Early Catching is Good

Date: 23 May 2011 22:53:02-0000
From: "Liiladhar Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Early Catching is Good

Baba

== EARLY CATCHING IS GOOD ==

Namaskar,
Each and every one of us is prone to falling into bad habits or bad
ways. This is a fact of life - not just some theory but the practical
reality for everyone.

That is Baba's stated warning.

The bad habit might be something like overeating or oversleeping, or it
might be something like deceit or theft. Everybody has something. We all
face it - in one way or another.

So we should learn Baba's direct remedy for curing ourselves of such
tendencies or ills, lest they grow and consume us.

THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF RA'VAN'A IN ALL OF US

To bring this point to light, Baba makes a clear-cut analogy from the
Ra'ma'yan'a to show how every human being is prone to depraving
propensities.

Baba says, "And what is Ra'van'a? In the Ra'ma'yan'a there is something
regarding Ra'van'a. (The Ra'ma'yan'a is a mythological book, it is not
history.) Ra'van'a means a ten-faced demon. That is, Ra'van'a represents
the extroverted human mind moving, functioning, in ten directions –
moving towards crudeness, away from the Nucleus – being drifted away by
the centrifugal force." (AV-1)

Thus whenever the mind loses its internal flow and allows things like
lethargy, jealousy, greed, or other degenerating forces to grab hold of
us, it means that we have been influenced by our inner Ravana, that
degrading tendency of mind.

Here Baba explains the situation in greater detail:

Baba says, "What is Ra'van'a? You know human mind has got both the
subtle and debasing propensities. As subtler propensities are directed
towards the Self, there is no question of their extroversial
expressions. Only the debasing propensities of human mind are expressed
in ten directions - east, west, north, south, north-east, north-west,
south-east, south-west, above and below. The pu'rva, pashcima, uttar,
daks'in'a, urdhva, and adhah are known as “Pradisha” in Sanskrit and
Isha'na, Va'yu. Agni and Naert – these four corners are known as
An'udisha. Six Pradisha and four An'udisha taken together are the ten
directions in which microcosms express debasing propensities. As they
are directed towards the mundane objects, the microcosm goaded with
debasing propensities is called Ra'van'a." (SS-18)

Thus within us we have both Rama - i.e. uplifting tendencies - and
Ravana - i.e. debasing propensities. The aspect of Rama guides us within
towards our internal Goal, whereas the degrading tendencies of Ravana
lead us astray toward so many mundane attractions and bad habits.

RAMA AND RAVANA ARE EVIDENT IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Again, this dramatic rift between Ra'ma and Ra'van'a is an everyday
reality for us all.

When we get inspiration to quickly rise from our bed and do spiritual
practice, that is due to the helping force of Rama. And when we decide
to turn off our alarm clock and go back to sleep, that is the crudifying
tendency of Ravana.

And if we think further we can see how this applies to so many daily
events in our life.

For instance, do we express patience with others or do we quickly become
frustrated any angry? Do we take time everyday to do svadhyaya or just
spend time watching pop-culture youtube videos etc?

Nearly each and every moment we are either being goaded in one direction
or another. And unfortunately, much of the time for most people, Ravana
is the dominant force.

In this era of kali yuga - extreme materialism - much of our human
population is rushing headlong towards crudity, and as Ananda Margiis we
also get affected by that flow.

Then of course there is the matter that even within our Marga
population, within each and everyone one of us Ravana can grow and strike.

So vigilance and awareness is needed.

RAVANA WILL MULTIPLY - CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE

When we witness one involved in dark deeds, often we think, "That can't
happen to me."

Yet we must remember that those in jail and those who have fallen were
not born into such a condition. It happened to them little by little, as
the tendencies of Ra'van'a were further encouraged within their own self.

Similarly, we are constantly faced with troubling tendencies of mind,
and if we do not recognise them and be vigilant to fend them off, then
those things will grow.

In the beginning Ravana is small - only we know about it. Only we know
what lesser thoughts crop up in our mind, others do not know. And it is
at this initial period that we must face and conquer those aspects of
Ravana. We must have that much honesty and strength.

Plus we must know the technique of how to destroy Ravana.

