Propagators of Dogma or Dharma

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:35:07 -0000 To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Propagators of Dogma or Dharma From: RB_MAURYA@ecectronic... Baba "Maneri gahane tumi a'cho, a'cho prabhu sada' jege a'cho..." (4380) Purport: Baba, You are always remaining in the depths of my mind-- You never leave me. You always remain awake. You go on working day and night, beyond the time. You never stop. Baba, whatever You want to do, You go on doing. Baba, this whole expressed universe is Your eternal game. You are ever-present: beginningless and endless. You are ever intoxicated in Your divine flow. You are the Goal of everyone-- everyone wants You. You are remaining with one and all. Those who are trying to come close to You by their virtuous deeds and shravan, manan, nididhyasana, & dhyana, only they are able to come to You. Only they are able to realise You and have Your grace and proximity. Baba, You are grace-Personified...

== PROPAGATORS OF DOGMA OR DHARMA ==

Namaskar, Nowadays so many of the groups are running around rampantly proclaiming that 'my faction is propagating the gospel of dharma'. Each of the dogmatic groupist agencies are involved. So really all it takes is a careful look at their behavior to see how far they are correct, or not. Not long ago one factional party again printed CC-1 and included the 'Appendix' about so-called Mahaprayan in the publication. So we should evaluate whether such a thing places them in the category of propagator of dharma or agent of dogma.

MAHAPRAYAN SAYS BABA IS GONE HARMA SAYS PARAMA PURUSA IS ETERNAL

By now all are certainly aware that 'mahaprayan' means departure and that it refers to the death of any mortal being. This fact everyone is aware about. Because each and every day there are hundreds of 'mahaprayan' notices in the daily Bengali newspapers. And these 'mahaprayans' refers to bankers, stock-brokers, politicians, university professors, restaurant owners etc. The list goes on and on. Because when any normal type of human being dies then the family understands that their close person is now dead-- gone. So they say that their mahaprayan happened. Obviously then, if the term 'mahaprayan' term is used in AM for Oct 21, 1990, then those people using that term acknowledge in their mind that Baba is gone. Because that is the significance of the term. And not only that, but those people in the general public who hear about this function will also think that our Guru is gone-- finished. In which case if we ever go to do pracar with such persons they will think that our Guru is not available, gone. Because that is the clear-cut faulty message they have gotten from the current 'mahaprayan' function. That is why so many margiis pay no attention at all to the "mahaprayan" function. Because all margiis and wts feel the eternal presence of Baba in their heart-- in their mind. That is why all are abandoning mahaprayan. Because Baba is the divine Sadguru who ever remains along with us in which case who can say that He is gone. Baba says, "The one formless, beginningless and infinite Parama Brahma (Supreme Consciousness) is the only entity to be attained by living beings-That alone is Jagat Guru (the Supreme preceptor), That alone has revealed Brahmavidya (intuitional science) to us through the medium of the name and form of Anandamurtijii. Unit beings must be made to appreciate Its majesty." (CC-II, p.1, point 1A) Thus the word of dharma is-- Baba's divine teaching is-- that He is always with us because His presence is eternal. That is the dharma of the day, now and up to eternity. By default then, the 'mahaprayan' event moves in the extreme opposite direction. It says that Baba is gone, thereby branding the mahaprayan function as nothing but a dogma or illogical falsehood. About this point there are countless stories and teachings from Baba that demonstrate that the dharma dictates He is eternal; whereas dogma cries out that He is gone. Already so many margiis have written well-supported letters about this idea. And of course anyone doing proper sadhana automatically realises this truth: That Baba is ever present with us, always showering His blessing. Baba says, "Utilizing the vibrations created for eternal time by Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji through janusparsha and varabhaya mudras, take yourself and the entire universe ahead along the path of all-round welfare. Omn Shanti"

MAHAPRAYAN IS THE DOGMATIC BRAIN-CHILD OF SARVATMANANDA

How then did the dogmatic Mahaprayan function come into existence? And why is it still being printed by certain groupists in our AM books? Let us take a look. In 1990, everyone knows that Sarvatmananda was pushing hard to keep himself in the helm and to keep his B brigade on top. That was his chief and foremost plan. To that end he did everything and anything to falsely propagate his group's superiority. Sarvatmananda invented the dogma that all Baba's discourses were originally given in Bengali and he had that printed on the first page of every Ananda Marga publication. That was one of his dogmatic inventions. Then side by side Sarvatmananda got the idea to proclaim that Baba's Mahaprayan ('The so-called Great Departure') happened in the land of Bengal-- in Kolkata. By this way Sarvatmananda hoped to create a steady stream of visitors and worshippers to Kolkata. Such a ploy would ensure huge money coming into the Tiljala B-group office and it would give a false sense of superiority to the land of Bengal. So with his crooked intention, Sarvatmananda launched his dogmatic Mahaprayan invention and at the sword or by giving them gifts of post and power all Central Committee members signed it. Such is their standard. By that way in 1990 the dogmatic Mahaprayan function took birth.

RUDRANANDA'S PARTY & EC CRONIES: NOT WELL-WISHERS ALL ARE PROPAGATORS OF DOGMA

Since then so many of the other camps have had innumerable opportunities to undo this Mahaprayan dogma. But they never could muster the energy, courage, or interest to carry it out. It is true that out of their groupist interest, some in Rudrananda's camp have tried to strike down the Mahaprayan program. But then after a few minutes they again forget about it and go back to sleep. Because their work is fueled by their own factional agenda to bad-mouth B group; they are not fueled by the eternal truth and inspiration of dharma. That is why they cannot sustain their stance and that is why even though they have been ruling all these years still the Mahaprayan appendix is appearing in CC-1. That black mark is still there in our AM books. Proof being that in the latest published Caryacarya part 1 Hindi edition printed at A'nanda Mudran'a'laya in Mumbai (July 2005) pg 86, there is still the false appendix of mahaprayan, titled 'Mahaprayan parishistha'. So that is proof of Rudrananda's team lackadaisical efforts. It is just like how they continue to delete the paragraph about margii rights from the AM Revolution discourse. In both cases these are dogmas which Sarvatmananda started and which are still remaining in our Marga-- for one reason or another. And various other teamsters are no different. All have placed their greasy finger prints all over the mahaprayan dogma-- and embraced it. And indeed it is well known who are the ones primarily responsible for unleashing that latest Hindi edition of CC-1 (2005) that has the false appendix about mahaprayan. So in this display of dogma, all the groups are implicated; none can proclaim to be the messengers of dharma. All are stuck in dogma. Whereas true Ananda Margiis know well that Parama Purusa is eternal and that Baba resides forever in our hearts. He is the winner of our battles, He is the doer of our sadhana, and it is His constant blessing that brings us to the victory mark. Thus all the groups exposed their dogmatic leanings but propagandising about the false mahaprayan program. Because if really they were dharmically opposed to it they would have rooted it out. But instead they let it fester in the pages of our AM books.

BABA'S PROCLAMATION AGAINST DOGMA

Here is Baba's pin-pointed direction about dogma. Baba says, "All dogma must be rooted out. You should start a revolution against dogma." (PNS-16, p.58) Thus all existing dogmas such as the so-called Mahaprayan program that were imposed on AMPS society by the various groups should be eliminated permanently. That is Baba's strict guideline.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace the divine reality that He is ever with us is reflecting in the minds and hearts of all Ananda Margiis-- the days of the mahaprayan dogma are numbered. Because all understand that He is always with us. Baba says, "Parama Purus'a always remains with you, within the very core of your heart. So search within, O spiritual aspirant, not without, but within, within your very existence." (AV-12, p.41) Namaskar, Rambabu

*************************************** Selfish versus Generous

Baba says, "The human mind has two contradictory inherent tendencies: one of acquisition, the other of sacrifice. The more one advances along the path of evolution, the more the tendency, the spirit of sacrifice, becomes prominent.' (YP, 'Faculty of Knowledge-2') Note: In this grossly materialistic era, the inherent tendency of capitalists is to collect and hoard the various resources of this earth. What they see, they want to keep. This is their greedy and defective approach. They only follow that narrow-minded path of acquisition. In contrast, A'nanda Ma'rgiis have come onto this earth to serve others. With that expanded outlook, with that spirit of sacrifice, A'nanda Ma'rgiis engage in all kinds of welfare activities for the people. This is our way of living. Our tendency is not to acquire but to distribute, share, and supply all the resources of the earth to each and every human being. Thus ours is a broad-minded, neo-humanistic approach. That is why we can say that there is a heaven and hell difference between capitalism and Ananda Marga. Capitalism subsists off the lowly tendency of lobha (greed) whereas our Ananda Marga flourishes on the idea of spreading all the riches and all the love throughout this vast cosmos.

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Dogma: 'Write to Higher Authorities'

Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:27:38 +0530 To: am-global@earthlink.net From: Matt Ornbecker Subject: Dogma: 'Write to Higher Authorities' Baba "Jyotsna' ra'te niilodadhisrote svarn'balira tat'e..." (PS 1366) Purport: Baba, O' my Dearmost, I have many things to tell You. I want to pour my heart to You. Baba, I will tell You my most intimate thoughts and tales, and I will sing the feelings of my heart in the tune of the flowers that are opening their petals and dancing in that gentle, ocean breeze, on the golden, sandy shore of the deep, blue ocean on a moonlit night. O' Priyo, in that charming and divine atmosphere, I will surrender everything unto You, at Your alter. Baba, I do not know any song to sing to You. Only I have practiced one, simple tune-- that is all I know. Yet that tune is fully saturated with the longing of my heart. All my feelings are enveloped in that tune. O' Divine Entity, that melody contains all the feelings of my heart. Baba, by Your grace, in that deeply loving atmosphere, everything will be vibrated with the rhythm and divine bliss of that tune which I am going to sing for You. Baba, in my ekta'ra' [1], there is only one tune. By Your grace whatever love I have is saturated in that tune. In the pollen of the tune and in the blossoming love, I will gently whisper that very song in Your ear. O' Priyo, I will pour my heart at Your alter... NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #1366: [1] Ekta'ra': Here below Baba distinguishes between the ekatara and other instruments and also comments on the world of music in this modern era. Baba says. "The sitar or esraj do not fall into the category of ekava'da. Some people think that ekava'da means ekata'ra' [a one-stringed instrument]. No, the Sanskrit word for ekata'ra' is samava'da, not ekava'da...The world of music today is like a person without a proper guru or proper training. People want to show they can play without having paid their dues. They are selling themselves for gold without realizing that the real value of music is being lost thereby. Gold is becoming even cheaper than glass. Whenever a ra'gin'ii is a little difficult they only show that they can play the notes without going deep into the music. There is no way of doing this with sindhubhaeravii, the same with mu'lta'nii vasanta (not vasantaba'ha'r), so you no longer hear either one of them." (SC-2, Disc:12)

== DOGMA: WRITE TO HIGHER AUTHORITIES ==

Namaskar, Our duty is to make a dogma-free human society and to do that we must first create a dogma-free AM society. That only stands to reason. Of course, all of Guru's teachings are 100% dharmic and dogma-free; but, on their own, a few misguided persons invariably bring in certain dogmas into our AMPS. This is what happens-- reason being their minds are plunged in atma sukha tattva (principle of selfish pleasure). Due to their own selfish desires, they drag this or that dogma into AM because it suits their petty agenda-- that of post, power, name, fame, money etc. That is what we see happening these days. So to remove such falsehoods, we need to raise awareness about the matter, expose each particular dogma, and give the proper solution. Here is one such case that needs to be addressed.

