Baba
Including all in AP celebrations
* The grand festival of Ananda Purnima is on Friday, 01 May 2026.
Namaskar,
In this following letter, I am going to enlist some new things how we are going to arrange and organise our Ananda Marga Ananda Purnima festival this year. A few fresh things have been included in our agenda.
Programmes for elders
Here Baba guides us how the elderly should also get scope to participate in special ways as well.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “A grown up man does not like that others should call him grown up. An old man does not like that others should tell him old. Do you know why they do not like to be said so? The adults or the aged are nearing death. This means that one is drawing nearer death as one grows up and this is why one does not like to be told grown up or old.”
“Taking this for granted regarding human psychology, you shall arrange for two or three items in the programme for the old to enjoy, so that they may think at least for a short time that they are not old, they have sufficient energy still left in them.” (1)
Ananda Purnima is also an opportunity for artists to display their talents.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Take pains to see that all join in the Utsava. Give full opportunity to all the artists to make a display of their talents in art. Remember that taking food together is a special feature in a Utsava, without which half of the pleasure of a Utsava is marred.” (2)
Exhibition
Around the globe, and in our larger units especially, various exhibitions can be created that encapsulate a wide sampling of Baba’s teachings and programs. In this way, the theoretical side of Ananda Marga ideology and its practical expression can be highlighted. There could be a good news presentation of the wide array of Ananda Marga service projects and socially uplifting programs; plus via story, song, dance, and drama there should be joyous performances that highlight the history and development of Ananda Marga.In addition, there could be the special showing of Baba’s video and other renewing activities like a tree planting, musical performance, and other cultural activities.
Organising an Ananda Mela (fair of bliss)
A grand Ananda Mela can also be formed in selected places. This can feature local sentient shops, as well as cultural programs, sports and festivities, art, music, a children’s theatre and poetry competitions. Such a gathering could include non-margiis and margiis alike. That will build community relations and involve everyone. It would bring people together in a sweet way and the environment could be nicely maintained by having all the events monitored by margiis. Yet, at the same time, allow non-margiis to participate fully and be active up to certain levels.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Verily, this is an occasion for one and all and could include multi-day or even multi-week camps for honouring and celebrating this most glorified event of Ananda Purnima. Overall, such types of programs would draw in all the various sections of society and could occur over a month-long period, perhaps 2-weeks before through 2-weeks after Ananda Purnima - as some do in India with the Ram Liila*. Our Ananda Purnima should take on that type of significance and celebration, focused exclusively on Baba, Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji.
* Ram Liila: For those who are not aware, the Ram Liila is an annual theatre drama depicting the glory, greatness, and myth of Ram staged in the evening for several weeks. This theatre drama highlights the life of Ram for the public to see, learn and enjoy.
In a similar manner, we should produce a theatre reenactment of all the great, dharmic events. This should include His younger years, the formation of Ananda Marga, the spread of devotion, the jail period, Emergency, how the margiis faced so many problems, how the communists were destroyed, the vast array of AM service projects, spiritual life, etc. All the good and bad times should be depicted for everyone to know.
Artful presentation of Baba’s liila, cartoons, paintings, & songs
The above programs will serve as a great complement to the numerous other festive ways of celebrating the grand occasion of Ananda Purnima. Some of those activities include: Poetry readings, debates, prize distribution, collective bath, collective food, narayan seva, clothing distribution, collective sadhana, medical camps, food distribution in nursing and convalescent homes, collective social service, singing and dancing of Prabhat Samgiita, the exchange of gifts, sports and games, display of Baba’s diorama, artful presentation of Baba’s liila, cartoons and paintings of how Baba has graced bhaktas, theatrical depictions of how negative forces could not diminish the glory of Baba and Ananda Marga.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Indeed, this is a time when everyone – young and old, wealthy and poor, literate and illiterate, etc – can come together and rejoice in the sweet celebrations of Baba’s divine advent. The festival of Ananda Purnima should be given utmost importance as it is the most festive day of the year.
Special Prabhat Samgiita programs
As everyone may remember, Baba has beautifully given the system of making extended Prabhat Samgiita programs whereby gathered margiis sing blissful and spiritual songs. Just like we often have our long akhanda kiirtan programs of 3, 6, or 12 hours – in the same way these programs of Prabhat Samgiita can also take place.
Many may recall how Baba used to sit on the dais and call for the rendering of Prabhat Samgiita at the grand celebration of our Ananda Purnima social function. And it would proceed step-by-step where first one purport was read out by a selected margii and then the singing of that same song would begin and small young children of 8 or 9 years of age would dance to that song. As soon as one song was completed then another would begin with the reading of the purport followed by the singing and dance performance of that very song. And in this grand fashion several songs were linked together – all the while maintaining a nicely formatted sequence where the first song celebrated Baba’s holy advent and then the next song depicts His divine blessings etc. By that way several songs are linked together creating one panoramic flow of bhakti.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Social service, CSS, Narayan seva, painca seva
In addition, during Ananda Purnima all the trades and departments of AMPS partake in their respective social service programs. VSS optees do CSS, i.e collective social service such as public cleaning or repair work or other physical works for the security, safety, and welfare of the society etc. Side by side, AMURT can operate their free medical clinics. Financial donations for further social service work should be encouraged. And SDM optees can arrange for a maximum number of initiations. In this way, Ananda Purnima is a day for doing all types of social service because we Ananda Margiis are declassed and perform all the sevas.
at His lotus feet,
Surta’tma’
Links to previously posted letters on this series have been appended below.
