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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Dogma about “Guru’s words”


Baba

Dogma about “Guru’s words”

Namaskar,

If you have read Baba’s books, attended dharmacakra regularly, or been around senior margiis and Wts etc, then you have probably heard the following shloka:
Mantramúlaḿ Gururvákyam
Meaning: Guru’s word is mantra
The question then arises what does this really mean and how, as sadhakas, do we apply this in our own lives. Here following are some points to consider.

Will not produce the desired effect, if….

#1: The basic sense is that Guru’s teachings are like a mantra. If anyone follows the spirit of His spiritual teachings then they will attain mukti / moksa, by His grace.

#2: Baba has presented His teachings in the form of His numerous discourses. To follow those teachings, a sadhaka should know the underlying spirit. Merely memorizing the words in a literal manner will not produce the desired effect. If one embraces the inner spirit of what Baba wishes to convey then that is everything.

#3: As Mahasambhuti, Sadguru Baba’s overall presentation was very dynamic. Sometimes Baba would joke, play dramas, scold, and deliver discourses etc. Through each of those avenues Baba would speak in a unique manner based on the circumstances. So following the literal word is not helpful. The key element is to understand the overarching idea Baba was expressing in every situation.

#4: Suppose Baba delivered an 30 minute discourse. Then the need of the day was to record it and transcribe it to know what Baba actually spoke. Using that as a platform, it is our duty as His disciples to garner the spirit of His teachings from that discourse by understanding it within the greater context of His teachings. Once that is achieved one will have mastery of that discourse and be able to explain and expound upon those teachings in numerous ways using a wide-ranging vocabulary. So the spirit more so than the literal word is what is important. Yet knowing the literal words at the outset is integral for comprehending the overall meaning and guideline.
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Spirit of Guru’s teaching is the main thing

#5: Baba has given His teachings in multiple languages. And then we translate those teachings - using our own chosen words - into other languages. By this way, sadhakas from other linguistic backgrounds are able to understand that discourse. This furthermore shows that the overall spirit is the key aspect. Even if Baba spoke the entire discourse in Hindi, a sincere sadhaka who does not know any Hindi can understand exactly what Baba is conveying in that discourse, while a native Hindi speaker may not really understand that discourse even though they know every word. Again and again, it comes back to fact the spirit or essence of His message is what is most important. Mere literal understanding will not get you far.

#6: Baba’s teachings are not limited by a particular language or set of words. Actually, the inner meaning of His guidelines fail to be conveyed by words alone. Such is the limitation of language. A professor with a Ph.D. in philosophy may not be able to understand one of Baba discourses even though that discourse was given in his mother tongue because he lacked the mental capacity to embrace the underlying spirit of Baba’s teachings. Words are mere symbols and inadequate - in and of themselves - to convey all the subtleties of Baba’s eternal guidelines. Both sadhana and philosophical understanding are needed.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/


Conclusion

#7: If anyone follows the spirit - not the letter - of Sadguru Baba’s blessed teachings then they are assured of attaining mukti / moksa. That is what is meant by the sholka, Mantramúlaḿ Gururvákyam.

In Him,
Dharmamitra

*        *        *

The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.

*        *        *

== Section 2: Important Teaching ==

Still suffering from 7000-year-old problem

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The Sanskrit equivalent for marriage is viváha (vi – vah + ghaiṋ): it means, after the ceremony, the man and woman can no longer live as libertines or as irresponsible so-called family people. They have to discharge their full obligations as bharttá and kalatra, responsible husband and responsible wife.”

“Another Sanskrit equivalent for “woman” is nárii, which is feminine gender. But Shiva used the term kalatra, in the neuter; for to her husband a woman is a wife, but to her children and other members of the society, she is as dignified as her male counterpart. So by declaring a married lady to be kalatra, Shiva gave her special status, and addressed her in neuter terms.”

“The liberal meaning of the term viváha is “live one’s life in a new way with a special type of responsibility”. This is the underlying significance of the Shaeva system of marriage.”

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “In His life, Shiva Himself married with this commitment. We can say without the least hesitation that Shiva was the first person in this world to marry in the proper sense of the term..” (1)

Note: That which was common 7000 years ago has now again come into vogue: That same disease has become prevalent today. A huge percentage of people around the globe are leading libertine life - especially in the materialistic areas. They produce children and neglect to take any responsibility. They do not like to be bound in conjugal relations and shoulder the responsibility of helping the child. The ones who suffer the most are the children and the mother. Often such children wind up in foster care - mentally and physically scarred. It is a serious crisis - watch out. Where capitalism is growing that disease will spread. Our duty is to propagate this teaching - if we bring even one libertine onto the path of responsibility then at least to some small degree the problem is solved.

Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Disc: 9


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This email contains three sections:
1. Posting: Dogma about “Guru’s words” + 2 more
2. IT: Still suffering from 7000-year-old problem
3. Links
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Example of abominable justice system in US + news


Baba
This email contains three sections:
1. News: Caricature of AMPS
2. Posting: Example of abominable justice system in US
3. Links


________________________________________________


== Section 1: News ==


Caricature of AMPS


Namaskar,

In this photo, all are smiling at Dada ji' hypocrisy - they know Satyashrayananda does not follow the avadhuta rules. Indeed, the person on the far right and the person on the far left think Satyashrayananda is worthless. They know Satyashrayananda's only quality is that he is a bootlicker of Rudrananda and for that reason he got the post not because of his own good conduct.  That is why they are smiling at this hypocrisy. And the Wt on the right has a lower post and he is smiling because he knows he has to garland this chameleon Satyashrayananda. The guy in the red shirt is wonderstruck how this degenerated Dada is getting respect - he cannot understand that others are smiling at Satyashrayananda's hypocrisy. An entertaining caricature of AMPS is going on. And all along Satyashrayananda was thinking, "Please don’t laugh at me - understand my weakness that for the fascination of post I became a sycophant of Rudrananda."

in Him,
Rasadeva


== Section 2: Main Topic ==


Example of abominable justice system in US


Namaskar,

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "In the past, many [so-called]f races and sub-races have been suppressed and exploited by powerful or dominant races. Racism has been propagated by those with evil designs in order to divide society and establish their own pre-eminence. Society must guard against such narrow and dangerous sentiments. This can be done only if every ethnic group has adequate scope for its expression and development. The multi-coloured garland of humanity will be enriched to the extent diverse human groups blend together from a position of strength and independence out of a genuine love for each other, and are not forced together through fear or compulsion." (1)


Two case studies: justice system

Here are excerpts from two news articles related to two different cases of court trials of two teenagers.
1) "A judge on Thursday sentenced an Alabama teenager to 65 years in prison for a series of crimes, including murder, even though a police officer was the one who actually killed the victim. Lakeith Smith, now 18, was convicted under the state’s accomplice liability law in March. Based on that law, a person can be convicted of felony murder if they were committing a crime with the deceased that led to the other person’s death, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Most U.S. states have similar laws." (Courtesy of Huffinton Post)

2) "Ethan Couch, whose trial for killing four people while driving drunk sparked widespread conversations about the privilege of being raised wealthy, was released from a Texas jail on Monday after nearly two years. Mr. Couch, 20, became known as the “affluenza teen” after a psychologist suggested during his trial that growing up with money might have left him with psychological afflictions, too rich to tell right from wrong." (Courtesy of The New York Times)
In the first case, the convict who was a 15-year-old child at the time the crime was committed, was given a harsh sentence of 65 years in prison for abetting a burglary during which his accomplice was shot and killed by the police officer. It is to be noted that the convict did not kill his accomplice. The convict is now an 18-year-old is an African American teenager. Although he was not involved in the crime of killing his accomplice, he has been charged with murder. The cop responsible for shooting and killing the accomplice has been acquitted of all crimes.
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In the second case, the convict who was 16 years of age when the crime was committed, was responsible for the murder of four people. He was driving in an inebriated state, struck four pedestrians and killed them. He is a white American from a wealthy family who was tried as a juvenile in the court of law and given only probation with no jail time which is nothing but a "slap on the wrist" for a very heinous crime. This case sparked a debate of how affluent teens are afflicted with a psychological disorder that prevents them from distinguishing 'right' from 'wrong' and this affliction is the basis for only getting probation. See more about affluenza in the in-depth study section below. 


Comparison
  • In the first case the defendant was poor and black; and, in the second case the defendant was rich and white;
  • In the first case the black defendant did not kill anyone but was punished with a 65-year prison sentence. 
  • In the second case, the white defendant killed four people and was only put on probation, i.e. no jail time. (Note: It was only when he violated his probation the he was arrested in put in jail temporarily.)

