Baba
My “liking”
Namaskar,
Some people think that their mental tendencies or likings are not related with any philosophy. They think they like something simply because they were born with that liking; and, they conclude that that preference or inclination is permanent. For this reason they do not try to change their liking. They fail to realise that the mind is always changing and that it can go up or down depending on one's physical and mental engagement.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Anyone can make the mind pointed in sadhana
In innumerable discourses and throughout our entire Ananda Marga ideology, Baba is teaching us about the essence of yogic philosophy: The mind is dynamic and it must be channelised towards the spiritual realm.
Mano karoti karma'n'i mano lipyate pa'tako;
Manashca tanmana' buddhaya' na pun'yam' na ca pa'tako
Ananda Marga ideology states, "It is the human mind which is the cause of bondage or liberation. If the mind is in bondage, the person is also in bondage. Similarly, if the mind is liberated the person is also liberated. After all, it is the human mind which engages in auspicious actions. Now, if this mind is kept engrossed in the ideation of Parama Purus'a, then it gets totally merged in Consciousness." (1)
So the main emphasis of our spiritual philosophy is to goad the mind towards Him and then automatically one will realize God. This idea is prevalent in nearly every Ananda Marga discourse. Verily the whole of 16 Points and all our life practices are geared towards making the mind more subtle, spiritual, and full of bhakti. Baba has blessed us with this special way of living. And He guides us that this plan - this approach of goading the mind towards higher pursuits - will work, cent per cent, with each and every human being, regardless of their background.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga ideology states, "If an ordinary sinner or a confirmed sinner remains absorbed in the thought of Parama Purus'a to the exclusion of all other thoughts, then his mind becomes pointed." (2)
How to make the mind more spiritually vibrated
So it is extremely important for each and every sadhaka to theoretically understand how this science of mind works. Because doing sadhana in this present era is not easy. But if one understands that if the mind is goaded - even a wee-bit - towards the realm of bhakti, then little by little the mind will yearn to do sadhana.
That is why if one is having trouble in sadhana, one should not worry. Only one should take this as a sign that they need to goad the mind a little bit more towards that way of life. That means doing a few more minutes of kiirtan, svadhyaya, mantra japa, etc, and then soon the mind will adjust and move in that direction.
And side by side one must also understand that engaging in mundane affairs or debased dealings will obviously divert their mind farther and farther away from sadhana. To gain success, one must have this theoretical understanding about the philosophy of mind, then one can certainly move ahead. Again the underlying idea is: The mind will learn to like whatever it is engaged in, whether good or bad, the mind will adjust and flow in that direction.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Infused with tremendous speed in sadhana
Suppose a new margii is immersed in mundane affairs like their job, non-margii social relations, and various other non-spiritual pursuits, but internally he wants to do sadhana. Then all he has to do is follow the precepts of manan (thinking about Him), shravan (singing & listening His name), and niddhidhyasana (ideating on Him) and then certainly in a very short time that new margii will be infused with tremendous speed in sadhana as the mind will like to do more meditation.
And this will not just work with new margiis - but with any Ananda Margii, even one who has been on the path for 50 years. Because the theory always applies universally that the mind will adjust with whatever it is given to do. If we involve in dhyana, japa, kiirtan, satsaunga, Prabhat Samgiita, brahmacarya, and so many of our other Ananda Marga practices, then naturally the mind will swiftly move in that direction - towards that sublime ideal.
So there is hope for each and every aspirant; and, we should always be wary not to slip in the opposite direction. Let's say there is an established margii who is involved in sadhana but little by little starts engaging in more mundane affairs like computer games, gossip, or useless Facebook interactions etc, then the mind will steadily drift away from sadhana until finally that sadhaka will lose their spiritual flow entirely.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
This philosophy of mind is so powerful that if even an ideal man starts associating with winos and drunks then over time he himself will start to yearn for their company and begin swigging from the bottle. Because the mind will always run after and learn to like whatever activity in which it is engaged. That is the key theme.
Decrease distance between you & your Ista
The mind also changes according to the company one keeps. Many ate onion and garlic or smoked before entering onto the path of Ananda Marga. Upon being surrounded by sadhakas (i.e. good company or satsaunga) their mind changed, and they gradually gave up those tamasik habits. So the mind adjusts according to one's company as well.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "So while selecting company, you should be careful whether its discourses, its activities, its plans or programmes are to decrease the distance between you and your Lord. This is Satsaunga, good company. Otherwise it is Asatsauṋga." (3)
As sadhakas living in this present era, we should make a strict sadhana routine and spiritual regimen and stick with it. We should make a sadhana quota whereby we do all our lessons two times daily as well as involve in Guru Sakash, proper ideation before sleep, and as much shravan, manan, niddhidhyasana as we can during the day.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Verily we should spiritualise the mind each and every moment of our lives through constant japa and ideation. By this way we can and will expedite our movement on the path - making sadhana an effortless, blissful, and deep experience in bhakti, by His grace. We should utilise this philosophical aspect and tendency of mind to our maximum advantage.
