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September 8
2010

Question on faith

Neena
U.A.E

Question

Aum Guru

I purchased Ananda Course part I & II, 5 months back & practice EE & meditation regularly. I want to take discipleship & kriya intiation.

1.I suffer from lack of faith. Its as if, there is always a small voice telling me 'what if all this is false?'. Please help me anchor my faith once & for all.

2. I am no longer attached to worldy pleasures. I am in an awkard state where I am unable to go deep in meditation & get joy. So life is very mundane. The routine is killing me. Help

Nayaswami Gyandev

Ananda Village

Answer

Neena, I applaud your self-awareness and self-honesty in posing these questions. Those two qualities, plus the sincerity you show through your regular meditation and Energization, have put you on a sure course for answering them. Discipleship and Kriya will secure you on—and take you deeper into—that course. Congratulations. You’re absolutely on track.

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September 8
2010

Effective Prayer

Simon
Germany

Question

Should mankind pray like the jews do and only praise/worship god or is it ok to ask for personal things (isn’t it "overbearing")? E.g.: Why pray for a special person. Why not pray for whole mankind?

Nayaswami Shivani

Ananda Assisi, Italy

Answer

Dear Simon,

Let’s say you are wanting to open your own small business, and are looking for advice about the nature of assistance available to small business entreprenuers. Or someone dear to you is having a health crisis and is confined to bed. You want to help them by researching home-care options.

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September 7
2010

Life on Other Planets

A devotee
India

Question

Hello, This question has always bothered me lot...All the great masters claim that there are innumerable planets where one can incarnate or re-incarnate. If so, then why don’t they ever talk about someones re-birth or a past life in a planet say in the 'Andromeda Galaxy' or in the virgo constellation etc..?? They only talk abt past life’s on the earth! why is that? this has made me become disillusioned with all gurus! I think its because they don’t know themselves..can you offer some insight?

Nayaswami Jaya

Ananda India

Answer

Paramhansa Yogananda once commented to a disciple that there are, indeed, many worlds in this universe where one can incarnate.

Souls do not necessarily return to this planet again and again because, he wryly noted, otherwise we would "learn too quickly." I imagine him chuckling within when he said that.

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September 7
2010

To Know God Is to Love God

KJ
India

Question

How can we love God without experiencing him? We can experience and feel God in Meditation. Meditation as Yogananda Jee says is like experiment within our self to find God but until we we are successful in meditation and have that experience.... loving him will not be just blind love? And how can we pray with devotion chants like 'Oh God beautiful'...? On the other hand we cannot find God without devotion..is not it going in circles?

Nayaswami Jaya

Ananda India

Answer

Dear KJ,

Can you truly love that which you do not know? There is a saying, "To know God is to love God," but until we have that experience of "knowing" through inner experience, we cannot love completely.

But certainly we can yearn for that love and expand upon the flickers of love we have experienced for family, friends and loved ones. In your meditation, spread your heart’s feelings to include an ever wider circle of souls. As your sympathies grow, love will come to you.

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September 4
2010

Evolution

Simon
Germany

Question

Hello again,

two further qeuestions, please.

1) Should mankind pray like the jews do and only praise/worship god or is it ok to ask for personal things (isn’t it "overbearing")? E.g.: Why pray for a special person. Why not pray for whole mankind?

2) Is God almighty? When yes, how can you explain evolution? Why does God need such regulation/circumstances? It rather appears to be an experiment. Is God maybe limited himself?

Nayaswami Shivani

Ananda Assisi, Italy

Answer

Dear Simon,

In response to your second question:

There is obviously a power and an intelligence far greater than we can even comprehend which created the vast universe. Somewhat like a scientist or an inventor creating a mechanism, God has created the universal mechanism. Through observation, we begin slowly to at least appreciate some of its aspects.

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September 3
2010

Channeling, spiritualism, and hypnosis

Travis
USA

Question

I have a question about other practices that I’ve been told would be detrimental to continue while I pursue the path laid down by Yogananda. I am referring to Trance Channeling, Spiritualism, and Hypnosis. I am having a very hard time understanding why these subjects have been labeled as bad.

Nayaswami Gyandev

Ananda Village

Answer

Good question, Travis. First of all, let me say that “spiritualism” is a tricky term: Depending on whom you’re talking with, it can mean anything from worshiping God to trying to connect with departed souls. I gather that your question refers to the latter, but I can’t be sure, so forgive me if I miss your point on that term.

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September 1
2010

Feeling Apprehensive

carrie
usa

Question

greetings...

lately I have been feeling quite sad and overwhelmed.

no matter what happens I feel an overwhelming feeling arise in me that I begin to cry quite intensely. during meditation the thoughts that flow through have been quite strange almost dark and menacing. and it is quite difficult to concentrate at all. I feel that I already know that this is karma coming up but I thought I would ask you your thoughts...Master’s Love. Carrie.

Nayaswami Savitri

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Carrie,

Sorry to hear of the challenges you are having connected to your meditations.

The intense crying, the sadness, the feeling of being overwhelmed — these may be unrelated to your meditation practices. They may be a sign of depression or other deep mental or emotional disturbances. Please be sure to check in with your doctor right away to find out if you need medical or psychological counseling.

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August 30
2010

Difficulty with meditation

Ashleigh Vilk
italy

Question

Hi,

I have been trying to mediate for a while. I’ve used recordings and sadly only once felt a wonderful, addictive buzz from meditating. What I most often experience is after meditating I become 'out of it'. I literally can’t concentrate, I drop things and fell pretty weird and spaced out. Is there something I am doing wrong or that I can do to better wake from meditation? Thanks

Nayaswami Pranaba

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Ashleigh,

The key to your challenge may revolve around the meditation techniques you are using.

In using the meditation techniques that Paramhansa Yogananda taught, it’s unusual to encounter the effects which you are experiencing. Meditation, if practiced properly, for the most part helps us in our concentration rather than diminishing it.

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