alVD
Spring Break '97 he 4th annual s p ring-break w ill surely be known as the m ost inspir T ing and intense Spring-break ever. People didn't want to stop doing kii rtan and continued d oing meditation during free time. This was also due to the pres ence of 4 LFT's and 13 old springbreakers and margiis. 49 students spend a blissful week exploring the universe from bo th within and without. Programs that were appreciated most:
• Onyx cavern trip • 7 secrets of success w orksho p by Dad a Madhuvidyanand a • Bi opsychology cl ass by Didi The Bliss ofSprillg Break '97 Ananda Shamita Cultural program at the local "Ahhhh, Anand a Kanan! What an incredib le sigh of spiritual relief' Jcannot ex.plain the • no smoke/no alcohol coffee circumstances of why J came here or wh at ex.actly J ex pected when I came here, but Ananda house Kana n, Baba Nam Ke valam, has so, so mu ch surpassed all the strength and knowledge and wisdom th at I had ho ped to encounte r. There is a spirit of the eternal at An anda Kanan. J hope to • 2 ho urs Akhan r:\ ;, kiirtan and come back soon. I don't even know wh at to say, I just want to thank Baba and the atmosphere meditJtioll at the end created out of Baba. I have grown so much, learned so much, loved and been loved so much. Tha nk you for this happiness inside me . Namaskar , Therese - Amherst, MA" Sl'rillf!, Brellk emllilll/cd Oil i'1If!,e 13 Ananda Marga Review Spring1997 Disaster Relief in North Dakota Addresses 2 Change in Nicargua 3
Saba's Tea Garden 4 Archive Update 4 Fasting Dates 4
When Dreams Come True 5
Master Unit News 6 Homeopathy in Haiti 7 A Devotee's Story 9
Shiva's Secrets 11
Disaster Rel ief in Nort h Dakota 12
Family News 14
Didi Ananda Praveda alld Didi Anallda Ragal/l C/va loading supplies ill North Dakota Q & A about Meditation 15 Sto/)' all page 12 2 Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997
Crimson Dawn is published by Ananda Marga. CRIMSON DAWN ADDRESSES
ANANDA MARGA SECTORIAL OFFICE o 97-38 42nd Avenue , 1F, Corona, NY 11368, Tel: 718-898-1 603, Fax: 71 8·779-7366 Sectorial Secretary: Ac. Devashraddhananda Av!. ERAWS Secretary: Ac. Priyakrsnananda Av!. RUiRAWA Secretary: Ac. Nityasatyananda Av!. Education Secretary: Ac. Dharmapremananda Av!. Office Secretary: Ac. Daneshananda Av! . e·mail :[email protected] New York City Diocese Secretary: Ac. Ravi Brc. Boston Regional Secretary: Ac . Ananlananda Av!.
WOMEN"S WELFARE DEPARTMENT SECTORIAL OFFICE 94-38 212th Street, Queens Village, NY 11428 Tel/Fax: 718·468-9244 SWWS: Av. Ananda Vibha Ac. PWSA: Av. Ananda Usa Ac. E·mail: [email protected] HPMGL: Av. Ananda Shamita Ac. E.mail: [email protected] GV: Av. Ananda Amrta Ac. Anandotsava Office Secy: Av. Ananda Nirupama Ac. E·mail : anandaniru@ampsorg Ananda Marga Festivals - 1997 ANANDA KANAN RETREAT CENTER 3157 County Road 1670, Willow Springs, MO 65793, Fax: 417 -469·4474 New Year's Day January 1 - Wednesday Rector: Ac. Shamitananda Av!.Tel: 417-4 69-4713 e·mail : dshami [email protected] Dharma Pracar/AMURT: Ac. Sumantrananda Av!.: Tel: 417·469·3391 sumantranand@amp s.org R.U. Day January 26 - Sunday PR/Publications: Ac . Amitavidyananda Avt.Tel: 417·469-3838 E-mail: amita@ampsorg Niilkantha Divas February 12 - Wednesday Dadhici Divas March 5 - Wednesday ANANDA MARGA REGIONAL OFFICE 1245 South Norton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019, Tel: 213-733-2209, 213-734-7211 Vasantotsava March 24 Monday AM URT: Ac. Mukiatmananda Av!. e·mail : mukta@earthlin k. net Navabarsa Divas April 14 - Monday ANANDA VRATII RETREAT CENTER Ananda Purnima May 22 - Thursday RR'l, Box 1366, Hop Bottom, PA 18824, Tel: 717'289-4021 Shravanii Purnima August 18 Y Rector: Ac . Agryabu ddhanadna Av!. SSAC : Ac. Mokseshvarananda Av!. E.mall: quest@amps .org Kaoshikii Day September 6 - Saturday CS ASD: Ac. Devakrsnananda AV! . Prabhat Samgiita Divas September 14 Sunday PROUTIST UNIVERSAL Sha~CItien 'sDay October 7 - Tuesday 7627 16th Street NW, Washington , DC 20012, Tel : 202-829'2278 Public Day October 8 - Wednesday CS PU: Ac. Mahadevananda AV! . FS: Ac. Vijaksarananda AV! . E-mail: vka@igcorg Fine Arts Day October 9 - ThurSClay Music Day October 10 - Fnday SEVA DHARMA MISSION 1670 Shaltey Street, Tallahassee , FL 32304, Tel: 904-576·4102 Vijayotsava October 11 - Saturday CS D: Ac. Susmitananda Av!. Mahaprayan Divas October 21 -Tuesday HPMG: Ac. Madhuvidyananda Av!. Diipavalii October 30 - Thursday PMSA Ac. Krsnananda Av! . e·mail:krsnananda@msn .org Bhatri Dvitiiya November 2 - Sunday
Ylnanda 'llanii
o human beings, you are fortunate. The clarion call of the Supreme entity has reached you. Not only has the call come, but you are hearing it and it is vibrating in every cell of your body. Will you now lie in the corner of your house as an inert being and waste your time by clinging to old skeletons and bemoaning them? The Supreme Entity is calling you in the roar of the ocean, in the thunder of the clouds, in the speed of lightning, in the meteor's flaming fires. Nothing good will come from idleness. Get up and awake the clouded chivalry of your dor mant youth. It may be that the path is not strewn with flowers and that inferiority complex will be attempting to hold fast your each advancing step, but even then you have to proceed onwards tearing the shroud of darkness. You will tear the thick darkness of despair as you advance in the racing chariot radiant with the sun's brilliance towards the attainment of the Supreme stance. Sfirii sftrii 5lnarufamurtf Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 3 Change in Nicaragua by Didi Devajani here is so much to be loved in life, so much to be happy T about, so much to know; it is the most passionate dance you can ever wish for. And there are few places where you can find all this to it's maximum. NICARAGUA is a story to be told in a cold winter night when wolves sing out loud and fire burns hot. Nicaragua is a passionate dance that has lost it's rhythm. In search for the best melody Nicaraguan people need just a little bit of .... HOPE. Nicaragua, like most of the Latin-American countries, li ved the red history of a long war. For ten years people fought for what they thought would become a better world. They tried their best to create a new reality, but for many reasons it didn't come out as as children, with eyes shining with nally only 60 children could be ac they wanted. Today the picture of love as ultimate truth. Children cepted. the country leaves little space for dream and hope innocently, they Why is our school an alter human hope. can create a world out of nothing: IF native? No matter how cruel life can As the second poorest they are given a chance. be to you, a loving smile will make Latin-American country (81.1 % of Baba gave a new philoso an incredible difference. The heart people are living under poverty phy called Neo-Humanism, which of Nicaraguan family life is com level), Nicaragua welcomes you admires the child as a physical, pletely broken. Most of the families with very li ttle external beauty. mental and spiritual being. It is a are single mothers with several The rate of unemployment reached philosophy that gives children children, low education and no job. 52% this year, and 60% of em scope to know their own potential, Most of the mothers work on the ployed people are actually work to discover their own beauty and street selling cold water or food, {(That ing on the streets selling food or feel the world as special. The child and the children