Baba
Namaskar,
Everyone wants to get a deeper and better understanding of Ananda Marga philosophy; whatever one's current standard may be, all want to increase their knowledge of Baba's eternal teachings.
Naturally then we are on the lookout for books. And one obvious question that comes to mind is, “Which Dada's or Didi's book should I read?” Because we all want to read something that will enhance our understanding.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
So let us take a look - a brief overview of some of these publications - and evaluate what Baba says in this regard. Because Baba's straightforward declaration on this very topic is the very precise answer that we all need.
Dharmavedananda’s “Avt memoir” entwined with laokik family
Dada Bhaskarananda, Didi Ananda Mitra, and Dada Dharmavedananda all walk around in avadhuta / avadhutika dress, so they are supposed to renounce their worldly life and connection with their laokik family, yet they all bring in the baggage of their pre-AMPS life into their writings.
Take for example Dharmavedananda's book, "Travels with the Mystic Master. The essence of his entire book is that he is one of the first westerners to enter into the tantric cult and become an avadhuta. Yet throughout his book he goes against that very ideal. Dada D basks in countless childhood memories of his family life etc, yet the whole meaning of being an avadhuta is to take rebirth as a true tantrika and accept Baba as his everything, and not be bound or associate with one's prior worldly existence. But Dada Dharmavedananda's book is like one big stroll down memory lane.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
By reading his book we learn about his high school friends, the narcotics he took, his mother's and father's occupations, plus we learn about his sister's interests, and we even learn the name of his dog. All of this is written about in minute detail in his so-called memoir of an avadhuta. Plus he also describes meeting with his laokik family members after becoming avadhuta - and that blatantly contravenes the code of an avadhuta. Verily over the years, Dada has been back to his native Chicago area, and he can say best whether he visited his laokik relatives. Dharmavedananda's book is meant to shed light on what it means to be an avadhuta, yet his own printed page goes against the most fundamental pillars of being an avadhuta of Tantra.
Avadhuta conduct rules state, “No relation should exist with one's worldly family.” (32 Rules for Avadhuta, point #9)
Dada B & A Mitra drag dogmas into their writing
Next, both Bhaskarananda and Ananda Mitra drag their own dogmatic attachments to Sufism & Hinduism (in the case of Dada B), and Christianity & Buddhism (in the case of Didi) in their explanations of Ananda Marga ideology. That is why their books are also completely unreliable.
In brief, on page 100-101 of his book “Social Dynamics”, Bhaskarananda writes that neo-humanism is nothing but a renaming of the ancient Hindu teachings. Dada B says that Baba's divine and revolutionary concept of neo-humanism is a mere reworking of Hindu theology etc. Obviously this is entirely wrong, but Bhaskarananda writes like that due to his attachment and fascination with Hinduism.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
And in so many instances Ananda Mitra uses faulty Buddhist parables and references to Christ to wrongly explain Ananda Sutram. This grave error happens repeatedly, in basically nearly every chapter and page of her text, “Commentary on…”, and from one printing (1981) to the next (1998). All the editions carry the same wrongs and dogmas.
Of course the most blatant stain about Ananda Mitra’s book is that she lacked the courage to write about Prout so she eliminated the entire fifth chapter of Ananda Sutram from her Commentary book.
Who says Mother Teresa is a sadvipra?
Some may say to read the book about Dada CN ji's - i.e. “When The Time Comes” by Devashish (Deva'shiis'a / Devashish / Devashiisa) a.k.a. Donald Acosta - as that will give us a right interpretation of Ananda Marga ideology. Unfortunately, when we look at this book we find various statements like, 'Mother Teresa was a sadvipra' & 'I went into nirvakalpa samadhi four times a day' etc. Let’s examine these statements one at a time.
