Baba
Varieties of sleep
Namaskar,
The other day when doing pracara I had an in-depth, personal conversation with someone about yama and niyama, kiirtan, and meditation. They appeared to be quite interested. When our talk ended, I thought they would have a question on the topic, or ask when was the next dharmacakra etc. But they invited me to join them in their drinking party. Hearing their request, I felt very sorry for their mental state. After a while, I was wondering why this person could not understand what I was talking about. What was the cause.
Then, by Baba’s grace, the section from His discourse about psychic slumber flashed in my mind. And I realised how those in psychic slumber cannot grasp refined ideas and spiritual concepts because the subtler aspects of their human personality are not developed. That portion of their mind is still dormant, unfortunately. After this incident, I thought to write a few words on this as it might be helpful for pracara activities.
Three types of sleep
The human personality is three-fold or trifarious: physical, psychic, and spiritual. We all know that the path of Ananda Marga aims for the development of the whole human personality. To this end, we should be fully aware about sleep and how it manifests on all levels of life. Unfortunately nowadays some do not seem to be fully cognizant of this important issue.
In brief, here is what is meant by sleep, in the various realms of life, according to the teachings of Ananda Marga.
- (A) Physical sleep: This is when one is lying down in their bed and sleeping. This everybody knows.
- (B) Psychic sleep:
This is when one is not interested in subtle, intellectual topics. The
person does not want to read Ananda Marga books - not even simple texts
like “A Guide to Human Conduct.” Such persons are psychically sleeping.
They have no greater concept of life, or death, or birth etc. Even if
you sit down and explain it to them in a very simple manner, they will
not be interested and will not comprehend the topic.
- (C) Spiritual sleep: This is when one has no interest in spiritual pursuits like sadhana, bhajans, and kiirtan etc. Just they are busy in sensual satisfaction. They harbour no spiritual interest. Rather they are disinterested in spirituality.
Sleeping person oblivious of surroundings
The most telling aspect or main characteristic about sleep - whether it be physical, psychic, or spiritual - is that when one is sleeping they are not aware that they are sleeping. They are not conscious of their behaviour. Sleep happens unbeknownst to the person. The person sleeping is oblivious of the fact that they are sleeping. They cannot think or say, "Right now, at this moment, I am sleeping."
Those involved in psychic and spiritual sleep can cross entire lifetimes without waking up. Just they pass their time / life in useless, transitory pursuits. This is all due to sleep in the psychic and spiritual realms. It should also be noted that of these three types of sleep, only physical sleep is restorative and regenerative in nature; it is beneficial so long as one does not sleep too much. In stark contrast, both psychic sleep and spiritual slumber have no redeeming qualities.
What is psychic sleep?
We all know what physical sleep is, but psychic sleep may be less apparent. Basically, when one is engrossed in religious dogmas, social dogmas, and material pursuits, then that is psychic sleep. Such persons have no concept of the more subtle aspects of life. They are just here for eating, sleeping, drinking, and merrymaking, or various dogmatic enterprises. These are the characteristics of psychic slumber.
If someone is sleeping psychically and you talk to them about yama and niyama or meditation, they will often have a blank look on their face. Regardless of their educational status, if they are sleeping psychically, even a PhD scholar will be mentally dull in this regard. They will not show an iota of interest in spirituality. You can explain to people all day about how human life is precious and that money is not everything and that they must learn meditation etc, and then at the end of the conversation they may only ask about getting a bottle of wine. That is a classic case of psychic slumber.
Unfortunately, at present, in this grossly materialistic era, most suffer in this regard. They cannot see that this entire world is the divine expression of Parama Purusa and that there is more to living than satisfying one's animalistic propensities. We should not just think that psychic sleep only applies to those non-margiis grossly disinterested in spiritual topics.
What is spiritual sleep?
