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Baba


Namaskar,


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Expulsion: Against Fundamentals of AM & AMPS

Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:11:28 -0600 To: AM-GLOBAL From: "Paul Paltrow" Subject: Expulsion: Against Fundamentals of AM & AMPS Baba "Toma'ke bha'lo beseschi a'mi he aja'na', keno ja'ni na'..." (PS 1710) Purport: O' Divine Entity, the scriptures say You are unknown, vast, infinite, and unfathomable. O' my Lord, I have deep love for You. But why I love You, that I do not know. Baba, although You are infinite and unfathomable, You have graced me by coming in my dreams, becoming my most intimate One. O' my Lord You are beyond the conception of mind yet You have showered Your grace by coming in the world of my ideation-- in my dhya'na. By Your grace I can see You in my meditation. Baba, during my sadhana I received You in my dhyana-- and that vibrated my entire existence. It charged each and every pore of my being. Baba, besides You, I do not love anyone; I do not feel that anyone is mine. Only You are mine. Baba, even though You are very close, You remain far. Now please grace me by satisfying my one and only desire: Be my most intimate One-- always. Baba, by Your sweet will You have saturated Yourself in the blood of my veins and arteries-- in each and every iota of my existence. Baba, You are in my mind: Taking Your divine seat on my mental lotus. O' my dearmost, You are dancing in the warmth and love of my heart. Baba, You are my heart of hearts, Baba I love You...
== EXPULSION: AGAINST FUNDAMENTALS OF AM AND AMPS ==
Namaskar, Now & again, the issue of expulsion becomes somewhat of a hot-bed of discussion. Many have given their opinions and feelings; some are inventing their own theories; and overall the large majority of Ananda Margiis have a sincere desire to understand, delineate, and follow Baba's teaching on this highly important matter. Amidst it all, some innocent people have on the one hand accepted the fact that AM ideology is against the concept of expulsion, yet side by side he has put forth the theorem that AMPS as an organisational body has the capacity and method to expel someone. So we should investigate this point: Is it really the case that AMPS has the ability and right to expel someone even though the concept of expulsion is itself forbidden in AM philosophy. Is it really like that? Can AMPS go against the teachings of AM? Here below is a look into this critical issue of expulsion which has been plaguing our organisation since 1990 right up through this present moment.
BABA'S IDEOLOGICAL STANDPOINT
Firstly, for the awareness of one and all, we should review Baba's pointed mandates where He forbids expulsion. Baba says, "Harsh social punishment such as creating outcasts...do not find any place in our society." (AFPS-7, p.6) Hence in very clear language Baba adamantly declares that AM ideology does not support the concept of expulsion: neither in letter nor in spirit. AM ideology is totally against the idea of expelling anybody. And here again in the below guideline Baba condemns unideological edicts like expulsion which permanently push someone out of Ananda Marga. Baba says, "On no account should anybody be branded forever." (PNS-7, p.54) Thus Baba has given the directive that nobody can be permanently cast aside-- which is what the weapon of expulsion effectively does: It blackballs and scars someone for the remainder of their existence. So from top to bottom Baba pointedly rejects the expulsion theory. Plus in so many more discourses and in countless places we can find innumerable references where Baba outrightly discards any type of expulsion process. By all this it is quite evident and undeniable that Ananda Marga ideology does NOT accept the concept of expulsion-- not at all. Rather Baba strongly condemns it.
CAN AMPS GO AGAINST THE PRINCIPLES OF AM
The next step in this process of understanding then is to investigate whether AMPS rightly has the ability to expel someone even when expulsion itself is 100% contrary to the teachings of AM ideology. Can our AMPS organisation definitively go against the teachings of the AM ideology.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ORGANISATION-- AMPS
Without question, the whole emphasis and import of our AMPS organisation is to propagate Ananda Marga ideology. After all AMPS means: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha. That is the name Baba has duly given because that is the one and only purpose of AMPS. Its sole reason for existence is to exemplify and propagate the teachings of AM. This is the duty of AMPS. For example, it is not that AM ideology preaches that everyone should follow a sentient vegetarian diet yet at the same time inside the AMPS organisation one is allowed to eat meat and all kinds of tamasik items. It is not like that. It is not that suddenly AMPS has the right or ability to declare that eating flesh foods is allowed. AMPS cannot do like this. Rather the AMPS organisation is responsible for representing the ideological principle of following a sentient diet 100% of the time. That is the way of our AMPS. And indeed in the practical sphere it does like that. Likewise, it is not that AM ideology states that everyone should strictly adhere to the code of yama and niyama, yet the AMPS organisation can blatantly declare that stealing, cheating, harming others, and all kinds of violations and contraventions of yama and niyama can be done etc. It is not like that. AMPS cannot suddenly declare that yama and niyama need not be followed. The organisation has no right to swerve from the ideological teachings of AM. Rather AMPS maintains the ideal to perfectly abide by all the tenets of yama and niyama. Indeed step by step AMPS attempts to implement all of ideological principles of yama and niyama.
AMPS IS TO FOLLOW AM IDEOLOGY-- ALWAYS
Here the whole point is that in our Marga we do not preach one thing yet side by side do something else. What AM ideology espouses, AMPS is to follow. This is our Ananda Marga way of living: Clean and consistent. In our Marga there is no scope for hypocrisy. The path of AM or tantra is a practical approach where the philosophy is meant to be represented by the organisation-- AMPS. This is our tantra and this is our Marga. So the entire approach of AMPS is to abide by and exemplify the principles of AM ideology. There is no other way. Thus when AM ideology clearly states that expulsion is forbidden then that obviously means that the AMPS organisation must follow this very policy. Our organisation cannot teach or do anything that goes against AM ideology. So when the ideology (AM) states that there must not be any expulsions, then the organisation (AMPS) is bound to follow that.
ALL A'NANDA MA'RGIIS ARE PART OF THE ORGANISATION
The next obvious sequence then is to understand who is in the organisation. Because we all now know what is it that AM ideology states and we now all understand that the organisation (AMPS) must follow the AM ideology. So the next point to clarify then who is actually in the organisation-- AMPS. That is who are those people who are considered part of AMPS and are therefore meant to follow and manifest the teachings of AM. Answer: All A'nanda Ma'rgiis-- Wts & family persons-- are a part of our AMPS organisation. It is NOT that only Wts are part of the organisation. One cannot separate family margiis from the organisation. Rather all are members of AMPS. This is Baba's given mandate.
HERE IS THE PROOF THAT ALL ARE PART OF AMPS
And here is the proof that all are part of the organisation: It is well accepted that every A'nanda Ma'rgii, whether they be wt or family person, must follow 16 Points. This is commonly known to all. Everyone knows that this is Baba's teaching: All have to follow 16 Points. And final point of 16 points is: "Observe C.S.D.K." Hence this 16th point of 16 Points is also mandatory for every Ananda Margii. And as we all know the "S" of C.S.D.K. stands for: "Seminar". Regarding seminar, it is a vital aspect of the running of our AMPS organisation whereby everyone must attend seminar and once there everyone is allotted some important organisation duty. This is one of the main aspects of the seminar system: That everyone is expected to attend and actively participate in seminar and in turn everyone is given some organisational duty. That is what happens in our seminar system. And at the same time Baba's directive is that every family margii, every unmarried margii, every LFT, every Wt, indeed everyone must attend the important organisational program of seminar. In that way everyone-- every Ananda Margii-- is given the responsibility and duty to carry out various works and projects for AMPS. Thus, who can say that family people are not part of AMPS. Never-- it is not like that. All Ananda Margii, irregardless of whether they are married or wt, all are part and parcel of our AMPS organisation. And the organisation is the worldly tool for preaching the teachings of AM ideology. Thus it is a neat & clean, air-tight system: What AM preaches, AMPS does, and all Ananda Margiis are members of AMPS so they are bound to follow the ideology. This is Baba's designated style.
SUMMARY AND REVIEW
So then on the point of expulsion it is all crystal-clear; it is an open and shut case. It is an easy three step process: (1) AM ideology clearly states that expulsion is not allowed; (2) the AMPS organisation is bound to follow this ideological tenet of not expelling anyone; (3) as members of AMPS all Ananda Margiis are to exemplify the same rule: That expulsion should not be done. Where then is there scope for confusion or misunderstanding-- indeed there is not. That is why in this age of growing ideological awareness all rational Ananda Margiis are quickly sticking to the ideological point that expulsion has no place in our AM society: not in AM and not in AMPS, nowhere. And therefore no one should expel anyone. This point is quickly seeping into the hearts and minds of all Ananda Margiis. And after all look at it this way. If those in AMPS are not going to follow AM ideology, that is if Ananda Margiis themselves are not going to follow AM ideology, then who on this earth is going to follow Baba's AM ideology. Should we think that somehow out of nowhere all the others on the planet who do not do sadhana and who do not follow a sentient diet are going to magically start perfectly following AM ideology and 16 Points without our example or example. Of course not. \ Here then we can easily see that it is our duty to first adhere to Baba's teachings of AM ideology. Given all this, the point of expulsion is quite straight and clear. Expulsion goes contrary to the fundamentals of AM ideology and the AMPS organisation; and it is the duty of every Ananda Margii to live up to this standard of not expelling anyone. Baba says, "Your ideal should be represented by your do conduct..." (A'nanda Va'nii #13) Thus when our ideal states that expulsion is not allowed then the thoughts, words, and deeds of every Ananda Margii should reflect Baba's ideological directive of 'No expulsion'.
OURS IS AN OPEN SOCIETY
Here following is Baba's golden guideline that all are welcome to be part of our Ananda Marga. Baba says "Ananda Marga keeps its gates open so that each and every man and woman may enter. Anybody may join, anybody may sing in chorus with the rest. The united march of the people is a march of victory. Ananda Marga states this in unequivocal language." ('Spirit of Society') Hence AM is an open society where there is no scope for expelling anyone. This is not allowed.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's divine grace He has blessed us with all the teachings and practices to guide the society. By following AM ideology-- that is by our sterling conduct, by exemplifying His various teachings such as no expulsions-- we will lead the humanity into the brilliant new era. Here is Baba's divine blessing upon all Ananda Margiis. Baba says, "Common people do not know how to do, what to do, what is the destination. They want guidance. They want guidance from certain people whom they respect, whom they accept as their object of adoration. They respect those people because of their high moral conduct...You boys and you girls, you are to establish yourselves as developed human beings and as blessed with the glory of human excellence at the helm of every affair. Society will recognize you because of your service, because of your sacrifice. And not only that, everybody is expecting that they will get your help, your assistance, your guidance, when there is a dire necessity for the same. You boys and you girls, you should know that I solely depend on you for the translation of our lofty ideology." (AV-34, p.85-6) Namaskar, Punya'tman
Note 1: BABA'S WARNING: EXPULSION FRAGMENTS SOCIETY
Here below is one special warning from Baba where He explicitly tells us about the extreme dangers of expulsion. Baba says, "Suppose somebody is suspended from his job. In his mind the seeds of revolt germinate. He files a court case, contacts so many people, organizes a demonstration, etc. That is the natural reaction to suspension." (AV-3) By His above warning it is quite clear that those who are expelled will form their own separate structure and embark on the negative path of dividing the society. This is the dark and inevitable result of expulsion: More and more division. And that is what we are practically witnessing in our AMPS nowadays. This is one of the horrors that is going on. It is quite clear then that the unideological act of expulsion is highly detrimental to developing one human society. Indeed we can say that so long as the weapon of expulsion is in vogue, one human society cannot be formed.
Note 2: MORE OF BABA'S TEACHINGS AGAINST EXPULSION
Here are more of Baba's important guidelines which condemn the crude tactic of expulsion. Baba says, "If punishment kills or prevents one from progressing along life's path, it may be treated as vice...Instead of hating anyone, the sadvipras will encourage everyone to build good careers. This will be the sadvipra's principle duty. None should feel that they have been doomed forever." (PNS-7, p.54-55) Baba says, "Ananda Marga has formed a society which frames its laws on the basis of common ideals in order to develop the idea of one-ness of all humanity. This society is radically different from any existing society, for it provides a society with a common bond where there is no distinction between class or sex, where no one is declared an outcast..." (PNS-11, p.6) By reading Baba's above teachings surely everyone understands well that expulsion is not at all allowed in our AM way of life. Rather our Marga is destined to create that singular humanity where are all looked upon as family members and given the wonderful opportunity to move along the path of Supreme salvation.
*************************************** Mister or Shrii
Baba says, "The Samskrta word Shrii means 'the most charming personality'. The word 'shrii' is derived from sha + ra + uniis. 'Sha' is the acoustic root of the mutative principle, and 'ra' is the acoustic root of energy. With the help of these two things, 'sha' plus 'ra', human beings are moving, dancing, speaking, and doing so many things. Obviously they need 'sha' and 'ra' very much. The Supreme abode of 'shrii' is Parama Purus'a." (SS-12, p.4) Note: In this above quote, Baba is describing the meaning of 'Shrii' so that we can understand why we call Him 'Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji'-- not 'Mr. Anandamurtiji'. Naturally in our life we should then address Him in the way which He likes to be called. However, because of their dogmatic beliefs, some jinanis prefer the term 'Mister Sarkar' or even just plain 'Sarkar' instead of 'Shrii'. In that case we should gently try to make them aware about their dogma. The central idea is that 'Shrii' is a very meaningful term and we should not only use this when addressing our Beloved Guru, but everyone should use the term 'Shrii' before their own name as well. This is Baba's direct teaching.
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Negative Dhya'na Unknowingly

