Brian Berkowitz
From USA

What do you pray for when contacting deceased loved ones? When should I pray?

Answer

Jayadev
Ananda Assisi, Italy

Dear Brian,

If your question implies that you have lost a loved one, I send you my sympathy.

You might want to send healing prayers to that soul, in the way Yogananda teaches: rub your hands to magnetize them, then send Cosmic energy, which enters into you through the medulla oblongata, to that soul which you visualize in light, chanting mentally or loudly OM. Use strong will but the awareness that it is not your energy which you are sending.

In this way you can send him/her your freely given love, blessings, and soul-friendship, from your heart. You can also pray for his soul evolution, sending him light.

Make sure not to pray for anything that involves your ego, nothing that holds the departed soul back, nothing that is tinged with human attachment. Love is different from attachment. God separates us in death for a purpose, to help us learn true love, which is without need, desire, dependency.

A good guideline is the astral ascension ceremony of Swami Kriyananda, which is full of love, but also expresses the attitude: "Our desire is not to hold you back, but only to tell you: Friend, we are yours; our love and support are ever yours, and our prayers for your highest happiness."

In fact in that ceremony we wish that the soul doesn’t at all look back, but ahead, toward complete freedom: "Friend, cast from your heart all outward attachments! Realize that earthly goals, however shining, are but dreams: God is the only Reality. Burn your earthly desires in the fire of wisdom! Burn earthly limitations in the blaze of inner freedom! Burn earthly disappointments in the flames of spreading peace! Burn earthly joys in the bonfire of divine bliss!"

Which prayer could you use? You may pray like this, again from the astral ascension ceremony: "Divine Mother! Receive this, Thy child. Purify him/her in Thy perfect light and love. Grant him/her eternal freedom in Thee!"

Lastly you ask, when should you pray? The best time is after meditation. At that moment we are more on a superconscious level. On that level we are in deeper contact with God, we can be a better channel for that soul, and our prayers are more effective.

To end, here is an inspiring quote from Autobiography of a Yogi: "The tragedy of death is unreal; those who shudder at it are like an ignorant actor who dies of fright on the stage when nothing more is fired at him than a blank cartridge." Life goes on, souls meet again, and will finally be united in God’s cosmic land of infinity.

In divine friendship, jayadev

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DG
From India

"God is Love" this is what I have read all the time and believed in it. Then why didnt God help me unite with my love? I recently brokeup with my ex due to family pressure. We prayed so much..wasnt our love real or pure or worth saving? Or am i paying for my past karma?

I feel agitated and have this urge to turn very revengeful towards my ex as well as family. Will then God forgive me if i become so? Will God understand me if i do so?

Please guide

Answer

Gopal
Ananda Village

Dear One,

It is true God is love. And, God’s love is unconditional and God loves all equally! He loves you and your ex just as much as He loves your parents. It is extremely important for all devotees to understand God’s love is far above and beyond our rational, analytical and logical mind. God’s love is tremendously much greater than we will ever know. That being said, it is very important to realize that God’s love, being what it is, does not mean, He will grant our every prayer.

When our emotions are disturbed it is very difficult for us to grasp how it is that God could love all equally. When we’re emotionally distraught, it takes a tremendous amount of energy before we can understand how it is that God could possibly love all equally.

Some say, our ego/mind is designed to think that if God truly loved us He would grant us our every wish. Until our liberation our ego does not have the capacity to understand the depths of God’s love. It is only when we experience , the depth of God’s totally complete, unconditional love through deep, devotional, grace filled meditation could we begin to understand God’ s love. Yogananda and other Masters have teachings that will guide us out of our unhappiness to true happiness, to bliss and Christ Consciousness. Divine love can be experienced through Kriya Yoga. Master has promised through his teachings of Self Realization we will know God’s love truly. It is his mission to bring the Infinite to our reality.

I don’t know about your past karma but, you said it your self, “You broke up with your ex due to family pressure.” God did not make you brake up with your ex. Remember you are loved the same by God whether you stay with your ex or stay broken apart as to follow your parents wishes.

