Ramana Maharshi says God’s creation does not bind only jiva’s creation binds

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God’s creation does not bind: only the jiva’s creation,which is a mental

conception, binds. This is illustrated by the story of the father of the

dead son being happy while the father of the living son lamented.

 

 

Sadhu Om: The story mentioned in this verse is as follows: Two neighbours

called Rama and Krishna, who lived in a small village in South India, went

on a pilgrimage to Kasi. On the way Rama died of fever, and Krishna

continued alone on his pilgrimage. While proceeding to Kasi, Krishna met

another pilgrim who was returning to the south and asked him to convey the

news of Rama’s death to his parents. The pilgrim duly came to that village,

but while telling the news he said, due to forgetfulness, that Krishna had

died and that Rama was proceeding towards Kasi. The parents of Krishna wept

and grieved over the loss of their son, who was actually alive, while the

parents of Rama were rejoicing over the welfare of their son, who was

actually dead. Now, was not the wrong knowledge of the parents the cause for

their respective misery and happiness? In the same manner, the cause for the

miseries of birth and death experienced by the jivas is only the wrong

knowledge, the wrong mental conception, that one is the body. Therefore, the

conception ‘I am the body’, which is only a creation of the mind or jiva, is

the sole cause of bondage. This is why Sri Bhagavan says in this verse,

“Only the jiva’s creation, which is a mental conception,binds”.

 

According to their maturity, does not God bestow upon jivas their allotted

prarabdha – the selected and arranged fruits of good and bad karmas – for

their own uplift? All that we see as our life in a body and as a world in

which we live, is nothing but our prarabdha. Do we not think that such a

world, which is arranged according to our karmas and vasanas, is the

creation of God? Thus the very purpose of the appearance or creation of the

world which we see, is to teach us vairagya by making us experience pains

and pleasures and thereby to turn our mind towards Self.

 

The state in which the mind is ever turned Selfwards is liberation or

moksha. Therefore the very purpose of the world, which is said to be God’s

creation, is not to bind us but only to liberate us. That is why it is said

in this verse, “God’s creation does not bind”.

 

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF

GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

 

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings

that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such

it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

 

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Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram