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Marriage Tax: Trying to Pollute AM

To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Marriage Tax: Trying to Pollute AM Date: Sun 04 Jul 2010 13:57:25 +0530 (IST) From: Madhusudan Baba PS Intro: In the following song the bhakta is making a loving accusation to Parama Purusa. By Baba's grace such high feelings come when there is extreme intimacy and pure, one-pointed love-- devotion for Ista. Then in that case the bhakta feels internally that he has the right to demand and place his accusation at Lord's feet. So the following song is the expression of deep love for Baba. "Ekahno ki prabhu toma'y du're tha'ka' bha'lo dekha'y..." 2332 Purport: Baba with deep longing in my heart I go on calling You. How can You feel good when You do not pay heed to my call. Do You think that this is appropriate. In calling You again and again my voice got hoarse until finally I completely lost my voice. But Your heart never melted. Baba, on which dusty earth have You sent me-- thus pushing me far from You. Why have You forgotten me. Is this the definition of Your love. Should I believe that what You are doing is proper. Baba Your liila is unfathomable; it is beyond my understanding. Why do You do like this. I do not have the proper language to express myself, but all these feelings which I am sharing with You come from deep within my heart. Baba, sometimes You make me cry & float in my tears; and sometimes You make me laugh when my heart is filled with Your longing. Baba, I do not know what to do. How long do I have to wait for Your heart to melt. Baba please come...
== MARRIAGE TAX: TRYING TO POLLUTE AM ==
Note: Please understand I am an Ananda Margii and dedication to His mission so when I see something wrong then I feel wounded because AM ideology is my existence. I feel Baba's point about not tolerating anything contrary to AM ideology close to my heart. So when the recent news came about one extraordinary tax on marriages then I feel as is written below. Namaskar, Let's begin by recalling what a totally new and revolutionary approach our AM marriage system truly is. It is not ordinary, but rather a big step forward for humanity. That is why it is not an evolutionary marriage system - rather Baba termed it revolutionary (viplava) because it is radically different and a great leap forward. Of course we are all familiar with this, but even then it is helpful to reflect on His special marriage guidelines. Because when one group is trying to impose a new dogma that taints the sanctity of our AM marriage system, we should step back and again remember the greatness of Baba's teachings. That will give us momentum to root out this new dogma about paying to receive PP Dada's so-called marriage blessing. Note: Why so-called blessing? Because when the current PP Dada is just a creation of groupism and a puppet of factional interest, then his marriage blessing is just a so-called blessing. Only dharmikas, taking Baba's name, can offer a blessing. In either though, whether the blessing be real or fake, there should not be any charge, financial or otherwise.
GREATNESS OF OUR AM MARRIAGE SYSTEM
Here then are a few points to consider: Just a short while ago, interracial and intercaste marriages were not at all common. So when Baba declared the AM marriage system then it went totally against all traditional thinking. Baba legitimized the idea that all communities of the world should live together and actively inter-marry. That is one revolutionary characteristic. Secondly, Baba declared that family people can perform and oversee marriage ceremonies. There was no need for a priest. This was also a totally new and revolutionary idea. Third is the notion that males and females have equal rights and status with regards to marriages. That means there is no penalty or barrier to either gender, especially women. The bride should not be viewed as the defeated party and the groom should not act as the arrogant victors. Yet this is the way the ceremony is often carried out - in so many parts of the globe. Baba totally rooted out any semblance of this as well as the dogmatic dowry system and demanded that all be treated equally as children of the Divine. That means no payment of any kind is needed in our AM marriage system - none at all. Fourth, our AM marriage system is not a crude-love expose but rather an avenue for society building where the entire purpose of marriage is to provide a safe, loving and stable environment for raising children. That is the whole aim of our AM marriage system. Thus it is radically different from materialistic, pseudo-culture and new-age relationships which romanticize courtships & marriages as sexual escapades for couples wherein children are a mere byproduct and thereafter left by the wayside to fend for themselves etc. But when a huge tax is being placed on AM marriages, then naturally people will choose to remain unmarried and carry out their relations that way, in which case the children will suffer. This tragic outcome is explored later on in this letter. All these points about our AM marriage system are new and revolutionary for society and are radically different from past religious dogma the existing norms of materialism. That is why many margii families faced huge opposition from even their own so-called caste when they engaged in inter-caste marriages. Threats were made, lines were drawn, property was destroyed, houses were burned - even then those courageous margiis persevered and implemented Baba's revolutionary marriage system.
