Inspiring Answers to Life's Critical Problems and Crisis --- By dada Vaswani
Sanjeev Patra
A prolific author, he has written over thirty books in English and several more in Sindhi. Committed to education, he is the honorary principal of St. Miras College in Pune that was established in 1962. The college which started out with just sixty two students has since grown to accommodate over five thousand students today.
A gifted orator, he has spoken on Universal Peace at the United Nations, a World without Wars at the House of Commons, London and was a keynote Speaker at the Centennial Celebrations of the World Parliament of Religions in New York.
The mind is one of God’s most amazing gifts to man. Scientists tell us that we use only one-fiftieth of the brainpower available to us. Let us train our minds and ourselves to use this fabulous power in the right way. Therefore, let us take care of our thoughts. Thoughts have power. So let us be careful of our thoughts and utilise all the power available to us in the service of suffering humanity. The brain has been called a ‘fabulous mechanism’. It is about the size of half a grapefruit but is truly a most wonderful tool. It is capable of recording eight hundred memories per second for 75 years without exhausting itself. It is a storehouse of between ten billion and one hundred billion pieces of information. Even the most powerful computers in the world have memories that hold only a few million items of accessible information. The human brain retains everything that it takes in and never forgets anything. Even though we don’t recall all the information received, everything is on a permanent file in our brain.
Don't read many books – it can be confusing! It is like going to a new place and studying guidebooks. They will take you nowhere. You must have a guide to take you to a place. Likewise, in spiritual life you must have a guide, who for want of a better word we call the guru – who can take you to the goal. For that, it is necessary to have longing of the heart. Pray to the Lord to put you in touch with such a person.
Vedanta is the culmination of all Vedic knowledge. This knowledge can be summed up briefly in these words; there is the One-in-all. The vision of the One-in-all is Vedanta. When I behold the One-in-all, the One whom for want of a better word we call God that is true Vedanta. When I see God not only in the good, but also in those whom the world calls bad, evil, then I have attained to true knowledge.
Of Swami Vivekananda, it was asked, “Tell us what is Vedanta, in a few simple words.” He replied, “In a few simple words, Vedanta is the knowledge that I and my brother are one.” My brother – the beggar, the cripple, the blind man and the criminal – and I are one. That is Vedanta – beholding the One in all.
God is the goal of life, and God is to be realised, not merely understood or talked about. Long have we chanted hymns and recited from the scriptures and rung temple bells and offered unending prayers, while our minds have strayed afar. For long we have kept God out of our lives. It is time to call him in.
There is a beautiful picture by a great artist, Holman Hunt. In the picture, Christ is seen standing in a garden holding a lantern in one hand and with the other, knocking on a door. A friend of the artist said to him, “Holman, you have made a mistake. The door you have painted does not have a handle.” “It is not a mistake,” answered the artist, “for that is the door of the human heart and can only be opened from the inside.”
To move towards God, we need to get up and open the door to let God in. This happens only when man realises the need for God. Out of the depths of his heart there is a cry “I have a need of you, God, and I cannot live without you.” This is now known as spiritual awakening. Something happens deep within you and your life becomes new. You are filled with light and warmth, joy and peace. You realise that the life you had lived till then, a life of creature comforts and of pride, self and power was not life at all. You then exclaim with Tolstoy, “to know God is to love.”
Bad things happen to good people that they may grow better, nobler, purer. Even as gold is burnt in the crucible to be cleansed of its dross, even so good people are chosen to burn in the fire of suffering, and so became pure as thrice-burnished gold.
Wealth and pleasures and power and honour are not as good as they seem to be. In many cases they degrade and make man corrupt. In our ancient books there is the suggestive story of Kunti. She had to ask for a boon of Lord Krishna. What she asked was that she might have some little suffering all the time. In suffering, she said, the Lord is remembered; in pleasures and enjoyment he is forgotten.
How true it is that suffering purifies! Not many know the value of suffering. It was an Indian saint who prayed, “Lord grant me starvation and sickness and suffering and ignominy!” These are the things that are of real value to those that know. This type of suffering is for our good. We do not understand this until we have cast all thought of self aside. When the self is forgotten, we behold the loving hand of God in every circumstance of life.
Everything that happens, works for our good. The seeming cruelty and injustice of men, their selfishness and ruthless disregard of values we hold dear, are seen to be the result of God’s infinite goodness and unfailing love.
» Speak little and spend some time in silence every day.
» Listen to everyone, but do that which is right.
» Take account of each minute. Spend every minute wisely and well.
» Live a simple life. Do not imitate others. In simplicity is the secret of true strength.
» Spend your strength in the service of the surrounding world.
» Study with concentration.
» Take regular exercise.
Though we are unable to see those who we call dead, though we are unable to hear them, they can nonetheless see us and hear us. They cannot hear our words, but they can hear our thoughts. For they whom we call dead are minds without bodies, and their minds can read our minds. They hear our thoughts. Therefore, we should be careful about our thoughts in regard to the dead. We should try to overcome our grief and send out to them thoughts of love and goodwill. We should pray for them and wish them well in their journey. Our attitude towards the dead should be that of a mother or a wife whose son or husband has gone overseas to seek his fortune. Surely the mother or wife of such a person would send him encouraging messages from time to time, words of love and goodwill and cheer. If, instead, the wife writes him letters containing tales of woe and grief, the condition of the husband would be miserable. He cannot go back to his wife to console her. And thinking of the sorrows of his wife, whom he loves, he feels unhappy.
