How An Ordinary Person Becomes An Intellectual Satan

Date: Mon 28 Jan 2013 22:47:31 -0000
From: "Liiladhar Deva"
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: How An Ordinary Person Becomes An Intellectual Satan

Baba

== HOW AN ORDINARY PERSON BECOMES AN INTELLECTUAL SATAN ==

Namaskar,
Here following is one critical teaching from Baba about how those who accrue knowledge, without the spirit of welfare, pollute their own mind and endanger the greater society.

"The endeavour to assimilate things in the spiritual world is harmless and blameless. And the attempt to assimilate something in the psychic world, if it is directed towards the welfare of humanity, is also harmless. Otherwise, it pollutes the minds of people and makes them intolerant: it leads to conflicts between dogmas and theories and degrades people to the level of animality."

"In the past, the world has witnessed many struggles between dogmas, which have caused much bloodshed; this was a regular occurrence in the Medieval Age. And in the present day also, we witness clashes between one theory and another, which cause no less bloodshed; rather the bloodshed is greater than before. The degree of intolerance has increased immeasurably. People have lost faith in their fellow human beings; one state has lost faith in other states. In all spheres of life these days, people think one thing, say another thing, and do something entirely different. That is, hypocrisy is now at its peak."

"Now the question is: What is the motivation behind this? It is the tendency to assimilate ideas without the spirit of welfare – and, still more than this, the tendency to acquire the objects of material enjoyment in ever-increasing quantities."

"So whether in the material world or in the intellectual world, the predominant tendency that makes today's people, both individually and collectively, rush headlong without control, is the instinct of greed. The propensity of greed, if not controlled by rationality, or benevolent intellect, or spiritual practices, will lead to premature death. Nothing can save human beings from this. This instinct of greed has brought the present humanity to such a state that people no longer consider anything as sinful. Rather, they consider the “sin psychology” as a mental weakness, and the worst of sins are being glorified as the height of intellect, not only indirectly, but also openly." (Shivas Teachings – 1 (continued) (Discourse 10))

CHIEF CAUSE:

ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE DEVOID OF ANY WELFARE MOTIVE

In His above teaching, Baba clearly warns us that when people gain knowledge goaded by self-interest and not the motive of welfare, then the outcome is extremely harmful. That is the main guideline which Baba has expressed above. Tragically, that is what we see happening in this modern era.

In result, this earth has become "poisonous", where people have lost faith in their fellow humans. The root cause is one: Assimilating ideas without the spirit of welfare, i.e. acquiring knowledge for a selfish agenda, devoid of concern for others.

In their persistent quest for expansion, people are gaining more and more knowledge. Yet when that knowledge is not fortified with a benevolent outlook and a welfare motive, it is misused. People are employing their brains and intellect for harming, cheating, and deceiving others. They engage in clashes over one theory and another which cause tremendous bloodshed. In result, this earth has become unlivable for the common person.

The chief cause: Acquiring knowledge devoid of any welfare motive, just for selfish ends.

Most are increasing their intellectual capacity so they can gain the upper hand to achieve their selfish agenda. With their insatiable hunger for acquisition, people are hoarding psychic and physical wealth. Out of greed, they are willing to harm and hurt innocent people. This leads to conflicts over various dogmas and theories. There is a blatant lack of concern for others - what to speak of those high ideals of selflessness and sacrifice. Those ideals are essentially absent.

For these reasons, people have literally lost their regard for their fellow human beings. They look upon others with suspicion, fear, ambivalence, hatred, jealousy, and skepticism. All trust is gone. That is the unfortunate trend of this modern era.

And again the chief cause is one: Acquiring knowledge devoid of welfare motive and using that for selfish endeavors.

Bear in mind, knowledge is very important. One should learn. When accompanied by a benevolent intention, that knowledge can be used to help others and do great things on this earth. Goaded by self-interest, that knowledge will only harm society. In that case, knowledge is dangerous. Those who thirst after knowledge for selfish reasons are deadly. That is the main problem on this globe nowadays - knowledge for selfish pursuits leads to conflicts between dogmas and theories in the form of war, exploitation, and the imposition of harmful doctrines. These poisons are engineered by demons who have a lot of knowledge but are extremely selfish and crooked. They are the cause of countless massacres, and much bloodshed and infighting.