stay at home, play cold drinks. The astonishing pov already has innate wisdom, Neo on the street or beg. These children deep love erty forces 6 out of 10 children to Humanistic Education gives the can become a serious problem if that is work 70% of the children are mal child a chance to discover it. Most of somebody doesn't hear their call for nourished and 24 out of 100 are the teachers are afraid that if we love and care. This is how our given to a low in growth. More than 85% of don't stuff the child with informa school is different from the very be child, the the people don't earn enough tion, the child will not know any ginning. The child has to be taken monthly even for food. Dirty un thing. But the child will know, very seriously to be able to grow real inter paved roads, houses with earth when we give it the space it needs into a stable, strong and contented est for it's floors, and insufficient hygiene and love and security to walk on it's personality. That is our main focus. facilities cause cholera and ma own. Every child is different, and de happi ness, laria; every fourth child has bron Ananda Marga started a pending on their needs our teachers and the chitis. One fifth of all children pre-school seven years ago, in the give them special personal atten don't get medical treatment when capital city of Managua. The school tion. That deep love that is given to life situa sick because of lack of money and grew over the years, thanks to lots a child, the real interest for it's hap lack of doctors in the hospitals. of loving care and guidance from piness, and the life situations we are t ions we Every third women is anemic, and Didi Ananda Sadhana, into one of teaching, create such a change in are teach 600,000 children didn't get an edu the happiest schools in our area. very short time. cation last year. When I was sent to Nicaragua to When sixty little faces run ing, create replace Didi, I enjoyed the love and through the house like wild horses such a Where does the change start? happy smiles of my dear children as you feel happy for their freedom. I wanted real change, the most precio us jewell could change in revolution that last's forever. I hope for in this broken country. very short wanted real happiness for people, This year we had 85 children on the know ing there must be a way to list before we realized that we don't time. {( awake those same dreams we had really have the conditions, and fi continued on page 13 4 :rJie'Tea yaTdens J2lnamfa !l{tl!JaT ABaba Story 0/ "Once a poor man came to n 1989 Baba gave the program fro m his service as a tea-planta ti n the hue of a rich lady to beg for for a tea-garden to be planted in manager and he volunteered to alms The lad~ a d' "I am busy I Ananda Nagar. Purulia district oversee Baba's tea-garden. After a now, com bac ( er a is very hot and dry; conditions that year he was able to proudly couple of r, r , th make tea cultivation almost impos present Baba w ith our first tea turned. The lad, sible. But Baba personally pointed leaves grown in Ananda Nagar. you see I am still bu . out the location for the tea-garden, Baba was very p leased. Before you to come laterl '·. Aftt:r about 15 minutes drive from Central leaving the room, he requested of house when the beggar return Ananda Nagar and the work on the Baba permission to tell one story. for the second time, he was cha;,ed tea-garden started. Baba agreed: Here is the story he away by lady's vicious dogs. Fi At that time an old Margii told. nally in the evening the beggar from the highlands had just retired came again. The lady said: "I am free now. How can 1 help you?" The beggar rep lied: "I don't want anything from you. I just ask that you don't set your dogs after me! " Then the tea-garden man ager said: "Baba. 1 don't want any thing from you. 1 just want to ask that you don't send the hot winds of April and May to our tea-gar den." Baba smiled and consented. Since then the summer season of April and May have been notice ably cooler in Ananda Nagar, the devastating hot winds have been absent, and tea-garden has flou r ished and expanded. 0
Dada Karullallllananda ill lire lea fields. Dada has beell workillg for lire Farm Depl at Allallda Nagarfor the past 27 years. Retreats l;F:J:lull ••1 f;lr::J::wr. _I!l!"'~ NICARAGUA: A Sectorial concerns for the country of Mex ico. MONTH E A E P E conference was held in Managua The retreat was organized by Dad a January 5 8 18 23 with more than 100 people attend Vish nupremanandaj i wit h Margii s ing. 45 people were initiated duri ng from Mexico City and Cuernavaca. February 3 7 17 21 the retreat. There was good 4,000 leallets and 500 posters March 5 8 19 23 attendance fro m EI Salvador, where distributed in the pracar Guatemala, Costa Ri ca and effort s. Public relations in Mexico April 2 6 17 22 Nicaragua all in the same retreat. by Dada Rajatakrsna and Dada May 1 4 16 20 30 Ne wspaper and TV interviews Rasamohan was very strong. Dada were conducted with the help of Rajatakrsna had seve n radio June 4 16 20 30 Dada Bhaktaprananandji and intervie ws, three television inter July 4 16 20 30 others. One nice arti cle appeared views and five newspaper inter in the newspaper regarding the views. Dada Rasamohan had three August 2 14 18 28 presentin g of books on PROUT to radio interviews and attended September 1 12 16 26 Mr. Thomas, a well known conferences and did many contacts politician and ph ilosopher. for social service and Prout in San October 1/30 12 15 26 Cristobal de las Casas. November 29 10 14 25 MEXICO: A national ret reat was held in Mexico City. Attendance USA & CANADA: Boston, December 29 9 13 25 was more than 100 people. During Denver, Ottawa, Los Angeles, Legend: the retreat 30 people were initiated. Dallas, Seattle, and Atlanta regions E: Ekadashi Margii s met after the retreat and all held well-attended spring P: Purnima (Full Moon) discussed all the organizational retreats. A: Amavasia (New Moon) Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 5
When Dreams Come True- A First Visit to Ananda Nagar By Chiran i iiva hen dreams co me true, w ha t do you say? Take W 2nd lesson. A visit to Ananda Nagar is no less than a dream. With no strict plan, know ing no one, never having been be fore, I'm off to Ind ia . With time limi tations for me and much more that I'd like to do and see, Ananda Nagar is the prime reason I'm go ing; to see, to deepen my meditaion and to be of what ever service I can. I' ve been told- don't men tion Ananda Marga to strangers, don't travel alone to Ananda Nagar and don't travel at night. So of course I find myself being alone, the Using aClIplIllctllre to treat a cow for illfertility. only westerner, five hours behi nd schedule in a train full of the most Mass Feeding Unit" - a good sign' acupuncture clinic, weaving, and a curious people you' ll ever meet. The next sign - "Community Medi store for provisions. With all of this I never fel t alone ca l Service" and I see a building, a Projects going everyw here, Baba's presence was never before so ca ndle lit room. I approach the very busy, yet no sense of rush and strong - a sense of no fear. I have to building - knock. That fa mi liar or confusion. A nice peacefu l pace. ask which station to get off- who do ange colo r comes to greet me. I tell Dada arranges to use a jeep and off I end up talking with? Yo ung men him I'm looking for Dada at Guru we go to check out places 30-45 gradutates of the Ananda Nagar Kula- so he and I get