How can I develop intense dispassion for worldly things?
If you want to realize God, then you must cultivate intense dispassion. You must renounce immediately what you feel to be standing in your way. You should not put it off till the future. 'Woman and gold' is the obstruction. The mind must be withdrawn
When will we be freed from the bondage of the world?
Ah, He [God] will free us when the disease is cured. He will liberate us from the world when we are through with the enjoyment of 'woman and gold'. Once a man registers his name in the hospital, he cannot run away. The doctor will not let him go away
How can I develop dispassion for worldly things gradually?
Dispassion is not possible unless there is satiety through enjoyment. You can easily cajole a small child with candies or toys. But after eating the candies and finishing its play, it cries, 'I want to go to my mother.' Unless you take the child to its
Why has God put us in the world?
The world is the field of action. Through action one acquires knowledge. The guru instructs the disciple to perform certain works and refrain from others. Again, he advises the pupil to perform action without desiring the result. The impurity of the mind
What is the role of the Guru in a spiritual aspirant's life?
Satchidananda Himself is the Guru. [...] when the vision of the Ishta is about to take place, the guru appears before the aspirant and says to him, 'Behold! There is your Ishta.' Saying this, the guru merges in the Ishta. He who is the guru is also the
How to transform I-Consiousness?
The Vedantist says, 'I am He.' Brahman is real and the world illusory. Even the 'I' is illusory. Only the Supreme Brahman exists. But the 'I' cannot be got rid of. Therefore it is good to have the feeling, 'I am the servant of God, His son, His devotee.
How does idol worship help?
As you recall your father by his photograph, so likewise the worship of the image reveals in a flash the nature of Reality. Do you know what God with form is like? Like bubbles rising on an expanse of water, various divine forms are seen to rise out of
What happens to a person after God-Realization?
[...] He has only the semblance of lust, anger, and the like. If, after attaining God, he looks on himself as the servant or the devotee of God, then he cannot injure anyone. By touching the philosopher's stone a sword is turned into gold. It keeps the
Is it safe to think of oneself as the servant or devotee of God?
The 'servant I' - that is, the feeling, 'I am the servant of God, I am the devotee of God' - does not injure one. On the contrary, it helps one to realize God. Reference: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (7.1 The Master And Vijay Goswami)
How to get rid of the Ego?
It is true that one or two can get rid of the 'I' through samadhi; but these cases are very rare. You may indulge in thousands of reasoning, but still the 'I' comes back. You may cut the peepal-tree to the very root today, but you will notice a sprout
What obstructs one from seeing God?
Maya is nothing but the egotism of the embodied soul. This egotism has covered everything like a veil. 'All troubles come to an end when the ego dies.' If by the grace of God a man but once realizes that he is not the doer, then he at once becomes a Jivanmukta.
Does an ordinary human being have the power to remove the worldly bondage?
How is it ever possible for one man to liberate another from the bondage of the world? God alone, the Creator of this world-bewitching maya, can save men from maya. There is no other refuge but that great Teacher, Satchidananda. How is it ever possible
What is the attitude of an Enlightened person towards women?
He who has realized God does not look upon a woman with the eye of lust; so he is not afraid of her. He perceives clearly that women are but so many aspects of the Divine Mother. He worships them all as the Mother Herself. Reference: The Gospel of Sri
Seeing suffering everywhere makes us lose hope in the purpose of life itself. Does there exist any ultimate lofty aim for the human life?
Is it possible to understand God's action and His motive? He creates, He preserves, and He destroys. Can we ever understand why He destroys? I say to the Divine Mother: 'O Mother, I do not need to understand. Please give me love for Thy Lotus Feet.' The
Does God have form or is he formless?
No one can say with finality that God is only 'this' and nothing else. He is formless, and again He has forms. For the bhakta He assumes forms. But He is formless for the jnani, that is, for him who looks on the world as a mere dream. The bhakta feels
How should a spiritual aspirant perform his worldly duties?
Yes, you can perform them too, but only as much as you need for your livelihood. At the same time, you must pray to God in solitude, with tears in your eyes, that you may be able to perform those duties in an unselfish manner. You should say to Him: 'O
What is Vedanta? Are there different schools in it? If so, what is the essential teaching of each school?
Meaning of the word ‘anta’ is ‘end’ or ‘essence’. Since the Upanishads form the end portions of the Vedas and contain their essence, they have been termed as ‘Vedanta’. The ‘Brahmasutras’ (of the sage Badarayana) which try to systematize the teachings
What is Moksha? What will that experience be like? How can one attain it?
We know from our direct experience that we are separate from the dress we wear or the house we live in. Similarly, we are separate from the body, the senses, the mind and egoism. When this fact is directly experienced, our essentially blissful nature
What are the doctrines of Vedanta?
The Vedantist says, "I am He". Brahman is real and the world illusory. Even the "I" is illusory. Only the Supreme Brahman exists. But the "I" cannot be got rid of. Therefore it is good to have the feeling, "I am the servant of God, His son, His devo
What has Hinduism to say about the nature of man and the purpose of human life?
Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy – by one or more or all of these-and be free.
