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Topics:

1. Prayer

2. Rebirth & Reincarnation

3. God

4. Caste System

Prayer

1. Which is the prayer that you offer everyday?
I offer so many prayers each day, prayers in the morning, prayers in the evening on the banks of Mother Ganga, prayers before meals, prayers before I sleep. I offer prayers all day long as I meditate, as I chant, as I do His seva.
A few of the prayers I always offer are:
1) Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayaha; Sarve bhadrani pashyantu, ma kaschid dukhhabhag bhavet. Om Shantih, shantih, shantih.
May all be happy. May all be healthy. May all be enlightened and cultured. May all attain peace and perfection. May no one be afflicted with unhappiness or sorrow.
2) I offer prayers of peace: May there be peace to the Heavens, peace to the atmosphere, peace to the earth, to the waters, to the plants and shrubs. May there be peace to the forests and the mountains. May there be peace to Brahman and to all of God’s creation. Om peace, peace, peace.
3) And I offer special prayers for all who are ailing, sick or troubled, all those who ask me to pray for them. These are special, individual prayers.

2. Which is the best time of the day for offering prayer to God?
Prayer should be done anytime and all the time; anywhere and everywhere; for any reason and for all reasons. Prayer should be a minute to minute, moment to moment, integral part of our lives. Prayer makes us God conscious, it brings us into divine connection. It takes our focus away from the material world and into the spiritual world.

There are, of course, days which are seen as particularly auspicious for offering prayers, certain holidays which have special significance. Additionally, there are 3 times each day when it’s particularly important to pray. The first is when we get up. We dedicate our day to God, “God, this day is yours. Guide my actions, speak through my voice, make my hands your tools.” Then, at the end of the day, we offer the day to God, whatever we have done – good and bad – we lay at His holy feet. Our successes are due only to His grace, and only He can take care of our weaknesses. Also, before each meal, we offer the food to Him, so that it becomes prasad, nourishing our being with not only calories and vitamins but with His divine light.

However, although certain times and certain days are especially important, the goal is to make every day a holy day; start every day with prayer. Fill every day with prayer. End every day with prayer.

3) Should prayer include mantra, japa and puja (worship)?
Mantras and japa help us to concentrate. We live in a world that is overflowing with sensory pleasures and stimulation. Our lives are over-busy with work, errands, chores, etc. Therefore, it is very difficult to simply still the mind. Mantras and japa and special pujas serve as bridges between this world and the divine realm. They offer us a way to transverse the water which may seem impassable.

They say a mantra has 3 essential components: we must simultaneously picture the mantra, hear the mantra and taste the mantra. It is an experience of the entire being. A mantra is not only the experience of the hand or of the tongue. It must fill our beings Mantras and japa also purify our minds and hearts. After practicing them for awhile, they become automatic. Typically our unconscious thoughts are filled with trivial matters – conversions we have had or expect to have, groceries we must buy, what we will cook for dinner, or even a persistent commercial jingle. However, by practicing mantras and japa, these other thoughts get pushed aside by the automatic power of God’s name. Soon, the mantra and japa will become as unconscious and automatic as the other thoughts. It is like if you hear a song on the radio over and over, during your drive to work, that song will play in head all day long. Similarly, if you try to do your mantra or japa as much as possible, it will eventually become automatic. Your mind will no longer be filled with trivial thoughts and worries. Every free moment of thought will be filled with God.

Also, just like a mother can not ignore her child who cries out, “Mom, mom, mom, mom” so will God be always present with His devotees who chant His holy name.

4) Should one chant shlokas during prayer? What is the significance of the mantra given by a Guru?
There are so many different shlokas and prayers; it is impossible for me to say – in a general sense – which ones we should practice. This is a reason we have the tradition of gurus. After much thought and meditation, the guruji will tell the disciple which mantra to recite. However, until you have a sadguru, you can take any name of God, whatever form attracts you most. All of His names are holy; all of the mantras praising Him bring you to His feet.

Yes, a mantra given by a sadguru has special power, special significance. A guru transmits not only the words of a mantra, but the tradition and the sadhana of so many enlightened ones. He is giving you not only his wisdom but also the wisdom of his saduru and his guru’s guru. So, a mantra from a guru carries with it the guru’s light and the guru’s understanding and the guru’s love.

However, I always say that what matters is your faith, your shraddha. That is your real mantra. The words themselves are not nearly as significant as the heart that recites them. It reminds me of a story: a young boy went to church with his father. During the service everyone was offering different prayers to the Lord. The little boy heard so many different prayers recited by so many different people. Then it came time for the “silent prayer.” The minister said, “everyone now close your eyes and offer your prayer to God.” The little boy didn’t know any prayers; he was too young. So, as he closed his eyes, he spoke silently to God, “God, I have heard so many different prayers today. I don’t know which one to offer you. I don’t know which prayer you will like. And, besides, I don’t even know any of them by heart. The only thing I know how to recite is the alphabet. But, I know that all the prayers come from these 26 letters. So, let me recite the alphabet to you, and then you can make whichever prayer you like best out of these 26 letters.” And the little boy began to recite, “A,B,C,D,E,F,G…” in his head to God.

I want you to know that God is so happy with the simple alphabet from that little boy, who is so filled with love and faith. So, when we recite our complex sanskrit slokas, let us make sure we are doing so out of shraddha and piety rather than out of ritual and habit.

5) Should prayer include namsmarana (remembering the name of God), namlekhana (writing the name of God) or chanting His name on beads?
All of these are useful. They bring us out of glamour consciousness and into God consciousness. They focus our mind on something divine. However, they must be done in the right spirit. It is not enough to spend your days writing God’s name in a notebook. His name must be on our lips, in our hearts, and in our thoughts, not only in our notebooks. The ultimate goal, as it says so beautifully in one of our prayers, is to “have His name on our lips and have His work in our hands.” That is the goal. If we spend our days writing His name, or if our hands only have malas in them, then what are we doing for the world? Then what is the fruit of this sadhana?

