How Meaningful

From: Gagan Deva "
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: How Meaningful
Date: Sat 12 May 2102 21:11:39 -0000

Baba

'Prabha'ter ravi bale ghuma'ye theko na' a'ra...' - P.S. 4703

Purport:

Baba, by Your divine grace, the sun of the new dawn is giving the message: 'O human beings don't remain asleep in slumber anymore. You have a huge amount of work to do. A whole mountain's worth of work is in front of you. Don't day-dream anymore; remove your lethargy. O' human beings, open your eyes and look toward the crying world at least once.


Since ages & ages you have been sleeping in darkness. The whole night you were dreaming. Now do not sleep anymore - this is not the time for lethargy and sleep. Get up. Serve those who are getting tortured and crying by removing their heavy load of pain and suffering.

Look, the crimson dawn is spreading divine effulgence, everything is shining. The bright and glorious day is not far anymore. It is fast approaching. The day is coming when people will be liberated from all sorts of bondages, there will not be any pain or torture or exploitation. Everyone will enjoy blissful life. On the peak of the mountain birds are chirping and spreading this divine message.

O' humans beings, the crimson dawn is knocking at your door, march ahead toward your cherished goal...

== HOW MEANINGFUL ==

Baba says, "A jiiva is manifested out of Paramashiva as a jiiva in human body-- or rather, simultaneously in the Cosmic Body and in a human body. Each and every microcosmic structure is like a universe. Hence the yoga of scriptures say, Traelokye ya'ni bhu'ta'ni ta'ni dehatah-- 'Whatever exists in the universe exists in your small structure as well." (Discourses on Krsna and the Giita, p.19)

Namaskar,
Gagan

Baba Taught only 1 Thing

Date: 31 May 2011 16:26:43 -0000
From: "Chandramohan Deva"
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: Baba Taught only 1 Thing

Baba

   == BABA TAUGHT ONLY 1 THING IN COUNTLESS WAYS ==

Namaskar,
The top-most ideal in the life of any sadhaka is to realise that,
'Parama Purusa is always with me'. To live with this feeling firmly
established in the mind is to be a true spiritualist. That is Baba's
teaching.

As we know, devotion is everything for an aspirant; and devotion means
always feeling that 'Parama Purusa is with me'.

Baba says, "When devotion is there, Parama Purus'a is there." (SS-20
'Astitva and Shivatva')

So cultivating devotion and feeling His loving internal presence is the
central theme of our life. That is what we are to strive for.


               BABA'S MAIN TEACHING ON THIS EARTH

If we take a moment to review Baba's physical presence on this earth, we
can easily see that this is also one of the main things He wanted to
teach us-- that He is always with us.

Behind His reporting sessions, behind His scoldings, behind His pointing
out, behind His Dharma Samiiksa, and behind His so many demonstrations
was the inherent idea that, 'I (Baba) am always with you'. That was what
He was showing us.

Because in all those circumstances, Baba was practically teaching us
that even when He was not physically next to us, even then He was aware
of our each and every thought, word, and deed.

How many times would a margii arrive from Brazil or Hong Kong, or how
often would a WT come from their posting in Bombay etc, and in step-wise fashion
Baba would recount all the details of their long and arduous journey, or
some other event in their life.

This was Baba's unique way of saying, 'I am not just this physical body,
always I reside in your heart & mind. I am always with you-- caring for
you'.

This idea Baba has repeated in hundreds of discourses. And in His
practical life, in countless ways Baba has taught this ideal: That He
remains with us-- wherever we go, in whatever circumstance we are in.

Baba says, "Pure shete yah sah purus'ah, that is, 'The witness-ship that
lies quiescent in every entity is the purus'a'." (AS, 1-1)


                     SOME REALISE & SOME NOT

Those who, by His grace, realise this ideal, to some or more degree,
feel Baba's presence in sadhana and understand that His physical
presence was just an external manifestation, and not the whole of who
Baba is.

Naturally then when they sit for sadhana then they feel internally
linked with Baba, by His grace.

Unfortunately, today there are some who claim, directly or indirectly,
that Baba is gone. This is a result of their thinking that Baba was just
a physical person on this earth, like so many others; and since 1990
Baba is gone, just like every other person who left this earth.

But we must not in any way, shape, or form support or encourage this
false notion that Baba is gone, as that undermines Baba's magnanimous
presence and is detrimental to our own spiritual progress.


                        NOT JUST PHYSICAL

While Baba's physical advent on this earth was so historic and
meaningful, it was never meant that we should take His physical body as
the totality of His personality. That is why from the very beginning,
sadhana was a mandatory practice. Baba's ongoing guidance was that we
should seek Him and serve Him within.

For that reason He has given kiirtan, dhyana, first lesson, madhuvidya
and so many other teachings and practices. To realise His presence inside.

Plus in Prabhat Samgiita Baba has described the sheer futility of trying
to find Parama Purusa in the external world.

            Vane upavane khu’nijiya’ khu’nijiya’
            Kona kha’ne tava dekha’ na’ pa’i...
            A'ja bujila'ma manete rayecho...
            Ba'hira vishve khunjiya' khunjiya'
            Ka’chera du’re pa't'ha'te ca'i (PS #1082)

      O' Baba I am searching for You in the forest and in the gardens
                  I could not see you anywhere
        Today I understand that You are remaining in my mind
              Those searching You in the external world
               Want to send You from close to far

So even when in physical form, Baba was describing that the only way to
truly get Him was to seek Him within.

Furthermore, He put forth the warning those seeking Him externally would
not only not find Him, but would push Him far, far away.

Baba says, "Du'r'a't sudure: if people think that Parama Purus'a is far
from them, then He is very, very far. Du'ra means far and sudu'ra means
so far that the human mind cannot even imagine it." (SS-11, p. 65)


               NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE 1990

Hence for those involved in sadhana, then nothing has changed since
1990, because the way to get Him has remained the same. He remains
eternally in our hearts and mind. In AM, by His grace, we understand
that it was just His liila that He physically manifested Himself on this
earth. But always He is with us-- in our minds and heart.

That is why in AM there is not a new Guru. On most paths a successor is
named to be the new guru. But in AM when Parama Purusa Himself is the
Guru, and when He is always with us, then there is no question of there
being any second or third Guru.

Thus the same inner link that was present before 1990 is the same as
today and will be tomorrow. And it is this link-- the devotional reality
that He is always with us-- that we should cultivate each and every
breath, each and every moment we are alive. That is how we are to find Him.

Across so many discourses, reporting sessions, songs, and PC's, there is
one main thing that Baba wants to teach us: That He is always with us
and the path of devotion means to realise Him and live with the
awareness that He resides eternally in our mind and heart.


