20 Nov 2006
The husband of Smt. Padma Ram lost the Government job due to some inevitable circumstances. A long time passed away and Smt. Padmaram suffered a lot along with her family members. As a true follower of Swami, she never asked Swami to help in this worldly problem. During this time of difficulties her devotion developed very well. Recently her husband told her “You are a devotee of Swami, whom you claim as Datta. In such case, why are you in such serious problem? Your Datta should give me the job and the response should be seen with in a week”. Surprisingly within the week, the orders from the Government came and he was recruited into the job. Smt. Padmaram asked Swami by phone to favour her, by getting the appointment in a particular town only. Swami told “Tathastu” (let it be so). Surprisingly the order came appointing him in that particular town only. Smt. Padmaram came and requested Swami for giving answers to some more questions, which are given below along with answers from Swami.
Swami Answers Smt. Padma Ram’s Questions
1) What is the difference between God and Guru (preacher)?
God is like doctor. Guru is like compounder (Assistant to Doctor). Compounder gives the medicines as per the direction of the doctor. The compounder cannot analyze the case as affectively as the doctor does. Similarly Guru preaches whatever preached by God (Sadguru).
2) How to know that God came as Guru?
By the way of His analysis and the depth of the knowledge you can recognize God in the form of Guru as in the case of Shankara. God can act as Guru also but the reverse is impossible.
3) How to leave the superimposition of body and worship the formless God?
It is very difficult to get rid of the superimposition of the body. The body is very close to the soul and mingled with it since the soul (awareness) pervades all over the body. The body is matter and soul is a form of energy. Matter and energy are inter-convertible. There is no fundamental difference between the body and soul. By crossing this super imposition nothing is obtained. God is above form and formless. Space (like soul) is formless but earth (like body) has form. God is beyond both the space and earth. When it is impossible to serve even the formless, how can you serve God, who is beyond formless?
4) If the soul desires God who came in the human form, do you criticize such desire?
The main aspect is about the extent of love you have on the God. Whether such God has form or is formless or is in human form, it is immaterial. Gopikas, Hanuman, Yasoda etc., desired for God in human form and faced several problems, but they have crossed all the problems due to their firm love. The intensity of love on God is important and not the form of love. Yasoda is in no way inferior to Radha. But, in the competition, all the existing bonds should get defeated before God. The real competition exists only when God is in human form.
5) When Rajas and Tamas also could be used to please God, what is the necessity of conquering these?
Even in dream, you cannot even move Rajas and Tamas (Six qualities) and the victory over them is impossible. God created all the three qualities (Good Sattvam and bad Rajas & Tamas) only to help your spiritual effort. In the spiritual path even Rajas and Tamas are sacred. In the worldly path, even good qualities (Sattvam) are waste, which give temporary heaven as in the case of Dharma Raja. Even Rajas and Tamas alone in spiritual path can lead you to God as in the case of Kannappa and Radha.
6) What is the final effect of desire? Is it God or misery?
The desire gives the fruit according to the direction. If you desire God, God is achieved. If you aspire bliss through worldly bonds, you will get misery.
7) Can we get God by leaving selfishness and limitations?
The soul by itself is limited and is a small item of energy. It is impossible to leave the limitations. You can leave the selfishness by effort. But when the goal is not God, such sacrifice of selfishness is also a waste. Some social workers without devotion to God (good politicians) sacrifice selfishness. Such people reach temporary heaven only. They will not reach the eternal abode of God. Mother Theresa did social service as a part of divine mission and reached the abode of God.
8) Every spiritual preacher says that is he is God and appears as Krishna. Who is Krishna?
Even every human being following Advaita says that he is the absolute God, who is claimed to be far superior to Krishna. Atleast people claiming Krishna are better because they have accepted the concept of human incarnation. The absolute God in any human body is Krishna. Unless God is in the body, nobody can give the vision of Viswaroopam. Krishna means any human incarnation that attracts the devotees (Karshati iti Krishnah).
9) God is the goal of meditation, knowledge, karma, yoga and devotion. Krishna praised each one of these paths. Everybody claims that his path only is real. Then, what is the reality?
