Ashok :
Okay. We ‘ll proceed with the question-answer session.
Question :
The first question is...
Does the soul go through the crooked tunnel before entering the second plane? Does that tunnel rotate? Do the souls get lost in it?
Baba Ji :
So, this is only a tunnel. It is in the shape of an ‘N’. It goes up from the first plane, comes down a little, and then goes up again. So, the Master is always with the soul. So, there is no question of the soul getting lost.
Question :
The second question is...
What is it like when the soul enters the Causal Plane, the second plane?
Baba Ji :
These matters are only discussed during initiation. So here, there are a lot of non-initiates also sitting. So, these questions, we can get them addressed in a personal interview.
Question :
Is Maha Sunn part of Bhanwar Gupha? Is there anything dangerous in Bhanwar Gupha?
Baba Ji :
So, one should not worry about all these questions and these things inside like this. Firstly, these things are explained during initiation. So, if someone wants to know this, then in a personal interview it can be explained. However, one need not dwell too much on these matters because, as soon as the attention gets focused at the back of the Eye Center, the first thing that happens is, your Master is there in the Radiant Form. Thereafter, your Master is always with you, right up to going back to God Almighty. So, at no point do you need to have any fear because you will always have the company of the Master.
Question :
The next question is...
If a disciple dies and must finish his devotion in the higher planes, what is that like? Does the disciple remember his past lives? Is he alone while doing the devotion, or can he see friends and family members? Does he do devotion full-time, or can he enjoy activities outside of devotion as well?
Baba Ji :
So, for those who do not do their full devotion in this lifetime, but who remember their Master and who are, otherwise, having love and affection for the Master, the Master definitely comes to take them. And then, at the higher level, that is the level in which the first Name has been given to you. At that level, the soul is made to do the devotion. There, once the attention of the soul has crossed the nine doors and is at the back of the Eye Center, and at the time of death, it goes up with the Radiant Form of the Master, the first thing that goes away is your intellect and your mind, your thinking capability here. So, everything that you have in this world, all this is all left behind. There is nothing that goes with you beyond this. So, there, when you sit in the first level, the Master makes you sit in the presence of Jyoti. And there, you will have the Darshan of Jyoti, and you will have the Master there. And, like we are sitting here, there will be other souls who are also enjoying that Darshan of Jyoti and the Master. And by just seeing there and listening to the Sound Current, because as soon you die, your Sound Current gets connected. So, you are listening to the Sound Current. You're having the Darshan of Jyoti and you're seeing the Master. With all of these, your karmas are getting rapidly redeemed. And all are sitting together. There is no family that you will be having there or you will be taking from here. So, you're simply sitting and your mind and intellect are not there. So, you’re not thinking. You’re listening to the Sound Current and you’re having the Darshan of the Master and the Jyoti there. After we die, the mind, nevertheless, is still with you, though your intellect and your thinking faculty now are no longer there. But, the mind is still with you. But, the mind now has a different characteristic, because it is not discouraging you from doing meditation. It is also connected to the Sound Current, and it is interested in going further within and up to Brahm, which is its place.
Question :
Does the power of Prashad diminish over time? For example, sometimes, I like to save my Prashad from the Master and have it before morning meditation. Is it better to eat it right away?
Baba Ji :
So, there is no time element in Prashad. The Master gives Prashad. People keep it for a very long time, for several years also. So, there is no difference like that. It doesn't diminish by keeping it like that.
Question :
The next question...
When contemplating the Form of the Master, should we imagine Him inside our head in the room where we are sitting, or in a location where we actually saw Him before? Are there other best practices for contemplating the Form? Is it better if He is still, or is it okay to keep it switching between different images that we have experienced of the Master? So, like Master sitting there, standing, wearing different clothes, etc.?
Baba Ji :
When we are sitting for meditation, when we are closing our eyes, we are
contemplating the Form of the Master at the back of the Eye Center. So, we have the mind there and we have our faculty of visualization there with the mind. So, what we have to do is, we have to do our Simran with the mind. So, we have to do our repetition of Naam there. And we have to, in the faculty of visualization, we have to use that faculty of visualization to visualize our Master. It may not be only one image of the Master. It could be different images of the Master that you have met at different times. When we sit for meditation, we should avoid thinking of the Master sitting outside our body and where we visualize. For example, sitting in front of us, or standing in front of us, and then, we are trying to visualize Him. The visualization should focus at the back of the Eye Center. So, that is what we should be doing. And when we are trying to visualize the Form of the Master, we should not try to visualize any picture or photograph or photo frame or idol that we have seen of the Master. It should be of the Master Himself when we have seen Him with our own eyes.
Question :
The next question is...
