Re: Unpublished Unique Handwriting of Baba

Date: 22 Feb 201 07:53:21 -0000
From: "Liiladhar Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: Unpublished Unique Handwriting of Baba

Baba

            == RE: UNPUBLISHED UNIQUE HANDWRITING OF BABA ==

Namaskar,
Yes, I read yesterday's letter about stereotypes and have more to add - especially about certain stereotypes in our Ananda Marga.


                                BABA'S HAND-WRITTEN GUIDELINE

Here is the hand-written message which Baba has written in both English and Hindi:

"Propagandists of communalism, provincialism, casteism, lingualism and any other ism should be strongly dealt with even if it is found that their charges are properly established." - Baba (8 Jan 1961)

Such are the words Baba Himself penned on that day. It is a great teaching for all, especially those who are the vanguards of society.


                             A FEW OF THE STEREOTYPES IN OUR MARGA

In addition to the various stereotypes in the general society, there are certain stereotypes in AMPS also.

For instance, some feel that no matter how hard they try, females will never be smart enough to run their own organisation. They should always be controlled by Dadas. This is one of the prevailing stereotypes.

Secondly, some feel that overseas Wts are not and will never be devoted enough to become worthy of high posts like that of Sectorial Secretary. They feel this shortcoming is inherent to their being overseas and as proof they cite how Baba never posted any overseas Wt as SS. This is the logic and reasoning they give for essentially ruling out the possibility of making an overseas Dada SS. This is what they say to validate their stereotype.

But if we examine the situation more closely, we can better understand the situation.


                                          WHY BABA DID LIKE THAT

We know that before 1990, there was a distinct dearth of qualified overseas Wts. That is why Baba did not choose those overseas workers Wts as SS, otherwise certainly He would have done so. Hence it was not because Baba thought that overseas Wts were inherently less capable. It was because at that juncture in time, the existing pool of overseas Wts were not of the proper standard.


                                A CRITICAL EXAMPLE: CO-ED KIIRTAN

Here is one example of many that shows how they were not qualified. Most overseas Wts in those days supported co-ed kiirtan where males and females dance together, even though this is distraction as males and female unintentionally bump into each other while dancing. This ruins the spiritual flow. Yet still today many of those same overseas Wts continue to support this dogma.

Whereas in AM, Baba has clearly mandated that there be strict separation of the sexes in all activities, including kiirtan. But those overseas Wts could not follow this guideline and instead allowed and even encouraged male and females to dance together.


                     AFFECTED BY WESTERN SO-CALLED PROGRESSIVISM

So we have to think what was holding them back.

The answer is very simple: In the Catholic / Christian church everything is separate - schools and education etc. Still today it is like this. The popular movement in the west - back in the 60's up to the present - was that males and females should be together in all social settings. That was deemed as progressive; whereas everything related with the church was looked upon as old-fashioned and dogmatic.

So the general society in those overseas areas thought that the separation of the sexes was not good; i.e. that separate was outdated.

Our overseas Wts became affected in this way and supported this popular movement. After all, that was deemed as "progressive". Such workers did not use their sense of rationality and still today they are not using - not on this point. That is why some overseas Wts continue to uphold mixed-gender kiirtan. This isa all due to their weak mentality. They could not follow Baba on this point because their mind got stained by local pseudo-culture.


                          MUST FOLLOW THE PATH OF RATIONALITY

Many irrational things are gaining in popular support - both in the east and the west - but as disciples of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji we have to support that which is rational. For more on this critical point about mixed gender kiirtan where males and females dance together read here:

               http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2008/07/excuse-of-kiirtan.html


                                    BABA CONDEMNS ALL STEREOTYPES

So this but one example of how many where overeas Wts got caught up in their local dogma. Other examples include points like circumcision and the Supreme Command where overseas workers did not understand the spirit of Baba's teachings. For this reason, at that time Baba thought it best that such workers not hold higher posts like that of SS.

But that does not mean that overseas workers are inherently adharmic or aspiritual and will  never be devoted enough to be SS etc. That is just one false stereotype or racist belief that a few are broadcasting today.

Hence we do not support this defective notion that our overseas Wts are incapable of being SS. Rather we adhere to Baba's stated call.

"Propagandists of communalism, provincialism, casteism, lingualism and any other ism should be strongly dealt with even if it is found that their charges are properly established." - Baba (8 Jan 1961)

Namaskar,
Liiladhar Deva


                                       OUR SANSKRIT NAMES

Baba says, "At the time of initiation or shortly afterwards, those who do not
have a Sanskrit name should be given one by the ácárya/á. The word deva should
be suffixed to the name...the more the usage of deva as a title, the better it
is. The Sanskrit name should be used in all worldly dealings." (Caryacarya-1)

Unpublished Unique Handwriting of Baba

To: am-global@earthlink.net
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:18:21
From: "Hank Deva"
Subject: Unpublished Unique Handwriting of Baba

Baba

     == UNPUBLISHED UNIQUE HANDWRITING OF BABA ==

Namaskar,
Our Ananda Marga is 100% rational in all respects - firmly based in the
ways of neo-humanism.

In 1961, Baba delivered one unique teaching - in the form of a
handwritten message - that ensures the well-being of all peoples and
protects the dignity of the entire humanity.

Till today, this special teaching has not been published in any of our
AM books, pamphlets or magazines.


                  BABA'S HANDWRITTEN MESSAGE

Here is the hand-written message which Baba has written in both English
and Hindi:

"Propagandists of communalism, provincialism, casteism, lingualism and
any other ism should be strongly dealt with even if it is found that
their charges are properly established." - Baba (8 Jan 1961)

Such are the words Baba Himself penned on that day. It is a great
teaching for all, especially those who are the vanguards of society.

