Two Types of Drunkards

From: Satyajiita Deva satya42@social...
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Two Types of Drunkards
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:29:35 +0000

Baba

"Prabhu toma'ri liila' tumi bojha'o..."  (P.S. 271)

Purport:

Baba, O' Prabhu, Your liila is beyond my understanding, please make me understand. You are hiding in the deep core of my heart, yet You do not want to be held. This is the divine play of Your hide and seek. 

Baba, when I see Your sweet charming smile, and listen to Your heart-rendering, attractive flute, then my mind floats in some divine world. Baba, please pull me more close, please grace me by pulling me closer.

O my Lord, my mind always thinks about You - again and again. In the absence of getting You, I suffer in the pain of Your longing. Even I want to forget about You, but that is impossible - I cannot forget. Instead I go on thinking about You and tears roll down from my eyes.

Baba, why have You tied me in the bond of Your love. What do You want, please tell me. Baba, I want to get You more close. Baba, please grace me by coming closer...

== TWO TYPES OF DRUNKARDS ==

Namaskar,
Here is one of Baba's stories about drunkards.

Baba says, "Once a few drunkards were sauntering along the road towards Krishnanagar railway station from Gori at midnight. Some policemen appeared all of a sudden. The drunkards, after deliberating how to escape, stood in a line along the drain beside the road. The policemen came up and shook them, asking, 'Why are you loitering here so late at night?' They replied, 'Why are you disturbing us, young men? We are innocent creatures. Are you blind? Can't you see, we are lampposts! We never meddle in anyone's affairs. Can't you see the lights shining above our heads?'-- The drunkards were holding torches over their heads." (Sarkar's English Grammar)

'Getting drunk' is of two types. One get physically drunk due to the over-consumption of liquor / alcohol. Then the mind ceases to function properly. That is what has happened in the above story.

A similar type of drunkenness happens in the psychic sphere. Abhiman is that type of psychic disease where one suffers from extreme vanity - where one is drunk on their own ego. This second type of drunkenness - i.e. psychic drunkenness - results in the same type of problem as in the above story: Where such drunkards lose their conscience or thinking capacity. That is why in our AM scripture, vanity (abhiman) is equated with sura'pa'n (drinking liquor).

Baba's teaching is very meaningful for everyone. We see how those suffering from vanity behave just like one drunkard. This is all due to their extreme superiority complex. Such types of people have created innumerable problems in this world. We should be careful about this in our individual and collective life.

Altogether, such a state of mind is similar to drinking wine. That is why in this below shloka the term sura'pa'n (drinking liquor) has been used and Baba explains that vanity is like sura'pa'n.

"Abhima'nam' sura'pa'nam'..."

Baba says, "Abhima'na has been compared with drinking: anyone who indulges in it loses his discriminating judgment, just as a drunkard does. A human is different from an animal only because he possesses viveka [faculty of discrimination] and buddhi [intellect]. And just as a drunkard gradually loses these priceless faculties, an abhima'nii also becomes bereft of them." (Ananda Vacanamrtam -23)

Baba says, "Abhima'na is no better than drinking wine" (Subhasita Samgraha - 10)

Namaskar,
Satyajiita Deva

Smell Coming from the Bag

To: AM-GLOBAL
From: Cinmay Deva
Subject: Smell Coming from the Bag
Date: Mon 19 Dec 2011 20:44:03 -0400

Baba

"A'jake sa'njhe madhur sa'jhe ke else go, ke ele..." (P.S. 5006)

Purport:

In this sweet and intoxicated evening, Who has come, Who has come? Who is that Entity Who has created this new wave in everyone's life and in everyone's heart. Those who are sitting with their doors and windows closed, please come out and forget about the differences of own and other. That divine Entity Who is always sitting in the mind has come in front of us. We should enjoy His august arrival all together...

== SMELL COMING FROM THE BAG ==

Note: This entire letter is related with one senior Dada and a letter he recently wrote.

Namaskar,
The more people think about themselves, the smaller and smaller their mind becomes. We all know the yogic theorem - "as you think so you become." Thus if one is thinking only about their unit self, and not thinking about the Cosmic Self, then naturally their mind will become narrow, selfish, and crude.

Those with such an ego become immersed in their own petty "I'" and develop a  superiority complex. They think that they are so great. And when this continues for years and years, major problems emerge.

The main cause of an inflated ego is when people give you respect due to your post, power, dress, or stature. Such as if people respect you just because of being a wt or purodha etc - not because of your conduct, but just your post.

Then the crude ego develops and it becomes so big like puffed rice or styrofoam. In that case, the personality gets more and more hollow. At that point people start thinking that they are the greatest among all. Not because of high sadhana or samadhi or some deep realisation, just they are intoxicated with their own petty ego.

This is not anything new. In every era, in every society, there are those who lose their sense due to a grossly inflated ego. Then their ruination comes.

HUGE EGO CASES

Here are come examples of those who had out-sized egos and what became of them.

(1) The mythological king Hiranyakashipu gave the order in his kingdom that no one should sing the Lord's name; only his own name was to be sung. Such was the king's crude edict. Because of this psychic disease of an inflated ego, he was destroyed in the worst way imaginable.

There are countless examples and here is another one.

(2) The former Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indhira Gandhi, had this same disease. She hired artists, writers, and musicians to compose songs of her glory. She claimed herself as the incarnation of the divine goddess Durga, and demanded that people sing kiirtan in her name. Then she openly challenged in the mass media that she will root out Ananda Marga. Due to this outrageous ego, she faced her annihilation.

(3) In our Marga there are countless cases of those who suffered from an inflated ego.
The defectors like Madhavananda who challenged Parama Purusa are but some of many. In all cases they faced their demise. There are many like this - if you want a list please write me.

In all these instances and more, the ego grows to varying degrees. It starts relatively small and gets bigger until it gets completely overblown which brings one's annihilation.

MORE ABOUT HOW IT HAPPENS

Those who get huge respect are prime candidates for developing an over-sized ego. In ascending order we can cite family acaryas, wts, post-holders, purodhas, and so on. The higher up, the bigger the ego.

Of course this does not apply to all wts, acaryas and purodhas. Just we find that those posts tend to be fertile ground for developing a huge ego. But all do not fall into this manner.

For those who do succumb to pride, ego and vanity, it happens to varying degrees. If one's ego is relatively small then it will be present to some degree in one's speech. If their egoistic way of thinking gets bigger and bigger then it results in their complete delirium. It seems that the Dada K falls in this latter category, unfortunately.

OUR DUTY

What is our duty? Of course we should help and lend our support. To do that we must know more.

When a person suffers from a physical problem such as getting into minor a motor vehicle accident, then one can help a lot by treating their cuts and wounds and bringing that person to the hospital for a check-up. The pathway is quite clear-cut.

Treating psychic ailments is far more difficult. They are hard to diagnose and it is a tough job to cure people of their problem. Even then, Baba has graciously given all the needed tools and guidelines in His chapter, The Faculty of Knowledge – 3, and related discourses.

We should try to help and one of the best ways is to simply save ourselves from the contamination of a psychic disease. If you are getting respect from others then be aware. It is contagious but those suffering will not notice whereas others will notice. The disease grows and others do not say anything because the diseased person does not want to hear about the problem. So it is a very tricky situation. One develops a certain degree of audacity.

The main difficulty with psychic diseases, and, in particular, an inflated ego is that when a person really thinks that they themselves are great then by their outlook God is not great - only the person is great. So long as there is ego one cannot go close to Parama Purusa. It is the ego that stands between a person and the Lord.

Baba says, "Vanity harms the mind in three ways: abhimána or inflated ego, gaorava or self-aggrandizement, and pratiśt́ha or prestige...towards the Entity who is so close to you, is it proper for you to entertain such false feelings of abhimána, gaorava and pratiśt́há?" (Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life, Part 11, Taking the Opposite Stance in Battle)

That is why Baba says that after giving up abhimána (inflated ego), gaorava
(self-aggrandizement), and pratiśt́ha (prestige) one should sing the Lord's name. Then He will be gracious on you.

After all, Parama Purusa is Darpaharii - the destroyer of ego. For the welfare of human beings He destroys the ego.

WAKE-UP CALL

This - i.e. Dada K's below letter - is a wake-up call for everyone.

Suppose a horrible drunk-driving accident happens in your area wherein the driver drove his vehicle off a bridge and plunged into the river below and drowned. When such a terrible tragedy happens nearby then everyone around becomes alert not to drink alcohol and drive their car. That is the wake-up call they get.

Similarly we should take Dadaji's below letter as a wake-up call. No one should fall prey to this type of ego and accuse Guru. To prevent this from happening to us, we should watch out and see how far, "I have an ego and think I am great."

SEE WHAT HAPPENED

Following is the sample of what happens when the ego is so big and people express their mental feeling. Look what has happened to one of our Dadas. If we are blind we may not understand.

Namaskar,
Cinmay

Note 1: SMELL COMING FROM THE BAG

When a bag is full or garbage then the smell of garbaged is emitted from the bag, not the sweet smell of sandalwood.

Similarly, by reading Dada Krtashivananda's letter below you can understand what is in his mind.

Note 2: DADA K'S LETTER

If you see a well-to-do person on the street and suddenly they start moving naked and claiming that they are president of universe and challenging everyone, then you understand that this person has a screw loose. That is the type of transformation that took place with Dada Krtashivananda by the letter he wrote on Sunday 18 Dec 2011. If you have not seen it, please write.

Note 3: WHICH IS TRUE

Seeing Dadaji's expression one can only wonder how did he even stayed in the organisation and did not become defector like Madhavananda.

We can think of it this way.

During a cyclone, all the trees without strong root systems fall while some with disease roots remain standing, only to fall some time later, maybe even after decades.

