Baba
Namaskar,
This following posting provides us a window into the past: How margiis were communicating on the email networks more than a decade ago.
When you read it you will find that this issue deals with one margii's lack of strictness in Ista. The margii wrote in a special way which we do not see nowadays.
So this letter is very interesting and shows how our Ananda Marga society has moved ahead, through a lot of ups and downs. The standard is far, far improved now.
After reading you will taste the special colour how people were writing those days, i.e. ten years ago. This below posting stands as on record as a historical document for how the people moved ahead through clash and cohesion.
Before reading the below letter, we should examine and embrace the spirit of Baba's guideline about how history should be written.
Baba says, "Let us see how people write history or get it written. In most cases history is written in the interest of a particular vested interest. History books are selected in order to establish the glory of a particular era. For example, the heroic tales of the chivalry of the Kśatriyas era, their war-strategies, etc., form the main basis for the writing of the history of the Kśatriya era. History books are filled with eulogies of the bravery and chivalry of the Kśatriyan rulers. Similarly, the history of the Vipra era is full of praises for the glorious deeds of the Vipra leaders, and the history of the Vaeshya era contains an abundance of stories about the glories of the Vaeshyas. While studying such biased history, the readers lose both interest and patience. Besides that, the study of this sort of so-called history injects some kind of dogma in the readers mind, and consequently chokes the development of a spontaneous human intellect." (1)
HISTORY SHOULD DEPICT LIVES OF THE COMMON PEOPLE
Baba says, "I suggest that in the writing of history there should be a radical change. The history written so far is a history of kings and monarchs. It should be thoroughly overhauled and completely rewritten – rewritten in the interest of humanity and the universal well-being of the human race. If the chronicles of history merely describe who succeeded to the throne and when, who plundered the neighbouring countries or kingdom, and who became a minister, they will be of no importance whatsoever, nor, indeed, of any interest to the common masses. If human beings are to profit from the study of the annals of history, they must reflect the weal and the woe, the hopes and aspirations of the masses."
"The annals of human history should show which communities brought about which amount of progress and prosperity in which area of social life and in which part of the world – only such significant events are worthy of being recorded. History should also maintain special records of the trials and tribula tions which confronted human beings, how those trials and tribulations were overcome, how human beings tackled the numerous obstacles to effect greater social development, and so on. Only such history would I call the complete history or complete cultural history of the human race." (2)
Keeping the above teachings on history in mind, here following is that letter of 10+ years ago:
From: martin_gillian
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 00:42:16 +0800
Subject: One Pointedness on Ista
Namaskar,
One dharmic point clicked in my mind. In addition to this list I am a regular reader of other mailing lists also. And just a few days back on 23 March [2003] I received one letter titled "Who's responsible?" from one of those lists [margii-mail]. And when I read this following sentence which I am quoting here below then what seemed like an endless array of questions came in my mind.
Here is the line which I am referring to from that letter:
"Allah certainly works in mysterious ways."
After reading this word "Allah", which is usually used by Islamic or Muslim people, then I was thinking why this term "Allah" has been used on Margii-Mail. And why it has been written that "Allah works in mysterious ways". Why they did not use the term 'Parama Purusa', or 'God'. Why did they use the term Allah?
According to my understanding, as a principle the aforesaid list is dedicated for the propagation of Marga ideology. Then why the phrase "Allah certainly works in mysterious ways" has been posted to this list. What can be the reason?
All these questions and counter-questions sprouted in my mind.
Then the evening before yesterday my rector Dada arrived at my house according to his pre-planned schedule.
And paying my namaskar and asking about his whereabouts and welfare, then when he was in a relaxed mood I placed my query.
I asked, 'In margii-mail, are all the writers Margiis, or are some believers of Islam?'
Dadaji told, 'As I am aware all members of margii-mail are margiis. Because you have to get permission / recommendation from your SOS in order to join. But tell me why you are raising such question as this'.
I replied, 'Excuse me, Dadaji. One margii wrote a letter and expressed his faith in Allah. First I thought that he may be an Islamic believer, then I thought that how it can be?'
I continued, 'After thinking more I thought this letter is in the English language-- it is not in Arabic or Urdu. Because if the whole letter is written in Urdu or Arabic or Persian then when writing about God, then naturally the name "Allah" would have come. But when entire letter is in English and God is referred to as Allah then this gives completely different feeling'.
'It gives the feeling that in some corner of this margii's mind, surely some faith towards Allah is there. Most probably. Otherwise he would not have used this term.'
Dadaji replied, 'Your point is valid. It is just if anybody says by the grace of goddess mother Chath or Chandi, then one can reach to conclusion that he is a believer of mother goddess Chat or Chandi'.