Because if we do not catch it and destroy it early on, then what was
once our little personal secret will become a whole pile of dirty
laundry for the entire society to see. Any bad thought or tendency can
and will multiply into a publicly humiliating event if we do not catch
it early on. Once we become captured by Ravana then everyone will know
about it.

No business executive thinks that one day his name will be splashed all
over the front page of the Wall Street Journal for fraud. Yet it happens
daily.

No store manager thinks that one day he will be fired from his job for
looking at porn sites. Yet it happens daily.

No politician thinks that one day he will be holding a news conference
with the whole world watching as he admits to have fallen into utter
disgrace. But it happens every day.

Similarly, none of our Wts think that one day they may fall or be forced
to hide in shame due to cases of misconduct etc. Yet, tragically, this
too happens.

What was once a seemingly innocuous thought within - unnoticed by anyone
else - can erupt into a volcano of scandal if we are not vigilant and do
not use Baba's technique.

And it is not just these "big examples" - Ravana comes in all sorts of
shapes and sizes.

If we are not vigilant we will turn into the "margii" who is the last
one to wake up at the retreat, or who gained 15 lbs in the past year, or
who regularly skips their asanas and dances, or who does not raise their
arms in kiirtan, or who no longer volunteers for service projects, or
who has lost faith in Baba etc.

There are so many ways that Ra'van'a sprouts and ultimately destroys us.
One lapse or one moment of Ra'van'a is enough to ruin one's life.

So we must recognise the issue, be vigilant in addressing the matter,
and know the proper technique for gaining victory.

MUST KNOW THE REMEDY

No matter how big or how small Ra'van'a is in our life, there is one and
only one solution. There is a singular way to escape from the ill
effects of Ra'van'a.

Baba says, "Now how can you kill, how can you destroy this Ra'van'a?
This depraving force, this degenerating force is “Ra'van'a.” How can you
destroy the Ra'van'a? You can destroy this Ra'van'a only when you take
shelter in Parama Purus'a. So “Ra'van'asya maran'am Ra'mah” here “Ra'ma”
means “Parama Purus'a”. Without the help of Parama Purus'a one cannot
destroy this ten-faced demon." (AV-12)

Baba says, "How can one be saved from crudification? Ra'van'a can be
defeated, can be destroyed, only when one takes shelter in Ra'ma. That’s
why He is Ra'van'asya maran'am: when one takes shelter in Parama
Purus'a, Ra'van'a automatically dies." (AV-1)

So the only real solution to overcoming the degrading and harmful ways
of Ra'van'a is to wholeheartedly ideate on Baba. As soon as any crude
idea comes in the mind, by His grace we should have the presence of mind
to think of Him. Then everything will be fine. Then the problem will not
manifest in the physical sphere, and we will avoid exposing ourselves in
front of all.

If however, one tries to defeat Ra'van'a by analysing that particular
defect, then that will not help - rather it may hurt because by this way
one is further reinforcing that negative idea.

It is only when we think of Baba, then by His grace, all crude ways of
thinking get eliminated totally as the mind is cent-per-cent involved in
Him.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, He has given the solutions to all problems - including
the solution to overcoming the degrading aspects of mind known a
Ra'van'a. The sooner we recognise a negative tendency in the mind and
eliminate it by thinking of Him, then we will always be saved from all
kinds of difficulties and ruination. So catching the problem early is
good. And then we will certainly reach up to Him, by His grace.

Baba says, 'Now, what is the duty of a sa'dhaka for spiritual
enlightenment. The sa'dhaka will have to fight against Ra'van'a, against
those debasing propensities which are the causes of illusion and cloud
the spiritual vision of mankind. So to be established in Parama Purus'a,
one will have to crucify Ra'van'a." (SS-18)

Namaskar,
Liiladhar

PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Saba're kari a'hva'n saba'i a'ma'r pra'n'..." - P.S. 2945

Purport:

Here goes the clarion call to one and all. Everyone is my own; everyone
is my pra'n'a; everyone is close to my heart. We are all collectively singing the song in unison and moving towards the Goal-- Parama Purus'a. Nobody should remain left behind. We should carefully see that nobody should cry in the society, remaining as downtrodden or as neglected one. We are all singing the marching song of life collectively, with one tune and one melody. There is no difference between one human being and another. Everyone's desires, hopes, and inspirations are the same. We are all moving on one path with the inspiration of the great ideology, which will lead towards greatness...