From: "Geoff Turnham" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Negative Dhya'na Unknowingly Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:09:18 +0000 Baba "Diner pare din cale ja'y, toma'r path ceye a'ma'r yu'g ye ja'y..." (2640) Purport: Baba, my days after days are passing waiting for You. Since ages and ages I have been looking anxiously towards the path of Your arrival. But all that time has passed in vain. Baba, nobody is understanding my mental anguish; I am completely helplessly in love with You. So many tears have been shed waiting for You arrival, yet You are not coming. Baba, in the daytime I imagine that in the night You will be coming carrying the lantern of hope, thus fulfilling all my deepest desires. I imagine that in my sleepless nights You will come and shower Your divine grace and my troubled eyes will be completely satiated by having Your blissful darshan. Baba, when the night passes and You have not come then with deep hope I go on ideating that You will be coming in the morning, with the advent of the bright red crimson dawn. And like the effulgence of the rising sun You will wipe away the cimmerian darkness. Baba, since ages my days are passing in longing for You. Baba please come...
== NEGATIVE DHYA'NA UNKNOWINGLY ==
Namaskar, This is a topic that applies to everyone: margiis & non-margiis alike. Because everyone - every human being - thinks. If one is not thinking then the mind will essentially disintegrate and die. So, by definition, we all think. People think about their boss, their girlfriend, their enemy, their lost love, their money, their house, their pet dog, their misdeeds etc. People think about so many things. And when they think about that thing they invariably apply various tanmatras or inferences: touch, form, sound etc. In essence they are doing dhya'na, or more precisely negative dhya'na. But what people fail to understand is that their thinking - or negative dhya'na - totally dictates their future to the degree that one will actually become or be reborn as what they were thinking about. This has an absolutely dramatic, if not disastrous, effect. Let's take this entire topic step by step.
"AS YOU THINK SO YOU BECOME"
In AM, we have all heard the proverb, "As you think so you become." And we all know that we should ideate on our is't'a mantra cent-per-cent of the time. All these things we know. This theory is not new to anyone in AM. But how seriously we truly consider the consequences of not doing this is another matter. Baba says, "If the mental force is directed towards finite and crude objects, then the person is ultimately converted into crudeness. As you think so you become." (AMIWL-1) Even then some of us may be thinking that, "This cannot happen to me - I will not be changed into crudity." Yet that is exactly what happens.
WHO BECOMES WHAT
As stated in the beginning everyone thinks; everyone holds an idea and image in their mind. The irony is that often times - due to human weakness - people do not hold their highest ideal in mind, but rather something else. For instance, many Muslims are often thinking day-long about their hatred of Hindus. Likewise, many Jews think of their enemies in the Muslim world. They think intensely in this manner, with vivid imagery and with strong emotion. And do you know what happens? Such Muslims actually are reborn as Hindus and such Jews are verily reborn as Muslims. This is the way it works. Same is the case with Ku Klux Klan members who despise black people as well as with certain Frenchmen who hate Algerians etc. Baba says, "It is the natural wont of the mind to take the shape of its object of meditation. If the object of worship is crude, say money or any crude thing, the mind takes the shape of that crude thing in the course of time. Hence the proverb “As you think so you become.” For instance, when someone constantly thinks of a ghost, he actually becomes a ghost one day. One then starts behaving in an abnormal way. Again, someone concentrates upon two hundred dollars, one day the person will become an actual dollar. Hence human beings should be very, very cautious in what they ideate upon, in their objects of contemplation." (AV-12) Baba says, "One acquires a physical body according to the nature of one’s sam'ska'ras [unmanifested mental reactions]. Hence it is not at all impossible for a human being to be reborn as a hog, a worm, a tree, or even a piece of stone." (AMIWL-7) So it is not just limited to a Muslim turning into a Hindu or a Jew turning into a Muslim. A person will turn into whatever they ideate on - and again everyone ideates. Indeed, at present so many people on this earth are sunk in the practice of negative dhya'na. Yet they are totally unaware of the severe ramifications. In the above teachings, Baba pointedly warns us and categorically states that a person will become a ghost or crude money, or verily anything, even a hog, a worm, or a spittoon - if that is what they think about. So everyone should be made aware of the horrors of doing negative dhya'na. There are so who intently think about their pet dog will be reborn a dog. Indeed whatever it is that we love or hate - or whatever we think about - that is what we will become, either in this life or the next. Those who mentally curse their boss and think about their boss when not at the job will be transformed into that negative boss. They will be that one day.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HOW IT WORKS
One other thing should be said. This entire phenomenon is not like one magic show, as in "poof" all of a sudden one becomes a frog. It happens gradually. For instance, if one thinks about their boss and their boss is someone who gets angry easily, then that negative vrtti of anger will soon take shape in their mind as well. And then due to that continued thought, or negative dhyana, in that very life or the next, they may become exactly like that boss, in all the ways - physically, mentally, everything. So little by little we acquire the samskaras or properties of whatever we are thinking about. Here is another example that people should be aware about. In the west, people may not be afraid of ghosts, but they may be scared of so many other imaginary things. They may be paranoid that nobody loves them, and then sadly over time that becomes their living reality. They truly think and feel that really nobody loves them. This becomes their reality, even when others really do love them. This approach or negative dhyana probably accounts for a huge number of the cases of depression and related mental diseases in the more so-called developed nations like the USA. People harbor a negative thought in mind and ultimately they become a living representation of that thought or fear. As far as possible we should warn and teach those in the general society about this entire process. They must know about it, lest they destroy not only this life but the next one also.
ANANDA MARGIIS ARE NOT EXEMPT
All of the above applies to all Ananda Margiis as well. Just because we have been initiated into tantra does not mean we cannot fall onto that path of negative pratisaincara. Indeed so many sadhakas have fallen. We must be cent-per-cent involved in our sadhana. We must ideate and do dhyana on Him. Unfortunately, by the looks of things, it seems that some Dadas may be doing negative dhya'na on their "groupist enemies". They may pass their days planning and plotting against their rivals. In that case, they will acquire those very samskaras and be reborn as a Bengali etc. Then there are some Dadas who are so fascinated with their new car. Such was the case of one Amurt worker in the USA. This Wt was enamoured with his sports car. Hopefully by now he has given up that negative ideation. If not, surely he will be reborn as a piece of metal or as a steering wheel. Whatever may be, if we just do our mantra japa for a few minutes during sadhana, and then the entire rest of the 24hrs we are involved in all kinds of mundane thoughts and longings, then that most certainly will affect our future. Because whatever direction in which the mind is colored is the direction in which we will grow. Whether it be money, fame, prestige, land, etc, whatever we ideate on will become our living reality, sooner or later. This is the natural law. Thus we also should not get caught in the trappings of doing negative dhya'na.
WHAT IS THE WAY OUT
The question that invariably arises is how are we to proceed. Here Baba gives the answer. Baba says, "Whenever any thought arises in the mind, it should be immediately channelled towards Parama Purus'a. You should say: “O Parama Purus'a, Thy will be done“." (NKS, Disc: 23) The only way then is to direct all our thoughts and energies towards Parama Purusa and serve Him in all respects, always. This demands strong sadhana and proper use of Guru mantra. Then we will be cent-per-cent safe. Even then, as human beings we have so many emotions running through the mind. How are we to deal with all of these. Here again, Baba has given us the answer and best tool: Prabhat Samgiita. In His Prabhat Samgiita, the full range of human emotions are expressed and in each song those emotions are goaded towards the Supreme. So whenever we feel angry, then we should direct that anger towards Baba, not to our spouse, or boss, or whomever we are angry with. When we direct our anger towards Baba then we are thinking of Him and that is proper dhyana. And that is the way all our emotions are to be addressed. Our love, our infatuation, our desires, our longings, our sadness, our loneliness etc. Each and every emotion is to be goaded towards Baba. Then our success is sure. That is what Baba has taught us in Prabhat Samgiita.
BABA'S BLESSING
This entire topic of doing negative dhya'na is a slippery slope. People the world over, non-margiis certainly and some margiis too, get verily caught in this negative approach and it ruins their future. All should be warned accordingly and all should then be extremely cautious and careful about how they ideate in life. No one should allow mundane or crude thinking - i.e. negative dhya'na - to be part of their mental flow, lest they wish to destroy their future. Here is Baba's warning. Baba says, "They say, “Why should I bother about such subtle things. I’m quite happy as I am.” Such people, engrossed as they are in materialism, are bound to be reborn in crude material bodies [like pigs, feces, and wood etc]." (PNS-11) Human life is rare and we have all been blessed with the power of cognition. We are to utilise this in the best way possible and realise Him. Baba says, "When one’s goal of ideation is Parama'tma', one attains absolute progress. As one’s psychic object is subtle and expansive, one’s psychic body becomes subtle and expansive, too, and finally becomes one with the Macrocosm." (AMIWL-8) Namaskar, Gagan
Note 1: GURU MANTRA AND PROPER MEMORY
This below teaching of Baba is also related to this entire topic. Baba says, "You should remember to use guru mantra regularly before every action. One attains success in the field of action by the right application of guru mantra. Some of you, I do not say all, often forget to use guru mantra before starting an activity. If you do forget, repeat it after completing the action. When one no longer makes such a mistake, that is, when one always remembers to use guru mantra before starting any activity, one is said to have attained “dhruva smrti” or “fixed memory”. Dhruva means “fixed”, “stationary”. When, by dint of sa'dhana', one establishes oneself in dhruva smrti, one experiences an unbroken flow of bliss in one’s mind. In the scriptures, this intense spiritual bliss is termed “dharma megha'nanda”. Whenever you develop that sort of fixed memory, you will experience dharma megha'nanda'." (AV-7)
******************************************** WT Conduct Rules
"We are all the children of the same Father, we are all the members of the same family. By fighting against all kinds of evil forces, we will establish the glory of our Father and the glory of our family." (Point #13 of '14 Points', WT Conduct Rules) Note: A few so-called senior, degenerated and disgraceful Wts are going astray from this fundamental rule by spreading the poison of groupism and by creating division in the society-- all of which is completely against neo-humanism. This is all happening due to greed, lust of power, desire for prestige etc. Unfortunately such persons are still in the uniform of Wts so we have to recognise them. As they have tainted the glory of Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji by their sinful, power-hungry ways. Indeed by all this they have destroyed the sanctity & unity of the family. Note 2: Those who are sincere margiis adhere to this above cited rule since the spirit of this conduct rule is common to one and all.
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Cannot Resuscitate

Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:32:05 -0000 To: am-global@earthlink.net From: Chatterjee_K Subject: Cannot Resuscitate BABA "Saba'ka'r ati priyo a'daran'iiyo..." (P.S. 307) Purport: Baba, You are the Dearmost One to all; You are the most revered and most loved. In all the hearts You are the precious kaustba jewel. Baba, everyone is in You-- without You nothing exists. Even without recognising You, even then I recognise only You. Baba, in all the flowers, You are fragrance; in this entire creation, You are lotus hub. In everything You are the best and sweetest part. In Your touch, in Your form and taste. In all the unknown things, You are the cluster of glittering stars. Baba, You are nectar of the earth; I always salute only You, I do sastaunga pranam to You again and again. Baba You are that divine eternal Entity. You do not come and go. In each and every moment Your liila is ever-new. O' the Vast divine Entity who has come in the form, I accept only You. Baba, I surrender everything at Your alter-- You are my everything...
== CANNOT RESUSCITATE ==
Namaskar, Little by little the Kolkata faction is trying to resuscitate their dogmatic Mahaprayan function from the dead. They are trying to declare a so-called global unity meeting on the very heels of mahaprayan, and they are giving all kinds of perks to those who attend. But dogma is dogma is dogma. And no sincere or right-thinking margii has an iota of interest in going to this dogmatic Mahaprayan program. Because life is for pleasing Guru and when Guru Himself is displeased with the dogma of mahaprayan since it goes against AM ideology, then which margii wants to go against Guru and attend the dogmatic ritual of mahaprayan in Kolkata. Here following are some of the many points which various margiis and acaryas are raising concerning this dying dogma of Mahaprayan. For these reasons this dogma is going, going, gone...
BLISSFUL IDEATION
1. Every sadhaka knows that memories and ideation of our most Loving Entity Baba should be blissful. Because this is how people remember their loved ones. For example, if one mother has a child and if that child dies a most treacherous death in a gruesome car accident. The mother will not then hang a picture on her wall of the child's mangled body and torn face from the day of that nasty accident. Rather the mother will hang a beautiful picture of that child from when the child was looking charming and sweet. Similarly as sadhakas we remember our Beloved Guru in a blissful manner. And for anyone to choose so-called Mahaprayan as the way to remember our dearmost Baba is just like hanging that picture of the mangled child on the wall. It is one negative way, that is why all true devotees remember Baba is positive & blissful way.
NOBODY CELEBRATES THE "DEATH DAY"
2. Everybody is aware that in no religion or spiritual path do the followers celebrate the "death-day" of their chosen god or deity. This is the common fact. In that way the "death day" of Lord Krsna is never celebrated nor is the "death day" of Lord Shiva celebrated. Indeed nobody is aware when Lord Shiva and Krsna passed away. Likewise even the dogmatic Christians refuse to celebrate Christ's death. Rather they remember his birth and rising etc. The central idea being that to keep the spiritual flow or devotional feeling alive, one fundamental feeling is highly essential: The presence of God.
PRESENCE OF PRECEPTOR NEEDED
3. Plus we all know that Baba has given the formula of 'Six Spokes of the Social Cycle' for the on going survival of any community or society. And one of those required spokes is Preceptor. But the entire theory behind Mahaprayan is that the Preceptor is gone. That is why various margiis and wts are telling that keeping the Mahaprayan program is like shooting ourselves in the foot-- or head. Because without the presence of Preceptor then that society will die. This is Guru's teaching. So from the get-go the whole Mahaprayan theory is dogmatic and destructive.
ANANDA MARGA TEACHINGS ARE COMPLETE-- FOR ALL TIME
4. Each and every Ananda Margii knows that AM teachings are perfectly complete and cover each and every part of life. So when Baba Himself has not included the point of Mahaprayan in His teachings then why should it be celebrated. In reply however, one or two dogmatic type of people justify the matter saying that Baba never wanted to talk about His physical departure etc. Like this a few blind persons justify the point. But various rational field acaryas give the reply that Baba has indeed discussed aspects such as this because in the Acarya Diary itself Baba teaches that when Guru is physically accessible then Guru Puja should be done directly to Him. And in that same acarya diary Baba says that when Guru is not physically near you and/ or after His physical disappearance from this earth then we are to do Guru Puja with mantra and ideation to His photo. So here the key point is that Baba has indeed given the guideline how to manage after His physical disappearance. Of course with one's spiritual eye one can see and feel him physically also-- just it is with the crude physical eye it is not possible. But here the central idea that that Baba gives the answer what to do in His physical absence etc. So no one can justify that Baba never addresses such circumstances. Plus the acarya told that Baba further tells in Acarya Diary that if one has a strong desire to give something physical to Guru and if He is no longer physically on this earth then one should feed His creation and distribute food to the needy etc. And furthermore in the event if there is no need of such service to the impoverished then those physical offerings should be made to the moving waters of one river. And the other option Baba has given is to burn those items. All these options Baba has given as means to offer to Him when He is not physically on this earth. And in the last scenario Baba has given the point-- my acarya was telling-- that all sadhakas should offer mental flowers or mental colours to Guru when He has physically disappeared. This also is the teaching from Acarya Diary. So like this in each and every scenario and situation Baba has given the exact way for how to proceed. By His grace He has given full instruction and left no stone unturned. Thus no one can justify the matter that Baba did not discuss such things. Rather Baba has outlined everything so if a point like Mahaprayan etc is not in His teachings, then we should not do or invent such things. And ultimately we all know this, so this is one simple reminder-- nothing more.
'MAHAPRAYAN' IS ORDINARY TERM IN BANGLA MEANING DEATH
5. It is also commonly know that the term 'Mahaprayan' is not one spiritually high or reverential term. Just it means "death" in Bengali. Everyday in those places where Bangla is spoken people are routinely talking about 'this mahaprayan' or 'that mahaprayan'. So it is a most ordinary and commonplace thing. But in our Marga a few are foolishly thinking that 'mahaprayan' is some special, holy term of Ananda Marga. But that is wrong. This 'mahaprayan' word is very commonly known in the whole non-margii Bengali community. And this word is frequently used among them to signify death. But unfortunately 1 or 2 overseas margiis have been kept in the dark by telling that this mahaprayan term is something heavenly. When in reality the common connotation is just "death", nothing more.
SO-CALLED MAHAPRAYAN GOES AGAINST DHYANA
6. In our Marga, we all know that spiritual service means service to Guru. This is Baba's teaching which each and every Ananda Margii is aware about. Thus in the theory of Mahaprayan (Great Departure) when Baba is "departed", then how can one do service, especially spiritual service. Dhyana or sadhana, is our spiritual service and in that practice His existence is requisite, mandatory. Thus the false theory of Mahaprayan is directly contrary to our spiritual approach in AM.
PARAMA PITA' BABA KI-- JA'I!!!
7. If we believe Mahaprayan and Baba is gone, then our 'Parama Pita Baba Ki-Jai' slogan has lost its value. Because how can any Entity get victory if they are not present. So margiis are feeling that Baba is with us always that is why our 'Parama Pita Baba Ki-Jai' slogan is so meaningful. And to think He is gone is dogma. So we should follow Baba's eternal guideline to not allow dogmas like Mahaprayan to crop up into our holy Ananda Marga. That way the inherent beauty and glory of our Jai slogan shall live on.
A FEW OF BABA'S TEACHINGS
Here Baba warns us about the what happens when they allow dogmas like Mahaprayan to creep into their mental outlook Baba says, "When people are guided by, & controlled by dogmas, their dynamism is lost, so they become lifeless. They are worse than dead bodies. So you boys and you girls, you should know that you must never allow any dogma to control you, to make you drift away from your nucleus." (BABA, 'Beware of Dogma') So the Presence of Baba is a significant thing in our life. We should not ruin our whole life by thinking that Baba is gone or distant or far away. This type of feeling is not only detrimental but suicidal. And here below Baba beautifully reveals the eternal secret behind the spiritual and devotional cult of Ananda Marga. Baba says, "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." (AV-12, p.7) So the whole entire devotional approach in AM is to always hold dear the feeling in our heart that Baba is constantly remaining along with us.
BABA'S BLESSING
By His grace we will realise this blessing each and every moment of our lives Baba says, "The one formless, beginningless and infinite Parama Brahma (Supreme Consciousness) is the only entity to be attained by living beings-That alone is Jagat Guru (the Supreme preceptor), That alone has revealed Brahmavidya (intuitional science) to us through the medium of the name and form of Anandamurtijii. Unit beings must be made to appreciate Its majesty." (Caryacarya II p.1) Namaskar, Kalicharan Note: So for all the reasons cited in this above letter, maximum number of margiis and acaryas feel in their heart that Mahaprayan is just one dying dogma. All family members are invited to share their thoughts & feelings in this regard.
*************************************** Why Red Dress
Baba says, "Ta'n'd'ava is a heroic dance, showing the fight between life and death. The knife represents life, represents your vital stamina, and the skull represents the death that wants to destroy you. You are fighting against death with your weapon, be it a knife or a trishula (trident). And as per the rule, during the day, if one so desires, one may use a live snake in place of the skull; and at night one may use a fire masha'la [torch] or a d'amaru [small drum]. This is the rule. So ta'n'd'ava represents the eternal fight, the fight for survival, the fight to maintain existence, the fight to establish oneself as a man in this world." Note 1: By Baba's above guideline we can outline the system for doing Tandava like this. During daytime in the left hand the tandava dancer may hold either (1) a skull, or (2) a live snake. And when doing tandava during the nighttime then in the left hand the dancer can hold either (3) a fire torch or (4) a d'amaru, which is a small, one liter size, hand-held, double-sided drum that has a string and two knots attached which twist around and create a beautiful sound when they strike against either face of the drum. Lord Shiva was using one of these. So the point is that during tandava, depending on the time of day etc, any one of these four items (skull, live snake, fire torch, or d'amaru) are held in the dancer's left hand. And all four items symbolize the force of death and destruction. Then in the dancer's right hand he will hold a dagger or a trishula (trident). In AM, a dagger is a knife where both edges of the knife are perfectly straight and angle towards each other to create a distinct point at the end. So a dagger is a pin-pointed, dual-edged knife; thus not just any ordinary type of knife is a dagger. And the second option for the right hand is the trishul (trident). This is similar to the western "pitch-fork". It is a three pronged, pointed iron tool attached onto a bamboo handle of variable length from 3 to 6 feet long. Note 2: By Baba's grace I was also present at that special darshan on 20 April 1979 in Kolkata where Baba revealed the secret why tandava dancers wear a red-coloured outfit. Because in AM it is a commonly known fact that tandava dancers always wear that unique read uniform when dancing. Everyone who attended DMC, DMS, or any of Baba's darshans saw this thing. And on that special day in April '79 Baba explained that red is the color of rajoguna (the mutative factor) and that by wearing red the tandava dancers are expressing the idea that they are above the mutative factor. It is a representation that they are not controlled by rajoguna. Rather they are established in the sattvaguna (sentient sphere), by Baba's grace. So the red uniform has this unique meaning which Baba Himself beautifully described in His darshan of 20 April 1979. Note 3: Those doing kapalik sadhana also use a red mark on their forehead when practicing this meditation. And the meaning behind that red mark is the same as tandava. Namely read mark signifies that the kapalika is above the mutative sphere of life-- above rajoguna.
***************************************

