What is life and who is God?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
When anyone touches you, you feel it, don't you? That consciousness is God.
When you consume food, you feel its taste, don't you? That consciousness is God.
When there is a sound, you hear it, don't you? That consciousness is God.
When there is a fragrant flower,you sense the smell,don't you? That consciousness is God.
When there is a beautiful sight, you perceive the vision, don't you? That consciousness is God.
God is nothing but the all-pervading consciousness.
Becoming one with the consciousness by removing the blocks that prevent it - that truly is Life.
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My family members chant the Mahamantra regularly. This has not changed their behaviour or attitude. They seem to be finding fault with others and hurt others with their words or behavior. How will God grace remain with such people who knowingly hurt or insult others? If people do mistakes even after realizing that Satsang, Guru and Mahamantra can reach one to God, will Mahamantra help them?
I am the victim of their behavior. I have totally lost my peace of mind due to this. I need your advice to come out of such frequent but difficult phases in my life.
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Let us assume that a person wishes to undertake a pilgrimage from Kanyakumari to Badrinath. He can take to any mode of travel in order to undertake his journey. Each mode has its own merits and demerits. Even if he chooses the best means of travel, would he reach Badrinath the moment he decides on his pilgrimage? No, isn't it? It takes its own time and depends on a multitude of factors like the person's interest, the effort he puts in, the environment and nature, and so many others.
Likewise, if someone wishes to attain God, he seeks a Guru and also chants. But it is unfair to expect to reach the goal immediately. At the same time, you cannot brand him as lacking progress entirely.
Hriday, who was very close to Sri Ramakrishna gave him a lot of troubles. Sri Girish Chandra Ghosh who was loved by Sri Ramakrishna never stopped drinking and womanizing until his last breath. Perumal Swami, who was one of the earliest devotees of Bhagavan Ramana and took such a good care of him later went against Bhagavan Ramana himself and wrote books tarnishing Bhagavan's Name.
In fact, even Jagadguru Sri Dakshinamurthi has only four disciples.
True saints never try to hypnotize, mesmerize, brainwash or perform miracles and magic to change people; nor dothey change their disciples by mere command like in a military regiment.
True transformation largely depends on one's sincere dedication and interest to get transformed. A flower has to blossom by itself. One cannot threaten it with a stick, can one? Everything will happen in its own course. So let us wait patiently.
Until such a time, never allow any one or any event spoil your internal peace and happiness. Don't interact with or react to anything. Watch it as a third person. Chant the Mahamantra and see everything as the Leela of the Lord.
It might be initially difficult to be so, but it is not impossible. Practice it and you are sure to be successful.
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How can I best express my love for God?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
"When a person has wealth, he is ready to share it with his kids alone and none others. So he tries his best to acquire as much wealth as possible. In the same manner, a knowledgeable person is not ready to share his rare knowledge with one and all.
In the same manner, if one is ready to share his love with the Lord, and the Lord alone, and no one else, then his Bhakti grows day by day. We should not let our love to be scattered in different directions. Love has to be carefully accumulated, saved and offered only to the Lord; no one else."
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I am in my late thirties. I am always tensed about my future and my life. That is spoiling my moment-to-moment happiness. My position is good now, however, the future is uncertain. The fear of future is killing me. I chant the Nama, but am not able to concentrate. What should I do?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
"As long as there is an entity called mind, fear will be experienced. Just as cold, headache and fever are bodily ills, so too, fear is mental illness. Fear is the safety measure in the human body. Only when it crosses the limit and becomes unreasonable that becomes harmful. Sometimes the cause is said to be heriditary. However affliction of the mind is quite often the consequence of some recent unpleasant incident or experience.
Today, a lot of research is being carried out in this field and psychiatrists are prescribing medicines to overcome fear. An alternative way out is to earn a strong will power. Practicing a little breath control from a proper master will help to some extent.
An easy approach is to try and avoid the very thought that creates fear in you and to always engage yourself in some gainful activity. Even without your knowledge you will, gradually, come out of it."
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I am trying hard to quit smoking, but I am not able to. Please suggest me a way.
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
"Whenever you feel you should come out of a habit, good or bad, you have to understand that it impossible to wake up one pleasant morning and find the habit gone. 'Habits die hard' they say.
The first rule of the thumb to quit a habit is that you should not pay too much attention to it by not thinking about it all the time.
The problem of habit is one side and the mental stress that we are caught in it adds on to the problem.
Remember, nothing is impossible.
First accept that 'I am caught in the habit in some way, I need to come out of it'. Smoking creates a health issue.
Collect the information on negative impact of cigarette smoking and read it many number of times every day and think about it. Every time you are in good spirits, visualize yourself as the person who has totally quit the habit of smoking for about 5-10 minutes. Feel happy about it and thank the Lord for it.
If you can abstain from smoking for an extended period of time say a week, do not get into the habit on the 8th day. Prolong it as much as you can. This very period of 'no-smoking' would fill your heart with happiness which will in turn help in prolonging the period of 'no-smoking'.
