HOW YOU CAN SAVE MONEY ==

Baba

"Ajuta chande esechile tumi nacite nacite ha'site ha'site..." (PS #146)

Purport:

O' Baba, with the resonance of melody and in the manana [1] of my heart, and the jingling of the ankle bell [2], You came in countless rhythms, dancing and smiling, smiling and dancing.

You came with the resonance of melody; You came with the manana of my heart, You came with the jingling of the angel bell. O' Lord you came, You came with the resonance of melody, O' Lord You came.

You came with the manana of my heart, O' Lord. You came with the jingling of the ankle bell. O' Lord, with the resonance of melody, and in the manana of my heart, O' Lord You came. In the manana of my heart, and the jingling of the ankle bell, O' Lord You came.

If I blossom as a flower on the branch, then You become fragrance and fill me always. If I become the distant sky, then You become blue and fill me always. [3] O' Lord, You fill me always. As a blue color You always envelop me.

If I become the distant sky, then You become blue and fill me always. O' Lord, You fill me always. You surround me from all the directions, You came in countless rhythms, dancing and smiling, smiling and dancing.

O' Baba, I am never alone. You are always with me, no matter what. You are ever gracious, I surrender at Your lotus feet...


NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #146:

[1] Manana: The contemplation or ideation of the Supreme Entity by repeating the Lord's name in the mind. This special process Baba has described in-depthly in His various teachings of AM devotional and spiritual life.

[2] Jingling of the Ankle Bell: This song carries great symbolic and is the poetic expression of what the sadhaka feels in dhyana. So the "ankle bell" is not a physical bell attached to one's ankle nor does it refer to some type of bell that Parama Purusa is wearing around His foot. Rather when the sadhaka realises and feels the proximity of Parama Purusa in deep dhyana, then one hears this ankle bell sound within. That is the meaning of this metaphor in the song. One hears this ankle bell sound when in His close proximity. The phrase - Parama Purusa has come with His ankle bell - is just a poetic expression that holds greater symbolic meaning.

[3] Two More Metaphors: The metaphor of the sky and its blue color indicates how they are inseparable. The sky and blueness cannot be made distinct from one another. The two are inextricably inter-linked. In the same way the devotee and Parama Purusa are inseparable. Similarly, the flower cannot be separated from its fragrance; where there is a the flower there is fragrance and where there is flower fragrance there is the flower. The two are completely part and parcel of each other. Here again this refers to
the inherent link between the Lord and the bhakta. Parama Purusa is always with the devotee - one cannot remain separate from the other. Parama Purusa comes with His omnkara dhvani (eternal sound) the bhakta gets attracted and merges in Him.


== HOW YOU CAN SAVE MONEY ==

Namaskar,
In this day and age, people waste a lot of time trying to earn more and more money - laboring anywhere from 8 - 10 hours daily, or even 18 hours in a single day.

Plus most people are totally worried about money - so they think about earning money even when they are not working. They eat, sleep, and dream about it.

In this way their entire psyche and days are consumed.

The general psychology is to earn more and spend more. That becomes their entire life - that is the unfortunate truth. The tragedy is that this human life is about so much more than just collecting money. Human life is far larger than this.

To resolve this critical issue, Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji has given a beautiful way of living that is very easy for everyone to do. And by following His guidelines, you are sure to save huge amounts of money.

So if you are suffering from any sort of financial worry or fiscal need, then read this following letter.


THIS LETTER IS FOR EVERYONE

The guidelines in this letter are for everyone. If you are already an Ananda Margii or a sympathizer of the Marga, you will readily see how much you are saving by following AM practices. Plus you may get some new tips as well.

And if you are not yet an Ananda Margii, then by reading the below you will get a clear-cut vision how following our AM way of life will benefit you financially.

Hence this letter is for absolutely anyone and everyone who wishes to save money and live a financially secure life.


NO INTOXICANTS (Part 1)

In Ananda Marga, as we all know, or as new people will soon learn, we do not use any intoxicants - none. This is the first great way of saving money by leading life as an Ananda Margii.

Cigarettes, beer, wine, and hard alcohol are all getting taxed verily heavily by the city, state, provincial and federal government. So the prices of these substances is skyrocketing.

Indeed recently the tax on cigarettes in NY state went up $1.60 to a total of $4.35 on taxes alone, so a pack of cigarettes now costs $9.20 (on average) in NY, and more than that in New York City. Smoking a pack a day over the course of a year would add up to more than $3,650.00 at a minimum. And this type of increase is happening everywhere. The same thing is going on with regards to alcohol.

