Those short on time, take a moment to “Read and Think”

How is our birth into a rich, middle-class, or poor family determined?

• Some child is born into a rich family and becomes the owner of millions right from birth.
• Another is born into a middle-class family and has to live a life of struggle growing up.
• The third is born on the street, barely getting even one meal.

If karma has an outcome, these children who haven’t even begun to have karmic baggage. Then how is it that there is such a vast difference in the lives of children from these three classes? This has to be a result of the karmic accounts from their previous births.

 

Why do problems crop up?
Everyone faces some kind of problems such as –

• Physical illnesses,
• Mental illnesses,
• Stresses at home or office,
• Children going off track,
• Substance abuse,
• Marital issues,
• Family breaking apart,
• property disputes,
• Losses in business,
• Stress of repaying loans,
• Death of loved ones in accidents,
• Job transfers against one’s wishes,
• Encountering difficult bosses at the workplace,
• Higher authorities, bosses, behaving harshly or inappropriately with you,
• Being forced to flatter or do wrong deeds against one’s wishes etc.

 

How do we become deluded?

Hardly anyone wants to remain unhappy or deliberately ruin their karmas. But due to ever growing desires and the tendency to flaunt wealth, people keep making wrong decisions. Since there is no inner realization of God’s power, people don’t fear of God. They think that God can be pleased with fasts, donations, offerings, shrouds, coconuts, garlands, sweets, incense, and thus get liberation from sins. If we reflect, we will find that we too have been unjust or wrong in many places, and most of these problems are results of those actions.

Whenever any trouble or difficulty arises, we console ourselves by calling it fate, the fruit of past lives’ karma, or God’s will. We say that the fruit of karma must be endured. This consolation keeps one deluded.

If we have to endure the fruits of karma, then what’s the need to go to temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, etc.? That is, we pray to the ‘Almighty’ with the hope that He might listen and rid us off these problems. If you touch a hot pan, your hand will burn in this life, not the next. Substance abuse will ruin your body in this life, not the next. If you drive recklessly, you will meet with an accident in this life, not the next.That is, most problems in life are the fruit of actions done in this very life.

 

How do karmic fruit affect the next birth?

But then the question arises that if karmic fruits are received immediately, how is the present birth a result of actions done in past lives? It is explained that between a person’s birth and death, according to the actions performed, the fruit (good or bad) are received in that very life, and the remainder is transferred to the next birth. On the basis of action of past lives, birth takes place in the present family. The nature of the present life (pleasant or painful) is based on the accumulated actions (good or bad) of previous births.

Let this be understood with an example: A farmer’s crop yield, according to his hard work, may be just enough to be consumed in a single year, or it may be so abundant that after using it for one year, it can still be used the next year as well. If the crop is good, its benefit will be enjoyed either in the same year or, if there is extra yield, in the following year too. If the crop is poor, the loss will have to be borne either in that year itself or up to the next year.

In the same way, whatever actions (good or bad) are performed throughout life, their karmic fruits will be received in this birth in the form of good or bad experiences, and if the full account of karmic fruits is not settled in this life, it will be transferred to the next birth (pleasant or painful).

 

How do actions become good or bad?

The question arises of how actions (good or bad) become so numerous that their fruits (pleasant or painful) get transferred into future births. Human beings are born with cognitive intelligence. It depends on how that intellect, body, power, position, and money are used in performing actions (good or bad). It is up to us how we utilize these abilities. In this life one can live only for oneself or act for the sake of others as well. Future births will depend on the fruit of those very actions. 

 

Is possible to evolve and devolve in this very life?

The grace of the ‘Almighty’ is bestowed equally on everyone. If we listen to the voice of our conscience and act accordingly, (no matter what kind of family one is born into) everyone gets opportunities to progress. Based on the actions performed in the present life, a happy person can be born unhappy in the next life, or an unhappy person can be born into a happy family.

