What Is Mental Health?
Mental health is the condition of the mind. In ordinary life, a person is considered mentally healthy when the mind can function peacefully, think clearly, handle situations appropriately, and maintain balance in daily life.
From the perspective of Chivality, mental health has a deeper meaning.
The human mind naturally contains emotions, feelings, desires, expectations, fears, worries, attachments and ego. These are useful for functioning in human life, but when the mind becomes continuously controlled by them, it loses its natural peace and stability.
Therefore, in Chivality, a higher state of mental health is understood as freedom from unnecessary emotional disturbance, excessive attachment and uncontrolled thoughts.
The healthier the mind becomes, the more peaceful, clear and relaxed the person can remain.
The Mind Is Like Water
Imagine a glass of water.
When the water is constantly shaken, the water becomes disturbed and nothing can be seen clearly through it. If the glass is kept still, the dirt gradually settles and the water becomes clear.
The human mind is similar.
When emotions, fear, anger, expectations, worries and attachments continuously disturb the mind, it becomes difficult to see things clearly. When the mind becomes still, clarity naturally increases.
Silentation is therefore an important practice in Chivality. By becoming quiet and remembering the Divine Master, the mind gradually becomes less disturbed and more peaceful.
Can Medicines Help Mental Health?
Medical treatment can be very important when a person has a mental-health condition that requires professional care. Medicines may help reduce symptoms and restore stability, particularly when prescribed and monitored by a qualified medical professional.
However, from the Chivality perspective, maintaining long-term inner peace also requires understanding how the mind works.
Spiritual knowledge can help a person examine desires, expectations, fears, attachments and the sense of “I” that repeatedly creates disturbance.
Therefore, medical care and spiritual practice need not be considered opposites. Medical care can support the functioning of the mind, while spiritual knowledge can help a person understand and transform the way the mind responds to life.
Mental Health Is Important on the Path to Chivam
A disturbed mind makes spiritual progress difficult.
If the mind is constantly occupied with fear, anger, jealousy, expectations, attachments and personal problems, there is very little space for silence and remembrance.
Therefore, mental stability is important for a person who wants to progress towards Divinity or Chivam.
The purpose is not to destroy the human mind or neglect ordinary responsibilities. Rather, the purpose is to learn how to use the mind without becoming unnecessarily controlled by its contents.
A person may continue to work, maintain relationships, earn money and perform responsibilities while gradually becoming less disturbed internally.
Use Human Intelligence to Improve the Mind
Human intelligence is normally used for material achievement.
We use our intelligence to obtain education, build a career, earn money, solve problems, create technology and improve our standard of living.
But the same intelligence can also be turned inward.
We can ask:
Why am I becoming angry?
Why am I afraid?
Why am I expecting something from others?
Why am I becoming attached?
Why does my mind repeatedly worry about tomorrow?
Why am I disturbed by what happened yesterday?
This is the beginning of using human intelligence for improving mental quality.
Human intelligence can identify the patterns that disturb the mind. Jnana can then help us understand those patterns correctly and gradually change our perception.
Why Is a Jnani Needed?
A person who is lost in a forest may know how to walk, but without knowing the direction, walking alone may not help him reach the destination.
Similarly, a person may have considerable human intelligence but still not know how to use that intelligence to become mentally peaceful.
A Jnani or Divine Master acts like a guide who knows the direction.
The Master provides knowledge, guidelines and, according to Chivality, the support of His Divine energy. The disciple uses his own human intellect to understand the Master's teachings, examine his own mind and practise them in daily life.
The Master does not replace the disciple's intelligence. Rather, the Master teaches the disciple how to use his intelligence correctly.
The Master as a Mental Trainer
Consider a person who wants to develop physical strength.
A good trainer does not carry the person's body for him. The trainer teaches him how to exercise correctly, corrects his mistakes and guides his progress.
The Divine Master can be understood similarly in the development of mental quality.
The disciple brings his own willingness, attention and human intelligence. The Master provides guidance, knowledge and, in Chivality, Divine energy.
Through remembrance of the Master, Silentation and following appropriate guidelines, the disciple gradually learns to remain peaceful even when circumstances change.
Mental Health and Chivam
The ultimate objective in Chivality is not merely to have a comfortable or successful human mind.
The deeper objective is to move beyond unnecessary mental disturbance and gradually experience the stillness associated with Chivam.
As the mind becomes quieter, attachments become weaker, unnecessary expectations reduce, and the sense of personal disturbance gradually decreases.
The person can continue to perform his responsibilities, but internally he becomes more relaxed.
This is why mental health is not separate from the Chivam journey.
A peaceful mind creates the space for Silentation. Silentation creates greater stillness. Greater stillness allows the practitioner to remain closer to the Divine Master's energy.
Use the Master for Your Inner Development
We normally use people for material purposes: someone may help us obtain a job, solve a problem, learn a skill or achieve an objective.
