Example: Untrained Wts Misguide Margiis + How Tomb Dogma Came Into Ananda Marga

Baba

This email contains four distinct sections:
1. Posting: Example: Untrained Wts Misguide Margiis
2. End Quote: How Tomb Dogma Came Into Ananda Marga

3. PS #3104: You have taken advent on this dusty Earth
4. Links

EXAMPLE:

UNTRAINED WTS MISGUIDE MARGIIS

Namaskar,
Baba's system is that during tandava the dancer must not talk or yell. One is to dance silently. Only the one calling out the dance speaks - and the dancers do tandava accordingly.

Unfortunately, at a recent DMS, the Wt organisers failed to give this basic guideline to sadhakas and new people. That is why during tandava they are all yelling and shouting, thereby going against Guru's rule.

So it is sad that the efforts of those willing and eager sadhakas, who were trying their best to dance, were undermined by in-charge Wts. But they were not the only ones to suffer. Those in attendance also got the wrong teaching about how tandava should be done - as well as all those who heard about it from others etc.

Indeed the problem is multiplying and mushrooming. First off, certain Wts are not aware of this rule. So this teaching is neglected during Wt training, thereby indoctrinating a new class of Wts into the wrong method. Then they graduated from TC and moved around and misguided the margiis on this issue. This is how a simple wrong becomes a systemic problem. All because certain Wts are not aware the one should not speak when dancing tandava.

So it is not surprising that this code was broken durin ag a recent DMS.

Here is one look at that scene where the dancers are yelling during tandava - and again all blame lands squarely on the shoulders of those Wt organisers who were remiss in their responsibilities and failed give the correct teaching.

So there are two points to take away from this:
1. Those dancing tandava must never speak or yell while they are dancing.
2. In-charge Wts should be more keen in giving guidelines, lest they will always fall short in their duty, and adversely affect the growth of sadhakas.

Some may be wondering what Baba has given a mantra or call for tandava. And the answer is that is for the one calling out the dance. The dancers themselves are not to speak. 

All those who are watching the tandava dance - sisters along with brothers who are not dancing etc - are instructed by Guru to call out in unison during the tandava dance. So those who are watching have an important role to play.

TANDAVA IS A PHYSICALLY DEMANDING DANCE

Baba says, "The primordial phase of Oriental dance, is táńd́ava. It is not a very easy job either. The knees must cross the navel. When they cross the navel it is called Brahma táńd́ava. When they cross the anáhata [mid-point of the chest] it is called Viśńu táńd́ava. When they cross this portion [indicates the throat], it is called Rudra táńd́ava. It is very difficult to dance Rudra táńd́ava. It requires long practice." (1)

INNER MEANING OF TANDAVA

& WHAT THE DANCERS SHOULD HOLD

Baba says, "Ta'n'd'ava is a heroic dance, showing the fight between life and death. The knife represents life, represents your vital stamina, and the skull represents the death that wants to destroy you. You are fighting against death with your weapon, be it a knife or a trishula (trident). And as per the rule, during the day, if one so desires, one may use a live snake in place of the skull; and at night one may use a fire masha'la [torch] or a d'ambaru [small drum]. This is the rule. So ta'n'd'ava represents the eternal fight, the fight for survival, the fight to maintain existence, the fight to establish oneself as a man in this world." (2)

