Baba
Train analogy
Namaskar,
A crowded railway compartment is like an impoverished society. An example can be seen in the Indian railway general compartment. One does not require a reserved seat to get into the general compartment. Just by purchasing a minimum unreserved ticket one can travel in the general compartment.
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Scene: general compartment in an Indian train
This is a weakness of the Indian railways department that they have commissioned a fewer number of general compartments while the number of passengers traveling by them is often highest. Usually, the number of people present in a general train compartment is ten times or even fifty times the specified room. Sometimes, people even travel on the roof of the train. In electric locomotives, people do not travel on the roof as they can die, but if the option is available as with diesel trains, people even occupy the rooftop of the train.
Such an arrangement of having scarce facilities for a large number of people on the train leads to extremely crowded spaces. It is very uncomfortable. Imagine a situation where a passenger is somehow cramped up in a crowded compartment and has to go to the bathroom but cannot move. Even the bathroom is full of people. Some may be hungry but do not have any food to eat. Even if he has food it is kept inside his bag on which someone is sitting. Under such circumstances, the behavior of people will not be good and friendly. Often fights break out in the general compartments of the trains due to the discomfort and discontent among the passengers. How can we expect people to have a feeling of brotherhood in such extreme situations?
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Strangers may feel brotherhood
Now consider the case of a reserved compartment wherein everyone has a seat and access to basic facilities like hygiene and food. In such compartments, people engage in chit-chat even with strangers and feel a sense of brotherhood with others. Many even take each other’s addresses and phone numbers and keep in touch in future. This demonstrates that humans are basically amiable and peace-loving. However, when they feel insecure and their basic needs are jeopardized they are forced to become hostile and even violent.
Bad and dirty acts
If we go to an even higher class compartment, wherein mostly wealthy people travel, only a few talk and mix with each other. Even in society, it is often seen that extremely wealthy people are involved in bad and dirty acts.
Peace: Minimum requirements must be fulfilled
According to Baba, the minimum requirement for all in the society should be fulfilled. If anyone has a shortage of the physical pabula like food, housing, and medical care then their behaviour may become imbalanced. For example, if a person has no hope of getting food then under the pangs of hunger he may attack others. Likewise, the behavior of an ill person who is not getting medical care may become bad.
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Thus, to prevent such situations, it is the job of a civilized society to ensure that the basic needs of every single individual get fulfilled. If one is compelled to commit a crime under the pressure of circumstances just to fulfill one’s basic needs then the judgment of the act of crime must take into account the lacunae on the part of the society. For example, if a mother steals to feed her starving child then the society has to be held accountable for her stealing. Why a crime has taken place must be taken into account before passing a verdict on the crime.
Minimum requirements vary...
Minimum requirements may vary based on time, place, and person. For example, in an Indian village having a bicycle is a minimum requirement in today’s era so that people can commute from one place to another. A few hundred years ago the bicycle was not even invented. Later when the bicycle was invented, only those who were considered working in important positions had access to bicycles. On the other hand, in some countries like the United States having a car is a minimum requirement. Even if a person works as a cleaner she has to have a car to reach the workplace on time.
Requirements for food, housing, medical care, and education must, however, be available to all. No reason can justify someone being hungry while others have plenty of food, or someone having no shelter while others have comfortable places to live, etc. The minimum requirement should be guaranteed in a civilized society. If people do not have a house and there is a hailstorm outside then those people, in order to survive, will be left with no other option but to break into others' houses. If the society cannot guarantee the basic needs of its members then attaining peace is an impossibility.
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Social ills due to poverty
If the situation in the society is such that the minimum requirements are not met then a natural outcome will be an increase in crimes like robbery and thievery. If the minimum requirements for all are ensured then the crime level will come down. However, a few selfish people think that why should they spend their hard earned money on social security. Our reply to this is: Everyone should think about all as their brothers and sisters. This can make the planet a beautiful place.
Many people who end up resorting to crime are a product of the injustice meted to them by the society. A very few criminals are actually the ones who have a psychic predisposition to become a criminal, maybe due to a brain defect. If the minimum requirement of all is ensured then a large number of people will never resort to crime.
Unfortunately, today’s imbalanced society is a machinery to make criminals as the minimum requirements are not met and exploitation is prevalent.
Wealthy people indulge in more crime
The minimum requirements should be met in both physical and psychic spheres. If people are not educated then they can be easily influenced by casteist, racist, and communal leaders. So the minimum requirements should be met in both physical and psychic fields.
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Prout says that peace in the society will be hampered both in case of scarcity and over-abundance in physical and psychic pabula. When a person over-accumulates wealth he does not know what to do with all that money. People who have millions of dollars get involved in degenerate and depraved acts like drug addiction, alcoholism, gambling, and prostitution etc. Often it has been seen that people who get a sudden lottery get degenerated rapidly. The same person can behave drastically differently when circumstances change. A person behaves abnormally both when he is traveling in the general compartment and is deprived of the minimum requirements, and in the higher compartment where he has an over-abundance.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, “Samájádeshena viná dhanasaiṋcayah akartavyah.”
“[No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the clear permission or approval of the collective body.]”
