Baba
Negative way
Namaskar,
In our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, the term 'bhakti' is well-known and commonly used in our daily talks and interactions. Sadhakas say things like, “That person has a lot of bhakti”, or “Bhakti is the greatest attribution”, or “I only follow the path of bhakti” etc. At the same time a few others mistakenly think, “I am an acarya so I must have a lot of bhakti”; while others contemplate, “I hold a high post so I have a lot of bhakti.” Let’s take a moment to reflect on what is real bhakti, especially since it is only bhakti that can lead us to our cherished Goal.
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Bhakti or attachment
Baba guides us that bhakti means having the mind directed only towards God, and not towards any other object or desire.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Bhakti means to withdraw one’s attractions from all objects and channelize them towards Parama Purus'a. When the unit self is associated with the cosmic it is called “bhakti” or “devotion”, but when it is associated with the mundane it is called “attachment”. You must withdraw your mental propensities from all external objects – no matter what they might be – and channelize them only towards Parama Purus'a. Only when you direct them towards Him, can it be called bhakti. If you allow your mind to become fascinated by any other object, it is called “a'sakti” or “attachment”." (1)
So no external qualification or mundane desire has even one iota to do with bhakti. If anyone thinks, “I am an acarya so therefore I am a bhakta”, or if one thinks, “I organise many service projects so I must be a great bhakta”, this is all nothing but self-befoolery. Because using external things to build a case for one's internal amount of bhakti is meaningless.
The operative phrase in the above quote is, "only towards Parama Purus'a." If the mind is goaded only towards Parama Purusa, then it is bhakti. That is the real meaning of bhakti. If one's mind is only involved in serving and pleasing Parama Purusa. That means in the external sphere, we should engage in worldly activities for pleasing Him, and not out of our own unit desire for worldly prestige etc.
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Bhakti & a'sakti cannot co-exist
As Baba points out, if the mind is separately or simultaneously involved in any other longing then it is known as a'sakti or attachment, i.e. the path of degradation.
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "When the attraction is for the non-integral entity, for money, for family, for land, it is called ka'ma; when it is for integral entity it is called prema and the mental tendency during ka'ma i.e., the mental tendency during attraction for a non-integral entity is called a'sakti in Sam'skrta and the mental tendency during attraction for that Integral Entity is called bhakti. (2)
The basic equation is: the degree to which we are attracted by or infatuated with money, name, fame, respect, position, is the degree to which we are off the path of bhakti. Bhakti, then, is a very pure and internal desire to attain Parama Purusa. And for this tremendous honesty and love are needed. We may be able to masquerade ourselves in front of others so they think we are great bhaktas; but we cannot fool Parama Purusa in this way. He sees our innermost desire and knows how far we have pure bhakti or not.
The main thing we should keep in mind is that bhakti (love for God) and a'sakti (mundane longing) are mutually exclusive; they cannot co-exist. The degree to which we harbour one is the degree to which we are remiss in the other.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "The attachment for a finite thing is an expression of extroverted energy, whereas the attraction for the Infinite is an expression of the introverted energy. That is why these two can never co-exist." (3)
Bhakta: his son & love
Here Baba guides us that true bhaktas look upon one and all, even our intimate relations, as the expression of Parama Purusa. That means that Parama Purusa has come in various forms, including as our family members.
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "Do you love your son? No, no you don’t love your son. You love Brahma in the form of your son. By loving your son as a son, you cannot love the Lord. Where there is the feeling of son, there is no Lord and where there is the Lord, there is no son." (4)
Those who are true bhakas look upon each and every entity as the manifestation of the Supreme Entity.
