Baba
About our sádhaná
Namaskar,
In Ananda Marga - every sincere sádhaka - knows that Ananda Marga is the path of aśt́áuṋga yoga - i.e. the eight limbs of yoga: yama, niyama, ásana, práńáyáma, pratyáhára, dhárańá, dhyána, and samádhi.
All of aśt́áuṋga yoga has been incorporated into the Ananda Marga sádhaná system and related spiritual practices.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Our general sádhaná practice - known as sahaja yoga - is comprised of various lessons:
- First lesson: Iishvara Prańidhána, Ista Mantra
- Second lesson: Brahmacarya, Madhuvidyá, Guru Mantra (here Guru means very important, not Preceptor)
- Third lesson: Tattva Dhárańá
- Fourth lesson: Sa'dha'rana Práńáyáma
- Fifth lesson: Cakra Shodhana
- Sixth lesson: Anu Dhyána
Most margiis practice sahaja yoga up to sixth lesson, i.e. dhyána. Yet in sahaja yoga, there are seven lessons in total. The seventh lesson of sahaja yoga is kumbhaka práńáyáma. So kumbhaka práńáyáma is the seventh lesson of sahaja yoga as well as the first lesson of visheśa yoga sádhaná. It is also known as sahaja práńáyáma. It is called kumbhaka práńáyáma because the breath is retained.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
In all, this type of holding the breath pranayama can be referenced in five distinct ways:
- (a) kumbhaka práńáyáma
- (b) retention práńáyáma
- (c) first lesson of visheśa yoga sádhaná
- (d) 7th lesson of sahaja yoga meditation
- (e) sahaja práńáyáma etc
Namaskar,
In Him,
Shriidevii
Jada samadhi: become stone, mud, soil
Now let us review this term jada samadhi and explore what this means.
In numerous discourses Baba reveals this fact that if anyone gets jada samadhi then the person becomes one with stone, mud, wood, bricks, or soil - and for millions of years they face this torture. Baba strictly warns us how materialists get jada samadhi by thinking about those materialistic allurements that they covet. That is the worst situation.
So we can understand that jada samadhi is not something lofty or ideal - it is the worst kind of thing.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
"With superficial knowledge the interpreter appears ridiculous"
It is always important to interpret and explain Guru’s spiritual teachings in the correct manner.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Without proper interpretation, the shástras remain difficult to understand and sometimes unintelligible. Thus the scriptures should always be interpreted by qualified scholars, competent philosophers, and penetrating thinkers. If one tries to interpret a profound scripture with superficial knowledge, the interpreter appears ridiculous and the audience is confused."
"There are some people who are neither scholars, nor philosophers, nor penetrating thinkers, but merely wander about interpreting scriptures as a means of livelihood. They utterly fail to present the proper matter in the correct perspective before the audience. Such people may be successful in earning a living in the name of shástra vyákhyána, but they do more harm than good to the society. There are still others who interpret the scriptures just to exhibit their intellect – to procure for themselves a certificate of erudition. They too remain far from the living spirit of the scriptures." (1)
Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Disc: 14
* * *
The below section is an entirely different topic, unrelated to the above material.
It stands on its own merit as a point of interest and ideological awareness.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
"Ma'nav sama'j avibha'jy jayga'n..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0880)
Purport:
Human society is one and indivisible - collectively we have to express this glorious ideal through song, dance, and music. We cannot allow our fellow human beings to become divided. Today, we have to propagate the idea that all humans are one. O' my brothers and sisters, let us march ahead and form a united human society without delay and tread onwards crushing all sorts of thorns that hinder our plan and program of forming one vast universal family. Those obstacles are like spikes and must be destroyed. Today, a singular human society must be established. We have to sing His glory.
All people are my brothers and sisters - my own close and very intimate ones. No one is far or distant. Everyone is my kith and kin, nearest and dearest. If all human beings are moving collectively in one flow then Parama Purusa always remains with them. And He is ever-gracious. When human beings are fragmented they go far from Parama Purusa. If everyone is moving together towards Him in unison then this dusty earth will be turned into one golden paradise.
In the past we got swept away in the dogma of groupism - giving way to disparities and differences. We kept other human beings, our brothers and sisters, distant and separate - thinking that they belonged to another faction. This was our ignorance. We fell into the dogma of narrow-mindedness and degenerated into a dungeon of fissiparous tendencies - drifting far from Baba's divine teachings of neo-humanism.
Today, by His grace, I have overcome my ignorance and illusion. Now I am working tirelessly for everybody's attainment of perfect peace. We have to raise the slogan of one human society; our collective humanity is singular and indivisible. Human society is one. We are to sing the glory of Parama Purusa as our Cosmic Father...
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Duty vs selfishness
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Bear in mind that you have a duty towards others, but that no one has any duty towards you. Everyone’s individual duty is fixed. Only one who moves forward with this as his or her only thought can do proper service. Otherwise the thought may remain in the mind of the one doing service that I have done such and such work for that person, so that person ought to do such and such for me. The thought must remain in the mind of the one doing service that I have a duty towards others but no one has any duty towards me.” (1)
Note: In the various religions it is taught, “If you do A then you will get bonus B.” That return (i.e. bonus B) may be in the form of virtue, praise, or respect or help in your hour of need etc. So they do in order to get something in return. In our Ananda Marga outlook, the standard is very high. One is to serve others and see them as narayan, not anticipating anything in return from narayan. When one feeds a hungry person, then that act of service is itself the prize. There is nothing else, no other return.
