Baba
Replica
Namaskar,
Here - in the below image - we see how in the traditional Islamic death ceremony they place a heaping pile of flowers on top of the deceased’s mazar (tomb) (i.e. samadhi); and many come and bow their head in hopes of getting one boon. In this particular scene depicted below, there are throngs of people lined up to pay their respects to the human being who died. Verily there are so many people that the police (pictured in the background) have come to handle crowd control.
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What you see here is a common scene typical of every Muslim annual death ceremony. They have deposited heaps and heaps of flowers upon the mazar (tomb) / samadhi. Also notice how they have turned their heads downward to pay their respects. They do this type of mazar (tomb) worship.
According to Muslim dogma, one must have their head covered with some material at the maqbara (Arabic term for a memorial building). So you can see how all the men are using a traditional, round Islamic cap - while one female is wearing a veil. Their belief is that the soul of the deceased is actually inside the mazar (tomb) and one can communicate with that soul and ask for favours and boons. Of course that is just their dogma, but that is what such Muslims believe. So they come in the maqbara, stand near the tomb, and ask for boons etc. Their hands are thus held in a special posture, and in reverence they are bowing their head to the mazar (tomb). This is their annual ceremony so it will happen next year also.
Muslim mahaprayan celebration
Here is more about the Islamic annual death (mahaprayan) ceremony, i.e. mahaprayan. Please see below how there is a mazar (tomb) and the mazar (tomb) has a steel enclosure to protect it. And in the center it can be seen that the mazar (tomb) is fully loaded with green, white, and red coloured flowers and garlands to pay homage to the deceased.
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Look below and see how thousands have gathered - but to protect the integrity and sanctity of the mazar (tomb), only a few are allowed in at a time. Outside there are thousands more waiting for entry.
Actually, such annual death (mahaprayan) day ceremonies have been popular in the Islamic tradition since its very inception, around 1500 years ago. They bury their dead at the time of mahaprayan and erect a tomb / samadhi and regularly worship the tomb on the anniversary of the death (mahaprayan). Some of the observances are large and some small - the common theme being they are regularly done.
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And remember, our AMPS was formed in 1955 to eradicate all sorts of religious dogma etc, but by the efforts of a few senior disciples in our Marga, they pushed AMPS into the dungeon of religious dogma by embracing this Islamic annual death-day dogma at the end of 1990. Sadly this has broken the backbone of the Marga as the foundation was shaken to the core. This is most unfortunate.
Tiljala memorial gathering at the maqbara
The below photo is of the Tiljala memorial gathering at the maqbara - the Arabic term for a memorial building, which in Bengali is called a mahaprayan-mahasamadhi bhavan. There is a crowd and in the very center is the tomb. All those attendees have surrounded the tomb, which is built up from the ground into a high platform in the shape of a 6-sided star. It is about 4ft high and located in the direct center of the hall. And the large group of attendees are surrounding that tomb. And then there is an illumined rectangular casket, and above that is the decorated ark. And inside there is the pratikrti. Now see how the crowd has surrounded the holy tomb in order to worship it.
This picture of the below scene was taken from a distance. So we can see hundreds of AMPS monks have come to worship the tomb. Plus other dogmatic followers have also come in civil dress. Then the balcony is filled with more dogmatic followers. This is how this ritual, which has been copied from Islamic dogma, has been adapted and implemented in Tiljala.
Once again, if you read this description already up above then skip to the next paragraph, otherwise here again is that description. In the above photo in the center of this memorial gathering - i.e. Arabic maqbara (memorial building), which in Bengali is called a mahaprayan-mahasamadhi bhavan. In the center, built up from the ground is a high platform in the shape of a 6-sided star. It is about 4ft high. And then there is an illumined rectangular casket, and above that is the decorated ark. And inside there is the pratikrti.
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So here in review, the picture of the above scene was taken from a distance - and if you already read this analysis up above then please jump down to the very next paragraph. So we can see hundreds of AMPS monks have come to worship the tomb. Plus other dogmatic followers have also come in civil dress. Then the balcony is filled with more dogmatic followers. This is how this Islamic ritual is taking place in Tiljala.