6) Should one recite the Gita, Hanuman Chalisa or other things every day?
Yes, it is important to recite our scriptures and important prayers like the Hanuman Chalisa and other shlokas. We must recite these as much as possible, so that they become deeply ingrained into our beings. We must recite them so much that we live and breath them, so that they become as much a part of our consciousness as the names of our family, as the job we do at work, as the things that normally fill our minds.

However, the key is not in how many times we recite them, or in how many verses we recite, etc. The key to salvation is in how much we live them. In the Gita, Lord Krishna says, “Bhagwad Gita Kinchidadhita”. If we take even one shloka of the Gita, one divine word of Lord Krishna and actually live it in our daily lives, then we will see the true magic!

7) Should one sign hymns in favor of one's deity or tell the story of the deity's life?
Katha is important for the same reason that reading the scriptures is important. They give us inspiration and understanding and bring us into the lap of God. But, we must remember that Katha is not a social event. Katha is about God’s word and God’s message. That is why we should attend, not just to see our friends.

8) How much time during the day should one devote to prayer?
We should devote at least 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night, but as I said, our entire lives should be devoted to God. Ideally, there should not be a distinction between “prayer” time and “work” time; even the work becomes prayer. But, in this world that is difficult, I know. So, at least 15 minutes twice a day.

9) What should one do if one cannot offer prayer at a set time while traveling?
We should not ignore our spiritual lives when our bodies are traveling. Our prayers should be offered as soon as we can. Do not worry about the time change or a delay or anything like that. God never sleeps. He is always awake and always for you. You do not have to worry about waking Him up when you reach your travel destination.

10) Can prayer redeem sins?
Yes, definitely. However, prayer should not simply be used as an antidote for sin. We should not think that we can sin as much as we want and then we can just pray it away. That is not how it works. The prayer purifies us so that we no longer commit sins. It makes us pure and holy. In the Gita it says, “Khisipram Bhawati Dharmatma” and “Api Chetsu Duracharo.”

11) If a person offers prayers but does not observe proper moral conduct, will he/she benefit from the prayer?
Yes, all prayer is fruitful. But, they will also suffer the consequences of their dishonest behavior. One does not cancel out the other. The real goal of prayer is to make every thought, every action, every word honest and pure and loving. They say that prayer is the broom which sweeps out our hearts. So, when we pray we should ask God to make us more divine, more holy. Then, we won’t have to worry about dishonest deeds.

12) What should one bear in mind during prayer?
Prayer has no side effects, no warnings and no precautions. We should offer ourselves fully to the Lord with no fear and no hesitation. That is true surrender. God is all loving, all embracing. It is only our own ignorance that we should fear. God is the shelter from everything harmful. He is the refuge, the salvation.

13) What kind of prayers bear fruit?
All prayers are fruitful. No prayers are ignored by God. However, it is not for the fruits that we should pray. The real fruit of prayer is connection to the divine, and that comes with any prayer at any time.

14) What about people who offer prayers out of fear for God?
On the one hand, it is good that they are praying. That is the main thing. However, God should never be feared. He is infinitely forgiving, boundlessly loving and always ready to take us into His arms. It is the temptations of the material world that should be feared. It is those that steer us in the wrong direction and bring us frustration and anguish.

15) Does God heed our prayers? How does one know if God has heard the prayer?
Yes, definitely God listens. But, we must realize there is a distinct difference between hearing our prayers and gratifying our every whim. God listens to everything we say, to everything we think, to everything we feel. However, that does not mean that He will always give us what we ask for. God knows what we need; He knows what is best for us, both in the present and for our future growth. So many times we think we know what we want, think we know what will make us happy. But, only God really knows. Further, what happens in our lives is a product of so many past karmas, in addition to our goals of today.

So, there are many factors in whether or not our prayers are “answered”; but we must never confuse an unanswered prayer with thinking that God has not heard us.

How to know if God has heard us? We must establish a divine connection, a deep and strong relationship with God. We must have antennae in our hearts that are tuned to only one station: God. Then we will know that not only has He heard our prayers, but also that He is speaking back to us. When we speak to God it is prayer. When He speaks back to us it is meditation.

16) Is there any difference between prayer and thoughtful moral action?
Yes, there is a difference, but there should not be. All of our thoughts and all of our observances should be prayer. Typically our thoughts are about relatively mundane things – our selfish desires, our expectations, our plans. Prayer is typically purer, more devotional. The goal, however, is to have every thought be focused on God, to have every thought be pure and holy.

17) What about when sincere prayer does not bear fruit?
As I mentioned, there are so many factors that are woven together into the fabric of our lives. Our prayers are only one of those factors. Karma plays a crucial role in what befalls us, whether it’s success or failure, prosperity or poverty. That is why we must not only be good, but we must also do good! The more good we do in our lives, the more our prayers will be fruitful.

18) Can prayer which is not supported by action bear fruit?
They say, “God helps those who help themselves.” In other words, do as much as you can, and then lay the fruits of your work in God’s hands. I always so, “do your best and leave the rest to God.”

Top

Rebirth & Reincarnation

1. Rebirth is the philosophy of the Hindu religion. Does any other religion advocate the same philosophy?
Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism also adhere to the philosophy of rebirth.

2. What is the meaning of rebirth. What relevance does it have to the common man?

The literal meaning of rebirth is the act of the soul casting off the body in which it had lived and inhabiting a new body, one which will be conducive to its evolution.

This is incredibly significant for people, for the undeniable implication is that our “lives” are not merely limited to the 50 or 60 or even 80 years we spend in this current body, but rather we will live again and again. Intricately connected to the philosophy of rebirth is the philosophy of karma, for it is our karma which determines the body that our soul will inhabit next. Our karma determines both the positive and the negative situations in which our soul will find itself in the future. Thus, if we cause pain to others in this life, it is likely that we will experience pain, both in this birth and in the future.

