Posted on: 19 Aug 2016
Padmanamaskaram Swami!!
1) God is said to be in state of Continuous Bliss(Ananda) before creation as well(Correct me if I am wrong). Is that the reason which led to misery and boredom state for God and such state led him to create this Creation (other than himself) for entertainment? If so, then God's State (Ananda) and normal Soul happiness becomes same?
Padmanamaskaram Swami!! kishore ram
Swami replied: God is beyond this creation and this doesn’t mean that His happiness is also beyond creation. Happiness is a quality of awareness. When we say that God is with full bliss even before creation, it shows that awareness was already created by God, which got associated with Him. Hence, the quality of awareness, which is bliss (excess of happiness only is bliss) also got associated with God. When the Veda said that He got bored (Ekaaki na ramate) with continuous and excess happiness, it means that the first stage of creation was already over. However, if you go beyond this stage of creation of awareness and its qualities also, you are unaware of God and God’s inherent characteristics. In that stage, God is totally unimaginable since no inherent characteristic of God is imaginable. You can’t speak anything about God in such unimaginable state. If you speak something about God, you can do so only through His associated characteristics (created by Him only) like awareness, bliss etc. Even though such associated characteristics were already created, we can still say such stage also as the state before creation only in the sense that this world was not created then. You can say that a person without any cash to build house and the same person with cash to build house also in the same state called ‘prior to the construction of house’. Since awareness and bliss existed already as associated characteristics, we can say that God got bored with continuous bliss and hence thought to create a second item called world for entertainment (sa dvitiyamaichchat— Veda). Bliss, boredom and thought to create world existed even before the creation (of this world). Bliss, boredom and any thought like thought to create etc., are characteristics of awareness only, which was already created by God. Such created characteristics of awareness are in no way different from the same qualities of awareness as we see in this world since these are created items only either in the beginning or afterwards. Hence, you need not be astonished that even God got bored! Boredom doesn’t indicate any deficiency. It indicates only the natural characteristic result of continuous happiness. The Brahma Sutras of sage Vyasa also explain this point (Lokavattu leelaakaivalyam) with the example of a king having no deficiency of any requirement, goes to forest for hunting, just to get rid of such boredom. Boredom, entertainment etc., are not the inherent characteristics of the unimaginable-absolute God, which can lower His status. You can’t blame God through the associated characteristics, which are just like the feelings of your role expressed in a drama. Such feelings of the role (awareness) can never be linked to the actor (unimaginable God). If the actor of that role happens to be the author of the drama also, you can understand this point easily that the author cum actor in that role can’t be blamed for the feelings of that role expressed.
Moreover, the feelings (boredom) expressed by the role (awareness) are suitable to the level of the actor (God) only and not denigrating his (actor’s or God’s) status in anyway. If poor man says that he is bored with continuous severe poverty, such words are suitable to his poor or low status. If a rich man like king says that he is continuously bored with his palace and immense wealth and likes to visit forest for a change, such a statement is not lowering the status of the king. Hence, you need not hesitate to say that God is bored with His continuous state of absolute reality and likes to visit relative reality (creation). Such statement doesn’t lower the dignity of the absolute reality of God. In the absence of any such negative effect, we need not worry about boredom taking the example of the same of a poor man. All the souls are poor men thinking that God is also suffering with their boredom of continuous poverty by linking boredom to poverty only!
God created awareness in the absence of created matter (nervous system) and energy (inert energy supplied from digestive system) by His inherent unimaginable power (we can also say straight that the unimaginable God created awareness straight, without mentioning unimaginable power since unimaginable God and His unimaginable power are one and the same as any number of unimaginable items become one). Thus, the process or background of creation of awareness is also in the unimaginable domain only, but the product (awareness) is in the imaginable domain having all its usual inherent characteristics like boredom etc. Actually, awareness is only a work of knowing like talking, walking etc. It finally means that the unimaginable God did some work. “Let Me create world for entertainment” is an idea of God existing in theoretical phase like our ideas only. Simultaneous materialisation of God’s idea is controlled in this stage and hence a theoretical phase without materialisation also exists in the case of God by which we can say that God is bored and such boredom is only theoretical phase. Then, He created energy or space and here simultaneous materialisation of theoretical phase (will or idea) starts and we can say that His will to create energy materializes simultaneously. Hence, theoretical phase existing as itself and the simultaneously materialisation of His theoretical phase are in His perfect control. Simultaneous materialisation of will is not uncontrollable process to God and we should not say that God is trapped by such process. Even in the human incarnation, you don’t find simultaneous materialisation of every will. It happens only when God wishes that simultaneous materialisation should take place.
