Date: 13 Jun 2011 20:48:11 -0000
From: "K Lingappa"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Are You Ok Mentally?
Baba
== ARE YOU OK MENTALLY? ==
Namaskar,
In this present era, people have so many problems. In the past, the
difficulties confronting humanity were primarily physical in nature, but
now the problems are mostly psychic.
Often innocent people are dealing with matters or circumstances that are
beyond their control - due to the complexity of modern living - and this
invites so many worries and anxieties in the mental stratum. It takes a
heavy toll on the psyche of the common person.
This article deals with this emerging and urgent issue.
BABA'S ASSESSMENT
In His discourse, "The Path of Salvation", Baba outlines this modern
epidemic of increased psychic problems.
Baba, "If there is no proper adjustment between physical, psychic and
spiritual movements, the psychic side of humans will get unbalanced and
so many new and newer psychic diseases will be created. And this is the
present position of the world. There has been much physical progress,
less spiritual progress, and the psychic structure of humans have lost
their equilibrium - rather their equipoise. And that's why the modern
society is suffering from so many psychic ailments." (25 September 1979
DMC, Caracas)
In very straightforward language, Baba states that we are living in an
era where people are burdened by so many psychic diseases due to a
distinct imbalance in their human personality. Materialism has dragged
people into an unhealthy frame of mind wherein spiritual growth is
forgotten and overlooked. In that case the mind falls prey to all kinds
of ailments.
And verily this is what we see when we walk down the street, enter our
schools, look around the workplace, and venture into people's homes.
Psychic problems abound: Depression, melancholia, anxiety, frustration,
stress and mental tension.
IRONY OF MODERNITY
Here's the irony of it all: The capitalist methodology has been racing
forward in an attempt to make life easier and the world more livable,
yet the outcome has led to greater psychic stress and mental diseases
than ever before, reports the BBC and other worldwide news agencies.
All the technologies and inventions erased certain physical problems
only to open up a vast net of psychic issues never before imagined. That
is the trouble staring today's humanity in the face.
Anyone can stand on any street corner in any "modern city" and see that
the populace suffers from mental tension.
Our Ananda Marga has the solution to this most critical problem which
materialists could not foresee.
THE RISE OF MENTAL PROBLEMS
In our modern era of materialism, psychic problems result from so many
everyday experiences and social pitfalls:
1) The economy falls apart, normal citizens lose most of their financial
holdings, maybe even their house, and because in capitalism a person is
judged by their economic wealth - that is their human profile - then
this causes so much psychic doubt, pain, agony and instability. People
did not do anything wrong per se, it was just a meta issue far beyond
their control. To make matters worse, people do not just feel like they
have lost money, they feel as if their entire existence & human
personality has been dealt a severe blow from which they will never
recover. In some cases, financiers have resorted to suicide during this
economic downturn. Such was the magnitude of their psychic pain.
2) Unemployment also creates various psychic ailments, especially
feelings of inferiority and depression. Because a person's job and
income are so central to "who they are", when one loses their job they
also lose their mental balance, they suffer from hopelessness and
despair. This is a common and unfortunate phenomenon these days.
So the above represent psychic problems result from societal movements
that are often beyond their control.
Then there are everyday issues that might happen to an individual anytime.
1) If a person's car breaks down, then this too can create huge mental
tension. In certain modern communities, a car is a person's only link
with their professional livelihood. Thus when today's technology is so
complex that most people have no idea how to fix their own car, this can
lead to much stress and anxiety.
2) Likewise if a person accidentally flushes their cell phone down the
toilet or drops it down the steps and it breaks, then their whole
network of social and professional links is finished - gone. They do not
have that info elsewhere nor could they possible memorize all that
information. In that case, a person will feel so much psychic
difficultly. Their entire mental framework will be turned upside-down.
In all these cases and in countless others like them, a person's psychic
stability is overrun by the materialistic and technological ways of
modernity.
Due to materialism a person's value is not based on their human quality
but on their material gain, and if that wealth is lost then everything
is lost and the mind spirals downward, out of control.
Due to the capitalistic approach of making this world more manageable
only through material inventions, and when those technological gadgets
like cell phones, twitter, and digital everything can create so much
mental tension, then so many innocent people suffer suffer psychically.
Indeed, in countless ways, the modern social trends are burdening and
blitzing the human mind, resulting in so many psychic diseases,
syndromes and troubles. All are suffering: Young, old, male, female -
everyone who has been gripped by materialism and capitalism in this
modern era.
THE GENDER TOPIC
As bad as materialism and capitalism drain one and all of their psychic
ease, it is even worse for females. In the materialistic schema, females
are objects of enjoyment. That - physical beauty - is their main
stature. In that case, the natural and inevitable process of aging is
not honoured but rather abhorred. No female want to grow old and lose
her beauty. All want to look 20 something forever. But that is an
impossibility. In that case, the natural laws of life themselves lead to
huge angst and tension. A female feels they will be discarded if they
show their age. This is a huge mental burden to carry.
