I don't understand this public anger and lampooning of a new baba on the scene these days:
Nirmal Baba!!
As if he is the first of its kind!!
I am remained of the 'मछली Baba' in 'Joy Baba Felunath*' from my childhood days!! He of course didn't recommend mouth-watering yummy samosas or gulabjamuns... only uneatable 'মন্ত্র-পুত-শর্ক' i.e মাছের আঁশ (fish scales)!!
Maybe the uproar is caused because of his faith in samosa/ rasugollla's curative and remedial values and not in 'चरनाम्रिता'** or in tying black thread or relying on a red handkerchief.
Now everyone in India has joined in to jeer poor Nirmal Baba!! And all are busy putting one-another down with their 'scientific-rational-clear-headedness'!! It is of course a stance taken to cover 'their shame and self consciousness' about their faith or let say their 'blind faith' as is now popularly termed!! On Facebook I have noticed if there is any discussion on any of India's innumerable Gurus/Pundits/Babas... the comments would always start with a very cliched clarification viz. "I am not a supporter of Baba Ramdev... I am not a follower of Murai Bapu, I don't believe in Sai Baba, Asaram Bapu xzy". Most Indians want to pretend that they are not what the West think they are... a country full of superstitions, beliefs and a billion gods etc. We are very defensive about this and thus are busy condemning our own faiths and beliefs and our Gurus and Babas. They don’t realise they maybe condemning one Baba... but there are a million Babas and a billion habits and beliefs we follow, every day of our lives in India for a long-long time now!! And there is nothing wrong with that... if we are not preaching hate and are not a closed society. During the long Imperialism, the West constantly derided us about our faith and beliefs, thus inculcated a shame in us about our faith and beliefs. We hide our sacred thread with shame or our amulets around our arms or our red threads on the wrist... or a mala/talismans around our necks.. But you travel around the world and you will see people wear a cross around their neck (or any symbol of faith) with pride!! They are not apologetic. The entire world civilization is based on this... I don’t think if one has a few superstitions.. it doesn’t hurt anyone and in fact it gives us power and a positive frame of mind which no logical, rational ideas can give. All around the world superstitions and blind faiths etc. is practised and will continue to. No one is a fraud and nothing is superstitious or wrong or criminal etc... all is a matter of Faith!! All organised religions of the world are a set of faiths... There is also a notion our faiths like these, will keep us backward etc. But see the Japanese, the Jews in Israel or the West... they too have faiths, superstitions and rituals without logic and doing very well. Faith never hurts anyone... nor does it stops us from progressing. There is another logic very prevalent in India that superstitions and blind faith makes us weak and cowards!! They don’t.. on the contrary, it gives courage to face any adversity.. There is the example of Mohinder Amarnath, one of most gutsy cricket players the Cricket playing nations have ever seen. In the 70s and 80s non could face the fast bowling of the legendary West Indian pace bowlers... Amarnath was one of the few who could take it like a man... He used a red handkerchief to peek out of his pocket!!
Rituals, small gestures are part of human nature. I remember during the 'IFA Shield' football matches in Calcutta in the 70s. The Bengali/Indian footballers who would smartly lineup before entering the football field and then each of them would bend and touch the ground with their hand and back to their forehead or heart: प्रणाम!!
My father, an atheist would deride these acts of rituals etc. He was of course very proud of the visiting Soviet players (those days most clubs came from the Eastern Bloc) who would just haphazardly enter the arena!!!
I just witnessed the Euro Cup 2012 in Poland... all European footballers reverently did this ritual of pranaam!!
