Baba
Multi-deity worship harmful
Namaskar,
India, and in particular the Hindu religion, has a long history of worshipping multiple gods and goddesses. Within Hinduism, there is a dizzying myriad of gods and goddesses whose number keeps on growing. This approach is wholly antithetical to our standard in Ananda Marga. Sadguru Baba guides us on the necessity of pointed bhakti for a singular Divine Entity. Unfortunately, some who grew up in this environment of a plethora of deities and entered into Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha could never adjust with the notion of one Supreme Entity, one single name, one object of ideation, one ista mantra, one-pointed bhakti, and calling Parama Purusa with one name.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Why worship of multiple gods is harmful
Question: Why are Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna songs present in Prabhat Samgiita if they are not for Ananda Margiis?
According to Ananda Marga ideology, Ista is one - not many. This ethic leads to the cultivation of pointed bhakti and spiritual attainment. That is why in Ananda Marga we only sing those Prabhat Samgiita compositions that are for Baba. Those songs that are for Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna contravene our cult of bhakti. Prabhat Samgiita songs related with Shiva and Krsna are for the followers of Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna. Those are not songs that sincere Ananda Margis should sing for their spiritual practice such as in paincajanya etc. We are to learn Prabhat Samgiita songs related with Shiva and Krsna only for the sake of teaching others - to guide non-margiis.
Mind bifurcated & sadhana ruined
In various discourses Baba has taught us that the mind is one and if an aspirant uses multiple names to call that Divine Entity then the mind will become balkanised and sadhana will be ruined. That is why Baba's strict warning for the all-round development in sadhana is that there should only be one ista - not many. Those calling that Supreme Entity using various names like Krsna, Shiva, Radha, Rama, Sita, and countless other ways are confused and wasting their time. By using various names, the mind will become balkanised and unable to concentrate.
In Ananda Marga, Baba has given 16 points - one of which is the point of Ista. Ananda Margiis must be strict in Ista. In the practical realm that means that although there are countless names of Parama Purusa, but for bhaktas and disciples of Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji, the Ista is Baba, not Lord Krsna, not Lord Shiva, not goddess Durga, not Gaunga nor various other deities. There is no important entity besides Baba.
So when singing bhajans / spiritual songs one should not call, “O' Lord Krsna be gracious”, or “O' Lord Shiva be gracious.” Because that will bifurcate or balkanise the mind. If one's Guru is Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji and one is requesting His grace, then they should not call out to Lord Krsna, or Lord Shiva, or Goddess Gurga asking for grace.
Those doing Ananda Marga sadhana plus other religious services like church sermons, namaz, Hindu rituals, and Islamic and Jewish call to prayer etc are wasting their time. Such persons are most degraded and they will not realise anything. Their sadhana will be dry. Their sadhana will never bear any fruit because this type of toxic worship bifurcates or balkanises the mind.
Harmful ritual
In the below quote, one dogmatic follower is doing puja and calling out the names of countless gods and goddesses, and Baba is mocking that scene because that type of chant is not only useless - but harmful and a waste of time.
Sadguru Baba says, "A person whom I was very close to, a relative of mine, used to recite the following after taking bath: “Victory to mother Káli, victory, victory to Káli, victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá, victory to mother Káli of Dakśińeshvar, victory to Bábá Táraknáth, victory to Bábá Vaidyanath of Deoghar. O, Fathers! None of you should think that I am leaving out someone's name.” After this he would say, “O, gods and goddesses, please forgive me if I have omitted any name inadvertently. Please assume that I have mentioned your name also.” Does this yield anything at all? One says “victory to mother Káli of Kálighát” and in the same breath one says “victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá.” It signifies that the mind is moving both towards Kálighát and T́han T́haniá. Can the mind become concentrated in this way? Certainly not." (1)
By the above teaching it is very clear that Ananda Margiis should not say, “O' Goddess Parvati please be gracious, O' Lord Rama please be gracious, O' Lord Vishnu please be gracious, O' Lord Ganesh please be gracious, O' Lord Krsna please be gracious, O' Lord Shiva please be gracious.”
If one repeats so many names then the mind will become balkanised, and sadhana will be ruined. That person cannot progress in the spiritual field. That is what Baba's above teachings guides us. Then what should we do? Ananda Margiis must only say, “O' Baba Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji please be gracious.”
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Out of fear worship countless deities
In the below scene, there are shelves in a typical type of puja room (place of worship) common to Indian Hindu households. In Ananda Marga, we would equate this as being their sadhana room. On display, they have numerous gods and goddesses on the wall. There are some small idols as well. And everyday Hindu worshipers recite various songs or shlokas, to please all those deities - one by one. The fear complex has been injected in the mind that if they only worship one deity and not all the others, then they will be in trouble. Those other deities who are left out of the worship become frustrated and furious and they will lash out and bring about the ruination of those worshipers and curse them. So out of fear those Hindus worship countless gods and goddesses. They are dominated by the dogma that there are innumerable gods and each one controls various aspects of life. Ananda Marga ideology condemns this dogmatic approach type of dogma.
