Baba
Mango parable & meaning
Namaskar,
Numerous teachers have used stories to communicate important ideas to the common citizens. Our human society is comprised of so many people, each with their own interests, talents, and abilities. Hence, when an instructor or rśi wants to convey a teaching to the entire public, they will often give the teaching in the form of a story. Because regardless of one's psychic inclination, everybody enjoys a story. All will listen and learn. Baba, being the Taraka Brahma and Supreme Guru, has told many stories. Embedded in those stories are the gems and jewels of Ananda Marga ideology. Hence, not only should we enjoy Baba's wonderful tales, but we should understand them deeply and apply them in our practical lives.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Eating mangoes means doing sadhana
When Baba says that dry intellectuals enter the mango grove and start counting the trees and analyzing the leaves, but miss out on the fruit, Baba is guiding us that dry intellectuals come into this world and study so many things, from lokas to microvita, from kosas to cakras, but they miss out on the real essence of life, i.e. engaging in real sadhana and getting Parama Purusa and His bliss.
Such intellectuals do not take care in practicing all the lessons, following 16 Points, adhering to conduct rules, doing asanas and making their body and mind perfect media for performing sadhana, and practically engaging in spiritual pursuits. Dry intellectuals do not follow these dharmic codes, just they pass their days acquiring bookish knowledge. Thus they do not get Parama Purusa so they do not get to enjoy His bliss.
Only at the end of their life do they realise their folly, but by then it is too late. Their body is old, their ego is big, their glandular system is weak, and their mind is fickle: At that point their mind is so degraded that they are not able to practice dharma sadhana. Only then does the dry intellectual understand that their life has passed in vain.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
In the famous mango grove story (appended below), “eating mangoes” means engaging deeply in spiritual practices and endeavours because only then can an aspirant get Him and bask in His bliss. “Counting the leaves” means only seeking out intellectual knowledge about spiritual life, samadhi, and philosophy. That is what is meant by counting the leaves and measuring the mangoes; it is all just theoretical. That is what dry intellectuals spend their days doing.
Whereas bhaktas engage wholeheartedly in the practical side of eating the mangoes, i.e. gaining true spiritual attainment, by His grace.
Jinaniis waste their life - bhaktas get bliss of Parama Purusa
Thus there is a world of difference between the empty, theoretical approach of the dry intellectuals and the blissful, practical approach of the bhaktas. The dry intellectual is just wasting his life in accumulating mounds of theoretical knowledge up until their death. In that case, evening falls - their life is nearly over and they are on the brink of death - and all they have done is measure mangoes; they never got to taste any of their sweetness. They could never realise or feel Parama Purusa in their life. In contrast, the bhakta is immersed in doing sadhana, cultivating a deeply personal relationship with Parama Purusa, following conduct rules, and feeling His grace. Bookworms waste their life: They don’t practice what they learn. So how can they use their knowledge to help others - they cannot. Whereas bhaktas do sadhana and reach unto Him - and their life becomes successful.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
The bhakta enters the mango grove and eats the mango and does not get sidetracked by anything else. The sense is: When a bhakta is born on this earth he aims for and attains Parama Purusa, and he does not waste his time in useless pursuits like name, fame, or the egoistic over-accumulation of knowledge in order to impress others etc. Rather that bhakta achieves spiritual attainment, by His grace.
In Him,
Ritambhara’
~ In-depth study ~
One of the famous stories which Baba has graciously given in numerous discourses is the story of the dry intellectual and bhakta visiting a mango grove. Everyone in Ananda Marga is aware about this story as it holds great significance.
Here is a summary of that story. One day, both a dry intellectual and a bhakta go to a mango grove. Immediately the jinani (dry intellectual) becomes highly involved in counting the trees, measuring the length of the branches, checking out the leaves, and classifying the mangoes according to their genus type such as Mangitera Zeylanica, Valcarrie, Bombay Ratual, Aroemanis, and Nam Doc Mai etc. The dry intellectual is fully immersed in researching and forming calculations about those mangoes. The bhakta, upon entering the mango grove, goes up to the first tree, grabs a ripe mango, sits down, and enjoys the sweet taste of that delicious mango. At the end of the day, the jinani (dry intellectual) is very hungry because he was busy studying the mangoes, not eating them, while the bhakta is feeling fulfilled and 100% satisfied. This is the essence of the mango grove story which Baba has given on various occasions.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
However, just because it sounds like a simple story, one should not therefore conclude that the inner meaning is also very evident. There is a deeper significance that a few may not be getting. In which case, they will lose the opportunity to apply it to their own life in a practical and tangible way.
