Posted on: 02 May 2023
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,
1. Can we study pious books without self-realisation as we cannot confirm the knowledge in them?
[Ms. Thrylokya asked: Paadanamaskaaram Swami, I would like to seek Your answers for the below questions asked by my friend. I believe that God is omnipresent and without self-realisation, we cannot confirm readings from any pious books because they are somebody else's understanding and not mine. Please comment.]
Swami replied: God is omniscient and omnipotent. God is not omnipresent at all. If He is omnipresent, problems come like if God is in Ravana and also in Rama, Rama killed Ravana means that God killed God. God is not physically omnipresent but is effectively omnipresent, which means that even though God is not anywhere in the world, He is effectively everywhere, controlling everything and possessing the knowledge of everything. What is self-realisation? You are a body with awareness present in you pervading all over the body. The food eaten by you is oxidized in mitochondria releasing inert energy. This inert energy enters the brain-nervous system and is transformed into a specific work form of energy, called awareness. If the food is not supplied, the person dies which means that awareness disappears proving that awareness is not God. In deep sleep also, awareness disappears (dies) and appears again in awaken state, which means that the awareness or individual soul is appearing and disappearing everyday as said in the Gita (Atha cainaṃ nityajātam…). Inert energy is the material of awareness and hence, awareness appears as waves in medical-electronic instruments.
When you are realising that you are awareness, by such realisation, what additional knowledge you can get about the external items? If a dog realises that it is a dog (body and soul), can it get the knowledge of all other items? If a student is not understanding, the understanding of the subject of his teacher, is he getting the knowledge of the unknown subject? Do you mean that he cannot get the knowledge of the subject because he has not realised himself? Are educational institutions not giving admissions to students without their self-realisation because without self-realisation, none can understand any subject? Without understanding the understanding of the teacher, how can you understand the subject by yourself? If you can understand the subject by yourself with the help of your own understanding, then the process of teaching becomes a sheer waste and all educational institutions must disappear along with their teaching faculties! Spiritual knowledge is completely based on very sharp logic like any other scientific subject including arts, which are also called sciences in these days (Political science, Social science etc.). Science just means the deep analysis of every concept avoiding blind belief and blind rigidity.
2. Does every soul have their own different path to self-realization?
Swami replied: There is only one path for self-realisation, which is to consult a doctor, who will show the waves of your awareness on the screen. You can say this as seeing your own self and a big word like ‘self-realisation’ is not necessary. You are realising that yourself is non-inert awareness and not the inert body. This is the essential conclusion and beyond this, what point exists more to be called self-realisation?
3. Is Guru a guide or God Himself?
Swami replied: A Guru or preacher or guide is a train strictly running on the railway lines without moving an inch to the sides. Guru is the human being following the preaching of the Sadguru, who is the railway line. Sadguru means both guide and goal (God). Sat means God or the absolute reality and Guru means the guide. Sadguru is the human incarnation of God like Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa etc. There is also the Asadguru, who is not aware of true spiritual knowledge, who misunderstands and twists the truth and guides innocent human beings in a wrong path. Such Asadguru will fall in hell forever for spoiling the little lifetime of the rare human birth.
4. Does realisation mean finding no difference in all creations and getting released from Maya?
Swami replied: A soul can be released from avidya like mistaking a rope to be a serpent with the help of a light. Maayaa is the divine illusion of superimposition, which is like superimposition of matter or energy. God Krishna says in the Gita that you can never realise His Maayaa (Mama māyā duratyayā…) because Maayaa creates the creation for the entertainment of God. Avidya is the characteristic of the soul whereas Maayaa is the characteristic power of God (Māyinaṃ tu Maheśvaram). All creations are made of inert energy only because matter is condensed energy and awareness is a specific work form of inert energy generated on functioning in an active brain-nervous system. The fundamental constituents are inert energy, matter and awareness. Space is subtle and fire is gross inert energy. Air, water and solid earth are matter. These are the five fundamental elements. Awareness is a specific form of inert energy. In this way, you may get homogeneity of the fundamental constituents in every item of creation, but the good (Sattvam) and bad (Rajas and Tamas) qualities are not uniform in all items. Hence, this is diversity in unity or unity in diversity, which mean that both unity and diversity exist simultaneously.
5. Can a self-realised person heal oneself and remove pain?
Swami replied: Psychotherapy is a very mild treatment. When you are suffering with pain on a specific part of the body due to some internal infection, by applying will-force, you can make your nerves not to receive the pain to some extent for some time. Will-power is also a mild current, but it is not electric treatment and hence, the pain cannot be completely controlled. Of course, it is completely impossible to kill the bacteria causing the pain with the help of this mild current. People are exaggerating very small things as very big things!
Self-realisation gives some peaceful relief that you are not the body, but you are awareness. This peace is like the central zero value that is greater than the negative misery. But, this zero is lower than the positive divine bliss attained by loving God practically. If you are not the body, the fascination towards worldly bonds is also reduced because worldly bonds are related to the body only and not to the soul or awareness. Even thinking that you are God can be accepted if you are in a deep depression. You can come out very easily by thinking that you are God. This is only a temporary psychological powerful injection, but shall not be continued throughout life. God will not mind if you use this as a temporary medicine for depression.
6. Why did people like Jesus and Buddha leave their families whereas others stayed with their families to attain Moksha?
Swami replied: Physical leaving or physical staying with worldly bonds is immaterial. Mental detachment is very important. One can do his/her duties to them because such duties are accepted before God in rituals like marriage. But, one shall be attached to God mentally at least. The three strongest worldly bonds called eshanaatrayam is bond with life partner, bond with issues and bond with money. Every soul is entangled in this triangle and is neglecting God, guru and parents also due to these blind worldly fascinations. The triangle of the worldly bonds must not be left by force, but, shall drop away by itself due to the divine taste in the bond with God. Mere dropping of the worldly bonds is impossible and useless also. One is dropping the bond with coffee since he has tasted divine nectar. Without tasting the divine nectar, it is useless and impossible to reject coffee. Salvation or Moksha means the liberation from worldly bonds, which are just selfish only as said in the Veda (Ātmanaḥ kāmāya sarvaṃ priyaṃ bhavati). This means that the husband or wife is loving the other partner for his/her own happiness and not for the other’s happiness. Similarly, for parents and children or for any worldly bond. God does not need anybody for His happiness, who is always in bliss. Hence, God alone is permanent for the soul in all births. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, engaged as a priest in the temple, could not leave His duty to wander and propagate spiritual knowledge. The other three divine preachers and Buddha had to leave their families in the propagation of spiritual knowledge since the conveyance in those days was almost nil. For the propagation of divine spiritual knowledge, today, a computer is sufficient to become a saint. Work from home and work from office are one and same because the work is important and not the place of the employee. The duty of the saint prescribed in the scriptures is the propagation of divine spiritual knowledge.
