Swami Clarifies Our Commom Doubts

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an interval between two pains. It is the way you look at things that matters.

There is a vast ocean of talents and qualities. All human beings have vessels

to fill. Some people, through their actions, are able to fill the vessels to

the brim; some fill only half; others can fill only a quarter, or less. They

possess intelligence, beauty, talents, and etceteras, according to how much

they can fill their vessels. You even judge beauty these days, as in Miss

India, Miss World. But, that is all physical beauty, which is transient. What

is important is the beauty of the Atma (Self). Q: How are good or bad actions

carried into the next birth?Swami: Swaasha (breath) carries the actions, for

the breath stops when a person dies. The body is still there after death and we

call it a corpse and burn it as useless. So, the body cannot carry anything with

it, just as a flower cannot carry its fragrance. It is a breeze that wafts the

scent of the flower and makes its fragrance

reach you. Similarly, imagine a municipal lorry, the breeze carries the bad

odour to you again! In the same manner, good and bad actions are carried by the

breath and surround you in the next birth like an invisible garland. The pattern

of your life is then governed by what the garland has good or bad scent. That is

why man must understand that everything he does has a reaction, a reverberation

and a reflection. It is he who writes his own destiny by his actions. It is

essential for man to live a good life with good thoughts and good actions. Only

through such a life can he realise the divinity in him. The concept Aham

Brahmasmi (I am Brahma = God) is also incorrect, since it indicates duality.

Aham (I) and Brahma (God) become separate. The statement ought to he Aham Aham

(I am I). Q: Many people feel that Hindus worship countless gods. How did this

happen?Swami: India has a wonderful religious tradition. It has something for

everyone, to suit everyone's needs.

