Posted on: 01 Mar 2023
1. Will the crying of relatives give more pain to the departed soul?
[Ms. Thrylokya asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, It is said in the Shastras that we should not cry when someone dies because it gives more pain to the departed soul. Is it true or is it just an arthavaada (a lie told to console the grieving relatives)?]
Swami replied:- Even if it is Arthavaada, it is good in the welfare of the soul. “Svajanāśru kilāti santatam, dahati pretamiti pracakṣate” means that the tears flowing from the eyes of the weeping relative will give burning pain to the departed soul. Instead of weeping and making the soul to suffer, it is better to read the Bhagavad Gita so that the departed soul rests in peace.
2. Is taking wine a sinful deed?
[Ms. Thrylokya asked: Paadanamaskaram Swami, Is taking wine a sinful deed even if we don't harm other souls after taking wine?]
Swami replied:- If you are not harming other souls the sin is reduced to half. The other half of the sin is due to your harming your own life resulting in suicide, which is a very serious sin as told by the Veda.
3. Will the feeling of misery that I am unable to serve God practically also be considered real devotion?
[We learnt from You that serving God practically is real devotion. Will the feeling of misery that I am unable to serve God practically, also be considered as real devotion? At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Thrylokya]
Swami replied:- If the feeling is real based on the force of surrounding parameters, it is certainly considered. Practical devotion is valid within the boundaries of practical limits.
4. Is it true that lying to conduct a marriage is not a sin?
[Shri Ganesh asked: Padanamaskaram Swamiji, It is written in the shastras that it is not a sin to lie to conduct a marriage. But what if the lie is to hide a certain disease that might be transferred to the partner or to the child after marriage? Is it still acceptable? At your divine feet, Ganesh V]
Swami replied:- Lies can be told in the case of small things because there are several relatives, who try to spoil the marriage by their silly objections. This cannot be generalized and cannot be extended to serious things also.
5. Is it acceptable to expect help from co-devotees?
[Smt. Lakshmi Lavanya K asked: Namaste Swami. In our spiritual journey, is it okay to expect help from co Devotees?]
Swami replied:- Help from co-devotees can be expected, provided it is to develop efficient logical analysis before drawing conclusions.
6. Please clarify whether my following angle is correct.
[My friend expects that her co-devotees share everything (spiritually) with her, but sometimes she feels sad that they are not sharing with her, avoiding her. I feel I should maintain bond only with You, all knowledge and help getting from others is only because of You, so I shouldn't consider others and their feelings. Please clarify which angle is correct.]
Swami replied:- I am not responsible for your share of knowledge from others. I am responsible for the spiritual knowledge preached by Me. You must analyse carefully the knowledge of any person including the Sadguru.
7. If people misunderstand whatever I discuss in negative angle, what should I do?
[In some situations, I feel that the knowledge told by me was misunderstood (I told in one positive angle, but it was understood in another negative angle and they are not willing to discuss). Please clarify if that is my fault or not. What should I do? I am in confusion.]
Swami replied:- You must specify your angle whenever you say any concept of spiritual knowledge.
8. Isn't eligibility necessary to participate in Your mission?
[To participate in Your mission directly, to work with You directly, isn't eligibility necessary? (Everyone makes friendship with equal level persons; I feel same with You also.) please clarify. Thank You Swami.]
Swami replied:- Propagation of spiritual knowledge at your level is also welcome because there are several souls below your level to whom you can preach the knowledge of their level.
9. Do rocks and trees have souls?
[Shri Divakara rao asked: Padnamaskaram Swami, Please clarify the doubts mentioned below. Please apologize if I made any mistakes. Do rocks and trees also have souls?]
Swami replied:- Rocks and trees also have souls but they are in coma state and hence, they are not considered. When the soul needs long time of such coma state so that the intensity of bad qualities disappears, such births are given by God.
10. Does all souls have an equal number of past births currently?
Swami replied:- Not necessary. The duration of the stay of the soul on the earth and in the upper worlds varies from one soul to the other.
11. Does the parent's deeds affect their children's karma chakra?
Swami replied:- The fruits of deeds (bad or good) are arranged in such way that both parents and issues suffer or enjoy together by a single fruit. Such administration talents exist in the divine administration.
