Why Some Do Not Feel Graced

Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:33:49

From: Pradiip Deva
Subject: Why Some Do Not Feel Graced
To: am-global@earthlink.net

Baba

== WHY SOME DO NOT FEEL GRACED ==

Namaskar,
As sadhakas, one of the main things in life – or the main thing in life – is to cultivate a sweet and intimate relation with Parama Purusa.

Because only He is our eternal Friend who remains along with us forever and ever; only He is that all-powerful Entity of this grand universe who can save us from all kinds of troubles and difficulties; only He is that Bliss Personified Entity who can fill our hearts with unending love and compassion.

So when Parama Purusa alone is that Divine One, naturally then it is most advantageous and very intelligent to nurture an intimate relation with Him.

In Baba’s below mentioned guideline, He uniquely shows us how in our day to day existence we can establish such a devotional and intimate link with Parama Purusa – one that will grow and flourish more and more by His grace.

BABA’S GRACE IS EVERYTHING

To do anything in this universe takes energy, and that energy comes from Him.

All of us are aware and it is indeed well known that the devotional scriptures of A’nanda Ma’rga proclaim that everything happens due to the supreme grace of Parama Purusa. There is not a single event or day to day occurrence that transpires in this vast expressed universe that is not the direct result of His divine grace – His krpa’.

Gurukrpa’ hi kevalam
“The Guru’s grace is everything.”

Baba says, “This alone is the supreme truth. This is the be-all and end-all of life.” (A Few Problems Solved - 8)

Hence it is a universal truth and well accepted fact that Baba’s grace is everything. All good things in life and all positive results are all due to His causeless grace.

Even then, due to their vanity, in their heart of hearts various jinanis have their own separate perspective.

The bhakta feels in his heart that Parama Purusa is gracious and doing everything whereas jinanis feel that they themselves are doing everything. And that is the big different in mind-set between the two.

Bhaktas give credit to Parama Purusa and that brings more feelings of devotion, while the jinanis give credit to themselves and that creates the feeling of vanity, i.e. the umbrella of vanity. That is why some do not feel graced.

WHO SHOULD BE GIVEN CREDIT

Let's analyse who should be given credit when any work is done.

Suppose you performed an action. Someone fell down on the railroad tracks and you picked them up and saved their life and the next day it was reported in the newspaper. By reading the article, you become very happy and proud of your good deed. Others are appreciating you and you are pleased with yourself. From the viewpoint of the general society, this is all quite normal.

According to the dharmic dictates of Ananda Marga, we should see things completely differently. Because we have to see where the energy came from to do such an action.

The common people think that you did this work with your own energy, but when we think in spiritual way, then we can easily understand that you did not pull that person from the tracks with your own energy. You derived your energy from the air, sunlight, water, food, and from life itself. You are not your own source of energy. It is coming from somewhere else - from all these elements.

If we examine the issue more deeply, we can understand that the ultimate source of all energy and all vitality is Parama Purusa. So then who should get the credit? The Owner and Source of all energy, or should you get the credit. Certainly Parama Purusa. Not to understand this simple truth is foolishness. Those who live off other's energy and strength yet are proud about their own accomplishments thinking they they have done this with their own energy are veritable fools.

Here is another way of thinking of things.

Suppose one master gave $30 to his servant to purchase medicine for a needy person. Thereafter, the servant feels proud that he himself contributed that money. And he starts boasting about his great act of giving. Naturally, everyone around thinks that servant is crazy. Because, in truth, all he did was spend the master's money yet he (the servant) is bragging as if he gave the money for helping the needy.

The point is easy to understand. When all one's energy comes from Parama Purusa naturally credit should be given to Him. That is what bhaktas do. Those who do not understand this think that they themselves are the doer. Such persons are are called jinanis - according to in AM philosophy. These jinanis do not just reside in the "underworld" or in "heaven" - they are among us. We should ask ourselves: "Am I a jinani? Do I give appreciation and credit to Parama Purusa? Or do I only appreciate myself, not Him.

That Divine Entity should be given all of the credit. Giving credit to Him is devotion.

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 - 18, The Path unto the Abode of Beatitude)

STORY OF TWO DISCIPLES: TWO OPPOSITE PERSPECTIVES

Once upon a time there were two disciples of the Supreme Guru.

One of the disciples was very simple in nature and he readily accepted the fact that all the favourable developments in his life and all the successes in his life were due to Guru’s Grace -  the grace of Parama Purusa. This was his regular way of thinking. And the more his mind thought like this, the closer he felt with Parama Purusa.

By that way each and every moment he would say, “O’ Lord You are the Great Doer behind my each and every action. You conceive of the work, You execute the work, and You are the One who makes that work successful. Everything sweet in my life -  everything accomplished in my life – is a direct outcome of Your divine grace. That is why I always repeat Your divine name.”

