The vision of God

       In our tradition, Isvara aradhana or Isvara-puja (worship of God) is considered a nityakarma, meaning a compulsory duty.  It is one of the five daily compulsory duties prescribed by sastra or the scriptures.  Isvara-puja is compulsory because it is an exercise, daily exercise in which we invoke our relationship with the Lord. 

       As we go through life, we foster numerous relationships, including relationships with our family members, relatives, neighbours, colleagues, etc.  Every relationship is important and necessary.  Our scriptures however consider one relationship to be primary and fundamental  - the most important of all relationships and that is our relationship with God.  Why is this so?  Our relationship with Isvara is a continuous one, a permanent relationship.  It spans from janma to janma to janma.  For, Isvara is the creator and we are the created.  So there is a karana-karya (cause-effect) relationship.  All other relationships are ephemeral.  Since people are mortal we can never hope to have a permanent relationship with individuals.  These individuals are compared to logs of wood that come together for a brief period while floating down the river or to passengers in a  train who interact for a short period of time before going their respective ways.  By its very nature, a temporary relationship can only give temporary benefit.  If we want permanent benefit, we need a permanent relationship.  Hence, our scriptures advise us to keep our relationship with God alive and well nourished.

       We maintain temporary relationships by performing some action or other.  We wish our family members on their birthdays, visit friends, take part in community activities and so on.  We spend a lot of time and effort to develop and maintain these relationships.  Should we not spend a little time everyday nourishing and nurturing our permanent relationship with the Lord?  We invoke and sustain this relationship by doing puja to Isvara.

       Here we face a problem.  How can we worship God who is formless and all-pervasive?  God is not an tangible object available for worship.  As if to address our predicament, sastra or scriptures comes to our rescue.  For the sake of puja, scriptures attribute a form to God.  Sastra says, "The description of the Lord with attributes is given out of consideration for those who are incapable of comprehending the attributeless God."  Thus, a form is given to the formless god.  This is the uniqueness of the Vedic religion. 

       Since the human mind seeks variety and since tastes differ, sastra prescribes numerous forms offering a wide choice to choose from: Siva, Visnu, Devi, Rama, Krsna, man and woman combined (Ardhanarisvara), man and animal combined (Ganesa, Narasimha), animal (Hanuman).  We can choose a picture or idol to represent the form which is useful; not only for puja but also for upasana or meditation.

       Can any other benefit to be gained by Isvara-puja and  Isvara-upasana?  These activities infact represent the first step in the spiritual path.  Regular and consistent Isvara-puja and upasana give chitta-suddhi (a pure mind) and citta-ekagrata (a one pointed or focused mind).

       The next step, after having attained a pure and focused mind, is Vedanta-vicara, meaning a systematic study of the scriptures.  A bare minimum of the study of Bhgavad-gita because it is condensed form of the entire sastra.  A dhyana-sloka (invocatory verse no. 4) of the Bhagavad-gita says that, 'If all the Upanishads are the cows, the milk is the supreme nectar of the Gita.'  In his hymn 'Bhaja Govindam' (verse 21) Sankara advises every householder, 'Let a man read from the Gita'.

       When we study the seventh or eleventh chapters of the Bhgavad-gita, we discover a very very important teaching that every spiritual aspirant should understand.  In verse 7.6, Krisna says, 'Know that these two (Consciousness and matter) are the wombs of all beings.  I am the origin and dissolution of the entire universe.'  Bhagvan is jagat-karanam, meaning cause of the creation.  Isvara becomes the panchabhutas (the five elements viz., space, air, fire, water and earth, which are the basic building blocks of the universe.)  and the (panchabhautikams) the products formed by the mixture of the five elements.

       Thus Isvara (God) alone in the form of Consciousness and matter has evolved into this wonderful creation.  The world that we see and experience is nothing but a manifestation of God.  In verse 7.8 - 9, Krishna says, "I am the sapidity in water, O son of Kunti, I am the radiance in the moon and sun, I am the syllable 'Om' in all the Vedas, sound in ether (space) and manliness in man.  I am the sweet fragrance in earth and the brilliance in fie; I am the life in all beings and the austerity in ascetics.' 

       World darsanam (the vision of the world) is Isvara-darsanam (the vision of God).  When we see the sky, it is not a akasa-darsanam but Isvara-darsanam.  When we enjoy the breeze blowing against us, it is Isvara-darsanam and when we see fire, even if it be the kitchen stove, it is Isvara.  And every interaction is Isvara-interaction.  When we drink water, it is Isvara.  When we pluck flowers, it is Isvara.  When we breathe, it is Isvara-anugraha.  We interact with Isvara all the time.  By the study of scriptures our bhavana (attitude) changes and we have Isvara-darsanam not at one time but at all times, in and through all our interctions and experiences.  Thus, for a Vedic student, Isvara-darsanam (which Bhgavad-gita calls visvarupa-isvara-drsanam) is not a momentary event but a moment to moment business.  Sastra says, "O Mother Earth, who has the ocean for your dress and the mountains as the breasts, I salute you!  May you forgive me for steeping on you."

       When we appreciate Isvara as the very universe, we recognize that every experience that we go through - pleasure or pain - is given to us by Isvara.  Consequently, there is a transformation in our lives.  We have no raga-dvesa (likes and dislikes) towards any part of the creation.  When this attitude develops, spiritual progress becomes faster.  We drop negative traits mentioned in the scriptures (anger, greed, etc.) and develop the positive attributes like compassion and generosity.

       Chapter eleven of the Bhgavad-gita portrays God as having thousands of heads, arms, feet etc.  This does not mean that Bhagavan (Lord) has a human form with thousands of arms hanging from the shoulder joints.  The idea is that the arms, feet, etc., of all living beings belong to God.  This is the vision of God we should strive for. 

       Rudram says, "Look at the tree as Siva, the leaf as Siva, the flower as Siva, the root as Siva."  In fact, the entire Rudram is visvarupa-varanam - description of Isvara.  Whatever we see is Bhagavan, I, the seer am also Bhagavan - aham Brahmasmi' - I am Brahman (God).  This is the ultimate, the culmination of our spiritual quest.  Thus the spiritual path, prescribed by the scriptures is as follows:  Isvara-puja (worship of God) and Isvara-upasana peforming rituals for God), citta-suddhi (purification of mind) and cita-ekagrata, Vedanta-vicara (spiritual enquiry), Isvara-darssanam (vision of God), Isvara-aikiyam (oneness).

       One serious obstacle in the spiritual path, however, is a particular misunderstanding of Isvara-puja (worship of God).  Many people think that if we do Isvara-puja regularly, sincerely and diligently, God would appear before us in person.  If we do Siva-puja, one day Lord Siva would appear in front of us with a blue neck, matted locks and so on.  Believing so, Rama worshippers seek Rama as a person, Krishna devotees look for Krishna as a human being.  This is a misconception because the scriptures do not highlight the vision of God as a 'person'.  Seeing our favourite God in person is not considered a big event in our scriptures, it is not given any value and is not a goal of life. 

       Anything finite and limited cannot be the ultimate and cannot be the goal of a spiritual seeker.  Kena Upanisad (1.5) says, 'Know that alone to be Brahman which cannot be described by speech and by which speech becomes a vehicle of expression.  It (Brahman) is not the limited deity that people worship.' 

       Mandukya-karika (3.1) says that whoever looks upon a personal God (i.e. God as a person) as the ultimate goal is an unfortunate person.  A personal God is required for Isvara-puja.  But the purpose of Isvara-puja is not to attain the vision of one's personal God, but, as stated earlier, to maintain our relationship with God and to gain citta-suddi (purification of mind) and citta-ekagrata.

       Thus we do Isvara-puja, we should keep in mind the God is not a person, but the cosmos itself.  Can we remember so?  We need only to reflect upon the Dhyana-slokas (Meditation verses) that we chant every-day.  A Dhyana-sloka of Visnusahasranama says, "Lord Visnu's feet are the Earth, His navel is the space, His breath (Prana) is the air, eyes are the sun and moon.  Ears are the directions, His head is the heaven, fire is the mouth, lower abdomen is the ocean.  Within Him obtains the universe consisting of gods, human beings, birds, cows, serpents, Gandharvas, asuras who dance about in wonder."  A Dhyana-sloka of Rudram says, "The dome of space is Siva - lingam.  The earth is the base (of the lingam), the clouds are the water pot, the stars are the flower garland.  Clusters of planets are loose flowers.  The moon, the fire and the sun are the eyes.  The seven oceans are the belly.  The Himalayas (the Meru Mountain), is the bed, the seven lower worlds are the feet.  The Veda (scriptures) with six limbs is the mouth.  The face is turned in all the ten directions, I salute this divine lingam."