I asked, 'Dada do you think he was making joke on this point of Allah?'
Then Dada replied, 'No according to Ananda Sutram Baba's teaching dharma should always be practiced. "Always" means even jokes and humour and all expressions in 24hrs. So such type of loose terms should not be used. It would have been better if he would not have made such expression which is ideologically incorrect, or against the flow of Ananda Margiis.'
Dada continued: 'Baba has given us 16 Pts, strictness in Ista and Adarsha, non-compromising love for Baba, so in our casual speaking also we should not make jokes which go against these vital points of our conduct rules'.
Then Dadaji told that in Subhasita Samgraha BABA tells an important story about maintaining one pointedness on Ista.
Baba says, "In this regard, the story of Hanuma'na is very instructive. Someone asked him, 'Hanuma'nji, you are always repeating 'Ra'm, Ra'm' and never uttering the name of 'Na'ra'yan'a.' What is the matter?' Hanuma'n said that although he knew that Ra'ma and Na'rayana are one and the same, even then he accepted Ra'ma as his only Lord. "Srinatha Janakinathe ca'bhede parama'tmani."
Baba further explains in the same discourse,
"Remember that for you there is only one name of the Supreme Entity and not many...Hence, it is clear that for the sake of psycho-spiritual progress one-mindedness is very necessary. Para' needs only one idea and no confusion. There should be one aim, one way and one name to guide a person on the way. None of these should be two in number." (3)
Dada explained, 'From this story it is clear that Baba's instruction to us Ananda Margiis is that we follow strict vigilance with regard to the singularity of Ista."
After talking with my rector Dada my mind was clear and I thought that this is one good point to be raised for our common margii family. So it is with that feeling in my mind I am passing this whole tale to you with the desire to have some feedback.
Here also I would like to share that as Ananda Margiis, Baba has given us great responsibility which we have to discharge accordingly. In order to move ahead, obeying His guideline is highly essential for all around development.
Namaskar to one and all,
Mahesh
[Old letter of 2003 ends here.]
REFLECTION ON ABOVE LETTER
Nowadays, our various Ananda Marga email forums are more focused and pointed on Baba's divine guidelines and we do not see such types of letters anymore where one is raising the name of Allah in this peculiar manner. Now, the various forums review and discuss organisational, ideological, and devotional topics. So the standard has improved a lot.
In Him,
Sulocan
REFERENCES
1. AFPS-4, What Should History Be Like?
2. AFPS-4, Let History Be Rewritten
3. SS part 19
"Pra'n'e ceyechi toma're, tumi ki deve na' dhara'..." (P.S. 4694)
Purport:
O my Lord, I long for You in my heart - please come in my heart. Won't You please grace me and allow Yourself to be held; will You not allow me to hold You. The same flow which I feel my heart is also resonating through the delicate strings of my viina.
O' Parama Purusa, so many days and nights, so many prahar [1], and so many dates have gone in waste. Baba, so many months, spans of time, years, and ages have passed. Even after learning so many rules and regulations, and so many do's and don'ts from the scriptures - in spite of that I lost the path.
O ' Dearmost, today, by Your grace I understand this eternal truth: That You can only be bound by love and devotion. All the fixed rules and established systems of the tunes and melodies will go in vain. By that way I will not get You. I can only get You by yearning and longing. Only with devotion can I get You.
O' Parmama Pursua Baba, I long for You in my heart. In my each and every action I want You to be present. I want to feel You all the time. Baba, please grace me so that You are always along with me. Baba, please be gracious...
END NOTES FOR PRABHATA SAMGIITA #4694:
[1] Prahar: Each day is broken up into eight segments or eight periods. And these periods are known as 'prahar'. In that way, each prahar is three hours length in duration. Here Baba explains more about prahar and various other segments of time.
Baba says, "The verbal root 'mas' means 'to measure'. By adding 'ghain' to 'mas' we get ma'sa whose etymological meaning is 'a measurement of time' or 'a period of time'. Thus ma'sa in this sense means 'era', 'lunar year', 'lunar month', 'lunar day', 'solar year', 'solar month', 'fortnight', 'week', 'solar day' or ahora'tra (from sunrise to sunrise), prahara (three hours), hour, minute, second, fraction-of-second and so forth -- all of these." (Shabda Cayanika-2, Disc: 13)
ANANDA MARGA HAS MOVED FORWARD A
LOT
Namaskar,
This following posting provides us a window into the past: How margiis were communicating on the email networks more than a decade ago.