Those doing Ananda Marga sadhana plus other religious services like church sermons, namaz, Hindu rituals, and Islamic and Jewish call to prayer etc are wasting their time. Such persons are most degraded and they will not realise anything. Their sadhana will be dry. Their sadhana will never bear any fruit because this type of toxic worship bifurcates or balkanises the mind.
Dogmatic margiis do multi-deity worship
Those raised in dogmatic Hindu families who came into Ananda Marga, some of them still carry this old dogma with them. That is why in their puja room they keep photos of numerous deities like, Lord Krsna, Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji, the elephant god Ganesh mounted on a rat, the monkey god Hanuman in his langota, eight arms goddess Durga, goddess of wealth Laksmi mounted on an owl, ten-armed goddess Kali, Lord Jagannatha without arms and legs, the idol of Shiva’s phallus, and so many gods and goddesses including some real human beings like Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Shankaracarya etc. These humans are also treated as gods.
When such aforesaid dogmatic margiis do their Ananda Marga sadhana they chant the names of those deities along with their ista mantra. And when the opportunity comes they prefer to sing those Prabhat Samgiita related with Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna. All because of their dogmatic old mindset: It is very hard to give up the Hindu dogma of multiple deity worship.
Such pseudo-margiis have many istas Lord Krsna, Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji, the elephant god Ganesh, the monkey god Hanuman, and so many gods and goddesses including Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, and Shankaracarya etc.
Whereas, those who are strict margiis only have one ista Baba Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. So those strong, sincere margiis are strict in 16 Points and do not have multiple Istas. They have one-pointed bhakti for Baba Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. For such dogmatic Indian margiis this point is extremely difficult. Even after reading the teaching from Baba - which appears in numerous discourses, still such dogmatic Indian margiis are confused: They cannot give up their Hindu dogma as they continue to worship Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna.
in Him,
Ragatmika'
Those doing Ananda Marga sadhana plus other religious services like church sermons, namaz, Hindu rituals, and Islamic and Jewish call to prayer etc are wasting their time. Such persons are most degraded and they will not realise anything. Their sadhana will be dry. Their sadhana will never bear any fruit because this type of toxic worship bifurcates or balkanises the mind.
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Thus we see that ideation is association with one or the other idea – knowledge, action or devotion – just as meditation is associated with ideology. Thus in meditation and ideology, the spiritual aspirant is moving toward the singular Supreme Entity, the pinnacled goal. If the mind accepts two goals, two Lords, the mind becomes bifurcated.” (Subhasita Samgraha - 18, The Cult of Spirituality – the Cult of Pinnacled Order)
~ In-depth study ~
Some overseas suffer in a similar manner
This above guideline is not only for those born on the Indian subcontinent etc. Those Ananda Margiis coming from the Semitic religions also suffer from similar problems regarding this point of Ista. Some from the Christian, Judeo, and Islamic backgrounds carry their religious dogma with them when they enter into Ananda Marga. They have attachment for their past religious photos, statues, and rituals etc. And in Christianity and Islam (shia) there is also multi worship for satan, an equally powerful negative God, and they perform the tomb worship of religious leaders. In addition, they offer their reverence to those old beliefs and dogmas and ask for boons. Such persons do not have the requisite strictness in Ista. So those from overseas regions should also pay heed to the guidelines offered above.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Hanuman story of one ista
Here is a very significant story about the mythological bhakta - Hanuman.
"When Hanuman was asked why he was so insistent on taking the name of Ráma and never taking the name Náráyańa, he promptly replied:Shriináthe jánakiináthe cábheda ParamátmaniTathápi mama sarvasvah Rámah kamalalocana.“I know by philosophical analysis that there is no difference between Náráyańa and Rama, and yet I will channelize my mind towards One Entity and not many. For me there is no Náráyańa, there is only Ráma.”"Likewise for the genuine spiritual aspirants there is only One Entity, and they rush only towards that Supreme One. Their minds move only in one direction, not in a thousand directions." (3)
In that discourse, Baba's pointed teaching in this story is that a sadhaka's spiritual feeling must be linked with one Ista - for Ananda Margiis that Ista is Baba Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. None else.
Special extra worship
Although on a regular daily basis - morning and evening - such dogmatic Hindus do their regular multiple deity worship, but then an extra puja comes on a special occasion for a particular deity. Every week or every month is allocated to pay homage to a different deity. Today is the puja of the monkey god and tomorrow or next week is reserved for the worship of Sarasvati (goddess of knowledge) or Durga puja etc.