Since in Ananda Marga we have no interest in or use for cigarettes, or any of these other legal intoxicants like alcohol etc, we are saving a huge amount of money. Just ask any ex-smoker or ex-drinker and they will most assuredly tell you about all the money they are saving by quitting their dirty habit.


NO INTOXICANTS (Part 2)

Then of course there are the illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroine etc. These all cost a huge amount of money - it is big business - but for Ananda Margiis this is a non-issue entirely. Hence big $aving$.

Included in this topic are other health costs and legal fees. If one is using intoxicants of any kind they will certainly have to spend more money on doctors fees, health concerns, insurance premiums, hospital care and other medications etc, since those intoxicants will ruin their health.

In addition, drinking and driving is illegal so if one gets caught by the police they will incur big legal fees in order to clear their name and stay out of jail, if possible. Same is the case if they are caught using illegal drugs. Not only are the drugs expensive and addicting, but one have to spend huge money on attorney fees to clear their name in a
court of law.

So from multiple angles, our clean way of living that is free of any and all intoxicants saves us a lot of money. That is the first great savings for being an Ananda Margii.


FOOD

Our style of eating, i.e. our vegetarian diet, is also a big money saver. In most places, fresh fruit and vegetables are far less costly than meat - both on our wallet and our health. Our daily or weekly shopping is less expensive plus we will not face all the health issues that hinders meat-eaters. So we will not have to pay those big medical bills either.

Various studied show how eating home-prepared vegetarian meals foods is cheaper (and healthier!) than a meat-based diet. Also always look into buying foods in bulk - one can save huge money this way.

There is much more involved in this point of food, but I think most of us are aware about them. And already there is a lot of information out there about the extreme financial and health costs of a meat-based diet.

The only further point that is worth raising on the point of food is that as Ananda Margiis we do not dine in restaurants or hotels. Of course the reason we do not do this is because those places are not sentient: The dishes themselves are dirty, the ingredients are unknown, and the cooks are non-sadhakas. So that is why we do not dine in such establishments. But, on the top, eating in these restaurants is an expensive habit. By not frequenting such restaurants we save a lot of money. What average people spend on a single meal in a restaurant is enough funds for wise, vegetarian shoppers to eat for 1 or 2 weeks at home.


GAMBLING

So much of the world indulges in gambling - either in casinos, or on-line, or at sporting events, or in lotteries, etc. The tragedy with gambling is the the "house" always wins. People waste their time and hard-earned money and come home empty handed. Not only do they lose their money, but they lose their mental balance as well as gambling is
an addition. People go so far as to sell their most valued possessions in order to support their gambling habit. Indeed, even the great King Yudhisthira lost his entire wealth and property in a game of dice. Such are the ill effects of gaming and gambling.

Our Ananda Marga does not allow for this at all.

Baba says, "The habit of making wagers is extremely undesirable. You must avoid lotteries and gambling." (CC-2, Society, pt#38)

When there is no gambling then there is no question of losing money or wasting away one's time. This is an absolute money-saver.


LOANS

In our present era, this is a big, big point. So many people around the world, especially in the materialistic western nations, make it a hobby or even career in life to spend money which they do not have.

People incur debt by taking big loans to pay for things that they cannot afford: clothes, fancy meals, i-Phones, sports cars, gadgets, and so much more. By this way they lose money in two ways: Firstly by purchasing a costly item which they do not really need; secondly by having to pay the interest on the loan for that item. Hence it is a double loss.

Yet all "modern economies" around the globe are based on this faulty precept. Not only do individuals and families indulge in this, but entire cities, counties, states and even whole nations embark on this defective manner of taking loans to pay for things they cannot afford.

From beginning to end this is a totally costly and mentally taxing affair. People stay awake at night wondering and worrying about how they are going to pay back their loan. And countries even go totally bankrupt - that we are seeing today.

In Ananda Marga, Baba is entirely against the idea of taking a loan or incurring debt for superfluous items.

Baba says, "To purchase, by incurring debt, serge where tweed will do, or gaberdine where serge will do, is surely against the principle of aparigraha." (GHC)

Indeed the entire spirit of aparigraha is to live in a simple manner, within one's means. This is only possible if oe can to cultivate the requisite santosa (mental ease), such that a person will not senselessly run after material goods. As Baba points out in many discourses, the practices of aparigraha and santosa are closely linked.

Baba says, "Human desire knows no end. Millionaires want to become multimillionaires, because they are not satisfied with their million. Ask the millionaires if they are happy with their money. They will say, “Where is the money? I am somehow pulling on.” This answer indicates their ignorance of aparigraha. But such feelings have another adverse
effect on body and mind."

