Baba
New blueprint for success
Namaskar,
Many become confused and ponder what is meant by spiritual success. This is especially the case with crude people as they generally equate success with getting a good paying job, having financial security, and having worldly possessions etc. But those material things are transitory - they do not last; they are not permanent.
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What is success in spiritual life
Spiritual success is completely different. It means getting that which is lasting. Parama Purusa is the eternal Bandhu. To get and realise Him is spiritual success in the true sense. So our view and aim is 100% different from the material approach. As every sadhaka easily understands, spiritual success means reaching the Goal - becoming one with Parama Purusa. That is our perspective in Ananda Marga.
Parama Purusa is bliss personified; naturally as one progresses along the path and gets closer to Him, His divine qualities will be reflected in that sadhaka. In which case one will feel a greater sense of peace, happiness, and bliss. Their spiritual standard will be higher and their sadhana will be deeper. Most importantly, one reaches closer and closer to Him - always feeling His divine presence.
In that state, all tension and degrading tendencies drift away as one is firmly advancing along the path of bliss - Ananda Marga. Spirituality becomes a practical aspect and driving force in one's day to day life. By sincerely understanding and adhering to gurupujanam, and the other factors for success, one will surely become more established in the realm of spirituality and make their life successful - by His grace. They will become one with the Goal, Parama purusa.
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Guru puja and gurupujanam are two different things; they are not the same. Gurupu'janam is an all encompassing approach to life - following all do's and don'ts and mandates. That will bring success in the spiritual realm as one will feel linked with Him. It is one of the factors for attaining success in spiritual life.
Factors for gaining success in spiritual life
Here is a list of all the factors for gaining success in spiritual life wherein gurupujanam stands as only one of the seven factors needed for success in spiritual life. Any single factor by itself is not enough. They all work together in complementary fashion.
Here then are all the seven factors as given by Baba for gaining success in spiritual life:
1. vishva'sa (firm determination to achieve success)Ananda Marga ideology says, "saptamam naeva vidyate – There is no seventh factor." (1)
2. shraddha' (deep reverence and surrender to Guru)
3. gurupu'janam (obeying Guru's order)
4. samata'bhava'va (mental balance; no complex any type)
5. indriyanirgraha (control over motor and sensory organs)
6. pramita'ha'ra (nutritious and balanced sattivika food).
Those aforementioned six factors are all that is needed to achieve success in the spiritual realm. Sincerity in those six factors will enable one to reach their cherished Goal. And as Baba guides us, no seventh factor is needed when the first six are followed sincerely. For more clarity please continue reading.
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Conclusion
As sadhakas and disciples of Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji, everything we do should be done to please Him. Gurupujanam means doing as per His desire and following the guidelines from all His Ananda Marga books. We are to read, study, understand, and sincerely follow all His given teachings. That is practice and spirit of gurupujanam or pleasing Sadguru Baba.
Achieving success in spiritual life demands being vigilant in gurupu'janam - i.e. obeying Guru's teachings and orders. As bhaktas, we should actively take part in this practice and make it not just our habit but our nature. Doing those things which please Baba is gurupujanam.
Doing the 3 rounds of Guru puja after sadhana is our dharmic approach, but that is completely different from the practice of gurupujanam. Gurupujanam, as explained above, means doing all kinds of physical and psychic services that Guru wants us to do.
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Namaskar,
In Him,
Anandeshvar Deva
Essence of life in bhakti
I can never forget how when Baba is happy then His whole face lights up in a beautiful manner. And He says, "Yes, my boy did a very proper job. My girl did very nice work." Those present in various reporting sessions have witnessed Baba express His happiness in this way on countless occasions. No sadhaka can forget this; it is a most blissful remembrance.
We should not think that pleasing Baba is just something theoretical or hypothetical etc - nor is it a thing of the past. Just as in those pre-1990 days in reporting sessions when Baba would express His happiness, still today, in this era also, we can please Him whereby He expresses His happiness.
When one does as per His wishes, then their entire mind will be vibrated by His divine grace. One will feel His bliss. His happiness has a very practical and tangible effect. If anyone tries sincerely to please Him, naturally Baba will be gracious. The more we communicate internally with Baba, the more we will understand what makes Him happy, as well as how He expresses His happiness. This is the essence of devotional life: communicating with Him and getting His sweet response.
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Reference
1. Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 12, 21 May 1979 evening, Timmern, West Germany
* * *
The below section is an entirely different topic, unrelated to the above material.
It stands on its own merit as a point of interest and ideological awareness.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Prout philosophy states, “Vested interests do not favour population growth because this will mean sharing mundane property at the cost of their hoarding. Capitalism would like the extinction of the intellectual class as this would give it free scope for exploitation. The intellectual class usually belongs to the middle income group. Capitalists encourage family planning and birth control to check the growth of this middle class, thus these measures are a creation of the capitalist order.”
“Due to age-old superstitions the common people do not take help of these measures. It is the middle class intellectuals who adopt these practices and become the victims of them. A Proutistic order would vehemently oppose this move. There is immense potential for maintaining the population of the world. By scientific advancement it may be possible for human beings to live on tablets. The real glory of humanity lies in creating conditions for adjustment with natural processes rather than in curbing normal processes by artificial measures.”
