English »   Malayalam »  

Highlighted Question and Answer

1. Will the sins done by the climax devotee hinder God from giving the highest fruit?

[Smt. Chhanda Chandra asked:- Swami, when God is pleased to the climax level with a devotee for his/her climax level of sacrifice in practical devotion, will the sins done by the devotee hinder God from giving the highest fruit?]

Swami replied:- I will explain your question with the help of two examples:-

1. The hunter in the forest was always doing sins by hunting soft natured animals like deer, rabbit, etc., but when the context of his sacrifice to God came, he plucked his eye to replace the eye of God that was profusely bleeding! His highest sacrifice for God is the Kohinoor diamond. The sins done by him were like the dust particles that are surrounding the diamond. Will anybody neglect the diamond because  dust particles are surrounding the diamond? Any wise person will pick up that diamond and clean the diamond from the dust with his own cloth and place it as a jewel on his head. God is the wisest of all the souls. God will not certainly reject the sinful devotee, who has done the climax sacrifice for God. God gave His own abode, called Brahmaloka (Vaikuntha or Shivaloka) to the hunter and did not send the hunter to  hell for his sins.
2. Dharmaraja never did any sin. Even though God ordered him to tell a lie in the war, he refused it giving climax importance for not doing the sin of telling a lie. He never gave climax importance to God even though he was a devotee of God. For him, doing justice and not doing injustice was the climax. Of course, he placed God just below the climax. He was awarded the first place in heaven for following justice so firmly and he was not sent to hell since he firmly avoided doing even a trace of injustice under any circumstance. But, heaven is only a temporary fruit and you have to return back to earth as soon as the merit of your fruit gets exhausted (Kṣīe puye martyalokaṃ viśanti - Gita). Dharmaraja is a washed gravel stone devoid of even a single dust particle. If you find a pure gravel stone, will you pick it up? You will neglect it and go your way. Dharmaraja did not go to Brahmaloka or Satyaloka (7^th world) and went only upto heaven (3^rd world).

A devotee having sinless character and doing climax sacrifice for God is like the washed diamond found in your way. You will run and pick it up. If you find an ordinary devotee with sinful character, such a devotee is like a gravel stone covered by dust at which you will not throw even a glance. The main point in your question is about a diamond covered with dust. You will not mind at all for the dust since you give highest value to the diamond and lowest value to the gravel stone. What is the use of the gravel stone even if it is without dust? Even if the diamond is covered by dust, the dust will not be counted at all. You have to understand that the value of dust is nothing before the value of the diamond.

An ordinary human being may not identify the diamond covered with dense dust. But, the omniscient God can find out even the highest sinner, who has done climax sacrifice to God and God will pick him up to wash away his sins and to give the highest divine fruit. The hunter in the forest mentioned above is the best example. In the Gita, it is told by God Krishna, “However much one may be sinful, if the devotee is totally absorbed in Me as proved by his/her climax devotion, such a devotee shall not be considered as sinner. Moreover, such a devotee also becomes the follower of justice soon” (Api cet sa durācāra…).

Therefore, one must understand that social service without the mention of God is like a gravel stone covered by dust. Social service having just the mention of God as a formality is like the washed gravel stone. Sacrifice to God below the level of one’s own capacity is like a precious stone covered by dust. Sacrifice to God at the climax level as per one’s capacity is like a diamond covered by dust. Sacrifice to God at the climax level exceeding one’s capacity is like the Kohinoor diamond covered by dust. Service and sacrifice to God will always lead to the highest 7^th world (Brahmaloka or Satyaloka or Dattaloka) and sometimes to the higher than the highest 8^th world (Goloka).

2. Will the highest fruit gifted by God be the merging of God with the devotee?

[Swami, the highest fruit gifted by God to the highest devotee, who proved climax practical devotion must be the merge of God with the devotee to become the human incarnation. Isn’t it?]

