31 Oct 2022
1. Should God, knowing the consequences, not have granted freedom to souls?
[Questions from Shri Abhiram: Padanamaskaram Swami, Swamiji, as per my limited understanding, free will to a soul is granted by God. The direction of the action and its consequences is totally responsible by the soul (human being). So there is equal chance of doing right or wrong thing depending on the soul's decision. In that case, why did God give such freedom or free will where is a chance to do sins? I understood from one of your discourses that the souls (us) yearned for that freedom and thats why God granted such freedom to souls. My question is, God who knew the consequences of giving free will should not have granted such freedom to souls, though they yearned for it?]
Swami replied:- Your solution is not justified because God tried to give the advantage of freedom as well as the advantage of discipline simultaneously. While enjoying the good side of the fruit, one can avoid the bad side of the same fruit . This is always the best option for which any wise parent tries with his/her children. In this way, you have no place for blaming God. If God does not give free will, you will blame and scold God for His iron discipline. There are several good souls, who are using the good side of free will as well as avoiding the bad side of free will. If everybody is spoiled by free will, your suggestion has some meaning. Fearing copying, examinations cannot be cancelled. Fearing an accident, journey by train is not to be discarded. So, whatever is wise and good, God followed it. Only, the failed candidates criticize the system of examinations.
2. Is the soul, which is under the control of God, detached from the fruit of its actions?
[In extension to the above question, is a soul who is under the control of God completely (no free will), while performing any action, detached from fruit of the action?]
Swami replied:- In such case, there is no question of attachment and detachment because you are always forced to do good actions and always forced not to do bad actions. Such force is not the reality because truth shines only in free atmosphere. The change from bad to good also shall take place in free atmosphere only. The tail of dog bound by a stick cannot bring real straightness in the tail. Punishment can bring some temporary reformation. Preaching the true spiritual knowledge can bring permanent reformation. Temporary reformation is of no use in the long run, but, has some use temporarily. True reformation is also possible, which shall not be decided as impossible.
3. Why did God not create only love so that there would be only love in this world?
[God created creation (souls) because to love and to be loved, So instead of creating all other qualities, why he didn't create only love so that there would be only love in this world?]
Swami replied:- When you are invited for meals, if you are supplied only food items made of only sugar, how will you relish such meals? If you relish such meals, we shall recommend to God to follow your suggestion.
4. Why should one believe in Veda?
[Swamiji, while explaining about spiritual knowledge to others, if they ask for a spiritual reference from any scripture and I give them a reference from the Veda as it is a primary scripture, then they can question me why should they should believe in the Veda.]
Swami replied:- Even if you quote some other scripture, that person will put the same above question. They asked for a reference and you gave the best reference since Veda is the best scripture. Be careful about such a person because he may be a mad person and the next step will be that he bites your nose!
5. Is it a sin for a married person to secretly maintain an illegitimate affair?
[Swamiji, One of the greatest sin is illegitimate sex. if a married person maintains an illegitimate affair and he manages to keep it a secret through out his life and his wife never came to know about this, will this be considered as a sin? The meaning of sin is to hurt good people, and in this case, since the affair was maintained as a secret, the wife will not come to know about this and nobody is hurt here. Kindly explain.]
Swami replied:- If the example is God, there will be no sin because achieving God is the highest and the purest purpose of human life. If the case is about a human being, this incident comes under Pravrutti and not Nivrutti. No human being is either a sage or God Krishna and hence, does not come on any side of this issue of ‘Bhagavatam’. Hell and heaven are inevitable in worldly life or Pravrutti. You can’t mix spiritual life or Nivrutti with Pravrutti. Cunning devotion is told in Nivrutti and not in Pravrutti. In Nivrutti, even if care not devotion is followed under inevitable conditions, it is not a sin.
6. Is there any significance of the lines in our hands?
[Swamiji, is there any significance or meaning of the lines in our hands (Palm)? Will these lines indicate anything to us? Or is it just an accidental formation of lines on palms?]
Swami replied:- These lines are related to certain auspicious and inauspicious characteristics of the soul and one need not worry about these lines because the characteristics of the soul are always permanent with the soul. One can know these by himself and these lines are not necessary. One devotee was very much worried that the line of luck was absent in his palm. Shri Satya Sai appeared in his dream and drew a line with a knife on his palm! Next day, the permanent lucky line appeared on his palm to the devotee! God is the most important than anybody or anything.
7. What is real or true happiness?
[Swamiji, can You explain what is real or true happiness? Suppose, a drunk person derives happiness from alcohol, can we define that happiness as false happiness or true happiness?]
Swami replied:- The experience of any happiness is true in the case of any soul. But, that happiness, which alone is related to God is the true happiness because it always is permanent and follows all the births of the soul.
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