Subject: Re: Under the Umbrella of Money
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2011 06:39:00 GMT
From: Brahmadeva....
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Baba
Namaskar
Yes, it seems that people have sought money as the new God for centuries. Yet, money itself puts faith and security in God. Materialistic cultures worship money as God, but money worships God. On the back of the USA's dollar bill is the 'all-knowing' eye of God on the top of the pyramid and the famous saying, "In God We Trust." It is ironic!
Another point is that people tend to take after or follow the leadership among them. If the leaders of nation are materialistic, then naturally, the citizens will also be materialistic. So, we must remember this when Ananda Margiis assume the power in the future, if we aren't spiritually ready to lead, then we will cause untold numbers of people to go astray.
Furthermore, as we know, Baba has said that, "In the human being, there is a thirst for limitlessness." (Ananda Sutram, 2-5) Unfortunately, people are trying to quench their longing for the infinite with finite objects, i.e. by acquiring more and more limited, material wealth. But this cannot work - it will not satisfy their them.
It is just like how toddlers - when they are hungry - put all kinds of things in their mouth: pebbles, plastic, sticks etc. They do not know what will satisfy their hunger so they randomly put anything in their mouth and start chewing.
Similarly humans have an infinite desire for happiness yet they wrongly think finite, material objects and limited sensual pleasures will satisfy their longing. And they senselessly chase after those things.
Then comes stage two...
When the toddler feels dissatisfied by chewing on plastic and wood, then it throws those things away and cries out loudly, announcing that it is still hungry.
Likewise some who chase after material wealth for decades get terribly frustrated and start searching for something more meaningful, i.e. spirituality.
While some poor souls never realise that finite things will never bring them peace. In their blindness, they follow the path of negative pratisaincara, and degrade themselves. After death, they are reborn as stone or wood.
Here the entire point is that only the attainment of Parama Purusa can satisfy infinite human longing. This alone is the path of welfare and supreme fulfillment, not the chase after finite, material objects.
Here we have to remember that there is no such thing as an infinite dollar bill; if the bill does not have a number on it then it is valueless. So every dollar is counted, limited and finite. it is not limitless and desires are limitless. Indeed, everything on this earth is countable and calculated and measured.
Taking shelter in material wealth is part of our animalistic samskaras for security and to satisfy crude desires. We have no clear example in society except in Baba's writings on how to transform the attachment from the material to the spiritual. We need to promote HIS discourses and follow those teachings.
With His blessing and by following His guidelines, then anything and everything is possible: Even a depraved, materialistic society can become divine.
In Prabhat Samgiita #207, "Ta'r man yadi ca'i...", it is said that whatever Parama Purusa desires will happen. When He wishes for society to move on, then that will become a reality.
All along we should go on doing our duty of serving others, always remembering Baba's below blessing.
"Let everybody be happy; let everybody be free from all physical or psychic ailments; let everybody see the bright side of everything; let nobody be forced to undergo any trouble under pressure of circumstances… Oṋḿ shántih, oṋḿ shántih, oṋḿ shantih."
Namaskar,
Brahmadeva
One person in particular misunderstood the overall meaning of this thread, "Under the Umbrella of Money."
Here the point is not that money is not needed. Certainly, one must fulfill their basic requirements on the material plane, but that does not mean that one should sell their soul and surrender cent-per-cent to money. No one should wrongly conclude that this thread of emails is about renouncing the world and following Shankaracarya's dogmatic teachings of maya vada, i.e. world is an illusion.
Rather the point is that we should follow Baba's supreme mandate of "subjective approach and objective adjustment." That means always we should follow and surrender unto Him. He is our Goal; He is our Polestar. And side by side we should adjust with the basic necessities of life. Thus money should never become the aim or goal, yet that is what we see so many doing.
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2011 06:39:00 GMT
From: Brahmadeva....
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Baba
== RE: UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF MONEY ==
~ PART 3 ~
~ PART 3 ~
Namaskar
Yes, it seems that people have sought money as the new God for centuries. Yet, money itself puts faith and security in God. Materialistic cultures worship money as God, but money worships God. On the back of the USA's dollar bill is the 'all-knowing' eye of God on the top of the pyramid and the famous saying, "In God We Trust." It is ironic!
