== QUITE POSITIVE PHASE GOING ON IN AM ==
Namaskar,
Nowadays, there is a strong upsurge of thought and a grand awakening going
on throughout our Marga. One can even say that this is the highest wave of
renewal in AM since the pre-1990 era.
So this is one very great development-- and it will surely lead to the
creation of true unity in AM.
At the same time, accompanying this wonderful resurgence, in all realms of
our AM society, there is more and more heated debate and arguing going on--
it is quite prevalent, if not rampant, all around.
Seeing this outbreak of contentious discussion, a few have become affected
and even frustrated-- losing all hope, thinking that this whirlwind of
arguing will send our Marga into some permanent state of disarray. Some are
sunk in this notion.
When in actuality, if we view the matter a little more deeply and see
beneath the surface, then it becomes evident that all the debate and
arguing is itself the manifestation of the great transformation and
regeneration taking place in AM.
AM IS A FREE & OPEN SOCIETY--
NOT LIKE DOGMATIC RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES
By Baba's grace He has built our Marga on the pillars of freedom of
expression, open communication, logic, and rationality. Everyone is welcome
to share their opinion and bring their view according to the given system.
In His divine way, Baba has empowered each and every member of our Marga
with the right to voice their say when they see any injustice or wrong
being done.
Baba says, "All A'nanda Ma'rgiis, when they see other ma'rgiis acting
against the principles of yama and niyama, must make them shun this habit
either by sweet or harsh words or by dealing even more strictly. Thus they
will have to make the society strong." (GHC)
Hence Baba's above guideline is but one of the many places in His body of
AM teachings which grants the right for any sadhaka to speak out against
any misdeed etc.
In direct opposition to this, the dogmatic religions operate in a totally
different way. They do not want there to be any rational discussion amongst
their followers.
Baba says, "The worst propounders of dogma --the kings of dogma -- do not
want people to develop mental clarity. They do not want the penetrating
illumination of the sun's light to pierce through the mists of dogma. They
do not want people to bathe in the radiant light of the day and stand under
the clear, unclouded sky...In fact, the very attempt to find the path of
rationality [is] considered blasphemous." (PNS-16, 'Religious Dogma')
Thus, as Baba states above, in the dogmatic religions like Christianity,
Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam etc, to some or more degree, the lay people
are forced to keep their mouths shut. Their opinion is not at all welcome.
And if it is expressed, they will get wickedly punished for their audacity.
For this reason their followers mostly keep quiet and do not say a word.
IT ONLY LOOKS LIKE THOSE RELIGIONS ARE UNIFIED
So today we are confronted with a scene of contrasts. Today in AM there is
open and frank discussion about our current problems. And by this way in
their confusion some in AM are thinking that this is plunging us into a
deeper state of disunity. But in the true sense it is not like that.
Whereas in the dogmatic religions, there are no heated debates going on
amongst the followers. So it looks like they are all working together in a
unified way. But this is not the case. Rather all those religious followers
are wrapped in the cloak of dogma.
Baba says, "All human beings want to lead a secure, harmonious life, and
have the opportunity to express themselves and progress. However, religious
dogma goes against these fundamental human aspirations. Some priests, for
example, say that if women dance their feet will become useless, therefore
they should not dance. This is dogma." (PNS-16, p.50)
Thus in those dogmatic faiths the lay people keep quiet and do not say a
word. But by witnessing this none should hastily conclude that because
these religious followers are not arguing that it therefore means that they
have achieved a deep state of unity. It is not like that. Rather due to the
excessive onslaught of dogma those meek followers have been trained to
accept their poor fate and suffer at the hands of those religious
exploiters. This dogma is in their mind like cement.
So there is not an ounce of unity in those dogmatic religions, their
silence is due to the extreme imposition of dogma and wanton exploitation.
AM: FROM UNITY IN DOGMA TO UNITY IN IDEOLOGY
In the early 1990's, AM was going down a similar road as those fake
religions. Those in the helm were imposing one after another dogmatic
proclamations such as the eradication of BP rights, Mahaprayan, Fake Ananda
Vanii, scriptural distortions etc, and due to their unawareness and
cowardly nature the general Marga population was just accepting those
dogmas-- in response no one was raising any point against those
exploitative actions. So there was just fake sheen of unity all around.