It is not only possible but your birthright. Anandam is your birthright as children of God. Each one of you is a son or daughter of God. God is the source of Ananda. He is an unending source of bliss. The moment I realise that I am a child of God, nothing is going to affect me. In order to live a life of bliss, all we have to do is to transcend the phenomenal, transcend what is happening around us.
Our journey through life has been perfectly planned by Infinite Love and Infinite Wisdom: there can be no mistake. Every experience that comes to us is just the right experience occurring at the right time to train us in the right way. So let us accept all that comes and never attempt to circumvent anything.
Again and again, we try to run away from what appears to us as an unpleasant experience, and try to avoid what we regard as difficult situations. We may succeed in keeping them away for a while, but we can never avoid them all the time, for they are, indeed, essential to our growth. God means us to face them and so develop our moral and spiritual muscles. If we avoid an unpleasant experience, it will return to us in due course with redoubled force, and we shall be compelled to take up the challenge until we have learnt the lesson it has come to teach us. The best way, therefore, to face difficult situations is to accept them and cooperate with their inner purpose, all the while fixing our mind and heart on Him who has planned for each one of us the glorious liberty that belongs to the children of the Spirit.
Laughter is a tonic – physical, mental, spiritual. It is a dry cleaner, which cleanses you from inside. It gives a new tone to your life. The day on which you have not laughed is a lost day, indeed.
Victor Hugo said, “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” George Santayana said, “The young man who has not shed tears is a savage, and the old man who has not laughed is a fool.” I would suggest, “The young man who has not shed tears needs to move in the company of the lovers of God, and the old man who has not laughed needs the company of the little ones.”
Laughter is a medicine. It helps in building up moral muscles. It is a spiritual tonic and has a great cleansing power. When you feel sad or downcast, look at your face in a mirror. It looks so tense, so ugly, so unlike the face you would wish others to see. The strain in the face is due to some negative emotion, which is playing havoc in the mind. One way of breaking the force of the negative emotion is to relax. Relax the whole body.
As you do so, you will find that the part of the body to relax last is always the face: and of the face, the mouth is the last part to relax. So smile, and laugh! You will see how quickly the clouds vanish and you are happy again!
It is a fact that the great need of modern man is silence. To help us avoid stress and tension, the noted psychologist, Deborah Bright, recommends 20 minutes of PQT (personal quiet time) twice a day for mental well-being. Just as particles of dust cling to our clothes, particles of noise cling to our hearts. Like we clean our clothes with soap and water, we need to take a dip in the waters of silence to cleanse our souls. Thus, it is necessary to practice silence every day.
You get up in the morning, even before you open your eyes, let there be a smile on your face and the words on your lips, “Good morning Lord” Then pick up a great thought of a great one or a shloka from a scripture which is der to you or a line which stirs your heart, and repeat it ten times. Then, during the day in the midst of your work, if possible, after every hour, remind yourself of the line or shloka with which you woke up in the morning. If you cannot think of any other line, you may consider this simple prayer, “Deena Bandhu Deena Nath, Meri Dori Tere Haath” - "O Lord of those who approach you in a spirit of humility, I surrender the thread of my life in your safe hands, and all is well. In any case, you must repeat the prayer at least five times, once in the morning as you wake up, te second time before you take your breakfast, the third time before you you havelunch \, the fourth time before you have dinner and the fifth time as you are about to sleep. This should in a state of recollection..
This is a difficulty experienced by many seekers on the Path. When they sit to meditate, they find that their mind goes berserk. The reason is that through many years-- through many births-- the mind has acquired the habit of wandering. It can not be suddenly stopped through a few minutes practice everyday.
In the Bhagawad Gita, Arjuna asks Sri Krishna: “Tell me if it is possible to control the wandering of the mind.” Sri Krishna answers: “It is very difficult but possible. The mind can be controlled by (1) vairagya (detachment) and (2) abhyasa (repeating the same thing over and over again).
Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani taught us a far simpler method. He said your mind is where your heart is. If you love someone, your mind will keep thinking of that someone all the time. If only you can love God, then even in the midst of your work and, more so, when you sit in silence, your mind will flow to the Lotus Feet of the Lord.
Have you ever told God “I love you, God!” Love of God is a gift which God and the Guru can bestow on us. Continue to offer this simple prayers again and again— as many times everyday as possible: “I love you, God! I want to love you more and more! I want to love you more than anything in the world! I want to love you to distraction, to intoxication! Grant me pure love and devotion for Thy Lotus Feet and so bless me that this world-bewitching maya may not lead me astray!
As you know, the best way to treat a disease is to treat the cause. The cause of anxiety is lack of faith. Faith and anxiety can never go together even as light and darkness can not live together. If your patient can keep on repeating to himself, time and again: “By God’s grace, all is well, all was well, all will be well both today and a hundred years hence,” he may be helped to overcome his anxiety.
A human being is not a machine. He has the power to change his thoughts, attitudes, feelings, etc.
Whenever an undesirable (or evil) thought comes to you, immediately throw it out of your mind by saying, “House full: there is no place for you!”
It was Prophet Muhammad who said: “Temptation comes as a passer-by: it knocks on the door of your heart to be let in as a guest. If you will open the door, it will come and stay as the master!” Therefore, the moment an undesirable thought comes to you, just kick it aside and, as I said, say to it: “There is no place for you!”
