Question: I have read in a book that one has to offer the five pranas, five indriyas, manas, budhi, ahankar to Lord to get jnana. Can you elaborate on what is the meaning of offering five pranas? Offering five indriyas means always seeing Him, listening about Him, etc., is it? If that is the case what about the indriyas like nose and skin. How do we offer them? Also what is the difference between manas, budhi & ahankar and how do we offer them?
Answer: 1. In the first sentence you mention that you have read a book in which it is mentioned to offer the five pranas etc. can you quote the name of the book, the author, publisher and page number, and any other necessary details so that we can also go through the same book and understand the context? Please give the reference.
2. Any spiritual aspirant is asked by his Guru to offer his everything at the feet of his chosen deity. The idea is not to own anything for himself but to hold everything as a Trust which belongs to the Lord. The idea of complete surrender lies behind this action.
3. How to do it? You imagine as if you are the owner of all these things and offer it at the Lord’s feet. It is a strong imagination and mental action.
4. Manas is what is called mind, which is more of mater and knows only pros and cons of a subject. Buddhi is more subtle and can decide and give the answer to questions posed by the mind. Buddhi is the determinative faculty.
5. Ego comes when the soul identifies itself with body and says ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’.
for more details read thoroughly Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda and keep contact with the Swamiji-in-charge of the nearest Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission centre
uestion: I am 22 years young man. I am interested in spiritual life. I am student. I am doing M.Sc-physics. I am in A.P. I concentrate on agna chakram (bhroomadya pradesam). As I try to concentrate on it for some time, I suffer with eye pain. Is my practice is correct?.
My Istadevam is Sree Rama. I want to see him in this life without leaving my duties. Is it possible? Someone say only you reach your goal when all other things are leave. If I leave my duties, what about my parents? We are very poor. For reaching my goal how I do Sadana? In present days there are so many attractions. How can I overcome it. Please give me direction
Answer: Glad to know that you are interested in spiritual life.
It is better you concentrate at the heart-centre instead of eye-brows. Stop it, certain problems like head-ache, etc may come when you concentrate at eye-brows.
First concentrate on your studies and complete your course. Then you can think of the rest.
In the meanwhile read the following books:
1. Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
2. Selections from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
3. Paramartha Prasanga by Swami Virajananda
4. Spiritual Practice by Swami Ashokananda
We have our centres in Hyderabad, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, and Vaizag in Andhra Pradesh. You can visit your nearest centre and talk to the Swamiji-in-charge there. The addresses are available in our website.
Question: Most of my life, I spent believing in god. If god is above me and beside me in everything then how can such a thing happen. When there is righteousness fails ….won’t god come to me ???? if the world is maya then aren’t I maya too. If so, how can I be hurt?
Please help me to understand sir
Answer: ‘God sees the truth but waits’ and ‘Slow and steady wins the race’ are the famous statements. Patience, perseverance & forbearance will yield the fruit.
May God speed to you.
Question: I thank you for your reply. I asked you the question about nirvikalpa samadhi to know whether even in this kali yuga we can reach such a state and if we did how we would escape the newspapers and televisions.
I have a hobby of reading philosophical books. I have read in many books that if we are good and spiritual it means that we seek our own liberation, we are selfish and that we have to work for others and help them even at the cost of telling lies or giving false hopes. Is it true sir ?
Answer: You are reading philosophical books. Read Swami Vivekananda’s Raja Yoga. You will know about Nirvikalpa Samadhi. It is a very high state. Let us start from where we are and proceed step by step.
When you have attraction towards more important things say – examination – you will automatically refrain from T.V. and newspapers. So also in respect of spiritual life.
Swami Vivekananda has given the ideal as “Atmano Mokshartham Jagad hitaya ca’ – for the salvation of one self and for the good of the world. If you take care of the means the goal is automatically taken care of. Do you think by telling lies and giving false hopes you can achieve anything? Sri Ramakrishna says that through cleverness nothing great can be achieved. Do not cheat yourself. Be a role model. Be strong and you will succeed. Choose Swami Vivekananda as your hero and read his works thoroughly and then decide about your path.
Question: Thanks a lot for responding back to me. I bought the book which you have mentioned in the mail, and am really very useful for me.