NOW TAINTED
Yet, now, all of that is being jeoparised. Some groupists are polluting our revolutionary marriage system. It is as if a dirty raccoon has sneaked into our pristine kitchen and put his grimy paws on everything and started licking the sweets. They have created a new dogma wherein newly married margiis must pay a surcharge or fee if they wish to receive a so-called blessing from PP Dada during DMS etc. They are implementing the crude rule that money is needed in order to get a "blessing." But Baba never did like this. No payment was ever needed for newly married couples to receive His divine ashirvad (blessing) during DMC. There was never any tax or fee, just His causeless grace. Rich or poor, all had equal opportunity. But now groupists have implemented the rule. They just dragged it in from the dogmatic religions of old wherein priests levy huge fees on the common people for their so-called services whether it be marriages, births, deaths or any other ritualistic gathering. Always the priests wanted a big payment - and now Dadas in AM are demanding the same. So such Dadas are trying to exploit common margiis. That is the real crime that is taking place. We must not sit idle on this point. Already some dharmic margiis have raised this issue on the public platform and it is our bounden duty to rally around and save the AM revolutionary marriage system from the hands of these groupist exploiters.
DANGER: THIS DOGMA WILL TAKE ROOT AND SPREAD
In so many discourses Baba warns us that it is the nature of dogma to spread and entangle itself in society. That is why the imposition of any dogma in our AM way of life must be mercilessly rooted out. No one should get caught in the daydream that our Marga is impervious to dogma. As we speak some groupists are dragging a new marriage blessing dogma in AM. So beware. Of course such top Dadas have their justification. They may think that as there are so many court cases going on then they have to make money however they can - including charging a fee for fake marriage blessings. Baba also needed money when building Ananda Nagar, as well as during the jail period and when fighting the communists etc, but He never charged for marriage blessings. This jujiya (crude tax) was not imposed. Why not - because our is a revolutionary marriage system. But if we just sit still and keep quiet, then in a few years this dogma will be established and our grandchildren & great-grandchildren will be singing the praises of getting PP's marriage blessing, regardless of the exorbitant cost. Those who can afford it will be cheated and exploited and those who are unable to pay will feel humiliated and inferior. And with each and every passing generation the problems will mount more and more. The point being that if a dogma is not rooted out in the beginning then it only grows - it will not stay small or inconsequential.
SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED UP TILL NOW: THE DOWRY SYSTEM
The key point here is that our AM marriage system is totally free and anyone trying to make money in our Marga must not try and use our marriage system as their chosen vehicle for turning a profit. Indeed that is how the dowry system started of old. In order to get your daughter married then people had to save money their whole life and present fancy gifts and big payments to the bridegroom's family. That is why in India people would kill their unborn girls. Because giving birth to a daughter was like tying a ball and chain to one's leg.
SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN FUTURE: PEOPLE IN AM WILL NOT MARRY
When a dogmatic fee or tax is imposed on our AM marriage system, then naturally people will opt not to get married. This will really lead to the further demise of society. Lord Shiva introduced the system of marriage to protect children and put an end to libertine relations. And Baba further refined and revolutionized the marriage system. And now groupists are threatening this sacred system by imposing a tax or fee to receive a marriage blessing. Those who cannot afford it may opt to to marry at all. Daughters will even commit suicide etc. But not only that, the tax that is being imposed today will swell and multiply into something totally huge, just like as happened with the dowry system wherein a family had to save their money for an entire lifetime and curtail basic needs to get their daughter married. Because when now a fee is being charged by PP Dada to get his "marriage blessing", that has set the stage for other levels of Dadas to impose their fee and get a payment in the marriage process. Some will charge for introducing the couple and others will charge for performing the ceremony. It is not difficult to see where this is going. Our marriage system is designed to be free of any and all costs, yet now with the imposition of a payment to get PP's so-called blessing, things are heading in the wrong direction. In the distant past, Shankaracarya started charging people in order to have his contact, and then that was adopted by his followers and their followers until finally there was a ripple effect and it became a multi-tiered layering of Hindu priests ever-ready to charge the public for each and every little piece or ritualistic worship and dogmatic counsel. Baba never ever appreciated such things and that is why everything in AM is always free: initiation, baby naming ceremonies, PC, dharma samiiksa, house blessings, akhanda kiirtan and all our programs. But now all that is changing - the tide is turning. Now newly married couples have to pay to receive PP's "blessing". Now AM is marching down the road paved by dogmatic Hindu priests. One group's chosen PP started the process and it will not be long before all Dadas open up their own marriage stalls at DMS and charge for marital advice, recommendations, engagements, ceremonies and services. They will have their fee every step of the way - including initiation into AM. Such Dadas may even demand a new dress ( from heat to toe including eye glasses) in exchange for performing the marriage. And if they did 5 marriages in one weekend or one month, then they will sell the extra clothes for a profit. The same Hindu dogma which has littered Kashi, Puri, Rameshvaram, Ayodhya, Bodhgaya and Prayag will infest our AM marriage system. In that case marriage will become one exorbitant affair that weighs heavy on the public pocket so people will avoid marriages altogether and pursue sensual relations outside of marriage, leave children unattended to, and voila, we will be back to that pre Lord Shiva era or become a mirror image of today's materialistic culture where having children out of wedlock is totally common. It will be just like what is happening now in the materialistic west. That is why no money should be associated with our AM marriage system. Otherwise the results will be nothing short of disastrous. We should stop this madness right now.
BETTER WAY OF DOING
Of course, a marriage blessing should be available to newly married people. But why should they go to PP Dada for such a "blessing". Firstly they should not be forced to pay PP and secondly at present PP is just a groupist figurehead - not a dharmika. So why get the blessing of PP. That has no value. The better way is to get the blessing done by any sincere, local senior margii who has sacrificed for the great cause. There is no need to get the blessing from various opportunists who are fighting for the post and dividing the organisation. Or one can simply depend on Baba - that might be the best approach of all. Though it certainly is acceptable to seek out the blessing of one true dharmika in AM. But to run after the blessing of PP Dada is just nonsense. Especially when PP is just a puppet of the ruling groupist regime. We must not allow PP's so-called blessing to become one ritual in AM. Better to just seek out any genuine margii in your local unit.
HOW BLESSING SHOULD BE DONE
When going for blessing from a senior trusted margii who is devoted to Baba, then that sadhaka will begin the blessing with the words, "By Baba's grace...". There is no other way. In contrast various groupists might pronounce, "Let there be..." as if they were capable of authoring such a blessing. But again, why seek out the so-called blessing of groupists who are charging money to satisfy their greed. That blessing is impotent.
