Baba
Self-propaganda
Namaskar,
Up to a few decades ago, no respectable person was comfortable coming on the stage and announcing, "I am great, I am extraordinary. I did this - I did that”, and so on and so forth. They had others do it for them. But these days, especially in so-called developed countries, this is very common. Actually, self-praise is treated as being very honourable and those who do not do this are treated as beggars who have nothing. This is an unfortunate scene.
According to tantric civilisation, the mannerisms that are treated as lowly are given utmost importance in materialistic societies. So it is completely opposite. Many things forbidden in our Ananda Marga way of life are appreciated and approved in materialistic societies and self-praise is one of them. Yet, self-glorification is bad because in thinking about self the mind becomes smaller, narrow and mean-minded, and ultimately degenerated. After all, human beings in true sense have nothing of their own. That is why without giving any notice they have to leave their body. But in their delusion people think, “This is my greatness or my achievement or this is mine” etc. Unfortunately, there are cases where self-praise has crept into Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha - even amongst some avadhutas.
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Self-praise is a psychic disease
Baba condemns those who are so self-engrossed in their own unit ego that they take to praising themselves. Such small-minded, selfish people can never be the well-wishers of society. Rather, according to Baba such a self-centered people has gone completely off the track of dharma.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Where people are guided more by ahamtattva, they say, "I am doing, I am giving, this was done by me, that was done by me, etc." ... Their minds do not inspire the lives of others, their minds do not touch the minds of others. They do not reach the sweetness of others 'I' feelings, for they are too preoccupied with themselves. Their approach is defective; their path is not the path of Neo-Humanism." (1)
Ananda Marga ideology says, "Your vanity may increase. You may think: “I have done this, I have done that. I am not an ordinary man.” This is a psychic disease." (2)
It is clear that praising oneself is against the principles of Ananda Marga.
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Do not gloat: "I have done this or that”
But society has since changed. It is far more degenerated than earlier. People have become so self-centered and self-engrossed that they lost their propriety and impropriety of decency and civilization. Now they will come forward and praise themselves openly, with no shame. Unfortunately that is exactly what even some Wts do on the public platform.
In this first instance one WT is highlighting his own seniority and experience. When we all know that being a WT and serving the society in that capacity is only due to the divine grace of Parama Purusa. The unit ego cannot take credit for such things.But in order to highlight his own stature, one Dada wrote, "In my long 34 years of WT life I have done this this this this & this."
However Baba never appreciates such claims. Rather Sadguru Baba warns us not to glorify ourselves in this regard on the point service.
Ananda Vanii says, "...The credit of service is not yours; it is due to the Supreme and the Supreme alone, whose ideation has inspired you to acquire the capability of rendering service." (3)
So it goes against the spirit of service and the tantric cult to highlight or brag about the duration of one's "commitment". Yet one Dadaji did like that.
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What egocentric people do
In a separate incident another Dada is highlighting his past accomplishments, education, and post. And that too contravenes the ethics of Ananda Marga.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "One should not be proud of his post, position, beauty, wealth, honour, or knowledge. All belong to the Divine Entity, Parama Purus'a; nothing is mine." (4)
Ananda Marga ideology says, "A person boasts of learning, intellect and fortune. But nothing is eternal. Therefore one who boasts of anything of this world is a fool." (5)
Yet in direct opposition to Baba's guideline one Dada wrote: "I am a civil engineer..."
It is inappropriate for any person to glorify themselves in public on this point of post and other worldly feats. In addition and even more significant is that if one is avadhuta then it undermines their entire avadhutaship to define and highlight themselves by their prior worldly qualifications. Baba's strict instruction to avadhutas is that they are not to have any link with their prior mundane existence.
By becoming an avadhuta they have been blessed with a new spiritual identity that has absolutely no connection with their past. Whether one was a sweeper or engineer, all those fleeting titles and relations fade into oblivion upon their receiving avadhuta diiksa. This is the common, well-known rule and guideline for all avadhutas. And they know they are to follow accordingly.
However, in the scenario, our avadhuta went against that quality and posted in his letter to the public forum that, "I am a civil engineer..." “I single-handedly built up Ananda Nagar”
One who boasts of anything of this world is a fool
In another example of his self-glorification, a different Dada wrote that, "[When] Anandanagar was being built, I was always engaged in this or that construction. Most of Anandangar constructions-I was connected, in this way or that way."
Ananda Marga ideology states, “You do so many things, and you think that you have done them. “I have donated so much. I have done this. I have done that.” You say this. But wherefrom doth that energy come? It is not your individual energy. If you are not given food or water for a few days, what will happen? You will not have any energy. You cannot create any energy. Through food, physical energy is transmuted into your individual vital energy.”
