Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2012 20:38:43 -0000
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: Story: Baba's Name and Fame
From: "Iishvara"
Baba
Namaskar,
There is one margii professor Chandra Prakash Atreya from Meerut who used to go visit Baba in Jamalpur.
During one of his early visits, he asked one of the rickshaw wallahs, "Do you know Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji?"
The rickshaw wallah immediately replied, "Yes, of course I know him, he has a beard and wears a saffron robe. Just last month he a performed a great yajina where thousands participated."
Chandra Prakashji then understood that the rickshaw wallah had no idea who Baba is. So he just changed the topic of conversation.
But internally the Chandra Prakashji was thinking, "How strange it is that people are coming from all over India to see Baba, yet the local people have no idea who He is. Baba is not even well-known in his hometown." These were the types of thoughts spinning in his mind.
So when he arrived at the ashram / office, he could not keep from raising this matter to Baba. (Note: In those early days, the margiis had opportunity to raise all kinds of personal questions and thoughts.)
Chandra Prakashji was given the opportunity to go on field walk with Baba. While walking on the road along with Baba, he said, "Baba, it is very strange that people come from far and wide for Your divine darshan, yet people here in Your locale do not even know You."
Baba smiled and whispered in the margii's ear, "Koii ja'n lega' to kaese ka’m chalega', jii?". Meaning: If people knew that Baba is Parama Purusa, how work will be done?
Hearing Baba's reply, Chandra Prakashji understood perfectly, and he was very grateful that Baba was not famous as He could then attend to His work of propagating the dharma of Ananda Marga ideology to one and all. Chandra Prakashji furthermore understood that if Baba was really famous then hoards of people would flock to Him and he (Chandra Prakashji) would not get opportunity to sit with Baba.
Indeed if the common masses were rushing after Baba because of His name and fame, then qualified bhaktas would get pushed to the side. For all these reasons and more, non-margiis were not allowed at DMC, as that would push margii bhaktas to the last row.
Here are (a) some of the problems associated with becoming famous, and (b) some of the reasons why it is good that Baba did not become famous.
1) If a person is famous, then there will be all kinds of useless people hovering around. This happens with big-time politicians, sports heroes, entertainers, and all kinds of famous people.
2) In His own divine manner, with His cosmic liila, useless people were kept away and by His grace He brought bhaktas close.
3) Just as children do not want their parents to become super famous as they will have to share their parents with the whole world, and they will be pushed aside, similarly devotees never want their Guru to become so famous that they have to share Him with others.
4) If Baba had become very, very famous then useless people would have crowded the scene and He would not have had time to do anything else.
5) If a person becomes famous then they cannot attack local dogmas and customs like casteism etc. To keep their fame, a person must support all local dogmas, otherwise the common people will strike back and oppose you.
6) Those who are famous are chained to the status quo. There is no other way. They are unable to do any real work and certainly they cannot do anything revolutionary.
7) A famous person's time is spent preserving their fame; they have no time for anything else. Those who are famous cannot fight against dogma, injustice, exploitation and all kinds of sinful activities, otherwise the sinners will attack and defame them. Famous people have to support sinful forces in order to keep their glory.
8) Those humans involved in running headlong for their own name and fame invariably become small-minded as they think about themselves and not Parama Purusa.
9) The vast majority of people in society are dogmatic etc. To get their support, one must give up their high ideals. Only then can a person become popular - only when they follow and adhere to the same dogmas as the general populace.
10) In India those sadhus who do orchestrate large sacrificial gatherings are very popular, because those sadhus follow all local dogmas. To become famous a person most follow the ways of the general populace and live their dogma. It is analogous to one seeking fame amongst donkeys, then that he must make the sound "hee-haw". Likewise, to be famous amongst vultures one must eat dead, decaying bodies. In each and every circumstance, to become famous, one must indulge in all local dogmas.
Thus there are any number of negative outcomes if one seeks name and fame.
Baba being the Parama Purusa also possesses the quality of yasha, i.e. that He is a polarizing personality: Some revere Him while others detest Him. When Parama Purusa comes on this earth it is always like that. Hence, He can never become so famous that 100% of the population appreciates Him.
