Unfading Memories

About the Author "Those of you, who are with me, you will not have the time to review the ideology or goal of Ananda Marga during my life time. The future generation will make this review and they will find that before us no propagation of Dharma had been made on a wide scale. Whatever propagation was made, it was for particular religion and not for Dharma. It is Ananda Marga alone that has taken a firm resolve to propagate Dharma because Ananda Marga is Bhagavata Dharma and Vistara (expansion), Rasa (devotional flow), Seva (service) are its ingredients."

"One who is not established in self-restraint, he/she cannot achieve Brahma. Hisher Brahma is confined in books and tall-talks. That is, one who has no self-restraint does not possess the broad- mindedness required to grasp the idea of Brahma. One who has philosophical knowledge, knows it well that Brahma cannot be achieved by discourses, not even by mental pursuit because mind is also a relative truth - an abstract entity exactly dependant on some set ideas. When the core-intellect achieved by mental process is merged in Brahma, then only it becomes manifest."

Preface It is Almighty BABA's perennial love that has inspired me to put on record some of my unforgettable memories associated with Him, because I wish to share the charm and sweetness arising out of them with my ardent readers. I have no hesitation in confessing that my love for BABA looks like a pigmy before his love for me.

BABA's advent was for a spiritual rejuvenation in human society, and to lead the movement as a vanguard, he established, Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha and its wing 'Renaissance Universal'.

The advent of Shri Shri Anandamurti whom His followers endearingly address as BABA (meaning "most beloved"), as Taraka Brahma (Brahma means Supreme Consciousness or the Supreme Entity and Taraka Brahma means Savior Brahma) was the dire necessity of this earth in this era.

Predominance of materialistic goals of life in the society, decadence of moral values, prevalence of increasing corruption in almost every stratum of life, inhuman exploitation of the small and the poor by the big and the rich throughout the world, injustice to the women and their exploitation, stagnation of real progress due to spread of dogmas and superstitions, disparity in dispensation of social justice, absence of preaching, teaching and practicing the proper content and goal of spirituality and spiritual life, and over all, confusion between religion and spirituality - all those evils prepared the ground for the advent of Taraka Brahma Anandamurti to save the human society from collapse. Prior to this advent, about seven thousand years ago, roughly in 5000 B.C., came Lord Shiva when human society was yet to be formed and marriage system was yet to be initiated. Lord Shiva was the first married person. To bring about cohesion among the different dominant clans of that age, he married fair-complexioned Aryan Lass Parvati, dark-complexioned non-Aryan Lass Kali and yellow coloured Mongolian Lass Gaunga. He introduced the marriage system to ensure giving social status and responsibility to the women and to serve as a fore-runner to the formation of human society. He started ascertaining the essential requirements for formation of a healthy and culturally strong human society and contributing these requirements, one by one, by his instinctive and innovative powers. To mention a few of his vast contributions, they are -

I. Introduction and teaching of most scientific and rational spiritual practice known as Tantra sadhana that can lead one to liberate from worldly bondage, that is, to attain the Cosmic Consciousness.

II. Creation of seven musical notes out of the vocal sound of seven birds and animals (peacock, ox, goat, deer, cuckoo, donkey and elephant) to make music more sweet and soothing and to enrich the same with aesthetic sense. The music notes of the world are based on these notes. The English names of these notes are C 0 E F GAB.

Introduction "The effort to eliminate depravity of the mind is called sadhana." - Baba

The mind is the invaluable asset of human beings and it is the developed mind that defines one as a human being. Thinking and remembering are functions of the mind. The mind is responsible for its own material bondage to the world, just as it is responsible for moksa or emancipation. When the mind thinks about crude subjects, it becomes the source of its bondage. Conversely, when the mind contemplates subtle subjects, it becomes the source of emancipation. Innumerable thoughts, conjectures, resolutions, alternatives, chatter and projects fill the mind, wending their way one after the other randomly in and out. Imagination, like a balloon floating in the wind, flies directionless hardly knowing where the journey ends. Left uncontrolled, thoughts will arise and disappear like bubbles in water or they can emerge as tidal waves wielding fearsome power that not just bring catastrophe in the seas, but disaster to the shores.

Events flow out one after another as the reel of life never stalls, but runs to its end. However, though an incident may have come to its conclusion, the memory of it lingers in the mind. My memories are not so easily dissolved or can be erased by a stroke. The remnants of my memory stitch together my past with my present and my future; they illuminate my life with brilliance into the setting sun of my years. This is because of one who is at the centre of my I. reflections, which is forever luminous, forever youthful and forever my guiding force. He is my guru, my beloved Baba, and he is my dearest.

As I am recording these memoirs of my experiences with Baba, Shri Shri Anandamurti, the first two lines of a particular Prabhata Samgita' comes to mind.

[The memories built from your love and filled with your songs, Have not paled yet. They still overwhelm my heart.]

My whole life has been blessed with my Baba's affection.

My memories of him have not faded from my life; they are etched on the canvas of my heart. Trying to describe them on paper is an act of great daring. Even so, I am determined to make this Endeavour after placing two prayers at Baba's feet. First, let me not - as a result of the inadequacy of my linguistic skills or lack of sensibility - understate your impeccable, multi-dimensional genius and greatness. Second, allow your voice and ideology to be heard rather than any publicity of my own self.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages