The Bhagavad-Gita — The God Song. Chapter IX: The Secret supreme

The Secret supreme is the Knowledge supreme. It cannot be told. It has to be realised and it can be realised. This supreme Secret is written in letters of gold in the inmost recesses of each divinely human heart. It rejects none, no, not even the one who is dead in sin. He who has no faith in what Krishna says will have no escape from the fetters of ignorance. To have faith is to have a piece of singular good fortune. Like exemplary devotion, faith too needs a personal God and it has one. Faith is not blind belief. Faith is not a blind unquestioning surrender to the sacred books. Faith is the conscious awareness of one’s limitless freedom. Krishna says: “O Arjuna, salvation is not for him who has no faith. Forever he is bound to the sorrows of life and to the pangs of death.” He who walks along the road of faith will see for himself the Truth supreme here on earth. The determination of the seeker’s aspiring heart is his mystic faith. The conviction of the seeker’s revealing soul is his triumphant faith. An ordinary, unaspiring man is buoyed by the worlds of false hopes. But a man of faith always lives in the worlds of forceful affirmation. Cheerfully and unreservedly he heaps more and more fuel of sterling faith at the Altar of God. Needless to say that the flowering of his soul runs apace.

Krishna smilingly says: “The deluded slight Me, my human incarnations, knowing not that I am the Lord supreme of all beings.”

To recognise an Avatar is not an easy thing. Either one has to be blessed by the Avatar himself or one has to possess the gift of inner vision. An aspirant has to prepare himself in order to recognise an Avatar. He has to shun sense-pleasure. He must not be controlled by passions. It is he who has to control his passions. He has to breathe in constantly the breath of purity. Fear he has to tear down. Doubt he has to smite. Peace he has to invoke. Joy he has to imbibe.

To perform abstruse rites and ceremonies is not necessary. Self-giving is the only thing required. He accepts everything with greatest joy. We can start our inner journey offering Him leaves, flowers and fruits. Even the smallest act of offering to God is the truest step on the path of self-discovery and God-discovery. We think. If we offer our ‘thinking’ to God, this very act of offering our thought will ultimately make us one with God the Thought. An ordinary man feels that he thinks just because he lives. But Descartes holds altogether a different view: “I think, therefore I am.” This “I am” is not only the fruit of creation, but the breath of creation. Significant are the words of Bertrand Russell: “Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth — more than ruin, more even than death.”

If we can discover a true, divine thought, then in no time God will ask or compel time to be on our side. Nothing save time can help us feel the breath of Truth and touch the feet of God. We can own Eternity’s time if we truly want to. Sweet and meaningful are the words of Austin Dobson:

“Time goes, you say? Ah no!
Alas, Time stays, we go.”

We serve. If we serve Him, Him alone in humanity, we become one with His absolute Reality and His universal Oneness. We must not forget that our dedicated service must be rendered with a flood-tide of purest enthusiasm.

Verse 29 is a very familiar and popular one. "To Me all are alike, I know no favour. I know no disfavour. My loving devotees who worship me are in me. I am also in them.” This is an experience that stands out in bold relief in a true seeker’s life, There is no special privilege. Everybody is granted the same opportunity. It goes without saying that a true devotee has already gone through arduous spiritual disciplines. Now if he grows into a genuine devotee and becomes dear and intimate to Krishna, then it should be understood that he is having the result of his past iron disciplines and severe austerities. No pain, no gain. No sincerity, no success. Have aspiration. It will accelerate your progress, inner and outer.

The devotee aspires. Sri Krishna resides in his aspiration. The devotee realises. In his realisation he discovers that Krishna is his eternal breath. A devotee is never alone. He has discovered the true Truth that his self-sacrifice unites him with his Lord. The more he consciously offers himself to the Lord, the stronger becomes their divine bond of union, nay oneness.

Anityam (Not lasting, fleeting); Asukham (pleasureless, joyless). The outer world abides in our earth-bound consciousness. This earth-bound consciousness can be transformed into the Eternal Consciousness through aspiration, devotion and surrender. And the Eternal Consciousness houses perpetual joy. Liberation has to be achieved here in this world. Any man of promise will gladly subscribe to Emerson’s dauntless declaration:

When we look at the world with our inner eye, the world is beautiful. This beauty is the reflection of one’s own divinity. God the Beautiful has our aspiring heart as His eternal Throne. We, the seekers of the Supreme, can never see eye to eye with Nietzsche’s proud philosophy. He utters: "The world is beautiful, but has a disease called Man.” On the contrary, we can say in unmistakable terms that the world is beautiful because it has been illumined by a supernal beauty called Man.

