To: am-global@earthlink.net
From: V. Rajpurhit
Subject: GTC: Eye-Witness Report
Baba
"Esechi toma'ri krpa'ya..." (PS 970)
Baba, I have come on this Earth. It is your grace, it is Your grace. You
have brought me here to utilise me for Your work. I have only desire-- that
my whole life should pass in Your song and in Your meditation and in Your
work. Baba, You brought me on this Earth. I am at Your disposal. Keep me
along...
== GLOBAL TRAINING CENTRE (GTC): EYE-WITNESS REPORT ==
~ WHY INFERIORITY COMPLEX IS BAD ~
~ WHY INFERIORITY COMPLEX IS BAD ~
Namaskar,
The Varanasi WT Training Centre--a.k.a. GTC-- opens its doors on the second
Sunday of every month for akhand kiirtan. All general Margis are welcome to
attend, and on occasion I go to enjoy the blissful kiirtan and dharmacakra
together with other devotees. Six months ago in October, while there at the
akhand kiirtan I had opportunity to chat with several of the trainees.
One trainee in particular I saw who I've seen there for the past FIVE
years, and I joked to him-- what happened, have you received your WT
posting here at the GTC?!! We laughed together. The trainee didn't say
anything further about it though, and when I later asked if everything was
alright, he quietly reassured me that all was fine.
One of the other trainees though, with whom I have chatted in the past,
overheard our talk together and when we were alone, told me that actually
there is more to the story. Later on that day, this second trainee told me
something more about what was going on.
story as trainee A, and the trainee about whom the story is told as trainee B.
STORY: AT THE GLOBAL WT TRAINING CENTER
Trainee A related to me that WT trainee B was quite young, and he had come
to the Training Centre with the hope of serving Baba. After arriving, B
held and cherished this feeling of idealism close to his heart. But certain
experiences he had there, challenged his budding vision to the very core.
As the initial months at the GTC went by, the trainee B saw that for most
of the trainees, living at the GTC was a sheer matter of survival. Food was
sparse, and physical work common-- which without proper food, was, for some
very difficult. There were few inspiring things in the typical day or even
typical month, to look forward to. Rather, the trainer spent all his time
teaching at the nearby AM school. So all day long, there were no programs
at the training center. No classes of any kind. Then in the night after
dinner at 9 pm when all were exhausted, occasionally class was held. But
generally not. And due to the difficult life there, bereft of inspiration,
most trainees left the training center.
Trainee A related to me that all these tribulations were going on, and yet
still he said, trainee B stayed. And it is about B's continued experience
at the GTC, that is of concern to all.
A BIG COMPLEX IN INDIAN SOCIETY
These days in India, there is tremendous pressure on children to learn
English. Although Hindi is the national language of India, but virtually
all the schools of quality in cities and towns have converted over to
English medium. Because all are aware that to get a good job in any
company, in any major city in India, one will be expected to carry out
one's work duties in English. Without knowing English, one will be rejected
outright in any such job application.
And it is the perception in India, that outside India English dominates
communication in all spheres of life-- in all other countries. So by not
knowing English, one's stature is downgraded to the lowest of the low, an
uneducated rustic who cannot participate in modern life.
Yet despite this overwhelming social pressure to know English, virtually
all the schools in rural India are government schools, and government
schools are Hindi or local language medium. So children raised in the rural villages of India-- unless they are of the priveleged few to attend a private school--
are Hindi or local language knowing only. They cannot speak English. And due to this national craze in India, i.e. 'that English is a must in life', it is common for
such Hindi-only-knowing children to be looked down upon by the rest of
Indian society. When these children become adults, they continue to feel
the pressure to know English-- but lacking the opportunity to learn it,
they pass their lives with this inferiority complex that, "I could not
learn English".
TRAINEE'S SITUATION
The trainee with whom I spoke that day at the GTC, was the product of such
a rural background. Having come originally from a rural area, he therefore
had not learned English. He was an extremely intelligent fellow and eager
to learn. But growing up in rural India, there was no such opportunity to
learn English.
And for those living in the general society in India today, this matter of
not knowing English is indeed a serious and often crippling problem.
