Q. Why do the Hindus attach so much importance to Shraadh Karma?
A. Shraadh Karma is an attempt to have relationship between the dead and the living. The system of Sharadh also helps the Hindus to maintain a feeling of gratitude towards their forefathers, and this gratitude in turn comes back to their families and make the family-members grateful and loving to each other. Besides, when a man dies, he continues to live in a subtle body for some time till he is reborn. While waiting for rebirth he suffers untold agony which is relieved by offering of love and affection (Shraadh Karma) from its relatives on earth. Shraadh or prayer for the dead is observed by other people too, only in different ways.
Q. What is Karma?
A. Karma means action, and there are different kinds of action: (a) Individual Karma, in which an individual alone is involved; (b) Social Karma, in which the family and the society are involved; (c) In national Karma the whole country is involved; and (d) Cosmic Karma entangles larger sections of humanity during earthquakes, floods, etc.
Q. Why should we be affected by the Karma of other people?
A. Our own past Karma makes us to be born in a particular family, society and country, and it is only fair that we should share the sorrows and happiness of the people we live with.
Q. Do evil spirit exists?
A. Yes. Evil spirit is the spirit of a person who lived an undesirable life in the past incarnation.
Q. What is Yoga and who is Yogi?
A. Yoga is to be in union with God - that is the highest kind of Yoga. Next kind is to develop body and mind by means of physical poses. (asanas) and meditation. Karma-yoga, Jnan-yoga, and Bhakti-yoga are also different roads to realise God. Yogi is one who practices Yoga.
Courtesy: Hindutvam Vol. 1. Published by: Fiji Sevashram Sangha, Suva, Fiji
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