Then and Now

Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:18:38 -0000 To: am-global@earthlink.net From: V. Rajpurhit Subject: Then and Now BABA "Tava path dhare, tava na'm kare, toma'r pa'nei cale thaki..." (P.S. 2180) Purport: Baba, by Your grace I am treading on Your path by singing Your name and moving towards You. You are my Goal. By Your grace I am moving closer and closer towards You-- to reach You. Baba, except You, in this universe who else is mine-- no one. Because of this I am always calling You for Your shelter. O' Lord, in this decorated universe of Yours, You have provided me a special place according to Your liking. You have bestowed everything; and, You do not desire anything from anyone. Just You go on pouring Your divine grace eternally. The demerits such as lethargy only come from my side. Plus all kinds of lame excuses I give in self-justification. Hence all the lacuna belong to me; whereas, You Yourself are ever-gracious. Baba, You have situated my mind in the corner of Your vast cosmic mind. And from that corner it receives Your divine vibration. With the attraction and resonance of Your divine vibration, the lotus of the love, which has blossomed in my heart, is looking towards You with deep yearning. Baba, singing Your Name, I am moving on Your path. For me, Your grace is everything...

== THEN & NOW ==

Namaskar, India is a religious country. 'Religious' means that it is dogmatic-- not fully dharmic. Because in the name of dharma, since ages people are following various types of dogma. In total, some things are alright but many things are dogma. That is why I did not use the term dharmic country. So in India since long many dogmas have been preached by various pseudo-gurus and the common public believes those things. Here then we should also remember that in the beginning mostly our WTs were of Indian origin; so in that case when they joined AM they brought that Indian dogma along with them.

THE SCENE BEFORE 1970

That's why before 1970 a huge clash was going on as various acaryas / Wts of that time had some gripe with Baba. They were telling that Baba should remain as a Guru-- there is no problem with that; But they were insisting that Guru should not involve much in politics-- like running the organisation and overseeing mundane engagements. Why were senior Wts were demanding this from Baba? Because these ideas are very common to Indian soil. The general public believes that no guru or monk should talk about social reform, nor about any sort of politics. Rather they should concentrate 100% in god and that type of teaching. Everyone knows that this defective outlook was the effect of the dogma sown by Shankaracarya's illusion theory. He told that the world is an illusion, false. So no need to pay it any mind. Hence the effect of this is lasting up to this present era. Still today dogmatic religious monks do not want to involve in any sorts of social service work. And if they do, then the Indian public thinks they are fake. And here is further reasoning why those WTs were placing their demand before Baba. In the beginning problem prior to 1970, Baba used to apply physical force on His disciples. This He did to make everyone's conduct better and better. But some dogmatic Wts did not like this thing. So on that very point in both their cunning and dogmatic way they thought in their little tiny brain that-- 'Baba punishes with the excuse that this or that work was not completed by certain individuals / Wts. So if Baba will not remain as President, then He will not have the opportunity to give punishment on the excuse that 'why you did not finish the work'.' So those wts thought with their little brains that, 'We should raise the demand that Baba should remain as a Guru-- that is not the problem. But that He should give up the job of president. And then we will be saved from getting beatings'. Thus those Wts thinking like that were guided by Shankaracarya's theory of illusion. And that way they were giving the logic that, 'Guru should not involve in running the organisation and taking the report. Rather He should guide others spiritually and give discourse-- that's all'. Here one thing should be remembered that those raising these types of points-- either they left the organisation or they became defectors. The main thing operating here is that unfortunately many people do not understand why Baba punishes. In true sense, devotees know that Baba's punishment is nothing but His blessing. In this regard I have my own experience that whenever I got beaten by Baba then instantly I felt mental relief and then spiritual relief and bliss. Plus then within a very short time my physical problems and ailments also got cured. So in my heart I always feel that Baba's punishment is not punishment but rather blessing. But many were thinking in a similar way or in the opposite way also.

THE STORY OF THE FIRST GS

Here is another story that how people were differing with Baba. The first GS Pranay Kumar Chatterjee was working closely with Baba in those Jamalpur days. Baba's laokika family was dogmatic so they were believing that Pranay Kumar is their family priest b/c he was brahmin caste. Anyway after getting initiation Pranay Kumar accepted Baba as Guru. And those days Baba used to sit on a chair and He used to give a chair to the disciples to sit on. And then He used to talk. This was the regular way He was doing in His residential railway quarters room. And when Baba was visiting the Jamalpur ashram then people were sitting on the carpet floor and Baba was sitting on the dais. This was the regular way there-- irrespective of whether it was a small or big gathering. But this type of treatment Pranay did not like. Because since long time he had contact with Baba and whenever he was going to Baba's railway residential quarter then he was getting a chair and was sitting next to Baba. Then one day what happened was that the rule was changed such that all the disciples who will come to see Him in railway residence quarter, they will also have to sit on the ground. Hearing this Pranay Kumar Chatterjee got completely suffocated with this idea. And he opposed and he became unhappy with Baba. And he told Baba that, 'This is unjust. I will choose to remain standing but I will not sit on the ground.' We should not forget that Pranay Kumar was our first GS in those Jamalpur days.

BABA LOVINGLY WORKS WITH EVERYONE

By this way we can see that Baba being a Taraka Brahma, Sadguru, has to work with very dogmatic type of people. They have hardly any devotion or surrender. Some sentimental people may not believe my feeling but on the touchstone of Baba's teachings if it will be judged then.... This was also one of the causes of Pranay Kumarji's leaving Ananda Marga. So we can see that the dogma which was coming since thousands of years in Indian soil, that dogma also got saturated in the minds of so many of our senior Wts and post-holders etc. And in some or other form still today these thing are present with our various Wts as well.

THE PRESENT SCENE

Without question one of the main dogmas polluting our Marga nowadays is that various top Dadas are blatantly involved in groupism. And by so doing, they are going against neo-humanism-- otherwise if one is truly neo-humanistic then how can groupism run rampant. As we know another name for neo-humanism is-- 'liberation of intellect'. But if one is not following this tenant and if their intellect is not liberated, then in that case the dogmas like groupism invariably arise. Unfortunately now senior Dadas are also involved in creating other dogmas such as building up their dogmatic tiirtha sites-- as is being done in Tiljala and Jamalpur. And on the point of violence they are doing such harm as killing some of our own senior Dadas in their groupist battles. So these but of few of the horrors and dogmas taking form in this present era. However we should also take heart in Baba's divine teaching that true devotees do exist all around-- yet such sadhakas who are the real assets of the society are mostly unknown, not recognised. Whereas those who come into power and grab the limelight are mostly just greedy for the post. So we should use our vivek about what is right and what is wrong and not just rush up and thinking someone is god-like simply because of their seniority or post.

CONDUCT IS OUR MEASURING ROD

In our AM conduct is the main thing. So we should always make our evaluations based on the conduct and watch how far it is consistent with dharma. Baba says, "Your ideal is represented by your conduct. Your learning, your social or economic status have got nothing to do with your ideal." (AV #13) Namaskar, Vidyasagar

Note 1: MORE ABOUT THIS E-MAIL

In this entire mail, here my point is that since Jamalpur days and up to 1990, Baba's used to give punishment to the disciples and this approach of punishment is mostly misunderstood among workers. The majority of margiis believe that punishment given by Baba is really His blessing, but some Dadas are thinking along different lines.

Note 2: ANOTHER MISNOMER: GURU PURPOSELY PUTS US IN TESTS

In a related scenario for some workers in their dogmatic mind when they are undergoing any trouble, then they do not believe that they are facing their negative samskara. And that due to this their problems and sufferings are coming. Rather when facing any suffering or difficulty, then they accuse Baba that 'Baba is putting me in test unnecessarily; He is the cause of all this'. So such people do not believe that they did anything wrong and that that is why they are facing consequences. And in that case many disciples get frustrated and leave. Because they feel that Guru is the main problem creator in their life. So what a nasty dogma this is-- facing their own sins and yet accusing others, i.e. Guru, for 'creating problems'. Many dogmatic persons believe that Guru gives tests to His disciples and He tortures them. But the fact is something else. Parama Purusa is love personified. Parama Purusa does not torture or give tests to His devotees. For their own sins no human being should blame Him. Baba says, "Human beings are answerable for their fate as it is their actions alone which create it. They alone will have to bear the consequences of their actions. No one else can substitute for them." "People often hold Parama Purusa responsible for calamities that befall them but in fact they alone are responsible. As the suffering of fate is only the reaction of their own previous actions. How can Parama Purusa be responsible." (AMEP)

****************************************** Importance of Sadhana

Baba says, "Numerous rich and beautiful cities of the historic past are now buried under the earth. Many splendid palaces and mansions, many churches, temples, mosques and synagogues, and many pyramids have been reduced to rubble. With the constant change in the flow of time, how many major changes have occurred in the universe? Similarly, with the change in time and space, people also change. A small two year old child becomes a smart and active twenty-five year old youth. And the same energetic youth becomes an infirm, inactive old person in due course. Thus, nothing in this universe is permanent. Many gigantic animals of the past have become totally extinct from the surface of the earth. Royal pomp and opulence, the pride of power, the vast knowledge of mighty scholars have become things of the past, thrown into the dustbin of history. Many objects emerged in the past, remained on earth for a short time, and then disappeared according to the inexorable law of nature." "The only eternal truth is Parama Purus'a. He is Ana'di, beginningless, endless, all-pervasive; an entity beyond the scope of time, place and person. He is the only eternal, undecaying, imperishable, immutable entity. He is the Supreme Source from which the inanimate, plant and animal worlds have emerged. He is the starting point and the culminating point of everything. Hence, wise people should utilise their physical, psychic and spiritual power to realise that supreme omnitelepathic entity, to become one with Him." (PNS-18, p.6) Note: Please read Baba's above teaching again carefully. It explains everything.

