Baba
Call & response
Namaskar,
Our Ananda Marga sadhana system is comprised of eight limbs: yama, niyama, a’sana, práńáyáma, pratyáhára, dhárańá, dhyána, and samadhi. Guru has described this in Caryacarya. Some may wonder which sadhana lesson is related with the fifth limb, i.e. pratyáhára. This following letter discusses pratyáhára yoga, what sadhana lesson it is, and how we Ananda Margiis should practice it.
Unfortunately, some do this practice of pratyáhára without understanding its inner significance and how to properly ideate. They recite the words but they are not aware how to best engage the mind in this practice. Without that, pratyáhára becomes an empty, external ritual. From the outside it looks like it is done but in the true sense it has not been done.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Yoga of withdrawal
However, if after practicing pratyáhára your mind is free from the negative thoughts that disturbed you during sadhana, then that pratyáhára is proper. Otherwise, better is that one should do pratyáhára all over again. One should remember that pratyáhára is sadhanaunga - a helping lesson of sadhana. It cleanses the mind of impurities so the mind can practice iishvara pranidhana or dhyana.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "In Ananda Marga sadhana, the method of withdrawing the mind from degrading tendencies, and absorbing oneself in the colour of the Great, is called Pratya'ha'ra Yoga (the yoga of withdrawal) or Varn'a'rghyada'na (the offering of colours). All people have a particular attraction for one or another object or activity and as soon as they become attracted to an object, then their minds become coloured with the colour of that object. You can withdraw your mind from the colour of that object and dye yourself in His colour by offering Him the captivating colour of the object that has attracted you: this is the real Pratya'ha'ra Yoga." (1)
As we know, pratyáhára is also referred to as varn'a'rghyada'na (offering of mental colours) and Guru puja. So Guru puja is one of the unique and special practices in our Ananda Marga sadhana system.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
As Ananda Margiis, we invariably do our three rounds of Guru puja after each & every session of meditation - whether done individually or collectively. Guru puja is therefore a central aspect of our spiritual practice. So it is important to take a step back and evaluate the best way to perform this highly spiritual and integral practice of Guru puja.
Fast Guru Puja: ruin your sadhana
In the presence of Sadguru Baba, Guru puja was regularly performed with one person leading the chant and with everyone else chanting afterwards. So at the time of DMC, one assigned person - acarya or family margii - would begin the chant:
Akhan'd'a man'd'ala'ka'ram' vya'ptam' yena cara'caram'
And thereafter the entire Marga collective would repeat that same line: "Akhan'd'a man'd'ala'ka'ram' vya'ptam' yena cara'caram'"
Then the designated leader would recite the next line:
Tadpadam' darshitam' yena tasmae Shrii Gurave namah.
And accordingly everyone would repeat that line "Tadpadam' darshitam' yena tasmae Shrii Gurave namah."
So this 'call and response' style was the standard way Guru puja was performed in those days. Anyone who attended DMC surely remembers how beautiful and spiritually stirring Guru puja was on those occasions. Guru puja was veritably soul-stirring and wholly transformational. One could tangibly feel the grand effect and sweet vibration. Still today when performed correctly, collective Guru puja brings that same sweetness and bhakti.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Improper GP: waste of time
As many may know, some key points for making this collective approach of Guru puja successful are making sure that the assigned leader proceeds at an even and slow pace - with full ideation of bhakti. This is highly important.
If the leader chants too quickly then it will mar the whole experience. Similarly if the leader begins to chant without taking proper ideation, then also the recitation will be lusterless - just a waste of time.
So the leader has a big role to play. That leader must ensure that the chant is done at a proper tempo and rhythm and it must be done with full heart-felt, inner longing and feeling.
In addition, the leader should not recite too much of the shloka at one time. The standard way is to divide each of the three stanzas in half. By that way there will be six components of the entire Guru puja mantra; and each component will be the equivalent of one full line or thought expression.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Certainly, if Guru puja is being done with many new people, then it can be broken down into smaller segments to make it easier for everyone. But again the standard way is to recite one full line at a time.
