Annual Islamic mahaprayan
Namaskar,
The below article by Muhammad Anisujjaman and accompanying photo depict the mahaprayan death day occasion of Muslim follower Khan Saroyar Murshid’.
Khan Saroyar Murshid’, a school teacher, died in Bengal and they observed the anniversary of the mahaprayan with many in attendance. Actually, such mahaprayan ceremonies have been popular in the Islamic tradition for hundreds and hundreds of years. They bury their dead and erect a tomb and regularly worship the tomb on the anniversary of the death. Some of the observances are large and some small - the common theme being they are regularly done. Muslims were doing that for mahaprayan.
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Muslim tomb worship now in AMPS
AMPS has learned about the mahaprayan ritual from those Muslims. The proof is that you will not find old, old tombs in any tradition except Islam.
For this particular observance highlighted below, Muhammad Anisujjaman has written an obituary / eulogy in a Bengali newspaper for the mahaprayan of Khan Saroyar Murshid’, a follower of Islam. By this photo and accompanying article, it is clear they are keen to honour this death day program.
The below photo shows how mahaprayan is done by Muslims to observe the death of those mainly of the Islamic faith. Those followers bury their deceased and then perform yearly tomb worship on the anniversary of their death. Here you can see how they sit around the tomb of the deceased. This is one of the common ways they observed their mahaprayan ritual.
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Next, in the below piece, for the mahaprayan Khan Saroyar Murshid’, the word highlighted in orange is the Bengali spelling of mahaprayan.
Annual death ceremony: Sadguru treated as mortal
Naturally then, when the mahaprayan function is embraced by all as a death ceremony for human beings, then when it is done in Tiljala every year in October, all the locals think that a death ceremony is being convened---Baba is also a human being, not Sadguru.
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Lowly disciples apply dogma to Guru
Taken altogether, the situation is quite pitiful. Beloved Baba is the eternal Parama Purusa, yet the mahaprayan organisers are treating Him like one mortal who died.
It is just like how Lord Buddha was against idol worship; he himself did meditation. But the moment Lord Buddha left his physical body, then his own disciples started making and worshipping his idol. The dogma which Lord Buddha opposed, his own followers implemented for him. How ironic.
And now inside a similar thing is unfolding in AMPS. Sadguru Baba is against the annual shraddha dogma:
Ananda Marga Caryacarya states, "The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days." (1)
Yet sinners have imposed an annual death day anniversary program - i.e. mahaprayan - in AMPS. And what to speak of 12 days, it is 35 years - and counting. How ironic - what Guru does not appreciate, they are doing that very thing.
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Every Ananda Margii should pause & think
So I request you to pause and think. This letter is not about groupism; this is a spiritual issue on bhakti. Guru is being abused. Don't you think Guru is with you always? In the tantra of Ananda Marga, sadhana starts with this feeling that, "Guru is with me." One should have this basic feeling. Naturally every Ananda Margii thinks their Sadguru is with them. Then why are we allowing this dogmatic annual death ceremony, which is against Caryacarya.
In Him,
Jaideva
(Zakir Hussain)
Sadguru Baba is not mortal human being
In this article - as well as in its regular usage - mahaprayan is used to insinuate the death or death day anniversary of a person who has made his departure from this world. It is not for God. That is why this mahaprayan program must not be used for Sadguru Baba because He did not depart - He is the eternal Parama Purusa. So the mahaprayan term is for humans, i.e. mortals.
It should be emphasized that the concept of mahaprayan means the death or death anniversary of a human. It is not something lofty, great, or divine, and is not meant to be used with Sadguru Baba. Some people, knowingly or unknowingly, want to ruin Baba's grandeur and soil the greatness of Parama Purusa. That is why they are projecting Baba as a mortal.
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Hypocritical behaviour
Sadguru Baba is guiding you and in the next breath they say He is dead - mahaprayan. True bhaktas know that there is no such thing as mahaprayan for Sadguru Baba. As the Sadguru He never passes away, He is omnipresent. So those of our Wts who believe in and propagate that Sadguru is dead are confused. Actually they are displaying hypocritical behaviour.
When our Wts / acaryas give initiation, or revise anyone’s lessons, 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."
In one breath our Wts (Dadas and Didis) 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. By mahayaprayan, certain acaryas are telling that Guru is no more, 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 mother is dead.” As a mother, how will you feel? And not only that, they go one step further. Before your very eyes they start commemorating your annual death day ceremony. How do you feel about their ignorance?
True bhaktas never participate in the dogmatic annual death day ceremony / mahaprayan of the ever-present God. That is against pre-1990 Caryacarya.
References
1. Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Too much sleep ruins mind
Ananda Marga ideology states, "The first bad habit is nidra or sleep. Sleep is a state that creates a feeling of vacuity after it is over. That is, immediately after waking up people forget where they were or what they were doing before sleeping. They lose the sense of time. “What’s the time now?” they ask, forgetting whether it is day or night. If people sleep too much for days on end, this mental disorientation persists for a long time. “Is it day or night? What time is it?” they ask, confused. If this continues, their receptive and retentive powers decrease resulting in an almost total loss of mental power. They become dull, and lack courage to face life’s problems. They may have physical strength, but they lack courage. The ancient people believed that excessive sleep is good for health, but this is not the case. Rather, too much sleep not only impairs the health, but has an adverse effect on the mind." (1)
In materialistic societies, it is taught that 8 hours of sleep is essential. But that is not correct. If one sleeps deeply, then four hours of sleep is sufficient. One will awaken feeling revived and refreshed. In contrast, if one does not sleep deeply then the body will not be properly repaired nor restored. So the amount of time is not the operative factor. Rather, the depth of sleep is the key point. True sleep means a dreamless sleep - then both mind and body are quickly restored. In deep sleep, there is a complete vacuum, and one is not aware about the passage of time. In that state, only a few hours of sleep is needed.
Reference
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 8, Bad Habits Which Should Be Given Up
== Section 2: Links ==
Posting to read
Famous family acaryaDogma of Mahaprayan - Oct 26
#15: Bait kiirtana: drawing attendees
#14: Annual program: adopted from Islam
#13: Adding "mahaprayan' to AM books
#12: Personal experience: Baba's omnipresence
#11 Teaching from Acarya Diary
