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Lunatic

Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:48:42 -0400 From: Donald_G To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Lunatic Baba "Kare ja'tra' halo shuru, bhule gechi se katha'..." (699) Baba, when exactly my journey started I do not know; it is not in my mind. I have completely forgotten the day when my journey towards You started. Since many lives, by Your grace You have been attracting me-- step by step. By Your causeless compassion I am moving in that divine liila-- reducing the radius gradually and coming closer & closer to You. How much I suffered on the way and, how many thorns pierced my feet and hindered my forward movement on the path-- that I do not remember. Those memories are not in my mind. On the journey towards You by Your grace I crossed the torturous fiery blaze of the burning desert. And other times I got totally drenched from the pouring rains of the thunderstorms. But, no matter what the obstacle, by Your grace You always gave me the strength and perseverance to move on. Baba, by Your grace You are always bringing me close to You. So many spring seasons and their beauty have come and I got intoxicated by that attraction. And in Your longing, in Your divine attraction, You filled my heart with devotion. And by Your grace I sang Prabhat Samgiita songs and kiirtan with heartfelt yearning and longing. In this way my life has passed-- sometimes in dark moments and sometimes in effulgent ones. But through it is, by Your grace gradually I have reached close to You, under Your shelter. Baba You are so gracious. Baba, You are my everything...
== LUNATIC ==
Namaskar, With the recent passing cycle of the recent new moon, we should once again reflect on the importance of our fasting system. Baba has given all the practices of Ananda Marga for the health and well-being of all. So what Baba has given is good for every human being. One reason for this is that our AM practices abide by the laws of nature. Everything we do is consonant with the natural world. And this applies to our fasting system as well-- it is done according to the phases of the moon. By this way we are able to grow healthy and strong and avoid disturbances to our body and mind caused by the pull of the moon.
EFFECT OF THE MOON ON THE BODY
It is commonly know that the gravitional pull of the moon affects the human body. And in particular during the periods of the new and full moon, it adversely affects the human structure. Baba says, "On and around the times of new and full moon, one may observe that the gaseous and aqueous factors in the body rise up into the head and chest, creating an uncomfortable feeling." (CC-3) In essence, Baba guides us above that the moon pulls the liquid portion-- or the water of the body-- upwards and that creates undue pressure on the "head and chest". So just as it is scientifically proven that the tides of the ocean are dictated by the phases of the moon, similarly the liquid factor in the human body is also affected by the phases of the moon. And during the period of the new and full moon, the pull of the moon impairs the functioning of the human body by pulling the gas and liquid upwards. That is our well founded idea in Ananda Marga. That is Baba's explicit teaching.
AS GOES THE BODY, SO GOES THE MIND
In our yoga we also know that the mind and body are highly linked. Thoughts affect the health of the body, and the condition of the body affects the mind, postively or negatively. So when the body is adversely affected by the moon-- due to uneasy pressure etc-- then the mind is also affected. This is the common theorem. Because if there is a problem in the body then the mind will be drawn to that pain or that discomfort, in which case the mind will be not functiong in its normal manner. This we all know and we have seen often in the case of people who suffer from most any physical disease or syndrome. General citizens suffer tremendously in the psychic sphere due to physical illness. This always happens-- unless one is properly or even highly developed in the spiritual realm etc.
