Questions by readers- Answers by The Mother! These answers are in no way definitive; nor do they make any claims to authenticity. These are supposed to answer the seeking. The insights contained in these answers issue from patrons of The Mother, among who are saints, holy men, scholars and advanced seekers. To submit a question, send email to editor.themother@gmail.com. Do not feel disappointed if The Mother does not publish the answer to your questions. The Editorial Board will choose questions to be published in The Mother depending upon its significance and service to the spiritual seekers at large. However, we will strive to answer most queries and personally communicate the answers to those who put forth genuine queries. Editor.

Q.

Following is the paragraph from the August 13 editorial page of The Mother:
"Roughly speaking, we could divide these two as the human act and the divine act. There’s an act of man and then there’s an act of God. Both have to work together. The trick is to tread the path between the two realities."

What is the trick, Sir?
Avinash Chaubey, Delhi

Answer.

When we are full of ourselves, with our plans, our agendas, our ambitions, we don’t see what’s coming our way, what God is sending us, what is destined. But if we loosen the grip on our own intentions, we are able to see some movements around us, some happenings that can become possibilities for us. We have to identify these things and constantly improve and innovate our own plans with the currents of destiny which are divinely willed. Sometimes we must altogether drop our old intents in favour of what’s developed in our life, sometimes we have to change a half, sometimes change just a bit and sometimes leave our plans intact. We have to keep making efforts and stop for a while, so that the divine can act a bit.

A part of our doing should be active wherein we do what we have decided to do and part of it has to be passive in which we receive and we play along whatever is happening. You decide to call on someone and you plan and visit that person. This is active. Someone says I am going and seeing such and such person, why don’t you tag along. And you agree. That’s passive.

Q.

Yesterday I meditated little longer for 150 minutes at a stretch. Around 90 minutes after start, while I was in deep meditation, I started feeling weightiness in middle of my forehead between both the eyebrows. I felt it that throughout my meditation and half an hour after the meditation. What was that feeling?
Ajay Kumar, Pune

Answer.

Between the eyebrows is the Ajna Chakra or the Third Eye. That tug at the centre of forehead is common. It just happens automatically when one tries to concentrate on anything. It’s the focusing point. All focusing happens from the centre of the forehead, which is why certain heaviness is bound to happen. It could result in headache and dizziness too. This is because of muscles and veins stiffening around that point. If such discomfort arises, just de-focus, move your concentration away from the third eye, down to your heart or all around you – as though you were not centred between the eyebrows but you were all over, in the space around you. Without any confines! To feel you are not in the body but in the space around you, in everything, this is the way to stop all tensions of meditation.

Q.

For years I have been hearing Ganesha being hailed with GANAPATI BAPPA MORYA during Ganesh days. What does it mean?
Sudha Udeshi, Mumbai.

Answer.

Morya Gosavi the famous devotee of Lord Ganesh of the 14th century who lived in Chinchwad, Pune.He was a crazy devotee of Lord Ganesh. Pleased with his bhakti(devotion), one day Lord asked him, what varadaan (boon) he would wish from him.
All, Morya said was, he would want his name to be always associated with HIM.

Ganesha said Tathaastu (So be it!) to his wish and declared that every time we call out for Lord Ganesh, we should say post it with a Morya.

Q.

Sir, does a Guru or saint do something, to transfer energy into their seekers. I mean is there any active practice they do to benefit specific people or disciples, or just by the Guru's thinking about them they gain? Does the Guru set a course for the disciple by actively intervening?
Sanjay Priyadarshi, Delhi

Answer.

When the disciple contemplates about the Guru, he comes into the universal spiritual energy field set up by God and he receives irrespective of his asking, merely by Guru’s presence. Similarly when the Guru thinks of the disciple the energy field becomes operative, perhaps more strongly than when the disciple thinks of the Guru. Energy is always there and it’s inexhaustible, disciple will receive according to his keenness and surrender and ability to become open to it. For a disciple who has often shown a desire to be led, and left his wellbeing at Guru’s feet, without much consideration of what he or she would personally wish the Guru to do, the Guru actively intervenes and sets the course.

