Old Dogma Getting New Colour in AM

Date: 24 Oct 2009 05:43:06 -0000 From: "Shivadayal Singhal" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Old Dogma Getting New Colour in AM Baba "Lukiye tumi ka'j kare ya'o pratya'sha' kichu rekhe..." (P.S. 2618) Purport: Baba, You are the doer of all the work being done in this vast universe. Secretly You go on doing and executing everything. Nobody can see You-- but You are doing everything. And You do not harbour any desire to receive anything in return. Just You are deeply involved in managing all the work secretly, O' my Parama Purusa. And when You notice that somebody is searching You, then that time You move ahead in Your grand liila of hide and seek. Baba, You decorate the effulgence in darkness; and simultaneously You flood the cimmerian darkness with the showering of Your divine effulgence. Baba, You are the bridge between life and death; You are the crossing point. Yet all the while You Yourself remain hidden behind the scenes. Baba, You are the great hope of the hopeless hearts. In the end of the night You are the colourful dawn. Baba, You show the direction to those who have lost the path. And You spread Your divine love in all the ten directions. Baba, You go on doing all the work of this entire universe secretly-- never desiring anything in return. Just You continue playing hide & seek. Baba, Your liila is unfathomable...

== OLD DOGMA GETTING NEW COLOUR IN AM ==

Namaskar, A new "development" is taking place in our Marga. One new dogma is piggy-backing itself on top of an existing one. In that way, this new dogma has been born. Specifically, the existing Hindu dogma of shraddhanjali or punyatithi has been redecorated and given a place in AM - not just in the form of so-called mahaprayan but also as an annual death day ceremony for Ananda Margiis who have passed away. Unfortunately this has become a general trend in our Marga society. Some may think this is something glorious, but when it runs contrary to Baba's teaching, then there is no question of it being something good. Rather it is a dogma that should be removed.

NEW DOGMA: TURNING THE DEATH OF THEIR DEAR RELATIVE INTO AN ANNUAL DEATH CEREMONY

Since 1990, there have been innumerable cases wherein families in AM choose to observe the anniversary of the death of their cherished relative. For instance, if someone dies on July 1st, then instead of observing their death for the standard period of 12 days as per Baba's system, such families opt to celebrate the death for years and years, by honoring the anniversary of the death each year on July 1. They mark those celebrations by reciting shlokas, distributing food and clothes, and garlanding the deceased margiis's photo etc. Just as is done in the Hindu dogma of punya tithi / shraddha. To some naive persons this may sound "honorable" or "respectful", but it is totally 100% against Baba's system. Of course we all know that Baba has firmly declared in Caryacarya that the period of mourning shall be 12 days - no more. Baba says, "The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days." (CC-1) Thus to observe an annual death day ceremony is against Baba's guideline and against His wish. However, certain families justify that when so-called mahaprayan is observed every year as shraddhanjali (dogmatic Hindu shraddha ceremony) in Tiljala, then why can't we (i.e. the family) observe the death of our dear loved one, each year on the anniversary of his death. They innocently think that by honoring the death day annually, they are pleasing both Baba and their deceased relative. But in true sense they are appeasing neither. Because to please Baba one must follow His teachings and to please a deceased person one must honor their wishes. And most often, in the case of a Ananda Margiis, honoring their wishes means following Guru. Thus by observing the annual death day, neither party - not the deceased nor Guru - is pleased. Yet people have fallen into this trap because that is the prevailing Hindu dogma and that is what groupists like Sarvatmananda have popularised in AM. This is the predicament and the new dogma that is taking birth.

MAHAPRAYAN: JUST A HINDU DOGMA OF ANNUAL SHRADDHA (DEATH) CEREMONY

It is well known that the founders of MPD dogma treat their so-called mahaprayan program in Tiljala as a yearly shraddha ceremony. The same Hindu dogma of "yearly shraddha" - observing the death of a human being year after year - has been named shraddhainjali and it is going on in the form mahaprayan. Each year at so-called mahaprayan the shraddha mantra which is for general persons death, is repeated - with just a few changes. And side by food is served and gifts are given to the poor. Just like in the dogmatic Hindu shraddha ceremonies for deceased human beings. Indeed, this is the common Hindu dogmatic platform in India. Each year, the shraddhanjli or punyatithi of deceased political leaders like Indira Gandhi is performed. In that way, dogmatic Hindus garland their photo, offer food to the poor, and distribute clothing. Since 1990, this same dogma has been going on in AM in the form of the so-called mahaprayan occasion. Thus the MPD program in Kolkata is nothing but a mirror image of Hindu dogma - plus MPD is openly observed as a type of mourning / sad ceremony. Whereas in AM, our annual festivals are marked by joy & celebration. No annual festival in AM is based on sorrow. Baba says, "You may participate in all sorts of festivals which are blissful and free from defect." (CC-2, Society chapter, point 35) But see how the "founders" have described the 2009 dogmatic MPD program as sad and solemn, plus you will see by their description that they just copied the Hindu dogma of annual shraddha or punyatithi by doing mass feeding and distributing clothes etc. "The 19th anniversary of Mahaprayan of Shrii Shrii Anandamurtijii has been solemnly observed today...where His mortal remains were cremated...There was mass feeding of more than a thousand poor people and about 500 persons were given new clothes..." (B group PRS, 10/21/2009 12:54 PM) As mentioned above, this very same thing happens at all dogmatic punyatithi programs across India. So this is not some glorious thing invented by certain Dadas, rather the so-called mahaprayan program is just the prevailing dogma that is common in all of India. Baba Himself condemned such antics. Thus from top to bottom - the "solemnity" and sadness to food distribution etc - the whole so-called mahaprayan agenda is painted in the colour of the dogmatic Hindu shraddha ceremony. For that reason and more, mahaprayan is just one dogma.

