Articles by Swami Tadatmananda
Scriptures of Hinduism
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Ayurveda - The science of life
The 'veda' (science) of 'ayur' (life span) - Indian system of medicine is a gift of the 'vedic' age
Secrets of Hindu Customs and Rituals
The Hindu culture is a culture of love, respect, honoring others and humbling one's own ego so that the inner nature, which is naturally pure and modest, will shine forth.
A to Z of Yoga Sastra and Meditation
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Temple Database
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Friday 7 February 2014
Effect of Food on Spiritual Growth
Question: Swamiji, does the food we eat have any affect on our spiritual growth?
Answer: The food we eat seems to affect us not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. After overeating, for example, we not only add to our waistlines, but we also feel dull or listless. To give a personal example, I grew up in a family where eating meat and drinking alcohol were acceptable. As a young man, when I began to practice yoga and meditation, I soon noticed how much those foods disturbed my practice. They made my body feel numb and made it difficult to concentrate during mediation. I soon stopped consuming those items.
In chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna categorizes foods into three groups; sattvika, rajasa, and tamasa. Foods that are satvika are those that promote health, longevity, intelligence, and happiness. Foods that are rajasa are those that are too bitter, sour, salty, pungent, dry, or hot. Such foods are said to cause suffering and illness. Finally, tamasa foods are described as improperly cooked, tasteless, putrid, stale, or impure -- unfit for offering in rituals or for meals.
Sri Krishna makes no mention of either eating meat or drinking alcohol. This probably suggests that he didn't even consider them suitable for human consumption. Alcohol, of course, is a poison -- in sufficient quantities, it can be fatal. Generally, drinking small amounts of poison would not be considered healthy.
The problem with eating meat is based on the Hindu value for ahimsa, non-injury. Dharma requires us to live in a manner that causes the least harm to all living things. Since we can live without killing animals for our food, it is preferable to do so. Of course, the principle of ahimsaapplies to all areas of life, not just diet. A vegetarian who hurts people with nasty words or rough behavior is only practicing ahimsa for one hour a day -- a half hour at lunch, and a half-hour at dinner. Ahimsa is meant to be a full-time practice.
Answer: The food we eat seems to affect us not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. After overeating, for example, we not only add to our waistlines, but we also feel dull or listless. To give a personal example, I grew up in a family where eating meat and drinking alcohol were acceptable. As a young man, when I began to practice yoga and meditation, I soon noticed how much those foods disturbed my practice. They made my body feel numb and made it difficult to concentrate during mediation. I soon stopped consuming those items.
In chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna categorizes foods into three groups; sattvika, rajasa, and tamasa. Foods that are satvika are those that promote health, longevity, intelligence, and happiness. Foods that are rajasa are those that are too bitter, sour, salty, pungent, dry, or hot. Such foods are said to cause suffering and illness. Finally, tamasa foods are described as improperly cooked, tasteless, putrid, stale, or impure -- unfit for offering in rituals or for meals.
Sri Krishna makes no mention of either eating meat or drinking alcohol. This probably suggests that he didn't even consider them suitable for human consumption. Alcohol, of course, is a poison -- in sufficient quantities, it can be fatal. Generally, drinking small amounts of poison would not be considered healthy.
The problem with eating meat is based on the Hindu value for ahimsa, non-injury. Dharma requires us to live in a manner that causes the least harm to all living things. Since we can live without killing animals for our food, it is preferable to do so. Of course, the principle of ahimsaapplies to all areas of life, not just diet. A vegetarian who hurts people with nasty words or rough behavior is only practicing ahimsa for one hour a day -- a half hour at lunch, and a half-hour at dinner. Ahimsa is meant to be a full-time practice.
Role of music in the process of spiritual growth
Question: Swamiji, what is the role of music in the process of spiritual growth?
Answer: There are a number of ways in which music can serve as sadhana, spiritual practice. The power of music goes far beyond conventional ideas about singing bhajans and other forms of devotional music.
On the spiritual journey to discover God's presence within ourselves, we must be prepared to employ all of our faculties to reach this lofty goal. We must employ our intellects in scriptural study. We must employ our minds in meditation. And we must also employ our emotions. To ignore our emotions is to deny ourselves a powerful means for spiritual growth. Music appeals to our emotions. While words speak primarily to our intellects, music speaks directly to our hearts. The right kind of music can elevate our hearts and evoke strong emotions that draw us closer and closer to God.
Further, the practice or performance of music can be very meditative. To sing or play an instrument demands a great deal of attention. Carefully focusing one's mind while singing or playing music helps to create mental discipline. This kind mental discipline is extremely helpful in the formal practice of meditation. A mind disciplined by music is much less likely to wander at the time of meditation.
Finally, music creates an opportunity for laya, absorption. Music can lead one's mind to a state of mystical union with the divine. Such a condition is similar to that of savikalpa samadhi achieved in meditation. This is a state in which all impurities are purged from the mind and one is plunged into an experience of merging with the divinity already present within. This experience is perhaps the greatest blessing of music as sadhana.
Answer: There are a number of ways in which music can serve as sadhana, spiritual practice. The power of music goes far beyond conventional ideas about singing bhajans and other forms of devotional music.
On the spiritual journey to discover God's presence within ourselves, we must be prepared to employ all of our faculties to reach this lofty goal. We must employ our intellects in scriptural study. We must employ our minds in meditation. And we must also employ our emotions. To ignore our emotions is to deny ourselves a powerful means for spiritual growth. Music appeals to our emotions. While words speak primarily to our intellects, music speaks directly to our hearts. The right kind of music can elevate our hearts and evoke strong emotions that draw us closer and closer to God.
Further, the practice or performance of music can be very meditative. To sing or play an instrument demands a great deal of attention. Carefully focusing one's mind while singing or playing music helps to create mental discipline. This kind mental discipline is extremely helpful in the formal practice of meditation. A mind disciplined by music is much less likely to wander at the time of meditation.
Finally, music creates an opportunity for laya, absorption. Music can lead one's mind to a state of mystical union with the divine. Such a condition is similar to that of savikalpa samadhi achieved in meditation. This is a state in which all impurities are purged from the mind and one is plunged into an experience of merging with the divinity already present within. This experience is perhaps the greatest blessing of music as sadhana.
If I am a vegetarian can I take eggs? - Sun, 23 Jan '05
Question from balvihar student Rishabh Iyer:
Question: Swamiji, you taught us that vegetarianism is based on ahimsa, non-injury. Then, is it OK to eat eggs since chickens are not killed?
Answer: It is true that eating an unfertilized egg does not kill a chicken. But it is also true that chickens are treated very badly in modern chicken farms. They are kept in tiny cages, allowed no freedom of movement, and are fed with hormones to artificially stimulate the rapid production of eggs. So, eating eggs contributes to this cruel treatment of chickens. The same is true about milk produced in large commercial dairies -- cows often suffer significantly through the production of milk.
Does this mean that you should stop drinking milk and avoid cookies or cake made with eggs? Not necessarily. The principle of ahimsa requires us to do whatever causes the least harm. This principle must be applied to your life. For a young, growing person like yourself, milk is an important source of nutrition. It is possible that the harm done to yourself from not drinking milk outweighs the harm done to cows through the production of milk.
As for eggs, let me explain how I have resolved this for myself. I do not eat eggs, but if someone serves me a piece of cake, I do not ask whether or not it contains eggs. If I were to ask, I might embarrass the person serving me who may or may not know whether it contains eggs. If I refuse to eat the cake, I might hurt feelings of my host. To me, it seems like this hurt would outweigh the harm to the chickens in producing the eggs. Perhaps this example can suggest how you might decide what is right for yourself.
Question: Swamiji, you taught us that vegetarianism is based on ahimsa, non-injury. Then, is it OK to eat eggs since chickens are not killed?
