A Global Weatherman

Calcutta. Dada Pranavatmakananda told me that on 2nd June, during a workers’ meeting, Baba mentioned, “The panorama of the world is going to undergo a very fast change. You all should be ready….”

Yesterday in Vishnupur, Pranavatmakanandaji said to Baba, “Three days ago You said the world’s panorama is going to undergo a big change. Baba, in that time so much happened. On 3rd June, Ayatollah Khomeini, the revolutionary mullah of Iran died. On 4th June, Communism was voted out of power in Poland—the first country to reject it.

Also on 4th June, when the military attacked the peaceful protesters in Tiananmien Square, Communism stood exposed in China as a system that can only be maintained by brute force. It seems that Your prediction of communism’s downfall is beginning to be fulfilled.”

“You wait and see,” Baba said. “The world will be dumbstruck to witness the pace of change. Before you reach your sector, there will be much more change in the world.” 98

Real dreams

Dada Pranavatmakananda toled me a story he heard from two other Dadas: Nityasatyanandaji and Haratmanandaji. They were both sleeping in the same room in Sao Paolo, Brazil, when Nityasatyanandaji had a dream:

He was on a field walk with Baba. At one point, their way became obstructed by mud. Dada thought, “If Baba walks through this mud, His legs will become dirty.” So he lifted Baba, carried Him across, and then put Him down. Then he woke up.

He noticed that their room was full of a sweet lotus scent. He was so excited that he shook Dada Haratmananda to wake him up and asked

98 Pranavatmakanandaji reached his sector a few months later. During that time, Communism collapsed in the whole of E astern Europe.

him, “Do you smell anything in this room?” Dada replied, “Yes … it’s like a lotus flower … very sweet.” After this, both Dadas forgot about the incident.

Nine months later, Nityasatyanandaji was in Calcutta. It was his daily routine to wait for Baba in the garden. When Baba would come out of the house, Dada would sing the latest Prabhat Sangiit song. One day Baba turned toward him and said, “If you had not lifted me that day, my legs would have become dirty.” He smiled and walked away. Nityasatyanandaji was surprised. He went on singing but could not un¬ derstand what Baba meant. He remembered nothing.

Two days later when Dada was returning to South America, he sud¬ denly recalled that night and understood Baba’s words. He wept with love for Baba.

At another time, Haratmanandaji was alone with Baba, massaging Him. Somebody had told him that Baba’s navel area produced a special scent. When Baba was sleeping, Haratmanandaji lifted Baba’s un¬ dershirt out of curiosity. Baba woke up and said, “Nonsense fellow! What are you doing?”

Again He slept. More careful this time, Haratmanandaji lifted the undershirt. Baba woke up while Dada was sniffing. But this time He smiled and asked, “What do you smell?”

“It’s sweet, Baba.”

“Is it like a lotus?”

“Yes.”

“Have you seen pictures of the mythological Vishnu which show a lotus sprouting from his navel, and on top of the lotus flower Brahma is sitting, creating the whole universe?”

“Yes, Baba.”

“It is symbolic. Parama Purusha (the Supreme Consciousness) cre¬ ates all, and His nucleus, His creative faculty is the navel. As His navel produces a lotus smell, mythology shows it so. Do you remember this scent?”

“What do you mean, Baba?”

“Do you remember when you were sleeping in the same room as Nityasatyanandaji, and he woke you up? It was exactly that smell.” It is clear that for Baba, our dreams of Him are also part of reality.

Lost in their own lies

[Author’s note as a background to today’s entry: In 1982 the Tripura state government, at that time communist, tried to crush Ananda Marga. Some of their leading politicians openly stated they would “oust the socio-political organization Ananda Marga.” Soon after, one of our primary schools was bombed. A court case was filed and the judge’s decision went against us so we appealed in the High Court. At that time, the communists held 54 seats in the State Assembly out of 60. Most of the public used to treat Chief Minister Chakravorty like a god. How could we expect to win? But Baba said at that moment, “When the sinner reaches the climax point, downfall is certain.” We sent 500,000 leaflets and 200,000 posters to this small state of less than two million inhabitants. Finally in the High Court, the District Magistrate apolo¬ gized for obstructing our school. The High Court instructed the police and the government agents to leave our school undisturbed. Not long after, the communist government was defeated by the Congress Party.

The West Bengal government’s (also communist) reaction to our work in Ananda Nagar was similar. In 1987, Baba told us, “The wind is blowing in your favor.” He also said, “Complete every work immediately, as time is short.” Highest priority went to developing Ananda Nagar. In short time, the near-desert scene dramatically changed. It must have terrified the federal and state governments to see Ananda Marga creating a beautiful community in one of the poorest areas of India. If we succeeded, it would prove the government’s inefficiency and insincerity. The local communist party leader announced to the press, “Just as we drove out the Lutheran Universalist Mission, we will also drive out Ananda Marga.”]