If suppose, you happen to break the period of 'no-smoking', then look back and see that you had managed to kick the habit for about a week. The frequency of smoking has come down. This should give you the strength to start afresh to stop smoking.
Whenever you get a chance, tell others about the ill effects of smoking. This would help you in two ways : One as a positive reinforcement to prevent the craving, Two, since you talk about ill effects, you would get a positive pressure to quit as you want to walk the talk of quitting to smoke.
Read more and more about the greatness and penance of great Sadhus. Once you reflect on the greatness of great Saints, you would get the strength and confidence in quitting this habit.
Generally when a person is found to break his vows often, it is an indication of an inadequate will power. If you can chant Hanuman Chalisa and think about Sri Hanuman at least once a day, it will help in strengthening the will power.
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What happens to the soul after it is departed from the body?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
If someone commits suicide to escape trifle worldly issues, it is indeed pitiable and deplorable. This is because the soul undergoes unbearable pain until their 'karma' on earth comes to an end.
Such a soul roams around and tries to catch other weak people and trouble them. Those people who practice black magic deploy these roaming spirits for their mundane and sinister needs. Exactly the same thing happens, if someone dies in an accident or account of murder etc. I have witnessed this myself.
The rest go to 'Pitru Lokas'(World of ancestors) and wait to be born once again on Earth. There are a lot of heavens and hells described in Srimad Bhagavatam which the souls experience accordingly.
While the soul experiences the benefits of the merits ('punya') in the heaven or the hells for their sins, it is sent back to earth for re-birth if there is balance 'karma' to undergo. However, there is absolutely no assurance that it will be a human birth again. Human birth is the rarest of the rarest and it can take yugas and yugas to get one.
There are some higher 'lokas'(worlds) like Satya loka, Brahma loka etc., which can be attained only by penances and not by 'punya'.
Apart from this, the soul reaches the 'lokas' according to the Guru or God that one worships.
If a person had worshipped a devil or followed an evil master, then he goes to devil's lokas.
If 'Saguna Bhakti'(worshiper of a form) was performed, a soul reaches Vaikuntam and if 'Nirguna Bhakti'(Formless worship) was performed, the soul reaches Kaivalyam, otherwise known as Jivan Mukti or liberation.
However, if a soul is not liberated until 'pralaya', it carries over to the next cycle of creation.
So my dear children, where ever you are, you are all my children. I beseech you, falling in your feet with love and request you to chant the Maha Mantra to come out of this cycle of births and deaths.
Enroll your name with Nama Dwaar, and I will chant on your behalf and ensure that the you will be liberated!"
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I have observed that it is very tough to keep the mind free. I used to think too much and then get in to unnecessary trouble because of the same. I feel that the mind can be streamlined. Can you suggest the way?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
First of all, it is important to understand what is mind. Mind is nothing but a collection of thoughts. Other than thoughts, there is nothing called mind. Now, the next question is, how do these thoughts rise?
Thoughts rise because of Vasanas. Vasanas are nothing but latent impressions – impressions created deep inside us because we have been repeatedly doing certain activities for a long period of time. It is only when one is in deep sleep or when one is sedated that his mind does not function. During all other times, it is active. This is the nature of the mind.
Having thus said, it is also important that you don’t let your intellect watch the mind all the time and worry about your current state. This will create a complex in you, making you either guilty or proud and over-confident. So it is best not to police the mind. Don’t mind what mind does.
The elephant cannot keep its trunk still. It keeps swaying it always. In order to arrest its movement, the mahout gives it a huge chain to hold on to. Similarly, in order for the mind to streamline its thoughts, we have it focus on the divine Name and Form of the Lord.
By chanting the Mahamantra either mechanically or whole-heartedly, the complex can be overcome and the thoughts can be streamlined. The Mahamantra has the power to do so.
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I am in my mid twenties and I often feel nervous nowadays. I am taking anti-depressant tablets. I am afraid to deliver a talk in front of a crowd. How do I get rid of this?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
This is not at all a problem. It is only an attitude or a state of mind. This attitude might have developed as a result of your constant worry. Every morning and evening, you inculcate in yourself the strong feeling that you are being safeguarded every moment by the divine force surrounding you in the form of a fence of the letters of the Mahamantra. You will definitely come out of this situation.
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Sometimes, I speak the truth bluntly and give advices the way I conceive as right. Later, I begin to feel that I might have hurt the other person. This feeling of guilt agitates my mind and I am not able to convince myself that I have done the right thing. What should I do?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Let us sit back and think for a moment. Since the time mankind knew how to talk, we have talked and talked. We have talked enough! When you talk, you consciously or unconsciously expect some kind of response – either an appreciation or recognition or other signs that your words are being taken note of. This in turn shoots up the ego.
Not all advises and words are heeded by the listener. One may listen to your words with all the attention and still continue in his own ways and not follow your words. This is because their Vasanas or impressions will not allow them to take on a different path.