******************************************

Neither is Absolutely Good...

From: "Marc Pele"

To Dance & Sing: Na'm, Pad & Pa'la'

Date: 29 Aug 2009 22:27:32 -0000 From: "Bhavanath Rajpal" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: To Dance & Sing: Na'm, Pad & Pa'la' Baba "Toma'ke peyeo pa'i na keno..." (P.S. #2056) Purport: Baba, I feel in my heart that You are along with me, but even then I do not feel satisfied. I want more and more of Your proximity and presence. So please come in my mind and heart. Please remain along with me in a very intimate way in all my works. Grace me so that I can feel your eternal presence always-- with more & more closeness and proximity. Baba You know that my existence is because of You. My life is proceeding on by Your grace; my everything is based on You. Day and night I am deeply engaged in the work which You have allotted me. I am divinely intoxicated in the ideation of the songs which I have made into a garland for You. So Baba please come closer and still more close. Indeed You know the language of my heart- my inner feeling & sentiments. O' Baba, how much love I have for You. Baba, please grace me and please do not play Your liila of hide and seek. Please do not remain inaccessible...

== TO DANCE AND SING: NA'M, PAD & PA'LA' ==

Namaskar, As many know, kiirtan essentially means to chant the divine glories of the Lord out loud, for all the world to hear, wherein all are benefited. Baba says, "Whenever you find time, do kiirtana loudly and you will never become degenerated because by chanting the Lord’s holy name the mind remains elevated." (AMIWL-11) Baba says, "At the place of kiirtana, not only the people who are themselves doing kiirtana will be benefited, but also those who are not participating – and even those who are not participating and who do not even like it – they will also be benefited!" (AV-22) By the above quotes Baba is highlighting the specialty of our AM kiirtan, Baba Nam Kevalam. In our A'nanda Ma'rga there are three recognised types of kiirtan: na'ma kiirtan, pad kiirtan and pa'la' kiirtan. Each have their own beauty and significance. We should be familiar with all three - understanding their unique and distinct qualities.

BABA STORY: NA'M KIIRTAN IS THE TOP MOST

One time when Baba graciously declared that "kiirtan must be sung", then one margii began singing pad kiirtan. At the next general darshan, Baba announced, "When I say sing kiirtan, that means na'm kiirtan." Baba went on to explain that our na'm kiirtan is a siddha mantra and can lead one to the height of human glory - unto Him. So na'm kiirtan is the top most. As many may know, in AM our na'm kiirtan is: Ba'ba' Na'm Kevalam. This is the main kiirtan sung in our Marga - per Baba's mandate - and it is this kiirtan which can free us from so many trials and tribulations and also allow us to express our great love for Him. Baba says, " Here I want to tell you all very clearly that if under any circumstances any such sinful thoughts every enter your mental sphere and have not yet transformed themselves into physical action you should immediately start singing kiirtana at the top of your voice. I have made a rhyme:

Ba'ba' na'm kevalam yata pa'p hare Pa'piider sa'dhya nei tata pa'p kare.

The repetition of Ba'ba' na'm kevalam even once kills so many sins that the worst sinners could not accumulate them." (AV-6) Baba says, "You should remember that if you always sing “Ba'ba' Nam Kevalam,” you have a family relationship with Him. More than that, you have a relationship of love with Him." (SS-20) So our na'm kiirtan, Baba Nam Kevalam, is a deeply powerful and devotional form of expression that is quite different from pad kiirtan and pa'la' kiirtan.

WHAT IS PAD KIIRTAN?

Some may be wondering what is pad kiirtan. What is it that the above margii sang to Baba that day. Pad literally means poetry and pad kiirtan is a particular type of poetic song where certain lines are sung in a specialised manner with a specific type of chorus, or line of repetition or refrain. Students of music history can tell more about its distinct qualities, but suffice to say here that in the early days of AM, various margiis were writing and singing devotional bhajans for Baba in this manner. So many songs were lovingly sung to Baba using the specific verse types known as pad kiirtan. And not only that, but Baba Himself has composed various Prabhat Samgiita that are in accordance with the rules and style of pad kiirtan. For instance, many of the Prabhat Samgiita between #140 and #160 are examples of pad kiirtan. So pad kiirtan is very devotional and describes all the glories of the Lord. However, it is not in the same class as na'm kiirtan. Though quite beautiful and moving and certainly a veritable avenue for spiritual expression, pad kiirtan is of a lower grade than our na'm kiirtan, which as mentioned above is a siddha mantra, or perfect mantra that can lead one to liberation, savikalpa samadhi.

WHAT IS PA'LA' KIIRTAN

Pa'la' literally means turn. First one person sings then the audience responds. Thus pa'la' kiirtan is done in the style of call and response, where the main singer sings a line and the general public responds. But even then that is not all. In between the audience's participation, the main singer(s) perform at length, singing the glories of the Lord and recounting His tales and stories in the form of a dialog or prose that is often sung. So it is a devotional story or history about Parama Purusa that is led by trained sadhakas, who invite the audience to join in and sing. Because suddenly, on perfect cue, either by voice or by music, the audience is again invited to sing a particular line or lines. Pa'la' kiirtan can be a multi-hour engagement. Like the above two kiirtans, pa'la' is a very devotional and jovial scene. Everyone is involved in singing and dancing as well as listening to the main performers - all the while ideating on Parama Purusa. So it is quite, quite blissful. One thing to add here is that today, there are many types of folk and pseudo-culture music that are similar to pa'la' kiirtan. Rap music is one such type. But they are similar only in structure and style, not in meaning. Because no matter what, kiirtan is always aimed at highlighting the glories of the Lord whereas rap music is about all kinds of degenerating and worldly topics like gangbanging, girlfriends, drugs, life on the streets etc. That is why none of today's contemporary pop music is up to the standard of pa'la' kiirtan. Baba says, “The world of music today is like a person without a proper guru or proper training. People want to show they can play without having paid their dues. They are selling themselves for gold without realizing that the real value of music is being lost thereby. Gold is becoming even cheaper than glass." (SC-3, Disc: 12)

ALL THREE KIIRTANS WERE DONE IN BABA'S PRESENCE

All three types of kiirtan - na'm, pad & pa'la' - were sung in Baba's presence and proof is that all three have been mentioned in described in places like our Seminar Notes etc. Plus in VSS camps and ERAWS camps there were times when all the three various kiirtans were done. So in AM we have long and well-documented history of kiirtan. Recently, some claimed to have performed the first ever pa'la' kiirtan in Ananda Marga, but this just is not so. Before na'm kiirtan came into existence in 1969-70, then pad kiirtan and pa'la' kiirtan were both performed in front of Baba, as a means of chanting His glory.

MUST NOT GET CAUGHT IN THE RUT OF PSEUDO-CULTURE MUSIC

So we should always be eager to sing kiirtan, because by this way we become purified and move towards Him, by His grace. And we must always remember that music is for goading the mind toward Parama Purus and not for encouraging animal propensities. The former is the goal and the latter is deadly. With music, one may go toward either heaven or hell - or get stuck as negative microvita for ions and ions. It all depends. Music is both devotional and dangerous - it is a double-edged sword and can lead one to emancipation or destruction. All pop music falls in the latter construct, i.e. destruction. We must not entertain any type of crude music otherwise that will only lead to one's crude annihilation. Baba says, 'If music must descend to the ordinary level of life to conform to the slogan of naturalness, then preeminence will be given to doggerels, as the sweetness and charm of real music becomes extinct. Indeed, the music that is in vogue in the world today in the name of “popular music” is nothing but doggerels of this type." (AFPS-1) Baba says, "If someone makes a sound like “ra, ra, ra – cha, cha, cha,” or if someone sings, “Follow my song! Let us sing and dance our way to hell,” these are sound inferences, but they carry a very crude idea." (MVNS) Even then, we must not give up and think that from today onward all the music created by people will be poor and degrading. Baba guides us that the future of music is not totally doomed forever. Baba says, "It is a matter of great regret that people have forgotten this science of music, whose foundation was laid by the intense efforts of Shiva. Nowadays, instead of considering music as a valuable asset to spiritual practice, they take it as a hobby, a means of livelihood, or a mere pastime. The arduous effort which Shiva invested in this science is conspicuously absent today. Some people lament this... If the followers of Shiva make even one percent of the progress Shiva made, then India and indeed the world and the universe will surely regain that melodious voice and those charming notes. There is no reason for disillusionment. If people only develop their vigour, discipline and simplicity, and make intense effort, then success will come automatically. The lost treasure of the past will be fully restored to human society." (NSS, Disc: 2)

