== ALL SHOULD KNOW ==
Namaskar,
Here below is one important issue that is related with the welfare of the
entire society. The topic at hand revolves around the various phases of
life and in particular the potential challenges of mid-life issues. By
being aware of the ins and outs then we can not only internalise points
related with our own lives but also be prepared to guide others as well.
KNOWING AHEAD OF TIME IS BETTER
If we are aware about the aforesaid issue-- which revolves around human
sexuality-- earlier, then we can better prevent any mishap.
Because...
When any threatening situation happens in an unannounced way, then people
are more scared and they do not know what to do. But when they are
fore-warned and made aware that an incident it is going to happen, then
with their know-how and talent and by various other ways they find some
solution how to solve the problem.
It is just like if suddenly an air attacks happens then the common people
become more scared and mayhem results. But if told ahead of time about the
air strike then they will manage far, far better.
Or if one cyclone bursts out all of a sudden then more people get injured
than if all were warned ahead of time that a cyclone is going to come. The
point is that knowing the problem beforehand makes it more easy to solve
that.
So when we know that this problem of middle age crisis and psychic disease
is going to affect people between the age of 45-55, if they are not
pointedly focused in spiritual life, then this information should be
shared with one and all. Because if others are alerted about this then they
can properly face & overcome the situation and it can properly be resolved
in their life.
Thus it is in this spirit of prevention that this discussion has been
raised in this whole entire email message. To bring awareness to the
matter. People should know and write their own experiences and opinions and
ways to solve this matter.
And we should also remember that according to Baba's teaching, the answer
of all problems exists within Parama Purusa. So if one surrenders at His
alter, then any problem can easily be solved.
EBBS AND FLOW OF HUMAN EXISTENCE
FREEDOM IN HUMAN LIFE
Human life is full of ups and downs. And in the life of sadhakas the
exhaustion of samskaras happens quickly in comparison to non-margiis. For
this reason negative and positive experiences come and go in quick
succession. Sometimes mountainous problems come and at other times life is
smooth and easy.
In comparison to animals, human beings have a lot of freedom. But that
freedom is of a certain dominion; it has certain limitations. For example
suppose one animal is tied up with a rope that is 50 feet in length and one
end is securely rooted in the ground. Then within that parameter of 50 feet
the animal can move freely, eat grass, and basically do whatever it likes.
The sense is that it is free up to that extent-- up to the length of that
50 foot rope. But beyond that it cannot go.
Similar is the case of human beings. Although it looks like human beings
are entirely free to do whatever they like, but in reality it is not like
that. So many things human beings plan and dream, but all do not get to
come to fruition. Problems can come anytime and disturb and interrupt their
planning. And top of all, no human being can avert their own death. Nobody
likes to think about their own death; but death will come to everyone.
Nobody has control over that.
So in some ways human beings have freedom and in other ways not. It is tied
up and the bound with the serpentine noose of the Cosmic Operative
Principle, Maya.
INBORN INSTINCTS
We see that when children are small then only their inborn instincts
function. That means for infants they are guided purely by instinct and
that is reflected in their actions. That is why just after birth they know
how to suck the mothers milk. And when they grow up then, according to
their maturity, other types of glands start functioning.
And at the time of adolescence people's sex glands also develop. And the
sexual urge tries to pull them in a particular direction. But when that
same person was an infant then that instinct was in its dormant stage. So
the young child had no problem from that side. This then is one example how
according to age, various glands and sub-glands start functioning. And it
also happens that after a certain age those glands and their correlating
instincts gradually become defunct.
THE WAYS OF PRAKRTI
So when nature orders for the sex instinct to develop, then the desire of
procreation comes in the mind. This is one way of functioning of that
creative principle (prakrti), which has bound up this entire universe.
'Pra karoti yah sah prakrti'
Prakrti creates various colorful things. That is why its name is 'creative
principle'.
