God
and Evil
If
God is omnipresent, why is there so much evil? Recall that God is present in
humans in three forms: the gross, the subtle and the causal. Humans have no
control over the presence of God at the first two levels. However at the third
and highest level, humans can shut out the Divine Effulgence. If that
effulgence is allowed to shine, the person becomes a saint. If, on the other
hand, that effulgence is shut out and darkness prevails, then that person can
become the very devil.
So,
God is present in the heart of a murderer too, but unfortunately, that person
chooses to be guided by his misguided mind, ignoring God within. God does not
and will not thrust Himself upon us. He
will certainly make Himself available but if we decline this opportunity, we
have only ourselves to blame.
For
better understanding, imagine a big river across which there is a huge dam.
Water gets stored in the dam when the sleuths are closed. Downstream, one may
see a dry riverbed, but that is because water is not allowed to flow. If the
sleuths are opened, then the river will not run dry at all. In other words, God
is present even in a murderer, but that person is not allowing the latent
Divinity to manifest itself. There
is much evil in this world because humans are too busy to allow the Divinity a
chance to express itself.
The
Mind
All
human decisions are governed by two choices; the first is to consult our mind
and the other is to consult our conscience (heart). When the Mind takes
instructions from the Heart, this is the path of Righteousness. But when
decisions are made by the Mind which functions as the ego, then bad advice is
given based on all evil tendencies lurking inside. This is the cause of most
problems we face daily in our lives. This is the tragedy of man, with so many
things to distract his attention.
The
mind is extraordinarily powerful and the source of all amazing creativity; it
receives its creative power from God. However, God did not program the mind of
humans to automatically and always follow the path of right conduct. You have
been given freedom by God to use the powers of the mind in any way you want,
but at a price. You would be held accountable for your actions. If you do good,
you will receive suitable credit and Grace but if you use the mind to do evil,
then you have to “pay heavily”. The mind can be your best friend or your
worst enemy.
Mind
and Senses – Partners in Crime
Why cannot a man with an alcohol
addiction give up drinking?
Because he has become a slave
to his senses
God
in His infinite mercy has endowed us with five important sense capabilities
that enable us to experience the outer world through the sense of sight,
hearing, touch, taste and smell. These senses operate through organs that act
as input devices in a modern computer. They gather information from the outer
world and transmit it “inside” to the brain where it is processed and also
stored.
The
senses and the brain help us to move about in this world, take care of
ourselves and perform numerous functions efficiently. However, where does
spirituality come into all this?
The
Crown of Creation
The
brain of a human being is a vast expanse and in spiritual terms, comprises of
three regions:
The lower, middle and higher mind
The
lower mind
performs functions that relate to existence and survival in the external world
– seeking shelter, getting food, avoiding danger and self-preservation
instincts.
The
middle mind
has enormous capabilities and also extra-ordinarily powerful. It is this that
is the repository of all logical capabilities, reasoning power, and creative
skills. Thus if we have made enormous progress in the arts, literature,
sciences and technology, it is all due to the immense power that God has packed
into the middle mind. The middle mind is not only powerful but also deadly,
when not handled with care. The middle mind can mislead dangerously if the
individual's ego is not kept “in check”.
The
higher mind enables
us to be in touch with God within. It is only when the higher mind is active
that the human qualities like love, compassion, forgiveness etc. manifest and
enable humans to adhere to Truth and Righteousness.
Lord
God, while blessing man with the middle mind and its wonderful capabilities,
also attached a price tag. God gave man this great power on condition that he
takes orders from the higher mind. Then God warns man; “If, however, you
switch off the higher mind, then this very middle mind that can take you to
great heights would also plunge you into the deepest of abysses! Beware!!”
To
understand how exactly this happens, we must first start with the three aspects
that every human being is a composite of the gross body, the subtle mind and
the causal heart.
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