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Friday, November 24, 2023

“Eye for an eye”: wrong + 5 more

Baba
“Eye for an eye”: wrong

Namaskar, 

Pratya MuLak Karma vs Saḿskara MuLak Karma: If you planned to do something then it is an original action. For instance, a person plans and decides to attack someone. Then, we can say that that is an original action, ie. pratya mulak karma, i.e. a fresh, original action. A samskara, or reactive momenta, is generally when something happens to you that you did not plan. For instance, suppose you board a bus in order to travel to the capital city and that bus gets into an accident, then one is undergoing the reaction of their past bad action. Or suppose one is walking down the street and someone robs them - here again that person is undergoing a samskara. That is known as karmaphala or saḿskara mulak karma, i.e. reactive momenta.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Amount of requital


The central idea is that the reaction of one’s past deed is not identical in presentation to the original action. It is not based on the theory of “an eye for an eye”. 

The operative factor


What then is the operative factor in determining how one will undergo the reactions of their original actions?

Here Baba tells us the key answer: The requital of samskaras, or samska'ra bhoga, happens in the mind. The mind does the action and the mind faces that same degree in reaction - plus a little more.

So the requital of Samskara happens in the mind. The amount of pain one inflicted on others, a similar amount of pain one will get in the requital phase of the vice. Similarly, the amount of pleasure one has given to others, a similar amount of pleasure one will get in the requital phase of the virtue.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Suppose Mr. A slapped Mr. B. At the time of facing the requital of his sin of slapping Mr. B, Mr. A will not face a slapping by some other person. But the amount of pain caused to Mr. B, the same amount of suffering Mr. A will face in reaction.

In this case, because Mr. B was a bedridden patient, so he suffered a lot. As a result, the reaction on Mr. A will be much more serious than if he had slapped one healthy strong person. And it will be a little bit more as well because Mr. B could not retaliate also. In this way, for two reasons the requital of the samskara will be stronger than the original sin. 

 
You have to suffer more

(A) Ananda Marga ideology states, “An action does not always have an equal and opposite reaction. Suppose you have borrowed a thousand rupees from someone. If you return the money after a few months or even after a few years, you will have to pay some interest...if the reaction occurs after a change in time, place or person, its magnitude will increase. Some people suffer the reaction immediately, some after two years, some after one hundred years, and some after twenty lifetimes. The more the delay, the greater the reaction. That is, some “interest” will have to be added to the reaction of the original action. This is the natural law.” (1)

Next Sadguru Baba again demonstrates how the reaction is not equal and opposite - but rather more. 

(B) Ananda Marga ideology states, “You took a loan of rupees 1,000/-. When you return the amount you will have to pay the interest also. You will pay back Rs. 1020/- or 1030/-. Like-wise, if you have committed some sin you will be punished a little more than the reaction of the sin committed.” (2)

By Sadguru’s above teachings it is clear that AM does not subscribe to the theory that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this mobile universe, with the passage of time, the reaction increases.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

The more the delay, the greater the reaction


Another key point in the requital of samskaras is the amount of payback and how interest figures into the equation.

Let’s just say you have given your bed-ridden friend 30 positive points of psychic relief, then you will receive at least 30 points of happiness in the future. The more time that goes by, the greater amount of interest you will have earned, in which case you may receive 45 points or even 50 points of happiness.

In short, you have accumulated a good samskara – the principal of which is worth 30 points. Then you are going to receive that 30 points plus interest, depending upon how much time transpires. How you experience the reaction might take shape in any number of ways, as mentioned above. But it is certain that you will receive that same degree of goodness, joy or happiness in the mind, plus interest.

Let’s revisit another example: If you punch someone they suffer 65 points of misery in the mind, then at some point in the future you will undergo 65 points of misery plus interest. The amount of interest is wholly dependent upon when you undergo the reaction. The more time goes by the greater the interest. So depending on how much time has transpired the reaction might equal 85 or 90 points of pain or more. And that ensuing reaction of pain might get expressed in any number of ways: You might crash your vehicle and agonize over the loss, or you might be publicly humiliated in the town square and face so much shame.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

So it does not mean that inevitably someone will punch you. Rather you will have to undergo the same degree of pain plus interest.