What kind of karma do we get for victimless, bad deeds? For example, if we drink alcohol alone, or indulge in lustful thoughts, no one else seems to be hurt by that. So, what kind of karmas do we get?
Baba Ji :
When the Master is saying that you have to refrain from such things, like intoxicants, we should refrain from these things. Now, there is definitely a karma that is built up. One is that, when we are intoxicated, the mind is not in your control. So the mind is, therefore, bent to do things, which may not be appropriate, or will definitely have an impact on your meditation. So, these are influences, which are negative influences on the mind. Furthermore, to have these things done, there will be several other deeds that may have been incurred in the preparation of these kinds of things or these kinds of additives that you are taking, which may be inappropriate for you from your standpoint of karmas. Such intoxicants and drinking definitely have an impact on the mind. There was an incident where a person was simply explaining to another person that he should refrain from drinking, and he should stop that. Now, just on this discussion itself, that other person killed the first person, he murdered the first person. Also, by doing such things, we create problems in our families, which leads to other problems. So, therefore, this is all a buildup of your karmas. Whatever the Master tells you at the time of initiation, it is very important that you accept that and follow that.
Question :
This is a long question. I will just make it slightly short...
In the last year or so, any time that I meditate, I fall asleep, no matter what I do. Even right after enough sleep, I can't get my attention focused and I fall asleep. Otherwise, I have an active, stress-free life. And I meditate doing Simran, sometimes counting numbers, listening to my breath, or remembering Sant Ji. He initiated me about twenty-two years back. And I try to maintain my focus but, unfortunately, I go to sleep. What should I do to make my meditations successful? And do my sleepy meditations still… or is it worth something? I sit in the half-lotus position with a straight spine.
Baba Ji :
So, the state in which we do meditation, it is the fine state between sleep and between awareness, or between being awake. So, in that fine difference between sleep and being awake, is the state in which we are also doing our meditation. So, if we slightly go on either side, we get into that other state. So, also, when we meditate, the mind feels relaxed. When we are doing meditation, the mind automatically feels relaxed and there is a tendency to fall asleep. Now, what we should do is, if we are continuously getting into this situation, we should try to, perhaps, walk a little while doing Simran, or be physically active when we are doing Simran, so that we can improve our Simran. When we are sitting for meditation and we are doing Simran, whenever that Simran stops then, we fall asleep. So, it is important that the continuity of Simran is maintained so that we are not affected by sleep. To improve that, you can, perhaps, walk a little and improve your Simran and get into the habit of doing Simran more continuously for a longer period of time. Then, when you sit for meditation, this will not happen. Also, we need to have more love and affection for the Master when we sit for meditation so that the Simran remains continuous for a longer period of time. Now, one way to do this is that, before you sit for meditation you can sing a bhajan of the Master. And, because of that, your love and affection will improve, and you will be able to do Simran for a longer time.
Question :
If the Master gives less Darshan to one disciple than to the other, does it mean that the Master is less satisfied with that disciple? Or the disciple has more or less karmas, that is why he or she gets less Darshan?
Baba Ji :
So, this is more of our perception, that we have different levels of Darshan. The Master always gives equal Darshan to everybody. And there is no such distinction between a higher disciple having higher karmas or lower karmas. Always, there are disciples having different types of karmas. So, the Master doesn't distinguish between these, and He gives impartial, equal Darshan to everybody. So, one should not carry such thoughts.
Question :
Next question is...
Is there a hierarchy among satsangis based on who was earlier initiated by the Master? If not, what does Babaji think about the satsangis who feel they are superior to the others, based on these thoughts?
Baba Ji :
So, there is no such hierarchy between the senior and junior satsangis like this. Everything in Sant Mat depends on your action and your doing and deeds. So, people who have recently been initiated may be far more advanced than people who have been initiated for decades. So, there is no such hierarchy.
Question :
In the Anurag Sagar, it is written that ‘those who have a mole in their eye cannot receive initiation’. Why this thought? And what does it mean?
Baba Ji :
So, apparently, there is a misunderstanding. So, initiation has got nothing to do with there being a mole or there being no mole in the eye. Only thing is, if a person is blind in both eyes then, normally, he is not given initiation, because he cannot see the Master. And if he cannot see the Master, he will not be able to contemplate on the Form of the Master. That is why, usually, people who are blind are not initiated.
Question :
If a disciple cannot meditate as much time as the Master asks, because of his work, etc., does it mean that he's a bad disciple?
Baba Ji :
So, there is nothing like this. And nobody is a bad disciple on this basis. There are different types of work people are doing and they are differently pressured. So, there is a different kind of time that one can devote to meditation. But, so long as they are coming in Satsang and they are doing their devotion, they should not feel as such.
Question :
The next question is... What does Babaji think about genetically modified foodstuff? Are these food products dangerous?
