SPIRITUAL ANSWERS by Swamiji!

[Tapan Mukherjee]

[glow=red,2,300][/glow][glow=green,2,300]In this modern age, it is quite difficult to find a guru worthy to be honoured and followed. What is a true guru actually, and how might I be able to recognise such a person?[/glow]


Answer: These great ones, these enlightened saints worthy of being called "gurus" have reached the final goal, they have liberated themselves forever, and now they have turned back and are engaged in illuminating and liberating others. They have done everything that has to be done, attained everything that has to be attained, and they have no more wishes, and they revel in a state of supreme satisfaction. Their hearts are full; they desire nothing. But if you want an explanation from your point of view, then you can say that they do have one thought, one intention, one desire and that is that all sincere seeking souls who are in quest of the supreme goal may attain that goal. There is a spontaneous intention of supreme love and goodwill that all may be established in the great state that they have attained by the grace of God.

If we are able to see in a human individual manifestations of holiness, of sanctity, of purity, of nobility, of goodness, and loftiness of conduct, character, nature, sentiment, thought, feeling and action, if we see something out of the ordinary-something of those qualities that we have been taught to associate only with God-then we may say that such a person is a living manifestation of the divine. We begin to realise, "God I have not seen, but godliness I have seen. All the qualities attributed to God, I see in an extraordinary measure in this human being." The guru is such a being. He or she becomes a visible God for us. God reveals Himself through the guru.


[glow=green,2,300]Swamiji, I have read so much yogic philosophy that says that this mind/body that I inhabit is not the ultimate reality-that there is something much higher. Could I have your view as to what is the definitive reality of this life?[/glow]

Ans : There is one great Reality, the Cosmic Being that is the source and origin of countless millions of universes. It is the non-dual Reality, present and hidden as the subtlest of the subtle, beyond the senses, and something that the mind cannot comprehend. That Reality is the centre of your being and is your eternal identity. This little 'I' of our personal ego that pushes and pulls us, that twists and turns us and shoves us down, is not our true 'I.'
Great enlightened saints and seers have given us the task for this life-Arise, awake and attain illumination. The whole of the process of your being and doing, thinking and acting should be this process of arising, being awake and alert, and attaining illumination. Then alone we are living. Call it brahma-jnana, call it Christ-consciousness, call it satori, call it the Supreme Tao, call it nirvana…It is the one, supreme, non-dual experience that liberates you forever from the bondage to yourself. It liberates you forever from this dream of being bound to a non-existent conglomeration of names and forms that is this universal appearance. This is the one and the only message-this is the one and only teaching.


[glow=red,2,300]How can I be a good disciple to my guru?[/glow]


Ans: Ans: We have to provide a way for the guru to give what he wishes to give, and that is through devotion to the guru, where there is no place for the ego. But if the thought comes, 'I have got great devotion for the guru and am a great disciple,' then finished, that devotion is cancelled and nullified. You yourself must become the very embodiment of that love and devotion, but there should be no awareness of some person having that quality of devotion. The very purpose of the guru is to remove the separate I-consciousness, the consciousness of being a separate entity. Thus, true devotion to the guru is egoless.

The greater the growth of devotion and the greater the reverence for the guru, the greater is the inflow of the guru's grace. The greater the desire to carry out the ideals of the guru and follow his instructions faithfully, the greater is the inflow of the guru's grace. Swami Swarupananda was never tired of saying, "Obedience is better than reverence." True devotion to the guru is not mere sentiment. It has to have an iron will behind it, an immense strength. When such guru-devotion is there, such great desire to carry out his teachings, then illumination automatically descends from the guru to the disciple. The illumination in which the guru is established comes like a spark flying from one end of an exposed wire to another. It is that heroic devotion to the guru, where there is the greatest love and reverence combined with the highest obedience-that becomes the great channel for the inflow of guru's grace.


[glow=blue,2,300]I find it hard to stay focused on my spiritual practice when I am engaged with work and outward activity. Could you suggest a practice to keep me focused while doing my daily duties?[/glow]

Answer: We have forgotten our real nature-we need to remember and reassert it. Begin your practice from the mental plane. Vedanta is a complete divine psychology, and it can be used to refocus the direction of the mind. You must remember your lost heritage, your real nature, and reassert it again and again. It is a sort of autosuggestion. For this method your hands and feet are not required, you can let your body be engaged in any activity throughout the day, but you need not forget the ultimate truth of your existence. You unbrokenly carry on the divine current of Atmic assertion of "I am That," and this will slowly develop from a mere aptitude to a higher devotion and then to an integral part of your practice. As you think, so you become.

For this autosuggestion, there are two obstacles: the impurities of the mind and then also the vices that have bedevilled humanity. Two methods are prescribed for overcoming them. One is thinking of the opposite. This is a method in which by constantly denying the presence of that which you wish to remove and asserting the presence of that which you wish to gain, you grow into the nature of the virtues, and the vice disappears. The other is the law that positive always overcomes negative. Therefore, a set of positive assertions is prescribed to assert your true nature, and through this your identification with the mind and the senses is lessened. You are pure Atman, not the names and forms. Your essential nature is Satchidananda-this you must assert.


[glow=yellow,2,300]How does one lead the divine life in a practical way?[/glow]

Ans : Divine life is a life based upon yoga and pervaded by the spirit of Vedanta. It is made up of selflessness, service, sadhana and self-realisation. So yoga and Vedanta form the very fabric of divine life, or the stuff out of which divine life is made, and naturally the more we know about it, the more we are reminded about the important aspects. Knowledge is necessary, yes, but the most important thing is the living of it. Divine life has to be lived in the mind and in the heart. Yoga has to be achieved here (pointing at his heart). Everything proceeds from within oneself. Whatever you are, you cannot run away from yourself. If you think that something outside yourself is an obstacle to you, you can run away from it or avoid it, but even if you run away, you take your senses, habits, your likes and dislikes and all the aspects of your mind with you. Unless one delves within and tries to understand the inner machinery, one cannot practice sadhana successfully.


[glow=red,2,300]What are the broad principles of yoga?[/glow]


Answer : Truthfulness, compassion, purity-these are the broad things which have to cover our entire life down to the most minute details. An akhanda sadhak cannot afford to forget this detailed living of divine life, and his whole life, especially in the beginning, should be characterised by restraint. He should restrain his tongue-he cannot just eat anything, in any amount, at anytime he likes. The quality of food that you take, its quantity, and the time you take food-all are important. You should sleep only a little, you must talk only a little, and you should move only a little, meaning, don't waste your energy. So, all gross things that merely pertain to the body should be kept to the minimum, and all the higher aspects of sadhana should be given proper place in your daily routine. Gurudev said, "Do japa a little, do asan a little, do kirtan a little." That doesn't mean that they should not be done too much, but that everyone of these items is essential, and all must find a place in your daily life.

Therefore, remember these: non-cooperate with the mind; do not fulfil desires when they arise; nip the thoughts in the bud; have daily introspection and self-analysis; do not justify what you discover in the mind and give a reason for it. Again, lead a life of self-restraint, and back the whole thing up with positive sadhana like meditation, japa, asana and pranayama. Ultimately, I conclude by recalling for you the two great instructions given by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita-vairagya (discrimination) and abhyasa (practice). Develop vairagya towards all sorts of worldly pleasures, and follow faithfully the practices mentioned earlier; you will be able to progress on the path of yoga and Vedanta, on the path of divine living.

[glow=green,2,300]What is the role of faith in the spiritual life?[/glow]

Ans : The great saint and philosopher, Sankaracharya, has laid down shraddha (faith) as one of the fundamental vehicles for spiritual practice. If everything could be understood by analysis and enquiry, then why did he stipulate faith as one of the keys? If an aspirant has no faith in the teacher or if he doubts what the teacher is saying, how can he learn anything at all? Even in our daily life, faith is indispensable. If somebody cooks some food for you, you have faith that they have not put poison in it. You go to a doctor and take the medicine he gives you, without thinking that it might be poison.

