Q&A on Pratyahara

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Q. Please throw light on reincarnation as understood in yoga.
Dr. J: It is reincarnation – something that you have seen, you try to remember. Something that happened during the day, you try to remember, that means you are re-living it.
Smt. H: The Bhagwad Gita tries to explain this, that when required, God takes some form to help humanity and that is called reincarnation. As and when the time comes, every person goes to a new life after death. And if there is upliftment in one birth, in the next birth, you grow still further than that. So there is no loss of action in life. We have to pay for every action we do. Then one day the stage comes when a person is born as the embodiment of clarity, knowledge and strength and when this happens, thousands of people benefit from him/her.

Q. How to get rid of the fears of the past which are deep-rooted in the subconscious mind?Dr. J: Don’t remember. If it is not worthwhile, forget it.
Smt. H: The present is the result of the past, so you can’t throw away the past. But instead of fear, bring faith that inspite of whatever transpired in the past, everything is fine today. Nobody can hurt you if you don’t allow it. Everything has a solution, there is no problem. Fear generally comes in when the mind is free and negativity comes in. Tension, anxiety, worry come in. So keep your mind occupied in something worthwhile and fear will not be there.

Q. Inspite of trying very hard, I am unable to get rid of desires in the mind and also get hurt in the process.
Dr. J: When you experience the harmful effects of certain things repeatedly, you will eventually forget it. You will stop thinking about it repeatedly.
Smt. H: You have mentioned the solution yourself. Desires lead to pain. What you desire or are attached to today, will not remain tomorrow. So try to bring in more Vairagya – detachment, so that you can do your duty well. Desires make us forget our duties and cause ignorance. So leave it to higher reality.

Q. I get angry in very small things. What can I do?
Dr. J: When you get angry the first time, see that you don’t get too angry. Stop it.
Smt. H: Remember that anger reflects your weakness. It means that you are helpless and cannot handle the situation. It reflects ignorance. So the first thing to remember is that we should not be showing this to the world. Anger occurs when you are expecting something or feel that something wrong is happening. But bring some philosophy into it. Expecting or considering someone wrong itself is wrong. So we must accept people as they are and understand that they are doing exactly what they are supposed to or can do. So firstly when you get angry, keep your mouth shut and do not do any action. Secondly, bring in some philosophy and understanding to prevent anger.

Q. If someone has negative thoughts, how can it be cured?
Dr. J: It is a simple solution. If it is a negative thought, decide that you will not return to it. Keep it out.
Smt. H: Negativity hurts us and no one else. If someone else is negative, it is their problem and not yours. You can talk to them with love and respect. You should do your duty. A man came and told a woman, “I don’t love you any more, I am going with someone else.” The woman replied, “Fine, but I will continue to love you.” Why get disturbed because of someone else? If they don’t want your love, give your love to someone else. There are so many children in the world who do not have parents to love them. But bringing negativity and frustration, suffering because of others, should stop. There is no point to it.

Q. I am a non-believer in external rituals like Puja, but my husband believes in it. How to strike a balance?
Dr. J: If he believes in something, let him continue.
Smt. H: In the relation of husband and wife, there must be support. If someone believes in it, do it with love whether you believe it or not. During Puja, you can sit in a meditative state. manage it in your way. Or call people who handle such rituals. Whether you believe in or not, it doesn’t make any difference to the world or your husband. But don’t externally condemn or show-off that you do not believe and will not do it.

Q. I am doing Yoni Mudra since the last one year, but still I am not able to concentrate. What to do?
Dr. J: Come to our class and you will learn.
Smt. H: Definitely there must have been some progress, unless you are doing Yoni Mudra forcibly. Try and go deeper within rather than doing it just externally and physically.