Baba
Money-lusting: disease of this era
If someone is earning money for their basic needs, rainy days, and retirement then that is ok. But if one is accumulating and multiplying bank balance after bank balance, which they will never or can't use due to overabundance that is a psychic disease. It varies from era to era based on the standard of living.
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Guarantee of minimum requirements
Our Prout philosophy ensures that everyone will have access to and use of all the needed material resources; everyone will be guaranteed the minimum requirements of life. And meritorious people will be granted greater amenities. But no one will be allowed to harbour and enact the mental disease of rampant greed by exploiting the masses and grabbing huge amounts of wealth. Material over-accumulation will not be tolerated in the Proutistic system.
Rather Prout preaches the rational gospel of aparigraha: That we should focus the minds in higher realms and minimise physical over-accumulation. At the same time all will be guaranteed the minimum requirements. Side by side, education is needed as people should be taught to divert their infinite desire towards the realm of spirituality. Since both the psychic and spiritual realms are infinite, one may accumulate there is no problem of over-accumulation. The worst aspect is that capitalists exploit and over-accumulate the physical resources and cause others to suffer. That problem only arises in the physical realm as material things are limited.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Material wealth cannot satisfy human longing
Another myth of capitalism is that, “I will gain lasting happiness and joy through material gain.” But if you ask a rich person who has 20 billion dollars if they are satisfied, they will reply, “No, I need more.” That is the disease of capitalism.
Ananda Marga ideology states, “It is the innate desire of human beings to seek expansion, to yearn for the Supreme. They want to attain Him for their personal happiness, self-preservation, and attainment of bliss. The owner of a hundred acres of land wants to own a hundred and fifty acres; a millionaire wants to become a billionaire. But if the desire for self-expansion or happiness is limited to the mundane world, clashes of interest and various hindrances will certainly arise before long. It is not possible to enrich oneself at the expense of others for very long.” (1)
Why that beggar died
The whole idea is that material gain cannot quench human hunger - as reflected in the following story. One of the king’s servants comes to a beggar and tells the beggar that the king wishes to grant him (the beggar) a land parcel of his choosing. At first the beggar begins to delineate a small patch of land, just 10ft x 10ft. The king’s servant exclaims, “What! That’s all you want. Your king wishes to grant you a boon - and the king’s wealth is very great - and you only wish to take that small amount.” Then the beggar starts marking a new plot of land by running in a particular direction to mark the boundary. Every few steps the beggar thinks to turn left to square off the parcel, but the beggar immediately decides against it. Instead the beggar keeps running straight thinking that his plot should be bigger and bigger. And this goes on until the beggar finally dies from sheer exhaustion, never having made that initial turn to square off his land boundary.
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The all-devouring, wolf-like hunger of capitalists
Here the point is that no amount of material gain can satisfy one’s innate longing for infinite expansion. People just want more and more - more than they can ever use. Permanent satiation only occurs when one comes in contact with that Infinite Entity - Parama Purusa. Due to a distinct lack of spiritual longing, rich capitalists express their wolf-like hunger and exploit the general mass. Poor people get crushed mercilessly and they do not oppose it because they harbour the hope that one day they will be ultra-rich. Side by side, those wealthy capitalists are never satisfied - no matter how much material wealth they accumulate.
So both groups are misguided by the prevailing dogma:
1) Wealthy people are trying to satisfy their infinite longing by the overaccumulation of money and riches;
2) The starving, half-half naked humanity does not rise up; instead, they just daydream that one day they will be super rich and have lots of money.
And this myth is addressed directly by the founder of Prout - Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar - in the following teaching.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Insatiable hunger cannot be satisfied by mundane things
Prout philosophy states, “As long as the human mind is attracted towards the glamorous external objects, as long as mental progress is checked by the pursuit of gross physicality, the human heart remains restless, and utters mournfully “I am hungry, I am hungry. This insatiable hunger cannot be satisfied by anything from the mundane world, and that is not possible either.” (2)
Prout philosophy guides us, “People’s physical longings are not satisfied until they come in contact with a truly great ideology. Till then, people’s wolf-like hunger is insatiable, as if they are incessantly repeating, “I am hungry, I am hungry.” Their jaws are always open, and the foolish people of this world resign themselves to their own fatalistic beliefs and fall into them. The ferocious wolf-pack devours their flesh and blood and casts away the unpalatable bones. Should we support this wolfish philosophy [capitalism]? The day-labourers, porters and gate-keepers around us who wear dirty rags and have fatigue etched on their faces are not considered human by those who are rolling in luxury.” (3)
Conclusion: divert physical longings to psychic and spiritual longings
As Proutists, we have learned from the outset that materialism and capitalism run contrary to human welfare. So we are much less affected by these myths. But, in the general society, these myths are misguiding billions of people. Most suffer from an extreme misunderstanding about capitalistic economic policy and its related effects.