NAMING AND SPIRIT OF THE TANDAVA DANCE

   Baba says, "Why is it called táńd́ava? In Sanskrit tańd́ means “to jump”. Tańd́u means “of jumping habit”. Táńd́ava means “having the use of tańd́u, the use of jumping”. But jumping in the proper style, not in a disorderly manner. You should learn it properly in a disciplined way."
   "And táńd́ava represents life; you know Tantra is a cult of life, it is not a cult of death. For Tantra you should be strong physically, mentally and spiritually. First in the present tense; Lord Shiva says all your expressions, all your manifestations, must be based on the present tense. So this táńd́ava is the starting phase of Tantra."
   "This táńd́ava I said represents life, it represents vitality. There are so many forces that want to destroy you, so many forces forces that are inimical to you by nature. Say a snake – a snake is a born enemy. There are many such born enemies. As Tantra represents life, táńd́ava says that one’s spirit should be based on vitality, based on the principle of survival."
   "This human skull represents death. You are surrounded by death, but you must not be defeated, you must not develop the psychology of fear or defeatism. So the knife is with you to fight against death. Yours is a fight for survival. In the daytime one may also use a snake to represent death – not an ordinary snake, but a venomous snake. In India our boys dance with a snake. But at nighttime neither a skull nor a snake will be visible. Here there is light, they will be visible, but in a burial ground, in a cremation ground, where there is darkness, a snake or skull will not be visible. There you may use fire to represent death."
   "This is the spirit of Tantra. To fight, to fight for survival. [[It is the normal wont of all living beings to fight for survival.]]" (3)

YELLING DEPLETES YOUR ENERGY

WHEN IN DOING STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES

Tandava is a very strenuous dance that demands all one's energy. So if one is yelling while dancing, then the result will not be good. Because when one is involved in full physical exertion as in the tandava dance, then one should not talk or yell as that depletes the body of energy and strength. And one will not be able to dance properly.

Top of all, Guru's given guideline is that the dancers do not speak or yell during tandava. Contravening this rule means disobeying Guru.

Namaskar,
in Him,
Karmeshvar


REFERENCES
1. AV-12, Dance, Mudrá and Tantra
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 6, The Cosmic Father Has a Special Responsibility
3. AV-12, Dance, Mudrá and Tantra

== 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.

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

How Tomb Dogma Came Into Ananda Marga

"In the Buddhistic era there was a tradition. It was customary that their religious saints and great personalities' ashes would be collected and kept in one stone pot after their death. And on this pot, the followers used to construct so many Baudh Vihar and Samgha Ram (Buddhist temples)."

Excerpt from Laghu Nirukta (Small Encyclopedia), chapter "ca".

Note 1: Dogmatic followers of Buddha created this aforesaid tradition of keeping the ashes of their deceased saints in a pot and using that as a place of worship. Then, Shankaracarya inherited this dogma from those Buddhist followers who came into Hinduism. And still today this dogma is continuing in various ways, in the Hindu religion.

And ultimately this same Buddhist dogma has reached to our Ananda Marga.

On 26th October 1990, this dogma was adopted in Kolkata. In Tiljala there is one dogmatic, holy land / tomb, i.e. "mahasamadhi", where Parama Purusa has been tied up.

We know that Baba has revealed all the important facets of the lives of Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna in various discourses. But He did not mention anywhere, that such mahasamadhi of Lord Krsna and Lord Shiva was erected in the past.

Baba outrightly opposes any such approach which limits the glory, grandeur, and all-pervasiveness of Parama Purusa. Erecting this type of tomb is contrary to Baba's teaching.

This above teaching from Baba's book "Laghu Nirukta" reveals the fact that this very dogma of mahasamadhi has been brought from the Buddhist religion. And now it has entered into Ananda Marga. This is one unfortunate state of affairs. Our duty is not to follow this dogma.

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

 == Section 3 ==

~ You have taken advent on this dusty Earth ~

"A'loker a'nanda tumi dhara'te nebe esecho..." - P.S. 3104

Purport:

O' Parama Purusa, the blissful Entity, the embodiment divine effulgence, You have taken advent on this dusty Earth. It is Your grace. You have saturated everything with Your flow of love and sweetness. You have changed the dry and stony heart into something very soft.

O' my Lord, Your sweet smile is unforgettable, Your voice is charming and attractive. Everyone says that they love You - and I also tell like that with my heart. So why are You keeping me away.

O' Divine Entity. O' Baba, whether You like me or not, but please do not continue to ignore and forget me. You are very close. Please make me aware how You are playing Your liila with my mind. Baba, You are bliss Personified. You have taken advent on this earth to inundate all with love and devotion. Please accept my pranam at Your lotus feet...

