Posted on: 13 Nov 2022
1. Does the person wearing leather slipper also contribute to the sin?
[Questions from Kishore Ram: Swamiji, the leather used to make slippers are from animals and killing animals is one of the highest sins. But, at the same time, a lot of the public are wearing it. Does the person wearing leather slipper also contribute to the sin?]
Swami replied:- The animal is killed for meat. The killed animal will automatically donate leather. Hence, use of leather is not a separate crime. It means nobody kills the animal just for leather. Even sages used leather of killed animals.
2. Please clarify the goal of human life.
[Swamiji, please clarify, the goal of human life is to, 1. Attain the grace of God (or) 2. Pleasing God, Are both (1 and 2) one and the same?]
Swami replied:- Pleased God alone shows grace.
3. What concepts of Your knowledge can be preached to children under the age of 10?
[Swamiji, for children below 10 yrs old, what portion of Your knowledge can be preached (by parents) to them so that they will go in the right direction (towards You)?]
Swami replied:- It is better to involve them in Bhakti Ganga in the beginning stage, which also contains spiritual knowledge.
4. Swamiji, I am very very lazy and undisciplined in my life. Please suggest a way for me to come out of it.
Swami replied:- The interest on God will remove your laziness and indiscipline in a natural way.
5. Can You elaborate more about the meaning of the word Entertainment used in the below context?
[Questions by Kishore Ram: Swamiji, in one of the recent discourses given by You, (excerpt below)
"There are several people, who want to attend the Satsanga or preaching of spiritual knowledge by the Sadguru with a view of free entertainment since they have no worldly work to do. Instead of spending some money on other entertainments, this is a free way of entertainment."
Can You please elaborate more about the meaning of the word "Entertainment" used in the above context?]
Swami replied:- These people want to pass the time with some engagement and do not have any trace of seriousness and sincerity to God.
6. Is there any significance of my following dream?
[Swamiji, in a recent dream I had, I was in a railway station where there were only Lions and no humans. The Lions were looking at me as if they were ready to kill and eat me. I was very scared and just then I saw a person near me and none of the Lions dared to come near to that person. Immediately I went to that person and requested Him to take me with Him and get boarded on the train which just arrived. The person held my hand and took me to the train and boarded in the train compartment along with me. While I was walking with Him, the Lions were scared to come near Him. After we both on boarded the train, the train left and the dream ended. Is there any significance of this dream that I need to learn or understand?]
Swami replied:- The train is this moving human life. The lions are worldly attractions. The person is God in human form.
7. Does the good period for the human soul suggest a good period in terms of worldly life or spiritual life or both?
[Swamiji, in astrology or horoscope it is possible to predict good and bad periods of a soul (human being). Does the good period/time for the human soul suggest a good/happy period in terms of worldly life or spiritual life or both?]
Swami replied:- Both can be suggested by the planets depending on the ratio of practical interests of the soul that accumulated from past millions of births. Planets are different for both these lines.
8. Swamiji, what advice would you give to people who are interested in learning astrology and want to make it their profession?
Swami replied:- Anybody can make any branch of knowledge as profession to earn livelihood, keeping the service of good devotees in the mind.
9. Please give guidance which one to choose between career growth and Your service.
[Swamiji, I am stuck in a dilemma, please help me. I do a software job which requires 8-10hrs of my work in a day. For a promotion or for a better salary or a company change i need to develop my skills which need additional time spent to study and acquire new skills (apart from 8-10hrs daily work). In the process of acquiring the skills, I get a feeling that I am wasting time instead I should spend this time in Your service or read Your knowledge. On the contrary, when I use the same time reading Your knowledge (or participating in Your service), I get the feeling that I should have spent this time acquiring new skills. I remember You told me to try and put maximum concentration on God's service and worldly success will follow like a mad dog. But, when I think like this, I become involved in Your service or reading knowledge only because I feel, by doing this, it will get me worldly success which makes me feel guilty and I am deeply pained by this everyday. Finally, I am neither able to concentrate on worldly activities nor put efforts on reading knowledge or Your service. I am badly stuck. Request You to please help me.]
Swami replied:- Your inner interest will solve this problem. Such struggle is common in the case of every devotee. It is a test of God in which the candidate examined has full freedom to answer in a natural way without any force.