Colour Festival & Guru Puja Intrinsically Interlinked

From: "Ramlal Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Colour Festival & Guru Puja Intrinsically Interlinked
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:26:08 +0530

Baba

This entire email is composed of 4 parts:
(1) Posting: Colour Festival & Guru Puja Intrinsically Interlinked;
(2) Reader Comment: Dada Threatens To Commit Suicide;
(3) Trailer Quote: Health Guideline: Sleeping Related;
(4) Prabhat Samgiita #1341.

== COLOUR FESTIVAL & GURU PUJA INTRINSICALLY INTERLINKED ==

Namaskar,
In the jagrti on the day of colour festival, I was there when the margii arrived and I heard him ask Dadaji the question.

Already Dada had told everyone how we would celebrate and what we would do and I could see that the margii was a bit disappointed. He asked the following question.

"Dadaji, today is spring festival. How can we make our offering to Baba during our puja without colours? We need some type of coloured powder or flower. But you have not brought any. Baba will be deprived because we do not have any colour to offer Him. He must be waiting for us as this is the day of the festival. Why is it that you did not supply coloured powder for us?"

Indeed, the margii felt that actual colours (powders, flowers, incense sticks, & even blowing conch shells etc) must be offered to Baba in our puja during colour festival, otherwise Baba would be deprived.

The margii recounted that for years and years always he used coloured powder in his puja on spring festival. He furthermore told that all the margiis he knows do like this as well.

We all watched Dadaji to see how he would respond. Dadaji told that physical colours like powder and flowers are not mandatory during our Guru Puja (offering of colours) in spring festival program.

BABA'S WORDS ABOUT THIS

Below are the quotes and citations which we found from Baba's guidelines.

In Caryacarya, Baba says the following about the use of coloured powder during puja in our spring festival celebrations.

Baba says, "Then, in the afternoon, all will perform collective Iishvara Prańidhána and Varńárghyadána (using áviir [coloured powder] or flowers of colours of their own choice)." (1)

In that same chapter of Caryacarya Baba further clarifies the matter.

Baba says, "In relation to Guru Pújá, one should remember that both crude and subtle offerings have equal value. Therefore one should not do anything merely for show." (2)

So here above Baba clarifies that both base (physical) and subtle (psychic) colours could be offered during spring festival. It is not that coloured powders are absolutely mandatory.

Hence no one should be disturbed if actual colours are not used. One may offer physical colours such as flowers or mental colours. No one should blame or harass anyone if someone prefers to only offer mental colours. There should not be any confusion about this.

MORE OF BABA'S TEACHINGS

Here are more of Baba's teachings on this critical point:

[A] First in Ananda Sutram Baba says that ours is not the path of ritualistic worship wherein we only offer physical objects or engage in prayer etc

3-11. Prárthanárcaná mátraeva bhramamúlam.
       
[Prayer and ritualistic worship become a source of confusion.]

Purport: It is useless to pray to God for something, for He is sure to give what is necessary. Solicitation or importunity in the name of worship is nothing but toadyism and flattery. (3)

[B] Here below, in these next two quotes, Baba again explains the inner significance of spring festival.

"The inner significance of the Dolyátra of Shrii Krśńa is this: “By surrendering all the colours of my mind to You, I want to become colourless.” This surrender to the Supreme Consciousness propels human beings towards Him. So this colour festival is not merely an outward play; it is purely a psycho-spiritual phenomenon. This very psycho-spiritual phenomenon is operating behind the process of varńárghyadána [offering of colours]: “O Lord, make me colourless so that I may move towards You without any hesitation.”" (4)

"The significance of the Dol Liilá, the Spring Festival, is to surrender all one’s mental colour to Parama Puruśa, and thus free oneself from the bondage of colour." (5)

GURU PUJA / VARNARGHYADAN / PRATYHARA YOGA ARE ONE AND THE SAME

In colour festival, we offer color to the Supreme Entity, who is in the form of Guru, by doing Guru Puja. Colour Festival then is nothing but the festival of Guru Puja.

