Baba
Way to ruin Baba’s book
Note: This letter is only for those who have reverence for Sadguru Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji and try to follow His Ananda Marga ideology.
Namaskar,
Our Ananda Marga ideology is unique and contains all the answers to all the questions in this universe - both philosophical and spiritual. Naturally then it is of utmost importance to publish Sadguru Baba's discourses in a way Baba wants.
However, these days there is a glaring defect permeating throughout all our English Ananda Marga books that is diluting Baba's discourses. This defect has been inserted by our very own AMPS Tiljala publishers & editors. This error concerns the use and translation of the Samskrta shlokas.
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Baba's stated way of using shlokas
Before directly addressing what the editors have done, let us first examine Sadguru Baba's strategy. The key point is Baba's explicit intention behind the use of shlokas in His discourses. Fortunately, Baba has provided us with a clear explanation. In His historic "Author's Note" to the Hindi edition of Subhasita Samgraha part 2, Baba has issued a statement regarding His use of shlokas. Here below is the overall idea of what Baba writes in that Author's Note:
I (Baba) am not the interpreter of the Vedas, rather My purpose in using any shloka is to explain and put forth Ananda Marga ideology. The shlokas I have selected from the Vedas are used with this expressed intention. Hence, sometimes I expound upon a shloka far beyond than what was the original meaning of the shloka; and, other times, I may use or explain only one word of a shloka when the Vedas have given a lengthy interpretation of that shloka. Because again, My purpose is to set down the tenets of Ananda Marga ideology, not explain the Vedas. (English summary, Author's Note, Subhasita Samgraha - 2)
In His special Author's note, Baba clearly states that in His discourses His intention is not to explain or write a commentary of any shloka per se; but rather, He is using certain words or aspects of the shloka as a springboard to project the new and revolutionary teaching of Ananda Marga ideology.
Often Baba may cite a line of a shloka just as a point of reference to create a point of commonality from where He can project His new and unique teachings. Not because He wishes to give value to the overall meaning of the shloka. It is just like how a person might recall a line of poetry, or a quote from a famous speech, or a line from a movie because those particular words support the point they are making. Their intention is not to give value to the whole meaning of that poem, speech, or movie. Just that particular line or quote was related with a new point they wished to convey.
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Defective ideas of the vedas
There are two basic points which are paramount:
(1) In His discourses, Baba is using the Samskrta shlokas of the Vedas as a springboard to explain His Ananda Marga ideology.
(2) Many of the Vedic shlokas are full of wrong and dogmatic teachings which Baba does not wish to include in His discourses. Sometimes, He openly corrects the Vedas and many, many times He just ignores the various dogmatic interpretations of those Vedic sermons, and instead explains about the dharmic perspective of Ananda Marga.
Unfortunately, a few on the editorial staff in our Ananda Marga Tiljala Publications office have their own way of doing things which goes against Baba's unique and special use of shlokas. In that way a few in Tiljala Publications (TP) have grossly polluted our Ananda Marga books.
Gross distortion on the point of diiksa
While the mistakes certain TP editors have made is prevalent throughout countless discourses, here following are some clear-cut examples for everyone to review. These below editorial blunders are from the discourse 'Twice Born' printed in Ananda Vacanamrtam part 30. In this important discourse Baba is carefully highlighting the importance of AM diiksa - initiation into Ananda Marga. Baba begins the discourse with this full shloka:
Janmana' ja'yate shu'drah sam'ska'ra't dvija ucyate;Veda pa't'ha't bhavet viprah Brahma ja'na'ti bra'hman'ah.
Thereafter Baba puts forth His unique teaching that initiation into the tantric cult of Ananda Marga is what makes one a human being. Baba explains the second half of the first line of the above shloka in the following way.
Sam'ska'ra't dvija ucyate"After one is initiated, one becomes dvija, human." (1)
So Baba's teaching is that Ananda Marga initiation marks the beginning of one's human existence. But in square brackets [ ] the editors made their own silly insertion which goes completely against Baba's explicit teaching. Because about that same part of that very shloka the editors explained it in the Hindu dogmatic way by literally translating that shloka. Here is what those Tiljala editors wrote in square brackets:
[...Going through a renewal ceremony, the person become a dvija...] (TP editor's insertion)
This is the gross error which those TP editors inserted into Baba's discourse. Baba has given this entire discourse to highlight the speciality of Ananda Marga initiation and to tell that it is Ananda Marga diiksa which allows one to begin true human life. Yet side by side our TP editors inserted the misguided interpretation that in order to become human one must undergo the dogmatic Hindu renewal ceremony. Baba’s aim is to put forth the dharma of Ananda Marga by highlighting the importance of our Ananda Marga diiksa but our own editors are polluting His discourses with dogmatic Hindu teachings. This makes the entire discourse appear confusing and even contradictory to readers.
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Repeated mistake throughout the discourse - 1
Even worse is that in this very short, 4-page discourse the editors make this same type of mistake again and again, thereby undermining Baba's dharmic message throughout the printed discourse. Every time Baba mentions that part of the shloka in this discourse then He gives the dharmic meaning. Each time Baba explains that it is Ananda Marga initiation which makes one a human being. This is the teaching He has given and that is one of the main guidelines of this entire discourse.
Yet side by side whenever Baba gives this special teaching then the editors again insert their own words in square brackets [ ] which go 100% against Baba's teaching. Please follow this next sequence. On page 26 of the discourse Baba again repeats that portion of the shloka.
