== THE KAURAVA-PANDAVA DOGMA ==
Namaskar,
These days in our AMPS organization, there is a new dogma which has spread
throughout the different narrow groups striving for power. It is the dogma
of "Kauravas and Pandavas". In this dogma, each narrow-minded groupist
movement inside our AM organization proclaims that, "We are the Pandavas
and everyone else are the Kauravas". This slogan resounds in the halls of
the main meetings of each of the main cheap narrow-minded factions.
EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNT
In one place I attended a series of gatherings where this cry was chanted
again and again. Here I will give my first-hand account of what I
personally witnessed.
I was in Madhya Pradesh. It was the month of February, which is the time of
seminars in our AM. Everywhere seminars were being organized. But this year
the seminars have taken a different turn. The Rudrananda-Bihari group has
been using the seminars as a tool to propagate their own group's
propaganda. We margis have become quite awakened and alert about this
point, and we do not like that any group should use Baba's organization as
a forum for propagating their narrow views and claims to power. As a
result, in AM units throughout India we margis are openly protesting that
we do not accept the groupism and will not tolerate it any longer. At
several different units, margis organized and refused to allow the groupist
WTs to hold seminar in their area. In some areas margis held their own
seminar in the jagriti and did not allow groupist dadas to come and hold
class there. In other areas, margis held their own seminar in another
location and protested the groupism by not attending the seminar held by
groupist dadas at the jagriti. All around India, such margi-led movements
against groupism are sprouting.
As I say, during this seminar season when all this was going on, I was in
Madhya Pradesh. In one area, I was present when all the meetings occurred
and I will relate here, what I saw.
REGIONAL SEMINAR BEFOOLERY
The regional seminar was soon to be held. Margis there in that place are
quite aware of all the negative groupist in-fighting going on in our
organization. And like margis in other places, they were fed up. So they
met at a local dharmashala (inn), and decided that they would take action
to voice their discontent with the crude, groupist behavior our WTs are
exhibiting. When the area dadas came to know about this local margi
meeting, they organized a meeting at the jagriti.
SIMPLE VILLAGE MARGIS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF
The dadas' meeting was held ostensibly to organize the upcoming seminar.
Our dadas gathered very simple margis mostly from the outlying rural
villages to attend the meeting. These margis were not involved or much
aware about the politicking going on these days in the organization. So
they were easily befooled by our dadas, who gave bellowing lectures in
which they loudly proclaimed that "You all attending this meeting, you are
the Pandavas. And those margis holding their own meetings outside at the
dharmashala, they are groupist and anti-organizational. They are nothing
but Kauravas. They are doomed; their destiny is to meet with defeat. But
all of us here at this meeting, we are the Pandavas and we shall be
victorious!"
The simple margis there, unaware of the real picture, were befooled by our
WTs' cunning words. So these margis really started to think that the margis
at the dharmashala were going against AM and were themselves engaging in
groupism. When the reality was the opposite: the margis who had held the
meeting at the dharmashala were very good margis, who did not want to see
Baba's organization destroyed by the factional in-fighting of WTs in the
"Rudrananda Bihari group", or the "Bengali group", or the "Chattisgari
Effecting Change group". Disturbed by the long-standing and destructive
fighting of these three WT groups, the margis at the dharmashala had
decided that something had to be done to raise a clarion call against this
negative groupism.
But the simple margis in the dadas' meeting were unaware of all this, and
heard only what the groupist WTs told them at the jagriti meeting. So they
agreed to help organize the upcoming seminar, and returning to their rural
villages they mobilised all to attend the seminar.
The WT-led seminar happened at the jagriti. It was attended by a number of
very simple margis from the surrounding villages, who lived on their small
farms and had no way to become informed about the truth of what was going
on in our beloved AM organization. There in those villages, there is no
such thing as e-mail. And in the vast majority of homes, there is no phone.
In many homes, the floor is made of compact soil, there may not be
electricity, and life is extremely simple.
BOOMING SLOGANS
So these margis from rural areas attended the seminar. And at the seminar,
our dadas bellowed into blaring loudspeakers about how "Our AM organization
is under seige by anti-organizational elements who want to break our AMPS
org. Our organization is under threat of destruction by negative elements
inside our own organization. But we margis and WTs attending this seminar,
we are the backbone of dharma. We are the Pandavas! And those not attending
this seminar, those attending their own groupist meetings in hidden
dharmashalas, they are the negative groupist elements. They are the
Kauravas. But they will be defeated. Because noone can stand against Shrii
Shrii Anandamurti and succeed. They are sure to be defeated. And we who are
here today, we are the warriors of dharma. We are the Pandavas--Baba is
sure to bless us, and our victory is guaranteed!"
