11 Apr 2021
[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on April 03, 2021, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]
[Śrī Anil Antony asked: Pādanamaskāraṃ Swami! You have said that due to God’s cosmic illusion (Māyā), God appears to be energy and energy appears to be matter to the soul. It is an illusion that affects all souls. No soul can ever come out of the practical effect of this Māyā, at any time, even after theoretical realization. I did not understand how God appears to be energy to the soul? Are You saying this from the standpoint of atheists, who believe that energy itself is God?]
Swāmi replied: God appears as inert energy, which means that God created the unreal inert energy. The word “appears” means that the created inert energy is not the absolute God. Scientists differ here, because they say that the inert energy itself is God. This unimaginable power of God is basis for the creation, which means that the absolute reality is appearing as relative reality. The soul cannot cross the relative reality of the world or creation because the soul itself has only the same relative reality because soul is a part of the world. It cannot cross itself and attain the higher absolute reality of God. Hence, God said that His Māyā can never be crossed by anybody (Mama māyā duratyayā – Gītā). God also said that His devotees can cross Māyā and here Māyā means the inherent ignorance of the soul (Māyāmetāṃ taranti te – Gītā). Here, the word Māyā can also mean His unimaginable power because His devotee is also blessed with the miraculous power of God by the grace of God so that the devotee also can perform miracles by practically realising the unreal nature of the world just like God.
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