Baba
AP: what not to do
Namaskar,
Here we examine some of the key components (finances, food etc) regarding our upcoming Ananda Purnima gathering. High quality meals should be made available to any and all who attend. The most practical and rational way to do this is for margiis to contribute to this program according to their liking and means.
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Sliding scale
Basically, donations should be requested from all the margiis – on a sliding scale. According to their capacity margii attendees can contribute. So there should not be a certain fixed fee for every participant. Rather, donations should be based on one’s financial condition. Those with more money can offer larger donations and those with financial constraints can give smaller amounts. So everyone should contribute something and if a person has the feeling and ability to give a bigger financial donation, that is welcomed. Along these lines, it is okay to let wealthier margiis give more, if they wish.
Donation box
However, the amount donated should not be revealed publicly. That would be insensitive and humiliating for those donating smaller amounts. One idea is to set up a special donation box; then people can offer even the smallest of donations and still feel comfortable. More about this has been appended below.
May we always remember that it is the feeling behind the giving that is most important, not the amount. All along, we have to find the right balance. That is why there should be a sliding scale, with no stated minimum amount. The main idea is that the food at programs like Ananda Purnima should be accessible to all. By and by, money should not hinder anyone’s participation.
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Opportunity to create new margiis
Everyone should be encouraged to participate and bring their entire family, as well as their close, non-margii friends who are ready to participate. That means those non-margiis are ready and eager to join the Marga flow for a day of celebration - i.e. sing and dance kiirtan, sit quietly during sadhana, and follow a sattvika diet etc. That type of person is welcome to join. If however the individual is not ready and just wants to go outside and smoke during sadhana time then it is useless to bring that type of person. You know maximum positive attendance will make for a joyous celebration and it will give us the opportunity to create new margiis.
Pomp & show
In some bhuktis, someone steps forward with great enthusiasm to cover the cost of the entire program. But this should only be accepted when the person has sincere feeling for Sadguru Baba and the overall spirit of the celebration. That means their name should not be announced as being a big donor and there should not be a banner or signs / leaflets indicating that Mr. So-and-So sponsored the feast etc. Only the organising committee should be aware about the size of the donation. This is not for public knowledge or anyone’s personal name and fame. The central idea is that the donor should feel that they are feeding Parama Purusa. If any donation is offered out of pomp or show, then such monies should be politely rejected.
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Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, “If a person wants to feed you out of genuine intimacy, you should take that food happily, even if it is just grains and vegetables. But if someone invites you only to make a show to people, never accept his/her food.” (1)
Deception in Narayana seva
Special food should be made available for all attendees. There will be one kitchen: The same type of food for all, which is of top quality, yet very simple and sentient. So in Narayana seva - feeding of financially poor people - the food must be planned beforehand. The same quality of food prepared with the kind intention should be prepared for all: Top Dadas, attending margiis, local non-margiis, and beggars etc. All should be served the same food.
Unfortunately, there are a few units that follow sinful style. Instead they pursue one of the following scenarios:
(a) They only perform Narayana seva (feeding of the poor) if there are leftovers. They do not specifically plan for there to be ample food for all. Only if some food was not prepared properly (burnt or not tasty), or if not all the food was eaten, only then do they have food to offer as Narayana seva.
(b) They designate rejected, lower-grade food as Narayana seva.
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(c) They prepare tasty, sweet, sumptuous food for dadas and margiis, and then serve plain veggies and potatoes with a little salt as Narayana seva. Here it should be noted that sometimes those impoverished people are insulted seeing that they are given second grade food. So in protest they throw stones, quarrel, refuse to eat, and return back home - hungry & thirsty.
(d) All of these types of situations are very bad and go contrary to the spirit of Narayana seva. Those who conduct themselves in the aforesaid ways do not feel that that they are serving Narayana. They do not ideate that they are feeding Parama Purusa. That is why they misbehave in the above described manner. If they had a true feeling about Narayana seva then they would not act like that. So logically everyone should be convinced beforehand. Then the aforesaid problem(s) will not occur.
When doing Narayana seva, proper planning and a proper outlook are needed. An ample amount of food should be catered to all, regardless of their social standing. Everyone should be offered the same delicious food, whether they be a Wt or a beggar. There is no high or low, or first class and second class. The same food should be served to all - seeing all as part of our cosmic, universal brotherhood. Because Parama Purusa comes in the form of a beggar to eat.
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Baba story: feeding Narayana
Narayana seva organisers shooed them away and gave nothing to eat...
Baba would often tell that He arrived on-site for Narayana seva at xyz AM unit but instead of being fed a proper meal, He was was not even allowed on the premises. Rather He sat and stood outside for hours, but was never allowed in nor was He given anything to eat. And in the end when He thought He might be given something, the organisers shooed away any and all beggars who were hanging around outside the campus.
Baba pointed out those units that behaved in this insulting and degrading manner. Hearing this, all were shocked and understood that Baba had come in the form of a beggar.
at His lotus feet,
Ma’la’
More about donation box
Concern: Some active margiis think that every donation amount should be accounted for and provided with receipts so that "Birthday committee" verify it. They want that there should not be any unaccounted money. That is the reason some do not want to keep a "Donation Box" .
Reply: Having a donation box does not mean that this is unaccounted for money. A margii panel or the bhukti / birthday committee could be in charge of counting the donation box during and after the event, and allocating how that money should be used. A donation box does not by definition mean that it is going straight into Dada's pocket or black hole.