About the above scene:
Islamic rituals in vogue at Tiljala's Mahaprayan venue
Unfortunately, in our AMPS, certain leaders in Tiljala have enacted the same type of ritual that those Muslims do. At every so-called mahaprayan gathering (i.e. death ceremony), those organisers in Tiljala have replicated the traditions from the Islamic death (mahaprayan) ceremony. See above how a tomb / shrine has been erected in the middle of the room at Kolkata’s mahaprayan program and those present are placing flowers just as the Muslims do. In addition to the tomb and flowers, they are copying all the various Islamic rituals - and incorporating them into their dogmatic mahaprayan function - i.e. annual death (mahaprayan) ceremony.
How this dogma has shaken foundations / principles of AMPS
The whole scene is akin to a vaccine that was created to wipe out a particular disease but then that vaccine itself got polluted and started spreading the very disease it was supposed to eliminate. What a horrible and ironic turnaround - can you imagine. Yet that is what has happened with our AMPS and this Islamic annual death-day dogma.
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AMPS has been founded by Sadguru Baba to remove all kinds of religious dogmas from the various faiths - Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism etc. However, since 1990, certain in-charges have embraced this Islamic dogma of mahaprayan - “as is.”
The Muslims call their death-day dogma as mahaprayan, and in our AMPS it is called mahaprayan. The Muslims do it on an annual basis, and in AMPS it is done on an annual basis. The Muslims perform a grand gathering around the tomb, and in AMPS there is a grand gathering around a tomb. And there are so many ways in which these two programs are completely identical. That is why we say that those Tiljala leaders have copied the mahaprayan program “as is” from Islam. Tiljala did not change a thing - their mahaprayan is an exact replica of the age-old Muslim tradition.
Deceptively presented as divine & heavenly
Initially, Tiljala deceptively presented this mahaprayan gathering to margiis as being some type of divine and heavenly occasion that was exclusively for Mahasambhuti etc. But now the cat is out of the bag and their whole hypocrisy has been exposed. Today, everyone understands that mahaprayan is just one copy and adaptation of an Islamic dogma.
Muslims were doing that for mahaprayan. And the Tiljala mahaprayan organisers have followed suit.
We can see how in Tiljala they have implemented that same Islamic tradition by encircling the tomb as they perform their tomb worship during their annual mahaprayan program etc.
So while the Muslims do their ceremony for deceased human beings, the Tiljala organisers are doing this annual death (mahaprayan) ceremony to Taraka Brahma Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji . The precept is that Guru is gone.
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Our avadhutas say: “I am just a medium -
Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji is teaching you & He is ever-present"
When Our avadhutas acaryas give initiation, or revise anyone’s lesson, or give further lessons of sadhana, they say, “I am just a medium - Sadguru Taraka Brahma Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji is teaching you and He is ever-present."
And verily true bhakta know that there is no such thing as mahaprayan for Sadguru Baba. As the Sadguru He never passes away, He is omnipresent. So those who Wts how believe in & propagate that Sadguru is dead are confused. Actually they are displaying hypocritical behaviour. Why?
Because when those same acaryas give initiation, or revise anyone’s lesson, or give further lessons of sadhana, they say, “I am just a medium - Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji is teaching you and He is ever-present." So in one breath they say that Sadguru Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji is guiding you and in the next breath they say He is dead - mahaprayan. That is both hypocritical and sinful. Hypocritical because they are telling one thing and doing something else. They are telling that Guru is no more in their mahaprayan program, yet when teaching sadhana they are relying on Him. And it is sinful because it is abusive against Guru.
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It is similar to your own children playing before you and talking among themselves that, “My father (i.e. you) is dead.” Hearing this, how will you feel? And not only that, they go one step ahead, before your eyes they start commemorating your annual death day ceremony. How do you feel about their ignorance?
