Baba
Suspicious people
Namaskar,
The loss of trust has created a drastic shift in society. The question is how did trust disappear? Essentially, all that changed dramatically with the onslaught of materialism.
In materialism, matter is god, i.e. everything. And with that, the witness-ship of a true god or supernatural force basically vanishes. People suddenly become "free" to chase after all kinds of material pleasures without any impending repercussion. There is no greater force watching them, just a few governmental rules and regulations that are easy to change or side-step.
Furthermore, in materialism, selfishness is king so people become guided more and more by individual interest. In addition, in materialism the chase is for worldly possessions. As these worldly objects are limited in number, people begin to resort to conniving and underhanded methods to get what they want.
Finally, in materialism, individualism becomes the rule of the day. People leave their groups, clans, communities, and families and subsist in their own selfish manner. They become their own group, i.e. a group of one. Hence there is not a shred of trust for anyone else. People may superficially trust someone based on a business deal mentality by holding something in collateral, but there is no real trust. For instance, a person may lend their car to a neighbor only because they want to be able to borrow their neighbor's car in the future, or because their neighbor knows that if he does not return it in proper condition, then his prestige will be ruined. So in materialism, what we often understand to be "trust" is really a "trade" or some other crude transaction.
For all these reasons and more, that is why there is often a blatant lack of trust even between family members and close friends. Have you not heard of siblings fighting over an inheritance, or how a husband and wife keep separate bank accounts as they think that any day their spouse may divorce them. And there are so many examples. Even in our AMPS and Wt cadre, some have no trust that the next person will save them some food, so they take huge portions. Plus there are so many scenarios in personal life that reflect a blatant lack of trust. That happens due to the selfishness of materialism where one only watches for their own well-being, and not that of those around them.
This state of affairs has led to a serious lack of trust in fellow human beings. And where there is no trust, there is no cordiality, love, or code of honour etc. Rather people become alienated, suspicious, and psychically agitated. In short, they become antagonistic towards one another.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Why the loss of trust: Part 1
Indeed this is what we find in today's materialistic "society". And again the cause behind this loss of trust is at minimum two-fold:
1. People are competing with one another and chasing after finite material possessions; they think that if they do not grab worldly riches for themselves, then the next person will grab them. This breeds tremendous suspicion.
2. Those who are poor, hungry and exploited and losing the aforesaid competition in the race for crude wealth resort to criminal activities and steal from those who have.
Note: Further down in "Why the Loss of Trust: Part 2" we identify two more critical issues behind the loss of trust.
Attempt to keep law & order
The authorities realised they needed a tool to keep the people in check - otherwise there would be absolute chaos everywhere. Hence, in the past few decades in the "modern" world, there has been a tremendous increase in police, surveillance, security, fingerprinting, raids DNA databases, retina photo databases, face photo databases, and so much more like sting operations.
Sting operations are undercover, secretive maneuvers designed to keep people "in-line". Some may think that "sting" operations are meant to entrap wrongdoers, but more than that the authorities have resorted to sting operations to ensure everyone follows the rule of law. They invented these procedures with this positive idea in mind. And sting operations have become quite pervasive. Yet, the problem has not been resolved. To some degree there is law and order, but suspicion and distrust within society have reached an all-time high. No one knows if the person they are talking to is a spy or not, is an undercover agent or not. And the worst part is that crime has not been curtailed, but rather has increased.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Why the loss of trust: Part 2
Considering the above, there is another set of reasons behind the terrible loss of trust in materialistic countries.
1. When you see and hear about criminal activities going on all around you, then you think that nowhere is safe. You never know if the person next to you will harm you are not. In that case, everyone becomes a suspect.
2. When countries dominated by materialism employ so many undercover and sting operations in an attempt to control widespread criminal activity, then one has no idea if the next person is a spy or not.
Hence, there exists massive distrust.
The difference between then & now
In today's materialistic societies, the belief and fear that a supernatural force is watching over people has been replaced with the idea that there are undercover agents and surveillance devices watching them. In both cases, in the past and today also, the general public becomes forced to adhere to the rules of the society.
Let me first say that I am not a supporter of the dogmatic beliefs of those outdated religions. But the main difference between then and now is that earlier people felt that a supernatural force is watching everything & everywhere whereas today people feel that there are select police operations and surveillance cameras in particular locations. The vision of God is limitless whereas the reach of police and security personnel are fairly limited. That is one distinct difference. And that also explains why crime has multiplied enormously in materialistic nations.
