75. What would be your advice to a person who has taken initiation for the second time due to the force of certain circumstances, yet has no faith in the initiator? A compound feeling of attraction and repulsion is the outcome of it. Vacillation between the good principles inculcated from babyhood and the faith as expounded by some now gives rise to a perpetual internal contest. And if the voice of conscience strongly shows disfavour, what would you advise?

Do not mistake your emotions or the promptings of your own mind for the voice of conscience. Only if you have learnt the art of stilling your thoughts for considerable periods of time can you claim to be able to hear the voice of conscience. When you begin to hear it, you will automatically begin following its dictates and all conflicts will end. Vacillation has no antidote except determination, which is so difficult when vacillation is present! You must exercise your will and cut out one of the conflicting thoughts— the one which, according to yourself or the opinion of one whom you are inclined to trust, is the worse.

76. In Kalisantaranopanishad, it is said that repetition of the Maha Mantra is the only means for destroying sins in this Kali Yuga. But this Mantra has two names, Hare Rama and Hare Krishna. As these two names are different, will it not be Vyabicharini Bhakti if the names of two gods are uttered by a devotee? And what is the form to be thought of in meditation while repeating the above Mantra?

It cannot tantamount to Vyabicharini Bhakti. Real Vyabicharini Bhakti is worshipping God for a few minutes and again loving children, wife, property, etc., for the rest of the day. The Supreme Deity behind the two names Rama and Krishna is one. He is Lord Vishnu. For meditation, you can have either the form of Lord Krishna or Lord Rama according to the tendency, predilection or taste of your mind.

77. How do you train your disciples for quick spiritual success?

As a drastic measure to overhaul the vicious worldly Samskaras, I ask the students to drown themselves in active service for some months or years. The period of training varies according to the evolution of the students. They must know cooking, washing, and nursing of the sick. They must serve the Sadhus and the Sannyasins in every possible way. Side by side they must be able to learn all the Yogic exercises, concentration, Japa, meditation, etc. They must be able to write essays on philosophy and Yoga. They must do Kirtan and deliver lectures also. I teach them on all these points. I give them lessons in the treatment of some ordinary diseases. When I find that the students are able to control their senses and advance in concentration and meditation and when I find that they have developed all the Sattvic qualities, I send them to cool places with instructions for deep meditation.

78. I would like to know why we are all created and put to this miserable and pitiable plight. You would argue that we are never created and never would die. Then why should not we all be in that all-pure, omnipotent state without being entangled by Samskaras and Maya?

Questions like these are Ati-prasnas— transcendental queries— for which you will not get an answer even if you rack your brain for millions of years. Intelligent people leave questions such as the ‘why?' and the ‘how?' of the universe. If a small son questions his father, "Papa, how did you procreate me?", what answer will Papa give? He will simply say, "Wait. When you become a man, you will understand this point". This is exactly the case with you and several other new aspirants in whom the Light is trying to shine forth. Do not put the cart before the horse. Realize the Atma. Then you will understand these matters. At the present moment, apply yourself to solid Sadhana in earnestness and remove Mala, Vikshepa and Avarana. Do not enter into vain discussions and arguments on such matters. You can ask me questions on other points of philosophy. Wherever you go, you will get the same answer. Have you grasped my point?