Selection from previously asked Question and respective Answers
Question: I have been practising meditation for few months, but I find after meditating for few minutes, the energy of both the mind & body diminishes so much that I have to discontinue. (I take nutrisitious food.) I find that lack of energy is a great obstacle to success. Please suggest something.
Answer: It is only a mental imagination that you do not have enough energy to meditate. Try to sit compulsorily at least for 15 minutes. You will be able to do it.
Question: It is said that Karma Yoga and Raja Yoga (the Path of Meditation) lead to the same end, but as in Raja Yoga one meditates and has certain expiriences to indicate his progress similarly do we have any bench marks to check progress in Karma Yoga.
Answer: Karma Yoga is not so easy as one understands. He who has faith in God and dedicates fruits of his actions to God, can only perform Karma Yoga. If you are sincere, you too will have the visions of the Lord. Of course, it is also possible not to have any faith in God, still practise Karma Yoga. But it is most difficult task.
Question: I am working as a Senior Software Engineer in Bangalore. I do practise meditation, Pranayama and Gayatri Japa daily. Kindly clarify me the following: How to develop desire to realise GOD. How I can move further in Sadhana (Spiritual Practice).
Answer: I am happy you are doing Gayatri Japa.
By discriminating constantly about the unreality of the world and the sufferings one has to face, your love towards God should increase. Spend more and more time in Japa, meditation and reading of good books and attend religious discourses.
Question: Can females chant the Gayatri Mantra regularly?
Answer: Definitely it can be done, as we also have evidence that women were instituted into Upanayana during the Ramayana period.
Question: I have this curiosity in my mind. I have studied the Bhagavad Gita quite a lot. I have attended a lot of religious discourses. Certainly by observing Karma Yoga, etc., the world will be a better place to live in. What I am trying to say is that religion certainly without a doubt makes a man better. But is this the intended goal of religion, or is there certainly a Conscious & Watching Entity whom we call God? Is there a person in this year – say 2003 who can say without a single doubt in his mind that there is a GOD watching our activities. Also, since I am a Dvaitin, I will not be satisfied by an Advaitic answer.
Answer: As you have said correctly, Religion has a great role in everybody’s life. The purpose of Religion is two-fold:
1. To make the life happy while living,
2. Realise the Supreme while living.
Of course, both are not two water-tight compartments. Since you are a Dvaitin, have infinite faith in the Lord and pursue the path sincerely as prescribed in the scripture. Then you will see the great enemies of the mind such as – greed, desire, hatred, anger, etc. will vanish gradually and you will have peace of mind, which will help you to develop more and more faith and devotion towards the Lord.
Question: How to control our mind not to expect anything from others except doing our duty?
Answer: This noble quality which you have mentioned has to be developed very slowly. After many failures, we shall succeed surely. But it may take a long time. In the beginning, we have to learn to be unselfish as much as possible. When we become absolutely unselfish, then only we shall not expect anything from anybody, rather, we shall always feel like giving to others.
Question: I want to ask you a question I have always pondered on. Though I am a strong believer in God and the scriptures, sometimes I cannot but think that if man suffers or prospers according to his past karma, then why does one pray to God, I mean what could be the role of God? If he has committed a crime in his previous birth for which he is undergoing suffering, is there no way out for him? Surely, praying to God and asking his forgiveness for his previous sins (which he is not aware of in this birth) may help? Please guide me.
Another question I would like to know is that suppose A harms B. It is understood that it is the fate of B and ‘dushkarma’ (bad action) of A. Both seem to be contradictory to me, if it is the fate of B then how is it the ‘dushkarma of’ ‘A’? Again if the cycle of A harming B and vice versa goes on, does that mean that neither of them are at fault?. I do not know if I am able to frame my words and doubts properly. Still I expect guidance from you.
Answer: The Theory of Karma is a complex one and needs a detailed study of it. This has different aspects.
1. It is no doubt, one has to enjoy or suffer according to the deeds he has committed in previous lives. If you fully believe in the theory of Karma, the present attitude of prayer also comes under your Karma itself. You are destined to pray also. That is why you are praying.
2. If we believe half-way and think that your present prayer is not because of the past deed, that is, now you are praying to God to help you to overcome the suffering, the God will definitely help you. He does not remove all the sufferings, but gives a wonderful strength to the mind to bear it patiently and face the problems. I wish you read Swami Vivekananda’s Karma Yoga which deals in detail all the aspects of Karma.
3. Regarding your ‘A’ and ‘B’, if ‘A’ has to do ‘Dushkarma’, there must be a ‘B’ to suffer for it. Even that is arranged according to the Karma only. That is, one who has to do ‘Dushkarma’, he will be ‘A’ and one who has to suffer, according the past karma, will be ‘B’. God only brings them together.
Question: There was a statement by Swami Vivekananda : “It is good and grand to conquer external nature but grander still to conquer our internal nature.” What comprises internal nature? Are they our thoughts? What practical methods exist and need to be practised for one to try conquering the internal nature ?
Answer: Conquering the internal nature is controlling the mind. It has to be done through meditation. For details, read Swami Vivekananda’s Raja Yoga.
Question: I have a question – When I try to do meditation in the morning -that is the days when I can concentrate better, I suddenly realize after sometime that my mouth is opened. I have never seen anybody meditating with open mouth, I wonder if this is natural or something I should try to control
Answer: If it is possible to close the mouth, it is good. It can be done by practice.
Question: I am working in a software firm. I am 23 years of age now. I was intitiated in 1998 when I was in college. I was chanting that Mantra regularly for 2 years and I used to attend the classes for the youth in Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. I found that my mind was getting a bit pure and clear. But after I got my job (through campus interviews), I lost my control of my mind and I stopped doing Japa and started enjoying like a normal college guy.
At present, I am working in Mumbai .What I want is a good, pure life free from jealousy, desire for girls, deceit. Nowadays I do Japa of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. I do not chant the intitiated mantra because I am afraid of some things. I do read works of Vivekanda though not regularly. … …
I am learning music and I hear lot of carnatic, Western classic and cinema songs/music. Also I am learning violin for few months. Hearing pure classical music is sometimes boring and I hear cinema songs to pass that boredom. Will hearing music disturb the mentality of a person ?
Answer: The Mantra given by the Guru will help you to purify your mind. It is natural for men to err, but God will definitely forgive, if you are sincere in correcting yourself. If you are finding peace in repeating Shiva Mantra, you may continue to do so, but you have to do the Japam of the Mantra given by your Guru, at least as much as he has asked you to do.
Regarding the music, the cinema songs will only lead you towards more & more desires. There are so many devotional songs. It is better to hear them, or cultivate the habit of reading good books. That will always help you to keep your mind in higher levels.