== Section 4 ==

Links

http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2014/09/baba-story-promotion-assignment-sickness.html

http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2014/09/negative-repetition-why-religion-is.html

Two Mahaprayans: North Carolina (USA) & India

Baba
This email contains four sections:
1. News: Mahaprayan of Smt Indumati Devi in Delhi
2. Posting: Mahaprayan in North Carolina (USA)
3. Notes & Stories on Mahaprayan
4. Links

MAHAPRAYAN Mahaprayana OF SMT INDUMATI DEVI IN DELHI

Namaskar,

On 16th September, senior margi Smt Indumati Devi passed away in Delhi. She and Ac Sujit Kumar were married on 8th July 1960 as per Revolutionary marriage system of Anandamarga in presence of our beloved Baba in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India. Their names entered in History of Anandamarga as first RM couple married in presence of Baba.

In HIM,
Devesh Kumar, Mumbai
(Courtesy from Google Groups)

== Section 2 ==

MAHAPRAYAN IN NORTH CAROLINA (USA)

Namaskar,
Here is the mahaprayan Mahaprayana announcement of an aged American couple who were married for sixty five years. They were ordinary folk so when they died the newspaper wrote a story about their mahaprayan. Using "mahaprayan" to signify the death of a human being is a common phenomenon in my Bengal. The mahaprayan program is everywhere; it is widely used for all kinds of people to signify their death. It is not something special or unique. This below person was just a normal human being.

So mahaprayan program exists everywhere and is widely used for all kinds of people to signify their death - just like this aged married couple shown below. Thus the mahaprayan tradition is is not something special or unique or lofty. It has nothing to do with the eternal Entity Taraka Brahma. Rather the mahaprayan ceremony is for mortals, like these two aged Americans who died.

As you may recognise, the mahaprayan Mahaprayana  term is the last word of the title of the below article in Bengali about their mahaprayan. The last word of the title of the below newspaper article are 'mahaprayan' in Bengali script.

Here is the mahaprayan announcement, if you type this in as a Google search and you will see it there printed as well.

MAHAPRAYAN PROGRAM NOT FOR TARAKA BRAHMA

In this article - as well as in its regular usage - mahaprayan is used to insinuate the death of ordinary people who made their departure from this world. That is why this program must not be used for Taraka Brahma because He did not depart - He is the eternal Parama Purusa. So the mahaprayan term is for ordinary humans, i.e. mortals.

MUST FOLLOW BABA'S EXAMPLE

AND ROOT OUT DOGMA

Some think that we should live happily and not care about all these things. That is the wrong approach and defeats the purpose of creating the organisation. All kinds of societal dogmas were in vogue and Baba created Ananda Marga to eradicate those dogmas. Naturally then we must not allow such dogmas in our very own organisation, AMPS. If we ignore those dogmas it defeats the purpose of the formation of Ananda Marga.

Here again it should be emphasized that the concept of mahaprayan means the death of an ordinary human - this is the meaning. So it is not something divine, and not meant to be used with Taraka Brahma.

MORE ABOUT DECEASED MARRIS COUPLE FROM NY DAILY NEWS

Following is more about the deceased from the New York Daily News:

North Carolina couple dies on same day after 65 years of marriage

Eleanor and Frank Turner were so close their children worried how they would tell their father his wife had died. Frank passed away seven hours later. It was destiny, the children believe.

DEATH DIRECTLY TRANSLATED AS MAHAPRAYAN

So two different newspapers delivered the same news in their own language with their own terminology: One used “died” and one used “mahaprayan.” This demonstrates that this mahaprayan concept is not something lofty or divine - and it is not a program for Taraka Brahma.

Some opportunistic people, knowingly or unknowingly, want to ruin Baba's grandeur and soil the greatness of Parama Purusa. That is why they are projecting Baba as an ordinary mortal.

