Questions and Answers
Q: During the animal meditation, I felt I was a wounded animal.
A: That is good. Actually, sometimes you will feel like an animal which is handicapped. It means that even those karmas are coming out. You might have left the body because of some accident. Do you understand what I am saying? You would have died in that animal body because of some accident or suffering. That is what is causing this feeling in you now.
Q: Two of the animals were wounded and the last time, before you stopped us, I found myself licking my wounds.
A: Ah, beautiful! Actually, the animals heal by licking! So it means that you have really gotten into that body. Beautiful, very nice! Somebody asked me what my role being here is. My role is pushing all of you; putting the whole logic to a silence and giving a strong instruction - for the whole group to fall into that experience. That is the role of the Master!
You saw in the morning: I spoke for one full hour. During that entire introduction time, I was putting the ego of the whole group down, I was putting the whole logic down, so that the space to trust the Master is created; so that more and more people can enter into the experience. The Master is a possibility; he is a promise, to open the door for more and more people.
One more thing: in earlier times, in the Vedic tradition, children got initiated through the Gayatri mantra as the first step towards spirituality. But before the Gayatri initiation, they will be made to do this animal meditation continuously for thirty to forty days. But nowadays, they do it only for three minutes! In three minutes what can you do? It has actually become like a ritual. In fact, most of the time these days, they don't even do this part. This is how the truth is lost in the course of time. Actually, if you make children do these things, they will have a sharp and clear experience with the meditation, because they are not yet conditioned like us.
In Bharat, in our Gurukul - which is a residential school for children in line with the Vedic tradition - and also in our Little Anandas program which is a fifteen day meditation program for kids, we make them do this animal meditation. Usually in Bharat, kids attain physical maturity by 11 years of age. Before this happens, we make them go through this process so that they will be out of everything by the time they mature physically. This will cause them to be such pleasant human beings after maturity!
If the physical maturity happens after you have expelled the animal engrams, you will not only be a pleasant human being, you will also not fall too low or be too lust centered. The only animal that is lust centered throughout the year, twenty four hours of the day, is man. In reality, no other animal is filled with lust throughout the year and twenty four hours a day. Just a small suggestion is enough, and the body is ready. This is not the case with any other animal.
When you live with Nature, there is a period, there is a time, there is a mood, there is something called 'the body's ups and downs'. All these have to synchronize in order to indulge in lust. But because the mind has interfered in our system, these things have become immaterial. The moment the mind is ready, the body has to be ready, that's all. This is why we need to work out those animal engrams, before physical maturity happens.
In those days, before they gave the Gayatri initiation, they will make you undergo the animal meditation and during the Gayatri, they will tie a thread in the hip and give a kowpi – a loin cloth. Then, you will live with human existence earlier, to physical maturity itself. You will be so graceful and feeling fulfilled.
Those of you who wish to, may send your kids to the Little Anandas program. It happens all around the world.
If this meditation does not happen in them, once they become physically mature, they have to go through the same rut.
Q: In one of my animal meditations, I was a vulture and I was eating something. Somebody came close to me, and I had to really fight not to whack them. In the second animal meditation, I felt like a silverback gorilla, and after that I stood up like a man. Then suddenly, I was an animal again.
A: Beautiful ma! It means you are done, ma. You have moved. You understand that you have moved. That is what is important.
Q: Swamiji, I was so afraid to be in the mental layers. I closed my eyes and felt like I was in hell. I just felt my fear and chanted a mantra.
A: Just go with that fear. No mantra will help to get rid of fear. Only facing the fear will work. Don't worry, I understood what you wish to convey.
Q: Here is a letter, It reads, 'THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM you could claim a miracle in my case. I have been suffering from joint pain for more than a year and everyday it was getting worse, having to take more than three medicines a day just to carry on. Yesterday, after the animal meditation, the pain has gone! This morning, the pain is not there; it is unbelievable to me and whoever knows me!'
A: Wonderful! Actually, these types of pain are also nothing but violence towards your own body. You carry a kind of violence in your body that expresses as pain.
Q: During the pranamaya kosha process, I felt as though I might inhale forever. I kept expanding. I would force myself to exhale because I would be scared of what might happen if I only kept inhaling!
A: Beautiful! The real process is happening.
Q: In yesterday's first process, I experienced anger and fear. I also experienced the confidence of a lion and the strength and confidence of a horse.
