Civilisation or Chaos

De Simple Silence.

Contents 1 Collective Karma 2 Return To Normality 3 Two Symbolic Dreams 4 Einstein's Views On Cosmic Religion 5 Notes

[modifier] Collective Karma

Since a Universal Divine Manifestation always coincides with the spiritual renaissance of man, the period nearing that stupendous event is always one in which humanity is suffering the agony of approaching rebirth. It is not sufficiently realised what the internal and external significance of this cosmic springtime means. Amongst other things, the Manifestation reacts not only to the good and bad samskaras (impressions left by past and present actions, desires, or thoughts) of individuals, but also to the collective karma or destiny of a country or nation. The direct divine influence can bring about great changes in world affairs, causing the rise and fall of nations and of economic systems, in keeping with their karma, as may suit best the Divine Plan as a whole. Towards this goal statesmen, politicians and great men in public life are more directly, though unconsciously, influenced to bring about the adjustment of social and economic life. All human suffering, whether individual or collective, caused by wars or great natural catastrophes, is neither accidental nor coincidental, for man has to conform to the Law which governs the Universe.

It would be difficult to see any sense or significance in life or to recognise an ordered creation, if we did not believe in the Law of Cause and Effect. Without this belief we would see no justice in life at all ; for some are born rich and others poor, some cripples and others strong. There have been events in history in which God has seemed to favour evil rather than good ; but in reality it was not so, for there is always a plan and a purpose behind everything in the cosmic scheme.

[modifier] Return To Normality

« All this time the members of Meher’s family considered that he was weak in the head and did not regard him as being in a high spiritual state. Almost every day he would go to the Parsi tower of silence and sit there for hours, or go to the jungle beyond, where he would sit knocking his forehead against the stones. His head was bruised, but Meher wrapped a handkerchief about his head to hide the bruises so that his family were not aware of what was happening. Meher has since explained that the physical pain caused by knocking his head relieved the spiritual agony in which he was at that time. He no longer felt an impulse to travel, but twice each month he would go to Sakori to visit Upasani Maharaj. He also wrote regularly to the Sadguru, and the latter wrote to Meher. None of these letters has been preserved, but they are said to have been unintelligible to other readers.

« As Meher gradually became normal his mother more and more pressed upon him the desirability of adopting a profession or engaging in some business. He was then twenty-two years of age. Meher tried to do as his mother wished, and on three occasions found employment, but he could remain at no work for long. He was compelled to play the role of a spiritual eccentric.

« In 1916 Meher was appointed manager of the Kan (Kavasji) Khatau theatrical company, and in that capacity went to Lahore. At that time he wrote a letter to his friend Behramji, in which he said : ‘I am compelled to do even what I do not like, compelled to eat what I dislike, forced to put on clothes for which I have no liking.’ While still holding this appointment he used to visit solitary places and continued to beat his head against stone walls. But after two months the proprietor of the company died and it was disbanded, and Meher returned to Poona. He then took charge of his father’s teashop at Ashurkhana in the Poona Cantonment, for the old man was sick and had to go to Bombay.

[modifier] Two Symbolic Dreams

I do not think it irrelevant here to mention that I had two symbolical dreams concerning the future, which were indirectly connected with America. They took place some years before 1939. I dreamt that a relative and I were standing outside our home, looking up into the sky above a London park. High in the blue heavens, an enormous, angry storm-cloud was massed above us. Out of it pointed the long black muzzles of four great guns, two to the East and two to the West. « This means another war ! » I exclaimed. Then a voice spoke : « GOD HAS BEEN BLASPHEMED ! HE IS ANGRY ! HE IS NOW GOING TO SPEAK ! » Much perturbed in my dream I ran upstairs, but when I came down, it seemed that God had already spoken ! Turning to my companion, I asked, « Well, what did God say ? » I thought he was just going to tell me, but I woke up !

The following night, before falling asleep, I wondered what the dream meant ; it was a warning, a presage of something terrible to come. What was the voice of God ? I thought of the « still small voice, » the « Voice of Silence. » What about one’s conscience, the inherent sense of moral obligation ? Our conscience, which guides us, or should guide us, was by no means infallible ; one had only to think of the foul deeds done by individuals and nations in the name of conscience. The question of « guidance » was very difficult. I thought of the things a man would do under the impression that he had God’s guidance ! How far could we depend on our limited human conscience, which has led so many astray ? When did guidance come from a really higher source ? Still, at times, a voice did speak, sometimes loudly, sometimes softly.