WE SHOULD SEE THE HISTORY

Since 1990, it has been the policy of some to proclaim, 'Write to higher authorities...write to higher authorities', whenever a point was raised that they wished to smother or push aside. This is the veritable history. And Baba says that we should use history as a tool to analyse the trends of the society so that we can make the society better. And indeed, this dogma of 'write to higher authorities' is one such trend. Unfortunately, in this day and age, 'writing to the higher authorities' is the same as hurling something into a black hole. The matter will never be seen or heard from again. And actually, up until 1998, various margiis were sincere in writing to the higher authorities. Courageous margiis were raising issues about the organisation to Centre, but no reply ever came. Rather such innocent margii writers were victimised, tortured, and expelled. Because up till '98, all the groups were still living under one roof. They were all bound together by some black pact. And in response they would collectively toss aside any issue about organisational wrongdoing and jointly attack the margii who raised that matter. That was standard practice those days-- who can forget.

THE CASE WITH GROUPISM & OTHER BURNING ISSUES

So back in the early to mid 1990's, whenever any point was raised about organisational impropriety then immediately a whole chorus of folks would chant, 'write to higher authorities'. This was their chosen mantra. That is the factual history. And so many good margiis wrote, but they were always left with a bitter experience. Such margiis sincerely wanted to solve the problems but only mud was tossed on their face for raising the matter. And then when they began to talk with others about the issue, then the goody-goodies and bootlickers of Centre would repeat, 'write to higher authorities, write to higher authorities'. For example, when the point of groupism in the AMPS was first raised on the public platform, then various persons vociferously chanted the chorus, 'Do not speak about this just write to higher authorities'. This was their token dogmatic response in order to toss the matter aside and silence that margii. Yet the strange thing is, some 8 or 10 years later when those very same persons woke up from their stupor and realised that groupism was indeed a terrible problem in our Marga, then all of a sudden they themselves began publicly raising the issue about groupism on their email forums. Then they no longer believed in their chosen dogma of, 'write to higher authorities'. That dogmatic slogan magically disappeared. And same was the case with so many issues such as: Scriptural distortions in AM books, Fake Ananda Vaniis, margii rights, distorted BP Manual, ruination of ACB, expulsion, and so many points. Whenever these burning issues were first raised by brave margiis for the common welfare and to bring ideology back into our Marga, then immediately a whole onslaught of goody-goodies would reply, 'write to higher authorities'. This was their dogmatic way of trying to suppress the point. Yet, ironically, some years later when it served their self-interest or party politicking then those very same goody-goodies would suddenly bring that same matter onto their email forums. This is the well-known and undeniable history. So when an ideological margii first raise the point, goody-goodies would try to smother it; but when that same matter invaded their own self-interest, those goody-goodies would then start banging their drums.

A PERFECT CASE IN POINT

For years and years, one particular sector's ACB did not want to hear anything about groupism or any other problem in the organisation. They were the perfect pets of Centre and they would obediently ostracise anyone who raised the matter of groupism and would lecture them to just 'write to the higher authorities'. Yet years later, when those very ACB people found that the ruling group no longer catered to their needs, then all of a sudden they began barking all around about the problem of groupism. Not out of their ideological zeal or moral strictness, but because their selfish interest had been stepped on and their egos were pricked. Although they may not like to remember this truth, this is the well-know history.

A POINT OF CLARIFICATION

Before writing further on this topic, it should be clarified that 'writing to the higher authorities' is a veritable way of addressing an issue-- so long as the higher authorities are moral and dharmic. But when since 1990 our AMPS higher authorities have themselves been drowned in groupism, then what is the use of writing to such so-called authorities about groupism in AM. And when those same higher authorities have been indulging in (a) distorting Baba's books, (b) curtailing BP rights, (c) issuing Fake Ananda Vaniis, (d) using expulsion as a weapon, and (e) victimising innocent margiis etc, then what is the use of writing to those higher authorities about those very issues.

IT WOULD BE THE SAME AS...

It would be the same as writing to Fidel Castro and telling him that communism is bad because it suppresses the voice of the people. Who in their right mind can think that Castro will do anything about it. No one. Because it is Castro himself who is suppressing those very people. Or it is just like knocking on the door of one gang leader or one mafia boss and complaining to them that there are a whole bunch of bullies, robbers, and hitmen moving around on the streets. Raising the matter to such gang leaders or mafia bosses is useless since they are the ones responsible for putting those robbers and hitmen on the streets. Furthermore, if anyone raises the matter to them, then they will tie that person's ankles to a block of concrete and toss them in the river.

A POINT OF CLARIFICATION (PART II)

Similarly, when since 1990 our AMPS authorities have been the agents of groupism etc, then what is the value of writing to them about the problem of groupism. It is not like they are going to take the matter seriously and punish themselves or place themselves in jail. That is not going to happen. Rather they will muffle the point and attack, victimise, ban, and expel the innocent person who raised the matter. In that case, the solution is to communicate with others and make everyone alert. That is the only way to solve the matter. Because if anyone writes to the higher authorities then they will be victimised and labeled as an enemy, Indeed those higher authorities will take calculated and deliberate measures to isolate and torture that margii. Because the matter is only between them and that margii. But if that margii writes openly then those same authorities cannot victimise the person because it will look bad in the eyes of the common people. So when the authorities are crooked and sunk in crude dealings such as tearing down the ideological pillars of AM, then the only way to rectify things is to raise the matter on the public platform. At the same time, none should think that 'writing to higher authorities' will never, ever have any value. It is only because the moral integrity of AMPS leaders has been so low that 'writing to higher authorities' has no value these days. So in this present era, 'writing to higher authorities' is jast an impotent affair. That is why, nowadays, it is a dogma to advise others to 'write to higher authorities'.

WHO PROCLAIMS 'WRITE TO HIGHER AUTHORITIES'

Even then, various people jump into innumerable discussions and advise, 'write to the higher authorities'. And who is it that does this? In essence we can say that there are three types of people who resort to the dogmatic slogan 'write to higher authorities'. Firstly, those who are indulged in that very problem will resort to this tactic. So a confirmed groupist will give the slogan-- 'write to higher authorities'-- if someone wishes to complain about groupism. Because they want to dismiss the issue and cover up their own misdeeds. Secondly, bootlickers, spoons, and goody goodies will also chatter 'write to higher authorities' because they are getting some 'lift' from the 'powers-that-be' and they do not want anything exposed about those so-called leaders. Rather if those fellows are able to subdue the matter by saying 'write to higher authorities', then they will get some perks. For years and years various ACB personnel were in this category. And the third type of persons who will resort to this dogmatic tactic are those who do not care about the matter. If anyone is small-minded then they do not like to hear about anything that is beyond the periphery of their little mind. Then in that case, in a distracted and uncaring voice, they will meekly say, 'write to the higher authorities'. For example, if you tell a Hindu about the problem of women's rights among Muslim women, then that Hindu will not care about that matter. Because he thinks that, 'why should I worry about such Muslims etc'. So he will tell the person to bring the matter to the government. But when that same Hindu's own daughter is getting exploited, then he will certainly take a strong stand, raise the banner all around, and demand that justice be served. Same is the case with some in AM. If you tell them that the organisation is in trouble then they will not care and will just off-handedly tell, 'write to the higher authorities'. But if something happens in their own life-- such as they get cheated out of a bank loan or someone steals their automobile-- then all of a sudden they will become quite proactive .

WHY THE DOGMA SHIFTS

So this dogma-- 'writing to higher authorities'-- is not a stagnant affair. It is always changing. Because in the current scene, various persons use this phrase when it suits their self-interest. For example, if they are a goody-goodie of the ruling faction then if the BP elections are done improperly or if there is some sexual scandal by one top Dada etc, then that goody-goodie will never allow anyone to raise the matter publicly. Rather they will repeat again and again, 'write to higher authorities'. That will be their new ista mantra. But as soon as their chosen faction topples down or if for some reason they fall out of favour with that ruling group, then that very goody-goodie will take to the airwaves and tell all. That is why ten years ago various ACB fellows did not like to talk about groupism and that is why today they are oh-so-anxious to spill the beans about groupism. Because the tables turned on them-- it no longer fits their needs to keep mum about groupism. But all along, solid, ideological margiis continue to raise one dharmic point after another in order to improve the state of affairs in AMPS. And all along various goody-goodies and sinners will dogmatically reply 'write to higher authorities' because that best suits their need. And yet for their same self-interest, such goody-goodies and sinners may one day raise that issue as if they are a great dharmika just because it temporarily suits their petty interest. That is why one day some may vociferously dogmatically proclaim, 'write to higher authorities'; and that is why the next day those same persons may one day be barking in public about the same affair. Because their whole modus-operendi is goaded by self-interest. But all along ideological margiis will be unphased by the ranting of such sinners and goody-goodies. Rather they will steadfastedly move ahead on their ideological journey-- doing anything and everything to please Baba and bring AMPS back into the limelight.