In spite of having much more material possessions, people feel more insecure as everyone thinks that he is alone and helpless. All feel the need to have more and get more, and the result is increased cheating, theft, and crime.
The other chief difference between then and now is that in the past people were guided by an inner feeling or conscience, and that led to little or no crime in their groups, and in result a basic feeling of trust from one person to the next. Whereas now people are governed by a purely superficial approach - i.e. fear of surveillance cameras and suspicion that the next person is a spy - that only increases distrust between people. And all along crime is also increasing day by day.
Again, I am not a proponent of the dogmatic religions, only I mean to say that the groupist sentiment found in religious communities led to a lower crime rate within their group; whereas in materialism, with a lack of trust everywhere, crime is rampant.
Finally, in the past people felt that if they did wrong then God would certainly know about it so they should not transgress any laws etc; whereas, today people think that if they do wrong, then the authorities may or may not find out. These are some of the basic differences. That also explains why crime today is at an all-time high.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion
Through underground police maneuvers and surveillance strategies, the authorities have been able to instill a sense of fear that gives the semblance of law and order in social life. On the outside - at first glance - everything looks alright. But without any greater ethic, and with crime continually on the rise, the authorities felt they had no other options than covert initiatives.
In conclusion, in the past people were controlled by an inner fear of some supernatural force and true love towards others; the stop-valve was their own conscience and this brought peace and service, not crime. Hence there was a deep sense of trust. Today that is gone. The mass of people lack an inner voice or conscience or true love for all and instead respond to external pressure like security measures and sting operations. That is the only thing keeping them from wreaking havoc. Everything looks like it is under control in the modern world, when in fact it is really not.
In Him,
Dharmaviira
Daniel Mitchell
~ In-depth study ~
Baba's teachings on this very situation
Here below in a pointed manner Baba clearly identifies and outlines how materialism invites distrust and ruins the social fabric of society.
The main problem is that when the goal is matter then everyone is chasing after limited worldly resources. So people become suspicious of one another and fearful that the next person will get the "gems and jewels" and they will not. This breeds distrust.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Philosophies such as this [materialism] ultimately encourage hostility between people: they disturb not only the collective peace, but also individual peace. Separated by the iron walls of suspicion, people cannot trust each other. The present-day materialism has brought humanity to this predicament. Its consequences are dreadful." (1)
Thus Baba says that the ills of materialism are horrific and lead to the splintering of society where no one trusts anyone else.
To counteract this situation, the authorities implement all kinds of spying and surveillance operations to promote public welfare. Because when all want to become rich by cheating others, then covert operations are needed. Such is the materialistic solution to widespread crime. Yet, ultimately this creates even more distrust, suspicion and more psychic tension. And all the while, criminal activities are not stopped, rather they are on the rise.
Once again in materialistic societies, all are rushing after crude object. Those in the upper crest manipulate the laws and rules and employ dishonest means to hoard huge wealth. In response, the hungry masses of society resort to criminal activities in order to get what they need to survive. In this way the whole atmosphere becomes polluted and there is a blatant lack of trust everywhere.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "People have lost faith in their fellow human beings; one state [country] has lost faith in other states. In all spheres of life these days, people think one thing, say another thing, and do something entirely different. That is, hypocrisy is now at its peak. Now the question is: What is the motivation behind this? It is the tendency to assimilate ideas without the spirit of welfare – and, still more than this, the tendency to acquire the objects of material enjoyment in ever-increasing quantities." (2)
The thin thread authorities are using to keep law and order in materialistic societies is not working. Their "thread" - of course - is a wide array of security measures. But in so doing, moral principles and brotherly love have basically disappeared and distrust and crime have multiplied. In result, so many more ills take root: alienation, disillusionment, tension, frustration, and much, much more.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
All materialistic societies suffer
People often think of communist and capitalist societies as being poles apart. But in truth they both are materialistic in nature and both lead to rampant suspicion between haves and have-nots, and indeed between each and every person. Spying becomes the theme of the day. In the communist nations, people were forced to leave; let us see what happens with capitalism.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The situation may come to such a pass that detectives may be employed against every person. Again, another set of detective personnel may be employed to watch whether each detective is functioning properly or not. Thus a vicious atmosphere of intelligence and counter-intelligence will be rampant in the society. And the dangerous consequence is this – that all human treasures having been poisoned, human existence itself will become meaningless. People will grow cynical, or will be forced to leave their country or their society to escape this venomous atmosphere." (3)
