PRAVRUTTI CHANGES FROM TIME TO TIME UNLIKE GOD

Dr. Nikhil’s Questions on Procreation:

1. How many children should a couple ideally produce? There is a quantitative aspect (how many children to produce) and a qualitative aspect (what type of children to produce).

Shri Swami Replied: I know Dr. Nikhil very well from the past millions of births. He is selected by God for the propagation of this exceptional programme along with other friendly devotees as a group. He is highly elevated soul and one should not misunderstand him for some of these peculiar questions. He represents various sets of humanity presenting their specific-personal problems for their welfare. The universality of knowledge is then only obtained, when it covers all the sets of humanity.

Ubhaya Bharati (wife of Mandana Mishra) asked Shankara regarding the sex science in which Shankara was not interested because Shankara was interested in the philosophy dealing with the importance of knowledge over the action, which was debated with Mandana Mishra. Ubhaya Bharati entered the subject, which was not related at all to the debate. She pleaded that unless she is answered, her husband is not answered fully since she is left half of her husband. Shankara requested her to give some time to Him to learn sex education, entered king Amaruka to learn it and answered her. Later on, when Goddess Saraswati (Ubhaya Bharati was incarnation of the Goddess Saraswati) objected Shankara while climbing steps to sit on the omniscient throne (Sarvajna Pitham) saying that Shankara became impure by learning sex education. Shankara gave several arguments and the final argument was that she was originally responsible for His learning of sex education even though it was irrelevant to the spiritual debate. On hearing this final remark, she feared that the whole case is going to fall on her head, she immediately requested Shankara to sit on the throne by climbing fast the steps!

You are asking Me these questions, which are very important in Pravrutti since the primary divine aim of sex education is only to get the issues and extend humanity. In this way, sex education is divine and hence exhibited through statues appearing on the walls of temples also. Hence, the questions from Ubhaya Bharati and yourself are certainly divine and to be answered. Hence, Shankara took all the pains to answer the questions recognizing the divine aim in it. She put questions on the process and atmosphere to generate issues. You are now putting questions on the aspect of generated issues. I will answer your questions without requesting you to give Me some time to learn about it since I was already a student of Biology for 5 years (Intermediate and Degree). Already, I have the knowledge of sperm, ovum etc. However, these aspects are not related to the main topic of Nivrutti that deals with the form of God to be worshipped to please Him to get His grace, whether God exists or not, whether the soul is already God or not etc. In the commentary of the Brahma Sutras, Shankara said that the main topic is to achieve God’s grace and discussion about the time of beginning of creation etc., is not useful like powdering the powder (Pishtapeshanam). However, the points of Shankara and the other side were in the same field of Nivrutti. Here, your questions are totally belonging to a different field called Pravrutti, which is related to normal majority of humanity and is also as important as Nivrutti. Hence, your questions should be answered by Me with full attention and sincerity.

The aspect of issues is not important as far as knowledge, devotion and service to God to get His grace to enter His inner circle are concerned (Nivrutti). The Veda clearly says this (Na prajayaa, kim prajayaa...). People unable or not interested to this level of Nivrutti also can get the primary grace of God by following the divine ethics (Pravrutti). In Pravrutti, these questions are very important.

The number of children to be produced and the qualitative aspect of those children are not in our hands. There are couples who are unable to produce even a single issue. Of course, if the opportunity to produce issues is proved by getting the first issue, this question becomes relevant regarding further issues. The number should be decided by the physical capacity of the wife (strength of uterus etc.,) and the financial background to grow the children and educate them. However, less number of issues is advisable in view of the present times. Pravrutti changes from time to time unlike God. The reason is that ethics deal with action and God is an item without change (kriyaayaam vikalpah natu vastuni- Shankara). Minimum number of children is good since parents can do better concentration. Regarding the quality of the children, a soul comes to this earth with its own mental setup accumulated through millions of previous lives. This mental setup is inherent and strongest. However, the external atmosphere and the efforts of parents along with teachers and friends play an important role to change this mental setup. Shankara says that if you are associated with the correct spiritual preacher and true devotees, you are liberated in this life itself (Satsangatve...). The result depends upon the strengths of previous mental setup and the mental setup induced by the atmosphere here. Whichever is stronger, the result follows accordingly. The pre-determination is on one side and the freedom to change it by effort is on the other side in this world. Swami Vivekananda said that our destinies can be changed. His statement indicates the freedom given by God in this world called as karma loka.