IN OUR ANANDA MARGA
But here in our Ananda Marga, all Margis know we are building a society
free of any complexes-- neither inferiority nor superiority. In our AM way
of life, there is no place for putting others down on the basis of any
limited sentiment. --And language sentiment is just such a sentiment. Baba
has given the teaching in innumerable discourses that crude sentiments
create unnatural divisions in society, on the basis of which certain
sectors of society get exploited.
NARROW LANGUAGE SENTIMENT A REALITY IN INDIAN SOCIETY
And this sentiment about English in India is such a sentiment. Those who
know English feel superior because of it and are sure to make others around
them aware that they know English, by speaking it. --And by including
liberal amounts of English phrases when speaking their native tongue as
well. By this way, those who do not know English are regularly made to feel
inferior because of it. It is a regular feature of life in India today
which all have to face-- on the trains, at meetings of all kinds, and
during social gatherings.
UNIQUE APPROACH TO ENGLISH IN ANANDA MARGA
In Ananda Marga, Baba has given that all should learn English as it is the
lingua franca in the world today. Baba says one should perfect one's
knowledge of one's mother tongue, and in addition one should learn English.
But Baba has given this point in the spirit that all should be encouraged
to learn, and should be helped & supported in their efforts by those who
know English. There is no place for injecting complexes on the basis of who
knows or does not know English. Such complexes are but a symptom of the
diseased society we are trying to heal.
ENGLISH AT THE GTC: SOCIETAL DOGMA COMES TO LIFE
So when trainee A told me about trainee B that, during B's entire stay at
the GTC, the trainer has been mocking him because he does not know English,
then I must say I was shocked and deeply disturbed.
Because Baba Himself has established the GTC curriculum-- and in that
curriculum, "language" is the second of the four principal courses to be
taught. And during this language course, the main work of Indian trainees
in particular, is to learn and be taught English.
Trainee A further told that trainee B had already spent five long years in
the GTC, and had finished all the four GTC courses. B was only awaiting his
final exam. Yet still, B had not learned English. And still, after five
years, the GTC Trainer Dada had made no effort to teach him. Rather, he
regularly slipped underhanded comments and mocking remarks about the fact
that this trainee B did not know English.
So instead of making any effort to teach B English, as was his duty as
trainer, the GTC Trainer Dada instead preferred to make passing cutting
remarks about the fact that this trainee did not know English.
GTC'S TRAINER DADA'S TALK
Once trainee A told me about this, I watched attentively to see how the GTC
trainer--Ac. Ragamayanand Avt.-- spoke after the akhand kiirtan on this
second Sunday of the month.
After the kiirtan, as soon as dada began to give talk, it was immediately
obvious that he was playing the same game of superiority as is played in
the general society. As is the custom in general Indian society, Dada
Ragamayanandji began his talk speaking English to show he knew English, and
then switched over to Hindi as if to show that he were "coming down to the
masses" in order to help them understand his words.
To some naiive people this may not seem to be a big deal, but beneath it
was a calculated and even loathsome display of one of the main
narrow-minded, crude sentiments which divides Indian society and leads to
exploitation. And that crude sentiment is--superiority due to knowing English.
TRAINEE B'S INFERIORITY COMPLEX WORSENED AT GTC
And later, talking again with trainee A, I found that the inferiority
complex about English which B had upon entering the GTC five years prior,
had only been engraved more deeply in his mind over the course of his time
there. It was constantly on B's mind that, "I must learn English"-- and yet
in the absence of any such opportunity to do so, this unsatisfied desire
only led to deeper and deeper feelings of inferiority and frustration.
Trainees who do not know English properly, instead of goading and helping
them to learn properly, the GTC trainer only mocks them in front of the
other trainees. And that Baba is strongly against. Because, by directly
criticizing someone for a quality he is aware he does not have (here
English), a serious and often permanent inferiority complex is injected in
his mind. This is how exploiters destroy others' growth-- by capitalizing
on and openly condemning their weaknesses.
And that is just what happened to trainee B. He developed a serious
inferiority complex due to not knowing English. And as a result, he was
extremely susceptible to being exploited.
HOW INFUSING INFERIORITY COMPLEX CEMENTS WEAKNESS IN THE MIND
Here Baba shows how infusing an inferiority complex thwarts the growth of
others.
