What is special penance?

[dattaswami]

What is special penance?

A) Penance means the spontaneous urge in the concentration but it should be spontaneous. It is a state of madness. Such state came for Gopikas only. The other efforts need some reason. Without aspiration for fruit the madness that is reached in the love for the God is the special penance. In such penance the Lord becomes the servant of devotee. This is the higher fruit than Advaita.

If the doer-ship is removed can the soul become God?

A) The God and soul are completely different. God is the creator and the soul is a part of creation. The Doer-ship has wide scope of range. Starting from the creatorship of universe, up to doing sins in the case of a demon, the word doer-ship can be used. The creatorship is confined only to God. If the doer-ship means the creatorship of the world, then such doer-ship is necessary for the soul to become God. In every action if the soul feels that it is not the doer and completely surrenders to God, the soul will become liberated and close servant of God. This is the maximum state of divinity that can be achieved by the soul.

It is said that God takes the form as per your desire. Does it not mean that He is formless?

A) God is neither formless nor has form. In the creation both formless objects like air and form-full objects like earth exist. Because of this reason God is neither formless nor form-full since both are imaginable. Veda says that God is unimaginable. But God comes in human form, which is useful to the humanity in all directions. The main aim of the human form is preaching Divine Knowledge. That is why God has taken a human form which is very much useful to the humanity in various angles. You have to worship such form taken by God. He is not your servant to come in the form you desire. In Gita the Lord said that He will approach the devotee in the same path as the devotee approaches. This does not mean that He will take the form as you like. You can take any form you like which can be a representative of God (Pratika) but God does not exist in it.

The three faced and six-handed form(Datta) is Parabrahman. Then what about the other divine forms?

A) Datta means God given to the humanity in the human form. The six hands show the six modifications in His external body and three faces show the three qualities exhibited by Him. Therefore, only Datta is the attainable form of God for humanity. All the other forms are the energetic bodies of the upper worlds. They do not belong to the world of humanity. It is the natural tendency of the human beings to neglect the available human form and to give value to the unavailable energetic forms.

Does every soul reach God?

A) For humanity God is confined to the human form only. Even the recognition itself is very difficult. Even after recognition it is more difficult to stand on it because He exhibits the Maya of three qualities. One in millions and that too in one birth after millions of births can identify and please the God with full sacrifice and service. Like this Gita says (Kaschit mam….).

Does the awareness in every body is the form of God?

A) When God is unimaginable we cannot say that He is form-full or formless. The awareness in every living body is only a part of His creation. This awareness is the greatest in the creation, because it has a unique property of Knowledge. Since any greatest item can be called as Brahman, the awareness (Soul) can be called as Brahman. Awareness is imaginable and hence cannot be God.

[dattaswami]

Should the soul not desire for the appreciation from God?

A) If such desire is without egoism it is not wrong. Satyabhama was having such desire with egoism. <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> removed it.

After how much time and by which means the soul reaches God?

A) The possibility to reach God is only in one human birth. If you miss it you may get other human births but without that chance. The five-fold service by words, by mind, by intelligence, by sacrifice of work and by sacrifice of fruit of work can be the only path to get the grace of the God.

What is the reason for these atrocities in the world?

A) The only reason is not having the contact with God through Satsanga that imparts the divine knowledge in the human being.

If God created this world like a cinema, is it only the way for us to watch the cinema?

A) God has given freedom and intelligence (discriminating power) to the human beings. Therefore, each soul is creating its own cinema. The stage, dress etc., are given by the God but not the story and dialogues. Therefore, God is the creator of the Universe but He is not the creator of the life of the soul. When God comes in human incarnation, He comes down along with His servants who are the liberated souls. Then only He is the writer of the story and dialogues for that divine play.

Why God is tolerating the dictatorship of some people?

A) In the creation every incident is the result of the three dimensional network of action, time, fruit etc., You do not know the incidents of the previous birth. The person who tortured somebody is now born as the sufferer. You see this birth only and pity that soul. In the creation of God no injustice will take place and nobody will escape. Hence, the omniscient God keeps silent. The soul with limited knowledge talks all sorts of things.

Why the present rulers are not following the rule when they punish the innocent people?

A) Again you are committing the mistake to think that the punished person is innocent. The innocence cannot be judged by either you or present ruler. Not only in the previous birth even in this birth he committed several sins which are not only known to you or even to himself. Therefore, the real judgment is given by God. The judge may give a wrong judgment. He gave like that because his enquiry is guided by God. You are criticizing the judge. The judgment given by him by mistake is correct because it is given by God. Anybody in this world who harms you is just instrumental. Without the enquiry and decision of God nothing will happen in this world. The God is punishing not with revenge but to transform the soul. This entire system of Universe is created and run by God only.

[dattaswami]

What is the essence of justice?

A) Justice is the divine system created by God, to maintain the balance of the society so that the spiritual aspirants can do their efforts with peace. The justice is related to your colleague soul. The essence of Dharma is not to hurt anyone in anyway because the law and order is in the hands of God. At least you should not harm any devotee. But punishing the students for their welfare is exempted because the welfare of the student is the main aim.

What is injustice and immorality? what is the punishment for this?

A) You may hurt your colleague souls in several ways. All these ways are injustice and immorality. For example by corruption you are hurting your colleague souls. At least you are not exempting the poor and devoted people. If you do corruption in the case of unjust rich people, you should spend it for divine purpose. If you spend it for your self or for your family, all of you will be completely destroyed.

When shall we speak truth and when shall we not speak truth?

