09 Sep 2022
[Shri PVNM Sarma asked:- People are consulting priests to solve their worldly problems and priests are suggesting various types of worships of various forms of God. How can one introduce Your spiritual knowledge to such people?]
Swami replied:- The people mentioned by you are totally different, who belong to Pravrutti only. Their sole aim is the solution of their worldly problems alone, using the miraculous power of God. God is only an instrument to achieve the worldly goal. People fix a fan in the house for the purpose of enjoying air. Fan is the instrument and the goal is to enjoy air. If the fan is serving their purpose, it is ok. If the fan does not rotate and give air or if the fan gives hot air, the fan is immediately removed. Similarly, by doing the specific type of worship to a specific form of God, if their goal is not achieved or if something opposite happens to them, immediately, such form of God and such type of worship are withdrawn. Of course, God also tries to help them in achieving their worldly goals because in the beginning, every system is defective as said in the Gita (Sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa…). A small child goes to school only if you give it a chocolate, which is inevitable in view of the beginning ignorance of the child. But, when the child grows and is going to study PG degree in the University, neither does the grown up student ask for the chocolate nor do the parents give him the chocolate even if asked. Similarly, God goes out of the procedure of the divine administration and helps every soul in the beginning. But, as time proceeds, the soul is expected to turn towards Nivrutti, in which the goal is selfless love to God to form a real and permanent bond with Him so that whatever is good for the soul, God does it irrespective of its worship.
The bond with God is transformed from prostitution bond (asking practical boons for theoretical worship) or business bond (asking practical boons for practical worship) to issue devotional bond (doing practical worship due to real love on God without aspiring for anything in return from God). If God does not give the desired boon (the fan does not rotate at all), the devotee feels that God did not give the fruit for some good purpose only. If God gives the opposite result, the devotee feels that God gave such a result for some good purpose only. The faith here is that whatever is the response from God, all that is only for the good of the devotee alone. This truth will be realized by the devotee in course of time. In this path of Nivrutti, God is the goal and not any worldly desire. This does not mean that God will not help the soul in Pravrutti. God is the ultimate Lord of both Pravrutti and Nivrutti.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★