To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: Sloppy Book: Misinformation of Tantra Piit'ha
Date: Tue 29 May 2012 22:29:36 +0500 (IST)
From: Raghuviira Deva
Baba
== SLOPPY BOOK: MISINFORMATION OF TANTRA
PIIT'HA ==
Note: This below letter is in response to the way the term tantra
piit'ha is explained in one book about Baba and Ananda Marga. It
should also be kept in mind that the proper spelling is tantra
piit'ha; although in the book it is misspelled as pitha. The reason I am not disclosing the name of the book or the name of
the author now is so those few with a bias can also understand the
subject clearly with a clean and balanced mind.
Namaskar,
In Ananda Marga, we all know that a tantra piit'ha is a place where
great rishis and sadhakas sat for sadhana and achieved liberation,
by the grace of Parama Purusa, Baba.
We also know that everything in AM is based on logic, reasoning, and
rationality; we do not subscribe to those age-old religious dogmas
of the past.
Naturally then, our definition of a tantra piit'ha is based on
Baba’s clear-cut guideline. In Ananda Marga, tantra piit'has are
those places where great sadhakas and sages sat for sadhana and
attained realisation. Our viewpoint steers totally clear from the
prevailing Hindu or religious dogma.
LOOK WHAT ONE PERSON WROTE
Unfortunately, in one person’s book about Baba, in the
Notes section
on page 381, the writer puts forth a dogmatic explanation of a
tantra piit'ha.
The writer makes the claim that a tantra piit'ha is a place that
has:
(a) 5 types of different trees (bel, silk cotton, banyan, neem and
Indian Gooseberry); and,
(b) 5 types of skulls buried beneath each of these trees (tiger
skull, male cat skull, monkey skull, king cobra skull, and human
skull).
Unfortunately, in making such claims, this writer has fallen right
into the pool of religious dogma while putting forth AM teachings.
Yes, this is how avidya tantrikas - followers of black magic - make
tantra piit'has; but, no, in Ananda Marga, as vidya tantrikas, this
is not our way. We do not subscribe to such rituals and dogmas.
COULD NOT IGNORE
Here it should be understood that this entire matter could have been
ignored if:
1. The writer had mentioned that this way of making a tantra
piit'ha was a religious dogma, or done only by avidya tantrikas;
2. the writer was a non-margii, or not writing a book about Ananda
Marga.
It was important to raise this matter because the writer is putting
forth this faulty notion of a tantra piit'ha in the name of Baba and
in the name of Ananda Marga. Readers picking up this book think they
are getting authentic information based on Baba's teachings, but
nothing could be further from the truth. The writer is actually
describing the exact opposite: An avidya tantra (I.e. black magic)
tantra piit'ha.
A NEGATIVE RELIGIOUS DOGMA
By reading these above stipulations about the 5 trees and the 5
skulls, any rational Ananda Margii will easily recognise that the
writer unfortunately swayed from the path and drifted into the arena
of negative religious dogma.
Why? Because according to Baba, a tantra piit'ha is a place where
high sadhakas attained liberation. Yet here the writer is defining a
tantra piit'ha in a very ritualistic manner as if one can make a
tantra piit'ha by planting trees and burying skulls.
So from start to finish the whole explanation is wrong in this book.
Certainly, the author wanted to do a better job; but unfortunately
he lacked the requisite understanding and skills. How else to
account for the way it turned out.
Here following is a more detailed look at the faults.
INVITES ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS
The aforementioned dogmatic propositions by the writer invite all
kinds of problems, misunderstandings, and confusions:
Firstly, his explanation gives the impression that if anyone wants
to create a tantra piit'ha then all that is needed is to plant 5
trees and bury 5 skulls. As if that is “how to” make a tantra
piit'ha. So this is totally dogmatic. That is not how to create an
Ananda Marga tantra piit'ha. Dogmatic religious fanatics, or avdiya
tantrikas, might define a tantra piit'ha in this way, but in Ananda
Marga we know that a tantra piit'ha is first and foremost based on
high sadhana, not dogmatic rituals.
Secondly, if any business person reads this 'how to' instruction,
they will start killing animals, burying those skulls, and planting
those trees in order to make tantra piit'has. Then they will try to
sell it at an exorbitant price. Over time they will try to make big
money from this. Such tantra piit'has will become commercial, i.e.
big-ticket items. It will become yet another capitalist venture.
While those entrepreneurs count their profits from selling dogma,
innocent people will be misled into thinking that by having a tantra
piit'has they will get moksa. So instead of filling their heart with
devotion and pointing their mind toward God, the common people will
be competing for the most expensive style of dogmatic tantra
piit'has.