Racism

By just briefly analyzing both these cases, one can conclude how the privilege of so-called race and wealth created a situation where a harsher crime was served with a just probation and no jail time. While action must be taken against both the boys involved in the crime, there is a glaring difference in the way both these individual cases were handled by the justice system. In the first case involving an African American teenager, who was just an innocent child at the time of the crime, probably influenced by his older accomplices, he was held responsible for a murder committed by a cop who came to respond to the situation. In the second case involving a wealthy teenager, he was directly responsible for killing four people. He was tried as a juvenile and released in a very short period of time owing to the influence of his parent's wealth. This situation explains the stronghold of racism and capitalism in our society which has penetrated deeply into the judicial system. The only panacea for this disease and many others is Baba's teachings.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The famous American poet Carl Sandburg proclaimed –
There is only one man in the world
and his name is All Men.
There is only one woman in the world
and her name is All Women.
There is only one child in the world
and the child’s name is All Children." (2)
In the spirit of the above teaching, when humans view their fellow-humans as equals, as the progeny of Parama Purusa, as a manifestation of the Supreme just like one's own self and recognize everyone's right to live and develop physically, mentally and spiritually, then justice will be delivered to everyone in a fair manner irrespective of one's race, religion, caste, creed or social and financial status.

Social Justice 

Now let us examine the idea of social justice in light of Ananda Marga teachings.

Ananda Marga Philosophy states, "If and when somebody, whether a judge or an ordinary person, takes any type of action against another, it should be corrective, not punitive. If a system of corrective measures is introduced, criminals, whether they were deeply involved in the crime or not, will have no reason to complain against anyone. Although there may be flaws in the judgment, it will not harm them in any way. A person who is definitely guilty will benefit from a system of corrective measures, and even a person who is not guilty will benefit from such a system." (3)

In both the cases involving teenage convicts, irrespective of their race or social status, both were involved in crimes and it is the duty of the judicial system to take actions against them. Ananda Marga teachings shed light on the nature of the action to be taken against the culprit involved in a crime. In both the cases, the boys were given a prison sentence for a particular number of years. It has to be carefully examined if their time in the prison has a transformative effect on their personalities. At a tender impressionable age, when one is confined to the walls of the prison, there must be enough and more opportunities for the convict to develop his physical, mental or spiritual potentialities. The sentence should not be imposed as a punishment but should be rendered with a view to correcting flaws in the convict's character due to which the crime was committed. That way, when he steps out of the prison, the convict integrates back into the society as a productive member who can contribute to the society.


Conclusion

This is deplorable and abominable situation in the US where the justice system is blatantly biased and issues harsher sentences based on the color of one's skin and ethnicity etc.

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "While presiding over a trial a judge should not be prejudiced against the accused, but should consider whether he or she has committed a crime or not; and if so, under what circumstances, and whether the crime was committed voluntarily or at the instigation of others. This is the main point for consideration during a trial. The person on whom society has bestowed the solemn office of judge has therefore to be of a higher standard than an ordinary person." (4)

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "My opinion is that no innocent person should have the opportunity to think or say, “Although I am innocent, I am being punished because I couldn’t afford a good lawyer” due to flaws in the judicial system. No doubt society will be adversely affected if an offender evades the law and is not arrested by the police due to their incompetence, but far greater damage will be done if an innocent person is penalized because of a defective judicial system." (5)

in Him,
Praka'sha


~ In-depth study ~ 

About affluenza

 ~ Courtesy of Wikipedia ~
"Affluenza, a portmanteau of affluence and influenza, is a term used by critics of consumerism. It is thought to have been first used in 1954, but it gained legs as a concept with a 1997 PBS documentary of the same name and the subsequent book Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (2001, revised in 2005, 2014). These works define affluenza as "a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more". The term "affluenza" has also been used to refer to an inability to understand the consequences of one's actions because of financial privilege, such as in the case of Ethan Couch." (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

"In December 2013, State District Judge Jean Boyd sentenced a North Texas teenager, Ethan Couch, to 10 years' probation for driving under the influence and killing four pedestrians and injuring 11 after his attorneys successfully argued that the teen suffered from affluenza and needed rehabilitation, and not prison. The lawyers had argued that Couch was unable to understand the consequences of his actions because of his financial privilege. The defendant had been witnessed on surveillance video stealing beer from a store, driving with seven passengers in a Ford F-350 "stolen" from his father, and speeding at 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) in a 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) zone. Couch was also driving while under the influence of alcohol (with a blood alcohol content of 0.24%, three times the legal limit for an adult in Texas) and the tranquilizer Valium. At a February 5, 2014, hearing, Eric Boyles—whose wife and daughter were killed in the crash—said, "Had he not had money to have the defense there, to also have the experts testify, and also offer to pay for the treatment, I think the results would have been different." (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

References
1. A Few Problems Solved Part 9, Socio-Economic Groupifications
2. A Few Problems Solved Part 6, Universality in Race, Language, Religion, and Culture
3. Human Society Part 1, Justice
4. Human Society part 1, Justice
5. Human Society part 1, Justice



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