on his scooter minutes away. Farming projects College - they are so excited to tell and off we go. 2 m iles of darkness with new wells and living q uarters me how much they loved going to softl y lit up by his scooter, I ca n see operations provid ing food, jobs and school there, how great their dada small vi llages and road signs point a home for families now self-suffi was. ing in ma ny directions and fi nally cient. And of course, they have The train apporached we come to one that states Guru meals, wonderful sentient meals Pund ag - now a real stop, with a Kula. We stop, knock and another and the week ends with Dharma train station and a small town ri ght Dada comes out. Cakra. behind it, all new within the past 10 We all in troduce ourselves, Monday comes and every year. All this I' ve been told, but fo r and I'm asked to explain where I thing is all set, I'm to lecture in Chi me- its 8:pm in February- I'm, alone, come from and w hat I want to do nese Med ici ne to the Vetrinary Col don't speak a word of Bengali, and here. After explaining what it is I'd lege students. Ok, my specia lty re its in the middle of a black out. like to do Dada Karunananda ally isn't vet med ici ne so I choose to I get off the train, no lights, smiles and says that's great, we will discuss the importance of o ur health and no idea of where to go. Wi th spend the weekend setting up a and the comparisons of taking care backpack and flashl ight and a stong program for you and in the mean sense that Ananda Nagar must be time we can put you up here and that way; I start to walk into the are you hungry. I' m given a room night. Within 5 minutes I come with a view and a bed and a bath ac ross an old man washing his room. Dada Karunananda and I sit dishes at a water pump- I might together and enjoy a meal. I'm fee l have been in his back yard- don't ing right at home, taken in by know. people I've never met and w ho are He looks up and smiles happy I'm here. and I say Ananda Nagar- he waves I awaken at Sam for medi me to follow him, we walk though tation with Dada and three other the yard to a road and he pOints men who live and work at Guru down the road and says Namaskar. Kula. Afterwords walking around, Off I go- passing small taking a tour of what seemed like a little open houses with small fires small city - that's Baba's quarters, and a few people around each one. Ananda Nagar offices, powerplant, Maybe 10 minutes walk schools, hopsitals and vet clinic, and a sign reads"Ananda Marga
COil till lied OIlI'Clf(i' II! 6 Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 Master Unit News Ananda Vrati Karma Yoga Retreat Karma Yoga retreat was black-eyed susans, purple loos pratiks painted on each side. Does held at the Ananda Yrah estrife, and several kinds of lilies. that mean the honey will be full of A master unit in northeastern Because of Ravi's fond ness 'for positive microvita? Let's just say Pennsylvania from May 24-26. hum mingbirds, certain flowers last year's product was indeed a This was the long memorial day which are known to attract them blissful nectar. weekend which followed Baba's were included in the planting. The The Karma Yoga weekend birthday. About 30 inspired margiis site was surrounded by a hedge of also marked the first meeting of the turned up to clean, plant and build. Rose of Sharon so that as one enters, Ananda Yrati Advisory board, a It was especially inspiring to see so the secret garden within is revealed. group set up to p rovide insight and many new, young margiis enthusi Also, the hedge provides a measure guidance to the executive committee astically carrying out Baba's work. of privacy for those who want to on long-term planning and devel Thirty fruit trees were use the meditation platform for opment and on short-range project planted on the grounds along the sadhana. implementation. drive which leads up to the main In addition to the fr uit tree Although the margiis building. On the other side of the planting and the memorial garden, worked long hours each day on the drive leading up to the center, several margiis got to work pla nting projects, plenty of ki irtan and dozens of Rose of Sharon bushes the vegetable garden while others meditati on were squeezed into the were planted. planted pansies, columbines and busy schedule, including a three The rose of Sharon bushes have a petunias in front of the center. In the hour akhanda ki irtan un Sunday special place at Ananda Yrati as recently constructed greenhouse, morning. Many participants spoke they were a favorite of Ravi Dutta, hundreds of to ma to plants were of a tremendous sense of unity and a well-loved margii who passed staked. This is the first year for this team-work the weekend generated away last year. Ravi was a very project and the prospective toma and of the tangible satisfaction active board member of Ananda toes, which of course are being gained from working together to Yra ti and an avid horticulturist. raised organica lly, will be sold as a improve the master unit. At one The main focus of the new agro-business venture at point I heard someone say, "Every weekend was the construction of a Ananda Yrati. time we get together, we should silent meditation garden in Ravi's During the weelend, a buil d something." memory. The margii s laid down couple of margiis donned protective A cerem()ny I() dediU/le Ihe Ravi DUI/a twelve miniature rose buses, gear to work on the beehiv .. The Melll()rial Garden is to be held in lale July. rhododendron, bee balm, lobelia, white hives have day-gl orange ~
ANANDA NIILADRI Dominican ANANDA GIRISUTA North ANANDA DHAM Los Angeles, Republic The school in the Master Ca rolina The first program on the CA. The Los Angeles Margiis Unit now has added afternoon Master Unit, held in the newly came together and planted more M.U. sessions. The teacher is paid by the constructed dome, was held on than 8,000 eggplants at th e Master NEWS local government. Yucca, plantain, Baba's Birthday. The fo llowing Un it in Lake Hughes. The peach bananas, corn, and passion fruit are weekend Margii s came for the trees have blossomed and th is years being cultivated. Atlanta regiona l retreat. harvest promises to be better than in earlier years. ANANDA KANAN Willow ANANDA DHIIRA, Dobbins, CA Springs, MO. Basil is the main The sisters have been busy planting ANAND A KANAK St. Jean commercial crop. They are produc the garden and working on the Avelin, Quebec A vegetable garden ing Italian style basil "Pesto" wh ich house. The MU was used exten has been planted and one regional will be available at the summer sively for disaster relief during the re treat was held. re treat. fl oods this spring. Anchorage, Alaska ANANDA MAYA Guatemala Sixty acres has been donated for Margiis are fully engaged in San Antonio, TX Master Unit by brother Govinda, Sadavrata programs, feeding Didi Ananda Muktiprana has and the land is already registered in hundreds of poor chi ldren several constructed a beautiful building and the name of Ananda Marga of times weekly. plans are underway for another Seattle Regio n. A tractor is ready building with a hall for collective and there are pl ans for construction programs. of a building. Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 7
Homeopathy in Haiti by Krsila Prtya