EVERY ANANDA MARGII MUST STOP AND THINK

So I ask you: Pause and think. This letter is not about groupism; this is a devotional issue. Guru is being abused. Don't you think Guru is with you always? In the tantra of Ananda Marga, sadhana starts with this feeling that, "Guru is with me." One must have this basic feeling. So naturally every Ananda Margii thinks their Sadguru is with them. Then why are we allowing this dogmatic annual death ceremony, i.e. mahaprayan.

Namaskar,
in Him,
Malini Ghosh

== Section 3 ==

Notes & Stories on Mahaprayan

Note 1: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAL MAHAPRAYAN AND FAKE MPD

Here it should be qualified that there is both real mahaprayan and fake mahaprayan. Real mahaprayan marks the death of any ordinary human being. This is the proper use of the term: To note a person's departure from this earth. That is the meaning of the mahaprayan term and that is the standard way the term is used in Indian languages.

Then there is the fake, or so-called, or dogmatic mahaprayan. That is when certain vested interests try to apply the mahaprayan term to Parama Purusa Himself. This is grossly inappropriate because when Parama Purusa Baba is that Divine Entity who is beginningless and endless and resides always in our heart, then it is entirely wrong to proclaim that He is gone.

That is why rational margiis are protesting; because the Oct 21st program is so-called mahaprayan. So-called means that something is fake. Parama Purusa is eternal, thus for some vested interests to declare "mahaprayan of Parama Purusa" is nothing but so-called mahaprayan.

Mahaprayan only really happens in the case of human beings, not Parama Purusa.

Note 2: ASTERISK NOTE ABOUT MAHAPRAYAN

* Mahaprayan (Death) Mahaprayana: Many are aware that mahaprayan (death) is the common term used in India and especially in Bengal to describe the death of an honoured or even ordinary person. In that way, the obituary columns of the newspapers of Bengal regularly cite the mahaprayan (death) of various persons of society who died or passed away.

Some may get confused and wrongly think that the word 'mahaprayan' (death) is one extraordinarily devotional term to be used in association with Parama Purusa. But that is not at all the case. Rather to do so is only to undermine the eternal presence of Parama Purusa. That is why no devotees ever use the word 'mahaprayan' in reference to Lord Shiva or Lord Krsna. Because Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna exist eternally. Then there is no question of Their mahaprayan (death).

Those who think that Baba is a mortal human being celebrate Mahaprayan on a particular day of the year related with Baba; but, in the true sense, Baba is Parama Purusa so He is eternal and there is no question of His mahaprayan.

And for those who need still more technical proof then all this can be clarified quite readily by referencing the dictionary. Specifically in the Samsad Bengali-English dictionary on page 742. Checking there it will be confirmed that the word 'mahaprayan' means death. Which is why it used to refer to the passing away of even common citizens.

Note 3: STORY- SITTING ON BABA'S LAP MEANS DIED?
(contributed by one margii)

Recently after dharmacakra, a senior margii was recounting his experiences of having dharma samiiksa with Baba.

He said, "After being punished by Baba, then He called me close and placed me on His lap - I remained there for some time soaking up His love - and He blessed me."

We all enjoyed hearing about his personal account with Baba during dharma samiiksa. When he finished telling his story, there was a call for questions. Various people posed their queries.

QUESTION BY A NEW MARGII

Towards the end, one new margii raised his hand and asked, "How did Baba bring you back to life?"

Everyone stared at the new margii in amazement. There was a look of astonishment all around - people were really shocked to hear him say this.

The new sadhaka sensed that something was awry.

He said very matter-of-factly, "I thought that sitting on Baba's Lap means that he (the margii) died - that is why I asked that question."

This was quite eye-opening for those of us in the room: Through our language and expression we had unknowingly taught someone to think that being on Baba's lap is the equivalent of death. Because it seems that nowadays people only use the phrase "Baba's lap" when a person has died, such as "Let him rest peacefully in Baba's lap", as if all who have died have accumulated there. Many emails have been written this way.

MUST NOT ONLY REFER TO DEATH

At that moment I thought that everyone, new and old, should be clear about the real and devotional meaning of this phrase, "being on Baba's lap." It should not become stigmatized such that it only means death. Because in its true sense, the phrase "being on Baba's lap" really does carry a highly devotional and sweet feeling.

