Big difference: AM & Hinduism + 3 more

Baba

Big difference: AM & Hinduism

 
Namaskar,
 
It is part and parcel of our ethic as laid down by Marga Guru to respectfully point out the defects and dogmas of the various religions.

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Read any so-called religious book: one will seldom find anything resembling tolerance of the religious beliefs of others...If necessary, different views can be compared and presented in philosophical books. The philosophical and psychological loopholes in an argument may be pointed out without being disrespectful.” (1)

 
Opposition of dogmatic Hindus
 
In the beginning period, before 1960, those in Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha were facing serious opposition from the dogmatic Hindu priests. By seeing the way of life and different teachings of Ananda Marga, it superficially looks like Ananda Margiis are Hindu. There is fasting, puja, sentient food, meditation, and so many other similarities where often the same word is employed such as sadhana or ekadashii etc. In the Hindu religion, to some or more degree, all these things are present. No doubt in Hinduism these practices were mixed with various sorts of dogma and that made them unpalatable for rational persons. So when those Hindu priests first came in contact with Ananda Margiis they were expecting us to embrace all those dogmatic Hindu rituals etc. And when those priests saw this was not the case, they felt threatened and violently opposed all followers of Ananda Marga ideology.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

So-called yogiis:
"Yogada' Matha", Ramakrsna mission, Prabhupada etc
 
In India, in the 19th and 20th centuries, many offshoots came from the Hindu religion: Just like "Yogada' Matha" started from Swami Yogananda, and Ramakrsna Mission with Ramakrsna Paramahansa and Vivekananda etc. Then Arvind Ghos in Pandicheri also branched out as well as the Hare Krsna movement by Prabhupada. There was also Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, who started Transcendental Meditation, and so many swamis like Swami Rama, Acarya Rajanish, the Divine Life Society, and Swami Shivananda etc.
 
All these above founders and their religious movements are just a little modification of the Hindu religion. So many dogmas are there. In other words we can say, these all are reformist movements. They don't make any major changes. Because these yogis were ordinary human beings so they did not have the requisite courage to fight against dogma. So the age-old dogma of the caste system, and different disparities and domination of priests etc, and so many more dogmas they did not even touch. They kept them as is. But that is not enough for the all-round progress of humanity.
 
 
Why shikha’ sutra (sacred thread) by so-called upper class Hindus #1
 
In the beginning, when Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha started in 1955, many were thinking that this too was an offshoot of Hinduism. But later on they found there was no domination by the priest class. That's why exploiter Hindu priests became agitated by seeing our Ananda Marga way of life.
 
In India, brahmins were treated as superior by the dogmatic Hindu culture. To distinguish themselves, all brahmins kept one sacred hair (antenna) on their head. In the local language, that sacred hair is called as tiiki or teek (pig tail) - or some areas, shikha'. This is their dogmatic ritual.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
 
So-called brahmins can cut all the hair from their head, up to just half-inch long. But on the top of their head, around the sahasrara cakra, minimum one square centimeter up to one square inch area, they keep around four square inches reserved for growing the hair. So on the top of the head, that hair which remains grows up to four, five, seven, ten inches. Strong fundamentalists and pandits of the brahmin caste do like this.
 
From a distance it looks like an antenna of hair on the head. It is just like one television antenna on the house; it looks completely different from the rest of the house, clearly seen from a distance.
 
 
Why shikha’ sutra (sacred thread) by so-called upper class Hindus #2
 
The question why Hindu priests are keeping such an antenna on their head. What is the reason? What is the benefit? Priests like to differentiate themselves from the common society so they get more respect.
 
Christians and Muslims do not keep this sacred hair. The general aboriginal public of India cannot keep it whereas the Aryans community in India public can keep it, and priest can keep the longest sacred hair. In short we can say that this sacred hair - this antenna - is one sign of Hindu believers. Still in the villages this dogma is going on.
 
The belief is that God resides in heaven and reaches down to pull human beings up to heaven. By having a longer section of hair, i.e. sacred hair, God can reach down and lift those brahmins up by that hair. That is their "advantage." To ensure you do not slip from His grasp, best is to tie a knot at the end of the sacred hair. And that is what those dogmatic brahmin Hindus do. At the same time, it must be added that nowadays the dogma of the sacred hair is fading fast, due to the grace of Parama Purusa.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

 
Why so-called lower caste Hindu cannot have that privilege
 
Another dogma is also very prevalent: sacred thread. On their body, brahmins tie one thread which starts from the top of one shoulder and goes down diagonally to the opposite waist, and then back up and around the back to make one diagonal sling around the torso.
 