Relevance of Rebirth

The belief in this philosophy serves several purposes for people. First, it ensures that we live our lives honestly, compassionately and purely. If we fully understand that our present actions determine our future circumstances, then we will act with discretion, love, peace and generosity. In the same way that people do not speed in their car when there is a policeman present, for fear of receiving a ticket, so we will not speed (or otherwise break the laws) in our lives when we realize that every action is being recorded.

However, the belief in this philosophy also provides hope to people. We see that this life is not our only chance. If someone has lived a life of greed, of lust, of anger and of adharma and if he does NOT adhere to the philosophy of rebirth, then he would feel hopeless and fated to an eternity of “Hell.” On the other hand, rebirth offers him another chance. The laws of rebirth and karma say, “your future begins right now. Change yourself today so that your future may be bright.”

3. What is the reasoning and purpose behind rebirth?
There are several purposes to rebirth. The first purpose lies in the realization that as humans we are weak. We succumb to temptation, to desire and to our emotions. Rebirth offers us a vision of life as a continuation from low to high, from impure to pure, and from human to divine. The law of rebirth allows us to both accept our “humanness” graciously without feeling damned to a life in Hell, while simultaneously striving to live our lives in a way that will ensure a positive tomorrow.

Second, the purpose of rebirth is to show people the inevitable repercussions of our actions. If you play “hide and seek” with a small child, she will frequently “hide” right in the middle of the room, closing her eyes in the belief that since she cannot see you, you must also not be able to see her. People also live like this, assuming that just because they claim not to “believe” in the law of karma that it doesn’t affect them. Yet, although our eyes may be closed, the Almighty God can still see us, and His law of karma “catches” us regardless of where we are.

There is a beautiful story in which a guru is deciding to which of his three disciples he should leave his large ashram and estate. To each he gives an apple and instructs his disciples to go, eat the apple where no one can see them, and then to return. He who returns first, having successfully completed the task, will receive the ashram.

So, 2 hours later, the first disciple runs back, breathless. He says, “Oh Guruji, am I the first back? I have climbed to the top of the highest mountain. It was so high that even animals cannot live there. There, on the peak of the highest mountain, out of sight of all humans and animals, I ate the apple.” The Guru just nods his head.

Later that evening the second disciple returns. He says, “Guruji, I went into a cave deep in the ground. Down deep below the surface of the Earth, in the darkness of the cave, I ate the apple. Not even a worm could see me, as I was so deep that not even a ray of light could penetrate.” The Guru nodded.

The night passed and the third disciple did not return. Finally, the following afternoon, more than 24 hours after the Guru had given the assignment, the third disciple walked in, slowly, with his head hanging low. He looked up shamefully at the Guru and placed the apple back into the Guru’s hands. He said, “My revered Guruji, I have failed in my task. I climbed to the highest mountain, I descended into the depths of the Earth. I went into open fields and into closed, constricted burrows. However, there was nowhere I could eat my apple, for regardless of where I was, I could see the eyes of the Lord watching me.” The Guru smiled at his disciple and said, “My child, you are the one who shall inherit my ashram, for only you know the omniscience and omnipresence of God. He can see in the darkest darkness. He can see to the highest peak. He can see near and far. He can see even that to which we, ourselves, our blind.”

So, in the same way, there is no way we can escape the eyes of karma or the law of rebirth. Thus, through these laws, God has given us both a never-ending, continuous chance of self-improvement and also an inescapable equation by which we always reap what we sow.

Third, another important point of rebirth is to fulfill unfulfilled desires. As long as we have desires for anything other than God, we cannot attain liberation. In fact, liberation is the freedom from all desires. Thus, until our mind becomes desireless, we will continue to engage ourselves in actions to fulfill these desires. These actions are what lead to karma – both good and bad – and thus bind us in the chains of birth and death. Thus, through rebirth we continue to live until have realized that God is the thing worth desiring. Then, falling in surrender at His holy feet, we begin the path toward desirelessness and liberation.

Thus, the most important purpose and reason of rebirth is to attain liberation, to become one with God. People can go astray in one life. People can choose paths of passion instead of piety, paths of decadence instead of discrimination, and paths of hedonism instead of honor. Yet, God wants us all to come to Him. That is the purpose of human birth. So, He gives us more chances. We keep coming back until we learn the lessons of this human birth and until we transcend the limitations and temptations of the flesh. Thus, we must realize that everything we do which is not conducive to the path of God realization, is simply an obstacle we are putting in our own way. Every act we commit which is not honest, divine and pure is simply one more stumbling block we put on our path. It is simply one more hurdle we will have to cross, if not this life then next life.

4. We know about the ten incarnations of Lord VISHNU, in which way does God descend on earth. Does he take birth in the same way as that of the common man or through some other way?
God is God, so He can manifest in any way. He can manifest in human forms or in non-human forms. He is not limited in any way. The rules of man do not apply to God. All of His manifestations are divine.

5. How many times can a soul take birth. Can a soul say that’s enough, now I do not want to be reborn birth. Is this request ever accepted?
A soul will come to Earth in human form as many times as are necessary to attain the final state of liberation. The faster one progresses, the fewer births that are necessary. Yes, a soul can certainly decide that this is enough and that it does not want to be reborn. However, simply wanting liberation is not enough. One must work for it. This is the point of sadhana, of seva, of japa, of meditation, of yoga. Through these ways, the soul sheds layer after layer of illusion, ignorance, attachment and desire. Once the layers have all been shed, once the soul realizes its true, divine nature, then rebirth is not necessary. Through these disciplines one can break the cycle of birth and death.

Attaining liberation is not merely due to a “request.” Sure, of course, one can request it, but that request is not enough. Rather than just giving us liberation as per request, God gives us the light by which we can see the path toward Him. He gives us the light of discrimination, the light of wisdom, and the light of truth by which we can find our way.

