Chapter 13 :: THE BHAGAVAD-GITA FOR CHILDREN

[Guest guest]

'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">CREATION AND THE CREATOR Jai:

Grandma, I can eat and sleep and think and talk and walk and run and work

and study. How does my body know how to do all this?

Grandma: The whole world, including our body, is made of five basic

elements or matter. These elements are: earth, water, fire, air, and ether or

an invisible element. We have eleven senses: five sense organs (nose, tongue,

eye, skin, and ear); five organs of action (mouth,

hand, leg, anus, and urethra); and a mind. We smell through our nose, taste

through our tongue, see through the eyes, feel touch through skin, and hear

through our ears. We also have a sense of feeling by which we feel pain and

pleasure. All these give our body what it needs to work. (Gita 13.05-06) The

power of Atma inside our bodies is called Prana. It gives energy to body to do

all work. When Prana leaves the body, we are dead. Jai: You said

God is the creator of the universe. How do we know there is a creator or God?

Grandma: There has to be a creator behind any creation, Jai. Somebody

or some power made the car we drive and the house we live in. Somebody or some

power created the sun, the earth, the moon and the stars. We call

that person or power God or the creator of this universe. Jai: If

everything has a creator, then who created God? Grandma: This is a

very good question, Jai, but there is no answer. God has always existed and

will always exist. God is the origin of everything but God has no origin. Good

Lord is the source of everything, but He or She has no source!

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Jai: Then, what is God like, Grandma? Can

you describe Him? Grandma:

1"> It is impossible to describe God directly. The Supreme Being can

only be described by parables, and in no other way. His hands, feet, eyes, head,

mouth, and ears are everywhere. He can see, feel, and enjoy without any physical

sense organs. He does not have a body like us. His body and senses are out of

this world. He walks without legs, hears without ears, does all works without

hands, smells without a nose, sees without eyes, speaks without a mouth, and

enjoys all tastes without a tongue. His actions are wonderful. His greatness is

beyond description. God is present everywhere at all times, so he is very near

(living in our heart) as well as far away in His Supreme Abode. He is the

creator (Brahm|

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">), the sustainer (Vishnu) and the destroyer

(Shankara) all in one. (Gita 13.13-16) The best way to illustrate why no one

can describe God is the story of the salt doll. 15. The Salt Doll Once a

salt doll went to measure the depth of the ocean so it could tell others how

deep the ocean was. But every time it got into the water, it melted. Now, no

one could report the ocean’s depth. That’s how impossible it is for anyone to

describe

God. Whenever we try, we melt into the big, mysterious ocean of His reality. We

can’t describe Brahm. In a trance we can know Brahm, but in trance reasoning and

intellect stop altogether. This means one does not retain the memory of

experiences in trance (Samadhi). One who knows Brahm becomes Brahm-like (Gita

18.55) and does not talk just as the salt doll. Those who talk about God have

no real experience. Thus, Brahm can only be experienced and felt.

4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> Jai: Then how can we know and understand

God?

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Grandma: You can’t know God by mind and

intellect. He can be known only by faith and belief. He can be known by

Self-knowledge. One and the same God lives in the body of all beings as spirit

and supports us. That is why we must not hurt anybody and must treat everybody

equally. (Gita 13.28) Hurting anybody is like hurting your own Atma. The Spirit

in the body is the witness, the guide, the supporter, the enjoyer, and the

controller of all events. (Gita 13.22)

..5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> Jai:

What is the difference between the creator and His creation?

FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Grandma:

>From a non-dualistic way of thinking, there is no difference between the two.

The difference between the creator and creation is like the difference between

the sun and the sun’s rays. Those who have Self-knowledge truly understand the

difference between the creator and the creation. (Gita 13.34) The entire

universe is His expansion, and everything is nothing but Him. God is both the

creator and the creation, the protector and the protected, the destroyer and

the

destroyed. He is within us, outside us, near, far and everywhere. If God’s

blessing comes to you, He will let you know who you really are and what your

real nature is like. Here is a story about finding out who you are.

1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> 16. The Vegetarian Tiger

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Once a tigress attacked a group of sheep. She was

pregnant and very weak. As she sprang on her prey, she gave birth to a baby

tiger and died within couple of hours. The baby tiger grew up in the company of

the lambs. The lambs ate grass and the baby tiger followed their example. When

they made sounds, the baby tiger also made sounds like a sheep. Gradually it

grew to be a big tiger. One day another tiger attacked the same group. It was

surprised to see the grass-eating tiger. Running after it, the wild tiger at

last grabbed it, and the grass-eating tiger began to make sounds like a sheep.

The wild tiger dragged it to the water and said: “Look at your face in the

water. It is just like mine. Here

is little meat. Eat it.” Saying this, it put some meat into its mouth. But the

vegetarian tiger would not take it and began to make the sound of a sheep

again. Gradually, however, it got the taste for blood and began to like the

meat. Then the wild tiger said: “Now you see, there is no difference between

you and me. Come along and follow me into the forest. ”

2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> We have been thinking that we

are this body which is limited in time and space. We are not this body. We are

the all-powerful spirit in the body.

'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Chapter 13 summary: Our body is

like a miniature universe. All bodies are made up of five basic elements and

powered by the spirit. Any creation must have a creator or some creative power

behind it. We call that power by various names such as

10.0pt">Krishna, Shiva, Mother, Father, Ishvara, Allah, God, Jehova, etc. God

cannot be known, seen, described or understood by a human mind. The creator

Himself has become the creation like the cotton has become the thread, the

cloth and the dress."Gurur Brahma Gurur VishnuGurur Devoh Maheshwar;Gurur

Shakshat ParambramhaTashmai Shri Gurur Veh Namah"May the Merciful Sri Sai Baba

always shower His grace on us and our families and remove our problems and

anxieties by giving us all - strength , goodluck, success and happiness with

peace of mind.Sai bhakt,Deepa Hdebu7366