7. How could Dharmaraja leave earth with his body when even God Krishna could not leave with His body?
Swami replied: Shabari was sent to the abode of God along with her body by God Rama. But, God Rama left His body in the Sarayu river and went to His divine abode. When the devotee goes to the abode of God along with the body, the devotee is exalted. But, the highest God need not be exalted because He is in the topmost exaltation. The Prime Minister in Delhi may come to the parliament in a car. A member of parliament may come to the parliament in a flight from another town. Do these car and flight have any influence on the traveller? Even if the devotee goes up in a human body, on the way, the human body is transformed into an energetic body because upper worlds are energetic worlds in which energetic beings (with energetic souls in energetic bodies) alone can live. King Trishanku supported by Sage Vishwamitra was thrown down because the king wanted to enter heaven with a human body. When Krishna left the human body on this earth, He was found with a divine energetic body going upwards to His abode.
8. What is the difference between Truth and Dharma?
Swami replied: Truth is the existence of anything in the past, the present and the future (Trikālābādhyaṃ satyam). Dharma is the practice that is followed by good people to please God (Dharmaḥ kriyā bhagavat prītyarthā).
9. Can a self-realised soul create things like money, gold, etc.?
Swami replied: Self-realisation is the biggest foolish concept. You realised yourself as yourself, what is the point to be appreciable here? If you realise yourself as God, there is some credit of achievement. You have one lakh rupees and you realise yourself as a lakhpati (owner of one lakh). If you increase your wealth by your effort and become a crorepati (owner of one crore), you have achieved something greater than yourself. Without becoming God, if you assume yourself as God in the plane of your dreaming mind, what is the use? Advaita philosophers make such day dreams and think that they are already God! A soul can become God, but not by his will and effort. God enters a selected devotee to become human incarnation to do some good work helpful to justice and helpful to the devoted world. If you think of becoming God, that is a permanent disqualification and you can never become God. Advaita philosophers go on dreaming of becoming God by constantly thinking that he is God (Ahaṃ Brahma Asmi). They go on repeating this by which they disqualify themselves more and more. A human soul must always think himself/herself as the servant of God as per the dualism of Madhva. Service and sacrifice form practical devotion, called karma yoga, the mango plant that yields the mango fruit. Knowledge is water and devotion is fertilizer to help the mango plant grow and yield fruit. Knowledge generates devotion, which generates the final practice or karma yoga that consists of sacrifice of service (karma samnyasa) and sacrifice of fruit of work (karma phala tyaaga). The Veda and the Gita vehemently stress on karma yoga. By intellectual thinking (knowledge-water) and mental love (devotion-fertilizer), you cannot achieve the mango fruit without service and sacrifice to God. God comes in human form to receive your service and sacrifice by which a devotee is pleased. Greedy people avoid the human incarnation because they do not want service and sacrifice to others other than their spouse and children. Formless God and God as statues are the escaping philosophies of greedy souls so that they can offer food to God by moving their hands and finally eat the whole food by themselves. If food is offered to the human incarnation, He will eat! All this is spiritual economics, which is the root cause for denying human incarnation. The greatest devotee Hanuman got Brahma Loka by worshipping Rama, the human incarnation of God. Still greater devotees Gopikas attained the highest Goloka by worshipping Krishna, the human incarnation of God. There is no greater spiritual devotee than Hanuman and the Gopikas. These devotees never thought of themselves as God and never worshipped photos and statues of upper energetic incarnations like Vishnu or never worshipped the photos and statues of past incarnations like Vamana and Parashurama. Are you greater than Hanuman and the Gopikas to become God just by theoretical thinking that you are God?
10. What we think as truth is not truth for others and what we consider as sin is not a sin for others. Please comment.
Swami replied: If truth and sin vary from person to person, these courts have to be abandoned since they give judgements based on universal sin and universal truth. For anybody, sin is sin and truth is truth. Even the inner consciousness speaks about the universality in these concepts. Even in ordinary human courts, when this is the fact, what should we think about the divine court of God?
11. Why did Rama see greatness in Hanuman even before taking Him as His follower?
Swami replied: Rama is the omniscient God and knows that Hanuman is the incarnation of God Shiva.
12. The name 'Rama' existed before His birth. Can You tell me, what it means?
Swami replied: The Veda says ‘Ekākī na ramate’, which means that God is the enjoyer. Rama means the enjoyer of entertainment (Ramate iti Rāmaḥ) for which He created this world. God exists even before the birth of Rama and since God means the entertained personality, God means Rama and Rama means God.
13. Can a realised-soul create energy?
Swami replied: Even the person, who has seen the self on the screen of electronic instruments (not to speak of a realised soul) cannot create even a photon. This clearly shows that the soul is not God and also cannot become God unless God wishes so. Remembering that the soul is God shows only the greatest greedy ambition of the soul to become God.
14. Why does Shakti have different forms like Durga Devi, Lalita Devi, etc.?
[Why does Shakti have different forms like Durga Devi, Lalita Devi, etc.? Are these forms our own perceptions? Is it the imagination of devotees to talk with them?]
