Ananda Marga Universal Forum: 06/29/17

Thursday, June 29, 2017

’Give’ Namaskar: dogma

Reply to: anandamargauniversal1@yogasamsthanam.net

Baba

’Give’ Namaskar: dogma

Namaskar,

You know that Baba's pristine and perfect teachings of Ananda Marga are 100% dogma-free. So everything Baba has given is itself dharma. That entails all our various practices and forms of salutations, including doing namaskar. However, there are some who have their own view and are involved in mixing 'namaskar' with other things. By this way, people confuse our dharmic Ananda Marga teachings with local dogmas. Here we begin with some of Baba's divine guidelines.

http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

AM salutations, doing vs giving

In one key chapter of Caryacarya, Sadguru Baba outlines the beauty and uniqueness of the various salutations used in Ananda Marga - including doing namaskar.

Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "There are three methods of salutation: (1) sa's't'aunga pran'a'ma [prostration], (2) caran’a sparsha pran'a'ma [touching the feet], (3) namaska'ra." (Caryacarya - 1, '95 Edn, p.16)

In our Ananda Marga there are three different grades or levels of salutation. And each has its own speciality and use. Yet one common feature among them all is that they all involve doing something - they all incorporate mudras (postures).

Doing namaskar

For example, as we all know our namaskar salutation is one special type of performance or action where 'doing' is involved.

Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "Namaska'ra is done by bringing the palms together and touching the a'jina' cakra [the midpoint of the eyebrows] with the thumbs, without bowing. It can be done to all regardless of age, because this mode of salutation is used with the ideation that everyone is the manifestation of the Supreme Being. (Caryacarya - 1, '95 Edn, p.16-17)

As we have all experienced in our daily life, with full heart and mind we follow various actions and mudras (postures) in order to do the namaskar salutation. First we fold our hands and raise them to the ajina cakra, close our eyes, touch the trikuti (spot between the eyebrows), take ideation, and then bring the hands down to the level of the heart (anahata cakra), and finally we say, 'namaskar'. Per Baba's system, namaskar is something that is done using certain specific mudras and movements. Both mind and heart are fully involved.

Why are people writing “give/gave namaskar” etc

The central question of this letter is: Why do certain sadhakas write in their newsletters, stories, day to day emails, and books "give namaskar" instead of "do namaskar." Instead of writing "do namaskar", they write or say things like "one margii brother gave namaskar", or they recount, "Baba gave namaskar." This is a mounting misunderstanding.

It seems some became accustomed to the expressions 'give my salutations' and 'give salute' and ‘give thanks” etc. So they unknowingly applied this 'give' term to our namaskar practice also. After all, for most, namaskar was a new practice for them and they did not know how to describe it. By this way they created the dogma of 'give namaskar'. It is so unfortunate that our Dadas could not properly teach them about this from the very outset. Then this whole problem could have been averted.

So this entire matter was preventable. And actually, if they would have had a little more opportunity they would have instituted other dogmas such as referring to our Ananda Marga sadhana practice as 'prayer' or 'namaz'. And they would have labeled our Guru Puja practice as 'kneeling down posture for prayer worship'. In this way when given a little scope people end up creating all sorts of dogmas and that is what has happened in the case of 'give namaskar'.

So we should all be conscious and alert about this and we should be strict in following Baba's system. Namaskar is a distinctly active greeting wherein the sadhaka is fully linked with their mind and heart when doing this greeting. One has to do something because the active science of mudra (posture) is involved.

Conclusion: ‘Give Namaskar’ is wrong

Our dharmic Ananda Marga salutation system is three tiered: Namaskar, Pran'a'm, and Sa's't'aunga Pran'a'm. And they are all linked together in that all the salutations involve doing various mudras etc. So we should write or say--- "do sa's't'aunga pran'a'ma" and we "do caran'a sparsha pran'am" we "do namaskar". And not say we "give sa's't'aunga pran'a'ma" and we "give caran'a sparsha pran'am" or "give namaskar".