Answer: It is true that eating an unfertilized egg does not kill a chicken. But it is also true that chickens are treated very badly in modern chicken farms. They are kept in tiny cages, allowed no freedom of movement, and are fed with hormones to artificially stimulate the rapid production of eggs. So, eating eggs contributes to this cruel treatment of chickens. The same is true about milk produced in large commercial dairies -- cows often suffer significantly through the production of milk.
Does this mean that you should stop drinking milk and avoid cookies or cake made with eggs? Not necessarily. The principle of ahimsa requires us to do whatever causes the least harm. This principle must be applied to your life. For a young, growing person like yourself, milk is an important source of nutrition. It is possible that the harm done to yourself from not drinking milk outweighs the harm done to cows through the production of milk.
As for eggs, let me explain how I have resolved this for myself. I do not eat eggs, but if someone serves me a piece of cake, I do not ask whether or not it contains eggs. If I were to ask, I might embarrass the person serving me who may or may not know whether it contains eggs. If I refuse to eat the cake, I might hurt feelings of my host. To me, it seems like this hurt would outweigh the harm to the chickens in producing the eggs. Perhaps this example can suggest how you might decide what is right for yourself.
Misconceptions of Hinduism in America? - Tue, 7 Dec '04
Question: Swamiji, most people in the USA know very little about Hinduism. Many here seem to have a low regard for our religion. What can we do about this?
Answer: It is certainly true that most of your neighbors, co-workers, and fellow citizens are virtually clueless about Hinduism. Few people are well-informed about the people, cultures, and religions that lie beyond our borders. Ignorance and wrong ideas about Hinduism are widespread. Unfortunately, this ignorance can lead to problems for Hindus, especially with the fear and distrust that have arisen after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. People fear the unknown, and for most, Hinduism is utterly unknown.
Most people living here have not had an opportunity to learn about India or Hinduism. Classes and textbooks in schools tend to give a very superficial treatment of non-Western cultures. Their treatments of Hindu religion and culture often contain glaring inaccuracies. Many people have gleaned what little they know about Hinduism from mass media. But mass media may do more harm than good because movies and television shows often portray Indian culture and Hindu religion in manners that are demeaning, stereotypical, and simply wrong.
Perhaps the best way to address the cultural ignorance in this country is to take an active role in educating others. You can use every appropriate opportunity to talk to others about your culture and religion, thereby dismissing wrong ideas and allaying the fear of the unknown. You can function like an emissary or cultural ambassador for the Hindu religion and culture. This effort can be extremely helpful. For example, if every Hindu in this country were to help ten people understand Hinduism better, then perhaps 10 to 20 million people could be reached.
Of course, to be an emissary or cultural ambassador, you must yourself be somewhat informed. Fortunately, there are many resources available today -- classes, books, and a surprisingly broad array of articles available on the internet. Whether you know a little or a lot, you can share whatever you know and that will help others understand.
Answer: It is certainly true that most of your neighbors, co-workers, and fellow citizens are virtually clueless about Hinduism. Few people are well-informed about the people, cultures, and religions that lie beyond our borders. Ignorance and wrong ideas about Hinduism are widespread. Unfortunately, this ignorance can lead to problems for Hindus, especially with the fear and distrust that have arisen after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. People fear the unknown, and for most, Hinduism is utterly unknown.
Most people living here have not had an opportunity to learn about India or Hinduism. Classes and textbooks in schools tend to give a very superficial treatment of non-Western cultures. Their treatments of Hindu religion and culture often contain glaring inaccuracies. Many people have gleaned what little they know about Hinduism from mass media. But mass media may do more harm than good because movies and television shows often portray Indian culture and Hindu religion in manners that are demeaning, stereotypical, and simply wrong.
Perhaps the best way to address the cultural ignorance in this country is to take an active role in educating others. You can use every appropriate opportunity to talk to others about your culture and religion, thereby dismissing wrong ideas and allaying the fear of the unknown. You can function like an emissary or cultural ambassador for the Hindu religion and culture. This effort can be extremely helpful. For example, if every Hindu in this country were to help ten people understand Hinduism better, then perhaps 10 to 20 million people could be reached.
Of course, to be an emissary or cultural ambassador, you must yourself be somewhat informed. Fortunately, there are many resources available today -- classes, books, and a surprisingly broad array of articles available on the internet. Whether you know a little or a lot, you can share whatever you know and that will help others understand.
Hindu Dharma - Material World - Sun, 24 Oct '04
Question: Swamiji, according to Hindu dharma, is it better to raise our children to be competitive so that they can succeed in this material world, or should we raise them to be content with whatever they have?
Answer: Before answering your question, allow me to ask another: "Is it necessary to be competitive to succeed in the material world?" Competition always places individuals against each other; competitors must fight one another. And on the battlefield of competition, one competitor must lose for the other to win. Competition makes us treat others as enemies, as threats or obstacles that stand in the way of what we want to achieve.
But those whom we call competitors are actually fellow travelers on the journey of life, like us, trying to do the best they can. If we look upon them as friends instead of enemies, we can develop a spirit of cooperation and assist each other in reaching our respective goals. A spirit of cooperation can help us succeed in life, perhaps even better than the attitude of competition.
To succeed in any endeavor, the two most important factors are proper guidance and sufficient effort. When children are given proper guidance, and when they strive hard for their goals, they will certainly succeed.
Let us rephrase your original question: "Is it better to raise our children to succeed in the material world or to be content with whatever they have?" The answer to this question is: both. Dharma demands that we fulfil our duties to ourselves and others. Generally, that requires us to strive hard to be successful in worldly affairs. But if we are always unhappy with what we have not achieved, we will be miserable and we will make others miserable as well. So, we can strive hard to achieve as much as possible, while maintaining a prayerful attitude to gracefully accept what we cannot achieve.
Answer: Before answering your question, allow me to ask another: "Is it necessary to be competitive to succeed in the material world?" Competition always places individuals against each other; competitors must fight one another. And on the battlefield of competition, one competitor must lose for the other to win. Competition makes us treat others as enemies, as threats or obstacles that stand in the way of what we want to achieve.
But those whom we call competitors are actually fellow travelers on the journey of life, like us, trying to do the best they can. If we look upon them as friends instead of enemies, we can develop a spirit of cooperation and assist each other in reaching our respective goals. A spirit of cooperation can help us succeed in life, perhaps even better than the attitude of competition.
To succeed in any endeavor, the two most important factors are proper guidance and sufficient effort. When children are given proper guidance, and when they strive hard for their goals, they will certainly succeed.
Let us rephrase your original question: "Is it better to raise our children to succeed in the material world or to be content with whatever they have?" The answer to this question is: both. Dharma demands that we fulfil our duties to ourselves and others. Generally, that requires us to strive hard to be successful in worldly affairs. But if we are always unhappy with what we have not achieved, we will be miserable and we will make others miserable as well. So, we can strive hard to achieve as much as possible, while maintaining a prayerful attitude to gracefully accept what we cannot achieve.
How were the four Vedas written?
Questions from Bal Vihar Students
Question: How were the four Vedas written? Who wrote them?
(from Neil Merchant, 6th grade)
Answer: The four Vedas – Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva – are not the work of any single author. In ancient India, there were many rishis (sages) living simple, contemplative lives in hermitages high in the Himalayas and along the banks of sacred rivers. The rishis had names like Angiras, Bhrigu, Yajnavalkya, and Gargi (Gargi was a woman). They sought to understand the fundamental truths of life – Why are we born? How did the world come into existence? How can we live a good life? Because of their intense inquiry and deep meditation, they received God’s blessings and were able to discover the answers to their profound questions.
God revealed these sacred truths to the ancient sages, and the sages composed hymns and texts in the Sanskrit language to express these truths. Their hymns and texts were then passed on from generation to generation, from teacher to student, by chanting them aloud; they were not yet written down. Eventually, the great rishi, Vyasa, compiled all of their hymns and texts into four collections which are now known as the Vedas.
