BOON
OR A BOONDOGGLE ?-5
Dr. Yerneni Venkateswara Rao
M.Sc., Ph. D
Retired Principal
GUDIVADA-
A.P
B1-114
The
rationalist’s contention that if God exists, He being omniscient, omnipresent ,
omnipotent , compassionate and benevolent , there should be no place for
inequality, injustice and suffering in His creation, and since they abound in
the world, God must be either wicked or non existent, and since He cannot by
definition be wicked, He must be non-existent is fine as tour de force in
forensic praxis and reasoning prowess. However, if God were to prove His
existence to the satisfaction of the rationalist by intervening in the affairs
of the world on a day-to-day basis, what will become of him and the world at
large? Will he be any more than a glorified puppeteer and the world any more
than an elaborate puppet show? In such a
world, will there be any scope for the existence of the very essence of life,
its joys and sorrows , conflicts and concordance , drama and dreams and
unfulfilled longings and the heights and the depths of human experience as also
any room for the display of courage to meet the challenges , patience to go through
the travails of life, fortitude in adversity, dignity in facing failures, and
humility in accepting victories? More importantly, will the omniscient God be
so naïve as to put himself out of a job by making the world perfect with no
room left for poverty, inequity and injustice, disease and suffering and all
forms of evil in it? Besides, won’t the human mind, whose forte is
categorization and analysis become dysfunctional if only the good, the just,
the joyful and the beautiful exist apart from their counterparts by cutting the
very ground on which it stands from under its feet and will not life degenerate
into a dull and drab routine and a humdrum chore beyond endurance with nothing
to wonder at, nor anything to be curious about , virtually throwing the
rationalist out of his job? And will it not be far worse than any Kafkaesque
situation/nightmare imaginable? – insufferably monotonous and impenetrably
oppressive? If indeed, life were
entirely rational , where would be any need for God or a rationalist? A lowly
computer –super or superduper one as the case may be—would have taken care of
everything. It is perhaps because of such thoughts that Albert Einstein during
his middle age said :” I believe in a God who reveals himself in the harmony of
all that exists , not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and actions
of men.”
What the rationalists forget is that existence of God is not a subject
of debate or a problem of logic nor even a matter of faith but one of inner
awareness and intuitive understanding. One may wonder if the issue cannot be
settled through scientific investigation, that all-powerful means to unravel
the mysteries of nature. No, it is not possible. “’God exists or does not
exist’ are both unscientific hypotheses because they cannot be refuted
experimentally whereas ‘Moon’s surface is made of butter’ or ‘Jupiter has n
number of moons’ is an excellent scientific hypothesis , for it could be
refuted by experiment.” Propositions about God’s existence or non-existence
being untestable, and unfalsifiable fall outside the ambit of science. Hence
arises the comment in ‘Scientific American’: “the hand of God may well be all
around us, but it is not nor it can be the task of science to dust for
fingerprints .” Those that have a logical bent of mind and argue otherwise
often take recourse to the riddle of the great Greek philosopher, Epicurus to
prove their point: “ Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then, he is
not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both
able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then
why call him God?” A variation of the argument on the same theme by Anatole France
Irrefutable logic indeed!
However unassailable logic maybe , it does not always take us to the
truth about things as, for example , it fails to do in the case of an electron
: “If we ask, for instance, whether the position of the electron remains the
same, we must say ‘no’; if we ask whether the electron’s position changes with
time, we must say ‘no’; if we ask whether the electron is at rest, we must say
‘no’, if we ask whether it is in motion , we must say ‘no’ (Robert Oppenheimer
, in Science and the Common understanding ,1954 O.U. press)
Patently illogical and highly irrational but absolutely true !
When
this is the case with the lowly electron , what right have we to expect logic
and rationality to do any better in proving or disproving the existence of God?
Equally illogical, if not more is what Is’avasyopanishad (sloka 5) had
to say about the Ultimate Reality:
“ It moves, It
moves not
It is far , and
it is near
It is within all
this,
And it is
outside of all this”
Or for the matter of that, no less illogical
is what As’vaghosha(1st century AD) the greatest exponent of
Mahayana Buddhism , said about suchness: “ Suchness is neither that which is
existence nor that which is non-existence , nor that which is at once existence
and non-existence, nor that which is at not at once existence and
non-existence.”
