Baba
Deriving joy from others suffering
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "On seeing a person in distress one should have the feeling – “Alas, how miserable is the condition of this person! Let his miseries be over expeditiously. I shall also try to remove his misery as early as possible.”” (1)
Rightly served?
Ananda Marga philosophy says, “There are people, however, who have opposite feelings...On seeing someone in distress, they think: “Rightly served. As you sow, so you reap. Let their troubles augment.” Such human-shaped animals are prowling about in many fields of life, including the field of politics.” (2)
I remember when one person became seriously ill. In that moment, his friends were very sad, while his foes rejoiced. This type of rejoicing is a negative human tendency, diametrically opposite to Sadguru Baba’s teachings on this matter. We should never derive happiness by seeing others suffer.
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Actually, there are some instances where negative people derive happiness from seeing others in pain and misery. For instance:
(a) After a terrorist attack, some negative people were celebrating and rejoicing by seeing others’ pain, anguish, and suffering.
(b) When xyz was sick his supporters were very concerned for his well-being, while some negative people became happy.
Cheering seeing others’ suffering
In today’s tumultuous world arena where there is strife and conflict throughout, and where tensions and anxieties are at an all-time high, sadly people give way to this very negative outlook of basking and celebrating others’ torment and suffering - as is happening in the below image. As sadhakas and sadvipras, we should not give in to this abhorrent tendency.
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Good people think for others welfare
In his book, Nagina ji says that when his boss, who used to harass him regularly, was punished by the higher authorities then Nagina became very happy. The next time he saw Baba, then Baba scolded him for his behaviour.
Here the point is that there is a negative psychic tendency to derive pleasure from watching others suffer. In the mind, there is one propensity known as kru'rata', or sadistic tendency. It is this vrtti which leads negative people to think in this manner. Yet Baba guides us to follow the path of benevolence. So we should all be aware about Baba's teachings and overcome this tendency of kru'rata', i.e. sadistic mentality. Baba describes how we are to feel towards those undergoing suffering.
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Ananda Marga philosophy says, ""And for those people who live in misery, one should develop an attitude of compassion [for them]. One should never feel happy upon seeing the sorrows of others, but should think, “What a miserable life that person is leading. I hope things get better for him soon.”" (3)
Irrespective of how good or bad someone is, if they are suffering we should have empathy and compassion for their situation. During PC or dharma samiiksa, Baba would point out such circumstances where a person rejoiced in another's misfortune. Baba wants us to overcome such a defective mentality. That is His clear-cut message: Do not derive pleasure from seeing others suffer. You should have karuna (compassion) and be ever-ready to help those in need, in any way you can. Never indulge in selfish enjoyment by watching someone’s hardship and misery.
Solution: two-step approach
This type of disease - a cruel and barbarous outlook - is a vrtti, propensity, and if one's mind has not been purified by regular spiritual practice, then they will be prone to feelings of this nature: deriving pleasure by seeing others in misery. In essence, Baba has given a two-step approach for ridding oneself of this sadistic mentality: (a) neutralise and (b) channelise.
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Neutralising the mind means bringing it back into a balanced state. By harboring the ideal of compassion (karun'a), then that person will shed themselves of this cruel mentality, in a very natural way. They will regain their integrity of mind and softness of mind. In a phrase, compassion is the medicine. It will cure this type of inhumane mind-set. Then one will gain a stance of equipoise. That is the whole aim of neutralising the mind - to return it to a balanced state.
Then the mind is primed and ready to be goaded toward the spiritual realm. By channelising the mind towards Parama Purusa, through the spiritual practices of kiirtan and sadhana etc, the mind will become more refined and subtle. At that point, one will never be able to think ill of others. That sadhaka will always be grounded in feelings of neo-humanism, ever-ready to help those in distress. That shows they have karuna.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "One should never feel happy upon seeing the sorrows of others, but should think, “What a miserable life that person is leading. I hope things get better for him soon.”" (4)
Suppose in the wake of a disaster, communist leaders who harassed Ananda Marga are buried in the rubble. When neo-humanistic margiis arrive on-site to do relief work they will not taunt those communists. Rather, seeing them as an expression of Narayana, those margiis will rescue and help them. That is our Guru's teaching.
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Namaskar,
in Him,
Jyotirmaya Deva
~ In-depth study ~
Bad people say: “Well done! He deserved it!”
