To: am-global@earthlink.net
From: "Caetanya"
Subject: Is Acarya A Middleman Between You And Parama Purusa
Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:00:45
Baba
Namaskar,
In one very unique discourse, by way of analogy, Baba explains the role of an acarya.
In this letter please find:
(A) Original Hindi Transcription from Baba's Darshan on 24 Nov 1979;
(B) A Summary in English of Baba's Guideline;
(C) An English Purport.
"परमपुरुष के साथ हर मनुष्य का, (केवल हर मनुष्य क्यों) हर जीव का सम्पर्क एकदम वैयष्टिक है | अब, कह सकते हो कि साधक जीवन में तब आचार्यों की क्या आवश्यकता है ? आवश्यकता है | कैसा ? अपना घर जानना चाहते हो, अपने पिता जी से मिलना चाहते हो | और, राह भूल गए हो | तो, किसी से तो पूछना है जी, कि किस तरह से कैसे जाएँगे | तो, यह पूछते हो तुम आचार्य से, और आचार्य रास्ता दिखला देते हैं | किन्तु सम्पर्क तो, वैयष्टिक सम्पर्क है | परमपुरुष तुम्हारे अपने हैं, तुम परमपुरुष के अपने हो | हाँ | यहाँ कोई तीसरी सत्ता बीच में नहीं है | और, जो तीसरी सत्ताएँ हैं, वे मदद करनेवाली सत्ताएँ हैं|
कुछ लोग कहते हैं कि “जीव, परमात्मा का बन्दा है |” बन्दा-वन्दा नहीं है | बन्दा क्या है ? यह पारिवारिक सम्पर्क है | कोई कहते हैं कि—”परमपुरुष का मैं तो दास हूँ |” दास-वास तो नहीं है | दास काहे ? पारिवारिक सम्पर्क है | दास काहे ? दास-मालिक का सम्पर्क नहीं है | गुलाम-मालिक का सम्पर्क नहीं है | विश्व ब्रह्माण्ड की सृष्टि उन्हीं से हुई है | सब उनका है | सब उनके मन में है | तो, तुम जिनके मन के भीतर में हो, तुम तो उन्हीं के हो | और, वे तो तुम्हारे सबसे निकट हैं | एकदम अपने हैं |"
The devotee has a direct link or relation with Parama Purusa. The relation does not go via a third party or middleman.
For instance, if you want to see your father but lost your way to the house, then you will ask someone, get directions, and see your father.
The same is the case with the sadhaka and Parama Purusa. Every sadhaka has a direct relationship with Parama Purusa. The acarya is a guide who shows the path. So there is no one in between you and Parama Purusa.
Some people say that living beings are a slave (das) of Parama Purusa. But that is not correct. The relation between jiivas and Parama Purusa is a family relation. Some people say that, "I am a slave." No, why are they a slave. They have a family relation. With Parama Purusa there is no Master-slave relation. It is family relation. The whole universe is His creation. It is within His mind. You are His. You are His dearest. The relation is that of a family member.
By the above teaching, it is clear every devotee has a direct relation with Parama Purusa. That is not the case in the various religions where followers cannot worship God directly. If on their own they try, then "it will not be fruitful" - they will not reach God. That is the prevailing religious dogma. So all ceremonies and programs must be performed by a middleman (mullah, priest, rabbi, minister, purohitas, reverend, etc). Religious officials act as a middleman between the common person and their God.
But in Ananda Marga, there is no middleman. Acaryas are not like middlemen (mullahs, priests, rabbis, ministers, purohitas, reverends, etc). That is perhaps one of the biggest differences between Ananda Marga and the various religions. In Ananda Marga, every sadhaka has a direct link with Parama Purusa.
Unfortunately, in India I have seen that because of the reigning Hindu dogma, naive margiis think that acaryas are like purohitas. Without them, no ceremony can move ahead. A similar situation may be brewing in other countries where other dogmatic religions are dominating.
