Ask Me About Truth

We can all develop intuitive and psychic abilities. We cultivate them by deliberately focusing, by increasing our attention, and by sensitivity to the words and feelings of others.

Superconsciousness is the intuitive part of our awareness. Everything is consciousness. The ability to know both what can come and what the right choices are in life is possible.

The body is both a broadcasting and receiving station when we ask for guidance with clarity and willpower. A strong thought with strong energy will generate a magnetic field so that we can feel the answers in our receiving station—the heart.

Integrity is "supremely important," says Swami Kriyananda. It means to be true to yourself, and to be true in your statements, but in a helpful way. "Truth is always beneficial."

Questions include:

What is integrity, and how important is it?

What if you are supposed to give something to someone, but your suppliers let you down?

Is there a power that comes from always speaking the truth?

If I'm obliged to fight in a war, I may be called upon to kill someone to help defend my country. Is that still OK?

What other habits, like being truthful, would help us?

One way to overcome fear is to imagine the worst possible happening to you, and then accept it.

But what if it looks like the worst possible thing is going to happen? Cooperative communities are a great help in that way, and even more so in a spiritual way.

Questions include:

How can one overcome fear?

Swamiji, suppose that some disaster does come — what would be the right way to respond to that?

There isn't some escapism in living in spiritual community — running away from the real world, let's say?

Do people grow as much in an artificially created community as they do out in the "real world"?

What ties these communities together — what keeps the group together?

Does it require a particular set of skills to live in a community?

How did you come to found these communities, Swamiji?

Is there life after death? A better question might be, ‘Is there death after life?’ The good news is there is only LIFE, only consciousness. Swami Kriyananda explains and answers this profound question. The truth is all around us, and the Masters tell us that God does not want us to find out too soon!

Our departed loved ones are also ever near and they can come to us in dreams and visions. We have so many relatives and relations that we have known throughout time and that is why it is best now to learn to love everyone.

In every atom, there is the still reflection of the Infinite Spirit. We are never lost.

Questions Swami Kriyananda answers in this episode:

Is there life after death?

Most people don't remember being aware after death, or in between lives — how can we know that such a thing exists?

Why is this reality hidden from us?

When a loved one dies, we naturally feel a lot of grief. Is there a way to contact people who have passed away?

You mentioned having a dream about your cousin that was a "true dream" — how can you differentiate between that type of dream and the normal kind?

What does the term maya mean?

Mental illness, depression, how to be happy, and the evolution of the soul through many lives as animal and humans.

Questions include:

It seems that mental illness in this age is in the ascent. Many people suffer from depression, melancholy, or other things like it — such as anger and other kinds of emotional disruption. Do you have any advice for what people can do to alleviate that?

Mental illness seems to come when one tries to escape reality.

You can become happy at will?

What can we learn from our past incarnations when we finally do remember them?

It sounds like pain is one of the primary ways that people evolve?

Self-sufficiency is very important, but it doesn't mean that you need to live alone. Having the support of others is very strengthening.

Questions include:

In this age, there's a lot of talk about being self-sufficient — to get away from all the political drama, the economic crisis — could you talk a little bit about self-sufficiency?

It seems like your own energy is extremely important to what you experience?

Is material self-sufficiency a pre-requisite for spiritual self-sufficiency?

Can one develop self-sufficiency spiritually?

When we have a supportive environment around us, are we dependent on that environment?

"I've never tried to teach people. I've tried to share what I know." Swami Kriyananda talks about developing self-confidence in lecturing (and in everything), and offers many pointers on sharing truths with an audience.

Questions include:

How can one develop sweetness in oneself?

How do you develop self-confidence?

For people who are trying to develop that kind of centereness where you're not nervous in anything that you have to do, you're not wanting anything, you're only thinking of giving; how can they achieve that?

Why would your Guru have asked you to lecture?

Did you find it difficult in the beginning to lecture?

How do you experience God talking through you?

Can you feel people's thoughts when you’re speaking to them?

Do you have to adjust your talk, then, to the level of your audience?

We have to stop justifying our wrong actions, Swami Kriyananda says. Courage is the willingness to accept whatever comes, because the results, the benefits, are worth the difficulty.

Questions include:

How can we accept where we are and grow at the same time?

What is courage?

Courage must be rooted in faith, then. Otherwise, how would you know to continue on?

Does discouragement relate to courage?

How can one not be discouraged in, say, a situation like a concentration camp?

Was Yogananda ever discouraged?

Were people in America ready to hear what he had to share?

Did he run into prejudice because of his dark complexion?

Do you need a Guru? No, Swami Kriyananda says — unless you want to understand deeper realities.

Questions include:

Would you explain what a Guru is?

Can a Guru come to you through books, or things of that nature?

What was your Guru like?

What is the right attitude for people to have when they are seeking a Guru?

How did it feel to look into Yogananda's eyes?

How did you know that Yogananda was someone you could follow, even unconditionally?

What is a miracle?

Do you need a Guru? No, Swami Kriyananda says — unless you want to know God.