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About Ananda Marga
Ananda Marga is a social and spiritual organization founded
in India in 1955 by spiritual master and philosopher Prabhat
Rainjain Sarkar, known by his spiritual name of Shrii Shrii
Anandamurtijii. The mission of Ananda Marga is to help individuals
achieve complete self-realization and to build a social structure
in which the physical, mental and spiritual needs of all people
can be fulfilled.
The teachings of Ananda Marga deal with a wide variety of
topics such as mysticism, cosmology, sociology, history, yoga,
health, psychology, philology, economics, farming, music and
literature. As a social service mission, Ananda Marga originated
in India, but has since expanded into a global organization
with thousands of dedicated volunteers working in virtually
every country of the world. The activities of Ananda Marga
encompass a wide range of projects for the welfare of humanity
as well as all other living beings, the environment, and the
planet as a whole.
Ananda Marga runs yoga and meditation centers, schools, orphanages,
food distribution centers, disaster relief programs, medical
centers, community development projects, and other service
projects. Emphasis is placed on solving the problems of the
local people, whatever they may be, and assisting them in
managing all their personal and social resources for the prosperity
of all.
The philosophy of Ananda Marga is one of universalism. It
is a synthetic outlook, recognizing God as the one limitless
supreme consciousness. This universe, having been created
by Him, is existing in Him, and as such all created beings
are His children, part of the one universal Cosmic family.
Thus we are all brothers and sisters, connected in love by
the bonds of Cosmic fraternity. This universe of diversity
has evolved out of unity (God), and we must continually strive
to see that unity in all diversity. Thus the social outlook
of Ananda Marga recognizes that the welfare of the individual
is inextricably linked with the welfare of the collective,
each relying on the other for its existence and dynamism.
Everyone has the right to equal opportunity and as such there
should be no discrimination on the basis of superficial barriers
such as race, nationality and religion.
Ananda Marga advocates a world of justice, security and peace
for all. To this end Ananda Marga gives a practical, rational,
and systematic way of life for the balanced development of
all human potentialities: physical, psychic and spiritual.
It is a system that incorporates practices that are beneficial
for personal and social upliftment. These range from proper
hygiene and diet , to yoga postures, to a scientific technique
of meditation based on morality and leading to complete peace
and inner fulfillment. It recognizes that a balance is needed
between the spiritual and mundane aspects of existence, and
that neither one should be neglected at the expense of the
other. Hence, the goal of Ananda Marga is
"Self-realization and the welfare of humanity."
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