Baba
Misery in “progress”
Namaskar,
In prehistoric times, humans were living on trees or in caves, and verily in every step of their journey they created something to bring ease and comfort in their lives. First they created stone tools to make their work far easier. In this way, science and civilization moves on. In this approach, step by step, they created newer and newer things, with the only goal being to make life easy and bring peace in their mind. Now we have to analyze: By this way, has peace really come? Or has peace instead gone far, far away.
Between those who were living in the caves and now modern humans, there is a vast gap of material achievement. But, unfortunately, we don’t see the same result in mental peace. Rather mental peace has become even more elusive; there is more mental tension in present day humans. So the resultant in this sphere is zero, or even minus.
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It is a basic human desire to make one’s life better. Humans spend all their efforts and energy towards this end. However, the main question is, “What progress is after all?” Is there an achievement that humans can consider worthy of being called as a marker of progress? We can further extend the scope of the aforementioned question to our collective life. That is to say, how can we assess that we are making progress?
Materialistic definition of progress
The most prevalent metric of progress, nowadays, is monetary. One is considered to have made progress if one can make large monetary earnings. Likewise, a society is said to have progressed if the society generates monetary wealth. Wealthy people are, therefore, considered as the ones who made progress in their lives based purely on how much money they made while often ignoring other aspects like their integrity and lifestyle. And the nations like the United States and the United Kingdom are said to be the progressive ones as they have made significant material progress regardless of the fact that that happened largely at the cost of exploiting and bullying other countries. Even the scientific advancements that we see today are aligned towards achieving the overall objective of gaining more and more wealth.
Consider the case of the age when bullock carts were used. Today, we have airplanes that can allow intercontinental journeys. Surely, there is an advancement. With an advanced transportation system, international trade has escalated and thereby the wealth. But that advancement comes at a cost. The quantum of risks involved in an airplane accident cannot be compared with a bullock cart accident. Thus, with an advancement in one field i.e., speed there is an associated risk.
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The human needs on the physical plane have to be met, but that alone is not enough. If the psychic and spiritual longings are not addressed too then the advancements on the physical plane will have no meaning. In the developed countries wherein all the physical needs have been met, the cases of mental diseases are on the rise. If the advancement in the physical sphere was the only metric of progress then such cases of mental diseases in the developed countries would not occur.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, “The physical bondages which keep people confined to gross physicality and deny the fullest expression of human genius are called ádhibhaotik. The endeavour to liberate oneself from these physical bondages becomes meaningless if freedom from psychic bondages [ádhidaevik] is not attained.” (1)
Real progress: movement in spiritual sphere
The Samskrta term for progress is pragati. Pragati is the movement towards the Cosmic Goal, i.e. the Parama Purusa. There is movement even when we make scientific advancements but that may not necessarily increase our speed towards the Cosmic Hub.
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “What is progress? “Prakrsta gati ityartha pragati.” Where movement is towards Shubha it is called progress. Where movement is not associated with Shubha it is retardation. For instance, going up the hill or down are both movements, but in different directions.” (2)
Movements in the physical and psychic sphere are not leading to the Cosmic Hub and therefore there cannot be progress in the aforementioned spheres. Progress or Pragati can happen only when movement is made in the spiritual sphere.
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Ananda Marga philosophy says, “Progress takes place only in the spiritual stratum. Of course, while there is no progress in the physico-psychic sphere, movement is there. Had there been no movement, the physico-psychic world would have met its doom. Thus there is movement but no progress or Pragati.” (3)
Like a well-dressed monkey
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, “Actual development, actual progress, cannot be in the realm of physicality or in the psychic world. Actual progress is where the proximity to Parama Puruśa is increasing – that is, going closer to Parama Puruśa. That is progress. But while moving in this way, if the mind remains in that position, if the átmá, spirit, remains in that position, only man invents new dress, and television, or radio, or so many teleprinters, and so many newer vehicles, is it progress? No. Progress is – what? When he comes near this point. That is the only progress. So there can be progress only in the spiritual sphere. In physical and psychic spheres there cannot be any progress. You will be where you were. Only when your spirit, your átman, your soul, comes closer to the starting point, that is the only progress, that’s why there can be progress only in the spiritual stratum. Do you follow? In physical spheres, no. Suppose a man is mentally just like a monkey, and he wears a good silken dress and drives an ultra-modern vehicle, but has there been any progress? He is in the monkey state, not in the human stage. So he is a monkey, a well-dressed monkey. So there cannot be any progress in physical and psychic spheres. Now what is spirituality? Spirituality means that which helps you in moving towards that goal from where you started your long journey. To go back to the original home after passing through so many lives, is the spiritual practice and spiritual progress.” (4)
Relative spheres are means, not ends
Movement in the physical sphere is required so that the basic physical and psychic needs are met so that the body and mind become ready for sa’dhana’. A healthy and fulfilled body and mind are necessary for performing dharma sa’dhana’. But the true progress, i.e., the march towards Parama Purusa is possible only by performing dharma sa’dhana’.
