Baba
Study essential
Namaskar,
Those disciples of Sadguru Baba who lack the requisite knowledge of Ananda Marga ideology follow the wrong path in their individual life and misguide others in collective life. There is a double loss involved. One of the operative factors is that some suffer from the dogma that studying means they are a lowly jinani. When in fact nothing could be further from the truth. Sadguru Baba encourages us to study.
Ananda Marga teachings guide us, “The importance of study is tremendous. Those who are educated must conduct seminars among themselves and also among the less-educated – they must make the latter understand. Knowledge must be disseminated throughout all sections of society. You must create opportunities for all people to judge everything in the light of truth. Liberate the intellect of each and every person. Human intellect is now bogged down in a marshy quagmire – let people enjoy the sweet taste of intellectual freedom.” (1)
This letter examines how any and everyone can resolve this situation easily using modern methods and tools to gain success. By this manner one can learn all of Baba's teachings without doing hard labour like sitting in a library all day long, reading books.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ignorant spread dogmatic ideas & harm others
We have all been blessed to come under Baba's loving shelter and receive His divine guidelines. Human life itself is a unique opportunity and to come in contact with the Sadguru and understand and follow His dharmic injunctions is still more rare.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Human life is very precious, very rare; and such life is still more rare, still more precious, if it has become successful by dint of Bha'gavata Dharma." (2)
So indeed we are fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity to follow His tenets of Ananda Marga ideology. However, the problem remains that human life is very short and in this modern era we are all quite busy with so many duties and responsibilities. Hence it is difficult to find the time to read, study, and understand all the many, many books which Baba has given. And without that, how is one to implement those teachings in their own life. Those not aware end up practising and spreading dogmatic ideas, and harm others. There are so many examples of some Wts not reading Baba's books and not learning Ananda Marga mandates, and then teaching the wrong things to others. This is what happens when a Wt or pracaraka does not understand Guru's guidelines. But if we Ananda Margiis / Wts do not read them, then who will – non-margiis?
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Giving false reply is very bad
One of the best ways to increase one’s understanding of Guru’s teachings is to preach Ananda Marga ideals and invite questions from interested parties. And if you do not know the proper answer then appreciate their query and tell them that you will reply within 24 - 48 hrs. By this way you have time to consult with someone who knows the answer, or you can reference Baba's books. The main idea is that giving a false reply with the aim of saving your prestige is a very bad idea. That is sinful and defeats the whole purpose. Ultimately one is exposed for giving a false answer. And invariably when the questioner comes to know the truth they lose faith in that teacher.
So the approach is to expand one's knowledge base by researching the question. By this way the opportunity comes to learn and apply Ananda Marga philosophy.
If anyone feels shy and thinks, "Until I read all of Ananda Marga philosophy then I will not open my mouth and do Ananda Marga pracara," then that is very bad. What one knows one should start teaching to others and they feel pressured to learn more. It is a natural cycle. Preach the philosophy, field queries from interested parties, research the answers, and give the proper reply. This is the way to expand your knowledge base. Otherwise people do not get the time or inspiration to read and study. So pracar gives the pressure of circumstances and inspiration to study and learn more.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Needed for intellectual service
To do intellectual service, the study of scriptures is an absolute must. One cannot do intellectual without the right knowledge. And service is part sadhana and svadhyaya is part of 16 points. So every margii and Wt must be determined to go through and study the entire gamut of Ananda Marga publications.
Baba has given thousands of discourses which appear in hundreds of different books and still there remains innumerable files of unpublished materials. In that case, how are we to climb this mountain of knowledge, understand it, incorporate it into our own lives, and ultimately teach others. Fortunately, by His grace, there is a solution that is quite practical for one and all.
Conclusion
We should utilize our time. We should involve in listening to His discourses when involved in all kinds of mundane, daily duties and engagements, as outlined above. By this way, one’s knowledge of Ananda Marga ideology will expand and one will be better suited to serve others.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga philosophy says, “The importance of study is tremendous – you will have to do it. You cannot afford to shut the pages of your books and remain like frogs in the well. You must enlarge your mental horizons and move ahead by shattering all social bondages.” (3)
Namaskar,
in Him,
Pratibha’
These days there are many digital devices, screen readers, software, and web browsers etc that will read out that will read the text.