Another point is that people tend to take after or follow the leadership among them. If the leaders of nation are materialistic, then naturally, the citizens will also be materialistic. So, we must remember this when Ananda Margiis assume the power in the future, if we aren't spiritually ready to lead, then we will cause untold numbers of people to go astray.
TRYING TO SATISFY INFINITE DESIRE WITH FINITE
OBJECTS
Furthermore, as we know, Baba has said that, "In the human being, there is a thirst for limitlessness." (Ananda Sutram, 2-5) Unfortunately, people are trying to quench their longing for the infinite with finite objects, i.e. by acquiring more and more limited, material wealth. But this cannot work - it will not satisfy their them.
It is just like how toddlers - when they are hungry - put all kinds of things in their mouth: pebbles, plastic, sticks etc. They do not know what will satisfy their hunger so they randomly put anything in their mouth and start chewing.
Similarly humans have an infinite desire for happiness yet they wrongly think finite, material objects and limited sensual pleasures will satisfy their longing. And they senselessly chase after those things.
Then comes stage two...
When the toddler feels dissatisfied by chewing on plastic and wood, then it throws those things away and cries out loudly, announcing that it is still hungry.
Likewise some who chase after material wealth for decades get terribly frustrated and start searching for something more meaningful, i.e. spirituality.
While some poor souls never realise that finite things will never bring them peace. In their blindness, they follow the path of negative pratisaincara, and degrade themselves. After death, they are reborn as stone or wood.
Here the entire point is that only the attainment of Parama Purusa can satisfy infinite human longing. This alone is the path of welfare and supreme fulfillment, not the chase after finite, material objects.
NO DOLLAR BILL IS INFINITE
Here we have to remember that there is no such thing as an infinite dollar bill; if the bill does not have a number on it then it is valueless. So every dollar is counted, limited and finite. it is not limitless and desires are limitless. Indeed, everything on this earth is countable and calculated and measured.
JUST CRUDE LONGING
Taking shelter in material wealth is part of our animalistic samskaras for security and to satisfy crude desires. We have no clear example in society except in Baba's writings on how to transform the attachment from the material to the spiritual. We need to promote HIS discourses and follow those teachings.
With His blessing and by following His guidelines, then anything and everything is possible: Even a depraved, materialistic society can become divine.
In Prabhat Samgiita #207, "Ta'r man yadi ca'i...", it is said that whatever Parama Purusa desires will happen. When He wishes for society to move on, then that will become a reality.
All along we should go on doing our duty of serving others, always remembering Baba's below blessing.
Sarve’tra sukhinah bhavantu sarve santu
nirámayáh;
Sarve bhadráńi pashyantu na kashcid duhkhamápnuyát.
Oṋḿ shántih oṋḿ shántih oṋḿ shantih.
Sarve bhadráńi pashyantu na kashcid duhkhamápnuyát.
Oṋḿ shántih oṋḿ shántih oṋḿ shantih.
"Let everybody be happy; let everybody be free from all physical or psychic ailments; let everybody see the bright side of everything; let nobody be forced to undergo any trouble under pressure of circumstances… Oṋḿ shántih, oṋḿ shántih, oṋḿ shantih."
Namaskar,
Brahmadeva
NOTE: REPLY TO EARLIER COMMENT
One person in particular misunderstood the overall meaning of this thread, "Under the Umbrella of Money."
Here the point is not that money is not needed. Certainly, one must fulfill their basic requirements on the material plane, but that does not mean that one should sell their soul and surrender cent-per-cent to money. No one should wrongly conclude that this thread of emails is about renouncing the world and following Shankaracarya's dogmatic teachings of maya vada, i.e. world is an illusion.
Rather the point is that we should follow Baba's supreme mandate of "subjective approach and objective adjustment." That means always we should follow and surrender unto Him. He is our Goal; He is our Polestar. And side by side we should adjust with the basic necessities of life. Thus money should never become the aim or goal, yet that is what we see so many doing.
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