So in that way, all day and all night long that simple disciple was forever involved in singing Kiirtan and repeating his Ista mantra and Guru mantra. And naturally that same disciple felt closer and closer to Parama Purusa – day by day.

The above disciple is a bhakta as he gives all credit to Parama Purusa and realises that Parama Purusa is gracious.

STORY OF TWO DISCIPLES: TWO OPPOSITE PERSPECTIVES (Part II)

In stark contrast, the other disciple had a more jinani bent of mind. He was very proud of his own knowledge and capabilities, and accordingly he felt that whatever good things he had achieved in this life were a direct result of his own talents and his own efforts. This jinani was thinking that he himself was doing all the hard labour and that Parama Purusa is just keeping still – not doing anything.

This mentality is the notorious umbrella of vanity. When any simple or hard work is accomplished then that work can be viewed in two distinctly different ways. One may think that it is His grace or one may think that ‘I did this work’. By this way one either goes closer to or farther from Parama Purusa. If one thinks that ‘I did this work’ then that is the umbrella of vanity and that pushes the person away from Parama Purusa. So this umbrella of vanity brings degeneration.

Let us always remember that Parama Purusa is equally gracious on everyone – whether one understands this or not.

So when it came time to explain his own achievement, then this jinani always harboured the idea that it was all due to his own hard work and perseverance. This was his inner feeling. That was how he explained his own successes in life. And he felt that nobody worked as hard as he did.

But when he saw anyone else getting any type of success in life, then out of extreme jealously and with his skewed intellectual understanding, that jinani would proclaim:

‘This person has no talent or ability, he cannot do anything, so it stands to reason that his success is only due to the grace of Parama Purusa. But in my life it is not like that; in my life I have worked hard to achieve everything I have gotten’.

This was the extreme type of vanity that clouded the jinani’s mind.

STORY OF TWO DISCIPLES: TWO OPPOSITE PERSPECTIVES (Part III)

In that case how was it possible for the jinani to develop a sweet feeling towards Parama Purusa. Unfortunately it was not. This very crude outlook – this type of umbrella of vanity – totally hindered his own ability to cultivate an intimate and devotional relation with Parama Purusa.

That is why this jinani would often proclaim, ‘I do not feel the grace of Parama Purusa – where is it, I do not feel it’. And when any problem would appear in his life then he would automatically start blaming Parama Purusa for placing this obstacle on his pathway. This was the unfortunate and low-minded perspective of that jinani.

Whereas the more simple devotee’s outlook was the exact opposite. This simple sadhaka attributed all good tidings as being a direct result of the fathomless grace of Parama Purusa. And he felt that if any problem ever came in his life then surely Parama Purusa is there to solve it. This was the natural feeling in his mind. And by thinking like this and by realising this divine and universal truth that Parama Purusa is always gracing and saving him, this simple devotee naturally began to feel a closer and more sentimental link with Parama Purusa.

BEGGAR EXAMPLE

At this point, still a few may be wondering how it is possible to develop a more intimate relation with Parama Purusa merely by thinking that everything is due to His grace. Some may be wondering how this works. Perhaps we can look at it this way.

Suppose one beggar arrives at the door of one householder. Upon seeing this ravenous beggar, the householder graciously feeds the beggar a variety of tasty and sumptuous dishes on and on until finally the hungry beggar has eaten up to his heart’s content.

Thereafter if the beggar has a sense of gratitude and thinks that he was fed due to the kindness and generosity of that particular householder, then naturally the beggar will develop a sweet feeling in his heart for that householder. And he will walk around town telling to one and all how that householder lovingly prepared so many tasty dishes to satisfy his hunger until finally he felt totally satiated. In this way that beggar will sing the good deeds of that householder. And he will automatically feel a close connection with that gracious householder.

In contrast, if the beggar feels that he got that tasty food only because he walked many miles to the householder’s residence. And if the beggar thinks that he got the meal only due to his own efforts, then he will not feel an iota of gratitude toward the householder. Rather he will contemptuously tell that the householder did not provide me with the food that I really wanted. And the beggar will complain that for dessert the householder only gave me 1 KG of rasagolla and I wanted 2 KG. In this way the beggar will remain totally dissatisfied and completely furious with that householder.

In reality, the householder gave the very food that he himself was going to eat and he gave the sweets that he usually reserves for special guests. But if in the street one tells that beggar that the householder feed you well, the beggar will be dissatisfied thinking that I should have gotten more.

In that case in the beggar’s mind there will not be any sweet feeling towards the householder – rather in that circumstance the relation between them will seem cold and distant. The beggar will even feel angry and inimical towards that kind householder.