For the two days of the seminar, these are the sorts of booming slogans
that were heard in almost every so-called "class". In reality, these were
not classes at all. They were nothing but political rallies. Underhanded
opportunities for the groupist WTs to project their negative mis-guided
plans and ideas on innocent, unassuming margis from the countryside.
SEMINAR A SUCCESS FOR CRAFTY WTS
By the end of the seminar, these simple village margis had been befooled by
our cunning WTs that this was a meeting of the Pandavas. And that those who
did not attend, they were the Kauravas.
Meanwhile the reality was, that the well-informed and active margis of the
local area had protested the seminar because it was being run by WTs from
the Rudrananda-Bihari group. And these margis who stood in protest, wanted
that our AMPS should again become united. That there should be no
Rudrananada group, no Chattisgari "Effecting Change" group, and no Bengali
group. These margis in protest, where standing for dharma. --That groupism
must not be tolerated in our AM. And these margis were right.
But our crafty groupist WTs painted the picture in their own twisted way.
And in the absence of any other source of information, the simple village
margis in their innocence, believed our WTs.
(It should be added here that not all WT's are groupist. There are many
sincer WT's who are dharmic and completely committed to Baba's divine
ideals. By the phrases-- crafty Wt's-- I refer to those WT's who are
members of particular factions, and try to befool margis about their
factional membership.)
STRATEGY HIGHLY EFFECTIVE--AND HIGHLY ADHARMIC
So this was one example of how the Kaurav-Pandav battle cry is being
wrongly sounded in our organization. It is a highly misguided battle cry.
--But it is an effective one, loaded with the sentiment of the Mahabharat.
So that unassuming, innocent people can be easily misled. For this reason
it is highly important for all to be alert about this point.
Because calling out that "We are the Pandavas, and they are the
Kauravas!!!"….-this is not enough to prove anything as to who is wrong and
who is right. Rather, the measuring rod is Baba's teachings. Those who act
in concordance with Baba's teachings, they are standing on the path of
dharma. They--and only they--are dharmic. Merely calling out that "We are
the Pandavas" has nothing to do with dharma.
PANDAV-KAURAV CRY GOING ON ALL OVER GLOBE IN AM...
And yet, unfortunately, this very fake "Pandava" cry is being sounded in
all corners of our AM organization today, by each groupist faction.
...IN B-GROUP
I have been to Kolkata, and attended the dogmatic mahaprayan function. I
was watching carefully, and they were shouting slogans that, "We are all
Pandavas here. And those who did not come to this shraddha ceremony of
Baba, they are all Kauravas. Their life is doomed."
And there in Kolkata at that dogmatic mahaprayan function, our groupist
dadas also broadcast over the PA system one Baba's discourse on "Yuga
Sandi". In which Baba says that, "You all are the flag bearers of dharma,
those who are dharmikas will be victorious…". And after all heard the
discourse, our groupist dadas there stood and proclaimed that, "We are the
dharmikas and we will be victorious!!".
So those who are following B-group dogma, they in their camp think that
they are the "Pandavas". And that all others in our AM organization are
Kauravas, whose lives are doomed.
...IN "EFFECTING CHANGE" GROUP
I have also been to Baalbia Nagar, which is the head office of the
"Effecting Change" (EC) group. Kiirtan was going on there, and the same
type of slogans and dogmatic excitation was going on. In the booming pracar
that our groupist dadas there gave over the microphone after mediation
finished, they also said that, "All of us here at this gathering, we are
the Pandavas and victory is ours! And others in our AM organization are
Kauravas, their lives are doomed."
...IN RUDRANANDA H GROUP
And the Rudrananda groups' headquarters are in Gadaypur, Baba's MG quarters
in Delhi. When I attended a function there I heard the same battle cry.
-"We are the Pandavas. Our victory is guaranteed. Those who have not
attended this function are the Kauravas. Their lives are doomed!! But
dharma is with us, we are the dharmikas!"
...OVERSEAS
And in overseas sectors as well this is happening. I have seen the same
types of reports on the e-mails that such and such groupist retreat or
meeting happened, and those who attended felt that they are in the right
and destined for victory, and all others are on the wrong path and doomed
to defeat. So this dogma is not limited to India or any single country.
This is one far-reaching dogma which has come inside our AM, and it has
spread throughout the globe.
GIVING PANDAVA CRY NOT ENOUGH--
MUST APPLY VIVEK, SEE WHAT IS DHARMA
So it has become evident that everyone in all the different groupist camps,
they each brag that they are the Pandavas and others are the Kauravas. But
the main point here, is that we have to consider what Baba's teachings are.
In Baba's teachings, we will find what is right and what is wrong. Whereas
devoid of Baba's teachings, living in the dreamland that "We are the
Pandavas and all others are the Kauravas", this is nothing but pure dogma.
