Baba
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Direct connection
Namaskar,
Our AM sadhana system is what makes the path of Ananda Marga so unique and goads one to reach the Goal Parama Purusa, by His grace. So one must ensure that what they are practicing in sadhana is proper.
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Mantra selection may be wrong
If, on the rare occasion, anyone has come exclusively to get a high post or be honoured for their worldly works etc, under the spell of avidya maya, they may feel that sadhana is not so important. In that case, it is our duty to help them realise that sadhana is important for everybody.
Most in Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha have come for sadhana and service, as taught by Sadguru Shrii Shrii A'nandamu'rti ji. Gaining proper knowledge of intuitional science is key. On the path of sadhana, surely His divine grace is needed, yet Baba also emphasizes that the technique and process of meditation must also be imparted properly. A practitioner must have the right knowledge.
Dogmas about acaryas teaching sadhana
Having proper sadhana also prevents us from falling into the prevailing religious dogma that priests are middle-men between the common man and Parama Purusa. This faulty concept is enough to ruin anyone's spiritual approach. Our acaryas are not middle-men nor do they use some special power when teaching sadhana. Rather they are following written instructions given by Baba.
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In sum, our acaryas select a mantra based on a particular system, or set of rules, as directed by Baba. And those acaryas are to be respected in their limited role of serving as a medium for Guru. So our acaryas play a helpful, supportive role; and we all understand that Ananda Marga acaryas are not the ones teaching us in real sense, nor are they Guru. Because through sadhana, every sadhaka has their own persona, direct link with Parama Purusa Baba.
Look at it this way. Suppose you want to visit Mr Z, but you don’t know his address. So on the way, you ask Mr. K. and Mr. K tells you, “Look here is the address of Mr. Z.” Then you can reach Mr. Z’s place, knock on the door, and meet with Mr Z. In this analogy, the role of Mr. K is that of an acarya, knocking at the door represents sadhana, and Mr. Z is Parama Purusa.
Conduct of acarya
Let us recall who is acarya—those with good conduct, not those merely wearing the dress.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Persons who teach such well-regulated behaviour to others by their own conduct are called a'ca'ryas. Bear in mind that people may be harmed or misled by even a small weakness or defect in the conduct of an a'ca'rya. Just as it is the duty of a father to educate his children properly by his good conduct, an a'ca'rya should always instruct by his exemplary actions and words." (1)
So the more any acarya is sincere and involved in following Sixteen Points and their conduct rules, the more effective they will be in imparting the teachings of Ananda Marga ideology and Ananda Marga sadhana as given by Sadguru Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. If any Wt is not strict in following Sixteen Points then they will be prone to lead others astray—and may not be able to teach sadhana properly. That is why it is important to be vigilant in watching the conduct of every acarya.
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Conclusion
Sadhana is the main thing on the path of Ananda Marga. Without that, one will not be able to progress, rather they will fall away from the ideals of dharma. So it is important to get the teachings of sadhana from a competent acarya, i.e. one who can properly disseminate the teachings and written sadhana instructions of Sadguru Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. Bear in mind also that the acaryas are not middlemen between you and the Supreme Entity. Ananda Marga sadhana is one’s personal link with Parama Purusa.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Prabhu
Alert: improper sadhana is harmful
Ananda Marga ideology says, “The first mental faculty is that the mind thinks: the mind discovers and invents newer modes of thinking, the mind thinks with concentration, that is, the mind meditates. Regarding this faculty of thinking, if it is done in a methodical way, the result is certainly positive: a negative result is achieved only in certain rare cases. But if it is not done in a methodical way, the general result is negative: only in very rare cases do we get a positive result. So our students, our boys and girls, our ladies and gentlemen should be taught how to think in a methodical style, otherwise there will be wastage of mental potentialities. We do not want such wastage to take place in this age of science.”
“Regarding thinking with concentration, that is, meditation – it is another, still subtler, science. Meditation should be performed knowing fully well the location of different glands and sub-glands and also the different cells in the human brain. And people should not only know the location of these glands and sub-glands, they should also be acquainted with their respective systems of hormone secretion, otherwise their meditation will not produce any fruit. So for this system of meditation, knowledge of biology is essential.” (2)
Myth about acaryas selecting mantra
As many may be aware, one's personal ista mantra is assigned according to one's inherent samskaras. That criteria, along with Guru's grace, is what gives a mantra its incantative power. The question might arise, "When an acarya teaches sadhana, are they seeing our samskaras?" A few naive people may think that acaryas select the appropriate mantra after intuitively seeing a sadhaka's samskaras and reactive momenta. But that is just not so.
