Baba
Greedy “service”
Namaskar,
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “You must have seen many people who become angry and sorrowful at the time of his distress saying, “I helped those persons in their adversity, served them so much on their sick-bed, but today they are so ungrateful that they do not even cast a glance at me.” They may even curse, “God is witnessing everything – they will have to reap the consequences of their actions.” You know that such remarks are an extremely vulgar expression of mental meanness. Such persons have not done sádhaná for mental purification, nor have they truly served anybody in adversity or sickness. In fact they took advantage of other peoples distress and gave them some assistance as an advance; but the motive behind such assistance was to recover it with full interest.” (1)
Such remarks are extremely vulgar expression
1) Those who are "doing the service" really want something in return - such as name or fame etc. And when they do not get the return they desire then they retaliate or react in various ways. They may become angry, disappointed, frustrated etc, or they may quit the project entirely. And verily we see this happen regularly in our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS). We have a service project that is just a shell as there is not a dedicated person to embody that required service mentality. In result, the project dies or is abandoned and only the placard remains.
2) When a person's I-ness or unit ego is attached to the work they are doing, they bind themselves in the ocean of negative samskara and fall deeper into bondage. They are drawn further into the never-ending cycle of action and reaction.
In the above cases, ultimately such persons degenerate and become extremely frustrated and depressed.
These are some of the many outcomes that befall a person who renders service with a selfish mentality. In truth, they are not serving anyone. Just they are involved in their own ego satisfaction. We should be careful not to invite such an outlook into AMPS.
As Ananda Margiis we should clearly understand that performing actions with the wrong motivation neither helps the individual nor the collective. Rather it causes terrible degeneration in all the realms - most dramatically with the one doing that so-called service.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
No intention of taking anything from others
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “Human beings desire to acquire things from others knows no bounds. Their hopes are never quenched, but their spirit of giving to others is very meagre. Generally when people do give something to others, the intention of charity or service is absolutely secondary; their predominant feeling is to receive something in exchange. In other words, they have extreme greed to garner fame by one hand and give charity by the other. A sádhaka will have to adopt the opposite course to get rid of the burning flames of greed, he/she will have to develop an infinite desire to give to others with no intention at all of obtaining anything from them. You will have to establish yourselves in the realm of infinity by smashing the fetters of unit ego.”
Those who are "doing the service" look down upon those whom they are serving; and they end up exploiting them etc. As we know, Baba guides us that we are to look upon all as the children of the Supreme Father. In that case, there is no scope to look down upon others nor feel superior. But when this ideation is lost or forgotten, then very quickly ego develops and a person feels they should be thanked, compensated, or praised for their deeds. This state is the degeneration of mind and unfortunately.
There are some who do not recognise the dignity of those human beings whom they are serving. They do not respect those downtrodden masses. Rather by their tendency of mind, they end up imposing an inferiority complex upon those whom they are "serving." In turn, they themselves adopt a superiority complex. In that case, one ego is merely exerting its dominance or hegemony over another unit being. In that condition, not an ounce of service is done - just the indignity done to one person and the false vanity of another.
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion
The motive of doing service is to please Parama Purusa. There is no second motivation. If in the name of service, one is doing it to feel good, garner name and fame, or any other mundane or self-serving reason, then it is not service, but something transactional to get something in return. So any motive behind any service project such as to please one’s wife, or PP dada, one one’s boss, friend etc is not service, but business.
In Him,
Ananda Prakash
Ananda Marga ideology states, “True devotees can think only of Parama Puruśa – their every action is to please Parama Puruśa. For them, there is only sádhaná and selfless service to the universe – and because selfless service is to please the Lord, that also helps sádhaná.” (2)
Ananda Marga ideology states, “You know that there are two words, sevá and vyavasáya. The meaning of vyavasáya is “business”. Business is always mutual. If you want one kilo of sugar you will have to pay for it: you give something and they will give you sugar. So business is mutual, not unilateral. But sevá [service] is always unilateral; you give something in sevá but take nothing in return. This is sevá. In the advertisements of certain business concerns, you can find written: “We have been serving the nation for fifty years.” No, no, that is not sevá, it is vyavasáya, because they are being paid for it. The railways are not rendering service to you, because you are paying for your journey by train. If it were unilateral, then only could you have accepted it as service. You should understand clearly the difference between sevá and vyavasáya, between service and business.” (3)
References
1. A Guide to Human Conduct, Shaoca
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 30, The True Devotee
3. Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Jaeva Dharma and Bhágavata Dharma
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section: Important Teaching ==
All about yoga nidra
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Most of the hormones of the upper portion are consumed by the solar plexus, which is contiguous with the anáhata cakra. When the sudhárasa [bliss-causing hormones] emitted by the glands and sub-glands situated above the ájiṋá cakra are consumed in the ájiṋá cakra, the result is that the ájiṋá cakra is strongly affected by the high secretion of hormones brought about by sádhaná [spiritual practices] in that upper region, and consequently the irises of the eyes move upwards and a state of trance ensues. A pleasant drowsiness of tandrá [somnolence] mixed with nidrá [sleepiness] overcomes the eyes, and the person is immersed in a type of slumber of a subtle loka [realm]. This kind of yoga nidrá, bháva nidrá, adhyátma nidrá is known as hypnosis in English. Bear in mind that it has no connection with hypnotism or mesmerism. Hypnotism or mesmerism is outer-suggestion, while hypnosis is auto-suggestion.” (1)
Note: This does not refer to the type of sleep that occurs in sadhana when the surroundings are very warm etc. That is a tamasik state. In His above teaching, Sadguru Baba is talking about spiritual hypnosis. This is a very high stage that occurs when sadhana is very good. When one sits and experiences deep sadhana for an extended period then their whole existence becomes calm. After sadhana they will not like to talk with anyone or do anything mundane etc, and their mantra will go on effortlessly even when walking around etc. They will not even like to have their eyes open. This is a higher stage of sadhana. That is what Baba is describing in the above teaching.