2) Humble request to answer the below queries,
[i) Naming ceremony for a new born baby(Barsala) in Hindu Religion is considered as a Ritual. Can you please explain its true significance if there is any relation on the spiritual aspect?
ii) Swami, please correct me in my understanding with regards to Unimaginable-Imaginable domain. I tried to read the discourses on this part. Whats the difference between 'GOD's power' and 'GOD is charging' . The reason I ask is God is not charging or entered this creation(Maya) except in the case of Human Incarnation. But the inter objects like planets etc are moving due to control of an external thing called God and this can be possible due to God's power or his awareness or God has charged Maya(this creation)?
At the Lotus feet of Dattaswami Jagad Guru!!!!
kishore ram]
Swami replied: i) Naming ceremony is only an affair of the world so that child gets some identity in almost all the issues of the world and hence has no spiritual significance by itself. But, on such occasion, God was worshipped and prayed so that the child can get the divine blessings from God. This second part has spiritual significance indicating the first stage of spiritual knowledge, which is accepting the omnipotent God unlike the lower stage of atheist doing the same ceremony of naming and such ceremony is below the first stage.
ii) Charging by God and charging by power of God are slightly different in the sense that the source of power (Sun) is different from its power (Sunlight). However, since both God and His power are unimaginable and hence should be single entity only (as there can’t be two unimaginables), this difference becomes very narrow in the case of God and power being beyond the worldly examples like Sun and Sunlight. However, we can use the difference between source and power based on worldly examples to explain this concept to worldly people for easy understanding. On this basis, agreeing to the difference between source and its power, we can say that the power of God charges some item of the world (like fish in an incarnation) in the context of fighting and destruction of evil forces (preaching knowledge is not required). Only God charges the human being to become human incarnation for preaching knowledge. In the absolute unimaginable sense, both are one and the same and hence the fish-incarnation as well as the human incarnation like Krishna is in the same list called ‘incarnations’. The oneness of source and its power in the common unimaginable sense is unimaginable domain through which preaching the souls (components of the imaginable domain) becomes difficult. The difference between source (Shaktimaan) and power (Shakti) is imaginable domain, which makes the concept convenient to preach to the imaginable domain.
3) I have posted an extract of Swami discourse on 'Analysis of Maya'. A devotee has asked below question/comment. Kindly clarify.
[Question/Comment --> Good description of maya...but how to transcend it ... once and for all...
Discourse: Analysis of Maya
The analysis of Maya reveals that the unreal factors cause the real disturbance. All the worldly bonds are just feelings on certain forms. The bond (feeling) and the bonded (form) are found unreal on analysis. The form of a beautiful girl is unreal because the reality is only Matter. The glamour of shining is only a color generated based on certain frequency of the light energy. Thus, color is an unreal form of light. The sweet love expressed by her is also unreal form of awareness. Therefore, the beautiful form of matter, the glamorous color of light and the sweet love of the awareness are totally unreal if isolated from their corresponding real matter, real light and real awareness. If this Maya is not analyzed, even a great sage like Vishwamitra sitting in constant devotion to God was dragged out by the dancer from the heaven. Similarly, all the worldly bonds are only feelings established by some rigid social convention. The bonds in this life did not exist in the previous birth and will not exist in the future birth. They are only temporary and hence, unreal (Tat krutakamhi... Shankara). Reality is eternal. Once, King Janaka asked the sages to tell about the previous birth of his queen. The sages kept silent for a long time. But the sages revealed the truth due to continuous pressure from Janaka. They told that the wife was his mother in the previous birth! Since the bond is unreal, neither she was mother nor is she the wife of Janaka. Mother and wife and son and husband are unreal bonds, which are the unreal roles in the drama. Both are simply actors taking different unreal roles in different dramas to entertain the Lord. The relationship between the souls is only a colleague type only, which is eternal in all the dramas (lives). Therefore, there is no meaning of kith and kin and the outsiders. All the souls are equally related to each other, if the reality is realized. Hence, the entire world is a single family of God as its head (Vasudhaika Kutumbakam). All the fights between the human beings in the name of family outsider, caste, sex, nationality, religion, language etc., are only due to the illusion of Maya that is prevailing over the soul. Arjuna killed several kings in the battles previously when his brother performed Rajasuya sacrifice. But in the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna could not kill the opponents since they were his relatives. You are taking bribe from an outsider for the sake of over enjoyment of your family and you are going to hell for that. Your sin is not shared by your family members who enjoyed the extra wealth. On this point Valmiki, a robber was transformed into sage. Boys are dejected and sometimes commit suicide since the unreal love and the unreal beauty of a girl is not attained. This is the climax of the illusion (Maya)! With reference to Maha Maya, this Maya (beauty and love) are unreal. If you cannot come out of the illusion in the lowest level, how can you cross the other levels of illusion like Maha Maya and Mula Maya to attain God? Arjuna was also overcome by this basic illusion and treated the unreal relatives as the real kith and kin. He was unable to identify the Lord acting as his driver as his real kith and kin. He was worried about the incidental death of those unreal kith and kin. Therefore, the Lord [Krishna] laughed at the very outset (Prahasanniva… Gita), because, even the lowest Maya was not conquered by him [Arjuna]. With the help of analysis of Maya, all the devotees in this universe should be united as one family irrespective of religion, caste etc.
