Baba
So-called service
Namaskar,
In human life, sadhana is the main endeavour. By Baba's divine grace each and every Ananda Margii is on the path of dharma sadhana. In that way one can fulfill the mission of "A'tmamoks'a'rtham' jagaddhita'ya ca" - liberation of self and service to society.
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Relation between sadhana & service
Our scriptures clearly warn us that those who do not have a deep spiritual flow are unable to do social service.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "One should realize that to render selfless service, an absolutely pure mind is required with the expansiveness of the vast ocean and the serenity of the blue sky. Otherwise, while promoting the welfare of the world, one may develop a selfish desire in one's mind in a weak moment, as a result of which one may bring harm to oneself as well as to the universe." (1)
If any organisation or individual engaged in social service is not doing spiritual sadhana etc, then their approach will prove defective, tainted by selfishness and hypocrisy. It is a universal fact that to do social service a spiritual mind is needed. Otherwise the questions come that, 'Why serve?', and 'What relation do I have with those whom I am serving'.
In such a situation, if one is lacking a spiritual base, then they do fake service for their own satisfaction. And when they do not get name, fame, praise, or self-satisfaction, they become frustrated. In turn, they leave their so-called social service work, after getting fatigued and tired. Whether in the field of (a) pure spirituality or (b) social service, in both the arenas sadhana is a requisite factor. It has a most important role. In all phases of human life, pointedness in sadhana is necessary.
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Ananda Marga ideology states, “When you offer something to a person and expect to receive something in return, it is a sort of commercial transaction. But when you have no desire to receive anything in return for services rendered it is called true service, and here lies the basic difference between true service and commercial transactions. You might have seen newspaper advertisements in which a certain company says it has been rendering service to the people over a long period of time. But the question is, can any commercial institution truly “serve” the people? Are they not merely involved in a commercial transaction of one form or other?” (2)
Conclusion
To do social service, proper mind is needed, otherwise it will not be proper.
(a) Devoid of a spiritual outlook towards the served, one may feel pity towards them, and by that way one will create an inferiority complex in the minds of those whom they are trying to serve.
(b) Also, one may feel that, “Since I served him then in the future he should pay me back and if he does not pay me back then I will not serve him or others.”
(c) When the mind is crude then one does not do actual service; rather with an ulterior motive they do something that looks like service. For instance, businessmen do fake service to increase their profits by garnering a good name. And politicians do fake service to win the election, and Christian missionaries do fake service only for the sake of conversion.
(d) So in the aforesaid cases when they achieve their ulterior motives they stop engaging in those service activities. And in all the aforesaid cases they bind themselves in reactive momenta.
(e) If one does not do sadhana, then no matter how much they try, when a problem comes, they will not be able to stand. They will give up.
(f) Those who do sadhana do not give up and do not have a business relation.
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(g) That is why the slogan of Ananda Marga is, "A'tmamoks'a'rtham' jagaddhita'ya ca" - liberation of self and service to society. Both are interlinked. Then one can give dignity and respect to those in need. And they will serve with the feeling that, “The served is Narayan Himself and I am fortunate because I got the opportunity to serve Him in the form of living beings.”
(h) Without sadhana, one cannot perform real service.
In Him,
Vidhata
Ananda Marga ideology guide us, “When you render service to anyone you must mentally address them with sincere devotion. “O Lord, O Náráyańa! Oblige me by accepting my services. You are merciful to me, and for this reason you have appeared before me as a living being to offer this very precious opportunity of rendering service to You.” By maintaining such sentiments, conceit will not arise in you, nor will you be bound by the reactions of your actions. The principal cause for bondage to the fruits of actions is conceit or the yearning for fame. Suppose a certain man donates one thousand rupees to a particular institution. The next day he looks anxiously for his name in the newspaper. If his name does not appear in the paper, then with an air of conceit he brags amongst his kith and kin. “I have donated a thousand rupees, but I do not desire recognition and therefore I have not published my name in the paper.” The desire for fame exists in a concealed form in that man’s mind. Clearly, he did not make the donation with the spirit of service.” (3)
~ In-depth study ~
Not samadhi but sleepy, drowsy state
In Ananda Marga tantra sadhana features a siddha mantra. Our mantra is charged with a spiritual incantation. If the mantra is sincerely repeated with proper ideation then mantra'gha't happens, i.e. the mantra strikes against the sleeping kundalini. In that way when any margii is sincere in sadhana, then in the natural course, special types of feelings come like horripilation etc. And those feelings differ from one sadhaka to another. It depends upon the style of samskara and ultimately Baba's grace.
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Many sadhakas also experience that in this process heat generates especially in the spine area, from the muladhara cakra up to sahasara cakra. And in particular if the back is kept in a comparatively cooler condition then the consequent heat which is generated will be released into the atmosphere. In which case the body will not become hot or overheated.
If, however, the spine remains heated for some time then 2 negative things result:
(1) Pointedness of mantra japa is lost;
(2) Drowsiness or lethargy comes.
