Living With Baba is the story of a monk and the description of his life with Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti. Reading one story after another, we can begin to understand what the real meaning of spiritual life is. We can understand through practical real-life examples and stories how we are to live in this world. Through his own personal experiences, he is teaching us what spiritual philosophy is, what real morality is, and what real surrender to God is. His every single episode with the Lord of Love resulted in new realizations. It is the story of a person’s complete surrender at the feet of his Lord. en Copyright Living with Baba Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 Living with Baba ananda ananda marga dada dharma grace guru krsna liberation love margii meditation mind parama purusa progress sadhakas sadhana samskaras spiritual surrender taraka brahma www.edicola.org 480 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/ http://www.edicola.org/img/lwb.logo.jpg http://www.livingwithbaba.net/ http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0499.htm As this book is dedicated to all sadhakas and devotees, it is only fitting that it ends with His words. His words, His actions, His whole life have been a perennial source of inspiration for me in my spiritual journey. I have been extremely fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to be so close to Him, both physically and mentally, and to take shelter in Him. Though He is no longer with Living with Baba baba grace inspiration liberation meditation mind progress sadhakas salvation supreme consciousness surrender struggle http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0499.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0498.htm Baba has explained clearly the real meaning and glory of the name of "Shiva" and "Krsna". Sadhakas should understand why Baba is called Anandamurti and what the real form of Anandamurti is. However, neither do I have the intellectual nor the spiritual capacity to explain to you His real form as Anandamurti. All I can say is that He is the embodiment of love and devotion. Living with Baba krsna love sadhakas spiritual spiritual capacity baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0498.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0497.htm Sureshji, a lawyer from Aurangabad District in Bihar, is a great devotee of Baba. During the Emergency period, when Baba was imprisoned under false charges, he had the occasion of visiting Baba frequently in prison to discuss legal matters. Sureshji then looked after the legal affairs of Ananda Marga. At that time, no one was allowed to see Baba except for His lawyer. Ananda Marga was banned at Living with Baba ananda ananda marga divine guru parama purusa sadhakas surrender baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0497.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0496.htm Sadhana, which is our intense, conscious effort to unite with the Supreme Consciousness, is not easy to sustain. There are many obstacles strewn along the thorny path - some big, others bigger. Many try to do sadhana, few can sustain it, and even fewer succeed at it. While sadhana is both an individual and collective effort, the grace of the Guru is paramount in succeeding at sadhana. His grace is Living with Baba dada grace guru love sadhana http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0496.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0495.htm Baba's drama is always unimaginable, and often funny. He is unpredictable: one moment in a formidable mood scolding and punishing everybody, the next moment smiling sweetly, as if nothing had happened. There were also times when He wore a sullen mood, refusing to talk to anybody, much like a child, and the next moment He would be happily talking with everybody, without a trace of His earlier Living with Baba baba s baba s room dada scolding http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0495.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0494.htm Close physical proximity to the Guru is not easy, but absolutely necessary. He is very demanding. The standards He sets are impossible to attain. He knows our limitations and strengths. He knows how far each individual can be stretched. He knows the limits of our endurance, the breaking point. He takes us to that limit and forces us to cross the border of our limitations. Each time we go over the Living with Baba ananda guru humanity love mind service ananda marga http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0494.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0493.htm "The firmness of a person's resolve makes him or her great. However lowly a person may be, he or she can become great by his or her determination. If you have a firm resolve to realize your goal, you shall become great. Without a firm resolution, you cannot achieve anything great." Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji Living with Baba anandamurtiji become great firm resolution resolution firm resolve http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0493.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0492.htm The Guru does not need His physical body to help sadhakas or to get a job done. He even does not have to be alive for that matter. He can assist spiritual aspirants with or without a body, with or without His presence. For the Guru, life and death are the same because He transcends both mortal conditions. Dada Guna'tiita'nandaji worked in our hospital at Ananda Nagar. One day, he met with an Living with Baba ananda grace guru margii sadhakas spiritual spiritual aspirants baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0492.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0491.htm Baba is a doctor - a spiritual doctor. He often prescribes medicine which is bitter, through different forms of reproach or punishment, to heal us of our vanity, lethargy, laziness and indiscipline. But His harsh prescription is tinged with divine love and affection. Once, Baba punished me very severely. I felt really bad after the punishment. I thought to myself that He was always punishing me. Living with Baba divine prabhat samgiit spiritual love http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0491.