Question: What is the difference between the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita? (from Parth Ashar, age 7)
Answer: Hinduism began with the Vedas. The Vedas came first, so they are called the source scripture for Hinduism. Many other scriptures were written in ancient India, including the Ramayana, Mahabharat, and the Puranas. All of these scriptures were based on the teachings of the Vedas. In the Mahabharat, there is a small section in which Sri Krishna teaches the mighty warrior Arjuna the same spiritual truths first taught in the Vedas. This section is so special that we study it independently and we call it the Bhagavad Gita, which means the Song of God. Even though the Vedas are the main scriptures for all Hindus, the Bhagavad Gita is studied more widely, mostly because it is easier to understand.
Question: How were the four Vedas written? Who wrote them?
(from Neil Merchant, 6th grade)
Answer: The four Vedas – Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva – are not the work of any single author. In ancient India, there were many rishis (sages) living simple, contemplative lives in hermitages high in the Himalayas and along the banks of sacred rivers. The rishis had names like Angiras, Bhrigu, Yajnavalkya, and Gargi (Gargi was a woman). They sought to understand the fundamental truths of life – Why are we born? How did the world come into existence? How can we live a good life? Because of their intense inquiry and deep meditation, they received God’s blessings and were able to discover the answers to their profound questions.
God revealed these sacred truths to the ancient sages, and the sages composed hymns and texts in the Sanskrit language to express these truths. Their hymns and texts were then passed on from generation to generation, from teacher to student, by chanting them aloud; they were not yet written down. Eventually, the great rishi, Vyasa, compiled all of their hymns and texts into four collections which are now known as the Vedas.
Question: What is the difference between the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita? (from Parth Ashar, age 7)
Answer: Hinduism began with the Vedas. The Vedas came first, so they are called the source scripture for Hinduism. Many other scriptures were written in ancient India, including the Ramayana, Mahabharat, and the Puranas. All of these scriptures were based on the teachings of the Vedas. In the Mahabharat, there is a small section in which Sri Krishna teaches the mighty warrior Arjuna the same spiritual truths first taught in the Vedas. This section is so special that we study it independently and we call it the Bhagavad Gita, which means the Song of God. Even though the Vedas are the main scriptures for all Hindus, the Bhagavad Gita is studied more widely, mostly because it is easier to understand.
Freedom from the bondage of desires
Answer: The ancient rishis taught us that unfulfilled desires cause suffering. The more desires we have and want to fulfill, the more we suffer when they remain unfulfilled. Therefore, freedom from desires leads to freedom from suffering.
While this is certainly true, it seems unnatural to be totally free from desires. Suppose an person who has gained liberation, enlightenment, moksha, is asked, "Would you like tea, coffee, or a cold drink?" Would the enlightened person reply, "I have no desires, so it doesn't make any difference to me." Such a reply would be quite strange. If an enlightened person enjoys tea, he or she would certainly say, "I want tea."
It would be helpful here to distinguish the difference between two different kinds of desires: binding desires and non-binding desires. A binding desire is a desire whose non-fulfillment causes you to suffer, and a non-binding desire is one whose non-fulfillment does not cause suffering.
To illustrate the difference, suppose a young child looks in the kitchen cabinet for her favorite breakfast cereal—Fruit Loops. Even though there are five other boxes of cereal, if there are no Fruit Loops, she will cry, "Mom! Where are my Fruit Loops?" She would suffer because of her binding desire for her favorite cereal. You, on the other hand, might go to the same cabinet looking for your favorite cereal. If it were not present, you would simply choose another box without any further thought. Because your desire was non-binding, you would not suffer when your desire went unfulfilled.
If you were to have thousands of unfulfilled desires, and all of them were non-binding like the desire for your favorite breakfast cereal, then you could remain perfectly content. But if you had just one binding desire remaining to be fulfilled, that would be sufficient to rob you of contentment and make you suffer.
So, freedom from suffering is achieved when we are free from all binding desires, even when non-binding desires remain. The secret to overcoming desire is not to become desireless, but instead to transform all our binding desires into non-binding desires.
To become free from the bondage of desire is essential for our spiritual growth. Unfulfilled desires often make us miserable, and when we are miserable, we usually make others miserable as well. We want contentment, but contentment remains elusive due to unfulfilled desires. Therefore, we must address this challenging question, "How can we become free from desires?"
First of all, let us admit that we can never satisfy all our desires. When one desire is fulfilled, another arises. Desire is frequently compared to fire. A fire is always ready to consume more fuel; it is never satisfied. A common Hindi word for fire, anal, is derived from the Sanskrit analam, "not (an) enough (alam)." If fuel were fed into a fire and if the fire could speak, it would never say, "Enough!" In the same way, the fire of our desires can never be satiated.
When food is served onto your plate, you will eventually say, "bas, enough." But several hours later, you will be hungry for more. All our desires are like this—satisfaction is always temporary because other desires soon arise.
Sometimes, we are told that we must willfully give up our desires. Some spiritual teachers and authors tell us to renounce our desires, but they rarely tell us how to do so. Suppose a person with great fondness for drinking tea decides to give up tea as a spiritual practice. All day long, he can willfully choose not to drink tea. But what would he be thinking about throughout the day? Tea! With will power, you can give up objects of desire, but will power cannot remove the desire itself.
If we cannot satisfy all our desires or willfully renounce them, how will we ever become free from desires? In fact, we do not get rid of desires; we outgrow them. Recall a toy that you were very fond of as a child. How did you get rid of your desire for that toy? You outgrew that desire. And how did you outgrow your desire for that toy? You found a better toy! This process—outgrowing one toy when a better toy is acquired—continues into our adult lives. When a better, newer automobile is purchased, the desire for your old car is outgrown. The desire for your present house will be outgrown when you can afford a nicer one.
In this way, you have outgrown many, many desires. As you matured, you outgrew all your childish desires. And as you mature spiritually, you can outgrow all your worldly desires. In next month's column, we will discuss the remarkable discovery of the ancient rishis which can lead you to outgrow all desires and remain utterly content and peaceful.
To become free from the bondage of desire is essential for our spiritual growth. Unfulfilled desires often make us miserable, and when we are miserable, we usually make others miserable as well. We want contentment, but contentment remains elusive due to unfulfilled desires. Therefore, we must address this challenging question, "How can we become free from desires?
First of all, let us admit that we can never satisfy all our desires. When one desire is fulfilled, another arises. Desire is frequently compared to fire. A fire is always ready to consume more fuel; it is never satisfied. A common Hindi word for fire, anal, is derived from the Sanskrit analam, "not (an) enough (alam)." If fuel were fed into a fire and if the fire could speak, it would never say, "Enough!" In the same way, the fire of our desires can never be satiated.
When food is served onto your plate, you will eventually say, "bas, enough." But several hours later, you will be hungry for more. All our desires are like this—satisfaction is always temporary because other desires soon arise.
Sometimes, we are told that we must willfully give up our desires. Some spiritual teachers and authors tell us to renounce our desires, but they rarely tell us how to do so. Suppose a person with great fondness for drinking tea decides to give up tea as a spiritual practice. All day long, he can willfully choose not to drink tea. But what would he be thinking about throughout the day? Tea! With will power, you can give up objects of desire, but will power cannot remove the desire itself.
If we cannot satisfy all our desires or willfully renounce them, how will we ever become free from desires? In fact, we do not get rid of desires; we outgrow them. Recall a toy that you were very fond of as a child. How did you get rid of your desire for that toy? You outgrew that desire. And how did you outgrow your desire for that toy? You found a better toy! This process—outgrowing one toy when a better toy is acquired—continues into our adult lives. When a better, newer automobile is purchased, the desire for your old car is outgrown. The desire for your present house will be outgrown when you can afford a nicer one.