Many people do not understand this excellent idea and make derisory comments on

our having too many gods. This tradition has evolved to suit the needs of

different people, just as we have shirts of varying types and sizes to fit

different people. With the ideal of One God, there is only one shirt and, if it

does not fit or if it is unsuitable, people turn away from God. But, here, if

someone likes Krishna, they can worship Krishna; others can worship Rama, or

Narayana, or Shiva, or even snakes and lions! What more do you need to

propagate the idea that God is in everything everywhere? That is why I often

say don't worship God as a picture, but worship the picture as God. This will

slowly lead to the realisation of God in you. That is where the Hindu spiritual

path is practical and good. Q: Why does not God prevent cruelties in the

world?Swami: God is only a witness (saakshibhoota). He does not act. Man acts

according to the dictates of his intellect (Buddhi) and

himself suffers the consequences of his actions (karma). There is neither good

nor bad for God. Take the knife as an example. A murderer uses a knife to kill

another man, a slaughterer uses a knife to slay animals, a surgeon uses a knife

to amputate, and a cook uses a knife to chop vegetables. If a magnet is placed

among all these knives, it will attract them all equally and not according to

the kind of tasks they perform. God is like this magnet. All knives are the

same to Him. However, the hands that wield the knives have to bear the

consequences of their actions, dependent on right and wrong. Q: When we have

troubles and are in difficulties and we pray to God, why does He not take them

away'? Swami: Troubles and difficulties are part and parcel of human life. They

are the results of your karmas. There is no point in praying to God to wipe away

all such troubles and difficulties. The right type of prayer would be to ask God

for courage and strength to bear all the

difficulties, problems and tragedy with equanimity. Q: What is the difference

between the politics of yesterday and those of today? Swami: The present state

of affairs can be described as the state of jumps and bumps. Now, take the

example of your body and limbs. Each limb is important in forming the composite

whole. All the limbs joined together make up the body, which is the Deha (body,

person). Similarly, in the Desha (country, nation), every aspect should be

tended to, just as one takes care of every part of the body. Q: The view that

women should not take up Brahma vidya (spiritual knowledge), nor chants the

Omkara. Is this correct? Also, in ancient times, were spiritual sadhanas

(endeavors) forbidden to women? Swami: Brahma vidya and chitta shuddhi

(spiritual knowledge and purity of consciousness) do not depend on whether a

person is a man or a woman. All have an equal right to benefit from Brahma

vidya provided only they are able to take it up

with discipline and dedication. At no time have there been any taboos against

women. Lord Vishnu (the Preserver) taught Bhu Devi (the Goddess Earth) the

glory of the Bhagavad- Gita. Parameswara (Shiva) taught Parvati the Brahma

tatva (divine essence) through the Guru Gita. Iswara (Shiva) initiated Parvati

into Yoga Shastras and mantra Shastras (science of yoga and science of mantra).

The Brihadaranyak Upanishad mentions Yajnavalkya teaching Maitreyi the Brahma

vidya. So, women in ancient times were not denied the pursuit of spirituality.

The Brihadaranyak Upanishad mentions Ciargi and Maitreyi basking in the

splendour of Sanyasa (renunciation) and Brahmacharya (celibacy, chastity).

Madaalasa Chudaala and others were able to receive Brahma Jnana (divine wisdom)

while in the Grahastha (householder, i.e. married) stage of life. Even today,

there are many that belong to this vast category. It is sheer absurdity to deny

women the right to earn Brahma Jnana. But, in worldly matters,

it is necessary for them to maintain certain limitations in the interests of

dharma (righteousness) and Loka Kalyana (the good of the people/world). For the

sake of safeguarding morality and for the social health of the world, women have

to accept some restrictions. This is not to say that there is any fundamental

inferiority in them. Even pundits acquire their Jnana through the reverential

homage they pay to the feminine deity Saraswati. The divine patrons of

learning, prosperity and wisdom are all feminine: Saraswati, Lakshmi and

Parvati. This should show the reverence paid to women. Q: Why does Swami give

gifts?Swami: Gifts of rings and pendants are an expression of Swami's love...

It is not that Swami wants to draw people to him with gifts. When you wish to

show affection to your son, or if you want to make someone happy, you make him

a sports shirt or buy him a present, do you not? Swami also wants to bring

happiness in this manner. Q: Does a gift also

act as a protective talisman? Swami: Yes! They are also like my visiting cards

and send me instant flashes when the person is in danger or in need of my help.

Sometimes, these gifts are made for specific reasons: for the sake of a

devotee's health, or I may give someone a gem stone so that rays from it may

constantly influence him or her to follow the right path. I want to tell you

that whatever Swami does has a purpose. He never does anything without reason.

Q: Why does Swami give vibuthi? Swami: Flowers, leaves, fruit and other edibles

have a temporary life. Even water breeds germs if kept in a vessel for days.

Only vibuthi remains unchanged, as it is the final result of the five elements

of creation. Our desires have to be reduced to ashes and vibuthi is symbolic of

this detachment and renunciation. One's mind has to become desireless and

detached like the ashes in which everything is burnt out. It is that kind of

pure mind that has to be offered to God.

Q: Is it necessary to perform pujas (ritual worship) and ceremonies? Swami:

Everything depends on the individual concerned. Whatever he or she does has to

be done with faith and sincere devotion. God cannot be fooled with mere ritual.

Q: What about ceremonies and rites for the dead? Is it wrong not to perform

them? Swami: This again depends on one's mental attitude. After a person leaves

the body, the soul takes birth and takes on a new body somewhere else. You must

know this. Upto now you must have had so many lives, you must have been a

mother and a daughter so very many times. What is required really is gratitude

to one's parents, by remembering them on the day of their death. Though they

may shed these bodies in which they are your parents, you still owe them the

debts of having given birth to you and of having given you their blood to give

you your present form. You can express this gratitude through the ceremonial

shraddha rite, or by any

other method, even by thinking of them with sincere and loving gratitude on the

death anniversary. It is heartfelt feeling that is important. Q: Why doesn't

God make people suffer for their sins in the same lifetime? Why in other lives

when they cannot know why they suffer? Swami: Then how would you account for

the Punya (good deeds) they do? They have to enjoy the benefits of their Punya,

too! All that may not always be Possible in one lifetime.... Q: Why does Swami

have more restrictions for women? They do not have easy access to Swami! Swami:

