Baba
Photo, death, & santośa
Namaskar,
It is a well known fact that if you constantly think about what you lost then your life will be miserable. That ruins one's psychic peace and tranquility. For instance, if someone has lost a large sum of money, then by thinking over and over again of that financial loss that person will feel tormented and suffer terribly. That is why intelligent people never dwell mentally on what they lost. Rather, they direct the mind towards Parama Purusa.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Out of sight - out of mind
Along those lines, nothing in this world is permanent. Our loved ones eventually die. And if we put their photo on the wall that is a constant and perpetual reminder of our loss. No doubt we will never completely forget our deceased family members and loved ones, but placing their photo on the wall actively reminds us of that person’s death again and again, and that exacerbates our grief and misery. Then one becomes stuck in a period of mourning, and there is no closure. One is unable to move ahead. Rather, they fall prey to bondage and carry the burden of the past, unable to live in the present. Verily, placing a photo of our deceased loved one on the wall is akin to placing an albatross around our neck. Indeed, it may even lead to one’s own premature death as it is quite common for a surviving husband or wife to die within a year of losing their spouse. In that case, they die of a broken heart, i.e. remembering and missing their loved one.
Recipe for burden-free life
As sadhakas, we should live a life that is burden-free and the way to achieve this is to depend fully on Parama Purusa. Only then can we keep the mind balanced amidst the comings and goings of this earthly stage and remain ensconced in His bliss. So it is His photo, and not that of our deceased family member, that should be placed on the wall.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion
In our bhukti, we can propagate this truth so others do not make similar mistakes. If everyone understands this ahead of time then at the time of death it will not become an issue.
In Him,
Chandrika
Best way to honour deceased
Mahadev ji was a strong margii who was strict in following Sixteen Points and regular in sadhana etc. In that case, upon his death, Mahadev ji was surely blessed to achieve mukti / moksa. Thus, Mahadev ji lost his individual existence at the time of death and merged into Parama Brahma, i.e. Baba. Then the best way to honour Mahadev ji is to keep a Baba photo on the wall, not a photo of Mahadev ji. Because Mahadev ji has merged into Parama Purusa Baba.
In earlier times, that same Mahadev ji was in animal form, but he developed and gained human form, and was born as Mahadev ji. And then with sincere sadhana, Mahadev ji ultimately became one with Parama Purusa. This is the very normal stage of development for a sadhaka: from animal life to human life, and from ordinary human life to life divine, and ultimately merge into Parama Purusa. Just as we recognised Mahadev ji as a human when in human form - i.e. we did not hang a photo of Mahadev ji in his earlier animal form - similarly, now that Mahadev ji has attained mukti / moksa, we should not hang a photo of him in human form, as Mahadev ji has since become one with the Supreme Entity / Baba. In its place we should have a photo of Baba.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Another way to look: Ganges River example
Here is another way to look at this issue. Suppose you want to worship the Ganges river of 50 years ago, then there is no need to go to Varanasi or Allahabad because that is the Ganges river of the present. To see the river Ganges of 50 years ago you have to go to the Indian ocean because all the water that comprised the Ganges River 50 years ago has since entered into the Indian ocean. It is no longer the Ganges River.
Another point: One should not satisfy one's own selfish desire, but try to see the desire of the person whom you want to please. For example, if a smoker wants to please a margii he might think to offer a cigarette, but the margii will not be pleased so that smoker offers the margii a sentient meal instead. Similarly, if the deceased understands well that it is Guru’s photo that should have the sole place on the wall, then the surviving family members should honour the deceased’s sentiment.
Why use Baba photo
The endgame is that the deceased - Mahadev ji - was a good sadhaka and is now one with Baba, according to the Supreme Command. So Mahadev ji - who is now one with the divine Parama Purusa - will not be pleased by big photos of his old persona as a human being, rather he will like photos for his current form - i.e. Parama Purusa. He will like Baba photos to be glorified on the wall.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Those who are hanging old photos of Mahadev ji in human form undermine the greatness of the sadhaka who becomes one with Parama Purusa. Those hanging his old photo put forth the idea that the deceased person - Mahadev ji - had low bhakti and could not get Parama Purusa, just like some athlete going to Olympics but could not get a medal.
Question of bhakti
One day the margii grown son returned back to his home and was shocked to see what was up on the wall. His auntie had framed and hung a large-sized photo of her deceased father who had died the week prior. The son was taken aback by this - for multiple reasons. Firstly, the photo was much larger than any of the Baba photos present anywhere else in the house. And second, he knew that his auntie’s father would not appreciate having his own photo hung in this manner, as he (the father) understood that one should focus on Baba’s photo, not that of any deceased human being.
The grown son raised this matter in a very gentle way with his auntie but in her emotional and sentimental state she remained adamant to keep the photo of her father up on the wall. The root cause behind this is bhakti. Those with higher bhakti wish to have only Sadguru Baba’s photo on display, while those with lower bhakti are prone to hanging photos of deceased family members etc. If people are taught the correct logic and reasoning ahead of time, then it will not become a sensitive matter at the time of death. Then even those with lower bhakti will follow the proper approach.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
The above are ways to help convince those with lower bhakti not to hang photos of their recently deceased relatives (and friends).
* * *
The below section is an entirely different topic, unrelated to the above material.
It stands on its own merit as a point of interest and ideological awareness.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Key advice for every sadhaka
Ananda Marga ideology says, "It is a fact that the force of Avidyá disturbs a spiritualist more than it disturbs an ordinary person. Various situations arise in life such as material difficulties, family unrest, abundant wealth, tremendous reputation, acute financial distress, or extreme humiliation. Sádhakas will have to bravely confront these mundane situations....They must never think in terms of retreat – it would be fatal, for the Avidyá force would stab them as soon as their backs were turned. In all circumstances one must continue the process of sádhaná to gradually enhance one's latent psychic and spiritual power.” (1)
Note: In this world, if you do bad things, then vidya maya will come and try and disturb you. If a new thief tries to commit a robbery, then vidya creates fear in your mind that you will be arrested and sentenced to jail. And if you do good things, then avidya maya will come and disturb you more fiercely. If you do sadhana then avidya maya will become furious and attack you in one or more of the below mentioned ways:
- material difficulties
- family unrest
- abundant wealth
- tremendous reputation
- acute financial distress
- extreme humiliation
The work of avidya is not limited to the above listed points. There are numerous ways in which it can attack you. Avidya maya wants you to give up your sadhana. That is why we see that in the aforesaid situation, 99% margiis run from the field of battle and avidya maya stabs them in the back, i.e. they leave their sadhana. Verily they are defeated by avidya maya.
So the only way is to fight back. If a sadhaka gets a lot of money or prestige, or undergoes acute financial distress, then they should be vigilant and pointedly understand that this is the trap of avidya maya. And they should be more strict in Sixteen Points. But we see before our very eyes that so many sadhakas after facing the above situations become pseudo-margiis or leave the path of Ananda Marga entirely. If you watch carefully, you will see that various people get the Sadguru and the path of tantra only to run away due to material difficulties, family unrest, abundant wealth, tremendous reputation, acute financial distress, or extreme humiliation, as well as other related reasons.
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 8, The Supreme Question – 1
== Section 3: Links ==
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