== CANNOT RESUSCITATE ==
Namaskar,
Little by little the Kolkata faction is trying to resuscitate their dogmatic
Mahaprayan function from the dead. They are trying to declare a so-called global
unity meeting on the very heels of mahaprayan, and they are giving all
kinds of perks to those who attend.
But dogma is dogma is dogma. And no sincere or right-thinking margii
has an iota of interest in going to this dogmatic Mahaprayan program.
Because life is for pleasing Guru and when Guru Himself is displeased with
the dogma of mahaprayan since it goes against AM ideology, then which
margii wants to go against Guru and attend the dogmatic ritual of mahaprayan
in Kolkata.
Here following are some of the many points which various margiis and
acaryas are raising concerning this dying dogma of Mahaprayan.
For these reasons this dogma is going, going, gone...
BLISSFUL IDEATION
1. Every sadhaka knows that memories and ideation of our most Loving
Entity Baba should be blissful. Because this is how people remember
their loved ones. For example, if one mother has a child and if that
child dies a most treacherous death in a gruesome car accident. The
mother will not then hang a picture on her wall of the child's mangled
body and torn face from the day of that nasty accident. Rather the
mother will hang a beautiful picture of that child from when the child
was looking charming and sweet. Similarly as sadhakas we remember our
Beloved Guru in a blissful manner. And for anyone to choose so-called
Mahaprayan as the way to remember our dearmost Baba is just like hanging
that picture of the mangled child on the wall. It is one negative way,
that is why all true devotees remember Baba is positive & blissful way.
NOBODY CELEBRATES THE "DEATH DAY"
2. Everybody is aware that in no religion or spiritual path do the
followers celebrate the "death-day" of their chosen god or deity. This
is the common fact. In that way the "death day" of Lord Krsna is never
celebrated nor is the "death day" of Lord Shiva celebrated. Indeed
nobody is aware when Lord Shiva and Krsna passed away. Likewise even the
dogmatic Christians refuse to celebrate Christ's death. Rather they
remember his birth and rising etc. The central idea being that to keep
the spiritual flow or devotional feeling alive, one fundamental feeling
is highly essential: The presence of God.
PRESENCE OF PRECEPTOR NEEDED
3. Plus we all know that Baba has given the formula of 'Six Spokes of
the Social Cycle' for the on going survival of any community or society.
And one of those required spokes is Preceptor. But the entire theory
behind Mahaprayan is that the Preceptor is gone. That is why various
margiis and wts are telling that keeping the Mahaprayan program is like
shooting ourselves in the foot-- or head. Because without the presence
of Preceptor then that society will die. This is Guru's teaching. So
from the get-go the whole Mahaprayan theory is dogmatic and destructive.
ANANDA MARGA TEACHINGS ARE COMPLETE-- FOR ALL TIME
4. Each and every Ananda Margii knows that AM teachings are perfectly
complete and cover each and every part of life. So when Baba Himself has
not included the point of Mahaprayan in His teachings then why should it
be celebrated.
In reply however, one or two dogmatic type of people justify the matter
saying that Baba never wanted to talk about His physical departure etc.
Like this a few blind persons justify the point.
But various rational field acaryas give the reply that Baba has indeed
discussed aspects such as this because in the Acarya Diary itself Baba
teaches that when Guru is physically accessible then Guru Puja should be
done directly to Him. And in that same acarya diary Baba says that when
Guru is not physically near you and/ or after His physical disappearance
from this earth then we are to do Guru Puja with mantra and ideation to
His photo.
So here the key point is that Baba has indeed given the guideline how to
manage after His physical disappearance. Of course with one's spiritual
eye one can see and feel him physically also-- just it is with the crude
physical eye it is not possible. But here the central idea that that
Baba gives the answer what to do in His physical absence etc. So no one
can justify that Baba never addresses such circumstances.
Plus the acarya told that Baba further tells in Acarya Diary that if one
has a strong desire to give something physical to Guru and if He is no
longer physically on this earth then one should feed His creation and
distribute food to the needy etc.
And furthermore in the event if there is no need of such service to the
impoverished then those physical offerings should be made to the moving
waters of one river. And the other option Baba has given is to burn
those items. All these options Baba has given as means to offer to Him
when He is not physically on this earth.
And in the last scenario Baba has given the point-- my acarya was
telling-- that all sadhakas should offer mental flowers or mental
colours to Guru when He has physically disappeared. This also is the
teaching from Acarya Diary.
So like this in each and every scenario and situation Baba has given the
exact way for how to proceed. By His grace He has given full instruction
and left no stone unturned. Thus no one can justify the matter that Baba
did not discuss such things. Rather Baba has outlined everything so if a
point like Mahaprayan etc is not in His teachings, then we should not do
or invent such things. And ultimately we all know this, so this is one
simple reminder-- nothing more.
'MAHAPRAYAN' IS ORDINARY TERM IN BANGLA MEANING DEATH
5. It is also commonly know that the term 'Mahaprayan' is not one
spiritually high or reverential term. Just it means "death" in Bengali.
Everyday in those places where Bangla is spoken people are routinely
talking about 'this mahaprayan' or 'that mahaprayan'. So it is a most
ordinary and commonplace thing. But in our Marga a few are foolishly
thinking that 'mahaprayan' is some special, holy term of Ananda Marga.
But that is wrong. This 'mahaprayan' word is very commonly known in the
whole non-margii Bengali community. And this word is frequently used
among them to signify death. But unfortunately 1 or 2 overseas margiis
have been kept in the dark by telling that this mahaprayan term is
something heavenly. When in reality the common connotation is just
"death", nothing more.