Here Baba continues His discourse.

Baba says, "Out of excessive fondness for physical or mental pleasures people become mad to earn money and amass wealth. As money becomes the be-all and end-all of life, the mind gets crudified. Constant hankering after money results in negligence of one’s health, and this makes the body unfit. Therefore, santos'a sa'dhana' lies in being contented with the earnings of normal labour, without any undue pressure on the body
and mind. To remain contented, one has to make a special type of mental effort to keep aloof from external allurements." (GHC)

Hence by following yama and niyama and doing sadhana, one can easily become adept at the points of aparigraha and santosa. And this will lead to saving so much money - huge amounts.

Because without aparigraha and santosa, one will become a prisoner to the consumer mentality of "buy this" & "buy that" which is so infested within capitalism.

Hence this topic of loans in highly linked without our mental state and yama and niyama. When the mind is balanced one will steer clear of all kinds of unneeded purchases as well as unnecessary loans, thereby saving tremendous amounts of money.


OTHER WAYS OF SAVING MONEY

BY FOLLOWING OUR AM WAY OF LIFE

Here is a brief list of other ways any sadhaka of the Marga will certainly save money. Again, anyone can follow this approach and get the financial benefits. I invite others to comment and elaborate on these below points.

- Fasting: By fasting 2 or 4 times monthly, we save 1 - 2 months worth of food over the course of the entire year. Plus fasting purifies the body and keeps us disease-free, and away from expensive medical visits.

- Marriage: In some traditions huge money or dowries are paid to get one's children married. We do not subscribe to such dogmas. Our social ceremonies are free.

- Tiirtha / Pilgrimage: Traveling to so-called holy lands like Mecca, Jerusalem or Varanasi each year is an expensive proposition. In AM, we do not have such destinations - the only tiirtha in AM is Guru cakra.

- Birth & Death: Here again these entail social ceremonies that do not cost any money in AM, whereas in the dogmatic churches and temples, moderate to large sums of money need to be paid. Plus without a large payment, one will not even find a spot in the cemetery or get a good casket, whereas in AM the body is burned at no expense to the deceased or their family.

- Hobbies: In AM, our only hobby is social service and helping others whereas in the so-called first-world nations average citizens spend enormous amounts of money on hobbies and recreational activities. Thus we save a lot in this department as well.

- Psychic Disease: Sadhana keeps the mind balanced and without sadhana people encounter so many mental problems: frustration, depression, angst, phobias etc. In that case they have to spend huge money on psychiatrists and psychologists.

- Inferiority Complex: Anyone with an inferiority is bound to be exploited. Sadhana will free the mind from such complexes.

- Religious Taxes: In most of the religions, the tax for the average member is 10% or so of their total income. In Ananda Marga it is only 2%. Thus we save 8%.

And there are a multitude of other ways in which we save money. Everyone should write in with their experience of how they save money by being an Ananda Margii


BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace He has given us the perfect system for living in this era of economic struggle and strife. By following His life principles we are bound to save large sums of money and feel relaxed about our financial picture.

So if anyone is suffering from economic turmoil, just become an Ananda Margii or redouble one's efforts in following 16 Pts. Then one will be worry-free and unencumbered by economic problems.

Let us remember that human life is short and it is meant for sadhana, not getting caught up in financial concerns.

Baba says, "One should not forget that human life is short. From the moment of birth one slowly and steadily advances towards death with every passing second. This short period of time from birth to death is human life. Human beings have come from the world of invisibility and at the end of this short span of time will return to the world of invisibility. Those people can be called intelligent who utilize every moment of their short life engaged in spiritual practice." (APH-4)

Namaskar,
Jagatmitra


Note 1: BABA'S SPECIAL ORDER ABOUT LOANS

Here furthermore is another of Baba's special guideline about taking loans.

Baba says, "I am also giving one more advice in regard to aparigraha. If any Margis have to spend on anything in addition to the fixed expenditure (for example, expensive clothing, ornaments, articles of furniture, marriage, building, etc.), they should, before incurring such expenditure, obtain a clear order from their a'ca'rya, unit secretary or
district secretary, or any other person of responsible rank. Similarly, permission is to be obtained before taking loan from any businessman or money-lender." (GHC)


Note 2: GOOD FOR ONE AND ALL

In this materialistic era, the mass of people weigh most of their decisions on money. People want to know what is most economical. This plays into our favour as this entire letter aims to show the innumerable ways how living life as an Ananda Margii is the best bank for your buck. So this is a good pracara strategy: Save money by becoming an Ananda Margii.

