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Questions and answers about meditation, yoga, the spiritual life, and more

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Sneha,

If there are direct actions you can take to rectify a wrong done to someone else, such as making a sincere apology, by all means you should consider doing so. Further, if (in your case) you wanted to offer her the opportunity to return as your maid — if you sincerely want to have her back as your maid — then by all means consider doing that also.

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Sneha,

I'm not sure I ever heard Kriyananda specifically say that guilt was a sin, but I have heard him describe continuous guilt (if felt for years, long after a mistake had been made) as a useless emotion, and even damaging to one's spiritual progress — perhaps this is what he meant.

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Sai,

Your question is a deep and important one. Pared down to its essence, your question asks about the nature of free will and whether it exists. Or as you put it initially, if one has free will, how can one's future be predicted?

Let me try to answer your question by answering it several different ways:

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Sharon,

This is a very interesting question, but one to which I don't believe I've ever seen a direct answer from Yogananda or any other Master. So I can only speculate.

On the one hand, the Infinite Consciousness from which all creation springs is said to be Itself changeless, and that all that appears to be changing around us is in fact illusion. On the other hand, the Masters say that each of us is a unique spark from the Divine Fire and that we have a degree of free will with which we can guide our own journey back to the Fire.

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

Will,

Let me preface my comments by encouraging you to again read the Autobiography of a Yogi chapter, "Resurrection of Sri Yukteswar." Your answers are there - and probably better ones than I can give you - but I'll do my best.

According to Sri Yukteswar, causal karma exists, but it is almost indescribably subtle. The root cause is the same as for physical and astral karma - desire. Physical plane desires are perhaps easiest for us to comprehend. Fulfillment of those desires requires that we be on the physical plane and the nature of those desires revolve around our physical bodies and our egos. Likewise astral desires. Fulfillment of those desires requires that we be on the astral plane and the nature of those desires revolve around our astral bodies and our egos. But causal desires are nearly impossible for us to understand because causal beings have no bodies - but there is still the smallest thought of separate existence from God - and thus the ego still exists.

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

k,

You've asked many questions about realms of knowledge that I find fascinating.

Today, many programs like those on the Discovery Channel speculate on the idea of parallel universes created when black holes form - or as a result of many other possible causes, including other universes being created by people making choices: in one universe they made one choice, in the other another choice was made.

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

Dear Kailash,

While researching and writing the book, The Yugas, I arrived at the conviction that much of the Ramayana, and other ancient epics, is probably true.

According to the cycle of the yugas, as expounded by Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda's guru and author of The Holy Science, the Ramayana was likely composed during the last Treta Yuga. During Treta Yuga, mankind as a whole possesses mental powers that are only hinted at today. Sri Yukteswar said that mental telepathy was the normal means of communication during Treta Yuga and that mankind as a whole would comprehend the "Divine magnetism."

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

Dhivakar,

Your question is really two questions in one. One question is: Should I practice the teachings of sahaj Marg or of Yogananda?

The second question is: What is the difference between Raja Yoga and Kriya Yoga?

The answer to your first question is found on a very personal and individual basis. Different teachings, even though similar, even though originating from the same general tradition (yoga), feel different or - as one hears - have a different, subtle vibration. You need to spend time with each teaching, and ideally, with the teacher or diciples of the teacher, in order to decide which teachings feel best to you.

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

Som,

Yogananda spoke inspiringly and often about the importance of dynamic service - energetically and freely serving others.

He said that in order to achieve the "actionless state" one needs to become "intensely active for God." Outward service to others is purifying and energizing. Purifying because it takes one's mind off of one's own needs and issues and expands your heart to include other's needs, and energizing because one becomes a channel for Divine energy if one gives oneself fully into the spirit of service.

Puru (Joseph) Selbie

Ananda Village

Answer

TRANEA,

Yogananda made comments in his talks and in his Gita commentaries that indicate he knew there was life on other planets.

When asked if souls continue to reincarnate on earth until they acheive liberation, he replied that they also incarnate on other planets.