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Question: I thank you for your reply.
I have a few more doubts which I hope you will be able to clear.
1. Can we tell lies for a good reason?
2. As Sri Ramakrishna had meditate on Mother Kali and seen her is it possible for us to see him?
3. Is it true that if we meditate under an Amalaki tree our wish is fulfilled? Where do we find these trees? Why don’t everyone sit under this tree and meditate? Hoping to receive your reply.
Answer: Spirituality and telling lies do not go together. Sri Ramakrishna could not even bear a fib. Read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna carefully. Your doubts will be clarified automatically.
Question: sir, I am currently pursuing my M.B.A. (first semester) and my age is 23. Though currently stationed at Lucknow but originally a resident of Calcutta. From many monks of the order I have come to know that the maximum age for joining the math is 25, is it true?
Is it really true that anyone who wishes to be a monk can simply be inculcated in the order without any prior check of attitude and values, since monasticism demands a lot of involvement and dedication. It may also be possible that a person may join the order without finding a descent job or to avoid job frustration or to avoid duties towards family life- how do you differentiate between a genuine cause and a fake one?
In order to join do I need to have a prior knowledge of Sanskrit (I am a novice in the subject) or do I have to give a kind of written or oral examination?
At last please give me detailed list of qualities required to join and not the general ones posted on the net. I also want to know the length of the observation period before becoming a brahmachari. All my family members (including me) have taken initiation from the math.
Respected Swamiji, I would be highly obliged if you can spare some of your precious time to answer my questions. I would also like to post similar questions on the issue-I am very much interested in joining the order.
Answer: Hindu Monasticism is voluntary. The main criterion is renunciation and discrimination. If the escapists and unemployed are to take this life, within few days they themselves will walk out. Only when one’s attraction towards Spiritual Life or in other words God realization, is more than the attraction for the world a person can take up the monastic life.
Persons who are graduates can join our order up to the age of 28. It is advisable for you to complete your course before you take a decision in the matter. The novice will have to undergo through medical test. He is expected to have clear ideas about monastic life. He must be thorough with Ramakrishna-Vivekananda and Vedanta Literature.
After joining it takes at least 5 years for a person to be initiated into Brahmacharya Diksha and another 4 years for Sannayasa Diksha. Thus the person will have to undergo training for 10 years
Question: I got a doubt while listening to the exposition of Viveka Cudamani by Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj. Could you please clarify?
The consciousness in man – is it the reflection of the Brahman Consciousness or is it the Brahman Consciousness itself restricted by body – mind complex.
Answer: Pure consciousness restricted to the body is called Atman and the same consciousness beyond all limitations and all-pervading is called Brahman.
Question: I feel that the resistance to go inwardly and realize ‘I AM’ , ‘the Oneness’ , the Self within more and more creates an inner pressure in oneself which explodes and expresses outwardly in the form of religious violence, religious in-tolerance, hatred, superiority and inferiority of casts, highly materialistic attitude, mental agony etc., Since the realization of the Self within, is beyond all names and forms, it forces oneself to change within and take personal responsibility for his destiny by way of realizing that Absolute within more and more. Thus, the resistance to change creates conveniently the Creator and world concept and expresses it outwardly in the form of distracted reflective images which makes one to cling onto various gods and goddesses, demy-gods, superstitions, and religious orthodoxy.
Vedanta conveys the Absolute Truth by way of Self-realization that there is nothing in the Universe which is not God. Prophet Mohammed in Islam by way of highest Self Surrender without any deviation in terms of superstitions, demigods, miracles and conveyed that there is nothing in the Universe which is God, except ‘Allah’, the Un-seen. The above Prophecies even though appear to be diagonally opposite, it is exactly the same because, both destroy the ego, superstitions, demy-gods, orthodoxy, and miracles and develop fearlessness, compassion, etc.
The people who crucified Jesus Christ also were not an Atheist, or Agnostic. They also believed that some higher force was there. Since that Great Master was pointing towards the Absolute Truth which is beyond all names and forms and the same was not supporting their Orthodoxy, superstitions, and demy-gods concepts, etc., they could not digest His messages, and hence he was crucified. In the same way Buddha was poisoned to death. Prophet Mohammed was driven away from Mecca to Medina. When he got the messages in the Light of Mountain through Angel Gabriel over the period, he initially started conveying them secretly through his wife and closest associates. He could start openly declaring the messages only after 3 years. Even Buddha, when he got enlightenment, he first hesitated whether to declare that subtle Truth of Nirvana or leave it as it is. After some time, he thought that it was better to declare and finally conveyed them with lots of hesitation.
My doubt is: Whether it was 2000 years before or now, what is the reason behind for giving resistance to that One Absolute Truth within in its True state of Un-seen, Un-known, and Un-knowable? Is it because of thickening of one’s vasanas or lack of knowledge of Supreme Self and Self effort (Purushartha) or fear of penetrating into Un-known?