Beware of intellectuals who acquire knowledge without any service mentality - they are very dangerous. That is Baba's explicit warning. We should be careful.

Namaskar,
Liiladhar Deva

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

********************************************
Common People, Who Through Their Sweat And Blood,

Provide Vitality To Human Society - We Can't Ignore

   "Social progress is not and can never be achieved by individual effort. Some people lend their brains, others their hands, and others their legs. If we consider things carefully, to say that the legs are inferior and that the brain is superior, or that the brain has no value – that intellectuals are always exploiters and manual labourers are all that count – are both equally dangerous ways of thinking. The most important point to consider is who has utilized his or her ability and to what extent. Hanuman [the mighty monkey, a devotee of Rama in the mythological epic the Rámáyańa] fetched huge boulders to build a bridge across the sea, while the squirrels collected small pebbles. Yet intrinsically both these actions have the same value. We have no right to question anybody's sincerity, nor can we scoff at it. We cannot give more appreciation to those who have not utilized their potentialities properly but have done more work than to those who have fully utilized their talents."

   "Days roll on. Empires, wealth and valorous human deeds ride on the wings of time, creating only brief flashes of brilliance. Against this panorama the efforts of common people, like those of the squirrels, do not receive recognition – they are like stones lost in the shadows of towering mountains. The leaders of society perform outstanding feats which are recorded in glowing letters in the annals of history. The students of later ages do research on them. But the common people, who carried the golden banners of these heroes, disappear into oblivion. If we try to think of all of them, we will never finish. Is it possible to print everyone's obituaries in the newspaper? Is it possible to arrange commemoration services or to build shrines in memory of everybody? But in my opinion there is no use thinking about whether it is possible or not. Those who are magnanimous will openly recognize the greatness in the outstanding achievements of those who lived in the past, regardless of their intellect, education or rank. Those who through their sweat and blood provide vitality to human society do not need our approbation; but even so, why should we commit a social injustice by ignoring the work they have done, their karma sádhaná?" (Human Society - part 1, Social Justice)


Note: Baba's above teaching and guideline applies to all realms of life, including the struggle, growth, development, propagation, and establishment of our own Ananda Marga. There are countless nameless, faceless devotees who underwent tremendous hardship in order to propagate the ideals of Ananda Marga. They never came in the spotlight; their names were never in the newspaper; and their addresses may never be known; but, they sacrificed much for the great cause of dharma and universal well-being.

Here they are:

1. The widow whose only son or daughter became a wholetimer in Ananda Marga. In her old age, she suffered because no one was there to take care of her. Her progeny left to serve the greater humanity and due to a lack of governmental or other support, she could not get proper care. The latter years of that widow's life were filled with emotional challenges, loneliness, and physical hardship. To that widow, we pay our regards. Who can forget her sacrifice.

2. The mother whose children became LFT's to valiantly serve humanity. Instead of earning and bringing home funds for their laokik family, those idealistic youths sacrificed for the greater good of humanity. Yet their mother was faced with the prospect of "losing" her children - the very ones she raised. To see this unfold before her very eyes was painful and disheartening. No one can understand that woman's pain. Even then she held on - amidst the struggle and hardship. Who can forget her sacrifice.

3. Those sadhakas (male and female) who faced victimisation, humiliation, and torture by standing up to organised and non-organised religious and social dogmas like caste marriages, racial hatred, and women's rights etc. Who can forget their sacrifice.

4. The hundreds and thousands - wts and margiis alike - who were unjustly jailed by one tyrant trying to wipe out Ananda Marga. Such innocent sadhakas were arrested, put in isolation, and deprived of the basic necessities like proper food. Some were sentenced to grueling chores and work detail, while others were tortured outrightly. Their sacrifice cannot be forgotten. Who can forget their sacrifice.