fi fty usuall y come. On Sundays, DCs are at Madhumati 's house. If I had some ill ness as an adjustment to the cond itions, she would make me an herbal infusion or special soup. The second day I was there I received a call fro m Dada telling me not to leave the house.. .there was rioting in the streets, stones being thrown at cars, and a police car was blown up! Apparently, the teachers hadn't been paid in a year, and this was a parti cularly violent d ay of demonstration designed to get the teachers paid and back teaching in the school s so the stu dents could pass their end of year O n May 15 I boa rded a pl ane from streets, w ith people often rushing testing. It seems that no one w ill North Ca ro lin a to Miami, then at the car asking for money. I knew pass to a higher gra de this yea r be later another to Port-au-Pri nce. In no one but dada and Didi, d id not ca use of the bad situation, so every less than four ho urs fl ig ht time, I spea k the language, and had never body was frustrated. found myself experiencing culture experienced the tropics but had On the th ird day, the first shock, but soon rea lized w hat an survived Ananda Nagar and Tiljil a of two homeopathic seminars was incredible opportunity for growth nine years ea rlier, and viewed this held on the porch of Ma mmy's it was' trip in somewhat the sa me manner house. Many margiis attended, I Upon disembarki ng the - physica l/psychi c clash and spiri think 27, and they were very enthu plane and feeling tropica l heat for tual bl iss. I soon reali zed w hat ca siastic. One of the first things we the first time, I passed by a small pacity for surrender and courage I talked about was not homeopathy, colorful band playing outside the had ' There was no air cond iti oning but the neem tree. Baba has said airport entrance. A nice welcome. except in banks or offici al busi neem inv ites positive microvita. Inside, I foun d that the officials nesses. For half of every day, a Neem is used for many diseases, had adjusted the rules to all ow for brow nout occurred. Yo u never and acts as an immune stimulan t. It Dada Amitavidyananda and knew when it wo ul d ha ppen. has antisep ti c, antiviral, anti pyreti c Bhakti deva to meet me. There was a water shortage so you (the ability to check or prevent fe We la bored through the ver), anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, bathed in a small container of wa "The second crowd outside the airport to find ter, and used that water to wash and anti fungal quali ties. Since Loka ti t, the Bhu kti Pradhan, wait your clothes, then maybe to ' fl ush' neem grows everywhere in Haiti, I day I was ing for us in his car. Funny, it was the toilet. Actuall y, Mammy, who encouraged them to learn to utilize there I re a week later I realized that though it. I passed onto them Da da was my hostess, offered me w hat ceived a call he was constantly transporting ever water I needed, but I tried Shantatmananda's instructions how many people in his ca r, he wasn't a hard not to take more tha n anyone to harvest and d ry the leaves and from Dada taxi d river. He was just one of the else was using. Someti mes though, how to crush it for teas or dried telling me not very few margiis who had ca rs. herb al use. I had to bathe tw ice dail y and even to leave the Gasoline costs th ree times what we then got a hea t rash. Stra ngers Next we talked about basic pay fo r it here in the States, and woul d flip my ponyta il from be p ri nciples of homeopath y, how it house...there Haiti is a very poor co untry. hi nd me in the streets w hi le walk d iffers in theory from a ll opathic was rioting in Lokatit's wife, Mahima, was preg med icine, and how to take it. In a ing then smile at me beca use it was the streets, nant for the first time. She became u nusual to see long hair. Anyti me I second seminar two d ays later, ten the fi rst of fi fty personal consulta was feeli ng a bit off, Mammy basic remedies were given in d etail. stones being ti ons, being treated for recurring (Yogeshvari, a reti red school At the end of the two days of train thrown at headaches after Dada had success in g, we gave out remedy kits con teacher) was right there to take care cars, and a fully treated her morning sickness of me li ke a mother. She has many taini ng ten basic remedies. Addi before my arriva l. people li v ing in her house, w hich ti onal remedies were left for the police car was We weaved our way she runs li ke a jagrti. On Saturdays doctor, Indubushan, just completing blown up!" through the bumpy and d usty DCs are held there, and more than COlltillued Oil page 8 8 Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 "There is Homeopathy in Haiti Continua / form page 7 immense scope for medical school this year, who loved natural treatments for the same in fi ve DCs in ten days, which very homeopathy and caught on quickly. social ser dividual, with different ailments. much kept me inspired. The Vanii On Baba's birthday, we In the end, we were 50% homeo on Baba's birthday hit home. I re vice in Haiti, did a medical camp in an area pathic, 50% allopathic, and each of member Caetana's grandmother and I was never before visited by AMURT / us learned a great deal from the trying to give me the family kitten AMURTEL. The villagers were pleased to collaboration. It was wonderful. after experiencing relief of her ar happy to see us, and we set up un During the second medical thritis/ rheumatism. [remember see the high der a large tree. There was a trunk camp two days later, we treated 46 Nandini being my sweet angel level of co full of glasses, with an eye chart people in much the same man w hen I needed a sister. I remember taped to the outside of a building. operation ner... 106 patients in all from the Mammy treating me like her own Candies were distributed from the camps alone. There was a measles daughter. There is immense scope and mutual back of the tap-tap (truck) as well or chickenpox outbreak among for social service in Haiti, and I was admiration as clothing for the children. Appar some child ren, a fa mily w ith four pleased to see the high level of co ently, kiirtan and meditation was between children with worms, and also a operation and mutual ad miration taught, and food was also served. I couple of suspected cases of ma between Dada and Didi and our Dada and know only from seeing pictures! I laria. At one point the crowded family of Haitian margiis. To have Didi and our was busy w ith non-stop patients, room and heat got to me, and I had purc hased two tracts of land re family of sixty in less than five hours. I was to excuse myself while Didi took cently is a solid step in a new be impressed with the set-up . First, a over as homeopath. ginning fo r Ananda Marga in Haiti. Haitian nurse writes down on a piece of I have many fond memo Money for construction of build margiis. " p aper the blood pressure, name, ries of Haiti. Haitians are beautiful, ings is now needed for a school, province, age, etc. Then she sent loving people. The kiirta n at DC is clinic, and jagrti on each of these them, paper in hand, to w here devotional and deep, with tribal tracts of land. I plan to arrange Indubushan and I are. The villager perc ussion. I was blessed to attend fut ure help in establishing home opathy in Haiti, and supplying these clinics with trained personnel and medicines. Already some of the fo ur companies who have do nated twelve hundred dolla rs worth of med icines have offered assistance in the future. It will be exc iting to watch this d ream mani fest, and I am deeply gratefu l fo r the help of some local margiis and for the opportunity to do some thing for Baba.
