Real Commentary on Ananda Sutram?

Date: Wed 02 May 2007 22:57:28 -0000 From: "J_Moore" Subject: Real Commentary on Ananda Sutram? BABA "Tumi a'ndha're esecho, alora enecho va'n..." P.S. 2669 Purport: Baba, You have advented Yourself in the darkness. Because of Your arrival, the darkness has vanished and now a flood of effulgence is all around. Nobody knew or understood or imagined that this was going to happen-- that You are going to advent and everything will be changed into positive. In their dark state of body, mind and heart, human beings were sleeping in cimmerian darkness. But You have showered the divine effulgence on everyone's face, and removed their sleep--their slumber of attachment. By Your grace, from the state of negativity, they became positive. Baba, You have come with Your sweet, attractive, and charming appearance. And You have vibrated everyone's mind and heart with Your divine grace. Baba, You Yourself have come and You have shown the path and have also given the permanent solution of all the problems -- physical, psychic, and spiritual-- whatsoever. Baba, You have graced all with Your divine advent...

== REAL COMMENTARY ON A'NANDA SU'TRAM? ==

Namaskar, All Ananda Margiis are fully aware that Baba's entire social and spiritual philosophy is encapsulated in His historic treatise: Ananda Sutram. So Ananda Sutram holds an extremely imporant place in our Marga. And gaining clarity about this text is of tremendous importance as this will shed light on all aspects of Baba's divine teachings which are the panacea for humanity. Side by side you may be aware that there is one "Commentary" about Ananda Sutram that has been floating around our Marga for years. Naturally, one would expect that this "Commentary" would neatly elaborate the truths embedded in Baba's sacred text, Ananda Sutram. Otherwise what is the use of such a "Commentary". So let us take a moment to review Baba's Ananda Sutram and then see how far this "Commentary" is doing its job-- or not.

BABA'S DIVINE TEACHING ABOUT PRAYER FROM ANANDA SUTRAM

While we could start on any number of sutras, let us start with Guru's dharmic guidelines on the point of prayer. In Ananda Sutram, Baba says:

3-11 Pra'rthana'rcana' ma'traeva bhramamu'lam

And the central idea of this sutra is that prayer is not at all good, rather it is harmful. So in Ananda Sutram Baba is guiding us that prayer must not be done. It is against the fundamental teachings of AM.

BABA'S FURTHER ELABORATION ON PRAYER

And here following Baba has beautifully elaborated on the meaning of the above sutra in His Ananda Marga Philosophy book. Baba says, "Prayer is the act of asking for a favour with earnestness. It also means a solemn petition addressed to the Supreme Being for certain benefits. One prays to God for something which one does not possess or thinks one does not possess. One asks God for these favours with the faith that He alone can bestow everything and by His mere wish all wants can be satisfied. By prayer or by begging one wants to awaken His wish so that one may be granted the things one lacks. Does not one's attempt to rouse the wish of God to fulfil these needs, upon careful and rational thinking, appear to be a reminder to God to give one something of which God has kept one deprived? It would otherwise not be necessary to remind Him in prayer of that thing or to try to arouse His wish to give. For instance, if one is in need of money, one would, with the faith that God alone can give, pray to Him for the favour of giving one money. Does not this request show God's fault in keeping one in want of money, when He alone can give it? God alone is blamed for it, and by praying to Him for money one is precisely pointing out to Him His partiality in not giving one the money one needed. Therefore, prayer or asking for favours from God is only pointing out to the Sole Giver His mistakes in the distribution of His favours." (AMEP) So in the above quote, Baba is clearly explaining that prayer is an extremely negative thing and should not be encouraged. Rather prayer is the illogical act of accusing God that He has made a mistake and that He could not provide what was wanted or needed. Hence in clear-cut language Baba outrightly condemns the dogmatic ritual of prayer. In AM we do not engage in any kind of prayer.