       May the Isvara-puja that we do on Sivaratri especially remind us that everything is Bhagavan (Lord).

Source: From the Talk delivered by Swami Paramarthananda on Sivaratri, March 8, 2005. 

Does God exist?

       Every religious person, especially a Hindu, is supposed to do worship God every day.  On special occasion such as festivals, religious people worship God more elaborately.  Thus, the worship of God is very, very natural to a devotee.

       When we worship God regularly, we may get a doubt.  This doubt may just pop up in our mind without rhyme or reason or may occur when we are going through difficult times.  Any thinking intellect will get this doubt one time or the other - 'I am religiously and devotedly worshipping God but it there really a God existing somewhere?  This is a fundamental doubt - Does God really exist?

       The moment we get this doubt, we feel very bad because we are supposed to have implicit faith in the existence of God.  Despite deep faith, this doubt is bound to arise in a thinking intellect.  And even if we do not get this doubt, there are others - atheists, agnostics, irreligious people-who may raise a question or two - Does God exist?  Can you prove the existence of God?

       How are we going to answer this question?  Are we supposed to blindly, unquestioningly accept the existence of God or is there any proof  for the existence of God, a proof that is scientific, logical and religious.

       The issue does not belong to our religion alone.  Every religion has to face this question because all religions accept a God, be it Islam, Christianity or Hinduism.  Many people belonging to many religions have dealt with this issue in many ways but unfortunately the issue is getting more complex and complicated.

       How does the Vedic tradition approach this issue?  Let us suppose a spiritual aspirant asks a traditional teacher [one who has received spiritual knowledge through the guru (teacher) - sisya (disciple) - parampara (tradition)] - Does God exist?  A traditional teacher will not answer.  Instead he will put a counter-question to the aspirant - What do you mean by the word "God"?

       Each person has his or her own concept of God.  The word 'God' is used by several people in several ways.  The spiritual aspirant uses the word 'God' with a particular meaning while the traditional teacher's definition of God may be different.  Hence, before answering the question, a traditional teacher wants to ascertain whether the aspirant has the same concept of God as himself.  If not, there will be a communication gap leading to misunderstanding.  Thus before giving a proof for God, a traditional teacher tells the spiritual aspirant - 'First let us know the definition of God.  Then, when we both use the word 'God', we are both referring to the same concept.  When the communication gap (that can arise due to differing perception) is bridged, we can then ask for proof about the existence of God.'

Definition of God: 

       What is the definition of God?  The Vedas or scriptures say God is Caitanyam.  In English, Caitanyam can be translated by the word 'Consciousness'.  So according to our scriptures, God means the Consciousness principle.

       What exactly is meant by the word 'Consciousness'?  Again the Vedas provide the answer.  Katha Upanishad says - 'It is by this Self (Consciousness) that a person knows form, taste, smell, sound, touch'. (2.1.3).  Consciousness is that principle by which we are aware of, or conscious of everything around us.

Proof for God:

       Once the definition of God is made clear, we can ask the next question - Does the defined God exist or not?  Since God is defined as Consciousness, we can instead ask the question - Does Consciousness exist or not?  To answer this question, let us ask the question - Are we conscious of our surroundings or not?  What will we have to say?  The very question is possible only because we are conscious beings.  It is ridiculous question because it is only because we have a tongue that we are able to ask the question.  Similarly, it is ridiculous to ask for the proof of Consciousness or God.  Pancadasi says - 'As it is shameful for a man to express doubt if he has a tongue or not, so also it is shameful to say 'I do not know what Consciousness is'. (3.20).

       Every activity or experience of life is possible because we are endowed with Consciousness.  Thus every experience of ours is a proof of Consciousness and therefore a proof of God.  Bhgavad-gita says - 'the deluded do not see him who departs, stays and enjoys, who is conjoined with the guns, they see, what possess the eye of wisdom'. (15.10).

       A doubting Thomas may still persist with the question - Does God exist?  He has only to study the scriptures systematically and understand the definition of God.  Atheists, agnostics and some scientists doubt the existence of God because they have not been told the definition of god.