In this way, you have outgrown many, many desires. As you matured, you outgrew all your childish desires. And as you mature spiritually, you can outgrow all your worldly desires. In next month's column, we will discuss the remarkable discovery of the ancient rishis which can lead you to outgrow all desires and remain utterly content and peaceful.
While this is certainly true, it seems unnatural to be totally free from desires. Suppose an person who has gained liberation, enlightenment, moksha, is asked, "Would you like tea, coffee, or a cold drink?" Would the enlightened person reply, "I have no desires, so it doesn't make any difference to me." Such a reply would be quite strange. If an enlightened person enjoys tea, he or she would certainly say, "I want tea."
It would be helpful here to distinguish the difference between two different kinds of desires: binding desires and non-binding desires. A binding desire is a desire whose non-fulfillment causes you to suffer, and a non-binding desire is one whose non-fulfillment does not cause suffering.
To illustrate the difference, suppose a young child looks in the kitchen cabinet for her favorite breakfast cereal—Fruit Loops. Even though there are five other boxes of cereal, if there are no Fruit Loops, she will cry, "Mom! Where are my Fruit Loops?" She would suffer because of her binding desire for her favorite cereal. You, on the other hand, might go to the same cabinet looking for your favorite cereal. If it were not present, you would simply choose another box without any further thought. Because your desire was non-binding, you would not suffer when your desire went unfulfilled.
If you were to have thousands of unfulfilled desires, and all of them were non-binding like the desire for your favorite breakfast cereal, then you could remain perfectly content. But if you had just one binding desire remaining to be fulfilled, that would be sufficient to rob you of contentment and make you suffer.
So, freedom from suffering is achieved when we are free from all binding desires, even when non-binding desires remain. The secret to overcoming desire is not to become desireless, but instead to transform all our binding desires into non-binding desires.
To become free from the bondage of desire is essential for our spiritual growth. Unfulfilled desires often make us miserable, and when we are miserable, we usually make others miserable as well. We want contentment, but contentment remains elusive due to unfulfilled desires. Therefore, we must address this challenging question, "How can we become free from desires?"
First of all, let us admit that we can never satisfy all our desires. When one desire is fulfilled, another arises. Desire is frequently compared to fire. A fire is always ready to consume more fuel; it is never satisfied. A common Hindi word for fire, anal, is derived from the Sanskrit analam, "not (an) enough (alam)." If fuel were fed into a fire and if the fire could speak, it would never say, "Enough!" In the same way, the fire of our desires can never be satiated.
When food is served onto your plate, you will eventually say, "bas, enough." But several hours later, you will be hungry for more. All our desires are like this—satisfaction is always temporary because other desires soon arise.
Sometimes, we are told that we must willfully give up our desires. Some spiritual teachers and authors tell us to renounce our desires, but they rarely tell us how to do so. Suppose a person with great fondness for drinking tea decides to give up tea as a spiritual practice. All day long, he can willfully choose not to drink tea. But what would he be thinking about throughout the day? Tea! With will power, you can give up objects of desire, but will power cannot remove the desire itself.
If we cannot satisfy all our desires or willfully renounce them, how will we ever become free from desires? In fact, we do not get rid of desires; we outgrow them. Recall a toy that you were very fond of as a child. How did you get rid of your desire for that toy? You outgrew that desire. And how did you outgrow your desire for that toy? You found a better toy! This process—outgrowing one toy when a better toy is acquired—continues into our adult lives. When a better, newer automobile is purchased, the desire for your old car is outgrown. The desire for your present house will be outgrown when you can afford a nicer one.
In this way, you have outgrown many, many desires. As you matured, you outgrew all your childish desires. And as you mature spiritually, you can outgrow all your worldly desires. In next month's column, we will discuss the remarkable discovery of the ancient rishis which can lead you to outgrow all desires and remain utterly content and peaceful.
To become free from the bondage of desire is essential for our spiritual growth. Unfulfilled desires often make us miserable, and when we are miserable, we usually make others miserable as well. We want contentment, but contentment remains elusive due to unfulfilled desires. Therefore, we must address this challenging question, "How can we become free from desires?
First of all, let us admit that we can never satisfy all our desires. When one desire is fulfilled, another arises. Desire is frequently compared to fire. A fire is always ready to consume more fuel; it is never satisfied. A common Hindi word for fire, anal, is derived from the Sanskrit analam, "not (an) enough (alam)." If fuel were fed into a fire and if the fire could speak, it would never say, "Enough!" In the same way, the fire of our desires can never be satiated.
When food is served onto your plate, you will eventually say, "bas, enough." But several hours later, you will be hungry for more. All our desires are like this—satisfaction is always temporary because other desires soon arise.
Sometimes, we are told that we must willfully give up our desires. Some spiritual teachers and authors tell us to renounce our desires, but they rarely tell us how to do so. Suppose a person with great fondness for drinking tea decides to give up tea as a spiritual practice. All day long, he can willfully choose not to drink tea. But what would he be thinking about throughout the day? Tea! With will power, you can give up objects of desire, but will power cannot remove the desire itself.
If we cannot satisfy all our desires or willfully renounce them, how will we ever become free from desires? In fact, we do not get rid of desires; we outgrow them. Recall a toy that you were very fond of as a child. How did you get rid of your desire for that toy? You outgrew that desire. And how did you outgrow your desire for that toy? You found a better toy! This process—outgrowing one toy when a better toy is acquired—continues into our adult lives. When a better, newer automobile is purchased, the desire for your old car is outgrown. The desire for your present house will be outgrown when you can afford a nicer one.
In this way, you have outgrown many, many desires. As you matured, you outgrew all your childish desires. And as you mature spiritually, you can outgrow all your worldly desires. In next month's column, we will discuss the remarkable discovery of the ancient rishis which can lead you to outgrow all desires and remain utterly content and peaceful.
How do we find God
Question: Swamiji, how can we find God? To discover Bhagavan, the supreme Lord, seems too difficult for ordinary people like us.
Answer: It is certainly difficult to find what we seek when we look in the wrong place. Did you ever lose your keys or pocketbook and spend hours looking in so many wrong places? To discover anything, we must know where to look.
Where shall we look to discover God? The ancient rishis taught us that the Lord is everywhere, pervading the universe. Bhagavan is sarva-vyapaka, all-pervasive like space. There is no place where space is absent, and in the same way, there is no place where Bhagavan is absent.
Even though the Lord pervades the universe, He cannot be discovered simply by gazing into the heavens with a telescope. The rishis taught that the Lord of the cosmos can only be discovered by looking within. With the famous dictum, "Tat-tvam-asi, you are that," the rishis revealed the fact that the Lord is already present within you, here and now, as your own Self, atma. In an odd way, the seeker is the sought.
This strange situation is illustrated by the traditional story of ten boys who lived and studied with their teacher in a gurukulam. One day, their guru sent them out on a journey, instructing the oldest boy to look after the safety of the others. They traveled through forests and fields, crossing several shallow streams. One stream was too deep to wade across. One by one, they each swam to the other side.
On the far side, the oldest boy wanted to be certain that all had crossed safely. He asked the others to stand in a line so he could count them. He counted out loud, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine..." He paused, and then in confusion he exclaimed, "There were ten of us! Where is the tenth boy?" Having failed to count himself, the oldest boy set out to find the missing classmate. He looked in the forests and fields on both sides of the river. He looked upstream and downstream, but nowhere could he find the lost boy.
Obviously, he would never find his missing classmate because he was looking in the wrong place. He was looking for himself! His search was based upon the wrong conclusion that the missing boy was out there somewhere. But the lost boy would be found only when he recognized that he himself was the one for whom he searched.
In the same way, our search for God will never be successful as long as we keep looking in all the wrong places. But when we seek within ourselves, using the teachings of the ancient rishis to guide us, then the Lord's already existent presence as the divine nature within us all can indeed be discovered, just as the rishis had discovered so long ago
Answer: It is certainly difficult to find what we seek when we look in the wrong place. Did you ever lose your keys or pocketbook and spend hours looking in so many wrong places? To discover anything, we must know where to look.