“Artificial sterilisation means making males or females artificially sterile. This has certain adverse effects on the mind and body of human beings. Sterilisation brings glandular changes and changes in the hormone secretion of the glands which ultimately affects mental expression. Due to these changes a man may become like a eunuch.” (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell Part 15
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Baseline of Prout
Prout philosophy states, “The universe is the thought projection of Brahma, so the ownership of the universe lies with the Supreme Entity...Everything is the common patrimony of all, and the Father of all is Brahma…We must not forget, even for a single moment, that the entire animate world is a vast joint family. Nature has not assigned any portion of this property to any particular individual. Private ownership has been created by selfish opportunists, as the loopholes in this system provide them with ample scope for self-aggrandizement through exploitation.When the entire wealth of the universe is the common patrimony of all living beings, can the system in which some roll in luxury, while others, deprived of a morsel of food, shrivel up and starve to death bit by bit, be said to have the support of dharma?” (1)
Note: So long as one does not feel this above teaching in the inner core of their heart then their understanding of Prout remains nothing but a dream. Only when this teaching is deeply embedded in one’s mind will a person be able to strongly oppose economic injustice and establish the ideals of Prout.
References
1. Problems of the Day, Point #1
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
बाबा! तुमने कृपा कर मेरे ध्यान में आना स्वीकार किया है
प्रभात सङ्गीत 617, मनेर कोने रोेयेछो गोपने, बृहतेर चेये तुमि बृहत्....
(जो साधना का 6th पाठ नहीं करता, वह यह गाना नहीं समझ सकता )
भावार्थ
बाबा ! हे परमपुरुष ! तुम बड़े से भी बहुत बड़े हो, फिर भी तुम अपनी अनोखी लीला से मेरे मन के एक कोने में छिपे हुए हो। बाबा ! तुम न केवल प्रेम से भरे हो वरन् तुम तो प्रेम के रूप ही हो। अपने दिव्य प्रेम में तुमने पूरे संसार को तृप्त कर रखा है। तुम्हारी लीला की कोई तुलना नहीं है।
हे बाबा ! तुमने हमारी जड़ता और आलस्य को हटा दिया है। हे अखण्ड सत्ता ! हे परमपुरुष ! तुम खण्ड की सीमा में आ गए हो। तुमने कृपा कर मेरे ध्यान में आना स्वीकार किया। तुम मेरे मानसिक कमल के आसन पर विराजे। हे बाबा ! हे करुणा के सागर ! तुम इन्द्रियों की पहुँच से परे और महान हो। ।
बाबा ! तुम कुहासा से ढके बहुत ऊँचे सफेद पहाड़ की तरह, मनके भीतर अमृत के सार के रूप में हो । तुम ज्ञान की सबसे ऊँची अवस्था में आनन्द स्वरूप हो । तुम केवल मेरे हो। मेरे मन में बिलकुल निजी तौर से प्रकट होकर तुमने मेरे ऊपर कृपा की है। (1)
References
1. Sadguru Baba says (in GD, Delhi, 26 Feb 1984) that when writing a Prabhat Samgiita purport then very simple words should be used so that the common mass may understand. The above Hindu purport has been written according to that guideline.
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Way to teach universal fraternity
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Human beings also know that Parama Puruśa is their source of impetus, is their Father, and that they are all His children. As His children, they have a brotherly relationship with all other jiivas, or unit beings. Due to this knowledge of brotherhood, the human is superior to all other beings. Parents are greatly pleased when they find that their children have been loved and helped by someone. Similarly, Parama Puruśa will be pleased when you serve His creation – not only human beings, but also plants, animals, and the rest of creation. That is, bhúta yajiṋa, pitr yajiṋa and nr yajiṋa are to be performed. Those who have this feeling are in the real sense of the term human beings. Just having the body of a human does not make a person a real human being, a rational being. Those in whom this feeling has arisen will be called followers of Bhágavata Dharma. They are doing the sádhaná of Bhágavata Dharma.” (1)
Ananda Marga ideology states, “All beings are made of the same consciousness. So although we may find ourselves at different stages of psychic elevation, a Bráhmańa and a Kśatriya, an Indian and an Englishman, a sweeper and a scavenger, a Zulu and a Maori, and even a tiny ant, are all linked by the bonds of fraternity. If we remember this fact, if we work for the well-being of all, then undeveloped human beings will be able to develop their spiritual potentiality when they come in contact with us. Even cows, dogs, tigers and bears who come in close contact with us will develop psychic wealth and gradually acquire spiritual treasures.” (2)
Ananda Marga ideology states, “He is the Supreme Progenitor, and everything in this Universe is His progeny. He is the Supreme Father, and others are His children. Then, when all are the children of the Supreme Father, the relationship between man and man is that of fraternal bond. You have got a universal tie of brotherhood because everything created has got the same father. The source is the same. When the spiritual aspirant knows this fact, he cannot get any kind of inferiority complex or superiority complex in his mind. He is not inferior to anyone, as he is one with his brothers and sister.” (3)
The editors wrote: “Our first step is to realize that the true goal of humanity, the ultimate goal of evolution, is not the amassing of more and more material wealth but the expansion of consciousness. Through proper education and practical techniques of mental expansion, humanity will come to realize that the hoarding of wealth and all the ills of corruption and scarcity it creates, are nothing but the misdirected longing of the human soul for infinite happiness – a longing which cannot be satisfied by money but only by internal bliss. Thus as human attention and activity is directed more and more toward subtler pursuits such as artistic endeavour and spiritual practice, the selfishness and greed which dominate people’s minds today will be replaced by a new feeling of love and brotherhood. As we expand our minds toward the Infinite and learn to share our mundane treasures, we will realize more and more that we are all indeed one humanity, that we are all the sons and daughters of one Infinite Intelligence Who is guiding us all to perfection. Instead of being based on competition and mutual hostility, society will be operated through mutual cooperation and love.” (4)
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, The Requirements for Sádhaná
2. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 8, Sádhaná
3. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 14, Seven Secrets
4. The Great Universe, Introduction
== Section 3: Links ==
Other topics of interest
