anand
10th January 2005, 11:14 AM
This is just feature given in http://www.boloji.com/spirituality/085.htm. i dont intent to stress anythings about religion adn faith that each of the member keep. I just noticed this one, so i put it here for all yours attention.
Tragedy of the Century
Millions have perished, and millions have been wounded and left homeless. Tsunami has shown its lethal power. Somehow, due to unknown reasons, India has remained in the ire of nature. We have been suffering consistently due to natural calamities. One after another, deadly blows are being given to the nation. Whenever we are trying to rise our head, we are given a blow. But this time, it is not just India, but a huge chunk of Aryavarta, the land of the Aryans, now called Asia, that is suffering immensely. Indonesia has suffered the utmost, with over 80,000 passing away. Sri Lanka comes next. And then, it is India.
No one has the strength to stop the heartrending cries of the bereaved. Children, helpless because of having lost their homes, parents, and everything else, don't even know how to cry. They are shocked. Elders are suffering mental torture. Thousands have been orphaned. There can be no power to wipe the tears that have been flowing since the tragedy struck Asia. The heartfelt condolences, sympathies, and affection of all sane individuals go to everyone who is suffering today. The physical shock, the mental agony and trauma, the spiritual loneliness- - all have joined together to attack the soul of the suffering. Let there be strength enough in everyone’s heart to bear the pain of suffering, is our earnest, humble prayer.
The Questions
Tsunami now, and earthquakes and tornados earlier, have been raising some important questions in our minds.
1. Why do such things happen?
2. Is there a merciful God?
3. Why are innocent people suffering?
4. What can we do to the suffering?
These are very important questions, and should not be brushed aside. Such disasters definitely bring faithlessness in human hearts. When even ordinary blows can shake our faith in God, such colossal incidents will definitely create many atheists. It is therefore good to think of these questions.
Question 1: Why do such things happen?
Everything was all right before the incident. Perhaps mothers were cradling their children, thinking how big and great these little ones would become in time. Perhaps fathers were concerned about the education of their sons and daughters. Perhaps, since it was a Sunday, many were dreaming of a wonderful day ahead, and a wonderful new year. But it came. And it swept away not only dreams, but the dreamers, their possessions, their all, and everything too. Why? What went wrong?
The simple answer is, it is not possible for human beings to be all-knowing. If we had been all-knowing, we could have announced that tsunami could strike any time. We could have saved countless lives. We can’t say what will happen the next moment. We can’t understand why things happen the way they do. What to speak of our human capacities, we in spite all the scientific advancement couldn’t measure this event beforehand, and when we tried to do that, it was a false alarm, creating panic and confusion.
Therefore we must understand that there is a complex process going on in this universe. It is impossible for limited minds to understand the why and wherefore of things. Being involved in the process, we cannot understand the process fully at any time. We cannot, for instance, understand why some are good and some bad; why some are happy while others are miserable; why some suffer while others enjoy, and so on. No genetics can explain why someone is born blind, while others are not. Genetics cannot say why someone has congenital disease, while others do not. All logic fails here.
The Law of Karma
There is, however, a great theory of Karma, a contribution of India to the world. ‘Karma’ means ‘action’; it also means ‘reaction’ to action. Whatever I do is karma: breathing, blood circulation, every voluntary or involuntary act is karma. But what we do will not end in our doing. It will produce its effect - - good, good; bad, bad. So that also is generally called karma. The actual word should have been karma-phala. As we sow, so we reap: this is the fundamental principle of karma. We are what we are today because of our karma. This is NOT fatalism. We must remember this. Hinduism, or Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Religion, is never fatalistic. It is optimistic. How? If I am what I am today because of my past deeds, I have absolute freedom to do such things as to improve my condition tomorrow. I am my own master. I am my own creator. This, then, is the great law of karma.
The sages of India were not just mendicants; they were scientists. They wanted to know why some children are born blind while others are not. They wanted to know the reasons behind congenital diseases. They wanted to know why some are deprived while some are not. They wanted to know why some are suffering while others are not. They studied everything thoroughly and came to great conclusions. So they contributed the theory of karma. This is one special theory that fits in very well into many things. It is an extremely reasonable argument too.
Yet karma should not be used to explain everything according to our viewpoint. We sometimes try to twist things according to what we think is true, and use karma theory. We want to look at the world according to our viewpoint, and we therefore make use of whatever law we can to suit our purposes. If something wrong happens to me, it is because God is merciless. If something wrong happens to my enemy, everything is his karma!
The direct offshoot of this reasoning is that we are all one. All human beings - - though we are from different races and colors, different castes and religions - - are one. There is only One, manifesting as many. That One is wearing countless bodies.
