courtesy: Sivananda Gurugram
Q 1: When everything is predestined and pre-planned by the Lord, why does man
endeavour to do and undo things? Should one's repeated failures in respect of a
certain work be also taken as the Will of the Lord? Is it a fact that we get
what we deserve or is it that we are not really fit for what we actually aspire
for? This doubt is eluding a clear-cut answer from my own limited brain. I refer
the same to your greater brain to resolve this doubt and I hope you will do
so.
A: It is true that everything is predestined and pre-planned by the Lord; and
only in accordance with the holy writ, everything takes place. God has given
free will also to the individual to do right or wrong, to discriminate between
the Preyo Marga and the Sreyo Marga. If one is endowed with true wisdom as to
the fleeting and painful nature of the worldly enjoyments, one can exert oneself
in the right direction to do or undo his Prarabdha, the portion of Karmas
ripened for actual experience in this current birth. Without the Lord's special
grace, none can make or mar himself. Even for realization, the Lord's grace is
necessary. For obtaining the Lord's grace, intense Purusha Prayatna, otherwise
known as Purushartha, which is voiced forth throughout the famous "Yoga
Vasishtha" is to be put forth. Whether it be failure or success in any
undertaken work, it is but the effect of the Lord's grace and will alone. Accept
everything in the light of Vedantic indifference. Be a silent witness and
rejoice over the mystery of the Lord.
Everybody gets what he actually deserves; nothing more, nothing less. The Divine
Law is altogether different from man-made law. The Law and Verdict and Judgement
of the Lord is final and unquestionable. No bribing business there. His Law is
always impartial and uniform and even, with the whole of mankind, why only
mankind, with the whole of His own creation. Aspiration on the mundane side is
but an expression of egoism that bursts forth in every moment of man's life
through actions, thoughts and speech. Unless it is, as already stated, willed by
the Lord, nothing mundane or spiritual is possible of attainment by any human
being on earth. God actually helps those that help themselves, provided that the
thing aspired for is in strict conformity with the injunctions of the holy writ.
From the cradle to the grave, from birth till death, from the moment of
awareness to that of eternal rest, the guiding factor of man should be
self-effort, self-effort, self-effort and self-effort alone, based on surrender,
without minding the results.
Q 2: What is astral body?
A: The astral body is the subtle body which is within this physical body like
the bladder of a football. It is an exact counterpart of the physical body. It
is made up of the five organs of action, the five organs of knowledge, the five
Pranas, mind, intellect, Chitta or the subconscious mind, and Ahankar or egoism.
Some call it "the double". It is this astral body that comes out of the physical
body after death and moves to heaven. Death of this astral body through the
knowledge of the Eternal frees one from the cycle of births and deaths.
Q 3: It is mentioned in our Puranas that in days of yore Akashvani was
frequently heard by our ancestors who were forewarned of coming events. Is it
credible? Or, was it only the voice of their own inner intuition?
A: There is some order in the four Yugas. The consciousness of man grows grosser
and grosser as time rolls by. In the previous Yugas, man's consciousness was
subtler than it is in this Yuga. In the Satya Yuga, Bhagavan used to move amidst
mankind. Human consciousness was not far removed from divine consciousness. In
the Treta Yuga, man's consciousness grew grosser. Though God was not constantly
moving amidst human beings, there were frequent Avataras of the Lord. In the
Dvapara Yuga, man's consciousness grew grosser still; and only the immortal
Brahma-Rishis like Narada, Visvamitra, etc., used to move amongst men, and also,
Akashvanis used to warn people of coming events. Now we feel that Akashvani is a
very rare and miraculous thing; in the previous Yugas it was not so. Devas
themselves used to move amongst men. And Akashvani used to forewarn the people
regularly. Just as we have our Government, the celestials also have their own
Government. Whenever they wished to communicate with mankind, they used to do so
through Akashvani. Nowadays the deity communicates with the people mainly
through dreams and visions. That is practically the only form of communication
with human beings that Devas have retained in this Yuga.
Upanishadic philosophy is the only solace of life.
