Questions That Truly Satisfy The Self

Once upon the ages, over 5,000 years ago, the world’s great saints, sages, and spiritual scholars assembled at a place called Naimisharanya. This sacred forest was known to them as the energetic hub of the Universe, from where the benefits of their practices, sacrifices, and speech would extend to all the world’s inhabitants. Thus, they gathered here specifically with the intention of welfare for every living being.

By dint of their self-realization, these wise seers were gifted with foresight of the Age of Quarrel in which we now live. They considered that humans of this time would be short-lived and plagued by various mental, bodily, and natural disturbances. So, they contemplated what they could do to bring relief and the highest good for all in the many generations to follow.

They selected Suta Goswami as the most elevated among them, offered him a seat of esteem, and inquired from him with great respect. Because Suta Goswami was free from vice, learned in all scriptures and teachings of physical, metaphysical, and spiritual knowledge, and properly guided by the great masters, who had gone before him, the sages regarded him as most qualified to enlighten them about the Supreme Truth. Therefore, they humbly approached him with inquiries toward that end.

The sages began with six questions which they had ascertained to be of primary importance:

1. What is the absolute and ultimate good for people in general?

2. What is the essence of all scriptures and prescribed practices, by which the hearts of every living entity may be fully satisfied?

4. What is the purpose of the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

4. What activities does God perform in relation to creation?

5. What are the transcendental pursuits of God in various incarnations?

6. Where have spiritual principles gone for shelter after Krishna’s departure to his divine abode? (Krishna is a Sanskrit name for God that means the all-attractive person.)

Suta Goswami’s responses to these questions, along with the ensuing discussion, are recorded in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, a body of work comprised of 12 cantos (sections), 335 chapters, and 18,000 verses.

Life’s desires should never be directed towards sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works ~ Suta Gosvami

I have personally been deriving much inspiration from repeatedly reading this spiritual masterpiece for over three decades. Recently, I started over again and was especially struck by one of Suta Goswami’s first comments, after receiving the questions of the sages. He said, “Only questions of this sort are capable of completely satisfying the self.”

As someone who spends my days answering people’s life questions with sincere care and desire to be helpful with the intuitive gifts I receive, this went straight to my heart. No matter what the topic is which a client may call about, the ultimate driving force beneath it is a desire for satisfaction.

But if we only ask questions about temporary things, the answers we receive will likewise be of temporary relevance, and so will our satisfaction. On the other hand, when we inquire about that which is eternal, such as the soul itself, and God as its source, and the relationship between the two, both the answers and satisfaction derived will similarly be of everlasting value.

Bearing this in mind can help make the best of a reading by homing in on the real heart of your interest and the most important way to pose your questions to satisfy the self, even while asking about the non-permanent things of life for which clarity is needed too.