Nature of God:

       What is the nature of Caitanyam or Consciousness?  Science is not able to provide a clear answer.  Even through a lot of research has been done in different areas, science has not understood the phenomenon of Consciousness due to which the body is alive and sentient.  Is Consciousness an electrical phenomenon?  A neurological phenomenon?  Or a cellular phenomenon?  Varieties of theories are emerging and scientists are not able to resolve the issue.

       However, our scriptures do talk about the nature of Consciousness.  According to our scriptures, Caitanyam or consciousness is totally a non-material entity.  It does not come under matter principle or energy principle.  Bhgavad-gita says - 'As I (Consciousness) transcend the perishable and am even above the imperishable, I am known in the world and in the Veda as 'Purushothama' the highest purusa'. (15,18).

       That spiritual principle that is present in everybody is beyond the laws that govern matter or the material universe - physical, chemical or biological.  Scriptures refer to this property of Consciousness as 'Asanga' meaning not attached, not hindered.

       Every material object is conditioned by time and space which is an integral nature of matter.  Caitanyam is not governed eve by time or space.  Hence, scriptures use the expression 'ananta' meaning endless, infinite, boundless.  Bhgavad-gita says - 'The dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, and by His maya causes all beings to resolve as though mounted on a machine'.  (18.61).  Just as a visible form is activated by independent, non material Consciousness.  In every movement we experience the Consciousness principle.  This asanga, ananda Caitanyam is Purusothamma or God whose existence no one can doubt.  The scriptures say understanding this asanga (non attached), ananta (infinite) caitanya Isvara alone is the aim of every human being which scriptures calls 'Isvaradarsanam or Isvaraprapti.

God with form:

       If God asanga, ananta Caitanyam, how are we to understand Brahma, Visnu, Siva and all other Gods and Goddesses described in the scriptures?  Brahma has four heads and lives in Brahmaloka and Sarasvati grace His tongue.  Vishnu lives in Vaikuntham and Mahalakshmi adorns His chest.  Siva resides in Kailas with Parvati occupying half His body.  Do such Gods and Goddesses exist or not?

       When scriptures use the word 'god', we must understand that the primary meaning of God is asanga, anata caitanyam.  All the finite, personified Gods that are identified with locations and elaborately described in the Puranas are only temporary presentation of God and are called 'gauna' meaning secondary Isvara.  This Gauna Isvara is a compromised version because God is given a form,  a location, a date of birth (in the case of incarnations), etc.

       The question arises - Why must we have Gauna (secondary) Isvara (God) at all?  Why must we settle for a compromised version?  It is for the sake of sadhana meaning religious and spiritual practice, that sastra or scriptures presents Gauna Isvara.  It is for the sake of refining our mind.  A refined mind is necessary to know mukha Isvara or primary God (asanga, ananta caitanyam).

       Our traditions, customs and practices are based on Gauna (secondary) Isvara.  Doing puja and rituals requires a shrine or altar.  Can we offer flowers or do abhisekam to a formless entity?  Karma (action), Upasana (puja and rituals) and Dhyanam (meditation) all require Gauna Isvara.  Since the tastes of people vary, we have several versions of Gauna (secondary) Isvara (God) which are very useful both at the individual and collective level.  The Puranas contain numerous stories that reveal God with many names and forms.  These stories are replete with elaborate details and descriptions that are very useful for our sadhana.

       India enjoys a very rich religious culture only because Gauna Isvara (secondary God).  Every festival centres around a Gauna Isvara and a Puranic story.  Every temple has a sthalapuranam (Puranic story) associated with it.  Music, dance, painting, sculpture, cinema are all possible because of Gauna Isvara.  The compositions of the great composers are inspired by their ista devatas or personal Gods (Gauna Isvara).  The length and breadth of our country is associated with one form of God or the other providing a religious atmosphere that enables the religious attitude to be maintained all the time.

       We need not probe into or ask for the proof of Gauna Isvara (secondary God).   Does Brahma really have four heads?  If so, how is He able to sleep?  Gauna Isvara is a temporary version purely for the sake of our sadhana or spiritual practice.  We enjoy the Puranic stories; we enjoy Gauna Isvara.  We use this personified God for puja, karma (action), upasana (rituals) and dhyanam (meditation).  We refine the mind, understand mukhya Isvara (primary God) and become free.  That is the Vedic approach to Isvara - Isvara jananam and Isvara prapti.

