The analysis of the nature of God is given in
chapters 7 to 12 in Bhagavad Gita. Initially the seeker of truth will think
that the World is God and in the end after self discovery realise that I am
God.
Analysis of God can be done in the following
way.
1.
God
is the one who creates the world. Different forms are given to him for the sake
of worship even though God the creator is one.
2.
God
is one who himself manifests or becomes the world without losing godliness (if
we may call). This is just as the Gold which becomes an ornament without losing
its goldness (value).
3.
God
appears as the world in the waking state because of Maya Sakthi just as in the
dream world because of Nidhra Sakthi.
4.
There
is no such thing called world. I am God.
After deep analysis we come to know that the
world is an illusion and the Reality supporting the world is Atman or Bramhan.
The seeker of truth finds God in everything
but sees God different from himself. After self analysis, when he sees the
supreme Self within, his individuality merges with Divinity and attains total
realization. He becomes one with God. The
seeker claims I am God Aham Brahma asmi.
You gain some idea of what you really are,
how God operates, by studying an amazing similarity between God and
petrol. God, the supreme Self functions
in beings in the same way as petrol in motor vehicles. We can see points of
comparison which bring them remarkably close:
Important aspect of philosophy is truth which
is the combination of spirit and matter. You are made up of spirit and matter
just as the light is made up of electricity and bulb. If your concentration is
on the self then you become Self. As you see so you become. Nobody shifts to
the self. You are constantly thinking of body, mind, and intellect. Your Self is God. In Sanskrit it is
Atman. In English it is God. How does God operate? He operates like petrol
in a car. No motor car moves without petrol. Petrol is the prime mover but
petrol does not move. It has no desire to perform anything. Similarly the Self,
Atman is the activating principle in all beings. Atman has no desire to perform
anything. Take for example 3 cars Viz. a medium, a small and a big car. Their
performance will vary but petrol in 3 cars are the same. The same Atman
functions in every one of us as the same petrol in every car. Yet our caliber
and conduct are distinctly different. Yet the one Atman functions through them
all.
One car destroys life due to accident. One
car saves life which is used as Ambulance. Petrol is the same. Without petrol
both cannot happen. By comparison Atma in a terrorist kills others. Atma in a
noble person performs good things. Sooner or later in a human being you have to
find that out (Atma). We are nothing but the infinite functioning through the
finite (us). Slowly you have to move up to the highest level of your
personality.
The mission in life is to discover who you
essentially are. The truth is constant. In your own consciousness you find the
reality within you. You don’t understand it. You need to examine what this
truth is. Who are you? I am a Child, later I am a Youth, much later you would
say I am an adult etc. Everything changes. The physical body of the child,
Adult, old person is one and the same and so also the feelings and your
thinking. Everything about you changes. Only thing constant within you is “I
am”. Negate this “I am”. The definition of Reality is that which persists. Anything
which existed in the past will continue to exist now and in the future. That is
real. We are caught up in relative reality. We forget this. We get into
impermanent reality. “I am” is the common denomination for all. You don’t know
what “I am” really is. In the Ten Commandments, the voice replied to Moses,
tell them I am that I am. Beyond the perishable body, mind, intellect is the
imperishable truth.
Why are we attracted to the world? Our
physical body, mind and intellect are attracted to the world. The world serves
as a magnet like a piece of Iron is drawn to a magnet. Self in you is like a
piece of wood. Wood does not attract magnet. If you bind the wooden piece to
the Iron piece the combination is attracted by the magnet. The Self in you is
not attracted (like the wooden piece) and remains where it is. Self remains the Sakshi the witness to
whatever is going on. Petrol is responsible for the movement of all
vehicles including car. Petrol has nothing to do with the performance of the
car. Petrol is a silent witness. It enables the car to take home safely or meet
with an accident. Self in you (god principle) is constantly with you. You have
to recognize the Self in you. You have to be an introvert. Analyze yourself. Do self discovery. You are constantly
interacting with the world and do 3 transactions from birth to death. They are Receipt, reaction and response.
