Baba
Wts & fish
Namaskar,
You may know that in certain Ananda Marga units around the globe, some Wts maintain ponds for cultivating and selling fish. Unfortunately, some are involved in this type of dealing. Here is more about what they are doing.
On various Ananda Marga land parcels, wherever there is sufficient space, they maintain ponds for growing fish. Then those Wts get the word out in the community that all are welcome to come and fish those ponds for a fee. Essentially, Wts are selling "fishing rights" to locals, and in turn those villagers can come onsite to catch and eat the fish from the pond. This is the type of venture that is going on. Sadly, those Wts are going against bhagavat dharma and neo-humanism.
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Violation of samyak ajiiva
Baba has given the teaching of samyak ajiiva, or proper livelihood. That means that one should earn their living doing proper work that is beneficial for society. Those who are exploiting and slaughtering fish for gaining profits are in complete violation of Guru’s teaching. Their livelihood is sinful. Such Wts are going against dharma; theirs is not the right path as their mode of doing business is harmful. It is against the ethic of neo-humanism. So those Wts engaged in fish-selling business in the name of pisiculture should seriously reconsider what they are doing. Their livelihood is against Baba’s teachings of samyak ajiiva and they will have to face the consequences - i.e. negative reaction.
Why there should be pisiculture
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Pisciculture should also be developed in ponds and lakes. The fish help to keep the water clean and the level constant because their breathing creates water and carbon dioxide. The fish inhale oxygen along with water vapour from the atmosphere as well as dissolved oxygen from the water. They synthesize water which is exhaled into the lake. This helps to keep the water in the lake at a constant level. If many fish live in a lake, hundreds and even thousands of gallons of water will be added to the size of the lake in the course of time. Each lake should also have an attached bird sanctuary, because the fish provide food for the birds.” (1)
So there should be pisiculture, but not so that humans can kill and eat fish. Rather pisiculture keeps the water clean, produces more water for the lake, and provides ecological balance, on the whole.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Fish should not be the food of human beings, but the food of jackals, birds, foxes and other fish and crabs. If the paddy water drains into ponds, lakes or rivers, small fish will flourish and become the food of larger fish, birds and animals. In this way the farmers will be helping maintain ecological balance.” (2)
Those workers indulged in selling fish mistakenly think that by keeping such fish ponds they are following Baba's system of pisciculture. But this is not correct. As noted above, Baba's system of pisciculture is for ecological balance and water conservation - not the wanton killing and selling of fish. Today's capitalistic fishing industries exploit the fish for profits etc. But that is not our way; and no one should be led to believe that is Baba's system. Baba's given program of pisciculture is for ecological sustainability, animal welfare, and the benefit of all beings.
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Conclusion
In our Ananda Marga, pisciculture does not mean the killing and selling of fish. Our vision and practice of pisciculture is for ecological balance - i.e. keeping the water pure and clean, and preserving various species etc. So pisciculture preserves the environment, keeps the ponds active so fish can thrive, and enables birds and other creatures to survive as they depend upon fish for food. So those Wts and Ananda Marga master units that kill and sell fish for profit should stop this type of business, and allow those animals to thrive. Our dictum should be, “Live and let live.”
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Namaskar,
in Him,
Ranjana’ Banerjee
~ In-depth study ~
Some may think that and catching and eating fish is pisciculture, but there are so many things done in the general society that we do not condone and we cannot impose or enforce our rules on the common public. On AMPS premises and in our institutions, things like slaughterhouses and the killing fish, or any types of activities are not allowed. Ananda Marga properties are the place to practice and propagate bhagavad dharma. That is why Baba prohibits such activities. While introducing animal sanctuaries Baba told that there will not be any meat-eating animals in our sanctuaries because we would have to supply meat to them. And that we cannot do that. For this reason, in Ananda Nagar etc there are many animals in our care / sanctuaries, but not lions or other flesh-eating animals.
