Baba
To start sadhana
Namaskar,
In this quinquelemental world, usually the life of spiritual aspirants passes in so many mundane activities from dawn to dusk - trying to meet their worldly requirements and managing their responsibilities. So when sadhakas try to do sadhana in a pointed way then sometimes all those mundane plans and programs come again and again into their mental plate during sadhana.
It is a natural phenomenon because the activities one engages in during the day may cloud the mind during meditation. In that case it is very difficult to start sadhana. That is why Baba has graciously given a siddha kiirtan, i.e. Baba Nam Kevalam. Singing kiirtan helps tremendously in transitioning the mind from one's mundane, daily routine to spiritual sadhana.
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Even then, on some occasions when very positive or very negative incidents happen during the day, then those thoughts may strongly dominate the mind. They may come again and again, barraging the mind during sadhana.
The perfect remedy: offering of colours
In that condition, what recourse should be taken? Baba has graciously given the perfect remedy: Guru puja, a.k.a varnarghyadan - the offering of colours. In a systematic fashion, Guru puja cleanses the mind of unwanted thoughts. It enables sadhakas to remove those burdens and start pointed sadhana.
Unfortunately, some people waste huge amounts of time "sitting in sadhana" when in reality their mind is just flickering from one mundane thought to another. Indeed, stray, unwanted, or dominating thoughts coming into the mind is a malady. And that disturbs sadhana. So this is just a waste of time and - and even worse - it degrades the mind.
The best remedy is Guru puja, as that has the ability to remove or wash away those impressions from the mind. Here following are some techniques when doing Guru puja.
Points on Guru Puja from Acarya Diary
We all know that in Caryacarya Baba has given many points about Guru puja. And in the Senior Acarya Diary Baba has given more highly valuable guidelines regarding the proper technique of Guru puja. And those acaryas who are sincere in sadhana guide sadhakas in this way.
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1. Guru puja can be done over and over in many rounds. It is the strict rule that it must be done, at minimum, three times. Rather when one is facing any problem then Guru puja should be done until that problem has been washed away and the mind is feeling light and free.
2. So when any problem is blocking the mind during sadhana such that one's mantra is not coming then Guru puja is the answer. The basic approach being that one should surrender their problems again and again in order to free and prepare the mind for sadhana.
3. In that way, Guru puja can be done any time: At the beginning or in the middle of sadhana, and then always at the end of meditation.
4. As mentioned above, another name of Guru puja is varnarghyada'n. Varna means colour, and arghyada'n means offering arghya. So, Guru puja means offering the colours of the mind to Guru. So here colour means mental colour.
Cleansing the mind by doing Guru puja
5. Let's take a practical example. Suppose, the whole day brother Viniit has to communicate with different people about building a new jagrti. Viniit has to convince others, get donations, and arrange the labour etc. Then in that case, his mental realm is completely consumed by thoughts that strongly dominate the mind: labour, money, bricks, and cement. All these thoughts are racing through his mind during the day. So when starting sadhana then those thoughts related with the jagrti construction may dominate the mind..
6. And if the mind is crowded with unwanted, mundane, negative thoughts of money, labour, bricks, cement, building supplies etc during meditation, then ultimately sadhana will be destroyed. In that condition the best option is to do Guru puja first, and offer one's mental colours to Guru.
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7. But doing Guru puja superficially is not going to give any yield. Rather the whole process of Guru puja can be repeated again and again until the mind is completely vibrated and ready to offer everything to Him. In that process one can spend extra time doing Guru puja.
8. Then after doing long Guru puja, the heaviness of the mind will be released and all those negative thoughts of bricks and cement will be gone. Then one will feel better and can start doing sadhana. But if Viniita had started meditation right away, then in the beginning, in place of doing sadhana, the mind might have been cluttered with thoughts about the bricks and cement.
Special technique: Use of tanmatras
9. The question may arise: How can this offering of colour be best utilised? What is the most effective way to do it?
10. As we all know, in Guru puja one has to offer a lotus flower. So after sitting in the proper posture then close the eyes and with open palms, one should form a mental lotus. And the colour of the lotus should be the colour of that worldly object which was dominating or disturbing your mental flow during sadhana. If the red bricks for the jagrti is disturbing the mind then one will envision a red lotus.
11. Because every material object has 5 tanmatras, or inferences. All the tanmatras should be utilised in Guru puja when offering your mental lotus. And the five tanmatras are: Sound, touch, form, taste, smell.
