30 Dec 2015
Shri Veena Datta asked: What is the significance of the negative qualities exposed by Lord Dattatreya, which bring difficulty in the progress of the spiritual effort?
Shri Swami Replied: All the items and qualities created by God are most auspicious and positive only. Is there any unholy verse in the Ramayana written by the holy sage Valmiki? Hence, this world created by God is as sacred as God. Fools only criticize and abuse this world. Of course, the negative direction of qualities came into picture only after the misuse of the qualities by these created souls only. Any item or any quality used in the original positive direction created by God is sacred only.
The qualities made negative by the misuse of the human beings are used in the same direction for certain positive purpose by the Lord. The so called negative qualities (made by souls) are expressed by the Lord in the same negative direction for the practical use of testing the devotees. Here, the negative quality is not introduced by the Lord. It is already introduced by the souls by diverting the positive quality created by Lord in negative direction. Therefore, God should not be blamed for expressing these negative qualities, Who is not the author of these negative qualities, for the sake of testing the devotees. They are not made negative by God. They are made negative by the souls only. He uses these already existing negative qualities for a positive purpose. Hence, God need not be blamed at any stage for expressing these negative qualities. The positive quality created by Him is made negative through diversion into wrong direction. Such made negative qualities are just used by God for testing the devotion. Hence, there is no connection between God and negative quality. Even though, the quality is negative, it becomes positive again due to its practical positive use in testing the devotion. Therefore, the positive quality created by God is turned to the negative quality by the souls and such negative quality is used by God for a positive purpose of testing the devotion. Hence, you cannot blame the Lord Dattatreya testing the devotion through negative qualities in view of the above explained concept.
How a negative quality can be used to test the love to God (devotion)? Can't you use a positive quality for the same test? The use of positive quality to test the love is done at the initial level. If the Lord begs you for food or for some money, donation of such desired items to the Lord is test through positive quality. Begging and donation are not negative at all. If the devotee donates, the devotee succeeds in the test. If the devotee fails to give donation to the deserving Lord, it is failure in the positive test.
In the advanced level, when the devotion or love to God becomes very strong, it is tested through negative qualities. The Lord appearing as a mad person in highly drunken state surrounded by prostitutes starts beating you with a stick and demanding money from you, it is the question paper containing questions in all the subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology given to a student studying MBiPC in the central syllabus. Any mad person or a person becoming mad by drink is naturally avoided. Here, the Lord shows both and hence should be totally avoided. The surrounding prostitutes show His unjust character towards women, which is a main gate for the hell and such a person should be boycotted as per the scriptures of justice. Moreover, He beats us with a stick and this is violence without reason. Non-violence being the highest justice, violence without reason should be highest injustice. Moreover, He demands for money instead of begging. Hence, such person is in the climax of injustice and should be avoided. Even if you know that He is Lord Dattatreya, the tolerance to His test is highly impossible. In spite of all these negative qualities and actions, if you tolerate Him, still love Him, praise Him with folded hands and submit money as Gurudakshina by falling on His feet, it is the climax of your love to God or devotion. It is like the final annual examination conducted by the form called Lord Shiva, Who is the embodiment of Tamas containing all the devilish qualities. Before this, exists the half yearly examination, which is conducted by Lord Vishnu, Who steals away all your wealth and makes you the poorest through preaching the spiritual knowledge representing Sattvam. Lord Vishnu is supposed to steal your money (Tasya vittam haraamyaham – Vishnu Puranam). If this is the result for you while you approach Him for getting wealth from His wife, Goddess Lakshmi, can anyone face this test? Before this, exists the initial quarterly examination conducted by the Lord Brahma representing Rajas or ego. When you pray the Lord for wealth in this test, He keeps silent and you misunderstand Him to be egoistic for such constant negligence to your continuous prayers. Any practically wise person will stop the worship of such Lord and reject the Lord Dattatreya, Who is in the three divine forms (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva).
The tests are essential to revise your progress in the spiritual path and make you know your status achieved at every stage so that you will understand your present status and put more effort in the future according to the requirement. We find such system of periodical tests (weekly tests and even daily tests) in the EAMCET coaching (as we see such advertisements), which is considered to be very effective for the student. In such case, you should also appreciate the system of tests conducted by Lord Dattatreya to the spiritual aspirants as very effective line of spiritual coaching. You run to join such EAMCET coaching centres conducting daily tests in Pravrutti and I do not understand why you run away from such spiritual coaching centre conducted by Lord Dattatreya? You are a student of engineering having come through such EAMCET coaching and its test and especially you should appreciate such preaching system of Lord Dattatreya. Hence, such system involving difficulties is the most effective line of progress and should not be treated as a line with hurdles to discourage you. The hurdles always increase the speed of your efficiency in your effort like the culverts increase the speed of the flow of water in the canals. Only unwise blind people avoid Lord Dattatreya with such false fear. I heard one devotee saying “Are you going to the temple of Lord Dattatreya? No, No. He will cut your worldly bonds (Dattam Chinnam)”. It is the climax of illusion because every devotee wants salvation, but, does not want the relief from the worldly bonds! Salvation itself means the relief from the worldly bonds and to have single bond with God. They use the word 'salvation' without knowing its meaning like the priest reciting the Veda without knowing its meaning. The priest recites the Anna Suktam just before taking the food in the ritual done for the departed parents, in which it is said that you should not throw even a small piece of food (Annam na parichaksheeta). The priest throws away lot of food since he only made the blind recitation of the Veda without knowing the meaning of any word in it.
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