by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No.92
October: 2008

 


  Atma
 Knowledge
 Creation
 God
 Spiritualism
 sanatan

 Questions
 e-mail

PROBLEMS AS WE GO ALONG

- Readers Questions.

This month we take a pause. In course of our long association, many readers keep on sending questions to clear their doubts. Due to space constraints only a few of these get addressed each month. Quite a few get long delayed. Since some of these observations are universal, a few of these pending questions form the body of this month’s issue of AHWAN. My apologies for the delay to each of them. 

 QUESTIONS FROM READERS

QUESTION 1 FROM Ms GEETA ADHIKARI

Sir, children do not have a negative ego. Why we acquire it as we grow up?

ANSWER:: In a sense, the juvenile ignorance of the world around is a bliss. Many people even suggest that we should retain our childhood all our life. That is never to be and is a lot of wishful thinking.

We must first understand that growing up – being part of the world around us- is an essential part of our process of evolution. None can stay in one state of mind forever.  That can only happen when one has ceased to exist after reaching his source- the Brahman and has merged into that consciousness.

The process of evolving and thereby getting deeper and deeper into the world environment, is not of our choice. BhrAmayan sarvabhutAni yantrArudhAni mAyayA. Everyone revolves within the ambit of maya as if mounted on a machine- The Bhagavad Gita says. There will be no evolution, only stagnancy otherwise. That will defeat the Lord’s purpose.

As we grow, being exposed to the objects of the world, we acquire knowledge of these objects. The purpose is clear. Only by knowing things one can decide what is preyas (initially pleasant but root of misery in the long run) and what is shreyas (not so pleasant but of lasting goodness). Then with the help of viveka (the discerning power or wisdom) you can make the right choice. One can not appreciate light without getting exposed to darkness. That is knowledge. To make the choice, exposure to objects is essential.

The birth of ego starts with the knowledge of sensory objects. Normally the viveka should always stand on guard. However the power of the preyas aspect of the objects is so strong that it needs tremendous will power to turn away. That is not everybody’s cup of tea. The following sloka from The Bhagavad Gita is worth remembering all the time:

DhyAyato vishayAn pumsah sangas teshupajAyate;
SangAt sanjAyate kAmah kAmAt krodho’bhijAyate.

KrodhAd bhavati sammohah sammohAt smriti vibhramah;
SmritibhramshAd buddhinAsho buddhinAshAt pranashyati.

Thinking of worldly objects, grows attachment and then comes desire to possess them. Anger and frustration is not far away. Mind can not think right and loses balance and its power of discrimination. Destruction follows next.

It means that the difference between shreyas and preyas has not yet been understood. We continue to suffer till understanding finally dawns. The transitional mid period is the life span of the negative ego. In time, this negative ego sees the difference through experience and  then there is the transformation of negativity to a positive attitude. Our true sadhana starts then.

(Some people argue that it is possible to remain childlike as we have seen in the outward character of many saints. This is not true. The former’s childlike demeanor is out of blissful ignorance. Where as the latter’s demeanor is guided by bliss born out of knowledge.)

QUESTION 2 FROM SRI YASHWANT

Sir, I remember your talk to our group. Some of my friends in the class have so many good things in life which their parents can provide. Why has God made some families rich and happy, but families like mine are so unlucky?

ANSWER: My dear young Yashwant; there are a few truths of human life which I hope you will be soon old enough and wise enough to understand. Do not hesitate to discuss this with your parents and teacher if that will help.

Happiness in life is not counted by rich goodies and affluence.

Some day you may well understand that perhaps in your family there lies more love and happiness than what money can give. Many very rich families live without happiness within their homes inspite of all the comforts money can give. When you can appreciate that, it will shape your character better.

Secondly always remember that you can only get that much from life, which you yourself have put into it. God only facilitates it but it is your own investment. It is very much like a bank account. If you have deposited five hundred, you can not expect to draw thousand. By whatever actions, good or bad your parents and yourself are carrying from your past lives, their fruits only are available now.

But this situation is not permanent. All can change dramatically if now, in the present life, and days to come, you start investing in dharma i.e righteous conduct and develop faith in God.

Between two people or families, there is no scale by which you can measure who is happier. A prince is not necessarily happier than a pauper. Each one has his share of happiness and unhappiness.

Do not judge your friends by the standards of their goodies. You surely have many things which they do not have and which you can share. By comparing, you do not retain friends, you lose them.

Good conduct or godliness always infuses goodness into life. Simple develop that attitude and such a question will never cross you mind.

QUESTION 3 FROM Mr FRANK O BROWN

 Is animal sacrifice (ritual killing) justified by religion?

ANSWER: No Sir, I find no justification in sacrificing a life in the name of religion. It is all a result of our inferior understanding. Few people pause to think the true spiritual meaning of animal sacrifice or ‘pasubali’.  It is true that it has become a part of the human tradition, but it still defies the logic in the core concept (vicara) of religions.

There is no direct connection or proof that by sacrificing an animal, something beneficial has actually happened. It is all in the mind, a deluded mind.

To begin with, we can only sacrifice what indeed is ours, our own creation. No life belongs to us, not even our own. What right do we have in sacrificing something that does not belong to us and seek credit? Nature allows creation and destruction of life only as a process governed by the divine laws. Killing for ill-conceived selfish motives is in a way taking the law in one’s own hands. That will be pure hinsa or violence. Only He, who has given life can decide when and how to withdraw life.