LIKEWISE WITH PARAMA PURUSA…

Likewise with Parama Purusa, each and every sadhaka should think & cultivate the idea in his mind that all the joys and all the smiles in his life are due to His supreme grace.

And this is not just the world of make believe, this is the grand reality of this divine universe. Because Parama Purusa really does do everything. Everything is due to His grace and He is in controller of everything going on in this vast universe.

So believing everything to be a result of His cosmic grace is not just one’s own mental fabrication or one’s own imagination, this is indeed the grand truth of this created universe: He is the one doing everything. All credit and glory goes to Him.

By realising this truth, automatically that sadhaka will feel more love and affection for Parama Purusa. One will feel a deep sense of eternal gratitude towards Him. In that ideal psychic environment, a close and intimate relation with surely blossom between the bhakta and Parama Purusa. Then one will feel His grace, always.

WHAT VAIN JINANIS DO

But if out of one’s own silly vanity any jinani fails to recognise this divine truth, then in their own mental laboratory they will build up their own superiority complex and think that all good things are due to their own greatness. Because of this vain and self-centered approach, mentally such jinanis remain far away from Parama Purusa and they cannot make that sweet relation with Him. And step by step this feeling of isolation permeates each and every aspect of their life until finally their whole existence is sunk in woe and frustration. Such persons never feel His grace.

HUMAN DESIRE AND LONGING

Ultimately human beings want someone who is very close - someone who will be their grand companion each and every moment in life. Human beings want that type of intimate relation and eternal Friend. And such a companion, such a relation, such a Friend, can only be Parama Purusa – not any human being.

So if in their life anyone has been blessed to have that type of close link with Parama Purusa then in their life there will always be a sweet flow of love and devotion and they will always feel happy, content, and internally satisfied. Because their life is drenched in His divine love and they feel His grace working each and every moment.

UNFORTUNATE UMBRELLA OF VANITY

But if due to their own unit ego and vanity anyone is unable to cultivate a sweet feeling with that most loving and divine Entity, then that type of jinani will always feel sad, lonely, and depressed. Their life will always feel empty. And the root cause behind it all is that unfortunate umbrella of vanity - not realising that He is the real Doer.

Here below Baba describes this situation.

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].” (Ananda Vacanamrtam – 33, ‘Brahmacakra’)

SADHANA AND HIS GRACE REMOVES THE UMBRELLA,

OTHERWISE…

Thus as Baba guides us in His above teaching, the devotional cult of sadhana enables one to feel the sweet presence of His divine grace. Because when one does sadhana then naturally the mind becomes soft, serene, and peaceful. And in that way, the sadhaka instinctively feels that everything is due to the divine grace of Parama Purusa.

However, without that, without the practice of sadhana, such jinanis just develop a gross superiority complex and in their mind vanity is the dominant factor. In which case they go on harbouring the idea that they themselves are the only doer in this universe. And they give all credit unto themselves.

And giving credit to oneself instead of Parama Purusa is the umbrella of vanity.

When one recognises that Parama Purusa is doing then that is devotion.

By holding such an unfortunate umbrella of vanity over their head, these jinanis remain far, far away from the charming and loving presence of Parama Purusa -  they do not feel the continuous flow of His sweet grace. This is their unfortunate state – all because of the umbrella of vanity.

SELF-INQUIRY

If you do not feel graced then look in the depths of your heart. Think: In your life do you feel that everything is done by Parama Purusa, or do you feel that you are doing everything and people should appreciate your efforts. Therein lies the answer. This is an internal topic - as one thinks that is how the mind works. And that is why one will feel His grace, or not.

BABA’S BLESSING

By His infinite mercy and compassion may we all develop that intimate link with Parama Purusa and thereby swim in the devotional waters of His sweet grace.

Baba says, “When you are enjoying the Grace, what will happen? The radius will be shortened, and in this very life you will become one with your Goal, your Nucleus. This Nucleus knows no artificial barrier, nor isms, countries or philosophies. This Nucleus knows that the moving entities are My children – they want to come and sit on My lap.” (Ananda Vacanamrtam – 12, ‘The Only Cult’)

Namskar,
Pradiip

Note 1: PROBLEM OF VANITY

Here Baba describes how vanity affects people.

Baba says, “‘I did this, I did that – I built this road when I was a minister I constructed this bridge when I was in the Public Works Department’ – this is how people become mad for their little ‘I’.” (Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life-11)

Thus when people suffer from this type of vanity it is impossible to develop an intimate and sweet relation with Parama Purusa. Because when they get any success then they proudly think that they are doing everything and that Parama Purusa is not doing anything. And when anything bad occurs then those same jinanis vehemently blame Parama Purusa for causing such a disaster. By this type of demented outlook, ultimately such jinanis create an inimical relation with Parama Purusa. By this way any balanced person can see how vanity is a huge hindrance on the path of spirituality.

