Baba
Story: Baba knows your inner longing
Namaskar,
Those days I had no idea about Ananda Marga. Nor was I involved in any religious rituals. I was transferred to Samastipur Hospital. I was to retire in 3 months time so I used to keep the members of my family at my home (Moosapur) about a mile away. I would get my food daily from the village, although I was living alone in town. After my hospital duty, I would take my food and close my door and read religious books like Sukha Sagar, Ramayan etc. I had never thought of having a “Guru” (Preceptor) per se, but the books gave me insight that I should have a Guru in order to get emancipation. Just reading religious books however is not enough.
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Closed my door & secretly wept
One day, I was all alone in the house - nobody else was home. I was lying down on my cot and suddenly a series of thoughts flashed in my mind:
My retirement is near and I am getting old - my death is imminent. I will not live much longer. And the scriptures tell that a Guru is needed. But I did not have a Guru. And I do not see anyone who can guide me. In my life, all those religious priests that I visited could not satisfy my yearning. They were all dogmatic. Only God understands my feeling - humans cannot give any answer. I do not know how I can get the Sadguru. My life is very short - and I could not do any spiritual practice - I do not know what to do. I had a lot of repentance for how I wasted my life.
Thinking about this miserable plight, I became emotional about my helpless condition and I burst into tears. I closed my door and secretly wept for the fact that I did not have a Guru. I do not know how much time passed. After a while, I resumed my usual work but that feeling lingered. I was restless to have the Sadguru.
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Baba graces me with initiation
The next day, Sunday, my old colleague, Ac Vishvanath jii of Ananda Marga, unexpectedly came to see me. We both took khiir [sweet curry] prepared by my house assistant, as my wife had gone to see her sister at Hassanpur Railway station.
As Vishvanath had come after such a long time, I asked him, “Why have you come just now. All these months you did not come. Is there any special reason for your arrival.”
Ac. Vishvanath jii told me that, “Yes, I have just now come from Jamalpur where Baba told me to initiate you immediately as you have wept for a Guru.”
After hearing this, I was very surprised. I could not believe how this news of my crying reached all the way to Jamalapur. In that very moment, I realised that Shrii Shrii Anandamurti jii is not ordinary, but rather God Himself.
Did not have requisite longing
In my cry, I conveyed the feeling of my heart to the Almighty God. And He heard and he sent Vishvanath jii. I took initiation immediately and became restless to see Baba.
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When I read Ananda Sutram and then I realised how this following sutra is so true:
Muktyákáunkśayá sadgurupráptih.
[Out of the intense desire for mukti (liberation), one attains one’s sadguru (perfect master).]
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Purport: When a vehement desire for emancipation wakes up in a person, he or she attains his or her sadguru [true spiritual preceptor] on the strength of that desire.” (1)
Later on when I saw Baba it became more clear that He is Parama Purusa. He knew everything about me, even all those details which I had forgotten. That time I asked Him how all these years passed and You did not call me earlier.
Baba did not reply, just He smiled and internally. I felt spontaneously in my heart that it was because I did not have the requisite longing to have a Guru.
Namaskar,
at His lotus feet,
Omnkarnath
This first-hand account was told by Ac. Svamiisharan, family acarya from Samastipur Bihar.
~ In-depth study ~
One should avoid this predicament
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, “Some people say that in the first stage they will worship an image for concentration of mind and then gradually give up the practice later on. Such an approach is not correct, for they will eventually become attached to the image and it will be very difficult to remove the resultant Saḿskára (acquired momentum) of that attachment. You must have noticed at home how attached you become to your cats and dogs after having kept them for some time as your pets. Imagine, then, how difficult it will be for you to give up that image which you have worshipped as your beloved Lord with all the sweetness of your heart. So from the very start it is best not to indulge in image worship. Just as a flood after it recedes leaves behind a mark on the river-bank, so the staunch idol worshippers, too, find it painfully difficult to remove the impression of that Saḿskára, even when they learn the introversial worship of Brahma and attain the ability to reach Nirvikalpa Samádhi. You will find this in the biography of a recent great Sádhaka who had to face a similar difficulty. One should avoid this predicament from the very start.” (2)
Do not waste time lest you later repent
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, “Yet, only opposition to idolatry is not enough: the worship of Brahma should be done scrupulously, or else you will later regret and bemoan the futility of your life with the last drop of your tears at your last hour. You should make your life worthwhile through your Sádhaná. How much can your worldly friends and relations do for you? After your death your relatives may perhaps ask, “How much money has he left behind?” Your friends may go to the crematorium and indulge in flattering reminiscences about you. Your husband or wife may cry for you for about ten or twelve days and then regain their normal composure. Your lot will be only a profound sigh – a record of the futility and frustration of your life. So do not waste your time lest you later have to repent.”
Vrthá janma goináyaluin hena Prabhu ná bhojaluin
Khoyáyalu soha guńanidhi,
Hamár karama manda na milala eka bunda
Premasindhu rasaka abadhi.
Fruitless, O Lord, has been my life
That sang not of glories Thine;
Lost in the worldly strife
And lost Thee, most precious treasure of mine.