Practical plan
In this 21st century, where the bulk of our day is filled with work and professional responsibilities, family duties, spiritual duties, etc, then for some people it is not easy nor practical to plan to sit down and ready Baba’s books for many hours every day.
His many teachings range from spiritual treatises to grammar and language, from geography to farming, from education to politics, from microvita to brahmacakra, and the list goes on and on. How are we to read and understand all these many topics, some of which are quite abstruse. Yet that is our duty as Ananda Margiis: To review, understand, follow, and do Viprocita seva with the help of His teachings. Without first understanding His teachings ourselves, then how can we teach others. After all, if we do not study then for what reason Baba has given Ananda Marga books? If we Ananda Margiis do not read them, then who will - non margiis?
The more practical plan is to record Baba's books in one's mother tongue and listen to those recordings. Further down in this mail we will discuss exactly how to do this. Let's first analyse how listening can be done in our day to day life.
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Can listen while body is engaged
The beauty of listening is that it can be done during all sorts of activities during our busy daily life. For example, we all bath, do asanas, cook food, eat, do chores, and attend to duties. In our lives we involve in so many engagements where the body is engaged but the mind is free to think. But when the body is involved it is not possible to sit still and turn the pages and read Baba's books. The best option then is to listen to His recorded books. Listening does not require the use of our arms and hands etc, as reading demands.
So while cleaning, travelling, bathing etc, we are physically involved with our arms and legs but not psychically involved. In that case the mind is free to engage in something, such as listening to Baba's books. Indeed the mind needs some psychic food, or pabulum, or abhoga.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Abhoga means occupation or pabulum. Not only the physical body but the mind also requires a pabulum; whatever object the mind confines itself to, that is its pabulum...mental pabulum is called a'bhoga." (4)
Hence the mind always needs some food - something to think about. So while we are doing mundane chores we should involve in listening to His discourses. This psychic food we should give to our mind. By this way we can best utilise our time and learn, understand, and follow His teachings.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
~ In-depth study ~
How much time do we really get for worthwhile tasks?
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Everywhere, in cent per cent of the cases, there is wastage of human psychic potentiality. The psychic potentialities of human beings are immense, but people do not utilize them because most of their valuable time is wasted in undesirable thoughts, in psychic extravaganza. Suppose human life is an average of sixty years. Twenty years of that is spent in sleep, and the remaining forty years are wasted in petty or useless activities. How much time do people really get to devote to worthwhile tasks? This psychic extravaganza should be checked....” (5)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, “The importance of study is tremendous. Those who are educated must conduct seminars among themselves and also among the less-educated – they must make the latter understand. Knowledge must be disseminated throughout all sections of society. You must create opportunities for all people to judge everything in the light of truth. Liberate the intellect of each and every person. Human intellect is now bogged down in a marshy quagmire – let people enjoy the sweet taste of intellectual freedom.” (6)
References
1. Liberation of Intellect - Neo-Humanism, Awakened Conscience (Discourse 9)
2. Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Jaeva Dharma and Bhágavata Dharma
3. Liberation of Intellect - Neo-Humanism, Awakened Conscience (Discourse 9)
4. Subhasita Samgraha - 11, The Hub of Universal Activities
5. Subhasita Samgraha - 18, The Cult of Spirituality – the Cult of Pinnacled Order
6. Liberation of Intellect - Neo-Humanism, Awakened Conscience (Discourse 9)
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Myth about Ananda Nagar
Namaskar,
It is common knowledge that wherever Baba went and toured for DMC etc He openly ordered all margiis / Wts in general darshan to (a) construct a jagrti and a Baba Quarter, (b) start a press, (c) create a master unit, and (d) open new schools etc. To further accentuate this, Baba would refuse to take His breakfast until the local Ananda Marga newspaper was given to Him to read. This was the case with all places He visited for DMC etc, including Ananda Nagar. But, other than in Ananda Nagar, those talks were not recorded. And that is the reason why people forgot about how Baba was ordering all important centers and places to build up such projects.