All the three salutations are done in a complementary spirit of using specific ideations and their own particular mudras etc. And each is based in dharma. So we should be vigilant about not to write or say 'giving namaskar’ rather say "doing namaskar".

Namaskar,

In Him,

Vinay

http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

~ In-depth study ~

Doing caran'a sparsha pran'a'm

And similar is the case with caran'a sparsha pran'a'ma. As is commonly understood, caran'a means 'feet' and sparsha means 'touch'. So this salutation also involves doing something. It is not just the passing of words like when one gives thanks.

Rather in this special mudra or posture known as pranam one has to bend down, extend the hands and touch the respected person's feet, and bring the hands up to the ajina cakra and touch the trikuti, and then and with full feeling and admiration bring the folded hands to the heart and say, 'pranam'. So just like in the namaskar salutation, also when doing caran'a sparsha pran'a'ma various mudras are involved.

Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "Caran'a sparsha pran'a'ma means to touch the feet of a revered person with one's hands and then to touch one's forehead with those same hands. This pranam should only be done to those who command high regard from the worldly or spiritual viewpoint. As far as possible, do not do caran'a sparsha pran'a'ma except to persons such as these. Never do caran'a sparsha pran'a'ma to people whom you do not regard, whoever they may be." (Caryacarya - 1, '95 Edn, p.16)

Doing sastaunga pran'a'm

The third system of salutation in the Ananda Marga system is sa's't'aunga pran'a'ma. And in this mudra or posture one also has to do many things. With full reverence first one has to lie down, then extend the hands in full prostration, touch all the eight limbs, and arouse the feeling of surrender, and after surrendering then rise up half-way from the ground and shift the body to the kneeling position, and while kneeling then fold the hands and bring them up to the ajina cakra and touch the trikuti and then bring the hands to the level of the heart (anahata cakra)-- all the while mentally surrendering to Baba.

So the whole process of doing sastaunga pran'a'm is a big engagement; and while doing it one is deeply involved. In comparison 'giving thanks' is one passive vocal expression whereas doing sastaunga pranam incorporates all the limbs, indeed the entire body is involved, and on the top the sadhaka mentally surrenders to Marga Gurudev.

Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "Sa's't'aunga pran'a'ma is a symbol of simplicity. It is to be done only to Ma'rga Guru. It signifies surrender to ideology. Women can do salutation by touching the ground with the forehead instead of full prostration." (Caryacarya-1, '95 Edn, p.16)

Throughout all of our salutations in our Ananda Marga system, one is actively doing something - one is performing various mudras / postures. That is the common thread.

Story: it looked like namaz

Everyone is aware that when Muslims perform their namaz then it is their normal practice to ask for things from the god. They ask for money, good jobs, husbands for their daughters, and other types of worldly things.

One time a very new person from the Muslim tradition was taught our introductory sadhana lesson then he had not yet learned Guru Puja. So when he saw various margiis doing Guru Puja for the first time he immediately became very happy. Because the Muslim namaz posture looks identical to our Guru puja pose. From the outside both look the same.

So when he saw margiis doing Guru Puja then he approached them and said, 'Oh when you do that type of namaz then what boons and gifts do you ask for from the god?' Then the margiis told that, 'Actually, in our Guru Puja we offer ourselves - we do not ask for anything.'

Hence although from superficial view namaz and Guru Puja are looking similar but actually they are completely different - worlds apart. Same is the case with 'giving salutations' and 'doing namaskar'. One has nothing to do with the other. In all these cases we have to remember that Ananda Marga is the only dharma and all those religions etc are grounded in dogma.

In this regard we should never forget Baba's eternal guideline.

Baba does folded hand blessing

Some confused type of persons have even started writing in their books and articles that, 'Baba came on the dais and gave namaskar'. But this is just their terrible misunderstanding because we all know that Baba never gives namaskar - rather He blesses us with folded hands. So those who have an iota of common sense will never say or write that Baba gave namaskar.

So we should never write that “Baba gave Namaskar”.

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