Baba
Story: drum & ego
Namaskar,
When we pay our salutations to anyone, we are actually honoring the Supreme Consciousness that lies within that human being and viewing that jiivatman as a representation or reflection of Parama Purusa. We all know that this is the way our salutation system works.
Naturally then, when margiis have full feeling and love for Baba then they like to recognise His presence in the form of everyone and everything. In that case when any margii approaches an acarya, they may bid pranama as they wish to pay respects to the Baba that lies within. This is the proper approach.
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Misunderstanding of some acaryas
Yet, over time, the ego of some acaryas gets in the way. Like the d'ambaru (story appended below), such acaryas get blinded and gradually forget what is happening. Due to the rise of their own vanity, they think that margiis are coming to salute them. Such Dadas think margiis are honoring their greatness. They forgot that margiis are saluting the Supreme that lies within. They forgot that margiis are paying their respects to Parama Purusa.
That is why Baba is making that joke that the ego of those acaryas has made them just like that d'ambaru. That is the parallelism that Baba is making and that is why margiis are laughing hysterically when they hear Baba tell this joke.
Of course here the point is not that all acaryas do like this, but some fall into this ugly trap of the ego. They are the ones that are like the d'ambaru. And this is still going on today.
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Dadas went down road of false vanity
Everyone - thousands of margiis - would come, nay race towards Baba, from around the world to pay their respects to the Lord. This was the way it was, and so many acaryas grew up in this scene. Baba would grace humanity by conducting huge DMCs and tens of thousands of bhaktas would come to see Him, do Guru Puja, and surrender everything at His lotus feet.
All the while certain central Dadas would hover around Baba like bees, and they would even be up on stage with Baba during the DMC. Naturally, margiis viewed those acaryas as representatives of Baba. This was and is the proper way to think - because after all everything in the universe is the manifestation of the Supreme.
So with full love and feeling margiis would do pranam and touch the feet of those acaryas because they wished to salute their nearest and dearest Divine Entity Baba. This went on for years and years and, due to their own lack of insight, some acaryas developed vanity. They thought that their own greatness was the operative factor, and that margiis had come to honor them. They did not know that Baba is that attractive Personality, not Dada X, Dada Y, or Dada Z.
So due to the play of ego, just like with the d'ambaru, those Dadas got misled down the road of false vanity, thinking that they themselves were great. They forgot that those bhaktas were honoring Parama Purusa, not them. But in their blindness, those Wts thought that they themselves were great and that wherever they went people should salute them due to their regal quality. Such is that outrageous play of the ego. And that is why Baba is making the joke about the d'ambaru.
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Baba's warning about ego
Thus everyone should be aware about the tall talks and false vanity that comes from having an inflated ego. That asmita' or ego will blind people into thinking that they are everything and they will forget that Parama Purusa is the Supreme One.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Asmita' [ego or vanity] is devoid of any discrimination, people with this mental defect lose their power of discrimination. First, they think that since they are so great, there is no need for them to learn anything from others. As a result of this, their further progress comes to a halt. Secondly, the arrogant attitude of this asmita' banishes from their minds the humble psychology of the learner. They lose interest in learning anything useful; so not only in the world of knowledge, but also in the world of practicality, they become misfits in life because of their mountainous accumulated ignorance...Thus the arrogance born of this asmita' will lead people towards their downfall. This arrogance, which makes them want to display themselves, forgetting all other things, is termed aham'ka'ra [vanity]. The predominant vrtti behind it is aham [ego]: “I am everything, there is nothing beyond and outside me.”" (1)
So it is with this type of humongous ego that people get lost in their own vanity. They forget Parama Purusa. In that case when pranam is done, they think they themselves are great and it was done in their honor. When in fact, that greeting of pranam was done to Parama Purusa, not that particular Wt etc.
In Him,
Sarvajyoti
~ In-depth study ~
How ego ruins bhakti
Here first is yet another warning about having an inflated ego. When ego develops, then one does not like to surrender to Parama Purusa. Tragically, we have seen how some big Dadas do not like to sing kiirtana or do sastuanga pranam etc. This especially happens to those with the top chair.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "You know, when a man learns much or earns much, his ego, his vanity, gets puffed up. The man gets puffed up with vanity, and under such circumstances he becomes so conscious of his little existence that it becomes very difficult for him to surrender before the Supreme...This is a psychic disease. Actually, vanity is a psychic disease, a psychic ailment." (2)
Tragic downfall
Those days are indeed gone when thousands of margiis would rush up to touch the feet of our acaryas. That is what many acaryas themselves sulk about now. Because margiis have the vivek to see that such big Dadas are only doing for their own self-interest and are not serving Baba's divine cause. In that case margiis stopped giving huge respect to Wts. This is especially the case in India. That is why so many workers are lamenting. They are not getting that big boost of respect and their ego does not like it.