                          BABA'S BLESSING

Baba says, "Parama Purus'a, the Supreme Father, is always with you and
you are never alone." (AV-12)

Namaskar,
Chandramohan 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)

                  PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Jakhani bha'vi kichu cini bujhi, dekhi a'mi kichu ja'ni na'..." (PS 3225)

Purport:

 When my little ego dominates then I think that I know and understand
everything. It is only later that I realize that I do not know
anything-- I know not. When I try to move on the path with my own
strength, then it is difficult for me to decide what I want to do and
what is my goal. From the origin of which unknown source am I floating
and floating, from far to the farthest place, in the search of that
unknown divine Entity. Day and night I am searching and wandering; why I
wander around I do not understand.
 O' karunamaya, what type of divine play do You do with me. What type of
liila do You go on playing with this unit entity. How can this divine
play between unit and cosmic continue without Your grace. Baba, You are
everything, only by Your grace is anything possible...


           ***************************************
                     Health Guideline

Baba says, "In order to digest starches and carbohydrates, the saliva of
the mouth must help at the preliminary stage. Chewing food brings an
adequate quantity of saliva into the mouth. No sooner does the food
mixed with saliva enter the stomach than the liver and the pancreas are
enabled to start secreting their bile and digestive fluids. So unless
food is chewed well, the liver can never function properly." (YT, p.1)

Note: In the fast-paced life of this 21st century, people no longer give
themselves proper time to attend to their basic life duties, such as
eating food. Instead people just rush off from one appointment to
another and "grab a bite to eat" along the way at any number of
drive-thru, fast-food places. In their hectic pace, instead of chewing
their food they just inhale their meal, nearly swallowing it whole. But
this way of "eating" is terribly hazardous to the health and invites
many diseases. As Ananda Margiis we should spread Baba's above teaching
to the members of the general society so that they may be benefited.
           ***************************************

Do You Know Why AM is Special

To: AM-GLOBAL
Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 13:55:02 -0000
From: NJK Majumdar
Subject: Do You Know Why AM is Special

Baba

== DO YOU KNOW WHY AM IS SPECIAL ==

Namaskar,
We all know that in our A'nanda Ma'rga Baba places tremendous emphasis
on the dual approach of spiritual sadhana and social service. Both have
a huge role to play. For that reason some may be thinking that our
spiritual life and our social life are therefore equal in all regards.

Without going too deeply into the matter, this might be a logical
conclusion one would make: Estimating that both are 50-50-- the same
size & of equal value etc. It is easy to surmise how someone might
conclude in that fashion.

However, Baba's divine teaching is something else. As important as our
social life is, Baba here unveils and expresses the vastness &
unparalleled nature of our spiritual approach in A'nanda Ma'rga.

Baba says, "Our spiritual life is not a part of our social life; our
social life is a part of our spiritual life." (Poona DMC, 26-11-79)

Thus, Baba's above teaching establishes the supremacy of spirituality as
He tells that everything falls within the scope of our spiritual life.
That is, our spiritual life is not a subset of our social life; but our
social life is a part of our spiritual life.

With this is mind, that means that our entire social dealing comes under
that great umbrella of spirituality. Or, another way of saying it is
that nothing comes outside of our spiritual approach. Everything is part
and parcel of that. Hence in Ananda Marga we say that spirituality is
the top-most thing-- the summum bonum of life.

Baba says, "Spirituality is the summum bonum of life in all its
aspects." (Idea & Idealogy, p.77)

Here are more points which lead in this same direction-- which highlight
the greatness of spiritual life in Ananda Marga. All brothers and
sisters should also write in with their perceptions and thoughts also.

AM SPIRITUALITY IS THE VERY PULSE OF OUR LIFE

The path which Baba has shown us-- the path of Ananda Marga is totally
revolutionary since it is deeply ensconced in the nectar of
spirituality. From birth to death and from morning till night, the life
of an Ananda Margii is filled with spiritual practices and cosmic
ideation. When one emerges from the womb and enters this world then
immediately that infant is drenched in the singing Baba Nam Kevalam. And
it continues on from there. Hence in AM spirituality is our very heartbeat.

OUR DAYS AND NIGHT ARE FILLED WITH SPIRITUALITY

By Baba's grace in AM our spiritual approach continues through the whole
life. In the morning we greet and start the day with our practices of
Guru Sakash and paincajanya etc, and the whole day follows in that flow:
Doing sadhana, reciting our bath mantra, taking second lesson before our
each and every work, ideating as we say namaskar, singing kiirtan etc.
Each and every activity through the day is linked with the Cosmic Hub--
Baba.

And then after dark we go for night sadhana and ultimately take rest
with His name on our lips-- dreaming of Him.

About this holistic ideal, Baba has given one divine sloka:

'Kuru punyam ahora'tram'
Meaning: Do virtuous deeds day and night

In Ananda Marga we are ideating on Brahma during the day and performing
our various works and duties and then when sleeping we are repeating our
Ista mantra or dhyana mantra during the night. In that way each and
every second of the life is drenched in the sweet flow of spirituality.

A'NANDA SUTRAM:

AM PHILOSOPHY IS SPIRITUALLY BASED

As we know, in Ananda Sutram Baba has outlined the whole of AM
philosophy in seed form. In sum there are 85 Sutras in these five
chapters. Yet the first four chapters-- or the first 69 Sutras-- deal
exclusively with points of spirituality. There is no hint of mention of
social life in these sections.

Then in His revolutionary approach in the final chapter of A'nanda
Sutram Baba incorporates our social life and Prout-- all neatly woven
into the context of spirituality. Hence Prout is a sub-set of AM
spiritual ideology; Prout is a God-centered philosophy resting on the
dynamic force of AM spirituality.

By all this we can all easily understand that in AM spirituality is the
main thing. This is the divine flow of life in Ananda Marga.

A'NANDA MA'RGA IS A REVOLUTION

The path of Ananda Marga is the top as our Marga maintains its stance of
spirituality throughout all the realms of life. This is one of the
reasons why we say AM is a revolution-- and far above the rest.

In comparison, the dogmatic religions fall way short of the mark. In
their most basic and fundamental sense, at best the religions
theoretically aim to be spiritual institutions; but in actuality just a
tiny partition or a small segment of religious life is for Godly
pursuits. And even that small piece has gotten infested with dogma.

Hinduism started with some aspects of meditation and other spiritual
points of yoga and Bhagavata dharma, but even then it was just a small
part of the life. The proof being that the great Shankaracarya himself
declared that people could not dedicate themselves towards spirituality
until after 75 years of age. And not just that, but step by step,
Hinduism has totally fallen away from any pointed spiritual approach.
Such that now, the touch of true spirituality is all gone from their
religious dealings and their followers just indulge in idol worship in
the temples and other dogmatic rituals.

To their own degree, Christians may even be less in this regard. They
have no meditative practice to speak of and their prayer etc is done on
Sundays only. So their religious life is extremely limited and tucked
away into a little corner.