That seems to be the case with Dada Krtashivananda. It is surprising that he even continued in AM up until this time. We can only wonder why did he not defect back in 1970 with the others.

If he believes that Ananda Marga is really junk then why he has he misguided so many onto the path of AM for so long.

Which is the truth: Either what he was doing before was a lie by bringing so many people into AM when in truth he thought it was junk; or what he is telling now is junk and the path of AM is really great.

Danger for Margiis & Wts

From: "A. Roy"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Danger for Margiis & Wts
Date: Fri Nov 04 2011 20:43:55 +0530

Baba

== DANGER FOR MARGIIS & WTS ==

Namaskar,
By following Baba's divine system of spiritual life-- doing sadhana, adhering to 16 Pts etc-- then one will invariably progress along the spiritual path. This we all know.

Yet, side by side, Baba has issued a strict warning that one must not be careful not to develop any vanity or superiority complex about their spiritual development. One must not start thinking that they themselves are something great and others are low. This type of ego will create huge problems for an aspirant.

NOT UNCOMMON IN THE MARGA

At times, however, we have all seen this happen with margiis and wts alike. Some wts may think that they are are very great and better than margiis; likewise margiis may think that they are higher than non-margiis. This is not an unheard of phenomenon. Certainly we have all witnessed this at one time or another in AM.

However, this is not at all good, rather it is quite harmful.

Should such a complex befall any sadhaka, then their progress will be blocked-- they will not be able to reach the main goal of life and they will instead be converted into microvita. That is Baba's warning. Such sadhakas will float around the universe in that bodyless form for ions and ions-- all because they could not get Parama Purusa due to their pride and vanity.

BABA'S CLEAR-CUT WARNING:

EGOTISTICAL SADHAKAS GET CONVERTED INTO MICROVITA

As margiis, as acaryas, we should all pay heed to Baba's below warning.

Baba says, "The last type of devayoni is the siddha. Suppose a person practices spiritual science with deep sincerity – his only goal being to serve humanity and attain Brahma. But if he treads the spiritual path with a sense of vanity, feeling superior to common people, he too will become a devayoni [bodyless microvita] after death. Had he controlled his vanity, Parama Purus'a would have helped him to exhaust his remaining sam'skaras. But if he indulges in vanity Hari (when Parama Purus'a steals others sam'skaras he is called Hari) will not steal it. His sins may be pardoned, but not his vanity. One of the names of Narayana is Darpaha'ri or destroyer of vanity (and that destruction may be laborious and painful). Narayana takes away an individual’s unburned sam'skaras, but if one basks in the glory of being a spiritual practitioner one will have to become a siddha devayoni after death." (APH-6, 'Ekendriya-1')

Per Baba's above teaching, if any sadhaka falls prey to feelings of vanity, then Parama Purusa will not accept them into His divine kingdom. Such ego He will not tolerate. He may excuse one's wrongdoing and take away their sins, by His grace. But He will not overlook any superiority complex. He will not accept an egotistical sadhaka onto His lap. That is
His mandate.

So we should all pay heed. We should not allow such a calamity to befall ourselves, nor anyone else.

MARGIIS AND ACARYAS BEWARE

Here the whole point is that if anyone thinks that they are great because they sit for long sadhana, or if they are feeling better than others because they are strict in 16 Points, or if one is pushing others down because 'they are not as dedicated as I am', then they will ruin their career. All these types of feelings and actions-- and others like them-- will keep a sadhaka miles away from their cherished Goal, as they will be converted into microvita and they will wander the universe for centuries in that lonely state.

All because Baba does not pardon one for feelings of vanity.

So none should internally think they are great because they established such & such service project, nor should one think they are high because they wrote a book, nor for any reason should one believe they are better than others, lest they be converted into microvita for ages and ages.

WHAT IS ONE TO THINK:

'ALL CREDIT IS DUE TO HIM'

So then what is one to think, how is one to reconcile their development & spiritual achievement.

It is true that by following His moral and spiritual guidelines that one will become more elevated etc. That is what it means to follow the path of Ananda Marga. But one should not think therefore that they are great. Because ultimately it is He who allows us to advance. It is His grace that is behind our progress, not our own unit efforts.

Baba says, "Can human beings claim any credit for the attainment of the Supreme Entity? Sa'dhakas can be likened to businessmen who conduct their affairs with others’ capital. They have acquired the epithet sa'dhaka, but actually the power of sa'dhana' has been bestowed upon them by Parama Purus'a. Probe deeply into all spiritual knowledge and you will see only Him. It is He who provides you with the intellect and strength to do sa'dhana'." (Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life, part 6)

Baba says, "The duty of human beings is only to continue their efforts to please Parama Purusa. Thus when any work is done, the concerning sadhaka is not to be given any credit; the credit should be given to Parama Purus'a." (Subhasita Samgraha, part 18, p.7)

So the only way to escape from becoming vain and egotistical is to realise the divine truth that His grace is the cause of our forward movement. And even if one has not realised this truth, then at the very least one should cultivate this idea in their mind. That way, day by day, one will really feel that, 'Yes, it is His grace that He has allowed me to come onto the path of sadhana'.

And, at the same time, in the external sphere, we should feel that all are our brothers and sisters and whatever realisation we have should be used to serve His creation-- for the welfare of others. The more we progress in sadhana the more responsible we are for working for other's growth and development.

By this dual approach of thinking that all is His grace and working for everyones's upliftment, then it is sure that crude feelings of vanity will not creep into our mental plate. They we will not be prone to thinking, 'I am better than others' etc.

In that case we will not suffer the unenviable, if not horrific fate, of becoming microvita for thousands and thousands of years.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, as Ananda Margiis we will realise Him in this very life. The more we think it is His grace that is propelling us forward-- and not our own talents or efforts-- the more it is sure we will reach our destiny unto His divine lap.

Baba says, "This momentum towards the Supreme One becomes easy and smooth, when unit entities realize that He always wants to get them back on His lap. His desire to bring them to Himself is simply His grace." (Subhasita Samgraha-2)

Baba says, "Through His grace the living beings become absorbed in thoughts of Him and attain Him." (Subhasita Samgraha-1)

Namaskar,
Amoghasiddhi

Note 1: ABOUT THE NAME, 'DEVAYONI'

None should think that the term 'devyoni' is something high etc-- all it is is a body-less being or microvita. The term devayoni has been given in the same way that one might address a gang leader as Mister or Sir. Because people are fearful of gangleaders so they address them in a respectful manner. Similarly, people are scared of body-less souls so they have given the name devayoni as a matter of appeal-- they did not want to use a lesser type of name or bad name. This is the long standing tradition amongst the people of India, and that is why body-less beings-- i.e. microvita-- are respectfully referred to as devayonis.

 

 

PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Tumi ka'ndiye keno sukh pa'o..." (P.S. 1989)

Purport:

O' my dearmost Baba, I am crying in yearning and longing for You. Baba, by Your grace I have so much love for You-- I want Your close proximity. Yet You are not paying heed to my call. Baba, do You feel happy by seeing me cry. Why like this-- what sort of bliss do You get by seeing me weep?

Baba, don't You like to see a face which is beaming with happiness and filled with smiles. Baba, Your and my intimate relation & sweet-loving feeling did not begin only one or two ages ago; rather it has been going on since before time began. Baba by Your grace You constantly keep me in Your divine shelter. Baba, since the very bosom of eternity You are gently taking me up to infinity. From the very dawn You remain along with me throughout the entire journey-- up to infinity, up to the ultimate abode. Baba by Your divine grace You are always keeping me at Your lotus feet.

O' Parama Purusa, O' Dayamay, O' Merciful One, by Your grace I know You. In the grand play & expression of Your divine liila, You are inexhaustible. Always You are creating newer and more new forms and shapes. Baba, You go on playing Your liila endlessly. Baba, this eternal play that You are making with me is a mix of two things. Sometimes You make me laugh and sometimes You make me cry. This You do knowingly-- by this way You bring me closer and closer to You. O' my dearmost Baba, please be gracious and come close to me.

O' Divine Being, You are Love Personified...

****************************************
Sadhana Point- 1st Lesson

Baba says, "In Japakriya' there is only acoustic rhythm as I have told you about acoustic rhythm Ra'ma, Ra'ma, Ra'ma, Ra'ma. But in Pran'idha'na this acoustic rhythm maintains parallelism with mental rhythm i.e., mentally you will be saying
Ra'ma, Ra'ma, Ra'ma, there should be acoustic rhythm Ra'ma,Ra'ma. Ra'ma like this and mentally you will be thinking of Ra'ma also i.e., the parallelism is to be maintained, otherwise in Japakriya' where there is no parallelism what does happen; while you are uttering the word Ra'ma, Ra'ma (Parama Purusa) as you are chanting the word 'Ra', letter 'Ra' you are thinking of the next letter 'Ma.' Ra'ma! Again while uttering the letter 'Ma' you are thinking of the letter 'Ra'. Next 'Ra' and then in second stage of Japa, 'Ra'. In that case your Mantra will be 'Mara' (death) you are uttering the letter 'Ma' and thinking of the latter 'Ra', so your Is't'a Mantra becomes 'Mara' (death) and not 'Ra'ma' (Parama Purusa). So it is useless to do that type of Japakriya'. Unless and until there is a parallelism with the mental wave it is useless and where there is parallelism between acoustic rhythm and mental rhythm it is called Pranidha'na. In Ananda Marga your Iishvara Pra'nidha'na is not japakriya'; it is called Pran'idha'na. Pran'idha'na comes within the scope of Dhya'na and not within the scope of japa. Do you follow?"
(SS-18, p. 84-5)
****************************************

Bull & Human Behaviour

Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:58:46 -0000
From: "Motilal Deva"
Subject: Bull & Human Behaviour
To: am-global@earthlink.net

Baba

"Toma'ke bha'lo besechi, tumi shudhu mane acho..." (P.S. 2562)

Purport:

 Baba, I love You; only You are in my mind. You are my dearmost One and
You alone are mine; You are the only moon in my mental sky-- mental
plate. Baba, except You, everything else in this entire universe is
temporary. Everything comes for a short time and then get lost into thin
air, into the oblivion. Baba, only You are beginningless and endless;
only You remain permanently-- eternally.
 Baba, nothing lasts forever in this world. At the end of the day, night
falls and the light of day gets engulfed by the darkness. Similarly, the
darkness of the night vanishes with the advent of the brilliant new
dawn. Thus everything in this world is changing, transient. But the
constant pouring of Your divine effulgence continues on and on-- it
knows no limit; it knows no end.
 Baba, I am loving You; You are always residing in my mind; You are my
only polestar. Baba, You are my Goal; You are my everything...


