What is the benefit of listening to the Glory of the Lord?

Those who listen to the narration of the Lord with earnest devotion (and not just hear casually) and not only reflect upon its value and significance but also act according to the light it sheds on their minds will merge in the Bliss of the Lord. Their hearts will be filled with the sweet nectar of the personification of His captivating charm.  They will experience theAdwaitha Ananda, the Bliss of being one with Him. To attain this fruit, the highest Sadhana (spiritual exercise) is the recitation of the Name of God with full vigilance of thought, feeling and utterance (mano-vaak-kaya) and the loud singing of His Glory. There is no greater spiritual practice than singing His Glory.

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What is the root cause of our desires? And how can we get over this tendency?

Your desires - wants, longings, resolutions, and wishes - are multiplied and prompted by our activities (karma). The initial impulse for desire is ignorance of the reality (ajnana). If so, then naturally the doubt arises as to how the consciousness that is unaware can transform itself into the consciousness that is aware (jnana)? Darkness can never remove darkness. So too, ignorance can never destroy ignorance. It can be accomplished only by spiritual wisdom (jnana), which is, Awareness of the Truth. This is the dictum promulgated by Adi Sankara. The world today very much needs this harmony and awareness.

What are the traps that we should always be vigilant about?

You must exercise constant watchfulness over your feelings and reactions, and endeavour to keep out selfishness, envy, anger, greed and other such evil tendencies from entering your minds. These are nets which entrap you; these vices overwhelm and subdue your holiness, so that you cannot be influenced any longer. Then you forget yourself and behave like another worse individual, a person caught in frenzy. You blabber as your tongue dictates, without regard to the effect—good or evil, and engage your hands in work that it favours. Be aware and keep them in control! If you carefully discriminate, you can be recognised by the good company you keep, the noble works you delight in and the pleasant words you utter.

Parma Jaisinghani (parmajaisinghan) from Jaipur, India - WAYN.COM

Parma Jaisinghani (parmajaisinghan) from Jaipur, India - WAYN.COM

How should we proceed in our spiritual advancement?

Discover for yourself your stage of spiritual development, to which class in the school you would fit in. Then determine to proceed from that grade to the next higher one. Strive your best and you will win the Grace of God. Do not bargain or despair. One step at a time is enough, provided it is towards the goal, not away from it. Beware of the pride of wealth, scholarship, status, that drag you into egoism. Do not seek the faults of others; look for your own. Be happy when you see others prosper, share your joy with others.

How can we be happy even as evil minds try their best to disrupt our peace?

When the good are happy and living in peace, the bad cannot tolerate it; they develop intense headache! Unless the wicked contemplate on the loss and hardships that the good undergo, they are never happy! The problems suffered by the good is the gain of evil minds. The sweetness of the cuckoo is bitter to the ear of the crow. The Kauravas tried their best to create dissension among the Pandava brothers and spread heinous scandals. But the five Pandavas respected Truth and abided by it, and so, nothing could separate them. No event could make a dent on the happiness of the five brothers. 

How do we fathom the reality of God's existence?

Brahman (Divinity) cannot be comprehended by means of proofs or arguments. It is beyond reason and calculation. It is indefinable, cannot be pronounced as being such or so, for this reason or that.  It is immeasurable (aprameya) by time and space. The usual evidences for truth are direct perception (pratyaksha) and inferential perception (anumaana). But Brahman cannot be cognized by these two means. The sages experienced it and expressed this in the scriptures, and these Holy Texts themselves are the proof. The Word orShabdha is the firmest testament for the existence of Brahman.

Why should we develop a sharp sense of discrimination?

Each one of us should transform ourself into a Sumathi (a person with a good mind). You must avoid turning into a durmathi (an individual with perverted and polluted intelligence). A huge heap of fuel can be reduced to ashes by a tiny spark of fire. A drop of poison can render a pot of milk totally undrinkable. Envy and hatred are the sparks that destroy the cluster of virtues in you. Be aware!