Requital of samskara through happiness & sorrow

Here Baba tells us the key answer: The requital of samskaras, or samska'ra bhoga, happens in the mind. The mind does the action, and the mind faces an equal + a little extra reaction.

Let’s revisit one of our earlier examples: If you help someone while they are sick and bedridden, then in that person’s mind they feel a sense of relief and happiness because they know they are in good care. Your service gave them happiness.

In reaction, you may experience that positive reaction in any number of ways. For instance, suppose someone returns your wallet back to you with all the money inside thereby giving you so much psychic relief. So the act of that person giving you back your wallet along with all the money is the burning of your good samskara. Because that act brought pleasure to the mind, and / or your suffering was alleviated.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

The key point is that samskaras are expressed by the degree of pain or happiness felt by the mind. It is purely a mental phenomenon. It is the degree of pain or happiness experienced in the psychic realm that represents the burning of one’s past samskara. So if one is undergoing an arduous experience in the physical realm but feeling at ease mentally, then they are not burning a bad samskara. That bad samskara will only be burned when the person is feeling anguish or pain in the mind.

So Ananda Marga samskara theory is based on one operative principle - the amount of joy or sorrow experienced by the mind.


No neutralization of sin

One other key point that must not be lost sight of: You can't escape the consequences of your bad deeds by doing more good deeds. For instance, if you kill one animal, and then after some time you saved one other animal, still you have to undergo the negative samskara of killlng one animal. There is no such thing as the neutralis. There is no such thing as the neutralisation of sin. There is no escape and no place to hide. Sooner or later one must undergo the reaction to that negative deed. And independently you will also get the reward of your good deed as well. Baba explains this in detail in various discourses.

In Him,
Alakh Niranjan Deva

Q & A's on samskara theory 

#1: What about collective samskara such as if there is an earthquake and a lot of people die. Or flood or train accidents etc. Is it that they all had the same samaskara?

Reply: The general rule in samskara theory is that one’s samskaras get exhausted in a congenial atmosphere. In the case of a natural calamity, many people suffer. All those victims had some type of samskara to undergo suffering. Maybe they developed that samskara in the last month or ten lifetimes ago, but they all had a samskara to undergo some degree of suffering. An earthquake, or a flood, or a train accident is a congenial atmosphere for them to undergo that samskara of pain, agony, and suffering. However, that does not mean they all had the same samskara just because they were victims in the same calamity etc. Rather they all had different samskaras; but, they did all have some type of samskara to undergo some degree of suffering. It is also the case that in a natural calamity, people die in various types of ways: some suffer more and some less. So in a given earthquake, some victims might undergo a tremendous amount of pain and suffering by first witnessing the death of their own children before they themselves lose a limb and ultimately die. While others might undergo a relatively quick death with very little suffering. So everyone’s samskara is different. The only commonality is that everyone who suffered in that earthquake had an existing samskara to undergo some degree of pain; and, the earthquake was a congenial or conducive atmosphere for them to undergo that reaction.

#2: What about if someone got sick due to old age or did not take care of their health properly or due to hygiene. Are they all samskaras?

Reply: Here again the key operative factor is congenial atmosphere. When a baby is born then they enter this world with a long tail of samskaras. But generally, babies do not undergo all kinds of suffering, so their samskaras remain unexpressed until a congenial atmosphere presents itself. Old age is one such condition. There are many who undergo terrible pain in old age; when the body is in that weakened condition then it is a conducive environment to undergo pain.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

At the same time, we have to always bear in mind that the exhaustion of a samskara occurs with the degree of pain or pleasure felt in the mind. It is a psychic phenomenon that may or may not be accompanied by physical suffering. A person might twist their ankle or break their leg and not undergo a lot of mental agony. Whereas, a person might be humiliated in front of a huge crowd of people and that person might undergo a huge degree of mental pain. 