In each and every era, various groups or communities have tried hard to
exploit and demean another people, and in that process the exploiters
have come up with all kinds of justifications and logic, but Baba's
above guideline wholly rejects all such attempts.

In a phrase, Baba's guideline does away with all kinds of stereotypes.

Let's together investigate the full impact and scope of Baba's above
handwritten guideline.


                    APPLYING BABA'S MESSAGE

Baba's above guideline offers a strong response to all those who indulge
in stereotypes. As we all know, a "stereotype" is when a person or group
makes a blanket statement about another community based on their own
biased views.

For instance, a person might proclaim:

- Black people are dumb; or,

- Females are too weak to be leaders; or,

- Jewish people are stingy, i.e. not generous $$; or,

- Muslims are terrorists; or

- Hairjans are dirty and uncultured; or,

- Mexicans are thieves.

(Note: There are certain existing stereotypes in AMPS such as no matter how hard they try, females will never be smart enough to run their own organisation. They should always be controlled by Dadas. Likewise, some feel that overseas Wts are not and will never be devoted enough to become Sectorial Secretary. Then there are other stereotypes surrounding circumcision, Supreme Command, co-ed camping at retreats, and adolescents having boyfriends and girlfriends, and many more.)

These are the types of "stereotypical" statements that some proclaim.
And in many cases, they may even have the data, facts, and figures to
back up their claim. Yet Baba's staunch guideline from His handwritten
message is that we should firmly reject such charges.

For instance, about black people, a white supremest will say that by
nature black people are stupid and do not finish school. To support
their claim, that white supremest might present data from Harvard
University that shows that many black people drop out of high school,
very few go to college, and that many black people in the US end up
impoverished or in jail. Based on these established facts, the supremest
concludes that black people are dumb. Such racists, like this white
supremest, use real facts to justify their view(s).

However, Baba's guideline is that even if "their charges are properly
established", we should never accept the ways of racism etc. That means,
it may be true that more black people in the US do drop out of high
school and end up in jail, but one must never indulge in the racist
belief that therefore black people are only "half-human" or dumb. That
is not the proper conclusion as there are many factors involved.

Proof being that the same high school dropout rate would apply to white
students if they faced similar circumstances like financial hardship,
neighborhood crime, and a slew of other issues that have been rampant in
black neighborhoods after centuries and decades of racial discrimination
and unfair treatment.

It is our duty to attune our minds to the myriad of social injustices
that forced black people into such a desperate position. That is the
direction we should look and then remedy the situation accordingly. The
answer is not to indulge in racism and wrongly conclude that black
people drop out of school because they are dumb.

Thus, in no way, shape or form, should we give credence to such
stereotypical statements that play into one community pushing down or
exploiting another. Whether those statements are about the nature of
women, the ways of people from a particular nation, or the behaviour of
those in a specific religion or caste etc, we are to firmly stand by our
principles and keep a neo-humanistic outlook, never giving way to crude
beliefs based on caste, group, religious, or national sentiment etc.


                      THE SITUATION IN AM

Unfortunately, there are similar things going on today in our Marga.
Because of the grand diversity of life in AM and Baba's special system
of posting workers, the scene in AM is far, far better than that of the
general society, even then we can find hints of racism or lingualism etc.

For instance, if any group in AM tries to enhance their prestige by
promoting their language or their area as being the best and the most
unique in the world, then that stand cannot be at all appreciated. We
must wholly reject such views.

That means if certain Bengali Wts and margiis proclaim that Amra Bengali
is the most important or best samaj and therefore all others are "second
best", then we should reject their claims. The Bengali speaking leaders
may argue that only their language is 92% Sanskrit, or that Baba wrote
thousands of Prabhat Samgiita songs in Bengali, or that their race is a
unique blending of the four races etc. They may present all these types
of facts to show that workers from Bengal are most venerable and great.
But it is totally wrong to say that Bengali wts are the best or that
Amra Bengali samaj is the top. Because such statements are based on
"isms" like racism and lingualism. In that case those people (i.e.
propagandists) should be dealt with strongly. That is Baba's exact
teaching.

"Propagandists of communalism, provincialism, casteism, lingualism and
any other ism should be strongly dealt with even if it is found that
their charges are properly established." - Baba (8 Jan 1961)

All stereotypes are baseless as they are based on some type of ism. We
should be vigilant when dealing with such type of propagandists. That is
Baba's exact teaching.


                MORE ABOUT THE SITUATION IN AM

If we look from a different perspective we can see that Hindi group
leaders proclaim that any worker from Bengal is a spy and not to be
trusted. Such groupists view people based on groupist affiliation and
geo-sentiment. Thus, the Hindi or EC leaders are no less guilty of this
disease than those workers from Bengal.

The striking point is that in AM, geo-sentiment is dominant internally. Openly
they may not preach this sentimeent as they intellectually know it goes against neo-humanism, but those in power got there based on this sentiment. They
feel more comfortable with people of their same clan.

All the various Wt groups have been formed on this basis. No doubt they have
their logic to support their racist views etc, but whatever logic they
give should be discarded. Because they are just manipulating certain
facts to support their own narrow-minded ism.

If we see critically, then most of the key posts of a particular group
are given to people of their area or to those who have surrendered their
faith to that particular geographical place.

It is just like if an Afghan man surrenders himself to US supremacy then
and only then can he get a high post - otherwise he will just be thought
of as a terrorist.

Right now, in almost whatever direction we look, we can see groupist
leaders justifying their case and placing greater importance on their
chosen area, at expense of other places and peoples. That is the current
situation in AM and it is this that we should oppose. That is Baba's
guideline.