Prayer, devotion, good deeds, kindness etc can improve your present life and advance the next birth towards upliftment. Just as sun, clouds, wind, rain, etc., are available equally to all, in the same way, opportunities for progressing through spiritual practice are equally available to everyone. But we either fail to fully follow the rules of that practice due to lack of time or waste time unknowingly by getting entangled in rituals.

 

What mistakes do we keep making that result in bad karma?

• Doing any kind of injustice,
• Harassing someone in the name of investigation based on false reports,
• Using flattery to get ahead in work
• Making money by exploiting the poor and helpless, taking bribes,
• Recommending expensive treatment for commission and extra earnings,
• Prescribing unnecessary tests and medicines for commission,
• Poor construction, taking bribes to do work,
• Misusing position of power,
• Exploiting the weak, powerless and infirm.
• Harassing female colleagues, withholding promotions / granting promotions in exchange of sexual favors, sexual harassment,
• Sexual perversion
• Selling adulterated goods, price gouging,
• Teaching children with the intention of forcing them to take tuition,
• Deceiving through false advertising,
• Taking religious offerings by instilling fear of retribution
• Making false claims,
• Promotions based on one upmanship or favouritism,
• Entrapment in false cases,
• Large companies exploiting employees by overloading them with more work for less pay, making them victims of stress-related diseases (anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, etc.) at a young age. In turn, company executives may themselves also become victims of diseases.

We keep doing these things knowingly or subconsciously. We have to bear the karmic results in some form or other, because the consequence of every action is certain.

In today’s corrupt world, no work is accomplished without a payoff. We blame the greed of higher-ups for this corrupt system. But the truth is we keep an equal or greater share for ourselves than what we pass upwards. Some traders/companies buy off or reward officials with commissions to get their work done. Similarly some officials give bribes to higher-ups for their desired postings. This game of corruption and bribes is going on everywhere from top to bottom.

 

How do we become participants in this karmic cycle?

Despite knowing that it is wrong, we still keep doing. Higher authorities pressurise us, and we go along with them. The ‘Almighty’ will surely give karmic retribution to those higher authorities, but we too become participants in it. Without even realising it, we become addicted to using that wrongly earned money and ruin our karmas. We must remember that if we participate in someone else’s ill deed, we too become partners in its karmic result.

Often clerks or officials say that people give money willingly without being asked, which is completely deceiving oneself. The truth is that due to corruption, the person is so harassed that after the work is done, seeing our attitude or thinking of future work, they give us the bribe. We happily accept it. Even by taking such money, we are spoiling our own karma.

 

Why do those who are corrupt appear prosperous?

Often we see that those who are corrupt are very prosperous. No one can harm them. They are enjoying the happiness received due to accumulated karma from past lives, but at the same time, they are rapidly preparing the path for their downfall. Those people are expending the merits earned from past life’s karmas. Earning money through wrong actions and then doing charity, worship, or pilgrimages will achieve nothing. This is merely giving false assurance to one’s own mind. Even if people are not aware of your misdeeds, your consciousness sees everything and the consequences of actions will be seen.

 

Why do we make wrong decisions?

Conventional thought is that money is everything. People want to make as much money as possible in one lifetime. But wealth earned through corrupt means, by deceiving someone, hurting someone’s heart, or by misusing position of power will only become the cause of sorrow. This is certain. To fulfil our desires or needs when we quash our conscience, we open ourselves up to impending problems. The ill earned money will never be fruitful; it will hurt the abuser with full force. Their children will fall into bad company and ruin everything. Various physical or mental illnesses or worries may engulf us. Wealth earned wrongly will bring all kinds of problems.

These people say this money helped us overcome problems. But that person forgets why the trouble arose in the first place. It is worth considering that if it weren’t for the ill begotten money, problems wouldn’t have cropped up at all. These problems are a result of their own actions.