10 interested Margiis.
sits in a chair in front of us (a cov eted spot which was frequently fo ught over) and they talk in Cre- . ole, then interpret to me, and we decide w ithin minutes whether or not to treat allopathically, homeo pathically, to give vitamins or iron supplements, vitamin C, neem, herbal antibiotics, or occasionally with a large skin infection we also taugh t neem 'baths' and poultices. Often we used both all opathic and
Dada Amityavid)'lIIlillida alld Didi AWI/ula Jiival'remll brin/iill /i the hea lin/i ell er!:)' Ii{kiirtan /0 the cro ll'd all'aitill!: mediw{ treatmellt. Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 9
A Devotee's Story illterview by Koeveri his face, his body, there was noth ing else except that spiritual feel ing. By seeing him I felt mmmm'." She ti lted her head back, hen 1 went to Jamalpur never could have imagined myself last January, I made a rolled her eyes and threw up her doing a few years ago, but which point to meet the old arms in a d isplay of ecstasy. "Only W now felt deep, respectful and appro margiis who knew Baba in the very this," she continued. 1 was so taken priate. early days of the organization. I was by her abandon that I started to She sat me down in the giggle, she opened her eyes and especially interested in meeting some outer room and said she'd be a few of the sisters because I had heard so laughed w ith me for a moment, minutes. The early morning sun few stories about the women who then raise her hands and hummed streamed in pieces through the iron surrounded Baba at that time. again. grated windows surrounding the "With him, I feel 1 have When I got to the jagrti, I room. Scores of chirping wrens asked the Dada posted there if he lost my own existence," she said. "I hopped about on the patio outside, could introduce me to some sisters cannot explain it in English - and picking at pieces of rice that had who could speak English and who not in Hindi either," she smiled been left there for them. The woman were around in the early days. He gently. who had greeted me at the gate mentioned a woman named Kranti "By April 1955, I was walked in with a bucket and started Didi and after many messages were young, only l3, but I had all of my mopping the floor. She smiled and lessons. The guru had pulled out relayed back and forth between her motioned me to lift my feet. house and the jagriti, I was finally everything. I had no knowledge After a few minutes Kranti granted an early-morning inter but I had everything. Once In returned with a cup of hot milk and view with her. Dada Instructed a darshan I was sitting in front of a plate of thick buttery cookies. She tall thin old man w ho didn't speak Baba and I felt li ke he had taken his sat down across from me and began En ~l i s h (I never quite figured out if finger and run it from my he was an Acarya, an LFf or a her story. ... manipura cakra to the sahasrara. Kranti became a margn In La ter I could analyze w hat he had regular margii) to take me to her 1955 at the fi rst DMS. She was l3 house. We walked out of the gate done, but then, I knew nothing." and her fa ther had brought the and past some goats nosing She pointed to a picture of whole family to see Baba and to herself, younger, w ith her husband through a garbage pile, down the take initiation. After that, she saw and young child. street, into a dusty alley and Baba twice a week with her fa mily through the famous "hole in the "I lost my husband in during the small and intimate gath wall" (a gap in a brick wall which 1975," she said. "And at that tim~ erings Baba held during his is on the way between Baba's Baba was in jail. During that penod Jamalpur years. house and the jagriti) and arrived I mentally quarreled with him: 'You I asked her if she and all "With him, 1 in front of a cabbage green house have got so much power and yet in the young girls in Ananda Maf!? with a huge orange pratik painted your presence I have lost my hus feel 1 have were in love with Baba at that time on the front. The man who brought band. How could you let this hap when he was so young. lost my own pen?' It was such a tough period of me yelled over the gate and a "Yes we were. But every my life. After Baba got out of jail, young woman came out to one was in love with him," she existence," greet us. I gave her a namaskar and many ti mes he sent a message say said. "The girls, the women, the she said. "1 felt a little confused. She seemed ing he was very sorry about my men. He was so attractive. In his too young to be Kranti and she d id situation and that I should come eyes and his words there was a sort cannot ex visit him in Calcutta. I was very not speak English. She motIOned of charm I cannot explain. He fo r me to come with her. I said angry and I didn't want to go. But plain it in pulled out so much spiritual power goodbye to my escort and followed I felt _" She closed her eyes, my son, who was young, about l3, English pushed me. He thought we should her through the courtyard to the pressed her hands to her heart and side door. go. So, fina ll y I went to see him. I and not in made a 'mmmm' sound. Then she A middle-aged woman, was so sad and angry. And when I opened her eyes and stood up. Hindi ei dressed in a modest blue sari with touched his feet, I was weeping "You come in my room, I Will show ther," she several layers of thick woolen you something." and weeping and weeping and then suddenly, I felt every burden wraps draped around her to ward The sweetness of her pas smiled gen of my life was lifted. off the midwinter cold greeted me. sion for Baba was infectious and I He took evelything. I sat in Wisps of graying black hair curled eagerly followed her back to her tly. front of him in the darshan. One around her face and her soft brown room, where she sat me down and smil~d Dada was giving a discourse ex eyes gleamed as she up at pointed to her pictures of him. me and said namaskar. I Immedi plaining a sloka which contained my "When we were with Baba ately felt a warm bond between us ista mantra. Baba took the sloka and we were singing and dancing so analyzed it and during his analysis, which compelled me to bend down much of the time," she said. "I had and touch her feet, something I he said my mantra many, many such a feeling. His eyes, his lips, many times. continued on page 10 10 Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997
When Dreams Come True ClJntinlll'djioll7 page 5
Righr: Chimn of our animals. Good food , clean ii/va rrearin g water, being treated with love and palienls al th e how all animals w ill work better aCllpllllclllre w ith this formula. There is a cow clinic al Ananda having trouble getting pregnant- so Nagar. we use acupuncture and treat her fo r infe rtility. Never before was I in this situatio n yet it felt so natural to be there- teaching, sharing, the words seem to keep flowing The stud ents paid attention to every word, said and found every spell ing mistake I would make. They are very committed students - each class started with a group medita tion, guru puja. Baba's presence was so strong. After class I was escorted to the hospital where the doctor in charge had set aside cases he fe lt in the com passion. I found more like a much loved son. Eyes tha t acupuncture could trea t. I was ac strength every day. smiled in every face. I've never companied by Dada 0 from the One night Da da S showed been there for DMS and ca n't acupuncture coll ege, as well as a up and says, come with him he imagine such big a gatherinng and couple of students to observe. would li ke to take me to a ta ntra hope to attend ()ne soon. My visit The patients - a variety of piita for meditation. That night a of ten days just floated by. I was men, women and child ren fro m the window opened up to me, the b usy, I was put to service teaching local villa ges; many w ith chronic view, more like a sense, was so big· and working in the hospita l and cases. They had walked in and I was the sky. Nothing has been th, given blissful meditation. Visit many were in grea t need of medical same since. Dada S came every Ananda Nagar - all ow yourself the help. Ye t when they smiled at me night and morning and when he o ppor-unity to be part of some and I could feel how grateful they had to leave he sent another dada thing so big- to feel Baba's words were - there was pain and there in his place to continue my tantra in action . was joy all going ri ght through me piita classes. I'd sit after doing 3 hours of clinic I wanted for noth ing, ev and it was overwhel ming at times. eryone around me conti nued to seE
It was like the strength to conti nue to my every need, without asking. elliroll Jii~ '(/ is (/ Iic(,Jlsed ll(,lIl'ullcWris{ i1l was in the air - you were breathing fe lt I was adopted and nurtured Pl'il'lIfe pfocfin: ill VerI/lOll!.