Thus, we cannot simply say, “I want liberation” and then continue to accrue karma which will bind us. All actions which are not laid at His holy feet – whether they are good actions or bad actions – result in karma. In order to completely break the chain of karma, we must lay our entire lives – every thought, every action, every word, and every desire – at His holy feet, realizing that He is the doer and we are merely the vessel through which He does.
In the Bhagwat Gita, Bhagwan Krishna says:

Yat karosi yad asnasi, yaj juhosi dadasi yat
Yat tapasyasi kaunteya, tat kurusva mad-arpanam.
Subhasubha-phalair evam moksyase karmabandhanaih
Sannyasa-yoga-yuktatma vimukto mam upaisyasi

This means, “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you give, and whatever sadhana and tapasa you perform, do everything as an offering to Me. In this way you will be freed from the bondage of karma and from the results of karma in your life. Through this renunciation of everything unto me, you will be free of all bondage and you will become united with Me.”

Further, it is only through becoming desireless that we can stop accruing karma and attain salvation. Yet, in order to become desireless we must practice sadhana to realize God. A child will be very attached to his toys and will desire more toys. However, by the time he is an adult, he will no longer be interested in these toys, “There are more important things than toys,” he will say. If you gave him a choice between diamonds and toy trucks, he would of course choose the diamonds. Similarly, we must reach a state where God is the diamond and all else are worthless toys.

When we perform yagna we say, “Idam Agnaye, swaha, idam agnaye, idam na mama.” This means, “not for me, but for You, God.” This must be our attitude not only in havan ceremonies, but also in every action of our life. Everything must be done as an offering to Him.

6. The next birth for a saint like you will be progressive and important like this birth. Do you know which will be your next birth?
For me personally, I am not concerned about where I take birth. I want only to continue to serve God through service to His children. The point of rebirth is not to be concerned with the when, where and how, but rather to make the Here and Now your Heaven! Liberation can take place now, if only we will work for it.

With the blessings of God and the grace of God, every moment of every day can be Liberation. In a rat race, you are always a rat. Even if you win the race, you are still a rat. The point of life is to live with Grace, not in a race. Yes, we must perform our duties. Yes, we must try to succeed in whatever way we are able. But, we must live in Grace, not in a Rat Race! That is the point of a divine life.

We should take the divine life of bhakta Prahlad as an example. Lord Vishnu offered him anything. What did he ask for? What boon did he request from God? He said, “Regardless of where I take birth, regardless of what form I come in – be it a scorpion, an insect, a tree, an animal or a man – the form and the place and the circumstances are irrelevant to me. I only ask that, in whatever form I take future births, please bestow upon me the blessing of undying devotion for Your holy feet.” The only thing he wanted was to live his life with the divine nectar of bhakti filling every pore of his body. He wanted to be completely saturated with love for God. This is the point of life.

7. If someone lives a virtuous life and achieves nirvana, does that mean there is no rebirth for him?
Yes, if one achieves nirvana, then that is the goal of human birth and one is liberated from the cycle of birth and death. However, saints may choose to return to the Earth, although they don’t have to, in order to ease the pain of those who are living. Yet, the difference between the liberated souls and those who are still bound by the laws of karma is like the difference between the prisoner and the jailer. Both live within the confines of the jail. However, where the prisoner must live according to the rules of the jail and his every movement is restricted, the jailer is free to move about as he wishes. He is not subject to the rules and no one is monitoring his movements. Further, while the prisoner must stay in the jail until his term is up, the warden is free to leave – either temporarily or even to give up his position as jail warden.

Similarly, the enlightened soul is on Earth, knowingly and by choice, in order to help others attain liberation. He is free and not bound.

8. Can a person really have any knowledge of a previous birth? If so is this knowledge beneficial or does it have disadvantages?
Usually people cannot remember previous births. One must perform great sadhana or go to the saints or special jyotishi (expert astrologer) to learn about their previous births. It is usually not advantageous to know, which is why the Divine Plan does not give us easy access to that information. We have enough trouble trying to navigate through one life, with one husband or wife, one mother, one father, one job, etc. Imagine if we immediately recognized others as our previous parents or spouses or vicious enemies? It would be impossible to remain neutral and unbiased.

Imagine that a man is married to a woman with whom he is not deeply in love. Certainly he loves her but not passionately or deeply. However, due to his duties, he stays married and lives an upright life. Now, imagine that one day he sees a very old woman in the grocery store and immediately recognizes her as his beloved from an earlier birth. He would have great difficulty not leaving his wife and family for an old woman whom he lusted for passionately in an earlier life!

Or, imagine that an upstanding young man and a young woman fall in love. The man goes to the woman’s parents to request her hand in marriage, and the girl’s father immediately recognizes the boy as an enemy from an earlier life. He would never allow his daughter to marry the man, although perhaps through the last few lives the man had gone from being a rascal to being a righteous young man.

So, in this way our lives would be quite difficult if we remembered our earlier births. Additionally, people talk about remembering our “last life,” but how many lives do we want to remember? One, three, ten, fifty? Where would we stop? Eventually, we would be living in a situation where many people we met had played some role in an earlier birth, thus preventing us from treating them fairly and dispassionately in this birth.

9. Why should the soul take birth on earth only? After leaving the human body, can a soul be born in any other form??
When we realize the purpose of rebirth, then it becomes clear as to why the Earth is the best-suited place and why the human body is the best-suited medium. The purpose, as we have discussed, is to work through previous karmas, to become desireless (through either fulfillment of the desires or through sadhana to eradicate the desires), and to attain God realization. The human body – with its intellect, compassion, consciousness, yearning, understanding and wisdom – is the most conducive to attain God realization. As an animal, our lives would be spent solely in eating, sleeping, protecting ourselves and reproducing. There is not time or ability for sadhana. Similarly for plants and other species – the consciousness is there in terms of ability to feel pain and to reproduce, but there is not a well developed enough sense to search for something higher.

