Show Me Your A'nanda Va'n'ii

Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:46:38 -0600 To: AM-GLOBAL From: "Paul Paltrow" Subject: Show Me Your A'nanda Va'n'ii Baba

== SHOW ME YOUR A'NANDA VA'N'II ==

Namaskar, Tell me, is this your A'nanda Va'n'ii?? If so, think again, because this below vanii is a Fake Ananda Vanii, just like the other fake ones being offered by other groups. Only a totally naive person could think to use the below as an Ananda Vanii. New Year’s Day – 2010 You have to remember the fact that no great work can be accomplished on this earth through flattery. In order to accomplish any noble task, courage, competence and utmost commitment are absolutely necessary. Victory will surely be yours. Under no circumstances should you worry about victory. You have come to this earth to accomplish a noble task. Keep working continuously till you reach your individual goal. And at the end of your efforts, you are destined to reach your spiritual goal and establish yourselves in cosmic bliss for eternity. ( English ) ( Shrii Shrii A’nandamurtjii ) ( Selected from the discourse , “The Middle Path is the Perfect Path”, A’nandavacana’mrtam, Part -13 ) Everyone should be clear - the above Ananda Vanii is totally fake - nobody should use such a thing - it is a farce.

WHY IT IS FAKE

Baba has given His original and true Ananda Vaniis and they are collected in His book, Ananda Vanii Samgraha. Such Vaniis, of divine messages of truth, were delivered by Marga Guru at select times and they are unique bullets of truth for that time period and for all time. They are eternal in nature and totally original - they were not cut from other discourses. Baba would handwrite them Himself for that very occasion and for time immemorial. Today, however, the various groups concoct their own Fake Ananda Vaniis by stealing sentences from previously printed discourses. That is totally wrong. Baba has given discourses and Baba has given Ananda Vaniis. The two cannot be mixed and matched. (#1) Just as one cannot take a paragraph from any discourse and call it the Supreme Command, similarly one cannot yank a few lines from a discourse and call it an Ananda Vanii. (#2) Just as one cannot grab any word from a discourse and call it an ista mantra, similarly one cannot yank a few lines from a discourse and call it an Ananda Vanii. (#3) Just as one cannot borrow any shloka from a discourse and call it Guru Puja, similarly one cannot yank a few lines from a discourse and call it an Ananda Vanii. Only people who want to manipulate Baba's teachings do like that and fabricate Fake Ananda Vaniis. No true disciple of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti will do such things. We must follow Guru and His example, and not destroy His divine teachings by making faulty, fake concoctions and calling them Ananda Vanii. The above Fake Ananda Vanii is an excerpt from AV-13; it is not an original Vanii as given by Baba.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE

By His grace He has blessed us with a published collection of His sacred and original Ananda Vaniis. And it is those that should be used on the annual occasions of New Year's Day and Ananda Purnima. In every unit, margiis and acaryas can select one of Baba's original Ananda Vaniis and read it to out loud at their local gathering. Here are but a few examples of Baba's 74 original Ananda Vaniis. "The Supreme Spirit within humanity, neglected for ages, has awakened today. This awakening will initiate a new chapter in human history. You will all be the pioneers of the new trend." (A'nanda Va'n'ii #1) "The only creed of a spiritual aspirant is to love the Universal Consciousness and the creation. One must not be guided by any national, caste, linguistic or religious sentiment and must not tolerate any fissiparous tendency." (A'nanda Va'n'ii #16) "The more the honest people are firm on morality, the more the evil forces will be active against them. So all the moralists of the universe should remain organized and confront the evil forces unitedly." (A'nanda Va'n'ii #59) So we should all select one of Baba's true Ananda Vaniis for New Year's and not use fake ones that crooks are concocting and passing around. Namaskar, Punya'taman

Keep Skull

From: "Herb Marmlestein" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Keep Skull Date: Wed 30 Dec 2009 13:10:49 Baba "A'ma'r sakal dukher ma'jhe ele tumi dukhaharan'..." (PS 1421) Purport: O' Baba, You are Dukhaharan'. I was surrounded by sorrows & suffering; I was in big problem; my life was unbearable. I was completely miserable. But now, by Your grace, to save me, You have come with Your gazing eyes, silent footsteps, loving smile, and sweet face. Baba, by Your divine advent You have blessed me and rescued me by wiping away all my troubles and suffering. Baba, completely depending upon You with full surrender, in that very distressed and helpless condition, I was calling You and looking towards You. Raising both my hands in surrender I told, 'Baba, please save me; You are my only shelter. If You will not save me then who will.' Then at that moment You rescued me by showering Your grace. Baba, when I look around I see that because of Your gracious presence this entire universe has become vibrated & charged. The whole sky is enveloped in Your divine effulgence and my mind and heart is drenched in Your love. Baba, holding Your lotus feet, I sing Your glory in my heart and surrender to You...

== KEEP SKULL ==

Namaskar, When Baba would arrive at any airport then there would be a grand reception by all local margiis and workers and part and parcel of that dramatic and exciting time was dancing tandava with a skull for Baba. That was the rule. Everyone in AM is well aware about this. In AM, the skull symbolises the constant struggle of life and the fight against death. It is one of our dharmic tools. Thus the skull has great value in the life of any tantrika and in this short posting we will examine why it is beneficial for every Ananda Margii to keep a skull.

LIFE IS TEMPORARY (Part 1)

Our time on this earth is temporary - yet most people totally remain oblivious of this fact. They think the qualities they have, i.e. their wealth, health, beauty, and power, will last forever. That defective outlook causes so many problems. People falsely believe that their life and property are permanent and that leads them to become arrogant and hurtful towards others. They think that with their limited power they can do what they want and that their power will never wane. By this way they torture, cheat, abuse, and rule over others - all the while thinking that their position is indestructible and lasting. When the fact is that human life is temporary and this world is transitory. Even as Ananda Margiis however, we can forget this fact. And in that way we may forget what is most important on this earth. Perhaps we will not cheat and exploit other like materialists are prone to do, yet we may get wrapped up in transitory gains instead of yearning for the Supreme. To think of this world as a permanent abode is common amongst human beings - this is their illusionary outlook. Yet this mindset is not helpful for our growth and development. Here is one suggestion; If we all keep a skull in our room or on our desk, then we will be constantly reminded by the transitory nature of this world. By that way, we will always be involved in proper deeds on this earth.

LIFE IS TEMPORARY (Part 2)

Just as when people think their power is permanent then they will abuse others day and night, similarly, when people think that their qualities are temporary, then they will adopt the right psychology and values in life. Then they will think that their life should be utlised for a benevolent cause. Then there is no time to get mixed up in wrongdoing. Baba says, 'What is a devotee to do? “Tyaja durjana sam'sargam” – you should give up the company of durjanas. Who is a durjana? I will explain. A man whose company will deteriorate or deprave the standard of others is a durjana for those persons." (AV-12) According to Baba, as bhaktas we are to surround ourselves with good people, and give up the company of bad people. The shloka goes on to say that we are to always remember that this world is temporary. That is the recipe for a proper life.

LIFE IS TEMPORARY (Part 3)

When we constantly remember that this world is temporary - and having a skull visible day in and day out can help - then we are bound to set our sights on that which is permanent. In that case we will vigilantly goad our lives unto Him. Only Parama Purusa is eternal (nitya). Baba says, "Parama'tma' is nitya. The term nitya means that which is uninfluenced by the time factor i.e., beyond the periphery of past, present and future." (SS-18) So when Paramatma is the only eternal Entity then that is the stance we should attain - not any worldly status. By keeping a skull by our bedside we will always remember that this world and this body do not last forever. What to speak of forever, they do not even last long. People get only get a few years when they are in the peak of their life.

LIFE IS TEMPORARY (Part 4)

When we realise that life is indeed temporary then we will fully utilise our existence in the proper way. The situation can be likened to visiting a new city. If you are going to be there for only one or two days then in a quick hurry you will see all the sights and learn all there is to know about that city, whereas if one lives in that city then they will feel relaxed and they will no go anywhere or see anything. They will think they have loads of time to do that later. We should think of our time on this earth like the sightseer who is visiting a city for just 1 or 2 days. Then we will be vigilant to live life for the right ideal - and not be lackadaisical or apathetic about doing good deeds. We will think that now is the time to act and realise Him because we will not be here much longer. Anytime death can come - there is no guarantee at all. We have not time for silly material pursuits and gratification etc. These two postings lead us in this direction:

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/08/slowly-towards-cremation.html http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2008/06/noose.html

ALL SHOULD HAVE A SKULL

2500 years ago when a young prince first left his kingdom and saw people getting sick and dying on the street then he was forced to consider the temporary nature of life and reevaluate what he should do on this earth. It was then that his true quest began and he later became the Buddha, or Enlightened One. Keeping a skull by our side gives that same stark reminder that our life is temporary and that we should not get caught up in relative luxuries and satisfaction. We are to spend our time striving for the Great. For this reason every Ananda Margii - regardless of whether one was initiated yesterday or 40 years ago - should keep a skull in their possession. Having a skull should be considered indispensable. If getting an actual skull is too difficult or illegal then margiis should access Google images and print out a picture of a skull or find a good artist and get a skull printed or painted onto a piece of paper and hang that up on their wall. That type of ongoing reminder is absolutely necessary otherwise one is bound to forget that we have not come onto this earth for a long time - rather a very short stay. One other benefit of having a skull is that it is good for one's daily tandava practice.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace we have come here for a short time and must materialise great works. Keeping a skull reminds us of the fact that just as the skull was one day a breathing, walking human being, soon our head will be in that condition. One day we too will be like that skull - sooner, not later. Our life is not long nor do we know when it will end. As sadhakas we should live in the present always thinking and doing to please Him and we should never get caught up in long-term plans - nor let the minutes pass away thinking that we will have time in the future.