5. Those sadhakas who held firm to Ananda Marga ideals in the face of huge backlash and oppression from the government, communists, local social pressure, and the various dogmatic religions. Through no fault of their own, they were sidelined, attacked, and rejected by the status quo. Yet these great sadhakas never bent - they maintained their ideological vision and standard. They sacrificed everything for Ananda Marga. We cannot ignore the work they have done - their karma sadhana. Who can forget their sacrifice.

6. Those brave Wts & Ananda Margiis who lost their lives in massacres and barbarous attacks by the communists. Their grand contributions for the cause of dharma will never be forgotten. Who can forget their sacrifice.

7. Those wives who shouldered more of the domestic responsibilities while their husbands were deeply involved in spreading the name of Ananda Marga and the glory of Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. Their husbands were unable to properly attend to their domestic responsibilities. Those margii wives had to maintain the home without proper support from their spouse. Yet they carried on, endured the hardship, and managed well. Their determination and hard work continues to stand. Their sacrifice can never be forgotten.

8. Those children who grew up only with their mother because their father was involved in the callings of Ananda Marga dharma pracara and service projects. Due to a lack of paternal guidance and support, their emotional needs were not adequately fulfilled. Yet they tried as best they could - many becoming strong sadhakas and devotees of Marga Guru. We cannot overlook their hardships and how they continued to strive. Who can forget the sacrifice of those young children.

10. All those who faced opposition - whether they be educated or illiterate, rich or poor, or ordinary or not - we should recognise everyone's contribution. That is what Baba's teaching tells us. Because of their dedication to the aims, disciplines and tenets of Ananda Marga, they faced so much trouble and animosity, yet they remained firm and spread the teachings of Ananda Marga by their own conduct and sacrifice. No matter how unimportant they may be in the eyes of the public - they are honoured and regarded by sadhakas around the globe. Those brave souls have put forth unparalleled contributions to establish Ananda Marga. Who can forget their dharmic efforts - who can forget their sacrifice. We cannot.

11. Those Wts who left worldly attachments to spread Ananda Marga ideology and the gospel of neo-humanism. Such workers experienced tremendous hardship - a number were jailed and killed. They all faced difficulties, and in some cases life-threatening, problems. Yet they remained true to the dharmic ideals of Ananda Marga as given by Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. Their efforts will live on and on in the hearts of sadhakas - all over. We cannot ignore the work they have done - their karma sadhana. Who can forget their sacrifice.

How can we forget the hardships, sacrifice, and tenacity of all those who endured struggle for the sake of propagating and establishing a great ideology. Forever they remain in our hearts and minds. Parama Pita Baba Kii - Jay!

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

How Even Good People Mess Up

Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2011 106:29:34 -0000
From: "Motilal Deva"
Subject: How Even Good People Mess Up
To: am-global@earthlink.net

BABA

              == HOW EVEN GOOD PEOPLE MESS UP ==

Namaskar,
We all want to move ahead in life and leave old habits behind, but it is
not always so easy. Often a person gets trapped or ensnared by past
behaviours. The mind clings on to "old ways of doing" and gets entangled
in past samskaras.

For instance:

A) A vegetarian fully aware of the negative effects of eating meat walks
past McDonald's and then turns around, goes inside, and eats a
hamburger, or perhaps one day he visits a friend's house and eats a
vegetable dish that contains a fish sauce.

B) A drug counselor, who's been "clean" for ten years and passes his
days teaching others about the ills of doing cocaine, gets arrested for
snorting cocaine in the basement of a pub.

C) A sadhaka who's been leading a sentient life for many years reverts
back to his old pre-sadhaka behviour by watching Hollywood / Bollywood
films in the evening and skipping over his sadhana routine.

We have all heard or seen such things transpire, either in our own life,
in the life of others, or, most likely, both.

Of course it does not have to be as blatant as the examples above. It
can be as "simple" as reverting back to any past behavior such as eating
sweets, or sleeping too much - even when we know that behaviour is not
good for us. We know but even then we do it.

How and why do such things happen?

None should think that these events just happen to crude people. Even
highly talented and successful people fall prey to this trap. Even our
esteemed acaryas have experienced such falls, big or small. What is the
reason?

According to Baba and His teaching of Ananda Marga ideology, the cause
and solutions to all these events are deeply rooted in spiritual science.


