Posted on: 21 Apr 2011
There is similarity and difference between Shri Rama and Shri Satya Sai Baba in their programs. The similarity is that both came down to establish the correct behavior of human beings in the world (Pravrutti). The difference is that in the time of Shri Rama, there were very few souls, who were to be punished with death since the transformation was not possible. Vali and Ravana were such special cases. In the present time, every human being is like Vali or Ravana to some extent and there is a possibility of cure by preaching like a patient by medicine. If death punishment is to be given, all the humanity will disappear. The preaching succeeds in bringing the total transformation in few cases only. The preaching is always forgotten since the knowledge is not frequently memorized. Therefore, constant reading and constant thinking of the knowledge is essential to bring transformation in practice. People enjoy the knowledge instantaneously and forget to follow. Due to this, people will again reach the original status. God will incarnate again and again trying for transformation through preaching again and again and each time, a few are definitely transformed. In the end of Kali Yuga, the filtered residue, which is a great lot of humanity, will be punished with death and this will be accomplished by the incarnation of God called Kalki. All these souls, after the killing by Kalki, reach the hell in the energetic bodies and will be severely treated so that the behavior will change to a great extent. These will be born again as good souls in the beginning of Kruta Yuga. The cycle repeats again and again.
Exhibition of miracles is necessary because the establishment of unimaginable item is possible only through miracles. Everybody is learning science for the sake of better living. Science keeps silent about the unimaginable item because science analyses and speaks always about the imaginable items of the creation. Since the entire creation is made of imaginable items, the creation is not unimaginable God. Science is always involved in the analysis of imaginable items only. Therefore, science deals with creation only and keeps silent about the unimaginable creator. There cannot be multiplicity in the creator or the tools of creation. You are applying the logic of imaginable items to the unimaginable God and speak God, His power, the materials and tools for creation, etc. The logic of imaginable items can never apply for the unimaginable God. All the unimaginable items form only one unimaginable item since you cannot differentiate the boundaries of any two unimaginable items. It is always reasonable and meaningful to conclude God, His power, tools and materials as one entity only and call the single resulting unimaginable entity as God only. Even the process of creation is unimaginable and cannot be separated from God. The only imaginable item is this universe, which is the product of the process of unimaginable creation.
The silence of science about the unimaginable God is mis-understood as the negation. Similarly, the silence of Buddha about the unimaginable God was mistaken as negation of God. By this, both Buddha and science were treated as the sources of atheism. Silence does not mean negation of unimaginable entity. Even the authority of theism, the Veda, says that the best expression of God is silence. Even Shankara clearly stated that the absolute God (Parabrahman) is always expressed by silence. Shankara debated with the followers of Buddha only on this point and proved that silence is not the indication of negation of God. Silence is only the acceptance of existence of unimaginable God. You must say that the unimaginable God exists. You are authorized only up to this single point. The Veda says that only the existence of God is acceptable and explicable (Astityeva…). Regarding the further information of God, silence is to be adopted. The acceptance of existence of unimaginable God is based on the exhibition of unimaginable events called as miracles. The multiplicity in the unimaginable events is not the multiplicity in the unimaginable item. There is only one unimaginable item called as God. He is establishing the existence of the unimaginable item on several occasions using several imaginable materials. Therefore, the multiplicity is only in the occasions and in the imaginable materials and it is not in the final conclusion, which is the existence of single unimaginable item. Already, we have established that there cannot be multiplicity in the unimaginable item.
Miracles Have Serious Negative Consequences
Therefore, exhibition of miracles is essential for the establishment of unimaginable God. All the human incarnations exhibit these miracles in massive scale or according to requirement of the approaching devotees. The doctor performs his treatment in two ways. The first way is to treat the patients approaching him. The second way is to treat the patients by approaching them through a medical camp. Similarly, in general, the human incarnations adopt the first way by performing miracles in the case of approaching devotees according to the need. Some of the miracles of Shri Satya Sai Baba belong to the second type to be exhibited to everyone in large scale on a stage. Generally, there is a severe control on the performance of miracles because these miracles have a serious negative angle. That is, these miracles encourage the selfishness of the people. They always try to apply these miracles to the solutions of their personal problems. The problems come according to the fruits of sins. If the miracles start solving the problems, the very basic system of deeds and fruits established by God Himself gets disturbed. Moreover, the miracles increase the selfishness and in fact, people accept the existence of God through miracles not for the sake of negating atheism but the acceptance is adopted so that the unimaginable God will solve their problems through His unimaginable power. The devotees may not accept this remark, but, this is true and the devotees are unaware of the underlying unconscious hidden truth. But, at the same time, if the miracles are not exhibited at all, the very basic concept of unimaginable entity is not established. The miracles are like the chocolates for a boy to go to school. Initially some chocolates are given for some days. The chocolates may be given till the boy gets interest in the education. But, the problem is that the boy goes to the school and exhibits lot of interest in the education as long as chocolates are given to him. The moment you stop the chocolates, the boy stops going to the school! Hence, the conclusion is that the boy is never interested in the education except the chocolates. Therefore, the miracles are always performed by God in human form in a balanced way. If God thinks that the miracle will not have any negative effect on the devotee, God never minds to perform it because by performing miracles, there will not be loss of any trace of His endless power.