It is very similar to running a company. From Raw material (good quality) to
Production (machine is tuned perfectly and process / reaction takes place) and
you get the end product (with strict quality control).
Remember that you have the freedom to act the
way you want. You have no control over the consequences. You have to face the
consequences. Everyone gets exactly what he deserves. Good or Bad. You have to
take responsibility of your own life. The
world is not responsible for your actions.
Irrespective of what the world offers you,
you should be happy. Nothing in the world should disturb you. We have not found
true happiness within ourselves. See what you are looking for but not pursuing
it in the right direction. Take an example of a coil spring 4 feet high. As
long as it is in its original state there will be no pressure. If you press it
by 2 feet and release your hand, it will come to its original state because
pressure is released. Likewise nobody is free from pressure because nobody is
in their original state. Peace and contentment is required. Set the right
direction in life. There is a bit of arrogance we have (bhajagovindam by adi
sankara) within us. Bhagavad Gita says you have no choice. You are looking for
your original state. Set the right direction and ease the pressure like the
spring irrespective of the circumstances.
Every human born must die one day. Life is
given to us for a period of time. What is it so vital in a human life that I
should know? We have to use the equipment called Buddhi or intellect. Intellect
is the capacity to reason to understand. Use this to the full extent. If you
choose not to use it you are faced with worries, stress, strains etc. Any human
being facing any difficulty in life is due to the fault which lies within.
Never outside. Use your intellect in accepting this. If something goes wrong in your decisions you have to blame yourself. The
more objective you become you move towards divine nature your original self.
If your attention is upon your Self the world
is out of focus. If your thought is on the world you don’t have a value for a
higher thing. Constant thought and feelings of the self (unswerving devotion)
are required. We can take Classical Music as an example. You first hear Sruthi,
thanpura. One by one the instruments are tuned to that one Sruthi. Artist is
ready to perform. Curtains go up. Singer sings different songs different ragas
different tunes and rhythms. All are tunes to that one Sruthi. So also Reality
is one. The truth. Everything is tuned to the higher. The truth. I am the Self.
I am the reality. Let me function to the best of my ability. One thought one
feeling. Unswerving devotion. You merge your Self with God.
Knowledge alone is not sufficient. You will
remain incomplete. Wisdom is required. Gaining knowledge is easy. Wisdom is
when you live your own thoughts. You are wise when you are attentive to your
own thoughts. You speak wise but you are otherwise.
Three stages of ignorance: 1st
stage you lack knowledge. You don’t even know the truth. Shravanam is listening. “Every act of conscious learning requires
the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem. That is why young
children before they are aware of their own self-importance learn so easily”. Thomas
Szasz (1920-present) Hungarian professor of Psychiatry.
1st stage of ignorance is crossed when you
start listening. First Learn to listen. What is the other person trying to tell
you? Develop the ability to listen.
2nd stage you know but you don’t
understand. Understanding will come when you start to think what you have
learnt or heard. You can clear your doubts. By doing this you develop a proper
understanding. This is called Mananam.
3rd stage Even though you
understand you are not following it. The 3rd and final stage of
ignorance is removed when you start following it. You have to reflect upon what
you have learned and put it to your life fully to gain wisdom. This is Nidhithyasanam.
Knowledge which is assimilated converts to
mental strength and thereafter Wisdom is gained. Modern races are won in the mind even before the actual race begins.
Dignity of a person is to learn to be
peaceful (Shanti) in unpeaceful (Ashanthi) circumstances. Realization of your
own self in the higher thing has to be perceived. Be an introvert and discover
yourself and seek the truth.
Not realising these truths of life, diverse
activities are attributed to the Self, to Atman, to God. You hold God
responsible for everything that happens in the world. You blame god when
something goes wrong. And praise God when all goes well. You must reflect
carefully over this equation between god and petrol. Understand God as merely the substratum of all activities. And not hold
God responsible for the variety of activities in the world.
Be blissful
S.SEKAR
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
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