History: Story of Archive & Ac Naginaji

From: "Virendra Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: History: Story of Archive & Ac Naginaji
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:21:07 +0530

BABA

== HISTORY: STORY OF ARCHIVE & AC NAGINAJI ==

Namaskar,
This is an account about the working style of the archive in-charge and his communication with the late revered Ac Naginaji.

Included in this post is the tactic done by Pranavatmakananda wherein he resorted to self-glorification and praised himself on the inside pages of Baba's books, noting that were it not for his own efforts these discourses could not have been printed.

WHAT I PERSONALLY SAW

When Pranavatmakanandaji started "doing his archive work" & collecting those audio cassettes from margiis, in some cases I was present and I personally witnessed what was actually going on. I saw how Pranavatmakanandaji took so many things from the margiis' houses: Like old AM books, Baba's cassettes, any belongings related with Baba, handwritten articles, anything.

Since the late 1980's Pranavatmakananda has collected a huge number of books, cassettes, letters and more. And indeed, the archive is a needed element for our Marga society, though we should all be aware about how this work was being done.

Perhaps the most questionable part that I observed was that on many occasions Pranavatmakananda told the margiis that (1) he will make a digital copy of their cassette etc, (2) then margiis will get back their cassette, and (3) and that the Archive will have the digital version. Yet in many cases Pranavatmakanandaji did not produce a digital copy and did not give the margiis their cassettes back.

Sometimes Dada made a copy for the margiis and sometimes not. On other occasions he personally requested margiis to keep the original and submit a copy to the archive.

In related cases, he regularly said that he would send back the cassettes and associated materials to the margii. But later on it was found that this was rarely ever done. Many claim that Dadaji merely took advantageous of margiis' faith. And in that way margiis gave their cassettes and they never got those tapes back.

Yet those very things (Baba discourse cassettes) which for ages margiis had been keeping and safeguarding for ages - through good times and bad. Simultaneously, in some cases, the archive itself had been remiss in protecting their own copy, so they were seeking margiis for help. Hence margiis were often more diligent in their efforts than archive personnel.

Some margiis who did not have that type of blind trust or who were aware about the internal politics, kept their things or copied the cassettes in their house itself and then gave the cassette to Pranavatmakanandaji. Naturally their position was better than those who trusted fully and lost their items.

MORE ABOUT HOW THINGS WERE GOING ON:

HOW AC NAGINA JI FELT WRONGED

And in the case of books and diaries a similar thing happened. Pranavatmakanandaji promised that margiis will get back their possessions, but often this never happened.

Here is one unfortunate incident. The very senior margii Family Acarya Naginaji from Muzaffarpur had all his historical things related with Baba in well kept order. Ac. Naginaji did not like to give these cherished items to anyone because he had strong devotional
feelings for Baba's writings, personal letters and various other used materials.

For decades and decades Ac. Naginaji was keeping all those materials very carefully and treating them as more valuable than his own life. Because of devotional reasons Ac. Naginaji did not give those treasures to anybody.

But Pranavatmakanandaji approached Ac. Naginaji and convinced him that everything will be kept in the Archive in digital form and that "We will return all your things to you as they are after scanning them into the computer."

At first Ac. Naginaji was hesitant but after a lot of convincing and requests he thought that, "Alright, I do not like to let these things out of my sight. But for the sake of pleasing Baba I will temporarily give these things, because it is all Baba's property." And he told, 'Pranavatmakanandaji, you must return all these things back to me."

Pranavatmakanandaji reassured him many times that, "Be assured that within a short time this digital work will be finished and I will return your things to you."

Because again and again, Ac. Naginaji was telling that, "These are my strictly personal things. So many letters Baba wrote personally in His own handwriting-- many such things are there, You must return me without delay..."

In that way Ac. Naginaji handed over his devotional treasures to Pranavatmakanandaji. Because Ac. Naginaji got befooled by the tall talks. And Pranavatmakanandaji gave the promise to Naginaji that all those Baba handwritings and treasures which Naginaji was keeping, he (Nagina) will get back them back from Kolkata.

