Baba
Weakness of visheśa yoga
Note: This letter is 100% based on Ananda Marga philosophy. It is only for those who have reverence for Sadguru Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji and try to follow His Ananda Marga ideology. Unfortunately, those whose intellect is begrimed by the ego of vishesa yoga can’t understand this simple truth.
Namaskár,
Many times Márgiis & Wts have approached me in a concerned way and asked, “Dadaji, how can I have visheśa yoga?” They seemed to think that without visheśa yoga their spiritual practice was lacking - and that they will not be able to realize Parama Puruśa.
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There should not be any confusion or misunderstanding. So I feel there is a need to clear away the darkness from this topic. After all, Sadguru Baba has come to flood the world with bhakti and grant all the opportunity to realise the Supreme Entity. As an avadhuta and longtime practitioner of visheśa yoga, it is my duty to propagate His teachings.
Here following are some of the key points on this important issue. In His various discourses Baba has described various relations with Parama Puruśa and their relative quality, grade, and proximity.
Note: Visheśa yoga is sometimes spelled as vishesha yoga or vishes’a yoga.
In visheśa yoga only 3rd grade bhakti is allowed
There are various relations with God based on degrees of bhakti. In visheśa yoga, practitioners have to practice the 3rd grade relation with God. This visheśa yoga is much lower and inferior to sahaja yoga.
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The key point is that only sahaja yoga allows sadhakas to have an A-grade relation with Parama Puruśa. Visheśa yoga does not allow for this A-grade relation; visheśa yoga is limited to a 3rd grade relation with Parama Puruśa.
Those practicing visheśa yoga are constrained by this lower 3rd grade relation with Parama Puruśa, and in rare cases if they want to have an A-grade relation with Parama Puruśa then their visheśa yoga becomes useless; they can no longer practice it. That’s why visheśa yoga is for inferior sadhakas. In visheśa yoga you cannot have madhura bhava, that sweetest relation with Parama Puruśa. So sahaja yoga is far above visheśa yoga.
There are various types of relation between the bhakta and Parama Puruśa. Some relations are inferior, and some are superior relations. Some are for ordinary bhaktas, and the superior relations are for A-grade bhaktas. For details about all these various types of relations between the bhakta and Parama Puruśa, please refer to Namami Krsnasundaram, discourse #7, 9, & 26.
How visheśa yoga is inferior
All Márgiis and Wts have the opportunity to learn sahaja yoga and get all six lessons. With these six lessons, a practitioner can get everything. According to your depth of bhakti you may like to have the highest relation with Parama Puruśa. But in visheśa yoga, one is stuck in a 3rd grade relation.
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So, there are many common Márgiis who are not practicing visheśa yoga, yet in the field of bhakti they may have the highest relation - madhura bhava - with Parama Puruśa. In contrast, visheśa yoga sadhana is just based on a 3rd grade relation with Parama Puruśa. That's why visheśa yoga is an inferior type of sadhana.
Unfortunately, those whose intellect is begrimed by the ego of vishesa yoga can’t understand this simple truth.
Not as great as it is perceived to be
Now meditate a few minutes, and then ask yourself which lesson gives greater scope for the highest realization. The goal of sadhana is to realise Parama Puruśa. Yet, as explained above, visheśa yoga has its own limitation. Its entire process falls within the confines of a 3rd grade relation. That is why those who have 3rd grade bhakti like to practice visheśa yoga.
The reach of visheśa yoga is up to a 3rd grade relation. It is unsuitable for those inclined towards or established in the highest relation with Parama Puruśa, i.e. madhura bhava.
This letter is written for all those Márgiis and Wts who do not have visheśa yoga - and therefore feel themselves to be lowly, and suffer from an inferiority complex before visheśa yogis. By this letter they can understand visheśa yoga is not as great as it is perceived to be.
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Namaskar,
at His lotus feet,
S. Avadhuta.
The scope of visheśa yoga is limited to a 3rd grade relation; that is why visheśa yoga is lower and inferior. So those Wts & Márgiis who like to practice visheśa yoga have 3rd grade bhakti, according to Ananda Marga philosophy.
My experience
From time to time I have seen that Sarvatmananda and Rudrananda exploit innocent wts in the name of visheśa yoga.
One day I saw one very good Wt massaging the feet of dada Sarvatmananda and applying butter. Basically, he was doing the work of a doormat. When he finished I politely asked him why he was conducting himself in this minion way. Then he told that getting initiated into visheśa yoga was embroiled in politics. He felt that without committing himself to toady ways, i.e. massaging the feet of dada Sarvatmananda and applying butter, he did not think he would get the opportunity to learn visheśa yoga. So he wanted to prove himself as being 100% loyal - i.e. obsequious. I was shocked to hear this news and thought to do something to resolve this issue. Because no Wt, Márgii, or tantrika should feel inferior about their status whereby they get exploited as a sycophant.
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And on another occasion I saw another very good Wt massaging the feet of Rudrananda and applying butter. Upon asking him why he was doing like this he related a very similar story.
If anyone analyzes this whole situation from the point of view of bhakti, then they will find that we visheśa yogis are very low grade bhaktas. But the cold irony is that we are prone to bragging about our sadhana of visheśa yoga - and try to inject an inferiority complex in the minds of ignorant margis & wts.
For further study please read Namami Krsnasundaram discourses 7, 9, & 26.
~ In-depth study ~
How ironic is it that some of our vishes’a yogis brag about their practice of vishes’a yoga when in fact it is beneath the standard of the six lessons of Ananda Marga sadhana. This is Guru’s clear guideline. So even though I practice vishes’a yoga, in my heart it is not more important than being true to the Ananda Marga mission - i.e. bringing all to the path of bliss. And the sadhana of that path is sahaja yoga. So that is enough to reach the cherished goal. Vishes’a yoga is not needed.
