Baba
Donations: fake or real
Namaskar,
Now and again, there are reports in the news how an ultra-wealthy person donated millions or even billions to a given cause or charity - albeit under a certain set of conditions. In response, the common people go "oooh" and "ahhh" with great appreciation and veneration. They regard that "philanthropic donor" as a second god and sing the praises of their generosity with full admiration.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
As Ananda Margiis, we have to step back and view the scene according to the dictates of bhagavad dharma. Then we will have a balanced perspective. What follows are two dharmic stories told by Baba which help us understand how to evaluate the value of a given service or donation.
Greatness: dollar amount not determining factor
First however, we should review Baba's teachings on giving and how to qualify the value of that offering. In particular, there are some essential qualifications for evaluating the greatness of a person's donation:
(1) Percentage: The percentage of wealth donated.
(2) Hardship: The degree of struggle undergone in earning money to make a donation, as well as the degree of struggle undergone after donating that money. So with regards to sacrifice and hardship, there are two components: Before and after.
(a) Hardship Incurred Beforehand: Suppose one is donating a blanket. The “before” effect is how difficult it was for the donor to purchase or acquire the blanket which they are going to donate. Did the person have to use half-a-day’s pay to get the blanket, or are they a multi-millionaire and buying one blanket was essentially nothing for them. This is the degree of hardship incurred beforehand.
(b) Hardship Incurred Afterwards: Once again, suppose a person donated a blanket. So after they gave the blanket away how much hardship did they incur. For a person who has 40 blankets in their house, they did not suffer at all by giving away a single blanket. Whereas if a homeless person gave away his only blanket to another needy person, and in turn that homeless person passed the whole night in the cold without a blanket, then they underwent a lot of hardship. This is the degree of hardship incurred afterwards.
So when considering this aspect of sacrifice or hardship, it is important to look at the conditions both beforehand and afterwards.
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(3) Means: Was the money earned honestly (shuddhodana), or through trickery, deceit, or exploitation.
We will examine these factors. These following stories make this entire issue more clear.
Monkey Hanuman vs. squirrel
Many may know the story from the mythological Ramayana which Baba cites on numerous occasions. King Rama and his army needed to cross the waters from South India to Sri Lanka in order to rescue the Queen Siita. So Rama called all his followers - fighters, animals, everyone - to build a bridge.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "You know the story of the Rámáyańa. During construction of a bridge, the big monkeys carried large stones while the small squirrels brought only tiny grains of sand. Is there any difference between the carrying of tiny grains of sand by the squirrels on the one hand and the carrying of a whole mountain by Hanumán on the other? Both are equally valuable. You may be a small entity like a squirrel, but your existence is in no way insignificant." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, "The most important point to consider is who has utilized his ability and to what extent. Hanuman [the mighty monkey, a devotee of Rama in the mythological epic the Rámáyańa] fetched huge boulders to build a bridge across the sea, while the squirrels collected tiny grains of sand. Yet intrinsically both these actions have the same value...We cannot give more appreciation to those who have not utilized their potentialities properly but have done more work than to those who have fully utilized their talents." (2)
In the above quote, the squirrel utilized 100% percent of its capacity and the big monkey did the same thing. So their contribution was equal despite the fact that the monkey carried much bigger objects. Their percentage of giving and degree of hardship is the same.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
As the story goes, the bridge was built, Rama and his armies crossed, and Siita was rescued. The import of Baba's above teaching is that even though the squirrels only brought tiny grains of sand, their offering and help was as much valued as the dramatic efforts of Hanuman.
Wrong way to evaluate donations
So that is one aspect of Baba's golden guidelines with regard to rendering proper service. How much one is utilizing their inherent potential - what percentage of themselves are they giving toward a certain cause and how much hardship they are undergoing in their service. One thing to be noted is that the total amount donated is NOT a qualifying factor, but unfortunately this is the main thing people value; and, they overlook the above four true factors in assessing the greatness of any financial donation.
