POWER OVER BIRTH AND DEATH

[Guest guest]

POWER OVER BIRTH AND DEATH

 

Nana's daughter lost the child within a few months, and had lost her

husband some months earlier. She thus becomes an issueless widow at

the age of seventeen. This cast a gloom over the whole family.

Sometime later, Nana Saheb went with his family to Baba and sat in

glum silence before him.

 

Baba: Why are you so silent?

 

Nana: You know everything. While we are under your care, these

calamities have befallen us, loss of child, loss of son-in-law, etc.,

 

Baba: If you care for child, etc., don't come to me for these. These

are not in my power. These (i.e., birth of child and death of

relatives) are dependent or Poorva Karma. Even Parameshwar, Great God

Himself, who has created this entire world cannot alter these. Do you

think He can tell the Sun or Moon "Rise some two yards farther away

from your appointed place?" No, He cannot and will not. That will

produce disorder, chaos.

 

Nana: If that is so, how is it that you tell some one that he will

have a son and he gets a son and you tell another that he will get

employment, and he gets it? Are these not your chamatkar i.e.,

miracles?

 

NO MIRACLES:

 

Baba: No, Nana, I perform no miracles. You have your village

astrologers; They work two or four days ahead and give out their

predictions. Some of them come true. I look farther ahead. What I say

happens. My art also is a sort of astrology. But you people do not

understand this. To you, my words look like miracles – because you do

not know the future. So you regard events as proofs of my miracle-

working power and turn your reverence to me. I, in my turn, direct

your reverence to God, and see that you are really benefited.

 

"SURRENDER ESSENTIAL PROTECTION" – GITA PROMISE:

 

These words of Baba strongly remind one of Lord Buddha's interdiction

against "Miracle-working". Yet according to the popular view Lord

Buddha worked many a miracle. These apparent self-contradictions in

Buddha and Krishna have their explanation and some attempt will be

made in later chapter to offer some hints on the subject. Here it is

enough to say that Baba was referring to certain facts as fixed by

superhuman agency, which man has to accept and face. He was

frequently saying in the words of Kabir, `You must be content with

the lot assigned to you by God.Have Faith and Patience". Baba

taught both by example and precept that real happiness and success in

life here and hereafter come to the man who grasps not, but

renounces, who surrenders all his will to his God and Guru. Baba

helped his sincere devotees to make this surrender, by attending to

every want of theirs, once they tried to make their surrender or even

started making it. Did not Krishna say that he attends to the welfare

of those who surrender themselves and think solely of Him at all

times with complete faith?

 

(Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B.V. Narasimha Swamiji)