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace He has blessed us with three types of kiirtan to goad the mind towards Him. All three are devotional tools for all sadhakas. Yet it is only na'm kiirtan - the chanting of Baba Nam Kevalam - that is our main type of kiirtan. And is is this kiirtan which allows us to quickly move in His proximity by calling Him closer and closer. Baba says, 'Thus if you have even only one minute’s time, do kiirtan for one minute. If even two or three people gather together, they can do kiirtan collectively; if one thousand people assemble together, then also they can do kiirtan. When you do kiirtan and move towards Parama Purus'a, the Supreme Father, then in Parama Purus'a’s mind also there will be a flow of bliss, because so many minds are coming towards Him with love. He will feel very happy. Seeing the bliss of His devotees, Parama Purus'a will also become overwhelmed with joy, because of His enormous love for His devotees. “How good these devotees are!” – He says. Parama Purus'a loves each and everyone, but He loves those who do kiirtan still more. He will say to them, “Come, come, come, – come near to Me.” This is the proper way to serve Parama Purus'a in the mental sphere." ("The Bliss of Kiirtan) Baba says, "Moreover, those people doing kiirtana are the devotees of the Lord, and they have already placed a throne for Parama Purus'a in their hearts. So when there is kiirtana Parama Purus'a immediately comes to sit on the throne of their hearts. The divine seat, the universal hub of Parama Purus'a is shifted there. That spot becomes the capital of Parama Purus'a." (AV-22) Namaskar, Bhavanath

Note 1: JUST THE BRAGGING OF ONE GROUP

Recently the Tiljala team proclaimed that they were the first to perform pa'la' kiirtan in AM. Not only is this not true, but it also reveals their true motive in life - to brag about their group and not highlight the beauty and love of Parama Purusa. "The same story of Kalicarana becoming Kalikananda Avadhuta was beautifully composed and presented in* Pa'la' Kiirtan* by Ac. Nityasatyananda Avadhuta in a two hour presentation which vibrated the gathering on Shravani Purnima evening at Baba's memorial in Tiljala camp headquarters. This is the first Pala Kiirtan composed in Ananda Marga." (B Group PRS on 08/08/2009) So the above proclamation is just one sham as it is well known that pa'la' kiirtan has certainly been performed in our Marga on multiple occasions in those pre-Emergency days. But this certain people do not like to admit, for fear it will diminish their own stature. That is why it is clear that one faction is guided by their own group interest. Sadly this leads them far, far from the Goal - away from Baba. Baba says, 'In the great Cosmos, we are to be guided by the Cosmic rhythm, but in the human world, what do people do? They are not guided by the Cosmic rhythm, they are guided by group interest, individual interest; that is, there is a clash between the rhythm of group interest and the rhythm of Cosmic movement." (AFPS-5)

How to Shoe Away Owls

From: "R&L Pucillo" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: How to Shoe Away Owls Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:37:22 +0000 Baba "Pathe pathe ghuri toma'rei smari, dekhite na' pa'i keno bolo..." (PS 2904) Purport: Baba, I am wandering around on the path thinking about You. In my journey of life I am moving ahead, ensconced in Your divine ideation. By Your grace my life is passing in this way. Baba, even then I am not getting You. I am putting forth effort in my sadhana but I am not getting Your close proximity nor Your sweet, divine touch. Baba, I am not feeling Your intimate closeness in the way I desire; please tell me why that is. Baba, Your karuna'* is my sadhana. When You shower Your grace compassion then my sadhana is blissful-- otherwise my sadhana is dry. So I am just depending on You completely. When You shower Your karuna' then that is my sadhana. Baba, why are You playing this type of liila with me-- why are You not always coming in close to me in my meditation. Why do You remain so elusive. Baba, You are the Goal of everyone's dhyana. You are the Ista. Baba, You are the dearest One; You are the terminus. In everyone's mind and heart, You are the most venerable one: You are varaniiyo. Baba, until one gets You, they cannot be satisfied. You are the eternal and infinite Source. Only You can satiate everyone's heart. That is why everyone loves You and yearns for You. Baba, please bring complete satiation to everyone's mind; please light the lamp of devotion. Sometimes my sadhana goes up; sometimes it goes down. Baba, please light the lamp of devotion in my heart so that it remains eternally effulgent. Baba, although I want You to come close and sit and talk with me so I can see You, although this is my desire but You do not come close. You are not coming according to my desire. Baba, in that case, go on playing Your divine liila; there is no harm. Because by Your grace whenever I call You-- I easily get You in the deep core of my heart. By Your grace I see that You are sitting there smiling. For that very reason, I have surrendered all my love unto You. It is Your grace. Baba, I want You-- You are my dearmost. Please make me ensconced in the depths of Your ideation, eternally forever and ever. Baba, with Your ahetuki krpa, please shower me with Your parabhakti... ASTERISK NOTES (*): *Karuna': (Literally: 'Divine Compassion'); When Parama Purus'a sees the suffering of devotees, then He feels pained by how they are unable to move ahead on the spiritual path due to getting caught up in various problems and difficulties. In such circumstances, Parama Purusa cannot bear to watch His bhaktas go through so much struggle and strife. So in their helpless condition, when devotees are trying hard to progress but their pathway is completely obstructed and they cannot advance in their sadhana or spiritual life-- and again and again they are overcome by various complexes, bondages, and obstacles-- then by seeing His devotees beleaguered in this way, Parama Purus'a Himself comes and graces them. With His immense feeling of karuna' (divine compassion), Parama Purusa blesses His devotees and relieves them of their pain and suffering. This special grace is nothing but His divine karuna': Wherein Parama Purus'a graces the devotees and removes their troubles and hindrances so that once again they can move ahead freely on the path of spiritual salvation.

== HOW TO SHOE AWAY OWLS ==

Namaskar, In these current times where groupist rulers have seized hold of our AMPS, everyone is looking for which way to turn. Everyone wants to know which direction to go-- what is the way out. This is the common question among all.

A SIMPLE FORMULA AT WORK

While to some the present scenario in AMPS may seem dizzying and beyond repair, actually to rectify and permanently overcome the situation we need only understand one simple formula-- nothing more.

WHERE THERE IS DARKNESS OWLS WILL RULE

Wherever there is darkness, crude negative leaders will rule. This is the equation. For example in the pitch-dark night, owls rule the earth. In that bleak scenario, the owls spread their wings, hunt their prey, and dominate and torture all other beings-- as everyone else is helpless in the dark of the night. Thus so long as there is darkness, the crude regime of the owls will continue. To overcome the situation, one might make the futile attempt to chase after every single owl, one by one-- in that very darkness. But that indeed is extremely difficult, if not useless. Because darkness is the ally of the owl. Best then will be if one ushers in the light of the new day. In which case all the owls will automatically scatter and hide in their holes etc. They will be gone forever. That is the magic formula.

IN AMPS LIGHT IS NEEDED TO REMOVE THE DARKNESS

Similarly, in our human existence, in our AMPS, in this dark era when crude groupist rulers are dominating the scene, then the only answer needed is the light of knowledge-- the effulgence of AM ideology. Baba says, "When fighting darkness, will you carry darkness in your pocket, or will you carry a torch? Certainly a torch. Similarly, to fight a man of avidya, do just the opposite thing to him, and then you will be victorious. These are the secrets of success. I hope you will do it." (AV-12) Thus when factional kingpins like Sarvatmananda or Rudrananda have been ruling AMPS since 1990, the only way to permanently rid AMPS from such groupist forces is with the light of neo-humanism and ideological understanding. As that sentient knowledge grows-- as that light shines-- then those dark rulers will be forced away from the scene permanently. Then all the owls will be gone.

MASS AWAKENING NEEDED

Here the whole point is that in human life more and more mass awakening is needed. Because ignorance amongst the masses is the itself power of the exploitative rulers. This we have seen in the history of each and every country around the globe. Whereas inner understanding leads a people out from the darkness. This is Baba's common prescription. Baba says, "Diipajina'na means 'torch', that is, the knowledge that takes a human being from the darkness of animality towards the effulgence of divinity. In the initial stage, human beings require a torch to light up the way for them." (Nov 16, 1978, Delhi) According to Baba, in each and every angle of human existence, that initial spark of knowledge and awareness is what allows human beings to rise up to the next level. Similarly only the light of knowledge-- ideological understanding-- can set our AMPS on the right track and remove groupism from our organisation. Without that there cannot be success-- that is also Baba's teaching. Baba says, "If one walks in darkness one needs a torch otherwise one will fall down in a ditch." (SS-19) Hence without the light of more and more ideological awareness, AMPS will not be able to reach that era of neo-humanism. Without that inner understanding, this or that groupist will control the scene.

