Nothing happens without the sanction of God
February 24, 2013 by Madhudvisa dasa
Filed under Society
It is often said, Not a blade of grass moves without the sanction of the Supreme Lord, and that is a fact. Nothing happens without the sanction of God. There is an English saying, Man proposes and God disposes. This is correct because we can’t fulfill any of our desires without the sanction of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sometimes, when we meet Christians and explain this to them, they find it difficult to believe. They question there are many sinful people whose desires are evil. There are child molesters, murders, rapists, all sorts of criminal people. So they ask, “Is God sanctioning the desires of all these sinful people? Is God enabling these people to perform these heinous acts?” The answer is yes, God is sanctioning these peoples desires and He is enabling them to do these sinful things because without the sanction of God they couldn’t perform the sinful activities.
One can become quite bewildered in understanding this, “How is it that God, who is all good is allowing these people to perform sinful activities?” The answer is God doesn’t want them to perform sinful activities but He has given us a little independence. He doesn’t interfere with our little independence. If we have a desire to perform sinful activities, although God doesn’t want us to, He also doesn’t want to interfere with our independence. So He lets us fulfil our sinful desires but He does it in such a way that ultimately we become frustrated and surrender to Him to regain our natural position as His servant.
We can’t get away with anything because as human beings we have some independence to act as we desire therefore we are also responsible for our actions. This responsibility means if we perform sinful activities we have to suffer the reaction in the future. These reactions could take the form of disease, legal implications, suffering from natural disasters or loss of our money, beauty or prestigious position. The ultimate suffering is at the time of death when we are sent to one of the many hellish planets for a long, long time. The lord of death, Yamaraja, comes for sinful people and forcibly drags them to hell where they have to endure unimaginable pain to atone for their sins. After suffering in this way for a long time they are allowed to take birth on this earth again to “have another go at it.”
The desires we have for pleasure in this world will never satisfy us. We can try anything in this world, but we will never be satisfied. If one is thoughtful, after many, many births of frustration, he will come to think, “This material world not so good because no matter what I do I am not happy.” Then he will think, “There must be something else, there must be an other place.” He can then come to the spiritual platform.
Hare Krishna!
Pranam Swamiji,
It is true that Krishna has given little independence and he has given more freedom to us ie human being than animals, species etc. We are blessed to born as human, in this birth we can attain his lotus feet and we should take advantage of this.
Our Guru Srila Prabhupada mentioned that we should utlize this birth and let it not go in vain and try to escape from death-birth cycle. Our Gurudev also pointed out whatever position/power, intelligence, beauty, wealth you have achieved/have everything will be finished at the time of your death. Then according to your Karma in this birth, you will take re-birth.
I have seen and wondering, even in advanced age, people worried about their sons, grandchildren, wealth ie how to increase their property (though they are very rich) and they have no time for prayer..
After we die, we do not carry anything with us, all our so called belongings will remain here. We forget our language, our dear ones, whatever professional skills/knowledge we possessed etc..
But,In our Gurdev’s book its written that whatever spiritual sadhana,(I am devotee of Krishna) we had in this birth will carry on to our next birth..How is it possible? Spiritual sadhana is somehow connected with our intelligence/brain.. When we take new birth suppose we born again as human being, we may not born in Vaishnava family may born as Christian,Muslim or any other community and we forget about our previous birth. How is it possible for us when everything about our previous life we forget, our spiritual sadhana we will continue in next birth?
Kindly clear my doubts Swamiji…
Pranam
Uma Sridhar
Hare Krishna Uma
It is a nice question. All the material things like family, money, position, fame, etc, that we are attached to in the material world are all things that are related to our material body. As soon as our material body is gone then all these things are irrelevant to us because they are only related to the material body that we have now left. They are not actually related to us, the spirit soul that we are.
So the time of death means the spirit soul leaves the material body and takes with it any spiritual advancement because spiritual advancement results in an elevation of consciousness and the consciousness is the symptom of the presence of the spirit soul. So the spiritual advancement we make in this life is connected to the spirit soul and it goes with the spirit soul either back home back to Godhead or to the next material body.
But all material achievements and attachments and family relationships are related to the material body which is burned or buried after death. So they are all completely lost.
Therefore a devotee does not care about the things that the materialists take so seriously. He does not care about family relationships or success in the material world or making a lot of money or becoming famous. He is only concerned in serving Krishna by following the instructions of the bona fide spiritual master. And whatever spiritual advancement the devotee makes is his eternal asset. It is never lost. It goes with the spirit soul because it is spiritual not material.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna!
Please accept my humble obeisance Swamiji.
Thank you very much for your kind reply which I found very uplifting. Your explanation has changed my outlook on the world ie material things for which I was hankering has no real value.
I once again thank you for showing the right path for which I am grateful.
Kindly keep on posting useful articles and giving guidance to all who want to follow & improve the real Krishna Consciousness and able to understand the original teachings of our Guru Srila Prabhupada.
Pranam.
Uma Sridhar