The relationship with a Divine Master has a different purpose.
Use the guidance of the Divine Master to improve yourself.
Use His teachings to understand your mind.
Use His energy to support your Silentation.
Use your human intelligence to examine your own thoughts and behaviour.
Use your spiritual knowledge to reduce unnecessary disturbance.
The destination is greater peace, stillness and ultimately the Chivam state.
A healthy mind is not merely a mind that can survive in the world.
A progressively healthier mind is one that becomes less disturbed by the world while continuing to perform its responsibilities in the world.
In Chivality, the Divine Master helps the disciple move in that direction—from a disturbed human mind towards a peaceful mind, from a peaceful mind towards stillness, and from stillness towards Chivam.
=================================
Human Intelligence and Divine Intelligence
There is a fundamental difference between human intelligence and Divine intelligence. Both may appear to operate through the same human being, but their source, purpose and functioning are entirely different.
1. Human Intelligence — Intelligence for Material Life
Human intelligence is primarily connected with the functioning of the brain and its cognitive processes.
From childhood, we learn continuously from the materialistic world. We observe, listen, read, study, experience, remember and analyse. The knowledge gained through these experiences is processed and stored through the brain. We then use that accumulated knowledge to make decisions and deal with situations in our material life.
This may be called human or cognitive intelligence.
For example:
- You learn how to read and write.
- You learn a profession.
- You learn how to earn money.
- You learn how to operate a vehicle.
- You learn how to communicate with others.
- You learn how to protect yourself from danger.
- You learn how to solve practical problems.
All this knowledge is useful for living and surviving in the material world.
Analogy: The Computer
Think of the human brain as a sophisticated computer.
The experiences and knowledge you acquire are like information stored in the computer. When a situation arises, the brain retrieves the relevant information and processes it to produce an appropriate response.
Therefore, human intelligence depends greatly upon the information acquired through the material world and the functioning of the brain.
But Divine intelligence is different.
---
2. Divine Intelligence — Intelligence of the Original YOU
Divine intelligence is not merely an advanced form of human intelligence.
According to Chivality, Divine intelligence is related to Chivam energy — the original YOU.
It is not primarily concerned with improving your ability to survive, compete, earn, possess or succeed in the material world. Its purpose is fundamentally different.
Human intelligence asks:
“How can I live better in this world?”
Divine intelligence asks:
“How can I become free from my attachment to this world?”
Human intelligence helps you manage material life.
Divine intelligence helps you understand liberation.
The distinction is therefore not simply between a lower intelligence and a higher intelligence. It is a distinction between two different purposes of intelligence.
---
3. An Intelligence That Does Not Depend Upon Accumulated Knowledge
Divine intelligence, as understood in Chivality, is not dependent upon continuously collecting information from books, speeches or worldly experiences.
It is understood as being in-built within the Chivam energy itself.
A human being may acquire enormous amounts of information and still remain deeply attached to the material world. At the same time, when the disturbances of the human mind gradually reduce, a different kind of understanding may begin to emerge.
This is why Divine intelligence cannot simply be equated with scholarship.
A person may be highly educated but still have strong desires, fears, expectations, emotions, ego and attachments.
Another person may possess comparatively little worldly education but may develop profound clarity about the nature of the Self, attachment and liberation.
Therefore:
Education can increase human intelligence, but education alone does not produce Divine intelligence.
---
4. Analogy — The Clouded Mirror
Imagine that the Divine intelligence is like a clear mirror that already exists within you.
The mirror does not have to be manufactured every day. It is already there.
But the mirror may be covered by layers of dust.
The dust represents the qualities and disturbances of the human mind:
- desires
- expectations
- fear
- anxiety
- worries
- emotions
- feelings
- sentiments
- ego
- attachments
- other mental disturbances
If you keep adding more dust, the reflection becomes increasingly unclear.
Similarly, when the mind is continuously occupied with its own thoughts, emotions and attachments, the Divine intelligence cannot express itself clearly.
The practice is therefore not merely to add more information.
It is to remove what is covering the clarity.
As the coverings gradually reduce, the underlying clarity becomes increasingly apparent.
---
5. Human Qualities Can Obstruct Divine Intelligence
The human mind has many qualities that are useful for ordinary life. Desire can motivate action. Fear can protect the body. Emotions can create relationships. Expectations can influence planning. Ego can create a sense of individual identity.
These qualities have their place in material life.
But according to the Chivality path, when the objective is Self-realisation and liberation, these same qualities can become obstacles.
Why?
Because Divine intelligence requires a different condition of mind.
The more strongly the mind identifies with:
“I am this body.”
“These are my possessions.”
“This is my emotion.”
“This is my success.”
“This is my failure.”
“I must get what I want.”
the more difficult it becomes to perceive the deeper truth of the Self.
Therefore, Divine intelligence develops as the unnecessary disturbances and attachments of the human mind gradually reduce.
