17 Dec 2017
Shri Kartik asked:
1) Suppose a person who is used to eating meat since childhood onwards cuts and eats an animal, it is not sinful for him since he does not know it is wrong. But if someone who has been raised as a vegetarian since childhood onwards (such as a temple priest) eats meat at a later time in life, it is definitely sinful for him because he is doing a sin with full knowledge. This is what one of my relatives feels. Please clarify Swami.
Swami Replied: If you touch fire with your finger due to ignorance thinking that it is red light, will the finger be burnt or not? The sin is not subjective since it is purely objective. The sin arises due to the suffering of the animal or bird (object) you kill and not due to your ignorance or knowledge (subject). When everybody knows that the animal or bird cut is suffering a lot in leaving its life, I don’t understand about the so called ‘ignorance’ mentioned by you. While walking, if your foot step kills an ant, you can use this word ignorance since it is without intention. In killing a bird or animal with knife, there is not even an iota of ignorance or lack of intention. When you are eating non-vegetarian food, you clearly know the way in which it is procured from the market. All these arguments indicate your incapability of resisting the highest climax of sin as told by the scripture “Ahimsaa paramo dharmah”.
2) In the recent chapter of the Datta Veda Sutram, You have argued for the existence of an omnipotent, benevolent and omniscient God based on position of the opponent where he is in denial of the unimaginable domain. What would Your reply be to someone who believes in the unimaginable domain but doesn't believe that God is either kind or unkind? Such a person will agree on the existence of the unimaginable domain but will question the divine characteristics associated with God, viz. bliss and love. In this case, omnipotence and omniscience are also accepted because the unimaginable domain exists according to this person. A section of theists known as deists believe that God exists, but that they also feel that He has simply created this world (that functions according to some rules) and has subsequently left it to its own fate. How would You address such people?
Swami Replied: When you have taken God as unimaginable entity, all the characteristics of awareness mentioned by you like knowledge, love, bliss, kindness, impartial etc., are possible for unimaginable God since awareness means an activity only meaning the activity of knowing. All these characteristics are different modes of the same activity called as awareness. We call such awareness as unimaginable awareness because He is aware (knows) without materialized nervous system and brain in which inert energy is transformed into a specific work called as awareness of knowledge. He knows without having brain, nervous system and inert energy and therefore, we call His awareness as unimaginable awareness. Naturally, different modes of this unimaginable awareness are quite possible. The only point is that this awareness and its modes can’t be expressed to a soul without a medium of God. When omnipotent God created this world, what is the reason for Him to leave this world for its fate after creating certain rules? Even a person with limited potency creates an industry, he will not do so. Sometimes, he may do so due to his inability in the old age. God is omnipotent and never becomes old since He is beyond time. Hence, such thought is childish and foolish. God enters this world every time and supervises the implementation of His rules. Such comment does not indicate that God is mad, but, confirms that the speaker of such statement is mad!
3) In what context should we take the example of the salt doll that loses its individuality while searching for the depth of the ocean?
Swami Replied: When the human soul desires to see the unimaginable God, it fails totally since God, being beyond space, can never be imagined. The unimaginable God is always in the absolute plane in which God alone exists as reality and the creation is unreal in His view. If the soul imagines that it has entered the absolute plane, it should also imagine itself becoming unreal being a part of the world that becomes unreal in this plane. Hence, this plane is never touched by the soul. Only a theoretical assumption of absolute plane can be made. For all practical purposes, relative plane alone exists in which mediated God exists along with His associated world, which is equally real to His medium. Since God merges with the medium perfectly, the medium itself is taken as God in the name ‘mediated God’. Due to this equal reality between God (mediated God) and medium (world including souls) relative plane results. This relative plane is the land on which the salt doll exists safely. The absolute plane is the sea in which the salt doll entering the absolute plane enquiring about it disappears! Hence, many number of philosophies are in this relative plane only. Gaudapada spoke about absolute plane only saying that the world is not created at all as per his ‘Ajaativaada’ (Ajaatam jaayate…). Shankara is also in the relative plane only and referred the absolute plane frequently in His philosophy.
4) Please explain the state of akarma. Is it the same as the state of an Avadhuta, which You’ve mentioned before is similar to that of a plant or a rock.
Swami Replied: In a plant, there is no will or quality of the deed due to absence of awareness. The soul in the plant exists as the basic inert energy only. In Avadhuta, awareness exists in full developed state. His inertness or inactivity is external only. The internal inactivity can also be achieved by taking a sleeping pill by which deep sleep results. The inactivity (Akarma) of the soul in a plant is absolute and in Avadhuta it is only external.
5) You have said that fruits are decided by deeds In the case of all souls. Does this also apply to the aspect of a devotee coming in contact with the human form of the Lord or is this purely based on His grace which is different from the cycle of deeds?
Swami Replied: The grace of human incarnation gives correct spiritual knowledge like the doctor giving the prescription slip. Purchasing the medicine and using it as per the slip is the deed of patient-soul. Both are essential for effective result. If the slip is correct (true knowledge), the disease disappears in one day with a single tablet costing one rupee. If the slip is wrong (false knowledge given by a false preacher), the disease doesn’t disappear even if 100 tablets are purchased for 100 rupees and used for 100 days! The correct doctor charges 100 rupees as his fees and you get rid of the disease with 101 rupees. The wrong doctor charges 50 rupees only as his fees and you are not relieved of the disease even after spending 150 rupees! Doctor’s fees (Guru Dakshina) is more valuable than the amount paid in purchasing the medicine! This enlightens the importance of correct preacher and true spiritual knowledge given by him to you.
To be continued …
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