Shree Hari
Ram Ram
18th November, 2011, Friday
Margshirsh Krishna Ashthami, Shukravar, Vikram Samvat 2068
How to Recognize Our Lord? (continued...)
Question - If we see someone who is conducting himself badly, then how to see him as a form of God?
Answer - You must recognize that he too is God, but is conducting His divine play of Kaliyug. Right now Kaliyug is going on, therefore according to the age, God is acting out His divine play. God had come in the form of a Boar, at which time His behavior and conduct was like a boar. Seeing God as a boar, Hiranyaksh calls him "Vangocharmrg" (A wild animal). And God calls him "Graamsinh" (dog). (Srimad Bhagwat 3/18.2, 10). God conducts His divine play according to the form that He takes on.
Question - The world is called a form of God and it is also called a house of sorrow - "dukhaalayamashaashvatam" (Gita 8/15). If it is a form of God, then why a house of sorrow? And if it is a house of sorrow, then how is it a form of God?
Answer - Both these points are alright. He who desires nothing from the world, and only serves others, gives happiness to others, for him, the world is a form of God and He who desires something from the world, for him the world is an abode of sorrow. He who desires pleasures and happiness will inevitably get sorrow - this is an incontrovertible principle.
From the perspective of "Bhakti yog" (discipline of devotion), the entire world is a form of God and from a Jnana yog (discipline of knowledge) perspective, the world is unreal, inert and an abode of sorrow. In Jnana yog, vivek (discretion) is main and in discretion there remains both real-unreal, inert-sentient, permanent-impermanent, perishable-imperishable, etc. A man with right discrimination considers the world as an abode of sorrow and renounces it - "dukhameva sarvam vivekinah" (yogadarshan 2/15). Therefore from the perspective of knowledge, the world has to be renounced and from the perspective of bhakti (devotion), one has to accept that everything is a form of God and pay obeisance to it. It has come in Bhagwat -
Visrajya swayamaanaan svaan drsham vreedaam cha daihikeem |
Pranamed dandvad bhoomaavaashvachaandaalagosharam ||
(Srimad Bhagwat 11/29/16)
"If our own people laugh then let them do so, do not be concerned about that, rather the shame that one feels with their body, leave that as well, prostrate laying flat on the ground in front of a dog, a beggar, a cow and a donkey.
A devotee of the Lord is not bowing in front of a devotee, a dog, a beggar etc. rather he is bowing to the God that has manifested in those forms. When Lord Ram met with Bhardwaajji, then Bhardwaajji bows down in front of the Lord, and Lord does the same -
Muni Raghubir paraspar navahin | Bachan agochar sukhu anubhavahin ||
(Manas, Ayodhyaakaand 108/2)
Lord Ram being a Kshatriya, prostrates in front of a Brahmin, and Bhardwaajji being a devotee, prostrates in front of the Lord. In this manner, they both experience transcendental bliss, extraordinary joy when prostrating in front of each other. Similarly, one should become joyful seeing God manifesting in these various forms.
to be continued...
From book in Hindi "Sab Jagah Ishvar Roop Hai" By Swami Ramsukhdasji
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If in doubt regarding the translation, please read the original Hindi message by Swamiji.
FOR MESSAGE IN HINDI PLEASE VISIT Date : 16th November, 2011 – APNE PRABHU KO KAISE PEHCHAANE