Posted on: 18 Nov 2021
1. What is the meaning of hating one’s own life meant by Jesus in the following verses?
[Shri Anil asked: Swami few questions on Bible are given below. Kindly grace Your answers. At Your Divine Lotus Feet - anil.
Hating Once Own Life For Eternal Life: Jesus said [John 12: 24-26] 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves Me. Swami, kindly clarify what is the meaning of hating one’s own life meant by Jesus? Please elaborate.]
Swami replied: Life means worldly life or Pravrutti fascinated to the worldly bonds. Eternal life means the Spiritual life serving the contemporary human incarnation of God.
2. Does ‘Misery due to dependence on wealth of wife’ refer to taking dowry from the wife?
[Misery Due To Dependence On Wealth Of Wife: In Bible Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 25:22, it is written: Those husbands who depends on the wealth of his wife will get anger, insult and humiliation. Swami, is it related to taking dowry from the wife? Swami is this teaching applicable in the present situations also?]
Swami replied: You are exactly correct in your interpretation. One shall work and earn without keeping himself/herself idle.
3. Can You please correlate the concept of Bhoga Moksha in the context of verses given below?
[Troubles From Wealth: In Bible Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 31: 1 – 81 the troubles coming due to money and wealth are explained as: 1 The sleeplessness brought by wealth makes a person lose weight, the worry it causes drives away sleep. 2 The worries of the daytime prevent you from sleeping, like a serious illness, they keep sleep at bay. 3 The rich forever toils, piling up money, and then, leaving off, he is gorged with luxuries; 4 the poor forever toils, barely making a living, and then, leaving off, is poorer than ever. 5 No one who loves money can easily avoid sinning, whoever pursues profit will be corrupted by it. 6 Gold has been the ruin of many; their coming destruction was self-evident.
In the context of the above, I remember Your teaching on God Datta giving, Bhoga Moksha to the devotees by excessively blessing the devotee so that the devotee will be vexed with the problems associated with excess wealth and get detachment. Can You please correlate and elaborate the concept of Bhoga Moksha in the context of above verses?]
Swami replied: Money by itself is inert and not like a non-inert serpent. The attachment of the soul with money brings all these problems. Bhoga Moksha given by God speaks about a soul attached to money.
4. Do some verses in the Bible hint to the concept of astrology?
[Inequalities Of Days And Mankind: Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) Chapter 33: 7-13; Says as follows: 7 Why is one day more important than another, when all the daylight in the year is from the sun? 8 By the Lord’s wisdom they were distinguished, and He appointed the different seasons and festivals. 9 Some days He exalted and hallowed, and some He made ordinary days. 10 All human beings come from the ground, and humankind was created out of the dust. 11 In the fullness of His knowledge the Lord distinguished them and appointed their different ways. 12 Some He blessed and exalted, and some He made holy and brought near to Himself; but some He cursed and brought low, and turned them out of their place. 13 Like clay in the hand of the potter, to be molded as He pleases, so all are in the hand of their Maker.
In Verses 7 to 9, I am seeing some hint to the concept of astrology in Bible. Verses 10 to 13, I am little confused whether it refers to God creating the humankind with the initial caste system. These later verses of 10 to 13, somehow do not satisfy the free will given by God to the souls. Please clarify and elaborate on the above 2 points.]
Swami replied: It is not about astrology. It speaks only about the varying nature of the soul due to which happiness and misery result. It is not about the caste system, but, the different fruits of the deeds guided by different psychologies of souls. God is only the giver of fruits as per the deeds of the soul. Freedom is given to the soul to choose milk or wine. Milk gives good health and wine gives illness leading to death. This subject is also clearly explained by God. Even then, if the soul selects wine, death is inevitable and this does not mean that God has not given freedom to soul. The soul misusing the freedom given by God is certainly destroyed and in this stage there is no freedom.
5. What is the meaning of the sentence of Jesus “this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in Heaven”?
[Revelation Of Human Incarnation Of God: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" He asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.
Swami based on Your knowledge, we learn that God in Human form reveals to the devotee about Himself based on the spiritual level of the devotee to whom He interacts. In this context, what is the meaning of the sentence of Jesus “this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in Heaven”. Please elaborate.]
Swami replied: This means that you cannot recognise the God in contemporary human form just based on the properties of body, which are common to all the other human beings. You can recognise Him only with the help of God, who speaks excellent Spiritual knowledge that penetrates your heart and brings the realisation of identity of unimaginable and invisible God with the imaginable and visible medium that is perfectly merged by Him.
6. How is salvation attained by saying and believing that ‘past human incarnation is God’?
[Confession By Mouth & Salvation: In Bible, Romans 10: 9-11. It is written: “9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame." Swami the above preaching’s were given by Paul to the followers much later in time after the death of Jesus. In this context, just by saying and believing that ‘past human incarnation is God’ how salvation is attained? Please clarify.]
Swami replied: It is a misunderstanding to think that by recognising the past human incarnation, one will be saved. The worship of the statue or photo of past human incarnation or energetic incarnation will certainly develop devotion to God. But, for the sake of any practical achievement, one shall worship the contemporary human incarnation of God as Hanuman and Gopikas did.