Swami Vivekananda

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GURU, AVATARA, YOGA, JAPA, SEVA

Posted by Bhakta Dhruv

 

Q. How can Vedanta be realised?

 

Swami Vivekananda " By hearing, reflection, and meditation " . Hearing

must take place from a Sad-guru. Even if one is not a regular

disciple, but is a fit aspirant and hears the Sad-guru's words, he is

liberated.

 

Q. Who is a Sad-guru?

Swami Vivekananda A Sad-guru is one on whom the spiritual power has

descended by Guru-parampara, or an unbroken chain of discipleship.

To play the role of a spiritual teacher is a very difficult thing. One

has to take on oneself the sins of others. There is every chance of a

fall in less advanced men. If merely physical pain ensues, then he

should consider himself fortunate.

 

Q. Cannot the spiritual teacher make the aspirant fit?

Swami Vivekananda An Avatâra can. Not an ordinary Guru.

 

Q. Is there no easy way to liberation?

Swami Vivekananda There is no royal road to Geometry except for

those who have been fortunate enough to come in contact with an

Avatara. Paramahamsa Deva used to say, " One who is having his last

birth shall somehow or other see me. "

 

Q. Is not Yoga an easy path to that?

Swami Vivekananda (Jokingly) You have said well, I see! Yoga an

easy path! If your mind be not pure and you try to follow Yoga, you

will perhaps attain some supernatural power, but that will be a

hindrance. Therefore purity of mind is the first thing necessary.

 

Q. How can this be attained?

Swami Vivekananda By good work. Good work is of two kinds, positive

and negative. " Do not steal " that is a negative mandate, and " Do

good to others " is a positive one.

 

Q. Should not doing good to others be performed in a higher stage,

for if performed in a lower stage, it may bind one to the world?

Swami Vivekananda It should be performed in the first stage. One who

has any desire at first gets deluded and becomes bound, but not

others. Gradually it will become very natural.

 

Q. Sir, last night you said, " In you is everything. " Now, if I want

to be like Vishnu, shall I have to meditate on the form also, or only

on the idea?

Swami Vivekananda According to capacity one may follow either way.

 

Q. What is the means of realisation?

Swami Vivekananda The Guru is the means of realisation. " There is no

knowledge without a teacher.

 

Q. Some say that there is no necessity of practicing meditation in a

worship-room. How far is it true?

Swami Vivekananda Those who have already realised the Lord's presence

may not require it, but for others it is necessary. One, however,

should go beyond the form and meditate on the impersonal aspect of

God, for no form can grant liberation. You may get worldly prosperity

from the sight of the form. One who ministers to his mother succeeds

in this world; one who worships his father goes to heaven; but the

worshipper of a Sâdhu (holy man) gets knowledge and devotion.

 

Q. What is the meaning of " Kshanamiti Sajjana Sangatireka " etc. Even a moment's

association with the holy ones serves to take one

beyond this relative existence " ?

Swami Vivekananda A fit person coming in contact with a true Sadhu

attains to liberation. True Sadhus are very rare, but their influence

is such that a great writer has said, " Hypocrisy is the tribute which

vice pays to virtue. " But Avataras are Kapalamochanas, that is, they

can alter the doom of people. They can stir the whole world. The least

dangerous and best form of worship is worshipping man. One who has got

the idea of Brahman in a man has realised it in the whole universe.

Monasticism and the householder's life are both good, according to

different circumstances. Knowledge is the only thing necessary.

 

Q. Where should one meditate inside the body or outside it? Should

the mind be withdrawn inside or held outside?

Swami Vivekananda We should try to meditate inside. As for the mind

being here or there, it will take a long time before we reach the

mental plane. Now our struggle is with the body. When one acquires a

perfect steadiness in posture, then and then alone one begins to

struggle with the mind. Asana (posture) being conquered, one's limbs

remain motionless, and one can sit as long as one pleases.

 

Q. Sometimes one gets tired of Japa (repetition of the Mantra).

Should one continue it or read some good book instead?

Swami Vivekananda One gets tired of Japa for two reasons. Sometimes

one's brain is fatigued, sometimes it is the result of idleness. If

the former, then one should give up Japa for the time being, for

persistence in it at the time results in seeing hallucinations, or in

lunacy etc. But if the latter, the mind should be forced to continue Japa.

 

Q. Sometimes sitting at Japa one gets joy at first, but then one

seems to be disinclined to continue the Japa owing to that joy. Should

it be continued then?

Swami Vivekananda Yes, that joy is a hindrance to spiritual practice,

its name being Rasasvadana (tasting of the sweetness). One must rise

above that.

 

Q. Is it good to practice Japa for a long time, though the mind may

be wandering?

Swami Vivekananda Yes. As some people break a wild horse by always

keeping his seat on his back.

 

Q. You have written in your Bhakti-Yoga that if a weak-bodied man

tries to practice Yoga, a tremendous reaction comes. Then what to do?

Swami Vivekananda What fear if you die in the attempt to realise the

Self! Man is not afraid of dying for the sake of learning and many

other things, and why should you fear to die for religion?

 

Q. Can Jiva-seva (service to beings) alone give Mukti?

Swami Vivekananda Jiva-seva can give Mukti not directly but

indirectly, through the purification of the mind. But if you wish to

do a thing properly, you must, for the time being, think that that is

all-sufficient. The danger in any sect is want of zeal. There must be

constancy (Nishtha), or there will be no growth. At present it has

become necessary to lay stress on Karma.

 

Q. What should be our motive in work compassion, or any other motive?

Swami Vivekananda Doing good to others out of compassion is good, but

the Seva (service) of all beings in the spirit of the Lord is better.

 

Q. What is the efficacy of prayer?

Swami Vivekananda By prayer one's subtle powers are easily roused,

and if consciously done, all desires may be fulfilled by it; but done

unconsciously, one perhaps in ten is fulfilled. Such prayer, however,

is selfish and should therefore be discarded.

 

Q. How to recognise God when He has assumed a human form?

Swami Vivekananda One who can alter the doom of people is the Lord.

No Sadhu, however advanced, can claim this unique position. I do not

see anyone who realises Ramakrishna as God. We sometimes feel it

hazily, that is all. To realise Him as God and yet be attached to the

world is inconsistent.