Karma and retribution is not limited to misuse of money alone. Drunk on the power of money, if we hurt someone’s feelings or insult them, or vent our anger on someone else, we will receive sorrow, humiliation, and anger from others too. Just as a prayer works, similarly the curse of a helpless, poor, or weak person also works equally.

 

How to prevent making wrong decisions?

How do we differentiate between good and bad? The power of the ‘Almighty’ that is outside is equally inside us too. The almighty gives information about right or wrong. We call this the voice of conscience. If we listen to that voice, almost none of our actions would be wrong. When karmas are good, problems in this life will be negligible. But unconsciously, we ignore that voice. This is where the cycle of problems begins.

If we follow the voice of our conscience, whatever desire we are satisfying through wrong actions or corrupt earnings will be fulfilled on its own by the grace of the ‘Almighty’. Then we will find that the responsibility of doing our work is taken by the ‘Almighty’ Himself, and no trouble arises in any work.

 

Why are we not able to make right decisions even when we know better?

We know when our actions wrong, yet we continue them —why? The root cause lies in lust, anger, greed, attachment, illusion, and ego, which are present within us from birth. Over powering them with intellect and will power alone is impossible. They are not dispelled by stories, tales, or discourses. These are all manifestations of inner tendencies. Due to the dominance of tamasic tendencies (greed, theft, lies, lust, oppression, corruption, laziness, negligence, uncontrolled addiction, etc.), we keep ruining our karmas. When tamasic tendencies prevail, every action of ours, even if wrong, appears right to us.

If an inner connection with the ‘Almighty’ is established, these tamasic tendencies can transform into sattvic ones (love, honesty, truth, compassion, etc.). Then either we won’t make bad decisions or our conscience will repeatedly warn us about immorality of an act, making it difficult for us to commit it. But how can we reach this stage?

 

What should be done to connect with this higher power?

To establish an inner connection with higher power, any method of meditation or prayer can be adopted. Each method of meditation, however, involves giving up something — there is some form of discipline or restriction, which often prevents consistent practice. There is a strong desire for spiritual progress, but there is confusion about what to do, which path is right or wrong. When a path seems right, it often appears too long or full of many rules. How can a simple and straightforward path be found? This can be understood with an example.

There can be many different routes to climb a mountain peak: a staircase path, a sloped paved road, a narrow dirt trail, rocky terrain, through forests, and so on. If one keeps walking continuously on any chosen path, one will reach the destination; the only requirement is not to stop the journey. If the journey is halted midway, the destination will not be reached. Any path can be chosen according to one’s convenience, and the path can even be changed, but the journey must not stop.

Each path, however, has its own limitations: heels and flip flops may not work on rocky terrain, some paths need a wooden stick for support, some require a rope, some paths seem shorter but are steeper etc.People’s journeys on these paths are riddled with problems such as: knee pain, slipperiness, breathing issues, lack of resources, lack of time, and sometimes distractions like entertainment midway.

In the same way, there are many paths to connect with God. If any path is followed—whether through temple, mosque, church, gurudwara, etc.—the destination can be reached. But every form of worship or practice has its own rules, and if they are not followed properly, the goal is not attained, and then the Higher Power is blamed for not listening. Due to lack of time, people are unable to fully follow the disciplines laid down by various religions and start doubting the path itself, whereas no method is wrong; all can ultimately lead to the goal.

Similarly, in the paths shown by different spiritual teachers, there are many rules and regulations that need to be followed. This makes that path difficult to follow. When these rules cannot be followed, the responsibility is handed over to family members or priests, preachers, granthis, maulvis, etc. In such a case, how will we experience the desired outcome? This can be understood as follows: when one falls in love, that love is expressed personally, without involving a third person as an intermediary. But when the time comes to express love for the ‘Higher Power’, the responsibility of worship and rituals is handed to others. How can we then expect results? To pass an examination, one has to study personally.

 

Why aren’t our prayers answered?