Similarly, it is reasonable to put faith in the words of those who have seen the Truth, because they say, "I have experienced the Truth, so you can also experience the Truth, provided you do what I have done. Experiment for yourself, and then see whether you attain the same result or not." They give us an assurance that we can also experience the highest Truth by following the proper path. Tulsidas said that faith is like the handmaiden of the queen. If anyone wants to see the queen, he has to be led finally into the queen's quarters by the trusted handmaiden. All our reasoning and theoretical knowledge will take us only up to a certain stage. Beyond that they cannot help us, but only faith can help us in attaining the Supreme Experience. Faith is necessary for all aspirants, whatever their path may be.


[glow=violet,2,300]I've heard a lot about the eight limbs of Yoga. Could you explain more exactly what this involves?[/glow]


Ans : The eight limbs of Raja Yoga are: yama, niyama, asana, pranyama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. Out of these, the first four are the preliminary stages. The yoga proper starts from pratyahara, or abstraction of the mind and the senses. Yama is the cultivation of certain virtues. Niyama is the following of certain daily observances. Asana is the acquisition of perfect steadiness of pose and pranayama is the discipline, control and regulation of our gross physical breath, which is connected with the inner subtle nerve-currents. The purpose of the asanas in raja yoga is different from hatha yoga, in that the asana in raja yoga means holding any one steady pose for the purpose of meditation. Pratyahara is the withdrawal of our senses and mind from the external objects of this universe, and dharana is the fixing of the mind on the object of meditation. Dhyana is mastery over dharana and continuous, unbroken fixing of the mind on the object of meditation. Dharana is sporadic, but when you have attained mastery over it, you are able to fix your mind upon the object of meditation steadily for a long time. In the depths of meditation you transcend the lower, physical consciousness and you experience the highest super-consciousness. This is called samadhi.

Raja yoga helps us first to control the gross, physical body and then step-by-step it leads us on to the control of subtler sheaths; the pranic sheath, the mental sheath, the intellectual sheath, the bliss sheath, and it takes us to the eternal, ever-perfect Self, which is beyond all these sheaths. Thus the approach is made, starting from the most external, the physical body, to subtler and subtler bodies. Raja yoga is then a very scientific and logical method of inner purification and self-perfection.

[glow=red,2,300]What exactly does tapas (austerity) involve?[/glow]


Ans : Tapas actually means blazing, burning and conveys the meaning of something fiery or filled with intense heat. Tapas or fieriness-what exactly does it infer? Fire is the most wonderful purifying agent in the world, and it illumines, so these two aspects you must keep in mind. So tapas is an intense process that burns up impurities in the nature of man and fills him with the radiance and purity of spiritual consciousness. It is purification and illumination of a person's personality, and anything done towards this end can legitimately be called tapas. So tapas may vary from individual to individual, but there are certain universal weaknesses common to all. Everyone likes to take a lot of food, so fasting is a universal method of self-control. The sex-impulse is also a universal passion; therefore a rigid vow of chastity would be a severe kind of tapas. Trying to control impure sentiments and feelings of the mind is also great tapas. It purifies the nature as nothing else can do. But it may be that the greatest tapas is sticking to the truth. If a man sticks to the truth, he will know what trials and tribulations it takes him through. But all in all this is meant to say that anything that brings you nearer to the truth is a tapas, and it may take any form.

[glow=red,2,300]What is the purpose of life?[/glow]


Ans : It is given only to the rare blessed few to be given the opportunity of talking about God, of listening to spiritual discourses and to enjoy the satsang of sages like Gurudev. Blessed is the tongue that utters the Lord's Name, the ear that hears the Lord's glory, and the eye that beholds the lord's vibhutis.

Life is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end-God-realisation. Life is wasted if it is not utilized for God-realisation. Man fulfils his purpose only if he thinks rightly, if he uses his discriminative faculty to the best advantage, and applies himself to sadhana for the realisation of the eternal reality. Even though this body is considered a great hindrance in many respects, it is the vehicle with the help of which the jiva is able to soar into the realms of Infinity. Even the gods aspire to take a human birth, for they can attain Self-realisation only through a human birth. Why should we at all aspire for God-realisation? Because this world in which we are born is full of misery, every object here is fleeting. We cannot get eternal satisfaction and bliss in any object here. God-realisation alone can confer on us the freedom from all miseries and the attainment of the supreme bliss.

Having attained this human birth, therefore, it should be our constant endeavour every moment of our life to attain this through intense sadhana. We should be ever burning with the desire to get ourselves released from this bondage of samsara. In order to sustain life, we may have to engage ourselves in vyavahara (mundane dealings); but we should not think that vyavahara is all. We should realise that our main purpose here is to do sadhana for Self-realisation and that vyavahara is only incidental. We should constantly discriminate between the eternal, permanent reality, and the ephemeral phenomena. We should shun sensual pleasures. God is our all-God is our father and mother.

This is the path to Self-realisation. God descends only into a pure heart. We should strive by every means in our power to purify our heart. First purify thought. Purify your speech. Purify your sight. Purify your actions. Purify your motives. Think only sublime thoughts. Let no evil or vulgar or untruthful words escape your lips. Do good. Serve all with great devotion. Do not be egotistic. Thank the person who gives you a chance to serve the Lord through him. Have a regular programme of sadhana. Evolve. Purify the heart. Attain Him in this very birth.

[glow=red,2,300]What does 'memory' involve in yogic philosophy, and how do we improve it?[/glow]

Answer : In order to understand what memory is, it is necessary to know what the antahkarana (inner instrument) is. The term covers all aspects of the mind. The chitta is the basic mind-stuff; just as cotton is the basic stuff of which the cloth is made. When it thinks, this thinking aspect is called manas. When it correlates experiences and discriminates, it is called buddhi. When it indulges in individualistic assertion and when the basic thought of 'I' is held in the mind, it is called ahamkara. These four together form the antahkarana.

When the manas and ahamkara function together, their combined work is called determination. The ego is there, it thinks a thought with great deliberation and pushes the thought in a particular direction. This is will power. When the idea is strongly supported by the ego, it is will power. When the manas and the ahamkara delve into the chitta in order to bring out some thought that is there in the unconscious aspect of the mind, it is called memory. When the emphasis is greater on the ego and less on the manas, it is called determination. When the emphasis if greater upon the manas but less upon the ego, then it is memory.

All the three-manas, chitta, and ahamkara-function in memory. Manas is the most important principle. Chitta lays itself out as a passive actor in this drama. The ego gives the impulse, and then the idea comes up. Sometimes in spite of the greatest effort of the ahamkara and the manas the idea does not come up. It may be a recently submerged fact, and the mind and the ego try their best to bring it up, but they fail. There are other cases or happenings of thirty years ago and the thing is submerged, but with the least effort, it comes up. How the chitta gives up the ideas submerged in it, no one really knows. Sometimes you give up trying to remember things in despair, and it spontaneously comes up! To improve memory, you have to undergo a process of mental training and improve your concentration:

Exercise #1: Let your friend take 10 or 20 different things and put them on a tray. Cover it up. Uncover it for just one minute. Look at it for that one minute. Immediately cover it up again. Take a piece of paper and a pencil and jot down the things you saw. Allow yourself five minutes to recollect all the things. Then check your list with the things in the tray and see how many you have omitted.

Exercise #2: Let your friend arrange those things in some order. As in the previous exercise, uncover the tray and look at it for a minute. Now try to jot down the names of the things in the very order in which they are found on the tray.

Exercise #3: Try to meditate upon a particular thing and the associated ideas in a particular order. For instance, take the subject "chair," and your thoughts might run as follows: 'This was a big tree, it was in a jungle in the Himalayas, a contractor must have cut the tree, the timber was sold to a merchant, he cut it into planks, a merchant engaged a carpenter, the carpenter has laboured upon it and cut it into various sizes. Then he has taken nails and driven them in at the various joints, so the chair has taken the proper shape, and afterwards the carpenter has polished it, and then placed it on a showroom floor. Now I have purchased it, and it is a very comfortable chair!' Now try once again to repeat the same process in exactly the same sequence. This exercise will enable you to train the mind to go over a particular set of ideas in the same order, by building up a chain of association of ideas. Do it in the reverse order also.

Exercise #4: There is a different form of the same exercise. Here the emphasis is more on association of ideas than concentration on one object. Take a flower for instance. Your thoughts would run: "It is a sweet-smelling flower, fresh water is extracted from it, Muslim queens used to bathe in rose water, Muslim ladies wear purdah, purdah system has been abolished in Turkey, Turkey is a westernised nation, the influence of western values is strong in India, and so on. Now try to go over the same ground in the same order.

