Guest guest Posted May 20, 1999 Report Share Posted May 20, 1999 Hi everyone, This is one of my favorite quotes from Swamiji [Vivekananda] which I would love to share with you. I'm sure you are familiar with it, but I thought it might be good to post it: " We may well say that we are all playing in this universe. Just as children play their games, just as the most glorious kings and emperors play their own games, so is the beloved Lord Himself playing in this universe. He is perfect. He does not want anything. Activity, with us, is always for the fulfilment of a certain want; and want always presupposes imperfection. God is perfect. He has no wants. Why should He go on with this incessant work of creation? What purpose could He have in view? The stories of God's creating the world for one end or other that we imagine, are good as stories, but not otherwise. It is all really sport; the universe is merely His play. The whole universe must after all be a big piece of pleasing fun to Him. If you are poor enjoy being poor, as fun; if you are rich enjoy the fun of being rich; if dangers come it is also good fun; if happiness comes there is more good fun. The world is just a playground, and we are here having good fun, having a game; and God is playing with us all the while, and we are playing with Him. God is our eternal playmate. How beautifully He is playing! The play is finished when the cycle comes to an end. There is rest for a shorter or longer time; again all come out and play. " It is only when you forget that it is all play and that you are also helping in the play --- it is only then that misery and sorrows come, that the heart becomes heavy, that the world weighs upon you with tremendous power. But as soon as you give up your serious belief in the reality of the changing incidents of the three minutes of life, and know it to be but a stage on which you are playng, helping Him to play, at once misery ceases for you. He plays in every atom. He is playing when He is building up earths and suns and animals, with plants. We are His chessmen: He puts the chessmen on the board and shakes them up. he arranges us first in one way and then in another, and we consciously or unconsciously help in His play. And oh, bliss! we are His playmates. " -Swami Vivekananda " Bhakti Yoga " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 And yet SNIP " We may well say that we are all playing in this universe. Just as children > play their games, just as the most glorious kings and emperors play their own > games, so is the beloved Lord Himself playing in this universe. " SNIP And yet I do not understand it. Isn't it is a fact (even if it's not the Truth) that there is misery in the world? Isn't it a fact even if we say that misery exists only because happiness (dulaity) exists? Isn't it a fact that people suffer even if due to Maya or ignorance? Even if we say God is beyond good and bad and everything is His play. Why does this play have to include extreme misery of some? Regards Malli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 - " Mallikarjuna Konduri " <mallikonduri <Ramakrishna > Monday, December 22, 2003 07:19 [sri Ramakrishna] Re: A Quote from Swamiji! > And yet > > SNIP > " We may well say that we are all playing in this universe. Just as > children > > play their games, just as the most glorious kings and emperors play > their own > > games, so is the beloved Lord Himself playing in this universe. " > SNIP > > And yet I do not understand it. Isn't it is a fact (even if it's not > the Truth) that there is misery in the world? Isn't it a fact even if > we say that misery exists only because happiness (dulaity) exists? > Isn't it a fact that people suffer even if due to Maya or ignorance? > Even if we say God is beyond good and bad and everything is His play. > > Why does this play have to include extreme misery of some? > > Regards > > Malli =========response==================== Swami Vivekananda does not deny the existence of suffering. He simply says the Bhakta or the devotee will accept everything (including most serious setbacks) as the offering of the lord. If we ever went to a mother crying the loss of her child and told her that this is the way the lord plays, she will most likely slap us. Yet, the true devotee will accept everything that is dished out to him as lord's play. He adopts a frame of mind that defies our normal way of understanding things. It is very real and seen quite clear in the lives of all major bhaktas. Narsih Mehta after losing all his family members in a catastrophe sang: " Now, there no more distraction and I will sing the lord's name in peace. " Why misery is part of a more general question that can be asked: Why all this? (including pleasures and pains). Sri Ramakrishna says: 'Go and ask my mother Kali' --- this is a very serious answer offered to this profound question. It implies that as long as we do not have God experience this duality including suffering remains. The only resolution is: God experience. Until that happens questions like these will continue to prick us like thorns. jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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