Baba
Special AM practice
Namaskar,
Phalis'yatiiti vishva'sah siddherprathama laks'an'am;
Dvitiiyam' shraddhaya' yuktam' trtiiyam' gurupu'janam;
The third secret of success is gurupu'janam, highlighted above in yellow at the end of the second line of the shloka. By seeing the spelling, one might get confused. But gurupu'janam basically means obeying Guru.
As we know, it is not uncommon for a single term to have multiple meanings or applications. For instance, the term dharma means righteousness, and it also means the inherent quality or characteristic.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Similarly, Gurupujanam means obeying Guru's guidelines and teachings. In this last context, as per the above shloka, Sadguru Baba is guiding us that to get success in spiritual life gurupu'janam is needed.
How to achieve spiritual success
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Gurupu'janam is doing as per the desire of the guru." (1)
Here Sadguru Baba explains one of the requisite factors for gaining success in spiritual life is following the order and teachings of Guru. That is what is meant by gurupujanam. So this teaching of gurupu'janam goes far beyond the dharmic practice which we perform at the conclusion of our sadhana lessons.
To gain success in spiritual life, the practice of gurupu'janam extends to each and every moment of the day. We are to abide by and follow His vast array of teachings from yama and niyama to Caryacarya, Subhasita Samgraha, conduct rules, Sixteen Points and more. By adhering to those dos and don'ts and all related spiritual principles, then we will be adhering to the point of gurupujanam. We are to please Sadguru Baba by following His guidelines - that is what is meant by gurupu'janam.
Parama Purusa Baba will be pleased by service, sacrifice, and sadhana. That means feeding the poor, helping the homeless, teaching youths, propagating dharma, fighting against exploitation etc - all these things will make Sadguru Baba happy.
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So we are to fill our days from morning till night doing those things which will please Him. And pleasing Sadguru Baba means doing as per the desire of Guru, and following the guidelines from all Ananda Marga books. We are to read, study, understand, and sincerely follow all His given teachings and mandates. That is the meaning of gurupujanam.
Spiritual success
So to get success in spiritual life we should be more and more vigilant in gurupu'janam - i.e. obeying Guru's teachings and orders. We should actively take part in this aspect of gurupu'janam throughout each and every day. By this way it will become not just our habit but our nature.
Gurupu'janam is an all encompassing approach to life - following all dos and don'ts & mandates. That will bring success in the spiritual realm. Any sadhaka will feel His sweet touch in each and every work - all the moments of life.
There are many who do sadhana but do not feel their kundalinii rising etc. If any sadhaka becomes more sincere in His teachings on gurupujanam - obeying all His guidelines - then one will get success in spiritual life. Spirituality and getting His grace is not a utopian concept. It is a practical approach, and if one earnestly follows His guidelines, then certainly their sadhana will be successful.
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Baba has blessed us with all the dharmic practices that bring bliss in life. Ananda Marga is the path of bliss where one can feel His grace each and every moment. To gain success in spiritual life, one must be sincere in obeying Guru. Naturally then He will be most gracious and bless one with success in sadhana.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Ananda Sagar
~ In-depth study ~
Thus, gurupu'janam entails those things which make Sadguru Baba happy, i.e. those deeds which are done to please Him. Sadguru Baba will not be pleased by those actions which directly contravene His teachings. Baba will not be happy by cheating, theft, groupism, scriptural distortions, or the imposition of dogma etc.
What is puja
We should all be aware of Sadguru Baba's expanded teachings on this important spiritual topic.
Generally, in Ananda Marga, we think of Guru puja as the repetition of the three stanza shloka at the conclusion of sadhana, i.e. "Akhanda mandala karam...". This is repeated internally when doing individual sadhana, and chanted collectively during dharmacakra. In either case, this is often what is thought of as Guru puja in Ananda Marga.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Different from Hindu dogma
In the Hindu religion, gurupujanam is done in a ritualistic manner. They honour their guru by offering certain leaves or flowers, doing ceremonial arati, burning clarified butter, as well as garlanding the guru. Mostly, the so-called guru is sitting in front of them and followers make their offering to their “guru” directly. If the “guru” is away or deceased, they make those ritualistic offerings to so called guru's photo. They do all these kinds of rituals for gurupujanam. It is not required that they follow guru's teachings. In Ananda Marga, it is the exact opposite: We do gurupujanam by obeying Sadguru's dharmic command.