Grhiitvaeva keshes'u mrtyurn'a' Dharma'caret

Baba says, "That is, during spiritual practice one should think that the god of death has already started pulling one’s hair – that one’s death is imminent. And accordingly one should work sincerely and vigorously; one will have to do a great many noble deeds within a short period." (SS-11) Namaskar, Hariish

Note 1: MORE POSTINGS ON THIS TOPIC

Human life is short and it must be well-utilised. These below letters are along this theme. We should all read and study them - and yes, keep a skull in our living room.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/08/slowly-towards-cremation.html http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2008/06/noose.html http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/10/why-death.html

************************************************* Good Sadhaka

Baba says, "The mind of the man whose consciousness or discriminating judgement is awakened-- whose power of judgment is intense, always remains wedded to the 'Buddhi'. That is to say, his rein (mind) remains constantly under the control of the charioteer (Buddhi or discriminating intellect), and so, quite naturally, his organs remain loyal to the Buddhi. Random rambles of the organ-like horses (organs) will cut no ice with him. But in a case like this if the horses (organs) be bad and untrained, i.e. the organs are faulty, it becomes impossible for the charioteer (discriminating intellect) to get the desired result. Hence for the right functioning of the chariot (body), well-trained horses (organs) are indispensable. A sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) also should train himself likewise. His mind, body, intellect, and organs should be directed towards the Blissful Spirit (Shreya)." (SS-4, p.9)

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

DMS News: Crowd - 1

To: am-global@earthlink.net From: Gaurishankar Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:01:38 Subject: DMS News: Crowd - 1 Baba

== DMS NEWS: CROWD - 1 ==

Namaskar, Here is the first in a series of eyewitness reports about the upcoming New Year's DMS (Dec 30 - Jan 1, 2010) in Ananda Nagar. Please watch for ensuing reports.

WHO HAS ARRIVED THUS FAR & WHERE THEY ARE

At this point the various group camps are getting situated in Ananda Nagar. Here is the outline of where everybody is: (A) Leaders like Dada Parameshvarananda, Dada Arthapremananda, & Didi Ananda Giita and their supporters already arrived in Ananda Nagar. (B) The Ranchi group Didis are staying in Berlin house which is near the river. (C) Kolkata Didis are statying in the chief hostel in front of the Berlin house. (D) WWD Didis are staying in Ands light office where Pareshtanandji used to stay; it is near by the pandal. (E) Ranchi junior dada's are staying in the jagrti which is in front of the pandal. (F) Ranchi Central workers stay in the central office in front of the R.M office. (G) 3rd front Dadas are staying in the Children home's. (H) Kolkata Dadas are staying in the High school. (I) Tomorrow all the remaining group leaders will arrive in Ananda Nagar.

QUITE THE CROWD

By reading the above news, one might say that "quite the crowd" has arrived for DMS. And it is true: It is a crowd. Why? Because each of these groups / supporters have not come for unity but for their own agenda. They want to siphon more into their group camp and gobble up any and all resources available, especially money from margiis etc. That is why we call this a crowd, rather than a dharmic assembly. Because all the camps have their own target strategy - there is no unified purpose. They have not come to spread ideology and wipe out dogma. Rather they have come for their own groupist affairs. Rather than being called a meeting of the minds for ideological unity, the scene at Ananda Nagar is one like the crowd at the Howrah Railway station, where there are hundreds or thousands of people, but they have nothing in common per se. There is no unity of purpose. Each and every visitor to Howrah Railway station has come for their own individual tour program - they have no unified purpose. That is why it is called a crowd. Same then is the case at DMS - all the group sponsors and their "yes men" have come for their narrow interests not some great common goal. So this is just one crowd at Ananda Nagar - nothing more. Of course the vast majority of margiis and field workers want unity, but the group camps have their own factional reasons for attending.

VARIATION OF KHUMBA MELA

At the khumba mela - which regularly attracts millions of worshipers - all kinds of monks come for all kinds of reasons. Some come to beg, some smoke ganja (marijuana), some do idol worship, some are naked, some have ashes spread all over them - so many different types come. By the variation, it just become one crowd. And the attendees get attracted by seeing this grand show. The divergent agendas of the various WT groups, DMS has neatly imbued the khumba mela crowd scene. All the camps are putting on one show - hoping to outshine one another and get more followers. Such is the case at various holy lands as well. No unity of purpose - just masses of people with their own individual agenda and opportunists trying to capitalise.

WE MUST FOLLOW BABA

To generate unity in our Marga, we must follow Baba's path - His ideological teachings. By wiping out dogmas like Mahaprayan, scriptural distortion, fake Ananda Vaniis, expulsion, Fake BP Manual etc, and implementing Baba's divine mandates, then we can most certainly create unity in AM. Till that time, the scene at DMS will just be like one crowd - nothing more. Because when all the groups arrive for their own factional pursuits, then there is no ideology or unity. It is just one crowd.

BABA'S GRACE

By Baba's grace soon things will change in AM as many are looking toward His divine ideal and working to put forth His dharmic teachings - not some groupist agenda. So what is going on now at Ananda Nagar will not last much longer. The clouds of dogma will go and the rays of dharma will shine, by His grace. Namaskar, Gaurishankar

Khicuri Unity...

To: AM-GLOBAL Subject: Khicuri Unity... Date: Tue 29 Dec 2009 08:42:38 +0500 (IST) From: Ram Sahay Kulshresth Baba "A'jake sa'njhe madhur sa'jhe ke else go, ke ele..." (P.S. 5006) Purport: In this sweet and intoxicated evening, Who has come, Who has come? Who is that Entity Who has created this new wave in everyone's life and in everyone's heart. Those who are sitting with their doors and windows closed, please come out and forget about the differences of own and other. That divine Entity Who is always sitting in the mind, He has come in front of us. We should enjoy His august arrival all together...

== KHICURI UNITY LOOKS GOOD BUT NEVER WORKS ==

Namaskar, As the New Year DMS approaches still the various groups are struggling to rise above the other. Each wants to appear better than the rest in the eyes of the common margiis. We have seen it before and it is bound to unfold at this DMS again. Under such circumstances, various people-- especially certain so-called leaders-- are bound to make the cry for "unity, unity, and still more unity". Indeed, their mantra japa of "unity" is already being done. And make no mistake, it can sound enticing, but it is never going to work.

KEY POINT: TRUE UNITY NEEDED-- BASED ON IDEOLOGY

So here comes the trick. Any unity needs to be established on the point of ideology-- otherwise it will just lead our Marga deeper into the dark forest of dogma & groupism. That means our call for unity must be based on the ideals that: (a) Baba's teachings must be followed, (b) our AM scripture must be made proper-- i.e. flawless, free of any distortions, (c) BP rights must be restored, (d) the weapon of expulsion must be outlawed, (e) Fake Ananda Vaniis must be stopped, (f) the integrity of the ACB should be re-instilled, (g) the victimisation of innocent margiis must end, (h) the dogma of MPD must be eliminated, (i) margii rights must be granted, (j) and so many other ideological issues must be brought to the fore. Establishing a movement and rallying around these burning issues-- where there is not an iota of compromise on the point of ideology-- will certainly bring the unity that is needed in our Marga. Baba says, "Human unity is purely an ideological unity." (PNS-15) Unfortunately that is not what is happening today.

JUST A CASE OF KHICURI UNITY

Instead mostly what happens is that various groupists sing their cheesy song of unity and try to collect people into their fold. Such groupists say, 'Come on, let there be unity-- join in, don't delay, march with us and be unified'. This is their type of hallmark, superficial talk. Yet through it all, their inner goal is only to advance their crooked agenda of tossing stones on the opposing camp, proclaiming their own yes-men as purodhas, grabbing handfuls of power for themselves, and, in general, ruling over the Marga. The point being that merely collecting a critical mass under one's own groupist umbrella has nothing to do with unity. In that case, rather than unity being attained purely on the point of ideology, their so-called unity is nothing but an eclectic, dogmatic, and groupist mish-mash of various selfish endeavours. Theirs is just like one huge pot of boiling khicuri (Indian rice stew) that is filled with dozens and dozens of assorted ingredients. There is no purity of purpose, nor even a trace of ideology. The whole thing is one big disheveled mass-- a melange of low-minded agendas. In that case, when ideology is totally compromised, how can unity can be achieved-- rather it cannot. Yet this is what the various groupists are doing.

HOW A FEW GET SUCKED IN

No doubt, many good and rational margiis realise this and they understand what garbage is going on in those groupist headquarters. In their heart of hearts, sincere margiis know that these raging groupists are just make a false chant unity-- their unity is nothing but a farce. Even then-- knowing this-- a few good and kind-hearted margiis may get 'taken for a ride', swindled, or duped. And here is how it happens. Those good margiis are standing around contemplating the scene, totally unimpressed with the groupist call for so-called unity, and in that moment top Dadas come to them and openly challenge, 'Baba wants that there must be unity, so join in-- do not isolated yourself or act as an outcaste, fulfill your debt to Guru'. This is what such groupists say. And if still that good margii does not join their groupist parade, then those top Dadas will go one step further. They will say, 'Everyone look, here we have someone who is going against Baba's will, let this fellow shed his ego and come walk with us-- arm in arm, and let unity be attained'. Then, under that extreme pressure and humiliation, some innocent margiis might join that so-called unity movement. Or here is another way that it might happen. A margii might understand perfectly that a particular groupist camp is making a false band of unity, but within his own mind, that margii may think that, 'My only option is to join them and then together we can bring forth a platform based on unity-- because at any cost unity must be achieved'. In their naivete, a few may be thinking like this. And in that way they get scooped up into a groupist parade etc. But the result will not be at all good, because unity cannot be achieved when the very first step is away from ideology. So none should think that they have no other option but to join one team or another. Rather we should always stand on the pillars of AM ideology-- whether we are surrounded by others or not. Because it is ideology-- not numbers-- that is the key to attaining unity. That is Baba's clear-cut mandate.