In Ananda Nagar this year there have been almost daily attacks on our staff, destruction of our agricultural work or harm to our buildings. Ananda Nagar is about 1200 acres, and these attacks have mostly occurred on the outskirts. Four months ago, at midnight, the police destroyed one of our buildings, declaring it the property of the Forestry Department. The police claimed they seized weapons from Ananda Marga. We denied it. They often make such claims. We are compelled to repeatedly file court charges, and eventually always win. It seems a never-ending process. By now, the general people doubt any negative news published about us. In this case, our statement in the court was, “Why didn’t the police destroy the building in the daytime, if it were really the government’s building?” We won the case.

The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu, became furious-he openly hates Ananda Marga. The step he decided on was excessive. Yesterday he approved an attack hoping to drive out Ananda Marga. The District Magistrate sent a message to Jyoti Basu, “If we raid Ananda Nagar, we can expect a fight just like the Sikhs waged at the Golden Temple.” They sent 1500 police and 153 vehicles to Ananda Nagar. They even brought ambulances to take care of the wounded. Apparently there was so much propaganda against us for so long, that the opposition believed their own lies about us. They thought we had a huge number of machine guns and explosives. But what did this overwhelming military force find? Nothing. Nevertheless, in a press conference just after the raid, the police claimed they discovered numerous weapons.

Today our Public Relations secretary filed a court case against the West Bengal government and police. In the history of West Bengal, no case was ever filed against top police officers. The PR secretary also held a press conference, and showed the police seizure lists which proved that they found nothing. The media representatives were astonished; they had published the false news only yesterday. Today they printed the true story.

During the last few days of reporting, Baba did not sit with the rep¬ resentatives. Each time He comes back from field walk, everyone greets Him as He steps out of the car, then those who have reporting duty run into the main room to be ready in case He wants to take their report. Though we’ve regularly followed this procedure, our sense of despon¬ dency deepens as the days pass and He seems to ignore us.

This morning there was a feeling of resignation among many workers. “Surely again He will not sit with us.” Our crisp readiness was so absent that this time the main room was full of Margis and workers who were not supposed to be there, and no one had made any effort to shoo them out.

Together with everyone else, I greeted Baba at His car. As He slowly walked away, moving toward the side entrance, one brother approached me. “Dada, I’ve completed the paper-work that you wanted me to do. Here it is.” I was torn between going through the documents and going to the room, just in case this time Baba wanted our report. But if I didn’t take the papers it might make trouble for this brother. I took the material and quickly checked it. In this way, perhaps a minute passed.

Then I rushed toward the room. A mad scene was taking place at the door! Margis and other workers were scrambling to squeeze out, everyone trying to get out at the same time. Though I could hear Baba shouting inside, there was no way I could enter at that moment. A gap appeared, and I jumped forward, pushing violently against the others, and forgetting all politeness. Just as I reached the door those inside began closing it. I thrust in my arm, and then a leg, and with a burst of strength, pressed it open, and squeezed into the room.

The very instant I entered Baba looked at me, burning me with His inner fire. As the last to enter, I was the most irresponsible element in this entire brew of feckless workers. But instead of hiding behind the others, I stepped toward the front. I love His attention, no matter what sort.

“Nonsense! Stupid! Scoundrel!” He shouted at me. “Breeding chaos! Like animals! Idiot! Rascal!” I bathed in His force. “How can you waste my time? Don’t you know that I am working twenty four hours a day?” His words stabbed at me with a power and a volume I had never before experienced. Surely even the neighbors could clearly hear His voice through the now closed door. The other workers turned their faces to¬ ward me, wondering how I would take this scorching chastisement. I suppose they thought me arrogant, because instead of bowing my head in abasement, I looked straight at Baba. He was dead right, I was some¬ times wasting my time and His time, but in that moment I did not care because Baba was directing a colossal force at me, and I did not want to miss a drop of it.

He stood up from the sofa. A sinking sense of disappointment surged through the workers as they understood that this opportunity for a long- awaited meeting with Baba was spoiled. As He left the room everyone became gloomy and turned their eyes toward the floor. Every one, that is, except me. I was elated with the shakti, the spiritual power He had injected into me. But, knowing the others would not understand, I neither smiled nor said anything. I was, after all, the one deserving maximum blame.

His voice echoed again and again in my mind: “Don’t you know that I am working twenty four hours a day?”