Posted on: 07 Oct 2023
1. a) How to come out of the ego and jealousy?
[Smt. Chhanda asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, in today’s discourse (01/09/2023) You have explained each and every detail of how a spiritual aspirant may slip from his/her spiritual path. The most dangerous one is ego and jealousy. In that context, can You please enlighten us on the following doubts: How to come out of this problem?]
Swami replied:- You should think that all merits belong to God and not to the soul. You should also think that all defects belong to the soul and not to God. You get ego-based jealousy on seeing merits in a soul and you do not get ego-based jealousy on seeing the defects of a soul. What is the reason for your jealousy? The reason is that the other soul is having merits. You remember My concept that merits always belong to God and not to the soul. Now, you are convinced that all the merits of the other soul belong to God and don’t belong to that soul. All those merits are given to that soul by God only. Now, there is no reason for you to feel jealous about the other soul because all those merits are the property of God and not the property of that soul. If some lady comes to a function wearing borrowed golden jewels, will you become jealous of that lady? You shall become jealous of that lady only if all those golden jewels are the property of that lady. In this way, you can eradicate your jealousy by believing that all merits are present only in God. By this concept, if you also become deserving, God may give any number of merits to you also and thus, there is a good possibility of attaining even more merits from God in your case also. This idea will eradicate jealousy completely from your mind.
b) In what way shall a devotee analyse himself/herself at least in conscious level if not in the subconscious level?
Swami replied:- The devotee shall always aspire for forward progress in devotion, just like a student in his line of education and career.
c) What shall be the proper way for a devotee who wants to be on the spiritual path forever?
[At Your divine lotus feet always, Chhanda]
Swami replied:- The way is complete and correct knowledge of the divine personality of God to keep the devotee in the path of devotion forever.
2. Was time really stopped during the preaching of the Gita?
[Master Samadrito and Smt. Chhanda asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, this is a doubt from my son Samadrito. He wants to know from You whether time was really stopped during the preaching of the Gita? If it was so then how could Sanjay narrate the whole story happening in Kurukshetra to Dhritarashtra? At Your divine lotus feet Samadrito and Chhanda.]
Swami replied:- God can control the entire creation. Time is only an item of creation being the fourth coordinate of the three-dimensional space and hence, there is no wonder if the time is stopped by God.
3. a) Our consciousness cannot identify the rise of ego and jealousy. Does it mean that this problem can never be eradicated?
[Smt. Chhanda asked: Swami in yesterday and todays Satsang it was kind of the strongest message towards us, the devotees. In the same respect I have a few more doubts. Please clarify them. They are as following: a) As You said, when the ego and jealousy rises in the mind, our consciousness cannot identify its birth. Does it mean then this problem can never be eradicated?]
Swami replied:- I have already given solution for this in the above-mentioned question-1a. Of course, I assumed that nobody becomes jealous of God, and the jealousy can appear only on the other common medium.
b) If some devotee wants to eradicate it at the root level itself, even in the subconscious level, what is to be done?
Swami replied:- It can be achieved by continuous practice and frequent analysis.
c) Suppose one devotee really wants to praise another devotee, can we not do that? What is the correct way to praise then?
Swami replied:- A devotee can praise another devotee, but, shall see that the other devotee is not spoiled by ego, keeping the welfare of the other devotee in mind.
d) In that case, the devotee, who is being praised, may get an idea of poisoning him/her by good words. Will it not give rise to another problem?
Swami replied:- Before praising or scolding, you shall have a correct picture of the psychology of the other devotee.
e) What can be the best way to appreciate a devotee without making him/her feel inflated?
Swami replied:- If you stick to the truth, the problem of inflation will not come. If you praise God to any extent, such problem will not come because any extent of praise happens to be the truth only and not a lie in the case of God (Yathārtha vyāhṛtiḥ sā hi, na stutiḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ).
f) Suppose a devotee tries to dedicate everything to You (God), how to ensure that it is really genuine, and not for the sake of just saying?
Swami replied:- Everything depends on the samskaaraas (strong ideas) accumulated in the consciousness for the past several births.
g) With all these thoughts in the mind, will it be possible for a devotee to concentrate on God freely as it may appear more difficult?
Swami replied:- The above answer is the answer here also.
4. Can we call a yogabhrashta a real devotee?
[Swami, is there any importance in identifying a yogabhrashta? Due to God’s infinite kindness, the yogabhrashta has got another opportunity to correct himself/herself. But due to the previous sin of ego and jealousy, can we call him/her a real devotee? At Your divine lotus feet always, Chhanda.]
Swami replied:- Yogabhrastha has fallen due to a slip and not due to the inherent nature of the soul. Hence, the Yogabhrastha will rectify himself/herself immediately by the grace of God.
5. Can I say whatever happens is the best as my Swami is there with me? Does it mean any aspiration from You?
[Smt. Chhanda asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, please clarify my following doubts: Is the following thinking correct for a spiritual aspirant? Whatever has happened/is happening/will happen, it is for the best as my Swami is there with me. Does it imply any aspiration from You? Please explain.]
Swami replied:- This is the attitude of a climax devotee and in such a state, how can anyone take the word ‘aspiration’?
6. Will self-confidence in pravrutti help in surrendering to God in nivrutti?
[Swami, You said that in nivrutti, it is better not to concentrate on our self-confidence but in pravrutti it is required. But Swami the confidence in pravrutti will definitely help in surrendering to God. Am I not correct? If not, how to keep this confidence separate in nivrutti?]
Swami replied:- In Pravrutti, you are dealing with co-human beings whereas in Nivrutti, you are dealing with God. Both of these states have a difference and a similarity. The difference is that you cannot find God in human beings (except the human incarnation) and you cannot find the human being in God (except the human incarnation). The similarity is that the human incarnation is common in both Pravrutti and Nivrutti. In Pravrutti, justice and injustice are the main topics and God always likes justice. In Nivrutti, real devotion to God is the main topic and justice appearing like injustice come in to the picture to test you regarding your devotion to God. Self-confidence within the normal limits is required in both Pravrutti and Nivrutti. Without minimum self-confidence, you cannot serve God effectively.
7. Can we say that if selfishness disappears, ego and jealousy towards the Sadguru will also disappear?
Swami replied:- Certainly, selfishness is the basis for ego and jealousy.
8. To remove ego and jealousy, is it not necessary to remove them first in worldly life and then in spiritual life? Please explain.
Swami replied:- Don’t forget that ego and jealousy also have good faces. Ego and jealousy with bad faces only have to be eradicated in Pravrutti or Nivrutti.
9. The Yogabhrashta happens only in the case of very high levels devotees. Is it correct?
[Yogabhrashta can happen only in the case of very high level of devotees. Is it correct? For a very ordinary soul like me, can this term be valid at all? At Your divine lotus feet always, Chhanda]
Swami replied:- You are not an ordinary soul. Certainly, Yogabhrashta refers to the very high level only.
10. The bliss rising from misery and associated with misery can never be affected by misery. How?
[Padanamaskaram Swami, please elaborate the following "The bliss rising from misery and associated with misery can never be affected by misery and therefore, remains eternal." By Chhanda Chandra]
Swami replied:- You are correct. This applies to the path of Yoga only.