Futile methods to overturn capitalism + 2 more

Baba

Futile methods to overturn capitalism

Namaskar,

In His teachings from His discourse on Social Justice in Human Society part 1, Baba explains that in the past, while fighting against capitalism or dishonest capitalists, the common people adopted one of three main avenues:

Three flawed approaches

1. Appealing to human sentiment like Gandhism;
2. Applying brute force like communism;
3. Stealing and pillaging from the rich and giving to the poor like Robin Hoods.

But the aforementioned avenues do not work; such approaches were impotent and unable to prevail against the immoral capitalists.
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Why Gandhism died

Those appealing to Gandhism do not get success because those greedy dishonest capitalists are notoriously callous and remain unmoved by those Gandhian humanistic appeals.

For instance:
(a) When those adherents of Gandhism plead, "Do not collect huge wealth which you cannot use", then those immoral capitalists simply pay a deaf ear.
(b) When those Gandhi enthusiasts proclaim, "Share your wealth and feed the poor", then those dishonest capitalists merely look the other way.
(c) When those proponents of Gandhism say, "Build sheds for the homeless", then big corporate executives nod their head and then continue counting their net worth. 
(d) When the followers of Gandhi demand, "Donate a few pennies for the hungry", then the immoral capitalists remain unmoved and continue to hoard huge wealth and extravagant personal amenities.

In short, dishonest capitalists simply ignore the humanistic appeals made by Gandhian activists. Such vaeshyas do not mend their ways.

Prout philosophy states, "No matter how much importance was given to the benevolence of the human mind by the Gandhian and Bhu’da’n movements, or how saintly their propounders may have been, selfish and mean-minded people [dishonest capitalists] will never accept their principles." (1)

The Gandhian theory can only be effective in some far-off dreamland, not in the hard realities of the world. Gandhism died while Gandhi was still alive; now only hypocrisy remains.
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Prout philosophy states, "The philosophy of Gandhi died before India got independence – it died long before Gandhi died." (2)

Gap: rich & poor increasing

Thus we see that the wealth disparity is only growing. Poverty and slums are spreading fast across this earth as capitalists exponentially grow their wealth. There are more billionaires now than ever before, and it is for this reason that large populations of people are homeless or living in the slums and shanty towns.

Communism is state capitalism

Those resorting to the brute force of communism do not get success with those immoral capitalists either because they are unable to root out the seed of capitalism—they are unable to goad the mind in a proper moral or spiritual manner. Theirs is also a materialistic approach and the result is either the greed of individual or state capitalism.

Prout philosophy states, "Those who aspire to establish communistic systems either through legal methods or at bayonet point without changing the hearts of the people, without implementing development programmes and without introducing moral and ideological education to reform people’s bad habits, are also bound to fail." (3)

The communist leaders themselves are very wealthy. Actually there is not much difference—from an economic perspective—between communism and capitalism.

Prout philosophy states, "Capitalism and communism are fruits of the same variety." (4)

Communism is merely state capitalism where the government hoards all the money and the people are very poor; and capitalism means private ownership that creates a huge disparity of wealth between the economically elite and the common people. Thus, both harbor the safe defective mind-set: I.e. materialism.
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Nowadays, we see that communism has basically failed.

Safety net is not the way

Some of the top capitalist exploited countries are India, China, and Russia. In such places there is very little safety net. Those without jobs, food, housing and medical care are basically left to struggle on their own or die. Yet in those same places the number of billionaires is increasing everyday.

In places like the US and Europe there is a bit of a safety net. The laborers fight dishonest capitalists, and, in turn, there are governmental services and subsidies for the poor etc. But in China and India where the common people have no such unity or power, capitalism is swallowing all.

Even then, it has to be admitted that the mere pittance given to the poor in the US is not enough to right the wrongs or quell the situation. So that also is not the answer. This just leads to a society of beggars where the poor have barely enough to survive and the rich continue to hoard huge wealth without restrictions. This leads to a static society based on indolence and inertness. What is needed is the development of cooperatives where the wealth is rationally distributed among all members.
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Here below is the response to the US and other countries that set-up social programs that offer small monies to the poor, thus ensuring they remain impoverished.

Prout teachings guide us, "It is true that in Great Britain some of the minimum requirements of life are being provided to the people, but how great the difference is between rich and poor! Clearly their social system is capitalistic. The exploited and disgruntled people are given a small amount of sympathy to appease them. They are given a small taste of the dainties and delicacies, but their stomachs are never full." (5)

So the safety-net set-up by capitalistic nations does not solve the problem. And with regards to communism, we can conclude that communism failed to change the psychic pablum of the people and leaders. Instead of fighting or correcting capitalism, they themselves became dishonest capitalists.

Always Robin Hoods get killed

This brings us to the third and final defective methodology outlined in this letter: Robin Hoods. For those not aware—in a phrase—Robin Hood is a legendary character who loots from the rich and gives to the poor.

Prout philosophy states, "Those that used to think it pious to loot the rich and distribute the spoils among the poor. The Robin Hoods of that era thought that their methods alone could do away with the social disparity." (6)

Such Robin Hoods think that by looting and pillaging they can bring social equality.
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Prout philosophy states, "We have seen the advent of such Robin Hoods more or less in every country of the world. But this does not lead to the solution of the problem...Capitalism cannot be destroyed merely by pillaging the capitalists, for robbery and plunder may deflate the bloated capital of the capitalists, but it cannot kill the potential of the seed of capitalism." (7)

So these Robin Hoods too fall short of the mark. Immoral capitalists are not swayed or changed by such looting. Rather such dishonest capitalists come up with greater ways of protecting their wealth—i.e. increased security. The answer is—capitalist’s infinite desires must be diverted towards Parama Purusa.

Prout philosophy states, "The capitalists are suffering from a sort of mental ailment, and it is our foremost duty to radically cure them by diverting their physical thirst towards psychic and spiritual pursuits." (8)


History of Robin Hoods

Some examples of Robin Hoods that we've seen in the recent and distant past include:

(A) Mafia & Drug Cartels: The mafia and drug cartels are often embraced by the local people because those big crime bosses soak up huge piles of money  and then donate and spend lavishly so locals feel benefited by their presence. A NY crime boss John Gotti built new stadiums and facilities for the local high schools and the drug kingpin El Chapo in Mexico provided grand resources for local peasants. In result, both crime bosses were lauded by the people. 