When you get a negative thought, immediately substitute it with a positive one. See that your mind is always filled with positive thoughts and you will be a source of blessing to many.
We were taught in school that Mumbai is within India and chor-bazaar is a part of it. We believed this statement because it was made by some who had seen Mumbai and visited chor-bazaar— though we ourselves had not seen Mumbai nor chor-bazaar.
Likewise there are people— seers, saints, sages— who have seen God and they tell us that God is within us and that we too can see God provided we live a life of sadhna (spiritual discipline).
This is the experience of so many of us. In the early hours of the morning, we think of God, we offer worship to Him. But when the day advances and we are absorbed in our mundane duties, we are apt to forget Him completely.
We need reminders, again and again, to keep the memory alive.
One very simple way of doing so is to pick up a great thought of a great one, or a sloka from a scripture dear to us and keep on revolving it in the mind, again and again. If possible, every half or every hour. A line such as: Deen Bandhu Deenaa Naath, Meri Dori Terey Haath (O Lord of the humble, O Brother of the lowly, I surrender the thread of my life in your safe hands) will serve the purpose.
This simple practice will keep the memory alive and you will find yourself in a state of recollection which will help you reach your spiritual potential.
What will happen in your nearest future will be revealed to you when your nearest future comes. You live in the present: try to make the most of it without worrying about the future. The past is a cancelled cheque, the future is a promissory note. The present is the only cash in hand. Use it wisely and well.
Yes, it is possible to read the mind of others but for this you have to go through a tedious course of mind-training. My advice to you is not to waste your precious time over such things but to press all your thoughts and energies in working for your spiritual progress. One purpose of the human birth is to discover that you are essentially an immortal being. Weapons can not cleave you, as the Gita says, fires can not burn you, water can not drench you and the winds can not dry you away.
Your visualization power will increase in the measure in which your power of concentration grows. Avoid the distractions. Limit the time you give to the T.V.— say not more than half an hour. Practise silence.
There is a simple yogic practice called tratak. It will help you to improve your power of concentration and, consequently, your power of visualisation.
According to the law of karma, everything that happens to us is something we have done in the past returning to us.
There are many methods by which concentration level can be increased. One of them is concentrating on the breath when it is inhaled and breath when it is exhaled. Keep your concentration fixed at the point (of the nostril) at which the breath enters and the breath leaves.
Another simple method is what is called tratak. You can learn this from any teacher of yoga.
What is very important is that you should keep away from anything that distracts your attention. This includes the T.V. You must not watch the T.V. for more than a few minutes everyday.
Every time you think of your dear, departed daughter, do some little act of service in her name. This will make her happy on the Other Side and bless you on this side. Also try to explain to yourself each day that what God gives, He can take away at any time that He likes. Your dear daughter was God’s gift to you for 16 years. It pleased God to take her away after 16 years. If He had so desired, He could have taken her away earlier. So give gratitude to God: Lord, we feel grateful to you that you spared the child for 16 years. Who knows? God wished to give her a promotion and so He has called her away.
To discover yourself, you must live in fellowship with someone who has discovered himself. For want of a better word, we call him Guru.
I have not known a person who does not have a pineal gland. Not to have a pineal gland is not to be conscious of anything. Such a creature can not be called a human being.
The method of knowing oneself is forgetting oneself. When the ego goes, the Self glows.
Everything is a gift of God. Whatever we give or share with others is God-given. And everything that we have is given us by God so that we can share what we can with others who are less fortunate than we are.
I know very little of autism. But I do know that everything that happens to us happens in accordance with the law of karma. I also know that the law of karma is not punitive: it does not punish us. The law of karma is reformative. It places us in an environment where we may have opportunities of progress and soul-growth. There are children born with autism: perhaps, at that point of time, autism is necessary for the progress of the soul.
The rule of the person who wishes to move on Spiritual Path is: you do what
you are required to do-- let others do what they will. The spiritual aspirant must bear witness to the highest that has been shown to him. Let the so-called gurus do what they will.
Question 31. My name is Ravi Jain. I have read about the enlightenment on internet on lifepositive.com. I feel deep from my heart that it is all true. It all matches with what the same happened to me few months ago.
If you are on the Path, your soul will guide you, step by step. All you are required to do is to surrender yourself.
This is an essential teaching of the Gita- do your duty as an offering of love to the Lord. Do not expect any reward; therefore so much of our grief is caused by our expectations.
So many things happen to us, we are unable to understand the why of them. Instead of wasting our precious time and energy on questions which make a situation worse confounded, let us move forward on the path of acceptance, singing the song:
Thou knowest everything my beloved
Let Thy will always be done,
In joy and sorrow , my beloved
Let Thy will always be done
Look for an opportunity to come out of it
It will be well with us if at every step and in every round of life, we consult a spiritual elder and follow his/her guidance.
Question 36. When children say that religion has only caused problems, we find it difficult to answer as they do have a point. What do we do to help them have faith and yet be logical?
Tell the children that it is not religion that has failed us, it is we who have failed religion. We who talk of religion do not bear witness to the great teaching in deeds of daily life. If only, we lived religion, the world would be a wonderful place. Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani said ,“Religion, let us talk of it less, practice more.”
The pilgrim on the path is advised to keep clear of arguments.