They sound totally absurd and highly
irrational but that doesn’t make them any the less true , for they are the
highest truths experienced by the highly eveloved souls, the men of God , in
their moments of heightened awareness when their mind fields were flooded with
spiritual illumination. Until we train ourselves and graduate to that state, we
have to necessarily rely on such supreme teachers and benefactors of mankind
for enlightenment and guidance in our pursuit of that quintessential truth and
Ultimate Reality. But whatever we learn from such exemplary beings as also from
sacred scriptures has to be reflected upon , examined under the microscope of
our discrimination, clarified in the crucible of our intellect and
judged/confirmed in the light of our personal experience—a process which leads
to a rock like conviction—that should serve as the starting point of our
spiritual journey if it is to culminate in God realization, the Supreme goal of
life. Their unanimous message is that man should renounce the sense of his
doership as well as the fruits of his actions, acquire the faculty of
discrimination that throws the spotlight on the eternal and the ephemeral and
imbues his heart with love by filling it to the brim , and develop a state of
mind that dedicates his ‘all’ to God,
thereby absolving himself of any sense of ego. For, it is the feeling of ‘I’
and ‘mine’ that is the greatest barrier in the path to God realization.
Yet another down-to-earth argument in the same genre goes like this :
“Seeing is believing; I don’t see God; why should I believe that he exists? A
moment’s reflection however reveals that we believe in the existence of a whole
lot of things that we do not see nor do we care to look at, let alone see. We
simply base our belief on experts’ observations and conclusions. Why not the
same criterion be applied in the case of God too? For instance, one needs a
microscope to see the most minute objects like bacteria and virus particles and
a telescope to observe the farthest objects, stellar or terrestrial. So does
one need a divine eye , en eye of intuition to see God. Just as we implicitly
believe the biologists and astronomers , even as we do not actually see what
they perceive so should we believe the seers and saints who have acquired the
divine eye through constant meditation, penance, yoga and other spiritual
practices and disciplines (sadhana) and seen God even if we don’t see him with
our physical eyes. Likewise, when physicists insist that energy is one though
its manifestations – the myriad different objects in the universe, large and
small—are many , we implicitly believe in them but find it hard to believe the spiritual
masters when they assert that the Spirit /Consciousness is one while its
manifestations—animate and inanimate, sensate and insensate entities in the
world—are many. Why? For the matter of that, we experience hunger, thirst,
satiation, happiness, fatigue, sorrow and many other emotions but we cannot see
or demonstrate them. Yet that cannot be a ground for denying their existence
and none ever questions their veracity because they are universally shared
feelings and hence, self evident truths and acknowledged facts, they being part
and parcel of everyone’s psychological experience.
More importantly, we experience our true being—the undying ‘I’ as
consciousness—as directly and intensely as we are aware of our ego—the mortal
‘I’ as the body-mind-intellect personality ever wallowing in its deluded
existence as doer and enjoyer – if not more, although we cannot prove the core
of our being as easily and readily as we can establish our tangible physical
existence .Our inevitability to prove our true being , the conscious observer
in our body mind complex, who is aware of the physical and mental changes
taking place as age advances but who remains constant, thereby establishing our
real , permanent identity in a more concrete and tangible way , however, doesn’t
make us any the less real. If there is anything in existence about which we can
be absolutely certain, it is the ‘I’ we experience as the very essence of our
being although all may not be able to articulate what they experience as a
matter of course. Such self evident truths stemming from pan human experience
need no substantiation, they being beyond the bounds of proof. Besides, absence
of evidence is not evidence of absence.
The
trouble with most people is that they cherry pick the issues and facts that
suit their particular taste and fancy that their beliefs, in sharp contrast to
those of others, are based on logical thinking and reasoned argument.
Even at the risk of repetition, it must be
stressed that the almighty is not an entity that can be grasped through logical
reasoning, theoretical discussion or rational analysis but one that can be
sought through impeccable piety, genuine love, sincere devotion and total
surrender and apprehended through inner experience or direct awareness.
