31 Mar 2023
1. Is Datta the sole permanent mediated incarnation? If so, what about in other universes?
[A question by Mr. Talin Rowe]
Swami replied:- The entire creation can be taken as a single universe in which God Datta is the first expressed eternal energetic incarnation of the unimaginable God, called Parabrahman.
2. What is meant by “real” versus “non-real”?
[What is meant by real versus non-real? Or is this just a phrasing in order to further differentiate the complete difference in nature of unimaginable God and our experience as souls? Is there a reality that is more real than our reality which is the domain of God? Or is God the sole item in that unimaginable reality, thus making it the absolute reference for all realities, that have a cause from the absolute reference being the unimaginable God?]
Swami replied:- Reality is always one only and the other is non-reality or unreal. This is qualitatively the fundamental concept of reality. There can be various grades in reality based on the quantitative differences due to concentration and dilution of an item expressed as gross state and subtle state. Based on this, the Jain philosophy classifies the truth as seven fold (Saptabhangii). A subtle thing may give rise to the doubt of existence or non-existence. A very subtle thing may be thought as non-existent. All these are different phases based on concentration and dilution and reality is the common concept. Non-reality never exists whereas reality may give rise to doubt of non-existence based on the extent of dilution. The Gita clearly proves two items only which are existent and non-existent (Nā'sato vidyate bhāvo…).
3. How is it possible that subtle and causal bodies exist and have thoughts while the gross body is left here?
[In the Datta Bhagavat Gita, it is written: “If we remove inert energy (by not giving food to You) and remove Your brain and nervous system (by doing surgery), if still awareness exists in You, we shall certainly treat You as God.” After death, we still have a soul, and this soul exists in energetic form… in Buddhism, there is the concept called as Bardo, or an intermediate state. Here your consciousness is said to exist whereas your gross body is non-existent. How is it possible that a subtle and causal body can exist and have thoughts while the gross body has passed away? Isn’t awareness and thoughts generated from food items?]
Swami replied:- If the theory is correct in the way you have presented here, how do you explain the remembrance of details of previous births in some cases as reported often? Absence of explanation for this question infers the theory that the individual soul with all main impressed ideas leaves the gross body at the time of death. The food items are converted into inert energy and inert energy is converted into awareness in the brain-nervous system. The soul leaves the gross body entering a subtle body made of inert energy and takes energy as food directly from cosmic energy so that the absorbed inert energy is converted into awareness in the subtle body. Such a mechanism is not impossible from the view of science today.
4. Does the relative awareness of Lord Datta before unimaginable God pervades Him, have any impact on the personality of God?
[Does the relative awareness of Lord Datta from prior to the unimaginable God pervading Datta, have any impact on the personality of God? If The unimaginable absolute God is beyond divine personality, is it the divine personality of Datta the mediated God who we are blessed to get to know better? Are the personalities of the mediated incarnations, determined by the mediated or a reflection of the mediator?]
Swami replied:- The energetic body of Datta was created with the pure soul without any thoughts and the unimaginable God merged with Him as soon as Datta was created. This pure soul of Datta is with zero thoughts. It is just like pure awareness created from food and unimaginable God entered Datta to make Him God Datta and the personality (thoughts) of the unimaginable God alone exists as the personality of God Datta. It is just like our personality after taking food that got strengthened without the addition of any new thought introduced from inert energy of food. The unimaginable God is not beyond divine personality (divine qualities) and the only point here is the unimaginable background mechanism of maintaining the divine personality without inert energy and without a materialized nervous system. The thought system is maintained without awareness in the unimaginable God and this is due to the omnipotence of the unimaginable God. The same personality of unimaginable God exists in God Datta and thus, we say that there is no difference between the unmediated unimaginable God and the mediated unimaginable God, called as God Datta.
5. Please clarify. In attachment to God, let’s say the bond becomes very, very strong. Can we say that God is the highest and the most important bond in a devotee’s life?
