From: "Arjuna Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Deliberate Attempt to Eliminate One's Life
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:38:02 -0800
Baba
== DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO ELIMINATE ONE'S LIFE ==
Note: Euthanasia conducted with the consent of the patient is termed
voluntary euthanasia. Active voluntary euthanasia is legal in Belgium,
Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Passive voluntary euthanasia is legal
throughout the U.S.... When the patient brings about his or her own
death with the assistance of a physician, the term assisted suicide is
often used instead. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland and the
U.S. states of Oregon, Washington and Montana. (Wikipedia)
Namaskar,
These days euthanasia, ending one’s life prematurely, is an approach
that more and more are seeking in this materialistic era. As Ananda
Margiis we should be clear about AM’s stand on this critical issue and
be able outline a clear-cut response.
BABA STORY ABOUT ENDING ONE’S LIFE
A margii medical student from Gwalior once went to Delhi to see Baba.
During that PC, Baba recounted one fateful event from years earlier.
The margii (who at this time had yet to be initiated) was visiting his
father who was terminally ill with cancer and on death’s row. The father
asked his son to grant him just one wish.
The father said, “Before I ask, I want you first to promise to carry out my wish. Do you promise?”
The son said, “Yes father, I promise.”
The father made his final request to his son: “Please give me a powerful drug that will take my life.”
The young man was shocked and in a quandary as to what to do. The
dilemma forcefully griped his mind and sent him into a stark downward
spiral – a state of deep depression.
Overwrought, the young man then decided to take his own life as he could
neither bear watching his father die slowly nor could he agree to his
father’s request to end his life. So the young man stood at the edge of
the Yamuna river just on the cusp of ending it all. His guilt was too
much to bear.
In that dark night, a strong voice in the distance suddenly shook the
young man from this act and that stranger safely led the young man back
to his house.
Time passed and that young doctor became a margiis.
In PC, Baba asked the him, “Who saved you that night when you were
contemplating suicide?” The young margii intuitively felt that Baba
Himself had come to rescue him.
Baba went on to explain in that PC that as a doctor he should not feel
guilty about not agreeing to his father’s request to end the life. A
doctor’s duty is to serve and help a patient survive. Never should one
assist another in dying. Rather one should feel blessed to be able to
serve the patient in life.
Hearing thus, the margii felt totally relieved and revived and
thereafter carried out his medical duties courageously and faithfully.
BABA’S GUIDELINES ON DYING
Baba very clearly guides us that we should never give way to lowly
feelings wherein one wishes to end their life. Life is invaluable and to
be utilised to its fullest.
Baba says, “You cannot afford to waste any part of your precious life.” (Subhasita Samgraha, part 19)
Thus there is no scope for prematurely ending one’s life via medical
maneuvers. In AM we honor the mind, and if the mind is capable enough to
think that life is not worth living, it means that mind has enough
shakti to ideate on Parama Purusa and / or help others in the psychic
sphere. Thus rather than allowing a person to voluntarily end their life
prematurely, they should be guided toward psycho-spiritual practices.
That is our first and foremost reply.
Euthanasia, or the forced arrival of death, is verily a form of suicide,
or assisted suicide. And that is not at all condoned in our Marga.
Baba says, “Those who commit suicide, do it when their mind is in a
negative state. It is unnatural.” (A Few Problems Solved, part 6)
Thus we should not be swayed by any of the theories or arguments that
are floating around today that life can or should be ended prematurely
in some circumstances. Under no circumstances should that happen.
Nor should one sit idly waiting to die. That is Baba’s distinct directive.
In one of His discourses from Gorakhpur, Baba graphically describes that
one must not lie down in bed meekly – accumulating bed sores – waiting
for death to arrive. In that case, better to rise up, expend one’s last
drop of energy and be active in sadhana and social service. One should
do something to help others with whatever strength and stamina one has.
In the due course death will come, and at that time, as far as possible,
one should be involved in sadhana and serving humanity.