Next, we come to the phenomenon of spiritual sleep.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Of all the different types of lethargy, spiritual lethargy is the worst. Spiritual lethargy means not to sit for meditation regularly. Those with spiritual lethargy have time for all other actions, but for spiritual practice there seems to be no time. They say, “It’s already late today – I’ll do a short meditation right now, and devote more time to sa'dhana' tomorrow.” They sit attentively inside the cinema hall, but in dharma sa'dhana' they feel sleepy." (1)
Spiritual sleep occurs when one is negligent in doing sadhana. That is one main aspect of spiritual slumber. From that main stem of not doing sadhana comes many offshoots. Lack of spiritual awareness means forgetting that, “Parama Purusa is with me, watching me.” If at any time during the day or night a sadhaka forgets - even temporarily - that Parama Purusa is with them or if they do not have that idea vibrating in their mind, then it means that they are sleeping spiritually.
All the dogmatic religions that claim that God is far away are in spiritual slumber. The same is the case with those who look for Parama Purusa by going on tiirthas, whether that tiirtha be in Mecca, Jerusalem, Jamalpur or Kolkata. Plus those dogmatic worshipers who ask God for material gain and those who secretly pray to Parama Purusa for prestige and power - they are all sleeping. Internally they are hankering for something else other than Parama Purusa.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "People...waste their time getting old for nothing. That is, they waste their time in non-spiritual pursuits. This is called “spiritual lethargy”. It causes the greatest harm to human life because it results in only a very small percentage of the human potentiality – maybe one or two percent – being utilized by humans. Even those whom we call great personalities hardly use ten percent of their potentialities. Due to spiritual lethargy people are unable to grow, and thus remain very ordinary. They come to the world, live, decay and die as ordinary human beings." (2)
Conclusion
We should all live life as awakened sadhakas - not falling prey to dogma and not forgetting that He is always with us. Then by His grace life will be successful. One should not fall into spiritual slumber.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Human beings have to move, and move on ceaselessly. When they are endowed with the strength of movement, they will have to move in a proper manner. Where there is strength, that strength must be properly utilized. One must not slip into slumber, allowing this strength to remain inert. Parama Purus'a has given this power to be utilized. The knowledge of the learned, the strength of the strong, the intelligence of the intellectuals – all these faculties have been given not to be merely preserved but to be utilized. Those persons who do not utilize their faculties have no right to ask for anything from the Lord, and those who misuse their faculties are also doomed to destruction." (3)
The human personality is three-fold or trifarious: physical, psychic and spiritual. Physical sleep is when one is lying down in their bed and sleeping. Psychic sleep is when not interested in any subtle idea. Spiritual sleep is when one has no interest in spiritual pursuits or they are disinterested in spirituality. We should all live life as awakened sadhakas.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Visnumaya’
~ In-depth study ~
It is universally known that when a person is very groggy or sleeping then they lose all awareness of external events. That is a person’s natural condition during physical sleep. In the case of psychic slumber, a person is unaware in the mental sphere. They are more engrossed in physical indulgences and lack the requisite faculties to understand the difference between right and wrong, moral and immoral etc. Because their mind is not awakened on that level.
Groupism means psychic sleep
There are also those who express some or more interest in the subtle sphere but get clouded in dogmas like groupism, factionalism, etc. That is what we have happening in our AMPS. All in Ananda Marga have the book knowledge that groupism is something bad, but even then some have fallen prey to this ism and have committed their life to the selfish interests of their chosen group. No names need be mentioned here, but in our Marga some fall in this category. And that is exactly what Baba is warning about in His below teaching.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Next is psychic lethargy. What is the nature of this sort of lethargy? Psychic lethargy is the lack of mental courage to think independently and to utilize the physical potentialities according to one’s inherent thoughts. For example, most people realize that since all human beings are the progeny of Parama Purus'a, there should not be any distinction of caste. Those who accept casteism can never accept Parama Purus'a and conversely, those who believe in Parama Purus'a can never accept casteism. Almost all human beings understand this and yet, in their individual lives, they surrender to old customs and beliefs. Just imagine what a serious lapse this is, what a serious psychic lethargy. The root case is the lack of moral courage." (4)
Thus anyone in Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha who is even remotely connected with groupism and groupist politics is a victim of psychic slumber. Unfortunately those who are sleeping cannot recognise that they are sleeping. Those caught in psychic slumber indulge in factional activities all the 24hrs. Sadly, they remain oblivious of their psychic slumber. Their sense of vivek is not working - and they cannot understand the teachings of Parama Purusa and apply them to their life. In that rut, they think what they are doing is alright.
