== FREEING ONESELF FROM CAPITALISM ==
Namaskar,
Baba is the divine teacher and He has given the solutions to all the
problems in all the realms of life. Thus He has addressed all the 4
vargas-- kama, artha, dharma, & moksa. Because after all these things are
inter-linked. Our life is not only spiritual; nor is it only social etc;
every aspect of life we have to see. Thus Baba's teachings touch all the
levels of life.
BABA'S HISTORIC PRECEDENT
So this is the first time in human history that a Guru has given guidelines
for how to move in the economic sphere. Otherwise, in the past, various
so-called gurus always avoided this touchy issue-- or mostly they were
oblivious, or if they did something they created only dogma. Such as what
happened with Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. So Baba is the first to
guide and preach dharma in all the spheres.
Here below are the Proutistic guidelines and tips for how one can lead a
proper life in a balanced way. That is Baba wants that we should be alert
and savvy about the various tricks that ruling capitalists do in order to
dupe the people and grab their money.
Otherwise what we see happening all around is that common, simple margiis
have started running and competing with the general society on the point of
money and material prestige etc. And in that way they end up expending more
energy and money and in that way their whole life gets overly stretched.
So we should be aware of the situation and not get sucked into the
whirlpool of psychic diseases, which the common society is suffering from--
such that they are tied up in one noose.
SPECIAL ROLE OF ANANDA MARGIIS
By Baba's grace we Ananda Margiis have been shown the path and are
therefore the candle-bearers for the present day human society. Thus we
have to follow and propagate Prout in our practical life. In that light, we
should strictly follow those things which Baba guides us about. And then we
will be able to guide others. This is the way.
Indeed Baba has given us all the tools to lead a perfectly balanced and
practical life. In that way we can guide the society-- as it is the duty of
each and every Ananda Margii to lead the society out of the darkness.
And if society will have artha (financial ease) then the psychic and
spiritual renaissance can get stronger. So this point about economics is
the common problem and it is not limited to family margiis only-- numerous
Wts are also suffering from this same type of problem.
So we should all pay heed to Baba's unique teachings and special guidelines
on this significant point.
TYPES OF EXPLOITATION
While talking about exploitation Baba has categorized this topic into many
different types of exploitation. These days in society, when the psychic
faculty is comparatively more developed than in the past history, the mode
of exploitation has changed to psychic. And from there exploiters have
paved the way to do psycho-economic exploitation. Earlier exploiters first
usually doing just psychic exploitation. And their main strategy is to
create all sorts of inferiority complexes in the minds of those whom they
want to exploit. Now however the leading vaeshyas have become craftier. Now
such raging capitalists do all these types of tricks-- including
psycho-economic exploitation. That is one of the main reasons why the
common public unnecessarily feels feel depressed about their status,
thinking that they are very low.
Here then are some practical examples of how capitalist exploiters execute
their negative work of exploitation.
A CASE IN POINT-- VALUES LOST
Due to extreme capitalist propaganda, nowadays everyday items such as
clothing have taken on huge stature. No longer is it simply something that
is used for covering the body. Instead clothing has become one important
factor for getting prestige, social respect. In this regard, good clothes
are needed-- costly ones, with a certain brand name or label from a
particular company. This is what the capitalist agencies preach and this is
what the innocent public has come to believe.
Hence now clothes have taken on greater importance than human values. Human
values like morality, kind-heartedness have been lost in the sea of
capitalist materialism. In those capitalist countries one's status and
worth is solely dependent upon one's physical possessions-- not one's inner
feeling or existential quality. And the common people have started
believing this because those capitalists have imposed their values on
everyone through the propaganda machinery.
PSYCHIC COMPLEX
So the general society is suffering from this very problem: inferiority
complex. For this reason they get sucked into purchasing certain expensive
company brands, models, and designs to enhance their own prestige as they
have forgotten their humanity. And again the root cause of this most tragic
situation is the inferiority complex which is injected into the minds of
the common public by rapacious capitalist exploiters. And in this
particular instance it is that those who have cheaper clothes who are low
and valueless.
