== NOT ALL OF MAHABHARATA ERA REPRESENTS AM ==
Namaskar,
In a revolving email, someone is putting forth numerous replies given by
Yudhis'thira, the eldest Pandava brother-- thereby indicating that
Yudhis'thira's answers are the word of dharma. But we should all be clear
on this idea that Yudhis'thira and the Pandavas were confused on many
points. Only it was Lord Krsna's grace that saved them; on their own merit
the Pandavas were not so good.
Indeed if we see more closely then in the light of the dharmic teachings of
Ananda Marga ideology it is quite clear that so many of Yudhis'thira's
responses are misguided & filled with dogma.
DOGMA #1 OF YUDHIS'THIRA
In Ananda Marga, we all know that Baba graciously guides us that spiritual
attainment is one beautiful and blissful process whereby one actively
directs their mind towards God. Wherein all the mental propensities are
channelised towards Parama Purusa.
And in Ananda Sutram Baba gives this following truth.
2-6 Brhades'an'a'pran'idha'nam' ca dharmah
Meaning: To long for and run after the Great is dharma.
Baba says, "When knowingly one tries to attain the Great...that bearing is
called dharma, and the effort involved is called dharma sadhana." (Ananda
Sutram)
Hence to get success, longing for the Great is needed. Otherwise-without
desire-- how can one get Parama Purusa. The key point is properly
channelising or goading one's mental desires towards God. Thus desire is
one integral and important ingredient for attaining Parama Purusa.
But Yudihis'thira is recommending one negative vision that one should rid
the mind of desires.
The Yaksha asked: "What is that, by giving up which, man becomes rich?"
Yudhishthira replied: "Desire, getting rid of it, man becomes wealthy."
So Yudhis'thira's reply is not at all good. Rather he just falls into the
dogmatic ways of Buddhism where they try to empty the mind and remove all
the desires. But this is just one silly notion that does not work, rather
it hinders one's ability to progress. And in numerous places Baba says this
concept of riding the mind of desire is utterly defective. So in the light
of AM, Yudhis'thira's reply is totally dogmatic and false.
The whole point being that true wealth-- spiritual wealth-- is not a result
of getting rid of one's desire but rather a result of channelising one's
desire to the Supreme.
That's why in Ananda Marga we do not try to empty the mind, instead our way
is to fully aim the mind in pin-pointed fashion towards Baba.
So anyone like Yudhis'thira who says that one should rid the mind of desire
is completely wrong.
DOGMA #2
In this next point Yudhis'thira is putting forth one dogmatic view about
females. But in AM we do not subscribe to such negative ideas.
Rather, in all the spheres of life-- from the right to do spiritual
practices to the right to pursue professional employment opportunities-in
dharmic fashion Baba provides all the rights and privileges to females as
well as males. Perfect balance, opportunity, and harmony is there,
considering the strengths and needs of everyone.
And in particular on the point of working in society, Baba encourages
females to engage in employment outside the house.
Baba says, "Women may find employment in...government service, business,
etc., outside the home. No one should be conservative or superstitious in
this regard." (CC-1)
So Yudhis'thira is giving one dogmatic reply that females have no role on
this earth except to remain at home-- confined in the house.
The Yaksha asked: "Who is the friend of one who stays at home?"
Yudhishthira replied: "The wife."
So by Yudhis'thira's dogmatic reply it is clear that he is telling that
females should never leave the house. But this is just one dogma from the
grossly exploitative and male-dominated agenda which focuses on the
exploitation of women. So this crude notion that women are to be bound to
the house is completely against the teachings of AM.
Baba says, "Women may find employment in...government service, business,
etc., outside the home. No one should be conservative or superstitious in
this regard." (CC-1)
AND SO MANY OTHER POINTS
And not just these but so many points in this letter about Yudhis'thira's
reply are filled with dogma. Such as his reply about who is brahmana to the
definition of veda; and through and through it is just one dogma after
another. All of which go against the eternal and dharmic teachings of AM.
YUDHIS'THIRA COULD NOT FOLLOW LORD KRSNA
Thus all the teachings of Yudhis'thira are not proper. Indeed on many
occasions he was blatantly wrong and misguided. For example we know that
Yudhis'thira could not pay heed to Lord Krsn'a divine plan to say that--
'Ashvatthama hata...', meaning Ashvatthama is killed.
Lord Krsna graciously gave the request to do like this in order to save
dharma, but Yudhis'thira rejected it. Lord Krsna told Yudhis'thira that you
have to do for dharma, and still Yudhis'thira replied-- 'I do not care, I
will not do it'.