The whole point of having a leader though is to ensure the shloka or mantra is recited in a proper manner. By this way a tempo is established and everyone can follow in a harmonious manner. That makes the entire practice smooth and gives maximum scope to involve intimately in the process of Guru puja.
Way: rid the mind of negative thoughts
The proper leader will set a pace that allows time for ideation. That slower pace grants the mind periods of pause to assimilate the subtle aspects of Guru puja. When the mind is fast - such as just after running a race - one cannot think deeply.
If not done properly then one cannot rid the mind of those negative, dominating thoughts which disturbed the mind in sadhana. In that case, the mind will remain dirty; it will not be cleansed. And one’s practice of Guru puja will be futile - just a waste of time.
Whereas the more still the body is and the slower the mind is, the greater concentration and focus one will have. A slower paced, methodical approach in Guru puja gives the opportunity for assimilation; that is ideal for cultivating a deeper, inner ideation. That is why the leader should proceed at a calm pace
One built-in characteristic of call and response Guru puja is that there is a period of pause throughout the recitation of the chant. Each line is recited twice - first by the leader and then by everyone else.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Slow vs fast Guru Puja
Often it is seen that when collective Guru puja is done without a chosen leader, then various problems arise.
Please note that here leader means when one person chants a full line all alone and stops while everyone else follows by reciting that same single line.
But when there is no designated leader then everyone is just chanting at various speeds - without any pre-determined tempo. Some may be doing it quite fast and some more slowly - and still others may be going very, very quickly. This commonly happens at dharmacakra. We have all seen it and experienced it.
The result is that Guru puja ends up being a tug-o-war between the faster people and the slower sadhakas. In that way - in that battle - all bhakti and ideation is lost and Guru puja is ruined.
Thus the best way to resolve this matter is to have an appointed leader who is aware how to properly recite Guru puja (proper rate and correct pronunciation), and then everyone else will follow accordingly. Then it will be a deeply moving experience for one and all.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
The call & response style is generally agreed upon to be the best way to do collective Guru puja. And this is the way in most cases it was done during Baba's physical presence at DMC.
Why crude people do fast Guru puja
In Guru puja, the first and foremost aspect is ideation. One must mold their mind according to the meaning of the Guru puja shloka. Next is that Guru puja should not be mechanical; it should be done full of ideation - and slowly. Otherwise it is useless. Because if it is done fast with no ideation, then the benefit will be zero. So it should always be done slowly, with full heartfelt feeling.
The question may arise in the mind as to why some wish to repeat Guru puja very fast whereas others prefer to proceed at a slower pace. If the mind is more rajasik & tamasik then it will rush from one pabulum to the next. In contrast, if the mind is sentient and calm, then it will do everything slowly - including Guru puja.
So how does this all relate to there being varying speeds for reciting Guru puja at dharmacakra?
Basically, those whose minds are jumpy such that they could not do proper sadhana then they end up rushing through Guru puja also. In contrast, those whose minds are tranquil then naturally they did proper sadhana so their tendency is to recite Guru puja more slowly. They have an ardent desire to immerse the mind in the mantra and ideation, and involve deeper into bhakti in this practice.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion
The reason some go speedily and some go more slowly is due to the quality of one’s sadhana. If for any reason one’s mind is restless then they are bound to recite Guru puja quickly. Unfortunately those who could not do proper sadhana do fast Guru puja due to a restless mind. In that case, their sadhana is ruined and they could not get any benefit from Guru puja either. Needless to say, such persons should not be allowed to lead the next time.
In Him,
Satya’nura’gii
For more info about Guru Puja
Offering of colours is one component of Guru Puja. That component is not discussed in this letter. To study about that component, please click below:
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 3, 'Vibration, Form, & Colour'
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Sweet fragrant breeze
"(Toma'ke) ka'che peye tabu cena' da'y..." (Prabhat Samgiita #4792)
Purport:
O’ Parama Purusa, Baba, even when having You close, it is hard to realise that You are the Controller of the universe. Wherever You live - in the divine world of Goloka or in the world of bhaktas, Gokula - I do not think so much, as long as I find You close. You are all around me but I can’t see You.
