Sep 27, 2015
Q&A session with HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji - September 27, 2015 - Mysore
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Question :
Does a devotee or a disciple have the right to question Guru about His words or actions? Is not one supposed to simply surrender? Why are you giving us permission to question you?
Answer :
You know the story of the Syamantaka Mani in the Bhagavatam. When people came to know of its presence with King Satraji, they felt that the right person to have the gem is Krishna. Krishna saw the gem at Satrajit’s court and heard of its greatness. He appreciated its power and potential. When it was lost, everyone blamed Krishna as the one who had stolen the gem from Satrajit. Except for Uddhava, everyone else suspected Krishna, including even Kunti. How must Krishna have felt at this false accusation? He was unanimously pronounced as being guilty. Finally, He acquitted Himself, by finding the gem inside a cave and restored it to Satrajit. Why did people suspect Krishna? Even those whose lives He had saved, had accused Krishna.
Krishna had held everyone in high esteem. They all suddenly betrayed His trust in them. Krishna knew that no one should be given importance. Even if Krishna Himself had caused the Maya that suddenly contaminated the minds of all the people, after this episode, every one of them felt remorseful and truly regretted their hasty judgment. This remorse turned into strong devotion towards Krishna.
To suspect, and to question, must ultimately result in unquestioning faith to the extent that they believe thereafter that whatever Guru says is the absolute truth. One should be willing to follow Guru no matter where He leads, be it even to ***. Such faith makes a true disciple. Gopikas who believed that Krishna was their very life, also suspected Krishna. Krishna, who was the creator of the Universe, had no need for a petty gem. It was Krishna’s strategy to get all the lesser devotees to distance themselves from Him. Had they all adhered to Him till the end, at the time of His Niryana (end), He would have been forced to give them all liberation. Rama made that mistake.
All the citizens came to Sarayu River when Rama made His departure. Krishna had to be alone at the time of His exit from the world.
Questions come to you because of your karma. Why do I not have the right to question Guru, is a foolish mindset. It will only put distance between Guru and the disciple.
Question :
Many years ago, I had asked Appaji how to avoid a wavering mind, how to keep Appaji constantly in my mind. He said: With every breath, keep saying Appaji Appaji. I have done that. Still after all these years, why does my faith waver?
Answer :
Age and years have no connection with a wavering mind. A wavering mind is ever young. It never grows old. It afflicts both the young and the old. One should simply ignore the wavering mind. Tell the mind firmly that you are the master of the mind and tell the doubting attitude to get lost. That is the only way. Just because one is old, Lord Yama is not going to show mercy. He always mercilessly follows justice. Similarly, the Goddess of Wavering also shows no mercy.
Question :
Dattatreya and other deities have prescribed worship rituals, such as Tailabhisheka, Alankara, and so on (ablution with oil, decorations). Guru Gita prescribes attitudes with which Guru is to be adored. How does one offer worship to Guru?
Answer :
Please do not inconvenience me by bathing me in oil. Guru’s Padukas have everything. Guru’s five toes have His entire body in them, as the five elements. Perform mental worship. You can travel inwardly to Kasi, the Himalayas. Freely, you may offer all services to Guru in your own mind. Consecrate Guru’s Padukas in your heart and offer all types of sacred baths with the holy substances, and offer flowers. Consume mentally the prasada of the teertham from the washing of the feet. You may put this to test. You can remain without food for a few hours because your stomach will be full.
In Tirupati, a British tax collector questioned the practice of taking food items into the sanctum sanctorum daily. Does the idol inside consume the food? The main priest declared that *** certainly consumes the food. At the risk of losing his job, and at the risk of attaining sin, he had the officer taste the food before and after the offering is made to the deity. A distinct difference in taste was observed.
When the mantras are uttered, *** inhales the essence of the food, with merely His glance. The taste will become different.
You prepare mentally, whatever food you wish to prepare to offer to *** and then make the offering.
We go to Tirupati to have darshan of the Lord. After all the effort of standing in the queue for hours, we close our eyes because we wish to make an imprint in our hearts of his form.
The stone idol is as important as Siva because during the consecration ceremony it is infused with life. Siva is not a human being, subject to human emotions. Once you accept Him as Siva, you should not treat Him like a human like you.
Once you surrender to ***, and accept that He is all powerful, you cannot question His doings. Doing so is equivalent to self-destruction, Atma Droha or Atma Hatya. If He says jump into the well, simply jump. Do not ask how deep the well is. He who asks you to jump will protect you. Questioning His decisions is not permitted.
Question :
You said in Vijayawada recently: Hanumanta is your ***. He is the *** shown to you by Sadguru.
When Sadguru Himself is ***, then where is the question of Sadguru showing us ***?
Answer :
Yes. Hanumanta is another form of Sadguru. Who has shown you ***? Sadguru has shown you.
If Guru says this gem is ***, you simply trust His word. You do not break it open and look inside. Once, Swamiji picked up a piece of grass and said: This will now begin to run around. As people watched, it really went around and wrote down some names.
Invisible *** is made visible by Guru. Doubt is the biggest disease. Anuman is doubt. That is not what you should have. Hanuman is who you need.
Question :
What is the specialty about this particular full moon?
Answer :
The moon has come closest to the earth in 350 years. Even our almanacs mention it. The scriptures, the Mayan calendar, and NASA calculations have mentioned it. The rays of the moon are very powerful. The radiation influences certain persons with weak minds. That is the reason Swamiji said keep away all electronic items during these one or two days, especially at night.
Sri Guru Datta
Compiled by Smt Hira Duvvuri