054 Posting.txt
Dharmadeva
Social living and service is a part and parcel of meditation.
Along with meditation, one naturally develops the sense of service to others
and humanity.
To this end Ananda Marga has established such welfare projects as
rehabilitation centres for drug-takers and for inmates of prisons and mental
institutions. It sets up orphanages, homes for homeless men and women, and
homes for the aged, not merely to provide shelter to the needy but to help
them develop a sense of self-esteem and involvement in society.
Dispensaries, food co-operatives, cheap food distribution centres, are also
among the many and varied activities undertaken.
The area of welfare covers the elevation of oppressed minority groups
particularly those of women and racially oppressed groups. Welfare in these
areas is aimed at inspiring these people to overcome social prejudices with
forgiveness and magnanimity of mind, and to re-establish their position in
society by taking an active role in its united development and progress.
The below gives some insights into this in terms of service projects and
community development.
Dharma
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A Chronicle of Relief Work in Africa
During a period spanning 12 years, Dada Rudreshvarananda worked in rural
Burkina Faso, bringing a variety of social services to one of the poorest
communities on this planet. He recently compiled a memoir of these
experiences.
Dada wrote:
"Why do the people of Africa think so differently from Westerners? When I
visited the Stone Age cave paintings in Lascaut, France, I grasped one
reason. Those ancient drawings were extremely beautiful and colourful. It
was amazing how the primitive artists had painted in harmony with the walls
of the caves. The people of Africa, like other traditional people around the
world, say, "The land does not belong to us, we belong to the land. We
belong to Nature." Nature teaches them many things through their dreams.
Their main concern is to live in harmony with Nature. The Western
intellectual concept that Nature belongs to us is the cause of ecological
destruction. I feel that Shrii Shrii Anandamurti came to launch a new era,
extending this traditional perspective by teaching people to think, 'We
belong to God.' "
If you would like to read more about Dada's reflections on Africa visit (see
attached following). The attached is an inspiring piece about all the
wonderful - both kind and difficult - things that one can encounter when
working on pioneering service projects.
There is also a piece on:
Providing Pure Drinking Water in Ghana
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Casa Ananda
Casa Ananda is a project based in Mexico City to help street children and
other young people who live in the streets by giving them nutritious meals,
clothes, medicine, and a lot of affection. The project also serves as a
school where young people living in the streets can come and finish their
elementary and high school studies. Casa Ananda will also serve as a
training centre for these young people to learn some productive skills so
they can have a decent way of earning a living.
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MASTER UNITS
Ananda Marga runs many projects on land called Master Units (2.5 ha / 5
acres or more). These are used for schools, community projects and the
like. These are also excellent places to visit if travelling overseas and
wanting to stay at spiritually oriented places. There are a few hundred of
these Master Units or community development projects around the world. So
next time you are planning to travel consider a stay there.
Master Units (MU's) are integrated development centres, community projects
which provide physical, intellectual, cultural and spiritual services to the
surrounding region. Ananda Nagar in India is the biggest and most developed
MU in Ananda Marga. Within Ananda Nagar is Uma Nivas, the Women's Welfare
Department (WWD) headquarters.
"Ananda Nagar" is a model "Master Unit" or cooperative spiritual community
established in India. There are, however, many more master units all over
the world.
Ananda Kanan in the United States has regular Ananda Marga retreats and
seminars as well as an annual 'YogaFest' - a teenage festival/retreat for
the
public.
Ananda Palli in Stanthorpe, Australia, also holds periodic 'YogaFests' for
young people, retreats and seminars, and a yearly "Ananda Mela" (Festival of
Bliss) - a week long festival and conference for the public with progressive
workshops, yoga and meditation, cultural entertainment and more.
Ananda Kamala is home to the Ananda Marga River School, in Maleny,
Queensland, Australia. Approximately 100 students attend the kindergarten
and primary school, up to year 7. Periodic retreats and seminars are
conducted and a cooperative community is based here.
All MUs have organic gardens and fruits trees. Ananda Palli specialises in
bio-dynamic fruit and vegetables. Development at each MU is ongoing as new
projects continually get established.
There are however, many more master units all over the world. Here are some
more recent developments.
Master Unit in U.S.A.
A Master Unit has been procured in the U.S.A. Land was donated in Knoxville
to Ananda Marga. The land is about 12.5 acres and is 20 minutes from the
University of Tennessee in Memphis region.
Master Unit at Paraguay
In Paraguay, a Master Unit of 24 hectares totally ready in all aspects with
water system, irrigation, tractor and a constructed home was acquired.
Master Unit gets a huge grant
In 2002 the American Women's Club in Bangkok donated more than 1 million
baht for the Sangkhlaburi Master Unit. The money was utilized to install
electricity in the master unit, purchase a 4 WD vehicle and secure a
tractor for ploughing the land.