In that case surely the mantra is forgotten, and the mind goes elsewhere. Then sleepiness becomes overpowering and the body starts swaying this way and that way, and ultimately the time gets lost or wasted.
After experiencing that half-sleep state, those who have poor understanding may think they were in samadhi. But any proper sadhaka can understand that
after such drowsiness there is no question of freshness when that type of sleeping sadhana is over. And if really samadhi is there, then after sadhana full charm will be present where one can feel the spiritual vibration and its freshness. It permeates the entire existence for the whole day and longer. But if drowsiness or sleep overpowers the body then the effect is just the opposite.
So when sadhana is finished one can easily evaluate whether 'I was sleeping' if 'I was doing sadhana'. If one's entire existence is not fresh and blissful in a very strong way then the answer is clear: 'I was sleeping'. This should be the conclusion; in which case one should feel repentance for wasting one's own valuable time. And one should take firm determination that their next session of sadhana is properly done.
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Life is short
Because we have come on this earth for a very limited period-- each and every moment we are moving one step closer towards our cremation. Indeed in so many discourses Baba has described it like this: That as each and every breath passes the goddess of death is tightening her grip on you. So we should utilise this human life to the utmost and take special efforts to progress on the path of dharma sadhana, all the while serving Him and His creation.
Grhiitvaeva keshes'u mrytyun'a' dharma'caret
Meaning: While observing dharmic conduct one should think that the god of death has already started pulling one's hair - that one's death is imminent. And accordingly one should work sincerely and vigorously; one will have to do a great many noble deeds within a short period.
Ananda Marga says, "The establishment of a classless society is only possible by those people who accept the Supreme Entity as the goal of their lives - whose entire mental energy is ceaselessly applied to one supreme Goal." (4)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "When the mental flow of a spiritual aspirant moves along the introversal phase of Macrocosmic meditation, one's animative force having the potentiality of divinity itself, rises above all tendencies-all samskaras-- and proceeds towards Eternal bliss. In this state the mind is vibrated with the Cosmic feeling. The unexpressed divine qualities of the higher glands find expression and the resonance of the mind vibrates the nervous system. This gives rise to pious expressions in the physical body. In the case of those people whose occult feelings are not physically expressed due to causes associated with nerves, the mental vibrations cause certain radical changes, in the various glands within the body. These occult feelings are basically of eight types--they are Stambha (astounding), Kampa (trembling), Sveda (sweating), Svaraveda (hoarseness of voice), Ashru (tears), Romainca (horripilation), Vaevarna (change of colour) and Pralaya (fainting fit). There are other associated feelings of these major feelings. For examples--Nrtya (dancing), Giit (singing), Vilunthana (rolling), Kroshana (weeping), Humkara (roaring), Lalasrava (salivating), Jrmbhana (yawning), Lokapeksa tyaga (indifference), Attahasya (bursting into laughter), Ghurna (whirling), Hikka (hiccoughing), Tanumotana (relaxation of the physical body) and Diirghashvasa (making long breath)." (5)
When such type of sentient bhava or vibrations etc appears, that only happens with the sincere chanting of one's mantra along with Guru's grace.
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For more information about the points in this letter regarding mantra and kundalini etc, please reference the discourse, "Mantra Caetanya".
References
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya: Discourse 12
2. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life 10, Bhágavata Dharma
3. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Yajiṋa and Karmaphala
4. Prout Nutshell - 6, Synthesis and Analysis
5. Guide to Human Conduct, Iishvara Prańidhána
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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.
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== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Know this before eating
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The human body is constituted of innumerable living cells. These cells develop and grow with the help of similar living entities. The nature of your living cells will be formed in accordance with the type of food you take. Ultimately all these together will affect your mind to some extent. If the cells of the human body grow on rotten and bad-smelling food, or on the fresh flesh of animals in which mean tendencies predominate, it is but natural that the mind will have a tendency of meanness. The policy of eating, without due consideration, whatever is available cannot be supported in any case, even though there may not be any question of hiḿsá or ahiḿsá. It should not be your policy to do what you wish. You must perform actions after due thought.” (1)
Note: The types of food you eat affects the mind. If one eats animal flesh, cells are formed in their body from that flesh and those cells have mind. Suppose you ate animal flesh then perhaps one million cells took birth in your body from that flesh food. Those cells have protozoic mind, and that protozoic mind will affect the metazoic mind, and that metazoic mind will in turn affect the human mind. In result that human mind will become tamasika, and it will move towards animality, i.e. towards sleep or sex, or other degrading tendencies etc. In that case, sadhana will be difficult. That is why sadhakas do not eat animal flesh.
Reference
1. A Guide to Human Conduct, Ahimsa
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Source of hatred
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Your psychological reaction to a person's behaviour or action that creates pásha [external fetters] or provokes ripu [internal enemies] is called hatred. Since hatred is also a type of pásha, and it must be opposed through reasoning and intellect. The word ku can be used for this hatred." (1)
Reference
1. Shabda Cayanika - 4, Ku to Kuiṋjara (Discourse 27)
