Ask Ananda’s Experts
Questions and answers about meditation, yoga, the spiritual life, and more

Nayaswami Parvati

Ananda Village

Answer

Light from candles, especially during meditation, can help to keep the mind aware and keep it from wandering into the subconscious state. If you meditate in total darkness, it can be somewhat reminiscent of the sleep state.

Light used to give a blessing, such as the “touch of light” in the Festival of Light, is symbolic of the inner light that is seen in deepening states of meditation. The touch of light at the point between the eyebrows, the Christ Consciousness center in the body, is given to help awaken that center.

Nayaswami Savitri

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Pankaj,

The mind is a manifestation of consciousness. It functions in connection with the intellect, the ego, and our feeling natures.

The mind works primarily through the brain and nervous system, but also there is a strong mind-body connection. Its chief "fuel" or power source is prana (Conscious Cosmic Energy). If you are asking if the mind is powerful, certainly it is — but so are our emotions and the feeling natures of our hearts.

Nayaswami Anandi

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Jennifer,

This is a very interesting question, and I can’t say that I really know the answer. It is certainly possible that it’s the wrong mantra for you and so it’s generating some friction that causes a headache.

You might try experiementing with other mantras and see how that goes. You might experiment with some of them in English, such as, "I am free," or "I am joy." These are not actual mantras, but they can be used for repetition as you would use a Sanskrit mantra.

Nayaswami Hriman

Ananda Seattle

Answer

Dear Som,

The Indian scriptures counsel us, "When a higher dharma conflicts with a lower dharma, we should follow the higher dharma."

To put it another way: the ends do not justify the means.

If your friend truly has a choice whether or not to own and operate a business whose main source of income is from liquor sales, it would not be the higher dharma to sell liquor — not even to donate more to charity or for religious purposes.

Nayaswami Anandi

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear ABC,

Yes, that is an interesting question. On the one hand, people do a lot of things that make one say, "Why do they do that?"

But some of the things that happen — for example, a fatal illness in a young child — can’t be blamed on any person. So people offer their question up to the universe, to God, who must be the source. In a way, it’s a good thing, because at least people are thinking of God.

Other bad things, such as murders, obviously are done by a particular person. Still, the family of the victim will wonder, "Why did God let this happen to my beloved one?"

Nayaswami Parvati

Ananda Village

Answer

An understandable question, but not really answerable through this medium. To a similar question, Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda’s guru, replied, "Leave a few questions to be answered by the Divine."

In regard to this question, Swami Kriyananda has also said that the rational, reasoning mind keeps looking for reasons for everything. It is bothered when it comes up against something that is outside of reason and that is absolute.

Tyagi Jayadev

Ananda Assisi, Italy

Answer

Dear Sompal,

When Yogananda went to visit Japan in 1916, he decided to cut his hair short. But in 1920, when he left for America, Sri Yukteswar expressed the wish that he keep his hair long. I am sure Sri Yukteswar’s reason wasn’t Yogananda’s pretty looks. So your question about a deeper yogic significance of long hair is legitimate.

Nayaswami Parvati

Ananda Village

Answer

We have many lessons to learn over many lifetimes, and what you are experiencing now is one of them — not only finding that a long-ago decision you made was not the right one, but also feeling regret for what has been done and cannot be undone.

It’s really good to grab this one by the horns and look it straight in the eye.