AllAboutAncestors

When I was first told that repeating Sree Gurudev Datta would help both me and my ancestors (a concept which was quite alien to me), I wondered why I was being asked to repeat the Name of a God (deity) that didn’t belong to my religion.

The answer, I came to know, is quite simple. Everything that God has created has a function. Different deities are different aspects of God with different functions. All those functions emanate a different kind of vibration and due to God’s Grace we are able to imbibe those vibrations as per our needs.

Lord Datta is a deity, universal aspect of God. One of His functions in the Universe is alleviating trouble caused due to the subtle bodies of ancestors. By chanting Lord Datta’s Name (in the form of “Sree Gurudev Datta”) we are able to attract and imbibe divine energy and vibrations emanating from this God principle regardless of our religion, faith, nationality, or cultural background.

The following simple analogy can help us understand the universality of this aspect of God: Panadol (whose chemical formula is C8H9NO2) is an allopathic drug that is manufactured in Australia and other countries as well. It helps to provide relief from symptoms such as fever, headaches and other minor aches or pains. Irrespective of place of manufacture (in this case Australia), Panadol whose chemical formula is universal can be used to treat the symptoms of people not only in Australia but in the entire world.

So, also chanting Lord Datta’s Name can help all of us no matter where we are from.

Throughout my life I felt depressed many times with no particular reason, and there was no way to overcome this state. I sometimes could not concentrate on simple conversations, and would be completely lost. I was told that all this might be happening due to subtle bodies of departed ancestors and I was recommended to chant Lord Datta’s chant for 3 hours throughout the day.

As I was born a Christian I used to chant the Name of Jesus, but my distress caused by departed ancestors was not reducing. Only after I started to chant Lord Datta’s chant I could feel improvement in these aspects of life. I still continue to chant the Name of Lord Datta for 3 hours, and Lord Jesus’ Name for the rest of the time I have during the day. I can assure that this really works wonders and one should take the help of this for overcoming various problems in life.

How much do ancestors influence your life? Does their memory inspire or scare you? Do you have ancestral duties yourself? Are your antecedents holding you back? Or giving you spiritual guidance? – these were questions posed by BBC News to its public a couple of years ago.

Here are some of the comments they received:

Our ancestors can help us or hold us back, depending on whether they are good or bad ancestors. A good ancestor lived a good life while on earth. The good spirits of our good ancestors hang around to help us. Our role is to be prayerful for our bad ancestors, so that their bad spirits can be liberated.
Ola, USA

What an absolutely ridiculous question. Ancestors are the progenitors who have brought us forward and as such they must be revered. This makes more logical sense than worshipping Jesus – a Nazarene who was nailed to a cross. I know my ancestors and I give thanks to them every day for my health, my intelligence and my compassion. Ancestor worship in Africa will never disappear.
George Dash, Canada

Ancestors influence our lives. The question is whether they influence our lives for good or for bad. I do not believe in worshipping our ancestors or seeking spiritual guidance from them, simply because I serve a living ‘God’ and not an ancestral non-living god. The choice is ours today.
Sam Imevbore, Coventry, UK

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