Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar | |
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Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar[1] (21 May 1921 – 21 October 1990), also known by his spiritual name Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti (Ánanda Múrti="Bliss Embodiment"), and known as Bábá ("Father") to his disciples, was a spiritual guru, philosopher,[2] social reformer, linguist, author and composer of 5,018 songs mostly in the Bengali language.[3][4] He founded Ananda Marga (the Path of Bliss) in 1955 as a spiritual and social organisation that continues to offer instruction in meditation and yoga.[4][5][6] and runs numerous social service and disaster relief projects throughout the world.
Sarkar developed his system of spiritual practice as a synthesis of Vedic and Tantric philosophies.[7] He denounced religious dogmas, casteism, materialism and capitalism, considering all of these as impediments to social harmony, progress and spiritual growth. He described the universe as a manifestation of consciousness coming under the bondage of its own nature, resulting in creation. His spiritual and social philosophies embraced diversity as the law of nature; a result of Singular Consciousness expressing itself in numerous forms. Sarkar advocated for the welfare of humans and the planet through his socio-economic philosophy of PROUT, which is rooted in the idea of Neohumanism, a worldview based on inter-connectedness of all beings.
Biography
Sarkar was born during the
In 1939, Sarkar left Jamalpur for Kolkata to attend
In 1955, Sarkar founded Ananda Marga (the Path of Bliss), a socio-spiritual movement with a two-part mission that Sarkar stated as "self-realization and service to all" with a spiritual practice that synthesized Vedic and Tantric philosophies. Sarkar's ideas are collected in the series of books called "Subháśita Samgraha", which form part of the philosophical scriptures of Ananda Marga ideology.[4]
During the latter part of his life, his main residence was in Lake Gardens in Kolkata, West Bengal. He also spent much time, especially early on, in the all-round development community he founded based on his PROUT theory at Anandanagar. Ananda Marga opened regional offices in various countries, including the US in 1969; by 1973, he bad established approximately 100 local centres teaching yogic and social philosophies, with several thousand members, some living communally in the ashrams.[9][10]
In 1971, Sarkar was imprisoned in India for the alleged murder of Ananda Marga members. On 1 April, after recovering his health, Sarkar began fasting in support of a demand for an inquest into his poisoning. That demand was never met. So he continued his fast for the next five years, four months, and two days, until 2 August 1978 when he was released from jail after having been acquitted of all charges.[4]
In 1979, Sarkar took two world tours to meet disciples in various countries around the world, including Switzerland, Germany, France, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Jamaica and Venezuela. He was barred from entering the US by the State Department, so instead he met his American disciples in Jamaica in 1979.[11] Just before he died on 21 October 1990 from a heart attack, he founded Ananda Marga Gurukula on 7 September 1990, an educational network to preserve and develop his legacy through research, teaching and service.
Spiritual philosophy
"Critical of profit-motivated capitalism, hedonistic materialism, and religious dogma, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar developed a Spiritual or Neo-Humanism bringing in spiritual, economic, social scientific, ecological, and moral themes to create a long term view of human progress; progress is the evolution of consciousness and movement directed toward the well-being of everyone. Basing his philosophy on love and respect for all things and the central human ideals of freedom, equality, and justice, Sarkar proposed that the physical, mental, and spiritual realms of humanity all need to be addressed in a vision of the future. A new social order – a "moral society" – is needed for the future, emphasizing cooperation over competition, collective welfare over profit, and transcendent ideals over self-interest. And finally, as a common theme that runs through many works, the idea of the New (or Second) Enlightenment, reflecting an ethical, psychological, and social transformation in humanity, has been proposed as a hopeful and preferable futurist vision for the world."
—Thomas Lombardo on Sarkar's philosophy.[12]
Sarkar's teachings on spiritual philosophy are a synthesis of Vedic and Tantric philosophies. He considered himself to be "an incorrigible optimist" in his thinking.[citation needed]
Cosmology
Sarkar described the universe as a result of macropsychic conation – the entire universe exists within the cosmic mind, which itself is the first expression of consciousness coming under the bondage of its own nature. He described the cosmological flow as being from limitless consciousness to limited consciousness and back to limitless consciousness, attained by meditation.[4]
Realms of the mind
According to Sarkar's philosophy the individual mind is composed of five layers called
- Kamamaya Kosa ("layer of desire") or "Crude Mind": is the layer that controls the body. It operates on instinct or passion. This layer is sometimes conscious and sometimes subconscious.
- Manomaya Kosa ("layer of thinking") or "Subtle Mind": is the layer of thought and memory. This Kosa gives experience of pleasure and pain and is developed naturally through physical clash, and in Ananda Marga sadhana by pranayama with cosmic ideation.
- Atimanasa Kosa or "Supramental Mind": is the intuitive layer. This Kosa gives the capacity of intuitive dreams, clairvoyance, telepathy and creative insight. It is developed naturally through psychic clash, and in Ananda Marga sadhana by methods of pratyahara (withdrawal) such as shuddhis and Guru Puja.