Hundreds of Mother Teresa’s personal and private correspondences have become public and reveal her true status. In those letters she claims that she feels God has abandoned her and that she feels so far away and she even wonders if there even is a God. Yet on the podium - when in the public eye - she would regularly talk as if she and God were one. Even the general society has come to understand her duplicity and unsaintliness. But that blatant hypocrisy is not her only defect. Mother Teresa was not a vegetarian, and she forcibly converted millions of poor people into Christianity. This proves that she was not even close to being a virtuous person, let alone sadvipra.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Ananda Marga ideology states, “A sádhu must be vegetarian.” (Ananda Vacanamrtam - 2, Keep Company with the Virtuous)
In so many discourses, Guru says to always point out religious dogma. That is one of the main works of a sadvipra. Yet through it all, Devashish put Mother Teresa alone as an example of a sadvipra in his book, even though she embraces and embodies countless religious dogmas. Thus anyone reading D’s book will get an entirely wrong understanding of Baba's ideal of a sadvipra. Such is D’s interpretation and applications of Ananda Marga ideology. And the worst part is that if the book gets printed again, then that grave mistake may not be repaired. It may remain there, “Mother Teresa was a sadvipra”, for the next generation to see.
Conclusion: First read all of Guru’s books
By reading books by and about our acaryas, one is not going to get a clearer or more pristine understanding of Ananda Marga ideology. Rather one will be exposed to dogmatic concepts because all of the aforementioned "authors" and others drag their own previously held dogmas and attachments into AM philosophy when writing their books. That is the problem. And the other issue is that those mistakes do not get corrected from one printing to the next. Each edition of the book carries the same old defects. Sadly, their books are riddled with innumerable errors and falsehoods and misguide readers.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Considering all of the above and taking Baba as the Supreme Guru, the only way to proceed is to pay heed to His guideline. In the Senior Acarya Diary, Baba explicitly warns everyone that one should first study all the books of Ananda Marga philosophy and develop a crystal clear understanding before going on to read other books. Because AM is dharma and other writings are not. And if one does not first properly understand the teachings of Ananda Marga they will be confused or misguided by those other writings, such as those books written by our various acaryas etc. They will lack the vivek to discern wrong from right.
So the only way to proceed is to first study all of Baba's books. That is the only way to understand AM ideology and the dharma of life. And that is Baba's explicit guideline for us all to follow.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Brahma Jyoti
Sadguru says, “Ánanda Márga alone is Dharma and all the rest are sectisms.” (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The books in Ananda Marga philosophy are all absolute knowledge. The proper mark of identity of absolute knowledge is that it must be universal, rational and psychological.” (2)
“Four times” samadhi yet afraid to stand against injustices
In his book, Devashish also proclaims that CN regularly went into nirvikalpa samadhi 4 times daily. Basically D is claiming that CN had the highest realisation, i.e. someone who is beyond all the shackles of the lower vrittis etc. Yet Candranathji was riddled with fears in organisational life and how scared to take a stand on MPD dogma. He would never come forward to fight against groupism etc. In that case, how can anyone really think that CN ji truly experienced nirvikalpa samadhi 4 times a day etc, since he himself was captive to such worldly fears. Yet that is what D wrote in his book and that is the mistaken understanding of nirvikalpa samadhi.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Not just these two examples, but on nearly each and every page of his book there are erroneous statements either about religion, yama and niyama, or various topics. Keep in mind here that the goal is not to put anyone down per se. The only aim is to see if by reading his book one can get a clearer understanding of Baba's ideology.
One may then ask then how did all this occur. It is unfortunate that to boost sales and gain prestige, brother Devashish resorts to falsehoods. CN ji himself never made such claims, yet when Devashish writes about CN ji, he prints absurd statements and then attributes them to CN ji. All for the sake of boosting sales. D’s main objective was to be a bestseller author, not a true and reliable biographer.
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, The Call of the Supreme
2. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 4, Prápta Vákya and Ápta Vákya
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
Torrential tears
"Keu, tomár lágiyá jáge divá ráti, keu ásháte búk bándhe..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0348)
Purport:
My Parama Purusa, some bhaktas stay awake day and night in longing for You. They pass their time in svadhya’ya, bhajans, kiirtana, and meditation in order to realize You. Their entire 24 hrs passes remaining awake remembering You. Other bhaktas console their heart in hopes of Your arrival. Some sing songs full of bhakti to forget their melancholic pain of not having You in as intimate a way as they would like. Still others shed torrential, copious tears in Your longing. While another range of bhaktas never forget that blissful memory of You: Those sweet days which were graced by You - when they were with You. At the time of their meditation, japa, shravan, manan, and personal contact, those sadhakas felt a very intimate and sweet connection with You in their life. Even if they want to forget that memory of You, they can’t forget. Still today, that loving, blissful time lingers on in their mind which expresses through their Prabhat Samgiita songs.
