Is God a Sadistic God? Someone asked in Advaitin list. Namaste ,I have a very simple question that I fail to rationalize. In Bhagavad Geeta it is said - na kartritvam na karmaani lokasya srijati prabhuna karmaphala samyogam svabhavastu pravartate Why is Bhagavan called karmaphala daata ? He completely washes his hands from events happening in the world. What is the meaning of Ishvaras grace or Ishvaras kopa or Ishvara anugraha ? Why should we praise that Ishvara ? It is all svabhava that is producing results ? I am not sure though what svabhava means in this verse ? Does svabhava refer to nature of the individual or aparaa prakruti ? On a related note, it seems very unfair of Ishvara to send countless deluded individuals, make them perform actions and punish them repeatedly because of their sense of doership ? What kind of justice is that ? Why is Ishvara karuna sindhu ? It seems like a very unjust thing - to delude them first and then punish them repeatedly . thanks. -------------------------------------- PraNAms Here is how I understand, since this is how I started questioning when I was trying to understand creation, and Iswara, many decades ago. Hence these questions are familiar. It is like this - If I ask - why did He create fire and my fingers and make them get burned when I put my fingers into fire. He is said to be karmaphala data. He gives the results of actions and the result for putting my fingers into the fire is to burn my innocent fingers. What kind of God is He?. He must be a sadistic God - why create a fire and then fingers, and make them burn when I touch the fire even accidentally. In fact, I have been praying Him day in and day out. Still my fingers got burned. What good are all those prayers? Should I blame the God for creating the fire and the fingers and the law of causation? Should I complain when He did not protect me from fire in spite of my being a great devotee? Of course from the point of fire, it is swaabhaavikam or natural. But from the point of my putting fingers into the fire - it is not swaabhaavikam? I have will to do and not to do. If I put the fingers accidently then it is not willful action - at least at that time it should not get burned, since I am a devotee of the Lord. Please think about it. Hence Krishna says - samoham sarva bhuuteshu, name dveshyosti na priyaH, ye bhajantu maam bhaktyaa, mayi te teshu caapyaham|| I am same for all beings neither I hate any one nor love anyone. However, those who worship me they are in Me and I am in them. In essence even if I am such a staunch devotee, and even if I tough the fire accidently, I get burned - since that is the law of karma. Hence I have to use the intelligence that He has given to learn the law of causation and operate intelligently so that I do not get burned when I make a contact with the hot world. The fact is you cannot really pray Him - since most of the prayers are 1. either with a begging bowl or 2. glorifying Him. By the law of causation, He gives the results appropriate to the actions. Hence, by jest begging Him I would not get even an extra penny. If at all I get is to bring calmness to my mind so that I can use my God-given intelligence properly. Hence Kulashekar Alwars says in Mukunda maala yadatbhavyam bhavatu Bhagavan pUrva karmAnu rUpam - Oh Lord why should I pray for you to give me this or that- you only give what I deserve by my past actions. Therefore I would not waste my time and your time sitting in front of you and reciting the list of my wants. All I want is RECOGNITION OF YOUR PRESNECE IN ME AND IN ALL. Please give me that intelligence to recognize your presence all the time. That very prayer itself gives that intelligence since my intellect understand the fact and my emotional faculty has to follow. When I see and recognize Him everywhere, then my attitude towards life changes and I cannot be adharmic in my actions and in the process my mind becomes pure. When the Lord sends an appropriate teacher for me to know the absolute truth my mind becomes receptive and recognize everything - good and bad are all part of just vibhuti of the Lord. I will have viswarUpa Iswara darshanam. Hence prayer is only for purification of the mind. I cannot also glorify him since whatever I say about him is less than what he is. Infinite cannot be glorified by finite worlds. Only way to glorify Him is just surrender yourself completely to recognize there is only God - both enjoyer as well as enjoyed - karma and karmaphala and karma karaka all are nothing but Him only - That is what He says - brahmaarpanam brahma haviH ... In essence the prayer provides a proper avenue to gain the knowledge required so that these questions get dissolved in the realization of Oneness that pervades all. Hari Om! Sadananda
Posted on: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 02:51:41 +0000
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