Grades of Devotees

Date: 04 Aug 2011 20:56:34 -0000
From: NJK Deva
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Grades of Devotees

Baba

"Je a'ma're ja'ya'i baluk toma'ke bha'loba'si..." (3657)

Purport:

 Baba, by Your gracious advent in my dhyana and by Your sweet smile, my
heart gets vibrated. This creates a blissful feeling throughout my
entire being like the sound of one sonorous, divine flute. Baba, You are
so gracious, regardless of what anybody says, I love You.
 O' Shanti Doota*, O' messenger of Shanti, O' Prashanta Rupa*, O' the
Form of Eternal Peace. Baba, because of You I have come on this earth.
And finally I will return and merge in Your mental abode. Baba, because
of You I come again and again in this world to do Your allotted work, to
please You.
 Baba, You are ever-present in Braja bhava*. You are ever-saturated
with the colour of divine love. O' the Beloved of Gopis*, my smile, my
cry, and my each and every action-- this entire life of mine is for You.
 Baba, thinking about Your name and ideating on You, transforms my
whole existence. By Your grace my entire being gets filled with bliss.
Baba, please be gracious and keep me at Your lotus feet for ever and
ever and make me eternally Yours...


ASTERISK NOTES (*):

*Shanti Doota= In the above song He is called as the 'Messenger of
Shanti'. The term 'Doota' means messenger and the word shanti Baba
describes below.

Baba says, "The word sha'nti is derived from the Sam'skrta root verb
sham plus suffix ktin. Sha'nti means to remain absorbed in Parama
Purusa. One can attain equanimity and equipose of mind by knowing Parama
Purusa. This is what is called sha'nti." (SS-9)


*Prashanta Rupa= in the above song He is addresed as the embodiment of
Prashanti. The term 'rupa' means form or embodiment and the word
Pranshanti Baba describes below.

Baba says, "On many different occasions in life, whether big or small,
one can hope to attain a certain degree of mental composure, but
permanent composure or 'prasha'nti'-- composure beyond which there is no
further composure, and which, once attained is never lost-- cannot be
attained easily...A person wishing to attain permanent composure will
have to attain Shiva or Parama Purus'a. There is no other alternative.
Hence it is said, `Gatvam Shivam' sha'ntimatyantamati'. Once one enters
deep into the realm of permanent composure one gets a permanent abode in
that supreme state of bliss." (AV-8, 'The Attainment of Permanent
Composure')


*Braj Bhava=  In various discourses and special meetings Baba explains
that there are three phases or aspects to madhur bhava or that deeply
loving ideation in dhyana. Those phases are: Braj Bhava, Gopi Bhava, &
Radha Bhava.

In the initial phase of braj bhava the aspirant is withdrawing his
mind from all worldly objects and desires and instead goading all his
psychic energy towards Parama Purusa. Hence the sadhaka is no longer
chasing after name, fame, money, post, power, position or other worldly
things. The aspirant is instead trying to cultivate more and more
spiritual longing: To accept Parama Purusa as their only Goal in life;
to accept Him as their sole object of adoration. This is the spirit of
brajbhava.   From an etymological perspective the term 'Braj' means
'enjoyment' or 'charm' and 'bhava' means 'ideation'. So Braj Bhava is
the phase where one expiences some inner enjoyment and their only desire
is to get Parama Purusa. There is no other longing.

Gopibhava is the next higher phase where the sadhaka's only desire is
to remember His sweet love and and give Him pleasure. They are no longer
concerned with their own pleasure. But in brajbhava that desire to get
bliss is present. In braj bhava sadhaka's do sadhana to get pleasure.
But in gopi bhava the sadhaka's desire is to give Him pleasure.
Finally, in this radha bhava the sadhaka constatntly thinks about
Parama Purusa and he forgets his own existence; the mind is fully
focused on Parama Purusa, all the 24hrs. The sadhaka's mind is
completely soaked in divine nectar. This is that highest devotional state.

*Gopi= In the above song Parama Purusa is called 'Gopi Jan Ballabh', or
the most Beloved One of the Gopis. And here below Baba describes who is
Gopi.

Baba says, "Where the devotee is worshipping Him for pleasing Him there
the devotion is of purely spiritual nature. There does not exist the
feeling of duality here. Such a devotee is called Gopi. The term
connotes one who worships God to please Him (Gopa'yate Yah Sah Gopah)."
(SS-19)


                    == GRADES OF DEVOTEES ==

Note: Read the following and try to honestly evaluate your own position.

Namaskar,
We all know that in Baba's different discourses He has clearly expressed
that there are various types of devotees. Some are A-grade devotees,
some B-grade, and some are C-grade devotees.


                     WHAT C-GRADE DEVOTEES DO

Those who have the lowest type of devotion, those C-grade devotees have
one peculiar way of dealing. Whenever they do anything at all, then in
their mind they crudely think:

'I made this jagrti'...I arranged this relief program'...'I gave a very
good speech'...'I initiated so many persons....'I established this unit
or that Master Unit'...'All these good things I did-- They were done by
me...'I did all those things.'

