~~OM~~

Spiritual seeker's attributes

1. What is the most important attribute of a spiritual seeker?

   We've been translating Ramakrishna's Katha Amrita, and he calls it VYAKULATA, the sincere, intense, longing with a Capital L. The story is told of the guru who was asked, "How can I see God?" The guru replied, "I will show you," and took the disciple to the bank of the river. The two waded into the waters to bathe, and the guru held the disciple's head under the water. When the disciple started to gasp for air and to fight for his life, the guru pulled him up and asked, "How did you feel?" The disciple replied, "I felt like I would die!" Then the guru replied, "When you feel like that for God, then you can hope to have His darshan!"

2. In your opinion, what is the single most important quality that a disciple needs to possess?

   Faith.

Goals and Surrender

3. We say that we should surrender everything to God. We also say that we should establish goals. Are not the two contrary? If I am trying to establish a goal (say for example early retirement) I am not surrendering to God's will (maybe He wants me to work till the end) and vice versa. I think there is something I am missing, can you please help me understand?

   Man proposes and God disposes. Make your goals, strive for your goals, and accept all that God wishes to give.

4. Is this true of spiritual goals also? For example, if I decide on a goal of chanting the Chandi and perfecting it, how would I know that something that comes in the way of this goal is an obstacle that I have to overcome versus realizing that it is the will of God for me not to chant.

   It is true of all goals. Still we will make our best efforts. But there are times when even our best efforts fall short. Then we seek forgiveness for our short-comings and forgive ourselves as well.

Spiritual Goal

5. In your opinion, what is a good spiritual goal to have?

   To love God with all your heart and all your soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Dealing with our faults

6. What is best - to forget, or to acknowledge, one's own faults or, does the ideal response change according to circumstances and the state of one's devotion at the time?

   Acknowledge, correct, appreciate and forget.

How to speak

7. As a devotee gets more peaceful and satisfied from her devotions, are there any special responsibilities such a soul has regarding how she speaks in this world?

   Of course. We all have the duty to exemplify of our devotion in our every action. Devotion means we love so much that we pay attention. We act with efficiency. We speak with the authority of Love.

Surrender

8. What, actually, is 'surrender' - and how does one differentiate 'surrendering' from, say, taking no action in an abusive situation?

   In Sanskrit the term for surrender is samarpana. Sama means equilibrium, arpanam means to offer. To offer one's own self in equilibrium is surrender.

   It is different from someone holding a gun to our heads, and we say, "We surrender!" In that type of surrender we are really not offering ourselves in equilibrium. In that kind of surrender we always maintain some hope that we can escape and attain our freedom once again.

Sincerity

9. How does Swamiji define sincerity? Could Swamiji advise us on how we can become more sincere in life and in our devotion?

   I love the etymology of the Sanskrit term for sincerity: Vyakulata. Vya means vyakti, the individual. Kulata means united in excellence. Sincerity is when the individual is united in excellence. Japa is the way to increase our vyakulata. "What a privilege to worship You. Help me to worship You more. Please increase my devotion," again and again.

Charity

10. Shree Maa says in the "Gems of Wisdom" - " In the Kali Yuga charity is supreme. Among all types of living, the offering of Dharma is the highest." How does one 'offer Dharma'? Is not Dharma something which we are held to spiritually and/or in terms of right livelihood?

    Offering Dharma means manifesting the highest ideal of perfection in every action.

Efficiency in Karma

11. Swamiji talks of the efficient ones, so are we then to do the work that supplies our material needs the quickest, so that more time can be set aside for sadhana and Seva? Or do we accept the invitations of the world and travel the long and difficult path of karma yoga as our sadhana and our Seva?

    Considering the greatest efficiency, there is an appropriate time and and circumstance for each.

How to respond when people get physical

12. What does the urban sadhu do when people around him get too physical?

    The appropriateness of your response will depend on the circumstances.

Desire to remain aloof

13. I find at times I feel very aloof and don't want to be touched even by loving people. I want to connect to spirit, but not other human beings , not always but sometimes. How do I let them know, "I Love You, but don't touch me." Seems contradictory, but is how on occasion i feel.

    Sometimes your seva to them will allow you to sacrifice and accept the expression of their affection in the way they want to express it.

How to make God our friend?

14. How can we make God our Friend, so much so, He is more real and steady a friend than any human being?

    Like any relationship, the more time we spend, the deeper the bond grows.

When the world comes knocking

15. How does the spiritual man or woman maintain their focus when the world comes knocking?

    Try not to answer.

