02 Dec 2024
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,
1. Devotees are within certain boundaries whereas social reformers are unbounded. Please comment.
[Smt. Sudha Rani asked:- Paadanamaskaaram Swami. Thank You, Swami, for guiding us from darkness to light. Below is a question from a social servant. “In society, devotees are observed to be within certain boundaries, whereas social reformers are unbounded with respect to country, state, religion, caste, race, creed etc. He says that devotion binds the person in its own way”. Swami, please comment.]
Swami replied:- Devotion also makes the devotee to serve the devotees of various religions because the same one God created all the living beings. Every religion at higher level is based on universal spirituality only. The propagation of God is most important because the devotion to God brings the fear for sin, which makes the society peaceful. God is much much greater than the society consisting of human souls. Many a time social service is used by politicians to get votes and earn illegal money. In the case of devotion to God, such exploitations cannot take place due to fear for God, who punishes sins in unimaginable ways.
2. Can we apply the concept of the verse ‘Atmanastu Kamaya sarvam Priyam bhavati’ to a fan devotee?
[Shri Ganesh V asked: Padanamaskaram Swamiji, can we apply the concept of the verse of Atmanastu Kamaya sarvam Priyam bhavati to a fan devotee since he or she derives theoretical happiness by serving God? At your divine feet, Ganesh V]
Swami replied:- This is not a worthy and relevant concept to the case of a true devotee since it speaks about the selfishness of a human soul while that soul loves other souls. A fan devotee is the highest having no selfishness at all, standing at the climax of devotion and sacrifice to God. A true devotee serves God without any selfish desire including divine bliss. The divine bliss is granted by God to the devotee since he/she did not aspire anything from God.
3. The Central Waqf Board created a new Islamic Holy book by omitting 26 verses from the Quran as they promote terrorism. What is Your opinion on this?
[Shri Anil Asked: Padanamaskaram Swami, Central Waqf Board's Chairman Waseem Rizvi informed that he has created a new Islamic Holy book, after omitting 26 verses from the Quran (Quran Verse 2:191, 3:151, 4:56, 4:89, 4:101, 5:14, 5:51, 5:57, 8:65, 8:69, 9:5, 9:14, 9:23, 9:28, 9:29, 9:37, 9:58, 9:111, 9:123, 21:98, 32:22, 33:61, 41:27, 41:28, 48:20 and 66:9). He has argued that the 26 verses promote terrorism and has requested PM Modi to authorize the use of his ‘new Quran’ in all madrasas and Muslim institutes in the country. Swami, what is Your opinion on this? At Your Divine Lotus Feet-anil]
Swami replied:- If these verses promote terrorism, they are certainly inserted by people following terrorism. Instead of omitting them, they can be marked separately with My above said comment.
4. Please let us know the difference between Christ Consciousness and Krishna Consciousness.
[A question by Shri Rajesh]
Swami replied:- If you look at the unimaginable God present in Krishna and Jesus in merged state, both are one and the same. If you look at the external forms, both are different based on the different cultures of both religions.
5. Why does my mom not recognize my efforts and always keep taunting me for something beyond my control?
[Trupti Patel asked: Why my mom doesn't recognize my efforts and always keeps taunting and triggering me for something beyond my control? Does it have to be past life karma? If we fight and she says something terribly hurtful, I say something hurtful as well. Am I making bad karma? Should I keep quiet and just take the hurt she is giving to avoid bad karma? By Trupti Patel]
Swami replied:- If you are patient, you are certainly exhausting the roots of your sins. If you are retorting, you are again accumulating sins.
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