Thirdly, in his book, the writer describes a tantra piit'ha as being
one particular model, i.e. 5 trees and 5 skulls etc. But according
to AM, a tantra piit'ha is any place where one or more sadhaka(s)
sat for sadhana and attained realisation. So a tantra piit'ha could
be your own sadhana room, or one's own jagrti. Because at the time
of leaving the body, every Ananda Margii is going to get mukti or
pure moksa, i.e. realise Parama Purusa and merge in Him.
Finally, this book is written in such a way as if every person
should make their own tantra piit'ha by planting these types of
trees and burying these types of skulls. The writer encourages the
reader, as if by this way people will get a quick-fix solution for
attaining moksa / mukti.
BOOK IS OFF THE MARK
Here everyone should understand that the entire publication contains countless errors on
so many levels: In the preface; in part one, part two, part three;
in the epilogue; in the glossary; and in the notes. The book is
filled with factual mistakes and philosophical errors.
One should not read this book with the hope of learning AM
philosophy or gaining a greater understanding of Ananda Marga.
Rather the opposite will occur.
If one were to trust the explanation of a tantra piit'ha from this
text, then it opens up the doorway to dogmatic tiirthas and other
ritualistic worship. It does not lead the reader along the path of
pure spirituality and Ananda Marga ideology. Rather one will get a
very skewed and faulty understanding of Baba’s teachings.
And those unfamiliar with Baba & His divine teachings will think
He is a proponent of religious dogma. That is another off-shoot of
this book.
RESOLUTION
We should all put forth the call that this book,
"[Shrii Shrii]
Anandamurti: The Jamalpur Years", be removed from the shelves
immediately. It needs serious review and correction by dedicated
sadhakas. Unfortunately, the author, Devashish (Donald Acosta),
could not do the job properly due to his own limitations. It happens
sometimes.
Namaskar,
Raghuviira Deva
Note 1: WHY I WROTE
I wrote this letter because a friend of mine, Ramesh, asked me how to get the
skulls of those animals to make a tantra piitha. He was telling me that
sadhana is difficult and he wanted some shortcut method to reach up
to moksa. In his backyard he wanted to make this type of tantra
piit'ha. He said he can easily import those trees but did not know
where to get the skulls. And he learned all about this from
Devashish's book. Seeing the misunderstanding of my dear friend, I raise this matter for everyone's awareness.
Note 2: ABOUT THESE FIVE TREES
In His discourses, Baba does in fact talk about the 5 aforementioned
trees. But Baba does not say that they are for creating tantra
piit'has. That is not at all the use of such trees. Only Baba tells
how they help purify the air; they do NOT help in attaining mukti or
moksa quickly.
Indeed, in the below cited discourse, Baba is giving an historical
account of how the rishis of those olden days used to purify their
local environment. Baba is not saying that all Ananda Margiis should
follow this same approach. In this more modern era, margiis can use
an electric air purifier; then there is no need to plant such trees.
That said, if one lives in a tropical area, if they wish they can
plant these trees to purify the air. But again, however beneficial
they are, these trees are not tantra piit'has.
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 recognized as one of the five sacred
trees (paiṋcavati). 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 paiṋcavati –
nimbá (margosa), bilva (wood apple), shalmali (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 ámlakii (wood sorrel) as a substitute plant. In paiṋcavati,
mahánimba may be planted instead of ordinary margosa." (Microvita in
a Nutshell, Some Examples of Microvita in Daily Life – Excerpt B)
Finally, avidya tantrikas (black magicians) took the idea of these 5
trees and then brought in their own point of using the skulls of 5
animals and by this way they made their fake tantra piit'has. So
their approach is 100% dogma. Such trees have nothing to do with
attaining spiritual realisation; they simply purify the air - just
like any store-bought air purifier.
Some may think that by fighting against negative microvita then
these tress will deliver one to the doorstep of moksa. But it is not
like that. One also fights negative microvita by cleaning their
toilet, and that does not bring salvation. So no one should think
that such trees contain great spiritual power etc. That would just
be a misunderstanding.
In conclusion, Baba guides us very clearly that these trees and
these skulls have nothing to do with making tantra piit'has. Rather,
a tantra piit'ha is a place where blessed sadhakas attained divine
realisation. That is our one and only way of defining a tantra
piit'ha in Ananda Marga.
Note 3: HOW THIS BOOK WAS MADE
Some may be under the impression that everything written in brother
Devashish's book,
"[Shrii Shrii] Anandamurti: The Jamalpur Years" is
a bona fide and confirmed source of knowledge on AM ideology. By gaining a better
understanding of how Devashish wrote the book, then it will become
clear why most of the book strays far from the path of AM.