Swami replied: The unmediated unimaginable God wants to become mediated for the sake of devotees to help them in their meditation or worship because the formless God cannot be even imagined. This form is called the medium or dress. There can be variations in the dress but not in the wearer of the dress. We wear different types of dresses for our liking. But, God wears different media since the liking of devotees is different (Loko bhinna ruciḥ). The different media are true and not our imaginations. Somebody likes money and for him, God will appear as Lakshmi. Somebody likes knowledge and for him, God appears as Saraswati.
15. Why do we perceive Maayaa as feminine and not masculine?
Swami replied: Maayaa is the power and Iishwara, the possessor of Maayaa is called Maayii (Māyāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ viddhi, māyinaṃ tu maheśvaram). In the old tradition, since the wife follows the husband, this gender difference was created, which is not true at all. In fact, both are one and the same. The power is unimaginable and possessor of the power is also unimaginable. Two unimaginables or any number of unimaginables finally become one unimaginable item only because the unimaginable boundaries of unimaginable items can’t be distinguished.
16. What is Brahmam and Maayaa and what is happening to it when we are sleeping?
Swami replied: Brahman and Maayaa remain as themselves while you are sleeping also. Even your body exists as it is while you are in deep sleep. In deep sleep, your awareness is totally disappearing (death) and appearing while you are awake (birth). Such daily born and daily dying awareness cannot be the eternal God. Since the nervous system (or part of brain related to awareness) is taking rest and is not functioning, even though inert energy exists, awareness can’t be produced. Even if the current (inert energy obtained from food) is present, if the grinding machine (nervous system) is not functioning, grinding work (awareness) is not produced. Hence, there is no experiencer in the absence of awareness.
17. Many Gurus are giving so much information about Brahmam and Maya. How is it self-realised?
Swami replied: Neither you are Brahman nor Maayaa. Brahman is the unimaginable God and Maayaa is His unimaginable power. You are just an imaginable item created by God as a tiny part of this imaginable world. The Gita says that soul is a part of creation, called Paraaprakriti (Prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām). Brahman and Maayaa are one and the same as said above. The soul is a created item by the creator, Who is called as Brahman or Maayaa.
18. If the human soul is sinful, what is not sinful?
Swami replied: There are good souls also, who are not sinful. Who told that every soul is sinful?
19. What is the difference between paapam and punyam?
Swami replied: Sages finally concluded that which pleases God is punyam and that which displeases God is paapam (Hareḥ kopakaraṃ pāpam, puṇyaṃ tasya priyapradam).
20. What is the difference between divinity and spirituality?
Swami replied: Spirituality means the subject dealing with spirits or subtle items, which are made of energy and not matter. The soul also comes under spirituality so that the analysis of the soul is also done in spiritual knowledge. Body is non-spiritual because it is made of matter, but since some inert energy is also present in the body as bond energy etc., the analysis of the body is also to be done partially. God as incarnation also comes in spirituality, but the original unimaginable God is beyond creation and human intelligence. The existence of the unimaginable God is proved by miraculous powers exhibited in this world by human incarnations of God which is also in spiritual knowledge. Divinity means that subject related to the unimaginable God or energetic incarnations like Vishnu, Shiva, etc., or human incarnations like Rama, Krishna, etc. Divinity is a part of spiritual knowledge related to God, whereas spirituality deals with all parts of knowledge including even the analysis of creation so that we can reject any item of the creation to be mistaken as God.
21. What is the importance of money and marriage?
Swami replied: Money is artha and marriage is kaama. There are four categories:- Dharma (justice), Artha (wealth), Kaama (sexual life) and Moksha (liberation from worldly bonds due to extreme love towards God). All these four are the important efforts of any human being in the gradual journey of life. But, since death is unpredictable and Moksha is very important, wise souls give importance to Moksha as early as possible. If the soul is very much attached to God, at least Artha and Kaama can be spontaneously dropped out. Since God likes Dharma, this is not dropped out spontaneously. But, if God competes with Dharma, the wise soul votes for God and not for Dharma (Sarva dharmān parityajya…- Gita).
22. Our perceptions change when we talk with different enlightened people but are they true?
Swami replied: You can hear all the perceptions and analyse with your sharp intelligence. Analysis is done by mind and the concluding decision is given by intelligence. Even Krishna asked Arjuna to analyse His preaching also to come to a decision (Vimṛśyaitadaśeṣeṇa…-Gita). Intelligence becomes more and more powerful as you discuss with scholars. One should not go on doubting endlessly “Is it true? Is it true?” and God Krishna says that such a doubting Thomas perishes (Saṃśayātmā vinaśyati…- Gita). When the logic is completed, the inner consciousness will roar in yourself that that is true.
23. Why does the truth change from a Guru with family and a Guru without family?
[Why does truth change from a Guru who is a family man to a Guru who is not a family man? Are we adopting something because we are missing something?]
Swami replied: I have already told you that staying in a family or leaving the family is not the criterion for true knowledge. Krishna stayed in the family and told the original text, called the Bhagavad Gita and Shankara, who left the family wrote a commentary on that original text, which is the Bhagavad Gita. The author of the original text (Krishna) is greater than the commentator (Shankara).
24. How do You define God Shiva?
Swami replied: Shiva means auspicious. Even though He stays in burial ground, wearing snakes and ash, He is considered to be the most auspicious. The word Shiva is formed by the interchanging of the two letters. Vashi is Shiva (Varṇa vyatyaya). Vashi means He, who controls everything. Shiva is indicating the human incarnation of God. The external non-eternal human body misleads you to think that the human incarnation is not God. But, He is God, who came to this earth to guide you due to His unimaginable kindness. If you want to see God Shiva, who is the energetic incarnation of God, you have to do penance for a very long time, which may be even for several human births. Even if Shiva appears after a lot of penance, He will disappear within a few minutes by giving the desired boons and will not stay for a long time to preach spiritual knowledge clearly (Sometimes, devotees get false visions based on some mental disorder, which is a disease recognised in medical science.). Then, where is the time to put spiritual efforts? In order to save the wastage of time in penance, God comes in human form and gives you the direction. Shiva came as Shankara to give spiritual guidance.
