Baba
Self-test: faith in Ista
Namaskar,
One of the central tenets of Ananda Marga ideology is embedded within point #10 of Sixteen Points:
"Observe non-compromising strictness and faith regarding the sanctity of Ista."
But how can one practically and tangibly distinguish if they are properly adhering to this tenet of Ista? That is what this topic is all about. In comparison, if you attend the local dharmacakra each week then you can definitively state that you properly follow point #16 of Sixteen Points. Likewise if you do half-bath regularly according to the prescribed system then you can confidently say that you adhere to point #5 of Sixteen Points. Certainly, many or most of the Sixteen Points are empirically verifiable. At the outset, the point of Ista may seem more difficult to verify; however, there are some key factors that clearly delineate one's standing on the point of Ista.
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Strictness in Ista means faith in Parama Purusa
In sadhana, there are two essential components: the sadhaka and Parama Purusa, i.e. the One being worshiped. Parama Purusa is always singular - never two or more. And, in spiritual parlance, that Parama Purusa, or God, is known as Ista. In turn, one may call that Ista by any epithet. But that Ista is the Divine Entity. And strictness in Ista means having firm faith and belief that the Divine Entity will solve all your problems and grant you eternal shelter. To the degree one harbors doubt in the Supreme Entity is the degree to which they are weak or lacking in Ista. The degree of trust one has in the Supreme Entity is the measure of faith one has in Ista.
Just as a child thinks that its mother will certainly solve all their problems, similarly a sadhaka holds firm that Parama Purusa will surely save them in all circumstances. That is strictness in Ista. Trust in God means having firm faith in Ista. And that Ista must be singular in nature. Those worshiping multiple gods cannot be strict in Ista.
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Worshiping multiple deities = deficit in Ista
There are some sadhakas who perform Ananda Marga sadhana, do Guru Puja, and sing kiirtan etc, but when a problem arises they pray to some other for help and support. For instance, some sadhakas from a Hindu background who are struggling to find a suitable husband for their daughter may go to the Hindu temple and seek a boon from the mythological elephant god, Lord Ganesh. They think that Ganesh will help solve the problem by granting them a handsome, well-educated, wealthy husband for their daughter.
But this type of appeal to the so-called elephant god itself reveals that they do not have full faith and trust in Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. They do not have strictness and faith on Ista. Because if they had full faith in Ista then they would automatically feel that Baba is already doing what is best and there is no need to seek outside help from some other imaginary figure like Ganesh or any other god or goddess.
Those who fall in this category are lacking something in their sadhana. Whether one (a) appeals to the Semitic faiths, (b) prays to nature, or (c) any other kind of ritualistic worship, if one surrenders to something other than Parama Purusa Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji, then one is deficient on the point of Ista. Keeping photos of other so-called gods and goddesses on the puja table or in the house, singing Prabhat Samgiita to Lord Shiva or Lord Krsna during one's own spiritual practices, or honouring other deities in any way undermines one's ability to observe non-compromising strictness and faith regarding the sanctity of Ista.
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Faith in Ista brings courage
When one is strict and has faith in Ista then they naturally have a strong sense of courage. They feel that Parama Purusa Baba is the all-powerful Supreme Entity and that there is no force stronger than He in this universe. This inner link with Him makes one courageous, brave, and ready to stand tall in all situations.
So if anyone is lacking in courage and exhibits cowardly behaviours, that is the degree to which they are not adhering to the point of Ista. As with all these matters, one's strictness and faith in Parama Purusa (Ista) exists along a continuum. It is not all or nothing. For example, if one has 90% faith in Ista they will have 90% courage; and if one has less faith in Ista - such as 30% - then they will have only 30% courage and 70% cowardliness. That is the way it manifests: It varies in degree according to the level of one's faith in Parama Purusa Baba (Ista). Moreover, without faith in Ista, one’s spiritual progress will be compromised.
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Conclusion
Point #10 of Sixteen Points, i.e. “non-compromising strictness and faith regarding the sanctity of Ista”, is one of the key aspects of spiritual life. Every sadhaka should be keenly aware of their own standing on this tenet. By employing the following four factors, everyone can evaluate their own commitment and standing regarding their own strictness and faith in Ista.
(a) Worshiping or relying upon multiple deities, i.e. not having singular, pointed bhakti for Parama Purusa Baba.
(b) Suffering from a lack of courage to follow dharmic principles.
(c) Taking shelter in some material, finite entity like money, not Parama Purusa.
(d) Giving credence to something functioning independently from Parama Purusa like fate (niyati) etc
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If any sadhaka is susceptible or weak and gives value to any of the aforementioned factors, it means their strictness in Ista is not up to the proper standard. Remember, point #10 of Sixteen Points is the backbone of our sadhana.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Ananda
~ In-depth study ~
(a) One sadhaka may be invited to a social party with their old friends or new associates etc. That sadhaka knows that there will be meat and alcohol etc at the party but they attend anyway because they do not have the courage to say, "Thank you, but I cannot attend." So they attend the party and compromise in all kinds of ways. In that case, we can say that sadhaka is lacking in strictness and faith in Ista. Firstly, because they do not have the requisite courage to kindly decline the invitation, and secondly because once on-site they failed to maintain a proper level of conduct.
(b) One sadhaka might return to their village and perform the dogmatic Hindu shraddha ceremony for their deceased great-grandfather just to please those local villagers. That margii does not have the strength of mind and requisite faith in Parama Purusa Baba (Ista) to stand on the Ananda Marga principles and state that, "We already performed the Ananda Marga shraddha ceremony for my respected great-grandfather." That person shudders to think how those villagers might respond. So he acquiesces to social pressure and performs their ritualistic death ceremony according to their local customs etc. Such a cowardly act is indicative of one who lacks faith in Ista.
