Swami Shivapadananda Puri responding to ‘Is God guilty of partiality or favouritism?’
From the acoustics, I suspect that this talk by Swamiji was given in the Vishnu Hall at the uMngeni Road temple in Durban, where Swamiji used to conduct Bhagavad Gita classes for us, on a Tuesday evening.
Swamiji starts off by posing the rhetorical question, 'Has God ever changed?' And asks also, 'Can God be accused of favouritism?' These are questions that have vexed human beings, and spiritual seekers in particular, since time immemorial. Right now, there must be millions of people looking with horror at the multiple wars and chaos on our planet, and asking themselves, 'Why does God allow this?'
Swamiji's answers to these questions and the examples and explanations he uses are exquisitely accessible, and will settle the issue once and for all in anyone's mind. Unless they're really determined to blame others for what happens to them.😉
Swamiji uses a pithy and beautiful line: 'The fruit (results, consequences) of your actions is already written', even before you commit them.' This is not the same as what some people regard as 'predestination'. Meaning that our life-scripts are pre-planned, cast in concrete and leave little to no wiggle room from that script. This is referring to the universal laws that automatically kick in when we breach them. Speed and get a ticket. Murder someone and go to jail. Play with fire and get burnt.
Swamiji describes Nature as 'the perfect book-keeper' and says, 'God has not changed. What has changed is you and me.'
Listen to Swamiji explaining that some people want material possessions and spiritual realisation. The one is not necessarily incompatible with the other. But only in rare cases, with superb discrimination and self-control, is it possible to manage both. In Ravana's case (the king of Sri Lanka who turned to evil) he didn't know how to use it, says Swamiji.
Swamiji explores the true meaning of 'love is blind'. Which is something we see from saints all the time. We're full of faults and transgressions, but they focus on the little that we may do right. Their love is one of deep compassion for us. Swamiji refers to what the holy ones go through for us. He once said to me, 'If you knew what it takes to become a saint, what they go through – you would cry and cry and cry.' The saints can take karma from us, but Swamiji says we can alleviate the negative karma of others, not by taking it (we don't have the power to do that) but by serving, feeding, clothing and uplifting them to alleviate their suffering.
In the examples given, Swamiji stresses that we can only achieve charitable love by purifying the heart. You may have heard this in the preceding audio clip. With Swamiji quoting the Lord Jesus and saying, 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.' It's interesting that in both instances Swamiji did not say the pure mind – but the pure heart.
Swamiji refers to a devotee travelling in India at the time who comments on the dire poverty and suffering of the people there. He asks Swamiji if it's their karma that is the cause of the suffering. Swamiji's answer is 'Yes, of course.' But listen to what follows… Swamiji says that their karma can become your dharma. It can be alleviated by the dharma of our seva (service) to them.
Swamiji speaks of every instance of suffering being an opportunity for us to uplift others and direct their minds towards the supreme being. We must take it as an opportunity to serve. This approach is guaranteed to help us as sadhakas or spiritual aspirants find a sense of life-purpose.
This audio clip is crystal clear and easy to listen to, for which we again thank our gurubhai Tim Hoare, for patiently using software to remove background noise. This is a life-altering and enhancing 11:29 minutes. If you do nothing else within the next few hours, spoil yourself and take the time to listen to it.
Click on the link to play. Enjoy and God bless. Jai Sri Ramakrishna!
Duration 11:29
The original audio recordings of these posts, were made by close Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and Swami Shivapadananda devotee, Mother Radha Hoare. The audio editing and noise reduction of the original 1970s tapes has been lovingly crafted, over many years, by our gurubhai Tim Hoare. We thank them both.