25. How to see Shiva in everyone?
Swami replied: You can see Shiva in His incarnation like Shankara. You can also see Shiva in every human incarnation of God because Shiva is God. How can you see Shiva in everybody? Even if you take X-ray analysis of anybody, you can find bones, etc., only. If you want to see pearls, you have to search in the ocean. Since water is common in the ocean and in the pot present in your house, can you search in a water pot present in your house to see pearls?
26. How did Valmiki receive the knowledge of Ramayanam to write it as a book even before the arrival of Rama?
Swami replied: Valmiki is one of the top sages having the power of penance, due to which he could know the future. Even though he was a hunter, Sage Narada changed him to a devotee of God. The meaning of the word Rama is God. Valmiki did penance even before the Ramayanam happened and Valmiki was initiated in the name of Rama only because Rama is the name of God. God created this world for His entertainment. Rama means God entertained by the creation (Ramate iti Rāmaḥ).
27. Why should we follow the scriptures and are we understanding them correctly?
Swami replied: The authors of the scriptures are Sages and they have the talent of speaking to human beings so that they can understand very well. Of course, in the Kali age, misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the scripture arose.
28. Who is God? Is it Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva? Or somebody superior to them?
Swami replied: The super most God is Parabrahman, who is unimaginable. Before creation itself, for the sake of devoted souls to meditate upon God, the unmediated unimaginable God, called Parabrahman became mediated so that the devotees can see and worship Him. Parabrahman was mediated by an energetic body containing an energetic soul and Parabrahman entered and merged with that first energetic being, who was called Datta. Datta means ‘given’, which means that the unimaginable God is given to the world of devotees for the sake of meditation. This God Datta, the first energetic incarnation, created the creation and He as a creator, is called Hiranyagarbha (Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ samavartatāgre - Veda). The same God Datta rules the creation under the name Naaraayana and will dissolve the creation under the name Iishwara. The same God Datta as Hiranyagarbha created another energetic incarnation, called God Brahma, created as Naaraayana another energetic incarnation called God Vishnu and created as Iishwara another energetic incarnation called God Shiva. The definition of Parabrahman in the Veda is that He is alone, and that the same single God does creation, maintenance (ruling) and dissolution of the world (Ekameva…, Yato vā imāni…- Veda). God Datta is only one personality doing all these three divine works (creation, ruling and dissolution) with the three faces and the Vedic definition of Parabrahman applies perfectly to God Datta. There is no trace of difference between God Datta and Parabrahman. God Datta is eternal and the dissolution of the world does not affect Him in any way. God Datta became three divine forms from whom three crores of deities came out and from whom thirty-three crores of deities came out. If you salute God Datta, it is equal to thirty-three crores of salutations to God.
29. What is samadhi?
Swami replied: Sam + aang + dhi united become the word ‘samaadhi’. ‘Sam’ means correct way. ‘Aang’ means completely. ‘Dhi’ means decision. This means fixing complete faith (decision) in God after analysing completely. This applies to the correct identification of God in human form. One should not be carried away by the external medium showing its natural properties like birth, death, food, drinking water, sleep, sex, illness, etc., and must correctly recognize God by His excellent knowledge, love and miraculous powers. Every human incarnation (or even energetic incarnation) is the incarnation of God Datta only. The incarnation gets knowledge from God Brahma, love (towards devotees) from God Vishnu and miraculous powers from God Shiva. By these three, the incarnation must be recognized.
30. How to become unconditional love?
Swami replied: An item cannot become a quality. If we say that somebody is knowledge, it means that he is the possessor or embodiment of knowledge. One is becoming love means that he is the possessor of love. Sadness is minus sign, peace or neutrality is zero sign. Happiness or bliss is positive sign. Misery wants to become peace and peace wants to become happiness or bliss. The possessor of excellent knowledge (Prajñānaṃ Brahma - Veda), the possessor of extreme love (Raso vai saḥ - Veda) and the possessor of miraculous powers (Satya kāmaḥ - Veda) is God. Hence, becoming love means becoming God. Becoming God means becoming incarnation. An incarnation results only when God wishes to become the incarnation by merging with you for the sake of some welfare to the world and by your ambition and any effort, you will not become the incarnation and you will be disqualified to become incarnation in future. You must always be a servant to God like Hanuman served Rama, the human incarnation of God. There is no way other than the way of Hanuman to reach the ultimate abode of God (Brahma Loka) and to become the future creator (Bhavishyat Brahma).
31. There is a rapist who committed rape and there is another person with equal intention but not behaving the same. Are they both equal?
Swami replied: The person practically committing rape will be practically punished. The person having the intention of rape will be warned in hell by god Yama Dharma Raja.
32. Why did Rama say that He is 'sarvaantaryaamii'?
Swami replied: Rama means God. Antaryaamii means controlling everything from inside. However, this does not mean that no soul has freedom. The souls on the earth (Martyaloka) are given freedom (Svabhāvastu pravartate – Gita). When freedom is given, the true path must be advised frequently and due to this reason only, God incarnates in human form very frequently on this earth. God is the absolute reality and creation is the relative reality (means unreal by itself, but becomes real due to the gifted absolute reality of God by God Himself so that entertainment will be full and real) and hence, God can do any miracle. One absolute reality can’t do miracle in another absolute reality and so creation is relative reality. Due to this reason, God can create, control and even dissolve the creation. Soul is a tiny part of relative reality (world) only and hence, can’t do any miracle by itself unless God merges with the soul to become the human incarnation.