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| A sadhu I met who recounted his journeys across India. Bare feet, chimta and a kamandal. Nabadwip, Krishnagar, India Jan 2011. |
For some of us, Gurus, Baba, Temple etc. are like our Saviour (god-like) and for a non-believer a charlatan... at the end of the day all that matters is who and what gives your mind some peace, some consolation... it can be a गोलगप्पा (golgappa) or रसगुल्ला (rasugollla)* recommended by Nirmal Baba or tying a red thread around your wrist or on Darga grilled walls.. (the Sarkozyes were in India and they did the same... now they have a child!! I wonder how many will find that funny and deride that!!) Any form of ritual one believes in... if these give your mind some peace and brings back your confidence and you are able to get-up from your broken-down mental/physical state of being... why not? So I feel one must not make fun of any gurus... for some they are of great importance and help... Exactly like Allopathic doctors (psychiatrist) of modern age... they listen to your problem..and give you verbal consolation.. maybe some drugs/tablets/antidepressants.. if you have faith it may work... many a times it does not...as we can see from the result of so many in the West.. rich and successful yet not happy.. unable to even get a good night's sleep... Michael Jackson died.. in the process!! Most are unable to get rid off their many problems (psychological etc.) though they have the best of the medical science behind them!! We in India have long, strong tradition of following our gurus.. in all our past we had many Gurus... and after centuries these Gurus turn into Gods for us... and many in their own time were crucified and killed or humiliated....
Most Gurus direct their followers to be free from sinful activities and encourage them to engage in devotional services. I have no problems with any such gurus, babas and sadhus... unless they are teaching hate... which they don't. I heard/viewed (as I was curios about Niraml Baba, a few episodes..) in all he was seen giving away very simple solutions and some were very nice suggestions like distribute samosa/ rasugollla to the poor etc!! There was no hate or preaching of discrimination etc. His followers are convinced his advice works.. so why are others so eager to prove it doesn't work? At least he is not asking his ardent followers to slaughter/sacrifice/क़ुरबानी (kurbani) of large animals like cows or camels!!!
Science is yet to comprehend our hearts and minds... till that time humans will continue to have this form of faith.. condemning or ridiculing is a foolish approach as all of us have such faiths.. it is only a matter of degree...
If one is expected to become very rational and scientific about every little beliefs, faiths, superstitions etc. it will not happen..it as old as human civilisation...
"A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it. "
— Rabindranath Tagore
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PS:
I recently came to know from some of the reactions from this easy... that while it is ok about faith etc. but what is unpardonable is "gurus should not take money etc in exchange of their 'advice', guidance, sermons, services etc"!!?
I recently came to know from some of the reactions from this easy... that while it is ok about faith etc. but what is unpardonable is "gurus should not take money etc in exchange of their 'advice', guidance, sermons, services etc"!!?
Concept of 'Gurudakshisna' is as old as human civilization. This is just naivety or blinkered vision/notion or just hypocrisy that these supermen/women are above the ordinary so they should not ask or take money!! Every form of organised/disorganised religion take money or in kind from its followers, every guru/god-man, darga, temple, church, gurdwara take money/donation from its followers... every healer, voodoo man, fakir, guru, sadhu, agony aunt/uncle et al receive money in exchange of their expertise, advise!!!
Most are very critical if they see gurus, sadhus, Babas amass wealth!! In the 80s all and sundry were critical of Osho, Sai Baba because of their money... and were prosecuted.. later Shankarachaya was humiliated and now Baba Ramdev and so on..
Looks like we want our gurus to be poor... even Buddha amassed a lot by begging/donation etc. and build his temples etc all over... this is how it works... Don't be naive..and say "we don't want them to get rich!!"
It doesn't happened that way, every guru amasses wealth.. from the rich and are suppose to use for the betterment of the society/poor etc.
Money has nothing do with this... no ashram/faith/religion exits without money!!
I have visited churches on Sunday... midway during the hour-long 'Puja' and sermon one of the fathers/brothers would go around the seated followers with a basket, wherein you may drop your offerings... same happens in all places of worship. Padres from the Church visit your homes before Christmas and Easter..and are paid for the few kind words and for their darshan etc.
The question is how this transaction is done!! In a civilized or ruthless manner... in a mater of fact or in hypocritical, round about way...
Here are some anecdote from my life...