WHAT THE "COMMENTARY" SAYS

In the book, "The Spiritual Philosophy of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti: A Commentary on Ananda Sutram", they are giving their own depiction on this point of prayer. Because on page 221 of their "Commentary" they take a completely dogmatic approach. Because about the very same sutra 3-11 which was examined above, this "Commentary" book takes its own turn on the matter. Specifically in the book "The Spiritual Philosophy of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti: A Commentary on Ananda Sutram", it is written: "When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathens do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking; be not ye therefore like unto them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him. (Lord Christ)." Here ends the quote from that "Commentary" book. So this is the way the so-called Commentary book explains Baba's divine sutra. In short, this fake commentary is telling a few totally wrong and dogmatic things and trying to impose this as being the meaning of Ananda Sutram. The Fake Commentary says: Absolutely do pray - but do not pray like heathens. Reply: Obviously this is totally wrong as in AM we do not believe in any type of prayer - period. Furthermore we do not believe in heathens. The Fake Commentary says: Christ says pray like human beings-- standard Christian followers-- not like heathens. Reply: Our Ananda Marga is not the approach of Christianity. They pray - we do not. It is that simple. Yet this Didi insists on using this dogmatic Biblical reference as a means to explain Baba's philosophical treatise of Ananda Sutram. Remember, the aim of giving commentary on Ananda Sutram is to project the ideas of Ananda Marga - the entire philosophy of Ananda Marga since Ananda Sutram is our entire AM philosophy in seed form. So this is not commentary of one the ideas of one Dada, Didi, Mr X, or Mr Y,etc. A commentary on Ananda Sutram should be according to the principles and philosophy of Ananda Sutram and not project the mistaken ideas of one confused Didi who employs dogma from the Bible to explain Ananda Sutram. Let us emphasize again that Baba says do not pray. In AM there is no prayer. That is the idea we should project. Thus anyone who writes a commentary book that states "When ye pray...", then they are entirely off the track. So on the one side Baba's dharmic teaching of Sutra 3-11 condemns the use of prayer; but the aforementioned "Commentary" book, in their attempt to explain that very sutra, advocates the dogmatic use of prayer by stating, "When ye pray.." and giving a long explanation about how to pray. Hence one big contradiction is going on. Because in Christ's dogmatic statement that is cited in the supposed "Commentary book", Christ openly supports the use of prayer, i.e. that prayer must be done. And that so-called Commentary book is using Christ's statement as though it supports Baba's sutra. But Christ supports prayer. Whereas Baba's sutra is given to explicitly condemn prayer. Hence Christ's negative & dogmatic statement cannot be used to explain Baba's divine sutra 3-11. Yet that is exactly what that "Commentary" book does. In fact in no case can the dogmatic & problematic religious doctrine of Christianity be used as means to explain Baba's pure AM ideology. Yet that is what they are doing in this so-called commentary book. So you decide, is this a real "Commentary" book or not-- when they are using the dogma of Christianity to elaborate on Baba's dharmic teachings of Ananda Sutram

A FEW OF BABA'S VIEWS ON THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

Actually, we all know that the dogma of Christianity sways far from the truth. Because not just on the point of prayer but on innumerable issues Baba points out the defective ideas of such a dogmatic religion like Christianity: Baba says, "The Day of Judgement or Doomsday argument is illogical. Even the people of old did not really believe the logic of Doomsday. Those who did, did so out of fear and ignorance, but the rational person of today won't accept all this. Those who believe due to tradition do not really accept the idea with their minds and hearts either. They don't have the courage to speak out; that is why they don't say anything." (AV-3, p.68) And here again Baba reveals the truth about Christianity & its dogmatic beliefs. Baba says, "Eternal hell or heaven is a totally defective idea...We should not encourage these approaches. There is no hell or heaven, and no one will go to hell or heaven for eternity after death, or lie in a grave forever; nor will anyone have to wait until any Day of Judgment." (AV-3, p.72) Thus on so many accounts Baba exposes the inherent flaws of the dogmatic Christian doctrine. Yet the book, "A Commentary...", is claiming that what Christ told is ideal. And that book is furthermore proclaiming that Christ's dogmatic statement is equal in meaning and stature to Baba's perfect sutra, 3-11 Pra'rthana'rcana' ma'traeva bhramamu'lam. So this is the confusion, nay contradiction, that this so-called Commentary book is making. Because that book is using Christ's dogma to explain AM Dharma.

MORE ABOUT DOGMA OF PRAYER

To continue then with the point of prayer. As we all know, in Christianity there is nothing but prayer, prayer, and only dogmatic prayers. Yet Baba condemns this idea of prayer itself. Prayer is taken as a very negative thing in Ananda Marga. We never do prayer. We Ananda Margiis do sadhana, Pranayam, kiirtan, bhajans-- and we never engage in dogmatic rituals like prayer. But in the book "The Spiritual Philosophy of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti: A Commentary on Ananda Sutram", in an attempt to explain AM ideology it is written:

"When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathens do. (Lord Christ)"

