Divine Satsanga

Dr. Nikhil & Smt. Devi phoned to Swami on 21-09-2018 at 9.00 pm., and asked the following questions for which Swami gave the answers. This spiritual discussion is presented as the Satsanga here.

1) Can you give the message on this occasion of Ganesha Chaturthii Festival?

Ans) God Ganesha is said to be creator of obstacles (Vighnakartaa) as well as remover of obstacles (Vighnahartaa). Both these adjectives contradict each other. This indicates madness of a person to do something in one time and to do the opposite in another time. Unless you find the correlation, there is no solution. A contradiction always indicates different references. If the reference is one and the same, the contradiction exists and no correlation is possible. If you say that this world is real (Ramanuja and Madhva) as well as unreal (Shankara), the correlation is impossible if you take single reference like God or soul. This world is unreal for God and real for the soul. Since the world is created by God, the truth, the world can’t be equally true since one truth can’t create another equal truth. Since the soul is a part of world, the unreal world is real for the unreal soul. Similarly, God is creator of obstacles in the case of a devotee, who is trying (Saadhaka) to get the grace of God. God is remover of obstacles in the case of the devotee, who succeeded in attaining the grace of God (Siddha).

2) You said that the world created as unreal becomes real after creation to give real entertainment to God (Asadvaa idamagra aasiit tato vai sadajaayata... Veda). Here the world is real as well as unreal for the same reference called God. How is this?

Ans) God is the only truth or the absolute reality. If there is another equal absolute reality, God can never create or destroy that. The unreal imaginary world created by the absolute reality appears to be real world by giving clear vision like the obscure unreal imaginary world becoming clear like the real world in the dream with the help of the self-ignorance. The dream world is as clear as the real external world during the time of dream. But, after the dream, in the awaken state, the dream world is realized as unreal like the imaginary world. This means that the dream world appears just like the real external world with clear vision due to the help given by ignorance in dream. This means that the dream world is not really real like the external world at any time. Similarly, for the sake of clear vision, the imaginary world becomes more clear for the sake of real entertainment of God like the real world in the awaken state or the dream world in the dream state of a person. This obscure-unreal world during the creation becomes clear-real like (just called as real) world during the entertainment. This doesn’t mean that the unreal world has become really the real world. As such, in the case of God there is no real world at all since this real world is unreal imaginary world only for God. Without the help of the self-ignorance, this becomes possible due to the unimaginable power of God. In the case of the soul, the imaginary world and real world are different not only in the clarity of vision, but also in the reality. In the case of God, both imaginary world and real world are unreal only maintaining the difference that the imaginary world is not clear but the unreal world becoming like real world is clear. This difference in the clarity of vision does not make the imaginary world as unreal and the assumed real world as real. The imaginary and assumed real worlds are basically unreal only except the difference that imaginary world is obscure and the assumed real world is clear for the sake of entertainment. During the entertainment, any part of the assumed real world can disappear by the will of God showing that the whole assumed real world is always unreal before God whether it is obscure or clear. When the obscure imaginary world becomes clear like real world, the world is not actually real but appears clearly like the real world. Unreal became real means the obscure unreal world became clear assumed real world. Asat means obscure unreal world during the creation. Sat means clear assumed real world and does not mean the actual real world as seen by the soul.

3) The three divine philosophies are interpreted by You based on the background of psychology of receivers. Can you explain this further in depth?

Ans) A person on joining as a worker in a factory feels himself as a sincere servant in the beginning for some time. Later on, due to the natural ambition of the human mind, the servant imagines himself as a minor partner of the factory for some time as you see his authoritative behaviour developing in due course of time. After some time, the servant feels himself as the single owner of the factory and his authoritative behaviour reaches the climax. This behaviour is not criticized in negative way, but, this behaviour is expressed as the natural tendency of any human being overcome by ambition. As a servant in the factory in the beginning, philosophy of Madhva is indicated. As imaginary minor partner in due course of time, the philosophy of Ramanuja is indicated. As imaginary single owner of the factory, the philosophy of Shankara is indicated. The effort of all these three preachers is to bring back the servant to his original real state of servant removing the imaginary illusions. The three preachers agreed to their existing states of psychology in the beginning, which is essential to convince the receiver and slowly to bring him down to his original state.

When Shankara came, the illusion was maximum since almost everybody was an atheist thinking himself as God. Shankara agreed to this and turned them in to theists by saying that everybody is God and since everybody exists, God exists. Ramanuja proposed the receiver to be a part of God or a minor partner of the factory, which is an intermediate step. Madhva opened the reality by saying that the receiver is only a permanent servant of God. The first step of a talented preacher is to agree with the concept of the receiver for some time and slowly change him towards the reality. The three philosophies clearly indicate the natural progress of the human psychology in the society.