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0490.htm Baba once clarified to me the inner meaning of sadhana and spiritual life. He said that there is no difference between Ista, Adarsha and Mission. The path of spirituality is very difficult, but it is also very, very simple if one has strong faith, belief, love and surrender to Him and His Mission. These qualities are unilateral, not bilateral. If one wants to realize Him, he has to undergo many Living with Baba love sadhana spiritual surrender baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0490.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0489.htm Baba is really a master of moods. Like a kaleidoscope, He has a variety of moods, each used with precision in different circumstances to affect a particular result, to teach a particular lesson. From the harshest to the softest mood, He plays each one with the dexterity of a maestro, who strikes a certain chord to produce a particular note. The overall effect is music, played with divine love for Living with Baba ananda ananda marga dada disciple divine guru liberation sadhana spiritual spiritual aspirants surrender love http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0489.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0488.htm Baba once told me, "As a monk you should not think of what you like. Rather, think what He likes from you. Your duty is to satisfy Him only." Living with Baba baba satisfy him think monk http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0488.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0487.htm Some years back, a group of us were traveling from New Delhi to Calcutta by train. It was an ordinary coach compartment. There were about three dadas and four didis. We were sitting face to face on long benches. Some other passengers were also traveling in the same compartment. When the train stopped at Allahabad, one of the didis alighted from the train to get some drinking water. She returned Living with Baba didi food india guru http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0487.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0486.htm Baba has prescribed a variety of treatments for various illnesses, including herbal medicines, special diets, other natural methods, and special yogic postures called asanas. He usually relies on the physical and natural approaches in treating diseases. In many cases, however, He has utilized more subtle means to cure the health problems of His disciples and devotees. Such means are used Living with Baba ananda ananda marga dada grace meditation progress spiritual spiritual progress asanas http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0486.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0485.htm In the 1980's there was a particular dada who was the editor of our daily newspaper called 'Natun Prithivi', which was published in Calcutta. In accordance with the prescribed system, the daily edition of the newspaper should reach His residence before breakfast. Dada was just the editor of the paper, and thus, it was not his responsibility to get the funds to publish it. It was his Living with Baba dharma parama purusa yoga dada http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0485.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0484.htm There was a time when Baba remained at Ranchi for several months. During that period there was a very strong flow of Prabhat Samgiit. Baba used to walk daily, sometimes just in front of His residence. The Margiis sang Prabhat Samgiit, while standing on both sides of the path where He walked. Sometimes, the Margii sisters presented a dance interpretation of Prabhat Samgiit. Many Margii families Living with Baba divine grace guru mantra margii margiis sadhakas baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0484.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0483.htm Headaches are an inevitable fact of life. One gets a headache due to many reasons, both physical and psychological. Few are aware that there are spiritual causes of headaches. This incident occurred when Baba was at Ranchi. One day during a reporting session, Baba enquired about a particular dada. The other dadas informed Baba that dada was ill and had a headache. Nevertheless, Baba insisted on Living with Baba dada guru margii spiritual initiation http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0483.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0482.htm Pranayama literally means controlling the prana, which is the vital energy within the cosmos. The actual purpose of this spiritual practice is to control the mind by controlling the vital airs in the body. A controlled, one-pointed mind is then eligible for higher practices to attain God-realization. Once, Baba went for His daily field walk. A Margii from Tatanagar was also in the group that Living with Baba grace mind parama purusa spiritual spiritual practice margii http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0482.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0481.htm Devotion cannot be obtained through lectures, discourses or philosophy. Devotion is truly a gift of Parama Purusa. It is, however, possible to understand and experience devotion through Baba's works - His books, words and songs. I encourage sadhakas to read Baba's original discourses. They should eat the original mango. One should not be satisfied with a pale shadow of a mango. People should read Living with Baba mantra parama purusa progress spiritual spiritual progress sadhakas http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0481.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0480.htm Many people claim to be spiritual aspirants and devotees. But who are the real devotees and spiritual aspirants? Baba completed two important books entitled Namah Shivaya Shantaya and Namami Krsna Sundaram at our rented office in Jodhpur Park. The first book revealed the unique contributions of Lord Shiva to humanity. It also revealed the multiple roles that Shiva played during His lifetime - Living with Baba dharma divine humanity love sadhana service spiritual spiritual aspirants yoga baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0480.