Next Baba reviews one important shloka about cultivating benevolence and compassion towards others. In so doing, He presents important life scenarios that are invaluable to us all.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Suppose someone is very sad; seeing his miserable fate people will say, “Well done! He deserved it!” But this is not the proper approach. The proper approach should be to show compassion, thinking “What a pity he is in great trouble. Had I also been in such a difficult position, how badly I would feel.” In this way the feeling of compassion (karuńa) should be aroused in one’s mind." (6)
Should not feel happy by their misery
By all of the above, and by understanding the teachings of neo-humanism, as sadhakas we should strive to see all as the manifestation of Parama Purusa. Regardless of who is in trouble and suffering, one should not feel happy by their misery. We are to impose the karuna vrtti and arouse compassion to make the mind balanced. Then that balanced mind should be channelised towards the thought of the Great - i.e. Parama Purusa.
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The whole point is that seeing others suffer should not make one happy. We should have empathy for their plight and help relieve them of their distress. That is the quality of a sadhaka. We are to think that Narayana has come in this form. Then we can render real service and help them.
In this regard there should not be any hypocrisy. If anyone is in trouble or suffering in any way, we should be sincere in cultivating compassionate thoughts within and offer our help. There should not be any difference between our internal feeling and our external expression.
How to respond to someone's suffering
Thus when anyone is suffering there is only one response: compassion. One should empathize with their condition and do what they can to sincerely help relieve them of pain. No matter what our personal feelings may be for anyone's political or group interests, when they are suffering the only response is 100% compassion and support. That is what every sadhaka should follow.
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It is not that only their group cohorts should help them, and those who deem that person as an enemy should rejoice in their suffering. This is not the way. To plunge into deriving sadistic pleasure from anyone's painful condition is against Guru's teaching. Such a person is only creating negative samskaras for themselves and thus inviting their own pain and suffering. No one should plunge themselves into such a predicament.
The singular stand is having compassion for the plight of those suffering and wishing for their welfare and recovery. That is the way of a true Ananda Margii. Such sadhakas will be ever-ready to help others, and their mind will always be inclined toward the thought of Parama Purusa. And that is the way to live in this world - thinking of Him and serving those in need.
We should all be aware about Baba’s teachings and overcome this tendency of kru'rata', i.e. sadistic mentality, and cultivate compassion.
Why sadistic feeling is bad
If your friend is having a problem, then naturally you will also feel unhappy seeing your friend suffer. Whereas, if an enemy - or someone you do not like - is suffering, then some negative people feel happy. This is a degrading human tendency.
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Some negative people derive happiness from watching others undergo suffering. This type of heartless outlook is very inappropriate, especially for a sadhaka. Cruelness is a very bad quality and antithetical to spirituality; and, sadhana can only be practiced when the mind is in a calm, balanced state.
So we should not harbour any vrtti that is callous in nature or derive pleasure from another's suffering. That will pull one far from the path of spirituality and universal welfare. Then one will be going against the code of neo-humanism and one will not be able to perform sadhana.
References
1. Shabda Cayanika - 4, Discourse: 27
2. Shabda Cayanika - 4, Discourse: 27
3. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell, Part 8, The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet
4. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell, Part 8, The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet
5. Caryacarya - 1, The Process of Initiation
6. Ananda Marga Ideology Way of Life, Part 11, Taking the Opposite Stance in Battle
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Sense of duty
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Bear in mind that you have a duty towards others, but that no one has any duty towards you. Everyone’s individual duty is fixed. Only one who moves forward with this as his or her only thought can do proper service. Otherwise the thought may remain in the mind of the one doing service that I have done such and such work for that person, so that person ought to do such and such for me. The thought must remain in the mind of the one doing service that I have a duty towards others but no one has any duty towards me.” (1)
Note: In the various religions it is taught, “If you do A then you will get bonus B.” That return (i.e. bonus B) may be in the form of virtue, praise, or respect or help in your hour of need etc. So they do in order to get something in return. In our Ananda Marga outlook, the standard is very high. One is to serve others and see them as narayan, not anticipating anything in return from narayan. When one feeds a hungry person, then that act of service is itself the prize. There is nothing else, no other return.
Motivated by religious dogmatic teachings, the mind of selfish people works in a different way. Such lowly persons think that, "Others have the duty to take care of my situation and their own situation as well. But they should not bother me about their own problems." This is the way such selfish persons think.
