Guru Puja: The ultimate practice in Ananda Marga
Written on May 29, 2025
Many do not take Guru Puja seriously. They recite the lines like a chant in a hurry to get it over with as soon as possible because it is just a final formality after having finished their sadhana.
Once Acarya Tapeshvaranandaji was traveling on the train. He began doing pracar to the people nearby. After some discussion, one person looked at him and asked in a very grave, powerful way, “Are you seriously trying to tell me that by doing this sadhana, we will get mukti (liberation)?”
Dada was shaken by the force of the question and realised he did not know the answer and kept quiet.
The next time he went to see Baba, when he was blessed with the chance to be alone with Baba, he repeated the same question: “Can we get mukti by doing Ananda Marga Sadhana?”
Baba simply replied, “No.”
See, Then Baba said that it is only by doing Guru Puja that one can get mukti. All the lessons be they 1, 6, 16, 24, etc are just to prepare the mind to try to surrender in Guru Puja. Baba says that nobody really surrenders. But He looks at who seriously tries to surrender. Sadhana helps develop this sincerity.
Baba said that when the Muslims do namaz (bowing in prayer), if they surrender sincerely, then He blesses them. Baba cannot fully bless us unless we fully surrender.
This is why Baba put so much importance of surrender. All the systems of sadhana are simply to prepare the mind to surrender.
All Prout and Neohumanism is to create a Dharmic social environment so that people are naturally inclined towards sadhana.
Once after giving Mudra, later during the day, Baba angrily said that not even one person present even sincerely tried to surrender.
Guru Puja is not a chant. It is empowered with Baba’s divine powers (shaktis). At every step of our reciting Guru Puja, Baba is directly present waiting for our full surrender.
So as we recite each word, we are reciting it while Baba is before us with arms outstretched waiting to taking us into His Lap.
Source
Living with Baba