About God, our Eternal Mother and Father

16

Many persons in the modern world do not believe in God because they say physical scientific evidence has not been found that can prove His existence. But evidence is all around you. Some evidence lies within each one of us. We know that we can feel love or hatred, joy or sorrow etc. Nothing that scientists and engineers have constructed so far possesses any such feelings. Moreover, we all believe that we possess free will i.e. the ability to make choices every moment of our lives (albeit within constraints). Machines cannot possess such freedom of choice. All actions of machines are based on their design, programming and inputs. Machines do not even possess a consciousness. They neither exhibit fear nor make any attempt to protect if you destroy them.

There is something far more glorious and supreme about you that is beyond the reach of any human creation. Life possesses something that goes beyond anything that has been found in purely material and physical constructions. What is this extra, mysterious thing that gives us the ability to possess feelings? We may rely on the collective wisdom of mankind from ancient times. Many have declared that humans possess a soul that is not subject to physical laws in the same way as physical things and things such as feelings and even consciousness of beings arises from this mystic source. They go on to declare that even though our physical bodies perish at death, the soul does not. It merely migrates to other existences. Many a mystics declare that a soul may be born again and again through reincarnation.

Once a human accepts the fact that he or she possesses an imperishable soul then the question arises as to where this soul came from. Our physical bodies are due to our physical parents. However the same parents cannot be the parents of our soul because our soul has existed before birth and will continue to do so after death. Everything comes from something, what is the source for our souls? Once again wise come to our aid. According to them the source of our soul is the universal source - God, One may view God as father or mother since our soul arises from this single source. To say that science can not detect these things is not enough to deny them. Science as yet knows little about dark matter or dark energy but deduces them from effects.

In reality, there is nothing but God. Everything, all of the universe and beyond is Him. We are all part of Him, that and a bit of ignorance that makes us unique and separates us from Him as long as that ignorance and its consequences last.

Most of us love our fathers and mothers and we know that they love us too. God is our eternal father therefore He too loves us. If we love Him as well then it can only enhance our relationship with Him. Not to believe in Him is to ignore Him.

Many question why there is sorrow and trouble in this world if we have an eternal, all powerful God as our parent. The answer to that can be found if we view our relationship with our physical parents. When we were young and at an age they could have imposed their wishes on us in all things, they often allowed us the freedom to have our own way. The consequence of exercising this freedom at times produced trouble and our parents permitted that willingly, though sadly, as a learning experience. God, too as the universal source, our eternal father, has provided us the freedom to choose and to suffer consequences from time to time. If we were to exercise our choices according to His advice then we can avoid suffering and sorrow. How are we to know what is God’s advice? This is where developing a relationship with our Eternal Father and understanding the fundamental workings of life comes in.

The scriptures or saintly persons can be our guides (if they are sincere ones and not frauds out to exploit human need for profit) since their aim, as messengers of the universal law, is to alleviate human suffering. They declare that conduct which involves violence, greed, lust, anger, lying; stealing, disorderly living etc. produces pain and sorrow. We indulge in such behavior at times because of a temporary gain or blinded by ignorance. In the long run evil consequences follow. In contrast, truthfulness and loving behavior produces happiness. Animals are not able to rise above basic instincts of lust and violence because they are unable to reason. They must then depend entirely on God’s mercy to evolve. However, with human birth comes the ability to reason and thus hasten our evolution through conscious effort and practice. It would be a pity if we miss this opportunity and continue to get tossed about in miserable existences.

God as a father of all life forms in this universe must maintain his family with not just a loving eye but also a just one. It is because of this we reap what we sow, through the principle of retribution, divine justice, karma or whatever you wish to call it depending upon your cultural background. This principle helps life to evolve and also maintains an overall balance in universe; otherwise, individual doings of beings could alter the destiny of the universe as a whole.

Good actions produce happiness in this life as well as subsequent ones and bad actions the reverse. I recall a saintly piece of prose, which went on to describe conversation between a saintly person and God. This person questioned God that whenever he walked on the sand he saw a second set of footprints and was assured that God was beside him. However in some of the most difficult moments of life was alone, he found that there was only one set of foot- prints and wanted to know from God why it was so. In this composition God answered, that was when He carried him. God ever protects those who love Him from grave harm even as the mother rushes to her child at play when she notices he might fall into a pit. Even though we may ignore God, he never ignores us, coming to our aid during the most distressful times in our lives just as a loving parent grabs the wheel from a child's hand when the car is headed for disaster. If we do the same and help others in times of distress whenever we have the opportunity and ability to do so then that must surely be pleasing to our eternal Father. When we do something nice for our human parents it expresses our gratitude to them. When we do something nice for other humans, animals or nature we express our love for Him.

In modern times many have turned away from God because they have been disappointed in man-made religions. It is all right to turn away from a religion that does not please us but that should not mean turning away from God. If one is turned off by the manner in which food is served in restaurants it should not imply that we should turn away from food, only from that restaurant. One may find many independent sources to learn more about Him besides His many delightfully illustrated books that are all over the forests, fields of wild flowers, trees and mountain streams.

He is ever engaged in sending forth security, warmth and love all around the universe. He is the provider of the water we drink, the air we breathe, sunshine and everything else besides. If we miss his presence at times it is because we now take Him for granted and because our attention is focused elsewhere. One need not conform to the practices of any religion if it does not please one to have a loving relationship with God who is present everywhere. God because of His infinite nature cannot have a defined and finite form such as those of living beings, therefore we have to feel Him rather than see him. However in certain religions they believe that if a disciple wishes to develop a relationship with God he may visualize God as possessing a definite form and attributes. This is all right as long as one does not forget that the chosen form and attribute is only a point of focus on infinity, a matter of convenience, just a facet of the Infinite. There is nothing else besides Him in all of the universe except the erroneous thoughts of the life forms that dwell within the universe and actions born of those thoughts. When our thoughts are in harmony with Him, our actions are marked by Love, Truth and Simplicity. 

Praise the Lord, Jai Mata ki (praise the Mother)