A Devotee 's Stol)' conlinlled jivlII page 9 First he explai ned it in En I asked Kran ti if she ever experi It was getti ng close to 10 glish, and then in Hindi and as he enced samadhi aga in after that. a.m. and she had said earlier that was chanting it I was feeling the " What is samadhi?" she she had to leave for work so I apolo power of the mantra directly. I fell asked me. "The philosophers w ho gized for taking up so much of her down before him and I was filled have to talk about samadhi 50 time and p repared to go. up with the power of the ista man much, maybe they don' t know. The "Where do you work?" I tra. My son and my sisters ca rried person w ho reali zes it cannot ex asked as I was leaving. me from the room and the whole plai n it. They say, they are very "Oh, I'm a professor at the night I felt my ex istence was Baba's happy, they ha ve eternal blessed college here," she said. existence only and I was fl oating in ness. By his g race, I have deep I was a little s urprised. light. When I was leaving Calc utta, meditation tw ice a day and I fee l "What do you teach7 " I asked. Baba said to me, ' Kranti, you come nothing but hi s presence. Is this A grin spread across her again. When you come, I also feel samadhi? If you call it sa madhi, face. "Philosophy" bliss." then it is samadhi. The philosopher By thi s ti me my tears were say samadhi is this and this and flowing pretty well and I fished this. Bu t my language is only the through my bag for some tissues. language of the devotee." She Kranti smiled, closed her eyes and shrugged her sho ulders and started humming a kii rtan tune. laughed. Once I managed to compose myself, re viewed by cinmaya Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 11
ti on technique to reprogram our mental Shiva 'sSeere t5., ,'a Tantrik Seminar tapes to our benefiL The fi nal and most difticult something." Dada urges us to be 000 years before Steven techniq ue Dada gives for controlling sensitive and willing to change the Covey's Seven Habits of our mental state is surrender. Dada Highly Effe ctive People or approach if something is not successful, 7 but never to stop acti ng. He gives the recognizes that most people equate Deepak Chopra's Se ven Laws of surrender with pain. This is mainly example of Thomas Edi son who created Success, Shiva's wife, Parvati, because, when we were young, we over 1000 ligh t bulbs asked her husband what makes a person entrusted ourselves to someone and before coming up with one that worked. successfuL According to this famous were hurt. Dada reveals that the key to tale recounted by Baba, Shiva re Before reveali ng more of Shiva's secrets, Dada creates groups overcoming this stumbling block is 10 sponded wi th seven sanskrit sloka's' think of surrender not as gi ving in to and asks a series of questions that force hence, "The Seven Secrets ofSlIcce;s. " something outside of oursel ves, but us to apply the steps for achieving A workshop by the same ti tle is being opening up to what Baba called "the fi nn determination. Passing out pens given in New York Sector by Dada supreme stance of our being" and paper and warmi ng us up with Madhu vidyananda, who arrived in the something which is inside all of us. Kiirtan, Dada asks "How do you want U.S in December. Using Shiva's slokas Siting Alcoholics Anonymous' to be? What is your life's mission?" and a fe w paragraphs Baba gave to tremendous success with this approach, After a time of introspection and elaborate on them, Dada expands the Dada carefully chooses hi s wording, writing, Dada asks another question, seemingl y simple secrets into a vast "We are not allowing ourselves to be method for applying the wisdom of "What do you want to do?" And finally we are pro mpted, "What are your first exploi ted, rather we are entrusting that Tanlra to practi cal life. 'transpersonal po wer' to carry us steps?" Applying the secrets to our Shiva's first secret is "firm beyond our li mits." innermost goals gave everyone determination." "I must be successful Dada is re lentless in his someth ing concrete to take away from in my mission" declares Dada. But how approach of making us apply these this workshop. does one become determined enough to secrets. Using kiirtan, he ties together emulate Dada's phrase? Is it a matter of Another of Shiva's secrets is " mental balance." Again, Dada's gift is the th ree techniques for achieving closing the eyes, gritting the teeth and mental balance in one si mple practice. revealing the nuts and bolts of what thi s clenching the fist s? Rather, Dada For those not acquainted with kiirtan, entails. We learn lhat the cruci al factor presents a step by step procedure with Dada asks us to "play for a minute," in mental balance is controlling our which to achieve this state. He reveals urgi ng us oul of our chairs. "Stand mental state. Our mental state deter that we can no t be determined without a up straight," Dada dec la res, "shoulders mines not only our ha ppiness, but how goal; moreover, if we make our goal back , hands up, look up and sing we act and perform. On the most basic clear and precise, we are much more something-now try to be depressed!" level, we control our mental state with likely to reach it. Dada gives the The room bursts out in laughter. the physical body. Any emotion we exampl e of wanting to cure a sick Dada next leads us in singing feel, we feel th rough our body. If we B ab~ person but not bei ng precise enough: Nam Keval am, explaining that the "If the source of a skin rash li es in the change our physical body, we change how we feel. Therefore, we can mental foc us of this mantra is love with stomach, no amount of ointment on the no limits-the most magnanimous of employ the techniques of Tantra, such body will cu re the patient." thoughts. Lastly, Dada explain s ho w as ta ndava or pranayama, to change the _ The second step for achieving raising the hands is a universal gesture message we are sendi ng to the brain. No ftrm determination is making a of surrender-a handing over to that longer must we remai n under the decisi on. Dada explains the Latin ro ot supreme stance, the highest stage of our infl uence of such negative emotions as of th e verb "to decide" meaning to cut humanity. depression. off---eliminating any other possibility. Amiust the bliss of kiirtan A second way to determine Making a decision, with the full Dada reveals his goal of teaching , our me ntal state is by controlling our meaning, that there is no other peopl e to use Tantra Sadhana to make mental fo cus. An interesting aspect of al ternative, creates power and strength. their lives whole agai n: "Peopl e are this point is Dada's di scussion of Praisi ng thi s underestimated act, Dada broke, not just fin ancially, but emotion "pariprashna"-the process of asking states, "People ask me, ' How can I ally as wel l. And we ha ve the well-directed qu estions. The habitual improve my life, marriage, sadhana ')' complete thing-the knowledge to help Deci de l I tell the m and do n't settle for questions our mental tapes often pl ay can be disempowering: people become complete human beings. anyth in g less." We can' t apply th is whole thing just like "Why does thi s always happen to me? Finally the last pre-requisite that. It won't fit. We Why am I so dumb?" Dada recom for firm determ ination is to take action. have to chop and cook the food that mends replacing these questions with Many people who have tried and fa iled Baba gave, so th at it is digeslible." in the past stop acting out of fear of ones such as "How can I so lve this problem and enjoy the process? How failure. Dada, therefore, recommends Those of YO Il interested in disco verin g adopting the attitude: "There is no can I use th is experience to help others?" Dada claims our brains will the rest ofShiva's secrets and how 10 question for me to faiL" He argues that apply them can cOl1lact Dada at 704 we can never fail when we are appl ying come up with the answer to whatever question we ask; therefore, we mi ght as 649-9075. our best efforts to benevol ent work. "If Reviewed by Cinmaya what we planned does not work out," well use this ancient Tantric transforma- Dada expl ains, "we have learned 12 Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 eel w~ t"o-ucfte,d; AMURT/AMURTEL Provide Diaster Relief in bythh North Dakota co-ur-~ thh Each ERV (Emergency Re peopUv lief Vehicle) had three volunteers. We would drive into a prescribed ~~ area, (many of the streets were piled thh~ high with debris) and set the bell v~ ringing and people would teem out of their homes muddy and t"o-thh d isheveled from cleaning, happy to ~W1'V receive hot food and some smiling ~thh faces. (On average we served around 500 people a day).The elec comm.