16 Jun 2015
[Shri Anil asked: Jesus said 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do' and also Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the light - nobody can come to the Father except through me'
To the above statement a Muslim devotee (Late Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad ) gave following explanation:
It only means that in relation to God, a Prophet becomes himself an eternal truth because if he speaks the language of God and God alone then he also becomes eternal, not in person, not in relation to his human form, but in relation to his views and ideas and ideology. So, if a person belongs to an eternal God, he must have some features of that eternal God or aspects of his character transferred to himself, otherwise the claim of such a person that he is in communion with God, or that he belongs to him, would be falsified if he cannot show any signs. So these are the fundamental signs which are shown by all the major Prophets of the world that they have become identified with an eternal Super Being and in them you find the 'Alpha' and the 'Omega' and the 'door'.
-and he concludes that God sends His Prophet only.
Swami, Kindly throw light on this.]
Swami replied: The eternal and non-transferable sign of God is the exceptional divine knowledge, which is to be observed as the specific identification of God as said in the Veda (Satyam Jnanam..., Prajnanam...). This knowledge is given the highest importance because it helps the devotees to select the true path to achieve the grace of God. No doubt, the unimaginable miracles are also the characteristics of unimaginable God. But, miracles spoil the devotees because devotees try to use the miraculous power of God to accomplish their selfish desires, which results in the growth of selfishness and not sacrifice, which is essential in the service of God. Hence, God transfers the miracles to demons also so that the miracle cannot be the specific identification of God. The miracle from God is very rare since it interferes with the dynamic normal cycle of deeds. Moreover, demons also request for the achievement of miraculous power only and not the right knowledge. Majority of human beings also give importance to miracle only and treat it as the identification of God because people try to exploit God for their selfish ends. No doubt, the unimaginable miracle certainly indicates the unimaginable God. But, people are not satisfied with that aspect only, which is the practical proof for the unimaginable nature of the God. Miracle is extended further for selfishness. In fact, miracle is required for an atheist only to make him recognize the existence of the unimaginable God. But, most of the devotees are theists only and do not require the miracle that is meant for atheist only. Hence, the fundamental sign of any prophet is only the divine knowledge that shows the right path to devotees. Miracles lead the devotee to wrong path only. The miracle is exhibited very rarely by God in the case of a deserving devotee and in the case of atheist about whom there is a hope of transformation through miracle. Miracle is not exhibited to an egoistic atheist on challenge since such atheist is not deserving and there is no hope of transformation in his case. The miracle is only useful to recognize the unimaginable nature of God and is not useful for the devotee in his spiritual progress. Beyond this one point, it is very dangerous on both sides. It spoils the devotee by increasing selfishness and also spoils the devotee possessed by God (human incarnation) to develop ego based on the praise from the followers. Knowledge on the other hand is useful for the devotee in his spiritual development and does not spoil any side. Krishna was recognized as God through His gospel called the Gita and not through His miracles, which were performed by demons also. Rama was recognized as God through His practical spiritual knowledge even though miracles were absent. Hence, the Veda declared that only specific identification of God in human form is the exceptional spiritual knowledge that helps the devotees to clarify their doubts and to travel in the right spiritual path.