In short, there are only two known entities – one is the infinite 'Brahman' and the other is the world, which is a myth. Brahman can never be attained by talking. Also, there is no point in talking about the world which truly is inexistent. So the best way is to keep quiet. To start with, practice silence for a few hours everyday consciously.
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Who is God? Where is God?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
The absolute pure consciousness is God. He is within you and He is all-pervading; omnipresent. There are no two things in this world. He alone exists and no body else.
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Why has God created us?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
God has created us to find answer to that very question.
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We come across many Gurus. Each one of them prescribes a path. Which one should be followed? What is to be done?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
When we alight from a train and proceed out a of railway station, we see that taxi drivers, auto rickshaw men, jutka walas and others approach you to choose them for your commute. The purpose of all of them is one and the same – to reach you to your destination. It is up to you to choose the most apt means of transport given your current load of luggage and various other factors. Once you choose to go with a particular ride, it is not wise to look back or jump out of the vehicle.
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What is the secret of success in life?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Staunch faith in God and chanting His Eternal Name together is the secret of success.
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Is 'Punarjanma' (rebirth) true? They say that the sins done in this birth is carried over to the next birth. Is it true?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Rebirth is very much true. Not only sins, but also merits ('punya') done in a birth will be carried over to the next.
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I am always worried and in a state of tension. Kindly help me to be calm and peaceful.
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
If possible, practice simple breath control exercises under the guidance of the right master in your area. That will help in relaxing you.
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Does the Rama Nama in the Mahamantra denote Lord Ramachandra or Balarama?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
It denotes both of them.
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I read about Mahans (Saints) taking up the sufferings of their devotees when they pray in distress. There is no question about the credibility of such incidents. But is it advisable for devotees to pray in such a manner especially when they know that their Guru will undergo suffering on their account? Would not this end-up in incessant sufferings for the Mahans when many such devotees pray? Instead, would it make a difference if the devotee ardently beseeches the God or Guru to give them the strength to go through the suffering? Is this not a better way of serving them by ensuring that no pain is caused to them on the account of the devotee?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Knowingly or unknowingly, throughout history, Mahans have taken up the sufferings of the devotees. Saints like Sri Ramakrishna and Bhagavan Ramana got cancer.
Yogi Ramsuratkumar was afflicted with cancer in His last days and suffered a lot. Then a devotee asked him, 'Bhagavan! You have led a pure life. Then why such a suffering?' Yogi replied, 'to bring about a cosmic balance!'
Any Karma, whether positive or negative cannot be vanished; it has to be undergone. If one person does not undergo it, someone else should.
The moment a Mahan blesses a devotee, He takes their karma. Sins of a person who comes to a Guru will go to the Guru, provided he is a Uttama (True) Guru. We see this not only in Sanathana Dharma but also in other faiths, and it happens according to the beliefs in each faith.
When the devotee is in real trouble, s/he prays earnestly to the Guru in just the same way as they would, to God, and an Uttama Guru never reveals that he is suffering on their behalf, for the cognizance of this very fact might upset the true devotee and make him/her feel guilty. It is the duty of the Guru to keep happy his devotee, who loves Him so much.
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The Bhakti schools speak about Go-loka. Is it the same as Sri Vaikunta? If not, what is the difference?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Go-Loka is not the same as Sri Vaikunta. Only those who revel in the epitome of Prema Bhakti attain the Go-Loka. It is even greater than the Vaikunta.
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Why is Lord Srinivasa's forehead adorned with 'ThirumaN kAppu' covering the eyes almost completely?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
It is said that one should not look at three persons, eye-to-eye. God, Guru and the King, the reason being, that when one sees into their eyes, they will not be able to stand the divine grace flowing out of their eyes. That is the reason why Lord Srinivasa sports a 'ThirumaN kAppu' so that it partially covers His eyes!
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I get confused as to which God's name I need to chant. There are so many gods in our religion and hence so many Names. I used to chant the Shiva Nama and after reading Bhagavatam and Bhagavat Gita, I chant the Mahamantra. Please clear my confusion.
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Do not confuse yourself. You are the child of Krishna. Chant the Mahamantra and that is enough. You can also take this as the initiation. Continue to chant the Mahamantra and you will see for yourself how Krishna brings auspiciousness and happiness into your life.
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Each of the Acharyas viz., Sankara, Madhwa and Ramanuja were not truly catholic in their spiritual approach. Though being knowers of Truth, they treated other philosophers as their opponents and found fault with the other philosophies. Why so?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Each of these philosophers had so much conviction in their own philosophies that they did not have a second thought about criticizing the other philosophers or philosophies. Above all, these are all divine plays of God. From time to time, God sends Avatara Purushas to the earth in the form of such Acharyas to establish a different thought system at such times when the existing system is being grossly misconstrued, misinterpreted or exploited.
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Chant the Maha Mantra:
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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