33. When God Vishnu's heart is the temple for Goddess Lakshmi, shouldn't we worship Her more than we worship God Vishnu?
Swami replied: But, what about Goddess Lakshmi pressing the feet of God Vishnu? If you worship Goddess Lakshmi only, she will go away shortly telling that her husband must have arrived at home from the office. But, if you worship God Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi is simultaneously worshipped because Goddess Lakshmi is in the heart of God Vishnu. Moreover, if both husband and wife stay in your house, Goddess Lakshmi will not have any hurry since she is with her husband in your house. Hence, if God Vishnu is present in your house, it automatically means that Goddess Lakshmi is also in your house since Goddess Laksmi lives in the heart of God Vishnu. In that case, Goddess Lakshmi is always in your house. Now tell Me, do you like to keep Goddess Lakshmi only or God Vishnu only? Keeping the wife in heart shows the love of the husband towards the wife. But, the wife (Goddess Lakshmi) is pressing the feet of her husband (God Vishnu) showing that she is the servant of her husband. Both these are our Father and Mother. The Mother is indicating that the Father shall be served by the children. If the possessor of power (God Vishnu) exists, the power (Goddess Lakshmi) is existing there. You cannot have the power alone because the power is always with the possessor of the power. If the Sun sets, sunlight disappears. You can’t have sunlight without the sun.
34. Isn't it selfishness to aim to get rid of karma chakra?
Swami replied: Karma chakra is always a must for the soul. Even if the soul wishes, the soul can’t get rid of karma chakra. Whether it is selfishness or not, it is immaterial because karma chakra is inevitable. The souls liberated from the worldly bonds will never come under karma chakra because they are always in the association of God doing work in His divine program on this earth. Liberation from karma chakra for the liberated souls is also inevitable, which is also not selfishness.
35. What's the path for a soul having self-love rather than love for God?
Swami replied: Self means yourself with your body, your mind, your intelligence and your soul. Suppose you are loving your shop, what will happen? Till the death, you will remain as the owner of your present shop. Your shop will not change and you will always be the owner of your present shop only. Neither your shop grows nor you will grow. If you start loving a mall and its owner, your present shop will become a mall and you will become the owner of the mall. If you continue to love God always without the ambition to become God, one day or the other, you will become God when God wishes to do some welfare to the world through you. Between the above example and the present concept, the difference is that you must be ambitious to become the owner of a mall whereas in the concept, you must not at all be ambitious to become God.
36. What is meant by Aatma Yoga? Are the four Yogas alternative paths to reach God?
Swami replied:- Yoga means union. Aatma means self. Dhana Yoga means attainment of money by self. Kalatra Yoga means attainment of life-partner by self. Putra Yoga means attainment of son by self. In all these words, the self is Aatma, which is not mentioned verbally because this word ‘self’ is to be brought from outside. Similarly, Aatma Yoga means attainment of self by self. When the word union ‘Yoga’ is mentioned, it requires two items:- i) The self which is attaining the second item and ii) The second item that is attained by the self. In the word Aatma Yoga, the item attaining second item is self and also the second item attained by self is also self. Is it not absurd? Will you say that pot attained pot? There is no second pot. Only one pot exists and that pot attained itself! Is it not meaningless? Jnaana Yoga means the self attaining knowledge. Bhakti Yoga means the self attaining devotion. Karma Yoga means the self attaining practical action. In all these statements, each statement contains the two items:- Self, the attaining item and the second item that is attained by self. Therefore, the word Aatma Yoga is meaningless and absurd.
Aatma Yoga is possible if the second item called ‘Aatmaa’ means some item other than the self, which looks like self and hence, can be called as self. The human incarnation like God Krishna is in human form, which is just like the self of a human being. Here, the word ‘Self’ stands for both the body and soul. The dictionary of Sanskrit says that the word Aatmaa means a human being having human body with the soul. God Krishna also has a body and soul like His devotee. When the devotee attains Krishna who is just like the devotee in human form, we can call this as Aatma Yoga. Aatmaa means another human form looking like self being attained by the self. Hence, Aatma Yoga means recognition of the contemporary human incarnation of God like Krishna by a devotee like Arjuna and attainment of God Krishna. Therefore, Aatma Yoga does not mean attainment of self by self. If this meaning is uttered, public will laugh at such meaningless statement. Another question that comes here is why God does not mean Parabrahman or energetic incarnation like God Shiva? Parabrahman is unimaginable God as stated by the Veda and the Gita and hence, can’t be even imagined and not to speak of attainment. Here, God also cannot be an energetic incarnation of Parabrahman like God Shiva. If you do very long penance, the energetic form of God Shiva may appear, but you cannot stay with Him permanently since you are in human form and God Shiva is in energetic form. If you go and see God Krishna, you can stay with Him permanently and such facility is not with any energetic incarnation like God Shiva, God Vishnu, God Brahma, etc. The energetic incarnation is relevant to the upper energetic worlds and human incarnation is relevant to the human world. Hence, the word ‘Aatmaa’ in the word Aatma Yoga clearly means contemporary human incarnation of God only.
The actual sequence of pleasing God is spiritual knowledge, devotion to God and practical service (Karma Samnyaasa) and practical sacrifice of fruit of work (Karma Phalatyaaga) to God. Practical service or Karma Yoga consists of practical service and practical sacrifice of fruit of work to God. Knowledge is to know the details of Mumbai city. Devotion is the attraction to go and see Mumbai city. Walking up to the railway station to go to Mumbai is sacrifice of service (Karma Samnyaasa) and purchasing the ticket to Mumbai is sacrifice of fruit of work (Karma Phalatyaaga). The Gita says that the spiritual effort from the side of the soul gets a full stop (Tyāgāt śāntiranantaram- Gita). Shankara (Knowledge), Ramanuja (Theoretical Devotion) and Madhva (Practical Devotion) came in this sequence only to preach about these three consequent spiritual steps.
Aatma Yoga taught by Shankara means that you shall recognize yourself as the awareness or soul and not as this materialised body. If you think that you are the body, since all the worldly bonds are related to your body and not to the soul, you will be more attracted by the worldly bonds that obstructs you, leading to diversion from God. In such diversion, you cannot have sufficient time for even hearing about God, which is studying spiritual knowledge. Hence, such Aatma Yoga (knowing that you are not the body and you are the soul) is a helpful prior step in spiritual knowledge.
Please know that these four Yogas are not alternative paths towards God, but these four Yogas constitute one after the other, the single path having prior part as Aatma Yoga, the second part as Jnaana Yoga, the third part as Bhakti Yoga and the final fourth part as final karma Yoga. The Veda says that there is only one path to please God and that there is no second path to attain God (Nānyaḥ panthā ayanāya vidyate).
