Baba
Sad state: Wts & rakhi dogma
Namaskar,
Sadguru Baba's dharmic proclamation is "dogma no more, dogma no more." Thus when we see any dogma taking root in our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha then we must be vigilant to yank it out. Around this time, some of our Didis make their plans for participating in the dogmatic Hindu ritual named raksha bandhan, or simply rakhi.
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Yet this ritual radically undermines the status of females and reinforces male domination. It is completely against the dharmic codes of Ananda Marga ideology. So we must take swift steps to derail raksha bandhan dogma.
How the dogmatic raksha bandhan is observed
Many outside Delhi sector may not be familiar with the Hindu dogma of raksha bandhan. So here is a very brief description. Each year on or around the occasion of Shravanii Purnima, females tie a special string or bracelet - known as a rakhi - around the wrist of a male they trust. By this way, such females are acknowledging their own weakness and requesting that particular male to protect and guard them.
Sadly, this annual dogmatic ritual reinforces the inferiority complex that females harbour. All know that in India the rights of females are limited - there is a long history of female exploitation and male domination. So a ritual like raksha bandhan, where females surrender to their male protectorate, only further undermines the status of women. Yet sadly, some Didis are still participating in this dogma. They are selecting various Dadas with whom they wish to tie a rakhi. And apparently they have been doing this the last few years, so already this dogma is taking root. Yet, prior to 1990, no one dared do such a thing.
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And verily, Baba's guideline is that everyone on this earth - male or female - should stand tall. And He delivers a staunch warning never to bow down at the altar of dogma and pseudo-culture like raksha bandhan.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "If one’s spine is shattered, it is impossible to hold one’s head erect. Can those whose necks and backs are crushed under the weight of pseudo-culture, be expected to hold their heads high in any sphere of life? Hence it is the bounden duty of every rational person to save innocent people from pseudo-culture." (1)
Organised female humiliation ritual
Yet, by participating in rakhi, year after year, innocent females are cementing the idea in their mind that they are unable to stand up for themselves. Females are surrendering to male superiority, and this begins at a very young age. This raksha bandhan ritual is the epitome of pseudo-culture - it is wholly irrational, illogical, and debilitating.
Our Didis are supposed to pave the pathway for smashing such cultural dogmas like raksha bandhan. But instead, they themselves are participating in this ceremony of female submission. This runs completely counter to the spirit of tantra and what it means to be a wholetimer Didi. Such Didis are literally ruining themselves and throwing society back into the stone ages by accepting this raksha bandhan ritual.
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The raksha bandhan dogma violates our AM way of life entirely and crosses the line of humiliation and degradation. For any sister to senselessly surrender at the altar of male domination year after year does not amount to protecting and advancing the female cause. Rather it undermines the very stature of women.
So raksha bandhan is a degrading and humiliating ritual. No one should think that it carries any spirit of welfare. Nor is it just one innocent gesture or cute game etc. Rather, it is a veritable poison for society.
Naive girls are duped
One part of the raksha dogma not mentioned above is that after the girl ties a rakhi on the male's wrist - and they may do this with many males - then those males give that girl a gift - in cash or kind. So some females think that, "This is great I will be getting some money." But the real result is that they are selling their soul and losing their humanity by subjecting themselves in this way. Doing this for money is not good.
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Now is the time to step forward and end this dogma of raksha bandhan. And the first move is that our respected Didis must refrain from supporting and participating in this dogma. So we hope those didis who plan on participating in raksha bandhan this year reconsider their decision.
Lastly, this dogma is not a one-sided affair, no Wt Dada or margii brother should accept a rakhi from any Didi / sister - not under any circumstances.
More points against the rakhi dogma
(a) Males are physically stronger, and females are inherently weaker on the physical plane. So we should not turn this natural disparity into a business relation whereby only if you tie a rakhi will males protect you. Rather males should always help and defend females because it is their duty.