Here again is that quote from that so-called Commentary book. So overall at minimum there are two basic problems: (1) The Commentary book is telling that we should follow the negative ritual of prayer; (2) And the Commentary book from training centre is relying on Christian dogma to present AM teachings. By this way it become clear that the so-called Commentary book is way off the mark. Because on the one side AM ideology is our polestar star and on the other side the "Commentary books is following the ways of some dogmatic doctrine(s)-- and wrongly using those things to explain AM teachings. We cannot use such dogmatic religions to elucidate Ananda Sutram. Ananda Sutram is the divine philosophy of bhagavad dharma not any dogma like Christianity etc. So just as you cannot find vegetarian food in a meat store, one cannot find dharma in the dogmatic religions. They are two opposite ends of the spectrum. Thus no one should ever use the dogmatic religious texts to explain any facet of Ananda Marga teachings like this Didi did with Ananda Sutram. That will be a bogus approach and will be an injustice to Baba's divine teachings.

IMPORTANCE OF SCRIPTURE

Here Baba gives clear cut guidelines as to who is qualified to interpret and explain His divine teachings. BABA says, "The scriptures should always be interpreted by qualified scholars, competent philosophers, and penetrating thinkers. If one tries to interpret a profound scripture with superficial knowledge, the interpreter appears ridiculous and the audience is confused." "There are some people who are neither scholars, nor philosophers, nor penetrating thinkers, but merely wander about interpreting scriptures as a means of livelihood. They utterly fail to present the proper matter in the correct perspective before the audience...[and] do more harm than good to the society." "[They] interpret the scriptures just to exhibit their intellect--to procure for themselves a certificate of erudition. They remain far from the living spirit of the scriptures." (NSS) So in His above guideline, Baba is issuing a strong warning about who is capable of explaining then divine teachings of Ananda Marga. Indeed, after reading Baba's above teaching, reviewing the point of prayer, then it is quite evident how far this so-called "Commentary" book is proper. Everyone can easily judge for themselves if the person behind this "Commentary" book is up to the proper standard for interpreting Baba's teachings. Because when Baba says in sutra 3-11 that prayer is dogma and when about that very same sutra the "Commentary" book says that prayer is good, then we can all see what is what. That is why many are openly telling that this is just a so-called Commentary book since it strays far from the dharma of AM.

BABA'S BLESSING

Here below Baba is guaranteeing the welfare of all-- in all the spheres. Baba says, "The people of this world must be saved from oppression, suppression and exploitation by any means so that human misery in the mundane sphere will be removed and thus a proper adjustment in the psychic sphere will be reestablished. As far as the spiritual stratum is concerned, there was no defect in the past nor will there be in the future. Human beings need not worry about this." (AV-6) Namaskar, Kalyanika

Note 1: CHRISTIAN LEADERS OPPOSE THE DHARMA OF AM

Who does not know that when pracar of Ananda Marga started, then the degree to which Hindu dogmatic priests were against Ananda Marga, Christians were more against Ananda Marga. History witnesses all these things. Baba was deported or not allowed to visit different countries & behind the was the conspiracy of the Pope. Why did all these things happened? Why was the Pope against? There are many reasons. But main reason is, their prayer system. Those who look superficially may say that Prout is the main cause of opposition. But that is not at all correct. Prout movement started in 1970. And Prout philosophy itself was given in 1959. But since birth of AM in 1955 Christian/Catholic missionaries started opposing AM. In fact they printed one pamphlet to confuse Margiis and public. And the name of pamphlet was, "Ananda Ka' Marga". The English meaning is 'Path of Bliss'. In that, they wrote many concocted filthy stories of Ananda Marga. I do not have time to write here much, but it is quite clear everybody knows that Christian / Catholic missionaries vehemently oppose our spiritual philosophy. Because of our basic philosophical differences. They believe in the prayer and we treat prayer as a dogma.

Note 2: ONE OTHER MISTAKE...

In the 1996 Edition of Ananda Sutram the editors involved translated the literal meaning of sutra 3-11. But one word they forgot to translate and include in their line meaning. And that word is "ma'traeva" which means "only". So the sutra has a particular meaning that is not fully captured by the editors.

Note 3: WHO WROTE THIS "COMMENTARY" BOOK

The author of the book "The Spiritual Philosophy of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti: A Commentary on Ananda Sutram" is Didi Ananda Mitra.

*************************************************** Speciality of Ananda Vanii

Baba says, "I have already told you in many of my Ananda Vanii messages that Parama Purus'a is with you." "No one today is alone; even the small countries of the world cannot live separately. We will all have to move together in unison - this will be the model for the future." "You will surely be victorious because you possess that inherent dynamism. I say this with great joy, and I anticipate with greater joy that your dynamism will increase more and more."

(Kalikata, 12th November, 1978) ***************************************************