So with full faith and trust, Ac. Naginaji entrusted his entire personal archive materials. Including his diaries and all those letters which Baba personally wrote to Naginaji on so many occasions in 1956. And most letters were in Hindi and Baba Himself signed as Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.

AC NAGINAJI NEVER GOT THEM BACK

So all those materials Naginaji handed over and he did not get them back from  Pranavatmakanandaji. With a heavy heart so many times Naginaji wrote letters to the Archive Dept in Kolkata, but in the name of reply nothing came.

FORGED LETTER BY DADA P

& AC NAGINAJI'S PASSING

And later on one drama was played by Pranavatmakanandaji. He wrote one letter to Naginaji in the name of Dada Vijayanandaji as if Dada Vijayananda himself wrote it. And in the letter it was mentioned that 'Naginaji! we accept your donation of different articles related with Baba. And it will be safe in Archive etc etc.'

So the letter was like this and when it reached to Ac. Naginaji. Unfortunately or unfortunately, I was there when Naginaji opened the letter. After reading it, Naginaji was shocked and with rage he started abusing Central Dadas saying, "They cheated me. I did not give them donation. What about my getting them back, why they are not writing."

And then Ac. Naginaji wrote a strong letter again to Centre and nothing happened.

Finally Naginaji became completely fed-up and sad. Because his own Baba's things went out from his hand. And he was feeling, deceived, and manipulated by Pranavatmakanandaji. And with this sadness gradually his health got deteriorated. And eventually in very short span of time he died, left his mortal frame. This is the sad story.

HOW PRANAVATMAKANANDJI PRAISED HIMSELF

So after all this entire tragedy, even then the materials/cassettes that were utilised to bring out some books in Publications Dept, nowhere will you find any word about Ac. Naginaji or any margii. In some cases margiis had safeguarded those treasure for 30 or 40 years - even through house searches during Emergency.

In the various books Pranavatmakanandaji did not mention one word about those margiis who had safeguarded these Baba cassettes at the risk of their life. Especially during the period of Martial Law / Emergency period in India.

So only did Pranavatmakananda ensure that his own name has been praised again and again in the Publisher's note of those recently printed books of the Ananda Vacanamrtam and Subhasita Samgraha series. Is that not ironic, as well as against the spirit of being an avadhuta.

Those Margiis did not get any appreciation in the Publisher's Note - just they got duped by Dada. Pranavatmakanandaji just eulogized himself by paying off the concerning printing in-charges that time. In this way, the wrong history has been recorded-- lies have been spread in the Publisher's Note of our AM scriptures.  These scripture where lies have been spread they are:

- Ananda Vacanamrtam (Hindi): Part 19 (1994); 24 ('94); 25 ('94); 26 ('95); 27 ('96); 28 ('96); 29 ('96); 32 ('97).

- Ananda Vacanamrtam (Bengali): Part- 24 (1994).

- Ananda Vacanamrtam (English): Parts- 23 (1994); 31 ('97); 34 ('00).

- Subhasita Samgraha (Hindi): Part 4 (2001); part 5 ('01); part 6 ('01) part 22 ('96); part 23 ('96); part 25 ('00).

...and many more.

In all such books, Pranavatmakananda ensured that lines of praise were printed in the Publisher's Note wherein he as archive-in-charge was glorified as the "man of the day" in saving these discourses etc.

AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF BEING AVADHUTA

Here we have to remember that Wts do not pick and choose their works within the organisational structure; they are assigned various duties. And as dedicated workers they are expected to carry ou those duties selflessly. That is the ethic
and all do like this.

Thus when an avadhuts like Pranavatmakananda merely is doing his duty in service to Gurudev and the humanity, then there is no need to print his praises in the book. That has no meaning; that is just buttering and undermines the dedication of what it means to be a revered acarya of the Marga. Our workers do in the service to Guru, not for personal glory or business. Other wts were not requested to collect archive materials as they were busy in other duties. So Pranavatmakananda's work is nothing special per se - it was merely what was expected of him as an acarya. Hence, permanently keeping his name "in lights" on the Publisher's page is a negative tradition and a bad idea.

