Cyberspace devotee wonders if the reading of religious books and the listening to religious music is an escape from the world. Gurudeva says it is an escape from the external world to go into the internal world and by studying Gurudeva's Master Course he will change his approach to Sanatana Dharma. A cyberspace devotee from Brazil wants to know why the cow knocked down Satguru Siva Yogaswami. Shouldn't such great souls be free of karma he asks? Gurudeva says that great souls like Satguru Siva Yogaswami often take on the karma of a group and often it requires a little bit of suffering on the part of the guru.

Unedited Transcript:

A cyberspace devotee Rakesh in Boston, US, wonders if through frustration, failure and unhappiness if one is turning to God, (if) [will] God accept this bhakti? Or, listening to religious music, watching religious television programs, reading religious books, is this not an escape from the world?

Well, Rakesh, it is very nice to meet a Hindu that knows something about his religion, that listens to religious music and is escaping from the external world by going into the internal world. But, looking here and there in the vast array of Hindu scriptures, books that are now available and also websites that are available, it can become confusing. I would suggest that you study my Master Course. It consists of three books - 'Dancing with Siva', 'Living with Siva' and 'Merging with Siva'. These are daily lessons, it will take about twenty minutes to read and then meditate upon 'The meditation of the day'. It takes a year to go through the course and you will be a different Rakesh when you finish.

So, Rakesh, if you are ready to change your life and your approach to Sanatana Dharma, study the Master Course. If you are not ready to change your life, put it off a year or two.

A cyberspace devotee in Brazil, Dabi, (wants to know,) having read Satguru Sivayogaswami's (story of his) life [story], wants to know why his beautiful cow knocked him down and injured his hip. "When he was the most perfect soul, he should be free from all these kinds of karmas."

Wonderful, advanced souls like Satguru Yogaswami often take on the karma of a group or a nation or an individual temporarily to help him through this karma and often it requires a little bit of suffering on the part of the guru. As you may know, at that particular time there was a war brewing between the Sinhalese and the Tamil Hindus. Many people and politicians were going to the Satguru for advice and guidance and he took on the karma of the nation to ease the situation along.

How did the cow know all this was happening? That is the divine mystery yet to be discovered!