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Thursday, September 19, 2024

Raising kids: fear complex + 4 more

Baba
Raising kids: fear complex 

Namaskar,

Here is an English summary of Baba’s teaching in Hindi:

The small babe did not want to drink the milk. So in order to get the baby to drink the milk, the family members said, "Look a "ghost" is on the palm tree - it will come and get you if you do not drink your milk." So you drank the milk out of fear of being caught by the "ghost.”


Sadly some parents impose fear complexes

That fear gets expressed in various ways as the child grows. They will be terrified of talking to new people, taking an examination, going to new places, undertaking an adventure, going for a job interview, fighting against injustices etc. A child burdened by a fear complex will not do any of these things. Parents will have raised their children into cowards. The overall effect will be disastrous.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

In some cases such children will not be able to live alone anywhere, and they will be afraid of walking in the dark. Verily such a fear complex will give birth to other psychic diseases like nightmares, an inferiority complex, a defeatist complex etc. Imaginary fears pollute the child’s subconscious mind. Their reality will not be based on the conscious mind but rather subconscious thinking - and those thoughts will terrify them.

This condition is worse than a deadly contagious disease. That disease will bring about one's death. Whereas suffering from a fear complex will kill you each and every day - over and over again. Such persons will be frightened of their own shadow, and startled by their own footsteps. By their birth, children are not cowards - rather they are quite brave. But sadly, parents impose fear complexes and turn them into cowards.


You will see an imaginary "ghost"

Here Baba scientifically shows how the fear complex takes root in the human mind and becomes part of a person's living reality.

Ananda Marga ideology says, "Suppose in daytime you are in a lonely place. It may or may not be a lonely place. Suppose in daytime you are alone in a big house, and some people told you that there is a "ghost" – “Ghost… ghost… ghost.” You heard it. The acoustic wave touched your mind, touched the subconscious portion of your mind, and after that you are told, “You know, Mr. X, there is a ghost in this house.” And you are Mr. X. “There is a ghost in this house.” All the nerve fibres fail to function. What will happen then? Just touch the conscious level of your mind, and as an extro-objective creation, as an external reflection of your very ectoplasmic stuff, you will see a ghost. And what sort of "ghost" will you see? The description of a ghost that you read in your books or you heard from your granny, “A ghost is like this.” In broad daylight you will see the ghost." (1)

Thus what to speak of even small children, an adult's mind can also be polluted by fear such that those false and imagined fears come to life for them.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/


Dirty thoughts stained your mind

The following is an English summary from Baba’s original sound file from  01 January 1986 (Kolkata): 

Family members said, "Look a ghost is on the palm tree - it will come and get you if you do not drink your milk.”

Hatred, doubt, and fear are sin. When you were small, you did not hate anybody. After that your neighbors, friends and family members taught you, "This is what hate is, don't do such a thing." They taught you fear, they taught you shyness, and in the end those interactions stained your mind in that color.

The small babe did not want to drink the milk. So in order to get the baby to drink the milk, the family members said, "Look a ghost is on the palm tree - it will come and get you if you do not drink your milk." So you drank the milk out of fear of being caught by the "ghost".”
 
After many years, when you were no longer two, but became twenty-two years of age, that mental "ghost" still existed in your mind. From time to time in your dreams you will still see that "ghost". In consequence, while remaining in a lonely place your heart will become startled and frozen due to fear of that "ghost". What is this? Imposed bondage. This type of bondage or these bondages are known as pa'shas.” 


Child’s entire existence will shake

A child’s world is limited - they do not have diverse experiences. So if you inject a terrifying, imaginary figure in their small world, then the child’s entire existence will shake. It is just like if a huge monster were to come into your small bedroom then you will not feel comfortable and will leave the room. But for the child, in the case of imposed fears, that innocent kid has no such recourse. They cannot escape those fears. Again, the child’s world is very limited - and if you terrify that child by telling them about goblins etc, the life of that child will be very disturbed.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/


Conclusion

Remember, one should not inject any type of fear complex into the child's mind, otherwise that youth will suffer from that fear complex their entire life - to varying degrees. That will be very bad. Instead of being brave and strong, that child will be meek, frightened, and cowardly.

