Vegetarianism
Question:
Is the purpose of being vegetarian more than not harming animals? I use an animal skin as an asan. Do I have a karmic responsibility to the animal that lost its skin for my benefit?
Swamiji Says:
The purpose is more than not harming, although that is one of many good reasons. The primary reason is that we take the fuel according to the work we want to perform. If you put diesel in a gasoline engine, it will not function properly. If you put the food of aggressive action into the body of a meditator, it will not be easy to quiet the mind. We need all the help we can get.
Time Tracking
Question:
Who keeps track of what Manvantara we are in, and how?
Swamiji Says:
Time is a way of perceiving things and not necessarily a thing in itself. All duality is perceived by means of five kanchukas, (modes of perception): time, space, activity, knowledge (name and form), and attributes. If we were to postulate the deletion of any of these ingredients, then it follows that perception will be impossible.
Shiva is the consciousness that perceives the manifestations of Shakti. Therefore, Shiva is the timekeeper. The rishis have expanded their perception to perceive as Shiva does perceive. They have reported this analysis of time to us. But because all time is continuing simultaneously, nowhere have they given us the exact starting point or the origin of the calculations.
Therefore, we get to choose which time zone, which yuga, we wish to live in. Just as we can choose to live in Greenwich Mean Time zone, or to move to California or to India, in the same way we can choose the value system that most closely approximates our aspirations.
We make that choice by our karma. For example, we can see many Brahmins living the lives of business people, and we can see Shudras living the lives of Brahmins. These are choices we all get to make.
So Shiva keeps the time, the rishis perceive the time, and we get to choose the time zone in which we live.
Duality on this Planet
Question:
In the book Before Becoming This, Shree Maa says: “Of all the planets with human life, this planet has the most duality.” Can you please explain what this means?
Swamiji Says:
I believe Shree Maa was speaking about the capacity of one species to kill other members of its own species without the needs of food or self-defense.
Coincidence
Question:
Is there such a thing as coincidence?
Swamiji Says:
Coincidence means a correspondence in position or character which is extremely similar, and yet unexplainable, as if by chance. Certainly there are a lot of things that we cannot explain.
Realization
Question:
Why do so many Gurus suggest or hint, there is a final objective or enlightenment? When we go deeper and deeper within, is this always relative or is there a final resting place that is not simply death or non-awareness?
Swamiji Says:
There is no limit to infinity. Every time you draw a line, Mind will ask what is on the other side?
Question:
So in reality, there is no such thing as enlightenment, correct? It is just a recent word to describe a concept that really just points towards a concept, correct?
Swamiji Says:
The sound of one hand clapping.
Question:
Are Kaivalya and Self-Realization the same?
Swamiji Says:
You will require to define self-realization for us first. Please offer us a definition.
Question:
Can man be realized without the gods? Is realization itself a God? We dwell upon that, and this is worship – we become that, and this is the culmination of worship?
Swamiji Says:
Where one God is present, all the Gods are present. Don’t get caught up in semantics.
Challenges Facing Westerners
Question:
From your view, what is the single most significant challenge unique to Westerners desiring to follow the Eternal Way?
Swamiji Says:
The single most significant challenge unique to Westerners is the concept of surrender. In English, both language and customs, surrender is what we do after having exhausted all other possibilities. When we have no other alternatives, no other options, when our back is against the wall, we raise our hands into the air and say, “I surrender!”
In Sanskrit we surrender when we have complete trust, when we have total love and respect, when we only want to become the reflection of the Grace of the Guru. This understanding presents a significant challenge. In English it is the last thing we want to do. In Sanskrit it is the first!
Natural Disasters
Question:
I see the New Orleans hurricane itself as national karma, but I am sad to think that we have accumulated more by not attending to those people swiftly and carefully. Could you please offer some clarity on the concept of national karma?
Swamiji Says:
There is both a yuga dharma, and a vyakti dharma, an ideal of perfection for the society of that time and place and circumstance, as well as an ideal for the individual. Even though we may be following our personal dharma, we will be affected by the dharma of our society. That is why we strive for people’s enlightenment as well as our own.
Question:
How are we to understand such things as this Tsunami (Dec 2004), which create such suffering?
Swamiji Says:
From time to time Bhu Devi, Goddess of the Earth, becomes tired from bearing the burden of conflict and disharmony among mankind. She shudders in dread of carrying the weight of human discontent. With that comes destruction, and an opportunity to work together to rebuild in greater harmony.
Question:
It sounds as if this, then, was the result of our collective karma? Why, then, South Asia? It seems to me there are perhaps more deserving areas of the world to be hit.
Swamiji Says:
I’m sorry, I don’t have all the accounts.
Question:
A group of us went to a village affected by Tsunami in South India. What should be the attitude of a spiritual seeker when they see such human suffering? Should we focus on our practices at home and give positive energy and not go to such places? Should we go to the place of destruction even if our practices cannot be done as much due to the physical conditions and requirements of selfless work?