There was the external voice which had spoken so loudly into my ear the words, « THIS IS NOT REALITY, » that I had turned round sharply to see who was speaking, but nobody was there ! This strange incident took place at the beginning of my quest for Truth. The words had conveyed nothing to me at that time, and I had simply dismissed the experience as an hallucination. Some years later, however, I was to appreciate the meaning. Then there were spiritual experiences, which I cannot go into here, but which enabled me to realise that there were unknown realms outside the mind. All through the ages man has had messages from sources outside his usual self ; in some cases these have been genuine divine revelations, from his Higher Self ; the Supreme Intelligence would express Itself, sometimes symbolically and sometimes directly.

If, according to the dream, « God was going to speak, » there must be some coming cosmic revelation. There were many who thought that a great crisis in human history was on its way. Was there to be the war of wars, Armageddon ? Was the Word again to be made flesh ? Would there be some form of divine intervention to stop man’s total destruction of himself ? Was that why God would have to speak ? The Word again made flesh !

That night, as I fell asleep, I prayed : « Good Lord ! please give me another dream, and this time tell me what is going to happen. When and where ? » I had the answer that same night. This time I was walking quietly along the bank of a wide and peaceful river. I noticed a clump of unusual white flowers on the path. They were outstanding in their beauty, strange flowers I had never before seen. The landscape was tranquil and all seemed at peace. I noticed that people were walking about unconcernedly. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed, for I had turned round and saw something gleaming white, away up the reach of the river. It was very far off but, as I watched, I could see that this glint of white was the crest of a huge tidal wave. It was coming, very slowly, up the river ! « Good gracious ! » I cried. « We shall all be drowned ! » For I could now well see that this slowly advancing crest would, in time, flood all the ground which spread in a flat expanse to the far horizon — the plains of civilisation ! As I searched for a means of escape from the oncoming doom, I noticed that my path (symbolising the Mystic Path), wound away in the distance to a curiously shaped hill. This hill stood up out of the plain. It resembled a pyramid. It was the way to safety. « We must all make for that hill ! I must warn the people ! » As I shouted I woke up.

The dreams plainly indicated the coming catastrophe which would slowly overwhelm our present civilisation. But at the time I understood nothing of the significance of the pyramid-shaped hill. Later I discovered that the pyramid signified the mystical triangle, which is the symbolical meaning for the soul’s journey through creation, back to itself, the Divine Self, or Oversoul.

The soul is not part of Creation, but is as much inside it as outside it, in the sense that Creation is but an illusion and not Reality. The white flowers on the path, the Mystic Path, stood for purity, the necessary purification of our consciousness, if we were to progress towards the Ultimate Goal.

Though at that time I could appreciate the nature and meaning of the two dreams, I could not see how I could help others or enable them to escape. While meditating on my dreams I remembered the words of a strange man whom I had met some years previously in Central Europe. He had explained some strange events regarding the new spiritual Dispensation to come and had insisted that Jesus and the Apostles were again on earth, preparing for their new mission. He also told me a little of what was going to happen, and how every living creature would get some form of spiritual rebirth, in proportion to the degree of its spiritual development. He even told me what I should do in the new awakening to come. When I sceptically protested, he retorted sardonically : « Ah ! But you do not know what the Spirit can do ! The Spirit can change even you ! » Reminiscently, I recalled the curious message I received some years before I met this man. My hand wrote, « automatically, » « You will belong to a new movement of an entirely new nature in connection with the Unseen World... we want you to write a book on Christ’s teachings in relation to modern thought. » I remember, I thought that a theologian would be much more suitable, and, to my surprise, the answer came back, « No ! You are a very suitable medium for the coming revelations to humanity ! » Needless to say, I was not interested, but I did note down this strange communication. Now, many years later, I find myself attempting to explain Christ’s teachings in relation to modern Eastern metaphysical thought^[1]

At that time I knew nothing of the Silent Saint of India, nor of his message to the world. If God was going to speak, then it must mean the Word would again be made flesh. Some divine manifestation in human form which would tune in the cosmic wave-length, releasing the dynamic spiritual voltage which would recharge the stagnant consciousness of men ! Some believe the universe is constructed upon the vibrational quality of tone. Our globe is certainly a discordant symphony, with all members of the orchestra playing different tunes. It has been said that, « The entire world is a musical instrument, and the pole of the world celestial is where the heavenly chord is divided by the spiritual sun. » According to Socrates, on the upper surface of each circle there is a siren going round with it, humming a single note, and these together form one great harmony. This can be sensed by all who have heard the celestial harmonies of the Spheres. Pythagoras said « All things are numbers, » and evolved the doctrine of « The Music of the Spheres » on the Number Seven, for the purpose of the Seven Spheres or Planes of inner existence is the transmutation of matter into Spirit. Esoteric knowledge points to the theory of the material world changing into the subtle world, which, again, will change into the mental world. Gradually new states of being are born, leading us to that event described by Tennyson :

One God, one Law, one Element, And one far-off divine event, To which the whole Creation moves.