When babies are born they do not have the right to wear this sacred thread. But when they are grown up, one ceremony happens when priests get a lot of donations. And they use certain chanting and bless with that sacred thread (yajinopaviit or upanayan). And this special yajinopaviit or upanayan only brahmins can keep - only certain caste. Not vaeshyas, ksattriyas, shuddras, such persons cannot use the sacred thread. Only those who belong to Hindu religion and are of a particular caste. On this point of yagyopavit, the so-called brahmin supremacy is established. Only brahmins are allowed to wear this. Earlier if anybody who belongs to so-called lower caste, even of Hindu religion, was trying to wear it, then they will be punished.
 
As described above, there are two serious external symbols of their supremacy. One is sacred hair (antenna), and another is yajina-upaviit that is sacred thread, i.e. yajinopaviit or upanayan. All those yogiis who were just reformist types (listed above) did not try to touch this dogma. For them it was impossible to oppose this. So although these dogmas were creating huge disparities even within the Hindu religion itself, the sentiment was so strong that if these yogiis would have opposed this then they themselves would have been crushed to zero. So all these above yogiis, reformists, and their followers are keeping all those dogmatic rituals, if they wish.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
 
In recent years, the dogma of the sacred thread is also on the wane. The older generations are trying hard to keep this dogma - and all such Hindu dogmas - intact, but the newer, the younger generations are not interested. To keep the dogma alive the rules have become a little more loose nowadays as some women and lower caste Hindu factions are allowed to grow and wear the sacred thread.

How so-called sacred thread came into existence
 
Here is the real history of how the sacred thread came into being.
 
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, "Most of the people in the Vedic age drank excessive amounts of fermented juice, called somarasa, and ate meat, including beef. After the advent of Shiva, in the time of the Yajurveda, people were encouraged to rear cows to produce milk and to discontinue eating meat. Nevertheless, many people in the Vaedic age were alcoholics, and even those who performed religious rituals had great difficulty carrying out their duties properly. Consequently, a custom was introduced which made it compulsory for priests to wear a deer skin across their shoulders, called upavita. This clearly identified the priest so that he would not be served alcohol while conducting religious ceremonies. Gradually, over the course of time, the deer skin was transformed into a thread. Today this thread is the symbol of the Brahmin caste in Hindu society." (2)


How Ananda Marga is revolutionary
 
Since the beginning when Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS) started in 1955, Baba started a system of 'One Human Society' and gave the slogan "Ma'nava Ma'nava Eka Hai." It was very clear by Baba's approach that He was initiating people without any caste differentiation. But before the coming of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha in 1955, only brahmins were allowed to do sadhana.
 
Not only that, Baba hammered those dogmas on the head with a sledge hammer. And He has made the rule that before taking initiation the sacred thread and sacred hair have to be removed. This enraged the brahmins and they became strong deadly enemies against the spread of Ananda Marga ideals and the rise of AMPS. Because Baba hit on their life source and livelihood. In other words, the existence of these so-called brahmins was threatened. So, these so-called brahmins opposed Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha with their full strength, tooth and nail.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
 
 
Conclusion
 
The path of Ananda Marga ideology is not dogmatic Hinduism, rather it is something much, much higher - bhagavad dharma. We should all think and review this to avoid making a wrong picture in the future. After all, the world is changing fast and the dogmatic religions are falling out of favour. So we should present our Ananda Marga as the dharma that it is, and not sink into the depths of the dogmatic religions like Hinduism.
 
Sadguru says, “Ánanda Márga alone is dharma and all the rest are sectisms.” (3)
 
Most margiis and field workers are following directly in Baba's dharmic footsteps - and keeping the saffron flag high by His grace we are marching along the path of neo-humanism and supreme realisation.
 
Namaskar,
In Him,
Vishva Mohan

~ In-depth study ~
 
Early margiis suffered attacks of right-wing Hindus
 
Those days were not just peaceful, sweet days of Jamalpur. Those who are thinking that it was just era of "Vraj", they do not know the real history. Baba was inviting direct confrontation against all sorts of dogma. Many Margiis suffered a lot when they cut their sacred thread and hair. They were opposed by their relatives, their friends, their other village neighbors. And threatened, and so many places they got beating also.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
 
All these things happened, mostly in rural area of India. And several thousand Margiis suffered and faced the problem. And they did not bow down, but remained as bona fide members of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha and fought against dogma. All negative people created huge opposition like a thunder or hail storm. But they remained standing undauntedly. Only surrendering at Baba's feet was this possible. So much struggle those Margiis faced. And verily our path and duty is to fight against all sorts of dogma and religious exploitation.
 
