Baba
Why people face reactions
Namaskar,
So many things happen in life - good times and bad ones, smart choices
and foolish ones. Most of these events are related with our samskaras,
i.e. yoga's theory of cause and effect, also known as action / reaction,
or samskara theory. This letter investigates some of the basic aspects
of samskara theory.
Only human beings can create new samskaras
While most have studied samsakra theory, let's take a moment to review
some fundamental rules. Only human beings can create new samskaras.
Because only humans have free will; animals do not. For example, someone
might decide to harm or kill others, while another may choose to help a
person in distress. Each human being has the freedom to make conscious
decisions and take action. By exercising their free will and making life
choices, people create new samskaras, or unexpressed reactions.
More precisely, a person creates new samskaras based on how much pain or
happiness their actions bring unto others. For instance, if you feed a
beggar and bring 50 points of happiness in the mind of that beggar, then
you will incur a good samskara of 50 points, plus interest accrued over
time. That is the quantum of pleasure you will experience in the mind
due to your past action of feeding the beggar. In contrast, if you take a
stick and intentionally hit someone and give that person 70 points of
pain and suffering in the mind, then you will incur a bad samskara of 70
points plus interest. That is the quantum of pain you will experience
in the mind due to your past action of hitting that person with a stick.
By their free will and ensuing actions people create new samskaras. And
then at a conducive moment they undergo the reaction. As explained in
the above examples, a person must experience that degree of pain or
happiness in the mind that they caused in others, plus interest. This
happens because humans have free will to act and either help or hurt
others.
Animals do not have free will & never create samskaras
In contrast, animals cannot create any (new) samskaras because they do
not have free will. Everything they do is according to instinct, which
is controlled by the cosmic operative principle, or prakrti. If a monkey
bites you, then that monkey will not incur any samskara. Because that
monkey was doing according to its innate instinct. There was no
conscious decision by the monkey to bite you or harm you. To use the
analogy of a computer, those animals act according to the way they are
pre-programmed to behave, just as a computer performs according to the
way it was programed. Ultimately, since animals do not have free will,
they never create or incur any samskaras.
Within the animal category, there are two central groups:
(1) Those animals who were in human form but reverted back to animal life to undergo suffering from their past misdeeds.
(2) Those animals moving forward through the process of praisaincara and
in order to progress that animal has to undergo clash and cohesion to
reach the next higher state of mind. That is how srsti works. Those
animals have to face hardship and struggle in the wilds in order to
progress to the next higher life.
>From the time one first emerges from the Supreme Hub in the form of fire
or water, or wood etc up until one's highest expression of animal life
one will not have any samskaras because they do not have free will. It
is only during one's first human life that new samskaras get created
based on what one does - i.e. how one exercises their free will.
A despotic ruler who inflicts untold suffering and terrible pain upon
others will most assuredly incur very negative samskaras and be reborn
as a lower being or even as a piece of iron. The exact depth of their
plunge depends upon the nature of their sins and how much pain they
inflicted upon others etc.
Part life
We should always remember that ours is a part life. We have been coming
and going from one life to the next for ions. We may be a small child,
an adult, or elderly, but unless this is our first human life, we are
carrying around a big bundle of samskaras from past lives. And that can
take shape in so many ways and explain why a very good person may
undergo a terrible problem in life.
For example, suppose a person is leading a very pious and saintly life;
they never harm or hurt anyone. Yet they are facing one difficulty after
another and experiencing so much mental anguish. In that case, we can
surmise that this saintly person is undergoing the reactions from their
past actions in a prior life. In a prior life, that person may have beat
or cheated others, and then carried those bad samskaras into this life.
So even though this time around they are leading a saintly existence,
this is just a part life. The suffering they are undergoing today may be
the result of a very bad samskara from 2, or even 5 or 10 lives ago. So
humans have the freedom to act and this is a part life, linked with a
whole chain of past lives and hence old samskaras.
Conclusion
In one's first human life they create new samskaras and reap the
reactions in that very life itself - but still many unrequited samskaras
remain which they shall reap in the future. In a short time one can
create enough samskaras to last for thousands of years. There is no set
time frame for when a samskara will take expression, nor is there an
easy escape from those unexpressed reactions; they have to take form. In
addition, those samskaras are far more than one can ever undergo in
this life; and in this life also they will create even more new
samskaras. So it is a very dramatic situation whereby people incur huge
numbers of samskaras.
The cycle is unending: Birth to death and then rebirth. So one is not
free. When a person is blessed to enter the path of sadhana, in the fire
of sadhana everyday one burns their samskaras. By doing sadhana and
with His divine grace, one achieves liberation.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Amritadhara’
~ In-depth study ~
The child is suffering - no fault of its own?
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "It is quite often observed that a child
suffers from some disease without any apparent fault on her part. The
disease is attributed to her being affected by the germs of that
disease, and thus the germs appear to be the cause. In fact, the
saḿskáras of that child give rise to the saḿvedana or psychic action
which then activates the germs of that particular disease in the body.