Essentially, Baba has told this story because He wants to convey its significance to everyone. The most basic idea of the story is that human life is very short - evening is going to fall, i.e. the twilight of their life will be upon them - so one should utilize this small window of time in doing sadhana and attaining Parama Purusa. One must not waste all their time in useless hypothesizing and intellectual extravaganza about God. Beyond that, there is more to know, and that is why this story is a real treasure.
Unfortunately he contracted dysentery
This is the story of one Dada who once took Baba's divine teaching in a very literal manner. He really thought that by eating mangoes he would become a first-class bhakta - as if eating mangoes was the hallmark of being a bhakta. In result, he ingested a huge number of mangoes in one sitting and unfortunately he contracted dysentery. Dadaji fully recounted this incident in his book.
Eating mangoes will not magically transform one into a bhakta. Certainly, all on the path of Ananda Marga want to be top-grade bhaktas, but going to the grove and eating piles of mangoes or going to the supermarket and purchasing boxes of mangoes will not yield the desired result. Dadaji misunderstood the story and ate a huge number of mangoes in hopes of becoming a first-class bhakta, and, in result, suffered from dysentery. So all should understand that Baba's story is not to be taken literally.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Baba’s mango grove story
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "A jiṋánii and a bhakta both reach a mango grove. The jiṋánii will count the number of trees, but the bhakta will pluck a ripe mango and eat it. The former will hold lengthy discussions on [whey], but the latter will eat up the cream. The jiṋániis will repent, but the bhaktas will get real bliss. Bhaktas always act wisely. The jiṋániis tax their brains with different problems of logic of the scriptures, whereas the devotees eat butter churned from the scriptures." (1)
Difference between bhakta & devotee
In practical usage and meaning, there is a grand difference between the Sanskrit word bhakta and the English term devotee.
In English, devotion means being committed to a certain idea or person. For instance, a person is devoted to their spouse, or devoted to their country etc, but in Ananda Marga being committed to one's country or career is not called bhakti. But commitment to the mundane is termed as devotion in English. Some more examples include: devotion to one's business, devotion to one's children, devotion to one's land or hobby or sport etc. In all these ways devotion is used in English. But the term bhakti only means love for Parama Purusa, i.e. love for God.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Thus to make matters clear, it is better to use the terms bhakti and bhakta. Only due to a distinct lack of a proper term in English do I sometimes use the words devotion and devotee. Finally, a bhakta is a devotee of God, not just a devotee.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 1, “Máyámetáḿ Taranti Te” - 2 / The Nectar Beyond Máyá”
* * *
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 ==
"A'ndha'r sa'gar pa're esecho, esecho ru'per sama'rohe..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0810)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, You have come here after traversing the ocean of Cimmerian darkness in the festival of form and colour, smiling with the glittering of refulgence and beaming with the flow of intuition. It is Your grace.
The Parama Purusa, the Supreme Entity which was previously beyond the reach of ordinary people, has now come within the reach of all. You have come in the form of Mahasambhuti, floating in the waves of tune and melody to inundate everyone's mind with bliss. It is Your krpa’. Now everyone's heart is bursting with euphoria. It is Your karun’a’.
Baba, You have taken advent on this earth to fill everyone's heart with divine love. Please come to me in Your most blissful form with compassion and affection, softly, very softly, arrive atmy kutiir (hut) with crest and trough.
Baba, You have done everything for me...
Notes for Prabhat Samgiita #0810:
[1] This line of Prabhat Samgiita symbolizes how before the creation started Parama Purusa was alone and He was just existing as divine effulgence. And all around Him was blackness - no form, no shape, no colour. Everything was dark because darkness has no colour etc. And such a state of blackness is the Cimmerian darkness. But now when He has created this expressed universe it means Parama Purusa has Himself manifested or He has appeared in different colours and shapes, in the forms of various created beings: flora, fauna, animals, plants, human beings etc. That is why it is said that after crossing the Cimmerian darkness You have come in the festival of form and colour. (1)
[2] Parama Purusa took the form as Taraka Brahma. Now bhaktas can have His closeness.
Reference
1. Please refer to the shloka, Na' sadiiya sukta, from the chapter on the Vedas, from Subhasita Samgraha-16, Agra DMC 1984.