---
6. What Does Divine Intelligence Teach?
Divine intelligence does not primarily teach you how to become more successful in the material world.
It teaches you how to withdraw from unnecessary material attachment.
It gradually gives clarity about:
- the difference between the body and the Self,
- the difference between mind and YOU,
- the nature of attachment,
- the nature of emotions and feelings,
- the nature of ego,
- the temporary nature of material experiences,
- the meaning of surrender,
- the purpose of human life,
- and ultimately, the meaning of liberation.
It does not necessarily tell you to abandon your responsibilities.
Rather, it gives you the understanding to perform your responsibilities without becoming unnecessarily bound by them.
This is an important distinction.
---
7. Human Intelligence Collects; Divine Intelligence Reveals
Human intelligence generally works through learning and accumulation.
You learn something → store it → remember it → analyse it → apply it.
Divine intelligence, in the Chivality understanding, works in the opposite direction.
You gradually remove unnecessary disturbances → the mind becomes still → deeper understanding becomes possible.
Therefore:
Human intelligence is largely accumulative.
Divine intelligence is essentially revealing.
It is like removing layers from a lamp rather than manufacturing a new light.
The light is already present; the obstruction has to reduce.
---
8. Analogy — The Radio Receiver
Consider a radio receiver.
The radio station is continuously transmitting a signal, but if the receiver is damaged, badly tuned or filled with interference, the signal cannot be heard clearly.
The problem is not necessarily that the transmission has stopped.
The receiver has to become properly tuned.
In this analogy:
- Chivam energy is the source.
- Divine intelligence is the deeper signal.
- Human mind is the receiver.
- Thoughts, emotions, attachments and ego are interference.
- Silentation and stillness help reduce the interference.
As the interference reduces, the signal can be received more clearly.
This is why the Chivality practice places importance on reducing mental disturbance rather than endlessly accumulating intellectual information.
---
9. Divine Intelligence Gives Jnana
When Divine intelligence becomes increasingly active, it provides Jnana — understanding that is directly relevant to spiritual progress.
It may help a person understand something genuinely important for his or her own Self-realisation.
This knowledge is not necessarily acquired because someone has read it somewhere.
It may arise as a direct inner clarity.
Such knowledge should not be confused with imagination, emotion or personal opinion. The practitioner must continue to examine whether the understanding is consistent with the teachings, discipline and guidance received from the Divine Master.
The purpose of such Jnana is not to impress others.
Its purpose is to transform the individual.
---
10. Why Divine Personalities May Not Depend Upon Books or Speeches
A Divine personality, in the Chivality understanding, does not depend exclusively upon books, scriptures or speeches for his own realisation.
Books and speeches can provide information about truth.
But Self-realisation requires the direct understanding of truth.
For example, reading hundreds of books about swimming cannot replace entering the water and actually learning to swim.
Similarly, reading thousands of pages about silence does not itself create inner stillness.
A realised person therefore does not have to depend upon external sources for every aspect of his own spiritual understanding.
His knowledge is understood to arise from the Divine intelligence within.
However, this does not mean that such a person cannot read a book or listen to a speech.
It means that his source of realisation is not dependent upon external information.
---
11. Knowledge of a Divine Personality Is Not Automatically Transferable
A Divine personality may express his understanding through words so that others can benefit.
But hearing those words does not automatically produce the same realisation in the listener.
The listener's eligibility and inner preparation matter.
One person may hear a teaching and understand it deeply.
Another may hear exactly the same teaching and understand only the intellectual meaning.
A third may reject it completely.
Therefore, Divine knowledge may be communicated, but its deeper understanding has to be realised by the individual.
The Master can show the direction.
The disciple has to become eligible to experience it.
---
12. The Ultimate Difference
Human intelligence is primarily concerned with:
“How can I live successfully as a human being?”
Divine intelligence is concerned with:
“Who am I beyond this human identity?”
Human intelligence helps the human being operate the material-life system.
Divine intelligence guides the human being toward understanding the original YOU — Chivam.
Therefore, the goal of Chivality is not to destroy human intelligence or stop using the brain.
The brain remains useful for performing ordinary responsibilities.
The objective is to prevent the human mind from becoming the master of the Self.
As the unnecessary qualities of the mind gradually reduce, Divine intelligence is understood to become increasingly available.
Ultimately, the journey is from:
Accumulated knowledge → Understanding → Stillness → Jnana → Self-realisation → Chivam.
In simple words:
Human intelligence helps you live in the world.
Divine intelligence helps you understand why you are beyond the world.
And when the disturbances of the human mind become sufficiently still, the Divine intelligence that was always within the original YOU can reveal itself.
========================================
Four Varieties of Surrender to the Master
In the Chivality system, surrender to the Master is not merely a statement or an emotion. It is reflected in how we prioritize the Master in our daily life.
People may have love, respect and devotion towards the Master, but their level of surrender can be different. Broadly, there are four varieties of surrender.
