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Question: I am not fit for anything because i came for business and i spoil my father money i am trust god too much but i don’t know how to live and how to survive my self, not yet married, i have disease like ulcer, may be asthma, common cold etc., my question is why god create partiality?
Answer: Don’t loose faith in yourself. Everybody has ups and downs in life. But one should be able to face it boldly. Then only problems will fly away. There is absolutely no partiality in God’s creation. For what we have done we are paying now. Good for good and bad for bad.
Question: This has been on mind for a long time.. I tried to look for the answer in many ways but it still remains very abstract and cloudy. My question is What is ethics and moral in life? what does our hindu religion say about it. Is it both related or is it based on one another. What should a person follow in life.
Answer: Moral & ethical values vary from person to person. What is moral to an Indian may be most immoral for a Westerner, and vice versa. Even in the same country, if a soldier kills the enemies in the war, he will be honored, whereas if an ordinary man kills a person, he will be punished. I wish you read Swami Vivekananda’s Karma Yoga in which he deals in detail on the subject. It is difficult to reply in a short letter.
Question: Sri Ramakrishna says that pure knowledge and pure devotion are the same thing. Since my understanding on Vedanta is so superficial that I cannot fully understand the meaning. I am very glad if you explain this profound meaning plainly.
Answer: The yogas I mean, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga & Raja Yoga – are different faculties to reach the ultimate Goal. All these faculties ultimately lead to the same goal. In that sense, when the man reaches the highest, he will find no difference between Jnana & Bhakti.
Question: I found your site to be quite interesting. I have read some articles and a few books about Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekanda. I liked the message of singing lord’s name as told by Sri Ramakrishan (in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna) and a host of other saints and luminaries and try to follow it daily for some time. Somewhere I had read that desires are the cause for our transmigration from one form to another.In the mind no sooner is one desire fulfilled than some other takes it place.So what needs to be done to cope with this ?
Answer: Yours is a very big question and difficult to answer in short. Since you have understood that every desire gives birth to innumerable desires, you will have to give up, not to entertain any desire. Take the thing as they come without any reaction. I advise you to read the ‘Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’ which will enlighten you more.
Question: While doing japa some say that we have to increase the no. of counts. Some say that the silence between the chants is important. Can you tell me which one should I follow?
Answer: Both the versions are correct. If you feel like keeping silence and doing meditation between japam, you may do so. Or, if you have more attraction towards japam, continue as long as you can.
Question: Is it necessary to believe in God? I think whatever happens in our lives is fated and not even God can change it. I have experienced enough misery to become an atheist. Its better to accept fate and karma than going to temples and singing bhajans trying in vain to wake up the lifeless idols. Vivekananda himself has said that man is God and there is no external God. So why should we waste our time in all these rituals? Your comments please.
Answer: I appreciate your stand, provided, you have full faith in it. But, it does not mean you should discourage or argue who have faith in God. Karma Theory is very true. But, we have an illusion that we can change it. If you really believe in Karma theory, then you should not have any sorrow. You should take whatever things come in your life with an equanimous mind. Because we are not strong enough to do it, we take shelter in God.
Question: Namaste. My name is *****. I visited your website. I did go through questions already asked and answered by you. In one of your answers you said that god is impartial. We pay for what we did, good for good, bad for bad. My question is: is there no way of changing our destiny. If so, there is no point in praying isn’t it? I have faced a lot of disappointments in my life yet every time I prayed. Now I have no more patience. If one has to live one should have some hope, without which it is very difficult to live.
Answer: Namaste. Your question is very interesting, but unfortunately we cannot do business with God. No doubt destiny can be changed to certain extent by sincere prayer but don’t expect every prayer should be answered immediately. As we have done many good deeds in the past, we also have done bad deeds. We are getting the rewards for the good deeds, in the same way should we go unpunished for the bad deeds?
Since prayer and patience are the only solution for our problems, don’t loose faith, but continue with your effort.
Question: Dear Sir, I am 24 year old boy from India. I have gone thru the biography of Swami Vivekanandji and his literature. I am very impressed by him. I have few questions regarding him, hope you will put end to my dilemmas:
1. I would like to know the way by which he used to meditate, his way of Yoga.
2. I would also like to know that whether audio is available of his speech in Chicago Religion Meet.
Answer: Great saints like Swami Vivekananda can not be characterized as ordinary human being. They are born perfect and their way of Spiritual Practice can not be ordinarily followed, nor do they require any systematic practice. If you try to read any biography of Swami Vivekananda, it gives an outline of the Spiritual Practices he underwent. For others to follow, Swami Vivekananda has given clear instructions, in his book on Raja Yoga. You may try to get a copy of it & read.
Swami Vivekananda’s audio is not available since, none of the proceedings of the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, were recorded.
Question: My name is ****** and I want to ask one simple question: “As Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shankarachrya, Madvacharya, Buddha all are mentioned in the Bhagavatam and other puranas that they are incarnation of God. I want to know that about Ramakrishna Paramahamsa gurudeva also is it mentioned in the Bhagavatam and other puranas. Please mention the slokas and please send it to E-mail address.”
Answer: Bhagavatam does not find the name of Sri Ramakrishna. Yet it says that incarnations of God are innumerable & unending.
Question: i have been absorbed in studying vedanta for 2 years, and its message has impacted me so deeply that I am wishing to take sanyas. Please let me know how it is possible with your ashram.
Answer: Please let me have your full address, so that if there is any centre of ours nearby, I shall direct you to go & meet the Swami there, so that you can know things in detail.
Response to the above Answer: thank you for replying. I am living in Boston area, Mass. But actually i was in india for 9 months, i was living in an ashram. it is not possible to take sanyas there so i inquired with you since the teaching is the same vedantha. after 9 months of intense deconditioning from the concept of individuality near the illumined persons, I am finding myself back in america and the culture of body consciousness. all this creates a state of delusion and the necessity to survive financially invites further involvement. I was contemplating sanyas as a way to get focused on my dharma, which is to forget the false self. in the environment of worldly life where individuality is the only acceptable concept, it seems like an impossible ordeal. thank you for kindly replying to my message.
Reply to the above Response: We have a centre at Boston. You kindly get an appointment with Swami Tyagananda & meet him there. He will definitely guide you in the right direction. Our centre’s address is:
RESPONSE to the Above REPLY : I will be returning to india in a week for mahashivaratri, also to pick up my luggage from the ashram (Puttaparthy). I will be passing through Bangalore, it would be nice to visit your ashram. Thank you again for being so responsive.
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