Deivathin Kural Series - 7

Deivathin Kural 7 dt 14 Jun 2006
Om Namah Sivaya.
1. It is the belief of Aastigars or agnostics, that this world or Universe has been created and run by God. They say that for every action, there is an effect at the moral level, of good and bad, other than the apparent effect at the physical level. God is believed to be the one who gives the resultant effect. ‘Let it be so. But why should we have Bhakthi towards God ?’, you may ask. You may also object on the grounds that, firstly, he didn’t create us with our permission. Secondly there doesn’t seem to be justice in his conveyance of results. Thirdly, if he is going to remove our complaints, only depending on the intensity of our prayers, then your claim that, ‘God is a ocean of Mercy’, fails. If God is amenable to prayers, then it only proves that he is manipulable. Fourthly, the connection between the action and effect is not very evident. ‘So why pray at all ? Why waste time on Bhakthi and such activities ?’
2. The great Neelakanta Dishkthar answers in ‘Ananda Sagarasthawa’. He tells Madurai Meenakshi, " Amma, I don’t have to tell you anything. You know everything. But if I don’t tell you my problems, I feel heavy inside. When I tell you my problems, the very telling of it, gives me some relief. "
3. No one can keep their problems unmentioned. Just saying it, airing it gives some relief. Without any reservations as to how we may be understood or misunderstood, we can tell it to God. Whether He gives us solace and relief without our asking, ( because he is a ocean of Mercy,); or because He will justly give effects for our actions; or without changing the effects, He may only give us the capacity to face, the problems; whatever it may be; there some solace in the very act of a prayer.
4. But I am not recommending Devotion to God, for amelioration of problems only. I am not saying that we should be thankful to God because He is our Creator. If I say so, some of you may object saying, " The one who has planted a tree must cater for its water supply. That is his duty. Why should we be thankful for that ?"
5. I do not talk about devotion to God for any of these reasons. Problems and pleasures of Life; both are capable of affecting one’s mind. This mind’s stillness is the most ideal state. All happiness of the world are only temporary, with the intensity varying with perspective. In deep sleep or under a shock or trauma, the mind is blank. But on such occasions, we are not aware of being happy and tranquil, Without rising of thoughts we should be aware of total bliss. Because we have a mind, and thoughts arise in that, including the thought that, ‘we are beings separate from God,’ also arises. When the mind is at a stand still, this sense of difference will also go. Then we will be established in the non-differentiated state of Adwaita. Though we stop the mind for peace and tranquility, the resultant effect is the experience of Oneness or Adwaita. Constant thinking of that, turns us in to that. Even modern Science and Management Principles, agree with this idea. Thus for peace-tranquility-bliss; the Ideal example is God / Swamy / Paramatma.
6. Though God’s job it is to create, sustain and dissolve; it is done without involvement. God has a name, ‘Sthanu’, meaning, static or inert, like a piece of wood with life. The creeper which entwines itself around this piece of wood, is the Mother, called ‘Aparna’, meaning leafless and not lifeless. Full of life but without sensory upheavals, she is embracing the seemingly inert piece of wood. The moment you think of God, Awareness and Bliss, Gnanam and Santam, comes to mind. So as we keep our mind focused on God, this peace and tranquility, accrue to us. For this we need the idea of God. For this we need devotion to God.
7. Whether we go to God for a favour or out of a sense of gratitude, as the habit of thinking about God, strengthens and gets deep rooted, we slowly relieve ourselves of constantly worrying and the need for relief. Slowly we get over the habit of fretting and fuming.
Some unidentifiable sense of bliss and peace of mind, becomes noticeable. This will slowly and surely take us to everlasting bliss. From endless sense of deficiency, it will take us to total contentedness.
8. KTSVSarma says;- There is a paradox here. The aim is to reach a state of mind-less-ness. But for devotion to God, you have to have a mind, which loves God.
How is this resolved ? Read the next e-mail.
One more thing. By now, you must have realized that, what we have been, told by Periyaval, is a totally different perspective, (unless you have some how been exposed to such ideas in the past). Don’t worry. Let the ideas flow in to you. You will eventually reach a stage, when you will feel that you know all this and will be telling others, these very ideas.
Sambhomahadeva.