Baba
Why Wts wither
Namaskar,
At the heart of our service projects are our Wts. Baba specially created Wts (wholetime workers) for the purpose of being able to serve humanity in all kinds of conditions throughout the globe, as they are not burdened by laokik / worldly family ties. Another important aspect of our Wts is that they are spiritual missionaries. These two important and unique aspects will enable AMPS service projects to be unparalleled. Unfortunately, the current organisational climate is not playing to these strengths.
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Innocent and idealistic youths enter our Wt training centres (TC) and are taught how to lead a sentient life. They sit for sadhana four times daily, fast four times per month, take a sattvika diet, practice asanas, do svadhyaya, and engage in some social service work. It is an ideal blueprint for creating spiritual revolutionaries who can best serve the society. But upon graduating from TC, greedy Dadas at the top only see these young brahmacaryiis as money-making machines. Immediately they put them to work in order to profit from their dealings.
Wts selling women’s dresses
So instead of our new Wts being encouraged to lead dharmic life, immediately they are pressured into producing a profit. In turn, they engage in petty business activities like selling women’s dresses, marketing various objects, or founding some type of “mom & pop” type of company. But whatever meagre profits they make for incharges and their stooges, altogether it is a loss. Because instead of sincerely following Sixteen Points and refining our service projects, these new Wts get drawn towards materialistic life staying in hotels; dressing in worldly, pseudo-culture clothing; traveling jointly with opposite sex Wts; and, competing with capitalists etc. By this way, their spiritual vigour wanes until ultimately they become psycho-spiritually bankrupt.
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Many leave Wt life
They forget their own sadhana and Sixteen Points, let alone how to teach and guide others. Sadly, some of these new Wts decide that they can make more money outside the organisation so they leave Wt life entirely to become businessmen.
On all fronts, it is a disaster for those youths / new Wts, and along the way our service projects suffer. No big donor would ever want to make a large contribution to our projects as they are poorly run. We could create projects that shine like the sun; but instead, for the sake of our new Wts making a few, measly pennies, our service projects are overlooked. And by this way, we miss out on those big donations, and our new Wts become extroverted and debauched. It is a disastrous chain of events.
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Donors are responsible for misused funds
Baba has directed us in the chapter on Tapah in "A Guide to Human Conduct" that if donated money is not utilized for a just and worthy cause, then the donor is also responsible for that misdeed(s). The donor will incur negative samskara - that is Baba's strict warning. Thus, always be alert that your donation does not go in the wrong hand.
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, "Tapah devoid of knowledge is bound to be misused. The opportunists will misuse your energy by extracting work from you to serve their selfish ends, and at the same time this will deprive the real sufferers of their due services from you. A rich miser approaches you with a tale of woe and entreats you to give him relief. Being moved with pity, if you do what is needed to relieve him of his suffering, the very purpose of tapah will be defeated, as it is without any knowledge or reasoning. The end result of your service will be that the rich man whom you have served will become more miserly and more selfish and will, in the future, try to deceive in a greater way people who dedicate themselves to the service of humanity. Secondly, as you will, to some extent, know his inner motive, you will become mentally depressed and you will also develop a hostile attitude towards him. Therefore, while following the principle of tapah you should ascertain fully well whether the person you are going to serve, really needs your service. Only then should you engage yourself in service...Therefore, you will have to ascertain with discrimination where your responsibility lies and to what extent; otherwise all your time, energy and labour employed in tapah will be in vain...because in such cases you do not make the proper use of objects." (1)
We should all pay heed to Baba's above guideline about tapah and serving others. If our donations do not reach the right person or party, and instead some Dada or Didi is using those funds for superficial beauty appointments etc, then we ourselves are to be held accountable. If we fail to ensure that our donation is used to serve those in need, then that service or donation is meaningless. With a good heart many in Ananda Marga wish to serve those in need, but unfortunately their efforts will be in vain if their donations do not reach suffering humanity. Verily those kind-hearted donors are responsible - in part - for this impropriety. That is Baba's warning.
