Posted on: 05 Apr 2021
[Śrī Bhagath K. asked: Jai Guru Datta! Padanamaskaram Swami! Based on what my friend told me about the analysis of Śaṅkara, I feel that whatever I know is not real because it does not exist in the past, present and future. Śaṅkara says that that which is temporary, must also be unreal, in all the three periods of time (Yadanityaṃ tat kṛtakaṃ hi loke). Then how can we manage our relationships in worldly life (pravṛtti)? Could You please guide me?]
Swāmi replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! The analysis of Śaṅkara is only meant to overcome the excessive fascination we have for our worldly bonds. If our fascination for worldly bonds is within limits, it is alright since it enables us to fulfill our worldly duties. The goal is to develop unlimited fascination for God alone.
[Tinku K. asked: Jai Guru Datta! Padanamaskaram Swami! My friend has a doubt. Some years ago, he and his family lost their wealth in business and returned to their village. Some people in the village and their grandmother’s friends helped them with some food items like rice, dal etc. Now their family is again doing business and are well settled. They want to give gifts like dresses to the people in the village to express their gratefulness. This is only a matter of worldly life. But is it a sin or a good thing to do?]
Swāmi replied: It is a good thing since gratefulness is an essential quality that every human being must have.
[Śrī Anil asked: Padanamaskaram Swami! The following question was raised in an internet discussion by a muslim devotee, Vestabashan Gubalicanakan on the topic of the Human Incarnation of God. Please grace us with Your response to the same. At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil
Vestabashan Gubalicanakan said: The Great Power (God) does not have to come in human form, when the Great Power (God) can sent forth Messengers. I can see your point, and it is rather interesting, however, I abide by the complete and uncorrupted laws of the Great Power (God) that which are written in the Holy Quran. What you are saying here, is contradictory to what the Great Power (God) describes in the Holy Quran. You must also understand that Prophet Muhammad never claimed to be the Son of God; none of the Prophets did. Likewise, it is not wise to say that the Prophets are Human Incarnations of the Great Power (God) when such has not been said by the Great Power (God). However, I believe that the Great Power (God) can inspire individuals and convey the words that the Great Power (God) speaks to the individual so that they may spread the true message.]
Swāmi replied: Do you believe that God has full freedom to do whatever He wishes or not? If He has full freedom, it is up to Him to send messengers or even to come personally. The owner of a factory may instruct his senior employees to deal with a certain problem in the factory. But sometimes, the owner himself may visit the factory to solve the problem. Is there a rule in the constitution saying that the owner of the factory must never visit his factory since his visiting the factory will lower his value? In fact, the owner personally visiting the factory shows his simplicity and it brings more value to him. It is up to the will of God to decide whether He wants to send a messenger or come Himself to solve a problem. Who are you to dictate terms and norms to God?
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil]
Swāmi replied: The term son of man refers to the medium (body) in the external sense. Son of God refers to the internal divine core, in the inner sense. Both are correct in the case of an Incarnation of God.
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil]
Swāmi replied: There are no physical cakras in our body. Cakras only mean whirlpools that can potentially trap a swimmer swimming in this worldly ocean and trying to reach God. It is only a figure of speech. Certain Gurus are either ignorant of the truth or are exploiting the public for their personal benefits.
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil. Why does God need to be born on earth, when He can easily do anything from heaven? He forgave a lot of people and cleansed them as well. Why does He need to be born and why was He sinless unlike others?]
Swāmi replied: A king can get the flesh of a deer for his kitchen just by giving an order to hunters. Then why does he still go to the forest to hunt a deer? Why does he expose himself to the many dangers from wild animals in the forest? It is only for the sake of entertainment. You know that a movie is based on a false story written by some author. Why then do you still go to movie theatres to watch such false movies? God is sinless while acting as an Incarnation because He knows that He is the creator and controller of this entire world. So, He always behaves in fair and just manner. How the Incarnation’s actions are justified is sometimes beyond the capacity of our understanding. But one thing is clear, that there is no need for Him to behave in an unjust way like a soul.
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil. If God is real love and if He saves sinners, why does He have preferences? Why did He not first choose to save Judas instead of others? Why does He hate some people and say that He loves all equally?
Swāmi replied: God alone made Judas realize his sin and repent for it. The heart of Judas could receive and assimilate God’s preaching in that life itself. There are some hearts, which can assimilate it only in the long run, after several lifetimes. Hence, God always continues His effort. He does not use His miraculous power to bring reformation in a soul. He desires the complete transformation of the devotee’s heart in a free atmosphere, without any threatening force. Hell is such a threatening force that induces some temporary transformation in souls.
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil]
Swāmi replied: You cannot make any item as a representative model of God for worship. Why do you make only a specific three coloured piece of cloth as the national flag? Why do you not use some dirty cloth as the national flag instead?
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil]
Swāmi replied: Yes. God existed even before the creation of this world.
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil]
Swāmi replied: A priest becomes mentally fit to worship God by his constant devotion, which is related to mind. But that devotion becomes perfect only when there is physical fitness also. “A sound mind in a sound body” is a famous saying.
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil. There is a belief in Christianity that the baptism ritual will cleanse the person of the original sin committed by Adam.]
Swāmi replied: Baptism is only a psychological process of treating the mind. The mind is responsible for doing meritorious or sinful deeds.
[A question from an internet forum brought to Swami by Śrī Anil. When the Bible (Old Testament) is filled with passages depicting God’s anger and cruelty just like that of any other person, why is it still said that He loves all. He only loved some and saved only some selected people. Why do people still say that God is all-loving?]
Swāmi replied: God’s love is justified and reasonable love, which is like light. The blind and irrational love of the soul is darkness. Even the human government cannot adopt a policy of protecting everybody without discrimination and not punishing even wrongdoers. Emmanuel means the saviour of His people. ‘His people’ means righteous souls and not all souls without any discrimination.