Baba
The worst bondage: blind attachment
Namaskar,
Baba tells us that a person's sense of right and wrong gets tainted, clouded, or becomes lost due to their blind attachment for a particular (a) land, (b) era, (c) person, (d) idea, or (e) base. So many aches and pains, so many tears and sorrows, so many tragedies and fights result from these types of blind attachment. This tendency of mind, mental vrtti, or blind attachment is termed as 'moha' in Samskrta. And Baba says, of all the bondages and fetters, 'moha' vrtii is the worst type of attachment.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Of all bonds, the bond of duty is the strongest, and the bond of moha [blind attachment or infatuation] is the worst. Humanity will have to break the bonds of moha and increase the bonds of duty willingly and consciously. This is the law." (1)
Moha vrtti spoils human intellect
As human beings, one of our greatest gifts and most precious treasures is our rational mind, our sense of vivek, our logic and reasoning. It is this aspect of our intellect that enables one to decipher what to do and what not to do in this world. If nothing else, the aim should be to always keep the mind in a balanced state - not swayed in any direction; by this way, our sense of rationality remains pristine and pure. Then and only then will we be truly able to serve humanity and follow Baba.
As already noted above, according to Baba, the 'moha' vrtti, or blind attachment, takes hold of us in one of five ways.
#1: Blind attachment to place / deshagata moha
A person becomes attached to a particular place or land and this leads them to declare that place as holy, or bar others from entering their land, or so many things can happen. Each and every day, blood spills around the world due to this type of blind attachment. And in our Marga, due to this deshagat moha vrtti, some have declared the dogmatic program of mahaprayan to be something sacred. All because they want to glorify their area. Due to their blind attachment for a particular land, i.e. deshagata moha, people lose their sense of rationality and do all kinds of senseless things. If they were to see others doing these same things they would condemn that person. But when they themselves do such actions, it is justified in their own minds. With deshagata moha, due to their attachment with place their mind is clouded and their judgement is adversely affected. And verily, that is what happens when one suffers from any type of blind attachment.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
#2: Blind attachment to time / kálagata moha
Many people become attached to a particular span of time or a specific era. When thinking about that period they lose their sense of logic and reasoning, and they just glorify each and every aspect of that era.
For example, one might say that, 'During the days of the British empire, everyone always had a full plate to eat every evening', or one might say, 'Back when I was in high school, everyone scored 100% on all the tests'. These are examples of illogical and false statements that people make because they are infatuated with a particular span of time. For that reason they lose their sense of rationality and vivek. When evaluating another span of time, they may have all their cognitive faculties intact, but if they are attached to the era of the British raj or their own high school career, then when speaking about those eras, their sense of discrimination is gone.
Likewise, someone in a particular group might declare that in the days when Dada xyz was in power, then everything in our AMPS was perfect and no one was expelled and no Ananda Marga book was distorted etc. Certain people may speak in this ridiculous and false manner. All because they are blindly attached to that particular time when their favoured group was at the helm. So in ka’lagata moha, due to their attachment with a particular time period, their mind is clouded and their judgment is adversely affected.
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#3: Blind attachment to person / pátragata moha
The blind attachment for a particular person is quite common all around the globe. It often presents itself as lustful desires. For example, when anyone is infatuated with a member of the opposite sex, then they may think that even that person's bad mannerisms are sweet and joyful. Due to lust, people lose their rationality. For the opposite sex, some sannyasis have blatantly gone against their oath to Baba.
Some mothers are excessively attached with their progeny and due to that they cannot discipline them. And some mothers do not even send their kids to school as they want to keep them by their side -- always. This is due to their blind attachment. And by that way those parents ruin the lives of their kids. Those children become indisciplined and do not follow their orders. So they suffer their whole life. The ideal is that a true mother should love and discipline their child. Those who cannot discipline their kids are too attached, and they end up harming their kids. Same with the case with some fathers. They do not like to discipline their only son and even if that son is overspending and making the family bankrupt, still that father does not like to say anything and they end up selling their hearth and home etc. And Karna was attached with Duryodhana so he did not like to point out his wrongdoing. So in this type of moha, due to their attachment with a particular person, their mind is clouded and their judgement is adversely affected.