Deliberately try to remember faces, names and dates. Great men have had their own way of memorising names and faces. When a new name is mentioned to them and a new person is introduced to them, they will during the course of their conversation go on repeating the new name several times. Then the name will stick in the mind for a long time. Meditation and pranayama strengthen memory. Various herbs also promote memory. Japa is an excellent aid to memory. If you keep your general health perfect, your memory also will be strong.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

[glow=green,2,300]What is the best daily routine for a neophyte in spiritual sadhana?[/glow]


Ans : Gurudev insists that from the very commencement of our sadhana we should hold before the mind the ideal of integral and harmonious development of all aspects of the personality. As man is not a one-sided being, the development should not be lop-sided. Man has a head, heart, a hand-a body, mind and soul-he has the intellect, emotion and the will. Gurudev says that every sadhaka should realise this truth and strive to develop his entire personality in a harmonious manner. One should have the heart of Buddha, the head of Sankara, and the hand of Janaka.

Therefore, the sadhak's daily routine must contain elements of all the four yogic paths. The mainstay of the daily routine should be the spiritualization of the entire life of the sadhak. The goal of life should be ever remembered. This goal is the attainment of God-realisation. Whatever be the external form of the sadhak's life, the aim of his life should be God-realisation. A little japa, a little kirtan should invariable find place in the daily routine. Gurdev has the greatest faith in the Lord's name. If you are of a devotional temperament, a little worship should also be there: have a small altar, light a candle, offer a small flower and do a brief puja. This is important. Then comes asana and pranayama; a few minutes practice of these two keep the body healthy. Study of religious books should not be neglected. Mediation is no doubt an advanced yogic practice, but it is never too early to begin meditation, and however imperfect the practice may be at first, one should be regular in the effort.

Another important item of the daily routine is self-analysis. The sadhak should take practical and effective steps to eradicate his vicious qualities and grow in virtue. He should aim at attaining perfection in the ethical practices of yama and niyama. The aspirant must daily search within himself for the traces of lurking evil and eradicate them. A very big slice of the time of the sadhak should be devoted to selfless service. The essential thing in this is the attitude and devotion. If you can selflessly serve the sick and the poor it is very good. But if that level of service is not available to you, you can keep up that attitude of devoting all your duties to God throughout the day. This is the 'easy sadhana" of Gurudev: think your house is a temple; feel the world is a manifestation of the Lord. Feel that your office is a shrine of the Lord; see God in all. This way, you can dedicate yourself to the work completely; you may plunge into the work, and yet you may be doing the highest sadhana. Start the day with prayer, during the day whenever you get a little leisure say, "Lord, it is all an offering unto You." [glow=yellow,2,300]Never miss an opportunity to serve humanity.[/glow]
This completely covers the field of the sadhak's daily routine: some items of the devotional type to develop the heart, some items of selfless service to purify the heart, some items of raja yoga and then some of jnana yoga to lead to ultimate Self-realisation. The sadhak should always feel that his real "home" is elsewhere-in God-and this world is a wayside inn, where he is staying for a short period. He should cultivate dispassion, and also he should discriminate and choose the path of the good in preference to the path of the pleasant.


[glow=blue,2,300]What would you say are the most essential of the spiritual practices?[/glow]


Answer : The central practice, the central sadhanas in all yogas is a constant abidance, a constant wakeful abidance in the goal you are seeking-which is the Reality. That which you seek being already part of you, being your innermost Self-to be aware of your abidance in It and of Its abidance in you is the central essence of all yogic sadhana. Dwell in God; this liberates us from all sin, from all ignorance and from the notion that I have not attained God yet and that I must attain Him in the future. If He dwells within you, what is the meaning of saying that I have not attained Him? If He is far distant, there is a meaning in saying that I have to attain Him, I have to strive, and I have to draw nearer. But when we are told and believe that God dwells in the heart of all beings, where does the notion come from that He is someone that has to be attained after a long journey? To shed this wrong notion and look within are needful. Awareness and consciousness are at the centre of my being. In Him I dwell at all times. Everything that exists is within Him and in everything that exists, that Supreme Being exists.

You as a human being are the one unique being who can reflect upon this and become consciously aware through a purposeful awareness, created by contemplation and spiritual practice. Only the human individual can enter into conscious awareness of this great fact, the central truth of all existence. In the ultimate context, all yogas and forms of spiritual practice are meant to accomplish this-to reach a state where all other awareness recedes and give place to this one central awareness. To abide in this awareness and to keep striving to keep up this constant awareness is bhakti. It is spiritual life.


[glow=red,2,300]So much is written these days about the potential of the human being. What exactly does that 'potential' mean to you?[/glow]


Answer : Gurudev, for example, was an extraordinary combination of selflessness, service, devotion, divine love, prayer and worship, but he was also a combination of discipline, self-control, conquest of mind, concentration and meditation. He was a person of great austerities, a singer of the divine name, a bhakta, a jnani, a super karma yogi and one who had mastered his mind. How did this happen? On the one hand, he was like any other person. He was educated, had a profession and a successful career. What is it that made him a world figure; what was it he did that set him apart? God gave him something, and he put it to the best use. He carefully cultivated it. In the thirteenth chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna makes a significant statement to Arjuna: "This body is known as the field." A field is a place, an area, which has the potential to produce a certain harvest. If you labour, if you do the needful to arouse this potential, then it will bring forth many useful things. This means that we have to have a deep desire to put whatever we have been granted to the highest use, to do all that is necessary, to labour hard, to provide it with that triggering factor, and to do all that is necessary to bring out what it is capable of bringing out. And this body, this human personality is a field capable of producing a rich golden harvest, provided we diligently work upon it and put to the highest and best use whatever has been received.

This should be our objective. But then, we must be fully aware of one significant fact about this field, which is that our body, mind and personality are neutral-neither good nor bad. What this potential for producing will give you depends upon what you put into it, how you utilise it. It is like your echo. Whatever you call out, good or bad, comes back to you. Whatever you create is what you have. What are you presently engaged in? What is the quality of your secret thoughts, seemingly unknown, but known to the Being who indwells you? Your future, your destiny, what you produce for yourself and others, depends upon the quality of your hidden thoughts and the various attitudes you cultivate towards the world and the things and beings that are in the world around you. These thoughts can make you happy or miserable. They can create within you light or darkness, heaven or hell. Therefore, be wise. Be aware of this fact. Be your own greatest benefactor. May your right labours, in the right direction, with the right intention and the right objective be your own greatest benediction, your own greatest blessing.

Decide. How will you work? What will you bring forth from this field that God has given you? This the field cannot decide. It is the one that labours that has to decide. If you make the right use of this field of the human personality for the good of all and for your own highest blessedness, then there is no power on earth that can deny you what is due to you, that can prevent you from getting what you have worked for.

[glow=red,2,300]How are we to best utilise our daily life in order to make it a form of spiritual practice?[/glow]


Answer : In whatever environment and situation we have been placed by the will of the divine, the factors present in it are necessary for us at this given time and place to enable us to work towards our perfection. For, each one of us has many things to be overcome, renounced and discarded; and a particular situation is given to us as an opportunity for liberating ourselves from that which is holding us back from progressing towards our divine destiny. If we thus understand life with a true spiritual vision, then our entire reaction to things that come to us day by day will be a creative reaction: "God has given this circumstance with a definite plan and purpose. In what way can I gain from this situation, benefit myself and surge ahead? It does not come without meaning." Each situation comes because that is the need for that day.

Our outer life and our inner spiritual life of japa, meditation, introspection and concentration have a close, connection and are necessary for each other. Our inner spiritual disciplines need to be tested for their authenticity each waking day. Daily life is an opportunity provided for us to exercise the spirituality gained during our inner studies, reflection and meditation. It is the testing ground, so that each day our progress is really ours. We have made it our own by having tested it, proven it and possessed it. Until it has been tested and proven, it is not our own, it does not become part of us. Every spiritual step forward becomes assimilated into your nature when it is thus exercised. That which is exercised actively becomes firmly grounded, permanently and truly your own. Thus there is an indispensable connection between your daily sadhana and your daily life.

