Baba
Selfish sadhaka
Namaskar,
If you own a house, and after an earthquake a crack appears in the wall, then you will contact all kinds of specialists and inspectors to find out what is wrong with the house. You are not paying them to tell you what is good about the house. You want to know what the problem is. You want all the faults and weaknesses identified because this is your house, and you want it repaired. So invariably you will fix your house. Those who are committed to something always want to know the problem.
The same occurs when you bring your bicycle, motorcycle, moped, or car to the repair shop. You are incurring expense because you want them to figure out the problem and solve it. You are giving them money to find the defects. Similar is the case of going to the doctor. That patient wants to get their ailments identified and cured. They want their body to be healed.
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Here the point is that when anyone considers something to be their own, they want to know the problems and get them fixed. The steps we take in our personal life we should also take in our organisational life. Just as a car, or bike, or house, or human body is mine, this organisation is also mine. This should be our mentality.
It is no secret that our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS) is now going through trying and challenging times. That is because even though Baba has given us a sublime and perfect ideology, our AMPS is made up of imperfect human beings. Naturally mistakes are going to happen and issues are going to arise.
Ideal outlook: find the defect & fix
When we have come into Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS) and know that AM ideology is the panacea then we should have a proper outlook. We should not think that all margiis and avadhutas are divine and free from any defect. Rather we should think that Baba's philosophy is 100% rational and that humans are fallible and prone to making mistakes. And if we ignore those mistakes then the problems will multiply.
We should follow nature's way and Baba's guideline to find out the defect and correct the wrong. Every organisation has at least one bad apple and if that rotten apple is allowed to fester, then everything will become rotten. So our approach is to be vigilant and keep our organisation clean and free from any grime. Overlooking the problems will not do.
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Convince new people to take ownership & help clean AMPS
If ever we come across a new margii who became inactive after finding out some dirt in AMPS, our duty is to try to convince them with the following logic: They belong to the organisation and it is their duty to help fix it because AM ideology is unparalleled. It is their duty to help; indeed, they are needed to help. There is no other way. Because no other organisation in the universe is built on the pillars of neo-humanism and bhagavad dharma.
As we all know, so many new persons get attracted to Ananda Marga ideology and find it to be logical and rational. But when they hear about the problems in AMPS they feel suffocated and consider leaving. We should convince them to stay with the aforesaid logic.
Three fundamental responses to tragedy: leave, ignore, fix
Let's look at the matter this way: If there are 3 people and one person gets seriously sick, then we may see an array of reactions. Those who have the least amount of sympathy will leave the scene entirely, not caring at all. Another may not be concerned and think it is best not to tell others, as if by that way the problem will go away. Those who are true friends and family members will cry out loudly and bring that person to the hospital. They will not care who knows or does not know; with deep love their only thought is to cure their sick relation of their disease.
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This same set of circumstances happens in AMPS as well. Third class people run away when they see a problem; second grade persons do not get engaged; they just try to hide and ignore the problem so they can reap the rewards in the form of high posts etc. They are just in it for their own prestige. While top grade people apply themselves fully because they see the organisation as part and parcel of their own existence. They alert everybody and try to fix the problem.
Conclusion
Those who have higher bhakti for Sadguru Baba also have great love for AMPS. They embrace this AMPS organisation as their own, i.e. they feel, "It is mine". Only those A-grade bhaktas will address and solve the problems and make our AMPS organisation shine. All others will succumb to apathy or run from the field. By seeing how people respond to organisational issues, you can understand what level of bhakta they are.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Jayashrii
~ In-depth study ~
Similar to antibodies start attacking germs
This same formula of identifying the problem and repairing the wrong works in the natural world as well. The human body has a spectacular immune system. Whenever the body suffers from any problem or disease, then immediately those antibodies start attacking those infectious germs. The antibodies do not concern themselves with the parts of the body that are healthy.
In contrast, if the immune system does not respond properly, then the body decays and eventually dies. In cases related with the natural world, the positive approach is to fix the problems; that is nature's way. We see this with the various ecosystems, in biology and chemistry, and in so many strata. In all such cases, a red alert is signaled when a problem arises and then all sorts of natural forces come forward to solve the problem.
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Or consider this. If your only child is sick, you will not dispose of your child, as you would do with your broken bicycle, motorcycle etc. Rather you will do everything in your power to cure your child of their illness. Those committed to AMPS will do the same with regards to organisational problems.
