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Grades of Devotees

Date: 06 Mar 2008 21:37:44 -0000 From: NJK Majumdar To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Grades of Devotees Baba "Je a'ma're ja'ya'i baluk toma'ke bha'loba'si..." (3657) Purport: Baba, by Your gracious advent in my dhyana and by Your sweet smile, my heart gets vibrated. This creates a blissful feeling throughout my entire being like the sound of one sonorous, divine flute. Baba, You are so gracious, regardless of what anybody says, I love You. O' Shanti Doota*, O' messenger of Shanti, O' Prashanta Rupa*, O' the Form of Eternal Peace. Baba, because of You I have come on this earth. And finally I will return and merge in Your mental abode. Baba, because of You I come again and again in this world to do Your allotted work, to please You. Baba, You are ever-present in Braja bhava*. You are ever-saturated with the colour of divine love. O' the Beloved of Gopis*, my smile, my cry, and my each and every action-- this entire life of mine is for You. Baba, thinking about Your name and ideating on You, transforms my whole existence. By Your grace my entire being gets filled with bliss. Baba, please be gracious and keep me at Your lotus feet for ever and ever and make me eternally Yours... ASTERISK NOTES (*): *Shanti Doota= In the above song He is called as the 'Messenger of Shanti'. The term 'Doota' means messenger and the word shanti Baba describes below. Baba says, "The word sha'nti is derived from the Sam'skrta root verb sham plus suffix ktin. Sha'nti means to remain absorbed in Parama Purusa. One can attain equanimity and equipose of mind by knowing Parama Purusa. This is what is called sha'nti." (SS-9) *Prashanta Rupa= in the above song He is addresed as the embodiment of Prashanti. The term 'rupa' means form or embodiment and the word Pranshanti Baba describes below. Baba says, "On many different occasions in life, whether big or small, one can hope to attain a certain degree of mental composure, but permanent composure or 'prasha'nti'-- composure beyond which there is no further composure, and which, once attained is never lost-- cannot be attained easily...A person wishing to attain permanent composure will have to attain Shiva or Parama Purus'a. There is no other alternative. Hence it is said, `Gatvam Shivam' sha'ntimatyantamati'. Once one enters deep into the realm of permanent composure one gets a permanent abode in that supreme state of bliss." (AV-8, 'The Attainment of Permanent Composure') *Braj Bhava= In various discourses and special meetings Baba explains that there are three phases or aspects to madhur bhava or that deeply loving ideation in dhyana. Those phases are: Braj Bhava, Gopi Bhava, & Radha Bhava. In the initial phase of braj bhava the aspirant is withdrawing his mind from all worldly objects and desires and instead goading all his psychic energy towards Parama Purusa. Hence the sadhaka is no longer chasing after name, fame, money, post, power, position or other worldly things. The aspirant is instead trying to cultivate more and more spiritual longing: To accept Parama Purusa as their only Goal in life; to accept Him as their sole object of adoration. This is the spirit of brajbhava. From an etymological perspective the term 'Braj' means 'enjoyment' or 'charm' and 'bhava' means 'ideation'. So Braj Bhava is the phase where one expiences some inner enjoyment and their only desire is to get Parama Purusa. There is no other longing. Gopibhava is the next higher phase where the sadhaka's only desire is to remember His sweet love and and give Him pleasure. They are no longer concerned with their own pleasure. But in brajbhava that desire to get bliss is present. In braj bhava sadhaka's do sadhana to get pleasure. But in gopi bhava the sadhaka's desire is to give Him pleasure. Finally, in this radha bhava the sadhaka constatntly thinks about Parama Purusa and he forgets his own existence; the mind is fully focused on Parama Purusa, all the 24hrs. The sadhaka's mind is completely soaked in divine nectar. This is that highest devotional state. *Gopi= In the above song Parama Purusa is called 'Gopi Jan Ballabh', or the most Beloved One of the Gopis. And here below Baba describes who is Gopi. Baba says, "Where the devotee is worshipping Him for pleasing Him there the devotion is of purely spiritual nature. There does not exist the feeling of duality here. Such a devotee is called Gopi. The term connotes one who worships God to please Him (Gopa'yate Yah Sah Gopah)." (SS-19)
== GRADES OF DEVOTEES ==
Namaskar, We all know that in Baba's different discourses He has clearly expressed that there are various types of devotees. Some are A-grade devotees, some B-grade, and some are C-grade devotees.