However, occasionally, due to the performance of truly evil deeds and the accumulation of significant negative karma, a soul will have to come to Earth in the form of an insect or lower life form. However, as soon as the lessons are learned in that life form, then again the soul can come in the form of a human, in order to continue its progression toward God realization.

10. How many times does a soul have to take birth. Does the same soul always take birth on earth? When he is born, does he look the same each time?
First of all, the soul never actually takes birth. Rather, the soul inhabits human bodies in order to come to Earth, the Karma Bhoomi (land of karma) so that it can engage itself in actions which will lead to its liberation. The individual soul – which is intricately connected to the mind, the senses and the desires -- comes to the Earth in those situations which will be most conducive to working through past karmas, to enabling the mind to become pure and desireless, and to helping it attain salvation.

People frequently become confused that it is the soul which must work through karma or the soul which has desires. No, the soul is pure, divine and complete. Rather, it is the mind, the senses, the pranas, the desires, the sanskaras and the tendencies which form the subtle body and travel with the soul from one gross body to the next gross body and which obscure the true, divine perfection of the soul.

It is like a perfect reflection of the sun (the individual soul as reflection of the Supreme Reality) which becomes distorted and murky due to the dirt and waves in the water in which it is being reflected (the mind and the senses). The reflection (the soul) is perfect. It is only the vehicles of reflection (the mind and senses) which are turbulent and murky, thus making the reflection itself seem less than clear. Once the water becomes clear and calm, the sun will reflect perfectly. Similarly, once the mind and the senses become calm and clear, through sadhana, through association with the saints, through good work, then the individual soul can manifest perfectly and attain liberation.

11. If we have got good parents, brothers, sisters, friends and gurus, how can we have the same relatives and friends in the next life. Has a soul got any right to select his family and friends?
There are two important points. Yes, on the one hand we can hope to be with certain people again in our next life. The only way to do this is through prayer. It is not a matter of the soul having a “right” to choose. But, rather, if someone prays with great sincerity, purity and devotion God can answer the prayer.

However, the other important point is that the purpose of life is NOT to become so attached to our family and friends that we are already worried about not being with them in our next birth. We have a hard enough time living together in this life! So many times we cannot even get along with our family members in this life; we must focus on loving and caring for each other NOW, rather than be concerned about whether we will be together in the future.

Also, when a soul departs from the body, the soul continues its journey toward God realization. The scriptures caution us against thwarting the progress of other souls. By begging to stay together with someone, we are inhibiting their own progress and path.

Thus, let us instead concentrate on loving those we are with now. Let us care for all those who come into our path. Let us pray to move forward with each birth, and let us not be so attached that we sacrifice our own or someone else’s spiritual growth in order to simply stay together.

12. Does the karma of this life become useful in the next life. If the present life is happy, does that mean the soul had done some good deeds. On the contrary, if this life is full of unhappiness, does that mean the soul is suffering from his own misdeeds of his last birth? Can you please explain the law of karma?
Yes, the karma of this life is extremely relevant to our next life. However, the equation is not as simple as just good deeds in one life lead to happiness in the next, or bad deeds lead to unhappiness. First of all, karma can take place immediately; it does not necessarily wait until the next birth. We always reap that which we sow. Therefore, performing good deeds with a selfless motive will definitely lead to positive karma, both in this life AND in future lives.

However, there are a few important points. First of all, motivation is important. We must perform our duties with no motivation other than to do God’s will purely and selflessly. If we simply do good deeds so that we will reap good karma (e.g. going to temple in order to pass an exam, or being respectful to your mother so that she will raise your allowance) then we do not really get the long-term benefits. Rather, we must do good deeds because it is the right thing to do. We must perform right action because that is what will lead us to God. We must not concern ourselves with the immediate fruits or results.

Second, it is important to realize that that which may seem to be negative is not necessarily so. For example if a young, pure, innocent boy dies at the age of ten, people immediately question, “what horrible sin did he commit in a past birth in order to account for the tragedy in this one?” Perhaps the death was due to negative karma. However, perhaps he had come very close to liberation in a past birth and only had a few karmas to work through before his soul was ready for salvation. These karmas may have been quickly resolved during only ten years and thus, the soul is free to be liberated. So, rather than being a tragedy, the early death is a blessing

13. Can a great soul take birth again to finish his life’s work. Are there any such examples. Or two lovers failed to live together in this life, if they shorten their lives by committing suicide, will they then be together in their next life?
Yes, of course, souls can come back to finish their work. That is why they come back – because their work of attaining divine liberation is not completed. There are many examples through history of proven cases of reincarnation. In fact, when I was young, doing sadhana in the Himalayan jungle, I met several people (including very small children) who told me about their path births, even down to the smallest detail of the home in which they lived and their previous families. They explained the circumstances of their death and how their work was thwarted by death. These details of their lives have been confirmed through independent sources.

However, to commit suicide in the hope that in next life our wishes will be fulfilled is a grave mistake. This is true regardless of what our wishes are, whether they are wishes to be with a particular boy or girl or whether they are wishes to succeed in a particular arena. Suicide is never the answer.

God has given us a great gift of life. Through this life we have the opportunity to move closer to Him and closer to the Heavenly Abode. However, if we throw away this opportunity, then we lose the chance. People, especially youth, make the tragic mistake of thinking that suicide will give them a “fresh start” on a new life. But it is the exact opposite. By committing suicide they condemn themselves to lifetimes of not only the exact problems they faced in this life, but also to the negative karma accrued by killing themselves. Thus, their next life will inevitably be much more problematic and much more painful than this one.