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Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The only true progress for human beings is spiritual progress. The wise will, therefore, concern themselves only with the spiritual sphere. The only concern with the physical and intellectual spheres will be adjusting the base on which spiritual progress will thrive.” (5)
Conclusion
Often people misunderstand advancement in the material sphere in terms of scientific and financial advancements to be the summum bonum of their lives and as a yardstick for progress. However, material progress alone cannot provide one happiness even in the intellectual sphere let alone the spiritual sphere. The true progress happens only when one makes a march towards the Cosmic Hub. The advancements in material and intellectual spheres are just preparatory phases to adjust the life for preparing for the dharma sa’dhana’ that will enable spiritual progress. This will bring everlasting peace which any material achievement cannot provide.
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So, O’ human being! Learn sadhana, practice it, and realize Parama Purusa. That only will give you everlasting peace. For that very purpose you have come on this earth. And that will be the real progress.
In Him,
Bhakti
Lopsided advancement in physicality can cause disorders
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “It has been stated above that there is no progress in the physical and intellectual spheres. So should all efforts in these fields be stopped altogether? Should there be no effort to develop physical sciences? No, we shall continue to make efforts in these fields, also. We have only to be cautious about the effects of such efforts on human society, human mind and even human physique. What happens with the so-called progress in the physical sphere is that the speed of life gets a quick momentum which affects the nerves. The effect on the nerves increases the function of the cranium and it results in the weakening of the heart. As a natural consequence, to the extent the physical sciences will advance for physical progress, the diseases of the heart and mind will increase in the same proportion. It will be noted that many so-called civilized people cannot sleep as their nerves are under strain. The diseases which were considered fatal 200 years ago are no longer so nowadays. They have become common diseases today. The fatal diseases in modern times are mostly connected with the heart and nerves. This is the result of so-called progress in the realm of physicality. In the future, the physical structure of human beings will be affected by these factors. The nerves will stiffen and the cranium will become larger. The bones, on the other hand, will become thinner. This will result in a change in the stature of human beings. They will have lean and thin limbs and a disproportionately big head. This change will come soon and fast.” (6)
References
1. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 5, Yatamána – 2
2. A Few Problems Solved Part 6, The Human Search for Real Progress
3. Prout in a Nutshell Part 8, The Three Causes of Sin
4. Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 14, Kiirtana and Dance / The Psychic Order
5. A Few Problems Solved Part 6, The Human Search for Real Progress
6. A Few Problems Solved Part 6, The Human Search for Real Progress
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
He has no occult powers
Ananda Marga ideology says, "For living beings, omniscience (evedaḿ) is certainly a recognized occult power. That is right. But for the Supreme Entity it is not a recognized occult power; He does not get it as a result of cult…To know everything is His nature. That is why He is omniscient." (1)
Note: The entire creation lies within the mind of Parama Purusa so Parama Purusa sees everything. Because it is all in His mind. Whereas human beings acquire knowledge from outside themselves. For humans, knowing something entails the psychic assimilation of external objectivity. According to the definition of the faculty of knowledge, for a person to know something then they must look outside the scope or periphery of their own mind. But with Parama Purusa nothing is outside His mind. That means that He does not 'know' anything per se; rather, He intrinsically sees everything as it is all going on within His own mind.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 5, The Omniscience of the Causal Matrix
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Marriage = union of male and female
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Another Sanskrit equivalent for “woman” is nárii, which is feminine gender. But Shiva used the term kalatra, in the neuter; for to her husband a woman is a wife, but to her children and other members of the society, she is as dignified as her male counterpart. So by declaring a married lady to be kalatra, Shiva gave her special status, and addressed her in neuter terms."
"The liberal meaning of the term viváha is “live one’s life in a new way with a special type of responsibility”. This is the underlying significance of the Shaeva system of marriage."
"In His life, Shiva Himself married with this commitment. We can say without the least hesitation that Shiva was the first person in this world to marry in the proper sense of the term. He was eager to see that the married women did their duties properly towards their husbands, that is, that they always took care to remove the difficulties of their husbands."
"Thus it was His strict instruction, Yad bharttureva hitamicchati tad kalatram [“If in the mind of the wife, there is the sincere desire for the welfare of her husband, the family will be blissful and a thatched house will become a golden home”]." (1)
Reference
1. Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Shivokti - 3
== Section 3: Links ==
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