In addition, challenging or severe economic times are mounting, so as Ananda Margiis we need not worry so much since in a multitude of ways our way of life is the most economical. It is a better deal fiscally.

By the above listing of points, it is easy to see how and why our AM ways of life is great in all realms of life, including financially.

GRAND BUILDINGS

Baba

"Bahire bahiche jhar'a se yakhan elo,
puspa-parasha pra'n'e ye pashityachilo..." (PS #1667)

Purport:

When He came, it was thundering and the strong stormy winds were blowing. The floral touch entered into my heart. When He came, I could not recognise who He was. Why does He come in such a disguised way. With His compassion and help in my days of misery, He made me His own. [1]

The cyclonic wind was blowing with tremendous speed. The lightning appeared amidst the stormy roar. He quietly sang the song of fearlessness in my ear. His voice was saturated with sweetness. [2]

The storm stopped and the sweet ocean breeze of the spring season came. Even today His sweet loving memory resonates in my heart. He went away, yet remains my Beloved. He has stolen my heart. [3]

O' Parama Purusa, O' Baba, Your ways are very difficult to understand, You are Liilamaya...


END NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #1667:

[1] First Stanza: At the outset of this initial stanza, the devotee is undergoing terrible misery. There are so many problems unfolding. In that very dark situation, Baba came, touched his heart and solved all his problems. The bhakta could not recognize Him as the Parama Purusa and wondered why He does like this. He comes in time of misery and helps but does not reveal His identity. The devotee also wonders why He remains hidden. But with His help in this crisis, the devotee becomes emotionally very close to Parama Purusa: "He made me His own." Because He showered so much love, the devotee falls in love with Him.

[2] Second Stanza: Here the bhakta describes the situation that He was caught in: Problems were coming from all directions and there was nobody to help - not family, nor friends, nor relatives. All were opposing. The devotee was undergoing blow after blow - one problem after another. In that situation Baba comes and saves him. And He reminds the devotee again and again: "Do not be afraid. Parama Purusa is with you." With His tender love and care He assures the bhakta, "You are not alone."

[3] Third Stanza: After that dark situation in the life of devotee - when Parama Purusa comes and rescues him - everything changes. Life becomes beautiful and everything is positive and smooth. This is evidenced by the metaphor, madhura malay, or sweet, spring ocean breeze. Because Parama Purusa helped him in dark times, that is why He became an intimate part of the life of the devotee. Although time has passed, but always that sweet, loving feeling resonates in the mind and heart of the sadhaka. The devotee feels that even though Parama Purusa has gone away, the bhakta cannot forget Him and emotionally remains very close. Their relation became permanent, an eternal devotional link.

Final Note: In bad days when Parama Purusa comes then the bhakta feels more closeness with Him; whereas, in happy days, the sadhaka does not feel that same proximity with Parama Purusa and thinks He has gone far away. That type of mentality develops. In happy days people forget Him. O' Baba, O' Parama Purusa, as You remained close in my bad times, please grace me so that You may remain with me always, during my days of happiness as well.


== BABA STORY: ABOUT GRAND BUILDINGS ==

About the Storyteller: Tarachand Jain, PU BP, of Jaipur, Rajasthan is a very senior Ananda Margii. Tarachand Dada worked in the Transportation Dept, Rajasthan State Roadways, as an Asst. General Manager. Here following is his story. - Eds

Namaskar,
This is the story of what happened one time when I saw Baba. One question came in my mind about the Vivekananda Memorial (built in 1970) which was under construction those days.

The followers of Vivekananda were collecting huge amounts of money from all around India for the construction of their grand memorial in Kanyakumari in South India.

That time when I was with Baba this matter came in my mind. So I raised the point with Baba.


MY QUESTION TO BABA

I said, "Baba, the followers of Vivekananda are collecting money to make a memorial."

I waited for His reaction.

Baba asked me, "What is your opinion?"

I remained quiet.


BABA'S REPLY

Then Baba explained, "Building such a memorial is a waste of resources. If Swami Vivekananda saw this he would not appreciate this being built. Rather he would condemn it. Such monies should be used for social service. In the world, when so many are without food, medicine, medical care, clothing, housing and education and when hospitals and schools and other social structures are in dire need, then constructing such a memorial is a huge waste. It is a misuse of financial and natural resources, time, and energy. Best would have been used to expend that money to help the suffering humanity."

Hearing His words, I realized how seriously Baba was taking this situation. Baba gave two essential points:

(1) The memorial was a blatant misuse of resources; and,
(2) Vivekananda would not approve of such a memorial.