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Conclusion: how to fix
Central Wts should not exploit junior Wts and look upon them as money-making machines. Those central Wts should not ruin and destroy the careers and lives of those young Wts. Rather, those junior Wts should be allowed and encouraged to live ideal Wt life and serve the society in all sorts of ways.
Baba has given the pathway and if followed properly, the results will be unmatched. Here is what every Wt should do.
(A) Wts should be sincere in sadhana and all spiritual practices;
(B) Wts should keep a clear accounting of social service projects;
(C) Wts should work responsibly in all social service activities.
There are countless people who have a lot of money and are looking for projects to support. In the past, family bonds were tight, and all the money stayed in the family. Now people are isolated; families are spread out; and, the wealthy are ready to give money to support a cause as they are less attached to their family members.
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Remember, people are inspired by an honest approach and a well-run project. So even if your service work is on a smaller-scale, if people see that you are responsible and doing good work then they will support you 100 times over. They will think that your problem is their problem. By Baba’s grace, by following this simple formula, huge donations will pour in to our AMPS service projects.
In Him
Antarya’mii Deva
Be an optimist
Sadguru Baba has given all the answers and solutions. If we apply His methods for Wt life and managing social service projects, then our work on this earth will be unmatched, by His grace.
Prout philosophy states, "There are some people who are pessimistic. They say that the society around us is very bleak, that it has no expression of vitality and that it seems that everyone is in deep slumber. Pessimists say this because they have never made any detailed study of human history, nor do they care to. Had they done so, they would certainly be optimistic, because if they had looked carefully at the symptoms of pause, they would have realised that significant preparations were being made for the subsequent phase of speed. So under no circumstances should human beings be pessimistic. That is why I am always an incorrigible optimist, because I know that optimism is life." (2)
In this present era, many are ready and willing to financially support all kinds of social service projects and causes they believe in. Our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha service projects should also be the recipients of such hefty donations. Unfortunately, the way things are headed now, we will need a serious turnaround to be deserving of consideration.
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References
1. A Guide to Human Conduct, Tapah
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 7, Dynamicity and Staticity
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Talking during kiirtanaWT conduct rule says, "You will cultivate the practice of maonbrata (vow of silence) at least half an hour every day during working hours." (1)
Note: In the above conduct rule Baba is giving the solution of one common problem. Because many suffer from the mental disease of gossiping needlessly. It can happen to anyone but certain Wts are more indulged because they talk all day long. Even if a kiirtan program is going on then still they are sitting and talking non-stop. So this is the bad habit of some Wts.
To stop this Baba has given the aforementioned conduct rule. So if anyone is not following Baba's above guideline then they should be encouraged (or pressurized) to practice it. And by that way they will gain control over their negative habit of talking uselessly. Indeed by that way one can make the extroverted mind introverted.
References
1. Fourteen Points: Point #9
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Thievery: Ananda Margiis vs materialists
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Those who have attained the kámamaya kośa will say that it is not proper to steal since, if we steal, others may also steal from us. This is the trend of thought of the materialists. Their thinking is distorted with selfishness. One should not steal for the sake of keeping the mind pure. That is the correct approach." (1)
Note: Materialists as well as followers of certain religions think that, “If I steal from others then they might steal from me. For this reason, I should not steal from them.” Or they may think, “I should not steal otherwise I may get arrested.” This is their reasoning.
Upon careful analysis it is evident that selfishness is the operative factor. That is the motivation why those followers do not steal. So this type of approach is not asteya. Upon superficial view it may look like asteya, but it is not asteya. Because it is goaded by selfishness and still the tendency exists to steal.
In our Ananda Marga, our approach is radically different. A sadhaka thinks that, “I do not need anything other than Parama Purusa. The goal of human life is to realise Him. So I should always goad my mental energy towards Parama Purusa - not towards mundane things, let alone someone else’s worldly possessions. That is why I do not even have the desire to steal anything.” This approach is wholly devoid of selfishness. This comes within the realm of asteya, and that is what ideal Ananda Margiis follow.
Here are more reasons:
We do not steal because by committing theft the mind is adversely affected. And first and foremost we want to keep the mind pure.
One step above that is, “Because Parama Purusa does not want me to steal, that is why I do not steal.”