I would also like to know the number of times we have to chant the mantra. Some says it is 1008 times. Some say 108 times. Some say minimum it has to be 24 times So I am really confused here…Can you pls guide me in this direction.
Answer: There is no rigid rule regarding the number. The minimum can be 24. You can repeat it as many times as possible. More the better. The quality and the feeling is more important than the number.
Question: Swamiji I want to know about “The Power of Subconscious Mind”. I have read a book in English but I can’t understand. Swamiji please can you tell me answers & suggest to my questions.
1. What is Subconscious Mind?
2. How it works.
3. How can we heel the power from our Subconscious Mind?
4. How can we reach the goal through our Subconscious Mind?
5. How can we use the power of our Subconscious Mind?
Swamiji, can you tell me is there any Kannada books through I can easily understand & putting in to practice. So many people do not know, what is the power of Subconscious Mind? How to use that including me also?
Swamiji, I am looking for your valuable suggestion & answers.
Answer: Kindly read the following books: 1. Ekagrateya Kale (Art of concentration) published by Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysore
2. Dhyana mattu Ekagrate ( Concentration & Meditation) published by Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysore
Question: I am learning yoga positions. I don’t think I am doing them right. I was wondering if I did them wrong. Will that affect me physically/mentally?
Answer: It is better to learn Yoga Postures under some expert teacher in a proper manner.
Question: Currently I am doing my Night shift so I work and at the same time I mail you in solace. In fact that is what I do, I work, I keep my self engaged with work, that keeps me happy when I make good designs.
But sir, sadly this lack of work environment is a truth here. The day i mailed you, these things were very dominant in my mind, but tonight as it’s about a week I am much cooler.
If fact I have to a certain extent adjusted and accepted this scenario, but I try to keep my self awake with work.
But sir you know this mind is restless, as I mentioned you I keep on having hypothetical thoughts what if… they do this… what if they misbehave….what if they obstruct… I know it’s wrong but it happens then I control it also, this is how it is.
Although it is not that bad that I need to take a transfer, because my department has the most advanced software on which I do the designing, taking a transfer will make me loose this opportunity.
But yes sir, these guys do try to make their presence felt just by talking, and talking nonsense.
I do tell all these things to my parents, baba (he is a lecturer in English) says what swami Vivekananda said” chalakir dara kono mauhot kaaj kora jae na”.
But sir, when you face things then only one realizes what it is like to face trouble or nonsense.
Sir, I love to read these fiery books of Ramakrishna Mission, but I have never done yoga, yes I do lye down quietly and try to see what the trouble is and give answers to it me.
Swamiji is it possible that if remain calm irrespective of the kind of people, rage, jealousy that one faces.
I want to remain unmoved under any circumstance, with due focus on my work. How?
I can grab a better job for myself in the next 3-4 years, but I want to leave this place with a smile and with a great deal of knowledge in my stream of Designing.
Swamiji, I want to be stronger in this respect that let people say anything I will move on…
In this regard I will need your constant touch through mail.
I regularly Visit the Ramakrishna Mission stall in book fair I attained the name of a Swamiji and the timings on when can I meet him… but sir the problem is not that severe and acute, had it been I surely would have made a move.
But I wanted to talk to some one on how to face and live life in the right note, I just get one holiday in a week and I just sleep through out the day or stay at home or go for a walk, sorry sir for this laziness…
But I would with your kind permission like to put questions to you on life or how to face things or situations or people.
Swamiji, kindly give me a reply as you get my mail, I feel mail is a much better was to discuss and when things look severe I will walk my way to you or who ever you suggest. But sir I want to keep in touch with you through mail.
It was a great pleasure to get back a reply from your end I hope you will take the pain of answering my Questions when ever I am in trouble or in Darkness.
Answer: You are free to write to us whenever you feel like.
There are two methods of controlling the vagaries of the mind.
1. You must be like an observer. You go on simply watching your own mind. Just like the students keep quiet in the class room when teacher is observing, the mind will calm down. But you must take care not to identify or mix yourself with these thoughts.
2. Self-surrender: Surrendering to God and accept the life as it comes and face the same boldly.
Appended is a nice parable. It can help you. I hope you will like it. A DONKEY IN THE WELL…
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw.
