Baba
This email contains 2 sections:
1. Posting: Example of degraded Wts
2. Links
Note: It is imperative to know this letter is about monks / Wts - not a family man. A monk has to follow the conduct rules for monks. A family person need not follow such rules. If any reader forgets this very point while reading this letter then the whole thing will be useless and a waste of time. While reading every line, bear in mind we are talking about a monk, an avadhuta, a second god - not xyz.
Namaskar,
These days some Dadas are not following one of Baba's standard rules for avadhuta dress / presentation. A list of such Dadas is appended at the bottom of this email.
Here we are talking about the length of Dadas' hair as well as the length of the beard. First let's address the length of the hair on the head.
Baba says, "The minimum length of hair on the head should be half of the length of the hand, from elbow to the palm." (32 Rules for Avadhuta, pt#2)
Here below are a few Dadas who are disobeying Guru's rule related with length of hair on the head and length of beard. And on right there is one Didi who is also disobeying Guru's rule.
According
to the system the length of the hair of the head should be half the
distance from the elbow to the end of the palm. The average distance for
an adult male is 14 inches on average. The means at minimum the hair
should fall well below the bottom of the ear and nearly to the
shoulders. That is the minimum length as ordered by Baba.
But some of our Dadas are keeping aloof from Baba's rule by cutting their hair at the top of the ear, or even shorter than that.
Such avadhutas have their own logic and justification about this. They say silly things like, "The length of the hair rule pertains only to the front, but not the sides, top or back."
But no one is amused by such responses as everyone understands that according to Baba's rule, all hair on the head must be at least 14 inches in length.
Length of the beard:
minimum 3 - 4 inches
Regarding the length of the beard for our avadhutas, Baba has given the following:
Baba says, "Beard should be kept up to a handful in length [at minimum]." (32 Rules for Avadhuta, pt#1)
By Baba's above regulation, every avadhuta must be able to grab hold of their beard with their hand / fist, and that beard must be as long as the hand. As Baba says, it must be a "handful" at least. That portion of the beard which has grown down past the hand may grown longer or trimmed. Every Dada can choose; but the beard must not be less than an entire handful. In general, the beard should be at least 3 - 4 inches in length.
Nowadays there are some Dadas keeping their beard very short, far less than Baba's requires. And in this case also they give their various justifications.
By keeping short hair they can
quickly jump into underworld life
No doubt, you may be wondering: Why do some Dadas do this? Why do they not abide by Baba's rules and keep their hair and beard of sufficient length. After all, they are dedicated workers and it would seem to be a fairly simple rule to follow. Just let the hair grow - that is all. Then why is it that more and more Dadas are failing in this regard.
Well, here's your answer.
Some of avadhutas - it seems - do not wish to be viewed as a monk 24/7. By keeping their hair short, they can easily change their dress and mingle in with the general public. That's to say they can easily masquerade their true identity by having short hair.
In that case they can indulge in nefarious and anti-social activities without the public really noticing who they really are. Just by taking off their saffron robes they can blend in with the rest society and look like a husband or a business man etc. Then if they gossip with someone from the opposite sex, or involve in big-money dealings, or smuggle this or that, or indulge in any other type of under-world activities like theft etc, no one will be shocked and question why a sannyasi is doing such things. They will just think it is some depraved fellow and they should continue on in their day.
Whereas if those same Dadas kept their long hair and a full-length beard, they will be easily recognisable and they would still look like a monk even without the orange dress. Hence such Dadas prefer to keep their hair and beard short. It allows them to disguise themselves.
Then all they have to do is remove their dress and they can plunge into debased, worldly dealings without anyone questioning why a yogic monk is doing such things. Just they are viewed as a general person since their beard and hair remains short.
As we all know, the sannyasi sentiment in India is very strong. People expect great things from sannyasis. Even people who are not in Ananda Marga give generous donations to our Dadas because those people revere anyone who dresses and looks like a sannyasi. They think that monk must be doing great things in the society. General citizens give respect to all sannyasis because they are "higher".
Hence if they see someone who looks like a monk with long hair and a long beard indulging in nonsense activities, then they will be furious with that so-called monk. Then they will call the authorities or more likely alert all the townspeople. They will vent their fury.