For success: obey Guru's guidelines
In His various discourses on "The Seven Secrets of Success", Baba gives us a greater or wider expression of Guru puja. The third secret of success is gurupu'janam, highlighted above in yellow at the end of the second line of the shloka. By seeing the spelling, one might get confused. But gurupu'janam basically means obeying Guru.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
As we know, it is not uncommon for a single term to have multiple meanings or applications. For instance, the term dharma means righteousness, and it also means the inherent quality or characteristic. Dharma is used in both ways, depending upon the circumstances or situation.
Similarly, Guru puja or gurupujanam carries more than a single meaning. In Hindu dogma, it means ritualistic worship. And in Ananda Marga philosophy it carries two more meanings. Guru puja is the repetition of the shloka and offering made at the conclusion of one's sadhana, and it means obeying Guru's guidelines and teachings. In this last context, as per the above shloka, Sadguru Baba is guiding us that to get success in spiritual life gurupu'janam is needed.
Uniqueness of AM Guru puja
Typically, religious Hindus think of puja as an offering made with leaves, flowers, and various ornaments such as with a'rati. This is the ritualistic manner of puja in Hindu mythology. Over the centuries, billions and billions of worshipers have performed their puja in this manner.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Doing the 3 rounds of Guru puja after sadhana is most necessary and part of our dharmic approach, but we should not think that this practice starts and ends there.
In Ananda Marga, Guru puja is something completely different: It is a psycho-spiritual practice, not an external display of worship. In Ananda Marga puja, the bhakta withdraws the mind to one point and offers everything unto Sadguru Baba. That is the spiritual approach of Guru puja in Ananda Marga.
Phalis'yatiiti vishva'sah siddherprathama laks'an'am;
Dvitiiyam' shraddhaya' yuktam' trtiiyam' gurupu'janam;
Caturtho samata'bha'vo paincamendriyanigrahah;
S'as't'hainca pramita'ha'ro saptamam'naeva vidyate.
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, The Seven Secrets of Success
* * *
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 ==
Namaskar,
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "People recollect the tasty dishes they once relished and derive pleasure from that. Other people delight in feeding others. They offer rasagollás or sweets, and at the time of giving, imagine that their guest is enjoying the same delightful taste, the same sweet vibration from the rasagollás which they once relished when they ate them. A host feels mental satisfaction by imagining that the guest’s mind is full of those pleasing vibrations. The host wants the guest to enjoy more and more of those delightful vibrations, and therefore asks the guest to accept the offer of more rasagollás. So, one enjoys pleasure in two ways. The human mind has two contradictory inherent tendencies: one of acquisition, the other of sacrifice. The more one advances along the path of evolution, the more the tendency, the spirit of sacrifice, becomes prominent." (1)
Two opposing scenarios to derive happiness
In His above teaching Baba is illustrating two opposition psychologies:
(A) The science behind why people feel mental satisfaction by feeding delicious food to others.
(B) The mentality of those who themselves eat delicious food yet do not desire to feed others.
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In the first scenario, people derive great happiness from feeding others a tasty meal. But how exactly does this work? What is happening in the mind. Well, suppose one day Govinda ate a sumptuous meal which he enjoyed very much. Then a week or a month later, Govinda prepares and serves that same type of food to his friend Tanmay. The meal is delicious and Tanmay enjoys every morsel. But that is not all. Govinda himself derives great mental pleasure in feeding Tanmay, even though he (Govinda) is not eating. How does this happen? In his own mind, Govinda recollects how much he enjoyed that meal, and he thinks that just as he enjoyed it, similarly Tanmay is also enjoying that meal. This creates a sympathetic vibration in Govinda's mind and he feels great psychic fulfillment. So Govinda is taking delight in sacrificing and serving Tanmaya.
In contrast, in this second scenario, Liilamaya, cooks food for himself and eats it all himself. And he becomes happy thinking how much he enjoyed the food. In this case, Liilamaya is deriving enjoyment from directly eating that food; he does not want to share it with others. There is no spirit of sacrifice, rather he delights in acquiring that food and filling his own belly.
So there are two different approaches:
1. A person derives happiness by sacrificing and watching others enjoy that food.
2. Another becomes happy by direct acquisition, by tasting that food themselves, i.e. greedy.
It all depends on the level of one's sadhana and mental standard etc.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion
These two - sacrificing vs acquiring - are radically different psychologies. And they are not related solely with food, but with all kinds of indulgences and offerings. Some gain pleasure from acquiring something directly, and some become happy by sacrificing and watching others enjoy.
Finally Baba explains that the path of sacrifice is the higher path and as people develop, the more they will adhere to the path of sacrifice.