Swami replied:- The bond with God may become strong or weak, which has nothing to do with the strength of God. The strength of this bond can make the devotee more and more strong due to the omnipotence of God.
6. What is the end of the spiritual path? Is this the purpose of human life?
[What is the end of the spiritual path? We say that a person is a spiritual aspirant, that they are on the spiritual path, what is this path? Where does it lead? Is this the purpose of human life?]
Swami replied:- The end of the spiritual path is to please the Father of heaven and this is the stage of the final fruit. Naturally, this is the most important aspect of the spiritual life of a soul.
7. In the relationship of God and devotee, is the aspiration for love, wrong?
[In the relationship of God and devotee, is the aspiration of love, wrong? Let’s say you do not aspire for any practical fruits, you trust the meaning of love. Is it wrong that in wanting to give your love, to aspire for love in return? Is this a type of aspiration?]
Swami replied:- If your love is generated based on the aspiration for fruit in return (You can say this as love in return.), God is not pleased with you because your love is based on the fruit but not on the divine personality of God that attracts you. The transaction of love shall not be based on business concept.
8. You mentioned that it is better to be far from the incarnation so that devotion doesn’t decrease. Please enlighten more.
[I ask this as a follow up question. When asked If geographical proximity to God is important, You responded that it is better to be far from the mediated incarnation so that devotion doesn’t decrease.]
Swami replied:- Staying near the human incarnation develops negligence because the external gross body exhibits its own natural properties like eating, drinking, sleep etc. The commonality between the human bodies brings repulsion and negligence towards the contemporary human incarnation since it is misunderstood as an ordinary human being. God does not interfere with the properties of the medium just like electricity flowing does not interfere with the properties of the metallic wire like leanness etc. The common properties will encourage humanity to mix freely with the human incarnation so that doubts can be asked without any excitation. But, this good aspect misfires with humanity because this aspect leads humanity to think that the human incarnation is an ordinary human being.
9. You mentioned ‘karma means only the work of God which is propagation of spiritual knowledge and devotion…’. Is this defined as the service to God?
[You’ve written that in the work of God, “karma means only the work of God which is propagation of spiritual knowledge and devotion to uplift the humanity (Nivrutti) along with peace in society (Pravrutti)” my question is: are these what are defined as service to God? As long as an activity is within these actions, combined with sacrifice of money, then this is what encompasses the most general service towards God except in specific circumstances?]
Swami replied:- All these steps come under service to God by which God is pleased if the humanity or His creation is uplifted from the present worsening situation. Out of all these steps, the first step called knowledge is the foundation of the whole developing structure.
10. Satya Sai told that education etc., are signs of weakness but morals will exalt man to a higher place. Is strength of personality a sign of weakness?
[A previous incarnation, Satya Sai Baba, told that the power of will, the power of intelligence, and the power of education are signs of weakness. I am paraphrasing but He said it is character and morals that will exalt man to a higher place. Is strength of personality also a sign of weakness?]
Swami replied:- Strength of personality comes under character, which is the internal value. The materialistic education is the external value that is very much emphasized in the present days. Without the association of internal value, the external values lead to final destruction only. Study of atomic energy and its use as electricity is related to internal value. The same atomic energy used to bomb and blast some portion of humanity is the external value without the internal value.
11. How does one build charisma, if not with the grace of God?
[How does one build charisma, if not with the grace of God? Don’t the remainder of the qualities, intelligence, education help in the development of character and morals if pointed in a correct direction?]
Swami replied:- Character and morals also become external values when compared with the devotion to God. In the direction of journey from external values to internal values, professional education, moral standards and devotion to God come as milestones.
12. What is the difference between the atma and the jiiva? What are they?
Swami replied:- Atma by root meaning is that which pervades in space as the basic causal material like inert energy for awareness. Jiiva (awareness as bundle of qualities) means awareness, which is different from the inert field.