Sadguru Baba guides us that in an advanced society, people will not suffer physically. Everyone will have all the amenities and care they need. In that case, samskaras will be solely expressed in the psychic realm in the form of mental agony.

#3: What about during war?

Reply: Man-made calamities like war and natural calamities can be viewed in the same light - so long as one is not the cause of those man-made calamities. So if one is seemingly an innocent bystander / victim in those types of disasters then the samskara theory works in a very similar manner as described in reply #1 above about a congenial atmosphere.


O’ Lord, why have You given me

Here Baba gives us a practical example of how samskaras take shape in one's life.

Baba says, "When people rob others, or indulge in hypocrisy, or cheat people, or indulge in tall talk day after day, they are committing original actions. When a dishonest government employee accepts a bribe it is an original action, and when his son gets sick and has to be rushed to the doctor it is the reactive action (the reaction to the original action). When his son dies he laments, “I haven’t knowingly done anything wrong. Oh, Lord, why have you given me such severe punishment.” But God did not give him any punishment – the deep sorrow he felt at the death of his child was the result of his past original actions." (3)

In this way Parama Prakrti organizes and arranges everyone's samskaras.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

By Baba's above example we can understand the following:
1. The father had a very negative samskara to suffer and that took expression in the form of his son dying.
2. The son had a very negative samskara to die an early death and that was used in combination with his father's samskara to suffer.
3. In this way parama prakrti organizes and arranges everyone's samskaras.
4. In spite of all this, when people we know need help we must come to their aid. You should not succumb to dogma and refrain from helping because you think that you are interfering with prakrti's grand plan. Rather one must help - not to help is to commit sin (pratyavaya or sin of omission) and thereby incur samskara.

With their bhakti in sadhana and by the grace of Parama Purusa, a sadhaka can quickly burn all their remaining samskaras.

References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, The Divine Drama
2. Subhasita Samgraha - 19, Parama Puruśa
3. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life - 8, Sádhaná


== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==

What is my destination

“Kabhu shuye base kakhano dánŕiye, upal kuŕiye bhariyechi ghar…” (Prabhat Samgiita #2826)

Purport:

O’ Parama Purusa, thus far I have wasted my life. Either by lying in lethargy, sitting idle, or sometimes standing in awe to watch the wilderness while wandering around aimlessly, I misused my time and just collected useless pebbles, filled my home, and passed my days selfishly satisfying myself with so many transient activities and mundane objects. Holding onto the bank of the river of my life, I did not try to search out its destination – the Great spiritual Ocean, i.e. Parama Purusa. Plunged in mundane attachments and the fleeting pleasures of this crude world, these meaningful queries did not arise in my mind. I did not even try to look into the deeper aspects: from where I have come, what is my Goal, where do I have to go, what is my destination etc. Sadly, my days passed without You. 

O’ Parama Purusa Baba, due to the negative lure of avidya maya, my entire life is moving in a tamasik way. Because of the high tide of staticity, the river of my existence is flowing in the reverse direction, away from You. My mind is now obsessed with the overwhelming tug of animal instincts and beastly desires. So all this time I did not even get the opportunity to know whether the ocean of nectar is far or near. Due to the onslaught of crudity, I did not even try to discover whether Parama Purusa is close or distant. I never looked in Your supreme direction due to the upsurge of negative forces.

O’ Parama Purusa Baba, now today by Your magnificent touch, with the divine pull of the low tide, the thought of the vast ocean of nectar has appeared in my mind. It is Your grace. Due to the draw of the Great, all the negative allurements of lowly maya have faded from my mind. No longer am I caught up in and attracted by those worldly things. After forgetting the drag of friend and foe, now by Your causeless blessing the sincere longing has awakened in my mind to merge into the Supreme Entity. You have brought me onto the path of sadhana, and by Your mercy I am moving towards Your unfathomable Self. You are my Goal as well as my everything.

Baba, O’ Parama Purusa, please be gracious and make my life successful by keeping me under Your shelter always...