                     KEY POINT TO REMEMBER

One key point to remember is that each and every area has mix of good
and bad people - everywhere it is like this. In Bengal, there are many
good people as well as bad persons, i.e. criminals and thieves, etc.

So no area, race, caste or group can proclaim themselves as the revered
ones or the best above all others. If anyone does like this it means
that they are are adhering to groupism, racism or some other ism. No
matter what logic they give, we should treat that as straw and throw it
away.

Unfortunately, some people never tire of praising that their own group
and some dumb people feel fortunate or honoured to receive those ideas.
In that we they get totally duped and become groupist pawns. However, we
should never get caught up in the belief that a certain group, language,
or region is really blessed and better than others.

Everywhere there are those who are blessed and those who are sinners. It
is not a functions of race, birth, language background, or birth etc.


                      BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace He has blessed us with all the teachings in life to
build up a healthy human society and overcome all racism, casteism, etc.
We are to take a firm stand against those who indulge in stereotypes.
That is Baba's distinct teaching that He wrote down that day in 1961.
And it is as true today as it was then. We should all pay heed.

Namaskar,
Hitendra


                           PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Tumi eso go, eso go, eso go, a'mi hrday-duya'r khule diyechi..." (P.S.
673)

Purport:

 Baba, by Your grace I have so much longing in my heart. Baba, I am
anxiously waiting for You. By Your grace I have kept the door of my
heart open for You. Please come, please come, please come and reside in
the deep core of my heart. Baba, You have taken all the nectar from my
flower blossom which I had been saving for You. Baba, You have taken,
You have taken.  

Baba, year after year has passed-- so many sweet,
loving memories have been lost in the oblivion. But You did not come.
Time passes like this. Baba, so many divine songs that I have song for
You have been swept away into the vast expanse. But You did not come.
Even now, I am eagerly waiting and looking constantly towards the path
of Your arrival. Baba, I am desperately waiting and looking forward to
hearing Your footsteps.  

Baba, by Your grace I am always moving forward
towards You. Sometimes my speed is fast, by Your grace. And sometimes
due to my lethargy, my speed is quite slow. But by Your grace always I
am moving ahead on Your path, singing Your song with deep longing for
You. Baba in Your divine tune and melody and with the rhythm of
devotional yearning, by Your grace I am always ideating on Your supreme
thoughts and blissful tales.  

Baba, please be gracious and come; my heart is always open and longing for You. Baba, please grace me and reside eternally in the depths of my heart and become my own...


   *********************************************
                 Money and Peace

Baba says, "With the acquisition of money people still feel that they have
nothing; in spite of possessing a huge amount of money they often beat
their chests in despair. So it is not money they seek-- what they truly
desire is peace, not happiness. But it is only rarely that people attain
peace in life...The answer [then] is that by attaining Parama Purus'a one
no longer has any unsatiated hunger or unqueched thirst." And that is the
stage of perfect peace. (SS-12, p.38)
   *********************************************

How Culture is One

Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010 06:48:27 -0000
To: AM-GLOBAL
From: Hariish Deva
Subject: How Culture is One

Baba

"A'mi toma're bhuliya' chinu katadin..." (P.S. 4091)

Purport:

 Baba, I was remaining forgetful and was oblivious of You for such a long
span of time. My life passed like this. I traveled on the rugged, jagged path.
Sometimes I fell down in the ocean current.
 My days, full of stains, were wasted in hopelessness-- without any
achievement, without any genuine progress. So many lonely, isolated nights
passed in crying in utter despair with no pra'na-- just frustration.
 Baba, sometimes I suffered and got hit by the cold northern breeze. And
sometimes that northern breeze took away all my hopes, inspirations, and
gains. Just I drowned in staticity and crudeness.
 But now, by Your grace today spring has come. All the surroundings are
filled with the colourful flowers and sweet aroma. The dark night has
changed into a glittering moonlight, shining in the sky. Peacocks are
dancing in happiness and expressing their joy by extending their feathers.
 The sweet breeze has come. It is shaking my whole existence and making
me quiver in the divine vibration. That sweet breeze is giving me the hint
and telling me, 'Listen! the divine flute, which is resonating, it is
calling you..."


                                  == HOW CULTURE IS ONE ==

Namaskar,
Commonly people think there are so many cultures: African, western, Native American, Chinese, Russian, Indian etc. Indeed, in the last two decades, various terms like multi-cultural, plurality of cultures, bi-cultural etc have come into vogue. People think humans are different according to their "separate culture". Hence it is often thought that there are many different cultures on this planet. In that case there is no question of one human family.

But according to Baba's teachings, human culture is one - not many. This letter is an effort to better understand Baba's sublime teachings on culture, and why culture is one.


                                     WHAT IS CULTURE

First and foremost, according to Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji, culture is the collective name of various human expressions.

Baba says, "Culture is the collective name of various expressions of human life." (A Few Problems Solved - 6)


                               APPLYING THE AFORESAID DEFINITION

Let's examine a few practical examples to better understand what is culture.


                                HUMAN CULTURE IS ONE: GREETINGS

As we know, when people meet then they greet each other. This practice of humans greeting each other when they meet is pervasive. It happens everywhere. A person in the hills of North Korea greets their friend; and a person from a valley in California greets their friend. In both cases, in some way they greet their relations.This is a common practice. This is culture. And because it is everywhere, that is why culture is one.

Of course, people from different lands may express their greetings differently.

For instance, in Ananda Marga we do namaskar or pranam; in some lands, people bow to one another; in other countries people wave their hand and say hello; in some places people say shalom; in other lands people embrace one another or kiss; and many resort to handshaking also. Thus there are many ways that people greet each other. But these various types of greetings are not cultures, but rather demi-culture.