As Ananda Margiis, we should follow Guru's teaching and never inject any type of fear complex on our young ones. We should seek raise our children to be brave and courageous - and not be stricken with fear.

Namaskar,
at His feet,
Jayanti
J. Davis

In North America and parts of Europe, the holiday of Halloween is celebrated, generally around Oct 30, 31, & Nov 1. Kids dress up in scary costumes, and participate in haunted houses, hear ‘ghost’ stories, and engage in other fear-based activities. The underlying theme is fear whereby children become permanently shackled and the child never grows properly in the mental realm. So we should be extremely careful never to impose such fears on a child.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
 

Baba sound file 

Baba audio transcription

Ghrna', shaunka', bhay, aet'a' holo pa's’, jab tumi jakhan chotto chile, tumi ka'uke ghrna' korte na'. Oi pare toma'r prativeshiira' bandhura' ba'r'iir lokera', toma'ke shikhiye chilo ki, "Aeta’ korte na'in, aeta ghrny jinish." To, toma’ke bhay shikhiyeche, lajja' shikhiyeche, a'r seit'a’ shes' paryant toma'r rang [lege] geche. Choto chele du'dh kha'cche na'. Ba'r'iir lokera' bolle, "Oi juju a'che, ta'l ga'che juju a'che, dhare nebe." Tumi jujur bhaye khiye nile du'dh. Ta'r pare, sei tumi jakhane du vatsa'rer na'y, tumi hoye gele ba'is vatsa'rer, takhano sei maner jujuta' roye gelo. Kakhano-kakhano svapnetei juju ke dekhbe. Ekla' hote giye jujur bhaya buka kenpe ut'abe. Era holo ki? Na, ca'npiye deoya ba'ndhan. Ai, this type of bondage or these bondages are known as pa'shas.

Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam-12, Select Your Object Very Carefully


*        *        *

The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.

*        *        *

== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==

I feel Your presence 


"Toma'ke peyechi prabhu smara'n'e manane..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0160)

Purport:

Baba, I have gotten You in various ways: in my shravana, manana, nididhyasana, sadhana, dhyana, japa, and kiirtan. Through these avenues, I have held You. You come in my closest proximity, wherein I am able to receive You, by Your grace. When I look towards the sky or smell the fragrant flowers, I feel that it is all Your expression of love that is shining forth. And when in a lonely place I think about You, then in my heart also I feel Your presence. Baba, I have been blessed to embrace You in numerous ways…


== Section: Important Teaching ==

How to stock your kitchen

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Every object of the world is dominated by one of the three principles – sentient, mutative, and static. Food is no exception, and according to its intrinsic nature, is divided into the same three categories."

"Sentient food: Food which produces sentient cells and is thus conducive to physical and mental well-being is sentient. Examples of sentient food are rice, wheat, barley, all kinds of pulses, fruit, milk and milk products."

"Mutative food: Food which is good for the body and may or may not be good for the mind, but certainly not harmful for the mind, is mutative."

"Static food: Food which is harmful for the mind and may or may not be good for the body is static. Onion, garlic, wine, stale and rotten food, meat of large animals such as cows and buffaloes, fish, eggs, etc., are static." (1)

Reference
1. Yoga Psychology, Food, Cells, Physical and Mental Development


== Section: Important Teaching ==

Benefits of hard surface for sleeping

Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "Do not sleep on a soft bed." (1)

Note: Baba's above guideline is key for wellness. Some people, however, who are unaware about health and hygiene, get swayed by pseudo-culture and use a spring-loaded bed with a thick mattresses. But that is very detrimental for the various joints, muscles, and organs of the body; one will also suffer from incurable back pain and problems with the spine. Moreover, sleeping on a soft mattress adversely affects the body's systems leading to digestive disorders and disease.