1. COMPLETE SURRENDER
“I have no other work apart from attending to my Master.”
For such a person, the Master becomes the highest priority in life. Whatever work is given by the Master is considered his or her primary responsibility. Personal activities are performed only when they are necessary for maintaining the body and carrying out the Master's work.
This does not necessarily mean abandoning every practical responsibility. It means that nothing is placed above the Master's purpose.
Analogy: The Dedicated Employee
Imagine an employee who has completely dedicated himself to a particular mission. Whenever the leader calls, he does not ask, “Is this convenient for me?” His first thought is, “What does the mission require from me?”
Similarly, complete surrender means that the Master's purpose becomes the central purpose of life.
---
2. TRYING TO SURRENDER COMPLETELY
“I have many responsibilities, but my primary responsibility is to attend to my Master.”
This person still has family responsibilities, employment, business and other duties. However, whenever there is a choice between personal convenience and the genuine needs of the Master, the person tries to give higher priority to the Master.
The person may not yet be completely surrendered, but there is a continuous effort to move towards complete surrender.
This is an important stage because surrender is gradually strengthened through practice.
Analogy: The Emergency Doctor
Imagine a doctor who has a family, a home and many personal responsibilities. But when the hospital informs the doctor that an emergency patient needs immediate attention, the doctor gives priority to the patient.
The doctor has not abandoned family life. But at that particular moment, the higher responsibility takes priority.
Similarly, a person trying to surrender gives importance to worldly responsibilities while keeping the Master's needs as the higher priority whenever necessary.
---
3. “I WANT TO SURRENDER, BUT NOT NOW”
“I want to surrender to my Master, but I have many personal priorities at present. When my responsibilities reduce, I will attend to my Master.”
Here, the desire for surrender exists, but surrender has been postponed.
The person may think:
«“Let me complete my career first.”
“Let me settle my family first.”
“Let me finish my financial responsibilities first.”
“Later, I will dedicate myself completely to the Master.”»
The difficulty is that there is always another responsibility waiting. Therefore, “not now” can continue for many years.
The person is not rejecting the Master. But the Master has not yet become the first priority.
Analogy: The Passenger Who Keeps Delaying the Train
Imagine a person who wants to board a particular train but keeps saying:
“I will board after finishing this work.”
He finishes one task, then another task appears. He keeps postponing his decision. Eventually, the train leaves.
In the same way, life continuously produces new responsibilities. If surrender is always postponed until everything else is completed, the opportunity to progress may continually be delayed.
Therefore, surrender does not necessarily require waiting for a perfect time. Even while living an active worldly life, one can begin giving the Master a higher place in one's priorities.
---
4. “SURRENDER IS NOT POSSIBLE”
“I do not reject the Master, but I have absolutely no time to attend to the Master.”
Here, the person may respect the Master and may even wish to follow the Master's teachings. However, practically, the person has given all available time and energy to personal life.
The problem is not necessarily lack of love. The problem is that nothing has been reserved for the Master.
Every hour is already occupied by work, family, entertainment, social activities, personal interests and other commitments.
Analogy: The Full Cup
Imagine a cup that is completely filled with water. Someone wants to pour something precious into it, but there is no space.
The problem is not that the person does not value what is being offered. There is simply no space available.
Similarly, when the human mind and life are completely occupied with personal priorities, there is little or no space for the Master.
To create that space, some unnecessary activities have to be reduced.
---
The Essential Difference
These four varieties can be understood through one question:
“Where does the Master stand in my priorities?”
- Complete surrender: The Master is the central priority.
- Trying to surrender completely: The Master is becoming the central priority.
- I want to surrender, but not now: The Master is a future priority.
- Surrender is not possible: The Master has no practical space in the person's present priorities.
Surrender therefore is not measured merely by saying “I surrender.” It is reflected in the time, attention, energy and priorities that we actually give to the Master.
The journey of surrender is a movement from:
“I have no time for the Master” → “I will attend later” → “I am trying to give the Master priority” → “The Master's purpose has become my primary purpose.”
The closer one moves towards complete surrender, the less importance is given to unnecessary personal demands of the mind and the more naturally one's life becomes available for the Master's purpose.
Surrender is ultimately not about losing one's life. It is about changing the ownership and priority of one's life—from “my life” to “the Master's purpose.”
=====================
How to Find Out That You Are Chivam
How can you find out that You are Chivam?
You have to make a journey in the reverse direction—from your outermost roles towards your original nature.
In your daily life, you identify yourself through many different roles. These roles are necessary for living in the world, but they are not your ultimate identity.
Imagine a woman who is the principal of a school.
When she is inside the school, everyone may call her the Principal. She has responsibilities, authority and duties connected with that role. But when she leaves the school, she is no longer functioning as the Principal.
Now look deeper.
She may be a teacher.
Beyond that, she may be a mother.
Beyond that, a wife.
Beyond that, a sister.