13. How can You make Your soul better? Are You able to change the qualities of Your soul?
[How can You make Your soul be better? Are You able to change the qualities of Your soul? As in imprinted characteristics of favorable traits onto Your soul so that they become embedded into who You are.]
Swami replied:- Quality denotes property of inert items as well as items with awareness. Scent is a property of flower. Greediness is a property of an individual soul. Changing bad qualities into good qualities (Good and bad are dependent on the direction of application of any quality. E.g. Showing anger on a good person is bad and showing anger on a bad person is good) must be deeply understood. The topmost good quality is devotion to God with fear for sin. A quality depends upon the association and one can change qualities by changing the associations with people, films and books.
14. Is there varying potential of spiritual depth for souls? Or is the potential limitless due to the monistic nature of creation?
[Is there varying potential of spiritual depth for souls? Does this potential differ from one soul to the next? Or is the potential limitless due to the monistic nature of creation?]
Swami replied:- Creation has plural nature and God only has monistic nature. The soul associated with creation and the soul associated with God differ in their natures. Spiritual depth is only the absence of selfishness of the soul.
15. What is spirituality? Is it about the nature of a relationship to God or is it a process? If it is a process, then what does that process consist of?
Swami replied:- Gross-subtle-unimaginable states of nature denote world, soul and God respectively. Both soul and God come under spirituality. It is about the nature of relationship to God and is also a process of travel of the soul from world to God.
16. Is there an end to reincarnation (re-manifestation)?
Swami replied:- There cannot be an end because the creation is maintained for endless entertainment of God even though intervals exist.
17. How can one work best alongside God’s administration?
[How can we best work alongside God’s administration, so that both God is pleased and we are pleased? You want the person You love to be happy, and thus it makes You happy, and vice versa.]
Swami replied:- Don’t compare God with any person in this world. You may give pleasure to God, but, God gives infinite pleasure to you, which is called as bliss.
18. Is there a good source of ethics or virtues You would recommend to understand the virtues that God appreciates in a person?
[Is there a good source of ethics or virtues that You would recommend, in order to understand the virtues that God appreciates in a person? Or at least make for an ideal person to function within the administration of God?]
Swami replied:- Eradication of unjust selfishness pleases God very much. Minimum justice is done by God to every soul and hence, justified selfishness is also not to be thought over.
19. Is love and benevolence one of the core characteristics of the mediated God as espoused by the Abrahamic religions?
Swami replied:- Love towards good people is the divine core characteristic of God.
20. Is it possible to be free from karma? How can You end Your karma?
Swami replied:- If karma or action is stopped, you can’t even live in this world.
21. How can one keep their mind firmly fixed on someone that is in root nature, inexpressible and unimaginable?
[What is samadhi? How can one keep their mind firmly fixed on someone that is in root nature, inexpressible and unimaginable? Even through a mediated form, isn’t the concept of divinity even beyond human comprehension?]
Swami replied:- Divinity is originally beyond human comprehension. To avoid this difficulty, God has come down so much that He comes in human form to us.
22. Is there any way to make a devotee’s mental impressions more receptive to remain in the correct spiritual path from one life to the next?
[Mr. Talin Rowe asked: Hello Blessed Shri Swami, I was reading a post of a discourse by You, and It made me wonder if there are ways to more effectively improve the function of samskaras from one life to the next? Is there a better way to make a devotee’s mental impressions more receptive so that they can remain in the correct spiritual line from one life to the next? Thank you, and I appreciate your kindness. I hope we can use any of this excellent knowledge to better serve God and our communities. Talin Rowe]
Swami replied:- Next life means only tomorrow. The deep sleep is the death of the soul because awareness disappears in it since the brain-nervous system pertaining to the activity of awareness takes rest. Death is not different from deep sleep and tomorrow is not different from the next birth. You must pray God before you go into the deep sleep and thank God when you awake from sleep. These two activities regularly are sufficient to grant your desire.
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