Guideline of a Blind Person

From: "Pradiipa Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Guideline of a Blind Person
Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:52:47 +0100

Baba

"An'ur vyatha', etadine bujhale priyo, anuma'ne..."  (P.S. 4593)

Purport:

 Baba, O' my Dearest, now by Your guessing You have understood the
feeling of this unit being. How You do not have time to come close to
me; rather, You remain sitting on the divine throne of Your devotees. On
that throne which is studded with jewels. So You do not have time to
look towards this little being.   People are demanding me that, 'Why do
you go on crying and why do you call that divine Entity who will not
come and who will never pay heed to your calling'. People also told,
'Don't you know, His heart is very hard like a stone. He does not care.
He knows all the scriptures all the shlokas all the mantras and bhajans,
there is no need to tell anything to Him. He will not pay heed'. In
spite of peoples' suggestions, I never get frustrated or hopeless.
Because by Your grace I know that I must get You. I know for certain
that at some point in this life of mine, up to my death even-- I know
that You will come to me. O' Baba, I am hopeful that You will grace me
and that You will come in the lotus of my heart and that You will make
my life successful...

== GUIDELINE OF A BLIND PERSON ==

Namaskar,
To best understand this letter here is one important and unique story from the Acarya Diary.

In the section titled Pran'ava Dhvani, one demonstration is narrated. Baba calls a number of sadhakas into the room. Per His instruction, they close all the windows to eliminate any outside noise. Baba then explains that soon they will hear the divine sound, pran'ava dhvani.

At different intervals throughout this demonstration, Baba instructs those present to open their eyes and look at Him - ideate on Him. Then they are told to close their eyes and focus on a particular cakra. Almost immediately the margiis start to hear the eternal sound. At one juncture, Baba again guides the sadhakas to open their eyes and look at Him. They do so - concentrating intently on His form. Then they are told to close their eyes and fix the mind at a particular point. This time the sadhakas hear an even more melodious aspect of the divine sound. On each occasion, that Baba wants them to go deeper within, He requests them to look at Him.

In this demonstration, Baba guides us that by ideating directly on Him - on His form - the mind becomes pinnacled and one can reach the highest spiritual realisation. That is the key point to keep in mind as you read the below letter.

Those who have access to an acarya or avadhuta can ask and get the full account of this above story. All Dadas familiar with the Acarya Diary will be able to tell you.

WHAT ONE PERSON WROTE

Recently one margii put forth his own "guideline". Here it is for your review:

"We must not worship the Form of Guru" (one margii emailer)

Now we have to think whether this person has the correct idea about Baba's teaching or if he is in a state of delirium.

Please contemplate the below and share your opinion. Do you agree with the margii emailer or not.

  CRITICAL POINT

Once again, the emailer has attempted an email about the spiritual philosophy and spiritual approach of Ananda Marga; and here is the key line that this emailer has put forth.

"We must not worship the Form of Guru" (one margii emailer)

Thus he is making a critical claim: As Ananda Margiis we are not to ideate on Guru's form. That means we are not to do Guru dhyana or Guru sakash etc. We are not to see Baba in dhyana. That is the claim he is making.

If this emailer had merely said that this was his own personal opinion, then that would have been fine. But he writes as if he is putting forth Baba's ideas. In that case he is bound to create confusion. For this reason a response is highly needed.

The best way to clarify and resolve this matter is to study and adhere to Baba's divine teaching.

PERSONAL RELATION WITH PARAMA PURUSA - part 1

In the first part of this letter, we shall address the emailer's chief claim that we are not to "worship Guru's form."

As we all know, as sadhakas, we progress on the path by establishing a personal link with Parama Purusa. By telling Him our problems, concerns, and difficulties, and by asking His grace in sadhana, a distinct closeness develops. Specifically, we make a personal relation with Him, by His grace. This is of utmost importance and stands as a unique aspect of AM spirituality.