Baba has specifically stated that getting the power to see others' samskaras comes only after very high sadhana and many samadhis, and even then this occult power should not be employed as that will invite instant degeneration. When many of our Dadas are more involved in worldly dealings and business than spiritual practice, then there is no question of their having the requisite intuition to see others' samskaras. Even if they had that power, it should not be exercised as Baba condemns the use of occult powers.
Sadguru Baba has given a very simple and straightforward process for selecting a mantra for a particular sadhaka. And that He has provided to every acarya of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha. What the exact process is for selecting a mantra should never be discussed or written publicly. Because in tantra, secrecy is a must. Yet in AMPS when everyone respects this code of secrecy then it is fine for margiis to at least be aware about the overall notion that acaryas are following a set of written guidelines. In that case, when there is respect for secrecy, saying in broad, general terms that there is a system is not bad, rather it is helpful. Then everyone knows that our acaryas are not doing magic, voodoo, or using special powers etc.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
This letter clarifies and reviews the important role acaryas have in conveying the practice of sadhana, as well as how necessary it is that each sadhaka feel confident that their meditation has been properly taught. If anyone's sadhana is not good, they should consult another acarya and pay heed to Sadguru Baba's below guidelines.
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 31, The Conduct of an Ácárya
2. Yoga Psychology, The Mind Grows in Magnitude
* * *
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 ==
Difference between real & fake bhakta
False aspirants think about themselves, whereas true bhaktas think about God and want to serve Him. By this approach life becomes meaningful and they reach the Goal; otherwise, they are just fake bhaktas who take birth and die again and again, suffering in this transitory world.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "True devotees can think only of Parama Puruśa – their every action is to please Parama Puruśa. For them, there is only sádhaná and selfless service to the universe – and because selfless service is to please the Lord, that also helps sádhaná. Tapah [selfless service] is part of sádhaná. True devotees are unable to think of right and wrong, but because they wish only to please Parama Puruśa, they can only do good, all their actions will be benevolent. So you are not just to worry about right and wrong, about dos and don'ts – you are to develop that true devotion for Parama Puruśa...But of course, until you develop such devotion, you must distinguish what to do from what not." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 30, The True Devotee
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Mammary glands in materialism
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "There are fishes who carry something like a sack inside their bodies and they carry their children in those sacks. There are some snakes who also take their children with them. Not only have they inborn instinct, but they have something more, that is, they have love and affection for their children. This is also true of some species of snakes, but love and affection for their children is more prominent in mammals. Mammals are more developed than non-mammals because in the case of mammals mothers feed the children with their breast-milk and certainly they have got affection for their children -- that is why they do so." (1)
Note: Mothers of financially poorer countries generally keep their babies along with them and breastfeed their infants. But the case is different with some mothers in the so-called developed nations where certain mothers do not want to breastfeed their infants nor do they want to keep their infants along with them.
Even when those mothers are not working in the office and go shopping etc, then also they do not want to feed their infants when the baby is hungry. Rather they give the infant bottled milk. You might have noticed that in public places where females are in a majority there is not an allotted place for mothers to comfortably feed the baby.
Sadly, in materialistic societies, the mammary glands are treated as a sex organ, not an organ for feeding the child. The loser is the infant. Nature made this gland for the child. But now that utility is almost gone and those glands have become a sex tool. And it is propagated in that way through the mass media and the larger society. That is why kids are deprived and mothers do not like to breastfeed.
And with those who do breastfeed, those mothers often cover themselves with a towel whereby the baby feels suffocated and cannot feed itself in a comfortable manner. You can imagine that if someone covered you with a thick towel while you were taking food then you would get frustrated, stop taking your food, and get out from there. So the child remains hungry.
Due to this entire situation, those children are not emotionally developed, become criminals, and engage in anti-social dealings.
So in comparison to those animals we have to see how far the situation stands. Because, per Guru’s above teaching, those mammals and animals do love and care for their offspring; accordingly, then humans are more advanced so they should express more love. And mothers of poor countries do like that. But the strange thing is that some mothers from the so-called advanced countries….
Using Baba's above teaching as a scale, we have to judge whether such mothers are really developed or moving in the opposite direction.
Reference
1. Yoga Psychology, Instinct and Devotion
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Much trouble, no gain
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Very often, ignorant of real spirituality and goaded by religious dogma, people undertake long and hazardous journeys to places of pilgrimage, sometimes even selling their earthly possessions such as houses and cultivable land to make the trip possible. They hope to attain virtue by taking a holy dip in sacred rivers. Needless to say this not only causes a loss of energy, time and money, but also causes much trouble and brings no spiritual gain." (1)
Reference
1. Pramá – 1, Dynamic Equilibrium and Equipoise
== Section 3: Links ==
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