DOUBTS AND CLARIFICATIONS - 7

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DOUBTS AND CLARIFICATIONS

DOUBT:  Are the Gods and Demons two different specie?  Do they exist in other worlds called Deva Loka and Asura Loka?  Or, are they among us humans?

CLARIFICATION:  There is a lot of difference between what is and what we think is.  The physical eye in our possession has very short vision.  Earth in total creation is equivalent to a drop of water in an ocean.  In that drop, man is but a speck.  If all the humans were the whole earth, one man is just equivalent to a pot of clay.  There is absolutely no doubt that there are other worlds.  We do not know.  That does not mean those worlds are not there.  But, let us talk about what we know, this world.

Deiva and Asura are not types of men.  There can be types in human attitudes and qualities, but not in humans.  Human is quintessence of the Paramaatman.  That is the only type.  There are types only in the Prakriti.  Body, mind, intellect, qualities, talents, swabhava, attitudes etc. belong to the Prakriti.  Types are found in these.

Deiva and Asura are attitudes men have adopted.  That is hence, Shri Krishna calls these assets.  Asset is different from the owner of the asset.  In jewel shops, jewels are displayed on wooden forms.  The forms remain the same, the garlands on these may change.  Garlands may be of plastic, diamond, pearl or gold.  It is one this moment, it may be different the next.  Types and varieties are only in the garland not in the wooden shape wearing these.  Attitudes are one and the man adopting those is another.  There types in attitudes, not in men adopting these.

DOUBT:  How do we adopt desired attitude?

CLARIFICATION:  Divinity is our inherent Nature.  We adopt Asuri attitude due to our ignorance.  If anyone decides to speak the truth, he can do so and pass the life.  He may have problems and challenges.  Nevertheless, he can remain truthful.  Because Truth or Satya is his Nature.  If he decides to speak lie, he can not, even for a few hours.  His real nature of truthfulness will be exposed inadvertently.  If asked, ‘Are you hungry?’ he will have to tell the truth or starve.

There is tenderness and love, even in a violent man.  If you presume the mind of butcher to be harsh and frozen like a rock, it will be your ignorance.  No one ever asks a happy man why is he happy.  Joy or Bliss is our Nature.  But, a sad-looking person is enquired by everyone why is he sad.  Divinity, Nobility is our Nature.  Out of ignorance, we acquire Asuri traits.  What is the ignorance?  To be unaware of our true self is the ignorance.

Man wears Asuri attitudes with an intent to preserve the body, which he ignorantly regards as self.  He regards the family as ‘his’ and feels there is none else to care for and protect it.  He lies.  He desires.  He accumulates.  He gets enraged.  He seeks vengeance.  He indulges in violence, all for mythical self (the body) and its mythical possessions (family).  Adoption of Divine attributes is very easy.  Ignorance is to be removed.  The Divinity will reveal itself.

DOUBT:  Shri Krishna says ‘earning wealth and accumulation of things’ are Asuri.  How can a family run without wealth and things.  Are all those in family are Asuras?  Are only the Sannyasis Godly?

CLARIFICATION:  The discussion here is not on Grihastha (family men) and Sannyaasi.  The discussion is also not on using things and earning money for worldly life.  Earning through wrong, unethical ways and unreasonable dumping of things’ are, according to Him, Asuri.  Worry is the basis for both these traits.  What is the worry?  Worry of getting lost, worry of getting destroyed.  Worry about the uncertain future.  What if I do not get it tomorrow?  What if I am not here tomorrow?

The truth is glaring, but we are not prepared to face it.  Yes, it will be destroyed.  Anything may happen tomorrow.  Future is uncertain.  Situation may drastically change any moment.  I am not permanent.  Nothing will stop for me.  World will go on as usual.  All these are absolute truths.  Truth stares at us.  We do not accept it.  We wish to deny it.  We want to turn our faces and close our eyes.  We try to catch the shadow.  We aspire to reach non-existent destination.  We want the impossible to become possible.  This desire prompts us to deny the truth.  We accumulate things to fill up the void created by this desire, which we know is illusion.  We want to hide the fear and shiver caused by glaring truth by firmly gripping on to wealth, more wealth.  This is Asuri, according to Shri Krishna.

It is not Asuri to earn money and have things to lead a life suiting our own Swabhava.  Things are essential to live, be him a family man or a Sannyaasi.  We need oxygen and food.  We need water and shelter.  The shelter may be a hut.  Even if we stay in the open, we occupy a portion of space and sky.  We need clothes and land to get these.  We need trees.  We need assistance of other men.  There is no doubt that we need money and materials, in however small quantity.  ‘No need for things and money’ is not the idea.  ‘No need for attachment and greed for money and materials.’

DOUBT:  Kaama, krodha and lobha (passionate desire, anger and greed) are to be found in everyone around.  What is the problem if I too have these?

CLARIFICATION:  This one of feeblest defenses.  I give below the crux of an e-mail I received.

If you assume the world human population as hundred, eighty are poor, seventy are unlettered, fifty starve and suffer from mal-nutrition, only one possesses computer, only one reaches the university.  If you have extra sets of clothes apart from the one you are wearing now, if you have a regular roof over your head, you are richer than seventy five.  If you have a purse with cash in it and a bank account with funds in it, you are richer than ninety two.

Now, ask yourself.  When eighty percent are poor, why should I strive to become rich?  When seventy percent are unlettered, what is the harm if I do not attend school?  OK.  Why not stop with school final?  Why should I aspire to finish graduation and post graduation, when ninety nine percent do not step into a university?  Why should I desire to own a house, purchase new clothes, when seventy five percent do not have an extra cloth or a roof?  Why should I dream of inflated purse, overflowing bank accounts when ninety percent do not have cash in hand and a bank account?  Is it proper to put in efforts in this direction?  Do we raise such questions?  We reject if someone else makes a suggestion.  In fact, Kaama, Krodha and Lobha have flourished in society only because these questions are not being asked.

Few more questions.  The building you work in, catches fire.  Will you not try to escape, because so many are trapped and are being roasted alive?  Tsunami strikes the coastal town you live in.  Thousands are swallowed by surging waters.  Will you not attempt to run to safer place?  Your town faces a viral attack and many are hospitalized.  Or there is a leak and spread of poisonous gas in your town and many faint and die right in front of you.  Will you not try to take the escape route?  Just because many are unable to escape from the disaster, will you also embrace death?  Logically, your question is wrong.  ‘Everyone’ need not include ‘me’.  ‘Very few’ need not exclude ‘me’.

You say ‘everyone’.  That is also wrong.  Not everyone.  You may say many, vast majority.  The question may become valid.  To say ‘everyone’ is false, far from truth.  To say that ‘I can have it because ‘everyone’ has it’, is an attempt to hide and to justify your weakness.  This thought may hide your weakness, not eliminate it.

There is one more folly in such a thought.  Shri Krishna does say so.  He only mentions the harmful effect of this thought.  He explains how Kaama, Krodha and Lobha will result in a fall.  He does not pass judgement if it is right or wrong.  He merely cautions that there is a pitfall ahead.  It is totally your personal wish whether to take it as a caution or reject it, whether to proceed further on the same route or change route, whether to fall in the pit or save self from a fall.  He will not like to intrude.  You definitely have an absolute right to ask ‘whether I should change route when so many are on this route’.

\\\\\ HARIH OM TAT SAT \\\\\