== WE ARE NOT AT ALL HINDU ==
Namaskar.
Sometimes I go along with different Dadas to do pracar work in and around
my district, region, and to other places also. And it is surprising that
when talking to non-margiis then they say that AM is like the Hindu
religion. And the people ask, "Swamiji, are you Hindu?' And our Dada (i.e.
Swamiji) replied 'yes'. Hearing all this while moving around India with
Dadas was surprising for me. And then I wondered if Dadas in overseas areas
identify themselves as Christians or Jewish etc.
What happens overseas I cannot say, but here in India I see all this going
on; but I did not say anything or oppose. Because then Dadas may not like
to have me around. But this is the common experience that I saw when moving
about with various Dadas. And if we are moving about on the train and then
common people sometimes approach our Dadas and ask if they are Hindu or
not. Because not always on the train do they wear their turbins etc. And
again Dadas reply in the affirmative about being Hindu. And then sometimes
they further justify that the practices are same as Hinduism: fasting,
puja, kiirtan etc.
By this way our Dadas get more respect. And some overseas Dadas also come
and move around the dogmatic holy places here in India and when I ask them
about why they do like this, then they reply that 'Indian soil, Hinduism
etc are just like Ananda Marga'.
So due to certain lack of understanding Baba's teachings then this dogma
about AM being a form of Hinduism is still prevailing. Because not in one
place but I am two trips outside-- one to Balii, Indonesia and one to
Africa. And both the places some of our Dada link themselves up with
Hinduism, especially in Africa where they even registered as Hindus.
Of course, solid Ananda Margiis are not blind in this way but some who are
less strong get involved in these types of interactions. So because some
Dadas are regularly giving such replies I thought that we should get rid
from the confusion and have written these following things.
NOT LIKE THE DOGMA OF HINDUISM
In beginning period, before 1960, Ananda Marga was facing serious
opposition from the dogmatic Hindu priests. By seeing the way and different
teachings of Ananda Marga, it superficially looks like Ananda Margiis are
Hindu. Because fasting, puja, and sentient food, meditation, so many
similarities. And in Hindu religion also, some or other form, some or more
degree, all these things are present. And then, no doubt in Hinduism these
things were mixed with various sorts of dogma and that made them
unpalatable for rational persons.
SO MANY OFF-SHOOTS OF HINDUISM
Because in India, in this 19th and 20th Centuries, many off-shoots came
from this Hindu religion. Just like "Yogada' Matha" started from Swami
Yogananda. And Ramakrsna Mission with Ramakrsna Paramahansa, and
Vivekananda. Then Arvind Ghos in Pandicheri. And Hare Krsna started by
Prabhupada. Also Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, who started Transcendental
Meditation. And so many swamis like Swami Rama, Acarya Rajanish, then
Divine Life, Swami Shivananda etc.
All these above founders and religions are just a little modification of
Hindu religion. So many dogmas are there. In other words we can say, these
all are reformist type. They don't like for major change. Because these
yogis they were ordinary human beings so they did not have courage to fight
against dogma. So age-old dogma of caste system, and different disparities
and domination of priests etc, and so many more dogmas they did not even
touch those points. And that was not enough for all-round progress for
everyone. So, Ananda Marga was the need.
SOME OF THE EARLY DHARMIC HISTORY OF AM
In the beginning, when Ananda Marg started in 1955, many people started
thinking that this too was one off-shoot of the Hindu religion. But later
on they found that domination of priests was not there, that's why
exploiter priests they became agitated by seeing AM.
In India the Brahmins were treated as superior by the dogmatic Hindu
culture. To distinguish their personality, all dogmatic Brahmins they keep
one sacred hair (antenna) on their head. In local language, sacred hair is
called as tiiki or teek (pig tail). Or some areas, churki.
So-called brahmins they can cut all the hair from their head, up to just
half-inch long. But on the top of their head, around the sahasrara cakra,
minimum one square centimeter up to one square inch sometimes area, and
those who are strong fundamentalists, pandits, they keep around four square
inches reserved for growing the hair. So in the top of the head, those hair
which is left to grow, they grow up to four, five, seven, ten inches.
Whatever it may be. So from distance it is looking like one antenna of hair
on the head. It is just like one television antenna on the house looking
completely different from the rest of the house, clearly seen from the
distance.
WHY THE HINDU DOGMA KEEPING SACRED HAIR??
The question is that, why Hindu priests are keeping such an antenna on
their head. What is the reason? What is the benefit? Priests they like to
identify some difference from the common society, so they get more respect.
Because Christians and Muslims, they don't keep. General aboriginal public
of India cannot keep it whereas the Aryans community in India public of can
keep, and priest can keep longer and biggest one. Longest sacred hair. In
short we can say that this sacred hair - this antenna - is one sign of
Hindu believers. Still in the villages this dogma is going on.
WHY THE HINDU DOGMA KEEPING SACRED THREAD??
Another dogma is also very prevalent. That is, keeping sacred thread. On
their body directly Brahmins are keeping one thread, which starts from the
left shoulder and goes down diagonally to the right waist. And then back up
the back, tied up to make one ring around the body.
When babies are born, then they do not have right to put this sacred
thread. But when they are grown up, one ceremony happens when priests get
alot of donation. And they use certain chanting. And bless with that sacred
thread (yajina-upaviit). And this special yajina-upaviit only brahmins can
keep. Only certain caste. Not vaeshya, ksattriya, shuddra, such persons cannot
keep. Even those who belong to Hindu religion. On this point of yagyopavit,
brahmins supremacy is established. Only brahmins are allowed to do. Earlier if
anybody who belongs to so-called lower caste, even of Hindu religion, is
trying to wear, then they will be punished.