A poor man gave 10% - a rich person a negligible
When we apply this formula to the present day capitalist schema, we can understand that a $1 donation by someone who has only $10 is of greater worth than a $50 million donation by some capitalist billionaire worth 72 billion dollars. Because the amount that one gives is not the driving force; what is valued is the percentage of one's wealth and property that they are willing to offer. A poor man gave a significant portion of his wealth whereas a rich person has given only a negligible percent of his wealth, i.e. a minuscule amount in comparison to poor people. By Baba's dharmic guideline, the poor person has comparatively donated much more than the billionaire; hence, the poor person should get more respect.
Although for blind people it looks like the rich person has given a lot, but in the realm of service it is quite minimal. Because he gave only a negligible percentage of his entire wealth and did not undergo any hardship. So his contribution of $50 million is much, much less than the $1 given by that poor person.
Here the overall amount is meaningless. We should never look at the total amount donated per se, but evaluate the donation according to the percentage of one's wealth. That is our Ananda Marga way. $1 to a poor man who does not have food is quite substantial whereas $50 million to a multi-billionaire is quite petty. Thus the poor person underwent greater hardship. That also counts per the viewpoint of bhagavad dharma.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
One added point that should also be noted is that the billionaire will use their $50 million donation as a tax write-off and actually save money. So for the billionaire the act of giving is often a mere exercise in managing their wealth in a strategic manner, whereas the poor person who donates is actually giving away what little money he has. That is why, according to the dictates of bhagavad dharma, that $1 donation is greater as that represents a higher percentage of the person's total wealth. That is one parameter for measuring the quality of social service or one's generosity. And the second parameter is the degree of hardship.
Two stories: degree of sacrifice
Here is an important story that is directly related with Baba's teaching on service and sacrifice.
Once there was a very poor farming family. They had almost no food and were on their deathbed, dying from starvation due to a terrible drought that had stricken the entire region. The family had not eaten for days and was going to share their last few morsels of food amongst the four of them. Just as they were about to eat, a beggar knocked on their door. The beggar was also on the brink of dying due to the famine and requested something to eat. The family knew that if they failed to eat that evening they would meet their death. Even then, one by one, they all gave up their portions and served it to the suffering, starving beggar. The beggar was deeply satisfied by their offering. That night those 4 family members died of starvation.
A mongoose witnessed the entire scene and was awestruck by the family's great sacrifice. In great admiration and joy, the mongoose started rolling around on the floor to purify himself as this was a great offering. The mongoose happened to roll over some of the tiny particles of garbanzo bean flour that had been offered to the beggar which had fallen to the floor. Because that offering was so pious, the wee-bit of flour turned the mongoose's fur golden wherever it came in contact with the mongoose. The mongoose was very surprised and quite pleased to see that half of his body became golden because that fur had come in contact with the tiny food particles of that great offering.
The mongoose then desired to make the rest of his body golden. So whenever and wherever he heard that a great feast or offering to the poor was to be held then he would go there and roll on the floor in hopes of making the rest of his fur golden. And always the participants thought it was bizarre that a mongoose had come and started rolling around in the food that had dropped on the floor. But the mongoose was always disappointed by the results; his body did not become fully golden.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Then finally, the mongoose heard that the great, dharmic King Yudhisthira was to host a grand feast and offering for the poor and hungry people. The mongoose immediately thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to make the rest of his fur golden. Finally the day arrived, and with great pomp and show, King Yudhisthira offered a grand feast to all the poor people in the kingdom. The affair featured the most sumptuous dishes imaginable. That same mongoose arrived with great anticipation as he had been desperately trying to make the rest of his body golden. At this feast he rolled again and again on the floor wherever food had fallen in hopes of making the rest of his body golden. But the food at Yudhirthira's feast had no such effect - the mongoose's fur did not become fully golden.
Hence the mongoose cried out and called the entire gathering a farce. The mongoose said this is not a great offering as the mongoose realised that the poor farmer’s simple offering was made with tremendous sacrifice so that made his fur golden. But this grand, sumptuous feast hosted by King Yudhisthira had no such effect. The mongoose's fur did not become golden because Yudhisthira’s show of offering and sacrifice paled in comparison to the farmer’s incredible example of sacrifice.