(B) In centuries past and even as recently as this year, pirate ships around the world would loot passing vessels, especially the boats of the ultra wealthy—and often share the booty back ashore with local peoples.
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(C) In the late 1880's in the US, horsemen would derail and loot luxury trains as they crossed the vast open spaces of the western US. And then they would provide for the common people. In this way those robbers became folk heroes. 

(D) And if you investigate, you will come across numerous examples of looters around the world.

With their subterfuge, such Robin Hoods try hard to knock off the immoral capitalists—as some communists also attempted—but in the end they are killed.

Prout philosophy states, "Violence only invites violence. So these blood sucking [capitalist] cannibals take recourse to yet bigger conspiracy in time to come and the half-witted robbers ultimately meet their destruction at the hands of such capitalists." (9)

Here again Baba reveals how such Robin Hoods get beat by the dishonest capitalists.

Prout philosophy states, "The amount of punishment meted out to the [capitalist] bloodsuckers by the robbers falls far short of the mark when compared to what they themselves [the looters] got at the hands of these [capitalist] blood-suckers." (10)

Thus in all such cases, the looters invariably meet their demise at the hands of such immoral capitalists. The answer is that the capitalists’ infinite desires must be diverted towards Parama Purusa.
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Prout philosophy states, "The capitalists are suffering from a sort of mental ailment, and it is our foremost duty to radically cure them by diverting their physical thirst towards psychic and spiritual pursuits." (11) 


Prout: only way to end capitalism

When Gandhism, communism, and the ways of those Robin Hoods all fail, then what is the proper approach to root out capitalism.

Prout philosophy states, "Those who lack a constructive ideology will never be capable of destroying capitalism, even if they speak sweet words, use threats, or create circumstantial pressure." (12)

The only way to win the war against dishonest capitalists is to educate the common people about the ills of capitalist economic exploitation. This brings a collective rise in consciousness where people stand up to such capitalist exploiters. Thus we see the rise of vikśubdha shúdras, or the awakened masses, who are ready to bring revolution forward.
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In this case the masses are fortified with the teachings of Prout: They understand they are being exploited and have a rational approach for moving ahead.

In Prout, our aim is to bring about the all-round welfare of humanity where through circumstantial pressure people adopt the path of psychic expansion and spirituality. Then all their energy will not be spent on accumulating more and more physical wealth.

Prout philosophy states, "Our approach should be to adopt a constructive ideal, and we should wage a ceaseless and pactless struggle against all anti-human and antisocial factors. We are to fight capitalism and not the capitalists. We are to wipe out this ism from human society because this ism is paralysing humanity. The capitalists are suffering from a sort of mental ailment, and it is our foremost duty to radically cure them by diverting their physical thirst towards psychic and spiritual pursuits." (13)

Only solution
 
One of the key operative lines in the above teaching is: "fight capitalism and not the capitalists."

Thus the Proutistic method is to combat the diseased mentality of capitalism and not engage in a war with immoral capitalists. Rather those dishonest capitalists are to be educated about the ills of capitalism. They are to be taught that the human mind has infinite desires and that finite material wealth can never satisfy human longing. Side by side, while this education is going on, pressure and stipulations need to be implemented that keep people from hoarding wealth; rather wealth is to be rationally distributed.
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So the Proutistic method aims to defeat the "ism" of capitalism and not the immoral capitalists per se. That is the road to victory.

But this fact is lost upon Gandhism, communism, and Robin Hoods. The proponents of Gandhism simply make gentle appeals to immoral capitalists without addressing the central problem of capitalism; the communists themselves adopt a materialistic, hoarding psychology similar to capitalism; and the Robin Hoods engage in warfare against the dishonest capitalists, but not capitalism. And in this fight they will lose as dishonest capitalists invest more and more funds into creating weapons for defeating such Robin Hoods. At present, the dishonest capitalists hire soldiers who sit in the safety of isolated rooms and carry out drone strikes around the globe that systematically destroy those Robin Hoods. That is how so many terrorist leaders are killed regular basis—and verily such attacks are going on always.

Conclusion

So all three—Gandhism, communism, and Robin Hoods—fail to rise to the challenge. Their defective approaches fail to derail the train of capitalism.

Thus, only Proutistic teachings are the way for eliminating capitalism and bringing forth a new human society. And this is done by rationally monitoring the accumulation of wealth and forcibly goading the minds of those immoral capitalists towards the psychic and spiritual realms.
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Namaskar,
In Him,
Candra Shekhar


~ In-depth study ~

Why human appeals do not work

Here below Prout philosophy explains very clearly and in more detail why those adopting Gandhian measures can never gain success in fighting the immoral capitalists.

Prout philosophy states, "Nothing would be better, if it were possible, than the eradication of capitalism by friendly persuasion and humanistic appeals. In that case the peace of the greater human family would not be much disturbed. But can it be guaranteed that everyone will respond to this approach? Some people may say that a day will come when, as a result of repeatedly listening to such appeals and gradually imbibing them over a long time, as well as through proper mental and spiritual education, good sense will prevail among the exploiters. This argument is very pleasant to hear. Such attempts are not reprehensible. But is it practicable to wait indefinitely for good sense to prevail among the exploiters? By then the exploited mass will have given up the ghost! Though the humanistic approach works in some cases, in most instances it does not produce any result; and even where it does work, it takes a very long time. So, wherever necessary, capitalism must be forced to abandon its ferocious hunger by taking strong measures." (14)

Only Prout is the solution

Prout philosophy states, "Both capitalism and communism have failed to provide the proper ideological inspiration and desideratum to human beings. In the interests of the welfare of humanity, these systems should be replaced. PROUT is against the exploitation by capitalism and the false dogma of communism as both are detrimental to the all-round progress of human beings." (15)

Prout philosophy states, "PROUT is the panacea for the integrated progress of human society. It aims to bring about equilibrium and equipoise in all aspects of socio-economic life through totally restructuring economics. Without PROUT, socio-economic emancipation will remain a utopian dream. Only PROUT can save the world." (16)

Slums everywhere

The slums of Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Manila, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, and Cairo are filled with hoards of people lacking the basic necessities like running water, toilets, sewage lines, and electricity, yet in those very same cities a select slice of the population is living like kings and queens in ritzy apartments with grand luxuries. But it is not even countries like Brazil, China, Philippines, South Africa, India, Argentina & Egypt that suffer from this vast disparity of wealth.
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The homeless problem throughout the US is a notorious and growing phenomenon: "Close to one million Americans, equivalent to a city, are homeless, according to the latest national estimate." Plus the homeless population is burgeoning throughout western Europe and especially in Paris.