HISTORICAL REFLECTION

So these are the examples of duplicity and hypocrisy, what was going on. This type of action is the complete distortion of truth and the real history which reveals  the duplicity hypocrisy of our AMPS Archive Dept during his time. Here we should know that was then the Archive Dept of AMPS has now become the archive of B group. But that is a separate matter.

Still today Margiis do not know why Pranavatmakanandaji never returned back their materials to them. But many persons think that Pranavatmakananda was trying to keep a monopoly so that nobody should have any those things except the Archive Dept. With that reason he did not give and instead manipulated one and all.

WHAT COULD OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE

Upon review, here are critical ways this entire situation of collecting the devotional treasures from margiis like Ac Nagina ji could have been handled in a better way,

1. First, there should not have been any deceit or duplicity employed in order the get the materials. Dada should have told margiis if they would get the materials back or not - and then honestly kept their word.

2. Perhaps margiis like Ac Nagina ji who have deeply personal items could have kept those materials under the condition that upon his passing he would donate those treasure to the archive

3. And there are other possible avenues as well.

Anyway what is done is done and now we have to look proactively and positively toward the future.

One thing that remains certain is that the so-called glory should not have been heaped upon Pranavatmakananda in the Publisher's page. Rather Dadaji could have highlighted margiis' sacrifice in keeping materials, and not highlight his
own efforts because he is a WT and he is doing out of full-time dedication.

We have to remember that when we construct a jagriti then we do not engrave the name of the names of WTs on the entry way etc in honor of how they worked hard to get the jagrti built. We never do like this. Similarly, it is totally inappropriate to have Pranavatmakananda's name and glory inked into the opening pages of our AM books.

BABA'S BLESSING

Here I will conclude this letter with this following teaching of our Revered Guru.

Baba says, "Those guided by group psychology are like ravenous tigers. Of all the different types of flesh, human flesh is said to be the most delicious. That's why the tiger that has once tasted human flesh will raid a village if it cannot get human flesh in the jungles. If it happens to see human beings nearby, it will immediately attack them without bothering for domestic cattle. Where the analytical approach is engraved in people's social psychology, separatist tendencies flow through their bones, blood and marrow. Such people become extremely avaricious for human flesh." (AFPS-8, p. 49-50)

Namaskar,
Virendra

 

 

PRABHAT SAMGIITA

 

"Toma're smariya' supath dhariya' kariya' ya'bo a'mi toma'ri ka'j..." (P.S. 2181)

Purport:

Baba remembering You, I will move on the righteous path. By this way I will go on serving You-- fulfilling Your desire. O' the dearmost Jewel of my mind, by Your grace always I will move towards You-- forgetting the past, removing the staticity, and avoiding all sorts of dogma. By Your grace, with the stroke of my feet I will crush my selfishness. And by Your grace I will look towards everyone's needs and requirements. I will engage myself in everyone's service.

Everyone's happiness is my happiness. This very idea I will contemplate in a new way from today onwards. Baba, by Your grace, and thinking about Your love, Your greatness, & ideating on You-- I will become one with You. All my narrowness will be destroyed and my whole existence will be transformed into vastness, by Your grace. Baba, with Your divine touch, my whole existence will be vibrated in ecstasy. And what way You bless me, You will qualify me according to Your liking & I will be transformed into that. And having all those things I will serve You according to Your desire...

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Baba says, "Suppose you are thinking internally, 'Let me quickly finish my sadhana in a few minutes, for I have some important work to attend to. Tomorrow I will devote more time to sadhana'.  The moment you think thus, Parama Purusa immediately knows your thought. Suppose you eat something on the fasting day of Eka'dashii, thinking that perhaps Parama Purusa will not know it. Certainly He will know about your secret eating, and He feels amused at what His little child is thinking. Not only the boys-- the girls also make the same mistake. Perhaps on fasting day they eat chocolates and think, 'I am eating secretly-- no one can see it'. This is defective thinking." (SS-12, p. 49-50)
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