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How to Improve Sadhana: Part II

Date: Th, 24 Jun 2010 06:27:28 -0500 From: RJ Watkins To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: How to Improve Sadhana II Baba PS Intro: In this following song Parama Purusa is posing His questions & speaking directly to the devotee. "Kon aja'na'r buk theke ele, korn asiime bhese ja'o..." (PS 2222) Purport: From which unknown bosom have You come and what is your goal. In which direction are you floating. You must know you are not meagre or insignificant. You are the expression of Cosmic Consciousness. He has created you according to His desire; You are within Him. Now tell me what you want; what are your desires and longings. You should know that your Goal is the Parama Purusa. For ages You remained oblivious of your own existence; era after era passed like that. You were seeking the answer to all your worries, anxieties, and problems externally. You were trying to find happiness outside; and, you were trying to quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger from material things. You never tried to look within. Everything is hidden within you. Look within and you will get everything. Just you have to turn your eyes from outside to inside. Divert your vision from external to internal. The Divine Entity-- who is your everything, who is your shelter-- He knows each and everything about you. He knows your past, present, and future-- everything. And He loves you too. Your future is situated in Him up to eternity. Yet forgetting this eternal and divine truth, what are you looking for. Do not waste your time. The Divine Entity has bestowed you with human life. Utililse it to satisfy Him. Do everything according to His wishes. By this way your coming on this earth will be successful...
== HOW TO IMPROVE SADHANA: PART 2 ==
Namaskar, Recently the discussion was raised about Sixteen Points. As a follow-up reply, here are some further thoughts and reflections; and others are requested to also share their insights and experiences. By that way we can all grow in one harmonious manner.
SIXTEEN POINTS BRINGS FORCE IN THE LIFE
As we are all aware, Revered Baba graciously introduced Sixteen Points just prior to the jail period and Emergency, as He wanted everyone to be prepared and ready to deal with the dangers and difficulties to come. Or to say more strongly, by this way we Ananda Margiis will be able to overcome and annihilate the demonic forces. And certainly who cannot recall that if anyone ever visited Baba in jail and if they told Him about the problems and difficulties which sadhakas or the organisation was facing, then always Baba's reply was to be strict in sixteen points-- and by that way everything will be alright and you will be victorious. Baba says, "Be firm on sixteen points. Unite all the righteous forces. All the tall talks of the evil forces will be silenced." (Ananda Vanii #44) This Baba story posting leads in this same direction: So this is the special blessing which Baba has been given. And it applies universally to each and every circumstance in life. Thus 16 Points generates tremendous vitality and force. Hence when 16 Points is such an essential part of our very existence, it is helpful for us to know all the 'ins and outs' of these precious guidelines. In that spirit, here below is some historical, social, and practical aspects of the first point of 16 Points.
RISHIS FIRST INTRODUCED THE 'USE OF WATER'
Long back in India, thousands and thousand of years ago, various rishis and seers of the society introduced the idea that water plays an important role in life-- especially for health, hygiene, and proper maintenance of the human body. And they introduced the idea to the old Indian society that water should be used for washing before and after meals, before cooking, and those rishis also told that one should wash with water after passing stool as well as after urination etc. All these points they told. And we have to remember that this was all given in that pre-historic era in and around the ice-age when the general population around the globe was hardly even aware about hygiene; rather they were more involved in animalistic type of living. Yet in that historical context, those rishis introduced certain sentient habits to the Indian populace. So since long these things were happening in India. Yet over the course of time some degeneration occurred and the general populace lost the idea of using water after urination. But the practice of washing the body with water after defecation did not get lost-- primarily because people understood that it was obviously dirty. So they were conscious about that aspect at least. That was the case in India. Yet in many of our so-called first world countries outside India, that basic awareness of hygiene never developed. In which case water was not even used for cleaning the anus after passing stool. Just dry paper was used. And about this practice more is said down below, but here the point is that still most of our first-world nations continue with this dirty habit of using toilet paper. And even more tragic is that inhabitants of some third world countries have begun emulating everything that the so-called developed world does-- including using toilet paper. Indeed a report has come that certain Didis in India are also resorting to the use of toilet paper. This is the new fad in WWD, some say. Yet this crude habit of using toiler paper is not at all hygienic or healthy. Unfortunately on this point, an imbalance is growing all around. Thus we are left with this following quagmire: Namely that when animals do not wash their backside with water and when humans also are not doing, then from the perspective of hygiene what is the practical difference between the two. Unfortunately, this is the sad state of affairs in the general society.