Thus in places where capitalism is thriving (China, India etc) as well as in places where capitalism has long been established (USA & Europe), there are serious issues with the disparity of wealth. And in all such areas Gandhian appeals do not even begin to address the problems. Rather, immoral capitalists blatantly disregard their appeals. 

So the ways of Gandhism do not work. The dishonest capitalists never give in to such demands.


References
1. Human Society - 1, Social Justice
2. Proutist Economics, Defects of Communism – Excerpt C 
3. Human Society - 1, Social Justice
4. Prout Nutshell - 16, Decentralized Economy – 2
5. Human Society, The Vipra Age
6. Human Society - 1, '87 Edn, p.45
7. Human Society - 1, '87 Edn
8. Prout in a Nutshell - 4, Discourses on Prout
9. Human Society - 1, '87 Edn
10. Human Society - 1, '87 Edn, p. 45
11. Prout in a Nutshell - 4, Discourses on Prout
12. Problems of the Day, Point #3
13. Prout in a Nutshell - 4, Discourses on Prout
14. Problems of the Day, Point #2
15. Prout Nutshell - 15, The Existential Value of Ideology
16. A Few Problems Solved - 9, Economic Dynamics

== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==

Deepest, darkest depths

"Tiirthe tomáre khunjiá páiini, gáne dharivár prayás kori..." (Prabhat Samgiita #4874)

Purport:

O’ Parama Purusa, I searched for You in different so-called holy places like - Tiljala, Jamalpur, Varanasi, Puri, Mecca, Rome, Jerusalem; and, I also went to  so-called holy land Ananda Nagar, and the top of the Himalayan mountain ranges etc, but I utterly failed to find You. My whole approach was meaningless, a waste of time, and based on dogma and ignorance. I was just indulging in lies and hypocrisy. That is why I was met with failure and could not succeed in getting You. By Your grace, now I am returning back on the path of satya, eternal truth. I am trying to reach You through spiritual songs, dance, and kiirtana. 

Baba, I heard that You remain in Your heavenly abode, satya loka, while I lie in the deepest, darkest depths at the bottom of the underworld, drowned in all kinds of vices, dogmas, and groupism. I declared You as dead. I thought that with the virtue of attending so-called MPD annual death ceremony annually in October I will get Your blessings. Hari, I will get you. I thought I could have Your close proximity by my ritualistic pújá, dogmatic arcaná, offering of sweets, and dakśińá (money) to the priest wts, giving black money to ‘big dadas’. I believed by this way I would get punya. But instead it was all for naught.

O’ my Supreme Entity, Baba, I thought You resided very far away. That’s why I was not getting You. I was thinking that You are not within my reach. Now I am trying hard to dye my mind in Your colour. Baba, Your cosmic attractive force is not pulling me. I don’t feel You drawing me near. To get You I have started doing my part - japa, dhyana, sadhana pranayama etc. Now I feel Your grace...


Notes for Prabhat Samgiita #4874:

[1] Ritualistic puja: Any type of worship that involves praying and making offerings to an idol, going to so-called tiirthas, singing hymns to the idol etc

[2] Arcana: Any worship done with external paraphernalia or worldly offerings such as flowers, sandalwood., colours etc. Some dogmatic Hindu worshipers collect physical articles, lamps, and flowers and do certain rituals to honour and call the Lord. That is arcana. In our Ananda Marga way of life, there is no place for that kind of physical, external, and ritualistic approach. It simply does not belong. 
And Baba tells us, "The type of worship which is performed with selfish motive and external paraphernalia is called arca or arcana." (1)  

[3] Daksina: Offering in cash and kind (sweets, money) made to the dogmatic priest.

Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva's Teachings – 2 (continued) (Discourse 14)

== Section 3: Links ==

Postings to Read

Two options for depressed people

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2019/02/human-sorrows-solution-3-more.html

Story: Baba explains snake situation

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2014/10/baba-story-sadhana-friend-and-snake.html

Comparative view: tantra vs pop yoga

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2023/08/contemporary-yoga-vs-am.html

Ants & premature death

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2017/06/about-premature-death-of-ant.html

Mental peace & debt + 3 more

Baba

Mental peace & debt

Namaskar,

The present era of materialism preaches "instant gratification": Enjoy the world by buying superfluous things. Credit cards and loans are readily available to the common person. Indeed lending agencies and credit card companies are standing by with astronomical interest rates in order to rip off consumers. It is a deadly cycle; already so many have been victimised.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
 
In Ananda Marga, our view is diametrically opposite. We interact with this physical world solely to help others - not for indulgence - and aim our mind towards psychic and psycho-spiritual pursuits. We seek happiness and peace in those upper realms, not in the instant gratification of worldly pleasures; but, even then some in our Marga have gotten bound by the noose of capitalism.


One who incurs no debt is really happy

Here, everyone should understand there is no winning in capitalism. The common public just borrows and spends money on material allurements hoping to find happiness; but, ultimately, they find themselves upset, frustrated, and in debt. All the while, the impoverished masses around the globe suffer from an extreme dearth of resources, which have been gobbled up by those capitalists. So we should not fall prey to the capitalist cycle of borrowing and spending.
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Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The person who is able to get some vegetables to eat at least once a day, who incurs no debt and who has no need to leave home to earn a living, is really happy." (1)

Ananda Marga philosophy says, "A marriage feast is completely optional and depends upon the financial capacity of the people concerned. Arranging the feast by taking a loan or incurring a debt is prohibited." (2)

Ananda Marga philosophy says, "For the celebration of this ceremony the arrangement of a social feast depends entirely on the desire and the financial position of the guardians concerned. Taking a loan or incurring a debt for this purpose is forbidden." (3)


Ananda Margii to keep strict vigilance

Ananda Marga philosophy says,  "To purchase, by incurring debt, serge where tweed will do, or gabardine where serge will do, is surely against the principle of aparigraha. Similarly, people should take food which is nutritious but not rich. They have to give up the practice of feeding others with money taken on loan. That is why social control over the individual's conduct and expenditure is indispensably necessary. Hence, all Ananda Margis, when they see other Margis acting against the principles of Yama and Niyama, must make them shun this habit either by sweet or harsh words or by dealing even more strictly. Thus they will have to make the society strong. Henceforth I direct every Ananda Margi to keep strict vigilance on other Ananda Margi to make them practise the principles of Yama and Niyama and also to accept calmly directions of other Margis in this connection." (4)


Conclusion

This era of extreme capitalism has devoured the lives of many - leaving them as desperate beggars unable to regain their footing. We must not let this happen to us or anyone. We should remain out of debt and keep our mind free. That is the only way. By following Baba's guidelines, we can maintain our psychic equilibrium. Going into debt and digging means losing one's mental peace and becoming a lifelong tool of those greedy capitalists. We should all exercise extreme caution in our financial dealings.
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Namaskar,
Sastaunga Pranam to Baba,
Divyacaksu Deva

Below please find a grand Baba story that features His detailed guidelines about borrowing and lending money. This is very practical knowledge for us all to have.


