== BOTH ARE IGNORANT ==
Namaskar,
In our Ananda Marga, our goal is Parama Purusa - no second or third
entity. Baba is the focus of our each and every thought, word, and deed.
That is our ideal.
Naturally then, when we do namaskar, we are paying salutations to Him,
to that Supreme Consciousness residing within another unit being. It is
not that we are saluting that person, per se. That is not at all our
endeavor. Only we are paying our respect and homage to Baba in the form
of that person when we use the namaskar greeting.
Unfortunately, some completely misunderstand this basic aspect of AM
life. They think people are saluting them or that they are saluting
another human being. This leads to ego, vanity, feelings of inferiority,
and all kinds of delusions in the mind - as well as doing the greeting
improperly. In that case the whole namaskar salutation is ruined and one
will be degraded.
Many may deny any wrongdoing in this regard, but there is a sure-fire
system to understand who is doing namaskar properly, and who not.
The aim of course is not to embarrass anyone but to save them from
degradation and keep all moving on the sentient path.
QUICK REVIEW OF NAMASKAR
Although we all use or namaskar greeting on a daily basis, here are some
of Baba's clear-cut guidelines about this practice. After reviewing
these guidelines we will apply our litmus test so you yourself can see
who is misguided and ignorant about the namaskar salutation.
First Baba clearly states that when doing namaskar, we are paying
salutations to Parama Purusa - The Divine Entity. In the dogmatic
religions and in the kingdoms of old, people would bow and salute other
human beings. Our namaskar mudra is not at all like this.
Baba says, "Tadekam' jagatsa'ks'iiru'pam' nama'mah. “If there is anyone
to whom spiritual aspirants should surrender, if there is anyone to whom
they should pay salutations, it is Parama Purus'a.” The system behind
salutations is to look for the Supreme Being that is the inner essence
of a person, and to pay salutations to that Parama Purus'a." (SS-11)
So the first point is that when doing namaskar we are recognising the
Supreme within another jiivatman, we are not bowing or greeting one
other human being.
Here is Baba's next guideline - that we should always be ready to do
namaskar first.
Baba says, "As ideal human beings you should not wait to give namaskar
after another has greeted you: you should rather take the first
opportunity to greet others. When someone greets you, it is merely
common courtesy for you to salute back; you do not become an ideal human
being thereby. Rather one who seizes the first opportunity to salute
others is the ideal. So you should always make an effort to do namaskar
to others first: you should not care whether the person whom you greet
will greet you in return or not. (When people come to me during personal
contact, I greet them first whether they salute me or not.) By giving
honour to others you will not be belittled, you will rather enhance your
prestige." (AMIWL-11)
Thus Baba's teaching is that we should always strive to be the first to
do namaskar. None should fall into the complex that, "I am better than
that person or I am more senior than that person so they should salute
me first."
To think like this is to both degrade and cheat oneself. One is degraded
because they have forgotten that namaskar is a salutation to Parama
Purusa - not to any individual or oneself - and they are cheating
themselves because they are missing out on the opportunity to greet the
Supreme.
So these are two classic aspects of Baba's guidelines about doing
namaskar: First that we are saluting Him in the form of a unit being and
second that we should be vigilant to do namaskar first.
ONE OTHER SPECIAL POINT
Baba has also detailed another important quality of the namaskar
salutation by clearly telling the import of the mudra. Sometimes people
fail to bring their thumbs to the trikuti point or their palms to their
heart. But Baba has given a pointed explanation about this. In brief,
bringing the palms to the triktui point helps focus the mind and honor
Parama Purusa and when bringing the palms to the heart we offer all our
feelings unto Him. See note 1 below for Baba's extended explanation
about the special significance of our namaskar mudra.
SPECIAL LITMUS TEST
Now that we have the most essential points about our namaskar mudra
clearly in mind, it is time to apply the litmus test to see if we and
those around us are doing namaskar properly or not.
If you, me or anyone walks into a room and waits for others to do
namaskar to them, it means they clearly do not know that meaning.
Because if in our heart and mind we understand that namaskar is in fact
a salutation to the Supreme, then one will be vigilant and ready to
quickly to namaskar to anyone they see. Forgetting this point, then one
will think, "I am a man of respect, let others salute me first." In that
case, one will not do namaskar first. That means they have totally
misunderstand the entire essence of namaskar. In such situations, they
are merely demonstrating their own idiocy or ignorance.
You may have seen such situations. If you walk down the hallways these
days in Ranchi or Tiljala, so many big Dadas will never say namaskar to
their junior workers. Rather such Dadas will expect that all should
respectfully do namaskar to them and in response they may casually wave
or nod their head.
When any high posted Dada does like this, then they have totally
degraded themselves by totally forgetting the divine truth that namaskar
is being done to the Supreme, not to them. But instead such Dadas are
puffing up their own ego and vanity thinking that the namaskar
salutation is a reflection of one's own greatness or social standing.
Such is the height of their blindness and ignorance.
Then if one tours any overseas sectors, often we find that those who
have become family acaryas fall into this same awful predication. With
their new found title, such family acaryas think all should honor them
by doing namaskar first. Again, this is nothing but the proof of their
own ignorance.
Then of course, whether acarya or not, any arrogant person is prone to
degrading themselves in this way by thinking that namaskar is being done
to them.
So we should all think - review the situation in our own minds - and
make sure that we are not falling into this trap, nor allowing others to
do so. We should know that when doing namaskar we are offering our
salutations to the Supreme.
SPECIAL LITMUS TEST (Part 2)
Of course, no problem exists in isolation - it is never or hardly ever a
one-sided affair. Two people are most often involved in any wrongdoing.
