STORY:
ONION AND GARLIC PURIFIED BY GURU MANTRA
Namaskar,
By Baba's grace-- over the years-- I have had innumerable opportunities
to travel around with our various Dadas. And while that was usually
quite inspiring for me, I also did get a first-hand view how some of our
Dadas have taken to "following" 16 Points.
MY TRAVELS WITH DADAJI
In particular, there is one Dada who I have traveled with on several
occasions and he has one very special type of practice. On his longer
train & bus journeys he usually fails to bring sufficient food with him
so he often purchases food along the way. But fruits alone do not
satisfy him so he often buys cooked vegetable dishes while traveling. I
have seen him do this when traveling across Utter Pradesh, to and from
Delhi, throughout Maharashtra, to and from Kolkata, and in so many
places. Always he purchases cooked vegetables (subjii) and flat bread
(roti) to satisfy his hunger.
And while I certainly do not like to see any Dada go hungry, it also has
to be noted that all these cooked vegetable items from the various
stalls are laced and filled with onion and garlic. That onion and garlic
has been fried and boiled into the dish such that all the food is
totally saturated with those ta'masik spices-- and then of course there
are also some whole pieces of onion and garlic still floating around the
dish. But those are mostly "lifeless" as already all their ta'masik
essence has been squeezed out of them and spread throughout the dish.
Anyway, please excuse me for saying so, but Dadaji would eat this type
of cooked vegetable filled with onion and garlic on so many of his train
& bus journeys. This I have personally seen-- as have so many other
margiis. Many of us have witnessed this Dada do like this.
Even then there is more to tell.
Because Dadaji's "special" way of treating the matter was to pick up one
of those lifeless pieces of onion or garlic, toss it aside, then say
guru mantra, and then eat a mouthful of vegetables-- those very same
vegetables that had been cooked & saturated in those onions and garlic
for hours and hours. It was and is quite a sight.
Unfortunately, such are the eating habits of Dada Citsvarupananda during
his lengthy train & bus journeys. Somehow Dadaji thinks that he is
escaping all the ta'masik effects of the onion and garlic by taking guru
mantra. But, if we use our rational mind, we know that this is not the
case. This is not the system: i.e. eating ta'masik things like onion and
garlic all day long and then saying guru mantra as if everything is all
perfect. I do not think this is how Baba wants that we should follow 16
Points.
BABA'S SPECIAL MANNER
While running the organisation, Baba was extremely strict that everyone
properly follow 16 points and yama and niyama. He was scolding and
pointing out everyone about this. If anyone ate onions, or meat, or
garlic, or did any nonsense thing, then He would strongly rebuke and
point out that Dada.
And this scolding had one marvelous benefit: It taught us the devotional
practice that He knows everything and that He is always watching us. And
that is the basic essence of second lesson: To live one's life thinking
that Baba is with me watching my each and every action. That is the
cream of second lesson and by this way one cannot do anything wrong.
And if anyone temporarily forgot this fact-- and would indulge in some
crude deed-- then Baba would remind them that He sees everything by
scolding them in front of all. By this way, everyone-- especially
Dadas-- would be careful to follow 16 Points.
DEGENERATION AFTER 1990
But after 1990, many forget this divine fact that Baba is always
watching. So for their own convenience they would do what they like.
Because there was no reporting or dharma samiiksa to remind them that
Baba is watching. Rather they just thought that Baba is gone. Such was
their degeneration of mind.
And in that way, various Dadas like Citsvarupananda adopted negative
practices like eating onions and garlic etc. Because they think that
Baba is gone so therefore it is ok. But of course this is not the proper
way.
Unfortunately, many of our Dadas have adopted this faulty outlook and in
that way they skip their fasting, overlook their sadhana lessons, do not
go out for kapalik, indulge in sex, etc etc. This is the tragic result.
And always it starts small-- with a small infraction-- and they
rationalise that wrong action and gradually that negative deed
multiplies into a bigger and bigger problem. Until one is totally
degenerated-- inside and out. In that case, with some of our Dadas, they
only wear the sannyasi dress, but they themselves are not sannyasis.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION
The only way to avoid this tailspin is to cultivate the devotional
practice that Baba is always with me and watching me. Then one will
always abide the the rules and regulations of dharma and not fall into
the quagmire of sin and degeneration.
BABA'S WARNING ABOUT TAKING TA'MASIK FOOD
Here Baba warns us of the harmful effects of eating ta'masik food. So
Dada C and others should give up their negative ways because Baba does
not approve of the crude practice of eating onions or meat and then
befooling oneself by saying guru mantra. That is not the standard method.
So here is Baba's warning about the ill effects of ingesting ta'masik foods:
Baba says, "Cells generally grow out of light, air, water and the food
we eat. The nature of food and drink has its effect upon the cells, and
consequently also influences the human mind. Obviously each and every
sa'dhaka, or spiritual aspirant, should be very cautious in selecting
food. Suppose a person takes ta'masika, or static, food. The result will
be that after a certain period, static cells will grow and exercise a
static influence on the aspirant’s mind. Human beings must select
sa'ttvika, or sentient, or ra'jasika, or mutative, food according to
time, place and person. This will lead to the birth of sentient cells,
which in turn will produce a love for spiritual practice and help in
attaining psychic equilibrium and equipoise, leading to immense
spiritual elevation." (YP, 'Food, Cells, & Mental Development')
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace we should always think that He is with us and watching
us, then we will always be strict adherents of 16 Points and progress on
the spiritual path.
Baba says, "The idea, the spirit or the secret to develop devotional
cult is to think, while doing anything, while doing any mundane duty or
doing any spiritual practice – you should always remember that He is
Subject, He is seeing what you are doing. He is hearing what you are
thinking. You cannot do anything secretly. He is always with you."
"This idea has got one advantage and one disadvantage.
The disadvantage is that you cannot even think secretly. All your
thoughts are tape-recorded by Him. You cannot think secretly.
And the advantage is that you are never alone; He is always with you.
You are never helpless, you are never shelterless, you are never weak,
you are the strongest personality of the universe, because the Supreme
Entity is always with you." (AV-12)
Namaskar,
Nagendra
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Brave Persons
Baba says, "Do not remain worried about your individual problems at all.
Be prepared to carry your own burden and be prepared also to carry the
burdens of others. Then alone are you brave. Be dagdhabiija. Everyone
has his or her own individual problems. Do not try to pass them on to
others. On the contrary, bear the burdens of others. No one is your
enemy. Be ready to bear the burdens of others." (AV-30, p.4)
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