Ananda Vaniis says, "Parama Purus'a has blessed you with the hands to work and legs to move; has infused you with the stamina to act; has endowed you with practical intelligence, so make the best use of them in the fight against the demons. You must not sit idle relying on fate. Be vigorously active."  (4)

Pointing out religious loopholes

It is part and parcel of our ethic as laid down by Marga Guru to respectfully point out the defects and dogmas of the various religions.

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Read any so-called religious book: one will seldom find anything resembling tolerance of the religious beliefs of others...If necessary, different views can be compared and presented in philosophical books. The philosophical and psychological loopholes in an argument may be pointed out without being disrespectful.” (5)

To get respect Dadas project themselves as dogmatic Hindus
 
What happens overseas I cannot say, but here in India I see all this going on; but I did not say anything or oppose. Because then Dadas may not like to have me around. But this is the common experience that I saw when moving about with various Dadas.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
 
When traveling on the train the common people approached and asked our Dadas if they are Hindu or not. Because our Wts do not always wear their turbans on the train. And again Dadas reply in the affirmative about being Hindu. And then sometimes they further justify that our practices are the same as Hinduism: fasting, puja, kiirtan etc.
 
By this way our Dadas get more respect. And some overseas Dadas also come and move around the dogmatic holy places here in India and when I ask them why they also do like this, then they reply, "On Indian soil, Hinduism is just like Ananda Marga."
 
So due to a certain lack of understanding of Baba's teachings, this dogma about Ananda Marga being a form of Hinduism is still prevailing. Because not in one place but I took two trips outside - one to Bali, Indonesia and one to Africa. And in both the places some of our Dadas link themselves up with Hinduism, especially in Africa where they are even registered as Hindus.
 
True Ananda Margiis are not swayed in this way but some who are less strong get involved in these types of interactions. As some Dadas are regularly giving such replies I thought that we should get rid of the confusion and have written these following points.

How Hindu religious leaders befooled

Ananda Marga philosophy states:

In any society or governmental system where vipra rule lasted for a long time, different kinds of religion or moral philosophy came into being under their aegis. Initially the vipras [religious leaders] had introduced religion for the purpose of exploitation and had tried to mislead people through their grandiloquence. However, the new philosophies that emerged in the course of time as a result of clash among vipras [religious leaders] propagating different doctrines, came to be somewhat spiritual in appearance, though the tendency to exploit remained beneath the surface. This form of religion, like the form socialism adopted, was in fact a great hoax. With this approach, intellectual satans, instead of exploiting the faithful directly, expanded their sphere of exploitation behind a psychologically-designed mask of detachment from or indifference to worldly things.

Vipras with a simple type of philosophy used to say, "Your father deserves to go to heaven, so make sure that we perform his funeral service," or "The soul of your father needs subtle food. Give us ordinary food and we will send it to him in a subtle form."

But later on the cunning vipras [religious leaders], whom I call intellectual satans, tried to turn the minds of the people from practical reality towards an imaginary void by preaching contrived philosophies. The essence of their voluminous treatises and verbose annotations to lengthy aphorisms was: the world is an illusion; therefore renounce the world and do not be attracted to its illusions. Become desireless, detached and self-abnegating by offering all your wealth at the feet of the vipras [religious leaders]. Of course such philosophies did not preach that the world was also illusory for the vipras [religious leaders] who received the offerings – clearly because it was through such ploys that they were able to achieve their objectives. (6)

How Semitic religious leaders befooled

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “In places where, for whatever reason, intellectual clashes among the vipras [religious leaders] were not very intense, their philosophy was very simple. They would say to the people directly, "I am the angel or incarnation of God. The things I have said are not the words of a human being but the words of God," or "I have received the divine revelation that you will eat this and not that, worship in this way and not that, and offer this to God. If you obey my commandments God will bless you and you will go to heaven; otherwise you will be burnt to death in the fire of hell." The people were fooled this easily.” (7)