My Tale: Playing with Fire

Date: 26 Jul 2009 10:32:41 -0000 To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: My Tale: Playing with Fire Baba "Campak vane dakhina' pavane..." (PS 40) Purport: Baba, You have presented Yourself and come into this world with the resonance of music, in endless ways. You have manifested Yourself in innumerable styles and forms with rhythmic sweetness and beauty. Baba, all the pangs of loss, all disappointments, and weaknesses have been forgotten. Now everything is filled with Your divine charm. Baba, due to Your unfathomable grace, we have been able to know You, hear You, and see You in countless ways. Baba, if this had not been Your desire-- if You had not blessed us in this way-- then how could we have gotten You. Baba, what else is the cause except Your krpa', Your divine grace. O' Baba, You have come today with the beauty of rhythm and song...
== MY TALE: PLAYING WITH FIRE ==
Namaskar, I am not inclined to say who I am - please excuse me as I have my reasons - but I think my story needs to be told. By hearing what happened to me - what I allowed or even caused to happen - others will be able to save themselves from a similar fate. That is my hope & that is why I am writing. Actually, it all started out quite innocently, or so I thought. Little by little things developed. Of course - all along - I thought everything would be fine. I thought I had the entire situation well within my control. Today I see that was not at all the case. It is now very apparent that the root cause behind it all was that I thought I was above all weakness. My ego, my over-confidence & my audacious belief that I was something special skewed my perceptions and led to my downfall & disgrace. That is how I took a free fall into a dark, deep abyss, where I remain to this very day. I really do not want to see such an event happen to anyone on the path, neither family person nor acarya, neither Dada nor Didi, neither young nor old.
MORE ABOUT MY STORY
By Baba's magnificent grace I had it all. He blessed me to become a disciple and to get the Sadguru while on this earth. So few get such a chance, yet by His all-merciful compassion, He gave me such an opportunity. He placed it all right there before me - all I had to do was move ahead on the path. After a few years of becoming Wt, I thought I had made it to the top, especially after I became avadhuta. I thought I was simultaneously impermeable and impregnable, i.e. indestructible and unbeatable. That was what my ego taught me. By His grace, my early years were full of sincerity and an earnest desire to move along the path. What was taught to me I did my best to follow: asana, food, sleep, sadhana, dharmacakra. I tried to follow all the codes, and by His grace I progressed. I felt better and my mind was vibrated by His rhythm. If only I had continued in this pattern. But instead I erred and now I am absolutely nowhere, totally off the map. I do not know what will become of me.
WHEN I FIRST MET HER
Who she is and whether she is margii or not I do not even want to say. All that need be known is that I thought I was above all allurement and that I could be relaxed about the various codes of conduct. Baba has graciously given so many guidelines and rules about workers and the opposite sex. We all know them. Do not look in the eye, do not be alone, do not be friend etc. He has given all the points and all the ways to be successful. But due to my ego, I thought these rules and codes are for others not me. I am Wt - I am avadhuta - what problem can come my way. Nothing. So little by little, the conduct rules passed me by, or rather I became loose and skipped over them. At one point when I saw her we made eye contact. I thought nothing about it. Then slowly - over weeks and months - we became friendly and began to communicate via email etc. Or we would talk here and there with others around. Then we began to meet by ourselves. We never talked about "us" but always discussed bigger things like the society or spirituality etc. But that was a paper thin layer, I was unaware of the volcano mounting below the surface. Or at least, my ego did not want me to know of the dangers that were developing. Up until that time we had not kissed nor held hands. So I thought I had it all under control. There was no flagrant show or a breach of etiquette. Then one time when we were alone I could feel my entire body become heated and imbalanced - I felt the pull. Even then I thought I could handle it.
ALL CODES OF CONDUCT MELTED AWAY
Over time, all codes of conduct melted away. It happened slowly until finally one time we were sitting together on my bed working on a project and she leaned across me to grab a paper and I intentionally leaned forward toward her as if to help, and our bodies brushed up against each other. It was a warm and soft touch - one which I had not felt before. My head was spinning - and now I understand that it was then that I totally lost my mental balance, and ultimately my career as well. It seemed like a whole new blissful beginning for - such was the intoxication of avidya - because in fact it was the end. We lived as one for a while yet presented ourselves as two separate souls when in public. But when alone, it was entirely different. It was like we were married, yet it held all the excitement of being something more exotic because we were doing everything secretly. Our life in heaven together did not last long. It exploded in my face like nothing before I had ever seen or experienced. Now my life is essentially over - I am a mere shell of what I once was. And she is free to do as she likes. I cannot blame her. After all I was the so-called dedicated and responsible one. But due to my arrogance, ego, and bloated self-esteem, I thought I could side-step and bypass all codes of conduct and still keep myself in proper form. I thought, "What is the harm in looking her in the eye and what is the harm in going places together." Slowly, slowly I broke all the codes of conduct - nothing happened bad per se - and my ego got further proof that I was unbreakable. How wrong I was. Shortly thereafter, I fell into a total whirlpool of self-deceit and lost the path. What will happen to me I cannot say - but such things should not, nay must not, happen to others. If I can prevent that from happening even once, then I feel I will have begun to pay back my debt to society. Though I know I will never be able to regain my dignity, nor my sadhana. That seems quite hopeless now.
CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE
As I look around, I see such a drastic fall can happen to anyone blinded by their ego and overconfidence. A person many think that they can handle their alcohol and that one more beer will not skew their vision nor judgment. They may drink and drink thinking that they are above all perils only then to find one morning that they are in the hospital, missing both of their legs, and having killed their best friend in a car crash. With so many vices and poor dealings this can happen. At first people slowly move in the wrong direction yet gain the confidence that they can handle it. Then one day the bottom falls out and all is lost. Drugs, alcohol, cheating on one's wife, financial impropriety. It can happen anytime one begins to cross the line. In our Marga, this can happen in so many ways. First one may begin to skip kiirtan, then sadhana, then after months one may find themselves on a totally different path. That is how degeneration happens. Little by little one crosses the boundary until one day they find they can never return again to the life they once cherished.
THE STORY OF SIITA
We all know the story of Siita's abduction. To keep Siita safe, Ram's brother Laksman etched a boundary line in the ground around the house and told Siita not to cross the line. For a long time Siita was faithful and respected the boundary line. Then one day, the demon Ravana came in the guise of a sadhu begging for alms and stood on the other side of the boundary line. Siita wanted to give him alms, but she wanted to do so from inside the house. Ravana replied that he would only accept her alms if she stepped over the boundary line and gave him the food. She was in a dilemma as to what to do. Ravana continued to coax her to cross the line. She did and the rest is then history. She was abducted and dragged away. Here the whole point is that once we cross the threshold of what we should and should not do, then we will lose all that we had. We will end up in an entirely different place, and an undesireable one at that. This is especially true when one crosses the ethical codes of conduct on the path of spirituality. We liked being on the path, did not want to leave, but when our brash ego coaxes us into disregarding one code, then that is the start of our demise.
SO MANY EXAMPLES
There are so many examples how crossing the line ends up destroying one's life. A family man may one day think that he will never get caught and that getting together once with another woman will not be a big deal. Step by step it happens until one day he finds his family life to be in total shambles and he lives as a disgraced person in his own town. Or what about the trusted financier who little by little goes against the ethics and does ill with his client's funds. Heck it even happens with margiis and simple wts with regards to groupism. They pledge they will follow AM ideology. Then one day they are approached or given an opportunity with a particular group and they think, "What is wrong I can do it this one time." But then step by step they are drawn in more and more - getting the perks etc - until finally they become a full-fledged groupist member. At first one never thinks that such missteps are a big deal. One always believes they will be able to handle the situation until one day their own life has gone up in flames as if everything became saturated with gasoline and then lit with a match. Poof! All gone. Never to return again. Oh so many times this happens. One becomes relaxed about sadhana or food or about watching crude things on the internet or whatever. Always one thinks that it is ok, only to be swallowed up by it as the problem grows. That is what happened to me in South America and that is what has happened to others in so many places. If nothing else, others should learn from those of us who have fallen.
THE ONLY SOLUTION
We must all be vigilant. By His grace we have come under His divine shelter and we must ensure that by our own doing we do not leave His shelter and drift away. The best method that I have heard from others is that we should always think that Baba is watching all we do and that we are to follow all kinds of guidelines to please Him. Then we will be safe and secure always. If we think He is watching then our conscience will be pure. Furthermore, we must always be aware that ego is a part and parcel of spiritual life. With that inflated ego and overconfidence we should not think that we are above the rule or codes of conduct. Once we think that we are so intelligent or so great or so elevated that we can cross the line of proper conduct, then we are inviting our own demise and degeneration. Take it from me - from one who fell - all should beware. Here, by Baba's blessing, are the best ways to move ahead in life. I hope everyone reading is successful. Baba says, "When I think I am His object and He is my subject, I cannot commit any wrong under any circumstances. His ever wakeful conscience will constantly warn me, “What are you doing? He is watching you." (AMIWL-10) Baba says, "I will move towards Him drawn by the irresistible Cosmic attraction. This is my dharma – simple and straight-forward. This is my natural wont. Nothing can detract me from pursuing my innate characteristic." (AMIWL-10) Namaskar, your brother
**************************************** Multiple Points of Interest
Baba says, "Large, ancient animals used to die at previously selected places. The wild elephants of today still follow this habit. At such places the bones of the animals became a hill which became deposits of calcium sulphate, calcium carbonate, etc. with the passage of time." Baba says, "Wherever cretaceous animals lived in groups, limestone will be found. In Assam, for example, lime stone and petroleum can be found. The fat of these huge animals petroleum and the bones became limestone." Baba says, "In Ra'r'h, in Jalda and Jaipur, limestone can also be found. Limestone is good for manufacturing cement and helps oranges grow well."
(Above quotes from 'Integrated Farming', Prout-16, p.38) ****************************************