WORLDLY CASE STUDIES: INDIA AND PAKISTAN

If we look around the globe we can see clear-cut examples where crude leaders come to the helm due to the ignorance of the common people. For example in 1947, both Pakistan and India got the gift of democratic freedom. Both were on the same playing field. But due to the varying level of public awareness, one country could move ahead and one could not. In Pakistan the level of education was lower, for that simple reason Pakistan has been governed by one suffocative and exploitative dictatorial regime after another since 1947. And most of that time they have been under extremist military rule. In contrast, due to the relatively higher standard of the Indian public, after 1947 India was able to step by step establish an open, democratic environment. And not only that, now due to higher public awareness, the loopholes of democracy are also being exposed in India. Certainly, as that public knowledge increases, then those democratic leaders will be pressurised to depart from the podium and the neo-humanistic era of Prout will come. Here the entire point is that negative leaders will continue in their heyday so long as the public remains in the dark. But as the public awareness increases then automatically those negative leaders will disappear in a flash.

BACK IN THOSE DARK DAYS OF AMPS

Taking a look back in the history of our AMPS, who can forget those days of old in 1990-91. In that era our Marga was drowned in darkness. Everyone innocently and naively thought that Sarvatmananda and the rest of the Dadas in Centre were divine incarnations who would bring peace, justice, and welfare to the entire universe. This was the daydream those days. And in that period of extreme ignorance and unawareness, what happened? Sarvatmananda snatched the power and exercised unbridled control over AMPS. In a matter of days and months after 1990 he created one dogma after another and wiped out margii rights and instituted so many heinous rules. The Bhukti Pradhan system was destroyed; the ACB turned into his puppet committee; countless innocent margiis were tortured and humiliated; the dharmic paragraph about margii rights in Baba's AM Revolution discourse was removed entirely. Plus Sarvatmananda imposed countless dogmas like the fake Ananda Vaniis, crusty tiirthas and Memorials, and he falsely prefaced each AM publication with the blatant misconception, 'Translated with the original Bengali' etc. Indeed many hellish things and so much nonsense occurred in those early days after 1990. All because our Marga was in the dark. That is the rule: Public ignorance gives power to negative rulers. So without that light of knowledge all those misdeeds and injustices were allowed to be executed by those exploitative and power hungry rulers.

IN AMPS THE LIGHT IS COMING

Little by little however, things are getting better and better in our Marga. There has been much improvement. As the ideological awareness rises in AM, then almost magically negative things stop happening-- step by step. For example, fewer blatant distortions and manipulations are being done to Baba's holy discourses. And the false line about "Translated from the original Bengali' has been removed entirely. And like that so many dogmatic things have completely stopped-- because the overall awareness has increased and margiis are no longer tolerating those wrongdoings. And as the understanding rises even higher, then those old distortions that have not been fixed such as the deleted paragraph from the AM Revolution discourse will be properly repaired. That is sure to happen. And we will fix other things such as paying non-margiis to translate Baba's divine discourses. Because as awareness increases then the problematic points will be resolved. Here the key ingredient is that mass consciousness is needed. As the ideological understanding gets embedded in AMPS and as those ideological principles are put into practice and followed, then the natural outcome is that the leaders will be better and better-- more and more neo-humanistic. That is the old crusty leaders will be effortlessly forced out from the scene and proper leaders will emerge and benevolently grab the reins. So it is a direct relationship: The more ideological awareness there is in our Marga, then the better those in the helm will be. That is the formula. Thus chasing away one groupist ruler one by one is not the way. Rather let the light of knowledge shine forth and then all those dark, dogmatic groupists will automatically flee from the stage. Then all the owls of darkness will be gone. Now then is the time to propagate and follow Baba's divine teachings of AM ideology and bring our organisation on the right track-- permanently shedding the dark dogma of groupism and ushering in that brilliant era of neo-humanism. Baba says, "'We have come to the world to perform great deeds-- for the physical welfare of all, for the psychic happiness of all, and for the spiritual elevation of all - to lead all from darkness unto light.' If, even then, someone says: 'No, darkness is good for me!' we will tell them: 'All right, darkness is good for you, but just once why don't you come and see the light - it is even better!'" (NH-LOI, Disc 11)

SOLUTION IS IN OUR HAND

So the whole solution to groupism and negative rulers is quite plain and simple. With proper education and by following AM philosophy and by helping others to understand Baba's teachings, then naturally everyone's awareness will grow. In that case the tendency will come to fight injustice and indeed it is coming. And then the ideological base will be there to bring in proper leaders. And the reality is that this is the very process is going on this very instant in our AMPS. It is happening. In all the corners of the globe, margiis and sincere wts are rising up holding the lamp of AM ideology in which case those crooked persons in the helm are bound to disappear. All the owls of darkness will be gone-- shoed away. Every groupist leader whether H, B, NIA, or EC will vanish from the scene. That glorious day is fast coming. That era of neo-humanism is near, nay upon us.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's divine grace and infinite compassion, the beautiful new era of light is emanating in our AM society-- and growing more brilliant each and every moment. Baba says, "...The eternal glow of the boundless élan vital of Cosmic Consciousness has been illuminating the life-lamp of universal humanism since time immemorial, is illuminating it, and in future will do so even more intensely. That is why I say, the future of the human race is not dark, rather it is strikingly resplendent. So proceed on, ignoring the frowns of darkness." (A'nanda Va'nii #49) Namaskar, Ramakrishna

Note 1: FIRST BRING LIGHT IN AMPS THEN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Our approach is two-fold: First bring more and more light into AMPS and then spread that effulgence throughout the world and beyond. Baba says, "To build a healthy human race we should have given them proper guidance in philosophy, in science, in all branches of human knowledge - which we did not do." (NH-LOI, '87 Edn, p.99) So up till now we have not been able to spread the light of neo-humanism throughout each and every pore of this human civilisation. That could not be done-- not yet. But Baba has given us the duty to carry the torchlight to one and all and by His grace it will be done. Baba says, "Where the society is caught in the whirlpool of superstitions and prejudices - where it has lost its vision in the darkness of ignorance - there litterateurs and artists will have to come forward, even by taking risks. They will have to show the path to others with a flaming torch in hand." (PNS-10)

Note 2: TORCHBEARERS OF SOCIETY

It is Baba's magnificent blessing upon us all that He has entrusted us with the spreading of His neo-humanistic ideology. And by His grace we will spread that to each and every human heart. Baba says, "The flame of a lamp lights up countless lamps. The touch of a great personality wakes up innumerable sleeping hearts..." (Ananda Va'nii #49) And here following is Baba's divine assurance that we will get success and the new era of sentient peace and neo-humanism will come-- in AMPS and all around. Baba says, "You few are the torch bearers of human society. You are the pioneers, you are the vanguard of the human society. So it is your duty to save humanity." (Social Disc, Frankfurt)

*************************************** BABA SAYS

Baba says, "Along with the theory of spiritual inheritance one Cosmic Ideology will have to be adopted and that ideology is that one Supreme Entity-- the Cosmic Entity-- is the goal of all living beings. This spiritual sentiment will keep human beings united for all time to come. No other theory can save the human race." (To The Patriots) Note: Certainly Baba's above directive speaks for itself: He is the polestar and His teachings are to be followed. This everyone is understanding.

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Baba Story: Reporting Sessions

From: "Girish Chandra Mitra" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Baba Story: Reporting Sessions Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:27:06 +0530 Baba PS Intro: This is a neo-humanistic song as it expresses love and affection for those shelterless, homeless, and downtrodden people. We know that Baba has made songs which reflect all aspects of AM ideology. This song expresses empathy and compassion towards the suffering humanity and propagates neo-humanistic ideals. This is the unique quality of this song. "A'siya'che sedin ogo a'shrayahiin..." (PS 1222) Purport: The golden era has come; sadavrata [1] has started. Now everywhere the divine flow is spreading all around. In this human family, no one will be downtrodden; no one will suffer. Those who are without shelter, I am calling you. The day has come when His door has opened for you. By Baba's causeless grace, He has come to save the suffering humanity-- to turn your tears into smiles. It is His infinite compassion. For those who have neither food, nor clothing, nor shelter, everyone will be served. Now no one need suffer from any want in this world. In this golden, new era, no one in our human family needs to go under the tree in search of shelter. Everyone will have their own hearth and home-- their own abode. Nobody will be homeless. We are all kith and kin; we are all one family; Parama Purusa is our Divine Father. Not a single human being shall remain as an orphan or distressed any longer. Those dark days are gone by His grace. All will equally receive His love and affection. Everyone will get His sweet touch; everyone will feel His divine blessing and infinite love. By Baba's grace there will be plenty for one and all; no one need undergo the pangs of hunger and thirst. The loud lamentations of the suffering humanity will be gone forever. Everyone will have the opportunity to live life in a new way; all will feel content in their heart and mind and move towards Parama Purusa, the Goal. The cimmerian darkness of avidya' maya will vanish forever. Now, by His grace, divinity has awakened in the minds of human beings. The golden dawn has descended on this earth. It is His grace; it is His grace... NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #1222: [1] Sada'vrata: 'Sada' literally means 'always' as in to do every day; 'vrat' literally means 'vow' as in to always remain committed to helping others. So sada'vrata means always ready to serve whenever the opportunity comes. It is not that if one did sadavrata on Monday then one need not to do it on Tuesday. Always one is to be ready and willing to serve others. Whatever those people need, then one must help them fulfill that need. Hence helping poor and seeing them as expressions of Parama Purusa is called sada'vrata. As we all know, our AM social service endeavours include sada'vrata-- the mass distribution of food, clothing, medicine, and all sorts of requirements and amenities. Here in His below guideline Baba describes how sada'vrata is related with our sadhana practice. Baba says, "In the third stage of sa'dhana' sa'dhakas accepts the cognitive faculty as their goal. They wish to advance along the spiritual path while simultaneously serving the subtler expressions of Parama Purus'a. This is the true dharma of human beings. The sada'vrata (mass feeding & clothing distribution etc) which you organize comes within the scope of this practice. While performing sa'dhana' in this stage the human mind attains a greater proximity to Parama Purus'a and sees the entire universe as a divine expression of Parama Purus'a. Through this realization one enjoys pure unblemished bliss. When people served good food during sadavrata smile happily, you feel inner joy." (APH-6) [2] TRANSLATIONS OF PRABHA'T SAMGIITA #1222: Here are the first two Bengali Bengali lines of this Prabhat Samgiita:

A'siyeche sedin ogo a'shrayahiin Tave tare ta'r dva'r khule geche, khuleche

And here below is a basic translation & fundamental idea of those lines:

O' my brothers and sisters, those who are without shelter, the day has come when His door has opened for you.

So in the above stanza the bhakta is telling the humanity that no one will be shelterless any longer. Parama Purusa is bringing all unto Him and everyone will be served. Now look how these very same lines were translated on one of our sanctioned Prabha't Samgiita websites:

O' Lord, the one needing no shelter, the day has come when for you their doors have opened.

Please excuse me, but by reading the above anyone can see how this latter translation has gone a bit astray. Here the entire point is that Prabhat Samgiita is Baba's divine gift to the humanity, so we should be careful and diligent in its presentation. Otherwise, we can see how it may get translated.

== BABA STORY: REPORTING SESSIONS ==

Namaskar, Many may recall that in 1978, after the Jail Period, then by His fathomless grace Baba used to check the Sixteen Points of various workers and Lft's while taking report. Actually, this became His regular approach during all reporting sessions. Because while this 'corrective style' transformed into His grand program of Dharma Samiiksa ('79-80), even then this way of reporting continued right up through 1990-- where He was regularly checking how workers etc were following 16 Points, & especially the point of sadhana.

BABA'S DIVINE DECREE: "ALL LESSONS OF SADHANA MUST BE DONE"

Once on one particular day while taking report from a supervisory worker Baba suddenly became quite serious and demanded that a specific worker be brought before Him. Right away that worker came forward and did sastaunga pranam to Baba. Then GS Dada told the worker to give report. And as this Dada began giving his report then Baba started pointing out and punishing this worker for not properly following various aspects of 16 Points. Specifically, Baba was telling that this worker is not practicing all the lessons of sadhana. That time many in attendance were feeling surprised that Baba was only pointing out this Dada. Because those days a number of workers were not properly doing all their lessons of sadhana. Due to their extreme busyness, many were falling in this category. Yet here on this occasion in front of all Baba was only pointing out and scolding just this one Dada. No one else was getting punishment for this-- that day. Naturally, everyone was wondering why this was going on in this fashion.

BABA'S PUNISHMENT IS HIS SPECIAL BLESSING

Thereafter it was found out that the worker being punished was previously suffering from a serious disease and that since receiving punishment from Baba, all signs and symptoms of that disease had completely disappeared. This was the amazing development. By that way everyone understood that Baba's punishment was in reality nothing but His special blessing on that particular sadhaka. Because by that way the worker was permanently cured of his ailment. And, of course, side by side, everyone got the clear-cut message that it was mandatory and very much needed to practice all the lessons of sadhana-- in each and every sitting. This was Baba's universal teaching that day. And veritably speaking this was a regular theme in countless sessions of reporting with Baba: That all sadhana lessons are to be done properly.

BABA'S LIILA

In this magical and unique way those reporting sessions were going on. Where, by punishing workers, Baba was showering His divine grace yet simultaneously He was giving an eternal teaching for all to follow. And ultimately all we can really say is that Baba's way of giving punishment to sadhakas is His divine liila since Baba is Parama Purusa and as human beings we cannot perfectly explain how or why He was doing everything.

BABA'S PROVEN AND STANDARD APPROACH

But one thing is sure, that this was Baba's standard approach to take report from workers and if their social service activities or sadhana was not up to the proper standard, then Baba would reveal how that particular wt was not following 16 points properly. And very commonly it was the case that Baba would tell that the wt was not doing all the lessons of sadhana. And that was the reason why the person could not get the necessary inspiration or sufficient energy to fulfill his social service responsibilities. Because Baba was telling again and again that by doing all the lessons of sadhana-- especially dhyana-- then one will always receive the requisite strength and inspiration to fulfill all their duties in life and serve the society. This much we all understood from Baba's reporting style those days.

PRESENT DAY CIRCUMSTANCES

So today when we see our organisation in a crisis situation it can be easily concluded that a major factor behind this downfall is that people, and especially workers, are not properly following 16 points. Most notably certain top Dadas are not correctly doing their sadhana-- either skipping lessons entirely or doing them in a faulty or haphazard manner. Otherwise what can be the cause of all this disarray and chaos in the upper echelons of our organisation. Consequently, when the standard of sadhana is down then everything goes in he wrong direction-- both in individual and collective life. This is the clear cut outcome and today we can see the poor results.

BABA'S BLESSING: SIXTEEN POINTS BRINGS WELFARE IN ALL THE SPHERES

At the same time if Sixteen Points and sadhana again becomes a dominant factor in anyone's life then automatically everything will become better and better in each and every sphere of one's existence. In all regards, in all circumstances, that sadhaka will be met with success-- on all the levels from their personal careers to their dharma pracara activities etc. Then their whole existence will grow and shine in a positive and sparkling way. This is Baba's grand blessing and ultimate guarantee. Baba says, "...In order to march ahead on the road of human welfare, we will have to strengthen ourselves in all the arena of life. The complete seeds of welfare in all the spheres-- physical, mental, moral, social and spiritual-- are embedded in the sixteen points. Hence be firm on the sixteen points." (A'nanda Va'nii, #45) Namaskar, Girish

Note 1: SIXTEEN POINTS IS RIGHT EXERCISE

Here again Baba demonstrates that by doing sadhana properly and adhering to His tenants of 16 Points, then by His grace one will gather the necessary strength to do His work and become a perfect medium for carrying out His divine mission. Baba says, "What is the best way to strengthen the mind? The best and proper way is to strictly observe the 16 Points. The more rigidly you follow the 16 Points, the more your mental strength will increase. It will increase so much that it will be more powerful than the collective mental strength of 100,000 people. In a psychic clash they will have to concede victory to you... So you must endeavour to develop your psychic strength - this is your bounden duty. The more rigidly you follow the 16 Points, the more psychic strength you will acquire. It will not take you long." (AV-7, p.80)

*************************************** Treatment For Hunch-Back and Stiffness

Baba says: "When calcium builds up and gets deposited in the back it becomes hard. That is why when people are very young then their backbone is quite flexible but due to an accumulation of calcium over just a few years then by the time they are teen-agers already their spinal column has become stiff and rigid." (SC-8) "Doing noakasana, utkata paschimottanasana, and shalabasana etc eliminates the possibility of developing a hunched back. So those doing hard manual labor that demands bending the back for extended periods of time should do these aforementioned asanas on a regular basis. That will prevent them from suffering from hunch-back in the future." (SC-8)

***************************************

Burden of Painful Memory of the Past

Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:29:13 -0000 From: "Motilal Pandey" Subject: Burden of Painful Memory of the Past To: am-global@earthlink.net Baba "Uttal sindhu utkrami tumi, esechilo mor ghare..." PS (1077) Purport: Baba, after crossing the wild tidal wave, You have come into my heart-- You have come to my home. Baba, You are traveler of the solitary path. And even after encountering so many negative situations, You did not get scared with the fear. Nothing could terrify You. According to the basic necessity or protocol I did not have any of the necessary arrangements, so I could not receive You properly. My grief-stricken mind was full of longing for You, and my heavy heart was saturated with the tears. Baba, I have not done anything for You. In vain I was just revolving around only mirages. With the new sun and strong call, by holding my hand You showed me the direction-- You took me onto the right path. Baba, You have come into my heart; it is nothing but Your divine mercy & grace...