To become a role model before them.
We should remind ourselves of the teaching which the Lord Sri Krishna gave to his dear, devoted disciple Arjuna: “Do your work without expecting any reward for your work!”
Question 41. If any student fails in examination it feels as if it is the end of his life. How do we deal with this?
A friend of mine failed the matriculation examination of the University of Bombay. He was a brilliant student – he expected to get a first class. He wept: he shed tears. For three days he did not eat – he did not take bath. After three days we asked him, “You have suffered so much has it made any difference to the result?” “No,” he answered, “how can the result change?” “Then why don’t you utilize your energy in preparing for the next examination so that, if it be God’s will, you may get the first rank among all the successful candidates.” I quote this example to those who are disconsolate after getting the adverse news.
Give gratitude to God that he has kept you away from a Casanova (flirt) and go out and serve some handicapped children. In serving them you will forget your personal sorrow.
You will be advised to make a study of the Japanese practice Sichida. It may help the child to develop both sides of the brain. In addition you can teach him to share the good things of life with those in need. As he grows up you will be his hero. And he will wish to follow in your footsteps.. Children learn more by example than by precept.
Pray for your wife and be gentle and loving towards her. Your life is a gift to you from her. Therefore, you must work out a balance between expressing gratitude to her and putting forth your best efforts to live the life of the Spirit.
Enthusiasm flows naturally out of love. If only you can love God and do everything for his sake, your aspiration will be amply fulfilled.
Question 46. Hello, Thanks in advance for taking the time and effort to answer my question. Religions have caused far more chaos than peace in our world. Religion is the most common and convenient excuse to conquor, kill and destroy. Is there any truth to any of the major religions of the World - did they actually exist as written in their holy books or are they just fiction made up by ancient politicians and rulers as a means to the end of power? Do you think figures like Christ or Buddha or Mohmmed actually existed or are just creations?
I strongly believe that Christ and Buddha and other great religious leaders lived on earth and bore witness in deeds of daily living to the great ideals which they preached. I myself had the privilege of living close to one such great personality— Sadhu Vaswani. I spent 27 years in his close company. In him, there was a complete integration of thought, word and deed. He spoke as he thought. He acted as he spoke. He bore witness to the fact that we should not merely talk about religion but we should practise, in deeds of daily living, the precepts which we preach.
Beloved Brother, we need to be aware of every thought we think, every word we utter and every act we perform. This is the role that I try to follow: before speaking I ask myself, if what I am going to speak is better than silence. If I get a answer in the affirmative, I utter those words, otherwise I keep silent.
We are afraid of death— our own or that of our dear ones— because we have not understood death. Death is a natural phenomenon. What begins must have an end. What is born will one day die.
Everyday, if you sit in silence for 10 minutes and try to understand death, all fear of death will vanish as mist before the morning sun. Death is only an illusion. Death is very much like sunset. The sun only appears to set. For what is sunset here is sunrise elsewhere. The sun never sets. Likewise, we do not die. While our dear ones are celebrating our death anniversaries here, in the astral world, they will be wishing us many happy returns of our birthday. Death is the greatest illusion from which so many of us suffer.
I can send you a copy of the book entitled, “Life After Death” which throws more light on the subject— if only you will send me your address. My address is: J.P. Vaswani, 10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune – 411 001.
Kindly don’t touch kundilini until you come in contact with a Great Master under whose supervision you can perform the sadhana for Kundilini Jaagran. Books will mislead you. Listening to speeches will lead you astray. For the awakening of kundilini, the very first essential requisite is to do your sadhana under the direct supervision of a Great Master.
A stage comes in the life of the seeker when all duties fall off by themselves and the seeker is ready to enter into a life of sanyas. Until then, you must keep on doing your sadhana and building your life in the Will of God and doing as much good to as many as you can. And may God be with you.
Question 51. Hi Sir! My father has been diagnosed with liver cancer. Doctor says he has 3-9 months. I don't know what to do? Can you help?
Pull and pray. Get the best medical aid for your beloved father and at the same time, keep on praying for God’s healing vibrations to be poured on your father. Request your friends and relatives and others to pray for your father. Prayer is power— greater than we know. The Poet sang: “More things are wrought by prayer than the world dreams of.” Kindly send us the name of your father and we shall include it in our prayer list. We have a small group here: every evening we meet and pray for the healing of the sick and afflicted.
This question is not suitable for Dada Vaswani. Please ask it to Martin Brofman
answer
Usually success or defeat are the product of our efforts coupled with our karma. Therefore keep on striving and keep on praying that your dedicated efforts may meet with success. One thing which helps in such cases is: though success is not in sight, we keep on praying to God: Thank you, God! Thank you, God, for crowning my efforts with wonderful success. This prayer could be repeated as many times everyday as possible. What we thank God for today becomes a reality tomorrow
I have not heard so far the names you have written. Maybe, if you have a computer, you can refer the matter to Google. The search engine may be able to give you the required information.
Question 56. From where can I get a 365 day daily calendar of your beautuful sayings for every day which I saw in my friend` s home in Bangalore. Need your address in Pune.
I happen to be in Bangalore at the time your question has reached me. I wished I had your address: I could have sent you the calender as a gift. As it is I can only give you the address of the place from where you can get the calender-- Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Bangalore--- contact person: Mrs. Nain Wadhwa-- 9880001620.