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0479.htm There was a devotee from Colombia, South America, who traveled for the first time to India to visit Baba. She was a Spanish-speaking sister. The native language of Columbia is Spanish. She traveled alone and carried with her the address of the Ananda Marga jagrti in New Delhi. She reached Delhi airport very early in the morning. After the immigration and customs clearance, she went outside the Living with Baba ananda baba dada grace margii margiis prabhat samgiit ananda marga http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0479.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0478.htm The Guru helps spiritual aspirants in mysterious ways. He pushes you to the edge of the cliff and then extends His loving hands to save you. His help mysteriously comes when you are totally helpless, when you have given up all hope, and when you have surrendered completely to Him. Baba, has demonstrated this reality countless times, both in ordinary and extraordinary situations. There was a dada Living with Baba divine grace guru love spiritual spiritual aspirants dada http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0478.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0477.htm In the Mahabharata war, all the sons of Gandharii were killed. In the battlefield, she saw her daughters-in-law weeping for their deceased husbands who had been killed in the battle. The sorrow was overwhelming and she too began to cry. Just at that moment, Lord Krsna arrived at the scene of the battle and tried to console Gandharii. But she could not be consoled. She charged Krsna that if He were Living with Baba guru mind taraka brahma baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0477.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0476.htm In Ranchi, a family acarya named Harishankarji once told Baba, "Baba, I met one man, and he is very good; he is a strong moralist. But he is not interested in sadhana. That man said to me, I always speak the truth, I never tell a lie, I never harm anybody, I never steal anything from anybody, I never lose my character, and never take any bribe. Therefore, I feel I am a strong, spiritual man. I Living with Baba acarya grace parama purusa spiritual sadhana http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0476.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0475.htm Baba is a master dramatist. He uses the elements of drama to maximum effect. He dramatizes otherwise common incidences to drive home certain lessons - lessons the sadhaka is unlikely to forget in his lifetime. Once, at the Daltonganj Dharma Maha Cakra, Baba entered His room and enquired from the PA Dada whether the jagrti had been constructed and readied for the function. Dada replied that it was Living with Baba acarya cakra dada dharma guru margiis http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0475.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0474.htm The yogi's path is the middle path - remaining in the world, yet transcending it. In the past, yogis had sought the seclusion of the mountains, caves and forests to seek liberation. They did not care about the suffering humanity, the millions of people who needed help at all levels - physical, mental and spiritual. Baba had rejected this narrow self-centered approach to self-realization, labeling Living with Baba baba humanity liberation sacrifice sadhakas service spiritual spiritual aspirants mind http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0474.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0473.htm Baba's mission on this earth is to uplift humanity's spiritual status en masse to the next stage of evolution. He did not come here just to liberate a few privileged individuals. He wants to accelerate the earth's evolutionary process, so that the future humanity would be able to operate on a higher plane, bringing it a step closer to a neo-humanistic civilization - an advanced civilization that Living with Baba ananda dada love margiis mind progress spiritual taraka brahma baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0473.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0472.htm During His lifetime, Baba composed 5018 sublime and very beautiful devotional songs called Prabhat Samgiit. He composed those songs from 1982 to 1990, until His very last breath. Most of the songs concerned spiritual themes. There were many songs, however, that touched on various other themes - festivals, social issues, and so on. All the songs were remarkable, whether in the spiritual genre or Living with Baba prabhat sing spiritual prabhat samgiit http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0472.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0471.htm It was during the eighties, Baba was in His Jodhpur Park, Calcutta office. One day, He said to me, "I need one thousand varieties of rose plants for My garden." He then gave me detailed directions to the nursery where I could buy the plants. Baba continued, "We already have more than 170 varieties of roses in our garden. You can get a list of what we already have from Didi Karuna. You should bring Living with Baba dada krsna margii mind sadhana meditation http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0471.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0470.htm The cause of suffering may or may not be in the present life. It may have its roots in our previous lives. Usually, the cause of suffering is not immediate or external. Rather, the cause is subtle, located in our past lives. There is really nothing human beings can do about it. If any sadhaka is suffering, he or she should go through the suffering in a detached manner. Living with Baba cause of suffering detached sadhaka cause http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0470.