What Do You Think of These Universal Issues

From: "Liila / Leslie"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: What Do You Think of These Universal Issues
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:31:28 (00:00)

Baba

== WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THESE UNIVERSAL ISSUES ==

~ Part 1 ~

Note: Please understand this letter is related with our human emotions and sense of rationality. So do not read this in an emotive or sentimental manner. Read the following with a rational mind.

Namaskar,
Humans are emotional, yet this tendency of sentimentality is not a great quality. It has its demerits. According to Ananda Marga philosophy, humans should be rational; the intellect should be guided by rationality. Keeping this in mind, here are some examples to consider.

MOTHER BUFFALO

(A) Across India, people look upon and revere cows as mothers. There are organisations, welfare institutions, NGOs, and various plans and programs wholly dedicated to protecting the sanctity and status of cows. They associate and worship cows with Gopal, i.e. Lord Krsna (see note 1). In India, cows are held in special regard. Side by side, other animals like buffaloes and street dogs are not given the same care; rather people abuse them. In particular, Indian street dogs are just kicked around and ill-treated. yet, these are all animals: Cows, buffaloes, and street dogs. The rational approach would be to respect the lives of each as living beings. But due to their deep emotional attachment with cows, they regard cows as divine beings and harass and mistreat street dogs. This is the work of human emotion, not rationality.

Unfortunately the general populace is not rational and that is why this dichotomy is occurring. If they had been rational the situation would have been different.

BLIND SENTIMENTS

Here Baba point out how those who revere cows - but not other animals like buffaloes - are caught in the net of their own hypocrisy.

Baba says, "So blind were their sentiments that they refused to listen to rationality. Take the case of cows: Hindus worship cows as something holy, apparently because they give us milk. But if cows are revered as mothers for giving us milk, shouldn’t buffaloes be given a similar status? Actually, buffaloes give more milk than cows. Unfortunately, the blind religious followers refuse to listed to logic as their religious sentiment for cows has taken root deep in their minds." (A Few Problems Solved - 2, Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 2)

WHY NOT COWS

(B) In the United States, people are enamoured with dogs. They pamper their dogs by giving them special cow meat and bones, fancy beds, toys, dog houses, and pay a lot of money for doggie massages, dog walks, and upscale therapies to keep their dog happy and well. They also spend tens of thousands of dollars on surgical procedures for their pets. Moreover, there are many laws that protect dogs from abuse and maltreatment. Yet, the US is primarily a meat-eating population. They slaughter and butcher cows on a mass-level to fill their bellies with the meat of those cows. Here again we see a dichotomy; both are animals yet they are treated much differently. With their emotion, humans treat their dogs as family members; that is positive as all animals should be treated well. That same regard should be extended to cows also. That would be rational.

Unfortunately the general populace is not rational; that is why this scene is taking place. If they had been rational the situation would have been different.

Baba's following teaching is related with both points A and B:

"If you have great compassion for the world of living creatures (this is a very good quality and is indicative of tenderness of heart, it is very positive), then you can take a firm stand for the non-killing of every creature, ábramhastamba from the elephant to the ant. In this way you can encourage and inspire your fellow human beings. But if you persuade and exert pressure on people by saying that only cows should not be killed, then you will be guilty of one-sidedness. It means there is partiality in you. Why should you invite the criticism that you do not have as much love for the buffalo and goat, as you have for cows? This is certainly not correct." (Ananda Vacanamrtam - 10, Chapter 10)

In India the cows are treated well while other animals are left to suffer whereas in the US dogs are treated lavishly while other animals are abused, tortured and butchered. So Baba's teaching is applicable to both the US and India as both express favouritism towards a particular animal due to their emotional attachment.

The rational approach is to respect and honour the existential value of all beings, including all animals, not just dogs etc.

Most of the population, however, follows their own emotions, i.e. whim. See how one wealthy woman even bequeathed her entire estate - i.e.  billions of dollars - to agencies caring for dogs, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/us/02gift.html?_r=1& ; She did not leave even one dollar for suffering humanity.

917 KILLED,

(C) Recently in the US, there was a ghastly massacre in Newtown, CT. A gunman entered a school and killed 26 people - kids and school officials. The whole country mourned this horrific tragedy for days. Flags were put to half-mast, President Obama visited and spoke with families, and huge attention and energy was directed towards Newtown. And that was most appropriate for the nation and world to rally around the Newtown tragedy.