WE MUST BE CAREFUL

So we must be careful. Because in the name of unity, various factional leaders may try so many ploys, or stunts, and in one way or another this or that margii might get roped in-- some might fall prey to those groupist schemes of fake unity. That is why Baba says we must be wary of such an unwanted scenario. Baba says, "They will try to unite the people forcibly through the pressure of governmental [or groupist] machinery....by the steamroller of governmental [groupist] machinery, but such unity is not at all desirable." (TTP) Thus one must never succumb or give way to groupist pressure thinking that by this way unity will be found. Secondly, nor should one rationalise in their own mind, 'What is the use of remaining where I am when so many are rushing to join one or another team, better I should also join one crew and then think about ideology'. This type of quick-fix or band-aid solution also has no value. Verily, neither of these two approaches are going to work. And history has proven this time and time again.

HISTORICAL PROOF

In the past, during the Indian Independence movement, the various Indian leaders left any high ideals aside and just opted to make a push to get the power-- as if afterwards, later on, they would be able to get things proper and create a united India. But it never happened. Rather everything just went from bad to worse. Instead of creating a unified India, they cracked and divided the country into pieces-- causing untold bloodshed, riots, and hatred for years and decades to come. Still, more than half a century later, still it is going on and it shows no signs of dissipating.

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS

Here the point is that for unity to be achieved, one must live by a high ideal from the very outset, from the very beginning, and never deviate one inch from that stand. Otherwise one is only inviting trouble. Baba says, "We will not deviate an inch from our ideology, nor will we allow others to do so. One cannot promote human welfare if one bothers too much about public criticism, about the reaction in the papers or among the voters." (NSS, Disc: 14) Thus when various groupists try to preach unity by mixing together so many selfish agendas-- like getting the stage at DMS, or grabbing half of Ananda Nagar, or giving lip-service to fixing AM Publications, or half-heartedly sponsoring a peace meeting, or so many things-- then we must not be lulled, tempted, or duped. That type of khicuri unity has no redeeming value whatsoever. Rather it is just plain rubbish. Hence, we should stand firm by our ideological base. Then and only then can true unity be formed.

BABA'S BLESSING

Unity does not mean throwing a stone on the head of some group boss and then calling everyone around to join in. Nor does unity come from so many other groupist ploys. By Baba's grace real unity is achieved by followings His tenets, teachings, and guidelines and implementing those in our practical lives. In these trying times in our Marga, riddled by groupism, keeping our AM ideology close to heart is the only way to proceed. And verily with this ideal, unity will be attained-- it is ours, by His grace. Baba says, "To live in peace and harmony, there must be a supreme ideology accepted by all, because whenever there are ideological differences, physical conflicts between individuals and groups are bound to occur, and peaceful social life becomes impossible." (NSS, Disc: 2) Namaskar, Ram Sahay

********************************* Food Problems and Their Solution II

Baba says, "In the event of shortages in the food and accommodation of the population of the world, people will convert uncultivated land into new arable land, increase the productivity of the soil by scientific methods, produce food by chemical processes with earth, water and air, and if this earth decreases in its productivity, then land seeking human beings will migrate to different planets and satellites and settle there." (PNS-13, p.45)

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

Their Fall From Grace

Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:13:46 To: AM-GLOBAL From: V.J.K. Rajpurhit Subject: Their Fall From Grace Baba "Sakal bha'ver a'dha'r tumi, toma'r na'me ja'i go mete..." - P.S. no. 787 Purport: Baba, You are the base of all ideations. By Your grace I am divinely intoxicated in Your name and song. Within my lonely eyelids I have an incessant desire to get You. Baba, the whole universe is filled with Your form. My mind is resonating in Your tune and melody. In fact, all the rhythms and all the songs have come on this earth to sing Your glory. Baba, the whole sky is filled with Your effulgence. Your august arrival has changed darkness into effulgence. And the iron door of the jail is pulverized into dust. All the dogma has disappeared. The whole universe is filled with Your divine effulgence. Baba, everyone is ensconced in singing Your name...

== THEIR FALL FROM GRACE ==

Namaskar, I remember that when I visited India before 1990, then our Wts commanded huge respect. All margiis viewed our acaryas with great reverence-- and deservedly so. Those who were in AM those days surely also remember this. However, since 1990, that respect has been waning such that at this present moment the overall regard for Wts is at an all-time low. And this also is not unwarranted. Here then is a look into how this shocking scenario has taken place: Where in such a short span of time the overall status of our acaryas has plunged deep down into the lower echelons of our AM society. I also recognise that there are some workers who margiis still regard quite highly; so we should also look into that phenomenon as well. How is it that some Wts have rightly maintained their dignified place as a wholetime worker for Baba. Lastly, those with experiences and stories about this topic are highly encouraged to share their insights.

WHY WTS WERE SO REVERED BEFORE '90

Those pre-1990 days were truly special; we all viewed our acaryas as being extensions of Baba. Everyone felt special to be in the company of our Wts. Why is it? Was it magic? Why did our workers seem so vibrated those days? Well there are any number of theories that might account for this, but the underlying factor or root cause is one: Proper conduct. Those days Baba was adamant that all Wts must follow all the various codes of conduct. This pressure was placed on every worker as they knew that Baba would surely point out any laxness in this regard. So from morning till night, from their pre-dawn cold bath till their final sadhana before sleep, all our workers were vigilant to follow all conduct rules as closely as possible. And this adherence to the system had a big effect on their being. Because all Baba's divine guidelines aim towards turning human beings into veritable gods. Thus when our workers were sincerely involved in that pre-1990 era of carefully following all the conduct rules, then they really were on the path of life divine. And their vibration reflected this. That is why we all wanted to be near our acaryas. The force behind this great revolutionary era was, of course, Baba's ever-watchful eye. For that reason Wts were strict in following the conduct rules and the result was quite evident.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE 1990

Astonishingly, a terrible 'fall from grace' has happened with many of our Wts. And here again the cause can be attributed to one root point: Poor conduct. Little by little with each and every passing day, month, and year, many of our Wts began to lose their habit of following those dharmic codes of conduct. It happened slowly, drop by drop, until finally we have found ourselves in the mud puddle that exists today. Because with Baba not physically present to exert pressure on our wts, and with Centre taking a blind eye towards wrongdoings and degrading behaviour, then all workers were just free to follow their various degrading vrttis. And that is what has happened. Here it is not that all fell directly into sex etc. This happened to some and that we all know about. Rather the more over-arching problem was the fall into materialistic values. That is the general trend that has happened to the majority of workers. Instead of chasing after Baba and His dharmic ideals, our Wts have taken to chasing after iPods, laptops, automobiles, video this, and MP3 that etc. Indeed some margiis have commented that now many of our Wts are like teenagers chasing after the latest gizmos and gadgets. This has become the common episode. And it is not just a superficial occurrence but has rather filtered into the mentality of our acarya culture. Because nowadays respect is generated within the Wts ranks based on what gadget one has and what car one drives. That is the debased mentality that has taken over. That is how they get their prestige: On what object they own, not on the depth of their sadhana. Until finally there are Citkrsnananda type of Dadas who are wholly dedicated for their own financial gain and nothing else. In that case, heavy-duty Swiss Bank Accounts entering into the tens of millions become the order of the day. Tragically this has the scene that has taken over these days. That is why many margiis and even other Wts have commented that rather than having acaryas who have dedicated their lives to Baba and dharma, we now have workers who have given their all to 21st century materialism. And the root cause behind it all is the failure to follow the conduct rules. That vigilance is gone from our Wts ranks. There are a few who sincerely follow and they have the respect of margiis accordingly, but the general trend is that any Wt can do as they like and no one will say anything about it. There is no external pressure from Centre or from their supervisors. Reason being their moral standard is also quite low. In that way, for the typical wt, their daily routine has become more mundane and their mental pabulum has become terribly materialistic. Because they are allowed to degrade themselves and fall into the common flow of the general society, as no one is there to point them out.

THE PROBLEM IS AT AT MOST BASIC LEVEL

Here again it should be reiterated that the problem is not a subtle one. It is not that some Wts are faltering in pursuing the higher aspects of life or that some Wts are not using a scrubber to wash their backsides. The issue is not nearly so subtle or minute. Rather the mass of our wts are totally drowned night and day in crude de-based behaviour that can be witnessed with anyone's crude eyes. And it is this blatant disregard for the most obvious of conduct rules that is the chief issue at hand. When this gets resolved then we can work on higher values and less blatant shortcomings.

WHY DONATIONS ARE DOWN

Is it any wonder than that when our wts are immersed in the chase after material things that margiis are giving less money to acaryas. Because when when a visiting worker shows up with a fancy travel bag filled with the latest marvels of the world of technology, then those family margiis, who themselves are struggling for their own survival, think, 'It seems this worker does not need any money as he has far more gadgets than my entire family'. Likewise when a margii enters into a jagriti and sees various workers in their own rooms watching the latest and greatest on their portable, wireless video palm-tops, then margiis think: 'What is the need to give such workers money. They can already afford everything that they want. And not only that, they are not going to use the money for mission work.' This is that idea that comes to the minds of so many margiis. So really, this has all led to an drastic reduction in donations given to our Wts. And that hurts those sincere workers the most-- i.e. those who really are doing Baba's work and need financial support. Yet it is the undeniable trend that much less funds are being given to our workers.