kishore ram]
Swami replied: When you are ignorant of the truth, the influence of Maya is 100% on the soul. When you know the truth through analysis, the ignorance disappears and this is called as destruction of covering effect of Maya (Aavarana shakti naasha). But, such destruction of cover can’t bring permanent realization since the effect of Maya from a long time had its well established power (Vikshepa shakti). Due to this second effect, you are falling in the practical grip of Maya again and again. Shankara gave a very good example in this context by saying that when a person sees a tiger in dream and is awaken with fear, he realized that the tiger is false, but, still, continues to shiver for some more time due to the well established power of Maya (second effect). This second effect also gets destroyed if you constantly memorise the concept that removes the first effect so that the concept also gets established in your mind with more power to destroy the second effect. Destruction of first effect is by hearing the concept from God-preacher (Satguru), destruction of second effect is by memorising the concept again and again and permanent relief from total Maya is by strong establishment of the concept in mind. These three stages are mentioned in the Veda (Shrotavyo mantavyo nididhyaasitavyah) and in the Gita (Tat viddhi..., Abhyaasenatu...).
4) My padanamaskarams to Swami. I humbly request you to give your reply on this question:
[Different deities control different worlds like Yama controls hell, Indra controls heaven etc. There are three crore deities worshiped by people. All the deities will act on the order of Datta-God. However, there is no such mention of different deities in other religions - Christianity and Islam. They say everything is controlled directly by God. How to correlate three religions in this aspect? Regards, -Durgaprasad]
Swami replied: Deities are only souls in energetic bodies created by God with some special unimaginable powers for the divine administration. These deities (including nine planets) are only various inert machines working by the power of God. God is omnipotent and can do His work by Himself alone and doesn’t require the help of any official or machine as in the case of the king ruling with limited power. A king can also be misguided by the officials with false information. But, the omniscient God can never be misguided and hence doesn’t require assistants in this line of information and broadcasting! In such case, whether God does His work by Himself or does His work through these deities is one and the same. The second option of multiplicity leads to a drama of entertainment for Him and such scene can be useful to test the state of realization of devotees also. In other religions also, if you go back much, you can find such multiplicity of deities in Greek mythology and ancient Islamic state before Mohammad having several deities believed as multiple Gods. The Gita says that He appears to be divided in the form of various deities associated with His own unimaginable powers distributed to each deity (Avibhaktam vibhakteshu...). The unity in diversity is realization of soul and diversity in unity is entertainment of God. When the deities are concerned, it is the unity of His power in various deities distributed and at the same time, He has all the powers without any qualitative and quantitative deficiency. When the energetic and human incarnations are concerned, the same above concept holds good by replacing God’s power by God since in the place of power, God Himself gets distributed in various incarnations like God’s power getting distributed in various deities. Both the distributions are unimaginable since the distributed unimaginable item (God or His power) is divided as various sub-items, yet, remains as the same original undivided item.
5) Padanamaskaram Swami, In facebook someone has put this question.
[In Ramayana, Sita, during her childhood while playing ball along with her friends, when the ball goes behind the table where ?#?Shivadhanush? was kept. To take the ball Sita easily moves the shivadhanush table aside to take the ball. Looking at this from a distance, king Janaka, father of Sita and king of Maithili was astonished by the sheer strength of Sita. Thinking how can a small girl move such a heavy and god gifted object. That day he decides that he will marry Sita to only that person who is strong and powerful enough to lift the Shivadhanush. During the Sita swayamvar, many kings, princes and other powerful and strong men tried to win Sita by lifting the Shivadhanush, however everyone other than Rama fails the test. Even the great scholar, powerful ten headed Ravana fails to lift the Shivadhanush. So Sita who could move the Shivadhanush when a baby would have definitely grew up to become an even stronger woman with the blessings of Goddess mother earth. And Ravana couldn't lift the Shivadhanush during the swayamvar. We could infer from this that Sita is definitely stronger and powerful than Ravana. So how can Ravana abduct a more stronger and powerful person than him alone. .....???