By His grace every true Ananda Margii has the temperament of a true sadhaka of tantra and is ready to face all kinds of obstacles in order to make life and AMPS brilliant. That is our way. We think: AM ideology is mine and AMPS is mine.
Bad people: like snake in the house
Here is an English summary of Sadguru Baba’s Hindi teaching of EGD 25 November 1978 Mumbai:
If our own person, family member, or anyone deviates from the truth or is lacking sincerity, oppose them. Do not tolerate them. It does not matter if they are our own family member. If our own person is dishonest and insincere then they are more dangerous. Why? If a snake is living outside the house in the wild it is dangerous, but if that snake enters inside the house then it is more dangerous. Therefore they [our close persons] should be opposed more strongly.
In His above guideline Baba explains that bad elements in society are dangerous, but bad elements inside your house - inside your organisation - are more dangerous. Do not tolerate them, benevolently oppose them. So they can rectify their ways and become an asset to our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha.
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Ananda Vanii says, "Struggle is the essence of life. Yours should be a pauseless struggle against corruption, hypocrisy and animality." (1)
References
1. Ananda Vanii #11
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Namaskar
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "In the Vedas, little distinction is made amongst people based on caste, but a large part of the Vedas divide people into different races. That is, the Vedas are full of racial sentiments. For example, the Aryans are described as white and are considered superior to the other races. They are termed deities or Sura. The non-Aryans are described as black and are considered inferior to the Aryans. They are termed demons, Danavas or Asuras. The Vedas are full of inequities. Any attempt the establish equality based on the Vedas will be totally false and misleading.”
“In the past many unpsychological ideas were imposed on the toiling masses and women. If we examine Indian history, we can see that exploited people took the shelter of Jainism and Buddhism, and later of Islam. This occurred because they did not want 33 to live in an oppressive atmosphere, because they felt suffocated in such an environment.”
“Today some people advocate Vedic revolution, but how can there be a revolution based on the Vedas when the Vedas themselves are full of dogma? In the past it was the practice in India that if a woman heard the recitation of the Vedas even by accident, molten lead was poured into her ears. This was done because if women were not suppressed they could not be easily exploited and ordered about to do menial work, like maid servants. Today women have started a collective movement to oppose their oppression and exploitation.”
“In the Vedic age, people were oppressed and felt suffocated by the imposition of dogma. They got their first experience of freedom during the life of Buddha, because he was the first to start a crusade against Vedic dogma. This was the reason why Buddhism was accepted by the masses immediately and spread rapidly." (1)
Exploitation by various classes
Over the course of history, those at the helm have always exploited other sections of society. In the vipran era [rule of the clergy], the ruling religious leaders gained maximum power and dominated weaker groups. In the vaeshyan era [rule of the wealthy], those top capitalists have exploited women and the common mass. The general rule is that as one group gains more power they exert their force to control and manipulate the rest of society.
Religious exploitation - 1
Here below is more on the religious exploitation of females.
Religions have always suppressed and exploited various sections of society in order to impose their dogmatic ideas. Traditionally, females always suffered terribly at the hands of religion. Time and again, it was the all-powerful clergy who soaked up the benefits. All the rules and regulations were bent in favour of the dominant class, i.e. the male clergy etc. That is and was the common theme of the vipran era - the rule of the clergy.
So in the vipran era [rule of the clergy], at the height of their rule, various antisocial and harmful activities occurred.
However, the era has changed and society has moved ahead. Now, in this present day, to protect the downtrodden masses, rational people have raised their voice and ultimately the state or government has interceded and declared those religious decrees to be unlawful.
For instance, in the US, the state has finally reversed their old law that blacks and whites should not marry. Although the dominant white churches have continued to oppose inter-racial marriages, the US government has declared such inter-racial unions as legal.
Likewise, in India the government has come forward to make ordinances against the Hindu tradition that the wife must burn to death by throwing herself on the husband's funeral pyre. Now this dogmatic religious tradition is basically outlawed and not done anymore.
Plus in the US, the government has declared that polygamy is illegal - a man can no longer keep multiple wives. So the Mormon religion and related sects in the US can no longer impose the rule that a man can have as many wives as he likes. Even then, it is still going on behind the scenes - but much less so.