Culture is the act of greeting, irrespective of how it is done. One this point, all human beings share a common thread; they all greet one another.

Some may try and bifurcate the society by dividing people into this culture or that culture. But in truth there is a common thread that is shared among all. Greetings is one such common point. Again, there may be various ways of greeting a friend, but in reality people from all various places are all doing the same thing, i.e. greeting.

It should be very clear that the greeting itself culture , while the way people greet one another is a cultural expression or demiculture. Demiculture may be innumerable but culture is one. That is why all humans are one.

To some it may look like culture is many. However, the very act of greeting another person is itself our human culture. The practice of greeting a friend or neighbor etc is shared by all peoples in all lands.


                              HUMAN CULTURE IS ONE: EXPRESSING ONE'S HAPPINESS

All over the world people express their joy or happiness. This expression of happiness is common to all. This is culture. If someone is happy in Thailand then they express their happiness, and if someone is happy in Alaska or Siberia then they too express their happiness. Expressing happiness the culture of human beings: When they are happy then they express themselves in some way.

It may be through art, dance, laughter, drama, music and so many ways. That is a common point everywhere. That is why human beings are one, irrespective of their geographical area. Because their culture is one, i.e. when they are happy they express their joy.

People of Thailand may dance in a way different from residents of Alaska or Siberia. And that difference in style is their demi-culture, or the cultural expression of that area.

One should not confuse culture and demi-culture. Culture is the trunk of the tree and the demiculture refers to all those branches, and twigs.

So human culture is one, i.e. expressing happiness when they are happy.

In other words in different lands, people express their joy or happiness in various ways. Some sing, some dance, some clap, some whistle, some smile, some laugh, some slap hands, and others hug. There are so many ways how people express their happiness. These are not culture, but rather demi-culture. Demi-culture are different in various lands. The main theme is that when they are happy and they express their happiness. That is common everywhere. That is culture and that is one.


                                 HUMAN CULTURE IS ONE: HUMAN VALUES

Each and every community gives value or importance to something. In the west, matter or material wealth is most valued: people chase after property, possessions and money; in other lands marriage or social status is most valued; and in some places religion is what is most cherished. In each of these areas, people have a chosen arena that they revere or value most; this gives them their stamina and direction.

Giving value to something is present everywhere around the globe. A person of a remote village of Zaire has something that he cherishes in life and deems very important and a person of Canada living in a bustling city also values something in his life. This is the common point everywhere. Human beings have something they cherish. That is the culture of human being. Both in Zaire and Canada this is true. They share a common point in that they both value something. Around the globe, all have this. That is the common point of all human beings. That is culture. It is one. Peoples' values may change from place to place, but the act of giving value to something is common to all.

In other words, that every person in every land gives value to something is our shared human culture. On this point of giving value or cherishing something, people of various lands or areas cherish different things. People in some parts of the world value material possessions, and in some parts people give importance to religion. So there are local variations, but those variations are not culture, but rather demi-culture. Then what is culture? To cherish something in life, that is culture.

So it should be very clear that giving value to something is culture. Every human being on this planet has this quality. This is the common thing to all. That is why culture is one. People of different areas may value different things, but they value something. And that quality of cherishing something is human culture. And that is common. That is why around the planet there is one culture.

In clarification: Demi-culture means chasing particular things: whether it be material or spiritual or intellectual or external beauty or art and literature - they must cherish something. This variety is demiculture and the common point of cherishing something is culture. That is why all humans are one. All have the same culture.


                                     HUMAN CULTURE IS ONE: FOOD

Wherever people live together they have friends or family and on various occasions they share their food. This is common everywhere. In China, people feed their children, relatives, friends and family; and in Australia they feed their children, relatives, friends and family. The common ticket is that they share food with others. This everyone does. This is human culture - it is common and done everywhere. Thus, on the point of food also, human culture is one.

No doubt the person in Australia has his own style of cooking, dining, menu choices, and serving, and those from a remote Chinese village have their way of cooking, dining, menu choices, and serving. These things are demi-culture. Culture is that they all share their food with one another - that is common around the globe. The difference is these expressions are but local variations of a superficial nature. The deeper aspect is common: Preparing and sharing food.

The way people eat may vary significantly from place to place. Some do half-bath, sing kiirtan and do sadhana before eating; others wash their hands and feet and say a prayer; some eat with their hands; others eat with a spoon; some eat vegetarian and some take non-veg. And there are so many ways and foods people eat. The manner and style varies dramatically from place to place. But these things are not culture; they are demi-culture.

Here culture is practice of serving and sharing food with friends, family, relatives and neighbors. This is commonly done all around the globe. That is why Baba says that the culture of human beings is one. Everyone shares food with their children, family, friends or guests etc. Hence, human culture is one.

There are various ways of doing this around the planet, but those various approaches and styles are not culture; they are demiculture. The culture of human beings is one, irrespective of where you are born, culture is one.

We should not separate one human from another by proclaiming people of various areas as having various cultures such that they are alien to each other. Our outlook on this issue is 100% integrated - all inclusive.


                                            CONCLUSION

All human beings are one: (a) everyone greets, (b) everyone expresses happiness, (c) everyone has something they value or holds as an ideal, (d) people share and serve food together, and (e) many similar practices can be included in this list.

Irrespective of their so-called caste, language, so-called race or geographical areas, literal or educated, all have these common qualities. That is why inherently human culture is one. By superficial look, it seems that people live in different ways and express themselves but these are local variations that we term as demi-culture.

The conclusion is that fundamentally human beings are one and there are various local differences and those differences are not cultural but rather demi-culture.