We see that in animals and plants and in all kinds of creatures on this
earth, this procreation system has been going on and on since millions of
years. So the old are moving towards death and simultaneously side by side
new babies are born. It is the same story in each and every aspect of
creation. So changes are always going on, always people are passing from
one stage to the next.
In human life one of the most delicate times is during adolescence. Because
when the sex instincts come to function then the cosmic operative principle
inspires that being to create more and more. And in this way it maintains
this cosmic cycle of creation, or srsti.
And as human beings grow older then this instinct of procreation gets
controlled to some degree. But in human life, in addition to the period of
adolescence, there is a second time when the sexual urge again starts
dominating, and that happens when humans are going to lose their capacity--
during the 'mid-life crisis'.
The reason behind this is that the creative principle wants to create more
and more. And wants to ensure that it gets maximum output from each and
every created being. So it infuses the idea in the mind of those human
beings who are on the verge of losing their sexual capacity that they
should produce more before they lose their capacity entirely.
This stage is like one master who has many slaves but if he knows that soon
one of the slaves will be set free then the master will try to utilise that
slave more and more and get maximum output from him before he gets freedom.
The solution is that if one follows spiritual life then the mind will be
serene & positive then the ghastly effect of sex will not be problematic
for that sadhaka. Whereas those not leading devotional life or Margii life
then they get caught up in the noose of maya and they do many nonsense
things.
The whole point is that Maya wants to keep the jiivas in her control.
That is why Baba says that there is no other way than to get rid from maya,
other than surrendering to Parama Purusa. This maya is insurmountable:
'Daevihyes'a' gun'amayii mama ma'ya' du'ratyaya'
Ma'meva ye prapadyante ma'ya'meta'm' tarantite'
Meaning: "My Divine Maya, the Supreme Maya or the Cosmic Force is comprised of three
attributes. Ordinarily it is very difficult to transgress it but only those
who merge themselves in Me or take refuge in Me can transcend Prakrti."
(BABA)
SPECIAL DECLARATION
Here following Baba is making one special declaration.
Baba says, "Metamorphosis is taking place not only in the realm of
physicality but also in the realm of psychic structure. Changes are fast
coming in the psychic arena and in all the realms of human expression. They
are not only coming, they have just come. We have crossed the threshold of
a new era." (PNS-17, p.56)
Namaskar,
Mahendra
Now please read these notes below. They all are connected with this middle
age syndrome. Such as who experiences it, how margiis manage the situation,
and what is the stand of AM on this point. All this and more are talked
about in the notes below. Everyone should also express their own opinions
on this important issue.
Note 1: WHEN, WHO, & HOW
It is the common phenomenon viewed all around that sex oriented problems
mostly come to those non-sadhakas during two critical phases in the life:
during puberty and in mid-life when people are around 50 years of age.
In those communities where humans beings are more extroverted they get
seriously affected by this psychic disease. Just like we see in adolescence
that many become uncontrollable but then later on after that age passes
they become alright. But those who are spiritually minded and focused in
sadhana do not undergo these difficulties, not even in adolescence.
But in general people know that this is the problem of that difficult age
of adolescence when that particular instinct just appeared in that person's
life. And everyone also understand that this problem is going to get solved
in some or more degree.
And such a similar problem also comes between the age of 45-55, more so in
males and very seldom in females. In persons of that age the sex glands
become more active. The worst case happens when someone has lived their
whole life in a crude way then when that male reaches the age of 45 or so,
the they become more crude, uncontrollable. That is why we see that even
when people have superficially ok marital relations with their spouse, even
then those relations get ruined. And they get divorced because the husband
gets completely infatuated with another member of opposite sex. That is the
main problem which occurs. And then in some few cases the wife may
sometimes fall-- but usually not, or at least less so. So when these types
of things happen, in that case everything gets ruined: their family, their
marriage, their children, it all gets ruined.
Those involved in pointed spiritual life do not suffer from these things.
Otherwise lackadaisical sadhakas and especially non-margiis experience a
lot of problems.
