Baba
Mahaprayan of whistleblower
Namaskar,
It is with much sadness that we share the news of the mahaprayan of
Giita ji of the Maleny master unit in Queensland, Australia (Suva). She
underwent her mahaprayan on 28th April 2018, and was 77 years of age.
Giita ji had traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa to visit family and
was on an early morning walk at a retreat when her mahaprayan occurred.
Smt. Giita was one of the first initiates into Ananda Marga sadhana in
Australia in the early 1970s. She was a great bhakta who was very
disciplined in her sadhana practices and had a strong inclination
towards spiritual life. She was well-respected in the Marga and inspired
many onto the path of dharma as she lived her life according to Baba's
ideals. Two of her daughters became WTs and she was a founding member of
the Maleny master unit in Queensland, Australia.
She was well known for fighting against all sorts of organisational injustices and upholding margii rights.
With her mahaprayan, Giita ji will be greatly missed by so many. May we
all take solace in the fact that our dear elder sister was a bhakta of
Sadguru Baba. Certainly she will attain mukti or moksa, accordingly.
Baba will lovingly bestow His infinite grace.
at His lotus feet,
Surabhi
Susan Rollins
~ In-depth study ~
We have seen that when somebody dies then in offering their
condolences people say now Mr So-and-so is sitting on Baba's
lap. On other occasions when telling a Baba story people
also say, "Such and such person sat on Baba's lap." But
these days the trend is that "sitting on Baba's lap" is used
more in connection with death. And that causes some
confusion in reader's mind. To unknot the situation please
read below.
Dogma: if "on Baba's lap" only
used for death
Here are quoted lines from recently posted emails on various
forums, wherein the writer uses the phrase - "in Baba's lap"
- with the occasion of death:
- "May Parama Purusa Baba accept her in HIS divine lap"
- "May his soul rest in the lap of our beloved BABA"
- "Now she is taking rest in Baba's Lap."
- "May Baba accept him in HIS divine lap....."
- "May he rest in HIS loving lap of eternity."
- "We are sure that Baba has taken him in His loving lap."
- "May his soul rest in Baba's lap forever."
- "Let her rest peacefully in Baba's Lap - which she always
desired."
- "now he is in beloved Baba's lap"
- "May his soul get peaceful place in His lap"
- "He is now in Bábá's loving lap"
- "May Baba bless him with a seat in His lap."
- "May BABA accept him in HIS divine lap!"
- "May Baba take him in his eternal loving lap."
- "May his soul rest in peace taking shelter in Baba's lap."
- "Please keep him on Your lap forever."
- "We all collectively pray to Baba to take him on Baba's
divine lap forever.”
All of the above lines are commonly written in eulogizing
the deceased. These days mostly it is used in a eulogy and
rarely used to recount one's intimate spiritual experiences
- unfortunately. By this way, the phrase "in Baba's lap" is
being misused and step by step the real meaning is being
forgotten as now people more commonly use the phrase to
eulogize those who have died, and much less so to express
their inner feelings of bhakti. Unfortunately, the meaning
and inner spirit of the phrase is getting lost.
Baba story: "sitting on Baba's lap"
Some time ago after dharmacakra, a senior margii was
recounting his experiences of having dharma samiiksa with
Baba. He said, "After being lovingly scolded by Baba for my
wrongdoings, then He called me close and placed me on His
lap - I remained there for some time soaking up His love -
and He blessed me."
We all enjoyed hearing about his personal account with Baba
during dharma samiiksa. When he finished telling his factual
and historical event, there was a call for questions.
Various people posed their queries. Towards the end, one new
margii raised his hand and asked, "How did Baba bring you
back to life?"
Everyone stared at the new margii in amazement. There was a
look of astonishment all around - people were really shocked
to hear him say this. The new sadhaka sensed that something
was wrong He said very matter-of-factly, "I thought that
sitting on Baba's Lap means that he (the margii) died - that
is why I asked that question."
This was quite eye-opening for those of us in the room:
Through our language and expression we had unknowingly
taught someone to think that being on Baba's lap is the
equivalent of death. Because it seems that nowadays people
only use the phrase "Baba's lap" when a person has died,
such as "Let him rest peacefully in Baba's lap", as if in
order to sit on Baba’s lap one has to die. But that is
false. Sincere sadhakas regularly sit on Baba’s lap in their
meditation. It is His grace. It is just like a child need
not die in order to sit on his father’s lap.
