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To Improve Sadhana

From: "Alex Hufnagel" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: To Improve Sadhana Date: Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:07:05 +0000 Baba PS Intro: This following song is not a very common type of Prabhat Samgiita. In this song, the scene unfolds how Baba is sitting listlessly in the flower garden all by Himself, and the devotee is trying in many ways to attract His attention. So Parama Purusa is just playing His liila because although He knows everything, here He is pretending as if He is unaware that the devotee is close by. This type of liila is displayed in this following song. "Toma're dekhechi jabe ca'npa'r vane takhano pa'pa'r'i d'ha'ka' madhu chilo..." (PS 531) Purport: Baba the day when I saw You in the campa flower garden, that time also the flower's honey vessels were covered by its petals. Underneath the flower petals, there was an accumulation of honey nectar. I looked toward You with my eyes full of great longing, expectation, and anticipation; but that was all in vain because You did not respond to me that time. Baba, one thing is beyond my understanding, why were You just sitting there listlessly in that flower garden--and You did not seem to notice me at all. Baba, in various ways I tried to attract Your attention. I intentionally placed my foot on some dry, crunchy leaves hoping that at least by that sound You would hear me and wonder 'who has come, who is here'. Yet, alas, You did not pay any heed. But even though You were not looking towards me, still You were pulling my heart very strongly. Thus in spite of Your playful indifference, in my heart the lamp of hope was still glittering. I was keeping the feeling alive in my heart, that Your liila will change and You will graciously look towards me. So again I tried to attract Your attention. This time my heart was filled with fear and shyness; I could not gather the courage to go directly in front You. So I just continued moving from a distance with gentle steps looking towards with longing in my heart. Means slowly, slowly-- time to time-- I was staring at You with anxious and hopeful eyes, hoping that at least You will grace me by looking towards me and call me closer to You. Alas, all my hopes and dreams were in vain. That day I understood how Your liila generates blissful pain in my heart. Baba, even then that day I continued on with the hope that this liila will end soon, and You will look towards me. That time the whole atmosphere was charged with the sweet aroma of all those flowers in the garden. Baba, Your liila is unfathomable. Although You did not look towards me that time, but in my heart I felt that You are more close than ever. Baba, I felt that You graciously pulled my entire existence towards You with the invisible flow of devotion and tied me in the bond of Your love...
== TO IMPROVE SADHANA ==
Namaskar, If you are sitting in your own older automobile and admiring your neighbor's fancy, new car - internally wishing that it were yours - are you then going against the code of asteya (non-stealing)? The answer is: YES. So says Baba in His historic Patna discourse from 1971. That is the exact example that Baba Himself has given. In that same discourse Baba raises many other new and unique points related with asteya that apply to our daily life. As His disciples we should all familiarise ourselves with His expanded teachings on asteya so as to enhance our practical knowledge base gained from His monumental book, "Jiivan Veda" or "A Guide to Human Conduct" (Jamalpur 1957). By this way, our sadhana will certainly improve. Baba says, "...Without yama and niyama, sadhana is an impossibility..." (Supreme Command)
ALL WANT EXPANSION
Baba outlines that everyone in this world desires expansion (vistara) - all want to expand. This is the common feeling and inherent tendency of every human being. But as Baba points out, not all expansion is in accordance with yama and niyama. Certain types of expansion run contrary to the code of asteya. In that case, one will not be able to progress on the path of sadhana, nor be a moral citizen in society.
ABOUT PHYSICAL, PSYCHIC, AND SPIRITUAL EXPANSION
We then need to understand what type of expansion is proper, and what not. Baba says that expansion in the psychic world is very good. There is no problem with this. Baba furthermore states that by proper expansion in the psychic world the aspirant will become one with Saguna Brahma. Baba also states that expansion in the spiritual world is also of great value and it has no drawbacks. By the proper approach, through spiritual expansion the sadhaka will become one with Nirguna Brahma. So in these two planes - psychic and spiritual - expansion will further one along the path of dharma -- sadhana. The tricky aspect is if one chases after expansion in the physical sphere. That is when all the problems occur.
PROBLEMS WITH PHYSICAL EXPANSION
As Ananda Margii - as sadhakas - we understand that we live in this world for the sake of adjustment only. This is not our permanent abode; this is not our eternal shelter; all the things of this world are transitory. There is no sense in collecting things which will not stay with us. This we all understand. For that reason, we are (mostly) not allured nor enamoured with accumulating and collecting more and more mundane possessions or wealth. At least we should not be enticed in this direction. Because we understand in our heart that we have come onto this earth to serve and please Parama Purusa and His creation. He is our Goal, not any mundane item like property, money, cars, women, gold, or prestige. However, those without a higher goal in life will naturally try to satisfy their desire for expansion by chasing after physical pabulum. This leads to hoarding, greed, corruption, and so many other problems. Tragically, now this is what most people are doing because capitalism is in vogue - wherein the material world is looked upon as everything, the be-all and end-all of life. Baba says, "In capitalism the psychology of the acquisition of material wealth, be it land, money, metal or other property, strongly predominates. Such crude psychic urges and psychic pabula remain unchecked and unbridled in capitalism and turn into a hungry profit motive in the market system. As a result, traders, industrialists and business people suffer from the psychic disease of accumulating more and more wealth by any means, even to the point of depriving other human beings of their basic requirements...The inhuman exploitation causes the mass-level deprivation of millions of people. The curse of capitalism engulfs the whole of society. Thus capitalism is anti-human." (PNS-12) This entire defective approach of goading one's inherent desire for expansion toward mundane things is against the code of asteya, as people are constantly desiring to own things that do not belong to them. From top to bottom, it is a flawed approach to life and those who get stuck in this mode of living suffer from a severe psychic disease, and their future is not at all bright. All this and more Baba describes in the about quote and in so many of His discourses. By this manner, such persons are going against the code of asteya and ruining their human existence.