When you read it you will find that this issue deals with one margii's lack of strictness in Ista. The margii wrote in a special way which we do not see nowadays.
So this letter is very interesting and shows how our Ananda Marga society has moved ahead, through a lot of ups and downs. The standard is far, far improved now.
After reading you will taste the special colour how people were writing those days, i.e. ten years ago. This below posting stands as on record as a historical document for how the people moved ahead through clash and cohesion.
HOW HISTORY WAS WRONGLY WRITTEN
Before reading the below letter, we should examine and embrace the spirit of Baba's guideline about how history should be written.
Baba says, "Let us see how people write history or get it written. In most cases history is written in the interest of a particular vested interest. History books are selected in order to establish the glory of a particular era. For example, the heroic tales of the chivalry of the Kśatriyas era, their war-strategies, etc., form the main basis for the writing of the history of the Kśatriya era. History books are filled with eulogies of the bravery and chivalry of the Kśatriyan rulers. Similarly, the history of the Vipra era is full of praises for the glorious deeds of the Vipra leaders, and the history of the Vaeshya era contains an abundance of stories about the glories of the Vaeshyas. While studying such biased history, the readers lose both interest and patience. Besides that, the study of this sort of so-called history injects some kind of dogma in the readers mind, and consequently chokes the development of a spontaneous human intellect." (1)
HISTORY SHOULD DEPICT LIVES OF THE COMMON PEOPLE
Baba says, "I suggest that in the writing of history there should be a radical change. The history written so far is a history of kings and monarchs. It should be thoroughly overhauled and completely rewritten – rewritten in the interest of humanity and the universal well-being of the human race. If the chronicles of history merely describe who succeeded to the throne and when, who plundered the neighbouring countries or kingdom, and who became a minister, they will be of no importance whatsoever, nor, indeed, of any interest to the common masses. If human beings are to profit from the study of the annals of history, they must reflect the weal and the woe, the hopes and aspirations of the masses."
"The annals of human history should show which communities brought about which amount of progress and prosperity in which area of social life and in which part of the world – only such significant events are worthy of being recorded. History should also maintain special records of the trials and tribula tions which confronted human beings, how those trials and tribulations were overcome, how human beings tackled the numerous obstacles to effect greater social development, and so on. Only such history would I call the complete history or complete cultural history of the human race." (2)
Keeping the above teachings on history in mind, here following is that letter of 10+ years ago:
From: martin_gillian
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 00:42:16 +0800
Subject: One Pointedness on Ista
"ALLAH CERTAINLY WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS
WAYS"
Namaskar,
One dharmic point clicked in my mind. In addition to this list I am a regular reader of other mailing lists also. And just a few days back on 23 March [2003] I received one letter titled "Who's responsible?" from one of those lists [margii-mail]. And when I read this following sentence which I am quoting here below then what seemed like an endless array of questions came in my mind.
Here is the line which I am referring to from that letter:
"Allah certainly works in mysterious ways."
After reading this word "Allah", which is usually used by Islamic or Muslim people, then I was thinking why this term "Allah" has been used on Margii-Mail. And why it has been written that "Allah works in mysterious ways". Why they did not use the term 'Parama Purusa', or 'God'. Why did they use the term Allah?
According to my understanding, as a principle the aforesaid list is dedicated for the propagation of Marga ideology. Then why the phrase "Allah certainly works in mysterious ways" has been posted to this list. What can be the reason?
All these questions and counter-questions sprouted in my mind.
I SPEAK WITH RECTOR DADA ABOUT THIS
Then the evening before yesterday my rector Dada arrived at my house according to his pre-planned schedule.
And paying my namaskar and asking about his whereabouts and welfare, then when he was in a relaxed mood I placed my query.
I asked, 'In margii-mail, are all the writers Margiis, or are some believers of Islam?'
Dadaji told, 'As I am aware all members of margii-mail are margiis. Because you have to get permission / recommendation from your SOS in order to join. But tell me why you are raising such question as this'.
I replied, 'Excuse me, Dadaji. One margii wrote a letter and expressed his faith in Allah. First I thought that he may be an Islamic believer, then I thought that how it can be?'
I continued, 'After thinking more I thought this letter is in the English language-- it is not in Arabic or Urdu. Because if the whole letter is written in Urdu or Arabic or Persian then when writing about God, then naturally the name "Allah" would have come. But when entire letter is in English and God is referred to as Allah then this gives completely different feeling'.
'It gives the feeling that in some corner of this margii's mind, surely some faith towards Allah is there. Most probably. Otherwise he would not have used this term.'
