Baba
Our great dada
Note: This following letter is about how one senior Wt left during tough times - the worst time of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha. And he returned back when he saw that everything was blooming.
Namaskar,
History is very important, both in individual and collective life. In one's personal life, people remember not to commit the same mistake which they made in the past. This saves them from a lot of suffering. Similarly, in collective life, the history of a country, society, or organisation is of great value. Those who do not pay attention to history commit the same mistakes which their ancestors did, and suffer from those pitfalls. They cannot proceed in a very safe manner.
Here we are presenting the history of when misery fell upon our Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha in the 1970’s. But before talking about this “great” Dada, we should know why it is needed to review his misdeeds. So first we examine Baba’s special guideline about how history should be written.
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Why dig out history - 1
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "History has been written and is read – it was written in the past; it will be written in the future. But I suggest that in the writing of history there should be a radical change. The history written so far is a history of kings and monarchs. It should be thoroughly overhauled and completely rewritten – rewritten in the interest of humanity and the universal well-being of the human race...If human beings are to profit from the study of the annals of history, they should reflect the weal and the woe, the hopes and aspirations of the masses." (1)
Example: traitor to Guru
In tantra, the Guru-disciple relation is most significant. That is why Baba has given various conduct rules in Caryacarya about serving Guru.
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The best service to Márga Guru is to work according to His wishes." (2)
As Ananda Margiis we do Guru puja twice daily, at least. The last stanza begins with "Guru Brahma...", and the idea is that Guru is everything. Any true disciple of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti must have this basic characteristic: To be ever-ready to serve Him.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is betrayal. One must not be a traitor to Guru; that goes against the fundamental characteristic of what it means to be a disciple. If one betrays Guru, nothing is left.
Here in India and abroad, most senior margiis are fully aware about the history of Dada Samanvayananda. But some new or junior margiis and workers do not know of him. For everyone's knowledge and understanding - as well as for our own learning - here is Dada’s story.
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Dadaji's downfall: disobeying Sadguru Baba
When Baba was arrested under false charges and incarcerated, Samanvayananda did not stand by Guru. Instead, he lobbied against Baba, became frustrated, and ultimately went out on his own. And once he left, he was gone, i.e. completely away from Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, for more than a decade.
In December 1971, the day before Baba was to hold DMC, He was arrested. In turn, Dada Samanvayananda - then known as Ac Shivananda Avt - was appointed as Guru's representative for that 1971 Dec DMS held in Varanasi. After that occasion, Dadaji developed a big ego and proudly thought that his next posting would be overseas.
Early in 1972, Baba was running the organisation from His jail cell. All orders were coming from Him and being carried out in the organisation. In this way, Dada Shivananda (i.e. Samanvayanandji) came to know he was given a posting in India. In disgust, Dadaji opted not to go to his assigned posting. Instead he traveled around Nepal, presenting himself as a guru. Then he was given another posting and again he did not show up.
Later on in the year 1972 Baba gave the order that Shivananda (i.e. Dada Samanvayananda) was transferred to Udaipur (Rajasthan) as DS where he will oversee the school. Hearing this, Dada Samanvayananda / Shivananda again became very upset and frustrated; he did not want this low post. Dada S had grand visions: First he wanted to go to Rishikesh and become a great guru and then naturally his fame will enable him to travel overseas and the world, garnering respect from all etc. When the posting order came as DS Udaipur, then he felt this was too much. Other workers who were friends with Dada tried in Jaipur to convince him to attend to his post. Ultimately, Samanvayananda went there with some of his own newly made disciples. Upon seeing the school he was to run, Dadaji proclaimed, "You do not know my potentiality."
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Disciples challenges Guru in ugly way
Dada remained at that posting in Udaipur for all of one day. He then went off on his own. Indeed, in that dark hour, Dada Samanvayananda, a.k.a. Dada Shivananda, left Baba and the AMPS organisation, and in a challenging display created his own separate organisation, "Prema Marga". That time, Dada established his own office in the foothills of the Himalayas at Dehradun.
Let us not forget that in those days, Baba was in jail. It was during those difficult times in AMPS when maximum support was needed that Samanvayananda left and created his own organization to compete against AMPS. The need of the hour was to stand firmly by Guru and raise the flag of Ananda Marga. Those days, so many margiis and acaryas withstood the onslaught and backlash of the negative forces, i.e. Mrs Indhira Gandhi's exploitative machine. Margiis and wts were forced into hiding, imprisoned, tortured, and humiliated. All the while Guru was in jail. No true Ananda Margii could ever think to leave in such a moment - never.
