Baba
What to ask for
Namaskar,
This below story told by Sadguru Baba demonstrates how when people have the opportunity to ask for something then some ask for something lasting and spiritual in nature, and some ask for something mundane and temporary. Some ask for shreya [supreme benevolence], and some ask for preya [mundane pleasure]. It all depends upon one’s mental colour - i.e. their quality of mind.
We have all seen similar scenes in the presence of Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. On those rare occasions when He becomes Kalpataru, He would graciously ask, "What do you want?"
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In reply, margiis and workers mentally responded in all kinds of ways, according to their own psychic standard. Sometimes sadhakas responded to Baba's query by mentally asking for something, and other times sadhakas spoke their desire out loud. The common thread among all was that their desire was granted.
What some sadhakas ask for?
We have seen that some sadhakas ask for not only temporary things from Parama Purusa but harmful things as well.
For example, one person once asked Baba for a particular spouse. What they wished for they got, and soon they were married. Within a very short time that marital relation became very sour. The husband and wife even became violent and inimical towards one another. They attacked each other and the police were called to get involved. Both husband and wife were arrested and put in jail. The marriage became that bad. All along the parents tried to save the marriage but they could not get success. And ultimately that marriage ended in an ugly and bitter divorce. The irony of it all is that this is the marriage they had requested from Parama Purusa.
Here is another key point to keep in mind. One time Baba left to go on a fieldwalk and two margiis were sitting in the car with Him. One of the margiis started thinking how Baba should help in the marriage of his daughter. Baba immediately scolded and rebuked him and said, "You spoiled the whole vibration. Why are you thinking like that."
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Focus on spiritual link not mundane gains
Here the lesson is that Guru does not want His disciples to ask for mundane things from Parama Purusa. Because Baba is taking care of everything so without the margiis' awareness, Baba resolves each and every issue. So sadhakas should not waste their time in mundane matters but rather think of their inherent love for Parama Purusa. One should think of their spiritual ideal and not of worldly, transient things that are here today and gone tomorrow.
To continue the story, when the margii returned back to his home area then in a few weeks time his daughter's marriage was perfectly resolved and since then he never made such mistakes.
Of utmost importance is that people do not know what is going to happen to them even after one second. In that case how can they truly know what they need and or what they should request. Whereas Parama Purusa Baba knows everything, so best is to rely solely on Him, and He will surely provide all that is needed.
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Conclusion
The central idea is that people do not know what to ask for so best is not to ask for anything at all. One should only ask for parabhakti ("intense love for Parama Purusa").
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "Suppose Parama Puruśa appears before you and says, “O my boy, do you want something from Me?” then what should be your reply? Your reply will be, “What I require and what I do not require is best known to You. You know better than I do. So You do according to my requirements. I won’t say anything.” But if even then He says, “O my boy, say something, try to get something. Ask something, say something. I want that you yourself say, ‘O Parama Puruśa, I want this thing or that thing’” – in that case you should say, “O Parama Puruśa, give me parábhakti.”" (2)
In Him,
Mahadeva
Many margiis have seen this, and we know that most requests were like that of Kátyáyanii, a character from the below story. Some rare persons made a request like Maetreyii; and, they were fortunate. Still today this is happening: Baba satisfies everyone's request - regardless of what one asks like Ka'tya'yanii or Maetreyii.
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Baba story of Ka'tya'yanii & Maetreyii
Read the following story told by Baba while delivering His discourse on 27 December 1978:
"One day, Yájiṋávalkya fell seriously ill. His two wives, Maetreyii and Kátyáyanii, attended on him with due care and affection. It is a fact that some men are ordinary and some are extraordinary. Similarly, some women are ordinary and others are extraordinary. After recovering from his illness, Yájiṋávalkya said to Kátyáyanii, “I would like to give you a present. What would you like?”"
"His wife replied, “Let me see. I’d like some new clothes, some new jewellery, in fact, so many things.” And she made a long list of all the things she wanted."
"Yájiṋávalkya bought everything she asked for and then asked Maetreyii, “What would you like? Clothes, jewellery, or any other valuable thing?”"
"Maetreyii remained silent."
"Yájiṋávalkya continued, “Just a little while ago, Katyáyánii said she would like some new clothes, jewellery, and so many other things. What would you like?”"