Here the point is that King Yudhisthira's offering was not as great as the farmer’s degree of sacrifice; the hardship incurred could not compare.
Shivering in the cold: personal sacrifice & hardship
Baba's teaching in this story is that the greatness of one's offering is measured by the degree of personal sacrifice and hardship. The poor family offered a very little amount of food but they were willing to sacrifice their life. So their offering was indeed great. In comparison, the King Yudhisthira presented mounds and mounds of fanciful dishes to his subjects - without having to undergo any personal sacrifice or suffering - so his offering was basically valueless, according to the measuring rod of bhagavad dharma.
Thus when teams of billionaires gather and give away a meager % of their wealth and property, but undergo no hardship themselves, then their offering is quite paltry in the eyes of dharma. It has little or no value. Whereas if a man has but one ripped blanket and he gives that to a needy passerby while he himself spends the night shivering in the cold, then that offering is very meaningful.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion: Formula to determine real value of donation
From the above stories and examples, we can understand that there are four fundamental factors at play. The value of a person's giving is measured by four qualifications for determining the greatness of a person's donation:
(1) Percentage: The percentage of wealth donated.
(2a) Hardship Incurred Beforehand: The degree of struggle undergone in earning that money.
(2b) Hardship Incurred Afterwards: The degree of struggle undergone after donating that money.
(3) Means: Was the money earned honestly (shuddhodana), or through trickery, deceit or exploitation.
These above factors practically delineate the real value of a particular person’s donation.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Amar
References
1. Namami Krsna Sundaram, Disc: 21
2. Human Society Part 1, 'Social Justice'
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
A blossoming in my life
“Ámi cái ná ei sabhyatá, ámi cái ná ei kut́ilatá...” (Prabhat Samgiita #1341)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, I do not want this pseudo-civilization; my life is for You and Your ideals. I do not want to indulge in hypocrisy and cunningness, but desire to float in the open, vast, blue sky, in the boundless space with the softness of the feathers of the birds. I long for the age of neo-humanism where there are no limitations or boundaries of geo, socio, or humanistic sentiments, nor the serpentine noose of dogmas.
Baba, I wish for more and more spiritual refulgence, the smooth flow of air of neohumanism, along with the vast sky which is studded with stars of spirituality. I yearn for that mental firmament full of intuition which will remove all the crookedness of religion, groupism, and narrowness.
I always keep Parama Purusa in my mind and heart. His blessing and grace bring a blossoming in my life. That is my everything. By His krpa, I will go on painting and covering the darkness with the fragrance of the sandalwood paste of the supreme illumination and bhakti. Wherever there is any impurity, by His causeless blessing it will be removed.
I do not give any value to this mock civilization. I want straightforwardness, a pure heart, and the opportunity to lead a life under His supreme care due to His compassion….
No place for hatred in anusha'sanam
Ananda Marga ideology says, "And what is discipline? The Sam'skrta term for 'discipline' is 'anusha'sanam'. And what is anusha'sanam?"
Note: Commonly people think that discipline means "anusha'sanam" - regardless of the motive or intention. For instance, suppose someone did something wrong and was punished; yet the punishment given to that person was done with the malevolent motive of spite, anger, and hatred in order to harass that person, then still some people term that as "anusha'sanam." But that is wrong; that type of approach can never be termed as anusha'sanam.
Unfortunately, most of the time in the general society, punishment is meted out to make an example of the wrongdoer and show others that they too will be punished in this way etc. This is the harsh message they want to deliver to the common people. But that approach is wholly devoid of any type of welfare motive. Law enforcement agencies carry out their work in this way - most of the time. They do this in the name of discipline. But whatever they call it, this malevolent approach can never be anusha'sanam.