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “It can be said that ordinary people, like teachers, face many types of problems in their lives; in fact teachers’ problems are only a reflection of larger social problems. It is quite true that in the modern material world strenuous efforts to conquer the limitations of time, place and person are apparent everywhere. It is as if human beings are being forcibly dragged forward by the hair of their heads. Speed is the main consideration; whether any good is accomplished or not is a secondary factor. Thus different social trends are unable to maintain a harmonious pace in their forward movement. Some trends are far advanced in their development while others lag behind. This causes some parts of the social structure which were close together to move apart, and other parts which were once apart to come together, leading to the collapse of the entire structure. The thatched hut is still the same, but electrical wiring has been strung through it. The only food available is salt and boiled rice, but the ordinary old clay stove has been replaced by an electric “heater” [hotplate]. Such incongruities are now common in society.” (1)
Note: In the above teaching Baba is describing how incongruities have become prevalent in society. Here are a few more examples for us to ponder:
(a) In some so-called "3rd world" countries people have smartphones yet they are still living under a tree and do not have running water in their home. Not only that, their own children are deprived of the basic necessities – wandering around naked, collecting wood or recyclable materials etc when they should be properly fed and in school.
(b) In so-called 1st world countries, there are some kids who have access to huge material wealth yet lack parental love. Without that special bond and emotional support, such children become islands of desperation. They feel alienated from their family and society and suffer terribly.
(c) In other places within so-called “1st world nations”, kids go to school where they see fancy computers throughout the classrooms etc, yet when they return home they have no food to eat and must get their food from homeless shelters or soup kitchens.
These types of incongruities must be addressed. At present, such disparities are prevalent both in individual life and collective life in various parts of the globe. This situation must be put to a halt, and prama (balance) must be restored.
Reference
1. Human Society – 1, Education
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Shared ancestry
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Ananda Margiis have no caste or gotra. I have said before also that the division of humanity into Káshyapagotra, Bharadvájagotra, etc., is nonsensical. This is just to mislead people. If we look back in [anthropology] we will see that the forefathers of the present-day humans were apes or ape-men. So if people are very particular about their gotras, I will say to their faces, “Boys and girls! You belong to the ape gotra.”"
"We have all descended from our common ancestors, the apes. The same is true in relation to the castes. [One might try to argue that] the forefathers of the Bráhmańas were the ape-Bráhmańas and the forefathers of the Kśatriyas were the ape-Kśatriyas; but that just isn’t so. As apes do not have any particular caste, the present-day caste differences are all hypocrisy and maliciousness. You should remove even the least vestige of these nonsensical notions. You must not give credence to such things." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, Bhaerava and Bhaeravii
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga ideology states, "When people take allopathic medicine to cure a disease, the medicine disturbs the ecological balance of the body because more negative microvita get concentrated at the point of the disease. Allopathic medicines do not kill diseases – diseases die by their own natural death. Although the medicine may check the disease, the increased concentration of negative microvita can overcome the effect of the medicine. In fact, the increased concentration of negative microvita caused by allopathic medicines creates many new types of diseases, and due to this, two or three new diseases are presently being created every decade." (1)
Reference
1. Microvita, Some Guidelines for Commencing Microvita Research – Excerpt D
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Spirituality requisite for Prout
Ananda Marga ideology says, “All the urges and longings should be channelised and directed towards the Supreme. If this is done indomitable psychic force and invincible spiritual energy will grow from within. This will enable people to solve all the world’s problems–economic, social, cultural, big and small. Unless one develops oneself in this way, as an ideal human being, one will not be able to solve any problem, no matter how madly one beats one’s chest or how loudly one shouts slogans.” (1)
Note: In the above quote Baba guides us that spirituality is an indispensable quality for solving the world’s social problems and becoming a Prout leader. That means only with the great force of true spirituality and by serving others can one be an ideal Proutist and lead the society along the golden road of welfare.
However some start thinking that non-spiritually oriented activists can be ideal Proutists. They think that any atheistic so-called social leader who shouts their battle cry for public welfare has all the requisite qualifications to be a Prout leader.
But Baba gives the reply to those harboring such an imbalanced idea by guiding us that, devoid of spirituality, a service mentality cannot be cultivated in the mind.