Unfortunately, due to the gross actions of big Dadas, even sincere and earnest workers are suffering. Now margiis do not like to give them the time of day either. For all these reasons and more, many Wts prefer to walk around in the general public with their sadhu garb, because the general public will give them huge respect blindly, not knowing what hell such big Dadas have created in our Marga.
Such is the irony these days. Those who were getting huge respect and developing big vanity about their status, have not been reduced to next to nothing.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Shiva has cautioned people to remain scrupulously aloof from this dangerous disease of vanity by saying, Aham'ka'rah patanasya mu'lam [“Pride goeth before a fall”]." (3)
Story of d'ambaru's bloated ego & audio file
Here is the full story and hilarious situation. All may be aware that Lord Shiva would often hold a trident and a d'ambaru (small drum). To see a picture of the d'ambaru, search Google images using the spelling "Shiva damaru".
Being a great luminary and Taraka Brahma, it was very common for the people of the day to come and pay their humble salutations to Lord Shiva. He was revered and worshiped by all. Thus devotees from around the world would lay prostrate in front of Lord Shiva, surrendering everything at His altar. And He would bless them and solve their problems. Being the embodiment of Supreme Consciousness itself, Lord Shiva was the Master of this Universe and everyone in all lands held Shiva with the highest regards. They all wanted to touch His feet.
All the while - when all this was going on - Lord Shiva would have His d'ambaru (small drum) along with Him.
So Baba recounts how, over time, Lord Shiva's d'ambaru (small drum) began to develop an ego about this. Everyone from around the world was paying their deepest respects to Lord Shiva. And seeing this day after day, the d'ambaru began to think that people were actually coming to pay reverence to it (i.e. the d'ambaru). The d'ambaru was thinking that it was great and that no matter where it went, people would bow down and pay their deepest respects. The d'ambaru became blind and forgot entirely that all the people were giving reverence to Lord Shiva - not the d'ambaru.
Such is the play of ego - one loses their sense of rationality.
And that is the humorous joke that Baba is making because this same type of outrageous scene is present in our acarya culture in AMPS. And all those present that day were laughing loudly as Baba tells this hilarious joke.
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Here below is the audio file of the joke where Baba is equating certain acaryas with the d'ambaru (small drum) of Lord Shiva.
Baba loves us and teaches us in so many ways, even through humor. Whoever we may be, never should we allow the false vanity to creep into our mental plate as has happened with the d'ambaru of Lord Shiva which thinks that the whole world has come to salute it (i.e. the drum). Thus any acarya or family acarya falling into this trap should remedy and rectify themselves as the earliest, otherwise that will not bode well for them.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "By forgetting that the Cognitive Faculty is the witnessing force behind the faculty of seeing, behind the existential I-feeling, people become worse than animals." (4)
Doing pranam in Ananda Marga
So how does all this relate with the past and present situation in our Ananda Marga. How is this joke about the da'mbau relevant. Let's have a look.
Again, here we are not talking about all, but rather some acaryas and perhaps even a few family acaryas etc.
Everyone in AM has great love, respect, and realisation that Baba is the Taraka Brahma - the Supreme One in human form. And we know that Baba resides within each and every pore of this universe.
References
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shivas Teachings – 1 (continued) (Discourse 10)
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 14, “Prańipátena Pariprashnena Sevayá” – 1 / Yoga – Its Fundamental Factors
3. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shivas Teachings – 1 (continued) (Discourse 10)
4. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 8, The Macrocosmic Stance and Human Life
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The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
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== 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 ==
Will You come in my dry heart, I do not know
"Ámár e kat́hin hiyáy, ásabe tumi ki ná jáni ná..." (Prabhat Samgiita #3378)
Purport:
O’ my Parama Purusa, will You ever come in my dry heart, I do not know. You are mine. By Your blessing, I am calling Your divine Self again and again - day and night. I want Your close proximity. Whether or not You will come to my parched, aspiritual mind, I do not know. But if, by mistake, or by any means You come in my soul, then You will not lose anything; Your prestige will not be ruined. Now due to my low bhakti, I can't do sadhana properly.
O’ Cosmic Entity, Baba by Your mercy I have decorated Your supreme seat with countless lamps and a display of light. By Your krpa’, with all my feeling, I go on singing Your song non-stop, continuously. I have composed those melodies in Your ideation, in Your tune, in Your language. Whether You come and take Your seat in the core of my being I have no idea.
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, in my mind, I have so many hopes and aspirations - several desires and so much love. Among these many wants, I have no idea if You will satisfy some of them; I do not know. Only I request You to please come and sit on my Guru cakra forever...
== Section 3: Links ==
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