by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 47
January . 2005

 


  Atma
 Knowledge
 Creation
 God
 Spiritualism
 Sanatan

 Questions
 e-mail

THE DEBATE- FORM OR FORMLESS? Part 4

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

QUESTIONS FROM READERS

QUESTION 1 from FROM SRI SATISH SHARMA


Why is that at time you like to fight with GOD though you can’t see him but you can experience his deeds that put you in trouble most of the time. Don’t you feel that the trials taken by GOD is bad way to test you?

ANSWER: WThe first thing to understand, is the genesis of all troubles that we face. Faced with any trouble our first reaction is to blame someone else, including God. They say:

Agate visamandashah daivam arhayate narah

Atmanam Karmadosanca na socatyapanditah
When misfortune strikes man immediately blames the fate, but the fact that it is the result of one’s own wrongdoing eludes the unwise.

In this creation of the Lord the infalliable principle is that of cause and effect. This principle transcends time and space limitations. Whatever happens me, in some space and time I am the originator of that. That is the theory of Karma. One can not wish it away or fool the system. ( For how karma works I suggest you visit the July 2000 issue of AHWAN – Understanding our own position.)

Why should God punish any one? It is not in His nature. He is not against anyone and His parental love protects everyone. In sanatan philosophy, punishment is not there. The principle of cause and effect results in happiness or unhappiness for us.

No wrongdoing is ever forgotten. Why? Because it is a blemish on the soul and the soul has to be cleansed. How does the Lord help us in this? He sends a warning through someone or some happenings. It is for us to recognise this and atone the misdeed through a good enough deed. That is how bad prAravdha is counteracted by good kriyamAna. If the atonement is not complete, because of our ignorance or egoistic arrogance, then the inevitable consequence has to be endured. Remedy for escape from greatest of misfortunes lies in constatnt devotion to right path and right action and shunning the evil actions. We do not come to know always, what kind of actions have been committed by us and when. There are good reasons for not having this memory from our past lives. Therefore it becomes imperative to be always devoted to good actions only. This is true not only for this life but all lives- past and future- that we go through.

God’s kindness does not end there. Even if a person’s burden of past wrongs (sancita bad karma) is too heavy, only that much is translated as prAravdha, which the Lord knows the individual is capable of atoning. Rest is carried forward to next lives. He stands by everyone. When one is in thick of troubles, God stands closest.

Why some lives get snuffed out? When there is no possibility of the present life any more capable of providing opportunity for further atonement, the Lord in his wisdom, provides another appropriate life – another opportunity- and it goes on.

All troubles are lessons, wise contemplate and solutions come to them. When misery strikes, it is even easier to see the divine hand in it. Practically everyone, when confronted with misery, turns Godward. That is the way Maya works. They say misery is a boon in disguise. While remembering that this would also pass very soon, it becomes easier at the time of misery to anchor one’s faith to ParamAtma.

Some people only want an immediate end to their misery and suffering. Some others, desire to be permanently happy. Both may be meaning the same thing, but there is a subtle difference between the two. What one thinks, his mind makes its home there. There is a shadow of negativity in thinking about the misery and the sufferings. Frustration and bitterness become constant partners. On the other hand, meditating on that permanent happiness - so aptly described as Satchidananda, the truth, its realisation and the resulting bliss - is a positive attitude to living, with hope and exhilaration as companions. If misery has befallen, soon it will also pass. Yogasadhana( with its inherent emphasis on righteous conduct) is the only unfailing remedy known to this creation for respite from future misery and the only key that opens the door to happiness. Nothing else is there in the three worlds. Naanya pantha vidyate.

Further reading recommendations:

AHWAN Vol 3 July 2000issue “Understanding our own position”

AHWAN Vol 12 July 2001 issue – the question from readers portion

AHWAN Vol 31 Sept 2003 – Readers’ questions.

QUESTION 2 FROM SRI RAHUL PANDEY

Whatever little spiritual knowledge I learnt (I am grateful to you), made me realize so many shortcomings in me. I constantly try to improve, but whatever improvements I make, I discover many more new drawbacks in me. All these seem very difficult to overcome. I am becoming low in confidence. Please help.

ANSWER:Why my dear why? If you have recognised your areas where you need improvement, and still engaged in your efforts to improve, by the grace of God you are doing great.

Your predicament is very natural. Let me tell you a story. There was once a lady who was not very particular in maintaining her home clean and orderly. One day she noticed thick dust on the mirror, and elsewhere things scattered helter skelter and all around there was shabbiness.

It dawned upon her that she should clean up the house, make it nice, spic and span and livable. She made the beginning and started cleaning up the obvious places, like say the living room, dining table, front yard etc. Soon the house started looking better.