Ideal family life is radically different. In this instance, the desire is to love, teach, nurture, and care for the child. So if that child makes a mistake then the punishment given to the child will be for their welfare and progress. In that case, that discipline comes within the scope of anusha'sanam. The main idea is that if the code of discipline is not for the welfare and betterment of the individual, then that is not anusha'sanam.
In Him,
Satyendra
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3,The Fear of Him
साॅंसारिक वस्तुओं को मैं हमेशा याद रखता हूँ परन्तु तुम्हारा नाम सदा भूल जाता हॅूं।
प्रभात संगीत 838
आमि आरो कोनो किछु भूलि ना, शुधु भूले थाकि तवो नाम...
भावार्थः-
हे परमपुरुष! मुझे यह जान कर बहुत दुख होता है कि मैं तुम्हारा इतना सुन्दर नाम हमेशा ही भूल जाता हॅू। संसार की वस्तुओं का प्रभाव मन में आ जाने के कारण मैं उसे स्थायी रूप से याद नहीं रख पाता हूँ । उन साॅंसारिक वस्तुओं को मैं हमेशा याद रखता हूँ परन्तु तुम्हारा नाम ही भूल जाता हॅूं। हे मेरे सबसे अधिक प्यारे! कृपया मेरे ऊपर दया करो। मैं तुम्हारा नाम प्रत्येक समय हर साँस के साथ लेते रहना चाहता हूँ पर दुख है कि मैं फिर भी भूल जाता हूँ । हे दिव्य सत्ता! भले ही मैं तुम्हें याद न रख पाता होऊं या हर समय नाम नहीं ले पाता हॅूं परंतु अनुभव करता हॅूं कि तुम मुझे प्रेम करते हो । तुम्हारी कृपा से मैं हमेशा तुम्हारा प्रेम अनुभव करता हॅूं विशेष रूप से तब जबकि मैं तुम्हारी ओर देखता हॅूं। तुम कितने आकर्षक और कृपालु हो!
हेे परमपुरुष तुम बहुत सुन्दर हो। तुम्हारी कृपा से जब तारों द्वारा निकलने वाला प्रकाश धरती के कणों को चमकाता हैं तो मेरा मन अनोखे आनन्द का अनुभव करता है।
बाबा! हे परमपुरुष! तुम सबसे अधिक दयालु हो। तुम्हारे द्वारा मेरे हृदय में जो सुन्दर प्रेम उड़ेला गया है, उसने मेरे मन को संतृप्त कर दिया है। वह प्रेम मुझे कंपित कर दिव्य संसार में ले आता है। तुम्हारी कृपा से आज मैं तुम्हारे द्वारा मेरे मन और हृदय को अनुनादित करने वाली रागनी और लय के साथ तुम्हें बार बार साष्टाॅंग प्रणाम करता हॅूं।
हे मेरे प्रभु बाबा! कृपया मेरे ऊपर अहैतुकी कृपा की बरसा कर दो ताकि मैं तुम्हारा दिव्य नाम हमेशा गाता रहूं, कभी न भूलूँ।
Ananda Marga ideology states,"Dharma is based on the solid foundation of vigour derived from universal love. The goal of religion is a non-integral entity and as such there remains a narrow outlook. The goal of dharma, however, is infinite Brahma. So the pursuit of dharma increasingly expands one's vision. Sometimes a kind of alliance is noticed between religions but that is entirely an external alliance. The talk of synthesis of religions is totally absurd; it is merely an apparent show of honesty and grandiloquence to hoodwink the common people. Dharma is always singular in number, and never plural. So there is no question of religious synthesis in dharma. Religion is always plural in number – never singular. The synthesis of religions means their annihilation. Where impermanent entities are worshipped as the goal through various ritualistic paraphernalia, there is no scope for synthesis."
"Religion is practiced for the fulfilment of mundane aspirations. This is the reason why a class of clergymen emerged centring around the religion. Ultimately the adherents of these religions become mere tools in the hands of vested interests. With the awakening of nityánitya viveka in human minds and the opening of the door of scientific knowledge, it will not be possible to deceive the people in the name of religion or by holding out the lure of happiness in the next world. The vested interests are quite aware of this fact and hence strive to keep the masses lost in the darkness of ignorance. Like parasites, they manoeuvre themselves to misappropriate, by injecting fear and inferiority complexes, a lion's share of what the ignorant masses earn with their sweat and blood."