BABA'S STERN WARNING

Baba pointedly rebukes such goody-goodies who knowingly resort to the dogma of telling others 'write to higher authorities', when they themselves know that nothing is going to be done by those higher authorities or when they themselves will only raise the issue when it suits their self-interest. Baba says, "There is no place for hypocrites in our organization." (AV-23)

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, the various dogmas which a few have brought into AMPS-- like 'write to higher authorities'-- will soon be gone forever and we will create that monolithic AM structure. Baba says, "Your future is bright – not only bright, but guaranteed. A new spiritual life free from all sorts of dogma is sure to come in the near future." (SS-18) Namaskar, Mahendra

Note 1: GO ON ADHERING TO DHARMA

To those brave margiis and wts who continue to raise the banner of AM ideology regardless of what internal difficulties might arise, Baba has given the following message. Baba says, "You should build a new human society at the earliest possible moment. Regarding those who are likely to create obstacles in your path – let them do so. You should remember that those who are the actual pioneers, the real vanguard of the society, are always a microscopic minority, but it is they who are destined to be victorious. Those who once opposed, or are now opposing or will oppose in the future, will in the future admit: 'Yes, we are now driving our vehicle safely and comfortably along the very path which that vanguard once opened by clearing the jungle.' This means that those who cleared the obstacles in the beginning will later be recognized as pioneers. The funny thing is this, that people do not give recognition at the time it is due. This is the natural law. And at the same time you should also remember this simple truth: that in a jungle the number of tigers and lions is always few; the jackals far outnumber them. Yet in the jungle the tigers and lions reign supreme, not the jackals. The jackals are sure to howl, that is their nature; but the tigers and lions will not be frightened." (AV-6)

********************************************* Desire For Money is Dangerous

Baba says, "Suppose there is a very elevated person who often ideates on the Supreme Consciousness, but who has some greed for wealth. He does not, however, express it openly to the Supreme, nor does he even think of it directly. He thinks indirectly, "Oh, since I am a devotee of the Supreme Consciousness, He will certainly give me enormous wealth and make me immensely rich." Those who harbour this sort of covert desire are reborn as yaks'as." (YP, p.78) Note: Yaksas are one type of negative microvita. Those unfortunate beings who got degenerated and took on a form less than human, sub-human. Not only that but they got caught up in that bondage of punishment for thousands of years. And only then after their extreme punishment did they again get opportunity for human life.

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Re: Cause of Depression & Proutistic Solution

From: "Geoffrey Young" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Re: Cause of Depression & Proutistic Solution Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:01:29 +0000 Baba "A'lo jhariye madhu ks'ariye a'ndha'r sa'riye tumi esecho..." (P.S. 1233) Purport: Baba, You have come and by Your divine advent You are showering effulgence, exuding nectar, and wiping away all darkness. Baba, You have come-- making the flowers blossom & graciously spreading happiness and bliss to one and all. Baba, by Your august arrival everyone's hopes and longings have been fulfilled. Baba, living beings were awakened by the deep yearning and pain of longing in their heart. And with this feeling, in the anticipation & hope of Your coming, they were awake, watching for Your arrival-- constantly looking towards Your path. Baba, this pain and longing of devotees resonated in Your heart and You could no longer remain distant. Baba, You have come and You are graciously pouring the basket of love-- satisfying everyone's heart. The sleeping humanity has gotten new life by Your grace. Baba-- that river which dried up and evaporated, and that song which was lost in the oblivion-- the current of that very river and the tune of those songs You have graciously brought along with You. Baba due to Your august advent You have inundated each and every heart with the nectar of devotion. This is Your causeless grace...

== CAUSE OF ECONOMIC DEPRESSION & PROUTISTIC SOLUTION == ~ Part 2 ~

(Note: This letter is in follow up to the earlier letter of Monday, 22 September.)

Namaskar, As talks at the White House (USA) turn into a bi-partisan brawl, there is no concrete action for how to resolve the current economic depression. However, if and when they do come up with a plan-- whether it be a $700 billion bailout or any other-- it will not be a proper solution for the simple reason that they have misidentified the cause. Note: If countries come forward to lend the US $700 billion dollars then that will merely delay the downfall of the US economony. It will not solve anything, because in 6 months again a crisis will come, and then it will be even worse.

PREVAILING MYTH

Right now the prevailing myth among top captialists is that (1) a lack of banking regulations along with (2) poor-loan candidates are the cause of the current economic crisis. They are claiming that the common people are the cause, as new home-owners could not afford their house payments, i.e. mortgages, so they forfeited on their loans, and in turn the banking industry collapsed. More specifically, why did the banking industry collapse? Because the common people were not making their house payments to the bank, so the those investment banks had no cash, and when those banks began struggling due to a lack of capital, then wealthy capitalists stopped investing in the banks. Hence many banks went under. And the primary cause is the common people, i.e. those poor loan candidates. This is the myth that is swirling round and round. But that is not at all the main cause or the main problem of the the current economic depression.

REAL CAUSE OF THE CRISIS

Baba has clearly identified two chief causes of economic depressions, and it is these causes that are the operative factors with the present day US economic downfall. Baba says, "There are two main causes for economic depressions – first, the concentration of wealth, and secondly, blockages in the rolling of money." (AFPS-9) So the first cause is the concentration of wealth of economic disparity, which is an inherent characteristic of capitalism. Due to extreme exploitation within the capitalist system, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And it is this inherent defect that is the main cause of the current economic depression. The common people are losing their jobs, suffering from pay cuts, losing their purchasing capacity, watching employment get outsourced overseas etc. And for all these reasons common Americans are unable to purchase the things they need. So they are totally overwhelmed by the current situation. They are becoming poorer everyday while the rich elite pile more wealth into their own pockets. Nobody in their right mind wants to forfeit the loans on their house; everybody wants to be able to afford to go to the doctor; all want to see their children go to university; everybody wants to be able to buy the food and clothes and the things they need. But due to years and years of corporate greed and capitalist exploitation, all these problems are the living reality for 99% of the population; and the common people are exploited to the bone. Hence there is an extreme disparity of wealth: The very rich capitalist elite versus everyone else who has no money, which is one of the reasons behind an economic depression. And that, in turn, leads to the second cause of an economic depression, blockages in the rolling of money.

REAL CAUSE OF THE CRISIS (Cont)

In extreme capitalism, the rich accumulate mounds and mounds of money that they can never ever use in their lifetime; the money just sits there because already those wealthy people have everything they need or desire. Now they only have the greedy desire to accumulate more wealth. And on the other side of the spectrum, the common people have no money to buy the things that they do need. That causes the money to stop rolling, leading to a depression. So these two reasons, economic disparity and the stagnation of money, are the real underlying reasons behind the present depression which has recently hit the US. Baba has clearly marked these factors and that is what is happening. The top 1/4% of the US population controls around 99% of the wealth. Hence the common people have no money to spend. Such extreme exploitation leads to huge economic disparities which perpetuates the stagnation of capital such that money is unable to roll. Wealthy CEO's have 600 million dollar bank accounts, or even billion dollar bank accounts, and the common people cannot get clothers for their children or even put bread on the table. Even within the same company, there is huge disparities. General workers might may $7 per hour while top executives earn $16,000 per hour. Yet both are workers in the same company. Such is the outrageous dichotomy which exists. But those top politicians, elite capitalists, and economic advisors are either blind or unwilling to openly admit the truth about these fundamental pitfalls of capitalism, probably because they want to salvage the capitalist system so they can continue in their greedy ways. And without that, without tearing down capitalism's exploitative methods, the US depression can never be solved. But again, those greedy vaeshyas do not want to face the facts of the situation. That is why we hear them saying again and again, that the crisis is due to the people being unable to afford their home mortgages. This is the false myth they are propagating but it is not the root cause of today's economic crisis.

PROUT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION

The only way out of the current economic depression is through a Proutistic solution. Baba says, "Depression is not a natural phenomenon. Pause is a natural phenomenon. In a Proutistic structure pause may occur but depression will not occur. To save society from depression, the approach of PROUT is to increase purchasing power by increasing production, reduce disparities in the value of wealth, and increase the circulation of money; that is, by keeping money rolling. Empty slogans will not do." ('Economic Dynamics') Only when the common people have their minimum requirements met-- when all can afford to have a home etc-- then they will have money to spend on other items. Then money will roll and producers will make products and those items will be purchased by the people. But capitalism does not honor this: Instead the wealthy try to squeeze the life-force out of the common people until finally there is not even one penny in anyone's pocket. And that leads to an economic meltdown or depression. Whereas Prout does not follow a policy of the hoarding of wealth, but rather shares profits amongst all. In that way, never can 1% of the population control all the wealth. And never will an economic depression result. Baba says, "In a Proutistic structure pause may occur but depression will not occur." ('Economic Dynamics')

BABA'S BLESSING

In this time of crisis, it is our responsibility and duty to propagate Prout and raise the consciousness of the people. Then we will get the solution. No solution can be found within the capitalistic framework. All well-wishers of humnaity must rally together and spread the ideals and word of Prout. Then certainly, our human family will grow and prosper. Baba says, "Only PROUT can save the world from depression." (PNS-13) Namaskar, Jiivan Mukta

Note 1: MORE HOW BABA HAS IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM

Baba says, "There are two main causes for economic depressions – first, the concentration of wealth, and secondly, blockages in the rolling of money. If capital is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals or the state, most people will be exploited by a handful of exploiters. As a result of this process of severe exploitation, a serious explosion takes place. This explosion is known as a depression in the economic world. The concentration of wealth, and particularly the concentration of the value of wealth, is the fundamental cause of a depression." (AFPS-9) Baba says, "Secondly, a depression may occur when money that is in the possession of individual or state capitalists stops rolling. Money remains inert or unutilized because those capitalists think that if the money is allowed to roll freely then their profits will decrease, even though it will bring relief to the common people. The very psychology of capitalists is to make profit from the rolling of money. When they discover that the investment of money does not bring profit up to their expectations, then they stop rolling money. This keeps money immobile or inert; consequently, there is no investment, no production, no income and hence no purchasing power. The situation becomes so dangerous that there are few buyers to buy commodities." (AFPS-9) Baba says, "Economic depressions are actually the net result of suppression, repression and oppression – that is, exploitation. When exploitation reaches the culminating point, the mobility and the speed of the society become virtually nil. In such a stage, that is, in this culminating point, a natural explosion takes place." (PNS-13)

*************************************** Marry or Not Marry

Baba says, "In AM every individual has complete freedom in matters of marriage... those who are engaged in the fulfillment of an ideal...or those who have to spend the greater part of their day in some mental occupation should not marry, because they will not find it possible to fulfill their family commitments properly. The marriage of such people is harmful to the society in many cases." (GHC, '91 Edn, p.19) Note: In our Marga there is a dogma that either one should become a wt or get married. Yet in the practical sense everyone knows that just wearing the saffron dress does not mean dedication. There are many wts who are exclusively "dedicated" only for their own stomach-- or for power, post, and their groupist agenda. The number of wts who are really dedicated to the ideology is quite low. But in true sense those few are the proper wts. In contrast, on other side there are many margiis who are completely focused on ideology and dedicated to our holy AM adarsha. And in some of those cases, after getting married they are unable to properly look after their personal family responsibilities. In result their children end up not liking or even blaming Ananda Marga for their family problems. About such cases, Baba has given the clear mandate that it would have been best if such ideologically-minded margiis would have remained single, and not married.

