Dada’s poor show
Namaskar,
Baba places great importance on the study of history as it enables both individuals and communities to learn from past mistakes and thereby progress. Failing that, without the study of history, people commit the same old blunders over and over again. In which case, they remain shackled by the crimes of the past and are unable to advance. So the review of history holds a unique place for the progress of any society.
As Ananda Margiis, we must know the history of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS), and our stand on key events. As we know, there is a dire need to publish AM books as well as innumerable discourses given by Sadguru Baba which have yet to ever be put in print. Yet one of the key guys in our Publications Dept spends his days in other silly and harmful meanderings. Please read this below letter as a historical account first posted just about 5 years ago on this network.
In Him,
Dr. Gopal
Ananda Marga News Bulletin
Note: Please bear in mind that this letter was initially written and posted nearly five years ago as a breaking news item.
Namaskar,
Dada Acyutananda posted an email (highlighted in yellow below) to the ‘márgii inspiration’ list. See how Dada A is actively supporting and promoting a youtube video in which two jinániis are preaching the glory of atheistic, mindfulness meditation.
Acyutananda writes on márgii inspiration
Acyutananda writes:
Namaskára. I very much recommend this discussion that Thomas
Metzinger and Sam Harris had about a week ago, much of which is about
consciousness and meditation...(full letter appended below)
Acyutananda is a senior avadhuta who is in charge of publications. How surprising it will be to people when they see what Acyutananda has written. Baba says that you should always take your mind in a right and systematic approach. Life is very short and time is limited. So we should not entertain harmful and dogmatic thoughts in mind.
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The comment by Acyutananda is certainly negative as the youtube video presents two speakers on atheistic meditation, who are both known atheists. They are discussing in jinani fashion about Buddhist style atheistic meditation.
Acyutananda supports the idea that in atheistic meditation one should close the eyes, and let thoughts come to mind, entertain them and let them be in thoughts for some time; by doing so older thoughts can be eliminated from the mind, and with constant doing of such practices the mind will become vacuum or free of thoughts.
Acyutananda had listened to the video of one hour as he has given the link in the margi inspiration listserv. The surprising thing is that these are so-called senior people of Ananda Ma’rga but they are doing pracar of very senseless topics. There are lot of margiis who are better than such dadas. How will such dadas do praca’r of Ananda Marga when they themselves are not convinced with Ananda Ma’rga sadhana system?
Example #1: Eating at McDonald's
For example, when one dada is established in human conduct nor sattvik food, then Dada can go to a McDonalds or a similar store along with other Ma’rgiis and start telling them, “Let’s eat meat.” So the dada is not only spoiling himself, but also other innocent ma’rgiis. Acyutananda is a jinánii who worked with Vijaya’nanda and now Acyutananda is in publications, as the assistant secretary of B group publications. If one sees his activities one can easily find how lowly they are, yet for the purpose of doing something great for humanity Acyutananda became a sanyasi and donned saffron clothes about 25 - 30 years back. So sad and tragic how his own dealings undermine that high ideal of sanyasi-hood.
Acyutananda is himself confused and aimless, and influencing other ma’rgiis to follow the wrong path. In contrast, Ananda Ma’rga sa’dhana’ is completely different since here one needs to direct the mind in a pinpointed way. When one sits in sa’dhana’ one directs the mind, does bhuta shuddhi, a’sana shuddhi, and citta shuddhi.
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Example #2: Walking a tightrope
For AM sadhakas, the practice of sadhana is similar to an acrobat who ties a rope hundreds of feet above ground between two tall towers and aims to cross the rope. Then the goal is not to look here and there, rather the mind is pinpointed how to walk on the thin rope by keeping balance of the body, as even a small mistake can be fatal. This is an example of the need for a pin-pointedness of the mind. Mind cannot run hither and thither. If it does then the result is very harmful.
Example #3: Archery practice
Here is another example of how AM sadhakas are to practise sadhana. In the Maha’bha’rata, when Dronaçarya was testing the skills of his students of Pa’ndavas and Kaoravas then he mounted a wooden bird on a tree and told them that the goal was to hit the bird with an arrow, but no one could shoot an arrow until they were told to do so. Then he asked if students can see the tree. First group of students said yes, then Dronaçarya said those who said they can see the tree have failed and they should not shoot. Then he asked who can see branches, and a second group of students said yes, then he said they too should not shoot and have failed. Like that groups of students were eliminated until the last one was Arjuna who said he can only see the eye of the wooden bird. Then Drona’ça’rya told him to shoot the arrow, and Arjuna successfully hit the eye of the bird. This story demonstrates the need of concentration and pin-pointedness of the mind in AM sadhana.
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Acyutananda is hollow
Ba’ba’ has given a detailed process of sa’dhana’ and that should be followed. But what Acyutananda is saying is something totally different. Acyutananda is wrongly advocating that one sits in sa’dhana’, after done with citta shuddhi, one should entertain these thoughts. But should what Acyutanadna is telling be called sa’dhana’? Certainly not. This is a waste of time as the mind is not directed or pinpointed.
