Burst Forty nine:
Fun At Our Cost
Many of us believe in God. We also hold that He created this universe. Moreover, He is maintaining it and will one day destroy it too.
When we look around, we find such a perplexing variety of events in this world – happy and sorrowful, humorous and depressing. It has been so from time immemorial. Emperors and ordinary people go through unpredictable changes in their lives. Life is no bed of roses all the way, even for the rich and the famous.
Is God having fun with all these? Without His will (or consent), we read in holy books, even a blade of grass does not move1. Our laughter is therefore by His design and our grief too is as per His fancy. All that we go through – conflict, turmoil, crying, weeping, seeking and feeling desperate – are all amusement for Him. He enjoys watching the grand show of life as someone (like Ravana in the Ramayana) puts his whole life in jeopardy by being unable to control his lust, or as someone else (like Duryodhana in the Mahabharata) digs his own grave by falling a prey to greed. Some (like Vishwamitra) are attached to austerity (tapas) and carry it on along with some basic delusions like wanting some special status (of Brahma-rishi). Some very virtuous people (like King Harischandra) suffer endlessly, with their families (like Chandramati, the king’s wife) put to incessant misery. Yet others (like Damayanti) are separated from their spouses (Nala) and are frantically trying to re-unite. Then there are couples (like Arjuna and Subhadra) who go through the tremendous grief of the loss of their child (Abhimanyu). All these upheavals or prolonged unhappiness of humanity on the earth seem to be entertainment for Shiva, the Supreme Lord.
All of us in millions seem to be flowers and Shiva apparently drinks of the nectar from us. Every one of us seems to provide to His palate a distinct flavor. Our life, running into a saga that is rich in the nine sentiments (nava-rasas), is a veritable feast for Him.
Is this not cruel?
As the old saying goes, God defined is God defiled. God is truly beyond all conceivable descriptions. The above picture of Him enjoying the diverse scenes of human life is not false but is inadequate. It is one view that highlights a certain aspect of the supreme truth. Primarily this depiction implies that the creator is not affected by the joys and sorrows of the creation. The Vedanta books go one step further therefore and say He is the quiet witness (sakshi) of the play of names and forms. To say that He rewards the good and punishes the wicked is also a certain level of appreciation of the God principle. It appeals to many an intellect, especially in the early stages.
A number of spiritual points of view help us to abandon harmful, self-centered viewpoints. At their culmination, we give up our ego and are free. That is the state of unitary consciousness, devoid of all divisions. We then see harmony right in the midst of chaos. We see indestructible life amidst all death.
Swami Chidananda
Varanasi
(Basis of the above writing: Verses 36 thru 40 of Marula Muniyana Kagga, a Kannada work)
1 tena vina trinam-api na chalati.