References
1. Human Society - 1, Moralism
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 16, Religious Dogma – Excerpt B
3. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, The Call of the Supreme
4. Ananda Vanii #46
5. Human Society - 1, Moralism
6. Human Society - 2, The Vipra Age
7. Human Society - 2, The Vipra Age

== Section: Important Teaching ==

Recipe for life divine

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "O human beings, proceed on the path of Oṋḿkara towards subtleness. Do not run after the superficial, pleasant mirage dominated by tamoguńa. Establish yourself in sattvaguńa and then merge yourself into Brahma. Reach the point whence oṋḿkára has started. Awaken your latent dynamism through sádhaná and devotion, arouse your divine wisdom and merge that pure divinity into the endless stream of divine glory. Attain the Supreme state for which you have suffered tremendous privations. Today you have the most favourable opportunity to prove yourself as human being.” (1)

Reference
1. Ananda Marga Philosophy - 4, Our Spiritual Treatise

== Section: Important Teaching ==

Not commonly known cause of deafness

Ananda Marga Yogic Treatments says, "Deafness is not a disease by itself, unless it is congenital. It is an after-effect or reaction to some other ailment...Excessive use of quinine or similar poisonous medicines for a long time reduces the power of hearing." (1)

Note: The intake of allopathic medicines contributes significantly to deafness. One can see this reaction especially in the case of small kids. Their hearing can be significantly impaired or lost for life by administering strong and harmful allopathic medicines.

Reference
1. Yogic Treatments, Deafness

== Section: Important Teaching ==

How walking helps prevent disease

Ananda Marga Yogic Treatments says, "Pure, fresh air has the power to cure diseases. It is advisable to breathe in as fully as possible, because when we do so, the air gets an opportunity to penetrate the lungs completely. It is better to take a walk in the fresh air than to ride a vehicle. If the body does not work up a sufficient sweat, then you should know that you have not taken the air properly." (1)

Everyone is aware that Baba is teaching us to be vigilant about walking every morning and evening, invariably. 

Reference:

1. Yogic Treatments, Appendix, Point E

== Section ==

মুখে দাবি করা হয়েছে---”এই করেছি, ওই করেছি, এই করেছিলুম, ওই করেছিলুম”

“যা এত দিন হয়ে গেছে, তা অবনতিই হয়েছে | মানুষকে নিচের দিকেই নামিয়ে দিয়েছে | তাতে কোনও লাভ হয়নি | বৃথা কাল-ক্ষয় হয়েছে | সময় নষ্ট করা হয়েছে | মুখে দাবি করা হয়েছে---”এই করেছি, ওই করেছি, এই করেছিলুম, ওই করেছিলুম” | আসলে কাজের কাজ তাতে কিছুই হয়নি | এই যেন সেই, হয় না---যে ঈশ্বরপ্রেম নেই | কিন্তু খুৰ নাক টিপে প্রাণায়াম করছে | বা খুৰ শীর্ষাসন করছে, ঠ্যাঙ্গ উপরে তুলে, মুণ্ডু নিচে করে | তাতে কি কোনও কাজ হয় ?

আসন মারে ক্যা হুআ, জো গঈ ন মন কী আস |
জ্যোং কোল্হূ  কে ৰৈল কো ঘর হী কোস পচাস ||

[হাসি]

তো, সেই ব্যাপার, উন্নতি-টুন্নতি হয়নি |” [1]

Reference
1. অপ্রকাশিত,আনন্দ নগর ১৯৮৪

== Section 2: Links ==

Postings to Read

One Divine Entity & various names

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2014/01/simple-thing-but-few-cannot-understand.html

Humanity & planet Earth's future

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2014/09/revolutionary-marriage-when-earth.html

How to save oneself from the burden of memories

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2013/12/heavy-load-of-old-memories.html

High bar of being teacher

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2023/07/west-is-missing-2-more.html

Story: harassing sadhaka & repercussion

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2016/09/story-umashankar-yatamana-stage-2-more.html

 Firecracker & the fall of capitalism

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2013/11/who-is-owner.html

Cakras of AM

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2018/01/twenty-cakras-in-am-4-more.html

Kanyadan, girl donation ritual, marriage: girls are treated at cattle + 2 more

Baba

This email contains three sections:
1. Posting: Kanyadan, girl donation ritual, marriage: girls are treated at cattle 

2. Bangla Quote: ধর্ম সরল পথেই চলে, কিন্তু
3. Links

Kanyadan, girl donation ritual, marriage:
girls are treated as cattle

Note: Please pay attention to the yellow highlighted sections; those are Guru's direct teachings. The rest of the writing is a report on this issue. 

