The distressing energy trouble is more severe on the full and new moon days. The trouble also starts two days prior to such days and exists even two days after. Seekers should therefore do maximum chanting and prayers on these five days.

    Getting meaningless thoughts about spiritual practice or seva (service) is a kind of doubt. When you realize it, immediately pray to H.H. Dr. Athavale for forgiveness.

   Presently, due to the distressing energy troubles, seekers are undergoing physical problems like pain, swelling in the legs, feeling heat in legs due to emission of black energy, etc. We have already experienced that these troubles can be considerably reduced by keeping our feet in salt water. So even while working on the computer or doing other seva, have the spiritual emotion that your feet are kept in salt water and pray to the Jal devata (deity of water) and it will help in reducing the trouble.

    As you start work or seva in the ashrams, pray for destruction of black energy, before making use of any device. Similarly, before entering any department or area for rendering service, pray for removal of black energy from the atmosphere.

    The distressing energies troubles are increasing day by day. The troubles are in the forms of having doubts, drifting from spiritual practice, suicidal thoughts, terrible dreams at night, visualizing disgusting scenes, etc. Some seekers face these problems when they begin to chant. Some seekers get frustrated and opt to leave the path of spiritual practice.

    In fact, to give up spiritual practice is like running away from the battle field. Spiritual practice under the guidance of the Sanatan organization is a battle against unrighteousness, hence attacks by the distressing energies will occur. Some seekers are facing such problems according to their destiny. H.H. Dr. Athavale is keeping a watch on the troubles faced by seekers and guiding them to eliminate the same. He has completely removed the distressing energy problems of some of the seekers. Some saints have opined that the distressing energies troubles faced by the Sanatan organization seekers is, in a way, proof of their right spiritual practice. This should always be kept in mind. Such problems are to be fought with courage by increasing prayers, chanting and spiritual practice.

    Of course, those who are afraid of these troubles may not be able to do “kshatradharma (protecting seekers and destroying evildoers) sadhana” in future.

    Seekers looking after the management of an ashram should make a list of the jobs to be done, and arrange to get them done through various seekers. Other seekers should not harbor the attitude that any given job is part of the spiritual practice of those who are in charge of management and hence their duty and responsibility to do. All seekers staying in the ashram have to be aware of their duties and accordingly take quick action to complete the same.

   At present, we have included the name-strip of Sri Durga Devi in the set of name-strips for purification of the ‘Vaastu’. As Sri Durga Devi or any other Goddess is a form of ‘Shakti’, or divine energy, we can include the name-strip of any female deity, for example, Shri Bhavani-devi, Shri Renuka-devi, etc., in the Vaastu-set of name-strips.

    It has been observed that the procedure for removal of PDs is not being meticulously followed by seekers, though it was decided to start satsangs for removal of PDs in place of ‘Bhava-vruddhi (increasing spiritual emotion)’ satsangs in all the ashrams.

*If one is not currently doing any spiritual practice, or to complement one's current spiritual practice, one can begin with the simple, but powerful spiritual practice of chanting or constantly remembering God's Name according to one's religion. Chanting also acts as a useful complement to any spiritual path one may be already following. It is a practice recommended for the current times by Holy texts and Saints of all religions.

• Seekers in the initial stages of spiritual practice (less than one year) can repeat The Name of the Lord as per their religion (refer to Issue 3 Clarification of Doubts section for details).

• Seekers who have been doing regular spiritual practice for over a year or so can determine the appropriate chant for them from the experiment given in Issue 124, Message to Seekers section.