The philosophy of Shankara supporting that soul is God has several good applications like becoming confident and courageous in leading the worldly life passing through several practical problems. The confidence given by this theory keeps the soul always brave with full contentment. When the soul is God, there is no need of earning money through illegal means since the whole world is the property of God or soul by which the soul is not expected to do corruption or any other sin. Since God is real and the world is unreal, no problem can shake the soul. All these are good merits of this theory and Shankara promoted in view of these merits that help the soul from misery in the world. But, the followers of Shankara applied this theory in negative direction so that sins were multiplied. Since the soul is God, the soul became egoistic to do the sin since God is never punished. Some have over interpreted this theory saying that the sin is unreal because the world itself is unreal! Expecting these negative exploitations in the beginning itself, Shankara told that the soul can’t become God unless its mind is purified through the worship of God, which involves dualism. Ramanuja came when these followers were misled towards the wrong track and hence, Ramanuja told everywhere that He is criticizing the followers of Shankara only and never said that He is criticizing Shankara, who is Himself only. He consoled the receivers by saying that soul is not God but is a part of God preventing the steep sudden fall of the soul from monism-sky to dualism-earth. Even though the soul is said to be a part of God, sin was reduced, but, not eliminated completely. To eradicate the sin totally, Madhva opened the reality in the final stage by saying that any soul is only a servant of God and not even trace of God. Thus, these three philosophies represent the change in the human psychology and resisting the negative exploitations of theories of Shankara and Ramanuja.

4) Ambition for higher position is a good promoting force in the worldly life. Does it not apply to spiritual life also?

Ans) Pravrutti and Nivrutti are quite opposite as said in the Veda (Vishuuchii...). In Pravrutti, there is no harm if the servant thinks himself as a minor partner and as the sole owner in course of time. Since such ambitions can develop the servant to improve his talents to rise from the level of the servant to the level of owner. In course of time, a servant may become partner and sole owner of a factory through his self-development due to the force of ambition. But, in Nivrutti, you have to feel always as the servant of God only and never imagine to become partner or owner. If you keep your intensions in the lowest level of servant, God may make you the partner or even the owner or even the master of owner! Hence, the trend of Pravrutti should not be extended into Nivrutti.

The very important fundamental point in Nivrutti is that you should always remain as the servant of God without aspiring any fruit in return for your service and sacrifice as you do in the case of your issues. This point should be learnt from Hanuman, who always remained as servant of God even after blessed with the post of future creator or God.

5) The unimaginable nature and imaginable nature of incarnation contradict each other. How to solve this?

Ans) The unimaginable God and the imaginable creation are different domains. God exists around the world beyond its circular boundary as said in the Gita (Sarvamaavrutya tishthati). As long as both exist separately, there is no contradiction. When the unimaginable God enters the first energetic incarnation and merges with it homogeneously to form a single phase, the God-component is unimaginable whereas the medium or energy-component is imaginable. In this way, there is no contradiction between the two components. However, if you view the human incarnation as single entity (Monism) as proposed by Shankara, this is also possible because of the unimaginable power of God. This is a better expression since the climax human devotees were anxious to see the absolute God expressed as first energetic incarnation (God Datta) in the clear human form. God Datta enters energetic or human form to become incarnation and the unimaginable God does not enter directly since He is always confined to God Datta only. However, for others having jealousy towards co-human form, the other two angles of Ramanuja and Madhva are scientifically possible basing on internal dualism and external monism (due to non-isolation of soul from God) of Ramanuja and perfect dualism (two components are separate in a mixture) of Madhva. Due to different references, the three theories become simultaneously correct in the same time.

6) What is the significance of miracles in spiritual path?

Ans) Miracles have both positive and negative sides in the spiritual path. Demons were spoiled by the ego attained by getting miraculous powers from God. These induce ego in any devotee and even in the human being component of human incarnation as we see the case of Parashurama. Miracles are very dangerous, which increase selfishness in the case of devotees also. If one problem is solved by the miraculous power, ten problems come forward for solutions by which selfishness of devotees increases more and more, which is quite against to the aim of spiritual path. From the angle of this point, miracles are discouraged. Shri Paramahamsa laughed when a saint told with pride that he has attained the miraculous power to walk on Ganges after doing spiritual effort for thirty years. Paramahamsa told him that the value of his effort for thirty years is one rupee since with one rupee one can cross Ganges by the boat! Believing God in human form is done by seeing miracles and such people are of ordinary level. Devotees, who are very close to God from several births, believe God in human form even without seeing the miracles.

