Baba
AM & Hindus: comparative view
Namaskar,
It is part and parcel of our ethic as laid down by Marga Guru to respectfully point out the defects and dogmas of the various religions.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Read any so-called religious book: one will seldom find anything resembling tolerance of the religious beliefs of others...If necessary, different views can be compared and presented in philosophical books. The philosophical and psychological loopholes in an argument may be pointed out without being disrespectful.” (1)
Opposition of dogmatic Hindus
In the beginning period, before 1960, those in Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha were facing serious opposition from the dogmatic Hindu priests. By seeing the way of life and different teachings of Ananda Marga, it superficially looks like Ananda Margiis are Hindu. There is fasting, puja, sentient food, meditation, and so many other similarities where often the same word is employed such as sadhana or ekadashii etc. In the Hindu religion, to some or more degree, all these things are present. No doubt in Hinduism these practices were mixed with various sorts of dogma and that made them unpalatable for rational persons. So when those Hindu priests first came in contact with Ananda Margiis they were expecting us to embrace all those dogmatic Hindu rituals etc. And when those priests saw this was not the case, they felt threatened and violently opposed all followers of Ananda Marga ideology.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
So-called yogiis:
"Yogada' Matha", Ramakrsna mission, Prabhupada etc
In India, in the 19th and 20th centuries, many offshoots came from the Hindu religion: Just like "Yogada' Matha" started from Swami Yogananda, and Ramakrsna Mission with Ramakrsna Paramahansa and Vivekananda etc. Then Arvind Ghos in Pandicheri also branched out as well as the Hare Krsna movement by Prabhupada. There was also Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, who started Transcendental Meditation, and so many swamis like Swami Rama, Acarya Rajanish, the Divine Life Society, and Swami Shivananda etc.
All these above founders and their religious movements are just a little modification of the Hindu religion. So many dogmas are there. In other words we can say, these all are reformist movements. They don't make any major changes. Because these yogis were ordinary human beings so they did not have the requisite courage to fight against dogma. So the age-old dogma of the caste system, and different disparities and domination of priests etc, and so many more dogmas they did not even touch. They kept them as is. But that is not enough for the all-round progress of humanity.
Why shikha’ sutra (sacred thread) by so-called upper class Hindus #1
In the beginning, when Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha started in 1955, many were thinking that this too was an offshoot of Hinduism. But later on they found there was no domination by the priest class. That's why exploiter Hindu priests became agitated by seeing our Ananda Marga way of life.
In India, brahmins were treated as superior by the dogmatic Hindu culture. To distinguish themselves, all brahmins kept one sacred hair (antenna) on their head. In the local language, that sacred hair is called as tiiki or teek (pig tail) - or some areas, shikha'. This is their dogmatic ritual.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
So-called brahmins can cut all the hair from their head, up to just half-inch long. But on the top of their head, around the sahasrara cakra, minimum one square centimeter up to one square inch area, they keep around four square inches reserved for growing the hair. So on the top of the head, that hair which remains grows up to four, five, seven, ten inches. Strong fundamentalists and pandits of the brahmin caste do like this.
From a distance it looks like an antenna of hair on the head. It is just like one television antenna on the house; it looks completely different from the rest of the house, clearly seen from a distance.
Why shikha’ sutra (sacred thread) by so-called upper class Hindus #2
The question why Hindu priests are keeping such an antenna on their head. What is the reason? What is the benefit? Priests like to differentiate themselves from the common society so they get more respect.
Christians and Muslims do not keep this sacred hair. The general aboriginal public of India cannot keep it whereas the Aryans community in India public can keep it, and priest can keep the longest sacred hair. In short we can say that this sacred hair - this antenna - is one sign of Hindu believers. Still in the villages this dogma is going on.
The belief is that God resides in heaven and reaches down to pull human beings up to heaven. By having a longer section of hair, i.e. sacred hair, God can reach down and lift those brahmins up by that hair. That is their "advantage." To ensure you do not slip from His grasp, best is to tie a knot at the end of the sacred hair. And that is what those dogmatic brahmin Hindus do. At the same time, it must be added that nowadays the dogma of the sacred hair is fading fast, due to the grace of Parama Purusa.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Why so-called lower caste Hindu cannot have that privilege
Another dogma is also very prevalent: sacred thread. On their body, brahmins tie one thread which starts from the top of one shoulder and goes down diagonally to the opposite waist, and then back up and around the back to make one diagonal sling around the torso.
