What Do You Think About This Photo

Baba

This email contains six distinct sections:
1. Posting: What Do You Think About This Photo
2. End Quote 1: Always Remember
3. End Quote 2: Deserve Universal Condemnation

4. PS #4018: बाबा, तुम और कहीं नहीं, मेरे हृदय में ही रहते हो।
5. Links

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS PHOTO

Namaskar,
See the below book cover and examine the photo. Before reading this letter, note down the plus points and drawback of that book cover. When you have completed your list then read the letter. If you got all the points covered in this letter then you have a keen eye and passed this quiz with flying colours. If you missed certain points then go back and review. And if you have points on your list that were not covered in this letter, then please write in to educate others.

HERE IS THAT BOOK COVER + SOME POINTS ABOUT IT

After looking at this cover, be sure to read the points noted below.

​

CULTIVATING A SENSE OF CURIOSITY AND INQUISITIVENESS

In all fields of life, as the dharma Guru Baba has graciously given new and revolutionary ideas. Naturally, this applies to the realm of education and formal schooling as well. On this front also, Baba’s teachings are wholly unique and critical for creating a proper human society.

According to Baba, of utmost importance is awakening the thirst for knowledge in the mind of the student. That means the classroom must be a medium for cultivating a sense of curiosity and inquisitiveness within the student learner. We can say this is one of primary objectives of Ananda Marga education.

And verily there are so many significant facets of the Ananda Marga neo-humanistic system of education. Sadguru Baba has further addressed the role of teachers, education’s place in the greater society, the role of government, media and learning, and so many other aspect of the Ananda Marga neo-humanistic system of education – many of which are highlighted and reviewed further down in this letter.

What stands central however is awakening a thirst for knowledge in the mind of the child.

As His disciples it is our duty to convey the His special guidelines to the populace-at-large. One of the key ways of conveying this message is through our books and publications.

THIS BOOK COVER GROSSLY MISREPRESENTS

NEO-HUMANISTIC MODEL OF EDUCATION

One dada has published a book in Hindi on the Ananda Marga system of education. Specifically on the cover these points are enlisted: “Phonic Drill”, “Art of Teaching”, “Education”, “Child Psychology”, and “Role of the Guardian.”

Clearly Dadaji has high aspirations for his book and aims to address many significant branches of pedagogy. Unfortunately, regardless of what Dadaji has written in his book, the very cover grossly misrepresents our neo-humanistic model of educations and Baba’s guidelines on schooling etc.

COVER PHOTO ON THIS BOOK  FALLS SHORT IN SO MANY WAYS

The cover of any book is really important – it is a window into the book itself as well as a landscape of what the author wishes to convey.

Yet the cover photo on this book – displayed below – falls short in so many ways.

DADAJI IS INVOLVED IN HIS OWN READING

KIDS BECAME BORED AND DISTRACTED

(1) Dadaji is not guiding the student during the lesson: The cover ought to convey a positive image, yet the cover of this book shows how Dadaji is not engaging the students in any learning. The children want to learn but Dadaji is not guiding them. Instead he is involved in his own reading when really he should have planned ahead and prepared his lesson beforehand. Instead he is doing his class preparation now. In the meantime the kids became bored and distracted. Clearly they want to learn. But Dadaji himself is immersed in his book – he is not looking at the young learners – and all the kids are looking all around the room. They are not paying attention – period. They look distracted and disinterested. This entire scene paints a very bad picture of our Ananda Marga system of education. Because on the one hand our stated aim is to “awaken a thirst for knowledge” yet clearly this is not achieved in this classroom setting. The photo tells an entirely different story.

BOY LOOKS SCARED & FRUSTRATED

HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE NEAR DADAJI

(2) Dadaji’s relation with the student: Part and parcel of our Ananda Marga system of education is the great reverence and affection that students have towards their teacher. Yet in the photo the boy that Dadaji is holding onto clearly does not want to be near Dadaji. The boy looks scared, frustrated, and uncomfortable. And in that state of mind, how can a person learn. So although Dadaji is trying to make it look like he has a relationship of love and affection with his student, that is clearly not conveyed via this photo.