BABA'S TEACHING
Baba guides that we are to see the cardinal principles in His teachings.
And on that base we are to apply our vivek as to what is right and what is
wrong. Using Baba's teachings, we are to discriminate what is dharma and
what is adharma. On the basis of what Guru says, on that very basis the
decisions will be made as to who is dharmic. Just crying out that "We are
the Pandavas", proves nothing and is meaningless.
EATING MEAT AND VEGETARIAN ANALOGY
Baba says that dogma should not be followed. So if anyone follows any type
of dogma, then that is not good. If anyone is eating meat and drinking
alcohol but chanting slogans that, "All should eat vegetarian food and
become healthy!"-then that slogan has become meaningless. The person who
cries out such slogans but in his house is eating meat and drinking
alcohol, will get some mortal illness and die a premature death.
So similarly, singing the song that, "We are all Pandavas and the others
are Kauravas", that is not going to help one to be dharmic. Rather we need
to see what is Baba's teaching, and follow that.
Following any type of groupism is against dharma. In that setting of
following groupism, calling out that "We are the Pandavas" in no way
changes the fact that one is going against dharma.
SAME HYPOCRISY IN MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
So we should remain alert about any such religious cry or priestly chant.
Otherwise, we see that in Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism--all
talk the same talk that "Our tiirtha is best, our system is very good,
those who follow our religion are the chosen ones". As if to suggest that
those are of that faith are the chosen ones and all others are heathen and
their lives are doomed.
Similarly in our AM, those who follow B group or EC group or Rudranand
group, they all think they are the chosen ones. They are the "Pandavas"
destined for victory, and all others are "heathen"-- "Kauravas", who are
doomed. So this all became one dogma in our AM organization today, and we
should be alert and careful, and expose the preachings and beliefs of such
narrow-minded groups. Otherwise the danger is, that under the aegis of
being "Pandavas", one will just be getting "taken in" or indoctrinated into
one false dogma.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, all dogmas-- like that of the "We are the Pandavas, and
they are the Kauravas!!!"…-- will get removed from our AM society and our
Marga will only reflect pure dharma.
Baba says, "You boys, you girls, you the spiritual aspirants, must always
remember that you must never surrender at the altar of dogma. In the past,
dogma committed so many nuisances, dogma created so many fissiparous
tendencies in this human society. Your slogan should be "Dogma - No more!
Dogma - No more!" Establish yourselves above the boundaries of dogma, and
be established in the excellence of human glory." (AFPS-4)
Namaskar,
Hariish
Note 1: MUST USE RATIONAL MIND
Baba says we should always apply our vivek. We should not merely accept
something without using rational mind, just because someone with official
authority has spoken. Because if what we accept is not proper, then it can
cause the downfall of dharma.
Baba says,
"Yuktiyuktamupa'deyam' vacanam' ba'laka'dapi;
Anyam' trn'amiva tya'jyamapyuktam' Padmajanmana'h.
Kevalam' sha'strama'shrityam' na karttavyo vinirn'ayah;
Yuktihiina vica're tu dharmaha'nih praja'yate.
If a child says something rational, it should be accepted, and if the
Supreme Creator says something irrational, it should be totally rejected.
It is undesirable to accept something just because it is written in the
scriptures, because if irrational sayings are accepted and implemented, the
decline of dharma will be the result." (HS-1)
Note 2: THEY LIKE FOLLOWING DOGMA
Here Baba points out how and why various groupists adhere to dogma.
Baba says, "[They] yield to this dogma with the sole intention of attaining
selfish pleasures; They know that they are surrendering their intellect to
dogma, and that the outcome will be undesirable; they know and understand
everything why, even then, do they knowingly submit to it? They are all
deliberate sinners and intentionally accept dogmas as truth. They observe
that these dogmas are based on A'tma-Sukha Tattva; but they think, "I don't
care whether it does good or harm to others, because at last I have enjoyed
some pleasure!" Being motivated by this idea, they enslave themselves to
dogmas. " (NH-LOI)
With this intention, with this knowledge, those factional leaders knowingly
stick to their crude dogma-- "We are the Pandavas, and they are the
Kauravas!!!"…
So good margiis and good wts should be aware about this situation and not
get caught up in this groupist escapade.
***************************************
One Should Know
Baba says, "It is the duty of every sa'dhaka to propagate dharma so that
humans will not make a mistake but will follow the path of spirituality."
"Humans are endowed with intellect and the faculty of judgement. So if they
do not act properly or fail to follow the path of spirituality, they are no
better than animals."
"Those who utilize their spiritual potential are intelligent but those who
do not, and live like animals, will be born as even more inferior creatures
in the next life." (Kolkata, 6th November, 1978)
***************************************