So we have much more to do in order to bring about the right understanding of these points.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Human expressions are trifarious. Human beings have unquenchable, infinite physical longings and out of these physical longings capitalism came into existence. Capitalists toil day and night for money. This may be a natural desire but physical objectivity is finite, hence the infinite desire to accumulate finite physical objects is a psychic ailment. Human beings also have unquenchable, infinite psychic longings, and out of these excessive psychic longings psychic ailments arise and people become abnormal. The object of psychic longings associated with physicalities is also finite, but the object of pure psychic longing is infinite. Your psychic body and physical objectivity are always separate and so the seed of dualism arises. But the attainment of spiritual objectivity means bridging the gulf between the self and the object, and in this attainment lies peace. The psychic ailments mentioned above also lead to clash with others and create many have-nots. We have to divert physical longings to psychic and spiritual longings to avoid a fratricidal war, and thereby safeguard human rights." (4)
Namaskar,
In Him,
Prakash Deva
~ In-depth study ~
Psychic disease of capitalism
Even with the growing doubts about the ultra-rich and the top 1% etc, there remain certain myths and misunderstandings about capitalism. Until the masses come to awareness on these points, people will still be looking for a capitalistic solution to the present economic misery.
Capitalism starts in the psyche when people feel they want more. It is the disease when people suffer from the greed to accumulate more than they need. That is capitalism - the gross over-accumulation of material wealth. Those capitalists cannot use those mundane things, but still they want more. That is the psychic disease of capitalism.
It is not practical to think that it is possible for this planet to survive the continued ecological destruction and devouring of natural resources associated with a capitalistic exploitative economy, where anything and everything is done for profit. The common people have to be made fully aware of this truth.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Capitalism Myths
~ Courtesy of Capital report ~
Capitalism in the neoliberal version has exhausted itself. Financial sharks do not want to lose profits, and shift the main burden of debt to the retirees and the poor. A ghost of the “European Spring” is haunting the Old World and the opponents of capitalism explain people how their lives are being destroyed. This is the topic of the article of a Portuguese economist Guilherme Alves Coelho.
Myth 1: Under capitalism, anyone who works hard can become rich.
The capitalist system will automatically provide wealth to hard-working individuals. Workers unconsciously formed an illusory hope, but if it does not come to fruition, they will be blaming themselves only. In fact, under capitalism, the probability of success, regardless of how much you may have worked, is the same as in a lottery. Wealth, with rare exceptions, is not created by hard work, but is a result of fraud and lack of remorse for those who have greater influence and power. It is a myth that success is the result of hard work and, combined with luck and a good dose of faith, depends on the ability to engage in entrepreneurial activity and level of competitiveness. This myth creates the followers of the system who support it.
Myth 2: The elected politician represents the people and can therefore decide for them.
The politician was granted authority by the people, and can rule at will. The purpose of this myth is to feed the people with empty promises and hide the real measures that will be implemented in practice. In fact, the elected leader does not fulfill that promise, or, worse, starts to implement undeclared measures, often conflicting and even contradicting the original Constitution. Often such politicians elected by an active minority in the middle of the mandate reach their minimum popularity. In these cases, the loss of representation does not lead to a change of the politician through constitutional means, but by contrast, leads to the degeneration of capitalist democracy in the real or disguised dictatorship. The systematic practice of falsification of democracy under capitalism is one of the reasons for the increasing number of people who do not go to the elections. (Courtesy of capital report)
References
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life, The Macrocosmic Stance and Human Life
2. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 6, Vashiikára – 1
3. Human Society – 1, Social Justice
4. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, Talks on Prout
* * *
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 ==
"Toma'y bha'lobese chinu kono atiite neiko mane..." (Prabhat Samgiita #1359)
Purport:
Baba, it's not in my mind when I became close to You. I do not know when we became bound in the tie of love. In which hoary past this started, it is unknown for me. Since then, I have coloured my mind with Your beauty, form, colour, tune, and melody. In the secret core of my heart, my love for You is growing through shravana, manana, and nididyasana.
