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Baba
This email contains five sections:
1. Kumbhaka pranayama is dangerous?
2. IT: Hypocritical dealings of various religions
3. It: How come diabetes patients always drink
4. Comment: Re: Romance of Mantrajapananda
5. Links
Kumbhaka pranayama is dangerous?
Namaskar,
Most senior sadhakas know kumbhaka pranayama has three phases known
in Sanskrit as (a) puraka (inhalation), (b) kumbhaka (retention of
breath), and (c) recaka (exhalation). Kumbhaka pranayama is a very
subtle practice that is potentially very dangerous if not done
correctly. One may even die from doing this in the wrong way. And
shu'nya kumbhaka, i.e. the act of keeping all the air expelled for a
period of time before taking the next inhalation, is an even more
advanced practice, and demands extra care when performing this
lesson.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "In the case of respiration also,
after human beings inhale, they do not immediately exhale. They
retain the breath inside for a while, and then they exhale.
Similarly, after exhaling, they do not immediately inhale. They stop
for a little while, and then only do they inhale. So in both cases
there is a pause for a short while. The first pause, after
inhalation, is called púrńa kumbhaka, and the second pause, after
exhalation, is called shúnya kumbhaka." (1)
Practiced in fake yoga classes etc
So-called kumbhaka pranayama is very popular in fake yoga or pseudo
yoga classes. Tragically, it is incorrectly taught in these various
hatha / fake yoga classes. You might have heard about this. Bear in
mind kumbhaka pranayama is not the regular pranayama done in
“standard” Ananda Marga sadhana by general sadhakas.
Kumbhaka pranayama is practiced by vishesh yogis in Ananda Marga.
Everyone should know that practicing any type of kumbhaka pranayama
without getting the proper guidance from an acarya is very harmful.
Sadguru Baba has delivered a stern warning about kumbhaka pranayama.
Because if it is done incorrectly then one may puncture their lung,
or face other physical and psychic problems. The body and mind can
become so adversely affected that the person could die.
In our regular pranayama, or sadharana pranayama, which common
margiis do, is comparatively safe. There is only puraka (inhalation)
and recaka (exhalation). There is no stage of retention.
Outlandish claim in Baba story book
The advanced practice of shu’nya kumbhaka (vacuum) pranayama means
keeping the air out for an extended period. Yet one story writer
claims Baba said dogs do like this when they sleep. As if animals in
the dog family just sleep in a state of shu'nya kumbhaka (vacuum) -
i.e. they exhale, and keep the air out entirely while they sleep and
do not inhale again until after they awaken. This is an outlandish
idea. In the real world a dog would die under such conditions. How
can a dog do like this. Sadguru Baba would never make such a claim.
Here we address this very serious flaw from a Baba story book
wherein the writer attributes this false statement to Baba. The
writer claims that Baba told the following:
The writer wrote: "Animals of the dog group perform shu'nya khumbak
[pranayama] while sleeping." ("Baba Antarya'mii" (Hindi), p.131)
(Note: Shu'nya kumbhaka means keeping the air expelled after
exhalation, and not breathing in again.)
So on page 131 of his book, "Baba Antarya'mii" (Hindi), one family
acarya - Shrii Diip Narayanji - has laid claim that during senior
acarya classes Baba stated that dogs do shu'nya khumbak when they
are sleeping. Here is his exact line from acaryaji's Hindi
publication: "Dog group sote samay shu'nya kumbhaka karte hain."
Once again, the English translation is: "Animals of dog group
perform shu'nya khumbak [pranayama] while sleeping."
Dogs are unable to practice any form of meditation
This is the statement acaryaji has attributed to Baba. But how can a
dog sleep and do shunya khumbak and not take any air while it
sleeps. That means that while the dog is sleeping it exhales and
then does not breathe in again - the entire process of respiration
is halted. The dog stops breathing. Only later on - 20 minutes or 40
minutes later does the dog breathe in again. But in the real world a
dog would die if it did this. Indeed, no dog does like this. Yet
this is a most erroneous and outlandish claim that is made in this
book. Obviously Baba never made such a statement. Clearly, the
writer is confused. Moreover, dogs are unable to practice any form
of meditation, let alone shu'nya khumbak pranayama - which is a
higher, specialised lesson of pranayama. So this is just a false and
bogus claim.
Now it is the duty of the publisher to correct this mistake. This is
a grave error as it is done in Guru's name. It should not be in
print that animals from the dog family practice shu'nya kumbhaka
(vacuum) pranayama. This is a complete misnomer.