Sam'ska'ra't dvija ucyate
But look what the TP editors have done. Instead of just printing Baba dharmic words which follow the shloka, those editors inserted the dogmatic literal interpretation of that shloka. In their square brackets [ ], the editors wrote:
["going through a renewal, the person becomes dvija"] (TP editor's insertion)
Once again the editors adversely affected the discourse by adding the false idea that it is the dogmatic Hindu ritualistic ceremony which makes one a human being. This is misleading effect of their insertion. When in that very place Baba Himself gives the real meaning:
Ananda Marga ideology says, "After a few years, after five years, when one is initiated, one becomes dvija." (2)
Repeated mistake throughout the discourse - 2
So on the one side Baba is telling that by taking initiation, getting a tantric Guru, and learning Ananda Marga sadhana one becomes a human being. That is the beautiful perspective of Ananda Marga ideology and that is what Baba is explaining throughout the discourse.
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Yet, adjacent to that, the TP editors are adding their own comments in square brackets [ ] stating that it is the Hindu ritualistic ceremony full of dogmatic prayers etc that makes one a human being. Indeed it is in this Hindu renewal ceremony that one first wears the dogmatic sacred thread. That is the import of this Hindu renewal ceremony. And that ritualistic affair is what our editors are highlighting. In our own Ananda Marga scriptures our publishers are telling that wearing the dogmatic sacred thread is what makes someone a human being. This is the nonsense that is going on with Tiljala’s publishing of our Ananda Marga books.
Now see the way that the editors printed this in our Ananda Marga books. First comes the part of the shloka, then in square brackets [ ] is the editors dogmatic remarks, and then comes Baba's dharmic explanation.
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Sam'ska'ra't dvija ucyate ["going through a renewal, the person becomes dvija"] and after a few years, after five years, when one is initiated, one becomes dvija." (3)
By reading the above version which is printed in our Ananda Marga books, it is obvious that what the editors are writing is completely contradictory to what Baba is telling. Yet those editors printed their contradictory statement right before Baba's divine teaching. This is what is happening with our Ananda Marga books. Baba has graciously given the humanity something that is 100% dharmic, and our TP editors are inserting dogmatic phrases in between Baba's revolutionary teachings. In that way our AM books are getting ruined. People new to Ananda Marga and outside scholars will wonder why there is such confusion and hypocrisy in our very own Ananda Marga scriptures.
Our Ananda Marga ideology is completely new
Once again we should remember that Ananda Marga ideology is unique - it is not just the rehashing of old ideas.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Ananda Marga is not only new but something quite different from the established ideas." (4)
Sadguru Baba says, "Ananda Marga is a revolutionary concept of life altogether different from any of the present or past ideas. It is a change which is independent of the cyclic changes due to the passage of time. It does not practise anything which is not new both in approach and practice." (5)
Baba, the Taraka Brahma, has come onto this earth and given something which the humanity has never seen before. His Ananda Marga ideology is something perfect and entirely different from the ideas of old like those outdated Vedic shlokas etc. That is why Baba guides us that when He uses those shlokas of old it is only as a stepping stone to give the dharmic teachings of Ananda Marga. Baba is not trying to explain the dogmatic meaning given in the past about those shlokas. That is not His concern in His Ananda Marga books. Rather, His sole intention is to put forth the seamless ideas of Ananda Marga. And everyone reading Baba's books should understand this very fact.
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Unfortunately, certain TP editors are inserting in their square brackets [ ] and pasting the literal dogmatic meaning of those shlokas into Baba's dharmic discourses. This is the tragedy that is happening on nearly each and every page of our Ananda Marga publications. All of Baba's discourses are getting stained in this way.
Conclusion
Sadguru Baba’s teachings are wholly new and revolutionary. He used those shlokas of the vedas to correct old misunderstandings and present the world with the dharmic teachings of Ananda Marga ideology. The literal meaning of the shloka is not what Baba wishes to convey.
Every Ananda Margii and everyone who reads Ananda Marga books should clearly understand that Baba is giving humanity new and unique ideas that are 100% beneficial for humanity. To that end, He makes use of various shlokas in a specific manner in pursuit of this overall aim: To project Ananda Marga ideology.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Dharmaraja
~ In-depth study ~
Baba is using that shloka to give the dharmic teaching of Ananda Marga ideology but Tiljala Publishers are inserting the dogmatic interpretation for each shloka in brackets [ ]. This leads readers astray and undermines the overall message of Guru’s discourse. We have to see who exactly started the trend of inserting brackets [ ], it is difficult to say. However Dada Acyuta'nanda's name is listed as the editor of all the discourses and publications noted above, so Dada Acyuta'nanda probably knows who within Tiljala Publications started this trend that has proven so harmful to Sadguru Baba’s discourses.
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Scriptures must be flawless
In His below guideline Baba warns us that Ananda Marga scriptures must remain perfect and that those responsible for printing those discourses should carefully guard over those discourses.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The scriptures containing spiritual injunctions must be totally flawless." (6)
Here again Baba warns us that there should not be any weak point or "loophole" in our printed Ananda Marga teachings.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "There must be an excellent and all-embracing philosophy, in which there should be no loophole in any sphere." (7)
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 30, Twice Born
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 30, Twice Born
3. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 30, Twice Born
4. Prout in a Nutshell - 11, 'Ananda Marga: A Revolution'
5. Prout in a Nutshell - 11, 'Ananda Marga: A Revolution’
6. Namaha Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva's Teachings – 2 (continued) (Discourse 14)
7. Namaha Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva's Teachings – 2 (continued) (Discourse 14)
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Tandava & jumping
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Tandava: As long as a dancer remains above the ground, he derives much benefit; when he touches the ground, then those benefits are assimilated by the body. That is why in the tandava dance there is much jumping, because jumping requires the practitioner to remain off the ground for a fairly long period of time." (1)
Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva – the Focal Point of Everything (Discourse 3)
== Section 3: Links ==
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