Everyone has the same kind of access to Swami. This does not depend on their

being men or women. Everyone receives the same grace, depending on his or her

devotion, his or her need, or his or her work. Swami may say so; that

nevertheless women have more hurdles to overcome when they want to convey

something to Swami. There are times when the man who stands next to me never

catches my attention, as hard as he may try;

while a devotee sitting far away in a corner amid a crowd easily catches it. It

all depends on who has to receive what and when. Everything happens according

to that will, not because of the physical form of man or woman. Also these

differences are visible to you at your level of consciousness. For Swami, these

are not differences that count. The Atma is not different in man or woman. The

Atma is eternally conscious, pure and self effulgent. The Atma is neither

masculine nor feminine, nor yet neutral. It is only the body that limits,

deludes and wears names. Q: What is the principal cause of all troubles and

sorrow? Swami: Attachment and ego are the main causes. Jealousy is another

factor. Q: How can jealousy be conquered? Swami: By having love for everyone,

by thinking of others with love and wishing them well. More than all, by

realising that jealousy is physically most harmful. It does damage your

internal system and, later on, you will have to

suffer the karma of the bad things caused by your jealousy. Q: Why has God

created bad traits and negative tendencies in humans? Swami: These are results

of man's own actions. God is only a witness to events. Human beings are

themselves responsible for the good and the bad in them. Remember that the

things you do not do can never hurt you. Q: But Swami says that there is

nothing good or bad! Swami: Yes! This is from God's point of view. For humans,

this is a relative matter, since what is good for one may be bad for another.

What is good at one time may be bad in another season. Good and bad are thus

two states take two fruits, phalam, which are good. Once they are eaten and

digested, they become excreta, malam, and that is bad. Q: Scientists say that

something cannot he created out of nothing. Swami: Yes, hut what they think of,

as nothing is really anything. There is no nothingness in the Universe. The

scientist makes such statements

because, with his limited vision, he cannot see all things or know them. Both

science and spirituality begin as inquiry, a quest. Spirituality comes full

circle, like the letter 0, while science reaches the half circle stage,

resembling a C. Science has a lot of catching up to do, for it has only

discovered a fraction of the truth. It is like a small piece of cloth you can

see protruding from a fist: you can only conjecture about the whole, its looks

and size, for it is hidden and you cannot see it. Q: But, science has made many

advances flights to the moon and other planets, for instance. Swami: Yes.

Whatever science has done for humanity is to be welcomed, hut it is still a

growing and advancing field. Scientists used to say that you couldn't split the

atom and today that is no longer true. The scientist learns as he progresses

Today's investigations become old tomorrow and lead to new investigations,

which will become old the day after tomorrow. There is no

end to this, and so the truth lies in something that contains within it both the

old and the new. God alone envelops the old and the new and so the best way to

advance is Godward. "No matter where you go, always do your duty as you see

it, and know that I will be there inside you, guiding you every step of the

way. In years to come, you will experience Me in many different manifestations

of My Form. You are My Own, dearer than dear to Me. I will protect you as the

eye-lids protect the eye. I will never leave you and you can never leave Me.

>From this point on, do not hanker after anything. Do your duty with unwavering

Love, seeing all as God. Be patient. In time, everything will be given to you.

Be happy. There is no need to worry about anything. Whatever is experienced,

whatever happens, know that this Avatar willed it so. There is no force on

Earth which can delay for an instant the mission for which

this Avatar has come. You are all sacred souls and you will have your parts to

play in the unfolding drama of the New Golden Age, which is coming." - Sathya

Sai Baba (Sharing Withj Sai Love) Ram Ram ChuganiKobe,

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