***************************************

Handling of DMC Discourses

Date: 23 Sep 2008 22:18:29 -0000 From: "Indrajit Rai" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Handling of DMC Discourses Baba "Kato je d'eke gechi toma're, shon'o ni, tumi a'sa ni..." (P.S. #2207) Purport: Baba, I have so much longing for You. With that feeling I go on calling You. But neither do You listen to my call, nor do You come close. Although they say that You listen to the feeling of the mind. That You listen to all the thought waves which sprout in the mind, because You are sitting right there in the mind. Although they say like that, to me it seems like You are not residing in the mind. You are not there. That's why You do not understand the feeling of longing which I have for You. I do not know whether You do not have capacity to listen to my feeling, or whether You listen to my feeling of the mind but knowingly You do not respond. This is Your divine play. But this divine play of Yours is very painful for me. You are giving me pain by not caring about my longing. It may be possible that my cry reaches to Your ears, but it does not touch Your mind. That's why You do not give any response. Baba, please tell me that except You who is mine? You know nobody is mine, that's why I open my heart to You. Many tales which up till now I did not tell You, those feelings of my heart I will tell You. Baba, I have so much longing and yearning for You. Why are You not listening. Please pay heed to my call and come close...

== HANDLING OF BABA'S DMC DISCOURSES ==

Namaskar, As we all know in DMC Baba would often speak in three languages. Nearly all the DMC discourses are like that. For accurate depiction of these historic and dharmic discourses, then various steps can be taken. And about this very matter various acaryas and margiis have gathered and the following are a couple of the top suggestions and recommendations which they have given.

SOME POINTS ABOUT TRANSCRIBING HIS DISCOURSES

1. When transcribing or printing Baba's DMC discourses then each and every word must get printed. But not only that, it should be indicated throughout the printed discourse in which language Baba is speaking. Because we know it was Baba's normal manner that in DMC discourses He would rotate from Hindi to Bangla to English, though not necessarily in that order. So just as in the general darshans when Baba is mostly using only one of the languages then the discourse is marked as being from that particular language, such as English or Hindi etc. Likewise when Baba is delivering His DMC discourses then all along our transcription should be marked in italics or in some other distinguishing manner in which language Baba is speaking for each particular section. By this way it will provide one excellent historical and linguistic record of exactly what way Baba has spoken. And it will also allow the transcriptions to be more accurate and ethically honest renditions of Baba's discourse-- as it will print each and every word. Thus if the book is in English then the entire printed version of that DMC discourse will be in English, but step by step it will indicate which of the languages Baba was speaking in. So that way the reader will know which is Baba's actual word and which is a translation from one of the other languages. And no matter which languages the book is written in-- whether it be German, Bengali, Chinese, Tegalo etc-- all the while it will indicate what language Baba was using throughout His discourse. And by this way we will have one accurate and highly indicative version of Baba's discourse. Of course thus far this has not been done. Rather there is no way for the reader to know which is which and what is what when reading Baba's DMC discourses. And not only that but in their present way of dealing much of the content of Baba's talk is left our altogether-- i.e. it is not included at all. And the only way to know what was the original language of a particular section of the discourse is to have the audio cassette itself. Otherwise there is no way to know.

NOT MERE REPETITION FROM ONE LANGUAGE TO THE NEXT

2. Another reason for printing the whole, entire transcription of Baba's discourse is because during His speech Baba did not merely repeat Himself when switching over from one language to the next. That means those same ideas were not rote translations from one language to another and then spoken by Baba. That was not His approach. Rather in newer and newer ways Baba was unfolding the subject matter according to the knowledge, cultural understanding and spiritual feeling of the devotees of that particular linguistic background, as well as according to the strengths and limitations of each language. So in that way Baba's explanation is more colourful, interesting, and lucid for the audience. And thus even though many people attending those DMCs knew all three languages-- Hindi, Bangla, & English-- they never got bored by listening to Baba's talk. Because Baba's style of expression, use of examples, and way of talking and introducing the topic would vary considerably from one language to another. Of course the topic and the theme were consistent throughout, but according to the aforementioned variables, Baba's style of speaking and way of expression was unique and would vary widely throughout His entire discourse. Hence there is much to be gained by printing the entire transcription of Baba's DMC discourses. But up till now this is not at all being done. Rather only small sections are being taken from each and mixed together or only 1 language was taken, i.e. Bengali, and everything that Baba spoke in Hindi and English was discarded entirely, when in fact what Baba told in those languages was not mere repetition of the Bengali section. Yet when we know that Guru's word is mantra then everything should be included. Strict attention should be given to perfectly transcribe each and every syllable.

ONE STORY REGARDING OUR SCRIPTURE

(b) With regards to the discourse titled "Macrocosmic Conation And Microcosmic Urge" from the Ananda Purnima 1985 DMC, there is one story to tell. Not long back I was searching that discourse for many reasons-- one being that I personally attended that DMC discourse in May '85-- and finally I found the contents of the discourse in one of our Subhasita Samgraha books. But there was no date or place marked along with it. Those key points were missing. Some of the contents of that discourse were printed in that SS-24 book. But by seeing it there nobody can identify what it is. Because the publisher did not print that this belongs to that DMC of May 1985. Means the date and place and all specifics about the discourse are missing from the SS-24 publication. However by Baba's grace from my diary I confirmed that this is indeed the discourse from that DMC of 26 May 1985 when Baba delivered His discourse, "Macrocosmic Conation And Microcosmic Urge". But there is one other serious point. Namely that what actually got printed in the SS-24 book is just one very small fraction of the discourse. Most of the discourse is missing, entirely gone. Because in actuality, Baba Himself took about 35 minutes to deliver that very discourse on that very day of 26 May 1985. Thus He spoke for more than half-an-hour. But what is printed in the book SS-24 is the material of maximum 5-7 minutes worth of talk-- or even less than that. So most of Baba's discourse from that 1985 Ananda Purnima DMC is missing from the Subhasita Samgraha book. So that is the situation about this. Overall then a few critical points are there. One is that the discourse is not properly brought into printed form-- it is just a fraction of the discourse. And second, the place and date are not mentioned. Nor is it mentioned whether this is a DMC discourse or not. All these important matters are gone regarding Baba's historic annual DMC discourse of May 1985.

NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE

Guru's things are important. So if the scripture is left like that this then that is a very delicate and sensitive affair-- the door will be wide open for adulteration. So we will have to be vigilant. Please write your opinion.

BABA'S BLESSING

Here following is Baba's blessing for making one human society. Baba says, "You will have to build a society in which no one is forced to weep, where everyone smiles joyfully all the time and gets ample scope for laughter. Seeing such mirth and merriment, Parama Purusa will feel immensely pleased. By giving joy to Parama Purusa you will feel even more joyful and will feel His close proximity. This is the actual social code...You should all move along this path - you are sure to meet with success." (AV-4) Namaskar, Indrajit

Note 1: ABOUT THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE SCRIPTURES

Baba says, "The scriptures containing spiritual injunctions must be totally flawless. And the pioneering personality must be a strict and benevolent guardian with unyielding conviction." (NSS p.200, Edn 1995) Here above, by pioneering personality Baba is referring to all those margiis and Wts who have the feeling in the core of their heart to watch over and safeguard Baba's timeless words.

Note 2: WHERE ARE THOSE DMC DISCOURSES

And as we know usually all the DMC discourses are collected and printed in the Subhasita Samgraha series. So if anyone is fluent in Hindi, Bangla, and English then they can see that "all" the DMC discourses from 1955-90 have been published in the Subhasita Samgraha series. Some of the DMC discourses prior to 1970 may be exceptions to the rule in this regard. But for the post 1970 period, in some way, shape, or form those DMS discourses are printed in Subhasita Samgraha books.

Note 3: RECOLLECTION ABOUT ATTENDING DMC

Of course for we Ananda Margiis, DMC is one very significant thing where Baba gives Varabhaya Mudra. And Margiis go to attend and get His blessing. In addition, most of the time people like to write down the discourse name which they can later refer to and type. Because recording the discourse on audio tape was not permitted those days.

Note 4: WHAT ABOUT HIS GENERAL DARSHANS

When there is this type of negligence has occurred with Baba's historic DMC discourses then you can imagine what is the condition of Baba's other DMC discourses, what to speak of all those General Darshan discourses that Baba has delivered.

Note 5: ALL ARE NOT IN ONE LANGUAGE

Subhasita Samgraha parts 1-24 are not available in any single language. Some are in Hindi, and some are in Bangla, and some are only in English print. But between the Hindi and English editions, that is enough to cover all the parts of the Subhasita Samgraha series. But some parts are only available in one language. Just like parts 21 and 24 of the Subhasita Samgraha Series are not available in the other two languages, only English.

Note 6: CURRENT SCENE

With regards to this whole issue of scripture, on the top margiis do not have access to the cassettes of all the discourses and the second thing is that margiis are not being provided the books. And in the midst of all this now those at the helm are involved in group and clan clashes like primitive people. So this whole chaotic situation is occurring because of lack of awareness of the grand ideology which has been given by Baba.

Note 7: ALL HIS DISCOURSES MUST BE PRINTED

So it is our request that bringing out Baba's discourses in printed form should be given utmost importance.