~ In-depth study ~

Please read this following Baba story and ensuing teachings about this subject of being bound by the noose of capitalism.


Baba story: never lend but donate

~ Courtesy "My Days with Baba", Ac Sarveshvarananda ~

Baba is against people borrowing or lending money. One day He said, "You must know that lending as well as borrowing is undesirable and detestable."

I had known Baba's attitude and so had always tried not to borrow money. But I still had a question, "Was it so bad to lend money to someone in distress?"

Baba answered with an illustration. "Do you know why it isn't desirable to lend out money? Suppose someone has come to you to borrow some money. Maybe his need is genuine and his appeal is justified. As you listen to his story of distress, you are likely to want to be kind to him. Even if it is beyond your own means to lend a big amount, you become so upset thinking of his dire need that you take pity on him. Your thoughts get interrupted as the gentleman says, 'You need not worry, dear brother. Please help me wriggle out of my crisis. If your generosity can take me out the present crisis, I'll repay the loan within a month. Meanwhile I'm likely to get some money soon, so you may rest assured that you'll get back your money on time.'"

Baba continued, "There may be no reason for you to disbelieve him. Suppose you are soft-hearted, so you collect the money somehow and hand it over to him. And he, too, feels glad and goes away."

"That man may not have any intention of taking you for a ride, but it may turn out that he can't get hold of the money as he thought. It is not so unusual. But you go on nursing the hope that he will repay you at the end of the month."

"A month goes by. He hesitates to see you out of his shame because he has no money to repay to you. Suppose you go to him out of need for the money. In all likelihood he will be ill at ease and may take offense at your uncalled-for-presence. He will think, 'How disgusting! He has come to me straightaway.'  Understandably, he will tell you a long excuse about why he has failed to repay you. You will give a patient hearing to him and coming back home begin to wait for the deadline as promised. There will be times when you come across him on the street. Immediately, he will think 'O, my God! Here he is again, he will certainly remind me of my debt!'"

"Of course it's only natural such thoughts come to mind, interspersed with some inaudible abusive remarks. Maybe you didn't go to him for money, but what is that to him? Your presence will be unpleasant enough."

"So whenever you meet him, he will think, 'I am lost! He has come again to pressure me for that money.' At the same time he will hurl some unsavory remarks at you, albeit silently. Contrary to what is in his mind, he will say, 'Welcome, my dear brother. I am glad to meet you. I am so grateful to you,' and so on and so forth.

"Undoubtedly the moment he sees you, he will heap uncharitable remarks on you, but when you will come within earshot, he will be all praises and parade his respect for you. It goes without saying that you will be put into a dilemma from not getting your money back even at the time of your own dire need. It may happen that your need will drive you to his house and shout from outside, 'Hello, Mr.----, are you there?'

"He will think, 'Oh! he has come again for the money. What will I say to him?'

"Thinking this, he will not only silently curse you, but also try his best to avoid an encounter with you. Instead of coming outside, he will tell his little son to tell you that his father is out. Accordingly, the boy will run to you to inform you that his father is not in.

"Looking askance at him, you will say, 'Go inside and find out for certain whether or not your father is there.'  The simple-minded child will reply, 'Why, I don't need to check because father has himself said that he is out.' In this way your relationship with that friend will sour and you don't know where it will end."

"Well, he certainly would have been offended that first day if you had not lent him money. Not only that, he would possibly have been shocked and have silently heaped some abusive remarks. Nevertheless, the unpleasant situation would not have spilt over onto the rest of your life. If you lend money, you will inevitably invite filthy remarks galore. That is why a person should think many times before lending to others."

I asked, "Sometimes a really good man may fall into trouble and sincerely need help. In that case, what is to be done?"

Baba said, "Instead of lending him money, you should help him according to your capacity. Suppose he is asking for five thousand rupees. Tell him your attitude about lending money and let him know your financial condition. Then help him with an amount that's within your means. It may not be as much as he demands, but he will get consolation that you tried to share his difficulties." (Courtesy "My Days with Baba", Ac Sarveshvarananda)

The above story is quite clear on the point of borrowing and lending. According to Baba, we should not borrow money nor should we lend it. If anyone truly needs financial help, then we should give them money according to our capacity, and not expect anything in return.
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Misuse of loans: non-productive investment

 Ananda Marga philosophy says, "You might have noticed that there are many countries which suffer from financial stringency, so they take loans from other countries. These loans are then used for ventures like constructing large dams on their rivers."
  "The science of economics teaches that the rolling of money should never be blocked by any sort of non-productive investment. Sometimes people misuse loans to construct an unnecessary building or a new showroom for their business, and thus prevent the possibility of reinvesting the capital and increasing their wealth. Economics teaches that loans taken for business investment should always be utilized for productive purposes, and should never be utilized in any unproductive venture. Foreign loans, for example, should never be invested in constructing large railway stations instead of railway lines." (5)

Ananda Marga Philosophy says,"In economic exploitation, vested interests deprive people of their minimum requirements. Money lending, charging exorbitant interest rates, compelling poor farmers to sell their produce through distress sales, etc., are examples of economic exploitation. Regardless of the type of exploitation used by the exploiters, when society is moving towards revolution, the role of the exploiters is exposed. The exploiters are unable to disguise their exploitation any longer." (6)


Farmers converted into landless labourers

First Baba warns us that we should seek counsel and permission before (a) spending money on superfluous items and (b) before taking any loan.

Ananda Marga Philosophy says, "If any Margis have to spend on anything in addition to the fixed expenditure (for example, expensive clothing, ornaments, articles of furniture, marriage, building, etc.), they should, before incurring such expenditure, obtain a clear order from their ácárya, unit secretary or district secretary, or any other person of responsible rank. Similarly, permission is to be obtained before taking loan from any businessman or money-lender. Where one’s own ácárya or any person of responsible rank is not easily available, consultation or rather permission is to be obtained from any other ácárya, táttvika or any right-thinking member of the Marga. Every member should follow this instruction strictly." (7)

Secondly, Baba warns us how money lending itself is a filthy profession. We should keep such greedy persons at arms-length.