So in this way each and every religion has partitioned its prayer
practices to a small part of life which is hardly even visible and which
barely touches the seed of their existence. Rather they are totally
governed by materialistic policies

Only in the dharma of Ananda Marga do we see that living aspect of true
spirituality ensconced into each and every cell of one's existence.

WE MUST TAKE CARE

From top to bottom, spirituality is everything in AM. That is the be-all and
end-all of our existence.

Even then in this crude era of kali yuga, due to the enormous onslaughts
of materialism etc, from time to time we all get pulled and dragged into
mundane duties and worldly obligations. We all have huge quotas and lots
of pressures to attend to in this regard: Bills to pay, houses to
maintain, plus all the negative allurements of the general society to
combat. This is the harsh reality which we are facing nowadays.

Indeed, we can see that even our Dadas get caught up in this rush of
external living and mostly they just do sadhana so that they can eat.
Means sadhana is just a ticket to get into the dining hall-- nothing
more in many cases. I think we have all seen such things.

So we all know that spirituality is everything yet the practical reality
is that whether we like it or not on various occasions we are all
getting dragged head first into mundane life. No doubt we are all
following 16 Points to the best of our ability etc, but the general flow
of the world is pulling us strongly in its crude direction. In the face
of mundane pressures our sadhana time gets reduced, asanas get skipped,
and so many things unfold. No need to list them here as we are all well
aware about what happens.

Hence even though in Ananda Marga, spirituality is the most treasured
aspect of life and as much as we practice it during our days and nights,
still the reality is that the mind tends to become extroverted due to
the extreme amount of mundane pressures.

Taken altogether, we should be extremely careful and take whatever
measures necessary to reverse this trend. Baba's following teaching
leads in this same direction.

Baba says, "This element of devotion, the most precious treasure of
humanity, must be preserved most carefully. Because it is such a tender
inner asset, to preserve it from the onslaughts of materialism, one must
build a protective fence around it, just as people put up a guard-rail
around a small tender plant." (NH-LOI)

So Baba's divine direction is to safeguard this most precious thing:
Devotion, which is the seed of true spirituality.

In this regard we can take steps by singing more kiirtan, keeping strict
timing for our sadhana, encouraging ourselves and others to be vigilant
in 16 Points, and evaluating our lives every 15 minutes to see if we are
on the right path or not. On this aspect also, it will be highly
inspiring to hear everyone's suggestions and recommendations.

By this way, and with Baba's grace, we will be able to maintain and rise
above the challenges-- delving deeper and deeper into spiritual life.

SPIRITUALITY IS BEYOND ALL RELATIVE BOUNDARIES

Here Baba once again highlights the supreme nature of spiritual life.

Baba says, "That ultimate and absolute ideal is the Cosmic ideal - an
ideal beyond the scope of time, place and person. It is the Absolute,
without and beyond relativity. It stands with its own lustre for all
times and for every factor of the Cosmos." (I & I, p.76)

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's divine grace each and every margii will taste the supreme
sweetness of AM spirituality & reach unto Baba's divine lap in this very
life.

Baba says, "The human being's mission in life is movement towards
perfection-- towards God. This is one's dharma, or duty. In this
struggle, the forces of evil [materialism etc] are bound to be defeated.
That has been the case all along, and that will repeat itself." (AV-23,
p.81)

Namaskar,
Nagendra

Note 1: SPIRITUALITY IS UNPARALLELED

OUR SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY IS A PART OF THAT

Here Baba reveals the awesome nature of spirituality and that taking
this as their base Neo-Humanism and Prout has been formulated etc.

Baba says, "Spirituality provides a human being and humanity at large
with that subtle and tremendous power with which no other power can be
compared. Therefore, with spirituality as the base, a rational
philosophy should be evolved to deal with the physical, psychological
and socio-philosophical problems of the day." ('The Cosmic Brotherhood',
5 June 1959)

Keeping our spiritual ideal at the fore, Baba has given us the way to
identify, address, and solve each and every difficulty of our social
life. This is His great blessing on the humanity.

Note 2: SPIRITUALITY IS THAT UNIFYING FORCE

In His below teaching Baba pointedly guides us that it is the golden
thread of spirituality which will bring together all the various beings
of this universe.

Baba says, "The Cosmic ideal alone can be the unifying force which shall
strengthen humanity to smash the bondages and abolish all narrow
domestic walls of fissiparous tendencies." ('The Cosmic Brotherhood', 5
June 1959)

**********************************
Brave Persons

Baba says, "Do not remain worried about your individual problems at all.
Be prepared to carry your own burden and be prepared also to carry the
burdens of others. Then alone are you brave. Be dagdhabiija. Everyone
has their own individual problems. Do not try to pass them on to others.
On the contrary, bear the burdens of others. No one is your enemy. Be
ready to bear the burdens of others." (AV-30, p.4)
**********************************

Longevity: Curse or Boon

Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:47:08 -0700
To: am-global@earthlink.net
From: Mahendra Deva
Subject: Longevity: Curse or Boon

Baba

                == LONGEVITY: CURSE OR BOON ==

Namaskar,
Around the globe it is the commonly held view that a successful life is a
long life. That is, people generally equate longevity of life with success.
In their general way of thinking, often enough, that is the complete equation.


            AM'S PERSPECTIVE ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL LIFE

Of course, in AM our view is quite different: Longevity in and of itself is
not the main factor or criteria of a successful life.

Specifically Baba guides us that human life must be filled with great works
and noble deeds-- in a phrase, it must be an actional representation of a
high ideal.

Side by side Baba simultaneously warns us not to live a passive life--
devoid of any activity. Baba adamantly opposes such a static approach.

Baba says, "Mere survival is not enough; what is important is to live a
dignified life. The excellence of human life lies in action; it is through
action that human beings survive. They should aspire to live long while
performing noble deeds; it is futile to live just like an earthworm.
Indeed, each and every human being should vow, 'I do not know how long I
will survive; but as long as I exist I will live a glorious life, not an
ignominious existence like that of an earthworm'..." (AV-33)

So according to Baba living a long life devoid of doing any good deeds is a
waste of human existence-- rather that is the sunken plight of an earthworm.
Thus as human beings, our duty is to lead a bustling life: One that is
filled with high minded actions and guided by a benevolent intellect.


          MODERNITY HAS BROUGHT LONGEVITY, NOT QUALITY

These days in this modern era with the advancement of science, many people
are living much longer lives in comparison to the past-- but unfortunately
with regards to the quality of their existence, that has decreased
dramatically.

Because although many are reaching the century mark and living more
than 100 years, but by their existence it is blatantly obvious that they
are just existing like animals: Only eating, drinking, and sleeping etc,
nothing more.

That is why according to Baba's dharmic stand, in this modern ere most are
just living the passive & degenerated life of an earthworm. Their lives a
pathetic display because they fail to utilise their human life for
something great-- for something noble. So although people's longevity has
increased, we cannot call their life successful.