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 10, Ideation on Brahma
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Schooling or indoctrination
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The system of education prevailing today was formulated or evolved long ago, mainly with a view to suit the needs of the capitalist class. For the last three to four thousand years, the same type of education is being imparted. The main purpose behind this sort of educational system is to create persons with a slavish mentality to fulfill need of those capitalist exploiters. This sort of education is fundamentally defective. It is certain that this type of education which serves the capitalists' interests is not at all suitable. This sort of education creates obstacles in the evolution of humanity. We have to thoroughly revamp the entire educational system. A new educational system must evolve to produce sadvipras." (1)
Note: Those who are bragging about the standard of their education should know what type and what category of knowledge they have. In this regard, we should ponder Sadguru Baba's above guideline.
Reference
1. 11/29/70, General Darshan, transcribed from cassette
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
बाबा! उस घने डरावने अँधेरे में तुम मेरे साथ हमेशा रहे और मेरा साथ कभी नहीं छोड़ा।
प्रभात संगीत 3261 प्रियो आमार प्रियतम तुमि मोर....
भावार्थ
हे परमपुरुष ! तुम मुझे, मेरे प्रिय लोगों से भी अधिक प्रिय हो। तूफानों और तेज अन्धड़ों के समय उस घने डरावने अँधेरे में तुम मेरे साथ हमेशा रहे और मेरा साथ कभी नहीं छोड़ा। हे मेरे परम प्रिय! तुम चितचोर हो, तुमने मेरा मन चुरा लिया है।
हे 'अलख निरञ्जन ' ! तुम दाग रहित विलकुल शुद्ध हो। तुम सभी कठिनाइयों को दूर करने वाले 'बाधा-विनाशक' हो। तुम हर व्यक्ति के हृदय की धड़कन और ज्ञान के साधन हो , श्रोत हो। हे मेरे प्रभु ! तुम्हारी महानता और सुन्दरता से मेरा हृदय हमेशा ही भरा रहता है।
हे परम पुरुष ! तुम सभी प्रकार की निडरता और बहादुरी के भण्डार हो। जो कोई तुम्हें पा लेते हैं वे फिर किसी से नहीं डरते। तुम्हारी कृपा से जो भी तुम्हारे अपार प्रेम से बँध गये हैं वे अपने आप अनेक समस्याओं से छुटकारा पा लेते हैं।
हे बाबा ! हे परमपुरुष ! तुम मेरे लिए सबसे अधिक प्रिय हो। कृपा कर, मेरे ऊपर अपनी करुणा की वर्षा करो।
टिप्पणी
अलखनिरंजन का अर्थ है जो दिखाई नहीं देता और जिसमें कोई दाग या धब्बा नहीं है। अलख अर्थात् अद्रश्य । निर अर्थात् नहीं। अंजन अर्थात् काला दाग या कालिमा। परम पुरुष के अनन्त गुणों में एक यह भी है कि वह अद्रश्य और दाग रहित हैं। इसी लिये उन्हें अलखनिरंजन कहा गया है। इस संसार में सामान्य जीव अपने अपने संस्कारों से बंधे होते हैं अतः उनके मन पर इनकी कालिमा की छाप रहती है परंतु परमपुरुष के कोई संस्कार नहीं होते, वह तो परम शुद्ध और दाग धब्बे से रहित होते हैं, वे इंद्रियों और संस्कारों की पहुंच से परे होते हैं।
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Yoga & ten organs
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “In most animals, and particularly in human beings, there are various kinds of nerve cells and nerve fibres. In common parlance the word nád́ii [channels] is used to mean these nerves, but they are not the same. The nerves are of two kinds: sensory nerves and motor nerves. The sensory nerves transmit the inferences through the gateway of organs to the nerve cells. The organs through which the inferences are received are called sensory organs. The motor nerves transmit the messages of the nerve cells to the [motor] organs which then express them. In that case the gateways of organs are called motor organs. In the bodies of many animals, and particularly in the bodies of human beings, there are five sensory organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Their function is extro-internal, to bring something within. So, another name for these is antahkarańa. The motor organs are five fold: mouth, hands, legs, genitals and anus. Their function is intro-external. So they are called bahihkarańa. Five means of internalization, five means of externalization and the mind constitute eleven organs.” (1)
Reference:
1. Shabda Cayanika-4, Kámbal to Kárańa (Discourse 22)
== Section 4: Links ==
Postings to Read
Consoling grieving family
Diagnosing mental health
Which songs to play at paincajanya
What to ask for
Saluting Divine Entity