Some say that they are including all the world in them, which is the final stage of becoming God because all the world is included in their self. All this is poetical and theoretical imagination only and actually even a small part of the world is not appearing in the bodies of such poetic devotees. This concept is true in the case of the human incarnation of God because God Krishna showed all the world in Him as the true practical cosmic vision-miracle. Spiritual journey is always practical and not theoretical poetry.
37. Why was Ravana called as Ravana Brahma? When Ravana was killed, did Ravana merge with Rama?
Swami replied:- Ravana is the grandson of Brahma and every descendent was addressed as Brahma. His preceding persons deserved this title as Brahma by their divinity, but Ravana never deserved the title because of his real inherent demonic character. Hence, caste established by God must be decided based on qualities and subsequent deeds (Guṇa karma vibhāgaśaḥ…-Gita) only. It is true that Ravana was the gatekeeper of God Vishnu called as Jaya, who was born as a demon by the curse of the Sages. But, Ravana did not merge with Rama after death. Jaya (actor) was acting in the role of Ravana, but Ravana had no knowledge that he was Jaya. Generally, an actor lives the role forgetting that he is an actor. The curse of the Sages was to be born as a demon and live like the demon maintaining the enmity with God Rama, who was the incarnation of God Vishnu. Hence, Ravana acted as a demon without having even a trace of knowledge that he was the gatekeeper of God Vishnu. As per the promise of God Vishnu, Ravana became the gatekeeper Jaya again after crossing the three subsequent demonic births. In fact, God was bored with the continuous sweet praises of angels in the upper world. He wanted to hear some hot scoldings through enmity. Nobody came forward even though it pleases the Lord. But, Jaya and Vijaya came forward to please the Lord even though enmity was inevitable. Both these gate keepers are true surrendered servants, who had the ultimate goal only to please the Lord! We must always base ourselves on the facts only and shall not enter into spiritual poetry as per our illogical imaginations.
38. Is it wrong to feel that a soul is God by realising the self as God?
Swami replied:- The scripture says that the human body is the temple and the soul is God (Deho devālayaḥ proktaḥ, jīvo devaḥ sanātanaḥ) in the context of the human incarnation and not in the context of every soul. If your soul is already God, where is the necessity for the search? Did the omniscient God become so ignorant that He has to search Himself? Only a mad man forgets himself. Is God a mad person to forget Himself and search for Himself being Himself God? The soul is the creation of God called ‘Paraaprakriti’ (the best creation) and hence, the soul is not creator. The Brahma Sutra says that the soul can attain some powers, but not the power of creation, control and dissolution of the world (Jagat vyāpāra varjyam). If the soul is God, there is no need of preaching to any soul. If Arjuna was already God, why did Krishna preach him the Bhagavad Gita? If every soul is God, Ravana is also God and why did he possess ill intention towards Sita? Valmiki Ramayanam is the standard because Valmiki was present in the time of Rama and Sita. In Sundarakaanda, Ravana speaks about his ill intentions very clearly. Who can be more authoritative regarding the Raamaayanam than Valmiki? Are you greater than Hanuman, who never searched for God in Himself and found God Rama only outside and not inside. Even if you believe Shankara as the authority in Advaita, why did Shankara swallow molten lead and told His disciples (who were unable to drink it) that He alone is God Shiva (Śivaḥ kevalo'ham). When the founder of Advaita Himself is clarifying the concept, if you still feel that your soul is God, only God can help you. Krishna clearly told that He will merge with a selected devotee to become the human incarnation (Mānuṣīṃ tanumāśritam - Gita). Gopikas were Sages, who did a lot of penance for millions of births, finally ended in the worship of God Krishna only and not in the search of self as God. Are you greater and wiser than those Sages to reject the human form of God and end in self-search? The Veda, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras are called as Prasthaana Trayam, which are the three standard authorities in spiritual knowledge as accepted by Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva. Other local books are not standard as these three Holy Scriptures. Mahavatar Babaji is already the human incarnation of God Subrahmanya. He gave only oral instructions to His devotees. His Kriyaa Yoga means the practical union with the human form of God (Kriyaa = practical, yoga = union with God in human form). You just remember that our Holy epics, which are the Ramayanam, the Bhaaratam and the Bhagavatam clearly mention God in human form (Rama and Krishna) only and Hanuman and Gopikas, who reached Brahma Loka and Goloka respectively through the worship of the human form of God and not by self-search and self-realisation. Of course, Aatma Yoga is good that cuts the fascinations towards worldly bonds like spouse, children and money so that you will have some time to concentrate on the knowledge of God because all the time of the soul is killed by the blind fascination towards these three worldly bonds (Eshanaatrayam). Demons did a lot of penance for God, got powers from God and declared themselves as God like Hiranyakashipu and Ravana. But, these Advaita philosophers are worse than the demons because at least demons did penance for God for some time and got some miraculous powers to declare themselves as God. The Advaita philosophers never did any penance to God, also did not get even a single least miraculous power from God and declare themselves as already God. When you ask them to perform a small miracle, the highest fun is that they say, “Since world is unreal, the miracles related to the world are also unreal”!!! Demons became egoistic at least due to some superpowers achieved by them and declare themselves as the ultimate God. A graduate may say that he is Ph.D. degree holder as we see the demons. The Advaita philosopher claiming himself as God is like an illiterate person not studying even LKG claiming himself as the Ph.D. holder and senior Professor!!!
39. Did Ravana set the Muhurtam to Rama for starting the war against himself?
[Ravana told the Muhurtam to Rama for doing the war against himself and it is said that he treated Sita as his mother. Does this not indicate that Ravana is a very good soul?]
