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Monday, May 6, 2024

Myth about working & dying + 3 more

Baba
Myth about working & dying

Namaskar,

In various discourses Baba guides us, "Die while working, and work even while dying." This guideline contains two key teachings - both of which are firmly rooted in bhakti.

Without sadhana one can’t do real karma

While some certainly understand Baba's guideline, a few remain confused. Some think that in order to follow the tenet - "Die while working, and work even while dying" - they should do relief work or their designated social service project incessantly. They work 24 / 7 for their project, even skipping their food and sadhana etc. Naturally one will die prematurely due to this approach. Unfortunately, they think they are following the guideline: "Die while working, and work even while dying."
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Tragically, this has happened with many Wts and even some margiis. But if one studies our Ananda Marga philosophy, it is very evident what Baba means by His teaching: "Die while working, and work even while dying." Baba does not want us to destroy our human frame by drowning ourselves in work, disregarding our daily routine of 16 Points.

Others wrongly conclude that if one was busy doing work when they died then it automatically means they were following this tenet. However, if a non-margii employee dies in an industrial accident on the job-site, that does not mean that they were adhering to this tenet. That person was working to pay their bills, and for their own self-satisfaction. In that case, one is just involved in their own I-feeling and not thinking of Parama Purusa.

Whereas true karma yoga means doing with the feeling that Parama Purusa is the real Doer and, “I am just a tool in His hands to serve His creation.” This type of selfless endeavour imbibed with Cosmic ideation is real karma yoga. Without sadhana, one can never cultivate such an outlook. Thus merely dying on a job-site does not qualify oneself in following this tenet. And this applies to every Ananda Margii as well.

So this teaching is often misunderstood whereby the outcome is very tragic. To avoid such miseries and demise, this matter should be crystal-clear in the mind. Failing that, some degenerate due to their misunderstanding while others meet their demise far too soon.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/


Pitfalls of dry karma yoga

Unfortunately, some misunderstand Baba's above mandate and this leads to their downfall. For instance:

(a) Some think that "work while dying" means skipping all one's dharmic practices - asanas, dances, fasting, food, and sadhana - and plunging oneself in social service activities until the body is destroyed. For example, a Dada running a children's home may just think about doing relief, relief, relief and die in that way. This misguided vision leads to so many problems including frustration, ill health, anxiety, and desperation. Some even leave the path of Ananda Marga because they have forgotten their real purpose in life.

(b) Others think that "work while dying" means that, “With my own strength I am serving poor people etc.” This leads to ego and arrogance as one has forgotten bhúmadrśt́i, or cosmic outlook. By this narrow perspective, they are just involved in promoting their own petty greatness and glory. Verily they are moving away from Parama Purusa; their mind is in a state of contraction as it wraps more tightly around their own unit I-feeling. Such is their degeneration. They have wholly forgotten they are serving with His strength and that one is serving Him in the form of this manifested world. This type of self-engrossed mindset is not the path of true karma yoga. Real karma yoga means being immersed in bhakti thinking, "I am doing anything and everything with the energy being provided by Parama Purusa."
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Unfortunately you may have seen some in our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha bragging: "I have done this or that, I am very great, I have built this jagrti and I have published this book etc." This type of expression is the work of a degenerated mind puffed up with vanity.

(c) Some hold the misnomer that all work and all actions are karma yoga. Following this tenet they remain busy all the 24hrs in all kinds of worldly, mundane engagements, and overlook their sadhana in the name of doing karma yoga. In that case their work engagement only leads to bondage. True karma yoga actually begins when one feels that, "He is the Doer, I am just fulfilling my role in His liila." For this idea to enter the mind, all kinds of spiritual practices are needed. Then one's service will lead to liberation.


"Work while dying" means

So we should always remember that Baba's formula for adhering to the path of karma yoga - i.e. "die while working" - entails two conditions. First one should think that, "Parama Purusa has blessed me by giving me strength to serve: It is His strength not mine." And secondly one must ideate that "I am serving Parama Purusa in the form of this manifested universe - I am serving Narayana." And all along one must be strict in sadhana and all dharmic practices.

These are the prerequisite factors for adhering to Baba's teaching, "Die while working", and following the path of true karma yoga. And by this way one will garner more and more bhakti, by His grace.