In short, it appears that negativity can be overcome by always adopting a positive attitude. Whenever you feel nervous, immediately say to yourself, loudly or silently: "I am not alone, God is with me. And I have naught to fear." or "My Protector is with me: why should I worry?" Gradually, you will find that your attitude changes from a negative to a positive one. In any difficult situation, you will not feel nervous but will say to yourself: "In God is a solution to every problem. This problem too can be solved to my satisfaction."
If your husband is with you and understands you, you should not worry about anything. You may turn a deaf ear to whatever others say to you. In the heart within you should send prayerful thoughts to all your in-laws and quietly hear whatever they say to you and never react to it. This will make you to be a master of every situation. We have the words in the Gurbani: listen to a hundred, thousand voices but do what you regard as right.
If while meditation on the ajna chakra (between and behind the two eyebrows) and get a strange sensation, I would suggest you to change the focus of concentration to the Hridya chakra (in line with a physical heart but at the center). And may God's choicest benedictions be poured on you.
Problems are a part of life. problems do not come by accident. The word problem is derived from two Latin words Pro Balo which means that which is deliberately thrown in our way-- by a beneficent Providence for our own progress on the Spiritual Path. We must not regard problems as our foes. They are our friends. We should welcome them and talk to them: Friend, what is the message that you have brought to me from the Beloved? Then your attitude changes. You will find that the situation around you will also change.
My advice ever is that we should abide by the Will of God. If God does not Will to send us a child, we should be happy-- like me-- living without a child. But if you still insist on getting a child, you can adopt one. Within a few days after the adoption, you will forget that it is an adopted child. You will love it as your own and get stuck in the snare of Maya.
Divine melody can not be heard by our efforts. Divine melody is a gift of God to the seeker. The upanishad says: The Atman reveals itself to whosoever it chooses. We have to stand as beggars at the Divine Door of God begging for the alms of God's Grace in addition to other things. This will teach us to be more and more humble until we realise that we are nothing, no-thing, God is the All.
It is very difficult for us to know a perfect Guru. We move on a much lower plane. The perfect Guru has touched the peak of life. He lives on Mount Everest. We can but pray to God to bring us in touch with the Lotus Feet of the perfect Guru. There is no difference between God, Guru and Saint. The three are one. To be able to go ahead on a spiritual path, we must walk the way of obedience.
Question 66. i am very depressed and not intrested in doing anything i get irritated easily i am very sensetive i think a lot negative.i have a very low confidence.and people say i am always in tension .this condition is from 2-3 years .but i recognaised it very late. please help me.
It is never too late to take a U-turn. You have moved on the path of the negativity for 3 years. It is time now to give up all negativity and become positive. Pray to God as often as you can: “Lord, grant me the wisdom and the strength to be positive in every thought, word and deed.” Move in the company of positive-minded people. Read positive literature. Every morning as you begin the day, take up a card and write on it the words: “My thoughts today and my words and my actions will be positive!” Whenever a negative thought comes to you, pinch yourself: the negative thought will leave you.
Life is a march onward. The bud can not remain a bud forever. It has to blossom into a flower. The caterpillar has to become a butterfly. The child is to become an adult to be able to fulfil the destiny of his life. The child can not remain a child forever: he can not do what an adult is expected to achieve. When a child becomes an adolescent, he becomes the possessor of an energy which if he uses in the right way, will lead him to great spiritual heights. In his childhood, he laid the foundation of an exemplary life. Now he has to build the super structure. Within him are infinite possibilities. He can become a saint and a great benefactor of humanity. Or he can waste his energies in idle pursuits.
Your depression stands as a veil between you and your love. Come out of your depression and give gratitude to God foreverything that happens. Let the words, "Thank You, God!" be on your lips all the time.
The easiest way to dispel negativity from your life is to adopt an attitude of gratitude. Forget the past. Start thanking God for everything that happens, for every experience that comes your way. It may appear to be an adversity or illness, a misfortune or calamity, keep on thanking God. As I often say, let the words , "Thank You, God!" be on your lips all the time.
You must not forget that you will marry the girl you are destined to marry. Therefore don't think of girls but apply your mind to your studies and become a first class engineer.
Question 71. i am lately suffering from lots of diseases and my visits to doctors are not ending.. i wanted to know why this is happenieng in my life
What happens to you is due to your own karma. Therefore instead of asking why, what, how, when and which, start thanking the Lord for every experience that comes to you.
Dear Arati, I can easily understand the state of your mind for I also know what it is to lose a brother. But may I tell you we do not really lose a brother. We gain a friend on the Other Side. Always think of your brother as someone very close to you, though you can see him not. A veil separates you both. If you wish to communicate with your brother-- though it is advisable not to disturb our dear, departed ones on the Other Side--- you can do so with the help of a medium. The computer ( search engine in the Googles) will give you the list. If you will send me your address, I will request the office of the Gita Publishing House to send you a copy of the book, "Life After Death". This book may offer answers to some of the queries which may arise in your mind.
I believe that the person will marry the girl he is destined to marry as per the law of the karma. Therefore instead of searching for beautiful faces, I would suggest to you to pray to the Lord to put you in contact with the person whom you are destined to marry.
You will be well adviced to visit a few ashramas and institutions of social welfare to find out if any of them will suit you and your wife. Ashrams and social welfare institutions are in need of dedicated workers.
