Baba
(Note: Before reading this letter be sure you have read earlier parts of this series- see links appended below.)
Namaskar,
Bride: SS Goenkas'a granddaughter has been initiated into the Ananda Marga sadhana system and she regularly attends dharmacakra.
Bridegroom: The husband-to-be is of the same caste as the bride. He is a non-margii, who has agreed to do both a Hindu style marriage and an Ananda Marga system of marriage - one after another.
The boy is a non-margii and the girl is an Ananda Margii.
Baba's directive is very clear and straightforward. Margii boys may marry non-margii girls and bring them into Ananda Marga; but margii girls should not marry non-margii boys. Baba's warning is very explicit: Our margii girls should not marry outside the Marga. That is Baba's key directive.
Important: The marriage will be held in less than 2 weeks but it does not hold up to Baba's divine teachings. Firstly, it is a caste marriage. Secondly, the bridegroom is a non-margii**. Thirdly, per Baba's teaching we should always aim for both bride and groom to be dedicated Ananda Margiis. Failing that, we should be keen to adhere to Baba's explicit warning and parents should not impose their will and force their margii daughter or granddaughter to marry non-margii boys.
Here are further points for the critical review of this upcoming marriage.
For the upcoming 7th February marriage, the boy is himself essentially a non-margii so then how can he properly fulfill the marriage vows when he has no real established link with Guru.
What usually happens in a situation like this is that in a token or ritualistic type of way, the boy will be initiated shortly before the wedding. But in this way he will not be able to adhere to the oaths and vows of our Ananda Marga marriage system.
The bottom line is that the boy was interested in a caste marriage etc - not an Ananda Marga revolutionary marriage. That is the only reason why he is getting initiated - not due to any greater spiritual urge or yearning. In that case, that initiation is quite suspect.
It is just like if a boy is attracted to a young female and cannot see her on the street etc, and his only recourse for seeing her is to attend temple / church. In that case, his only reason for going to temple or church is to be able to see the girl, otherwise he would not attend. We cannot then call that boy a bhakta or an adherent of any religion per se, because his only aim is the girl.
Likewise, when a boy takes initiation solely so he can marry a particular girl, then who can think such a boy is a real sadhaka who is ready to understand and fulfill his oaths to Guru. In this case the initiation is just namesake only.
If the boy was really interested in spirituality and Ananda Marga dharmic life, then he would have taken initiation months ago so he could practice meditation regularly and attend weekly dharmacakra, the various seminars, and DMS etc. If he had done this for 4 months or so, then it would be a valid initiation and marriage. The way it is now is just for show - nothing more.
Under such circumstances, we see that in most cases the bride and groom lead a non-margii life and their entire family becomes non-margiis, i.e. children etc. Within the Goenka family, there are other such marriages that stand as proof of this horrible outcome.
Here we can basically say that the boy is a veritable non-margii who will take initiation sometime before the wedding in an attempt to befool the world. If he were really interested he would have eagerly taken diiksa at the earliest possible moment in order to inculcate Ananda Marga ideals in his life, but this he did not do.
In marriage, Baba has given the hymn and the marriage oath. The oath begins with the following vow, which first the groom and then the bride must repeat.
"I say on oath in the name of Parama Brahma and Marga Gurudeva that out of my own free will I will accept Shriimatii / Ms. ... as my wife." (Caryacarya)
In this above quote, the oath is taken "In the name of Parama Brahma and Marga Gurudeva". So here the point is that if the oath taker does not believe in Marga Gurudeva, then taking an oath in His name has no meaning for that person.
To take an oath, one must have reverence for that person or entity - one must be a practicing and committed Ananda Margii, not just some pseudo or quasi margii who just took initiation before the wedding.
For example, if one margii takes oath in the name of Marga Gurudeva, then that has deep meaning. Because the margii has heartfelt feeling for Baba, our Marga Guru. But if that same margii takes oath in the name of Allah, Jesus or Hanuman, sun god, moon god, or monkey god, then what will be the sense of that when the margii has no reverence for those entities.
It is just like if an atheist takes an oath in the name of God, then that oath does not mean anything. Because that atheist does not have any feeling for God. So then how can an oath in the name of God hold any meaning - in that circumstance it cannot.
An oath is meaningful only to the degree one has faith and belief in that Entity. Likewise, when non-margiis, or pseudo-margiis, or quasi-margiis do not have faith in Ista or Ananda Marga ideology, then how can the oath they take in the name of Baba hold any real value or meaning.
