Baba
How samskara & misery
Namaskar,
In this materialistic era, people commonly think that those with money, or those with a big house, or those with name and fame, do not suffer misery. However, Baba’s guideline is that one’s suffering primarily occurs in the mental arena.
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Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The reaping of consequences of original actions performed by a human being occurs mainly in the psychic sphere.” (1)
Samskaras exhaust by mental suffering
In His above teaching, Baba is directly telling us that suffering occurs in the mental sphere - not just in the physical sphere. Because one's samskaras primarily take expression in the mind. People’s suffering and pain are undergone in the psychic strata. So just because someone is wealthy or owns a fancy airplane, it does not mean that they do not have any suffering in their life.
People suffer due to fear, jealousy, loss of prestige, humiliation, disease etc. In this way, they suffer in the mental plane exclusively, or physically and then mentally. We see this all the time in so many life situations. Whether one is rich or poor is not the fundamental aspect of one's past samskaras. People experience their joys and suffering in the mental realm. That is how their samskaras take shape. The exhaustion of samskaras has nothing to do with one's economic status, i.e. whether they are monied or impoverished.
As Baba indicates above, regardless of one's financial position, level of education, or professional attainment, to one degree or another, everyone suffers in the psychic sphere, and that is how they exhaust their samskaras. For example, if their son dies in an accident, the boy’s parents' suffering occurs in the psychic domain. The parents were not in that accident so they did not undergo any pain physically. All their agony is psychic, anguishing over the sudden and tragic loss of their son. So no matter how much material wealth one accumulates in the worldly sphere, one's mental pain and suffering will not diminish. Suffering happens in the mental realm, and everyone experiences it according to their samskaras. And that suffering will remain until one is established on the path of spirituality.
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Note: Every incident is based on the samskaras of all parties involved. In the above example, the letter only reviews the samskaras of the parents, not the son.
With sadhana you can be free from suffering
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The reaping of consequences of original actions performed by a human being occurs mainly in the psychic sphere. And if a person attains the blessings of evolved beings and the Cosmic grace in that same psychic sphere, the problem is solved. Pain and misery is bound to come. Depending upon one's inborn sam'ska'ras and the actions performed, tortures and afflictions are bound to be undergone - the expression of one's own samskara [reactive momenta]. Tortures and afflictions will not be as severely painful as before; with the blessing and grace, the psychic afflictions will be removed. Well, when there is pain and the pain is not felt as such, should it then be called pain? In this case, in the psychic sphere, one will remain in a state of bliss. Let the afflictions come. When the affliction and pain are not felt as such, one should not worry about it." (2)
Thus the only way to permanently relieve oneself of any suffering is to get His divine grace. Running after worldly allurements will not help. Just a tiny portion of His grace is enough to free the mind of any suffering. Then one will just be in a state of peace - bliss. That is Baba's above guideline.
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One key point to address here is how a samskara is created. Essentially, when a person consciously and knowingly performs an action - right or wrong - then they must undergo the consequences of that action. For this reason, unit beings take birth again and again in order to reap those reactions. In this way, people go through the cycle of pain and pleasure over and over again. That begets the question, “What is the way out?”
Suffering: sadhaka vs non-sadhaka
According to Ananda Marga philosophy, nobody can escape the reactions of their past deeds. When the all-benevolent Guru wishes then He showers His grace and the mind becomes elevated. In that state, Mr X does not suffer, but others will see Mr X’s plight and think that Mr X is suffering. But because Mr X does not feel any psychic pain then for him there is no suffering of that bad samskara. For bhaktas, they bask in His bliss even if they have to face any bad samskara. It is His grace.
For example, suppose a bhakta and a non-bhakta are both facing their own individual samskara and became sick with tuberculosis. But the bhakta may not feel any psychic suffering, but physically both are suffering. However, if one is not suffering psychically then they may remain in a blissful state. The end result is that both are suffering from the same disease physically, but only the non-bhakta is suffering psychically. In that case, the bhakta does not feel that he is suffering.
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In addition, Parama Purusa, in His role as Hari - the Stealer of one’s samskaras, may graciously remove one’s samskaras without their awareness. In that case also the bhakta does not suffer the ill effects of their past actions. Because when the mind of the bhakta is pointed and focused on Parama Purusa, then there is no space for samskaras to manifest in the psychic sphere. In that circumstance also the bhakta does not feel the pain of their past action.
Conclusion
Actually, there is no way to fully exhaust all one’s samskaras by undergoing suffering. The mathematics of it is simply impossible. Because in a fraction of a second one may create enough samskaras to suffer for countless lifetimes (see note 1). And during those countless lifetimes one will invariably create even more samsakaras. So it is beyond one’s scope to undergo all that suffering. Because always, they are digging a bigger hole for themselves by creating more samaskaras. Only when in animal life do they not create fresh samskaras. So ultimately the only way to exhaust all one’s samskaras is to take second lesson, ideate on Him, wholly surrender unto His lotus feet, and rely on His grace to remove that unbearable load of samskaras. There is no other way.
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In Him,
Ac Yogamitra
~ In-depth study ~
Ananda Marga ideology states, "So Parama Purus'a says to His devotees, “Just see how difficult it is for you to carry such a heavy load of sam'skaras. You are small children. The load weighs more than you. How long will you be able to carry such a burden? You have accumulated so many sam'skaras that you will have to carry the load for many lives, for thousands of years. One life will certainly be insufficient. So I have a proposition. Give me the entire load of your accumulated sam'skaras. I will carry it for you”.