Yet one fine morning, in this lifetime or the next, by Baba's grace, they will awaken and wonder what they have been doing with their lives. And they will exclaim, "Why did you not tell me that I was doing such things?" Little do they know that each and every day for decades they were told not to indulge in groupist propaganda. They do not realise that life is short and life is meant for ideology, not groupist, or dogmatic, or material pursuits. Such persons are in psychic sleep, unfortunately.
References
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life - 10, The Devotee and the Lord
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 8, Bad Habits Which Should Be Given Up
3. A Few Problems Solved - 4, Forward Movement Is the Essence of Life
4. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 8, Bad Habits Which Should Be Given Up
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section: Important Teaching ==
You & your samskaras
In the below quote Baba teaches the following points:
(a) Sadhakas do not get terrified when facing their bad samskaras / reactive momenta. Those who are confused think about their suffering always.Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Learned people know that the requitals or consequences of deeds (karmaphala) are inevitably bound to follow one's actions, and so they do not waste time uselessly thinking about them. Fortified with courage and instilled with Brahmabháva they face all calamities of retribution bravely. They always consider themselves pure, for they have purged their minds of the past. Those who have tasted even a little of the flowing nectar of Brahma, know that they can never be impure. This constant thought of self-purity greatly helps to exhaust their saḿskáras or reactive momenta, as a result of which the saḿskáras held in the sthirabhúmi of their práńa are gradually destroyed. With the help of sádhaná or spiritual practice the spell of pleasurable and painful requitals ceases both internally and externally. Sádhakas call it the combustion of the seed of action in the fire of sádhaná." (1)
(b) While undergoing suffering of their past deeds, they are focused on Brahma. And they continue on in their sadhana. Due to this, the seeds of their future samskaras are also burned.
(c) Because ones does sadhana, they always think they are pure - not a sinner. By this way they cleanse themselves.
(d) Due to their normal sadhana, their suffering due to pain and pleasure wanes because they are always in bliss. So they do not feel any misery or loss.
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 5, The Chariot and the Charioteer
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How to overcome the reactions of your samskaras
In the below quote Baba teaches the following points:
(a) Sadhakas do not get terrified when facing their bad samskaras / reactive momenta. Those who are confused think about their suffering always.
(b) While undergoing suffering of their past deeds, they are focused on Brahma. And they continue on in their sadhana. Due to this, the seeds of their future samskaras are also burned.
(c) Because ones does sadhana, they always think they are pure - not a sinner. By this way they cleanse themselves.
(d) Due to their normal sadhana, their suffering due to pain and pleasure wanes because they are always in bliss. So they do not feel any misery or loss.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Learned people know that the requitals or consequences of deeds (karmaphala) are inevitably bound to follow one's actions, and so they do not waste time uselessly thinking about them. Fortified with courage and instilled with Brahmabháva they face all calamities of retribution bravely. They always consider themselves pure, for they have purged their minds of the past. Those who have tasted even a little of the flowing nectar of Brahma, know that they can never be impure. This constant thought of self-purity greatly helps to exhaust their saḿskáras or reactive momenta, as a result of which the saḿskáras held in the sthirabhúmi of their práńa are gradually destroyed. With the help of sádhaná or spiritual practice the spell of pleasurable and painful requitals ceases both internally and externally. Sádhakas call it the combustion of the seed of action in the fire of sádhaná." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 5, The Chariot and the Charioteer