Dadaji replied, 'Your point is valid. It is just if anybody says by the grace of goddess mother Chath or Chandi, then one can reach to conclusion that he is a believer of mother goddess Chat or Chandi'.
MUST NOT EVEN JOKE IN THIS WAY
I asked, 'Dada do you think he was making joke on this point of Allah?'
Then Dada replied, 'No according to Ananda Sutram Baba's teaching dharma should always be practiced. "Always" means even jokes and humour and all expressions in 24hrs. So such type of loose terms should not be used. It would have been better if he would not have made such expression which is ideologically incorrect, or against the flow of Ananda Margiis.'
STRICTNESS IN ISTA A MUST
Dada continued: 'Baba has given us 16 Pts, strictness in Ista and Adarsha, non-compromising love for Baba, so in our casual speaking also we should not make jokes which go against these vital points of our conduct rules'.
Then Dadaji told that in Subhasita Samgraha BABA tells an important story about maintaining one pointedness on Ista.
Baba says, "In this regard, the story of Hanuma'na is very instructive. Someone asked him, 'Hanuma'nji, you are always repeating 'Ra'm, Ra'm' and never uttering the name of 'Na'ra'yan'a.' What is the matter?' Hanuma'n said that although he knew that Ra'ma and Na'rayana are one and the same, even then he accepted Ra'ma as his only Lord. "Srinatha Janakinathe ca'bhede parama'tmani."
Baba further explains in the same discourse,
"Remember that for you there is only one name of the Supreme Entity and not many...Hence, it is clear that for the sake of psycho-spiritual progress one-mindedness is very necessary. Para' needs only one idea and no confusion. There should be one aim, one way and one name to guide a person on the way. None of these should be two in number." (3)
Dada explained, 'From this story it is clear that Baba's instruction to us Ananda Margiis is that we follow strict vigilance with regard to the singularity of Ista."
IMPORTANT TO SHARE WITH ALL
After talking with my rector Dada my mind was clear and I thought that this is one good point to be raised for our common margii family. So it is with that feeling in my mind I am passing this whole tale to you with the desire to have some feedback.
Here also I would like to share that as Ananda Margiis, Baba has given us great responsibility which we have to discharge accordingly. In order to move ahead, obeying His guideline is highly essential for all around development.
Namaskar to one and all,
Mahesh
[Old letter of 2003 ends here.]
REFLECTION ON ABOVE LETTER
Nowadays, our various Ananda Marga email forums are more focused and pointed on Baba's divine guidelines and we do not see such types of letters anymore where one is raising the name of Allah in this peculiar manner. Now, the various forums review and discuss organisational, ideological, and devotional topics. So the standard has improved a lot.
In Him,
Sulocan
REFERENCES
1. AFPS-4, What Should History Be Like?
2. AFPS-4, Let History Be Rewritten
3. SS part 19
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
"Pra'n'e ceyechi toma're, tumi ki deve na' dhara'..." (P.S. 4694)
Purport:
O my Lord, I long for You in my heart - please come in my heart. Won't You please grace me and allow Yourself to be held; will You not allow me to hold You. The same flow which I feel my heart is also resonating through the delicate strings of my viina.
O' Parama Purusa, so many days and nights, so many prahar [1], and so many dates have gone in waste. Baba, so many months, spans of time, years, and ages have passed. Even after learning so many rules and regulations, and so many do's and don'ts from the scriptures - in spite of that I lost the path.
O ' Dearmost, today, by Your grace I understand this eternal truth: That You can only be bound by love and devotion. All the fixed rules and established systems of the tunes and melodies will go in vain. By that way I will not get You. I can only get You by yearning and longing. Only with devotion can I get You.
O' Parmama Pursua Baba, I long for You in my heart. In my each and every action I want You to be present. I want to feel You all the time. Baba, please grace me so that You are always along with me. Baba, please be gracious...
END NOTES FOR PRABHATA SAMGIITA #4694:
[1] Prahar: Each day is broken up into eight segments or eight periods. And these periods are known as 'prahar'. In that way, each prahar is three hours length in duration. Here Baba explains more about prahar and various other segments of time.
Baba says, "The verbal root 'mas' means 'to measure'. By adding 'ghain' to 'mas' we get ma'sa whose etymological meaning is 'a measurement of time' or 'a period of time'. Thus ma'sa in this sense means 'era', 'lunar year', 'lunar month', 'lunar day', 'solar year', 'solar month', 'fortnight', 'week', 'solar day' or ahora'tra (from sunrise to sunrise), prahara (three hours), hour, minute, second, fraction-of-second and so forth -- all of these." (Shabda Cayanika-2, Disc: 13)
