EE7.5 - Society

Society

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Ananda Marga Caryácarya Part 2

Notes:

this version: is the printed Caryácarya Part 2, 5th edition, version (obvious spelling, punctuation and typographical mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. In all chapters of Caryácarya Parts 1-3 in this Electronic Edition, words in double square brackets [[ ]] are corrections that have been proposed by Ananda Marga Publications Dept. and have received the initial approval of the Ananda Marga Central Committee, but have not, as of the present Electronic Edition, received final approval.

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(1) Before taking food, ascertain if anybody present there has not eaten. If anyone has not eaten, do not take food unless the person willingly gives permission.

(2) Whatever food you have, distribute it equally among all the Margis present, and then eat. But if somebody expresses unwillingness to eat, that is a different matter. You need not then feel restrained.

(3) Love all, trust in all, but do not give responsibility to those not established in Yama-Niyama.

(4) Science is not the enemy of humanity. Avidyá (ignorance) is the enemy of humanity. Keep strict vigilance that the knowledge of science is confined only to those persons who are established in Yama-Niyama.

(6) You may come to a temporary truce with a hypocrite, but do not forgive till his/her nature is reformed. Immediate forgiveness is a special weakness of mind. It results in worse harm to society.

Those who cherish class distinctions, communalism, provincialism and casteism while indulging in propaganda about universalism are also hypocrites.

(8) You should always strive to maintain the honour of women, without considering whether a woman belongs to a particular caste or religion.

(9) Never attack the religious beliefs of anyone. Make the person understand gradually with logic. If you attack a person’s religious beliefs, it means you have attacked Ananda Marga.

(10) Distinctions based on profession, wealth and birth are man-made. You must not give indulgence to these things in any way. Only vested interests are behind class distinctions.

(11) To ensure the subsistence of ácáryas (spiritual teachers), all kinds of sacrifice should be accepted.

(12) One who does not come forward to help when seeing a person in distress is unworthy to be called a human being – he or she is a slur on Ananda Marga.

(13) The unity of Ananda Margis should not be allowed to be jeopardized for any reason. Unity should be maintained even at the risk of your life.

(14) If an Ananda Margi engages in harming another Ananda Margi he or she remains under the condemnation of Ánandamúrtijii till his/her conduct is reformed.

(15) Agriculture, arts, commerce and other developmental work should, as far as possible, be carried out on a cooperative basis.

(16) Fine arts lead human beings to the trans-sensory realm; hence sádhakas should not discourage fine arts; rather they should support them, directly or indirectly.

(17) Artists are great benefactors of society, hence take active steps for their protection. For example, before enacting a drama or its translation, enough money for a day’s maintenance must be given to the author.

(18) If a drama or other art performance is staged and a charge is made for tickets, after deducting the incidental expenditure, the remaining money should be distributed among the artists, half on the basis of labour and half on the basis of merit.

(19) The faults of others should be excused as far as possible. If you find that the conduct of an individual is antisocial, you should try to reform his or her nature by resorting to whatever severe measures may be necessary. Remember, he or she is not your enemy, but his/her conduct is the enemy of your society.

(20) Four kinds of debt are irredeemable – debt to father, debt to mother, debt to ácárya, and debt to guru (divine debt).

(a) The only way to do service to one’s father after his death is to help every male member of the universe to progress on the path of highest development.

(b) The only way to do service to one’s mother after her death is to help every female member of the universe to progress on the path of highest development.

(d) The best service to Márga Guru is to work according to His wishes. But however much service one renders, one will not redeem the four debts until Mokśa (salvation) is attained.

(21) Sevá (service) is of four kinds – shúdrocita, vaeshyocita, kśatriyocita and viprocita. This is known as nr yajiṋa.

Serving the sick, performing the funeral rites of a dead body, helping the suffering and doing all possible developmental work, through physical labour, is known as shúdrocita sevá.

Economic service to living beings and the giving of food and water is vaeshyocita sevá.

To rescue a person in distress, or to compel a person moving on the wrong path to come to the right path, by one’s strength, physical capability and courage, is kśatriyocita sevá.

To help human society in its mental and spiritual development by application of parájiṋána (intuitional knowledge) is viprocita sevá.

Remember that the value of each service is the same. Whatever kind of service is most necessary at a given time should be rendered.

The scriptures express that vipras are like the head of virát́puruśa (Supreme Consciousness), kśatriyas are like the arms, vaeshyas are like the trunk and shúdras are like the two legs. Think, therefore, are not all four purposive? The head controls the legs, and the legs support the head.

The result of viprocita sevá is lasting and that of the rest is short-lived. But even so, under special conditions, kśatriyocita, vaeshyocita or shúdrocita service may be the only recourse – there viprocita sevá may perhaps be completely meaningless.

(As the base of the jiiva [being] is Brahma, so the base of society is the shúdra; hence for one who cannot be a good shúdra, to try to become kśatriya, vaeshya or vipra is meaningless.)