Anityam and Asukham cannot blight the heart of a true seeker. His faith is married to his golden fate.

He sings and sings:

“My eternal days are found in speeding time,
I play upon his Flute of rhapsody.
Impossible deeds no more impossible seem,
In birth-chains now shines Immortality.”

The God Song — Chapter X: The perfection divine and universal

What is within us is perfection. What is without us is imperfection. The outer world can have perfection only when the inner world inspires, guides, moulds and shapes the outer world.

Yesterday dreamt of today as perfection. Today dreams of tomorrow as perfection. Perfection already achieved pales into insignificant imperfection before the birth of the fast approaching future.

Perfection grows. It has been doing so since the beginning of the creation’s birth. Unlike us, God has one Dream: perfect perfection. This perfect perfection must shine in the aspiring hearts of individuality and universality so that the absolute Reality can be the total expression of the cosmic Vision.

Everybody is dear to God. But the sweetest and the most intimate relation exists only between a devotee and the Lord. A true devotee worships the Lord with no desire’s brood. The Lord blesses him not only unreservedly but unconditionally. What a devotee needs is the determined strength of his heart. Once he has achieved it, his self-realisation will no longer remain a far cry.

To understand the truth is one thing. To believe in it is another. Not to understand the truth is no crime, far from it. But to disbelieve the truth is nothing short of an unpardonable sin. A child does not understand his father’s vast wisdom. Nevertheless, his faith in his father’s wisdom is spontaneous and genuine.

Sri Krishna is the Wisdom Absolute. He is the Glory Supreme. His Glory nobody understands. No, not even the gods. Arjuna may not understand Krishna but his implicit faith in Krishna speaks for him: “O Krishna, Thou art the Lord of the Lords. Supreme art Thou. This I believe. Neither the gods nor the demons comprehend thy mysterious manifestations. The source of all beings art Thou. Thou art known by Thee alone.”

Belief is the complete liberty of the mind. Belief is the full independence of the heart.

Krishna now makes it clear to Arjuna that His divine Glory can be elucidated and demonstrated but can never be exhausted. The universe in its entirely is but a tiny spark of His infinite Magnitude.

Pandavanam Dhananjaya (Among the Pandavas I am Dhananjaya). Dhananjaya is an epithet of Arjuna. Each person has one body, one mind, one heart and one soul. How can one standing in front of another say that he is verily the other person? Does it not sound absurd? It does so only when we live in the physical but not when we live in the oneness of the Spirit. When we declare that all human beings are one and the same, we just state a bare fact that we inwardly believe or try to believe. It is the sense of identification that makes us one. Krishna says: ‘I am this, I am that, I am everything.’ Again He says that He is the best, highest and mightiest in everything. Does it mean that His Consciousness is tinged with preference? Does He discriminate? No, He has no preference, He has no discrimination. “Arjuna, I am the Self seated in the heart of all beings. I am the beginning and middle and also the end of all beings.” He wants to illumine Arjuna’s mind by saying that in the process of cosmic evolution He is unveiling and manifesting His own perfection. His divine manifestations are endless. He has mentioned only a few by way of example. From Him spring permanence, goodness and mightiness. He tells Arjuna that He has not to learn His divine manifestations in minute detail. It will simply confuse his mind. ‘‘I established the whole universe with a portion of myself.” Knowing this the seeker in Arjuna can easily satisfy his hunger.

“I am the seed of all things, animate or inanimate.” Arjuna now realises that Krishna is not the mere body. He is the Self all-pervading. He wishes to know under what particular form the Self is to be worshipped. “Under all forms,” Krishna’s immediate reply is. Nothing there is without the Self. The Self is in all and all in the Self. This is the wisdom that the seeker’s knowledge must possess.

The Gita teaches us the purest oneness. This oneness is the inner oneness. This inner oneness is at once spontaneous and unique. This oneness can never be truncated or dwarfed by the mind. The realm of oneness is far beyond the approach of the physical mind.

Self-knowledge is the knowledge of the universal oneness. Divine perfection can be founded only on the fertile soil of universal oneness. Serve humanity precisely because Divinity looms large in humanity. Know Divinity and you will in no time realise God’s immortality in you and your immortality in God. God in man and man in God can only announce the truest embodiments of perfect perfection.

The God Song — Chapter XI: The vision of the Universal Form and the Cosmic Manifestation of the Lord

Out of His infinite Bounty, boundless Love and deepest, soulful Concern, Sri Krishna has unveiled the Secret supreme that He is in everything and He embodies everything. Arjuna’s stark delusion has been removed and dispersed. He now enjoys his soul’s translucent peace.