As I described above, there are two serious external symbols of their
supremacy. One is sacred hair (antenna), and another is yajina-upaviit that is
sacred thread. All these yogiis those who were just reformist type, and as
I described their name and religion above, they did not try to touch this
dogma. For them it was impossible to oppose this. So although these dogmas
were creating huge disparity even within Hindu religion itself; but
the sentiment was so strong that if these yogis would have opposed this
then they themselves would have been crushed to zero. So all these above
yogis, reformists, their followers are keeping all those things if they like.
NOT SACRED, JUST SOBER
Here is the real history of how the sacred thread came into being.
Baba says, "Most of the people in the Vedic age drank excessive amounts of
fermented juice, called somarasa, and ate meat, including beef. After the
advent of Shiva, in the time of the Yajurveda, people were encouraged to
rear cows to produce milk and to discontinue eating meat. Nevertheless,
many people in the Vaedic age were alcoholics, and even those who
performed religious rituals had great difficulty carrying out their
duties properly. Consequently, a custom was introduced which made it
compulsory for priests to wear a deer skin across their shoulders, called
upavita. This clearly identified the priest so that he would not be
served alcohol while conducting religious ceremonies. Gradually, over
the course of time, the deer skin was transformed into a thread. Today
this thread is the symbol of the Brahmin caste in Hindu society." (PNS-16)
AM = ONE HUMAN SOCIETY
Since beginning when AM started in 1955, Baba started a system of 'One
Human Society' and gave the slogan "Ma'nava Ma'nava Eka Hai". It was very
clear by Baba's approach itself that Baba started initiating everybody,
without any caste differentiation. But before coming of AM in 1955, only
brahmins were allowed to do sadhana.
Not only that, Baba has hammered on the head of the dogma with sledge hammer.
And He has made the rule that before taking initiation, they have to remove
their sacred thread and sacred hair. So on the point of removing these two
so-called sacred things, brahmins became strong deadly enemy against AM.
Because Baba has hit on their life source. Livelihood. In other words, the
existence of these so-called Brahmins was threatened. So, these so-called
brahmins opposed AM with their full strength, tooth and nail.
So AM is not at all dogmatic Hinduism rather it is something much, much
higher. So we should all think and review on this so as to avoid making a
wrong picture in the future. Because after all the world is changing fast
and the dogmatic religions are falling our of favour. So we should present
our Marga as the dharma that it is and not sink into the depths of the
dogmatic religions like Hinduism.
And of course most margiis and field workers are indeed following directly
in Baba's dharmic footsteps-- and by keeping the saffron flag high we are
reaching our Goal.
BABA'S BLESSING
Baba says, "Parama Purus'a has blessed you with the hands to work and legs
to move; has infused you with the stamina to act; has endowed you with
practical intelligence, so make the best use of them in the fight against
the demons. You must not sit idle relying on fate. Be vigorously active."
(Ananda Vanii #46)
Namaskar
Jawaharlal
Note: Those days were not just peaceful, sweet days of Jamalpur. Those who
are thinking that it was just era of "Vraj", they do not know the real
history. Baba was inviting direct confrontation against all sorts of dogma.
Many Margiis suffered alot when they cut their sacred thread and hair. They
were opposed by their relatives, their friends, their other village
neighbors. And threatened, and so many places they got beating also.
All these things happened, mostly in rural area of India. And several
thousand Margiis suffered and faced the problem. And they did not bow down.
Remained as bona fide member of AM and fought against dogma. All negative
people they created huge opposition. Like thunder or hail storm. But they
remained standing undauntedly. Only surrendering at Baba's feet, this was
possible. So much struggle those Margiis faced.
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Proper Plan of Life
Baba is revealing how ignorant, short-sighted people think and plan in
their dogmatic way.
Baba says, "Some people consider that one should start intuitional practice
in old age when a person has more leisure, after one has spent the prime of
one's life earning money. People are afraid that they may face insecurity
and difficulties in their old age if they do not accumulate enough wealth
before their bodies weaken with age, rendering them incapable of hard work.
They regard the prime of life as the period intended for earning money, and
old age with its decreased capacity for hard work as the time to remember
God. They are labouring under the misconception that hard work is not
necessary for intuitional practice and that old age is therefore the proper
time for it." (AMEP, '98, p.131-32)
Now here following Baba is giving the answer.
Baba says, "Whoever is born is bound to die and one is constantly
approaching death, not knowing when it will come. It is never certain if
one will live to grow old. Yet people reserve the most important work of
practising sa'dhana' for the time when the body has become completely
enfeebled and the fatuous mind of old age has become entangled in the
reactions of this life to such an extent that it is afraid of starting
anything new. Ordinarily it is fear of one's approaching death that makes
one think of God in old age. One's evil deeds begin to haunt one, and one
starts praying and imploring God to save him or her from the consequences
of one's deeds. There is no value in remembering God in old age, when it is
not possible to concentrate the mind due to the weakness and disease of the
body and its preoccupation with the reactions (sam'ska'ras) of the deeds of
this life. The mind then is caught up in the infirmities of the body, in
the diseases of old age, impending death, and most of all, in memories of
past incidents, and it is impossible to concentrate it. For these reasons
one is incapable of intuitional practice." (AMEP, '98, p.132)
Note: This problem is such a common ailment that 99.9% of the people in the
present society are caught up in this whirlpool. And by this way their
whole life gets wasted. It is our duty to think again and again and reach
the conclusion about what is the best approach to utilise this priceless
human life.
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