SOME RAMIFICATIONS
Here are the unfortunate consequences that will result from the new dogma associated with AM marriage blessing wherein newly married margiis must pay a fee to get PP's "blessing". 1. This will lead to social exploitation as people will develop a complex depending on whether they can afford the marriage blessing fee. Those unable to pay will surely feel inferior. Then they will be prone to even further exploitation. And girls who are unable to marry may even commit suicide - it happens. 2. Our AM marriage ceremony is for society building and marriage brings welfare to the children. So when a fee is imposed to get a marriage blessing, the people may not like to get married at all - in which case those who suffer most will be the children who are born out of wedlock. 3. Baba's system of marriage is unique and requires a strong sense of responsibility and commitment. It is dharmic. But this new system of paying to get PP's "blessing" is just one ritualistic thing. By this way they are turning the pure ocean of AM into a pool of dirty, stagnant water. 4. Such Dadas are just greedy priests who are most involved in creating complexes in the minds of the general people in order to fatten their own wallets and heighten their own prestige. 5. When such dogmas get imposed on the general populace, then society loses its vitality. Then people just get riddled by complexes and burdened by rituals. These are but a few of the impending results of this unwanted dogma that is now being filtered into our holy AM marriage system.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, here are Baba's dharmic points that we all must abide by: 1. No money should be associated with our AM marriage system. Dharma is for all: rich, poor, educated, illiterate, male, female - all. Thus our AM marriage system must be accessible to everyone and that can only happen when no money is involved - period. 2. We must remember that none of our AM social ceremonies cost money: Not initiation, not baby-naming, not cremations, not shraddha ceremonies, not house blessing - none. Thus no fees of any sort should be linked with our AM marriage system either - least of all one fake blessing by one groupist puppet. 3. Baba has declared the the food of religious traders as untouchable. And now a few of group leaders have turned PP into one religious trader as he is selling his blessing. This system is totally repulsive and against the ethic of AM. There is no scope for religious trading in our AM. 4. Our aim is to bring all moralists and good people into AM, but when our Marga is submerged in groupism and when new dogmas are being issued day by day - like the tax / jajiya / tithe for getting a marriage blessing - then such moralists will not be attracted to our Marga.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace we must root out this problem immediately. The religions became full of dogma so people started running after materialism. If we are not careful the same with happen with our Marga. If we start accepting dogmas like this new marriage tax, then people will go elsewhere. Thus, we must take a firm stand against such groupist opportunists - we must not tolerate their new marriage fee - it is just one ugly dogma. Namaskar, Madhusudan
Note 1: FURTHER THOUGHTS
Some think that because they are in Ananda Marga, then all they do is totally 100% dogma-free. But this is just one misnomer. It is just like how a few of our wts think that they will automatically reach the Goal simply because they are wearing orange. Or it is just like certain top Dadas who are confirmed groupists yet internally think what they are doing is not really groupism. These are some of the prevailing myths in AM. Similarly, some think that because they are in AM then all their actions are approved and pure, or that dogma cannot touch them. No doubt Baba's teachings are perfect and pure, but dogma creeps into our Marga when certain people drag it in. Our Marga is not impervious. One clear-cut example of this is the recent report how those at the helm have imposed a 1000RS tax/payment on newly-married Indian couples ($1000 for overseas margiis) who wish to receive a so-called marriage blessing from Purodha Pramukha. Indeed, this whole unseemly episode of charging to receive PP's marriage blessing is fraudulent for numerous reasons - as outlined above. This dogma of imposing a heavy fee or tax (jajiya / tithe) for a marriage blessing is nothing but a black stain on our holy Ananda Marga and we should all be aware of the negative consequences associated with this. Then we can work together to eliminate this dogma completely and restore sanctity to our AM marriage system.
**************************************** How Sadguru is Still Present
Baba says, "The entity by whose grace one comes into contact with Sat...that entity, or rather, that framework through which Parama Purusa is working or Ta'raka Brahma is functioning, is the Sadguru." (AV-3, p. 48) Note 1: And here below Baba defines the meaning of 'Sat'. Baba says, "Sat, the non-changeable Entity, the non-changeable stance, the non-changeable Nuclear Entity around which so many electrons move". (AV-3, p. 48) Note 2: That Sadguru still exists and one can see Him through our various spiritual practices. In that way one can have His loving communication and grace-- everything. So the form upon which each and every sadhaka ideates upon Him in sadhana, that form is the Sadguru. And through the medium of that form every disciple gets His blessing. And that is why still today when an acarya initiates anyone they say that your Guru is Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.
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