Yoga means simply attainment, but it is restricted only to a single path which can please the God to attain (Yoga) His grace. Meditation is related to firm mind and becomes a part of devotion only. Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and karma (Seva) yoga are the three subsequent steps established by Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva. The three steps are in the same single path and therefore, the three steps are not the three paths. All these three steps are praised in the Gita. From knowledge, devotion should come and from devotion service should come. Service (karma) alone can give fruit.
10) Even Gopikas were criticized in those days. Is such bond possible today?
When the devotion reaches climax, it is madness. Leave the God’s case for sometime. There are several such mad bonds even between the individual souls. Such bonds are more in number today (Kali) compared to that Dwapara age. Therefore, there is no discussion in this point. When the love becomes madness, whether it is God or soul, such bond happens. When the love does not reach climax, such bond cannot form and no discussions are needed. By such discussions, one cannot attain that madness. The discussion can neither give you such madness nor can prevent such madness and hence discussion is useless. In any case the public praise or public criticism is not standard, because the public praise cannot bring such madness and public criticism cannot prevent such madness. The self-realization and determination is important. If there is no obstruction there is no test. If there is no test there is no success. In Pravrutti (Behavior with other souls) you have to differentiate justice and injustice. In Nivrutti you have to cross both justice and injustice (Sarvadharman… Gita) and the pleasure of God is the only goal. Gopikas were sages and could confirm easily Krishna as God by their deep knowledge of truth. Suppose, Krishna was fraud, Gopikas should go to hell. Moreover, Gopikas sacrificed all the bonds (with wealth, children, husbands etc.) and sacrifice of one particular bond with husbands is not the point here, since it is only a part of the total sacrifice. A prostitute can easily sacrifice her bond with her husband and just for this sacrifice alone, Goloka cannot be given. She will be tested in her bond with money because that is the strongest bond in her case. God competes only with your strongest bond, the sacrifice of which can be treated as total sacrifice because all the other bonds can be easily sacrificed and no test is necessary for those bonds.
11) Several preachers are deceiving the public stating that they are God. Why God is silent and supports them?
In the EAMCET [an entrance test conducted for admission in Engineering Colleges] question paper, the wrong answers also co-exist with correct answer. All these answers are created by one teacher only. After teaching you the knowledge, you have to choose the correct answer in the test. According to you, each question should have the correct answer only! You have to eliminate the false human incarnations with your perfect spiritual knowledge. All this is God’s wish only.
12) You said that chanting God’s name is not necessary. Does it mean that the world with names and forms is unreal?
There is no connection between chanting the name of God and unreality of the world. You are chanting the name by force. You are doing the japam (Chanting the name) with desire of something or fear from something, though the japam bores you. Atleast in singing devotional songs you will be happy. However, chanting, singing etc., are only like offering the drinking water to guest. When you offer your practical service as meals, then only the above devotion is meaningful. The meal can be associated with drinking water. The world is totally unreal for God and not for you. Therefore, you must say that the total world is unreal in the view of God. You should not simply say that the total world is unreal for you. Ofcourse, the names and forms in the world are unreal for the soul also. But matter, which is the cause of forms is real for the soul. Thus, the world is partially (forms) unreal and partially real (matter) for the soul. Therefore, the world is called as Mithya, which means neither completely real nor completely unreal.
13) You said that one should follow Guru blindly. You also said that one should analyze carefully. How to correlate?
You must analyze before selecting the real Satguru. But after selecting the Satguru, you have to follow Him blindly. You can reject the alliance before marriage, but not the wife or husband after the marriage. You can leave the school teacher after the school-studies and can join the college as the student of the lecturer. Similarly, as you change the levels, teachers have to change. But, lecturer also can act as the school teacher and not the reverse. If you attain Satguru (lecturer), you need not leave Him at any level. You have to use all the logic and science in analyzing before the selection of Satguru. But after the selection, the logic and science fail before Him and you must follow Him blindly.
14) When the worldly bond is misery and unreal, how the God is having bonds with the devotees similar to the worldly bonds?
