== TO IMPROVE SADHANA ==
Namaskar,
If you are sitting in your own older automobile and admiring your
neighbor's fancy, new car - internally wishing that it were yours - are
you then going against the code of asteya (non-stealing)?
The answer is: YES.
So says Baba in His historic Patna discourse from 1971. That is the
exact example that Baba Himself has given.
In that same discourse Baba raises many other new and unique points
related with asteya that apply to our daily life.
As His disciples we should all familiarise ourselves with His expanded
teachings on asteya so as to enhance our practical knowledge base gained
from His monumental book, "Jiivan Veda" or "A Guide to Human Conduct"
(Jamalpur 1957).
By this way, our sadhana will certainly improve.
Baba says, "...Without yama and niyama, sadhana is an impossibility..."
(Supreme Command)
ALL WANT EXPANSION
Baba outlines that everyone in this world desires expansion (vistara) -
all want to expand. This is the common feeling and inherent tendency of
every human being.
But as Baba points out, not all expansion is in accordance with yama and
niyama. Certain types of expansion run contrary to the code of asteya.
In that case, one will not be able to progress on the path of sadhana,
nor be a moral citizen in society.
ABOUT PHYSICAL, PSYCHIC, AND SPIRITUAL EXPANSION
We then need to understand what type of expansion is proper, and what not.
Baba says that expansion in the psychic world is very good. There is no
problem with this. Baba furthermore states that by proper expansion in
the psychic world the aspirant will become one with Saguna Brahma.
Baba also states that expansion in the spiritual world is also of great
value and it has no drawbacks. By the proper approach, through spiritual
expansion the sadhaka will become one with Nirguna Brahma.
So in these two planes - psychic and spiritual - expansion will further
one along the path of dharma -- sadhana.
The tricky aspect is if one chases after expansion in the physical
sphere. That is when all the problems occur.
PROBLEMS WITH PHYSICAL EXPANSION
As Ananda Margii - as sadhakas - we understand that we live in this
world for the sake of adjustment only. This is not our permanent abode;
this is not our eternal shelter; all the things of this world are
transitory. There is no sense in collecting things which will not stay
with us. This we all understand.
For that reason, we are (mostly) not allured nor enamoured with
accumulating and collecting more and more mundane possessions or wealth.
At least we should not be enticed in this direction.
Because we understand in our heart that we have come onto this earth to
serve and please Parama Purusa and His creation. He is our Goal, not any
mundane item like property, money, cars, women, gold, or prestige.
However, those without a higher goal in life will naturally try to
satisfy their desire for expansion by chasing after physical pabulum.
This leads to hoarding, greed, corruption, and so many other problems.
Tragically, now this is what most people are doing because capitalism is
in vogue - wherein the material world is looked upon as everything, the
be-all and end-all of life.
Baba says, "In capitalism the psychology of the acquisition of material
wealth, be it land, money, metal or other property, strongly
predominates. Such crude psychic urges and psychic pabula remain
unchecked and unbridled in capitalism and turn into a hungry profit
motive in the market system. As a result, traders, industrialists and
business people suffer from the psychic disease of accumulating more and
more wealth by any means, even to the point of depriving other human
beings of their basic requirements...The inhuman exploitation causes the
mass-level deprivation of millions of people. The curse of capitalism
engulfs the whole of society. Thus capitalism is anti-human." (PNS-12)
This entire defective approach of goading one's inherent desire for
expansion toward mundane things is against the code of asteya, as people
are constantly desiring to own things that do not belong to them.
From top to bottom, it is a flawed approach to life and those who get
stuck in this mode of living suffer from a severe psychic disease, and
their future is not at all bright.
All this and more Baba describes in the about quote and in so many of
His discourses. By this manner, such persons are going against the code
of asteya and ruining their human existence.
WORKS IN TWO DISTINCT DIRECTIONS
To take the matter one step further, chasing after physical expansion
leads to steya (stealing) in two ways.
Firstly, as described above, greedy people will always harbor the idea
to grab more and more physical wealth. They will try and capture more
money or land or whatever to the degree that they deprive others. This
is one type of stealing.
The second type is that those who have been exploited up to the bone
will then wander this earth in a penniless and hungry condition. In
turn, they will resort to stealing in order to merely survive on this
earth. They will steal for their next meal.