The múla kárańa or root cause for the suffering of the child is
saḿskáras, due to which saḿvedana arises and ultimately brings about the
disease. It is therefore wrong to think that the child is suffering
without any reason and for no fault of its own." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "So just as nimiita and upádána kárańa
appears to be the main cause, the immediate reaction of an action
appears to be the result while it is only a physical reaction, and the
actual result or phala will be experienced later on. Karma and
karmaphala travel in a wave and at one stage one becomes the kárańa for
the other. This wave is unending, until karma ceases absolutely, karma
and karmaphala are the kárańa or causes for each other, which travel in a
never ending waves, until the karma and along with it, the formation of
saḿskáras finally ceases." (2)
Consequences of his previous action of theft
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "Suppose one has a desire to go to
Calcutta and then actually goes there. This is an original action
because to go or not to go to Calcutta depends entirely on one’s will.
But an action which one is obliged to perform mechanically under
pressure of circumstances is called saḿskáraḿulaka karma (reaction to
the original action). In these actions it is the indirect will and not
the direct will which functions. The original deed which was performed
by the direct will is later expressed as a reaction by the indirect
will. Your indirect will forces you to become a tool to restore the
equilibrium in the universe which was lost due to your original action."
(3)
Ananda Marga ideology says, "In sámskáraḿulaka karma individuals have no
free will, but are slaves to the dictates of the indirect will. Suppose
a person commits a theft by his free will. As long as the reaction of
the original action of theft is unexpressed, his indirect will remains
in seed form as reactive momenta. But the moment the indirect will finds
a congenial environment it expresses itself, resulting in the thief
either being arrested by the police, or having to undergo some
punishment or humiliation. This is how the thief reaps the consequences
of his previous action of theft." (4)
If they were wicked
Ananda Marga ideology teaches us, "Good reactions to good actions are
experienced in a similar way. One will have to reap the consequences of
one’s past actions until one’s saḿskáras are exhausted. If one’s
previous deeds were virtuous, life will be blessed, but if they were
wicked, one will be branded as a sinner. Only when all good and bad
reactions have been expressed do the bondages of vice and virtue snap
open." (5)
Suppose one harms someone
Ananda Marga ideology states, "All actions, whether introversial or
extroversial, crude or subtle certainly lie latent in individuals in
seed form as potential reactions. One day, with the help of the indirect
will, they will be expressed in the external world. Suppose one harms
someone. The reaction of one’s action will lie in potential form until
the proper time and place arrives for its expression." (6)
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "Even if one does not harm anyone
physically, but simply thinks of harming someone, saḿskáras will still
be created. Whatever feelings one may have for a person, good or bad,
will certainly cause a reaction. That reaction will remain in potential
form in the subtle mental sphere until the opportune time arrives for
its expression. This is why wise people look upon this universe with an
attitude of equanimity and pray for the welfare of all. Sarvesám
mauṋgalam káunkśe. People who fail to do this will have to suffer
endlessly for their mean-mindedness." (7)
Why sadhakas suffer
Ananda Marga ideology states, "We often notice that after initiation a
sincere sádhaka suddenly experiences tremendous pain or pleasure. The
initial stage of a spiritual aspirant’s life is quite troublesome. Those
who suddenly feel tremendous happiness become so absorbed in this
blissful state that they completely forget their ideology, and those who
suffer immense torture sometimes leave the path of sádhaká due to their
inability to face such difficulties. A true sadhaka must remain
unaffected by both pain and pleasure. It should be understood that only
through pain and pleasure can one’s sámskáras be destroyed and a new
karmáshaya dominated by Consciousness be created." (8)
Ananda Marga ideology states, " In this stage, when the karmáshaya is
filled with Consciousness, the possibility of a spiritual aspirant’s
rebirth is destroyed for good. Burnt seeds never sprout. However, even
though it is burnt, the seed still exists." (9)
References
1. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 3, Some Questions and Answers on Ananda Marga Philosophy – Excerpt A
2. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 3, Some Questions and Answers on Ananda Marga Philosophy – Excerpt A
3. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, The Science of Action
4. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, The Science of Action
5. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, The Science of Action
6. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, The Science of Action
7. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, The Science of Action
8. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, The Science of Action
9. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, The Science of Action
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Main Topic ==
New dawn is rising up in the eastern horizon
"Nútan diner nútan súrya,púrva ákáshe ut́heche áj..." (Prabhat Samgiita #1308)
Purport:
O' Parama Purusa, by Your grace, today the resplendent new sun of the glorious new dawn is rising up in the eastern horizon. The whole world is getting bathed in Your effulgence. Due to fear and shyness, the Cimmerian darkness of the new moon has disappeared and is hiding somewhere.
O' human being, throw away those old tattered ideas, staticity, and dogmas of the past, and embrace the effulgence of the new dawn. The Supreme Entity with His exquisite brilliance has come to your doorstep - with new form and colour, showering love on you.