Their occupations are despicable

Ananda Marga Ideology says, "People should also not earn their livelihood by lending money and taking interest. Such persons want to lend more and more money to gain more and more interest, and they do not want the borrowers to refund the capital. The scriptures stipulate that people should not accept food from such people, because their occupations are despicable." (8)

Over the course of history - in so many lands - money lenders have exploited people and taken all they had. This has happened not only with the farmers of Bengal depicted below but in so many regions and eras, including in the present day US where countless innocent families have incurred debt and are unable to pay back the money they owe.

Prout philosophy says, "Another group of exploiters emerged who took advantage of the poverty of the farmers. These were the moneylenders, who lent money to the farmers at exorbitant rates of interest. The farmers were forced to take loans which they could never repay, so they mortgaged their lands. Eventually the moneylenders became the owners of the farmers’ lands, and the farmers were thus converted into landless labourers... money lending by private capitalists should be banned and provisions must be made to pay loans in advance to the farmers through the banks. This will eradicate the exploitation by moneylenders and political cadres." (9)

Due to their extravagance

Ananda Marga philosophy says,   "It is often noticed that individuals incur debt because of their violating the principles of Yama and Niyama, especially due to their extravagance – and as a result, they approach the society for relief. In this connection I must point out that just as the society is duty-bound to give relief to individuals by combined efforts, so also it must have control over the conduct of individuals, over their practice of the principles of Yama and Niyama, and also over their expenditure. Not to consult anybody at the time of spending money but to ask for help from all when in debt, is not a good practice. Such a mentality cannot be encouraged." (10)


Predatory lending brings ruination

~ Courtesy of Wikipedia ~

  "Predatory lending is the unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly defines predatory lending as "imposing unfair and abusive loan terms on borrowers." Though there are laws against many of the specific practices commonly identified as predatory, various federal agencies use the term as a catch-all term for many specific illegal activities in the loan industry. Predatory lending should not be confused with predatory mortgage servicing which is the unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of lenders and servicing agents during the loan or mortgage servicing process, post loan origination."
  "One less contentious definition of the term is "the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against." Other types of lending sometimes also referred to as predatory include payday loans, certain types of credit cards, mainly subprime, or other forms of (again, often subprime) consumer debt, and overdraft loans, when the interest rates are considered unreasonably high. Although predatory lenders are most likely to target the less educated, the poor, racial minorities, and the elderly, victims of predatory lending are represented across all demographics."
  "Predatory lending typically occurs on loans backed by some kind of collateral, such as a car or house, so that if the borrower defaults on the loan, the lender can repossess or foreclose and profit by selling the repossessed or foreclosed property. Lenders may be accused of tricking a borrower into believing that an interest rate is lower than it actually is, or that the borrower's ability to pay is greater than it actually is. The lender, or others as agents of the lender, may well profit from repossession or foreclosure upon the collateral." (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

References
1. Shabda Cayanika - 1, Discourse 1
2. Caryacarya - 1, Marriage Ceremony
3. Caryacarya - 1, Infant's Játakarma: The Naming of and First Feeding of Solid Food to an Infant
4. A Guide to Human Conduct, How to Live in the  Society
5. Prout in a Nutshell-12, Keep Money Rolling – Excerpt A
6. Prout in a Nutshell - 21, Nuclear Revolution
7. Guide to Human Conduct, How to Live in the  Society
8. Subhasita Samgraha - 11, The Supreme Desideratum of the Microcosms
9. Prout in a Nutshell - 19, Economic Exploitation of Bengal
10. A Guide to Human Conduct, How to Live in the  Society

*        *        *

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 ==

Divine message

"Gáner tarii bhásiye dilum surer ságare..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0753)

Purport:

Baba, by Your grace, I have floated the boat of songs in the ocean of the tune. I am doing my sadhana and am ensconced in Brahmabhava. It is Your krpa. Today, I feel that no one is alien -- all are my close, everybody is mine.

Up till now, I could not get that Parama Purusa who expresses Himself always and everywhere, in various colours and forms. Today, that very Supreme Entity came close with the resonance of omnkara. He came before me and allowed me to hold Him.

The song which could not ever be practiced and could not ever be played with the strings of the viina, today that same melody told me, "I am living alone in the charming world of cosmic maya. Don't you recognise Me?”...

About Prabhat Samgiita #0753:

[1] Omnkara: In this below quote, Baba is describing how a sadhaka gets pulled headlong towards Him once they hear that divine sound, onmkara. It is all due to the grace of the Supreme.
 
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The spiritual aspirant hears the various sounds of onm'ka'ra or pran'ava At various stages, during deep sa'dhana', during sweet sa'dhana'. The sound is called muraliidhvani. The sa'dhaka becomes mad because of this sound and goes deeper and attains Ra'dha' bha'va more and more, and rushes headlong forward...At that time one does not think at all about what people will say. One knows only that 'I and my Is't'a exist'." (1)

References
1. Discourses Krsna & The Giita, 15 January 1980, Kolkata

== Section: Important Teaching ==

Breathing techniques

Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The process of breathing has a great influence on the human mind and self, or soul. Suppose a person is running: his or her breathing immediately becomes heavy. In that condition he or she cannot think properly; the sensory organs such as the tongue, nose, etc., cannot function properly, and as a result one's perception is impaired. Moreover, the process of breathing, depending upon whether the breath is flowing through the right nostril or the left nostril or both nostrils, influences people in various ways..."

"When doing a heavy job while breathing normally, a person might have serious difficulties – perhaps one's limbs might be broken – but in a state of baddha kumbhaka, or púrńa kumbhaka [with the lungs full], one can easily do the same work. While doing some over-strenuous activity in a state of shúnya kumbhaka [with the lungs empty] one might even die."

"Suppose you are climbing to a high place or lifting a very heavy load. If you do not follow the system of breathing while lifting the load, your hands may become painful or your bones dislocated. If you do the same work in a state of shúnya kumbhaka, you will have great difficulty – you may even collapse. If, on the contrary, you perform any strenuous activity in púrńa kumbhaka, taking a deep breath, you can easily do it. All this comes within the scope of that svaravijiṋána. You might have read in the Rámáyańa that Hanuman, by taking a deep breath, made his body swell and lifted a whole mountain. Although it is a mythological story, it refers to the science of svaravijiṋána." (1)

Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva – the Focal Point of Everything

== Section: Important Teaching ==

Cunning & degrading ways of filmmakers

   Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Seduced by the bestial instincts hidden in the secret recesses of their minds, people surrender to base propensities. But improvements in education and the social environment can help to bring this beast under control and make it obey their commands. To achieve this the first thing people have to do is to wage war against their animal propensities, which is no easy task. So cunning exploiters, by encouraging animality, are able to bring people under their sway."