Baba, by Your grace, I saw Your exquisite image in the crimson rays of the early morning sun. Your sweet and loving countenance drew me towards You. I could not keep myself away from Your attractive presence. Then, due to Your infinite kindness, I realized Your glory in the intense, baking heat of the midday sun. I came to understand the unparalleled greatness and sheer power of Your supreme self. I witnessed and experienced Your tender sweetness in the soothing evening sun. It is Your causeless kindness.
Baba, O’ Lord, You allowed me to feel Your gentle touch in all kinds of beautiful ways: in the soft shefali flower of winter, in the colourful flowers of spring, in the pollen of the keya and niipa blossoms during the rainy season, as well as in the melodious, mind-captivating, enchanting tunes of the songbirds. Baba, this entire expressed cosmos is a reflection of Your charm and love. Wherever I go, and whatever I see, I only think of You. Baba, from the depths of my heart, I know that You and Your endless love are all there is in this universe…
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Essence of dharmacakra
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The indomitable mental force aroused as a result of collective Iishvara-Pranidhana will help you in solving any problem small or big on this earth. It is for this reason that you should always have a zeal to attend the weekly Dharmacakra regularly.” (1)
Dharmacakra means ‘family of dharma’
Note 1: In His Encyclopedia – “Laghu Nirukta” – on page 191 Baba explains that one of the meanings of ‘cakra’ is family, society, collection, or body. Thus the real meaning of dharmacakra is ‘family of dharma’. Similarly, brahmacakra means ‘family of Brahma’. We all know that the family of creation is the entire family of Brahma.
Note 2: Baba is the Propounder of Ananda Marga philosophy, and in that philosophy He has used various Sanskrit terms. To clarify the meaning of those terms Baba has given His own grammar books and encyclopedias etc. So those who want to learn AM philosophy indepthly should study Baba’s teachings on grammar also, otherwise many concepts will remain beyond one’s grasp.
Reference
1. A Guide To Human Conduct, last page
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How 100 sons
Ananda Marga ideology states, "The Kaoravas were also weeping, even Gandhari, for she had lost her beloved hundred sons in the war." (1)
In the Mahabharata epic, there is wide mention of Lady Gandhari's 100 sons. Here is the explanation behind this.
This was the era when kings used to keep many female servants for house chores. In many cases, the king used to sleep with those servants and concubines as well. That led to a plethora of offspring. As Gandhari was a broad-minded and generous lady, she adopted and embraced all those children born in the palace as her own. And all those kids would address her as mother since Gandhari was the queen mother of the palace. And that is the explanation of how Gandharii had 100 sons. No doubt, she had innumerable daughters as well, but they were not counted those days. In this ultra-modern era with the rise of science, one could also have hundreds of children by donating...
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 9, Man Is Only an Actor in the Great Drama
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Actually Shiva was never digambara. He was indifferent to His dress, but He never did anything indecent. In the dhyána mantra of Shiva, there is no reference to Shiva as digambara, as one whose body is smeared with ashes, as one who is addicted to opium or hashish. These were the latter-day fantasies of some irresponsible people. Thus in the “Shivagiiti” [“Song of Shiva”], Shiva has been described as vyághrámbara Hara.” (1)
Note: Unfortunately those in charge of our AM publications followed this myth when they made the cover of the book, Namah Shiva Shantaya. On the cover of that book they depicted Lord Shiva’s body as being smeared with ashes. So our Tiljala publishers gave credence to this dogma. Sadly, our publishers are those “irresponsible people” involved in creating “latter-day fantasies” about Lord Shiva.
Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva in the Song of Shiva
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
तुमको ढूँढने में, मैंने पहाड़ घाटियाॅं, पर्वत और गुफाऐं सब एक कर दीं।
प्रभात सङ्गीत 1041 अनेक सुनिया अनेक भाविया तोमाकेइ भालो वासेछि...