You should practice daily silence for atleast half an hour everyday. As you enter deeper and deeper into silence, you will grow in the spirit of discrimination and will be able to discriminate between the true and false, between the voice of the ego and the prompting of the spirit. Until then if you can contact a spiritual elder, he will be able to tell you whether the thought is a product of the ego or arises out of the spirit.
H.H. Swami Sivanand was a saint. I am only a seeker. It is only a saint who can recognise a saint. Hence the list provided by Sri Swami Sivanandji. A seeker can easily be duped. So let me not make an attempt to prepare the list suggested by you.
A magnet easily attracts iron needles and filings. But if a needle is covered by layers of mud, it will feel no attraction to the magnet. The needle needs to be cleansed before it can feel the pull of the magnet. As you doJapa, gradually your mind and inner instrument are cleansed. And, one day, you will feel connected to God. There are periods when you can not doJapaorally. You may then write--- or type--- the mantra. This is known as theLikhita Japa.
Some people do get negative thoughts when they do Japa. You must not give up doing Japa on that account. As you keep up the practice, the time will come, sooner or later, when you will sink deeper and deeper within yourself and, one blessed day, you will be blessed with a spiritual experience.
A similar question was asked of a holy person. His answer to the questionnaire was: what if God did to you what you intend to do to a fellow human being? How would you feel if God turned His face away from you? If you are a spiritual seeker, I would advice you to face every experience with love. Let the rule of your life be: face it with love! Let the other person behave how he likes. You must continue to treat him and deal with him in love.
There are some who have acquired a knowledge of black magic and know how to deal with it. If you can contact one such person, he may be able to help you.
Question 81. my date of birth is 26061962 since last one year i am facing lot of difficulty in business and finance i have established factory manufacturing plastic jars my son kush is looking after it will he succeed please let me know
To get an answer to your question, I would request you to consult some expert astrologer.
You continue to love him more and more. It has been rightly said that everyone wishes to be loved. Only a blessed few wish to love. You should try to be one of the blessed few.
Health is your birthright. God wishes every one of his children to be healthy and strong. Everyday as you wake up in the morning, before leaving your bed, repeat to yourself the following words ten times: “By God’s grace, I am getting better and better, in every way, everyday, in every way. Repeat this as you are about to slip into sleep at night.
Wait and watch
For this you need day-to-day guidance of a teacher whom for want of a better word we call Guru.
The first step is to consider the good qualities and virtues in everyone— and the bright side of everything, every situation-- we come across. We call this guna-drishti. This is opposed to dosh-drishti which is so common in many of us.
All answers are within you. Perhaps your Guru wishes you to practice silence and enter into the depths that are within you. There is one question to which if you can get an answer, you will not need to get any further answers. This question of questions is: “What am I?” The answer is within you.
To go forward in life you need to forget yourself. And one way to do so is to go out and serve those that are in need and suffering such as handicapped children or orphans or the blind.
I have no knowledge of different castes and have not so far heard anything about the Thiya caste. I am not against inter-caste marriages. But I would advice you not to do something which does not meet with the approval of your parents.
Go to a satsang and join in kirtans. The tensed mind will be relaxed.
Question 91. Dada, i want to share you some sad things happened in my life. I lost my mom & Dad in my childhood, lastweek my only well wisher (loved one) dumped me for someone. i feel alone and thinking about the past.I started reading ramayana and some spritual books but sometimes i`m not able to control myself. Please give me your valuable suggestions and direct me for a strong come back.
I believe that you will marry the person you are destined to marry. If you explain this to yourself you will be able to get over the experience through which you are passing.
Dear Raj, the mind has acquired the habit of wandering, birth after birth, in this endless adventure of existence. Our little abhyas that we do in this birth can not make the mind ekaagar, one pointed. But a beginning is to be made and the sooner we do it the better. It has been rightly said that if we take one step closer to God, He takes ten steps to come closer to us. Let us do our part and a stage will come when we too will be able to control the mind.
It is easier for a highly emotional person to give up attachment to the world— its pleasures, possessions and power— if only the person gets attached to a holy man, a man of God. The more you feel drawn to holiness, the less is the pull you feel to the world, its attractions and allurements.
You are passing through a state of vairagya. And vairagya, inevitably, leads to moksha.
Anger is your karma which you have brought with yourself. You can not fight your karma unaided. You need the help of higher powers which for want of a better word, we call God. God has two aspects— the father aspect and the mother aspect. You get quick results when you appeal to God in the mother aspect. You can pray: “Mother, I have tried to control anger but every time I have failed. It is only when your wisdom and your love, your strength and your patience flow into me that in your wisdom and love, in your strength and patience, I will be able to be victorious over anger. But the victory is not mine: it is Thine, Jai Jai Jai Jagdamba! Jai Jai Jai Jagdamba!”
You should pray for him— pray to God that, in His mercy, the Lord may give peace to your father’s heart. He is in the evening of his life. May his heart be touched with the peace that passeth, surpasseth understanding.
It may mean nothing. But if the vision is repeated it may have to say something to you for your spiritual evolution.
Nothing, no one belongs to us. Everything, everyone is given to us for use. If we understand this, we shall not get attached to others and feel the pangs of pain when we are separated from them. You have had only one brother during this birth. But in endless adventure of existence, you may have had thousands and thousands of brothers. Where are they now? Reflect on this! Meditate on this!
