Your Questions

(Sri Swamiji has a unique way of answering questions - asked or unasked - which crop up in the minds of the devotees . Though Sri Swamiji has time and again reiterated that transformation in the heart is the real answer to all questions, He does not discourage inquiry, for they form the first bonds between the Guru and the disciple. This column is dedicated to publishing Sri Swamini's answers to various questions posed by the devotees.)

Why should we perform Pooja?

A scientist working in a laboratory mixes so many chemicals. To a lay person watching him from out side, all his actions may look like bizarre movements of a child. It may look funny. But the scientist is not doing anything in a haphazard manner. He is working with a pre-conceived plan. He works on the basis of established scientific principles.

Similarly, while working in the laboratory called mind to achieve mental concentration, one will have to perform different actions. Some actions yield fruits quickly, while others take more time to yield long lasting fruits. Pooja is one of such acts.

'The wandering mind should be stabilized' is the intention of the seekers. Many can not achieve it. Why? Reasons are many. But the result is the same. Inability to achieve concentration of mind. Students, businessmen, executives, teachers - all face the same problem. It is a fact well known that nothing can be achieved without concentration of mind.

Discipline is the foremost requisite to achieve concentration of mind. Eating, sleeping, working as per a well planned schedule for 40 days will certainly help a great deal in improving concentrating power.

Another requirement to accomplish concentration of mind is calmness of mind. Mental calm is not in our immediate reach. If it were to be so, achieving concentration of mind would have been very easy. In fact, tranquillity of mind is even more difficult to achieve. Gentle heart is another ingredient for concentration of mind. More gentle the heart, more easy it will be to achieve concentration of mind.

Discipline, tranquillity and gentleness are like three chemicals required to make a product called mental concentration. The act of achieving concentration of mind by using these three ingredients itself is Pooja. The idol we like to worship is only symbolic. The belief on a particular form of God makes the mind calm. The aesthetic beauty of the idol and the materials with which we worship the deity will confer beauty and gentleness to the heart. The chanting of mantras with proper intonations and tempo will bestow discipline to the physical body as well as to the mind. This is what happens in pooja.

If the scientist behaves carelessly, the experiment will not yield the desired result. The same can be said of pooja also. Therefore, it is very important to follow all the steps meticulously. The best thing is to start practising right from childhood.

Children who watch their parents performing pooja will easily learn it. A student who is exposed to the laboratory environment from childhood will have unconsciously learnt some techniques. For example, he will handle the test tube better than those who were not exposed to laboratory settings. Similarly, if the child watches his father perform poojas, he will develop a natural flair and affinity for it, which will help him to accomplish perfection easily. His life, attitude and thinking will be disciplined and gentle. Therefore when he grows up, he will always make right decisions because of his background. Such people will be more useful to the society.

Thus, in order to establish discipline, peace and mutual understanding in the society, we should all perform pooja.

What is the difference between Upasana Marga (path of worship) and Vicharana Marga (path of enquiry)? If they are two different paths, can they be unified?

Upaasana literally means 'to sit near'. There has to be some object near which one can sit. Then one has to meditate upon it. Upasana (worshipping) basically begins in the heart.

We must understand the special qualities of the object on which we meditate. This is Vicharana (enquiry) . It requires reading of various books. But too much reading can also pose impediments on the path of Upasana. We see many seekers who are caught in this trap. Upasana devoid of Vicharana will be like one blind leading the other. But too much of Vicharana will resu)lt in increased ego. Increased ego will hinder true worship. Where is the solution for this problem?

Saint Tyagaraja, the great composer of Indian Classical Music has said in one of his compositions that a heart without feelings will never be able to acquire knowledge. In the same kriti, he has said that meditation should culminate in happy experience. Everyday, we perform innumerable actions. Some we do with a sense of duty. Such actions seldom give us happiness. We do not feel like repeating those actions. But there are some acts which give us happiness. We feel like doing them again and again. This feeling is called as Anuraga. (passion).

Vicharana (enquiry) undertaken with passion will take the form of Upasana. Similarly, when Upasana is undertaken with discrimination, Vicharana comes automatically. Thus there will be fusion of both the paths if actions are undertaken with Anuraga and Viveka (passion and discrimination)

'Dharma protects those who protect it' is an oft quoted statement. It is also said that Parivrajakas (wandering ascetics) do not need Dharma. Do they not need it?

'Do they need to breath?' - such is your question. We do not make any conscious effort to breath. It goes on naturally. A diseased person will need to be given oxygen artificially. Those who are yet to understand the nature of Dharma can be likened to patients. They need to be told that they should observe Dharma.

Who is a Parivrajaka? This word can be defined in two different ways. Paritah Vrajati (One who wanders everywhere) - is one meaning. Parityajya Vrajati (One who wanders renouncing everything) - is the other meaning. One who has released himself from the bondages of the world is a Parivrajaka. To such a person, observing Dharma will have become as effortless as breathing. Therefore, they need not make any effort to practise Dharma. Therefore, they are often referred to as 'those who have transcended Dharma'.