The middleman theory was created with only one purpose in mind: To exploit the situation. Those religious leaders wanted all communication to go via them. They wanted 100% control to get maximum economic gain and enhance their prestige. By imposing this middleman dogma, they could command the people and carry out systemic exploitation. They wanted everyone to follow their order, pay them dues, and bow down to them.
Also, by investing full authority within themselves, they had the power to create new dogmas for their own self-interest. This was their mechanism for perpetuating their exploitation and always keeping themselves on top.
Such priests gave themselves the ultimate power: To open the door to heaven or hell. Ananda Marga is not like this; every sadhaka has a direct relationship with Parama Purusa.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Caetanya
PS Intro: This below song represents that extremely high stance of devotion wherein the bhakta has an irresistible desire to get Him. It is similar to a small infant who has the deep desire to have its mother: then that child cries solely for its 'maa', due to its strong love and attachment for its mother. Likewise, in this song, the bhakta can think of nothing else than his Ista, and in that highly devotional state, tears rain down out of a heart-felt love for Parama Purusa. So the devotee is already close to the Lord yet yearns to get Him closer and still more close. That is the great devotional longing that this song represents. And that is why the sadhaka is crying - because he wants that Baba should grace him by coming closer. Such ardent longing for Parama Purusa is evidenced in the lives of extraordinary sadhakas like Surdas, Meerabai, and other great bhaktas.
"Priyatama prabhu a'ma'r, toma'ri tare ankhi jhare..." (PS 1412)
Purport:
O' Prabhu, my most Beloved, I love You so much but I am not getting You. You are remaining far. My eyes are showering tears for You day and night. I am crying for You. Baba, please come, I want You in a more intimate way. O' my Lord I am searching for You. Where are You, in which far distant, unknown place have You gone - I do not know. Baba, You have left me by the sarita' tiire [1] - by the river bank - bound up in my bundle of samskaras, while You Yourself have gone to some divine land. O' Baba, I am crying for You. Please grace me by coming close.
Baba, by your grace I only know You; only You are my Goal. Many crave name and fame or have attachment for their homeland or country etc. O'
my Lord, I only love You. Everything I do is only for You - to please You. When I sing and dance it is only for You, when I play Prabhat Samgiita, it is only for serving and pleasing You - to fulfill Your desire. I do not sing Prabhat Samgiita to show off my own greatness and musical talent, but rather to make You happy. Baba, by Your grace, whatever ego I have, it is only sentient ego [2] for You - all my thoughts and deeds are revolving around You, not for satisfying my personal petty desires. By Your grace, whatever I think, whatever I do, is for You - to please You.
Baba, I may be a lowly sadhaka. I do not feel that I have done a lot of sadhana in my life. Because of this, perhaps for this reason You are keeping me distant. Perhaps that is why You are neglecting me and leaving me all alone. Neither do I have good deeds to my name, nor are my thoughts pious, nor is my ideation pure. Is this why You have forgotten me and left me and gone to some far distant unknown heavenly abode, and not returned back [3]. O' my Lord, please grace me by coming close.
Baba, I long for You and I surrender at Your alter - You are my Goal, You are my everything...
NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #1412:
[1] Sarita' tiire: (Literally sarita' means 'river' & tiire means 'bank' or 'shore') The river means the river of bhava - sometimes depicted as bhava sagar (ocean)-- the bundle of samskaras that one has to cross to reach Parama Purusa. That is the analogy being made here. The devotee is sitting by the river bank wondering how he will cross the river of samskaras and reach to Parama Purusa, Baba. Without His grace, one cannot cross that river or ocean of samskaras. And without exhausting all these samskaras one cannot get mukti or moksa. So His grace is needed. All in all, the devotee is longing to get Him and in that longing he is making the loving accusation to Parama Purusa - 'Why have You left me and gone to some divine land while I sit here by the river bank surrounded by my samskaras'.
[2] Abhiman: In Sanskrit the term 'abhiman' means 'sentient ego'; where as in Bengali 'abhiman' not mean 'wounded pride'. Depending on the song, one has to evaluate the scene and determine which meaning is more appropriate.
