Baba
Faulty book
Note: This letter is only for those who have reverence for Sadguru Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji and try to follow His Ananda Marga ideology.
Namaskar,
Any book about Baba and Ananda Marga must reflect Baba's Personality and His divine teachings accurately - otherwise that publication is going against its very aim. Every disciple of Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji understands the importance of this. Not only that, every lay person will agree that a book about a particular person or movement must properly depict the topic, otherwise that publication is undermining its own purpose.
In this regard, no point is unimportant; from A to Z, a book should be factually correct and lead the reader towards proper understanding. Failing that, the writer misrepresents the very subject they are trying to capture. Here are some scenes from a particular publication that demands our attention.
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False claim #1:
Ananda Margiis celebrate Christmas
In chapter 9 of his JY book, the following bogus claim is made.
Devashiisa wrote, "Dipnarayan, Nagina, and Vishvanath were heading towards Baba's house in high spirits to spend Christmas day with the master." (JY book, p.74)
Here the writer misleads the reader and misrepresents Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji and Ananda Marga on many fronts.
(A) This style of expression gives the false notion that Ananda Marga has great appreciation and admiration for Christmas Day and that we honour all the Christian traditions and revere Christ as the Saviour. All of these false notions are embedded in this unfortunate phrase "in high spirits to spend Christmas day with the master."
(B) When in fact Baba was very strict in fighting against all kinds of religious dogmas from Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity including the dogma of heaven and hell, sinner's psychology, the existence of Satan, and so many other false notions of Christianity etc. Yet the above sentence by Devashiisa of the JY book makes it look like Christmas - and all things Christian - are hallowed (holy, revered) occasions for us. When that has nothing to do with the truth.
(C) In Caryacarya Part 1, "Social Functions and Festivals", there is absolutely no mention of Ananda Margiis celebrating Christmas, rather we all know it to be a part of Christian dogma, yet Devashiisa glorifies the occasion as a festive day to be celebrated along with Guru. This is utterly misleading and any new readers will be completely pushed into a wrong understanding.
(D) About this false point there is much more to say, but I think already everyone understands the severity of the matter.
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False claim #2:
Ananda Margiis do "namaste"
In the footnote #2 for chapter #9 in the JY book, the Devashiisa explains that:
Devashiisa wrote, "One may touch the folded palms to the chest and say namaskar or namaste." (JY Book, Chapter 9, Footnote #2)
So the person writes as if this is the proper way to greet someone - by saying namaskar or namaste. But according to Ananda Marga ideology, this is 100% wrong - in two ways. Firstly, when greeting others we do not use the term "namaste", and secondly our mudra is more than just bringing the hands to the heart.
In the Ananda Marga system of salutations - i.e. Methods of Salutations in Caryacarya Part 1 - there is no mention of saying namaste. That namaste term does not appear in that chapter. That is not part of our salutation system. Yet this Devashiisa is putting forth this false notion that it is fine to address someone by saying "namaste". Thus the writer truly has fallen into the realm of wrong, Indian, traditional dogma. Because saying namaste is not our method. Rather, Baba warns us in His discourses that namaste must not to be used as a way to greet other people.
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, ”To jiivas [unit beings], it is namaskára – short for Namah karomi – “I greet, I salute.” Here there is no tubhyam or te, that is, “you”. To jiivas, namaste or namastubhyam should not to be said; namaskára should be said." (1)
In addition to giving the false teaching about namaste, the writer also depicts the Ananda Marga system of mudra in the wrong manner.
Devashiisa wrote, "One may touch the folded palms to the chest." (JY Book, Chapter 9, Footnote #2)
But that is not our approach. First, we bring the palms to the trikuti point and then draw the hands downwards to the level of the anahata cakra. This is Baba's unique and given system.