Where shall we look to discover God? The ancient rishis taught us that the Lord is everywhere, pervading the universe. Bhagavan is sarva-vyapaka, all-pervasive like space. There is no place where space is absent, and in the same way, there is no place where Bhagavan is absent.
Even though the Lord pervades the universe, He cannot be discovered simply by gazing into the heavens with a telescope. The rishis taught that the Lord of the cosmos can only be discovered by looking within. With the famous dictum, "Tat-tvam-asi, you are that," the rishis revealed the fact that the Lord is already present within you, here and now, as your own Self, atma. In an odd way, the seeker is the sought.
This strange situation is illustrated by the traditional story of ten boys who lived and studied with their teacher in a gurukulam. One day, their guru sent them out on a journey, instructing the oldest boy to look after the safety of the others. They traveled through forests and fields, crossing several shallow streams. One stream was too deep to wade across. One by one, they each swam to the other side.
On the far side, the oldest boy wanted to be certain that all had crossed safely. He asked the others to stand in a line so he could count them. He counted out loud, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine..." He paused, and then in confusion he exclaimed, "There were ten of us! Where is the tenth boy?" Having failed to count himself, the oldest boy set out to find the missing classmate. He looked in the forests and fields on both sides of the river. He looked upstream and downstream, but nowhere could he find the lost boy.
Obviously, he would never find his missing classmate because he was looking in the wrong place. He was looking for himself! His search was based upon the wrong conclusion that the missing boy was out there somewhere. But the lost boy would be found only when he recognized that he himself was the one for whom he searched.
In the same way, our search for God will never be successful as long as we keep looking in all the wrong places. But when we seek within ourselves, using the teachings of the ancient rishis to guide us, then the Lord's already existent presence as the divine nature within us all can indeed be discovered, just as the rishis had discovered so long ago
How do you recognize a qualified teacher?
Question: Swamiji, how can we recognize one who is a qualified spiritual teacher, a true guru?
Answer: This question is trickier than it might seem. In modern times, professionals like physicians and attorneys must pass examinations and receive some kind of certification. Traditional gurus, however, follow no such conventions. Other standards must be applied. Appearance is certainly not one of those standards. A long beard and orange robes does not make one a guru.
In a famous passage from the Mundaka Upanishad, the sage Angiras defines two basic requirements for a guru when he says, "Seek a guru who is a shrotriya, one who knows the scriptures, and who is brahma-nishtha, firmly established in truth." Our scriptures, like the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads, contain the guidance necessary to lead us toward the goal of the journey of spiritual growth. These scriptures could be compared to a road map because they show us where the goal lies as well as the route to be followed. Obviously, a teacher who would offer us spiritual guidance should know those scriptures fully. And since even the best nslations are far from perfect, the teacher should understand the Sanskrit language of the scriptures.
But mere scriptural knowledge is not enough. Possession of a road map is not the same as having already traveled the route to the goal. Therefore, in addition to knowing the scriptures, the ideal teacher should also be brahma-nishtha, established in the truth of brahman, the true reality. That is, the ideal teacher is one who is enlightened, who has gained moksha, freedom from bondage. One who has already reached the goal will obviously be the best guide.
Of course, not all spiritual teachers possess these lofty requirements. Practically speaking, gurus like Angiras described are rare indeed. So, we must choose the best teachers available. Such teachers may be called upagurus, teachers that can lead us further, but not necessarily all the way to the goal. Sometimes, many such upagurus are necessary along the path in one's life-long journey of spiritual growth.
Answer: This question is trickier than it might seem. In modern times, professionals like physicians and attorneys must pass examinations and receive some kind of certification. Traditional gurus, however, follow no such conventions. Other standards must be applied. Appearance is certainly not one of those standards. A long beard and orange robes does not make one a guru.
In a famous passage from the Mundaka Upanishad, the sage Angiras defines two basic requirements for a guru when he says, "Seek a guru who is a shrotriya, one who knows the scriptures, and who is brahma-nishtha, firmly established in truth." Our scriptures, like the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads, contain the guidance necessary to lead us toward the goal of the journey of spiritual growth. These scriptures could be compared to a road map because they show us where the goal lies as well as the route to be followed. Obviously, a teacher who would offer us spiritual guidance should know those scriptures fully. And since even the best nslations are far from perfect, the teacher should understand the Sanskrit language of the scriptures.
But mere scriptural knowledge is not enough. Possession of a road map is not the same as having already traveled the route to the goal. Therefore, in addition to knowing the scriptures, the ideal teacher should also be brahma-nishtha, established in the truth of brahman, the true reality. That is, the ideal teacher is one who is enlightened, who has gained moksha, freedom from bondage. One who has already reached the goal will obviously be the best guide.
Of course, not all spiritual teachers possess these lofty requirements. Practically speaking, gurus like Angiras described are rare indeed. So, we must choose the best teachers available. Such teachers may be called upagurus, teachers that can lead us further, but not necessarily all the way to the goal. Sometimes, many such upagurus are necessary along the path in one's life-long journey of spiritual growth.
Grihasta and Sanyasi - which life is better?
Question: Swamiji, which is better for gaining spiritual growth, the life of a householder (grihasta) or the life of a monk (sannyasi)?
Answer: This same question was asked by Arjuna at the beginning of chapter three in the Bhagavad Gita. There, Sri Krishna says that both lifestyles are equally meant for spiritual growth. Sannyasis are free to be totally committed to a life of sadhana (spiritual practice) because they have no other responsibilities. Householders, on the other hand, have many responsibilities. Therefore, they must resort to the practice of karma yoga.
Karma yoga is the practice of maintaining a prayerful attitude while engaged in worldly activities to make those activities contribute to your spiritual growth. Going to the office, washing dishes, and driving your car could all contribute to your spiritual growth if they are done with a prayerful attitude. In this way, the practice of karma yoga can convert all mundane activities into sadhana so that the householder, like the sannyasi, can live a life of full-time spiritual pursuit.
The real issue here is about one's attitude, not one's lifestyle. A householder can practice karma yoga throughout each day, living a life totally committed to spiritual growth. On the other hand, a sannyasi who has somehow lost his focus on spiritual growth, may become lazy and fail to make much effort in his sadhana. Regardless of lifestyle, it is one's attitude that is most important.
If we must ask the question, "Which lifestyle is better?" we must also ask, "Better for whom?" If I were to ask you, "Which is better, tea or coffee?" the answer depends on you. Similarly, when we ask, "Which is the better, the life of a householder or the life of a monk?", we must also ask, "Better for whom?"
There are a few people who have little interest in worldly goals like profession, marriage, family and home. They may have contemplative, studious personalities that incline them towards the life of sannyasa. But for most people, the best choice is a lifestyle fully engaged in worldly activities, always maintaining a prayerful attitude through the practice of karma yoga, so that each day's activities lead one onwards along the path of spiritual growth.
Answer: This same question was asked by Arjuna at the beginning of chapter three in the Bhagavad Gita. There, Sri Krishna says that both lifestyles are equally meant for spiritual growth. Sannyasis are free to be totally committed to a life of sadhana (spiritual practice) because they have no other responsibilities. Householders, on the other hand, have many responsibilities. Therefore, they must resort to the practice of karma yoga.
Karma yoga is the practice of maintaining a prayerful attitude while engaged in worldly activities to make those activities contribute to your spiritual growth. Going to the office, washing dishes, and driving your car could all contribute to your spiritual growth if they are done with a prayerful attitude. In this way, the practice of karma yoga can convert all mundane activities into sadhana so that the householder, like the sannyasi, can live a life of full-time spiritual pursuit.