Yet side by side, in the US, upwards of 917 + people (15 Jan 2013 ) (reference Slate magazine) have been gunned down since the Newtown tragedy on 14 Dec 2012. In the US, the population is 310 million (three hundred and ten million), and there are 350 million (three hundred and fifty million) registered guns, including military assault rifles like the AK-47, in the hands of common citizens. Plus there are countless other unregistered guns floating around the US population. (Note: here we are not counting guns owned and operated by police and military personnel.) And with this vast number of guns, innocent people are killed everyday.

Here the point is that so many nameless, faceless persons are gunned down on daily basis, yet those incidents often go unreported, flags are not dropped to half-mast, there are no presidential visits, and people never hear of such events. Hundreds have been gunned down in the US since the Newtown tragedy. It would be rational to extend the same supportive and respectful measures to all homicide victims of gunfire, and other crimes.

Unfortunately the general populace is not rational and that is why such dichotomies are in vogue. If the people were guided by rationality the situation would be much different.

GENDER ISSUE

(D) If one gender enters an official public building like a government office, then they are allowed to wear clothing that puts them in compromised positions, both on the upper and middle portions of their body. It may be that when they wear a sleeveless dress or skirt their underwear and / or undergarment is showing when they sit or stand in a particular way. Or, when they have a lower-than-usual neckline, then aspects of their xxxxx are visible when they lean this way or that. It has become common for their arms, and even armpit, to be completely bare for show. With this gender, it is fully accepted, and even encouraged and applauded to wear such attire.

In stark contrast, if the other gender enters those same offices with a sleeveless shirt, their armpits exposed, or part of their underwear showing, then they will be ostracized, and maybe even arrested and put in jail for indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. Such is the stark double-standard that exists across gender with regards to dress. That is not rational. The rational approach is that one's dress in public spaces and official places should reflect a sense of decency and dignity - irrespective of one's gender.

Again, let me emphasize that here we are not talking about how one dresses while walking casually down the street or in their own backyard; but, rather, how one presents oneself in important meetings, formal and official settings, and even on serious news broadcasts via TV and internet. In these venues, there is a wide gap of acceptable dress between genders.

Unfortunately the general populace is not rational and that is why such dichotomies are going on. If they had been rational the situation would have been different.

This same issue is expressed in this article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-13362586

OVERALL MESSAGE

In day to day life,  many incidents happen and numerous decisions are made based on sentiment / emotional manner. That approach is not at all laudable. Rather, it is an open invitation for inequality and dogma. In contrast, if we apply our sense of rationality then we can make heaven come on this earth.

ANANDA MARGA TEACHINGS:

SENTIMENTALITY WITHOUT RATIONALITY IS DOGMA

"If someone moves along the path of sentiment instead of the path of rationality, there is a hundred percent probability of great danger. Those who move along the path of sentiment do not discriminate between the proper and the improper, but merely silently accept all superstitions surrounding the goal towards which they have been running. Even the least question regarding propriety or impropriety does not arise in their minds, because they are moving along the path of sentiment." (The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism)

"When it [the mind] does not follow a particular method, when it moves haphazardly, swept away by whim, it is called “emotion”." (Yoga Psychology)

"Sentimentality based on rationality is the strongest force in the universe. And sentimentality without rationality takes the form of, or rather the distortion of, dogma." (Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12)

About supporting communal ideas: "Those who are motivated by sentiment may earn temporary applause, but ultimately people realize, “No, they committed a mistake, they did not follow the path of rationality. They themselves were caught in the current of sentiment, and they drifted the society also in that current. As a result society has been destroyed." (The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism)

"Dogma is fast being replaced by rationality and reason. Human beings with their developed brains, developed nerve systems and developed nerve-cells started thinking that we are not to do something for a particular tribe or a particular clan or a particular nationality; we are to do whatever we are to do, whatever we must do, for the entire humanity of the Cosmos." (Humanity Is at the Threshold of a New Era)

"As a human being, what should one do? One should follow the path of rationality. Rationality is a treasure of humanity that no animal possesses. And those who possess the inner asset of devotion within their hearts and follow the path of rationality in dealing with the external world, must be victorious. They alone can accomplish worthy deeds in this world." (The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism)

MORE OF BABA'S TEACHINGS ON SENTIMENT AND RATIONALITY

"In the case of developed animals, sentiment exceeds inborn instinct. And more-developed beings, such as human beings, possess sentiment and rationality and the faculty of discrimination as well." (The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism)

Before the division of India: "The policy was divide and rule. One party said “Jai Hind” and another party said “Takasime Hind.” One party said “Victory to India;” another party said “Divide India.” These were the slogans of the time. It was not a healthy atmosphere. This sentiment was not even geo-sentiment. It was based on emotion and mean selfishness." (The Dangers of Communalism)

