Spiritual Discourses: Understanding Īśvara
By Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati*
Īśvara manifests as this world
The basic reality of life is that there never was a time when īśvara was not, and there never will be a time when īśvara will not be. Being is his very nature. That is why he is called sat, Existence. Existence is the nature of the reality that is īśvara. Even when the world is not, īśvara is. The appearance of the world is cyclic in its being in the unmanifest state before becoming manifest and then becoming unmanifest again, or in its being the cause before becoming the effect and then going back to the causal state, and so on. In this play of creation, sustenance, and dissolution, īśvara is present as existence, the very substratum or platform on which the play unfolds. He is chit, the conscious principle. Knowledge or intelligence is centred on the conscious principle, not on an inert principle. Therefore, consciousness is the reality of life. Īśvara is of the nature of happiness, wholeness, joy, or completeness. Thus, Happiness is the reality of life. That īśvara is whole or complete means that this creation is not a product of any need; no reason, need or desire can be assigned to this creation. It is simply the nature of īśvara to manifest as this creation. Purnamadah Purnamidam, the cause is the whole and its manifestation is also the whole. Understanding this reality of life is the first level of surrender. Submitting one’s resistance to this reality is the second level of surrender.
That īśvara is whole and this universe is the manifestation of that wholeness can be verified. It is not that we cannot experience joy in this world; it is merely a matter of preparing the mind. Vedanta calls it antahkarana-suddhia, the purification of the mind. This is also verifiable. There are two kinds of beliefs: verifiable and unverifiable. That there is a God somewhere in heaven who can be seen or experienced only after death is not verifiable; we just have to accept it. Vedanta talks about an īśvara who is right here, not elsewhere. The understanding is that the entire universe is a manifestation of īśvara, the order.
This is something to be understood rather than believed. This understanding only requires a preliminary acceptance; it is a belief pending discovery.
Īśvara can be discovered only by a pure and mature mind
Īśvara can be discovered as being a reality in our lives and not merely a hypothetical possibility. Beauty and happiness can be seen everywhere when the mind is prepared. If we are not able to see order, harmony, and intelligence everywhere, it is not because it is not there. Instead, it is because we have yet to cultivate the instrument, the mind, with which to see this reality. What we need is a mind that enjoys purity and maturity. The process of surrendering is a process of acquiring the maturity by which these things become very real. We can see the harmony and beauty in our lives. We need to cultivate this frame of mind in the course of time, so that we may begin to accept saccidänanda as the basic reality. Īśvara’s omniscience can be seen everywhere. Look at this body, for instance. It is a marvel of creation put together so intelligently.
An important aspect of īśvara is that he is benevolent. What obtains is not merely a mechanical order set in motion. It is a live, intelligent, and benevolent order. The purpose of the whole creation is to bless and create conditions so that everyone can grow and ultimately recognize their freedom. This is a matter of belief.
Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita [5-29] that he is the friend and well-wisher of all beings:
Suhrdam sarvabhutanam jnatva mam shantimrcchati.
Knowing Me as the friend of all beings, he or she gains peace (liberation).
An acceptance of īśvara is an acceptance of His creation
When we observe the creation, we see how every living being is cared for. Even before anything is born, there is a provision for sustaining that life, and whatever is required during the period of its growth is also provided. One may ask, why, if God is kind, is there death? In fact, it is because he is kind that there is death. If it were not for death, the earth would be inundated with humans and other beings. Death should not be looked upon as a termination of existence. It is merely a station at which life or existence gets another embodiment. This worn body is taken away and a new one is given. As the Bhagavad Gita [2- 22] points out, death is like discarding one’s worn garment and acquiring a new one. It is an act of kindness.
In a place where old age is respected, you do not mind being old. We think something is not alright when things are different from our notions of how they should be. We judge things based on arbitrary standards of right and wrong determined by the world. If we drop these standards and judge things based on the intelligence of the manifestation, we will find that everything is quite alright. When there is no resistance, you can develop comfort with anything. For instance, if you have no difficulty accepting your body as it is, it does not matter what anybody else says about it. Accepting īśvara means accepting His creation. If we can let go of all our perceptions, which are born of our limited wisdom, and gracefully accept things as they are, we will enjoy freedom. There is freedom in conforming to the order that is īśvara.
Understanding īśvara requires us to align our perceptions with what the scriptures tell us. Lord Krishna describes His nature as īśvara in the Bhagavad Gita [e.g., Chapter 9]: “I am all-powerful, capable of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. I am the very dispenser of the result of actions. I am the refuge of all living beings. I am the well-wisher of all living beings.” Concerning the realities of life, we accept the scriptures as the ultimate pramana, valid means of knowledge. Whenever our own perceptions are different, we attempt to let go of them as being born of our ignorance and limited knowledge and understanding of the world. Since we are born ignorant, we have a false perception of ourselves. We take ourselves to be small, limited, insignificant, and needy. We look upon the world as either fulfilling or threatening our needs. These perceptions are the cause of all unhappiness. To the extent that these false perceptions cease to exist, our sense of bondage or limitation also ceases. Tuning up our perceptions to identify with those offered by the scriptures helps us acquire a true understanding of īśvara.
to be continued…
*Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati has been teaching Vedānta Prasthānatrayī and Prakaraṇagranthas for the last 40 years in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Throughout the year, he conducts daily Vedānta discourses, accompanied by retreats, and Jñāna Yajñas on Vedānta in different cities in India and foreign countries.
