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Deep Meaning Behind Story

Date: 10 Jan 2009 23:19:58 -0000 From: "Subhash Dholakia" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Deep Meaning Behind Story Baba "Jhainjha' jadi a'se jujhite shakati dio..." (P.S. #1783) Purport: Baba, You are my Saviour. If in my life a hurricane or typhoon comes, then You please provide me the strength to fight and face that negative situation. And give me the strength to struggle and persevere. Baba, if ever in my life lethargy and frustration comes, then please provide me strength to hold onto Your feet. And to go on moving on Your path. Baba, by Your grace I am treading on Your path. You please color my mind with Your color in all situations. During both pleasure and pain. With Your divine grace, if my mind becomes radiant then it cannot be covered by staticity during times of cimmerian darkness. Please grant me strength to follow Your dictates. Baba, please grace me and give me the force to go on marching on the path of effulgence, in an undaunted way moving ahead. And please give me strength by Your grace, to jump up and take on ever-new tasks to serve the downtrodden people. And please bless me by Your Varabhaya mudra. So in my life, I never feel fear or cowardice to fight against demonic forces. Baba, in all the circumstances I am completely depending on Your grace. Without Your grace, nothing is possible...
== DEEP MEANING BEHIND STORY ==
Namaskar, Various gurus have always used stories to communicate important ideas to the common citizens. Our human society is comprised of so many people, each with their own interests, talents, and abilities. Some are intellectuals, some are technicians, some are artists, and some are scientifically or mathematically inclined etc. Everyone has their own specialty, bent of mind, interests, and understanding. Hence when a guru wants to convey a teaching to the entire public, the guru will often give the teaching in the form of a story. Because regardless of one's psychic inclination, everybody loves a story. All will listen and learn. Baba, being the Taraka Brahma and Supreme Guru, has also told many stories. And embedded in those stories are the gems and jewels of AM ideology. Hence not only should we enjoy Baba's wonderful stories, but we should understand them deeply and apply them in our practical lives.
MANGO GROVE STORY
One of the famous stories which Baba has repeated in numerous discourses is the story of the jinani and bhakta visiting a mango grove. Everyone in the Marga is aware about this story because Baba has used it again and again. As we recall, both a jinani and a devotee go to a mango grove. Immediately the jinani (intellectual) becomes highly involved in counting the trees, measuring the length of the branches, checking out the leaves, and classifying the mangoes according to their genus type such as Mangitera Zeylanica, Valcarrie, Bombay Ratual, Aroemanis, and Nam Doc Mai etc. The jinani is involved in all kinds of research and calculations regarding those mangos. In contrast, upon entering the mango grove, the devotee goes up to the first tree, grabs a ripe mango, sits down, and enjoys the sweet taste of that delicious mango. At the end of the day, the jinani is very hungry and the devotee is totally satisfied. This type of mango grove story Baba has recounted various times.
IS IT SO SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND
Just because it sounds like a simple story, we should not therefore conclude that the meaning is also so simple. There is a deeper meaning that all may not be aware about. Then of course there is also the matter of applying it to our own lives in a practical and tangible way. Baba has told this story because He wants to convey its significance to everyone. That much we all know. And the most basic idea He is giving is that devotion is very important and we should all aim to become devotees. This much also everyone understands. Beyond that there is more to know, and that is why this story is a real treasure.
PRACTICALLY APPLYING THE STORY TO HUMAN LIFE
When Baba says that jinanis enter the mango grove and start counting the trees and analyzing the leaves, but miss out on the fruit, Baba is guiding us that jinanis come into this world and study so many things, from lokas to microvita, from kosas to cakras, but they miss out on the real essence of life, i.e. engaging in sadhana and getting Parama Purusa and His bliss. Whereas when a devotee enters a mango grove then he eats the mango and does not get sidetracked by anything else. Similarly, when a bhakta is born on this earth he aims for and attains Parama Purusa, and he does not get waste his time in other useless pursuits like name, fame, or fortune etc. Even then it is not so easy to understand.
PRACTICALLY APPLYING THE STORY TO OUR OWN LIFE
When a devotee eats the mango, that presents a colorful and mouth-watering image for what it means to attain Parama Purusa. Thus getting Parama Purusa is not some abstract theoretical notion. In our day to day practical lives, eating the mango, or getting Parama Purusa means getting bliss out of all the lessons, thinking of Him always, and feeling His love practically in your heart. Just as all the taste buds of the devotee in the mango grove are immersed in the sweet sensation and taste of that mango, similarly a true bhakta in this quiquelemental world practically feels Baba's divine vibration in sadhana and even when not in sadhana. One will practice all the lessons joyfully, doing them will not be burdensome. True bhaktas feel His inner sweet touch just by closing their eyes or by thinking of Him. They are always immersed in His flow and life passes blissfully in that way. So being a bhakta is not some dry, theoretical experience. One cannot just say that, "well I have been in AM a long time so I am therefore a devotee of Baba." It does not work that way. One can only say they are a bhakta if they tangibly feel Baba's blissful presence in their heart night and day. Just like a bhakta in the mango grove can practically taste the juicy sweetness of that fruit. So one is only a bhakta if really attend to sadhana with great sincerity and feel the only aim in their life is to serve and please Parama Purusa. Such persons are not harboring any other idea related with career goals, prestige, money, or spouse etc. Then one is a bhakta otherwise not. Baba has told the mango grove story because He wants us all to know the devotion is the most important element in human life. And He wants that we should become devotees. And the way to do that is by wholly diving into the realm of sadhana. Getting bliss in sadhana and loving Him in dhyana is what it means to eat mangoes in the grove. There is no second or third meaning. Thus we should understand the inner meaning of the devotee in the mango grove and then honestly evaluate if we really satisfy that criteria or not. And if not, then we should put forth sufficient effort in our kiirtan and sadhana to get our mind moving in that direction.
HOW SOME MISUNDERSTAND
Unfortunately, it is highly possible, or even probable, that there are some who call themselves as bhaktas, yet they are not really involved in tasting the mango. They are not involved in sadhana. They may struggle to even sit in sadhana; they will not complete the lessons; and their mind just flickers in various directions when doing sadhana. Such a person then has no quality of being called a devotee. But that same person may think that, "I have a good reputation in AMPS and I have started many projects, built so many schools, and my name is printed on the newsletter or Prout magazine", and for that reason they think that they are a bhakta. When in fact nothing could be farther from the truth. Instead they are merely falling into self-deception. Because everyone wants to think of themselves as being a devotee, but we should not fall prey to false notions of what a devotee is or who we are. That is why Baba has given the mango grove story. Because it practically teaches us who a devotee is, i.e. those fully engaged in sadhana, and emphasizes that devotion is the only way human beings reach fulfillment and get Him.
THE FATE OF SUCH JINANIS, WHILE BHAKTAS GET HIM
The jinani who is puffed up with the pride of his knowledge will never be satisfied within, rather he will always be looking outwardly to get some praise etc. And in the end of life they will not get Parama Purusa, but will instead get thrust back into the cycle of life and death or float around the universe as some kind of microvita, like vidyadhara etc. Such is their empty fate. While the bhakta will always keep Parama Purusa in the forefront of their mind, be immersed in His bliss, and ultimately become one with Him. That is what it means to eat the mango and that is what we are to do in this life. Baba says, "The devotee will pluck a ripe mango and eat it... the devotees will get real bliss...Devotees will come under the shelter of Parama Purus'a...and cross the Cosmic Cycle comfortably." (AV-1) Namaskar, Subhash

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