As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.
The Moral:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up! Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Question: I am working as a graphic designer in a well known T.V. channel. But sir things here things are good as well as bad. I have freedom to do my kind of work, but there is no such specific authority to take control of things here.
Some guys in my dep’t have their brothers working with the higher bosses so they think they can talk or do anything they like. That is the reason why most of the people here have the most daring attitude for not working.
Once I had a problem with one of the guys as he was trying to act smart.
Sir, I am 27 yrs old, it was not very easy to get this job, and I know with due focus on my job I can do much better, but sir there are times when I feel very irritated to the approach that these boys have in my department.
I at times have Hypothetical thoughts like what if they don’t let me take holidays, or obstruct me in my work.
Since I keep myself busy with my work, and my work is fine they don’t say much about it. But some times they interfere. The biggest thing sir, I have studied designing, they haven’t they are not designers. They are here because they are brothers or friends of some seniors.
Other people in my department are aware of these characters, but no one wants to invite trouble by complaining. If fact I myself don’t know what use would it be to complain, although nothing as such has happened, but sir their attitude is like as if they run’g the department. One of the characters has a sound technical knowledge but he does not do much of designing work, the problem is they work least and talk crap to the maximum extent.
I am an ardent fan of Vivekananda. I have read several books published by Ramakrishna mission; I feel great solace in reading his opinion on life.
But sir, I do loose balance, and feel irritated at the okward behavior of these people. Although sir i am not a communal person, I love people but sir all these guys that i am talking about come from the state of Bihar. I agree that they did not get the best of Environment that I got, but they can at least respect the job they r doing. In fact one of the guys with whom I had a confrontation is elder to me by 5yrs, how can I make them understand what is right and wrong it hurts their ego. The other guy is of my age, but he has studied till 12th, but has a good technical knowledge but then keeps on talking ill for other people, as his elder brother works with one of our big bosses as his personal secretary.
I some times out of irritation think that I will go and complain, but then I cool down.
Sir, how can I reach a state where I am not troubled or affected with their immature deeds, and I just go on bettering in my job.
I truly do not feel like hurting any one or speaking rough to any one but sir these thoughts come to me, kindly throw some light and show me the way….things here are not in a very bad shape but working environment is very bad.
Answer: They are trying your patience. No use of getting irritated. That will spoil your mental peace. Please keep cool. Pray continuously to grant good sense to those who trouble you. Speak sweet words, pleasant words. If possible try to get a transfer.
You can visit our Ashrama in New Delhi and discuss your problems in person with the Swamiji-in-charge.
Question: I have a few of questions to ask you concerning Vedanta:
1. Many times in his life did Ramakrishna have visions of the Divine Mother? But what were these visions really? Was it a glimpse of Brahman meaning that the vision was Reality, or on the contrary, was the vision only Maya and imagination (a vision is only illusion)?
2. What separates Brahman and Maya? Is Maya part of Brahman (since Brahman is everything) or is Brahman the opposite of Maya (as Truth and Reality opposes itself to illusion)?
3. What is the place of Vedanta in Sanatana Dharma? Is Vedanta taking the best things of Hinduism and leaving out the negative points (such as the status of low caste people)?
4. Could Hinduism be classified as an animist religion (the belief that every natural thing contains a spirit and is therefore living)?
5. I plan to travel to India next year and study in the Belur Math for a couple of months (to start with) as it’s the best place for mastering Vedanta. I wanted to know two things:
6. Is it possible to become a monk only temporary (for a few years) or must one take a monastic vow for life?
7. Does the Ramakrishna order organize volunteering services during summer? I would be interested to volunteer in any way to help society and community.
Answer: Glad to know that you are interested in Vedanta and Sri Ramakrishna. Your questions are such that it needs long discussion involving different systems of philosophy. It will be advisable to have personal discussion in the matter. You may contact Swami Dayatmanandaji who is in-charge of our London centre. The address is given below:
Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre
Unity House, Blind Lane
Bourne End,
Buckinghamshire SL8 5LG, England
Cable: VEDANTA
Phone: 44-162-852-6464
E-mail: vedantauk@talk21.com
Web Site: www.vedantauk.com
You can fix an appointment with him over phone and meet him during mutually convenient time.
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