Today Gurudeva answers questions, first about how to live a less stressful life by using the principles of dharma, and how to look at the place of God in the creation of the universe.

Unedited Transcript:

Today at Kauai Aadheenam, it is January 20th. We are greeting you. The doors of our Cyberspace Ashram are open.

We have a few questions today. One is on invisible management, a typical question. "I am exhausted, stressed, overstretched, overworked, overbusy. Balancing my life, work, commitments seems like an impossible task. What can I do?"

That is a very big question, and it is about business to be a Swami or a Guru. In today's world, you have to be many things. You have to be spiritual. You have to know how to meditate. You have to know how to cook. You have to know how to manage people. You have to know something about business. You have to know puja. You have to know many things to be a well rounded person, a happy person. So, you are overstretched, overworked. You need to balance out your life. To be successful in the work-a-day world, you have to a have a spiritual, social, economic, and educational balance in your life. It can't just be all work.

You asked, "What is success?" Success is being interested in your work, being happy. Being interested in your family, being happy together, doing a pilgrimage once a year, taking a vacation, having the weekends to yourself. At least, a day and a half. Half-a-day Saturday and all day Sunday without any interruptions. Give quality time to your family. They need you and you need them for a full and a wonderful life. Doesn't matter how hard you work or how much you earn. Earning means 'the power to spend'. The power to spend can only be a joyous and a happy experience, if you are not overstressed.

How not to be overstressed? Go to a Hatha Yoga class. Get up in the morning and meditate before the sun rises. Follow the basic principles of Sanatana Dharma and you will be a good leader and look at the world differently.

We have another question here. This question is from Malaysia. "Creation is created by God. Is it created due to the sin of man or the will of God?"

Sounds like a very Abrahamic religious question to me, not a Hindu question at all. God Siva is the Creator, Preserver and Re-absorber of the entire Universe and He has given you the power to create, preserve and absorb that which you have created and are preserving. You are the master of your fate. Fate is not a concept within Sanatana Dharma. Karma is not equated with fate. You cannot do anything about fate. You are a victim to all the circumstances. No way does that fit into the Hindu philosophy of karma. You are the creator of your karma. Whatever you have created is coming back to you. Accept it joyously. Don't fight it or you will make more karma to come back to you at a later time. You are the little God of your universe. Siva is the big God of the Universe.

These are good questions. Send in your questions. We will be happy to do our best in giving pragmatic answers. If we haven't answered these two questions fully, ask again. Thank you for coming into Cyberspace Ashram today. You all look very beautiful out there, looking in to us through your computer screen and us looking out to you through your computer screen.

Aum Namah Sivaya!