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How to do namaskar
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, while greeting a human being, "We say, Namaskár. That is, “I pay respect to the Supreme Entity residing within you.” You should remember this. “I concentrate all the good feelings of my mind here in the trikut́i [between the eyebrows].”...So many thoughts are in your mind. But you should concentrate all your thoughts at a particular point, here – that is, with all the strength and goodwill of your mind you are doing this – you are touching these two palms here [trikut́i]. That is, you are concentrating all your goodwill here, because you are paying respect to Parama Puruśa residing within this body; this body.. [pointing to different people]. First do this."
"And not only mental concentration, you are human beings, you have got so many sentiments also. .. so with all the concentration of your mind and with all the sweetness of your sentiment, from the very core of your heart, you are paying respect to Parama Puruśa residing within human structure. So you do this [palms together at mid-point of chest], and say, Namaskár." (2)
Baba's given system for doing namaskar incorporates a very detailed and meaningful mudra - it is completely unique; but, in the JY book Devashiisa just overlooked Baba's teachings and instead explained it in a different manner that did not represent Guru's guidelines. And all along he is advising people to say namaste to one another when that is against Guru's system.
False claim #3:
Ananda Margiis do same salutation to Guru as Indians do to their uncles
Sadly, “D” says that we follow the "traditional form of greeting in India." But what those common citizens of India do is nothing like Baba's dharmic system of namaskar. They do not follow the hand mudra from the trikuti to the anahata cakra - and so many other points they lack. So to say we follow the "traditional form of greeting in India" undermines our special Ananda Marga system as given by Sadguru Baba. Unfortunately, look how Devashiisa is describing the scene in his book.
Devashiisa wrote, "They [disciples] rushed up to him [Baba] and bowed down to touch his feet in the traditional show of respect for one's elders and one's guru known as pranam." (JY book, p.74)
He is claiming that in Ananda Marga we treat our Guru in the same manner that other's treat their uncles or other family elders. But this is completely false. In Ananda Marga, we have a completely different approach and hold unparalleled respect and reverence for Guru.
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Not according to system of sastaunga pranam
In Ananda Marga, our system of paying respect and salutations to the Guru means surrendering oneself entirely at His lotus feet, and serving His will. He is the Sadguru and Mahasambhuti and we pay our salutations that reflect our deep reverence and full surrender unto Him. There is no other way.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Sastaunga pranama: Sa´s´t´a´unga pran´a´ma is a symbol of simplicity. It is to be done only to Ma´rga Guru. It signifies surrender to the ideology." (3)
So our way of paying salutation to Sadguru Baba is by doing sastaunga pranama - not merely pranam. But see what the Devashiisa wrote:
Devashiisa wrote, "They [disciples] rushed up to him [Baba] and bowed down to touch his feet in the traditional show of respect for one's elders and one's guru known as pranam." (JY book, p.74)
But this is not correct. Every Ananda Margii does sastaunga pranam to Guru; and, that is what we should project to others in our publications. This point should have been clarified in the JY book. Either it should have been written that those disciples did sastaunga pranam to Baba, or it should have been explained in the footnote that sastauna pranam is the way that we pay salutations to Marga Guru. We do not merely follow the "traditional form of greeting in India."
After all, the aforementioned disciples were dedicated Ananda Margiis and family acaryas. Certainly they were following the Ananda Marga system of doing sastaunga pranam to Guru. Yet in the JY book, “D” presents them as following the dogmatic Hindu system.
Devashiisa describes the scene as if those disciples opted to only do pranam to Baba because "sastaunga pranam is only done before one's spiritual master or guru." So he actually writes in footnote #2 that sastaunga pranam is to be done to the guru, but he does not cite that the disciples did that. Nor does he explain that this is our Ananda Marga system and the disciples always do like that. Rather, Devashiisa leaves it that only the traditional Indian form of pranam was done to Baba - as if Sadguru Baba is undeserving of sastaunga pranam.
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Such are the piles of errors and misleading explanations in this one small section of the JY book, i.e. the second paragraph of page 74 and related footnote #2. Being an Ananda Margii means surrendering to Guru, yet “D” completely missed this most basic and fundamental point in his biography of Revered Marga Guru.