When babies are born they do not have the right to wear this sacred thread. But when they are grown up, one ceremony happens when priests get a lot of donations. And they use certain chanting and bless with that sacred thread (yajinopaviit or upanayan). And this special yajinopaviit or upanayan only brahmins can keep - only certain caste. Not vaeshyas, ksattriyas, shuddras, such persons cannot use the sacred thread. Only those who belong to Hindu religion and are of a particular caste. On this point of yagyopavit, the so-called brahmin supremacy is established. Only brahmins are allowed to wear this. Earlier if anybody who belongs to so-called lower caste, even of Hindu religion, was trying to wear it, then they will be punished.
As described above, there are two serious external symbols of their supremacy. One is sacred hair (antenna), and another is yajina-upaviit that is sacred thread, i.e. yajinopaviit or upanayan. All those yogiis who were just reformist types (listed above) did not try to touch this dogma. For them it was impossible to oppose this. So although these dogmas were creating huge disparities even within the Hindu religion itself, the sentiment was so strong that if these yogiis would have opposed this then they themselves would have been crushed to zero. So all these above yogiis, reformists, and their followers are keeping all those dogmatic rituals, if they wish.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
In recent years, the dogma of the sacred thread is also on the wane. The older generations are trying hard to keep this dogma - and all such Hindu dogmas - intact, but the newer, the younger generations are not interested. To keep the dogma alive the rules have become a little more loose nowadays as some women and lower caste Hindu factions are allowed to grow and wear the sacred thread.
How so-called sacred thread came into existence
Here is the real history of how the sacred thread came into being.
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, "Most of the people in the Vedic age drank excessive amounts of fermented juice, called somarasa, and ate meat, including beef. After the advent of Shiva, in the time of the Yajurveda, people were encouraged to rear cows to produce milk and to discontinue eating meat. Nevertheless, many people in the Vaedic age were alcoholics, and even those who performed religious rituals had great difficulty carrying out their duties properly. Consequently, a custom was introduced which made it compulsory for priests to wear a deer skin across their shoulders, called upavita. This clearly identified the priest so that he would not be served alcohol while conducting religious ceremonies. Gradually, over the course of time, the deer skin was transformed into a thread. Today this thread is the symbol of the Brahmin caste in Hindu society." (2)
How Ananda Marga is revolutionary
Since the beginning when Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS) started in 1955, Baba started a system of 'One Human Society' and gave the slogan "Ma'nava Ma'nava Eka Hai." It was very clear by Baba's approach that He was initiating people without any caste differentiation. But before the coming of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha in 1955, only brahmins were allowed to do sadhana.
Not only that, Baba hammered those dogmas on the head with a sledge hammer. And He has made the rule that before taking initiation the sacred thread and sacred hair have to be removed. This enraged the brahmins and they became strong deadly enemies against the spread of Ananda Marga ideals and the rise of AMPS. Because Baba hit on their life source and livelihood. In other words, the existence of these so-called brahmins was threatened. So, these so-called brahmins opposed Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha with their full strength, tooth and nail.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion
The path of Ananda Marga ideology is not dogmatic Hinduism, rather it is something much, much higher - bhagavad dharma. We should all think and review this to avoid making a wrong picture in the future. After all, the world is changing fast and the dogmatic religions are falling out of favour. So we should present our Ananda Marga as the dharma that it is, and not sink into the depths of the dogmatic religions like Hinduism.
Sadguru says, “Ánanda Márga alone is dharma and all the rest are sectisms.” (3)
Most margiis and field workers are following directly in Baba's dharmic footsteps - and keeping the saffron flag high by His grace we are marching along the path of neo-humanism and supreme realisation.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Vishva Mohan
~ In-depth study ~
Early margiis suffered attacks of right-wing Hindus
Those days were not just peaceful, sweet days of Jamalpur. Those who are thinking that it was just era of "Vraj", they do not know the real history. Baba was inviting direct confrontation against all sorts of dogma. Many Margiis suffered a lot when they cut their sacred thread and hair. They were opposed by their relatives, their friends, their other village neighbors. And threatened, and so many places they got beating also.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
All these things happened, mostly in rural area of India. And several thousand Margiis suffered and faced the problem. And they did not bow down, but remained as bona fide members of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha and fought against dogma. All negative people created huge opposition like a thunder or hail storm. But they remained standing undauntedly. Only surrendering at Baba's feet was this possible. So much struggle those Margiis faced. And verily our path and duty is to fight against all sorts of dogma and religious exploitation.