LUNACY AND LUNATICS
So now we come to the point of the full moon, our fasting, and crazy behaviour. Because when it is sure that the moon affects the body, and the body affects the mind, then it stands to reason that the full moon and imbalanced behaviour go hand in hand. Let's take a closer look. The latin word for moon is 'luna'. And not coincidentally, that 'luna' is the root of the words 'lunacy' and 'lunatic'. Reason being that it has long been noticed, that people's crazy behaviour-- or lunacy-- increases at the time of the full moon. More extreme types of crimes are seen in this time; there are more visits to counselors & social workers; hospital visits are increased; and various types of unusual behaviour is more noticeable during times of the full moon. This is the commonly held belief. And the yogic response to this is that since the body is negatively affected by the full moon then the mind also gets negatively affected. That is why Baba recommends we fast during the periods of the full and new moon as that will counteract the harmful effect of the new and full moon. Baba says, "On and around the times of new and full moon, one may observe that the gaseous and aqueous factors in the body rise up into the head and chest, creating an uncomfortable feeling. Therefore, if a person does not take food at these times, these factors will be drawn down from the higher portions of the body to the lower portions, thereby alleviating the uncomfortable feeling." (CC-3)
NOT JUST MYTH
The western scientific machine has mixed views on this point. They mockingly write off the effect of the moon on the human mind and body-- or at the very least they say it is unproven that the full moon leads to irregular behaviour and crazier antics by human beings. Such scientists write off the luna and lunatic theory as being: An old, unfounded belief by indigenous cultures; a cognitive bias; a general misconception; and, a result of the indulgence of the mass media. Thus various, so-called upstanding scientists claim that there is no real link between the moon and human behaviour, between 'luna' and 'lunacy'. They mosty write it off as myth for the reasons mentioned above. However, this is the same scientific guild that does not recognise the importance of fasting, the benefits of vegetarianism, the presence of microvita, the existence of mind, and so many other well known truths of yoga. Because their body of knowledge is limited to empirical, scientific proofs-- that are often tainted by who funds the study-- and not based on intuition or practical experience, nor the teachings of Taraka Brahma. For that reason, the traditional western scientific world will always be a few steps behind the ways of yoga. At least until AM ideals are fully embraced by science-- but that may take a while.
OUR AM PRACTICE
Suffice to say here that the moon certainly affects both the mind and body. And in our AM, the proof is that for this very reason Baba directs us to fast during the periods of the new and full moon. And by following Baba's directive to fast during those lunar periods, we are rescued and saved from the harmful effects of the moon-- both in the physical and psychic spheres. And one thing is also sure, when the physical body is adversely affected, such as during the time of the new and full moon, then sadhana is difficult. Because of undue pressure in the higher cakras etc. But when we fast, that alleviates the problem cent-per-cent. Because there is no excess water that can be pulled higher up which creates an uncomfortable feeling in the chest and head. Hence, sadhana can easily be done. So in the three realms, our AM practice of fasting during the full and new moon periods, either 2 times monthly or 4 times montly, keeps us physically healthy, mentally balanced, and spiritually inclinded. And fasting also protects us from the ill effects of the moon such as indigestion, headaches, and, yes, lunacy.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, by following the guidelines of 16 Points, such as fasting etc, we can move smoothly and swiftly ahead towards our cherished Goal. Baba says, "In order to march ahead on the road of human welfare, we will have to strengthen ourselves in all the arena of life. The complete seeds of welfare in all the spheres – physical, mental, moral, social and spiritual – are embedded in the sixteen points. Hence be firm on the sixteen points." (Ananda Vanii #45) Namaskar, Divyajyoti
****************************************** Relations with Others
Baba says, "Bear in mind that you have a duty towards-- indeed, you owe a debt to-- every creature of this Universe, but towards you, no one has any duty; from others, nothing is due." (CC-II, 'Sadhana Section, pt #3) Note: In the dogmatic religions this idea is taught God has created this whole universe solely for the enjoyment of human beings. That is why they kill animals and exploit downtrodden people up to the bone without any qualms. Motivated by this dogmatic teaching, selfish people's mind works in that way. Such lowly people think that, 'Others have the duty to take care of my situation and their own situation as well. And they should not bother me about their own problems'. This is the way such selfish persons think. And if due to some reason that same lowly person helps others then that selfish person thinks that in the near future they want full return plus interest of their so-called service. Thus there is no question of duty and service; these ideals have no place in their mind. Because of all this present day society's condition is unfavourable-- bleak. All around the west these things are quite common as well as in the big metropolitan cities of the east. The same problem is there also. But Baba's teaching leads in a different direction. In His above mandate from Caryacarya, Baba is very beautifully guiding that our duty is to serve everybody-- without any expectation from anyone in return.
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