Note 2: MORE ABOUT THE UMBRELLA OF VANITY

Here Baba explains more how due to their vanity jinanis feel that only others get His divine grace – but not themselves.

Baba says, “Now, you can say, ‘This gentleman has got the grace of the Supreme and I do not get the grace. What am I to do?’ No, He is omnipotent, omniscient, and all-loving. His grace is for all without any exception. But because of your individual vanity, you do not realize it.”

“Suppose there is a heavy rain of His grace. If you hold an umbrella of vanity over your head, you will not get drenched with the rain. So, if you remove the umbrella of vanity from your head, you will be drenched with His grace.” (17 August 1979 DMC, Taipei)

The only solution for such jinanis is to remove their unfortunate umbrella then only will they get relief and mental peace – otherwise their life will pass in frustration.

Note 3: OUR ETERNAL FRIEND AND HIS EVER-FLOWING GRACE

Baba says, “He constantly showers His grace without reservation even on those persons who make no effort for salvation and who gradually degrade themselves. Even though you calumniate Brahma and deny His existence, yet He will not be displeased with you. He will not thrust you on the path of destruction. His imposing countenance of forgiveness will for ever remain, and He will forever go on directing you to the ways of salvation. Who else is your genuine friend and compassionate companion?” (Subhasita Samgraha – 1, ‘Brahma Krpa Hi Kevalam’) 

 

 

PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Tumi manera katha' shune tha'ko..."  (PS 4488)

Purport:

O' Parama Purusa Baba, O' my most intimate One, You always listen to my tales. My feeling and my sentiment, everything You know. You are always filling my heart with Your most attractive form of madhura bhava. In the dark negative days, in the new moon night, You are the brightest effulgence which removes the blackness. In the burning desert, You are the cool water. In the rainy, cloudy night when people have lost the path, at that time You are the Savior Who shows the proper path towards the Goal. Baba, I am desperately searching You, but You are hiding Yourself with the covering of maya. In the spring season You are the most charming fragrance flower. In the pain and agonies You provide that sweet loving touch. Baba, my only desire is that You eternally remain along with me showering Your love, affection, and infinite grace - without caring about my imperfection and shortcomings. Baba, You are ever-gracious, O' my Dearmost...
 

Be Aware of...

Date: Mon Aug 22 2011 15:38:11 -0000
From: P. Deva
Subject: Be Aware of...
To: AM-GLOBAL

Baba

PS Intro: This following Prabhat Samgiita works in two ways. (1) Baba is depicting the idea behind the advent of Parama Purusa as Mahasambhuti in the play of His divine liila. And (2) this song refers to Baba's divine appearance in dhyana.

"Na'm na'-ja'na' ma'na' na'-ma'na' rauniin parii ese pa'she..." (P.S. 2983)

Purport:

One shining, colorful angel of unknown name has come close to me. This angel was not concerned about getting respect or not. Just it came to me. Its eyes were glowing with golden effulgence, and this divine angel told something to me.

The angel told: 'My abode is in the divine world yet to accomplish the work & for the welfare of all, I move around this entire universe. And all those who love me, I pull them close.'

'Without stopping I move continuously around this entire universe.' And the angel also told that, 'In the bond of love, I get caught also. And I float in the flow of divine songs.'

From the divine world one angel has come and it graced me and told me all the secrets of its advent...


Note: In this song Baba is using the allegory of an angel, yet in true sense He is talking about Himself. Thus, although the word-- parii-- literally means 'angel', but in Prabhat Samgiita the real meaning of the term parii is: Baba the Parama Purusa.

== BE AWARE OF TWO TYPES OF BEINGS ==

Namaskar,
There are two types of being in society that are the cause of untold harm to humanity in the form of casteism, civil wars, and the persecution of women, among others. We should know who these people are and put a stop to their misdeeds.

Our goal in AM is to bring welfare to our entire human family. To achieve this, we must be fully aware about any and all who try, or have tried, to undermine humanity. So we have to take a careful look back and see what has happened in the past, as well as clearly view what is happening at present-- only then can we properly understand the scene.

And again, the whole goal is bring benevolence and peace to all peoples of the globe - verily that is what Baba wants that we should do.

A COMMON HISTORY

Each and every land, country, town, and province has its history. And tragically, in all places certain individuals have done terrible harm to the society. No region is exempt from this.

For example, in Islam, it was decided that three or four women are equal to one man; in India, women were forced to jump to their death on the burning embers if their husband died before them; and in the western world, women neither had the right to work or vote for centuries on end. Thus in all parts of the globe, terrible crimes were done against women.

