Q&A With Srila Siddhaswarupananda

[Gauracandra]

This week’s Siddhaswarupananda television episode was a series of audience questions.

 

Question 1 – Are you the brain?

An audience member asks aren’t we in fact the brain. Without our brain we could not survive. Siddhasvarupananda replied that the cells in the brain are replaced every three days. So how can we be the brain. In addition, it is not necessary that to be alive one needs to have a brain. Plants for instance exhibit consciousness and yet possess no brain.

 

Question 2 – An audience member made mention of a technical term for a “disease” in which one feels like they shouldn’t enjoy the world to its fullest. I couldn’t quite figure out what the word was. Be that as it may, it was pointed out that many of these psychologists have defined as abnormal those who don’t want to be hedonists. They think that so called “hang-ups” are bad. Likely due to a religious upbringing. But you won’t find true happiness in trying to lord over the world.

 

Question 3 – If we know that happiness ultimately is not in this world, then is it wrong to get happiness from someone in this world? Siddhaswarupananda answered that it was not a question of good or bad. If someone’s happiness is dependent on matter then this will only lead you to misery. If our attachment to someone is based on a limited or material vision of the person (objectifying a person), then this will not bring about true happiness.

 

We relate to one another through these bodies. However, if you are on the spiritual platform, then you can truly appreciate one another. You see the spirit inside the body. All relationships that are God based will be ultimately beneficial. However, if your attachment to the body is stronger than your attachment to God, then you will have to stay in this material world, birth after birth. So don’t pursue material love over spiritual love. Some people will hear this and think “Yes, I’ll keep God on the side, and love my spouse”. No. Place God first and your relationships around Him.

 

Question 4 – How can the spiritualist love someone he doesn’t like? All of the saints, the Goswamis, Jesus, the Scriptures like the Srimad Bhagavatam and Bible say we must love God. And likewise, if we are truly lovers of God we will love one another. But this doesn’t mean to be artificial. We don’t try to love others. We try to love God and show respect to others. As our love for God grows we will develop love for others naturally. If you try to love someone you hate, you’ll hate him even more.

 

True love is eternal. You cannot fall out of true love. If you do, then it wasn’t love, it was lust. If you do this with a spouse you should apologize for having related to the other person in such a manner. We see this in divorce a lot. People who now hate one another. Lust will lead to hate. So you have to stop this cycle. You must change the relationship.