Baba
Prout & Olympics etc
Namaskar,For the past few decades, the ongoing trend is that countries, both the so-called wealthy ones and impoverished, spend huge money on constructing fancy buildings and glamorous stadiums to enhance the prestige of their nation for international sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup etc. Yet, side by side, in some cases like with Rio, Athens, South Africa, and Turin etc, the living standard of their own citizens is shockingly low: even shanty towns, no running water, lack of food, no clothes for the children, lack of access to medical care and education etc. This has been the unfortunate trend and now we see that continuing onwards.
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This is the long-standing problem. Host nations spend billions, the nation's poor are trampled upon, and in the end there is little to show except financial debt and stadiums that will never be used again.
Systemic problem
So many other nations have been involved in similar propositions - both past and present, everything from the building of the Konark temple (Orissa) in the vipran era to countries hosting the Olympics in this present vaeshyan era. In all such cases huge resources have been allocated by the state to create glorious structures and impress people across the world stage, yet side by side those living in the vicinity of those stadiums lack the basic necessities (food, water, shelter) and will never ever get the chance to enter or use those facilities either. Should such activities be allowed to continue? What is the cause behind such maneuvers? What is Prout's stand?
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Cause #1: capitalist stooges governing the country
There are two main causes behind this current problem: (a) wastage of money, and (b) heartlessness and lack of concern for the suffering humanity.
Prout's stand is for the rational utilization and proper distribution of all resources (physical, psychic and spiritual) and the very essence of Prout is about giving a voice to the voiceless, i.e. having heartfelt sympathy for those in need. Thus whether it be the huge monies spent by countries like Greece, China, Canada, London, or Russia to host the Olympics or lavish airports in cities like Chicago or Bangkok, those governments indulge in tremendous spending to show the world how modern and perfect their land is, when in fact all around there is struggle and strife amongst the masses.
When governments procure just a little extra money they embark on such prestigious projects and completely overlook the well-being of the common people - i.e. the very people whom they are supposed to serve. Plus those same leaders spend all their brain power convincing the common masses that this is indeed the right way to spend the state's money. That is how both the over accumulation of physical and psychic resources plays out in these scenarios.
For instance, Greece and other nations spent every penny they had to host the Olympics - not only that, they incurred a huge debt, from which they are still suffering today. So the huge amount of funds they poured into the Olympics failed to resolve so many internal issues for their citizens - things like education, job stability etc. Now today, their situation is even worse as their entire government faces bankruptcy. And one of the root causes is spending on lavish arrangements for the Olympics.
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Cause #2: heartless neglect of common people
Side by side, there is a heartlessness involved. The powers that be pay a deaf ear and blind eye to the suffering and want of the common people. Whether it be naked children, rotting schools, or food shortages, those wealthy bureaucrats justify that the poor people bring it upon themselves and the state is therefore not responsible. Or those rulers simply do not even give it a second thought. Whatever the case may be, with their callous hearts they overlook the suffering of their own people.
Huge state expenditures are made for events like the Olympics and the World Cup. Yet when all is said and done, the common people receive no support at all. Just they were left to wallow in their own struggle while their elected and appointed officials revile in the glory of being a host on the world stage. For the sake of the prestige of a few, an entire people is made to suffer. Such leaders live a heartless existence. They look away from those in need - i.e. their own people.
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Churches & temples of the past
Nowadays in Europe, less than 2% of the population attends church in some countries, yet still there are huge cathedrals and church lands from the days when the vipras were in power and the church controlled much of the wealth. Those days also money was used frivolously at the expense of the welfare of the common people - just so that they could boast that they had the most elegant cathedral etc.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "While money has been spent lavishly for the construction of beautiful places of worship, money has never been arranged for food, clothing, housing, education and medical care for the welfare of the poor. While for four full years all the state revenues of Orissa were spent for the construction of the Konark temple, during that period not a penny was spent for human welfare. Needless to say, the history of all countries is replete with such examples." (1)
The Olympics do not bring peace
Some attest that the Olympics bring peace and amity. Let's take a closer look to see if this is true or not. In 1936, Nazi Germany hosted the Olympics in Berlin and shortly thereafter World War II began. Throughout the Cold War period, nations like the US and USSR participated in countless Olympics, but that never eased political or military tensions. And for decades Middle-Eastern nations have been involved in the Olympics yet those countries remain embattled - locally and globally. Likewise India and Pakistan have been participating in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games for years, all the while they have remained antagonistic towards one another.
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Conclusion & solution
Various international organisations like the United Nations etc do not build new offices every time they hold a meeting. Rather they return to the same venue again and again. The same should be done with the Olympics. There can be 4 fixed sites around the globe. The Olympics can simply rotate through those 4 venues, returning to the same site every 16 years. That way each facility can be of a premium standard and well maintained. An international board will manage the sites and distribute profits to all nations. During "off years" when the Olympics is not being held at a particular site then that location can be used for the Asia games or other competitions. This will bring regular use and income to each site. It will not be like the way things are now where an entire Olympic sporting complex is built for the Olympics, only to sit unused and fall into disrepair as soon as the games are over.