"Maetreyii replied, Yenáhaḿ námrtasyáḿ tenáhaḿ kim kuryám."
“...Establish me in immortality”
"“What will I do with things which will not remain with me permanently? Of what use are the objects which will not establish me in immortality? The expensive clothes I wear today will be torn in a few days. The jewellery I wear today will no longer be fashionable tomorrow as the designs change from age to age. A certain design was fashionable in my grandmother’s day, another one in my mother’s day and yet another in the present day. No design is permanent forever. It’s nice of you to offer me such things, but none of them will remain with me. I will have to leave them all behind when I depart from this world; so what use are they, and why should you tempt me with them?”"
"Yájiṋávalkya then asked, “Please tell me what you would really like.”"
"“If you can,” she replied, “please give me that thing which will remain with me permanently, which I’ll be able to preserve forever, which will establish me in immortality. I don’t want anything else.”"
"Then Yájiṋávalkya gave her a number of instructions, upon which a major part of Rájá Yoga is based." (1)
After reading the above story, it is quite clear that we should follow Maetreyii's example, not Ka'tya'yanii's.
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~ In-depth study ~
Para'bhakti not apara'bhakti
Here Baba gives a very pointed definition and example of the highest form of devotion known as parabhakti; plus He also shows us what not to ask for.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "If they are told to ask for anything, they will ask only for parábhakti and nothing else. One who asks for parábhakti gets everything. I deliberately used the word parábhakti because there is another type of devotion called aparábhakti. When people beseech the Lord to fulfill all their selfish desires, this is called aparábhakti. “Oh Lord, I am your devotee, help me to pass my examination… Oh Lord, my daughter has attained marriageable age – help me to find a worthy suitor… Let the bridegroom be ideal, let me not spend much on the wedding…” This type of showy devotion that simply asks for mundane objects, is no devotion at all, because it demands everything except Parama Puruśa. Such devotees never say, “Oh Lord, be mine… I want You and only You.” They always say, “I want this, I want that.” In fact this is no devotion at all. When one asks only for Parama Puruśa, this is the true devotion, parábhakti." (3)
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, 27 Dec ‘78
2. Subhasita Samgraha - 24, Bhakti, Mukti and Parama Puruśa
3. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life, 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: Prabhat Samgiita ==
"Nútan diner nútan súrya,púrva ákáshe ut́heche áj..." (Prabhat Samgiita #1308)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, by Your grace, today the resplendent new sun of the glorious crimson dawn is rising up in the eastern horizon. The whole world is getting bathed in Your refulgence. Due to fear and shyness, the Cimmerian darkness of the nil (new) moon has disappeared and is hiding somewhere.
O' human being, throw away those old tattered ideas, staticity, and dogmas of the past like casteism, racism, nationalism, and materialism etc and embrace the illumination of the spectacular sunrise. The Supreme Entity with His exquisite brilliance has come to your doorstep - with grand form and colour, showering love on you.
O' human being, the creatures of blackness have vanished and gotten destroyed due to your well-organised movement and strong push. The Parama Purusa, who is the nucleus of this universe, is the greatest Entity of this vast cosmos. Ideate on Him, and go on doing His work, serving and pleasing Him…
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Sulocana” means the man who only sees the bright side of everything, only the positive qualities, only the good side, and not the bad side. Such a person never supports any sort of destructive criticism, rather always constructive criticism. The person who always sees the good side of everything, is “Sulocana” in [the] masculine; in [the] feminine it will be “Sulocaná”. One "a" is to be suffixed to the word.” (1)
In His above guideline, Baba equates “seeing the bright side” with constructive criticism. That means if anyone points out the problem in order to make the situation better, then they are “seeing the bright side.”
For instance, suppose sadhaka X contravenes the code of conduct and indulges in negative things. If sadhaka B points out the problem with the aim of raising the standard of sadhaka X, then sadhaka B is “seeing the bright side”.
All too often some are confused about this. One should know that when pointing out is done in a constructive manner then it is a positive approach. Then they are “seeing the bright side.”