You do something with the help of your intellect. But wherefrom doth the intellect come? From Him. He is the perennial source of all energies – physical or intellectual or spiritual. You are not the owner of any energy or any force or any other mundane or supramundane object. You are simply to serve with His energy, with His intellect, with His spirit.”
“So karmádhyakśa. He is the lord of all karma, not you. You are simply a machine. You must not forget this fact, that you are simply a machine. You are not the machine-man. You should not have this sort of vanity. You should not say that you are the machine-man, that you have done this or you have done that. You should think that He has done His work, and He used this physical structure as His machine, as His medium. “I am fortunate because He used my structure as His machine. He used my structure as His medium.” (6)
Baba says, such misguided people "ultimately ended up projecting themselves instead of the ideology." (7)
And that is the main point of this entire letter. That those who glorify themselves do so at the expense of ideology. Because engaging in self-praise itself is against ideology.
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Self-praise means inviting one’s ruination
Another proof is that in various parts of the world many selfish persons go so far as to prepare their own tombstones and glorify their life before they die. Otherwise they harbour the fear that after their death nobody will care about him. In the same way those who are self-engrossed cannot think about others. Just they are busy in contemplating their own self. Iheir natural course they forget about all decency and indecency, or propriety and impropriety of their behaviour.
We Ananda Margiis have come in the shelter of Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji to leave the path of dogma and follow HIS noble ideas. And bring our life from darkness to light.
In so many places Baba has given us the teaching that glorification of oneself is not good. One should not have vanity on this ground. Virtually all those who have such vanity lose their sense in their speech and writing. No doubt, in theory everybody knows that self-praise is not good. But those who are so much engrossed about establishing themselves, they go on doing self-praise and degenerate their mind.
Then in the crucial hour they forget whether what they are doing is right or wrong. And with their imbalanced mind they say, do, or write something that is altogether out of sync. Because they do only self-propaganda. And Baba says that people who do like this write the script for their own destruction.
Baba says, "It often happens that whatever one assimilates, one considers to be one's own achievement, and the ego becomes inflated like a croaking frog. Just as a frog considers itself to be bigger than others -- just as the frog, in its vanity, to demonstrate its size, tries to inflate itself more and more until it bursts -- ... become puffed up with vanity and thereby invite their own ruin." (8)
The above teaching offers two key points: When people start thinking about their own glory, then they get puffed up with vanity. And they move around praising their own existence. And in the final stage, they invite their ruination. self-praise is psychic disease.
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Conclusion
Knowing then about all the negativity associated with self-praise, I conclude with this following Prabhat Samgiita of Baba where He is giving the hint how to avoid falling into the bottomless abyss of self-glorification.
"Toma're bhuliya' ya'i yadi, mora bhula bha'ungiye dio /
Nijere samma'na dite gele, tumi shudhariye nio..." (PS 1605)
Purport:
O Baba please grace me, If I indulge in the sin of self-glorification, then right away bring me on the proper path by opening my eyes to my misdeeds. Do not allow me to engage in self-praise. Oh Parama Purusa grace me so I can sing Your glory and not indulge in my own self-glorification. Save me from this sin.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Ac. Prakash
~ In-depth study ~
What dirty people used to do
In fact, in any civilised society self-praise is not appreciated. Rather people are ridiculed for this. That is why in so-called civilised societies when people have a strong desire to be praised, they hire some other persons for this task by giving them some payment or post. And they keep those hired persons nearby; and their only duty is to praise. Many kings did like that in the past. They kept certain ministers only for the special duty of giving praise to the king. This was the only work of those ministers. These days also many politicians pay money to the newspapers to get their self-glorifying propaganda published. To highlight their own personality politicians do like this.
But this self-praise has never been accepted by a truly civilised society, nor by balanced, rational people. And in our Ananda Marga, we know that self-praise is a pschic disease and is to be avoided like the plague or poison.
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Human beings have nothing to be proud of
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Even the strongest of wrestlers becomes frail and is unable to speak if he or she does not eat for a couple of days. The scholarship of a scholar vanishes in the thin air if you keep him or her without food for a week. Meaning thereby, all your knowledge, intellect, capacity and valour, are dependent on Him. That is why there is nothing for a human being to be proud of. The moment one understands this, one is ensconced in devotion.” (9)
References
1. Neo-Humanism in a Nutshell - 1, Perfect Spirituality and Neohumanism
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 14, “Prańipátena Pariprashnena Sevayá” – 1 / Yoga – Its Fundamental Factors
3. Ananda Vanii #23
4. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 1, The Three Factors for Spiritual Elevation
5. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 1, The Three Factors for Spiritual Elevation
6. Subhasita Samgraha - 24, The Supreme Cognition
7. Prout in a Nutshell - 5, The Responsibility of Society
8. Namah Shivaya Shantaya,Shiva’s Teachings – 1 (continued) (Discourse 10)
9. Subhasita Samgraha - 19, Salvation and Devotion
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The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
PS Intro: This is one special type of song where Parama Purusa explains to the bhaktas what He does - i.e. how He carries out His liila.