************************************************* Far Reaching Effect

Baba says, "In the world today a handful of people who do no physical work, but live by their wits, have appropriated to themselves most of the wealth of umanity, so they are able to buy comparatively expensive foods, and use them to satisfy their taste buds. As result, they, on the one hand, swell their unnecessary fat, while, on the other hand, those people doing hard manual labour are forced to live in poverty and deprived of the ghee, butter and sweets they need to maintain their bodies; they have nothing to compensate properly the energy they expend, and they become weak, emaciated and broken in health. On account of malnutrition and excessive hard labour, they fall victim to tuberculosis." (YT, p. 82-83)

*************************************************

Cause of Depression & Proutistic Solution

From: "Geoffrey Young" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Cause of Depression & Proutistic Solution Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:41:37 +0000 Baba "Tandra na've ankhite manda'loke jadio..." (1728) Purport: Baba, drowsiness falls on my eyes at the time of darkness and I lose the path-- surrounded only by dogma. And when I cannot see my Goal properly, when I forget You, then please wake me and bring me on the proper path. O' Baba, o' my lord, please wake me with the call of Your divine flute; please remove my slumber. You are my God of gods. I do not have any other entity except you upon whom I have any hope. You are my only hope. Please remove all the Cimmerian darkness which surrounds me. Baba by Your grace my bondage of attraction with these worldly things is shattered. Now You are making me listen to the song of liberation. Baba, when I feel drowsy and remain lethargic on the forward path, then please grace me and pull me back on right track-- and bring me close to You...

== CAUSE OF DEPRESSION & PROUTISTIC SOLUTION ==

Namaskar, Near hysteria has erupted within the upper echelons of the US capitalistic society and they are crying out, 'Help...rescue...bail us out'. In turn, a panicked US government has jumped into the fray by lending 700 billion dollars. Interestingly enough, the top capitalists think that with a little bit of coaxing, the capitalist economy will once again become healthy and robust. In truth though, all the various protocols and tricks that those economic experts do will not work. Because the root cause of the problem is much deeper than they think.

FALSE BLAME BEING GIVEN

Now false blame is being attached to those banks for lending money to people who could not pay it back. As if, the common people, or those so-called unworthy loan candidates are at fault for not being able to carry their mortgage payments. This is the myth that is circulating around again and again, as if that is the heart of the matter. But that is not the main issue-- the main cause. That is not why the pillars of capitalism are crumbling before our very eyes. The root cause is not the mortgage crisis. Nor is it any other small-minded answer like the credit crunch or poor investment policies by top banks.

REAL CAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION

Here Baba clearly outlines the real reason(s) behind this economic crisis, i.e. economic depression. Baba says, "There are two main causes for economic depressions – first, the concentration of wealth, and secondly, blockages in the rolling of money. If capital is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals or the state, most people will be exploited by a handful of exploiters. As a result of this process of severe exploitation, a serious explosion takes place. This explosion is known as a depression in the economic world. The concentration of wealth, and particularly the concentration of the value of wealth, is the fundamental cause of a depression." (AFPS-9) Hence the main cause of any depression-- and the one that is befalling capitalism now-- is the extreme concentration of wealth, and dramatic economic disparity that is so prevalent in the capitalistic system. For years and years the gross exploitation and economic disparity between rich and poor has multiplied such that the common people do not have means to live. Their purchasing capacity is nil. That is the real reason behind this economic depression. They work day and night but still cannot make ends meet. Then Baba supplies a secondary cause as well. Baba says, "Secondly, a depression may occur when money that is in the possession of individual or state capitalists stops rolling. Money remains inert or unutilized because those capitalists think that if the money is allowed to roll freely then their profits will decrease, even though it will bring relief to the common people. The very psychology of capitalists is to make profit from the rolling of money. When they discover that the investment of money does not bring profit up to their expectations, then they stop rolling money. This keeps money immobile or inert; consequently, there is no investment, no production, no income and hence no purchasing power. The situation becomes so dangerous that there are few buyers to buy commodities." (AFPS-9) So it is not a few risky loans to people who were buying houses that is real problem. Yet that is the myth being propagated by the capitalist scholars and news agencies. Rather the very premise and foundation of capitalism is to blame. Namely, enabling the massive accumulation of money and the extreme concentration of wealth-- all based on exploitation. That is the main issue at hand. The common people toil day and night yet have no money to show for it. In turn, once all the money is accumulated in the hands of those capitalist exploiters -- when they realise their investments become shaky-- they stop investing and the money become stuck, i.e. it stops rolling. And that is exactly what we see happening today. Top capitalists no longer want to keep their money with those investments banks, so those banks are falling as they have no capital in their pockets. The root cause behind it all is years and years of economic exploitation. Baba says, "Economic depressions are actually the net result of suppression, repression and oppression – that is, exploitation. When exploitation reaches the culminating point, the mobility and the speed of the society become virtually nil. In such a stage, that is, in this culminating point, a natural explosion takes place." (PNS-13)

MYTHICAL ANSWER

Since capitalists cannot identify the root cause of today's economic depression-- a word which they do not even like to think, let alone pronounce-- they cannot give a proper solution either. They will never say that the depression is a result of massive exploitation carried out by the capitalist elite. So instead they look for other half-baked answers to solve the problem, lest their greedy dream of capitalism should come to an end. Then what do they propose: They think that having the US government inject a 700 billion dollar rescue plan will bring capitalism back on its feet. And then the rich will be able to go on getting richer by continuing to hoard all the wealth. This is their band-aid solution. But that is totally wrong. The economic woes of capitalism run much deeper than that.

BABA'S REAL SOLUTION

According to Baba, the only way to address the matter and correct the problem is to eliminate economic disparity and have there be a redistribution of wealth-- along with other economic restructuring. Baba says, "Depression is not a natural phenomenon. Pause is a natural phenomenon. In a Proutistic structure pause may occur but depression will not occur. To save society from depression, the approach of PROUT is to increase purchasing power by increasing production, reduce disparities in the value of wealth, and increase the circulation of money; that is, by keeping money rolling. Empty slogans will not do." ('Economic Dynamics') So from top to bottom, the whole entire economic realm needs to be realigned and the basic premises questioned. But capitalists dare not think or look in that direction. Yet that is what is called for and that is the only way out. Exploitation & massive disparities in wealth need to be eliminated from the economic structure. This basic approach is the first step towards building a healthy economy. Then of course, Prout has many other platforms that address productivity, consumption, raw materials, and spending etc.

SUMMARY

The capitalist elite has misidentified the cause of the current depression and they have begun to inject a wrong solution. Both will lead to worsen then situation and slide the society into a deeper tailspin, an uglier depression. Only Baba's Proutistic solution is the answer, not any re-make of capitalism.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace He has identified the problem and given the solution. It is our duty to spread the word amongst the intelligentsia and the rouse the consciousness of the common people. Then we will all be able to live harmoniously under the tenets of Prout. Baba says, "PROUT is the panacea for the integrated progress of human society. It aims to bring about equilibrium and equipoise in all aspects of socio-economic life through totally restructuring economics. Without PROUT, socio-economic emancipation will remain a utopian dream. Only PROUT can save the world from depression." (PNS-13) Namaskar, Jiivan Mukta

Note 1: EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS ARE NEEDED

We need for all in our Marga community to study Baba's teachings and share their views so we can offer the most comprehensive solution to the society. As each and every day passes, the situation will become more dire. Look forward to hearing from others on this critical issue about the current economic depression.

************************************************ Sentiment is Blind Force

Lord says, "For the very existence of speed, a sentimental support, a sentimental propulsion is an indispensable necessity. Now, this sentimental support must be based on rationality. Sentimentality based on rationality is the strongest force in the universe. And sentimentality without rationality takes the form of, or rather the distortion of, dogma."(SS-12, p.15) In above teaching Baba says that sentiment is a very delicate thing. If it is guided by rationality then that is very useful & meaningful. And if it is guided by dogma or any other thing then it is very negative. That is why sentiment is very delicate.

************************************************

Reminder Needed, Unfortunately

Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:12:48 To: am-global@earthlink.net From: Subject: Reminder Needed, Unfortunately Baba "Je ga'n a'ma'y shun'iyechile ta' ki bhola' ja'y kono jiivane..." (4502) Purport: Baba, by Your grace You made me listen to Your most divine and heart-rending song-- how can I ever forget that in this life. That song was most beautiful and melodious. Baba, You have graced me. O' my Beloved You are my most dear. Baba, You are present in each and every pulsation of my blood; You are my life-force. Baba, all the time-- in the rising and setting of the sun-- always You are along with me and You saturate the seven layers of my mind with Your divine bliss. Because of that I do sastaunga pranam to You with my body, mind, soul, & spirit-- with my entire existence. Baba, You are that eternal and most loving Entity. You were, You are, and You will remain in each and every molecule of this vast universe-- throughout all the lokas including the divine world. In anudhya'n* with ra'ga'tmika'** devotion, everyone dances encircling You. Baba, You have saturated my whole existence with Your infinite grace and bliss-- how can I ever forget that. Baba, You are so gracious. You are karuna' personified; Baba, You are the embodiment of love... * Anudhya'n= "When a sadhaka feels that the object of meditation is trying to escape, but as that Entity is the life and soul of the sadhaka he will not allow Him to escape. Thus the sadhaka runs after Him and tries to catch Him. This is called anudhyana." (APH-5) ** Ra'ga'tmika'= "Ra'ga'tmika' bhakti is the highest stage of pure devotion. In this type of devotion the ideation is, 'I love Parama Purus'a because it makes Him happy. I meditate on Him thinking that my meditation will bring joy to Him. This is my sole intention.' This is ra'ga'tmika' bhakti." (AMIWL-10)

== REMINDER NEEDED, UNFORTUNATELY ==

Namaskar, It is unfortunate that still this matter has yet to be rectified, hence this reminder. By Baba's grace, we will be able to follow His will. As we all strive to overcome the troubles of groupism in our organization, AMPS, it has become quite evident that the Margi side of the organization needs to be built up. Baba has given a very significant role to Margis in guiding our AMPS organization. To this end He has created the Bhukti Pradhan post and the ACB (Advisory Committees and Boards). Through these two structures and other such positions, Margis have a very pivotal and formative role in determining the direction of AMPS. Guiding AMPS plans and programs. However, due to the negative, power-seeking aims of both B and H group leaders, Margis have been suppressed. And the important positions of BP and ACB which were given by Baba have been reduced to ashes. That means Margis' official channels for giving guidance--the BP and ACB posts--have been manipulated by both H and B groups and converted into mere puppet posts. Please see below for the critical details.

BABA STORY: BP POST IS VERY IMPORTANT

Love Personified Taraka Brahma Baba has given much importance to the Post of Bhukti Pradhan. Once Baba was praising the baby of one Margii family & while Baba was giving His blessing He said that one day this baby would become Bhukti Pradhan. So this incident expresses how much importance Baba gives to the post of Bhukti Pradhan. For this reason, when Caryacarya Part 1 (Hindi Edition) was printed in 1985 & English Edn 1986, the Bhukti Pradhan chapter was included in the beginning of the book as Chapter 4, immediately after the Acarya/Tattvika/Purodha Chapter. By giving BPs their proper place in Caryacarya, Baba's intention was that BPs would come with Acaryas & Purodhas in importance.