Answer: I got the clue for clarification of your doubt from your e-mail itself. Let us cogitate over the matter for few years. The doubts will get cleared.
Question: I was very happy to come across the Question and answer section, wherein people can pour out their problems and even more touched by your patient listening and answers.
Although I have been doing Japa fairly regularly, I have not been able to go beyond one cycle at night as I fall asleep and beyond 4 cycles in the morning, mainly because of lack of time. I get up at 5 in morning and sit from about 5:15 till 5:50 or so. At night, I usually wait till all my family members have gone to sleep, which can be a bit late, 11:30 or 12. Kindly read my problems and suggest how to overcome them.
I have problem in keeping the mind focused on Sri Thakur’s image in my heart. No matter, how many times I bring the mind back, it wanders once again. I am persevering, but do despair at times. I find it easier to concentrate on the Mantra Japa, but not both.
Secondly, I am unable to hold my posture still while meditating/Dhyana. My shoulders slump forward and I have to sit straight again after a while. I am also now, unable to sit cross-legged and find it easier if I sat on a chair. Would this be alright?
Thirdly, If I try to increase the number of times I recite the given mantra, I find that I am not pronouncing it properly even in my mind which makes me feel guilty. So, I go back to repeating it slowly and clearly, but lesser number of times.
I read in “Mahapurush Maharaj as we saw him” that, Japa and Dhyana ultimately culminate in the same, which I find to be true to some extent. During the times I am doing Japa and keeping Sri Thakur’s image in my mind, the Japa is forgotten. The mind however, soon wanders and after this is recognized, I go back to Japa.
When I am alone, I sing a few Bhajans. At that time, when I think of the meaning of the Bhajan, tears flow, my throat chokes and I am unable to sing in tune any further. Is this just an overemotional reaction, which I should try to overcome?
Answer: These are the common problems of all the spiritual aspirants. It is the nature of mind to go outward. And it is only the spiritual aspirants who try to bring it under control and turn it inward. The methods you are adopting are perfectly in order. Just recollect the advice given by Swami Brahmanandaji to Swami Yatishwaranandaji. Three instructions – Struggle, Struggle, Struggle. Follow the instructions given by your Guru.
The emotional aspects have to be kept under restrain lest the devotion should not end up in emotionalism.
Question: I am just disturbed by the violence happening in the world now a day. For quite some days I was much worried and one question is haunting me a lot. Is it necessary to have kids into this bad world? Why should they suffer a lot? How important for a married couple to have children? Without children world cannot progress, but still I am pretty much sure that if they come into this present world they have to suffer a lot. Knowing that how can I even think to have kids? I am already a mother of one. How can I protect him from the bad in this world? Is there any way that world is going to change into beautiful heaven? What is my role as a human to contribute to the world’s welfare?
And also please suggest me some books (easy to be understood by a novice like me), which will make my mind pure.
Answer: I would like to tell a story in reply to your email. It is said that Einstein never used to visit a church and the priest of the place used to say that if he doesn’t visit the church and pray, he will go to hell. After sometime, Einstein died. After few more months, the priest also died. The priest was very curious to know to which hell Einstein has gone. So he went one hell after the other to find him out. At last he came to the last hell, but found there were nice gardens with beautiful music, and whole area was filled with peace and serenity. And when he was wondering how the hell is like this, he found a person who was none other than Einstein. So when he questioned, he said, there is another place reserved for you, you can go there, and said, this is what I have made out of the hell to which I was sent.
From this story, you must know that you are the maker of your destiny. You can make the place either a hell or a heaven. If you are sincere and hardworking, the hell can become a heaven otherwise it will be otherwise.
Now why do you worry about your child being in this horrible world? The horribleness is not in the world, but it is in the hearts of the person who sees it. That is the reason Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi said, which happened to be her last message: “Do not find fault with others, rather find your own faults. None is a stranger my child, the whole world is your own“.
Put some positive and strength giving ideas to the child from its young age and the child will come up well. Don’t think your child is too small. It is said that once a lady went to Aristotle and said, “I want to put my child under your care so that he becomes wise. At what age it will be the right time?” Aristotle asked that lady as to what is the age of the child and knowing that it is five years old, he said that “you are five years late”.
Please read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Gospel of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and selections from the complete works of Swami Vivekananda. These books are available in various Indian languages also. You can get these books from any of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission centers the addresses of which are available on our website.
Question: I have been doing Gayatri mantra and some breathing exercises for a very long time. For last few years I have been reading complete works of Swami Vivekananda and the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. After reading these I have realized that self realization should be the only goal of man. I have also realized Swamiji’s words, to be true, that any misery that a man experiences is only because of some weaknesses in the man.