At Your Feet, Kishore ram]
Swami replied: Sita tells Ravana that since there was no sanction from Rama, whom she is worshipping as God by love like penance, she is not smashing Ravana to ash (Asandeshaattu...). Sita (Goddess Mahaalakshmi) is the devotee of Lord worshipping Him through the highest state of practical devotion called karma samnyaasa, which is pressing the feet of Lord indicating the self-position at His feet only. This is the state of Nivrutti-devotion in which sacrifice of work and fruit of work are done without aspiration of any fruit in return. For such devotee, Lord becomes servant in lower state and this is indicated by Sita as child lifting the bow and Rama as young man lifting the same bow. Ravana couldn’t lift the bow and is in lowest state. The entire story of Ramayana happened in already fixed direction and the story-writer cum director cum hero is God Himself. Even Ravana was none but the gate keeper of Lord acting in the role of villain. All the actors have to act according to the story written and have to say the script also as written already. If this story happened in a natural way, such questions can find place.
Human Administration Defective Since It Suffers By Ego & False Omniscience
6) Padanamaskaram Swami, Please explain us how to induce the quality of sacrifice in children. We come across people sacrificing in many ways like doing donations to orphanages, feeding beggars, donations to temples/churches, sacrifice to spiritual organizations run by devotees etc. Among all sacrifices, sacrifice to God in Human form is the highest and it is possible only by true divine knowledge which takes a long time. You said that sacrifice is a double-edged knife and should be avoided to undeserving. Children may not be able to grasp all these things easily. At the same time, whatever they practice in the childhood, it can continue in a much bigger way when they grow up. In such conditions, how to induce the quality of sacrifice from the childhood itself. - Durgaprasad]
Swami replied: Children have no opportunity to do any donation due to lack of capacity of earning and hence there is no practical danger of donation in their case. However, concept can be introduced in to their brain like donation to Sudama by Krishna (deserving case) and donation of milk to serpent (undeserving case) preached through stories as examples. Donation to human incarnations is highest in the sense that omniscient God knows how to plan and donate in view of deserving and undeserving receivers. The plan is very important since it alone avoids the punishment for undeserving donation in hurry as we see the case of devotees donating to undeserving receivers in hurry since place and time are felt foremost than the deserving receiver. They want to donate at Varanasi on the day of Mahashivaraatri to somebody in hurry (expecting some fruits) and most donations are done to undeserving only that lead them to hell only. Even the poor beggars become undeserving since many are effected by vices in which the money is spent. Some of them also cheat the donor by acting disability of limbs so that you can think that they deserve financial help as they can’t work and earn.
Children, old people, really disabled and really diseased deserve emergent donation from anybody without any analysis since work is beyond their scope. But, even these deserving beggars as cases of emergency (in which analysis of good and bad need not be done), are also wasting your donation in vices like smoking, drinking etc. Hence, Governments, trusts of big temples, associations of donors (can be formed) etc., must construct well organized beggar homes and admit the real deserving beggars to be served with food, cloths, medicines etc., (basic needs). These supervised plans can avoid the vices since individual supervision by constant follow up is impossible. The human incarnation can give good plans without mistakes. Hence, such services should be done under the guidance of the human incarnations like Shri Satya Sai Baba, Shri Shiridi Sai Baba etc. When donation is done by God, certainly, such mistakes will not happen since God is omniscient and such correct donation done through human incarnation brings you good result as you are the donor through human incarnation. The trust of any temple should not give food to all devotees since many of them can afford payment of their food. You should not force them to take food by saying that the food is offered to God. Of course, such force is done as a technique of marketing by attracting more devotes to make the temple-trust richer! Instead of such ignorant activities, beggar homes can be constructed and maintained. The human administration is always defective since human beings suffer by ego and false omniscience!
Aspiration for Fruit in Return With Selfishness Deciding Factor of Pravrutti or Nivrutti
7) Questions from Shri Karthik
[i) Some people segregate the path towards God broadly into two branches. One is known as the right-hand path (considered as the path followed by the majority), while the other is called the left-hand path (also known as vamamarga and followed by few). As You've mentioned many times before, the majority always fails in the spiritual path. Can You please explain the meaning behind these two paths?
