Guest guest Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Gita on Bhagwaan's (God's) Justice and Compassion Wherever justice is enforced, there cannot be compassion and where compassion is carried out, there cannot be justice out there. This is because, wherever justice is carried out, according to the good and evil actions, one receives the equivalent rewards or punishments; and wherever there is compassion the evil doer's sinful acts are forgiven, whereby he is not given a punishment. The point here is that doing justice and having compassion are opposing and mutually inconsistent. They both cannot remain in one place at the same time. If this is the way it is, then how can Bhagwaan (God) be both just and compassionate ? This obstacle arises where the lawmaker is without a heart. The laws made by one who is compassionate, will be both impartial and filled with compassion. Any time justice is done by such a person, it will be filled with compassion, and any compassion felt by such a one, it will be righteous. Bhagwaan (God) is the good-hearted affectionate friend of all beings - " Suhrdam sarvabhootaanaam, " (Gita 5:29); in other words the laws made by Him have both compassion and justice. Bhagwaan (God) has said in the Gita, that whatever sentiments a man recollects and remembers when he leaves this mortal body, he attains the same sentiments. In other words, the last recollections and sentiments, determines his transmigration. (Gita 8:6). This is Bhagwaan's (God) justice, in which there is no favoritism. Even this fairness, is filled with Bhagwaan's compassion. Just as if, at the last breath, if someone remembers their dog, and he leaves the body with that thought as the last recollection, then he receives the birth of a dog. If one leaves remembering Bhagwaan (God), then He attains Bhagwaan (God). The amazing point is that the price (effort) by which a dog's life can be attained, is the same price (effort) as that of realizing God. In this manner, even though the laws of Bhagwaan have fairness and justice, they are also filled with great compassion. The best of the best men with good conduct, that are engrossed in their spiritual practices, if they leave the mortal body while remembering Bhagwaan, at the final moment, then they will realize God. In the same way, even the vilest of vile sinners, due to some extraordinary reason, if at the last moment of their life, if they remember Bhagawan when leaving this body, they too will realize God. (Gita 8:5). There is so much compassion and justice in Bhagwaan ! Bhagwaan has said in the Gita, that the worst of worst sinner, if he turns towards Me, with a firm conviction and aim, and with exclusive sentiments, remembers Me, then he should be considered an ascetic. He will very quickly become a righteous person, and he will attain eternal peace (Gita 9:30-31). If the vilest of vile persons can also become a devotee of God, and can attain eternal peace, then a devotee of God could also become a worst sinner, an evil doer, and could lead to his downfall. But Bhagwaan's law is not like that. In His law, there is immense compassion. In his system of justice, the vilest of sinners can attain salvation, and on the other hand, His devotees never fall - " Name bhakta pranashyati " (Gita 9:31). In this there is Bhagwaan's immense justice and compassion. In the discussions on Bhagwaan's (God's) justice and compassion from yesterday, there could be one doubt, that if a devotee of Bhagwaan (God) never takes a fall, then why did Bhagwaan say to Arjuna, when accepting Arjuna as His devotee, that if due to egoism, you do not listen to what I say, then you will take a fall (Gita 18:58) ? The answer here is, that if a devotee does not listen to Bhagwaan due to egoism, then he will not remain a devotee and he will take a fall; but this is not at all possible that a devotee will not listen to Bhagwaan. Bhagwaan was only scolding and scaring Arjuna. In reality Arjuna had already accepted Bhagwaan's words, and he had not taken a fall (Gita 18:73). He who with an inner sentiment of desiring something, does some good and auspicious work, then according to his actions, he will attain heavens, this is the justice of Bhagwaan; and thereafter by awarding him the fruits of his actions in terms of causing him to experience pleasure and enjoyment, he exhausts his fruits, and purifies him, and this is His compassion. Similiarly, he who does inauspicious actions, sending him to hell and birth in the 8.4 million wombs (of various species), that is his justice; and there causing him to experience the suffering, he purifies him, and draws him toward Himself - this is His compassion. Similiarly anyone who is ill for a long time and undergoes much difficulty and suffering, and thereafter, when he becomes well again, then that individual gravitates and likes talks about Bhagwaan (God) and His Name etc. In this manner, according to one's deeds, the coming of the illness is His justice, and it's fruit in the form of increased engagement and interest in God, is His compassion. Man commits sins, injustice, etc. out of his own will, and he has to suffer the consequences, fruit of his actions, in the form of imprisonment, fines, penalties etc. against his will. In this, based on the actions performed, the punishment is the justice and intermittently realizing that he has committed a crime, and therefore he has to undergo the punishment. If he did not commit a crime, then why would he have to suffer the consequences ? if such a thought arises, if one becomes alert - then that is Bhagwaan's compassion. To send favorable and unfavorable situations and circumstances, according to one's actions, that is Bhagwaan's justice; and by not becoming happy or sad in these favorable and unfavorable situations, man attains liberation - this is Bhagwaan's compassion. One doubt may arise to a sadhak - the Shrutis says that Ishvar (God) makes whomever He wishes to progress to higher levels (Urdhvagati) do good work, and whomever He wishes to bring down to lower levels (Adhogati), do evil (inauspicious) actions (Kaushitaki 3:8). In this, what is God's (Bhagwaan's) justice and compassion? It seems like favoritism or partiality! Explanation: The meaning of Shrutis is for beings to attain higher levels(Urdhvagati), through good (auspicious) actions and for them to fall down to lower levels (Adhogati) on doing evil (inauspicious) actions. Rather man is purified, by exhausting the fruits of past actions that are destined to come to him in form of enjoyment or suffering. In other words, the embodied soul (jeev), frames situations and his intellect, in a way that he can enjoy or suffer the fruits of good and bad actions. Just as when a trader is going to have material gains, from his good actions, then at that moment in time Bhagwaan (God) creates the same type of condition and intellect, whereby he will buy cheap and sell at a higher price. In other words, in both buying and selling, there will be nothing but gains. Similarly, if some trader is to incur losses, in relation to his bad deeds, then at the right moment, God creates the conditions and the intellect, by which he buys things at a higher price and when the price falls, he ends up selling; i.e. in both buying and selling, he incurs a loss. In the same way, it is Bhagwaan's (God's) justice, that man incurs as fruit, gains and losses resulting from his actions. And it is God's compassion, that by framing the situations and intellect, gains and losses take place, by which man is released from the bondage of good and bad actions. If the meaning of Shrutis, is understood as making a man do good (auspicious) or evil (inauspicious) work for raising himself up (Urdhva) or falling down (Adhogati), then God cannot be called as just and compassionate. Bhagwaan (God) is equal to all beings, He is neither attached, nor averse to any one - even this point cannot be proven. Do this and do not do this - the dos and don't of the scriptures will also not be justifiable. Teachings of Masters, messages of great men and saints all will become useless. The discriminative faculty by which one determines what his duty is and what it is not, all that will be useless. The importance of human birth, and of freedom, all will come to an end, and man will become only like birds and animals. In other words, he will be unable to do anything on his own, not even his own upliftment and liberation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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