- Vijinanamaya Kosa ("layer of the special knowledge") or "Subliminal Mind": is the layer of conscience or discrimination (viveka) and vaeragya (non-attachment). This Kosa is developed naturally through psychic clash, and its development is accelerated by the process of dharana.
- Hiranyamaya Kosa ("golden level") or "Subtle Causal Mind": is the subtlest layer. Here the sadhakas (spiritual aspirants).[4]
Biopsychology
Sarkar's "biopsychology" reimagined the traditional tantric belief in
- The Muladhara Chakra: at the tip of the spine (controls the solid factor).
- The reproductive glands).
- The Manipura Chakra: at the level of the navel (controls the luminous factor and is associated with Pancreas).
- The Anahata Chakra: at the center of the chest (controls the aerial factor and is associated with Thymus).
- The Thyroid gland).
- The Ajina Chakra: between the eyebrows (associated with the Pituitary gland).
- The .
Microvita
"Microvita" is plural for "Microvitum" and literally means "possessing or with micro-life". He believed that microvita are smaller and subtler than physical atoms and subatomic particles, and in the psychic realm contribute to "pure consciousness".[14] Sarkar claimed that they would be recognised by conventional science. Sarkar gave the intuitional theory of Microvita in 1986.[15]
Sadhana
A central point in Sarkar's philosophy is the concept of
Social and political philosophy
Law of Social Cycle
The concept of Varna describes four main socio-psychological types, whereby human
Sarkar's "Law of Social Cycle" applies these traits in a
Spirituality for Sarkar is defined as the individual realising the "true self". In addition to
Sarkar developed both Ánanda Márga and the
PROUT: Progressive Utilisation Theory
By 1959, Sarkar had developed the socio-economic Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout).[19] In 1961, the theory was formally outlined in his book Ananda Sutram, published under his spiritual name Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti.[20] In 1968, Sarkar founded the organisation "Proutist Block of India" (PBI), to further the ideals of his theory through political and social action.[21] The PBI was soon superseded by "Proutist Universal" (PU), which primarily consists of five federations (students, intellectuals, farmers, labour, and youth).[when?]
A Prout economy is
Neohumanism
In 1982, Sarkar extended his writings on the subject of
Sarkar's Neohumanism places great emphasis on rationality and encourages what he calls a "protospiritual mentality," a process of continually recognising each object with which we come in contact, externally or internally, as a manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness (Brahma). According to Sarkar, rationality helps to give rise to devotion, which he consider to be the "highest and most valuable treasure of humanity".[24] In Sarkar's view, Neohumanism leads to the liberation of human intellect from the constraints of imposed dogma and the principle of selfish pleasure|dogma]] and psychic complexes helping to bridge the gap between the inner and outer worlds.[23][25]
Culture
In his series of discourses Talks on Prout, given in Ranchi in July 1961,[26] Sarkar makes a distinction between the terms "culture" and "customs". According to Sarkar "culture... is the collective name for different expressions of life..." but "...all of society has the same culture. There are local variations in the mode or state of cultural expression, but the expression is universal... These local variations are called customs... Thus local modes of expression bearing local or group specialities are customs, but the expression itself is culture. Therefore it is a mistake to readjust boundaries on the basis of language and culture. Indian culture and the culture of the world are one and the same."[27]
The philosophy of Sarkar reinterprets the general concept of culture by inserting it into a new universalistic outlook. As described by Antonello Maggipinto:
If the term "culture" is usually referred to the original meaning of this word (i.e. from the Greek "paidéia" to the Latin "humanitas", that is to human beings capable of distinguishably mastering the arts, rhetoric, and philosophy), then Sarkar offers a new point of view, with a large universalistic explanation: "the culture of the whole human race is one, but marked by different local manifestations [...] it is the same, but varying in expression." (Sarkar, P.R., 1987)[28]
Works
Although Sarkar spent only seventeen years of his life working full-time for his organisations (1966–1971 & 1978–1990), he left behind a vast legacy, including over 250 books written on a wide variety of topics. Many of this books are compilations or collections of speeches given by him during spiritual or social meetings. He is primarily known as the
Music
In 1982 Sarkar started composing songs. In eight years, until the date of his death, He completed the composition of 5018 songs in multiple languages.[31] His collection of songs is called Prabhat Samgiita ("Songs of the New Dawn").[32]
See also
- List of founders of religious traditions
- List of Hindu gurus and sants
- List of philosophers
- Music of Bengal
- List of political parties in India
- List of Bengalis
- List of Indian writers
- Hindu reform movements
- Kaosikii dance
References
- ^ Ánanda Márga spelling: Prabhát Rainjan Sarkár.