Baba says, "Then there is another word, yasha; it means “reputation”. One should remember, here “reputation” has been used both in the extremely positive and in the extremely negative sense. There is positive reputation and there is also negative reputation. Lord Shiva came to this world about 7000 years ago; even now there are many who are His admirers, there are many others who are His opponents. The Iyers in South India will say, “Oh. Lord Shiva was great;” the Iyengars will say, “No, Lord Shiva was not great.” Lord Krśńa came about 3500 years ago; even now you will see there are so many admirers and so many opponents of Krśńa. That is, when Táraka Brahma comes, the entire intellect of the world gets polarized – one north pole, another south pole; one admirer, another opponent." (Subhasita Samgraha, Part 21)
Here are more of Baba's special teachings on name and fame. Everyone should pay heed to Baba's warnings, lest things go awry.
In this first teaching Baba graphically describes the state of one who desires prestige.
Baba says, "Pratiśt́há – the desire to make oneself known. A person influenced by [the desire for] pratiśt́há expects respect from everyone, and hankers after name and fame. This mental state can be easily compared with the mental condition of a beggar. The beggar asks money from others, while the person craving for prestige begs others to give him respect. [The person desires something that] is really meaningless and possesses no value, something that has been fitly compared to the excrement of a pig." (Ananda Vacamrtam, part 23)
Here below Baba guides us that we have come to this world for a short while - so one should not pass their days desiring prestige, rather one should seek Parama Purusa.
Baba says, "Pratiśt́há shúkariiviśt́ha: human beings come onto this earth only for a short while: after this stipulated period, they will depart. All entities in this world merely come and go, nothing is fixed – everything is moving, and thus this universe is called jagat (root verb gam + kvip = jagat). Jagat means that which has the characteristic of ceaselessly moving on. Another synonym for the word “world” is saḿsára (saḿ – s r+ ghan), “that which constantly changes its place.” When nothing ever ceases to move, then can you remain permanently in this world? Even the effort to establish oneself permanently in this world is unnatural, because this pratiśt́ht́á is as abominable as the stool of a sow. Hence one should give up all these three – abhimána or inflated ego, gaorava or self-aggrandizement, and pratiśt́a or desire for prestige – and worship the Lord."(Ananda Marga Way of Way Life-11)
In this next teaching Baba guides us that great people are those who are neither bothered by praise or censure. Those who cultivate fame never fall in this category - they must be 100% concerned about public opinion.
Baba says, "Those people are great who harbour no biases and who behave rationally both with those who abuse them give them pain and with those who give them happiness. Such people don’t harbour any feelings of enmity towards anybody and take no-one as their enemy. They remain the same in pleasure or pain whether they have a positive reputation or negative reputation. They are unaffected and unassailed in all circumstances of praise or criticism, pain or pleasure. They attach no importance whatsoever to any of these things. They are meaningless for such people." (Ananda Vacanamrtam, part 5)
Finally Baba guides us that those who crave fame will never have time to do any dharmic work on this earth.
Baba says, "Nindantu niitinipuńáh yadi vá stuvantu: “If I am too concerned with those who praise or censure me, I will not find time to do my real work. As I have come to this world only for a short period, my only concern should be to keep on doing the duty the Lord has assigned to me. And while doing this allotted duty, I should remember that I belong to Parama Puruśa. I have come form Him, and I will have to return to Him – and to do that, I must complete my allotted duty.”" (Subhasita Samgraha, part 12)
Baba has graciously has put us on this earth to propagate a great and noble ideology. The attainment of prestige or fame is a distinct impediment. We must never harbor name or fame. Then the entire life will be spent in petty pursuits devoid of ideology. We should always follow Baba's divine example and remain out of the public eye, never desiring prestige. Then, by His grace, we will be able to do our real work on this earth.
Namaskar,
Iishvara
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: Story: Baba's Name and Fame
From: "Iishvara"
Baba
== STORY: BABA'S NAME AND FAME ==
Namaskar,
There is one margii professor Chandra Prakash Atreya from Meerut who used to go visit Baba in Jamalpur.
During one of his early visits, he asked one of the rickshaw wallahs, "Do you know Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji?"
The rickshaw wallah immediately replied, "Yes, of course I know him, he has a beard and wears a saffron robe. Just last month he a performed a great yajina where thousands participated."
Chandra Prakashji then understood that the rickshaw wallah had no idea who Baba is. So he just changed the topic of conversation.
But internally the Chandra Prakashji was thinking, "How strange it is that people are coming from all over India to see Baba, yet the local people have no idea who He is. Baba is not even well-known in his hometown." These were the types of thoughts spinning in his mind.