To escape all this, some of our esteemed Dadas keep their beard and hair short so no one will think they are a sannyasi. In that case they can do all kinds of baser activities without anyone thinking they are dong something wrong.
That is why some of our Dadas do not like to keep longer hair and a longer beard. They can plunge into subterranean dealings without drawing attention unto themselves. By this way so many activities are done "in the dark" by certain Dadas - i.e. without proper length hair and beard.
For this reason, margiis are always suspicious when they see avadhutas with very short hair.
We cannot call them avadhutas
How can we call those who do not follow avadhuta rules as avadhutas? We cannot.
Baba says, "If you cannot learn anything from the conduct and behaviour of a certain person, why should you accept that person as an ácárya/á?" (Ananda Vacanamrtam, Part 23)
It is the duty of each and every margii to follow Baba's guideline and not regard such Dadas as avadhutas.
Do not treat or entertain such people as avadhutas, otherwise in the eyes of Baba you are encouraging their nasty behaviour. In that case, they, as well as you, will be responsible for their negative behaviour. That is what bhagavad dharma explains. So do not encourage adharmic activities. Do not accept or allow such Dadas who keep their beard and hair short. Those avadhutas must follow Baba's guideline.
Sentiment and length of hair
We all know that no rule in Ananda Marga is dogmatic; every rule is based on science. And here is the science behind the length of hair for males and females.
Generally females are more emotional than males and it serves society well. Females need that emotion to care for their offspring otherwise they will not be able to manage. For instance, if a child is urinating all around and making a mess, then a mother may not be frustrated whereas the father will quickly become irritated. Why? Because females have greater emotional feeling towards others and can therefore tolerate the various behaviours of their progeny. So this is very good.
But females / Didis not bearing children they need not keep long hair. Rather they should have short hair. This will help curb their emotional feeling and make them more rational and less sentimental. That is why Didis have short hair.
In contrast, our Dadas must develop more empathy for the common people - good or bad - otherwise they cannot serve the society. So they need to develop more emotion. That is why Baba has said our Dadas must keep their hair long. This produces a glandular effect. And there are other reasons to be explained in future letters.
So this is the general science why our Dadas should have longer hair and our Didis should keep shorter hair.
All must follow dharma
By Baba's grace we have been given us all the needed rules and regulations to gain success in life. All such rules must be followed by all - that means our Dadas (& Didis) must adhere to Baba's mandates on length of the hair. We must not allow any slackness in this regard. That is Baba's mandate.
Baba says, "You are to follow the code of discipline...These are all codes of discipline as prescribed by Bhágavata Dharma. You must follow these codes. There cannot be any concession in this respect, rather concession is dangerous. Atha yogánushásanam. “One must follow anushásanam. One must follow the code of discipline.” One may be a king or may be a very poor man, but the code of dharma is equally applicable to all. In this matter, nobody can claim any special concession or favour." (Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Jaeva Dharma and Bhágavata Dharma)
Namaskar,
Kavita'
This email contains 2 sections:
1. Posting: Example of degraded Wts
2. Links
Note: It is imperative to know this letter is about monks / Wts - not a family man. A monk has to follow the conduct rules for monks. A family person need not follow such rules. If any reader forgets this very point while reading this letter then the whole thing will be useless and a waste of time. While reading every line, bear in mind we are talking about a monk, an avadhuta, a second god - not xyz.
Example of degraded Wts
Namaskar,
These days some Dadas are not following one of Baba's standard rules for avadhuta dress / presentation. A list of such Dadas is appended at the bottom of this email.
Here we are talking about the length of Dadas' hair as well as the length of the beard. First let's address the length of the hair on the head.
Baba says, "The minimum length of hair on the head should be half of the length of the hand, from elbow to the palm." (32 Rules for Avadhuta, pt#2)
Here below are a few Dadas who are disobeying Guru's rule related with length of hair on the head and length of beard. And on right there is one Didi who is also disobeying Guru's rule.
But some of our Dadas are keeping aloof from Baba's rule by cutting their hair at the top of the ear, or even shorter than that.
Such avadhutas have their own logic and justification about this. They say silly things like, "The length of the hair rule pertains only to the front, but not the sides, top or back."