Baba says, "All are advancing towards Him and while advancing towards Him they establish some sort of relationship with Him. That relationship is internal. It is purely personal. One may love Him as a mother loves her son, a wife her husband, a servant his master, or as the love between friends. This relationship is internal. It is purely personal." (Namami Krsnasundaram, Disc: 26)

As per Baba's guideline, developing a personal relationship with Parama Purusa is an integral ingredient of spiritual progress. And this relationship develops by communicating directly with Him. For that, a form is needed.

It is not possible to make a personal relationship with a shapeless, formless entity. One cannot speak with air, water, or electricity and say, "Mr. Electricity, please grace me, etc. That does not work. That does not harbor a sense of connection. One will not feel cared for nor loved. Nobody likes to talk with sound, energy, or electricity etc.

Rather sadhakas need someone with Whom they can communicate directly. To create that personal relationship, a form is needed. In Ananda Marga, we term that form as Baba. It is this form of Baba that we use in our dhyana and in our spiritual approach. By this way one can love Him and go close. By this way one can form a deeply personal relationship with Him: Through Guru dhyana, i.e. ideating on Baba's form. 

Thus when one emailer has declared, "We must not worship the Form of Guru", then we have to be critically alert. Because it is by ideating on this very form of Guru in dhyana that we develop a link with Him, by His grace. Yet this emailer is telling us not to do like that.

PERSONAL RELATION WITH PARAMA PURUSA - part 2

Here is another important way of looking at this matter. And here again the main theme is that by ideating on His form or image, the bhakta establishes a personal relationship with Parama Purusa. When this is not done - when people do not ideate on His form - then sadhakas cannot progress on the path. That is the key point and that Baba is revealing in His below teachings.

In His below teaching, Baba points out that jinaniis suffer because they are unable to make a personal connection with Parama Purusa.

Baba says, "For the jiṋániis, the intellectuals, the Goal is merely theoretical and impersonal. How can they expect a theoretical and impersonal entity to help them – and how can the jiṋániis even approach Him when for them His very existence is impersonal? So the jiṋániis, although they have recognized the importance of jiṋána or knowledge, have no future. They simply waste their valuable time, which is a very short span of hardly one hundred years." (SS-11, "The Essence of Spiritual Progress")

According to Baba, jinaniis only have a theoretical conception of God - not a personal closeness. They cannot speak with Parama Purusa. Theoretically they understand that there is a God, but practically they do not feel Him in their heart. Due to this major defect, they are unable to progress on the path - rather all their time is wasted. Such is their unfortunate fate.

Hence when one emailer states that - "we must not worship the Form of Guru" - then we should be extremely careful. Because without ideating on the form of Guru, then one cannot establish a personal connection with Him. Indeed, this emailer's claim seems to be identical to the stance of those lost jinaniis. Theoretically they acknowledge that God exists, but on the practical plane they have no such feeling in their heart. So their path is useless and fruitless.

STORY:

JUDGE'S RULING ON WHO IS THE REAL MOTHER

Here again the main theme is that jinaniis do not have a personal connection with Parama Purusa in their heart. Theoretically they think there is a God but internally they do not feel Him. In their concept, God is just some type of energy like air so they do not have an internal link with Him. Their entire understanding is only theoretical.

By this following story it will be more clear.

Two females were quarreling over one newly born infant - each claiming that the baby is theirs. It became a big commotion in the village and ultimately the case reached to the court. The central issue was, "Who is the real mother."

After hearing both of the women express their claim that, "I am the real mother", the judge looked at them both and said, "You both have given very convincing arguments, how about if this newly born infant is divided in half? You will each receive 50% of the baby."

Hearing this, one of the women's face had an expression of delight, and she said, "That would be fine."  Side by side, the other woman began crying loudly in despair.

Seeing this, the judge understood exactly who is who. The judge declared that the one crying was the real mother and he then ruled that she alone should get the young infant. The judge remarked, "This is the true mother because she has an inner connection with the baby of love and compassion. Her connection and love for the baby is very practical. This other woman has no real love for the baby - she is a fake - her approach is totally theoretical."