In Him,
Tattva Deva
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Invocation of the Supreme
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Prout: Who are the warmongers
Note: In Prout philosophy, the terms shudra, ksatriya, vipra, and vaeshya are commonly. But some readers find it difficult to understand in a substantive way who these people are, and how to recognise them in the present day society. The following section is a very good description for understanding who is a vipra.
After reading Baba’s below guideline it will be clear that: Dick Cheney, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, and Winston Churchill etc are negative vipras, i.e. recent and present day intellectual satans who created wars.
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Prout philosophy states, “At the slightest sign from the vipras [defense ministers], major wars break out in different countries and states. The vipras [intellectual demons] themselves do not fight. By whispering of war in the ears of the king, they send kśatriya generals into battle. Kśatriya soldiers, running the risks for the vipras [intellectual satans], wage war on land, on sea and in the air, and the vipras [intellectual demons], understanding their physical and mental weaknesses, entice them with food or money, or inspire them with hollow, idealistic-sounding slogans, and land them in a holocaust.”
“Thus in the Vipra Age kśatriyas [military personnel] fight and die while shrewd vipra [defense] ministers receive triumphant ovations. This happens in every country where vipras [intellectual satans] play a dominant role. The names of vipra [defense] ministers are blazoned across the pages of history, but history does not record the numbers of soldiers who died on the battlefield or how many of them saw their golden dreams fade into darkness under cannon fire.”
Prout philosophy states, “When a vipra [defense] minister dies, the newspapers write it up elaborately. Condolence meetings are held; condolence messages come in by the thousands; flags are flown at half mast; and marble statues are erected at intersections in public parks. But the press will never acknowledge the kśatriyas [soldiers] whose blood enriched the ground for the harvest of victory. And actually, why should they? How can so many names be published in a newspaper anyway!”
“All the great warmongers, the great politicians of the world, belong to this vipra gang of satanic intellect. At their command, or due to their fiery lectures or diplomatic intrigues, millions of foolish shúdras have lost their lives and thousands of hot-blooded kśatriyas [soldiers] have served as instruments in the slaughter.”
“The pages of world history reveal that all the crusades and jihads of the Middle Ages were plotted by these satanic vipras [religious priests]. Caught in their intrigues, the shúdras [common mass] took the beatings; and the kśatriyas [soldiers] fought as religious warriors, but never thought deeply about whom they were fighting for.”
Prout philosophy states, “Was it only in the Middle Ages that this happened? In today’s world also, satanic vipras [war-mongering intellectuals], the protected agents of the capitalist vaeshyas [wealthy exploiters], have led and are continuing to lead millions of people along the path of death and destruction. Evil vipras [demonic intellectuals] are fanning the flames of the vaeshyas’ [wealthy exploiters] insatiable, demonic hunger. Neither the shúdra masses [common citizens] nor the warlike kśatriyas [soldiers] are responsible for the problem of the millions of refugees in different countries, for the heart-rending cries of the mothers, wives, sons and daughters of the soldiers who died on the battlefields, for the blazing flames of communal riots, for communalism itself, provincialism, nationalism and casteism. The responsibility lies with a small group of shrewd vipras [intellectual satans and religious priests] who, out of petty self-interest, have instigated the shúdras [common people] and kśatriyas [soldiers] to commit heinous acts.”
“The meanness and brutality of such vipras [intellectual demons] put on a ghoulish graveyard dance, seeming to make a mockery of the vipras’ intellect. In the Vipra Age the vipras [religious priests] drew power from this type of brutality, and through a staged display of black magic, vipras bestrode society. In the Vaeshya Age the vipras [intellectual demons] commit similar sins in order to shine like fancy shoes on the feet of the vaeshyas [wealthy exploiters].” (1)
Reference
1. Human Society part 2 - The Vipra Age
== Section 2: Links ==
Look: lowly avadhuta
AM stand on LGBTQ+
Main essence: link with Him
How to cure organisational disease
Humorous Baba story about dance
Glory: Dada Shraddhananda 1st PP
Crime fact-finding: Mantrajapananda, Rudrananda, & PP dada
