Story: Journey To MPD Commemoration

Subject: Story: Journey To MPD Commemoration
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:32:11 +0530
From: N 
To: 'AM-GLOBAL'


Baba

== STORY: JOURNEY TO MPD COMMEMORATION ==

Note: This personal account is the veritable history how the organisers of so-called mahaprayan were trying to glorify their chosen program.

Additional Note: Baba is that Divine Eternal Entity so any use of the mahaprayan term with Him is really so-called mahaprayan. Always it is like that. In order to recount the below in conversational style, sometimes the mahaprayan term was used. All bhaktas understand that this means so-called mahaprayan. Now please read this personal and historical account.

Namaskar,
One time I went back to my village and I learnt that my uncle, Harihara Dasha (a non-margii) had been to Tiljala to attend our Gurudeva's shraddha function.

I asked him how he could attend it. (After all, my uncle was a simple villager and I wanted to know how he had the means to go to Kolkata.)

He replied, "What a huge gathering! 24 hours the people were taking delicious food! 24hours kiirtana was going on! A group of about 200 persons from our village & around our village led by Bhaskar Jena went to Kolkata by train in a rally in the name of Proutist Sarva Samaja Sammelan [All Indian Samaj Unions]  and a badge was given to everyone of them in lieu of rs.10 only. We were fed nicely. We performed your kiirtana for a few hours on those days & the rest of the time we spent visiting different sites in & around Kolkata."

He showed his gratitude to Ananda Marga because of free lodging & boarding provided by the organisers.

WHAT WE LEARN FROM THIS TRUE STORY

From the facts mentioned above it is quite evident that non-margiis are brought to the function held in Tiljala from 21st Oct to 26th Oct every year. They're allured or attracted by either free boarding & lodging for six days by the organisers to observe such a dogmatic function.

All in all there is a multi-layered strategy of deception going on here:

(a) First of all, the villagers are initially led to believe that they are going for a Prout rally, not so-called mahaprayan, where they will get free food and lodging and that they will have lots of time to go sightseeing in Kolkata;
(b) Second, those villagers were led to believe that for just 10 rupees (20 cents US) they got an actual train ticket as well as free lodging, free food, and all other expenses free. But that is not true - they only got a badge to attend the B group function - not a train ticket. So in reality are traveling on that train illegally and could be put in jail. But they do not realise it;
(c) Those organising Dadas tell the train officials that these people are traveling to attend a political rally and should not be charged for their ticket. That is the unwritten rule in India;
(d) The railway personnel think that if they do not give free train travel to those villagers then they will be attacked, because these travelers are political activists;
(e) Those Dadas collecting ten rupees keep that money and more importantly PRS Dada gets to brag & propagate in their email that so many people attended their MPD program;
(f) The margiis who attend MPD think that all those villagers are bonafide margiis when in fact they are just simple villagers;
(g) Those simple villagers are pleased because they will pass their time touring Kolkata in exchange for participating in the program for 1 hour or so each day.

So that is the layered strategy of deception that is unfolding.

MAHAPRAYAN IS A DOGMATIC CEREMONY

Whether it is named as "mahaprayan" or "shraddhanjali" or "samkalpa divas", the non-margiis will name it "shraddha". And as we all know, the Hindu shraddha tradition is a dogma as explained in Ananda Marga philosophy. On such shraddha ceremonies, Hindus feed people for free, and donate clothes or valuable articles to their guests and the public to please their ancestors. In such functions, often the "harekrshana hare rama" mantra propagated by Shrii Chaitanyamahaprabhu is sung by hired professional kiirtana groups.

A CASE SCENARIO: MORE ABOUT THE DOGMA OF MPD

Now let's suppose someone is traveling by train or flight to Kolkata to attend so-called mahaprayan divas (MPD). If one co-passenger asks him about his purpose of visit, he will definitely reply that, "I will attend mahaprayan."

Immediately the co-passenger will inquire, "What is mahaprayan?"

The traveler will explain, "On this particular day our Gurudeva left His physical body, so we call it mahaprayan."

Then that co-passenger will conclude by saying, "Oh! You are going to attend a traditional Hindu shraddha ceremoney."

Here the point, those outside the marga will think of it as a typical Hindu shraddha or death anniversary. That is what is being taught to them by observing so-called mahaprayan.

Yet we know how Baba has condemned this dogmatic shraddha ceremony throughout Ananda Marga philosophy. Plus in Caryacarya He has clearly mentioned that our dharmic Ananda Marga shraddha function should be observed within 12 days. Whereas the dogmatic Hindu shraddha program is an annual ceremony where they "send" gifts and food to their deceased family member in heaven. In Ananda Marga, we wholly reject such a notion. Yet that is what non-margiis will think what is going on by having an annual "mahaprayan" gathering.