Source: From the Talk delivered by Swami Paramarthananda on Sivaratri, February 18, 2004. 

WHAT IS SARANAGATI (SURRENDER TO GOD)?

Most of the religions of the world share a common teaching which is popular and powerful message – ‘God will save you if you will surrender to Him’. And so we are encouraged and exhorted to choose God as our savior, treat God as our refuge and take God as our shelter. If we thus surrender to God as our savior, refuge and shelter, we will be free from all the problems of life.

This universal message is also found in Hinduism. Surrendering to the Lord and taking Him as refuge is called saranagati. Today the saranagati message has become very popular. Many people explain and expound the tenets and precepts of saranagati. (Let us call this group, the popular group and the saranagati enunciated by them as the popular saranagati.) Unfortunately this saranagati is so different from the saranagati that is given in our scriptures. (Let us call this saranagati, the traditional saranagati and its believers the traditional group.)

There are four main differences between the two groups.

1. The first and foremost concept, the most powerful message given by the popular group is that we have to surrender our will to the Lord. This group does accept free will but claims that in saranagati our free will has to be surrendered to God’s will.

The traditional group says free will is the most unique feature that humans are blessed with. A human being is a human being only because of this gift called free will. It is this faculty that differentiates us from all other living beings. Free will enables us to choose the right goal (called purusarthas) and the right path. Choosing between options is possible only by the exercise of free will. Katha Upanisad talks about two paths, the good and the pleasant that are open to man. (1.1.2). A discerning man chooses the good while short-sighted person prefers the pleasant. It is by exercising our free will that we can get moksa. Hence, there is no question of surrendering free will in traditional saranagati.

2. The popular group points out that we must transfer all our responsibilities to God. Thereafter God will decide what we have to get and how. The Lord knows our problems and He will take care of us. This is a very, very popular message of the popular group.

The traditional group feels that as human beings endowed with free will we have the privilege of exercising choice. Hence, we must accept responsibility and take charge of our lives. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavat-Gita – ‘One should lift oneself by one’s own efforts’ (6.5). How can we lift ourselves by ourselves? We have to use our buddhi or intellect. Katha Upanisad says that he who uses the intellect and chooses the right path attains the highest goal (1.3.9). What we have to do, Bhagavan can never do, will never do. At best God will be a cheer leader encouraging us in the game of life just as parents at best can only cheer their little ones in a running race and not run the race for them. Hence, there is no transfer of responsibility in traditional saranagati.

3. The popular group recommends that having surrendered our will and transferred responsibility to the Lord, we must have faith in God and His capacity to solve all our problems. God is omniscient, omnipotent, etc., and therefore He will solve our problems.

We may be a little skeptical. Our problems are many – financial problems, family problems, career problems, etc. Is God going to solve all our problems? And how will He do that? The popular group responds by narrating innumerable stories of devotees – how they were rescued by God. All these stories have a common feature – the occurrence of miracles. All the devotees were saved from their trials and tribulations by miracles. The message conveyed is that in our lives too we can and should expect miracles since we have surrendered our will and responsibility to the Lord. The popular group believes faith in God is tantamount to faith in God’s miracles.

The traditional group postulates that God rescues His devotees through His teaching. God has already provided solutions to all our problems in the teaching which is the sastra or scriptures. The word ‘sastra’ means that which protects the people, i.e., the protector. The word ‘saranam’ that occurs in ‘saranagati’ also means protector. Thus saranagati means sastragati. These teachings do not refer to the miracle stories that do find mention in the sastras. What then is the central teaching of the scriptures? The scriptures teach us how to face life. The sastra answers our questions. Who am I? What is the world? How does the world create problems for me? How can I solve these problems? The traditional group believes that faith in God means faith in God’s teaching.

4. The popular group suggest that we have to surrender to God who will solve all our problems. How? By performing miracles! And so whenever there is a problem or crisis in our lives, we must expect a miracle. But to our destiny we find that miracles do not happen like they keep occurring in scriptural stories. Consequently we doubt the efficacy of saranagati. We wonder whether God is blind to our problems or deaf to our pleas. God has not solved our problems even though we have surrendered to Him. Our faith in God, faith in saranagati, faith in miracles is shaken. There is a crisis in faith that is inevitable.