With that the judge furthermore ordered that the fake mother should be thrown in jail. And indeed she was arrested in the courtroom itself and brought to the local prison.

Jinaniis are like the fake mother. They think that, "God is around me and God exists", but they do not have that practical inner feeling of love and warmth in their heart.

Their manner is like someone eating a sweet made of clay.

Only a dry jinanii can do like this. They only have theoretical knowledge. They cannot practically feel the sweetness of Parama Purusa.

It seems the emailer is also in this same boat.

THE STATUS OF BHAKTAS

Finally, Baba describes the situation of bhaktas.

Baba says, "The future is with the devotees and with no one else." (SS-11, "The Essence of Spiritual Progress")

Thus Baba clearly states that bhaktas are on the proper path and in this next teaching Baba explains why.

Baba says, "In the realm of devotion He is purely a personal Entity. He is mine, He is my Father, He is my closest relative. He is my bigger self. He is not a second entity; that is, the relationship is purely a personal one. There cannot be any love with an impersonal entity. One cannot be in love with an impersonal entity. Love requires a personal entity." (Ananda Vacanamrtam-12, A Purely Personal Entity)

Thus, the success of the bhakta lies purely in creating a personal relationship with Parama Purusa, by His grace. And this personal relationship stems from ideating on Him - i.e. on His form - in dhyana and thinking about Him throughout the day. That is the blessed approach of the bhakta. They feel that, "Parama Purusa is mine and I have a very close and personal link with Him." This is their approach.

Unfortunately, this deeply devotional approach is totally lost on this emailer. The emailer has no idea how one makes a personal relationship with Parama Purusa. That is why he writes, "we must not worship the Form of Guru." No one should get misguided. All should know that ideating on Baba's form leads to liberation - there should not be any doubt or confusion about this.

WHY CONFUSED

Here below Baba points out why people like this emailer should not try and explain the dharmic and devotional teachings of Ananda Marga.

   Baba says, "The scriptures should always be interpreted by qualified scholars, competent philosophers, and penetrating thinkers. If one tries to interpret a profound scripture with superficial knowledge, the interpreter appears ridiculous and the audience is confused."     
   "There are some people who are neither scholars, nor philosophers, nor penetrating thinkers, but merely wander about interpreting scriptures...They utterly fail to present the proper matter in the correct perspective before the audience...[and] do more harm than good to the society."
   "[They] interpret the scriptures just to exhibit their intellect--to procure for themselves a certificate of erudition. They remain far from the living spirit of the scriptures." (Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Disc: 14)

REVIEW & CONCLUSION

Here we have to conclude that this person is not speaking on behalf of AM but rather speaking on behalf of dogmas which he collected from his neighbors, pastor, parents, Semitic religion etc. This e-mailer does not understand Ananda Marga ideals yet he is promoting himself as a great preacher of AM philosophy. For this reason, his claims are totally off the mark.

This type of problem comes when a person does not know the subject at hand yet decides to say something anyway. Why? Because of their huge ego: "I know this, I know that, I can preach about this." That is the main problem and that is what has happened in the above circumstance.

We should all take a lesson from this: Until one has truly read and studied the entirety of AM philosophy - and practiced sadhana sincerely - then commenting on Baba's teachings is not easy. Most end up going astray and doing harm. And that is just what this emailer did. He veered far from Baba's divine teachings.

The other tragedy is that new margiis often follow such pseudo-intellectuals & half-baked jinaniis, thinking them to be masters. That is most appalling and unfortunate. We should not allow this to happen.

Baba has written very clearly about this deeply devotional topic in countless spiritual discourses of Subhasita Samgraha. Baba's teaching is that in our regular sadhana practice we are do dhyana of Guru - we should ideate on Him. That is Baba's expressed teaching which He has repeated again and again in so many discourses.