"águn jváláte ási niko ámi, diipávalii jváli man májhe..." (Prabhata Samgiita #0421)
Purport:
I, Parama Purusa, do not take advent to scorch people with a burning fire, but rather come to light the lamp of bhakti in their mind and fill their heart with sparkling spiritual refulgence. Even on the rough and harsh desert, I pour sublime sweetness and make even the dry heart full of yearning for the Great. In those trees that do not flower, I decorate them with blossoms.
I (Parama Purusa) transform the degrading, dry, dogmatic personality into an open-minded, neo-humanistic one and immerse them with the beauty of bhakti. To the disconsolate person I bring the warmth of compassion and bless them with inspiration to follow the path of divinity. Through the melody and rhythm of song and dance, silently I fill the isolated and remote corner of their heart with Supreme love. I saturate the entire universe with bhakti through blissful tunes and music so all can become ensconced in the Cosmic Entity.
To those hearts that are frustrated, depressed, and lost, I give them hope and strength for their forward movement and courage to forget the pain and misery of their losses. I make them aware that in all actions I remain with everyone always through ota and prota yoga. No one is ever alone or helpless in this universe.
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Special points of health
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states:
"(1) Body and clothing must be kept neat and clean.Reference
(2) After urinating use water or cleanse yourself by some other means.
(3) Pay attention to the regular clearing of the bowels.
(4) Do not sleep on a soft bed.
(5) When taking a bath, all parts of the body, in particular the armpits and groin, should be cleaned properly. Soap, oil, and comb should be used every day. The body hair should never be cut, especially in the armpit and pubic region.
(6) Before morning and evening sádhaná, either do vyápaka shaoca or take full bath.
(7) Before and after meals, and before sleep, do vyápaka shaoca with cold water. If it is very cold, use lukewarm water.
(8) Drink a sufficient quantity of water every day, but do not drink too much at any one time.
(9) Sleeping during the day and staying awake at night are to be avoided.
(10) All intoxicants are támasika and are to be discarded like poison."
1. Reference: Caryacarya-3, General Health Rules
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
हे प्रभु,हम लोग तुम्हारा आशीर्वाद चाहते हैं
प्रभात संगीत 4942 एसेछि सकले आमरा दले दले प्रणति जानाते नीते आशीर्वाद …
भावार्थ
हे परम पुरुष बाबा! हमसब तुम्हारे पास साष्टाॅग प्रणाम करने आये हैं और तुम्हारा आशीर्वाद चाहते हैं। हम कोई धन, प्रतिष्ठा या वरदान नहीं चाहते हम केवल तुम्हारा प्रसाद चाहते हैं। वह हमारे लिये अमृत है वह हमें सब कुछ है।
हमारी याचना के पूर्व ही तुमने हमें समय के पहले ही सब कुछ दे दिया है हम अपने छोटे छोटे हाथ आगे फैलाकर वह सब कुछ प्राप्त करते गये, और जो भी वस्तु हमारे संपर्क में आयी वह सोने की अर्थात् सात्विक हो गयी।
हे परम पुरुष बाबा! मुझे तुम मुझसे अधिक जानते होे। मुझसे अधिक तुम मेरी जरूरतें जानते हो। मैं कुछ नहीं जानता, मैं तो केवल तुम्हें प्रेम करता हॅूं, तुम्हारे होंठों की मधुर मुस्कान देखकर मेरा सब प्रमाद दूर हो जाता है।
हे परम सत्ता! हर चीज तुम्हारी दिव्य कृपा से संतृप्त है और तुमने हमारा अस्तित्व परमार्थ और श्रेय की ओर अग्रसर कर दिया है।
बाबा! आज हम सब एकत्रित होकर तुम्हारे समक्ष समर्पण करने ही आये हैं हमारा साष्टाॅंग प्रणाम स्वीकार कर आशीर्वाद देवें। (1)
Reference
1. Trans: Dr. T.R.S.
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This email contains four sections:
1. PS #0421: Light the lamp of bhakti in their mind
2. Posting: Self-propaganda
3. IT: Special points of health
4. Links