(जो साधना का 6th पाठ नहीं करता, वह यह प्रभात सङ्गीत नहीं समझ सकता )
भावार्थ
हे परम पुरुष बाबा ! तुम्हारी कहानियों का कोई पार नहीं हैं। मैंने भक्तों के मुख से तुम्हारी, हृदय को छू लेनेवाली कहानियाॅं सुनी हैं। वे बतलाते हैं कि किस प्रकार तुम अपने अपार प्रेम और कृपा की वर्षा करते हो। ज्योंही मैंने यह सब सुना मैं बार बार तुम्हारी महानता का चिन्तन करने लगा। इस प्रकार मैं ने अनुभव किया कि तुम तो मेरे हृदय , मन और पूरे अस्तित्व के साथ गहराई से जुड़े हो। बाबा ! मैं तुम से प्रेम करने लगा हॅूं। अब मैं तुम्हारे बिना नहीं रह सकता। तुम मेरे सबसे अधिक पास में हो। तुमको ढूँढने में, मैंने नगर गाॅंव, नदी सागर, पहाड़ घाटियाॅं, पर्वत और गुफाऐं सब एक कर दीं। मैंने पाताल, धरती और आकाश सब जगह तुम को तलाशा। लेकिन बाद में तुम्हारी कृपा से मैं जान पाया कि तुम तो वह अमूल्य हीरा हो जो मेरे हृदय में ही पाए जाते हो।
हे परमपुरुष ! मैं इसका कोई कारण नहीं बता सकता कि मैं तुम को क्यों प्रेम करने लगा हॅूं। केवल यही कह सकता हॅूं कि यह सब तुम्हारी कृपा ही है। प्रेम कोई तर्क और कारण नहीं जानता। मैं तो यही कह सकता हॅूं कि तुमने कृपा पूर्वक मुझे अपनी ओर खींचा और मैं तुमको प्रेम करने लगा, बस। हे मेरे परमप्रिय ! मैं मुक्ति मोक्ष पाने के लिए तुमसे प्रेम नहीं करता। बाबा ! मैं कोई बहुत बड़ा साधक नहीं हॅूं,फिर भी तुमने मुझे बड़े प्यार से अपने पास बुला लिया। हे परमपुरुष ! तुम्हें प्रेम करने पर मुझे आनन्द मिलता है। यह रागानुगा भक्ति है। बाबा ! इस सत्य को मैं जान गया हॅूं कि आनन्द प्राप्त करना जीवन का लक्ष्य है। वह आनन्द तुमको प्रेम करने पर ही प्राप्त हो सकता है।
हे परमपुरुष बाबा ! मेरे पास पराभक्ति जैसी सब से ऊँची भक्ति नहीं है। लेकिन अपनी ताकत के अनुसार तुम्हारा काम करता जाऊँगा। तुम्हारी कृपा से मैं अपनी ताकत को तुम्हारी सेवा करते हुए तुम्हें प्रसन्न करने के लिए लगाऊँगा। तुम्हारी कृपा से मैं पराभक्ति, रागात्मिका भक्ति का सार तत्व समझ गया हॅूं। मैं यह समझ गया हॅूं कि तुमको आनन्द देने के लिए ही मुझे प्यार करना चाहिए न कि मुझे स्वयं आनन्द पाने के लिये।
बाबा ! हे मेरे परमप्रिय ! मुझ पर कृपा बनाए रखें।
References
1. Sadguru Baba says (in GD, Delhi, 26 Feb 1984) that when writing a Prabhat Samgiita purport then very simple words should be used so that the common mass may understand. The above Hindu purport has been written according to that guideline.
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Immediately upon waking
Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, “Everyone may perform the practices below if they wish.”
“Utksepa Mudra: This Mudra should be practised in bed immediately upon waking. While lying on the back, one should flex both the arms and legs, bringing them over the chest, and then return them immediately to the extended position. After doing this three or four times, sit up in bed and drink a glass of cold water without allowing the water to touch the teeth. After this you should expose the navel area to the air, and walk up and down in this way for some time in the open air.” (1)
Reference
1. Caryacarya - 3, ‘Different Yoga Practices’, Point #1
== Section 4: Links ==
Postings to ReadNames of Parama Purusa
Story: day after PC
Blessings at dharma samiikśa
Sadhaka life vs material pursuit
Puja: closed eyes or open