If a non-margii bride or groom (or both) or quasi margii takes the oath on the name of Marga Gurudeva, then what meaning will that have when they themselves do not feel that Baba is their Guru. That will be ludicrous and they will never try to fulfill those oaths. For them it is a joke, lip service, or an empty drama. That is meaningless; this a very bad start as they are beginning their marriage with hypocrisy.
Those in-chareges and elders are teaching the bridge and groom that hypocrisy is OK. In that case, they will never feel serious about their oaths in marriage, and they will not feel that it is binding.
As we know, in Ananda Marga, an oath is taken very seriously. One must have a deep feeling, connection and commitment to take an oath. Moreover, here we are talking about marriage, a life-long commitment. So the marriage oath is a critical matter. It must not be taken on the name of one entity for which one has no feeling. Otherwise that is just hypocrisy.
This marriage oath is Baba's clear-cut injunction on marriage. Because this oath is being taken on the name of Marga Gurudeva. And as is already clear, when one has no heartfelt reverence or adoration for Marga Gurudeva, then that oath has no meaning. So this oath is very clear-cut, and it is given directly by Baba. A non-margii or quasi margii cannot take this oath.
On this basis, it is proven that both parties intending to marry within the Ananda Marga marriage system must be dedicated, practicing margiis who accept Baba as their Guru.
For all these critical reasons the upcoming marriage of 7 Feb 2014 is completely against the principles and teachings of Sadguru Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.
Wt's must not attend this unholy marriage. Instead, margiis should come forward and arrange an ideal marriage for this margii girl and uphold Baba's given revolutionary marriage system and Ananda Marga ideology.
Unfortunately, some Dadas who are greedy and loose in adhering to Ananda Marga ideals are excitedly planning on attending, just like fox who line up to get some scraps from the dining table. Such Dadas are keen to get payment and gifts for attending the marriage of one "prestigious" family. This is the unfortunate scene - Vandananandji is one of these Dadas. If you know names of some of the other Dadas who eagerly plan attending, kindly write in.
in Him,
Manoj
** Bridegroom is non-margii who will get a token initiation before the marriage.
The aforementioned upcoming marriage in Trivandrum (Kerala) is nothing but a donkey marriage. Superficially, they have everything ready in terms of proper outfits and acaryas on hand etc, but upon closer examination the foundations of this marriage are completely bogus as it is wrapped up in caste dogma etc and contravenes the tenets of Ananda Marga. On the outside it looks like Ananda Marga but in reality it is not Ananda Marga. That is what is meant by donkey.
Here "donkey" refers to anything that is done for show or for a superficial reason. Here below Baba gives the example of donkey food.
"If food is not given with that heart-felt feeling and if one's own life is not in danger due to starvation, in that condition then any food offered is donkey food, gardabha'nna. So one must not eat that food." (Summary of Shabda Cayanika - 20, p.163-64 [Bangla])
So that is donkey food - food given just for show or to impress others etc.
And donkey sadhaka is when one is doing sadhana sitting in a very erect position hoping that someone will notice him and be impressed. But internally, that "meditator" is just thinking about himself, not Parama Purusa.
And in the case of the aforementioned marriage in Trivandrum (Kerala), they are arranging it in a very superficial manner to make it look like an Ananda Marga marriage. But in fact, the dharmic fundamentals are wholly lacking. To the untrained eye and non-sadhaka, it may look like an Ananda Marga marriage, but to every sincere Ananda Margii it is evident that this is just a donkey marriage.
Shyam Sundar Goenka is a senior margii that is why it is important and needed to carefully examine his actions; lest others be led astray.
Here below is a link to the first two donkey marriage letters about the Goenka family and their upcoming wedding on 07 Feb 2014.
DONKEY MARRIAGE - 4
(Note: Before reading this letter be sure you have read earlier parts of this series- see links appended below.)
Namaskar,
Bride: SS Goenkas'a granddaughter has been initiated into the Ananda Marga sadhana system and she regularly attends dharmacakra.
Bridegroom: The husband-to-be is of the same caste as the bride. He is a non-margii, who has agreed to do both a Hindu style marriage and an Ananda Marga system of marriage - one after another.
The boy is a non-margii and the girl is an Ananda Margii.
Baba's directive is very clear and straightforward. Margii boys may marry non-margii girls and bring them into Ananda Marga; but margii girls should not marry non-margii boys. Baba's warning is very explicit: Our margii girls should not marry outside the Marga. That is Baba's key directive.