LIFE IS BEYOND ONE'S CONTROL
With so much technology and the increased speed of life, so many small
problems snowball into something so large and so ominous that very
quickly life is out of control.
In the past if someone was angry they might throw a rock into the
ground, but nowadays when someone is angry they may blow up a school or
gun down everyone in their airport. So quickly life spins out of control
and those suffering have no solution other than to feel helpless or
victimised.
In the past if a child was lost, the whole community would search for
the child in their local. Now however, a lost child can get quickly
transferred halfway around the world and be gone forever, dragged into
child pornography or prostitution.
The basic theme is that due to the overall magnitude of life these days,
no one has an easy answer at their finger tips. Technology has allowed a
person to do more - that is true - but that same technology has also
given birth to increased feelings of alienation, helplessness,
frustration, and so many other psychic complexes and mental diseases.
All because people feel life is beyond their control and their minds are
goaded toward the physical sphere in search of answers.
THE ROOT CAUSE
From so many angles and perspectives, we can see that modernity weighs
heavy on the human psyche. We can delineate the root cause in two ways.
A) Selfishness: Due to extreme individuality and selfishness, people
care only for themselves and refrain from helping others. This type of
greed and fear for one's own survival leads their mind to become so
self-centered. A person earns for themselves, feeds themselves, and
watches only for their own welfare. In that case, everyone else is
looked upon as "other" and overlooked. Someone else's problem are not
your concern.
B) Materialism: When matter is king and the human mind is overlooked,
then that is a direct hit on one's mental stability. Because no amount
of material wealth can satisfy the human mind; plus if one loses their
wealth then they feel they have lost everything. Physical beauty, money,
and material possessions cannot themselves maintain the human
personality. Yet that is essentially what capitalism preaches.
THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION
According to Baba and Ananda Marga, the ultimate solution is one:
Spirituality.
If one adopts a spiritual outlook in life and feels that Parama Purus is
doing everything and that He is watching for our welfare, then that
offers huge relief. Plus we should feel that we are doing everything for
Him, not for our petty self-interest. Then there is no loss involved. If
something does not work out then it is just His divine liila and side by
side we always feel that He is doing everything for our welfare. Then
all feelings of psychic tension melt. That is what Baba has declared in
so many DMC discourses.
Spirituality alone is the answer. No one should think they should
abandon modern life and go to the jungle. That does not work - rather
that will invite a whole new slew of problems.
Instead with the pursuit of science and technology, one should engage in
maximum sadhana. With that spiritual zeal then one's psyche will remain
balanced and science will be used for the welfare of others not for
selfish maneuvers which inevitably lead to psychic tension.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace as we do more sadhana then we naturally gain a greater
spiritual outlook in life. Then we feel life is for Him and by His grace
we escape the net of psychic diseases associated with today's modern
living.
This following Prabhat Samgiita is a very good way to keep in proper flow:
This life is for Him, This mind is for Him,
This soul is for Him;
His universe we will serve in coordinating team;
Light belongs to Him, night belongs to Him,
Might belongs to Him;
Undaunted in smiling face His grace we will sing.
- P.S. 5009
Namaskar,
Karun
Note 1: ABOUT OUR HUMAN PROGRESS
Baba says, "The only true progress for human beings is spiritual
progress. The wise will, therefore, concern themselves only with the
spiritual sphere. The only concern with the physical and intellectual
spheres will be adjusting the base on which spiritual progress will
thrive. While concerning themselves with the adjustment in the physical
and intellectual spheres, the wise should also continue to consume
cruder waves in subtler ones according to the process described above.
The absence of such consumption or transmutation in the physical and
intellectual spheres is bound to lead to retardation. The wise,
remembering that the goal of life is the subtlest goal, will make
efforts to reach supreme blessedness. This is the only way to progress."
(AFPS-6)
Note 2: MODERNITY AND PSYCHIC DISEASE - FURTHER READING
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/04/not-just-stressed-out.html
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2008/10/onset-of-disease-human-health.html
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/06/modernity-spirituality.html
From: "K Lingappa"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Are You Ok Mentally?
Baba
== ARE YOU OK MENTALLY? ==
Namaskar,
In this present era, people have so many problems. In the past, the
difficulties confronting humanity were primarily physical in nature, but
now the problems are mostly psychic.
Often innocent people are dealing with matters or circumstances that are
beyond their control - due to the complexity of modern living - and this
invites so many worries and anxieties in the mental stratum. It takes a
heavy toll on the psyche of the common person.
This article deals with this emerging and urgent issue.