«; tricity was still out and people were vUty that: cold and hungry . More helpful than the food even, ! felt was the w~ caring that the volunteers showed. {or-wted,: The tow n's people needed someone Jhow.; to talk to and share their pain with who AMURTIAMURTEL Relief/calll ill Nor/h Dakota and receive words of hope and en couragement, and tt) know that they hen! think of flood re lief headed out into the chill y weather; wer-enJt" were not al one..... ! g uess for me that work, I imagine wading loading trucks with hot food and affected,; was the most touching time, talking through muddy waters snacks and heading out to serve the W to people and being there for them, bythh and houses and giving hot people. The water had only re offerin g support and hope. ~cUl; tea!.... and of course I imagine cently subsided and people were Unfo rtunately some of us CC«'JIlbt"o much more'! ! guess I was thi nking just returning to their homes. Many were only there for a few days, but I of those rainy, cold days in England were elderl y and for them it was was very grateful for the experience help and how nice a cup of tea would be particularl y painfu l to lose belong and the opportunity to serv e. ! was to make everything better! ings that were years old. Some ~ very touched indeed and would So when we arrived in the homes were closed off because the that: encourage everyone, no matter fo r very Scandinavian infl uenced town structural damage was so great. The how long, to do re lief work, locally of Grand Forks in North Dakota, water in some places had risen as on a regul ar basis and when d isas the first thi ng that struck me was high as the roof. Around 12 people ter comes. ! fel t so much of Baba's the absence of water! .. .. Mind you died in the calamity. 96% of the city Grace through this time and am al most a month had already passed was under water. Families and sure He was happy that His chil since the floods had taken place and helpers from all over the country dren went to help. All is His Grace. relief goes in stages ... rallied together to bring li fe back to We were accommod ated in "normal"....not without a few scares Didi AI/allrla Ragamaya the university dorms, which were though very close to the Red Cross Shelter. ! was touched by the cour Once settled in we were put to age the people showed, the surren work. Altogether there were eight der to the situati on and the commu of us - two Didis and six Dadas. We nity that was formed . Those who donned our Red Cross tunics and weren't affected by the flood all
A devotee heard his guru say, "God is in everything and everyone." As he walked away pondering this wisdom, an enraged elephant appeared on the road ahead. "Run! Run'" shouted the mahout. The man thought to himself, "I am God and the elephant is also God, why should I be afraid?" The charging elephant knocked the man in the ditch. Bruised and upset, the man set off to see his guru to complain. After hearing the story, the guru said, "You are right that both you and the elephant are God. But why did you not listen to the mahout, who is also God, and get out of the way?" Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 13 school will have the capacity to edu new fl ow of love and hope, and I Fhange in Nicaragua cant. cate 400 children, and the Women's feel this project is going to bring the Un iv ersity is going to train the strongest change in people's life in And when they do their yoga and mothers in literacy and job skills. our com munity. then quietly sit for meditation, you Yoga and med itation classes, classes For more info rmation and details can almost to uch the dep th of their on natural therapy, games for on how you ca n help the project in inner experience. Once after the adults, are a few of the programs Nicaragua w rite /call to: medita ti on we sat with the children we plan for bringing up self esteem. Didi Devajanii for a fe w minutes and asked every We want parents to know them 8904 Oakledge Dr. Austin, TX body what they felt. They said they selves better and in that way under 78748 (512)- 282 3413 felt God. And we asked "how does stand and love their children better. In Nicaragua: it feel"? Some said hot, some nice, I believe there is nobody in the Didi Devajanii (sometimes we wondered because world who doesn't want to be loved Jard ines de Ve racruz G 10 children tend to repeat each other) and happy, and I hope we can bring de La Rotonda 4C al Sur 1/ 2 C and one gi rl (6 yr. old) said: "God those desires to reality together. If Arriba Ma nagua Nicaragua spoke to me." We became an ear, as only 100 mothers study every yea r, phone: 011 505 289-7268 she told us the deepest lesson a 6 yr. it is so many lives that are going to old could learn : "He said: He loves be inspired w ith these new ideas, me The academic standard of • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• the school is al so very high. When chil dren are given the feeling that Spring Break - In Our Own Words they can move mountains, they can certainly learn reading, and every "Oil. 1'111 overwhellll ed by deep emotiolls. I[ has been all ull[orgellable experience. I have been rich/v thi ng else needed to be considered blessed 10 have cOllie here alld be surroullded by so IIllI ch love. The Didis alld Dadas are allla zill g alld a educated. great inspira[ionjor me. So humble, loving, and peacejul and vet so insigh!ful and h/(s.l' cveryday lI'ith Last year we started edu hectic challenges and lillie tillle alld money. B II [, selfless alld with unconditional love Ihat will cOlllJllcr cational programs for parents, ex alllhill gs. I was com elll seeing smiling faces and laughter ever),where and seeillg andjeelin g LO VE all plain ing our goal's, methods, medi aroulld. My love and besl wishes 10 everVOll e, Naillaskw; Dewal!du - VA " * tation, yoga, and chil d psychology. "Thanks 10 Valm iki and GOllwli spcndill g sleepless nighls wilh fihon e mils (150 calls reccived) CInd also We ta lked about some of problems all tile lIIa rg iis who helfJ ed bring the sit/dents 10 [his in credible evenl ; \'('.1, we are all vib/'{/[ed ami they have with their chi ldren. And res ults were incredible. Last year enjoyed j ll/flllillg our duty as Achmyas. Pa/'(/ III Pila Baba Ki - Jay/." ." * we started fi rst grade of elementary "I cunllot jillii [h e; words to exp ress Ihe gralitude I j el'l fiJI" this experience. II has changed Illy life. I have ed ucation and this year we started been searching jar Ill\' spiritualnicire [or aver.\' IOll g tilll £:. I have jound it. I have cOllie hOlll e to 111.