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Animals trust humans - but when they see a weapon they realize
Next Baba points out the hypocritical and way that some humans treat animals. They superficially treat animals as friends one moment and then butcher them the next - often to get a profit. Is this not what some Wts are doing with their fish.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Passing through many lives as worms, insects, birds, and animals, they have undergone countless pains, miseries, tortures and humiliations. Take for example the life of a goat. A goat spends its life eating grass, until the day comes when the butcher grabs it, kills it, skins it and sells its flesh piece by piece in the market. That goat at one time had to live such a miserable life. But today it has forgotten all this. Through a process of forward movement, today it may have attained a human life." (3)
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Human life is more secure than animal life. Many animals live in the jungle where there is something to fear every minute; where the weak are the prey of the strong. To escape this atmosphere of fear and insecurity, many wild animals have sought refuge with human beings. They have been fed grass, leaves and other types of fodder until the right moment came to kill them for their flesh. Even today, this is generally what happens. Animals fully trust human beings; they trust them even up to one minute before their death. But when they see a person approaching them with a weapon in hand, they realize that those they had trusted as their friends are actually their enemies. Although human beings feed their animals, the love or attachment which they have for them is purely external. There is no genuine love in humans. This is how wretched animal life can be." (4)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Every human being has had to pass through that sort of painful animal life in the past. But that does not mean we should be the cause of misery for those animals who have taken shelter with us today. On the contrary, we should have a merciful attitude towards them. A woman who has been badly treated or humiliated by her mother-in-law should be careful that she does not treat her daughter-in-law in the same way. Human beings should carry out their duties properly in the external world and should always ensure that no being suffers unnecessarily from any undue mistreatment. In the physical sphere, the rights of all should be protected." (5)
Preaching gospel of peace yet slaughtering
As responsible human beings and as sadhakas, we should abide by Baba's following teachings.
Ananda philosophy says, "We should live with the policy of “Live and let others live”." (6)
Ananda Marga ideology says, "For each and every living entity one’s personal life is the dearest thing. One loves one’s personal life very much. This is the rule, this is the characteristic of all living beings. But those people who understand this sentiment of living beings and love others with the thought, “I should not kill, I should not give them any trouble because they love their life as much as I love my own life”, are true sádhus and those who lack this sentiment are not sádhus, they are asádhu. Preaching the gospels of peace, and at the same time slaughtering chickens, is not a proper thing for a sádhu because the one who kills the chickens loves his life and the chickens also love their own lives. So that man lacks the universal sentiment of love. He is not a sádhu. A sádhu must be vegetarian." (7)
Thus it is very clear that we should allow other beings to joyously live their lives, and we should not needlessly harm or kill them. That is our ethic in Ananda Marga. And that is Baba's teaching. Certainly every Ananda Margii understands this.
Selfish justification of over-population
Sadly, greedy fish-selling dadas or fish-eating people give their own logic. They wrongly proclaim that, “If we do not catch and sell fish then there will be an overabundance of fish - there will be fish will be everywhere.” Here below Sadguru Baba points out their defective mentality.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Then there are physico-psychic ailments. Some people argue that animals have been created by Parama Puruśa for our food. I knew a certain person who used to say that if people do not eat goats’ meat, the world would become populated only by goats. And others said that if people don’t eat chickens, there would not be even a single inch of space on this earth – it would be filled with chickens! Now my point is, even though human beings do not eat vultures, is there a crowd of vultures in the world? How foolish such people are! People don’t eat earthworms – has there been an uncontrollable growth of earthworms on earth? Only out of excessive greed, people eat chickens and goats and are simply searching for logic to support their actions and cover up their weakness. This sort of cunning will not do. In the mobility of the psychic world, there are certain defective thoughts prevailing – that we humans are destined to rule this earth, and the creatures are destined to be ruled by us. You will have to fight against this type of psychology with the help of your strong weapon. What is that weapon? Neohumanism. All have the equal right to live here: this universe is for all. It is not the patrimony of human beings only.” (8)
We do not condone the dealings of those fisheries as per the general society.
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References
1. Ideal Farming, Lakeside and Riverside Plantations
2. Ideal Farming - 2, Integrated Farming
3. Ananda Vacanamrtam-7, An Ideal Life
4. Ananda Vacanamrtam-7, An Ideal Life
5. Ananda Vacanamrtam-7, An Ideal Life
6. Discourses on Prout, pt #1
7. Discourses on Prout, pt #1
8. A Few Problems Solved - 7, Renaissance in All the Strata of Life
== Section 2: Main Topic ==
"Ámi tomáy bhálobási jánái kii kare...” (Prabhat Samgiita #3837)
Purport:
O' Parama Purusa, I love You. Please tell me how I can make You understand the feeling of my heart. For me, You are my everything. My eyes ceaselessly shower tears of yearning for You. I do not have any words to express my prema. My heart longs for You.
O' Parama Purusa, when the new dawn comes, then in that crimson sunrise, I see Your divine refulgence. You shower Your brilliance everywhere. In the form of innumerable flowers and also in the fragrance of the niipa blossom, You grace everyone by pouring Your exquisite sweetness. In the eastern crimson horizon through the sweet, gentle breeze, You tenderly call me.