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 12, One Should Know Everything
== Section : Important Teaching ==
Note: In His teaching of General Darshan, 25 July 1970 Purnia, Baba is guiding us that people learn in three ways: (a) with their eyes by reading, (b) with their ears by listening, and (c) via gestures in sign language. In ancient India the number of literate people were less as they did not know how to read and write but the number of scholars and educated people was very high as they learned and acquired knowledge by listening to dharmic stories etc. That is how they were educated. But in the present era people are very literate in that they are able to read and write, but they are less educated as they do not assimilate that knowledge. The central idea is that there are three ways to learn and we should utilize all three methods to create an educated society. Whatever dharmic guidelines we learn, we should follow and incorporate into our day to day life.
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga philosophy states, [The nature of a good person is]: “Alas, what suffering an animal has to bear at the hands of cruel humans! But the animal is absolutely innocent. It is not a born enemy of the human being that if a person does not kill it, it will kill the person, just as a tiger or an insect does. I shall continuously make efforts to see that human beings refrain from such cruel acts of violence.” If one sees someone doing noble work, as a result of which the progress of the world is accelerated and the path of human welfare is widened, then one should think: “The noble work of this person will remain written in letters of gold in human history. I shall give my full support to this person in their noble endeavours...I shall help them in every possible way.”
"If one sees a person engaged in deleterious activity, then one should think: “On account of the pernicious activities of this person, people are going to the dogs, this person is striking at the root of long-cherished austerities, forbearance, benevolence, and so on. I shall never support such misdeeds.”" (1)
In His above teaching, Baba guides us that one must not remain silent and watch the wrongful and harmful treatment of animals. A good person will come forward and oppose acts of violence against those innocent creatures. Nowadays in the state of Maharashtra (India), there is a ban on the slaughtering of cows and the sale of beef. Certain people have rallied around and recently passed legislation to ensure innocent cows are not subjected to the travesty of the slaughterhouse. Instead, their lives are being protected.
While this is certainly a positive development, the same protection and care has not been extended to other animals such as sheep, chickens, and goats etc which are commercially raised, butchered, and sold at the marketplace in Maharashtra. So those activists are prone to partiality. They protested and fought to protect cows, but not these other innocent creatures. If they were true neo-humanists they would not have differentiated between cows and other animals. They would have protected them all. So while there is one positive point, but, on the other hand, there are many negative ones. After all, saving creatures is certainly a kind of positive development in right direction.
All in all, this is very similar to a scene which occurs in Bengal. Some naive bystanders may think that Bengali idol worshipers have great appreciation for the art and sculptures which those artists and sculptors created. Because those worshipers show tremendous reverence for those sculpted idols. But that is not the case. Those idol worshipers do not care about the aesthetic beauty of those sculptures. The proof is that when their rituals are completed those worshipers throw those sculptures into the water.
In the same way, we should not naively think that those activists in Maharashtra are pouring their heart out for all animals. Rather they have their own personal, narrow agenda related with cows. All other animals may be skewered and slaughtered. So their protests are grounded in dogma, not neo-humanism.
In Him,
Buddhi Priya’
Note: These following states of India have also banned the slaughtering of cows: Haryana, New Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand.
Reference:
1. Shabda Cayaniká Part 4, Disc: 27
== Section: Important Topic ==
Which language to embrace
Prout philosophy guides us, “In the past undeveloped persons used to express their thoughts through gestures and postures. A time will come when there will be no language. With the advancement of science human beings may again adopt new types of postures and gestures, and they may think of using the energy saved by minimizing the use of spoken language for higher pursuits.”
“Intelligent people will evolve a common world language and will not be guided by false, narrow sentiments. Like all other mundane property, languages are the common property of the Cosmic Father. We should love all these languages, hate none, and adopt one of these languages as the world language. As all languages are our common property, we should not oppose the existence of other languages. We should not brand any language as foreign or national.”
Prout philosophy says, “In the present system the English language deserves to be the world language because it is scientific and widely spoken. It would be a great folly for any government to deny this fact. With the change of time future generations may select any other language as the world language. Thus we should adopt a common lingua franca for the mutual exchange of ideas. For this purpose English may be accepted as the world lingua franca for some time more. We should however feel that all the languages of the world are our own languages. No language should be treated as indigenous, foreign or national, and nobody should treat the world language as a foreign language and discourage its propagation.” (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, What is the best language according to Prout
== Section 4: Links ==
Postings to Read
How Europe may become majority Muslim
Evolution of bhakti
Source of our suffering
Sadhana timing & sandhayas
Story: "How long will you keep your head down?"
Medical care: different pathys