Parama Purusa, Baba, some people thread garlands of days bygone when they felt Your divine touch in their mind. They use their time singing about their blissful experiences of sadhana from their past. Some dye their world with colourful dreams. Other bhaktas always play a game of light and shadow with You: Sometimes they feel Your proximity, and other times they feel distant. Those who are great bhaktas always have a heart full of bhakti. No matter what situation they are in, their mind always remains saturated with supreme prema. They utilise their human life fully and realise You. Such bhaktas are truly fortunate and blessed. Their coming on this earth as a human being becomes successful...
Great dadas’ books
Namaskar,
Everyone wants to get a deeper and better understanding of Ananda Marga philosophy; whatever one's current standard may be, all want to increase their knowledge of Baba's eternal teachings.
Naturally then we are on the lookout for books. And one obvious question that comes to mind is, “Which Dada's or Didi's book should I read?” Because we all want to read something that will enhance our understanding.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
So let us take a look - a brief overview of some of these publications - and evaluate what Baba says in this regard. Because Baba's straightforward declaration on this very topic is the very precise answer that we all need.
Dharmavedananda’s “Avt memoir” entwined with laokik family
Dada Bhaskarananda, Didi Ananda Mitra, and Dada Dharmavedananda all walk around in avadhuta / avadhutika dress, so they are supposed to renounce their worldly life and connection with their laokik family, yet they all bring in the baggage of their pre-AMPS life into their writings.
Take for example Dharmavedananda's book, "Travels with the Mystic Master. The essence of his entire book is that he is one of the first westerners to enter into the tantric cult and become an avadhuta. Yet throughout his book he goes against that very ideal. Dada D basks in countless childhood memories of his family life etc, yet the whole meaning of being an avadhuta is to take rebirth as a true tantrika and accept Baba as his everything, and not be bound or associate with one's prior worldly existence. But Dada Dharmavedananda's book is like one big stroll down memory lane.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
By reading his book we learn about his high school friends, the narcotics he took, his mother's and father's occupations, plus we learn about his sister's interests, and we even learn the name of his dog. All of this is written about in minute detail in his so-called memoir of an avadhuta. Plus he also describes meeting with his laokik family members after becoming avadhuta - and that blatantly contravenes the code of an avadhuta. Verily over the years, Dada has been back to his native Chicago area, and he can say best whether he visited his laokik relatives. Dharmavedananda's book is meant to shed light on what it means to be an avadhuta, yet his own printed page goes against the most fundamental pillars of being an avadhuta of Tantra.
Avadhuta conduct rules state, “No relation should exist with one's worldly family.” (32 Rules for Avadhuta, point #9)
Dada B & A Mitra drag dogmas into their writing
Next, both Bhaskarananda and Ananda Mitra drag their own dogmatic attachments to Sufism & Hinduism (in the case of Dada B), and Christianity & Buddhism (in the case of Didi) in their explanations of Ananda Marga ideology. That is why their books are also completely unreliable.
In brief, on page 100-101 of his book “Social Dynamics”, Bhaskarananda writes that neo-humanism is nothing but a renaming of the ancient Hindu teachings. Dada B says that Baba's divine and revolutionary concept of neo-humanism is a mere reworking of Hindu theology etc. Obviously this is entirely wrong, but Bhaskarananda writes like that due to his attachment and fascination with Hinduism.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
And in so many instances Ananda Mitra uses faulty Buddhist parables and references to Christ to wrongly explain Ananda Sutram. This grave error happens repeatedly, in basically nearly every chapter and page of her text, “Commentary on…”, and from one printing (1981) to the next (1998). All the editions carry the same wrongs and dogmas.
