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.

Today I was having a conversation with my mom and realized that she's 45 years old. I feel our life time is so limited. I'm 23 years old now. Years just pass away in this materialistic world. I’ll be completing my masters in a year and will find a job. Then I’ll get married and then kids. I’ll be so busy with everything and all of a sudden when I look back I did nothing to realize myself! I don't know where to go and whom to approach. I tried to follow Swami Vivekananda’s Raja Yoga book and failed. It’s a constant thought and apprehension that I might die without realizing myself and who am I.

I write to you hoping for some answer. Maybe I know what to do but I need help and constant push, a teacher to share their wisdom and guide me.

Ans.

How true! Life is wasted. And it’s also true that one gets swamped in materialistic pursuit and spiritual goal is ignored. Random following is no good. You need to enrol for authentic spirituality. And that happens only with a bona fide Guru, rest of it is all scattered and conduces to nothing. So get a Guru first or develop a consciousness/ ardent desire to get a Guru. Once there is Guru, you just give yourself to the Guru wholeheartedly, the rest is done as Guru directs, your worries end. Guru is all! Na Guroradhikama tattvam, there is no Principle in this world which can transcend a Guru.

Q.

I don’t know Sanskrit. Every time I reach out for the Gita, I feel a sense of fear. How can I grasp what the Creator has said with my limited intellect, without help from someone?

Ans.

The Creator who inspired Bhagavad Gita, also inspired the creation of your being. He lives in the words of the Gita, He lives in your being, so it is possible for you to know Gita. 
No scholarship is needed.
Just read the words, contemplate them and surrender, seeking Gita to reveal Herself. 
Over time, Gita will reveal Herself and also bring you an opportunity to come in touch with those whom Gita has blessed.
You just have to keep reading the Text day after day.

Q.

I just can’t stop talking and messaging. I know it is no good, sometimes I offend people, sometimes I regret what I have spoken. How do I overcome this?

Ans:

You talk because your speech is connected to your mind and there is no stopper between them. Your mind continuously blabbers, and it automatically feeds your tongue and keypad.

You will have to realise mental blabber is meaningless. It dissipates us.

We should not always think. We should think only occasionally. Switch off thinking most of the other time. Thinking and speaking are to be used on need basis, and consciously, not on auto pilot. They are to be driven by us, we are not be driven by them.

Also we should not always talk even if there is much to talk.
We should talk occasionally. If solicited, asked.

Think of these words:

मिताहार मितभाष्य मितविचार मितव्यय

Less food.
Less talk.
Less thinking.
Less spending.

Less is More.

If you start watching your breath, no controlling, only feeling the velocity and extent of breath, speech drive will be curtailed

 Breathing out via fully evacuated abdomen, breathing in until chest is full (no abdomen movement while breathing in)

Just this. And done gently, slowly, peacefully, will help.

It is to be noted that breathing should not be done muscularly, forcefully during this watching. That's air.

Same thing when done thru mind, it becomes prana.

No noise should come from breath. All that heavy duty कुश्ती with breath is nonsense.

It's got to be subtle. Mind breathing. Mind using breathing to reach the ends of breath. That's the way.

This will calm you and then to use that sacred prana which gives peace for speaking will seem like a violation.

Pranayam, especially watching breath, kills desire to speak.

Q.

I am writing Ram Naam, is it ok to miss it sometimes? What if I leave long gaps in between?

Ans:

Consistency is the key. Do not miss writing Ram Naam, if you miss, make it up next day. It takes a year to for evidence to appear.

Our ancient sages, when they wrote stotras (hymns of praise) had this one line coming in the end which referred to half year or one year as a stipulated time for bearing fruit.

In Ganesh Stotra for instance:

Japed Ganapati-Stotram Shadbhirmaasaih Phalam Labhet |
Samvatsaren Siddhim Cha Labhate Naatra Samshayaha || 7 ||

Salutations to Sri Ganesha. By reciting this Hymn of Sri Ganapati for six months, one will start getting the fruits,
And by reciting for one year, one will obtain the desired result, there is no doubt in this.

So go on, don’t stop until a year at least!