== BURDEN OF PAINFUL MEMORY OF THE PAST ==

Namaskar, An invitation was recently sent out for Mahaprayan and the value of that invitation has been addressed in Note 2 at the bottom of this letter. Our Marga is the path of bliss and as per Baba we are to move on and on-- living from one blissful moment to the next. This is our way-- never looking back. That is why when certain factional heads justify their dogmatic Mahaprayan (MPD) program then they are overtly opposing Baba's maxim. Because Baba says, 'Go on living life knowing that He is always with you', and the dogmatic agents of Mahaprayan say, 'Baba is gone and this sad day should be remembered again and again'. So the two approaches are diametrically opposed to one another. Baba's vision is supremely optimistic and practical; whereas the dogmatic agents of Mahaprayan are sunk in pessimism and drowned their own narrow-minded agenda. Of course, in total there are so many logical replies that prove why Mahaprayan is just one dogma. Here below is the fuller explanation of the aforementioned logical foundation for why MPD is nothing but a dogmatic and harmful enterprise by a few groupists, and therefore it should be discarded entirely from our Marga.

MAHAPRAYAN: JUST A GROUPIST DOGMA

The response that follows is all in reply to certain groupists who say that there is 'no harm in remembering the day of Mahaprayan'. Of course they say this just because they want more people to come to their groupist headquarters and give them money on their fake MPD day. Proof being, that if the main occasion of the dogmatic Mahaprayan program was hosted elsewhere, then these same groupists would not have the slightest inclination to attend such a program-- rather they would oppose it. But since the dogmatic Mahaprayan program is held in their backyard, they champion the occasion and say it does 'no harm'. This is their silly justification. But the reality is that the dogmatic Mahaprayan program does huge harm. And here is how. So this is not a letter about groupism per se - as we all know that the impending split or Rudrananda-Nigamananda is just further proof that theirs was just a black pact. Same with the case of EC. This letter then is an evaluation of a program that is truly against our devotional sentiment - our spiritual livelihood.

THE HARMFUL WAYS OF MPD DOGMA

In each and every sphere of life people suffer terribly when they remember and relive any negative memory. For instance, a mother in Bengal will never like to relive the exact moment when her little girl got mauled and killed by a speeding train. That maa will not like to think of that bloody scene with her daughter's disjointed body parts strewn all over the place. Similarly, a clerk in NY will not like to think again and again about 911 when all his friends and colleagues were killed in the twin towers attack. That clerk will not like to recall how his frantic and terrified friends jumped out of that burning building from a window 643 feet above the ground. Likewise, no army veteran will like to again and again remember how his platoon was ambushed in some foreign land like Iraq or Afghanistan, whereby he saw with his own eyes how his fellow soldiers were brutally tortured and killed and he himself lost both his legs. These types of horrific memories create a negative and devastating imprint in the mind. No one can live with these things spinning in their mental plate. It is like trying to walk with a huge boulder tied to one's leg. It is impossible to move ahead. So if one recounts such horrific scenes again and again they will just wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat-- totally frozen and incapacitated by such horrible memories and unable to walk into the new dawn. Such persons become like the living dead and suffer their whole life of such psychic ailments etc. That is the terrible harm of this defective approach of recalling painful memories of the past. In the same way, those who get caught up in the dogmatic ceremony of Mahaprayan will also suffer from the negative ideation that Baba is gone and that He is no longer with me. That is the real effect of remembering again and again the crude message of Mahaprayan. That is why those who wish to live the ideal of AM and feel that Baba is always with them, they will never involve themselves in the dogmatic and harmful program of Mahaprayan.

BABA'S IDEAL

Baba's teachings are all complete and His ideal is that we should move ahead not thinking about the past. Baba says, "You are to look ahead, you are to look forward. If you look back, if you look behind, you are wasting your valuable time. Fools, not wise people, do like this." (Spiritual Discourses) By thinking about the past, one will get caught up in those painful woes. That is why Baba is adamant that we must not do like this. Rather He says that we are to move ahead keeping Him in mind. That is our blissful way. Baba says, "Such sa'dhakas who move towards the Supreme Goal with undaunted speed will never recognize any obstacles on the way. Their only goal is to realize that 'Parama Purus'a is mine. He is my personal treasure. I will live with Him, and I will never give Him up'." (SS-10) Our aim in life is to remember Baba always and go closer and closer to Him-- knowing that He is always with us. That is our devotional way of life and that is why our Marga is the path of bliss. So the negative approach of observing the burdensome, painful, and dogmatic Mahaprayan program year after year goes 100% counter to our ideal. That is why wise sadhakas pay heed to Baba's guideline and let go of the past and instead embrace the grand reality and spiritual ideal that always He is with us-- in our heart. Thinking thus, there is not an iota of scope for any dogmatic Mahaprayan program in our Marga.

BABA'S BLESSING

Baba says, "He is with you, always He is with you to help you. You are never alone." (AV-34) Namaskar, Motilal

Note 1: DEVOTION SHOULD BE PROTECTED

In His neo-humanism discourses, Baba guides us that we are to protect the devotional sentiment very carefully. And what is devotion? The feeling that Baba is with me. Yet we are living in a crudely materialistic world that tries to step on this devotion. And then on the top, there are certain elements in our Marga who try to proclaim that Baba is gone by creating a dogmatic Mahaprayan program. So we must not tolerate such things. They may say, 'what is the harm', they may say, 'it is part of the history', for their selfish interest they may say so many things. But our aim is to cultivate the devotional ideal that 'Baba is always with me'. That is what Baba wants us to do. And the best way to achieve this is through regular spiritual practice and keeping Him in mind always-- and not succumbing to any materialistic outlook or the dogma of Mahaprayan. By Baba's grace we will all be successful in this endeavour-- forever drifting in His bliss.

Note 2: THEIR RECENT MPD INVITATION

In their recent Mahaprayan invitation, the hosts sent a quote from AV-12 wherein Baba says that Taraka Brahma is physically born and physically dies. Baba says, "Ta'raka Brahma comes here on a particular date, leaves this earth also on a particular date, takes the birth of His quinquelemental body, the death of His quinquelemental body." So the hosts totally misunderstand and poorly extrapolate from this quote. In no place does Baba say that the physical death should be "mourned" or "celebrated" "or remembered" again and again, year after year. Baba does not say like that, yet this is what the hosts of MPD are doing. And they act as though the above quote justifies their misguided ways. Those with a wee-bit of vivek know that Baba's message is entirely different. Baba is talking very beautifully about the reason behind the advent, not that Oct 21 should become one ongoing day of remembrance. Baba says, "The human heart wants something closer, something more sentimental, something more pleasing. And that’s why just to satisfy, just to give pleasure to His progeny, He comes within the scope of these relative factors. Parama Purus'a becomes Ta'raka Brahma." So the entire value of the quote lies in His comes close to us and our heart embracing His presence. The physical advent is a stepping stone for making that link with Him within. That is what Baba's directive is in this discourse, not that we should go on remember that He is gone, gone, gone. It is a pity that some have not the devotional value to understand this fairly simple idea. Baba resides in our heart always. His advent is about revealing this divine truth. Sincere sadhakas understand.

****************************************** Sadhana Point: Steps For Better Sadhana

Baba says, "Moksa karanasamagryam bhaktireva gariyasii." Meaning: "Bhakti is the best way to moksa or salvation, the approach of bhakti is the best." (AV, part 6) Following is the sequence for better sadhana practice: (a) Half bath or full bath (b) Left nostril open (c) Shasha'unga'sana (hare pose): a few rounds (d) Shavasana (corpse posture): briefly (e) Sing Prabhat Samgiita (f) Sing Kiirtan loudly and dance Lalita Marmika (g) Sastaunga Pranam (h) Bhutashuddhi (i) Asanashuddhi (j) Cittashuddhi (k) Generate longing or devotion for Parama Purusa / Baba; (Note: this is the last phase of cittashuddhi.) (l) Repetition of mantra with meaning, longing & devotion to become one with Parama Purusa / Baba. (Note: This point is applied in first and 6th lesson equally.) (m) Other various lessons (n) Guru Puja (o) Final sastaunga pranam Note 1: Regarding points (e) and (f), only listening to Prabhat Samgiita or kiirtan is not sufficient as that will not bring about the desired result. Rather one should sing Kiirtan & Prabhat Samgiita with their full heart. Because by singing the mind gets more involved in comparison to just listening. Note 2: Generating devotional longing is a highly significant aspect. It is the most important step of our sadhana. If one does everything but this point is lacking then sadhana will be futile or dry. And if the arousal of devotion is done successfully then one can reach one's goal without any delay. I came to know from various acaryas that this point is in acarya diary.

