== THOSE TWO STORIES ==
Namaskar,
Recently two stories appeared on one of our Marga e-forums that should
serve as a wake-up call to us all. Because here we are trying to fix our
own organisation as well as bring welfare to the whole humanity, so all
our thoughts, talks, and communications should reflect the ideals of our
AM. After all that is what we are trying to spread.
Yet on this email forum, all sorts of other types of things-- like these
two stories-- are getting shared, supported, and encouraged. No doubt, 1
or 2 persons on the list put forth an occasional correction (of sorts)
about the stories; but far and away the tide of these discussions drifts
further and further off the mark. So we should be careful. Because it is
only the pure teachings of AM that we must propagate-- not any type of
new-age melange or any religious dogmas of old.
MUST THINK, 'I AM BRAHMA'
In the first story, one of our longtime (yet naive) avadhutas writes how
he himself is the cause of so much muck & dirt in the world. That is the
central teaching of his monologue / story.
Yet Baba's divine ideal is something totally different. Baba says that
we are all the divine children of Parama Purusa and that we must ideate
day-long on the ideal that, 'I am Brahma'.
Throughout pages and pages of His AM teachings Baba repeats this very same concept.
And side by side Baba adamantly opposes the crude imposition of any
sinner's psychology.
Baba says, "You should never say, 'I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a
sinner.' You should say, 'O Lord, I am your child, I am your son, I am
your daughter. I have the birthright to sit on your lap. Please purify
me.' This is the proper approach." (AV-12)
So Baba is totally against Dadaji's negative minded soliloquy. One
should not think, 'I am crud, I am grotesque etc'. Baba clearly tells us
to always guide the mind in a positive direction. By adopting a positive
ideal and following the theorem, 'As you think so you become', then one
will become wholly transformed and divine.
And here Baba guides us what the ultimate idea is behind our entire
sadhana of life.
Baba says, "The culminating point of dhya'na is sama'dhi. What is
sama'dhi? To establish oneself in the stance “I am Brahma” is sama'dhi."
(AV-3)
ANOTHER ASPECT TO STORY #1
Before addressing the second story, there is one more aspect of the
first one that needs to be addressed.
According to AM, we are not to wait for our own emancipation before
rendering service unto the world. Rather with all our energy we should
help others as much as we possibly can and side by side strive for our
own emancipation. The two are to be done concurrently.
Yet Dadaji's soliloquy gives the feeling that one should only work on
purifying oneself and that beyond one's own being nothing need be done.
How far he really meant to say this only Dadaji knows. Whatever may be,
one should not walk away from the story with this type of defective
thinking as Dada's guideline goes in the opposite direction of Baba's
teaching.
Baba says, "One is doing for one’s own liberation – but one is not
doing anything for others...The person is selfish. So while one is doing
something for one’s own liberation, one is to serve others also." (AV-30)
So we are to do sadhana and involve in all types of seva activities.
Certainly most in AM are aware about Baba's above teachings, yet when
one senior avadhuta puts forth stories that go against, then at least
something should be done to correct the situation, lest one or two new
people get the wrong impression.
At this point let us move on to the second story. While amongst the many
supporters, there was at least one on the list who opposed certain
elements of this first story, none seemed to have any issues with the
second story, yet it runs totally contrary to Baba's teachings.
MUST NOT TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
Baba has come on this earth and given AM ideology in order to solve all
the problems-- not to overlook them. This is His great samkalpa and that
is why our Marga has been formed.
Yet the whole entire emphasis of the second story is to not get
perturbed by others' wrongful dealings-- just put on 'blinders' and
grant forgiveness to all and turn the other cheek if any injustice or
harm is done, a la Gandhi & Christ. This is the dogmatic preaching of
this second story, which on the e-forum was ironically titled, 'Dealing
with Garbage'. Because in reality the story was about 'not dealing with
garbage', but rather overlooking it. That is the irony.
And indeed overlooking any injustice or wrong only causes more problems.
For example, if someone steals something from you, then your duty is to
stop that thief, one way or another. Otherwise the problem will be
perpetuated as the thief will inevitably rob someone else. That is why
Baba warns us that we are not to pardon anyone unless their conduct is
reformed. In Caryacarya and numerous discourses Baba explains this fact.
And verily that is the only way to clean up the society, by addressing
the problems directly, not by overlooking them and granting pardons to
unworthy persons.
But the second story basically states that one should just look the
other way and ignore that wrongdoing or injustice. If any wrong is done
just 'smile' and go about your own personal business.
So the second story is a classic case of misguided, western,
materialistic selfishness: 'Don't let anything bother you, and do not
worry if any injustice is done unto others, just worry about your own
self .' That is the defective message of the second story.
And tragically that is the wrongful teaching that is being propagated
and supported on that Marga e-forum. Yet nothing could be further from
Baba's divine mandate.