        ******************************************
              Kiirtan and Gandharva Loka

Baba says, "The following describes how and to what degree human beings
are aware about their own unit consciousness (Shiva'tma). As well as how
they come in contact with their shiva'tma."

"For example, it is just like when one looks in the mirror then one does
not see their real self, but rather a reflection of that. Or it is
similar to when one awakens from a deep sleep then they can recall only
part of their dream, and some aspects of their dream they cannot
remember. Or perhaps, more precisely, they can only remember a
reflection of their dream-- and not the dream itself."

"In contrast, there are other occasions where one looks at their own
reflection in the water and they can clearly see their reflected image.
But still that is not one's entire being. It remains but a reflection.
Just like if one sees a reflection of a mango in the water then that is
just a reflection and not the real mango."

"In reality only we come in contact with our unit consciousness when we
sing kiirtan and some bliss comes. Then we come in contact with our
shiva'tma."

"So in the spiritual field one comes in contact with their own unit
consciousness after singing spiritually vibrated music like kiirtan or
bhajans. For this reason, such type of devotional chanting or singing is
highly essential in the life of a sadhaka. And when one comes in
momentary contact with their own unit consciousness while singing
kiirtan this is known as Ghandharva loka. One can only feel the bliss of
kiirtan when their mind reaches into Ghandharva loka." (SC-26)
       ******************************************

Not Commonly Known Dangers of Sports

Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 18:53:48 -0000
To: AM-GLOBAL
From: J.Deva
Subject: Not Commonly Known Dangers of Sports

Baba

== NOT COMMONLY KNOWN DANGERS OF SPORTS ==

Note: This entire topic is related with a news article that is appended below.

Namaskar,
It is very unfortunate that mostly the "glorious" aspects of sports are highly touted - things like rewards, championships, fame, money, and star power etc. Yet very little is said about the vast numbers of athletes who are broken, left behind, overlooked and left for dead - even killed.

Children and students today only hear about the glorified tales of those superstars. In this way they get a one-sided portrait; they do not get the facts. So they blindly chase after that stardom, not aware of the overwhelming odds against them and the many pitfalls along the way.

To youths, indeed the rewards of being a star athlete are seemingly grand. That is why they become so enamoured. Yet they do not know about the millions who got hurt and looked over in trying to become a star. For every single all-star there are hundreds of thousands who were  left behind and destroyed.

In that process their lives got ruined: Their bodies are destroyed; their dreams are shattered; their psychic faculty remain undeveloped (lack of schooling) or harmed (concussion etc).

So the main objection is that common people are not aware about the gross, everyday tales of athletes getting hurt, abused, and used. It happens on the field and off it.

So many gift athletes who committed a large part of their schooling to sports could not get success. Rather they were disregarded by teachers in school, promised the rainbow by coaches in the gym, and cheated by opportunistic agents on the street. Their lives became a seething mess and in the end they were left with an ailing body, no education, and zero self-esteem. This is the common tale - the one that nobody hears.

Instead people only think of the accolades given to stars.

Businesses and top capitalists earn huge money off of the talents of one player. In trying to find that star, those same capitalists destroy the lives of countless hopefuls. That is the bigger picture that everyone needs to be aware about.

WOMEN ALSO SUFFER

Then there is the matter of gender: Up until the time of puberty girls and boys have quite similar physical capacities. Upon reaching puberty, females undergo changes that are vastly different from their male counterparts. Their physical prowess decreases and they can no longer run as fast as they once could.

Baba describes this phenomenon in His discourses on bio-psychology.

Yet still women aim to compete in sports designed for men. That is why in sports like basketball, football (soccer), and hockey etc, females experience a huge number of injuries. Even though they are competing against other women - not men - their bodies cannot endure the punishment of those games. In particular, women suffer from an excessive number of broken bones, as well as a high degree of ligament damage.

