Baba
Namaskar,
Here we, the members of our bhukti, present to you one troubling issue and we eagerly await your advice.
Approximately six months ago - "Mahesh" as we refer to him here - was initiated into Ananda Marga sadhana and became an active member of our bhukti. For the years and decades before that - since his birth - he was a devout Hindu.
As a Hindu, Mahesh regularly observed his grandfather's mahaprayan (annual death ceremony) for the past 20 years. Since his family is a big land owner, they had the finances to host large mahaprayan gatherings complete with a grand feast for the entire village, extensive clothing distribution, and comprehensive medical camps.
All this was regularly organised on the anniversary of Mahesh's grandfather's mahaprayan. The belief was that by this annual program, his grandfather would accrue virtue in heaven and be more comfortable. The food they served, the clothing they distributed, and the medicine they dispensed would directly benefit their grandfather in heaven - per Hindu custom.
The problem now is that Mahesh is an Ananda Margii and his grandfather's death day anniversary is fast approaching. And this year, Mahesh is eagerly planning for a grand mahaprayan commemoration and wants to invite Ananda Margiis from all over - from all the surrounding units etc.
In our unit, we have been divided as to what should be done. In private meetings, in Mahesh's absence, we have vociferously debated what to do.
(a) Some have advocated saying nothing and allowing him to host his annual mahaprayan program for his grandfather - and margiis may or may not attend.
(b) Some have advised that Mahesh should hold the program as usual, only the name of it should be changed to samkalpa divas.
(c) Others said let the program go on as is, but Ananda Margiis must not attend. This would obviously strain our relation with Maheshji.
(d) Some argued that the program must be stopped entirely. Then some inquired why should it be stopped.
They replied that, “Any annual mahaprayan observance is a shraddha ceremony.”
“So”, was the response.
Then further reply was given, including a full review of Ananda Marga teachings.
“Well, according to Ananda Marga philosophy and Caryacarya, any kind of death related ceremonies like cremation, shraddhainjali, shraddha, burial, or any type of ceremony for the deceased, the person who died, or the grieving family must be done within 12 days of the time of death. Ananda Marga is the path of bliss and sad ceremonies are not to be repeated - month after month, year after year. Otherwise Ananda Marga - the path of bliss - will lose the meaning of its name, and it will be called sad (dukha) marga, not the path of bliss. So there is no scope for an annual shraddha / death day / mahaprayan program in our Ananda Marga.”
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, "The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days. If you wish, you can perform the shráddha ceremony any day within this period according to convenience. During the period of mourning you should not subject yourself to unnecessary mortification or ostentatious penance." (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, “The psychic superstitions of ghosts, shráddha, etc., also do not find any place in the Marga. Ghosts are only imaginary, and performing shráddha by giving dána [gifts] to Brahmans to take a departed soul across the Vaetárnii River [the mythological river which must be crossed to enter heaven], is only a psychic misrepresentation inculcated from the very beginning. These ideas are not rational, and therefore believing in them is not correct. This is the view taken in the Marga.” (AFPS-7, Social Psychology)
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “The departed soul does not get any advantage from the shráddha ceremony [memorial ceremony]. It is only meant for the psychic satisfaction of the person performing it.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, “What happens when a man dies? Death results in the loss of any physical relationship between the human mind and the human body ( i.e., the protozoic & metazoic cells and their minds). The nerves are dead. Therefore, the mind, on the physical death of the individual, does not remember anything physical. It is for this reason that we hold the Shráddha ceremony to be useless and meaningless. This also explains the English saying: out of sight, out of mind. But the longing for the Macrocosm is psycho-spiritual in character and therefore your mind is engaged in it even after the death of your physical body.” (SS-18, Knowledge and Human Progress)
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “In each and every corner of the world there is some usage or other prevalent among the human race of that area regarding their duty to deceased persons, to the dead. This event, this observance, is known as “shráddha” in Saḿskrta. There are innumerable types of observances, but they all come under the same heading, shráddha.”
