Poojya Swamiji traces the development of the Hindu civilisation in our country. It started with prayers, followed by rituals, followed by withdrawal, followed by enquiry and finding in the Upanishads. Hinduism, Swamiji says, is not a religion, but a way of life. The basis of our culture are the Puranas, the Gita, the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the itihasas, namely, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata

In this talk, Poojya Swamiji gives spiritual tips to combat depression. It is not correct, he says, to keep thinking of negative qualities one might have. Rather one must try to develop the opposite virtues. Reliance on God, particularly based on a mantra, also instills confidence in a person to accept whatever comes in life and move forward. The same God is present in one’s own being. Thinking thus takes away fear and depressive thoughts.

The mind, intelligence, and the ego, are but the functions of the inner consciousness. In Brahmavidya deeksha, Poojya Swamiji explains, we straightaway enter into the inner consciousness plane. It is primarily an inspiration, a divine inspiration the Guru lets loose in you. Swamiji explains the specifics of the Vedantic meditation to be undertaken after the deeksha.

In jñāna niṣṭa, our focus is sublimating, overcoming, outliving, transcending rāga dvesha bhaya. Every word that one utters will be with a view to overcome and sublimate these. Every book one reads will be for this purpose. The tapas becomes jñāna tapas when the ingredients of tapas, austerity are mind and intelligence.

PR 03 Mar 2018

Poojya Swamiji explains the nature of Self-realization. It is not just meditative absorption.

The questioner asks about daily spiritual practices. Swamiji says that daily spiritual practice should be such that some time should be spent away from the objects, trying to interact with the subject.

The questioner asks “Who am I”. Swamiji says that the ‘I’ denotes a definite presence in the body to which everything else in this world is related including the body.

The questioner wants to know what is needed to start meditation, and if it involves concentration. Swamiji replies that meditation is a mento-intellectual effort. Thought and reason are the natural focus of meditation. Swamiji explains the process of meditation in steps and the use of an optional thought to lead the seeker to samadhi.

Poojya Swamiji tells us that the knowledge that we gain must act and function in a manner that it removes the stains in our personality. We have to identify with the knowledge. It should become a functional practice, and our Supreme refuge. That is the way of sadhana towards eternal peace.

Knowledge is supreme in human life, Poojya Swamiji explains. This knowledge is of two kinds – the inferior and the superior. The superior knowledge, the subject knowledge, is about our real identity. Pursuing the attainment of that knowledge is the purpose of the human life.