Conclusion
On each and every level of our methods of salutations, Devashiisa of the JY book erred. He completely misrepresented Ananda Marga teachings every step of the way. On nearly every page of his book he is propagating Ananda Marga as being a form of Hinduism because whenever he can he equates the Ananda Marga with Hinduism.
It is just like if one wished to portray Ananda Marga as being similar to Islam then one would say that Guru Puja is just like namaz. In a similar fashion, the JY writer equates countless Ananda Marga practices with Hindu dogma. When in fact the dharma of Ananda Marga is veritably unique and beyond comparison. Yet time and again the JY writer compares Ananda Marga with Hinduism - on every level.
The biggest tragedy is that "D" committed all these errors in his book about Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. In result, a book that was supposed to glorify Sadguru Baba and His teachings, instead highlights Christmas and traditional Indian dogma while Sadguru's teachings were pushed aside.
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That is what brother Devashish (Deva'shiis'a / Devashish / Devashiisa) a.k.a. Donald Acosta has done in his book, "The Jamalpur Years".
Namaskar,
Sastaunga Pranam to Baba,
Ganga’
Gloria Vail
~ In-depth study ~
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The one formless, beginningless and infinite Parama Brahma (Supreme Consciousness) is the only entity to be attained by living beings – That alone is Jagat Guru (the Supreme preceptor), That alone has revealed Brahmavidyá (intuitional science) to us through the medium of the name and form of Anandamúrtijii. Unit beings must be made to appreciate Its majesty." (4)
Yet Devashiisa explained our manner of greeting Sadguru Baba as akin to greeting any ordinary elderly person in society. That is a gross misrepresentation of our dharmic and reverential approach.
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Nama and Namii
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 30, Parama Puruśa within Everyone
3. Caryacarya Part 1, Methods of Salutation
4. Caryacarya - 2, Sadhana, pt #1a
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
This PS is for non-sadhakas
Prabhat Samgiita Intro: This following Prabhat Samgiita composition is for non-margiis. So we Ananda Margiis should learn these types of songs so that we can present and teach them. The Ista of Ananda Margiis is neither Krsna nor Shiva. So committed and dedicated Ananda Margiis know that using these Krsna / Shiva Prabhat Samgiita compositions for their own personal, spiritual practices is very detrimental and harmful. For a full review of this important issue, kindly refer to link #1 below.
About Prabhat Samgiita
#1: http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2016/11/shiva-krsna-songs-not-for-margiis-3-more.html
#2: http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2016/11/shiva-krsna-songs-not-for-margiis-3-more.html
"Káj kare jete esechi dharáte,, kuruks'etra ei dhará.." (Prabhat Samgiita #1307)
Purport:
O’ Lord Krsna, I have come in this world to do work and serve You; this world is kuruks'etra. With Your compassion I have come here to engage in positive engagements and serve humanity. Remaining idle and inert, and wasting time in lethargy is not the flow of life. This is not how human beings should live. O' Krsna, You have blessed me with the energy and motivation to involve in constructive projects - to do something for the great cause of dharma.
O’ Lord Krsna, thousands years ago whatever You did with Your own hand with sudarshana cakra and Your bow and arrow during the Mahabharata war was for the establishment of bhagavata dharma. That immortal tale and everlasting story remains active in our collective psyche, in everyone's memory and mental plate.
Lord, all are moving forward by Your divine pull; there is no scope for anyone to pause or stop. No one can lag behind; all are going onwards. Lord Krsna, what a grand story of the Mahabharat which You led and took place on the Kuruksetra.
That Mahabharata story, which was beautifully written by the great sage Dvaepa'yan, is filled with song. People come into the world to do great things. This world is kuruks'etra….