Fate’s long and ominous hand
With compassion, cold and daft,
Strayed me out of Thy Love’s strand
Deprived, alas of a single Draught. (3)
Balancing worldly & spiritual life
Ananda Marga ideology states, “People may ask, “We are ordinary people. If we always keep ourselves absorbed in the thought of Brahma, can we properly attend to our worldly duties?” To this my reply is, of course you can, and you will do them still more beautifully. In the worship of Brahma there is a method by which easily and perfectly every worldly duty can be performed. For the ideation on Brahma a person does not have to become a hermit in the forest. Only go on behaving rightly and properly with every manifestation of Brahma in this universe – remove or rectify the mental disease of the criminals and reform their characters, cure the sick of their sickness, and arrange for their medicines and their diet. Just remember only this: that you have to behave properly and reasonably with every entity of this world. Pay special attention to the word “properly”. By “proper behaviour”, I mean that in which there is neither anger or jealousy, neither attraction nor aversion.” (4)
References
1. Ananda Sutram, Sutra 3-8
2. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 3, Vibration, Form and Colour, Phálgunii Púrńimá 1956 DMC
3. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 3, Vibration, Form and Colour, Phálgunii Púrńimá 1956 DMC
4. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 3, Vibration, Form and Colour, Phálgunii Púrńimá 1956 DMC
Plagiary?
It is the accepted international standard and Baba's system not to copy another's work and publish it in your own way. Baba has given a very strict rule on plagiarism. Why is Baba against plagiarism or stealing someone's work? There are many reasons:
1) It is against the code of asteya (non-stealing).
2) Countless stories of bhaktas need to be published. But some do not want to do the hard work of compiling and writing these stories, so they just steal them from others. But new stories need to be told, otherwise so many unpublished stories of sadhakas will be lost and forgotten forever. So watch out for story thieves, and kindly help them not to steal by posting on social media in their own way. If you want to forward this story then attach the following yellow section with the story:
“Courtesy of unknown bhakta via Ananda Marga Universal (https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/)”
This will be treated as the standard protocol.
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Inner secret of mysticism
Ananda Marga ideology states, “When the aesthetic sense, based on the subtle aesthetic science, comes to touch a certain standard, it is what is called mysticism. And when this mysticism reaches the pinnacle of human glory, or the excellence of human glory, it is called spirituality. What is mysticism? Mysticism is the never-ending endeavour to find out the link between the finite and the infinite. It is a never-ending endeavour to find out a link between the self and the Super-Self, khud and Khudá. This is mysticism.” (1)
Indeed, Baba has defined mysticism in this way in numerous discourses. As Ananda Margiis, we should clearly understand its meaning.
(a) First and foremost, each and every Ananda Margii who has established a relationship and feeling of closeness with Baba has advanced beyond that introductory stage known as mysticism.
(b) So mysticism is a very basic, initial stage of one’s spiritual journey where the aspirant feels disparate and alone because they have not yet formed a connection with Parama Purusa.
(c) All those musicians, new-age seekers, and pseudo-spiritualists who are trying to find the beauty and greatness of the Supreme Entity through the pageantry of the jagged mountains, vast oceans, other natural wonders, and / or through music, art, dance, or drama are on the fringe of mysticism.
(d) Any sadhaka who has sincerely embarked on the spiritual path and developed a bhava (ideational relationship) with Parama Purusa has truly been blessed and long crossed that stage of mysticism.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 14, Mysticism and Yoga
Ananda Marga ideology states, “When the aesthetic sense, based on the subtle aesthetic science, comes to touch a certain standard, it is what is called mysticism. And when this mysticism reaches the pinnacle of human glory, or the excellence of human glory, it is called spirituality. What is mysticism? Mysticism is the never-ending endeavour to find out the link between the finite and the infinite. It is a never-ending endeavour to find out a link between the self and the Super-Self, khud and Khudá. This is mysticism.” (1)
Indeed, Baba has defined mysticism in this way in numerous discourses. As Ananda Margiis, we should clearly understand its meaning.
(a) First and foremost, each and every Ananda Margii who has established a relationship and feeling of closeness with Baba has advanced beyond that introductory stage known as mysticism.
(b) So mysticism is a very basic, initial stage of one’s spiritual journey where the aspirant feels disparate and alone because they have not yet formed a connection with Parama Purusa.
(c) All those musicians, new-age seekers, and pseudo-spiritualists who are trying to find the beauty and greatness of the Supreme Entity through the pageantry of the jagged mountains, vast oceans, other natural wonders, and / or through music, art, dance, or drama are on the fringe of mysticism.
(d) Any sadhaka who has sincerely embarked on the spiritual path and developed a bhava (ideational relationship) with Parama Purusa has truly been blessed and long crossed that stage of mysticism.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 14, Mysticism and Yoga
== Section 3: Links ==
Postings to Read
Why not thank Supreme Entity
How to handle emotional people
Right surrender: take action
Sadhana all lessons needed
Wrong moon calculation could ruin fasting
Story: describing His beauty & charm