A: Beautiful! See, as I was telling you yesterday, the vasanas will leave you, but the power that they carried will stay with you. That is the power of that meditation. What you went through is really good for you.
Q: How do the techniques or processes purify the body of pesticides and other harmful chemicals?
Q: I can say that the body with toxins and all these chemicals, naturally delays the process of purification. What I mean is, it will take a few more times of meditation to achieve it. A few more times of the processes will be required because the body will not be very innocent and straight to receive the whole thing.
Q: The Mehru mountain is often mentioned in scriptures. Does it actually exist in Angkor Vat?
A: No. The Mehru is basically the Himalayas. Angkor Vat has got a huge temple, the world's biggest religious structure; a temple equivalent to the size of Manhattan, New York! It is a temple dedicated to Paramashiva, built by a great king called Mahendra Varma. It was actually built by six generations of kings. The structures were built near my native place in a place called Mahabalipuram. The structures were carved and transported through 2000 ships and assembled in Angkor Vat! They had to do this because there is no stone available for building in Angkor Vat. They carved them, and used six hundred elephants to carry them! The temple is 96 sq. miles of built up area. It is completely made out of granite. Because there was no navigation and weather forecast information available at that time, the reaching ratio of Angkor Vat was only 50%. They planned for everything, and for six generations they built the temple.
Q: Was he enlightened Swamiji?
A: No. He was simply inspired by enlightened Masters. In those days, the kings were always guided or inspired by enlightened Masters.
Q: Swamiji, is there a connection between Cambodia and Paramashiva?
A: The deity of Mahendra Varma's family was Paramashiva. So, they built the temple for Paramashiva. I don't know whether any special connection exists between the two.
Somebody is asking how enlightenment feels! Just cool, that's all!
Q: Since divorce needs to be avoided, how about having partners without getting married?
A: If both of you agree, and your country agrees, there is no problem. It is up to you. But in Vedic tradition, we don't usually accept it. The reason is, we wish to emphasize again and again to you, that changing the outer woman or the outer man is not going to help in any way. It is like eating salt to quench your thirst. Your thirst will never be quenched.
Q: Can a female become an enlightened Master?
A: Why not? There are so many enlightened women - Maitri, Gargi etc. From time immemorial, we have had so many women enlightened Masters.
Q: I get nice fragrances during meditation and even during the prayer. What does this mean?
A: That's good. It means that your senses have become more alive and sensitive.
Q: I have had many deep experiences, but I am not yet living in full bliss. Do the experiences mean that I am flowering through my process?
A: Yes. You are on your way. You are allowing the process to happen.
Q: Did you get enlightened and then start living in absolute bliss, or did the bliss have to flower slowly?
A: You see: you can say, in a way, that my first experience happened at the age of 12. Then, it took 9 or 10 years to be established in that same state forever. So, it takes a little time.
Q: No matter how many questions I ask you, you refuse to acknowledge me, why?
A: Because you are asking the questions only for acknowledgement, not to know the answer. That is the reason.
Q: During Ananda Darshan, you give us tremendous energy, is it energy from heat or from the Kundalini that you get this energy. Is it there in you, all the time?
A: See, I am always an embodiment of energy. During Ananda Darshan time, I give it to you, that's all. Don't think that only during Darshan time, I get. It is there in me always. During Darshan time, I make you feel connected to it, or make it available to you.
Q: One time you said that dreams are the mind's way of resolving and expressing any conflict within us. So, when you come to us in our dreams, what does it mean?
A: If you see me in your dream and if you are able to remember me in multicolor when you get up the next day morning, then it is my darshan. If you are able to recall me as just black and white, then it is a just a thought, just a dream. That is the scale to know if it was a darshan or just a dream.
Darshan dreams or spiritual dreams will have a very strong impact on your inner space. You will be able to recollect it like a movie. But ordinary dreams, you will not be able to recollect like a movie. It will be like a vague and snowy television channel.
Q: How do I help others in my life move towards meditation?
A: Only by you moving, and radiating that quality.
Q: Is it best to avoid all toxins and harmful chemicals?
A: Yes, naturally. Naturally try to avoid all these things. Even things like preservatives, soft drinks etc., it is better to avoid as much as possible.
Q: What is the state of an individual after liberation? Is he going to be one with God or is he going to enjoy as a liberated soul?