Here, in the following paragraphs, colour means bondage, or the attachment of the mind. For example, anything & everything in the world has some sort of vibration, or colour. When attracted, the mind gets dyed with that colour. For instance, if someone is attracted to rasgolla and must eat tht sweet whenever he goes to the market, then the colour of rasgolla will stain his mind.

Likewise, humans get coloured colored by all kinds of colour. So here, colour means a stain on the mind. When the mind is stained, then that mind is in bondage. When mind is not attracted with any color and is just attracted towards Parama Purusa, then the mind is colourless.

That is why in Guru Puja, sadhakas offer their mental colour - all kinds of attractions, weaknesses, and attachments - to the Supreme Entity. If the offering is made with sincerity, that  weakness or attachment will fade away, and the mind will become calm, serene, and blissful. That is the very close to the stage of colourlessnes. When the mind is completely coloured then one becomes one with Parama Purusa.

Ultimately,, the unit mind and the Cosmic Mind are the same, only due to one's mental colour the unit mind is not becoming one with the Cosmic Entity. In order to become one with Him, we celebrate Colour Festival and offer our mental colours to the Divine Entity - Parama Purusa - and try to become one with Him.

"You must bring about a revolutionary change in the flow of your judgment and thought, and see how, after overcoming your fascination with external colour, your mind becomes tinged with the His glorious colour. In Ananda Marga Sadhana, the method of withdrawing the mind from degrading tendencies, and absorbing oneself in the colour of the Great, is called Pratyáhára Yoga (the yoga of withdrawal) or Varńárghyadána (Guru Puja: the offering of colours). All people have a particular attraction for one or another object or activity and as soon as they become attracted to an object, then their minds become coloured with the colour of that object. You can withdraw your mind from the colour of that object and dye yourself in His colour by offering Him the captivating colour of the object that has attracted you: this is the real Pratyáhára Yoga [Guru Puja]. The word Pratyáhára means “to withdraw” – to withdraw the mind from its object."

"The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours; it is meant to offer Him the colours of different objects which have dyed the mind. When this practice of offering your own colours – your own attachments, becomes natural and easy, you will then merge in Him. Then you will have no need for any colour, for you will become colourless – you will go beyond the reach of any colour. Your unit-ego will become one with the Cosmic Ego. Whichever way you look you will see only Him in His ever-surging glory. There is no “I” nor “you”. By an everlasting, mutual pact the final curtain will have fallen on all clashes of “I” and “you”. At that stage, if you call Parama Brahma as “I”, you are right in calling Him so; if you call Him as “He”, you are equally right; and if you call Him as “you”, again you are correct. The extent of your attainment of Him will be proportionate to your self surrender."

"Remember, you have to offer your own identity – not money, rice plantains or other crude objects. The give-and-take of crude things is a business transaction. If you want to attain the bliss of Brahma, you must offer your own self. If you want to have the Great “I”, you must give away your own little “I”. You have to give the full sixteen annas, (the full rupee). Giving fifteen annas and holding back one anna will not do. You must completely surrender. To attain that Infinite One with the help of your mental concentration and strength, you have to surrender yourselves. But, remember self-surrender does not mean suicide. On the contrary, your soul will have its full expression. Your existence will not become contracted, for contraction is inert in principle. Hence in the Sádhaná of self-surrender the ego is expanded, not contracted. In the Mahábhárata, when Duhshásana was pulling the sari of Draopadii, she was tightly holding the cloth to her body with one hand beseeching lord Krśńa with the other. “Oh! My lord, save me!” But the Lord did not then come forward to save her from shame. When Draopadii found no means of escape, she then released her hold on the cloth and appealed to the Lord most piteously with both hands out-stretched, crying, “O Lord, I surrender my all to you. Do what you think is best”. And the Lord immediately rescued her. That is why I say that you will have to dedicate yourselves to His feet wholly and unreservedly. You will earn godliness in proportion to the extent that you surrender yourselves, and finally, after merging that acquired godliness of yours in His Entity, you will attain eternal bliss." (6)

By His above teaching the point is very clear. Our colour festival is not about coloured powders and flowers per se. Rather Baba guides us that the real import is the psycho-spiritual approach of offering the colours (i.e. attachments and obstacles) of one's mind.

