Baba
Story: use almanac when traveling?
Namaskar,
My wife had traveled to her father’s house for a family visit and later on I went there to accompany her for the return trip back to our home. All along it was my plan that from her father’s house we would return home via Jamalpur so we could see Baba.
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Dogma: starting journey by consulting almanac
While at my father-in-law’s, I made the plan that we would leave there on Saturday and head to Jamalpur. When my father-in-law heard this, he adamantly protested our leaving on Saturday as he insisted that according to the stars and the almanac, Saturday would not be an auspicious day to go in the direction of Jamalpur.
Although I partially disagreed with his premise and thought his whole plan was dogmatic, I decided not to leave on Saturday as I did not want to go against the almanac. So I canceled our program to depart on Saturday and opted to leave on Sunday instead. My father-in-law approved of the new plan and said it would be a very favourable day to travel in the direction of Jamalpur.
When Sunday arrived, my wife and I got ready and headed out the door, and a lizard fell on my wife’s head. My wife took this as a very auspicious sign and felt assured that this would be a particularly good journey. In addition, as we were leaving, my wife saw a fisherman catch a fish and noted that this too was a good sign - as it indicates that the trip would be smooth.
When we arrived at the bus station we found that the bus drivers had gone on strike just a few hours earlier. So none of the buses were in operation. We waited there for hours and hours to see if there would be a change, or if we could get an alternative form of transportation. Finally, we got the opportunity to board a cargo truck. It was extremely uncomfortable and slow. The back-breaking experience on the cargo truck came to an end when we reached the train station - only to find that the trains to Jamalpur were quite delayed. We sat at the station for some time and boarded a late evening train. In sum, what should have been a 2-hour journey from my father-in-law’s to Jamalpur turned into a 12-hour nightmare. The whole day was wasted and lost.
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Baba’s darshan & guidance
Ultimately, we reached Jamalpur in the very late evening hours. We did not say anything to anyone about our arduous journey. Just we arrived in Jamalpur, went to the hall, and did sastaunga pranam to Baba as He was leaving after concluding general darshan in the late evening.
Baba noticed our arrival and said, “Ok, you have come so your journey was an auspicious one.”
Then He sweetly told, “When planning a trip do not consult the stars or the almanac. Look at how many problems you faced today.”
We felt so blessed to have the all-knowing Entity as our Guru, Who dispels all sorts of dogmas and superstitions and only guides us towards dharmic pursuits etc. We felt completely bathed in His love and care - which words cannot describe.
Baba proceeded on and immediately all others present came up to us and asked what it all meant. So we explained about how our trip was planned and all the difficulties we encountered and then they all understood why Baba had spoken in that way. For us, we could only think how gracious Baba is and how blessed we were to have His darshan.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
From that day forward, I clearly understood that I should never compromise with dogma in any way - regardless of whom I was interacting with. Never again did I pay heed to my father-in-law’s requests to travel on certain days based on the almanac readings. Just I would take Guru mantra and embark on my journey.
Conclusion
This below guideline is certainly related with embarking a journey; plus it is also related with all other endeavours in life. That's to say, no one should engage in any type of activity thinking, "This star will help me or this star will thwart my progress." Baba's below guideline can be taken in a very broad scope. This directive applies to all kinds of work, plannings, and programs. In no case should we consult the stars. These stars have no role in controlling our future.
Ananda Marga social scripture states, “You shall not take into account the dates and stars while setting out on a journey. You may, as necessary, set out for your destination after ascribing Brahma-hood to your journey through guru mantra. If you are to consult the dates and stars at every step, you are to carry an almanac with you all the time – something which is truly contrary to nature.” (1)
Namaskar,
at His lotus feet,
Shyam
The above account was told by Family Acarya Kamalakant. He was the one who had heeded his father-in-law’s wishes and arranged his travel plans according to the almanac etc.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Stars do not control you; your original actions control you
Ananda Marga ideology states, "So-called astrologers say that because you were born when the moon and such-and-such star or planet were within the jurisdiction of such-and-such zodiac [sign,] you took birth in this way. No. Because you committed this type of action, you were born within such-and-such structure or such-and-such zodiac [sign]. It is because of [your] actions that you were born on the earth and should suffer like this; not because of the [influences of] the stars. Do you follow? These actions brought you within the structural limits of such-and-such zodiac [sign] and such-and-such planets. So the stars do not [control] you; your original actions control you. And where [the original action] is not known to you, but the result is known to you, the result is experienced by you, you say it is niyati. It is also called adrśt́a in Sanskrit. Adrśt́a means “not-drśt́a, not seen”. Where you feel the reaction, where you witness the reaction, but you cannot see the original action, it is called adrśt́a, that is, unseen. You do not know what the original crime was that you committed, but you are [driven by] the reaction. So you say, “It is my adrśt́a.”" (2)
References
1. Caryacarya - 1, ‘Commencing a Journey’
2. Subhasita Samgraha - 24, The Causal Matrix
Plagiary?