"Religious exploiters maintain an unholy alliance with the capitalistic exploiters. With hands upraised, a religious preceptor blesses the wealthy merchants for their future prosperity but refuses to see the faces of his poor disciples who fail to provide handsome prańámii (a fee for the priest's blessing). You will notice that in many religions mythological stories and fables are given more importance than science and rational ideas because they contain ample scope for exploitation of human weaknesses." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life, The Five Kinds of Conscience (Viveka)
Mahaprayan Dogma
“Ámi cái ná ei sabhyatá, ámi cái ná ei kut́ilatá...” (Prabhat Samgiita #1341)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, I do not want this pseudo-civilization; my life is for You and Your ideals. I do not want to indulge in hypocrisy and cunningness, but desire to float in the open, vast, blue sky, in the boundless space with the softness of the feathers of the birds. I long for the age of neo-humanism where there are no limitations or boundaries of geo, socio, or humanistic sentiments, nor the serpentine noose of dogmas.
Baba, I wish for more and more spiritual refulgence, the smooth flow of air of neohumanism, along with the vast sky which is studded with stars of spirituality. I yearn for that mental firmament full of intuition which will remove all the crookedness of religion, groupism, and narrowness.
I always keep Parama Purusa in my mind and heart. His blessing and grace bring a blossoming in my life. That is my everything. By His krpa, I will go on painting and covering the darkness with the fragrance of the sandalwood paste of the supreme illumination and bhakti. Wherever there is any impurity, by His causeless blessing it will be removed.
I do not give any value to this mock civilization. I want straightforwardness, a pure heart, and the opportunity to lead a life under His supreme care due to His compassion….
== Section: Important Teaching ==
No place for hatred in anusha'sanam
Ananda Marga ideology says, "And what is discipline? The Sam'skrta term for 'discipline' is 'anusha'sanam'. And what is anusha'sanam?"
Hita'rthe sha'sanam ityarthe anusha'sanam"When the code of discipline is imposed with the spirit of welfare, with the spirit of development, it is called `anusha'sanam' in Sam'skrta. There is no corresponding English word." (1)
Note: Commonly people think that discipline means "anusha'sanam" - regardless of the motive or intention. For instance, suppose someone did something wrong and was punished; yet the punishment given to that person was done with the malevolent motive of spite, anger, and hatred in order to harass that person, then still some people term that as "anusha'sanam." But that is wrong; that type of approach can never be termed as anusha'sanam.
Unfortunately, most of the time in the general society, punishment is meted out to make an example of the wrongdoer and show others that they too will be punished in this way etc. This is the harsh message they want to deliver to the common people. But that approach is wholly devoid of any type of welfare motive. Law enforcement agencies carry out their work in this way - most of the time. They do this in the name of discipline. But whatever they call it, this malevolent approach can never be anusha'sanam.
Ideal family life is radically different. In this instance, the desire is to love, teach, nurture, and care for the child. So if that child makes a mistake then the punishment given to the child will be for their welfare and progress. In that case, that discipline comes within the scope of anusha'sanam. The main idea is that if the code of discipline is not for the welfare and betterment of the individual, then that is not anusha'sanam.
In Him,
Satyendra
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3,The Fear of Him
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
साॅंसारिक वस्तुओं को मैं हमेशा याद रखता हूँ परन्तु तुम्हारा नाम सदा भूल जाता हॅूं।
प्रभात संगीत 838
आमि आरो कोनो किछु भूलि ना, शुधु भूले थाकि तवो नाम...
