Baba
Parable & analogy
Namaskar,Throughout His teachings Baba has presented us with various guidelines that shed light onto our journey on the spiritual path. For instance Baba warns us about the pitfalls of materialistic pleasures by way of the drug addict. That addict may feel quite euphoric when taking drugs and think that, “Now life is absolutely wonderful.” But those very drugs are sapping that addict of his vital energy and will ultimately lead to his demise, i.e. tragic death.
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Analogy drinkers & smokers
Such is the fate of so many who become engrossed in material pleasures. Those who drink liquor think they are getting the nectar of life and so much happiness. But in fact they are not getting anything of value; rather their drunkenness is coming at the expense of the well-being of their own liver and brain. Those organs - the liver and brain - are getting destroyed by alcohol, yet the drinker thinks that the alcohol is giving him so much joy.
Similarly, those who smoke cigarettes think they are getting peace and comfort from taking a long drag of their cigarette. But in fact they are polluting and ruining their lungs. Their nicotine fix is a recipe for lung cancer and countless health issues, yet that smoker feels they are getting so much satisfaction and delight in smoking.
In the above cases, the drinker and smoker are no different from the addict who is destroying his life by using drugs. Just as the addict thinks he is getting pleasure from those drugs when in reality that indulgence is causing his own life-force to wane, the drinker and smoker are ruining their own organs by their gross indulgence. That is why Baba guides us that any material indulgence saps us of our own vital energy. Indeed, Baba’s guideline is so apt for this present era of materialism when so many are involved in materialistic allurements and harmful habits like drinking and smoking etc.
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Mistakenly think getting an abundance of pleasure
Then there are those who think that sensual pleasures are giving them so much happiness in the world. But those escapades are merely depriving a person of their own lymph which is the seed of spiritual knowledge and bliss.
Here again it is a losing scenario. The person thinks that in their dealing they are getting everything, when in fact nothing is gotten. Rather one is losing their own vital force. And same is the case with so many material allurements including sumptuous food, money, prestige, automobiles etc. People mistakenly think that they are getting an abundance of pleasure from their harmful, mundane allurement or vice, when in fact they are losing their well-being and mental peace.
The basic idea is that in running after mundane allurements one is ruining their inherent quality and capacity. The person is not getting anything at all, rather by their movements they are slowly degenerating and destroying themselves, as in the case of the drug addict. That is what Baba is teaching us, i.e. material pursuits sap one of all their inner inspiration and vital energy.
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Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Materialism is the most dangerous - indeed, suicidal - philosophy...materialism is both defective and devoid of morality." (1)
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "Allured by the paraphernalia of enjoyment these fools do not understand nor do they want to understand the Supreme Entity. They cannot even imagine a subtler world and so they totally deny it. Those who take the crude as their objective have to come again and endure the crude. Trudging along a dark path they are gradually transformed into matter." (2)
Story: “please give that which will remain with me permanently”
In narrating the below story, Baba clearly portrays that we should aim for spiritual attainment and not mundane possessions and pleasures for happiness and psychic contentment.
"One day, Yájiṋávalkya fell seriously ill. His two wives, Maetreyii and Kátyáyanii, attended on him with due care and affection. It is a fact that some men are ordinary and some are extraordinary. Similarly, some women are ordinary and others are extraordinary.
After recovering from his illness, Yájiṋávalkya said to Kátyáyanii, “I would like to give you a present. What would you like?”
His wife replied, “Let me see I’d like some new clothes, some new jewellery, in fact, so many things.” And she made a long list of all the things she wanted.
Yájiṋávalkya bought everything she asked for and then asked Maetreyii, “What would you like? Clothes, jewellery, or any other valuable thing?”
Maetreyii remained silent.
Yájiṋávalkya continued, “Just a little while ago, Katyáyánii said she would like some new clothes, jewellery, and so many other things. What would you like?”
Maetreyii replied, Yenáhaḿ námrtasyáḿ tenáhaḿ kim kuryám. “What will I do with things which will not remain with me permanently? Of what use are the objects which will not establish me in immortality? The expensive clothes I wear today will be torn in a few days. The jewellery I wear today will no longer be fashionable tomorrow as the designs change from age to age. A certain design was fashionable in my grandmother’s day, another one in my mother’s day and yet another in the present day. No design is permanent forever. It’s nice of you to offer me such things, but none of them will remain with me. I will have to leave them all behind when I depart from this world; so what use are they, and why should you tempt me with them?”
Yájiṋávalkya then asked, “Please tell me what you would really like.”
“If you can,” she replied, “please give me that thing which will remain with me permanently, which I’ll be able to preserve forever, which will establish me in immortality. I don’t want anything else.”
Then Yájiṋávalkya gave her a number of instructions, upon which a major part of Rájá Yoga is based." (3)
Conclusion
It is only in the spiritual sphere that we can get something beneficial and lasting. Only through spiritual practice can we get something permanent. When that occurs the mind rises up and feels His touch then nectar secretes from the pineal gland and we feel a'nandam, or bliss. In worldly spheres, so-called happiness comes from depleting one’s own vital energies. In the spiritual sphere, our happiness comes by enhancing our energy and receiving spiritual nectar. And that happiness is lasting, i.e. a'nandam. That is the vast difference between mundane pleasures and spiritual bliss.
