The Pearl of Wisdom - Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

The four stages of spiritual development

Guru: One man speaks of Sariyai, Kiriyai, Yogam and Gnanam. Another speaks of Shariat, Thareekat, Haqeekat and Maharifat. They have many meanings. I shall mention some of them.

A babe in the mother’s womb does not know its parents. Does it know, as it is born into this world? No, it does not. Likewise, the babe does not know the good and the bad. It cries when it is hungry. Immediately, the mother carries the baby and feeds it. Ten months later, the baby who was suckled by the mother is fed by the mother’s hand. The baby passes urine and excreta. Does it realise that the excreta is repulsive? No! The child meddles with the excreta with its hands and tries to eat it. The parents see it and clean the baby. The child who has seen the mother feed with her hand, takes many things and puts them into its mouth. At this stage too, the child cannot differentiate between good and bad. It is the duty of the mother and the father to discard the bad and show the good to the child. Parents indeed show the child the good and the bad and teach it the good and the bad languages. They teach the child the relationships of mother, father, uncle and cousins. The baby is like a parrot and repeats what is spoken and copies what is done. The baby has little discriminatory power to know whether burning fire is bad or good. Both parents show the child certain things outside the home which it sees and learns. Even at this stage, the child cannot differentiate the good from the bad.

When the child is three years old, it begins to understand things and to feel intrinsically. He know his mother, father, brother, sister, things that are his and what belongs to others. Feelings like love, greed and desire are taught to him. Still, the child does not know. Unaware of good and bad and bad and good, it does things as others do. The child is sent to school instilling a love for the school, at a stage when it does not know good from bad and lacks in feelings. At this stage, the child learns to speak some words and can feel desire and affection. He learns music and dance. Son, when a child’s life is like this, to learn a little knowledge at school, is not the way to the kovil and to the mosque and all other philosophies akin to the studies at school? Learning lessons, learning them correctly and accepting the correct version is the path that is called the Shariat.

Shariat is the equivalent to the lessons in the kindergarten. You must be subtly informed that these stages indicate scenes that illustrate the world’s Maya, the illusive appearances of pleasure. This is the first grade. Before a child attains puberty, she goes about freely everywhere. She visits the homes of her friends, relatives and others and talks without reserve. This is similar to the period I spoke of, as the kindergarten lessons. The inner meaning of this stage is what is referred to as Sariyai.

The next stage is when the child avoids the aforesaid actions, discards the games played here and there, controls her smiles, protects her chastity ( self-respect ) and becomes an adolescent virgin with the physical characteristics of a grown-up. She stays at home. She knows the difference between father and mother and involves herself with their problems. She enjoys herself in the home. This is the stage comparable to Kiriyai.

In the attempt to seek an ideal groom for the girl, a husband with a good character, good conduct, good wisdom, good intellect and ability, should be searched for, day and night. This is the mark of a good virgin. Running here and there, seeing several people, speaking about marriage with any person one comes across, will be like the initial stage of Sariyai. One must forget this stage and conduct oneself like the Kiriyai girl who trusts only one person and admits only him to the house. This is the proud behaviour of the Kiriyai, the eligible virgin.

Kiriyai is comparable to a state of virginity – not looking at anyone else, not speaking with others, not smiling with others and receiving the one who has come with certitude. She accepts that the one who has come as the lamp of chastity that will pour oil to the virgin lamp. Worshipping God and keeping Him in her heart is the oiled lamp of Kiriyai. This my son, is the state of Kiriyai.

The next stage is Yoga when a married groom and bride are in a blissful state of dance and laughter. They laugh when they should laugh and kiss when they should kiss. The bride begins to play with her husband without shyness and without reserve. The bride and the groom enjoy themselves. The bride keeps the husband in her heart, thinking of him always with desire and joy. She laughs and plays games and calls her husband endearing names. They lose themselves in an ocean of bliss and bring forth children. They derive happiness looking at the pranks of their offspring. They look everywhere, go to countries, wander in the jungles, climb the mountains, dance and sing in the wonder of happiness and sorrow and console themselves, and the wife calls the husband in endearing terms. Eventually, the wife addresses her husband as Nathan (lord, leader). She shows him great devotion. She glorifies him like a celestial being. She playfully ridicules him. They love each other. Both lives are as one. This is the result of the state of bliss which is the third stage called Yogam.

