Baba
Tool for bhakti
Namaskar,
We have to remember that sadhana does not mean samadhi. Sadhana means 'effort'. With a sincere and concerted effort, the sadhaka can create an inner link with Parama Purusa based on bhakti. That is how one can form a bond of love with Him, by His grace. And our sadhana system includes not just the practice of meditation, but kiirtan and Prabhat Samgiita as well. All three are important.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Do meditation, do kiirtan and bhajan sincerely." (1)
So all three - sadhana, kiirtan, and Prabhat Samgiita - are essential in developing an inner link and relation based on bhakti with Parama Purusa. And this letter discusses how Prabhat Samgiita plays a unique and special role in this process.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Select a PS that corresponds to your feeling
When selecting a bhajan we should choose a given song for the right reason. We should not pick a Prabhat Samgiita based on the tune, or the melody, or the quality of the singer's voice. For sadhakas, Prabhat Samgiita is not about musical properties. It is about the expression of our own feelings of bhakti for Him.
If we are feeling forlorn and far from Parama Purusa, then singing a song about the joys of attaining Him will not satisfy one's emotional needs. Similarly, we should always select a Prabhat Samgiita - a bhajan - that properly corresponds to our feeling at that very time. So we should all familiarise ourselves with a wide range of Prabhat Samgiita compositions so we readily have a song available to express our inner feeling, whether it be a feeling of frustration, love, anxiety, closeness, melancholy, or joy. Because only by singing the right song will our heart feel light - only then will the mind move in the right direction.
The beauty of our Prabhat Samgiita practice
The beauty of our bhajan practice is that it is a time when we can openly express our feelings towards Parama Purusa. Kiirtan is chiefly about singing His glory over and over again; and, sadhana is done in silence. So it is only with our bhajan practice that we can verbally express our inner feelings to Parama Purusa. And that gives a huge lift to the sadhaka.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
For example, if one is in a strange place and does not know anyone, then they cannot express their hopes and despairs, their joys and sorrows, their success and failures. And that creates a big burden that weighs heavy on the mind. Whereas if one is among friends, or with a close companion, they can easily share their heartfelt feeling. And that sharing of their inner thoughts allows one to feel light and buoyant. It has a renewing effect on one's psyche and overall existence. One key point to garner is that if you open your heart to a human being they may form a poor opinion about you. Or knowing your weakness they may exploit you. But God will always help you, so open your heart to God by singing Prabhat Samgiita.
PS expresses full range of human sentiments
This is the very unique and essential aspect of our bhajan practice. It allows the sadhaka to clear their mind and heart of all their emotions. Because in singing Prabhat Samgiita there is a tremendous scope to express the full range of human feelings and sentiments. Verily Baba has bestowed upon us the world of Prabhat Samgiita for this very purpose - to express the full range of feelings felt by the sadhaka: the pain of separation, the joy of finding Parama Purusa, the frustration of not getting Him, the struggle of dealing with this mundane world, the bliss of His arrival etc.
All of the above and countless other human feelings and emotions are clearly expressed in our world of Prabhat Samgiita. Such a range of expression is not found in kiirtan, nor is it so easy to do in sadhana, because human beings like to express their feelings orally. And that is the true gift of our bhajan practice. Nowhere else in our sadhana system is this found. Our bhajan practice is purely personal. So if the bhajan practice is overlooked, then there is a void. Because Prabhat Samgiita is the ideal avenue for a bhakta to express the inner feelings and thoughts of their heart and mind to Him. It is a release or outpouring of one’s inner emotions which brings renewal and levity, and ultimately love for Parama Purusa. Because emotion based on ideology is bhakti, i.e. love for the Supreme.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
He only listens for the feeling of the heart
At the same time, we should bear in mind that Baba does not judge us on our singing talent or instrumental techniques. Those are meaningless to Him. He only looks inside the heart for sincerity. So a sadhaka should not feel shy, self-conscious, or distraught that they do not have musical talent; nor should one become so vain about their musical gifts. Because in the eyes of Parama Purusa, He is only concerned with the heartfelt feeling of the bhakta. If that is expressed in our bhajan singing, then everything is expressed and the goal in singing is attained. Then and only then does that bhajan practice have value. Thus there is no place for shyness or arrogance in singing Prabhat Samgiita.
