Baba
Dogma of animal sacrifice
Note: Kindly be aware that a graphic and gory scene is shown below. Please prepare yourself ahead of time so it is not too shocking for you. - Eds.
Namaskar,
This is an important topic for all Ananda Margiis. Here below Sadguru Baba points out how hypocrites’ dogma is the operative factor for countless irrational religious rituals like animal sacrifices etc.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Hypocrites’ dogma, rather than indirect dogma, is behind all such religious practices. Many people follow dogma because a specific injunction is written in the scriptures, or because a particular practice was followed by their ancestors, etc. In these cases, people follow dogma unknowingly. However, there are also many instances when people follow dogma knowingly. When people know that a teaching or practice is a dogma and yet they still follow it, this is called hypocrites dogma. For example, when people sacrifice a goat or buffalo in a religious festival while chanting “Divine goddess, divine goddess!” before a deity, they know that the animal is an irreplaceable part of creation, but still they slaughter it. This is hypocrites’ dogma. If a man kills his brother before his mother, will it please his mother? No, it cannot. The difference between these two examples is that the deity is unable to do anything to stop the slaughter, while the mother is quite capable of taking the necessary action. Otherwise, the deity would certainly interfere and stop the cruel, useless sacrifice.” (1)
Although some know in their heart and mind that it is cruel and inhumane to slaughter animals, yet they do it anyway.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Imagine: demons systematically slaughtering you
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The life of a goat is as important to it as my life is to me. During religious festivals many innocent goats are killed and offered as sacrifices to various deities. The remaining goats are made to chew on leaves as they watch in wide-eyed fear, knowing that they will shortly meet the same fate. Now, put yourself in the same situation. Imagine that you, along with some others, have been captured by a few demons. Then, as you are fed rice and pulse, the demons begin systematically slaughter you all, one after another. The horrified reaction that will arise in your mind as you wait to be butchered is the same reaction as that experienced by the captive goats. If people still want to kill innocent goats in their religious sacrifices after realizing the cruelty of this practice, tragically, there is nothing that anyone can say to them.” (2)
Gross misuse & abuse of human intellect & power
The theme throughout is that animal sacrifices are all about the gross misuse and abuse of human intellect and power: The spell of dogma does not allow people to use their brain or cultivate any compassion. Just those persons work mindlessly and heartlessly like robots slaughtering one animal after another.
Such a bloody, gory scene used to be very common in India before the time of Lord Buddha and Lord Mahaviira Jain. Later such sacrifices were almost eliminated. And despite a relatively recent Indian court ruling against such religious sacrifices, still today the horrific practice of animal sacrifice is carried out throughout much of India.
Nonetheless, it is unacceptable for any civilised society to tolerate even a single animal sacrifice in the name of religion. The time has come to ban this completely - the world over, in all nations.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
It is very evident how this hypocrites’ dogma is at work in the following scene. See here below how Jews engage in religious sacrifice.
They will have to face the consequences
In and around temples, scammers and religious traders sell animals to those who wish to gain some virtue. Worshipers think that by going to the temple during this festival they can accrue virtue by purchasing and sacrificing animals. Such is the extent of their religious dogma. Rather than gaining virtue they are committing sin, and they will have to face the consequences.
In Nepal, there are no laws against animal abuse and animal torture. Just butchers travel from village to village collecting scrawny animals and then that butcher does not feed the animals he collects. Just he gives them water to stay alive. Reason being he does not want to invest even a single rupee in an animal he is going to sell for sacrifice. That butcher wants to keep his profit as high as possible. So really it is a pathetic situation. Those animals are subject to abuse and cruel treatment and finally murdered in cold blood. All done in the name of religion.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Liberation from human life by slitting your own throat?
