Q & A with Srimat Swami Tapasyananda (1904 to 1991), Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Order.
Approach the wise sages, offer reverential salutations, repeatedly ask proper questions, serve them and thus know the Truth. — Bhagavad Gita
QUESTION: On what does the efficacy of prayer depend? Is it not on the purity of one who prays?
MAHARAJ: Purity may be an important factor. It is better to look upon cent per cent faith and intense longing as important factors too. It is also useful to combine prayer with austerities like fasting, observance of vows, worship etc. All these would perhaps add seriousness and concentration to the prayer. But it has to be understood that God is not exactly like an earthly father or patron in the matter of granting prayers. He is the judge of all, presiding over the Karmas of all beings. So, if our Karma is too adverse, the prayer may not be granted, as it may go against the moral law. So while it is legitimate for a devotee, who has intense faith in a Personal God, to pray to Him when he is in difficulty, he should not lose faith or take to disbelief if his prayer is not fulfilled.
Holy company
QUESTION: Scriptures inculcate that holy company (Satsanga) is necessary for the growth of one’s spiritual life. But then how is one to recognize a holy man? How are we to distinguish real holy men from spurious ones?
MAHARAJ: It is true that holy company is the most important factor in the generation and strengthening of faith and devotion. It is also true that real holy men are very rare. The ideal of a holy man is described in the Bhagavata as follows:
Wise men say that intense attachment of the mind to objects is bondage. But when such attachment is felt for holy men, it becomes an open gate to liberation.
This story is from the March 2019 edition of The Vedanta Kesari.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2019 edition of The Vedanta Kesari.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Panchakroshi Parikrama of Varanasi
At the snow-capped Kailas, the Divine Lord Shiva was seated with Mother Parvati.
Gadai and the Monks
A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.
Chintayo momo maanosho Hori...
Sri Ramakrishna loved songs. There probably was no normal day when he did not sing some songs.
The Vedanta Vaccine
The world is still struggling under the impact of the pandemic due to Covid-19 for the last three years.
Chandrakirti's Chariot: Self in Madhyamaka Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta
The goal in Advaita Vedanta is the cessation of suffering and the attainment of true fulfillment. Suffering, according to this school, is due to ignorance of the true nature of the self and consequent erroneous identification with the body-mind.
Reminiscences of Sargachhi
Question: यद्यदाचरतत श्रेष्ठसतत्तदरेवरेतरो जनिः। ‘Whatever a superior person does, others do the same thing!’ (Gita 3:21) – What does this statement mean?
THE AUTUMN FESTIVAL
A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.
Bards of Guruvayur: Vilwamangalam II
Saints of India
In the Universal Mother’s Divine Playground
Swami Vivekananda never taught the worship of Mother Kali. In a letter to Mary Hale he writes, “Kali worship is not a necessary step in any religion.
Swami Vivekananda: A Sportsman Par Excellence
In various books and articles, Swami Vivekananda has been called a spiritual leader, a prophet, a patriot, a social reformer, a philosopher, a yogi, a writer, an orator, an educationist, a musician, and so on.