Yet in this capitalist, male-dominated system, young females are encouraged and pushed to excel in sports, leaving many young ladies with life compromising injuries and scars.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE

Parents and guardians should understand the situation and what is at stake; furthermore they should educate and warn impressionable youths. Everyone - especially students - should be poignantly aware of the vast numbers of people who get seriously hurt in athletics. They become physically disabled and even mentally compromised such as when a concussion ruins a person's ability to concentrate.

Once people are fully aware of all the ramifications, then they can make more educated and responsible choices with regards to athletics.

It is when people ignore this problem and the mass media only propagates the glories that youths get a terribly skewed impression about sports and athletics. Then they think it is only about making money and being a star.

The advertisers and corporate giants feed into this frenzy in order to make millions and billions from sports. At present in the US, sports is a mega-billion dollar enterprise where TV rights and contracts are astronomical. There is huge, huge money to be made. So the powers-that-be cover up the dark side in order to breed more star athletes. Yet in that process so many innocent and idealistic youths crash and burn - left to fend for themselves with no one cheering them on.

It is like the lottery. On TV they only announce the lottery winner and do not tell the story of the many masses of people who waste their money on the lottery. They do not depict those losers, disappointments, and suicides. That dark tale is not told. Sports follows this same pattern.

So a lot of education is needed so youths can learn the many pitfalls, dangers, and deaths that occur when common people compete in sports and competitive games.

Finally, for safe exercises, Baba has given kaoshikii, tandava and asanas. In those exercises there is little chance of injury, and huge expression for physical, psychic and spiritual development. 

Please read the following article about the dangers of sports - we should all be aware.

Namaskar,
Jagadmitra

Note 1: THE STEROID STORY

The only dark tale that does come to the fore is that of steroid. But even then they only label those users as cheaters. Rarely do they highlight the health issues. Thus, many a person takes steroids in hopes of never getting caught, totally unaware of the many health hazards and risks involved.

Sport Injuries

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/sport_injuries.html

Note: The article appears in full below but if you visit the above link then you can see all kinds of pictures and photos that graphically display the risks involved in sports.

We are all urged to exercise in order to keep fit and to avoid getting fat. Sports seem like a fun way of burning extra calories to lose weight, but according to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report, sports injuries among baby boomers increased by 33 percent from 1991 to 1998.[1]  There were about 276,000 hospital emergency room-treated injuries to persons 35 to 54 in 1991 compared to more than 365,000 sports injuries to persons of these ages in 1998. The number of injuries keeps increasing every year. In 2006, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) reported over half a million injuries just for basketball. Another two million injuries were associated with bicycling, football, other sports.[2] The increase in injuries has also made doctors and RN's much busier which has sparked an increase in the need for CNA training across the country.

Baby boomers suffered more that 1 million sports injuries which cost over $18.7 billion Dollars in medical expenses in 1998. The highest numbers of sports-related injuries came from bicycling, basketball, baseball, and running.

The largest number of deaths were associated with head injuries while riding a bicycle. Most of these injuries resulted from accidents with motor vehicles due to heavy traffic, poor visibility, or failure to obey traffic regulations. Drowning while swimming was the next most common cause of death, followed by skiing accidents. Swimming where there is no lifeguard increases the risk of drowning if a person should get a cramp, or have some other serious problem. Deaths from skiing accidents occur because of the high speeds involved and the inability to maneuver to avoid obstacles like trees or rocks. Sonny Bono, of Sonny and Cher fame, died of injuries after hitting a tree while skiing near Lake Tahoe, California. His death came just days after Michael Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy, died in a similar accident.

The prevalence of sport injuries in professional sports can be seen by just reading the sports pages of any newspaper, especially after the weekend games. Here is a sampling of the Washington Post for Tuesday, March 13, 2007:
Basketball:

    Caron Butler's value to the Washington Wizards was made obvious late last season when the team lost five straight games while he was out with a thumb injury on his right (shooting) hand and again after this season's all-star break when the team went 0-3 while he was out with lower back spasms.
      Butler said persistent stiffness in the left knee -- the same knee that required arthroscopic surgery in October 2003 and forced him to miss 13 games as a member of the Miami Heat season -- has robbed him of quickness and explosiveness and led him to play with uncharacteristic hesitancy.

