Bala S sent a set of questions on God, life and religion. Swamiji gave detailed reply to his questions. The conversation is, as follows:
Bala S: Pranaam Guruji, At the outset let me say that I am a Hindu by birth. I am putting across these thoughts to you not as a disrespect or to challenge you or your spiritual attainments. The intention is a hope that you will be able to show me a way out of this Jhanjhat called life.
Swami Ram Swarup: Your views are appreciated and I bless you. I would also advice you to go through whole web site where you will gain a lot of knowledge, please.
Bala S: Concept of God varies from religion to religion and from individual to individual. Some say and believe that God resides in everyone and that we are also God. How can that be true? God is that Great Power from whom the Creation has originated. What is then the comparison between the Almighty God and the helpless creature called human being? Why are the religious leaders fooling the common mass by saying that He (God) is the Ocean and we are a drop from that Ocean and hence we are also God. There is water in urine, so does that mean that urine is equivalent to Ganges water? That being the case, Hindus can take a dip in urine tank and attain moksha?
Swami Ram Swarup: Religion to religion is plural number whereas Almighty God is always in singular number. So definition of religion is made by God and not by men. In Mimansa Shashtra sutra 2 the definition of religion is — inspirations from Vedas to perform pious deeds is religion. So to study Vedas, shashtras and holy books are necessary. In chapter 3 shalok 15 Bhagwat Geeta says that all deeds (karmas) are originated from Vedas and Vedas are originated from Almighty God. Shalok 2/6 of Manusmriti says every deed is originated from Vedas. So we the individuals must study Vedas, shastras etc., first from a learned spiritual master to decide religion. But it is bad luck that based on self views the religion is being accepted boycotting the eternal knowledge ortraditional knowledge of Vedas originated direct from God at the time of first creation. So the religion and God is one. Yajurved mantra 40/1 says that there are two kinds of world. First materialistic world created by God from prakriti in the shape of sun, moon, air, mountains, human/animals/birds bodies, earth etc., etc., which is non-alive. The second world is of souls which are alive. Now the mantra says that in both the worlds almighty God is there being Omnipresent.
Mandal 10 of Rigveda and Chhandog upnishad also say that God created the universe and then became omnipresent. You think yourself also that you always says this is your nose, eyes, head etc., but you never say that you are nose, eyes, or head. So it is clear that you are not body. So you are soul resides in the body. I.e., soul is separate and body is separate. Rigveda mantra 1/164/20 says that in human body made by panch mahabhoot there live soul and God in it. So soul, can never become God or sun, moon, etc., can also not be a God being different qualities. This is proof, Samkhya muni says in sutra 2/25 of his Samkhya shashtra that the truth or any matter when is decided by means of solid proof then it can not be denied merely based on self thinking. Because Vedas are eternal proof so the knowledge of Vedas can not be denied.
God has created ocean therefore God can not be a ocean. In ocean there is water and the drop of water can be separated from ocean being non-alive too but God is not a non alive ocean, he is alive, omnipresent, almighty, beyond description and beyond calculation so how we are able to calculate and describe God as ocean and soul as drop, when God is beyond description and calculation? Water can be divided into drop but God is always undivided. To consider soul as a drop of ocean first soul will have to be treated a non-alive element. And God will have also to be treated as a non-alive element like water which is always impossible. We have to worship the creator and not creation. So the example of ocean and drop which are non alive is fundamentally wrong in respect of almighty God who is omnipresent and Alive. But ocean and water drop do not have these qualities. So Tulsi in his Ramayan truly says in Uttrakand verse 100 (kha) that the worship of almighty God explained in four Vedas with ascetics has been left in this kaliyug due to worldly attachment instead self created worship and path have been made against four Vedas.
Bala S:Has any living being seen God? Can anyone from the other side come and tell us if they have seen God and how God looks like? The answer is a big No. If you really believe in what you preach and you are confident that your thoughts and beliefs about God have matured and that they are not going to change, then my challenge to your respected self is:
Swami Ram Swarup: Only a yogi like Vyas muni, Vishwamitra, Guru Vashisht who knew four Vedas and did ashtang yoga practice realised God and the yogi in the same category can only realise God at present because tradition can not be changed.
Bala S: (1) Have you seen God? If yes, then can you let me know and also help me to see Him?
Swami Ram Swarup: In Keno Upanishad it is said that God is he for which the voice is unable to describe but God creates the voice. Secondly if someone says that he knows God then he knows God little bit only. But if someone says that he does not know God then really he has known.
Bala S: (2) In the material world every action has an equal and opposite reaction and everything can be quantified. If I throw a stone on the glass, it breaks, if I heat water it boils, if I freeze water it become ice. Likewise, on the spiritual side can you suggest something like chanting a Mantra n number of times, or singing a bhajan or calling out a specific Godhead or some such thing which will result in a specific result that can be measured and quantified. Your answer to the questions will help restore my confidence in our religious practices and God.
Swami Ram Swarup: The realisation of God or its practice to realise can not be measured. But Yoga shashtra sutra 1/23 says that if you based on study of vedas, believe on God or has full faith on God and surrender all the result of pious deeds to God then there are chances of realisation of God. Chanting of holy name of God—Om and Gayatri mantra makes our mind purify and help us to realise God.
Bala S: My next question – Who is happy in this world? Take the Americans, the Russians, we Indians, the Pakistanis, the Europeans – no one is happy.
Swami Ram Swarup: In Yoga shashtra sutra 1/24, it is said that God has not to bear the result of any deed, God is away from any problem etc., therefore he is always merriment or pleased. So he who worship God and after sometime realises him, that person is always otherwise whole world is in worry, sickness, problems, corruption, fourtwenty, etc., etc. and therefore without real worship of God no one can be happy. Doesn’t matter if he has assets and sons even more than Ravan, Duryodhan, Kans, Napoleon, Aurangjeb etc.
Bala S: The healthy is not happy because he envies the rich, the rich is not happy because he is not healthy, the poor is not happy because he is neither rich nor healthy. The beautiful is not happy because it is not permanent, the ugly is not happy because it is not beautiful. A student is not happy because he has to study, an employee is unhappy because he has to work, an unemployed is unhappy because he does not have work. Man with two eyes is unhappy seeing all the wrong doings around him, a blind is unhappy because he cannot see. Yesterday was unhappy, today is unhappy – can tomorrow be happy? When no one is happy in this world, then what for has God created this world. Does it mean that God is a Sadist sitting and enjoying all this fun? Might, as well it is high time He calls it a day and pull the curtains so that all the living beings are saved this miserable existence. Let the scattered drops get back into the ocean and let us all enjoy the oneness.
Swami Ram Swarup: So happiness is not based on organs or materialistic articles. Soul is separate and organs and body is separate. If anyone sees good sight from eye then it means he (soul) is pleased through eye. Similar is the case for all organs. But Vedas, shashtras says when an aspirant controls all organs ,all perceptions and mind then he realises himself (soul) and afterwards he realises God, gets salvation i.e., permanent pleasure.