   "The cinema industry suffers from this malady. This industry is controlled by a handful of business persons who make films according to popular taste and demand. While ordinary people naturally run after those films which in their ideas, language or visual images cater to their base propensities, such ideas, language or images instantly distort the ideals of the idealist beyond recognition. It is quite in character for purely commercial film producers to exploit these human weaknesses to their own advantage, and this is exactly what is happening." (1)

References

1. Human Society - 1, Education

== Section 3: Links ==

Postings to Read

Baba story: PS vs Rabindra Samgeeta

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2013/07/baba-story-first-cultural-program.htm

Moulding our children into margiis

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2016/06/harming-vs-helping-child.html

Today's educational standard

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2018/11/solution-youth-suicide.html

Sign of fake bhakta

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-recognise-true-fake-bhaktas-2.html

Query: use lottery to fund AM projects? + 6 more

Baba

Query: use lottery to fund AM projects?

Namaskar,

In the 1960's, Baba was placing a big emphasis on social service work. There was tremendous pressure to increase the number and quality of our social service projects. But, as an organisation, we lacked the requisite money to finance all these works. The projects were many, and the number of margiis was less. Our economic means were quite limited; lack of money limited what we could do.

Around that time, the Indian government started a lottery. I thought this was a very good way for us to increase our capital. My plan to purchase lottery tickets in the name of Ananda Marga, and Baba will use His mantra. By that way we will possess the winning ticket and gain huge money. Then we will be able to perform numerous social service projects. It seemed like the perfect plan. I told everyone that this was a great opportunity and that I would raise the matter with Baba to gain His approval, i.e. grace.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/


Baba rejects my plea for lottery

Soon thereafter, I was in Baba's presence and He gave me an opportunity to raise my query. I said, "Baba, the government of India has started a new lottery game, so I thought we should participate and purchase tickets. With the winnings, we could then do maximum social service."

Baba replied, No, this is very bad. True margiis will never participate in any type of lottery. It is just a waste of money. There will not be any gain. The only outcome is that people's greed will increase. This is a bad idea - never think of participating in the lottery, or indulge in gambling etc.

Sadguru Baba rejected the idea of playing the lottery. I told everyone of Baba's decision. Some were disappointed, but we were all keen in following Baba's order. True margiis will not gain or win anything if they buy a lottery ticket - only loss. By playing the lottery, the mind becomes stained and degraded. And one’s penchant for greed multiplies. As we all know, greed is an aspect of avidya maya which leads to psychic degeneration.


Takeaway: helping less, hurting more

This story gives us the guideline that as Ananda Margiis we should not engage in those activities which are detrimental for one’s own self or the general society. If a party or an institution within Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha is involved in lotteries or gambling to fund social service projects, then that will be disastrous and margiis will do the same for their personal gain. Verily, this disease and social ill of gambling will multiply. The black money earned from lotteries and gambling is harmful because it encourages this vice, and that leads to more problems in the society. For this reason, according to Ananda Marga ethical guidelines, certain jobs harmful to the collective are looked upon as lowly. No right minded person should do them, let alone Ananda Margiis.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

For example:

• Earning money by selling drugs to contribute to a children’s home;
  
• Earning money by running a lewd (sensual) call center to support a leprosy clinic;
  
• Earning money by committing road robbery to build 15-story homeless centre;
  
• Earning money by selling adulterated, medicines for flood relief;
  
• Earning money by selling meat to help heart patients;
  
• Earning money by opening a prostitution home to help victims of human trafficking;
  
• Earning money by lending money at a high interest rate in order to run a free hospital.
  

This list of sinful jobs is very long. These activities and occupations are antithetical to Ananda Marga and they are self-defeating. On the one side you are harming society and earning money, and on the other side you are deceiving yourself that you are running a social service project like a children’s home or hospital. But this is just creating negative habits in society that are detrimental in all spheres of life. This is looked upon as abhorrent and sinful as well.

Unfortunately, in various corners of the globe similar types of despicable activities are going on in the name of funding social service projects by xyz organisations. It is so sad. Those running the show befool themselves that although they are earning money in a negative way it is alright because they are running a service project. May their mind open wherein they can realise their sin and stop that type of business.

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "A temptation such as lobha (avarice) is a principle of avidyámáyá. It can only be overcome by reducing the influence of avidyámáyá through intuitional practice (sádhaná). One will never be able to keep away from temptation without overcoming the influence of avidyámáyá. This is possible only through progress in intuitional practice." (1)

And here below Baba has clearly forbidden us to engage in any kind of gambling and lotteries.

Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, “The habit of making wagers is extremely undesirable. You must avoid lotteries and gambling.” (2)


Lottery ruins

The exploited, impoverished masses are goaded by the exploiters to purchase lottery tickets. The poor are brainwashed into thinking that by this way they will be able to overcome their poverty and become rich. And when they invariably do not win the lottery and their poverty multiplies, those impoverished people blame themselves for being unlucky. Side by side, the exploited mass believes that the rich are fortunate and that is why they have money. They do not realise that the rich have accumulated wealth by exploiting others.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

The poor believe that, “Due to my misfortune and bad luck, I do not have money.” They fail to realise that their poverty is the result of systemic exploitation, low wages, and numerous other tactics implemented by the wealthy. Wherever people are dominated by the idea that the lottery is their ticket out of poverty, it is extremely difficult to raise their awareness about economic exploitation. They fail to understand that exploitation is the driving force behind their poverty because they are engrossed in the notion that they are just unlucky and if a stroke of fortune comes their way then surely they will become rich.


Lottery gives negative message & self-blame

Some lotteries are worth huge sums of money. This gives the notion that societal systems are not founded on rewarding those who work hard and gain success, i.e. meritocracy, rather it is all just due to luck. People rely on the luck of the lottery to enhance their lot in life. A distinct portion of society operates in this way. When people think that chance and good fortune - not hard work and ingenuity - are the cause of one's success or lack thereof, they have fallen into a very dangerous and harmful outlook.