Let us never forget that each and every human being has come from past animal lives so those baser propensities are still in effect - to some or more degree. And people are well familiar with those animal enjoyments. That is why it is all so easy and quite common for the masses to move in this negative direction - i.e. negative pratisaincara. And the mind will learn to like that making one's descent very swift and harsh. As sadhakas we should never fall prey to such degradation - rather we are to keep ourselves moving in the sentient flow and pull others in that current as well.
Conclusion
With just a little reflection anyone can see how their liking changes according to their engagement of mind. Which is why no grown adult likes to pass their days playing with dolls., which once they enjoyed in childhood.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Namaskar,
Sastaunga Pranam to Baba,
Riddhi Siddhi
~ In-depth study ~
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Now, the objectivated [human] mind may move from subtle towards crude or from crude towards subtle, unlike the movements of other entities of this universe. If the movement towards crude is encouraged, the mind – and at the same time the entire existence of the human being – will be converted into crude matter. That is, it will [take] the path of negative pratisaincara. And if the movement towards subtle is encouraged, then one's entire existence will be converted into either Cosmic Mind or Cosmic Cognitive Faculty. This is the speciality of mind, and that is why it is said:"
[It is the mind that performs good actions and it is the mind that sins. For the mind that is immersed in the thought of God, there is no virtue, no vice.]
[The mind of a person in bondage is attached to his or her objects of enjoyment, whereas the mind of a person who has attained liberation has no mental object.]
"“The mind is the cause of bondage, and this mind, this very mind, is the cause of liberation, is the cause of emancipation.” If the movement towards subtle is encouraged, and there is movement with proper acceleration, then what will happen? There will take place one of two different things: either one's existence will be converted into the Cosmic Mind – that metamorphosis of unit mind into Cosmic Mind is known as the qualified stance – saguńásthiti – or, if the very “I” feeling is surrendered at the altar of Supreme Existence, then the alternative will be that the entire existential factor will become one with the Supreme Cognitive Faculty, with the Cognitive Principle – one will become omniscient, an all-knowing entity." (4)
How to overcome a vacillating mind
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "“It is the human mind which is the cause of bondage or liberation. If the mind is in bondage, the person is also in bondage. Similarly, if the mind is liberated the person is also liberated. After all, it is the human mind which engages in auspicious actions. Now, if this mind is kept engrossed in the ideation of Parama Puruśa, then it gets totally merged in Consciousness. In that case, where is the scope for virtue or vice for that person?”"
"If an ordinary sinner or a confirmed sinner remains absorbed in the thought of Parama Puruśa to the exclusion of all other thoughts, then his or her mind becomes pointed. This is called agryábuddhi [pinnacled intellect] in Sanskrit. In that state of mind the spiritual aspirant gets well established in pinnacled intellect. Unless and until the ordinary human intellect is elevated to the level of pinnacled intellect or apexed intellect, the continuous rise and fall of innumerable vibrations within one's existence continues. These psychic vibrations are sometimes the vibrations of virtue, sometimes the vibrations of vice, sometimes the vibrations of the reaction of sinful deeds, sometimes of virtuous deeds. Unless the human mind is pointed, this rise and fall of antagonistic psychic vibrations will go on. The moment the mind is centred on Parama Puruśa, then that mind will naturally become pointed. In that state there is no scope for the rise and fall of any wave – neither the wave of virtue nor the wave of vice. Thus it is said that when a spiritual aspirant is established in pinnacled intellect, there cannot be any question of virtue and vice. A person who has taken the Cosmic shelter goes far above the scope of virtue or vice. This is something very natural." (5)
How to select your goal
Mana eva manuśyáńám káránaḿ bandhamokśayoh,
Bandhasya viśayásaungimuktonirviśayaḿ tathá.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "“The mind is the cause of bondage or liberation of human beings. A person under bondage is attached to a mental or physical object, whereas the liberated one is free from all objects.” If the mind is confined to something physical or psychic it is bound to be assailed by either pleasure or pain – it is inevitable. However hard you may try you can not avoid it, because you are so inseparably bound to your objects."