All in all, there are three general grades of sadhakas. Those in the top most category love only Parama Purusa, and view all as Parama Purusa in various forms. Then one is truly established in bhakti. Second is when one loves Parama Purusa sometimes, and on other occasions harbours love towards mundane entities. In that case, bhakti is polluted. The lowest phase one prays for something mundane in their ritualistic worship of the Supreme. This crude approach is asakti and must be avoided entirely.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga ideology says, "If a man wants to become a devotee of the lord but in the mind of his mind, if he thinks that God will make him pass his examination – here the esana (longing) is not one but two...When something is demanded from God the esana becomes two. Hence the time is completely wasted...When the esana (longing) is not [only] for Paramatman but [also] for something else, it is known as asakti (attachment) and not bhakti." (5)
We should all keep the mind fully focused on Parama Purusa and not any second or third desire or goal.
Bhakti is the best path
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Being merged in the constant thought of God is devotion. Devotion is not related to the chanting of hymns or ritualistic worship with different paraphernalia. (6)
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "The meaning of the word bhakti is “attraction to the Supreme”. When the attraction is to something limited, it is called a'sakti, and when the attraction is to the Supreme, it is devotion, bhakti. There is no compromise, no meeting point, between a'sakti and bhakti, between attraction to the Supreme and attraction to the objects of the world. In a'sakti, the feeling is that I get the object. In bhakti, the feeling is that I merge myself in Him. Where there is no desire, there the Lord lives. The Lord and the desire for the world, like the sun and the night, cannot coexist." (7)
Conclusion
Bhakti is something purely internal and is not related with any external qualification like post or power. Bhakti is one’s heartfelt love for the Supreme Entity. And the degree to which that comprises one’s mental make-up is the degree to which they are a true bhakta. Conversely, those who harbour desires of worldly gains - whether that be money, name, or fame etc - are on the path of asakti. Bhakti and asaki cannot coexist. So every sadhaka should be keenly aware of what desire they are cultivating in the mind and ensure that their longing is goaded unto Parama Purusa, and not anything mundane.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Namaskar,
In Him,
Gurumurti
~ In-depth study ~
Bhakti versus a'sakti
Ananda Marga ideology states, "In philosophical terms the attraction for finite objects is called a'sakti and the attraction for the infinite is Bhakti. Ra'ga or rakti means both the attraction for the infinite and attraction for the finite objects." (8)
Ananda Marga ideology says, "One may have attachment towards physical objects as well as towards Parama Purus'a. The attachment to physicality is called a'sakti or vis'aya'nurakti, while the deep attachment to Parama Purusa is called para'nurakti or bhakti." (9)
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "The meaning of the word “para'nurakti” should be considered. Rakti denotes raga or attachment. Anurakti means maintaining attachment with or being attracted by a particular entity after having understood its meaning. Anurakti is of two kinds. The anurakti for the Supreme Brahma or Infinite Cosmic Consciousness is para'nurakti. The Anurakti for Brahma under the sway of prakrti or the anurakti for the crude manifestations is termed apara'nurakti. God is an object for para'nurakti. When the aspirant considers the Supreme Brahma to be his own, it is termed bhajana' or bhakti." (10)
How do everything & become bhakta
One should not get caught up in the misconception or dogma that, “To become a true bhakta I should give up my sons, or renounce my parents, or become some type of hermit etc.” Rather, we have been given various responsibilities, and they are to be managed. As we know, performing worldly duties is not antithetical to the path of bhakti. It is only when we get infatuated by those worldly expressions that it infringes on our bhakti experience. So that is what we must be careful about.