                   WHY ANANDA MARGA PROPAGATES THAT CULTURE IS ONE

Ananda Marga wants to unite all and form one human society. This is one of the main themes: To unite all human beings. If we view culture as many then it is difficult to unite everyone. So our AM's perspective on culture is to find common elements that all have in their general expression. It is by this way we can understand human culture as one.

And when people start thinking human culture to be one then it will be very easy to unite everyone. Then peace can be brought on this earth. Disunity invites violence. People divide humanity on the basis of various platforms including culture. By that way so many problems surface. By understanding culture as one we can unite everyone and bring peace.

Namaskar,
Hariish


Note 1:                         COMMON MISUNDERSTANDING

qqq Often, what people think to be culture is not culture but rather demi-culture. Subtle or fundamental qualities which everyone has is culture and that is prevalent everywhere. And that is what we tried to express in the above  letter. qqq


Note 2:                       PERVASIVENESS OF THE PROBLEM

Some may innocently think that this issue of culture is not an important affair or that this is not a problem. Here following is one striking example of the degree to which the present day humanity has fallen into the trap of dividing people into different cultures.

When watching or listening to a news broadcast, reports are commonly given: "75% of Black males...", or "15% of Asians...", or "the majority of hispanics...", or "Haitian immigrants are prone..." etc. People are not treated as people but rather as members of separate groups, clans, castes and cultures.

Here the point is that the news purports to present events in an unbiased, impassive tone. Yet the language which they use itself is divisive: blacks, hispanics, whites, asians etc. They put people in different groups as a matter of course. In turn everyone accepts this as being totally normal. Because when such an authoritative voice speaks in this way, then people take it as an unquestionable truth that there are different cultures or different races on this earth. They do not think twice about it. Just they live as if deep down we really are different and there is no common thread. Such is the dramatic or blatant manner in which people commonly think these days and this is reflected by popular and even intellectual news reports.

So then how should such news be reported. Firstly, people should be referred to as human beings, and not "African Americans" or "Asians" or "Latinos" etc. Everyone is a human being and it should be reported in that manner. Secondly, if indeed it is needed or noteworthy to provide differentiations, then that classifcation can be made on characteristics like lifestyle (i.e. obese persons are more prone to heart disease, or those eating flesh foods are prone to coronary heart disease), economic level, age, educational attainment etc. In all these ways we can groupify people, but not based on race. It should not be reported that on white person attacked three black people or that a chinese man started a new business etc. We are all human - that is our race & human culture is one; our manner of speaking should reflect this inclusive approach.

As Ananda Margiis, it is our job to change this outlook and help all come to the understanding that human culture is one.


Note 3:                         CULTURE CAN BE GOOD OR BAD

One critical point to know is that demi-culture can be good and demi-culture can be bad. When a demi-culture elevates a person or a community it is good demi-culture; and when a demi-culture degenerates a person or a community it is bad demi-culture. More about this will be written in the next letter.


          ******************************************
                       Real Wealth

"Ya'jinavalkya asked, 'What would you like?'"

"Maetreyii replied: 'Yena'ham' na'mrtasya'm' tena'ham' kim kurya'm'"

"'What will I do with things which will not remain with me permanently?
Of what use are the objects which will not establish me in
immortality?...'Please give me that thing which will remain with me
permanently, which I'll be able to preserve forever, which will
establish me in immortality. I don't want anything else.'"

"Then Ya'jinavalkya gave her a number of instructions, upon which a
major part of Raja Yoga is based'." (AV-7, p.44)

Note: As described in the above quote: Really, worldly things cannot
remain with us very long. That is why ideal people run towards Parama
Purusa. Being Parama Purusa and Guru, Baba Himself has guided us how to
reach Him. On this point, we are extremely fortunate to at least have
gotten the path. Now our main duty is to follow it.
            ******************************************

Which One Is Better

Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:29:41
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: Which One Is Better
From: "Ishvara"

Baba

PS Intro: In this song, an above-average devotee is expressing his feeling
towards Parama Purus'a.

"Badhir theko na'ko priyo, shun'ate habe a'ma'r katha'..."  (Prabhata Samgiita 2310)

Purport:

  Baba, please look towards me. Keeping the yearning for You in my heart,
I am crying. Please do not be deaf. You have to listen to my tale of the
heart. Please understand the pain of the core of my heart. And please
understand the longing and yearning that I have to get You. I want to hold
You.   Off and on I go on listening to the sound of silence-- the divine flute
which You play. I feel that by that way You attract me. And it is there
that I see Your effulgence.  

   Baba, I feel that Your sweetness and Your love is present in that
effulgence and the sound of the flute. Baba, You are the a'lor & prana and
of my life. You are my hope; You are my Goal; You are my everything.     
If I forget you I will lose everything-- my life will be ruined. Baba,
You are the nucleus of my existence. That is why again and again I
surrender myself at Your lotus feet. Please understand the longing of my
heart. Please do not avoid me. Baba please come close...

== WHICH ONE IS BETTER ==

Namaskar,
A young innocent boys grows up to be a grown man feeling hatred, fear, or
animosity towards someone just because they have different color skin. Why
like this?

A tiny infant reaches up to adulthood harboring feelings of superiority,
inferiority, or disdain towards someone just because they are of another
so-called caste. Why like this?

There are so many institutions, customs, and codes across the globe which
only serve to undermine the very fabric of our human society. From religion
to education, from racism to casteism, from rich to poor-- there are so
many ways that differences are made. And that causes huge tension and
problems all around.

By Baba's grace, He has given the perfect remedy to dispel those myths and
correct those inequalities, permanently. All we need to do is apply the
grand ideas of Prout to the specific social ills of the day.