-Sri Swami Sivananda
Q 1: When everything is predestined and pre-planned by the Lord, why does man
endeavour to do and undo things? Should one's repeated failures in respect of a
certain work be also taken as the Will of the Lord? Is it a fact that we get
what we deserve or is it that we are not really fit for what we actually aspire
for? This doubt is eluding a clear-cut answer from my own limited brain. I refer
the same to your greater brain to resolve this doubt and I hope you will do
so.
A: It is true that everything is predestined and pre-planned by the Lord; and
only in accordance with the holy writ, everything takes place. God has given
free will also to the individual to do right or wrong, to discriminate between
the Preyo Marga and the Sreyo Marga. If one is endowed with true wisdom as to
the fleeting and painful nature of the worldly enjoyments, one can exert oneself
in the right direction to do or undo his Prarabdha, the portion of Karmas
ripened for actual experience in this current birth. Without the Lord's special
grace, none can make or mar himself. Even for realization, the Lord's grace is
necessary. For obtaining the Lord's grace, intense Purusha Prayatna, otherwise
known as Purushartha, which is voiced forth throughout the famous "Yoga
Vasishtha" is to be put forth. Whether it be failure or success in any
undertaken work, it is but the effect of the Lord's grace and will alone. Accept
everything in the light of Vedantic indifference. Be a silent witness and
rejoice over the mystery of the Lord.
Everybody gets what he actually deserves; nothing more, nothing less. The Divine
Law is altogether different from man-made law. The Law and Verdict and Judgement
of the Lord is final and unquestionable. No bribing business there. His Law is
always impartial and uniform and even, with the whole of mankind, why only
mankind, with the whole of His own creation. Aspiration on the mundane side is
but an expression of egoism that bursts forth in every moment of man's life
through actions, thoughts and speech. Unless it is, as already stated, willed by
the Lord, nothing mundane or spiritual is possible of attainment by any human
being on earth. God actually helps those that help themselves, provided that the
thing aspired for is in strict conformity with the injunctions of the holy writ.
From the cradle to the grave, from birth till death, from the moment of
awareness to that of eternal rest, the guiding factor of man should be
self-effort, self-effort, self-effort and self-effort alone, based on surrender,
without minding the results.
Q 2: What is astral body?
A: The astral body is the subtle body which is within this physical body like
the bladder of a football. It is an exact counterpart of the physical body. It
is made up of the five organs of action, the five organs of knowledge, the five
Pranas, mind, intellect, Chitta or the subconscious mind, and Ahankar or egoism.
Some call it "the double". It is this astral body that comes out of the physical
body after death and moves to heaven. Death of this astral body through the
knowledge of the Eternal frees one from the cycle of births and deaths.
Q 3: It is mentioned in our Puranas that in days of yore Akashvani was
frequently heard by our ancestors who were forewarned of coming events. Is it
credible? Or, was it only the voice of their own inner intuition?
A: There is some order in the four Yugas. The consciousness of man grows grosser
and grosser as time rolls by. In the previous Yugas, man's consciousness was
subtler than it is in this Yuga. In the Satya Yuga, Bhagavan used to move amidst
mankind. Human consciousness was not far removed from divine consciousness. In
the Treta Yuga, man's consciousness grew grosser. Though God was not constantly
moving amidst human beings, there were frequent Avataras of the Lord. In the
Dvapara Yuga, man's consciousness grew grosser still; and only the immortal
Brahma-Rishis like Narada, Visvamitra, etc., used to move amongst men, and also,
Akashvanis used to warn people of coming events. Now we feel that Akashvani is a
very rare and miraculous thing; in the previous Yugas it was not so. Devas
themselves used to move amongst men. And Akashvani used to forewarn the people
regularly. Just as we have our Government, the celestials also have their own
Government. Whenever they wished to communicate with mankind, they used to do so
through Akashvani. Nowadays the deity communicates with the people mainly
through dreams and visions. That is practically the only form of communication
with human beings that Devas have retained in this Yuga.
Upanishadic philosophy is the only solace of life.
-Sri Swami Sivananda
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