Baba
Ever-present Baba always helps
Namaskar,
One of the most unique and special aspects of the tantric path of Ananda Marga is that Baba always helps us personally. He has a direct hand in all we do, protects us in every situation and circumstance, and eternally showers His cosmic grace in our sadhana. We need not rely on any other entity - ever. Baba is always there for us, 100% of the time.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Baba’s special guideline
And, indeed, in this below original Hindi discourse of 05 March 1969, Baba makes the situation perfectly clear. Here is a summary of a key aspect of the below Hindi wherein Baba says that, I (Baba) will always help you directly, not indirectly through fake gurus. Kindly see the original Hindi quote from Ananda Vacanamrtam - 41 (Pure), chapter 3:
"यह शुभ्र ज्योति बहुत ही शुभ्र, देखने में बहुत ही अच्छी, बहुत ही सुन्दर । साधना करो, आसानी से देख लोगे तुम लोग । वैयष्टिक जीवन में इन आँखों से देखोगे । कोई अद्भुत, कोई अलौकिक बात नहीं है । थोड़ी-सी ही चेष्टा से ही पा जाओगे । मानव-जीवन धन्य हो जाएगा अगर उस ज्योति को अपनी आँखों से देख लिए । और अवश्य देख सकोगे, तुम लोग साधक हो । ठीक से साधना करो । और मैं help कर दूँगा, कोई बात नहीं है ।([1])([2]) जब मनुष्य के शरीर में आ गए हो, साधना-मार्ग में आ गए हो, तो काम पूरा करके तब न जाना है ! यही बात है । हो जाएगा सब ।
ओम् सुनने में दिक्कत हुई तो मैं सुना दूँगा :- और ठीक वैसा ही यह ‘ओम्’ sound, यह supreme sound, शब्दब्रह्म, यह भी आसानी से तुम लोग सुन लोगे । और अगर साधना से तुम लोगों को सुनने में दिक्कत हुई तो मैं सुना दूँगा ।
तो, ज्योतिर्ब्रह्म, शब्दब्रह्म, यह सब तुम लोग देखोगे, सीखोगे, पाओगे, अनुभव करोगे अपने जीवन में तब न ? मरने के बाद, ‘नरक’ में जाकर, ‘स्वर्ग’ में जाकर क्या देखोगे, क्या सुनोगे, उस सम्बन्ध में मैं कुछ नहीं कहूँगा । इसी जीवन में पूरी अनुभूति हुई, तब न ? तो ‘नरक’,‘स्वर्ग’ के इन्तज़ार में क्यों रहोगे ? यहीं सब कुछ अनुभव करोगे । और इसी दुनिया को ‘स्वर्ग’ बना लोगे ।" [AV-41 (Pure), chapter 3, 05 March 1969]
By the above Hindi teaching from Ananda Vacanamrtam - 41 (Pure), chapter 3, it is very clear that Sadguru Baba is always directly guiding and helping us in all situations, and that we should never seek out or rely on those who wrongly call themselves as "gurus". And, verily, the seed and spirit of this teaching rings true across the vast body of AM scripture.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Problem in printed AM book
Unfortunately, there is one AM publication, “Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 4”, chapter 3, which directly contravenes Baba’s above teaching. In particular, please pay attention to the yellow highlighted portion at the end.
In the spiritual world also, the sádhaka, while ideating on the Supreme will certainly pass through the different stages of realization without necessarily being aware of it. When the all-merciful Táraka Brahma physically comes to Earth in the form of a Sadguru He helps the deserving sádhakas to attain this type of samádhi. Even when He is physically absent in this world He helps the deserving persons to attain this samádhi through other gurus.
In the above passage, the point has been wrongly given that when Sadguru Baba is not physically present then we should rely on other pseudo-gurus. This is a direct breach of Ananda Marga ideology and violates the essence of tantra whereby the eternal Taraka Brahma is the Guru. As Ananda Margiis, we never need to rely on other 3rd grade gurus for anything. Sadguru Baba is ever-present and guiding us directly and personally all of the time.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
What went wrong
The above yellow highlighted line from Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 4 (chapter 3) is not Baba’s teaching. That discourse was given on 20 Apr 1969 at the Ranchi jagrti and what was printed in the book is actually from Dada Vijayananda's notebook. So it is not a direct Baba quote.
Conclusion
As Ananda Margiis, we have to be cent-per-cent sure that every page of our AM books is proper and in concert with Baba’s teachings. Verily, our chief duty is to keep AM scripture intact and ensure that each book strictly reflects and represents what Sadguru Baba actually said.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, "The scriptures containing spiritual injunctions must be totally flawless." (1)
In Him,
Shankar Basu
Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, page .200, Edition 1995
* * *
The below section is an entirely different topic, unrelated to the above material.
It stands on its own merit as a point of interest and ideological awareness.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Prayer vs asking for Him
“Prárthanárcaná mátraeva bhramamúlam.” (1)
Formula: Asking for something from Parama Purusa is bad. Asking for Parama Purusa is good.
If one is asking for Parama Purusa Himself then it is not prayer, and if one is asking something mundane from Him then it is prayer, which is bad and against our AM fundamentals.
When a bhakta is asking for Parama Purusa Himself, then that does not fall in the category of prayer. Then it is parabhakti. However, If a person is asking something from Parama Purusa - such as prestige, money, something mundane etc - then that is the type of prayer that is condemned in AM teachings.
In the second stanza of Prabhat Samgiita #4589, the following idea is expressed:
I do not have any virtue or strength from following Sixteen Points. Just I depend on Your causeless grace. Please give me bhakti; that is the only thing I want - to remain close to You.
And indeed, this core idea is conveyed in countless PS compositions where the bhakta is asking for His closeness, i.e. His grace. This is part and parcel of our devotional and spiritual approach in Ananda Marga, and every sadhaka may request His grace in sadhana.
In stark contrast, here below Baba points out the ills of prayer where the person is asking Parama Purusa for crude gains like mundane wealth etc.
Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy says, "Prayer is the act of asking for a favour with earnestness. It also means a solemn petition addressed to the Supreme Being for certain benefits. One prays to God for something which one does not possess or thinks one does not possess. One asks God for these favours with the faith that He alone can bestow everything and by His mere wish all wants can be satisfied. By prayer or by begging one wants to awaken His wish so that one may be granted the things one lacks. Does not one’s attempt to rouse the wish of God to fulfil these needs, upon careful and rational thinking, appear to be a reminder to God to give one something of which God has kept one deprived? It would otherwise not be necessary to remind Him in prayer of that thing or to try to arouse His wish to give. For instance, if one is in need of money, one would, with the faith that God alone can give, pray to Him for the favour of giving one money. Does not this request show God’s fault in keeping one in want of money, when He alone can give it? God alone is blamed for it, and by praying to Him for money one is precisely pointing out to Him His partiality in not giving one the money one needed. Therefore, prayer or asking for favours from God is only pointing out to the Sole Giver His mistakes in the distribution of His favours. It only presumes lack of impartiality in Him, and that is why He is blamed for making some very rich and others very poor. Praying to God for favours is only to bring to His notice the charge of partiality levelled against Him. When prayer leads to such a conclusion, it is only ignorance to ask for favours.” (2)
References
1. Ananda Sutram, 3-11
2. Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy, How Should Human Beings Live In This World?
== Section 3: Links ==
Postings to Read
Baba's strategy of propagating AM teachings
Prout is God-centered
Story: Baba knows your inner longing
Why not thank Supreme Entity