Sivananda Yoga FAQ

Q 1: I know fully well that it is no use living in this false World. Everywhere I find misery alone. I intend to enter into the life of a Sannyasin, but I do not know where to find out a Guru. Kindly let me know what I have to do to become a Sannyasin.

A: The World is a manifestation of the Lord. The World is the best teacher for you. You should not hate the World, but you should detach from the worldly life. The World cannot stand in the way of your attainment of Kaivalya. You must change the way of your living and viewing things. You will have to build a new mind and a new vision. Then the World will appear as heaven. You have not developed real Vairagya. It is a kind of temporary aversion on account of some mishap. You are unfit for taking Sannyas. You may fail to carry out the duties of a Sannyasin. You must ascend the spiritual ladder step by step. I will advise you to remain in the world and do Nishkama Karma Yoga for some years to purify the heart (Chitta Suddhi). You must develop humility, the spirit of self-sacrifice, Kshama, mercy, Visva-prem. These virtues can be acquired by selfless service alone. You must have the qualifications Sama (peaceful nature), Dama (self-restraint), Sarva-sanga-parityaga (freedom from all sorts of attachments), and perfect obedience to and implicit faith in the teacher before you approach a Guru for taking Sannyas.

Q 2: Is God conscious or unconscious? If He is conscious, He must have a forms for only a being who has a body can be conscious.

A: God is pure consciousness. God is omniscient, all-knowing. God is Nirakara, formless or incorporeal. This physical body we wear has limited our universal consciousness. Consciousness is of various kinds, viz., physical consciousness, mental consciousness and absolute consciousness. You will experience the highest consciousness when you transcend the three bodies through constant and intense meditation. With a physical body and limited senses you experience the physical consciousness only. There are the other consciousness to explore.

Q 3: Should the means to achieve good ends be always good? Medicine tastes bitter, but cures diseases. Arjuna fought against the Kauravas to achieve good ends.

A: Indian thought has no hesitation in answering this question in the affirmative. Except the rank materialists, the Charvakas, the founders of all other systems of Indian thought boldly declare that “one should not adopt a foul means to achieve a desired end, however covetable that end may be”. There should not be any doubt regarding this point.
Medicine, whether it be sweet or bitter, in so far as it does not do any harm to the patient or anybody else while curing the disease, should be considered as a means free from any fault. It is a fair means to achieve the end, viz., cure of the disease.
In the second example, Arjuna fought the Kauravas and killed them all, no doubt. But the battle fought by Arjuna was not an exhibition of cruelty, but an execution of one’s own duty. The war fell to his lot as pure duty or Svadharma. Arjuna did not want it himself. He did not impose it on the Kauravas. He was challenged to it by them. He had to defend himself and his clan. As a Kshatriya, it was his sacred duty and moral responsibility to fight for the defense of his rights. Thus, Arjuna’s fighting the battle being purely duty-bound, is thoroughly justified.
Sri Krishna has reiterated this point in several places in the Gita. On the contrary, if Arjuna had shirked away his responsibilities of fighting the battle, then he would have been failing in his Dharma. Hence the Lord’s repeated commands to him: Svadharmamapi Chavekshya Na Vikampitumarhasi (Waver not from your own duty on seeing it in front of you), Yudhyasva Vigatajvara (Do thou fight, free from mental fever), etc.

This World, consisting of friends, enemies and neutrals, can affect you with pleasure and pain. This World is only a creation of your mind, a product of ignorance. – Sri Swami Sivananda