"It is also true that you will not remain associated with your object forever because the speed of movement of both cannot be equal forever. The person with whom you live with all the warmth of your life will ultimately desert you – it is a cruel game. Confronted with this grim reality one should be very cautious about selecting one's goal. One thing is clear – the Supreme Entity alone should be accepted as one's goal." (6)
Way to merge with the Supreme
Mana eva mauśya nám kárańam bandha mokśayo
Ananda Marga ideology says, "In other words the unit attains salvation only when she/he empties her/his mind of all objects. Just as an iron sword can perform acts of cruelty or merely cut the rope tethering and animal, similarly, according to its objective tendencies, the mind can also be the cause of both bondage and liberation."
"All unit objects are external. Love for such unit objects can never be lasting, for the mind always keeps hopping from one object to another. That is why I say, withdraw your love from the unit and merge yourself in the whole. Don't mistake the unit for the soul or God. The attainment of one's inner self is only possible through love for the Infinite. Don't pretend to be inferior and as a result become lazy. Fill your heart with love of the Infinite, and your soul will be transformed into the Supreme Soul. No worldly happiness is limitless. Dedicate yourself completely to the blissful ocean of the Supreme Soul. Then alone will you realize what happiness really is. This path to attain happiness, this Sádhaná of self-surrender I call absolute devotion. Carry on performing your worldly duties with sincerity, and at the same time think about the pure self within you. Then alone will your Sádhaná be justified. The constant thought of your pure inner Self will certainly one day establish you in your original source, and this is the ultimate aim of Sádhaná." (7)
References
1. Neo-Humanism in a Nutshell - 1, What Is Dogma?
2. Neo-Humanism in a Nutshell - 1, What Is Dogma?
3. Ananda Vacanamrtam -14, Auto-Suggestion and Outer Suggestion
4. Neo-Humanism in a Nutshell - 1, Existential Flow and Its Culminating Point
5. A Few Problems Solved Part 5, What is Dogma
6. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 6, Ekendriya – 4
7. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 2, The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 1
* * *
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 ==
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Even after getting human life, only a few get the opportunity to listen to dharmika discourses. Among those, only a few develop the desire to practise dharma sádhaná. And even among these, only a few actually grasp the spirit of Sádhaná. Those rare ones who understand, perform sádhaná, and reach the goal are truly blessed." (1)
In the above teaching, Baba is expressing how each and every Ananda Margii is extraordinary as they have already crossed so many hoops and became an Ananda Margii. And there are a few more hoops to go. So one should always be alert not to get stuck in the present stage. Please read carefully to understand which stage you have crossed and where you are going.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, The Requirements for Sádhaná
== Section: Important Teaching ==
World govt is an eventuality
Prout philosophy states, “With advances in technology, the mastery of human beings over space and time will continue slowly to increase, so the necessity of a world government, also, will be profoundly felt. Gradually the people in one region of the world will have to interact more with the people in various other regions, and in the course of this interaction they will have to try to understand one another better.” (1)
Here Baba is teaching how in a gradual and natural course the world government will be established on this earth. And in a mundane way things are already moving in this direction. For example, there are millions of international and global organisations. Similarly, hundreds of thousands of corporations have a global administration. And in many families, their relations are working and living in multiple continents. And that is growing every moment. On a daily basis, tens of millions of people are crossing borders and traveling across the planet for various reasons. By this way, individuals, corporations, and NGO’s are already global. And this will take place in the political sphere very soon. Not only that, there is hardly any country that is not connected with another country. So there is a need. Already numerous attempts have been made at uniting various countries - in various regions of the globe. And such approaches will only increase with greater and greater success. The formation of a world government will be a natural step in this process.
Reference
1. Problems of the Day, point #20
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How to know everything
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “On the practical level, what happens is that the unconscious mind is all-pervading, integral and immeasurably vast. Through spiritual practices the riches of the unconscious mind are brought down into the subconscious mind. The spiritual aspirant then understands everything; he discovers the secret signs of knowledge. Then, according to his or her needs, he or she is able to bring this acquired wealth of the subconscious mind into the conscious mind and use it in the external world.”
