Answer: The performance of Sandhya Vandana (called, in short, also as Sandhya) is a daily ritual which a Brahmacharin (celibate) or a householder has to do. It takes too much time and it is laborious. It requires water, vessels, clean place and it is a time-consuming process. So, Sri Ramakrishna has suggested that one need not do Sandhya Vandana which becomes a mechanical process and if one chants Gayatri Mantra (a Vedic Mantra) which is a powerful Mantra that is more than enough. But the Gayatri Mantra should be chanted knowing its meaning fully well. Then the Sandhya need not be performed. Then the meaning of Sandhya merges in Gayatri.

Ramakrishna has further simplified this Sandhya and Gayatri by saying that the mantra “AUM” which indicates Supreme Brahman is much more powerful than Sandhya Vandana and Gayatri and both these merge in “AUM”. Therefore, if you chant the Mantra “AUM” with intense feeling and knowing fully its meaning then both Sandhya and Gayatri merge in “AUM”. Then chanting of “AUM” is more than enough. The main point is that any mantra that a person chants goes to purify his mind.

Answer: The problem of addiction to alcohol can be solved in two ways: i. Mental and Spiritual way, ii. Physical and Medical way. i. Mental and Spiritual Way: Whenever the thought to drink arises in your mind, please follow the instructions given below: Don’t go to your friends who encourage you to drink. Keep them at a distance. Don’t listen to their advice because they are there to ruin your good health and mind. A sound mind in a sound body is what is required. Pray intensely to your Chosen Deity (God or Goddess) whom you love and revere most, to give you strength – physical, mental, intellectual, moral and spiritual, to overcome your inner weaknesses and to overcome the habit of alcohol drinking. Open the book – “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” and read a few pages. Read the life of Girish Chandra Ghosh, the disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, who was addicted to drinks and the methods Sri Ramakrishna suggested to him to overcome such bad habits. Be sincere and follow these instructions. Then by Lord’s grace you will be able to overcome your drinking habit.

ii. Physical & Medical Way: You may also consult your doctor; there may be some medicines for this addiction.

Answer: We may look at the question from two standpoints : Monism & Dualism.

From the standpoint of Monism, the question cannot arise at all, as to the monists, the world or the creation does not exist and only the God or Brahman exists, whatever they see is He only. According to this view, we see the world due to our ignorance or Maya. Whereas from the standpoint of Dualism, the world / creation exists. It is said that God created this world in a playful mood. He enjoys with His created world.

To the question – Why should God make us run about? Sri Ramakrishna said: “It is His will that we should run about a little. Then it is great fun. God has created the world in play, as it were. This is called Mahamaya, the Great Illusion. Therefore, one must take refuge in the Divine Mother, the Cosmic Power Itself. It is She who has bound us with the shackles of illusion. The realization of God is possible only when those shackles are severed.

One must propitiate the Divine Mother, the Primal Energy, in order to obtain God’s grace. God Himself is Mahamaya, who deludes the world with Her illusion and conjures up the magic of creation, preservation, and destruction. She has spread this veil of ignorance before our eyes. We can go into the inner chamber only when She lets us pass through the door. Living outside, we see only outer objects, but not that Eternal Being, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.” (Reference: ‘The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’, Page Number: 116).

Questions like the one that you have put won’t yield anything good; rather, for a man, it is much better to strive sincerely to reach the goal of our life. The Goal is to know our Real Nature or in another words, God Realization. What is required of us is to utilize the multifarious nature/world properly so that we may become stronger and get out of the veil of Maya and realize our Real Nature.

It is worth-quoting Swami Vivekananda here; he says :

This world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong. (Ref.: ‘The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda’, { in short, C.W. } Vol. 5, page no. 410)

What is the purpose of the whole of nature? That the Purusha (i.e., the jiva) may gain experience. The Purusha has, as it were, forgotten its mighty, godly nature.Ó (C.W. Vol.1, page no. 248)

This world is not our habitation, it is only one of the many stages through which we are passing. Remember that great saying of the Sankhya, “The whole of nature is for the soul, not the soul for nature.” The very reason of nature’s existence is for the education of the soul; it has no other meaning; it is there because the soul must have knowledge, and through knowledge free itself.Ó (C.W. Vol. 1, page no. 56-57)

Response to the Above: I am a devotee. My problem is: I am doing Hari Namasmarana (remembrance of the Lord) some days continuously & giving gap some days. Because if I do it continuously, I am going very deep, and by that depth I am becoming fool; my friends are telling, ‘He is becoming a Sannyasin (monk).’ By this my Sadhana (spiritual practice) is getting disturbed. Please give me good instructions to continue my Sadhana without any disturbance from others. How to do Sadhana – because by doing Sadhana for 2-3 days continuously, I am going very deep. Please tell me how I should do.

Answer to the above Response: Matter is simple. If the Hari Naamasmarana gives you peace and bliss, and it suits your constitution, please continue to do it. Don’t worry about the public criticism. You cannot satisfy your friends. The tongue has no bone. Today they criticize you, tomorrow they praise you. Don’t pay any heed to them. Be indifferent. You are doing it for your own good. While doing Naama Japa (repeating the Lord’s Name), please also pray to the Lord to give good sense to your friends.

