QnA - 12

Today's post is delayed and i am really sorry for that... Here is a lovely photo from the Adv course that just got over to make up for the delay :)


Scroll all the way down for 2 more really cool photos! :)

Q: Bawa help me!!! These are my problems: My parents (especially my mom) are very attached to me and this creates problems .. sometimes as I have to accompany them on long trips against my will ... My dad is extremely anti-AOL and discourages my involvement in AOL seva (though he grudgingly allows it) - we've had a fight in the house because of this... I want to do seva but at the same time I don't want to hurt my dad's feelings ... how do I get out of the conflict ???
A: You will need to take some sort of action to help your mom get out of this... OR reach some compromise. Like ok I will come with you for this trip but then you have to allow me to do Seva whenever I want to or I come with you here, you have to come with me to Bangalore for Adv course! :)

Certain times to do what is right, you may need to hurt feelings. Even your dad’s or mom’s or close family and friends... Do you believe that doing Seva is right? If you do, then hurt their feelings and do it. Sooner or later they will start to feel proud about you, esp. When other people come to them and praise you! :)

Q: Somewhere I read that forgive and let go as it will liberate enormous amount of energy and creativity. But sometime forgiving someone makes the person feel that I am weak and he/she never changes for which the person is forgiven. So what should be done in situation like where your own so called friend betrays you, is he/she be forgiven?
A: Be nice not naive... Acche raho, kacche nahi!

Forgiving a person for what they have done doesn’t mean that you don’t tell them exactly what you think about them, esp. If they are thick skinned and may take you for granted. Being strong as well as sensitive is a skill that's worth developing!

Q:Hi Bawa, Maybe you will be disappointed in me when I say this, but of late I have been questioning my principles of living a totally "clean" life. I see people doing fine in school, some even better than me, or a lot better than me, when drinking alcohol, partying in the club, engaging in promiscuous activity, etc. in various degrees. Perhaps God blessed them with more innate intelligence than me. But then I think it is easier for them to get along in this world, with whatever superficial friendships that they form than someone who deviates from society and receives criticism for that.

A: Not disappointed, just surprised! Any intelligent person (and I thought you were one!:)) knows that getting Better grades, or having sex does not ever translate into being a better human being which the world desperately needs today! It is exactly these sort of people who are responsible for not only (slowly) degrading their lives, but also the environment around them...

Also, whether you drink or not, party or not, if you sincerely study you get good grades... Do remember that. You may do your Kriya everyday, but if you don’t study, you will flunk

Meditation and Spirituality make it easier for you to achieve your dreams. But if you just meditate and don’t work... For sure you are going to be left behind! :)

Finally, I would rather have 5 meaningful deep relationships than a 1000 superficial ones! Of course it's way better to have 1000's of meaningful realtionships, and those happen when you meditate and are surrounded by Sattva and Satsang!

So Breathe, Relax and then get out there and MOVE!

Q: I would like to know why is prostitution considered a wrong doing even now? When almost every act of human is untrue( like black money, corruption etc etc)

A: So you are saying that since there is black money, prostitution is alright? Have you ever thought that BOTH are wrong?! And that by participating in it, you are contributing to the wrongness?

There are many problems on the planet. And there are solutions too. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Choose well! :)

Q: Jai Gurudev Bawa I love the Grilled Sandwich in the Ashram canteen. I make them at home using Amul sliced cheese. So have around 2 slices of cheese and 4 slices of Brown bread daily. Is this alright for health. Also what makes mozzarella cheese different from sliced and spread cheese?

A: I hope you are exercising. 2 slices of cheese can add up to a lot of cheese. Mozzarella cheese melts beautifully and spreads out when heated and turns a lovely golden brown when baked... It’s what gives Pizzas that rich golden brown look... It also has quite a different taste from Cheddar Cheese (your normal cheese)

If you are going to have this quantity of cheese, please exercise at least an hour everyday!! or you will go from fit to pleasingly plump and the unapologetically fat very soon! :)

Q: Dear Bawa, I hope you will answer my question. I have been noticing that the moment things go wrong in my life, I start struggling a lot with the knowledge. As long as things go fine, I am ok...... knowledge seems crystal clear....... Guruji is beautiful etc. And then I lose a job or have financial problems or have some family problems etc, I become angry with nature, God, Guruji. I am fully aware that I am angry and fully aware that this is not the way I should be reacting but my ego refuses to bow down to Guruji at that time.

It goes "Guruji I have struggled so much already in life and you are giving me some more? I have had enough of this spiritual path and want nothing more of this life. Let me just die, dissolve, disappear.... there is no point in continuing life this way." Everytime, Bawa, my experience of pain is very very intense when I am through tough situations and I end up screaming and yelling (of course it is poor Guruji who takes it all coz no one else can take me!!!).

I just went through one such episode and I am wondering what is wrong with me. I am back to normal now as after a very tough situation that bothered me to the extreme for couple of months now seems to be getting over. But I am so tired of myself. Same behaviour over and over again. When will I change? All affirmations that next time I will not react like this gets thrown out of the window and for the last few years I see the same lack of confidence in the path when I am faced with a challenging situation. I am regular with sadhana, seva and satsang.... Guruji showers me with so much of love yet that goal of the Inner World remaining unaffected by the Outer World has been unattainable so far. I am fed up of myself.... really. What should I do Bau?

A: First off, dont be “fed up” with yourself. Spirituality is that which brings you closer and closer to who you are, to yourself... Can you be close to something you are fed up with? Impossible!

So for spirituality to work for you, the first thing to do is really love yourself :)

Being angry with Guruji is absolutely ok. Pointless but ok :) He is the one who can take your anger... Better you get angry at Him rather than people around you :)

Finally, this path is not about taking away your problems... It’s about giving you the tools and techniques to handle the problems more effectively... Each problem conquered brings about a new dimension in you, opens up a new skill in you... Look at problems as adventures!

Here is a tip: Instead of asking that the problems go away, ask for quick solutions! Coz the more you say problem go away, the more the problem will stay... What will do the trick is praying for solutions! :)

...And here are 2 photos of Guruji playing with Maheshwara our Ashram elephant!...



Jai Gurudeva!
Love
Bawa