                 == BULL & HUMAN BEHAVIOUR ==

Namaskar,
We have all seen how Baba uses all kinds of colourful analogies to help
deliver His message and put forth an important point for our betterment
and learning.

Some of these analogies are very easy to understand, some less so. It
depends upon the person and their experience.

What cannot be denied, however, is that each of these analogies hold
great meaning and insight into the life of every spiritual aspirant. So
we should strive to understand every morsel of Baba's analogies.


              WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE UNDERSTOOD

Baba has given one analogy about bulls and the burden of having an
inflated ego, asmita'. The analogy relates of course to our human
experience and sadhaka life.

To gain clear understanding of Baba's teaching, three things are needed:

(1) Knowledge about bulls;
(2) knowledge of Hindi or Sanskrit, and;
(3) knowledge of Baba's spiritual teachings on vanity, ego and devotion.

Once all the above three components are known, then the reader will have
complete understanding of Baba's teaching in this analogy.

Since I was not aware of the above I consulted with my acarya and now
share what I learned with all of you. Perhaps this is known to you
already, perhaps not. In either case we get opportunity to once again
review and contemplate Baba's divine teaching.


                        ABOUT BULLS

First off, as you may know, bulls can be quite terrifying creatures.
They have big, sharp horns, a menacing look, and a potentially nasty
disposition. Not only that, they are huge and can weigh up to 1000kg or
2200lbs or more, even as much as 2000kg or 4400lbs. So they can be quite
intimidating and ferocious.

Often these bulls live in areas where they are the biggest animals, as
usually there are no elephants nor whales where bulls reside. So when
full-grown and healthy, bulls consider themselves to be the strongest
entity alive.

When they walk this earth they are well-known for making this type of
sound, "Hmmm". This is their natural sound, especially when they are angry.


                           ABOUT HINDI

The next component needed to understand the analogy are two simple Hindi
words.

The term "ham" in Hindi and other Indian languages means "I". And the
term "tum" in Hindi means "you".

That is also essential to understand Baba's teaching.


                     EGO, VANITY & DEVOTION

Then of course we all know that ego or I-ness has an inverse
relationship with devotion. The aim of our human life is to realise that
Parama Purusa is the Supreme Subject and Supreme Doer in the universe,
not our little "I" feeling.

We are to think, "O' Parama Purusa You are everything, because of Your
grace everything happens."

Baba says, "By His mercy one can [do] anything and everything. Without
His mercy even a blade of grass cannot move." (AV-30)

Baba says, "Gurukrpa' hi kevalam - “The Guru’s grace is everything.”
This alone is the supreme truth. This is the be-all and end-all of
life." (AFPS-8)

With this idea in mind, then one can lead a devotional life, realising
that His love, presence and touch guide us in all circumstances.

Baba says, "Through devotion you should realize that He is the life of
your life, the Lord of your inner heart." (APH-7)

By his grace, with devotion we can practically feel that He is the
be-all and end-all of life.

However, a devotional outlook is categorically impossible when one is
sunk in their own egoistic feeling. Then one thinks, "I am great, I have
done so many things, I am the king of the mountain" etc. In that case
one will give all credit to themselves, and not even think of Parama
Purusa.

Baba says, "“I did this, I did that, I’m not an ordinary man” – like
this. In devotion there is no scope for being puffed up with vanity."
(SS-21)

Thus the more one gets absorbed in their own petty ego, the less one is
able to realise Him. Ego, or asmita', then is the main stumbling block
in leading a devotional life.


                HOW BABA WRITES THE ANALOGY

With the above understanding about bulls, Hindi and ego, then we can
best understand Baba's below analogy and how it relates with human life.

Baba says, "People say that a bull, when he is in the fullness of his
strength, [calls] Ham, meaning “I am great.” After he dies, the
[cotton-spinner] makes a bow with strings from his intestines, and it
produces the sound Tun, Tun, meaning “You are great.” Thus will fall the
ego ultimately. Therefore the wise will take the “You are great” stance
from the very beginning." (AV-23)


                    LITERAL EXPLANATION

Since the bull thinks it is so strong and walks around all day calling
"hmmm", "hmmm, "hmmm" - similar to the Hindi word "ham" meaning "I" -
Baba is making the joke that a bull is totally stuck in its own unit
ego, touting its own greatness, day in & day out.

However a day is sure to come when it will die and its body parts and
intestines will be used as a string on a machine to spin cotton. Then
the sound of that bull will be "tun", "tun" - similar to the Hindi word
"tum" meaning "You". Thus after its death, when its ego is crushed, then
and only then does the bull recognise Parama Purusa and repeat, "You are
everything."

Best then is to overcome the pitfalls of the ego early in life, and sing
His praises each and every day - why wait until death, like the bull does.

This is the humorous yet highly significant meaning of Baba's analogy.


                       WHAT IT ALL MEANS

With regards to our human life, we all know how when people gain success
and gather name, fame, prosperity, and fortune, then they often think
that they are really great - then their ego is on the top.

In that case, they are prone to a fall. In social life, their ego will
be a problem. But in their spiritual life it will be deadly.

Because with a big ego, one will forget Him and accumulate all kinds of
samskaras, negative karma, and sink oneself in all sorts of burdens.
When one forgets that the Doership is Him and instead drowns in the
mantra, "I am great - I did this" etc, then there is not an iota of
scope for devotion.

Stuck up in that kind of egoistic superiority complex, they will create
hell in the their personal life and their spiritual life will be nil. As
Baba says below, theirs is a "Himalayan ignorance".

Baba says, "When people perceive something through the mind, they think
that their sight or perception alone is the factor which determines the
existence of an object. This sort of foolish presumption is called
asmita' [ego]. Such people cannot understand that not only behind their
cognition but also behind their sensation there exists the radiant
reflection of an Effulgent Entity. This radiance is reflected not only
in the crude and subtle but in the causal entity as well, and is the
perfect semblance of His characteristic identity. Ignorant people cannot
think of anything beyond what little light reflection they see on their
own unit entities; their sense entities remain confined within that very
limit. And that is why the ignorant materialists do not want to
recognize anything beyond his observable world. This flagrant disregard
on their part is not mere arrogance but Himalayan ignorance." (AMIWL-5)

The only way out is to escape the shackles of one's ego and accept Him
as the sole aim of life. That is the intelligent way to live. And that
should be started from this very moment, not when one is old an gray, or
even worse - dead, like the bull.


                         BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace He has given us the perfect recipe for living a life
above the fray of ego and vanity, ensconced in the spiritual ideal that
He is everything and that all inspiration and energy stem from Him. Then
one can serve all without vanity and reach Him by surrendering unto His
sweet will. No one then should live their life like a bull, sunk in
their own false sense of prestige and vanity. That is Baba's teaching to
us all.

Baba says, "Now, this complete surrender, complete self-sacrifice, is to
be done. But how? What is the secret? All human egos, all egoistic
expressions, are based on the vanity moving around the self, moving
around the “I” feeling, the first expression of existence. “I am” is the
base, is the fundament, of all egos and all vanities. You know, when a
man learns much or earns much, his ego, his vanity, gets puffed up. The
man gets puffed up with vanity, and under such circumstances he becomes
so conscious of his little existence that it becomes very difficult for
him to surrender before the Supreme. What to speak of surrender, even if
a logical theory is placed before him, he does not like to accept it. He
thinks that if he accepts that theory, if he accepts that veracity, it
will be humiliating for him. This sort of psychology misguides him under
such circumstances. How to surrender? This can be done internally with
the help of dhya'na [meditation in which the psyche is directed towards
Consciousness], and externally by ascribing Godhood to all external
entities."

"While helping the poor people your vanity may increase. You may think:
“I have done this, I have done that. I am not an ordinary man.” This is
a psychic disease. Actually, vanity is a psychic disease, a psychic
ailment. But if, while helping a man, a poor man, or a diseased person,
you ascribe Godhood to him, that is, if you think, “I am not helping a
man, I am helping God in human structure,” then vanity will not be
encouraged. What will be the reaction within the person? “This body,
this mind, this wealth has been given to me by Parama Purus'a, and
Parama Purus'a has come before me, God has come before me, as a
suffering person, and I am paying back that thing to Him. That is, the
actual owner of this body, the actual owner of this mind is He, and His
wealth I am paying back to Him.” So there will be no vanity."

