Baba
Only the sadhaka is benefited
Namaskar,
Now and again we come across this guideline.
Ananda Marga ideology states, “You have only one goal: to please Parama Puruśa in all possible ways whenever an opportunity presents itself.” (1)
Seeing the above teaching, some new people might conclude that Parama Purusa is narcissistic and wants to be pleased, praised, and glorified in every moment, but a closer look gives a different perspective of the situation. To shine a light on this, let’s examine a worldly situation.
Boy benefits from pleasing mom
There were two high school graduates who were about to leave home to attend university. Both of their mothers warn their sons about the dangers of engaging in party behaviour (drinking, drugs, smoking, sexual crimes etc) while at college and tell them to attend to their studies. Both moms impart this guideline for the welfare of their respective sons, John and Pete. Yet, both boys, John and Pete, are interested in party life at college, but since John has a very close relation with his mother and wants to please her, he refrains from party life and attends to his studies. In contrast, Pete feels less connected to his mother so he disregards her wishes and indulges in party life, ends up in jail, and fails out of school. Ultimately, John graduates with high honours - and the key point was that due to his great love for his mother he felt he should act in a way that would be pleasing to her. And in the end, John got all the benefits: awards at graduation and a very good job.
Having a personal link is needed
And this same theory applies in spiritual life as well. When one has not yet embarked on the spiritual journey and has no link with the Supreme Entity, that person will have no inclination to please Parama Purusa. It is only when one becomes more committed to their spiritual practices and develops a link with Him by His grace that they will have the natural inclination or urge to please Parama Purusa. And that tendency is what is called bhakti.
Yet, by this relation, Parama Purusa has nothing to gain - already He stands in His own glory. A unit jiiva can do nothing to add to the greatness of Parama Purusa. So it is only the bhakta who has something to gain by pleasing Parama Purusa strictly adhering to Sixteen Points.
Conclusion
Ananda Marga ideology states, “True devotees can think only of Parama Puruśa – their every action is to please Parama Puruśa.” (2)
In Him,
Pranos’t’ha’
For more on this topic kindly read:
Reply to skeptics: Singing His glory
~ In-depth study ~
When one has not yet embarked on the spiritual journey and has no link with the Supreme Entity, that person will have no inclination to please Parama Purusa. And even for new sadhakas who just started learning sadhana, they too may not have the feeling to do something to please Parama Purusa.
It is only when one becomes more committed to their spiritual practices and develops a link with Him, by His grace, that they will have the natural inclination or urge to please Parama Purusa. And that tendency is what is called bhakti. As their bhakti grows, then their each and every breath will be imbibed with the feeling that, “I should please Parama Purusa.” Such a person is truly blessed, as most on this earth never get such a feeling. It is rare.
Yet, by this relation, Parama Purusa has nothing to gain - already He stands in His own glory. A unit jiiva can do nothing to add to the greatness of Parama Purusa. So it is only the bhakta who has something to gain by strictly adhering to the path of bhakti. Verily, when they develop that inner link with that Cosmic Entity, then their life becomes fully transformed, and they yearn to remain close and please Him--always.
Here we have to remember that we should be patient with non-sadhakas and newcomers on the path. We cannot expect that they will immediately want to do something to please Parama Purusa - nor can we impose this idea on their psyche. Rather, this is a very natural phenomenon that mounts organically as one advances on the path and is graced to have an inner relation with Him. And that is His supreme blessing on that sadhaka.
Verily, when one develops that inner link with that Cosmic Entity, then their life becomes fully transformed, and they yearn to remain close and please Him always.