And sure enough, with regards to racial tension and communal hatred, a
practical solution is right at hand.


                       WHY TENSIONS OCCUR

One of the chief reasons behind the existence of racial and ethnic tensions
is having the various races and ethnic groupings grow up and live in
separate communities.

A young white girl who has never seen a person with black skin before has
been known to cry out of fear the first time she lays eyes on a black man.
It happens-- and vice versa as well. But that fear is not at all based on
rationality, just unfamiliarity and the dogmatic belief that the person
next to me is something different. And that social dogma, that
unfamiliarity, creates a gap that leads to racial and ethnic tensions. This
we all know.

Of course in our Marga, such differences are basically nil-- non-existent.

Because in AM everything is totally mixed. Due to (a) revolutionary
marriages, (b) our wt system where acaryas work in a country different from
their birth, (c) our children's homes and schools where kids of all
backgrounds play and live together, and (d) due to so many other life
practices, racial differences have been obliterated in our Marga and
replaced with the universal feeling, 'manav, manav ek hai', meaning all
humans are one.

However, in the stark absence of such an integrated way of living, various
peoples in communities around the globe develop social stigmas about other
social groups.

Here the point is that when people grow up in racially separate and
ethnically isolated communities, then, irregardless of the community, the
tendency is for there to be ill feelings towards those outside of their
group.

Some classic examples of this are white-black relations in the US or the
brahmin-harijan communities in India. In both circumstances, there is
moderate to extreme distrust or disdain for the other party. And this is
primarily due to having grown up in completely separate environments, in
'different pockets', even though they may have been living in the very same
city, town, or village.
                                

                         WHICH WAY IS BETTER
So in our Marga, we advocate mixing everything up until differences between
any perceived social groups become lost in the great sea of humanity. And
then with the help of sadhana, we cultivate common ideal that all are
brothers and sisters-- all are children of Parama Purusa. And this creates
a wonderful bond of love. That is our basic approach in Ananda Marga.

Baba says, "The multi-coloured garland of humanity will be enriched to the
extent diverse human groups blend together from a position of strength and
independence out of a genuine love for each other, and are not forced
together through fear or compulsion." (AFPS-9)

So that is one way of living on this earth. The other way is what various
capitalist nations like the US have done. And that we are going to briefly
revisit now.


                    SITUATION IN USA: PRESENT DAY CRISIS

As many may know, in the last 75 years, the US constitution has preached
the likes of (1) 'separate but equal', (2) then dismantled 'separate but
equal', and (3) then finally accepted-- albeit indirectly-- 'separate but
so-called equal'.

So initially 'separate but equal' was in vogue: White schools, black
schools, white buses, black buses, white bathrooms, black bathrooms, etc.
But this created huge chaos and hatred, and indeed there were huge
disparities between the quality of what the whites got versus what the
blacks got. So the phrase 'separate but equal' got rejected and was
declared "unconstitutional".

And in that vacuum, in the aftermath, everything was hurriedly integrated.
Black children were bused far distances to go to school with whites. And
there was forced mixing on all levels. That went on for several decades
where the 'blacks' were forced to mold themselves to the rules that whites
imposed on them. Because the integration occurred due to the mandates of
the white leaders.

So it went from segregation to integration and now the US has 'blossomed'
into a new stage. Now the policies of integration have been more or less
abolished. No longer is it policy to bus black children to white schools;
and instead, the phony ideal has been put forth that 'we are all one'. But
secretly capitalists harbor the idea that 'let there be differences in the
economic sphere'.

Thus the US capitalist ideal that everyone is free and all are part of the
same whole is just a euphemism for distinctly separate communities. Because
on the basis of economics the US remains quite divided. The poorer blacks
live primarily amongst themselves and manage with lesser institutions etc,
whereas the richer whites primarily live amongst themselves in
comparatively better environments. This is the practical expression of the
crude capitalist theory that-- we are all one, all are Americans etc.

                           
                WHICH WAY IS BETTER (PART II)

By the above review and, more clearly, from our own living experiences we
can easily see which one is better. Baba's Proutistic vision of forming one
human society by making a "multi-coloured garland of humanity" or the
capitalist model of eliminating integration and creating a so-called
oneness where economic disparities run rampant.

                                 
                     COMING TO A SOLUTION

While it takes a certain spiritual vision to really see all as brothers and
sisters, side by side Baba has given a rock-solid, practical way to wash
away the mess of capitalism, that preaches oneness yet privately promotes
that the dollar is king.

And that Proutistic response is to give strong economic support to all the
underprivileged groupings of society so they get the opportunity to live
and educate themselves where they like.

Capitalists proclaim that, 'Let the blacks live in their shanty-towns; they
like it like that'. Yet Proutists understand that those blacks are humans
like everybody else, given the economic power, they will surely like to
live in more comfortable surroundings.

That is why Prout preaches economic justice and backs up that slogan with
practical programs that give economic might to all the downtrodden
communities. In that case, invariably the separatism that exists in society
will wither away-- and racism will also be gone.

Because where people are not forced into segregation due to economic
disparity then they will move in thousands of directions and live in a
place according to their own choice. And in that process, the soup will be
invariably be stirred and the communities will become totally integrated
and ultimately one, in the real sense of the term.


              GROWING UP TOGETHER FOSTER UNITY AND GOOD WILL
                          
Because when children of all backgrounds and races grow up together then
that brings a feeling of closeness with each other. And for the rest of
their life they will not see 'white' or 'black' or any other shade thereof.
Rather they will naturally think that we are all part of the same human
family. This feeling will come spontaneously. That is why our Proutistic
approach is to knock down the walls between people and bring everyone
together in all sorts of ways, shapes, & forms. And in our Marga, verily
this has happened as Baba has put all the tools in place like RM's and
neo-humanism etc. The outcome is the systematic elimination of racism and
the creation of a singular human society.


