Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:14:52 +0100
To: am-global@earthlink.net
From: Omkaranath Deva
Subject: Baba Story: Devotee Jumped From the Roof
Baba
"Malay va'ta'se madhu nishva'se ke go ele mor phulavane..." P.S. 1801
Purport:
O the Divine Entity who are You who has come in my flower garden in the gentle breeze of this spring season with a sweet and charming smile. When I saw You for the first time I was surprised, as it was difficult to think that such an attractive Entity would be here. I wanted to look towards You more intimately but I could not; that time I was sitting in the flower garden unmindfully - unaware.
O' Supreme One, I couldn't even hear the footsteps of Your arrival, & You did not give any hint or clue before coming to this garden. So I could not receive You properly nor could I offer You a garland. You have graced me by coming here yet You have not cared about receiving an invitation. Please tell me, O' Divine Entity, who are You?
O' my Lord, understanding Your liila is impossible. Within a flash You can become extremely tough and then the next moment You are as tender as a flower - like a garland of love, so sweet and charming. O' divine Entity You cannot be understood. You are Infinite - without beginning or end. Through the practice of sadhana and dhyana I am surrendering myself at Your alter.
Baba, You have graced me by coming to my mental flower garden...
Note: The below story is a first-hand account by Sri Mangal Bihari ji, a very senior and well-known Ananda Margii. In this letter, he is giving his eye-witness account how one margii ensconced in a devotional bhava jumped from one building and was saved. That was an incredibly sight.
As many may know, Sri Mangal Bihari ji held key posts in both Rajasthan government as well as the Central Government of India. During Emergency he was lying low but after Emergency he was retired from his government post and extremely active in the Marga, just as during his pre-Emergency days.
Namaskar,
Those days in DMC Baba was showering His divine blessing on all. That created a very strong spiritual vibration. Everyone was drenched in His cosmic grace.
All who attended DMC became immersed in Baba's love and spiritual ecstasy. No one remained unaffected. All were deeply ensconced in that Brahma bhava, i.e. devotional ideation.
Here I am not saying that those who came were elevated sadhakas or very high souls and that is why they were having such experiences. Rather I think that was exclusively Baba's grace. Indeed many who came those days also left the Marga entirely. So truly speaking, Baba was showering His divine grace during those DMC programs. Those who attended were inundated. What is described in AM literature about bhava and samadhi, we would see and feel regularly those days; whereas later on that such experiences in collective occasions became scarce.
Indeed those days, many were visibly crying, tears streaming down; while others were making the humkara sound. Verily all the signs of deep spiritual engagement and samadhi were in full force.
Baba says, "These occult feelings are basically of eight types: stambha (astounding), kampa (trembling), sveda (sweating), svarabheda (hoarseness of voice), ashru (tears), romáiṋca (horripilation), vaevarńa (change of colour) and pralaya (fainting fit). There are other feelings associated with these major feelings. For examples, nrtya (dancing), giita (singing), viluńt́hana (rolling), kroshana (weeping), huḿkára (roaring), lálásráva (salivating), jrmbhańa (yawning), lokápekśá tyága (indifference), at́t́ahásya (bursting into laughter), ghúrńana (whirling), hikká (hiccoughing), tanumot́ana (relaxation of the physical body) and diirghashvása (deep breathing)." (A Guide to Human Conduct, Iishvara Pranidhana)
In Baba's presence, all the above "pious expressions" were prevalent those days. The scene was unparalleled. Indeed, non-margiis observing these behaviours thought that these people (i.e. Ananda Margiis) were psychiatric patients.
But that was the way things were going on those days. Baba's was creating that deeply devotional and loving environment and so many were falling into samadhi and various bhavas.
Not only that, when it was time for Baba to depart, and take leave of the margiis and general workers etc, then He would increase the devotional pull and these symptoms would escalate. Baba would give more vibration and the whole environment would become devotionally super-charged. The vibration was palpable.
The DMC in Kota (28 Jul 1966) was exceptional in this regard. Everyday there was such a strong vibration. Around 50 - 60% of the margiis present were crying and dancing, totally enthralled with Baba's love and oblivious of the crude world around them. At this point our Baba Nam Kevalam kiitan had not yet been given, even then so many were dancing, purely inspired by bhava.
And at the end, it escalated even more. At the time of departure, the scene broke all barriers. The floodgates of devotion let loose. As per His custom, on the last day of His stay, Baba held general darshan and that was even more heart-wrenching than usual.
Baba was infusing a deep devotional pull and the sadhakas did not want Him to leave. They did not want to be away from Him. They were feeling such strong longing and so many were crying. That was the scene.