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#4: Blind attachment to an idea / bhávagata moha
The blind attachment for a particular idea or set of ideas is a pervasive phenomenon these days. Some are blindly attached with the beliefs of a dogmatic religion, such as heaven and hell. In that case, their rational mind will not work and they will be wholly misguided by that scripture. For instance, those in the Semitic religions think that after their death they will see their deceased relatives in heaven etc. Even Ph.D. scholars and astrophysicists who are members of those religions think in this way. Because of their blind attachment to a religious doctrine their judgment is clouded and their rational mind is overpowered. Similarly, there is a particular festival in the Jewish religion where they slaughter chickens thinking this will give them the virtue they need to get to heaven. Those followers may be extremely well-educated but in the face of their religious beliefs their rational mind shuts down due to their blind attachment. Likewise some terrorists think that by being a suicide bomber they will get 72 virgins in the afterlife so they are restless to die. Because of their blind attachment to the idea of jihad / martyr, they think they will be rewarded after death. Also when some Hindus see the saffron garb they automatically think that person is saintly due to their dress; and, they fail to evaluate that sannyasi in a rational manner. In all these cases, their blind religious attachment to a dogmatic idea completely clouds their judgment.
And this happens in other spheres of life as well. Thieves can become completely tunnel-visioned about planning for a particular crime where they become blinded by that idea. It will overpower their entire mental plate. Similarly, a businessman can also get so overwhelmed by their business interests they lose clarity about their life, destroying their marriage or alienating themselves from their kids, and ruining themselves. Here the point is that with bhav’gata moha, one becomes blindly attached with an irrational idea that clouds their judgement, and voids their logic and reasoning. That is the very harmful effect of blind attachment to a particular idea.
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#5: Blind attachment to an object / ádháragata moha
The blind attachment to base means fascination for a particular object. Some are collectors of antiques or comic books, and they may fill their entire domicile with those antiques or comic books whereby there is not even any space to live in that house. Or they may have deep emotional attachment with a particular relic or family heirloom such as a plate their grandmother had or a vase that was handed down from generation to generation. Those relics or heirlooms may be useless or ugly etc, yet some people are completely attached with them and regard them as their prized possessions. They may even spend huge money to refurbish those items. It could also be an object they found on the beach or while traveling to a far away land. Whenever anyone has a blind attachment for some object which defies all logic and reasoning then it means they suffer from a'dha'ragata. Because that sense of attachment has clouded their rational mind. And verily, that is what happens when one suffers from any type of blind attachment.
Baba's solution
Now that we know and can easily recognise how this moha vrtti freezes the human intellect and causes people to act in irrational ways on a daily basis, then it becomes all the more urgent to overcome this negative tendency of mind-- to free oneself from any and all blind attachments. Here let us go directly to Baba's words for the answer.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The only way to free oneself from the clutches of infatuation is to superimpose the ideation of indifference and divert one’s mental thoughts towards Parama Purus'a. It may be possible to control this propensity of wild fascination temporarily by intimidation or by enacting laws, but only temporarily. Those who believe in the equal distribution of the world’s wealth, naively underestimate the power of moha vrtti. The human mind can be sublimated only by spiritual ideation, not by any high-sounding philosophy. This utopian idea has proved ineffective in the past and in the present and will continue to prove so in the future." (2)
Baba guides us that the only way to overcome the moha vrtti is to be very sincere in sadhana and spiritual practices. Because only when the mind is pointed on Parama Purusa will one forget about their blind attachments. So sadhana alone is the answer.
Unfortunately, in the name of sadhana, sometimes people just succumb to thinking about their blind attachments when sitting for meditation. When practicing their so-called shuddhis, they may be thinking about the person they want to marry, or the job they want to get, or the money they want to accumulate, or whatever their blind attachment may be. In that case, their blind attachment only binds them further.
That is why Baba warns us so severely about moha. Because it is the toughest vrtti to overcome as it takes over one's entire mental plate and robs a person of their vivek and rational thinking. Sometimes, as Baba points out, people try to overcome moha through mandates, laws, and regulations. One camp may declare, 'That no group should fight over the post', or 'No innocent margii should be expelled , or 'BP rights should be upheld' etc, but all such declarations just blow away in the wind. Because rules alone cannot help one to overcome their own blind attachment for power and control.
