== VISHESH YOGA, DHYANA, & GURU SAKASH ==
Namaskar,
We all know that the sadhana system of Ananda Marga is unparalleled and
leads one to the height of human glory: Becoming One with Baba. It is
devotional, rational, and logical.
For everyone's review & reflection, here following is a discussion about:
(1) Guru Dhyana, (2) Guru Sakash, and (3) Vishesh Yoga.
And we should see if there is any link between these three practices or not.
Note: One Vishesh Yogi has tried to pacify others by telling others that
they should repeat the Guru Sakash shloka at the time of Guru Sakash
because that is one of the lessons of vishesh yoga. This Dada is telling
such things at dharmacakra, lectures, as well as in his sermons and gossip.
So once again we should examine this entire issue and gain clarity, once
and for all.
BABA'S GUIDELINE: HOW WE ARE TO DO GURU SAKASH
At the designated time each morning, every Ananda Margii awakens and
immediately ideates on Baba. This is our practice of Guru Sakash.
And this practice of Guru Sakash is just like our Guru Dhyana. Because in
Guru Sakash we are to lovingly recite His divine Name. This is Baba's
explicit direction in Guru Sakash:
Smarettam Nam purvakam
meaning: 'Recall His Name'
Baba says, "Whatever words you use mentally to address the Guru at the time
of dhyana or Guru dhyana, should also be used at the time of this Guru
Dhyana [i.e. Guru Sakash]. You should always address the Guru for an
extended period. This is Gurusaka'saha." (YP, '98 Edn, p.195)
Hence in Guru Sakash we are to engage in the deeply devotional process of
chanting His divine name over and over again. With a heart drenched in His
love and with His form floating in our mind, we are to recite His loving
Name.
MOTHER - BABY ANALOGY
It is just like how a baby cries and calls out for its mother and then the
mother comes. Calling the mother's name is enough. That baby need not
repeat some poetry or text from the mother's book in order to get the
mother to come. It is not like that. Simply saying 'mama' is enough.
Similarly to get Baba in Guru Sakash, just calling His name is needed-- not
more & not less. Because after all that is Baba's guideline. So we should
follow Him.
THE POISON OF A FEW JINANIS
In contrast a few jinanis are trying to misguide others by saying one
should repeat the shloka "Pra'tah shirasi..."-- but we shall investigate
how this is nothing but their ludicrous invention. Indeed their so-called
guideline is wrong and totally off the mark.
CALLING HIM IS THE KEY POINT
Point being that Baba Himself directs us that when doing Guru Sakash we are
to chant His name. So then that is what we should do; and by following His
guideline we are sure to get success.
Hence at the time of Guru Sakash we are to internally repeat: 'Baba, Baba,
Baba...' or call out to Him with any other intimate and loving epithet that
naturally and spontaneously arises in the mind. But that epithet must be a
siddha mantra.
Here the main point is that one must know that in Gurusakasha one should
call Him.
And indeed, that is Baba's very clear-cut method for doing Guru Sakash: To
repeat His divine name or address Him in any other intimate and loving way.
And by this divine practice, one will get Him and drift in His bliss all
day long.
JINANIS CREATE THEIR OWN PHILOSOPHY
ABOUT GURU SAKA'SH
Now let us further investigate how some jinanis mistakenly think that
during Guru Sakash, one should repeat the shloka: "Pra'tah shirasi...".
This has been one ongoing point of gossip.
Why is this gossip is going on? Because jinanis like to create their own
philosophy and in that way they try to inject disease and confusion in the
minds of the people. Such jinanis always create new dogmas by mixing and
matching various recipes and formulas etc. In the case of Guru Sakash this
has also happened.
Because in this particular instance one vishesh yogi is wrongly mixing and
matching his vishesa yoga lesson with Guru Sakash. Because he has been
gossiping about that in one lesson of vishesha yoga the "Pra'tah
shirasi..." shloka is repeated. So he mistakenly concluded that we should
do the same in Guru Sakash. But this is not Baba's teaching so we should
beware.
If we do not follow Baba, then His sadhana system will be lost at the hands
of these jinanis-- just like what happened in the past with Lord Krsna's
teachings. Sri Krsna taught yogic meditation and dogmatic priests turned
that into ritualistic idol worship. If we are not careful, jinanis will do
the same madness with Baba's divine teachings.
BABA'S DEFINITE GUIDELINE ON GURU SAKASH
Because Baba clearly guides us to address Him in Gurusakash in the same way
that we do dhyana. One should not repeat the shloka during Guru Sakash.
Rather we are to call Him using His divine name. That is His teaching.