Dadas like Acyutananda are confused; they are themselves confused / aimless and are trying to do the same with others. Even the most worst of the worst words cannot be used to describe them. These people should not just be ignored, but rather be exposed. People should know that these dadas are hollow inside and should not be listened to.
Sad: how Acyutananda is dry inside
When Acyutananda posted his comments on margii inspiration list, some margiis have severely commented saying that what Acyutananda is saying is nonsense. Acyutananda is a jinánii, and there is a big difference between jinána and bhakti, and often they are inversely related. Since Acyutananda is a jinánii, to show his intelligence he put this video and discussion on the AM listserv. Sadly, Acyutananda himself is confused about AM sadhana and still does not realize this. When one does Ananda Marga sa’dhana’ then these types of fake atheistic meditation process do not make sense. Other sadhakas wrote on the AM inspiration listserv that this is fake sadhana. We should expose Acyutananda by telling people that he is dry inside and creating various diseases in people’s mind. There are a number of new sadhakas who have not yet gotten the deeper experience in their AM meditation, by hearing such comments by Acyutananda they may think that what he is saying let us try that out as well. Since Acyutananda is the assistant secretary of publications, people will think that Dada is an old monk and is knowledgeable. New margis may be misled by his comments. So we should investigate his actions, and oppose Acyutananda for such comments.
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Analogy of pigs in meeting
In the early days of Ananda Marga, communist people were paying bribes to harijans (so-called lower caste people in India) to come and disturb Ananda Marga street corner meetings. Street corner meetings were common in those days to get the attention of common masses by raising ongoing injustices. On such occasions some margis would gather and start talking with a megaphone in hand. Communists used to bribe harijans to bring a herd of pigs at the same time when Ananda Marga meetings were held on the streets. And they would drive the pigs right into the middle of the meeting with the result that people would have to scatter and leave the place. Pigs as we know eat garbage, and also their outer skin is as such no one would like to go close to the pigs. Hence the Ananda Marga meetings use to be disturbed when pigs would come. So when Ananda Margis saw these things are happening repeatedly, they made sure to keep volunteers with long sticks in the street corners so that pigs and their master would not come close to the Ananda Marga meetings.
Analogous to the old incidents of bringing pigs to Ananda Marga public gathering to divert attention, Acyutananda has created a similar mess to divert attention of sa’dhakas from AM meditation. And also, on the AM Inspiration listserv when margiis were celebrating the event when a Didi did Ananda Marga kiirtan in the Indian embassy in Romania, at the same time Acyutananda posted this message about fake atheistic meditation with youtube link. This act is very similar to the communists using pigs to disturb AM pracara. The sad part is that what communists used to do were enemies of Ananda Marga but being a very old sannyasii with saffron dress what dada Acyutananda has done is even more dangerous. The reason is that he is like having a snake in one’s own house. And the underlying cause is, Acyutananda has not obtained any bliss all his life and is engrossed with inferiority complex so due to that Acyutananda is leaving AM good spiritual practices and embracing other non-Margii lower practices thinking that they are good.
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Example of Acyutananda’s inferiority complex
One example of inferiority complex: In the ancient times people of India were taking satvik food, but during Mogul rule, Moguls brought meat based food systems to India along with use of onion and garlic. Since the rulers were taking tamasik food, people of India started to take such foods thinking that since the rulers have high societal prestige, by taking such food their own prestige will be increased. Such practices even can be extended to taking alcohol, formation of nightclubs etc. This is an example of inferiority complex when people forgo well established own practices and adopt lower practices. Many such examples are seen these days, as many countries are adopting western culture of wearing very short dresses, use of commode in the bathrooms and use of papers in the bathrooms instead of water.
Similarly, Acyutananda is engrossed with inferiority complex, and he is creating negative microvita by spreading the word of false and atheistic meditation. Acyutananda has not done praca’r of AM meditation practices because of inferiority complex. It is a sad situation and doubly dangerous as Acyutananda is doing so when wearing a saffron dress and being an Avadhuta; and he has a mind which is lower than common Ma’rgiis. And indeed Ma’rgiis on the AM inspiration listserv have already criticized mentioning that action of Acyutananda is negative microvita.
Bowing to pseudo-Indian spiritual gurus
There are some Wts especially, who are not satisfied with Ananda Ma’rga spiritual practices even though the great majority of Ma’rgiis are very satisfied. The Wts who are not satisfied go to other ashrams in India such as Haridwar, Rishikesh, Yogoda Math, Shringeri, and will do pilgrimage to these places, and may meet with pseudo Indian spiritual gurus. After visiting such places, when they return to their country they will do praca’r of what they have learned in other ashrams to the ma’rgiis and others in Ananda Ma’rga ja’grtis. Margiis listen to the dadas as they feel that dadas are more experienced. New initiates are beginners, and when they listen to such comments they get distracted. That is why it is important to expose such dadas who are spreading false practices. Ma’rgiis around the world should be aware and not listen to such falsehood.