God’s Role Comes in to Picture After Human Effort

2. Is the use of contraceptives sin? It brings up the question of whether or not controlling the number of children using contraceptives is a sin. Is it interference in the natural process of birth that is governed by God?

3. What is the relevance of the wastage of sperm and female egg cells (ova), if a couple has contributed towards procreation qualitatively and quantitatively?

Shri Swami Replied: A correlation between the divine determination (fate) and the freedom of the human being given by God in this world is necessary in this topic. As told above, both sides exhibit divine involvement. In the administration, such occasion come in which the administrator does deep analysis and takes the final decision. Once the divine final decision is implemented, your effort certainly fails. There are cases of failure of contraceptives leading to pregnancy. This does not mean that we should neglect our efforts leaving everything to God. God said that His role comes in to picture only when the effort is put up by us (Vividhaa cha… Gita). Final decision in the form of fruit is left to God and not in your hands (Maa phaleshu... Gita). God will analyze both sides (fate and your present effort) and takes the decision, which cannot be generalized. It varies from case to case. Since this world has full of freedom, generally your efforts give corresponding results. If you put your finger in fire, it will burn. The fruits of such actions are not postponed to Bhoga loka or upper world. If you harm somebody, its fruit may be given here itself if the harmed person is very good and devotee. Such action is called as action of emergency (Atyutkata karma). If the harmed person is not so good, its fruit may be postponed to the upper worlds following the general norm that upper world is for fruits (Bhoga loka) and this world is for actions (Karma loka) with full freedom. If the harmed person is very bad, the fruit given will be good. So many interfering factors exist for the final decision of God and hence each case is highly specific and even two cases cannot have common judgement.

Limiting the scope of action to the boundary walls of human effort only, contraceptive is not sinful. Abortion is sin. Control of sex without contraceptives becomes impossible in the case of normal couple desiring for sex after putting a full stop for generation of further issues also. The leakage of sperm and ovum avoiding fertilization is not at all a sin. Even in the case of a perfect saint absorbed in God, the leakage sperm may happen due to normal biological chemistry of the body and it is not a sin. Desire limited to wife is not sin (Dharmaaviruddhah... Gita). Even in the absence of desire, leakage of sperm and ovum take place. All these stages are normal concepts of Biology. Beyond these stages, a special stage involving miracle by the grace of God may exist in which the sperm/ovum generated from blood may not have the generation at all. It happens as super natural miracle and such stage is called as Urdhvaretah. In the energetic body, blood does not exist at all. Only the energy is blood. There is no separate materialized nervous system in the energetic body. The nervous system is also in the form of energy. The energetic body itself is mainly mind (Manomayah... Veda). This is the reason why the punishments in the hell are received by the souls with highest sensitivity and hence the body is called as Yatanaashareeram, which means that the body is specialized for punishments. When the desire is absent, there is no sin at all even in the materialized body due to leakage of sperm or ovum. The desire behind the leakage gives rise to sin. Hence, Lord Buddha preached regarding the eradication of desire, which is root of the sin. Even in the time when sperm is not leaked, the desire about unethical sex brings the sin. When the desire is absent, neither leakage of sperm nor even the leakage of sperm during sex activity is a sin. The scholar called Shridhara wrote a famous commentary for the Bhagavatam. In the context of Krishna involved in the sex activity with Gopikas, he wrote in his commentary that Krishna did not leak the sperm in the sex activity. The legal point here is fertilization of ovum by the sperm resulting in illegal pregnancy. Shridhara feared for that and wrote in such a way. This is the problem of illegal sex in the human beings also. Krishna is the Lord with human body and even if the sperm leaked, He can control it from meeting the ovum! By His will, even if the fertilization takes place, no further development happens! But, by such control, the sin cannot be avoided. Such control by miraculous power is as good as control by a contraceptive. This is only to avoid the further complication as pregnancy in the illegal sex. Such control cannot cancel the sin because of the existence of root desire for illegal sex. In the case of Lord Krishna, such root desire for illegal sex did not exist because His intension was totally different standing on a different side, which is Nivrutti to test the love of sage in the form of Gopika to Him, competing with her justified and legal sex partner. Once the test is completed and the result is proved, Krishna did not repeat the sin either with Gopikas or with some other ladies in city. Non-repetition of sin is the perfect practical proof of theoretical desire as no-bad intention and presence of some other good intention. Krishna never returned to the village after leaving it in His 16^th year. Theory is the final order of the President, which should be backed by the practice or recommendation of Prime Minister. Desire decides the sin like Prime Minister. Practical proof of non-repetition is like the President’s order forming the basis of implementation. This special situation limited to such great sacred cases, completely liberalized eliminating hard points, is extended to the humanity in this Kali yuga as bumper offer. In those special cases, the hard points were that there was no bad desire, there was some good desire and no repetition of practical sin. Today, in the bumper offer, all these three hard points were excluded. You might had bad desire to do illegal sex, you might not had any other good desire except illegal sex and you might have repeated the practical sin till today. All the past sins are smashed, if you do not repeat the sin from today. Your over intelligence may propose that this bumper offer should be alive till your old age when you cannot involve in sex and since you have stopped illegal sex from that date, all the past sins should be smashed as per assurance of offer. God is the highest intellectual. He will certainly smash all the sins as per the offer. But, God will give all the past punishments multiplied by 100 to you for exploiting the offer through your nasty over intelligence. This is also a special bumper offer that is rarely given to special intellectuals like you. Never try to play with God. Once He starts playing, even your address will not be traced in this whole creation! Be sincere and loyal to God through total surrender expressing your difficulties and in-capabilities. God will certainly help you to come out of the problem.