Breed more and more suspicion
Here below Baba is talking about how all the various dogmas like capitalism breed suspicion from one person to the next. When the preachers or leaders want to control the people they put forth myths and stories to support their crude political agenda. By this way they misguide the masses and implement their narrow-minded views. Today, many have swallowed the bait of capitalism and materialism.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Out of cowardice, selfishness or sinful propensities, humans and other creatures may resort to a crooked path, not only in the material world, but also in the mental world. That is, cowardliness, selfishness and sinful tendencies bring about curvatures in the world of thoughts. These curvatures breed mutual suspicion. Even innocent people are taught to think wrongly." (4)
Unjustified suspicion
In the past police viewed all as innocent until proven guilty, but now they think that all are criminals and thieves. This basic loss of faith in humanity has occurred under the watch of materialism. Now they fingerprint all, spy on all, run DNA checks on all, and curtail the freedoms of all. In sum, everyone has become a suspect.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Individuals or groups or communities guided by this sinner’s psychology, become involved in various inhuman activities out of unjustified suspicion. Ultimately there comes a time when they no longer repent. Those doctrines and philosophies which teach people to suspect their fellow citizens, which teach people to treat their fellow humans as enemies, have done enormous harm to the world in the past, and if not restrained and controlled, will do so in the future also." (5)
Actually all the religions, factions, or groups adhere to this baseline message: Do not trust those not in our group. Capitalism is worse because in capitalism, every person is their own separate group. Sinner's psychology is rampant: (a) Suspect those in the other group; (b) do anything, even anti-social tactics, to protect members of one's own group.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
References
1. Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Disc: 10, Shivokti 5
2. Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Disc: 10, Shivokti 5
3. Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Disc: 10, Shivokti 5
4. Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Disc: 10, Shivokti 5
5. Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Disc: 10, Shivokti 5
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
You did not come to my home - why?
Note: Only those bhaktas who feel a deep spiritual vibration in their heart can understand this song in the depths of their core.
"Priyo ámár, keno náhi ele mor ghare, janam janam dhare,
jege áchi tava tare, priiti pradiipe..." (Prabhat Samgiita #4765)
Purport:
My Parama Purusa, why did You not come to my home, by Your blessing, I remain awake for You birth after birth, age after age, holding the lamp of love which is filled with heartfelt longing for You. O' my most Adored, why have You not come to my abode.
Parama Purusa, You are that Supreme Entity - the mohan of my soul. To receive You, I have decorated a'lpana' on the pathway of Your arrival. I have also spread the colourful fragrant pollen of the niip flower on the entrance gate of my home in honour of Your reception. Baba, by Your sweet will, I have trained the peacock of my manan so that my mind can dance with pure bhakti and ideation for You.
My Parama Purusa, by Your mercy I have pulverised the noose of chain of samskaras. I have unlocked all the boosts and opened the doors of my home. By Your ahaetukii krpa', I have removed all the obstacles and bondages which were on my path towards divinity - towards You. After overcoming all fear and public shyness, with immense attraction and longing, I have desperately called You with a very strong desire. Baba, by Your kindness, now that I am chanting Your name with my inner self, I can see You present in my core. You are so gracious - my Dearmost. Please reside eternally in my I-feeling…
Notes for Prabhat Samgiita #4765:
[1] A'lpana': These are the colourful motifs, sacred art, or decorative painting done on a horizontal surface (walkway, patio etc) on auspicious occasions. Those who have attended DMC might have witnessed how on walking path across the stage leading up towards Baba's dais there are some very decorative, colourful, attractive designs. In an artistic manner there is brilliant array of flower pollen, flower petals, or any colorful scented fragrance which are soft and upon which someone can walk comfortably. This beautiful and colourful decoration is known as a'lpana' and it is meant to pay high respect and adoration to the Divine Entity. In our Marga this is used for Baba's holy and auspicious arrival.
== Section 3: Links ==
Recent postings
Other topics of interest
~ Legal Notice ~
©2019 Ananda Marga Universal Forum. All rights reserved. Ananda Marga Universal Forum content is the intellectual property of Ananda Marga Universal Forum or its third party content providers. Ananda Marga Universal Forum shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Any copying, republication or redistribution, part or full, of Ananda Marga Universal Forum content, including by framing or similar means, is against the court of law and expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Ananda Marga Universal Forum.
Reply to: anandamargauniversal1@yogasamsthanam.net
This email contains three sections:
1. PS #4795: You did not come to my home - why?
2. Posting: Suspicious people
3. Links