Barely Known Point

Date: 25 Jul 2009 03:43:11 -0000 From: "Subhash Dholakia" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Barely Known Point Baba "Tumi sudha'taraunge khelicho raunge saba'r saunge niyato..." (PS 700) Purport: Baba, since eternity You have been playing Your divine game. By Your grace it is filled with the vibration of colour and nectar. You are playing with one and all - blessing everyone. Baba, You never get tired; You never stop; You go on working day and night. Your liila is eternal. Baba, even when there was no creation, no planets, stars or galaxies, and also when there was no existence of the vast sky, when there was absolutely nothing, then in that great void You were ever-present, remaining alone. Even before and prior to the beginning of the creation You were there, emanating with Your divine vibration. Baba Your liila cannot be expressed in words and language. Since eternity You have been present and You will remain forever. You are the Supreme Nucleus of this whole cosmic cycle...
== BARELY KNOWN POINT ==
Namaskar, By Baba's grace, I had His darshan on a few occasions - one of which was in Patna during the year 1971. Usually when in His Presence, I would just watch and listen intently, mesmerized by His divine aura. On this particular occasion, the idea came in mind to note down Baba's words and ideas in my diary. So that is what I did.
ACCURATE NOTATION, BUT NOT TRANSCRIPTION
The following is not an actual transcription for publication, but it is an accurate review of what Baba discussed on that day. Afterwards, my notes were checked with those of two different Dadas and PA Dada gave his approval. I have discussed this below topic on numerous occasions with margiis in my unit and then I began to think that in this electronic era, more should have access to this information. After all, everything is due to His grace and He has come for the upliftment of all. In that case, how can I rightfully keep this to myself or to my village locale. I will feel especially graced if any or all of the below helps others on the path, coming closer to His lotus feet.
THE UNIQUE TOPIC FROM THAT DAY IN PATNA 1971
Specifically, that day was the unique occasion wherein Baba clearly described why fasting is so important for our human growth and development and how fasting counteracts the negative effects of the celestial bodies during certain lunar days, or tithis. What He told in this Patna darshan is not in any of the published material (that I am aware of) about fasting. It is not in Caryacarya part III nor in other publications. I have since asked many acaryas about this and they too cannot tell if or when Baba discussed this topic in other places. So this does seem to be quite unique material.
PART 1: UPWARD PULL BY CELESTIAL BODIES
In this darshan, Baba began by telling that due to the pull or attraction of certain celestial bodies like the moon and the sun, the liquid portion of the earth rises. Baba was detailing how the tides of the ocean and sea levels are affected by the pull of the moon on particular lunar days, ekadhashii, or the 11th lunar day, pu'rn'ima', and amavasya. (Note: Of course, the modern day sciences of geology and physics have verified this fact. The earth's oceans and tides are primarily 's affected by the moon etc and can result in tidal waves and other dangerous conditions.) Then Baba began to systemically explain how even the liquid section in our human body also gets affected on such lunar days (tithis). Specifically the liquid portion rises up and disturbs the regular functioning of the brain and other primary organs in the upper regions of the body. One's thinking and sadhana are affected on these days. (Note: As you may know, our bodies are 70% to 75% water / fluid, so when the liquid portion of the body is affected, its affect is quite dramatic and can even make people to do crazy things. That is why lunacy stems from the root luna meaning moon. Due to the effect of the moon, people lose their mental balance. This is also recognised in the common society)
PART 2: THE EFFECT ON THE CAKRAS
In the next sequence, Baba began detailing the effects on the cakras. Because when the liquid portion rises up then the upper cakras are hampered. Under normal conditions, the vishuddha cakra (5th cakra) to the sahasra'ra cakra (7th cakra) are purely for subtle and sentient pursuits. These cakras are totally sattvika or sentient. The manipura cakra (3rd cakra) to anaha'ta cakra (4th cakra) deal with both higher and lower works, both spiritual and physical activities. Baba has classified these as being ra'jasik, a mixture of crude and subtle. Then the two lower cakras - muladhara (1st cakra) and svadhisthana (2nd cakra) - only deal with baser activities, as they are ta'masik in nature. But as we all know certain crude works need to be attended to in this life, so those lower cakras also have their purpose. That is how Baba described it in this darshan. Now here comes the key point: On certain lunar days - tithis - like ekadhashii, or the 11th lunar day, pu'rn'ima' (full moon), and amavasya (new moon), the liquid portion of the body rises up and disturbs the functioning of the upper cakras - i.e. the ra'jasik and sentient cakras, which means the manipur cakra all the way up to the sahasra'ra cakra are all affected. (Note: Baba also differentiates between lunar days known as tithis and solar days known as din in Sanskrit. And it is these lunar days or tithis which create this disturbance in the body.) On those aforementioned lunar days or tithis (ekadashii, purnima & amavasya), due to the adverse effect of the moon's pull and the ensuing rise of the liquid portion of the human body, those higher cakras cannot function normally. In turn, our entire existence is negatively affected. Our regular and higher functioning of mind becomes impaired.
PART 3: HOW YOGIS ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM
The ancient yogis - being practical scientists and researchers - knew well that the upper cakras could not carry out their normal manner of functioning on those tithis, so they came up with a solution. And that solution was: fasting. Then Baba revealed one very interesting idea. He told us that when one fasts, a vacuum is created in the stomach - because there is neither water nor food in the belly - and that vacuum pulls the liquid back down. That brings relief to our entire system on these lunar days. (Note: Many Wts familiar with Baba's discourses said that this Patna discourse is one of the few places, if not only place, where Baba revealed this point about creating a vacuum in the stomach.) In that case, when fasting during those lunar days like ekadashii, then the higher organs are no longer hampered by the liquids which would normally rise up on those lunar days. Hence, the lungs, heart, thyroid, brain etc can work smoothly as usual. That is the great benefit to the physical and mental body during fasting days. Baba also then gave proof of this theory. He told that those suffering from arthritis and gout will experience worse conditions during ekadashii and other tithis. They will not experience any remission on these days. Because the liquid portions of the body rises up and creates problems for such patients. So for all these reasons and more, fasting is a necessity for human health and vitality.
PART 4: OUR PRACTICE IN ANANDA MARGA
Then in a very sweet manner Baba began to discuss about the fasting system in Ananda Marga. He explained that our fasting days occur on the following tithis: eleventh moon (ekadashii), full moon (purnima), and new moon (amavasya). Then He said how He did not prescribe four fastings to family people - just two, i.e. the two fasting days of ekadashii. That will help them greatly in their physical and spiritual life. Wts are required to do four fastings as they need to engage in more spiritual activities. Baba was careful to explain that Wts are not, by definition, more spiritual or devotional than margiis, but clarified that due to the nature of Wt life, they have more spiritually oriented duties. Finally, Baba added that all family people are welcome to fast 4 times each month, but for them it is not a requirement. Should, however, any family person adopt the practice of fasting on purnima and amavasya, then they will not be questioned in any way. If they desire, they may freely do.
PART 5: UPA'VASA NOT ANANSA
Baba then clarified that our fasting days are more than just days where we refrain from taking food. Not eating is known as anashana in Sanskrit. But that is not our approach. We call our fasting days as upa'va'sa. Then Baba explained the meaning several times using various examples and definitions from the realm of linguistics, and we all repeated and replied. Upa' means "near", and va'sa means "sitting". Hence upa'va'sa means to sit or reside or live near the Lord. Here below is a quote from one of Baba's published discourses on upa'vas'sa. Baba says, "Upa” is a Sam'skrta prefix. In Sam'skrta there are twenty recognized prefixes, and one of these prefixes is “upa”. “Upa” means “proximity”. And “Va'sa” means “to live”, “to reside”. The word “upava'sa” means then, “to live near the Lord”. “Upava'sa” – on these days of fasting, what are all spiritual aspirants to do? Mentally they should live near their Lord. On all other days they are to remain balanced between objective adjustment and subjective approach. On these days of fasting, however, on these days of upava'sa, one remains in closer proximity to the Lord than to one’s mundane duties. That is why these days are known as “upava'sa”. The word “fasting” does not represent the proper sense or proper spirit. The Sam'skrta term for going without food is “anashana” – “ana” means not, “ashana” means eating – not “upava'sa”. But these eka'dashii, amavasya and pu'rn'ima' days are days of upava'sa." (AV-6) The above passage was given in a discourse from 1978. It nicely complements what Baba told us that day in 1971 about upa'va'sa so I have included it here. Let's now return to what Baba told us in Patna (1971). He told us that during fasting, one may encounter difficulty in doing intense physical labour on that day. Some people may not experience any hardship, but for others doing tough physical tasks may be beyond their reach. It varies person to person. In that case on upa'vasa', one should engage in more intellectual and spiritual pursuits, and less in physical duties. One should goad the mind toward higher echelons of philosophy, ideology, and devotional life. On these days, one should sit near Parama Purusa. That is what Baba repeats again and again. Thus our fasting days are not just anashana (not eating), but upavasa as we are to pursue maximally in the spiritual realm and remain with the Lord.
BABA'S BLESSING
So these are the chief notations that were in my diary from that day. Because this posting is written in letter format and because it is an email etc, I have adjusted my notes accordingly, but all the facts and points are included. Again I will say that perhaps the two unique points from that darshan are: (1) A main function of fasting is to free the upper cakras from the negative effects of liquids rising up in the human body. (2) The way this happens is that a vacuum is created in the stomach due to a dearth of food and water and that vacuum pulls those liquids back downward. The principles - both physical and spiritual - of our fasting days allow us all to progress, despite the inherent difficulties of living on this earth. It is truly Baba's grace that He has given a method and solution for overcoming every problem. By Baba's grace He has given us all the opportunity and practices to live eternally at His lotus feet. Namaskar, Subhash

Forgive & Forget?

Date: 24 Jul 2009 07:17:29 -0000 From: "Satyanarayan Mishra" To: AM-GLOBAL Subject: Forgive & Forget? Baba "Tumi ele, a'lo a'nale, a'ndha'r du're sare gelo..." P.S. #1036 Purport: Baba, You have come and brought a showering of grace and divine effulgence along with You. By Your auspicious advent the thick fog of cimmerian darkness has been vanquished. And all the fear which I had has vanished in a flash-- by Your grace. Baba, You are so magnificent. With Your soft, sweet smile You have told me, 'Look towards Me and remember that I am the Fear of fear. By taking My name and ideating on Me, then fear itself gets terrified'. Baba, You also have said to me, 'By taking proper ideation look towards Me.' O' my Dearmost Baba, You have also lovingly told me: 'You must not forget that in this cosmic play the divine rule is not that there is only effulgence and no darkness. Or that there are only rose flowers and no thorns; or only high tidal waves of bliss and no stretches of sadness. This Divine play has both qualities, side by side-- darkness and light.' 'You should also always remember this divine truth: That I (BABA) am always along with you, all the time, in pleasure and pain. I love you-- you are mine and I am yours. Remove and throw away all the loneliness and inferiority complexes from your mind. I am ever-gracious on you.' Baba, You Yourself have blessed me like this. Baba You have come and showered Your causeless grace on me...
== FORGIVE AND FORGET ==
Namaskar, Now all around the globe people are gathering left and right to discuss the extreme nature of the problems in our AMPS. Even then we know that by Baba's grace and with the strong efforts of sincere margiis and acaryas alike, our Marga will get turned around and headed in the right direction. It will take a determined effort-- a right effort, keeping our gaze fixed on His divine teachings. However, amidst it all, some are still talking that we should just "forgive and forget-- so we can move on". How far this approach is proper or not we should all take a look. Because using the wrong "solution" to resolve our problems will not bring a pretty outcome.
BABA'S TEACHINGS ON FORGIVENESS
Here following are some of Baba's famous teachings on forgiveness. Baba says, "Ks'ama', or forgiveness....What is forgiveness?...How should a virtuous person behave? If one is satisfied that the wrongdoer's habit has been rectified, one may pardon him. If someone is perpetrating atrocities on thousands of Ananda Margiis, however, one has no individual right to excuse the wrongdoer because that wrongdoer has harmed thousands of innocent people. But if a person commits atrocities on me alone, and if I am satisfied that his nature has been transformed, it would be proper for me as dharmika to show forgiveness. However, if his nature has not been rectified, my forgiveness may result in that person becoming even more of a reckless scoundrel and in such a case forgiveness would be considered as a sign of my weakness. This is the dharmik interpretation of ks'ama'." (AV-4) And here is another of Baba's mandates on the point of forgiveness. Baba says, "In collective life one has no right to forgive anyone...Forgiveness is something personal; it is not a collective matter. Suppose you are an inhabitant of India. If someone harms the collective life of India, you must not forgive them. Likewise, as you belong to the entire human race, you must not forgive anyone who harms humanity." (SS-10)
SOME OF THE KEY POINTS
Thus in these above guidelines Baba is instructing us that: 1) There is no forgiveness in collective life. If someone has harmed the society no individual has the right to forgive them. 2) Forgiveness is limited to individual life only-- even then it must be done only under certain special conditions. That is only if the guilty party has fully rectified their wrongdoing. 3) Rectification is a pre-requisite for forgiveness. If the wrongdoer has not corrected their defective behavior then they cannot be forgiven. 4) Premature forgiveness results in further harm done to the society. These then are some of Baba's key points on forgiveness. So the whole sense is that forgiveness is one particular practice that can only be be done under very limited or special circumstances. It is not something that can be handed out freely or done indiscriminately. Rather doing so will undermine the whole scene and create more problems and lead to more injustices.
CAN WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO...
So when someone is claiming that we should "forgive and forget and start afresh" then we should apply our vivek. Because since 1990 countless misdeeds and unjust dealings have been committed by those very certain group leaders and not a single wrongdoing has been corrected: They have gone against Guru's system and sidelined margiis and taken away basic rights, margiis have been cast aside from running the organisation, the Bhukti Pradhan Manual has been altered, AM scripture has been distorted and the significant paragraph about margii rights has been deleted entirely. Like this countless wrongdoings have been committed yet not an ounce of rectification has been done-- nor has there been any admittance of such misdeeds. Yet day after day there have been so many opportunities to correct these things, but not one wrong has been undone. Nor has there been a peep about it from those responsible for doing that damage. Means those groupist kingpins who are at fault for taking away margii rights and those who are to blame for not reinstating those rights do not express any iota of repentance for their wrongdoing. Yet they want that we should revere an follow them. So that is just nonsense when all such crimes and injustices have been done by various group & sub-group leaders. About their identity everyone is already aware-- names need not be mentioned. The whole idea being that when someone is calling out that 'so and so number of groupist honchos should be given a blanket pardon and forgiven entirely', then we should be alert and stand firm to Guru's guidelines. Because Baba pointedly tells us not to forgive those who have harmed society and not to forgive those who have failed to rectify their behavior. Such wrongdoers must not be pardoned. This is Baba's teaching. So when there has been not any hint at rectification and when not an iota of repentance has been expressed, then in that case where is the scope for forgiveness. Rather under such conditions we should pay heed to Guru's stern warning.
GURU'S WARNING
Baba says, "Do not forgive till one's nature is reformed. Immediate forgiveness is a special weakness of mind. It results in worse harm to society." (CC, part 2, p.8) Hence Baba's key point is that there must be repentance and rectification from those sub-factional heads and group leaders. Without that forgiveness should not be done. One other thing to mark: When exploitative leaders commit injustices for years on end then their whole being becomes distorted: Their heart becomes hard and their skin becomes thick. In that situation, it becomes almost impossible to repent and rectify oneself. So we should beware, keep sharp eyes, and not get befooled. Because as we know, following and adhering to Baba's do's and don'ts on forgiveness is one mandatory point for building up a healthy, well-knit human society.
BABA'S BLESSING
Here following is Baba's special grace and blessing. Baba says, "He will do what is necessary. You just go on observing Him, just go on doing His work and adhere to what He says with all your energy...Let that golden day come at the earliest and make your life effulgent." (SS-18, p.38) Namaskar, Satyanarayan Note 1: Sometimes innocent persons think we should "forgive and forget and start afresh". And by that way of overlooking wrongdoings, they are thinking that this will bring peace, harmony, & unity etc. But Baba's clear-cut guideline is that by not evaluating the situation properly and by offering forgiveness to those who are unrepentant and granting pardons arbitrarily when collective harm has been done, this is not the proper approach nor will it yield good results. Rather that will invite more negativity. Note 2: From the tearing down of the Bhukti Pradhan system, to victimising and expelling innocent margiis, to the distortion of Baba's teachings, across the board in all these realms huge damage has been done by a few self-serving group leaders like Sarvatmanandji, Rudranandji etc. Those who are hungry for power and post. And never do they show the least bit of repentance or remorse for their unjust and sinful actions. In that case how can they be pardoned. Anyway, let us have hope-- and keep sharp eyes also. Note 3: Here following is Baba's special paragraph about margii rights which those groupist forces have removed from the electronic edition of Baba's books and from so many printed versions. Baba says, "Ananda Marga does not discriminate between a family person and a sannyasi (renunciate). The place given to a family person in our Marga is greater than the place given to a sannyasi, based on the reason that the former is not dependent on anyone for his or her maintenance, while the sannyasi has to depend on others. A family person is like a strong tree which is self-supporting, while the sannyasi is like the vine which twines around the tree for its support. A family person therefore deserves more respect than a sannyasi, according to the trend of thought in Ananda Marga. This itself is a revolutionary idea. No philosopher or thinker, whether eastern or western, had ever dared to declare a family person as deserving more respect than a hermit or a sannyasi. It needed the courage of a revolutionary to say so." (PNS-11, p.7)
********************************************* Multiple Points of Interest
Baba says, "Large, ancient animals used to die at previously selected places. The wild elephants of today still follow this habit. At such places the bones of the animals became a hill which became deposits of calcium sulphate, calcium carbonate, etc. with the passage of time." Baba says, "Wherever cretaceous animals lived in groups, limestone will be found. In Assam, for example, lime stone and petroleum can be found. The fat of these huge animals petroleum and the bones became limestone." Baba says, "In Ra'r'h, in Jalda and Jaipur, limestone can also be found. Limestone is good for manufacturing cement and helps oranges grow well."
(Above quotes from 'Integrated Farming', Prout-16, p.38) *********************************************