\' second grade. We had everything jamily. I will carry the joree ojyour love in Illy heart and sOlll jore vC/: This experiell ce lVillnourish lIle except space. And then our first whcn I am hungry j ar love, or longing S I'Jl[)() 1'I. TIlt/il k you. I love you all. BABA NAM KEVALAM. neighbor decided to sell her house. Stacy, Car/Jol1dale IL " * O ur two teachers love the children very sincerely, and the news of the "Namaskw ; I guess todav is Ihe day jar Illy departure. I have lIIiXl' d jeelings abolllthis. Exci[ed so hal I possibility to expand the school call aflply what I've leam ed to [h e aU/ side world, Clnd sad because I like il so IIlUell here and dOll 't waHl made us so incred ibly happy, we [ 0 see Ih e Oil/side world again. I was born a ma rgii. (lll d I jelt [his was wOllderfll1 beCil use r{'a lly I never p lanned everything for the new kn ew a 101 0/ the things I was taughllhis week. I enjoyed lIIyseif Ihoraughly allil shall he hack project. again ...... withji'iel1ds. NamCiskw; Karuna - San All/ol1io, TX" * We know how we want to see our chil d ren. We w ant strong, "} am goin g 10 colLege jor cheillical engilleerillg at Penll Stat f' und i[ is vav s[r('.\'.I!III. I was cO l1s1i1I1[ly happy, fulfilled young people that sl!'llng 0 1/1 0 11 caffeill e and generally neglecling Ill y 0 1l '1l well beillg. I was planlling 10 go all a ski Il'il' know w hat they w ant and have the looking ollly [or relaxatioll {[fld strength to get it. To be happy in the stress managelllent techniques. I purest possible way, understanding jound Ih ese and a whole lot more. life and creati ng thei r own reality. The wonder[1I 1 diet, the people, tize But sometimes I feel their parents kiirtal1, Ihe yoga, the lIIeditation d on't see it that way, because they ((n d Ih e lo ve has lIlade me as happy themselves lose hope. An d tha t's as I've ever been jor this long. It's what this project is a ll about: new definilely going to be s/I'{(n ge goilzg hope. For that we need to help back 10 PSU because Ijeel like I've people feel that they are in charge of grown so lIl uch in everv way and I their own lives. Intergrating person Ihink I have //ZallY changes 10 make. ality and material security is what Thank you very //Zilch for one ofth e we aim to teach our parents. So be most wonderjul experiences o[my side the preschool and complete life. " Jim, PA * elementary school, we also want to open a Women's University. The 14 Crimson Dawn/Spring 1997 o Ylnmttfo PllnVIlT Ananda Marga Publications !FamiIj; 9(e'lIJS Books available
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1) Q: What is the definition of Yoga? propensities. So a'sanas help a sa'dhaka 9) Q : What are mudra's, bandhas and A: Yoga can be defined according to the [spiritual aspirant] to balance the body vedhas? following three definitions. The first is: and concentrate the mind. A: Mudra's are postures which Yogashcilla vrllinirodha That is, the exercise the nerves and muscles. suspension of all psychic propensities is 5) Q: Why do we practise a'sanas? Mudra' literally means called "Yoga". Those who follow this A: We perform a'sanas for the following "e xternalization of internal bha'va type of Yoga suppress the propensities reasons: [ideation]. " There are only a fe w of the mind through psychic pressure, I. To increase the fl exibility of the body. spiritual mudra's where the internal but once the psychic pressure is 2. To rectify gl andular defects and ideation is not extern ali zed. The removed, the old propensities of the balance hormonal secretions in order to practitioner of mu dra ' mayor may mind are revived and they resume their control the vrt tis [propensities]. not enjoy physical comfort and original state. Hence, this type of Yoga 3. To balance the body and mi nd. mental composure. During the cannot lead to spiritual progress. The 4. To withdraw the mind from undesir practice of mudra's one has to second defi nit ion is: able thinking. conti nue one's conscious endeavour Sarva 'cinta'paritya'go niscinta yoga 5. To prepare the mind for subtler and to remain in that posture, but in the ucyate. That is, if the mind's propensi higher sa' dhana' [spiri tu al practices]. case of a'sanas one need not. ties are suspended, then all thought Bandhas are also postures of a processes will automaticall y stop. But 6) Q: How do we name a'sanas? special type which exercise the will this lead to supreme attainment? A: We name a'sanas as fo llows: nerves o nly. The practitioner mayor Certainly not. The third definition is: I. Some a'sanas are si mil ar to animal may not derive physical comfort and Samyogo yogo ityukto jiiva'tl1la' movements so they are named after those mental composure. In bandha also Parama'tl1la'nah. W hen the unit animals; for example, matsyamudra' [fish one has to continue one's conscious consciousness and the Supreme posture], garud 'a'sana [bird postu re], endeavour to remain in the particular Consciousness are fused into one, that is etc. posture. Bandhas also influence the real Yoga. This takes place when the 2. Some a'sanas have the characteristi cs va'yus [vital-energy currents] in the spiritu al aspirant establishes a rel at ion of ani mal structures, so they are also body. ship of sweet love wit h Para rna Purus'a named aft er those animals ; for example, Vedhas are almost the same as [Supreme Consciousness]. ku'rmaka'sana [tortoise posture], etc. band has. Vedhas exert some 3. Some a'sanas are named by the infl uence on both the nerves and the 2) Q: W hat is tra't' aka? qualities of the a'sana; for example, vital airs [vital-energy currents]. A: Tra't'aka Yoga is controlling the sarva' unga'sana [shoulder stand; literally occul ar vision. It may lead to some "all-limbs posture"]. The entire body is 10) Q: What is pratya'ha'ra? supernatural vision. benefited by th;s a'sana. A: Pratya' ha'ra is defined as: prati a' hr + ghain. The word "a' ha'ra" 3) Q: What is dhruva'smrti? 7.) Q: How many types of a'sanas are literally means assimilating" or A: T he reproduction in the mind of there? "taking something within". As a something which was percei ved A: There are mainly two types of a'sanas yogic practice, "pratya'ha'ra" means before is called "memory" or "smrti". sva'sthya'sanas and hya'na'sanas . "withdrawal or" the mind from When the memory becomes permanent Sva'sthya'sanas are practised primarily external objectivity and goading it is called "infalli ble, eternal memory" for physical health and secondarily for the withdrawn mind toward Parama or dhruva'smrti". spiritual elevation. Purus'a_". Dhya' na'sanas are practised primarily for 4) Q: W hat is the defi nition of a'sanas? concentration of mind and meditation. 11) Q: What is pra'n'a'ya'ma? A: SthiraslIkham a'sanal1l (Patanjali). Dhya' na'sanas include padma'sana [lotus A: Pra' n'a' ya' ma is defined as: a'sanas are calm, quiet and easy postures posture], baddha padma'sana [bound Tastnin sati shva'sa prash-va'sayoh which are held with proper inhalation lotus postu re], siddha'sana [perfect gativicchedah pra'n'a'ya'ma. That an d exhalation. They exercise the posture] and vi ira'sana [hero posture]. is, pra'n'a'ya'ma is the process of nerves, tissues, glands and organs of the breath control along with the human body. While practisi ng a'sanas 8).Q: What is the diffe re nce between imposition of the ideation of one enjoys physical comfort and mental sarva'unga'sana and vipariitakaranii Supreme Consciousness. It helps composure. mudra'? the mind in concentration and T he regular practice of a'sanas keeps the A: While practicing sarva'unga'sana the body healthy and cu res many di seases. mind is tixed at the point between the tip med itation. a'sanas control the glands, the gl ands of the big toes, whereas in control the secretion of hormones, and vipariitakaranii mudra' the mnd is fi xed the secretion of hormones controls the at the ti p of the nose or at the naval.
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