SOME AM FAMILIES ARE DOING SAME THING

But by witnessing the dogma of MPD in AM, which is just a re-make of the dogmatic Hindu punyatithi program, some family margiis are inculcating this same dogma with their deceased family members. They think they are doing something glorious by pleasing all parties involved - wishing that the dead person reaches heaven and praising Parama Purusa - but Baba is never pleased by the spread of dogma. In AV 10, Baba openly jokes about those dogmatic worshipers who pay salutations to all the gods and goddesses in order to appease every deity etc. Baba raise the point that in reality there is only one God and He is not at all happy seeing such dogmatic things. Thus those involved in worshiping all kinds of idols etc are in fact not pleasing any Divine Entity. Similarly, those involved in observing the annual death ceremony of their uncle or grandfather etc are not gaining points with Parama Purusa. Rather they are facing degradation. Because one cannot please Baba by indulging in a bogus practice from Hindu dogma. But some margiis fall into this trap because it is crude and easy, far easier than doing sadhana. That is why it has become somewhat popular. Mostly though, in their innocence margiis are just trying to do something respectful and do not mean to do any harm. They are just emulating what they see happening in Kolkata each year. There are quite a number of margii families involved in such annual death day celebrations. And at present, the revered family of N.R.K. Raju is also planning such a death day celebration in April 2010 on the first anniversary of his death. But we should discourage such things. First, we do not believe in heaven so there is no need to pray for any margii's arrival into heaven. Nor should we offer physical articles like food and clothing in hopes that they will get those things when they reach heaven. Rather ours is a most rational approach. In the case of deceased margiis, we should know that they have reached Baba's divine lap and gotten ultimate salvation, i.e. they have become one with Baba. And in the case of ordinary persons, they have been reborn to continue their journey along the path of pratisaincara. Thus in neither case is the deceased person in heaven, as the Hindu dogma stipulates. But again, some margii families have gotten caught up in annual death day celebrations because the Kolkata faction has reinforced this Hindu dogma as being something great. By doing this with Baba for their so-called mahaprayan program, they have indirectly or directly influenced the minds of innocent margiis who want to revere their deceased family members. By this chain of events so many have been led astray. And through it all, Parama Purusa Baba does not at all approve. Just as a drunkard will offer alcohol to all they meet - the drunkard thinks because he likes alcohol then all must like it - similarly dogmatic worshipers will think that their crude dogma will be pleasing to others. So they indulge in ritualistic death day ceremonies. But such antics are not at all appreciated in AM. The fact that one group invented their so-called mahaprayan program based on Hindu dogma does not then mean that all AM family members should create similar programs for their deceased. Doing so is to invite the wrath of Parama Purusa, not His favour. Plus it is a disservice to the deceased as they were honorable margiis and now in their name one dogma is being performed. So it is a total loss in so many ways.

DOGMA JUST GETS REPEATED

In their crude manner, the founders of so-called mahaprayan become happy by watching others drown by inculcating the annual death day ceremony into their family observations. They feel joy watching their dogma spread. Baba describes this defective mentality in His below teaching. Baba says, "Even educated people knowingly submit to dogma. They know that they are surrendering their intellect to dogma, and that the outcome will be undesirable; they know and understand everything. Why, even then, do they knowingly submit to it? They are all deliberate sinners and intentionally accept dogmas as truth. They observe that these dogmas are based on A'tma-Sukha Tattva; but they think, "I don't care whether it does good or harm to others, because at last I have enjoyed some pleasure!" Being motivated by this idea, they enslave themselves to dogmas." (NH-LOI, p.37) Such is the dark mind-set of the founders of MPD dogma. Intellectually and even spiritually they know Baba is eternal, but they mourn His so-called death each and every year in the fashion of dogmatic Hindus because they get some enjoyment by this dogma. It brings money to their group and makes Kolkata into the capital of AM. For these selfish pleasures they indulge in this dogma. Of course nowadays, most margiis and field workers are critically aware that MPD is one dogma - thus hardly anyone attends. But that does not stop the founders of MPD from trying to impose their dogma on others. The concluding point is this: All family margiis should be aware that the so-called MPD program is not a guiding light for making annual death day observations for their deceased family members. This is not the way of dharma and benefits no one - rather the organisers will incur negative samskaras.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace the way to please Him and honour our deceased family member is by adhering to His teachings and guidelines and not getting caught up in various dogmas like punyatithi (annual Hindu shradda ceremony) etc. Baba says, "From the very starting point you should be active, you should be vocal, in fighting against the influence of dogmas. It is due to these dogmas that human society could not progress properly." (AV-30) Baba says, "When people are established in devotion, they attain a state called “ist'a nis't'a” – devotion for one’s goal. In that stage there is but one dominant thought: “Whatever I do, be it social, political or socio-economic service, the motivating thought in my mind will be to please Parama Purus'a”. (AV-8) Namaskar, Shivadayal

******************************************** How Meaningful

Baba says, "A jiiva is manifested out of Paramashiva as a jiiva in human body-- or rather, simultaneously in the Cosmic Body and in a human body. Each and every microcosmic structure is like a universe. Hence the yoga of scriptures say, Traelokye ya'ni bhu'ta'ni ta'ni dehatah-- 'Whatever exists in the universe exists in your small structure as well." (DKG, p.19)

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