ii) This question is related to the first one. Many sadhus who follow the so-called left-hand path such as the Aghoris and the Naga Babas consume a number of mind-altering intoxicants as part of their daily rituals. To be completely honest, I've used intoxicants such as marijuana (ganja) many times in the past and continue to do so even now. However, I've eventually come to the realization that intoxication for me is mostly about pleasure-seeking. But for a Naga Sadhu or a Nathpanthi Baba diligently following the left-hand path, such intoxication is often treated as a means to achieving God's grace. Keeping these points in mind, I have 2 questions for Swami-
a) Is it really possible for a sincere spiritual aspirant to be constantly intoxicated and still achieve God's grace?
b) I've tried many times in the past to focus on God while in a state of intoxication, but I haven't been able to do so beyond a certain point. Can Swami please tell me how to approach this part of my life, which I'm heavily attracted to?
iii) You've mentioned that knowledge coupled with determination results in action. Swami, my faith in You is wavering at best. When I read Your discourses, everything falls into place and seems clear. But the moment I poke my head in worldly matters, Your knowledge takes a back seat and I become fully immersed in the world. The result is that if I don't read your books for even a few days, there's a chance of me slipping back into my old patterns of pleasure-seeking that lead to self-destruction. I try to keep analysing Your knowledge every day in order to change my present behaviour, but at times, the task seems incredibly hard. I don't know what to do then and mostly engage in animalistic actions which I know I'll regret later on. Please give some tips to help me in my spiritual journey Swami.
Padanamaskaram Swami,]
Swami replied: i) There are two paths mentioned in scriptures as Dakshina Aachaara (worship of God by normal traditional modes) and Vaama Aachaara (worship of God by abnormal-indecent modes). These two paths differ based on the difference in the taste of devotees, which is again based on their inherent qualities. The taste pertains to specific devotees only and not to God at all. The debate on such peculiar taste of the specific devotees alone is discussed for the sake of such devotees only and such specific debate is not in the scope of every person. Those, who don’t have such specific taste can leave the debate- hall and before they leave the hall, they should kindly note that God is not having any taste for any item! The second path is also called as samaya Aachaara as said by Shankara (in Soundaryalahari). The first path is related to Sattvam quality where as the second path is related to qualities of Rajas and Tamas, which induce high emotion with firmness. In this second path sinful and indecent practices like non-vegetarian food (including extremity like eating human dead bodies), smoking, drinking, moving naked in society, illegal sex between human beings etc., are seen.
The partial sacrifice for God in first path is within the limits of justice or Pravrutti. The sacrifice for God in second path is beyond the limits of Pravrutti. By this difference alone, the second path can’t be called as Nivrutti since in this second path also selfishness with aspirations for various fruits exists. In the second path, more fruits are attained in faster way for which the cause is excessive devotion, which is not appreciable. Ravana, cutting all his heads to burn in fire for the sake of God, is not much appreciable since aspiration for many fruits in the corresponding level mainly exists in this second path. Shri Paramahamsa also jumped on the knife to kill Himself for the sake of vision of divine mother and not for fruits like Ravana. Hence, similarity in the devotion and practical sacrifice may be the same, but, Ravana belongs to Vaama Aachara and Shri Paramahamsa belongs to the most pious path of Nivrutti. Similarly, illegal sex between devotees is seen in Vaama Aachara, the background of which is only self-enjoyment since aspiration for fruit exists here. The same illegal sex between Krishna and Gopikas is between God and devotees and here total dedication of self to God is on the side of Gopikas where as examination of the strength of bond with life partner compared to God is on the side of Krishna and the view of self-enjoyment is not on any side. Hence, the emotion and activity is same in both the cases. But, the first case is lower Vaama Aachara and the second case of Gopikas is the climax of Nivrutti. Irrespective of level of devotion and sacrifice, any path can become Nivrutti if the selfishness-based aspiration for fruit disappears. In the absence of aspiration for any fruit, partial sacrifice of worldly bonds with few exceptions makes the phase of general Nivrutti (Pandavas) and total sacrifice of worldly bonds without any exception makes the phase as climax of Nivrutti (Gopikas). Similarly, irrespective of the level of devotion and extent of sacrifice, once aspiration for fruit exists based on selfishness, the phase becomes Pravrutti only. Therefore, you can’t decide whether the path is Pravrutti or Nivrutti simply based on the extent of devotion and sacrifice since the only deciding factor is the aspiration for fruit in return with selfishness. This means that in Pravrutti or Nivrutti, both Daakshina Aachara and Vaama Aachara can co-exist. Simply based on aspiration of fruit, you can place Vaama Aachara in Pravrutti also, but, Pravrutti being justice and non-acceptance of injustice or sin, doesn’t allow Vaama Aachara in to it. Therefore, Pravrutti is Dakshina Aachara with aspiration of fruits based on selfishness. In Nivrutti, Vaama Aachara can enter, but, the aspiration for fruit based on selfishness is totally absent here. You can see eating of non-vegetarian food and hunting in the case of the hunter Kannappa (incarnation of Arjuna) worshipping Shiva and similarly you can see illegal sex in the case of Gopikas (incarnations of sages). However, in the case of Gopikas, it is based on total dedication and sacrifice (of anything and anybody) to God, which differs from Vaama Aachara having selfishness-based self-enjoyment in between human beings. Similarly, in the case of Kannappa hunting and eating non-vegetarian food is for sacrifice to God and not for self-enjoyment. Hence, you can say that modified Vaama Aachara only enters Nivrutti.