About this, whatever Baba spoke in AN was meticulously recorded and printed in the book, whereas this was not done in other places. And, slowly over time, some got confused on this point and thought that Baba only wanted to build Ananda Nagar. This type of half-truth propaganda campaign was going on such that now this dogma, this myth - that only Ananda Nagar should be built up - is in full swing.
With this mistaken perspective, they thought that Baba only had Ananda Nagar on His radar, and other places were off the track.
This fact that Baba gave orders to build up all important centers and places can be verified by asking those margis and Wts who were present those days. But after a few hundred years, it will not be possible to verify the facts in this manner. Rather, people will only be relying upon written records and audio recordings that indicate that only Ananda Nagar should be built up and developed. By this misnomer, the whole AM society of this entire globe will be exploited forever.
In Him,
Parakastha
Note: In those units where Baba was unable to visit, in reporting He allotted the duty to Wts and margiis to go to those places and build those aforementioned projects.
Elderly people should be alert before going to AN
Ananda Nagar is cold in January so those arriving from warmer coastal areas often have difficulty and suffer. For this reason those attending from tropical regions and coastal areas should bring proper winter clothes etc, especially elderly people as they often die due to exposure to cold weather across the whole of India. This has been documented. Just ask the director or in-charge of any cemetery and they will tell you that many, many die, especially elderly people, during the extremely hot and extremely cold seasons. The number of deaths increases 175% to 200% during mid-June and New Year’s, i.e. for 1.5 months in the summer and 1.5 months in the winter. Another problem is that there is no modern emergency medical care at DMS. So if someone has a heart attack there will not be proper medical treatment. So watch out. Those who are physically weak and / or aged should be extremely cautious.
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Outcome of communism
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “By raising an iron curtain, a veil of dark ignorance, before them, they have taught people to chatter a few chosen, tutored sentences. They have confined them within a small dungeon, with its doors and windows locked – they have converted them into owls of darkness. This is the inevitable outcome of those pseudo-philosophies.” (1)
Note: Here above Baba is pointing out the defective nature of communism.
Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva's Teachings – 2 (continued) (Discourse 14)
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Why the suffering of sadhakas is minuscule in comparison
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The reaping of consequences of original actions performed by a human being occurs mainly in the psychic sphere. And if a person attains the blessings of evolved beings and the Cosmic grace in that same psychic sphere, the problem is solved. Pain and misery is bound to come. Depending upon one's inborn sam'ska'ras and the actions performed, tortures and afflictions are bound to be undergone - the expression of one's own samskara [reactive momenta]. Tortures and afflictions will not be as severely painful as before; with the blessing and grace, the psychic afflictions will be removed. Well, when there is pain and the pain is not felt as such, should it then be called pain? In this case, in the psychic sphere, one will remain in a state of bliss. Let the afflictions come. When the affliction and pain are not felt as such, one should not worry about it." (1)
The only way to permanently relieve oneself of any suffering is not to run after worldly allurements but rather get His divine grace. Just a tiny portion of His grace is enough to free the mind of any suffering. Then one will just be in a state of peace - bliss.
Sadhaka not feel the suffering
According to Ananda Marga philosophy, nobody can escape the reactions of their past deeds. When the all-benevolent Guru wishes then He showers His grace and the mind becomes elevated. In that state Mr X is not undergoing any suffering; but, others will see Mr X’s plight and think that Mr X is suffering. But because Mr X does not feel any pain then for him there is no suffering of that bad samskara. For bhaktas, they are in bliss by His grace whenever they have to face any bad samskara.
For example, suppose a bhakta and a non-devotee are both facing their own individual samskara and became sick with tuberculosis. Physically both are suffering. But the bhakta is not undergoing any psychic suffering. If one is not in mental agony they may remain in a blissful state. The end result is that although both are suffering from the same disease physically, but only the non-bhakta is suffering psychically. In that case the bhakta’s mind may remain ensconced in bliss.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 6, The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata
== Section 3: Links ==