Ananda Vaniis says, "Parama Purus'a has blessed you with the hands to work and legs to move; has infused you with the stamina to act; has endowed you with practical intelligence, so make the best use of them in the fight against the demons. You must not sit idle relying on fate. Be vigorously active." (4)
Pointing out religious loopholes
It is part and parcel of our ethic as laid down by Marga Guru to respectfully point out the defects and dogmas of the various religions.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Read any so-called religious book: one will seldom find anything resembling tolerance of the religious beliefs of others...If necessary, different views can be compared and presented in philosophical books. The philosophical and psychological loopholes in an argument may be pointed out without being disrespectful.” (5)
To get respect Dadas project themselves as dogmatic Hindus
What happens overseas I cannot say, but here in India I see all this going on; but I did not say anything or oppose. Because then Dadas may not like to have me around. But this is the common experience that I saw when moving about with various Dadas.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
When traveling on the train the common people approached and asked our Dadas if they are Hindu or not. Because our Wts do not always wear their turbans on the train. And again Dadas reply in the affirmative about being Hindu. And then sometimes they further justify that our practices are the same as Hinduism: fasting, puja, kiirtan etc.
By this way our Dadas get more respect. And some overseas Dadas also come and move around the dogmatic holy places here in India and when I ask them why they also do like this, then they reply, "On Indian soil, Hinduism is just like Ananda Marga."
So due to a certain lack of understanding of Baba's teachings, this dogma about Ananda Marga being a form of Hinduism is still prevailing. Because not in one place but I took two trips outside - one to Bali, Indonesia and one to Africa. And in both the places some of our Dadas link themselves up with Hinduism, especially in Africa where they are even registered as Hindus.
True Ananda Margiis are not swayed in this way but some who are less strong get involved in these types of interactions. As some Dadas are regularly giving such replies I thought that we should get rid of the confusion and have written these following points.
How Hindu religious leaders befooled
Ananda Marga philosophy states:
In any society or governmental system where vipra rule lasted for a long time, different kinds of religion or moral philosophy came into being under their aegis. Initially the vipras [religious leaders] had introduced religion for the purpose of exploitation and had tried to mislead people through their grandiloquence. However, the new philosophies that emerged in the course of time as a result of clash among vipras [religious leaders] propagating different doctrines, came to be somewhat spiritual in appearance, though the tendency to exploit remained beneath the surface. This form of religion, like the form socialism adopted, was in fact a great hoax. With this approach, intellectual satans, instead of exploiting the faithful directly, expanded their sphere of exploitation behind a psychologically-designed mask of detachment from or indifference to worldly things.
Vipras with a simple type of philosophy used to say, "Your father deserves to go to heaven, so make sure that we perform his funeral service," or "The soul of your father needs subtle food. Give us ordinary food and we will send it to him in a subtle form."
But later on the cunning vipras [religious leaders], whom I call intellectual satans, tried to turn the minds of the people from practical reality towards an imaginary void by preaching contrived philosophies. The essence of their voluminous treatises and verbose annotations to lengthy aphorisms was: the world is an illusion; therefore renounce the world and do not be attracted to its illusions. Become desireless, detached and self-abnegating by offering all your wealth at the feet of the vipras [religious leaders]. Of course such philosophies did not preach that the world was also illusory for the vipras [religious leaders] who received the offerings – clearly because it was through such ploys that they were able to achieve their objectives. (6)
How Semitic religious leaders befooled
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “In places where, for whatever reason, intellectual clashes among the vipras [religious leaders] were not very intense, their philosophy was very simple. They would say to the people directly, "I am the angel or incarnation of God. The things I have said are not the words of a human being but the words of God," or "I have received the divine revelation that you will eat this and not that, worship in this way and not that, and offer this to God. If you obey my commandments God will bless you and you will go to heaven; otherwise you will be burnt to death in the fire of hell." The people were fooled this easily.” (7)
References
1. Human Society - 1, Moralism
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 16, Religious Dogma – Excerpt B
3. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, The Call of the Supreme
4. Ananda Vanii #46
5. Human Society - 1, Moralism
6. Human Society - 2, The Vipra Age
7. Human Society - 2, The Vipra Age
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Recipe for life divine
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "O human beings, proceed on the path of Oṋḿkara towards subtleness. Do not run after the superficial, pleasant mirage dominated by tamoguńa. Establish yourself in sattvaguńa and then merge yourself into Brahma. Reach the point whence oṋḿkára has started. Awaken your latent dynamism through sádhaná and devotion, arouse your divine wisdom and merge that pure divinity into the endless stream of divine glory. Attain the Supreme state for which you have suffered tremendous privations. Today you have the most favourable opportunity to prove yourself as human being.” (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Philosophy - 4, Our Spiritual Treatise
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Not commonly known cause of deafness
Ananda Marga Yogic Treatments says, "Deafness is not a disease by itself, unless it is congenital. It is an after-effect or reaction to some other ailment...Excessive use of quinine or similar poisonous medicines for a long time reduces the power of hearing." (1)
Note: The intake of allopathic medicines contributes significantly to deafness. One can see this reaction especially in the case of small kids. Their hearing can be significantly impaired or lost for life by administering strong and harmful allopathic medicines.