It is in the context of daily life that you are able to actively exercise and test your spiritual progress. It is in the context of your daily sadhana that day by day the quality of your daily life is enhanced and enriched-it becomes further elevated to higher dimensions of refinement. Ultimately this process culminates in a total divinisation of your being and doing, your actions and reactions. May we thus see this unified nature of our inner and outer life and not see them as two separated aspects. They are not two; they are one integrated and unified process of spiritual evolution. One who perceives this becomes a totally balanced individual. He becomes truly possessed of the knowledge of the art and science of living life as one unified process of evolving day by day spiritually. May the grace of the divine enable us to see ourselves as what we are and to see our life and our environment for what they are. Thus, may this dual knowledge become a means of your steady spiritual progress and evolution into ultimate illumination.

[glow=red,2,300]Could you explain a bit about the law of karma?[/glow]


A. Everyone today knows about the law of karma and experiencing the fruit of action. It was once the possession of the East, but it is now a global insight. Everyone knows that this great spiritual law of cause and effect pervades human life. It is also duplicated in the physical world of gross material sciences. You bring into being a certain cause; it brings into being a certain result. You sow a seed; it produces a plant of its own kind. Even so, in the psychological and psychical realm, if you manifest friendliness, the world becomes friendly to you. If you manifest hostility, the world responds in a like manner. The world is like a mirror. What you give comes back to you, and so it is said, "Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." Every day this law of cause and effect is demonstrated before us, but we never pay attention. We do not understand the implications of what we see happening. We do not realise that we make our life by the way in which we keep on producing causes-mental, verbal, and physical.

If we are wise, we shall ever exercise discrimination. For instance, "My mind is harbouring this thought. Next moment it will propel me to engage in an action corresponding to this thought. What will be the effect of this action upon my spiritual life?" Thus an aspirant thinks of the consequences of his action in relation to the reaction it is likely to bring into manifestation. This is the hallmark of the wise seeker, for that is the one supreme task in his life. He is engaged in moving towards the sublime goal of God-realisation. Therefore, he engages in all such actions that will enhance his progress towards the goal, and he will abstain from all such acts that are likely to detract him from the fulfilment of the quest. One should live in the light of the awareness of this great law, which is our greatest friend, which is the sure guarantee of success in our spiritual life. It can help us steer clear of many avoidable difficulties. If properly understood and properly applied in the living of our life, it is the one thing that can ensure us that we will attain the goal without fail. It is a law that is the outcome of the great wisdom of the Universal Soul-for the highest good and benefit of Its own part, the individual soul.

What we strive for, we get. What we do not strive for, God may grant us or we may not get it. Therefore, we should pray to the Lord, "Grant us inner spiritual strength to resist temptations and to control the mind." We must work hard to develop inner strength that will help us to resist temptations and to control the mind. Thus will our knowledge of karma become fruitful and effective in success, in attainment, in glorious fulfilment. God bless us all to become strong in the Spirit, to make the flesh also partake of this inner strength and to be obedient to the call of the Spirit.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Q: I have found that after an initial burst of enthusiasm after entering the spiritual life, I have become discouraged by my failures and my lack of real progress. If I may be frank, I feel sometimes like giving up.

Answer : To enter into the spiritual life is a rare blessedness; it is a great good. To take it seriously and engage in active spiritual sadhana is a second blessedness and a still greater good. But, to persevere in the spiritual life, to be ever progressive and ceaseless in one's spiritual life, is the greatest good, the crowning blessedness. One makes up one's mind: 'come what may, until the very last breath persists in this body, I shall not swerve from the path of sadhana. Until the very last breath I shall persevere; I shall dedicate myself to the divine life. I shall be a yogi; I shall ever be intent upon attaining the goal. I shall never slacken my efforts-much less cease my endeavour.' Thus, if one gladly takes upon oneself, after serious deliberation and firm conviction this 'do or die' approach-that would indeed be the crowning glory of one's spiritual path. This is the greatest good; it is the supreme blessedness. And it is to such a seeker that success comes. Success is sure-fulfilment awaits.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Q: I find it quite difficult to be able to concentrate deeply on anything for any length of time-the mind seems to always fly away to some other thing. How can one find a deeper level of concentration?


Answer : It is a common question of every aspirant; how to concentrate the mind, or why does the mind wander. To put it in a general way, the mind wanders because it is the very nature of the mind to do so! Tossing of the mind is inherent in the make-up of the mind. But there are external factors too. You may be exhausted, or emotionally upset or too occupied with the miscellaneous activity of the day. Now what exactly is this wandering? The mind is flitting from one object to another. It is thinking of sense objects or past experiences. It dwells upon them one after another. You must take note, as this point is very important: the mind tends to think of those objects that it likes. It tends to roam amidst those objects that it has tasted previously, to which it is attached, in which it finds pleasure. The constant exercise of viveka (discrimination) and vichara (enquiry), the development of vairagya (dispassion) and the subduing of likes and dislikes are the means of removing mind-wandering and attaining success in concentration. Other factors like sattvic food, avoidance of unnecessary talk, distracting sights, and a certain amount of seclusion are also important. But the main requisite is intense aspiration and extreme dispassion. You must also develop love for your chosen object of concentration or meditation.

Q: I find the mind to be very strong, and it resists my efforts to control it. What can I do?


Answer : Overcoming the mind is like killing oneself mentally! We never think that the mind is different from us, but realising that we are not the mind is the most important thing. Disassociating yourself from the mind means giving a deathblow to yourself, or to that which you have always thought to be yourself. A new 'myself' has to come into being. Non-cooperation with the mind, as one exercises discrimination, can start to come into operation, and you will then come to know that the mind is other than yourself. This practice requires courage, it is not for the ordinary weak man; it is for the hero to attain.
Mind is able to wreak all this havoc with the help of the ego. We have to play another masterstroke. We have to kill the ego. This "ego-dectomy" has to start in the very beginning of spiritual practice. The ego has to go completely. The extremely hardened, grosser aspects of the ego should be hammered out in the very beginning. The ego is an enemy that is not outside us, but inside, and something about which we know nothing. How great is the necessity to have a guide and to have absolute faith in the guide, and to be able to surrender to him!

Q: I seem to fail so often, and as a result I get discouraged.


Answer : In this process you may fail not once or ten times, but a hundred or thousand times. Spiritual practice is going from bigger failures to smaller failures. They are progressively lesser. Do not be too fastidious; do not worry about unimportant aspects. At the same time, the fundamentals have to be kept; stick to the fundamentals as manifested in the small acts of life. Each aspirant should bear in mind that divine life is also to be lived in small things. If you are divine in small details, you can be divine in big things. If your yoga becomes practical in little things, then the greater achievement will come as a matter of course.
Heroism is needed in a man who has resolved to go forth and attain the Atmic experience. He does not care for discouragement at all. Then he will progress and he will get what he has set himself to get. Always carry on your practice till the end of your life. Abhyasa (sustained practice) and vairagya (discrimination) are the keynotes of sadhana.

Q: Could you give us some hints on being able to concentrate the mind?

Answer : Concentration is a question of persistent, persevering endeavour. Concentration does not become fruitful in a day; it is not a process that at once gives results overnight, and in the beginning it is a very unpleasant and painful process. The very nature of the human mind is to be scattered-to oscillate between numerous things. It never stops; it is like a grasshopper! In as much as you now have set yourself to change the essential nature of the mind and hold it to the object of meditation, naturally the mind feels it to be a terrible bondage, and it does not want to do it. Here it is that the aspirant requires great tenacity. You must always struggle, keeping in view the glorious end that will ultimately lead you to eternal happiness.

People can practice for days and months and years, and make no progress, and they feel disgusted. Experienced masters suggest various methods. If, for instance, you get very tired of concentration upon your object of meditation, all right, stop your concentration and try to think at that moment what is most pleasing to you-some beautiful flower or some scenery, or something else which is very pleasant to you. Try to bring to your mind that thing which is most pleasant and upon which the mind likes to spontaneously fix itself. It is a question of mental training. Read some books or do some other practice and when the mood comes again, then do concentration. You must always use your intelligence and try to make concentration as pleasant and interesting as possible.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Q: I find that despite repeated practice, my mind refuses to stay settled in meditation.