No doubt the vast majority of our western / European society is more
extroverted in comparison to many of the so-called 3rd world countries. So
naturally then they face it more If however one is pointed in sadhana then
they will be alright. But otherwise those living in extroverted communities
or if one has that desire then this problem of uncontrolled sexuality is
more commonly seen-- indeed so many people are affected in this way. It is
very, very common in non-margiis but also not uncommon in our Marga. But
again if one is truly dedicated to their spiritual practices then they do
not face any problem or difficulty. For them life remains serene and
blissful.
So although all this is more common in the west, actually the seeds of this
problem are everywhere-- in each and every corner of the globe. Because
wherever human beings are living they are controlled and bound by that
Cosmic Operative Principle and their mind functions in that same direction,
everywhere. All, everybody's mind.
Even then it is more common in our western countries primarily because the
accepted standard is different than in the Indian sub-continent etc. For
example in India people cannot have partners or friends of the opposite sex
etc, but in our western countries it is quite acceptable to have such types
of friends and/or sexual partners.
Furthermore because our so-called third world countries and in many other
states social pressure is there, that is why such cases did not burst out.
They got controlled in their own way through social rules, regulations, and
norms. So even if people wanted to do they did not.
So, of course, the main way to permanently overcome this problem is to
charge the mind with the divine balm of spirituality.
Because when the mind is goaded to Parama Purusa then surrender comes and
in that state all problems are easily solved. That is why we see that in
spiritual persons this problem is negligible-- zero. Whereas in crude
persons it is rampant.
However the colorful panorama of such nonsense is quite evident in our
western society where you will see a wealthy 80 year-old man moving around
with and an 18-year-old film heroine. And this is getting more common where
even in that age on his death-bed they involve in all sorts of crude
behavior and one offshoot is that they produce children also. In our
western society this is not looked upon as a bad thing; but in our Indian
society it is looked upon as being very bad. For this reason it is
invisible in India and more visible in the west.
So if social acceptance is there such that people get praise and prestige
by these negative ways, then these cases of degeneration happen more-and
vice-versa.
In our Ananda Marg, however, such type of behavior has no place. The power
of procreation is only for producing children and not for lust and crude
enjoyment. And when a husband and wife do create babies then their duty is
to maintain, nourish, and provide all sorts of arrangements for that child
up to higher education. But if on their death bed-- at the age of 80 or 90
years-- anybody is involving in crude behaviour and producing children,
then how in future will they be able to care for the welfare of that baby.
Never they cannot.
And in the case of those marriage break-ups which occur in mid-life. The
worst effect of all this happens when the young children get alienated from
their families because their fathers leave because he got attached with a
new young female. Then tragically, the children become sentimentally
affected or fatherless or get treated just like one football. Sometimes
living with the father and sometimes living with their mother. So
everything becomes chaotic and disastrous. And the worst effect happens
upon our impressionable, growing children.
Because in that tragic circumstance, the children do not get proper love
and affection from the parents side. Because the father is involved in the
lustful, dirty games. And in our western society, it is such a shameful
thing that the children do not say that, 'he is my father'. Rather most
often they say that, 'Mr So-and-so is my biological father'. This term or
type of speech you will not hear in our Indian society. But it is quite
common in our western society.
Note 2: MIND IS THE CAUSE...
Mind is the cause of bondage and that same mind is the cause of salvation.
'Man ayo manusa ma'n karnam....'
Mind is the cause of bondage and that same mind is the cause of liberation.
If the mind is goaded towards Parama Purusa then it leads to salvation. And
if the mind is goaded towards degenerative propensities then it becomes the
cause of bondage. We know that human life is not for eating, drinking, and
sleeping. Baba says "Human life is an ideological flow".
We have come on this earth to do something great by following bhagavad
dharma. Those who remember the Goal, they cannot lose the path.
