Posted on: 30 Sep 2017
Shri K.Gopikrishna asked:
1) In the ancient era common man is to fallow Guru. In today's scenario due to change in life style most of the people are not fallowing Sadguru. What will be frequencies, challenges a common man will face? By, K.Gopikrishna
Swami replied: Everybody is seeing the death of every human being on this earth and a very short period of life before death. Nobody is taking away anything earned by him/her and no family member is accompanying the soul just like giving company on this earth when one moves from one place to another place. The life after death and the future fate of the soul are unknown. But, the miracles observed and experienced reveal that there is something, which is unimaginable and invisible. You can imagine the knowledge of Y rays and Z rays in the future, which are also invisible now, but, imaginable having higher frequencies than the present visible (through instruments) X rays. But, the existence of unimaginable and invisible God is experienced through energetic incarnations visible in divine visions and through human incarnations visible to naked eyes performing these unimaginable events called as miracles. Hence, the subject of God is the most important solution and preaching of such human incarnations is very significant. One can’t throw away the subject of God as mere imaginary poetry and take this visible universe and science only as the ultimate goal. Even a scientist should not neglect this unimaginable entity observed in miracles through perception! When you have observed the explosion of atom bomb with your eyes (perception), it is foolish to say that atom bomb is imaginary poetry! At least, a little attention must be drawn to the subject of God and neglecting the subject of God will be a great risk in the future life after death. Atheists are taking lot of risk with foolish rigidity. This point will come into the brain of any human being, whether it is common or uncommon or whether it is educated or uneducated. Even the uneducated common man thinks about this subject very well and logical analysis is based on common sense and not on the education. The uneducated common man believes Guru or Sadguru with full determination and is proceeding in this subject. He has accepted the final conclusion of this subject, which is the existence of God with unimaginable power, whom we call as the unimaginable God.
In the ancient times, both brain and heart were functioning and hence both knowledge and devotion existed and the knowledge was easily transformed in to practice with the help of devotion. Devotion is related to mind and knowledge is related to intelligence. Intelligence gives right decision and mind generates inspiration or force required to transform the knowledge in to practice. In ancient times, Gurus were perfect and hence there was no need for the common man to do the intellectual exercise to come to a right decision. These decisions preached by perfect Gurus were simply heard and were implemented straightly. But today, the false Gurus are many trying to attract human beings by exploiting their weakness for materialistic benefits and removal of tensions. These false Gurus are providing temporary measures for the solutions like Yoga etc. These Gurus have developed the art of brain-wash and mislead everybody to become famous in the society. Without coming to the conclusion of ultimate truth, these Gurus try to guide the souls with either partially true knowledge or totally false knowledge. First, one should cross the tank by learning swimming completely and then preach swimming to others (Svayam tirtvaa paraan taarayet). Without learning the swimming or partially learning it, Guru can’t be a correct guide in swimming. Due to this development in this Kali Age, intelligence is very much developed through science so that logical analysis can be done to detect the true guide. God developed science in this age for this reason only. No doubt, heart is not functioning, which should not also function in the present false atmosphere. Misleading attractions are many and devotion in false path makes you to move away from the goal. Hence, in the present atmosphere, deep and sharp analysis by self and by debates with others is essential. For such analysis, education is not required. Common sense is very much required. The life style may be changed, but, the fundamentals like hell for sin and heaven for good deeds are not changed and apply to any human being with any life style anywhere at any time. At least, little attention towards God is very essential in the initial stage of every human being irrespective of styles of life and worldly problems of life.
Shri Durgaprasad asked:
2) Paada Namaskaram Swami, In the recent Datta Dharma Sutras, You told that one should not forcibly cut the fascinations and it should be naturally cut down due to love on God. It is also true that a devotee cannot cut the bonds himself and God only has to break the bonds when He wants to grace the devotee (for example, TasyaVittam Haraamyaham). How to correlate both statements? Kindly elaborate. At your divine feet, -Durgaprasad
Swami replied: It is true that the worldly fascinations are dropped due to attraction (devotion) to God. It is a natural drop out and the word ‘cut’ indicates force. If you take the word ‘cut’ in the sense of natural drop out, it is alright. This word is used by human beings only, which indicates their reluctance towards the natural drop out also. Datta cuts the worldly bonds (Dattam Chinnam). This statement gives totally the false angle by which everybody feels that the cruel Datta is cutting the worldly bonds for some selfish benefit! It sounds that Datta is like a prostitute trying to cut the bond with the life partner for her selfish benefit! This is totally the wrong angle created by people, who are not willing even the natural drop out of worldly bonds. By saying like this, they discourage devotees to worship Datta. Of course, this is also happening by the will of Datta only, who does not want undeserving devotees to approach Him for getting materialistic benefits in climax level. Datta gives materialistic benefits also in very fast way and also in unassuming level. His idea is that the soul will be vexed with the materialistic benefits given in large quantities continuously and will turn to God for uplift in spiritual path. Datta is the creator of souls and has paternal and maternal love on all the souls and is constantly trying through several ways to divert the soul towards Him for its beneficial uplift only. Such false statements are created by people under the influence of divine power called Maaya, by which undeserving devotes may not approach Datta, who is very very generous in granting materialistic boons also. By such excessive boons, the soul may get spoiled also. Datta also gives miraculous powers very easily, which may develop ego in the undeserving souls.