On this matter, the e-mailer is holding an opposite opinion from Baba. This person is terribly confused and says that the worship of Guru's form is blasphemy. So his approach is directly opposite that of Baba. For this reason we can say that this emailer is merely expressing his delirium - nothing more.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace He given the pathway for how to create a very personal and intimate relationship with Him. Every Ananda Margiis has this capacity, by His grace. By ideating on His image in our spiritual practices like Guru sakash and Guru dhyana, and thinking about Him always, then naturally a closeness forms.

There is only one simple reason then why this emailer is misunderstanding the situation. It must be that he is not doing proper dhyana - otherwise what could be the explanation.

By ideating on Baba's image - or His form - we are able to develop a very personal relationship with Him. By that avenue we realise that Brahma and the Guru are one.

Namaskar,
Pradiip

NOTE 1: MORE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TARAKA BRAHMA

As we all know, Taraka Brahma is Parama Purusa's divine advent onto this earth wherein He assumes a human form. And it is this form - His appearance as Taraka Brahma - that is so unique and important for every sadhaka.

Here is Baba's special teaching about Taraka Brahma from Ananda Sutram.

                          1-25 Bhávah bhávátiitayoh setuh Tárakabrahma.

[The bridge between Nirguńa Brahma and Saguńa Brahma is called Táraka (Liberating) Brahma.]

"Purport: The common point bridging together the empirical state of Saguńa and the metempirical state of Nirguńa is called Táraka Brahma. Táraka Brahma appears in saguńa [embodied] form as Mahásambhúti." (Ananda Sutram, Chapter 1, Sutra 1-25)

So in Ananda Sutram Baba is guiding us that by ideating on His name and form as Taraka Brahma, one can will attain liberation. That is His great boon upon every seeker.

Here below Baba furthermore expresses the special quality of Taraka Brahma.

Baba says, "Táraka Brahma is the middle point and can fulfil the function of both [Saguna and Nirguna Brahma]. He guides, loves and favours His affectionate sons and daughters. His children say that He cannot live without loving them and address Him, “O our great Father, our affectionate Mother, our All, we remember Thee, we adore Thee. O Witnessing Entity, we offer our homage to Thee, Thou art the only rescue in this crude worldly ocean, so to Thee we surrender ourselves.” This complete surrender is the summum bonum of all spiritual sádhaná." (Idea and Ideology, Átman, Paramátman and Sádhaná)

Clearly, by Baba's above teaching, it is most beneficial and indeed absolutely needed for every sadhaka to ideate on the form of Guru. By ideating on His form we are able to attain moksa. Without His blessed form, salvation remains but a dream.

Thus when on emailer writes, "we must not worship the Form of Guru", we can all easily understand that this emailer is blind as he is going directly against Baba's divine teaching.

Note 2: DECIDE FOR YOURSELF ABOUT PRAKASHJI

The emailer referred to in the above letter is brother Prakash Laufer of NY Sector. In his letter of Sunday, 10 April, 2011 titled, "Ananda Sutram, Carya Carya, Dharma and Dogma", he clearly wrote and argued that, "we must not worship the Form of Guru". So everyone can decide for themselves about Prakashji's standard. Or best is that we should all communicate directly with him (prakashlaufer@hotmail.com) and offer to help bring him on the path of devotion.

**************************************
Only Remedy

Baba says, "It is the duty of all human beings and especially those who are devotees, it is their mandatory duty to always think that, 'I am a  machine and the controller is Parama Purusa. He is the machine man and I  have to work according to His desire. I have to fulfill His desire. This  body of mine is a machine and it belongs to Him. This is His machine and  this machine has to do His work.' If one constantly thinks in this way
then the vanity of action will never sprout. This is the only path to  save oneself from vanity. One has to think 'I am just one machine; I am  a tool and according to His desire I have to work'."  (SS-16 (H), p. 81, DMC Agra 19 Feb 84)
**************************************