Baba
Exposed in old age
Namaskar,
This letter is about how people lose their psychic strength in old age, and, in result, their inner weaknesses emerge, and they create hell in the household. On this issue, Baba has narrated a beautiful incident. Here it is:
In one family, the grandmother was on her deathbed. All her grandsons, granddaughters, and entire family of kith and kin, had come to pay their last visit. All were surrounding her. The grandmother was busy asking them about what has been cooked, whether the room has been swept or not, and whether everyone has taken bath or not. Hearing this, the family members requested, “Ma!, Shanta Hari Hari.” She ignored this, and asked her next question as to whether the cows are being fed or not. All wanted that Grandmother should repeat the name of Hari so that she will get salvation. So they reminded her again, “Ma, all house chores are happening daily. So you need not worry about that. Just chant the name of Hari.” Grandmother ignored them and went on to ask whether the dog had been fed. Then again her relatives requested, “Ma! Hari Hari.” Hearing this, the old woman got frustrated. She yelled at everyone, “Get out from here! I cannot recite such a long name.”
By this story, Baba is teaching us that the old woman was not practicing sadhana in her life; she never repeated the name Hari. And, as a result, on her deathbed it was a burden for her to repeat the Lord’s name. In such a situation, whatever little time she had left, she irritated everyone. On certain occasions, she was asking about the kitchen, sometimes about the dog, other times about food, and in this way she tried to control the whole family, unnecessarily. She was irritating everyone.
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Why some aged people become increasingly irrational
Generally, when people are healthy and able, they want to keep their lower propensities in-check by their mental force. For example, if someone is greedy, they will not expose their greed in front of all. If someone has a dirty mind, even then they will not say lewd things in front of others. They will keep their behavior controlled with the help of their mental force and nerve fibers. But in old age, those functions diminish. That’s why aged people often behave very irrationally, saying and doing things which they never did in the past. And most unfortunate is that during such instances they are also unaware of the impact of what they are saying. Due to their toxic behavior, they become a burden in their own family. Unknowingly and unnecessarily, they try to guide or control everyone until they themselves become irrational and angry. That only exacerbates the situation.
These are some of the key problems related with old age. And Baba has given the solution. Those doing sadhana sincerely today will in old age be engaged in spiritual thought. So when they become elderly and cannot do any physical activities as they used to do, then even on their deathbed they will do their sadhana. They will be calm. In contrast, those pseudo-sadhakas express various mundane and crude desires which they concealed their whole life. In their old age, all those negative traits come to the surface. It is commonly seen how negative vrttis are more glaring in old age. The reason is not that in old age those vrttis grew. Rather, earlier, when they were healthy during their younger years, they were harboring those negative vrttis in their mind. But under social pressure, they did not express them. But in old age due to nerve and mental weakness, they lose control and these things become exposed.
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Solution or cure
The central idea is that all those hypocrites who were trying to hide their weaknesses during their life, expose themselves in old age. All their life they tried to present themselves as being something other than what they actually were. And then their defects come to the surface in their old age. Those fake sadhus, who were debauched inside, expose their true degrading nature in their latter years. Those who hid their greed to show themselves as being great, lose control and reveal everything in their later years.
This happens to all who live a long life and were concealing their negative vrttis. The solution is that one should follow an ideal life with a proper goal - Parama Purusa. One should not be hypocritical in their dealings. Whatever you try and hide during your life cannot remain hidden during the later years. So those honest and virtuous persons whose goal of life really is Parama Purusa are in the safest position. When they become aged, and even on their deathbed, they will remain engaged in doing their kiirtan, bhajan, and sadhana.
Conclusion
So in short, we can say that:
(a) Those who are born, will one day die. And those who led a spiritual life will naturally be engaged in spiritual pursuits in their old age as well. Because this was their inherent approach all along. So they will not become a burden to their caregivers.
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(b) Those who led a hypocritical life and hid their sins in their youth and middle age will lack control in old age. They will expose themselves and become a liability for others also. Because whatever one does throughout their life will resonate in their old age. At that late stage one cannot do anything new. So those indulged in sexual thinking their whole life will expose themselves in old age. And those who passed their life preoccupied by food will be unable to think about anything but food in their old age. Those who were sadhakas and true sadhus are the most fortunate ones: They will never become a headache for their caregivers. So everyone should try to become the same inside and outside, and lead a spiritual life. In this way, one can make their life successful.
Tulsi jab tum jag men áye jag hansá tum roye
Aesii karnii karelo tum hánso jag roye.
[Tulsi, when you came to this world, it smiled and you wept. Continue your noble deeds so that when you die, you will laugh and the world will weep.]
Namaskar,
In Him,
Arvind
~ In-depth study ~
Analogy: young bamboo can be bent
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Some people consider that one should start intuitional practice in old age when a person has more leisure, after one has spent the prime of one’s life earning money.” (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Whoever is born is bound to die and one is constantly approaching death, not knowing when it will come. It is never certain if one will live to grow old. Yet people reserve the most important work of practising sádhaná for the time when the body has become completely enfeebled and the fatuous mind of old age has become entangled in the reactions of this life to such an extent that it is afraid of starting anything new.” (2)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “There is an Indian saying that only a young bamboo can be bent, and if you attempt to bend a mature one you will only break it. That is, anything new should be started early in life, and so should intuitional practice.” (3)
References
1. Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy, Why Are People Afraid of Intuitional Practice?
2. Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy, Why Are People Afraid of Intuitional Practice?
3. Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy, Why Are People Afraid of Intuitional Practice?
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
You are the ultimate goal
“Toma're a'mi ceyechi loka'laye naya mana nilaye, Ma'nasa-deule ta'i sa'jiyechi…” (Prabhat Samgiita #4083)
Purport
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, I want to see and receive You, but not somewhere externally. I want to have You in the core of my heart - in a very deep and intimate way. I decorated my inner temple in my mind beautifully solely for You.
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, my Dearmost, my Everything, my Beloved, I am offering You my countless salutations, again and again. I know this essence in the mortal world that You are creation, You are sustenance, and You are the ultimate goal.
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, when there was nothing, You were there. You would also remain when nothing will remain. All would stay within Your shelter in seed form, from a blade of grass to the cosmos all are dancing with the rhythm of your ankle bell...
“Toma're a'mi ceyechi loka'laye naya mana nilaye, Ma'nasa-deule ta'i sa'jiyechi…” (Prabhat Samgiita #4083)
Purport
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, I want to see and receive You, but not somewhere externally. I want to have You in the core of my heart - in a very deep and intimate way. I decorated my inner temple in my mind beautifully solely for You.
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, my Dearmost, my Everything, my Beloved, I am offering You my countless salutations, again and again. I know this essence in the mortal world that You are creation, You are sustenance, and You are the ultimate goal.
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, when there was nothing, You were there. You would also remain when nothing will remain. All would stay within Your shelter in seed form, from a blade of grass to the cosmos all are dancing with the rhythm of your ankle bell...
== Section: Important Teaching ==
According to Ananda Marga teachings, the value of any donation is based on the degree of sacrifice involved. If one has the great heartfelt feeling for a particular cause and is willing to do anything and everything to help those suffering people, then his offering will be very meaningful and of great value. Even if he can only afford to give a few rupees, his donation will be very significant. In contrast, if a wealthy millionaire cares little for suffering humanity and undergoes no trouble by donating RS100,000 then his donation will pale in comparison to the generosity of the poor person who gave a few rupees.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "The charity of a few paise of the poor has the same value as a thousand rupees from a millionaire. Indeed the charity of those few paise is greater." (1)
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Yajiṋa and Karmaphala
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How women were undermined
Ananda Marga philosophy, “The social and religious rights of women were curtailed in numerous ways so that they would be kept forever in thrall to the men. They were even forbidden walking in the open space under the open sky. Covered in burkas and veils, they were reduced to the status of caged birds living on seeds and water. It was decreed that they were not entitled to their ancestral property. The girls were given much less than the boys. It was categorically declared that they were not entitled to mukti or mokśa; that women go to heaven, it’s true, but the men get all sorts of privileges there that women cannot get. These rubbish ideas have died out due to various circumstances. In some places they are in the process of extinction, and in other places they are totally extinct.” (1)
Reference
1. Shabda Cayaniká Part 10, “Kramalaya”
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Special dedication
The Propounder of neo-humanism states:
“To those who think for all . . .
who offer others seats of honour and respect . . .
who venerate others, instead of waiting to be venerated –
to them I dedicate this book with humble esteem and deepest salutations.” (1)
- Shrii Prabhat Ranjan SarkarNote: In the above lines, it is obvious we should give first priority to honouring those whom nobody honours.
Reference
1. Liberation of Intellect - Neo-Humanism, Dedication page
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How one’s gender is decided
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Jiivátmá is neither a male nor a female, nor a hermaphrodite. For the proper expression of one's latent samskáras [reactive momenta] one gets reborn into the body of a woman or a man or sometimes a hermaphrodite. There is no question of high or low, superior or inferior, noble or ignoble because whatever might be the sex of the body, the jiivátmá is just the witnessing faculty of the mind it is attached to. It is unassailed by the sexual differences of the quinquelemental bodies. The unexpressed psychic reactions (samskáras) of the disembodied soul are guided by the Cosmic Mind and adjusted with a proper structure, at a proper time and a proper place, providing a congenial environment for the expression of the unrequited samskáras. Depending upon the nature of the samskáras there is either the predominance of the tendency to attract (samyojanii shakti) or the predominance of the tendency to be attracted (vibhájanii shakti). The nature of the force of attraction is to draw the object of enjoyment towards itself, and the nature of the force which is attracted is to move towards the object of enjoyment. When there is dominance of samyojanii shakti in one's latent saḿskáras, the disembodied soul attains a female body for its outward expression, and conversely where there is a dominance of vibhájanii shakti, it attains a male body. Where there is an approximate balance between the two, the disembodied soul attains the body of a hermaphrodite. Of course, even in the hermaphrodite the balance between saḿyojanii and vibhájanii shaktis is not perfect; there is a slight tilt in favour of one or the other. That's why some hermaphrodites are more inclined towards masculinity, and some, femininity." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 7, Form and Formless
== Section 3: Links ==