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, "Now let us see some of the prevalent usages of the world in connection with this shraddhá, or shráddha. When you offer something with shraddhá, it is shráddha. A priest may say that your father will die only once, and so after his death you should arrange for a sufficient quantity of food-stuffs, a sufficient quantity of edibles, a sufficient quantity of clothes, etc., for him. And that has been done in India for about five thousand years, since the time of the Atharva Veda. And people have generally offered rice and sesame, also honey and ghee, to be consumed by that person who has left the world.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “In some other corners of the world, people wait for forty days, and after forty days they offer a particular type of prayer, and that prayer is supposed to make the position of the dead person secure. Is this logical? Certainly not. All these things done in the name of shráddha are nothing but a cheating business.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, “In prehistoric times also, those people of less-developed intellect used to think in this same way, that even after death people require worldly objects. So in prehistoric times also you would find, looking within the graves, that they used to offer barley (at that time wheat was not popular), wine, honey, such things. And even now in India during shráddha they use these things – barley, wine, wool – so that the dead person will wrap that woollen cádar around themself, etc.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, “Now, as I told you, in all corners of the world this type of exploitation is going on. And why are the people being exploited? Because they are under the veil of superstition. They are superstitious people. They are less developed in intellect.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
After this long deliberation of Baba's teachings, but even then some dogmatic-minded margiis do not like to give up their old rituals. So we ask your help.
So now we bring this ideological conundrum to you. You see the issue that we are faced with and you now know the background of this case. And you are aware of the four basic "solutions" that have been put forward, enlisted above.
We humbly ask you: What should be done? What is the best way to proceed?
Kindly reply at the earliest because this matter is eating away at the core of our unit as there have been many heated debates about this and we really need to find some resolution - fast.
Awaiting your counsel.
in Him,
Pradiip Roy
Unit Secretary
HELP - WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
Namaskar,
Here we, the members of our bhukti, present to you one troubling issue and we eagerly await your advice.
BACKGROUND
Approximately six months ago - "Mahesh" as we refer to him here - was initiated into Ananda Marga sadhana and became an active member of our bhukti. For the years and decades before that - since his birth - he was a devout Hindu.
As a Hindu, Mahesh regularly observed his grandfather's mahaprayan (annual death ceremony) for the past 20 years. Since his family is a big land owner, they had the finances to host large mahaprayan gatherings complete with a grand feast for the entire village, extensive clothing distribution, and comprehensive medical camps.
All this was regularly organised on the anniversary of Mahesh's grandfather's mahaprayan. The belief was that by this annual program, his grandfather would accrue virtue in heaven and be more comfortable. The food they served, the clothing they distributed, and the medicine they dispensed would directly benefit their grandfather in heaven - per Hindu custom.
ISSUE-AT-HAND
The problem now is that Mahesh is an Ananda Margii and his grandfather's death day anniversary is fast approaching. And this year, Mahesh is eagerly planning for a grand mahaprayan commemoration and wants to invite Ananda Margiis from all over - from all the surrounding units etc.
In our unit, we have been divided as to what should be done. In private meetings, in Mahesh's absence, we have vociferously debated what to do.
(a) Some have advocated saying nothing and allowing him to host his annual mahaprayan program for his grandfather - and margiis may or may not attend.
(b) Some have advised that Mahesh should hold the program as usual, only the name of it should be changed to samkalpa divas.
(c) Others said let the program go on as is, but Ananda Margiis must not attend. This would obviously strain our relation with Maheshji.
(d) Some argued that the program must be stopped entirely. Then some inquired why should it be stopped.
They replied that, “Any annual mahaprayan observance is a shraddha ceremony.”
“So”, was the response.
Then further reply was given, including a full review of Ananda Marga teachings.
ANANDA MARGA - THE PATH OF BLISS - WILL LOSE
ITS MEANING
“Well, according to Ananda Marga philosophy and Caryacarya, any kind of death related ceremonies like cremation, shraddhainjali, shraddha, burial, or any type of ceremony for the deceased, the person who died, or the grieving family must be done within 12 days of the time of death. Ananda Marga is the path of bliss and sad ceremonies are not to be repeated - month after month, year after year. Otherwise Ananda Marga - the path of bliss - will lose the meaning of its name, and it will be called sad (dukha) marga, not the path of bliss. So there is no scope for an annual shraddha / death day / mahaprayan program in our Ananda Marga.”