Dear one I hope and pray you take this time to fall in love with God once again. Granted this may be difficult to do. But God’s love is the only thing that will make your heart sing once more. God’s unconditional love is in your heart. God’s love wants to come out and take over your being but it needs your permission. God will not force open you heart’s love and devotion. You must invite it to shine.

Now is the time to plant the seeds for your hearts flowers to blossom into a beautiful bouquet. It is during times like this we are giving the opportunity to grow stronger and brighter than the sun with God’s divine light. Or we can contract and grow dark with rage anger and distrust. Like most growth there may be some pain involved with the growth. But even this too shall pass.

Pray for the desire to be strong mentally, emotionally, and most important spiritually. Allow your self to feel Guru’s grace this very moment. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Allow your self to open your heart to the magically, mystical, merriment of God’s love this very moment. Now is the time receive God’ love. It is in every molecule of your existence. And may you be able to share this ever new ever increasing love with all whom you meet. You are a child of God.

And remember when you pray for this or that to happen it is a good prayer that ends with the thought but not by my will Lord let Thy will be done. An open and honest devotee understands the importance of letting go and letting God. For all of this is a part of His dream. An in tune devotee knows that this life is His play. We are only actors in His play. Granted this truth is easier said than done. For it is the nature of truth to have that type of quality at times.

It is my opinion, that, one of the greatest miracles Jesus displayed took place as He hung on the cross. After all the violence, hatred, pain and suffering He endured, He found it in His heart to ask His Heavenly Father to forgive them for they know not what they do. .

Forgiveness is powerful. Forgiveness is a quality that changes lives for the better. But don’t take my word for it. Try it for your self. Meditate deeply on the topic of forgiveness. Pray with a sincere desire for the ability to forgive. A prayer I like to say is Lord, change not the situation. Change me. Know that God forgives you and He looks forward to helping you on your path towards forgiveness.

I wish you well.

In His love,

Nayaswami Gopal

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Nina
From India

Physiognomy,the science of face reading says that a persons character,and the kind of emotions he or she has harbored can be known by studying the person’s eyes, forehead, shape of nose, texture of hair and other facial features. What was Yoganandji’s take on it? Has he said anything about it?

Answer

Savitri
Ananda Village

Dear Nina,

I can find no reference to "Physiognomy" in Yogananda’s teachings.

However, I have heard Swami Kriyananda refer to the Masters or saints being able to read something of person’s character by looking at his or her face. This is especially true of one’s eyes, which Yogananda refers to as the "windows of the soul."

Personally, I can almost always "see" from looking into a person’s eyes or face whether he or she meditates regularly or not. There is a certain energetic light there which is definitely observable.

In any case, it is my understanding that valid observations like these are more about vibrations, than about actual facial shapes or the physiological aspects, such as you have mentioned, and would be felt more by intuition than by seeing actual physical manifestations.

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Mona
From India

Hi!if I am not wrong,humanbeings incur negative karma even when they do something wrong as kids or ignorant in their youth when they are 20-21.They don’t know that they are doing something wrong,yet what they do is considerd to be sins.Then when animals kill,they are not considered to be sinners.Why?Afterall in both cases, the negative deed is being done unknowingly.

Answer

Savitri
Ananda Village

Dear Mona,

Karma is the sum total of every action, activity, or thought a person has had or done, in this and every other lifetime.

Most people think of all karma as "bad," but that is incorrect. It is simply an action or a thought. Karma may be bad (harmful), neutral, or good (helpful).

One requirement for creating karma is an ego, which Yogananda defines as the soul identified with the body. Animals do not have an ego — they are motivated by the insticts such as the instinct to survive, procreate, etc.

Whereas human beings do have an ego. So animals' actions do not create karma, whereas human beings do, no matter their age.

You ask about bad karma that children might create because they are ignorant of the laws of karma. Ignorance is no excuse for breaking a law. The law is there to teach us not to do wrong things in the future. Life is a school and that is how we learn.

There is much more that could be said, so I strongly suggest to you that you read: Karma and Reincarnation: The Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda, Vol 2. It is a wonderful way to learn more on this very interesting subject.