In this way lower devotees review their actions.

And if sometimes they become sick or get into an accident and their leg
is broken-- then that time those low devotees blame Baba, as if HE is
responsible for creating this problem. At that time such low devotees
proclaim that 'He (BABA) confused my mind. And that is why I drove into
the ditch and broke my leg, otherwise I was fine.'

So in day to day life such low-grade devotees openly blame Baba for
their own mistakes and sin. Yet when they do something good then they
never give credit to Baba. Such devotees only give "credit" to God for
their negative deeds only. Not for any good deeds, in that case then
they themselves take the credit. So this is the lower most category of
devotees.


                    THE WAYS OF A-GRADE DEVOTEES

You might have come across in different Baba's discourses that the
feeling and expression of A-Grade devotees is just the opposite.

Firstly, top devotees think that every good deed they perform is
just Baba's grace. They attribute all their dharmic works to Baba's
kind intellect and love, where He inspires and guides them each step
of the way.

Side by side...

A-grade devotees always take responsibility for their bad deeds and
firmly tell to Parama Purusa that 'I am ready to take punishment for all
my bad deeds. And the good fruit of good deeds I am offering at Your
lotus feet'.

So A-grade devotees never blame Parama Purusa for their mistakes,
blunders, or sin. Whereas C-grade devotees always indulge in such
outbursts.


                         BABA'S GUIDELINES

In so many teachings in Ananda Marga philosophy, Baba has explained that
people create their own problems due to their own sinful acts and that
Parama Purusa is not responsible for their negative actions. I.e. people
acquire samskaras, either good ones or bad ones, from their previous
actions. So in that case Parama Purusa must not be blamed for creating
problems.

BABA says, "People often hold Parama Purusa responsible for calamities
that befall them, but in fact they alone are responsible, as the
suffering of fate is only reaction of their own previous actions. How
can Parama Purusa be responsible? Human beings themselves are answerable
for their fate as it is their actions alone which create it. They alone
will have to bear the consequences of all their actions. No one else can
substitute for them. Their good deeds beget good result, while bad ones
beget bad results, and they will have to experience both without
exception. This is the law of Prakrti and no one can change this law."
(AMEP, p. 86-87)

And here again Baba is directing us not to blame Parama Purusa for one's
own problems.

BABA says, "I have already said that the sadhaka's sufferings are caused
by the   samskaras which one created oneself. One should not therefore
be afraid of experiencing these reactions or accuse Brahma of injustice
on this account. Humans very often complain, 'God, so you had this in
store for me. Is this my  reward for so much worship and so much
charity?' Such complaints are foolish, even sinful. At the time of
suffering a sadhaka should reproach himself for his past misdeeds and
refrain from evil actions in order to avoid more suffering in the
future. Everyone should bear in mind that as long as the fire of woes is
not extinguished--so long as the samskaras are not burned one has got to
suffer. That is why I say you must no find fault with others because of
your own samskaras; they are merely the reactions caused by your own
mistakes and misbehavior." (SS, pt 2, p.7)

So in the above quotes Baba is emphasizing again and again that--
whether they admit it or not-- each and every sadhaka is responsible for
causing their own suffering and that blaming Parama Purusa for such
things is very negative. It is sin.


               BABA'S ETERNAL BLESSING

Baba always showers His grace and guides us always along the road of
Supreme welfare.

Baba says, "Utilizing the vibrations created for eternal time by Shrii
Shrii Anandamurtiji through januspharsha and varabhaya mudras, take
yourself and the entire universe ahead along the path of welfare. Omn
Shanti!" (CC-1, 'Concluding Words')

Namaskar,
Nagendra


Note 1: 'BLAMING GURU' OR SAYING 'GURU GIVES TESTS' 

IS THE SAME THING

Blaming Guru and saying that Guru gives tests to humiliate and torture
us-- these two outlooks are rooted in the same defective mentality.
Because in real sense Guru is always blessing all His devoees and
whatever negative situations a sadhaka may undergo is merely the result
of one's own samskara. But due to their low state of mind, low-grade
devotees prefer to blame Baba and rationalise that Guru is putting us in
test. Whereas those with higher devotion feel in their heart and
understand the in their mind that Baba is all-loving and always
showering His causeless grace.


         ***************************************
               One Should Always Remember

Baba says, "However little one's capacity might be, if one constantly
remembers that Parama Purus'a is always with him, that they are in the
closest contact with Parama Purus'a, they will be able to do everything.
They are not as small as they think themselves to be. And as long as
they remember this closest association with Him, they can do much more
than ordinary human beings. When this idea becomes permanently
established in their minds, they become great. This is why no one should
be disappointed or depressed in any circumstances; let everyone
constantly perform great deeds, remembering that the flow of their
capacity is coming from Parama Purus'a, and thus they can do
everything." (AFPS-3, p. 62)
         ***************************************