Restless to Teach

Date: 23 Jul 2009 10:47:17 -0000 From: "Bhavanath Rajpal" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Restless to Teach Baba "Toma'ke ja'y na' bhola'..." (P.S. 2347) Purport: Baba, by Your grace You have bound me in Your divine attraction-- love. Always I am calling and thinking about You, yet You are not satiating my heart's desire by coming close. Baba, when I long for You and the feeling of melancholy is unbearable then my heart begins to ache. Baba, in that longing and pain, the feeling comes in my mind that it is best just to forget You. Because then at least the pain which is lingering due to Your absence will not remain any longer. But the more and more I think that I should forget You, then my deep longing and yearning for You only intensifies-- and my heart becomes more and more restless to get You. Baba, I am longing for Your causeless grace, please come...
== RESTLESS TO TEACH ==
Namaskar, Over the last few years, one person has been jumping onto and off of the stage to give his teachings and interpretations of Prabhat Samgiita. Just the other day, he again surfaced and eagerly uploaded his teachings to the internet "for the benefit of everyone worldwide", as he so graciously put it. In addition to offering his own translations from Bengali into English, he has also attached colourful images to each song. This letter addresses his work based on two parameters: the quality of translation and the overall value of such images. Let us now take a look to see how far his efforts offer insight into Baba's magnificent, devotional collection of Prabhat Samgiita.
ABOUT PRABHAT SAMGIITA #2 & THE TRANSLATOR'S PROFICIENCY IN BENGALI
Our esteemed translator has begun anew with presenting Baba's songs from the very beginning. So here we shall examine his (re)interpretation of Prabhat Samgiita #2. We say reinterpretation because already our late respected Dada Vijayanandaji has provided our Marga community with an approved line by line translation of this song into English, "Prabhat Samgiita - Volume I (1993). As we know all Baba's Prabhat Samgiita compositions are of tremendous social and spiritual value, yet at the same time it cannot be denied that from a purely linguistic perspective, the early songs are easier to understand, whereas those songs in the 3000's etc can be more involved and challenging in expression. Given then that this is song #2 is one of those easier songs, and that this translator himself readily admits that his mother tongue is Bengali - he writes, "Bangla is my mother tongue...a sincere attempt has been made to convey to a degree, an understanding of the rare depth of devotion and feelings behind the songs" - so we naturally expect that everything should go smoothly.
HOW HE "MANAGED" WITH SONG #2
As many may already be aware, in this particular Prabhat Samgiita (E ga'n a'ma'ra a'lora jharn'a'dha'ra') Baba is describing how the path of spirituality is full of all kinds of difficulties and obstacles. One will have to overcome all sorts of trials and and tribulations. Yet with these songs, referred to as the fountain of effulgence - i.e. His divine grace - then those obstacles will be crushed and the sadhaka will easily advance. In a nutshell, this is a very basic idea of the song. The second stanza of the song begins with this line:
E path a'ma'r bandhura kan't'aka bhara' This path my rugged thorns full
For everyone's understanding we have put the well-accepted, word-for-word English meaning below the original Bengali, and the line meaning is, "This path of mine is rugged and full of thorns". That translation neatly suits the overall vision and theme of the song. That is what appears in Dada Vijayanandaji's book and that is what sadhakas in AM have understood for years and years about this song. Now let's take a look at what our eager translator did with this same line. In his newly released, high-gloss document it says: "This path is filled with my ‘Bandhu’s* words" The above is how he has translated that line. And in the asterisk note for Bandhu it says, "Parampurusa the inseparable friend." So in this very simple and straightforward song, this so-called translator has given a meaning that is diametrically opposite to the generally accepted and approved meaning. On the one side, for years and years AM scholars and devotees have long recognised that the meaning of this line is, "This path is very rugged and full of thorns" whereas this new translator states that "This path is full of Guru's words", as if Baba's teachings are the root cause of all difficulties. Of course, we all know that Guru's words are full of sweetness, love, and bliss and are not at all like thorns etc. Then how did this translator make such a dramatic shift, delineating Guru's words as being the problems on the path. As if the only way to advance is to crush and destroy Baba's words. It all seems to stem from his misunderstanding of the word "bandhura" which means "rugged". Every Bengali speaking person knows bandhura means rugged and Acarya Vijayanandji's published translation also defines bandhura as rugged, yet this wanna-be commentator has translated bandhura as Bandhu's words, or the words of Parama Purusa. How could he have come up with such a different meaning - one which goes against the very nature and spirit of the song. Because the song is talking about how the path is rugged and full of obstacles and that those things must be crushed, yet this new translator is saying that this path is full of Baba's words, thereby blaming Guru's guidelines and spoken ideas for being the problems on the path, giving the impression that Baba's words must be wiped out entirely in order to progress. Why like this? Why? Why? Why? Well it seems that in his haste, our self-appointed, native Bengali translator misunderstood bandhura to be, Bandhu meaning "Supreme Friend" + the suffix -ra meaning "of". This is the only way to explain his gross error, in both judgment and linguistic understanding. In that way, this glossy translator has wrongly named Guru's words as being the source of all problems and disrespectfully delineated that Baba's divine teachings are what give us difficulty on the path. Thus due to his negligence, the translator has not only totally missed out on the correct translation, but he has spun the entire idea of the song into a completely chaotic direction, wherein Guru is at fault and to be blamed and that His words should be destroyed in order to advance on the path of enlightenment. Indeed those who are not familiar with Bengali will be totally misled about this song because of this totally wrong and irresponsibly crude translation.
WHY RESTLESS
There are also innumerable other mistakes in translation both in this song and every other he has translated. Indeed there are so many errors, both in language and spirit. That is why we can only say that this new translator is "restless to teach." He is so anxious to preach his own ideas and is so full of his own I-ness or ego satisfaction of a being "teacher", that despite being a native Bengali speaker, he cannot even grasp the most basic elements of Baba's songs. This then shows that language alone is not enough. Sadhana is needed. Then one will have a balanced outlook and spiritually vibrated mind with which to render a proper translation of Baba's divine songs of Prabhat Samgiita. Without that, all hope is lost and one will create an absolute mess in translation, as this restless teacher has done.
ANOTHER MISTAKE IN THIS VERY SHORT TRANSLATION
Another critical error in translation of Prabhat Samgiita #2 is as follows. We have to remember that this song is only six lines long, and each line is very short. Even then, this so-called translator has jumbled this song entirely. For instance in the end of the song, the translator has written, " I keep destroying, keep on destroying" as if due to his own individual efforts he is crushing and smashing down the prison walls of narrow-mindedness and difficulties etc, when in fact it is the fountain of effulgence, i.e. the sweet flow of songs or Baba's divine grace, that is shattering the granite prison walls of dogma and problems. This song is about how Guru's sweet songs, teachings, and grace create a flow in life that lead one beyond darkness and into the light. That is the point of momentum: His songs. Yet the restless teacher has translated it in such a way that the unit being is doing all this miraculous work all by himself: "I keep destroying, keep on destroying". This type of extreme negligence in translation occurs when one is totally engrossed in their own ego and restless to get name and fame for their work. In that case they are unable to understand anything and their entire effort moves in the wrong direction. Really there are so many errors in translation - in even these relatively easy songs - that one could write all day about these mistakes. But already enough has been said to provide a taste of how this so-called translator has gone awry.
IMAGES RUIN THE WHOLE THING
In the preface to his newly-released high-gloss rendition, the translator has also written the following: "The translations have been complemented by pictures taken from the internet, which lend colour and perhaps help the reader to an extent identifying with the depth of the song." Now let us examine how far his above statement is correct. How useful and appropriate is it to attach images as representations of the theme and spirit of Baba's divine songs. For each song, this brother has pasted mundane images thinking that this will enhance one's understanding of the subtlety of the song. But once again his effort backfires, in multiple ways. The philosophical response is that the devotional feeling that Baba is describing and goading our minds toward in His divine songs goes far beyond the written word and crude imagery. Baba's ideas are vast and spark the finer sentiments of human feeling and cognition. When we sing Prabhat Samgiita we close our minds and touch down deep within and feel His sweet presence and love. It is an internal devotional experience. We are not relying on crude motor and sensory organs to understand the song. Thus to attach a glossy image from the internet to the song as if this mundane image will grant us spiritual insight is totally wrong and misguided. Rather it will stop or cutoff the flow of mind. The mind will dead-end in mundane thought and never even touch the more subtle layers of devotional life. That is one problem with using such crude imagery. Secondly, such an approach sets a bad precedent. By this way, then in the future, others will also put pictures in Baba's books. And in "Human Society" Part 1 and 2 they will included pictures of naked females where Baba is describing the ills of pornography, and in "Subhasita Samgraha" they will include pictures of dogmatic temples and so-called holy shrines where Baba is pointing out the dogmas of the various religions, and in "Namah Shivaya Shantaya" they will include pictures of slaughtered animals where Baba is describing how in the past people engaged in such sacrifices to please the gods etc. So a terrible precedent has been set by attaching images to Prabhat Samgiita songs. And indeed, one group has already embarked in this direction. So it is a very real and valid concern. Just as most university textbooks that deal with matters of philosophy and subtle expression do not have pictures, similarly the scriptures of Ananda Marga should not have pictures. Where Baba wished to have pictures, He included them. In some of His books for children, pictures have been included, but never in any of our philosophical or devotional shastras.
REALLY IT IS TRUE??
Taking all of the above into consideration, we must now all judge for ourselves how far the translator's below words are accurate. "It is for the benefit of everyone worldwide...who understand English and would like to but are unable to savour the full sweetness of the original Bangla songs." Are his translations in accordance with the devotional feeling and flow of Baba's Prabhat Samgiita collection? Is his approach of using crude imagery appropriate with Prabhat Samgiita? Is what he has done really for the "benefit of everyone worldwide"? It seems the answer is quite clear.
BABA'S WARNING
Best then is that we should pay heed to Baba's below words. Baba says, "The scriptures should always be interpreted by qualified scholars, competent philosophers, and penetrating thinkers. If one tries to interpret a profound scripture with superficial knowledge, the interpreter appears ridiculous and the audience is confused." "There are some people who are neither scholars, nor philosophers, nor penetrating thinkers, but merely wander about interpreting scriptures as a means of livelihood. They utterly fail to present the proper matter in the correct perspective before the audience. Such people may be successful in earning a living in the name of sha'stra vya'khya'na, but they do more harm than good to the society. There are still others who interpret the scriptures just to exhibit their intellect – to procure for themselves a certificate of erudition. They too remain far from the living spirit of the scriptures, from the One who is their fountainhead of inspiration." (NSS, Disc: 14) As Baba guides us, such type of translators should refrain entirely from doing such work. They are doing an injustice to Baba's divine works and a disservice to humanity. Just as young frogs like to give lectures without have the requisite knowledge and experience, our restless teacher is doing the same. Best is if he gives up this project entirely and print even one more syllable. Period. That is the only viable solution. There is no other way.
BABA'S BLESSING
By His grace, when one has done proper sadhana they alone are up to the task or translating and explaining Baba's devotional compositions of Prabhat Samgiita. Without deep meditation, a person like our restless teacher cannot serve Baba's will, at least not in this regard. Baba says, "The shlokas [and songs] should be properly explained with relevant commentaries and annotations." (NSS, Disc: 14) Namaskar, Bhavanath
Note 1: BABA HAS POINTED OUT SUCH PROBLEMS IN THIS PAST
This below letter details how Baba has pointed out such poor translation techniques in the past. At one DMC, in front of all, Baba openly exposed the overly literal approach of one famous Dada and removed that Dada from his duty as translator of Prabhat Samgiita.
Note 2: WHO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT
Who is the person who is so restless to teach us about Prabhat Samgiita. His name is Arun Prakash Bhattacharya (armanida@airtelmail.in). He is the one who has made such much gross errors in translation and misled others about Baba's divine songs. Also of note, is that a few persons on the Margii Collective email list have praised this brother's work up to the sky, calling him a great devotee and describing his work fantastic contribution to humanity etc. Here are their exact comments:
" just see the beautiful innovation of His devotee." "My sincere and heartiest congratulation to Brother Arun Prakashji for the excellent effort."
Such persons should refrain from making superficial evaluations in the future, lest they again encourage restless people to continue in their misguided ways, and expose their own quality and integrity of mind, or lack thereof.
*************************************** Spiritual Inheritance
Baba says, "The sentiment of spiritual inheritance and Cosmic Ideology will keep people united. It is true that this spiritual sentiment will not be helpful to the formation of a nation inside any particular country, but it will definitely unite the entire planetary world and even the universe into a nation. Then there will be only one nation - a universal nation." ('To The Patriots')
***************************************