Taiwan
The tremendous dedication and sacrifice of many, many spiritual aspirants
was recently demonstrated in a truly "concrete" manner. We could even say
concrete and steel. The WWD Master Unit at MeiNong now has a beautiful, two
story meditation hall. During a formal housewarming, members of Ananda
Marga from all over Taiwan gave special thanks to the many whose donations
made the construction possible. The meditation hall is for them and for the
entire community.
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UMA NIVAS
WWD is the Women's Welfare Department of Ananda Marga and works to give all
women the scope to discover and expand their full potentialities for their
all-round development (physically, mentally and spiritually). It provides
services and resources for women to collectively utilise their talents and
abilities in a practical way for the progress of humanity at large. WWD's
headquarters are situated at a master unit called Uma Nivas , located in
Ananda Nagar.
India has one of the highest concentrations of poverty in the world. Despite
decades of development programs the vast majority of India's poor still live
in its rural areas where conditions are particularly severe for women. In
one extremely impoverished area, the Purulia district of West Bengal, Uma
Nivas started in 1985.
In the villages surrounding Uma Nivas the women's condition is a microcosm
of the tremendous handicaps women face in India, women are still victims of
social, economic and gender discrimination. They carry the heaviest burdens
of child rearing and agricultural work under deplorable conditions.
Where women suffer, children suffer as well. In this area 98% of women are
illiterate, only 15 % of children go to school, and about 33% of the
children are severely malnourished. Leprosy, tuberculosis, and malaria are
widespread.
UMA NIVAS literally means: the Abode of the Universal Mother. Traditionally
in India women are addressed as "ma" (mother). However they are not always
treated with the respect that this title deserves.
UMA NIVAS seeks to empower women to take their rightful place in society,
helping them to better care for themselves, nurture their families and
support their communities.
EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE - In the first phase of the project Uma Nivas has
focused on addressing the education and health needs of women and children.
The following projects have already greatly increased educational
opportunities and access to primary care for the local children:
- An all girls high school
- Three primary schools
- Three homes for orphan girls
- Four all girls hostels
- Two homeopathic clinics
- A music school
A natural outcome of economic independence of women is that they begin to
assume leadership roles and participate actively in their communities. With
the help of the public, support for the second phase will begin. This
includes:
- Start female adult literacy training
- Teach sustainable organic farming
- Create small scale industries to generate income for the local women
- Establish an arts and crafts training centre.
No matter how long it takes, a person with spiritual vision and aspirations
will continue to serve humanity to the best of their capability.
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Peach Farm
Ananda Dham Master Unit
Los Angeles, USA
The Ananda Marga Lake Hughes Peach Farm welcomes interns at any time of the
year. We provide free room and board with living quarters consisting of a
nice three bedroom, two bathroom house as well as a two bedroom, one
bathroom trailer. We all work according to our capacity, the hours are
flexible but usually six to eight hours per day, and conditions range from
intense to laid back depending on the time of the year or day of the week.
The nature around invites you to nice hikes, swims in the lake, or other
outdoor activities.
Meditation and Yoga instructions are freely available to all interns and
volunteers. We have a good supply of reading material both spiritual and
farming/gardening related. Our diet is vegetarian and we do not allow any
kind of alcohol or drugs at the farm.
The interns participate in the many farm activities which include
transplanting, mulching, foliar feeding, fertigation, irrigation, weeding,
harvesting, packing, marketing, and transport. We hope that by
participating in the daily care of this farming project you will enjoy the
pleasure of working with the earth and with other people in a cooperative
and coordinated way.
If you are sincerely interested in becoming an intern, please send us your
resume including such things as educational background, work experience,
farming experience, hobbies and interests, background in meditation, yoga
or other spiritual disciplines, and anything else you would like to say.
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Know where the path lies, even if one is not immediately able to follow it
Extracts from a talk by Ananda Japasiddha.
One of the things that impressed me the most when I finally got to Ananda
Marga was the clarity of the moral code. This is the main difference
between Anandamurti and so many other spiritual outfits. One of the most
important requirements for spiritual progress is honesty with ourselves.
Whatever nonsense is still in us, if we can be truly and brutally honest
with ourselves about it, at least we aren't further convoluting our thoughts
with self lies. This honesty is the first step to actually gaining control
over these weaknesses which may have plagued us.
At the beginning of the formation of Christianity, at that time, monks were
still performing meditation. They followed strict discipline, lots of
fasting and penance, and really tried to attain their spiritual realisation.
But it wasn't long after that that they fell apart completely. Where is
meditation in Christianity today? Now all that beautiful philosophy is
something to quote at people as a weapon or save in a nice book with gold
inlay, not something to actually put into practice.
Particularly, it was never made clear to them that it is impossible to, on
the one hand practice spiritual meditation, and on the other hand to drink
wine, even the mild table wines common to that era and geographic zone.