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 8, Please Parama Puruśa through Your Service
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 30, The True Devotee
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Warning ==
Eating at festivals
Warning: Nowadays, there is a very serious health hazard associated with most Ananda Marga festivals around the globe: feasting. Primarily, the food itself is problematic. People generally enjoy celebrating with foods that have a lot of oil, saturated fat, and sugar. This has an immediate and dangerous effect on the body. For diabetics, heart patients, those with cardiovascular disease, and patients of obesity etc, they may even succumb to a tragic health event directly after feasting. Others may suffer from weight gain or high blood pressure, or it may trigger and exacerbate a weakness for sugary foods or other bad eating habits etc. So, no matter the Ananda Marga festival or one's own personal health status, we should all be alert about the risks and hazards of feasting during collective celebrations. However, we should also bear in mind that this is more of a sign of the times than a permanent problem. There will certainly come an awakening where “cleaner”, healthier options are provided at festivals. And, verily, every sadhaka is empowered to usher in this new era by changing the Ananda Marga festival menus in their unit. People can sit and talk and make a collective decision in this regard. Again, the two main health hazards to avoid are bad fats and sugars. Eliminating these ingredients alone will have a very positive effect and spare many from the ill effects of eating at today’s Ananda Marga festivals.
Warning: Nowadays, there is a very serious health hazard associated with most Ananda Marga festivals around the globe: feasting. Primarily, the food itself is problematic. People generally enjoy celebrating with foods that have a lot of oil, saturated fat, and sugar. This has an immediate and dangerous effect on the body. For diabetics, heart patients, those with cardiovascular disease, and patients of obesity etc, they may even succumb to a tragic health event directly after feasting. Others may suffer from weight gain or high blood pressure, or it may trigger and exacerbate a weakness for sugary foods or other bad eating habits etc. So, no matter the Ananda Marga festival or one's own personal health status, we should all be alert about the risks and hazards of feasting during collective celebrations. However, we should also bear in mind that this is more of a sign of the times than a permanent problem. There will certainly come an awakening where “cleaner”, healthier options are provided at festivals. And, verily, every sadhaka is empowered to usher in this new era by changing the Ananda Marga festival menus in their unit. People can sit and talk and make a collective decision in this regard. Again, the two main health hazards to avoid are bad fats and sugars. Eliminating these ingredients alone will have a very positive effect and spare many from the ill effects of eating at today’s Ananda Marga festivals.
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga Ideology guides us, "I have also said that in the future the number of vrttis may further increase. The more complicated social life, family life, the realm of thought and the realm of intellect become, the more vrttis will develop. For example, the vrtti, cunningness, may be expressed in many more ways. To fulfil their desires, people will develop different types of cunningness which may become different vrttis in future. For example, the cunningness required to procure an object by devious means, the cunningness needed to give a promise knowing full well that one will never keep it, and the cunningness required to trick someone into believing that one did not tell a lie when in fact one did tell a lie, may all become separate vrttis in future.”
"Thus, in the future, as people’s thought processes become more complicated, many new vrttis will develop. The number of vrttis may not stay at fifty. Just imagine the situation that will arise in the future as a result of humanity’s ever increasing thirst for knowledge. To meet these developments the nerve cells and nerve fibres will have to become more complex. Consequently, the human cranium will become larger and the size of the head will increase. The hands and feet will become weaker and weaker and human beings may even lose the ability to walk. Today, the human toes have almost stopped functioning – in spiritual actions we have almost no use for them – whereas at one time, when we used to walk on four legs, we used our toes as much as our fingers. The front legs were used less and less, and were transformed into arms, and thus these days it has become almost impossible for us to crawl on all fours.”
“There was a time when humans would run on four legs, but today they cannot do that. After a time, children feel uncomfortable crawling around on all fours and try to walk on their hind legs. In the initial stages, when they try to stand up, they soon fall down. Again they stand up, again they fall down. When they finally develop the habit of standing on two legs, there are corresponding changes in the physical structure so that the use of their arms becomes less. In the future, the legs will be used less and less and the capacity to move on them will decrease. The arms will become thin, and the head will become abnormally large.” (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam-8, Sádhaná, Abhidhyána and Kiirtana
== Section 3: Links ==
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