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"Doing to Feel Good About Ourselves"

Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2009 07:48:27 -0000 To: AM-GLOBAL From: Hariish Deva Subject: "Doing to Feel Good About Ourselves" 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...
== DOING TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES ==
Namaskar, Not long back I attended a retreat and at the opening ceremony and also in our ERAWS Departmental meetings Dadas were telling that 'We [margiis] should engage in some work or activity so that we will feel good about ourselves'. They were telling that this should be our motivating factor. Plus they were saying, 'If you do not do something, then how will our seniors be pleased'. So these are some of the things we margiis are hearing at retreats nowadays. So this is one of the common problems. Unfortunately those making these types of statements are oblivious about Baba's teaching. Baba says, "It is incorrect to say that merely doing good deeds is enough: People must hold an object of ideation in their minds. And that supreme object of ideation is Parama Purus'a. Only then if some good action is performed will it be successful. Now if one wants to do some good deed excluding Parama'tma' that will not be a good deed. This will be sheer selfishness on your part, and nothing good can come from it." (26 Feb '71, Jammu)
HOW THE WORLD IS FUNCTIONING THESE DAYS
Due to the mass propagation of the self-centered philosophy of materialism, there is a huge increase in selfishness. The common people are going far astray from Baba's above golden guideline. Nowadays general citizens-- especially those who regard themselves as so-called advanced people-- rarely do good deeds. And in the those measly few circumstances when they do seemingly perform "good actions", it is really done out of self-satisfaction. That is for the sake of their own entertainment. These days this has become the fad. And then afterwards they just brag about their own "greatness". They announce to others about how they did top-level social service. And by saying that they can feel good (puffed up) and get prestige. This is the on-going trend. Baba says, "Suppose a certain man donates one thousand rupees to a particular institution. The next day he looks anxiously for his name in the newspaper. If his name does not appear in the paper, then with an air of conceit he brags amongst his kith and kin. “I have donated a thousand rupees, but I do not desire recognition and therefore I have not published my name in the paper.” The desire for fame exists in a concealed form in that man’s mind. Clearly, he did not make the donation with the spirit of service." (SS-1)
THE OUTCOME OF SELFISH ACTIVITIES
But one should understand such so-called good works neither help the individual nor the collective. Rather it causes or brings about their ultimate degeneration in all the realms: 1) Those who are "doing the service" look down upon those whom they are serving; and they end up exploiting them etc. 2) Those who are "doing the service" really want some something return. Such as name or fame etc. And when if/when they do not get that then they retaliate or r eact in various ways; 3) Plus they go not recognise the dignity of those human beings whom they are serving. They do not respect those downtrodden masses. By their arrogant tendency, they end up imposing an inferiority complex upon those whom they are "serving". 4) They bind themselves in the ocean of negative samskara and bondage by getting sucked into the never-ending cycle of action and reaction. 5) For their own self-entertainment they lose their vivek. And when they do entertain themselves often they harm others. For example on the weekend people do various outlandish things like hunting, fishing, and killing. By this way we can see that there are all kinds of negative things they do to entertain themselves. All so that they can satisfy their selfish desires and feel good. Yet all this is a waste of time-- not to mention destructive. 6) Ultimately such persons degenerate and get totally frustrated.
THE GREATEST THING-- IN THE REAL SENSE
To do work with the sole purpose and motive of pleasing Parama Purusa is the greatest thing; that is the only good work. And by His grace true devotees do like this. There is no other way. Baba says, "When you perform acts with the ideation that the person served is Náráyańa, there is no possibility of arrogance or the desire for fame growing in your mind. Then you will realize that through the grace of a'ra'yan'a you have been given the opportunity of serving Na'ra'yan'a. Our hands and feet are not ours, they are His, and by serving Himself with those hands and feet, He sports with Himself. Such an action is an action without attachment. Only in this way can one attain salvation from the bondage of Karma. "(SS-1) Baba says, "Knowing oneself is the real knowledge; serving all with the ideation of Na'ra'yan'a, the real action, and the vow to please Parama Purus'a the real devotion." (A'nanda Va'nii #25) Namaskar, Hariish
Note: LIFE IN AMPS
In our organisation AMPS, the following types of ailments are going on. Some Wts are openly bragging and telling each other: (a) "Hey, do something to feel good"; or, (b) "Hey, do something to please your higher authority"; or "Hey, do something to please your grouip leader" etc; or, (c) "Hey, do something to save your post and get a promotion." This is what they say. And this is not a hidden idea either. Rather it happens on a daily basis. In this way they brag and loudly expose their feeling to one and all. Plus some margiis etc who give a few pennies for relief projects talk all day long about their own greatness and great generosity. These are the common ailments. So by this one can easily understand that such persons are surrounded by Cimmerian darkness. The fate of such Wts or margiis ends up in sheer frustration. In contrast, good margiis follow Baba's teaching: Do with the ideation of serving Parama Purusa.
*************************************** Margiis' Status
Baba says, "Most people spend their lives on this planet eating and drinking. Sometimes they contract diseases, their stomachs become distended, and they die. But there are certain exceptional people who say, 'No, we have not come to eat, drink and make merry.' Those who lead licentious lives foolishly get involved in brawls and fights, but the exceptional people say, 'No, we don't want to live such a life, we have to lead an ideological life on the path of "A'tmamoks'a'rtham' jagaddhita'ya ca." "Those people who are society's exceptions are extraordinary people. They alone will build human history. Others cannot and will not do it." "These exceptional people are sometimes seen as lunatics by the naive public, but the fact is that these exceptional people do something new and constructive for society." "You should also know that you are exceptions. You too will do something great, will build up something historical." (9th January '79) Note: The life of each and every good margii is looked upon as something peculiar in the eyes of the common people. The reason is A-grade margiis are not involved in the religious dogma or materialistic ways of common people; plus all margiis are practicing yoga, kiirtan, sadhana, eating only sentient food, and following progressive ideas. So margiis' thinking and living and socializing are quite different from the common public. That is why the common public thinks margiis are peculiar people. But sincere margiis are not worried about this; rather they know that this is one merit. Such margiis are great exceptions and they are also the vanguards of the entire society. All sincere margiis are making the path which the common public will tread in the very near future.
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