This leads us to another theory: that of collective karma. “Collective karma” shouldn’t be misunderstood as the karma of a country or group. People of similar karma come together. So the evil done by others may affect us, even as good done by others affect us. It is like this: when we are in the company of evil-minded people, we suffer. Just the opposite is the case when we are with good people. So we are all collectively heading either towards glory or towards disaster. But the thinkers of the theory of karma never say that anyone is doomed. According to the eternal religion (Sanatana Dharma) everyone will attain the highest - - from the lowest little amoeba to the greatest man, all will attain liberation or the highest. So all are one; and all are marching towards Light. This world is a school: we learn lesson after lesson here and thus march towards our Self. Until then, we must know that we are all one—whatever be our religion, culture, faith, etc. All our karmas are a comprehensive whole. If someone is suffering, it is me that is suffering in him. If someone is enjoying, it is me that is enjoying. So tragic events like the tsunami disaster show us that we must be wide awake.
Thus the answer to the first question, as to why such things happen, is not necessary. On the contrary, let our karma now be to serve the Lord through the suffering masses. Let us think in this way: ‘We don’t understand why so many died; why so many are suffering. But we understand that we have an opportunity to serve our fellow beings that are in deep trouble.’ We cannot understand why things happen the way they do, we cannot anticipate events, we cannot stop unwanted events—all because our vision is myopic.
Why can’t we understand events? It is like this: We see only one little piece cut off from a reel of a big movie, say of about 30 reels, and comment that we know the whole story. How can we? One still picture from a big movie can never tell the whole story of the movie. But we say we are able to understand the whole story, just by seeing a still picture.
Therefore we should not try to explain away every thing using our little minds. Rather, every event should make us learn lessons: that we are helpless creatures; that we are here to know ourselves; that we should serve fellow beings with devotion, and so on.
Question Two: Is God Merciful?
‘Today God is being abandoned by the world because He does not seem to be doing enough for the world. So they say: “Of what good is He?” Shall we look upon God as a mere municipal authority?’
This is the answer to this question. God is not a municipal authority, who must go on giving everything to us as we want. Further, we ask another question: “What is He doing when such things happen?” It is as if we have been paying him to be there. These are interesting questions, though. But God must have become tired of hearing people criticizing and insulting Him. Or, God is perhaps the most patient person, because he has to endure such a lot of criticism always. For anything that happens, our first victim is God.
For everything that happens, we blame God. But if something good happens, we don't thank God for it. On the contrary, good, we say, came because of our intelligence, our power, and our capacities. Only whatever bad happens is because God is ruthless. And all that is bad happens because some fools created a theory called God. This is our usual argument.
We should be reasonable in blaming anybody or anything, what to speak of God. Let us take two consecutive incidents for instance. Let us say that we see a tragedy in which some innocent lives are lost. We begin to blame God: ‘Ah! What is God doing?’ Let us say God listens to it. A few decades later, we see some rich persons. Comparing ourselves with their fortune, we blame God: “Ah! Just see how unjust God is! He has made them rich, while he has left others poor.’ Now let us say God will think in this way: ‘What sort of people are these? When the innocent persons died, they blamed me. In their next birth I made them rich and happy, and these people again blame me. If I do good, I am blamed. If I do something ‘so-called’ bad, I am blamed. What shall I do?” This is just by way of example.
Therefore, when such things happen, let us not blame God. Let us not use our little minds to understand cosmic phenomena and to judge God. Millions of sad events—earthquakes, cyclones, famines, floods—have taken place on this earth, and we have died millions of times over and over again. Many more may come in the future, who knows? Yet we have also been experiencing the joys and pleasures of the earth. We are not always sad and gloomy. Nobody is dying every day. It is not always that we suffer.
God is Compassionate
Is God merciful then? Of course He is merciful. He sends us knowledge always. He wants to help us out of suffering always. Sri Ramakrishna, the great master of Swami Vivekananda, says: ‘God is the Kalpataru, the Wish-fulfilling Tree. You will certainly get whatever you ask of Him. But you must pray standing near the Kalpataru. Only then will your prayer be fulfilled. But you must remember another thing. God knows our inner feeling. A man gets the fulfillment of the desire he cherishes, while practicing sadhana. As one thinks, so one receives. Pray to God. He is full of compassion. Will He not listen to the words of His devotee? He is the Kalpataru. You will get whatever you desire from Him.’’
But we are ourselves weaving the cobweb of suffering around us. What can He do? Are we seeking Him? Are we praying to Him earnestly? Are we doing our daily duties which have been prescribed by our scriptures? Are we free from sins? Are we just? Are we free from corruption? Are we truthful? Let us judge ourselves before judging God. ‘Aye, says the Vedanta, it is not the fault of God that this partiality exists, that this competition exists. Who makes it? We ourselves…. The mercy of God is eternal and unchangeable. It is we that make the differentiation,’ says Swami Vivekananda.
