Namaskar,
Our Guru has blessed us with the six lessons of sahaja yoga which lead us up to the height of human existence: Life divine. In this below story, Baba presents one special technique for doing dhya'na, which as we all know is the sixth lesson of our sahaja yoga practice.
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Those days at His new residence in Lake Gardens (1981)
Back in the early 80's at His Lake Gardens residence, one very unique exchange took place between Sadguru Baba and a few workers which is of interest to all sadhakas. It was the occasion of vasantotsava (spring or colour festival), and Baba was doing His exercise by walking around the outside of His house. He was accompanied by the then PA Dada Keshavananda ji, and a few other workers.
As many will recall, it was Baba's natural way to engage in any number of topics while walking and often He would request those around Him to give their opinion as well. At that time, Baba had recently moved into this Kolkata residence at Lake Gardens and some of the local neighbors were quite interested to have a look at Baba - as He was the Guru of the famed organisation, Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha. Initially, while taking exercise, Baba was commenting on this matter.
Then a few workers and margiis passed by outside the fence. Naturally, those workers and margiis were anxious to see Baba; but, they also did not want to disturb Him. So they were positioning themselves outside the fence and viewing Baba from a distance at their selected spot. Included in that small group of workers and margiis was one brahmacarii. It was at this point that Baba shifted the conversation.
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Baba raises special question about dhyana
Baba inquired from PA Dada and those around him, “Did you see that brahmacarii who just passed by?”
Then PA Dada and those around Him replied affirmatively.
Baba then told, “He (the brahmacarii) has his own philosophy. Whenever I am sitting anywhere then He stares at Me and does dhya'na - without closing his eyes.”
Baba further explained, “When he sees Me then he does all the aspects of his dhyana lesson which he usually practices when his eyes are closed. The difference being that when in My Presence, while gazing at me intently he does all those aspects of dhyana with his eyes open.”
Then Baba asked those around Him, “What do you think: Is this proper or not?”
In reply, PA Dada and the others began giving their response. They could not agree on the matter. It was a mixed reply. Some were telling, 'Yes it is proper' and others were telling, 'No it was not proper.'
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After a few moments Baba gave His opinion, “It is proper. After all, it may not always be so easy to visualise Me perfectly internally; so what is wrong if a sadhaka looks at Me directly and does dhyana. I think it is proper.”
How the story became known
By this way, Baba has approved of the technique of sometimes doing dhyana with one's eyes open while fixing their gaze on Him. Then, on that particular day, in a natural way Baba again shifted the conversation in another direction. And when His walking routine finished, it was PA Dada's normal habit to go around and tell everyone exactly what Baba was talking about. And it was in this manner that this story about doing dhyana with one's eyes open became known to various Dadas and margiis, including Ac Amitananda Avt etc.
Doing dhyana with one's eyes open: at present also
By hearing this story, some may naively think that the opportunity for this type of practice has come and gone - as if doing dhyana with one's eyes open could only be done in His physical presence. But that is not true. Baba's above divine guideline stands as a universal, eternal truth for all sadhakas of all ages. Nowadays, one can use images of Baba’s blessing mudra.
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It is a fact of life that when doing dhyana with one's eyes closed then it may not always be easy to perfectly visualise Baba. Sometimes we see Him very clearly inside and sometimes less so. There are occasions when that pristine clarity of Baba's varabhaya mudra (pratikrti) may not always be easy to visualise internally.
To resolve this, Baba has given His expressed approval that one may gaze intently at Him - i.e. His photo - and engage the mind in the practice of dhyana with the eyes open. This Baba has approved as one step of dhyana.
At the same time we should realise that it is not a passive process where one is just casually looking at Baba. That is not the spirit of the practice. Rather, doing dhyana with one's eyes open is a distinctly active practice where one is fully concentrated and staring at Him with one-pointed concentration and ideation. And in that fixed manner, with their eyes open intently staring at Him, the sadhaka can serve Baba and engage in all the various ways which they normally serve Him while doing their usual closed-eyes dhyana practice. With this type of total concentration, one can get dhyana siddhi.