Namaskar,
In Sadguru Baba,
Pravin Mukherji
This letter examines how the organisers of the Tiljala mahaprayan program have completely copied the Muslim annual tomb worship mahaprayan ritual.
* * *
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 ==
Important hygiene point
Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "Dhaotii: Immediately after Nasapana, at a time when your stomach is empty and you are washing your face, the throat should be cleaned with the middle finger of the right hand, inserting it as far as possible." (1)
Since the practice of nasapana is required in order to practice dhaotii, here following is a reminder about that:
Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "Nasapana: Draw in clean water through the nostrils and pass it out through the mouth. This water may be swallowed, but it is better to spit it out." (2)
References
1. Caryacarya - 3, Different Yoga Practices, Point #5
2. Caryacarya - 3, Different Yoga Practices, Point #4
== Section ==
You are the blessed travellers on that effulgent path - Ananda Vanii #71
“The despondent humanity, in the monumental task of searching for veracity, sees the beacon leading to the path of effulgence. This immense task makes humanity's existence resplendent and illumines its path of movement with the blazing tenderness of humanism. You are the blessed travellers on that effulgent path. Let the unique blending of your profound wisdom and intense urge for action rend asunder the mists of sinful deeds and smash to dust the jagged rocks of hypocrisy, and establish you in the realm of supreme fulfilment. This is my wish for you...”
== Section ==
The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.
completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its own as a point of interest.
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Shape of future humans:
very large head and leg arms thin
very large head and leg arms thin
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, "I have also said that in the future the number of vrttis may further increase. The more complicated social life, family life, the realm of thought and the realm of intellect become, the more vrttis will develop. For example, the vrtti, cunningness, may be expressed in many more ways. To fulfil their desires, people will develop different types of cunningness which may become different vrttis in future. For example, the cunningness required to procure an object by devious means, the cunningness needed to give a promise knowing full well that one will never keep it, and the cunningness required to trick someone into believing that one did not tell a lie when in fact one did tell a lie, may all become separate vrttis in future.”
“Thus, in the future, as people’s thought processes become more complicated, many new vrttis will develop. The number of vrttis may not stay at fifty. Just imagine the situation that will arise in the future as a result of humanity’s ever increasing thirst for knowledge. To meet these developments the nerve cells and nerve fibres will have to become more complex. Consequently, the human cranium will become larger and the size of the head will increase. The hands and feet will become weaker and weaker and human beings may even lose the ability to walk. Today, the human toes have almost stopped functioning – in spiritual actions we have almost no use for them – whereas at one time, when we used to walk on four legs, we used our toes as much as our fingers. The front legs were used less and less, and were transformed into arms, and thus these days it has become almost impossible for us to crawl on all fours. There was a time when humans would run on four legs, but today they cannot do that. After a time, children feel uncomfortable crawling around on all fours and try to walk on their hind legs. In the initial stages, when they try to stand up, they soon fall down. Again they stand up, again they fall down. When they finally develop the habit of standing on two legs, there are corresponding changes in the physical structure so that the use of their arms becomes less. In the future, the legs will be used less and less and the capacity to move on them will decrease. The arms will become thin, and the head will become abnormally large.” (1)
Reference
1. AV-8, Sádhaná, Abhidhyána and Kiirtana
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== Section ==
ৰাৰা অশীর্বাদ
“সৰাই সুখী হোক | সৰাই রোগ মুক্ত হোক |
সৰাই প্রত্যেকটি জিনিসের ভাল দিকটা দেখুক |
আর অবস্থার চাপে পড়ে কাউকে কষ্ট ভোগ করতে যেন না হয় | কাউকে শোষিত হতে যেন না হয় |
মানুষের শরীরকে কাউকে যেন পশুর মত জীবন যাপন করতে ৰাধ্য হতে না হয় |” [1]
Reference
1. অপ্রকাশিত, DMC 1 January 1989 Ananda Nagar
== Section 3: Links ==
Recent postings
Other topics of interest