Continued in next thread http://www.oceanographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=120
Tragedy of the Century
Millions have perished, and millions have been wounded and left homeless. Tsunami has shown its lethal power. Somehow, due to unknown reasons, India has remained in the ire of nature. We have been suffering consistently due to natural calamities. One after another, deadly blows are being given to the nation. Whenever we are trying to rise our head, we are given a blow. But this time, it is not just India, but a huge chunk of Aryavarta, the land of the Aryans, now called Asia, that is suffering immensely. Indonesia has suffered the utmost, with over 80,000 passing away. Sri Lanka comes next. And then, it is India.
No one has the strength to stop the heartrending cries of the bereaved. Children, helpless because of having lost their homes, parents, and everything else, don't even know how to cry. They are shocked. Elders are suffering mental torture. Thousands have been orphaned. There can be no power to wipe the tears that have been flowing since the tragedy struck Asia. The heartfelt condolences, sympathies, and affection of all sane individuals go to everyone who is suffering today. The physical shock, the mental agony and trauma, the spiritual loneliness- - all have joined together to attack the soul of the suffering. Let there be strength enough in everyone’s heart to bear the pain of suffering, is our earnest, humble prayer.
The Questions
Tsunami now, and earthquakes and tornados earlier, have been raising some important questions in our minds.
1. Why do such things happen?
2. Is there a merciful God?
3. Why are innocent people suffering?
4. What can we do to the suffering?
These are very important questions, and should not be brushed aside. Such disasters definitely bring faithlessness in human hearts. When even ordinary blows can shake our faith in God, such colossal incidents will definitely create many atheists. It is therefore good to think of these questions.
Question 1: Why do such things happen?
Everything was all right before the incident. Perhaps mothers were cradling their children, thinking how big and great these little ones would become in time. Perhaps fathers were concerned about the education of their sons and daughters. Perhaps, since it was a Sunday, many were dreaming of a wonderful day ahead, and a wonderful new year. But it came. And it swept away not only dreams, but the dreamers, their possessions, their all, and everything too. Why? What went wrong?
The simple answer is, it is not possible for human beings to be all-knowing. If we had been all-knowing, we could have announced that tsunami could strike any time. We could have saved countless lives. We can’t say what will happen the next moment. We can’t understand why things happen the way they do. What to speak of our human capacities, we in spite all the scientific advancement couldn’t measure this event beforehand, and when we tried to do that, it was a false alarm, creating panic and confusion.
Therefore we must understand that there is a complex process going on in this universe. It is impossible for limited minds to understand the why and wherefore of things. Being involved in the process, we cannot understand the process fully at any time. We cannot, for instance, understand why some are good and some bad; why some are happy while others are miserable; why some suffer while others enjoy, and so on. No genetics can explain why someone is born blind, while others are not. Genetics cannot say why someone has congenital disease, while others do not. All logic fails here.
The Law of Karma
There is, however, a great theory of Karma, a contribution of India to the world. ‘Karma’ means ‘action’; it also means ‘reaction’ to action. Whatever I do is karma: breathing, blood circulation, every voluntary or involuntary act is karma. But what we do will not end in our doing. It will produce its effect - - good, good; bad, bad. So that also is generally called karma. The actual word should have been karma-phala. As we sow, so we reap: this is the fundamental principle of karma. We are what we are today because of our karma. This is NOT fatalism. We must remember this. Hinduism, or Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Religion, is never fatalistic. It is optimistic. How? If I am what I am today because of my past deeds, I have absolute freedom to do such things as to improve my condition tomorrow. I am my own master. I am my own creator. This, then, is the great law of karma.
The sages of India were not just mendicants; they were scientists. They wanted to know why some children are born blind while others are not. They wanted to know the reasons behind congenital diseases. They wanted to know why some are deprived while some are not. They wanted to know why some are suffering while others are not. They studied everything thoroughly and came to great conclusions. So they contributed the theory of karma. This is one special theory that fits in very well into many things. It is an extremely reasonable argument too.
Yet karma should not be used to explain everything according to our viewpoint. We sometimes try to twist things according to what we think is true, and use karma theory. We want to look at the world according to our viewpoint, and we therefore make use of whatever law we can to suit our purposes. If something wrong happens to me, it is because God is merciless. If something wrong happens to my enemy, everything is his karma!
The direct offshoot of this reasoning is that we are all one. All human beings - - though we are from different races and colors, different castes and religions - - are one. There is only One, manifesting as many. That One is wearing countless bodies.