As Baba has discussed in numerous discourses, when one gives way or indulges in a particular propensity, like greed etc, then that propensity increases. That is the theorem: A propensity gets stronger as it is activated. So if a person indulges in greed or anger, than that propensity or vrtti will gain a greater hold over that person. That is the way it goes.

Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The peculiar nature of these propensities is this: if they are given indulgence, they increase. And they easily come under control with a slight effort; only in the initial stage, one must struggle a little to control them." (3)

With regards to playing the lottery or gambling, as one thinks about winning money, then their desire increases and their greed multiplies. In turn, one will gamble more or buy more lottery tickets. One's psychic pabulum focuses more on money and in so doing the mind becomes stained - degraded. And one's penchant for greed goes on increasing. From beginning to end this is not good for sadhakas.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "A person who is greedy for money becomes totally preoccupied with the thought of making money;...." (4)

Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, "The mind becomes so infatuated with its crude objects that ultimately it becomes converted into matter. It follows the path of negative pratisaincara." (5)

Sadguru says, "When the tendency towards acquisition in the physical world is extremely strong, people's tendency to assimilate spiritual or intellectual things is usually noticeably weaker. In that condition, their thirst for the material world becomes very intense." (6)


Lottery: the poor loses & indulge more vices

  Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The present-day materialism has brought humanity to this predicament. Its consequences are dreadful. The irrational thirst for acquisition of material things is termed “greed”; ….. the tendency to acquire the objects of material enjoyment in ever-increasing quantities."
   "So whether in the material world or in the intellectual world, the predominant tendency that makes today's people, both individually and collectively, rush headlong without control, is the instinct of greed. The propensity of greed, if not controlled by rationality, or benevolent intellect, or spiritual practices, will lead to premature death. Nothing can save human beings from this. This instinct of greed has brought the present humanity to such a state that people no longer consider anything as sinful. Rather, they consider the “sin psychology” as a mental weakness, and the worst of sins are being glorified as the height of intellect, not only indirectly, but also openly...Lobhah pápasya hetubhútah [“Greed is the root cause of all sins”]." (7)

So greed / avarice is one of the six internal enemies and part and parcel of avidya maya. The disease behind the lottery and gambling is found in the sadripus because greed for material wealth is one of the six internal enemies. So this penchant for lottery and gambling is embedded deep within the human psyche. If this tendency or enemy of greed is encouraged it will grow and grow. It can swallow one's entire existence where a person even destroys their family and commits suicide - all due to greed.

Encouraging people to participate in lotteries and gambling is extremely dangerous - it can easily ruin their entire existence. Now that we have uncovered the root cause of the problem, we should investigate the treatment as well.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Lotteries enable the powerful politicians and wealthy shareholders to further exploit the masses because instead of demanding an end to socio-economic exploitation etc, the common people just bask in the false hope of winning the lottery and joining the ultra-rich.  Instead of pushing for social change and justice, the sedated masses avoid revolutionary approaches and sit back and play the lottery. By this maneuver of creating lotteries, political leaders maintain the status quo - they are not pressured to respond to social ills.


Conclusion

So wherever lotteries are embraced by the people, Prout can never be established. In order to propagate Prout, the first step is to open the eyes of the common mass. They have to realise the presence of exploitation and give up their bad habit and false hope of lotteries, gambling, and stocks etc. Only then will they be able to understand that capitalist economic exploitation is the cause of their poverty and suffering. Their economic woes are not because of not winning the lottery but due to  extremely low wages.

The central idea is that nobody should earn money in sinful ways and justify that, “I earned the money in a dark manner, but it is ok because I am funding this or that social service project.” One should never commit this act. That is what Baba teaches us in the above story.

Namaskar,
at His lotus feet,
Giitiishvara

The above story was recounted by a margii from Varanasi, Shrii Narendra Vikram. Hence the "I" refers to Shrii Vikram ji.

All sorts of gambling including lotteries are forbidden in Ananda Marga as it brings psychic degeneration and creates a whole host of social problems. 
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

References
1. Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy, Why Are People Afraid of Intuitional Practice?
2. Caryacarya - 2, Society, Point #38
3. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva's Teachings – 2 (continued) (Discourse 16)
4. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, Cognitive Force and Psychic Practice
5. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 9, Cognitive Force and Psychic Practice
6. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva’s Teachings – 1 (continued) (Discourse 10)
7. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva’s Teachings – 1 (continued) (Discourse 10)

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.

*        *        *

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 ==

Where is it that You go

“Sabár mane rayecho gahane, gopane tháko, keno bolo?...” (Prabhat Samgiita #1845)

Purport: 

O’ Lord, You are in the depths of everyone's mind. But why do You remain there secretly, please tell me. In the sound of the trees, in the horripilation of love, why do You go on dancing exuberantly? 

You go on dancing from far to farther, and then You come back only to then go away again. Where is it that You go? The mirages of the desert represent Your fury. In the delight of the ocean waves, You are dancing.

O Lord, please grace me by removing this boundary line and bringing Yourself closer in front of me. In the drowsiness and laziness, with the obsession of beauty, O' Sthita Dhii, please become vibrant. 

O’ Parama Purusa, You are always with everyone. It is Your blessing…

== Section: Important Teaching ==

Culture & customs

Prout philosophy states, "Culture is a vague term. It is the collective name for different expressions of life. People eat, enjoy hospitality, laugh on some occasions and shed tears on others, and thereby express life through various actions. The collective name of all these actions is culture."

"According to PROUT all of society has the same culture. There are local variations in the mode or state of cultural expression, but the expression is universal. While everybody eats, some eat by hand, others by stick and still others by spoon. Indian dance is based on Mudrá or dance postures, and European dance is based on rhythm, but they do not represent two different cultures."