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The benefit of having a donation box is that then maximum margiis will be inspired to give. Suppose someone can only donate RS10. In that case he may feel shy and self-conscious, and think that others may label him as a "freeloader". Beleaguered by such thoughts he may not attend, and instead choose to remain away to save him from any embarrassment and humiliation about his small donation. Whereas he might freely give that amount in a donation box. So the donation box enables and empowers people to give whatever amount they can afford to offer.
By giving a donation and enlisting that publicly is India's old dogma where in the temple every brick is tainted by the names of donors. Ananda Marga philosophy does not appreciate this. One should not have the feeling that, "I donated xyz amount." If one thinks like that their donation will vanish. Their punya of giving will be lost in the face of some sort of egotistical or transactional donation where a person gives in order to see their name in lights. This destroys the service motive. Actually, naming the donors or citing their amount creates an inferiority complex in some and a superiority complex in the minds of others. To avoid this problem, the use of a donation box is very appropriate.
Forgive & forget
Universal festivals like Ananda Purnima are also a time for forgetting about past differences and starting new relations. They are a time for a fresh new start where we bury old issues, forgive and forget, sit together, and invite a clean, new beginning. Baba guides us that in personal life it is best to forgive others wholeheartedly - so long as the guilty party has fully rectified themselves. If the person has not rectified themselves then they should not be forgiven.
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Ananda Marga ideology states, “In individual life you can extend maximum forgiveness – rather, the more forgiveness, the better….in individual life, however much one might harm you, you may forgive that person to the greatest extent possible.” (2)
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, “Do not forgive till his/her nature is reformed. Immediate forgiveness is a special weakness of mind. It results in worse harm to society.” (3)
So in individual life there is a stipulation - one should be ever-ready to extend maximum forgiveness upon seeing that the person has fully rectified their wrongful ways. Matters of ideology or collective welfare are completely different. In that case, we have no right to forgive anyone - not under any circumstance.
Ananda Marga ideology states, “In collective life one has no right to forgive anyone...Suppose you are an inhabitant of India. If someone harms the collective life of India, you must not forgive them. Likewise, as you belong to the entire human race, you must not forgive anyone who harms humanity.” (4)
So while we cannot extend forgiveness to those who have harmed the collective, on personal affairs forgiving others according to Guru’s aforementioned system is an ideal course of action; and what better time to do this than on the blissful occasion of Ananda Purnima.
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References
1. Caryacarya - 2, Society, Point #37
2. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life - 11, Taking the Opposite Stance in Battle
3. Caryacarya part 2, Society, Point #6
4. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life - 11, Taking the Opposite Stance in Battle
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The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
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== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states:
"Hypocrites are:"
"(a) Those who give indulgence to falsehood;"
"(b) Those who are ungrateful to their benefactors;"
"(c) Those who do not keep their word;"
"(d) Those who betray;"
"(e) Those who slander behind one's back."
"You may come to a temporary truce with a hypocrite, but do not forgive till his/her nature is reformed. Immediate forgiveness is a special weakness of mind. It results in worse harm to society. Those who cherish class distinctions, communalism, provincialism and casteism while indulging in propaganda about universalism are also hypocrites." (1)
Reference
1. Caryacarya, part 2, Society, points #5 - 6
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Creating blissful universal family
Prout philosophy states, “Ánanda Parivára or establishing a universal spiritual family involves not only a World Government but also a Universal Government. More correctly it is a universal social order. The question is, how can such a Parivára be established? This will certainly come through revolution which may be democratic or undemocratic; or it may be a pyramidical, palace or nuclear revolution. Among all the types of revolution, nuclear revolution is the best. The nucleus of creation is Cosmic Consciousness. It is also the goal of revolutionaries, and whatever they do by way of revolution with this goal in mind leads them to the culminating point of their life’s march. Revolution must have an ideological goal. In essence, revolution means controlling all the three nuclei of the universe – physical, psychic and spiritual. It is possible to make people conscious of Proutistic ideas in a democracy. This consciousness will have a repercussion in elections. Even before elections are held this consciousness may launch a revolution to change the social order.” (1)
Note: To establish a blissful universal family:
(a) For this sadvipras should be created:
(b) Sadvipras will bring revolution:
(c) There are various types of revolution:
(d) Nuclear revolution is ideal.
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, Talks on Prout
== Section: Important Teaching ==
First quality of a dharmika
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "The greatest quality of a person at a meeting or debate is the capacity to convince others. The highest quality in the battlefield is 'yudhi vikramam', or valor in the battle. While in danger, one's great quality is patience." (1)
When in danger, some become paranoid and some remain patient and calm. Depending upon one’s reaction, a person displays their weakness or their greatness. When danger arrives if one becomes paranoid or loses their wits, they will not be able to solve the problem. Rather they are liability. In that case, they are not a dharmika because they are missing the first point of dharma - i.e. dhrti (patience). In contrast, if one's rational brain is keen and sharp when in grave danger, and that person is able to properly evaluate the situation and take the right course of action, it means that individual is a dharmika.
Here the point is not that if someone else's house burns down and you keep calm, then you are a dharmika. That is not the idea. Rather, the objective is to keep your rational mind functioning when your own house is burning down. If you can manage to keep your own mind balanced in a dangerous situation, you can resolve that issue in the best way according to circumstances. That is the quality of a true dharmika.
Normally it is difficult to gauge who is a dharmika and who is not. Everybody will try and claim that they are a great dharmika. If any problem comes that is the time to measure if one is a dharmika or not. If one becomes paranoid at the time of misery then that person is not a dharmika. And if they are calmly trying to resolve the issue then that person is a dharmika.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 4, The Ten Characteristics of a Dhármika
== Section 3: Links ==
Upcoming Festival: Ananda Purnima - 05 May 2023
- #1: How to celebrate
- #2: Include all
Other topics of interest