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “They fail to understand that just as their lives are very dear to them, similarly, the lives of animals also are equally dear to them. Then why should I not show mercy to others? Why should I act like a mean, selfish person? And if they say or argue that if the animals are sacrificed in this way they will attain liberation from animal life, then I will counter-argue, “O human beings, you are also a creature, why don’t you attain liberation from human life by slitting your own throat? Why don’t you help your children or your relations to attain liberation from human life by sacrificing them. Why are you so eager to apply this liberation movement, this hatchet or axe, against innocent goats?”” (3)
Goal is to educate the society
As Ananda Margiis, we have a big responsibility to spread the gospel of neo-humanism and open the eyes of the people. All must realise this tenet:
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Just as your life is extremely dear to you, similarly the lives of others are equally dear to them. A person who thinks thus and shows mercy on other creatures is really a sádhu, or virtuous person.” In order to become a virtuous person one need not give up one’s worldly life. When this idea dawns on one’s mind one realizes, “Why should I kill an innocent creature." (4)
Those who senselessly indulge in the slaughter of animals for blind religious rituals must one day face the consequences of their heartless acts. Even killing one innocent animal will create one very bad samskara. There is no escape.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion
To save the animals from being butchered and to save humans from facing the harsh consequences, we must aim to raise the consciousness of the people so they will join in and help educate society. Legal codes must be put in place to stop such scenes of gross murder in the name of religion.
This is a situation that brooks no delay. Baba wants us to strongly oppose such dogmas by educating the masses. First, however, one must understand the severity of the problem otherwise people will not be inclined to jump into action.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
The Hindu religion is not an isolated case. Such animal sacrifices are very common in various religions. On certain special festival dates, Jews kill thousands upon thousands of chickens. And with regards to animal sacrifices, Muslims are the most egregious. The mass killings that go on at the time of Eid are notorious. All in all, we have a long way to go but we should be optimistic and know that armed with the weapon of neo-humanism, victory is sure.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Randhiir
In various parts of India, courts are ruling against animal sacrifices done in the name of religion as they are steeped in cruelty. In this way, animal sacrifices are step by step being outlawed. Even then, scenes like this are still prevalent across the Indian subcontinent. See how the people on the left are holding and forcing the animal’s neck on the chopping block. Very soon a blade will come flying down and chop the animal’s head off. This is such a spectacle that all the townspeople come out for this religious event.
Gory, beastly Hindu ritual
Tragically, this is a very common sight. Here above one goat is being sacrificed. That animal has struggled hard as it has no desire to be mutilated and slaughtered. Alas, to no avail. Verily the act is so gory, and so ghastly, and so inhumane that one person cannot stomach it at all. See how some in the audience are quite concerned with what is about to take place. Yet there are dozens upon dozens of people watching. Even some are watching with keen interest as if they are bearing witness to greatness. Such is the effect dogma has on the human intellect: People blindly support heinous acts.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
About Islam & cruelty
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Humanity, in its all-out quest for this aesthetic science, attained spirituality. One must acknowledge this. Herein lies the excellence of aesthetic science. For this reason, I have given my whole-hearted and explicit support for nandana vijiṋána. You know that there are certain religions which do not encourage aesthetic pursuits. You will notice that in those religions inertia, inferiority complexes and a sense of violence are predominant.” (5)
GORY, BEASTLY HINDU RITUAL
See how they tied the animal’s head to one strong post - it is tied in two places. And then with one great, big machete they have viciously chopped the animal’s neck. At this point in the scene, the animal’s head is 95% chopped off. It is a ruthless and cowardly act - all in the name of religious worship and pleasing some mythological deity. The lead person, i.e. priest, conducting this act is shirtless and wearing a white garment, with that huge machete in his hand. Then another priest wearing a red garment with the sacred thread around his torso is holding the back of the animal to keep it in place. The Hindu priest has encouraged spectators to come and watch this so-called holy deed. Sadly, all those commoners have been indoctrinated into this senseless and brutal dogma.
Verily the act is so gory, and so ghastly, and so inhumane that one person cannot stomach it at all. See the person dressed in all white directly on the right side of the photo - he has covered his face and turned his head away, utterly unable to watch this horrific act. Yet behind him there are hundreds and thousands of people watching. Even directly behind the person who is repulsed by this gory act, there is one person in a dark shirt raising his arms in victory. Such is the effect dogma has on the human intellect: People blindly support heinous acts.
MASS ANIMAL SLAUGHTER OUTSIDE GODHA MANI TEMPLE
Here at this annual sacrifice, 150,000 goats and chickens and 25,000 buffaloes were slaughtered. It looks like a veritable battlefield, with corpses and blood strewn everywhere. The scene is so ghastly. Thousands upon tens of thousands of animals are being killed and butchered for naught. Just one religious dogma is to blame.