An Ananda Margi will have to be vipra, kśatriya, vaeshya and shúdra all at once.

(c) [[Even]] if you feel it difficult to run your business as a result of not selling adulterated goods, completely stop purchase and sale [[of such goods]], and do not forgive adulterators till they are reformed.

(e) Specially ensure that the stores of the disaster relief section of the Marga remain full.

(c) If someone, through pressure of circumstances compels you to offer or accept a bribe, do not forgive that person till he/she is reformed.

(d) If, in consideration of the power of your post, anyone offers you a present, that should count as a bribe.

(a) If someone offers you something out of regard for you (and not in consideration of the power of your post), you should accept and use it cheerfully, however inexpensive it might be.

(b) You should cooperate fully with all welfare activities, governmental or non-governmental.

(c) Do not offer a bribe to anyone. If someone through pressure of circumstances forces you to offer a bribe, do not forgive that person till he/she is reformed.

(a) The convenience of the patient must be given more consideration than your own.

(d) Do not use adulterated medicine. [[Even]] if you feel it difficult to carry on your practice without using such medicine, purchase and sale of that medicine should be stopped, and as long as the nature of the adulterators of that medicine is not reformed, do not forgive them.

(b) Do not have any dealings with a party whose policies are opposed to those of the Marga.

(c) Continue efforts to change the activities of a party whose policies are in agreement with the Marga but whose activities are opposed to it.

(d) Those not established in Yama-Niyama should not get the opportunity to assume leadership.

(e) For the selfish and hypocrites, politics is the best instrument to achieve their selfish ends; hence when dealing in politics proceed very cautiously and with sharp eyes all around.

(a) Do not be misled by anyone’s tall talk. Judge merit by seeing the performance.

(b) Remember, whatever position one is in offers sufficient opportunity to work.

(d) Only people established in Yama-Niyama [[are worthy of]] your support; in case of more than one such person, vote for the best worker.

Rather than support an [[unworthy]] person, it is better not to exercise one’s franchise because to invest an [[unworthy]] person with power means to push society towards destruction knowingly and deliberately.

(a) Activities harmful to the Marga, [[hypocrisy]], theft and the persecution of women are the greatest crimes. Such criminals should be categorized as mahápátakiis (great sinners) and severe measures should be taken against them from the beginning.

(b) Weapons should not be used against those criminals who are not mahápátakiis and are weaponless. If a criminal is alone, more than one person must not attack him with weapons; and if he asks for forgiveness, whether you forgive him or not, do not hit him. Do not attack from behind. Do not take severe measures against old people and children.

(30) Dharma (spirituality) is for all walks of individual and collective life. Those who think that dharma is a personal system of worship or that dharma is completely a personal affair are wrong, and their mistake: hurts collective progress.

(b) Propagate Ananda Marga ideology without casting aspersions on others out of intolerance.

(c) Try your best to arrange alternative means of livelihood for religious professionals, irrespective of their connection with Ananda Marga, if they face financial difficulties as a result of extensive propagation of Ananda Marga ideology.

(32) No one in Ananda Marga is anyone’s servant. Use terms like “agricultural assistant” or “family assistant” according to the nature of their work. Look after your assistants as your own children and pay attention towards their all-round development. Fix the time for their Iishvara prańidhána and help them to acquire social status. Never be an impediment their progress.

(33) Set an example of manliness by marrying a shelterless woman. Do not under any circumstances allow her to lead a disrespectable life.

(34) The meaning of the Saḿgacchadhvaḿ mantra should be realized in life. Always remain united. Solve all problems, big or small, with unity. Consider misfortune of one as the misfortune of all, an injury to one as an injury to all.

(35) You may participate in all kinds of innocent ceremonies. As, in principle, you do not support the philosophy of those who, in the name of worship of God, indulge in idolatry, do not participate in their ceremonies.

36) If dowry is demanded on behalf of either the bride or the bridegroom at a wedding, you can help out manually as required, and if you feel like it, you can give a present, but you must not take food there.

37) Priityanna: If a person wants to feed you out of genuine intimacy, you should take that food happily, even if it is just grains and vegetables. But if someone invites you only to make a show to people, never accept his/her food.

Ápadanna: When life is jeopardized because of the lack of food and water, you need not consider whether the food is prohibited on any grounds or comes from an unworthy person.

Shráddhánna: Shráddhánna (food offered at a memorial service) is neither priityanna nor ápadanna, hence it is not to be taken.

38) The habit of making wagers is extremely undesirable. You must avoid lotteries and gambling.

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.

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.

40) You should try to get advice from everyone, but accept only the best. One whose advice you were unable to accept should not feel internally that he/she is trifling or insignificant to you, to society, or to the organization.

41) 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.

42) Remember, with every person you have a relationship of love and not of fear; those who love you will certainly give you recognition.