The popular group admonishes us that we should never doubt God; faith should be unflinching. Doubting God is a maha papam. This creates a problem. It is the nature of the intellect to doubt, question, think and analyse. The popular group says we have to set aside and suppress our intellect.

What does the traditional group say? Since we have to rescue ourselves through the teaching, we have to study and understand the scriptures. And for this we have to use our intellect. Katha Upanisad says – ‘The self is hidden in all beings. It is not noticed. Only the discerning seers, through their sharp, penetrating intellects, can perceive it. (1.3.12). Our saranagati is to the scriptures from which we have to learn the methods of protecting ourselves. In this self-protection, what is the contribution of God? It is only His teaching, the sastra. Hence, there is no suppression of intellect in traditional saranagati.

The four important differences between popular saranagati and traditional saranagati are summarized below:

Popular saranagati Traditional saranagati

1. Drop free will -- Retain free will

2. Transfer responsibility to God -- Accept responsibility

3. Have faith in God’s miracles teaching -- Have faith in God’s teachings.

4. Suppress the intellect -- Use the intellect.

A question arises when we study traditional saranagati. How does the sastra help us protect ourselves (since we do not expect miracles to solve our problems)? The sastra gives four kavacams or shields for our protection.

1. The first kavacam or method given by the scriptures is dharma. A Sanskrit verse says ‘dharma when violated, hurts us; dharma when followed protects us’. Dharma means a healthy way of life, consistent with the physical and moral laws of the universe. We cannot ignore dharma and hope to enjoy a happy life.

The sastra says all the problems we face ranging from minor suffering to major tragedies are due to our violating dharma in the immediate or remote past. We alone are accountable. We alone are accountable. We alone are responsible. If violation of dharma is the cause of our suffering, adherence to dharma is the solution to our problems. Lord Krishna talks about a dharmic way of life in several places in the Bhagavad Gita – in chapters 3, 16 and 17. Just as a healthy regimen (right food at the right time and right exercise) wards off diseases, a dharmic lifestyle protects us from problems.

2. Not all our problems are solved by dharma. Many healthy people, inspite of all their conscientious efforts, do fall ill. In such a case, sastra prescribes a special remedy called parihara or prayascittam meaning remedial measures. Many of our daily prayers including the mantras of sandhya vandanam are remedial measures. Rudram, is very, very powerful prayacitta mantra.

3. Some problems will not go away either by dhdarma or parihara. The scriptures contain stories of many people—Yudhistira, Nala, Hariscandra—who were dharmic to the core, who did all the parihara and yet had to go through untold suffering. The only method to face this situation is to develop a skill by which choiceless sufferings are converted into learning experiences. We can call this yoga kausalam. It is like extracting medicine from poison. Science has advanced to such an extent that killing poison canbe converted to life-saving drugs. If poison can be converted to medicine, suffering can be converted to tapas. Brahadaranya upanisad says – ‘This is verily a great penance that a diseased person suffers. He who knows thus wins indeed a great world’. (5.11.1). When we are afflicted with an incurable disease, we must learn to accept it as a form of tapas. This requires a lot of effort and training in that we must change our perspective and attitudes. We must stop working at the outward or external level and start working at the internal or mental level. Lord Krisna says in the Bhagavad Gita that we should not lament over the inevitable. (2.27).

4. The fourth and most powerful is atma jnanam or Self-knowledge. Once Self-knowledge solves a problem, it is solved for good. The problem is gone, never return. Lord Krisna says in the Bhagavad Gita – ‘Arjuna, when you have reached enlightenment, ignorance will delude you no more’. (4.35).

The other three shields offer a relative solution; jnanam is a permanent solution. And jnanam is provided by the sastra. The last important verse in the Bhagavad Gita is verse 18.,66, very well known as the saranagati mantra says – ‘Renounce all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins; grieve not’. In his commentary on the Bhagavat Gita, Adi Sankara does not say drop your will, drop your responsibility and wait for miracles to solve your problems, he clearly says we have to attain jnanam.

Traditional people look upon God as the giver of the sastra. God talks to us through the sastra. Even today, we can learn the sastra from a Guru. We can study and save ourselves. Therefore, saranagati means surrender to sastra, surrender to the Guru.