A: He will be one with God. Before enlightenment, you will be away from it, and enjoying it, but after enlightenment, you will be itself and enjoying itself! You will be aware of yourself and just by being aware of yourself, you will be blissful also. That is the big difference between ordinary enjoyment and eternal bliss. See, in eternal bliss, you will become sugar and enjoy just being the sugar. In ordinary pleasure, you will be away from the sugar and you will be enjoying it. With bliss, you will be the object itself and just by being it, you will be intensely enjoying it.
Q: Please explain how some of the poor people of Bharat can be so happy also? We have everything here, and yet, are not happy.
A: You see: life should not be just a utility. You should have the freedom to waste your life also! Here, in the USA, society is such that it constantly puts so many consumerist ideas inside your head. It tells you: if you have money, you can have this, you can have that. It is an indirect peer pressure to make money. Constantly, it makes your life into a utility. Constantly, you sell your life, or lease your time to something or someone. That is the whole idea of working. What is the idea of working? If you are driven constantly by consumerist ideas, then you will lease your life to somebody. Constantly, those big fantasy houses are put inside your head. Life itself becomes utility. That is why you are unhappy.
Now, even in Bharat, in the metropolitan cities, this is how people are becoming. That is why they are also suffering. But in the villages, I have seen people who are still so innocent. Our Bharat ashram neighbor is an elderly lady. She was not even aware that she is a crorepati – millionaire in your language! She had a few acres of land which is worth crores of rupees. She was not even aware of that and she was struggling! Finally one day, she sold the land. After selling the land, she got such a large amount of money, which she put in the bank. Then, she went to the person to whom she sold the land and asked, 'Can I cut wood in your land? Can I cut trees in your land?' I laughed at her and asked her, 'Till yesterday, you did not have money. Now you have so much money. Why don't you use it?' Just the bank interest that comes out of her money is enough for her because she is living alone, by herself. But, she doesn't have that kind of attitude. You see, even if she has the money, that attitude of changing the life style, changing the home, does not exist in her! That is the beauty! In Bharat, people will have a lot of money, but they will still live in the same house. I have seen people living for three to four generations in one house.
My ancestral house where I was born and brought up, for a hundred and thirty year period, nobody fought over it, as to whose house it was. For a hundred and thirty years, neither my father nor his brothers, or grandfather or his brothers, have had any argument as to whose house it was. They did not bother to even check out in whose name the legal document was! Can you believe it? Anybody who belongs to that family felt it was their house, that's all! Only when they wanted to sell the house, they were searching for the documents! This happens in many villages. Still, in many villages, nobody will bother about ownership of the parental homes. It will be like an open home. They don't change the house even if they acquire wealth. They just live in the same house.
As I was telling you, you should have freedom to waste your life a little bit, also. Then, you will enjoy life more. Then, you will experience life. It is not just a utility. You calculate your whole life based on money – the dollars that you make. You calculate: this month is worth this many dollars. For example, if you are making one million dollars in one year, naturally you will conclude that one year is worth one million dollars! If I tell you, 'Come to Bharat, stay for one year and do meditation,' what will you think? You will think: no, no! One million dollars will go away.' That is why I ask people, 'Since one year is equal to one million dollars, if someone will give you a hundred million dollars, will you give your life to them?' That is how you equate your life, am I right? You equate your life to utility matters. Then, receive the hundred million dollars and die!
Life just can't be equated to money. You should have a little freedom; you should have a social set-up where you are allowed to waste life also. A little fun is alright. When I say these things, it sometimes backfires, because people misinterpret it. In Bharat, people feel that they have eternity in front of them. Because of the concept of rebirth, they never respect time. They keep thinking: if not today, tomorrow; if not tomorrow, next life. They have eternity in front of them, you see! That is the problem. That thought unconsciously stays in them and steers their day to day life.
Also, when I say these things, people ask me, 'Swamiji, are you not teaching laziness?' See … there is nothing wrong in being lazy. But of course, I myself work hard. I work physically, continuously. Last night, after I went back from here, I attended to at least two to three hours of administrative work. Then, early morning, I got ready and came here. I do a lot of physical work because I feel like doing it. I never force myself. So, if you feel like being a little lazy, there is nothing wrong. You can't be lazy forever; you will go mad. So occasionally, just decide and be lazy, that's all.
Your body is made out of these three qualities – rajas, tamas and sattwa. Rajas means activeness, tamas means laziness, sattwa means being active but not restless, being peaceful.
