Baba
How occult powers are harmful
Namaskar,
In the general society, on the path of pseudo-spirituality, occult powers are looked upon as something very lofty and ideal. People yearn for them. That is why various avidya tantrikas with low-grade occult powers are worshiped as God-incarnate. Around the globe, those who know of and read about occult powers - especially common Indians - are very confused about this.
According to Ananda Marga ideology, occult powers are a hindrance on the path of sadhana and created by avidya maya - they are very bad. Rather, love towards Parama Purusa is the greatest thing, not occult powers.
Most sadhaka who do sadhana sincerely will in due course get occult powers. And in turn they ruin their sadhana and spiritual life. Because occult powers are the work of avidya maya.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Lust for occult powers turns one into microvita
Here following is one case example how even good human beings can degenerate into microvita.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Videhaliina: those who run after occult powers and think, “I will attain such great occult power that with it, I will move from place to place.” These are all luminous bodies; they are not ghosts, nor are they positive or negative hallucinations...After death, when the mind dissociates from the body, the accumulation of unfulfilled saḿskáras or reactive momenta remains, although the body with the five fundamental factors no longer exists. Thus, the mind cannot function, but it remains in potential form." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “এ সপ্ত স্তরকে ঠাট্টার [ঠাট্টা joke] ভাষায় শাস্ত্রে ৰলে দেবয়োনী | অর্থাৎ এরা ঠিক দেবতা নয় | কিন্তু, দেবতার কাছা-কাছি | যেমন মানুষ সন্ধ্যেবেলায়, রাত্রিরে অন্ধকারে ভুতকে ভুত ৰলে না | ৰলে---“অপদেবতা, উপদেবতা” | অর্থাৎ দেবতা শব্দটা যুক্ত করে, যাতে ‘ভুত’ সন্তুষ্ট থাকে | [ৰাৰা স্মিত মুখে] হ্যাঁ, ৰুঝলে ? হ্যাঁ |”
“রাত্রির বেলায় অন্ধকারে চলৰার সময়, “সাপ” ৰলে না | ৰলে "লতা" | হ্যাঁ, হ্যাঁ | আর বিশেষ-বিশেষ রোগ হলে, ৰলে---"অমুক দেবী দয়া করেছেন” | আরে দয়া নয় | রোগ যন্ত্রণায় কষ্ট দিচ্ছেন, তৰু ৰলতে হয় “অমুকের দয়া হয়েছে” | [হাসি], তোরা সৰ ৰুঝছিস সৰ ? [মার্গীরা হাসছে---”হ্যাঁ |”] হ্যাঁ | আমি নাম নিচ্ছি না | কিন্তু তোরা ৰুঝে যাচ্ছিস তো ? [মার্গীরা হাসছে---”হ্যাঁ |”] ৰেশ | তা এদেরও ওই রকম ৰলা হয় |” (2)
So videhaliina is one type of microvita that is under punishment. Such type of unfortunate persons got degenerated and became microvita. They could not be reborn as human beings made up of five fundamental factors. Instead, due to their desire for occult powers, they are cast off as beings with only a few factors - they lack the solid and liquid portions. So they are suffering and long to once again get human life. But this will happen only after they escape from the noose of their long-term bondage and state of punishment etc.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Fearful respect not true reverence
Those who do not know Ananda Marga philosophy think that devayonis are something great. In the past, with fear, people used to give respectful names to those who terrified them. So when common folks saw devayonis they could not understand who they were - just they were terrified of them. So they gave them a respectful title - i.e. devayonis.
It is just like how villagers do not like to call a snake a snake - rather they call it as a creeper, i.e. any vine that grows by creeping along the earth and bears fruit and flowers. Those villagers are scared of those snakes so they gave them a more respectful name. Similarly we see that people do not call mafia thugs as hitmen, rather they call them sir. But that does not mean they have deep reverence for them, rather that show of respect is based on fear.