                       OUR APPROACH IN AM

Here below Baba mocks and points out the duplicity of such capitalists and
exploiters who declare that 'we are all one', yet secretly create class or
caste distinctions.

Baba says, "You may have observed many people in the world who delivered
long lectures against caste discrimination and untouchability, saying, "No,
all are equal. I will take food touched by any caste. If you give me
filtered water in a clean glass I will not hesitate to swallow it - just
watch me drink!" And the audience applauded, "Very good! Very good!" These
people are called reformists; but their inner intention was to maintain the
caste system. Had they really wanted to remove caste discrimination, they
would have declared, "The cause of this untouchability is the caste system.
Because of the caste system, discriminations have emerged between high and
low, touchable and untouchable, one caste and another. So let us first of
all break the bondage of caste!"(2) If they had had the courage to proclaim
this directly, they would have become revolutionaries. But they lacked such
boldness." (NH-LOI, Disc:7)

So in our Marga, we courageously declare that all are indeed one and we
back that up with our RM's, schools, children's homes, and in various
avenues. And on the top Prout calls for economic justice for all. By that
way everyone will get the opportunity to advance-- together.

That is why there is a heaven and hell differnce between universal humanism
in AM versus the 'integrated-cum-separatist' approach secretly advocated by
various capitalists.


                      BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, the days is not far when our Marga will make its mark in
this world and shatter the man-made boundaries that block human progress.

Baba says, "Thus only neohumanism can save the universe, only neohumanism
can save human existence. So now, we are to sing the songs of
neohumanism....Let all the hearts of the entire created universe, dance in
ecstasy. This is the goal of the day. We are for all." (PNS-9)

Namaskar,
Ishvara

*********************************************
Chemical Fertilisers Dangerous

Baba says, "The best manure for green vegetables is rotten vegetables. Cow
dung manure may also serve the same purpose. In the case of gourd, oil
cakes and mustard cakes mixed equally with soil will increase
production...it is noticeable that whenever chemical fertilisers are used
intensively, the land becomes infertile and useless after some time. This
is because chemical fertilisers destroy the vital energy of the land so
that it becomes lifeless, just like cement." (PNS-16, p.39)

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

Unpublished Unique Handwriting of Baba

To: am-global@earthlink.net
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:37:04
From: "Hank & Rita Tomasson"
Subject: Unpublished Unique Handwriting of Baba

Baba

"Tumi eso go, eso go, eso go, a'mi hrday-duya'r khule diyechi..." (P.S.
673)

Purport:

 Baba, by Your grace I have so much longing in my heart. Baba, I am
anxiously waiting for You. By Your grace I have kept the door of my
heart open for You. Please come, please come, please come and reside in
the deep core of my heart. Baba, You have taken all the nectar from my
flower blossom which I had been saving for You. Baba, You have taken,
You have taken.   

Baba, year after year has passed-- so many sweet,
loving memories have been lost in the oblivion. But You did not come.
Time passes like this. Baba, so many divine songs that I have song for
You have been swept away into the vast expanse. But You did not come.
Even now, I am eagerly waiting and looking constantly towards the path
of Your arrival. Baba, I am desperately waiting and looking forward to
hearing Your footsteps.  

Baba, by Your grace I am always moving forward
towards You. Sometimes my speed is fast, by Your grace. And sometimes
due to my lethargy, my speed is quite slow. But by Your grace always I
am moving ahead on Your path, singing Your song with deep longing for
You. Baba in Your divine tune and melody and with the rhythm of
devotional yearning, by Your grace I am always ideating on Your supreme
thoughts and blissful tales.  

Baba, please be gracious and come; my
heart is always open and longing for You. Baba, please grace me and
reside eternally in the depths of my heart and become my own...


     == UNPUBLISHED UNIQUE HANDWRITING OF BABA ==

Namaskar,
Our Ananda Marga is 100% rational in all respects - firmly based in the
ways of neo-humanism.

In 1961, Baba delivered one unique teaching - in the form of a
handwritten message - that ensures the well-being of all peoples and
protects the dignity of the entire humanity.

Till today, this special teaching has not been published in any of our
AM books, pamphlets or magazines.


                  BABA'S HANDWRITTEN MESSAGE

Here is the hand-written message which Baba has written in both English
and Hindi:

"Propagandists of communalism, provincialism, casteism, lingualism and
any other ism should be strongly dealt with even if it is found that
their charges are properly established." - Baba (8 Jan 1961)

Such are the words Baba Himself penned on that day. It is a great
teaching for all, especially those who are the vanguards of society.

In each and every era, various groups or communities have tried hard to
exploit and demean another people, and in that process the exploiters
have come up with all kinds of justifications and logic, but Baba's
above guideline wholly rejects all such attempts.

In a phrase, Baba's guideline does away with all kinds of stereotypes.

Let's together investigate the full impact and scope of Baba's above
handwritten guideline.


                    APPLYING BABA'S MESSAGE

Baba's above guideline offers a strong response to all those who indulge
in stereotypes. As we all know, a "stereotype" is when a person or group
makes a blanket statement about another community based on their own
biased views.

For instance, a person might proclaim:

- Black people are dumb; or,

- Females are too weak to be leaders; or,

- Jewish people are stingy, i.e. not generous $$; or,

- Muslims are terrorists; or

- Hairjans are dirty and uncultured; or,

- Mexicans are thieves.

These are the types of "stereotypical" statements that some proclaim.
And in many cases, they may even have the data, facts, and figures to
back up their claim. Yet Baba's staunch guideline from His handwritten
message is that we should firmly reject such charges.