"And I said that the internal process is meditation. In meditation,
Parama Purus'a becomes your object and you become the subject. You
become the seer and He becomes the seen. But the inner spirit of
meditation is that while looking at Him internally with your inner eye,
you should think: “I am not meditating on Him nor am I seeing Him
mentally. What is actually happening is that He is seeing me; that is, I
am the object and He is the subject. He sees whatever I do, He sees
whatever I think, so I am His object and He is my subject.” This idea
helps in freeing oneself from the serpentine noose of ego and vanity."
(AV-14)

Namaskar,
Motilal


Note 1:      MORE ON EGO / VANITY AND REALISING HIM

These below two posting clearly review the entire concept behind the
statement, "the umbrella of vanity", how that ruins one's life and how
one can feel His grace.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/02/unfortunate-umbrella.html

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/03/date-sat-07-march-2009-230429-0000-to.html



Note 2:        FURTHER READING ON BABA'S ANALOGIES

These below letters look at other interesting analogies that Baba uses
in His discourses to put forth His sublime teachings.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/08/early-catching-is-good.html

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/08/story-of-three-thieves.html

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/01/dog-analogy-is-right-one.html


        ***************************************
            Practical Aspect of Mysticism

Baba says, "Mysticism is a never-ending endeavour to find a link between
finite and infinite." (AV-23, p.101)

Note: Here Baba is indirectly giving the guideline that in the realm of
devotion one should have a particular personal relation with Parama
Purusa. And these relations are known as "bhava"-- whether they be
sakhya bhava, dasya bhava, madhura bhava etc. So these various bhavas
are that very "link between finite and infinite". Because with the help
of these relations devotees gradually come in closer and closer
proximity with Parama Purusa. Until finally by linking up in this way
the sadhaka becomes one with Him.
          ***************************************

Indeed Margiis Can Teach

Date: Fri 8 Apr 2010 18:45:27
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: Indeed Margiis Can Teach
From: "Ishvara Deva"

Baba

                              == INDEED MARGIIS CAN TEACH ==

Namaskar,
Recently in our unit, some of us were involved in teaching others about AM, and one Dada intervened and stated that we should not do this as we were "not qualified".

This made us feel very sad. By Baba's grace we then consulted with one very senior acarya Didi and here following are the points she gave.

Really this was a very sentimental time for us and I remain so grateful for the guidance I received from Didiji.

For those more prone towards philosophical dialog, here are the essential questions we are raising.

1. Should we start teaching others about AM only when we get moksa, i.e. perfection?

2. Should we wait until we have been on the path 10 years before teaching others; or should we wait until we become a wholetimer before guiding others?

3. When can a general margii start teaching others about AM? When should a margii begin preaching the gospel of AM ideology?                  

Again, here it is not that I want to be a "great" Ananda Margii and give high-sounding talks to big audiences. That is not the spirit of this inquiry. Merely with our own inner heart feeling, a few of us were quietly sitting and talking to others about AM when that Dada came over and told us not to do like that.


                                    MUST START TEACHING RIGHT AWAY

Only after consulting with a senior acarya Didi, did everything become clear. Here are the key points raised by that senior acarya Didi:

The bottom line is that it is the duty of each and every Ananda Margii to start teaching others about Ananda Marga immediately. Even the day a person is initiated they can, nay must, start doing pracara with others.

Here is the support from Baba's teachings:

(A) SIXTEEN POINTS: It is the duty of every Ananda Margii to follow 16 Points and embedded within 16 Points is service or seva. As we all know there are 4 types of seva in AM: shudrocita seva, ksatriyocita seva, vaeshyocita seva, and viprocita seva. And Baba guides us that we, i.e. all margiis, are to perform all four types of seva, including viprocita seva, which includes preaching the ideals of Ananda Marga.

Baba says, "We can give joy to Parama Puruśa by serving His creations – human beings, animals and plants – and this service will be the best application of neohumanism. This service can be done in four ways – viprocita sevá (intellectual service), kśatriyocita sevá (service of courage), vaeshyocita sevá (economic service) and shudrocita sevá (manual service). None of these is inferior: we cannot ignore any one of them. People should render service according to their capacity. Those who like intellectual service, can do that; those who like manual service, can do so. But it will be best if all the four types are performed." (17 May 1982, Calcutta)

In His above directive, Baba clearly tells that everyone - new and senior margiis alike - are to engage in all kinds of seva including teaching others about AM philosophy and lifestyle. Everyone must do this according to their capacity.

That means even a newly initiated margii can and should teach the general public about kiirtan, or yama and niyama etc. To the degree one is properly aware about Baba's teachings is the degree to which they should teach others. Then they will be performing seva and following 16 Points. That is Baba's mandate.

(B) AM MISSION: The Ananda Marga mission - self-realisation & selfless service - concerns each and every Ananda Margii.

Baba says, "What should a person do? Life is a mission. I have said that human life is an ideological flow. That is, human life is a mission; life itself is a mission; one’s very existence is a mission. Átmamokśárthaḿ jagaddhitáya ca – “Whatever one is to do one is to do for átmamokśa – for his own liberation – and for the elevation of the entire world, elevation of the entire human society.” One is to do both these things: that is, these two things are one’s mission." (AV-30)

Thus here again Baba is directing each and every person in the Marga to perform service - i.e. helping to care for and elevate all beings. Upon entering into AM, everyone must do this from day 1. Baba does not say that one should do sadhana for ten years - or after getting perfection, i.e. moksa - then one should start doing service. It is not like that.

Rather from the very beginning every margii is to do sadhana and perform service by preaching the ideals of dharma to others. So here again Baba is mandating that every Ananda Margii must do AM pracara and explain the tenets of AM to others.

(C) SUPREME COMMAND: In our Supreme Command too Baba tells each and every Ananda Margii to teach others about dharma and inspire them onto the path of spirituality.

"...It is the bounden duty of every Ananda Margii to endeavor to bring all to the path of bliss. Verily is this a part and parcel of sadhana, to lead others along the path of righteousness." (Supreme Command)

Thus by Baba's teaching in the Supreme Command, it is clear that all margiis - young or old, male or female etc - must embark on teaching others about AM ideals.


                                ALL MUST PREACH THE GOSPEL OF AM

Through His mandates of Sixteen Points, by His mission statement (Átmamokśárthaḿ jagaddhitáya ca), and by the Supreme Command, it is quite clear that every Ananda Margii should teach others about AM ideals from the very beginning. To delay this is to go against Guru's teachings. No one should have any complex about this nor should this point be shrouded in confusion. All - I repeat all - are to teach others about the principles of AM.


                                            IGNORANT ACARYAS:

                            NO DADA CAN BAR YOU FROM TEACHING

Thus if you or anyone in your unit is sincerely teaching others about AM philosophy and a Dada tells you that you are "too new", or "not senior enough", or "not smart enough" etc, then just inform that Wt that Baba's guideline is that, "I must perform all 4 sevas each and every day and that includes teaching others about AM ideology, according to the level of my own knowledge base."

Thus no Dada can give any lame excuse and prohibit any margii - new or old - from guiding others on spiritual life and AM ideals.

Actually, it is the dogmatic religions that preach how lay / family people cannot teach the tenets. In Christianity only the priest can do; in Islam, only the mullah can do; and in Hinduism only the pundits can do. They are the only ones to preach the gospel of their religion - not the common people. So AM is totally unique. Baba says that all can and should do.

Unfortunately some ignorant and crafty Wts want to introduce religious dogmas into our AM society by stating that only the priest class can guide others. They just want to "copy & paste" such dogmas into our Marga.

But we must remember such dogmas are hellish.

Baba says, "These [common] people were deprived of the right to study the Vedas. The Antyaja Shúdras, if they even heard the Vedic chants, or the controlling Vedic mantra aum, or the “Savitr Rk” mantra, would be committing a great sin and molten lead would be poured into their ears so that their hearing would be destroyed forever. Nor were women, however educated, allowed to hear such sacred chants." (Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Disc: 5)

Indeed in those days of old, what to speak of not allowing the common people to preach the philosophy, they would not even allow the common people to learn it. If general citizens came in contact with those teachings they would be tortured and shunned - i.e. scarred for life. That was the way those dogmatic religions operated - and still today that is their modus operendi. They feel that mantras or prayers can only be solemnized when they are recited by priests etc. According to bhagavad dharma, there is no 3rd person between the devotee and God, but in such religions, the priest / mullah etc is the so-called intermediary. Here the point is that in the dogmatic religions, only the priest is able pass on religious knowledge, not anyone else.

Tragically now some Dadas are leaning in this direction and not allowing margiis to teach the philosophy to others. We have to oppose such Dadas.  When any Dada is forbidding a margii to propagate the gospel of Ananda Marga or neo-humanism, we should alarm everyone about that Dada and unmask their name and address.

AM is totally different from the dogmatic religions. Baba has blessed us with a revolutionary approach where all have the moral duty to preach and teach the tenets of AM. 

Unfortunately, some Dadas puffed up with vanity feel that only they should talk about dharma. They want everyone to listen to them. That is what their ego tells them. So they feel threatened if a margii sincerely engages in talks about AM philosophy with others.

But again, Baba's mandate is clear and pointed: Every initiated person in Ananda Marga must preach and teach others about our AM way of life.


                                   IMPORTANT STIPULATIONS

Now that it is clear that it is the duty of every Ananda Margii to perform service and teach others about the philosophy and ideals of AM, there are a few easy points to keep in mind.

1) One must not teach others about the lessons of sadhana unless one is an tattvika, or acarya etc.

2) One should not teach aspects of Baba's teachings that they themselves are not adequately familiar with. If one does this then two negative results will arise. Firstly, one will spread faulty explanations and confuse others; and secondly, the person you are trying to teach will lose faith in you.

So ti is important to educate oneself about AM ideals and consult Baba's discourses by reading Ananda Marga books.

Indeed, every Ananda Margii should be eager and ready to preach Baba's gospel to any and all who are interested. And even if they are not interested, we should try and inspire them.

