Question: I am writing this mail from New Delhi. I am an initiated devotee I am also a regular (daily) reader of Sri Ramakrishna Vedanta literature publications.
Recently I have visited The Bangalore Ramakrishna Math at Bull Temple Road. Needless to say, that I liked the place very much and also the serene spiritual environment maintains around the Rock where the holy mother also meditated.
I have visited Ramakrishna Math and Mission at few other places also like — Chennai, Vrindaban, Mumbai and Delhi. In the Math at Bull Temple Road at Bangalore Has Sri Sri Thakur facing the East direction where as at most of the other Math’s Sri Sri Thakur is facing West.
Now my query is, does it has any significance on which Direction the deity is facing or which direction the Devotees should face while doing Japa / meditation or Puja. If yes, then why? My ignorance may be pardoned.
I always perform my daily Japa facing East direction only.
Please advice.
Answer: When the Lord is all-pervading all directions are equally important. It is immaterial whether Lord is facing east or west. In Bangalore Lord is facing east because the devotees could see Him even from the main road (Bull Temple Road).
You are doing Japa facing east. That is a right, but what is most important thing is you should do Japa thinking of its meaning & with devotion and earnestness. As long as you are doing this Japa with that idea you are on the right track. Even though you are facing the east, if your mind is wandering in all the 10 directions, your doing Japa will bear no fruit. Therefore, directions are not important. Yearning, earnestness and devotion are much more important than east or west. Please continue your Japa without any break.
May Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna shower His choicest blessings and give you necessary strength to carry on the Japa Yajna.
Question: I have a question. How do we choose truth from lie??? Is there such a thing exists??? Who made the decision what is truth and what is not? Is it ok to tell a lie in order to please someone as long as you are not gaining something from it? I am not sure if it’s a right question to ask you sir, but it been bothering me too long. I do not know the answer to the question. I was hoping you can help me to clarify it.
Answer: You have put a highly philosophical question. I do not know to what extent I can clarify your doubt through this mail.
The very existence is Truth. Truth does not need a proof. It is a proof by itself.
In the higher realm, discrimination between the real and the unreal is the method. Real is Truth. That which stands in all the 3 times (past, present, and future) is truth.
In the day to day life (Vyavaharika) Truth refer to certain statement of facts to our best of knowledge. Supposing a glass of milk is placed before you mixed with poison. I openly tell you about the fact and request you to drink the milk. Will you not use your discrimination and reject it because it is harmful and dangerous to your health and life? Sticking to the Truth gives us moral strength to face the life as it comes, though at times the results may not be encouraging in the beginning. But the end is strength and Joy
. Though it is not advisable to tell even a ‘fib’ the unpleasant truth should be avoided. These is a Sanskrit Sloka which says: Satyam bruyat priyam bruyat, Na bruyat satayampriyam.
Question: I want to join the Ashram as a Monastic and want to serve the humanity… Kindly provide me the information how can I proceed with this thought and what is the input required from my side…. Waiting for your valuable feedback…
Answer:
1.You must be a graduate.
2. Age should be with in 30 years.
3.You must be a bachelor.
4. No family encumbrances.
5.You must have thorough knowledge about the life & teachings of Ramakrishna- Vivekananda and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.
6. Have clear ideas as to why you want to renounce worldly life and become a monk to serve the humanity at large.
7. You are a highly qualified person, so you should think very deeply about your future life.
8. Don’t be in a hurry and resign your job, and land yourself in great difficulties which are unknown and unexpected. If you feel you can take some leave & come and stay with us, when we can discuss the matter in person,
Question: I am male software engineer married and have only daughter.
I have no intention to stop it as I feel very happy about go ahead.
The problem is with chanting Ramanam with mind only. But while I chant in mind, my tongue also moving accordingly in some pace. After sometime here only I feel pain at lower jaws.
If I keep the tongue fixed by some force, then chanting goes along with breath. Then while inhaling “Sri” and exhaling “Rama”. Is it good Swamiji?
I am sharing with you in the view you might have encountered this before by yourself or any of your devotee friends. Is it common issue or because I am not doing it properly?
With your diving grace from Sri Ramakrishna order I will keep continue to do Ramanam Smarana.
