193. Shall I do Japa of "Om Narayana" instead of "Om" in order to make it both Nirguna and Saguna? Japa of the Narayana Mantra keeps the Chaturbhuj Murti of the Lord before my mental eyes. I, however, have been accustomed to meditate on the Murti of Lord Krishna and am in search of a Chaturbhuj Murti of Lord Krishna with Arjun at His feet. Please let me know how I should go on in future.

You have already created a clear mental image, momentum and force by meditating on Lord Krishna. It is not good to change the form now. Even if you change it, the old form will come before the mind through force of habit. Therefore, have the same image only. Do not go in for Lord Krishna with four hands.

Om Narayana

is not the proper Mantra. The proper Mantra is Om Namo Narayanaya.

Om

is both Saguna and Nirguna. If you study Prasnopanishad, you will understand this point well.

If at all you wish to change the Mantra, you can revert to Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. You can repeat this for some time.

194. I have been reading the Upanishads and other scriptures and I find one and the same thing in all of them. They say that everything we come across is unreal, only God is real and that we have to think and understand the Truth by ourselves. How are we to do it, Swamiji?

Reading will help you only to a certain extent. Too much reading will land you in confusion. You should meditate and concentrate on one particular idea. That particular idea should serve as the eye-opener. Then alone will you get Vairagya; you will be able to understand the false nature of things. Take, for instance, the life of Sri Swami Sadasiva Brahmendra of Nerur. The mere uttering of the word ‘wait' by his mother, when he asked her to serve food, inflicted such a blow on his mind and stirred it so well as to make him understand the Reality.

You may be convinced intellectually that the world is false, only God is real and all the sense-enjoyments bring misery only. But this conviction is not strong. You may think, "Let me enjoy the sense-pleasures for five minutes". Thus you are deceived by Maya. All sense-pleasures are sugar-coated pills made by Maya.

You must reflect on such Slokas as "Ye Hi Samsparsaja Bhoga Duhkha Yonaya Eva Te...". You should identify with the Higher Self which is infinity, eternity, immortality. Always think, "Suddhoham, Shantoham, Satchidanandoham". You will be elevated.

Abhyasa and Vairagya are necessary. Tyaga and Tapas will give you tremendous powers. Be not cheated by the temporary pleasures of the world— car, property etc. Be not unnecessarily worried by undue attachment etc. Do your duty and leave the rest to Him. He will take care of you.

195. Is not a realized soul selfish as he has sought his emancipation only? Also, if all renounce, what will be the result?

The question is based on a wrong hypothesis. If all the women are barren, if all turn out to be doctors or lawyers or dacoits, what would become of the world? Only a few with an accumulated wealth of spiritual Samskaras can have Vairagya and renunciation.

The saint purifies the whole world. He is not selfish. Sankara, Ramanuja and others worked for the entire mankind. Even he who lives in seclusion or leads an ‘Incognito' life, influences the world with his thought-currents. Even a novice in the spiritual path does great good to the world by his pure thoughts. These things, the ways and actions of saints and saintly people, cannot be understood by an impure mind.