THIS IS NOTHING TO CELEBRATE

In the face of this degradation of our Wts, their status in the Marga is now most ordinary or even lower than that. No doubt groupism is at an all-time high, but any wt on their own can redeem themselves by keeping proper conduct. But in the absence of that, margiis find there is little redeeming value of such workers. For, if they are not dedicating their lives for Baba and acting accordingly, then what use are they-- how can we even call them acarya. Unfortunately, in some sparse corners, a few margiis, here and there, are almost rejoicing in this fall of our acaryas. And there are some margiis who seem to take great delight in kicking our wts. As if, finally they got the chance to step on them. A few margiis seem to behave in this way in that they seem happy that our wts have lost their flow and now they themselves can be top-notch in AM. But this is not the way. Overall it is a shame and terribly unfortunate that this disgraced fall has happened within our Wt ranks. It would have been far better if our Wts had been able to rise to the occasion and maintain a strict spiritual and dharmic flow amongst the cadre. That would have been a great boon for our Marga & the general society. So many great works & so much pracara could have been done. Hence, the fact that our Wts have fallen into mire is nothing to celebrate. Rather I yearn for those pre-90 days when our Wts were verily second gods. And surely by Baba's grace and with the hard work and cooperation of all, such glorious days will return where our Wts are tops.

WHEN LEADERSHIP IS POOR, SOCIETY CRUMBLES

Our acaryas are meant to stand as the real leaders of society. There is no doubt about that. Their role is unprecedented as they are the veritable pioneers who by their conduct and compassion will bring smiles to the faces of the suffering and inspire young and old alike to adhere to the tenets of spiritual life. This is their true glory. Family margiis can also lead but the leadership of our Wts is a vastly needed element for the welfare of the world. And when that is absent, the result is not at all good. That is Baba's strict warning. Baba says, "Today there is catastrophe and misery in human society and there is one reason: the defective leadership of society...True leaders should always be vigilant and think how to work best for human society." (AV-31, 'Conduct of Acarya') So when our Wts have fallen away from the acarya code of conduct, then that has a distinct domino effect. First and foremost then junior wts will be less inclined to follow those rules. And then that laxness will spread throughout the entire society. That is why Baba strongly emphasizes proper behaviour within our acarya ranks, otherwise things will not bode well for the Marga and the society on the whole. Baba says, "Bear in mind that people may be harmed or misled by even a small weakness or defect in the conduct of an a'ca'rya. Just as it is the duty of a father to educate his children properly by his good conduct, an a'ca'rya should always instruct by his exemplary actions and word." (AV-31, 'Conduct of Acarya') So without the proper conduct of our acaryas-- without them giving up their lust for material pursuits such as iPods etc-- then society will never be able to advance.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION -- WHAT MARGIIS CAN DO

The solution to this whole problem is two-fold. Firstly, it is important for family margiis to help resuscitate our acarya culture. Oxygen should be administered little by little until our Wts regain their feet. And that 'oxygen' should come in the form of soft and gentle words, urging workers to abide by Baba's guidelines, if they are remiss in this regard. This is one of Baba's special teachings for building a strong wt cadre and a healthy society. Baba says, "All Ananda Margis, when they see other margis acting against the principles of yama and niyama, must make them shun this habit either by sweet or harsh words or by dealing even more strictly. Thus they will have to make the society strong. Henceforth I direct every Ananda Margi to keep strict vigilance on other Ananda Margi to make them practise the principles of yama and niyama." (GHC, 'How to Live in Society') So it is our duty to respectfully yet firmly point out the defects as they occur. Best is to first use gentle words in private and only increase the circumstantial pressure when needed.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION-- WHAT WTS CAN DO

The second half to the issue is for acaryas to take it upon themselves to re-evaluate their lives and take the firm determination to live a life fully based on Baba's ideals. And then step by step this will become a reality. Be strict on kiirtan, sadhana, asanas, and a sentient diet, and then naturally all the rest of the pieces will fall neatly into place. And indeed that high standard is what Baba wants for our acarya cadre. Baba says, "Those who have the responsibility to show the path to others should be of superlative character with the most refined conduct. They and their followers must move constantly towards all-round development and shreya. Persons who teach such well-regulated behaviour to others by their own conduct are called a'ca'ryas." (AV-31, 'Conduct of Acarya') And indeed, right now those Wts who follow the proper conduct are highly regarded and respected by margiis. And deservedly so. Whereas those Wts who just wear their saffron robe for show are systemically humiliating themselves and our Marga.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, our Marga will quickly regain its form. As margiis and acaryas point out those Wts for their misconduct and as acaryas redouble their efforts to lead a spiritual life, we will surely see fast results and the cleaning of our Marga. Baba says, "O human beings! You are fortunate. The clarion call of the Universal has reached you. That very call is vibrating in every cell of your body. Will you now lie inert in the corner of your house? Will you now waste your time clutching ancient skeletons to your breast and moaning over them? The Supreme Being is calling you in the roar of the ocean, in the thunder of the clouds, in the speed of the lightning, in the meteor’s flaming fires. Nothing will come of remaining idle. Get up and awaken the clouded chivalry of your dormant youth. The path may not be strewn with flowers – an inferiority complex may seek to hold back your every advancing footstep, but even then you have to proceed onward, tearing the shroud of darkness. You will soon rend the thick darkness of despair on the way to the attainment of the Supreme State, and advance onwards in the swift-moving chariot, radiant with the sun’s brilliance." (SS-1) Namaskar, Vidyasagar

****************************************** SCIENCE BEHIND KIIRTAN

Baba says, "At the time of kiirtana, the vocal cord sings, the ears hear, and the hands and feet dance, and thus all the organs are kept preoccupied with the divine. They are not allowed to move wherever they want but are kept engaged. There is a popular Indian superstition that when ghosts are not kept busy they break the necks of their prey. Similarly, if the sensory and motor organs are not kept engaged in the attainment of the divine, they may lead one astray. Kiirtana is therefore most beneficial as it keeps all the organs fully engaged in a spiritual pursuit. However, while doing kiirtan, if one listens to anything else, the mind will be diverted. Suppose, while doing kiirtana, one lady asks another, `Well sister, what did you cook today?' This will also be heard by the practitioners of kiirtana. To prevent these undesirable sounds from being heard, it is advisable to play some instrument during kiirtana." (AV-8, p.13)

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Phase of Pause in Sadhana

To: AM-GLOBAL Date: Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:01:428 -0000 From: NJK Majumdar Subject: Phase of Pause in Sadhana Baba "Ke go tumi ele man ma'ta'te manorathe..." (PS 412) Purport: O' Divine Entity, by Your grace on this auspicious morning You have come and stirred my consciousness. You have come on a mental chariot and divinely intoxicated my mind. You are so gracious, please tell me Who You are. O' Gracious One, please grace me by revealing Yourself fully. O' Divine One, You have come moving along the path of effulgence. You have taken away everyone's unit feelings and removed their personal desire. You satiated their heart and mind by pouring Your infinite cosmic bliss. O' Baba, You have reached me by moving long the path of melody and tune. Baba, by Your grace You have taken away everyone's unit rhythm and infused everyone by pouring Your divine cadence. You have come to sing the divine song to everyone and satiate their heart. Baba, with Your divine song You have inundated the entire universe; You are ever-gracious...

== PHASE OF PAUSE IN SADHANA ==

Namaskar, As sadhakas, it is perfectly natural for us to go through "ups" & "downs" in our practice of meditation. At the same time we all wish that we could always be in an "up" phase. So when a "down" phase invariably comes then we should all know what it means and how to handle it. Recently one senior tattvika responded to my queries on this topic and with his permission here below I am giving a summary of his replies-- all of which the senior tattvika has reviewed and approved.

NATURAL FLOW OF LIFE: SYSTALTIC MOVEMENT

As Baba discusses in so many discourses-- whether about sadhana, economics, education, social progress, quantum physics, or literature etc-- each and every movement in this universe moves along a systaltic path. Baba says, "As you know, in this universe of ours nothing moves - no force, no expression, no manifestation, moves - along a straight line. The movement is always pulsative; the movement is always of systaltic order, order of pause and start. There must be a stage of pause, and another stage just following the stage of pause - a stage of movement." (AV-8) So according to Baba, the "ups" & "downs" in spiritual life are totally natural and to be expected. And His own terminology for these "ups" & "downs" of life are known are periods of speed and periods of pause.

PAUSE AND SPEED IS PART OF THE NATURAL PROGRESSION

Each and every sadhaka must know that sadhana itself moves in phases of pause and speed. This is the normal and natural pathway for everyone. This is what Baba says. Baba says, "While doing sa'dhana' in the spiritual sphere, the state of pause may come. Sometimes people say, 'How strange! A few days ago I was having excellent meditation, but these days I can't seem to concentrate at all. That's very sad.' Or at times one may say, 'The other day while meditating my body began to quiver. It was quite a pleasant experience. Why don't I get the same experience today?' This sort of blissful experience during meditation or in concentration comes within the scope of assimilation. It becomes internalized. But if it does not find any expression within the mind, you can never experience it. Maybe after a few days you may experience an even greater bliss during incantation or meditation. All this means that even in the spiritual sphere also there is pause and speed." (PNS-7, 'Dynamicity and Staticity) So while we should always put forth maximum effort in sadhana and never skip any lessons, at the same time no one should become overly concerned when sadhana is not as good as it once was. Because it is sure that in the near future a new period of speed will come and one will advance ahead on the spiritual path. This is Baba's above teaching.