Namaskar,
at His lotus feet,
Madhumita’
~ In-depth study ~
Wastage of money while people suffer
One striking example of this is how South Africa spent an astronomical amount of money to erect a huge, new football stadiums for the World Cup, yet that same country remains home to terrible poverty - and high criminal activity as a result. It was reported that an estimated million children (between the ages of 0-18) are living in dire poverty in South Africa and in the capital city itself there are 50 - 70 homicides a day. Plus there are innumerable other stark reports which delineate the extreme and dire situation in South Africa. Yet all the country’s financial and natural resources were used to hold the World Cup.
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Prior to and during the winter Olympics in Vancouver B.C., there were massive protests that this was the wrong way to spend the state's money. After all, they constructed stadiums and venues to impress the world and built an Olympic village to house the athletes, only to tear down the village the day after it was over and watch those stadiums sit empty for the coming years. That is what has happened so many times in the past from Barcelona to Atlanta to Athens to Beijing to Sochi etc. Each time the host country tries to impress the world with their modern construction and side by side cover up and hide their poverty.
The Olympics is certainly the biggest stage but this type of fiscal impropriety also happens with events like the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and even with university tournaments etc. In this vaeshyan era, maximum money is spent on sporting venues whereas in the past during the vipran era all the public monies were used for the construction of cathedrals and temples.
Baba's relevant teachings
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "It is desirable that the management of industrial, agricultural, trade and commercial enterprises not be in the hands of the central government or the world government (after the establishment of the world government). If it is, the common people will not get the direct or even the indirect opportunity to participate in the management of these enterprises. In such cases capitalists, opportunists or self-seeking politicians can easily take control of them and misappropriate public wealth." (2)
Prout philosophy states:
"That is, these days, a person who possesses wealth is respected and revered whereas a person without money is a person honoured by none. The poor, whoever they may be, have to woo the rich just for the sake of earning their livelihood. Human values have become meaningless, for human beings have become the means for the rich to earn money. The rich, having purchased the human mind with their money, are busy playing a game of chess with the other members of society. Bereft of everything, people toil round the clock to earn a mere pittance. Today the motto of people is, “I have to send some food particles into the apathetic stomach after somehow taking a dip in the muddy water amidst hyacinths.”"
"Those who are at the helm of society, constantly suspicious of others, forever count their losses and profits. They have no desire to think about the plight of humanity. Rather, to gratify themselves they are ready to chew the human bone, and suck human blood. For the self-centred there is no place for feelings of mercy, sympathy or camaraderie. The railway stations and market places are full of half-clad beggars and lepers desperately stretching out their begging bowls, earning their livelihood in the only way they know. They are fortunate if anyone contemptuously flings them a copper coin. The old blind beggars sitting all day long on the steps of a bridge automatically lift their bowls whenever anyone walks past. But their hungry pleas fall on deaf ears. On the other side of the social coin, sumptuous dishes are being prepared to entertain the rich dignitaries. These contrasts ridicule the present human society."
"Today, those who occupy high posts are also respected. Dignity is attached to post or rank. A station master will take great pains to prepare the railway minister's visit, but will never trouble himself with the inconveniences faced by the ordinary passengers. Luxurious houses are built for high-ranking officers while the poor live in shanty towns, barely protected from the elements. I don't say that large houses should never be built, but that everyone should be provided the minimum requirements. “I admit that both rice and tasty dishes are necessary for people, but I shall not demand a sumptuous dish from the goddess of food until I see that India has been overflooded with an abundance of rice.”"
"These days educated people are so proud of their erudition that they detest illiterate people and avoid the company of commoners. Thus they shun village life and live in towns. When the question of returning to the village crops up, they say, “What on earth would we do in a village? There's not a single person to talk to. Only idiots live there.” This explains why almost all attention is focused on the urban areas to the detriment of the villages. While soliciting votes, political leaders pay a short visit to the villages with a mouthful of attractive promises. They promptly inform the ignorant populace about their great achievements in constructing huge dams; though perhaps village cultivation is becoming impossible due to want of irrigation. They give detailed descriptions about their plans to build bridges and bungalows and install television sets, though perhaps in that village people die for want of medicine, or beg for food in poverty-stricken desperation. And yet the common villagers constitute the backbone of society. Even in the towns not everyone gets equal opportunities. The pavements have become the home for so many people. Rabindranath says, “There are always a number of uncelebrated people in the human civilization. They are the majority, and they are the medium, but they have no time to become human beings. They are raised on the leftovers of the national wealth. They are poorly dressed and receive little education, yet they serve the rest of society. They give maximum labour but are rewarded with ignominy – they die of starvation or are tortured to death by those they serve. They are deprived of all life's amenities. They are the candlestick of civilization: they stand erect with the candle resting on their head. Everyone gets light from it, while they suffer the discomfort of the wax trickling down their sides. In this way, the dishonest of humanity or the neglect of human values has become a social malady.”"(3)
As Ananda Margiis, we should bear in mind that peace only comes with the eradication of exploitation. So long as there is exploitation there will never be peace, regardless of a country's involvement in the Olympic games or not.