14. Some people donate arms, eyes, and kidneys after death. Parsi’s give their bodies to vultures. Do these good deeds at the end of life help the soul for rebirth. Are they beneficial to the soul. Or for the broken body, does the soul have to suffer?
Whatever we do, in life or death, that helps others is a good deed. We should help others as much as we can during life, and if in death we can help them further, then we should do that as well. There is a tradition when saints die that they are not cremated, but rather their bodies are floated down Ganga. The reason for this is so that the fish and other animals can gain nourishment from their bodies. The lives of saints are lived for humanity, and even in death they want every cell to be useful to another creature.

So, the soul certainly does not have to suffer through donating organs, and – in fact – it is benefited. Our souls progress and benefit through every good deed we perform, whether in life or in death.

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God

1. What is your image of God?
God is everything – He is both formless as well as manifest in every form. My image of God is in His creation – every living being is made in God’s image. In Hinduism we have a beautiful tradition of bowing down before each other and saying, “Ram, Ram.” Also, our traditional greeting of Namaste, literally means, “I bow to the God within you.”

God, Himself, is indescribable. He has both every form and no form. One cannot say, “Oh, God looks like this.” God is everything and therefore can take the form of everything. God comes in different forms to different devotees. I don’t like to put a specific image in people’s minds, because then they try to see that particular image, rather than letting God come to them in the way that is most appealing and appropriate for them.

2. In what form do you see God who dwells in your heart?
As I said before, God dwells everywhere and in everything. When I open my eyes and behold His creation, I behold God. I hear God in every sound, every note, every voice. When I touch someone or something with love, compassion and reverence, I am touching God. I smell God in the scent of the Earth, in the flowers, in the fragrance of the Himalayas. I taste God when my mouth is filled with singing His glories.

3. What name or names do you give to God?
We can give any name that feels right to us. In our prayers and in our scriptures it is said, “God, You are my mother, You are my father, You are my guru, You are my friend, You are my everything.”

It is incorrect to think that there is one name or a few names that God “prefers.” What He wants is devotion. There is a beautiful story of a young boy who went to church with his father. During the service everyone was offering different prayers to the Lord. The little boy heard so many different prayers recited by so many different people. Then it came time for the “silent prayer.” The minister said, “everyone now close your eyes and offer your prayer to God.” The little boy didn’t know any prayers; he was too young. So, as he closed his eyes, he spoke silently to God, “God, I have heard so many different prayers today. I have heard so many different beautiful names given to You. Now, I don’t know which one to say, which name to use for You. I don’t know which name You will like most or which prayer you will like most. And, besides, I don’t even know any of them by heart. The only thing I know how to recite is the alphabet. But, I know that all the names and all the prayers come from these 26 letters. So, let me recite the alphabet to you, and then you can make whichever name and whichever prayer you like best out of these 26 letters.” And the little boy began to recite, “A,B,C,D,E,F,G…” in his head to God.

God is so happy with the simple alphabet from that little boy, who is so filled with love and faith.
So, we must give a name that is filled with love and devotion for us.

4. Which is the best way to be one with God?
Just be yourself. In our lives we are so used to “doing,” that we forget about “being.” With all others we act, we put on shows which we think will make us successful or popular. But, with God, the way to be is just natural. Just talk to Him. Whatever is on your mind, just open up and talk to Him. We should be with God as we would be with our most unconditionally loving parent, as we would be with our best friend, as we would be with our dearest sweetheart.

So many people ask me how to reach God, how to obtain Him. I always say, “seva, smaran and samarpan.” We can reach God directly – through smaran and samarpan, or we can reach Him through seva, serving His people selflessly. There is a beautiful story. Once there lived a man who was very honest and diligent about his work. He served all his people, all his customers with great dedication and integrity. And, he even served those who could not pay for his goods. His commitment to his people was peerless.

One night, the man was working late, pouring over his papers to see how he could improve the service he provided and to make sure that all accounts and commitments were current and fulfilled. Suddenly, his room was flooded with light. He looked up, astonished, and beheld a divine angel amidst the light. She was holding a large, golden book, and in the book she was writing. “Pray, what are you writing in your book?” the man asked softly and humbly. The angel responded that she was inscribing in her book the names of all those who love God. The man asked if his name was in the list, but the angel told him, “no.” He fell silent and was temporarily forlorn. However, he quickly looked up and asked, with folded hands, “could you at least inscribe my name as one who loves his fellow men?” The angel disappeared.

The next evening, however, she returned, filling his room, his heart, his mind and his life with the greatest, most divine light the man could imagine. The beautiful angel told the man, “I have a list here of all those whom God loves the most, and you are on the top of the list! Your love and service of your fellow men has endeared you in God’s heart.”
Seva is sadhana, and sadhana is the path to God.

5. According to some religions, God does not come into the world in His own person, but sends his Son or his Angel to convey his message to the world. According to the Hindu religion God comes into the world in His own person when Dharma is endangered by evil. God comes into the world to protect dharma and its devout followers. How do you react to these views?
First of all, there is no “right” or “wrong” answer to this. Different faiths give different names to their divine messengers. Whether it is God, Himself, or His son or His Angel or some other representation of the Almighty that comes to save us, the important point is that we ARE being saved, and we ARE being cared for and we ARE being protected.

There is a beautiful story told about the Emperor Akbar and his sage minister Birbal. One day Akbar asked Birbal whether God incarnated and if so, when and why. Wise Birbal told Akbar that his question would be answered a few days hence.

So, several days later they had a royal picnic scheduled on the Royal Steamer Cruise Ship with all the royal family and guests in attendance. The atmosphere was one of jubilance and gaiety. A short while after the ship had left the shore and was sailing in the ocean, Akbar and Birbal were standing on deck talking and enjoying the beautiful view.

Suddenly, Akbar turned pale and screamed for help. However, before anyone could even ask him what had happened, Akbar himself jumped into the deep waters and swam furiously toward an inflatable dummy of his son, which was floating a few hundred meters from the boat. As he grabbed the dummy, thinking he was saving the life of his son, he realized the prank. His heroic fervour turned to fury as he admonished Birbal for his cruel joke.