JUST A PHOTO-OP

(3) Just a photo op: It looks like this could be just a photo-op and Dadaji wanted to show how diligent and studious he is, but he forgot to guide the children. So they look lost and bewildered. So if really it was a photo-op this demonstrates that he was unable to teach or direct the children. Instead at the last moment he grabbed one small child to show how much love and affection he (Dadaji) has for the kids. But he clearly does not treat the children that way on a regular day-to-day basis because the child looks uncomfortable and startled by this display. All in all, this as a photo-op this was very poorly arranged. And if it was not a photo-op then the situation is even worse. Because it depict how this is situation normal for the kids, i.e. everyday they just sit around hoping to be taught but the guidance from Dadaji is utterly lacking. So in turn, those kids innocently look around not knowing what else to do.

GURU’S GUIDELINES:

EDUCATION IS TRILATERAL DEVELOPMENT

Here are a few of Baba’s many guidelines:

[A] In our Ananda Marga system of education, we are to ensure the growth of the entire human personality – physical, psychic, and spiritual.

“The real meaning of education is trilateral development – simultaneous development in the physical, mental and spiritual realms of human existence. This development should enhance the integration of the human personality. By this, dormant human potentialities will be awakened and put to proper use.” (1)

AWAKENING A THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE

[B] Here below is that key point where Baba states that a vital role of education is awakening a thirst for knowledge so students may learn and expand their psychic horizons.

“Education must awaken the thirst for knowledge in the students’ minds. The students themselves will create environmental pressure by persistent demands for answers to queries like: What is the answer? Is it correct? The longing, “I wish to know… I wish to understand and assimilate the entire universe” should be created. Such a thirst for knowledge should be created in the minds of students. A learner, in Arabic, is called “tálib-ul-ilm”, meaning “a genuine seeker of knowledge.” So a tremendous thirst for knowledge must be awakened in the students’ minds. They will constantly pry their teachers, their parents and their neighbours with questions like: Why is this so? What is that? Why does that happen? Why does this not happen? etc. They are ready to assimilate the entire universe.” (2)

Namaskar,
In Him,
Arvinda


REFERENCES
1. PNS-18, Talks on Education – Excerpt F
2. Discourses on Neo-Humanist Education, Talks on Education – Excerpt E

== Section 2 ==

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

**************************************

Always Remember

Everything in this universe is temporary and subject to change only Parama Purus is permanent - lasting. Every other entity is transient.

"Amrta means “immortal”. Do you know what death is? Death means a change of form. A boy of five years became a young man – now, the body of that boy underwent death. That young man became old – the body of that young man underwent death. That old man died and he again came here in the form of a little boy – the body of that old man underwent death. Death means a change of form." (SS-24, The Causal Matrix)

== Section 3 ==

Deserve Universal Condemnation

"Senseless, sadistic killing is called pishunatá vrtti. If meat-eaters slaughter animals in the way that inflicts the least pain, that is not pishunatá; but if they kill them slowly and cruelly, first chopping off their legs, then their tails, then their heads, it is definitely pishunatá. These days in many civilized countries people are unable to give up meat-eating, but have at least devised modern methods to kill the animals less painfully. But remember, the killing of animals, no matter how it is done, is contrary to the spirit of Neohumanism."

"Once I saw a harrowing sight in a market place: part of a live tortoise had just been chopped off and sold, but the poor creature was not completely dead and was trying to crawl away, leaving a stream of blood. Such cruel things should be abolished altogether. The cruel slaughter of that innocent tortoise is certainly a case of pishunatá."