This is known as spiritual drowsiness or spiritual intoxication - not sleep in the worldly sense. Sincere sadhakas experience this. To attain this stance one must do longer sadhana. Sitting in an isolated place is also very helpful. Then, by Guru’s grace, within a short period one can realise this. And they will see that this type of spiritual hypnosis will last for a long time - i.e. the whole day. A soothing blissful feeling will permeate their whole entire existence.
in Him,
Arvind
Reference
1. Yoga Psychology, Under the Shelter of the Guru
== Section: News ==
Pathetic condition of women in Saudi Arabia...
Islam: women are 2nd grade citizens
Prout philosophy states, “Hinduism will degenerate and people will convert to other religions as long as the caste system exists in the Hindu religion. If Hinduism continues to degenerate, the progress of Indian society will be retarded because Hindus are the majority community in India. Moreover, if there are continued conversions to Islam, women will become second grade citizens, because they are not given equal status with men in Islam. Consequently, there will be further degeneration. Thus, nobody should be forcibly converted from one religion to another.” (1)
[Courtesy ABC News]
“Saudi Arabia's longstanding ban on women drivers is just one of a number of rules that restrict nearly every aspect of daily life for the ultra-conservative nation's female population. While the new decree marks a breakthrough, Saudi women are still not in the driver's seat when it comes to making many key decisions in their own lives, largely because of the country's male guardianship system, a recent report by Human Rights Watch found.
Activists say the kingdom's guardianship policies effectively render adult women legal minors because they must obtain a male guardian's consent for even the most mundane activities. A woman's father, husband, brother or son constitute a guardian.
"We need to pause and congratulate all of the courageous women activists who have been pushing for this outcome for decades," Ahmed Benchemsi, advocacy and communications director for Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa division, told ABC News. "However, this should be put in perspective with other violations that do persist."
Here are 13 things -- among others -- women in Saudi Arabia cannot do freely due to the country's strict laws and guardianship policies.
Marry
Women cannot wed without the consent of their male guardians, according to the Human Rights Watch report.
Divorce
A woman also needs a male guardian's permission to divorce. And until the divorce is finalized, a woman's husband remains her legal guardian throughout the process, according to the Human Rights Watch report.
Moreover, men may petition the courts to forcibly divorce a female relative from her husband if they deem the marriage "unfit," the report found.
Have custody of children
Women cannot retain custody of their children in a divorce after the kids reach the age of 7 for boys and 9 for girls, according to the Human Rights Watch report.
Get a passport
Women cannot obtain passports or identification cards without permission of a male guardian, according to the Human Rights Watch report.
Travel
Women are not allowed to travel abroad without male permission, and they are often not permitted to leave home alone, according to the Human Rights Watch report.
Leave jail
Women who are convicted of a crime and serve a sentence behind bars cannot leave prison without the permission of a male guardian, according to the Human Rights Watch report.
In some cases, the guardian refuses. "There is this feeling that she brought shame upon her family and the honor of her family has been damaged and therefore the guardian won't come and free her," Benchemsi told ABC News.
Open a bank account
Women need the permission of a male guardian to open their own bank account, Benchemsi said, and they can’t open bank accounts for their children without written consent from the child’s father, according to the Human Rights Watch report.
Get a job
There are few careers in Saudi Arabia that women are allowed to pursue without male consent, according to the Human Rights Watch report, and some companies don't even want to hire women.
Dress how they want
Saudi Arabia adheres to a strict version of Sharia, or Islamic law, in which all women must cover their bodies and hair when appearing in public. A headscarf and an abaya, a full-length, loose-fitting robe, must be worn, according to a fact ==
Interact freely with men
Women must limit conversations and physical closeness with men who are not family members. They are also segregated from the opposite sex in public spaces including banks, offices, restaurants, and universities, which have a separately designated family section and a section reserved for men, according to the U.S. State Department.
Receive equal inheritance
Under Saudi Arabia's Sharia inheritance laws, daughters only receive half of what their brothers are entitled to, according to the U.S. State Department.
Get a fair trial
The testimony of a man in Saudi Arabia's courts equals that of two women, according to the U.S. State Department. In other words, a woman's statement is only worth half of a man's.
Seek medical treatment
While the State Department notes that Saudi women can make their own determinations regarding hospital care, the Human Rights Watch report found that a guardian's permission is required for certain medical treatments, including elective surgery and even life-saving procedures.” [Courtesy ABC News]
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell Volume 4 Part 16, Three Cardinal Socio-Political Principles
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