[modifier] Einstein's Views On Cosmic Religion

The late Dr. Einstein published an article, "My Faith," in the Bombay paper, Blitz (September 30th, 1950), in which he gave his views on the nature of Cosmic Religion. In this article Dr. Einstein traced the history of religion through three distinct stages, viz.: 1. Religion of fear; 2. Social or moral religion; and, finally, 3. Cosmic Religion. When the great scientist expounded his views on Cosmic Religion, he was treading on unsafe and unexplored ground, as Dr. A. G. Munsiff revealed in replying to Dr. Einstein in the columns of Blitz:

"3. Cosmic religion. Concerning the sources of the first two stages of the growth of religion, I think none can disagree. They are just the picture of the development of the mind of man adjusting itself to environments, and circumstances. It is only in dealing with the third stage of what he calls 'Cosmic Religion' that Einstein flounders and is evidently found to be less informed and authoritative. Einstein has unwittingly huddled together all the three types

— the philosopher, the scientist and the saint, into one category, as believers in Cosmic Religion, without clarifying their distinctive outlooks towards creation and the Creator. In so far as these three types have risen above dogma and the anthropomorphic idea of God, they may be said to belong to Cosmic Religion, but there is a world of difference in their endeavours to arrive at Reality." Dr. Munsiff, continues, "In the language of science pertaining to Cosmic Religion: A scientist's research is analytical; a philosopher's research is synthetical; and a saint's research is harmonical.

"In philosophic parlance: a scientist's approach to God is empirical; a philosopher's approach to God is conceptual; and a saint's approach to God is perceptual.

"In spiritual (saintly) terminology: a scientist's investigation of Truth is materialistic; a philosopher's investigation is rational; and a saint's investigation is spiritual.

"The best efforts on the part of a philosopher in understanding Truth end in agnosticism; but science, in its unbridled pride, claims that God, if there be one, must answer the laboratory tests. No wonder the established religions are antagonistic to science. Who can gainsay the poignant fact that, till now, science has done more harm to the peace and progress of the world than the good it promises? Science, even if it avoids landing itself in atheism, can never successfully practise Einstein's Cosmic Religion. The endeavour of science to arrive at Truth by probing into the heart of matter is misconceived, and therefore bound to end in disaster. The monster of a Frankenstein — the atomic or hydrogen bomb — the creation of science, is already threatening the world with colossal ruin and destruction.

"It is, therefore, wrong for Einstein to say that Cosmic Religious experience is the strongest and the noblest driving force behind scientific research. A highly developed and analytical intellect, as that possessed by a scientist, should not be mixed up with ideas on Cosmic Religion.

"Truly speaking, the saints have no religion worth the name. And if, along with Einstein, we were to take this class as belonging to Cosmic Religion, then it must he admitted that they have altogether a different technique of practising it. To a saint, the study of man — the microcosm — is, in itself, a complete answer to the macrocosm, which embraces and includes all the planes of consciousness and existence, including God.

"Citing a contemporary (to the effect) that the only deeply religious people of our largely materialistic age are the earnest men of research, Einstein has evidently misapplied the quotation. He ought to know that the truly religious people, or the earnest men of research, are the saints, who try to probe into the domain of the Spirit, and not the scientists, who probe into the realm of Matter."

As an Indian friend wrote to me at the time: "If Einstein, the scientist, begins to believe in a conceptual understanding of Maya, he will cease to be the scientist. If a perceptual understanding is forced upon him, he might turn into a mast (god-mad person) and the world would lose an intellectual giant! If Einstein, the man, opens his eyes, he is likely to turn into a great Saint. One day he is bound to open his eyes, if not in this life, then in another. The more we understand about Truth, so far as the intellect goes, the more we must realise the depth of our ignorance. Unfortunately, in proportion to the brilliance of our conceptual grasp of the 'a to z' of Truth, the primary fact that there is nothing like an 'a to z' of Truth, save that it is Truth, is dimmed more and more. Therefore, unless we can begin to appreciate that the more we know, the more we know not, we are apt to lapse into deeper ignorance."

[modifier] Notes

1. ↑ ^{To critics who may consider I am too dogmatic or categorical, I ask that it should be realised from the beginning that I do not mean to be controversial. I have merely endeavoured to interpret the philosophy of the Master, and my work is primarily for those who believe in him and his Mission. Since many of my statements demand in themselves books of explanations, I feel that readers can, if they choose, study the sources referred to, since these are the basis of much of the matter which they may be disposed to question.}

Irene Conybeare. Published by Sudhakar Dikshit for Chetana Ltd., Bombay. © 1959, Chetana, Bombay.