The real issue here is about one's attitude, not one's lifestyle. A householder can practice karma yoga throughout each day, living a life totally committed to spiritual growth. On the other hand, a sannyasi who has somehow lost his focus on spiritual growth, may become lazy and fail to make much effort in his sadhana. Regardless of lifestyle, it is one's attitude that is most important.
If we must ask the question, "Which lifestyle is better?" we must also ask, "Better for whom?" If I were to ask you, "Which is better, tea or coffee?" the answer depends on you. Similarly, when we ask, "Which is the better, the life of a householder or the life of a monk?", we must also ask, "Better for whom?"
There are a few people who have little interest in worldly goals like profession, marriage, family and home. They may have contemplative, studious personalities that incline them towards the life of sannyasa. But for most people, the best choice is a lifestyle fully engaged in worldly activities, always maintaining a prayerful attitude through the practice of karma yoga, so that each day's activities lead one onwards along the path of spiritual growth.
What is the role of prayer in spiritual growth?
Question: Swamiji, prayers are usually recited to help obtain a particular result, like a student's prayer for good grades on an exam. But for one who seeks spiritual growth, rather than worldly goals, what is the purpose of prayer?
Answer: The purpose of prayer depends entirely on a person's needs. Those who have financial, emotional, or health problems can pray for the Lord's blessings. Their prayers, if done with sincerity and faith (shraddha), will invoke the Lord's grace in their lives, helping them to manage or overcome their problems.
Those who seek spiritual growth, rather than worldly goals, also pray for what they need. But their needs are different. They need the ability to discover the Lord's blessed presence within themselves and throughout the universe. They need the capacity, the preparedness, and the inner strength to achieve the highest discovery, leading to complete fulfillment and contentment in life.
For the sake of making this discovery, there are several absolutely necessary factors which they must possess. They must have minds which are disciplined and prepared, capable of discovering the ultimate truth. They must have hearts which are pure, completely free from any emotional problems that would obstruct their journey of discovery. And they must have qualified teachers and appropriate teachings to guide them to discover the ultimate truth.
A prepared mind (adhikaritva), a pure heart (antahkarana shuddhi), and a qualified teacher (guru) — these three requirements can be gained only with God's grace. Therefore, spiritual seekers pray to invoke the Lord's blessings for acquiring these three. With God's grace, they may be able reach the final destination of their lives of spiritual growth
Answer: The purpose of prayer depends entirely on a person's needs. Those who have financial, emotional, or health problems can pray for the Lord's blessings. Their prayers, if done with sincerity and faith (shraddha), will invoke the Lord's grace in their lives, helping them to manage or overcome their problems.
Those who seek spiritual growth, rather than worldly goals, also pray for what they need. But their needs are different. They need the ability to discover the Lord's blessed presence within themselves and throughout the universe. They need the capacity, the preparedness, and the inner strength to achieve the highest discovery, leading to complete fulfillment and contentment in life.
For the sake of making this discovery, there are several absolutely necessary factors which they must possess. They must have minds which are disciplined and prepared, capable of discovering the ultimate truth. They must have hearts which are pure, completely free from any emotional problems that would obstruct their journey of discovery. And they must have qualified teachers and appropriate teachings to guide them to discover the ultimate truth.
A prepared mind (adhikaritva), a pure heart (antahkarana shuddhi), and a qualified teacher (guru) — these three requirements can be gained only with God's grace. Therefore, spiritual seekers pray to invoke the Lord's blessings for acquiring these three. With God's grace, they may be able reach the final destination of their lives of spiritual growth
Effects of navagrahas on our lives
Question: Swamiji, what are the effects of the navagrahas, the nine planetary deities? Some astrologers say they influence our lives. How?
Answer: How do the navagrahas affect our lives? According to the ancient rishis, our lives are shaped by two mighty forces: free will and karma. Through the use of our free will, we make choices. And based on our choices, we act. But our actions alone cannot fully account for all that happens to us in life. Many unexpected events take place that can only be explained by the doctrine of karma.
We are all born with good and bad karmas from prior lives. These karmas, together with karmas from this life, eventually yield their fruits, affecting our lives. Therefore, our lives are shaped not only by actions born of our free will, but also by our karma.
If our lives are shaped by free will and karma, what then is the role of the navagrahas? The answer to this question is found in ancient texts, the Jyotis Shastras, which are the basis for our system of astrology. According to these texts, the position of the nine grahas provide clues which can be used to predict the particular karmas that will affect us at a particular time. For example, the position of Shani, Saturn, can predict an accumulation of bad karmas that will bring difficulties into our lives.
It is inaccurate to say that the navagrahas influence our lives because it is actually our karmas that influence our lives. Yet, the positions of the nine grahas can predict the effects of those karmas. But it takes a skillful astrologer to accurately interpret the positions of the navagrahas. No matter how accurate the system of astrology might be, its usefulness is ultimately determined by the accuracy of the individual astrologers who interpret your birth chart.
Answer: How do the navagrahas affect our lives? According to the ancient rishis, our lives are shaped by two mighty forces: free will and karma. Through the use of our free will, we make choices. And based on our choices, we act. But our actions alone cannot fully account for all that happens to us in life. Many unexpected events take place that can only be explained by the doctrine of karma.
We are all born with good and bad karmas from prior lives. These karmas, together with karmas from this life, eventually yield their fruits, affecting our lives. Therefore, our lives are shaped not only by actions born of our free will, but also by our karma.
If our lives are shaped by free will and karma, what then is the role of the navagrahas? The answer to this question is found in ancient texts, the Jyotis Shastras, which are the basis for our system of astrology. According to these texts, the position of the nine grahas provide clues which can be used to predict the particular karmas that will affect us at a particular time. For example, the position of Shani, Saturn, can predict an accumulation of bad karmas that will bring difficulties into our lives.
It is inaccurate to say that the navagrahas influence our lives because it is actually our karmas that influence our lives. Yet, the positions of the nine grahas can predict the effects of those karmas. But it takes a skillful astrologer to accurately interpret the positions of the navagrahas. No matter how accurate the system of astrology might be, its usefulness is ultimately determined by the accuracy of the individual astrologers who interpret your birth chart.
Shraddha and it's importance
Question: Swamiji, please explain shraddha (faith) and its importance.
Answer: First, let us see the difference between shraddha and andha-vishwasa or blind faith. The great acharyas (teachers) of the Hindu tradition never demanded that their students should blindly believe or "swallow" anything. In fact, they didn't want their students to believe; they wanted their students to understand. A teacher wants students to understand, to know, unlike a preacher who wants listeners to believe. A physics professor doesn't want his students to believe in atoms; he wants them to understand. In the same way, Hindu teachers and spiritual texts do not command you to believe; they lead you to understand.
The goal, as understood by the ancient rishis, is not to merely believe in God, but to know God directly. Shraddha is the first step in one's search for God. In the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says, "shraddhavan labhate jnanam, one with shraddha gains knowledge. Thus shraddha is like a stepping stone; with the help of a teacher, believe in God eventually leads to direct knowledge. Shraddha is indispensable, because without it, knowledge of the Lord will forever be beyond ones grasp.
Answer: First, let us see the difference between shraddha and andha-vishwasa or blind faith. The great acharyas (teachers) of the Hindu tradition never demanded that their students should blindly believe or "swallow" anything. In fact, they didn't want their students to believe; they wanted their students to understand. A teacher wants students to understand, to know, unlike a preacher who wants listeners to believe. A physics professor doesn't want his students to believe in atoms; he wants them to understand. In the same way, Hindu teachers and spiritual texts do not command you to believe; they lead you to understand.
The goal, as understood by the ancient rishis, is not to merely believe in God, but to know God directly. Shraddha is the first step in one's search for God. In the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says, "shraddhavan labhate jnanam, one with shraddha gains knowledge. Thus shraddha is like a stepping stone; with the help of a teacher, believe in God eventually leads to direct knowledge. Shraddha is indispensable, because without it, knowledge of the Lord will forever be beyond ones grasp.