Answer : Some people find if they try to concentrate, the mind runs. They say, "We cannot concentrate." Then you should question yourself, "Why does the mind run away?" and then add to this 'why' the question 'where'-where does the mind run to? It is very difficult to find out. Subconsciously there is some disturbance. If you question the 'why' and 'where,' certain thoughts come and disturb the mind. And what are these thoughts? Thoughts of some persons, thoughts of some experience, thoughts of some previous memory-always it is some thoughts connected with the objects and objective world and objective experience, and if you pursue this investigation further, you will find that the mind tends to run away into those channels and towards those objects to which it is attached, for which it has a desire. This desire may not be in the conscious-it will be in the subconscious.

Analysis will reveal that the mind always tends to run away to the objects to which the individual is attached, and attachment is the same as desire. Attachment and desire go hand in hand. Either you think of a thing that you do not like or you think of the things that you like, to which you are attached. Therefore attachment and repulsion come to the root of the problem. And it means a lack of vairagya (dispassion). If you do not have dispassion, the mind persists in being attached to various things. You must develop your vairagya. You must give up your desires and attachments. By unceasing endeavour you must constantly try to keep yourself established in a perfect state of vairagya, which comes through constant discrimination. Throughout the 24 hours you must discriminate.


Q: Should our aim be to strive for Self-realisation and attaining nirvana, or to take birth again and serve humanity?

Answre : One should try for Self-realisation and nirvana alone. We should constantly strive to ensure that we do not take birth in this samsara again. But since we have taken birth, we should serve all selflessly. If we take birth again, we should continue to do selfless service. But this does not mean that we should pray for rebirth. Self-realisation should be our goal. The yearning to realise the Self should not be regarded as selfishness. No. When, standing on the peak of Self-realisation you perceive unity and see nothing but the Self, there is no room for selfishness at all. But it is true that some great saints have said, "I do not want nirvana; I wish to be born again and again to serve humanity." We should examine these statements to understand them fully. These great ones would often emphasise some aspect of sadhana as superior to all else, in order to draw the attention of the aspirant to its importance. Whole-souled devotion is necessary if we wish to achieve anything. Half-hearted efforts will bear no fruits. We should not desire anything other than the ideals we wish to reach.


Q: Sometimes the spiritual life is compared to a battle. If that analogy holds true, then what would be the greatest victory?

Answer : Long ago it was asked: "What is the real victory? Is it that of great emperor leading his vast, invincible armies and defeating an opposing army?" The answer came that, no, it is the conquest, not of territory, but of oneself that is the greatest victory. There is nothing more essential, more absolutely indispensable, to be overcome and defeated than the ego. It is the greatest bondage. It is the greatest enemy standing in the way of all that is good for you. Victory in this great battle leads to the greatest liberation: "Then shall I be free, when 'I' shall cease to be." Therefore to give a semblance of reality to the ego is the greatest ignorance, and to be in a state of identification with the ego is the greatest affliction-from which all creation is suffering and due to which all creation is causing suffering to everyone else.

This is a mystical, metaphysical fact. All discord, all disharmony is rooted in the great blunder of giving importance to that which is the greatest enemy. We make ourselves slaves by allowing the ego to dominate our life. You cannot walk in two directions at the same time. The entire world is suffering and weeping due to the tyranny of the ego over the human individual in the living of his life from day to day. If this is recognised, already light has dawned and the bonds are starting to fall apart. You are moving towards emancipation and liberation; you are moving towards sure victory.

And, you are moving toward jyoti (light). ("Lead me from darkness to Light.") You are now nearing the wondrous time when this gift will be yours and you will no longer slumber, you will no longer be in ignorance. This is the truth! Once, twice and thrice, this is the truth! You have the golden key. Blessed is he who having received the golden key will insert the key in the lock, open it and go out into the freedom that is everywhere at all time. This will indeed be the greatest step, the greatest moment in the spiritual life and the greatest victory!


Q: How important is morality in leading my spiritual life?

Answer : We may be quite different and diverse in every way, but there is one common factor, and that is the indwelling Reality. If this is pondered and gradually grasped as the basis of relating ourselves to "others,' we discover that there are no others. From the innermost reality of our spiritual being, there are no others in the sense that they are something else other than us or something different with whom we have nothing in common. If we make this the basis of relating ourselves with all living beings and all of God's creation, then we will live and move in this world as a unifying factor and harmonising principle. We are not what we see when we stand before a mirror. We are that which is not seen, and that is the same in all. That Being that makes us all one, we call God, the One in the many.

This truth is the basis of the good life. It is the real basis of kindness and courtesy. Why should we give respect to others? Because the Being whom we worship and adore is the Being who is the indwelling common consciousness. When we worship Him in the temple or church, how can we show disrespect when He is before us as the living God? That which gives us happiness will also give happiness to others. That which is painful to us will also give pain to others. Therefore, the true basis of morality, compassion, and being helpful to others is the ultimate spiritual experience that gives us the vision and reveals to us the truth that God is one, and He is everywhere. He in a sense says, "I come to you in all directions through My own creation. I put before you My creation so that you may never forget Me."
Gurudev came to open our eyes to this vision. He taught us to see the hidden God in all things and to make that truth the basis of our life. Such a life will be full of reverence for life and respect for all beings. Out of such a life will come sweet, desirable and beautiful human relationships. This is the need of our times, the need of the world today. Many people do not know how to behave with each other-individually, collectively or internationally. Our behaviour is un-spiritual; we fight and quarrel. We worship the outer form, and the awareness of the inner content is conspicuous by its absence. Therefore the world is what it is today. Although we can do little to change the world, yet we can change ourselves. We can bemoan the world but we cannot change it. However we can do everything to rise from unreality to Reality, from darkness to Light, from mortality to Immortality. That we can! That we must!

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Q: I feel so distracted in my goals and cannot fix on what needs to be done. How can I become clearer about my ultimate goal?

Answer : The path that leads to the realisation of this highest Reality is the path that gives certainty to life, significance and meaning to existence; it endows one with strength, and then ultimately becomes the liberator from all error. It provides a purpose for the human individual soul, and purposefulness is the secret of strength. Certainty is strength. Uncertainty is weakness that lays one open to all the contrary pulls and pushes that are everywhere in life. When the goal is clear and visible and known, and the direction is definite, then life becomes a powerful movement forward towards the goal. It is necessary to know what we are striving for, and that we have a definite plan and purpose.

There should be no delusion or confusion; there should be clarity of thought. In the Upanishads the quote comes, "Om is the bow. The individual self is the arrow. Brahman is the target. The target is to be hit by great vigilance. Then alone shall one merge into Brahman, even as an arrow enters into a target." The key word here is "vigilant." A person who has no delusions has no lack of clarity; there is not the least doubt in his mind. Every aspirant has to vigilant. He has to attain that state where there is no doubt left. The verse says that you yourself are the arrow. You have to speed straight towards the target that you have set for yourself, moving in the single direction towards the Goal Supreme. What is it that impels the arrow forward? It is the bow, represented by the mystical symbol "Om." This signifies an alert state of inner spiritual wakefulness. Whether the body is in its deep sleep, dream, or waking state, you are ever awake spiritually. It is this ever-awake condition of spiritual awareness that will guarantee the straight, onward flight of the arrow, which moves towards your target, which is Self-realisation.

This is possible only if there is no uncertainty, no hesitation. "I have known what it is that I aspire after and long for. Having known the hollowness of the world, I have turned away; I have now known what there is to be attained. I gather together all my energies, all my potential with great enthusiasm, and with zest and zeal I dedicate myself to this great attainment." Thus, clearly knowing oneself and knowing what one's life is, one should speed on towards that great Goal. This is the triumphant life; this is the effective life; this is a life where purposefulness is at its greatest. Such a life alone is a life that makes one thrive and gives joy, satisfaction and great inspiration!


Q: What is the way to develop a longing for God?

Answer : In the Gita Sri Krishna says, "The Supreme Spirit is hidden in all beings," and, "The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna." The scriptures again and again bring to our attention this truth that we are never apart from the Being whom we are seeking, and Who is the highest goal of human existence. When we say "highest," we always think of it as something beyond, something distant, something that requires a long journey to reach. We always think in terms of a long process, but the scriptures point out to us that it is an inner journey. We do not have to cover distances. We only have to remove obstacles-the greatest obstacle being ourselves. There are factors in our personalities that are contrary to the Divine Reality and obstruct our experience of It.