The worldly bonds may give happiness in the beginning but at the end misery is the only fruit (Duhkha yonaya evate... Gita). The same bond with God is giving the eternal bliss. But, the aim of the divine bond, should not be for your bliss. But the bliss of God, should be your real goal and not selfish bliss. You must be prepared to face any misery in the bond with God. The worldly bonds between the unreal souls are unreal. The souls are relatively unreal with respect to God. Since God is the absolute reality, the same bond attains reality from God.
15) The soul is leaving several bodies in several births. Why the soul is remembering the concepts of the body only?
The soul does not remember the aspects related to body (name, caste, gender etc.,) from the previous births. The soul is integrated only with the samskara (essence of various qualities, which is jeeva) achieved through the body related to previous births. All the samskaras in each birth are one and the same qualitatively in essence. Since the body is very close to the soul, it is natural that the soul gets only the samskaras related to the body due to the superimposition of the body over the soul.
16) All the souls are imaginations of the God. Then is it not correct to say that we do not exist and You only exist?
God is the only truth. The world along with the souls is relatively unreal before God. But this point applies to God only in His view. Since this point is not truth in your view, there is no use for you from this point. In your view, yourself, other souls and this world are real. You are assuming Me as God. Such assumption should be strictly personal and should not be Universal, because all are not as wise as you are (in case I am God) or all are not as foolish as you are (in case I am not God). Therefore, I will use the word God in the place of your ‘You’ in future.
17) You say that you can act in different roles at the same time. Then, what is the other thing that exists different from you?
God acts in different roles at the same time and the roles here mean different human incarnations existing simultaneously. Akkalkot Maharaj and Shirdi Sai Baba existed simultaneously. You should not say that nothing exists except God. I have already explained that this statement is related to God only and not to you.
18) When everything exists in you, why is the devotee pained who stays far from you?
God created this universe for entertainment. When you are different from cinema, then only you can enjoy it. You are not cinema and cinema is not in you. God is covering Himself with ignorance for the sake of enjoyment. God assumed reality of this world and gets entertainment. But when God enters the world in human body, the ignorance can be increased more and the entertainment becomes more. Krishna, imposed by more ignorance was very much pained for being far from Radha. In such case, Radha, a devoted soul, who is a part of the world and made of the very ignorance was pained to the climax and died due to such pain. Without ignorance (Avidya) there is no entertainment and hence, Avidya was also created by God.
19) Who is the knower? Who makes me to know? What is known?
The soul is knower. God makes the soul to know. The known objects are soul, other souls and this world. In the awakened state, the soul knows other souls and the world. In the meditation, the soul knows itself. The soul can never know absolute God because God is unimaginable. But when God comes in human form, God is also known.
20) What is the goal of money or wealth?
The goal of the extra money is only service to God. The goal of the human life itself is service to God. Before death, the human life should attain the grace of the Lord. But, for such service, the maintenance of body and family are essential. When a real devotee spends money for the self and family, even then pleasing the self and family is not the main goal. There also, the main goal is maintenance of body and family to serve God. If such is the goal, even if one commits sin, it does not touch the soul. For example: Kannapa maintained the body and family by hunting soft natured animals like rabbit etc. Such hunting of soft natured animals, did not obstruct his salvation. When people spend the same for social service without God, they can reach only temporary heaven as per the Gita. Kannapa earned salvation through sin. Dharma Raja gave lot of charity but went up to heaven only and not Brahmaloka. This is very clear from Swargarohana Parva in Mahabharatha. The reason for this is Dharmaraja practiced only dharma but did not fully believe Krishna, since he did not tell a lie when Krishna asked for it.
21) Which is grater between the spectatorship of the world and service to the Lord?
Certainly service to God is the main aim. In the service to the God, generally you will face misery only. In such case of misery, you have to attain the self, which is just a spectator and thus you are not overcome by the grief. Such a state is Atma Yoga, which helps the continuity of the service. Therefore, spectatorship is a part of divine service.
22) On one hand you say that I should be attached to one form. At the same time, You say that I should not differentiate various forms. Then, why so many forms exist?