                      FIVE TYPES OF AVIDYA'

Here Baba points out the five types of avidya' and it is the last one -
abhinivesha - that pulls human beings back toward their crude behaviors
of old.

Baba says, "In a human being, klesha-vrtti is caused by avidya'.
Avidya', that is, the cardinal ignorance, is arranged in five stages.
Those five stages are avidya', asmita', ra'ga, dves'a and abhinivesha.
These forms of avidya' are the causes of the birth of klis't'a'-vrtti."
(AV-2)

Baba says, "Defective cognition causes five kinds of afflictions, which
are also known as the five Avidya's: avidya' (negative force), asmita'
(egotism), ra'ga (blind attachment), dves'a (repulsion) and abhinivesha
(self-obsession)." (AMIWL-9)

Thus it is abhinivesha which drags us back towards our dark past.

Because the mind is fully aware about the past - but not aware about the
future. Naturally then, it is quite easy for the mind to think about the
past. It is a known entity. And then, once it thinks about the past, it
is just a matter of time until one starts following those old patterns
of behaviour. This is the common cycle or downward spiral.


          ABHINIVESHA IS THE WORST, "MOST DANGEROUS"

Here Baba explains the key point about why abhinivesha is so dangerous.
The tricky thing about abhinivesha is that in cent-per-cent of the cases
the person involved knows that doing xyz is bad, even then he does it.
Such is the strong pull or allurement of abhinivesha.

    Abhinivesha: Svarasovahi vidus'ohpi tatha' ru's'hobhinivesha.

Baba says, "The last one and the most dangerous one is abhinivesha. Even
the learned persons and the jina'niis, the scholars know that this is
this and that is that or what is what and which is which. Even knowing
everything they are entrapped by certain propensities. This particular
nature of weakness is called abhinivesha. Several times you would see a
teacher moving his fingers as if he is using a cane. In class room he
uses cane. Now there is no cane in hand but he is moving his finger in
that style. A drunkard knows that drinking is a very bad practice. Even
then he can not give it up. These are all examples of abhinivesha." (AV-2)

Even when the rational mind is aware that stealing oversleeping, lying,
or overeating is harmful, still a person easily falls prey to their old
behaviours. That is why it is so dangerour: despite our awareness of the
inherent danger or harm, even then we resort to that action.


               HUMANS MOSTLY GUIDED BY SENTIMENT

As human beings we are mostly guided by sentiment - it is rare for one
to be exclusively guided by rationality and ideology. By His grace we
can and will achieve this, but most commonly human sentiment pulls
people in one way or another.

In addition, that familiarity with ones old behaviors (samskaras)
creates a deep impression in the mind. In that case, within our own mind
we have a tendency toward animalistic or static habits.

This is the case with everyone. Thus between the laws of karma and our
sentimental mind, the human psychic plane is a breeding ground for
abhinivesha. That aspect of avidya' ma'ya' grows like weeds in the human
mind.


                       CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE

Here Baba points out how everyone - even great and talented people - get
caught in the clutches of abhinivesha.

Baba says, "Svarasova'hii vidus'o'pi tatha'ru'd'ho’bhiniveshah – “Even a
great scholar, a highly learned person, who knows what is proper and
what is improper, is still driven by his inherent reactive momenta, and
knowingly moves towards improper and undesirable things.” This mental
disease, which is in fact a crude movement driven by avidya' [ignorance,
force of extroversion from the Cosmic Nucleus], is called abhinivesha."
(SS-24)

In each and every land and country there are examples of well-known,
well-educated people who knew better but still got caught in the
hell-fire of abhinivesha. And in the end, they suffered terribly for it,
often ruining their lives.

A few years ago, the very, very popular and well-respected governor of
NY was caught in total scandal. For years and years he was a district
attorney who fought hard against prostitution, and then while governor
he himself got caught visiting a prostitute while on a business trip to
Washington. He was obviously quite aware about the negativity and danger
of prostitution, even then he himself got lured into it. In result he
lost his job, faced severe public humiliation, and destroyed his family
life as his wife and four teen-age daughters were aghast at what their
father had done.