SOME TECHNIQUES TO HELP KEEP SADHANA STRONG: THIRD LESSON HELPS

Given the fact that it is an inevitably that we will experience periods of pause in sadhana, there are certain approaches we can do to help push our sadhana back into a period of speed. One point is to practice our lesson of tattva dharana-- or third lesson. As we know that this energizes our being, enhances our concentration, and purifies the cakras. So it is a very good lesson to do when experiencing a period of pause. Certainly though, sitting for long or even short session in viira'sana (the posture for 3rd lesson) is not particularly easy. Because the toes are curled underneath and there is a lot of pressure applied to the joints of the toes. In that case, one can place some soft clothing articles or a piece of foam underneath one's feet when doing third lesson. In that way viira'sana will feel more comfortable and one will be able to remain in that position long, thus getting the many benefits. And certainly over time doing this lesson will become physically easier and easier in which case the sadhaka can involve purely in the psycho-spiritual plane.

WHAT SADHANA LESSONS TO DO WHEN

As we all know in our sahaja yoga system-- i.e. the six lessons of sadhana-- the lessons can be separated into two basic catergories: sa'dhana' & sa'dhana'unga. Our first lesson (iishvara pranidhana) and our sixth lesson (dhya'na) are the only two lessons of sadhana. The former leads to mukti and the latter brings moksa, by His grace. So those are both sadhana lessons. Whereas our others lessons-- numbers 2 through 5-- are helping lessons of sadhana known as sa'dhana'unga. These include: Madhuvidya (2nd lesson), tattva dharana (3rd lesson), pranayama (4th lesson), and cakra shodhana (5th lesson). All of these are helping lessons in sadhana. The point then comes that when should one do 1st lesson and one should 6th lesson be done. Here are some basic guidelines that everyone can try and experiment with. 1. If one is struggling a lot in dhyana either because one cannot visualise Baba or because one is not feeling that sweet, heart-felt connection inside, then one can try to switch over to first lesson. Because first lesson is comparatively easy. 2. And it should be remembered that first lesson itself is a devotional lesson. So just after one completes the stage of cittashuddhi (the last step of one's withdrawal process) then before starting the practice of mantra japa, first one infuse a strong feeling of devotional love for Baba. And then after arousing that devotional feeling one can then repeat their is't'a mantra. Then that mantra japa will be fruitful by His grace. Here the whole point is that one's mantra repetition should be saturated with devotional feeling and yearning for Him. That is one key point for first lesson. 3. And then as first lesson build momentum and spiritual flow and one is getting support from the other lesson as well, then that is a good time to again engage in the practice of dhyana. 4. So one should always remember that first lesson is easier than dhyana. That is one point. And next is that normal dhyana is easier than very intimate and deeper dhyana. So one should proceed according to one's own mental feeling.

MORE POINTS ABOUT PROCEEDING AHEAD IN SADHANA

5. We can say that the most important point is that a sadhaka should always be natural in their approach to sadhana and not be artificial or hypocritical. One should do as one feels. 6. For example, when a small child has a strong desire to sit on his mother's lap then that little baby is going to cry and cry until that mother lifts him onto her lap. And this is quite natural and the mother feels that she must respond to the child's cry. Because that is the child's pure and natural feeling. In contrast, if that same mother also has an 18 year old son and if all of a sudden that elder son also starts crying and crying and demanding that he be placed on his mother's lap, then that is not going to bear any fruit. Because the whole scene is unnatural; that is not what 18-year-old boys are supposed to do. And no mother is going to take such an old child onto her lap. It does not work that way. Rather there are other ways for that 18-year-old son to get his mother's attention and concern. Here the whole point is that one must be natural in their approach. 7. Similarly in sadhana also, one must follow a natural approach-- especially in dhyana. One should approach Baba and communicate with Him according to one's internal feeling. One should not act in any fake or unnatural manner. Sincerity is the key for progress in dhyana. 8. There are some who may say that dhyana is the only lesson that one should practice-- but that is not at all proper. Rather all the lessons have their utility and speciality, and they all help promote deeper dhyana. So the way to develop a sweet and more intimate feeling in dhyana is by doing all the six lessons and by being sincere and true in dhyana.

ASKING FOR HIS GRACE

9. And perhaps the most important point in sadhana is to directly ask help from Baba. One may repeat, 'I cannot do anything, I am helpless, so Baba please grace me so I may move towards You'. Requesting His grace in this way will invariably help one to move ahead on the path. This type of constant request is needed for getting His grace. And certainly this type of request should be carried out with all the sweet and sincere feelings of one's heart. Only then will it be successful. And this whole entire concept of asking got Baba's grace is His direct guideline. Baba teaches us that each and every sa'dhaka should do like this. Baba says, "They will have to approach Parama Purusa with these words: 'Parama Purusa I want to move towards You, but I do not have sufficient strength to move. Please give me strength, I want to move on." (SS-18, p. 9-10) Namaskar, Nagendra Note: All the above points are a senior tattvika's explanation of points originally given by Baba Himself. And by His grace all these guidelines help a sadhaka in sadhana, especially if one is experiencing a period of pause. Whereas when one is in a period of speed then by His grace all the lessons are flowing naturally and one becomes completely lost in the ocean of Cosmic Bliss.

************************************** A New Era of Spiritual Age Will Be Coming Spontaneous Spiritual Experience in Tomorrow's Humans

Baba says, "To move ahead from physicality to intellectuality is the Proutistic order. It is the surest movement of human life -- it is the surest movement of human destiny...human beings will be making tremendous progress in the realms of intellectuality and intuition. The human beings of that future age will be very sensitive. The efferent nerves will be more active than the afferent nerves, and subtle experiences will be more common than they are now. Today human beings seldom have subtle experiences, but in the future they will occur naturally and spontaneously." (PNS-17, p.36)

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Distortion of Fact on Samadhi

Date: 25 Dec 2009 07:49:40 -0000 From: "Gurucharan Yadav" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Distortion of Fact on Samadhi Baba "Toma'ke pa'bi pra'n'e pra'n'e, maner mohan bitane..." - (PS 1809) Baba, I must get You in my heart. I must get You in the remote corner of my heart where only You and I will be. I have prepared so many songs to sing for You. My life is not a waste because You have made me realize this truth: That this life is only for loving You to giving You happiness...

DELIBERATE DISTORTION AND MISREPRESENTATION OF CRITICAL FACTS ON SAMADHI

Namaskar, Certainly to write something flawless and beneficial for the society, the writer must have a good heart and a benevolent mind full of devotion. Otherwise with a timid mind that suffers from one or more complexes or dogmas, then one goes far astray from the direct, straight path. And if we open the pages of present and past history we will find countless examples where writers get affected by their local environmental situations or their own dogmatic beliefs. For example these days when the vaeshyan era is in full swing. In that case those who only have dry, literal understanding of spiritual philosophy and Baba's divine image and His teachings, then sometimes we have seen such writers also do not have courage to put forth and write about Baba's magnanimous Personality in a proper way. Rather with their timid mind, they think if 'I will write the critical truth about Baba's glorifying Personality, then common people will not believe these things and my writing will not be accepted wholeheartedly'. Sometimes they think that the common public is materialistic-minded and they will not appreciate true spiritual ideas. But when one has taken the firm goal to project Baba's ideology then they will surely write properly, whereas when such determination is absent, then such timid writers are more concerned about public opinion than to put forth Baba's ideology in untainted way. So with this fear complex or shyness, timid writers compromise. And the things they should write they do not have courage to write; and instead they dilute their writings and lose the point. In addition, such timid writers do not have the foresight or capacity to understand that in the future when their writing will be assessed by the measuring rod of ideology and Baba's divine teachings, then such writing will be worth as much as junk paper and it will be mercilessly thrown away and shredded in the dustbin of history. But that is not all, people will blame them for their distorted writing. But at the time of writing, such timid writers do not understand this cosmic truth because of their own complexes and timidity. On this vital issue Baba has given a very good guideline in our scriptures that when vanguards of the society have taken the vow to move on they do not care about censure and praise, or abuse and appreciation, or life and death. And those who are worried about such things, they are not vanguards; though they may be worshippers of dogma. So without caring all these praise, censure, abuse and appreciation, things such vanguards bravely move on the path of ideology-- without faltering steps. Please read below. "Nindantu niitinipun'a'h yadi va' stuvantu laks'mii....na dhiira'h." BABA says, "Let those well versed in ethics criticize or praise me, if they so like. The goddess of wealth may be gracious enough to stay in my house or she may go wherever she likes. Death may visit me today or decades later - it makes little difference to me. Wise people will never withdraw from the path of rectitude the path which they accept as their ideal." (NKS) Now I am coming to the point which I wanted to bring in the limelight. This point is related with our philosophical treatise-- the Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Series.