- ^ "महान दार्शनिक प्रभात रंजन सरकार काे किया याद". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 26 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ Chatterjee, Gita. Bengal's Swadeshi Samgit. Published in Banerjee, Jayasri (ed.), The Music of Bengal. Baroda: Indian Musicological Society, 1987.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pandey, Ruchi. "Sarkar, you can not be forgotten. The life and work of Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ Inayatullah 2002.
- ^ Jones & Ryan 2007, pp. 34–35.
- ^ Ishwaran 1999, p. 9.
- ^ Acosta 2010, p. 1.
- ^ Ng 1995, p. 669.
- ^ Miller 1999, p. 108.
- ^ MacDougall 1983, p. 446.
- ^ Lombardo 2011, p. 125-6.
- ^ Dalal 2011, p. 21.
- ^ Dalal 2011, p. 325.
- ^ a b SK. "Microvita: A Compelling Concept to Know Corona – APN News". Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Galtung & Inayatullah 1997.
- ^ Inayatullah 1988, p. 54-65.
- ^ Hatley 1999, p. 139-151.
- ^ Craig 1998.
- ISBN 9781742230931. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ Fukui 1985, p. 357.
- ^ "প্রাউট-বিষয়ে অআকখ – নূহ আইনুল ইসলাম (আলিফ) (প্রতিবেদন) - Bangarashtra". www.bangarashtra.net. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- ^ a b c "neohumanism". Applied Sentience. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ a b c Sarkar 1982.
- ^ "Ananda Marga's Tantric Neo-Humanism". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- ^ Sarkar, Prabhat Ranjan. Talks on Prout (also in Prout in a Nutshell Part 15). Ananda Marga Publications. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Sarkar 1968.
- ^ Maggipinto 2000.
- ^ Ānandamūrti 1996, p. 9.
- ^ The Quarterly Review of Historical Studies. Institute of Historical Studies. 1998. p. 101. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
- ^ Ghista 2006, p. 174.
- ^ "The Hindu : Friday Review Delhi / Music : Songs of dawn". 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
Bibliography
- Acosta, Devashish Donald (2010). Anandamurti: The Jamalpur Years. Innerworld Publications. ISBN 978-1881717102.
- Ānandamūrti (1996). Shabda Cayanika, Part 1. Ananda Marga Publications. ISBN 9788172520304.
- Anderson, Sean K.; Sloan, Stephen (2009), Historical Dictionary of Terrorism, ISBN 978-0-8108-5764-3
- ISBN 0-415-16916-X.
- ISBN 978-0-14-341517-6.
- Fukui, Haruhiro (1985). Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific. ISBN 0-313-21350-X.
- ISBN 978-0-275-95755-1.
- S2CID 56002610.
- Inayatullah, Sohail, "Sarkar's spiritual-dialectics: an unconventional view of the future". Futures, February 1988, retrieved June 2013.
- ISBN 9004121935. authors book page.
- Ishwaran, Karigoudar (1999). Ascetic Culture: Renunciation and Worldly Engagement. ISBN 90-04-11412-2.
- Jones, Constance A.; Ryan, James D. (2007). "Sri Anandamurti". Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Encyclopedia of World Religions. ISBN 978-0-8160-5458-9. Archivedfrom the original on 20 December 2016.
- ISBN 0-87975-211-4.
- Maggipinto, Antonello (2000). "Multilanguage Acquisition, New Technologies, Education and Global Citizenship". Italian Culture. 18 (2). New York: S2CID 144954083. Archived from the originalon 3 October 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-59884-204-3
- ISBN 0-8156-0601-X.
- Ng, Franklin (1995). The Asian American Encyclopedia. ISBN 1-85435-677-1.
- Sarkar, Prabhat Rainjan (1961–2001). Ac. Pranavananda Avt. (ed.). Idea and Ideology. Ananda Marga Publications, Kolkata. ISBN 81-7252-205-3.
- Sarkar, Prabhat Rainjan (1982). "1: Devotional Sentiment and Neohumanism". The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism. Kolkata: Ananda Marga Publications. ISBN 81-7252-168-5. Archived from the originalon 12 February 2017.
- Sarkar, Prabhat Ranjan (1968), PROUT in a Nutshell Part 15, Ananda Marga Publications
- Sarkar, Prabhat Ranjan (2000), Varna Vijinana-The Science of Letters, Ananda Marga Publications, Ananda Nagar, ISBN 81-7252-179-0
- Wilson, John; Parashar, Swati (2005), Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Implications for South Asia, ISBN 978-81-297-0998-1
External links
- Works by or about Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar at Internet Archive
- Works by or about Shrii Shrii Anandamurti at Internet Archive
- Sarkar, Prabhatranjan Banglapedia
- Sarkar Interview
- Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar – Sarkarverse
- Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar – PSSM (India)
- Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar – Veethi
- Works by Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar
- A Brief Biography of Shri Anandamurti or P R Sarkar
- https://thinkindiaquarterly.org/index.php/think-india/article/view/18106