The awareness of Self, the inner essence of
one’s being underlying all human emotions, thoughts and actions as also the
underlying substratum of all that exists which is independent of the body and
the outside world is purely experiential and not all conceptual and hence, non
rational. Although it is beyond the ken of all that is attainable through the
senses and the mind and hence, ordinary human understanding , ‘IT’ is
acceptable to the sincere seekers because of God’s boundless compassion and
ever flowing grace for His devotees.
Following the prescription of the spiritual masters , when one attains
this blissful state of experiencing one’s own Self, one realizes that it is
part of an infinite, unbroken continuum , a boundless integral whole, which is
the Universal Soul we call God. Self realization and God realization are two
sides of the same coin.
It
is pertinent to note here that Kurt Godel’s paradigm altering incompleteness
theorem (1931) showed that any logical system contains at least one true
statement which the system itself can’t prove to be true, implying that every
logical system , in principle , is incomplete in the sense that it is incapable
of accounting for all truth, and that a refined mind can recognize an absolute
truth , independent of logic and experiment with complete certainty and utmost
precision. Intuition , although purely subjective projects/inspires ideas and
throws up cognitions and revelations that come all at once and whole, with a
sense of perfect certainty but with no proof or intervening logical steps ,
which would , of course, be worked out afterwards. In fact, many of the most significant break
throughs in science suddenly blossomed in someone’s mind unbidden, all at once.
What entity could be nobler or worthier of man’s attention than the Ultimate
Reality, and who or what could bar the human mind that is well prepared from
experiencing IT? As a step in that
direction, one should mind the mind and guard against desire (kama) ,
anger(krodha), and miserliness (lobha) with a view to getting rid of them
completely if possible, so that one’s mind becomes purified and one is in tune
with one’s fellow beings , with nature and with life in general. Equally
important , if not more, is the ability to retain one’s equanimity of mind at
all costs and under all circumstances—adverse or enticing, formidable or
favourable , intimidating or inviting, frustrating or fulfilling, daunting or
delightful, by transcending the dualities of life. In short, one should become
free from any trace of disharmony in life arising out of frustration due to
unfulfilled desires or delusion due to entanglement in the likes and dislikes,
preferences and prejudices and all the rest
of them , and be able to accept life as it is and as it comes, without
so much as a murmur or a complaint in the full knowledge that to complain
against life amounts to daring God’s will. If one’s aim is to experience His
abounding grace and limitless glory through spiritual practice (sadhana).
Shedding one’s ego through renunciation , one should look upon oneself
as only an instrument, nay, one should truly become a conscious instrument in
the hands of God and serve him with desireless devotion while constantly
endeavouring to become an ever more perfect tool to serve not only the God
Almighty, but also the God residing in man, and all living beings better and
better. The appropriate frame of mind should be akin to that of a Shiva Bhakta
(Shiva’s devotee) who worships thus: “Oh Shiva! You are myself. My mind is
Parvathi. My praanas are your servants , my body is your house , my actions in
this world are your worship. My sleep is Samadhi. My walk is circumambulation
of you. My speech is your prayer .Thus do I offer all that I am to you.”