4. Isn’t it far more important to bring forth better children than more number of children? Quality of progeny is far more important than quantity. How much worthier are the five noble sons (Pandavas) of Kunti and Pandu as compared to the hundred wicked children of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari? Which of the two couples contributed better in God’s mission?

5. Does masturbation not have any positive effects? Shouldn’t the term ‘Urdhvaretah’ be understood in a symbolic sense rather than in a physical sense?

Shri Swami Replied: Most of the basic points of these two answers are covered above. Practices like masturbation are as good as natural leakage of sperm in the final output. Of course, the natural leakage is without force and masturbation is with force. The condition of emotional status differs from one human being to other. The basic desire is to be analyzed regarding its ethical direction. Even unethical mental aspiration for a male or female is a sin (Ya aaste manasaa smaran— Gita) since the concept of sin is born and alive in the domain of awareness only. We cannot decide the sin just based on the inert activity. The mental setup responsible for such activity and during such activity decides the sin. The mental setup of a true doctor to touch the private parts of the body is only diagnosis preceding the treatment, which is essential and hence no sin. Certainly Pandavas (angels) are far better than Kauravas (demons). When a child is born, generally its mental setup is in very rigid state due to repeated inputs of the concepts for the past millions of lives and looks like a huge mountain that cannot be even vibrated. If God’s will based on His grace takes place, even the huge mountain can be lifted up by His tender finger! Our efforts are essential to induce strong devotion to God in the mind of the child. Knowledge creates devotion and devotion transforms the knowledge in to practice. Knowledge, right or wrong, is always attained from the external atmosphere with which the child is associated here. A parrot in hut of sage speaks the Vedic words. A parrot in the hut of hunter speaks words like attack, kill etc. The associating atmosphere decides your fate. This means that even the previous rigid fate can be changed by the knowledge that enters your brain from your associated atmosphere. If you can catch Satguru (Human incarnation—preacher), you are blessed by His extremely powerful knowledge, which surely powders your fate mountain like an atom bomb. So many meet and see the human incarnation feeling it as an ordinary human being. Some even mock, even criticize, even scold, even beat and even kill through crucifixion (Avajaananti maam... Gita)! Only few God-blessed souls can recognize it by the will of God only and get the salvation from the world through their devotion to It.

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