So be careful, by seeing another’s behaviour you can determine in which group a person falls.
in Him,
Prakash
Reference
1. Yoga Psychology, 'Faculty of Knowledge-2’
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Why too much sleep is harmful
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The first bad habit is nidra or sleep. Sleep is a state that creates a feeling of vacuity after it is over. That is, immediately after waking up people forget where they were or what they were doing before sleeping. They lose the sense of time. “What’s the time now?” they ask, forgetting whether it is day or night. If people sleep too much for days on end, this mental disorientation persists for a long time. “Is it day or night? What time is it?” they ask, confused. If this continues, their receptive and retentive powers decrease resulting in an almost total loss of mental power. They become dull, and lack courage to face life’s problems. They may have physical strength, but they lack courage. The ancient people believed that excessive sleep is good for health, but this is not the case. Rather, too much sleep not only impairs the health, but has an adverse effect on the mind." (1)
In materialistic societies, it is taught that 8 hours of sleep is essential. But that is not correct. If one sleeps deeply, then four hours of sleep is sufficient. One will awaken feeling revived and refreshed. In contrast, if one does not sleep deeply then the body will not be properly repaired nor restored. So the amount of time is not the operative factor. Rather, the depth of sleep is the key point. True sleep means a dreamless sleep - then both mind and body are quickly restored. In deep sleep, there is a complete vacuum, and one is not aware about the passage of time. In that state, only a few hours of sleep are needed.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 8, Bad Habits Which Should Be Given Up
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Dirty colour of Indian election
In His below teaching, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar - the Propounder of Prout philosophy - warns us about the terrible weakness of democracy: the common people are not adequately educated or aware about the issues to properly participate in the democratic process. This is exemplified by the below described scene.
Prout philosophy states, “Democracy is defined as “government of the people, by the people and for the people.” But in fact it is the rule of the majority. Hence democracy means “mobocracy” because the government in a democratic structure is guided by mob psychology. The majority of the society are fools; wise people are always in a minority. Thus, finally democracy is nothing but “foolocracy”.” (1)
Here below is an article detailing how political operatives are handing out rupee notes, gold, drugs and conrtraband to sway the voters.
~ Below courtesy of Bloomberg News ~
India Seizures of Cash, Booze and Gold SurgeReference
India’s enforcement agencies have so far seized cash, liquor, drugs, gold and other contraband worth 25 billion rupees ($361 million) as the country’s polling gets underway, already double the value of goods seized in the entire 2014 elections.
They’re confiscating as much as one billion rupees in cash and goods each day, as offenders use ambulances and other vehicles fitted with flashing lights to carry cash and give handouts in lunch boxes to lure voters.
The Election Commission’s observers, surveillance teams and enforcement agencies are raiding airports, highways, railway stations, hotels and farm houses if there’s a suspicion of illegal money. They keep watch on financial brokers, cash couriers and pawn brokers engaged in the movement of cash, check vehicles crossing state borders and open bags on buses to search for bribes in order to ensure a fair vote.
“It is becoming a menace and assuming alarming proportions -- it is a national malady,’’ said V.S. Sampath, former chief election commissioner. “It also shows how people are placing more faith on money than policies and programs."
The cat-and-mouse game between election commission officials and offenders happens because small handouts mean a lot to people in a country where a quarter of the population still live on less than $2 per day.
Politicians also give handouts such as petrol, free meals, umbrellas and torches to stay below the permitted spending limit by a candidate -- a maximum seven million rupees, or the price of Jaguar’s top luxury car model. These are on top of the publicly-declared freebies -- from smartphones to wifi, bicycles to pressure cookers -- provided by the political parties as part of their campaign promises.
Acceptance of money to vote or not to vote for a candidate is punishable with prison terms, fines or both. In 2014 the Election Commission seized 12 billion rupees worth of cash and contraband.
Political parties previously used physical intimidation or "muscle power" to get voters to the ballot box, now they use "money power," said Sheyphali Saran, the spokeswoman for the poll watchdog.
"The Election Commission is concerned about the fact that the abuse of money is increasingly becoming a major challenge,’’ Saran said. “Instances of violations have increased but at the same time the Election Commission has increased its surveillance.’’
This growth in vote-buying also means a significant rise in election spending, making it the world’s costliest election. Expenditure is set to rise 40 percent to $7 billion, according to Centre for Media Studies, a New Delhi-based non-government organization.
"There should be moral and ethical awareness among the voters,’’ said Sampath. “The Election Commission alone can’t solve it." (Courtesy of Bloomberg News)
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 5, Discourses on Prout, Point #5