Note 3: OUR DUTY
It is our duty to be aware about and inform others about these two critical
periods of the life-- i.e. adolescence and middle age. So before then and
while at that age, everybody-- those who are not pointed in their spiritual
routine-- should be cautious. It is just like when you are climbing on the
snowy mountain then you take all sorts of tools because you know that it is
very slippery. Or if you are walking in the hot, sandy desert, then you
will have to be prepared with something to cover your whole body,
especially to cover your face from the dust. So having knowledge
before-hand is very essential. That is why when in any city an air attack
happens, then the city officials blow the siren to alert
the citizens.
Suppose you have to cross through the thorny path with your bare feet, then
you will be very cautious. In contrast if you are walking inside your own
room then you may not be that cautious. So when that delicate age is coming
in anybody's life if they will remember or be made to remember that avidya
maya is going to create more magic and the mind will be dragged towards
negative direction easily, then they will be more alert. And the situation
has a better chance to be controlled.
So if one is going through that difficult age, then they should do
auto-suggestion and ideate on Parama Purusa, then the problem will be
completely solved.
And to guide others, when we see anyone passing through adolescence or
middle age, then we should guide them by giving them outer suggestion.
The central idea is that when alertness is there and when spiritual feeling
is inculcated, then with surrender this instinct problem can and will be
minimized to zero. And this will happen with the grace of Parama Purusa.
Note 4: WILD DURING MATING SEASON
Everyone has surely seen how well-tamed dogs, horses, buffaloes,
and cows-- all kinds of animals even those who are very obedient to
masters, they become wild when their mating season comes. Their behaviour
gets changed in a radically uncontrolled way. And those people who are
around them become more alert to deal with them. So this happens with the
captivation of sex instinct. The same dog which was obedient, that dog
becomes uncontrollable in the mating season.
In a similar way when human beings are captivated by sex, then they do all
kinds of negative things. But no problem is bigger than the solution. So in
the life of those sadhakas who are motivated towards spirituality, then
such problems hardly arise. Everything is controlled. But those who are
leading crude life, they indulge in and gratify their animal instincts in a
very wild way-- breaking all boundaries of propriety and impropriety. And
in result they become more strongly bound by avidya maya and then they get
reborn as lower creatures who dominated by basic animal instincts. This is
the unfortunate and sad plight of such persons.
Note 5: HUMAN MID-LIFE CRISIS
This common type of problem exists everywhere-- it knows no
boundaries. And in our AM family there are two types of members: WT's and
family margiis. And both are human beings and both have to follow the same
path. So this problem of middle age crisis (45-55 yrs) can be seen in those
who are not spiritually minded or focused in sadhana-- whether they be Wts
or margiis. This is the unfortunate state of affairs.
Some, by the grace of Parama Purusa, are able control this easily. And some
fall down in the ditch and they feel shame and come out from the dirty land
and clean their clothes and they never fall again. But there are still
others who are of the worst quality. They may be WT or they may be margii
but with such persons their infatuation with the opposite sex knows no
bounds. They indulge in this psychic disease and crude lust as their hobby.
And in this way they degenerate themselves down to the lower most level.
Down to the most negative mental status of degeneration--- that is rasa'tal
loka.
Because all belong to my family so I do not feel comfortable writing
anyone's name. I feel sympathy for everyone. After all patient is patient;
it may be related with the physical disease or the psychic disease. All
should be treated with compassion and heart-felt feeling. And it is
everyone's duty to cure them.
Note 6: WHY COMMON CONCERN
The title of this letter is "all should know" because this whole
entire issues involves our whole family. Because even if we are pointed in
our sadhana and we are not affected by such things even then it remains our
duty to guide and inform others about this situation. So for that reason we
should be aware about all this. Because the society should be protected
from this negative onslaught.
***********************************************
Deserts Needed
Baba says, "Ecologists claim that some deserts are essential for keeping
the global ecology in a balanced state. The high day temperatures and the
cold night temperatures that occur in desert regions create a useful
effect. The hot, dry desert air rises and creates a vacuum which sucks in
cool air, generating a chain reaction. Moist air is sucked in from the sea
and formed into clouds which then rain on the land. If deserts vanish
entirely, the overall rainfall will be reduced." (PNS-16, p.37)
***********************************************