Indeed in so many discourses Baba has declared:
“Marte marte ka’m karo, ka’m karte karte maro”
“Die while working, and work even while dying”.”
Thus Baba is giving us two distinct teachings:
1) Do not take one’s own life prematurely;
2) Be vigorously active utilising all one’s strength – that is far better than lying listlessly waiting for death to approach.
THE DOGMA OF MATERIALISTS
In today’s world, where most are involved in so many material pursuits,
then people become depressed and fall prey to gloomy thoughts seeing
their physical body demise.
They fail to think about greater aims in life, “Who am I, why am I
here.” Rather they consider this world only for name, fame, post, and
sensual pursuits.
They become deluded into thinking that since life is only for sensual
pleasures so if the body is not working properly, then best is to end
the life.
They think, “Why should I live if I cannot engage in my normal array of instinctual pursuits.”
Then the part two is that they fall prey into another defective mind-set.
They falsely conclude: “At least if I kill myself, I can get rid of my suffering and maybe find a better life somewhere else.”
When in fact the truth is that one is tied up with their own samskaras.
One may be able to run away from their house or hide from the police,
but mother prakrti will always find them. In that case, how silly to
think, “I will start off “clean” in a new place.
Rather, by dropping into the dogma of euthanasia one will just acquire
yet another negative samskara - because killing oneself is itself a
sinful deed that will create a horrible samskara.
Thus no one should fall prey to the materialistic avenues of premature
death or the dogma of trying to find better things through death, i.e.
in the afterlife. All these false notions and faulty justifications
arise when one feels that the physical body is everything.
Baba says, “Materialism tends to forget that the crude physical body and
its vital energy are not the whole of human existence – that the most
priceless assets of human beings are their psychic wealth, their
spiritual treasures, and their most beloved entity, Parama Purus’a, the
Lord of their life.” (Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Disc: 18)
Utterly devoid of spiritual vision, people think that their life is totally tied to their physical body – physical pursuits.
Whereas in AM, ours is a spiritual ideal, as Baba guides us above.
REASONS GIVEN BY THE STATE
At present, various states, governments, and countries have been
debating the matter of euthanasia, or the voluntary act of deliberately
giving up one’s life.
They cite various reasons for this to occur: sickness and disease,
incapacity to walk, see, or hear, debilitating accidents, loss of limbs,
and religious reasons as well.
For all of the above and more, such advocates claim it is reasonable for one to prematurely end one’s life.
But again this is a purely materialistic outlook. What they fail to
realise is that life is not for physical pleasure but for pleasing and
surrendering to Parama Purusa. And, so long as one can think one has the
capacity to please and serve Him.
And actually, the loss of one’s physical gifts forces one to face one’s
vulnerability. This then makes it easier for one to surrender to the
Lord. Whereas when one is at full strength and bossing others around,
then who thinks that they should surrender to Parama Purusa – already
they feel impregnable.
So there is a spiritual gain in losing one’s physical prowess.
But the materialist just thinks, “Without my full physical force I prefer not to live, and If I die my suffering will be over.”
And those in the bind of religious dogma think that, “If I take my life I
will gain redemption and escape my pain and problems here on earth.
After ending this life, I will end up happily in heaven. Why don't I go
to heaven now. The golden palace is waiting for me in heaven."
What they do not realise is that one may escape from the police or from
one’s enemies etc, but one cannot escape from their negative deeds and
samskaras. From this, there is no escape or running - not even by death.
REASONS TO LIVE
Of course, in Ananda Marga life is viewed as vital to one’s progress and
there are so many reasons to continue living. Furthermore, there are
numerous reasons why one should not succumb to the destructive ways of
assisted suicide or euthanasia.
1) One’s samskaras can only be exhausted while alive and that one should
use the physical body on this earth in order to finish all one’s past
unexpressed samskaras.
2) After death, the mind cannot function without the brain. After death,
there is little difference between and an animal mind and a human mind.
It is just a mind along with its unexpressed samskaras, whether good or
bad. All waiting for rebirth.
