Samadhan Prakash – Part 2

These questions and their solutions are derived from the emails between Sri Guru and some disciples. Sri Guru has given brief and clear answers to the questions that often arise in seekers’ mind while traversing the spiritual path. The lamp of clarity and solution is illuminated only where there’s a spark of surrendership. This illumination boosts the preparedness (Paatrata) of the disciple. It is at this point that every question serves as a stepping stone in the journey. Read and contemplate so that it becomes a part of your nature.

1. Why untimely death?

Question: All scriptures convey that the time of birth and death are preordained. Then why do people say that someone’s death was untimely, during this pandemic?

Solution: The laws of Nature are eternal, and with birth the moment of death is also certain. A person’s demise may seem to you as untimely, but it must be understood as the preordained manner in which that person passed away. Many people are losing their lives in these pandemic times, but this is in accordance with the lifespan they earned by their past Karma — not otherwise! When a community collectively binds evil Karma, they face it collectively as well. Just as in a community gathering, people light firecrackers together and rejoice in the violence committed against so many organisms, the evil deeds of all such beings are bound together and emerge in the form of a pandemic. For instance, millions of people come to watch the event of bull-fighting held in Spain, and celebrate the suffering & pain of the bull. All these spectators collectively gather Karma, the consequence of which is mass suffering. The burning of Ravana’s effigy is one more such instance in which innumerable living beings commit sinful Karma together, and the subsequent result is that they have to endure such natural disasters.

2. Is Mantra-reciting useful?

Question: Is it possible to progress on the spiritual journey by reciting Mantras. If yes, then which Mantra is useful?

Solution: Just as in Ayurvedic treatment, the dosage and mixture of the medicine is ascertained on the basis of Vata-Pitta-Kapha, similarly on the basis of your nature, a living Master guides you for your spiritual progress. Reciting Mantras by self-desire may induce a few auspicious thoughts & situations, but without understanding the true nature of Self, they do not last for a long time. Of course, you may proceed by reciting Mantras, but this Mantra initiation should be received from a Guru, not adopted by self-desire.

3. How to prevent thoughts?

Question: Although unintended, there’s a constant stream of thoughts inside the mind, and not matter how much we try, we are unable to prevent it. What should we do?

Solution: The purpose of eyes is to see and of the ears, is to hear. In the same way, the distinct nature of the mind is to have thoughts. You cannot prevent the eyes from seeing but you always have the freedom to choose what to see. Likewise, thoughts will be there as long as your mind exists. But it is certainly possible that during the rapid stream of thoughts we connect ourselves to Satsang or Bhakti, thus making our thoughts auspicious in quality. Unnecessary or inauspicious thoughts make us agitated & anxious, whereas auspicious thoughts make us feel unburdened. Until you learn the art of going beyond the mind, it’s better to remain in auspicious thoughts.

4. Why is Live Samagam (congregation) not possible?

Question: In these distressing times, we aren’t able to meet our living Master, though there are many seekers who get to meet and stay with you. Sri Guru, what reason should we understand behind this? 

Solution: The sole reason is – Karmic forces. Though all seekers have immense love towards the Guru, some are able to attend the live Samagam while others cannot. The only reason behind this is the Karma accumulated in the past. This means that in the past whenever we didn’t realise the importance of Guru’s live Samagam, or waited for it to end soon, or found some fault in it, or dwelled upon worldly matters during the Samagam – for all such unfortunate reasons, a person gathers this Karma which becomes an obstacle in receiving the Guru’s live Samagam. Now, you may not have had such tendencies in present life, but in previous lives you must have done so, as a result of which you are presently deprived of the live Samagam. Therefore, a seeker must earnestly seek forgiveness for his forgotten sins of the previous births.

5. Which meditation should we practice?

Question: We have been watching your Satsang for the last two years. Each one seems complete in itself and gives many solutions. We also like the various meditations at the end of Satsang. But we are unsure about which meditation technique to practice. What should we do?

Solution: The guided meditation at the end of a Satsang is associated with the subject of that Satsang. Through the medium of Satsang, you gather knowledge and understanding, but to imprint that understanding at the deeper layers of your consciousness, the meditation techniques are conducted. If you wish to make meditation a part of your daily life, then you must learn the “SwaRaj Kriya” that is widely practiced at SRM. This technique superbly works towards our inner purification by activating our own energies.