This is related only to the various incarnations of the God. Since God comes in every generation there are several photos or statues of all those human incarnations. Only one God existed in all the human incarnations. This is finding unity in various divine forms. The single concentration refers to the present human incarnation having the same God. The present human incarnation is capable of clearing all our doubts and can receive our direct service. The past incarnations cannot do both these. The present human incarnation exists in various levels corresponding to the devotees of different levels. The present human incarnations of God are at different levels (Kala, Amsa, Avaesha, Purna and Pari purna). The liberated souls, who serve God, also come down in human forms. Sri Raghavaendara was the incarnation of Prahlada. Kapila is Kala, Vyasa is Amsa, Parushurama is Avesa, Rama is Purna and Krishna is Pari Purna Avatara. You can stand only in your level before the Guru corresponding to your level.
23) Can we worship all the forms of God by worshipping the present human incarnation?
If you can recognize and decide the present human incarnation, the service done to it is the service done to all the forms of God. The service is received by the God through the human body.
24) When we serve you, you say that you are not God and ask us to worship God. Why?
If you recognize and decide the present human incarnation, it is not sufficient. You should stand with all firmness against all the obstructions. God in the present human form speaks like this to make you firm. The psychology of human beings is always reverse thinking. The aim of God is to keep you reverse to reverse, so that, you will be in the right path.
25) You said that Datta is God given in a human form. You are that Datta. Why do You object this?
The answer for this question is already given in the above question.
26) How to worship and serve God?
Theoretical worship is devotion. Practical devotion is Service. You can have theoretical devotion with statues and photos. But the practical devotion is to be done only to the present human form of the God, because only the living present human form can receive and enjoy your service. Service is work (karma) and karma alone can give the fruit.
27) When I lit camphor before the photo of Baba, why there is no inspiration?
The photos and statues cannot receive the service. The burning of camphor is for driving away the mosquitoes. When you do this before the present alive form of God, there is meaning for it. When the service is utilized, you will have satisfaction and inspiration. When the camphor is burnt before statues, it is useful for you to avoid the mosquitoes but, there is no use for inert statues. However, while burning the camphor, either the live human incarnation or yourself, should be away from it, because it will effect your respiration certainly instead of the inspiration. It is said that inhaling smoke leads to lung cancer and cancer will not give inspiration to any one!
28) Previously you were receiving the food offered by me through some form, but you are not doing it now. What is the reason?
The divine experience is given only for sometime. After receiving such divine experiences for sometime you must serve God with strong faith. You should not aspire such experiences through out your life.
29) I like to keep only one photo for worship. Can I keep your photo, since you are the present human incarnation?
The worship of photos and idols develop only theoretical devotion. To develop such theoretical devotion any divine photo can be kept. Any divine photo shows only the human form. To clear the doubts and to receive your divine service, the present alive human incarnation plays the key role. You can worship the photos of the present human incarnation decorated in various forms of God also to develop the mental (meditation) and dental (singing by words) devotion. Such photos developed on Me are available. But remember, as I told you that the assumption that I am God is only personal and should not be Universal.
30) Krishna is famous with flute and peacock feather. How to recognize you as Krishna?
If the sign of Krishna is flute and peacock feather only, an actor in the role of Krishna should be Krishna. The real sign of Krishna is to attract souls by special knowledge (the Gita), which is impossible to any one. You can take the miracles also as the signs of Krishna, but miracles are done by demons also. If Krishna lifted Govardhana Mountain, Ravana lifted the Kailasa, a bigger hill. But nobody could give the Gita except Krishna.
31) All the souls cannot be the closest liberated souls. Swami is visiting the houses of such liberated souls only. What is the reason?
Suppose you say that only Gold Medalist is honored and all are not honored as the gold medalists, your above question is as beautiful as your statement. Your question itself contains answer. The reason for the visit is given by yourself by stating that they are liberated souls.
32) How to achieve the grace of God?
The grace of God can be achieved only through the practical service. The service is possible through devotion. The devotion is possible through knowledge. The God’s grace is like salary. Service is like your monthly work done in the job. Devotion is like the appointment order. Knowledge is like the eligible degree for the job. Degree gives appointment order and the appointment order gives you salary through the job work. Only this job work or service (karma) is directly linked to the salary. The degree and the appointment order are responsible for the job work but they have no direct link with the salary. Knowledge is like water and devotion is like fertilizer. Service is like the tree. The fruit appears on the tree only.