3) If a person ends their life intentionally, i.e. assisted suicide,
then that creates yet another bad samskara. Why? Because if a person
commits suicide then they will face that negative samskara of
deliberately destroying their body.
4) When the body is debilitated then feelings of helplessness arise, and
that brings feelings of surrender – the highest calling in life. Thus
this time of life should be used for spiritual growth and not wasted in
euthanasia.
5) If one has the active awareness to make the decision to choose to
die, then they have enough awareness to do sadhana. Sadhana only needs
the feeling of "I am", "I exist", and "I do" and then one can practice
meditation.
6) So long as the brain is functioning then should one not be taken off
life support. If the brain is working, one can do sadhana even if the
motor organs are not working. If one suffers brain death (vegetative
state) as determined by doctors, that is the sole requisite for ending
life support because then one cannot do sadhana.
7) Part of our spiritual approach in life to ask Baba to, “Please grace
me and give me strength to face any and all suffering and setbacks in
life.” Especially in dark periods of life or when sick, one should take
this ideation.
8) One should always remember that one can become one with Parama Purusa
with the right ideation – it takes just a moment. Proof of this is the
terrible villain Valmiki who in the course of a few moments expressed
his repentance with great sincerity and thereafter became known as a
great saint.
9) Another important thing is that one cannot do sadhana without a
physical body. Baba has said many times that even the devayonis must get
the human framework if they wish to gain salvation. That is the only
way to finish one’s sadhana.
And it is well known that the famed guru Swami Lahiri Mahasaya came to
Baba multiples times in a body-less form and begged Him to grant him a
body with which to complete his sadhana.
10) One should not give way to feelings of nihilism (i.e. this world is
misery). This is not appreciated by Ananda Marga. We do not agree with
Buddha’s teaching. One must not fall prey to feelings of misery and
instead cross the ocean of maya.
11) As long as one is able to think, then one can ideate on Him. No
matter how grave one’s problems one can always cry for the Lord.
All of the above speaks to the importance of keeping one’s physical body
as one precious vehicle for manifesting one’s spiritual ideal. There is
no scope to do assisted suicide when the brain stem itself is still
functioning.
TWO CONCLUSIVE POINTS
1. Those who think that after death they will live joyously in heaven
want to conclude this life and rejoice in heaven. Certain dogmatic
religions believe in this. As Ananda Margiis, we do not adhere to such
dogmatic concepts. We know that one cannot escape their samskara. If you
die, or deliberately terminate your life, you will be reborn and face
that samskara. If you commit suicide then you will also face the
negative consequences associated with intentionally destroying your
body.
2. Those who do not believe in samskara theory think that by eliminating
their body they can put an end to their suffering. But they do not know
that wherever they go they will have to face their suffering. So then
why not face it here and now?
LIFE IS IN SERVICE TO THE SUPREME
No matter how desperate things get, when drowned in any problem or
difficulty, we can only say, “O’ Parama Purusa please grant me strength
to serve You – then my life will be successful.”
Tragically those with a materialistic outlook can never conceive of this
idea. Thus it is imperative that all understand the inner spirit of
one’s human life and its utilisation.
Baba says, ‘The only aim of life is spiritual practice – the realization
of the Supreme. But the body, composed of the five fundamental factors,
and the mind, which is related to this body, are in this physical
world. So spiritual practice cannot be sustained by ignoring this
physical world. People will have to conduct their lives in such a way
that their mundane duties are properly discharged without disturbing
their spiritual practice, which is the primary goal of life. Thus people
will have to continue their spiritual practice as the primary mission
in life, and at the same time fulfil their worldly responsibilities,
considering them to be allotted by God.” (Namah Shivaya Shantaya)
BABA’S BLESSING
No one should get duped or confused into thinking that there is any
positive aspect of euthanasia. It is a faulty plan and foolhardy
approach for solving one’s problems. May we all live with the notion
that we have come here to serve Him. Then we are sure to lead a
successful life, unperturbed by the comings and goings of worldly life.