Sri Krishna speaks out of the abundance of His love. Arjuna listens to Him with his heart’s loftiest devotion and believes in Him unreservedly and soulfully. Arjuna’s singular belief cries for its transformation; his aspiration cries for an experience. His mind understands the truth. But his heart pines to vision the truth and to live the Truth. Hence he needs this experience, unavoidable and inevitable. Sri Krishna graciously and immediately grants it, the Experience Unparalleled.

“O Arjuna, Behold in My body the entire universe.” Arjuna’s physical eyes naturally fail to vision it. The Lord grants him the eye of supernal vision, the eye that sees the unseen — the yogic eye.

The body that the Lord speaks of is a spiritual body. Hence to see the spiritual body, Arjuna must needs be endowed with a spiritual eye. The body signifies form. The formless abides in this form. The Vision Transcendental and the Reality Absolute play in unison in and through the cosmic form. The body of flesh and blood undergoes innumerable vicissitudes, but not the body of unlimited, divine form and deathless substance. This divine body is the embodiment and revelation of truth’s divinity, Infinity, Eternity and Immortality.

Sanjaya says to Dhritarashtra, "O Rajan, Krishna the supreme Master of Yoga, the Almighty Lord, reveals to Arjuna His Form divine, supreme. Arjuna now sees Krishna as the Supreme Godhead, Parameshwara.”

Arjuna sees the many in the One Supreme possessing myriad mouths, numberless eyes, limitless marvels, wielding divine weapons, wearing divine garments and jewels, bearing celestial garlands of supernal fragrance. The effulgence of a thousand suns bursting forth all at once in the skies will hardly equal the supreme splendour of the Lord. Arjuna, in the divine person of Krishna, beholds infinity in multiplicity. Overwhelmed, ecstasy flooding his inmost being, with his hands folded, his head bowed, he exclaims, “O Lord, in Thee, in Thy Body, I behold all gods and all grades of beings, with distinctive marks. I see even Brahma seated resplendent on His Lotus-Throne and seers and sages all around and symbolical serpents — all divine.”

When we go up with all our hearts’ snow-white flaming aspiration, we enter into the cosmic consciousness of the seers. This path is an upward path. It is the path of embodiment and realisation. There is another path known as the path of revelation and manifestation. This path is the downward path. Here our consciousness flows down through the cosmic energy, the symbolic serpents, circling and spiralling.

Verses 15 — 31 eloquently and psychically describe what Arjuna saw in Krishna with his newly acquired yogic sight.

The fight is yet to start. The mighty warriors are ready and eager to fight. To his greatest surprise, Arjuna sees the utter extinction of the lives of the warriors in Krishna. Before the birth of the fight, he sees the death of the warriors. Destroyed they are. Seeing the fires of Krishna’s flaming and all-devouring mouth, his very life-breath quivers. The disciple cries out, “Thy compassion, my Lord Supreme, I implore. I know Thee not. Who art Thou?”

“Time am I. Time, the mighty destroyer, am I.” Doomed they are. Whether you fight or not, they are already dead. Even without you, your foes will escape no death. Arise, O Arjuna, arise. Victory’s glory and renown you win, conquer your enemies, enjoy the vast kingdom, enjoy. By me is ordained their lives’ surrendered hush. You be the outer cause. Just be my instrument, nothing more.” Nimittamatram Bhava (Be Thou the mere instrument.)

There can be no greater Pride, no better achievement, than to be God’s own instrument, for to be an instrument of God is to be infallibly accepted as His very own. In and through the Instrument-Disciple, the Master-Guru sees and fulfils God’s Divine Purpose.

Krishna is the all-devouring time. This vision, according to our outer eyes and understanding, is terrible. But according to our inner vision and inner comprehension it is natural and inevitable.

“Time,” says Sri Aurobindo, “represents itself to human effort as an enemy or a friend, as a resistance, a medium or an instrument. But always it is really the instrument of the soul.

Time is a field of circumstances and forces meeting and working out a resultant progression whose course it measures. To the ego it is a tyrant or a resistance, to the Divine an instrument. Therefore, while our effort is personal, Time appears as a resistance, for it presents to us all the obstruction of the forces that conflict with our own. When the divine working and the personal are combined in our consciousness, it appears as a medium and condition. When the two become one, it appears as a servant and instrument.”

Krishna Prem, the great seeker, says, “It is impossible to state in words this wondrous insight. All things remain the same yet all are changed. Time flashes bodily into Eternity; the streaming Flux itself is the Eternal, which, though It moves unceasingly, moves not at all.”