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0469.htm Sunil Chakravarty was an eighteen-year-old boy who lived in the town of Lumding in the eastern part of India. He was a very good boy who was initiated into spiritual practice at a very early age. Both his parents had died. His mother died only recently. The only member of his immediate family left was his elder brother, who took care of all his needs. His brother was married and held a responsible Living with Baba acarya ananda ananda marga cakra grace guru humanity love meditation mind sadhana service spiritual spiritual aspirants spiritual practice spirituality dada http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0469.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0468.htm Every human being has to cross the turbulent sea of samskara to reach the Supreme Consciousness, the ultimate purpose of human life. When a person's individual samskaras are expressed, it may be pleasant or painful, depending on the nature of his past actions. Good actions reap pleasant reactions, bad actions unpleasant ones. Human beings really have no control over the operational process of Living with Baba ananda grace guru liberation margii margiis mind progress samskaras spiritual spiritual aspirants baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0468.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0467.htm When any new acarya had finished his or her training as a renunciate, Baba used to explain to them their duties, jurisdiction, and how to work in the field, before posting them to their respective areas. In addition, Baba used to appoint a senior monk or nun in the Central Office, who would give the posting orders to these new acaryas. I once posted a new dada in the Calcutta region. When I Living with Baba acarya ananda ananda marga divine grace love mind dada http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0467.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0466.htm Once, I was massaging Baba at His Lake Gardens residence. I felt some scars on His body, one on His thigh and the other on His abdomen. I had never seen them before and wondered what caused them. As my fingers paused over those scars, He explained the reasons behind them. Baba was then less than eight years old. Some astrologers had predicted Baba's birth and future role, saying that He had come Living with Baba baba s cheating death dharma humanity http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0466.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0465.htm Baba used different methods to explain the various aspects of spirituality - sometimes by His own actions, sometimes through the gift of direct spiritual experience, and sometimes through instructive stories. Once, Baba told me a story from the Mahabharata. In the course of the Mahabharata war, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna (the third of the five Pandava brothers) fought a hard battle one Living with Baba cakra parama purusa spiritual spiritual aspirants spirituality baba http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0465.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0464.htm To accelerate the speed of progress in spiritual practice, Baba had introduced a systematic approach to every facet of life - physical, mental, and spiritual. As an example to sadhakas, He Himself followed the system He had laid down. He expected every sadhaka to do likewise. Once, I was in Ranchi with Baba. A new cassette containing Prabhat Samgiit was sent from the central office for Baba's Living with Baba dada kiirtan margii margiis progress sadhakas spiritual spiritual practice prabhat samgiit http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0464.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0463.htm Baba had always stressed the need to adopt a psychological approach in conveying unpleasant news to others. If possible, direct approaches should be avoided, in order not to unnecessarily shock the receipient of the news. This story happened in 1979 during Baba's Israel tour. One day, after dinner, we received news from Calcutta that the General Secretary of Ananda Marga wanted Baba's suggestion Living with Baba acarya ananda mind sadhakas spiritual ananda marga http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0463.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0462.htm Time and again, Baba had emphasized the importance of applying psychology in our daily activities and dealings with other people. The understanding and application of psychology in our lives greatly enhances the quality of the results of our actions and solves many difficult problems easily. A new didi was posted in Shivapuri, Madhya Pradesh in 1983. She is the daughter of a ghrii acarya, who was Living with Baba acarya ananda ananda marga humanity love mind sacrifice sadhana service spirituality spiritual http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0462.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0461.htm There was an old man who came to the Calcutta Ananda Marga ashram one day in the year 1989. He informed the guard at the ashram's gate that he was a childhood friend of Baba and wanted to meet Him. The man provided the guard with his name and address. Baba was immediately informed and He instructed, "Please bring this man to Me with proper respect. I will talk to him." The man was quickly ushered Living with Baba ananda ananda marga man ashram http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0461.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0460.htm The role of the Guru is not only spiritual. A real Guru has to ensure that His disciples' physical, mundane, mental, emotional and spiritual needs are adequately met, with circumstances created by Him so that the disciples could themselves resolve problems that hinder their spiritual progress. The Guru ordinarily allows the disciple to solve his own problems by providing the necessary advice and Living with Baba asanas dada disciple guru margii progress sadhana samskaras spiritual progress spiritual http://www.livingwithbaba.net/articolo/art0460.htm Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400