The inveterate tendency of our psychological self is to always move away from the inner centre and move outside to external objects. It is the tendency of the mind to imagine that happiness, peace and the fulfilment of our lives lies in striving for and possessing external things. Therefore, the most familiar and most intimate appear to be remote-not that it is, but we make it so. To alter these outgoing tendencies becomes an indispensable part of our sadhana, and it is an extraordinary quality of this delusion that it doesn't allow the deluded being to perceive that he is deluded. On the contrary, he will argue and fight and try to convince others that he is perfectly clear and logical. So, the world is in the grip of this delusion that does not permit them to know their delusion; on the contrary, they are convinced that they are right and that those who do not think like them are deluded. It is through satsang and svadhyaya that this delusion is removed and right understanding and knowledge replace ignorance. That marks the turning of our direction towards God.

We must come to the conviction that God is present right here, nearest to me as my innermost being. God lives within me; we are never apart, and the next conviction is to know that this Being is the only source of true happiness, peace and satisfaction. There is no other source. The other necessary conviction is that this Being is the highest value in life. There is nothing greater, nothing more important. If we make seeking Him our most important task in life, if we develop a great longing for Him, a great desire and an overwhelming yearning and if our whole being becomes filled with this urge, then there is absolutely no doubt that in this very life God will be experienced. No matter how deluded the world outside may be, no matter how chaotic and absurd, it does not matter if your interior is all right. It is in the firm conviction of God's existence and in His most intimate and nearest presence that you develop within yourself a great longing to attain and experience God, then you may be absolutely certain that nothing can deprive you of that experience. It may be a question of a little sooner or later, but the experience is certain. There is no doubt about it.



Q: Could you speak to the importance of enthusiasm in the spiritual life?

Answer : The ocean exists, therefore waves exist. The central orb of the solar radiance exists, and billions of rays radiate in all directions. If the sun did not exist, there would be no light. Even so, the existence of all things cannot be separated from the one, ultimate, supreme source of all existence. Thus all existence owes its being to that Supreme Being.

Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. So, this is the condition preceding any achievement. There should be eagerness to receive and there should be desire to know. There should be a willingness to fulfil all conditions, so that it may be bestowed and so that it may be received. This is the essence of the quest and its successful culmination-a continuous eagerness to obtain, and a great willingness to fulfil the conditions so that it may be bestowed. For an aspirant there should be this thirst-this longing. There should be this continuous keen eagerness to know and to proceed towards the state of enlightenment. One must go on fulfilling all the minimal conditions that are essential for being a ripe receptacle. You must be a deserving one, an adhikari.

And if one is to keep up this longing, one must have sustained enthusiasm. If you allow your interest to flag, enthusiasm will wane, and you will be in danger. Where there is this keen enthusiasm and interest, that itself is a power generator that can confront anything and overcome anything. Therefore, a genuine, authentic positivism is an indispensable requisite of successful spiritual striving and ultimate attainment-a keen positivism that looks at the positive aspects of things and exults that God has been so gracious, that rejoicingly moves forward with enthusiasm, with interest, longing for nothing else, wishing for nothing else, and paying attention to nothing else but this central quest. This indeed is the sure guarantee, that which ensures the successful culmination of the spiritual quest and the attainment of enlightenment and illumination.




Q: I find myself suffering often from "backsliding," that is, I make some progress and then I fall back into my old, negative habits. Could Swamiji give some advice?

Answer : What one ardently aspires after, what one has one's heart and mind set upon-if thus one's entire life means a calm but firm movement towards the supreme goal, if the attainment of that goal is the paramount virtue in life, if day and night one's mind is ever engaged in finding ways to draw nearer to the goal-then nothing in this world can stop us from moving towards that goal and ultimately reaching it. There is a very descriptive expression in English: "moving back to square one." It means that after having made a lot of effort, if you suddenly make a wrong move, then you find yourself right back at the beginning-back to square one. You must have a clear idea of what you must do. Not only should you strive to move towards the goal, but simultaneously, you must also have a mechanism within your own psyche, a sort of device wisely formulated through your own wisdom, so that you ensure that there is no possibility of sliding back. This 'mechanism' consists of your common sense and intelligence, by drawing guidance form all sources of wisdom, such as svadhyaya, satsang, and reflection, discrimination and enquiry. It is then impossible to slide back to square one. On the contrary, you ensure yourself against even a little reversal, a little backsliding.

It should all be onward, upward, towards God, with no possibility of deviation, no possibility of slipping down even one little bit. That is why the Lord said that together with practice you must keep on developing and increasing dispassion. Practice should get valiant, effective and powerful support from dispassion. It seems like a great task, but you can make it simpler. God in His wisdom, love and compassion has so made it that your life is rationed out to you only in tiny sections of little, individual days. Each section is a very limited time period relieved by periods of restfulness. You are only required to attend to one section at a time, not all of life at once. Therefore, you only contend with one day at a time. You make up your mind, "Today is going to be a divine day. This day-it is sufficient. I will attend to making this day a perfect day. I will attempt this with all sincerity, with all my honesty and with all the powers of my being. It will bring out all that is auspicious, blessed, bright, beautiful and divine." That's what you are required to do.

It is not to think of spiritual life in terms of whole years or long periods, of a great struggle or a big journey. You are only expected to attend to the day that has dawned and that is in your hands. Look to it; make it perfectly spiritual, sublime and noble! Then you have a golden key to success in a simple, easy and effective way. This is the secret. This is within the possibility of everyone. Strive with all your might just for this one day-the gift of God, today. God bless you in this effort!

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Q: One notices that people sometimes settle into a sort of lethargy, and lose their focus and energy a bit. I am worried about losing that feeling of being focused. Could you speak to that sense of urgency that seems to be so necessary in spiritual practice?

Answer : The life of the spirit was brought home with full force by an admonition from Jesus, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his spiritual life?" It places before each human individual a criterion to measure things. Similarly, Sankaracharya in a very descriptive manner brings out more or less the same truth in his 'Guru Pakuka Stotra:' "You may have the wealth of the whole world, everything that can ever be desired, but of what use is it if your entire mind and heart are not totally absorbed in God and in following your spiritual teacher?"

This indeed is something that one should seriously consider. What are we engaged in? Gurudev said, "Life is short, time is fleeting." With each incoming and outgoing breath, the allotted life span of each soul's residence in this earthly body is fast being depleted. Therefore, the Upanishadic call: "Arise, awake, having reached the wise ones, become enlightened." This call should be ringing in the ear of every true aspirant. Then alone some achievement is possible-not in indifference, not in heedlessness. The saints have given us sufficient admonitions: "Day and night, morning and evening, autumn and spring, come and go, again and again. Our life ebbs away, yet man's vain desires don not cease but continue unabated." Every day this verse must be sounding again and again in your heart. If your house were on fire, how daringly you would plunge into the house and rescue what is precious. And here what you have to rescue is your own true nature from the clutches of desire and maya.

These great teachings should not go to waste. They will all be in vain if our mind is only intent upon petty sense pleasures. We could compare this sense life to children playing on the seashore building sandcastles, and never thinking of the invaluable pearls that lie in the depths just behind them. Will your life be like that? Answer! Are you responding? When you hear the clock toll one more hour passed, do you ponder over the meaning? So much is our heedlessness that we do not know that days are passing, that with each sunset one more day has gone. We do not perceive the inner implications of things. Life bypasses us; its meaning is lost on us. Who will be to blame if we throw away what God has given to us for petty trifles? Jesus drove the moneychangers from the temple. Are you doing similarly-taking a strong stand and driving out from this moving temple of the living God all that is unworthy of His presence?

God forgive us if we reject the great gift that He has given to us out of His infinite love and compassion. Let it not be our fate-that we live in folly and regret to the end. Therefore, heed the call to "arise, awake, and become enlightened." If we call ourselves spiritual people, then the doing should prove it-by our living-not just with our lips. Understand this very clearly, then alone you will be the builder of a glorious future for yourself. May God help you do it!



Q: In this cynical age of ours, it is hard to have faith in anything. Could you comment on why you think faith and belief are important in the life of a person?

