25 Aug 2025
1. Kindly guide us if it is a sin to drink non-veg. milk.
[Shri Hrushikesh asked: Dear Swami, Request you to kindly answer the below question.
In the recent past there has been a lot of debate about the Non-veg milk. Non-veg milk refers to milk from cows that have been fed feed containing animal byproducts like bone meal or meat powder. This practice, common in some countries like the US, is controversial in India due to religious and cultural beliefs surrounding the purity of milk and the sanctity of cows within Hinduism. India is resisting the import of such milk, viewing it as "non-vegetarian" and incompatible with their traditions. Can You kindly throw some light on this? Kindly guide us if it is a sin to drink such milk?]
Swami replied:- For the sake of feeding the cows with non-vegetarian food, more living beings are to be killed. Therefore, drinking non-vegetarian milk promotes the killing of animals and birds. Hence, it becomes sin.
2. Why is masturbation considered a sin?
[Why is masturbation considered a sin? After all, in the act of masturbation, there is no harm done to another human being. When God made this world for His entertainment and also to give entertainment to the soul, what is wrong if the soul receives entertainment from this act, which in no way causes harm to others?]
Swami replied:- Loss of sperm is considered to be a negative health factor. Significant amount of blood is needed to produce a smaller amount of sperm. If the sperm is lost frequently due to this foolish process, one will become weak gradually. From this point of view, the process of masturbation is considered to be a sin. Instead of this, it is better to marry and produce children. Already, there is a concern that the population of Hindus is becoming low. Apart from this, the enjoyment in this foolish process is only imaginary and not real as in the heterosexual union.
3. How can a person stop smoking, drinking and having excessive sex without tasting God?
["Without tasting the divine nectar, leaving coffee is foolishness”, as You said. Leaving worldly bonds without getting attracted to God is foolishness. In that case, how can a person stop smoking, drinking, and excessive sex without “tasting God”? I am failing to understand what You mean by “tasting God.” My apologies, but despite You telling me about this concept many times, I still do not understand it. You said watching and listening to stories of God will help me, but I am trying and failing miserably every day. I am not sure what kind of videos to watch because there are so many religious channels, and I’m not sure which one is appropriate. Kindly give me a solution to this.]
Swami replied:- If anyone cures illness without tasting medicine, then what you have asked is possible. Tasting means reading the spiritual knowledge and watching various spiritual channels on the internet. All channels are good and increase your devotion. A particular channel cannot be named. The channel that attracts you more shall be selected by you. The conclusion is that the devotion in climax state alone can solve all your problems.
4. I request You to suggest a way out that can naturally help me spend time with God after my responsibilities.
[Every day, I want to spend time only for God, such as reading discourses, listening to Satsang recordings, and focusing solely on God after completing my duties. This has been my goal ever since I heard Your preachings. However, these days, I have miserably been failing to achieve this.
Every day, I chant Shri Anjaneya and Shri Subrahmanya for 30 minutes. Except for this, I am not focusing on God at all. By the way, I chant these mantras only out of fear that my materialistic life should remain smooth. By Your Divine grace, my materialistic life is very, very, very good. I have no problems at all, thanks to Your grace. But despite having so much peace in my life and free time, I am spending that time more and more on worldly activities.
I also feel that I am misusing the mantra You have given me. After attaining peace in life, the focus should be on God. However, I find myself getting more involved in worldly affairs. The worst part, Swami, is that, to this day, there has not been even one time when I have wholeheartedly done Your service. I am doing this only out of fear that the opportunity to serve You may never come again in all eternity. It is with that fear and sense of obligation that I act and certainly not out of Bhakti.
It is such a shame on my part that God has been my lowest priority. If there is no content that provides entertainment, I read Your discourses and despite having time, I have stopped attending online Satsangs. I am being torn between my material life and spirituality and this constant conflict is creating a lot of disturbance in my mind. Pull me out of this disturbance and Kindly, I request You to suggest a way out. I want to naturally spend time with God after completing my responsibilities. Please show me the path. I am afraid this lifestyle of mine will push me back to Animal lives. At Your Lotus feet, Hrushikesh]
Swami replied:- Worldly responsibilities are also justified since you are married and got a child. Pravrutti is the basis for Nivrutti. If you can spend leisure time in the service of God, that much time is perfectly sufficient to attain the grace of God.
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