Swami's Answers
Q: How we should
lead our life, Swami?
A:
Form small Satsanghas and meet regularly for Bhajans
and mutual consultation about spiritual matters.
Read some fine spiritual classics like Bhagavata.
Fill your eyes with the beauty of His form, your
ears with the story of His Leelas, and your hearts
with the sweetness of His Glory; inspire yourselves
by seeing Him everywhere. Think of His immanence in
every hill and dale, every man and beast, every tree
and insect. You will be really thrilled by the joy
of that vision.
Q: What is
principle of living, Swami?
A:
One of the first principles of straight living is -
Practice silence, for the voice of God can be heard
in the region of your heart only when the tongue is
stilled and the storm is stilled and the waves are
calm. There will be no temptation for the others to
shout, when you talk to them in whispers. Set the
level of the tone yourself; as low as possible, as
high as necessary to reach the boundary of the
circle you are addressing. Conserve sound, since it
is the treasure of the element Akaasa, an emanation
from God Himself. You must all study the Gita daily.
Read a few slokas and meditate on the meaning
yourself; it will dawn on you in the silence of your
heart. You need not read elaborate commentaries.
Each word in the Gita is a gem. No more do you need
gemstones for the ear, the nose and the neck; have
the gem of the Gita slokas in your heart; let them
activate your intellect and your hands. We shall act
ever as if we are in the presence of God, as if God
is watching and weighing every thought, word and
deed. See yourselves in all; see all in yourselves;
that is the road to lasting peace and joy. Let us
not seek the outer empire; let us become the rulers
of the inner empire. Let us not try to defy the
outer enemy, leaving the inner foe to grow in
striking power. We have Krishna with us, and so, who
can defeat
us? We shall win through his Grace.
Q: What is
significance of your Avatar, Swami?
A:
My task is not merely to cure and console and remove
individual misery. It is something far more
important. The important task of the mango tree is
to produce mango fruit. The leaves, the branches,
and the trunk of the tree are useful in their own
way, no doubt, but the main aim is the fruit. So
also from the plantain tree, the fruit is the main
gain. The leaves and the edible core of the stem are
all incidental. So too, the removal of misery and
distress is incidental to My Mission. My main task
is the re-establishment of Veda and Shastra in the
heart of Bharatavarsha and the revival of knowledge
about them in the people. This task will succeed.
A strong will is the best tonic:
The
will becomes strong when you know that you are a
child of immortality or a person who has earned the
Grace of the Lord. Medicine and hospitalization are
for these who hesitate and argue about this doctor
being more efficient than the other and this drug
being more powerful than the rest. For these who
rely on the Supreme Doctor, His Name is the drug
that cures.
The Vital Difference Between Human Beings and
Animals:
"Human beings have the power and also the authority
to conquer maya and totally free themselves from
delusion. If man takes the trouble and makes the
effort, he will be able to directly experience the
atma and, thereby, know himself as the divinity that
he truly is. With the help of spiritual exercises he
can reach nirvana and be immersed in supreme bliss.
God
is your only true friend Taking God as your friend,
your heart as the teacher and the world as the great
book, acquire all the knowledge you wish to. You
should master this Pusthaka (book) using your
Masthaka (head)! Books printed on paper are not so
important as this book composed and written by God
himself. It is available everywhere, to everyone at
all times and is absolutely free. So even as you
pore over your regular textbooks, remember your
Guru, the heart; and make sure you always have your
true friend God near you! The Divine lives in the
Hearts of All.
Character is Power.
Even the acquisition of knowledge demands a good
character. Without character, wealth, education,
social status, all these are of no avail. Among the
qualities that make up a flawless character, love,
patience, forbearance, steadfastness, and charity ?
these are the highest; these have to be revered. So
everyone must yearn to attain flawless character
without any trace of evil.
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