Conscious people know that soft beds lead to the onset of many diseases while hard beds massage the body. So one should be aware and not fall into the pseudo-culture approach of using a soft bed and thereby invite more dangerous diseases. Sincere sadhakas keep away from using a pillow also.

On the spiritual side, Baba guides us that those using a hard bed in day to day life develop a body that is capable for intense psycho-spiritual practice. Keeping this view, including many more benefits, Baba has graciously introduced this above rule. Those who follow this guideline realise its value.

Extra points

Regarding this point there is no difference between males and females. It is just a matter of habit. Both Dadas and Didis are to use hard bedding - it is the same rule for all Wts.

While the body gets habituated to sleeping on a hard sleeping surface, one can initially use a 1/2 inch or 1 inch cushion or folded blanket on the hard surface - and slowly adjust with completely hard bedding by removing the blanket / cushion over time. The ideal is to lean towards the hard side. Sleeping on a carpet is OK but not ideal. Best is to sleep on a thin blanket or cloth on hardwood.

The above applies to people in good health.

Reference
1. Caryacarya - 3, Chapter 6, Pt #4


== Section: Important Teaching ==

How using Deva title defeats casteism dogma


   Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Casteism is a burden on the Hindu society. All the year round they preach casteism but on the polling days they decry it. This is wholly undesirable. It is better to avoid all titles. Titles signify the caste. If casteism is to be wiped out, it is incumbent to discard the titles. It is commendable if everyone adopts uniformity on title – Deva. Persons using a particular word more often will influence their minds with the meaning of that word. People are reluctant to use the word dása because this word signifies slavery. Whenever the so-called low caste people catch an opportunity, they declare themselves as belonging to the so-called elevated caste, etc. It is an ideal to become deva and for this reason Deva title should be adopted.”
   “Titles of the present society have undergone considerable changes during the past fifty years, the cause being that everyone aspires to pertain to an elevated caste. The so-called Shúdras also use the sacred thread. This is only an effort towards the concealment of one’s identity. By this means, they conceal only their disregarded status. This is to be regretted. It is consequent on social debility that they harbour the desire for changes in their situations. It is out and out purposeless to convene All-India Conferences or particular castes. All of them desire to assert and establish their rights. This is simply misuses of energy and money.” (1)

Reference
1. Táttvika Diipiká (Paiṋcama Parva)

== Section: Ananda Vanii ==

One will have to think of promoting human welfare

“Human society is one and indivisible. Keeping this supreme truth ever fixed in one’s vision, one will have to think of promoting human welfare, love for humanity, human solidarity and universal fraternity, and move accordingly. Not for a single moment should one forget it nor even ignore it. Due to lack of intellect or mutual conflicts in the past, a vast number of creatures have become totally extinct from the surface of the earth. Let human beings not meet the same dreadful consequence.” (Ananda Vanii #60)

Note 1: True Ananda Vaniis have a number whereas Fake Ananda Vaniis do not - just as a fake car license plate has no number. By this way, you can easily recognise a Fake Ananda Vanii.


== Section: Important Teaching ==

No shortage of energy in the cosmic system

Ananda Marga ideology says, “Because each and everybody in this universe gets energy from Parama Purusa, He is the Supreme Source of energy.”

“This earth and all the other planets and satellites of this solar system get their energy from the sun. The sun is the source of their energy. But He is the source of the sun’s energy. And that’s why He is jvalantam.”

“And that’s why I have said that there won’t be any thermal death of this universe. Because He is jvalantam, He is present, and He will be present forever. So there won’t be any shortage of energy in this cosmic system, though there may be a shortage of energy in some particular portion of the earth or the cosmos.” (1)

Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, p. 26-27


== Section 4: Links ==

SUBJECTS TOPICS