But now the scene has totally switched. All around margiis and field
workers are coming forward and discussing how to apply Baba's divine
guidelines to organisational life. So by Baba's grace we have moved away
from unity in dogma and we are step by step moving towards unity in ideology.
A GOOD SIGN-- A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
By looking around and evaluating the state of affairs in AM it evident that
there are numerous positive transformations taking place.
1. Everyone's debating the way AMPS should proceed itself is a sign of
margiis' and wts' investment in the organisation. If there was apathy all
around then people would not care about the collective and they would just
attend to their own unit existence. But because in the core of their hearts
Ananda Margiis are linked with AMPS, for that reason they are arguing and
vehemently discussing the various viewpoints. So this type of psychic
investment in AMPS is completely positive since it demonstrates everyone's
involvement and will bring about a bold new phase in AMPS.
2. Those not understanding the way things are going these days in AM think
that everything is awry. They get confused by seeing all the heated
exchanges. But Baba explains that this is nothing but a period of pause
whereby our AMPS will get cleansed and renewed and then be able to move
ahead exponentially faster in the upcoming period of speed. And Baba
furthermore explains that pause is a necessary feature to bring the ensuing
phase of speed, growth, and development. That is why Baba proclaims that
periods of pause are wholly positive and beneficial. So none should think
otherwise.
3. By there being so much ideological discussion, at least by this way new
dogmas cannot sprout up and the old dogmas are getting eliminated. So that
is another great development.
4. With their increased awareness margiis and wts want to see things fixed
in AMPS and everyone wants to follow Baba. No one is proclaiming that we
should start doing dogmatic idol worship in AM. Rather everyone agrees that
Baba's AM ideology is divine-- there is no dispute about this. And there is
less talk about people's private agendas and more interest in implementing
Baba's guidelines. Given this entire combination it is only a matter of
time before our AMPS becomes a sterling representation of His perfect
teachings.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace our AM society is collectively shedding itself of all
dogmas and quickly moving ahead-- reaching that grand new era: The apex of
human expression.
Baba says, "Modern, educated people must be liberated from all sources of
dogma and petty isms. They should reject the worn out shackles of the past
and welcome the new, crimson dawn with an open mind. This will prepare the
way for all-round success in human life, and the attainment of the highest
fulfillment." (PNS-16)
Namaskar,
Arati
Note 1: SAME NONSENSE GOING ON IN COMMUNISM
Here Baba demonstrates how the ruthless communists are no different than
the dogmatic religious leaders.
Baba says, "Question: Why was everything in communist countries done
under the dark veil of the iron curtain?"
"Answer: Because they were conscious of the loopholes in communism and
they did not want the world to know what they were doing." (PNS-18)
So the communists also never allow freedom of expression because they are
attached to their ugly dogma-- even though they are aware that it is
inherently faulty.
Note 2: DOGMATIC RELIGIONS VS SCENE IN AM
When any of the dogmatic religions like Christianity divide into various
factions then there is not a whole whirlwind of chaos. Just everything
breaks apart into pieces with each content having their own dogma to
follow. And there is no concerted effort to unify all the scattered
factions. Each fragment peacefully rallies around their own dogma. So this
is all their superficial display of unity.
In contrast, in AM there are various perceived splits all around but none
are content to just follow their own dogma and let the others go by the
wayside. The overwhelming majority-- all rational wt's & margiis-- wants to
see everyone together under the unified front of AM ideology. That is why
there is so much contention in AM these days. Because no one is satisfied
by seeing any group break away. And all the arguing is about how to bring
everyone back together-- how to achieve unity. That is why all the heated
debates going on nowadays is a good thing-- it is a healthy development.
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Good Sadhaka
Baba says, "The mind of the man whose consciousness or discriminating
judgement is awakened-- whose power of judgment is intense, always remains
wedded to the 'Buddhi'. That is to say, his rein (mind) remains constantly
under the control of the charioteer (Buddhi or discriminating intellect),
and so, quite naturally, his organs remain loyal to the Buddhi. Random
rambles of the organ-like horses (organs) will cut no ice with him. But in
a case like this if the horses (organs) be bad and untrained, i.e. the
organs are faulty, it becomes impossible for the charioteer (discriminating
intellect) to get the desired result. Hence for the right functioning of
the chariot (body), well-trained horses (organs) are indispensable. A
sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) also should train himself likewise. His mind,
body, intellect, and organs should be directed towards the Blissful Spirit
(Shreya)." (SS-4, p.9)
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