Baba says, Some people "block the progress of others - they do not want
others to prosper at all. This mentality is shameful, deplorable, and
highly detrimental. Suppose a very dark-complexioned boy is called a
"nigger" by his classmates and even his teachers. This certainly depresses
him and blocks the expression of his capabilities. He thinks, "I am
inferior. I am downtrodden. I am ugly." Similarly, those who are born into
so-called low-caste families are criticized for being of low birth. People
say derogatorily, "Ha! What sort of education can such low-caste people
expect?" As a result, their minds contract and their progress is thwarted."
(NHNS 1, pp.17-18)
So here, Baba is pointing out that showing someone to be low in front of
others, has devastating consequences. It makes the person have a negative
view of themselves, with the result that they feel they can never move ahead.
The same thing happens all over the world-- in Europe, North and South
America, Africa and Asia. When someone comes from a background that was
less developed, then others do not like to allow them to come up into their
group, and so they taunt them. And by that way, they infuse inferiority
complex and the natural growth of the person is crushed.
PUBLIC HUMILIATION DISTURBS ONE'S GROWTH
Baba gives another example of how publically highlighting a lower person's
weakness, destroys them. They get paralysed by this, and can never move
ahead again.
Baba says, "In exactly the same way, poor people are subjected to all sorts
of indignities and harassments because of their financial difficulties.
Suppose a poor but meritorious boy is making excellent progress with his
studies: his envious classmates comment, "Why do you bother to study?
Shouldn't you get a job as a servant?" Because of such attitudes, many
brilliant and gifted people are forced to let their inherent potentialities
go to waste. This is not only a matter of regret and shame, it is an act of
blatant oppression, suppression, repression, and exploitation!
Consequently, the genius in many people gets choked. This is called
"intellectual exploitation" in philosophy. You must oppose it." (NHNS 1, p.18)
Here, a promising and meritorious boy is publically condemned because he is
poor. And due to this, he is shamed into surrendering his hopes of moving
ahead. His talents will go to waste, and his life will be spent in the
"lowly" tasks to which society has condemned him.
INFERIORITY COMPLEX CRUSHES--NO MATTER HOW TALENTED ONE IS
Such devastation of individual lives has happened even in cases where the
person was outstanding and highly talented. Thus demonstrating that the
crude negative social pressure can be insurmountable even for such
unusually gifted persons.
Baba says, "Sometimes, even if people are aware of the right path and are
not at all lethargic - even if one is a genius - they cannot express their
full potentialities as they are subjected to unusual intellectual or social
pressure. Thus, the natural expression of their potentialities is checked.
This socio-intellectual exploitation is highly detrimental. You must oppose
it." (NHNS 1, pp.18-19)
People of all levels and abilities, when faced with such public
condemnation, become psychically crushed and demoralized.
SPREADING INFERIORITY COMPLEX AT THE GTC
So here at the GTC, the trainer is himself infusing inferiority
complex--which is deadly. The sense here is that due to the trainer's
negative and heartless behavior, this young trainee may never recover from
his inferiority complex for his whole life. And due to this very complex,
he will always remain susceptible to getting exploited. And indeed there in
the GTC itself he has been sitting there for five long years in the hope
that he is going to pass. When others were finishing within 1 ½ years.
This dealing itself brought serious inferiority complex in the mind of the
trainee.
THE AM SOLUTION
Baba says that infusing an inferiority complex-- like the Trainer Dada is
doing with B-- is sinful. Rather, one must encourage others to move ahead.
Baba teaches us that indeed, this is the only way to help others overcome
inferiority complex-- by encouraging them. Those who, knowing that a person
has inferiority complex, publically shame them on the very point on which
they feel inferior, such persons are nothing but exploiters. And Baba
explains that the approach to helping the downtrodden is the opposite
approach--encourage them and give them opportunity to move ahead.
About the downtrodden, and how to help them.
Baba says, "Such people start considering themselves to be inferior to
others in all respects - education, social position, etc. Normally such
people become unnecessarily nervous and begin to falter or fumble before
their elders and seniors: they lack both faith and self-confidence in
themselves. This is inferiority complex. The best way to cure such people
is to generate self-confidence in them by frequently advising them not to
feel inferior to anyone. Slowly, gradually, they will free themselves from
their inferiority complex..." (YP, p.46)
So the way, Baba says, to cure this inferiority complex is to help
"generate self-confidence in them", by helping those affected realize they
are not inferior to others.
