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?

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?

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?

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?

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.

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?

Question: Please guide the process/procedures on becoming a MONK. What will be expected of me and duties to do/follow.

Question: What is the main purpose of the caste system?
In the Hindu religion, people of lower caste are suppressed. I am the Rama Bhakta. My cast is camma. I love my religion (Hindu). But people of other religion criticize Hinduism. Are Sudra’s aren’t allowed to learn Vedas, doing Japa, etc. I didn’t know even how I do Puja according to Sastra. I don’t know about my religion, knowledge, truths, Sadanas etc., Please tell me about caste system and why it is placed in Hinduism. What are main things in our religion?
What is the difference between Manassu and Buddhi?
How to develop ourselves in spiritual life?

Question: Few months ago, I started meditation by focusing between my eyebrows and within a day I started having some unpleasant reactions and I stopped meditating within 3-4 days. I was advised to meditate at my heart centre. But due to the demands of my academics, I had to stop meditation all together. During the time when I had those experiences while and after meditating, one thing that happened was that I began to feel a strange sensation in the middle and around my forehead. At its peak, during those few days, I could feel a certain pressure on almost my entire forehead coming down till the upper part of my nose. However, all this went away when I stopped. But even now when I come in a contemplative mood, I feel the same sensation at the middle of my forehead. It happens whenever I get deeply engrossed in a spiritual book or thought. The last time it happened was probably 4 months ago because the last four months all I did was college work and study. Now I got a chance and I spent my entire day reading Swamiji’s biography and refrained from watching television etc and that sensation returned. I am just curious to know if this is bad thing because I certainly remember that the reactions I had when I used to meditate (after which all this started) were quite violent and not a sign of something good.
“And here is the test of truth: Anything that makes you weak physically, intellectually, and spiritually, reject as poison; there is no life in it, it cannot be true.”