Namaskar,
In Him
Parashram
~ Related points ~
This aforementioned practice of doing dhyana, intently gazing at Baba's photo with one’s eyes open, has been approved by Baba. So this is something for every sadhaka to try, if they so desire. This can be done in association with one's usual dhyana practice to help better focus one's vision and mind on Him.
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By Baba's infinite grace and endless compassion may we all reach new heights in our dhyana practice. Here are a few more inspiring words from Baba about dhyana.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "Dhyana is the unbroken flow of the mind-stuff, or citta, in one continuous stream, like the flow of oil, where all the propensities of the mind are fixed on the Goal." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Dhya'na yoga which elevates human beings through constant self-analysis, obliterates the very existence of the non-spiritual, and expedites one's elevation into the supreme spiritual stance." (2)
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "Try, O Sa'dhaka, to know only Him, in Whom are held the sky, the world and the void, in whom are ensconced the mind, the five vital forces and the sensory and motor organs. Shun all other pointless considerations except your efforts to know Him. You are mortal, subject to death. Your desire of establishing yourself in deathlessness has been with you from eternity. And that very Brahma is the bridge leading to that state of deathlessness. So you will reap the real good, if you can only know Him." (3)
References
1. Caryacarya, part 1, Sadhana
2. Microvita in a Nutshell, Smell and Microvita – Excerpt C
3. Subhasita Samgraha - 2, The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 2
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.
* * *
Blissful Ananda Purnima song
"Ajánáy chile jáná májhe ele, tabu kata t́uku jániyáchi..." (Prabhat Samgiita #3544)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, You were unknown but ever-present as Nirguna Brahma. Baba, today, with Your infinite beauty and charm You have come as the Taraka Brahma. In the past, You were completely unknown to me. I could not conceive of You, yet now You have come in my proximity, in my awareness. Even then how little I can understand and grasp of You. The more familiar I am with You, the more I realise that I do not know. The degree of my ignorance goes on increasing. I always feel like there is a lot more to know as You are beyond my mental conception.
Baba, the sweet flower fragrance, the blackness of the clouds, and the grandeur of the mountain, each expression, whether good or bad, looks beautiful. I go on again and again wondering why I am attracted to all these diverse manifestations, whose beauty and charm are expressed through the flora and fauna, and through this entire creation. You are presenting Yourself through all aspects of this universe, and that is why all these forms are charming and pleasing.
Baba, I have not seen You, yet have sat for sadhana thousands of times, but still have never had You in dhyana or up to my heart's content. I have not been able to hold You tightly in the depths of my core, nor do anything to You which I would like to do. Up till now I could not get You very, very close, and have not been able to serve You in my mental lotus, in my Guru cakra. Even then in hundreds and millions of ways, my mind rushes towards You, trying to pull You near, into the bosom of my being.
My Parama Purusa, please be gracious and eternally remain with me, as my most intimate and dearest One…
Margiis = Wts & family persons
The Supreme Command holds great importance; accordingly, it has been placed at the beginning of each and every AM book. The following lines from the Supreme Command guide us that all disciples of Sadguru Baba are margiis - irrespective of their dress.
(A) Supreme Command states, "Every Ananda Margii will have to perform sadhana twice a day invariably; verily is this the command of the Lord." (1)
(B) Supreme Command states, "It is the bounden duty of every Ananda Margii to endeavor to bring all to the path of bliss." (2)
Obviously these above two tenets of the Supreme Command are not only for family disciples of Baba. The directives in the Supreme Command are for all. Hence, Ananda Margii refers to a disciple of Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji, irrespective of whether one is a family person or a wholetime worker.
References
1. Supreme Command
2. Supreme Command
Festival: Ananda Purniima - Thurs, 23rd May
Baba stories