And there are other gross inaccuracies in the book. When Shrii Diip
Narayanji tries to explain Ananda Marga philosophy or wrongly cites
Baba, then he goes far from the path. And verily that defeats the
whole purpose in writing. The book is meant to serve as a
clarification of Ananda Marga ideals, but, often the author is
steering things in the other direction. Such explanations misguide
the reader. That is the problem.
By directly addressing such flaws, the book can be corrected and
made better; and, most importantly, Sadguru Baba will be presented
in the proper light. Then the publication will be cured of its ills.
In contrast, if an incorrect philosophical tenet is put forth in
story form, then the whole society can be led astray. This happened
in the past with Mahasambhuti, i.e. Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna. For
instance, the public believes Lord Shiva smoked hashish and that
Lord Krsna dances with young women. Such events should not be
repeated.
Conclusion
The practice of general pranayama is extremely beneficial for all
sadhakas. It can give a big boost to one’s dhyana practice. And it
is an essential part of our sadhana system. Everyone should be keen
to practice this lesson regularly as per the instructions given by
their acarya.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Madhava Deva
~ In-depth study ~
Sadharana pranayama as described in Carayacarya
Following are some of Baba's teachings about sadharana pranayama.
Here below Baba is describing the pranayama which is a standard
lesson of Ananda Marga sadhana.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "Closing the eyes, sit in either
siddhásana, padmásana or bhojanásana. Do bhútashuddhi. After doing
ásana shuddhi, concentrate your mind on the point that the ácárya
will fix. Then, after doing cittashuddhi, ideate on the first
syllable of your Iśt́a mantra, press and close the right nostril
with the thumb of the right hand, and draw in a deep breath through
the left nostril. During inhalation, ideate that infinite vital
energy is entering the point from the infinite Brahma who is
existing all around. After taking a full breath close the left
nostril with the middle, ring and little fingers, and, taking the
thumb away from the right nostril, slowly let out the air (Ideate
that the infinite vital energy is returning from the point to that
Infinite Brahma). During exhalation ideate on the remaining syllable
of your Iśt́a mantra. When the breath has been fully expelled from
the right nostril, inhale as fully as possible again through the
right nostril. Afterwards, closing the right nostril with the thumb
and removing the fingers, exhale the air through the left nostril.
This completes one round." (2)
How to maximize your strength & become strong
Next Baba explains how those competent in the various practices of
kumbhaka pranayama can cultivate tremendous physical strength and
endurance.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "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. It was Shiva who determined what kind of
activity should be performed, depending on which nostril the breath
was flowing through, and depending on whether the id́á or piuṋgalá
or suśumná channel was active. He set down specific rules and
regulations as to when one should undertake physical, psychic or
spiritual activities. He further instructed when and in what
circumstances one should do ásanas, práńáyáma, dhárańá, dhyána, etc.
This science, which Shiva invented and developed, was known as svara
shástra or svarodaya [science of breath control]. Prior to Him, the
world was not aware of this science. Shiva also gave clear
instructions how this science could be applied by people in the
practical field of action. In fact, this svara shástra did help the
people later to solve many problems in their mundane as well as
spiritual lives. 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."
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "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 svaravijinána." (3)
Non-sádhakas not to injure by práńáyáma
Here is one of the many places where Baba advises that non-sadhakas
should not practice pranayama as without the proper training they
may harm themselves.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "Práńáyáma is meant for sádhakas –
it is better for non-sádhakas not to take the risk of injuring
themselves by doing práńáyáma." (4)
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The practice of dhyána [meditation
in which the psyche is directed towards Consciousness] becomes a
time-consuming affair if práńáyáma is not adequately practised.”
(5)
Ananda Marga ideology states, You will have to transform your idea
of “I am Brahma” into Self-realization through the process of
dhyána. In order to establish oneself in dhyána, one will have to
do ásanas, pratyáhára, práńáyáma and dhárańá.” (6)
So pranayama is a key and integral part of our sadhana practice. It
is especially helpful to practice it before doing dhyana. But, the
practice of pranayama is dangerous for non-sadhakas.
Questions and answers on pranayama
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Question: What is the meaning of
recaka?"
"Answer: Recaka means “emptying”. When one exhales completely and
keeps the breath out during the process of breathing, it is called
recaka." (7)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Question: What are the differences
among recaka, púraka, and kumbhaka?"
"Answer: At the time of práńáyáma, when one exhales the breath
completely, it is called recaka; when one inhales completely, it is
called púraka; and when one retains air inside the body, it is
called kumbhaka." (8)
Story books should be corrected
It should be known that there are a number of other problems,
fallacies, and inconsistencies with this book; please come forward
with others that you have found. In brief, to improve this
publication the need of the day is to point out any and all places
where the book does not match Ananda Marga ideology. Since 1990,
various Baba story books have been written by Dadas etc and many
have serious flaws - i.e. poor expression and wrong explanation of
Ananda Marga ideology.