Namaskar,
Every Ananda Margii knows that Baba has given the guideline that males and females have equal status. But in old Indian traditions that is not the case. Especially, marriage ceremonies are done in a very lopsided way. This letter talks about the kanyadan Hindu marriage system. These days even highly educated boys and girls marry according to the old ritual of kanyadan or girl donation - whereby girls are donated to boys and treated as slaves. Those getting married do not think about what they are doing - nor do the participants. They are so indoctrinated that they do not consider or question how abominable this kanyadan ritual is. To understand please go reading.

Sadguru Baba says, “Renaissance people will have to start a movement for social equality and fight against such inequality based on sexual difference. Are women like cattle, or sacks of cloth that people give as gifts at the time of marriage? Are they slaves to be sold to others? As long as women lacked courage or intellect, they tolerated these things – but what a great humiliation! To submit them to such indignities is far worse than to whip them publicly on the road. Are women simply like bundles of cloth to be sent to the washerman’s house?” (1)

​

Girls dressed up a decorative gifts to be given away like mere objects

In the above photo, the prevailing Hindu marriage dogma is on full display whereby the girls in the first two rows have been decorated and wrapped like holiday gifts. They are treated as mere possessions that will be donated to the husband and his family - just as one would donate a sheep, cow, or a table cloth etc. These girls are viewed as physical property to be donated and traded etc. Verily, females in the Hindu marriage system are not treated as human beings, but rather as mere objects. It is akin to the era of slavery where slaves were taken to the market to be bought, sold, and traded like mundane possessions etc. Similarly, these girls are dressed up as mere decorative objects to be given away. This is the case with typical Hindu marriage ceremonies, whereas the Muslim marriage ceremonies are even worse as they proclaim that three females are equal to one male. That is why sincere Ananda Margiis do not participate in such types of dogmatic ceremonies - even if non-margiis are hosting such events. Participating means degrading the status of women. Indeed, this type of marriage ritual is abhorrent.


Kanyadan dogma: girls are property of boys not vice-versa

Pictured above is the girl donation ceremony. In India, girls are treated as property - just as one has a house, a car, a bicycle, horses, or animals etc. Boys are not treated as property, but girls are. This is pervasive in throughout the Indian subcontinent, the Muslim world, and many other regions as well. In the west, females were formerly treated this way but things have changed drastically in the last half-century whereby women have gained both legal and social rights. But in India - such as in the Hindu wedding scene picture above, girls are mere objects to be traded.

Because this dogma is so ingrained, some may feel frustrated reading this. They have been so indoctrinated into this defective mentality that they think the donation of their girls is something holy or virtuous. In the above scene, the young girls are dressed up and decorated in gems and jewels etc.


Quite humiliating and denigrating for the girl

The name of this social ritual is kanya’da’n (girl donation). Kanya’ means girl, and da’n means gift or donation.Thus when they donate their girls it is called kanya’da’n (girl donation). They think of this as being something virtuous. But in reality, we know that nothing can be donated unless it is something you own. Thus girls are mere commodities or property.

As Sadguru Baba points out, this whole scene is quite humiliating and denigrating for those girls but due to their ignorance they feel ecstatic and glorified during this ceremony. When that girl was small she was taught that a one fine day she will become the property of another family. So they believe that this is a respectful and dignified outcome - i.e. to live as the property of someone else.


Submit women to such indignities is far worse than to whip them publicly on the road

This defective mentality is similar to that of a caged bird that has been caged for so long that it cannot conceive of its own freedom. It likes that small, puny cage.

In His below guideline, Baba is warning us about this kanyadan dogma: Females are not anyone’s personal property like cattle or sacks of cloth. Yet treating females as mere objects is worse than whipping them publicly on the road. Only a few confused or very new margiis participate in this dogmatic Hindu marriage ritual. Every true Ananda Margii is keen to refrain from attending any such type of event etc - sincere sadhakas understand they cannot support or attend this Hindu ritual of kanya’da’n (girl donation) ceremony. After all, these are not innocent affairs, but rather represent the imposition of dogma and the exploitation of women.  It is our duty to educate the public and remove this social injustice and gender difference.