God and Nature
Question: If God is good, why is God's creation in the form of nature often harmful and even violent?
Answer: This question vexes many people. Earthquakes, famine, disease, and death all occur according to the laws of nature. These natural laws, like everything else in the universe, ultimately come from the Lord. Then why does it appear that the Lord's goodness not always expressed in nature?
The basis for this question is our very limited concept of what is "good" and what is "bad." Generally, good is what we like and bad is what we don't like. Of course, what is good for one person may not be so good for others. Some people love karela, bitter gourd, others do not. So we must admit that our concepts of good and bad are ambiguous and ill-defined.
In nature, the concepts of good and bad have no place at all. When a tree is struck by lightening or dies of disease, it eventually decomposes in the ground, becoming fertilizer for other living plants. The death of the tree is neither good nor bad; it is natural.
In the same way, when earthquakes, famine and disease affect human beings, we must recognize that it is natural. Such events are terribly sad, no doubt, but they cannot be called bad. From a spiritual perspective, anything that leads to spiritual growth is good. The hardships we encounter in life usually force us to grow stronger and wiser to cope with the difficulties. So, if the tragedies of life lead us to become more wise and to grow spiritually, how can we call these tragedies bad?
Even the tragedy of death sets a person free from the sufferings of this life to proceed on the journey of spiritual growth as it continues from one life to the next. It is indeed sad when we encounter tragedies naturally occurring in life, but each of these situations can be an opportunity for our ongoing spiritual growth.
Answer: This question vexes many people. Earthquakes, famine, disease, and death all occur according to the laws of nature. These natural laws, like everything else in the universe, ultimately come from the Lord. Then why does it appear that the Lord's goodness not always expressed in nature?
The basis for this question is our very limited concept of what is "good" and what is "bad." Generally, good is what we like and bad is what we don't like. Of course, what is good for one person may not be so good for others. Some people love karela, bitter gourd, others do not. So we must admit that our concepts of good and bad are ambiguous and ill-defined.
In nature, the concepts of good and bad have no place at all. When a tree is struck by lightening or dies of disease, it eventually decomposes in the ground, becoming fertilizer for other living plants. The death of the tree is neither good nor bad; it is natural.
In the same way, when earthquakes, famine and disease affect human beings, we must recognize that it is natural. Such events are terribly sad, no doubt, but they cannot be called bad. From a spiritual perspective, anything that leads to spiritual growth is good. The hardships we encounter in life usually force us to grow stronger and wiser to cope with the difficulties. So, if the tragedies of life lead us to become more wise and to grow spiritually, how can we call these tragedies bad?
Even the tragedy of death sets a person free from the sufferings of this life to proceed on the journey of spiritual growth as it continues from one life to the next. It is indeed sad when we encounter tragedies naturally occurring in life, but each of these situations can be an opportunity for our ongoing spiritual growth.
Relationship between bhakti and jnana
Question: What is the relationship between bhakti (devotion) and jnana (knowledge)? It is said that there is a very thin line between them.
Answer: Bhakti and jnana are as inseparable as two sides of a coin. Jnana means spiritual wisdom. To gain the highest jnana--knowledge of God--an extraordinary degree of effort will certainly be required. But will our limited efforts ever be sufficient to scale the lofty heights of jnana to finally know God? Without grace, without the Lord's blessings, those heights will forever remain beyond our grasp. Yet, when we invoke the Lord's grace with our prayers and worship, then our sincere efforts to gain jnana will be blessed. Thus bhakti helps us attain jnana.
As for bhakti, consider this question: "How can we worship a God who is totally unknown to us?" In human relationships, we find it difficult to love people whom we do not know. Conversely, the more intimately we know a person, the stronger our bond of love grows. In the same way, the more intimately we know the Lord, the more intense our devotion will grow. Therefore, jnana, knowledge of the Lord, strengthens our bhakti.
In our lives of spiritual growth, we need both jnana and bhakti. How sad it is when someone says, "I am a very intellectual person; bhakti is not for me," or when someone else says, "I am a very emotional person, so I avoid jnana." We need both; we need all the help we can get! To focus exclusively on either bhakti or jnana and to ignore the other is to deny ourselves the very spiritual practices we need most to lift our minds and hearts to the Lord.
Answer: Bhakti and jnana are as inseparable as two sides of a coin. Jnana means spiritual wisdom. To gain the highest jnana--knowledge of God--an extraordinary degree of effort will certainly be required. But will our limited efforts ever be sufficient to scale the lofty heights of jnana to finally know God? Without grace, without the Lord's blessings, those heights will forever remain beyond our grasp. Yet, when we invoke the Lord's grace with our prayers and worship, then our sincere efforts to gain jnana will be blessed. Thus bhakti helps us attain jnana.
As for bhakti, consider this question: "How can we worship a God who is totally unknown to us?" In human relationships, we find it difficult to love people whom we do not know. Conversely, the more intimately we know a person, the stronger our bond of love grows. In the same way, the more intimately we know the Lord, the more intense our devotion will grow. Therefore, jnana, knowledge of the Lord, strengthens our bhakti.
In our lives of spiritual growth, we need both jnana and bhakti. How sad it is when someone says, "I am a very intellectual person; bhakti is not for me," or when someone else says, "I am a very emotional person, so I avoid jnana." We need both; we need all the help we can get! To focus exclusively on either bhakti or jnana and to ignore the other is to deny ourselves the very spiritual practices we need most to lift our minds and hearts to the Lord.
Questions about God
Questions from Neela Saraswati - 4th Grade
Question: If God is everywhere, why do we go to the temple to pray?
Answer: Even though God is indeed everywhere, we often find it difficult to recognize His presence in all places. God is just as present in the middle of a busy highway as He is in the temple. But do you feel God's presence driving down the highway? Probably not. On the other hand, when we enter a temple and see the Lord's sacred form on the altar, we can certainly feel God's divine presence. So, going to the temple makes it easy for us to feel God's presence.
Question: Why are there so many forms of God if there is only one God?
Answer: We have many forms in which we worship God because it allows people to choose a form of God they prefer. If you went to a restaurant, would you be happy if the menu had only one item, and that item was creamed spinach?! Wouldn't you prefer a restaurant with a large menu of items from which you could choose? The menu has many forms of food because different people prefer different dishes. In the same way, Hinduism has many forms of God so people can choose the form they prefer for prayer and worship.
Question: When we worship God, why do the priests sometimes sit around a fire, and sometimes sit in front of deities on an altar?
Answer: Just as we can choose the form of God we worship, we can also choose the manner in which we worship God. We have two basic kinds of worship: puja and yagna. In yagna (also called homa or havan), we offer ghee and other things into a sacred fire. The fire consumes our offerings and symbolically transports them to the Lord. In puja, we invite the Lord to be present upon our altar and then we offer flowers, fruits, incense, arati and our prayers to Him. Both kinds of worship bless us by invoking God's grace upon us.
Question: If God is everywhere, why do we go to the temple to pray?
Answer: Even though God is indeed everywhere, we often find it difficult to recognize His presence in all places. God is just as present in the middle of a busy highway as He is in the temple. But do you feel God's presence driving down the highway? Probably not. On the other hand, when we enter a temple and see the Lord's sacred form on the altar, we can certainly feel God's divine presence. So, going to the temple makes it easy for us to feel God's presence.
Question: Why are there so many forms of God if there is only one God?
Answer: We have many forms in which we worship God because it allows people to choose a form of God they prefer. If you went to a restaurant, would you be happy if the menu had only one item, and that item was creamed spinach?! Wouldn't you prefer a restaurant with a large menu of items from which you could choose? The menu has many forms of food because different people prefer different dishes. In the same way, Hinduism has many forms of God so people can choose the form they prefer for prayer and worship.
