Baba
Offering to Baba
Namaskar,
It was the usual course that our Acaryaji would go to attend DMC those days. On one such occasion, a margii sister Surabhi requested Acaryaji that he should take some mangoes grown in her garden and offer them in presentation to Baba. This is the story about that interaction and what we should offer to Baba.
For many years prior to 1990, whenever this sister Surabhi would go for Baba's darshan she would always offer fruit for Baba at His Baba's Quarters (BQ). From her garden in the summer season she was offering mangoes and in the winter season she used to offer guava. And she would give those offerings to the caretaker at the Baba’s Quarter, and in turn the caretaker would present it to Baba. In her simplicity, she was thinking that this was the only way to offer something at the lotus feet of Baba: To give it to Him physically. According to our Ananda Marga spiritual outlook, we know that this is not true.
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Parama Purusa can receive any type of offering
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Parama Puruśa is infinite and omnipresent; therefore His hands and feet are spread in all directions. As this entire creation is His mental projection, it has no absolute existence to Him. He does not require any physical hands or feet; even without them He can get any work done or go anywhere He likes." (1)
Parama Purusa is ready to reach out in any direction to receive the offerings of His bhaktas. But at that time, sister Surabhi was not aware of that fact - she thought that offering something physically to Baba was the only way. So when he (acaryaji) was going to Ananda Nagar then Surabhi raised the matter of offering something to Baba. Due to her own ill health she was unable to go for DMC, so she was requesting him to make the offering of fruit for her.
Dadaji said, "Alright I will take your offering to Baba but you should know that making an offering to Parama Purusa every day is very important for your personal link with Him. Today I am going there so I will bring it for you. But what about tomorrow, then what will you do."
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From acarya diary
Acaryaji continued, "Surely what you want to offer you can offer and on this particular occasion, I will take it. But what if Baba is traveling and He is far away, in which case you cannot make your offering directly to Him. Will that not be a problem for you? Best then is to be aware about these following guidelines from Acarya Diary.”
“According to the Acarya diary appendix, if a sadhaka has a strong feeling to offer some worldly things to Guru, they can do so. Sadhakas can give those things to Guru during His physical presence. In addition, the Acarya Diary guides us that when Baba is moving here and there or is not easily available, then those material gifts, which we desire to offer to Him, should be distributed to needy people - to suffering humanity. By that way, your offering will be received.”
This is all explained very clearly in the Acarya Diary.
Offering money, rice, or mundane objects is useless
At the same time, Dada said that we should not just perform external offerings to satisfy or please Parama Purusa Baba. Because Baba is the Creator of the entire universe so He does not need those things, per se. Already He is the owner of all mundane objects. Acaryaji said that sadhakas should offer something more special - not just worldly fruits, vegetables and sweets. Because, after all, He is living in your heart, not in Ananda Nagar only etc.
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Ananda Marga ideology states, "Remember, you have to offer your own mind - not money, rice plantains or other mundane objects. The give-and-take of material things is a business transaction. If you want to attain the bliss of Brahma, you must offer your own self. If you want to have the Great 'I', you must surrender your own little 'I'. You have to give the full sixteen a'nna's, (the full rupee). Giving fifteen a'nna's and holding back one a'nna' will not do. You must completely surrender. To attain that Infinite One with the help of your mental concentration and strength, you have to surrender yourself. But, remember self-surrender does not mean suicide. On the contrary, your soul will have its full expression. Your existence will not become contracted, for contraction is inert in principle. Hence in the sádhaná of self-surrender the ego is expanded, not contracted." (2)
Quantum of love is the main ingredient
Then Dada recounted how in one acarya meeting Baba has given one special explanation. Baba was telling how one Dada had brought Him a gift or offering and then Baba brought that very item out from His pocket. Then Baba explained that material things have two values. The first is economic value, but no matter how much economic worth it has, that does not have any value in the realm of spirituality - in the sphere of bhakti. So only one value counts - and that is with how much love and affection that material offering was made. I.e. What was the ideation behind that offering. So if someone offers something physical then the quantum of love associated with that offering is the main thing.