This next case is more well-known. The former President Bill Clinton had
been caught cheating on his wife before he became president - he knew of
all the hazards involved - even then he fell into that trap again while
president. We all know the details. No need to repeat them here.

The main idea is that even when one has full and complete knowledge of
the horrors and defects of doing certain wrongful or crude acts, still
one falls face down in the mud because when those ideas start swirling
in the mind, it is not easy to overcome the temptation.

That is why even good people mess up and ruin their lives due to the
nasty curse of abhinivesha. This happens everywhere.

Indeed without sadhana, one is sure to fall prey to abhinivesha in one
manner or another. And even with sadhana, we can see that often people
get caught, to some degree or another, if they are not cent-per-cent
careful.


              BABA'S STORY ABOUT ABHINIVESHA

Here Baba shares with us one story about abhinvesha.

Baba says, "Incidentally, I remember a story. Once there was an
alcoholic who realized, by studying good books and generally cultivating
his knowledge, that addiction to wine is a very bad habit indeed. Under
the influence of Vidya' shakti he even made a vow to give up the habit
of drinking on the next auspicious day. When that auspicious day came he
marched resolutely past the wine bar he used to frequent. When he was
ten steps past the wine bar he said in self-appreciation, “Well done,
mind. You are so firm in your resolution to kick the habit of drinking
that you’ve succeeded in taking ten steps past the wine bar.
Congratulations! Today I will reward you for your courage. Let’s open
two bottles of wine!” After that the alcoholic continued to visit the
wine bar regularly and drink large quantities of wine. This story is a
beautiful illustration of abhinivesha or psychic obsession." (AMIWL-8)

The force of avidya known as abhinivesh is so strong that even when we
have been defeating that very problem, still it can crop up and ensnare
us. Because abhinivesha resides in the deepest, darkest corner of the
human psyche.


                  WHAT IS THE SOLUTION

By Baba's grace there are a number of solutions, and we must adhere to
most or all of them in order to conquer the age-old psychic ailment
known as abhinivesha.

1) Reading the shastras - books of Ananda Marga - give us the knowledge
and inspiration and lead a proper life, away from our past samskaras.
Svadhyaya then is very important. However, svahdyaya alone is not
enough. Theoretical knowledge can only bring us so far in life. We must
also fortify ourselves with practical experience.

2) Singing kiirtan is a great way to divert the mind from old thoughts
and invite a spirtual newness or slow in our psychic arena. By singing
and dancing and ideating on Baba, then we can wash away the ill-effects
of abhinivesha from the mind.

Baba says, "The human brain is limited, and its nerve cells also have a
limited capacity: they cannot tolerate these growing complexities.
Kiirtan gives bliss to Parama Purus'a in the mental sphere, and it also
brings joy to human beings both individually and collectively; it leads
them on the path of welfare and frees them from all these complexities.
It removes all the diseases of the intellect and allows people to think
easily and in the proper way." (AV-22)

3) Doing sadhana is another very important practice for overcoming
abhinivesha. Our sadhana system, as we all know is very scientific. It
combines two distinct features or philsophies: As you think so you
become & the channelisation of mind. With these principles at work in
nearly every lesson- and most certainly in 1st lesson and dhyana, then
one's entire mental stratum get cleaned and pointed towards the Supreme
Entity. In that case all one's past samskaras related with abhinivesha
get smothered and removed from the mind.

4) Surrounding ourselves with satsaunga helps ensure we stay on the
proper path. Good company keeps us from reverting to old behaviours.
That is why satsuanga is looked upon as a key ingredient for attaining
liberation.

Baba says, 'Satsaun'ga provides a positive psychic environment. Good
company leads to liberation whereas bad company is the cause of
bondages." (Yoga Psychology)

Thus if we continually divert the mind towards Parama Purusa using the
aforementioned practices and approaches then it is sure that we can
overcome the trappings of abhinivesha. We must never let the mind get
diverted towards negative thoughts and past samskaras. And the way to do
that is to point the mind in a positive direction by thinking of Parama
Purusa. Then abhinivesha cannot grab hold of us.