All in all this is a photo about the gross misuse and abuse of human intellect and power: The spell of dogma does not allow people to use their brain or cultivate any compassion. Just they work mindlessly and heartlessly like robots slaughtering one animal after another.
Nonetheless, it is unacceptable that any civilised society would tolerate even a single animal sacrifice in the name of religion. The time has come to ban this completely.
Now it is very evident how this hypocrites’ dogma is at work in these two above scenes.
References
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 16, Religious Dogma – Excerpt B
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 16, Religious Dogma – Excerpt B
3. Yoga Psychology, Instinct and Devotion
4. Yoga Psychology, Instinct and Devotion
5. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 10, Yatamána – the Stage of Perseverance
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 16, Religious Dogma – Excerpt B
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 16, Religious Dogma – Excerpt B
3. Yoga Psychology, Instinct and Devotion
4. Yoga Psychology, Instinct and Devotion
5. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 10, Yatamána – the Stage of Perseverance
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The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
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== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Your grace is showering eternally
"Pratham jiivane, tumi a'so niko, ta'r la'gi, mane kono klesh na'i..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0379)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, Baba You did not come close to me in the dawn of my life; but, I do not agonize over why You did not bring me under Your shelter and am not pained by why You did not draw me near and become very intimate. I do not have any mental anguish about this. But I do have repentance in my heart for why I did not search for You. My life passed in vain. That is why my heart is burning and crying all the time. The fault is mine: In my early years I did not try to find You. That is the cause of my deep remorse.
Parama Purusa, My Supreme One, that time You were so close to me - living side by side, always. Even then I did not call You or try to attain You by learning sadhana. I did not care about that. Just my days and nights passed in useless pursuits in the early moments of my life. Now in my twilight years, the more those early remembrances sprout in mind, the more pain I feel.
Parama Purusa, Baba, everyone comes onto this earth for a short span of time, for a calculated period. And there are so many works to do. Yet fruitlessly people waste their time blaming God for their misfortunes - but there is no benefit in this. Because everyone is facing their own samskara. When they remove the umbrella of vanity, they will realise that Your grace is showering eternally.
Parama Purusa Baba, You are ever gracious; what You do is best for me. My only desire is to always remain under Your shelter...
== Section: Important Teaching ==
To utilize enemies
Here following is and English summary of Baba’s original teaching in Bengali from Shabda Cayanika:
It is said that there is a particular species of the cuckoo bird that is incapable of nesting and raising its own offspring. So to protect and save her babies, the mother cuckoo gently lays her own eggs in the crow's nest, even though the crow is her dreaded enemy. But since the eggs of both the birds looks the same, the crow carefully cares for those cuckoo eggs which were placed in her nest-- thinking them to be her own. At the time of birth, the newborn birds of both species are black; so seeing the baby cuckoos, the mother crow does not initially realise that the baby cuckoos are not her own offspring. It is only when the baby birds become a little bigger and start to call out and cry, that the crow realises those are not her babies. Then and there the mother crow becomes very angry, suddenly understanding that it has gotten duped. But because of having given long-term care and developed sincere love for the baby cuckoo, the mother crow gives up the idea of attacking and killing the cuckoo. And instead the mother crow raises the baby cuckoo as one of her own. (English summary of Shabda Cayanika -10)1. Just like the cuckoo utilises even its worst enemy, then we too should use our enemies in an intelligent way. Baba utilised communist enemies to propagate Ananda Marga ideals. If such communists had not created such a negative agenda and if such communists had not spread so much bad news about Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, then the general populace would not have become so attracted to read about AMPS. People are not enticed by good news, but certainly they want to know about the dark aspects and controversial topics. By this way AMPS grew a lot. If the communists had not created so much opposition, Ananda Marga ideals would not have spread widely in such a short period.
2. The crow adopted the cuckoo as its own because it had spent so much time nurturing that baby cuckoo. Here the point is that through interaction all kinds of beings can become close to one another. Baba has given collective social functions for this very purpose. By spending time with one another, people of diverse backgrounds forget their differences and embrace each other as their own.