Reference
1. Yogic Treatments, Deafness
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How walking helps prevent disease
Ananda Marga Yogic Treatments says, "Pure, fresh air has the power to cure diseases. It is advisable to breathe in as fully as possible, because when we do so, the air gets an opportunity to penetrate the lungs completely. It is better to take a walk in the fresh air than to ride a vehicle. If the body does not work up a sufficient sweat, then you should know that you have not taken the air properly." (1)
Everyone is aware that Baba is teaching us to be vigilant about walking every morning and evening, invariably.
Reference:
1. Yogic Treatments, Appendix, Point E
== Section ==
মুখে দাবি করা হয়েছে---”এই করেছি, ওই করেছি, এই করেছিলুম, ওই করেছিলুম”
“যা এত দিন হয়ে গেছে, তা অবনতিই হয়েছে | মানুষকে নিচের দিকেই নামিয়ে দিয়েছে | তাতে কোনও লাভ হয়নি | বৃথা কাল-ক্ষয় হয়েছে | সময় নষ্ট করা হয়েছে | মুখে দাবি করা হয়েছে---”এই করেছি, ওই করেছি, এই করেছিলুম, ওই করেছিলুম” | আসলে কাজের কাজ তাতে কিছুই হয়নি | এই যেন সেই, হয় না---যে ঈশ্বরপ্রেম নেই | কিন্তু খুৰ নাক টিপে প্রাণায়াম করছে | বা খুৰ শীর্ষাসন করছে, ঠ্যাঙ্গ উপরে তুলে, মুণ্ডু নিচে করে | তাতে কি কোনও কাজ হয় ?
আসন মারে ক্যা হুআ, জো গঈ ন মন কী আস |
জ্যোং কোল্হূ কে ৰৈল কো ঘর হী কোস পচাস ||
[হাসি]
তো, সেই ব্যাপার, উন্নতি-টুন্নতি হয়নি |” [1]
Reference
1. অপ্রকাশিত,আনন্দ নগর ১৯৮৪
“যা এত দিন হয়ে গেছে, তা অবনতিই হয়েছে | মানুষকে নিচের দিকেই নামিয়ে দিয়েছে | তাতে কোনও লাভ হয়নি | বৃথা কাল-ক্ষয় হয়েছে | সময় নষ্ট করা হয়েছে | মুখে দাবি করা হয়েছে---”এই করেছি, ওই করেছি, এই করেছিলুম, ওই করেছিলুম” | আসলে কাজের কাজ তাতে কিছুই হয়নি | এই যেন সেই, হয় না---যে ঈশ্বরপ্রেম নেই | কিন্তু খুৰ নাক টিপে প্রাণায়াম করছে | বা খুৰ শীর্ষাসন করছে, ঠ্যাঙ্গ উপরে তুলে, মুণ্ডু নিচে করে | তাতে কি কোনও কাজ হয় ?
আসন মারে ক্যা হুআ, জো গঈ ন মন কী আস |
জ্যোং কোল্হূ কে ৰৈল কো ঘর হী কোস পচাস ||
[হাসি]
তো, সেই ব্যাপার, উন্নতি-টুন্নতি হয়নি |” [1]
Reference
1. অপ্রকাশিত,আনন্দ নগর ১৯৮৪
== Section 2: Links ==