Swami replied:- As a rule, no devotee shall aspire for monism with God to become the human incarnation. When God wants to do some welfare work for the world of devotees, God descends down as the human incarnation. The human devotee can never ascend to become the human incarnation. Hence, monism is possible entirely on the wish of God only and even a trace of wish of a human devotee for that is poisoning oneself that ends in suicide, which means that a devotee aspiring to become the human incarnation is permanently disqualified for it. Moreover, another valid reason is that the devotee can never enjoy in monism and real enjoyment is possible only in dualism. Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa told that He wants to become an ant enjoying the God-sugar and told that He does not want to become the sugar itself to be bitten by the devotee-ants! Ramanuja told that God is an enjoyable item whereas the devotee is the enjoyer (Bhogya Bhoktru Sambandha). In the fruit of dualistic devotion, God sits at the feet of the devotee like Krishna sitting at the feet of Radha. In the result of the fruit of monism, the devotee becomes equal to God whereas in the result of the fruit of dualism, God becomes the servant of the devotee. The fruit of dualistic devotion is far higher than the fruit of monism. In monism, there is only some duty to be fulfilled for the welfare of devotees and there is no enjoyment. Sometimes, lot of misery is to be undergone. But, in dualistic devotion, the highest bliss always continues as mighty ocean in which the devotee is always immersed. All the Advaita philosophers, who chant every minute that they are God (Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi) must note the truth and must become very careful in this point.

Whenever the fruit of devotion arises, it is only dualistic closeness (Saayujyam). Kaivalyam or monism does not appear in the context of fruit given by God to the devotee. Monism arises only when there is some need in the world of devotees to be solved by God by descending down as the human incarnation. Hence, monism is not a divine fruit at all and only dearest closeness (Saayujyam) is the fruit that is always appearing, which is well recognized by the wisest devotees. Some think that monism exists in Saayujyam also and this is not correct. When sugar dissolves in water, it appears as if the sugar and water are perfectly merged to become one item called sugar-solution. But, if you observe the sugar solution, you will find sugar molecules separately from water molecules. This is the case of extreme closeness, which can be achieved by the climax devotee. In monism (Kaivalyam), there is only one type of molecules and two types of sugar and water molecules do not exist. Such monism is possible only for the unimaginable God and not possible for any devotee. Hence, monism with soul is possible only for God and impossible for any soul. Therefore, it is told that God alone can descend to become the human incarnation by His will and no soul can ascend to become the human incarnation by any quantity of effort. In monism of becoming the human incarnation, the work is of God and you are the instrument used for it. In this, there is no enjoyment except tension and stress to the devotee. In  dualism, the fruit of devotion involves the enjoyment of the devotee and God is the enjoyed item. Therefore, at least, based on this concept, one should not aspire to become the human incarnation and always shall try for the fruit of devotion through dualism only. The prior is to do the work of God and the latter is to enjoy God.

3. If the climax devotee feels undeserving, what will be the decision of God?

[Swami, if God is giving the highest fruit for the highest practical devotion of a devotee and if the devotee feels himself/herself as undeserving to receive that fruit, what will be the decision of God?]

Swami replied:- The devotee is always the candidate writing the examination and the examiner is the deciding authority of the result of the examination. The examiner is valuing the answer script of the candidate and is perfectly authorized to announce the result about the candidate, which is failure or pass or first class or distinction or record break, the candidate has no voice in the part of the result. If the candidate fails, he/she cannot argue with the examiner that he/she should pass. If the candidate gets distinction or even breaks the record, the candidate cannot argue with the examiner that he/she should be failed since he/she is not deserving even a pass. Both these arguments are based on the ignorance of the candidate because only the examiner is the 100% authority in declaring the result of the examination. Of course, it is the humbleness of the devotee to lower his/her self and God is more pleased with such a candidate to declare the best result with a lot of happiness towards the candidate. The examiner will not change the result under any circumstances. If humility and humbleness are expressed, the same result will be given to the candidate with expression of more happiness and appreciation of the candidate.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★