Modern writer, philosopher, scientist, social theorist, and spiritual leader, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar has attracted a following in more than 130 countries. His books have been translated into all the world’s major languages, and his unique blend of historical perspective and social commentary has been the inspiration for social activists seeking progressive alternatives to capitalism and communism.
From his early childhood in Bihar, India, where he was born in 1921, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar has been attracting others by his deep love for humanity and guiding them along the path of self-realization. Adjusting the ancient science of Tantra Yoga to meet the needs of this age, he developed a scientific and rational philosophy (based on the immanence and transcendence of God) and taught a system of practical spiritual disciplines for physical, mental and spiritual development. Recognizing him as a spiritually realized master, his followers called him Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, which means “He who attracts others as the embodiment of bliss”, or simply “Baba” (father).
Those who followed his teachings found their lives transformed as they overcame the weaknesses and negative tendencies of the mind to experience a deep peace and bliss within. Inspired by his selfless example, they focused their efforts on serving the society and elevating the oppressed.
Ananda Marga
In 1955, while still leading a normal life as a railway official, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar formed the organization Ananda Marga (“Path of Bliss”) with the twin purposes of spiritual progress and social change. To this end he began training missionaries to spread his teachings of “Self-realization and service to humanity” all over India and later throughout the world. Reflecting the broadness of his universal vision, Ananda Marga subsequently became a multi-faceted organization with different branches dedicated to the upliftment of humanity through education, relief, welfare, the arts, ecology, intellectual renaissance, women’s emancipation, and humanistic economy.
In 1963, he established the Education, Relief and Welfare Section (ERAWS), which runs schools, orphanages, medical units, retirement homes, free kitchens, drug rehabilitation centers and homes for shelterless women throughout the globe. The Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) has rendered disaster relief in fire, flood, typhoon, earthquake and war, and received numerous citations from the United Nations, the Red Cross and many governments.
Contributions to the Fields of Humanities, Linguistics, Science and the Arts
In the field of ecology and environmental awareness, Sarkar propounded the philosophy of Neohumanism, expanding the spirit of humanism to include love for animals, plants and the inanimate. He started a global plant exchange program to save and propagate thousands of plant species, and encouraged the establishment of animal sanctuaries in various locations around the world.
In the realm of philology and linguistics, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar wrote numerous volumes on the Bengali and Sanskrit languages, which trace the evolution of words, phrases and cultural traditions that comprise today’s tapestry of Indian languages, as well as new and important insights into Indo-European and other languages of the world.
In the field of science, Sarkar introduced the theory of Microvita, which has subsequently captured the interest of scientists around the world. In a series of groundbreaking discourses, Sarkar struck at the heart of conventional physics and biology, pointing out that the basic buildings blocks of life are Microvita – emanations of pure consciousness. The Microvita theory provides a link between the worlds of perception and conception and implies that the distinct disciplines of physics, biology, and mathematics will merge into one science of understanding the real nature of the universe.
In the fields of music, literature and art, Sarkar urged artists to produce art for service and blessedness rather than merely “art for art’s sake”, and gave guidelines for achieving this goal. Sarkar not only wrote long philosophical treatises, but enriched us as well with children’s stories, fiction, comedy and drama. His most dramatic contribution is the 5018 songs known as Prabhat Samgiita (Songs of the New Dawn) which he composed from September of 1982 until his departure in October 1990. These beautiful songs express the spiritual feelings and universality of the human heart. Most of the songs were written in Sarkar’s mother tongue, Bengali, and Bengali scholars have bestowed on them the highest praise for their poetic and symbolic expression.
Socio-Economic Justice
For the collective welfare of the entire universe, Sarkar propounded Prout (the Progressive Utilization Theory), which stands for the maximum utilization and rational distribution of all the resources and potentialities of the world – physical, mental, and spiritual – and the creation of a new, humanistic social order of harmony and justice for all based on Neohumanism, the principle of love for all beings of the universe.
His demands for social justice, and his uncompromising moral stand against corruption and exploitation, brought about the opposition of certain vested interests which resulted in the persecution of Ananda Marga and his own arrest in 1971 under false charges. During his seven-year incarceration he survived a poisoning attempt by government officials and fasted on a liquid diet for over five years in protest. Ultimately acquitted of all charges by the high court, he was eventually released from prison in 1978. From then until his physical departure in 1990, he continued to guide the rapid expansion of Ananda Marga all over the world.
Beaconlight of the Future
Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar wrote over 100 books on subjects as diverse as mysticism, cosmology, sociology, history, education, yoga, medicine, ethics, psychology, humanities, linguistics, economics, ecology, farming, music and literature. He delivered several thousand discourses and composed over 5000 mystical songs. He taught the science of meditation for self-realization directly and indirectly to millions of people. But most importantly, through his personal example, profound philosophy, systematic spiritual practices and far-reaching service projects, he has been – and continues to be so to this day – the sole inspirational drive for the universal mission of Ananda Marga.