Baba says, "Whatever words you use mentally to address the Guru at the time
of dhyana or Guru dhyana, should also be used at the time of this Guru
Dhyana [i.e. Guru Sakash]. You should always address the Guru for an
extended period. This is Gurusaka'saha." (YP, '98 Edn, p.195)
So first and foremost in every disciple's mind is to follow the Guru. And
Baba's explicit instruction is to chant His name at the time of Guru
Sakash-- not repeat the shloka.
The value of the shloka is how to do the practice-- that everyone should
understand and remember. Just like in our first lesson we do not repeat the
entire system but rather repeat our Ista Mantra.
And indeed Baba's original teaching on this important point of Guru Sakash
was first given in Shabda Cayanika (Bengali edition), and there He makes no
mention whatsoever that we are to repeat the shloka. Only Baba is telling
to repeat His name.
HUMAN MIND IS ONE
Here is another way of thinking of this matter of Guru Sakash.
The limitation of the human mind is that it cannot do two works at the same
time.
Then how can we chant His name and repeat the shloka simultaneously. We
cannot.
It is just like: How can we listen to two different radio stations
broadcasting two different programs at the same time. We cannot.
Reason being two things cannot be done at same time by one unit mind.
By the method of deduction then it is clear that we are only to repeat His
name. Since that is Baba's singular guideline on the point of Guru Sakash.
And being His disciples we are to follow Him and not anyone else.
THE SHLOKA APTLY DESCRIBES THE PROCESS;
IT IS NOT THE WAY TO ACTUALLY PRACTICE GURU SAKASH
Logic and rationality further tell us that Baba has given the shloka
"Pra'tah shirasi..." to provide us with instructions for how to do Guru
Sakash. And those instructions are to be followed-- not repeated. And those
instructions specifically state that we are to repeat His Name.
Hence, those directives-- those lines of the shloka-- are not to be
repeated like a mantra during the practice of Guru Sakash. That will not
work; and that has no sense.
It is just like when practicing yama and niyama then we abide by the
guidelines of those 10 tenets. We do not sit there and repeat the shloka:
"Ahim' saty a'steyam...." (GHC) Rather we abide by the philosophy which
that shloka preaches.
Likewise, when it is time for half-bath, we do not repeat the instructions
from Caryacarya part 2, rather we go to the bath or well and apply water
accordingly.
Similarly, the shloka "Pra'tah shirasi..." is the philosophy of HOW to do
Guru Sakash, and the repetition of the dhyana mantra is the WAY to do.
WAY OF DOING VISHESH YOGA
Per one vishesh yogi's talk, we all understand that one of the lessons of
vishesh yoga is to repeat the whole shloka, "Pra'tah shirasi...".
In that way, vishesh yoga is very similar to doing 3rd lesson, i.e. tattva
dharana. Because in third lesson we repeat an entire shloka which describes
all the various qualities and attributes of each of the first five cakras.
And if one only does third lesson it is impossible to reach the Goal.
Because it is not complete by itself-- rather other lessons are needed.
And in vishesh yoga it seems they do the same thing except with the crown
cakra also. So that is one technical type of approach.
Whereas Baba has given the practice of Guru Sakash as a devotional sadhana
where the sadhaka yearns for Baba and calls out to Him. So that shloka is
not at all needed in the practice of Guru Sakasha.
EVERYTHING HAS ITS OWN UTILITY
The whole thing works in this following manner.
To run a bullock cart a bull is needed. But that same bull is not needed
when driving a car.
So just because the shloka needs to be repeated in vishesh yoga has no
bearing on whether it should be repeated in Guru Dhyana or Guru Sakash.
Because they are different practices.
Likewise the training one undergoes to prepare for running a marathon is
different from what one does in order to prepare for a deep sea diving
expedition.
So just because the shloka needs to be repeated in vishesh yoga has no
bearing on whether it should be repeated in Guru Dhyana or Guru Sakash.
Because they are different practices.
Here the point is that different things have different value.
And on the top, Baba specifically guides us that in Guru Sakash we are to
call out to Him using His name etc-- and we are not to recite the shloka.
VISHESH YOGA IS LOWER THAN DHYANA ETC
Even then, some naive people may be operating under the assumption that
Vishesh yoga is something really great and that we should just follow that
approach irregardless etc. Due to their ignorance or complex etc, some may
be thinking in this direction.
But really it should be clear to all that in the devotional sphere-- which
is the highest realm of all sadhanas-- our Guru Dhyana and Guru Sakash have
far more value than Vishesh Yoga. This is Baba's guideline.