When Baba says, "Work while dying", then some misunderstand what this means. They wonder, “How is it possible to work when the body is sick, old, and decrepit. How can one do work when they are on their deathbed.” But the answer is that at this point one's chief work is sadhana. We should remember that sadhana is also work. In various discourses, Baba says that sadhana itself is karma yoga. When infirmed, one may not be able to render disaster relief work to the society, however a sadhaka will be able to ideate on Him and do sadhana. That is how to pay heed to the teaching, "Work while dying."
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/


Conclusion

Here again is Sadguru Baba's teaching: "Die while working and work while dying."

(#1) As Ananda Margiis, our preference is not to go and live in a retirement home and lie there listlessly etc. So long as we have energy then we will serve. And when we have lived our life to the fullest and have no energy left then we will remain in bed and do sadhana. That is the formula and how it works.

(#2) One day each and every person will complete their life and leave their body. And if you remember Parama Purusa then you will become one with Him. So one should go on doing sadhana. That is the main work. Hence, the formula of true karma yoga encompasses all kinds of spiritual practices.

(#3) Remember Baba's teaching is: "Die while working, and work even while dying." The first part of this teaching guides us to do social service and sadhana for as long as we can. And the latter half guides us that when we are on our deathbed we should complete our karma yoga by doing sadhana, and leave the body singing His name.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Namaskar,
In Him,
Paramit

~ In-depth study ~

Differentiate between true & fake sadhakas

The main work of one who is taking their last breaths on this earth is to do sadhana and ideate on Parama Purusa. That will be, "Work while dying." Because sadhana is the greatest service to Parama Purusa. Sadhana is the greatest karma. All are aware that lazy persons cannot do sadhana - because sadhana is the most difficult endeavour.

Unfortunately, some cannot manage their meditation practice, and in turn they hide their weakness by mocking, discouraging, and maligning sincere sadhakas. Externally they brag about their own greatness that, "I do sadhana all night long in the cemetery - every night." But such proclamations are just empty words.

In contrast, those who do sadhana understand in the core of their heart that they should never brag about themselves. They cannot praise themselves. Whereas fake sadhakas are always looking for an opportunity to heighten their own image.

Distinguishing the gold from the mud - i.e. the sincere sadhakas from the tall-talkers, is very simple. Sincere sadhakas never openly brag about the greatness of their sadhana or how they sat in the remote cemetery all night long - night after night. No true sadhaka can gloat in this manner. But hypocrites always brag about their sadhana to boost their own prestige. Yet intelligent bhaktas know that a true sadhaka cannot brag about themselves. So if someone is singing the praises of their greatness in sadhana, then you know that person is fake.


Human body in only for doing sadhana

Here below Baba gives the answer to those who suffer from the dogma that they should submerge themselves in work and neglect their dharmic duties like sadhana, health, and hygiene. Over the years, many Wts have prematurely ruined their bodies due to neglect. They suffered from the misunderstanding that they should work and grind themselves to death. However, Baba's teaching is entirely different. One should diligently maintain the body in order to live 100 years, all the while thinking of and serving Him. So there should not be any confusion about this. It is a defective approach to neglect one’s existence and prematurely leave this earth by 35 or 40 years of age. That is not the dharmic approach.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Ananda Marga ideology states,“Why do you want to live for a hundred years? To do more and more work. You want to live long because you hope to do more and more work in this life – being goaded by this desire, you wish to live a long life. So in the psychic sphere one must always remember that one has a mission in life, and just to materialize that life, for proper practication of that mission, one is to remain in this world; otherwise one must not remain here, one should retire from life as early as possible.
   “Once I said, “It is good to die working, but still better to work even while dying.” So one should always bear in mind, “I am alive in this world for the fulfilment of my mission. This is the reason I am eating, dressing, sleeping. Apart from this, I have no worth.” And if one ever lives a life without a mission, then in that case, no endeavour in the psychic sphere will bring success. If you do not want to work, if you do not want to serve the world, you will become a burden on the world. It would be better to leave the world than to live as a burden on it. Human life should be enriched with intense activity.” (1)