The Upanishadic lore echoes and re-echoes in our aspiring hearts: “That moves and yet That moves not, That is far distant and yet That is close and near….”

Time houses Truth. Sri Krishna tells the Truth, the Truth Eternal, about Himself. Here we can recollect the significant words of Virginia Woolf, “If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell it about other people.” Conversely, if you know the spiritual truth about yourself, you must needs know the truth about others. Sri Krishna showed the Divine Truth that was Himself.

We can also cheerfully walk with Marcus Aurelius, “I cannot comprehend how any man can want anything but the Truth.”

To doubt the spiritual master before one’s own illumination dawns is not uncommon in the spiritual history of the world. Even some of the dearest disciples of great spiritual masters have done so. But to leave the master precisely because doubt haunts the seeker is an act of sheer stupidity. Stick, stick unto the last. The blighted doubts will disappear into thin air. The splendour of Infinity and Eternity will blossom in the bosom of Time. Your mounting aspiration will accomplish this task.

Arjuna’s throbbing heart voices forth, “Thou art the primeval Soul….” He cries for Krishna’s forgiveness. Owing to his past ignorance, he had not realised Krishna in His divine nature. His past comprised wrong deeds, what with ignorance and what with carelessness. He begs with a throbbing heart for forgiveness for his acts of omissions and commissions rendered to Sri Krishna.

“Bear with me as father with his son, as friend with his friend, as Lord with the beloved.” Sri Krishna no doubt forgives Arjuna. He also fulfils one more desire of Arjuna. He assumes his normal, natural and familiar form.

Arjuna comes to learn that it is only the Grace Divine that has endowed him with the yogic eye to see the Unseen, the Glory Supreme of the Lord, the present, past and future.

He also learns from the Lord that “neither the study of the Vedas, nor sacrifice, nor alms, neither austerity nor study can win this cosmic vision.” Even the gods yearn for a glimpse of this Universal Form which He has just shown to Arjuna out of His boundless Compassion.”

Faith, devotion, surrender. Lo! Krishna is won. No other way Him to realise, Him to possess.

Science and spirituality¹

Man’s achievements, scientific and spiritual, are the conscious inspiration-light and aspiration-might of the divine’s urge towards the realisation of the body’s countless necessities and infinite capacities and towards the manifestation of the soul’s transcendental vision of the Beyond here on earth in the heart and immediacy of today.

Science is that precious thing on earth which is pushed forward by a glowing imagination and pulled forward by its own growing experience. Spirituality is that precious thing on earth which is carried within by the fulfilling aspiration and later brought to the fore, to become consciously one with God, the Field of experience, God, the Experience and God, the Experiencer.

Within our sure living memory, we see science advancing very fast, while human happiness is receding at an alarming rate. Today’s world is seeing a flickering candle-flame of spirituality but tomorrow’s world will be flooded with the light of spirituality. Destined and decreed.

Science right now mostly deals with the material world. What is the material world, after all? It is the world that does not believe in the inevitable possibility of a divine life. Spirituality right now deals mostly with the inner world. What is the inner world? The inner world is the world that says that the possibility of the divine life on earth is no doubt impossible today, but tomorrow it will be possible, the day after it will be practicable and just the day after that it will be inevitable.

Science has the capacity to show mankind the full development of the mental life. Spirituality has the capacity to show mankind the inevitable possibility of the life beyond the mind, the supramental life.

The outer progress and world-discovery swiftly follow the fruitful imagination in the world of science. The inner progress and self-discovery gladly follow the soulful aspiration in the world of spirituality, the life of the world within.

Science and modern life are simply indispensable to each other. The modern life is the eye; science is the power of vision. Spirituality and the future life of mankind will be indispensable to each other. The future life of mankind will be the fully awakened consciousness and spirituality will be the guiding and fulfilling soul.

Science itself has become an art and this art must now accompany all other arts. No art can ever have its fullest expression in the modern world without the aid of science. Spirituality is the supreme art of our nature-transformation. God the Supreme Artist uses spirituality to divinely reveal to the world man’s embodied divine reality and transcendental Truth.

To fulfil his practical needs, man bitterly cries to science. To fulfil his inner personal needs, man helplessly cries to spirituality.

The sombre despair of ruthless destruction and matchless ecstasy of the outer and human fulfilment have a common friend: science. The most hopeful certainty of a new and pure creation and the life-energising, life-nourishing, life-transforming and life-fulfilling delight of the inner and divine fulfilment have a common friend: spirituality.