WORKS IN TWO DISTINCT DIRECTIONS
To take the matter one step further, chasing after physical expansion leads to steya (stealing) in two ways. Firstly, as described above, greedy people will always harbor the idea to grab more and more physical wealth. They will try and capture more money or land or whatever to the degree that they deprive others. This is one type of stealing. The second type is that those who have been exploited up to the bone will then wander this earth in a penniless and hungry condition. In turn, they will resort to stealing in order to merely survive on this earth. They will steal for their next meal. The first type of stealing - i.e. unbridled over-accumulation of physical wealth - is due to a misguided and greedy intellect. The individual is at fault. The second type of stealing - i.e. theft out of want - is due to severe exploitation. In that case the society is at fault as those impoverished persons had no other course of action in order to stay alive. They were forced to steal in order to even eat. Both of these conditions - both of these types of stealing - are not at all befitting of our human society and should be eliminated entirely.
SOLUTIONS
There are two basic solutions to these types of steya (theft). Firstly, we are to teach sadhana to each and every person and by this way they will get the idea that this human life is not meant for running after mundane things and physical wealth. Rather we are to live in proper adjustment in this world so that all can goad their minds toward psychic and spiritual pursuits. By teaching sadhana then people will get the idea that in their personal lives they should seek psycho-spiritual expansion. That will eliminate steya in individual life. If we merely tell people not to steal but fail to give them the practical approach of sadhana, then they will steal secretly. So that will not work. The second aspect is to propagate the ideals of Prout and thereby make society healthy. Then people will not roam around in halfway starving condition wondering how they are going to get their next meal. Only Prout guides people that expansion should get aimed toward the field of spirituality. With this idea as the banner of human life, then asteya will certainly be properly practiced in life and all will get right expansion. Everyone's sadhana will be better as that is what they cherish most in life, not a new swimming pool, Mercedes-Benz, or a large mansion. Baba says, "PROUT is a socioeconomic philosophy to help take humanity from imperfection to perfection. To move towards the Supreme Entity is a continuous process for one and all. At the end of this process, you will become one with the Supreme Entity." (PNS-17)
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace He has given us the right teachings in life so that the mind will be goad toward the benevolent Goal. In that case - unhindered by various afflictions - one will flow effortless forward on the path of sadhana. Baba says, "The easiest way of practising asteya, as in the case of all other principles of Yama and Niyama, is auto-suggestion. If people, right from the childhood, remember these codes and remind themselves what is correct, they will not go astray when they grow up – even in the midst of temptations – and they will be able to maintain the high standard of thoughts and character." (GHC) Namaskar, Arisudan
******************************************** Meaning of Baba's Blessing
Baba says, "That which leads to one's physical, psychic and spiritual well-being is called 'hita'; that which leads to one's psychic and spiritual well-being is 'kalya'n'a'; and that which leads to one's spiritual well-being is 'ks'ema'." (AV-8, p. 47) Note 1: Most of the time at the end of His discourses Baba gives His blessing, Kalya'n'amastu-- "that which leads to one's psychic and spiritual well-being". But unfortunately in English translated books the editors have simply written it as "Let there be welfare". Obviously then this is not working properly. Because the term 'welfare' is commonly used in crude materialistic societies where there is no sense of spirituality or Godhood. And Baba's blessings are always related with Divine blessings. Guru as Parama Purusa, as Taraka Brahma, as Mahasambhuti-- He blesses divinely. But that divine quality is conspicuously absent or missing entirely from the mundane term 'welfare.' So when our new margiis read, "Let there be welfare", then they may think that it is related with a court case, or children's problems, or getting some unemployment bonus etc. Because even in India the Social Welfare Department is just one mundane group that distributes food rations at a lower profit or helps in flood circumstances, or does other types of external dealings etc. Means they do not do anything in the realm of spirituality-- and in all the countries it is like this. That the 'Welfare Dept' is just involved in crude things. The culminating idea is that: Baba's blessing is divine yet welfare is often interpreted as a mundane term. Note 2: Sometimes Baba gives His blessing saying Kalya'n'amastu, sometimes Baba begins His blessing with Hita', and sometimes with Ks'ema', but in each case the editors of our AMPS books incorrectly put "Let there be welfare". Hence the editors of the various books are responsible for such blunders. It is our dharmic duty that such errors should be corrected according to Baba's approach. Note 3: Specifically in AV-34, p.37 the mistake appears in the book like this:
"Kalya'n'amastu [Let there be welfare]"
So this is a wrong and misguided translation that the editors did.
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