Baba
Ajmer & Tiljala
Namaskar,
The below photo depicts the scene at an Islamic tomb worship ceremony. And similar things are going on annually in our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS) at the Tiljala (Kolkata) headquarters - continue reading or scroll down to see the scene in Tiljala. As you may know, Islam has been doing this type of tomb (mazar) worship since the 14th century. And this letter examines how the Islamic tomb / mazar worship compares to what is going on in Tiljala’s annual death ceremony / tomb worship program.
Now let’s look more closely at the below photo. In the Islamic tradition there is a maqbara - i.e. a domed memorial building for the deceased (see below photo). The round, domed building in the background which houses the tomb (mazar) is the maqbara. Already Islamic followers have filled that domed maqbara building and they are encircling the tomb / mazar. Hoards of people have come out for this grand Islamic tomb worship gathering. And if you see the below maqbara you will note that it is so full that there is an overflow of attendees. These Muslim worshipers cannot fit inside the tomb because it is so crowded so they are performing their annual mahaprayan (urs) / annual death ceremony outside the maqbara.
Islamic Tomb/ mazar worship in Ajmer
Islamic Tomb/ mazar worship in Ajmer
Islamic Tomb/ mazar worship in Ajmer
Once again, in the above photo, Islamic followers have filled that domed maqbara building and they are encircling the tomb / mazar. These Muslim worshipers cannot fit inside the tomb because it is so crowded so they are performing their annual mahaprayan (urs) / annual death ceremony outside the maqbara.
Same dogma on a grander scale in Tiljala
Now look here at the scene in our AMPS at Tiljala whereby after 1990 the mahaprayan / annual death day / tomb worship started. See how the followers of so-called mahaprayan are encircling the tomb in the Memorial. The five-pointed pratik is raised off the ground and on top is the actual tomb / mahasamadhi.
As we know, the period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days. That is the rule as per Baba’s guideline in Caryacarya. But in Tiljala this has been going on for 30 years.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days." (1)
Yet each year for the mahaprayan function, the AMPS / Tiljala organisers use this mahasamadhi / tomb as the focal point of the program. It is veritably tomb worship or idol worship. And the mahaprayan organisers treat this as a holy place where one can seek boons etc. In this way, they call everyone to Tiljala because they feel Tiljala is the epicenter, i.e. only place to perform mahaprayan.
So the Tiljala AMPS mahaprayan function is a replica of the annual death day dogma / tomb worship, as done in Islam. Tiljala stands as a place of dogmatic pilgrimage (tiirtha) and at the center of it all is one tomb. Those mahaprayan organisers feel the deceased is gone and all that is left is to ask for boons etc. By sight anyone can understand that the below scene is a carbon copy of Islamic death day worship.
Once again, by the above photo it is clear that the AMPS Tiljala organisers use this mahasamadhi / tomb as the focal point of the program. They call everyone to Tiljala as they feel Tiljala is the only place to perform mahaprayan, and at the center of it all is one tomb. By sight anyone can understand that the above scene in AMPS (Kolkata) is a carbon copy of Islamic annual death day / tomb (mazar) worship.
Verily, the period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days. That is the rule as per Baba’s guideline in Caryacarya. But in Tiljala this has been going on for the last 30 years.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days." (2)
In this next photo below, we find three Islamic tomb (mazar) worshipers as they ask for gifts and mundane boons from their deceased friends and relatives. This is their regular custom and tradition and it is this Islamic tomb (mazar) worship dogma which is the basis and inspiration for the annual mahaprayan / tomb worship program in Tiljala.
Islamic Tomb/ mazar worship
Islamic Tomb/ mazar worship
Islamic Tomb/ mazar worship
So in the above photo those Islamic worshipers are involved in tomb worship where they ask for gifts and mundane boons from their deceased friends and relatives. And now that same Islamic tradition is being carried on by Tiljala at their annual tomb worship / mahaprayan gathering.
Thousands of Baba's discourses,
but nowhere will you find instructions for mahaprayan
It is unfortunate that despite Almighty Baba's warnings about dogmatic ways of worshiping Him, now His own so-called disciples are doing the very things He warned against. All His divine teachings of sadhana have been pushed aside and in place of that tomb worship has started.