So our Prabhat Samgiita holds a special place in our sadhana practice. Those compositions allow for the expression of our inner feelings and that invariably helps cultivate a feeling of closeness and love for Parama Purusa. If we do not express ourselves, then naturally a relationship will dry up. That is the way it happens in our worldly dealings and the same applies to our spiritual life as well. Thus Prabhat Samgiita plays a great role in our development as sadhakas. It is our personal time to draw ourselves nearer to Him-- because we are not singing our Prabhat Samgiita for anyone else. We are singing for Baba and to express our feelings to Him. And, He always listens.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Conclusion
As important as kiirtan and sadhana are, we must never lose sight of the great importance of singing Prabhat Samgiita as a way to draw ourselves closer to Him and lighten our burden of life by expressing our inner thoughts and feelings.
Baba says, "Do meditation, do kiirtan and bhajan sincerely and together with that, render maximum social service. This is the supreme ideology for an ideal human being." (2)
Namaskar,
At His feet,
Jagasrasta’
~ In-depth study ~
Prabhat Samgiita comes under bhajana
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Shiva propounded song, dance and instrumental music in such a manner so that it would directly vibrate the ectoplasm, so that the ectoplasmic movement converges into one point touching the soul point. That is why great people of all ages have encouraged all three aspects of music...Category of song that also reflects Parama Puruśa, but which expresses many ideas before returning to the one central idea of Parama Puruśa, is called bhajana.” (3)
Ananda Marga ideology states, “If one’s mental ideation is conveyed only to Parama Puruśa without affecting other human beings, this is called bhajana. So bhajana is purely personal; it has no collective aspect.” (4)
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, “This world is for devotees and for nobody else. When the Esana [longing] is not for Paramatman but for something else, it is known as Asakti (Attachment) and not Bhakti. As for example, the Esana [longing] for wine. This Esana will be termed as Panasakti, the attachment for wine i.e. attachment is always in bad sense and devotion is always supreme. Therefore the correct Esana [longing] is devotion.” (5)
The main aim of any sadhaka is to love and please Parama Purusa. That is the only way to get Him, i.e. with the love of bhakti, not via the knowledge of jinana, or the action of karma. Only with love can we grasp and hold Him as our own. This fact Baba has in countless discourses.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga ideology says, "A genuine spiritualist will have to establish a relation of love with Parama Purus'a. Those who remain oblivious to this truth become unsuccessful in their mission." (6)
Love is an essential aspect of our spiritual lives.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Prabhat Samgiita is the feeling of the heart, and the expression of the heart, and it has been written with the ink of the heart." (7)
References
1. 15 October 1979 morning, Nagpur
2. 15 October 1979 morning, Nagpur
3. A Few Problems Solved - 3, Song, Dance and Instrumental Music
4. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 11, Taking the Opposite Stance in Battle
5. Subhasita Samgraha - 20, Astitva and Shivatva
6. Subhasita Samgraha - 11, 'The Path of Salvation'
7. MGD 02 January 1983
* * *
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: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga ideology states, “The Christian and Muslim ideas of heaven and hell and also svarga in Hindu Karmakandii Jaemini Partná, were derived from the fact that the samskáras which determine the requitals of actions exists exits in this loka. In reality no kośa will remain after death. The samskáras remains as the object of the átman. Thus the ideas of heaven and hell of the Hindu, Christian and Muslim mythologies are completely false, because after death there remains no mind at all to experience heaven or hell." (1)
The mind is incapable of doing anything without the brain. And after death there is no brain, so the bodiless mind remains dormant. It cannot do or experience anything: no pain, no pleasure, nothing. The whole notion of one enjoying the fruits of heaven or the tortures of hell after death is bogus.
It is a complete myth that people go to heaven or hell. After death the mind is dormant. And that is what is expressed in the above quote. Here we should understand that pain and pleasure are experienced in this world, not after death. So-called heaven and so-called hell are here in this world.
Reference
1. Tattvika Praveshika, Some Questions and Answers on Ananda Marga Philosophy
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Those who perpetrate atrocities on collective life or on a particular human group, cannot be pardoned. In such cases pardoning not only reflects weakness, it also encourages injustice, because the oppressors become more tyrannical. In individual life, if an innocent person is oppressed by dishonest people, the person, if he or she so desires, may pardon the oppressors, just to test his or her capacity for tolerance or for some other reason. But if the oppressors torture a human group, in that case no single individual, as the representative of the group, can pardon them, and actually that person has no right to do so. If the representative acts beyond his or her jurisdiction, that person will be denounced by the group he or she represents. So it has to be said that pardoning is a practice for individual life only, not for collective life.” (1)
Note: The above teaching is difficult for some to understand. That is, commonly people are confused about this. In this above teaching, Baba is guiding us that forgiveness is for individual life - only. Those who have eyes to see know that all around in the general society and inside Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha also, there are numerous injustices going on. These all fall within the scope of collective life. Nobody can excuse those culprits because they have harmed society on the whole.