DEMONSTRATION OF SAMADHI

All senior Margiis are aware of, or most probably they even attended those special demonstrations given by BABA which were usually held in 1969-70, and also in many cases earlier in Jamalpur, and some special cases up to 1990 here and there. And certain discourses on the teaching of samadhi have appeared in the book Ananda Marga Philosophy Nutshell (part 5) that is related with the samadhi demonstrations of 1969 in Ranchi. And by reading that anyone will be misled. The question is, how they will be misled. And the answer is simple. If anybody will read the chapter "Ra'ga'nuga' and Ra'ga'tmika' Sama'dhi", then on page 324 one demonstration has been narrated that such and such person got a certain samadhi . But the divine factual truth has been taken out. Because the way it is written it looks like the sadhaka got samadhi due to his own efforts. Whereas, we all know that Baba has graciously granted samadhi to aspirants in all the cases. There was no greatness involved of the person who was the receiver of samadhi. Or the receiver himself did not acquire samadhi by dint of his own efforts in sadhana. But in the Ananda Marga Philosophy Nutshell book it is printed in such a way that it gives the false notion that those sadhakas got samadhi by their own sadhana. As if Baba does not have any role in granting those samadhis. So again, here lies the serious distortion of fact: Because the undisputed truth is that only by the divine grace of Baba did all those individuals get samadhi. But not only that, those individuals were not qualified by any means. They were not very elevated souls and nor were they especially divine. Rather the majority of them left AM and jumped into oblivion in some material pursuit. From this one can easily deduce that those demonstrations were given by Baba for the purpose of giving teaching to the society. They were not directed towards or based on one's individual elevation, merit, or their devotional standard. Because as is commonly known, many examples are there when even after getting nirvakalpa samadhi those persons who had those demonstrations left Ananda Marga entirely. And many of them were not believing in Baba also. Because in 1971 when Baba went to jail some of those very samadhi-holders were propagating to general Margiis that "Look, now Baba has lost his power". So this was the standard of those obtainers of samadhi. From this one can easily understand that these samadhi demonstrations were given by Baba with the explicit purpose to teach the society that samadhi is something which is something real. It exists; it is not something utopian. Samadhi can be achieved if the mind is high or if by His grace it is made to become high. Because so long as the mind is high one will realize such divine truths; and when mind is low then they will again came back to their own state. Because these persons had negative samskaras, so Baba granted them samadhi for a very short, transitory period. That is why it worked for maybe few minutes / hours / days-- that is all. And after that they became as usual. Means they returned to their normal, regular state of mind. It is just like on the drama stage if one character is using the dress of a king then that character is the king for few hours or few minutes. After that when the drama is over then he is his usual self, beggar. Similar thing happens in that demonstration of sadhana, the main role was of Baba no one else. He selected x, y, z crude persons and with His direct grace He elevated them for a few hours / minutes and HE granted them samadhi and showed the demonstrations. Because all this was solely for the sake of the demonstration. So thereafter those individuals remained as usual after samadhi, loaded with their own animalistic samskaras. Nothing special. The central idea is that the whole credit goes to Baba-- not to certain x, y, z, individuals. But unfortunately that part has been discarded from our Ananda Marga Philosophy book. The question is why Baba opted to give demonstration on samadhi. What was the need. When Mahasambhuti Sadguru propounds any philosophy then He gives both a well-knit, logical, philosophical side and the practical side as well. Even then some of the things need certain types of demonstration, because without that ordinary disciples will not be able to believe such things in their heart. That those things, like samadhi, really exist. In their low and confused state of mind they think that this may be dogma. For example if Baba would not have given those demonstrations of all those different samadhis, then many of us would not have believed that samadhi exists and that it can be achieved. Because spiritual things are so subtle that they go beyond the comprehension in which case crude minds don't like to accept those things. No doubt, usually the devotional mind accepts everything by the virtue of devotion to Baba. They think that what Baba says is perfect. But number of such persons is very low. So then these demonstrations were needed to teach one and all that samadhi is existing, that it is not some far off utopian ideal. That is why in 1969 Baba completed this part of the spiritual philosophy by giving various demonstrations. But the fact is that it has been discarded; it did not come in writing. So how can we tolerate this unjust thing. Because, as we know, the main cause of getting samadhi is completely His causeless grace. That is how aspirants receive samadhi. It may be this type of samadhi or that type of samadhi or even the top one-- nirvakalpa samadhi. When our philosophy teaches us that without the grace of Parama Purusa one cannot get all those things then why this very basic truth has been discarded from our writings, i.e. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell. And instead falsehood has been done. Now, still there are hundreds of senior margiis around the globe who can bear witness to the fact that these samadhis were only done by Baba-- means HE graced them to happen. Senior Margiis watched on countless occasions when Baba took His stick and touched different parts of those sadhakas and the HE recited various mantras directly or indirectly, or what way HE desired. And the end result was that all those x, y, z persons got samadhi. All these facts are known today. But we should not forget that tomorrow, that means after 100 years, then most of the persons who were witness to those demonstrations will no longer be present with us as a witness*. Then these wrong narrations of demonstrations from Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell will be treated as final truth. And people will not believe that Baba was directly behind all these samadhis. And up to future infinity whole society will be deprived from this cosmic truth that Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji Himself gave such demonstration, and that this was the way which He has played His divine liila. Those who do not have proper devotion may think this is one ordinary matter. But those who have devotion can easily think that the distortion of truth in any respect is detrimental and harmful. But on this higher-most spiritual teaching, then how can we accept this distortion as something proper. So these improper narrations about samadhi which are printed in Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell should be fixed without any delay. Means the beautiful way in which Baba graced His ordinary x, y, z disciples and gave them samadhi from ordinary to upper most type of samadhi. In proper devotional way that should be written. Otherwise it is harmful and misleading for today; and, tomorrow it will be more even detrimental because then it will be impossible to correct it. Baba says, "Hence in the realm of dharma, the only true guide and controller, motivating force and protector of the people, is an excellent and comprehensive ideology which provides definite clear-cut and bold directions for all aspects of human life-- from one's personal daily routine to one's social activities and collective motivation, to the spiritual inspiration which brings one closer to God. A scripture which does not fulfill these conditions is not worthy of being called a scripture at all...Thus the Scriptures containing spiritual injunctions must be totally flawless." (NSS, '85, p. 166) Namaskar, Gurucharan Note 1: Baba's teaches us that when the mind is suffering from complexes and / or from a basic lack of devotion, then with that inferiority complex and shyness people lose the courage to say, write, or act in a proper manner. In this regard, especially new sadhakas feel shy do to sadhana in presence of others. But of course, others who have a similarly weak mind also suffer in this way. BABA says, "Those reared in the cradle of materialistic ideologies, feel shy or ashamed at the inchoate [beginning] stage to sit in divine meditation in the presence of others. In other words, he gets evidently overwhelmed more or less by the influence of avidya' maya and he thinks, 'People may perhaps think or say, I being an ultra-modern boy, am emulating the pre-historic mode of worship. Like this, there are many who may perhaps try to conceal their godliness or devotional intent from the eyes of the people." (SS part 3) Note 2: Here is the critical section from the Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Book part 5 where the description of the samadhi demonstration fails to recognize the grace of Guru and instead in a misguided manner portrays the wrong impression that the sadhaka got samadhi due to his own effort. So see how this was portrayed in such a misleading manner. "On May 10, 1969 at Ranchi jagrti, a sadhaka attained ra'gatmika' samadhi. He sat in dhya'na'sana and with his mind concentrated on each cakra, and began to do dhya'na on the supreme object of ideation. He realized that each of his cakras is being controlled by his Ista. Not only that he also felt that his Ista is perceptibly present in his blood, nerves, indriyas etc. He began to take deep breaths. After remaining in that state he started to roll on the ground." (APH-5, p. 324) Unfortunately the above is not an isolated incident-- throughout the book it is like that. In 'Bha'va Samadhi' chapter (page 327) and 'Dharmamegha Sama'dhi' chapter (p. 329), the narration of demonstrations is done in a similarly poor manner. If you unable to find these references or if you do not have the book then please write me. * We know those good devotees who are with us today may not be with us in 10, 20, 40, or 100 years into the future. So with full heart and energy, we should move ahead at the earliest and ensure that those descriptions of Baba's demonstrations are recorded properly. For such a great and important work that is so intimately related with Baba's legacy, we must not delay. Baba says, "I have learnt that whenever you wish to perform a noble deed, do it immediately. Do today whatever you propose to do tomorrow. "Shubhasya shiighram ashubhasya ka'laharan'am"'.

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Sadguru BABA says, "The Sam'skrta language is of Indian character, of Indian origin...The hinterland of Sam'skrta was the entire Southeast Asia, the entire North India, the entire Southwest India..." (PNS-17, p. 63)

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Escapist Approach

From: "Aaron Tenning" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Escapist Approach Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:14:41 -0700 (PDT) Baba "A'ka'she a'loke bhese ja'y tava mahima'ri katha'..." (PS 3287) Puport: Baba, You are the most magnificent One. The tale of Your glory and grandeur is floating and permeating throughout each and every molecule of the vast, blue sky and in the effulgence-- everywhere. Baba, Your story, the story of the ever-present, Ancient One, is glittering in all the realms: in both bhuloka and duloka-- in the physical and spiritual worlds. Baba, You are so gracious. O' Ancient, Divine One, You are eternally, ever-new. Baba, by Your grace You are always, intrinsically with everyone-- just like their vital force, just like their pra'na. Baba, You always remain present in my feeling, ideation, and intuition. For that reason this eternal longing of my heart is for You and You alone. Baba, by Your grace with the flow of effulgence You color my mind and You are sitting in the depths of my ideation playing Your divine flute in the deep core of my heart. Baba You are so compassionate: You do not neglect or overlook anyone. You graciously goad everyone towards divinity, You show everyone the path which leads to immortality. Baba, please shower Your causeless grace; I surrender at Your lotus feet...

== ESCAPIST APPROACH ==

Note: This letter is also related with the recent phenomenon of those regsitering AMPS in their own name. Although the below letter addresses a different kind of breaking away, the overall result leads to further divisiveness, just like when certain people register AMPS in their own name in their locale. Initially some glamourous Wts did broke away and if was looked upon as benign or even admirable, as if they were great moralists. Now however that defective approach has escalated where so many are either breaking away or creating their own AMPS. So what was once rare has become the norm until one day every margii will be their own AMPS. That is the very negative outcome of such a defective trend. We go from on global AMPS, to an AMPS in each country, to an AMPS in each region, to an AMPS in each city -> town -> village -> individual. This type of disintegration is not good. Be sure to review the letter posted earlier this week:

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/12/news-about-third-grade-disciples.html

Namaskar, Now the point is regularly raised about maintaining unity, not breaking away from AM to perform one's own projects, and the need of following Baba. Because in certain select locations some workers have separated themselves entirely and are just keeping aloof from the organisation-- thus ignoring Baba's directive about unity. Here following is further response to this all-important issue.

