20 Questions for every Spiritual Seeker

Came across this Q&A list in the Awakening times website. Thought provoking as they are, I thought I would attempt to answer them. If you wish to try this too, you can copy paste the questions from awakeningtimes.com, and answer them on your blog or FB page.

20 Questions -

1. Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?

2. What is the relationship between science and religion?

3. Why are so many people depressed?

4. What are we all so afraid of?

5. When is war justifiable?

6. How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?

7. How does one obtain true peace?

8. What does it mean to live in the present moment?

9. What is our greatest distraction?

10. Is current religion serving its purpose?

11. What happens to you after you die?

12. Describe heaven and how to get there.

13. What is the meaning of life?

14. Describe God.

15. What is the greatest quality humans possess?

16. What is it that prevents people from living to their full potential?

17. Noverbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.

18. What is your one wish for the world?

19. What is wisdom and how do we gain it?

20. Are we all one?

MY UNDERSTANDING ~

1. Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?

A - For the same reason as there is joy and plenty in this world. 

This is a world whose nature is duality and thrives in opposites. For good there is bad, for joy there is sorrow, for sickness there is health, for ignorance there is wisdom. What comes your way is decided solely by your actions which you reap as your karma in this lifetime or the next. No action or intent, no matter how small, goes unnoticed by the cosmic intelligence.

In many cases poverty and suffering may also come due to wrong choices made in this lifetime.

2. What is the relationship between science and religion?

A - Science, is an ever growing body of knowledge that studies our outer physical world (and to some extent our mental world).

Religion is the science of the inner - spiritual and mental world. It is much vaster in nature then physical science. 

Religion begins where science ends, Spirituality begins where religion ends. Religion includes science, but science may not include religion.

The principles of religion are rooted in Spirit, hence they are eternal in nature.

The principles of science are rooted in a changing universe, hence they are changing and ever upgrading.

Spirit is the sole truth, hence religion is true and liberating.
The Universe is a dream of the Spirit, hence its science is also a dream and transcend-able by those who realise it as a dream. We call this miracles.

3. Why are so many people depressed?

A - The root answer is Ignorance - of their lives and their Selves.

The practical answer is the working of the law of karma. Joy or sorrow, whatever we are reaping at any point in time is what we have sown in the past, though we are utterly unaware of it.

4. What are we all so afraid of?

A -The unknown (Ignorance)

5. When is war justifiable?

A - When it is protecting Dharma (Universal Righteousness)

6. How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?

A - Be strongly and fairly resistant with the actions of the body… Be loving, healing and understanding in the mind. Much as we would with an insane violent child.

7. How does one obtain true peace?

A -  By being aware of the Self.

8. What does it mean to live in the present moment?

A - To stop living, start Being.

9. What is our greatest distraction?

A - Our fickle mind with its ever increasing desires.

10. Is current religion serving its purpose?

A - True religion is never current or former; it is eternal. Every religion can serve its purpose provided its followers follow it in honesty and sincerity. The harvest is plenty but the labourers are few.

11. What happens to you after you die?

A - You are born to a different reality.

In sleep, sometimes called little death, you close to one reality and awaken to another in the mental dreamworld. Soon the dream world ends and you awaken to this reality. Death is no different. It is sleeping to one reality and awakening in another. 

Neither realities are real. The only reality is You, the witness.

12. Describe heaven and how to get there.

A - There are two heavens - That which exists in the higher Astral worlds deemed heavenly because of the existence of supernal joys and lack of pain and sorrow; and the other heaven is a state of mind.

The former heaven can be reached either after death and if you have lived a righteous life or by raising and purifying your awareness and reaching there astrally, while still living in the body. 

The later can be attained by right living, detachment and wisdom, sometimes even by karma - for e.g. a mother giving birth to her child may inwardly be in heavenly joy upon seeing her child.

13. What is the meaning of life?

A - It is a game of hide and seek where you begin you journey having lost your Self and the journey ends when you have found your Self.

14. Describe God.

A - That which transcends description.

15. What is the greatest quality humans possess?

A - The power to discriminate right from wrong and using it to reach Self Realisation.

16. What is it that prevents people from living to their full potential?

A - Ignorance - of their Selves, their Lives and their purpose.

17. Nonverbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.

A - 

18. What is your one wish for the world?

A - Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu - May All the beings in All the world be Happy.

19. What is wisdom and how do we gain it?

A - Self Awareness is the highest wisdom. You gain it by inwardly inquiring - ' Who am I?' and living a life discovering that 'I'.

20. Are we all one?

A - As much as all waves in an ocean are one despite their apparent differences in shapes and size.