Surrender and correct attitude

16. Is the attitude "God is doing everything" only true for people that have completely surrendered? For people that are not completely surrendered (ME!!!) and people who cannot or unable to adopt that attitude, is it better to take on the attitude of - I will set my house in order, I will prepare so that my life can revolve around sadhana. I will organize my life so that I can have the privilege to worship?

    That is my belief. It is very easy to speak "God is doing everything", but to live that way is a totally different story. Look at their actions and you can tell the talkers from the doers.

Making more time for God

17. If the devotee has a large percentage of time in activities related to survival [work] in an environment that is not oriented to worship, what is the most important thing to do? Do we focus on: giving more than we receive, within that context or, do we plan on how to better arrange our lives, strategize a life with more time for God? If we do both, how do we proceed, how do we best please the Goddess?

    While being efficient in our present endeavors, so we don't have to repeat them again, we should be organizing and planning so we can minimize or eliminate those activities that we feel are divergent from our spiritual aspirations. A clear list of goals will be very helpful, including a definition of the economic ramifications of pursuing such goals, and then it will be easy to arrive at a budget, from which you will know how much income you actually require to accomplish your objectives.

18. What is the dynamic, the practical process, for pulling the mind back to the divine, when circumstances demand attendance to daily duties, especially when they require speaking, or other mental processes not related to the path, but computers, or mundane work, etc.?

    We continually reinforce the sense of privilege that we feel to be serving God through our actions, which help to manifest Godliness in the world.

Unable to say no

19. Currently in my life I have a lot of stuff going on. The complication revolves around my skills at working with "technical" Maya. I'm in high demand because of those skills. Because of my nature I find it hard to say "No" to these demands and because of my past successes I find myself drawn in many directions.

    My mind is reacting to all this. My body reacts to my mind by cramping my back muscles and causing me pain. I guess this is stress. I simply don't know what to do with it all. I'm trying to say, "Okay God, as you wish." And I just keep trying to do my best to accomplish what I can. I just want to know if there is a way to let go of the stress while I do that. Why must I feel badly about doing my best? Why can't I just let it go, why must it tie my muscles in knots? Why can't I really mean it, when I say it?

    Because you care! Now let's reorganize our priorities, so we put less emphasis on the mundane.

When life becomes overwhelming

20. When life events become overwhelming, what is the most essential thing to do? In other words, when there are so many urgent matters to care for and life is calling your name, how does one return to a condition of regular sadhana? Life is short and we do not wish to drop the thread of this nice path you have provided for very long.

    Stop and analyse your goals. Then read the Devi Kavach.

How not to be exploited?

21. Spiritual life means to give more than we get. How do we translate this so that we do not allow ourselves to be exploited in the name of giving. Can you please share your thoughts Swamiji?

    To be sadhus we must be efficient. Efficiency demands that we budget our time, resources, etc. To be a spiritual giver means to give the best that we can as is appropriate according to time, place, circumstance, etc.

Negative Emotions

22. When those so-called negative emotions come up, and have reached the point of being apparent for all to see, what is the correct and reliable course of action for the devotee to swiftly return to the God orientation? Does this question show some misunderstanding of a wider issue at stake? Seeking the Sadhu's attitude.

    The Ego won the boon that he will be too strong for us to be victorious. Only the Divine Mother, the Energy of All in Everything, has the capacity to withdraw Her energy from the Ego and send the Gods back to heaven.

    Our only possibility is to pray to Mother to take away all energy from our negativity and fill us with pure positive energy.

Efficiency in Karma

23. Swamiji talks of the efficient ones, so are we then to do the work that supplies our material needs the quickest, so that more time can be set aside for sadhana and Seva? Or do we accept the invitations of the world and travel the long and difficult path of karma yoga as our sadhana and our Seva?

    Considering the greatest efficiency, there is an appropriate time and and circumstance for each.

Challenges of Family Life

24. What about the problems that arise if someone is turning to silence and family life etc is creating "noise"? That noisy duality must be seen as the Devi's sound, not contrary to AUM? The householder needs to be somewhat of a very wise person to transition as he/she gets older? She needs to believe her way is true?

    It is true, I hope, that we get wiser with age. That's because it becomes more and more necessary.

Fear of Death

25. What to do when the fear of death comes?

    Remember Mahamrityunjay.

Stress and Confusion

26. What does the devotee count on when stress and confusion overwhelms? We cannot think or see straight, or even tell what is inside and outside. The world keeps moving but we are not fast enough to rise above. We cannot remember or even forget a thing. What to do?

    Stop! Think of the object of your devotion. Breathe. Smile. Then start from the beginning.