Firstly, the point about the tantra pitha is discussed on page 381,
which is in the "Notes" section, i.e. pages 377-408. In the
beginning of this section Devashish writes: "Unless otherwise
indicated, the sources for the material in each chapter belong to
the Ananda Marga Archives in Kolkata, India, with a branch office in
Warren, Vermont."
As there is no specific reference regarding the points about the
tantra pitha, then we are simply left with the very hazy and vague
notion that somewhere in the Ananda Marga archive this has been
discussed. But that is not at all the way to write a book and cite
"knowledge".
It would be similar if someone wrote a book and stated that all the
information in their book was taken from the US Library of Congress.
No respectable or credible author or publisher would ever make such
a claim. That type of book would be cleared from the shelf of every
upstanding bookstore and library. The US Library of Congress
contains 32 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470
languages and more than 61 million manuscripts etc. One cannot just
make a generalized, blanket statement that the information in their
book can be found in the Library of Congress. Rather they must cite
the exact source: Title, author, page # etc.
Likewise, when writing a book about Baba and Ananda Marga, one
cannot merely state the the information comes from the Ananda Marga
archive. They must cite the source: name, book, tape #, date, place,
year, discourse name, etc. None of this was given with respect to
Devashish's lengthy and faulty explanation of a tantra piit'ha. Just
we are to understand that this came from the archive. This is the
faulty idea he is imposing on the reader. No credible writer ever
does this type of sloppy job.
Here is more about how Devashish created his book.
Devashish's entire book is based primarily on "recorded interviews".
In the archive there are interviews or reminiscences of upwards of
10,000 margiis - most of which were recorded in Hindi and Bangla. So
brother Devashish could not understand these interviews as he does
not know Hindi and the Bengali was often in the local vernacular
with lots of background noise. Because he himself did not have the
ability to listen to the recordings, a third-party team hastily
transcribed some or more of these interviews using short-hand and
notations. In turn, they gave these notes and half-baked
transcriptions to Devashish and from this faulty base he haphazardly
wrote his book. None of his book is based on any original or
authentic source or first-hand depiction thereof. Rather this
information was handed down in a loose and sloppy fashion. That is
why this book is filled with countless errors on each and every
page. Literally, every page of the book is littered with some kind
of dogma or mistake.
That explains why Devashish presents a half-drunken depiction of a
tantra piit'ha in the notes section of his book. He blatantly
confuses avidya tantra (black magic) with vidya tantra (dharma) and
leads the reader far from the truth in his misrepresentation of Baba
and AM ideals.
That is the tragedy and inherent flaw of this book. Really it needs
to be set aside and redone properly.
Some emotional margiis may not like hearing all this but history
will prove that his book is very sloppy. I am writing this so a new,
enthusiastic writer should come forward and do a better job.
Note 4: ABOUT THE NA'THA TRADITION
Here is yet another flaw from the same section of the book.
The writer, Devashish, makes the claim that that, "The Nath tradition is Tantric in origin." (p. 381)
Baba guides us however that the Nath cult is Buddhist in origin.
Baba says, "A new religious movement called the Na'tha Cult emerged
during the transition from the Buddhist era to the Puranic era."
(Ananda Vacanamrtam - 11, "The Psychology Behind the Origin of
Tantric Gods and Goddesses")
Clearly then the Nath tradition stems from Buddhism, not tantra.
Another clear demonstration of this is the the Nath cult engages in ear
piercing just as the Buddhists do. Later on, Baba tells us that the Nath cult blends into Shaevism.
But again the flaw stands that Devashish proclaimed that the Nath cult
was originally from tantra, when in fact Baba has given the mandate that
it stemmed from Buddhism.
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
"Toma'ke buddhibale bolo ke va' pa're, Buddhi toma'r krpa'y sabe labe..." (P.S. 1028)
Purport:
Baba, no one can get You by the strength of their intellect. In the
past, I wasted so much time depending on my little brain. I was
foolishly thinking that with my intellect I will get everything. Though I
tried hard, I failed desperately. At every step, I came to understand
my ignorance and stupidity. That You cannot be found within the
periphery of intellect.
Baba, in the past I adopted the path of hypocrisy and tried to hide my
weakness through my tall talks. In that way, I plowed the way for my
degeneration.
Baba, by Your grace, today samvit (spiritual awakening) has come. This
much You graciously made me understand - that without Your causeless
grace nothing can happen. And with Your causeless grace, even the
impossible becomes possible.
Baba, I am humbly surrendering my everything at Your lotus feet...