Note for Prabhat Samgiita #2826:

[1] Collecting Pebbles: This refers to running after and gathering wealth, money, name, fame and post. Collecting pebbles means passing one's days involved in all those fleeting, temporary allurements that have no lasting or spiritual value. When one passes their life chasing after fancy garments, lustful displays, or other worldly allurements, they have wasted their time on this earth. They were just collecting pebbles and did not realise the true purpose of their birth, i.e. spiritual attainment and selfless service. 


== Section: Important Teaching ==

Fasting: pregnant & nursing mothers

Namaskar, 

Baba’s chief guideline about fasting is contingent upon one’s standard of health. If you are of excellent health then you can practice our AM system of fasting. 

Ananda Marga Yogic Treatments states: “Only persons in very good health and with good energy should fast without water. Persons suffering from gall or kidney-stones should never undertake a waterless fast. Sick persons and people in mediocre health should observe fasting taking plenty of lemon juice and water. Persons who are very weak may take a small quantity of fruit and milk.” (1)

So in His above teaching Baba’s fasting guideline delineates three grades of people: (a) very healthy, (b) sick or mediocre health, (c) very weak. 

In Him,
Kalpana Devii

Generally, when we women are pregnant we are in the prime years of our life and full of vitality. Our physical health is very good; indeed, it is the ideal time to sustain a new babe. 

Hence, we mothers who are pregnant or breastfeeding and in very good health are encouraged to follow Baba’s fasting guideline from Sixteen Points. So long as a medical professional has evaluated your condition and can attest to the high overall state of health, then you are welcome and advised to fast. That’s to say, there should not be any confusion about this: There is no health guideline or conduct rule barring any pregnant or nursing mom from engaging in a dry fast. After all, neither pregnancy nor breast-feeding is a disease. You can be pregnant and / or breast feeding and be in a wonderful state of health. In that case, as a mother you may fast. 

However, sometimes we may become sick or weakened during these times in which case we should consult a medical professional who is keenly familiar with yogic teachings and our AM way of life and then refer to Baba’s aforementioned guidelines about fasting. 

There are times and conditions when Baba has given stipulations for women - and this is for our welfare. For instance:
 
(a) “A woman should be allowed to rest and abstain from all sorts of household chores for at least twenty-one days after a childbirth.” (Caryacarya - 3, General Health Rules)

(b) “During menstruation, pregnancy and within one month of delivery, women must not practise ásanas or any other exercise.” (Caryacarya - 3, Asanas, Rules for ásanas, Point #21)

But there are no such guidelines that bar pregnant / breastfeeding women from fasting.  

Reference
1. Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, Appendix: Fasting


== Section: Important Teaching ==

The myth of negative microvita

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Negative microvita cannot influence a person’s mind at all when one’s mind is moving in the higher cakras. They cannot even fully control the body, although they can have a negative influence to some extent. If a person in a state of meditation keeps his or her mind concentrated at a higher cakra for a long time, and immediately after that negative microvita carried by the smell inference enter the body, these negative microvita cannot overpower the person, but they can do so partially. But if the mind moves towards crude objects, at that time the negative microvita do not spare the person – they will attack the person severely.” (1)

Note: Parama Purusa is the Supreme Controller and negative microvita fall under His jurisdiction. And by His grace, good sadhakas are never adversely affected by negative microvita.

So only confused people think that negative microvita works independently of Parama Purusa. Most often, this is a result of some kind of religious dogma that’s been carried forth since childhood. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to remove the dogma of Satan from the mind when a person has been raised in such an environment. That is why even a few good margiis are confused on this point and view negative microvita as some kind of Satan. But that is neither rational nor consonant with Ananda Marga ideals.

The Semitic religions do not have any philosophy - just theology. And that is self-contradictory. Their theological approach states that Satan is all-powerful and works independently of God. But according to our Ananda Marga philosophy, Satan does not even exist; and God alone is all-powerful and the Supreme Controller of everything. He lords over both positive and negative microvita. Everything is controlled by Parama Purusa. To fully understand this, however, one must study all of microvita philosophy. In closing, it has been proven here that Satan and negative microvita are not the same thing.