Tall order no doubt, but then God-realization , the reward sought for is
far too precious to be had cheaply. Our efforts after all, must be commensurate
with our aspirations. The higher the latter, the more demanding the former. “If
anything is to be achieved, and the price to be paid is this, so be it”, should
be the attitude we must adopt. The greatest hurdle in the path of God
realization being the sense of ego , the towering presence in human
consciousness, one must immerse oneself in thoughts of God and his glory so
completely as to leave no room for the play of ego. As long as the ego centric
feeling of pride in one’s possessions such as one’s wealth, strength or
learning persists, God realization cannot happen, it being an experience felt
within one’s consciousness and not a matter of mind or intellect. In spite of
its daunting nature, there are numerous illuminating examples of how saints and
seers, sages and savants in our country down the centuries took this path to
realize God with faith and courage, and persevered until they succeeded in
attaining their goal of gaining the vision of God, the more recent such
inspiring souls and exemplars being Ramakrishna Paramahamsa , Sri Aurobindo and
Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi. These realized souls were able to recognize the
strong thread of connectivity that runs through the entire universe cutting
across the astonishing variety in creation. When one internalizes this truth,
not as a philosophical speculation or a
mental concept but as conscious awareness, the ultimate knowledge of the self
begins to dawn in one’s consciousness and one starts perceiving the universe as
a grand celebration of the many differences in form, name and quality amidst
its essential oneness. As long as one is conscious of one’s self as an
individual, one is unable to feel connected. So by offering to God ‘the eye’
who fails to recognize this connectivity together with its ignorance and
arrogance, one earns the right to enter the kingdom of God
Simply put, through discrimination , one
should first control one’s mind and unshackle oneself from all worldly attachments
and aversions and all other mundane preoccupations with a desire for the fruits
thereof, and then through unfailing pursuit of desireless action
,unconditional/causeless love and disinterested benevolence together with deep
and unseasoned devotion culminating in absolute/total surrender, the acme of
devotion to the Supreme Beings one gains entry into the domain of divine grace
ever present in one’s own heart, which though in this world, is not of it and
stays anchored in that reality ever after. One who chooses the Divine is chosen
by the Divine, asserts Lord Krishna (B.G IX 22 XVIII- 65, 66 Kathopanishad I ii
23) and also Mundakopanishad (III ii 3).
An
easier an perhaps more practical way to realize God is through knowing man for
what he really is and lovingly serve fellow human beings with humility,
sincerity and dedication on the one hand, and realizing our Cosmic connection
together with our inalienable bonds with the rest of the universe/world and
acting in tune with that understanding on the other.
Through body, we are tied to the non-living mineral world which, arising
as it is out of stardust, has its roots in the stellar world, through life, we
are bonded with the plant world, through instincts we are connected with the
animal world, through mind and intellect we inhabit the human world and through
consciousness / spirit, we dwell in the spiritual world which is our original
home. In the light of these obvious linkages, it is utterly untenable for man
to think of himself as someone special and different from the macrocosm or
other life forms, especially his fellow beings.
We
alternate between these worlds choosing to stay for shorter or longer periods
in each and interacting with its denizens depending on our innate inclinations
and inherent tendencies—our nature which is determined by our karma, both good
and bad accumulated through our actions in previous births. Yet, the choice of
which world we elect to live in and make it our preferred or permanent dwelling
place falls within the ambit of our free will and hence, is entirely our
privilege. Right thinking and diligent discrimination however, clearly point to
and goad us towards the higher planes of existence. But assent to loftier
worlds demands strenuous effort and steadfast commitment to reach the goal,
which we are perfectly capable of invoking if we wish sincerely enough.
More importantly, just as the physical world is the manifestation of the
cosmic energy in its multiple forms, so is the harmony one sees everywhere in
the universe , the expression of the all-pervading Cosmic spirit in its
infinite glory and majestic splendour. Therefore, it is reasonable to think
that the same spirit/consciousness that informs and animates man informs and
animates the Cosmos too , and since consciousness , like life is one , an
inseparable whole , a seamless entity and an infinite unity, we are in essence
one with the universal consciousness and hence we are no different from the
Cosmic spirit. Else, how is this seemingly incomprehensible universe has become
comprehensible? In a way, man is a micro version of the macrocosm. He is indeed
the microcosm, which not only mirrors every single aspect and facet of the
macrocosm but is imbued with each and every one of them. So, knowing man as he
is is knowing the cosmos as it is. That is why some seekers of the knowledge of
the Cosmic spirit chose to explore man’s inner world by probing such mystical
and philosophical questions as “Who am I? “, “ What makes my mind think?” and
“Does life have a purpose or is it a matter of chance?” and arrived at the
universal realization that the Cosmic spirit is an eternal , infinite and
all-pervading entity, a Reality that is beyond ordinary knowing and beyond
everyday language and , above all, that IT is identical with their indwelling
spirit. The awakened souls who realized God declared that God is infinite
without beginning or end, and though engaged in the acts of creation,
sustenance and dissolution on the Cosmic scale is also simultaneously the
indwelling spirit of each and every living being. The bliss of such spiritual
realization being ineffable, mystics who have revelled in It speak about it
only metaphorically, the metaphor serving as signposts/fingerposts that help
others reach the ultimate goal of Self-realization.