It is the accepted international standard and Baba's system not to copy another's work and publish it in your own way. Baba has given a very strict rule on plagiarism. Why is Baba against plagiarism or stealing someone's work? There are many reasons:
1) It is against the code of asteya (non-stealing).
2) Countless stories of bhaktas need to be published. But some do not want to do the hard work of compiling and writing these stories, so they just steal them from others. But new stories need to be told, otherwise so many unpublished stories of sadhakas will be lost and forgotten forever. So watch out for story thieves, and kindly help them not to steal by posting on social media in their own way. If you want to forward this story then attach the following yellow section with the story:
“Courtesy of unknown bhakta via Ananda Marga Universal (https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/)”
This will be treated as the standard protocol.
* * *
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 ==
Intellectual understanding of Prakrti
Baba's following teaching outlines the names of Parama Prakrti in the phase of Srs't'i cakra, i.e. during the phase of creation.
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "At the first stage, when there is no imbalance in the triangle of forces, Prakrti is called Kaośikii Shakti (Shivánii Shakti). She is given this name because she is responsible for the creation of the kośas [layers of mind]. In that supreme stage Kaośikii remains unmanifested, remains as the primordial cause of all subsequent manifestations.
"The second stage of Prakrti occurs when the triangle of forces loses its equilibrium. This is the stage at which Prakrti is first expressed as a straight line emerging from one of the vertices of the unbalanced triangle. It is called the Bhaeravii or intermediate stage. At this stage of expression there is no wave, and hence creation remains beyond the scope of perception. It is only when náda [flow without curvature] is converted into kalá [flow with curvature] that creation comes within the scope of perception."
"When Bhaeravii Shakti attains the form of kalá She is called Bhavánii Shakti, and thus begins Prakrti's third stage of expression. Bhavánii Shakti is active in air, light, vital energy and numerous other entities, and is responsible for maintaining the coordinating link between the crude and the subtle." (1)
According to the above teaching, there are three central stages of Parama Prakrti during the unfolding of creation. Kindly take note of the corresponding English term in each phase.
1. Basic Principle = Kaos'iki Shakti / Shiva'ni Shakti: At this point, Parama Prakrti is completely dormant as there is only Nirguna Brahma; the universe is not yet manifest.
2. Primordial Principle = Bhaeravii Shakti: This marks the very start of creation, but it is not perceptible in any sort of way.
3. Vibrational Principle = Bhava'nii Shakti: In this aspect, there is the clear manifestation of creation in the form of the various factors (solid, liquid, luminous, aerial, and ethereal), as well as the existence of various unit beings etc.
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 9, The Devotee and the Lord
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Way to build society
Prout philosophy says, “The method of utilization should vary in accordance with the changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of a progressive nature. Take a particular example. Suppose a physically strong person serves the society as a rickshaw puller or a market porter. As the rickshaw may become outdated some day, the method of utilizing their physical strength should vary. If a person is intellectually developed but has the same physical strength as others, their intellectual potentiality should be utilized. Thus the process of utilization will not be the same for all people. Better methods of utilization should be continually developed, but the process of utilization should be progressive in nature.” (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, Talks on Prout
== Section: Prout ==
Unholy alliance between religious leader & rich to exploit public
Prout philosophy states, “In ancient times powerful rájas and mahárájas used to perform yajiṋas or sacrifices to declare that they were heroes, but this was also a form of exploitation. They erected many temples to hide their ill-deeds, not out of devotional spirit. There was an unholy alliance between physical exploiters and intellectual exploiters. Intellectuals have praised these rájas and mahárájas in all ages. Another form of exploitation is the priesthood. Capitalism will never go against the priesthood nor will priests go against capitalism. In order to create inferiority complexes in the minds of the people, intellectuals have composed many stories and myths. These stories are illogical and concocted to exploit the sentiments of the common mass. One glaring instance is the following verse composed by satanic opportunists.”
Bráhmańásya mukhamásiit váhurájano’bhavat
Madhya tadasya yad vaeshyahpadbhyaḿ shudrojáyata.
“Brahmins came out of the mouth, Kśatriyas were born out of the arms,
Vaeshyas came out of the trunk of the body, and Shúdras were born out of the legs.”
“In the capitalist structure, industry or production is governed by the profit motive, but in the Proutistic structure production will be governed by the motive of consumption.” (1)
Reference
1. Talks on Prout
== Section 3: Links ==
Dos & don'ts about clapping
Story: Baba came in dark night out of the blue
Tied up humans
Development of AM org (AMPS)
When to capitulate