References
1. Táttvika Diipiká (Dvitiiya Parva)
2. Táttvika Diipiká (Dvitiiya Parva)
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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: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Note: If you are at the dinner table talking to your close companion who is seated next to you and looking directly at you, already you have their full attention. In that case, you need not address them by saying “O”. If you say “O” they may get irritated. So prefacing an appellation for God with “O’” such as in O’ Lord is not appropriate in our Ananda Marga. Saying “O’ Lord” signifies that that Divine Entity is far away - i.e. in the so-called 7th sky or heaven - and that one must cry out to reach them. And that goes against the spirit of bhakti.
In our Ananda Marga, we know that Parama Purusa is watching us always. He is never far - always He resides in the heart witnessing all we think, do, and say. Hence there is no need to call out to Him using the phrases, “O’ God”, “O’ Lord etc.” One may simply address Him in a natural manner without the “O” preface and He will certainly listen to your call. But in melancholic songs, using the address O’ God, O’ Lord etc is appropriate.
"Káhákeo pápii bheve, bhay peyo ná ogo prabhu,
pápii jadi ná thákito, mahimá kii pete kabhu..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0695)
Purport:
Prabhu, please don't be “afraid” knowing that someone is a sinner, a mahapatakii, or an evil person. I request You not to keep Your distance or have any aversion towards them. If there were no nefarious people, then how could You ever gain so much glory. All-pervading Entity, Your fame grows by saving them from their sin and negative samskaras. My Adored One, You steal away sin, and that is why Your name is Hari. If there were no wrongdoers and there was no sin for You to steal, then no one would call You Hari. That name - Hari - would be meaningless. That is why the presence of crooks is needed for Your magnificence.
Baba, of the universe, do You think that only those always calling You with tearful eyes and folded hands are Your bhaktas. Or that only those strict in Sixteen Points, kiirtan, fasting, asanas, pranayama, bhajan, and dhyana sadhana etc are Your bhaktas? No, they are not Your only bhaktas; felons are also Your bhaktas. Miscreants also cry for Your help and with full surrender want Your mercy, so please do not forget them.
Parama Purusa, the hearts and minds of those who are infamous transgressors are also full of bhakti. The only reason they are papiis (sinners) is because they don't want to become light by giving their burden of sin to You. Because of their exceptional prema towards You, they are unwilling to give the misery of their bad actions unto You. Rather they keep those reactions for themselves to endure. Divine Entity, Baba, such evildoers love you so much. They prefer to undergo the suffering of their negative samskaras on their own. Because of their considerable affection for You, they do not want to burden You with their sins. That is why they are known as offenders.
Baba, by seeing that someone is a scoundrel, please do not keep Your distance...
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Sleep & nerve cells
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “Yes, we were discussing sleep. After labouring beyond a certain point in the wakeful state, one's nerve fibres become exhausted and one feels the need to rest. In the wakeful state, as the nerve cells are constantly performing the functions of thinking and recollecting, they become fatigued. Thus for psychic and physical health, one needs to sleep – the exhausted nerve cells and fibres will fall into sleep of their own accord. The nerve cells of those who do physical labour become extremely exhausted, and that is why the moment they go to bed they immediately fall asleep.” (1)
Reference
1. Namah Shiváya Shántáya: Disc: 16
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Example of protozoic & metazoic mind
Ananda Marga ideology states, “The protozoic minds are guided by instinct only. The protozoic mind is citta only, with no development of ahaḿ[tattva] or mahattattva. Ingesting food, supporting offspring – this is all done instinctively, according to their svabháva [spontaneously], the reasons being quite unknown to those creatures. The earthworm does not know that it is an earthworm. It moves instinctively, spontaneously, according to its undeveloped mind. The protozoic minds and the protozoic microcosm can be said to be the physical mind. A protozoic creature has only physical mind. The collection of protozoic minds in the human can be said to be the physical mind of the human, known as the [kámamaya kośa]. It is guided by instinct, there is no discrimination.”
“But the metazoic mind moves with some intellect, or discrimination, as there has been some development of intellect in it. Hence the metazoic mind has control over the protozoic mind. The more the metazoic mind is developed in a creature, the more developed the creature is; that is, a metazoic structure will be more complicated. And where this complication has increased considerably, that physical structure is the human physical structure.” (1)
Note: Living cells act according to instinct because of their protozoic mind. There are many organs in the human body such as the kidneys and the liver. These organs have have a more developed mind, i.e. metazoic mind. So long as the kidneys and liver are in a greater structure like an animal or a human they will do their job. That is why doctors are able to perform kidney and liver transplants from one human body to another. So metazoic mind controls protozoic mind. And, in the human structure, both protozoic and metazoic mind comes under the domain of the unit human mind.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 23, Knowledge and Progress
== Section 4: Links ==