So when he arrived at the ashram / office, he could not keep from raising this matter to Baba. (Note: In those early days, the margiis had opportunity to raise all kinds of personal questions and thoughts.)
Chandra Prakashji was given the opportunity to go on field walk with Baba. While walking on the road along with Baba, he said, "Baba, it is very strange that people come from far and wide for Your divine darshan, yet people here in Your locale do not even know You."
Baba smiled and whispered in the margii's ear, "Koii ja'n lega' to kaese ka’m chalega', jii?". Meaning: If people knew that Baba is Parama Purusa, how work will be done?
Hearing Baba's reply, Chandra Prakashji understood perfectly, and he was very grateful that Baba was not famous as He could then attend to His work of propagating the dharma of Ananda Marga ideology to one and all. Chandra Prakashji furthermore understood that if Baba was really famous then hoards of people would flock to Him and he (Chandra Prakashji) would not get opportunity to sit with Baba.
Indeed if the common masses were rushing after Baba because of His name and fame, then qualified bhaktas would get pushed to the side. For all these reasons and more, non-margiis were not allowed at DMC, as that would push margii bhaktas to the last row.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON BECOMES FAMOUS
Here are (a) some of the problems associated with becoming famous, and (b) some of the reasons why it is good that Baba did not become famous.
1) If a person is famous, then there will be all kinds of useless people hovering around. This happens with big-time politicians, sports heroes, entertainers, and all kinds of famous people.
2) In His own divine manner, with His cosmic liila, useless people were kept away and by His grace He brought bhaktas close.
3) Just as children do not want their parents to become super famous as they will have to share their parents with the whole world, and they will be pushed aside, similarly devotees never want their Guru to become so famous that they have to share Him with others.
4) If Baba had become very, very famous then useless people would have crowded the scene and He would not have had time to do anything else.
5) If a person becomes famous then they cannot attack local dogmas and customs like casteism etc. To keep their fame, a person must support all local dogmas, otherwise the common people will strike back and oppose you.
6) Those who are famous are chained to the status quo. There is no other way. They are unable to do any real work and certainly they cannot do anything revolutionary.
7) A famous person's time is spent preserving their fame; they have no time for anything else. Those who are famous cannot fight against dogma, injustice, exploitation and all kinds of sinful activities, otherwise the sinners will attack and defame them. Famous people have to support sinful forces in order to keep their glory.
8) Those humans involved in running headlong for their own name and fame invariably become small-minded as they think about themselves and not Parama Purusa.
9) The vast majority of people in society are dogmatic etc. To get their support, one must give up their high ideals. Only then can a person become popular - only when they follow and adhere to the same dogmas as the general populace.
10) In India those sadhus who do orchestrate large sacrificial gatherings are very popular, because those sadhus follow all local dogmas. To become famous a person most follow the ways of the general populace and live their dogma. It is analogous to one seeking fame amongst donkeys, then that he must make the sound "hee-haw". Likewise, to be famous amongst vultures one must eat dead, decaying bodies. In each and every circumstance, to become famous, one must indulge in all local dogmas.
Thus there are any number of negative outcomes if one seeks name and fame.
BABA'S SPECIAL QUALITY OF YASHA
Baba being the Parama Purusa also possesses the quality of yasha, i.e. that He is a polarizing personality: Some revere Him while others detest Him. When Parama Purusa comes on this earth it is always like that. Hence, He can never become so famous that 100% of the population appreciates Him.
Baba says, "Then there is another word, yasha; it means “reputation”. One should remember, here “reputation” has been used both in the extremely positive and in the extremely negative sense. There is positive reputation and there is also negative reputation. Lord Shiva came to this world about 7000 years ago; even now there are many who are His admirers, there are many others who are His opponents. The Iyers in South India will say, “Oh. Lord Shiva was great;” the Iyengars will say, “No, Lord Shiva was not great.” Lord Krśńa came about 3500 years ago; even now you will see there are so many admirers and so many opponents of Krśńa. That is, when Táraka Brahma comes, the entire intellect of the world gets polarized – one north pole, another south pole; one admirer, another opponent." (Subhasita Samgraha, Part 21)
BABA'S SPECIAL TEACHINGS FOR HUMANS ON NAME
& FAME
Here are more of Baba's special teachings on name and fame. Everyone should pay heed to Baba's warnings, lest things go awry.
In this first teaching Baba graphically describes the state of one who desires prestige.