Taking the positive side of miracles, any human incarnation intending to preach spiritual knowledge to ordinary human beings requires the need of certain miracles at least to be exhibited in the beginning of His program. Such exhibition is very badly required for initial pickup to overcome the starting trouble in the program of human incarnation. Such exhibition doesn’t raise any pride in the human incarnation as in the case of a demon or ignorant human being. Such initial miracles are like the visiting cards introducing God’s unimaginable nature. These miracles are useful in the case of certain atheists (about whom God has hope of transformation) also giving proof through perception. Once the initial pickup is attained, the human incarnation starts using these miracles in the case of real devotees to help their spiritual path by giving peace through solutions of their burning problems. In such miracles, the identity of human incarnation is not revealed. Such benefited devotee thinks that the solution is obtained from abstract God, whom the devotee is worshiping in general. Some also say that the solution is attained by the end of his bad punishments of sins and beginning of fruits of good deeds. You can’t isolate such miracle to prove it that it is blessed by the grace of human incarnation worshipped by the devotee. However, this doesn’t matter for the incarnation since its aim is not self-projection, but only progress of the spiritual journey of His devotee. However, in the initial miracles, self-projection of the human incarnation is required for a good purpose of drawing attention of ordinary devotees initially and this is not for bad purpose of projecting self.

7) In the human incarnation, when God becomes the human being completely, where is the scope of exhibiting human nature?”

Ans) For climax devotees, the human form appearing is totally God. For such devotees there is no need of conducting tests in which the exhibition of human nature is essential. For such devotees, the human incarnation acts as God only (monism of Shankara). For other devotees, who do not like the human form of God or who do not like the human form of God so much (as the case of climax devotees), the human incarnation exhibits dual nature (dualism of Madhva) and inseparable dual nature (theory of Ramanuja) respectively. For the sake of ordinary devotees, the human incarnation is two component-single phase system of mixture like an alloy of two metals or like the dual nature (particle and wave) of electron. The same human incarnation exhibits these three stages simultaneously with reference to the corresponding level of devotees. Even if there are hundred theistic religions with hundred philosophies, God can exist in hundred states simultaneously proving that each philosophy of each religion is simultaneously correct. The unity of religions is an established fact through the unimaginable power of God and good logic also can support it. The same unimaginable God can appear in hundred forms of these religions just like a photo prepared by special photographic technique appears in different forms viewed in different angles. The human nature of the incarnation is exhibited on the will of the presiding God only for the sake of several purposes like throwing out undeserving devotees, testing the strength of the faith of the so called devotees etc.

8) Why the previous incarnations of God Datta did not reveal this systematic philosophy as revealed now?

Ans) Shri Ramanath asked some time back exactly this same question. People of ancient generations were scholars of scriptural logic (Tarkashastra) and God Datta spoke the same philosophy in terms of the then existing systematic style. Today, people are scholars of science, which is the same old logic presented in better way due to experimental evidence. Certainly, science is far better than the ancient logic because the systematic nature is well proved by practical proof. Logic means the study of various items of the creation. This ancient logic or the modern science is always confined to the boundaries of imaginable domain (creation) and the unimaginable domain (creator) is always far beyond such logic or science. In the same phase of creation, science is better than mere theoretical logic. This does not mean that science can explain God. God always speaks to the receivers in their own language. Language, here, means the style of understanding the subject. Dog can understand only when you speak in its language. Hence, this philosophy is the same ancient philosophy spoken in the present style of science. It is the same old wine in new bottle. The same old philosophy spoken in the present systematic style of science appears as a new philosophy. The old generations will not appreciate this present philosophy and the new generations will not appreciate that old philosophy. The matter should be always presented in the style of the then existing time.

The present philosophy gives lot of stress on the unimaginable God, which is the need of the present hour. Today, sins have increased tremendously. The human beings are doing sins wherever there exists a trace of possibility. They have become very clever in developing several techniques to escape punishments from the judiciary system of the land and they feel that the law of the land is the ultimate barrier to be crossed. All such sinners are severely warned by this concept, which says that the unimaginable God will punish the sinners through unimaginable ways and the sinner can never escape God, who is the ultimate inevitable barrier. This concept is very important and by this only the sin can be controlled. In the ancient India, this concept alone controlled every sin. If the sin is not controlled, this world will crumble in to pieces.

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