WHERE IS THE GUARANTEE

When cowards leave AMPS and create their own MU on the excuse that Baba's organisation became corrupt etc. Then how can they ensure that their own thing will survive and remain free from defect. And when theirs does get corrupt, then again they will leave. And then what?-- create another one. All this is cowardice and escapist mentality: To leave when problem comes. The point being that those cowards disturb the unity by breaking away and just start doing things according to their own look. And furthermore if they think corruption just somehow snuck into Baba's organisation and for that they want to leave it by the wayside, then where is the guarantee that their own project or group will not get corrupt.

ANSWER: OPPOSE WRONGDOINGS ETC

Side by a few are raising the point that when the organisation is corrupt in so many ways then 'if we oppose any corner then our position will be miserable. It will just be like lying face-down in one neglected state. And that is not good'. In that way some are thinking. But, the answer is that it is good to speak up and oppose those wrongdoings. Because following one's own dharma and living in a difficult position is far, far better than following the negative stance of adharma. As we all know Baba directs us 'Not to encourage division-- no matter what'. Baba says, "The unity of A'nanda Ma'rgiis should not be allowed to be jeopardised for any reason. Unity should be maintained even at the risk of your life." (CC, part II, 'Society' chapter, point #13) Given this, it is such a grotesque and sinful thing to support any type of break away ordeal. And it is worse yet if one directly involves in dividing. Around town one may brag 'Just like Sarvatmanandji broke away and divided everything, now a similar blunder has occurred again, and I too am going to do march down the road of factionalism and division.' So this is nothing but insanity. Best is to follow Baba and lead the life of a neglected person. And even, if death is going to come then that is fine. Because following dharma is the top-most.

PROPER SADHAKAS

Those who are proper sadhakas and strong devotees, they like to follow Baba and not anything else. They do not care for their own comforts or their own name and fame. Because true disciples follow Guru's guideline. Thus when Baba says that unity is the most important thing then that is the main point to do. So if the organisation is corrupt then the main work is to strongly oppose those unjust things with whatever capacity one has. And then lead the 'neglected life'. And let whatever tortures come into one's own life. That will be glorious and far, far better than leading a depraved existence of a sinful person who is involved in dividing the organisation, or creating their own organisation or pedaling their own project. That is why Baba has given the highest teaching: That at the cost of your life You should not allow the seeds of disunity to sprout. Hence those who leave AMPS to form their own clique or separate project are the lowest of the low. They are the bottom of the barrel. Nothing good can be said about such persons.

FOLLOWING DHARMA

Overall, losing the post and leading neglected life is nothing-- means that is the highest thing if done as a result of following dharma. Because following dharma and preserving unity is the high point.

"Svadharme nidhanam' shreyah paradharma bhayabahah"

Following 16 points, managing sadhana is difficult thing whereas falling into degenerated life is comparatively easy, but one should not do like this. Best is to follow dharma. In the same spirit, the top point is not to create one's own organisation or allow others to do. Why should one create something on the side just so that they can sit comfortably on some isolated beach-- ignoring Baba's teaching. Then in that case how will Baba's grace be there and how can one be called a true devotee. Following dharma means maintaining unity.

BABA'S BLESSING

Baba says, "Marching ahead is jiivan dharma (the characteristic wont of life). To march ahead, carrying all, viewing the world humanity as an integral entity, is the principal aspect of jiivan dharma. Resolve courageously to observe this jiivan dharma..." (A'nanda Va'nii, #43) Namaskar, Arjuna NOTE 1: OUR DUTY TO OPPOSE NEGATIVITY If one does not believe in groupism and corrupt leadership then one should oppose it-- and not run off to some far distant corner of the earth and put up one fence and live in one isolated bubble like some shivering coward, all the while posing as being a dharmic one. Surely anyone with eyes can see through that thin facade and realise the truth that such a cowardice approach is outrightly negative. So those with no spine and no strength in the blood become goody-goodies and cowards. That is why Baba says this is not proper. Where there is injustice we should stand firm and fight and not disappear into one far away fantasy garden. Means it does not take any strength or energy to be a goody-goody, coward. And isolating oneself is not the way. BABA says, "The characteristic of good people is to fight against injustice, to firmly adhere to truth and righteousness, to protect the helpless and fight against all evil persons. Those who are merely simple and are of a meek and goody-goody nature are not good people. " (AFPS, pt 5, pg 28) NOTE 2: OTHERS ARE DOING Around the globe there are numerous groups and religions that are heavily involved in managing one or another projects. Some are Christian organisations, some are Hindu groups, plus there are various do-gooder societies, Islamic factions etc. Indeed there is no shortage of such types of things. So this target is not at all unique or for that matter effective. Still the humanity is crying on this trouble torn earth. So projects alone are not the antidote. Rather more unique and more needed is the call of unity. That is the need of the day and that is the speciality of Ananda Marga. Baba has told that unity is the main thing. And that is what is to be done. NOTE 3: It is commonly known and well-documented how Mahatma Gandhi declared that he will sharply protest & not allow for India to be divided. Indeed Gandhi declared that it would be done over "dead his body". Yet when it happened he kept mum. Baba harshly condemns this-- the chief point being that Baba does not appreciate division. Not in the country, not in AMPS, and not in the humanity. Rather unity is the main thing. For more about this reference Baba' discourse 'Dangers of Communalism'. NOTE 4: So it is highly condemnable when any such worker in GT or any of the sectors turns their back on the organisation and instead just selfishly attends to their own local MU-- as if that is the be-all and end-all. As if they are one angelic personality-- high above the rest. But all that is just their own menagerie and not to be supported. Indeed they are failing to fulfill a single iota of Baba's mission. Moreover they are creating harm by setting this deeply negative and nasty trend. Because in fact breaking the unity is one nasty black mark. NOTE 5: Some selfish people by seeing others, then they lean in that negative direction. Just like one melon-- by just seeing another melon it changes its colour. NOTE 6: So some may get tempted to fall into that viscous position, but doing so is entirely negative.

*************************************** - The Solution -

Baba says, "Whenever there is a conflict between the brain and the heart, intelligent people should respond to the call of the heart. The books in A'nanda Ma'rga philosophy are all absolute knowledge. The proper mark of identity of absolute knowledge is that it must be universal, rational and psychological. Certain instances of absolute knowledge are as follows --the goal of human life is the attainment of Brahma; human beings are the progeny of Parama Purus'a...by dint of sa'dhana' or spiritual practices human beings gradually become divine." (PNS-18, p.10)

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Your Blind "Liking"

Date: Wed 23 Dec 2009 08:18:13 -0500 To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Your Blind "Liking" From: CJ Phillips Baba "Esecho, tumi esecho, bhuvan bhariya' esecho..." (PS 3289) Purport: Baba, by Your divine grace, You have come. You have come, with Your effulgent presence this world has been filled with bliss. By Your arrival everyone's pains, agonies and tortures have vanished. You have brought effulgence along with You. Now, by Your causeless grace, no one will remain in the dark any longer. You are expressing Yourself through the action, knowledge, dhyana, and sadhana. You are the ocean of love & compassion. Baba You are ever-gracious, blessing one and all. Everyone is dancing in ecstasy. It is Your divine grace. Baba, You have come. The whole world is getting transformed-- all are floating in Your bliss...

== YOUR BLIND "LIKING" ==

Namaskar, As the year draws to a close we should all reassess the direction in which our lives are moving. By His grace He has brought us onto the path of spirituality and we should be cent per cent sure we are keeping firm to His tenets and ideals.

THE MAIN PROBLEM

In our lives, it is quite common - yet not always appropriate - to chase after things that we like. We actually associate that liking with who we are. We identify with that. Baba says, "When you develop a fascination for a particular object or person your mind encircles it." (APH-6) But those likings - house, spouse, money, food, computer, mp3 player, youtube video - are not who or what we really are. Yet we become totally attached to that and our mind takes that shape and form. And we chase after it with full effort. This type of occurrence is not good for our human growth and development. Yet that is the way people's likings shape who they are and what they become. Most people's lives are totally dominated by such likings. It can happen to me, you, our friends, family members, and neighbors. So we should be 100% careful.

LIKING CHANGES - SEE FOR YOURSELF

Actually such material longings or likings are quite short-lived. You can see for yourself. Take a long back at the last ten years. Honestly evaluate those things that you wanted or liked and notice if you still want that today. We may have given up everything or worked very hard to get that - yet now today it is not even something we like. Think about it: technology, cars, property, opposite sex, status, etc. Many times we acquire such things with full zeal and joy only to soon lose interest in them entirely. Either they become old, outdated or we realise that it is not what we thought. This is the way it goes. Of course those things we liked as children such as toys, dolls, and all kinds of games and coloring books we no longer like. Yet at that time as kids we were crying to get those things only to change our mind minutes or hours later. But the lives of adults following a materialistic approach is little different. With all their mental and emotional force they chase after things they like - they take huge loans to buy new things, prestige, hobbies, the opposite sex, friends, and so many other examples - and then after a short while after getting that thing they are no longer enthralled with it. Some even chase after various types of music, food habits, and intellectual ideas. This is the common phenomenon. But ultimately that liking is blind and we become bored or tired with those things. Why is that? Because as soon as their mind changes then their liking changes as well. That is the main principle at hand.