6. Meditation has experience as well as materialistic attraction

Question: I have had wonderful experiences while doing the SwaRaj Kriya given by you. But many times, out of materialistic attraction, I indulge in wrongful actions. Even though I repent it soon after, I find it difficult to resist such tendencies. What should I do?

Solution: Repentance after a wrongful action – this indicates that seeds of spirituality are being planted in you. But your attraction towards the worldly pleasures reveals that you lack Vairagya (dispassion) from within. The true nature of this world is still unfamiliar to you in its entirety, so you haven’t genuinely recognised its futility. This generally happens to the seekers who prefer meditation over Satsang. By prioritising meditation and having the divine medium of SwaRaj Kriya, you may attain unique experiences. However, by giving less significance to Satsang (relative to meditation), seekers are constantly drawn towards worldly pleasures. This further entangles them into Karmic bondage. Thus, you must take caution from this and uphold your regard for Satsang.

7. Should we seek Agya (permission) to do auspicious rituals?

Question: Sri Guru, we get plenty of spare time wherein we listen to Satsangs, do meditation and practice Tapasya (penance) as the mind is also inclined towards it. But we never take your Agya (permission). Should we seek Agya before undertaking all auspicious rituals?

Solution: You have plenty of time – it shows the influence of worldly attachments on you is fading, and you are making good use of that time. Having said that, seeking Guru-Agya for Satsang, Prayer, Penance, etc has a special importance on the spiritual path. The reason is that whenever you perform an auspicious ritual without Guru’s Agya, it becomes a cause for binding good Karma. But when you do so ‘with’ Guru’s Agya, it becomes a cause for Nirjaraa (dissolution) of Karma. And the entire spiritual path is not about accumulating good Karma, rather its dissolution.

When a Guru gives Agya, the amount of instruction in that Agya is minimum. The decision of doing more than that is left to the seekers, who may do so as per their capability and Karmic situation. For instance, if you wish to watch Satsang, then as per Guru’s instruction, you should dedicate at least 30 minutes a day for it. Being able to watch Satsang for a longer time is your own Punya (good fortune), and will therefore not be considered as Swachhand (disobedience). However, if you watch it for less than 30 minutes, then this will surely be regarded as your Swachhand. For that, you should consciously seek forgiveness. The same principle applies to prayer, penance and meditation.

8. How to eliminate the fear of drifting away from you?

Question: Sri Guru, on this path guided by you, I am experiencing transformation within me. However, there is always a fear of drifting away from your path, a fear of indulging in wrongful conduct and again getting caught in the trap of worldly transmigration. My dilemma is that even though the path is about becoming fearless, I worry about falling off this path. I humbly ask you to highlight and resolve my mistake. 

Solution: Good to know that you are transforming on this path guided by us. However, until such fears exist within you, they will hinder your inner growth as well as the experience of inner bliss. The fear of doing something by mistake is itself an obstacle on the spiritual journey. And this indicates that a strong sense of ‘doer-ship’ is still prevalent deep within. Right now, you haven’t fully surrendered your life before that supreme power (God) out of faith. Being a seeker on this path, the responsibility of putting the right efforts is upon you. But getting conducive circumstances and having the right knowledge at the right time happens only by God’s grace. As the seekers’ connection with Guru strengthens, they develop a firm belief that whatever happens is by the grace of God. Success and failure both serve as stepping stones on the path. Success boosts your confidence to progress on the path, while failure offers valuable lessons. Both are gifts from God – when a seeker understands this, the fear begins to recede. You must rise early in the morning and express to God, “I pray that today my life enters a little deeper into the experience of Your grace.”

It is possible that the above answers give rise to more questions in the seeker’s mind. Thus, we encourage you submit them in the comments section below. Sri Guru gives clarity upon many doubts associated with your spiritual journey. Answers to some of these questions will be published in the upcoming edition of Samadhan Prakash series.

Read Samadhan Prakash Part 1: Click Here

Get in-depth answers to more such questions, in Samadhan book: Click Here»

Bliss of Wisdom is a blog for seekers who are in search of their true Self. It is published by Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Delhi – a spiritual revolutionary movement founded by Sri Guru. She is a spiritual Master who has transformed innumerable lives through her logical explanations and effective meditation techniques. To know more, visit www.srmdelhi.org.