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Sadguru Baba guides us that we must view all as the manifestation of Parama Purusa. That is the way to live in this world without sacrificing our spiritual longing for Him.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "The ascription of divinity to objects means the pursuit of the Infinite, leaving the finite behind. Are you feeding your son? No, no, you are feeding the son-like manifestation of Brahma. Are you tilling the field? No, no you are serving the finite manifestation of Brahma with your plough. Really speaking, the ascription of divinity to objects precludes their material enjoyment, as the objects then merge in the non-material Supreme Brahma." (11)
Seeing all as He means seeing all as an opportunity to do service, not satisfy worldly passions such as post, power, lust etc. Thinking of making more money, garnering huge respect, is asakti. Only by truly following brahmacarya, are we perfectly consonant with the path of bhakti.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, The True Nature of Bhakti
2. Subhasita Samgraha - 18, The Stance of Salvation and How to Attain It
3. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Bhaktitattva (1955)
4. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Bhaktitattva
5. Subhasita Samgraha - 20, Astitva and Shivatva
6. Ananda Sutram, 3-12
7. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 23, The Bliss of the Devotee
8. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Bhaktitattva
9. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 33, Bhaktitattva (1969)
10. Subhastia Samgraha - 1, Bhaktitattva
11. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 2, The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 1
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Why religions are poisonous
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "To stifle the progress of humanity, the followers of these religions play on human sentiments and other weaknesses. They want to perpetuate the hold of the vested interests by infusing an inferiority complex into the human mind. While preaching their religious ideas, some claim that the social, economic and political systems were direct creations of God and hence destined to be observed in all ages and all times with equal veneration. They pronounce that those who refuse to follow this divine decree will be doomed to burn in the scorching heat of God’s wrath, or dammed to suffer eternal hell-fire. To deny people the scope of verifying the rationality of different scriptures they declare that such-and-such scriptures are infallible and so nobody has the right to question their veracity. If the philosophical texts contradict the scriptures, then their propounders will be declared as atheists." (1)
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Through nityánitya viveka, human beings become aware of the fleeting nature of transient objects. They observe that with change in time, place and person, corresponding changes occur in social, political, economic, and all other spheres of life take to which they have to adapt themselves. Those who are reluctant to adapt themselves to the changed circumstances are doomed to destruction. A religion or an “ism” is created in a certain age which itself is a product of the three factors of time, place and person. However, the religion does not recognize the necessity of adjustment with the change in social life. It refuses to realize that the old rules and regulations of the previous age are now only mere historical records, having lost their relevance in the present dynamic society." (2)
Ananda Marga ideology says, "So it is seen that in the absence of nityánitya viveka the propounders of religion want to thwart the intellectual progress of human society at large. They knowingly refuse to understand that any observation regarding the spatial, temporal and personal factors, from whatever person it might come, is bound to lose its relevance in a transformed situation." (3)
References
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 7, The Five Kinds of Conscience (Viveka)
2. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 7, The Five Kinds of Conscience (Viveka)
3. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 7, The Five Kinds of Conscience (Viveka)
== Section: Ananda Vanii ==
They should never be misguided “To love Parama Puruśa and the creation is the only Dharma of spiritual aspirants. They should never be misguided by any sentiment of caste, creed or language and they should never tolerate any sense of discrimination.” (Ananda Vanii #17)
Note 1: True Ananda Vaniis have a number whereas Fake Ananda Vaniis do not - just as a fake car license plate has no number. By this way, you can easily recognise a Fake Ananda Vanii.
== Section: Important Teaching ==
History of human medicines: Liquid remedies
Ananda Marga Shabda Cayanika states, "Through their experience, people found that in certain diseases the patient's vitality diminishes. In these cases, the medicines are effective when they have some alcoholic properties; so they fermented them to prepare different kinds of remedies. These medicines, which are prepared through fermentation, are called medicinal ásava (“elixirs”– ásava means alcohol, for example, wine). In cases where the alcoholic properties of the medicines were necessary, but where the medicine would have a contrary effect if the negative effects of the alcohol were not removed, they altered their qualities rather than keep them in the form of ásava. They gave the name “medicinal ariśt́a” to such medicines; for example, drákśáriśt́a, dasamuláriśt́a."
"It was found in the case of certain medicinal herbs and plants that if they were boiled in water and their essences extracted, then their medicinal qualities were greater than in their raw state. This essence is called kváth; for example, catechu kváth, ashvagandhá kváth and various others. People began to use these kváthas as medicines. The kvátha that is produced by boiling different medicinal herbs and plants together is generally known as páṋcan in Bengali." (1)
References
1. Shabda Cayanika, Kulya to Kuvela (Discourse 34)
== Section 3: Links ==
Other topics of interest