BABA'S ASSESSMENT
In His discourse, "The Path of Salvation", Baba outlines this modern
epidemic of increased psychic problems.
Baba, "If there is no proper adjustment between physical, psychic and
spiritual movements, the psychic side of humans will get unbalanced and
so many new and newer psychic diseases will be created. And this is the
present position of the world. There has been much physical progress,
less spiritual progress, and the psychic structure of humans have lost
their equilibrium - rather their equipoise. And that's why the modern
society is suffering from so many psychic ailments." (25 September 1979
DMC, Caracas)
In very straightforward language, Baba states that we are living in an
era where people are burdened by so many psychic diseases due to a
distinct imbalance in their human personality. Materialism has dragged
people into an unhealthy frame of mind wherein spiritual growth is
forgotten and overlooked. In that case the mind falls prey to all kinds
of ailments.
And verily this is what we see when we walk down the street, enter our
schools, look around the workplace, and venture into people's homes.
Psychic problems abound: Depression, melancholia, anxiety, frustration,
stress and mental tension.
IRONY OF MODERNITY
Here's the irony of it all: The capitalist methodology has been racing
forward in an attempt to make life easier and the world more livable,
yet the outcome has led to greater psychic stress and mental diseases
than ever before, reports the BBC and other worldwide news agencies.
All the technologies and inventions erased certain physical problems
only to open up a vast net of psychic issues never before imagined. That
is the trouble staring today's humanity in the face.
Anyone can stand on any street corner in any "modern city" and see that
the populace suffers from mental tension.
Our Ananda Marga has the solution to this most critical problem which
materialists could not foresee.
THE RISE OF MENTAL PROBLEMS
In our modern era of materialism, psychic problems result from so many
everyday experiences and social pitfalls:
1) The economy falls apart, normal citizens lose most of their financial
holdings, maybe even their house, and because in capitalism a person is
judged by their economic wealth - that is their human profile - then
this causes so much psychic doubt, pain, agony and instability. People
did not do anything wrong per se, it was just a meta issue far beyond
their control. To make matters worse, people do not just feel like they
have lost money, they feel as if their entire existence & human
personality has been dealt a severe blow from which they will never
recover. In some cases, financiers have resorted to suicide during this
economic downturn. Such was the magnitude of their psychic pain.
2) Unemployment also creates various psychic ailments, especially
feelings of inferiority and depression. Because a person's job and
income are so central to "who they are", when one loses their job they
also lose their mental balance, they suffer from hopelessness and
despair. This is a common and unfortunate phenomenon these days.
So the above represent psychic problems result from societal movements
that are often beyond their control.
Then there are everyday issues that might happen to an individual anytime.
1) If a person's car breaks down, then this too can create huge mental
tension. In certain modern communities, a car is a person's only link
with their professional livelihood. Thus when today's technology is so
complex that most people have no idea how to fix their own car, this can
lead to much stress and anxiety.
2) Likewise if a person accidentally flushes their cell phone down the
toilet or drops it down the steps and it breaks, then their whole
network of social and professional links is finished - gone. They do not
have that info elsewhere nor could they possible memorize all that
information. In that case, a person will feel so much psychic
difficultly. Their entire mental framework will be turned upside-down.
In all these cases and in countless others like them, a person's psychic
stability is overrun by the materialistic and technological ways of
modernity.
Due to materialism a person's value is not based on their human quality
but on their material gain, and if that wealth is lost then everything
is lost and the mind spirals downward, out of control.
Due to the capitalistic approach of making this world more manageable
only through material inventions, and when those technological gadgets
like cell phones, twitter, and digital everything can create so much
mental tension, then so many innocent people suffer suffer psychically.
Indeed, in countless ways, the modern social trends are burdening and
blitzing the human mind, resulting in so many psychic diseases,
syndromes and troubles. All are suffering: Young, old, male, female -
everyone who has been gripped by materialism and capitalism in this
modern era.
THE GENDER TOPIC
As bad as materialism and capitalism drain one and all of their psychic
ease, it is even worse for females. In the materialistic schema, females
are objects of enjoyment. That - physical beauty - is their main
stature. In that case, the natural and inevitable process of aging is
not honoured but rather abhorred. No female want to grow old and lose
her beauty. All want to look 20 something forever. But that is an
impossibility. In that case, the natural laws of life themselves lead to
huge angst and tension. A female feels they will be discarded if they
show their age. This is a huge mental burden to carry.
LIFE IS BEYOND ONE'S CONTROL
With so much technology and the increased speed of life, so many small
problems snowball into something so large and so ominous that very
quickly life is out of control.
In the past if someone was angry they might throw a rock into the
ground, but nowadays when someone is angry they may blow up a school or
gun down everyone in their airport. So quickly life spins out of control
and those suffering have no solution other than to feel helpless or
victimised.