Question: When we worship God, why do the priests sometimes sit around a fire, and sometimes sit in front of deities on an altar?
Answer: Just as we can choose the form of God we worship, we can also choose the manner in which we worship God. We have two basic kinds of worship: puja and yagna. In yagna (also called homa or havan), we offer ghee and other things into a sacred fire. The fire consumes our offerings and symbolically transports them to the Lord. In puja, we invite the Lord to be present upon our altar and then we offer flowers, fruits, incense, arati and our prayers to Him. Both kinds of worship bless us by invoking God's grace upon us.
Hinduism's standpoint on evolution
Question from Bal Vihar student Sapan Shah:
Question: Swamiji, in my school we discussed the theory of evolution and another theory called creationism. What is Hinduism's standpoint on evolution?
Answer: Creationism is based on a Biblical story in which God creates the universe in six days. According to this account, God created the Earth with its seas, vegetation, birds, fish, and animals before finally creating the progenitors of the human race, Adam and Eve. Evolution, on the other hand, is based on scientific observations about how living organisms evolve from simpler to more complex forms through a process of random mutation and natural selection. According to evolution, man has evolved from lower life forms over many millions of years.
The ancient rishis (sages) were not like modern scientists. Instead of observing and analyzing the world around them, they were focused on discovering the source from which the world came forth. They taught that God or brahman, the source of the universe, is satyam jnanam anantam, limitless intelligent existence. Since the universe is understood as a manifestation of God, God's intelligence must pervade the universe. Science confirms that we live in an intelligent universe governed by the laws of nature. And those laws of nature, including the principles of random mutation and natural selection upon which evolution is based, are understood as a manifestation of God's intelligence. For these reasons, the theory of evolution is completely consistent with the Hindu world-view.
Creationism, however, seems to possess many logical and scientific flaws. According to the dates mentioned in the Bible, the Earth is only about 4,400 years old. If so, how do we explain million-year-old dinosaur skeletons in the ground? And how do we explain centuries of scientific observations that support the theory of evolution? Christianity clings to creationism in spite of compelling scientific evidence for the theory of evolution. This is similar to the situation 400 years ago when Christianity held to the notion that the Earth was in the center of the solar system, and not the sun. In spite of the mathematical theory of Copernicus and the astronomical observations of Galileo, Christianity clung to their Biblical world view, only to be later proven wrong by science.
When religion and science disagree, it seems that science will eventually prevail. Sooner or later, Christianity will be forced to give up its ideas about creationism. Fortunately for Hindus, none of the basic teachings of the ancient rishis are in conflict with science. Therefore, science and Hinduism will exist side-by-side without conflict for centuries to come.
Question: Swamiji, in my school we discussed the theory of evolution and another theory called creationism. What is Hinduism's standpoint on evolution?
Answer: Creationism is based on a Biblical story in which God creates the universe in six days. According to this account, God created the Earth with its seas, vegetation, birds, fish, and animals before finally creating the progenitors of the human race, Adam and Eve. Evolution, on the other hand, is based on scientific observations about how living organisms evolve from simpler to more complex forms through a process of random mutation and natural selection. According to evolution, man has evolved from lower life forms over many millions of years.
The ancient rishis (sages) were not like modern scientists. Instead of observing and analyzing the world around them, they were focused on discovering the source from which the world came forth. They taught that God or brahman, the source of the universe, is satyam jnanam anantam, limitless intelligent existence. Since the universe is understood as a manifestation of God, God's intelligence must pervade the universe. Science confirms that we live in an intelligent universe governed by the laws of nature. And those laws of nature, including the principles of random mutation and natural selection upon which evolution is based, are understood as a manifestation of God's intelligence. For these reasons, the theory of evolution is completely consistent with the Hindu world-view.
Creationism, however, seems to possess many logical and scientific flaws. According to the dates mentioned in the Bible, the Earth is only about 4,400 years old. If so, how do we explain million-year-old dinosaur skeletons in the ground? And how do we explain centuries of scientific observations that support the theory of evolution? Christianity clings to creationism in spite of compelling scientific evidence for the theory of evolution. This is similar to the situation 400 years ago when Christianity held to the notion that the Earth was in the center of the solar system, and not the sun. In spite of the mathematical theory of Copernicus and the astronomical observations of Galileo, Christianity clung to their Biblical world view, only to be later proven wrong by science.
When religion and science disagree, it seems that science will eventually prevail. Sooner or later, Christianity will be forced to give up its ideas about creationism. Fortunately for Hindus, none of the basic teachings of the ancient rishis are in conflict with science. Therefore, science and Hinduism will exist side-by-side without conflict for centuries to come.
Prayer versus Destiny
Question: Swamiji, can you please explain Prayer versus Destiny? How can we explain the significance of prayer to our children?
Answer: Thank you for your excellent questions. First of all, the Hindu doctrine of karma should not be confused with the concept of predestination. According to Hinduism, your future is not predetermined or predestined. Your karmas from past lives (and earlier in this life) do indeed affect you, but they do not necessarily determine your future. Why not? Because the Lord has blessed us all with the power of free will. This power or shakti is so strong, we can overcome the effects of most karmas if we make a sufficient effort.
Traditional teachers compare the force of karma to the current of a river. If you are swimming across the river, the force of the current will carry you a bit downstream. But if you are a very strong swimmer, you can even swim upstream, against the current! In the same way, if we employ our power of free will and strive with enough effort, we can overcome most of our karmas.
Suppose we are faced with a crisis like the loss of a job or a health problem. The crisis could be the result of our bad karmas in a past life. Yet, we are not helpless in the face of that crisis. We have no choice over the situation that confronts us, but we have a choice in how we respond to it. Perhaps karma determines the situations we encounter, but we have free will in choosing how we respond to the situation.
No matter how desperate the situation, we can still use our power of free will. And we can always use our free will to pray the Lord. Our prayers will certainly invoke God's grace. The Lord will bless us with the strength and wisdom necessary to respond to any crisis.
Our prayers may not make the crisis disappear. A crisis born of past karmas is like the current of the river -- it will not simply stop. But whenever we invoke the Lord's grace in prayer, we will be blessed with the wisdom we need to navigate the tricky currents of karma and the strength we need reach our goals. Whatever situations our past karmas might create, our prayers will always empower us to handle those situations gracefully.
Answer: Thank you for your excellent questions. First of all, the Hindu doctrine of karma should not be confused with the concept of predestination. According to Hinduism, your future is not predetermined or predestined. Your karmas from past lives (and earlier in this life) do indeed affect you, but they do not necessarily determine your future. Why not? Because the Lord has blessed us all with the power of free will. This power or shakti is so strong, we can overcome the effects of most karmas if we make a sufficient effort.
Traditional teachers compare the force of karma to the current of a river. If you are swimming across the river, the force of the current will carry you a bit downstream. But if you are a very strong swimmer, you can even swim upstream, against the current! In the same way, if we employ our power of free will and strive with enough effort, we can overcome most of our karmas.
Suppose we are faced with a crisis like the loss of a job or a health problem. The crisis could be the result of our bad karmas in a past life. Yet, we are not helpless in the face of that crisis. We have no choice over the situation that confronts us, but we have a choice in how we respond to it. Perhaps karma determines the situations we encounter, but we have free will in choosing how we respond to the situation.
No matter how desperate the situation, we can still use our power of free will. And we can always use our free will to pray the Lord. Our prayers will certainly invoke God's grace. The Lord will bless us with the strength and wisdom necessary to respond to any crisis.
Our prayers may not make the crisis disappear. A crisis born of past karmas is like the current of the river -- it will not simply stop. But whenever we invoke the Lord's grace in prayer, we will be blessed with the wisdom we need to navigate the tricky currents of karma and the strength we need reach our goals. Whatever situations our past karmas might create, our prayers will always empower us to handle those situations gracefully.
- by Swami Tadatmananda
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