18 Mar 2025
1. Is selfishness the nature of the soul and impossible to get over?
[Ms. Saatvika asked: Paadanamaskaram Swami. Please forgive my ignorance and guide on following. Thank You for always being with me and guiding me. Swami You have given so many mantras for controlling ego. How do we control selfishness? Is selfishness the nature of the soul and impossible to get over it?]
Swami replied:- Selfishness means the quality of self. If the ring is made of gold, it will shine with yellow colour. Gold is self and yellow colour is selfishness. You are perfectly correct in saying that it is impossible to get rid of selfishness as long as self exists. But, selfishness is also a thought and not a material like your skin or flesh or blood. Gold is matter and the yellow colour is inert energy. Both matter and energy are strong and can’t be eliminated. A thought is a mode of nervous energy, which is very weak flowing in tender nerves. By the effort of your soul, the thought can be eliminated. Thought is also not directly the nervous energy and you need not say that any form of energy can’t be destroyed. Thought is only a mode of nervous energy like the shape of pot and not the material of pot. By firm decision and continuous effort (Abhyāsa), you can eliminate selfishness. An example exists in the world. Parents donate their property to their children without any selfishness. When selfishness can be eliminated in one place, why can’t you eliminate in other place especially in the case of the highest God?
2. If selfishness cannot be controlled, how can it be diverted to God?
[Swami, You have explained how every quality when it is diverted to God, becomes good. If selfishness cannot be controlled how it can be diverted to God for spiritual progress?]
Swami replied:- Any quality diverted to God becomes very good quality. Possessiveness of God is selfishness, but, such selfishness is also a good quality. Radha used to have such selfishness with God Krishna. The purity of God is so powerful that it can make any bad quality into a good quality. Even a thorny stick (bad quality) will be converted into holy ash (good quality) when it is put in fire (God).
3. How to have unwavering single pointed devotion?
Swami replied:- By firm decision and continuous practice, anything can be achieved. You should not be discouraged by failures during the period of continuous practice.
4. Swami, how can an ambitious person divert their qualities to God?
Swami replied:- If the ambition is for God and not for any worldly item, the ambition serves as a powerful grip to catch God with firmness.
5. Swami, can the constant expansion of the universe be considered as crossing Mula Maya?
Swami replied:- Crossing Mula Maya itself means crossing the nature of space. In such case, how can the constant expansion of space (or universe) be considered as crossing Mula Maya? Your question is beyond the boundary wall of My intelligence!
6. Why is God pleased with Pundarika?
[Swami, God usually tests the devotion of the devotee. In the case of Pundalik, he made Panduranga Vithala to wait while he was busy serving his parents. Why is God pleased with his behaviour?]
Swami replied:- This story is fabricated by the worldly scholars to give more importance to Pravrutti (worldly life) than Nivrutti (Spiritual life). On hearing this story, both Prahlada (who rejected his father for the sake of God) and Shankara (who rejected His mother for the sake of God) will swallow potassium cyanide!
7. If the goal is God, do the length and duration of the path make any difference?
[Swami, generally, being a householder considered as a long route whereas being a Samnyaasi is considered as straight path. If the goal of both the paths is God, does the length and duration of the path make any difference. As long as goal is You, is it important, which path we are choosing?]
Swami replied:- The goal is to pass the IAS Examination. But, the student never works for it. But still, his goal is to pass the IAS Examination only! The path may be long or short and the traveller may be householder or saint – everything depends on the effort done to achieve the goal. Otherwise, the goal will stand as it is without any disturbance throughout the life.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★