Climax of Nivrutti, a special case, may result like ‘scented gold’ in case of excess of devotion (in abnormal ways also) associated with absence of aspiration for any fruit in return from God as in the case of Gopikas and Kannappa. It is like the gold (excess of devotion and total sacrifice crossing all limits also) associated with sweet scent (lack of aspiration for fruit in return). Thus, Pravrutti and Nivrutti are the real two ways as explained in the Gita (Shukla Krishna gati...) and these two paths should not be misunderstood as Daakshina Aachara and Vaama Aachaara respectively. Hence, this classification (Nivrutti and Pravrutti) is perfect and far better than the earlier classification of Dakshina Aachaara and Vaama Aachara. The decency of Dakshina path and indecency of Vaama path don’t make much difference since both are dealing with God only as the goal with true love and total sacrifice (lacking selfishness and aspiration for any fruit in return). In the latter classification (Pravrutti and Nivrutti), sometimes, indecent Vaama Aachara gets mixed called as Madhura Bhakti. Even then, such sweet devotion (Madhura Bhakti) can’t be found faulty since the indecency, which is absence of legality of Pravrutti, becomes pure by the fire of true love to God characterised by total surrender and total sacrifice (of everything and everybody including self, body and life also) without aspiration for fruit in return. Hence, aspiration for fruit based on selfishness brings the actual difference between the two paths and not mere decency and limits of justice followed in any path. In the absence of God, even legality and sacrifice (as in social service) are impure and indecent like sugar poured in drainage canal. In the presence of God, even illegality becomes decent and pure like thorny stick burnt in fire becoming sacred ash.
The Vaama Aachara in modified form entered the spiritual knowledge here and there, which should be either accepted or refused basing on the analysis of context. For example: 1) Kannappa hunted animal and gave its mutton to Lord Shiva as offering, which was accepted by the Lord. Non-vegetarian food belongs to Vaama Aachara. In this special case, it is not sinful because non-vegetarian food was not eaten by him (or his family members) indicating total absence of selfishness. Total sacrifice to God is also seen here since such food was neither eaten by him nor given to family members by him. Both these factors (absence of selfishness including family bonds and total sacrifice of fruit of hunting work to God) burn the sin involved in hunting because the animal killed by Kannappa was made alive by the Lord! Kannappa offered his eye to the Lord by removing it with own hands and this shows the sacrifice of body along with the devotional mind. 2) Gopikas also sacrificed the food (milk, curd and butter) to Lord Krishna avoiding their family members secretly. The reason of secrecy is that Gopikas were females controlled by elder males. Kannappa was a male himself and family can’t control him, hence, no need of secrecy. Gopikas also offered their mind with love along with their bodies to the Lord to make complete sacrifice (of everything without a trace of any exception). This sacrifice as illegal sex was also done secretly for the above said reason (female controlled by male). In both the cases of Kannappa and Gopikas, the offering of everything as total sacrifice was from the side of devotee and not as requirement from the side of God. When Gopikas came to dance with the Lord for the first time, Lord scolded them to return since it will lead to hell. (Of course, this doesn’t mean that Lord is not loving them for their love. It is only a test of their love since Lord also knows that they will go to Goloka but not to hell. However, we should take the external sense only and what is in the mind of God need not be considered). Even in the earlier birth, these Gopikas were sages offering themselves to become females and embrace the Lord. This was also refused by the Lord and hence the initial proposal is always from the side of the devotee only. (Of course, here also, the internal sense of the Lord is that male sages becoming females can’t be controlled by their wives and hence there was no risk. When they were born as female Gopikas they were controlled females and the risk was in climax. In such risky atmosphere only the test becomes perfect. Again, here, we have to take the external sense only and say that the proposal for illegal sex started from the side of devotee only and not from the side of the Lord). Such proposal of sages was not the worldly lust based on physical bodies, but was based on the spiritual knowledge that males also are females and wives of the male Lord (Striyah satih pumsah— Veda) and hence sages can’t be blamed. The main point is that this illegal sex of Gopikas and Lord is not the worldly illegal sex, which is based on the animal nature of lust provoked by physical bodies.
