In this creation, there are very strange beings. The snakes primarily take in air (vayu) as their food. Although they eat insects, rats etc., their primary food is air. For frogs, food mixed with water is the primary diet. There are some types of birds that fly very high in the sky and they take in the rays of Sun as their food. Thus each of the 5 elements (panchabhoota) is a food for some living beings.

Human beings however take in all the 5 elements as their food.

All of these 5 elements are destructible; every object in this universe is made out of these elements only. Hence everything is subject to destruction! This gross body that has come from the elements is also destructible. Hence one should strive to deeply understand the Supreme Essence (Para tattva)- which is beyond these elements.

As far as possible, one should not approach Swamiji for material prosperity. If the troubles are beyond your capacity to handle, then you may inform Swamiji, but then it is not right to pray and fall at Swamiji’s or anyone’s feet for more materialistic comforts.

Once a beggar went to the house of a wealthy landlord and begged thus. “By not distributing alms, do not become like me; give me alms and remain as you are.” What is this supposed to mean? All of you will give the same reply. The beggar had not performed any charitable acts in his previous birth and hence he is born as a beggar now. He realizes that had he been charitable he would have been born wealthy now. Hence he is warning the landlord not to become like him; and to be wise and charitable in this birth itself.

I don’t deny that you are close to the answer. But you are overlooking a vital point. From the beggar’s statement, it appears that he is aware that he was not charitable in his previous birth (due to which he is poor) and that the wealthy man was charitable even in his previous birth (that is why he is now rich). A person who possesses this knowledge should be a Jnani. This is why he is preaching others. In other words, this beggar is none other than God. This is a story from the Janardhan Pant’s stories. Janardhan Pant used to go in the form of a beggar to the King of Ganagapur and on the pretext of begging, actually he would preach him. Gradually the king turned into a staunch devotee of God.

Someone asked me –‘Is it good to see Swamiji in everything and everything within Swamiji?’. Yes, it is good. To be frank, both are the same. Whether one says son-in-law or says daughter’s husband, he is referring to the same person. Seeing Swamiji in everything gives a different feeling- a feeling of divisibility. Seeing everything within Swamiji gives a feeling of indivisibility (akhanda).

People who do penance say that they are seeking ananda (bliss). Is ananda an object that needs to be acquired? Bliss cannot be obtained externally. If anyone states that he is experiencing ananda then it clearly means that he has not got ultimate bliss as yet. Why? Who is experiencing the real bliss as he claims? Is it the inner being (jeevi) or the intellect (buddhi)?

Jeevi is our inner being. It cannot say- I am experiencing bliss at this time. This is because it is eternally in bliss. It does not have happiness at one time and sorrows at another. Therefore we conclude that the intellect experiences bliss. It is also the intellect that experiences sorrows. Then, who am ‘I’? ‘I’ am over and above everything (sarvateeta).

This is an extremely intricate and complex subject. It also leads to many doubts. Such topics are spoken only to push you towards Self-enquiry.

If a devotee serves the Guru for a period of 12 years, then, within these 12 years the Guru will go on creating suspicions, doubts, and hesitation in the mind of that devotee for at least 6 years. This itself is Guru’s task. In fact the Guru will behave and speak in such a way as to significantly increase the doubts and suspicions in the minds of that devotee. He will reach a stage of losing faith and trust in that Guru. He may even doubt if he did the right thing in believing him. This is a very crucial step. Unless this is done, diseases hidden deep within the mind of that devotee will not come out. Unless the disease comes up to a level, the Guru cannot administer medicine for it.

Every person normally surrenders to his/her weaknesses and lives as per its dictates. If the Supreme Knowledge is to be showered on to that person without rectifying the basic nature and removing the weaknesses, then he will collapse one day like a house of cards. This is like a building with no foundation.

Therefore, the first and foremost task undertaken by the Sadguru is to bring to the surface the deep hidden diseases, weaknesses of the devotee.

Hence it is very important, to not instantly doubt His messages. Listen keenly to what He has to say. With this, most of your doubts will vanish. In between, newer suspicions crop up. Quite a few of them disappear during the churning process that happens within your mind. After you reach a certain stage of spiritual growth, long-standing doubts begin to get answered.

The present state of your intellect can be compared to a salt-water well. If the people refuse to drink the water as it is salty, they will die. If they drink, their thirst is not quenched. What do they do? Similarly your intellect churns the questions all the time for which it seeks answers. The answers fail to give it any relief- they only lead to more and more questions being generated.

While you are in such a state, if you pose a question to your Guru, He will reply, but in the process He will generate 10 more questions to arise within you. It leads to a state where a true aspirant feels helpless and wishes to even commit suicide. Such intense burning desire and distress is created. Only then, is the real answer made known.

Bhaktimala June 1984