Baba says, "...No problem is to be ignored as an individual or group
affair. Every problem is to be considered as the collective problem of
universal humanity and is to be resolved collectively and resolved it
must be..." (Ananda Vanii #58)
BOTH STORIES LACK PRAMA
Sadly, both the stories on this Marga e-forum lack prama (balance) and
stray far from Baba's teachings. It is sad because some of our most
elder avadhutas were involved in the telling and analysis of these
stories, yet even with their years in AM they could not come up with
Baba's dharmic teaching. Instead they fell into the dogmatic soot of
those stories and they appreciated them up to the sky.
In that case how are our younger brothers and sisters in the Marga
expected to learn properly-- when our elder Dadas are preaching dogmatic
theories.
Some may say, 'what is the harm, it is only a story etc', but here Baba
Himself takes the matter very, very seriously. He points out that a
defect in writing or literature is due to a defect in mind.
Baba says, "If there is a lack of prama' in the psychic sphere, then
many omissional and commissional mistakes and defects are bound to enter
into their art, architecture, literature, philosophy, science and other
branches of human knowledge. Dance may lose its rhythm, painting may
lack proportion, music may lose the harmony of its melody and rhythm,
and in the various branches of literature there may be an overgrowth of
the parasitic weeds of immature expression." (Prama-1)
So we should not take this issue lightly. We should strive to maintain
Baba's ideals in all respects. It is not that during some moments it is
okay to fall away from the path and preach something else. If that
happens in one's casual dealings, then surely when a major event occurs,
they will fail in that also.
Thus always-- in our talks, writings, emails, conversations,
storytelling, and jokes-- we should strictly pay heed to Baba's ideals
and strive to preach His values with diamond-like precision.
Unfortunately, this could not be achieved on that e-forum when these two
misdirected stories appeared on line and got the support of various
senior avadhutas.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace we are to immerse ourselves in His teachings and sadhana
and then with our intuitional flow and rational minds we will easily be
able to correct every wrong and build a neo-humanistic society based on
the pillars of dharma. Then our writing will be literature in the true
spirit of the term.
Baba says, "The real significance of the word sa'hitya or “literature”
is inherent in the word itself, for the characteristic of literature is
“to move together,” keeping abreast of the trends of life. Literature is
no invention of the superficiality of social life, nor is it the
colourful spell of any fantasia. Rather it is the portrait of real life
– an external expression of the internal recesses of the mind – a bold
and powerful expression of the suppressed sighs of the human heart. In
order to preserve the sanctity and prestige of its name, literature must
maintain its rhythm in pace with the dynamic currents of society." (PNS-10)
Namaskar,
Karma Rasa
Note 1: STORY #1: DADAJI'S SOLILOQUY
Here below is the first story where Dadaji is giving his faulty
narrative of how to view this universe. As a reminder, this whole story
follows the sinner's psychology which Baba says we should not do.
Dadaji writes: 'A couple of years ago I had a sudden realisation that
there is only one huge pile of mud* in the universe and all of it is
mine. The sense I had was one of joy and relief because my task was
suddenly made very simple -- my only task is to clean up this one pile
of my own mud* instead of as previously, when I thought so much about
how important it was for others' mud* piles to be cleaned up! Everything
bad I see in everyone else in fact is in me and this is where I can get
true leverage to clean up the entire universe-- my universe. The more
mud* I clear away from my pile the more pristine I become and
consequently the more sweet and beautiful the rest of the universe
becomes.' End of Dadaji's story.
* Please note we inserted the word mud in place of the foul and
offensive term which Dadaji used in his writing. We did not like to use
that term. But if you want to read the story in its original then please
view the "Margiicollective@yahoogroups.com" list and search for the
subject, "One Huge Pile. But again, we felt the essence of the story
could be easily understood without using that word choice. So no only is
the story philosophically off the mark, but also the expression itself
is not sentient in nature.
Note 2: STORY #2: A FEW CLIPS
Here are but a few clips from the second story. I think these are enough
to give the sense how the story is grounded in western, materialistic,
selfishness as well as in Gandhi's error prone ways of misplaced forgiveness.
Many people are like garbage trucks.
They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger,
and full of disappointment.
As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it.
And if you let them, they'll dump it on you.
When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally.
You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
You'll be happy you did.
I began to see garbage trucks.
I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off.
And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing;
I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
So.. Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't...
Any Ananda Margii can easily see how the entire essence of the above
story is diametrically opposed to the grand teachings of AM which state
that we should oppose all injustices and right every wrong, and care for
one and all-- not ignoring any problem.
So it is unfortunate that such misguided stories get glorified on our
e-forums.
On the bright side, as we gain greater understanding of Baba's teachings
such mishaps will happen less and less. Then we will really be able to
do something great on this earth.
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Muslim Countries-- Downtrodden
Baba says, "You can see that in most of the countries in the world -- in
almost the entire world -- the vast percentage of the downtrodden people
are illiterate. They are lagging behind in the realm of education.
Everywhere, especially in Muslim countries, you will observe that the major
portion of the population is downtrodden. Even where there is no
shortage in wealth, in Muslim countries and certain other countries, the
people are still in a downtrodden condition...you should do something to
spread education in each and every village throughout the world."
(PNS-18, p.49)
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