In contrast, if someone stole your personal bicycle and the next day that person feels repentant and returns it to you and apologizes for their wrongdoing, then there are two options. One may excuse that person or not excuse that person. Baba guides us that it is better to excuse them for their wrongdoing - so long as that person is feeling repentant. Because it is an individual affair and the culprit is sorry for his misdeed etc. But in the case of organisational wrongdoing that harms the society etc, then there is no scope to forgive that wrongdoer. No one has the right or power to excuse them.
Due to all the aforesaid reasons, this is a very difficult situation for some to understand - especially lay people. So they follow their dogma and excuse everyone regardless, even the venomous snake that is lying inside their shoe ever ready to bite them.
Reference
1. Problems of the Day #17
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How to save burnt food
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "If the vegetables get a little burnt and [you think] that 'Oh, people can't eat this.' [Then] Quick- pour a lot of water onto them, and add fifteen or twenty betel leaves. That will reduce the burnt effect." (1)
Reference
1. Namámi Krśńasundaram, Vraja Krśńa and Vishuddha Advaetaváda – 3 (Discourse 12)
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Way to make ideal human beings
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Some people may ask: Why does A'nanda Ma'rga run many kindergarten schools and not many high schools, degree colleges and universities? A kindergarten school is something basic and the mission of making human beings is accomplished here. If one has already become a thief or a criminal, in that case university education for such a person is of no avail. One is to be moulded in one's childhood. If one receives the fundamentals of education in the formative period of one's life, one will keep oneself alright in the teeth of the greatest trials and tribulations in life. A bamboo, when green, can be shaped or bent in any way you like. Once it ripens, any attempt to reshape it will break it. This is why more stress is to be laid on kindergarten schools. Such schools are the first phase of making human beings." (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 18, Talks on Education – Excerpt E
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
हे बाबा ! कभी कभी तो हॅंसाते हो और कभी कभी रुलाते भी हो।
प्रभात सङ्गीत 311: तूमि कतो लीला जानो...
भावार्थ
हे परमपुरुष ! तुम विभिन्न प्रकार की भव्य लीलायें करना जानते हो। मेरे साथ भी तुम अनेक प्रकार की लीलायें करते रहते हो। कभी कभी तो हॅंसाते हो और कभी कभी रुलाते भी हो। हे प्रभु ! तुम मेरे मन को अनेक प्रकार से खुश करते रहते हो।
हे बाबा ! तुमसे कुछ भी छिपाया नहीं जा सकता है। तुम तो सब कुछ जानते होऔर देखते हो। तुम्हारी इच्छा के बिना कुछ भी नहीं हो सकता। तुम मेरे हर कार्य में उपस्थित रहते हो। चाहे मैं जो भी करूँ या जहाॅं भी जाऊँ तुम सब कुछ देखते रहते हो। कुछ भी तुमसे छिपा कर नहीं किया जा सकता। तुम्हारी ‘‘लीला खेला‘‘ दिव्य है सारा ब्रह्माॅंड तुम्हारे पैरों के तले नाच रहा है।
हे दिव्य ! तुम इस संसार में अपनी मुस्कान, हॅंसी और आनन्द के आॅंसुओं से बाढ़ ला देते हो। तुम सब पर प्रसन्नता की किरणों की बौछार करते हो। कभी कभी तो हॅंसाते हो और कभी कभी रुलाते भी हो। हे प्रभु ! मैं जानकर या अनजाने में भी तुम्हीं से प्रेम करता हॅूं। तुम्हारे प्रेम से भरे गीत सारे ब्रह्माॅंड में गाए जा रहे हैं।
हे परमपुरुष बाबा ! अनेक प्रकार की लीलायें कैसे की जाना हैं, यह तुम्हीं जानते हो।
References
1. Sadguru Baba says (in GD, Delhi, 26 Feb 1984) that when writing a Prabhat Samgiita purport then very simple words should be used so that the common mass may understand. The above Hindu purport has been written according to that guideline.
== Section 3: Links ==