Baba says, "In meditation there must always be the feeling that you want to
serve Him. If this is the feeling, immediately the mind gets concentrated.
If in meditation there is the culmination of service, everything will be
achieved. Even through the preliminary lessons of meditation (Na´ma
Mantra), a spiritual aspirant can get salvation, but even one practicing
higher meditation (Vishesh Yoga) cannot attain it if there is no feeling
for service, and meditation is done just for the sake of exhibition of
one's heroism." ('The Thoughts of Shrii P.R. Sarkar')
And it is not just on one occasion, but so many times Baba has told that
one who can repeat His name sincerely with true bhakti will get the highest
realisation.
That is why in Guru Sakash, we repeat His name and not the shloka.
In contrast, vishesh yoga is primarily for those whose minds cannot make
that devotional link so they need some technical approach. Without that,
for them, sadhana is not possible.
Indeed we have all heard Baba say on various occasions that, 'Those
involved in vishesh yoga are just lagging behind...'.
So none should think that Vishesh Yoga is for some type of higher
realisation. That is not the case.
Baba says, "Through the preliminary lessons of meditation (Na´ma Mantra), a
spiritual aspirant can get salvation, but even one practicing higher
meditation (Vishesh Yoga) cannot attain it." (The Thoughts of Shrii P.R.
Sarkar)
Indeed what to speak of attaining salvation, those vishesh yogis are
creating a lot of problems and mess in our AMPS and it will take hundreds
of years to undo the damage that they have done. This we have all witnessed.
That is why we should keep strict to Baba's teaching about reciting His
name during Guru Sakash and not be swayed by what certain vishesh yogis are
telling.
BABA'S BLESSING
The culminating point is that Guru Sakash is one highly devotional teaching
from Baba and we should practice it according to His guideline- not any
other way. So may we all be sincere in our approach each and every morning
and even when we awake in the middle of the night. In all such times may we
follow His specific guideline of lovingly reciting His name as His divine
form appears in mind-- and not repeat the shloka. So we should concentrate
our mind, visualise Him according to the system, and then call Him with His
loving name. That is the only way to serve Him and please Him in Gurusakash.
Namaskar,
Chandramohan
Note 1: BEWARE OF JINANIS
On numerous occasions Baba has warned us to beware of jinanis. Because
jinanis come to inject various diseases through their false theories and
concocted formulas etc. The problem is that jinanis have no faith on Guru
and instead they just make up their own things. But we are to follow Guru.
Indeed, reverence to Guru means following what He says. That is the whole
point. So when He guides us to chant His divine name when doing Guru
Sakash, then that is the proper approach-- not any other.
Note 2: MUST NOT LET THEM DIVIDE OUR SPIRITUAL APPROACH
Thus far, in our AM sadhana system there are not different ways of doing
sadhana. More clearly we can say that although our Marga has temporarily
been splintered into different factions-- still the spiritual practices of
all the groups is the same. On this point we are very fortunate. In
contrast, the Shias and Sunnis fight viciously over how the mode of worship
is to be done. Same with the Protestants and Catholics & same with the
various branches of Hinduism. And this creates a poisonous feeling and
leads to the spilling of blood. As of now, things are not like that in our
Marga. But we have to be careful because various jinanis want to divide AM
according to different ways of doing spiritual practices. If we are not
careful this is going to happen. So we should be ready to follow Baba. And
indeed it is for this reason that Baba proclaims that jinanis are the
enemies of society.
Note 3: OTHER ASPECTS OF VISHESH YOGA
The aforementioned vishesh yogi has also been gossiping around that in
vishesh yoga they concentrate on cakras and their mount, i.e. animals like
elephant etc.
So here again we should not think that vishesh yoga is so great. No doubt
it has its utility but it is not higher than Guru Sakash or dhyana. Because
thinking about Him is the greatest endeavor-- not those animals. Only Baba
is the Goal.
Of course those doing vishesh yoga like to create a mystique about it so as
to place themselves a notch above. But this is just their tricky way. And
one should not give any credence to their claims. None should fall prey to
their trap.
Rather we should see their conduct and it is they who are the main cause of
division and destruction in our Marga.
Note 4: CRYSTAL CLEAR VARABHAYA MUDRA PHOTO TO ALL
To succeed in the spiritual realm it is very helpful for everyone to have a
crystal clear copy of Baba in varabhaya mudra. This is a must. So everyone
should demand proper copies of this photo from PRS Dada and others
responsible for making this available. Everyone should put forth this
demand. It is our birthright. Because without a photo of proper quality,
doing Guru Sakasha and Guru Dhyana is not easy.