Actually, the attraction to the wonderful personality of Datta is in the extent of unimaginable level, by which the fascination to worldly bonds is naturally dropped out. If one tastes the divine nectar which was given to angels only, will one like this coffee? If one tastes really the divine nectar, he will not say such cruel statements like “divine nectar cuts the bond with coffee”! People habituated to regular coffee without tasting divine nectar only say such statements to discourage people trying for divine nectar. These people are unable to get divine nectar and prevent others also to get it with jealousy. A failure student discourages other students also from studies so that he can have satisfaction if all the students in the class fail!
It is impossible even to shake the worldly bonds, which are strengthened from millions of births. It is highly laughable if one says that he will cut the worldly bonds! Therefore, all efforts must be put to understand the personality of God through spiritual knowledge so that the unassuming attraction developed towards It alone can result in natural drop out of the worldly bonds. The bond with God is not so cruel to cut the worldly bonds. The word ‘cut’ is used by the family members of the devotee only because of their personal loss! The word ‘stealing the money’ (Haraamyaham) is used by God Himself, which indicates the stealing of butter by Him from the houses of Gopikas. This word is confined to that context. The stealing was done by God so that no daughter or daughters-in-law can be blamed by the elders. Such daughter or daughters-in-law was the real devotee of God, who became very happy in their minds for God enjoying the butter. God knows their minds. The failed Gopikas became furious and complained to the mother of God so that milk (true devotee) and water (false devotee) are clearly separated. The real devotees were protected by God from the criticism of their elders through such stealing. If the word stealing is taken in the sense of removal, it does not have any sinful and cruel angle of interpretation. Such removal of money by God worshipped intensively can be taken as the test of God (like the grandfather asking for a biscuit from the grandson after presenting him a packet of biscuits).
God will never help the devotee to succeed in the devotion because devotion is the total responsibility of the devotee. When a Politician gives speech in an inconvenient place, which can’t be approached easily, still, if the people come to hear the speech, overcoming all the difficulties in journey, such attraction of people to that Politician is real. Today, Politician gives speech in the centre of city, which is very easy for approach, still people of the same city also are not coming to hear the speech! Such Politician is getting people from other places by paying them! Do you call such audience as really attracted to the speech of Politician? If you read the life histories of devotees, their lives are filled with several problems created by God only. If the devotee has real attraction to God, he will cross all those hurdles and approach God proving the reality in his devotion. God is not benefited in anyway by the approach of any devotee since the devotee is only benefited. The above said Politician attracts crowds by payment since he is to be benefited in the coming elections. However, God helps the devotee also in his efforts due to his paternal and maternal love towards any soul. But, God will not provoke the soul to do the effort for approaching Him like the above said Politician. God will not stoop down to such a low level of initiation.
Shri Kishore Ram asked:
3) Swami! Please clarify a doubt I have about runanubandhana and the karma chakra.
[You have previously told us that the soul comes to this world with minimal qualities after the enjoyment of fruits in the upper worlds. Based on one's Prarabdha, one is given a suitable body and is born into an appropriate family along with surrounding circumstances. Up to here, it clear for me. The confusion arises due to my inability to correlate runanubandhana with karma. Generally speaking, since most souls are born into this world with minimal qualities, the fruits they reap here are based on the deeds done in their present lives. Prarabdha is used to obtain a body and a birth in a suitable family and this is the end of past life karma. However, in many situations during life, as one grows older, there are times when bonds are established based on runa remaining from past lives. From the children that are born to a certain soul to the friends one makes to the colleagues one is constantly in contact with at work, many relationships are based on solely on runa remaining from past lives. Now past life fruits are supposed to be expended with Prarabdha, but at the same time, throughout one's life, a soul forms bonds with some other souls at different stages of life based on runa remaining in past lives. In fact these kind of bonds are unavoidable and in such cases it is reasonable to say that these relationships are based on deeds done in past lives. How can we correlate this concept of past life-based runanubandhana with Your teaching that souls only reap the fruits of deeds done in their present lives? At Your Lotus Feet, Kishore Ram]
Swami replied: There are three types of fruits of deeds: 1) Prarabdha: Remains of all reduced fruits in hell and heaven when the soul arrives in this world for rebirth. In accordance to these fruits, the soul is born in their congenial atmosphere. Prarabdha vanishes after giving the present birth to the soul. Hence, the present body is the effect of Prarabdha. 2) Aagaami: According to the effect of the remains of deeds in the form of qualities (Karmashesha) or sub-conscious state, the soul does deeds and the fruits of these deeds enter the list, which are to be enjoyed in future. 3) Samchita: when the soul leaves the body and goes to the upper world for enjoyment of the fruits entered the list, this balance to be enjoyed is called as ‘Samchita’. This list of enjoyable fruits after leaving the body is called as Samchita whereas the same list during the lifetime of the previous birth was called as Aagaami. Samchita denotes the past whereas Aagaami denotes the future with reference to the presently existing birth.