BABA RE-INTRODUCES THE POINT OF WATER
Thus during His Holy advent Baba has given the dharmic approach in each and every sphere of life. And in that course, He has given the point that how and when water should be used. And as we all know the following stands as the first point of 16 Points:
"After urination, wash the urinary organ with water".
Here below is a further look at the meaning of this simple yet all-important guideline.
TELLING THE NEEDFUL
As we know Guru's teaching is always concise and pointed. What was needed to tell, He has beautifully revealed. And what was not needed, He did not tell. For example the Indian society was prone toward idol worship so Baba was very strict and He has warned everyone that idol worship should not be done. But never once did He warn people not to flap their arms and fly to the sun since no one was ever going to do like that. Secondly, it was obvious that people had the negative tendency to create tiirthas (pilgrimmages). That is why for fourteen long years Baba did not go to Jamalpur. And from 1965 up to 1990 Baba never emphasized the importance of Jamalpur or any such place. Rather on numerous occasions He has guided us that external tiirthas are nothing but one nasty dogma, because Parama Purusa is everywhere. Similarly Baba has guided us to trim our fingernails but never did He tell us to cut the horns on top of our head. Because when we do not have horns then what was the need to tell anything about that. Likewise human beings have the natural tendency to live outside of the water, that is why there was no need for Baba to guide people to live primarily on land. Because human beings are already doing like that. The sense is that when people are naturally following any given point then what is the need for Baba to give that as a rule. Thus when 16 Points itself was first given in India and when at that time the general populace was already using water for washing after defecation then there was no need for Baba to tell that point. But since everyone had lost the notion of washing with water after urination, then there was the practical need for Baba to give that teaching. Hence Guru's instruction is very pointed and precise-- perfect. And He always gives what is needed.
SOME NOT AWARE
Thus Baba has given point #1 of sixteen points as: After urination wash the urinary organ. And by this way anyone can understand that included in this is the idea of washing the backside after passing stool also. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, all around the globe in most of the so-called advanced societies the general people are only using toilet paper or blotting paper as a means to "clean" themselves after defecation. But this is not at all proper. Rather such persons are totally lacking any kind of hygienic sense. Because just see, here is the proof of their foolishness. When they want to clean the stool or excrement out of their toilet bowl, then they use a huge amount of water. And by that way they see & feel satisfied that indeed their toilet bowl has become clean. So they never try to clean their toilet bowl by only using dry papers. Because they know that such paper alone will not rid the toilet of all that excrement. It just will not work. Thus they understand that water is needed to clean the toilet. Yet when the moment of truth comes to cleanse their own backside of fecal matter, then they do not rely on that same fine logic. Rather they revert to their dogmatic mind-set that toilet paper alone is sufficient. As if toilet paper can do the job. But anyone with eyes to see-- or any hygienic sense-- will understand that this is just not so. So see the contradiction and poor hygienic sense of so many of our so-called first world nations.
NOT THEIR FAULT
But actually those common people who are not aware about or not habituated to using water are not to be blamed. It is never anyone's fault for being downtrodden, ignorant, or dirty. Rather it is our fault for not bringing them onto the path of light. Because Baba always guides us we should never blame those innocent people from parts of the globe like our remote African jungles for their "backwardness". Because it is our wrongdoing for not helping them to develop. Similarly our European & western nations that could not develop a proper sense of hygiene should not be blamed. Just we should take care to show everyone the proper way.