Science and spirituality must be united together. They need each other. Without the one, the other is incomplete, almost meaningless. Together they are not only divinely meaningful but supremely complete. Science is the body of God. Spirituality is the soul of God. Science is also God the Body. Spirituality is also God the Soul. God the Body needs God the Soul to realise Himself, His individuality. God the Soul needs God the Body to fulfil Himself, His personality.

God’s Soul and God the Soul say to God in silence: “We loved You before and we shall love You ever.”

God’s Body and God the Body voice forth: “God, we love You now and this love of ours will forever last.”

In the world of Night and Fight Science says to spirituality: “You fool! You are a perfect nuisance!”

In the world of Night and Fight Spirituality says to science: “You rascal! Beneath my dignity to speak to a dead stone!

In the world of Light and Delight Science says to Spirituality: “Brother, I need your Wisdom.”

In the world of Light and Delight Spirituality says to science “Sister, I need your capacity.”

Consciousness²

Consciousness is our real teacher, our dear friend and our sure slave. As a slave consciousness carries our teeming ignorance to God. As a friend consciousness tells us what the supreme Knowledge is. As a teacher consciousness reveals to us the undeniable truth that today's imperfect and unfulfilled man is tomorrow's perfect and fulfilled God.

Consciousness sings: It sings the song of universal oneness. Consciousness plays: It plays the game of cosmic manifestation. Consciousness dances: It dances with God's fulfilling Vision within and God’s fulfilled Reality without. Consciousness acts. It acts through man’s crying, climbing and surrendering aspiration and God’s descending, protecting and illumining Compassion.

When consciousness is all activity it bows to God the Mother, its Source. When consciousness is all silence, it bows to God the Father, its Source. From the Mother it gets the mightiest power to make the supreme sacrifice for the unconscious earth. From the Father it gets the highest Light to illumine the unlit earth. Consciousness itself is at once light and power. As the light it identifies itself with the pure inspiration and deep aspiration of our inner world. As the power it exercises its divine sovereignty over the darkest bondage and the wildest ignorance of our outer world.

The consciousness that the unaspiring body uses is called the hopeful consciousness. The consciousness that the unyielding vital uses is known as the hurtful consciousness. The consciousness that the uncompromising mind uses is called the doubtful consciousness. The consciousness that the uncovering heart uses is called the truthful consciousness. The consciousness that the unlimited soul uses is called the fruitful consciousness.

Aum anandamayee chaitanyamayee satyamayee parame

O Mother absolute of existence-consciousness-delight! This triple consciousness is the longest length, farthest breadth and deepest depth. The longest length is infinity. The farthest breadth is eternity. The deepest depth is immortality. When consciousness lives in existence, humanity devotedly receives what Divinity soulfully offers. When consciousness lives inside its own domain, humanity and Divinity lovingly yet surprisingly share each other’s experience. When consciousness lives in delight, humanity is realised and transformed and divinity manifested and fulfilled.

Blind is he who does not see the consciousness-light. Deaf is he who does not obey the consciousness-right. Poor is he who cannot eat the consciousness-fruit. Fool is he who denies the existence of consciousness-sea.

Intuition³

Intuition is a push and a pull. It is an inner push and an outer pull. The push comes from our aspiration. The pull comes from God’s Illumination.

When God invites an aspirant to dine with Him, it is the intuition of the aspirant that immediately accepts the invitation. The mind is fond of investigation and invention. The heart is fond of aspiration and unification. Intuition is fond of illumination and supramentalisation. Intuition tells us in a flash what God looks like. Realisation in a twinkling tells us who God is. Intuition, like an arrow, flies towards the Goal. Realisation, like an expert dancer, eternally dances in the heart of the Goal.

Intuition is the creation above the mind. Intuition is the freedom beyond the mind. Intuition is the evolution of consciousness-light outside the boundaries of the physical mind.

Again there is an infinitely inferior form of intuition in the body, the vital, the mind and the heart. This intuition in the body is practically blind. In the vital, it is powerfully obscure. In the mind, surprisingly uncertain. In the heart, deplorably helpless.

The difference between intuition and will-power is this: intuition sees the truth; will power wants to become the truth. Intuition has the ability to shorten the longest road that leads to the highest illumination. Will power has the ability to bathe in the sea of illumination.

Imagination is not intuition. Inspiration is not intuition. Aspiration is not intuition. But when intuition presents imagination with the truth, imagination successfully expands the truth. When intuition presents inspiration with the truth, inspiration soulfully embraces the truth. When intuition offers the truth to aspiration, aspiration devotedly devours the truth.