Hence in the end Lord Krsna was forced to adapt His program accordingly--
all because Yudhis'thira would not comply. (Reference: Discourses on
Mahabharata)
Taken altogether then, Yudhis'thira was not a spiritual moralist, not a
dharmika. Rather he was basically just a simple person who followed simple
morality. And Baba points out that following simple morality (r'ta) is not
good-- it is not even part of yama and niyama. Rather we are to follow
satya, spiritual morality. (Reference: Guide to Human Conduct)
So like this there are many dharmic things which Yudhis'thira could not
follow. And in the same fashion, not all the things which Yudhis'thira told
are great and high. Rather most are defective-- so nobody should be
befooled about this.
Plus we should be aware of such e-networks where people propagate such
negative things. Indeed such networks are run in a terribly haphazard &
inconsistent fashion. In which case how can we have trust in what they say.
CONCLUSION
The whole idea is that in the Mahabharata there are many wrong teachings &
dogmatic things told by Yudhis'thira which Baba does not accept. Rather
Baba has rejected them outrightly and even He was forced to create His own
book about the Mahabharata in order to clear up all those dogmas.
And as we all know Baba's dharmic book about the Mahabharata is very small
and skinny. Whereas the original version of the Mahabharata epic which
contains all those dogmatic teachings is very fat-- thousands and thousands
of pages are there. By this way anyone can see just how many misguided and
dogmatic things are in that version. And that is why Baba cut out all those
wrong ideas and instead He has provided us with one distilled dharmic
guidebook.
So this dogma that Yudhis'thira and other types of such persons from the
Mahabharata are our guides is not proper. Such a dogma should be removed
from the mind.
Only Baba is our Goal. Only He is the Sadguru and Supreme Friend who can
guide us in all the spheres of life. Baba's teachings alone are our
pathway. We should not follow any others.
Baba says, "Ananda Marga alone is dharma and all the rest are sectisms."
(SS-1 p. 63)
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's causeless grace He has lovingly provided us with the divine
truth-- the dharmic path of forward movement.
Baba says, "As devotees, you should follow only Apta Vakya [Eternal Truth].
You should remember that the Sixteen Points are your Apta Vakya... By the
Grace of, by the compassion of, Parama Purusa, you have received the Apta
Vakya guidelines, and it is your duty to adhere strictly to the teachings
and gospel of Apta Vakya". (AV-2)
Namaskar,
Amoghasiddhi
Note 1: Y'S FAULTY VISION OF HAPPINESS
Here is another dogma regarding Yudhis'thira's replies whereby he gives one
faulty view of happiness.
Here first though is Baba's dharmic guideline:
2-3 Sukhamanantama'nandam
In the above su'tra Baba is guiding us that human desires are infinite and
that the only way to satiate one's desires is by the attainment of Parama
Purusa. That alone leads to real happiness. Because the divine love of
Parama Purusa is limitless and can therefore satisfy human's infinite
desires and longing. In contrast, running after limited objects will not
work. That will not give real happiness. True happiness can only occur when
one search is towards God.
However, in misguided fashion, Yudhis'thira is giving one lackluster and
incomplete reply that leads in the wrong direction.
The Yaksha asked: "What is happiness?"
Yudhishthira replied: "Happiness is the result of good conduct."
So Yudhis'thira's reply is far off the mark because there are numerous
atheist persons who may have good conduct but they cannot ever be truly
happy by their mundane, worldly things. Because true happiness or bliss
only comes from a God-centred existence and the attainment of Parama Purusa.
Note 2: NOT YUDHIS'THIRA, NOR SHANKARACARYA, NOR BUDDHA
Here it should be clarified that there are only a few teachings that
Yudhis'thira preached which Baba approves. Yudhis'thira's teaching about--
What is the Path-- has been accepted and a couple others as well. Thus most
of Yudhis'thira's preachings have been rejected and should be tossed by the
wayside. As A'nanda Ma'rgiis we should not get (mis)guided by all of
Yudhis'thira's dogmatic views.
Similarly Shankaracarya is not our guide. There is one good thing he told--
Bhakti is the best. But side by side so many nonsense things Shankaracarya
preached which we must kick away.
Likewise, Buddha told only a few good things good--- 'Cakuna Samvaro
Sadhu...' -- but most of his teachings of negation and nihilism are not
proper and he could not guide the society.
Baba says, "[Buddha's teachings] lack charm and do not expound a good
reason for living. This explains perhaps why Buddha never considered the
idea of forming a society." (HS-2)
So we should not propagate or get befooled by those who are propagating
such dogmatic works.
Rather Baba is our Polestar. And by following Baba we will always be on the
path of dharma.
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AM in Comparison to the West
Baba says, "A'nanda Ma'rga metaphysics is really unique and revolutionary.
Metaphysics as explained in the West is not supported by modern physics.
Modern science, while attempting to trace the prime cause of creation, has
been upgraded to idealism above materialism. But facts of metaphysics as
presented by modern philosophers are supported by materialism or extreme
idealism. Both views are equally one-sided and unscientific." (APH-4)
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