33) By which sacrifice we can get the love of God?
Sacrifice up to some extent can get the grace of God. But, love of God is possible only by the total sacrifice. God showed grace even on demons doing penance. Only very few devotees achieved the love of God. They are Hanuman, Gopikas, Prahlada etc., only, who are very few in number and are considered as the top most gold medalists.
34) How to achieve God’s love continuously?
I have told that it is very difficult to get the love of God. Now you say that the love of God should be continuous also! Only Radha obtained such state. Radha means the continuous stream of top most devotion without any break. Such state is full madness. Hanuman and Prahlada were almost equal to Radha. Hanuman fought with Rama to protect Yayati. Prahlada was diverted to rule the kingdom. If Hanuman and Prahlada are Gold Medalists, Radha got the platinum medal.
35) Who will get the fortune of His permanent association?
To achieve the love of God is greater fortune than the continuous association. When you are constantly associated, you may neglect God. You have to remember the story of Rukmini, Radha and drinking hot milk etc., here, which I often tell.
36) You often say that I have no faith in you. What is the reason?
As I told you that the human psychology is always reverse. If I say that you have faith in Me, you will loose the faith. When I speak reverse of it, your faith strengthens in the reverse direction. The teacher often says even to the best student that he is not reading well. Appreciation brings egoism. Depreciation will make you very alert and active.
37) You say that a believer need not come to you. Does it mean that those who are near to you are disbelievers?
Once you have developed faith, it is better to stay far. Shashtra says “Ati Parichayaat Avajna Bhavati”. The meaning of this is that the close association leads to negligence and sometimes even to insult. By constant association with the Lord, Rukmini developed negligence and Satyabhama even insulted by hitting the Lord with foot. This is the natural human psychology. But very rare exceptions exist. Adisesha, Garuda, Narada etc., are such very rare exceptional devotees. My statement corresponds to the majority of devotees.
38) What is the eligibility of the devotees to meet and serve the God?
One need not do the work if the eligibility alone exists. But if one has interest, he will certainly do the work. But he may stop work due to certain obstacles. Therefore, the zeal or a sort of madness will certainly cross all the obstacles in doing the work. When such madness exists, the goal is achieved even through unjust ways. This is limited to Nivrutti only and should not be extended to Pravrutti. Arjuna killed his grandfather and Gopikas danced with Lord Krishna due to such madness on the Lord. Such madness cannot be achieved by effort and it can be obtained only through the ripened past mentality (Samskara). Gopikas were sages, who got such ripening through penance from several births. Arjuna was sage Nara who was constantly associated with Lord Narayana from several births. You must constantly put the efforts trying to cross the obstacles, so that you will achieve this highest state in due course.
39) If devotees are not doing the works as per your wish, are they not real devotees? Are they not blessed by You?
Sometimes God likes you to do justified works and sometimes unjust works also to test your faith in Him. According to your spiritual level, God orders you. Arjuna was highest devotee. Dharmaraja was not in the state of Arjuna. God ordered both of them to do injustice. Arjuna was asked to kill his grandfather and Dharmaraja was asked to tell a lie. Arjuna did whatever the Lord said. Dharmaraja did not do. The aim of the justice is only to please the Lord. When such Lord orders, what is the necessity of enquiry of justice? God tests you, whether you can cross even the limits of justice for His sake. If you realize that the essence of all spiritual efforts is only to please God, there need not be another answer.
40) Can we see the soul with eyes or is it only understood by knowledge?
The Veda says that the soul should be seen (Drashtavyah). In the Gita, it is said that ordinary people cannot see the soul but Scholars with knowledge can see the soul (Pasyanti Jnana Chakshushah). All this means that you can see the soul with the help of the analysis. In the olden days, there were no scientific instruments and therefore, it means that the soul is imaginable but invisible. By this you should not say that the soul is God because God is both invisible and unimaginable. But today through electronic instruments, you can see the soul as basic inert energy. Exactly the soul is a special form of work done by the inert energy in the nervous system. Work is invisible. If you take the soul as work, it is invisible but imaginable. If you take the soul as inert energy, you can even see it through instruments. In any case, the soul is not God because God is both invisible and unimaginable.