When I face the scorching heat of the burning desert, or when I see the pouring rain of the monsoon season, I do not understand what You are conveying to me through these signs. Similarly, when I see the softness of the winter season and the sweet fragrant breeze of the spring season, I cannot fathom what You are hinting at. O’ Parama Purusa Baba, You are all around me, helping me always, but I fail to comprehend Your liila.
In the very soft, cool breeze of hemant (pre-winter), and in the extremely cold season when staticity abounds, I feel in my mind that You are my Saviour in the form of fire keeping me warm. When the tender, colourful leaves of the spring season, and the sweet fragrance of the flowers full of nectar are pouring Your love, everything becomes charming. Even then it is hard to recognise You. Baba, You are all around me, but I do not perceive You. O’ Parama Purusa, Your infinite liila is incomparable...
Dharmic slogans of revolution
Ananda Marga philosophy states “Devils, demons, black-marketeers and [[adulterators]] joined the gang of demons in large numbers. But even among them, a few felt the pangs of conscience; they repented their own misdeeds and joined the group of humans. But most of the bribers and big officials, police officers and military officials, ticket-collectors, goods-officers and ticket checkers and many others – and along with them those who had mixed sand with sugar, mud in cement, dust of tamarind seeds with flour, and poison in medicine – all ran to join the gang of demons. However, all were not of the same mentality, and of course all the officials of the Demon Kingdom were not corrupt. Those who were honest joined the group of humans.”
“The struggle grew serious. What a grim struggle it was! No one had ever seen such a struggle. In that fight, land, water and sky – hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and stratosphere shuddered. People were fighting without even sufficient food to eat and wearing tattered clothes. The soldiers of the demon, on the other hand, were getting good food and plenty of fine clothes. But in spite of all these hardships, the smiles of the human beings had not abated and their songs never stopped. They constantly upheld the sublime ideal of life, singing:”
“We are all brethren in this universe,
We will equally share all pleasure and pain.”
“Building up many small squads of soldiers, the youths fought on, singing:”
“Proceed on and on!
The sky above is resounding with the sound of drums
And the earth below is waiting expectantly to welcome the
glorious dawn
O the Youths of the crimson dawn
March ahead! March ahead!”
“Then the youths raised slogans: “Equal rights for all humanity! One nation for all people! Tyranny will no longer be tolerated! No hypocrisy in the name of religion! All people of the world, unite!””
“More and more youths joined the humans, singing unitedly, “Victory is ours! Victory is ours! This beautiful earth is for the humans, not for the demons!””
“The struggle became very grim. Such a struggle was not fought even at the time of the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. The demons had powerful bombs – dangerous arms capable of killing many people at a time, and lethal weapons full of poisonous gas. But they could not use them because both the humans and the demons would fall victim by their use, as both of them were the inhabitants of the same earth.”
“Ultimately the demons began to retreat. Finding no other alternative, the Strange Demon surrendered to the humans.The youths said, “Punish them! Give them capital punishment!” But the prince said, “No! We have accepted the real meaning of non-violence (Ahimsa). Not to use arms against harmless people but to fight the exploiters or those who torture innocent people – this is true non-violence – the sacred duty which we have performed. Those who are now captive in our hands, those demons, they are also our brethren. We should try to rectify their nature.” So the prince formed a new government and advised that government to build a good number of rectification centres where those demons would get every facility for their mental and spiritual upliftment.” (1)
Note: To overthrow any exploitative regime, the exploited mass rebels against them. But not everyone in the regime is not bad. There are many officials or cadres within the regime who were following the demons orders under pressure. In the above story, it is described that when revolution starts then many good people defect from the demon’s party and support the revolution. They should be welcomed by the revolutionaries. This is the usual strategy that we see happening around the globe. And Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar also approves this. For example, suppose someone from Rudrananda’s team defects and comes and joins those exposing Dada R’s hypocrisy. Then that person should be appreciated and welcomed, and his past demerits should be overlooked.
Reference
1. The Golden Lotus of the Blue Sea
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Other topics of interest
"(Toma'ke) ka'che peye tabu cena' da'y..." (Prabhat Samgiita #4792)
Purport:
O’ Parama Purusa, Baba, even when having You close, it is hard to realise that You are the Controller of the universe. Wherever You live - in the divine world of Goloka or in the world of bhaktas, Gokula - I do not think so much, as long as I find You close. You are all around me but I can’t see You.
