is best to follow this up without delay by analyzing some plants one by one. This is necessary in order that their condition may be more fully understood.

33. Take first, as an example, the characteristics of the food called rice. Coming from plants grown in paddy fields, it is the staple food - an everyday necessity - for many people.

34. Paddy is a plant which grows in fields filled with water, and it needs a great amount of water to thrive. Its stalk is slender but fairly long and, besides being hollow, is jointed. It is short-lived, for it ripens fast.

35. Since paddy needs first and foremost a lot of water, people who eat food derived from it do not withstand suffering well, want only quick satisfactions and a sufficiency for their life, and lack the spirit to exert themselves to raise their standard of living.

36. Further, their opinions waver, and they have no wish to try to broaden their outlook on life.

37. Rather, if help does not come their way in life, their feeling is just to put up with things and be left to their lot, simply accepting it, lowly and wretched though their ccircumstances may be.

38. The long slim stalk of the rice plant is like a sign that these people, besides feeling insecure, will always have a sense of futility in whatever steps they take, so their hearts will easily become weak-willed and narrow.

39. The hollow and jointed nature of the stalk means that rice-eaters are emotionally very simple and are apt to let other people know whatever is occupying their hearts, and that their will is disjointed, so they are always undecided about what they want.

40. The short life and quick maturing of paddy indicate that rice-eaters cannot long sustain their will and are readily satisfied with whatever they get.

41. Other kinds of foods are also commonly eaten in villages, such as vegetables; these too are planted and cultivated in paddy-fields, and in fact do not differ much from what has been said of paddy.

42. The effect of eating this sort of food is to make people feel amiable, peaceful, content to stay where they were born, pleased to live simply and to accept whatever lot befalls them.

43. Thus, eating such food has so affected people's feelings that they lack the capacity to project those feelings beyond rural life.

44. Fortunately, villagers can also feed on other fare, such as coconut milk and bamboo shoots (bamboo at a very early stage of its growth), which are used for seasoning and flavouring, and come from the coconut palm and the bamboo cane.

45. Coconut palms can grow without attention and anywhere, even when shut in by other vegetation. Their trunks are big and tall, straight and strong, and branchless. The coconuts grow at the top of the tree, which bears them almost without pause.

46. So those who eat coconut may have not only the characteristics mentioned above, but also a broad outlook and great self-reliance even in disorganized conditions of life. They may also have firmly rooted opinions not readily swayed by other people, and they are not easily caught by life's temptations.

47. Further, the position of the fruit and the almost continuous bearing of fruit signify that those who eat it like to store away the fruits of their skill and knowledge, to stop other people having access to them. At times, however, if somebody really wins their confidence, they will share them almost unreservedly.

48. Other food comes from the bamboo cane, which has a rather slim, long, straight and pliable stem, hollow, divided into sections, and covered with prickly hairs that deter anyone who wants to touch it.

49. This food broadens people's outlook, but in that breadth of view they often feel indecisive, for they lack the strength to stand up to the constant pressure of circumstances.

50. Fortunately, however, this will not cause a complete breakdown, for they always have the ingenuity and resourcefulness to ward that off.

51. The hollow, sectional bamboo stem means that, though they are pleased to be frank and open, again and again this is thwarted because they remain filled with anxiety.

52. The prickly hairs covering the bamboo stem make these people very much relish provoking quarrels, thus acting as irritants to other people and causing the seeds of conflict between one and another to sprout.

53. Such are the effects on the human self of the power in plant-life. That is why people are very easily swayed by that force, which can lead to their downfall from their status as principal creatures, who in reality should be the mainstay of all the creatures on earth.

54. Being so easily swung this way and that by the forces which are his ancillaries in life, man can no longer find the way to fulfil his commitment to become the teacher of all other creatures.

55. Man must be able to open the way for these forces in him to meet their counterparts and so enable them to live a sublime life after death.

56. On the face of it, this view cannot possibly be justified, for it is beyond belief that mere plants could have such opinions, since they lack minds and there is nothing to show that they are capable of considering the problems of their life.

57. That attitude is indeed tenable, being based simply on what the mind knows; but for you, who have to some extent fathomed your own being, a mental view like that is not confirmed by the inner feeling.

58. So, in fact, if you fail to order your life in the right way you will not escape, and will really feel, the ill effects of this on your life.

59. In general, then, villagers' feelings vary little from those mentioned. Usually these people are content to give way and just accept whatever befalls them. This sort of attitude is in fact much to be praised if it comes from the inner feeling, but if not - that is to say, if it is merely reaction to the pressure of the forces of plant-life and matter - then this readiness to put up with whatever happens is sure only to lead them astray.

60. That is why many villagers always live in poor conditions. Easily deceived by shrewder people, they are unable to live free and independent lives, but are subject their whole life long to the will of others who are astute enough to gull them. So however painstakingly they work, they reap little benefit for themselves, the profit falling almost entirely to those who know how to exploit them.

end Chapters: 4 5 6

Chapters:
Preface / 1 2 3 / 4 5 6 / 7 8 9 / 10 11 12 / 13 14 15 / 16 17 18 / 19 20 /