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by
Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL
No.91
September: 2008
SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE.
QUESTIONS FROM READERS
QUESTION 1 FROM Ms SHARMISTHA ROY
Human intelligence is a gift from God. With the same intelligence we question and criticize the divine ways. Is’nt that blasphemy?
ANSWER: No Madam. Such petty-mindedness is not in line with the lofty ideals of sanatan philosophy. The understanding of our ultimate destination or the concept of Brahman etc. are not easy subjects for our comprehension. We have intelligence, but that intelligence is trapped within our desire ridden mind and therefore does not attain its full potential until freed. Till such time it is bound to misread the perfect divine ways.
But to free itself is its inherent nature, its constant endevour. When it questions, it questions only to seek a clarification, a better understanding. Since the purpose is to reach out to Brahman only, how can it be blasphemous?
The path of sadhana is difficult. It is like walking on edge of a sword – kshurasya dhAra yathA. With each failure, with each misunderstanding, we succeed, we understand. It is all a part of logical process.
All that are needed are, genuine faith and determination- shraddhA and sankalpa, and no cavilling (vidwisa)
Brahman knows of our shortcoming and like a loving parent patiently awaits for us to wake up. He accepts and tolerates our rants, cries and shouts with indulgence.
QUESTION 2 FROM FROM SRI S PANCHOLI
Today morning one Chipmunk was killed under my motorcycle while driving. Please advise me what to do
ANSWER: Good that you asked this simple question. In our day to day living so many such incidents take place and many sensitive people get confused.
You should ponder over the following:
Did you intentionally kill the animal? If it is not so, then you need not feel remorse. Every happening in the creation is part of a larger scenario scripted by the Divine. With our limited knowledge we do not understand all causes and all effects. In such a situation you should fix your mind in God and offer a silent prayer acknowledging that ‘His shall be done’ and seek his grace to protect you from any inadvertent misdeed of yours. If your prayer is genuine this will intensify your God consciousness and work for your betterment. But please do not try to dismiss the matter without a genuine prayer. If you do, you will remain under the spell of an evil facet of your character and not the divine facet which we all possess. That is a self degradation whose effect will not be in your interest.
Could you have avoided the killing? If there is a possibility, then again it calls for seeking God’s forgiveness and prayer. Against a genuine prayer for forgiveness, there is unlimited kindness in God’s heart.
It is amazing how a little prayer like this leaves a positive imprint on the mind that alerts you to be a little more careful in many future occasions. Those who have a right attitude towards dharma, are protected by dharma.
If you are a follower of sanatan dharma and a sadhak, then an incident like this would automatically set your mind to think about God, life, rebirth, dharma et all that we have been discussing in AHWAN. Was God sending you a message? Was He trying to kindle a spark within you? Who knows? It is between you and Him.
QUESTION 3 FROM FROM SRI STEVE ARCHER
Sir, I am impressed by your logical interpretations and knowledge that goes straight to heart. How can one possess the same level of knowledge?
ANSWER: By simply looking within and discovering that you already possess the knowledge. That is Brahman within all souls.
You need not give undue credit to me. All that I try to do through the various discussions/articles in Ahwan is to be a part of the triggering process for your mind to rethink about knowledge that you and everyone already possesses.
Having said that, one should never underestimate the power of study of our existing scriptures, and other explanations by the great teachers. Their effectiveness is time proven. Without swadhyayana (study) and nididhyasana (contemplation), knowledge is difficult to grasp.
A question may rightly be asked. ‘What is the need for so many people talking, writing about the same topic over and over again? One answer ofcourse is that all knowledge requires to be churned again and again in mind to ensure that ‘non-knowledge’ or ‘false knowledge’ does not gather over it to dim it. But the real answer lies in the topic itself. Brahman as a subject has endless aspects to look at and endless angles to look from. What each one sees, fills him with great joy and the joy redoubles on sharing.
The character of Sanatan philosophy is to remain receptive to all views of Brahman until the essence has been realized within the self.
QUESTION 4 FROM SRI ANKIT SHARMA
Sir I am a regular visitor to satsangs and discourses for years. But inspite of all these, life seems to be so mundane and I find no perceptible changes. Sometimes I wonder if I have been wasting time.
ANSWER: It is good to have such questions in mind, but only with a view to arrive at constructive answers.
Attending and listening to good satsangs is a great learning process. But many of us do it so ritualistically. As soon as we come out of the satsang venue, the mind’s doors are closed till the next satsang perhaps.
Satsangs (for that matter any kind of self learning or swadhyayana) must be followed by self contemplation. One might say satsangs become effective when you also have atmasang or self contemplation. Atmasang is the dialogue within your own antahkarana with your own self. What did the teacher say? What did I listen? What have I understood? What next thoughts come to my mind? These are some thoughts which should be entertained deliberately within oneself. That is atmasang or part of nididhyasan – self contemplation.
Through atmasang only, one savours the rasa or essence of what one has heard and exposed to. Through atmasang only you can not only know of the changes within yourself but also create the positive changes for yourself. Atmasang should not be put off with one excuse or other.
Without atmasang –following satsangs- one simply floats around like a rolling stone gathering no moss even if he puts in great efforts and a lot of time in attending one satsang after another. He is often compared with the ladle in the pan in which pAyasam or sweetened milk is being boiled. It churns and churns and churns but does not know the taste of the pAyasam.
QUESTION 5 FROM SRI NARENDRA
Respected Mohantyjee! I am now past 50 years of age. All along my life has been a continuous struggle with lot of suffering and untold misery. I have braved them all with the belief that I am atoning my prarabdha as you have been saying and all these fruits of karma will come to an end. Would I have a better life after this?
ANSWER:: You are indeed brave and the fact that even after 50 years of suffering, you have still retained your faith, speaks a lot about your character. You have covered the journey so far with the Lord beside you.
Yes, going through the experiences born out of Prarabdha diminishes the effect of Karma. But that is only half the truth.
Merely going through the effects of karma (karmaphalabhoga) does not entirely wipe out all the effects. Karmaphalabhoga must – repeat must- accompany realization of jnana or vidya or knowledge about Brahman and the ways of Dharma. Until one has made conscious efforts to understand why is this suffering and what is the antedote against suffering, what good the suffering does? When the process of suffering combines with yoga the result is vidya or advent of knowledge. Vidya or Jnana leads us to our ultimate goal that will deliver us from the bondage of suffering. The Brahmasutras amongst other scriptures point this out. Until the knowledge has dawned, the effects of karma is not totally exhausted and will revisit us again and again.
Hence all through life, going through the ups and downs, the adherence to Brahman and Dharma through Yoga is imperative. I repeat what I said earlier:
Brahmam smara
Dharmam cara.-
Keeping Brahman in mind always walk the path of Dharma. That is the only way to salvation.