Intuition is the golden link between Vision and Reality. Vision needs intuition to carry its all-transforming message to humanity. Reality needs intuition to carry its all-surrendering message to divinity.

Immortality⁴

He who does not aspire thinks that immortality is an impossibility. He who aspires feels that immortality is a sure possibility. He who has realised God knows that immortality is an absolute reality. Today’s self-discovery is tomorrow’s immortality.

It is good to be immortal, but it is infinitely better to be divine. Socrates said something immortal: “All men’s souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are both immortal and divine.”

If divinity looms large inside immortality, then only reality can be all-embracing, all-sustaining and all fulfilling.

The outer life is humanity. The inner life is immortality. The life around is reality. The life above is divinity. The life below is obscurity.

When divinity descends into humanity, the soul of humanity becomes hopeful. When divinity descends into immortality, the soul of immortality becomes meaningful. When divinity enters into reality the soul of reality becomes fruitful. When divinity enters into obscurity, the soul of obscurity becomes prayerful.

God inspires man with His immortal inspiration. Man realises God with his immortal self-consecration. God meditates on man for his immortal perfection. Man meditates on God for His immortal manifestation.

To copy others is an act of stupidity. To copy oneself is an act of absurdity. To imitate God is to imitate immortality. When we imitate God, our life of imagination ends, our life of realisation dawns.

How can one imitate God when one does not know who God is? God is the Man Divine, supremely inspiring there in heaven and supremely sacrificing here on earth.

What is immortality? Immortality is the consciousness divine that eternally grows and endlessly flows. While growing it reaches God the Transcendental; while flowing it reaches God the Universal.

The body says: “Life is but pressure.” The vital says: “Life is but pleasure.” The mind says: “Life is the homeland of ideas.” The heart says: “Life is the homeland of ideals.” The soul says: “Life is the homeland of experiences.” God says: “Life is the homeland of immortality.”

Mother-earth symbolises human aspiration. Hence it is a woman of the Upanishads who taught humanity its highest aspiration to God.

“Of what use to me things that do not make immortal?”

Let us be inseparably one with Maitreyi and feel that mortality’s binding consciousness is bound to be flooded with the boundless consciousness of immortality.

O aspiring man, go deep within. Listen to God’s whispers: “My child, you are good. Therefore I have made you my infinity’s heart. My child, you are nice. Therefore I have made you my eternity’s breath. My child, you are great. Therefore I have made you my immortality’s life.”

Agnosticism

I do not know. I do not care to know. I do not believe. I have no faith in God. Finally I deny the existence of God consciously — more so, unconsciously.

When I do not know something, I am unwise. When I do not care to know something, I am a fool. When I do not believe something, I need to discard my doubting and doubtful mind. When I have no faith in God, it is I who betray my stark ignorance. When I deny the very existence of God, it is I who become the loser number one.

My agnosticism tells me that an agnostic is always cautious. He not only warns others, but he warns himself in season and out of season. Not for him is the psychic luminosity, mental clarity, vital reality and physical certainty. He is apt to think that, except for him, all are loose thinkers and are experts at avoiding and evading the real truth. He also feels that others are wanting in intellectual honesty. According to him, this world of ours is full of deplorable omissions and unthinkable propositions. The criterion of an agnostic is not to commit himself to anything. I would like to deliver Robert Frost’s thundering message to all the agnostics of the world. “Don’t be an agnostic — be something.”

An agnostic cherishes idealism, but to our deepest sorrow, he does not care to live an ideal life himself. He says that he hates materialism. What he says is true outwardly. What he does is otherwise. Inwardly he enjoys the bread and butter of materialism as a dog enjoys a piece of meat.

Idealism demands sacrifice. Materialism demands business. The life of an agnostic shuns sacrifice secretly and shuns business openly, but he is not unwilling to eat the fruits of both the idealism and the materialism achieved by others.

After all, an agnostic is he who sings with doubt and eats with doubt. Yet he hates to listen to the most profitable advice of the wise: “When in doubt, mind your own business.”

A question-mark cannot be applicable to our life of desire and aspiration. Human Life is faith in earthly education. Divine Life is education in heavenly faith. Human Truth is faith in supreme realisation. Divine Truth is realisation in absolute faith.

Doubt and faith. Doubt grows. Faith grows. Doubt and the devil are inseparable. Faith and God are inseparable.

True, the devil, too, evolves but his evolution ends in total destruction. God evolves. His evolution knows no end. However, we can safely say that the perfect perfection of the earth consciousness is considered to be one of the supreme achievements of God’s evolution.