                        BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace,l from this very moment, we will all move straight
toward to His cosmic nucleus and not get sucked into old, crude
behaviors due to the psyhic disease known as abhinivesha.

Baba says, "From where does abhinivesha derive its impetus? From the
acquired sam'ska'ras of human beings. As long as human beings are guided
by their own individual flow, they are microcosms, and when they are
guided by the Cosmic flow (Brahmarasa or Para'rasa) they become
liberated souls – they become one with Shiva." (AMIWL-8)

Namaskar,
Motilal

    
                                  PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Toma'kei a'mi bha'loba'siyachi, keno ba'siya'chi ja'ni na'..." (P.S. 304)

Purport:

O' my dearmost Baba, I love only You. Why I love You that I do not
know-- I cannot say. But one thing is sure, from the deepest core of my
heart I love You. Baba, by Your grace I have chosen Your path. You are
my Polestar and I never have any iota of doubt why I have come on this
path. My eyes remain fixed on Your blissful arrival, looking for You day
and night.

Baba, my mind always remembers You. In good times and bad, my mind
always remains awake thinking about You. Baba please grace me by coming in
my mind all the time-- during sleep & while awake, all the 24 hrs. Except
You I do not believe anything. You alone are the love of my life.

Baba, whatever may be the height of the tidal waves, and no matter how
severe the difficulties are, always I will march ahead on Your path. And by
Your divine grace I will continue to overcome all obstacles and reach unto
You. Baba, other than You I have no desire. You are my Goal. You are my
Ista.

You are the Essence of my existence my Soul of soul. Baba, You are my
dearmost, I love only You...


     ******************************************
                   Who is Dharmic

Baba says, "By observing people's conduct one will easily notice those who
are absorbed in divine love. Such people could never think of exploiting
others. Some of you know how I have described the exploiters. I said they
are adha'rmika - unvirtuous and sinful people." (AV-7, p.12)

In the above teaching Baba is guiding us that by seeing the conduct we can
understand and recognise who is a devotee. Because everybody knows that
devotees never cheat others. Whereas those who exploit others are sinful
and they are not devotees.

Baba says, "If by building big temples and large rest houses for pilgrims
they think they are showing their love for God, they are false, vain, and
hypocritical. By giving away illgotten money the exploiters will never be
able to cover up their sins. One cannot acquire love for God so easily."
(AV-7, p.12)

Here Baba is warning us how certain misguided and simple people think that
by erecting temples, big buildings, shrines, memorials and establishing
holy lands like the Jamalpur birthplace and the Tiljala Memorial building
they will thereby glorify themselves as great devotees. But the reality is
something else. Because those who are behind these projects are just
"hypocritical" and "false". They are cheating margiis by taking away their
money and putting that in one of their tiirthas. Means such crude leaders
knowingly give false sentiments and cheat and befool simple margiis in
order to get their money. They say that, 'You will get virtue by doing this
and that this is the only way to please Baba'. By this way simple people
get deceived and tricked into giving their whole life savings to the
Tiljala memorial or Jamalpur birthplace building.

Baba says, "Those who have attained Iishvaraprema, can never and will never
exploit others. They will raise their voice against all sorts of tyranny,
injustice and exploitation. Those who do not possess that kind of honest
courage to oppose all wrongs are nothing but fakes-- they are never
genuine." (AV-7, p. 12)

Some Wts do not like these types of negative tiirtha projects that are
imposed by various crude so-called leaders of AM. Because building up a
holy land goes completely against the spirit of Baba's omnipresent nature.
So making a holy land is outrightly adharmic. But even then those
discontented Dadas never dare to oppose nor do they ever express their
severe dissatisfaction. With the ultimate irony being that they end up
becoming tools to exploit margiis by convincing them to donate whatever
money they have for building of these tiirthas.

So those directly exploiting margiis and those who are cowardly supporting
the dogmatic tiirtha agenda-- both these parties are fake. They are not
genuine devotees. Everyone should recognise this basic truth which Baba is
guiding in the above divine 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...