The term devayoni term was formed in the same way. Those who want to know more about this topic of occult powers should read "Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy".
Conclusion
Question: Why does longing for occult powers degenerate the mind?
Answer: Longing for occult powers keeps their mind away from Parama Purusa and focused on their own glory, and that is why they degenerate.
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, “Hence the spiritual aspirant must not run after these inconsequential occult powers, although while prasticing spiritual cult they may develop. You must not forget that all your achievements must maintain adjustment with the main propensities of the mind, and in the process of adjustment, all these eight types of occult powers present themselves to the spiritual aspirant.” (3)
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, “While practising spiritual cult, it should be remembered that spiritual aspirants must not practise in order to acquire these occult powers. The goal of spiritual practice is to realize the Supreme Entity. To search for any other thing is wrong. Occult powers are just like the dust on the roadside. The attraction for Parama Puruśa is the most valuable object – all else is only the dust of the earth.” (4)
In Him,
Surjit
References
1. Yoga Psychology, Are Ghosts Hallucinations?
2. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell part 6, Faculty of Knowledge - 2 (Bangla edition)
3. Subhasita Samgraha - 18, Cult, Inference and Propensity
4. Subhasita Samgraha - 18, Cult, Inference and Propensity
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Be careful when surrounded by uninformed people
Here following is Baba's short story:
Once there was a fierce contest between two headmasters from neighbouring villages in Burdwan district. It was also a contest between the villages themselves, for each claimed that its headmaster was the most learned. The contest took place in a field between the two villages.
One of the headmasters was a just and learned man, the other was a cunning fellow and a master of deceit. It was the latter who first addressed the gathering. “Ladies and gentlemen, being the underdog in this contest I humbly request you to permit me to ask my opponent the first question.”
“Certainly,” said the crowd. “A man of your humility should undoubtedly ask the first question.”
“Could you tell me the meaning of ámi jáni ná (*)?” the cunning headmaster asked his opponent.
“I don’t know,” replied the learned headmaster.
The cunning headmaster cast a triumphant glance around the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he declared, “I asked him a simple question to which he replied, ‘I don’t know’. Just see how ignorant he is.”
“True! True!” shouted his followers, throwing their umbrellas in the air and dancing stick-dances in joyful abandon. The junior village police officer was so elated that he offered to buy everyone sweets.
The cunning headmaster then said, “Let me give him another chance.”
“Certainly! Certainly!” shouted the crowd.
“Sir, what is required to make viváha?” (**) asked the cunning headmaster.
“It’s quite simple really,” replied the learned headmaster, “ghaiṋ is required. That is, prefix vi plus vaha plus ghaiṋ is equal to viváha.”
The cunning headmaster glowed with delight. He peered at the crowd and said, “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you are experts in the ways of the world – I am a mere child compared to you. Have you ever heard of anything called ghaiṋ being required in a marriage ceremony?”
“No, no, of course not,” shouted his delighted followers. “We’ve never heard of such a strange thing.”
“Let me tell you what is required in a marriage ceremony. Lets see… a priest, a holy stone, sacred fire, new clothes, towels, baskets, and so on, but nothing like a ghaiṋ. My fourteen [[times]] two – that’s, er, that’s fifty-two – generations [[of ancestors]] have never heard of this peculiar ghaiṋ thing.”
The crowd burst into applause. “Well said! Well said!” they shouted. “You are the most learned headmaster. Congratulations. You’ve won the contest.” (1)
Asterisk Notes
* ámi jáni ná: This is a Bengali phrase and the literal meaning is “I don’t know.”
** Sir, what is required to make viváha?: This is one way of asking for the etymological or grammatical breakdown of the term viva’ha. So that is how the learned person responds to the query. In day to day life for the common people, vivaha means marriage.
Reference
1. Sarkar's Short Stories Part 1, The Headmasters' Contest
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1. Posting: How occult powers are harmful
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