            THE FORGOTTEN EQUATION: SAMSKARA THEORY

And not only that, people often fail to realise that they will have to
undergo all the reactions of their actions. In which case living a long
life filled with negative deeds invites serious problems-- serious
repercussions. It is a liability because people will have to suffer the
reactions of their bad actions.

Baba says, "If some bad actions are committed, naturally their consequences
also must be undergone." (SS-11)

Thus per the law of karma, individuals must undergo the negative reactions
of their actions.

So when human beings are living long lives but failing to do good works and
instead filling their existence with crude activities, then their long life
amounts to nothing but a huge pile of negative samskaras. That is the end
result of their long life. In which case who can term that as a successful
existence. Rather it is a disaster as they have invited so much suffering
and pain for themselves in the future.


              BABA'S WARNING: DON'T DO ASATKARMA

That is why Baba vehemently warns us about doing negative works-- bad actions.

                  Ya'vanna ks'iiyate karma

Baba says, "The bondage of asatkarma [bad actions] is iron...One has to
refrain from bad actions so that the chains of iron might not be forged."
(AV-30)

So if one does any bad action then there is no escape. Immediately they
have bound themselves up in iron chains-- that is Baba's stern warning.
The only answer then is to refrain from doing misdeeds-- sunk in
animalistic desires and devilish tendencies. And instead one should live
the life of a spiritual warrior, ever ensconced in noble works.

                                                                            
                          SUMMARY

All in all in this modern era human life has tragically became something
negative because people involve themselves in degenerated activities
thereby incurring a whole truck-load of negative samskaras. This we can see
happening all around us in the general society.

The root problem is that most people do not utilise their life for a
greater cause. This happens because of a lack of a spiritual way of living.
Instead they just get caught up in the negative flow of the crude society.

So our duty is to form a spiritual based society so that common human
beings can utilise their life from birth to death. We have to help people
discover their innate human tendency: To live a life always in search of
divine bliss.

          2-5: Tasminnupalabdhe parama' trs'n'a'nivrttih

Baba says, "There is in the living being a thirst for limitlessness..."
(Ananda Sutram, 2-5)

Indeed by Baba's grace everyone has the in-born desire to achieve
immortality-- to lead a spiritual existence and attain Him.

So the best thing is to utilise this human life for real fulfillment,
otherwise one's life is like the slothy existence of a slimy earthworm.
Overall then, for positive, spiritually-minded people a longer life is a
boon. But for negative people it is a curse.

Hence longevity of life is only something beneficial if that life is
utilised in a proper way, otherwise that longevity of life is nothing but a
curse.


             BABA'S SPECIAL SECRET FOR A LONG LIFE

Here Baba graciously gives us a special guideline for living a long,
successful life-- one that is filled with peace and tranquility.

Baba says, "Spiritual practice makes the mind calm and quiet, and maintains
the nerves in a state of equipoise; and thus spiritual practice increases
longevity." (AV-33)


                     BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's infinite grace, He has showered His divine blessing on us by
bringing us onto the path of spirituality-- thus making our lives successful.

Baba says, "You are all sa'dhakas, you are all spiritual aspirants...I know
certainly you will be successful...Kalya'n'amastu-- May you be blessed."
(DKG, 'Three Vital Factors')

Namaskar,
Mahendra


                           PRABHAT SAMGIITA

PS Intro: In this song the devotee is talking with various natural
expressions such as the dark clouds and the flower pollen and requesting
them to 'Please convey my heart-felt feelings to my Beloved, to my Parama
Purusa'.

"Ta're a'mi ceyechiluma prati paler pulake..." (PS 4773)

Purport:

I have desired Him each and every moment of my horripilation. In my
excitement and joy, and in my blissful days, I wanted that He should remain
with me so we could celebrate together. This was my regular way of
thinking-- my everyday desire. That is why while sitting in dhya'nasana
doing sadhana I searched Him in the effulgence of divinity-- in my
hiranmaya kosa. Because I wanted to get Him and bring Him close to me.

It is so painful for me that my most adorable One, my dearest One, is
not coming to me. I do not know where He has gone. O' black cloud, please
go to the divine kingdom and tell Him that with great hope and with
heartfelt longing I am waiting for His divine arrival. Tell that Divine
Entity, my dearest One, that since ages and ages I have been anxiously
waiting for Him-- calling Him each and every moment, with the yearning of
my heart. O' floating cloud, please go and convey this message to Him.
Because without Him my life is useless & meaningless.

My most adorable One has gone to some far distant place. I do not know
how to reach Him-- how to  get Him. O' flower pollen, please float away to
His divine land, where finite meets infinite: At that tangential point. Go
there and make Him listen to my heartfelt tales. By that way His heart may
melt and He may come here.

O' Baba, O' my dearest One, please shower Your causeless grace on me by
coming close...


Note: When one's mind is in a lower devotional state, then that sadhaka
generally feels quite satisfied and content thinking that Parama Purusa is
all around them. In contrast when one's devotional longing intensifies then
in that higher state that sadhaka wants Parama Purusa in a more intimate
and loving way. That type of stronger devotional yearning makes the
sadhaka's mind restless; and ultimately that extreme longing leads one to
moksa, final salvation.

This above song expresses the feeling of that higher devotional state
because the devotee has a very deep longing and strong desire to have His
closeness-- the sadhaka wants to attain Parama Purusa.

So in the above song when the sadhaka proclaims that he does not know where
Parama Purusa is, that does not mean that the sadhaka is devotionally dry--
nor does it mean that he really thinks that Parama Purusa has gone far
away. The main thing is that due to his strong love for Parama Purusa, the
devotee wants Him in a more intimate way than he is currently getting Him.
That is why this upsurge of devotional longing comes-- because his heart is
unfulfilled.

The entire point can be better understood with this following example.
Often times when a small infant is nearby its mother then it usually tries
to go closer and closer to the mother until finally that infant is on the
mother's lap-- being tightly embraced by the mother. So, comparatively
speaking, even if the baby is a few feet away from the mother then the baby
feels that their mother is very distant-- because the baby has a deep
desire to be directly on the mother's lap.  Whereas a grown man may be 30
feet away from his mother but feel quite fine and content-- because he does
not have the desire to be so close to his mother. So devotional longing is
not so much a factor of distance or proximity per se, rather it is related
with one's inner desire and the intensity of one's love.

Overall, there are two distinct scenarios when one's mind does not feel any
spiritual longing at all. Firstly, that happens when people are materially
oriented and quite crude. Then in that condition then they do not feel that
they need Parama Purusa at all. Hence they do not have hardly an iota of
devotional longing in their heart. Secondly, when any great sadhaka finally
becomes one with Parama Purusa then all their longing gets totally
exhausted because their devotional heart has been fully satiated--
satisfied. They have become permanently one with their Lord. In that
condition all, one no longer feels any devotional yearning in their heart.
Because their entire being is fully ensconced in His love-- they have
experienced that complete and final union with Him.