The miracles performed by Baba were of two types. The first type of miracles relates to the exhibition of miracles on the stage. Such miracles are impersonal and therefore, have no negative effect. But, such miracles are criticized as magic with a hidden pre-arrangement. Therefore, the second type of miracles was also performed, which is personal in the case of the deserving devotees. By such miracles, the devotees became stronger and stronger in their devotion. But, in the case of many devotees, the unfortunate angle is that the devotion became stronger and stronger so that they will become more and more close to Baba to get more and more solutions in their problems!
Misunderstood Science Encouraged Atheism and Egotism
Generally, God is reluctant to perform the miracles due to their negative effect. Still, God performed several miracles through Baba. The reason is that the science has developed so much and the mis-understood side of science has resulted in the development of atheism and egotism. This is due to the half knowledge of science. People should understand that science keeps silent about God like the spiritual scriptures. Even the spiritual scriptures say that God is unimaginable and hence, silence is the best expression of explanation of the nature and form of God. Science also never negates the existence of God. A true scientist, who has gone to the level of philosophy in science, clearly realizes this. But, silence does not mean the acceptance of existence of God. Silence can also mean the non-existence of God. Therefore, you should accept the existence of God and then keep silent about the explanation of the nature or form of God. Silence is not on the total aspect of God. Silence is only limited to the partial aspect of explanation of the nature of God. If somebody asks you, “Is there God?”, you should strongly say, “Yes. God exists”. If there is a further question asking for the explanation of form of nature of God, you should say, “I do not know because God is unimaginable”. Your second answer indicates that you are silent about the explanation of existing God. Therefore, silence should be indicated through your reply and this does not mean you should keep silent about the enquiry. Every enquiry should be answered. Silence should be indicated through your answer and you should never keep silent for any enquiry. Therefore, the misunderstood half knowledge of science made the people to become egoistic and deny even the existence of God. Hence, the need of the hour is extensive exhibition of miracles, which alone can establish the existence of unimaginable God because they are unimaginable. This is only the relevant response of God to the situation and not egoistic projection of the miraculous power as done by the devils.
In fact, God never wants to project Himself in the world. He always wants to hide Himself since the real enjoyment of good and bad can be achieved only if He is hidden. If God is identified, everybody will respect Him and thus, the enjoyment of respect only is achieved. If He is hidden, at least some egoistic people will insult Him and the entertainment in insulting can be enjoyed. If He is recognized, the egoism of the devotee does not come out and later on, when the same devotee identifies God, God has no chance of pointing out his egoism. When the egoism is pointed out, there will be chance for preaching. For this purpose only, God misleads the devotees even if He is identified. In spite of all this truth, Baba performed the miracles extensively as the emergent need of the hour. As a result of the exhibited miracles, the human incarnation is easily identified as God based on the general standard of the public. Generally, public detects God through miracles only. The miracles establish the existence of God but do not mean that the performer of miracles is always God since even devils perform miracles. However, even the miracles performed by devils also establish the existence of God. Based on this positive side of the miracles, God gives miraculous powers even to devils. However, based on the general standard of the public, the performer of the miracles is identified as God. If the performer is a demon, he will say that he alone is God, which is not truth. But, in the case of human incarnation whether He says or not, it is truth. Whether it is truth or not, people will not like this declaration that a human being is God. People get interested in anything, only if they can achieve it. People never like that somebody alone is God and that they should serve Him like bonded slaves forever. They do not mind to become bonded slaves if they have a ray of hope that some way or other, they will become God. In fact, everybody has the golden opportunity to become God but the strict condition is that they should not have even an iota of hope that they will become God on some day or other. Hanuman never had even an iota of such hope to become God. Even though He is informed that He will become God, He always aspired to be a slave to God only. Therefore, He became God. Due to this complication only, nobody is becoming God. But, there are a few exceptional cases, who become God.
Generally, when people identify somebody as God, they serve Him like slaves to solve their problems and to get some fruits. After sometime, when most of their problems are solved, the jealousy, which was already hidden in them due to needs, starts budding up. Even an iota of jealousy or selfishness based on ego will spoil the spiritual effort. Therefore, till the maturity is reached, it is better to retain hope of becoming God. Such trick is Advaita philosophy, which says that you are already God and that you will really become God provided you attain the perfect knowledge. This will encourage the people to acquire the spiritual knowledge, which is the first step. Without knowledge, practice is impossible. This step will attract even the most egoistic atheists. This trick was developed by Shankara for the first time. Baba followed the same trick like most of the human incarnations. The trick was disclosed by Shankara on one occasion when He swallowed molten lead and declared that He alone was the Lord. Similarly, Baba disclosed this trick in one of His speeches like this: “Don’t think that you are God and behave as you like”. Such disclosure is necessary when the negative side becomes extensive.