GROUPIST LEADERS INTERCEDED

However, in the 1995 edition of Caryacarya I, B group leaders altered Caryacarya. And they mischievously moved the Bhukti Pradhan Chapter to Chapter 34, after the "Widow" Chapter. What an insult to the post of Bhukti Pradhan & bringing down the status of BP. That time Margiis when first saw this then who could tolerate this degradation. This disrespect to the post of Bhukti Pradhan is a glaring example of how low the post of BP is in the eyes of B and H group leaders. It is just like in a dogmatic Hindu society where the Harijans (sweepers, cobblers etc.) are treated as untouchables, worse than animals, yet they are part of Hindu society. It is so painful. This is just all dogma. But it seems that our B and H group leaders also think that Margiis are very low, just like untouchables. If this trend of seizing Margii rights continues then when the next edition of Caryacarya Pt.1 is printed, this Bhukti Pradhan chapter will be ousted from the book and thrown in the garbage bin. Because unfortunately the situation is moving in that negative direction.

NOT THE FIRST TIME

And in the past such mischievous things were done to other publications such as the deleted paragraph from the AM Revolution discourse.

SOME HISTORY

It should be noted here that the suppression of Margi rights was done first by B group. And then when H group got power, they followed the example of B group in heavily limiting Margi rights. On this point of repressing Margis, B and H groups are both involved-- each for their own selfish agenda.

ALTERATION OF THE BP MANUAL

For example, Dada Sarvatmananda altered the 1997 BP election manual so that Margis were completely under the control of WTs. If any Margi spoke out, they would be banned from participating in the BP elections. Prohibited from taking part either as candidate or as voter. And corruptions in the BP system were all put in print by Dada Sarvatmanandji in the altered '97 BP manual. Any rational person who reads this altered manual will immediately understand that the manual has been corrupted with a view to suppress Margis by making the BP into a puppet post. Due to the above corruptions in the BP manual, all know that good margiis were victimised for speaking out against injustices and as such were not allowed to serve as BP. Dada Sarvatmananda and his B group supporters initially did all these corrupt alterations in the past and now H group has adopted all those negative policies and procedures in order to amass more power.

OTHER IMPORTANT MARGII POSITIONS

Since the time of introduction of the BP system by Baba Himself, certain narrow-minded WTs had been searching for the opportunity to ruin this BP system. And step by step, take away all the rights of BPs, UBPs and general Margiis. Of course Baba also created the global ACB and PKB which have the right to guide and help in policy making in the entire AMPS organization up to the highest levels in the organization. The whole point being that the AMPS administration was designed to take advice from the ACB. Otherwise we can say that without the advice of the ACB, our AMPS administration will go in the wrong direction. And that's exactly what is happening today. Over the last decade and a half, B and H group leaders have abandoned the ACB system-- or more precisely they kidnapped it and stuffed it with their own people. They are not caring to take any advice from the regular Margiis. In result they have invited catastrophe in our holy AMPS. There is no need to give any example to prove this point. Baba has designed this AMPS structure so that there will always be strict vigilance from the Margiis side through the ACB and BP system. This is so that, in future negative persons who are not ready to follow AM ideology wholeheartedly must not get any opportunity or scope to hijack and misuse this vast organization AMPS.

BABA'S BLESSING

Baba says, "Remember Him and march ahead-victory will be yours. You have not to be afraid of the worldly forces. Those who enjoy the highest force of Paramapurus'a are sure to succeed. Victory will surely be theirs. Victory to you all." (SS-19, p. 24) Namaskar, Sukhadeva Note: The following is Baba's original and true paragraph from His discourse "AM A Revolution about Margii rights. This is the paragraph which is now severely altered and taken out from Baba's books. Means Sarvatmananda and crew cut it out of numerous publications and replaced it with something totally fake. Now please examine the following and see in what way they distorted Baba's teachings in order to meet their own selfish agenda. (A) Here is the original and correct version of the paragraph about Margii rights: "Ananda Marga does not discriminate between a family person and a sannyasi (renunciate). The place given to a family person in our Marga is greater than the place given to a sannyasi, based on the reason that the former is not dependent on anyone for his or her maintenance, while the sannyasi has to depend on others. A family person is like a strong tree which is self-supporting, while the sannyasi is like the vine which twines around the tree for its support. A family person therefore deserves more respect than a sannyasi, according to the trend of thought in Ananda Marga. This itself is a revolutionary idea. No philosopher or thinker, whether eastern or western, had ever dared to declare a family person as deserving more respect than a hermit or a sannyasi. It needed the courage of a revolutionary to say so." (PNS-11, p.7) (B) Here is the distorted version of the paragraph about Margii rights: "Ananda Marga does not discriminate between a family person and a sannya'sii (renunciant). It required the courage of a revolutionary to say so." So it can be seen, very clearly that in the distorted version they kept only the first and last sentences of the paragraph from Baba's original discourse. And they cut the entire middle section which discusses Margii rights and guides how Margiis are to be given a proper place in our AMPS. Certainly everyone knows that this distortion was done by B group-- and Sarvatmananda took help from many H group Dadas who were his pawns those days. But B group was the instigator of all this negativity and H group Dadas followed along so as not to incur the wrath of Sarvatmananda. And also to get some prize (i.e Purodhaship) as well. But nowadays all the WT groups (the ruling H group, B group and even the sub-factions) are unfortunately of the same platform-- of not to grant Margiis Rights. Groupist Wts deem this paragraph as a threat to their prestige. When in reality this paragraph is truly a unifying force because with the cooperative efforts of Margiis and WT's our Marga will grow into a healthy society. According to Baba's teaching developing one human society is our goal, not dividing the entire family to pieces. We have to form one AM society which is like a monolithic rock. When our Guru, Ista, and Adarsha is one, then what is the question of division, repression, or suppression. BABA says, "The noble and righteous persons bound by fraternal ties, are eager to assert in one voice, with one mind, and in the same tune, that human society is one and indivisible." (PNS-7, p. 9)

******************************************** Importance of Padma'sana

Parama Purus'a BABA says, "Padma'sana [lotus posture] is just like a lotus in full bloom. Just as the roots and stem of the lotus remain under the water and only the leaves and flowers float about it-- and although it is born in the mind it sustains its love for the stars-- in the same way people sitting in this lotus posture and remaining in the world, can keep their minds above their mundane environment. That is why on the path of sa'dhana' this posture has tremendous importance." (NSS, '85, p. 241)

********************************************

In the Name of Bhakti, People...

Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:19:06 To: am-global@earthlink.net From: Miguel Subject: In the Name of Bhakti, People... Baba "Nabiina Pra'te ei arun' a'lote..." (P.S. #19) Purport: Baba, by You grace the new dawn has come. In this new crimson dawn, with the rhythm of form, You have entered my mind. Baba You are so gracious: You know how to make us laugh and weep, You know how to play hide-and-seek. Baba by Your grace You have filled my life with Your radiant light. You know how to play the lyre, to weave endless melodies, to make the world dance in Your melodies and rhythms. And You know how to love the world with all its pains and pleasures. Baba You are so gracious, You are that most loving One...

== IN THE NAME OF BHAKTI, PEOPLE DO A'SAKTI ==

Namaskar, In our Marga, the term 'bhakti' is well--known and commonly used in our daily talk and interactions. We say things like, 'He has a lot of bhakti', or 'Bhakti is the greatest attribution', or 'I only follow the path of bhakti' etc. Then of course some think, 'I am an acarya so I must have a lot of bhakti', while others contemplate, 'I am the bhukti pradhan so I have a lot of bhakti'. We have all seen and heard how the term bhakti gets used in the above ways, when in fact such things may have little or even nothing to do with true bhakti. So we should take a moment to reflect on what is real bhakti, especially since it is only bhakti that can lead us to our cherished Goal.

PURITY OF BHAKTI

Baba is quite clear that bhakti means having one's mind directed only towards God, and not towards any other object or desire. Baba says, "Bhakti means to withdraw one’s attractions from all objects and channelize them towards Parama Purus'a. When the unit self is associated with the cosmic it is called “bhakti” or “devotion”, but when it is associated with the mundane it is called “attachment”. You must withdraw your mental propensities from all external objects – no matter what they might be – and channelize them only towards Parama Purus'a. Only when you direct them towards Him, can it be called bhakti. If you allow your mind to become fascinated by any other object, it is called “a'sakti” or “attachment”." (AV-7) Thus no external qualification or mundane desire has even one iota to do with bhakti. If anyone thinks, 'I am an acarya so therefore I am a devotee', or if one thinks, 'I organise many service projects so I must be a great devotee', this is all nothing but self-befoolery. Because using external things to build a case for one's internal amount of bhakti is meaningless. The operative phrase in the above quote is, "only towards Parama Purus'a". If the mind is goaded only towards Parama Purusa, then it is bhakti. That is the real meaning of bhakti. If one's mind is only involved in serving and pleasing Parama Purusa. That is not to say we should forgo or abandon all worldly activities, that is not our way. Rather we should ensure we are doing those worldly activities for pleasing him, and not out of our own unit desire for worldly prestige etc. As Baba points out, if the mind is separately or simultaneously involved in any other longing then it is known as a'sakti or attachment, i.e. the path of degradation. Baba says, "When the attraction is for the non-integral entity, for money, for family, for land, it is called ka'ma; when it is for integral entity it is called prema and the mental tendency during ka'ma i.e., the mental tendency during attraction for a non-integral entity is called a'sakti in Sam'skrta and the mental tendency during attraction for that Integral Entity is called bhakti. (SS-18) Hence the degree to which we are attracted by or infatuated with money, name, fame, respect, position, is the degree to which we are off the path of bhakti. Bhakti, then is a very pure and internal desire to attain Parama Purusa. And for this tremendous honesty and love are needed. We may be able to masquerade ourselves in front of others so they think we are great bhaktas; but we cannot fool Parama Purusa in this way. He sees our inner-most desire and knows how far we have pure bhakti or not.