         ***************************************                                     
              The Gospel of Neo-Humanism

Baba says, "Preach the theory of one spiritual inheritance-- that every
living being is the child of the Supreme Entity and that all the people of
the world belong to the same family. This will have to be explained to
all-- that there will be a clash between different nations so long as the
feeling of nationalism exists." (PNS-4, p. 45)
         ***************************************

Good Company

From: "Will Chaucey"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Good Company
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2011 11:38:44 +1000

Baba

                   == GOOD COMPANY ==

Namaskar,
Baba has graciously us blessed with all the needed guidelines for living a
spiritual life-- plus He has pointedly alerted us about all the pitfalls as
well. In this dual regard, right company plays a big role.

As we know, the friends we keep and the people around us play a highly
significant role in our human growth. By remaining in the midst of
noble-minded people then the mind moves on the path of vidya whereas when
surrounded by undesirable company then the opposite occurs. This fact we
have all seen and realised but even then sometimes a reminder can be helpful.


                    BABA'S GUIDELINES

Here then are some of Baba's key guidelines in this regard.

Baba says, "A good person or a sa'dhaka needs proper maintenance, for in a
world of constant change, care must be taken that the change be always
towards the better or the higher. Keeping good company is essential for
this positive development. While bad company strengthens the bondage of the
soul, good company is conducive to liberation and salvation. The keeping of
good company is conducive to liberation and is known as satsaunga in
Sanskrit. When satsaunga is followed, either physically or mentally or
both, the subconscious mind, and thus the conscious mind, are charged with
better and higher influences. This change will move the follower forward
towards higher and better goals. The alternative is asatsaunga, the keeping
of bad company, which leads one into greater and greater bondage." (AV-33)

Thus according to Baba good company or satsaunga leads to liberation
whereas bad company pushes one under more and more bondage.

And here Baba explains in very colourful language and clear-cut examples
about this entire phenomenon.

 Baba says, "Humans will have to move ahead by carefully watching those
with whom they will associate. What is the result of keeping good company?
By spending time with good persons, a deep impression is imprinted on the
mind, causing the desire to be good, to rise in the mind. On the other
hand, if one chooses to associate with drunkards, a desire will eventually
come in the mind, what is the harm if I drink a little wine? The same sort
of thing will happen if one lives with thieves."
 "To give an example, a person is standing beside a tea-stall. There the
flavour of the tea floats to the nose, and then the person says, 'Bring a
cup of tea here, too'. In this incident, the flavour of the tea affects the
mind. If that person had not remained near the tea stall, the smell would
not have reached the nose and perhaps that person would not have taken tea
for two or three days. This is the influence that association has on the
mind."
 "Hence humans should choose their company very carefully, for, a mistake
in this will cause them to repent their whole life. Even parents who are
not good should either send their children to live in a student hostel or
keep them with some of their relatives who are good. One must be very
strict in this. In Tantra it is said:

   "Satsaungena bhavenmuktir asatsaungesu bandhanam".
   Tasmat Asatsaungamudran'am' Sa'mudra Parikiirtita."

 "The Tantrik practice of Mudra' Sadhana means to associate with good
human beings in order to attain liberation...Hence good association results
in salvation and bad association results in bondage. Hence evil company
must be avoided." (Karma Yoga)

That is why we should always try and keep in the contact good company--with
Ananda Margiis. As this will bring us along the path of the divine.

Here below Baba neatly explains how that good company lessens one's radius
with the Lord and bad company pulls one farther from the Lord. That is the
primary difference between satsaunga and asatsaunga.

Baba says, "So while selecting company, you should be careful whether its
discourses, its activities, its plans or programmes are to decrease the
distance between you and your Lord. This is Satsaunga, good company.
Otherwise it is Asatsaunga. Even intellectual discussions of a high order
may not be Satsaunga if it has got nothing to do with lessening the
distance between you and your Lord, you and your Goal. That type of
intellectual discourse, in my language is called intellectual extravaganza.
Baoddhika Amitavyayita´. Satsaunga and Asatsaunga. When it goads you on the
path of the Lord, it is Satsaunga. From this moment, you should always try
to have Satsaunga." (AV-14)

Namaskar,
Vinay


Note:          CONSTANT VIGILANCE IS NECESSARY

Please excuse me, but sometimes people fall into the trap of thinking that
being around Ananda Margiis is enough. And generally this is true since
usually as Ananda Margiis we sing kiirtan together, do sadhana, and
collectively engage in service projects. Even then sometimes it can happen
that there can be a few margiis together but, their company is not
satsaunga. Because for one reason or another their talk might be about
pseudo-culture movies, or they may be just involved in rajasik activities
like shopping or skiing. Or sometimes it can been seen that we travelling
together in the car then they will listen to pop music or the like. And
sometime margiis just talk about too many mundane topics. All these things
can happen. So 100% of the time we should be vigilant to ensure that the
company we are keeping is satsaunga and we should ensure that as
individuals we are adding positively to the collective flow and keeping all
our social interactions sentient and Baba-centered.

So today, tomorrow and during the retreat season when we are many are in
transit to our blissful functions, like dharmacakra, here then are some good
topics to discuss will travelling: how to better follow 16 Points, Baba dreams,
the top three things about spiritual life, favourite aspect of Ananda Marga, how
to remember Baba during one's daily routine, or any number of topics which create
a sweet and harmonious vibration in the mind.

Another option is to bring an AM book like Ananda Vacanamrtam and read that out
loud in the car with those whom you are travelling with and discuss it collectively.


                             PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Ga'n geye ja'bo, shono na' shono tav iccha'..."     P.S. 2305

Purport:

 Baba, I will go on singing Your song-- Your glory. It's up to You
whether You will grace me by listening to these songs or not. But with
these songs, in my deep contemplation, I will generate divine vibrations,
by Your grace-- and go on serving You.
 Baba with my deep yearning I am calling You again and again without
getting any response-- You are not paying heed to my call. By avoiding me
maybe You are thinking that I will not sing Your song anymore and that I
will remain quiet. And that in frustration, I will give up the hope of
getting You. And that I will no longer engage in the flow of those divine
tunes and melodies, which is inundating the vast sky, by Your grace. And
that I will not utilize these melodious treasures in my practical life to
go closer to You.  
   Baba, with the strength of knowledge, wisdom, intellect, and worldly
attributions, Your depth cannot be measured-- nobody can realise You. But
by surrendering that very unit "I" which already belongs to You, and with
the divine sweetness of singing Your name I will surely get You by Your
grace.   
   Baba, I sing my songs only for You--to serve You, to please You. Please
be gracious and keep me on Your lap.