Margiis can teach our kiirtan mantra to anyone. We can teach them to sing internally or externally.


                MUST NOT BE CONCERNED WITH PRAISE OR CENSURE

                            SERVE OTHERS TO PLEASE HIM

Here is another dynamic to be aware of when preaching AM ideals.

Some sincere margiis start doing pracara and mistakenly think that because they are doing dharmic work then people should appreciate them. Although this is not a totally degrading mindset, but for bhaktas this is not a very lofty outlook. This has a distinct drawback as well because if people are not appreciating you, then you feel there is no point in doing the work and you may drop it entirely. Furthermore if anyone criticises you then you will be totally dejected. Side by side, some opportunists might praise you to the sky in order to exploit you and get you to attend to their agenda. These are the pitfalls of getting caught up in praise and censure.

The best is for every sadhaka to serve other and propagate AM ideal thinking that they are doing everything for Parama Purusa - to please Him.

Then if someone opposes or praises you it does not matter. Your mind will remain balanced and you will not veer from your course. Why? Because you are doing to serve Parama Purusa, not to garner praise etc. Here the whole idea is that one should not be a slave of praise or censure. Then one cannot fulfill their duty on this earth.

Those who do pracara dharma with idea that they are serving Parama Purusa never get frustrated by others' negative comments. That is the expression of real devotion. And such persons do not anticipate that others should praise them because they are doing a great job.

Whenever a person believes in their heart that it is their duty to do a particular task then they do not expect that people should praise them. For example, when a mother is caring for her very small infant, then that mother does not care if the neighbor praises her or not.

Similarly, a good sadhaka will preach the gospel of AM without any expectation of praise and without any concern for censure. One will fulfill this blessed duty to please Parama Purusa.

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 says, "Regarding those who are likely to create obstacles in your path – let them do so. You should remember that those who are the actual pioneers, the real vanguard of the society, are always a microscopic minority, but it is they who are destined to be victorious. Those who once opposed, or are now opposing or will oppose in the future, will in the future admit: “Yes, we are now driving our vehicle safely and comfortably along the very path which that vanguard once opened by clearing the jungle.” This means that those who cleared the obstacles in the beginning will later be recognized as pioneers. The funny thing is this, that people do not give recognition at the time it is due. This is the natural law. And at the same time you should also remember this simple truth: that in a jungle the number of tigers and lions is always few; the jackals far outnumber them. Yet in the jungle the tigers and lions reign supreme, not the jackals. The jackals are sure to howl, that is their nature; but the tigers and lions will not be frightened." (AV-6)

Namaskar,
Ishvara


Note 1:                            IMPORTANT PROVERB

One should never forget that human life evolves gradually from animal life in the cosmic cycle of brahmacakra. Human beings were animals in the past and those propensities are still dominant in many of our fellow human beings. For this reason some people feel the need to oppose good work. If we all keep this in mind then one will not get affected when others are opposing your righteous deeds.

Always remember this proverb: No good deed goes unpunished. The sens is that certain notorious people want to abuse you because their own prestige is at stake. But pay no mind to them, go on propagating the ideals of dharma, always singing Baba's name.

Mahaprayan of One Margii & Baba Story

Date: Sun 13 Mar 2011 19:20:47 -0000 (GMT)
From: Singh_Manindra
Subject: Mahaprayan of One Margii & Baba Story
To: AM-GLOBAL

Baba

                 == MAHAPRAYAN OF ONE MARGII & BABA STORY ==

Namaskar,
Recently a very senior and respected margii - Vimal Rajasthaniji - left this world. His Mahaprayan happened at 9am on 6th March 2011 at his residence at Betiah, Bihar. He was 90 years old.

Shrii Rajasthaniji was a blessed devotee of the Lord, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. Here is a wonderfully devotional tale that will be inspiring to all.

Initially, in the early days, our dear brother Rajasthaniji was very critical of Ananda Marga. He had a lot of ego and thought extremely highly of himself - he admitted this in his own writings years later.

One night Rajasthaniji had a dream. He was on the shore and he saw someone coming towards him tearing away the darkness with great effulgnece. That effulgence grew and grew, and when that effulgence was very close to him he saw one figure. That figure was calling him by his given laokika name - a name which no one in AM knew. From the effulgence, that figure said in a very melodic voice, "Purusottoma come, Purusottoma come." The voice was very tender and sweet. Rajasthaniji's mind became full of bliss. At that very moment he woke up and could feel the divine bliss radiating throughout each and every pore of his body. The divine vibration triggered a wave of devotional feelings in his heart and mind. So that very day Rajasthaniji made contact with an acarya and got initiated. After some time he went for PC and the story came full circle. Upon entering the room for PC, Rajasthaniji could see that the effulgent, charming figure from his dream was Baba Himself. Realising this, Rajasthaniji started crying - the tears of devotion flowed and flowed.

After hearing this story you might wonder, what was it that Rajasthaniji did not like about Ananda Marga. Well earlier, he was thinking that Ananda Margiis were not very well educated and he had a lot of ego about his own schooling. One time he overheard a conversation during an AM meeting, and Rajasthaniji did not appreciate the use of grammar and language. So he thought that these Ananda Margiis do not proper proper literary knowledge and are incapable of delivering a good lecture. In this way, Rajasthaniji had tremendous vanity about his own language skills

By Baba's grace after he had that dream he became quite a dedicated margii. He stood strong during all organisational difficulties. Plus he brought his entire family into AM.

Vimal Rajasthaniji was born in 1921 and his mahaprayan happened a few days ago. He was a sublime poet and litterateur and he was always involved in the thought of the Lord, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. In fact, he was singing Baba's name when his mahaprayan occurred. Surely at this moment he is seated on Baba's divine lap.

Namaskar,
Manindra


* Mahaprayan (Death):  Many are aware that mahaprayan (death) is the
common term used in India and especially in Bengal to describe the death
of an honoured or even ordinary person. In that way the newspapers of
Bengal are regularly citing the mahaprayan (death) of various persons of
society who died or passed away.

Some may get confused and wrongly think that the word 'mahaprayan'
(death) is one extraordinarily devotional term to be used in association
with Parama Purusa. But that is not at all the case. Rather to do so is
only to undermine the eternal presence of Parama Purusa. That is why no
devotees ever use the word 'mahaprayan' in reference to Lord Shiva or
Lord Krsna. Because Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna exist eternally. Then
there is no question of Their mahaprayan (death).

Those who think that Baba is a mortal human being celebrate Mahaprayan on a
particular day of the year related with Baba, but in the true sense Baba is
Parama Purusa so He is eternal and there is no question of His mahaprayan.

And for those who need still more technical proof then all this can
be clarified quite readily by referencing the dictionary. Specifically
in the Samsad Bengali-English dictionary on page 742. Checking there it
will be confirmed that the word 'mahaprayan' means death. Which is why
it used to refer to the passing away of even common citizens.

Gardabha Sa'dhana'

Date: 24 Feb 2011 09:17:38 -0000
From: "Indrajit Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Gardabha Sa'dhana'

Baba

                  == GARDABHA SA'DHANA' ==

Namaskar,
Simplicity, sincerity, and honesty are some of the main pillars in the
life of any sa'dhaka.

Baba says, "The most valuable treasures on the path of human progress
are honesty, simplicity and spiritedness. In no stratum of life should
you allow the standard of honesty to deteriorate..." (AV #54)

Even then, it happens that people veer away from these truths, on
occasion or even more frequently. And that leads to the devaluation of
that activity or practice, as well as the degradation of the doer, of
the person.

That's a wee-bit of the philosophical side, now let's delve into
everyday practical examples.


                       GARDABHA'NNA

Suppose you are invited to a grand feast at someone's house. To
celebrate, that host has the finest chefs prepare the tastiest
delicacies and dainties for everyone to eat. Not because because he
wishes to serve the community with love and affection, but rather
because he wants to make an ornate show of the affair and bring prestige
unto himself. Proof being that if you cannot attend his feast, then he
is not the least bit sorry or remorseful, because he will just get
another person to replace you-- someone else who will pay him honor and
respect.

Under such conditions, when there is not the least bit of service
mentality and the host is just giving a feast with huge pomp and show in
order to heighten his own prestige and self-satisfaction, then attending
the program and eating that food is totally inappropriate. Because in
that case that food is nothing but donkey's food, or gardabha'nna.

Baba says, "If food is not given with that heart-felt feeling and if
one's own life is not in danger due to starvation, in that condition
then any food offered is donkey food, Gardabha'nna. So one must not eat
that food." (Summary of SC-20, p.163-64 [Bangla])

Thus under no circumstances-- unless we are going to starve to death--
should we eat food that is presented as a show of one's wealth and
greatness, because that food is nothing but donkey food, or gardabha'nna.

And we all know that in His practical life, on many occasions Baba
refused such food on various occasions whenever wealthy people or
dignitaries invited Him to dine at their house just to impress Him.


           GARDABHA KIIRTAN AND GARDABHA BHAJAN

This type of 'donkey' syndrome-- doing for show only and not out of
one's heart-felt feeling-- is not limited to the realm of food only.

We have all seen various kiirtan players or bhajan singers who perform
solely to display their own musical or lyrical talents, and not to serve
and please Parama Purusa. This happens across all religions and faiths
and occurs in our Ananda Marga as well.

Kiirtan is all about singing to please Parama Purusa-- for His glory,
not one's own glory. And the essence of bhajans is to share one's inner,
heart feeling with the Lord, and not to procure attention for oneself.

Yet at retreats or dharmacakra, sometimes it can happen that a person
might lead a kiirtan or bhajan in order to win over the admiration of
others. If this is done consistently, again and again, such performers
run the risk of being converted into microvita at the time of death.