Reference
1. Microvita in a Nutshell, “Disembodied Souls and Microvita – Excerpt A”


== Section: Important Teaching ==

Why religion should be avoided

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "On the basis of religion human beings group together and indulge in internecine feuds. Such religions are responsible for spilling the blood of innocent men and women. I don't want to single out any religion as most do not follow the path of logic. Instead they prefer to inject a certain type of cheap sentiment into the human mind to cripple the intellect and impair rational judgement.”

Majhabme akkalká dakhl nehi hae.

[In religion there is no room for logical argument.]

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "In actual fact it makes the clear thinking of the human mind turbid. Religion has always commanded its followers to abide by its tenets. Those who dared show any logic were injected with a kind of fear complex. Moreover, the followers of the religions declared that their teachings were the revelations of God and had to be dutifully followed. Out of fear people submitted to this mandate. This is the basic defect of religion. On the basis of this hundreds of so-called scriptures were written in ambiguous language. Anything that destroys free thinking should not     be called a scripture at all. Only that which develops the spontaneous development of human beings deserves to be called a scripture." (1)
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Reference
1. A Few Problems Solved - 3, Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 3


== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==


मेरे निराश  हृदय में तुम आशा की रौशनी हो।

प्रभात संगीत  0905 तुमी सबार प्राणेर प्रियो, तोमार नाहीं तुलना...

भावार्थ

बाबा! तुम बहुत दयालु हो तुम सबके हृदयों के सर्वाधिक प्रिय हो। तुम्हारी कोई तुलना नहीं, तुम्हारे दिव्य प्रेम की कोई बराबरी नहीं। तुम्हारी  कृपा अकारण होती है । तुम सद्गुणी या दुर्गुणी में  कोई भेद नहीं करते। तुम पापियों और धार्मिकों में कोई भेद नहीं करते। तुम सब पर समान रूप से कृपा की वर्षा करते हो | तुम इस व्यक्त जगत की प्रत्येक चीज से प्यार करते हो, तुम अकारण ही सब पर अपनी अनन्त करुणा वर्षा करते हो।


हे परम पुरुष! तुम कितने मधुर हो, सबके मन और हृदय में छिपे हुये हो, तुम अपनी कृपा से जिसके लिये जो कुछ सर्वोत्तम होता है वही करते हो। सबकी, हर प्रकार से चिंता करते हो। तुमने सब को विना माॅंगे सब कुछ दिया है। तुम नियमित रूप से अपनी दिव्य प्रेरणा से सब को सरावोर किये रहते हो, जिससे वे सब तुम्हारे दिखाये पथ पर चलते हुए, तुम्हारी ओर आ सकें।


हे दिव्य सत्ता ! हे बाबा!, मेरे हृदयाकाश  में तुम हमेशा चमकते रहते हो, मेरे निराश  हृदय में तुम आशा की रौशनी हो। तुम मेरे पूरे अस्तित्व को अपनी मधुर मुस्कान से भर देते हो। मेरे धर्म जीवन यात्रा पथ पर, तुम अपनी कृपा की स्वच्छ चमक उड़ेलते जाते हो | तुम अपनी वराभय मुद्रा में, आशीष  की वर्षा, सब पर करते जाते हो | बाबा! तुम कल्याण सुंदरम हो। 


== Section: Important Teaching ==

World government

Prout states, "The more time is passing by, the more the glare of casteism, provincialism, communalism and nationalism is fading away. The human beings of today must understand that in the near future they will definitely have to accept universalism. So those who seek to promote social welfare will have to mobilize all their vitality and intellect in the endeavour to establish a world organization, abandoning all plans to form communal or national organizations. They will have to engage themselves in constructive activities in a straight-forward manner, instead of resorting to duplicity and deceitfulness."

"Many people say that divergent national interests are the only impediments to the formation of a world organization, or a world government. But I say this is not the only obstacle, rather it is just a minor impediment. The main obstacle is the apprehension of local leaders that they will lose their leadership. With the establishment of a world government, the total domination which they exercise today in their respective countries, societies and nations will cease to exist." (1)

Reference
1. Problems of the Day #19


== Section 3: Links ==

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