Answer : When food is completely withdrawn from the body, the person may fall ill, lose weight and eventually starve or even die. Even if the person is given some food, but due to a diseased condition the stomach cannot digest it, he will slowly starve unless he is fed through the veins. So the essence of sustaining yourself physically lies in your ability to assimilate and utilise the food that is given. Similarly, the enhancement of our inner faculties of mind, thought, intelligence and so on depend on what we are actually able to absorb, and it is what we take in that makes for gradual growth in our personality, our wisdom and our understanding. All of our growth depends upon how much we are able to absorb and assimilate; our becoming sensitively aware of certain insights in life, seeing into the nature of things and people, understanding human relationships-again, all depend on our ability to take them in.

It is not without reason that our ancients reiterated again and again; "You must not only hear and read, but you must reflect, meditate, understand, and then you must make the knowledge your own. You must become that." In the Gita it says: "A person is what he believes in." The key to the process of successfully assimilation from whatever you learn, and becoming what you assimilate, is in believing in what you want to become. Have firm and deep belief: "I believe, and I know I will be what I believe. I will become what I believe because that is the truth. And, if I do believe, it will certainly transform me into what I wish to become and believe in."

So, faith and belief are the twin wings, as it were, of the bird of your spirit. Faith and belief are the two legs that take you to your destination. Faith and belief are the indispensable twin factors that succeed in making you what you wish to become-deep faith, deep belief. Again and again you should keep the company of those in whose company your faith increases, your beliefs become confirmed, and you become firmly established in what you believe. Then, with deep faith and belief and being what you believe in, striving your very best to actualise it in your life so that it becomes your very nature-then you become that.

Translate what you are into your daily activity. Never put much interval between what you have become and your acting it out. What you are, that you must do. Otherwise, a condition will arise when your faith and belief become a static condition, not a dynamic and progressive condition. There is stagnation, arrested movement, no action. Therefore, examine yourself, and keep on examining yourself, ruthlessly. "Am I actively manifesting my faith and belief in every detail of my day-to-day life?" Backed up by firm faith, being and doing will take you to the goal, to the supreme consummation of your life. The ingredients of sure success lie in these four: belief, faith, becoming what you believe and have faith in, and living and doing that which you are.


Q: In what way should we best perceive the obstacles that come to us as we follow the path of spiritual life?

Answer : I would want for all seekers the unceasing and determined resolution to fulfil their aspiration, no matter what the obstacles, or what the adverse circumstances. They should see in these obstacles the necessary disciplines that are meant to awaken in them their hidden powers, which may then be manifested for this great attainment. The apparently "adverse" circumstances should be seen as opportunities, to see God present as obstacles, not thinking them to be the manifestation of something opposed to God. There is a supreme, absolute, non-dual reality, which does not admit of any eternal cosmic dichotomy between the divine and the un-divine. "All this is Brahman; Brahman is one alone, without a second; Brahman alone is Truth; Truth is one."

Difficulties are not difficulties to those who are resolute and determined. The boatman who has to row across the flowing river knows that hard rowing is necessary. The only awareness in his mind is the need to persist in putting forth ever-greater power until the other shore is reached. In this way, you should have resolute determination, as a vision and wisdom with which you face, accept and welcome everything that life is, and see in everything the divine manifestation, manifesting as an opportunity and an occasion for putting forth greater effort.

One remembers Swami Swarupananda who faced in this own spiritual life all that confronts a yogi upon this rugged path, and who emerged as a highly disciplined and determined saint. He not only emerged stronger, wiser and even more determined than ever, but greatly ripened, with sympathy for seekers, knowing through his own personal experience what they may have to face. He used to say that suffering instils mercy and compassion in the human heart. Having undergone the same experience one is able to know and sympathise with the sufferings of others.

May his benedictions and grace instil in us sympathy and an understanding of the problems of spiritual aspirants; and, above all, may it bring before us the necessity to generate from within ourselves a great perseverance, a powerful determination and a firm resolution. For these are our friends and assets on this rugged path. It is not only a rugged path, it is also an arduous one. It therefore requires great patience, great fortitude. If we keep on taking one step at a time, then one day we are destined to reach the Goal Supreme.

To repeat, life is not what it seems. Obstacles may not be obstacles. If the overall objective of human life is evolution, then everything that comes your way should have in it the potential for helping you in this process. People who seem nasty, irritating or annoying or who work against you may be your friends! God might have sent them in order to show you that you are intolerant, impatient, and capable of ill will and vengefulness. Unless these traits are provoked in you, how can you know that they exist? So, you must constantly try to see how God is trying to awaken us, in what way He is trying to help us unfold our higher nature. Then life will be very interesting!


Q: Because of my background and the ways in which I have been conditioned by my culture, I find it difficult to see clearly into things. I feel that I so often chose the path of pleasure rather than the path of the good.

Answer : One of the basic ways to begin the study of Vedanta is with the book, Crest Jewel of Discrimination, by Sri Sankara, in which he sought to introduce the aspirant to the Vedantic method of viveka (discrimination) between the Reality and the appearance. In the field of spiritual practise we must also be vivekis (those who discriminate). We must not only discriminate between the one undivided Brahman and the many, but we must constantly exercise in an active manner, this supreme quality of viveka or discrimination in our daily lives. We live for an ideal, and we have adopted certain principles of life. We must at every step discriminate, "Will this thought, this sentiment or emotion this action take me towards the ideal, or will it take me in a wrong direction? Is this helpful to me in making me centred in God, or is it something that will make me forget God? If it will help me to abide in God, I welcome it; I shall give it a place to it in my life."

Nachiketas was taught in the Kathopanishad, "Two paths open up before each individual soul at every step-that which is merely pleasant, which attracts and diverts us, and that which is good, which will uplift us." The wise aspirant always discriminates between the two. He rejects the merely pleasant which will lead nowhere, and chooses the direction that will take him towards the attainment of the spiritual goal, even though the path may at first not be so attractive.

Discrimination is not something that you do only in your meditation room. You may read books and think about the need for discrimination, but viveka itself is an internal state that has to be constantly active from the moment of waking up until the moment of going to sleep. Discrimination is the first of the fourfold indispensable sadhanas our ancient masters suggested for us: discrimination, dispassion, the six-fold virtues, and a burning desire for liberation. It is first because all other sadhanas depend upon a cultivated discipline of viveka. Without discrimination, dispassion is not possible. It will only be sentiment, a passing emotion or a mood. It is only through a constant exercise of discrimination that dispassion gradually becomes a permanent state. But, by and large the mind does not so easily change its nature. Again and again it goes back to its age-old patterns of behaviour, as it is so bound up in delusion.

However, if by a constant exercised viveka, we can change the very nature of the mind's thinking and its understanding of sense-objects, then gradually the mind can become an asset. Instead of becoming the net in which one is caught, it becomes a positive feature. And it is to this end that we have to try to understand the mind, train the mind and keep the mind constantly guided by an awakened intellect. It is a never-ending process, whatever your particular path of practice may be, or whether you are a Hindu, Christian, Buddhist or Muslim. If we discriminate and act wisely, then gradually our consciousness can be made aware of the higher plane of spiritual awareness within our own being. The success of your spiritual quest will depend on your ability to lift up your inner life to that higher spiritual plane.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Q: Many teachings emphasize the fact that all action is predetermined by karma. To what extent does a person actually have a choice in his actions?

Ans : You are what you choose to become. Nothing is forced on you-nothing imposed. There is no external force in this universe that can compel you. All force, all power, is within you. It is for you to choose how you will express it. The great Upanishadic seers of realisation have declared that life and the outcome of life for each and every individual is a matter of constant, continuous choice. In the Kathopanishad Lord Yama taught Nachiketas: "At every step before every individual there are two paths, the path of wisdom and the path that is merely pleasant." In another context, the Upanishads say that within the human psyche there is a constant flow of thoughts. They either take the channel of the auspicious or the channel of the inauspicious. It is for the wise, awake and alert individual to keep watch and to be immediately aware of which direction the thought flow is taking. If it is in the right direction, it should be encouraged, if it is in the wrong direction, it should be immediately checked, and the thoughts made to flow in the right direction.