Yet, in that crucial period, when Baba was in jail and workers margiis were also suffering, Samanvayananda left to enjoy his own self-created guru-ship, and establish his own separate organisation: Prema Marga. While dedicated Ananda Margiis stood by Guru, Samanvayananda fled to establish his own so-called glory. This is not the quality of a disciple, but rather a case of betrayal. Remember, Baba was in jail and everyone was struggling hard to carry on. This went on for years.
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Dada Samanvayananda’s betrayal continued
Finally, in 1977, Mrs Indhira Gandhi's regime was ousted, the Emergency (martial law) was lifted, and all were released from jail. The authorities freed everyone except Baba. From His cell, Baba issued a grand pardon to all. Baba was openly welcoming back everyone into AMPS, regardless of what they had done. During Emergency, most of the margiis and Wts were firm and strict in Ista and adarsha and fought courageously and never cowed down - they were heroic. But some few wts, margiis etc had gone to their laokik homes, some were defectors, some testified against Baba in court, some had left their sadhana, others had turned to tamasik eating habits etc. People had gone astray for all kinds of reasons. And in 1977, Baba pardoned all and welcomed everyone back, regardless of their story. By this way, so many who left Ananda Marga returned back, including Mangal Birharii ji of Rajasthan, and AR Sarangi ji of Ranchi, and so many more.
But not Dada Samanvayananda / Shivananda. He was living the good life as a self-proclaimed guru, and he did not want to give that up. There was another thought in his mind as well. He was thinking that at any moment AMPS could again fall into tough times. Because Baba was not going to change His teachings and those ideals are too tough for the authorities to accept. So again there will be trouble. Dadaji thought, "Better I should stay in my own guruship at my ashram."
In this calculated manner, Dadaji did not return to Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha in 1977 when Baba pardoned and welcomed everyone. Nor did Dada Samanavayananda return when Baba was released from jail in August 1978. Weeks turned into months, and months turned into years.
Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha was growing by leaps and bounds. Baba performed the grandest dharma samiiksa in the history of humanity. AMPS was fast spreading all around the globe. The organisation was growing exponentially. Still Dada Samanvayananda was nowhere to be seen. Dadaji was still leading the life as "guru" in his ashram. Time and again, Dada’s friends like Dada Aksarananda had pleaded with him to return, but to no avail.
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"Why should I stand here, I am guru anyway” - Samanvayananda
Dada Samanvayananda’s own temple, Prema Marga where he became a pseudo-guru, was not going very well. In other words, his boat was sinking so he thought to leave that boat and ride the waves of Ananda Marga.
Ultimately, it was not until around 1984 or so, that Dada Samanvayananda finally showed up. He came to see Baba in Lake Gardens. Baba refused to see him and did not grant him entry to the compound. So Dada stood outside the gate and waited. Days passed. Dada S grew frustrated and despondent. He was standing outside the gate in civil dress thinking, "Why should I stand here - I can put on my sannyasi dress and return to my own ashram in Dehradun."
Again his friends like Aksarananda came to his rescue. They pleaded with him to be patient and wait for Baba's approval. An entire month passed, Baba refused to see or look at him. Still Dada S was thinking to go back to his old ashram in Dehradun, and never considered donating his ashram to Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha. Instead he kept that as his "safety-net" in case he ever wished to return there.
Then one day, Baba gave the order that Dada should be accepted back, and after training, he was given the name Ac Shambunath Brc. And he was assigned to the very simple and basic post of ZO, i.e. zonal organizer within SDM. Later on he became CO, or circle organizer. Even then, Baba barred him from attending all kinds of meetings and reportings. And for quite a while he retained the name Shambunath Brc, until on one occasion in 1990 Baba granted general amnesty and restored avadhutaship to all sinner Wts. At that point his name became Smanvayananda Avt.
All in all, Dadaji was away from Ananda Marga for 11 years. When he was needed most to help in difficult times, he was entirely absent - just enjoying the high life as a self-appointed guru. Even worse, after that time, Dada Samanvayananda never expressed an ounce of repentance or remorse for what happened in those days.
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Sinful chapter: gloated over betrayal period
While he was named as Samanvayananda, he used to talk about how great Shivananda was and how he (Shivananda) used to have so many siddhis and do long sadhana. With that unrepentant ego, he would talk about himself in the third person as a means of praising himself up to the sky. Dada marched around with an extreme sense of entitlement - and not a lick of repentance.