                        

BABA'S BLESSING

Baba alone is the infinite, eternal Entity who is the Goal and He resides forever in the hearts of His devotees.

Those who observe the so-called mahaprayan programme should reconsider their this dogmatic approach and come onto the path of bliss and realise His Divine and Eternal Self.

Baba says, "The one formless, beginningless and infinite Parama Brahma (Supreme Consciousness) is the only entity to be attained by living beings-- That alone is Jagat Guru (the Supreme preceptor), That alone has revealed Brahmavidya (intuitional science) to us through the medium of the name and form of Anandamurtijii. Unit beings must be made to appreciate Its majesty." (Caryacarya - II p.1)

Namaskar,
Narayana

Note 1: HOW ORGANISERS "BENEFIT" FROM MAHAPRAYAN

Certain dogmatic leaders do this dogmatic MPD commemoration because (1) they benefit economically, and (2) they get some followers. This we all know.

For such reasons they are willing to propagate the Baba is gone, and along the way they fool some naive and innocent margiis who participate in their dogmatic programme, as well as some non-margiis.

How do they allure non-margiis? Well just like in the above account, they offer this as a gift to travel and tour Kolkata. That is very unique opportunity for rural villagers. This is like one big event or a dream-come-true to move around Kolkata and have someone else pay for their trip. To do this, they only had to chant kiirtan a few minutes here and there. They think it is a cheap deal.

If is just like if you invite common people to take a free holiday to some exotic place on the other side of this earth, they people will jump at the opportunity.  Similarly, for rural Indian villagers, going to Kolkata is something very exotic. They will talk about it their whole entire life. For them, this is very exotic. Plus, the time of so-called mahaprayan is when their agricultural work is less so they have free time to travel.

You can also think of it this way: If you wanted to do some sightseeing in Mecca, then Muslim pay for your trip then you must attend their namaz program and participate in their feast.

Side by side, group leaders entice, cajole, and convince margiis (who have never been to MPD) to attend by using the allurement of kiirtan and visiting Baba's room.

Finally, some margiis are verily confused and do not know right or wrong. So they just go to mahaprayan because of their  friendship with various Dadas or Didis.

All in all, this universe is colourful - if you organise any type of activity then someone will be ready to follow. If you create a nasty blog or a bogus twitter account, even then someone will follow. So-called mahaprayan is like that.

It is just like how various religious leaders have lots of followers. The followers naively follow the dogmatic edicts of those religious leaders. That is the way those religions work. Same is the history with the dogma of mahaprayan. However, as more and more margiis understand that mahaprayan is anti-Baba, they give up attending this dogmatic programme. And that is what we see happening nowadays.

PRABHAT SAMGIITA

 

PS Intro: In the life of a sadhaka sometimes sadhana is good and one feels very close proximity to Parama Purusa - Baba. Then everything in life is pleasing & charming: Blissful. Naturally though, over the course of their systaltic movement, sadhakas inevitably experiences a phase of pause in their sadhana. In that time, the mind becomes dry and deep, devotional spiritual ideation and strong sadhana are almost impossible. One's surroundings become tasteless and in the heart the sadhaka starts to feel that 'something is missing'. Because in the absence of the Divine Entity - Baba - one's surroundings become bland & mundane. Even then in the hearts of good sadhakas, they still have deep longing for Parama Purusa - Baba. And that blissful, devotional yearning is known as melancholic longing. In the following song, this entire idea has been expressed through the metaphor of the bakul flower garden etc.


"Jabe ei path diye esechile, viithika' pus'pe bhara' chilo..." (PS 2141)

Purport:

Baba, when You came to my home by this path, that time the garden lane was full of sweet, fragrant flowers. By Your divine presence, my mind became spiritually intoxicated with the divine aroma of those flowers. On that occasion also the flow of songs was floating in the air. Baba, since You did not come, even today that bakul flower lane is just lying there vacant - unused. Innumerable flowers have fallen and become one with the dust. Where has that sweet flower fragrance of the bakul flower gone. Now all its aroma is completely dried up. O' my dearmost, since You have not come to this lane for so long, everyone has forgotten how beautiful and charming that garden was. Because of Your presence.

Baba, anyhow still today the flowers on the trees are surviving, but due to Your absence, the garden lane has lost all its charm. So those trees are just weeping thinking how the days of old were so charming and blissful in Your presence. Because in those days You showered Your grace by coming down that garden lane. Those days were so magnificent and blissful. But now You are not coming. So by remembering Your august visit those trees are very unhappy. Their melancholic tears have totally drenched the garden lane. And those trees repeat again and again that despite having everything: The flower, the lane, the atmosphere, and greenery - despite all these things, in the absence of the One, i.e. You Baba, this entire world becomes utterly meaningless and empty.

Baba, please be gracious. Do not remain distant - always remain inside my heart. Baba, please grace me so that I always feel Your divine presence...