O agnostic, if you doubt the existence of the soul, no harm. If you doubt the existence of a future life, no harm. If you doubt the existence of God, no harm. If you doubt the immortality of human consciousness, no harm. If you doubt the transformation of human nature, no harm. But for God’s sake do not cherish the idea that others are wrong when they claim to be certain about these matters. And for my sake, please, do not say that these things are not worth knowing.

Children's conversations with God —- Children under eight

Miguel's conversation with God

"God, do You have a minute? I have to ask You something. My mother says that I have to love You every single day. Is she right?"

"Yes, your mother is right."

"How can I love You when I don’t know You very well?"

"Let Me tell you what to do. It is true that you don’t know Me well, but you know your mother pretty well. From today on, try to love your mother more. The amount of love that she needs from you she will keep for herself and the rest she will give to Me. We shall share your love. O. K.?"

"Thank you, God."

Edward's conversation with God

"God, my mother constantly bothers me. She tells me that I have to pray to You every morning and evening. She also says that if I do that, I shall be able to see You every day. She has told me something else. She has told me that You are very kind. If it’s true, will You please do me a favour? Can You tell me how I can see You every day without praying to You?"

"I shall let you see Me, not once, but twice a day. But you have to pray to Me a little. Wait, I have a nice idea. I am telling you secretly that I am going to give you the easiest prayer; you must not tell it to anybody. This is all between you and Me, a top secret. Every morning, you stand in front of the large mirror in the living room and keep your eyes half open. Look at your eyes in the mirror and smile and smile. You are sure to see Me in your eyes. First you will see Me in your right eye and then in your left eye."

"Will it always be like that? Can I not see you first in my left eye and then in my right eye?"

"Yes, but to do that, you have to keep both eyes closed and repeat My Name seven times and then open your eyes. You are bound to see Me in your left eye first."

"God, do you mind if I do it the other way round? I hope you won’t mind if I keep my eyes half open and smile until I see You. I think that will be easier. Do You mind?"

"No, not at all. I must say that you are wiser than I. I wanted to show you the easiest way to see Me. I wanted you to stand in front of the mirror and keep your eyes half open. You don’t want to take even that much trouble. You just want to keep your eyes half open and smile until you see Me. You have discovered a way which is even easier. You are really clever and great, Edward, and that is why I am fond and proud of you."

"Thanks a lot, God."

Peter's conversation with God

"God, I am sick of my father and my mother. I am only seven years old. You know I am just a child. My mother tells me that I have to leave my room clean and tidy. My father tells me that I have to take a shower every day. And you know God, that my mother uses the biggest word in the dictionary. She uses the word “immaculate”. God, do You know what that silly word means?"

"I think I do."

"Then tell me what it means."

"It means 'spotless'."

"Oh, I see. Thank you God. Oh, I forgot to ask You God, if my parents are right in making me take a shower and leave my room clean and tidy every day."

"Yes, they are right."

"I see that You are also no good. You and my father and my mother are all the same. Tell me, did my father take a shower every day when he was a little boy? Did my mother clean her room when she was a little girl?"

"No, your father did not take a shower and your mother did not clean her room daily when they were of your age."

"Then why do they want all that from me? It isn’t fair."

"You know, that is why I did not like your father and mother for a long time. I only began liking them when they started taking showers and cleaning their rooms daily."

"But I want You to like me right from the beginning, God."

"I shall not only like you, but love you if you take a shower and leave your room clean and tidy every day. More than that I shall be proud of you."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, God."

Charles' conversation with God

"God, I am in serious trouble. Please help me. You know that my mother and my father have gone crazy. They have an Indian Guru. First of all, I have to tell You what 'Guru' means. It means 'spiritual teacher'. My parents go to his house very often. I must say he is a nice guy. What I want to tell You is that my parents want me to get an Indian name from their Guru. I tell them, 'What is wrong with my own name?' God, don’t You like my American name?"

"Certainly I do."

"Then why do my parents tell me that I need another name, a silly Indian name?"

"You are right. And now I ask you one thing. If I have two ripe, delicious mangoes for you, would you care to have both the mangoes or would you be happy and satisfied with only one?"

"God, do You think I am a fool? I would immediately grab both of them."

"It is just the same with your name. If you have two names instead of just one, you will enjoy yourself more."

"Oh God, I forget to tell You that my father’s Indian name is Ramakrishna and my mother’s Indian name is Parvati. The other day my father told me that his name means two gods. Rama is one god and Krishna is another god. I told him that he was wrong.