12. Brick has its own sound when it falls from the truck when unloaded. That is the first tanmatra and that sound should be ascribed to the lotus flower during Guru puja.
13. Then of course bricks have a special touch of roughness because it is rock. So during Guru puja one should picture a lotus that has the hard scratchy surface of a rock.
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14. The third inference is form. Here form means that red colour which has already been mentioned. Special point to bear in mind: For those disturbing thoughts that strongly dominate the mind that have no specific colour, one should use a white lotus. More about this is written in the below subheading in point 19A.
15. Then the 4th tanmatra is taste. And the taste of rock one may know. So then one should imagine that in their hand a red coloured lotus that feels rough like a rock and has a loud sound and that tastes like a rock.
16. Then the 5th and final inference is smell. That also we have to utilise in Guru puja. Imagine that the whole lotus being formed in one's palms smells like bricks.
Note: Here it should be understood that if the disturbance or attraction is towards sound or touch, then that can be removed comparatively quickly through the practice of Guru puja because those two tanmatras are sentient. While, if one's attraction is towards the tanmatras smell and taste, then that takes more time to be removed as those two tanmatras are tamasik in nature. More about this is written under the below subheading, "Special New Points for Effective Guru Puja."
17. So this process should be done with whatever is disturbing the mind. For example let's say that sadhaka’s sadhana was ruined - due to thoughts of sweets like rasagolla - that idea was dominating during sadhana . Then one will form a white lotus. Because the colour of rasagolla is white. And the sound of the rasagolla should be the exact sound of someone chewing and swallowing rasagolla. And the touch of that lotus will be the exact touch of rasagolla: soft and spongy plus sticky & syrupy. And the taste of the lotus will be the taste of rasagolla - very sweet. And the smell of the lotus will also be the exact smell of rasagolla. One should perfectly make one mental lotus that is of white colour with a thick, syrupy touch, and a very sweet taste, and aromatic smell. That mental lotus will be as if it is made of rasagolla material.
Or let's say money is the most disturbing thought. In that case one will form a green lotus. Note: The most prevalent currency in the world is the US dollar which is green. But if the money that is disturbing you is of another colour such as yellow or brown, then use that colour. The sound of the money will be the ruffling of currency notes in the pocket. Then the feel of that lotus will be just like the touch sensation of money. That might be smooth and threaded, or rough and crumply, depending upon the money you are thinking about. The taste of that lotus will be very dry and bland, as that would be the taste sensation of money. The smell will be neutral and usually money does not have much smell. One should perfectly form a mental lotus that is of green colour with all the characteristics of money, i.e. touch, sound, smell, taste, and look.
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18. After creating the complete ideation of whatever thought is disturbing the mind, i.e. opposite sex, court case, insult, qurellel or anything etc, then using these five inferences - sound, touch, form, taste, smell - in making a psychic lotus one can start chanting "Akhanda mandala karam..."
Special new points for effective Guru puja
Here is further explanation of two key points.
19A. If No Colour Then Use White Lotus: In Senior Acarya Diary, Baba specifically states that if the problem or disturbing thought you are experiencing has no explicit colour, then one should use a white lotus flower. In that case one should apply all the other inferences of the disturbing thought or problem such as sound, smell, touch, and taste to that white lotus.
19B. Time Varies Per Tanmatra: Baba specially warns us that some psychic disturbances are more difficult to rid from the mind than others. Baba states that the removal of (a) taste and (b) smell demand greater efforts. That means if one is thinking about the taste or smell of sweets, then those two unwanted thoughts will take more time to remove because those two tanmatras - taste and smell - are static (tamasik) in nature and are therefore more challenging to remove. It takes time, so more rounds of Guru puja may be required to cleanse the mind.
In contrast, the two tanmatras, sound and touch, are comparatively easier to remove because they are sentient in nature. So if one is bothered by a particular sound or a specific type of touch, then those will be cleared from the mind more quickly. Still it will take proper effort and concentration - along with His divine grace - but these two tanmatras (sound and touch) are far easier to remove than the tamasik tanmatras, i.e. smell and taste. Keeping this in mind we can best adjust and lengthen our time in Guru puja.
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The practical process and sequence
20. One must not prematurely begin the chanting of the Guru puja shloka. First, all the tanmatras, step by step, should be incorporated and accordingly one's mental lotus should be formed. Then and only then should the chanting of the Guru puja shloka be started. Three rounds in total will be chanted
21. After completing each round of Guru puja, "...Gurureva Parama Brahma, Tasmae Shrii Gurave Namah". Then one is to offer that very mental lotus at the feet of Guru Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji Who is sitting in front of you. This should be the ideation.
