130. Will not one be violating one's Dharma by embracing Sannyas and by not discharging his duties to his parents and dependents? Are one's relatives really dependent on him?

The notion that others depend on you is due to sheer delusion. God alone takes care of everyone. Being deluded, you think that you are supporting your kith and kin and undergo endless troubles, miseries and vexations. Even if you turn an anchorite, God will arrange everything and maintain your family. And no sin will accrue to you, provided you have intense Vairagya. Swami Ram Tirth had burning Vairagya; so he resigned his job, and leaving behind his wife and two young sons, took to Sannyas. Similarly, Lord Buddha renounced his kingdom and turned a recluse.

131. Can a person really help others in this world, or is it that such an idea is due to a delusion in the mind? Is it not true that a man can rise or fall only as a result of his own Karma and that the Karmas of others can have no effect on him? Are not the circumstances that a person meets with earned by his own actions? Can a person take initiative and change the circumstances of himself as well as of others?

Surely one can take the initiative. He can do good to himself and to others. He can determine the circumstances and environments. Just see how much one can do for others, how much one can really assist them in the relative plane. One can impart knowledge to the illiterate and the ignorant, extend monetary help to the poor and the needy.

One can educate the orphans and contribute to the institutions that take care of the children. Indeed, one can spend not only his entire earnings, but something more! Why should there be any doubt in regard to one's being really helpful to others? Take the example of Gandhiji. Did he not do immense service and good to the nation and to the world at large?

132. What is the easiest method of developing devotion?

The easiest method of developing devotion is to hear again and again the Lord's Lilas. Each time you hear the Lord's Lilas and glories, an image of the Lord is formed in your mind. And when you go on hearing the glories of the Lord, in due course, the Lord's image in your mind gets strong and bright, even as the piece of wax which a goldsmith uses for collecting the gold particles which fall on the ground while cutting gold pieces, accumulates gold in it every day, and after some days, itself begins to shine like a piece of gold, when the maximum number of gold particles have stuck to it. And when the form of the Lord is bright and firm in the mind, the devotee has ceaseless remembrance of Him and surging devotion for Him.

133. Can we practice Kundalini Yoga by ourselves without the direct guidance of a Guru?

No, that will lead to all kinds of complications. You should have an expert Guru by your side to practice Kundalini Yoga.

But why do you worry so much over the awakening of the Kundalini through Hatha Yoga methods? Any Sadhana, properly done, will awaken the Kundalini. Kundalini can be awakened through Bhakti, through the grace of the Guru, through the constant practice of Nishkama Karma Yoga, through Vedantic Vichar and through meditation. Through total self-surrender to the Lord and by becoming completely desireless, you can get all psychic powers. Nama-smaran, combined with selfless service, is the best Yoga for this age. You will get the Lord's grace, and with His grace, His divine Sakti will flow into you. What can you not achieve through that ? These psychic powers are all hindrances and obstacles on the spiritual path. We should not run after them. If we go on serving humanity, even if we have unconsciously acquired psychic powers through the practice of Bhakti or Karma Yoga, we will be unconsciously utilizing them for the good of humanity, without being tainted by them. That is the best method.