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Difference of Gold Standard

To: AM-GLOBAL From: Carson Tyler Subject: Difference of Gold Standard Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:08:01 -0400 Baba "Shun'echi tumi dayalu, ka'je keno anya dekhi..." (P.S. 2125) Purport: O' Parama Purusa, I have heard that You are the merciful One-- why then by Your work and by Your action do I see something different. For You my eyes are showering tears; my days are passing in calling and longing for You. Then why are You not coming close. Baba, You know that I love You. Although I am meagre but even then I am Your atom. The pain of the unit is the pain of the Universal; the pain of the atom is the pain of the Cosmic. Don't You understand this simple truth. O' Dearmost, please go on doing according to Your desire. Only my request is that You keep me along with You. The pain and grief of my heart cannot be covered. The suffering of my heart will not listen to Your various justifications and excuses; it cannot be appeased by the mere jugglery of words. Baba, I want Your proximity and closeness. Baba, in the scriptures and by seeing Your glory, I heard from other devotees that You are love personified and merciful. And that You are caring for others. So many supreme attributions You have. But when dealing with me I see something totally different. Here I am crying in longing, and You do not care. Why like this? Baba, please grace me and come close...
== DIFFERENCE OF GOLD STANDARD ==
Namaskar, Every land, every era, and every country has their own basic outlook, view, or way of looking at the world. However much a person knowingly subscribes to that perspective or not, their way of thinking will certainly be shaped by that prevailing mentality. That is the way it works. Because people are immersed in that particular environment-- their very blood & bones are sunk in that atmosphere, so escaping it is basically unavoidable, for all practical purposes. Only true sadhakas can free themselves of the dominant outlook of their land. Thus, the vast majority of those growing and living in the western world will be touched by the 'golden rule' of Christianity and will most likely deem that to be something great, when in reality it is far below the golden standard set by Baba's divine teaching. Even then, some confuse the two rules to be the same, or on par with one another. So let us take a look at these two golden standards. Because as Ananda Margiis, we should clearly understand the difference between Christianity's 'Golden Rule' and that of AM. And we must be vigilant to follow Baba's golden guideline in our own practical lives and present it to others as well.
TWO GOLDEN RULES
Christianity's golden rule is commonly expressed as, 'Do unto others as you would like done to you'. Whereas our golden rule in AM is, 'Just as my own life is dear to me, so is the life of others dear to them.' At first glance, the Christian way may seem like some high philosophical ideal, resembling that of Ananda Marga. After a reasonably careful review, however, we can easily see that it is something quite, quite different.
CHRISTIAN GOLDEN RULE: 'BASED ON SELFISHNESS'
In these times, Christianity and capitalism have become even more interlinked, and their golden rule is a perfect example of that. Because the entire subject of this golden rule-- 'Do unto others as you would like done to you'-- is, 'oneself'. What I want or need or expect for me, I should do to others; because by that way I will get that. So it is pure selfishness. Because if 'I' do not need or want something then I will not do that for others. Just I will do what I want or desire. That is the way it works. Whereas, the golden rule of AM is based on selflessness & true service psychology.
APPLYING THE CHRISTIAN MODEL
Here are some practical applications of how the golden rule of Christianity works: How it is riddled in selfishness. For example, if I do not need wood to heat my house, then I will not help others who need wood to heat their house. Reason being: I do not get any benefit from that-- I do not need them to do that for me. Similarly, if I need someone to watch my kids one evening a week, then I will offer to my neighbor to watch their children for an evening a week. Not because my neighbors need help in that regard, but because I need that type of support. In that case also, the subject is 'my need'. And verily there are thousands of examples where one can readily see how this golden rule is governed by one's own egoistic needs. So although Christianity's Golden Rule may sound divine, in reality it is rooted in the selfishness of capitalism and materialism. And, lands like our US are totally submerged in this selfishness. So much so, that this selfish Christian golden rule is often viewed as the apex of western morality. Because if anyone quotes, cites, or follows this so-called golden rule, then they will be viewed as exemplary. Whereas, if one steps 'out-of-the-box' of western Christian thought, then it is easily perceived how lowly that so-called golden rule really is.
A LOOK AT THE GOLDEN RULE OF AM
In stark, contrast, Baba has given the golden rule of AM based on the pillars of neo-humanism. Thus, our golden rule is based on welfare motive and selfless service, not selfishness.