Swami replied:- This incident is not present in the Valmiki Ramayanam. There are so many incidents created by people and we cannot give authority to these incidents since all scholars take Valmiki Ramayanam alone as the final. Valmiki lived in the lifetime of Rama and Sita and gave shelter to Sita when Rama sent her to the forest. There is no incident mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayanam in which we can find Ravana treating Sita as His mother. All these are fascinations based on caste and region, which are very very narrow and petty views. There is another funny story that tells that Sita is the daughter of Ravana!! People having feeling of caste and southern region of India may worship Ravana as God, which is the most ignorant view because Ravana was a demon and Rama was the human form of God Vishnu as accepted by all devoted people.
40. Please clarify following points on self-search and quest for God. (The message sent to Swamiji is split in to bits and are answered.)
[a) Your question again - self is God? My quest is God is within self. Is my question confusing? And soul searching is who am I!? It isn’t saying I am God.]
Swami replied:- I am very clear about your question from the beginning and I cannot be confused by anybody since all say that I remove the confusion of everybody. The soul need not search what it is because as Sun and Moon are seen on the sky, soul is seen on the screen of electronic instruments. The Veda says that soul can be seen by sharp intellectuals, called scientists (Dṛśyate tvagrayā buddhyā) and the Gita also says the same (Paśyanti Jñānacakṣuṣaḥ). Inert energy or soul is the causal gold and the individual soul (Jiiva) or awareness is the golden chain. When the inert energy produced by the oxidation of food enters the active brain-nervous system, the inert energy is transformed into the specific work form, called awareness. The specific nature of the awareness depends on the specific nature of the system. I will explain this with an example:- When the current enters the grinding machine, a specific work called grinding work is generated and when the same current enters the cutting machine, a specific work called cutting work is done. Grinding and cutting are related to the specific natures of the grinding machine and the cutting machine. Awareness is the mechanical transporting work done by neurons (electrical pulses) in the nerves, which is a specific work related to the specific nature of the brain-nervous system. Shri Ramana Maharshi told to search for the source of ‘I’ (Unimaginable God) and never told to search what is “I”. Buddha is said to have done penance to find out the reason for the misery in the world and not to search what is I (please refer Buddha Charitam by Asvaghosha). God has created this infinite world of matter, energy and awareness. The soul cannot create even an atom of matter or even a photon of energy or even a trace of awareness present in an ant. Several arguments are continuously given in the beginning of the Brahma Sutras to establish that soul is not God. Even the quest for soul reveals that soul is soul or awareness and proves that soul is not any other soul (like the soul of a dog even) and the soul can never be the omniscient and the omnipotent God. Soul is an imaginable item created in the created imaginable world and not the unimaginable creator at all. A simple point that can be proved even experimentally in five minutes need not be searched and searched, making a big research which is said as catching a rat after digging a big mountain.
[b) And Valmiki Ramayana alone is the basis of Ramayana? We have Manyusuktham too talking about it. Based on all multiple books, many conclusions were made, does that mean others are not right?]
Swami replied:- I have told 1000 times that Valmiki existed during the story of the Ramayanam and Sita delivered her children in his asylum only. It is agreed by all Sanskrit scholars that the Valmiki Ramayanam is the final authority in the case of truthfulness of the story. I daily recite the Manyusuktam and also wrote the entire Manyusuktam in Sanskrit verses (Saarduulavikriiditam meter) with a commentary on it in Sanskrit. If you show Me the mention of the Ramayanam in the Manyusuktam, I will become your disciple and treat you as My spiritual guru.
[c) Why did Buddha asked himself who am I ? Did he know he is reincarnation of God and then asked that question? Does anybody know by birth that they are Gods incarnation?]
Swami replied:- Buddha never asked Himself who am I? There is no single reference for this. Every incarnation covers itself with strong ignorance (Ajnaana vikshepa) so that it can be entertained by the inherently unreal world that becomes absolutely real world by the gifted absolute reality of Parabrahman. But, whenever the incarnation wishes, it can come into enlightenment of the reality. It plays with both knowledge (Vidyaa) and ignorance (Avidyaa). Based on ignorance, it acts like an ordinary human being so that the human devotees can mix with it without any excitation and it can setup itself as an example for humanity in devotion. Buddha did penance to find out the reason for misery. Doing a lot of penance indicates that this is the most important point. If it is shown that the answer is obtained through a lot of penance, devotees will give much attention to the answer, which is desire. It depends on the program of the incarnation to realise that whether He is God or not. Rama was covered with ignorance (willingly) for real entertainment (Rama means really entertained) whereas Krishna knew Himself as God performing several miracles even as a baby boy.
[d) Why souls are pots? Can we touch soul like we touch a pot? For many reasons am unable to connect to answers.]
Swami replied:- Soul is not told as the pot. The body is told as the pot and the space in the pot is compared to the soul. Soul (aatma) is inert energy and individual soul (jiiva) is awareness generated by soul functioning in a specific system called brain-nervous system. Energy can’t be touched whereas matter can be touched. Body (Pot) can be touched but soul (space) can’t be touched. The Advaita philosophers use this example comparing space in pot as soul and the outer infinite space as God. You are not knowing the answers because you don’t have faith in the Sadguru or guru. The Veda says that a soul can know the true spiritual knowledge with the help of the Sadguru or guru (Ācāryavān puruṣo veda, tamevābhigacchet… śrotriyaṃ Brahmaniṣṭham). The Veda says that Guru is necessary to know spiritual knowledge (Gurumevābhigacchet) and the Brahma Sutras say that scripture is necessary as a textbook (Śāstrayonitvāt). If you approach a scholar of the Vedas as your Guru, first, your ignorance will be completely removed. When you hear the knowledge, clarify your doubts without self-ego. The Gita says that you must clarify your doubts with the Guru (Upadekṣyanti te jnānam…). Ignorance is BP and ego is Sugar. If the person has ego without ignorance or has ignorance without ego, it is the treatment of a single disease, which is very easy. If both BP and Sugar exist together, the treatment is very difficult. A scholar has no ignorance but may have the ego of knowledge. An ignorant fellow has no ego of knowledge but has the ignorance of knowledge. Both these can be preached very well. Half knowledge and half ego is very dangerous in the treatment-preaching. One must analyse himself/herself to know the true reason of problems in spiritual knowledge. Self-analysis requires complete eradication of ego. Both filled pot and vacant pot do not make sounds and only the half-filled pot makes sounds. You don’t want to accept scriptures and Gurus and at the same time, you want to know the truth by yourself, following the philosophy of Jiddu Krishna Murthy. Is there anybody, who got degrees without the help of textbooks and teachers?