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Nina
From India

Namashkar!

My Dad’s a great humanbeing.Extremely intelligent with a pure and innocent heart.He is 71 now.Whoever sees him,falls in love wthhis smile,innocent face.He'salways been highly respected in office and amidst his friends and kin coz of his competence and character.But,one thing worries me.he doesn’t believe in God or spirituality.so much so that he walks into our pooja ghar wearing shoes.He breaksdown during tough times and ended up with a brain haemorrage.How can i helpand pray for him?

Answer

Gopal
Ananda Village

Dear One,

Sorry to hear about your father. If it’s O K with you, I too, would like to pray for him to return to good health.

For it is written, “Seek Ye first and all these things will be added unto you.” It is to say, if you want your dad to know God or develop spirituality then a good plan of action would be for you to increase your spiritual magnetism. The law of attraction says, “Like attracts like.” The closer your relationship is to the Almighty the more positive and uplifting your energy will be. If your father is open to receiving this heavenly energy it will naturally lift him to want to know and love God. The more in tune you are to a true spiritual master like Jesus Christ, Yogananda, Krishna or other divine saints the more your light will enlighten those close to you. For their light will merge with your light.

Deepen your relationship with the Divine Light and your light may change the molecules in your dad’s mind to want to be with God. As you progress spiritually your inner radiant ray may shine like the sun and become inviting to your dad. Meditate deeper and longer with sincerity and devotion. And it may have a quite an effect on your dad.

Keep your heart open to accepting God’s plan for your dad. Pray and meditate for your dad with unconditional love. There should be no judgment what so ever from you. I have seen for my self how powerful unconditional love can work. If it is your dad’s good karma to be closer to God then it will happen effortlessly and naturally as if by magic.

Peace to your and yours.

Nayaswami Gopal

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Sana
From India

Hi. What is the difference between power of thought and divine energy? Whatever Einstein, Edison, Newton created or what Lata Mangshkar, Pt. Ravi Shankar, Mozart or Michael Jackson achieved, are they the manifestation of their divine energy or power of thought?

Sana

Answer

Gyandev
Ananda Village

Thought and energy are aspects of two different levels of divine manifestation: Thought is part of the causal world of ideas, and energy is part of the astral world of energy. The achievements of every human being — whether famous or not — are the result of both divine energy and the power of thought. We have an intention (thought), and we work toward manifesting that intention by putting out energy (which is divine energy because everything comes from God). Both are vital to any success, whether large or small.

We increase our chances of successful outcomes when we (a) attune ourselves to the essence of that which we seek to accomplish, and (b) powerfully clothe our thoughts and energy in a success vibration. Those who achieve great things in life tend to be very accomplished at doing these things. Others are in the process of learning how.

The book How to Be a Success, by Paramhansa Yogananda, is a valuable guide to acquiring these skills.

Blessings,
Gyandev

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Mamta Rai
From india

A woman wearing orange colour saree asked me why are you sad? I told her that we have no baby. Then she told me it is because of your previous karma. You had done something wrong with a woman in treta yuga (past life).

Please help me what is its meaning and remedy .

Answer

Gyandev
Ananda Village

Dear Mamta,

Dreams can having meaning or not. Sometimes they are superconscious, and sometimes they are just a subconscious stew. Even when it seems that they carry true meaning, that meaning can be on any of a number of different levels, and it can be hard to know which level is the valid one. For that reason, we should be careful not to read too much into a dream unless we have a deep, calm, clear conviction that it carries an important message for us.

That said, however, there is certainly no harm in letting this particular dream motivate you to be extra-careful to treat people well, especially women. If the dream was a true, superconscious dream, this would be a good step toward working out that karma. And if it was not a superconscious dream, well, it is still a good thing to do, and completely appropriate for anyone who wishes to grow spiritually.

Don’t let this dream-episode scare you. Give it to Divine Mother in prayer and meditation, and strive to treat others well and lead a virtuous life. That’s the best remedy for past-life errors, of which we all have made many.

Blessings,

Gyandev

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