WHAT C-GRADE DEVOTEES DO
Those who have the lowest type of devotion, those C-grade devotees have one peculiar way of dealing. Whenever they do anything at all, then in their mind they crudely think: 'I made this jagrti'...I arranged this relief program'...'I gave a very good speech'...'I initiated so many persons....'I established this unit or that Master Unit'...'All these good things I did-- They were done by me...'I did all those things.' In this way lower devotees review their actions. And if sometimes they become sick or get into an accident and their leg is broken-- then that time those low devotees blame Baba, as if HE is responsible for creating this problem. At that time such low devotees proclaim that 'He (BABA) confused my mind. And that is why I drove into the ditch and broke my leg, otherwise I was fine.' So in day to day life such low-grade devotees openly blame Baba for their own mistakes and sin. Yet when they do something good then they never give credit to Baba. Such devotees only give "credit" to God for their negative deeds only. Not for any good deeds, in that case then they themselves take the credit. So this is the lower most category of devotees.
THE WAYS OF A-GRADE DEVOTEES
You might have come across in different Baba's discourses that the feeling and expression of A-Grade devotees is just the opposite. A-grade devotees always take responsibility for their bad deeds and firmly tell to Parama Purusa that 'I am ready to take punishment for all my bad deeds. And the good fruit of good deeds I am offering at Your lotus feet'. So A-grade devotees never blame Parama Purusa for their mistakes, blunders, or sin. Whereas C-grade devotees always indulge in such outbursts.
BABA'S GUIDELINES
In so many teachings in Ananda Marga philosophy, Baba has explained that people create their own problems due to their own sinful acts and that Parama Purusa is not responsible for their negative actions. I.e. people acquire samskaras, either good ones or bad ones, from their previous actions. So in that case Parama Purusa must not be blamed for creating problems. BABA says, "People often hold Parama Purusa responsible for calamities that befall them, but in fact they alone are responsible, as the suffering of fate is only reaction of their own previous actions. How can Parama Purusa be responsible? Human beings themselves are answerable for their fate as it is their actions alone which create it. They alone will have to bear the consequences of all their actions. No one else can substitute for them. Their good deeds beget good result, while bad ones beget bad results, and they will have to experience both without exception. This is the law of Prakrti and no one can change this law." (AMEP, p. 86-87) And here again Baba is directing us not to blame Parama Purusa for one's own problems. BABA says, "I have already said that the sadhaka's sufferings are caused by the samskaras which one created oneself. One should not therefore be afraid of experiencing these reactions or accuse Brahma of injustice on this account. Humans very often complain, 'God, so you had this in store for me. Is this my reward for so much worship and so much charity?' Such complaints are foolish, even sinful. At the time of suffering a sadhaka should reproach himself for his past misdeeds and refrain from evil actions in order to avoid more suffering in the future. Everyone should bear in mind that as long as the fire of woes is not extinguished--so long as the samskaras are not burned one has got to suffer. That is why I say you must no find fault with others because of your own samskaras; they are merely the reactions caused by your own mistakes and misbehavior." (SS, pt 2, p.7) So in the above quotes Baba is emphasizing again and again that-- whether they admit it or not-- each and every sadhaka is responsible for causing their own suffering and that blaming Parama Purusa for such things is very negative. It is sin.
BABA'S ETERNAL BLESSING
Baba always showers His grace and guides us always along the road of Supreme welfare. Baba says, "Utilizing the vibrations created for eternal time by Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji through januspharsha and varabhaya mudras, take yourself and the entire universe ahead along the path of welfare. Omn Shanti!" (CC-1, 'Concluding Words') Namaskar, Nagendra
Note 1: 'BLAMING GURU' OR SAYING 'GURU GIVES TESTS' IS THE SAME THING
Blaming Guru and saying that Guru gives tests to humiliate and torture us-- these two outlooks are rooted in the same defective mentality. Because in real sense Guru is always blessing all His devoees and whatever negative situations a sadhaka may undergo is merely the result of one's own samskara. But due to their low state of mind, low-grade devotees prefer to blame Baba and rationalise that Guru is putting us in test. Whereas those with higher devotion feel in their heart and understand the in their mind that Baba is all-loving and always showering His causeless grace.
*************************************** One Should Always Remember
Baba says, "However little one's capacity might be, if one constantly remembers that Parama Purus'a is always with him, that they are in the closest contact with Parama Purus'a, they will be able to do everything. They are not as small as they think themselves to be. And as long as they remember this closest association with Him, they can do much more than ordinary human beings. When this idea becomes permanently established in their minds, they become great. This is why no one should be disappointed or depressed in any circumstances; let everyone constantly perform great deeds, remembering that the flow of their capacity is coming from Parama Purus'a, and thus they can do everything." (AFPS-3, p. 62)
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