"To counteract the malevolent effect of dogma-centred philosophies, the two most important factors are the development of rationality and the spread of education. Merely attending school and university classes will not necessarily have the desired effect. Stress should be placed on education which produces a high degree of rationality in the human mind, and this type of education should be spread amongst the people." Prout in a Nutshell Part 18)

"What is required now is the elevation of human existence, the elevation of human mind and human spirit. We require no dogma – we require more reasoning, more rationality – rationality moving unto the terminus of Parama Puruśa; the Supreme Desideratum is that Universal Nave." (Humanity Is at the Threshold of a New Era)

"As a human being, what should one do? One should follow the path of rationality. Rationality is a treasure of humanity which no animal possesses. And those who possess the inner asset of devotion within their hearts and follow the path of rationality in dealing with the external world, must be victorious. They alone can accomplish worthy deeds in this world."(The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism)

"The speciality of human beings is rationality." (The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism)

Namaskar,
Surrender to Baba,
Liila

Note 1: TRUE MEANING OF GOPAL

The term Gopal is one of the names of Parama Purusa which denotes that aspect of His personality which controls the mind. So Gopal is one of the appellations or names of Parama Purusa. It does not merely mean cowherd.

     "What is gopála? There are so many tánmátrika [inferential] expressions, and the apparent controller of all these inferential expressions is the human mind. Suppose you hear something: it is an expression related to the sound tanmátra; suppose you touch something – touch is another tanmátra; you see something or you think something – these are all tanmátras. The apparent controller of all these inferential expressions is your mind. But there is another entity hidden behind your mind, not in front of your mind, but behind your mind. For instance, when you watch a puppet show, you feel delighted to see how the puppets move their hands and feet, but you do not see the person who manages the beautiful show by pulling the strings from behind. Similarly, we notice the inferential expressions of microcosms – we come to know how one person sings melodious songs, how another dances beautiful rhythmic dances, how another delivers wonderful discourses, etc. But we cannot see the entity who pulls the strings from behind and runs the show. And the funniest thing is this: the speaker, the singer, the dancer thinks that he or she is the agent, the doer, and takes the entire credit for the performance. People do not care to think of the entity that pulls the strings from behind, or if they are even more foolish, they think that others see them alone, not the entity who pulls the strings from behind, so the credit should come to them. There are people who think in this way. However, you move and dance under His control. He makes you dance from behind."
     "The perspective or background against which all the inferential expressions, as well as the expressions of sensory and motor organs, are perceived, is termed go in Sanskrit. And the entity that controls that go from behind is called gopála. So who is “Vrajagopála”? Vrajagopála is that Entity who takes people forward through joy, amidst various expressions of bliss. He is Vraja Krśńa." (Namami Krsnasundaram, Disc: 21)


NOTE: The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic, completely unrelated to the above letter. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Physical Food and Future

Baba says, "Future generations will spend more of their time and energy on subtle psychic and psycho-spiritual activities, so their demand for physical food will decrease." (Prout in a Nutshell - 13, p.47)

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PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Esecho, esecho, tumi esecho, mamata' uja'r' kore esecho..." (PS 1215)

Purport:

Baba, You have blessed me by coming - with Your abundant love You have come close. It is Your grace. Baba, You have come, You have come, because of Your infinite love towards me You have come. Baba, Your divine Presence enhances everything. By Your august arrival the dry desert and dead trees have been transformed into a lush, green forest. Baba, Your smile is expressing through their happiness. This is all nothing but Your causeless grace. 

O' my Dearmost, You have graciously filled this earth with Your sweet & divine flow. You have brought smiles onto the faces of those who were depressed, sunken, and sad. Now, by Your grace, they are radiant with joy. And to those weeping hearts that were engulfed in sorrow, sadness, and misery, You have brought sweetness and bliss into their life. Now they are filled with optimism and humming in happiness. It is Your grace. Baba, the flowers which were filled with nectar, You blessed them with Your tender touch. 

Baba, the whole entire creation is drenched in Your bliss. The heavenly aroma of the blossoming flowers from the bountiful garden is floating and permeating all around. The melodious chirping of the dancing birds is filling the air with song. The full moon's smile is pouring its radiant light: It comes floating in all the directions. The whole universe is getting bathed in that effulgence. Baba, You have filled everything with Your love and inundated this entire cosmos with Your divine nectar.  

Baba, You are ever merciful; Your beauty is beyond words. Baba, You have come to me - in my mind, in my heart...