Baba
Father’s Day vs debt to father
Note: This letter is only for those who have reverence for Sadguru Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji and try to follow His Ananda Marga ideology.
Namaskar,
Parents have a very big responsibility for their children. They have to care for the physical, mental, and spiritual development of their progeny and nourish them to grow in an all-round way - in three spheres. This is their parental duty. Devoid of this, the relation will not be treated as ideal. Especially for those parents who care only for the physical aspect, or only the physical and psychic development - and do not care about spiritual development of their progeny. Such parents cannot be looked upon as ideal guardians of their children.
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Fragile, aged parents live frustrated, depressed life
Unfortunately, these days in materialistic countries some guardians and parents are not properly fulfilling their duty towards their progeny. In response, their progeny do not feel any obligation towards their parents or family. A percentage of the population falls in this category. So ultimately both progeny and parents reached a compromise. They decided that at least once in a year they will celebrate a particular day as Father's Day and a single day for Mother's Day etc. In this way their selfish interest became satisfied. Because one day is much easier than having to fulfill one’s duty on an ongoing, daily basis.
In an ideal society it is the regular duty of the progeny to look after their parents; and, certainly, the parents are to look after their progeny. Now, however, some are obsessed with the self-centered philosophy of materialism. They have forgotten their respective roles - parents and their progeny. This is especially evident in materialistic countries. Children in their teenage years often leave the house to live elsewhere, and elderly parents are pushed away and neglected in their old age. Fragile parents are sent to retirement centers where they live a frustrated, depressed, and institutionalized existence. So on one side the children are suffering and on the other side the parents / elders are suffering.
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This self-centered philosophy or capitalistic bent of mind led to the birth of the Mother's Day / Father’s Day dogma and they feel satisfied: "Alright - one day will be Father's Day and one day will be Mother's Day. And then all my duties are over until next year."
Devious ploy of capitalists: dogma of Father's Day
Both "Mother's Day" and "Father's Day" were started by capitalists. Such capitalists want to sell their goods - for one or another reason. And they exploit the common people in a very indirect and cunning way. Businesses create the psychic hunger in the customer's mind that, "You need these products". Capitalists do this with even the most unnecessary items. In response, the innocent public feels that, "Yes it is very essential for me to have those things. I must purchase them." By this way, capitalists empty the pockets of the unassuming masses.
So the false holidays of Father's Day and Mother's Day are the capitalists' selfish inventions. The sole aim is for the common people to run out to the stores and buy more products - i.e. special commercially produced items to celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day. Here is Baba's guideline from His Prout discourse about economy and psycho-economy:
Prout philosophy states, "Capitalists, in their singular or collective roles, exploit society through their gigantic propaganda machinery, and create unhealthy, artificial demands which not only poison the mind but encourage dangerous habits detrimental to psychic sanctity and expansion." (1)
This type of mentality is the cause of the invention of this relatively new dogma, Father's Day and Mother's Day. Because, in this way, capitalists get a huge benefit. And although it started in the western materialistic areas, now it is spreading step by step around the globe and the so-called third world countries strive to emulate so-called first-world states. So the disease of this capitalistic venture is being passed on to other places around the globe.
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Ananda Marga: sacred duty towards parents
As Ananda Margiis we aim to live according to the tantric vision where motherhood and fatherhood are honoured and respected. This intimate relation is maintained every moment due to ongoing love, care, and commitment. Only those who have a lesser degree of love between parent and child can embrace the yearly Mother's Day and Father's Day programs. We are to stand true to His tantric system and fully embrace our roles as mother and father, and not get pulled into the degrading ocean of materialistic values, where Mother's Day and Father's Day reign.
Great responsibility
Keeping this ideal in the forefront of one's mind, no one will get frustrated reading this letter. The aim is not to go against anyone's sentiment, nor attack anyone emotionally. Rather, our goal as Ananda Margiis is to uphold the flag of tantra. In certain of our materialistic countries the annual "Mother's Day" and "Father's Day" celebrations are going on in regular fashion. This year, so-called Mother's Day was on Sunday, 12 May, and Father's Day will be held on Sunday, 16 June -- though this may vary from country to country.
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At first glance, it may seem like "Mother's Day" and "Father's Day" are noble enterprises. But, upon further examination, we can see how they are the product of materialism / capitalism. So we should apply our vivek.
