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“In villages people worship a goddess by name Isakkiamman! Which goddess is being worshipped under this name?”

Sri Swamiji:

“It is only to show that she is one who bestows blessings on people under the spell of music (‘isai’) she has been named as ‘Isakkiamman’.”

“I am doing japa of Bhagavan Nãma (Divine Name of the Lord). Will this lead to a trouble-free life? Mahans who have attained the highest state through Bhagavan Nãma have also undergone many tribulations in life?”

Sri Swamiji:

“Through Bhagavan Nãma one can do away with the tribulations of life. Or if he faces any problem he will be able to know the reason behind it. Mahans are aware that it is good to live through one’s ‘prãrabda’ (destined happenings) in life.

Therefore, they accept it knowingly. Moreover, these happenings will not affect them.”

“Many who have taken up spiritual life are affected by mental depression! What is the reason for this?”

Sri Swamiji:

“In a hospital we find several people afflicted with diseases. A man in bed with ill health is not like the healthy man. He cannot perform the type of work that a healthy man can. We have to accept this fact. Likewise, intellect and mental strength is not the same in all. There are people endowed with good health, strength of body, strength of mind and intellect who are unwilling to labour. When the advice, ‘Strive! Dream! You can attain!’ is given for attaining the highest state that can be reached with proper combination of labour and natural capabilities, only ten out of a hundred are able to comprehend it in the right manner and strive to attain it.

Those who are unwilling to labour, those who do not have the competence, strive to achieve it through improper means. In the case of worldly life, they try to achieve through dishonesty and deceitfulness. In spiritual life they deceive people announcing that they have attained God. Some people are like this. There are yet others who neither know the honest and right means nor do they have the audacity to use dishonest means. They are struck with fear due to their incapability. It is such people who become mentally depressed.”

“Men of our country have not made any scientific discoveries! All scientific discoveries have been made by foreigners only.”

Sri Swamiji:

“When we conduct research of external matters using our mind several scientific discoveries relating to worldly matters can be made. When the mind is turned inward and research conducted, several subtle divine matters can be discovered. As many of our people were involved in turning their mind inward and controlling it, we have learnt the divine ‘tattva’ (values). But, it is not so with foreigners. However, our Vedas and Purãnãs (Epics) speak about modern day discoveries.”

“You say that Swami Vivekananda is one of the Maharishis of the ‘Saptarishi mandala’. Before he met Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa he nurtured doubts about the existence of God? How could such doubts rise in him?”

Sri Swamiji:

“Paramahamsa knew that Swami Vivekananda was one who had come down to carry out his (Paramahamsa’s) Avatara ‘kãrya’ (work) along with him.

It was verily His Will that Swami Vivekananda should remain bound by Maya until he came to him. We should take note of another matter here. Right from our childhood all of us do bhakti accepting the existence of God. But, we do not seem to have seen God in our lifetime. It is only those in whom the doubt, ‘Does God exist or not?’ arise who have passionately searched for God and found Him.”

“J. Krishnamurti did not accept the existence of God. E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker also did not accept God. But, You call J. Krishnamurti a Jnani! This is perplexing!”

Sri Swamiji:

“One must look at the reason behind J. Krishnamurti saying that God does not exist. What he means is that, ‘you need not accept God because someone has said so or because some book speaks of it. You should find the truth for yourself. Likewise, do not accept and follow any prescribed path! Search in your own way. That is, do not search for God with the presumed notion that God exists. Search and arrive at a conclusion. Search for Truth without adopting paths for the mere reason that they are proved philosophies or paths or have been accepted by many.’ His conviction is that there is no decisive path to attain the Truth.

The declaration of E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker that God does not exist was born out of hatred. This is the difference (between the two).”

“Those who have been performing puja, japa and dhyana for a long period have no spiritual experiences (‘anubhava’)? Why is it so?”

Sri Swamiji:

“Many perform these for earning a living or for the sake of others or without any conviction or as a ritual. Therefore, they do not bear fruit. Performance of puja, japa, dhyana is called sadhana. They will bear fruit only when they are performed with the thought of having darshan of God, which is the end result of these sadhanas. Though we may perform the sadhana in all earnestness, we should know that there exists the eternal Advaitic state beyond this and that has to be attained. If we perform our sadhana without this knowledge it will bear fruit only to the extent of our ‘shraddha’ (earnestness). If we pray to God, “Please bestow me with the highest state and ‘tattva’,” God would send the Guru at the appropriate moment and make us realize the Truth.”

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