On this auspicious occasion of Sivaratri, let us look upon Lord Siva as Dakshinamurthi who has provided us protection through the sastra. Let us study and make use of the scriptures. That is true saranagati.

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Source: From the Talks given on Sivarathiri, March 1, 2003, by Swami Paramarthananda.

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MAN's VIEWS TOWARDS GOD

If only we can be as good to man, as we are to god, no prophet or messiah would ever be required to visit this plant.

It seems… A Master and a disciple had gone deep inside a forest to perform penance. For six months they stayed withdrawn from the village life. Then they returned back to the village. As they were approaching their hut, the disciple noticed that half the roof had been blown away by the winds. He was disturbed. He thought, “What is the use of doing all this penance? There is no spiritual justice. After six months we return to the village to take rest and here we find half the roof missing. Now we won’t even have proper shelter.” As he was going through his mental cribbing, he noticed that his Master’s response to the same situation was very different. His Master went down on his knees with hands raised in gratitude, and he was praying aloud. “Lord, your ways are your ways, my Lord! After enjoying nature for six months we have returned. You want our transition to be smooth. So you have already opened half the roof for us. Like what modern day architects try to achieve in their building, ‘Even when we are inside, we should feel we are still outside’. Thank you lord. Thank you so much. Your ways are your ways, my lord.” The disciple didn’t know how to react to the Master’s response.

They settled in the hut and by the end of the day they spread their mat to sleep. Like it happens to any complaining mind the disciple was feeling too restless. He kept twisting and turning. Like it happens to any grateful mind, the Master effortlessly slipped into sleep. His face blossomed with peace even in sleep. The winds had built the clouds and the clouds had turned into a down-pour. All drenched, the furious disciple stormed out of the hut, screaming, “Inside or outside- how does it make a difference?” Wet, cold and shivering, the disciple observed the Master was also coming out of the hut. The Master raised his hands above his shoulders gesturing gratitude and started dancing in the rains. He prayed aloud again. “Lord, your ways are your ways, my lord! For six months, during our penance, we haven’t taken bath. And here, you are, cleansing us with your divine showers. Thank you lord. Thank you so much. Your ways are your ways, my lord.” The disciple now knew how to react to the Master’s response.

The disciple approached the Master and said, “There is a limit to every thing and this is the limit. You are going on thanking god for everything that’s a going wrong, as if were the right thing to happen. Why are you doing this?”

The Master paused his dance and told the disciple, “Do you know something? I don’t even know if god exists! I don’t even know to whom I am praying! All I know is only one thing: My approach is keeping me happy and hence it is the right approach. Your approach is making you miserable and hence it is the wrong approach. The proof of right approach is in the happiness it delivers. Gratitude, to the known or the unknown factor, sustains happiness. Complaining, to someone or in your own thoughts, create misery.”

The Master resumed his dance, praying aloud, “Lord, your ways are your ways, my lord. It is in giving me such disciples you help me to understand life better. Thank you my lord. Thank you so much. Your ways are your ways, my lord.”

The disciple stared at the Master for sometime. Nodded in affirmation. He then joined the Master in his dance. Now the disciple prayed aloud, “Lord, your ways are your ways, my lord. It is by giving me such a Master you help me to understand life better. Thank you my lord. Thank you so much. Your ways are your ways, my lord.”

This whole story is a classic exposition of man’s view towards god. How man feels for god and how man relates with god is truly unconditional. The benefit of doubt is always to god. If there is anything that’s good, then it is because of god. If there is anything that’s bad, then it is because of man.

If her love culminated in marriage, then it is, God always gives her the choicest of blessings.” If it didn’t, then it is, “The rogue betrayed her.” If he got his promotion, then it is, “I had returned from Tirupati after offering my prayers. So I knew it would happen.” If he didn’t, then it is, “My boss is very biased towards North Indians.” The basic outlook is, “Either Jesus saved my mother or the doctor’s mistake killed her.” The conviction is, “My son got through his engineering because of Allah’s mercy, or he didn’t because he took his studies too lightly.” Strange isn’t it, when people say, “Because of her infertility we couldn’t have a child for five years. Then, God opened his eyes and blessed us with an angel.”

Why is that all the praises are to the lord, and all the blame is to man?