“Renaissance people will have to start a movement for social equality and fight against such inequality based on sexual difference. Are women like cattle, or sacks of cloth that people give as gifts at the time of marriage? Are they slaves to be sold to others? As long as women lacked courage or intellect, they tolerated these things – but what a great humiliation! To submit them to such indignities is far worse than to whip them publicly on the road. Are women simply like bundles of cloth to be sent to the washerman’s house? Women must not be suppressed, and there should not be domination of males in the society. Society should have a cooperative leadership, not a subordinated leadership; there should be a coordinated, cooperative leadership, leadership between males and females. Renaissance people will have to start a movement immediately to fight against all these disparities; otherwise if fifty percent of the population, that is the ladies, remain downtrodden, how can there be all-round progress of human society? So these are all the social duties, the social responsibilities of the Renaissance movement. Renaissance people will have to wage war on these disparities, these inequalities – they will have to be rooted out of the society.” (1)


Solution

In order to save our universal human family from various dogmas and degrading traditions of ritualistic marriages, Sadguru Baba has graciously given an ideal revolutionary marriage ceremony that grants full respect and dignity to females and places them on equal footing as men. The Ananda Marga system eradicates all dogmas - no kanyadan, no dowry, no castism - and enables our human society to march forward into a whole new era of gender equality based on neo-humanistic values.

Namaskar
in Him,
Sulekha’ Singh


Note 1: Reported in newspaper as kanya’da’na - not anything else

The above photo depicts the kanya’da’n (girl donation) ceremony that took place in Madhya Pradesh. In the newspaper, it is stated that the government sponsored eleven kanya’da’n (girl donation) ceremonies on this particular day that were witnessed by the chief minister’s staff. To ease the burden of marriage in India and overcome the trappings of the dowry system, the government founded a program where they financially back such kanya’da’n ceremonies like the one shown in the above photo. Verily the newspaper openly reports how these are not just marriages but kanya’da’n (girl donation) ceremonies as well. So there is no doubt about it.


Reference
1. AFPS-7, Renaissance in All the Strata of Life

== Section 2 ==

ধর্ম সরল পথেই চলে, কিন্তু 

“মহাকাল - সে কুটিল পথে চলে, কি ভাবে কি হয়ে যায়, লোকে ৰুঝতে পারে না | আজ যে সম্মানের সুবর্ণ শিখরে আরূঢ়, সে কখন কোথায়, কোন অতলে তলিয়ে যায়, ৰোঝা যায় না | তাই ৰলা হয় “কালস্য কুটিলা গতিঃ” | কিন্তু ধর্মের সম্বন্ধে ৰলা হয়, “ধর্মস্য সূক্ষ্মা গতিঃ” | ধর্ম সরল পথেই চলে, কিন্তু ৰড় সূক্ষ্মতার পথ” |(1)

Reference
1. Giitay Dharma Deshana-2

== Section 3 ==

Links

Recent postings

Mahaprayan of one senior family acarya

Why getting punished

Other topics of interest

Peeping into women's zone

Those confused about core issues of life

Dogma: Worshipping The Deceased

Baba

This email contains three distinct sections:
1. Posting: Ideal Shraddha Ceremony For Mangal Bihariji
2. End Quote: Queen Was Beaten Mercilessly
3. Links

Dogma: Worshipping The Deceased

EXAMPLE OF DOGMATIC SHRADDHA

Unfortunately, nowadays several dogmatic trends have made their way into our Ananda Marga shraddha (death) ceremonies - a.k.a. shra'ddhanustha'nas. Here following is a critical point that we see again and again - plus other issues are brought to the fore as well.

So that the deceased does not suffer in the cold or become hungry in heaven, family members engage in the mass distribution of blankets and clothing (see photos below) - as well as food distribution (narayan seva). They think their offerings will actually reach to their dear one in heaven.

Hindus think that by offering food and blankets then their deceased relative in heaven will get the virtue (punya) of that offering. Such persons actually believe they can enhance the stature and comfort of the deceased through this ritual. They think that blankets given to the poor will be automatically transferred to their loved one in heaven - thus the deceased will be warm. This is their motivating rationale.

Now in our Ananda Marga that same approach has been taken - tragically. Some have adopted these Hindu rituals.

Another common phenomenon is that margiis do two ceremonies: One according to Caryacarya and one according to Hindu dogma, in order to appease their neighbors & village folk etc. But this is not the answer. Baba warns us to never compromise with dogma.