I remained quiet and contemplated Baba's explanation. I thought that we are fortunate that in our Marga we do not have this type of waste. At that time, back in 1970, I thought like this.

Namaskar,
Tarachand

Note: The total cost of construction of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in 1970 was crores of rupees. That was a huge amount of money those days. Back then India was not like it is today. It was still newly independent and struggling in its early days of nationhood.


REFLECTION

After reading the above story by Tarachand Dada, it is all too clear that we face this very key issue in our Marga as well. What Baba Himself told not to do, top Dadas are doing.

In the post 1990 era, the hard-earned money of so many poor margiis has been wasted in the construction of various Memorials and temples in Ananda Nagar, Tiljala and Jamalpur. This is all just a waste of money and misuse of resources.

At present in AM, we do not have ideal institutions where our kids can come and learn in a neo-humanistic manner and indeed there are so many other social service projects and institutions that demand our attention. There are so many centers, medical care units, and so much more that need to be made. We do not have such facilities right not yet that is the need of the day. So it is shameful that since 1990 some Dadas have diverted huge funds to the construction of memorials when Baba clearly does not support such things.

We must now right our ship and use all our resources - financial and otherwise - for the betterment of society and implementation of the projects Baba outlined for the welfare of humanity.

As Ananda Margiis we should all understand that Baba was not just against the building of the Vivekananda memorial, but verily condemned any such memorial. Here below Baba points out the injustices and waste surrounding the building of the Konark temple in Orissa.

Baba says, "While money has been spent lavishly for the construction of beautiful places of worship, money has never been arranged for food, clothing, housing, education and medical care for the welfare of the poor. While for four full years all the state revenues of Orissa were spent for the construction of the Konark temple, during that period not a penny was spent for human welfare. Needless to say, the history of all countries is replete with such examples." (Ráŕh: The Cradle of Civilization, Ra'r'h - 6)

By all this we can easily understand that the construction of memorials is an anti-Ananda Marga idea. Those doing so are most unfortunate; they could not understand Baba's teaching.

Indeed nowadays in AM there are so many memorials such as the ones in Tiljala, Jamalpur Tiirtha, Ananda Nagar and so many other that they are planning.

It seems some Dadas have begun competing in temple building contest with the Sikhs, Jains, and Hindus. At present the Hindus are wasting 600 crores of rupees a golden temple for the in goddess of wealth Laksmii temple. Yet side by side, countless people in India lack pure drinking water and suffer from severe food shortages. Many are dying of starvation yet this astronomical sum is being spent on this temple / memorial for goddess Laksmii. Those religions are bereft of a lofty ideology so they are wasting their money. But why should Ananda Margiis do like this.

Ananda Margiis should be beacon light and not follow dogma. So these Dadas should give up this habit of constructing memorials.

It is good that margiis have stopped giving money to Dadas for constructing these dogmatic memorials in AM. That is why such buildings remain unfinished. Now those same unfinished buildings should be used for philanthropic work like schools, medical clinics, food distribution centers etc. That will be the real dharmic use of such buildings.

In no way, shape, or form, does Baba want memorials being built. Rather His desire is that all our energy and resources should be used for the upliftment of humanity. We should all keep the above story in mind and move according to His direction.

Baba says, "We will not deviate an inch from our ideology, nor will we allow others to do so." (Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva's Teachings – 2 (continued) (Discourse 14))

Namaskar,
Vinay Deva


******************************************
Relations with Others

Baba says, "Bear in mind that you have a duty towards-- indeed, you owe a debt to-- every creature of this Universe, but towards you, no one has any duty; from others, nothing is due." (CC-II, 'Sadhana Section, pt #3)

Note: In the various dogmatic religions this idea is taught God has created this whole universe solely for the enjoyment of human beings. That is why religious followers kill animals and exploit downtrodden people up to the bone without any qualms.

Motivated by this dogmatic teaching, selfish people's mind works in that way. Such lowly people think that, 'Others have the duty to take care of my situation and their own situation as well. And they should not bother me about their own problems'. This is the way such selfish persons think.

And if due to some reason that same lowly person helps others then that selfish person thinks that in the near future they should full return plus interest for their so-called service. Thus there is no question of true duty and service; these ideals have no place in their mind.

Because of all this present day society's condition is unfavourable-- bleak. All around the west these things are quite common as well as in the big metropolitan cities of the east. The same problem is there also.

But Baba's teaching leads in a different direction. In His above mandate from Caryacarya, Baba is very beautifully guiding us that our duty is to serve everybody-- without any expectation of anything in return.