Beyond that, a woman.
Beyond that, a human being.
Then comes the body.
Beyond the body is the mind.
And when you go beyond the mind, what remains is the Energy—Chivam.
So the journey is:
Principal → Teacher → Mother → Wife → Sister → Woman → Human Being → Body → Mind → Chivam
These roles can be different for different people. One person may be a doctor, another may be a businessman, another may be a father, another may be a daughter, and another may have completely different responsibilities.
Therefore, the exact sequence is not important.
The principle is important: go beyond every identity, one by one, until you reach the origin.
Understand Each Role
Suppose you say:
“I am a Principal.”
Ask yourself:
“Was I a Principal from birth?”
No. The role of Principal came later in life.
Therefore, I am not the Principal. I am the one who is performing the role of Principal.
Then you may say:
“I am a teacher.”
Again, ask:
“Was I always a teacher?”
No. That role also came at a particular stage of life.
Therefore:
I am not the teacher.
Then:
“I am a mother.”
Motherhood is another role that came into your life. Before becoming a mother, you existed without that role.
Therefore:
I am not the role of mother.
The same understanding can be applied to wife, sister, woman, human being and every other identity.
At every step, you should clearly perceive:
“This is a role that I am playing, but this is not the ultimate You.”
Go Beyond the Body
Then you come to the body.
You normally say:
“This is my body.”
The very expression “my body” gives you an important clue.
If something is my body, then who is the I that possesses the body?
The body is continuously changing. Childhood disappears, youth changes into old age, and every cell of the body undergoes change.
Yet the sense of “I” continues.
Therefore, in this journey, you go beyond identification with the body.
Go Beyond the Mind
Then you reach the mind.
The mind contains thoughts, desires, expectations, fears, anxieties, worries, emotions, feelings, sentiments and ego.
These qualities keep changing.
One moment you may be happy; another moment you may be unhappy. One day you may love something; another day you may dislike it. Thoughts come and go continuously.
Therefore, observe the mind rather than completely identifying yourself with it.
You can say:
“These are thoughts in my mind.”
“These are feelings in my mind.”
“These are emotions in my mind.”
If you can observe them, you can begin to understand that the qualities of the mind are not the ultimate You.
Finally, What Remains?
Now remove each identification mentally:
I am not merely my profession.
I am not merely my family role.
I am not merely my social identity.
I am not merely a woman or man.
I am not merely a human identity.
I am not merely the body.
I am not the changing qualities of the mind.
Then what remains?
The Energy remains.
That original, identity-less Energy is what is called Chivam.
You are not trying to become something new.
You are trying to discover what remains when all the temporary identities are seen clearly and are no longer mistaken for the ultimate You.
Analogy: The Actor and the Costumes
Consider an actor in a theatre.
In one scene, the actor wears the costume of a king.
In another scene, the actor becomes a teacher.
In another scene, a father.
In another scene, a beggar.
The costumes and characters change, but the actor remains the same.
If the actor completely forgets himself and believes, “I am really the king,” he becomes identified with the role.
But when the performance is over, he removes the costume and returns to himself.
Similarly, life gives you many roles as costumes.
Principal is one costume.
Teacher is another.
Mother is another.
Wife is another.
Sister is another.
Woman is another.
Human being is another.
The body itself can be understood as another temporary instrument through which you experience life.
The mind provides thoughts, emotions and experiences needed to function in the world.
But Chivam is not another costume.
Chivam is what is discovered when you travel beyond the costumes and identities.
The Reverse Journey
The ordinary journey of life is:
Chivam → Energy → Mind → Body → Human being → Social identity → Various roles
We normally move outward and become increasingly identified with our roles.
The spiritual journey is the reverse:
Roles → Human identity → Body → Mind → beyond the mind → Chivam
At every stage, you ask:
“Is this really You, or is this something that You are experiencing or using?”
Do not merely repeat the words, “I am not this.”
You have to perceive and understand it within yourself.
When a role is clearly recognized as only a role, you naturally move beyond it.
When the body is recognized as an instrument, you move beyond bodily identity.
When the changing qualities of the mind are recognized as something you experience rather than your ultimate nature, you move beyond mental identity.
Finally, when all identities disappear, there is no separate role left to identify with.
What remains is Chivam—the original Energy.
This is the reverse journey from “Who I appear to be” to “What I originally am.”
==========================
The Goal, Love and Surrender in Chivality
In the Chivality system, the primary goal is to reach Chivam through the Master. Therefore, maximum value should always be given to the goal. The mind should not be given unnecessary importance or excessive entertainment that can distract you from the journey.
Entertainment is not wrong. But when the mind is constantly entertained, it becomes more active, more demanding and more attached to external experiences. The purpose of Chivality is to gradually reduce this unnecessary activity and bring the mind towards stillness.
Do Not Worry About Liberation
You need not constantly worry about whether you will reach Chivam or attain liberation.