Conclusion
Baba says only ideation on Parama Purusa is the answer. That is the only cure from freeing oneself from any blind attachment. By Baba's grace, we will get success in life and not fall prey to any blind attachment. As prevalent and as strong as the moha vrtti may be, due to His cosmic pull, we will not get trapped or blinded by any bad desire, and instead we will march bravely and benevolently towards Him.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
When any irrational infatuation clouds one's judgment then that is blind attachment, moha vrtti. It robs a person of their sense of rationality. And there are various types of blind attachments. But there is only one solution: Goad the mind towards Parama Purusa. That is the only way to clear the mind of of the clouds of attachment.
Namaskar,
In Him.
Pranesaff
Ananda Marga ideology says, "The very wont of the microcosms is to attain liberation by snapping all their fetters. The only way to do that is to come within the shelter of Parama Purus'a. There is no other way – Na'nya pantha' vidyate yana'ya." (3)
~ In-depth study ~
Baba's discourse on moha vrtii
Here below is Baba's original passage about blind attachment, or moha vrtti.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Na is the acoustic root of moha vrtti [blind attachment or infatuation]. This propensity of blind attachment is usually divided into the four categories of time, space, idea and individuality. When one loses one’s rationality out of blind attachment for one’s country, it is called deshagata moha, “geo-sentiment”. People who live in a country where not even a blade of grass grows, where people die of starvation, and which imports huge quantities of food grains from other countries, become so infatuated with their country that they say it has an abundance of water, has a bountiful fruit harvest, and is a net exporter of food to other countries." "Ka'lagata moha is blind attachment for a particular period of time. One becomes so attached to a certain period of time that one is unable to discern its positive or negative aspects. Some people complain that the behaviour of the present generation of children is disappointing. They say that when they were young they could easily digest iron pans, but the present generation has trouble digesting even water! They lament the great misfortune that has befallen the present age."
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "When a particular idea has a strong impact on mind, the mind rushes towards it again and again. Thieves, in the shock of the moment, always make a quick getaway from the scene of the crime. Later, however, they brood repeatedly about the place, and often return, straight into the hands of the police! A person who uses an object for a long time develops a fascination for that object. This is called a'dha'ragata moha [fascination for an object]. There are many rich people who have a strange weakness for some old, battered object such as a rickety chair with one arm broken off. I know a story about how a pretty pot made of bell-metal was the cause of a bitter quarrel among the daughters-in-law of a certain family, so bitter that it led to the eventual break-up of the family. Na is the acoustic root of moha vrtti." "The only way to free oneself from the clutches of infatuation is to superimpose the ideation of indifference and divert one’s mental thoughts towards Parama Purus'a. It may be possible to control this propensity of wild fascination temporarily by intimidation or by enacting laws, but only temporarily. Those who believe in the equal distribution of the world’s wealth, naively underestimate the power of moha vrtti. The human mind can be sublimated only by spiritual ideation, not by any high-sounding philosophy. This utopian idea has proved ineffective in the past and in the present and will continue to prove so in the future." (4)
References
1. Namami Krsnasundaram: Disc 13
2. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 8, The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet
3. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 11, To Know Him Is to Be Free from All Fetters
4. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 8, The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Pouring my heart
PS Intro: In this following song the bhakta is talking directly to Parama Purusa yet addressing Him in the third person: "He (Parama Purusa) is calling me but what can I give Him." So the bhakta is confiding in Parama Purusa in an intimate way, but doing so in a unique fashion by referring to Parama Purusa as "He" and "Him".
"Aja'na' Pathik a'j keno d'a'ke a'ma'ke..." (Prabhat Samgiita #3554)
Purport:
Why is the Ajáná Pathik calling me today. He is the vast Entity - Parama Purusa. And I am meagre - just a small unit being, a tiny molecule. What can I offer to Him in His service. Why is He calling me.
In my life there is a very tiny flame in the lamp of bhakti that is flickering, ever on the verge of extinguishing. But even then, by pouring my heart, I have kept that lamp lit. It is His grace. Is He unaware about this. Is my feeling unknown to Him? Yet in His cosmic liila, I am dancing directly in front of Him.
I am just like a firefly prancing and circling around the shining moon. My existence is plunged in worldly gains and mundane allurements, but when I think about His greatness then I lose myself, again and again, in His divine refulgence. I float in the irresistible attraction of His love with spiritual horripilation. It is His krpa...
Note for Prabhat Samgiita #3554:
[1] Ajana Pathik: The term Aja'na' Pathik means 'The Divine Entity Parama Purusa Who moves around this entire universe, and resides everywhere and knows everything; irrespective of where one goes, He remains along with you'. That is one of His many unique attributions, and that is the speciality of the name 'Ajana Pathik'. The name 'Ajana Pathik' denotes this special quality.
