Ananda Nagar

New Delhi, India. May. The latest news regarding Baba’s court case is that there is no news.

The opposition’s strategy is to delay. They hope that, over time, Margis, Dadas and Didis will become frustrated, and gradually our mission will crumble.

They cannot understand that such difficulties only make us stronger.

Weather is super hot. Fantastic mango milk shakes. Drank four in one go.

The next day, on the train to Patna, I became sick as a dog with strong diarrhea and nausea that I never experienced before.

Patna. I’ve been so sick that I could neither stand up nor sleep. It’s blistering hot.

My head is totally spaced out. To top it off, nobody is allowed to meet Baba in the jail.

The fact that I cannot see Baba only adds to my depression and confusion.

Today during one of my half-unconscious periods Dada Svarupananda said:

“Pack your things and come with me. I will take you to the proper place.”

We boarded a train heading for Ananda Nagar.

Ananda Nagar, Purulia District

The journey lasted overnight. I fell asleep for the first time in four days.

This morning we arrived at a tiny station “Pundag” in the Indian countryside.

Only the 2 of us got off.

One station attendant met us; otherwise there wasn’t a soul in sight.

My body is still very weak and it took all the effort I could muster to begin walking over what seemed like an endless desert.

When we got down, Dada said, “Welcome to Ananda Nagar. This is the most spiritual land in the world. Though our global camp office is in Patna, Ananda Nagar is the permanent central office of Ananda Marga.”

There was just barren land, big and small rocks of all shapes strangely juxtaposed, and a few scattered, hardy trees.

After walking for some time, a long building appeared—crude, un-decorated, painted dirty white.

A couple of small boys were hitting a dilapidated rag ball back and forth, using tree branches as bats.

Dada said:

“This is the primary school. Most of the children are inside studying.”

We walked on until we came to a well. He pulled up a bucket.

“Drink this water. It will help you to get your health back.”

I doubted it, but drank. The water seemed to contain the same sparkling quality as the air, full of… what? life? I looked inside the well. A few frogs jumped here and there at the bottom.

Farther on, a similar building came into view. “This is the highschool,” he said.

Concrete steps led us to the second (and highest) floor. We entered a room furnished only with a primitive chair and a plain wooden table with some scattered papers on it.

“This is my room. You’ll stay here for a few days.”

Clearing the table, he covered it with a bed sheet. I lay down in the heat and fell asleep.

For the last two days I’ve rested, randomly walked short distances, ate rice and boiled vegetables, and drank plenty of well-water. I guess the frogs didn’t contribute anything harmful to the water because my health returned today.

This afternoon Dada Svarupananda and another Dada took me to a slightly distant spot within Ananda Nagar. We sat down under an old tree with a thick, weathered trunk.

We sang kiirtan for a short time and then started meditation.

Perhaps 2 hours passed in nearly unbroken concentration. Not a single stray thought appeared to bother me. At last one thought bubbled up: “Ah … so that’s what concentration is!”

It was by far the deepest meditation I’ve ever experienced.

The few moments of wandering thoughts contained some of my doubts about Ananda Marga and becoming a monk: the risk inherent in commitment, the condemnation by those who don’t understand, uncertainty about whether or not Ananda Marga is really a selfless, purely spiritual mission.

But in the light of a suddenly opened mind these concerns appeared trivial. Like tiny wisps of clouds that disappear in the brilliant sun and blue sky, my doubts vanished.

When I finished meditation, I told the two Dadas about my experience.

They smiled warmly and said, “The area around this tree is a Tantra Piitha. Several highly developed Tantrics achieved liberation while doing meditation here. A strong vibration remains, which affects any person who meditates on this spot. There are 78 such Tantra Piithas in Ananda Nagar.”

Tan means crudeness. Tra means liberation. So Tantra means the practical science by which one gradually becomes free from crude consciousness. There is a short article introducing Tantra in the appendices.

As I write now in the late night by lamplight, I feel changed. A few small doubts still linger, but I have hope that even without seeing Baba I may be able to reach the clear understanding I seek.