Swamiji Says:
If you go to such places, sit for worship and inspire others to sit with you. If you can get other people to spend even a few minutes chanting mantras together it is an accomplishment. Gayatri and Mahamrityunjaya are wonderful. If you can perform Chandi Path it will be great.
Natural Phenomena
Question:
How does an eclipse affects a sadhak? Is there any advice on sadhana during this time?
Swamiji Says:
An eclipse affects gravitational forces, which affect the positions of the planets. We know how the tides of the sea are controlled by the phases of the moon. Similarly we can see the temperatures of the planets affected by an eclipse of the Sun. We have certain rules which we observe more as a custom and tradition, then for any other necessity. For example, before we had refrigerators in which to store left-over food, we would dispose of all left-overs before an eclipse, and not eat old food after an eclipse. We still observe this custom, even though the food is protected in a refrigerator. The best sadhana during an eclipse is japa and homa. Puja presents interesting issues. If you start the worship at the beginning of the eclipse, then the offering will be exposed during the eclipse, and it will be unfit to be distributed when the eclipse is complete. Therefore, japa and homa are the preferred disciplines.
Greatness of Soul
Question:
What is greatness of soul?
Swamiji Says:
To live with God.
Reincarnation
Question:
What is the concept of reincarnation?
Swamiji Says:
The subject is a little difficult to resolve, but essentially we can suggest that our eyes and other senses have never seen anything perfectly equal. Things approach equality, approximate equality, but we know that they are not perfectly equal. Diversity is the rule of creation. Now the question is, How did we know that that they are not perfectly equal? In order to make such a judgment, we must have had some experience of perfect equality in order to say that this is not it.
Since we have had our senses we have only perceived relative equality. We have had the senses since birth. Therefore, our experience of perfect equality must have taken place sometime before we had the senses, i.e., sometime before taking manifestation in the body – before birth.
Thus we must have existed before birth, and this is what is meant by reincarnation. We were without a body, and then we took birth.
Pain and Suffering
Question:
Why do the avatars of Lakshmi (Sita/Radha etc) suffer? Why must beings suffer pain?
Swamiji Says:
All manifestations suffer and grow. Pain is our teaching – Pleasure is our examination.
Question:
Is there a time when what we thought was pain becomes a kind of pleasure? Not in a masochistic way, but, we see our unpleasant experiences were not exactly what we thought they were?
Swamiji Says:
Absolutely!!! And we appreciate those experiences and thank God that that we had the privilege to grow in such a way from such experiences!
Question:
When Thakur, Ramana, Nisargadatta, Jesus, or other evolved persons suffered in the physical body, what did it mean? Is the word “suffering” when used in spiritual talk limited to emotional, attachment, and mental issues?
Swamiji Says:
Suffering is mental affliction. If the body is in pain, but the mind is in bliss, who suffers?
Question:
Role of spiritual questions
What is the purpose of proposing and answering questions, from devotee to teacher, devotee to devotee, and teacher to devotee?
Swamiji Says:
The Bengali proverb says: As much as you churn the milk, so much cream rises to the surface. So much as we contemplate divine questions, so much we increase our understanding, with the result of directing our minds away from worldly thoughts.
Swamiji’s experiences
Question:
Was your general sense of the other sadhus in India, and in fact, of all beings, as emanations of God – so you really felt you learned from all? Did you favor seeing the more direct expression of God in your own Guru?
Swamiji Says:
Many were the teachers who taught me what I do not even want to try. There were only a few teachers who demonstrated what I really wanted to become. By following their examples I was able to incorporate their teachings into my own sadhana, and in that way my sadhana and my life evolved to where it is at present.
Question:
While in India, did you associate with all sorts of sadhus with different practices and Gurus? How did you share your experiences?
Swamiji Says:
I met many kinds of sadhus from many different sects and philosophies. But I always returned to my Guru to describe to him my adventures, experiences, and to share with him the teachings I received. Some of them were illogical, and he was able to show me the errors. Some of them were practical, and he advised me to integrate their teachings into the sadhana he gave me. Many things I tried were totally off the wall. Some of the things really enhanced my spirit!
That is why no two sadhus have exactly the same repertoire. It continually evolves according to the inputs we receive.
Karma of our families of origin
Question:
Can we ever truly escape the karma of our families of origin? I am recognizing how very deep and far reaching are the tendrils of such roots. If so, how do we cut these bonds?
Swamiji Says:
No, we do not escape from family ties – we perfect them. We use these relationships to offer the most pure expression of dharma that is possible, removing all selfishness from our actions.
Consciousness in Coma
Question:
If a worshipper of the Divine Mother goes into coma due to an untoward incident, where does his consciousness reside?
Swamiji Says:
If one enters the coma in contemplation of divinity, that person stays in the contemplation of divinity.
Vrindavan
Question:
One time, I was talking to Swamiji about Vrindavan. Swamiji said something like “Vrindavan is the Garden of Delights that is within your own heart.” If Vrindavan is within, how do I uncover it? Is it imagining myself in Vrindavan with Radha and Krishna and gradually realizing that I’m always there?