Motivated by religious dogmatic teachings, the mind of selfish people works in a different way. Such lowly persons think that, "Others have the duty to take care of my situation and their own situation as well. But they should not bother me about their own problems." This is the way such selfish persons think.
And if for some reason that selfish person "helps" others then they want full return plus interest of their so-called service. There is no question of a sense of duty and true service; these ideals have no place in their mind. Because of all this, the present day general society's condition is unfavourable and bleak. All around where materialism and religious dogma has taken root, this is prevalent.
Sadguru Baba's teaching leads in a different direction. In His above teaching, Baba is very beautifully guiding that our duty is to serve everybody without any expectation for anything in return.
Reference
1. Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 9, The Source of Internal Stamina, 3 April 1979, Patna
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “What does mother tongue mean? That language in which we can freely, smoothly and spontaneously express our ideas in an unobstructed environment, just as we feel loving closeness with our own mother while in conversation, is our mother tongue...The way people can express their thoughts and ideas in their own mother tongue cannot be done in any other language. People feel uneasy when they speak in a language other than their mother tongue. If they constantly feel such uneasiness, their Práńa Shakta or vital energy will be disturbed. Consequently their vital force will be weakened. In such circumstance a sort of psychological crisis will occur in the collective mental body as well as in the individual mind. This will result in the emergence of inferiority complexes which will cause debility in the human mind. Those people whose language is suppressed lose their moral courage, initiative and power to protest. Ultimately a defeatist psychology develops in them, and as a group such people face the prospect of total annihilation.” (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “No mother tongue should be suppressed. If a mother tongue is suppressed, the consequences are most dangerous.” (2)
The mother tongue is the first language, the one spoken at home with the family. It is the language the brain first got wired with. The neurons and synapses first learned to connect feelings with words using this language. And when one is in a deeply emotional situation, say one is suddenly facing an emergency, then one's mother tongue is the language in which one immediately thinks and expresses.
To understand this point, one cannot look at gray areas such as if one hasn't spoken one's mother tongue for years and is also extremely gifted in language. Take the common cases which describe huge numbers of people: Latin Americans from Mexico and other countries of Central America going to the US, trying to escape from dire situations in their own countries, and they are unable to speak a word of English. They find themselves having to find work, and, unable to use their own language in this effort, develop a huge inferiority complex in their mind due to which they get exploited into working for almost nothing.
People throughout Bihar have to speak a language at work - Hindi - which they never spoke in their entire lives with family and friends in their village. They ultimately manage somehow but never feel comfortable expressing sensitive or complex matters due to which they develop inferiority complex and are easily exploited. There are millions and millions of cases like this throughout the world.
Suppose a non-Chinese speaker has to go to China, then they will surely learn a few words. But if they have to defend themselves there in a court of law, how will they be able to do it? That will not be easy. Even the Vietnamese boy brought to the US at the age of 15 months, learned basic Vietnamese at home but from preschool went to English language schooling. Even there, his English skills will not be quite like that of those who spoke English at home with their parents. And his Vietnamese skills will not be highly developed either. Due to lack of development of his mother tongue, he will never be able to express himself with the same ease that those whose mother tongue is well developed can.
Having a well-developed mother tongue is incredibly important for full development of the language centers of the brain. This is common in India: people don't know their own local language that well, nor do they know Hindi or English that well. Their ability to communicate skillfully and with ease in any language is compromised for life. And that creates a huge inferiority complex, which sets up the field for exploitation. And there is no shortage of people ready to take advantage of these weaknesses.
For this reason Baba gives tremendous importance to the mother tongue. Both to its use in schooling, and also at the workplace. People should know the international language of communication, but should also get full scope to develop their mother tongue and use it in their daily lives including at school and work etc.
In Him
Samadarshii
(Sean Atkinger)
References
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 13, The Language Issue
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 16, Three Cardinal Socio-Political Principles
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How their vanity gets crushed
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “In this world various persons occupy various exalted posts, and because of their posts they enjoy social respect and position. “But however high their rank may be, they pray to the Lord, saying, ‘O Lord, I exist by Your grace – protect me, O Lord.’” So the Lord is controlling everyone, whatever may be their post. The moment one transgresses one’s jurisdiction out of vanity or ego, one is removed from that post. Whenever one misuses or abuses one’s authority, the Lord pushes the person out, and the person falls on his knees. This is the rule. The Lord is controlling everything; He does not tolerate the abuse of power or authority by anyone. In fact, one of His names is Darpahárii [Stealer of Vanity]. He does not tolerate anyone’s darpa [vanity]. We see in practical life that people may be seated today in the most exalted position in society, but if they grossly abuse their position, they will meet with such a great fall that their bones and skin will be altogether beyond recognition.”