In our AMPS, reverence to Baba means following His guidelines - not dogmatic religious guidelines in the name of Baba. Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji has given thousands of discourses, but nowhere will you find instructions for observing so-called mahaprayan / tomb worship as it is going on now. Only in Islamic traditions can you find such guidelines where they worship the tomb (mazar) of the deceased.
As sincere bhaktas of Baba we should follow all the sadhana lessons and meditate on Him, and study His spiritual teachings given in Subhasita Samgraha etc. We must not follow the dogma of Islam.
Conclusion
Here below Caryacarya gives an explicit period of time for mourning - i.e. 12 days. The annual mahaprayan dogma is in clear violation of this rule.
The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days. That is the rule as per Baba’s guideline in Caryacarya. But in Tiljala it has been going on for the last 30 years.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days." (3)
Namaskar,
in Him,
Dipak Ghosal
This letter examines how the organisers of the Tiljala mahaprayan program have completely copied the Muslim annual tomb worship mahaprayan ritual.
The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days. That is the rule as per Baba’s guideline in Caryacarya. But in Tiljala it has been going on for the last 30 years.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days." (4)
Annual death ceremony of the ever-present God
Sadguru Baba is guiding you and in the next breath they say He is dead - mahaprayan
When Our Avadhutas acaryas give initiation, or revise anyone’s lesson, or give further lessons of sadhana, they say, “I am just a medium - Sadguru Taraka Brahma Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji is teaching you and He is ever-present."
True bhaktas know that there is no such thing as mahaprayan for Sadguru Baba. As the Sadguru He never passes away, He is omnipresent. So those who Wts how believe in & propagate that Sadguru is dead are confused. Actually they are displaying hypocritical behaviour.
So in one breath our Wt dadas say that Sadguru Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji is guiding you and in the next breath they say He is dead - mahaprayan. That is both hypocritical and sinful. Hypocritical because they are telling one thing and doing something else. They are telling that Guru is no more in their mahaprayan program, yet when teaching sadhana they are relying on Him. And it is sinful because it is abusive against Guru.
It is similar to your own children playing before you and talking among themselves that, “My mother is dead.” As a mother, how will you feel. And not only that, they go one step ahead, before your eyes they started commemorating your annual death day ceremony
How do you feel about their ignorance?
True bhaktas never participate in an annual death ceremony of the ever-present God. That is against pre-1990 Caryacarya.”
This letter examines how the organisers of the Tiljala mahaprayan program have completely copied the Muslim annual tomb worship mahaprayan ritual.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/Now let’s look more closely at the below photo. In the Islamic tradition there is a maqbara - i.e. a domed memorial building for the deceased (see below photo). The round, domed building in the background which houses the tomb (mazar) is the maqbara. Already Islamic followers have filled that domed maqbara building and they are encircling the tomb / mazar. Hoards of people have come out for this grand Islamic tomb worship gathering. And if you see the below maqbara you will note that it is so full that there is an overflow of attendees. These Muslim worshipers cannot fit inside the tomb because it is so crowded so they are performing their annual mahaprayan (urs) / annual death ceremony outside the maqbara.
Once again, in the above photo, Islamic followers have filled that domed maqbara building and they are encircling the tomb / mazar. These Muslim worshipers cannot fit inside the tomb because it is so crowded so they are performing their annual mahaprayan (urs) / annual death ceremony outside the maqbara.
References
1. Caryacarya - 1, Shraddha Ceremony
2. Caryacarya - 1, Shraddha Ceremony
3. Caryacarya - 1, Shraddha Ceremony
4. Caryacarya - 1, Shraddha Ceremony
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Operative factor for meaningful donation
According to Ananda Marga philosophy, the value of any donation is based on the degree of sacrifice involved. If one has great heart-felt feeling for a particular cause and is willing to do anything and everything to help those suffering people, then his offering will be very meaningful and of great value. Even if he can only afford to give a few rupees, his donation will be very significant. In contrast, if a wealthy millionaire cares little for suffering humanity and undergoes no trouble by donating RS100,000 then his donation will pale in comparison to the generosity of the poor person who gave a few rupees.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "The charity of a few paise of the poor has the same value as a thousand rupees from a millionaire. Indeed the charity of those few paise is greater." (1)
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Yajiṋa and Karmaphala
== Section 2: Links ==
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