It is very important to share draft editions with various senior
sadhakas etc to ensure that every word and expression within the
book is consistent with Ananda Marga ideology. By having numerous
proofreaders ahead of time, it is sure that the final publication
will be of a higher standard. Unfortunately, the way things are
going these days, many such publications are wrought with
inaccuracies, including the book by Shrii Diip Narayan ji, Baba
Antarya'mii. Greater care must be taken before publishing a Baba
story book.
In Him,
Mahadeva
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Dhruva and Adhruva
2. Caryacarya - III, Pranayama
3. Namaha Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva – the Focal Point of Everything
(Discourse 3)
4. Caryacarya - III, Pranayama
5. Ananda Marga Caryacarya, part 1, Sádhaná, point #4
6. Ananda Vacanamrtam, Psychic Development and Karma
7. Yoga Psychology, Q & A #14
8. Yoga Psychology, Q & A #15
== Section 2:
Important Teaching ==
Hypocritical dealings of various religions
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Átmánátman viveka will teach you
that the Singular Eternal Entity in the form of Consciousness should
be your only object of ideation. You will see the colours of
religion fade before your eyes as the pure white effulgence of
dharma shines with ever-increasing brilliance.”
Ananda Marga ideology states, “All the “isms” prevalent in today’s
world can easily be included in the category of religions. All the
defects of religions exist in the “isms” too. None of the political,
social or economic “isms” are free from superstition none are
straightforward; all are full of rampant hypocrisy. In all “isms”,
doctrines and religions, the scriptural authority is supreme. There
is no scope for the functioning of the five types of conscience, no
place for service, love or devotion. With the help of falsehood and
immorality, these “isms,” doctrines and religions slander and make
accusations against each other. They make attractive promises to the
people while hiding their own internal sins. In fact, false piety is
not the path of dharma, leading to welfare, but the opposite of
dharma, the negation of welfare. They can be likened to asses
wearing lion skins: take away the lion skins and their their true
form will be revealed. They have no other purpose than to grab votes
and usurp power. The mentality to grab the votes first and then
serve the people is not the true spirit of selfless social service;
rather, it is the mentality of power craving materialists.”
Ananda Marga ideology states, “You will have to advance with the
true spirit of genuine social service, because the very
characteristic of dharma is to promote the cause of welfare. Dharma
and welfare are inseparable.” (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life - part 7, p. 533
== Section 3:
Important Teaching ==
How come diabetes patients always drink
Ananda Marga ideology states, "The debility of the mańipura cakra is
the main cause of diabetes. Amongst the pancreatic juices, one
secretion helps in the digestion of food, and another separates the
sugar content from non-vegetarian and starchy types of food. The
sugar is then stored in a particular section of the liver and
according to body requirements it is dissolved to generate heat and
vital power to run the body mechanism. Chronic indigestion,
constipation (here also the stool usually turns into pellets),
mental exertion without any physical labour, use of intoxicants, and
excessive seminal waste – all weaken the vitality of the liver. When
such weakening takes place, the sugar contents of the food, failing
to find a storage place in the liver, are assimilated into the blood
and gradually accumulate. As a result, the blood gets polluted and
loses its immune properties to a great extent. The natural reaction
of the body in such a situation is to try to purify the blood by
separating out its sugar content and expelling it with the urine. To
dissolve the sugar, the human body needs plenty of water, and that
is why diabetes patients suffer from a continuous thirst. Sugar
emitted with the urine in a large quantity gradually reduces the
vital energy of diabetes patients." (1)
References
1. Yogi Treatments, Diabetes
== Section 4:
Comment ==
Re: Romance of Mantrajapananda
Namaskar,
There is one more piece to this puzzle that I would like to comment
on. About 15 minutes after Mantrajapananda posted his drunken
message about romance with Didi to the Wt What’sApp forum, then the
moderator Madhuvratananda removed Mantrajapananda’s number from the
list. By all perspectives, that is what the moderators should do
when someone grossly violates the rules and sanctity of any forum.
But then something else happened.
In fairly quick succession, Madhuvratananda added a new number to
the forum. This number had a different country code from the number
that was deleted. But it turns out, Madhuvratananda subscribed
Mantrajapananda to the same forum via a different number. So the
whole maneuver was a ploy, sham, and cover-up.
The optics would have been bad if as moderator Madhuvratananda did
not do anything; he had to remove Mantrajapananda’s number for
posting that perverted message. But it was all a farce.