Birbal, however, said, “I needed to answer for you the question of how, when and why God would incarnate on Earth. Just as you jumped immediately into the raging sea to save your dearest son, without even thinking about the repercussions for yourself, so God incarnates on Earth whenever His devotees are in pain.”

In the Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjun that whenever there is darkness and strife, He will incarnate to guide His children back to the light. God is our saviour, our preceptor. He protects us and loves us as a parent loves the dearest child.

God’s invitation to us is always open. He is always available, always ready, always there, whenever we cry out in pain or beseech Him for help. And if we don’t accept His invitation right away, He says, “no problem. The rain check is always there, with no expiration date.” As soon as we are ready for Him, needing Him, calling to Him, He will be there.

6. How does one recognise a Person who has realised God? Can such a person be identified from his appearance, or his words or deeds?
The Gita says that a person who has realised God is easily visible. That person is calm, peaceful, loving, sattvic. That person helps and heals others; he doesn’t hurt anyone. That person is in peace, not in pieces. That person is better, not bitter. A God realised soul is one who is not blinded by the veil of maya. It is a person who knows that he/she lives in the body, but realizes that the body is merely a vehicle to perform God’s work. The God realized person is identified every minute and every moment with Him, not with their body and its needs, desires, and temptations. It is a person who lives each day shining with divine bliss, joy and light, and whose life brings this joy and light to others.

7. Has any religion pointed at a simple way to realise God? If so, which?
Many religions offer ways to God, some are more complex than others. Some religions offer us a path to God during our lifetimes, while other religions teach that God can only be reached after death. Hinduism offers a beautiful, simple, immediate way to God. That way is, “Go to Him.” Just go to Him. You need no supplies, no preparation, no special training or degrees. Lord Krishna says that “He who comes to me with devotion and surrender becomes Mine.” People frequently, though, are plagued by feelings of guilt and sin. They feel unworthy. They feel that God will not, or cannot possibly accept them. However, this is completely false. We are all part and parcel of the Almighty. He loves us unconditionally and will accept us immediately. All we have to do is go to Him, surrender our lives at His holy feet and say, “God, I am yours.” I always say that God doesn’t open your old files. He never checks references or wants to know about your past. He just wants you, now and forever. Simplicity, piety, devotion and reverence are the easiest way to God.

8. Is there any disqualification in the matter of realisation of God? Is there any discrimination of caste, creed or colour, gender or class in this matter?
As I just mentioned, God does not open old files, nor does He pass judgement on anyone. All colours, all castes, all creeds are equal to Him. He loves all and accepts all.

9. What, according your interpretation, is the true message of the Almighty?
God’s message is simple: come to me. All other teachings, all other injunctions and messages lead to this. Our scriptures say, “Only those actions are good actions that are done to please God. The only true commitment of a soul is to lovingly establish his heart and mind in God immediately.” Yes, of course, there are other instructions given in the scriptures, for example, speak truth, follow dharma, read sacred texts, serve humanity, etc. However, if one truly comes to God and surrenders at His holy feet, then everything else follows. If our minds are filled with love for Him, then we don’t need a rule telling us to read the scriptures. We want to. If we have surrendered to Him and offered our lives to Him, then we don’t have to remind ourselves to do seva or to serve our guests. It will come naturally, because we will see Him in everyone.

So, the most basic message, the purest distillation of all other messages is, “come to me. Surrender to me. I am yours.” Everything else follows from that.

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Caste System

1. All His creation is universally one and the same to Almighty God, and even then, today, Hindu religion appears to be losing its direction by remaining so grossly divided in terms of ‘castes and their sub-divisions’. What, according to you, would be the way to bring about unity under one umbrella?

The Caste system as you see it today is not was originally simply a division of labor based on personal, talents tendencies and abilities. It was never supposed to divide people. Rather, it was supposed to unite people so that everyone was simultaneously working to the best of his/her ability for the greater service of all. In the scriptures, when the system of dividing society into four groups was explained, the word used is “Varna.” Varna means “class” not “caste.” Caste is actually “Jati” and it is an incorrect translation of the word “varna.” When the Portuguese colonized parts of India, they mistakenly translated “varna vyavasthaa” as “caste system” and the mistake has stayed since then.

The varna system was based on a person’s characteristics, temperament and their innate “nature.” The Vedas describe one’s nature as being a mixture of the three gunas – tamas, rajas and sattva. Depending on the relative proportions of each of these gunas, one would be classified as a Brahmin, Kshetriya, Vaishya or Shudra. For example, Brahmins who perform much of the intellectual, creative and spiritual work within a community have a high proportion of sattva and low proportions of tamas and rajas. A kshetriya who is inclined toward political, administrative and military work has a high proportion of rajas, a medium proportion of sattva and a low proportion of tamas. A Vaishya who performs the tasks of businessman, employer and skilled laborer also has a high proportion of rajas but has relatively equal proportions of sattva and tamas, both of which are lower than rajas. Last, a shudra who performs the unskilled labor in society has a high proportion of tamas, a low proportion of sattva and a medium proportion of rajas.

These gunas are not inherited. They are based on one’s inherent nature and one’s karma. Therefore one’s “varna” was also not supposed to be based on heredity, and in the past it was not. It is only in relatively modern times that the strict, rigid, heredity-based “caste” system has come into existence. There are many examples in the scriptures and in history of people transcending the “class” or “varna” into which they were born. Everyone was free to choose an occupation according to his/her guna and karma.

Further, according to the scriptures, there is no hierarchy at all inherent in the varna system. All parts are of equal importance and equal worth. A good example is to imagine a human body. The brain which thinks, plans and guides represents the Brahmin caste. The hands and arms which fight, protect and work represent the kshetriya caste. The stomach which serves as the source of energy and “transactions” represents the vaishya caste, and the legs/feet which do the necessary running around in the service of the rest of the body represent the shudra caste. No one can say the brain is better than the legs or that hands are superior to feet. Each is equally important for the overall functioning of the body system. They just serve different roles.