Important: The marriage will be held in less than 2 weeks but it does not hold up to Baba's divine teachings. Firstly, it is a caste marriage. Secondly, the bridegroom is a non-margii**. Thirdly, per Baba's teaching we should always aim for both bride and groom to be dedicated Ananda Margiis. Failing that, we should be keen to adhere to Baba's explicit warning and parents should not impose their will and force their margii daughter or granddaughter to marry non-margii boys.
Here are further points for the critical review of this upcoming marriage.
HOW CAN HE FULFILL MARRIAGE VOWS
For the upcoming 7th February marriage, the boy is himself essentially a non-margii so then how can he properly fulfill the marriage vows when he has no real established link with Guru.
What usually happens in a situation like this is that in a token or ritualistic type of way, the boy will be initiated shortly before the wedding. But in this way he will not be able to adhere to the oaths and vows of our Ananda Marga marriage system.
The bottom line is that the boy was interested in a caste marriage etc - not an Ananda Marga revolutionary marriage. That is the only reason why he is getting initiated - not due to any greater spiritual urge or yearning. In that case, that initiation is quite suspect.
It is just like if a boy is attracted to a young female and cannot see her on the street etc, and his only recourse for seeing her is to attend temple / church. In that case, his only reason for going to temple or church is to be able to see the girl, otherwise he would not attend. We cannot then call that boy a bhakta or an adherent of any religion per se, because his only aim is the girl.
Likewise, when a boy takes initiation solely so he can marry a particular girl, then who can think such a boy is a real sadhaka who is ready to understand and fulfill his oaths to Guru. In this case the initiation is just namesake only.
RECIPE FOR NON-MARGII LIFE
If the boy was really interested in spirituality and Ananda Marga dharmic life, then he would have taken initiation months ago so he could practice meditation regularly and attend weekly dharmacakra, the various seminars, and DMS etc. If he had done this for 4 months or so, then it would be a valid initiation and marriage. The way it is now is just for show - nothing more.
Under such circumstances, we see that in most cases the bride and groom lead a non-margii life and their entire family becomes non-margiis, i.e. children etc. Within the Goenka family, there are other such marriages that stand as proof of this horrible outcome.
Here we can basically say that the boy is a veritable non-margii who will take initiation sometime before the wedding in an attempt to befool the world. If he were really interested he would have eagerly taken diiksa at the earliest possible moment in order to inculcate Ananda Marga ideals in his life, but this he did not do.
OATH WITHOUT REVERENCE IS USELESS
In marriage, Baba has given the hymn and the marriage oath. The oath begins with the following vow, which first the groom and then the bride must repeat.
"I say on oath in the name of Parama Brahma and Marga Gurudeva that out of my own free will I will accept Shriimatii / Ms. ... as my wife." (Caryacarya)
In this above quote, the oath is taken "In the name of Parama Brahma and Marga Gurudeva". So here the point is that if the oath taker does not believe in Marga Gurudeva, then taking an oath in His name has no meaning for that person.
To take an oath, one must have reverence for that person or entity - one must be a practicing and committed Ananda Margii, not just some pseudo or quasi margii who just took initiation before the wedding.
JUST LIKE TAKING VOW
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, JESUS, HANUMAN ETC
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, JESUS, HANUMAN ETC
For example, if one margii takes oath in the name of Marga Gurudeva, then that has deep meaning. Because the margii has heartfelt feeling for Baba, our Marga Guru. But if that same margii takes oath in the name of Allah, Jesus or Hanuman, sun god, moon god, or monkey god, then what will be the sense of that when the margii has no reverence for those entities.
It is just like if an atheist takes an oath in the name of God, then that oath does not mean anything. Because that atheist does not have any feeling for God. So then how can an oath in the name of God hold any meaning - in that circumstance it cannot.
An oath is meaningful only to the degree one has faith and belief in that Entity. Likewise, when non-margiis, or pseudo-margiis, or quasi-margiis do not have faith in Ista or Ananda Marga ideology, then how can the oath they take in the name of Baba hold any real value or meaning.
If a non-margii bride or groom (or both) or quasi margii takes the oath on the name of Marga Gurudeva, then what meaning will that have when they themselves do not feel that Baba is their Guru. That will be ludicrous and they will never try to fulfill those oaths. For them it is a joke, lip service, or an empty drama. That is meaningless; this a very bad start as they are beginning their marriage with hypocrisy.