Does the Tantra prescribe spiritual discipline in the company of woman?
That is not desirable. It is a very difficult path and often causes the aspirant's downfall. There are three such kinds of discipline. One may regard woman as one's mistress or look on oneself as her handmaid or as her child. I look on woman as my mother. To
What is the basic scripture of Hinduism? Would you epitomize its contents?
The Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all the scriptures.
What has Hinduism to say about the nature of man and the purpose of human life?
He is born to no purpose who, having the rare privilege of being born a man, is unable to realise God in this life.
What is the nature of God according to Hinduism?
God is one only, one without a second. His nature is Sat-chit-ananda, that is, eternal Existence-Consciousness Bliss. He is the creator of this universe.He creates it by His power out of Him self, sustains it and then withdraws it into Himself, once its
Is it not the height of foolishness to worship man-made images of stone, clay or metal? Does it not betray utter ignorance and superstition?
This objection, which is very common, has been raised without a proper understanding of the great and sublime principle behind image worship. No Hindu ever worships these images considering them as God Himself. Though they are insentient images it is
What is the basic scripture of Hinduism? Would you epitomize its contents?
The Vedas are the basic scriptures of Hinduism. Literally 'Veda' means knowledge or wisdom. Shruti (that which is revealed), Agama (that which has been handed down as a tradition) and Nigama (that which gives us definite and decisive answers to the ultimate
From whom did Hinduism originate and when?
Unlike the other religions of the world, Hinduism did not originate with any single prophet or at a particular period of human history. Its uniqueness lies in its being based on the superconscious experiences and spiritual realizations of a galaxy of
What has Hinduism to say about the nature of man and the purpose of human life?
Although this question appears to be short and simple, it concerns a very profound subject discussed in our philosophical works.According to the Upanishads, which have been accepted as the supreme authority by all sections of Hinduism, man is essentially
What should be the ideal daily routine for a Hindu?
An ideal daily routine for a Hindu could perhaps be suggested as follows: Rising from bed before sunrise, obeisance to the family deity and to the Ishtadevata, ablutions and bath, personal prayers, meditation and recitation from scriptures, breakfast
What should be the attitude of a Hindu towards other religions?
An ideal Hindu believes that different religions are like the different radii of a circle, each leading to the selfsame centre, the centre being God-experience. Sri Ramakrishna stretches it still further in his unique saying, Jato mat, tato path ‘(As
What is the significance of a hindu temple and image worship?
God exists. He is the creator and controller. His grace gives us happiness and peace. His wrath brings about sorrow and suffering. Mankind all over the world has cherished this belief in some form or other. Once it is conceded that such a God exists,
Why should not the ordinary spoken language be used in worship instead of Sanskrit? Will this not enable us to understand and follow these rites better?
Puja (worship), Homa (sacrifice) and other similar religious rites are considered as sacred and holy acts. It is the Rishis (sages), the originators of our religious traditions, who have given us these rites including the procedure and the mantras to
It is the bitter experience of Hindu pilgrims that they are exploited and harassed by unscrupulous Pandas and priests in the pilgrim centres. How can this be eradicated?
This is a fundamental problem. Or rather, it is the symptom of a fundamental problem. Hence, one should go to its root to be able to solve it. The Pandas and priests exploit and harass the pilgrims for the sake of money. Its cause is poverty. Lack of
What is the status accorded to woman in Hindu Society? Does she have equality with man? How much freedom does she enjoy?
Hinduism has looked at the status and position of woman from two standpoints. As a soul in bondage, the goal of her life also, like man’s, is Moksha. Hence all the moral and spiritual disciplines like purity of mind, self-control, devotion to God and
How do we Hindus explain suffering in life?
In the Hindu religion there is no Devil. So he cannot be blamed for causing suffering. Hindus say that we are essentially spiritual beings (Atman); when we try and express ourselves in a physical manner (through the body) we pay a price for it. The price
What were these principal reform movements (of Hinduism)?
The sages of the Upanishadic age were the forerunners of all the reform movements. The religion of the Rigveda which was simple and elegant had by the period of the Brahmanas deteriorated into a bewildering maze of sacrifices, which the common people
Who is a rishi and how to become one?
To ilustrate this, let me tell you the story of a young girl called Vak who became a rishi. A long time ago, in ancient India, lived a little girl called Vak. She was a real chatterbox. She would just not stop talking. One day, Vak was trying to talk
Which is the best religion in the world?
Even though there can be only one God, different people think of God different ways. Many Hindus like to think of God as a father in heaven. Some Hindus like to think of God as a mother in heaven. Hinduism says that there are hundreds of different ways
Is it possible to see God as a real person?
About a hundred years ago in India, lived an old lady called Gopal- Ma. She liked to think of God as baby Krishna. She had a little statue of young Krishna. She prayed in front of the statue every day. She was not happy just seeing the statue of Krishna,
Why should we not hurt or harm anything?
Hinduism teaches that God (or spirit) shines in the eyes of every living thing including our own, so when we hurt anyone we are actually hurting ourselves. This is why it is very foolish to needlessly hurt other living beings. Instead of hurting other
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