Page views

Ananda Marga Forum

All the letters on this blog are directly related with the teachings of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji Baba.To communicate with the editors of this forum or receive postings of this blog, email us at: anandamargauniversal@earthlink.net

Baba


Namaskar,


Just a reminder to be sure to subscribe to our two new blogsites:


For latest news click here Ananda Marga Universal


For latest news click here Ananda Marga News Bulletin

Or email us at: anandamargauniversal@earthlink.net


And we will be sure to add you to the list.


In Him,

Moderator



What Does It Mean By...

To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: What Does It Mean By... Date: Sat 23 Feb 2008 23:47:25 +0530 (IST) From: Madhusudan Baba "A'mi toma're bhuliya' chinu katadin..." (P.S. 4091) Purport: Baba, I was remaining forgetful and was oblivious of You for such a long span of time. My life passed like this. I traveled on the rugged, jagged path. Sometimes I fell down in the ocean current. My days, full of stains, were wasted in hopelessness-- without any achievement, without any genuine progress. So many lonely, isolated nights passed in crying in utter despair with no pra'na-- just frustration. Baba, sometimes I suffered and got hit by the cold northern breeze. And sometimes that northern breeze took away all my hopes, inspirations, and gains. Just I drowned in staticity and crudeness. But now, by Your grace today spring has come. All the surroundings are filled with the colourful flowers and sweet aroma. The dark night has changed into a glittering moonlight, shining in the sky. Peacocks are dancing in happiness and expressing their joy by extending their feathers. The sweet breeze has come. It is shaking my whole existence and making me quiver in the divine vibration. That sweet breeze is giving me the hint and telling me, 'Listen! the divine flute, which is resonating, it is calling you..."
WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY... ...YOU CAN GET LIBERATION BUT NOT GET HIM
Namaskar, In various discourses Baba makes the very interesting and thought-provoking statement that one can get liberation or salvation and not get Him. Baba says, "If you want mukti [liberation] or moks'a [non-qualified liberation] from Him, if you are a suitable candidate then you may get it from Him, but you will not get Him." (AV-2) So the question is, what does this mean. Doesn't getting liberation or attaining salvation mean becoming one with Brahma? How is it that one can get liberation or salvation but not get Parama Purusa? What is the crux of this knotty statement-- what is the significance of this seemingly philosophical paradox.
IT DEPENDS UPON THE TYPE OF RELATION
The main point to keep in mind here is that although various types of relations with Parama Purusa lead to mukti, or moksa, there are some relations-- like madhura bhava or Vraja Krsna-- where one feels His sweet and loving proximity in their day to day life, and there are some relations-- like dasya bhava or Parathasarthi Krsna-- where one does not feel that sweet bond of love and intimacy with Parama Purusa. In the former one has Him in their tight embrace and in the latter not, yet both lead to mukti or moksa. Let's take it a step further. For instance, those bhaktas of madhura bhava will have that intimate connection with Baba every step along the way as they attain Him; they will feel His loving embrace and warm touch in their each and every action on this earth. Because that is the very nature of the madhura bhava relation: To have a very personal and intimate relation with Parama Purusa while living in the world. Hence, they get Him. Whereas those involved in the mode of dasya bhava (master-slave relation), or in the case of Parathasarthi Krsna, those disciples will not feel the sweet love of Parama Purusa while on their journey. So in that sense they will not get Him. But due to their obedience, faithfulness, determination, and grit, in the end they will be rewarded with mukti or moksa. But along the way they will not have Him. That is the inner working of Baba's above statement. And here it is again for your review. Baba says, "If you want mukti [liberation] or moks'a [non-qualified liberation] from Him, if you are a suitable candidate then you may get it from Him, but you will not get Him." (AV-2) Because in a comparatively dry manner, those followers of Parathasarthi Krsna or those sadhakas involved in daysa bhava (master-slave relation) progress ahead on the path to liberation without feeling that intimate closeness with Parama Purusa. They feel that they have to do something to earn their liberation-- so they work hard for that and strive to execute the plan and order of Parama Purusa, but in so doing they do not feel close enough with Parama Purusa to desire and get His sweet embrace. In which case they do not get Him.
HOW MADHURA BHAVA WORKS
Here Baba nicely explains how the bhakta of madhura bhava keeps an intimate and personal link with Baba each and every day on the path. Baba says, "Madhura bháva is a very exalted bháva, for this bháva fills the mind with sweetness and bliss and leads the aspirant to the closest proximity of the Lord. To a person who is predominantly a devotee of the Lord, everything tastes sweet, there is nothing bitter in the creation of Parama Puruśa. He is attracting you through the ectoplasmic world, binding you through the bonds of love." (NKS, Disc: 27) Baba says, "The spirit of madhura bháva is as follows: “He is so vast, endowed with innumerable attributes, yet even then He loves me. He is so great, yet He is still my most intimate friend, so very close to me. What joy! What joy!” This is madhura bháva." (NKS: Disc 9) So on the blissful path of madhura bhava, one wants only His sweet proximity and one gets His intimate companionship. In a phrase, one gets Him. But the same thing does not happen in dasya bhava (master-slave relation). In that case one may live a life filled with anxiety, frustration, suffering etc-- but not bliss-- yet in the end due to their sacrifice one may get mukti or moksa. Such is the drastic difference between madhura bhava and dasya bhava. One gets Him and one not.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VRAJA KRSNA AND PARATHASARTHI KRSNA