And if for some reason that selfish person "helps" others then they want full return plus interest of their so-called service. There is no question of a sense of duty and true service; these ideals have no place in their mind. Because of all this, the present day general society's condition is unfavourable and bleak. All around where materialism and religious dogma has taken root, this is prevalent.
Sadguru Baba's teaching leads in a different direction. In His above teaching, Baba is very beautifully guiding that our duty is to serve everybody without any expectation for anything in return.
Reference
1. Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 9, The Source of Internal Stamina, 3 April 1979, Patna
== Section: Important Teaching ==
In the past and in the present also, those in power have used the notions of fate and predestination as a tactic to exploit the common people. If everyday citizens feel that the hell they are facing in their day-to-day life is a matter of fate and there is nothing to be done about, then those people will be easier to control and manipulate.
Now in the height of this materialistic era, the top capitalists employ the clergy, chaplains, and counselors etc, and those paid clergy, chaplains, and counselors are effectively able to convince the common people to sit back and accept their fate. By infusing this psychology upon the masses, then vaeshyas feel assured there will not be any uprising against them.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The vaeshyas [capitalist exploiters] use the vipras to try to spread intellectual propaganda among the masses to prevent them from finding any philosophical justification for their suppressed grievances against the vaeshya structure. This intellectual propaganda aims to convince people that they are the victims of circumstance. It argues, “Everything is destiny. Everything is preordained.” Such doctrines help the vaeshyas to perpetuate their structure. They destroy the personal force of people and make them the playthings of fate. People accept the idea that everything is preordained, and support the status quo." (1)
Reference
1. Human Society - 2, The Vaeshya Age
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Prerequisite for Prout
Prout philosophy states, “The universe is the thought projection of Brahma, so the ownership of the universe lies with the Supreme Entity...Everything is the common patrimony of all, and the Father of all is Brahma…We must not forget, even for a single moment, that the entire animate world is a vast joint family. Nature has not assigned any portion of this property to any particular individual. Private ownership has been created by selfish opportunists, as the loopholes in this system provide them with ample scope for self-aggrandizement through exploitation.When the entire wealth of the universe is the common patrimony of all living beings, can the system in which some roll in luxury, while others, deprived of a morsel of food, shrivel up and starve to death bit by bit, be said to have the support of dharma?” (1)
Note: So long as one does not feel this above teaching in the inner core of their heart then their understanding of Prout remains nothing but a dream. Only when this teaching is deeply embedded in one’s mind will a person be able to strongly oppose economic injustice and establish the ideals of Prout.
References
1. Problems of the Day, Point #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." (1)
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." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 7, The Five Kinds of Conscience (Viveka)
== Section ==
যে মানুষের শরীর পেয়েছে, সেই পারৰে
“এই বারাণসী বা কাশী এখানে প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়ে গেলে মনকে খুৰ দ্রুত উপরে তুলে ফেলতে হয় | এবং তন্ত্র সাধনা, কপাল সাধনা যা তোমাদের কেউ কেউ শিখেছ, এর ফলে মনে সেই দ্রুতি আসে, বেগ আসে | তখন এই যে বারাণসী তত্ত্ব এতে প্রতিষ্ঠিত হতে একটু সুবিধা হয় | তা না হ’লে, পারৰে সৰাই | কেন পারৰে না ? যে মানুষের শরীর পেয়েছে, সেই পারৰে | “ (1)
Unfortunately, the below English translation from the Electronic Edition of Baba's books (2009) is not up to the mark. It does not accurately portray Guru's original teaching given in Bengali featured above.
“To establish the mind on this point of Váráńasii or káshi, one has to quickly elevate the mind. Those who have learnt the technique of Tantra sádhaná or kápálika sádhaná, know what joy can be derived from this. It helps to establish the practitioner in the cult of Váráńasii. Those who have not yet mastered it, will one day be established in the cult of Váráńasii. Why not? Those who have acquired a human structure will surely be established in Váráńasii.]” (1)
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, Where Is Varanasi
== Section 3: Links ==
Dogma of Father's Day 15 JuneFather's Day: invention of materialism
Mother's Day: why dogmaticPostings to Read
Analogy: what is the news
AM welcomes all types
Creating strong margiis
Are you addicted to your phone?
Why sadhakas fall