Even if those plain clothes are worn by one neo-humanistic, sadhu-minded
person, even then that person will not be highly regarded or respected by
others in the society. They will not get any status whereas if a scoundrel
type of person wears good clothes or fancy threads, then they will be
revered. So all the values have gotten changed-- distorted.
In so-called poor countries this condition may not be quite so visible, but in
so-called wealthy nations this thing can be seen so much.
EXAMPLE #2
Another example that abounds is about cars. Especially in so-called rich
countries an automobile is not simply just a method of transportation.
These days it is a model of prestige. How much costly a car one has,
accordingly that person is great and qualified. Point is that with that
costly car people get respect.
No doubt one can get a fine car which might cost $2,000-4,0000 dollars US;
and that can be used for simple transportation. But surely those who are
the owners of such cars have to suffer the humiliation and inferiority
complex as they are low, like a beggar. To avoid this, in the competition
and race for prestige, people spend their whole life's earning and go into
debt in order to purchase and maintain a costly, latest model car. Even
they purchase vehicles that cost from $50,000 to $80,000 to more than
$100,000 US Dollars and more.
Common citizens do not know that all this is going into the capitalists'
pockets, and the common citizens are going in the debt. So they became one
tool or puppet in the hands of capitalists. What way the capitalists plot
out the path, accordingly the common people dance. And unknowingly they
think that this is the way of life. Because just they got caught up in the
realm of material competition. Even good people fall into that capitalist
net.
DEFINING THE CAPITALIST TRICK
Hence all these examples prove how capitalist exploiters have created
serious inferiority complexes by perpetrating psychic exploitation.
Creating a false need in the minds of buyers, purchasers of their products.
Baba says, "Capitalists exploit society through their gigantic propaganda
machinery, and create unhealthy, artificial demands which not only poison
the mind but encourage dangerous habits detrimental to psychic sanctity and
expansion." (PNS-12, p.19)
And it should be noted that this type of treacherous exploitation which
Baba describes is not limited to the field of clothing and automobiles.
Rather this negative scene and such type of exploitation has invaded into
each and every aspect of life in materialistic countries. Such as in what
type of house you have, where you live, what university you attended, what
cosmetics you wear, what job you have, what restaurants and hotels you
frequent. The list goes on and on. Indeed it has bled into every aspect of
life.
Baba has addressed this negative phenomenon in great detail and given the
solution as well in His Prout discourses. In particular please refer to
'The Parts of the Economy', Prout-12.
The overall point is that in this age of extreme capitalism, the great
qualities of intellect, service, dedication, spirituality, kind
heartedness, & Neo-Humanistic feeling have zero value. Instead behind this
certain different types of dogmas have been injected by capitalist
exploiters.
THE WAY OUT
By Baba's grace He guides us to assess what is what and who is who and that
we should recognize all the tricks being played by those capitalist
exploiters. And by exposing their false shams and inculcating higher values
in life and basing one's self-worth on psycho-spiritual development as
opposed to material wealth and fashion, then immediately one steps out of
the crude vaeshyan era and enters into a fresh, clean neo-humanistic way of
living.
SADGURU'S BLESSING
Here following is Baba's blessing:
Baba says, "One must follow the path of the yogi, and one must accept that
Universal Entity as one's supreme goal...finally you will be with Him, you
will be one with Him." (SS-21, p.115)
Namaskar,
Mahendra
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Medicinal Food / Herbs
Baba says, "Antidotes of poison-- green tumeric, spinach leaves,
basil...mainly black basil and secondly white basil or any kinds of basil."
(SC-20 Bangla, disc 156)
Baba says, "If some negative effect is going on due to food poisoning or
because of eating poisonous fish, then without any delay a sufficient
quantity of spinach leaves should be eaten and by that way the poison will
be antidoted. (SC-20)
Note: These above quotes are excepts from a particular discourse in Shabda
Cayanika.
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