12. Is it true that marriages are made in heaven?
Swami replied:- The effect of deeds of previous births and independence of the soul on the earth work together and the stronger side will result finally.
13. Will the individual's external appearance or beauty be determined by the deeds performed by that soul in previous lives?
Swami replied:- Such influence certainly exists to a little extent.
14. Is it true that dead ancestors take birth as their children?
[Is it true that dead ancestors take birth as their children or grandchildren sometimes? Regards, Servant at Your feet, Divakara rao.]
Swami replied:- The rebirth depends on the coincidence of the behaviour of the soul and the behaviour of a family already existing on the earth. The soul reaches such a family for rebirth where the coincidence of qualities exists to a great extent.
15. Why can a devotee not have attachments to both Lord and worldly things?
[Nathanel Aucoin asked: Hello, this is a question for the Esteemed and Holy Lord Swami. Why is suffering from stress and misery necessary in order to lose attachments? Why cannot a Devotee have attachments to both The Lord and to worldly things? By Nathanel Aucoin]
Swami replied:- Stress and misery are not necessary to lose attachments. The detachment from worldly bonds must come due to the attachment to God and any other reason is invalid. Attachment with both worldly bonds and God is the intermediate state of low and high levels. In the low level only, worldly bonds exist and in high state only, bond with God exists.
16. How to convince people saying that nothing happens without God’s permission?
[Smt. Chhanda asked: Swami, even the theists say that nothing can happen without the approval of God (even the bad). How to convince them logically? At Your divine lotus feet, Chhanda]
Swami replied:- Neither good nor bad happens to anybody without the giver of such fruits and God is the giver of both good and bad fruits.
17. Please explain the following statement of Sri Ramana Maharshi.
[Swami, once Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi stated that in the eyes of a Jnani, all are Jnanis; in the eyes of an Ajnani, even a Jnani is an Ajnani. Second part is understood but how to explain the first part my Lord? Then will not the enlightened people stop propagating true knowledge. Please enlighten me. Prostrating at Your divine lotus feet, Chhanda.]
Swami replied:- In the eyes of a real Jnaani, Jnaani is Jnaani and Ajnaani is Ajnaani. Always both Jnaanis and Ajnaanis exist in this world. If one sees all as Jnaani or Ajnaani, such a person is not a jnaani at all. Extreme conclusions are always erroneous.
18. Is there anything like Krama Mukti apart from Jeevanmukti?
[Swami, is there anything like 'KRAMAMUKTI' apart from Jeevanmukti and Bidehamukti? Please explain this. At Your lotus feet always Chhanda]
Swami replied:- Kramamukti means getting salvation from worldly bonds due to attachment to God step by step in the life and reaching the goal at least in old age. Jiivan mukti is getting such salvation while the soul is alive on the earth. There is no Videha mukti (getting salvation from worldly bonds after death) because only the soul getting jiivan mukti alone gets Videha mukti.
19. Is it possible to receive initiation?
[Shri Sreekanth ganta asked: I have not seen real God, please allow me into Your lineage.
Hi Swami, My name is Sreekanth Ganta born in Kadapa town, currently working in Denver USA, Pranamams to Your lotus feet, is it possible to receive initiation; currently i am practising YSS Kriya Yoga meditation. Thanks, Sreekanth. By Sreekanth ganta]
Swami replied:- Taking the help of Sadguru in spiritual path wherever is necessary is called as initiation.
20. Why God preached Spiritual Knowledge from the level of Advaita to the level of Dvaita in India only?
[Shri Bharath Krishna asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, In India, through various Incarnations, God preached Spiritual Knowledge from the level of Advaita to Dvaita. In contrast, in the west, God revealed through various Prophets Dvaita sense first and later through Lord Jesus Advaita sense. Swami, can You please explain why this difference is there or if I have misunderstood that there is a difference? Your devotee, Bharath Krishna.]
Swami replied:- In India, the development of spiritual atmosphere was from Atheism to theism. Advaita is inevitable while preaching atheists. Ancient foreigners were good theists and the modern foreigners are strong atheists due to overgrowth of science. In India, even though science developed, it was largely under the control of spiritual thinking since spiritual knowledge was very much propagated in India.