Response to the Above: What is the difference between Vairagya & Sannyasa ? The person who has Vairagya – is he a Sannyasin (monk) ?

Answer to the above Response: Vairagya means dispassion. This means non-attachment to all pleasures, ranging from the enjoyment of tangible objects found on earth to that of the happiness, the virtuous soul experiences in the heaven. A Sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) must have keen power of intellect in order to discriminate between the real and the unreal, but also must possess stern power of will to give up the unreal.

As per the old tradition, a monk (Sannyasin) is a religious man who lives apart from the rest of the society and who has made solemn promises especially to remain a bachelor and not to have any possessions.

Swami Vivekananda says: He who takes three oaths
1) poverty,
2) celibacy and
3) obedience
and devotes his time and energy for contemplation, study of scriptures and service to society, is a Sannyasin.

Answer: 1. Shravana is hearing from the teacher or coming to know from any other authoritative source, about the Truth. It should give conviction about the Truth. Manana is constant thinking or reasoning about the Truth. Nididhyasana or meditation is a stream of ideas of the same kind as that of the Truth excluding the every other ideas. In this state, ratiocination is absent; the aspirant goes on contemplating on the Truth, till he gets established in the Truth. These three terms are not so difficult to understand; rather, more difficult it is to do proper Shravana and Manana, which are more beneficial. Take an idea from an authoritative scripture or person, and go on contemplating on it; this will help you to do Nididhyasana properly and in course of time, to live that idea in your life. Swami Vivekananda said, “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. … If we really want to be blessed, and make others blessed, we must go deeper.” (Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol. 1, page – 177)
2. When thinking goes on inside, probably you also think of form and name. That is why you hear the sound. When one advances in spiritual life, and goes deeper and deeper, there does not arise thought, name and form; you will also hear the sound – ‘Om’ to the exclusion of all other thoughts and sounds. As you grow in spiritual life, thought waves gradually reduce. Every one may not think as you think and do. Each has got his own method. To go beyond thoughts, sound, name and form – must be the goal of every spiritual aspirant. You can do this by gradual and sincere uninterrupted practice and under the guidance of a competent Guru. Only hearing will help you to clear some of the doubts you may be having and to strengthen the faith you already have about the goal to be achieved.
3. You have already answered your question in your doubt no. 1, as ‘Swajaatiya Vritti … Tiraskaara’. Hold on to one thought – ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ and repeat the Vedic dictum with intense contemplation on it which will, in time, lead you to realize it. There is no other way.
4. We understand from your e-mail that you are not formally initiated by getting a Mantra from a competent Guru. You have written, “I have tried to meditate in different ways, but haven’t been able to carry it out systematically.” We therefore request you to follow one method of meditation according to an authoritative book for the time being, and in the meanwhile, you should seek for a guru. And also sincerely pray to the Lord to find a competent Guru. In the proper time, the Lord arranges the sincere aspirants to get a competent guru who is able to show him the spiritual path faultlessly.
After finding a proper guru you should get yourself initiated by him who will give you a Mantra and instruct you how to meditate. According to his instructions, you should proceed slowly. However, it is generally advised to meditate in the heart than in the head. If you so desire to take initiation from the Ramakrishna Order, please contact any of our centres. We find from your letter that there is lot of confusion in your mind. We, therefore, request you to find at first your spiritual preceptor and then, it is better to consult him regarding these personal doubts than to seek too many individual opinions and thus get more confused.

Answer: Traditionally the community form of Hindu monastic life is of three kinds: the Ashrama, the Math and the Akhada. The Ashrama is a temporary institution meant for a small group of people. It is normally without any permanent arrangement for worship. The Ashrama form of life is meant not only for monks but also for householders. The ancient Rishis who lived in Ashramas were married people.
The Math is a permanent institution with permanent arrangement for worship, started by Shankaracharya. Following him, Ramanujacharya and Madhvacharya also founded Maths. The Math is meant for a single monk, spreading Dharma among the people.
The Akhada is a semi-permanent institution in which worship does not play an important role. It consists of a loosely-knit community of very large number of monks who do not follow a written rule. This kind of monastic institution was founded by Madhusudan Saraswati in 16th Century.

But, the Ramakrishna Order does not conform to any of the patterns of monastic life mentioned above although it includes the good aspects of all of them. The truth is, the lifestyle of the members of the Ramakrishna Order is a new way of life, which is based on the lives and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and other Direct Disciples, and the vision of Vedic Rishis with a modern outlook. They live with a motto as taught by Swami Vivekananda, “For one’s own salvation and for the good of the world”, through renunciation and service.

Answer: “If you do not get qualified person to teach Sandhya Vandana please do not worry so much. Regarding Sandhya Vandana Ramakrishna says ‘Sandhya merges in Gayatri and Gayatri merges in Om.’ So; you chant only Gayatri with sincerity and feeling that is more than enough. That mantra has the capacity to purify the mind.”
You may please read the book “Om! Gayatri & Sandhya” by ‘Swami Mukhyananda’