Indeed, thinking of Baba's departure was unbearable. It was just like if the one you love very much was going away then you feel like your heart is being separated. In that state people start crying uncontrollably. So this happens with mundane attraction and in extreme situations when someone dies or goes away.
With Baba, the pull towards Him was purely devotional.
In that devotionally-charged environment, one absolutely incredible event took place.
In Kota, the day after DMC, Baba was holding a farewell general darshan (described above) just prior to His departure. This gathering was being held on the roof of the first floor. All the margiis were crying, dancing, and jumping around.
One margii brother from Nepal, Bahadur, was crying uncontrollably. It seemed like he just lost total control of his body - jumping and bouncing here and there in longing to hold Baba. Then suddenly in one swift moment, he inexplicably jumped from the roof of the first floor to the roof of the ground floor.
Here it has to be understood that the roof is 100% cement - hard as stone. There was no padding whatsoever. Plus the vertical distance from the first floor roof to the ground floor roof was 14 feet. Yet in that highly-charged environment, Bahadur leaped down.
I was shocked to see this and thought he would die. Immediately so many margiis rushed towards him to see if he was ok. But in utter amazement he was fine. He did not injure himself in any way, whereas it would have been quite expected to have shattered his knees or had some other serious injury, even death. But Bahadur was totally unharmed. Not only that, he was still in that deeply devotional bhava, crying and shivering.
Seeing this incredible feat, I concluded that when one is in bhava stage then their body becomes light, otherwise how he could have done this without getting hurt. Whatever the reason, nothing happened to him. It was Baba's exclusive grace - totally unbelievable.
The above story recounted by Sri Mangal Bihari ji is quite inspiring on many levels and leaves us with much to consider.
As incredibly moving and devotional as the scene was those days, it was seen how in that state of mind margiis could not think of anything other than Parama Purusa. It was impossible for them to manage normal, everyday life along with their worldly duties - what to say of doing any organisational work and social service to the greater society.
That is why Baba slowly, slowly withdrew that special devotional vibration during DMC and other collective gatherings. In collective life Baba became more work oriented and and such devotional experiences became more limited to going to His room for PC and receiving those bhavas and devotional experiences on an individual level.
After 1970-71 in DMC, there were not such strong vibrations as earlier. Baba stopped giving that type of spiritual wave in collective gatherings. Indeed, Baba Himself explicitly stated that if margiis remain in that state they will not be able to do any work.
That is why I think, Baba chose to give that bhava on an individual level, not collectively, according to His wish.
Some who do not know the entire history of Baba's spiritual grace think that before 1966 Baba was in the role of Vraj Krsna and He became Parthasarathi after 1966. But this is nothing but a short-sighted view.
Why?
Because Baba gave emphasis on work since the inception of AM. In Jamalpur, in the very beginning, those in AM were punished for not doing work - everyone was held accountable. Baba used to punish them, give work targets, reports, and make them take atonement for their misdeeds and sins. Even before the creation of wts, all this was going on. Family acaryas were the workers and reporting was in full force. That was all going on before 1966.
And His showering of devotion continued throughout, far after 1966. Up through 1990 itself, Baba was calling and attracting countless individual margiis on a personal level for devotional contact. And even those sitting in far distant lands feeling His sweet touch in sadhana. There are countless stories; and verily still today if one does proper sadhana they will feel that spiritual nectar and receive then highest devotional samadhi and realisation..
So there is no credence to the theory that Baba's existence was split like that of Vraja Krsna and Parthasarthi Krsna. Rather, from the very beginning, Baba was and is one singular Divine Personality.
Here following is Baba's divine teaching how those who chase after Him - due to His causeless grace - cannot think of anything else and ultimately become one with Him.
Baba says, "All the created objects are revolving around Puruśottama. Some are rotating at a greater distance with a long radius, and some are moving at a shorter distance with a short radius. The nature of the ideation and inherent saḿskáras of entities varies from one to another, and accordingly the physical structures of individual entities also vary. And all the entities with their respective mass and wonts are revolving around the nucleus. This movement continues as long as they think, “I and my Lord, I and the Universal Father are separate entities.” As soon as they think, “No, I and my Lord are not separate entities – just as the ocean and its drops of water are not separate entities. The drops of water are part of the ocean”-then they are no longer misguided. They rush towards Puruśottama and merge in Him." (Ananda Vacanamrtam-31, Supramundane Heritage and Supramundane Desideratum)
Once again we should reflect upon what happens to those who come into that higher devotional bhava, by His grace.