Overestimation of Respect to Devotee
In both the above cases the sinful side (as hunting, non-vegetarian food, illegal sex and secrecy) is cancelled by the other side of devotion and total sacrifice to God. Since the goal is God, all defects are transmitted in to merits. But, if the goal is not God, the sins remain as sins only. For example: In ancient India there was an ignorant custom in the tradition of Hinduism sub-sect. This is only ignorance and not to be condemned as sin because basis of this bad tradition was only devotion to God misdirected to devotee. However, since God is not directly related to such donor-devotees as in the case of Krishna and Gopikas, this is not correct and good tradition. The bad custom was that a devotee coming as guest to the house of a house-holder was given the facility to enjoy the wife of house-holder in the night and the house-holder was a willing donor. The basic defective concept is that a woman was treated as a facility of enjoyment in the night just like meals, fan, good bed to sleep etc. The wife was attending the guest following the will of her husband. This is totally wrong. Both male and female are individual souls with just minor external differences only in their bodies. Both have full independence and freedom of will in worldly or spiritual life. Such wife is not Gopika reaching the Lord secretly with full self-willingness even though husband obstructs it. The guest-devotee (served by the wife of donor-devotee) was also not God in human form like Krishna. It is overestimation of respect to a devotee. An ordinary human being like that house-holder can’t analyse the guest-devotee to be in the climax of devotion so that such devotee is the second address of God as per Narada Bhakti Sutra (Tanmayaahi...). In this case, Vaama Aachara appears as mud (not sugar) thrown in drainage canal. However, this is an error in the devotion due to lack of sharp analysis. We only pity this case and are not furious. But, the same case appears to be the worst like excretion matter existing in drainage canal! Such case is a fool, so blind for earning money, sends his wife to higher official in order to get his signature on the contract! (You can see this as a true incident in the world happening in “Crime petrol” shown in SONY Channel of T.V., which presents police cases happening really in this world). In this way Vaama Aachara has no individual significance and is to be examined differently from case to case.
ii) Points like non-vegetarian food and illegal sex involve both donor and accepter. If the donor is devotee and acceptor is God, the devotee sacrifices the item to please God even though God is already with infinite bliss and does not require anything for pleasure. The sacrifice of the devotee alone gives pleasure and not the item sacrificed in the case of God. If human beings are donors and acceptors, the acceptor is pleased only to enjoy the item and the concept of sacrifice of donor is not cared by the acceptor.
Items Like Intoxication Caused by Smoking & Drinking Not Involved in Spiritual Path
I can understand the sacrifice in the above examples involving donor and acceptor, in which donor-devotee pleases acceptor-God by sacrifice, though not by item. Sacrifice means donating the item belonging to donor to other receiver to make receiver happy and not burning ghee in fire to pollute the atmosphere! God is happy even if the donor doesn’t sacrifice his/her item and enjoys it. The item of donor enjoyed by self is profit to the donor and not loss to donor! This means that the item like food gives health to body of donor and item like sex gives pleasure to donor. Even if one doesn’t sacrifice anything to God, God is not unhappy because He is already associated with bliss. If the donor enjoys the item and gets benefit, God is immensely pleased because the soul created by Him is happy. But, my friend Kartik! I don’t understand how items like intoxication caused by smoking and drinking are involved in the spiritual path? In such items God is not at all involved as receiver and you alone happen to be receiver! Even if you are receiver, God feels happy because you are benefited and pleased by such item. Here, intoxication by smoking and drinking spoils your health as per the medical science and you are harmed by this item. In fact, God is unhappy because a soul created by Him is losing health and is in loss. These activities are very very bad, which spoil the health of the body of the soul. Body is linked with mind and hence a disturbed mind only exists in disturbed body. Health of the body effecting mind is primary point either in worldly or spiritual life (Shariramaadyam khalu dharma saadhanam). When God is not involved in such wrong activities as either donor or acceptor, how can one associate with God through such foolish and stupid intoxications? These Aghoris are the worst souls in this entire creation. Except one point that they believe in Lord Shiva, all the rest is utter nonsense!