Let’s understand this with an example: our life would be very smooth if we had a personal connection with the country’s Prime Minister. When a connection with a person can resolve almost all life’s problems, imagine if we have a connection, with God. Would any work stop then? For this very connection with the ‘Higher Power’, we all go to our respective places of worship. Sometimes it feels like the ‘Higher Power’ listens to our prayers but sometimes it feels like He doesn’t. It’s logical to ask: why aren’t our prayers always heard? Then there are times when a problem gets resolved even without us praying for it? But sometimes it feels like during times of extreme stress, the Almighty isn’t listening to us. You will often hear people saying they do a lot of prayers, worship, rituals, supplications, prayers, etc., but God doesn’t listen at all. Where is he? We are very troubled; we’ve tried everything, nothing is happening

Let us try to understand this issue with an example too. Lightning in the sky is millions of volts of electricity but we can’t light the bulbs in our home with it. Lightning in the sky does provide light but only sporadically when nature wants to and not when we need it. In a power house too, millions of volts of electricity is generated, and with that our entire home stays illuminated. We have no connection with the sky lightning; we get light from it, but not at our will, or not where we want. But the same electricity, when it comes controlled through wires and transformers from the power house, illuminates the entire home.

Whomever we worship, they are all like sky lightning – they bestow grace according to their own will, and not based on our needs. That is, we too need some connecting medium with the Higher Power. We don’t know the way to connect directly with these powers. To connect with them, we need a connecting wire. ‘Meditation’ is that connecting wire. Every religion in the world has given importance to meditation.

 

How can we experience God?

If we reflect, we find that the deities of Satyuga, Ram-Sita of Treta Yuga, Krishna-Radha of Dwapar Yuga, or figures of the current age like Buddha, Mahavira, Nanak, Mohammad, Moses, Jesus, Kabir, Ravidas, Meera, Vivekananda, etc., were physically, ordinary humans. Then what was different in their bodies that made them worship-worthy? The answer is that there was a conscious power in all of them which is absent in us. That power is called Kundalini Shakti. This power was awakened in all of them, making them extraordinary. We all also have Kundalini Shakti, but it is dormant. If this power awakens within us, we will realize that the Supreme Being we have been searching outside is also present within us.

No matter how much science advances, it has not yet been able to create a machine where food items put in from one side and blood is produced from the other side. But our body is the machine that can do this. Science can analyse a blood sample and list all the chemicals present (potassium, sodium, calcium, etc.), but science has never been able to create blood. This is due to the Supreme Being present within us. It is with that Supreme Being that we need to connect with. This is possible only through meditation.

Just as one woman could be someone’s mother, daughter, sister, wife or aunt. So too a single power can assume various forms. Radha, Sita, Kali, Parvati, Amba, Durga, etc., are all different forms of the same Kundalini Shakti. Yogis saw various forms of Kundalini Shakti during meditation, which they later depicted in images and idols. Instead of practicing to connect with those powers, we started worshiping those images and idols.

In today’s times, we all too pray to connect with a higher power. We can call this power by any name (Ram, Krishna, Hanuman, Vishnu, Allah, Waheguru, Jesus, Buddha, Mahavira, etc.) and worship in different places (temple, mosque, gurudwara, church, etc.). Names may differ, but the power is one.

In those whose Kundalini Shakti was awakened, their inner ‘lamp’ was lit. We have the lamp, oil, and wick, but our ‘lamp’ is unlit. There is no light in this inner ‘lamp’. We perform prayers, worship, rituals, supplications, prayers, etc., to light that ‘lamp’. The ‘lamp’ is inside, so how can it be lit from outside? This unlit ‘lamp’ can also be illuminated through mantra jaap and meditation. Through the power of meditation and mantra chanting, the inner lamp is lit up. That is, the awakened Kundalini Shakti introduces us from within to the same ‘Higher One’ whom we have been searching for outside all this time.

 

Is there a simple way to connect with the Supreme Being?

