Sentient Environment

Date: 07 Jan 2012 22:19:34 -0000
From: "Surya Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Sentient Environment

Baba

"Bha'loba'so yadi tave eso priyatama diiner e kut'iire..."  (P.S. 2619)

Purport:

 O' my dearmost Baba, if You really love me then please come to the hut of this lowly person. I want to make You listen to my love songs up to Your full heart's content; that's why in my mental viina I have practiced many tunes and melodies for You.  

Baba, I do not have any knowledge or intellect. Nor do I have any virtue, name & fame, or the weight of those things. I have only one thing: Love for You in my mind. My whole heart is completely filled with love for You. And by offering that love I will satisfy You, by Your grace.  

Baba, I do not have any prestige nor do I get any respect or honor. None of these do I have. Nor do I have such devotion that I feel my ego getting wounded by Your not coming. Baba, I have only gratitude in my heart for all those things which You have graciously bestowed upon me. Please shower me in Your ahetuki krpa.

 Baba, I know in my heart that You love me, but if You really love me then please come close in my heart. For You I have prepared and decorated my mind in Guru cakra. Baba, please grace me by coming close...

== SENTIENT ENVIRONMENT CREATED BY PAINCAVATI ==

Namaskar,
Creating a sentient environment for our spiritual-cum-devotional pracitices is critical for every Ananda Margii. This letter gives some of Baba's unique guidelines in this regard.

ALL ARE ANANDA MARGIIS

We all are Ananda Margiis. Innocently one can ask the question that, 'We are margiis but many are Wts also, so what about them?'. And the answer is very simple. Wts, acaryas, Lft's, kapalika, avadhuta or purodha, all are Margii. Because margii means those who are following Ananda Marg ideology and the same time they have accepted their Guru as Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.

We see in our Supreme Command which is always repeated after dharmacakra, that the term Ananda Margii has been used. And that term is not only limited to family margiis alone. Plus we all know that the Supreme Command is the most significant guideline. That is why it is repeated after each and every dharmacakra. With this repetition it reminds us that we are all Ananda Margiis-- irrespective of social status like Acarya, Avadhuta or Purodha.

So if we see the critical definition of Ananda Margii then we will reach the conclusion that Ananda Margii means those who are adhering to the path of bliss. In this material world people are searching for bliss. But artha does not have the capacity to quench the infinite human thirst. That is why Baba has brought us onto the path of AM and shown us the proper way with various guidelines.

                               

NOW TO THE POINT OF SADHANA

Many points have been discussed in relation with better and proper sadhana. And here I want to add one new point in that series. It is related with sentient environment, freshness of air, and that type of atmosphere which is conducive for sadhana because it invites positive microvita.

In one of His discourses, Baba has given the guideline about the paincavati-- Five sacred trees. In the ancient history of India when rishis were maintaining their spiritual ashram, then their ashram was fully focused on spiritual meditation. And they found that these sacred trees were highly beneficial for creating a positive environment for sadhana. That is why these paincavati were quite common. So in the important site of their ashram where those yogis were doing sadhana, they were planting those trees by their sadhana pitha.

Of course those days there was not a lot of scientific development but because of their sadhana they were able to reach to the conclusion by their higher senses about this theory of paincavati. And Baba has appreciated their analysis and conclusion.

No doubt today in those ashrams everything has gotten polluted because in place of sadhana only dogma is occupying the place. But now this is the time when Baba has given this technique to us for making a better environment in our own meditation place.

HOW TO UTILISE IN COLDER CLIMATES

The only question then is that in the cold countries how is it possible to plant those trees because they are originally from tropical areas. And not exactly the same, but a similar problem is there for those who are living in crowded cities-- due to a scarcity of open space, planting big, big trees may not be possible.

In this situation though, already science has solved the issue. Because nowadays these plants can be kept as bonsai. You may know even this gigantic banyan tree can be kept in one small plate and its height will be 12 inches maximum. And it will have its leaves and flowers and fruits, everything.

So around the place of doing sadhana keeping such things will be beautiful. Just 5 trays are needed in the sadhana room where they can be kept. And in cold countries arranging such things is not very, very difficult. And it can be kept inside the room. The temperature which is conducive for humans, that same temperature these plants also like. So their growth and survival will not be problematic and the outcome will be very positive, abundant. They will invite positive microvita and not only sadhana but whole vibration of the house will be charged. About these five sacred trees (paincavati) Baba's guideline is significant.

BABA'S GUIDELINE

BABA says, "The air of the margosa tree destroys the harmful effects of bacteria. It can also fight against negative microvita. This is the reason why margosa is also recognised as one of the five sacred trees (paincavati). In olden days, people liked to perform spiritual practices sitting in an environment free from the pernicious effects of disease and germs. That is why they would plant paincavati -- nimba' (margosa / neem), bilva (wood apple), bhalmali (silk cotton tree), bat (banyan indica) and ashvatha (Indian fig tree) -- in and around the place of meditation or spiritual practice. Some people of course use a'mlakii' (wood sorrel) as a substitute plant. In paincavati maha'nimba may be planted instead of ordinary margosa." (Microvita Nutshell, p.9)

Namaskar,
Surya

Note 1: Artha vs. Paramartha'

Baba  says, "Suppose a man has no clothes and feels cold. Having no money he cannot afford to buy clothes and having no food, he feels hungry. If he gets some money he can remove his hunger by procuring food and thus he can remove his afflictions. Thus we say that Artha is that which removes afflictions. People buy food, clothes,etc. with money and so money in Sam'skrta is called Artha. But it should be remembered that money is only Artha and not Paramartha', for Paramartha' means "that which removes one's afflictions forever"--once the afflictions are gone they will never return. Suppose we buy food with money today; tomorrow we will again feel the pangs of hunger. So money is Artha, not Paramartha'. Paramartha' is that which brings permanent cessa tion from the triple afflictions--physical, mental and spiritual." ('Importance of Society')

Note 2: Bonsai = About this please ask your friends, or your local plant nursery, plant house or tree farm, or garden center, as well as books and literature. I think everyone may be aware that in Madhu Malainca (Lake Gardens) Baba had so many such trees.

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How Meaningful

Baba says, "A jiiva is manifested out of Paramashiva as a jiiva in human body-- or rather, simultaneously in the Cosmic Body and in a human body. Each and every microcosmic structure is like a universe. Hence the yoga of scriptures say, Traelokye ya'ni bhu'ta'ni ta'ni dehatah-- 'Whatever exists in the universe exists in your small structure as well." (Discourses on Krsna & the Giita, p.19)
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