SO-CALLED MAHAPRAYAN GOES AGAINST DHYANA
6. In our Marga, we all know that spiritual service means service to
Guru. This is Baba's teaching which each and every Ananda Margii is
aware about. Thus in the theory of Mahaprayan (Great Departure) when
Baba is "departed", then how can one do service, especially spiritual
service. Dhyana or sadhana, is our spiritual service and in that
practice His existence is requisite, mandatory. Thus the false theory of
Mahaprayan is directly contrary to our spiritual approach in AM.
PARAMA PITA' BABA KI-- JA'I!!!
7. If we believe Mahaprayan and Baba is gone, then our 'Parama Pita Baba
Ki-Jai' slogan has lost its value. Because how can any Entity get
victory if they are not present. So margiis are feeling that Baba is
with us always that is why our 'Parama Pita Baba Ki-Jai' slogan is so
meaningful. And to think He is gone is dogma. So we should follow Baba's
eternal guideline to not allow dogmas like Mahaprayan to crop up into
our holy Ananda Marga. That way the inherent beauty and glory of our Jai
slogan shall live on.
A FEW OF BABA'S TEACHINGS
Here Baba warns us about the what happens when they allow dogmas like
Mahaprayan to creep into their mental outlook
Baba says, "When people are guided by, & controlled by dogmas, their
dynamism is lost, so they become lifeless. They are worse than dead
bodies. So you boys and you girls, you should know that you must never
allow any dogma to control you, to make you drift away from your
nucleus." (BABA, 'Beware of Dogma')
So the Presence of Baba is a significant thing in our life. We should
not ruin our whole life by thinking that Baba is gone or distant or far
away. This type of feeling is not only detrimental but suicidal.
And here below Baba beautifully reveals the eternal secret behind the
spiritual and devotional cult of Ananda Marga.
Baba says, "The secret to develop devotional cult is to think, while
doing anything, while doing any mundane duty or doing any spiritual
practice -- you should always remember that He is Subject, He is seeing
what you are doing. He is hearing what you are thinking. You cannot do
anything secretly. He is always with you." (AV-12, p.7)
So the whole entire devotional approach in AM is to always hold dear the
feeling in our heart that Baba is constantly remaining along with us.
BABA'S BLESSING
By His grace we will realise this blessing each and every moment of our
lives
Baba says, "The one formless, beginningless and infinite Parama Brahma
(Supreme Consciousness) is the only entity to be attained by living
beings-That alone is Jagat Guru (the Supreme preceptor), That alone has
revealed Brahmavidya (intuitional science) to us through the medium of
the name and form of Anandamurtijii. Unit beings must be made to
appreciate Its majesty." (Caryacarya II p.1)
Namaskar,
Kalicharan
Note: So for all the reasons cited in this above letter, maximum number
of margiis and acaryas feel in their heart that Mahaprayan is just one
dying dogma. All family members are invited to share their thoughts &
feelings in this regard.
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Why Red Dress
Baba says, "Ta'n'd'ava is a heroic dance, showing the fight between life
and death. The knife represents life, represents your vital stamina, and
the skull represents the death that wants to destroy you. You are
fighting against death with your weapon, be it a knife or a trishula
(trident). And as per the rule, during the day, if one so desires, one
may use a live snake in place of the skull; and at night one may use a
fire masha'la [torch] or a d'amaru [small drum]. This is the rule. So
ta'n'd'ava represents the eternal fight, the fight for survival, the
fight to maintain existence, the fight to establish oneself as a man in
this world."
Note 1: By Baba's above guideline we can outline the system for
doing Tandava like this. During daytime in the left hand the tandava
dancer may hold either (1) a skull, or (2) a live snake. And when doing
tandava during the nighttime then in the left hand the dancer can hold
either (3) a fire torch or (4) a d'amaru, which is a small, one liter
size, hand-held, double-sided drum that has a string and two knots
attached which twist around and create a beautiful sound when they
strike against either face of the drum. Lord Shiva was using one of these.
So the point is that during tandava, depending on the time of day
etc, any one of these four items (skull, live snake, fire torch, or
d'amaru) are held in the dancer's left hand. And all four items
symbolize the force of death and destruction.
Then in the dancer's right hand he will hold a dagger or a trishula
(trident). In AM, a dagger is a knife where both edges of the knife are
perfectly straight and angle towards each other to create a distinct
point at the end. So a dagger is a pin-pointed, dual-edged knife; thus
not just any ordinary type of knife is a dagger. And the second option
for the right hand is the trishul (trident). This is similar to the
western "pitch-fork". It is a three pronged, pointed iron tool attached
onto a bamboo handle of variable length from 3 to 6 feet long.
Note 2: By Baba's grace I was also present at that special darshan
on 20 April 1979 in Kolkata where Baba revealed the secret why tandava
dancers wear a red-coloured outfit. Because in AM it is a commonly known
fact that tandava dancers always wear that unique read uniform when
dancing. Everyone who attended DMC, DMS, or any of Baba's darshans saw
this thing. And on that special day in April '79 Baba explained that red
is the color of rajoguna (the mutative factor) and that by wearing red
the tandava dancers are expressing the idea that they are above the
mutative factor. It is a representation that they are not controlled by
rajoguna. Rather they are established in the sattvaguna (sentient
sphere), by Baba's grace. So the red uniform has this unique meaning
which Baba Himself beautifully described in His darshan of 20 April 1979.
Note 3: Those doing kapalik sadhana also use a red mark on their
forehead when practicing this meditation. And the meaning behind that
red mark is the same as tandava. Namely read mark signifies that the
kapalika is above the mutative sphere of life-- above rajoguna.
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