“Purport: The universe is the collective property of all. All people have usufructuary rights but no one has the right to misuse this collective property. If a person acquires and accumulates excessive wealth, he or she directly curtails the happiness and convenience of others in society. Such behaviour is flagrantly antisocial. Therefore, no one should be allowed to accumulate wealth without the permission of society.” (1)
Conclusion
The minimum requirements must be fulfilled in both physical and psychic spheres, and the responsibility for the same lies with the society. There should be neither an over-accumulation of wealth nor a scarcity. In many developed countries, a commendable amount of work has happened in the area of provision of the physical pabula but psychic pabula is not addressed. Proper education is often not provided. A wrong kind of education is being provided, due to which people become selfish. Our neo-humanistic model of education should be propagated.
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In Him,
Bhakti
Reference
1. Ánanda Sútram, Chapter 5, Sutra 5 - 12
== Section 2: Main Topic ==
Soft breeze touches
“Hemante jhará shishir vindute…” (Prabhat Samgiita #3080)
Purport:
In this beautiful pre-winter season, in the fallen dew drops, what my mind wants and why, I do not know. It longs for Parama Purusa. As many times as it wants to go to some far away place, I cannot control it.
O’ Parama Purusa, the yellow marigold flowers have bloomed. The candramallika’ flower is full of smiles. The soft breeze touches the white kunda flowers. The natural environment is so attractive and charming. It is in a state of perfect harmony. Even then, my mind does not want to stay at home. It is desperately searching for You.
O’ my Beloved, where are You? For You, I am crying uselessly in vain. My aching heart yearns endlessly for You. Only Your direct presence is the soothing balm that can relieve me of my utter despair of not getting You. Yet, You remain at a distance. Do You not understand my pain? The beautiful autumn season has almost passed; the conditions were ripe for Your auspicious arrival. So, even at that time, why didn't you come?...
Sign of progress in sadhana
Ananda Marga ideology states, "The avidyá force declares war on those whose desire or inclination is towards vidyá; this gives rise to a hostile tendency in the recesses of their minds, against which they have to struggle. At home the husband, wife or the other members of the family become dissatisfied with them, and create various obstacles. In the field of their activities the opportunities arise for depravity, meanness, bribes etc., and they have to maintain their self-control. The locusts of desires come swarming in to destroy the very bud of their sádhaná. So they must carefully avoid such temptations for their own safety. But those whose movement is truly towards vidyá, who are determined to follow the path of vidyá by sacrificing their all, will eventually become immune to all obstacles. No amount of scornful taunts or diatribes will be able to check their lightning speed. They will emerge victorious, weathering and defying all storms, and eventually stand firm and erect like the Himalayas; and the storms and squalls will rebound back in disappointment."
"When the sádhaka or the spiritual aspirant will stand untrammelled and resolute, with the courage of his conviction, and self-confidence, all snags and dangers will gradually wither away – will timidly disappear from his path...Obstacles are the concomitants of sádhaná, struggling is a good sign. By these obstacles sádhakas can understand that their spiritual practice is on the right track. Spiritual philosophy comes into being only when sádhakas struggling with avidyá’s hindrances, vindicates their move towards Brahma after defeating the base propensities of avidyá by their own intellect and judgment." (1)
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 3, Supreme Benevolence and Mundane Pleasure
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“Hemante jhará shishir vindute…” (Prabhat Samgiita #3080)
Purport:
In this beautiful pre-winter season, in the fallen dew drops, what my mind wants and why, I do not know. It longs for Parama Purusa. As many times as it wants to go to some far away place, I cannot control it.
O’ Parama Purusa, the yellow marigold flowers have bloomed. The candramallika’ flower is full of smiles. The soft breeze touches the white kunda flowers. The natural environment is so attractive and charming. It is in a state of perfect harmony. Even then, my mind does not want to stay at home. It is desperately searching for You.
O’ my Beloved, where are You? For You, I am crying uselessly in vain. My aching heart yearns endlessly for You. Only Your direct presence is the soothing balm that can relieve me of my utter despair of not getting You. Yet, You remain at a distance. Do You not understand my pain? The beautiful autumn season has almost passed; the conditions were ripe for Your auspicious arrival. So, even at that time, why didn't you come?...
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Sign of progress in sadhana
Ananda Marga ideology states, "The avidyá force declares war on those whose desire or inclination is towards vidyá; this gives rise to a hostile tendency in the recesses of their minds, against which they have to struggle. At home the husband, wife or the other members of the family become dissatisfied with them, and create various obstacles. In the field of their activities the opportunities arise for depravity, meanness, bribes etc., and they have to maintain their self-control. The locusts of desires come swarming in to destroy the very bud of their sádhaná. So they must carefully avoid such temptations for their own safety. But those whose movement is truly towards vidyá, who are determined to follow the path of vidyá by sacrificing their all, will eventually become immune to all obstacles. No amount of scornful taunts or diatribes will be able to check their lightning speed. They will emerge victorious, weathering and defying all storms, and eventually stand firm and erect like the Himalayas; and the storms and squalls will rebound back in disappointment."
"When the sádhaka or the spiritual aspirant will stand untrammelled and resolute, with the courage of his conviction, and self-confidence, all snags and dangers will gradually wither away – will timidly disappear from his path...Obstacles are the concomitants of sádhaná, struggling is a good sign. By these obstacles sádhakas can understand that their spiritual practice is on the right track. Spiritual philosophy comes into being only when sádhakas struggling with avidyá’s hindrances, vindicates their move towards Brahma after defeating the base propensities of avidyá by their own intellect and judgment." (1)
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 3, Supreme Benevolence and Mundane Pleasure
== Section 4: Links ==
Other topics of interest