The first type of stealing - i.e. unbridled over-accumulation of
physical wealth - is due to a misguided and greedy intellect. The
individual is at fault.
The second type of stealing - i.e. theft out of want - is due to severe
exploitation. In that case the society is at fault as those impoverished
persons had no other course of action in order to stay alive. They were
forced to steal in order to even eat.
Both of these conditions - both of these types of stealing - are not at
all befitting of our human society and should be eliminated entirely.
SOLUTIONS
There are two basic solutions to these types of steya (theft).
Firstly, we are to teach sadhana to each and every person and by this
way they will get the idea that this human life is not meant for running
after mundane things and physical wealth. Rather we are to live in
proper adjustment in this world so that all can goad their minds toward
psychic and spiritual pursuits.
By teaching sadhana then people will get the idea that in their personal
lives they should seek psycho-spiritual expansion. That will eliminate
steya in individual life.
If we merely tell people not to steal but fail to give them the
practical approach of sadhana, then they will steal secretly. So that
will not work.
The second aspect is to propagate the ideals of Prout and thereby make
society healthy. Then people will not roam around in halfway starving
condition wondering how they are going to get their next meal.
Only Prout guides people that expansion should get aimed toward the
field of spirituality. With this idea as the banner of human life, then
asteya will certainly be properly practiced in life and all will get
right expansion. Everyone's sadhana will be better as that is what they
cherish most in life, not a new swimming pool, Mercedes-Benz, or a large
mansion.
Baba says, "PROUT is a socioeconomic philosophy to help take humanity
from imperfection to perfection. To move towards the Supreme Entity is a
continuous process for one and all. At the end of this process, you will
become one with the Supreme Entity." (PNS-17)
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace He has given us the right teachings in life so that the
mind will be goad toward the benevolent Goal. In that case - unhindered
by various afflictions - one will flow effortless forward on the path of
sadhana.
Baba says, "The easiest way of practising asteya, as in the case of all
other principles of Yama and Niyama, is auto-suggestion. If people,
right from the childhood, remember these codes and remind themselves
what is correct, they will not go astray when they grow up – even in the
midst of temptations – and they will be able to maintain the high
standard of thoughts and character." (GHC)
Namaskar,
Arisudan
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Meaning of Baba's Blessing
Baba says, "That which leads to one's physical, psychic and spiritual
well-being is called 'hita'; that which leads to one's psychic and
spiritual well-being is 'kalya'n'a'; and that which leads to one's
spiritual well-being is 'ks'ema'." (AV-8, p. 47)
Note 1: Most of the time at the end of His discourses Baba gives His
blessing, Kalya'n'amastu-- "that which leads to one's psychic and
spiritual well-being". But unfortunately in English translated books the
editors have simply written it as "Let there be welfare". Obviously then
this is not working properly.
Because the term 'welfare' is commonly used in crude materialistic
societies where there is no sense of spirituality or Godhood. And Baba's
blessings are always related with Divine blessings. Guru as Parama
Purusa, as Taraka Brahma, as Mahasambhuti-- He blesses divinely. But
that divine quality is conspicuously absent or missing entirely from the
mundane term 'welfare.'
So when our new margiis read, "Let there be welfare", then they may
think that it is related with a court case, or children's problems, or
getting some unemployment bonus etc. Because even in India the Social
Welfare Department is just one mundane group that distributes food
rations at a lower profit or helps in flood circumstances, or does other
types of external dealings etc. Means they do not do anything in the
realm of spirituality-- and in all the countries it is like this. That
the 'Welfare Dept' is just involved in crude things.
The culminating idea is that: Baba's blessing is divine yet welfare is
often interpreted as a mundane term.
Note 2: Sometimes Baba gives His blessing saying Kalya'n'amastu,
sometimes Baba begins His blessing with Hita', and sometimes with
Ks'ema', but in each case the editors of our AMPS books incorrectly put
"Let there be welfare".
Hence the editors of the various books are responsible for such
blunders. It is our dharmic duty that such errors should be corrected
according to Baba's approach.
Note 3: Specifically in AV-34, p.37 the mistake appears in the book like
this:
"Kalya'n'amastu [Let there be welfare]"
So this is a wrong and misguided translation that the editors did.
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