Swami Swarupananda reiterated this same truth in his own unique manner, summing it up briefly by saying, "Detach, attach." It is for you to say, "No," and break the connection to a wrong current of thought, and then attach to where you want the connection to be. You must constantly make use of this power of choice and detach your mind from the petty pursuits and fleeting perishable objects of this world and attach it to the lotus feet of the Supreme. Detach and attach. He constantly said that this is what sadhana is. Herein lies the secret, the key to a progressive spiritual life and the surety of attaining the goal. Detach and attach! And, as though to clinch the issue, at the conclusion of the Gita after all the great teachings had been given, Lord Krishna declares to Arjuna, "Now do as you wish." With that statement, it is up to us what we will choose, whether to follow, obey and do as the Lord has said, or whether to follow our own mind. It is up to us.

Therefore, the individual soul has freedom of choice. He can weigh pros and cons. On the basis of his own experience and logic, rationality and intelligence he can anticipate what will happen if this or that course is taken, what will be favourable or unfavourable to him, what will be conducive to his highest welfare, and what will be adverse to him. Then he can make a choice. Thus we create for ourselves our experience and our future. Long ago in ancient India they expressed the same law, "As a man thinks, so he becomes." They said that upon both the right and left shoulder of each individual two deities preside, and these deities keep saying: "Be it so, be it so." That is, whatever arises within the hidden depth of your own inwardness, which you think is not known to anyone, as you make a choice, these celestials say, "Be it so," and so it comes to prevail.

We live in the presence of God; He is a Being who can give us the highest-greater than which there is no other gift. Why would we choose to deprive ourselves of the highest and greatest of all gifts and attainments by asking for something very petty and small? That which you ask for, that you are given. Therefore, we have to guard ourselves not only from external adverse forces, but more that anything else, we have to guard ourselves against our own folly. This reminds me of a subtly humorous statement that contains great wisdom: " It is a great pity that ignorance is not painful." If it were painful, people would try to get rid of it immediately. But unfortunately, ignorance not being painful, one allows it to be, and this leads to endless suffering later on.

The entire Vedanta doctrine says that the great problems, all the suffering of man, all his problems are due to ignorance. Through knowledge alone can ultimate liberation be attained. One has to guard oneself against one's own folly through awareness, reflection and being in the company of wise people. Our situation is very much indeed a situation of choice. This choice is that which ultimately decides what you become, what your life ultimately culminates in. This is to be pondered deeply.


Q: Many teachings emphasize the fact that all action is predetermined by karma. To what extent does a person actually have a choice in his actions?

Answer : You are what you choose to become. Nothing is forced on you-nothing imposed. There is no external force in this universe that can compel you. All force, all power, is within you. It is for you to choose how you will express it. The great Upanishadic seers of realisation have declared that life and the outcome of life for each and every individual is a matter of constant, continuous choice. In the Kathopanishad Lord Yama taught Nachiketas: "At every step before every individual there are two paths, the path of wisdom and the path that is merely pleasant." In another context, the Upanishads say that within the human psyche there is a constant flow of thoughts. They either take the channel of the auspicious or the channel of the inauspicious. It is for the wise, awake and alert individual to keep watch and to be immediately aware of which direction the thought flow is taking. If it is in the right direction, it should be encouraged, if it is in the wrong direction, it should be immediately checked, and the thoughts made to flow in the right direction.

Swami Swarupananda reiterated this same truth in his own unique manner, summing it up briefly by saying, "Detach, attach." It is for you to say, "No," and break the connection to a wrong current of thought, and then attach to where you want the connection to be. You must constantly make use of this power of choice and detach your mind from the petty pursuits and fleeting perishable objects of this world and attach it to the lotus feet of the Supreme. Detach and attach. He constantly said that this is what sadhana is. Herein lies the secret, the key to a progressive spiritual life and the surety of attaining the goal. Detach and attach! And, as though to clinch the issue, at the conclusion of the Gita after all the great teachings had been given, Lord Krishna declares to Arjuna, "Now do as you wish." With that statement, it is up to us what we will choose, whether to follow, obey and do as the Lord has said, or whether to follow our own mind. It is up to us.

Therefore, the individual soul has freedom of choice. He can weigh pros and cons. On the basis of his own experience and logic, rationality and intelligence he can anticipate what will happen if this or that course is taken, what will be favourable or unfavourable to him, what will be conducive to his highest welfare, and what will be adverse to him. Then he can make a choice. Thus we create for ourselves our experience and our future. Long ago in ancient India they expressed the same law, "As a man thinks, so he becomes." They said that upon both the right and left shoulder of each individual two deities preside, and these deities keep saying: "Be it so, be it so." That is, whatever arises within the hidden depth of your own inwardness, which you think is not known to anyone, as you make a choice, these celestials say, "Be it so," and so it comes to prevail.

We live in the presence of God; He is a Being who can give us the highest-greater than which there is no other gift. Why would we choose to deprive ourselves of the highest and greatest of all gifts and attainments by asking for something very petty and small? That which you ask for, that you are given. Therefore, we have to guard ourselves not only from external adverse forces, but more that anything else, we have to guard ourselves against our own folly. This reminds me of a subtly humorous statement that contains great wisdom: " It is a great pity that ignorance is not painful." If it were painful, people would try to get rid of it immediately. But unfortunately, ignorance not being painful, one allows it to be, and this leads to endless suffering later on.

The entire Vedanta doctrine says that the great problems, all the suffering of man, all his problems are due to ignorance. Through knowledge alone can ultimate liberation be attained. One has to guard oneself against one's own folly through awareness, reflection and being in the company of wise people. Our situation is very much indeed a situation of choice. This choice is that which ultimately decides what you become, what your life ultimately culminates in. This is to be pondered deeply.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

The Lost Kingdom
Swami Nirvikalpananda Saraswati
Once upon a time there existed a beautiful kingdom called Nirvikalpa. It was the greatest and richest kingdom there was, and its inhabitants were all happy and peaceful. People used to talk about it as the land of joy, or the land of love.
The king and queen were called Shiva and Shakti, and they ruled the kingdom with great wisdom. They had two sons, Matter and Thought, and as they grew up Shiva and Shakti decided to divide the kingdom in three parts, giving each son one third to rule. But, to make sure that the blissful state of the country would continue, they decided to set up two conditions for the gift. The first condition was that the sons would always obey the commands of their parents; the second that the younger son, Matter, always should obey his elder brother, Thought. The sons agreed, and so they divided the kingdom of Nirvikalpa into three parts. Matter was given the land of form to rule; and his subjects were called the people of plants. Thought was given the land of mind, and his subjects were called the people of animals. For themselves, Shiva and Shakti kept the land of spirit.
Everything went on as it had since the beginning of time. Shiva and Shakti gave their loving and wise commands, and Thought and his people carried them out in the way of intuition. Matter and his people obeyed the commands from Thought in a way which -was called law. This continued for ages; thus the land of Nirvikalpa was rich and happy.
But one day something happened in the land of mind, of which Thought was the ruler. A small tribe from the people of animals, called Man, decided to revolt. They didn't want to obey Shiva and Shakti or their son Thought any more; their longing for power made them want to rule the kingdom themselves. So they marched to the castle where Thought lived, captured him together with his attendants, and put themselves on the throne. And, as they thought they knew better than Shiva and Shakti how to rule the country, they started making a few changes, guided by such advisers as Power and Desire.
The tribe of Man and the other tribes from the people of animals always lived in peace with each other. Now, the tribe of Man started suppressing the other tribes, sometimes they even killed some of them just for pleasure. Thus the other animal people, afraid of being killed, fled as soon as they saw a man.
Nor did the tribe of Man behave themselves any better with Matter and his people. They poisoned many of the people of plants and disturbed the natural balance between them, as they thought they knew better than Shiva, and Shakti about nature's harmony.
So, the lands of Matter and Mind started to fall to pieces. The people of Man fought each other for power, and treated the wealth of their country with disrespect. Soon war, confusion and hatred were prevalent in these lands, which had previously been so joyful. Slowly, the tribe of Man completely lost contact with the land of spirit, the part which still could be called Nirvikalpa, and through the ages they even forgot that it actually existed. The way to Nirvikalpa being lost, all that remained were wonderful stories about it; so many legends and myths passed down by the sages from generation to generation