QUESTION : I am observing fast on Ekadasi days. I hear that fasting will cut short the life of man. Is it a fact?
ANSWER: Certainly not. By fasting, the body, mind, Prana and nerves will be renovated, vivified. All the impurities will be destroyed. One can develop easily Sattvic qualities. The mind becomes calm and peaceful. All the diseases can be destroyed by fasting. If a glutton takes to fasting, he will find it difficult. A man of Mitahara will take great pleasure in fasting. He can live for a longer period. Constant fasts for long periods should be avoided. Gradual practice is necessary. In the beginning, observe fast for a day in a month. Then, once in fifteen days. After some time, you can fast once a week.
QUESTION : Are there fulfilled prophecies in the Hindu scriptures? If so, please explain them.
ANSWER: The Lord has given His ever-standing promise that He would appear on earth whenever there is a danger to Dharma, whenever Adharma tries to vanquish Dharma. To fulfil that promise He has appeared many times in the form of saints and sages who have protected Dharma from decay and from the onslaughts of foreign oppression. They have instilled new elements of vigour and perspective in Hinduism. Therefore, Hinduism continues to flourish. Whenever there is a necessity, saints and sages will emerge, not from the heavens, but from among the people themselves. Hinduism does not believe exclusively in one prophet. The prophecies given in the Puranas about the state of affairs to come have also proved true.
QUESTION : When I sit for prayers, the lower mind wanders astray, but the other mind recites the Stotras without the slightest flaw, because of habit. But when I consciously try to recite the prayers, Isometimes miss the link, and have at times to repeat a Stotra from the beginning. Thus, are there two minds? How to overcome this difficulty?
ANSWER: No. There are no two minds. But the mind gets concentration little by little, and the portion of the mind which is spiritually inclined-- call it the higher mind-- engages itself in Sadhana, whereas that part of the mind which is more aware of its worldly Samskaras runs along its set grooves. Force of habit makes the repetition of prayers mechanical. But the higher mind should be made to concentrate on the meaning. Then the attention of the mind will be held and the lower part of the mind will have less opportunity to detract from the object in view.The whole trouble with careless Sadhana is that it tends to become mechanical without making an impression on the life of the aspirant.
QUESTION : It has been said against reincarnation that there are more people now in comparison with the past world population.
ANSWER: It is not necessary that the same persons are reborn into this earth and none else. In the process of evolution into human life, many from lower births also come up to the human level. All these are controlled by superhuman powers or by the Divinity, God or Isvara Himself. Further, rebirth need not necessarily be on this earth plane alone. It can take place anywhere in the universe.