"Yoga Phil was first Propounded by AM"

To: AM-GLOBAL Subject: "Yoga Phil was first Propounded by AM" Date: Wed 22 Jul 2009 07:03:38 +0500 (IST) From: Ram Sahay Kulshresth Baba "Toma'ri bhuvane toma'ri bhavane toma'ri a'she din ket'e ja'i..." (P.S. 331) Purport: Baba, in Your kingdom and around You my days are passing in Your hope. Thinking about Your lotus feet and ideating about You, the blackness of my mind, the hopelessness turns into the hope of effulgence. In Your attraction, in Your charm, and by the showering of Your grace, everything becomes sweet and attractive. Your smile brings new charm in life. The breeze which touches You, that sweet fragrant breeze brings the aroma from You, and it gives new awakening in my life. My whole being is vibrated with that. When I think about Your close proximity then my mind dances with joy and ecstasy and then nectar showers. Baba Your grace is everything...
== "YOGA PHILOSOPHY WAS FIRST PROPOUNDED BY ANANDA MARGA" ==
Namaskar, In the whole, entire history of this world, the first time the philosophy of yoga was ever propounded was by Ananda Marga. That is what Baba says. So never before in the history of humanity was the philosophy of yoga ever given-- never. It is quite an amazing and extraordinary concept: The first time the philosophy of yoga came into being was with our Ananda Marga. Baba Himself states this truth. But, the irony is that no one would ever know it by reading our AM books-- because, tragically, those highly unique and historic words never got printed in the published version of the discourse.
WHAT BABA SAID ON 26 SEPTEMBER 1979
Specifically, in His morning general darshan delivered in English on 26 September 1979 in Caracas, Venezuela, Baba clearly says:
"The yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga".
Baba says this in the first minute or two of the discourse. I have heard it with my own ears-- dozens and dozens of times. Baba says this quite clearly. But later on when this discourse, 'Be Free From All Complexes', was printed in the book Ananda Vacanamrtam part 34, that very special sentence was not printed. If you check on page 79 you will see that it is missing. And it is a terrible tragedy and very sad to see, because this is a very unique and revolutionary proclamation that Baba is making: "The yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga". Verily, there seems to be no other place in our AM discourses where Baba says this very thing. Yet He clearly spoke it in English that day on 26 September 1979.
WHAT IS THE IMPORT OF SUCH A STATEMENT
Just to put things into perspective, we should analyse the import of Baba's historic statement. When Baba says, "The yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga", then it means that no one-- not a human being nor a Taraka Brahma-- prior to Baba was able to give the philosophy of yoga. Not Patanjali, not Kapil, not Buddha, not Mahaviira Jain, not Shankaracarya, no one was able to put forth the philosophy of yoga-- not even Lord Shiva or Lord Krsna. Such is the grand magnitude of Baba's divine statement. So this is yet another remarkable aspect of our AM ideology. That this was the first time that the philosophy of yoga has ever been given. Quite an impressive fact. And we Ananda Margiis can easily understand this very truth because we know that Baba's advent on this planet is an incredible occurrence. He has given many "firsts" such as: Microvita theory, Prabhat Samgiita, Neo-Humanism, Prout, and so much more. None of these ideas were ever given before. And now we also know that Baba is also the first to give the philosophy of yoga.
A COMMONLY KNOWN POINT IN OUR UNIT
Actually, many of us have been aware about this fact since long because, for example, in our unit, we have been listening to this discourse for years and years. By Baba's grace, we have this cassette as it is an overseas discourse and those were recorded properly and well-circulated. So since long we were thinking that this point-- about AM being the first to propound the philosophy of yoga-- is quite commonly known.
NOT PRINTED IN THE BOOK, MUST CHECK ALL CASSETTES
But just recently when we went to examine the printed discourse, we saw that this very important and unique sentence was not placed in the book-- Ananda Vacanamrtam part 34. Rather it is missing entirely. This was astonishing for us and at that point we concluded that every printed discourse must be re-checked with the original cassette. Otherwise there is no telling what other points have been missed. And we-- the general members of the Marga-- should start this process by confirming the discourses using those cassettes that we already have.
'NOT CLEAR ON THE TAPE'
What do the editors and publishers of Ananda Vacanamrtam part 34 say about those missing words? The publishers and/or editors, of the book Ananda Vacanamrtam part 34, claim that Baba's words were 'not clear on the tape'. That is the excuse they have given in their footnote at the bottom of page 79. And for that reason, i.e. because those syllables was 'not clear on the tape', Baba's historic statement-- "The yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga"-- does not appear anywhere in the book, AV-34. But the strange thing is that those publishers and editors understood the words directly preceding Baba's historic statement. And in our unit we also have a copy of that cassette and I can say first-hand that Baba's historic words about the first propounder of yogic philosophy are just as clear as those preceding words. So then it is peculiar how those publishers could not catch Baba's historic statement when those words were just as clear as the preceding ones. Instead they just wrote, 'not clear on the tape'.
IT TAKES COURAGE TO PUBLISH BABA'S BOOKS
Although I hate to say it, it seems that something "fishy" is going on. Because after all, Baba's statement-- "The yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga"-- is quite clear on the tape. So it may be that those publishers and editors have their own hidden reasons and fears about printing such a statement-- due to its revolutionary nature. Because the society at-large will not be inclined to believe it-- rather they may oppose. In turn, those publishers and editors may have thought that Baba's statement is "too outlandish" etc. So that may be the reason why those editors and publishers deleted it from Baba's printed book. After all, it will not be the first time such a cowardice act has occurred. Earlier, when certain editors and publishers printed the 'Views of Other Faiths' discourse in the Prout series, they deleted the lengthy section where Baba critiques the Semitic religions like Christianity and Judaism etc. Because those editors and publishers thought that Baba's words were too tough or too outlandish. So they did not have the courage to print Baba's revolutionary words. What else could be the reason when that discourse was printed in full in the book Tattvika Praveshika (1957). Similarly, in His discourse 'Liberation of Intellect' of Patna, 26th January 1980, Baba has given the revolutionary decree about women's rights and He condemns the Muslim dogma that "three women are equal to one man". But for 'some reason', our editors and publishers also failed to print that section of the discourse. Rather those editors and publishers removed it thinking that the public would react against Baba's dharmic proclamation. Or what else could be the reason. After all, there is a pattern developing here. Likewise, in Baba's Hindi discourse of 06 Jan 1979 in Patna, He boldly states that AM is being propagated everywhere and that 'Ananda Marga is across the planets'. But this also the editors thought was too outlandish a statement-- so they removed it from the printed discourse, even though Baba clearly states this on the cassette. And verily, who knows where else such editors and publishers might have failed to print Baba's actual words-- due to their own cowardice mentality etc. Surely, the more we look the more deletions we will find. Because it seems they do not have the courage to publish Baba's revolutionary statements. Or at least all the arrows point in that direction. By all this we can understand that language skills are not the only thing needed in order to work in the Publications department-- courage is also required. Because the whole of our AM ideology is revolutionary and Baba has told many things that the general populace may not like or may not accept. And in their fear, some of the editors and publishers of AM books delete those potentially controversial statements like, "The yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga". Due to their cowardice mentality they do like that. In a related manner, we can say the reason why they deleted the paragraph about margii rights from the AM A Revolution discourse is due to their selfishness. These are the very real issues we encounter with our Publications Department. That is why it has to be said that in order to publish Baba's books properly, one must have a certain degree of courage. Failing that, due to their cowardice, they delete certain lines that they feel the public may not like. And those editors and publishers they give phony excuses like, 'it is not clear on the tape'.
PROPER TRANSCRIPTION IS IN THIS EMAIL
For everyone's awareness and reference, a proper and true transcription of Baba's discourse, 'Be Free From All Complexes', has been appended at the bottom of this email. That way everyone can readily see where Baba has said, "The yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga". So everyone should keep a copy of this for the record and maybe even print it and attach it to the AV-34 book. Because it is hard to believe that those in Publications will correct the matter any time soon, if ever. So we should take the matter in our own hands. That is the best way.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, He has blessed us with His supreme teachings of Ananda Marga-- the first time in history that the philosophy of yoga has been given. So we should place extra importance on the printing of Baba's books and make sure that they are 100% clear and true to what He has said. Baba says, "The scriptures containing spiritual injunctions must be totally flawless." (NSS p.200, Edn 1995) Namaskar, Ram Sahay
Note 1: NOT ONE MISTAKE BUT MANY
The most gross and fundamental flaw of the printed version of this discourse occurs in the second paragraph, where they failed to print Baba's historic statement, "The yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga". However, the printed discourse is riddled with numerous other types of transcription errors and deletions etc. Really there are too many to count.
Note 2: THESE PARAGRAPHS HAVE THE MOST MISTAKES