Your responsibility is much simpler:
Do not deviate from the goal of the Master.
If your attention, love and life remain directed towards the Master and the goal, the transformation will happen naturally. Liberation is not something that you have to chase separately. It is the natural consequence of remaining steadily on the path towards Chivam.
It is like travelling towards a destination. You do not have to repeatedly worry, "When will I reach?" Your responsibility is to remain on the correct road and continue travelling. If you do not leave the road, reaching the destination becomes a matter of time.
Love Should Become Surrender
In Chivality, love for the Master is not merely an emotion or sentiment.
Pure love should gradually lead to surrender.
When you genuinely love someone without expectation, you naturally become willing to give yourself to that relationship. In the same way, when your love for the Master becomes deeper, you begin to surrender what belongs to you—the body, mind and intellect.
However, there is an important distinction:
You do not surrender yourself, because you are Chivam.
You surrender everything that is covering, occupying or operating around you.
You surrender your body to the service of the Master.
You surrender the contents of your mind.
You surrender your intellect to understand, accept and follow the Master's teachings and guidelines.
The real "You" does not need to be surrendered. The purpose of surrender is to remove what is not your original nature.
Surrender of the Body
When the body is surrendered, it becomes an instrument for service.
Instead of asking only, "What can my body do for me?", you begin to ask:
"How can I use this body for the Master's work?"
Your physical abilities, time and actions can then be used meaningfully.
This does not mean neglecting the body. The body is an instrument, and an instrument must be maintained properly to remain useful.
It is like a vehicle given to a driver for an important journey. The driver does not destroy or neglect the vehicle. He maintains it properly because it is needed to reach the destination.
Similarly, caring for the body while using it for the Master's purpose is itself part of surrender.
Surrender of the Mind
The mind contains thoughts, desires, expectations, fears, worries, emotions, feelings, sentiments and other attachments.
Surrendering the mind does not mean destroying the functioning of the brain. It means gradually surrendering the contents that keep the mind disturbed.
When thoughts arise, instead of continuously entertaining them, you remember the Master and return to stillness.
This is where Silentation becomes important.
The Master becomes the point of remembrance, while unnecessary thoughts gradually lose their importance.
It is like a pond filled with continuously moving water. If you keep throwing stones into the pond, the ripples never stop. But when you stop disturbing the water, the ripples gradually disappear and the surface becomes still.
The mind is similar. The more unnecessary entertainment and reactions we provide to it, the more active it becomes. By reducing unnecessary involvement and remembering the Master, the mind gradually becomes quiet.
Surrender of the Intellect
The intellect has another role.
The intellect should be surrendered to understand the Master's teachings clearly and follow the appropriate guidelines.
This does not mean blindly abandoning discrimination. Rather, it means using the intellect to understand the teaching thoroughly, remove doubts and then live according to what has been understood.
The intellect is like a compass. A compass is useful only when it is used to maintain the direction of travel. If you keep changing the direction according to every passing thought, you may never reach the destination.
Therefore, the intellect should support the goal rather than constantly creating alternative directions.
Surrender Is the Measure of Progress
In Chivality, surrender itself can be understood as a measure of progress.
The more you surrender, the less the mind's unnecessary ownership remains.
First, you may say:
"I am doing something for the Master."
Later, you may feel:
"The Master is making me do it."
Ultimately, the sense of personal ownership becomes weaker and weaker.
The body becomes an instrument for service.
The mind becomes increasingly free from unnecessary contents.
The intellect becomes aligned with the Master's teachings.
The sense of "I am the doer" gradually reduces.
This is why surrender is not a single act performed on one particular day. Surrender is a continuous process of transformation.
The Analogy of a River
Consider a river flowing towards the ocean.
The river does not need to constantly think, "When will I become the ocean?"
Its responsibility is simply to continue flowing towards the ocean without changing its direction.
Along the way, the river may pass through villages, forests, mountains and cities. It may encounter rocks, turns and obstacles. But as long as it continues towards the ocean, the destination is assured by the direction of its flow.
Similarly, in Chivality, you need not constantly worry about liberation.
Keep the Master as the goal.
Let love become surrender.
Let the body serve.
Let the mind become still.
Let the intellect understand and follow.
Do not deviate from the direction.
When the journey reaches its completion, there is no separate effort required to "become" Chivam.
The purpose of the journey is ultimately to discover what you already are.
You do not surrender yourself to the Master.
You surrender everything that is not you.
What remains is Chivam.
============================================
How to Become Chivam Through Jnana
What is Jnana?
Jnana means knowing the truth as it is.
The first step in the path of Jnana is to understand who you really are and what you are not.
The human body is a biological instrument—a sophisticated machine through which life functions. It breathes, digests, moves, senses, thinks and performs actions. But the body itself does not independently create its own life. It is operated by an underlying energy.
In Chivality, this underlying Divine energy is called Chivam.