Literally, Aja'na' means 'unknown' and Pathik means 'traveler' or ‘tourist.’ But this is just the word by word, literal translation; and proper nouns are not meant to be translated. So we cannot call Him the ‘Unknown Traveler’ or ‘Unknown Tourist', or Unknown Vacationer', or 'Unknown Backpacker', or 'Unknown Visitor', or 'Unknown Globetrotter', or 'Unknown Daytripper', or 'Unknown Hitchhiker.’ The spirit and meaning is then lost.
The inner sense of the name Ajana Pathik is that Parama Purusa is always moving throughout this vast cosmos and He is constantly present with everyone, all the time. He is in the Cosmic Nucleus yet at the same time through His ota and prota yoga He is everywhere - carefully watching & lovingly guiding everyone. This unique aspect of His grand Personality is treated as Aja'na' Pathik. Because He is constantly traveling yet present everywhere. He is in the nucleus as well as throughout this entire universe.
As the Ajana Pathik, Parama Purusa Baba moves and moves and moves. In their spiritual approach, bhaktas feel that wherever they go the Aja'na' Pathik will always be there to shower His blessing. By His grace, bhaktas can always get His intimate company and companionship. With this mystical link, sadhakas understand that Parama Purusa is present everywhere, yet side by side He travels on and on throughout this entire cosmos. Thus He is Aja'na' Pathik.
Overall the name Aja'na' Pathik has one special and unique meaning that goes far beyond its literal translation. And in our hearts we A'nanda Ma'rgiis know and feel that Baba is that Aja'na' Pathik. Indeed in His discourses, in Dharma Samiiksa, and in reporting, in DMC, and in numerous ways Baba has shown this very fact that He is ever-present and always along with us. He is always moving and wherever we go then He will also be there. Parama Purusa has infinite attributions, and one of them is this special quality where He always remains along with us wherever we are in this vast universe. In this way He is known as - Aja'na' Pathik. In true sense, as the omnipresent Entity, He does not go anywhere because He is everywhere; but in a more literal manner He goes from place to place.
Those who use ‘Unknown Traveler’ or ‘Unknown Tourist’ in place of Aja'na' Pathik are naive and ignorant.
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How dhyana cures diseases
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches us, “Question: If the medicine or mother tincture required for homoeopathic medicine is prepared in a sentient environment which contains positive microvita, will the medicine prepared from that medium or mother tincture have more effect than ordinary medicine available in the market?”
“Answer: There is no doubt that the medicine prepared in a sentient environment by sentient people, from a medium or mother tincture which is also prepared in a sentient environment, will attract more positive microvita than ordinary medicines, so it will have a much greater effect in curing a patient.”
“If a person contracts a disease caused by negative microvita before initiation and does dhyána sincerely after initiation, the disease will not spread but be contained. However, for different types of diseases one has to follow different food restrictions and practice dhyána at specific times.”
“If a person contracts a disease caused by negative microvita after initiation, does dhyána perfectly and follows certain food restrictions, the disease will be completely cured. Dhyána attracts many positive microvita. Negative microvita can only be controlled by positive microvita. The positive microvita eat the negative microvita and this is the reason why the disease is cured. For example, if a person is suffering from jaundice, a disease caused by negative microvita, and if dhyána is practised perfectly, the disease will be cured very quickly. In the case of cancer, say stomach cancer, certain food restrictions will have to be strictly followed. When pain starts in the stomach one should sit for dhyána, but just prior to this one should take some juice from a sweet tasting, not a sour tasting fruit. After performing dhyána, one should take another drink which is different from the first drink. The patient should also avoid any food which causes gas in the stomach, such as pappad, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, etc.” (1)
Reference:
1. Microvita in a Nutshell, Questions and Answers on Microvita – Excerpt C
== Section 3: Links ==
Upcoming Festival: Shravanii Purnima - 09 Aug 2025#3: Margiis also tantrikas
#2: Upcoming festival Shravanii Purnima
#1: Meaning behind Shravanii PurnimaPostings to Read
For all sadhakas: the gunas
Realizing your spiritual power
Story: new bhakta hiding from Baba
Maximizing sadhana time
PS & prayer
Early days before Wts
