Ananda Marga Universal Forum: 06/04/25

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Why sadhakas fall + 2 more

Baba

Why sadhakas fall

Namaskar,

Bábá says that AM teachings, or jiṋána, are needed to know the right path so that one has a proper roadmap in life. In the absence of AM teachings, one may be deceived and misled by false philosophies. A lack of AM teachings is perilous for one’s spiritual development as it may lead to dogmatic thinking. So one should acquire AM teachings and then make efforts to follow the right path.
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Great seminar system

On the practical side, Bábá has given the system of seminar in which classes on a variety of subjects are held on a regular basis. Seminars are held at the state, district and village level so that everyone has the opportunity to learn dharmic teachings. This is especially useful for small villages because large programs like DMC cannot be held at the village level but seminars can. During regular reporting sessions before 1990, Bábá used to ask whether proper teaching was done or not. Exams were conducted. For any lacunae in teaching that was exposed, guidance was given to bring about all-round welfare. Even today, the tradition of seminar continues in our AM Ananda Marga Pracárak Samgha. The very existence of the seminar system in AMPS demonstrates the importance that Baba has given to the acquisition of jiṋána (AM teachings).

Seminar is an important constituent of the Sixteen Points, and it is directly listed in the 16th point. Ananda Marga Caryácarya states, “Observe C.S.D.K. (Conduct Rules, Seminar, Duty, Kiirtana).” (1)

Perils of ignoring AM teachings

Ignoring one’s duty to acquire AM teachings, by not reading Bábá’s discourses, is dangerous. Due to a lack of AM teachings, one becomes vulnerable to being cheated by charlatans. One needs to acquire AM teachings and use them appropriately for saving oneself from dogmatic thinking caused by ignorance and also for solving problems encountered on a day-to-day basis. Active Ananda Márgiis have a higher standard of AM teachings compared to ordinary people as they engage themselves in AM practices and the acquisition of AM knowledge. Lack of AM teachings renders people unequipped to solve the problems of individual and collective life. A lack of AM teachings also makes people sentimentally attached to wrongdoers. This is the reason that, in spite of knowing the anti-dhármic activities of a few, some people support them. Those margiis who are deficient in proper knowledge of AM ideology become sentimentally attached and fall prey to supporting adharmic activities.
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Way to preserve AM teachings

Baba condemns the useless knowledge of pseudo-intellectuals. One may wrongly conclude from this teaching of Bábá’s that reading any book is against Bábá’s teachings. Whether such an approach is in line with Bábá’s teachings needs to be understood.

Had Bábá thought that jiṋána (AM teachings) is not important then He would not have given the huge number of discourses which He gave. In the beginning, when audio recording gadgets were not available, the discourses were dictated and later proofread by Bábá Himself. Later, with the advent of audio recording machines, the discourses were tape recorded. During the emergency period when Bábá was in jail, recording or taking written notes was not permitted by the jail authorities. Thus, during this period, the bhaktas forgot the tradition of recording. It was a great loss as whatever Táraka Brahma Himself spoke was not preserved for the present and future human beings.

Hence, after Baba’s coming out of jail, margiis and Wts took the issue of recording casually and did not record what Bábá spoke. All-knowing Bábá, in order to remind everyone about the importance of recording, refused to deliver discourses for some time to teach people. Consequently, people learnt their lesson quickly. Bábá then began delivering discourses again and proper recording was resumed. The audio recordings are a very useful and important tool today to fix the distortions in AMPS teachings. We are thus capable, for the first time in human history, of doing what could not be done when the teachings of Shiva and Krsna were distorted. In this period, Bábá dictated numerous discourses on grammar, history, sociology, and anthropology in addition to spiritual philosophy.
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So one should not be confused as to the importance of AM teachings. In order to do proper pracár, a solid understanding of AM teachings is needed. Indeed, to retain people in our AMPS, sádhaná is required but to attract people to Ananda Márga they need to be convinced first. Only an Ananda Márgii bhakta can, taking the help of AM shástra, convincingly attract people to the path of bliss - Ananda Márga.

Conclusion

Bábá wants us to acquire AM teachings to become an ideal karmii and bhakta. The only goal of acquiring AM teachings should be to evoke bhakti. Lack of AM teachings is perilous as it can push us towards dogmatic thinking and aid charlatans in their efforts to cheat us. Conducting seminars is a very potent way to spread dharmic teachings, but they have to be relevant and based on sound background. By spreading AM teachings, we can improve society and align it with the path of bliss.

In Him,
Bhakti

Intellectual extravaganza

Based on the aforementioned description, we can see that AM teachings are not only useful but forthrightly endorsed by Ananda Marga. Bábá calls the so-called “knowledge” of impractical pseudo philosophies as harmful. For example, communism is outdated and has been proven to be impractical yet people study it and use the teachings of communism in their lives and profess the same. Many even obtain university degrees in the subject of communism. Today, besides its historical significance, communism has no relevance. Likewise, Vedánta and Advaitaváda are dead and impractical philosophies. Many spend their entire lives in studying such useless philosophies and then use their acquired so-called knowledge to claim prestige in society. Bábá refers to such so-called knowledge and knowledgeable people as lokavya’mohaka’raka.
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Whereas, AM teachings are very useful. Ananda Márga shástra is proper knowledge and we must all strive to acquire it and follow its guidelines more and more in our lives.

Problems with seminars nowadays & solution

Nowadays, although seminars are held, very little is accomplished in terms of people learning from those seminars. This is partly due to work pressure and partly due to a lack of interest in those teachings, and that is why those seminars are mostly ineffective. Often, seminars are delivered on some obscure topic which no one can relate to. As a result, many either sleep during the seminars or forget the topics as soon as they walk out of the venue. Conducting seminars without providing an adequate foundation and background is useless. Just like a building can be robust only if the foundation is laid properly, the background of the seminar has to be established skillfully.

In addition, the topic of the seminar has to be practical. People appreciate only that which they can directly relate to. For example, if a scientific lecture is to be delivered in a village, a suitable topic is how to make a tube well-- which people can directly relate to-- rather than on theoretical physics, which people may not appreciate and connect to. Thus, the seminar topics must be chosen keeping in mind the direct needs of the people and how they can use the imparted knowledge in their day-to-day lives. For example, an important topic that most márgiis can relate to is how to do effective pracár. Thus, a seminar addressing the practical point of how one can propagate Ananda Marga teachings in their day-to-day lives can be appreciated better compared to an esoteric subject. It should also be said that the skills of the speaker also play a significant role so that an esoteric topic can be conveyed very effectively.
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Reference
1. Ananda Marga Caryácarya Part 2, Sixteen Points, Point #16

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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 ==

True penance

Ananda Marga ideology states, “People’s life becomes mechanical if they are overwhelmed with the sentiment that they must do such acts, must perform such yajiṋa, must rise in this manner and sit in this manner and get up in this manner and so on. Such a person is not happy, and this type of ritualism cannot be called real karma. To serve others at one’s sacrifice is called penance. In the absence of love, any service or penance is for show and is therefore fruitless.” (1)

Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha -1, Yajiṋa and Karmaphala

== Section 3: Links ==

Dogma of Father's Day 15 June