11 Aug 2021
1. What is Kaivalyam and Saayujyam?
Smt. Anita Renkuntla asked: Swāmiji, I am confused with the terms like Kaivalyam and Sāyujyam. How are they different from each other?
Swāmi Replied:- Kaivalya means oneness. Sāyujya means association. Two metals like copper and gold may mix homogeneously to become one solid solution. Even in that solid solution, atoms of copper exist differently from atoms of gold. Solid solution is said to be one, but, it is a two component system. When unimaginable God merges with the medium, there can be Sāyujyam and real Kaivalyam also. God may merge and exist in dualistic state with the devoted soul and this is Sāyujyam. God may merge and may exist in monistic state as in the human incarnation. Kaivalyam is not possible in worldly examples, but, is possible in the case of unimaginable God.
2. What do the following signify?
[Ms. Mohini asked: Pādanamaskāraṃ swāmiji.i) when ladies go to church they will wear scarf on their heads while praying, is there any reason for this swāmi? ii) When I was small kid my grandmother said if you have a tattoo (God symbol) on your hand, you will go to heaven. Is it correct? Then what is the essence of tattoo?]
Swāmi Replied (i and ii):- Both these are only external cultural traditions, which have nothing to do with the Spiritual line. Of course, such things may promote devotion psychologically to certain extent because an impression created by elders will work in positive direction only at least to some extent. But, you should not give more importance than this psychological rubbed impression. In reality, such traditions have no connection with the reality, but, through brainwash psychology, they may have some good affect. Even without these traditions, there are several devotees, who have reached very high level in the devotion.
3. Does eating of onion and garlic affect our qualities?
[Smt. Archana Shukla asked: Pādanamaskāraṃ Swāmiji 🙏 Why it is said that to attain Sāttvika guṇa will have to stop eating onion and garlic. Is it so that eating both these items our Rajas and Tamo guṇa will increase? But I saw many who are not consuming both onion and garlic still they have Tāmasika and Rājasika Pravṛtti. Is our guṇa depend on our eating habits? Please enlighten me. On Your lotus feet 🙏🙏🙏]
Swāmi Replied:- Certainly the habits of eating are related to different qualities as said in the Gītā. Onion and garlic have certain specific medicinal values, which can be used whenever required. When not required, they can be avoided. It is a point of pure medical science and Āyurvedam. One has to select or leave these based on the constitution of the body reacting towards any food material including onion and garlic.
4. What does the Bhagavad Gītā say about life after death?
[Śrī Hrushikesh asked: Dear Swāmi, Request You to give Jñāna Bhikṣā by answering the below questions asked on the social question-and-answer website by Tulasi Maharani (Fiona). What does Bhagavad Gītā say about life after death? Daṇḍavat Praṇām at Your Lotus Feet, Hrushikesh]
Swāmi Replied:- The Bhagavad Gītā clearly says life after death in the upper worlds like heaven and hell (Kṣīṇe puṇye…, Trividhaṃ narkasyedam… - Gītā).
5. How to discard old photos or idols of Gods and Goddesses?
[Mrs. Priyanka asked: Pādanamaskāraṃ Swāmi, I had a doubt on how to discard old photos or idols of Gods and Goddesses. People have advised me to leave it at temples so that somebody who wants it can take it. But what if it got spoilt or old or I want to change the photo? How should I proceed?
Also, many people give idols of Gods and Goddesses as a gift during occasions. Sometimes, we end up getting many statues of the same God. It ends up being re-gifted to someone else in future or adds onto the pūjā room of the house. Soon, we end up having multiples of them. How can we deal with this correctly? At Your lotus feet, Priyanka]
Swāmi Replied:- You can leave all such photos in temples under a holy tree. If you like you can keep the idols and photos in prayer room or on the walls of your house. If you feel that many exist, you can present some of them to your co-devotees.
6. Is the theory of karma so cleverly designed so that it can neither be refuted scientifically nor confirmed?
[Śrī Hrushikesh asked: Dear Swāmi, Request You to give Jñāna Bhikṣā by answering the below questions asked on social question-and-answer website. Has the theory of karma been so cleverly designed that it can be scientifically neither refuted nor confirmed?]
Swāmi Replied:- Every design of the universe is done by the unimaginable God whose capacity of planning is unimaginable.
7. What is the difference between Vedāṅga, Upaveda, and Vedānta?
Swāmi Replied:- Vedāṅga means a part of Spiritual knowledge because the Veda means knowledge and Aṅga means part. Upa-Veda means some separate knowledge which is very close to the Spiritual knowledge in the sense that it is as sacred as the Spiritual knowledge. Vedānta means the climax of Spiritual knowledge.
8. What are some things in the Bible that raise more questions than they answer?
Swāmi Replied:- We should not comment on any holy scripture. All Holy Scriptures are equal with each other in merits established by God and in defects inserted by followers.
9. What do the 4 petals in Mūlādhāra and 6 in Svādhiṣṭhāna signify?
[Why are there petals 4 in the Mūlādhāra and 6 in the Svādhiṣṭhāna? What does it symbolize? Daṇḍavat Praṇām at Your Lotus Feet, Hrushikesh]
Swāmi Replied:- The number of petals has no significance as far as the concept of Spiritual knowledge is concerned.
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