Madhuvratnanda had no interest in kicking his friend Mantrajapananda
off the network. Because both are bound by their debauched
behaviours.
So, in a cover up, Madhuvratananda merely subscribed Mantrajapananda
via a different number. This is the type of backdoor, good ‘ol boy
antics that are ruling the roost in AMPS these days. Morality and
integrity are nowhere to be found.
In Him,
Shivendra
Recently, one serious henchman of Rudrananda, Mantrajapananda,
after sleeping and having romance with one Didi, in his drunken
state ended up writing a few lines about his romance on What’sApp:
+91 78570 92311:
Mantrajapananda: “Last night it was
after talking dd Haladini. I went in very romantic
Relationship. Don't know Whose was what.”
The above was posted to the What’sApp Wt forum on 04 March
2017. And the Dada who wrote this is Mantrajapananda, the Wt
Trainer in Davao Philippines.
- Here is a link to the initial letter on this topic: Romance of Mantrajapananda
== Section ==
क्यों हठयोग हानिकारक
ईश्वरतत्त्व-विहीन, भक्ति-विहीन योग, इसको लोग संस्कृत में कहते हैं---हठयोग | हठयोग मानवता के लिए लाभदायक नहीं है, हानिकारक है | "ह" माने है "सूर्य-बीज" | और, "ठ" माने है "चन्द्र-बीज" | अर्थात् सूर्य-नाड़ी और चन्द्र-नाड़ी | अर्थात् इडा-नाड़ी और पिङ्गला-नाड़ी को ज़बरदस्ती रोध कर लिया, तो, वह हुआ ह-ठ योग | "ह" को "ठ" के साथ ज़बरदस्ती मिलाकर रुद्ध कर दिया, तो---हठयोग | शक्ति-प्रयोग के द्वारा अचानक जो होता है, उसको हठयोग कहते हैं | हठ से जो काम होता है, हम लोग संस्कृत में उसको "हठात्" बोलते हैं | "हठात् हो गया"---माने "ह" और "ठ" से हो गया, ज़बरदस्ती हो गया; हमारा हाथ नहीं था | “हठात्” बोलते हैं न, हम लोग अचानक को ? हाँ | तो, हठेन---हठेन कुरुते कर्म | वह कभी मुक्त नहीं हो सकता है, जो हठ से काम करता है | हम लोग निन्दा करते हैं, हठकारिता की | हठकारिता की निन्दा की जाती है | [यह बाबा के कैसेट से सीधे लिखा गया, बाबा का यह असली प्रवचन, अमृतोपदेश है। सर्व विदित है कि आनन्द मार्ग हिन्दी पुस्तकों में छपे प्रवचन तो नक़ली प्रवचन हैं, असली नहीं] (1)
Reference
1. हिंदी, अप्रकाशित, Transcribed ver. GD 13 September 1978 Patna
ईश्वरतत्त्व-विहीन, भक्ति-विहीन योग, इसको लोग संस्कृत में कहते हैं---हठयोग | हठयोग मानवता के लिए लाभदायक नहीं है, हानिकारक है | "ह" माने है "सूर्य-बीज" | और, "ठ" माने है "चन्द्र-बीज" | अर्थात् सूर्य-नाड़ी और चन्द्र-नाड़ी | अर्थात् इडा-नाड़ी और पिङ्गला-नाड़ी को ज़बरदस्ती रोध कर लिया, तो, वह हुआ ह-ठ योग | "ह" को "ठ" के साथ ज़बरदस्ती मिलाकर रुद्ध कर दिया, तो---हठयोग | शक्ति-प्रयोग के द्वारा अचानक जो होता है, उसको हठयोग कहते हैं | हठ से जो काम होता है, हम लोग संस्कृत में उसको "हठात्" बोलते हैं | "हठात् हो गया"---माने "ह" और "ठ" से हो गया, ज़बरदस्ती हो गया; हमारा हाथ नहीं था | “हठात्” बोलते हैं न, हम लोग अचानक को ? हाँ | तो, हठेन---हठेन कुरुते कर्म | वह कभी मुक्त नहीं हो सकता है, जो हठ से काम करता है | हम लोग निन्दा करते हैं, हठकारिता की | हठकारिता की निन्दा की जाती है | [यह बाबा के कैसेट से सीधे लिखा गया, बाबा का यह असली प्रवचन, अमृतोपदेश है। सर्व विदित है कि आनन्द मार्ग हिन्दी पुस्तकों में छपे प्रवचन तो नक़ली प्रवचन हैं, असली नहीं] (1)
Reference
1. हिंदी, अप्रकाशित, Transcribed ver. GD 13 September 1978 Patna
== Section 5:
Links ==
Recent postings
More important letters