Ananda Marga ideology states,"The devotees reply, “How can we possibly give our heavy burden to You? No, we must carry the load ourselves. We will sing songs and dance for you, but we will never give you such a heavy load of sins”."
Ananda Marga ideology states, "But Parama Purus'a knows that His dear devotees cannot carry such a heavy load of sins. If they do not give away the load it will be a constant strain for them. So what does Parama Purus'a do in such circumstances? He takes their sins without their permission. If someone takes things from others without their permission, what is it called? It is called theft. Thus, as Parama Purus'a takes the load of sins from the devotees without their permission, He is certainly a thief “Harati pa'pah yah sah Harih.” One who steals others sins is called Hari. So, one of His names is Hari." (3)
One may then may bounce back and forth between various grades of human and animal life, between pratisaincara, negative pratisaincara, and saincara. It all depends upon how one exercises their free will when in human form.
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Note 1: In a fraction of a second person may create enough samskaras to suffer for countless lifetimes if they murder thousands of people using poisonous gas.
References
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 14, The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 14, The Physical, Psychic and Spiritual Strata
3. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 8, He Who Steals Others' Sins Is Called Hari
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Fishermen, Hindu priests, & AMPS group leaders
Namaskar,
To catch a fish, a fisherman places food on a hook and then ties that hook to a string. Next the fisherman drops the line in the water. The fish is foolish and thinks to itself, "Those people have a lot of love for me, and have come to feed me." But when the fish takes the food in its mouth, the fisherman entraps the fish on the fish hook, and the fish is caught. Then the fish realizes the fisherman is its enemy. But there is no benefit in that realization, as by then the fish’s death is certain.
AMPS group leaders take a similar approach as those fishermen. Sadvipras should not become like the fish, thinking AMPS-group leaders to be their friends and then join them only to get entrapped. Anyone who gets befooled in this way will eventually realize what has happened. By that time it is too late.
Example number two: A goat is brought to a Hindu temple and there it is lavishly fed, adorned with a mala, and its head decorated with sindur. People then come before the goat with folded hands, repeat sacred mantras, and feed sweets to the goat; and, the foolish goat thinks, “These people are my greatest servants.” Later when the Hindu priest comes with a sword to cut the goat’s throat in a sacrifice ritual, the goat realizes the truth that it is about to die. At that moment it wants to flee, but can't go. And in the next moment, the sword descents swiftly onto the goat’s neck.
AMPS group leaders are like the Hindu priest in their behaviour toward the sadvipras etc.
In Him,
Dayasagar
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “A morally- and spiritually-equipped sadvipra has to perform a fundamental and vital duty to society...The function of a sadvipra shall, therefore, be to see that the dominating or the ruling classes do not have any scope for exploitation.” (1)
Reference
1. Idea & Ideology, The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Prout philosophy states, “Another glaring instance of social injustice is the custom of dowry. This is a real disgrace in a civilized society. If we go deeply into the reasons for such an injustice it will be clear that there are two main reasons behind it."
"First, dowry occurs where males and females earn disproportionate incomes. The Náyyár and Izave communities of Kerala follow the matrilineal order and hence no dowry is claimed by the males. The Khasia community of Assam follow a similar system. In Burma, though the patrilineal order is in vogue, women are economically independent so they get a dowry."
"Secondly, dowry occurs where there is a disproportionate number of males and females. If the number of males is more, females get dowry and vice-versa. In Punjab, the number of males is more than the number of females so the females get a dowry. The situation is similar for Muslims. The false vanity of the aristocracy also causes dowry. Aristocratic people think, “Our family is a high class family, hence we should get a dowry.” In a Proutistic structure there will be no scope for dowry." (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, Talks on Prout
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Sadhana dispels all groupism
In His below teaching, Baba guides us that when we see someone supporting a particular group or an agenda based on caste, creed, colour, race, then we should be alert. By digging down, we will find that the person is not sincere in sadhana. Because Ananda Marga sadhana is the sadhana of the infinite Parama Purusa. By ideating on Him, the mind becomes larger and larger. That is why standard sadhakas do not support any kind of groupism etc. So watch out: if someone is supporting any group then try to politely convey that they should increase their sadhana. By this way their mind will expand, and, in result, from the core of their heart they will naturally keep its distance from the lowly outlook of groupism etc. This following quote from Sadguru guides us in this direction.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The more the human mind becomes magnanimous or expanded, the more it rises above the sentiments of tribalism, communalism, provincialism, etc. Often I hear people say that nationalism is an appreciable sentiment and that there is no narrowness in it. But is this true? Nationalism is also relative, just like tribalism, communalism or provincialism. In some places it is more worthwhile than tribalism, communalism or provincialism, while in other places it is less worthwhile..."
"Hence it is observed that communalism, casteism, provincialism and nationalism are all of the same defective type. Those who are able to capitalize on one of these sentiments advocate it volubly. In fact, every one of these sentiments suffers from the defect of ism, and is completely filled with narrowness, violence, envy, mean mindedness, etc. Those who enter the field of social welfare by creating divisions between “yours” and “mine”, substantially widen the fissures of fissiparous intellect in human society."
"Those who want to promote the welfare of all human beings, remaining above all sorts of parochial sentiments, have no alternative but to embrace universalism with their heart and soul – there is no other way. As universalism is totally devoid of any characteristic of ism, it is not proper to depict universalism as an ism. If everyone is looked upon as one’s own, no one remains beyond the periphery of one’s kith and kin. Naturally, then, there is no scope for violence, envy, narrowness, etc….The more the human mind becomes magnanimous or expanded, the more it rises above the sentiments of tribalism, communalism, provincialism, etc." (1)
Reference
1. Problems of the Day, Point #18
