SAI BABA answers

[Guest guest]

 

The possibility that every individual in the world could be at the point of

wisdom at one and the same time is improbable. Even at a mundane level, a

universal change would be unlikely, for "every fruit on a tree does not ripen

at the same moment." But if one is able to see in himself the basis for evil

actions, he will know how evil comes to be. It is oneself, the aspect of God

manifest as a human person, who does evil because of the veiling power of

ignorance. It hides one's true nature, just as a small transient cloud hides

the blazing sun. A slight wind will blow away the cloud hiding the sun, and the

practice of the divine teachings of Baba will disperse the ignorance hiding the

truth from oneself. That accomplished, no more evil will come into the world

from oneself.

About evil in God's world, one must be very careful. Baba tells us there is God

only. Accepting this, we will, for instance, realize that God is manifesting

Himself as the tiger according to tiger tendencies. The tiger cannot transcend

its tiger-tendencies, but the human being, Baba assures us, can transcend his

or her tendencies. Baba advises, "Do not think that you are human and that you

have to reach the state of the Divine. Think rather that you are God, and from

that state you have become a human being. As you think this way, all the

attributes of God will manifest in you. Know that you have descended from God

as human beings and eventually you will go back to your source.

Caution has to be used in worldly matters, and we have to treat the beings who

populate this world according to their status and their actions. It would not

be good sense, for instance, to go up to a wild tiger and give it a hug! From

tiger-God it is best to keep a distance. Likewise, with human persons, whose

status of wisdom we do not know, we must be alert and watchful. Baba says, "Let

hearts be together, but keep bodies separate."

Even though we work our way through the puzzle as to how evil actions may come

about, although all is God, and even though we understand that effects are

brought by causes, yet our understanding may be shaken by the impact of

large-scale sufferings, such as genocides and famines which cannot be

alleviated promptly because political considerations dictate to the contrary.

Here, we feel, suffering is so vast in its extent and depth that surely God's

love for His human family will move Him to intervene. To secure an answer here,

it would be best to question Baba directly, and this was done by Late R. J.

Karanjia, the senior editor of Blitz Publications, Bombay. Karanjia asks the

questions and Baba answers: [full interview of Karanjia with Baba is already

available in the message section].

Q: The critics of Swamiji ask why Sai Baba does not help people in distress by

bringing rains at times of drought or creating food where there is famine by

means of his Sankalpa Shakti. Cannot an Avatar help humanity to control the

natural forces and prevent calamities like earthquakes, floods, droughts,

famine, and epidemics?

BABA: This is precisely what I am doing by incarnating the indwelling God in man

to overcome such calamities. There are two ways in which an Avatar can help

people: an instant solution as against a long-term one. Any instant solution

would go against the fundamental quality of nature itself as well as the Karmic

law of cause and effect. Most people live in the material world of their desires

and egos which is governed by this law. They reap the fruits of their actions.

This brings about their evolution or devolution. If the Avatar intervenes to

instantly solve their problems, it would stop all action, development, even

evolution. This solution can be ruled out because it totally negates the

natural laws.

The other and more effective alternative presents a long-term solution whereby

the Avatar leads the people themselves to a higher level of consciousness to

enable them to understand the truth of spiritual laws so that they may turn

towards righteousness and steadfastly work for better conditions. This will

relate them back to Nature and the Karmic law of causation. They would then

transcend the cycle of cause and effect, in which today they are involved as

victims, and thereby command and control the natural forces to be able to avert

the calamities you mention.

Q: You mean that you are presently raising the consciousness of mankind to a

Godlike condition to enable them to command their own destiny?

BABA: Exactly. They would become shareholders of my Sankalpa Shakti (divine

power, universal energy). I have to work through them, rouse the indwelling God

in them, and evolve them to a higher Reality in order to enable them to master

the natural laws and forces. If I cure everything instantly leaving the people

at their present level of consciousness, they would soon mess up things and be

at one another's throats again, with the result that the same chaotic situation

would develop in the world.

Suffering and misery are inescapable acts of the cosmic drama. God does decree

these calamities, but man invites them by the way of retribution from his own

evil deeds. This sis corrective punishment which induces mankind to give up the

wrong path and return to the right path so that he may experience the Godlike

condition of Sat-Chit-Ananda - that is, an existence of Wisdom and Bliss. All

this is part of the grand synthesis in which the negatives serve to glorify the

positives. Thus death glorifies immortality, ignorance glorifies wisdom, misery

glorifies bliss, night glorifies dawn.

So, finally, if the Avatar brings the calamities mentioned by you to an

immediate end, which I can, and do, when there is a great need, the whole drama

of creation with its Karmic (universal inescapable duty) law will collapse.

Remember these calamities occur not because what God has made of man but really

because what man has made of man. Therefore, man has been unmade and remade with

his ego destroyed and replaced by a transcendent consciousness, so that he may

rise above the Karmic to command.

Q: So your objective can be summed up as a brotherhood of humanity to be

achieved through a doctrine of love?

BABA: Yes, what else can save the world from thermonuclear fires? Everything

points to the terror of that conflagration coming; and my mission is to preempt

the fires by reestablishing Dharma and the spiritual law of one God, one

Religion, one Language embracing one Humanity. I preach only one religion of

love for all, which alone can integrate the human race into a brotherhood of

man under the fatherhood of God. I know only one language-of the heart-beyond

the mind or intellect relating man to man and mankind to God, thereby creating

mutual understanding, cooperation, and community life in peace and harmony. On

this basis I want to build one humanity without any religious, caste, or other

barriers in a universal empire of love which could enable my devotees to feel

the

whole world as their own family.

Q: Well said, Baba - but wouldn't this dharma with its Hindu orientation

conflict with the established religions?

BABA: No, it will not do anything of the kind because my objective is the

establishment of Sanathana Dharma which believes in one God as propitiated by

the founders of all religions. So none has to give up his religion or deity,

but through them worship the one God in all. I have come not to disturb or

destroy but to confirm and vindicate everyone in his own faith.

Q: But how will that prevent nuclear holocaust?

BABA: By removing all causes, sources, barriers, and provocations of class,

caste, creed, color, and race, and replacing the existing hate and violence

with love and nonviolence. I expect to provide humanity with an evangel of

peaceful cooperation to replace the present escalation to death by

co-destruction.

Submitted by Ron Holman ronholman (AT) holmangroup (DOT) com

SBC - Internet access at a great low price.