Without spiritual practice one is unable serve society

   Ananda Marga ideology states, “Above the mental sphere there is the spiritual sphere. In the spiritual world, it is not enough to think (as in the psychic sphere) only of one's mission, because the purpose of a mission is service in the external world. Whatever might be one's [specific] mission in the objective or expressed world, fundamentally one's mission is to promote the welfare of the world. But when the movement is internal, that is, when the movement is from mind to spirit, then a mission of no importance, because you are withdrawing your entire existence towards supreme fulfilment. You may be active in your mission to promote the welfare of the world – jagaddhitáya – but that is not enough.”
   “Why do you undertake a mission? Átmamokśarthaḿ jagaddhitáya ca [“For Self-realization and for the welfare of the universe”]. You certainly undertake it in order to promote the welfare of the world. Along with this you have to take up another mission, and that is to bring about your own spiritual salvation. If one does not try for one’s own salvation, if one does not do spiritual practice, one can never serve society. It will be totally impossible.” (2)

References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 24, Incantation and Human Progress
2. Subhasita Samgraha - 24, Incantation and Human Progress


== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==

Fear of being seen & held

"Toma'ke ka'che peyechi e ba'r..." (Prabhat Samgiita #1076)

Purport:

My Parama Purusa, by Your causeless grace, this time I have gotten close to You - now I have You as my most intimate One. My Supreme Entity, no matter how busy You are, and regardless of how absorbed You are in the work of carrying out Your duty as Taraka Brahma, even then I will never let You go. You will remain with me all the time, each and every moment.

Baba, in this grand creation of Yours, who is without work; everyone is engrossed. No one is without toil or sitting idle. Right or wrong, everyone is fully immersed in their engagements. This is how creation advances and moves ahead. Each and every unit being is doing something. My Nearest, so on that excuse I will not let You go.

Supreme Entity, I understand Your liila of hide and seek, and how You execute Your liila. Baba, You work secretly; You help all covertly, so no one sees You. Otherwise You will be caught. So out of the fear of being seen and held, You move around slyly and stealthily, and perform all Your works in a clandestine manner.

Baba, this time I have gotten You in a deeply personal and special way. And I will go on holding You - never letting You go....


== Section: Important Teaching ==

How to be mentally free

Here Baba supplies us with the special formula for keeping mental balance and not succumbing to any type of superiority complex. 

Ananda Marga ideology says, "People must always bear in mind that 'Whatever I have acquired is all by the grace of Parama Purus'a. If He decides that I should not possess wealth [or any other quality etc], He will take it away at any moment He wishes.' So no one should feel pride about anything under any circumstances." (1)

Note: By seeing everything as Baba's fathomless grace then we will not get puffed up with vanity and instead will be able to maintain mental balance at all times.

Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 16, “Mucyate Bhavabandhanát”

== Section: News from Nov 2020 ==


H group inflates the number

Namaskar, 

One of Rudrananda's favorite gimmicks is to puff up and hyperinflate the numbers of DMS attendees. Indeed, all the groups like to do this in order to brag about their popularity and so-called success. But now they are caught in their own web of deceit because in this era of covid every participant can easily see the exact number of attendees. So the organisers cannot openly lie by guess-estimating and padding the numbers of the crowd size like they used to do with outdoor DMS gatherings. But even then look what happened. Less than 200 people were online for the NY DMS and then Rudrananda's stooges paid money to put an article in Indian newspapers that thousands and thousands attended their DMS. But that is a blatant lie and falsehood because any who attended can easily see the exact number at any given time - and always it was a small, small fraction of what they are claiming. i.e. less than 2% or 3% of what they are claiming.  

in Him, 
Govinda


== Section: Important Teaching ==

Just a figure of mythology, not history


Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Many of you are aware of the fact that Ramchandra was not an historical figure, but a fictional one: he was an imaginary character to represent an ideal king. Maharśi Valmiki was the first person to give proper expression to that character. But the poet Tulsidas tried still harder, in the Mughal period, not very long ago, to accomplish this through the Rámacaritamánasa, written in the Avadhii language. The Rámacaritamánasa is not the complete Rámáyańa. Tulsidas described the character of Rama as he thought Rama should be; he delineated the character of Rama as he conceived of Rama in his own mind. Tulsidas was a truthful person. He did not name his book the Tulasiidásii Rámáyańa, he named it Rámacaritamánasa [“The Life of Rama As Conceived by Tulsidas”].” (1)

Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya - All Bask in the Glory of Shiva – 1 (Discourse 6)


== Section 3: Links ==




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