18 May 2023
1. How should I feel the presence of God every moment in my daily life?
[Ms. Bhanu Samykya asked: Paadanamaskaaram Swami, You told in a Bhajan that God is always present with every soul like it's shadow. If so, how should I feel the presence of God every moment in my daily life?]
Swami replied:- For a human being, the contemporary human incarnation is the relevant God. Hanuman always remembers Rama. Remembering does not mean simply chanting the name without mental feeling. Thinking about the greatness of Rama, remembering several incidents in which His personality got projected is the real essence of the word ‘remembering’. The remembering should generate true love on God and if remembering means simply chanting the name, it only generates severe headache!
2. Are faith and self-confidence contrary to each other or mutually supporting each other?
[Padanamskaram Swami]
Swami replied:- Self-confidence is also necessary up to certain average level like the normal temperature of the body. Faith is generally related to God and any excess extent is good.
3. Did Job suffer for the sake of the test of God or due to his own past bad Karma?
[Padanamaskaram Swami, In the story of a devotee named Job in the Bible. God accepts the proposal of Satan to put Job into suffering to test His real devotion to God. Did Job suffer for the sake of the test or due to his own past bad Karma?]
Swami replied:- A bad action of a soul is always used in a test so that even if the individual fails in the test, no damage due to the test happens since the fruit of a bad action is exhausted. The test is put not for the sake of God to know the truth since God is omniscient. It is only put for the sake of the devotee because the devotee has ignorance about the truth of the real progress in spiritual line.
4. God showed Job the creation in depth. Was it like vishwaroopam shown by God Krishna?
[Initially Job accepts all the suffering equally as happiness by always praising God even in suffering. But, when the suffering increases, Job accuses God for it. Later, God shows him the creation in depth. Was it like vishwaroopam shown by God Krishna?]
Swami replied:- God showed the Vishwaruupam to true devotees present in the creation, who were suffering more than Job and yet, were praying God.
5. God showed two wild animals to Job. Does is it have any spiritual significance?
[It is also told that God showed two wild animals of creation (behemoth, leviathan) as the token of beauty of creation. Does this have any spiritual significance?]
Swami replied:- One shall not be carried away by the external beauty because the internal wildness is not recognized.
6. God blessed Job again with the lost wealth, family and health after the test. Can we take Job as the same as Sudama?
Swami replied:- You can have some comparison with Sudaama and simultaneously you will find differences also about which we are not bothered because each story gives its own specific message. Test is only to educate the devotee and not to bring worry to him due to the test.
7. What is the lesson to learn from Job?
[Thank You so much Swami. At Your Divine Lotus Feet, Bhanu Samykya.]
Swami replied:- One shall not criticize God in difficulties however much they may be. Internal beauty is always eternal. God gives difficulties to the devotee only to change his attitude only and not to make him suffer.
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