And indeed, in each and every place, the common people - from women to workers, from blacks to babies, from aborigines to artisans - have suffered and undergone terrible torments and abuse.

Not only that, so much infighting has occurred in countries such as Honduras, Kenya, Pakistan, Morocco, and so on. Such division and destruction has happened in nearly every nation. Is it the fault of the common people in all these places - or is there some other contributing factor.

For us this is a burning question, because in order to deliver a united humanity to the people, we must know who and what has been the cause of so much torment, division, and destruction.

TWO TYPES OF BEINGS RESPONSIBLE

If we look carefully, it is quite evident that there are two types of creatures who are most responsible for all these problems: (1) Politicians & (2) jinanis (intellectuals).

Time and again, these two types of creatures have done tremendous harm to society due to their own narrow selfish interest. Yet oddly enough, these very same creatures-- politicians and jinanis-- have garnered much respect in society.

And still today, they continue to get such prestige.

But in AM, Baba severely warns us about such type of beings.

Here below Baba clearly states that it was the intellectuals (jinanis) who imposed the horrific caste system on the society.

Baba says, "The caste system is a creation of the cunning intellectuals of the Medieval Age. In the Vipra Era they wanted to perpetuate their privileged position for their descendants. To achieve this end, those cunning intellectuals wrote thousands of books and compiled thousands of God-centred verses only to show that the caste system is a creation of God. This was a psychological way of infusing the illogical idea [of casteism]." (PNS-4)

Indeed in the Hindu religion and in all the religions they use similar tricks. In the name of their god they exploit the masses. It may be that one should accept their fate as being a shudra, or a slave, or a poor man. In all cases they are told to accept their lot in life as this is the edict of god.

And here in the next passage Baba shows how it was the intellectuals who duped the people into following wrongful teachings and cheap religious edicts.

Baba says, "The cunning intellectuals of the past imposed the importance of blind faith on the minds of their gullible followers. They told them to obey the teachings, rational or irrational, otherwise there would be no respite from the endless suffering of human life, no other path to take them to the eternal bliss of heaven." (AMIWL-7)

With regards to politicians, Baba says that they are the cause of so much infighting and civil war.

Baba says, "Politicians want to accomplish everything through their grandiloquence. By identifying the weaknesses in others and by resorting to bombastic language, they incite one section of people against another so that they can usurp the seat of power and cling to it. Human beings will have to remain vigilant against persons of this type." (POD #26)

Thus when the big politicians of Washington DC invade this or that land, then most often civil war results. And after WW-2 when the allied powers drew up plans & boundary lines in the Middle East & India, it was they who set the stage for disgruntlement among the masses. And similar things happened during the partition of India. The British leaders incited choas between the Hindus and Musilims who had otherwise been living side by side for centuries.

So there are countless instances where a few crooked politicians created communal riots among the masses.

And here again Baba explicitly warns us about the no-good ways of politicians.

Baba says, "Politicians are of no use to society because they are engaged in the business of mudslinging and nothing else...The motive of the politicians is only to capture power. They befool the public with high-sounding words. Therefore it is necessary that the public should be politically educated, because in that case politicians will not be able
to cheat them." (PNS-4)

So in order to build up that great human society, we must be careful and pay heed to Baba's words. Otherwise we will not be able to accomplish our goal.

Here it should be noted that common people are incapable of doing such harm. It takes a certain cunningness to dupe, deceive, trick and exploit. Most people have no such mind to behave in this manner.

THEIR MISGUIDED, FERTILE BRAIN IS THE PROBLEM

Verily in so many ways Baba goes to great lengths to warns us about the dangers and horrors caused by jinanis (intellectuals) and politicians.

Because it is not the simplicity of the common people that leads to the suffering of the masses. Rather is the is fertile brain of these two groups of exploiters-- jinanis and politicians-- that have meted out untold harm to humanity.

Baba says, "It is a mere interpolation arising out of the fertile brain of an opportunist Vipra or intellectual, it can never bring real knowledge to people, but will sow seeds of disharmony and dissension in the human society. For instance, the scripture of a certain community states that the earth is fixed and the sun in moving around it. This assertion is of course absolutely wrong scientifically. If an erudite scientist points out this mistake, the orthodox followers of the scriptures will brand him or her an atheist. The scriptures of other communities proclaim that only the followers of their religion are the favourite children of God and others are damned heathens. To kill them is not at all a sin, rather one will attain a permanent place in heaven after their death. Such scriptures are very detrimental to human society." (TK-2)

JINANIS AND POLITICIANS ARE ALWAYS PRAISED

Yet in the society, these two groups walk and prance around the globe-- drawing huge praise and respect from the people. So many politicians and so many intellectuals draw thousands to their halls when they step up to the microphone. From crooked presidents and ministers, to religious priests, to the brains behind corporate exploitation, all these people
get huge respect and prestige in the society. The people essentially fall at their feet, yet these are the very beings who are the cause of so much injustice in the world. That is the irony of it all.