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While I am not privy to tell all the ins and outs of vishes’s yoga, what I can offer is that, as vishes’a yogis, we repeat the Gayattrii Rk on a regular basis as part of our practice. Although we were given tantric initiation, but there must have been some problem. So we needed to revert back to an earlier form of sadhana to help develop the requisite faith in Guru and Ananda Marga sadhana. Hence we are reciting the Gayattrii Rk and doing vishes’a yoga. That is the great irony.
They could not embrace 1st lesson AM sadhana
So if one is practising their 1st lesson of AM sadhana, then there is no need to repeat the Gayattrii Rk. Reason being, if you have already been blessed with the tantric Guru Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji then there is no need to go back to the non-margii practice like the Gayattrii Rk. That is only for non-margiis, i.e. those who have yet to receive 1st lesson AM sadhana and for those who have some kind of problem in their ability to have faith in Baba.
True enough, we vishes’a yogis were blessed with 1st lesson AM sadhana, but could not embrace it fully - with all of the heart. In that case, the mind is of a vacillating nature as they neither have firm faith in 1st lesson sadhana nor in Sadguru. So the Gayattrii Rk have been given to bring them up to the proper standard. Because again, although they have received 1st lesson in AM initiation, in their own mind they are not fully convinced - they are unsure about it.
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Fickle-minded persons
Then, so long as they have doubt, they will go on searching for the right medicine. Later on, if they find out that the medicine which they have already is the right medicine, then they will start taking that medicine - otherwise not. So although vishes’a yogiis have received 1st lesson sadhana, but in their mind they feel they are lacking something. To cure them of their doubts, they are given the non-margii gayattrii Rk and the practice of vishes’a yoga. Otherwise, what could be the reason for their having to go back to an earlier stage of non-margii meditation.
Basically, in the spiritual realm, such vishes’a yogis are doing the work of non-margiis. That is why they are repeating the Gayattrii Rk: To gain the firmness of mind to understand that Ananda Marga sadhana is A-grade because at present they are not truly connected with the Lord. They do not feel that Brahma Himself is their Guru on the path of tantra. To cure all such doubts and hesitations, they practice the non-margii Gayattrii Rk.
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But remember, here it is not that we vishes’a yogis are repeating the Gayattrii Rk the way ordinary people repeat it. The response to this of course is that regardless of the style of repetition, this Gayattrii mantra is only for non-margiis.
Ego warning
You might have noticed that some vishes’a yogis tend to have an inflated ego about their practice. And that is very dangerous. No matter one’s stature, whether they be a beggar or a king, if one has the pride of vanity, they will be destroyed. So it is very important for the ego of some vishes’a yogis to be punctured lest they face a truly disastrous fall. So they should not brag about their vishesha yoga practice. Ironically, those who do brag about it do not understand one basic fundamental fact about vishes’a yoga which has been discussed above.
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Note: Visheśa yoga is sometimes spelled as vishesha yoga or vishes’a yoga.
Note 2: Regardless of the way of repetition, this Gayattrii mantra is only for non-margiis. Those whose intellect is begrimed by the ego of vishesa yoga can’t understand this simple truth.
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
You are my eternal bandhu
"Toma'r ka'che ca'ite giye lajja' peye ela'm phire..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0652)
Purport:
When I came to You I was thinking to request You to grant me some boons. I came to You harbouring so many worldly desires. But without asking for anything at all, I returned in shyness because I understood that You know and fulfil all my needs and requirements far better than I. Baba, all within Your mind.
Baba, whatever little I know about myself, and whatever I think is mine, You know exponentially more than that. Whatever my needs may be, You go on giving without my even asking.
Baba, You are my eternal Bandhu and have saturated my heart with Your colourful, charming attraction and affection. Everything will undergo change in this transitory universe, but the garland of love which has been born in my thoughts and mixed with divine love will never perish. Baba, You are most loving…
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Why debauched people should become stars
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches us, "Strict vigilance should be kept over the purity of their individual conduct. They should not become the cause of a disease which invades the whole social body like a cancer. If actors and actresses fail to acquire a basic level of personal purity or are reluctant to acquire it, it will be the duty of society and the state to compel them to lead good lives by creating circumstantial pressure. No matter how talented they may be, immoral actors and actresses will have to be deprived of their right to exhibit their artistic talents, and sent to reform schools." (1)
Here Baba is guiding us that those leading debauched lives must not be allowed to work in the art and entertainment industry - whether they be actors, actresses, singers or performers etc. This applies to all those artists leading promiscuous lives. Naturally, this also includes the gay and lesbian community that is well-known for engaging in the arts and leading sensually depraved lives. Such persons must be forced to lead a sentient life or be removed from the stage.
The real danger is that if they fail to reform themselves, then with their degrading habits and high-profile life they will adversely affect and harm others, especially impressionable youths. Sadly, we have seen a few cases like this in AMPS where artistically-inclined, gay / lesbian musicians and songwriters etc wreaked havoc on innocent margiis by using their star power and manipulating them into relationships etc. Many in numerous sectors have been badly abused by such depraved singers.
That is why Guru's definitive statement is that only those artists who are strict in Sixteen Points may perform. All others must be forced to rectify their conduct. Until then, they are not allowed to appear on the public stage etc.
In Him,
Rasamay
Reference
1. Human Society - 1, Various Occupations
== Section 3: Links ==
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