(After all, wine was and often still is like water in the Mediterranean -
southern European zone, what with water shortages and grape abundances.) It
is fairly sure they also had problems about eating meat and other practices,
not to mention the widespread adoption of the sinner's mentality. (I am a
sinner. I am a sinner. I am impure. Oh Lord, please save me!) There were
many problems like this.
This is only one example of why it is so important to know where the path
lies, even if one is not immediately able to follow it. Here were these
very sincere spiritualists who failed in their spiritual path because of a
small point of ignorance. This part of the world had sprouted some of the
most sincere spiritualists in history.
Today, being a critical juncture, it is a moment of being tested in the
fire. So much moral confusion. So many varieties of serious breaches, and
being perpetrated on so many innocents without hesitation or remorse. Some
despair and throw up their hands merely to see such things. None of them
seem to understand that such a time is a tremendous spiritual opportunity.
"To keep your head when those about you are losing theirs." To walk
unafraid amongst the ruins as the world undergoes a major paradigm shift and
amidst this to serve and inspire others. To maintain one's moral balance in
the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. To nurture the new life that
sprouts from the graveyard of the old. These are blessed moments if we have
the courage and the eyes to appreciate them.
These opportunities for service through transformation are the reason why we
are here in a social sense as spiritual aspirants. All good people have to
clean up the mess and get everything ready before the new day dawns.
Definitely life on earth will never be perfect. It is never fairyland. But
just as it sometimes gets worse, it also sometimes gets better. In fact,
darkness not only precedes the light. It often causes it. When the earth
is steeped in darkness and despair, the desire for light in every heart
grows with fiery intensity. And that internal blazing incandescence is the
force behind all social and spiritual awakening.
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Rectification
Much is said today about anti-social or criminal acts. What is the
corrective and healthy approach? From a spiritual perspective, that is.
The steps of corrective punishment:
a) First, attempt to bring the guilty person around through sweet words.
b) Secondly, adopt a stiff attitude.
c) Thirdly, tell him or her about the possible punishment for the offence.
d) Fourthly, take steps for punishment.
Prerequisites:
a) Before punishing a person you should consider whether you love him/her or
not. You do not have the moral right to punish one whom you do not love.
b) Punishment should be meted out to reform and not to cause suffering.
c) The quantum of punishment must not exceed the quantum of love.
d) If some innocent person is pained by any of your actions, then without
considering whether he/she is your superior or inferior, you should
sincerely seek his/her forgiveness; this will only enhance your prestige.
Do not judge anyone to be good or bad hastily, nor express your opinion.
Even a small mistake in your decision or in your expression may result in
collective harm to society.
Remember, with every person you have a relationship of love and not of fear,
those who love you will certainly give you recognition.
Do not hurt an honest person even slightly.
From works of Anandamurti
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One of the great values of living in a society is that we can imbibe good
qualities from others, even when they are no more perfect than we are. For
that, all we need is to be receptive. Each human being copes with her or
his own blend of mental propensities. That is what personalities are all
about. We should try to see the bright side not just of everything but of
everyone.
- Abhidevananda
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"You are living in the present. Utilize your past in building your present.
Plan for the future in such a way that all human wealth is considered and
radiates tremendous energy."
- Shrii Shrii Anandamurti -- Shiva's Teachings-1 from Namah Shivaya Shantaya
(p.111).
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Where to practice meditation?
"To differentiate between different places for sadhana (Sanskrit for
meditation), to consider one place more suitable than another, or to regard
a particular spot as good and another bad, is to divide. Every place in
this creation is the manifestation of the Supreme Cosmic Entity (Brahma),
and to call one place good and another bad is to attribute these qualities
to Brahma. If sadhana (spiritual meditation) is based on the consideration
of good and bad, it will never be possible for one to develop the feeling
of oneness with the rest of creation. One will never be able to love others
as oneself. To Brahma every place is the same, and sadhana can be practiced
anywhere."
- Anandamurti (Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy, 1998 p.129)
The main idea, the main message here is that you can do meditation anywhere,
and by Divine Grace you can realize the Cosmic Entity anywhere. So there is
no point during meditation of feeling: "This place is inferior, I am not
going to do deep meditation". And thinking that you are in the only good
place for meditation doesn't help either because the very purpose of
meditation is to go beyond relativities.
As we are still part of this relative world, then our body, our brain, our
mind, is affected by it's vibrations - crude our subtle. You must have
noticed that while meditating at some places the mind becomes concentrated
very quickly. The softness of the spot is helpful. However, struggle and
concentration in other more difficult places can also strengthen the mind.
For example, though it's possible to meditate in a pub, if you have the
opportunity to do it in the mountains, your meditation is going to be
deeper, because you are not affected by the crude thoughts of others in the
bar. Of course if you don't have that chance and the only place available to
you is of lesser quality, then do not feel that it is not possible to
meditate there, because all places are suitable.
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