Here is how this type of dogmatic shraddha happened in one Ananda Marga unit a few months ago in a different place:

(Note: This letter continues after the below photos. Eds)

#1: Dogma: Garlanding The Deceased

Here the deceased is being garlanded [dogma] by one avadhuta 

at recent AM Shraddha ceremony and notice also Baba's photo.

So again we should remember that during the death ceremony, no one should succumb to the dogma of offering flowers. Although it may seem innocent, that will plant the seeds for one full on dogma. Best is to follow Baba's guidelines and use only water.

#2: Dogmatic Offering So Deceased Will Receive
In Other World and Live Comfortably in Heaven

#3: Dogmatic Offering So Deceased Will Receive
In Other World and Live Comfortably in Heaven

Baba has specified that only water should be used during the death ceremony to make it easy and convenient for everyone on all parts of the globe. Then money will not be an issue - there will be no question of financial hardship. If flowers or the offering of a mala is introduced in the shraddha (death) ceremony then those people in cold regions like Alaska or in the desert regions may have to order malas and have them delivered by airplane etc. And people will be forced to incur debt just to get flowers for the deceased. It will become a terrible burden. Religious dogma is like that. Plus there will be competitions for who offered the biggest garland and when great people die they will receive thousands of garlands. Already some of the religions suffer in this way.

The key point is that when a dogma is small it looks harmless and innocent but when it takes full form it is horrendous for the people. That is why today the offering of a garland looks innocent but even then this ritual should not be introduced. Because if done then in due course it will be disastrous.

The best way to proceed is to follow Baba's guidelines. His teachings are rational.

NO CEREMONY TO OFFER MATERIAL GOODS TO THE DECEASED

Baba has strictly forbidden such things in our Ananda Marga system. Our shraddha ceremony is to be performed in a simple, dignified, and respectful manner, without any ostentatious, pompous display or costly arrangements, as happens in Hindu dogma. In our Ananda Marga, one must follow the system described in Caryacarya. True Ananda Margiis always adhere to this slogan: Dogma no more- dogma no more. Thus there is no scope in such a ceremony to offer material goods to the deceased. Yet that has suddenly been undermined by the presence of Hindu dogma in some Shraddha ceremonies organised in AM.

So it is quite heartening to see that the shraddha ceremony of Mangal Bihariji was done in a strictly dharmic fashion. This should stand as an example for all Ananda Margiis.

HOW PRIEST CHEATS PUBLIC

This following teaching from Ananda Marga philosophy opposes the Hindu dogma that the deceased will utilise the food and receive the blankets in heaven. Moreover, usually in Hindu dogma the priest extacts a lot of goods and money from family of the deceased family. Here below it is described how such dogmatic and unscrupulous priests cheat the grieving family.

"A priest may say that your father will die only once, and so after his death you should arrange for a sufficient quantity of food-stuffs, a sufficient quantity of edibles, a sufficient quantity of clothes, etc., for him. And that has been done in India for about five thousand years, since the time of the Atharva Veda. And people have generally offered rice and sesame, also honey and ghee, to be consumed by that person who has left the world."
   "Regarding these things, Maharshi Charvaka (*) said “If you are in a room, and another man is in the courtyard a few yards away, and you offer rice and sesame for that man, he won’t get that rice and sesame, and his hunger won’t be satisfied. And if a man is in another world, Aparaloka, and you are offering rice and sesame for him, will he get them? Is it reasonable? No, no. All these things are exploitation by the privileged class.”"
   "After offering rice, sesame, clothes, etc., what do you find? The rice is consumed by the purohita in his house. Go to his kitchen, and all that rice is being consumed by his family. That dhuti which is being offered by you for your late father is being used by the purohita, and the sháŕii by the purohita patnii; and the gamci, the towel, if it is surplus, is sold in the market. And the utensils are also sold in the market. So your deceased father, your parents, who are now inhabitants of Aparaloka, won’t get anything." (2)

SCOUNDRELS' PHILOSOPHY

"And the second thing you will see, or you will feel, is that they do not require these things. The microcosm, or unit spirit, does not require any food or clothes or sesame or utensils. All these ideas are scoundrels’ philosophy. And they have been doing this type of exploitation for the last five thousand years, since the time of the Atharva Veda." (3)

DEPARTED SOUL GETS NOTHING

The Ananda Marga shraddha ceremony is done for the welfare and psychological support of the grieving family and loved ones. The deceased does not gain anything from the ceremony.