NO ONE IS INFERIOR: BABA'S PRACTICAL TEACHING
And Baba gave this teaching practically in the way He ran our AMPS
organization. Those who had inferiority complex, Baba gave them very high
posts in the organization. In this way, they realized they were not
inferior-- and their inferiority complex gradually resolved. This everybody
knows.
One very good example of this comes to mind: Dada Mahadevananda had a huge
inferiority complex. Baba says people with such complexes "begin to falter
or fumble before their elders and seniors". And this happened with
Dadaji--to the point where he had a stammer in his speech and often
faltered when speaking. Baba gave him a central posting at the top of the
organization, and with time his complex decreased and gradually resolved.
In this same way, many of the central dadas had inferiority complexes prior
to receiving their posting-- and by receiving this high posting, their
inferiority complex was resolved.
So this is the loving and benevolent way in which Baba helps everyone.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "SCOLDING" AND "INFUSING INFERIORITY COMPLEX"
Here it is important to note that Baba did often "scold" both workers and
margis, and point out their mistakes. But here it should be made very clear
that "scolding" and "infusing inferiority complex" are not the same thing.
Rather, there is a heaven and hell difference.
Baba used to scold a lot-- but he never scolded persons who had inferiority
complex. Especially Baba would never scold on the very point about which
the person feels inferior. Rather, He would scold those who have
superiority complex. For example there was one dada-- dada Cidghanananda
who was doing Hindi translation. He was a Hindi professor in Ananda Nagar,
and had big ego regarding his Hindi abilities in translating Hindi and
Bengali. But he could not translate properly, and so Baba was making jokes
about it.
I remember that in the very beginning of Prabhat Samgiita, it was dada
Cidghananandji's job to do the translating from Bengali to Hindi. I was
attending a DMC in the early days, and Cidghananandji was standing at the
microphone, translating the PS which was in Bengali, into Hindi. Just after
he finished Baba spoke into the mic, saying that there is a fellow who has
a lot of pride that he is expert in Hindi. And he thinks he knows just the
way to translate properly, but he does not. And Baba gave example of how
the fellow is doing it wrong. Baba did not mention Cidghananandji's name,
but all knew Baba was talking about Cidghananandji. Baba was laughing and
speaking indirectly, but the matter was clear. And after that some simple
margis were given the duty of Bangla to Hindi translation of PS at DMC.
> From then on, Cidghananandji was never again given the opportunity to do
the translation.
All these things happened because dada Cidghananandji had a big ego, and
Baba wanted that his superiority complex should be removed so that he could
progress in spiritual life. So after that his superiority complex resolved,
and he became a good devotee.
But in stark contrast, take Dada Mahadevananda who had the speech stammer.
Baba would never have pointed him out for his stammer. Because he already
had inferiority complex linked with that.
BABA'S PROPER USE AND TRAINER'S WRONG USE
So if a person has superiority complex and they make mistakes, then those
mistakes need to be pointed out--which Baba did through His scolding of
workers and margis. And this was highly beneficial. People who were graced
to receive Baba's scolding, they received tremendous benefit in all aspects
of their lives.
But in stark contrast, if a person already feels inferior on a certain
point--and even then one points out the weakness and mocks about it, then
this is not at all helpful but is instead devastating. It represents the
negative, demonic infusion of inferiority complex.
For example, the young trainee in GTC who has inferiority complex since
early childhood about English because he cannot speak it. --All along since
he was a little boy he has felt this way, forced to feel this way by
demonic prejudices in the society. And despite this, instead of teaching
him how to speak English, one instead goes on making a mockery of the
trainee on this very point that he cannot speak English. Then that trainee
will never be able to learn, and he will feel inferior.
So in the case of the treatment of the young trainee at GTC, that trainer's
behavior in mocking the trainee is very bad. Because the trainee does not
know English and already feels bad about it. And in that setting to mock
him about English, it is very, very bad.
This is the very trainer who is supposed to be teaching AM philosophy, but
it appears he does not know AM philosphy. He is going directly against
Baba's teaching, and doing sinful work and injustice with his own trainee.
Because here Baba says, in "The Faculty of Knowledge-3", that "you should
encourage everyone". And that when you see someone suffering from
inferiority complex, you must encourage them and thereby neutralize the
inferiority complex.