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References
1. Ráŕh: The Cradle of Civilization, Rahr - 6
2. Problems of the Day, Point #11
3. A Few Problems Solved - 2, Social Values and Human Cardinal Principles
==> Prior letter about Olympics
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Note: Only those who sincerely practice the higher lessons of sahaja yoga meditation can understand this song in the depths of their heart.
"Prabhu tomár liilár chale, keno rákho more bhúliye…” (Prabhat Samgiita #0354)
Purport:
My Parama Purusa, with the magical display of avidya maya, You make me captivated with this world. I remain engrossed in mundane affairs and oblivious about You, most of the time. With Your divine play of hide and seek, You are keeping me forgetful about You. O’ Supreme Entity why You do like this. I have seen so much of Your liila, but now I want the Liila-Personified Parama Purusa. Baba, please do not keep me engrossed in material objects.
Magnificent Entity, my heart longs to have You and roll under Your pinkish feet - and surrender everything at Your altar. My whole existence is dedicated to You. I want to fulfil all Your orders. Utilise me as a machine in Your hand and use it the way You like. Make me Your medium to always do things the way You wish. Baba, my whole being is at Your disposal.
Baba, the days are coming and going, yet my time has been wasted in the merriment of eating, drinking, and sleeping. My life could not be utilised in proper work: sadhana and kiirtan. I could not do spiritual practices or perform social service in the real sense. Just my life is going on in vain, in an invisible way. Now please save me from this predicament.
Parama Purusa, please do not play Your liila with me by keeping Yourself distant anymore, kindly bless me...
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Warning to pet owners
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "A monkey is a more developed animal than a dog or a cow, but as it does not live with humans, its development - the speed of its development - is less. Dogs and cows, who live with humans have a speedier evolution. A monkey which lives in the proximity of humans also has a speedier development." (1)
Note: But the reverse effect happens in the case of humans. Those people who keep such animals as their pets and live around those animals become that animal in their future life. This happens due to deep attachment with that animal and overall lack of Brahmabhava. Baba has given countless demonstrations about this.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 5, Don't Be Misguided
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Good and bad in Buddhism
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Buddha clearly and firmly supported the doctrine of rebirth. In fact, no doctrine before him had placed as much stress on the theory of rebirth as his did. One who accepts the theory of rebirth is bound to accept the existence of átman also. If the átman is non-existent, then who will take rebirth? Although there is a controversy about Buddha’s theistic or atheistic beliefs, there is no doubt about his concept of morality. In fact, in every sentence of Buddha’s teachings, in every rhythm of his vibrations, his moralism radiates unblemished light, pure effulgence. Before him, no one had tried to illumine the minds of people with the brilliant rays of this kind of moralism. He advocated the Eight-Fold Path [Aśt́a Shiila] as a path of human progress, to lead people from animality to humanity. This Eight-Fold Path consists of (1) Proper Philosophy, (2) Proper Determination, (3) Proper Speech, (4) Proper Occupation, (5) Proper Exercise, (6) Proper Work, (7) Proper Memory [i.e., meditation] and (8) Proper Attainment of Samádhi. He exhorted people to follow these progressive steps, and his teachings without doubt laid a solid base for human morality.” (1)
Reference
1. Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Shiva in the Light of Philosophy
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga ideology says, “Because each and everybody in this universe gets energy from Parama Purusa, He is the Supreme Source of energy.”
“This earth and all the other planets and satellites of this solar system get their energy from the sun. The sun is the source of their energy. But He is the source of the sun’s energy. And that’s why He is jvalantam.”
“And that’s why I have said that there won’t be any thermal death of this universe. Because He is jvalantam, He is present, and He will be present forever. So there won’t be any shortage of energy in this cosmic system, though there may be a shortage of energy in some particular portion of the earth or the cosmos.” (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, The Fear of Him
== Section: Important Teaching ==
LGBT people can’t understand this dharmic guideline
Alert: this below teaching from Baba is not for hardcore gay people and their fanatical supporters. This is for sincere Ananda Margiis.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "An animal life is given to carnal pleasure human life is for sádhaná." (1)
In Ananda Marga, human life is for sadhana; thus the mind must be guided in this way. Yet that is impossible if one is plunged in sexual dealings etc. Indeed, if one is indulged in sex solely for the sake of sex, as is the case with homosexuals / gays etc, then sadhana is not possible. Such types of persons cannot understand Ananda Marga teachings. They cannot grasp that the mind should be goaded towards Parama Purusa. An aspirant should remain in Brahmabhava throughout the day. then sadhana will be successful, otherwise not. So the mind should be trained accordingly. Gay / lustful sexual relations undermine this endeavour.
Alert: this above teaching from Baba is not for hardcore gay people and their fanatical supporters. This is for sincere Ananda Margiis.
Reference
1. Caryacarya - 2, Sadhana, Point #4
== Section 4: Links ==