[3] Here in this last portion of the song, the devotee is trying to do sadhana and bring Parama Purusa in his close proximity. Since it is difficult, the sadhaka makes this loving accusation towards Parama Purusa that 'You have gone away'. But it does not mean that really Baba has gone. Just it means that He is not coming as close as the sadhaka desires. In his heart of hearts, the bhakta thinks that Parama Purusa is close by and listening to his complaint. So it is just a loving accusation by the devotee in order to bring Parama Purusa close. It is similar to how in our day to day life we use such expressions with our very close people, with our nearest and dearest relations. One might say, 'Why did you leave me', 'why did you abandon me', 'why did you forget about me' etc. All these expressions people use when they are extremely close with someone. Children say such things to their moms etc.
"Do not sleep on a soft bed." (Caryacarya - 3, Chap 6, Pt #4)
Note: This above point that Baba is describing has deep meaning. Some ignorant people however who are unaware about health and hygiene get swayed by pseudo-culture and they use a spring-loaded bed with thick mattresses. But that is very detrimental for the various joints, muscles, & organs of the body and it creates an ill-effect on the body systems such as digestive disorders & diseases. Mostly because of hunchback syndrome and because the stomach is pressed. Keeping this view, including many more benefits, Baba has graciously introduced this above rule. Everyone should follow this and then they will realise the deeper aspect of its value.
Amongst conscious people it is commonly known that soft beds lead to the onset of many diseases including incurable backaches and joint pain.
So one should be aware. One should not fall in the trap of momentary pleasure and invite more dangerous diseases.
Note 2: Revealing the spiritual sigificnace of this point, Baba guides us that those who are using a hard bed in day to day life, their body becomes more and more capable for intense psycho-spiritual practice. Such sincere sadhakas keep away from using a pillow also.
From: "Caetanya"
Subject: Is Acarya A Middleman Between You And Parama Purusa
Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2013 22:00:45
Baba
== IS ACARYA A MIDDLEMAN BETWEEN YOU AND PARAMA PURUSA ==
Namaskar,
In one very unique discourse, by way of analogy, Baba explains the role of an acarya.
In this letter please find:
(A) Original Hindi Transcription from Baba's Darshan on 24 Nov 1979;
(B) A Summary in English of Baba's Guideline;
(C) An English Purport.
ORIGINAL HINDI TRANSCRIPTION:
FROM 24 NOV 1979
FROM 24 NOV 1979
"परमपुरुष के साथ हर मनुष्य का, (केवल हर मनुष्य क्यों) हर जीव का सम्पर्क एकदम वैयष्टिक है | अब, कह सकते हो कि साधक जीवन में तब आचार्यों की क्या आवश्यकता है ? आवश्यकता है | कैसा ? अपना घर जानना चाहते हो, अपने पिता जी से मिलना चाहते हो | और, राह भूल गए हो | तो, किसी से तो पूछना है जी, कि किस तरह से कैसे जाएँगे | तो, यह पूछते हो तुम आचार्य से, और आचार्य रास्ता दिखला देते हैं | किन्तु सम्पर्क तो, वैयष्टिक सम्पर्क है | परमपुरुष तुम्हारे अपने हैं, तुम परमपुरुष के अपने हो | हाँ | यहाँ कोई तीसरी सत्ता बीच में नहीं है | और, जो तीसरी सत्ताएँ हैं, वे मदद करनेवाली सत्ताएँ हैं|
कुछ लोग कहते हैं कि “जीव, परमात्मा का बन्दा है |” बन्दा-वन्दा नहीं है | बन्दा क्या है ? यह पारिवारिक सम्पर्क है | कोई कहते हैं कि—”परमपुरुष का मैं तो दास हूँ |” दास-वास तो नहीं है | दास काहे ? पारिवारिक सम्पर्क है | दास काहे ? दास-मालिक का सम्पर्क नहीं है | गुलाम-मालिक का सम्पर्क नहीं है | विश्व ब्रह्माण्ड की सृष्टि उन्हीं से हुई है | सब उनका है | सब उनके मन में है | तो, तुम जिनके मन के भीतर में हो, तुम तो उन्हीं के हो | और, वे तो तुम्हारे सबसे निकट हैं | एकदम अपने हैं |"
(Ananda Vacanamrtam - Part 16 (Hindi), Chapter 16, 24 Nov 79, Delhi)
ENGLISH SUMMARY:
ACARYA IS NOT A MIDDLEMAN
ACARYA IS NOT A MIDDLEMAN
The devotee has a direct link or relation with Parama Purusa. The relation does not go via a third party or middleman.