Q.

I have belief. The problem is not of belief for me, but of ever forgetting it. The pull of the world can be strong. It sneaks in and replaces God. How do you keep constant remembrance of God?
Ritu Asatkar, US

Answer.

There is no way we can have constant remembrance of God if we separate the world from God.
Our moments with the world are likely to far outweigh our moments with God, because we would be experiencing God only when we pray or meditate, let’s say for two hours in a day. So two hours of meditation versus twenty-two hours of worldly preoccupation.
To make remembrance constant, we will have to marry the world with God. We’ll have to make it two plus twenty-two.
If we look upon everything as God, or try to ascribe divinity to everything, constant remembrance will be easier.
God in this river, God in this person, God in this tree, God in this work etc. Endlessly. First by ascription. And then naturally realising that what we are ascribing is indeed true. Saravm khalvidam Brahma- everything is Brahma! This way, God does not move out of our sight.

Q.

In the past years and endeavours, it has not been easy to effect into minds, the direct connection between swachchatha of surroundings and body, with shudhhata of mind and eternal bliss. I pray that your next issue can throw light in this.
Meenakshi Roy, Bangalore

Answer.

We’re talking about one of the eight limbs of yoga here. It is shauch or purity. Shauch is of two types. Antar Shaucha and Bahya Shauch. The internal purity (antar shauch) is achieved through even-mindedness, while external purity (bahya shauch) is achieved through what you call swacchataa or cleanliness/ hygiene. The human organism is constantly interacting with the outside environment and that leads to the state of mind. Dinginess, squalor, darkness, stuffiness induce tamasic or negative qualities in the mind, while cleanliness, hygiene, openness and light induce sattvic or [positive vibrations. The air and dust particles around are carriers of subtle vibrations impacting us through prana. Therefore cleanliness has an effect on purity.

Q.

Yat KritamYat KarishyaamiNa Tat Sarvam Maya Kritam
Tvaya Kritantu Phalbhaaka Tvameva Madhusudana
Whatever I am doing, and whatever I may do, it cannot be my doing.
Everything transpires through Your Will, O Madhusudana, and the fruit thereof is
Thine too.

Illustrating from the above shloka I understand that whatever do we in this material world is not our Karma, It is the karma of Bhagawan and all the outcome of that Karma only belongs to Lord. Why then does the human being suffer from his Prarabdha Karma, Why it is said that human being accumulates Karma as Prarabdha, Sanchita and Vartaman Karma.Why we suffer or get joy in our life?
Jaidip Bhattacharya, Pune

Answer.

The shloka that you quote is a stance of the devotee. It is the devotee who is saying that whatever I do is being done by you and the fruit thereof is yours too. This is not what the Lord is saying. Human being suffers from prarabddha karma, the malady of accumulating karmic effects over many lifetimes, because he or she appropriates all actions to himself or herself—which is exactly the opposite of the shloka mentioned above.
We suffer because of bad karmas, we experience joy because of good karmans. And we would transcend these two by renouncing the fruits of karma, assigning both karmas and their fruits to Madhusudana.

Q.

Since last 5 days I am trying to sit in Full Lotus position for meditation. At beginning it doesn't affect but gradually after 40 to 50 minutes, I feel little strain in legs and start getting deviated from concentration. I normally meditate for one hour. So please tell me if I should continue meditation in full lotus position or shall I continue as I was doing earlier sitting normally.
A Seeker

Answer.

Use the full lotus posture until you are strained, then either shift to half lotus or sukhasana i.e. sitting normally with back erect. Idea is not to strain yourself but to aid meditation. Vajarasana is also good and you can alternate between padmasana and vajrasana.

(to be continued in the next issue of The Mother)