Deep Meaning Behind Story

Date: 16 Dec 2010 06:19:58 -0000
From: "Subhash  Dholakia"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Deep Meaning Behind Story

Baba

"Jhainjha' jadi a'se jujhite shakati dio..." (P.S. #1783)

Purport:

 Baba, You are my Saviour. If in my life a hurricane or typhoon comes,
then You please provide me the strength to fight and face that negative
situation. And give me the strength to struggle and persevere.
 Baba, if ever in my life lethargy and frustration comes, then please
provide me strength to hold onto Your feet. And to go on moving on Your
path.  Baba, by Your grace I am treading on Your path. You please color
my mind with Your color in all situations. During both pleasure and pain.
  With Your divine grace, if my mind becomes radiant then it cannot be
covered by staticity during times of cimmerian darkness. Please grant me
strength to follow Your dictates.   Baba, please grace me and give me
the force to go on marching on the path of effulgence, in an undaunted
way moving ahead. And please give me strength by Your grace, to jump up
and take on ever-new tasks to serve the downtrodden people.
  And please bless me by Your Varabhaya mudra. So in my life, I never
feel fear or cowardice to fight against demonic forces. Baba, in all the
circumstances I am completely depending on Your grace. Without Your
grace, nothing is possible...


              == DEEP MEANING BEHIND STORY ==

Namaskar,
Various gurus have always used stories to communicate important ideas to
the common citizens.

Our human society is comprised of so many people, each with their own
interests, talents, and abilities. Some are intellectuals, some are
technicians, some are artists, and some are scientifically or
mathematically inclined etc.

Everyone has their own specialty, bent of mind, interests, and
understanding.

Hence when a guru wants to convey a teaching to the entire public, the
guru will often give the teaching in the form of a story. Because
regardless of one's psychic inclination, everybody loves a story. All
will listen and learn.

Baba, being the Taraka Brahma and Supreme Guru, has also told many
stories. And embedded in those stories are the gems and jewels of AM
ideology. Hence not only should we enjoy Baba's wonderful stories, but
we should understand them deeply and apply them in our practical lives.


                   MANGO GROVE STORY

One of the famous stories which Baba has repeated in numerous discourses
is the story of the jinani and bhakta visiting a mango grove. Everyone
in the Marga is aware about this story because Baba has used it again
and again.

As we recall, both a jinani and a devotee go to a mango grove.
Immediately the jinani (intellectual) becomes highly involved in
counting the trees, measuring the length of the branches, checking out
the leaves, and classifying the mangoes according to their genus type
such as Mangitera Zeylanica, Valcarrie, Bombay Ratual, Aroemanis, and
Nam Doc Mai etc. The jinani is involved in all kinds of research and
calculations regarding those mangos. In contrast, upon entering the
mango grove, the devotee goes up to the first tree, grabs a ripe mango,
sits down, and enjoys the sweet taste of that delicious mango. At the
end of the day, the jinani is very hungry and the devotee is totally
satisfied.

This type of mango grove story Baba has recounted various times.


                IS IT SO SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND

Just because it sounds like a simple story, we should not therefore
conclude that the meaning is also so simple. There is a deeper meaning
that all may not be aware about. Then of course there is also the matter
of applying it to our own lives in a practical and tangible way.

Baba has told this story because He wants to convey its significance to
everyone. That much we all know. And the most basic idea He is giving is
that devotion is very important and we should all aim to become
devotees. This much also everyone understands.

Beyond that there is more to know, and that is why this story is a real
treasure.


         PRACTICALLY APPLYING THE STORY HUMAN LIFE

When Baba says that jinanis enter the mango grove and start counting the
trees and analyzing the leaves, but miss out on the fruit, Baba is
guiding us that jinanis come into this world and study so many things,
from lokas to microvita, from kosas to cakras, but they miss out on the
real essence of life, i.e. engaging in sadhana and getting Parama Purusa
and His bliss.

Whereas when a devotee enters a mango grove then he eats the mango and
does not get sidetracked by anything else. Similarly, when a bhakta is
born on this earth he aims for and attains Parama Purusa, and he does
not get waste his time in other useless pursuits like name, fame, or
fortune etc.

Even then it is not so easy to understand.