Once when I took an aunt of mine from US to the Darga at Ajmer... she was going through a very bad phase... we were almost hijacked from the Ajmer railway stations by the "darga' agents and while my aunt wanted to pray and talk to some holy men, hear some soothing words at the Darga, relate her misfortune... But non were interested everyone of the holy men at the Darga would trust into her open hands some kind of old notebook... wherein you fill in your details and donate money... this continued in every noon and corner of the darga... everyone just flinched her off her dollars!! I also notice the plight of 'tourists'... especially from villages who had just came inside to have 'look-in'... the ever-energetic darga volunteers were rudely, aggressively, abusively order them to put in money in drop boxes... and when the naive villagers replied they have just come to 'see'.... they were almost pushed out saying "this not a place to 'see'... either you donate or just get out" etc!!
The question is how this transaction is done!! In a civilized or ruthless manner... in a mater of fact or in hypocritical, round about way...
Here are some anecdote from my life...
Once when I took an aunt of mine from US to the Darga at Ajmer... she was going through a very bad phase... we were almost hijacked from the Ajmer railway stations by the "darga' agents and while my aunt wanted to pray and talk to some holy men, hear some soothing words at the Darga, relate her misfortune... But non were interested everyone of the holy men at the Darga would trust into her open hands some kind of old notebook... wherein you fill in your details and donate money... this continued in every noon and corner of the darga... everyone just flinched her off her dollars!! I also notice the plight of 'tourists'... especially from villages who had just came inside to have 'look-in'... the ever-energetic darga volunteers were rudely, aggressively, abusively order them to put in money in drop boxes... and when the naive villagers replied they have just come to 'see'.... they were almost pushed out saying "this not a place to 'see'... either you donate or just get out" etc!!
Is this a religious/spiritual experience? which so many crave to have?! I don't understand why we still go to such places..
Next after this disturbing experience we decided to go to the Pushkar lake.. for a 'peaceful' interaction with the almighty... The moment we came out of our taxi, the 'pandas' came in like bees!! Here I intervened and politely told them we didn't need their assistance etc. The 'god's salesmen' became pushy and said we cant do puja without them etc. I replied "We have direct connection with god"!! And need no middlemen!!" They left us abusing... we sat in front of the enchanted lake with a very bad taste in our mouths!! My poor aunt was still optimistic somewhere someone will heal her wounds.. Next we headed for Brahma Temple... one of the only two temples in whole of India!!
Next after this disturbing experience we decided to go to the Pushkar lake.. for a 'peaceful' interaction with the almighty... The moment we came out of our taxi, the 'pandas' came in like bees!! Here I intervened and politely told them we didn't need their assistance etc. The 'god's salesmen' became pushy and said we cant do puja without them etc. I replied "We have direct connection with god"!! And need no middlemen!!" They left us abusing... we sat in front of the enchanted lake with a very bad taste in our mouths!! My poor aunt was still optimistic somewhere someone will heal her wounds.. Next we headed for Brahma Temple... one of the only two temples in whole of India!!
I approached Brahma Temple with trepidation... at the beginning of the long flight of steps we noticed a drop box (for donation) and flowers and prasad hawkers pleading us to buy offering for the God... But this was much smoother and less aggressively done than the 'chaadar-rose-petal-sellers, shoe-keeping hawkers at the darga, who were ready to kill.. if you went with (your shoes in your bag) or without the 'chadar-rose-petals!!
We bought some flowers, badasha and a coconut... and entered the temple... my aunt prayed without being pushed around for donation... we offered the flowers, coconut and badasha to the pundit...who showed no concern for any donation or asked us for any money.. he took our offerings and offered it to the deity, muttered some Sanskrit shlokas and brought back the offering to us... we walked out with our flowers, badashas and coconut intact!! This was 'our' prasad!!
Not all holy places are so aggressive in their collection methods.... many just use the hidden persuasions methods!!!
**The Christians every Sunday would go and line up in church and take communion or 'eat bread' (the belief is it's not bread and wine, it's Christ's flesh and blood) and we go to temples and drink "चरनामित्र"... if we sit down and analyse this: one is just bread..made from wheat/आटा..one is H2O with some sugar etc. but faith make us believe it will do us good.. why not make fun of that?!!