But as she went about cleaning up the most obvious and noticeable places, she discovered more and more, normally out of sight places, which were full of muck. A corner here, a crevice there, the attic, the lofts, kitchen drain etc revealed so much more. When the most frequented places were dirty, her attention did not go to the hidden corners. But as more and more obvious places got attended, the hidden places almost reveled themselves to her. She realized increasingly, how much more is there to attend to. It was almost never ending.

In our efforts of self improvement, we are all a little like this lady. In how many places within us, how much muck is hidden, accumulated as sanskaras (past influences), spanning not only this life but also many past lives, waiting to be cleaned up?

Should we lose hope? Should the lady have stopped her cleaning drive?

Look at the benefits.

Even a half-cleaned house is better than an uncleaned one. It is that much more healthy and hygienic. Who knows, by getting rid of even some of the muck, how many diseases have been averted? What sources of potential health hazard have been eliminated, which might have had dire consequences? How can one fail to recognize this?

Even if we have progressed only a few steps in the right direction, who knows how many possible sources of misery and unhappiness we have warded off?

Our scriptures say swalpasya api dharmasya trAyate mahato bhayAt. Even a little practice of righteous conduct keeps great misfortunes at bay.

So be at it constantly. Even a little achievement pleases the Lord. With the Lord at your side, yogasAdhanA however insignificant can only yield positive results and it has always a snowballing effect

QUESTION 3 FROM SRI YASHPAL VERMA

What is function of a 'Mandir'?

ANSWER:In a sense the entire creation is the Mandir of the Lord. We are all Mandirs. Every created being is a Mandir. Mandir is that where one may visualize the presence of the Lord. When we say ‘Isavasya sarvamidam’ – everything is pervaded by the Lord or is His abode. Then which is not His Mandir?

However, to reach a state where the mind truly realizes the import of this concept is a long arduous task. Again the sAdhanA requires intermediary supports. The Mandir or any place of worship where we invoke the presence of the Lord, provides that necessary support.

Mandirs or places of worship have another great psychological importance. Here a large number of people come and congregate. When you are in a place of worship, most likely you are in a positive frame of mind. The negative vibrations of mind – at least for the time being- have been pushed to the back drawer. So there is an aura of positivity that emanates from the collective minds of so many people and is concentrated there. The atmosphere, the mantras, the rituals all go to accentuate this positivity and is an extremely powerful influence on the psyche of people who may even be non-believers. That power hangs in the air. As people enter places of worship, they come under the influence of this power. Some feel rested and peaceful. Some get inspired and encouraged to face the tribulations of life with renewed vigour. Some benefit accrues to each one.

Those who have reached a higher level of consciousness, a Mandir or an idol may not be necessary. They can communicate with the Lord on a sea shore, high on mountains or in a funeral ground. But ordinary people need support. Any place of worship provides this support and they are very powerful supports indeed.

In the highest understanding of the sanatan philosophy, the Lord resides in the heart (hriddesha) of every being. It is not the physical heart but the deepest sanctum of the inner consciousness. That makes our bodies, which also contains the heart, the true mandirs of the Lord.

QUESTION 4 FROM SRI ART RAJKUMAR

Regarding brash characteristics of materialistic non-believers and egoistic knowledge seekers?

ANSWER:: As we discussed in May 2001 issue of AHWAN there are really no non-believers. A non-believer is essentially a believer who is still groping for expression, and sooner or later returns to believe. We are all built that way.

Even the non-believers, who are really victims of temporary separation from the Lord, eventually turn to God. This is because, deep within us, there is a consciousness, a knowledge that in the Lord lies the solution to all our problems.

Non belief or doubts about God, is a particular phase in the jiva’s existence resulting from past life sanskaras. We are all constantly undergoing change for the better, progressing towards our ultimate goal. Aberrations on the path are not only natural but also in themselves part of the purification process.

So also is the case of egoistic knowledge seekers. It is true that with some knowledge of the nature of the Brahman, some people develop great egoism. At this stage that knowledge or jnana, by its very nature acts as the destroyer of ego. Negative egoism is darkness of ignorance. Knowledge is light, in whose presence the darkness is eventually dispelled. As the knowledge grows, ignorance dies. In the battle between light and darkness, darkness never wins. This again is a phase that is natural in the path of sadhana.

Therefore it is wiser, not to be harsh on non-believers or egoistic pundits. Understanding that even this will pass, we should be more sympathetic to them and do our best in assisting them to rise above their traps. We then become assisting agents (nimittas) in the divine scheme that is working for the liberation of each soul.