Even when the bad, the ugly and the worse happens to man, he has enough philosophies to shield his god. “He has something better for me.” He must be having a larger picture for me.” He knows when to give, whom to give, what to give and how to give.” “God up[sets your plans to execute His plans for you.” And, of course, “Your ways are your ways, my lord.”

The more and more I observe man, the more and more I am convinced, “Not only man is a creation of an extraordinary god, but also, god is a creation of man’s extraordinary faith.”

Not one bit this Awakening is directed at the faith of man. So many of my Awakenings have already been on the power of faith and the role of that Existential Force in the script of man. This Awakening is just a plea, asking man to love men, as he loves his god. What is this thing called love that can love the father, but not his children? What is this naivety of being unconditional to god, who doesn’t need it; but not willing to be unconditional to man, who needs it? You can be imperfect with a perfect god, and yet, you always try to be perfect in your faith in Him. You need to be perfect with the imperfect man, and yet, you resolutely remain imperfect in relating to the imperfections of man.

We consider God to be a zero-defect creator and yet there is so much allowance for God in the scheme of your life. We know man can never be zero-defect and yet we seem to be so unpardonable towards every mistake of man. When we can be so good to a God that you are yet to experience, then why not be good to the man you experience on a daily basis.

The love, the gratitude, the acceptance, the forgiveness, the non-egoistic approach, the trust, the faith, the patience, etc., etc., you have for God, if only you can also have for man… Your God will celebrate you a lot more when you love his children as much as you love him.

It seems… There lived a man by name Samuel in a small village. Samuel was a man of love, affection, integrity and innocence, who helped people at all times and by all means. He preferred to serve the masses instead of attending the Sunday Mass. One day an angel appeared before Samuel with a book in her hand. Opening the book, the angel read the names of Paul, Peter and Mary and asked Samuel, “Could you please show me the house of these people.” Samuel asked the Angel, “What book is this?” The angel replied, “This is the book which contains the names of those people who love God.”

Out of curiosity, Samuel asked the angel, “Could you please check for my name too.” The angel said, “sorry, your name does not figure in it.” Hearing this Samuel got depressed. Seeing him, the angel said, “There is another book in the Heaven which I shall bring tomorrow, may be your name figures in that.” The next day the angel came with the other book and as she opened it, the name Samuel topped the list. Again out of curiosity Samuel asked the angel, “Now what is this book?” The angel replied, “The book which I brought yesterday contained the names of those people who love God. This book, which I have brought today, contains the names of those people whom God loves.” The hands that help are holier than the lips that pray.

ABOU BEN ADHEM

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lilly in bloom,
An Angel writing in a Book of Gold:

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the Presence in the room he said,
“What writest thou?” The Vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord
Answered. “The names of those who love the
Lord.”

“And is mine one?” said Abou. “Nay, not so,”
Replied the Angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerily still; and said, “I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.”

The Angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had
Blessed.
And, lo! Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest!

----- James Henry Leigh Hunt.

In the above magnificent Poem, Leigh Hunt depicts the true aspect of devotion to God. Abou Ben Adhem, a simple soul, professes no love for God. He only claims that he loves his fellow-men.

Abou dreamt of an angel writing the names of those who loved God. He asked the angel if his name was one of them. The angel replied that it was not so. Abou then requested that his name be written as one who loves his fellow-men. The angel wrote and vanished. The next night it returned with the list of names whom God loved. In that list Abou Ben Adhem’s name was foremost.

Devotion to God, is therefore, directly related to one’s love for fellow-beings. God resides in the core of every being. He is the homogeneous Conscious-principle manifesting in the heterogenous variety of beings. To recognise and worhip Him in His Universal expression is true devotion.

It is always easy to love that unknown child in a war-torn zone the no more embodied mystic, and the sacred saint. But the true merit of your love will be when you can love your own children, the difficult-to-bear spouse, and can’t stand-her mother-in-law… unconditionally. If I can be the voice of your near and dear ones, then I would say, “Even without your love, your God is complete. But I am complete only with your love. Even if I am not perfect, can you still complete me with your love? And please remember, I need your love much more when I am wrong than when I am right.”

Did I begin by saying, “If only we can be as good to man, as we are to god, no prophet or messiah would ever be required to visit this planet.” Let me correct myself. In fact, prophets and messiahs became so because they were as good to man, as they were to god.

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Source: Frozen Thought magazine Aug 2010.
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