But no one is amused by such responses as everyone understands that according to Baba's rule, all hair on the head must be at least 14 inches in length.
Length of the beard:
minimum 3 - 4 inches
Regarding the length of the beard for our avadhutas, Baba has given the following:
Baba says, "Beard should be kept up to a handful in length [at minimum]." (32 Rules for Avadhuta, pt#1)
By Baba's above regulation, every avadhuta must be able to grab hold of their beard with their hand / fist, and that beard must be as long as the hand. As Baba says, it must be a "handful" at least. That portion of the beard which has grown down past the hand may grown longer or trimmed. Every Dada can choose; but the beard must not be less than an entire handful. In general, the beard should be at least 3 - 4 inches in length.
Nowadays there are some Dadas keeping their beard very short, far less than Baba's requires. And in this case also they give their various justifications.
By keeping short hair they can
quickly jump into underworld life
No doubt, you may be wondering: Why do some Dadas do this? Why do they not abide by Baba's rules and keep their hair and beard of sufficient length. After all, they are dedicated workers and it would seem to be a fairly simple rule to follow. Just let the hair grow - that is all. Then why is it that more and more Dadas are failing in this regard.
Well, here's your answer.
Some of avadhutas - it seems - do not wish to be viewed as a monk 24/7. By keeping their hair short, they can easily change their dress and mingle in with the general public. That's to say they can easily masquerade their true identity by having short hair.
In that case they can indulge in nefarious and anti-social activities without the public really noticing who they really are. Just by taking off their saffron robes they can blend in with the rest society and look like a husband or a business man etc. Then if they gossip with someone from the opposite sex, or involve in big-money dealings, or smuggle this or that, or indulge in any other type of under-world activities like theft etc, no one will be shocked and question why a sannyasi is doing such things. They will just think it is some depraved fellow and they should continue on in their day.
Whereas if those same Dadas kept their long hair and a full-length beard, they will be easily recognisable and they would still look like a monk even without the orange dress. Hence such Dadas prefer to keep their hair and beard short. It allows them to disguise themselves.
Then all they have to do is remove their dress and they can plunge into debased, worldly dealings without anyone questioning why a yogic monk is doing such things. Just they are viewed as a general person since their beard and hair remains short.
As we all know, the sannyasi sentiment in India is very strong. People expect great things from sannyasis. Even people who are not in Ananda Marga give generous donations to our Dadas because those people revere anyone who dresses and looks like a sannyasi. They think that monk must be doing great things in the society. General citizens give respect to all sannyasis because they are "higher".
Hence if they see someone who looks like a monk with long hair and a long beard indulging in nonsense activities, then they will be furious with that so-called monk. Then they will call the authorities or more likely alert all the townspeople. They will vent their fury.
To escape all this, some of our esteemed Dadas keep their beard and hair short so no one will think they are a sannyasi. In that case they can do all kinds of baser activities without anyone thinking they are dong something wrong.
That is why some of our Dadas do not like to keep longer hair and a longer beard. They can plunge into subterranean dealings without drawing attention unto themselves. By this way so many activities are done "in the dark" by certain Dadas - i.e. without proper length hair and beard.
For this reason, margiis are always suspicious when they see avadhutas with very short hair.
We cannot call them avadhutas
How can we call those who do not follow avadhuta rules as avadhutas? We cannot.
Baba says, "If you cannot learn anything from the conduct and behaviour of a certain person, why should you accept that person as an ácárya/á?" (Ananda Vacanamrtam, Part 23)
It is the duty of each and every margii to follow Baba's guideline and not regard such Dadas as avadhutas.
Do not treat or entertain such people as avadhutas, otherwise in the eyes of Baba you are encouraging their nasty behaviour. In that case, they, as well as you, will be responsible for their negative behaviour. That is what bhagavad dharma explains. So do not encourage adharmic activities. Do not accept or allow such Dadas who keep their beard and hair short. Those avadhutas must follow Baba's guideline.
Sentiment and length of hair
We all know that no rule in Ananda Marga is dogmatic; every rule is based on science. And here is the science behind the length of hair for males and females.
Generally females are more emotional than males and it serves society well. Females need that emotion to care for their offspring otherwise they will not be able to manage. For instance, if a child is urinating all around and making a mess, then a mother may not be frustrated whereas the father will quickly become irritated. Why? Because females have greater emotional feeling towards others and can therefore tolerate the various behaviours of their progeny. So this is very good.