22. So taking the ideation that Beloved Sadguru Baba is sitting in front of you, then with that bhava and using the Guru puja shloka in a proper way, slowly with good ideation one should offer that very mental lotus to Baba. And then one will see that this will solve their problem or attachment. Those uninvited thoughts related with rasagolla or whatever which are disturbing the mind during sadhana will be gone. This is done three times.
Then one is to perform ---Tava dravyaḿ Jagatguro:
“Tava dravyaḿ Jagatguro Tubhyameva samarpaye.” “Everything of mine, along with my mind, is offered at Your altar. Please oblige and accept it.” (1)
Then one is to lie in full prostration, i.e. sastaunga pranama.
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"Sáśt́áuṋga prańáma: Sáśt́áuṋga prańáma is a symbol of simplicity. It is to be done only to Márga Guru. It signifies surrender to the ideology." (2)
Why normally done after sadhana
23. Some may wonder then why is it that normally Guru puja is done just after sadhana?
24. The basic reply is that when anyone does sadhana then that time the mind is busy in ideation and involved in the chanting of one's personal mantra. So that time it is very easy to find out the negative thoughts strongly dominating the mind. And in particular one can pointedly identify which thought is creating the most disturbance.
25. In contrast, when one is busy in mundane work then they may not understand or be able to identify their psychic disturbance, but when one starts sadhana and closes the eyes, then immediately from nowhere so many useless and distracting thoughts may come into the mind. That time one has to gauge and see carefully which one is most disturbing and that very thought one should utilise for Guru puja. Using the process which is outlined above described.
If unusual circumstances do puja before sadhana
26. On some special occasions when the mind is so much disturbed and preoccupied with worldly thoughts that are strongly dominating the mind, then before even starting sadhana one should try to do Guru puja to rid the mind of those negative thoughts.
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27. If for example someone left $50,000 on the bank counter and they did not get that money back. Then they will be very affected. In their disturbed state of mind, doing sadhana may be fruitless. In such a special case, better one should do Guru puja multiple times before starting sadhana. By this way the overpowering thoughts of losing money will be wiped away by His grace.
Conclusion
30. As we know, this universe is vibrational and every thought has a particular colour and every desire has a specific colour. The more worldly desires a person has, the more coloured their mind is. A deeply coloured mind denotes that one will be very distracted and least interested in sadhana. As one proceeds along the path of sadhana, their mind becomes less and less coloured. Such sadhakas will experience better meditation and will have a stronger yearning to attain Him. Until ultimately, one will have a singular desire to only serve and please Him and become colourless. Because Parama Purusa is without any colour.
"'By surrendering all the colours of my mind to You, I want to become colourless'. This surrender to the Supreme Consciousness propels human beings towards Him...This very psycho-spiritual phenomenon is operating behind the process of Varn'a'rghyada'n (Offering of Colours, Guru puja): 'Oh Lord, make me colourless so that I may move towards You without any hesitation'." (3)
31. This entire practice of Guru puja, also known as varnarghyadan, falls within the realm of pratyahara yoga, i.e. the fifth limb of astaunga yoga.
Sastaunga Pranam at His lotus feet,
Nityananda
Our sastaunga pranam mudra
"Prostration is called sas't'aunga pranama...Of the five sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin), one, the skin, can be omitted, and of the five motor organs (vocal chord, hands, legs, excretory and genital organ), one, the vocal chord can be omitted. This leaves the eight constituent parts. And the prostration made with these eight body-parts is called sas't'aunga pranama." (4)
As we all know, sas't'aunga pranam is only done to Guru, not to anyone else.
Here following is the etymological meaning of the term sas't'aunga.
sa + as't'a + unga = sas't'aunga
(with) (eight) (parts) = with eight parts
Thus, as Baba tells us in the above quote, "the prostration made with these eight body-parts is called sas't'aunga pranama."
"Sáśt́áunga prańáma: Sáśt́áunga prańáma is a symbol of simplicity. It is to be done only to Márga Guru. It signifies surrender to the ideology. Women can do salutation by touching the ground with the forehead instead of full prostration." (5)
Special Reminder
If after doing Guru puja once the problem is still not solved, then one should do Guru puja multiple times. Then surely one will see that the mind will become calm, quiet, and relaxed. All those disturbing thoughts that are strongly dominating the mind will go away. And the mind will be pinnacled and ready for sadhana.