Chivam is the original Divine energy behind the functioning of the human system. The body is only an instrument through which that energy operates.
Then what is the problem?
The problem begins when the human being develops a separate sense of “I.”
The body naturally performs its functions. But the human mind gradually accumulates emotions, feelings, desires, expectations, fears, attachments, likes, dislikes and social conditioning.
Society teaches us:
- “This is my body.”
- “This is my family.”
- “This is my possession.”
- “I like this.”
- “I dislike that.”
- “I must get this.”
- “I am afraid of losing that.”
- “I must become somebody.”
- “I am the doer.”
All these accumulated identities create the feeling of a separate “me.”
The body continues to function through the Divine energy, but the conditioned mind claims ownership of what is happening.
Thus, the fundamental misunderstanding is:
The instrument is functioning through Chivam, but the conditioned “I” assumes that it is independently living, thinking, feeling and doing.
An analogy: The vehicle and the driver
Consider a sophisticated vehicle.
The vehicle has an engine, electrical system, sensors, computer controls and many automatic functions. It can move only when the necessary energy and systems are available.
Now imagine that a person sitting inside the vehicle begins to say:
«“I am the vehicle.”»
He starts identifying himself with every part of it.
If the vehicle is damaged, he thinks, “I am damaged.”
If the vehicle becomes dirty, he thinks, “I am dirty.”
If another vehicle passes him, he thinks, “I have been insulted.”
If the vehicle is praised, he feels proud.
The vehicle is functioning perfectly, but the person's identification with the vehicle creates unnecessary experiences.
Similarly, the human body is the instrument. The mind is the interface through which experiences occur. But the conditioned “I” identifies itself with the body, mind, emotions, relationships and possessions.
Jnana begins when this mistaken identification is clearly understood.
Removing the false “I”
To become Chivam, there is nothing new that needs to be added.
The essential understanding is that Chivam is already the underlying reality.
What has to disappear is the false identification.
When emotions, feelings, attachments, desires, expectations, fear and ego are continuously given importance, the mind remains active and the separate “I” appears strong.
When these accumulated human qualities gradually lose their hold, the separate “I” becomes weaker.
As the mind becomes still, there is less and less of the feeling:
“I am doing.”
“I am feeling.”
“I want.”
“I fear.”
“I own.”
“I must have.”
What remains is the silent presence behind the functioning of the body.
That is experienced as Chivam.
What does it mean to lose human qualities?
It does not mean that the body should stop functioning or that a person should neglect ordinary responsibilities.
The body can continue to eat, sleep, work, communicate, maintain relationships and perform its necessary duties.
What has to be lost is the psychological ownership and attachment associated with these activities.
For example, the body may perform an action, but instead of constantly thinking:
“I am doing this for myself,”
one understands:
“This body is an instrument through which the Divine energy is functioning.”
The body may experience a situation, but the mind need not create unnecessary emotional attachment to it.
The intellect can continue to function. Practical thinking can continue. But the accumulated conditioning that creates a separate, emotionally driven “I” gradually dissolves.
Another analogy: The clear glass
Imagine a transparent glass placed in front of a light.
The light is already present, but the glass has become covered with layers of dust, paint and colour.
The light does not need to be created.
The coverings only need to be removed.
As each layer disappears, more light becomes visible.
Similarly, Chivam does not have to be created within us.
Chivam is already the underlying Divine reality.
The accumulated human conditioning is like the covering:
desire → expectation → fear → emotion → attachment → ego → separate identity.
Jnana is the understanding that these are acquired qualities and not the original nature of the Self.
As these coverings are removed, the underlying Chivam becomes increasingly apparent.
Jnana is therefore a process of subtraction
Jnana does not mean collecting more and more information.
It means discovering what is false and allowing it to fall away.
You begin by asking:
“Who am I?”
Am I the body?
The body changes.
Am I my emotions?
Emotions change.
Am I my feelings?
Feelings change.
Am I my relationships?
Relationships change.
Am I my possessions?
Possessions change.
Am I my social identity?
That identity also changes.
Then what remains unchanged through all these changes?
Jnana takes you towards that unchanging reality.
In Chivality, that journey ultimately points towards Chivam—the original Divine energy beyond the conditioned human identity.
The essence
Therefore, becoming Chivam through Jnana is not becoming something that you were not before. It is losing the mistaken identity of what you are not.
The human qualities accumulated through life may be useful for ordinary living, but they should not be mistaken for the true Self.
When the unnecessary identification with emotions, feelings, attachments, desires, expectations, fear and ego gradually disappears, the separate “I” loses its strength.
When the “I” becomes silent, stillness remains.
In that stillness, there is no separate experiencer claiming ownership.
The body remains.
The mind performs what is necessary.
The intellect functions when required.
But the separate “I” becomes absent.
What remains is the underlying Divine presence.
That is the direction of becoming Chivam through Jnana.
«Jnana is not adding Divinity to the human being.
