Man of wisdom sees God in all - The Hindu Article

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Date:01/11/2002 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2002/11/01/stories/2002110103110900.htm

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Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Man of wisdom sees God in all

 

 

CHENNAI NOV.1 . Scriptural texts like the Upanishads begin with a

prayer. The intention is to invoke divine grace to make every human

activity fruitful, life in the world peaceful and attune the mind of

the student to grasp the subject matter, which is subtle. The Kena

Upanishad has two invocations, which also give insight into the

importance of the acquired knowledge coming to the student's aid when

necessary. Karna, for instance, forgot what he learnt when he most

needed the teaching. Study of any subject will therefore be useless

unless it benefits the person when it is required. It is more so in

the case of spiritual knowledge as scriptural study is undertaken

with the objective of realising the truth.

 

Everything functions in the universe because of God (Brahman), from

the blinking of the eyes to the flash of lightning in the sky, says

this Upanishad. The significance of this statement has to be

understood to see the hand of God behind the cosmos. As for human

faculties, each sense organ has a unique ability and when this is

seen in isolation it is easy to mistake that it can independently

function on its own. This is not so. It is the Almighty who has

endowed each sense organ with the particular capacity and these

faculties are only instruments. This truth must be discerned.

 

The Kena Upanishad explains this through the incident when God

appeared in the form of a spirit (Yaksha) to teach the celestials a

lesson. Once in a battle between the celestials and the demons when

the celestials started losing the battle they sought the help of God

(Brahman). He helped them to win it. But in their victory they forgot

that they owed it to God and hence to show their limitations He

tested their strength by appearing before them as a spirit. Each god

individually failed the test posed by the Yakhsa until Indra, the

chief of gods, submitted and was taught the truth by the Divine

Mother that it was God who was behind their victory. This is

applicable to human faculties and the functioning of the entire

universe also. It is ego that is responsible for the ignorance, which

blinds man to this truth.

 

In his discourse, Swami Asutoshananda said a person who could see God

everywhere and in every being was truly enlightened. Such an

individual does not see any difference between himself and others.

Practically some saints have exemplified this in their lives.

Instances of wild animals behaving timidly in their presence because

of the feeling of oneness have been documented.

 

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