After reading Swamiji’s complete works and the Gospel, I started observing myself for whatever I did and whatever I felt. I found that any misery that I face, any lethargy that I feel and any fault that I find in others is only because of one weakness which is the feeling of lust. Though I have been very restrictive in my daily habits (such as food and company), I have not been able to control the inception of those feelings. I read in one of the lectures published by Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama that, the feeling of lust in a man and vision of snakes in the dream are the related things. I sometimes do have the vision of snakes in the dream and they are the scariest dreams of mine.
I found that observing the sensations and feeling has helped me a bit. But I want to go above these impulses and it seems my daily practices and restrictive habits are not helping me that much. Is it because I don’t have enough restlessness to go above these impulses?
Answer: You have put a wonderful question whether Vedanta will help you to realize the laws of physics. May I put you another question, whether studying of economics makes you realize the laws of physics. My answer lies in your answer to this question.
The Vedanta is the study of the inner world or in other words, one’s own self while the physics is the study of the manifested aspect of the reality. The manifested aspects are multifarious where as the unmanifested is one, the main source. This explains the unity in diversity. Now, the question is whether you want any particular aspect of the manifested science or the source of all science. The Indian philosophers first experimented with the external and when that could not give solutions to the problems of life they went inward and realized the Atman or Brahman or God or whatever the word you may use for that reality. As they found, all the manifested things are subject to changes while unmanifested is unchangeable.
You have to decide as to what thing you would really want and decide your course of action.
Do not give much importance to the dreams and get more and more worked up. You are a student of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda. Continue to read their books and it will give solutions to your problems.
Question: I am a student of philosophy. I have read Sri Ramakrishna’s Gospel and loved it a lot, but some times I get skeptic, if God really listens to our prayers. We hear Sri Ramakrishna to have questioned God’s existence and got favorable answers. I think, we need to test too. Many times we take these things for granted, but can a prayer really change the course of events?
Let’s take a simple example. I will use an unbiased coin which I’ll toss 50 times. Can any amount of prayer influence the course of events in such a way as to get me 50 heads? Can you or some devotee demonstrate to me, let us say someone prays and then asks me to test, I throw the coin 50 times to get 50 heads. It would be a beautiful demonstration.
If no one can demonstrate it this way, and since I myself am not able to do it no matter how much faith I express towards my God, it would only be right for us to conclude that
1. Prayers to God are not answered.
2. We cannot influence the course of events through prayer.
3. So it’s useless to ask God to save us or to improve our personality.
4. It’s useless to request him to show himself to us.
[I do not question prayer as an aid to meditation. It definitely is, but perhaps meditation can be even without prayer. If prayer is only a misconception, it does good to meditate without its aid than using it as an aid.]
I know that these ideas, if they are true would shake the whole basis of my philosophical beliefs and I would suffer. Coz I am an ardent devotee of God and Ramakrishna. Yet, if this is not true, it has to be discarded. Coz more important than our beliefs is the Truth. Truth or the Reality is all I seek and am ready to discard any idea or concept that is not true.
Please show me the way and help me out of going astray. I would lose my companion if I lose God, I may become lonely and hapless. But yet, if it is not true, I do not want to hold onto ideas that work like wine Ð by getting be habituated to the set of ideas.
Can prayers help us influence the situation?
Answer: I find that you are really in a mess!!! I suggest you to read the book titled “Meditation and Spiritual Life” by Swami Yatishwarananda. This can clear most of your doubts. The book is available in any of the book stalls of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
Question: I am fed up with this worldly life where attachments and sorrows are ruling us. I am not running away from life as a timid. I just want to be free myself from all emotional debts. I would like to reach Lord’s feet at the earliest. I know suicide is a sin. So for the tenure assigned to me on earth, I would like to be in the path of renunciation.
I want to join Sri Ramakrishna Math as a monk. Please help me with your suggestions.
Answer: The sister organization of the Ramakrishna Math for girls is Sarada Math. The website address of Sarada Math is: www.srisaradamath.org . You can get the addresses of all the centers of Sarada Math there. You can contact the Mataji incharge of any of the centers and discuss the matter.
Question: Respected sir, thanks for your reply.
1. What is the method to do meditation?
2. What is the process involves in it?
3. What is the difference between Japa and Dhyana?
4. How we do Japa?
5. What is the difference between Manassu & Buddhi? Are they same or not?
6. Who is Brahmarshi? What is meant by Bramastvam?
7. What is Brahmacharyam? Why we do Brahmacharyam & what are the conditions in that?
Answer: I suggest that you read the following three books:
1.Meditation & Spiritual life by Swami Yatishwarananda
2. Vedantasara of Sadananda
3. Eternal Companion – Swami Brahmananda
The above three books are available in any of the showrooms of our centers. If you are in Bangalore, you are welcome to visit us.
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