भावार्थः-
हे परमपुरुष! मुझे यह जान कर बहुत दुख होता है कि मैं तुम्हारा इतना सुन्दर नाम हमेशा ही भूल जाता हॅू। संसार की वस्तुओं का प्रभाव मन में आ जाने के कारण मैं उसे स्थायी रूप से याद नहीं रख पाता हूँ । उन साॅंसारिक वस्तुओं को मैं हमेशा याद रखता हूँ परन्तु तुम्हारा नाम ही भूल जाता हॅूं। हे मेरे सबसे अधिक प्यारे! कृपया मेरे ऊपर दया करो। मैं तुम्हारा नाम प्रत्येक समय हर साँस के साथ लेते रहना चाहता हूँ पर दुख है कि मैं फिर भी भूल जाता हूँ । हे दिव्य सत्ता! भले ही मैं तुम्हें याद न रख पाता होऊं या हर समय नाम नहीं ले पाता हॅूं परंतु अनुभव करता हॅूं कि तुम मुझे प्रेम करते हो । तुम्हारी कृपा से मैं हमेशा तुम्हारा प्रेम अनुभव करता हॅूं विशेष रूप से तब जबकि मैं तुम्हारी ओर देखता हॅूं। तुम कितने आकर्षक और कृपालु हो!
हेे परमपुरुष तुम बहुत सुन्दर हो। तुम्हारी कृपा से जब तारों द्वारा निकलने वाला प्रकाश धरती के कणों को चमकाता हैं तो मेरा मन अनोखे आनन्द का अनुभव करता है।
बाबा! हे परमपुरुष! तुम सबसे अधिक दयालु हो। तुम्हारे द्वारा मेरे हृदय में जो सुन्दर प्रेम उड़ेला गया है, उसने मेरे मन को संतृप्त कर दिया है। वह प्रेम मुझे कंपित कर दिव्य संसार में ले आता है। तुम्हारी कृपा से आज मैं तुम्हारे द्वारा मेरे मन और हृदय को अनुनादित करने वाली रागनी और लय के साथ तुम्हें बार बार साष्टाॅंग प्रणाम करता हॅूं।
हे मेरे प्रभु बाबा! कृपया मेरे ऊपर अहैतुकी कृपा की बरसा कर दो ताकि मैं तुम्हारा दिव्य नाम हमेशा गाता रहूं, कभी न भूलूँ।
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How all religions are dangerous and harmful
Ananda Marga ideology states,"Dharma is based on the solid foundation of vigour derived from universal love. The goal of religion is a non-integral entity and as such there remains a narrow outlook. The goal of dharma, however, is infinite Brahma. So the pursuit of dharma increasingly expands one's vision. Sometimes a kind of alliance is noticed between religions but that is entirely an external alliance. The talk of synthesis of religions is totally absurd; it is merely an apparent show of honesty and grandiloquence to hoodwink the common people. Dharma is always singular in number, and never plural. So there is no question of religious synthesis in dharma. Religion is always plural in number – never singular. The synthesis of religions means their annihilation. Where impermanent entities are worshipped as the goal through various ritualistic paraphernalia, there is no scope for synthesis."
"Religion is practiced for the fulfilment of mundane aspirations. This is the reason why a class of clergymen emerged centring around the religion. Ultimately the adherents of these religions become mere tools in the hands of vested interests. With the awakening of nityánitya viveka in human minds and the opening of the door of scientific knowledge, it will not be possible to deceive the people in the name of religion or by holding out the lure of happiness in the next world. The vested interests are quite aware of this fact and hence strive to keep the masses lost in the darkness of ignorance. Like parasites, they manoeuvre themselves to misappropriate, by injecting fear and inferiority complexes, a lion's share of what the ignorant masses earn with their sweat and blood."
"Religious exploiters maintain an unholy alliance with the capitalistic exploiters. With hands upraised, a religious preceptor blesses the wealthy merchants for their future prosperity but refuses to see the faces of his poor disciples who fail to provide handsome prańámii (a fee for the priest's blessing). You will notice that in many religions mythological stories and fables are given more importance than science and rational ideas because they contain ample scope for exploitation of human weaknesses." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life, The Five Kinds of Conscience (Viveka)
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