[e) All gurus and Sadgurus have been asking the questions who am I, is it not right to follow the same path?]
Swami replied:- All gurus and Sadgurus don’t ask the questions who am I. Only the Advaita followers enquire about who am I. There are several gurus following Advaita, Vishishtaadvaita, Dvaita philosophies and their followers never put this question because they know thoroughly that soul is not God. Every information collected by you is utterly wrong and this is the reason for your lack of clarity in spiritual knowledge. Even Shankara, the establisher of Advaita proved practically that every soul is not God by drinking molten lead asking the disciples also to drink it if they were God. Then, why did Shankara establish Monism, which means that every soul is God. We always concentrate on what Shankara told and don’t think about why Shankara told like this?
When Shankara arrived on the earth, this earth was filled with atheists like Buddhists and Purvamiimaamsakaas. The atheist will never agree to the existence of a superior God other than himself (100% ego). It is compulsory that you should say to atheists “you are God”. Except this one way, there is no other way by which atheists will hear your words. Hence, Shankara was forced to say three statements to make the atheist to agree the existence of God. i) You are God, ii) You exist and iii) Hence, God exists. Now, the atheist said that God exists (because he exists and he is God). Now, the atheist asked Shankara “If I am God, why I am not getting even a very small miraculous power because God created, controls and will dissolve the creation?” Shankara told “Your mind is not pure to practically transform you to God and therefore, you have to worship God with devotion to get mental purity”. Now, the atheist-converted-theist became the devotee of God (and by this devotion, his ego is reduced to 50%). Then Ramanuja appeared stressing on devotion and consoled the disciple that the disciple is part of God and not the full God. At least to become part of God, the devotee continued his devotion (and his ego is reduced to 0%). Now, Madhva appeared and told the devotee that God is completely different from the soul and the soul must always be the servant of God. He kept Hanuman as the deity, who worshipped the human incarnation of God (Rama) with service and sacrifice. This is the gradual training of the three divine preachers to transform the 100% egoistic atheist into the 0% egoistic theist, continuing as the servant of God forever so that one day God will merge with him to make him God. Hanuman, a permanent servant of God Rama in human form, became God. ‘Every soul is God’ is flood (Monism). ‘No soul is God’ is drought. The middle golden path is that very few become God (simultaneous incarnations are possible like Rama and Parashurama) by the wish of God. The attraction to Monism is very strong because it is misunderstood that you are already God and you just have to know that information. You have got one crore lottery and you have to simply withdraw from the bank without doing any effort. This greedy attraction spoiled some people, whom we see as Advaita philosophers today. Monism is possible provided God wishes so (Īśvarānugrahādeva, puṃsāmadvaita vāsanā). You are not God already, but, you have a chance to become God if God wishes so and merge with you for the sake of some welfare of this world provided you always remain as His servant only without the aspiration to become God.
[f) Why should I pray to priest when I can connect to god is my question to you and myself. I need a priest to guide me to god. And not every soul is god - meaning, not everyone is aware of the truth, only 1 in a million will have self-realisation and we are calling them reincarnated souls, why don’t we follow same and become that 1?]
Swami replied:- The fundamental mistake is that which is not truth is taken as truth by you and the incapability to attain the truth is felt as the ignorance of that truth! This is a garland of false flowers. Without the help of the Guru, nobody can know the truth. In order to preach the concept to the world, even God Rama became the disciple of Guru Vashishtha and God Krishna became the student of Guru Saandiipani. The highly concentrated ego covering the soul makes the soul to think like this. Are you greater than Rama and Krishna to reject scriptures and gurus? This is simply madness covering the eyes as cataracts! Even the preacher of Monism, Shankara, had His guru called Govinda Bhagavatpaada.
[g) And gurus change from birth to birth right, but quest of truth remains with soul, don’t you agree? Then who is truth?]
Swami replied:- The human birth is very very rare as per Hinduism. Getting human birth, having desire for salvation and selecting the true Sadguru are very very rare achievements (Manuṣyatvaṃ mumukṣutvam, Mahaāpuruṣa saṃśrayaḥ, durlabhaṃ trayamevaitat— Shankara). Other religions say that the human birth comes only once and that is final. In such a case, is it not foolish to think about a series of human births and changing Gurus in every birth. In this present human birth itself we must catch the Sadguru and get salvation.
[h) My questions are weird right cause I know answers to them through practice but they are information only, I want to experience the truth.]
Swami replied:- Your goal is Kaashi, which is in the North. You are travelling towards the South and going to reach Chennai. You are sure of your path and you want Me to help you to reach Kaashi. You will not change your path and the goal is in the opposite side. You want to experience God (Kaashi), but, you want to experience God in your self (Chennai) thinking that Hanuman and sages (Gopikaas) are ignorant without knowing the truth and worshipped Rama and Krishna outside the self. In such a case, the only way is to think the sea in Chennai as Ganga River and the tomb of Annadurai as the temple of God Shiva! Similarly, I will advise you to treat your awareness (that dies if food is not given) as the ultimate God and be happy! Hanuman is the incarnation of God Shiva and Gopikaas are reborn sages and you say that they are ignorant of truth and hence, did not search their selves to become God by themselves. Uddhava went to the Gopikaas to teach this Aatma yoga and returned back as a mad devotee of Krishna seeing the climax devotion of the Gopikaas towards Krishna.
I have taken all these pains to help you spiritually since I came down to this earth for this purpose only. I may succeed or fail because Krishna succeeded in changing Arjuna through preaching, but failed to change the Kauravaas through the same preaching. The rain is one and the same, but based on the fertility of the soil, the result (crop) is seen. My advices given above are harsh because they are the perfect truth. If you want sweet advice that harms you, My sweet advice is that you shall spend all your short human life in searching God in your soul.