******************************************

Social Post: PP

Date: 25 Aug 2009 07:42:44 -0000 From: "Surya Rao" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Social Post: PP BABA "Bha'lo besechile keno bolo..." (PS 2014) Purport: Baba, You have graced me and brought me in Your close proximity and showered me in Your divine love. So it is Your liila that now I have deep longing for You yet You are not coming close. Baba, please tell me why You loved me. What was the use if today You do not allow me to hold You. Baba, internally You are not moved or touched by my tears. You remain impassioned and distant. Baba, I have decorated my humble abode exclusively for You. Baba, by Your grace I am trying to follow 16 Points and Your many do's and don'ts to prepare my mind for Your divine arrival. Baba, I have forgotten who is close and who is distant; in my heart there is no differentiation from one human being to another. Everyone is mine. Baba, after crying profusely for You I became miserable, and in this way my whole night passed in Your longing. Because You did not come. Baba, in the end the flowers dried up and withered away. And all my tears just dried up in the air. The pain and suffering of my longing floated away in the sky and ultimately got lost in the oblivion. Baba, I am crying in Your longing but You are not coming. Then why are You attracting me and why have You bound me in Your divine love. Baba, my heart and mind have become so restless-- yet You are not coming close. Why are You doing like this. Baba, please grace me and come close... Note: It is only with the deep feeling of longing that the mind rushes towards Parama Purusa. Without that sense of 'longing' in the heart then one cannot get Parama Purusa. So in order to move ahead on the spiritual path, one must long to attain Him. Indeed this yearning to have Him is one essential factor in getting His closeness. So in this song, by Baba's grace, the devotee has a deep sense of longing in his heart. And by that way the sadhaka becomes more and more close until finally merging in Him. Altogether, it is similar to how one baby starts crying and wants to be held by the mother, and then that mother comes rushing to get her baby. Likewise, the feeling of longing is absolutely necessary in devotional life, because in that way one reaches the Goal.

== SOCIAL POST: PP ==

Namaskar, As we seem to be on the cusp in getting a new PP in one way, shape, or form, i.e. eventually - it is only fitting that we pay heed to Baba's guidelines below about the nature and scope of this important spcial post.

REQUIREMENT FOR BEING PP THESE DAYS

Of course many are thinking that already certain leaders have selected the new PP and just they are waiting until the appropriate moment to place him in the post. Whatever the case-- whether he has already been hand-picked or not-- one thing is certain. Namely that the main criteria for becoming the next PP is that he must be a totally brainless person. This is the mandatory feature. So if anyone wants to compete and try to get that Purodha Pramukha post -- then they must possess that singular quality of brainlessness. It is a pre-requisite. Otherwise one cannot become PP. And not just with the post of PP, in fact this quality of brainlessness is the requiste factor for getting any of the top organisational posts these days. If one has that characteristic then they may get one of those positions. But if one does not have that necessary characteristic they certainly will never get such a post. But surely in the case of the PP-- sheer brainlessness is the special requirement.

SOME SOCIAL DUTIES OF PP

In our Caryacarya, Baba has given various provisions about the social post of Purodha Pramukha. By the following guidelines it is quite clear that the post of PP is just one of the many social posts in the organization. For example, here are some of the worldly affairs which PP is supposed to deal with. (A) All the organizational executive decisions must reach to Purodha Pramukha for his discretionary and final judgment. (B) PP's post is for whole life long. (C) In the Purodha Board, PP's single vote has decisive meaning. (D) Each of the judiciary decisions also must reach to Purodha Pramukha for his final approval. (E) Purodha Pramukha is Chief of the Purodhas. (F) So many more social duties and responsibilities he has. By all this it is quite clear that the post of Purodha Pramukha is a social post in our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha. And when just a brainless person is occupying the chair of PP, then all these social duties get done by others who are controlling from behind the scenes. Or they do not get done at all. That is a colourful twist of things since 1990. In any event, the basic idea then is that the post of PP is only social in nature. Means it is limited up to the social realm-- that's all.

BABA IS THE SPIRITUAL HEAD

In our Tantric system of Ananda Marga, Baba being the Tarak Brahma and Sadguru is the spiritual guide for one and all. He is the spiritual head of Ananda Marga. In other dogmatic organisations the guruship gets handed down from one person to the next. In that way different people take on the role of guru such that their so-called spiritual leader changes from generation to generation. But our AM is not like that. In Tantra only Taraka Brahma is the Guru. Even then a few people get confused and casually refer to PP as the spiritual head of AM. But this is totally wrong. And sincerely speaking I think every Ananda Margii feels in their heart that only Baba is the Guru-- that He is the Supreme spiritual Guide. But just in their silly way a couple people might refer to PP in that faulty way.

NOWADAYS WHO IS GETTING THIS SOCIAL POST OF PP

If you look at the present day dogmatic religious scene or political field then you may see that stupid people are always getting the power. Just some dummy type of persons get the leadership roles. To qualify oneself only one attribution is needed: Just be a dummy in the hand of some tricky exploiters. Then one will get all kinds of praise and post. In contrast if one has their own independent way of thinking then they will not get any place. Rather they will be cast aside. Unfortunately, as stated above, our AMPS has fallen into this same negative track. Because nowadays in our organisation the main quality or trait needed for getting Vishesh yoga, Purodhaship, Central Committee or Purodha Board membership, or any other type of high post-- then only this single quality is needed: lack of brains. About this topic certainly more can be said so others should also write their feeling and experiences about this.

BABA'S BLESSING

Even though in the relative sphere our Marga is struggling some, surely the day is not far when all will rally around His divine message in one voice and declare: "All human beings belong to one race...'The exploitation of human beings cannot be allowed!' and, 'Religious hypocrisy cannot be tolerated!' Giving a clarion call to the fragmented human society from beneath the saffron flag, the symbol of service and sacrifice, they will proclaim at the top of their voices, 'Human beings of the world, unite!'" (POD) Namaskar, Surya Note: When Purodha Pramukha is the chief of the Purodhas then he has the same dharmic duties as they do. So when various xyz purodhas are trying to follow 16 points in what little or big way they can, then at least our future PP should also try. Unfortunately to date the PP refrained from doing so. From this one can only assume that maybe from bi-pied (two-legged) the PP thought he became angelic and he got two wings so that he need not do. Is that why the various PP Dadas have long given-up following dharmic duties by not singing kiirtan, not attending DC, not doing Guru Puja, not singing Prabhat Samgiita, etc.

*********************************************** A MOST IMPORTANT POINT THAT IS LEAST UNDERSTOOD IN THE HEART

"Harareme pita' gaorii ma'ta' Svadesha bhuvanatreyan"

"Parama Purusa is my Father, Parama Prakrti is my Mother, and the universe is my homeland. We are all citizens of this universe...And this universe is the thought projection of Brahma, so the ownership of the universe lies with the Supreme Entity." "None of the moveable or immoveable property of this universe belongs to any particular individual; everything is the common patrimony of all, and the Father of all is Brahma. All living beings can enjoy their rightful share of this property." (POD, p. 1-2) Note: Some so-called proutists can deliver long lectures & fancy talks about this above notion. But mostly their knowledge is only theoretical or superficial. They lack the necessary inner heart-felt connection & understanding that: The entire property of this universe belongs to Parama Purusa; and that all are His progeny; and, that therefore the entire property belongs to one and all. This feeling is lacking in their heart. In the absence of this, when some so-called Proutists see any greedy capitalist, then they salute him and covet the idea to become like him. Some other so-called proutists think: 'What is in my pocket is mine and that wherever Prout gets established then everyone else's pocket will also become mine'. They never think that, 'What is in my pocket belongs to everyone else'. Not surprisingly then we also see in our organisation that moneyed-persons ($$) get a lot of respect by virtue of their wallet. So in our AMPS nowadays that there are two types of behavior or dealing: One special style of treatment for the wealthy and another less careful type of behaviour towards the poorer margiis. This is quite evident at retreats, dharmacakra, seminars etc. All told then in our day-to-day, practical life many people forget and overlook this very point of Cosmic patrimony. This idea is not saturated in their heart. Hence special care should be taken-- we should be vigilant not to forget this above said guideline of Baba.

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Bull & Human Behaviour

Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:58:13 -0000 From: "Motilal Pandey" Subject: Bull & Human Behaviour To: am-global@earthlink.net Baba "Toma'ke bha'lo besechi, tumi shudhu mane acho..." (P.S. 2562) Purport: Baba, I love You; only You are in my mind. You are my dearmost One and You alone are mine; You are the only moon in my mental sky-- mental plate. Baba, except You, everything else in this entire universe is temporary. Everything comes for a short time and then get lost into thin air, into the oblivion. Baba, only You are beginningless and endless; only You remain permanently-- eternally. Baba, nothing lasts forever in this world. At the end of the day, night falls and the light of day gets engulfed by the darkness. Similarly, the darkness of the night vanishes with the advent of the brilliant new dawn. Thus everything in this world is changing, transient. But the constant pouring of Your divine effulgence continues on and on-- it knows no limit; it knows no end. Baba, I am loving You; You are always residing in my mind; You are my only polestar. Baba, You are my Goal; You are my everything...

== BULL & HUMAN BEHAVIOUR ==

Namaskar, We have all seen how Baba uses all kinds of colourful analogies to help deliver His message and put forth an important point for our betterment and learning. Some of these analogies are very easy to understand, some less so. It depends upon the person and their experience. What cannot be denied, however, is that each of these analogies hold great meaning and insight into the life of every spiritual aspirant. So we should strive to understand every morsel of Baba's analogies.

WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE UNDERSTOOD

Baba has given one analogy about bulls and the burden of having an inflated ego, asmita'. The analogy relates of course to our human experience and sadhaka life. To gain clear understanding of Baba's teaching, three things are needed: (1) Knowledge about bulls; (2) knowledge of Hindi or Sanskrit, and; (3) knowledge of Baba's spiritual teachings on vanity, ego and devotion. Once all the above three components are known, then the reader will have complete understanding of Baba's teaching in this analogy. Since I was not aware of the above I consulted with my acarya and now share what I learned with all of you. Perhaps this is known to you already, perhaps not. In either case we get opportunity to once again review and contemplate Baba's divine teaching.

ABOUT BULLS

First off, as you may know, bulls can be quite terrifying creatures. They have big, sharp horns, a menacing look, and a potentially nasty disposition. Not only that, they are huge and can weigh up to 1000kg or 2200lbs or more, even as much as 2000kg or 4400lbs. So they can be quite intimidating and ferocious. Often these bulls live in areas where they are the biggest animals, as usually there are no elephants nor whales where bulls reside. So when full-grown and healthy, bulls consider themselves to be the strongest entity alive. When they walk this earth they are well-known for making this type of sound, "Hmmm". This is their natural sound, especially when they are angry.

ABOUT HINDI

The next component needed to understand the analogy are two simple Hindi words. The term "ham" in Hindi and other Indian languages means "I". And the term "tum" in Hindi means "you". That is also essential to understand Baba's teaching.

EGO, VANITY & DEVOTION

Then of course we all know that ego or I-ness has an inverse relationship with devotion. The aim of our human life is to realise that Parama Purusa is the Supreme Subject and Supreme Doer in the universe, not our little "I" feeling. We are to think, "O' Parama Purusa You are everything, because of Your grace everything happens." Baba says, "By His mercy one can [do] anything and everything. Without His mercy even a blade of grass cannot move." (AV-30) Baba says, "Gurukrpa' hi kevalam - “The Guru’s grace is everything.” This alone is the supreme truth. This is the be-all and end-all of life." (AFPS-8) With this idea in mind, then one can lead a devotional life, realising that His love, presence and touch guide us in all circumstances. Baba says, "Through devotion you should realize that He is the life of your life, the Lord of your inner heart." (APH-7) By his grace, with devotion we can practically feel that He is the be-all and end-all of life. However, a devotional outlook is categorically impossible when one is sunk in their own egoistic feeling. Then one thinks, "I am great, I have done so many things, I am the king of the mountain" etc. In that case one will give all credit to themselves, and not even think of Parama Purusa. Baba says, "“I did this, I did that, I’m not an ordinary man” – like this. In devotion there is no scope for being puffed up with vanity." (SS-21) Thus the more one gets absorbed in their own petty ego, the less one is able to realise Him. Ego, or asmita', then is the main stumbling block in leading a devotional life.

HOW BABA WRITES THE ANALOGY

With the above understanding about bulls, Hindi and ego, then we can best understand Baba's below analogy and how it relates with human life. Baba says, "People say that a bull, when he is in the fullness of his strength, [calls] Ham, meaning “I am great.” After he dies, the [cotton-spinner] makes a bow with strings from his intestines, and it produces the sound Tun, Tun, meaning “You are great.” Thus will fall the ego ultimately. Therefore the wise will take the “You are great” stance from the very beginning." (AV-23)

LITERAL EXPLANATION

Since the bull thinks it is so strong and walks around all day calling "hmmm", "hmmm, "hmmm" - similar to the Hindi word "ham" meaning "I" - Baba is making the joke that a bull is totally stuck in its own unit ego, touting its own greatness, day in & day out. However a day is sure to come when it will die and its body parts and intestines will be used as a string on a machine to spin cotton. Then the sound of that bull will be "tun", "tun" - similar to the Hindi word "tum" meaning "You". Thus after its death, when its ego is crushed, then and only then does the bull recognise Parama Purusa and repeat, "You are everything." Best then is to overcome the pitfalls of the ego early in life, and sing His praises each and every day - why wait until death, like the bull does. This is the humorous yet highly significant meaning of Baba's analogy.

WHAT IT ALL MEANS

With regards to our human life, we all know how when people gain success and gather name, fame, prosperity, and fortune, then they often think that they are really great - then their ego is on the top. In that case, they are prone to a fall. In social life, their ego will be a problem. But in their spiritual life it will be deadly. Because with a big ego, one will forget Him and accumulate all kinds of samskaras, negative karma, and sink oneself in all sorts of burdens. When one forgets that the Doership is Him and instead drowns in the mantra, "I am great - I did this" etc, then there is not an iota of scope for devotion. Stuck up in that kind of egoistic superiority complex, they will create hell in the their personal life and their spiritual life will be nil. As Baba says below, theirs is a "Himalayan ignorance". Baba says, "When people perceive something through the mind, they think that their sight or perception alone is the factor which determines the existence of an object. This sort of foolish presumption is called asmita' [ego]. Such people cannot understand that not only behind their cognition but also behind their sensation there exists the radiant reflection of an Effulgent Entity. This radiance is reflected not only in the crude and subtle but in the causal entity as well, and is the perfect semblance of His characteristic identity. Ignorant people cannot think of anything beyond what little light reflection they see on their own unit entities; their sense entities remain confined within that very limit. And that is why the ignorant materialists do not want to recognize anything beyond his observable world. This flagrant disregard on their part is not mere arrogance but Himalayan ignorance." (AMIWL-5) The only way out is to escape the shackles of one's ego and accept Him as the sole aim of life. That is the intelligent way to live. And that should be started from this very moment, not when one is old an gray, or even worse - dead, like the bull.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace He has given us the perfect recipe for living a life above the fray of ego and vanity, ensconced in the spiritual ideal that He is everything and that all inspiration and energy stem from Him. Then one can serve all without vanity and reach Him by surrendering unto His sweet will. No one then should live their life like a bull, sunk in their own false sense of prestige and vanity. That is Baba's teaching to us all. Baba says, "Now, this complete surrender, complete self-sacrifice, is to be done. But how? What is the secret? All human egos, all egoistic expressions, are based on the vanity moving around the self, moving around the “I” feeling, the first expression of existence. “I am” is the base, is the fundament, of all egos and all vanities. You know, when a man learns much or earns much, his ego, his vanity, gets puffed up. The man gets puffed up with vanity, and under such circumstances he becomes so conscious of his little existence that it becomes very difficult for him to surrender before the Supreme. What to speak of surrender, even if a logical theory is placed before him, he does not like to accept it. He thinks that if he accepts that theory, if he accepts that veracity, it will be humiliating for him. This sort of psychology misguides him under such circumstances. How to surrender? This can be done internally with the help of dhya'na [meditation in which the psyche is directed towards Consciousness], and externally by ascribing Godhood to all external entities." "While helping the poor people your vanity may increase. You may think: “I have done this, I have done that. I am not an ordinary man.” This is a psychic disease. Actually, vanity is a psychic disease, a psychic ailment. But if, while helping a man, a poor man, or a diseased person, you ascribe Godhood to him, that is, if you think, “I am not helping a man, I am helping God in human structure,” then vanity will not be encouraged. What will be the reaction within the person? “This body, this mind, this wealth has been given to me by Parama Purus'a, and Parama Purus'a has come before me, God has come before me, as a suffering person, and I am paying back that thing to Him. That is, the actual owner of this body, the actual owner of this mind is He, and His wealth I am paying back to Him.” So there will be no vanity." "And I said that the internal process is meditation. In meditation, Parama Purus'a becomes your object and you become the subject. You become the seer and He becomes the seen. But the inner spirit of meditation is that while looking at Him internally with your inner eye, you should think: “I am not meditating on Him nor am I seeing Him mentally. What is actually happening is that He is seeing me; that is, I am the object and He is the subject. He sees whatever I do, He sees whatever I think, so I am His object and He is my subject.” This idea helps in freeing oneself from the serpentine noose of ego and vanity." (AV-14) Namaskar, Motilal

Note 1: MORE ON EGO / VANITY AND REALISING HIM

These below two posting clearly review the entire concept behind the statement, "the umbrella of vanity", how that ruins one's life and how one can feel His grace.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/02/unfortunate-umbrella.html http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/03/date-sat-07-march-2009-230429-0000-to.html

Note 2: FURTHER READING ON BABA'S ANALOGIES

These below letters look at other interesting analogies that Baba uses in His discourses to put forth His sublime teachings.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/08/early-catching-is-good.html http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/08/story-of-three-thieves.html http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/01/dog-analogy-is-right-one.html

*************************************** Practical Aspect of Mysticism

Baba says, "Mysticism is a never-ending endeavour to find a link between finite and infinite." (AV-23, p.101) Note: Here Baba is indirectly giving the guideline that in the realm of devotion one should have a particular personal relation with Parama Purusa. And these relations are known as "bhava"-- whether they be sakhya bhava, dasya bhava, madhura bhava etc. So these various bhavas are that very "link between finite and infinite". Because with the help of these relations devotees gradually come in closer and closer proximity with Parama Purusa. Until finally by linking up in this way the sadhaka becomes one with Him.

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