I have never said that you should forgive seven times seven. All I did was to quote the words of Blessed Jesus, “Forgive seventy times seven”. In Arjuna’s case, he was advised by Sri Krishna not to have the spirit of vengeance against the Kauravas, even though they did not even once ask for forgiveness. Sri Krishna went so far as to go to the court of the Kauravas as a Shanti-doot (Messenger of Peace), but did not succeed in His mission. Sri Krishna tried his best to avoid the conflict and when he found that the Kauravas were determined not to listen to the voice of wisdom, but to continue to revel in the darkness of egoism, he permitted Arjuna and the Pandavas to fight for their rights. There is such a thing called Dharma-Yudha (War of Righteousness). Not to fight a Dharma-Yudha is to co-operate with dark forces of unrighteousness which, Sri Krishna thought, should not be permitted.
Question 101. I feel I am suffering from depression. But not sure. May be it is routine struggle of life. I want to be sure. If there is any method ?
There is only one method. If at every step and in every round of life you adopt a positive attitude and feel grateful to God for everything that happens to you, depression will not touch you nor even draw nigh unto you.
Everyday practice this sadhna at eye level, keep an attracted picture of your Isht—dev and sitting 5 feet away, gaze at the picture for 10 minutes. If you do this regularly, the picture of your Isht-dev will be fixed in your consciousness and your problem will gradually disappear
She should get her hypothyroid function test done. Appropriate treatment as suggested by a specialist, should do her good. Every morning as she gets up and every night as she is about to slip into sleep, let her repeat the words 10 times: “By God’s grace, I am getting better and better every day in every way, everyday, in every way”!
Regularly and as often as possible, visit an institution where you can be of service to the helpless and the handicapped, the sick and the suffering ones. If you can afford it, you may take some articles of food or daily need to them. Speak to them in love as though they were your own children. Look into their needs. Make them laugh.
If you take my advice, I would suggest to you to utilize all your energies in repeating the Name Divine and in serving the poor and needy, the helpless and the handicapped.
and take bath (room temperature) 3 times a day.
You are right in your own way. You will be advices to keep it to yourself and develop the thought which has come to you. Each person has his notion or conception of God until the stage comes in his life when he realizes that God can not be defined in words—God defined is God denied.
Start making friends with God or a Man of God who will neither misunderstand nor let you down.
I have no personal knowledge but I am told that Pranic Healers can help in such cases. You will be well advised to look carefully into the matter and take a decision.
Pin your faith on your Isht-dev.
Send him to a re-habilitation Centre. One such Centre, I am told is at Jindal’s: there should be several others.
As many times as we make a mistake, we should repeat with tears in our eyes let us beg God for forgiveness and pray for wisdom and strength not to repeat the mistake.
to long for the Guru. This longing will take the form of a cloud and when it becomes heavy enough, it will rain on you in the form of a Guru.
Your question has become out of date.
Pull and pray. Keep on doing your best and at the same time keep on praying to the Lord that he may crown your efforts with success. There is the law of karma due to which you are not getting results as desired. Higher than Karma is the Lord of Karma. Appeal to Him out of the depths of your heart and you will be blessed.
3- even then my concentration is very effected.
4- so I am facing many problems in my social and practical life I have many duties related to my family and my career but due to this feelings are disturbance Today I am totaly failure in my daily life pls. give me guidance what can I do?
Do what you will but everyday save atleast 15 minutes and sit preferably at the same time and at the same place and repeat the mantra: "Om Namo Shivay Namo Narayanya", and breathe out the prayer: "O Lord, I am your little child. In Thy mercy, save me from the clutches of these unholy attachments!"
It appears that what you need is medication blended with meditation and suitable yogic treatment.
Pranic healers claim that they can heal patients suffering from these diseases. But I know of no such patient having benefited from pranic healing.
Accept failure as prasadam out of the spotless hands of the Lord and every failure will become a stepping stone to success. Believe that you are moving on the path that leads ultimately to success.
In the experience that we call "death" the physical body drops down and man finds himself in an astral body. All other things--his habits, his attitudes, his temperament, etc., remain the same.
You will do well to consult a good and knowledgeable astrologer.
After retirement we get opportunities of reflection, meditation and service. Spend some time in silence everyday, sometime in reading spiritual and positive literature and sometime in helping some social institution which can partially use your talent and experience.
If you want to grow in concentration you must stop watching the TV for say more than fifteen minutes, using the computer for more than half an hour and use part of the time saved in repeating the Holy Name of God.
Atma Sakshatkar will give you the option either to accept moksha or to be reborn to help struggling souls.
DamarTantra, like any other therapy, does not agree with everyone. It seems it has not agreed with you.
May I suggest that you try Ayurveda. It has worked in curing many cases of rheumatism. For further details, I would advise you to contact Dr. Ravindra of Arya Vaidya Chikitsala, Coimbatore (AVP).
Question 136. Hello, I am 19 year old male. Q: How to concentrate while meditating ? As a student how much time should I give to chanting god`s name? Is physical darshan of guru compulsory? Should I take gods name while studying? I want to experience my soul within myself nd have supreme consciousnes..tell me what the best I can do which is appropriate 4 me?
As much time as you can spare, you must give to chanting God’s name. In between two tasks even if you get a few moments, spend them in chanting God’s name. Chant God’s name as often as you can until it becomes a part of your subconscious and even in your dreams you will be chanting God’s name.