Baba says, “Progress along the path of devotion is sweet and smooth.
However the one who advances only a short way along the path of
knowledge is soon assailed on all sides by the laments of the parched
desert. No matter what the nature of one’s sa’dhana’ might be, one will
have to practice sa’dhana’ in this world; one will not get the
opportunity after death. It is up to you to choose between the path of
divinity and the path of animality. But remember, the highest
fulfillment in life lies in Brahma sa’dhana’. The attainment of
immortality lies in the pursuit of this path. Only through Brahma
sa’dhana’ can one properly evaluate life and attain genuine progress.
The fulfillment of a bud lies in its unfoldment, not in its withering.
Those who spend life in the pursuit of limited mundane objects allow the
bud of their lives to wither, and regress along the path of negative
Pratisaincara to suffer the eventual miserable plight of becoming as
inert as bricks, stones or iron, what to speak of dogs or cats. This
process of crudification will lead to the total annihilation of their
latent humanity.”
“An intelligent person should not follow the path of annihilation, but
the path of spiritual unfoldment. The pursuit of dharma is the path
leading to progress. Life reaches a glorious culmination and supreme
fulfillment only in this pursuit of dharma.” (Ananda Marga Ideology and
Way of Life, part 8)
Namaskar,
Arjuna Deva
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
"Madhur mohan tumi cita-rainjan a'cho sada' sa'the sa'the..." (3580)
Purport:
Baba, You are very sweet, most attractive. You have coloured my mind in Your colour. That is why You are Cita-Rainjan
[1].
Always You are remaining with me side by side. You have removed the
despair and filled my heart with Your love. All the darkness &
hopelessness was removed by that light.
Baba, You are beyond the scriptures, intellect, logic, and reasoning, You are above all these; You are Alakha-Nirainjain
[2],
beyond description. Infinite and unblemished. Only You can shatter the
bondage of avidya maya - the mirage of negative attraction-- and grant
salvation. Baba, You are the most charming, the most sweet, my own...
END NOTES FOR PRABHATA SAMGITIA #3580:
[1] Cita-Rainjan: Baba guides us & we all know that devotion
is that unique ingredient which allows one to advance in the spiritual
field. Without innate love for Parama Purusa one can never succeed. By
Baba's divine grace, in His role as Cit-Rainjan, He is that Divine
Entity who colours and saturates the mind of sadhakas in the fountain of
devotion. Baba says, "'rainjana', which means 'the One who colours' -
that which colours the mind." (Ananda Vacanamrtam-1) So He is that
Cosmic Being who graciously showers devotional love into the heart and
mind of the bhakta. And by such overwhelming Cosmic grace, the devotee
becomes immersed in Supreme bliss and comes in the closest proximity
with that Love Personified Entity: Parama Purusa.
[2] Alakhanirainjan: ('Alakh' means 'invisible'; 'nir' means
'no'; 'ainjan' means 'black spot'.) Of the infinite attributions of
Parama Purusa, one of which is that He is invisible and blemishless--
totally pure and perfect. That is why He is known as Alakhanirainjan.
Because in this world unit beings are bound by their past actions, by
their samskaras; and this creates a black mark in their mind. But being
Alakhanirainjan, being both invisible and blemishless, Parama Purusa is
totally beyond the realm of sense perception and beyond the realm of
samskara. His mind never gets stained. He remains eternally pure and
spotless.
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Rising Up
“Ghuma’ye theko na’ a’r jago tvra’, a’rt ma’navata’ d’a'k diye ja’y..."
O’ brothers and sisters, let us no longer remain in slumber. We should
get up without delay. The crying humanity is calling us; the people are
in desperate need of our help, support, & service. We have to give
the proper response by waving the flag of neo-humanism and thus usher in
the new dawn– whereby humanity is united. Taking Baba’s divine Name, we
have to remove their cry and suffering by forming one human society.
Let us not delay– the situation is urgent… (Prabhat Samgiita #4872)
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