The way to unite people now is education. We must bring awareness that all people are equal and that there are no small or big people or superior or inferior people. Spiritual leaders and other eachers can teach the truth of the scriptures and help eradicate this prejudice.

Look at Bhagwan Ram and Bhagwan Krishna. Both show the example of taking their food from even people of the lowest caste and going to the homes of the lower caste people. It is devotion, purity and commitment which make us great or small, not our caste.

2. Gujaratis living abroad, even today, observe firm rules and regulations restricting themselves within one’s own caste and community whenever it comes to organising their children’s marriages. Is this a proper procedure to continue these days? Should these practices be liberalised? How would you advise our community leaders on this matter?

These regulations should be loosened. Parents’ focus should be on encouraging their children to marry Indians rather than being so stuck in a particular caste. The important thing is that our children marry Indians so that the culture and tradition are passed on. Ideally they should marry people from a similar culture/language background within the Indian community (for example, Gujaratis marrying Gujaratis, Punjabis marrying Punjabis) because then the tradition, language, culture, etc. will be familiar and similar. This makes it easier to travel down the journey of life –if our partner shares a similar background, language, culture, and tradition. However, this is not essential. Parents should be flexible about marriage partners as long as they are within the Indian, Hindu community.

Also, though, this tendency should be inculcated in our children from a very young age. We should infuse our culture, traditions, rituals and heritage in them so beautifully that they automatically look to marry someone who shares this same culture.

3. Caste based social organisations are formed strictly on the basis of caste by Indians living in foreign countries. Do you think this is a welcome and necessary trend in the 21st Century? Should such organisations be allowed to continue? Should these be replaced by other alternatives? If so, how?

No. We should overcome these things. They are outdated. Particularly, living abroad Indian Hindus should be focused on being Indian Hindus rather than being so concerned with being a part of their particular caste. Being Indian should be our identity living abroad. In that way we can be united.

Organizations can certainly exist within the Indian Hindu community, but they should be based on language and culture rather than caste. So for example, there is the Gujarati Samaj or the Punjabi association, etc.

4. Caste-system was at the root of the differences in the social levels among Hindus as individuals. Narsinh Mehta, great poet and devotee of Lord Krishna, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Sahjanand Swami Maharaj and many other social reformers struggled during their lifetime to rid society of the evils of the caste-system. And yet, these evils do persist even today. What do you think could be done to eradicate this evil?

Yes, the problems exist, but these great souls have also had an effect. The effect is there. Change is there. People are changing. However, more has to be done. We must keep working to eradicate this problem.

One of the reasons that it has not yet been eradicated within India is that politicians have used the caste divisions for their own sake. But this must stop. The time has come for everyone to realize that it is weakening our communities.

5. ‘What caste do you belong to?’ is the first question many Gujaratis believing in the caste-system ask whenever they happen to meet one another! Would you consider this kind of questioning appropriate in these days? We shall appreciate to know of a ‘strong rebuttal’ to the questioner so that he would refrain from asking such questions in future!

This is not a good question at all. Originally, as I mentioned, the caste was just a division of labor, a division of jobs. So, really it would be more proper and more in keeping with the true meaning of “caste” if we ask each other “what is your job?”

Nowadays caste doesn’t bare any relation to jobs. Brahmins who are supposed to be the teachers and priests are running shoe companies. Vaishyas are taking care of temples and being the teachers. Kshetriyas are rarely serving as soldiers of America, UK, Africa, Canada, etc. Everyone is doing everyone else’s job now. So, the question bares no connection to its original meaning and is used only to give us a way of judging others and putting them into a box of “superior” or “inferior.” Therefore it should not be used. These prejudices are simply bringing disease to our community.

A good rebuttal is simply to say, ‘I am Indian.” Or “I am Hindu.” Or “I am Gujarati.” Or “I am a child of God.”

Or, if you really want to answer the question in its true meaning, then you can say, “I am a businessman.” Or “I am a teacher.” Or “I am a doctor.”

6. At the government levels, also, we have not been able to do away with the class differences like ‘Savarnas and Scheduled/Backward Classes’. They have continued to offer protection under the ‘system of reservations’ in the areas of education and employment. What is your opinion on this subject?

The System of Reservation and the special protection and services should remain but they should be based on need not caste. They should be based on poverty levels and socio-economic status, not on caste. Anyone – of any caste – living below a certain standard should be helped.

7. Do you think a day will dawn when all Hindus unitedly would say: ‘WE ARE ALL ONE AND UNITED’? What should be done by social, political and religious reformers in order to achieve this?

Yes. I am very positive and optimistic. I do think that the day will come when we are all united. Bhagwan Ram built bridges between men and men, animals and men, animals and animals. He even built bridges to the demons! We should take this example and the communities should start building bridges between different castes and different communities.

Our problem is our ego. That is the only thing inhibiting our unity. Look at the “I”. Wherever it is, it always stands capital, whether at the beginning of a sentence, the middle of a sentence or the end of a sentence. “I” is always capital, and “I” represents our ego. This capital “I” is a border, a boundary, a wall between us. Our egos stand in the way of our unity. Whether it is our personal egos, or egos about the superiority of our particular caste or society. The key is to bend our egos. We must bend the “I” and turn it from vertical to horizontal. When the “I” becomes horizontal, then it can serve as a bridge between people, families, communities and nations.

The spiritual leaders can teach people to build bridges and to unite. That is why we are doing this Vishwa Dharma Prasaar Yatra. We have travelled across the globe, through USA, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Russia, Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific, spreading the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbhakam – the World is One Family.

We have seen that everyone wants to unite. Everyone wants to be together. Everyone wants to be in peace. I am confident that this message and mission will blossom and flourish, and that people across the world of all religions (not only Hindus) will join together as one united family.