普羅巴‧阮將‧沙卡先生不僅是近代的作家、哲學家、科學家、社會理論家，同時也是一位靈性導師。來自130多個國家的追隨者深深地被他吸引。他的著作被譯成多種語言。許多尋找進步理論以代替資本主義和共產主義的社會運動分子，也深深被他獨特的歷史、社會和哲學理論所啟示。
普羅巴‧阮將‧沙卡先生於1921年出生在印度比哈省。從童年時期開始，他對全人類的大愛就一直吸引著許多人追隨，他引導他們行走向自我了悟的道路。為了滿足這個時代的需求，他整合古代的密宗瑜伽科學，發展出一套合乎科學的哲學（以上帝的超越性和同在性為基礎），教導世人如何將靈性紀律系統應用於提升身體、心理和靈性之發展。追隨者將他視為了悟一切的靈性導師，尊稱他為師利‧師利‧阿南達慕提，意指「他就是那吸引他人的喜悅化身」，並暱稱他為「巴巴」（父親）。
那些追隨他教導的人們皆發現生命的轉變，他們克服了心靈的軟弱和負面的心緒傾向，體驗到內在深處的祥和喜悅。他的無私典範，啟示追隨者們致力於服務社會，為救助那些被壓迫的人們奉獻心力。
阿南達瑪迦
1955年，普羅巴‧阮將‧沙卡先生仍任職鐵路局職員，過著世俗的生活，但他稟著靈性進步和社會改變之宗旨，創立了阿南達瑪迦（喜悅之路）這個組織，並開始訓練教範師，在印度全國宣揚他「自我了悟和社會服務」的理念，之後更擴展到世界各地。為了反映他開闊的宇宙觀，阿南達瑪迦隨後也成為多面向的組織，成立了包括教育、救難、福利、藝術、生態、智力復興、婦女福利和人道經濟學等部門，致力於提升人類的各個層面。
1963年，他設立教育救難福利部門（ERAWS），在全球各地創辦學校、孤兒院、醫療單位、養老院、食物救濟中心、戒毒所以及婦女保護之家。阿南達瑪迦泛宇救難隊（AMURT）在各地火災、水災、颱風、地震和戰爭發生時給予災難救助，也時常獲得聯合國、紅十字會和各國政府的表揚。
人文學科、語言學、科學和藝術領域的貢獻
在生態和環境領域，沙卡先生提倡新人道主義，將人道主義的精神擴大到愛護動物、植物和無生命。他實行全球植物交流計劃，挽救繁殖數以千株的植物品種，並且鼓勵人們在世界各地興建動物保護區。
沙卡先生在文字學和語言學領域，著有許多談論孟加拉文和梵文的書籍。他不僅溯及構成今日印度語言的單詞、片語和文化傳統之演變，並且使我們對印歐語言及世界上其它語言有更新的深入了解。
在科學領域，沙卡先生介紹了微生元理論，隨後引起世界各國科學家的注意。他在此一系列的開創性演講，直接進入傳統物理學和生物學的核心，指出微生元是生命組成的基本結構－它是純意識的流出物。微生元理論為知覺和概念世界之間建立了聯繫，意味著物理學、生物學和數學這些專門學科的發展終將合而為一，進而瞭解到宇宙真正的本質。
關於音樂、文學和藝術，沙卡先生鼓勵藝術家們應為服務和眾生福祉而創作，而不是只「為藝術而藝術」，並且給予他們如何達到此目標的指引。沙卡先生不僅著有長篇哲學寶典，還撰寫了許多豐富我們生活的兒童故事、小說、喜劇和戲劇。其中，最引人注目的貢獻就是，他從1982年9月一直到1990年10月圓寂之前，一共譜寫了5018首「曙光之歌」。這些悅耳的歌曲充分表達出人類心中深處的靈性直覺和宇宙一體感。大多數的歌曲都是以他的母語孟加拉文所譜寫，而孟加拉文學界者對於這些富有詩意和象徵性的創作皆給予最高的評價。
社會－經濟公義
為了整個宇宙的集體福祉，沙卡先生提倡進步利用理論（Prout）。主張世界上所有的資源和潛能－應在物質、心理和靈性層面上做最大的運用和合理的分配，並且以新人道主義－愛宇宙萬物的原則為基礎，為眾生的和諧和公義創造出一個新的人道社會秩序。
由於他對社會公義的要求以及拒絕向貪污腐敗的剝削階級妥協的道德立場，引起既得利益者之敵意，而導致阿南達瑪迦組織遭到迫害，在1971年，印度當局以不實的指控逮捕他。在他遭到監禁的七年期間，政府官員試圖毒害他，他倖免於死，此後他每天只喝液體食物，開始進行長達五年之久的斷食抗議。最後，高等法院宣告他無罪，於1978年將他從監獄釋放出來。從那時起一直到1990年圓寂之前，他都不斷地指引著阿南達瑪迦在世界各地迅速擴展。
未來的燈塔
普羅巴‧阮將‧沙卡先生寫了100多本書籍，主題包括神秘主義、宇宙論、社會學、歷史、教育、瑜伽、醫藥、道德倫理、心理學、人文學科、語言學、經濟學、生態學、農業、音樂和文學等等，涵蓋各種領域。他給了數以千次的講道，寫下五千多首的神秘歌曲。直接或間接地教導數百萬人有關自我了悟的靜坐鍛鍊法門。最重要的是，藉由他的個人典範、淵博哲學、系統性靈修和廣泛的服務計劃，他一直是－至今仍是－敦促阿南達瑪迦宇宙使命的唯一激勵。