BHAKTI & A'SAKTI CANNOT CO-EXIST

The main thing we should keep in mind is that bhakti (love for God) and a'sakti (mundane longing) cannot co-exist. The degree to which we harbor one is the degree to which we are remiss in the other. Baba says, "The attachment for a finite thing is an expression of extroverted energy, whereas the attraction for the Infinite is an expression of the introverted energy. That is why these two can never co-exist." (SS-1) And Baba points out that even our most worldly intimate dealings can take us away from the path of bhakti. Baba says, "Do you love your son? No, no you don’t love your son. You love Brahma in the form of your son. By loving your son as a son, you cannot love the Lord. Where there is the feeling of son, there is no Lord and where there is the Lord, there is no son." (SS-1) So even harboring seemingly tender feelings for our loved ones drags us on the path of temporality, and away from God-hood.

CANNOT OVERLOOK WORLDLY DUTIES

Neither should one get caught up in the misconception or dogma that to become a true bhakta I should give up my sons, or renounce my parents, or become some type of hermit etc. Rather, we have been given various responsibilities, and they are to be managed. As we know, performing worldly duties is not antithetical to the path of devotion. It is only when we get infatuated by those worldly expressions that it infringes on our devotional experience. So that is what we must be careful about.

MUST SEE ALL AS BRAHMA

The answer given by Baba is that we must view all as the manifestation of Parama Purusa. That is the way to live in this world without sacrificing our devotional longing for Him. Baba says, "The ascription of divinity to objects means the pursuit of the Infinite, leaving the finite behind. Are you feeding your son? No, no, you are feeding the son-like manifestation of Brahma. Are you tilling the field? No, no you are serving the finite manifestation of Brahma with your plough. Really speaking, the ascription of divinity to objects precludes their material enjoyment, as the objects then merge in the non-material Supreme Brahma." (AMIWL-2) To do this we must be very honest and clear. Material Indulgence and bhakti have no place together. Seeing all as Him means seeing all as an opportunity to do service, not satisfy worldly passions such as post, power, lust etc. Thus thinking of making more money, garnering huge respect, or even becoming PP have nothing to do with getting devotion. Only by truly following brahmacaraya, are we perfectly consonant with the path of devotion.

ONLY BHAKTAS CAN SERVE ALL

This all leads to the point that only true bhaktas can serve the humanity. Invariably, non-bhaktas, or degraded bhaktas get attached to one worldly expression or another-- either their wife, or their country, or their job, or their community etc, in which case they will view the rest of the world in a biased manner. There are countless examples of this happening nowadays. That is why only the bhaktas of Parama Purusa can promote the cause of universal welfare on this earth and throughout the universe. See Him in everyone, the sadhaka can them maintain equanimity and serve others without favouring one person or another.

VERY CRUDE APPROACH

We can say that there are three basic approaches. The top most is to love only Parama Purusa all the time. Then one is truly established in bhakti. Second is when one loves Parama Purusa sometimes, and then on other occasions love towards mundane things is dominant. This is quite common. Many of us may find ourselves in this position. In that case, more kiirtan and sadhana are needed. The next lowest phase occurs when in their ritualistic worship of Parama Purusa, one prays for something mundane. That is very crude and must be avoided entirely. Baba says, "If a man wants to become a devotee of the lord but in the mind of his mind, if he thinks that God will make him pass his examination – here the esana (longing) is not one but two...When something is demanded from God the esana becomes two. Hence the time is completely wasted...When the esana (longing) is not [only] for Paramatman but [also] for something else, it is known as asakti (attachment) and not bhakti." (SS-20) There is no scope for this type of approach in AM; we should all keep the mind a thousand miles from such a crude and dogmatic way.

WHY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW BHAKTI

Lastly, what is the logic or rational for following bhakti. How should we convince ourselves when the mind is down or how can we convince others. Well, we can say that the path of bhakti is the blissful way to live and that only should be followed. Even then that might not always do the trick of convincing ourselves. In that case another route is needed. And that route is: Other than the path of bhakti there is no other path. Every other entity in this universe will leave you one day. Every other longing will create a samskara. Every other longing is ephemeral. Baba says, "Under the influence of avidya' people believe that the finite objects created by static Prakrti are their own. They think, “my horse, my son, my daughter, my wealth,” and believe that with these objects they will live eternally. But the fact is, all these limited objects will desert them after sometime. Nothing that can be called one’s own will remain." (AMIWL-8) We have come onto this earth for a very short period; our window of opportunity is small. So we must utilise our time in the right pursuit-- that pursuit which will free us from the suffering and bondage of maya. That is the only way. In that case, only the path of bhakti is the answer. Whether we like it or not, that is the only avenue for advancement.

BABA'S BLESSING

Everyone in AM likes to think they are bhaktas because we know this is something great, but only those who really have internal longing for Him-- and no other desire-- truly qualify as real bhaktas. Thus it is for each and every sadhaka to estimate for themselves how far they are on the path of bhakti. By Baba's grace, by remembering Him we are all sure to attain this most blessed stance. When we think, 'I want only You, then Baba cannot keep us away'. Baba says, "Therefore, O devotees remember the Lord’s name, else all your efforts will be reduced to cipher [zero]. Under all circumstances and during all activities, cling firmly to His name." (SS-1) Namaskar, Mantreshvar

Note 1: BHAKTI VERSUS A'SAKTI

Baba says, "The meaning of the word bhakti is “attraction to the Supreme”. When the attraction is to something limited, it is called a'sakti, and when the attraction is to the Supreme, it is devotion, bhakti. There is no compromise, no meeting point, between a'sakti and bhakti, between attraction to the Supreme and attraction to the objects of the world. In a'sakti, the feeling is that I get the object. In bhakti, the feeling is that I merge myself in Him. Where there is no desire, there the Lord lives. The Lord and the desire for the world, like the sun and the night, cannot coexist." (AV-23) Baba says, "In philosophical terms the attraction for finite objects is called a'sakti and the attraction for the infinite is Bhakti. Ra'ga or rakti means both the attraction for the infinite and attraction for the finite objects." (SS-1) Baba says, "One may have attachment towards physical objects as well as towards Parama Purus'a. The attachment to physicality is called a'sakti or vis'aya'nurakti, while the deep attachment to Parama Purusa is called para'nurakti or bhakti." (AV-33) Baba says, "The meaning of the word “para'nurakti” should be considered. Rakti denotes raga or attachment. Anurakti means maintaining attachment with or being attracted by a particular entity after having understood its meaning. Anurakti is of two kinds. The anurakti for the Supreme Brahma or Infinite Cosmic Consciousness is para'nurakti. The Anurakti for Brahma under the sway of prakrti or the anurakti for the crude manifestations is termed apara'nurakti. God is an object for para'nurakti. When the aspirant considers the Supreme Brahma to be his own, it is termed bhajana' or bhakti." (SS-1)

Note 2: SEEING ALL AS PARAMA PURUSA

Baba says, "Do you love your son? It is perfectly right that you should, however, when the son dies, you will experience great pain. Is it not so? The son is preya, a finite entity. He cannot live till eternity. He will depart and make you weep. But if you treat your son as the expression of Brahma in the form of your son, then you will never fear losing him because Brahma cannot be lost in any span of time. He is present around you in all the ten directions." (AMIWL-2)

Note 3: RELYING ON WORLDLY THINGS INVITES MISERY

Baba says, "Take, for instance, an unstable or transient thing, such as your son. He is constantly progressing through changes, and so you are. Neither of your two entities will remain forever. If you regard him as the only support in your life, it will certainly not be wise, for your son may leave the world any day, and you will moan his loss with bitter tears; or you yourself may leave the world, making him an orphan. This applies in the same way to wealth, power, etc." (Matter & Spirit)

Note 4: WHAT IS DEVOTION

Bhaktirbhagavad bha'vana' na stutirna'rcana'

Baba says, "Being merged in the constant thought of God is devotion. Devotion is not related to the chanting of hymns or ritualistic worship with different paraphernalia. A devotee may perform these, but they are not an indispensable part of devotional sa'dhana'. (AS, 3-12)

Itiha'sa Should Be Written

From: "Seshagiri Deva" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Itiha'sa Should Be Written Date: Fr, 19 Sep 2008 22:48:28 +0530 Baba "Toma'ke cena' na'hi ja'y..." (P.S. 2089) Purport: Baba, it is not possible to recognize You. When I think that I have recognized You, then my consciousness gets completely enveloped by the Cimmerian darkness. Baba, Your divine Presence shifts from one extreme to the next. On the one side You are so tough and other times You are very soft and sweet. Baba, sometimes You are vehemently sounding Your sermons by the beating of the marching drum and blowing of the military trumpets; and on other occasions You are smiling sweetly and showering Your causeless grace with the flower pollen. Baba, such is Your beauty. O' Baba, in the end, in the lonely, isolated moment, I see that everything happens by Your grace. What You desire that is what happens-- that is the final truth. O' Parama Purusa Baba, in Your grand Kingdom, everything belongs to You. I cannot boast that anything is mine; indeed to think that something is mine is a crime. Because everything is created by You-- this whole expressed universe is Your mental projection. Then how can I say that anything is mine. Baba, only You are mine; everyone is Yours. Baba, everyone longs for Your karuna'-- divine compassion. Baba, to recognize You is not possible without Your grace. Baba only with the showering of Your grace can one realise You-- otherwise not. Baba please grace me...

== ITIHA'SA SHOULD BE WRITTEN ==

Namaskar, All Baba's discourses should be named in the proper way-- according to His system. Not title should mislead or go against the spirit of His teachings. Here following is a discussion about the naming of one of His historic discourses. Has the Publication department done justice to Baba's discourse or not.

TYPES OF WRITING

We know that there are various types of writing such as kavya, purana, itikatha, and itihasa etc. And each of these categories has their own special qualities and distinguishing features. For example kavyas are known for their beauty, puranas are a type of mythology, itikatha is a chronology of events or history etc. Baba says, "Kavya might not be real, but the way of expression is lucid and beautiful. 'Vakvam rasatmakam Kavyam'- stories which were narrated in a graceful language were known as 'kavya'." (MHB, p.2) Baba says, "Purana (mythology). In it the stories told are not real but have educative value. Therefore it has its value in society. For instance, the Ramayana is a purana." (MHB, p.2) Baba says, "Itikatha is also known as 'purakatha', 'itivrtta', 'puravrtta' etc in Samskrta. It is known as 'history' in English." (MHB, p.3) So like that in easy to understand, crystal-clear fashion Baba has clarified the terms kavya, purana, and itikatha for us. And in similar fashion Baba has done the same with the term itiha'sa. Despite that, one or two persons remain confused to the extent that such translators are wrongly titling Baba's discourses.