Answer: When you inhale “Sri”, please inhale “Rama” along with it. Both words should go together. Please don’t separate them. Don’t do too much of inhaling & exhaling. Instead while chanting Ramanam, meditate the Divine effulgent form of Rama in the heart. That will ease the tension. You have progressed very well in the right direction. Also pray to Sri Hanuman for proper guidance. He will definitely help you. He is the servant of Rama and Ramabhaktas
Question: I am a 22 year old man in a desperate need for help. I am an engineering graduate, now proceeding with a computer course. With the blessings of God I am expecting to get a good job soon. By the grace of God, I am born of very good parents, with a wonderful family background.
I am really sticking to the principles taught by Swami Vivekananda, which has made me a confident, energetic young man. I have decided to contribute a handsome amount to the society, from the moment I start earning. Even now I have been helping out the poor and needy to any possible extent and I do that only with respect to God.
Coming to my problem, I have the same problem which most men of my age face. I am not able to overcome, or control my sensual pleasures. If I try to control my sexual desires, because of my determination, I think of it most of the time and the time gets wasted. Instead I feel that I can give way to those feelings so that I don’t waste time anymore, but for 5-10 minutes. Because of my nature of my profession in which I would soon be, it would be nearly impossible to cut down contact with people of opposite sex. I am practising meditation, chanting Gayathri Mantra 108 times in the morning and in the evening, followed by Sivapuranam (Tamil Sloka for lord Shiva). Please tell me if there are any specific Slokas that would help me overcome my problem. I am deeply depressed as I am not able to keep up the promises made to God in this regard and am afraid that I would be punished. To say the truth, I have been to Vivekananda Ashram Ulsoor, for the meditation classes conducted on Sundays from 4:30 to 5:30. I wanted to have a discussion. But I was feeling ashamed of discussing such a problem with my religious Guru. Now I am back to my native, please help me in this regard,
Answer: My humble advice to you is
1.Take bland diet (Without Salt & species).
2. Don’t take pickles or any Garam Masala items.
3.You should give up such food that excites your nerves like garlic or onion.
4.Take only Satvik food.
5. Continue to chant Gayatri Mantra with meaning which you are doing now.
6. Offer intense prayers to make your mind pure.
7.Take some physical exercises daily like Yogasanas.
8. Keep good company.
9. Read good books which will elevate your mind, and cogitate on such good thoughts.
10. Don’t think opposite sex as an object of enjoyment, a manufacturing machine. Instead think that they are divine and they are also to be honored, respected and worshipped. In this connection I request you to read that portion from the life of Sri Ramakrishna who worshipped his wife as the Mother of the universe. Unless until you change your outlook you cannot raise in the Moral scale. Every woman is Shakti and she has divinity in her. Pay due respects to that divinity and hate it not.
May Divine Mother of the universe give you sufficient mental strength to overcome all temptations in your life!
Question: I do not have Guru, how to get initiated by a Guru, about Japam?
Answer: I came to know from your letter cited above that you do not have a Guru and you are interested in doing Japam and therefore, how to get initiated?
First of all pray sincerely to your Ishta Devata to take you to a right type of Guru who can lead you in the right path towards the goal supreme. Then one day Lord Himself will lead you to the right person who will guide you in the right direction properly and initiate you with suitable Manta. Guru himself will instruct you how to do Japa? In the meantime you can prepare the ground by daily chanting the name of your favorite deity as many times as possible, reading the Holy Scriptures and life & teachings of your Ishta Devata. Cultivate some sweet relationship between you and the deity.
Question: Respected Sir, My story is my father was a businessman. He is very helpful to every one he always helped others without expecting from others. My father passed away 2 years back suddenly passed away by heart attachŽ. After that our financial position reversed the business also running in loss I requested all my relatives and my fathers friends those are benefited from my father in past. But they all are not interested to help me and also says that your father spent money very cheaply with out saving and somebody scold my father’s character to help every one. So finally I close the business and moved to Hyderabad. Now me my sister searching and join in small job. She is M sc. and me is MBA but we didn’t getting jobs in good companies. We are trying our best from last year. Once jobs are coming very closely but didn’t getting one time loosed by me because of some reference like this so many recently my sister last week selected in Mahindra British Telecom we all are thought that she’s got job finally some technical problem they canceled all interview results. She depressed. I am doing regular Sandhya Vandandana and I am great follower of Swami Vivekananda but how much time I encourage my self and encourage my family my like this Bad Fait.