Pra'nah...a'dhavah
Baba says, "'Every living being’s own life is the dearest life to that being. Just as my own life is dear to me, so is the life of others dear to them. One who knows the truth and looks at others as one’s own, and has feelings of sympathy and kindness for them, is a sa'dhu.' This type of person is born on earth in order to render selfless service to humanity." (DKG) And in another discourse, Baba explains this same shloka in a very similar way. Baba says, "For each and every living entity one’s personal life is the dearest thing. One loves one’s personal life very much. This is the rule, this is the characteristic of all living beings. Those people who understand this sentiment of living beings and love others with the thought, 'I should not kill, I should not give them any trouble because they love their life as much as I love my own life', are true sa'dhus and those who lack this sentiment are not sa'dhus, they are asa'dhu." (AV-2)
A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE
Thus there is a heaven and hell difference between the Christian method and the golden standard of AM. Because the Christian golden rule is based on one's own desire-- i.e. what one wishes to receive-- while in AM our approach is based recognising the inherent rights and existential value of others. It is based on love and compassion. It is for this very reason that as Ananda Margiis we do not eat meat while the Christian do. We think that, 'Those animals love their lives so it is my duty to serve and help them-- not kill them'. Whereas the Christian rule dictates that, 'Since I like to eat animals I can eat them and since I am not threatened by being eaten by them, I need not think about how I should treat them'. Thus in a fleeting moment the golden rule of Christianity overlooks the rights of other beings-- whether they be animals or humans. Because, as noted in the examples up above, those following the Christian golden rule treat other humans based on their own selfishness need-- totally overlooking the lives and honor of others: 'If I do not need wood, if I do not need my car fixed, if I am not in danger of missing my mortgage payment, if I am not bothered by loud music, if my country is not going to be invaded, then I need not worry about others in that regard either. But if any of those things I want or need, or if those things are my concern, then I must do that to my neighbor so I will get that back from him.' So the golden rule of Christianity is based on selfishness and nothing more. And that rule pervades each and every square inch of our western world. So even those who are atheists in those lands are coloured by that mentality. Sadly enough. So it is our duty to help remedy the situation.
BABA'S CRITIQUE OF THAT GOLDEN RULE
Here below Baba, critically condemns Christianity's golden rule as it is just an expression of ego, nothing more. Baba says, "But where such a [neo-humanistic mentality] is wanting, where there is such a mental defect, or defect in the approach, the approach is not neohumanistic. Where such a mentality is wanting, where people are guided more by aham'tattva [doer “I”, ego], they say: “I am doing, I am giving. This was done by me, that was done by me,” and so on...They do not reach the sweetness of others’ “I” feelings, for they are too preoccupied with themselves. Their approach is defective; their path is not the path of neohumanism." (NHNS-1) So, as Ananda Margiis we should be crystal clear on this defect. Because the ways of Christianity and capitalism are now looming large on this earth and we must be able to present a clear-cut distinction between that egoistic approach and the neo-humanistic ways of AM. Because people are looking for an alternative view, a better philosophy, and only more and more will look in future as their lives become ravaged by the greed and dogma of capitalism and Christianity. The more prepared we are, the faster we can save the humanity from undue suffering.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, only the golden ways of AM-- not any other so-called golden rule-- can lift the humanity out of its present plight and bring that balm of peace to the humanity. Baba says, "Neohumanism is the only way – human beings will have to accept it today or tomorrow." (NHNS-1) Namaskar, Cinmay
****************************************** Speciality of Our Marga
Baba says, "Ananda Marga is the path of human beings. The greatest excellence of this Marga is that, after knowing the needs of human beings and understanding their feeling, this "marg" (path) has been propounded. About this, this is the most significant thing. That's all." (CC-2, just after copyright page) Note 1: The above was directly translated from Baba's own hand-written Bengali guideline. Note 2: This writing of Baba is present in many old editions of Bengali, Hindi, and English versions of Caryacarya-II. Note 3: In contrast the various religions are made with the selfish view and in that way they infuse the dogma and exploit followers and the common people. Note 4: If someone is not aware of some of the rules of our Marga such as why a particular rule has been formulated then the answer is hidden in seed form in the above guideline of Baba. For example suppose someone does not know why we always wear our pratik on the body 24 hrs per day or why we repeat Guru Puja and Samgacchadhvam 3 times and not 2 or 4. The answer of all these types of questions is also hidden in the above guideline. Note 5: In our Marga nothing is a dogma but nowadays a few crude and dogmatic people are trying hard to establish or implement various dogmas such as: so-called Mahaprayan, Fake Ananda Vaniis, etc. And other types of things which do not have any logic to stand upon.
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