Physical darshan of the Guru may not me compulsory but it is very helpful.
Practice of silence and surrender to the Guru and God will help you to reach the goal.
Pray to God to give you the required motivation.
Not many can do tratak like you for 35 minutes at a stretch. I should congratulate you on this achievement. For you practice of tratak once a day is more than enough.
You can wash your eyes and do any other exercise after doing tratak.
Tratak helps in concentration. Concentration leads to meditation. Meditation coupled with the grace of the Guru and God will give you realisaton.
In matters of choice, I believe the best is to leave it to the Lord. Pray to him, "Lord, I cannot choose for myself: You choose for me". Then, whatever be the first offer you get, accept it as God's choice for you.
Question 141. Orthodoxy, rites and rituals do not make much sense to me but spirituality does. I am a 35 year old housewife. What should I do?
You need not follow rituals but everyday try to come in direct touch with God preferably at the same time and at the same place. Go and sit in silence and speak to God. In the beginning, you may not be able to hear His voice but be sure that he hears every whisper of the human soul. Develop a relationship of love and devotion with God. Say to Him, You are my father or you are my mother or you are my brother or you are my friend or you the beloved of my heart or you are my Master and my All. Then keep strengthening this link everyday.
According to the Law of Karma you reap only what you sow. There are people who have sown very good seeds in the past but are not doing the same any longer. They will keep on reaping the fruit of what they have sown in the past.
Make God your friend. He will never take advantage of you, though it could always be reverse. To make friends with God, spend at least fifteen minutes in silence (preferably at the same time and the same place) and speak to God. In the beginning you may not be able to hear his sweet, still voice. But be sure that He hears you. When God becomes your friend, you need none other.
If we want the results of our karma in this very birth, we would be crushed. Then, we would ask the Ever-merciful One to let us work out our karma in installments. Until the day comes when we are able to surrender ourselves at the Lotus Feet of the Lord.
Sarva dharman parityaja mamekam saranam vrij.
You can consult your doctor, and if he permits, you can take a course of Restyl tablets until your sleeping pattern becomes satisfactory.
When a negative thought comes to you, without delay, (immediately) drive it out and substitute it with a positive one. Say to the negative thought with all the force you can command: “House full: no place for you!”
Question 146. sri sri ravi shankar ji said: "Want, or desire, arises when you are not happy. Have you seen this? When you are very happy then there is contentment. "Contentment" means "no want". " But My query is I am Happy when i met my desires but when there is no desire or no want i dont feel any happines.. But for sure im happy when i met my desires or wants.. so can u justify this.
Everything happens at the right time, at the right place, to the right person.
What happens to you (and/or your mother) is your own coming back to you. What is happening to you today is perhaps the result of what you did, in the near or remote past, to someone in this endless adventure of existence therefore give gratitude to God for everything that happens to you (or to your mother) and feel happy that part of your account is settled.
Pray, wait and watch and if you are at falut do not hesitate in asking for forgiveness.
Question 151. I have been finding small holes in shirts, and always in the same location, which is two fingers below the navel and one finger to the right of center. I know this would seem like a moth, or a washing machine, seatbelt, or counter edge is causing this, but it isn`t. I have come to the conclusion that I am emitting something from my body or energy field that is causing this. I have had uterine problems in the past.
You will do well to consult a gynecologist.
Dont pay attention to these things but fix all your attention on your Ishtdev and keep on repeating his mantra. If your ishtdev is Krishna, repeat the mantra "Om Namau Bhagwate Vasudeva ya" if he is Shiva , repeat " Om Namu shiva ya ". If you do not yet have an Ishtdeva , repeat the mantra " Satnam : Mushkal Aasaan".
Both procedures are right . What is important is that the heart should turn to the lord even as iron filing turn to a magnet. It is this longing, this yearning, that takes us closer to the Lord. If a person does not have this longing , he can always pray for it. God is the great giver . He gives and gives and is never tire of giving.
One rule of spiritual life is : " Tun Apne Tor Nibhai, Uski woh jaane." You do what is right for you to do , let him do what he will ! The spiritual aspirant does not judge the conduct of others. He only prays for them that the Lord may give them wisdom and strength to move on the path of righteousness.
There is black magic even as there is white magic.
Question 156. Namaskar Sir, I recently read your book What would you like to know about karma. I am deeply impressed. I am also a follower of Nichren Budhhism. I would like to know from where i can read more books. I have a lot of questions...some of which were solved by this book...
I think any Buddhist Monk will be able to enlighten you.
It all depends, if she is a house wife her responsibilities are many- fold, if she is a mother , hers is a 24-hour job . The main responsibility of a woman is to bring up her children in the right way so that they may, in their growing years, become good citizens and contribute to the life and thought of humanity.
Learn to walk in the Will of God . Keep on praying to the Lord, “Thou knowest everything, beloved, let thy will always be done: in joy and sorrow,my Beloved , let Thy Will always be done .” God is our father, our mother, our loving parent . He will not let anything happen which may do us harm . There is a meaning of mercy in everything that happens. Therefore accept , rejoice and move on.
Though there are over 6 billion human beings. God has made every human being as a unique creature. So long as your intentions are pure you must go the way God has made you. Continue to develop deep yearning for a glimpse of God and help as many as you can to lift the load on the rough road of life - and you will be taken on the right path.