41) Which is the goal? Is it the realization of self or the realization of human incarnation?
God came down in the form of an individual soul. You are misunderstanding such human incarnation equal to human being or yourself. The reason for this is the ignorance about God existing in that particular individual soul, which is in that particular gross body. You are also an individual soul in a similar gross body. He is God associated with individual soul in the gross body. You are like the metallic wire present in the outer plastic insulating cover. He is the current in the metallic wire, which exists, in the plastic cover. Unless you have the knowledge of plastic cover (external gross body) and metallic wire (jeevatman), you cannot identify the current (God), which is different from these two. You are only the metallic wire with the plastic cover. Therefore, unless you have the knowledge of the self and body, you cannot identify God, who is different from both, existing in the human incarnation. To negate these two as God, their knowledge is essential as a preliminary step.
42) The desire is created by God. But the desire is criticized. The same desire gave salvation to Gopikas. How is this?
The desire is created by God. Intensive desire is blind love. Even this blind love is created by God. Every item in this creation is an instrument to attain God. If you are not realizing the purpose for which, each item in the creation is created, it becomes waste even if it is justified and is used in the direction of the world. Even the blind love is getting salvation, when it is used towards God. Even the complete detachment from the world without devotion is leading to the birth of a stone in future. Desire is not criticized but the direction of the desire is criticized.
43) I am unable to do the divine service. But you praised me that I am born to do the divine service. What is the reason?
God praises to encourage and scolds to activate. This is the quality of Satguru. When you enter into service, the obstacles will materialize from all the directions. If you are in the theoretical devotion, no obstructions appear. If your devotion is real, you will cross all the obstacles and will do the service. This truth can be seen in the lives of devotees like Meera. When the determination is absent, you cannot cross the obstacles. If the devotion is not intensive the determination has no strength. When knowledge is incomplete the devotion becomes incomplete. Therefore, the fundamental reason is the inadequate divine knowledge.
44) When the desire in the case of God also leads to misery what is the desirable?
The only desirable thing is to please the God. When you receive misery, you are rejecting that desire because you are selfish. If you are a real devotee, even if you are unhappy, you will do it to please the Lord.
45) What is good tradition (Sadachara)? Is it liked by God?
The good tradition means the path followed by realized souls and devotees like Shankara, Meera, etc., certainly it is liked by God since they were salvated.
46) What is the use of the human birth in which there is no desire for God and God’s love?
Such human birth is useless. When such divine aim is absent, the soul gets the births of birds and animals in which food, sleep, sex etc., only exist. The human birth is a good chance. It is very rare to get a human birth. There is no human rebirth in other religions, which is absolute truth. The special power of God to grant human re-birth in very few deserving cases is generalized to every human being in Hinduism, which is not correct. The future births in the birds and animals are told as permanent hell in other religions and therefore, there is no contradiction between the religions. Therefore, this point applies to everybody on the earth.
47) How to see the Lord, who is of the size of thumb?
If you think that God is of the size of the thumb, you are treating Him as a Lilliput! When God is beyond space how can you assign specific dimensions to Him. Here the thumb is a simile for the God. In the palm all the strength is concentrated in the thumb only. Therefore, Drona asked for the thumb from Ekalavya. Similarly, all the strength of the universe is concentrated in God only.
48) You said that yourself and Myself are one and the same. How is it?
In the Gita, Lord Krishna told that He and Arjuna are one and the same (Pandavanaam Dhanamjayah). When the devotee is assigned with the service, God encourages like this.
49) By which the soul is bounded and by which the soul is liberated?
The soul is bound due to lack of divine knowledge, devotion and service. When these three are completely obtained the soul is completely liberated. The complete divine knowledge leads to full devotion, which in turn ends in perfect divine service.
50) You often say about the existence of God in human form? How to recognize and serve it?
You have to recognize God in human form through the quality of divine knowledge that guides you. You have to serve Him practically by sacrifice of work and fruit of work.
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