Every sadhaka has great responsibility toward their parents. According to Ananda Marga ideology, one’s duty towards their parents is quite clear. And the responsibility parents have for their children is of a similar nature. Ananda Marga has been given to build up one human society, and in that human society one healthy family is a key component. In that healthy family, all direct worldly relations should live together. That is one miniature form of society. In their happiness and sorrow, they will move collectively towards one goal - Parama Purusa. On that basis, Baba has made the aforementioned Caryacarya rule where every sadhaka has great responsibility toward their parents.
Conclusion
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, “Four kinds of debt are irredeemable – debt to father, debt to mother, debt to ácárya, and debt to guru (divine debt)....But however much service one renders, one will not redeem the four debts until Moks'a (salvation) is attained.” (2)
The central idea is that when something is not given importance on an everyday basis then a weekly, monthly, or yearly program is fixed. Just like everyday is not a holiday in government offices, so they take rest on Saturday and Sunday.
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But for things done on a regular or daily basis, then no special day is allotted for those engagements. Because they are performed day-in, day-out. In a similar way, those things which occur on a monthly basis are not also celebrated on a yearly basis. Rather, every month certain days are fixed. And for festivals that come once in a year then a yearly date is made. But service to mother and father is a regular daily affair.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Rainjita'
(Rachel Norwood)
~ In-depth study ~
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The human body develops over the course of some months in the mother's womb. Then after birth it continues to develop up until approximately the age of thirty-nine (in tropical countries)." (3)
Special bond between mother & child
We should embrace the tantric ideal of motherhood and think of the great bond that develops between mother and child. Firstly, the mother advances through pregnancy and nurtures the baby as her own, while in the womb. During the 40-week pregnancy, a mother develops tremendous emotional attachment and love for the child. With childbirth, the mother takes on the maternal responsibility of caring for the helpless babe each and every moment. As the babe grows through childhood, the mother is there every step of the way offering love, help, support, and care.
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Indeed, a mother has an inherent and innate bond with her child. She always does her best for the child's well-being. Mothers always sacrifice for their children. And the child in turn feels an unmatched closeness with its mother. That is why when a child is emotionally hurt, or confused, it is the mother he goes to for answers. The child has implicit trust and faith in its mother, and the mother has a deep emotional link for her child.
A mother will do everything in her power to raise her child in the best possible way. No mother would ever neglect her child. Such is the bond. Even when the child has reached into young adulthood and a veritable adult, still the mother cares for and watches over her "child." Verily, there is a deeply intimate link between mother and child – and motherhood is honoured as one of the revered roles in life.
Baba did not call them mother
It is Baba's policy to never go against anyone's psychology, hence during His marriage blessings He would always speak to the newlywed couple in a particular manner. When the newly married husband and wife would come up onto the stage for His marriage blessing during DMC, then they would always offer a garland to Baba.
Baba would then give His blessing and return the garland back to the wife.
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During this sweet and charming interaction, if the newlywed wife was Indian then Baba would address her as mother and say, "Take this mala mother and keep it with you...". In contrast, if the newlywed wife was not Indian then Baba would address her as “little girl” and say, "Take this mala little girl and keep it with you...".
Baba took this approach with thousands of newlyweds during hundreds of DMC's. Here the point is that Baba understood that some of the newly married wives from western countries etc, did not like to be called mother. So He called them "little girl". Actually, in materialistic places, even older women do not like to be called mother, while in those tantric cultures, even little girls are addressed as maa or mother.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Very often a doting father will take his little daughter on his lap and call her “mother”. But everyone knows that the child is his daughter, not his mother." (4)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "In the Vajraya'na Buddhist age, the idea first developed that the basic identity of a woman was neither “sister” nor “daughter” but “mother”. To support this concept, the Vajraya'na Buddhist Tantrics used to say that the person whom the newborn baby notices immediately after its birth is neither its sister, its wife nor its daughter, but its mother. So that on the wider canvas of this universe the identity of a woman, from first to last, was portrayed as a mother. She first appears as a young mother to a newborn and later when she attains maturity in life, she establishes her identity as the [grand] mother [of a large household]." (5)
Capitalists’ tool of psycho-economic exploitation