The description of these three types in the above way is based on the general rule that deeds are done in this world (Karma loka) with full freedom and fruits are enjoyed in the upper worlds (Bhoga loka) without freedom. This general provision is made by God so that the soul in this world is not disturbed by the enjoyment of past fruits and the soul is given full freedom to develop spiritually so that the soul can even cancel the future listed fruits with the help of true spiritual knowledge. Shankara says that this present body, which is the fruit of already enforced Prarabdha is not cancelled just like we can’t control the arrow that is already shot from the bow. This means that this body remains in the world as long as the destined longevity of this body continues. This general arrangement helps the soul to develop spiritually in free atmosphere in the present birth. This general rule is executed in major extent of the life of every soul since it is the will of God that every soul shall be given the full opportunity to develop in this present life without any disturbance of past fruits. Therefore, no soul should say that everything is destined in this life and become lazy and inert without attempting to do any effort in the worldly life as well as in the spiritual life. Based on this point only, Swami Vivekananda said that you are the master of your destiny.
The above general rule has some exceptions by which the fruits of some past deeds are also enjoyed in the present life and the fruits of some intensive deeds are enjoyed in the present life itself. For ex: The animal cut by the butcher dies thinking that it will cut the butcher in the same way in the next life. This requires enjoyment of fruit of past deed in the present life. In the same life itself, the animal can’t become butcher and butcher can’t become animal. Similarly, if one takes loan (in the form of money or service or both) from another soul and dies without repayment, the soul has to repay the same with interest to the other soul in the next birth as per the justice of divine administration. This is also a strong reason for the inability of the soul to cut the family bonds. Such bonds of repayment are confined to pet animals grown (Pashu), life partner (Patni) and issues (Suta) only in major sense of the loan. Minor loans may also cause friends, relatives etc. Even every paisa is accountable in the divine administration! Hence, the Veda says that you should not steal others’ money (Maa grudhah…). Hence, yoga scripture says that not accepting others’ money (aparigraha) shall be a good practice. The ethical scripture also says that between donation (Daana) and acceptance of donation (Pratigraha), the former is compulsory. All this is in view of these loan bonds only. But, new bonds also may develop in this life and every bond need not be based on the concept of loan only. For example: bond of Swami Vivekananda with Paramahamsa has no reference with any past loan.
Apart from the above exceptions, there is major exception that God can interfere with this general cycle of a soul at any time either in this world or in the upper world in case God feels that the enjoyment of any specific fruit is required for the spiritual progress of the soul. God, the ultimate chief doctor in the treatment of any patient-soul is the final authority.
In view of all such exceptions and in view of change of justice from time to time, place to place and context to context, several parameters are involved forming a specific three dimensional network for every soul. Hence, God said in the Gita that the final judgement of the fruit of a deed is based on very deep and complicated analysis of the network, specific to each soul (Gahanaa karmano gatih).
The fruit of Prarabdha is this present body and some problems also are related to the components of Prarabdha. The spiritual knowledge destroys the fruits of all types of deeds as said in the Gita (Jnaanaagnih sarvakarmaani…). Here, the problems of the components of Prarabdha to be enjoyed are also destroyed since realization followed by repentance resulting in non-repetition of sin covers all the fruits to be enjoyed. Hence, in this way, Prarabdha is also destroyed by spiritual knowledge and hence the word ‘All deeds’ (Sarvakarmaani) is justified. But, Shankara says that all deeds except Prarabdha are burnt. We need not find contradiction in the commentary of Shankara on this verse. Here, Shankara means the body as the meaning for the word Prarabdha. It only means that even though all the fruits are destroyed, this body, the fruit of Prarabdha lives in this world till the destined longevity is finished. This body need not be destroyed since such a soul in this body will never repeat any sin and lives in the service of God. Even if this body is destroyed at once, the soul has to take another body through rebirth to participate in the service of God accompanying God in human form. Hence, continuity of present body will not contradict the meaning of the verse as interpreted by Shankara.