09 Jan 2024
1. a) Will the rituals done by politicians/businessmen with their corrupted money succeed or not?
[Shri Satthi Reddy asked: Mee Paadapadmalaku Namaskaram Swamiji, Swamiji, I have heard on the YouTube channel that one wealthy businessman who earned money in the alcohol business once went near a great saint because the saint was performing some ritual. He put bags of money in front of the saint and asked her to perform that ritual. The great saint refused to even see that money. My questions are: Will the rituals done by politicians or business men through their corrupted money succeed or not?]
Swami replied:- Instead of using the corrupt money for the progress of children, since such money destroys all the future generations, it is better to spend in feeding and serving the poor beggars. In rituals, ghee is burnt in physical fire and hence, that is not good. It is good that the saint rejected the money.
b) What about the politicians/businessmen who are very poor but sincere in their work and cannot spend money on rituals to please God?
[What about politicians or businessmen who are very poor but sincere in their work and cannot spend that much money on rituals to please God? Can't they win because sinners have more instrumental devotion to God compared to sincere people? Because sincere people will have egos about their sincerity, who will win the grace of Swamiji?]
Swami replied:- They need not spend money in rituals for burning the ghee in the fire. To have ego for one’s own sincerity is a negligible sin. Sincerity will certainly please God.
2. Should a priest, performing a ritual, analyze it while performing it for the sake of people?
[Swamiji, should a priest or brahmin who is performing a puja or ritual analyze it while performing it for people who are in instrumental devotion to God? Because, after getting into power and money, they will forget not only the priest but also God and do more sins. Is the brahmin also responsible for their deeds, sometimes they perform rituals for ego satisfaction even though he is not involved in that scandals.]
Swami replied:- Sin has to be exhausted by punishments only. Ego promotes sin. If the sinner is a devotee, there is a chance for his reformation in course of time and hence, God postpones the punishments to future along with more interest. There is more possibility for the reformation in the case of a devoted soul.
3. What parameters and qualities should a receiver analyze before receiving a donation from a person?
[Swamiji, donation is a double-edged knife. My question is whether the receiver who is receiving the money should also analyze whether the person who is donating is deserving. What parameters and qualities should a receiver analyze before receiving money or anything from a person who is donating to him?]
Swami replied:- The donor is donating the money without having selfish interest on his family bonds. This makes the donor always to become deserving. Hence, only the receiver must be perfectly analyzed in the donation. The Veda says that the receiver must have complete spiritual knowledge and also the receiver shall not aspire even a paise from anybody (Śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya). Such lack of aspiration for benefit from anybody helps the soul not to have aspiration for any return from God. The spiritual knowledge of the receiver makes the receiver to become a perfect devotee to God. Finally, the result is that the receiver must be the strongest devotee of God without any aspiration of anything in return from God.
4. How should the receiver be towards the donor, whether he should be grateful to God or to the donor?
[Shri Satthi Reddy asked: Mee Paadapadmalaku Namaskram Swamiji, how should the receiver be towards the donor, whether he should be grateful towards God or to the donor? How much gratitude should we show to him? Being a receiver, should the receiver do whatever the donor has ordered him, even though it is adharmic and work like a slave to him? Swamiji, if anything wrong is there in writing the question itself please teach to this beggar satthireddy 🙏🙏🙏]
Swami replied:- The receiver must be grateful to the donor and also God because due to the will of God only, the donor is donating to the receiver. If the donor wants the receiver to do some sin in view of his donation, it is only employment and no more it is donation.
5. Are unimaginable God and unimaginable power one and the same?
[According to the Kashi Gita for Pravrutti, there is no need for a human form of God; the power of God is pervading all over the world. You can pray in any way and get benefits. You can serve a statue or pray to a formless God. God's power responds only to Nivrutti's human incarnation, which is essential from the beginning. Swamiji, my questions are: Are unimaginable God and unimaginable power one and the same? If the power of God is pervading all over the world, does that mean unimaginable power is omnipresence? Even Your unimaginable power works as per Your will, Swamiji, then why not come directly to You and ask for Pravrutti because even I am unable to set my Pravrutti. Swamiji, if anything wrong is there in writing the question itself please teach to this beggar satthireddy 🙏🙏🙏]
Swami replied:- Unimaginable power and unimaginable God are one and the same because no two unimaginable items co-exist. I have told that God or God’s power is not omnipresent because God and His power are beyond the creation. But, due to omnipotence and omniscience of God, God is effectively omnipresent and omniscient.
6. Unimaginable power pervades all over the world. Does it mean the body of the Human Incarnation of God or the world?
[Swamiji, the unimaginable power pervading all over the world means, here, in this context, should we take the body of the Human Incarnation of God or the world? Swamiji, if anything wrong is there in writing the question itself please teach to this beggar satthireddy 🙏🙏🙏]
Swami replied:- The body of the human incarnation is like the body of an ordinary human being only. When Krishna showed cosmic vision, that was a special occasion in which the unimaginable power of the unimaginable God was involved.
7. Does total surrender to God mean that I should leave everything, including seva to devotees and concentrate only on pleasing God?
[Shri Satthi Reddy asked: Mee Paada Padmaalaku Namaskaram Swamiji, I am the most selfish being in this entire creation. Swamiji You talked about aspiration-free devotion, but I am full of aspiration and a confused being. Many people say seva, devotional activities or anything related to God or society. Whatever we do, we will return to multiply punyam or paapam, which is nothing but preaching about prostitute devotion and business devotion. Swamiji please forgive me for these lengthy questions🙏🙏🙏 My questions are: Should I divide my view and work for getting punyam and good fruits; Should I perform seva for the devotees and for people who are doing God’s work; and while doing seva for God, should I be aspiration-free because service itself is the fruit of God given to me by Your grace. Swamiji, does total surrender to God mean I should leave everything, even doing seva to devotees, and concentrate only in the pleasing God. This means I should not think about myself for getting a fruit, Swamiji? Swamiji please kill my ignorance with Your spiritual sword. Swamiji, i am not even qualified for prostitute devotion and a prostitute is far far better and best than me. Even a prostitute will laugh at me if i am compared with her. please help me Swamiji and show the way, help me to walk in Your path Swamiji 🙏🙏🙏]
Swami replied:- You can serve devotees or the contemporary human incarnation or both provided you decide their deservingness through your sharp logical analysis.
8. If self is not there, how can I participate in service?
[If I(self) not there, how can I participate in service? Swamiji , You are telling me that I (self) should also cross in Your service. how this can happen please explain me Swamiji? Swamiji please kill my ignorance with Your spiritual sword. Swamiji,i am not even qualified for prostitute devotion and prostitute is far far better and best than me, even a prostitute will laugh at me if i am compared with her. please help me Swamiji and show the way help me to walk in Your path Swamiji 🙏🙏🙏]
Swami replied:- Crossing the self does not mean to cross the basic ego (I). The effect of I is pride and that pride is to be crossed so that you will be always submissive to God.
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