Plus, Dada Samanvayananda shamelessly glorified his days in Dehradun in his book. He never once admitted that he betrayed Baba or that what he did was wrong. Dada was never open and honest with himself or others about this. Rather he tried to present this as his own greatness.
He wrote his own book 'Glories of ...'. And in that book he mentioned many times about his great work in Dehradun. When Sadguru Baba was wrongly jailed and facing so many injustices, and all workers and family margiis were struggling tooth and nail to survive, Dadaj S went against Guru and made his own separate organization known as Prema Marg. Not only did he leave Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, but he created a parallel ashram that was directly challenging Baba's organisation and the path of Ananda Marga.
Yet about all this Dadaji says that this was his "great" work. In his book Dada Samanvayanandji writes on page 57:
"I had established an ashram at the foot of the Himalayas...in Dehradun District of UP."
Conclusion
Indeed, Dada Samanvayananda did not have an ounce of repentance for his betrayal to Baba. He does not write, "Unfortunately blinded by my own ego I left Ananda Marga in that key hour." Nor did he write, "How can I ever forgive myself for leaving Baba when so many inimical forces attacked Him." In his book, Dadaji did not express an iota of repentance etc. Just he basks in his own so-called glory that he built up his own ashram.
And even after publishing his book he did not express any remorse. Not a word of repentance did he express for those black days in which he left Baba and created his own organisation. In simple language, this is betrayal to Baba and backstabbing to Guru.
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We should not hold Dada's example in some divine manner - this sin should not be repeated - others should not emulate Dada S's approach. When times are tough that is not the occasion to depart and plant one's flag of glory elsewhere.
Namaskar,
in Him
Shubhankar Deva
How Samanavayananda created loads of bad samskaras
Baba pardoned Samanvayananda, but unfortunately after getting pardoned Samanvayananda repeatedly indulged in sin. For instance, in his book he glorified his old dealings and was constantly gloating about his days as a guru in his various talks.
The same type of thing happened with those who got dharma samiiksa; Baba freed them of their old sins Baba but then afterwards they created more fresh sins. This is the liila of Parama Purusa. Humans have tremendous ability to create negative samskaras in a very short time - in a matter of minutes. Dada S is one of them.
So regarding his bleak future, we are not talking about his old sins, but rather he newly created negative samskaras after being pardoned. It is just like one wt who did sexual crime and Baba punished him but then the next month that same Wt did another sexual crime and repeated it again and again. In that case, even after Baba lovingly purified him through punishment then again that Wt invited a whole new pile of samskaras by his sinful acts.
Same is the case of Dada S. He was always bragging about Dehradun ashram and how he was a "great" guru those days and wrote about it also. Up to the end of his life he did not bring his old disciples to AMPS rather they would come and stay with him. Dada S kept them separate. All this happened after Baba's pardon. So after the pardon from Sadgru, Samanvavayananda created a heavy boatload of negative samskaras for himself.
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~ In-depth study ~
Nobody should ever commit such grotesque sin
Dada Samanvayananda wrote: "I had established an ashram at the foot of the Himalayas...in Dehradun District of UP."
This is how he was describing the time when he left AMPS to establish his own ashram. We all know that in the general society, people's quality, qualifications, and attributions are measured on the grounds of various superficial variables. But according to Baba's Neohumanistic philosophy, character, dealing, behavior, conduct are one's true qualifications. Baba says such things everywhere in His countless discourses.
Ananda Vanii says, "Your ideal is represented by your conduct. Your learning, your social or economic status have nothing to do with your ideal." (3)
Baba's message is quite clear and without ambiguity: We Ananda Margiis are to evaluate others - and oneself - on the point of one's character and conduct - not on points of money, power, avadhuta dress, purodhaship, kapalik sadhana, vishesha yoga, age, seniority, and Central Committee, Acarya board and Purodha board, or even post of Purodha Pramukha.
So we should evaluate one's calibre by their conduct alone. Other relative factors like money, post, and power are so-called qualifications and essentially valueless. To evaluate the quality and qualifications of this senior avadhuta, the late Samanvayananda, we should look to his conduct. Then we can clearly see how Dada Samanvayanand's conduct contravened essential guidelines and the ideal of Ananda Marga.