Secondly what indeed is the true meaning of ‘pasubali’? We all are combinations of both divine qualities and un-divine qualities – loosely referred to as animal or demonic instincts (pasavika qualities or asurika qualities). Dharma is concerned only with removal of evil and un-divine vrittis or inclinations from our system and establish divinity. It is primarily a self-purification process. Animal sacrifice is eliminating the ‘animal’ in us and not snatch away one and sacrificing it. Nothing good ever happens in that. It only drags you further down into the pit of ignorance.

Killing in the name of dharma with misconceived understanding is outside the lofty concept (vicara) of dharma. It is an aberration. 

QUESTION 4 FROM SRI OMKAR NAIK

 In our festivals like Ganesh chaturthi and Durgapooja we prepare such beautiful images and works of art. It breaks my heart to see them all destroyed in the end.

ANSWER: Ofcourse, many people feel that way. Let us analyse this ritualistic activity from spiritual perspective.

The intention to do the pooja, the making of the image, the prAnapratisthA, the elaborate schedule of step by step pooja, the gradual building up of understanding through the mantras, the final culmination and lastly the visarjan or consignment of the image into the five elements (panchbhutas like water etc.) have all been conceived carefully indeed. Even with a cursory understanding, it is not difficult to see the point.

All through our life we the common people, are trapped within the snare of the material world forgetting the Brahman -the ultimate goal of our existence and liberation. To force one’s mind out of it, a specific occasion and time is chosen taking various considerations suitable to most.

But the basic mind that we have, can not simply be forced and hitched to Brahman about which we have little knowledge. An idol helps to hold the mind and eliminate distractions. (Please refer ‘The debate- form or formless- Parts 1 to 4 –October 2004 to January 2005 issues of AHWAN). With the idol in front arresting his attention, the sadhak superimposes his mental needs on the various paraphernalia and decorations associated with the form. All images conceived by man have close association with the common aspirations of human mind. That makes the mind comfortable.

But the nature of the mind is always to probe further and go deeper. As the spiritual consciousness rises we start probing, why?s and how?s and who is behind all our actions. The search for Brahman (brahmajijnasa) who is at the source of everything, starts. The pooja and the mantrapath are indeed our quest for the source beyond the mundane desires and demands of the ego-self. Those who seriously try to understand these activities, instead of mechanically going through the routine, come closer to that ultimate truth.

The need is to arrive at that truth- the absolute understanding of satchidananda. In the course of the six days or nine days of  pooja, the mind systematically throws away the veils of ignorance (or is supposed to), symbolically represented by the demons, obstacles and shortcomings of human character.

At the end of every pooja, when sincerely practiced and intelligently carried out, only the Brahman shines in our chitta (conscious mind). The rituals and the images are no more needed. The sadhak discards everything, finds Brahman and dwells in that consciousness. The images are reverently discarded, the pooja ends, and the sadhak is left with his realization. That is his most precious gain.

The beginning, the duration and the culmination of Pooja is in nutshell the process of sadhana – its initiation, the practice, the realization, release from the shackles of delusion and entering the sphere of pure truth consciousness.

Understandably, this does not happen all the time or in one effort. Thus we return again and again. Only a realized soul has no attachment for poojas and festivals or images.

(This is an exhaustive subject. I am sorry for this short explanation)

QUESTION 5 FROM SRI INDRANATH ROY

Sir, Is it right to have Mandira shodhan (temple purification) after entry of some who are considered impure and unworthy?

ANSWER: Nobody likes to be treated inferior because no body is indeed inferior to the other. Sarve amrtasya putrah. Purity or Sauchata is not merely external. If only pure or saucha are allowed entry how many of us would qualify?

God’s compassion should not be conditional. By alienating we pave the way for people to doubt and abhor the faith and drift away from the true knowledge. In any religion, the vichara or the core philosophy is to be respected. The actions –achara, should always assist the vichara. The aberrations – vyavichara is to be discarded by all enlightened minds. When some one with a different faith and background stands before the Lord, most likely he or she has deeper inclination to understand the truth and abide by it compared to many who mechanically offer pooja day in and day out. That person – assuming he has no evil motives – is not an affront to my faith but an opportunity for me, to be at the service of the Lord to propagate dharma through dialogue and explanation of the truth ultimate, by welcoming him.

QUESTION 6 FROM Ms KALPANA PATHAK

Respected Mr Mohanty …… My husband and I are very happy couple. A few years ago my husband helped his cousin. But some one said some evil things and since then my cousin…. is very nasty to him and abuses us.  I am so hurt. I cannot explain the situation.. and.. I am emotionally hurt.  Please help me.

ANSWER: Before we start analyzing the other person’s attitude, we should always contemplate upon our own state of mind.

You say, you are hurt emotionally. Why it is so? That is because you had great expectations out of your helping gesture to your friend. That is ofcourse natural. Most of us usually expect something in return against every act of help we extend to others. And when something contrary to that happens, we feel hurt. That is the base human nature.

But that is not what is expected of us. We have within all of us hidden, a higher psychic nature, a nature that does not expect a return. It is in its own way happy to give and does not feel unhappy when nothing is received from the other side in return.

You and your husband have helped someone. You did what was expected of you following your swabhava (your developed nature). Your act will be judged and compensated by God and none else. Your cousin also acted, dictated by his own swabhava. His action too will be judged by God. Who are you to judge and feel happy or unhappy?

Since you should not and can not do anything about it, the surest way to regain your mental peace is to forget all about it. Remain passive to whatever your cousin or others say about it.

What you think you did for your cousin, was not indeed for him, but was your offering to God. If you have trust and faith in God you will receive your reward and let your cousin not be a source of you unhappiness.

Stop thinking of your cousin. Direct your consciousness to the Divine and get along with better things in life.

If you are a regular reader of AHWAN, you will know how to divert your mind.  

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