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Here is another explanation. If the item offered is 100 US dollars but the feeling is negligible or nil - since the offering was made for show only - or for name and fame only, then lacking any proper ideation, that offering is zero. And the other side is that if one bhakta did not bring anything and did not give anything physically to give to Baba, but with deep feeling in the heart that sadhaka is offering something mentally, then that has full value.
Here is the review:
#1: If a material offering is made to Parama Purusa devoid of spiritual ideation and sweet feeling then that offering has zero value, no matter how costly it is.
#2: If a physical offering is made accompanied by proper ideation and heartfelt feeling, the quantum of feeling is the aspect that has value. The money or that cost of the material offering has no value.
#3: If a person is offering an inexpensive object that is accompanied by deep spiritual feeling, then that is everything.
The degree of heart-felt love for Parama Purusa is the key ingredient in any offering.
Importance of collecting the mind
If you want to offer something and if it is spread all around, then first it must be collected. Only after collecting it all can it be offered - without that it cannot be offered. Similarly, in the case of offering your mind, you have to first collect your mind. Because it is fragmented, not concentrated. By running after one desire to another desire, the mind is balkanised in various directions. So if you say orally, “O’ Lord I am offering my mind” then that does not mean anything per se.
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First one has to collect the mind and the way to do that is sadhana. With sadhana gradually the mind will be focused and all the subsidiary desires will go away and only one longing will remain. The mind will be pin-pointed and then if you offer your mind, that is surrender. You will be successful in offering the mind. Without this type of approach people commonly say they are surrendering, but in actuality their offering is meaningless. Because their mind is not even in their control. In that case, how can they offer that mind.
The matter is very clear but by the following crude example it may be more clear. If you want to offer frogs from your pond to a frog sanctuary. First you have to collect those frogs and place them in a container and then bring them to the sanctuary. Otherwise how can you offer them - if they are not first collected. Similarly, that is how the highest offering, i.e. the offering of the mind, to Parama Purusa is done. And when one gets success then there is nothing left to attain.
at His lotus feet,
Satyadeva
~ In-depth study ~
These following quotes lead in this same direction.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Parama Puruśa only values the inner thoughts and feelings of human beings. He is omniscient, forever watching throughout the creation those who are meditating upon Him with undivided attention, and those who have been patiently waiting with an unwavering mind to realize Him." (3)
And this same idea, Baba has beautifully expressed in one Hindi discourse given in Saharsa. There Baba discusses how Parama Purusa does not regard a person for their wealth and monetary worth, rather He sees how much bhakti they have in their heart.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 33, Purusatattva
2. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part-3, Vibration, Form and Colour
3. Ananda Marga Philosophy - 5, Integral and Non-Integral Outlook
* * *
The below section is an entirely different topic, unrelated to the above material.
It stands on its own merit as a point of interest and ideological awareness.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
"(Toma'ke) ka'che peye tabu cena' da'y..." (Prabhat Samgiita #4792)
Purport:
O’ Parama Purusa, Baba, even when having You close, it is hard to realise that You are the Controller of the universe. Wherever You live - in the divine world of Goloka or in the world of bhaktas, Gokula - I do not think so much, as long as I find You close. You are all around me but I can’t see You.
When I face the scorching heat of the burning desert, or when I see the pouring rain of the monsoon season, I do not understand what You are conveying to me through these signs. Similarly, when I see the softness of the winter season and the sweet fragrant breeze of the spring season, I cannot fathom what You are hinting at. O’ Parama Purusa Baba, You are all around me, helping me always, but I fail to comprehend Your liila.
In the very soft, cool breeze of hemant (pre-winter), and in the extremely cold season when staticity abounds, I feel in my mind that You are my Saviour in the form of fire keeping me warm. When the tender, colourful leaves of the spring season, and the sweet fragrance of the flowers full of nectar are pouring Your love, everything becomes charming. Even then it is hard to recognise You. Baba, You are all around me, but I do not perceive You. O’ Parama Purusa, Your infinite liila is incomparable...
