Selection from previously asked Question and respective Answers
Question: Even though I practise Japam, I am not able to come out of the attachment of women related thoughts. I think more about sex. I feel shy while seeing women. Can you help me in this regard ?
Answer: What you have written is the common problem of all. But it is possible to remain pure, if you follow the following advices:
1. Read good books,
2. Avoid talking to women when they are alone,
3. Do not see the films which highlight the sex.
Question: Is it true that there is/are higher world/s where there is no old age, death, disease etc. Second doubt is – Are we i.e., has every individual (human being) reached some spritual stage however much initial stage it may be and he goes further only and not back or he may fall down and has to start again. In other words, if a person reached a stage of some power of discrimination about right and wrong, some amount of control over his senses, are they likely to decrease? or they won’t ?
Answer: According to our scriptures, there do exist the heaven & hell. People who do meritorious acts in this world, do reach the heaven and enjoy as long as the merit lasts. It is only the question of pure faith.
Regarding the progress or coming down, depends on the way of life you lead. After making some progress, if you continue your spiritual practice, you will be going up. If you indulge yourself in sensual activities, you will be going down. If you remain neutral there will not be either progress & degradation.
Question: What is the importance Upanayanam in Hindu religion. It is said that only those people who gone through Upanayanam, should chant Gayatri. Why it is like that?
Answer: In the Hindu custom, Upanayanam is a rebirth to a man, when he is invested into spiritual life. If you are invested ceremoniously, it has its sanctity. However, you are free to chant Gayatri. Learn it from one who knows it.
Question: Why people offer animals as a worship to God?
Answer: This is a controversial question, on which much can be said on both the sides. This tradition is coming from ages. So, it cannot be said whether it is right or wrong. Only, if we are averse to it, let us keep away from it and don’t bother to convert others.
Question: I am a married man with 2 children and I am 37 years of age. My queries are with reference to the 7 planes of the mind, discussed at several places in “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna”. (For example, it is described in Chapter 6, The Master with the Brahmo devotees (I), October 28, 1882). Here, Sri Ramakrishna says that the 4th plane is located at the heart and when the mind dwells there, one has the first glimpse of spiritual consciousness. One sees light all around. Such a man, perceiving the divine light, becomes speechless with wonder and says: ‘Ah! What is this? What is this?’ His mind does not go downward to the objects of the world. How to make the mind go to the 4th plane? Is an intiation by one whose mind has already reached the 4th (or higher) plane necessary to reach the 4th plane of the mind? I do practice of Suryanamaskaar, Pranayama and prayer in the morning. When I pray, I ask God that I may remember Him all the time. I also do Japa of Sri Rama mentally or chanting softly (whenever He makes me remember), while at work or home or going from home to work and back. Is this the way to get a glimpse of spiritual consciousness?
Answer: I am happy to note your interest in spiritual matters. I wish that you continue the spiritual practice which you are already practising. The path of Raja Yoga mentioned in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, is a different path and you need a Guru to guide you and also that will be a full time job, which means you have to dedicate your whole life for that purpose. But, the same result can be attained by constantly praying to the Lord and leading a pure life
Question: Kindly enlighten me how to forget for a few minutes about our environment, external sorroundings indeed external world and dwell into innerself.. Will Dhayna (Meditation) lead us there?
Answer: You have put in a very simple manner what our ancient sages have tried hundreds of years to succeed in what you have asked for. It is possible, but it requires patience, perseverance and long practice. Try and wish you all success. Dhyana is the only method for it.
Question: What is the significance of Guru Purnima ? Is it suggested that devotees should bear all hardships ( e.g., Standing in long queues for hours), just to offer a momentary pranam to their Gurus on that particular day? What is the underlining utility of this occassion ? Is there any book that can inform me about the significance of Guru Purima ?
Answer: I don’t know who has explained you the significance of Gurupurnima in this manner. It is supposed to be sage Vyasa’s birth and death day. Since he is considered as the Parama Guru, it is celebrated as Gurupurnima. Remembering our Guru and spending more time on spiritual practice on that day is the best way to celebrate it. There is a book called ‘Guru Gita’ which is in the form Sanskrit verses. Of course, it does not explain what is Gurupurnima.
Response to the Above: I do realize how blind I am about our own ocassions / rituals. Can I bother you with another question ? I have taken initiation. But being introvert by nature, I don’t believe in bothering other people with my problems. So I don’t even open up to my Guru for guidence, not only because I’m an introvert, but also because he is very busy doing good for humanity and I feel I should not disturb him with my petty problems / confusions. I just pray to God and believe that He’s the best guide, the only person that I can pour out to without wasting others time ! Am I thinking on the right lines ? Or is it risky to solely depend upon such devine guidence without proper spiritual maturity ? Since it is suggested that one should not consider his Guru to be a mere human, but should know one’s Guru and Ishta / God to be one, am I under-estimating my Guru by saying that he’ll get disturbed / I’ll waste his time (after all who can waste God’s time !) ?
Reply to the Above: You may write to your Guru without any hesitation. He will be too happy to guide you.
Question: I was reading the book by Pandit B.N.K. Sharma, “The teachings of Madhva in His own words”. I find that he has very strong arguments for reality of the world and individuality of souls (as different from each other). According to Advaita, differences are due to illusion, i.e. actually wood is same as rice which is same as iron etc. So isn’t it natural to expect that if someone is actually realised in Advaita, he must be able to subsist on air/wood or anything and not insist on having conventional food stuffs, e.g. rice etc. (Which are all illusory visons of the homogeneous Brahman). In general I find the Dvaita school to be quite a formidable counter philosophy to Advaita, what is the Advaitic defence to Madhva’s arguments. Do Advaitins have any counter questions to Dvaita?
Answer: The whole philosophy of Shankara and his followers do counter the arguments of Dvaita and all other schools. And the same with the Dvaitins. If you are really interested in, you should read the commentaries on Brahmasutras by Shankara and his followers as well as Madva and his followers.
Question: I am a student. I am deeply inspired by the ideals of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother & Swami Vivekananda. I have been initiated. Beside my spritual practices, I get great pleasure in reading the ‘Complete works of Swami Vivekananda’.
I find in the ‘Raja Yoga’, the practice of Pranayama by an untrained person can have bad effects. I am keen to know which parts of Raja Yoga can be safely practised by ordinary people & whether one would lose something by omitting Pranayama in order to achieve a harmony between the four Yogas as depicted by Sri Ramakrishna. I will be very grateful to you if you kindly reply my question in the light of Sri Ramakrishna & Swami Vivekananda.
Answer: Pranayama is not a compulsory thing. But a simple Pranayama helps for the concentration. Swamiji has explained it in his Raja Yoga in the introduction. You can safely follow that.
Question: In complete works of Swami Vivekananda, Swamiji explained about 4 kinds of Sanyasa : 1) Vidvat Sanyasa, 2) Vividisha Sannyasa, 3) Markata Sanyasa & 4) Atura Sanyasa. Since I could not understand the same, particularly the 3rd type, I request you to explain the same in detail.
Answer: It is difficult to explain the question you have asked in a short letter. However, I shall try to explain you briefly.
The renunciation must be always natural, rising with the desire for realization of God. Markata means – monkey. The monkey is always restless. Sometimes a man is not at all inclined to spiritual life. But, a sudden tragedy at house such as death of a dear one makes him loose interest in life and he wants to renounce the world. Such renunciation will be lost only as long as that grief remains in his mind. After sometimes again he gets interested in worldly life and forgets all about his renunciation. Such a renunciation is called Markata Sannyasa.