Jnana is removing the human identity that hides the Divinity.»
====================================
How to Become Divine or Chivam Through a Divine Master
First, we must understand what Divine means.
Divine is not simply something that is spiritually powerful or extraordinary. Divine refers to a state beyond ordinary human thinking, questioning, emotions, and personal preferences. The Divine functions according to a higher order that the ordinary human mind may not be able to understand.
Therefore, when we genuinely accept someone as a Divine Master, we should not approach Him with the attitude of constantly asking, “Why is this happening?” or “Why did the Master decide this way?”
The practice is to listen, understand, and obey the Master's guidance with trust.
Divine guidance is not for solving every human problem
When we come to the Divine Master, our primary purpose should not be to present a list of personal problems and expect solutions.
The purpose of connecting with the Divine is much higher:
We come to transform ourselves from the human state towards the Divine state.
A person may approach the Master saying, “Please remove my difficulties, give me what I want, and make my life comfortable.” But this keeps the attention on the human mind and its expectations.
Instead, the attitude should gradually become:
“Master, I am not coming only to change my circumstances. I am coming to change myself.”
The Divine Master becomes the means through which the human mind gradually moves towards stillness, surrender, and ultimately Chivam.
Why should we not question every Divine decision?
Consider a patient undergoing treatment under a highly experienced surgeon.
The patient may not understand every medical decision made during an operation. If the surgeon says, “Do this,” the patient does not need to understand every technical reason before cooperating. The surgeon sees the condition of the body from a perspective that the patient does not have.
Similarly, the ordinary human mind sees only a small portion of life. A Divine Master, according to this teaching, functions from a different level of awareness.
Therefore, trust replaces unnecessary questioning.
This does not mean that a person should stop using discrimination or accept harmful behaviour blindly. Rather, within the discipline of a genuine Master–disciple relationship, the practitioner learns to reduce the ego's constant demand to understand and control everything.
Divine has no fixed timetable
Human beings generally live according to time.
We say:
- “Tell me beforehand.”
- “Give me a fixed appointment.”
- “I will come at this time.”
- “I am available only at this time.”
But Divine functioning cannot always be expected to follow our personal timetable.
A Divine Master may call at a time that the disciple did not anticipate. The disciple's practice is to remain inwardly prepared rather than insisting that everything happen according to personal convenience.
Think of a telephone connected to an important source. The telephone does not decide when the call should come. Its responsibility is to remain connected and ready to receive the call.
In the same way, the disciple's responsibility is to remain connected with the Master through love, remembrance, respect, and surrender.
The importance of reverence
To receive the benefit of a Divine Master, the Master should not be treated merely as another human personality.
The disciple should develop deep respect and reverence for the Divine principle represented through the Master.
This does not mean artificial praise or outward display. It means accepting the Master with a heart free from unnecessary judgement, comparison, personal expectations, and conditions.
Love should not say, “I will love the Master if He does what I want.”
Pure love says:
“I accept the Master as He is.”
When expectations decrease, love becomes purer. When personal demands decrease, surrender becomes deeper. When surrender deepens, the ego gradually loses its importance.
The real transformation
The Master is not merely there to make the disciple's human life more comfortable.
The deeper purpose is transformation.
The human mind normally says:
“I want.”
“I know.”
“I decide.”
“I will do.”
“This is mine.”
“Why should I?”
Through Masterfulness, these tendencies gradually become:
“Master, guide me.”
“Master, let me understand.”
“Master, I am ready.”
“Let Your guidance become my direction.”
The movement is therefore from personal will towards Divine guidance, and from ego towards surrender.
The lamp analogy
Imagine an unlit lamp placed near a powerful flame.
The flame does not argue with the lamp. It simply remains what it is. When the lamp is brought close enough, it can receive the flame and become illuminated.
Similarly, the Divine Master can be understood as the living source through which Divine energy is made accessible to the human practitioner.
The disciple's task is to come close through love, respect, remembrance, obedience, and surrender.
As the connection becomes deeper, the human qualities that obstruct stillness gradually become weaker. The mind becomes quieter, the sense of personal ownership reduces, and the practitioner becomes increasingly receptive to the Divine.
Eventually, the goal is not merely to remain close to the Master.
The goal is to become Chivam.
The Master is the guide and living connection; Chivam is the ultimate state.
Therefore, becoming Divine through a Divine Master is not about obtaining special powers, solving every problem, or receiving personal benefits.
It is about changing the direction of one's entire life—from “I and mine” towards the Divine, from expectation towards acceptance, from questioning born of ego towards understanding and obedience, and from human identification towards Chivam.
The essence
Respect the Divine Master.
Love the Divine Master without expectation.
Remember the Divine Master constantly.
Accept the Master's guidance.
Surrender the ego, mind and intellect to that guidance.
Remain ready whenever the Divine calls.
This is one of the paths through which the human being can gradually move towards Divinity and ultimately Chivam.
=========================