In all these circumstances, when religion has put forth hateful and harmful rules against the weaker sections of society, in this present era rational people have taken a stand against those religious dogmas. This we have witnessed in nearly every country around the globe.
Religious exploitation - 2
The Muslim communities have long imposed the idea that women must wear a veil in public, yet we are seeing more demands by rational people to end this practice. And in some places, great headway has been made.
Radical Muslims use the veil as a way to hide the face of their terrorist attackers. In that case, it is the duty of the government to intercede and declare such veils as illegal. In the present moment, in the name of wearing a veil, both male and female Muslim terrorist bombers sneak into public places to carry out their attacks. In many countries, male policemen are prohibited to ask females to lift their veil. Then that veil becomes a special tactic of Muslim religious radicals to sneak their attackers - either male or female - into public events and carry out their destructive plans. Because anyone can hide behind that veil and go where they like.
Given this, states and governments have no other recourse than to demand that no female should be allowed to wear a veil and cover their face for reasons of public safety.
AMPS: female situation in Wt cadre
Unfortunately, within our Ananda Marga WT structure, females are also struggling for their freedom. Those willing to accept male dominance are rewarded with a high post. Due to a lack of awareness of Ananda Marga ideology and Baba's teachings, this struggle is proceeding along at a very, very slow pace. Those who are naive may not agree, but if they know the internal happenings on a daily basis, they can't deny this truth. Females workers are harassed in many ways, and that will be addressed in greater detail in future letters. Although Baba has given equal rights to females, those dadas at the helm are unwilling to recognize this and are unwilling to give up their power and stop their exploitation. There are also other reasons why all this is going on.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Surendra
References
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 16, Religious Dogma – Excerpt B
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Harming children by Santa Claus or monkey god story
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “When the parents are about to go on a trip or go to a show, or when they are invited to a pleasant function or a social outing, the children may start whining or nattering to accompany them. At such times many parents tell lies without a qualm; somehow they dupe their children and leave. When the children realize what has happened, they also learn to tell lies; and to hide their intentions or their actions from their parents, they gradually start lying more and more.”
“Parents deceive their children in many ways. By calling sweet things bitter and pleasant things unpleasant, they prevent their children from enjoying them. But by disregarding parental injunctions and prying inquisitively, as is the wont of human nature, children discover the truth. Then they realize that their parents have been deceiving them. As a result they start deceiving not only their parents, but their friends and classmates as well. So it is abundantly clear that children are taught the first lessons in the arts of lying and deception by their own parents at home.” (1)
Note: Baba’s above teaching show how lying and cheat first starts in the home - i.e. kids learn from their parents. This gets exhibited in so many ways - amongst all populations. This occurs even during the holidays and times of celebration. For instance, those from a Christian background teach their children to believe in Santa Claus - an imaginary man with a big belly and a long white beard who comes down the chimney and bring gifts to children. And when Santa Claus is not delivering gifts around the planet then he resides at the North Pole. Another example of an imaginary holiday creature is the Easter Bunny. These are both fake and fabricated entities. But for the first years of their lives, kids are naively and innocently led to believe that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are real. This is taught to them first and foremost by their parents. And the children believe it wholeheartedly. These are some of their most graphic childhood memories - and yet it is all based on falsehood. Inevitably, by the age of 7, 8, 9, or 10 etc, those kids realise that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are real and that they have been lied to - i.e. duped. And it is at that moment they learn how to deceive and befool others in the same manner.
Similarly Hindus befool kids by telling them tales, lies, and stories that the mythological monkey God is real. And they show them the idol to show the monkey god exists. In turn children really believe the monkey god flew from point A to point B carrying a mountain. Even after growing up, many carry this dogma their whole life.
Conclusion
(a) Before telling any story, parents should be careful not to tell anything which is false.
(b) If a child is asking a question and you do not know the answer, then do not tell them a lie. Best is to say, "I do not know. I will try and find the answer for you."
(c) The worst thing is to tell them something false. And the absolute worst is to terrorise them by saying, "Do not ask anymore questions." Small kids especially ask a lot of questions to all those who are around. That time is crucial not to shut them up. Those who shut up children stymie and stun their psychic progress.
(d) Remember inquisitiveness is the greatest thing in human life as it leads to all sorts of progress. So do not crush their inquisitiveness.
Reference
1. Human Society - 1, Education