For instance, if you want to see your father but lost your way to the house, then you will ask someone, get directions, and see your father.
The same is the case with the sadhaka and Parama Purusa. Every sadhaka has a direct relationship with Parama Purusa. The acarya is a guide who shows the path. So there is no one in between you and Parama Purusa.
Some people say that living beings are a slave (das) of Parama Purusa. But that is not correct. The relation between jiivas and Parama Purusa is a family relation. Some people say that, "I am a slave." No, why are they a slave. They have a family relation. With Parama Purusa there is no Master-slave relation. It is family relation. The whole universe is His creation. It is within His mind. You are His. You are His dearest. The relation is that of a family member.
THERE IS NO MIDDLEMAN BETWEEN YOU AND PARAMA PURUSA
By the above teaching, it is clear every devotee has a direct relation with Parama Purusa. That is not the case in the various religions where followers cannot worship God directly. If on their own they try, then "it will not be fruitful" - they will not reach God. That is the prevailing religious dogma. So all ceremonies and programs must be performed by a middleman (mullah, priest, rabbi, minister, purohitas, reverend, etc). Religious officials act as a middleman between the common person and their God.
But in Ananda Marga, there is no middleman. Acaryas are not like middlemen (mullahs, priests, rabbis, ministers, purohitas, reverends, etc). That is perhaps one of the biggest differences between Ananda Marga and the various religions. In Ananda Marga, every sadhaka has a direct link with Parama Purusa.
Unfortunately, in India I have seen that because of the reigning Hindu dogma, naive margiis think that acaryas are like purohitas. Without them, no ceremony can move ahead. A similar situation may be brewing in other countries where other dogmatic religions are dominating.
The middleman theory was created with only one purpose in mind: To exploit the situation. Those religious leaders wanted all communication to go via them. They wanted 100% control to get maximum economic gain and enhance their prestige. By imposing this middleman dogma, they could command the people and carry out systemic exploitation. They wanted everyone to follow their order, pay them dues, and bow down to them.
Also, by investing full authority within themselves, they had the power to create new dogmas for their own self-interest. This was their mechanism for perpetuating their exploitation and always keeping themselves on top.
Such priests gave themselves the ultimate power: To open the door to heaven or hell. Ananda Marga is not like this; every sadhaka has a direct relationship with Parama Purusa.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Caetanya
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
PS Intro: This below song represents that extremely high stance of devotion wherein the bhakta has an irresistible desire to get Him. It is similar to a small infant who has the deep desire to have its mother: then that child cries solely for its 'maa', due to its strong love and attachment for its mother. Likewise, in this song, the bhakta can think of nothing else than his Ista, and in that highly devotional state, tears rain down out of a heart-felt love for Parama Purusa. So the devotee is already close to the Lord yet yearns to get Him closer and still more close. That is the great devotional longing that this song represents. And that is why the sadhaka is crying - because he wants that Baba should grace him by coming closer. Such ardent longing for Parama Purusa is evidenced in the lives of extraordinary sadhakas like Surdas, Meerabai, and other great bhaktas.
"Priyatama prabhu a'ma'r, toma'ri tare ankhi jhare..." (PS 1412)
Purport:
O' Prabhu, my most Beloved, I love You so much but I am not getting You. You are remaining far. My eyes are showering tears for You day and night. I am crying for You. Baba, please come, I want You in a more intimate way. O' my Lord I am searching for You. Where are You, in which far distant, unknown place have You gone - I do not know. Baba, You have left me by the sarita' tiire [1] - by the river bank - bound up in my bundle of samskaras, while You Yourself have gone to some divine land. O' Baba, I am crying for You. Please grace me by coming close.