Baba says, "When the mental flow of a spiritual aspirant moves along the introversial phase of Macrocosmic meditation, one’s animative force, having the potentiality of divinity itself, rises above all tendencies – all saḿskáras – and proceeds towards Eternal bliss. In this state the mind is vibrated with Cosmic feeling. The unexpressed divine qualities of the higher glands find expression and the resonance of the mind vibrates the nervous system. This gives rise to pious expressions in the physical body. In the case of those people whose occult feelings are not physically expressed due to causes associated with the nerves, the mental vibrations cause certain radical changes, in the various glands within the body. These occult feelings are basically of eight types: stambha (astounding), kampa (trembling), sveda (sweating), svarabheda (hoarseness of voice), ashru (tears), romáiṋca (horripilation), vaevarńa (change of colour) and pralaya (fainting fit). There are other feelings associated with these major feelings. For examples, nrtya (dancing), giita (singing), viluńt́hana (rolling), kroshana (weeping), huḿkára (roaring), lálásráva (salivating), jrmbhańa (yawning), lokápekśá tyága (indifference), at́t́ahásya (bursting into laughter), ghúrńana (whirling), hikká (hiccoughing), tanumot́ana (relaxation of the physical body) and diirghashvása (deep breathing)." (A Guide to Human Conduct, Iishvara Pranidhana)
Namaskar,
Omnkarnath
Margii brother Bahadur was the family assistant of LC Anand of Mumbai. Bahadur had gone to Jamalpur with his family. From Jamalpur, Bahadur traveled with SS Goenka ji to attend the Kota DMC. (Note: After that DMC, Bahadur returned to the home of LC Ananda in Mumbai to attend to his duties and work.)
To: am-global@earthlink.net
From: Omkaranath Deva
Subject: Baba Story: Devotee Jumped From the Roof
Baba
"Malay va'ta'se madhu nishva'se ke go ele mor phulavane..." P.S. 1801
Purport:
O the Divine Entity who are You who has come in my flower garden in the gentle breeze of this spring season with a sweet and charming smile. When I saw You for the first time I was surprised, as it was difficult to think that such an attractive Entity would be here. I wanted to look towards You more intimately but I could not; that time I was sitting in the flower garden unmindfully - unaware.
O' Supreme One, I couldn't even hear the footsteps of Your arrival, & You did not give any hint or clue before coming to this garden. So I could not receive You properly nor could I offer You a garland. You have graced me by coming here yet You have not cared about receiving an invitation. Please tell me, O' Divine Entity, who are You?
O' my Lord, understanding Your liila is impossible. Within a flash You can become extremely tough and then the next moment You are as tender as a flower - like a garland of love, so sweet and charming. O' divine Entity You cannot be understood. You are Infinite - without beginning or end. Through the practice of sadhana and dhyana I am surrendering myself at Your alter.
Baba, You have graced me by coming to my mental flower garden...
== BABA STORY: DEVOTEE JUMPED FROM THE ROOF
==
Note: The below story is a first-hand account by Sri Mangal Bihari ji, a very senior and well-known Ananda Margii. In this letter, he is giving his eye-witness account how one margii ensconced in a devotional bhava jumped from one building and was saved. That was an incredibly sight.
As many may know, Sri Mangal Bihari ji held key posts in both Rajasthan government as well as the Central Government of India. During Emergency he was lying low but after Emergency he was retired from his government post and extremely active in the Marga, just as during his pre-Emergency days.
Namaskar,
Those days in DMC Baba was showering His divine blessing on all. That created a very strong spiritual vibration. Everyone was drenched in His cosmic grace.
HUGE DEVOTIONAL ATTRACTION THOSE DAYS
All who attended DMC became immersed in Baba's love and spiritual ecstasy. No one remained unaffected. All were deeply ensconced in that Brahma bhava, i.e. devotional ideation.
Here I am not saying that those who came were elevated sadhakas or very high souls and that is why they were having such experiences. Rather I think that was exclusively Baba's grace. Indeed many who came those days also left the Marga entirely. So truly speaking, Baba was showering His divine grace during those DMC programs. Those who attended were inundated. What is described in AM literature about bhava and samadhi, we would see and feel regularly those days; whereas later on that such experiences in collective occasions became scarce.
Indeed those days, many were visibly crying, tears streaming down; while others were making the humkara sound. Verily all the signs of deep spiritual engagement and samadhi were in full force.