My Questions: 1. What happened to our Family my mother is great follower of Raghavendra Swami. She also helps every one like my father. She read regularly Ramayana as I know she always speaks truth then why she getting difficulties in life.
2. Is our Fait Changes or not?
Please give me replay Swamiji; I have nobody to tell my difficulties. when ever I get difficulty. I just go to math and cry’s before Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Statue and encourage my self and go to home and encourages my family also. But now I can’t encourage my self also. Is my Master forgetting me? Give me reply I am eager to see your reply. Thanks for reading my story.
Answer: I have read it carefully and noted the contents. Please do not lose heart. You are an educated young man having lot of energy. Please do not stop praying to Sri Ramakrishna and have strong faith in him. Have patience. Sri Ramakrishna knows what is best for you and your family. Surrender completely to Him and seek guidance from Him. I am sure He will do the best for you.
“It is people who are getting old, who talk of fate. It is the strong man, who stands up and says, ‘I will make my fate,’ says Swami Vivekananda.
Question: I am practicing Ramanama Smarana. But while doing so I am feeling pain inside the throat even though I do silently. How can I overcome this pain and continue my Sadhana? I feel very happy about Namasmarana.
Answer: Please note that Ramanama Smarana should not be stopped. Continue to do it. If there is pain in the throat, chant the name in the mind. Pain may be due to your talking too much.
With your friends, chant the name of Rama silently and mentally also offer prayers for welfare of all.
You may also consult a good doctor for throat pain.
Question: 1) Knowing the Truth i.e., knowledge of the Supreme Self, (Jnana), having un-shakable faith without any deviations and doubt, contemplating on Advaithic truth and meditating on ‘Oneness I AM’ helps in preventing any fresh Vasanas (desires) entering in my mind in the form of indulgence
2) In addition to the above, Self effort in regular introspection of oneself by knowing the movement of the mind helps in practicing self control, mental discipline, thereby un-loading the existing Vasanas (desires) in the form of indulgence. This gives further clarity to the Truth ‘I AM’ and in turn helps for further concentration in Meditation.
My question is: In my personal experience, I feel both the above are interlinked and complementary to each other which are necessary to reach the Goal of Self-realization. Without focusing on ‘I AM’ and realizing the same, Self realization and liberation from birth and death is not possible and at the same time without self effort in Self control and mental discipline by avoiding indulgence, focusing and contemplating on ‘I AM’ is not possible. In other word, without constant focusing and steadfast on ‘Oneness I AM’, the mind-intellect medium does not get purified. At the same time without self-effort in purification of medium by way of Self-control, peaceful meditation on ‘Oneness I AM’ is not possible. ‘Kindly clarify the same.
Answer: You are right.
Please continue to practice the same as you are doing now. You will surely progress in the right path chosen by you.
Question: Thank you for your valuable reply. I have another doubt sir and I hope you can clear it. I have been reading the book-They lived with God by Swami Chetanananda. In that book in the chapter related to Sri Ramakrishna’s niece (Lakshmi) if I am not mistaken he says that he will be born again after 100 years and the Holy Mother and his neice will be born along with him. As 100 years are already finish is it possible that Sri Ramakrishna is already living somewhere in some other incarnation. Ho do we recognize or identify him? My other doubt is has anyone living at present experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi? How does it feel when we are in that state? Hoping to receive your reply
Answer: Your observation in the book “They lived with God” is correct. It is only those who are of the level of an incarnation can recognize another incarnation, unless one reveals himself. In the modern days there is no depth of fake god-men which makes it all the more difficult to recognize. I feel if we have true devotion to the incarnation of the God as Sri Ramakrishna is sufficient for our spiritual progress, instead of our trying to judge an incarnation person.
Since you have come across this statement in the book of Swami Chetananandaji, if you desire you can send your question to him. His e-mail address is: vedantastl@prodigy.net.
The state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi cannot be expressed. It is a thing to be experienced. There may be some who have experienced. But it is difficult to say whether they will give expression to it, even if they do it, they do so only to another competent person who will be able to comprehend.
Under the circumstances it is more desirable for to do our spiritual practice. To the best of our ability as guided by our Guru & other scriptures.
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