2. ĪŚVARA

D: Some people get a doubt as to whether Īśvara really exists or not. This is because they are unable to see Him. Cannot Īśvara, by some means, reveal to them His existence so as to induce śraddhā (faith) in them?

A: Īśvara Himself seems to have been caught in a fix. If He were to give darśana to them, He would have to assume some form. On seeing the form, people may say, “You have a form. Therefore, you are not omnipresent and cannot be Īśvara.” If He does not give them darśana by assuming a form, they may say, “We do not see Īśvara. Hence, there is no Īśvara.” Thus, there are some people who will not believe in Īśvara regardless of whether He takes a form or not. In this situation, what indeed can Īśvara do? Variety is the nature of the world. We have the group of atheists also. Faith in Īśvara can be induced and further developed, but there is no use in attempting to induce it by force. Arguments could be advanced and the true experiences of many devotees could be cited. Many wonderful incidents that have taken place could be narrated. What has been made known in the śāstra-s could be quoted. Still, if one does not believe that Īśvara exists, what can be done?

D: Can a devotee see Īśvara?

A: You mean with form?

D: Yes.

A: Īśvara, though without form, can take one for the sake of His devotees. If we have limitless devotion, we can definitely see Īśvara’s form. There is no doubt at all about this.

D: Does Acharyal mean that one can see Īśvara’s form mentally or that one can perceive Him even with the eyes?

A: Īśvara is capable of giving darśana both ways.

D: Does Acharyal say that He can be seen, talked to and touched?

A: Yes. If there is pure devotion, Īśvara is sure to reveal Himself. When He does appear, why cannot one talk with Him?

D: Can this happen even in this kaliyuga?

A: What link is there between a devoted person seeing Īśvara and the kaliyuga?

D: Who can get Īśvara’s vision?

A: He who longs exclusively for Īśvara can see Him. Limitless devotion compels Īśvara to come to us.

D: How can one know whether the experience one had in connection with Īśvara is real or not?

A: For him, who has had a real experience, such a doubt will not arise.

D: What about the others? Can they not think that his experiences stem from hallucination or self-hypnosis?

A: What does one who has had the experience lose by others not accepting it? The acceptance or rejection by others does not affect the experience of that person in the least. Though this is the case, I will give a more direct answer to your question. Suppose that Īśvara, while appearing in a vision, gives a fruit or some other object to His devotee. If the fruit remains with the disciple even after Īśvara disappears, then it can be realised that the experience was real. Such an experience changes the mentality of the devotee. Though the experience may have lasted only for a short duration, its impact lasts long. Further, those who have had such experiences become capable of transforming others. If the person who has had the divine experience is quite healthy, why should he start concocting things all of a sudden? If a man is to get involved in self-hypnosis, he can do that any time. On the other hand, special experiences of the kind being considered are not had whenever one desires them. By such an analysis, a true experience can be differentiated from a hallucination.

D: Why is there so much suffering in this world? Since it is Īśvara who created this world, is He not responsible for these troubles?

A: A man experiences misery only because of his past deeds. One’s actions must bear fruit. Due to the fructification of one’s previous misdeeds, one suffers in this birth. It is wrong to say that Īśvara is the cause of these sufferings. Human beings have the freedom to follow the injunctions of the śāstra-s or to transgress them. Man acquires puṇya (merit) or pāpa (demerit) as a result of his actions and Īśvara just gives the fruits of those actions. When it is said that it is the foul deed of a previous birth that causes suffering in this birth, one may ask about the cause of the suffering experienced in that previous birth. The answer is, “It is the karma (action) of the births prior to that birth.” As saṁsāra (cycle of birth and death) is beginningless, it is improper to seek to identify a first birth in which we started life without any karma. While creating the universe at the commencement of each kalpa, Īśvara just brings forth what was in the previous kalpa. He does not “create” anything fresh.