(b) In Caryacarya, Sadguru Baba has enlisted the festivals that are celebrated in Ananda Marga. And raksha bandhan is not listed there. It is wrong to add this dogmatic affair of raksha bandhan to our dharmic and neo-humanistic selection of Ananda Marga festivals.
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(c) By creating a women's militia, Sadguru Baba gave the silent message that females are not inferior or subservient. Yet raksha bandhan goes against this ethic and infuses the dogma that females are dependent upon males.
Dogma: "We women too weak to stand up for ourselves"
Some may naively question, "What is wrong with tying a rakhi - it is an innocent thing to do." But those who know better understand what a dangerous dogma this is. And to best understand it one must put themselves in their shoes. For instance, if you ask any male in India if they want to tie a rakhi around the wrist of a female and accept that female as their protectorate, they will balk at the offer. No male will subjugate themselves in this way. It would be absolutely humiliating - they would become the laughingstock of the town.
So from afar it may look innocent, but if you ask someone else to do this they will not like to accept this lowly and demoralizing position. The message is basically, "We women are too weak to defend or stand up for ourselves, so we surrender to males for our protection and we bind ourselves to them by tying a rakhi. In the mundane plane we do not trust the women’s militia created by Baba. We think women are weak so those women's militias cannot protect us. Instead we are surrendering to our male counterparts to protect us. That is why we tied a raksha bandhan - thread of security - onto a male’s wrist." No rational person would accept such subjugation.
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I would like to request the supporters of this dogma to open their eyes. Baba has given equal status to males and females. We should not allow anyone to impose this degrading mindset and belittling attitude upon our young girls.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Radhika’ Singh
~ In-depth study ~
For raksha bandhan certain didis once again have specific plans to submit themselves to male domination by participating in the raksha bandhan dogma. Already these below didis are involved in planning and identifying which brother(s) they will tie with rakhis. However their names have not been placed here below as they have ample scope to change their mind and rectify their dealing - i.e. not participate in this raksha bandhan or rakhi ritual.
(1) Avadhutika …. Acarya
(2) Avadhutika …. Acarya
(3) Avadhutika …. Acarya
(4) Avadhutika …. Acarya
(5) Avadhutika …. Acarya
(6) Avadhutika …. Acarya
And there are many more - and we will release their names if those other Didis fail to give up this ritualistic dogma.
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Parents even call their daughters as "son"
To further understand the plight of females, some parents even call their daughters "beta" which means "son." They do this because the term for daughter - "beti" - has been so badly stigmatized. The term "beti" (daughter) itself has become lowly. Such is the inherent condition of females in India. Thus to support or participate in the Hindu dogma of raksha bandhan that perpetuates male domination is unacceptable. Rather staunch efforts must be made to empower women.
References
1. The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, Disc: 7
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 17, Suppression, Repression and Oppression
To further understand the plight of females, some parents even call their daughters "beta" which means "son." They do this because the term for daughter - "beti" - has been so badly stigmatized. The term "beti" (daughter) itself has become lowly. Such is the inherent condition of females in India. Thus to support or participate in the Hindu dogma of raksha bandhan that perpetuates male domination is unacceptable. Rather staunch efforts must be made to empower women.