O' human being, the creatures of darkness have vanished and gotten destroyed due to your well-organised movement and strong push. The Parama Purusa, who is the nucleus of this universe, is the greatest Entity of this vast cosmos. Ideate on Him, and go on doing His work, serving and pleasing Him...
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
When life becomes meaningful
Namaskar,
Those of a materialistic mindset think that power, post, money, and
worldly relations are the base of life. They think, “I live and die for
this - i.e. power, post, & money etc. For this, I have come on this
earth to live happily and enjoy.” In this way, due to avidya maya they
pass their whole life in drowsiness. They cannot comprehend this basic
fact that what they are depending upon is not permanent. Those things
cannot last forever.
In this universe, everything is moving and the speed of movement also
varies. So when two people are moving in with a similar speed then they
are called a family. But no two persons can maintain a similar speed for
long. Either one moves away, dies, divorces, or their liking or
disliking changes. What they formerly cherished has now become useless
in their eyes.
That is why nothing in this created world can be the base of life. None
of those things can provide permanent happiness. Animals cannot
comprehend this simple truth - but humans can understand it. Those who
fail to comprehend it are worse than animals. Only that Eternal Entity
Parama Purusa alone is the base of life. He was with you, He is with
you, and He will always be with you up to eternity. So when you have one
Entity who always remains with You then why not cultivate a close and
intimate relation with that Supreme Entity. That will signify the start
of gaining real meaning and fulfillment of life.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "That which is finite cannot be the base
of your life, because it will be used up and will leave your mind
unsheltered. Thrusting you in the abyss of darkness, it will pursue its
course on the unending path. Therefore, no one except Brahma, the
beginningless, endless and infinite can be the object of your mind and
the base of your life.” (1)
In Him,
Dhrti
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, The Base of Life
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
रात समाप्त हो गई है, नव्यमानवतावाद का युग आ गया है।
प्रभात संगीत 4614: निशार अवसान हालो, पूर्वाकाशे.....
भावार्थ
अब, पूर्वी क्षितिज में गुलावी रंग स्पष्ट दिखाई दे रहा है। रात अपने काले अंधकार के साथ जा चुकी है। अब उगता सूर्य पुकार कर कह रहा है कि अपने अपने घरों के दरवाजे खिड़कियों को खोलो। खोलो ,खोलो,खोलो अपने हृदय के द्वार खोलो और जाति, ग्रुपों व दलों में पृथक पृथक रहने की भावजड़ता को भगाओ । सचमुच रात खत्म हो गयी है भावजड़ता और संकीर्णता के बंधन मन से दूर चले गये हैं।
भूतकाल में अंधकार से ढके होने के कारण जो कुछ अज्ञात था, वह अब प्रकाश की उपस्थिति के कारण समझ में आने लगा है। सभी लोग हमारे परिवार के भाग हैं। दूर स्थानों के पक्षी अपने पंख फैलाये पास आ रहे हैं। इस अरुणोदय के कारण अब मैं देखता हूॅूं कि सभी परस्पर भाई बहिन हैं कोई भी बाहरी नहीं है जबकि पहले मैं इन्हें दूरस्थ अन्य जाति व दलों, ग्रुपों का मानता था। पर अब यह स्पष्ट हो गया है कि वे सब मेरे हैं। मन के जड़ात्मक भाव दूर हो गये हैं। अब कोई भेदभाव नहीं है, कोई अंधेरा नहीं है, कोई बंधन नहीं है नया ज़माना आ चुका है।
अब किसी के घर में स्वच्छ वायु के प्रवेश को कोई नहीं रोक सकता। क्षुद्र भाव समाप्त हो गये है। इसके पूर्व में लोग अपनी बुद्धि का उपयोग दूसरों के शोषण में किया करते थे, पर अब सभी का मन बहुत बड़ा हो गया है। सभी अपने मन को परम पुरुष की ओर चलाने लगे हैं।
दूरस्थ व्यक्ति अब मेरे अपनों की तरह निकट आने लगे हैं। गुलावी प्रातःकाल से अंधेरा दूर हो गया है और सभी अपने घरों के द्वार अपने हृदय के कपाट खोल रहे हैं,ं अब नया युग आ गया है अब कोई भावजड़ता, कोई बंधन और कोई अंधेरा नहीं है। अब मनुष्य के हृदय में दिव्य प्रेम का संतृप्तिकरण हो गया है। सभी एक दूसरे से निकट संबंधियों की भाॅंति मिल रहे हैं। घना अंधेरा हट गया है, बाबा! तुम्हारी कृपा से नव्यमानवतावाद का युग आज आ गया है। (1)
Reference
1. Trans: Dr. T.R.S.
== Section 4:
Links ==
Recent postings
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This email contains four sections:
1. PS #1308: New dawn is rising up in the eastern horizon
2. Posting: Why people face reactions
3. IT: When life becomes meaningful
4. Links