So
, loving man is no different from loving the Cosmic spirit we call God. Our
preference for viewing the Spirit as God is rooted in the fact that while a
mere Cosmic entity, however sublime and lofty , could hardly inspire hope,
faith, devotion or sacrifice and offer consolation to the distressed and
courage to the embattled souls, a living God can do all this and much more,
very much more indeed. For then , we can more easily relate to the divine
Spirit by perceiving IT as a compassionate father or mother, an affectionate
friend or preceptor or a loving companion or consort in accordance with our
personal preference as practised in the hoary Indian tradition and the comfort
and joy such an intimate and proximate relationship imbued with emotional
appeal affords/reinforces the personal , subjective and individual approach to
God-realization that does not depend on complex theoretical rhetoric and
recondite scriptural texts. The deep devotion and total dedication with which
we worship God and meditate on and commune with Him gets automatically
reflected in everything we do and gets translated into our sincere love of, and
selfless service to man, they being the manifest symptoms and outward symbols
of our love of God , and service to Him.
Hence, the assertion of the Upanishadic seers that one who sees all
beings in oneself and oneself in all beings as naturally as one breathes and
conducts oneself effortlessly as God intended one to while all the time staying
attuned to the Supreme Being is a Realized Soul who enjoys the bliss of
communion with God. The bliss of such spiritual experience being unique to each
individual cannot be expressed in words which are meant to communicate
collective experiences pertaining to sense objects encountered in the mundane
world. The realized souls who have identified themselves with the infinite in
their Siddhi state , however, transcend the states of ‘is’ and ‘is not’,
‘existence’ and ‘non-existence’, they being the attributes of the sensory
world. So great souls who have revelled/exalted in IT prefer to remain either
silent or speak about it in metaphors, symbols or occult language for the
benefit of other spiritual aspirants. That is why scriptures describe the
nature of the divine in lofty terms and much of the philosophical import is
couched in a maze of theoretical exegeses and recondite terminology. This
result of the inner quest, this spiritual goal can not only be attained through
‘jnaana’ of the highest order but can also be attained through deep devotion, total
dedication and self surrender with not a shred of ego left. Preoccupation with
matters material and pursuit of things spiritual are not incompatible with one
another as many mistakenly or erroneously think but must run concurrently
throughout life for the realization of God, provided that the engagement in
worldly activities is with total renunciation and with no desire for the fruits
thereof, with not even a desire for God realization. The sacred and the secular
, though they appear to be mutually exclusive
, are but two facets of the same Reality and the key to realizing it lies in
harmonizing the two and leading an integrated life.
Following up the theme of microcosm and macrocosm being mirror images of
each other , one would be struck with wonder and awe when one realized that
through the materiality of one’s body , one can extend in consciousness far
beyond the narrow confines of one’s finite body and embrace everything material
everywhere in the universe, through life one can realize one’s identity with
all forms of life, through instinct one’s identity with all sentient beings,
and through mind and intellect one’s identity with all of humanity. Whoever
succeeds in accomplishing this ennobling and enlightening task, thereby
acquiring an all-encompassing and a truly holistic perspective of one’s
presence everywhere and in everything and stays anchored in such a sublime
state of identity with all that exists, sees everything in oneself and oneself
in everything and loves all as naturally as seasons follow one another and days
alternate with nights. Such an elevating, yet humbling realization soothes,
harmonises and unites one’s heart and mind with the Cosmic spirit and
lends/reveals meaning and purpose to one’s own existence as well as that of the
universe, that being the primeval urge of the infinite consciousness, the only
extant Reality to realize Itself.
Is
it any wonder if the insightful thought that the Cosmic spirit in its seemingly
endless endeavour to realize Itself, has finally succeeded in doing so in man’s
realization of his true identity as a final fruit and crowning glory of man’s
eternal quest for self knowledge flits across the mind’s eye? Arrogant though
this thought may appear to be,, it is by far the most humbling experience one can
have in as much as all the realized souls are the every personifications of
humility with unconditional love and boundless compassion as their hallmark. In
a manner of speaking, man is the macrocosm in miniature while the universe is
the microcosm on a grand scale. They are but twins, different in scale and
magnitude but same in substance and spirit. The observer and the observed being
one, whenever we look out upon the universe, it is as if the universe is
looking at itself through our eyes and It’s.