Note: In the above song, the sadhaka has deep love and a strong yearning
for Parama Purusa. So when Parama Purusa does not respond to his call in
the way that he desires, then the sadhaka makes one loving accusation
towards Parama Purusa. So actually that is not an accusation per se, but
rather an intimate type of loving expression. And Baba is approving that
devotees have the right to do like this and that this loving way of
communication is quite natural.



         ********************************************
                       Love For All

Baba says, "The sense of differentiation and distinction are of no value to
devotees. For them, all become one, all discriminations disappear. Only
human beings can have this type of mentality and that is why they are
superior to all other beings." (AV-7, p.12)
         ********************************************

Important Point Today's Economy

Date: 08 Feb 2011 06:04:30 -0000
From: "Bhavanath  Rajpal"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Important Point Today's Economy

Baba

      == IMPORTANT POINT FOR TODAY'S ECONOMY ==

Note: This topic is an important reminder to all. With all the financial
troubles swirling around today, we should all keep this teaching
close to heart, lest we fall into serious problem.

Namaskar,
In this time of global economic uncertainty, we must once again lean on
Baba's guidelines as only it is His teachings that could have prevented
this problem and it is only His teachings that can get us out of it.

These below guidelines will help us all manage through the present turmoil.


                   THE THREE AFFLICTIONS

According to Baba, human beings usually suffer from one or more of the three
types of afflictions: (1) a'dhibhaotika, (2) a'dhidaevika, and (3) a'dhya'tmika.

For instance, if a person is undergoing hardship in the mundane sphere and not
getting their minimum requirements met, that is a'dhibhaotika suffering. Or
one is suffering from mental tension and psychic stress, that is the case
with a'dhidaevika suffering. Or, lastly, in the realm of a'dhya'tmika
suffering, the sadhaka is in despair because of feeling separate or distant
from Parama Purusa.

So these are the common afflictions-- and each have their solution.

Baba says, "The jiiva experiences three types of suffering-- a'dhibhaotika,
a'dhidaevika, and a'dhya'tmika. A'dhibhaotika suffering is mundane, that
is, it derives from shortages of food, clothing, medicine, education,
shelter, etc. If we change the structure of society this misery will be
ended. So we must do this, we should do this. Regarding a'dhidaevika
suffering -- if we prepare our minds through sa'dhana', all the mental
cares and worries that result from a defective mental structure will come
to an end. The feeling of separation [from Parama Purusa] is a'dhya'tmika
suffering. This can be eliminated by spiritual sa'dhana', that is, by
dhya'na, dha'ran'a', pra'n'a'ya'ma, pratya'ha'ra, etc." (DKG, p. 25)

However, some are thinking that those living in wealthy countries are not
suffering from any problems;, but that is not the case. Rather, everyone is
facing problems. And in the case of the so-called rich nations, psychic
suffering is rampant. Lastly, while each of these three afflictions can be
resolved and treated, we should strive to have prama' in the life-- thus not
incurring any such suffering.


              LOSS OF PRAMA IN TODAY'S WORLD

Baba has given prama theory, and He has explained that imbalance-- or not
following the prama in all the spheres-- causes serious problems and,
ultimately, catastrophe.

Some countries are lagging behind due to the lack of prama in the physical
realm whereas other countries are highly engrossed in physicality. They do
not have any higher goals. Result is that in both the cases, a serious
problem is there. Altogether though the whole globe is extremely affected
by materialism. Surely, balance is needed in all the spheres-- physical,
mental, and spiritual,-- but the general flow of present day society is to
give more emphasis to physicality. That is the outcome of materialism.

So materialism has reached in all the countries around the globe,
irrespective of so-called affluent or poor. Everyone's mentality is
quickly getting changed or degenerated. Whatever spirituality they have,
that they are losing. This is the general flow. And the reason behind this
negative environment is the onslaught of materialism.

In addition this is the age of advertisements. People are highly affected by
external things. And without thinking deeply they multiply their physical
desires and needs more and more. However they do not have that same amount
of energy and time to direct towards and give emphasis to the psychic and
spiritual realms.

Here psychic realm means proper study that is beyond the grip of dogma. And
in spiritual field people hardly have time to nourish themselves and that
brings dissatisfaction and emptiness in the mind. The proof being that even
after getting all sorts of the material things the mind feels: "I am
hungry". As if it does not have any end.

People are working and earning 12 hours a day and without thinking deeply,
under the influence of advertisements their needs multiply and they spend
more and more money.

On this point Baba has given so many teachings.  And again those are needed
to recount as certainly such teachings are helpful in bringing peace, or
rather perfect peace in our life.

First of all on this whole point of outlook toward money and materialistic
desires, Baba has given one very significant story.


         BABA STORY ABOUT THE GREAT SADHAKA RAMANATH

Baba says: "A story flashes across My mind. The great sadhaka-- Pandit
Ramanath of Navadvipa-- was a highly elevated man. He was always engaged in
cosmic ideation."

"One day, the King of Nadia, with a view toward giving Ramanath some
financial help, once asked him, 'Are you in want of anything?'."

"The Pandit [Ramanath] had then been absorbed in the world of ideas. He
took the word 'want' for his want of knowledge and replied, 'Yes, I did
feel the want of an explanation of a sloka (aphorism) but now it is clear
to me'."

"The Maharaja [King of Nadia] then said, 'No I am talking about want of
money'."

"Ramanatha replied, 'Look, you had better ask my wife about domestic
affairs'."

"Then the Maharaja inquired the wife about their monetary needs etc."

"[But] as is the husband, so is his wife. She informed the King point
blank, 'Look, there is rice in the house and there are plenty of leaves on
the tamarind tree. My husband relishes the stew of those leaves immensely.
I don't know of any other necessity'."  - (SS part II, Hindi, p.57, 'Ved Me
Brahma Vijiana- 3')

So by this above story we can easily understand that when the mind is
engaged in the thought of Parama Purusa, then worldly attractions are
gradually eliminated. By goading the mind towards God, the mind
remains free of degenerating thoughts and one does not get trapped in the
vicious net of materialism.

This is the best training to channelize the mind and thereby get rid from
worldly desires. So this is one important teaching, especially for this
current era of extreme materialism.


                     BABA'S SPECIAL GUIDELINE:

               HOW TO AVOID FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

Furthermore Baba gives many pointed guidelines about money, expenditure, debt
and loan. Because if one can exercise proper control and understanding on
these points then this will also help the mind escape the deadly noose of
materialism.

Specifically, in the chapter Aparigraha, Guide To Human Conduct, Baba
condemns the practice of taking loans, and remaining in debt. And Baba
blames that those who are seekers of luxury, they fall in the mud of debt.
That is a totally negative thing. We should refrain from this negativity,
as well as guide others also.

And for those who have the strong desire and they cannot control their
thirst to have x-tra things from the external world, then they should be
careful and they should not take loan. Because taking loan leads to the
long spiral downward of a mind sucked into the whirlpool of materialistic
mentality-- i.e. spend beyond your means by taking loan. But this is
totally negative because then the mind is not capable of or even interested
in higher pursuits.