Baba says, "These occult feelings are basically of eight types: stambha (astounding), kampa (trembling), sveda (sweating), svarabheda (hoarseness of voice), ashru (tears), romáiṋca (horripilation), vaevarńa (change of colour) and pralaya (fainting fit). There are other feelings associated with these major feelings. For examples, nrtya (dancing), giita (singing), viluńt́hana (rolling), kroshana (weeping), huḿkára (roaring), lálásráva (salivating), jrmbhańa (yawning), lokápekśá tyága (indifference), at́t́ahásya (bursting into laughter), ghúrńana (whirling), hikká (hiccoughing), tanumot́ana (relaxation of the physical body) and diirghashvása (deep breathing)." (A Guide to Human Conduct, Iishvara Pranidhana)
In Baba's presence, all the above "pious expressions" were prevalent those days. The scene was unparalleled. Indeed, non-margiis observing these behaviours thought that these people (i.e. Ananda Margiis) were psychiatric patients.
But that was the way things were going on those days. Baba's was creating that deeply devotional and loving environment and so many were falling into samadhi and various bhavas.
Not only that, when it was time for Baba to depart, and take leave of the margiis and general workers etc, then He would increase the devotional pull and these symptoms would escalate. Baba would give more vibration and the whole environment would become devotionally super-charged. The vibration was palpable.
KOTA DMC
The DMC in Kota (28 Jul 1966) was exceptional in this regard. Everyday there was such a strong vibration. Around 50 - 60% of the margiis present were crying and dancing, totally enthralled with Baba's love and oblivious of the crude world around them. At this point our Baba Nam Kevalam kiitan had not yet been given, even then so many were dancing, purely inspired by bhava.
And at the end, it escalated even more. At the time of departure, the scene broke all barriers. The floodgates of devotion let loose. As per His custom, on the last day of His stay, Baba held general darshan and that was even more heart-wrenching than usual.
Baba was infusing a deep devotional pull and the sadhakas did not want Him to leave. They did not want to be away from Him. They were feeling such strong longing and so many were crying. That was the scene.
Indeed, thinking of Baba's departure was unbearable. It was just like if the one you love very much was going away then you feel like your heart is being separated. In that state people start crying uncontrollably. So this happens with mundane attraction and in extreme situations when someone dies or goes away.
With Baba, the pull towards Him was purely devotional.
AN UNBELIEVABLE THING THAT HAPPENED
In that devotionally-charged environment, one absolutely incredible event took place.
In Kota, the day after DMC, Baba was holding a farewell general darshan (described above) just prior to His departure. This gathering was being held on the roof of the first floor. All the margiis were crying, dancing, and jumping around.
One margii brother from Nepal, Bahadur, was crying uncontrollably. It seemed like he just lost total control of his body - jumping and bouncing here and there in longing to hold Baba. Then suddenly in one swift moment, he inexplicably jumped from the roof of the first floor to the roof of the ground floor.
Here it has to be understood that the roof is 100% cement - hard as stone. There was no padding whatsoever. Plus the vertical distance from the first floor roof to the ground floor roof was 14 feet. Yet in that highly-charged environment, Bahadur leaped down.
I was shocked to see this and thought he would die. Immediately so many margiis rushed towards him to see if he was ok. But in utter amazement he was fine. He did not injure himself in any way, whereas it would have been quite expected to have shattered his knees or had some other serious injury, even death. But Bahadur was totally unharmed. Not only that, he was still in that deeply devotional bhava, crying and shivering.
Seeing this incredible feat, I concluded that when one is in bhava stage then their body becomes light, otherwise how he could have done this without getting hurt. Whatever the reason, nothing happened to him. It was Baba's exclusive grace - totally unbelievable.
REFLECTION:
BABA CHANGED THE FLOW
BABA CHANGED THE FLOW
The above story recounted by Sri Mangal Bihari ji is quite inspiring on many levels and leaves us with much to consider.
As incredibly moving and devotional as the scene was those days, it was seen how in that state of mind margiis could not think of anything other than Parama Purusa. It was impossible for them to manage normal, everyday life along with their worldly duties - what to say of doing any organisational work and social service to the greater society.
That is why Baba slowly, slowly withdrew that special devotional vibration during DMC and other collective gatherings. In collective life Baba became more work oriented and and such devotional experiences became more limited to going to His room for PC and receiving those bhavas and devotional experiences on an individual level.
After 1970-71 in DMC, there were not such strong vibrations as earlier. Baba stopped giving that type of spiritual wave in collective gatherings. Indeed, Baba Himself explicitly stated that if margiis remain in that state they will not be able to do any work.
That is why I think, Baba chose to give that bhava on an individual level, not collectively, according to His wish.
THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY CONFUSION
Some who do not know the entire history of Baba's spiritual grace think that before 1966 Baba was in the role of Vraj Krsna and He became Parthasarathi after 1966. But this is nothing but a short-sighted view.
Why?