WHAT IS VIVEK

How to avoid such problems and difficulties. As sadhakas we should always use our vivek (discrimination). But even that becomes difficult to define. Here is one key point to keep in mind: If we think - I exist and I desire xyz - then one is going to run headlong after that fleeting desire. People think I exist and I want a red sports car or I exist and I want that opposite sex. If one just superficially leads their life in this way then they will never employ their sense of vivek. Rather they will constantly chase from one liking or desire to the next. Their desires will change with the winds and their life will be filled with torment and hell. In contrast, if we think - I know I exist - then whatever we desire will be appropriate. Here the point is that phrase "I know I exist" is embedded with the innate knowledge that I am the child of Parama Purusa and He is watching me and I am to live a life for pleasing Him. This is the knowledge every sadhakas has. When we live our lives according to this perspective then we will never rush after crude or temporary things. Then the whole emphasis of our life will be towards Baba and His teachings. At that point our liking becomes something permanent, not short-lived. Then we can say that we have vivek - not before. So when are are not submerged in blindly liking some crude or mundane object then we will be awakened to a finer way of life based on ideology. In that case we will always be mentally balanced and not swayed by any blind liking or attachment. Baba says, "Once you realize the truth, you may be on your guard so as not to overdo your expressions of liking or love for someone [or something]; and not to be antagonistic to a person [or object] not to your liking. In this way you can maintain your mental balance." (DKG)

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace we should all be wary of this notion of blind liking. We should not chase after temporary things thinking that will give us long lasting satisfaction or that we are those things. That is not the way of the sadhaka. Baba has blessed us with a refined intellect and intuition and with that faculty we are to live focused on Him and AM ideology. Then our liking will be pure and we will achieve true peace in life. Baba says, "That is why I say that you must bring about a revolutionary change in the flow of your judgment and thought, and see how, after overcoming your fascination with external colour, your mind becomes tinged with the His glorious colour. In Ananda Marga sadhana, the method of withdrawing the mind from degrading tendencies, and absorbing oneself in the colour of the Great, is called pratya'ha'ra yoga (the yoga of withdrawal) or varn'a'rghyada'na (the offering of colours). All people have a particular attraction for one or another object or activity and as soon as they become attracted to an object, then their minds become coloured with the colour of that object. You can withdraw your mind from the colour of that object and dye yourself in His colour by offering Him the captivating colour of the object that has attracted you: this is the real pratya'ha'ra yoga." (SS-3) Namaskar, Cinmay

Note: OTHER POSTINGS ON THIS TOPIC

This is a big topic. Everyone's lives are affected by this. Here is further reading for your review:

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/12/about-ones-liking.html http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2006/07/about-ones-liking-part-ii.html http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/11/crying-for-what.html

*************************************** Three Dangers

Baba says, "We may say that intoxicants have three distinct characteristics. Firstly, if one addict does not receive that intoxicant at their regular, fixed time during the day then they will become anxious and restless-- even agitated. In addition, when they do get it then their mind will not like to involve in any work. The second major point is that as long as one remains under the spell of that intoxicant, his intellect will be dysfunctional. And if one continues to take intoxicants on a regular, on-going basis, then their mental stupor will continue on and on. The third major danger is that intoxicants adversely affect the liver, throat, and kidney. And in the majority of cases, the user suffers from constipation also. In conclusion, all intoxicants are bad; opium and ganja (cannabis indica) extremely harmful." (SC-15) Note: As A'nanda Ma'rgiis, our duty is to propagate Baba's above teaching and warn others about the harmful effects of intoxicants.

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Unique Practice to Enhance Sadhana

From: "Shantatma Kerketta" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Unique Practice to Enhance Sadhana Date: Tue 22 Dec 2009 07:13:55 +0530 Baba "Tumi a'cho, a'mio a'chi, a'r keu nei e tribhuvane..." (P.S. 2027) Purport: Baba, You are my dearest One; by Your grace I love You so much. For me, in this entire universe-- tribhuvan*-- only You and I exist. There is nothing else in this whole creation except You and I. Baba, by Your grace You have brought me here. And with Your love and compassion You are nourishing me, always keeping me under Your shelter. Baba, by Your divine grace I always receive Your tender love and care-- both in times of great joy and as well as during times of intense suffering. Always, in each and every circumstance, I feel Your sweet and loving presence. Baba, by Your grace You bless me with Your blissful touch in the effulgence of the new dawn. Baba, Your charming smile gets expressed in the blossom of the lily and in the flowering of the lotus. Baba, in the dry, burning desert You are the soothing balm. By Your grace in that unbearable heat You provide a cool oasis and lush verdant leaves. You are ever gracious. Baba, You saturate my dreams with Your divine love. Baba, in the form and fragrance of the sweet flowers, You dance and emanate in the vast blue sky. Baba, You always manifest Your divine Self in each and every cell of my being-- as well as in the most distant corner of my mind. Baba, by Your grace Your magnanimous effulgent smile shines like a blissful lightening bolt throughout my entire existence-- inside and out, as well as in each and every pore of this vast, infinite cosmos. Baba, You are that most effulgent and loving Personality-- I surrender at Your alter... *Tribhuvan: The prefix "Tri" means 'three' and the term "bhuvan" means 'world'. And here Baba further clarifies what He exactly means by tribhuvan, or the three worlds: Baba says, "Tribhuvana means the expressed world, the psychic world and the astral world or, you may say, Causal World." (AV-2)

== KIIRTAN IS OUR UNIQUE PRACTICE TO ENHANCE SADHANA ==

Namaskar, In the life of each and every sadhaka-- in the life of each and every A'nanda Ma'rgii-- there is an inherent desire to make sadhana better and better. This is the common feeling amongst all devotees. To that end we follow Baba's various do's and don'ts. Before sadhana we do half-bath, find a quiet place, do sastaunga pranam, and then sing and dance kiirtan before sitting for meditation. However in this ultra-modern and technological era, where machines and gadgets often dominate our lives, there is the tendency just to listen to kiirtan via a stereo etc-- and not sing ourselves. This can happen. Because that reliance upon technology can enter into every sector of our existence, including our devotional practices like kiirtan. So while living in this modern era we should be aware. Because Baba's guideline is that to get the real benefit of kiirtan then one must sing-- loudly. Baba says, "To proclaim the glories of Parama purus'a, the Supreme Consciousness, in a loud voice is termed 'kiirtana'. The Sam'skrta root verb kirtt means to 'utter something loudly so that others may also hear it'; thus kiirtana means to proclaim the glories of the Lord loudly for all to hear." (AFPS-4) And here again Baba delivers the same message, in slightly different language. Baba says, "Kiirtana means to utter good words loudly; not mentally, nor in a whisper, but loud enough for everyone to hear. It is never done secretly, but always openly...So devotees will openly sing praises to Parama Purus'a. Kiirtana means, as I said a little earlier, to sing the Lord's glory in a loud voice." (AV-7, p.36) As Baba explains above, part and parcel of "doing kiirtan" means singing kiirtan-- not just listening to kiirtan. And best is to dance as well. And then in this way one can get 100% benefit: A unique devotional feeling overcomes one's entire existence and one feels a deep sense of peace within. This we have all surely experienced.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND SINGING

As we know there is an underlying science behind all our spiritual-cum-devotional practices. And in this respect Baba guides us that by singing kiirtan we are engaging more of the body's organs than if we just simply listen. By singing the mouth, throat, tongue, and vocal chords are also involved. And this enhances one's ability to focus on the kiirtan. Baba says, "At the time of kiirtana, the vocal cord sings, the ears hear, and the hands and feet dance, and thus all the organs are kept preoccupied with the divine. They are not allowed to move wherever they want but are kept engaged. There is a popular Indian superstition that when ghosts are not kept busy they break the necks of their prey. Similarly, if the sensory and motor organs are not kept engaged in the attainment of the divine, they may lead one astray. Kiirtana is therefore most beneficial as it keeps all the organs fully engaged in a spiritual pursuit." (AV-8, p.13) Thus by singing kiirtan the mind is more engaged in the devotional practice of kiirtan than if one is just listening. And best is to dance also. And by this way our sadhana will be improved.

DOES NOT TAKE EXTRA TIME

Some may say or think that they do not have time to stop and sing kiirtan. But the reply is that singing kiirtan itself need not take any extra time. One can sing kiirtan while doing their mundane duties such as when cleaning the kitchen or when bathing etc. So singing kiirtan itself can be done frequently throughout the day. It is a way to spiritualise all our daily activities and then when we sit for sadhana we will automatically feel the difference. So while driving or walking or when preparing lunch, we can sing kiiran. Actually, if we look carefully, we will come across some many moments in our day where we can sing kiirtan in a loud voice-- thereby enhancing our devotional life.

NO SHYNESS OR COMPLEX

And last but not least none should consider whether they have a "beautiful voice" or not. Doing proper kiirtan is not a matter of singing in tune or in a particular pitch. That is the important characteristic of kiirtan. Because when we sing kiirtan Parama Purusa only thinks about the sweetness and sincerity of the devotee's heart-- not the tune or melody. So no one should suffer from any type of complex about whether they have a good voice or not. That is not the point. Rather we should always remember that we are only singing to please Parama Purusa. And for this we simply need to awaken that devotional feeling that is naturally inside us all. Ultimately between Parama Purusa and the bhakta there is an inherent relation of love-- that is based solely on the heart. And with this feeling we should sing and sing our kiirtan.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace singing and dancing kiirtan brings tremendous bliss in the life and enhances our sadhana. We should always remember that no matter what circumstance we may find ourselves in, always He is listening to our kiirtan. This is His unfathomable blessing upon us. Baba says, "Everywhere you are with Parama Purus'a, and never in this universe, nowhere in this universe, are you alone. So you are never helpless. Wherever you may be, do your Kiirtana, 'Ba'ba' Na'ma Kevalam.' He is with you. You are never alone. Your are never weak. You are never helpless." (AV-12) Namaskar, Shantatma

**************************************** Process of Channlisation

Baba says, "If people have a healthy body and mind their glandular system will remain balanced and they can easily channelise their physical energy into psychic and spiritual activities. This process of channelisation is the only way to check the mental flow towards crude propensities." (AFPS-9, p. 35)

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