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
About first lesson
Ananda Marga ideology says, "In Japakriya' there is only acoustic rhythm as I have told you about acoustic rhythm Ra'ma, Ra'ma, Ra'ma, Ra'ma. But in Pran'idha'na this acoustic rhythm maintains parallelism with mental rhythm i.e., mentally you will be saying Ra'ma, Ra'ma, Ra'ma, there should be acoustic rhythm Ra'ma,Ra'ma. Ra'ma like this and mentally you will be thinking of Ra'ma also i.e., the parallelism is to be maintained, otherwise in Japakriya' where there is no parallelism what does happen; while you are uttering the word Ra'ma, Ra'ma (Parama Purusa) as you are chanting the word 'Ra', letter 'Ra' you are thinking of the next letter 'Ma.' Ra'ma! Again while uttering the letter 'Ma' you are thinking of the letter 'Ra'. Next 'Ra' and then in second stage of Japa, 'Ra'. In that case your Mantra will be 'Mara' (death) you are uttering the letter 'Ma' and thinking of the latter 'Ra', so your Is't'a Mantra becomes 'Mara' (death) and not 'Ra'ma' (Parama Purusa). So it is useless to do that type of Japakriya'. Unless and until there is a parallelism with the mental wave it is useless and where there is parallelism between acoustic rhythm and mental rhythm it is called Pranidha'na. In Ananda Marga your Iishvara Pra'nidha'na is not japakriya'; it is called Pran'idha'na. Pran'idha'na comes within the scope of Dhya'na and not within the scope of japa. Do you follow?" (1)
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 18, The Stance of Salvation and How to Attain It
== Section: Hindi Quote ==
जप नहीं करके भी जो
“अभ्यास से यह जो श्वास के साथ मन्त्र-जप का adjustment हो जाता है, जब वह natural बन जाता है, संस्कृत में इसको कहते हैं, “अजपा-गायत्त्री” | अर्थात् “अजपा”, जप नहीं करके भी जो गायत्त्री चल रही है | यही अजपा गायत्त्री है जप सिद्धि | तो अजपा- गायत्त्री बहुत scientific चीज़ है | और बहुत ही psychological है | तो कुरु पुण्यम् अहोरात्रम् | तुम तो अहोरात्रं पुण्य कर्म कर सकते हो, आसानी से |”
[यह प्रवचन-अंश, बाबा के कैसेट से सीधे लिखा गया है । बाबा का यह असली प्रवचन, अमृतोपदेश है। आनन्दमार्ग हिन्दी पुस्तकों में छपे प्रवचन तो नक़ली प्रवचन हैं, असली नहीं हैं -- बंगालीकरण (बँगलाइजेसन) के तहत उनकी बर्बादी की गई] (1)
Reference
1. अप्रकाशित भाग, Kuru Pun'yam Ahoratram, NP, GD, Ranchi, 11/1/67, GD Ranchi
“अभ्यास से यह जो श्वास के साथ मन्त्र-जप का adjustment हो जाता है, जब वह natural बन जाता है, संस्कृत में इसको कहते हैं, “अजपा-गायत्त्री” | अर्थात् “अजपा”, जप नहीं करके भी जो गायत्त्री चल रही है | यही अजपा गायत्त्री है जप सिद्धि | तो अजपा- गायत्त्री बहुत scientific चीज़ है | और बहुत ही psychological है | तो कुरु पुण्यम् अहोरात्रम् | तुम तो अहोरात्रं पुण्य कर्म कर सकते हो, आसानी से |”
[यह प्रवचन-अंश, बाबा के कैसेट से सीधे लिखा गया है । बाबा का यह असली प्रवचन, अमृतोपदेश है। आनन्दमार्ग हिन्दी पुस्तकों में छपे प्रवचन तो नक़ली प्रवचन हैं, असली नहीं हैं -- बंगालीकरण (बँगलाइजेसन) के तहत उनकी बर्बादी की गई] (1)
Reference
1. अप्रकाशित भाग, Kuru Pun'yam Ahoratram, NP, GD, Ranchi, 11/1/67, GD Ranchi
== Section 4: Links ==