Psycho-economic exploitation is the latest form of dangerous and all-devouring capitalist exploitation. It is a special type of exploitation which first weakens and paralyses people psychologically in various ways, and then exploits them economically. Some of the methods of psycho-economic exploitation include, first, the suppression of the indigenous language and culture of local people; secondly, the extensive propagation of pseudo-culture, exemplified by pornographic literature which debases people’s mind and particularly undermines the vitality of the youth; thirdly, the imposition of numerous restrictions on women, forcing them to be economically dependent on men; fourthly, an unpsychological education system with frequent political interference by vested interests; fifthly, the negation of dharma in the name of secularism; sixthly, the balkanization of society into numerous castes and groups; seventhly, the damaging of society by the use of unnatural and harmful methods of birth control; and eighthly, placing the control of different mass media, such as newspapers, radio and television, in the hands of capitalists. Both intellectual exploitation and psycho-economic exploitation are great dangers to the human race today.” (6)
References
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 12, The Parts of the Economy
2. Caryacarya - 2, Society, Point #20
3. Shabda Cayanika - 5: Disc 30
4. Shabda Cayanika - 9, “Kaomára”
5. Shabda Cayanika - 9, “Kaomára”
6. A Few Problems Solved - 9, Capitalism in Three Spheres
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Medicine for current AMPS
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Today human beings, to whatever country they may belong, should, on the one side, propagate an anti-exploitation sentiment (exploitation does not mean exploitation in the economic sphere only, it includes all sorts of exploitation), and form strong nations in their respective countries; and, on the other side, preach the theory of one spiritual inheritance – that every living being is the child of the Supreme Entity, and that all the people of all nations belong to the same family. This will have to be explained to all, that there will be clash among different nations as long as national feelings exist. People may talk of disarmament, but military preparation will go on underground. And if people dedicate themselves to the welfare of the entire human race, their respective nations will also be benefited indirectly because their nations are not outside the universe! Along with the theory of spiritual inheritance, one Cosmic ideology will have to be propagated too, and that ideology is that one Supreme Entity – the Cosmic Entity – is the goal of all living beings. This spiritual sentiment will keep human beings united for all time to come. No other theory can save the human race.” (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 5, To The Patriots
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Sadvipra recipe
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "It is meaningless to impart diikśá under five years of age, since at this stage the nerve cells of a human child are undeveloped. Consequently, at age of five, there is no disposition or propensity for intricate types of spiritual practices. But, in absences of initiation of five years of age, there is apprehension of the child going astray. Verily, all the human vices are acquired during the age of five to fifteen years. The child has a great inclination to imitate. It hears abusive words and learns them. The robbers sons turn to be robbers only on account of environmental influence. For this reason, if the child be initiated on attaining five years of age, it can develop into a perfect human being – it will be a perfect man." (1)
Reference
1. Táttvika Diipiká (Paiṋcama Parva)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "It is meaningless to impart diikśá under five years of age, since at this stage the nerve cells of a human child are undeveloped. Consequently, at age of five, there is no disposition or propensity for intricate types of spiritual practices. But, in absences of initiation of five years of age, there is apprehension of the child going astray. Verily, all the human vices are acquired during the age of five to fifteen years. The child has a great inclination to imitate. It hears abusive words and learns them. The robbers sons turn to be robbers only on account of environmental influence. For this reason, if the child be initiated on attaining five years of age, it can develop into a perfect human being – it will be a perfect man." (1)
Reference
1. Táttvika Diipiká (Paiṋcama Parva)
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The Sanskrit equivalent for marriage is viváha (vi – vah + ghaiṋ): it means, after the ceremony, the man and woman can no longer live as libertines or as irresponsible so-called family people. They have to discharge their full obligations as bharttá and kalatra, responsible husband and responsible wife.”
“Another Sanskrit equivalent for “woman” is nárii, which is feminine gender. But Shiva used the term kalatra, in the neuter; for to her husband a woman is a wife, but to her children and other members of the society, she is as dignified as her male counterpart. So by declaring a married lady to be kalatra, Shiva gave her special status, and addressed her in neuter terms.”
“The liberal meaning of the term viváha is “live one’s life in a new way with a special type of responsibility”. This is the underlying significance of the Shaeva system of marriage.”
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “In His life, Shiva Himself married with this commitment. We can say without the least hesitation that Shiva was the first person in this world to marry in the proper sense of the term..” (1)
Note: That which was common 7000 years ago has now again come into vogue: That same disease has become prevalent today. A huge percentage of people around the globe are leading libertine life - especially in the materialistic areas. They produce children and neglect to take any responsibility. They do not like to be bound in conjugal relations and shoulder the responsibility of helping the child. The ones who suffer the most are the children and the mother. Often such children wind up in foster care - mentally and physically scarred. It is a serious crisis - watch out. Where capitalism is growing that disease will spread. Our duty is to propagate this teaching - if we bring even one libertine onto the path of responsibility then at least to some small degree the problem is solved.
Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Disc: 9
== Section 3: Links ==