THE TRUE MEANING OF ITIHA'SA

Here Baba describes the speciality of the term itiha'sa.

"Iti hasiti ityarthe itiha'sah"

Meaning: "A resplendent reflection of collective life whose study will be of immense inspiration for future generations. "Iti hasati" literally means, "glowing example of glorious human dignity." (PNS-8, p. 24) And Baba here furthermore is describing the uniqueness of the itihasa term:

Dharma'rtha ka'ma moks'a'rtham Niiti va'kya samanvitam' Pura'vrta katha'yuktam'itiha'sah pracaks'ate

Thus in the above shloka Baba guides us that in itiha'sa there a minimum of seven key ingredients which in totality transcend all the layers of life in all the directions. Itihasa has: [1] dharma (psycho-spiritual development), [2] artha (that which relieves pain), [3] ka'ma (mundane longings), [4] moksa (salvation), [5] niiti (morality), [6] pura'vrta (facts and records), [7] katha (stories). All these factors are components of itihasa. Thus itiha'sa is a unique, diverse, and complete approach for encapsulating the trials and glories of human existence. Baba says, "Itiha'sa is that...which a man gets the fruits of caturvarga-- dharma, artha, kama and moks'a-- as well as a system of the do's and don'ts of niiti." (MHB, p.3)

ITIHASA HAS NO EQUIVALENT ENGLISH TERM

By this we can understand that itihasa is one unique type of term that has no English equivalent. Thus Itihasa cannot be translated directly into any single English word such as 'history'. And in clear-cut language Baba reveals this very fact: Baba says, "Let me tell you at the very outset that the English word 'history' and the Sam'skrta word itiha'sa are not synonymous." (PNS-21, p.1) Then Baba goes on to explain further that the English word 'history' instead means itikatha. Which as we read above is vastly different from the term itiha'sa. Baba says, "The chronological record of past events which is called "history" in English should be called itikatha'&in Sam'skrta." (PNS-21, p.1) Baba says, "Itikatha. In English this is known as "history". Itikatha is a chronology of events. In itikatha there is simply a collection of different happenings. In it the author bothers little about the educative value of the affairs. People at large derive little benefit from knowing the dates of birth and death of different kings." (MHB, p.2) Thus the English term 'history' meaning itikatha has nothing to do with itiha'sa. The term history is comparatively flat and wholly fails to carry any of the vitality, insight, or dynamism which the term itiha'sa portrays. Baba says, Itiha'sa is "A resplendent reflection of collective life whose study will be of immense inspiration for future generations. "Iti hasati" literally means, "glowing example of glorious human dignity." (PNS-8, p. 24) Thus the English term history falls far short of the mark. And it refers to itikatha'-- NOT itiha'sa. So as huge as these practical and philosphical differences are, even then top of all Baba's commanding opinion is there. Baba says, "Let me tell you at the very outset that the English word 'history' and the Sam'skrta word itiha'sa are not synonymous." (PNS-21, p.1) Clearly then the term itiha'sa cannot be translated as 'history'. Yet certain translators of Baba Prout discourses have swapped out the itihasa term and replaced it with the English term- history. Here below is more of the story how this negative affair happened.

BABA'S HISTORIC DISCOURSE

In Patna DMC in January 1980 Baba is giving the discourse and guiding us that Itiha'sa should be written. The point being that up till now the past history has been written in such a way where those in power were just telling about how they themselves were great kings and queens etc. Means in their own way the leaders of each of the eras -- ksattriyan, vipran, veashyan etc-- were just selfishly preaching about their own magnificence. Baba says, "History Books are selected in order to establish the glory of a particular era. For example, the heroic tales of the chivalry of the Ksattriyas form the main basis for the writing of the history of the Ks'attriya era." (PNS-8, p. 25) And like that the leaders of all the eras followed this negative trend. So straight-away Baba rejects this misguided manner of recounting the past. Baba says, "Unfortunately, the biased history is always written according to the dictates of the ruling class of different countries. The study of this biased history is detrimental to society. It should not occur." (PNS-8, p.26) Then Baba guides us that we are to create a full-fledge, colorful picture of the whole society. One which tells how society developed, how the problems were solved, and how the people lived. And such type of comprehensive, honest, educative, and dharmic account is known as Itiha'sa. Plus about the speciality of Itiha'sa Baba tells the following. Baba says, Itiha'sa is "that treatise alone which increases human beings' arena of spiritual awareness and thus renders the intellect more subtle, which enhances the knowledge of various branches of art and science - such as literature, fine art, pure science, technology, social science, etc - and which places human beings on a firm foundation."(PNS-8, p. 25) By all it is quite clear that Itihasa itself is a unique approach. And in that Patna discourse of January 1980 Baba is guiding us about the great import of Itihasa. And He is telling that Itihasa should be written-- not history.

DISCOURSE TALKS SOMETHING AND HEADING IS SOMETHING ELSE

And by Baba's grace I was present there in that Patna DMC where Baba is giving this discourse in Hindi and He is telling that itihasa should be written. But later on when the book got published then in the English edition certain translators wrongly put heading of the discourse as 'Let History Be Rewritten' etc. When the English term 'history' has a completely different meaning-- one which is more limited and static in nature. That's why the word 'history' is equated with the Sanskrit word itikatha-- not itiha'sa. Baba says, "Itikatha is also known& as 'history' in English." (MHB, p.3) So unfortunately all this got wrongly translated. Because in the Patna discourse Baba is revealing the deep significance of itiha'sa. And that itiha'sa covers all the realms of human existence and that it has no English equivalent word. Baba says, "Let me tell you at the very outset that the English word "history" and the Sam'skrta word itiha'sa are not synonymous." (PNS-21, p.1) But even then the translators wrongly titled Baba two discourses about itiha'sa. And they translated the itiha'sa term itself as 'history'. In that way they did a big blunder and gave the misleading title(s): (1) What History Should Be Like and (2) Let History Be Rewritten. When in fact Baba clearly guides us that history is not the equivalent of itihasa.

SOLUTION: FOLLOW BABA'S EXAMPLE BABA HAS SET THE TREND TO USE SANSKRIT WORDS IN THE TITLE

In numerous discourses Baba has led the way by placing various headings in the Sanskrit language. Such as the discourse 'The Glory of Kiirtan'. Here we do not translate the Sanskrit 'Kiirtan' term as devotional chanting etc. Rather the Kiirtan term is kept in its original Sanskrit as it gives a more pointed meaning and also because there is not a proper equivalent English term. And not just in that example. But there are many, many occasions where Baba has assigned Sanskrit terms in the English headings of His discourses. Words such as Sadhana, Ista, Yoga, Diiks'a', Mantra, Guru, Dharma to name a few. And in that way there are English discourses titled as: 'Guru Puja' (AV-3), 'The Importance of Diiks'a' (DT-2), 'What is Dharma?' (APH-1), 'The Forms of Sadhana' (SS-1), 'Dharma Sadhana' (AV-31), 'Satya' (GHC), 'Where There is Dharma There is Ista' (SS) etc etc.

ITIHASA SHOULD BE WRITTEN...

So when such above listed discourses contain Sanskrit words and those are not translated into English but are kept in their original Sanskrt and used in the title. And when Baba Himself has set this trend. Then, in the same way, the discourse at hand should be titled as 'Let History Be Rewritten' .

... BUT INSTEAD THE TERM BABA REJECTS WAS PUT IN THE TITLE

Because here Baba is opening new Vistas by introducing the term itihasa and demonstrating how it is different from the English term 'history'. Thus when the translators use that very term-- i.e. history-- which Baba has rejected and they are using the history term in the title of the discourse. Then that is misleading. Since in that very discourse itself and in numerous other discourses Baba goes to great lengths to differentiate the two terms-- history and itihasa. Means on multiple occasions Baba has objected to the use of the English term 'history' in place of Itiha'sa. And in that way, by this mistranslation, these precious discourses have lost their charm. Means they became tainted. So the titles of all such discourses should be corrected. Because Guru's teaching is divine and it should not be altered or placed in the wrong way such that it misguides the readers. Here it should also be added that not just in the title but throughout these two discourses the translators have splattered the word 'history' such that not just the title but indeed the entire discourse is outright misleading. Thus it gives the reader a convoluted and wrong understanding of Baba's discourse. So those who do not have the capacity to do translation work should give up the job. They should not ruin Baba's divine gifts and mislead others.

MOVING US TOWARDS A BRIGHT FUTURE

Baba guides us that by studying the past and present according to the dharmic guidelines of itiha'sa-- "people will gain inspiration and derive great strength to move ahead." (PNS-8, p. 28) Namaskar, Seshagiri Note 1: Up till now, the itiha'sa term has been commonly used in India; but in the name of Itiha'sa all people do is write traditional history. Because they mostly just translate overseas history books and then categorize or label them as itiha'sa. So this is not proper. For this reason when speaking to the audience in Patna, Baba guides us that Itiha'sa should be written. Note 2: The English version of these two discourses are printed in Prout Nutshell part 8. So anyone can review this whole matter by consulting that Prout-8 book which contains the discourses, 'Let History Be Rewritten' & 'What History Should Be Like'. Plus the first discourse of Prout 21 titled 'History and Superstition' and the first chapter of the book 'Discourses of the Mahabharata' are also good resources for this entire topic of the true meaning of itiha'sa etc. Note 3: All the negative translation errors noted in this entire letter were done by Jayanta (SUVA). The main point being that unqualified people such as J should not get the scope to do translation work. Baba says, "When the question of social responsibility arises, it should be considered with care and caution. Irresponsible people cannot be entrusted with social responsibility." (PNS-7, p. 60) About the present era Baba furthermore guides us. Baba says, "Those who are selected for discharging social responsibilities do not possess the necessary qualities [morality]. They have occupied the posts either for money or for recommendation, but no social good has been accomplished." (PNS-7, p. 61) Baba finally warns us: Baba says, "If power is given to an incompetent person, it is the equivalent to leading society astray in cold blood." (PNS 7- p.61)

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Baba says, "Human beings often attached less importance to the spiritual aspect of nitya karma and more importance to the physical aspect. This is detrimental because one should not forget that human life is short while act is long. From the very moment of birth one slowly and steadily advances towards death with every passing moment of time. This short period of time from birth to death is human life. Human beings have come from the world of invisibility and at the end of this short span of time will return to the land of invisibility. Those people can be called intelligent who utilised every moment of their short life engaged in spiritual practice." (APH-4, p. 251)

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