Another way to think of this whole phenomenon of getting mukti but not getting Him is through the Baba's crystal clear distinction between Vraja Krsna and Parathasarthi Krsna. Note: Here it should be stated that the relations of Vraja Krsna and Parathasarathi Krsna are not related only with Sri Krsna. Here Baba is using this as an analogy to show that in all the ages, one can have different types of relations with Parama Purusa. Baba says, "In the case of Vraja Krśńa, the devotee developed a unique spiritual consciousness. The one thought that filled a devotee’s mind was, “I want to go to Parama Puruśa,” and that journey passed through madhura bháva. Párthasárathi’s teachings were quite different. He said, “Well, you want to advance. That’s all right, but others must come with you. You must all come together.” This approach certainly impairs madhura bháva to some extent because it involves an element of roughness. If we are to use an analogy, we can compare a very sweet thick-skinned mango to Vraja Krśńa. You can easily peel away the skin and relish the sweet juicy fruit to your heart’s content – no trouble, only happiness. If someone asks you how sweet it is, you cannot express your delight in words and you illustrate the sweetness through gestures. But Párthasárathi Krśńa may be compared to a firm, ripe bel [wood apple] with a hard shell. You have to take some trouble to break the shell, and while breaking it you have to be careful not to let the fruit fall to the ground and smash into pieces. The pulp is no doubt very good for the stomach, perhaps even better than a mango, but it is not so nice to eat. It is not as juicy as a mango. If Vraja Krśńa can be likened to high quality cakes like gokulapiit́há or pát́i sápt́á, Párthasárathi Krśńa may be likened to sweets made of boiled, condensed sugar cane juice." (NKS, 'Six Stages of Realisation') Thus in the relation of Vraja Krsna, one feels the inner sweetness and personal love with Parama Purusa in a very close manner. And in that way they get liberation or salvation. In contrast, in the relation of Parathasarthi Krnsa, one does not become ensconced in the devotional love for Parama Purusa, but rather the sadhaka must overcome all sorts of trials and tribulations. And by that way they reach up to mukti or moksa. So on one path one gets the close proximity of Parama Purusa and the other not. One path is full of His blissful love and the other not.
IN THE END BECOMING ONE MEANS GETTING HIM
Ultimately though, it has to be recognised that getting mukti or moksa, means losing one's own identity and merging in Parama Purusa. That culminating point is the same for all the accepted pathways as given by Baba. Thus in all the ways-- dasya bhava, madhura bhava etc-- one will ultimately experience this in the end. So perhaps the best way to express the difference is in this following analogy. One can reach to a kingdom by walking for days and months across the dry, hot desert-- sweating the entire way on that very tiring journey. Or one can reach that same kingdom by riding easily in an air-conditioned motor car along smooth, paved roads. Hence both travelers reach the destination, but the first takes a rough path while the other moves along a comfortable one. Similarly one can get mukti without getting His sweet love along the way or one can get liberation and feel His sweet embrace every step along the way. Such is the difference between dasya bhava and madhura bhava. So getting Him along the way means having a sweet and blissful life where one feels that Baba is my most intimate and closest companion. That is the way one can get mukti or moksa, yet also Him.
WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR AM
In our Marga, by Baba's grace, most everyone is on the pathway of getting Him, of realising His sweet bliss in their life. Baba has made the our Marga that way by giving us madhuvidya, kiirtan, Prabhat Samgiita, sadhana, and so many other joyous practices that enable us to feel His sweet touch and loving embrace. Even then the more arduous path of dasya bhava or Parathasarathi Krsna is accepted in our Marga, and some few persons may be moving in that mode. So in their day to day life they may not feel very blissful as they will not be getting Him. But far and away, ours is Ananda Marga-- the Path of Bliss-- and most every sadhaka in AM is joyously moving on that path, getting Him each and every step of the way. All in all this is a highly devotional topic and for more about this one should read select discourses from Namami Krsna Sundaram. Plus in the future, certainly others will write on this very topic.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace we will all realise His infinite love and tight embrace and get Him as we proceed along the path. Baba says, "You are all His loving sons, His loving daughters. You are sure to get Him; it is your birthright to be one with Him." (SS-24) Namaskar Madhusudan

Policy on Comments

Spam and unparliamentary language not to be used.

folders: Ananda Marga related articles on hundreds of niche issues

Namaskar

To receive postings of this blog, email us at: am-global@earthlink.net

Baba nam kevalam