Here again is the critical line from Baba's teaching.

Baba says, "The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours." (7)

OUR ANANDA MARGA COLOUR FESTIVAL IS UNIQUE

Our Ananda Marga spring / colour festival - vasantaotsava - is highly unique and stands as a dharmic event. It is not a mere replication of the dogmatic Hindu colour festival. Baba has given distinct, dharmic reasons for the practice of our colour festival that makes it independent and different from the Hindu rituals performed in their colour festival.

SUMMARY

By all of Baba's above teachings, our approach in colour festival is very clear. There should not be any confusion. Those who wish to use physical colours may do so, but they must offer the colours of their mind as well. And those who wish to only offer their mental colours, that is in perfect accordance with Baba's teachings.

So no one should think that coloured dyes and powders are an absolute requirement for the celebration of our colour festival. On this point there should not be any confusion.

Namaskar,
Ramlal


REFERENCES
1. Caryacarya-1, Social Functions and Festivals
2. Caryacarya-1
3. Ananda Sutram
4. Liberation of Intellect: Neo-Humanism
5. Namámi Krśńasundaram, Disc: 19
6. Subhasita Samgraha - 3, Vibration, Form and Colour
7. Subhasita Samgraha - 3, Vibration, Form and Colour

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Subject: Re: Dada Threatens To Commit Suicide
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 04:18:55 GMT
To: am-global@earthlink.net

Namaskara Brothersji,

Good  article.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2013/03/dada-threatens-to-commit-suicide.html

I work in the psych field and everyday there are people that come in from suicide attempts that were not successful. Many attempt because of physical or emotional pains.

I don't know this Dada that was suicidal but I suspect he is putting on an act if indeed he threatened to do so to get the requested land. That is so non-sensical. Of course, suicide itself seems nonsense to the rational mind. I think he is bluffing. If I am wrong, O.K., but I don't think so.

Namaskar
Vyasa

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

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Health Guideline: Sleeping Related

"Do not sleep on a soft bed." (Carycarya - 3, Chapter 6, Pt #4)

Note: Baba's above guideline is key for wellness. Some ignorant people, however, who are unaware about health and hygiene, get swayed by pseudo-culture and use a spring-loaded bed with thick mattresses. But that is very detrimental for the various joints, muscles, & organs of the body; one will also suffer from incurable back pain and problems with the spine. Moreover, sleeping on a soft mattress adversely affects the body's systems leading to digestive disorders & disease.

Conscious people know that soft beds lead to the onset of many diseases while hard beds massage the body.

So one should be aware. One should not fall in the pseudo-culture approach of using a soft bed and thereby invite more dangerous diseases.

Sincere sadhakas keep away from using a pillow also.

On the spiritual side, Baba guides us that those using a hard bed in day to day life develop a body that is capable for intense psycho-spiritual practice.

Keeping this view, including many more benefits, Baba has graciously introduced this above rule. Those who follow this guideline realise its value.

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Prabhat Samgiita

“A’mi ca’i na’ ei sabhyata’, a’mi ca’i na’ kut’ilata’…” (PS 1341)

Purport:

O’ Lord, my life is for You and Your ideals. I do not want this pseudo-civilization. I do not want hypocrisy and cunningness. I want to float in the open, vast, blue sky – in the boundless open air with the softness of the birds where there are no limitations or boundaries of dogma.

I want more and more effulgence and free air, and the great sky which is studded with stars. I want that very mind which is saturated in divine love and dharma - where there is no presence of the bondages of crookedness, religion, groupism, or narrowness.

I always keep Parama Purusa in my mind and my heart. His blessing and His grace is my everything. By His grace I will go on painting and covering the darkness with the fragrance of sandal paste. Whatever and wherever impurity is there, by His grace it will be removed. This superficial culture and civilization I do not appreciate. I want straightforwardness. I want to lead a life under His shelter...