The idea is that this phrase - Baba's lap - has been linked
with death due to extreme overuse. So for some time if
sadhakas use this phrase exclusively for spiritual purposes,
that will be best. The phrase, "sitting on Baba's lap",
should not meet a similar fate. It should not lose its pure
spiritual quality and just refer to one's death. That will
be very negative.
Baba would bless bhaktas and place them on His lap
There are tens of thousands of recorded stories by sadhakas
where they use the phrase, "on Baba's lap", when describing
their experiences of being with Baba: He used to bless them
and bring them on His lap. People should understand the
deeply mystical value of this expression, and not just think
that Baba's lap means death, i.e. that you can only sit on
His lap at the time of death. Still today there are
thousands of margiis walking this earth who sat in Baba's
lap. And not only that, there are countless more sadhakas
who were blessed by Baba in dreams and sadhana wherein they
sat in His lap. And still today this deeply intimate
experience is attainable by sadhakas, by His grace.
There are so many ways an aspirant can reach unto Baba's lap
including in sadhana. That is the main idea that should be
preserved. Sadhana is a spiritual practice and one can sit
on Baba's lap in sadhana. We should make it cent-per-cent
clear to one and all that the phrase, "sitting on Baba's
lap", does not mean death.
"Mahaprayan" means death of mortals - confirm for
yourself
from the Samsad Bengali-English Dictionary
Mahaprayan (Death): Many are aware that mahaprayan (death)
is the common term used in India and especially in our
Bengal to describe the death of any human being, even
ordinary people. In that way, the obituary columns of the
newspapers of Bengal regularly cite the mahaprayan (death)
of various persons of society who died or passed away.
Some may get confused and wrongly think that the word
'mahaprayan' (death) is one extraordinarily term of bhakti
to be used in association with Parama Purusa. But that is
not at all the case. Rather to do so is only to undermine
the eternal presence of Parama Purusa. That is why no
bhaktas ever use the word 'mahaprayan' in reference to Lord
Shiva or Lord Krsna. Because Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna exist
eternally. Then there is no question of Their mahaprayan
(death).
Baba is Parama Purusa so He is eternal and there is no
question of His mahaprayan.
Here it should be known that the convention of an annual
death day ceremony (i.e. shraddhainjali or mahaprayan) is a
foundation of the Islamic tradition. Muslims are well known
for this, and their approach of an annual death day ceremony
was adopted by the leader of a particular group in AMPS. So
no one should think that mahaprayan is some type of sacred
event. It is done on the death day anniversary of Muslims.
And for those who need still more technical proof then all
this can be clarified quite readily by referencing the
dictionary. Specifically in the Samsad Bengali-English
dictionary 3rd edition on page 848. Checking there it will
be confirmed that the word 'mahaprayan' means death. Which
is why it is used to refer to the passing away of even
common citizens. And that is the case in this letter also.
The term mahaprayan means death and this is the ideal term
for this purpose.
Mahaprayan is only for humans not for Sadguru
Here it should be qualified that there is both real
mahaprayan and fake mahaprayan. Real mahaprayan marks the
death of any ordinary human being, just like the aforesaid
news. This is the proper use of the term: To note a person's
departure from this earth. That is the meaning of the
mahaprayan term and that is the standard way the term is
used in Indian languages.
Then there is the fake, or so-called, or dogmatic
mahaprayan. That is when certain vested interests try to
apply the mahaprayan term to Parama Purusa. This is grossly
inappropriate because when Parama Purusa Sadguru Baba is
that Divine Entity who is beginningless and endless and
resides always in our heart, then it is entirely wrong to
proclaim that He is gone.
That is why rational margiis are protesting; because the Oct
21st program is so-called mahaprayan. So-called means that
something is fake. Parama Purusa is eternal, thus for some
vested interests to declare "mahaprayan of Parama Purusa" is
nothing but so-called mahaprayan.
Mahaprayan only really happens in the case of human beings,
not Parama Purusa. Those doing mahaprayan for Sadguru are
hypocrites. On the one side in meditation they ask His grace
thinking that He is ever-present, and on the other side they
think that Baba has passed way. That is their hypocrisy.
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