(A) Here below is the actual transcription of the first paragraph of the discourse. By comparing this with the book (AV-34, p.79), anyone can see that there are some fundamental mistakes in the printed version of this paragraph. "Last night I said something regarding different movements of humans in different strata of life, different arenas of life. Now, there is an eternal question of human mind regarding the success of life. Some people do so many things but come out unsuccessful, and some people do something for a short while and get crowned with success. What is the inner secret? Why does one become successful and one not?" (Paragraph #1 of the discourse 'Be Free From All Complexes') (B) Here below is the actual transcription of the second paragraph of the discourse. This is the one where Baba says that AM is the first to propound the philosophy of yoga. By comparing this with the book (AV-34, p.79), anyone can see that there are some fundamental mistakes in the printed version of this paragraph. "Regarding this Lord Shiva says-- you know, Lord Shiva was the first propounder of the yoga cult. I will not say yoga philosophy because the yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga. But before this, during the time of Shiva, there was a cult, that is, a practical side was there." (Paragraph #2 of the discourse 'Be Free From All Complexes') (C) Here below is the actual transcription of the 14th paragraph of the discourse. By comparing this with the book (AV-34, p.81), anyone can see that there are some fundamental mistakes in the printed version of this paragraph. "Now these two attributions, to think and to remember, are closely related to each other. What we see or what we perceive from the external objective world is reflected in the mind. And as a result of this reflection, coming first from the nerve fibres and secondly in the nerve cells, creates a sort of reflection in the mental plate. And when the reflection is created, we feel the existence of that external object. "Feel" means we see, we hear, we get the taste. This is thinking. And the second portion of thinking occurs when those waves, those sympathetic waves of the human mind, get refracted on the mental plate. They are stored-up thoughts. Those stored-up thoughts may be termed as memory." (Paragraph #14 of the discourse 'Be Free From All Complexes') (D) Here below is the actual transcription of the 22nd paragraph of the discourse. It is the second to last paragraph. By comparing this with the book (AV-34, p.83-84), anyone can see that there are some fundamental mistakes in the printed version of this paragraph. "Now even a man, who is a bad type of sinner, other sinners may hate him, that he is a bad man, even sinners may say that he is a bad man - for such a sinner, the worst type of sinner, the future is not dark. The future in his case also is very bright, if he takes shelter in the divine lap of the Supreme Father. "I am on the lap of my Father, I cannot be a sinner." Suppose you are walking along the path and your dress, your clothes, become muddy due to dust or clay. Then should you think that you will remain nasty or dirty forever? If you appear before your Father with dirty clothes, what will your Father do? He will clean your clothes and take you on his lap: "O my son, your clothes have become muddy, but you are my son. Come here, come here, sit on My lap. I am your Father, you are My son, you must not suffer from any sinner's psychology." Do you follow?" (Paragraph #22 of the discourse 'Be Free From All Complexes')
Note 3: HERE IS THE PROPER TRANSCRIPTION OF THIS DISCOURSE 'BE FREE FROM ALL COMPLEXES' ~ 26 September 1979 morning, Caracas ~
Last night I said something regarding different movements of humans in different strata of life, different arenas of life. Now, there is an eternal question of human mind regarding the success of life. Some people do so many things but come out unsuccessful, and some people do something for a short while and get crowned with success. What is the inner secret? Why does one become successful and one not? Regarding this Lord Shiva says-- you know, Lord Shiva was the first propounder of the yoga cult. I will not say yoga philosophy because the yoga philosophy was first propounded by Ananda Marga. But before this, during the time of Shiva, there was a cult, that is, a practical side was there. He [Lord Shiva] said that a man must not be under any sort of complex - that is, a man, a spiritual aspirant, must be free from all complexes; [he must have] neither superiority complex, nor inferiority complex, nor fear complex, nor defeatist complex. That is, the mind should be completely balanced. Actually, the question was placed before Lord Shiva by Pa'rvatii. Pa'rvatii was the spouse of Shiva, wife of Shiva. Pa'rvatii's question was: "What are the secrets of success?" And in reply Lord Shiva said that there are seven secrets. He said: "The first secret is Phalis'yatiiti vishva'sah siddherprathama laks'an'am" - that is, "In the aspirant, in the spiritual aspirant, there must be this firm determination that 'I must be successful in my mission.'" This firm determination is the first factor, first item, first requisite factor for success. If a man is doing something but has not got the firmness of determination - if within his mind there is a question "whether I will be successful - if I am not successful" - this kind of thing - then he will never be successful. There must be firm determination that "I must be successful." This is the first requisite factor. Do you follow? Even those who do not understand English are understanding a little bit. Mm. [laughter] And the second thing is: dvitiiyam' shraddhaya' yuktam' - "one must have respect for one's goal, one must have respect for one's path." And the third thing: trtiiyam' Gurupu'janam - "one must have reverence for the guru." I need not explain this item, because my subject is here that one must be free from all complexes. Caturtho samata'bha'vo. The fourth factor is that the aspirant must have a balanced mind. This is the item now under discussion. Pain'camendriyanigrahah. The fifth is, one must have self-restraint. Eating too much, sleeping too much, drinking too much - these weaknesses will not help the aspirant. One must have a balanced life. One must have self-restraint. And s'as't'hain'ca pramita'ha'ro - "one must take balanced food, that is, not too much nor too little." It should be substantial; it should be sentient, or at least mutative in nature for family persons. It must not be of static nature. It should be balanced food, because the cells of your body are created from the food. The food that you take creates the cells of your body. And your mind is a collective mind of the minds of so many cells, so if you take static food, non-sentient food, your mind will also be of that nature. Your mind will get depraved, degenerated; so you should take proper and balanced food. This was the advice of Lord Shiva. So one of His pieces of advice was - what? Caturtho samata'bha'vo - that is, "You must have a balanced mind." Now what is a balanced mind? The human mind has got two special wonts, two main courses, two main duties: one is to think and the other is to remember. The two duties of the human mind - one, to think, and the other, to remember - to keep in memory. Two things. Now, what is proper memory and what is proper thinking? If the thinking is proper and if the memory is proper, then I will say that the man is free from all complexes. Now these two attributions, to think and to remember, are closely related to each other. What we see or what we perceive from the external objective world is reflected in the mind. And as a result of this reflection, coming, first from the nerve fibres and secondly in the nerve cells, creates a sort of reflection in the mental plate. And when the reflection is created, we feel the existence of that external object. "Feel" means we see, we hear, we get the taste. This is thinking. And the second portion of thinking occurs when those waves, those sympathetic waves of the human mind, get refracted on the mental plate. They are stored-up thoughts. Those stored-up thoughts may be termed as memory. Now when you are suffering from a superiority complex, you think that you are a better person and others are worse persons; as a result of which you are unable to accept the external waves in proper style. So your thinking gets polluted, gets distorted, and as a result of which the refracted portion, that is, the memory, also gets distorted, becomes defective. So you must not have any superiority complex. You should remember that you are not superior to anybody else. All are children of the same Supreme Father, all are progeny of the same Supreme Progenitor. Nobody is superior to anybody. The second complex: Sometimes you may think that "I am an ordinary man, and that man is so big, so learned, such a big scholar - so rich, and I'm poor" - like this. If you think like this, what will happen? There will not be proper expression of your mind, there will not be proper emanations of your thought-waves; as a result of which the thought will become distorted and the refracted thought, that is, the memory portion, will become defective. Similarly, the fear complex: Sometimes people suffer from a fear complex. The psychological side of the fear complex is as follows: Due to the presence of something stronger, or due to the presence of something which is imaginarily stronger, not actually stronger, what happens? Mental flows are blocked, are choked. They cannot find the proper avenue of expression; as a result of which thoughts also get polluted. There cannot be free thinking. A man suffering from a fear complex cannot think properly. And if the thought is defective, the memory will also be defective. So you must never suffer from any sort of fear complex. Why should you suffer from a fear complex or an inferiority complex, when the Supreme Father is your father, when you all are the children of the same Father; why should you suffer from any inferiority complex or any fear complex, when the Supreme Father is with you? You are not weak. You are very strong, because the Almighty Father, the omnipotent Supreme Father, is with you to help you - so you must not encourage the psychology of weakness, or an inferiority complex or a fear complex. He is with you, always He is with you to help you. You are never alone. And sometimes there is a defeatist complex. "Oh, I am defeated in this world," "Oh, I am defeated in this struggle for existence." Such a sentiment, such a psychology, sometimes goads a man to commit suicide even. "I am defeated, I am defeated in the struggle for existence." You must not encourage this type of psychology. When your father is the Supreme Father, your father is the most powerful entity in the entire universe, why should you think that, why should you feel that you have been defeated in the struggle for existence? No, a bright future awaits you. Your future is glorious, your future is luminous, your future is effulgent. So you must not suffer from this psychology of helplessness or hopelessness or of despair. This defeatist complex may also be called "sinner's psychology". A man may always think: "I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner." If he feels like that, if he thinks like this, that "I am a sinner," then actually one day he will become a sinner. Actually he is not a sinner, but if he thinks like this, that "I am a sinner, I am a sinner," what will happen? - he will actually become a sinner, because it is the characteristic of the human mind that it takes the form of its object. So when a man thinks, "I am a sinner, I am a sinner, O Lord, I am a sinner, O Lord, I am a sinner," then actually he will become a sinner. So such a psychology is fundamentally defective. You must never think that you are a sinner. You should think: "It may be a fact that I was a sinner in the past, but from this very moment I am on the lap of the Almighty Father; I cannot be a sinner, I am not a sinner. I am seated on the lap of my Supreme Father, I am not a sinner." Lord Shiva said this:
Api cet sudura'ca'ro bhajate ma'mananyabha'k; So'pi pa'pavinirmuktah mucyate bhavabandhana't.
[If even the most wicked persons worship Me with a concentrated mind, I will liberate them from worldly bondages.] Now even a man, who is a bad type of sinner, other sinners may hate him, that he is a bad man, even sinners may say that he is a bad man - for such a sinner, the worst type of sinner, the future is not dark. The future in his case also is very bright, if he takes shelter in the divine lap of the Supreme Father. "I am on the lap of my Father, I cannot be a sinner." Suppose you are walking along the path and your dress, your clothes, become muddy due to dust or clay. Then should you think that you will remain nasty or dirty forever? If you appear before your Father with dirty clothes, what will your Father do? He will clean your clothes and take you on his lap: "O my son, your clothes have become muddy, but you are my son. Come here, come here, sit on My lap. I am your Father, you are My son, you must not suffer from any sinner's psychology." Do you follow? So even if, in the past, you were sinners, forget it. Remember that from this very moment, you are the neat and clean son, you are the neat and clean child, of the Supreme Father. So there must not be any psychology of sinning complex. For a spiritual aspirant, there must not be any complex. Be free from all complexes, and move along the path of righteousness with a balanced mind, with mental equilibrium and also mental equipoise. A bright future awaits you.
(26 September 1979 morning, Caracas)
********************************************* Climate and Food Habits
Baba says, "Just as tamarind should be eaten in hot, wet climates as I mentioned earlier, in hot, dry climates people say that if they do not eat poppy-seed or black gram in their country they will be susceptible to nosebleeds so they have to eat it. Thus the climate or environment exerts a particular influence over inclination." (Varn'a Vijia'na, p.92)
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