Those doing Ananda Marga sadhana plus other religious services like church sermons, namaz, Hindu rituals, and Islamic and Jewish call to prayer etc are wasting their time. Such persons are most degraded and they will not realise anything. Their sadhana will be dry. Their sadhana will never bear any fruit because this type of toxic worship bifurcates or balkanises the mind.
Out of fear worship countless deities
In the below scene, there are shelves in a typical type of puja room (place of worship) common to Indian Hindu households. In Ananda Marga, we would equate this as being their sadhana room. On display, they have more than 50 gods and goddesses on the wall. There are some small idols as well. And everyday Hindu devotees recite various devotional songs or shlokas, to please all those deities - one by one. The fear complex has been injected in the mind that if they only worship one deity and not all the others, then they will be in trouble. Those other deities who are left out of the worship be frustrated and furious and they will lash out and bring about the ruination of those worshipers and curse them. So out of fear those Hindus worship countless gods and goddesses. They are dominated by the dogma that there are countless gods and each one controls various aspects of life. Ananda Marga ideology condemns this dogmatic approach type of dogma.
In the below scene, there are shelves in a typical type of puja room (place of worship) common to Indian Hindu households. In Ananda Marga, we would equate this as being their sadhana room. On display, they have more than 50 gods and goddesses on the wall. There are some small idols as well. And everyday Hindu devotees recite various devotional songs or shlokas, to please all those deities - one by one. The fear complex has been injected in the mind that if they only worship one deity and not all the others, then they will be in trouble. Those other deities who are left out of the worship be frustrated and furious and they will lash out and bring about the ruination of those worshipers and curse them. So out of fear those Hindus worship countless gods and goddesses. They are dominated by the dogma that there are countless gods and each one controls various aspects of life. Ananda Marga ideology condemns this dogmatic approach type of dogma.
OUT OF FEAR WORSHIP COUNTLESS DEITIES
In the below scene, two dogmatic devotees are doing their puja worship. They are seated in typical type of puja room (place of worship) common to Indian Hindu households. In Ananda Marga, we would equate this as being their sadhana room. On display, they have more than 50 gods and goddesses on the wall. In the front there are some small idols as well. And everyday these Hindu devotees recite various devotional songs or shlokas, to please all those deities - one by one. The fear complex has been injected in the mind that if they only worship one deity and not all the others, then they will be in trouble. Those other deities will be frustrated and bring about their ruination and curse them. So out of fear those Hindus worship countless gods and goddesses. They are dominated by the dogma that there are countless gods and each one controls various aspects of life. Ananda Marga ideology condemns this dogmatic approach type of dogma.
TYPICAL HINDU PUJA ROOM
Here then below are those two Hindu devotees doing their ritual worship of countless gods and goddesses. They do this on a daily basis.
References
1. 11 April 1979, Kolkata
2. Subhasita Samgraha - 18, The Cult of Spirituality – the Cult of Pinnacled Order
3. Ananda Marga Way of Life - 11, Relativity and the Supreme Entity
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The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
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The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
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== Section: Important Teaching ==
Who can be forgiven and who not
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Those who perpetrate atrocities on collective life or on a particular human group, cannot be pardoned. In such cases pardoning not only reflects weakness, it also encourages injustice, because the oppressors become more tyrannical. In individual life, if an innocent person is oppressed by dishonest people, the person, if he or she so desires, may pardon the oppressors, just to test his or her capacity for tolerance or for some other reason. But if the oppressors torture a human group, in that case no single individual, as the representative of the group, can pardon them, and actually that person has no right to do so. If the representative acts beyond his or her jurisdiction, that person will be denounced by the group he or she represents. So it has to be said that pardoning is a practice for individual life only, not for collective life.” (1)
Note: The above teaching is difficult for some to understand. That is commonly people are confused about this. In this above teaching, Baba is guiding us that forgiveness is for individual life - only. Those who have eyes to see know that all around in the general society and inside Ananda Marga also, there are numerous injustices going on. These all fall within the scope of collective life. Nobody can excuse those culprits because they have harmed society on the whole.
In contrast, if someone stole your personal bicycle and the next day that person feels repentant and returns it to you and apologizes for their wrongdoing, then there are two options. One may excuse that person or not excuse that person. Baba guides us that it is better to excuse them for their wrongdoing - so long as that person is feeling repentant. Because it is an individual affair and the culprit is sorry for his misdeed etc. But in the case of organisational wrongdoing that harms the society etc, then there is no scope to forgive that wrongdoer. No one has the right or power to excuse them.
Due to all the aforesaid reasons, this is a very difficult situation for some to understand - especially lay people. So they follow their dogma and excuse everyone regardless, even the venomous snake that is lying inside their shoe ever-ready to bite them.
Reference
1. Problems of the Day #17
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