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.
Question: When I sit for meditation, lot of other thoughts makes the meditation less effective. So that sometimes meditation is effective and sometimes not. What should I do?
Answer: This is a very common problem for everybody. Go on persisting. After a long time, you will be able to concentrate. Try to keep the mind always pure.
Question: What is the difference between the following: Japa, Tapa, Dhayna, Puja, and equvalent words in English for the above? Human beings have got desires and they pray, worship God for their fulfillment.. May be our greed or we really in need of them. In difficulties, to get over them.. These are all related to this world.. But, very few people wish for higher things like salvation, realisation of self. What humbly, I want to know is what methodology we have to adopt for realisation of the self. A simple thing like repeating RAMANAMA can lead us there.. Or Mantras are more effective.. Were our ancient saints trained how to do Tapasya or on their own, they went about it ?
Answer: The equivalent words are – repetition of Lord’s Name, Austerities, Meditation & Worship. Each is a different type of Spiritual Practice. This desires & greed – one has to discriminate for oneself and decide, because, what is desire for one may not be greed for another. I wish you read some book on Spiritual Subjects which will clear most of your doubts.
Question: I am a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. I am doing my B.Sc. I found that Swami Vivekananda once said that with the advent of Sri Ramakrishna Avatar the Satya Yuga has begun. Again we find Sri Ramakrishna saying,”Naradiya Bhakti in the Kali Yuga”, “Kalite vedmat chale na”(The path of Vedas is not for the Kali Yuga), “Kalite annagata pran”- about religion in the Kali Yuga. My question is, is Sri Ramakrishna stressing on the principles of Dharma of the Kali Yuga because we are living in a transitional phase between Kali & Satya Yuga? I am eager to know how we can correlate Swamiji’s declaration (begining of Satya Yuga with Sri Ramakrishna) & Thakur’s advices on religion in the Kali Yuga. I will be very grateful to you if you kindly enlighten me about how Yugavatar Sri Ramakrishna has been a bridge between the essentials of Kali Yuga & Satya Yuga.
Answer: It is extremely difficult to understand what Swamiji has definitely meant by Satyayuga. But, since he has said, it has to become. Only we have to wait and see. But, one thing is certain because of the advent of Sri Ramakrishna – the Hindu religion has been saved. I am also sure that the whole world has to turn towards the religion of Sri Ramakrishna which lays emphasis on the unity of religions.
Question: I read that research is going on to create artificial life. Artificial Reproductive techniques like, test tube babies, Surrogate motherhood, cloaning are evolving gradually. Is it technology abuse? Shall we be alarmed? I believe without God’s permission nothing will happen. Are all these His play?
What is the relationship between and among body, mind, intelect and Soul? As the requirements of these are different, if we practise enrichment of one are we starving others? Is it possible only Intelect can take us towards liberation? Or, which of them are closely related among mind, intelect and Self?
Answer: You yourself have given the answer to the question. Everything is the God’s play. If God wants man also to create, all these things will happen.
Intellect can never take to liberation. Where intellect stops, there realisation starts. Intellect will help you only to know what you should realise. This Vedanta calls it as indirect knowledge. Direct knowledge comes from experience. You can get the theoretical knowledge of sugar by reading books, but the experience comes only when you put the sugar into mouth.
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