When I face the scorching heat of the burning desert, or when I see the pouring rain of the monsoon season, I do not understand what You are conveying to me through these signs. Similarly, when I see the softness of the winter season and the sweet fragrant breeze of the spring season, I cannot fathom what You are hinting at. O’ Parama Purusa Baba, You are all around me, helping me always, but I fail to comprehend Your liila.
In the very soft, cool breeze of hemant (pre-winter), and in the extremely cold season when staticity abounds, I feel in my mind that You are my Saviour in the form of fire keeping me warm. When the tender, colourful leaves of the spring season, and the sweet fragrance of the flowers full of nectar are pouring Your love, everything becomes charming. Even then it is hard to recognise You. Baba, You are all around me, but I do not perceive You. O’ Parama Purusa, Your infinite liila is incomparable...
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Dharmic slogans of revolution
Ananda Marga philosophy states “Devils, demons, black-marketeers and [[adulterators]] joined the gang of demons in large numbers. But even among them, a few felt the pangs of conscience; they repented their own misdeeds and joined the group of humans. But most of the bribers and big officials, police officers and military officials, ticket-collectors, goods-officers and ticket checkers and many others – and along with them those who had mixed sand with sugar, mud in cement, dust of tamarind seeds with flour, and poison in medicine – all ran to join the gang of demons. However, all were not of the same mentality, and of course all the officials of the Demon Kingdom were not corrupt. Those who were honest joined the group of humans.”
“The struggle grew serious. What a grim struggle it was! No one had ever seen such a struggle. In that fight, land, water and sky – hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and stratosphere shuddered. People were fighting without even sufficient food to eat and wearing tattered clothes. The soldiers of the demon, on the other hand, were getting good food and plenty of fine clothes. But in spite of all these hardships, the smiles of the human beings had not abated and their songs never stopped. They constantly upheld the sublime ideal of life, singing:”
“We are all brethren in this universe,
We will equally share all pleasure and pain.”
“Building up many small squads of soldiers, the youths fought on, singing:”
“Proceed on and on!
The sky above is resounding with the sound of drums
And the earth below is waiting expectantly to welcome the
glorious dawn
O the Youths of the crimson dawn
March ahead! March ahead!”
“Then the youths raised slogans: “Equal rights for all humanity! One nation for all people! Tyranny will no longer be tolerated! No hypocrisy in the name of religion! All people of the world, unite!””
“More and more youths joined the humans, singing unitedly, “Victory is ours! Victory is ours! This beautiful earth is for the humans, not for the demons!””
“The struggle became very grim. Such a struggle was not fought even at the time of the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. The demons had powerful bombs – dangerous arms capable of killing many people at a time, and lethal weapons full of poisonous gas. But they could not use them because both the humans and the demons would fall victim by their use, as both of them were the inhabitants of the same earth.”
“Ultimately the demons began to retreat. Finding no other alternative, the Strange Demon surrendered to the humans.The youths said, “Punish them! Give them capital punishment!” But the prince said, “No! We have accepted the real meaning of non-violence (Ahimsa). Not to use arms against harmless people but to fight the exploiters or those who torture innocent people – this is true non-violence – the sacred duty which we have performed. Those who are now captive in our hands, those demons, they are also our brethren. We should try to rectify their nature.” So the prince formed a new government and advised that government to build a good number of rectification centres where those demons would get every facility for their mental and spiritual upliftment.” (1)
Note: To overthrow any exploitative regime, the exploited mass rebels against them. But not everyone in the regime is not bad. There are many officials or cadres within the regime who were following the demons orders under pressure. In the above story, it is described that when revolution starts then many good people defect from the demon’s party and support the revolution. They should be welcomed by the revolutionaries. This is the usual strategy that we see happening around the globe. And Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar also approves this. For example, suppose someone from Rudrananda’s team defects and comes and joins those exposing Dada R’s hypocrisy. Then that person should be appreciated and welcomed, and his past demerits should be overlooked.
Reference
1. The Golden Lotus of the Blue Sea
== Section 3: Links ==
Other topics of interest