"The departed soul does not get any advantage from the shráddha ceremony [memorial ceremony]. It is only meant for the psychic satisfaction of the person performing it." (4)

OFFERING OF GOOD WILL TO DECEASED

   "So what should one do? Haven’t we any social responsibility for dead persons? When the necessity arises, we should offer shraddhá [good will] for them, not barley or wheat or woollen clothes or wrappers or ghee or sesame. What can we do? As long as a man is here in our society we have a social responsibility for him. Human beings are social beings, we have a social responsibility for them. And when the leave this world and go to the other world, they go beyond the scope of our responsibility. We cannot render any service to them. Our social responsibility is over as soon as the cremation is done."
   "So what can we do? We can say “O Parama Puruśa, while that man was with us we tried our best to do whatever we could do. But now they are beyond our scope, they are beyond our jurisdiction, so please do take care of them.” This much of a request can be made by us, and nothing more than that. And the Ananda Marga shráddha is just like that. Here we require no edibles, no clothes or anything else. We offer our shraddhá [good will], and we do nothing else, and we can do nothing else." (5)

Ideal Shraddha Ceremony For Mangal Bihariji:

IDEAL VS DOGMATIC SHRADDHA CEREMONY

Namaskar,
As most are aware, Years back Mangal Bihariji's shraddha ceremony was performed by the family within the allotted 12-day period. In fact, all aspects of the shraddha ceremony were done in accordance with Baba's teachings. Food was not served to the attendees. All Wts who attended took food off premises at the jagrti etc. In sum, 2500 people attended the shraddha ceremony. The family made all arrangements according to Caryacarya - II. They upheld the code of dharma.

A VERY SIMPLE CEREMONY

Baba's instructions in Caryacarya for performing the shraddha ceremony are very simple and straightforward. There is the recitation of the mantra followed by a sharing of water, and that is the entire ceremony. Anything more than that is contrary to His teachings.

   "An ácárya/á, a minimum of five healthy persons, and the performer of the shráddha will be present on the occasion. The nearest relation of the dead person will be considered the main performer of the shráddha ceremony. Of course, it is the right of all Margis to perform shráddha."
   "Everyone in the ceremony will follow the ácárya/á in reciting the following mantra:"

Omn madhu vátá rtáyate madhu kśarantu sindhavah...

"A Few Directives:
The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days. If you wish, you can perform the shráddha ceremony any day within this period according to convenience. During the period of mourning you should not subject yourself to unnecessary mortification or ostentatious penance." (1)

Namaskar,
In Him,
Brahmeshvar


End Note:
(*) Maharshi Charvaka: He lived in India about 2500 years ago, during the time of Lord Buddha. He was a bit senior to Lord Buddha. Charvaka’s disciple, Ajit Kusum, was a contemporary of Lord Buddha)


REFERENCES
1. CC-1, Shráddha Ceremony
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, Shraddha
3. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, Shraddha
4. Caryacarya-3, Shráddha Ceremony
5. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 3, Shraddha

== Section 2 ==

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Queen Was Beaten Mercilessly

"England’s Henry the Eighth was an unruly king. Once he came to Paris with the queen. In Paris many kinds of covetable drinks were available, thus when they were in Paris his desire for drink naturally increased. One day, while under the influence of liquor, he beat the queen so mercilessly that one of her legs became practically crippled. For several days she was obliged to drag it behind her as she walked. When the time came they returned to London (In those days they did not call it London but rather Londre in the aristocratic French language). The residents of the city fell head over heels in the nooks and crannies of the royal residence trying to see whether or not the king and queen had brought back any new fashions from Paris. They saw [princess] Elizabeth dragging her leg and thought perhaps that this kind of walk was some kind of ultra-modern French style. Women have one great quality; they can easily imitate others. Thus it happened that within three to four days most of the women in the aristocratic households were dragging their leg behind them when they walked and taking a lot of pride in it. It is not written in the histories whether they ever discovered what the real story was behind the queen dragging her leg when she walked. Elizabeth’s style of walking while dragging her leg was called the “Elizabethan gait”." (Varna Vijiana, Language and Dialect – 2)

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== Section 3 ==

LINKS

Here is a letter / announcement of the mahaprayan (death) of Mangal Bihari.

Mahaprayan (Death) of Mangal Bihariji