A simple spiritual method (GSSY) shows how one can hear the inner voice and follow it. GSSY (Guru Siyag Siddha Yoga) is an easy-to-do meditation technique that can be practiced (free of charge) at home. In this method, there is no need to go anywhere, nothing to give up, no restrictions on food or lifestyle. This meditation can be done anywhere—at home, office, in the car.

If your current form of worship or meditation is not working for you, you can contact us for information about GSSY by WhatsApp at 9468623528 or calling 7976251916. This method is completely free of charge. Through this method, using meditation and mantra as connecting wires, our prayers reach the ‘Higher One’ within, to whom we pray daily. This practice fulfils those needs or desires the fulfilment of which we may have wanted for a long time or taken wrong steps for.

We want liberation or heavenly pleasures while alive—this meditation and mantra is the key to attaining it. Try it once. If any desire is not being fulfilled or you are having trouble resolving an issue, try this mantra chanting and meditation at that time. Remember, the resolver is the same one you worship but this mantra and meditation act as wires to carry your prayer to that higher power. Thus, your stalled problems begin to be resolved.

People around the world desire to attain God, and in that search, they adopt various methods. When someone finds their goal, their search stops; if not, they keep searching. This can be understood with an example: you have a lock and a bunch of keys, one of which fits your lock. By trying each key one by one, you will find the one key that will open your lock. The time required to find the right key is not in your control. But there is also a master key that opens any lock, though obtaining that is not easy.

Similarly, there are many methods and mantras to attain God—which method or mantra is right for our salvation? Trying each method or mantra could take many births to find out.

The method and mantra described above is sanjeevani (life-giving). That is, it is the master key (method) to connect with God. It can unite you with the God within you in this very life, without giving up anything, without going anywhere, without receiving or giving anything, right at home. Anyone in the world searching for the ‘Higher One’ can try this method to end their search.

• “Meditation is the other vital half of (Guru Siyag Siddha) Yoga practice. Mantra-chanting and meditation are the two vital sides of the same practice. What does meditation signify? The world is paying greater attention today to the idea of meditation. This is because material science has recognized that meditation yields better results (in holistic healing) than medical treatment if the person meditating is able to achieve complete concentration.
• “But achieving this kind of concentration is rarely possible. Buddhist and Jain religions also lay great emphasis on meditation. However, they don’t go beyond meditation. There is a great deal of excitement over (the benefits of) meditation. Doctors talk about it; everybody (who matters) talks about it. But no one is able to really explain well what meditation signifies.
• “(The fact is) Mediation is the stage prior to achieving Samadhi (the final of stage of the eightfold yoga as codified by sage Patanjali). Sage Patanjali has explained in detail about the state of meditation (as a part of spiritual practice) in his treatise, the “Yoga Sutra”, a very authentic book (on yoga). In this treatise, sage Patanjali has laid out a regimen that requires the seeker to follow the following eight sequences of spiritual practice: Yam (moral codes), Niyama (self-purification and study), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahar (sense control), Dharna (intention / concentration), Dhyan (meditation) and Samadhi (contemplation).
• “The first five stages fall within the material realm while the last three—Dharna, Dhyan and Samadhi in the subtle domain. Until the practitioner successfully passes through the Dharna stage, he cannot move into the next stage — Dhyan. You cannot achieve the stage of meditation by simply imagining yourself to be in a meditative state. Your Dharna, the base, will be firm only when you have undergone some practical inner changes (and experiences) and you have found a practical material solution to your problems. It is only when you find this kind of practical solution through the inner change that you will successfully reach the stage of Dharna. And once you are firm in your Dharna, you will begin to achieve concentration in meditation. To achieve this concentration, you need to focus your mind on your Agyachakra. So, Dhyan is the stage prior to Samadhi, as sage Patanjali has explained. And when you go deep into meditation with concentration, you automatically move into the Samadhi stage.”