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Ananda Marga rejects atheistic meditation
Please see below. Baba is rejecting the idea of “thoughtlessness”. Because when one is thought-less, it means one has become inert. It does not mean at all that one will attain Parama Purusa, as Parama Purusa was not the goal. That’s why Ananda Marga rejects the atheistic Vipasana or Buddhistic, ‘mindful’ meditation. This meditation is quite detrimental for human progress.
Ananda Marga ideology says, “Cittavrttinirodha means “suspension of all psychic propensities”. You know, if all psychic propensities are suspended, the mind becomes actionless. But actionlessness of mind doesn’t mean that you have achieved the goal. Because when a person is in a senseless condition, in that case also the mind remains actionless. So this definition of yoga cannot be accepted.” (1)
In Him,
Nirakar
Now please see what Ananda Marga philosophy says about Vipassana meditation.
Ananda Marga ideology says, “If the mental force is directed towards finite and crude objects, then the person is ultimately converted into crudeness. As you think so you become.” (2)
The basic tenet is: As you think, so shall you become. And by practicing 'mindfulness' meditation, the mind will become one with the five fundamental factors, air, water etc.
As for those confused Buddhists, in a way they are innocent. Because they could not get the proper philosophy from Ananda Marga. So they don't know that their meditation leads to degeneration. But if some AM avadhuta does such things, then it is a serious contravention of dharma and a terrible sin.
Ananda Marga ideology teaches us, "It is said, Yádrshii bhávaná yasya siddhirbhavati tádrshii [“As you think, so you become”]. The aspirants’ own entitative existence will be turned into clay, metal or wood – a state which in the scriptures is called Prakrtiliina. It is a dreadful state.” (3)
Ananda Marga ideology says, “People ultimately become as they think: Yádrshii bhávaná yasya siddhirbhavati tádrshii. Vikśepii shakti causes a person to move away from Átman, the self, and become attracted to matter. The innate characteristic of human beings is to acquire infinite happiness. In this pursuit lies the seed of human excellence. To remain engrossed in the thought of crude matter is contrary to human existence if this ever occurs it should be understood that the concerned person has degenerated.” (4)
Euphoria of Acyutananda
Acyutananda has written on márgii inspiration list that the youtube video in which two people speaking about meditation should be listened to as they are two jinánii people and their approach of mindfulness meditation is worth listening to.
This posting is related with one video. If anyone wants to go in depth and watch the video recommended by Acyutananda, let us know and we will provide you the link, The video is related with two atheistic meditation teachers, who are giving the process of how to do godless meditation. Acyutanandji watched that, and after watching it he became thrilled and in his euphoria, was pulling and inspiring margiis to watch the video, and learn and practice what was taught. In other words, dada Acyutananda suggested to Margiis that they ignore AM meditation and try godless meditation—which is described below in yellow.
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Following is the letter from dada Acyutananda, highlighted in yellow.
Acyutananda writes:
Namaskára. I very much recommend this discussion that Thomas
Metzinger and Sam Harris had about a week ago, much of which is about
consciousness and meditation:
M and H are both atheists, but you can't say that they haven't
thought deeply about their subjects: ". . . the hard problem [of
consciousness] is that phenomenal properties only nomologically supervene on
functional properties . . ." (Just kidding. Metzinger does say that, but
then Harris lets him know that he should speak for a less technical
audience.)
Metzinger says at 1:03:30: So, you're mind-wandering – phase 1.
Phase 2, there's meta-awareness. You suddenly realize, "Oh no, I've lost it
again." Then you act – then you control your attention and go back to your
breath. But then you have to do 2 more things. One is you have to let go of
the subtle negative feeling of disappointment with yourself ("I'm never
going to learn this! . . .") And the other thing you have to let go is the
sense of effort that was involved in bringing your attention back to the
breath. And if you then can rest for a certain while in a non-fragmented
state, in an effortless form of mindfulness, then you have no sense of self,
and you will be disrupted out of this by the next mind-wandering phase. This
cycle is the usual cycle for the Vipassana meditator. . . . the biggest
problem in meditation is the meditator . . . the person that has sat down,
wants a reward, has read interesting books . . . and now there's this goal
stage, you know. Now he's trying to coax or manipulate him or herself into
something that is rewarding – and that's a form of suffering! And it's
effortful . . .
This above yellow highlighted passage is just the beginning part of the letter from Acyutanandji. If you would like to read the entire letter, kindly let us know and we will provide you the letter in full.
References
1. Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 21, Human Life and Its Goal
2. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 1, Spiritual Practice and the Cosmic Science
3. Discourses on Tantra Volume Two, Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 11, The Intuitional Science of Tantra
4. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 10, Vaedhii Bhakti and Shuddhá Bhakti
== Section 2: Links ==
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