Your system is made up of 33% rajas – active energy, 33% tamas – relaxing energy, 33% sattwa – active but peaceful. So you can't be lazy more than 33%. But you are never taught this. You are taught always that if you are not driven crazy, you will become lazy. Society never deals with the real truth. Even if you are not driven crazy, you will not become lazy more than 33%, because the tamas energy will be exhausted by then. After that, what will you do? How long will you go on sleeping? How long will you be lying down? So understand: you will automatically become active. But exhausting that 33% of your tamas completely, you are never allowed to do; society never allows you to exhaust your tamas fully.
And it allows you to believe that if once you rest, you will become lazy, once and for all… no! You will never become lazy once and for all. You should trust yourself. I tell people: sometimes, you should take a one month vacation and just eat and sleep. I mean it: you will exhaust the tamas if you do this! After that you will never feel like having so much of desire for laziness, or having so much of a desire to drop-out.
You suffer because you are suffocated with all these contradicting desires. Just once, you take a one month holiday or a vacation; don't do anything, just eat and sleep, and eat and sleep. Suddenly, you will see that you have exhausted the tamas and that the craving is not there at all. You see: experimenting with all these things is what I call tapas. Once you go through this one month period, any amount of work you do after that, you will feel that you are doing it because it is your freedom; it's your choice. So maybe, you can try it. I did it. I did it for nine years. I tried it for nine years. I would work only if I wanted to! I realized that life itself is such a big freedom after that!
Now, people who live around me, they know. At least twenty hours, I work per day. When I feel like sleeping, I sleep; when I feel like working, I work. My life and my routine have settled in such a way that I do not feel tired. In the last four and half years of my mission, I have not cancelled a single public program due to health reasons on my account. From my side, I have not cancelled a single public program. The reason for this, no desire for tamas exists.
There is no desire for tamas inside the system. The desire for tamas is lost. Your desire to be active, or passive - both are desires. When you are tired of being active, you start having fantasies about desires for renunciation. Renunciation based on tamas cannot be true renunciation. Many people come and tell me, 'Swamiji, I want to give up my job and come to Bharat.' This weekend, Muni wanted to come. I said, 'No! It is based on tamas. You have to work, and only when I tell you, you can come.' Based on tamas, if you want to renounce, it will never help you. Exhaust tamas; maybe you can have a vacation for a month or two; just eat and sleep and exhaust tamas. After you exhaust the tamas, and after you exhaust the rajas also, then what you decide about renunciation of life, is the truth. I exhausted all the rajas and tamas in such a natural way, in sattwa actually.
Rajas will be exhausted if you achieve something which you never think you can achieve. When you do this, you are called asaatya sadhaka – achiever who has surpassed logic in achieving. Do something which you think you will never be able to do; then, your rajas will be exhausted. In the same way, tamas also… just rest to the extent that you can never imagine… eat and sleep, eat and sleep, eat and sleep. Don't even go to the next room for any reason. Don't even see television or read a magazine; don't indulge in any other entertainment. Just punish your body with rest. Ask your body: will you ask for rest, will you ask for rest? Your body should tell: no, no, no, no, leave me! The body should be frightened by the very word rest; then all your tamas will leave you.
These are things I call tapas; working on your rajas and tamas is what I call tapas or penance. Even this Panchatapas technique where you sit inside a fire circle and meditate for hours together is a technique to exhaust your rajas – making you do something which you never thought you will be able to do. Even fire walking that we do in Bharat … that is, walking on a bed of fire, which you might think is impossible, is done, to exhaust the rajas and tamas.
Q: What is the difference between meditation technique, no-technique and process? Can you explain one more time?
A: See, in the case of a technique, if you do it, it will work, but it will work only to the extent that you do it. In the case of the no-technique, it is again like a kind of a technique where you don't do anything, but you just relax into yourself. Again, it has to be done by you only. But the process is a mixture of everything, and not only that, you directly work with me in it. It can be done only with a Master. It's like using His presence in the optimum way. Just to do a technique, I am not needed; a teacher is enough. But for the process, an enlightened person is necessary. It's very intense and powerful, because of the presence of the enlightened person. It uses the presence of the enlightened being. That is why, the process is far more important than any technique. In techniques, nothing esoteric really happens, nothing mystical happens. But here, a lot of mystical things happen. Just by being a little sensitive, you will see so many things happening inside and outside.
Q: What is the meaning of God?
A: All that you can visualize and all that you can't visualize put together, plus something more, is God.