CONCENTRATED TEACHING
In all the realms Baba' teachings are crystallized points of dharma-- very concise. So to properly understand any guideline or teaching, it demands a little concentration or mental thought. For example a group of fools may think that by walking together to McDonalds for a hamburger then they are following Samgacchadvam since they are all "moving together". But that is nonsense. Their dealing has nothing to do with samgacchadvam. A literal interpretation of Guru's teachings will never work. Rather more and more explanation is needed to get the proper picture. That is why when Baba has given the pin-pointed sutras of Ananda Sutram, then side by side He also gives a purport so that those distilled teachings, i.e. sutras, can be understood in the proper way. Likewise this should be done with each and every aspect of Sixteen Points. Because Guru's teaching is distilled and given in seed form. I hope everyone will contribute in this regard. Namaskar, Rasa Deva
NOTE 1: NEED I FOLLOW ALL THE POINTS OR JUST A FEW
Now some people may carelessly think that it is not needed to follow all the points. But that is not correct. We should see it in this way: If a boat is otherwise fine but whether there is one hole or 5 holes or 16 holes, under any of these conditions the ship is going to sink. So best is that all the holes should be plugged and sealed. Likewise we should not invite any problem by being loose or slack in any of the Sixteen Points. Baba has graciously given each and every aspect of 16 Points for a particular reason and each one has its own specialty and use. So step by step we should be more and more practiced in all the points.
NOTE 2: ALL THE POINTS HELP IN SADHANA
Each and every point of 16 Points is beneficial for our spiritual development. And all points help a sadhaka do better sadhana. Because a healthy body and a strong mind are needed to do sadhana. Without a well-maintained body then sadhana will be disturbed. While a sentient body will help the mind rush up towards Parama Purusa.
NOTE 3: WASH FULLY AFTER URINATION
As a reminder, for maximum benefit of point #1 it is absolutely necessary to pour a sufficient amount of water over the entire pubic region. That means using a full liter or more of cold water. So no one should cheat themselves by applying a meagre amount and then start wrongly thinking that they are following 16 Points. Because that is not the way.
NOTE 4: SIXTEEN POINTS GIVES TREMENDOUS STRENGTH
Baba says, "The more rigidly you follow the 16 Points, the more your mental strength will increase. It will increase so much that it will be more powerful than the collective mental strength of 100,000 people. In a psychic clash they will have to concede victory to you...The more rigidly you follow the 16 Points, the more psychic strength you will acquire. It will not take you long...Such development will lead to not only 100,000 people surrendering before you, but the entire universe." (AV-7, p. 80-81) Baba says, "The mutative force is a hundred thousand times more powerful than the static force, and the sentient force is a hundred thousand times more powerful than the mutative force; hence you should not be afraid of any force in the universe." (CC-2, '87 Edn, p.18)
****************************************** Not True Society
Baba says, "If going ahead in mutual adjustment only out of narrow self-interest or temporary gain is called society, then in such a society, no provision can be made for the disabled, the diseased or the helpless, because in most cases nobody can benefit from them in any way. Hence it will not suffice to say that all people marching ahead is only a collective form of segregated psychic phenomena; for in that case there always remains the possibility of some people getting isolated from the collective." (AFPS-6, 'The Spirit of Society') Note: Unfortunately what Baba is describing above is the exact picture of today's so-called developed western nations where the entire social fabric is based on people's various self-interests. In the absence of true service mentality, everything is done on a give and take basis-- business relation. So long as one has something valuable to give they will recieve something from others-- otherwise not. And in that setting, in that selfish scenario, those who have strength invariably solidfy their stand by taking advantage of the common people-- BY committing crimes and exploiting them etc. And simultaneously the weak and the helpless suffer a lot and get stepped on by the rest of the society until finally they are completely aliented, depressed, or placed in an insane asylum etc. In that awful circumstance, people lose all hope in life and fall prey to feelings of insanity and suicide etc. Unfortunately this is the lowly standard of today's western materialistic societies. Tragically these elements are increasing day by day in our western so-called developeed nations and the people are suffering terribly. That is why in those places the term 'society' is just a namesake only. Even then all around the globe masses are madly rushing ahead to copy and emulate the west in all regards. So we should be alert because this is not some great ideal to be copied. Rather it will create hell in communities around the globe. That is why Baba says that under such conditions described above where selfishness and exploitation are the theme of the day, then that is not at all a true society.
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