Verily it is not always easy to recognise such cheats. Especially the common people get duped by the tall talks of such opportunists: cunning intellectuals and hypocritical politicians.

And that is why on countless occasions Baba warns us to be careful with these two types of creatures.

GOING ON IN AM ALSO

Unfortunately, we cannot think that all these problems are only going on outside the Marga. In our AMPS there has been so many dogmas imposed on us by such jinanis: From Mahaprayan to Fake Ananda Vaniis, from the distortion of scripture to dogmatic tiirthas. Some have said all Baba's books are from the "original Bangla". Indeed so many false ideas have
been thrown around our AM society.

But even then that is not all. The infighting of groupism is nothing but the result of the political shenanigans of a few power hungry souls. The common margiis and field workers have no desire to fight with other margiis. But lines were drawn by top level groupists due to their political greed, and in result avadhutas have been killed, margiis have been arrested, and so much harm has been done.

So just as the common society has suffered at the hands of such intellectuals and politicians - by issuing false edicts about women etc and by pitting one side against another such as what they did in the Middle East after WWII or in India in 1947 - these same poisonous antics have occurred in our Marga as well.

This we have all seen.

Thus to build up a proper Marga and to deliver welfare to the humanity, our eyes must be keen to the the hellish ways of such intellectuals and politicians. That is Baba's repeated warning. Only then will we be able to accomplish of goal of delivering peace on this dusty earth.

So such types of persons must not be trusted-- not one ounce. No outside AM nor inside AM.

HOW TO MEND SUCH POLITICIANS AND JINANIS

Is there any hope for such jinanis and politicians. Can these people with their fertile brains do anything decent for the society.

Basically, after taking power out of their hands and exposing their defects to all so that they cannot hurt the humanity any further, the only way to rectify these two creatures is if they dedicate themselves to Parama Purusa and cultivate a feeling of neo-humanism. Then and only then can they become assets to the society. Failing that, they will always be the source of terrible division and suffering.

So there is hope for such jinanis and politicians, but we must be super careful.

First we must make these troublemakers naked in the eyes of the people so that the common citizens are no longer in awe of and duped by these two creatures. And secondly, ample pressure must be applied to force these politicians and jinanis to follow the codes of dharma-- and nothing but.

That is Baba's warning and only by this way can we build a bright new humanity.

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, we will be able to undo all the horror and harm committed by these jinanis and politicians and create that bright new humanity.

Baba says, "Renaissance people will have to raise their voices against this, and they will have to do it now – they will have to do it immediately. And I also desire that you all should move on the path of Renaissance, which is fully supported by rationality, from today – from this very moment. Let victory be yours." (PNS-9)

Namaskar,
Prakash

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To Become Great

Baba says, "If your longing for money, and your longing for name or fame is converted into longing for Parama Purusa, then even ordinary mortals can get transformed into great souls." SS-17 (H) 1 January 1986
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Lal Bujhakkar'

Date: Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:42:37 -0700
To: am-global@earthlink.net
From: Mahendra Deva
Subject: Lal Bujhakkar'

Baba

"Loke bale tumi dekha' da'o na', tave ele kii kare..."    (PS 1893)

Purport:

O' Parama Purusa, people are telling that You are not visible. When
people say like that then how is it that You have come here in front of me
and I am seeing You.
O' Parama Purusa, people are telling that You do not care about logic
and reasoning. That there is no explaining how You manage Your affairs and
that Your liila is beyond logic. Then how is it that You have graced one
and all & You are showering everyone with Your divine nectar. How has this
started happening.

Baba, whenever I see You then I always request You to make me Yours. And
when I say like this, then I see with my own eyes and I hear with my own
ears how You come close and shower me incessantly with Your infinite grace.
Baba, I am so meagre; You are so vast. I am bound up by my own
limitations. Even then You love me. Baba, by Your sweet touch all the
negativity and impurities get removed; and everything becomes pure. By Your
grace, the fragrant flowers blossom in each and every nook and corner of my
mind.   Baba, people are telling that You are invisible and that You cannot be
seen; but by Your grace You have come to me. O' my dearmost Baba, this is
all due to Your cosmic grace and infinite compassion...


                   == LAL BUJHAKKAR' ==

Namaskar,
Some time back or so one topic was raised on an email network and someone gave  their own interpretation about one Prabhat Samgiita. Such errors should not be  repeated in the future.

Let's start with one story.