That said, it is not just the musicians who are prone to such downfalls.
Sometimes a kiirtan or bhajan participant may dance with such
extroverted tendencies or sing with such ego that it is quite evident to
all around that that person is doing just in hopes of drawing attention
to themselves-- so that others will think they are a great devotee.

All such displays devalue one's approach fail to bring one close to
Parama Purusa. That is why Baba calls these misguided attempts as:
Gardabha kiirtan and gardabha bhajan, i.e. donkey kiirtan and donkey
bhajan.


                       GARDABHA SA'DHANA'

Then of course this can happen in the stratum of sadhana as well. Before
giving an example, it has to be said that by Baba's grace, the sincerity
and earnestness in spiritual practice is quite high in our Marga, so
this letter by no means aims to cast doubt that abc or xyz persons are
doing donkey practices. Most are fine and okay-- this is just a general
letter for everyone's awareness and knowledge. After all, each and every
person knows there own situation best.

Now let's say someone rarely does sa'dhana' in their own home etc, but
then when they go to the jagrti or to a retreat, then suddenly they
start sitting for long, long sadhana, as if that is their regular way
each and every morning and evening. And not only that, but when they
close their sadhana then the first thing they do is open their eyes and
slyly scan the room to see if others are taking notice of how long they
sat. And if still they do not feel that they got the attention they
deserved, then during meal time they will casually say that, 'It was
very good to be able to sit for 3hr sadhana today etc', and then quickly
scan the eyes and faces of others to see if they were impressed or not.

From, all these instances, we can easily understand that that person is
doing sadhana not to please Parama Purusa-- not to serve Him-- but
rather to bring name, fame, and prestige unto themselves. They want
people to think that they are a great sadhaka. That is why their sadhana
is nothing but donkey sadhana.


           DONKEY PRACTICES ARE BETTER THAN NOTHING

Okay, let's say someone you know does do donkey kiirtan, or donkey
bhajan, or donkey sadhana on occasion. Even then it is not the worst
thing in the world. It is not as bad as doing no practices at all.

No doubt donkey kiirtan, donkey bhajan, and donkey sadhana can cause
false vanity and an overblown ego etc, but by Baba's grace our AM
mantras are so strong that in a moment of quietness while repeating the
mantra, even if one was initially motivated by selfish desires, one may
develop sincere love for Parama Purusa. And that is the greatest
achievement.

After all, we have all come from somewhere. In the past ages, we may
have been nature worshipers or even idol worshipers, and then gradually
that feeling gets more refined until by Baba's grace we are given the
opportunity to come onto the tantric path, and develop sincere love for
Parama Purusa.

So all is not lost for those involved in donkey practices. Certainly
such approaches should never be encouraged. But one day, those involved
in such things will develop sincere love for God. So there is light at
the end of the tunnel for those currently stuck in donkey sadhana.


                       BABA'S BLESSING

Baba says, "Remember, everyone is entitled to sa'dhana'. For this,
nothing neither pedigree, education, knowledge nor any asset, is
necessary except only two things – implicit faith and sincerity. Arouse
these two things through your will-power and victory is yours, it must
come." (AMIWL-5)

Namaskar,
Indrajit



Note 1:                DONKEY FOOD

Here is more about what Baba has to say about donkey food.

(a) Donkey food (Gardabha'nna) is that food purchased with ill-begotten
money or sinfully earned money.

(b) If someone feeds you with deep love, respect, and affection and that
feeling is conveyed through their expression, talk and conduct, and by
feeding you they feel blissful ("Toma'ke kha'iae a'nandit hobe") and
very content, and if you do not eat then they will feel pain, in this
situation whatever food you eat in their house-- even if it is just
boiled grass-- will be treated as priityanna (proper & sentient food).
Any meal or food not prepared under such ideal conditions is donkey food.

(c) So if food is not given with that heart-felt feeling and if one's
own life is not in danger due to starvation, in that condition then any
food offered is donkey food, Gardabha'nna. So one must not eat that food.

Note: In western society that food which is not fit for human
consumption is typically labeled as 'dog food'. And a similar idea Baba
has conveyed above by the term donkey food-- "Gardabha'nna".

(Summary of SC-20, p.163-64 [Bangla])


                          PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"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
this spring season with a sweet and charming smile. When I saw You for
the first time I was surprised, and 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.
 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 but You have not cared about receiving an invitation. Please
tell me, O' Divine Entity, who are You?
 Understanding Your liila is impossible. Within a flash You become tough
and then in 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--no beginning, & no 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...



        ******************************************
                   To Do Great Work

Baba says, "The meaning of the 'Sam'gacchadhvam' Mantra should be
realised in life. Always remain united. Solve all problems, big or
small, with unity. Consider misfortune of one as the misfortune of all--
an injury to one as an injury to all." (CC-2, 'Society' chapter, point #34)

Note: So long as Baba's above teaching is not put into practice, one
cannot do great work. Devoid of this one's life will be as meaningful as
the life of a termite or ant etc. In our practical life we should be
strict in following Baba's teaching.
         ******************************************

Unfortunate Umbrella: Part II

Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:37:06 -0000
To: am-global@earthlink.net
From:
Subject: Unfortunate Umbrella: Part II

Baba

               == UNFORTUNATE UMBRELLA: Part II ==

Namaskar,
This entire topic about the 'Umbrella of Vanity' is closely linked with
our devotional life and being able to feel His grace each and every
moment through the course of our days. All are encouraged to write in
with their own thoughts and experiences as well.


                        COMMON HUMAN LONGING

As diverse as human beings are in their various expressions from their
outward appearance to their intrinsic talents, even then there are
certain common points that are universal to all.

For example, as Baba Himself tells us, it is the innate desire of each
and every human being to develop a close, personal relation with God.

Baba says, "Human beings want a personal God who will understand their
joys and sorrows, who will have love for them, and to whom they can
express love and feel kinship.  They certainly do not want a God who
will only impart words of knowledge or punish them and not listen to
their tales of sorrow in a sympathetic manner. They want an Entity who
will sympathize with them cent per cent in their prosperity and
adversity alike." (SS-11)

So when this inherent desire of wanting a personal link with Parama
Purusa is such a universal characteristic of each and every human heart
then certainly we should understand how to best satisfy and satiate this
divine longing.


                     TWO DISTINCT OUTLOOKS

Looking at opposite ends of the spectrum there are two distinct outlooks
which have a vastly different effect upon one's ability to form that
sweet, intimate, and personal relation with God.


                      DEVOTIONAL APPROACH:

        CULTIVATING AN INNER LINK WITH HIM

On the one side there are the bhaktas who think that Parama Purusa is
always watching them and caring for them and deep inside they believe
that that He is in fact the doer of their good. By this way of thinking,
by this type of outlook, devotees naturally develop a closer link with Him.
Because closeness between any two beings develops when one party feels
that the next entity is helping them. So when bhaktas believe in the
core of their heart that Parama Purusa is there to do everything for
them, and that He is the most benevolent and gracious One, and that
indeed everything happens in this universe due to His divine grace, then
automatically those bhaktas become internally linked with Him in a most
intimate way. That is one end of the spectrum.


                              UMBRELLA OF VANITY:

              OBSTRUCTING ONE'S LINK WITH HIM

And on the other end of the spectrum there are those jinanis who are
dominated by their own unit ego and in their arrogance they think that
they achieve everything in this world by virtue of their own individual
talent-- by their own efforts.

In that case, they are not relying on Parama Purusa but rather giving
full credit to themselves. And this defective approach-- egotistically
thinking that 'I did and that it at all happened because of me'-- is
itself the 'umbrella of vanity'. In which case one cannot feel His grace.

By this defective outlook a distinct gap develops between those jinanis
and Parama Purusa. In which case, consciously or unconsciously, these
jinanis view Parama Purusa as being nothing but one theoretical God in
the far distant sky, not that personal God Who is deep inside their heart.
And this is all due to their umbrella of vanity-- thinking that 'I am
the cause and I did everything'. That very defective approach creates
the feeling that Parama Purusa is far away-- non-existent. In which case
such jinanis never get to feel His sweet grace or divine bliss.


         IDENTIFYING THIS UMBRELLA OF VANITY: 'I DID'

So in a nutshell, bhaktas think that 'Parama Purusa is doing' and
therefore move closer to Him; and jinanis think that 'I did' and thereby
increase the distance between them and their Lord.

And again if we identify the root cause behind this grand difference, it
is this very defective outlook: 'I did'.

That egoistic expression-- 'I did'-- is the unfortunate umbrella of
vanity which separates those jinanis from Parama Purusa. That is the
dark umbrella which obstructs their relation with Parama Purusa. And
that is why they do not feel His eternally flowing grace.

So the whole thing is just a matter of one's outlook.

When any small or big thing occurs in this universe there are two
different ways to view the situation. The devotional mind will think
that it is only due to His grace while the jinani oriented mentality
will immediately try to take the credit for that action.

By these divergent approaches, the bhakta goes closer to Parama Purusa
and feels His sweet grace more and more while and the jinani goes away
from Him and just gets caught up in the net of their own ego.

And this is the umbrella of vanity-- giving credit to oneself-- when
really it is due to the grace of Parama Purusa.

But, through it all, we should always remember that Parama Purusa is
equally gracious on all-- whether one understands this or not.


                    BABA'S DIVINE TEACHING

Baba says, "He has got equal love for each and every creature of this
universe, for all animate and inanimate objects. His krpa' and His
compassion is being equally showered upon each and every individual,
upon each and every object. He bestows His compassion equally on each
and every object. Equally on pa'piis [sinners] and pun'yava'nas [the
virtuous]."