A) If innocent and devoted souls are hurt, you should not speak truth. To hurt a soul is the highest injustice. Kauravas harmed Pandavas who were innocent devotees. <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> asked Dharma Raja to tell a lie in the war. There it is justified. The final aim is to destroy the evil people. Ends justify means. In the case of God all the justice should be thrown up. Because in Nivrutti the real justice is to please God. The final aim of the soul should be Nivrutti.

Between duty and God which is more important?

This depends on your stage in the spiritual path. There is nothing to decide here. An ordinary human being will do the worldly duties only. Even if you advice to leave such duties, he will not leave because he cannot leave. For Sankara even though His mother asked him to do worldly duties, He left them and dedicated Himself to God only. Therefore, the soul does according to its spiritual state and inherent interest. Finally the interest decides the selection. Therefore you cannot have universal selection.

God is giving every thing to all the people. What the necessity of the service to Him?

The absolute reality is that God does not require any service and sacrifice from any soul. In this state the creation does not exist it self. But He created the universe for entertainment. He gave independence and intelligence to all the souls. God has removed the knowledge that this entire universe is His wealth only. He imposed ignorance on Himself and on the souls. In the state of this ignorance only, through sacrifice and service the love is proved. Such love only gives happiness to heart. There can be no better entertainment than this.

You are bringing out this point to escape form sacrifice and service. Such over intelligence arises due to your blind love on family and your selfishness. If you go to that absolute state of reality your self and creation disappear. If your point is correct, don’t ask God for anything. You want Advaita when you give something to Him. You need dvaita when he has to give some thing to you. If you do not aspire anything from Him do not give anything to Him. In fact the highest devotion is to give every thing to Him without aspiring anything from Him. But you are reverse to this. Apart from this, you show over intelligence!

[dattaswami]

What is the sequence of spiritual effort? How is it done?

A) Knowledge, devotion and service are the sequent steps. Service is the real proof of devotion. These three steps are indicated by Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva who came in sequence. The practice of these three steps depends on your love to God. When the divine love exists, your practice is spontaneous. When such love does not exist, the question “how to do?” comes up.

When the soul gains completeness?

A) The soul attains perfectness in the one-way traffic service to God. If the service is there, devotion is there. Hanuman, perfect in the service, is the perfect devotee and scholar.

Why do not all see God?

A) No body sees God. God is not touched even by imagination. How can we see God? God enters some medium and becomes visible through that medium. Through that medium also you are experiencing only the existence God. Only experience of existence is possible. There is no any way to see God directly. The current cannot be seen directly. When it flows in a wire only its existence can be experienced.

What is the fruit of service to God without aspiring His love in return?

A) As I told, you should attain the perfectness in the one-way traffic in your service to God. You should not aspire any fruit including His love. When you are not aspiring even love what is the point of another fruit? Love is theoretical and can be easily given and the other fruits are practical. When you are not aspiring even theoretical fruit, how can you aspire other practical fruits?

What is the aim of spiritual institutions?

A) The propagation of the divine knowledge should be the sole aim of spiritual institutions. If the knowledge is perfect, devotion will be strong and the service will be complete. The duty of Guru is only to propagate the correct knowledge. That is sufficient. The spiritual institutions should take the place of Guru.

[dattaswami]

How to reach God and how to recognize Him?

A) Reaching God means reaching the medium in which God exists. No body can reach unimaginable God directly. You cannot catch current but you can experience current through the alive wire. The essence of Gita is to recognize and serve the present human incarnation.

What should be known form Satguru?

A) It depends on your state. If egoism and jealousy are in climax, He will say that you must search for human incarnation. This is also stated by Guru. The reason is that Guru is not human incarnation. If those two exist in lower level, He will say that the power and grace of God exists in Himself. This is also stated by Guru because it is true in his case also. Such Guru is the incarnation of power of God (Amsavatara). If those two are completely absent in you, Satguru says that He is the human incarnation. Therefore, Satguru preaches according your state.

If Satguru is God, how can he show God?

A) When you attain such maturity, Satguru will show Himself as God. <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> told like that. Really the Satguru is showing the medium only in which God exists, because God is invisible as He is unimaginable. Such medium should be taken as God. The alive wire can be only taken as the current. If the Guru is liberated soul, who accompanied the Lord in this earth, he will show the Satguru whenever you deserve.

People of which state can see God?

A) When the egoism and jealousy are removed, which are the layers covering your eyes, you can see God through Satguru.

Which is great between Knowledge and devotion?

A) Without Knowledge devotion is not generated. When Rukmini came to know all the details of Krishna (Knowledge) from Narada, the love on <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> was generated. Since <st1:place w:st="on">Krishna</st1:place> is God such love is called as devotion. Devotion leads to God according to Gita. The real proof of devotion is service. Rukmini attained the Lord through devotion and then served the Lord by pressing His feet as Maha Lakshmi. The knowledge should exist along as long the soul exists. Till you reach house, you must have the torch light. Even after reaching the house, the light should be there in the house. As the knowledge is lost, even devotees like Narada and Sudarsana have fallen by egoism. Knowledge without devotion is waste. Devotion without service is only cheating. Sankara told that knowledge and devotion are one and the same. In Gita the Lord gave highest place the both the knowledge and devotion, which means that both are one and the same.

After receiving knowledge should one keep silent or propagate it?

A) Knowledge at any level without propagation is the greatest sin. Shastras say that such scholar will become the intensive demon (Brahma Rakshasa). When you propagate, your knowledge becomes more and more stabilized. Therefore propagation is useful for your upliftment also. But you must be sure that the knowledge which you propagate is correct. If you propagate the wrong knowledge it is again sinful. Therefore you propagate the true knowledge spoken by your Satguru only on his command. If the propagated knowledge was spoken by Satguru, there is no need of His command also.