For instance, about black people, a white supremest will say that by
nature black people are stupid and do not finish school. To support
their claim, that white supremest might present data from Harvard
University that shows that many black people drop out of high school,
very few go to college, and that many black people in the US end up
impoverished or in jail. Based on these established facts, the supremest
concludes that black people are dumb. Such racists, like this white
supremest, use real facts to justify their view(s).

However, Baba's guideline is that even if "their charges are properly
established", we should never accept the ways of racism etc. That means,
it may be true that more black people in the US do drop out of high
school and end up in jail, but one must never indulge in the racist
belief that therefore black people are only "half-human" or dumb. That
is not the proper conclusion as there are many factors involved.

Proof being that the same high school dropout rate would apply to white
students if they faced similar circumstances like financial hardship,
neighborhood crime, and a slew of other issues that have been rampant in
black neighborhoods after centuries and decades of racial discrimination
and unfair treatment.

It is our duty to attune our minds to the myriad of social injustices
that forced black people into such a desperate position. That is the
direction we should look and then remedy the situation accordingly. The
answer is not to indulge in racism and wrongly conclude that black
people drop out of school because they are dumb.

Thus, in no way, shape or form, should we give credence to such
stereotypical statements that play into one community pushing down or
exploiting another. Whether those statements are about the nature of
women, the ways of people from a particular nation, or the behaviour of
those in a specific religion or caste etc, we are to firmly stand by our
principles and keep a neo-humanistic outlook, never giving way to crude
beliefs based on caste, group, religious, or national sentiment etc.


                      THE SITUATION IN AM

Unfortunately, there are similar things going on today in our Marga.
Because of the grand diversity of life in AM and Baba's special system
of posting workers, the scene in AM is far, far better than that of the
general society, even then we can find hints of racism or lingualism etc.

For instance, if any group in AM tries to enhance their prestige by
promoting their language or their area as being the best and the most
unique in the world, then that stand cannot be at all appreciated. We
must wholly reject such views.

That means if certain Bengali Wts and margiis proclaim that Amra Bengali
is the most important or best samaj and therefore all others are "second
best", then we should reject their claims. The Bengali speaking leaders
may argue that only their language is 92% Sanskrit, or that Baba wrote
thousands of Prabhat Samgiita songs in Bengali, or that their race is a
unique blending of the four races etc. They may present all these types
of facts to show that workers from Bengal are most venerable and great.
But it is totally wrong to say that Bengali wts are the best or that
Amra Bengali samaj is the top. Because such statements are based on
"isms" like racism and lingualism. In that case those people (i.e.
propagandists) should be dealt with strongly. That is Baba's exact
teaching.

"Propagandists of communalism, provincialism, casteism, lingualism and
any other ism should be strongly dealt with even if it is found that
their charges are properly established." - Baba (8 Jan 1961)

All stereotypes are baseless as they are based on some type of ism. We
should be vigilant when dealing with such type of propagandists. That is
Baba's exact teaching.


                MORE ABOUT THE SITUATION IN AM

If we look from a different perspective we can see that Hindi group
leaders proclaim that any worker from Bengal is a spy and not to be
trusted. Such groupists view people based on groupist affiliation and
geo-sentiment. Thus, the Hindi or EC leaders are no less guilty of this
disease than those workers from Bengal.

The striking point is that in AM, geo-sentiment is dominant. All the
various Wt groups have been formed on this basis. No doubt they have
their logic to support their racist views etc, but whatever logic they
give should be discarded. Because they are just manipulating certain
facts to support their own narrow-minded ism.

If we see critically, then most of the key posts of a particular group
are given to people of their area or to those who have surrendered their
faith to that particular geographical place.

It is just like if an Afghan man surrenders himself to US supremacy then
and only then can he get a high post - otherwise he will just be thought
of as a terrorist.

Right now, in almost whatever direction we look, we can see groupist
leaders justifying their case and placing greater importance on their
chosen area, at expense of other places and peoples. That is the current
situation in AM and it is this that we should oppose. That is Baba's
guideline.


                     KEY POINT TO REMEMBER

One key point to remember is that each and every area has mix of good
and bad people - everywhere it is like this. In Bengal, there are many
good people as well as bad persons, i.e. criminals and thieves, etc.

So no area, race, caste or group can proclaim themselves as the revered
ones or the best above all others. If anyone does like this it means
that they are are adhering to groupism, racism or some other ism. No
matter what logic they give, we should treat that as straw and throw it
away.

Unfortunately, some people never tire of praising that their own group
and some dumb people feel fortunate or honoured to receive those ideas.
In that we they get totally duped and become groupist pawns. However, we
should never get caught up in the belief that a certain group, language,
or region is really blessed and better than others.

Everywhere there are those who are blessed and those who are sinners. It
is not a functions of race, birth, language background, or birth etc.


                      BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace He has blessed us with all the teachings in life to
build up a healthy human society and overcome all racism, casteism, etc.
We are to take a firm stand against those who indulge in stereotypes.
That is Baba's distinct teaching that He wrote down that day in 1961.
And it is as true today as it was then. We should all pay heed.

Namaskar,
Hitendra


   *********************************************
                 Money and Peace

Baba says, "With the acquisition of money people still feel that they have
nothing; in spite of possessing a huge amount of money they often beat
their chests in despair. So it is not money they seek-- what they truly
desire is peace, not happiness. But it is only rarely that people attain
peace in life...The answer [then] is that by attaining Parama Purus'a one
no longer has any unsatiated hunger or unqueched thirst." And that is the
stage of perfect peace. (SS-12, p.38)
   *********************************************