Baba, by your grace I only know You; only You are my Goal. Many crave name and fame or have attachment for their homeland or country etc. O'
my Lord, I only love You. Everything I do is only for You - to please You. When I sing and dance it is only for You, when I play Prabhat Samgiita, it is only for serving and pleasing You - to fulfill Your desire. I do not sing Prabhat Samgiita to show off my own greatness and musical talent, but rather to make You happy. Baba, by Your grace, whatever ego I have, it is only sentient ego [2] for You - all my thoughts and deeds are revolving around You, not for satisfying my personal petty desires. By Your grace, whatever I think, whatever I do, is for You - to please You.
Baba, I may be a lowly sadhaka. I do not feel that I have done a lot of sadhana in my life. Because of this, perhaps for this reason You are keeping me distant. Perhaps that is why You are neglecting me and leaving me all alone. Neither do I have good deeds to my name, nor are my thoughts pious, nor is my ideation pure. Is this why You have forgotten me and left me and gone to some far distant unknown heavenly abode, and not returned back [3]. O' my Lord, please grace me by coming close.
Baba, I long for You and I surrender at Your alter - You are my Goal, You are my everything...
NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #1412:
[1] Sarita' tiire: (Literally sarita' means 'river' & tiire means 'bank' or 'shore') The river means the river of bhava - sometimes depicted as bhava sagar (ocean)-- the bundle of samskaras that one has to cross to reach Parama Purusa. That is the analogy being made here. The devotee is sitting by the river bank wondering how he will cross the river of samskaras and reach to Parama Purusa, Baba. Without His grace, one cannot cross that river or ocean of samskaras. And without exhausting all these samskaras one cannot get mukti or moksa. So His grace is needed. All in all, the devotee is longing to get Him and in that longing he is making the loving accusation to Parama Purusa - 'Why have You left me and gone to some divine land while I sit here by the river bank surrounded by my samskaras'.
[2] Abhiman: In Sanskrit the term 'abhiman' means 'sentient ego'; where as in Bengali 'abhiman' not mean 'wounded pride'. Depending on the song, one has to evaluate the scene and determine which meaning is more appropriate.
[3] Here in this last portion of the song, the devotee is trying to do sadhana and bring Parama Purusa in his close proximity. Since it is difficult, the sadhaka makes this loving accusation towards Parama Purusa that 'You have gone away'. But it does not mean that really Baba has gone. Just it means that He is not coming as close as the sadhaka desires. In his heart of hearts, the bhakta thinks that Parama Purusa is close by and listening to his complaint. So it is just a loving accusation by the devotee in order to bring Parama Purusa close. It is similar to how in our day to day life we use such expressions with our very close people, with our nearest and dearest relations. One might say, 'Why did you leave me', 'why did you abandon me', 'why did you forget about me' etc. All these expressions people use when they are extremely close with someone. Children say such things to their moms etc.
******************************************
Health Guideline: Sleeping Related
Health Guideline: Sleeping Related
"Do not sleep on a soft bed." (Caryacarya - 3, Chap 6, Pt #4)
Note: This above point that Baba is describing has deep meaning. Some ignorant people however who are unaware about health and hygiene get swayed by pseudo-culture and they use a spring-loaded bed with thick mattresses. But that is very detrimental for the various joints, muscles, & organs of the body and it creates an ill-effect on the body systems such as digestive disorders & diseases. Mostly because of hunchback syndrome and because the stomach is pressed. Keeping this view, including many more benefits, Baba has graciously introduced this above rule. Everyone should follow this and then they will realise the deeper aspect of its value.
Amongst conscious people it is commonly known that soft beds lead to the onset of many diseases including incurable backaches and joint pain.
So one should be aware. One should not fall in the trap of momentary pleasure and invite more dangerous diseases.
Note 2: Revealing the spiritual sigificnace of this point, Baba guides us that those who are using a hard bed in day to day life, their body becomes more and more capable for intense psycho-spiritual practice. Such sincere sadhakas keep away from using a pillow also.
******************************************