Of course the most blatant stain about Ananda Mitra’s book is that she lacked the courage to write about Prout so she eliminated the entire fifth chapter of Ananda Sutram from her Commentary book.
Who says Mother Teresa is a sadvipra?
Some may say to read the book about Dada CN ji's - i.e. “When The Time Comes” by Devashish (Deva'shiis'a / Devashish / Devashiisa) a.k.a. Donald Acosta - as that will give us a right interpretation of Ananda Marga ideology. Unfortunately, when we look at this book we find various statements like, 'Mother Teresa was a sadvipra' & 'I went into nirvakalpa samadhi four times a day' etc. Let’s examine these statements one at a time.
Hundreds of Mother Teresa’s personal and private correspondences have become public and reveal her true status. In those letters she claims that she feels God has abandoned her and that she feels so far away and she even wonders if there even is a God. Yet on the podium - when in the public eye - she would regularly talk as if she and God were one. Even the general society has come to understand her duplicity and unsaintliness. But that blatant hypocrisy is not her only defect. Mother Teresa was not a vegetarian, and she forcibly converted millions of poor people into Christianity. This proves that she was not even close to being a virtuous person, let alone sadvipra.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Ananda Marga ideology states, “A sádhu must be vegetarian.” (Ananda Vacanamrtam - 2, Keep Company with the Virtuous)
In so many discourses, Guru says to always point out religious dogma. That is one of the main works of a sadvipra. Yet through it all, Devashish put Mother Teresa alone as an example of a sadvipra in his book, even though she embraces and embodies countless religious dogmas. Thus anyone reading D’s book will get an entirely wrong understanding of Baba's ideal of a sadvipra. Such is D’s interpretation and applications of Ananda Marga ideology. And the worst part is that if the book gets printed again, then that grave mistake may not be repaired. It may remain there, “Mother Teresa was a sadvipra”, for the next generation to see.
Conclusion: First read all of Guru’s books
By reading books by and about our acaryas, one is not going to get a clearer or more pristine understanding of Ananda Marga ideology. Rather one will be exposed to dogmatic concepts because all of the aforementioned "authors" and others drag their own previously held dogmas and attachments into AM philosophy when writing their books. That is the problem. And the other issue is that those mistakes do not get corrected from one printing to the next. Each edition of the book carries the same old defects. Sadly, their books are riddled with innumerable errors and falsehoods and misguide readers.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Considering all of the above and taking Baba as the Supreme Guru, the only way to proceed is to pay heed to His guideline. In the Senior Acarya Diary, Baba explicitly warns everyone that one should first study all the books of Ananda Marga philosophy and develop a crystal clear understanding before going on to read other books. Because AM is dharma and other writings are not. And if one does not first properly understand the teachings of Ananda Marga they will be confused or misguided by those other writings, such as those books written by our various acaryas etc. They will lack the vivek to discern wrong from right.
So the only way to proceed is to first study all of Baba's books. That is the only way to understand AM ideology and the dharma of life. And that is Baba's explicit guideline for us all to follow.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Brahma Jyoti
Sadguru says, “Ánanda Márga alone is Dharma and all the rest are sectisms.” (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The books in Ananda Marga philosophy are all absolute knowledge. The proper mark of identity of absolute knowledge is that it must be universal, rational and psychological.” (2)
“Four times” samadhi yet afraid to stand against injustices
In his book, Devashish also proclaims that CN regularly went into nirvikalpa samadhi 4 times daily. Basically D is claiming that CN had the highest realisation, i.e. someone who is beyond all the shackles of the lower vrittis etc. Yet Candranathji was riddled with fears in organisational life and how scared to take a stand on MPD dogma. He would never come forward to fight against groupism etc. In that case, how can anyone really think that CN ji truly experienced nirvikalpa samadhi 4 times a day etc, since he himself was captive to such worldly fears. Yet that is what D wrote in his book and that is the mistaken understanding of nirvikalpa samadhi.
http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com
Not just these two examples, but on nearly each and every page of his book there are erroneous statements either about religion, yama and niyama, or various topics. Keep in mind here that the goal is not to put anyone down per se. The only aim is to see if by reading his book one can get a clearer understanding of Baba's ideology.