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A related example might be the one who is called upon to attend a local shraddha ceremony (death ceremony) in his village and he is afraid to tell the organisers that he will not eat. Rather due to shyness and public pressure, that sadhaka violates Ananda Marga conduct rules and takes food at the shraddha ceremony. Such types of action reflects a lack of courage. And this stems from a lack of faith in Parama Purusa (Ista). And without strict faith in Ista, one’s spiritual progress will be hindered.
Without faith in Ista one cannot oppose wrongdoers
(c) Then there are some who see unideological activities going on in our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS) but they are scared to speak up and oppose those injustices for fear of losing their post and place. So instead of taking a dharmic stand and holding firm to the ideological fundamentals, those sadhakas compromise. Sadly, they accept those wrongdoings. Anyone acting in this way lacks faith and trust in Parama Purusa Baba.
(d) Then there are those margiis who disappeared during Emergency. In order to hide their identities and show they are not Ananda Margiis they began smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and eating onions and garlic. They literally ran from the battlefield when confronted by controversy and clash. And they did not return when Emergency was lifted either. By their lack of courage, anyone can understand that such persons had a low degree of faith in Parama Purusa Baba (Ista).
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(e) And verily there are so many other occasions where one might lack the courage to do the right thing, i.e. where one cannot stand up for their own principles or fight against injustice. All this speaks to a lack of strictness and faith in Parama Purusa Baba. Unfortunately, without faith in Ista, spiritual progress is not a possibility.
Strictness in Ista
Strictness in Ista, i.e. firm faith in the Divine Entity - brings tremendous strength and courage. Those lacking in this regard will not be able to uphold dharma in all circumstances.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "They will have to become dedicated to their Iśt́a; they will have to establish a relationship of exclusive devotion to Iśt́a. If there is not intense attachment to one’s Iśt́a in one’s heart, then one cannot do anything." (1)
References
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 11, Parama Puruśa and His Creation
* * *
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 ==
"A'mi toma'y bhule kiser chale ka'l ka't'a'lum dhara'r buke..." (Prabhat Samgiita #2140)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, remaining forgetful about You, because of one excuse or another, I wasted my time on this earth and became completely captivated by one magical display: maya. And because of that, I did not hear the call of my Supreme Well-Wisher: Parama Purusa.
Baba, when those dark days descended in my life, nobody was there to give me hope; I was shelterless. It was only at that moment I started asking You to please come and protect me. In that very terrible situation, I started calling You, "Parama Purusa, please come, and rescue me! Prabhu, save me from this ghastly danger."
Earlier, when the proper opportune moment was there, I was intoxicated in the magical display of maya. In those days, I was in a deep slumber; I was not able to understand. So I did not call You until the situation became disastrous. Baba, even then, now I know in my heart that, “Parama Purusa, You belong to everyone, You belong to me." Please attract me, make me Your own, and remain with me always, in my pleasure and my pain - always.
Baba, I frivolously spent the long span of my life indulging in negative deeds, remaining oblivious of You. Keeping myself distant, I squandered my life away. But now, in the end, You have lovingly lifted me from the dust and gently placed me on Your divine lap. Baba, You are so gracious. You are love-personified…
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga ideology states, "You know Lalita Ma'rmika dance used during Kiirtana is a purely spiritual dance, and Kaos'ikii is a psycho-spiritual dance - it starts on the psychic level and culminates on the spiritual level. And Ta'n'd'ava is physico-psycho-spiritual."
"In Lalita Ma'rmika, the position of the arms is above 90 degrees. This denotes that it is a Mudra' - in Sam'skrta it is called a 'Mudra'. This mudra' means, 'O Supreme Creator, Thou art mine and I am Yours. I am Thine'." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrrtam - 12, A Purely Personal Entity
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ways to improve trade unions
Prout philosophy states, "The necessity of the trade union movement, to safeguard the interests of workers, cannot be denied. To guide this movement along the proper path, appropriate steps must be taken."
"Generally it is observed that trade union leaders do nothing to make workers conscious of their responsibilities in comparison to the extent to which they try to create in workers an awareness of their rights and demands. The best way to rectify this situation is to clearly accept the right of workers to participate in the management of industrial, trade and commercial enterprises. In this regard idealistic sermons or moral preaching will not bring positive results."
"Another great defect in the trade union movement is that its leadership does not always remain in the hands of true manual labourers or other workers. Political leaders with party interests tend to dominate trade unions. Their primary objective is to promote the selfish interests of the party, not the welfare of the workers." (1)
Reference
1. Problems of the Day, point #10
== Section: Ananda Vanii ==
Mighty task of saving the earth
Original Ananda Vanii states: “Today all over the world, a grim fight has started between the evil forces and the benevolent forces. Only those who possess the moral courage to fight against the evil forces, can give a soothing touch to the struggle-torn earth with the balm of peace. Remember you are spiritual aspirants. Hence you alone shall have to undertake the mighty task of saving the earth.” (Ananda Vanii #27)
Note: Sadguru Baba has assigned a number to all His original and true Ananda Vaniis. In contrast, Fake Ananda Vaniis do not have any number. By this simple formula, one can easily recognise which is a true Ananda Vanii and which is fake. For the upcoming occasion of January 1st 2017, all Ananda Marga units should use one of Baba’s original and true Ananda Vaniis, not a fake one. By this way, one will surely get His blessing.
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Yajiṋa and Karmaphala
== Section 4: Links ==
Postings to Read
Kiirtana: ideal tool for pracara
Interwoven nature of society
Unique points on gurupujanam
Mango parable & meaning
Consoling grieving family
Diagnosing mental health