"To kill human beings is totally undesirable, but if people do want to eliminate their [a'tata'yii], they should do so with a minimum of torture. The kings of old used to kill criminals by impaling them on spikes; or by half-burying them in the ground, sprinkling salt over them, and letting the dogs eat them. Sometimes people were flayed alive. These actions certainly deserve universal condemnation." (The Acoustic Roots of the Indo-Aryan Alphabet)

A'tata'yii: A person armed with weapons who comes to your home to kill you.

**************************************

== Section 4 == 

प्रभात संगीत   4018

बाबा, तुम और कहीं नहीं, मेरे हृदय में ही रहते हो।

परिचय:

इस प्रभात संगीत में ‘‘जीर्ण तरी‘‘ का शाब्दिक अर्थ तो ‘कमजोर
पुरानी नाव‘  है पर यहाॅं उसका अर्थ यह है कि जिस प्रकार पुरानी टूटी
फूटी नाव से यात्रा करना भयप्रद और धीमी गति से होता है उसी प्रकार साधक
आलस्य के कारण अपने इस अनेक वर्ष पुराने शरीर रूपी नाव से अपने लक्ष्य की
ओर धीमी गति से चल रहा है । तथा ‘‘कालेर सागर‘‘ का शाब्दिक अर्थ है, ‘समय
का महासागर‘ परंतु यहाॅं समय से तात्पर्य है अनेक जन्मों से अनेक योनियों
में जन्मते मरते हुये निकलते जाने वाले समय की लंबी अवधि का बीतते जाना ।
और जब महासागर पार करना है तो नाव की आवश्यकता  तो पड़ेगी ही इसलिये इस
शरीर को नाव कहा गया है वह भी जन्मजन्मान्तरों की बहुत पुरानी।

भावार्थ
हे मेरे परमप्रिय! मैं ने तुम्हें युगों  युगों  से तलाश  किया है, समय
तो ज्ञात नहीं पर अपने अस्तित्व के ऊषाकाल से ही मैं तुमको खोजता रहा
हॅूं। बाबा, मैं ने अनेक जन्मों तक अपनी इस जीर्ण नाव से इस काल के
महासागर में नौका विहार किया है। संचर और प्रतिसंचर के साथ एक पार से
दूसरे पार आते जाते एक के बाद दूसरा जन्म लेकर तुम्हारी ओर बड़ी धीमी गति
से बढ़ता रहा हॅूं। और आज भी मैं अपनी अलस्य भरी साधना में उलझा तुम्हारे
चरण कमलों को पाने का प्रयास कर रहा हॅूं।

बाबा! मैं तुम्हें हर दिशा  में, आमने सामने , आगे पीछे, ऊपर नीचे और
सृष्टि के कोने कोने में तलाशता रहा। बाबा, मैं ने तुम्हें इस विष्व की
विभिन्न द्रश्यावलीयों  में भी ढॅूडा और  अनेक स्थानों पर खोजा।

हे प्रभु ! कोई बात नहीं, कि मैं ने तुम्हें जहाॅं खोजा वहाॅं तुम नहीं
मिले, पर, तुमने भी मुझे कोई छोटा सा भी संकेत नहीं दिया कि तुम कहाॅं हो
सकते हो… और न ही तुमने अपनी आनन्ददायी  वे कहानियाॅं मुझे सुनाई जिनसे
तुम्हारे होने का कहीं आभास हो सकता। हे पुरुषोत्तम! बाबा! ..मैं ने
तुमसे कुछ भी नहीं जान पाया पर फिर भी हृदय में तीव्र इच्छा और मिलने की
लालसा से मैं तुम्हें पुकारता गया, बस तुम्हें प्रसन्न करने, तुमको
प्राप्त करने के लिये।

बाबा, तुमने अपनी कृपालुता से मुझे यह समझपाने का आशीष  दिया कि तुम और
कहीं नहीं, मेरे हृदय में ही रहते हो।

- T.R. Sukul

== Section 5 ==

Links

http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-dogmatic-sadhakas-do.html

http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/06/husband-is-also-female-new-fashion-5.html