"There can be only one God. The Father in the church has taught us that. My own father knew he had made a mistake and he kept quiet. The same thing happened with my mother. The other day my mother told me that her name Parvati is the name of a goddess.

"I told her right away that she was all wrong. The only goddess is our Virgin Mother. That is what the Father at our church always says. My mother knew that she made a mistake. So she kept quiet like my father."

"What else did the Father at your church tell you?"

"He told me something very important. He told me that only God knows everything. God, I tell You that he is a nice Father. He told me that he himself does not know everything; but he says God knows everything."

"So you know that I am that God.

"I want to tell you that your parents were not wrong. They told you the right thing. There are as many gods and goddesses as there are men and women on earth."

"That means that the Father in the church was completely wrong."

"No, he was not completely wrong. Let me explain it to you. Just look at that tree. It has thousands of leaves. When you look at the countless leaves, you know that it is a tree. Again, just by looking at only the trunk of the tree you can also tell that it is a tree. So you can see that God is one and at the same time, He is many. The same thing is with the Goddess. She is one and at the same time, she is many."

"God, thank You very much. I shall tell my parents all that You have said to me just now. I am sure they don’t know a thing about gods and goddesses. Now before You run away, God, tell me one thing more. Is it necessary for me to have an Indian name?"

"Yes, you should and must. Tell your parents’ Indian Guru that I have given you your Indian name. It is Ranajit. It means the Conqueror in the Battlefield. This name will give you Victory in the inner battlefield of your life, as Charles gives you the Victory in the outer field of life."

"God, what are the things that I have to conquer in the inner battlefield of life?"

"You have many enemies in your inner life. Among them fear and doubt are extremely dangerous. When you conquer them, I shall be deeply pleased with and be highly proud of you."

"I promise, I shall do that. Thank You, God."

Mark's conversation with God

"God, I have a real problem. My mother tells me that I must spend more time in my praying to You. My father tells me that the time that I spend in my praying to You is more than enough. God, who is right, my mother or my father? Or both of them are wrong?"

"The more you pray the more you please Me. So your father is wrong. Again when you pray if your heart is not in your prayer, then you are simply wasting time. So your mother is wrong if she insists on your praying when you have no sincere feelings in your prayer. Let Me give you a new prayer. This prayer will give you everything you want.

"'God, I pray to You to make me Your sweetest and dearest child. I pray to You to make me as kind as You are. I pray to You to make me listen to You every day. I pray to You to make me think of You always. I pray to You to give me the capacity to please You every day, every hour, every minute and every second.'”

"God, it is a terrific prayer. Can I add a few words?"

"Certainly, you can. By all means."

"God, I wish to add this: I love You, God. I worship You, God. I adore You, God."

"Amen. Wonderful, wonderful."

"God, a million thanks. For sure I shall say everyday the prayer that You have given me."

Lewis' conversation with God

"God, my mother has told me not to make any complaints against anybody. But I am sorry, I have to. You know, God, my mother scolds me very often and my sister strikes me almost every day. I am sure, they are not doing the right things. What do You say, God?"

"Tell your sister and mother to speak to Me before they strike or scold you."

"Yes, yes. I shall do that. That means my sister will never be able to strike me. Neither will my mother be able to scold me."

"My child, it is not exactly so. Let Me tell you My secrets. When they ask Me for My permission to strike or scold you, I shall see first whether you deserve them or not. If you don’t deserve, I shall strike and scold them badly. But if you deserve their scoldings and strikings I shall give you enough strength and cheerfulness to eat the fruits of your wrong actions. I want you to be nice, good, perfect and divine."

"God, I shall be. Thanks and thanks, God."

Stephen's conversation with God

"God, my grandfather always tells me that I must never tell a lie. But You know, God, he has told me many lies."

"What are the lies that he has told you?"

"Number one lie: he told me that You are much older than he is.

"Number two lie: You don’t need eyes to see like us.

"Number three lie: You don’t need ears to hear like us.

"Number four lie: You don’t need a mouth to talk.

"You are right in front of me. I see that You have two eyes, two ears and a mouth like me and also I see that You are very young and beautiful. You are not even as old as my father. How can my grandfather tell me that You are older than he is?"

"My child, you are right. Your grandfather is also right. His knowledge of Me is from the books. Your knowledge of Me is from your seeing Me face to face. Your grandfather takes Me as an idea. You see Me as a real Man, a loving Friend and a living Truth."

1.

Man is Infinity’s Heart.
Man is Eternity’s Breath.
Man is Immortality’s Life.