"But common people do not feel it, they do not feel that they are
getting His krpa'. Why do they not feel it? That krpa', that water of
compassion, is being showered on each and every creature equally, but
ordinary people do not feel that they are being drenched by those sacred
waters. Why? Because they are holding the umbrella of vanity over their
heads, that's why they are not being drenched."

"And what is sa'dhana'? You will have to remove that umbrella from above
your head and get yourself drenched by the sacred water. You will have
to remove that umbrella of vanity...and get yourself drenched by that
water; and then you will feel that you are being graced by Him. This is
what is called krpa'. Krpa' is there, but you will have to come to feel
it by your sa'dhana'. And when you will remove that umbrella, you will
get proper direction, and then you will be guided by hla'dinii shakti,
by Ra'dhika' shakti. Here you will come in contact with His nu'pura
dhvani [Divine Sound]." (AV-33, 'Brahmacakra')

Thus by moving along the path of devotional sadhana one will easily be
able to remove that umbrella of vanity-- it will disappear naturally. In
which case one will feel His boundless grace in each and every work, all
day long.

But for those crusty jinanis who again and again gloat about the fact
that they themselves are doing everything and that it is all due to
their own smartness, then they will permanently move around with the
umbrella of vanity over their head and in their life they will never
feel His divine grace. This is their unfortunate fate.


                 SPECIALITY OF DEVOTION

Here below Baba highlights the speciality of devotion.

     "Bhaktira'nanda ru'pa'ca... Devotion is bliss incarnate." (SS-18)

Devotion means feeling His sweet grace and divine in the seed vessels of
one's mind, each and every moment.

So the degree to which one is tangibly feeling His grace and bliss in
their own mind is the degree to which they are a devotee.

And to the degree that one does not feel His grace and bliss is the
degree to which one is still holding that umbrella of vanity over their
head.

In this regard, when trying to calculate anyone's standard, best is for
everyone to judge the matter for themselves. Only a tad bit of honesty
is needed, nothing more.


                      BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, may we all move along the path of devotional sadhana
and feel His ever showering grace and divine bliss each and every moment
of our lives-- and beyond.

Baba says, "By dint of sadhana, one is to arouse and exalt that sleeping
divinity. ...But for this, one requires divine help and I know further
that one is getting divine help, and I know still further, that it is
for infinite time and infinite space, one is getting this divine help,
and you are all sadhakas, you will certainly attain the Supreme Stance
and enjoy that divine blessedness. You are sure to enjoy it my sons and
daughters." (AV-23, p. 76)

Namaskar,
Mukunda


Note 1:          ALL STRENGTH COMES FROM HIM

Here below Baba guides us that all our energy comes directly from Him.

Baba says, "Human beings also move on, but to move forward sometimes
they need energy.  But where does this energy come from?  The source of
all energy is Parama Purus'a. With His energy all entities are moving.
No living being has its own energy: endowed with the energy of Parama
Purus'a, it moves forward." (SS-12, 'Adarsha & Ista')

Thus when all our strength comes from Him then naturally He is the one
behind our each and every work.

But jinanis again and again overlook this eternal truth and instead
proclaim themselves as the champion of their own deeds. And that
defective mentality is their umbrella of vanity.


Note 2:           WHAT SHOULD BE OUR APPROACH

In this next guideline Baba clearly tells us what our approach should be.

                      Yato vishvam'...

Baba says, "Out of the grace of the supreme, the universe has emerged;
due to His grace, the universe preserves its existence; and because of
His grace, everything will finally dissolve in Him."

"So the final word in the realm of spirituality is the supreme grace of
Parama Purus'a. Intelligent people will understand this supreme truth
and move accordingly. It is true not only in the physical level, nor in
the physico-psychic level, nor in the psychic, nor in the
psycho-spiritual level, but in all levels."

"Finally, whatever you say or think, everything is finally embedded in
the grace of Parama Purus'a. The sooner this fundamental truth is
realised, the better it will be for all." (SS-18, 'Cult, Inference, &
Propensity')


Note 3:                THE FIRST LETTER IN THIS SERIES

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2011/02/unfortunate-umbrella.html


                                        PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Ceye gechi toma're, shato rupe shato ba're..." (P.S. 2503)

Purport:

Baba You are mine; my everything is depending on You. You are my Ista;
You are my Goal. Baba, I long to see You in hundreds of forms, hundreds
of times--again and again. But, You only got held in name, song, melody,
and tune. I only got You in those few ways. Baba, with my deep yearning,
I search for You very near in the depths of my heart; I do not ever want
for You to remain far away.

O' the Devata of Divine Effulgence, please come more close--silently,
please smile in my "I-feeling", in the deep core of my heart. Baba,
please fill my whole existence in Your divine effulgence, in Your
undying love, with parabhakti.

Baba, by Your grace I have a deep longing and earnest desire to have
You close, with the bond of love, in Your rhythmic expression and
resonance. Baba, I want You close, in the land of the sweet resonance of
the divine flute, in each and every blissful moment, in the world of the
divine effulgence and beyond-- eternally.    Baba, please shower Your
ahetuki krpa' and make my existence successful. O' my dearmost...

Wt Beauty Competition: Part 2

From: George Kourakos
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: Wt Beauty Competition: Part 2
Date: Sun 17 Oct 2010 23:11:48 -0000

Baba

"(Tumi) esechile mor bakul-bita'ne na' baliya' ka'r ghare..." (PS 4320)

Purport:

Baba, that time the place was surrounded by innumerable bakul flowers
which were blooming and You graced me by coming to my cottage during
that verdant spring season. With Your divine grace, You brought
devotional horripilation (goose bumps) throughout my entire existence
and You also vibrated the very pulsation of my blood. Baba, by having
You in such an intimate and close way, my life has become meaningful. It
is Your grace. Baba, soon after that golden dawn, Your liila moved into
a different phase. Because then You went away leaving me crying all
alone. O' my dearmost where did You go that time.

Baba, since then I have spent countless days and nights waiting--
sitting by my window threading heaps of flower garlands for You. But
that was all in vain because You did not come. It is painful that now I
no longer see that attractive & charming smile because You are keeping
Yourself distant. Now I no longer see that radiant smile which I used to
see on Your lips when You were with me.

Baba in longing for You, ages have passed since You came close.
Springtime has finished and now summer has come. My entire garden of
those sweet, fragrant bakul flowers has dried up and withered away in
this hot season*. Now that same window-- where I used to sit and make
garlands for You and wait-- is full of spider webs. Baba, it is so
painful and heartbreaking how You have gone so far away. And my mind is
completely dry in the absence of Your divine presence. O' my dearmost,
please shower Your causeless grace and appear in my heart in a very
intimate and charming way...

*Hot Season= In the absence of His presence, the sadhaka feels a
distinct dryness in his heart. Summer season-- or hot season-- has been
used as a metaphor to express that dryness in the devotees heart, where
one's devotional feeling is lower. And this happens with each and every
sadhaka. Sometimes when one feels dry and out of the spiritual flow then
that is summer season; and when one's flow of sadhana is good then that
can be compared with springtime because in their dhya'na they feel
greater proximity with Parama Purusa. But when one is experiencing the
dryness of summer, the best thing a devotee can do is to sincerely
request Baba to grace them by coming in their meditation.

== WT BEAUTY COMPETITION: PART 2 ==

Note: This entire issue is related with WT's. We are not applying such
points to margii life as Baba specifically discussed how Wts must
refrain from such things. Wts have their own conduct rules - because
some are not following this whole issue has come to the fore.


Namaskar,
The wholetimer beauty competition is in full form here in Ananda Marga.
In order to glorify oneself, our Wts have taken to gaorava
(self-aggrandizement). This self-aggrandizement expresses in three realms.

In the physical realm, some Dadas and Didis apply cosmetics, perfumes,
and other beautifying tricks to gain stature, show their spiritual
greatness and "aura", as well as impress and attract others.

This is the sad state of affairs for some of our Wts. Of course not all
are involved, but tragically some are. All of this and more is discussed
in the first letter of this series which focused on how some Wts are
turning to gaorava in the physical sphere.

In this letter we investigate how this disease of gaorava is taking form
in the mental and "spiritual" realms for some workers. This letter is
written with the benevolent motive to help and remind those who have
lost the path. We must always recall that Baba has given us all the duty
to gently remind and point out any in the Marga who are not following
conduct rules - including Wts.

GAORAVA & INTELLECTUAL LIFE

In addition to the many artificial and superficial ways that Wts have
taken for beautifying themselves in the physical realm, we should also
understand how gaorava gets expressed by Wts in their intellectual life
as well.

For starters, such persons always wish to portray themselves as "knowing
everything". You may have met people like this. This is also the disease
of gaorava.

They wish to pretend that they are very learned and above the common
people. If we see someone like that we know they are suffering from this
disease.

Baba says, "Many of them try to project themselves as educated by using
their wealth or official status. They open clubs or libraries to impress
upon others that they should not be equated with the common people. They
pretend to understand and know a lot, smile scholastically with closed
eyes, and speak sparingly with reserve and gravity to ensure that they
do not unwittingly expose themselves!" (HS-1)

Such is the way of their behaviour. Baba has painted a graphic picture.
You may recall watching some of our workers fall in this very manner.

Another way this gets expressed is that after teaching a seminar some
big Dadas say, "I think my class was not very good." When in truth they
wish for everyone to praise their class up to the sky. That is all they
want to hear. The proof being that if you point out defects in their
class they will be furious with you. So their whole intention is to be
complimented and praised. That is also the disease.

In contrast, a mother does not breast feed her baby in hopes of being
praised. This is not her expectation. She feeds the baby with great care
and love out of a deep sense of duty and internal commitment. The mother
neither expects recognition nor wishes to be praised on this point.