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References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, Prańáma Mantra
2. Caryacarya - 1, Methods of Salutation
3. Liberation of Intellect: Neo-Humanism, '87, p.27
4. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 6, p. 398
5. Caryacarya Part 1, Methods of Salutation
* * *
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 ==
Remarkable future
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "As life becomes increasingly easy, there will be greater opportunities for intellectual pursuits. A day will come when there will be hardly any need for human beings to work. This may sound strange today and perhaps we might not like to hear such a thing, but that day will surely come. Physicality will be transformed into more and more intellectuality, and intellectuality will be transformed into the culminating point of spirituality." (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 17, Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities
== Section ==
हे बाबा! मैं तुम्हारे रास्ते पर तुम्हारा नाम गाते हुये तुम्हारी ओर चल रहा हूँ।
प्रभात संगीत 2180: तव पथ धरे, तव नाम करे, तोमार पानेइ चले थाकि…
भावार्थ
हे बाबा! तुम्हारी कृपा से मैं तुम्हारा नाम गाते हुये तुम्हारे पथ पर तुम्हारी ओर बढ़ता जा रहा हूँ। तुम मेरे लक्ष्य हो। तुम्हारे पास पहुँचने के लिये मैं तुम्हारी और चल रहा हूँ--तुम से निकट और निकट । और तुम्हारे अधिक पास आता जा रहा हूँ। इस विश्व में तुम्हारे अलावा मेरा कौन है? कोई नहीं। यही कारण है कि मैं आश्रय के लिये तुम्हीं को पुकारता हूँ।
हे बाबा! तुमने मुझे अपने सजाए संसार में, अपनी पसन्द और योजना के अनुसार विशेष जगह दी है, और कृपा कर सब कुछ दिया है । हे परमपुरुष! तुम मुझसे ही क्या, किसी से भी बदले में कुछ नहीं चाहते, बस तुम अलौकिक रूप से सब पर अपनी कृपा उड़ेले जाते हो।
मैं केवल दीर्घसूत्रता में उलझा रहता हूँ, आलस्य और दीर्घसूत्रता जैसे सब प्रकार के दुर्गुण मुझमें है, और निरर्थक बहाना बनाकर मैं अपने आप में सन्तुष्ट हो जाता हूँ । हे बाबा ! सभी कमियां मुझ में हैं जबकि हे प्रभु! तुम सदैव
कृपालु रहते हो, तुम मुझ पर अपनी कृपा में कभी भी कमी नहीं करते।
कृपालु रहते हो, तुम मुझ पर अपनी कृपा में कभी भी कमी नहीं करते।
हे तारक ब्रह्म। बाबा! तुमने अपने विराट् मन के एकान्त कोने में, मेरे मन को जगह दे दी है जहां से वह तुम्हारा स्पन्दन अनुभव करता है। तुम्हारे दिव्य आकर्षण और स्पन्दन के अनुनाद से, मेरे हृदय में प्रेम का कमल खिला है, जो तुम्हारी चाह में तुम्हारी ओर तीव्र इच्छा से निहार रहा है।
== Section ==
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Quiz: which philosophy Baba is talking about
Intro: Kindly read the below quote from Baba's teachings. At the end of the quote a question has been posed. If your answer to the question is correct then it means you read Baba's books carefully; and, if your answer is wrong or you do not know the answer, then it signifies that you need to pay more attention when reading Guru's teachings. After all, if sadhakas are not diligent in studying Baba's books then who is going to read them - non-margiis?
"Fraudulent philosophies have diverted many people from the path of morality and left them devoid of dharma, addicted to carnal pleasures – infernal creatures. By providing such a distorted interpretation of dharma, they have deliberately prevented people from gaining a correct understanding of dharma, and thus they have betrayed humanity in the most inimical manner." (Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Disc: 14)
Quiz: Who is Baba referring to in the above quote?
Most probably, as an Ananda Margii, you know what the answer is. But if not, or if you want confirmation, then here is the answer.
Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual plunged in degrading carnal pleasures
Answer: Here Baba is referring to the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and (LGB) that preaches that sexual engagement is be-all, end-all of life. This teaching also refers to any matter-based approach to life where material indulgence and sensual pleasure are embraced as the defining aspect of happiness and joy in life. All such communities distract people from the true aim of life. Plunged in degrading carnal pleasures, they wholly forget and lose sight of their true calling: To goad the mind towards Parama Purusa.
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