Work Environment not conducive to worship

27. If the devotee has a large percentage of time in activities related to survival [work] in an environment that is not oriented to worship what is the most important thing to do? Do we focus on, giving more than we receive within that context or do we plan on how to better arrange our lives, strategize a life with more time for God? If we do both, how do we proceed, how do we best please the Goddess?

    While being efficient in our present endeavors, so we don't have to repeat them again, we should be organizing and planning so we can minimize or eliminate those activities that we feel are divergent from our spiritual aspirations. A clear list of goals will be very helpful, including a definition of the economic ramifications of pursuing such goals, and then it will be easy to arrive at a budget from which you will know how much income you actually require to accomplish your objectives.

Detachment in the middle of suffering

28. For someone like me, who is in the midst of suffering from a physical malady, how do I detach from my body, which is giving me a variety of painful symptoms; how do I keep my mind focused on God/Goddess; how do I accept my situation and go on each day? Is there some specific practice that would help me?

    Continual japa of the mantra "What a privilege it is to be part of your creation!",

Choosing Ishta

29. How does one choose one's Ishta Devata?

    How do you fall in love? It is a natural process.

Combining relationship and spiritual life

30. My spouse and I are considering breaking up and I am wanting to approach the issue from as spiritual a perspective as possible. I would like to do whatever is best for everyone and am wondering if God ever wants spiritual aspirants to stay "out in the world" even if they have no sex drive? Would one have to stay in relationship to just to fulfill karma even if they want to know God?

    First you must ask yourselves what is the object of your partnership, what is your common goal? When you know where you are trying to go, it becomes a lot more easy to understand how you are going to get there, and with whom you want to travel. Sex need not be a distraction from spirituality. But there is much more to your relationship than sex. Quite possibly in these circumstances it might be good to spend some time in solitude and make a plan for the next steps in your life.

Does God love me?

31. I believe in God but how do I get to believe that God loves me - that is, how do I suspend disbelief and cynicism?

    When you really love God, you will automatically believe that God loves you too.

When our friends fall

32. When our friends fall (when he or she is without devotion) what we must to do? Only pray to him (her)? Or must we talk many times?

    Do pray, pray, pray, and talk, talk, talk. But most important -- be an example.

Understanding death

33. Do you have any words to help Westerners, or anyone, understand physical death, and help us stop wasting time being afraid of it and other forms of impermanence.

    Transformation, moving beyond.

Stillness

34. Lately I've been finding that my mind is in a state of profound stillness and receptiveness. I'm not quite sure what to do within that state. I have been using it to just pray and ask the Goddess to dwell within me, help perfect me and guide me in everyday life. I would like to be more "active" during this period, however, and was wondering what you all would suggest.

    The greatest activity in that state is projecting love. Shine your love onto every individual being you can think of, and then shine it on the whole planet. The universe is yours!

Serving the World

35. What is the ultimate way in which we can be of service to the world?

    To be an example of a person who is in love with Life, is One with God, and who is striving to share the best with as many who desire to share.

Destiny

36. Is the destiny fixed? Can we change our karma/destiny through sadhana? I started sadhana a year back. I used to mentally feel very good day by day, but i got unexpected problems day by day. Some people said it is fast karma burning. I am only just a year old to spirituality. So I wish to know the role of karma, what is it, how to reduce it. How it is related to destiny?

    Most certainly we can change our destiny. Remember, you will become like the people with whom you associate. Therefore, be very discriminating as to your friends and associates.

God's name for me

37. Sometimes I feel like a man without country or religion. What is the name of God for me?

    Silence.

Cultivating Vairagya (detachment)

38. You talk about detachment or vairagya. Is there something that we can do to cultivate this attitude of detachment?

    Watch and hear Swamiji's answer by clicking on this icon: .

Taking Refuge in God

39. Taking refuge means you have strength in your faith. And that strength helps you feel no pain or see no difficulties because you know you are with God. Is that correct?

    Watch and hear Swamiji's answer by clicking on this icon: .

Finding balance in giving

40. I see people around me that are very selfish and those who give so much that they are drained. Can you please advise us on how to keep the right balance?

    Watch and hear Swamiji's answer by clicking on this icon: .

Conflict in Traditions

41. Some devotees who grew up in a tradition are now learning Hindu mantras and chanting, say Shiva Puja. And then a desire has come from within their heart to worship Jesus or honor Mary. There is some feeling that maybe this is a conflict. I want to get your understanding on whether there is a conflict or there is not?

    Watch and hear Swamiji's answer by clicking on this icon: .

Attitude of Sacrifice

42. How do we maintain the attitude of sacrifice all the time?

    Watch and hear Swamiji's answer by clicking on this icon: .