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Namaskar,
in Him,
Sarita'
~ In-depth study ~
The central idea of this letter is that matter should not be the be-all and end-all of life. Ideal human beings do everything for their spiritual progress only. They earn money and maintain their family and friendships - and all kinds of mundane engagements, but all the while their mind and heart is always at the feet of Parama Purusa. In contrast, materialists get involved in mundane actions because their goal is matter. This is the basic difference. For a sadhaka, the goal should be that, “I am earning, and eating, and doing all sorts of things for my life sadhana - to please Parama Purusa.”
Dog & bone analogy
This following analogy about a dog chewing a bone contains a very special and relevant teaching about living in this material world, especially in this present era. Here below, Baba shows us how running after temporary or worldly enjoyment occurs at the expense of one's own self - at the expense of one's own vital energy.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "[This is the situation] of a dog when it chews a dry bone. The bone contains nothing – no marrow, no flesh, nothing. While chewing that dry bone, its lips get cut and blood oozes out, and when the poor dog tastes the blood, it thinks that it is tasting blood from the bone, and licks even more. If you forcibly snatch the dry bone from the dog, the dog will whimper, because it will feel that its food is being taken away." (4)
In the above analogy the dog is chewing its bone and getting nothing in return. Rather it is depriving itself of its own life force - its own blood - yet thinking that it is getting something very tasty in return. Baba has blessed us this graphic analogy whereby we can clearly understand His important life teachings and progress along the path of Supreme Benevolence by seeking Him within and not wasting our time allured by mundane pleasures.
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References
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva in the Light of Philosophy (continued) (Discourse 18)
2. Subhasita Samgraha - 3, Supreme Benevolence and Mundane Pleasure (Shreya and Preya)
3. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, The Place of Women in the Spiritual World
4. Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Dhruva and Adhruva
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “A handful of unprincipled, power-hungry men propagated these [religious] doctrines in order to paralyse women’s reasoning, and to inflate men’s vanity. This doctrine is against nature and we have only to look out into this wide world to find numerous proofs against it. Can anybody drape a burka over a tigress? Is there anyone with enough courage to do it? Can anyone dictate to a tigress, “You cannot cross this boundary,” or “You cannot take part in games and sports, for this is prohibited to women”? Those who propagated these doctrines were not only unprincipled, they were also well aware of the inherent loopholes in their arguments. That is why they did not propagate their ideas directly in their own name. On the contrary, they propagated all those ideas in the name of God. They proclaimed them as the gospels of God; no one shall dispute it; one has to accept it without a murmur. When women will develop a sense of self-respect and be like other spirited creatures, they will cast aside the burkas and veils of servitude. They will then be enabled to expand their role in serving society in a balanced and consolidated way.” (1)
Reference
1. Shabda Cayanika-9, from “Kaomára”
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ins & outs of human suffering
According to Baba, human beings generally suffer from the three types of afflictions: (1) a'dhibhaotika, (2) a'dhidaevika, and (3) a'dhya'tmika.
If a person is undergoing hardship in the mundane sphere and not getting their minimum requirements met, that is a'dhibhaotika suffering. If one is suffering from mental tension and psychic stress, that is a'dhidaevika suffering. And, if one is in despair, feeling separate or distant from Parama Purusa, that is a'dhya'tmika suffering. These are the total afflictions of all humans.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The jiiva experiences three types of suffering-- a'dhibhaotika, a'dhidaevika, and a'dhya'tmika. A'dhibhaotika suffering is mundane, that is, it derives from shortages of food, clothing, medicine, education, shelter, etc. If we change the structure of society this misery will be ended. So we must do this, we should do this. Regarding a'dhidaevika suffering -- if we prepare our minds through sa'dhana', all the mental cares and worries that result from a defective mental structure will come to an end. The feeling of separation [from Parama Purusa] is a'dhya'tmika suffering. This can be eliminated by spiritual sa'dhana', that is, by dhya'na, dha'ran'a', pra'n'a'ya'ma, pratya'ha'ra, etc." (1)
Reference
1. Discourses on Krsna & the Giita, Krśńa Unparalleled
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Inevitability of surrender - 2
Ananda Marga ideology says, “A jiṋánii often becomes fatigued with the continuous cultivation of knowledge. Sometimes, after prolonged thinking, the brain simply refuses to function any more and it becomes increasingly difficult to implement one’s internal thoughts and ideas. What happens at that time? Knowledge concedes defeat and the ego has no choice but to surrender. Finally, one is compelled to plead, “Oh Parama Puruśa, please help me, please save my prestige.”" (1)
Note: In the life of a sadhaka on the spiritual journey, the first and foremost ingredient is surrender. Yet surrender itself is defined and described in a multitude of ways. In the above quote, surrender is explained in a very simple manner.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 8, Do Virtuous Deeds Day and Night – 2
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
आज परमपुरुष, अजाना पथिक आये हैं। उन्होंने
प्रभात संगीत 4490 अजाना पथिक एसेछे.....
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परमपुरुष ने सब के आॅंसू पोंछकर कष्टों को दूर कर दिया है। वे सब से ओत और प्रोत योग से जुड़े हैं, वे अलौकिक आभा के रथ पर सवार होकर आये हैं।
वे अपने दिव्याकर्षण से सब को अपनी ओर खींच रहे हैं और अपनी वराभय मुद्रा से आशीष दे रहे हैं। आज परमपुरुष बाबा आ गये हैं पूरा विश्व उन के प्यार और कृपा से आप्लावित हो गया है।
== Section 3: Links ==
