<Prev |  Next>

“Once a person spoke to me about his Guru. He said to me very proudly that his Guru performed puja for three hours and japa for two hours. As soon as I heard this I thought, ‘What is so surprising in this? While so many people in the world work for eight, ten or twelve hours at the office why this wonderment about performance of puja for two or three hours?’ Am I not right in feeling so?”

Sri Swamiji:

“You are wrong! Though people work for eight, ten or twelve hours at the office it is only worldly matter. The nature of the mind (‘manas’) is only to move towards the world. One can work for any number of hours in accordance with the nature of the mind. To focus the mind in spirituality is against its nature. Therefore, to be involved in japa, dhyana even for an hour is a great matter indeed! For example, we may spend the night gossiping with our friends. We just will not be aware of the time passing. We may feel that only half-an-hour has passed but three hours would have passed. But, chant ‘Nãma’ (the Name of the Lord) or sing kirtan. You will feel that an hour has passed while in reality only five minutes would have passed!”

“Why should Indra disturb the tapas of Sages like Viswamitra?”

“Just as collection of worldly materials is possession so, too, is tapas* a possession. Just as those who possess material comforts are envied by those who do not possess them so, too, those who possess tapas are envied by people who do not possess tapas. These people also fear that the tapasvis (those who have tapas) would out beat them. This is the reason that Indra disturbed the tapas of Viswamitra. Only Jnana is natural. Nobody can feel envious about or vie for it. Even if someone did feel so he cannot disturb that Jnana! We can understand very well that since tapas has the element of earning (saving) and spending it is not natural!”

*Here it refers to all spiritual practices like Mantra japa, etc.

“It is said that one has to face the repercussions of the sins committed by the ancestors. How is this justified?”

Sri Swamiji:

“Just as the properties of the ancestors come down hereditarily so does their merits and sins reach them!”

“Can ‘pãrãyana’ (reading) of Srimad Bhãgavatam, Ramayana be done at home? If we do not know to do ‘pãrãyana’ can it be done with an appropriate person?”

Sri Swamiji:

“One must do Srimad Bhãgavatam, Ramayana ‘pãrãyana’ at home. If this is done through those who do ‘nitya pãrãyana’ (read daily) we reap greater benefits. The ‘phala’ increases when performed through such ‘adhikãriis’ (the qualified). In Ramayana, when Dasarata desires to perform ‘putra kameshti yãga’ (yaga done for begetting a son) Sage Vasishta asks him to perform it only through Rishyasingar. The Sage tells Dasarata that only then it will bear fruit.”

<Prev |  Next>

Home • e-MM • Contact

Radhe Krishna