== Section ==
~ हे मेरे प्रभु! राह भूल कर ही, यदि मेरे पास आ जाओ तो अच्छा होगा ~
प्रभात संगीत 2246 तुमि पथ भूले जदि एले, जेनेशुने नाइ वा एले.....नाइ वा एले
भावार्थ
हे परम पुरुष बाबा! तुम मेरे सब कुछ हो, मेरा संपूर्ण जीवन तुम्हारे चारों ओर घूम रहा है। पर मेरी अपनी योग्यता के आधार पर मैं तुम्हें अपने पास बुला सकने का सामर्थ्य नहीं जुटा पा रहा हॅूं। इसलिये राह भूल कर ही, यदि मेरे पास आ जाओ तो अच्छा होगा। इसे मैं तुम्हारी अमाप्य करुणा ही समझूंगा। ए दिव्य सत्ता! मेरी प्रबल सोच है कि तुम भूल से ही मेरे पास आओगे, क्योंकि अभी तक तुम जानबूझकर तो कभी भी नहीं आये। मेरे पास आने की कृपा करें।
मेरे प्रभु! मैं बहुत भव्य समारोह आयोजित कर तुम्हारा स्वागत करना चाहता हॅूं, पर मेरे पास स्वर्णजटित वह आसन नहीं है, जिस पर तुम्हें राजाधिराज की भाॅंति बैठा सकूॅं, और न ही मेरे पास सुन्दर रेशमी सज्जा से सजाया गया मंच ही है। मैंने तुम्हारे आगमन का रास्ता, अल्पना से भी नहीं सजाया है। पर मेरा हृदय अवष्य ही तुम्हारी चाहत रखता है, और स्वागत करना चाहता है। मुझे बस एक ही आशा है कि तुम भूलवश ही मेरे पास आओगे, जिसे मैं तुम्हारी अहेतुकी कृपा ही समझूंगा।
हे परम पुरुष! तुम तो जानते ही हो कि मेरी इस फूस की कुटिया में प्रचुर धन नहीं है, तुम्हारे शुभागमन के समय प्रदर्षित करने के लिये मेरे पास बहुमूल्य रत्न भी नहीं हैं, और न ही प्रथम श्रेणी का भक्ति-भाव ही है। परंतु बाबा! मेरे हृदय में यह आशा भरी भावना अवश्य है कि, भले ही तुम्हारी यहाॅं आने की योजना न हो, तुम भूल से ही सही, मेरे घर अवश्य ही आने की कृपा करोगे। बाबा, तुम सदा ही कृपालु हो, मैं तुम्हारे चरण कमलों की धूलि चाहता हॅूं , कृपा कर आ जाइये।
टिप्पणी-
1. अल्पना- जिन्होंने डीएमसी के समय स्टेज से डायस तक जाने वाले रास्ते का अवलोकन किया है वे जानते हैं कि उसमें रंगगीन कलात्मकता , फूलों की सुगंध , फूलों की पंखुडि़यों और गुलदस्तों की सजावट कितनी आकर्षक होती थी। इस सजावट को अल्पना कहते हैं। इसका अर्थ है अपने आदरणीय और पूज्य के आगमन के समय प्रेमपूर्ण स्वागत करने का एक तरीका। विभिन्न अवसरों पर सामान्य जन भी घरों व मंदिरों के सामने इस प्रकार अल्पना या रंगोली की सजावट करते हैं।
2. इस प्रभात संगीत में उस भक्त की भावना को व्यक्त किया है जिसके पास भौतिक और आध्यात्मिक जगत की कोई उपलब्धियाॅं नहीं हैं, जैसे स्वागत के लिये स्वर्ण का आसन, रेशमी सज्जा, रत्न आभूषण ( वास्तव में आध्यात्मिक उपलब्धियाॅं ) अथवा कोई विशेष योग्यता, शिक्षा उत्तम आचरण या समाज सेवा, या पराभक्ति आदि। चूंकि यह सब उसके पास नहीं है इसलिये संकोचवश वह सोचता है कि मै परमपुरुष को इनके बिना कैसे आमंत्रित करूं, पर फिर भी उसे आशा और विश्वास है कि, बाबा भूले से ही सही उसकी कुटिया में आयेंगे अवश्य ।
== Section 4: Links ==