         STORY: MYSTERIOUS MARKS IN THE VILLAGE FIELD

One morning in a remote community all the villagers woke up and to their
great surprise they saw huge round marks in the ground-- big circular
indentations in their field. This was indeed something very peculiar and
strange for them. Immediately they all began to give their own explanations
and theories about what had happened. Some were telling that ghosts had
come, others were telling that the inside of the earth was getting soft,
and in that way various persons had their own haphazard logic and
reasoning. But no single villager's reply could satisfy everyone in the
entire community who had gathered in the field that day.

So finally someone suggested to go get Lal Bujhakkar'-- one famous
pundit in the village whose name literally means, 'one who has all the
answers'. And everyone present immediately agreed that indeed Lal
Bujhakkar' would be able to give the best and most perfect answer.

So they sent someone to get him and when Lal Bujhakkar' arrived on the
scene he started smiling and said, 'Oh, this is so easy, you mean you
people do not know what these round spots are'. They all shook their head
no. Then Lal Bujhakkar' told that, 'These are deer footprints'. Then
everyone was in shock and wondered how could these huge round marks be deer
footprints. Because everyone is well aware that deer have small feet-- small
hooves.

Lal Bujhakkar' smiled again and clarified, 'It's simple. Now it is
spring season. And just as all of you do your dance and tie ankle bells to
your feet to celebrate the arrival of spring, similarly the deer do the
same. During the night they attach huge round rocks to their hooves and
then dance around joyfully to celebrate the arrival of spring season. And
since there is not a lot of free space in their jungle, so they came to
this open field to do their dance. That is how all these big, deep, round
marks were made on the ground.'

Hearing this the villagers immediately became deeply impressed by Lal
Bujhakkar's astute and comprehensive answer; and they were all very proud
he was in their village. With that, they all dispersed, completely
satisfied that they had heard the correct answer.

About an hour or two later, some government officials from the Forestry
Department arrived in a jeep and began investigating the big round marks in
the ground. Immediately the villagers wandered over to talk to the
officials as they were very eager to show off their knowledge to the
government personnel. Then in all seriousness the villagers began
explaining to the officials that it was so interesting how the deer were
dancing here in the night with smooth rocks tied to their feet. And the
villagers were talking on and on about how intriguing it was that the deer
were doing their dance in the night to celebrate the arrival of spring.
They told their entire story to the officials; they did not overlook a
single detail.

Hearing all this, the forestry officials were stunned by the ridiculous
explanations given by the villagers and they immediately asked the
villagers where they got these crazy ideas from. Proudly the villagers all
told that the great Lal Bujhakkar' was the one who told them this. The
officials told them to bring Lal Bujhakkar' to the scene; so the boys of
the village went to get him.

When Lal Bujhakkar' arrived he also told the officials his original
story how the deer were dancing with rocks tied to their hooves. And the
forestry officials interrupted him and told that this is most preposterous
thing they had ever heard. The officials then revealed that, 'These marks
are not from deer dancing with rocks tied to their hooves. These big marks
in the ground are elephant footprints.' The Forestry officials continued to
explain that, 'One zoo from a neighboring state lost their elephants and
those elephants obviously came through this field in the middle of the
night'. This was the very logical-- & indeed correct-- answer given by
those forestry officials.

In that way the villagers came to know that everything that Lal
Bujhakkar' told was entirely false-- and ridiculous.

The whole point being that in this world jinanis-- like Lal Bujhakkar'--
often propose fancy theories and give an array of concocted logic to
support their claim, when in actuality their statements do not contain one
ounce of truth. Because the hard reality is one thing and their cockeyed
proposals are something else-- opposite from the truth.

Unfortunately nowadays in this modern era, this world is full of Lal
Bujhakkar' type of people. So we should always base our thoughts on Baba's
teachings and be ultra-careful of those putting forth their own theories.


                 WHAT HAPPENED ON AN EMAIL NETWORK

A similar type of event once came to pass on margii-mail-- where one
jinani type of person interpreted something in a totally topsy-turvy
way, i.e. completely backwards. Specifically this jinani gave his
public assessment that Prabhat Samgiita #1047 is a song about death--
i.e. that the sadhaka in the song is praying for his own death. This was the
idea put forth. When in fact the real meaning of the song is
the direct opposite. Because in Baba's Prabhat Samgiita #1047, the sadhaka
is embracing a new pathway in life.


            MEANING OF PRABHAT SAMGIITA: LIFE IS BLISSFUL

The thing is that each and every Prabhat Samgiita perfectly mirrors Baba's
divine teachings-- one of which is that our AM is the path of bliss.

          "A'nanda'ddhyeva....a'nandam' prayantyabhisam'vishanti."