This leads us to another theory: that of collective karma. “Collective karma” shouldn’t be misunderstood as the karma of a country or group. People of similar karma come together. So the evil done by others may affect us, even as good done by others affect us. It is like this: when we are in the company of evil-minded people, we suffer. Just the opposite is the case when we are with good people. So we are all collectively heading either towards glory or towards disaster. But the thinkers of the theory of karma never say that anyone is doomed. According to the eternal religion (Sanatana Dharma) everyone will attain the highest - - from the lowest little amoeba to the greatest man, all will attain liberation or the highest. So all are one; and all are marching towards Light. This world is a school: we learn lesson after lesson here and thus march towards our Self. Until then, we must know that we are all one—whatever be our religion, culture, faith, etc. All our karmas are a comprehensive whole. If someone is suffering, it is me that is suffering in him. If someone is enjoying, it is me that is enjoying. So tragic events like the tsunami disaster show us that we must be wide awake.
Thus the answer to the first question, as to why such things happen, is not necessary. On the contrary, let our karma now be to serve the Lord through the suffering masses. Let us think in this way: ‘We don’t understand why so many died; why so many are suffering. But we understand that we have an opportunity to serve our fellow beings that are in deep trouble.’ We cannot understand why things happen the way they do, we cannot anticipate events, we cannot stop unwanted events—all because our vision is myopic.
Why can’t we understand events? It is like this: We see only one little piece cut off from a reel of a big movie, say of about 30 reels, and comment that we know the whole story. How can we? One still picture from a big movie can never tell the whole story of the movie. But we say we are able to understand the whole story, just by seeing a still picture.
Therefore we should not try to explain away every thing using our little minds. Rather, every event should make us learn lessons: that we are helpless creatures; that we are here to know ourselves; that we should serve fellow beings with devotion, and so on.
Question Two: Is God Merciful?
‘Today God is being abandoned by the world because He does not seem to be doing enough for the world. So they say: “Of what good is He?” Shall we look upon God as a mere municipal authority?’
This is the answer to this question. God is not a municipal authority, who must go on giving everything to us as we want. Further, we ask another question: “What is He doing when such things happen?” It is as if we have been paying him to be there. These are interesting questions, though. But God must have become tired of hearing people criticizing and insulting Him. Or, God is perhaps the most patient person, because he has to endure such a lot of criticism always. For anything that happens, our first victim is God.
For everything that happens, we blame God. But if something good happens, we don't thank God for it. On the contrary, good, we say, came because of our intelligence, our power, and our capacities. Only whatever bad happens is because God is ruthless. And all that is bad happens because some fools created a theory called God. This is our usual argument.
We should be reasonable in blaming anybody or anything, what to speak of God. Let us take two consecutive incidents for instance. Let us say that we see a tragedy in which some innocent lives are lost. We begin to blame God: ‘Ah! What is God doing?’ Let us say God listens to it. A few decades later, we see some rich persons. Comparing ourselves with their fortune, we blame God: “Ah! Just see how unjust God is! He has made them rich, while he has left others poor.’ Now let us say God will think in this way: ‘What sort of people are these? When the innocent persons died, they blamed me. In their next birth I made them rich and happy, and these people again blame me. If I do good, I am blamed. If I do something ‘so-called’ bad, I am blamed. What shall I do?” This is just by way of example.
Therefore, when such things happen, let us not blame God. Let us not use our little minds to understand cosmic phenomena and to judge God. Millions of sad events—earthquakes, cyclones, famines, floods—have taken place on this earth, and we have died millions of times over and over again. Many more may come in the future, who knows? Yet we have also been experiencing the joys and pleasures of the earth. We are not always sad and gloomy. Nobody is dying every day. It is not always that we suffer.
God is Compassionate
Is God merciful then? Of course He is merciful. He sends us knowledge always. He wants to help us out of suffering always. Sri Ramakrishna, the great master of Swami Vivekananda, says: ‘God is the Kalpataru, the Wish-fulfilling Tree. You will certainly get whatever you ask of Him. But you must pray standing near the Kalpataru. Only then will your prayer be fulfilled. But you must remember another thing. God knows our inner feeling. A man gets the fulfillment of the desire he cherishes, while practicing sadhana. As one thinks, so one receives. Pray to God. He is full of compassion. Will He not listen to the words of His devotee? He is the Kalpataru. You will get whatever you desire from Him.’’
But we are ourselves weaving the cobweb of suffering around us. What can He do? Are we seeking Him? Are we praying to Him earnestly? Are we doing our daily duties which have been prescribed by our scriptures? Are we free from sins? Are we just? Are we free from corruption? Are we truthful? Let us judge ourselves before judging God. ‘Aye, says the Vedanta, it is not the fault of God that this partiality exists, that this competition exists. Who makes it? We ourselves…. The mercy of God is eternal and unchangeable. It is we that make the differentiation,’ says Swami Vivekananda.
Continued in next thread http://www.oceanographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=120