Aghoris say that Lord Shiva is the biggest Aghori!! They say that Lord Shiva is naked, which is wrong. Lord Shiva wears leather only and not cloth. The word ‘Ambara’ means cloth. Digambara means without cloth, but with leather acting as cloth. He stays in burial ground to indicate that every soul has to leave everything here including his body in burial ground finally. He never eats dead human body since there is no need of food for energetic incarnation of God. Intoxication (madness) by devotion is required and not intoxication by smoking and drinking! In both intoxication may be one and the same but the reason of it gives its value. Money earned by hard work and money earned by stealing are one and the same but former is pious and latter is sinful. Such intoxication (climax of devotion) is given by spiritual knowledge that gives all the details of the divine personality of God, which develops eternal impression in mind.
iii) Your attraction towards such intoxication is due to your ignorance of the truth established by perfect analysis. This point is clearly explained by Me in the answer given to above question regarding Maya (from Kishore Ram). Memorise the knowledge constantly, which will develop attraction to the right side that cuts the attraction to wrong side. Diamond alone cuts another diamond. Knowledge (Diamond) is common in both right knowledge and wrong knowledge. If you read once, temporary cover (Ajnana aavarana) may be removed, but, on constant memory only fixed influence (Ajnana Vikshepa) can be removed.
Intoxication by drugs etc., can neither attach the soul to the God nor detach it from the worldly bonds. Such intoxication is only superficial and temporary related to mind suppressing its quality of memory. You will just forget the worldly bonds for little time and this is not permanent liberation of the soul from the worldly bonds. Of course, such intoxication can liberate the soul from the entire world through untimely death by spoiling the health of the body and mind! Both are interlinked (Annaanurupaam tanu rupa buddhim) with each other. Even if the soul is liberated from the world, it is not liberated from worldly bonds after death also and hence such intoxication is totally useless either for union with God (Saayujyam) or liberation from worldly bonds (Moksha). It is a slow process of suicide only! The permanent intoxication should come from the intelligence (spiritual knowledge) based-mind (devotion) only, which alone can liberate the soul permanently from the worldly bonds and attach it to God forever. Lord Shiva never used drugs for intoxication and perhaps the Aghoris might have misunderstood the terrible poison (haalaahalam) that burns the worlds as some drug of intoxication swallowed by Him! Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, Shri Gajaanana Maharaj etc., smoked ganja leaves just to reject the undeserving devotees blindly following tradition only through such illusion (Maya) and such activities couldn’t spoil their health due to the unimaginable God merging with them. Shankara drinking molten lead is also a similar case of the miraculous power of unimaginable God to be unaffected by molten lead. We, the ordinary human beings, should not imitate the human incarnations in all aspects as said by sage Gautama (Avara daurbalyaat).
I really appreciate you for being frank to expose your defects seeking solution from Lord Dattatreya. Generally, people hide their defects due to ego, false prestige and hypocrisy. By this exposure, you are getting divine solution from God so that people suffering with similar problem and unable to expose are benefited through you. The good effect of your good deed for the sake of the benefit of this world will certainly protect you.
8) There are different interpretations of Bhagvad Gita used by different people. An advaita philosopher quotes same verses from Gita to claim himself as God. An ISKCON follower quotes again the same verses to show Krishna is the only supreme Lord. Even persons in materialistic path misquote them to prove their points. Now, all books on Gita give one to one meaning of many verses with their own interpretation and all the books miss important concept of Human incarnation and sacrifice to Him. Can you please elaborate the whole essence of Gita for a common person who starts his journey in spirituality. -Durgaprasad
Swami Replied: The Veda says that the single truth is explained in several ways by scholars (ekam sat Vipraaah...). This means that the path of right knowledge is in various levels. Hence, various interpretations of the same scripture in the same right direction as various levels. All the levels or interpretations are in the right path only since various interpretations are only various levels of spiritual aspirants. There is nothing like right or wrong in this line since the whole knowledge is in right direction only. Various levels of the knowledge indicate only higher and lower stages in ladder of spiritual path. But, misinterpretations indicate wrong ladder of knowledge, which should be condemned by sharp analysis. You need not worry about the multiplicity of interpretations because many are right, which may be higher or lower steps. Such right interpretations differing in levels should be accepted and need not be condemned as wrong. The unique talent of omnipotent God is such that His single statement can be interpreted in various levels of the right spiritual path like monism, special dualism and dualism. God’s talent gives such scope of right interpretations at various levels since every level in the right path, which needs interpretation for own level in that time. However, wrong interpretations can be easily caught by powerful analytical eye and should be condemned.
The concept of human incarnation and practical sacrifice of everything and everybody including work and fruit of work is stressed again and again everywhere in the Gita by Lord Krishna in human form. The same Lord told that one in millions of souls (and that too after millions of births only) can at least identify the human incarnation (Kashchit maam vetti... Gita), not to speak of practical service to Him! Here, the word ‘Vetti’ (to know) means just identification only! Hence, whatever is told by Lord is exactly found here and why should you worry for that? Kohinoor Diamond is one only and gravel stones are many lorry loads!