Baba says, "This quinquelemental world has been born out of bliss, is being
maintained in bliss..." (NKS)

So in the above shloka Baba describes how life is one blissful journey--
where each and every day of our existence is filled with bliss: Singing His
divine name and dancing in the showering of His grace. So in AM life is
something sweet & joyful-- blissful.

We never think that we should pray for our death or harbour any type of
suicidal thoughts. Nor do we think that life is painful or that only after
death will we be happy. This is not our way-- this is not Baba's teaching;
& no Prabhat Samgiita follows this negative approach.


                MISINTERPRETATION BY ONE JINANI

But see here how they missed the meaning of this Prabhat
Samgiita. Because he was proclaiming that song #1047 is a song about
someone's death-- thus painting life as one dark, morose event.

Here are a few lines of the English translation of the song so everyone can
see for themselves how they made a blunder and interpreted the song
in the wrong way. PS #1047 says:

                Let me go as a silent one...
                I bid my pranam to everyone...

                So good bye for today...

                The night is ending, the dawn is blossoming.
                Let me go out, let me open the door.

So with just a little bit of common sense, anyone will understand that the
sadhaka in the above song is embarking on a wonderful new pathway in life--
leaving behind the darkness of old. So this optimistic song is about
someone entering a bright new phase of life where 'the dawn is blossoming'.
That is the flow of the song and that matches up nicely with Baba's entire
perspective about life.

But one jinani is proclaiming that the above song is about death.

So instead of linking up with the blissful teachings of Ananda Marga, this
jinani wrongly interprets the song in his own morose way. And by his
interpretation, the 'blossoming dawn' means death, and the phrase 'Let me
go out' is the person praying to die. Thus by the jinani's analysis,
each and every line of the song takes on a morbid meaning.

So by his entire interpretation, the pundit paints life as one
terribly negative experience where the only escape is to pray for one's own
death.

Of course, every Ananda Margii knows that Baba strongly warns us never to
refer to life in a negative manner.

Baba says, "Don't compare life to a pool of muddy stagnant water. Life
resembles an ever-flowing spring..." (Ananda Vanii #6)

Thus Baba guides us that life is something entirely positive and vibrant.

Anyone can see then that the jinani is going against Baba's basic,
fundamental guideline. Because they are describing life as something
totally negative, sorrowful, and stained-- like muddy stagnant water etc.
So they are way off the mark.

                                       
                   THE REAL MEANING OF THE SONG

Rather when ideating on and singing Prabhat Samgiita #1047, we can think of
it in a variety of positive ways.

For example we can view this song as a time when someone has decided to go
for WT training. Where they are saying good-bye to their old, mundane
friends and preparing to embark on a blissful journey as they dedicate
themselves to a life of blessedness. This is one way to interpret the song.

Or the song can refer to someone who has just taken initiation into Ananda
Marga.

Or the song can be about someone who is retiring from their mundane job and
now they will lead a life of 100% service to humanity.

Or...

All these types of interpretations are moving in sync with our AM
perspective on life.

Thus there are numerous ways to interpret Prabhat Samgiita #1047 that link
up the spirit of Ananda Marga. And those with a devotional mind will
naturally move in this direction. This is the natural way for all Ananda
Margiis.

Only Lal Bujhakkar type of persons will drift away-- taking the matter in
their own particular direction, that is away from our AM way of life.


                        BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace life is something very special, very wonderful, and very
positive-- full of hope and optimism. This is life according to Baba's
supreme definition. And each and every Prabhat Samgiita follows this pathway.

Baba says, "Under no circumstances should human beings be pessimistic. That
is why I am always an incorrigible optimist, because I know that optimism
is life." (AFPS-3)

Namaskar,
Mahendra


Note 1:           BABA'S STORY ABOUT PRABHAT SAMGIITA

On a few different occasions Baba has told that not all people are capable
of interpreting and explaining Prabhat Samgiita. In particular Baba
describes that one's mind must be above the vishuddha cakra-- means one's
mind should be spiritually vibrated. Otherwise one will interpret the song
in a crude, mundane type of way.

Because everything in life-- including Prabhat Samgiita-- can be seen or
understood in multiple ways. So those whose mind is not up to the mark will
misinterpret the song each and every time. This is Baba's warning.

That is why Baba guides us that only those whose minds are drenched in
spiritual ideation should take up the job of explaining Prabhat Samgiita--
all others such as this jinani avadhuta should step aside and keep mum.

BABA warns us,  "If one is not able to give the people proper guidance,
then at least one should not misguide them. One must not divert them from
the proper path." (NSS, p.197)
                      

         ********************************************
                         Think On This

Baba says, "Human Society is one and indivisible, don't try to divide it.
Each and every individual should be looked upon as the manifestation of the
Cosmic Entity." (Ananda Vanii, #21)
         ********************************************

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)
          ***************************************