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Why dig out history - 2
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The annals of human history should show which communities brought about which amount of progress and prosperity in which area of social life and in which part of the world – only such significant events are worthy of being recorded. History should also maintain special records of the trials and tribulations which confronted human beings, how those trials and tribulations were overcome, how human beings tackled the numerous obstacles to effect greater social development, and so on. Only such history would I call the complete history or complete cultural history of the human race." (4)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The history of the human race should be written according to the inherent special characteristics of human beings. Only then will we know how successful the human beings of the past were in developing their latent noble qualities, and how much they have progressed today." (5)
References
1. A Few Problems Solved - 4, Let History Be Rewritten
2. Caryacarya - 2, Society, Pt #20d
3. Ananda Vanii #13
4. A Few Problems Solved - 4, Let History Be Rewritten
5. A Few Problems Solved - 4, Let History Be Rewritten
* * *
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 ==
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 ==
I did not hear Your call
"A'mi toma'y bhule kiser chale ka'l ka't'a'lum dhara'r buke..." (Prabhat Samgiita #2140)
Purport:
Parama Purusa, remaining forgetful about You, because of one excuse or another, I wasted my time on this earth and became completely captivated by one magical display: maya. And because of that, I did not hear the call of my Supreme Well-Wisher: Parama Purusa.
Baba, when those dark days descended in my life, nobody was there to give me hope; I was shelterless. It was only at that moment I started asking You to please come and protect me. In that very terrible situation, I started calling You, "Parama Purusa, please come, and rescue me! Prabhu, save me from this ghastly danger."
Earlier, when the proper opportune moment was there, then I was intoxicated in the magical display of maya. In those days I was in a deep slumber; I was not able to understand. So I did not call You until the situation became disastrous. Baba, even then, now I know in my heart that, “Parama Purusa, You belong to everyone, You belong to me." Please attract me, make me Your own, and remain with me always, in my pleasure and my pain - always.
Baba, I frivolously spent the long span of my life by indulging in negative deeds and remaining oblivious of You. Remaining distant, I squandered my life away. But now in the end, You have lovingly lifted me from the dust and gently placed me on Your divine lap. Baba, You are so gracious. You are love-personified…
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Solution: divert negative desires
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The recommended psychological stance is that a ripu [internal enemy] must be kept under control, and under no circumstances should it be allowed to run counter to the society or to societal norms. Suppose someone has a strong weakness for eating. Overeating or eating prohibited food can naturally lead to sickness or premature death. So that person restrains their greed in such a manner that their greed is satisfied and at the same time potential disease is prevented. Suppose someone addicted to drink has become a slave of liquor under its strong influence. If they can sublimate their alcohol addiction into a passion for music or painting or any other finer art, then their passion will be satisfied without any injury to themselves." (1)
Reference
1. Shabda Cayanika - 4, Ku to Kuiṋjara (Discourse 27)
== Section: Important Teaching ==
One singular human family
Prout philosophy states, "Every atom and molecule of this universe is the common property of all living beings. This has to be recognized as a matter of principle. After recognizing this fact, statements such as, “This is indigenous and that is foreign”, “So-and-so is qualified for the citizenship of such-and-such country while others are not” and, “Such-and-such community will get certain political rights, neither more nor less than that”, are totally irrelevant. In fact, such statements nakedly expose the vested interests. Where the people of one country suffer due to lack of land or food, while those of another country have abundant land and plentiful food, what else is it but a type of capitalism!" (1)
Reference
1. Problems of the Day, point #16
== Section: Important Teaching ==
How nobody can live alone
Ananda Marga philosophy teaches us "You will hear many a vain and assuming person say, “I don’t need anyone’s help, I’m doing very well by myself. I don’t want to concern myself with anyone else’s affairs and I don’t expect anyone else to bother about mine.” Nothing could be more foolish than this statement. Medicine and nursing are necessary to cure diseases; the neighbours’ help is needed to cremate a dead body; and for the regular supply of food and cloth the cooperation of farmers and spinners is essential. Remember, no created being in this universe is independent. No one can exist alone, everyone has a supra-cosmic relationship with the whole, at times prominent, at times indistinguishable. In this scheme of mutual relationships, even the slightest mistake or discord will raise a furious furor in the universe. In this mighty creation, the brilliantly luminous sun and the tiny ant have the same existential value, having combined together to make the universal family. Similarly, in human society, the importance of a powerful and eminent person is no less than that of a disabled and dying patient. None can be ignored. The least injustice done to anyone will cause the break down of the entire social framework." (1)
Reference
1. A Few Problems Solved Part 6, The Spirit of Society
== Section 4: Links ==
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