Baba says, "Pratiśt́há – the desire to make oneself known. A person influenced by [the desire for] pratiśt́há expects respect from everyone, and hankers after name and fame. This mental state can be easily compared with the mental condition of a beggar. The beggar asks money from others, while the person craving for prestige begs others to give him respect. [The person desires something that] is really meaningless and possesses no value, something that has been fitly compared to the excrement of a pig." (Ananda Vacamrtam, part 23)
Here below Baba guides us that we have come to this world for a short while - so one should not pass their days desiring prestige, rather one should seek Parama Purusa.
Baba says, "Pratiśt́há shúkariiviśt́ha: human beings come onto this earth only for a short while: after this stipulated period, they will depart. All entities in this world merely come and go, nothing is fixed – everything is moving, and thus this universe is called jagat (root verb gam + kvip = jagat). Jagat means that which has the characteristic of ceaselessly moving on. Another synonym for the word “world” is saḿsára (saḿ – s r+ ghan), “that which constantly changes its place.” When nothing ever ceases to move, then can you remain permanently in this world? Even the effort to establish oneself permanently in this world is unnatural, because this pratiśt́ht́á is as abominable as the stool of a sow. Hence one should give up all these three – abhimána or inflated ego, gaorava or self-aggrandizement, and pratiśt́a or desire for prestige – and worship the Lord."(Ananda Marga Way of Way Life-11)
In this next teaching Baba guides us that great people are those who are neither bothered by praise or censure. Those who cultivate fame never fall in this category - they must be 100% concerned about public opinion.
Baba says, "Those people are great who harbour no biases and who behave rationally both with those who abuse them give them pain and with those who give them happiness. Such people don’t harbour any feelings of enmity towards anybody and take no-one as their enemy. They remain the same in pleasure or pain whether they have a positive reputation or negative reputation. They are unaffected and unassailed in all circumstances of praise or criticism, pain or pleasure. They attach no importance whatsoever to any of these things. They are meaningless for such people." (Ananda Vacanamrtam, part 5)
Finally Baba guides us that those who crave fame will never have time to do any dharmic work on this earth.
Baba says, "Nindantu niitinipuńáh yadi vá stuvantu: “If I am too concerned with those who praise or censure me, I will not find time to do my real work. As I have come to this world only for a short period, my only concern should be to keep on doing the duty the Lord has assigned to me. And while doing this allotted duty, I should remember that I belong to Parama Puruśa. I have come form Him, and I will have to return to Him – and to do that, I must complete my allotted duty.”" (Subhasita Samgraha, part 12)
BABA'S BLESSING
Baba has graciously has put us on this earth to propagate a great and noble ideology. The attainment of prestige or fame is a distinct impediment. We must never harbor name or fame. Then the entire life will be spent in petty pursuits devoid of ideology. We should always follow Baba's divine example and remain out of the public eye, never desiring prestige. Then, by His grace, we will be able to do our real work on this earth.
Namaskar,
Iishvara
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
"Toma'r na'me bha'siye dilum a'ma'r sa'dher tariikha'ni..." (P.S. 4755)
Purport:
Baba, O' my Dearmost, You are my eternal shelter. All my desires and all my longings are depending solely on You. Baba, my boat is floating along trusting on Your name. I am surrendering everything unto You. Baba, by Your grace the boat of my desires will float along through all the crests and troughs - through all the highs and low - day and night. Baba, I do not have any fear because I am just surrendering at Your alter. You are my shelter. I have full faith on Your name; my whole existence floats in the incantative waves of Your divine name.
Baba, O' Parama Purusa, You are my Goal; You are my dhyana. You are so gracious; You are always calling me - bringing me closer to You. Baba, on the dark, stormy night in the midst of the loud thunder and streaking lightening, my boat will not shake or tremble because I am surrendering in You. You are my everything.
Baba, on the one side the whole panoramic scene is absolutely brilliant: As I float along on my boat, the entire water, air, and sky are suffused with the golden effulgence of the sun's rays. Everything is sparkling. Yet on the other side, due to my own faults and shortcomings, my existence is stained - sunk in blackness. Baba, by Your grace, I will carefully sort through all the good and bad things - keeping all the postive attributes and removing all the negative ones. Baba, by Your grace, on this journey all the bad samskaras will be wiped away.
Baba, my whole existence is revolving around You-- singing Your name and glory. You are my everything...