O' Parama Purusa Baba, in the auspicious and charming moment of the colourful evening sunset, with Your infinite love You always radiate Your sweet smile. That very time You reassuringly tell me that, "Now is the time for you to take rest; tomorrow I will come calling for you." These are the kind words You whisper to me in that tender moment. You are always with me. Your affectionate tales eternally float throughout this entire universe and also in my mind, in my heart.
Baba, You are my everything...
Note for Prabhat Samgiia #3837: Love is not unilateral
[1] First Stanza: The first stanza reflects the idea that the love between bhakta and Parama Purusa is bilateral, and not one-sided.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Human beings love Parama Purus'a and He loves human beings: this love is always mutual, not unilateral." (1)
Love (prema) is not unilateral or one-sided. When the bhakta loves Parama Purusa, then already Parama Purusa is loving the bhakta. Love for the Supreme is always mutual or bilateral and never exists in isolation. The inner equation is that because Parama Purusa loves the bhakta so much, that is why the bhakta also loves Parama Purusa. Divine love or prema is always mutual - not unilateral.
Here we should remember that prema means divine love - not attachment (ka’ma) for worldly things etc. And it is specifically in this intimate relation between bhakta and Parama Purusa where love is always mutual, and never one-sided.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Your meeting with God is not a unilateral affair, it is a mutual thing." (2)
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 11, 'What is the Way'
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 23, Your Personal Relationship with God
== Section: Important Teaching ==
The answer to any problemAnanda Marga philosophy states, “A correct spiritual ideology is the only solution to the problems confronting the world. From this perspective we can call Ananda Marga ideology the philosophers' stone. Just as the philosophers' stone is meant to transform everything into gold, Ananda Marga ideology can, most definitely, find a just and rational solution whenever it is applied to any problem.” (1)
Reference
1. Problems of the Day, point #36
== Section: Important Teaching ==
About future babes
Prout philosophy states, “With the advent of biological babes, Prakrti will snatch away the reproductive power of human beings and hence they will not be able to reproduce. Instead, they will simply create more laboratory babes. Biological babes will not have much attachment, though they will be subject to pleasure and pain. They will not be required to undergo much physical struggle because through scientific inventions a tablet may be sufficient to sustain them for days together. They will be bereft of family ties, as laboratory babes will be produced in laboratories from chemical compounds. They will gradually develop a tendency of aversion to worldly enjoyment. It is not difficult to envisage a day when laboratory babes may think that nature has lost all its charm, that life is not worth living, and that there is even no use in eating. It is better we do not think further on this. However, it should not be lost sight of that laboratory babes will be great sádhakas or spiritual aspirants, as they will be more conscious of their imperfections. Hence, the more leisure time they have the more sádhaná they will do.”
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, Talks on Prout
== Section: Bangla Quote ==
যত কাল সৃষ্টি থাকৰে
“যমের ব্যবস্থা...যে এই যে যম, অর্থাৎ এই যে পরমপুরুষের নিয়ন্ত্রণ ব্যবস্থা, যা চলে আসছে সৃষ্টির ঊষাকাল থেকে, যে ৰিন্দু থেকে সৃষ্টি উত্সারিত হয়ে ছিল, সেই ৰিন্দু থেকে এই নিয়ন্ত্রণ ব্যবস্থাও ৰলবৎ আছে | এবং যত কাল সৃষ্টি থাকৰে, নিয়ন্ত্রণ ব্যবস্থাও থাকৰে | না থাকলে, সৰ কিছু উলট-পলট হয়ে যাৰে, বিশৃঙ্খল হয়ে যাৰে |” (1)
Reference
1. v18-8
“যমের ব্যবস্থা...যে এই যে যম, অর্থাৎ এই যে পরমপুরুষের নিয়ন্ত্রণ ব্যবস্থা, যা চলে আসছে সৃষ্টির ঊষাকাল থেকে, যে ৰিন্দু থেকে সৃষ্টি উত্সারিত হয়ে ছিল, সেই ৰিন্দু থেকে এই নিয়ন্ত্রণ ব্যবস্থাও ৰলবৎ আছে | এবং যত কাল সৃষ্টি থাকৰে, নিয়ন্ত্রণ ব্যবস্থাও থাকৰে | না থাকলে, সৰ কিছু উলট-পলট হয়ে যাৰে, বিশৃঙ্খল হয়ে যাৰে |” (1)
Reference
1. v18-8
== Section 3: Links ==
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This email contains three sections:
1. PS #3837: Your affectionate tales
2. Posting: Wts & Fish
3: Links