"It is only when the human beings, become puffed up with vanity and misuse the power granted to them by Parama Purus'a, that He steals everything from them. Hence, He is called Darpaha'rii - the stealer of vanity...Vain people suffer a similar fate when their vanity is destroyed as the balloon faces when its air is let out. But, does Parama Purus'a snatch away everything from everyone? No, He takes away only when the unit beings try to create obstructions in the flow of His creation." (1)
Note: In His above teaching, Baba warns us about the fate of arrogant people. As we know, the ultimate antidote to vanity is developing a spiritual link in life and surrendering to the sweet will of Parama Purusa. Then, in that case, extreme arrogance and vanity will not get scope to crop up and ruin one's personae. For their welfare, Parama Purusa pulverizes their ego. He destroys and crushes their feelings of vanity. When their ego is crushed, they learn their lesson. If afterwards they are still alive they become humble and stop terrorizing others. They become proper human beings. That is why one of the names of the Lord is Darpaha'rii - destroyer of vanity.
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell - 4, The Intuitional Science of Tantra
== Section: Important Teaching ==
When show loopholes & when not
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Never attack the religious beliefs of anyone. Make the person understand gradually with logic. If you attack a person’s religious beliefs, it means you have attacked Ananda Marga.” (1)
This yellow-highlighted quote is only used in the following types of scenarios:
- During our Ananda Marga seminars, it is fine and well to discuss the loopholes of various religious philosophies.
- In our seminars, our internal networks, and when talking with margiis, we can discuss the philosophical and shortcomings and inherent defects of such religions.
- When dealing directly, face to face, with a dogmatic person who adheres to illogical religious rituals then we should be very psychological and speak in a measured, calculated manner.
- So if someone is doing idol worship then do not exclaim, “You are wasting your time because you are just worshipping a monkey - you stupid. Don’t you know that due to idol worship you will be converted into stone or reborn as a monkey.”
In Him,
Suniiti
Reference
1. Caryacarya - 2, Society, point #9
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
अब तुम मेरे कष्टों को दूर करने आए हो
प्रभात संगीत 4484 पल गुने कतो दिन चले गेछे, मधुमासे...
भावार्थ
हे परमपुरुष! बसंत ऋतु में तुम्हारी याद में महुआ के अमृत भरे फूलों से लदे पेड़ की छाया में बैठे बैठे तुम्हें निहारते मेरे सभी दिन चले गये, परंतु तुम नहीं आए। अब, तुम इस घनघोर बरसात में तुम आए हो। जब मेरा मन बसन्त के उन्माद से भरा था तब तुम मेरे साथ आनन्द मनाने नहीं आए, पर तुम अब मेरे कष्टों को दूर करने आए हो।
इस बरसात में मैंने तुम्हारे लिये मधुर सुगंधित फूलों, बेला, बकुल, यूथिका आदि से माला बनाई है और एक टोकरी उनसे भर कर तुम्हारे लिये रखी है। बाबा! आज तुम बरसते पानी में मेरे घर आए।
हे मेरे प्रभु बाबा! अनेक दिन निकल गये और अनेक दिव्य मदहोश करने वाली रात्रियाॅं भी अपनी मधुर वयारि के साथ चली गई और मैं तुम्हें पुकारते रह गया , तुम नहीं आए। नये कोमल पत्तों को मुस्काये कितने दिन निकल गये, तुम्हारे आगमन की राह निहारते मेरे फूलों के बगीचे की सजावट भी मिट गई । पर तुम बसंत के समय नहीं आए, अब तुम बरसते पानी में पधारे हो।
बाबा! अरुणिम प्रभात की सुंदरता मध्यान्ह के सूर्य ने समाप्त कर दी थी । परंतु अब संध्या के आकाश में विद्युत की चमक के साथ तुम आए और मेरा दुख भुला दिया। तुम चुपके से आश्चर्यजनक ढंग से मेरे सामने आए हो। मेरे सभी कष्ट और चिंतायें तुम्हारे भावपूर्ण आगमन से क्षण भर में दूर हो गये हैं ।
हे बाबा! बसंत ऋतु में जब फूल खिले थे और मेरे अच्छे दिन थे, मैं सुखी था तब तुम नहीं आए और अब इस जलवृष्टि करती वर्षा ऋतु में मेरे दुख दूर करने आए हो , तुम कितने कृपालु हो।
== Section: Prout ==
To prepare for revolution do this
Prout philosophy states, "In a democratic system non-educationalist politicians poke their noses into university affairs. They do not know what education is, but they interfere to create a sentiment amongst the people to gain support for the particular ism they preach. They have no other motivation. In the democratic system public support has to be purchased to secure votes and this is the reason why politicians make an all out effort to create sentiments in the minds of the people. In communist countries, no other ism other than Marxism can be preached. People are forced to support it. Institutions which have educational value should be controlled by educationalists and not by politicians. Educationalists should also control the radio, otherwise the party in power will have the opportunity to propagate their ism through the radio system, just as they do in the books approved by university boards." (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, Talks on Prout
== Section 4: Links ==
Festival - Niilkantha Divas - 12 Feb 2024
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