       PRACTICALLY APPLYING THE STORY TO OUR OWN LIFE

When a devotee eats the mango, that presents a colorful and
mouth-watering image for what it means to attain Parama Purusa. Thus
getting Parama Purusa is not some abstract theoretical notion.

In our day to day practical lives, eating the mango, or getting Parama
Purusa means getting bliss out of all the lessons, thinking of Him
always, and feeling His love practically in your heart.

Just as all the taste buds of the devotee in the mango grove are
immersed in the sweet sensation and taste of that mango, similarly a
true bhakta in this quiquelemental world practically feels Baba's divine
vibration in sadhana and even when not in sadhana. One will practice all
the lessons joyfully, doing them will not be burdensome. True bhaktas
feel His inner sweet touch just by closing their eyes or by thinking of
Him. They are always immersed in His flow and life passes blissfully in
that way.

So being a bhakta is not some dry, theoretical experience. One cannot
just say that, "well I have been in AM a long time so I am therefore a
devotee of Baba." It does not work that way.

One can only say they are a bhakta if they tangibly feel Baba's blissful
presence in their heart night and day. Just like a bhakta in the mango
grove can practically taste the juicy sweetness of that fruit. So one is
only a bhakta if really attend to sadhana with great sincerity and feel
the only aim in their life is to serve and please Parama Purusa. Such
persons are not harboring any other idea related with career goals,
prestige, money, or spouse etc. Then one is a bhakta otherwise not.

Baba has told the mango grove story because He wants us all to know the
devotion is the most important element in human life. And He wants that
we should become devotees. And the way to do that is by wholly diving
into the realm of sadhana. Getting bliss in sadhana and loving Him in
dhyana is what it means to eat mangoes in the grove. There is no second
or third meaning.

Thus we should understand the inner meaning of the devotee in the mango
grove and then honestly evaluate if we really satisfy that criteria or
not. And if not, then we should put forth sufficient effort in our
kiirtan and sadhana to get our mind moving in that direction.


                  HOW SOME MISUNDERSTAND

Unfortunately, it is highly possible, or even probable, that there are
some who call themselves as bhaktas, yet they are not really involved in
tasting the mango. They are not involved in sadhana.

They may struggle to even sit in sadhana; they will not complete the
lessons; and their mind just flickers in various directions when doing
sadhana. Such a person then has no quality of being called a devotee.

But that same person may think that, "I have a good reputation in AMPS
and I have started many projects, built so many schools, and my name is
printed on the newsletter or Prout magazine", and for that reason they
think that they are a bhakta.

When in fact nothing could be farther from the truth. Instead they are
merely falling into self-deception.

Because everyone wants to think of themselves as being a devotee, but we
should not fall prey to false notions of what a devotee is or who we
are. That is why Baba has given the mango grove story. Because it
practically teaches us who a devotee is, i.e. those fully engaged in
sadhana, and emphasizes that devotion is the only way human beings reach
fulfillment and get Him.


         THE FATE OF SUCH JINANIS, WHILE BHAKTAS GET HIM

The jinani who is puffed up with the pride of his knowledge will never
be satisfied within, rather he will always be looking outwardly to get
some praise etc. And in the end of life they will not get Parama Purusa,
but will instead get thrust back into the cycle of life and death or
float around the universe as some kind of microvita, like vidyadhara
etc. Such is their empty fate.

While the bhakta will always keep Parama Purusa in the forefront of
their mind, be immersed in His bliss, and ultimately become one with
Him. That is what it means to eat the mango and that is what we are to
do in this life.

Baba says, "The devotee will pluck a ripe mango and eat it... the
devotees will get real bliss...Devotees will come under the shelter of
Parama Purus'a...and cross the Cosmic Cycle comfortably." (AV-1)

Namaskar,
Subhash

          ***************************************
       Unruly Free Mixing between Males and Females?

Parama Purusa Baba says, "It does not require the harnessing of any
elaborate logic or reasoning to convince people that the final outcome
of permissiveness is not healthy. But it is also true that the result of
free mixing in society, without self-control, is bad...Hence, along with
the recognition of the freedom of the two sexes, a well-judged code of
self-control will also have to be associated with their mutual mixing."
(HS-1, p. 35)
          ***************************************