One may then ask then how did all this occur. It is unfortunate that to boost sales and gain prestige, brother Devashish resorts to falsehoods. CN ji himself never made such claims, yet when Devashish writes about CN ji, he prints absurd statements and then attributes them to CN ji. All for the sake of boosting sales. D’s main objective was to be a bestseller author, not a true and reliable biographer.
References
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, The Call of the Supreme
2. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 4, Prápta Vákya and Ápta Vákya
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Torrential tears
"Keu, tomár lágiyá jáge divá ráti, keu ásháte búk bándhe..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0348)
Purport:
My Parama Purusa, some bhaktas stay awake day and night in longing for You. They pass their time in svadhya’ya, bhajans, kiirtana, and meditation in order to realize You. Their entire 24 hrs passes remaining awake remembering You. Other bhaktas console their heart in hopes of Your arrival. Some sing songs full of bhakti to forget their melancholic pain of not having You in as intimate a way as they would like. Still others shed torrential, copious tears in Your longing. While another range of bhaktas never forget that blissful memory of You: Those sweet days which were graced by You - when they were with You. At the time of their meditation, japa, shravan, manan, and personal contact, those sadhakas felt a very intimate and sweet connection with You in their life. Even if they want to forget that memory of You, they can’t forget. Still today, that loving, blissful time lingers on in their mind which expresses through their Prabhat Samgiita songs.
Parama Purusa, Baba, some people thread garlands of days bygone when they felt Your divine touch in their mind. They use their time singing about their blissful experiences of sadhana from their past. Some dye their world with colourful dreams. Other bhaktas always play a game of light and shadow with You: Sometimes they feel Your proximity, and other times they feel distant. Those who are great bhaktas always have a heart full of bhakti. No matter what situation they are in, their mind always remains saturated with supreme prema. They utilise their human life fully and realise You. Such bhaktas are truly fortunate and blessed. Their coming on this earth as a human being becomes successful...
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Uselessness and futility of worldly knowledge
Baba says, "People wish to know everything but the human cranium is small, and the brain even smaller. So how much can one know? Also whatever one learns today one forgets tomorrow. Yes, one who was a Mahámohapádháya, a pandit, would no longer be able to remember the “sabdarupa” of “Nara” if after leaving his or her original occupation he or she became engaged in agricultural work. This is the situation that usually happens. So the main thing is “know all – know one”. What is the use of reading and forgetting so many books? If one reads more books one will forget more things and make more mistakes. So what is the use? No permanent benefit is derived from being a book-worm. I encourage the general education – laokika education – so that people can understand the shallowness of laokika knowledge." (1)
Note 1: Laukika knowledge: Anything related with the relative world-- i.e. all the facts and figures related with this ever-changing expressed universe whether they be mathematical theories, political treatises, or general gossip from the TV. All these things fall within the realm of laukika knowledge.
Note 2: In His above divine teaching, Baba guides us that intellectual progress is meaningless in the absence of spirituality. Only self-realisation is the real knowledge. When one does sadhana and studies dharmic scriptures then one realises how intellectual knowledge is completely futile for attaining perfect peace and eternal happiness. Whereas by atma-jinana (self-realisation) one will automatically know the 'ins' and 'outs' of everything. That is why knowing oneself is the real knowledge. Know one, know all.
Note 3: It is not impossible to satiate the heart with worldly knowledge since the human heart can only be satiated with the divine bliss attained through sadhana. But just talking about sadhana the whole day also will not bring eternal peace and happiness; one has to do sadhana. For example memorizing all the facets about sristi cakra (cycle of creation) will not lead to true spiritual realisation. For that one must perform meditation-- sadhana.
Final Note: The grand conclusion of Baba's above teaching is that the reason why intellectual knowledge is highly needed is so that one can understand its uselessness and futility.
Reference
(1) Ananda Vacanamrtam - 6, Self-Realization Is the Real Knowledge
== Section 3: Links ==
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