Baba Ji :
So, these days, with scientific advance, the genetically modified food or hybrid seeds, etc., are coming. They offer a bigger produce and, in Bangalore, we see most of the vegetables are all a hybrid. And, because of that, because of such seed, the fruit is bigger, or it is sweeter and it has better attributes. So, one should not be worried about eating those kinds of things. Only things that you should refrain from are any intoxicants and poisonous things there.
Question :
Dear Babaji, please provide some guidance for how to practice loving detachment with the many work colleagues, acquaintances and extended family members that we interact with in the world.
Baba Ji :
So, one need not consciously try to get detached like this. What one should focus on is to do as much Dhyan Bhajan and Simran as possible. And, once we keep doing that, then the mind automatically reforms and it will be able to find that balance. So, we should just focus on doing our Simran and Dhyan Bhajan.
Question :
What is the level we can influence other people's karmas? Can we do this? Or, this is not our task? For example, we see that somebody might have an accident. Should we prevent it, or should we see it as karma?
Baba Ji:
So, if you feel there is someone who is likely to get into an accident and you are in a position to help such a person, then there is no harm in doing that, and one should do that. And we should not look at karmas and things like that in those kinds of events. Because, to do anything good, Sant Mat is never against doing anything good.
Question :
If we can’t do the Simran with love, does it have any benefit? Should we pray for the feeling of love? Or, should we repeat the Simran until love comes? Does it have any benefit if we repeat the Simran without love?
Baba Ji :
So, when you're sitting for meditation and, before you start your meditation, you can, at the Feet of your Master, pray that He helps you in being able to control your mind. You can tell Him that He gives you the strength, or He gives you the love and affection that you need for controlling your mind, which is taking you away and not getting you that kind of love and affection, which is required. And then, you should sit after that for meditation. Or you can sing a Shabad before, and then sit for meditation. But, once you are sitting for meditation, and you feel that you are not getting that kind of love and affection as you desire, you should not pray for developing that kind of love and affection. You should continue to do Simran. So, once you are into the meditation, just do your Simran.
Question :
What does Babaji do when He has free time?
Baba Ji :
Saints have a lot of work. So, it is something, which cannot be told, because if it is night here, it is daytime somewhere else. So, there are so many things, it is innumerable things that are going on. So, that’s what is happening.
Question :
Some of us visited the Satsangs and meditated on the names of Sant Ji and other Masters before the initiation ten to fifteen years ago. The Masters used to say that the disciples are the part of the mystic body of the Masters. What does that mean and how can we be conscious that Master is in everyone, in all the disciples?
Baba Ji :
The Master, when He has gone to Sach Khand-Sat Lok, He has gone to God Almighty. He is omnipotent like God Almighty. So, He is in everything. And, therefore, where some devotee is having an accident, perhaps, He is saving him. Where someone is sitting for meditation, trying to remember Him, then He is giving him Darshan in that meditation. So, all this is because He is connected with the Sound Current, and because He has gone and met God Almighty, and He is omnipotent like God Almighty. So, the Sound Current is the essence of everything that is there. It is there in all the beings. So, the Master is connected with the Sound Current and He is omnipotent like the Sound Current because, if He is not connected with you, then He will not be able to save you. So, it is only with that Sound Current, which is there within you, that He is connected with you.
Question :
How does it affect the life of our friends and family members, when we give them Babaji’s Prashad as a gift?
Baba Ji :
So, you can very well share the Prashad given by the Masters. And that will extend the Grace to anybody who consumes it. So, their deeds will also get redeemed.
Question :
How can we recognize how long we should strive for something in life? When should we give up our fight? And how can we recognize that something, which we are striving for, is not in our fate, or in the Will of God? Or, is it better to give up?
Baba Ji :
So, if we are pursuing something outwardly in this world, we are pursuing or trying to build an attachment, or get an attachment, or get something, or procure something in our life, which is worldly, then usually, you have a good sense of whether it's going to be possible or not possible for you to get it. And you should decide, accordingly. But, when it comes to your spirituality and going within and pursuing this Path, the Masters say that you should never give up. You should, continuously, always keep trying and tread on this Path of spirituality.
Question :
Does it weaken or decrease the benefit of repeating Simran in case we have learned the word wrongly, or we are mispronouncing it?
Baba Ji :
If you have doubts about the pronunciation of the Five Names that have been given to you, then you should check it with some other satsangi who is there, or some older satsangi initiate. And then, correct the words. There is no harm caused by repeating a misspelled Name that has been given to you, but you will not get the benefit. So, the benefit will come when the pronunciation is correctly done, and it is done in the order the Names are given to you. So, you should try, as much as possible, to do it in that manner to make that Simran more potent because, otherwise, time will get wasted. That's all.
Ashok :
So, we are done with our questions.