In the past if a child was lost, the whole community would search for
the child in their local. Now however, a lost child can get quickly
transferred halfway around the world and be gone forever, dragged into
child pornography or prostitution.
The basic theme is that due to the overall magnitude of life these days,
no one has an easy answer at their finger tips. Technology has allowed a
person to do more - that is true - but that same technology has also
given birth to increased feelings of alienation, helplessness,
frustration, and so many other psychic complexes and mental diseases.
All because people feel life is beyond their control and their minds are
goaded toward the physical sphere in search of answers.
THE ROOT CAUSE
From so many angles and perspectives, we can see that modernity weighs
heavy on the human psyche. We can delineate the root cause in two ways.
A) Selfishness: Due to extreme individuality and selfishness, people
care only for themselves and refrain from helping others. This type of
greed and fear for one's own survival leads their mind to become so
self-centered. A person earns for themselves, feeds themselves, and
watches only for their own welfare. In that case, everyone else is
looked upon as "other" and overlooked. Someone else's problem are not
your concern.
B) Materialism: When matter is king and the human mind is overlooked,
then that is a direct hit on one's mental stability. Because no amount
of material wealth can satisfy the human mind; plus if one loses their
wealth then they feel they have lost everything. Physical beauty, money,
and material possessions cannot themselves maintain the human
personality. Yet that is essentially what capitalism preaches.
THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION
According to Baba and Ananda Marga, the ultimate solution is one:
Spirituality.
If one adopts a spiritual outlook in life and feels that Parama Purus is
doing everything and that He is watching for our welfare, then that
offers huge relief. Plus we should feel that we are doing everything for
Him, not for our petty self-interest. Then there is no loss involved. If
something does not work out then it is just His divine liila and side by
side we always feel that He is doing everything for our welfare. Then
all feelings of psychic tension melt. That is what Baba has declared in
so many DMC discourses.
Spirituality alone is the answer. No one should think they should
abandon modern life and go to the jungle. That does not work - rather
that will invite a whole new slew of problems.
Instead with the pursuit of science and technology, one should engage in
maximum sadhana. With that spiritual zeal then one's psyche will remain
balanced and science will be used for the welfare of others not for
selfish maneuvers which inevitably lead to psychic tension.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace as we do more sadhana then we naturally gain a greater
spiritual outlook in life. Then we feel life is for Him and by His grace
we escape the net of psychic diseases associated with today's modern
living.
This following Prabhat Samgiita is a very good way to keep in proper flow:
This life is for Him, This mind is for Him,
This soul is for Him;
His universe we will serve in coordinating team;
Light belongs to Him, night belongs to Him,
Might belongs to Him;
Undaunted in smiling face His grace we will sing.
- P.S. 5009
Namaskar,
Karun
Note 1: ABOUT OUR HUMAN PROGRESS
Baba says, "The only true progress for human beings is spiritual
progress. The wise will, therefore, concern themselves only with the
spiritual sphere. The only concern with the physical and intellectual
spheres will be adjusting the base on which spiritual progress will
thrive. While concerning themselves with the adjustment in the physical
and intellectual spheres, the wise should also continue to consume
cruder waves in subtler ones according to the process described above.
The absence of such consumption or transmutation in the physical and
intellectual spheres is bound to lead to retardation. The wise,
remembering that the goal of life is the subtlest goal, will make
efforts to reach supreme blessedness. This is the only way to progress."
(AFPS-6)
Note 2: MODERNITY AND PSYCHIC DISEASE - FURTHER READING
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/04/not-just-stressed-out.html
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2008/10/onset-of-disease-human-health.html
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/06/modernity-spirituality.html
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
"A'va'r ki re a'lo elo dhu'lor e dhara'te..." (P.S. #615)
Purport:
O' human being, behold! Ajana Pathik has come again on this dusty earth.
The flood of effulgence has come. Through the medium of longing, You quench
the thirst of the eyes. Look, the Lord of Effulgence has Himself
come.
All the minds and hearts which were crying in suffering and pain, are
now dancing in joy. Because, He has come. He loves one and all, everyone.
He has come here to remove the suffering, and establish dharma.
Because of His advent, everything changed. The sweet breeze is blowing
full of fragrance. On this dusty earth, Ajana Pathik has come...
***************************************
Uniqueness of Ta'raka Brahma
Baba says, "A Maha'kaola is one who makes others kaola by his infallible
spiritual guidance. But Ta'raka Brahma is a different Entity, a unique
Entity for He is the spiritual preceptor, social preceptor, Kaola, and
Maha'kaola, all in one. He is also something more: He acts as a compass
in every stratum of society." (NKS, '97 Edn, p.50)
***************************************
