The Numbers of Creation

There are numerous references in Lord Meher to the fact that there are 56 God-realised souls on Earth at any one time.

Lord Meher Online Edition Page 683:

While Baba was discoursing on the 29th, someone asked, "Why are there 56 Realized souls in the world in every age?"

The number 56 denotes perfection. This number appears to be perfect to those who manage these spiritual workings, as one Supreme Being alone cannot manage the whole affair single-handedly. He requires assistance, and the number of assistants is fixed at 56.

For instance, a toddyshop-keeper needs several helpers — one to prepare the toddy, another to serve it, another to collect payment, et cetera. But if there is no shop, what is the use of helpers? In the same way, when there is no universe — as is the case for the majzoobs, who are realized but have no consciousness of the world and its affairs — for them, there is no work.

To return to the question: The universe must be maintained, and to carry out the affairs of the universe in an orderly manner 56 God-realized persons are required. The number is fixed at 56 because a number less than that cannot do all the work and the different duties. Suppose a man has lost one of his eyes. Although he can still see with the other eye, he sees with difficulty. Therefore, two eyes are given to each human being to enable him to see perfectly.

In just the same way, two ears, one nose, two hands, and two feet are provided. In short, everything in nature goes on according to rules and regulations and principles laid down by the "Experienced" or Realized Sages, and nothing is haphazard.

All these explanations are beyond comprehension by your intellect. Such understanding is virtually useless, unless one has the real Experience of Realization. However much you may exert your brains, in the end it is all like the caterwauling and barking of cats and dogs, until such time as you experience the wind of Reality.

The Knowledge and Experience of a Sadguru cannot be grasped through the intellect because it is altogether beyond the intellect. As Hafiz says:

This Knowledge is never grasped by the intellect's noose; Untie the noose and you will obtain it.

Lord Meher Online Edition Page 2350

Figure 1 shows a chart with explanation following.

Figure 1 

Now, after the human form reincarnates 84 lakhs of times, how does the soul enter the subtle world?

From the gross to God state, there are seven stages of winding and seven stages of unwinding. Up to the stone form, there is no winding nor twist. Neither are there species up to the stone form. Thereafter, 14 lakhs of species in each of the six forms up to human evolution, equals 84 lakhs of species. These seven twists, where each form changes to another higher one, are for making the seven main species thicker and thicker.

There are always and eternally 84 lakhs of souls who experience subtle experiences. Among them, there are seven who are the chiefs and can experience the mental world in the same subtle body. These seven have duty. The 84 lakhs of subtle experiencers are existing even today. The figure is always constant. There are an equal number who experience the mental world. But in each new unwinding, one of the seven chiefs with duty becomes less, meaning he gets no normal consciousness nor duty. How many out of the seven chiefs get duty in the subtle? Seven. In the mental, six have duty; in the God-state, five.

On the gross plane: 84 lakhs of reincarnations, although there are millions of human beings in the world.

On the subtle plane: 84 lakhs of souls who experience the subtle world.

Out of these 84 lakhs of those experiencing the subtle world there are seven chiefs who have duty. When these seven cross over to the mental plane, only six have duty and one remains dormant. When these seven cross over from the mental to the God-state, five have duty and two remain dormant. In the God-realized state, out of 56 there are five heads and two majzoobs. The majzoob state is attained on the seventh plane.

The first human form that one gets after the last animal form of monkey is not a complete human form. It has no differentiation in sex. The first human form is that of a bahirupi [neuter]. That is to say, the first human form is neither male nor female. Then what happens? The same form develops a different form with a male sex organ. If you reverse this organ, it is transformed into a female sex organ. This is mere phenomena, but it is all the exchanging of sanskaras.

How does this happen? It is just like a slight flicker, a flash or spark of light. When a railroad engine changes tracks, its light flickers. It is the same here. The first human form has both the male and female sexes latent in it. Therefore, the first human form is that of a bahirupi. Only when the bahirupi takes another form, either male or female, are the organs visible. This causes the process of reincarnation to begin.

That is also why among the five Perfect Masters there are four males and one female.

This is most interesting because Baba explains that there are continuously 8.4 millions souls experiencing the subtle plane and the same number experiencing the mental plane. Meanwhile, there are billions of humans on Earth and other planets experiencing the physical plane. I've long entertained the notion that each soul can be conceived of as a prime number, unique and indivisible, with the Avatar as 1 and the Godhead as 0. The next God-realised person, made so by the Avatar, would be 2 and so on. This is just my imagining and has nothing to do with Baba.

Getting back to Baba, here is what he had to say about the number 7:

There are seven worlds [planets in evolution], seven skies, seven suns, seven moons, seven planes and seven heavens [in involution]. Why this figure seven? And sanskaras too are of seven colors. Why? Because in the very beginning, when Energy (Pran) clashed with Matter (Akash), it created seven divisions.

Each individual human being is a universe unto himself. In the head there are seven openings: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth. In the body there are seven parts: two arms, two legs, two openings (front and back), and one trunk.

But all this explaining of the universe and creation relates to the hair and has nothing to do with the head. So first try to get hold of the head, because out of it comes everything.

Baba drew a figure of a man's head with hair and added:

The barber's work is to shave the head. And who is the barber in this case? Mahapralaya! For when it occurs, all the hairs (universes) on God's head are shaved off.

It is said that the universes pour out of the Godhead; they are like God's hair. Your head may symbolize God and your hair the universes.