Thus, through the study and understanding
of the external world , man becomes aware of the underlying Cosmic spirit and
starts contemplating on his multiple bonds with all that make up the universe
while through inner awareness, he realizes his true nature and attains to that
exalted/sublime state wherein he sees himself as the universe and the universe
as himself. Though it appears paradoxical that two such diametrically opposite
approaches , one leading to a profounder world knowledge (vijnaana) and the other
to a deeper self knowledge (jnaana) converge essentially to the same goal, in
fact, it is not, for Truth being what it is, en eternal infinite all pervading
reality behind the outward appearances of the universe , every path must
necessarily lie in It and lead to It, there being nothing else besides It. As
the inimitable J Krishnamurthy puts it, “the way is the goal.”
Striking a somewhat philosophical but eminently more pragmatic note,
here is what Blaise Pascal , the man of varied gifts observed: “ either God
exists or He does not and we cannot use reason to determine which alternative
is true…since choosing to believe that God exists may lead to eternal life and
happiness and nothing is lost if we are wrong about the other choice, it is
better to accept the theistic alternative.” What is more, believing the other
alternative is fraught with dangerous and frightful consequences as rightly
warned by T.S Elliot : “If you will not have God(and He is a jealous God), you
should pay your respects to Hitler or Stalin” for, “ When men stop believing in
God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything”, according to GK
Chesterton. In fact, one doesn’t have to look too far a field for proof of
God’s existence. “ In the absence of any other proof , thumb alone would
convince me of God’s existence”, asserted Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest
scientist ever lived. A clear understanding of the crucial and critical role
played by the opposing thumb , a unique gift granted to man, in building human
civilization will enable one to appreciate the truth of this assertion better.
A still more straight forward truth was offered by philosopher Spinoza : “ If
this be denied, conceive , if it be possible, that God does not exist then it
follows that his essence does not involve existence. But this is absurd.
Therefore, God necessarily exists”, and added that “ God is the absolutely
first cause”.
It
is appropriate to conclude this part of the discussion and pragmatic approaches
to the issue of God’s existence with what that quintessential philosopher
Plato, the very embodiment of philosophy, had to say in this regard: “ Granted
that none of the beliefs about God , personal immortality, rebirth etc) can be
demonstrated ; that God maybe after all only the personified ideal of our love
and hope… yet surely (so runs the argument , Pascal like , of the Phaedo), it
will do us no harm to believe and it may do us and our children immeasurable
good.”
Finally , won’t the striking similarity between the views of God
expressed by two different visionaries who hail from two entirely different
cultural and civilizational backgrounds testify/attest to the essential truth
of His existence? A modern western author avers that God sleeps in the mineral
, awakens in the vegetable , walks in the animal, thinks in man and reveals
himself in a saint. According to Sri Aurobindo, a modern saint and seer of India
Either of these may not be a pithy description of God, yet each is as
definitive and comprehensive a vision as any can be that fills the bill and
evokes wonder , awe, humility and faith. Unless someone is unfortunate enough
to have a mind, which is like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set
he can look inside himself and all around him with an open mind, a keen eye and
a pure heart, he is sure to find God everywhere.
To
sum up, God, the spiritual essence of all that exists is beyond the web of
space, time and causality and hence is hardly amenable to logical thinking and
rational analysis which, no doubt, are
good and effective tools to explore the physical reality. So the path of reason
and rationality is not the one to be trodden for attaining God realization.
Simply put, God cannot be the end product of an intellectual quest, however
intense and thorough it be.
Even if one seeks to have no more than a
peek into the spiritual domain or an inkling or a mere gleam/glimmering of
understanding of the Supreme Reality one has to choose and if possible, tread
the non-rational and supra logical path of intuition and inner awareness rather
than that of logic and debate for, by Its very nature , the effulgent Truth ,
the ultimate Reality we call God is non conceptual and trans rational , nay ,
super rational.
No comments:
Post a Comment