Those in-chareges and elders are teaching the bridge and groom that hypocrisy is OK. In that case, they will never feel serious about their oaths in marriage, and they will not feel that it is binding.
MARRIAGE OATH IS A LIFELONG COMMITMENT
As we know, in Ananda Marga, an oath is taken very seriously. One must have a deep feeling, connection and commitment to take an oath. Moreover, here we are talking about marriage, a life-long commitment. So the marriage oath is a critical matter. It must not be taken on the name of one entity for which one has no feeling. Otherwise that is just hypocrisy.
This marriage oath is Baba's clear-cut injunction on marriage. Because this oath is being taken on the name of Marga Gurudeva. And as is already clear, when one has no heartfelt reverence or adoration for Marga Gurudeva, then that oath has no meaning. So this oath is very clear-cut, and it is given directly by Baba. A non-margii or quasi margii cannot take this oath.
On this basis, it is proven that both parties intending to marry within the Ananda Marga marriage system must be dedicated, practicing margiis who accept Baba as their Guru.
CONCLUSION
WT'S MUST NOT ATTEND ON 7TH FEB
WT'S MUST NOT ATTEND ON 7TH FEB
For all these critical reasons the upcoming marriage of 7 Feb 2014 is completely against the principles and teachings of Sadguru Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.
Wt's must not attend this unholy marriage. Instead, margiis should come forward and arrange an ideal marriage for this margii girl and uphold Baba's given revolutionary marriage system and Ananda Marga ideology.
VANDANANANDJI AND WHO ELSE IS EAGER TO ATTEND
Unfortunately, some Dadas who are greedy and loose in adhering to Ananda Marga ideals are excitedly planning on attending, just like fox who line up to get some scraps from the dining table. Such Dadas are keen to get payment and gifts for attending the marriage of one "prestigious" family. This is the unfortunate scene - Vandananandji is one of these Dadas. If you know names of some of the other Dadas who eagerly plan attending, kindly write in.
in Him,
Manoj
** Bridegroom is non-margii who will get a token initiation before the marriage.
Note 1: JUST DONKEY MARRIAGE NOTHING MORE
The aforementioned upcoming marriage in Trivandrum (Kerala) is nothing but a donkey marriage. Superficially, they have everything ready in terms of proper outfits and acaryas on hand etc, but upon closer examination the foundations of this marriage are completely bogus as it is wrapped up in caste dogma etc and contravenes the tenets of Ananda Marga. On the outside it looks like Ananda Marga but in reality it is not Ananda Marga. That is what is meant by donkey.
Here "donkey" refers to anything that is done for show or for a superficial reason. Here below Baba gives the example of donkey food.
"If food is not given with that heart-felt feeling and if one's own life is not in danger due to starvation, in that condition then any food offered is donkey food, gardabha'nna. So one must not eat that food." (Summary of Shabda Cayanika - 20, p.163-64 [Bangla])
So that is donkey food - food given just for show or to impress others etc.
And donkey sadhaka is when one is doing sadhana sitting in a very erect position hoping that someone will notice him and be impressed. But internally, that "meditator" is just thinking about himself, not Parama Purusa.
And in the case of the aforementioned marriage in Trivandrum (Kerala), they are arranging it in a very superficial manner to make it look like an Ananda Marga marriage. But in fact, the dharmic fundamentals are wholly lacking. To the untrained eye and non-sadhaka, it may look like an Ananda Marga marriage, but to every sincere Ananda Margii it is evident that this is just a donkey marriage.
Note 2: "DONKEY MARRIAGE - 3A & B GOENKA FAMILY"
Shyam Sundar Goenka is a senior margii that is why it is important and needed to carefully examine his actions; lest others be led astray.
Here below is a link to the first two donkey marriage letters about the Goenka family and their upcoming wedding on 07 Feb 2014.
#1: http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/01/donkey-marriage-3a.html
#2: http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/01/donkey-marriage-3b-g-family.html
#2: http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/01/donkey-marriage-3b-g-family.html
Note 3: LINKS TO MORE DONKEY MARRIAGE LETTERS
#1: http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2013/10/donkey-marriage-1.html
#2: http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/01/donkey-marriage-2-pune-wedding.html
#1: http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2013/10/donkey-marriage-1.html
#2: http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/01/donkey-marriage-2-pune-wedding.html