“How much can book knowledge help a person! It goes in one ear and out the other. If, by means of sádhaná [spiritual practices], a person can bring into the subconscious mind the boundless knowledge that resides in the unconscious mind, then that becomes transformed into lasting riches which then are, or can be, employed extensively for the welfare of humanity.” (1)
Reference
1. Shabda Cayanika - 2, Indukamala to Iyatta (Discourse 7)
== Section : Important Teaching ==
Essence of being an Ananda Margii
Ananda Marga ideology states, “What is it that is of utmost necessity for spiritual progress? The most important thing needed for spiritual progress, for uniting the individual self with Paramátmá, is bhakti.” (1)
Note: Knowing the text, Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy (AMEP), is not at all essential for becoming an Ananda Margii and following the path of dharma. Those who are intellectually trained, i.e. are highly educated and / or have an intellectual bent, hunger for the rational explanation of this cosmological order works. And that is explained in the book AMEP. But truly, if we think of the common person in the world, the ideas expressed in AMEP are above their ability to comprehend, or not of interest to them. And that does not at all mean that becoming an Ananda Margii is beyond them. The main teaching, ethic, and essence of Ananda Marga is: “Parama Purusa is with me and within me; He loves me and I love Him; He is not some distant God in the sky but He is my personal God, and no one can take that away from me; and, I am to realize Him through the practice of sadhana.” This is the foundational concept for treading and advancing on the path of Ananda Marga. And this needs no formal education whatsoever.
There are many Margiis in the villages of India who are very, very simple and not educated in the formal sense; they do not care about AMEP. They never read it, and they never will. But when Baba gives the truths about bhakti in a brief discourse in the Ananda Vacanamrtam series that speaks to their inner heart and they feel that, "Yes, Baba is Parama Purusa, and He is mine." That is the most important and essential quality about being an Ananda Margii, and that is the central message of the Ananda Vacanamrtam and Subhasita Samgraha series of discourses.
In AMEP, there is no discussion of bhakti. Whereas bhakti is the main teaching of Ananda Marga ideology. That is why the discourses given in Ananda Vacanamrtam and Subhasita Samgraha are AM ideology. AMEP is an elucidation of ontology and cosmology: Baba's teachings on (1) personal existence, and (2) the origin and organization of the universe, and on the purpose of these two aspects, i.e. what is the meaning of our existence in this universe. So for intellectually inclined people around the world, the teachings in AMEP are deeply meaningful and fulfilling. But for those very same people, as well as for the rest of the people in the world, i.e. as a common denominator for all, the discourses in Ananda Vacanamrtam and Subhasita Samgraha provide the seed teachings which give sustenance and provide the spark for embarking on, as well as continuing, the spiritual journey.
Reference
1. Discourses on Krsna & The Giita, “Prańipátena Pariprashnena Sevayá” – 2
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Spirituality needed for unity
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The unity that grows from the collective psychology in the social, psychic and economic spheres, is the first step towards a greater unity. This can lead to the formation of a nation or greater internal unity in a country. But once the problem out of which the sentiment grew is solved, the common link is broken. That is why for permanent unity a spiritual outlook is necessary. Every human being has a spiritual thirst. Knowingly or unknowingly, human beings are searching for the Supreme Entity. Yet, ignorant of the right path, they remain confused. One of life's great tragedies is that so many people do not find the object of their search. Their entire life is spent searching everywhere, but in vain. If people are shown the right way, the entire humanity will converge on the same path. As fellow travellers on the same journey, they will move towards the same supreme goal with unison, with a single rhythm. So for the unity of the entire humanity, the indispensable factor is spirituality. This supreme treasure teaches human beings that Parama Puruśa is the Supreme Father, Parama Prakrti [[the Supreme Operative Principle]] is their Supreme Mother, and the entire universe is their homeland." (1)
In the above teaching there are two central points.
Firstly, in creating temporary unity, people rally around all kinds of sentiments. And so long as their particular problem is not solved, those people remain united around their common cause. But when their problem is solved then their unity dissolves.
For instance, those living in a village are fearful of wild animals remain united to ward off those dangerous animals. But when the problem is solved, and those wild animals disappear, those villagers will no longer remain united.
Second, to achieve long-term unity, true spirituality is needed. When the goal is Parama Purusa, people will not be selfish or narrow-minded. They will not fight over petty and trifling affairs. Rather, they will feel that all are the creation of Parama Purusa - and all are my kith and kin. They will not exploit others, but rather help them.
Unfortunately, when spirituality is polluted by dogmas like mahaprayan, then infighting starts. Those interest groups push to keep their dogma on top, and carry on with their exploitation for their petty gain. In that case, unity is ruined.
In our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, to instill unity we must wipe away all dogmas. Unity cannot coexist with religious dogmas like mahaprayan. Those are the central ideals presented in the above passage.
Reference
1. A Few Problems Solved - 2, Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 2
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Baba dedicates A'nanda Ma'rga to all
Ananda Marga ideology says, "I dedicate A'nanda Ma'rga in this DMC to all sections of society...from this DMC onwards I have become a man of the people because I believe that dharma is the property of the masses, not the exclusive monopoly of a handful of so-called educated middle class elite. Dharma belongs to one and all. From this DMC, I recognise it as the property of the common people." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, Spiritual Truth Surpasses Everything
== Section 3: Links ==
Other topics of interest