Sariyai is comparable to a young, immature maiden who smilingly looks at things not seen, asks for things not heard of, assumes that breakables are of high quality, demands the purchase of articles, just like the crying child. This child-like behaviour is the Sariyai stage. The subsequent stage of Kiriyai is speaking where it should be spoken, conducting oneself with decorum, virtue and good character, explaining what is what, ascertaining the Certain One, building the House of “O” that is adorned with the hexagonal lotus flower, watering it with water that does not bring forth flowers, diluting it with the perfume of punuhu (civet) jawwathu, attar, kathum, kasthuri, rose-water and sandlewood, at the time when the husband enters the home, for which event the wife waits counting the minutes and with fragrant thoughts in her heart. She bathes her husband in pure qualities and embraces him. She drags him into the house. This is the certitude and the determination of Kiriyai which is akin to the bliss of affinity to the Motionless Primal One.

Adorned with buds, flowers and ripe fruits and scented with kasthuri and kumkumappu, the mattress is spread and the bed arranged with love, for the husband to enter this third house. She buys things that cannot be bought and offers things that are not asked for. On her own volition she says, “ You are the zenith of Natham (Leader) and Vetham (Lord of Vedas). O you are the one of my dreams, of heavenly beauty and compassionate eye of justice, who will not be captivated by the pleasures of life. I will give myself to you without your demand. Ask what belongs to me. See the unfolding of my lustre. See how I come running with my beautiful eyes.” So saying, she comes running quickly, establishing the breath of the art of the sun and the moon, the one which is beyond the scriptures and the religions.

The exalted lord of the Vedantha opens his eye of grace and looks through his third eye of Yoga. He smiles and enters the house of the heart and engages the Unique Incomparable One in the play of blissful games saying, "O my God, I know none other than you. I saw you with the two breaths joined together. O Compassionate One, give me your compassion."

Praising Him in many such ways, retaining Him in the heart, laughing enthusiastically and enraptured in married bliss, the bride unfolds her heart and spreads it like a carpet. She unites with the husband and together they detect the mystery. They play games, sing and dance gaily like a married man and woman in the ocean of bliss, enjoying a perfect marriage and being fulfilled in the ocean ofgnanam. Realise this my disciples, gems of my eyes.

Gnanam is the fourth stage, stripped of all that was said earlier, unmindful of everything else and determining God is the One and the Only One and embracing Him within you. It is using that lustre to breathe and spread the light of luminosity, to make it germinate without root, seed or fruit, to flower without flowers, to close both eyes and destroy and discard all illusory thoughts in the mind, to praise the One and the Only One, to elevate confidence, to make the twenty- one thousand six hundred and twenty-one (21,621) breaths to say, "There is none other than Allah. Only Allah exists." to breathe with certitude and establish the art of kalai of the sun and the moon is Gnanam or the eyes of grace of the wisdom of the Gnostic eye.

Many call these divisions Shariat, Tariqat, Haqiqat and Marifat. Marifat ultimately leads to the One and Only, meaning the Essence. Be what it may, God’s eye if Grace will open out to him who trusts in the One Incomparable God and worships Him with certitude, determination, awe and love.

To show the way in these four stages, to step over the ocean of worldly affairs, and to show the right and the left, till you reach Gnaman, you will need a glorious guru who has experienced the blissful state. I say this with emphasis. You must obey the right guru. Seek him, disciples, gems of my eyes.

Disciples: Swami, Glorious guru, I understand the four types of worship you have spoken of. I am eager to learn some more matters.