"Local variations will diminish if there is a close blending between different groups of people, because this will create common customs. In Nepal there is a blending of Hindu and Buddhist customs. In Bengal there is a blending of Aryan and Dravidian customs. These local variations are called customs. Thus local modes of expression bearing local or group specialities are customs, but the expression itself is culture. Therefore it is a mistake to readjust boundaries on the basis of language and culture. Indian culture and the culture of the world are one and the same." (1)

Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, Talks on Prout

== Section: Important Teaching ==

The slippery slope of tolerance

Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Human beings will have to practise tolerance. But this spirit of tolerance must be developed only in individual life; in collective life it must not be expressed. If a country illegally grabs even one inch of your land you must take one mile of the aggressor’s land; no spirit of tolerance in this regard is permissible. If you show your tolerance then they will take one inch today and one mile tomorrow. However, you can practise toleration as much as possible in individual life, and that will be considered a sign of greatness." (1)

Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 11, Taking the Opposite Stance in Battle

== Section : Important Teachings ==

Longing for power & post is deadly

Ananda Marga ideology states, "Human beings take form according to the characteristics of their object of ideation...Those who have an ambition for power, are called raks'a. Suppose a man has grown old but still has an ambition for power. He thinks he should become this, he should become that, he thinks he should attain this status or that status. After death what shall this person become? He shall become raks'a-- that is raks'as'a." (1)

Note: Unfortunately those running after post, power, prestige status etc will ultimately become lowly microvita. As sadhakas - as well-wishers of the humanity - we should guide and teach such persons not to crave after worldly status and degenerate themselves. It is our duty to help them. We should serve them and teach them to think about Parama Purusa - and not lust after  power, prestige, social status, post etc. This should be our approach. Thus when some of our Central Dadas and others are craving for post and power we should intervene and save them from their terrible fate. They should be taught the ways of neo-humanism, otherwise they will plunge themselves into a dark future and face so many negative consequences.

Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 5, The Psycho-Spiritual Evolution of Humans

== Section: Hindi Quote ==

तू वहाँ जा

 "ऊतामृतत्वस्येशानो"---”अगर परमात्मा decide करें ऐसा कि---"मैं पापियों का नहीं हूँ | पापी निकल जाए |” तो, पापी पूछेगा---"कृपया यह तो बताओ, मैं कहाँ जाऊँ ?" देखो उनके बाहर में तो कुछ नहीं है | वे बाहर जाने के लिए अगर बोलें, तो बोलेंगे कि---"मेरा जो area है, सरहद है, उसके बाहर चले जाओ |” “तो, तुम्हारे सरहद के बाहर कौन जगह है, बता दो ज़रा ? बताओ ?” वे तो नहीं बता सकेंगे | तब उनको क्या करना पड़ेगा ? अपना ही थोड़ा-सा portion को अलग करके बोलना पड़ेगा---"तू वहाँ जा |" तब थोड़ा-सा area जब बाहर उनसे चला गया, तब वे तो सर्वव्यापी नहीं रहे | उनके बाहर में वे पापी लोग चले गए |”
[यह प्रवचन-अंश, बाबा के कैसेट से सीधे लिखा गया है । बाबा का यह असली प्रवचन, अमृतोपदेश है। आनन्दमार्ग हिन्दी पुस्तकों में छपे प्रवचन तो नक़ली प्रवचन हैं, असली नहीं हैं -- बंगालीकरण (बँगलाइजेसन) के तहत उनकी बर्बादी की गई]  [1]

Reference
1. S24-06

== Section: Bangla Quote ==

কপাল সাধনা যা তোমাদের

“এই বারাণসী বা কাশী এখানে প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়ে গেলে মনকে খুৰ দ্রুত উপরে তুলে ফেলতে হয় | এবং তন্ত্র সাধনা, কপাল সাধনা যা তোমাদের কেউ কেউ শিখেছ, এর ফলে মনে সেই দ্রুতি আসে, বেগ আসে | তখন এই যে বারাণসী তত্ত্ব এতে প্রতিষ্ঠিত হতে একটু সুবিধা হয় | তা না হ’লে, পারৰে সৰাই | কেন পারৰে না ? যে মানুষের শরীর পেয়েছে, সেই পারৰে |" (1)

Unfortunately, the below English translation from the Electronic Edition of Baba's books (2009) is not up to the mark. It does not accurately portray Guru's original teaching given in Bengali featured above.

“To establish the mind on this point of Váráńasii or káshi, one has to quickly elevate the mind. Those who have learnt the technique of Tantra sádhaná or kápálika sádhaná, know what joy can be derived from this. It helps to establish the practitioner in the cult of Váráńasii. Those who have not yet mastered it, will one day be established in the cult of Váráńasii. Why not? Those who have acquired a human structure will surely be established in Váráńasii.]” (1)

References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, Where Is Varanasi

== Section: Prout ==

Capitalism can be eradicated

"Considering the collective interests of all living beings, it is essential that capitalism be eradicated. But, what should be the proper method to achieve this end?"

"It cannot be denied that violence gives rise to violence. Then again, nothing can ensure that the application of force without violence, with the intention of rectification, will necessarily bring good results. So what should be done under such circumstances?"

"Nothing would be better, if it were possible, than the eradication of capitalism by friendly persuasion and humanistic appeals. In that case the peace of the greater human family would not be much disturbed. But can it be guaranteed that everyone will respond to this approach? Some people may say that a day will come when, as a result of repeatedly listening to such appeals and gradually imbibing them over a long time, as well as through proper mental and spiritual education, good sense will prevail among the exploiters. This argument is very pleasant to hear. Such attempts are not reprehensible. But is it practicable to wait indefinitely for good sense to prevail among the exploiters? By then the exploited mass will have given up the ghost!"

Reference
1. Problems of the Day, point #2

== Section: Ananda Vanii ==

Solution to inertness

“We are proceeding from darkness towards effulgence, from imperfection along the golden steps to perfection. No obstacle on the way will be able to stop our advancement. Pushing aside and smashing all obstacles and impediments we will move along our destined path. Our ideological rationality is our valuable asset; the blissful glow of Macrocosmic effulgence is our goal and the inherent desire to bring well-being to all living creatures is our way.”

“Moving ahead is the very want of life. Wasting valuable time in lethargy is nothing but inertness; hence we must keep moving. The chant of our forward movement will be our vocal expression, the very pulsation of our life.” (Ananda Vanii #72)

Note: The above is one of Baba’s original Ananda Vaniis. These original and true Ananda Vaniis are unique, eternal guidelines that stand as complete discourses in and of themselves. They are unlike Fake Ananda Vaniis which are fabricated by most of the groups - H, B etc.

== Section 3: Links ==

Postings to Read

Contrast: kiirtana & PS

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2016/08/communicating-with-personal-god-4-more.html

Sadhana first

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2016/02/social-service-why-some-doers-become.html

Story: taking one's life

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2014/11/baba-story-suicide-3-more.html

Preserving spiritual vibration

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2013/12/donts-of-sadhana-baba.html

Ways of dharma

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2018/02/ideological-fight-in-life.html

What to do with corpse

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2016/04/what-could-happen-after-your-death.html

Story: the birth of kiirtana

• https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2018/10/kiirtan-day-celebrated-5-more.html