And with regards to those wholetimers giving presentations, let us
consider this: If they were delivering their lecture to please Parama
Purusa then there would not be any need to make such a drama in order to
get praised. A true bhakta does to please Parama Purusa and does not
care about praise or censure.

Those whose mind is diseased and are hungry for praise, they are even
ever-ready to do bad things in order to get praised. They do not have
the courage to do good works for fear of being abused. Such persons are
cowards; there are countless people like this in the society - and
tragically some withing the ranks of our Wt cadre.

So if any Dada ever asks such a question - "I think my class was not
very good" - after their seminar or presentation then we know that they
suffer from gaorava or self-aggrandizement, and maybe other psychic
diseases as well.

GAORAVA & FAKE SPIRITUAL LIFE

The next question is how gaorava affects and ultimately ruins spiritual
life. That we should also know as Baba has given the underlying
spiritual science.

Spirituality means surrendering to Parama Purusa and ultimately becoming
one with Him. And tantra means expanding one's existence
psycho-spiritually with the help of one's mantra.

When the goal is Parama Purusa, then our each and every activity in our
day to day life is focused on Baba. All our sadhana lessons and
everything we do from morning to sunset, and childhood to death -
everything is spiritually focused. Because the goal is Parama Purusa and
the mind is goaded towards Him.

But those suffering from gaorava think about themselves. Their goal is
oneself - not Parama Purusa. Hence theirs is the path of fake spirituality.

Indulging in gaorava (self-aggrandizement) means falling onto the path
of negative pratisaincara. Why? Because the person is not focusing their
mind towards Ista, i.e. Parama Purusa. Instead they are just involved in
their own personal ego. In that case the mind will become smaller and
smaller and gradually they will not be a normal human being. They will
become degraded.

What to say of mukti and moksa, such a person is sinking deep into the
clutches of animal life. Why? Because the goal was just their own unit
self - i.e. not Parama Purusa but their own little ego. In that case
they are sure to degrade. Hence the path of gaorava is a very dangerous
path.

Here is how the science works.

Baba says, "Ya'drshii bha'vana' yasya siddhirbhavati ta'drshii - “As you
think, so you become.”" (AV-4)

When you concentrate your mind on your own glory and greatness then your
mind becomes narrower and narrower and degrades, until finally one
becomes crude like stone or metal. That is negative pratisaincara.

Let us remember that a sannyasi means the one who is dedicated to Parama
Purusa and their goal is one: To serve and please Parama Purusa. There
is no second goal. Otherwise they are fake.

TRUE SPIRITUALITY VS FAKE SPIRITUALITY

Hence, in the spiritual realm, is there scope for self-aggrandizement or
gaorava? In true spirituality there is no scope because in devotional
life there is no space in the mind to think about oneself. Devotion
itself means that the mind is focused on Parama Purusa. So there is no
room to think about any other thing - what to say about oneself.

But in fake spirituality there is surely scope. That is why we see many
hypocrites posing as great spiritualists yet their conduct and behaviour
is just the opposite. By this way people can easily recognise who is who.

They hardly like to do sadhana but brag about doing whole night sadhana.
They pretend to be strict when others are around but other times they
are not doing sadhana but watching movies and gossiping. But when they
get the opportunity to sit in front of others they brag about higher
practices and vishesh yoga. They talk about old stories about how Baba
blessed them. It is not difficult to recognise such people. They are
very narrow minded, money minded and groupist. They fight for post and
money. The best thing is to watch how they conduct themselves in private
behind closed doors. Then you can understand their hypocrisy.

WHY THEY FALL IN THIS TRAP

Why do people fall in that trap of gaorava or self-aggrandizement?

The first reason is that all come from animal life and fall prey to
certain lower expressions of mind. This has been described up above.

Secondly, the trend of the general society is towards materialism. That
means people are involved in their own external beauty and wish to
project themselves as being something great, i.e. superior to who they
are. This is all due to their materialistic way of living.

When general flow of society is towards materialism then the mass of
people fall in that trap. They get caught in things like
self-beautification and self-glorification. Then we know they have
fallen into gaorava marga (path of hell) and lost their Goal.

OUR DUTY

Now it is the duty of every disciple of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji to
watch and see if anyone is choosing this wrong path of raorava marga,
i.e. hell. We should try to protect them by pointing them out.

Baba says, "All Ananda Margis, when they see other Margis acting against
the principles of yama and niyama, must make them shun this habit either
by sweet or harsh words or by dealing even more strictly." (A Guide to
Human Conduct)

Thus it is our duty to open the eyes of those involved in this fake
beauty competition (first) / self glorification (second). If we do not
wake them from their stupor, they will continue to fall deeper into the
dungeon of materialism.

BABA'S BLESSING

Baba says, "It is the innate characteristic of the human mind to become
as it thinks – Ya'drshii bha'vana' yasya siddhirbhavati ta'drshii [“As
you think, so you become.”]" (AV-4)

Thus those who are just thinking about their own so-called beauty
(first) / own glory and greatness (second) are bound to fall and ruin
themselves. We should help them climb back onto the path of spirituality
and think of Baba. Then they will truly become great.

Baba says, "To associate oneself with Parama Purus'a, the Supreme
Entity, is the actual sa'dhana'. There is no one greater than Parama
Purus'a, and so, when the mind ideates on Him, it expands." (AV-4)

The list of Didis in physical beauty is much more and their name will be
listed in the next issue. In contrast, more Dadas are seemed to be
involved in gaorava in the mental plane. Please write in with what you
see happening with our workers in this regard.

Namaskar,
Gagan

Note 1: WHAT ONE DADA IS DOING

For example, here is one example of gaorava in the physical realm. There
are many such cases - this is but one.

Dada Rudrayamalananda is constantly applying scented spray and perfumes
in his underarms and clothes. Apparently he has a very bad body odor
problem. But the way to treat this is not by using crude cosmetics.

Those not careful about eating in restaurants and taking tamasik food,
then surely a foul smell is emitted from their body. That accounts for
why some Dadas are using perfumes etc. But that is not good as it goes
against WT rules.

Dada Rudrayamalananda is not a family man. If he was we would have
ignored this mattet. However he is wt and he should follow Baba's stated
rules on perfume/ beauty products and food. In the next letter other
Dadas will be mentioned.

Baba says, "...Artificially perfumed things should not be used." (32
Rules for Avadhuta, pt #12)

Baba says, "Perfumed oil should not be used" (32 Rules for Avadhuta, pt #3)

Baba says, "Any medicated soap, but not cosmetic or perfumed, should be
used" (32 Rules for Avadhuta, pt #8)

Baba says, "...Avadhuta shall not...use any article which is
artificially scented." (32 Rules for Avadhuta, pt #32)

Thus it is quite clear that in various ways Baba wholly condemns the use
of fake beauty paraphernalia. No Didi or Dada is to use such beauty aids.

Naturally, since it is detrimental to one's spiritual progress, sincere
margiis and devotees do not feel comfortable using cosmetic beauty
products because the goal of life is Parama Purusa - not superficial looks.

Finally, we should all keep in mind that females are more prone to use
such cosmetics. That is a fact. The proof being that the entire beauty
industry is directed towards females. But these days more males have
begun this game as well.

And about food Baba warns Wts about eating in restaurants.

Baba says, "Avadhuta will not take food in a hotel or a restaurant. Even
sattvika food taken in a restaurant will be treated as tamasik." (32
Rules for Avadhuta, pt #20)

Note 2: MORE ABOUT THIS AILMENT OF GAORAVA

Some fall prey to the psychic ailment known as self-aggrandizement or
gaorava. This is when people feel a need to present themselves as being
bigger or better than what they truly are.

Baba says, "Gaorava is the second type of aham'ka'ra [ego]. It means
“self-aggrandizement”. Puffed up with vanity, a person will want to
project his image in an exaggerated manner. Often we hear somebody say,
for example, that they have a rose the size of a balloon in their garden
– whereas actually the rose may be the size of a ping-pong ball.
Constant indulgence in this type of activity converts the mind into
matter."

"We have seen bulls moving about in the streets with an air of
arrogance. Such a bull creates a sound expressing the idea that it is
big – Ham bar'a'. But when the bull dies and ta'nt [vina string] is made
out of its intestines and musicians start playing on it, the sound which
is then emitted expresses the idea Tun bar'a' – meaning thereby that the
bull realizes that others are big, and realizes that he has arrived at
this condition because of his arrogance."

"In fact the inculcation of gaorava leads one to the worst hell. Just as
there are six layers, or lokas, of the Cosmic Mind above the crude
world, so are there six types of hell, six narakas, below the physical
world. The names of these hells are tala, atala, tala'tala, pa'ta'la,
atipa'ta'la and rasa'tala. Another term for rasa'tala is raorava naraka
– and a person indulging in gaorava will certainly go to raorava
[crudest state of mind]." (Ananda Vacanamrtam-23)

Note 3: FIRST LETTER ON THIS TOPIC

Here is the initial letter on this topic. This following letter
discusses the ways some of our Wts are beautifying their bodies in order
to attract a mate and compete in today's era of extreme materialism.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2010/10/wt-beauty-competition-part-1.html

******************************************
LONGEVITY

Baba says, "Spiritual practice makes the mind calm and quiet, and
maintains the nerves in a state of equipoise; and thus spiritual
practice increases longevity. Those Vaishnavites who are vegetarians,
who regularly sing spiritual songs, do meditation, perform virtuous
deeds and think pure thoughts, live longer than ninety years." (AV-33,
p.113)

Note: By following the devotional cult of AM and abiding by general
health rules every sadhaka is ensured a long and healthy life. That is
Baba's guarantee.

****************************************