Swamiji Says:
Yes. ‘Van’ means forest; ‘Vrinda’ means delight. Remember that you dwell in the forest of delight!
Absolute Truths in a Relative World
Question:
How does one apply absolute truths to the relative world? How does one translate one’s actions in the world to reflect the absolute truths?
Swamiji Says:
When we remember the Absolute, we see the screen upon which all the relative is reflected. Then we reduce our necessity to act in the relative so as to allow ever expanding awareness of the Absolute.
Desire
Question:
What is desire and what causes it to arise?
Swamiji Says:
Iccha, kriya, and jnana shaktis; the energies of desire, action, and knowledge, are inherent within every atom of existence. We are born with it, and it comes into manifestation through karma.
Will and Consciousness
Question:
What is the difference between will and consciousness?
Swamiji Says:
Consciousness is the capacity of recognition. Will is focused energy. Consciousness is Shiva. Will is Shakti.
Selfishness
Question:
Is selfishness a virtue or a vice?
Swamiji Says:
Neither. It is a quality of the ego: I think therefore I am. Now is this the “I” divine or thinking about only one individual’s gain?
Intuition and reasoning
Question:
What is intuition? And is it creative?
Swamiji Says:
Intuition is perception from the causal body. It does not create, but merely perceives.
Can intuition be cultivated? if so, how? what is the test to prove successful cultivation? In the meantime, how does one differentiate between intuition and impulse?
Swamiji Says:
All of the sadhana that we perform is designed to cultivate intuition. As we gain greater control over the mind, we enter into a direct relationship with our world, rather than through the translations of the intermediary thought processes. Yes, definitely it is cultivated through sadhana. The test for successful cultivation is “How free from attachment are we?” Impulses direct our actions towards attachment. Intuition directs us away from attachment.
Question:
What is the point of intersection between reason (or logic) and intuition? They seem to be contradictory, yet I can intuitively feel a relation between the two which I can’t articulate.
Swamiji Says:
Reason and intuition intersect at the point of truth.
Creativity
Question:
What is creativity?
Swamiji Says:
The process which originates by endowing with new characteristics or functions.
Question:
Does creativity reside in the mind, in consciousness or both?
Swamiji Says:
It comes from the mind and is perceived by consciousness.
Humility and Causal Body
Question:
What is humility?
Swamiji Says:
The English dictionary calls it the absence of pride or self-assertion. In Sanskrit the term is Hri. H means the Divine I, R means the mind, and I means the causal body: One’s Divine I has taken his or her mind into complete absorption in the causal body. Another very beautiful term for humility in Sanskrit is Vinamrata: a state of continuous bowing.
Question:
What is the “causal” body?
Swamiji Says:
The Causal Body indicates the state beyond manifestation where there is no distinction, no specific attributes by which duality can be distinguished.
Question:
When the Divine I takes the mind into complete absorption in the causal body, does “complete” indicate one’s mind is totally absorbed and will not return? Is it possible to live one’s life completely absorbed in the causal body?
Swamiji Says:
It is neither desirable nor possible to live completely submerged in the absolute. Neither Brahma, Vishnu, nor Shiva are free from manifestation in duality. Everyone must return from complete absorption. But to even be in that state for any time is a rare privilege, which is highly regarded.
Sattva
Question:
What does Sattva mean?
Swamiji Says:
Sattva means true being, pure existence.
Question:
Does the correct balance of Rajas and Tamas create Sattva?
Swamiji Says:
No, Sattva is a quality all its own – not just a balance between the other two. When all three qualities are in perfect balance it is called Nirguna, without any particular quality.
Respect
Question:
What is the highest meaning of the word respect as it pertains to the Ramakrishna tradition?
Swamiji Says:
Emulation is the highest form of respect. Following the example so closely that one cannot tell who is the guru and who is the disciple, becoming one with the object of our respect, is the highest respect.
Fear
Question:
What is the fear that Maa destroys?
Swamiji Says:
She saves from every kind of fear.
Human Emotions
Question:
Will we always be subject to the emotions of the human heart?
Swamiji Says:
That is what makes us devotees!
Conduct of a great renunciate
Question:
What is the conduct of a great renunciate? Is it one of many beautiful expressions of the vision of endless perfection as enacted with the devotee’s human form?
Swamiji Says:
In Chandi Chapter 4, it says inconceivable are the sacrifices to become completely pure. Yours is a beautiful expression.
Surrender
Question:
Can you explain surrender in practical terms?
Swamiji Says:
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Being at peace while others suffer
Question:
If we are part of everything and everyone, can we be at peace while others suffer?
Swamiji Says:
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Are obstacles created by past karma
Question:
In terms of obstacles, what about does past karma play? In other words, if you did something wrong in the past when you undertake an action and you don’t get the fruit you desired it might because of the past wrong. Isn’t past karma another factor that should play a role in whether you receive the fruit?
Swamiji Says:
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Question:
What is the great delusion of the heart?
Swamiji Says:
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