Same then is the case with the misunderstanding about namaskar.
Up till now, we have been primarily discussing the ignorance of the
person who is receiving the namaskar salutation. They wrongly think that
namaskar is being done to them.
The other side of the scenario is the person who is actually doing
namaskar. The proper spirit should be that we are paying our salutations
to Baba, the Supreme One.
But it sometimes happens - either to us or others - that we are thinking
that an important person has entered the room so we should quickly go
and do namaskar. Or we may think that the person before me is so great
that I must be extra careful to show him my respect by doing namaskar
very slowly. Or anytime the thought infests our mind that the salutation
within namaskar is being done to the person in front of us, and not
Parama Purusa, then the person doing namaskar has also fallen into
dogma. That is sign of one's own ignorance.
Thus whenever a so-called great person walks into any room waiting for
others to do namaskar to them and whenever a person sees a so-called
great person and think I must honor them by doing namaskar, then in that
moment, both parties involved are 100% ignorance. Both are misusing and
abusing the namaskar salutation and degrading themselves.
SPECIAL LITMUS TEST (Part 3)
One other scenario is if an aged or senior or respected person sees a
5-year old boy then they may think, "Why should I do namaskar or pay
respect to this small child." This is also a diseased outlook.
We must always remember that Parama Purusa is timeless and ageless and
whatever form is standing before us, He resides within all. Thus none
should fall into ignorance by failing to do namaskar in such circumstances.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, He has blessed us with one very special type of
salutation to recognise His presence in all circumstances and
interactions. This is a spiritual boon. So we must always watch
ourselves to ensure we are following the word and spirit of His namaskar
guidelines. Failing that - should we become at all ignorant in this
regard - then that will only lead to our degradation.
Remembering Him is the path of vidya and elevation and forgetting Him is
the path of avidya and degradation. When doing or receiving namaskar, we
must always bear in mind salutations are being done to Him, and not any
unit being.
Namaskar,
Divyacaksu
Note 1: BABA'S UNIQUE EXPLANATION OF NAMASKAR
Baba says, "What is our style of extending goodwill? We say, Namaska'r.
That is, “I pay respect to the Supreme Entity residing within you.” You
should remember this. “I concentrate all the good feelings of my mind
here in the trikut'i [between the eyebrows].”
In your mind there are so many propensities. Propensities are called
vrtti in Sanskrit. So there are so many vrttis, so many propensities, in
your mind. One portion of your mind is saying, “Today I’ll take hot
rice.” Another portion is saying, “In the near future I’ll try to go to
Calcutta.” Another portion of your mind is saying, “Now I’ll have to do
some relief service to the people.” Another portion is saying, “I should
do something concrete for the refugees.” There are so many thoughts
within your mind."
"Another portion of your mind is saying, “I’ll become a wholetime
worker. I’ll leave my house.” Another portion is saying, “But my mother
will be weeping.” Another portion is saying, “No, no, I’ll have to do
something for the greater world.”"
"So many thoughts are in your mind. But you should concentrate all your
thoughts at a particular point, here – that is, with all the strength
and goodwill of your mind you are doing this – you are touching these
two palms here [trikut'i]. That is, you are concentrating all your
goodwill here, because you are paying respect to Parama Purus'a residing
within this body; this body; this body; this body [pointing to different
people]. First do this."
"And not only mental concentration, you are human beings, you have got
so many sentiments also. Human sentiment, you know? When you feel much
joy you burst into tears, when much sorrow you burst into tears. These
are sentiments. And human beings are guided by sentiment, more by
sentiment than by logic, you must not forget it – more by sentiment than
by logic. So your sentiment is also there, so with all the concentration
of your mind and with all the sweetness of your sentiment, from the very
core of your heart, you are paying respect to Parama Purus'a residing
within human structure. So you do this [palms together at mid-point of
chest], and say, Namaska'r."
"I think you have understood it? A very sweet idea. So it is my opinion,
my desire, that human society [be] one, indivisible; it is an expressed
form, a sweet expression, of Parama Purus'a, to whom you should always
pay respect by doing namaska'r." (AV-30)
Note 2: NAMASKAR TO HUMAN BEINGS - NAMASTE TO PARAMA PURUSA
One other dogma floating around the fake and new-age yoga community in
the west and in India also is that use of namaste. This is a bit of a
separate topic, but in general one should understand that namaskar is
used with human beings and namaste is only used when honoring Parama
Purusa directly, not seeing Parama Purusa in the form of some unit
being. Our Marga should not fall prey to this dogma. There is an
important distinction with can be discussed in greater length. Suffice
to say here that we should pay heed to Baba's below guideline.
Baba says, "The generally-accepted rule is that one should say
namaska'ra to a human being or a god or goddess, but one should say
namaste or namastubhyam only to Parama Purus'a, not to any other
entity." (SS-11)
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Groupist Leaders Do Like This
Baba says, "Ism (groupism etc) is responsible for disrupting human harmony.
...[When any particular] group will lose its prestige, the people in the
group feel ashamed, and in that condition they do not hesitate to take
recourse to ignoble means in order to save the prestige of their nation,
caste, group."
(PNS-16, p.3)
Here above Baba is explaining this very point that for those engaged in
groupism, power and prestige is everything. Groupists have no interest in
the welfare of the collective society. Their interest is only in
propagating their own group. And if they feel this is not getting done,
then they will take any negative means they can to again bring prestige
to their group. Unfortunately in our organisation various groups are
doing like this. But margiis and good Wts are not supporting any form of
groupism.
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