And further Baba has told that such people who are extravagant in
their expenditure, they incurred debt. Baba further guides, that this is
the collective responsibility of society, to control such people. And those
who are doing unnecessary expenditure, they should not be allowed to do.
That's why before purchasing any costly things etc, it is suggested that
sadhakas should get permission from their acaryas.


          INDIVIDUAL FAULT...AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

In GTHC chapter "How To Live In The Society", Baba further has written,
that the whole society is one integral entity. All members are one joint
family. So if one is in trouble, then others should come forward to help.
But Baba is very strict. Those margiis and WTs who are doing extravagant
expenditure and at the time of expending money they don't ask their acarya,
bhukti pradhan, or top level authorities. That is, at the time of spending
they don't take permission but later when they are in debt and problem they
cry for help -- this type of mentality, Baba condemns.

Baba says, "Not to consult anybody at the time of spending money but to ask
for help from all when in debt, is not a good practice. Such a mentality
cannot be encouraged. To purchase, by incurring debt...is surely against
the principle of aparigraha." (GTHC)

So we should be very careful that if any of our margii brothers and
sisters, those who are in our unit, if they are doing unnecessary
expenditure we should warn them. And not allow them to fall in unnecessary
crisis.


                THE DEFECTS OF CARVAK

And one closing idea related with this entire discussion is this. Baba has
pointed out & condemned the atheistic philosopher Carvak because he was
preaching the gospel of materialism. Carvak was telling 'Enjoy the crude
material life by taking loans & indulging in crude worldly desires.
Spend what you like because you need not have to pay back anything'.

So the idea is that Baba condemns this preaching of Carvak because
remaining in debt is very bad. Often those who are taking loan don't think
about the consequences. And the consequences are that this very mentality
of acquiring material objects more and more, that invites all types of sin,
crime, lawlessness, various negativities. And when people have a desire, or
they don't know how else to manage, then they fall into debt.

The central idea is that by hook or by crook one should not fall into the
dark depths of materialism. Because human life is not for satisfying crude
worldly desires. Living a life of materialism is completely useless, and a
sheer waste of human potential. Rather as human beings we have come here to
move along the spiritual path and enjoy permanent peace because the worldly
approach of materialism has not any redeeming quality or lasting value.


               BABA'S IMPORTANT GUIDELINE

We should all take seriously this following Baba's teaching:

Baba says, "You should make your life worthwhile through your sadhana. How
much can your worldly friends and relations do for you? After your death
your relatives may perhaps ask, 'How much money has he left behind?'. Your
friends may go to the crematorium and indulge in flattering reminiscences
about you. Your husband or wife may cry out for you for  about ten or
twelve days and then regain their normal composure. Your lot will be only a
profound sigh-- a record of the futility and frustration of your life. So
do not waste your time lest you later have to repent." (SS-3, p.63)

Namaskar,
Bhavanath


Note: Please write your own thoughts and experiences on this topic. That
will be beneficial for one and all.

                                         PRABHAT SAMGIITA





"Toma'ke ceyechi ceyechi sab ka'je..."  (P.S. #187)

Purport:

Baba, I desire to see You in all my works. Baba, please grace me so that
no matter what I am doing, always Your image of varabhaya mudra is
reflecting in my mind. I long for Your close proximity in all my actions:
physical, psychic and spiritual. Baba, by Your divine grace Your sweet,
charming, & attractive form is always floating in my heart.

O' my innermost, I have come onto this earth to remain engaged in
serving You. Day after day, I will go on moving towards You-- blissfully
floating in Your divine ideation. 
           
Baba, by Your grace whenever I propagate even a wee-bit of Your glory
then always Your blissful presence appears in my mind and Your divine tune
resonates in my heart. Baba You are so gracious.

Baba, when doing dhyan in the lonely night under the moon and the stars,
then You always grace me. And the peacock of my mind spreads its colorful
feathers and dances in inexplicable joy. Baba, by getting You my mind
dances in bliss.

O' my dearmost Baba, whenever I do anything You always bless me by
coming in my mental temple. Always You remain along with me. It is Your
causeless grace. Baba, You are the most loving One...


         ***************************************
                    Who is blessed one?

Baba says, "The man who is intelligent should, from his very childhood,
move along the path of proto-spirituality. The sooner a man starts and
moves along this path of psycho-spirituality, the better it is. He is the
blessed one." (AV-12, p.75)

Note: With the start of this spring season we should once again reflect
how Baba has graced us by providing us all the tools and teachings for
moving along the path of spirituality. So again with renewed vigor we
should be more firm and more sincere in our adherence to Sixteen Points.
         ***************************************

Beauty of Old Age & Benefits of Disease

Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:09:27 -0500
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Beauty of Old Age & Benefits of Disease
From: CJ Phillips

Baba

        == BEAUTY OF OLD AGE AND BENEFITS OF DISEASE ==

Namaskar,
Sometimes humans may moan and groan and exclaim in frustration, 'Why did
such & such problem have to happen'.

Or in exasperation, one may cry out, 'Why must this world be riddled with
so many infections & diseases'.

These types of queries often plague the human mind.


                            THE QUESTION AT HAND

Through it all, the question stands: How to explain such events? Why is it
that old age must befall us? What is the need for disease? What should be
our outlook with regards to these inevitabilities.


                   ONE REPLY: SAMSKARA THEORY

Of course, there is our samskara theory which dictates that one must
undergo the reactions of their actions. This is part and parcel of our
yogic outlook. So that is one way-- a logician's way-- to explain the onset
of disease & difficulties in life etc.


                                     ANOTHER REPLY:

         DISEASE AWAKENS A LONGING TO SEEK THE DIVINE

Side by side there is another way to explain the hardships which make our
human existence seem so fragile.

We can say that such problems are Parama Purusa's way of reminding us that
our human life is for something great-- something divine. The onset of
old-age & disease forces us to seek a pathway out of this material world
which is otherwise riddled with trouble and torment. Failing that-- without
any longing or desire to find something better-- then one would be
satisfied to live forever and ever in this crude mundane world. But this is
not our way; this is not our human dharma.

So diseases and problems help, nay, force humans to seek something greater.
Because by seeing how this earth is wrought with innumerable difficulties
and tragedies, it awakens within human beings a thirst-- a longing-- to
find something better, something divine: Permanent peace at His lotus feet.

                                             
                      ALL WANT A BETTER LIFE

Actually all want a better life. Animals are not satisfied with their
animal existence. Some may think that animals are happy and perfectly
content, but this is not at all the case. Animal life is full of fear and
torment and they want something more.