References
1. The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, Disc: 7
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 17, Suppression, Repression and Oppression
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Mindset of atheist
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "Self-awareness develops through clash. The awareness that develops through physical clash is termed jadábuddhi [crude physical intellect] because it is associated with jadá [matter]. The consciousness of animals and undeveloped human beings is matter-oriented. But even in developed human society, if someone is an atheist or a materialist, we can only term their intellect as jadábuddhi. Such people deny the existence of spirituality in order to hide their intellectual deficiencies. Their denial betrays their moral and intellectual bankruptcy. It does not speak of their glory, nor does it diminish the value of spirituality." (1)
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Devotion plays a positive role in the process of clash. Had there been no factor to maintain the balance among all the objects created within the Macrocosmic Mind, the entire structure of the universe would have fallen apart. For the sake of harmony and balance within the universe, there is a mutual attraction among all the objects; each microcosm attracts the other microcosms. All finite microcosms – the innumerable manifestations of the Supreme Entity – are entitled to that universal love with which It has bound each microcosm to Itself, entitled to the wave of that universal love, in which Its divine ocean of bliss is perennially flowing. Attraction is the innate characteristic of microcosms. When this attraction is for finite objects, it is called káma [“physical longing”], and when it surges towards the Cosmic Entity, it is called prema [“divine love”]. Of course, káma is nothing but a limited form of prema. When microcosms rush towards Parama Puruśa [Supreme Consciousness] attracted by the irresistible force of divine love, it is termed “devotion”. Since clash drives the microcosms towards subtlety, it follows that clash must be the sustainer of devotion." (2)
References
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 8, Cosmic Attraction and Spiritual Cult
2. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 8, Cosmic Attraction and Spiritual Cult
== Section: Important Teaching ==
No place for private ownership
Prout philosophy states, “We must not forget, even for a single moment, that the entire animate world is a vast joint family. Nature has not assigned any portion of this property to any particular individual. Private ownership has been created by selfish opportunists, as the loopholes in this system provide them with ample scope for self-aggrandizement through exploitation. When the entire wealth of the universe is the common patrimony of all living beings, can the system in which some roll in luxury, while others, deprived of a morsel of food, shrivel up and starve to death bit by bit, be said to have the support of dharma?" (1)
Reference
1. Problems of the Day, point #1
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Human mind derailed into lowly dealings
Prout philosophy states, “In capitalism the rich, in their affluence, misuse the psychic urge and direct their psychic pabula to the pursuit of material gains. And the poor, in their extreme poverty, misdirect their psychic urges and concentrate their psychic pabula on antisocial activities in their struggle for existence. In communism, the elite and party leaders misuse their psychic urges and direct their psychic pabula towards political manipulation and totalitarian repression. Under the oppression of communist rule the psychic pabula of the general people are suppressed into a state of doldrums. In both cases psychic urges are misutilised for sub-human activities in the physical, psycho-physical and psychic spheres. This must be stopped.” (1)
Note: In His above guideline, the Propounder of Prout philosophy is outlining the defects of both capitalism and communism. In capitalism, rich people direct their mental desire towards material wealth by cheating others. That is their misuse of their infinite human longing which should be used for spiritual pursuits.
Due to capitalist exploitation the general public is reduced to beggars and they survive by involving in anti-social activities like drug dealing, gang warfare, white collar crime, underground trade, human trafficking and so many other nasty things and vices. Initially they start those vices due to lack of the basic minimal requirements to live and gradually those vices consume them. In result, they misuse their infinite human longing which should be used for spiritual pursuits.=
Up till their death
Communist leaders misuse their infinite desire to ruthlessly control and exploit the masses. Those leaders aim to become ministers and dictators where they will remain in the post up till their death. In communism, the leaders never want to give up the post. That is how they misuse their infinite human longing which should be used for spiritual pursuits.
Due to communist exploitation the common people are reduced to rubble. They are harassed, exploited, and suppressed, and have no scope to develop their free thinking or expression. Everything is manipulated by communist propaganda and in turn human beings become animals. And the common people also misuse their desire infinite human longing for gross material pleasures when that longing should be goaded towards the Supreme.
Due to these defectives systems those at the helm degrade themselves and the common people are exploited terribly. So these two systems should be discarded.
Now I request AMPS leaders to stop eating off of the same plate as those communists as their bosom friend - thinking such communists to be saviour of universe. Unfortunately, some Prout leaders think communism and Prout are the same thing. That is why the Prout movement is not growing. The general public has well understood that communism is awful so if our Prout leader attach Prout with communism then the people will think that Prout is similar to communism. That is the sad plight taking place these days.
Reference
1. A Few Problems Solved - 8, The Transformation of Psychic Pabula into Psycho-spiritual Pabulum
== Section 2: Links ==
Raksha Bandhan & female submission
Bhakti: what to remember
Role of margiis: past & present
History of AMPS: rise & fall
2 lowly Wts joined BJP political party