Notes for Prabhat Samgiita #1307:
[1] Kuruks'etra: The meaning of dharmaks'etra is the field of dharma, or one's human existence; whereas, kuruks'etra has two meanings. The first meaning is the grand idea that everyone has come into this world to so some work. Because this world is known as kuruks'etra. And the second meaning of Kuruks'etra refers to the geographical place Kuruks'etra (literally "field of action") which is that area of land near Delhi in the state of Haryana where the Mahabharta battle was fought around 3500 years ago
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The real name of this world is kuruks'etra, because it is always telling you Kuru, kuru, kuru - 'Go on working and working and working. Don't sit idle. Don't let your existence fall under a curse due to your indolence. Move towards success through your works.' So the real name of that ks'etra [field] which constantly advises you in this way is kuruks'etra. Kuruks´etra thus stands for the manifested world around us, the sam'sa'ra, where you exist in your physical body, dharmaks'etra." (1)
[2] Cakra: This term has a variety of meanings and in this song it is referred to sudarshana cakra as one of the weapons of Lord Krsna. Because during the Mahabharat battle, there were times when Lord Krsna unveiled His cakra.
The historic scene in the Mahabharat where the people thought Lord Krsna covered the sun with His sudarshana cakra so that Arjuna could fufill his great vow of slaying the immoral Jayadrath.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "You know what happened at the time of Jayadratha’s death. Arjuna, as per his vow, was supposed to go to the funeral pyre immediately after sunset in order to keep his promise. Suddenly people observed that the sun was no longer in the sky and that it had become dark all around. Everyone thought that the sun had already set. Those who were devotees, not philosophers, commented that Lord Krśńa had covered the sun with His Sudarshana Cakra [His special discus]. Now you can imagine that it is impossible to cover the sun with a discus. Is it possible to cover the sun with a dinner plate? When you observe a dinner plate close up, it seems to be about this large. But if you could see the sun close up, how big it would appear! If the dinner plate were placed near the sun, it would be a mere speck. No, the discus could never cover the sun! Though the devotees claim that it did, I take this as a mere story. But then the question arises how the sun was in fact covered. The answer is that Lord Krśńa willed it so. He had mastery over prakámya siddhi, one of the eight occult powers. He willed the sun to be covered by clouds, and so it happened. The sun was covered by clouds, and people thought that the sun had gone down." (2)
[3] Dvaepa'yan: This is another name for the great poet Vedavyasa Deva who recorded the Mahabharat in written form.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Krs'n'advaepa'yan'a Vya'sa is renowned as Vedavya'sa for having divided the Vedas into three main portions (Rk, Yajuh, and Atharva)...He was born in a fisherman's family (Kaevarta [a fishing caste]) on a blackish island that rose out of the waters of the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna at Prayag, and for this reason the people gave him the name Krs'n'advaepa'yan'a. This Krs'n'advaepa'yan'a or Vedavya'sa was the composer of the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata was composed long, long, long after the Vedas, but nonetheless it is undoubtedly more than three thousand years old." (3)
References
1. Discourses on Krsna and the Giita, This Very World Is Kurukśetra
2. Namami Krsnasundaram, Disc: 24
3. Shabda Cayanika - 2, Disc: 11
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Why those burdened by sorrow enjoy sleep
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Although bodily pleasures are perceived by the mind in the wakeful state, the objects of such pleasures always come from without, with the result that the privations of the external world will always stand in the way of real happiness, as the external world cannot always supply objects in accordance with the desires and wishes of the mind. Due to this the mind has to run up and down in search of them. It becomes very agitated in the process and peace becomes and impossibility. The influence of the external world is absent during the dreamful state, accordingly the amount of pleasure is due to want of efferent desires in the mind or increased organs (for that matter here the desire is not afferent either). In the state of sleep, as the internal activities of the mind are substantially less, the amount of happiness (Static happiness) is proportionately increased.” (1)
Note: In life sometimes tragedy comes. This happens to everyone. And you might have experienced what Baba explains in the above teaching. If you lost your wallet and after that you feel asleep then at least during that time of sleep you got some relief. For this reason, those who life is inundated with problems want to sedate themselves by sleeping a lot.
Reference
1. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 2, The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 4
== Section 3: Links ==
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