It is just like how a small child sits on its parent's lap. In a similar way, a spiritual child (human being) sits on the lap of Parama Purusa. By Baba's grace this can happen anytime in one's sadhana, especially in dhyana. Such a phrase then should not become  stigmatized because too many people only use it at the time of death.

We should be careful that we do not relegate "Baba's lap" only to the point of death. All these following terms and phrases also only refer to death:

ve bhagavan ko pya're ho gaye
(he has been loved by God)

ve svarga sidhar gaye
(he has gone to heaven )

ve guzar gaye
(he passed away)

mahaprayan hoyeche
(he died)

We should ensure that the same death connotation does not get attached to, "being on Baba's lap." Because the phrase - "being on Baba's lap" - is a devotional experience that can happen today itself in sadhana, and especially in dhyana. The phrase "being on Baba's lap" should not lose this quality and only mean death. It should not meet the same dark fate as happened with the term harijan.

MUST NOT MEET SAME FATE AS HARIJAN

As we all know, these days in India nobody uses the term harijan to mean "a devotee". Whereas 70 years ago it was used in that way. The term harijan did mean bhakta. But ever since the time of Gandhi when he glued the harijan term to the lowest so-called caste, i.e so-called untouchables, nobody uses the the harijan to mean devotee. Never. Because the term harijan has been stigmatized to mean "untouchable". Nobody uses it to mean "devotee", but that is the original and true meaning of the word.

The phrase, "sitting on Baba's lap", should not meet a similar fate. It should not lose its devotional quality and just refer to one's death. That will be very negative.

A VERY DEVOTIONAL EXPRESSION

There are thousands of recorded stories by sadhakas where they use the phrase, "on Baba's lap", when describing their experiences of being with Baba: He used to bless them and bring them on His lap. People should understand the deeply devotional value of this expression, and not just think that Baba's lap means death, i.e. that you can only sit on His lap at the time of death. Still today there are thousands of margiis walking this earth who sat in Baba's lap. And not only that, there are countless more sadhakas who were blessed by Baba in dreams and dhyana wherein they sat in His lap. And still today this deeply devotional experience is attainable by sadhakas, by His grace.

There are so many ways an aspirant can reach unto Baba's lap including in sadhana and especially during dhyana. That is the main idea that should be preserved. Sadhana is a devotional practice and one can sit on Baba's lap in dhyana. We should make it cent-per-cent clear to one and all that the phrase, "sitting on Baba's lap", does not mean death.

RECENT EXAMPLES

Here are quoted lines from recently posted emails on various forums, wherein the writer uses the phrase - "in Baba's lap" - with the occasion of death:

- "May he rest in HIS loving lap of eternity."

- "We are sure that Baba has taken him in His loving lap."

- "May his soul rest in Baba's lap forever."

- "Let her rest peacefully in Baba's Lap - which she always desired."

- "now he is in beloved Baba's lap"

- "May his soul get peaceful place in His lap"

- "He is now in BÁBÁ'S loving lap"

- "May Baba bless him with a seat in His lap."

- "May BABA accept him in HIS divine lap!"

- "May Baba take him in his eternal loving lap."

- "Please keep him on Your lap forever."

All of the above lines are commonly written in eulogizing the deceased. Of course, it is fine to write like that. Here the point is that this same phrase "in Baba's lap" should also be used when describing one's devotional practices and experiences. But these days mostly it is used in a eulogy and rarely used to recount one's devotional experiences - unfortunately. By this way, the phrase "in Baba's lap" is being misused and step by step the real meaning is being forgotten as now people more commonly use the phrase to eulogize those who have died, and much less so to express their devotional feeling. Unfortunately, the meaning and inner spirit of the phrase is getting lost.

== Section 4 ==

Links

http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/09/story-falsely-displayed-parama-purusa.html

http://anandamarganewsbulletin.blogspot.com/2014/09/long-term-adverse-effects-of.html