Because Baba gave emphasis on work since the inception of AM. In Jamalpur, in the very beginning, those in AM were punished for not doing work - everyone was held accountable. Baba used to punish them, give work targets, reports, and make them take atonement for their misdeeds and sins. Even before the creation of wts, all this was going on. Family acaryas were the workers and reporting was in full force. That was all going on before 1966.
And His showering of devotion continued throughout, far after 1966. Up through 1990 itself, Baba was calling and attracting countless individual margiis on a personal level for devotional contact. And even those sitting in far distant lands feeling His sweet touch in sadhana. There are countless stories; and verily still today if one does proper sadhana they will feel that spiritual nectar and receive then highest devotional samadhi and realisation..
So there is no credence to the theory that Baba's existence was split like that of Vraja Krsna and Parthasarthi Krsna. Rather, from the very beginning, Baba was and is one singular Divine Personality.
BABA'S BLESSING
Here following is Baba's divine teaching how those who chase after Him - due to His causeless grace - cannot think of anything else and ultimately become one with Him.
Baba says, "All the created objects are revolving around Puruśottama. Some are rotating at a greater distance with a long radius, and some are moving at a shorter distance with a short radius. The nature of the ideation and inherent saḿskáras of entities varies from one to another, and accordingly the physical structures of individual entities also vary. And all the entities with their respective mass and wonts are revolving around the nucleus. This movement continues as long as they think, “I and my Lord, I and the Universal Father are separate entities.” As soon as they think, “No, I and my Lord are not separate entities – just as the ocean and its drops of water are not separate entities. The drops of water are part of the ocean”-then they are no longer misguided. They rush towards Puruśottama and merge in Him." (Ananda Vacanamrtam-31, Supramundane Heritage and Supramundane Desideratum)
Once again we should reflect upon what happens to those who come into that higher devotional bhava, by His grace.
Baba says, "When the mental flow of a spiritual aspirant moves along the introversial phase of Macrocosmic meditation, one’s animative force, having the potentiality of divinity itself, rises above all tendencies – all saḿskáras – and proceeds towards Eternal bliss. In this state the mind is vibrated with Cosmic feeling. The unexpressed divine qualities of the higher glands find expression and the resonance of the mind vibrates the nervous system. This gives rise to pious expressions in the physical body. In the case of those people whose occult feelings are not physically expressed due to causes associated with the nerves, the mental vibrations cause certain radical changes, in the various glands within the body. These occult feelings are basically of eight types: stambha (astounding), kampa (trembling), sveda (sweating), svarabheda (hoarseness of voice), ashru (tears), romáiṋca (horripilation), vaevarńa (change of colour) and pralaya (fainting fit). There are other feelings associated with these major feelings. For examples, nrtya (dancing), giita (singing), viluńt́hana (rolling), kroshana (weeping), huḿkára (roaring), lálásráva (salivating), jrmbhańa (yawning), lokápekśá tyága (indifference), at́t́ahásya (bursting into laughter), ghúrńana (whirling), hikká (hiccoughing), tanumot́ana (relaxation of the physical body) and diirghashvása (deep breathing)." (A Guide to Human Conduct, Iishvara Pranidhana)
Namaskar,
Omnkarnath
Note: MORE ABOUT BAHADUR
Margii brother Bahadur was the family assistant of LC Anand of Mumbai. Bahadur had gone to Jamalpur with his family. From Jamalpur, Bahadur traveled with SS Goenka ji to attend the Kota DMC. (Note: After that DMC, Bahadur returned to the home of LC Ananda in Mumbai to attend to his duties and work.)
****************************************
Slowly Moving Towards Cemetery
Baba says, "Human beings often attached less importance to the spiritual aspect of nitya karma and more importance to the physical aspect. This is detrimental because one should not forget that human life is short while act is long. From the very moment of birth one slowly and steadily advances towards death with every passing moment of time. This short period of time from birth to death is human life. Human beings have come from the world of invisibility and at the end of this short span of time will return to the land of invisibility. Those people can be called intelligent who utilised every moment of their short life engaged in spiritual practice." (APH-4, p. 251)
****************************************
Slowly Moving Towards Cemetery
Baba says, "Human beings often attached less importance to the spiritual aspect of nitya karma and more importance to the physical aspect. This is detrimental because one should not forget that human life is short while act is long. From the very moment of birth one slowly and steadily advances towards death with every passing moment of time. This short period of time from birth to death is human life. Human beings have come from the world of invisibility and at the end of this short span of time will return to the land of invisibility. Those people can be called intelligent who utilised every moment of their short life engaged in spiritual practice." (APH-4, p. 251)
****************************************