D: It is said that Īśvara is aware of the past, present and future. If He knows what is going to happen, then it means that people’s future actions are completely predetermined. If that is the case, man is fully bound by the dictates of destiny and cannot be held responsible for his actions. On the other hand, if man has freedom to decide the course of events, then the future is not pre-fixed. In such a case, even Īśvara cannot know the future with certainty. Therefore, how can one say that He is omniscient?

A: The world is a play of māyā, while Īśvara is the Controller of māyā. In this sense, everything goes on according to His will, which appears both as the free will of people and as fate. If considered in this way, the statements that He is omniscient and that everything need not occur according to just fate can be simultaneously true.

The issue can be considered in another way too. Let us suppose that a boy does not at all prepare for an examination. Then, can we not say with certainty that he will not pass? Just because we say this, can it be said that the student does not have the freedom to read or not to read? Definitely not. In the same way, if we take it that Īśvara has understood His creation in its entirety, then also there is no difficulty in asserting that Īśvara is omniscient and that destiny alone is not the deciding factor.

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❑ Incidents from Acharyal's Life

Even as a child, Acharyal’s faith in God was exemplary. One evening, on being asked what He would like to do when He grew up, He said that He would strive to realise God. The friend then challenged His conviction that God exists on the ground that neither He nor those He knew had seen God.

He: Can you prove that there is no God? Would you say that something does not exist just because you have not seen it? For instance, have you seen Bombay? No. Does it then follow that Bombay is non-existent?

Friend: I have not seen Bombay. But I have seen many who have. That is why I believe that Bombay exists.

He: Very well. Likewise, our ancient sages who had seen the Lord have given clear indications to that effect. What is wrong if we unreservedly accept their words? Their experience cannot be set aside and so we must concede the existence of God.

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❑ Experiences of Devotees

I had read of Śiva having given darśana to those who pined for Him. After Acharyal had initiated me into a Śiva-mantra, I began to repeatedly pray to the Lord for a vision of the Divine. The heart was burning within while I put up a semblance of normalcy as far as the external world was concerned. Meditation and thought of Acharyal alone provided solace. One day I could no longer bear the grief of non-perception of Īśvara. I went to the temple nearby and vowed, “O Śiva! Long have I craved for You but You have not responded. Life without You holds no meaning for me. Bestow Your grace on me today itself, if You will. Else, I shall cast off this worthless body by jumping from the roof of my house.” Later, I went to the pūjā room at home and sat in meditation. That day’s concentration was particularly wonderful. When I regained awareness of my body it was around 9.30 p.m. The Lord had not come. I started to rise to go up to the terrace. Suddenly, I beheld a bright disc of light. The disc expanded and a sweet sound of “Oṁ” was heard to the accompaniment of the tinkling of a bell. From the light, the glorious form of Śiva seemed to condense, seated on a bull. To say that I was enthralled and transfixed would be an understatement. “What do you wish?” was the melodious voice I heard. The Lord had graced me. What more could I want? “Nothing”, I replied. Beaming a captivating smile, Śiva, the perfect One, vanished. What was all this but the effect of Acharyal’s blessing conferred on the day of my initiation itself!

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❑ Parables of Acharyal

A minister, who was an atheist but had great regard for Me, came to see Me. During his conversation with Me, he commented, “Our ancients were very wise, indeed. Long ago, people were discharging their duties properly. Though some of them might have erred, generally speaking, policemen were not required in large numbers to maintain law and order. The reason was that people had faith in Īśvara and the śāstra-s. Consequently, they feared His punishment.”

“Nowadays, people like me proclaim that God does not exist and that dharma is meaningless. We thought that people would be captivated by such rhetoric and that they would be guided by us. However, our scheme backfired. People fear none now and heedlessly violate the law of the land. They give very little importance to ethics. We eliminated God from the scene but could not get a suitable replacement to ensure discipline. I feel that the ancients wisely conceived a God and propagated what they had imagined.”

As can be seen, even an atheist will do well not to deny God!

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