The topic for the Satsang on Sunday, 25th November, 2012 was ‘Purushartha’ (Motivations). (Hindi)
Following is the transcript of the Q & A between the audience and Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra and Smt. Hansaji Yogendra.
 Smt. Hansaji and Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra |
Q. We are here to learn, to live life. Keeping the purpose in mind, how do we make a start?
Dr. Jayadeva: Mainly we don’t understand that we have come into this world for living a good life. So we don’t bother about what are the requirements. We just start, like a little child starts running here and there and looking for food. This is the way we are living.
Smt. Hansaji: We are all living, there is no question about how to live, but the moment we get a little excited or unhappy or tense about something, sit and think on what is to be done. Do not wallow in sadness. Purusharthas give us the direction. If one is following Purusharthas and does one’s duties, one can even face death of a loved one. Duty takes us in the right direction and keeps us alive. So, think and your life will change automatically.
Q. What is the achievement of Moksha for a householder Yogi?
Dr. Jayadeva: See, Moksha means release – to release from pain and suffering. We have never tried to work on that. We just live and suffer and complain. But how to avoid all this, we don’t know.
Smt. Hansaji: Moksha is release from pain, tension, pain of the cycle of birth and death. A householder can do this quickly and well and we must think and walk ahead on this path.
Q. How does the woman of the house do her duty of feeding while she is working? Am I being irresponsible in this duty?
Dr. Jayadeva: Well, one has to reorganize. One has to see that such food is prepared that doesn’t take much time, it is kept preserved so that it can last for a whole day. Some changes have to be done.
Smt. Hansaji: A working woman faces many problems. Firstly, she must assess whether it is necessary for her to work. If the husband is earning enough and there is no monetary need, then she does not need to work because there is enough work at home, day and night. Why are we working? Because we want money. So, if we have sufficient money, do not work. But if one needs to work, thought has to be given to the management of the household. There is a lot of work to be done at home and there are people of varied ages in the family and all have responsibilities of their own. Luckily, in India we get helpers for housework, so if you are earning money, make use of that to hire helpers and manage. Planning is required. Working women do not have much time to spend with children and all happiness gets drained out because we run after money.
Q. If your spouse is always talking about his problems and never asking about how you face situations, how can you adjust?
Dr. Jayadeva: Well, you carry on your work, that’s all.
Smt. Hansaji: Do your work, stop expecting that the other person should ask about your problems. And if someone is talking to you about their problems, tell them a joke or two and help them get out of it.
Q. What kind of food will help us on the path of Yoga?
Dr. Jayadeva: Sattvic food – green vegetables, wheat, thin dal, buttermilk, are considered Yogic foods.
Smt Hansaji: Sattvic food which can be tasty even without too much oil and spices. The food you get at The Yoga Institute is made without chilly, onions and garlic and yet it can be tasty.
Q. It is said that if you work in the field which you like, you will prosper better. If you are in a different field of work, then how to enjoy it?
Dr. Jayadeva: Well, you were not clever to decide what should be the field. Had you done that thinking earlier, it would have helped.
Smt. Hansaji: How many people in this hall must be having a job that they like? Very few. There is no question of like or dislike. We should develop a liking for whichever job we get. We have enough intelligence to know how to bring in happiness in our work. We think that we’ll be happy if we get a certain job, it should be the other way round. Creativity comes in when we have to bring happiness in whatever work we are doing.