NOT EXTEND BEYOND TWELVE DAYS
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, "The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days. If you wish, you can perform the shráddha ceremony any day within this period according to convenience. During the period of mourning you should not subject yourself to unnecessary mortification or ostentatious penance." (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
PSYCHIC SUPERSTITIONS OF GHOSTS, SHRÁDDHA
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, “The psychic superstitions of ghosts, shráddha, etc., also do not find any place in the Marga. Ghosts are only imaginary, and performing shráddha by giving dána [gifts] to Brahmans to take a departed soul across the Vaetárnii River [the mythological river which must be crossed to enter heaven], is only a psychic misrepresentation inculcated from the very beginning. These ideas are not rational, and therefore believing in them is not correct. This is the view taken in the Marga.” (AFPS-7, Social Psychology)
SOUL DOES NOT GET ANY ADVANTAGE FROM THE
SHRÁDDHA
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “The departed soul does not get any advantage from the shráddha ceremony [memorial ceremony]. It is only meant for the psychic satisfaction of the person performing it.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
SHRÁDDHA CEREMONY TO BE USELESS AND
MEANINGLESS
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, “What happens when a man dies? Death results in the loss of any physical relationship between the human mind and the human body ( i.e., the protozoic & metazoic cells and their minds). The nerves are dead. Therefore, the mind, on the physical death of the individual, does not remember anything physical. It is for this reason that we hold the Shráddha ceremony to be useless and meaningless. This also explains the English saying: out of sight, out of mind. But the longing for the Macrocosm is psycho-spiritual in character and therefore your mind is engaged in it even after the death of your physical body.” (SS-18, Knowledge and Human Progress)
SHRADDHAINJALI IS ALSO SHRÁDDHA
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “In each and every corner of the world there is some usage or other prevalent among the human race of that area regarding their duty to deceased persons, to the dead. This event, this observance, is known as “shráddha” in Saḿskrta. There are innumerable types of observances, but they all come under the same heading, shráddha.”
CHEATING BUSINESS - 1
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, "Now let us see some of the prevalent usages of the world in connection with this shraddhá, or shráddha. When you offer something with shraddhá, it is shráddha. A priest may say that your father will die only once, and so after his death you should arrange for a sufficient quantity of food-stuffs, a sufficient quantity of edibles, a sufficient quantity of clothes, etc., for him. And that has been done in India for about five thousand years, since the time of the Atharva Veda. And people have generally offered rice and sesame, also honey and ghee, to be consumed by that person who has left the world.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
CHEATING BUSINESS - 2
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “In some other corners of the world, people wait for forty days, and after forty days they offer a particular type of prayer, and that prayer is supposed to make the position of the dead person secure. Is this logical? Certainly not. All these things done in the name of shráddha are nothing but a cheating business.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
BARLEY, WINE, WOOL FOR DEAD
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, “In prehistoric times also, those people of less-developed intellect used to think in this same way, that even after death people require worldly objects. So in prehistoric times also you would find, looking within the graves, that they used to offer barley (at that time wheat was not popular), wine, honey, such things. And even now in India during shráddha they use these things – barley, wine, wool – so that the dead person will wrap that woollen cádar around themself, etc.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
THEY ARE LESS DEVELOPED IN INTELLECT
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches, “Now, as I told you, in all corners of the world this type of exploitation is going on. And why are the people being exploited? Because they are under the veil of superstition. They are superstitious people. They are less developed in intellect.” (Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
After this long deliberation of Baba's teachings, but even then some dogmatic-minded margiis do not like to give up their old rituals. So we ask your help.
So now we bring this ideological conundrum to you. You see the issue that we are faced with and you now know the background of this case. And you are aware of the four basic "solutions" that have been put forward, enlisted above.
We humbly ask you: What should be done? What is the best way to proceed?
Kindly reply at the earliest because this matter is eating away at the core of our unit as there have been many heated debates about this and we really need to find some resolution - fast.
Awaiting your counsel.
in Him,
Pradiip Roy
Unit Secretary