Hockey:

    Washington Capitals' goaltender Brent Johnson left after the second period with a right knee injury. Johnson hurt himself while sprawling to stop Tkachuk's shot and was replaced by Frederic Cassivi at the start of the third period. Johnson will be reevaluated Tuesday. The Capitals don't play again until Thursday in Boston, where Olie Kolzig hopes to return from a sprained left knee.

Baseball:

    Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz was hit in the head by a pitch and taken to a hospital during the Rangers' 11-7 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers yesterday in Phoenix.
      Cruz was batting with the bases loaded in the sixth inning when he was hit on the helmet near an ear by a fastball from Yovani Gallardo.
      Cruz stayed on the ground for several minutes, then walked off on his own power. He had an indentation on the side of his face where his helmet had been and looked dazed as he walked to the visitor's clubhouse. He was coherent when he got in a car and was taken to the hospital.

    - Yankees: Carl Pavano last pitched in the majors on June 27, 2005, before being sidelined by shoulder, back, buttocks, elbow, and rib injuries.
    - Cardinals: Jason Isringhausen is set to make his spring training debut Thursday, right on schedule. The right-handed closer missed the World Series after hip surgery in September.
    - Padres: Greg Maddux was scratched from a scheduled start against the White Sox because of a mild lower abdominal strain.        
           
    As far as injuries are concerned, basketball is near the top of the list. The large number of injuries is due in part to the popularity of basketball, but the jumping and competitive aspects of the game cause the most damage. Players collide, hit (foul) each other, or fall and land improperly after jumping and they get hurt. Attempts to block the ball under the basket put the players in direct conflict without any protective equipment. Experienced players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used goggles to avoid eye injuries.

    The 2009 season was particularly disastrous for the Portland Trail Blazers who had many players sidelined with serious injuries. Greg Oden broke his left kneecap after jumping to block a play. The rookie Patrick Mills injured a foot during training right after he was drafted. Nicolas Batum suffered a shoulder injury the previous year, and then re-injured it during the summer. When he started playing again, the cartilage in his shoulder tore and he had to have surgery. Travis Outlaw was lost for the year while recovering from a stress fracture in his foot. Martell Webster had a similar injury the previous year, and he re-broke the foot when he returned to play. Even the head coach, Nate McMillan, ruptured his Achilles' tendon during practice when he stepped in to fill gaps due to the shortage of players.

    The following table of injuries is based on 2006 data compiled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS).

Estimated Number of Injuries	Sport and Type of Injury
529,837	Basketball - Cut hands, sprained ankles, broken legs, eye and forehead injuries.
490,434	Bicycling - Feet caught in spokes, head injuries from falls, slipping while carrying bicycles, collisions with cars.
460,210	Football - Fractured wrists, chipped teeth, neck strains, head lacerations, dislocated hips and jammed fingers.
275,123	ATVs, Mopeds, Minibikes - Riders of ATVs were frequently injured when they were thrown from vehicles. There were also fractured wrists, dislocated hands, shoulder sprains, head cuts and lumbar strains.
274,867	Baseball, Softball - Head injuries from bats and balls. Ankle injuries from running bases or sliding into them.
269,249	Exercise, Exercise Equipment - Twisted ankles and cut chins from tripping on treadmills. Head injuries from falling backward from exercise balls, ankle sprains from jumping rope.
186,544	Soccer - Twisted ankles or knees after falls, fractured arms during games.
164,607	Swimming - Head injuries from hitting the bottom of pools, and leg injuries from accidentally falling into pools.
96,119	Skiing, Snowboarding - Head injuries from falling, cut legs and faces, sprained knees or shoulders.
85,580	Lacrosse, Rugby, & other Ball Games - Head and facial cuts from getting hit by balls and sticks, injured ankles from falls.

Head Injuries can have long-term effects. Brain damage caused by concussions may result in strokes, paralysis, headaches or reduced concentration and mental clarity. A 2009 study commissioned by the National Football League reported that Alzheimer's disease or other similar memory-related diseases appear in the league's former players at 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49. Other studies have found that football players who suffered concussions were more likely to suffer from depression. In general, it is a good idea to avoid sports that expose the head to repeated impacts, such as boxing, soccer, and football.

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/sport_injuries.html