But females / Didis not bearing children they need not keep long hair. Rather they should have short hair. This will help curb their emotional feeling and make them more rational and less sentimental. That is why Didis have short hair.
In contrast, our Dadas must develop more empathy for the common people - good or bad - otherwise they cannot serve the society. So they need to develop more emotion. That is why Baba has said our Dadas must keep their hair long. This produces a glandular effect. And there are other reasons to be explained in future letters.
So this is the general science why our Dadas should have longer hair and our Didis should keep shorter hair.
All must follow dharma
By Baba's grace we have been given us all the needed rules and regulations to gain success in life. All such rules must be followed by all - that means our Dadas (& Didis) must adhere to Baba's mandates on length of the hair. We must not allow any slackness in this regard. That is Baba's mandate.
Baba says, "You are to follow the code of discipline...These are all codes of discipline as prescribed by Bhágavata Dharma. You must follow these codes. There cannot be any concession in this respect, rather concession is dangerous. Atha yogánushásanam. “One must follow anushásanam. One must follow the code of discipline.” One may be a king or may be a very poor man, but the code of dharma is equally applicable to all. In this matter, nobody can claim any special concession or favour." (Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Jaeva Dharma and Bhágavata Dharma)
Namaskar,
Kavita'
Karen Bloom
Note 1: Some of the dadas involved
Here is an abbreviated list or sample of Dadas keeping shorter hair and shorter beard. They are not following Baba's system - for reasons best known to them.
Ac Nityapremananda Avt
Ac Mahitoshananda Avt
Ac Dayashekarananda Avt
Ac Nirbhayananda Avt
Ac Rudraprakashananda Avt
Ac Bodhprajinananda Avt
Ac Arvanananda Avt
Actually the list is much longer than this. It is alleged that Some Indian monks move in avadhuta dress by day and then in nighttime go out in civil dress. In that case, the length of their hair does not make them look like a sannyasi so they can indulge in various sorts of anti-social dealings like smuggling, theft, robbery etc.
Note 2: Didis also not following
Some didis are involved in going against Guru's rule...
Note 3: Their lame excuse
Some give the lame excuse that they are traveling around the globe so they must keep short hair - but that is bogus. For instance, Dada Shambhushivanandji and so many others that are strict on this point travel all over the globe yet follow the rule properly.
Note: It is imperative to know this letter is about monks / Wts - not a family man. A monk has to follow the conduct rules for monks. A family person need not follow such rules. If any reader forgets this very point while reading this letter then the whole thing will be useless and a waste of time. While reading every line, bear in mind we are talking about a monk, an avadhuta, a second god - not xyz.
Note 1: Some of the dadas involved
Here is an abbreviated list or sample of Dadas keeping shorter hair and shorter beard. They are not following Baba's system - for reasons best known to them.
Ac Nityapremananda Avt
Ac Mahitoshananda Avt
Ac Dayashekarananda Avt
Ac Nirbhayananda Avt
Ac Rudraprakashananda Avt
Ac Bodhprajinananda Avt
Ac Arvanananda Avt
Actually the list is much longer than this. It is alleged that Some Indian monks move in avadhuta dress by day and then in nighttime go out in civil dress. In that case, the length of their hair does not make them look like a sannyasi so they can indulge in various sorts of anti-social dealings like smuggling, theft, robbery etc.
Note 2: Didis also not following
Some didis are involved in going against Guru's rule...
Some give the lame excuse that they are traveling around the globe so they must keep short hair - but that is bogus. For instance, Dada Shambhushivanandji and so many others that are strict on this point travel all over the globe yet follow the rule properly.
Note: It is imperative to know this letter is about monks / Wts - not a family man. A monk has to follow the conduct rules for monks. A family person need not follow such rules. If any reader forgets this very point while reading this letter then the whole thing will be useless and a waste of time. While reading every line, bear in mind we are talking about a monk, an avadhuta, a second god - not xyz.
== Section 2 ==
Links
How one can create problems even after death
Longevity of Ananda Marga threatened
Links
How one can create problems even after death
Longevity of Ananda Marga threatened