BABA'S PRACTICAL TEACHING: PROPER DEALING
Baba gives the example in India of how one can tell someone is suffering
from inferiority complex: a person thus afflicted will, ten times in one
sentence use the word, "sir". And their expression will be very timid. In
such a situation, one must never scold. Instead, one should try to
encourage such persons. And try to uplift them from their inferiority
complex.
Baba always used to help all-- He would bring those with inferiority
complex up, and bring those with superiority complex down. Those with
inferiority complex Baba used to encourage and often give high post to,
while those with superiority complex Baba would often give low post to. In
this way people's complexes would resolve. In this way, Baba would make
people's minds balanced.
Namaskar,
Vidyasagar
Note 1: DEVASTATION AT THE TC IN NAIROBI SECTOR
There is another highly disturbing example of trainee mistreatment in our
own AM organization.
In the WT training center in Africa, our trainer dadas do not treat the
African trainees as proper human beings. Rather they look down on them and
in that way, infuse inferiority complex. Due to this inferiority complex,
these trainees end up getting exploited their entire lives.
In the same way in all the religions of the general society, the priests
treat the family people as inferior and in this way, inject inferiority
complex in the minds of the general people. This also happens in our own
AM. For example, dadas usually sit in the front of dharmacakra. And at
retreats, they all sit at the front of dharmacakra as if a separate social
class.* But in Caryacary there is no such rule. Rather, one can sit
anywhere regardless of whether one is margi or sannyasi.
In all these various situations-- both in the general society as well as in
our AM, those who are in the lower position get infused with inferiority
complex. And those who are higher, are then in position to exploit those
who feel inferior. In order to exploit anyone, one has to first infuse
inferiority complex.
* DMC was a different case altogether. There, Baba gave WTs many jobs to do
such as arranging equipment, ensuring the smoothness of the program, etc.
So by necessity they sat in the front and if any margi was in the way of
their work there, then that was not proper. It is like if there is a fire
in one house and the firefighters have come to put out the fire, then
general citizens should not be in their way otherwise the work will be
impeded. Like this, the reason WTs sat in front at DMC was for work in the
pandal. It had nothing to do with spiritual status. --But in dharmacakr
there is no such work, and Baba writes that the seats there are to be
distributed among all equally.
Note 2: INFUSING INFERIORITY HAS ONLY ONE MOTIVE: TO EXPLOIT
Baba says that those who infuse inferiority complex in others, do so for
only one reason: by thus putting them in a lower position, they will be
able to exploit them. So inferiority complex is infused to order to make
others weak and therefore exploitable. The motive is, to exploit.
And this happened to many dadas. By the time they went to the field,
inferiority complex had been infused in them. And in their weakened state,
they got exploited. Monetarily, or through work, in any of various ways it
happened. And today it is still going on.
So inferiority complex ultimately leads to exploitation.
About this Baba says,
"[They] perpetuate psychic exploitation by injecting inferiority
complexes in others' minds, and this psychic exploitation is the basis of
other types of exploitation." (PNS-8, p. 38)
Furthermore on this point Baba says,
"One social group...exploits another group. First, the exploiters inject
the idea in the minds of the exploited that the latter are degraded while
the former are elevated -- so they are entitled to greater rights, even to
the right to exploit the inferior group. They are the first-class citizens,
and the exploited second-class." (PNS-8)
So here above Baba is explaining that in order to exploit others, one must
first make them feel low. And this is done by injecting inferiority complex.
Indeed, psychic exploitation is the foundation of economic exploitation.
Baba says,
"If you analyse the history of the world, you will find that whenever one
group exploited another in the economic sphere, they first created psychic
exploitation by infusing inferiority complexes in the minds of the
exploited mass. You will find that in each case of economic exploitation,
psychic exploitation was the foundation: if you go deep into the
background, you will discover a continuous and cunning attempt to create
inferiority complexes in the minds of the exploited." (Prout-8)
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Starvation
Starvation
Baba says, "In Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Vietnam are poor...Almost all
of China suffers from malnutrition...In Africa, there is much poverty and
suffering amongst large sections of the population. There are hungry people
throughout all of Africa. In a few countries, the staple food is rice, but
these days rice is mostly for the rich...What are you doing for this? You
cannot shirk your responsibility -- the entire globe is waiting for you.
This is our sacred responsibility -- let us shoulder this responsibility. "
(PNS-18, p.47)
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