In His 1969 DMC discourse, Baba describes how the bull attached to the
bullock cart longs to become a human being. Because all day & night that
bull is pulling human beings from place to place; so that bull internally
thinks that one fine afternoon it should escape its fate and become a human
being. Because that bull is not satisfied with its lowly existence as an
animal; it is not satisfied with its lot in life. It wants something better.
Because as was already stated, animal life is not 'a basket of roses'.
Proof being that in our very own Supreme Command, Baba warns us that animal
life is torturous and that humans must not plunge themselves into such
horrific suffering.

So animal life is not something blissful & wonderful; those animals do not
enjoy their condition. They desire something more.

In a similar manner, we humans also long for something higher. We are not
content with our human existence. All are looking for something better. But
even then, the human mind is somewhat fickle. It can be tricked into
thinking that what it has is the best.

For example, if one has a fancy car, a big house, a swimming pool, and a
lot of social prestige, then one may think that 'I need nothing more in
life-- I have all there is to get'. Some materialists may think like this,
especially here in the west. Some blind persons may think they are the king
of this mundane world and their desire is to remain here forever.

So when disease comes along-- or when old age invariably sneaks up on
them-- then such materially minded persons are forced to re-evaluate what
is important in life. Because those diseases and that old age factor
undermines their entire existential value. They think their material
existence is no longer something great. In which case, they again embark on
a search to improve their plight.

Thus disease and old age pressurises even complacent human beings into
looking beyond this material world for some type of higher existence. The
ups and downs of life invariably forces one to think that this world is not
their final destination.


              AWAKENING THE SEARCH FOR LIFE DIVINE
                       
By this entire picture we can realise that disease, difficulties, and old
age help human beings reach up to that sacred stance.

Members of the general public pray up to the heavens or to their favoured
god, 'Please relieve me of my earthly sufferings and allow me to drink from
the pot of divine nectar-- let me experience peace'. This is the way some
members of the general society may think when their life is overwrought
with the hard realities of this ephemeral world.

And with Ananda Margiis, our standard approach is to request Baba for His
divine blessing, 'Baba, do with me what You will in this life-- I do not
care for it, just please be gracious on me and bring me under Your divine
shelter at lotus feet'.

This type of plea is our way of requesting Baba to spare us from the
sufferings of this relative world. Because we understand that although we
have come here to establish His mission, this is not our final resting
grounds. This relative world is not the destination. Rather this mundane
world is just a train station for going to our final abode-- unto His
divine Lap.

And it is things like difficulties, disease, and old age which stand as a
constant reminder to us that this world is not our permanent domicile. This
is not our eternal home. This human life is limited and our dharma is to
find unlimited bliss in His divine shelter.


                 COMMONLY KNOWN IN SOME AREAS

And this entire point is well known in those spiritual societies of the
east. They know that old age brings wisdom and those elderly people have
their eyes fixed on the other world. That is why in places like Japan,
India, and various other lands, the elderly people of those societies
command huge respect.

In contrast in the US-- where materialism runs rampant-- then elderly and
diseased persons are pushed aside to the outskirts & fringe of society.
Tragically, wherever materialism spreads it has this same effect. Thus
today, even in parts of India and Japan where materalism is taking root,
in those pockets - little by little - the elderly are marginalised.

Because in the materialistic model, old age and disease have no value.

Whereas those societies that honor spiritual values, such communities place
tremendous import on age and greatly value the advice and teachings of
their seniors. Because those societies recognise the beauty of old age and
benefits of disease and what wisdom spiritual thirst they bring.

                                                     
                    BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, He has given us the teachings and pathway to reach unto
Him. We have gotten Him as the Sadguru and the sadhana of AM to lift us up
to that final abode-- by His grace. This is His great blessing upon all
Ananda Margiis. So none should think that this material world is their
final resting place.

Baba says, "The worship of Brahma should be done scrupulously, or else you
will later regret and bemoan the futility of your life with the last drop
of your tears at your last hour. You should make your life worthwhile
through your Sa´dhana´. How much can your worldly friends and relations do
for you? After your death your relatives may perhaps ask, "How much money
has he left behind?" Your friends may go to the crematorium and indulge in
flattering reminiscences about you. Your husband or wife may cry for you
for about ten or twelve days and then regain their normal composure. Your
lot will be only a profound sigh - a record of the futility and frustration
of your life. So do not waste your time lest you later have to repent."
(Subhasita Samgraha, part 3)

Namaskar,
Cinmay


Note 1:             PART LIFE

In numerous discourses Baba guides us how our human life is just a part
life. All the various births we take as we progress through the cycle of
Brahmacakra-- through saincara and pratisaincara-- are mere part lives.
Each and every birth is but a piece. And the culmination of our journey
arises when we reach unto Him. So none can think that this world is our
permanent residence. No Ananda Margii can think like that. And for those
who do think that this world is our permanent abode, then disease,
struggle, and strife will awaken their yearning to fine something more--
something divine. In that way-- one way or another-- all will come onto the
path of sadhana to seek that eternal connection with Him.


   ********************************************
             Special Formula of Tandava

Baba says, "Tandava: As long as a dancer remains above the ground, he
derives much benefit; when he touches the ground, then those benefits are
assimilated by the body. That is why in the tandava dance there is much
jumping, because jumping requires the practitioner to remain off the ground
for a fairly long period of time." (NSS, p. 23)
   ********************************************


"A'mi pather hadish pa'i ni, ta'i toma'r pa'ne cali ni..." (PS 1338)

Purport:

   Baba, in the past I could not get the direction of the proper path.
Because ofthat I could not come close to You. Your and my relation was hidden in
dark. I was not aware about You. In that past I could not get Your
introduction. And I could not link up in our close intimate relation which,
in reality, has been going on since a very long time. 
  In my misunderstanding, I was thinking that nobody is mine, and that
to feel love and affection is not my fate. I was thinking that my life does
not have any value. That I will not get respect in my life, just it will be
filled with disrespect and neglect.

   Baba, today You have blessed me and changed everything. Now I feel
that my life has become meaningful, because You are mine. My heart is
filled with Your love.

  Baba, by Your grace I surrender at Your lotus feet, O' Baba...

Wt Beauty Competition: Part 2

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

Baba

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

Purport:

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

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

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

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

== WT BEAUTY COMPETITION: PART 2 ==

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


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

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

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

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

GAORAVA & INTELLECTUAL LIFE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GAORAVA & FAKE SPIRITUAL LIFE

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is how the science works.

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

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

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

TRUE SPIRITUALITY VS FAKE SPIRITUALITY

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

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

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

WHY THEY FALL IN THIS TRAP

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

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

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

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

OUR DUTY

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

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

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

BABA'S BLESSING

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

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

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

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

Namaskar,
Gagan

Note 1: WHAT ONE DADA IS DOING

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And about food Baba warns Wts about eating in restaurants.

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

Note 2: MORE ABOUT THIS AILMENT OF GAORAVA

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

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

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

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

Note 3: FIRST LETTER ON THIS TOPIC

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

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

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

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

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

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