You don’t need to do anything. These visions only mean that your Karmas are vanishing.
answers and beyonds
Do experiences in the dream state contribute to one’s vaasanas and future karma, or are dreams only a means to unload the effects of past karmas?
One gets dreams because of one of the following reasons:
The Vasanas of the prior births
The Vasanas of this birth – based on what he sees, hears, reads, experiences etc. in his waking state
Divine intervention
Intervention of evil forces
The scriptures ascribe certain effects (‘phala’) to certain patterns of dreams. The experiences in the dreams don’t add to one’s Vasanas.
I wish to ask about the impact of human effort. What is the proportion of human effort and God’s will on overall scheme of things? In other words, can human effort change or impact what is destined to happen?
If you have the penance, then to some extent, you can change the fate. Otherwise, there is absolutely no free will.
Do we have the choice to control a desire? I mean, is it destiny (prarabhdha) that controls a desire or is it a personal choice?
Swami Vivekananda says, ‘If you are because of what you did in the past, then your future is what you are now!’ So, yes, desires can be controlled.
How can we differentiate our will and Divine will?
If your ego decides, then it is your will. Otherwise, it is divine will.
You have told that “Where there is faith there is no fate” as well as “There is no free will at all”. Are they both not contradicting? If there is no free will, is one attaining liberation also pre-determined?
The only will we have is the freeing will of choosing to chant whenever we find mind wandering. So there is no free will, but only a freeing will of chanting the Mahamantra with faith in its power.
So liberation cannot be attained by any amount of will power, but purely by the grace of a Guru or God. So chant and the debate of free will versus destiny will get resolved by itself.
Sanathana Dharma may have been written when people were not divorcing. I can understand that if wife dies you are still a Grihasta, but in the new age where there are divorces, how can one consider himself married to someone who is not in his life?
Our Rishis were far-sighted. They had looked far deep into the future so many years ago. For example, if you read Bhavishya Purana, you will realize that most of the current day state of affairs have been predicted by our Maharshis long long ago.
Hence the Sanathana Dharma is universally true. While the Dharma cannot be changed, the alternative is to adapt the right kind of Dharma, apt for the age. That is verily the Bhagavata Dharma, which is nothing but chanting of the Divine Name of God. This simple path is the atonement to everything [sarva prayaschitta] and does not have any rules and regulations.
My son is a divorcee. Should he still wear the ‘Upavitha’ (sacred thread) of a Grahasta?
Though the court may grant divorce to a couple, according to Sanatana Dharma, once tied in wedlock, they are couple for life. Hence he is still a grihasta.
I am learning Vedas from ‘Veda Classes’ since 7 years. I have studied about 10 Suktams, SriRudram, Chamakam, Mahanyasam, Rudra-Kramam, Surya Namaskaram and some of Taitreeya Upanishad. Now I am attending Classes for Ashwamedham and Acchidram. I don’t practice it at home, and I don’t do Nitya Karmanushtanam (daily rites) too. In addition, I find it difficult with the Sanskrit words. This makes me reluctant to attend classes anymore. I am also afraid of wrong swaras if I practice it at home. What should I do?
The following tenets are prescribed for the study of the Vedas:
-Coming from a family with Vedic traditions
-Learning the Vedas from a proper Guru
-Learning it in early ages of life
-Adhering to the Gurukulam way of life while studying the Vedas
-Practicing it daily
-Not thinking of Vedas as a means for profession, but rather worshipping it as verily God.
However in the Kali Yuga that we live in, many of the above points are not possible. That is exactly what you are experiencing too. Nothing can be done about it. The current age is the culprit. That is the reason Nama Kirtan is being given so much of prominence and importance.
Can I get a better path (rich) in life strictly following dharma? I don’t want to work in a company; I want to own a company.
The reward for following Dharma strictly is that you will attain clarity of mind and thought and inner excellence. This inner excellence will favour your ambitions and aspirations.
