|
Main Index
|
| |
| |
|
| |
a puppet on strings. Then He would give you whatever He chooses and your wish would no longer matter. Then the whole dignity of man is lost; it lies in the fact of his freedom -- freedom even to go wrong. There is the possibility of freedom, you are not entirely tied to chains. You have the opportunity to make a conscious choice. You can go whichever way you please. He does not oppose you or stand in your way; He leaves all paths open to you.
If you choose, you can fall into the deepest hell and He will not stop you. You can rise to the highest heaven, He will not obstruct you. You get His power under all conditions; His grace is unconditional. His gift does not make you dependent in any way. He gives -- you may use His gift as you please. He does not question.
O LORD, THESE TOO ARE YOUR GIFTS.
YOUR ORDER ALONE GIVES FREEDOM OR BONDAGE.
But it is we who ask to be enslaved, and slavery results. The order is His, the command is His, the law is His, so also the rule.
For instance, if you jump from a high tree you are bound to break your bones. The same gravitational force that holds you to the earth becomes the cause of your fractured bones. If you walk straight this force helps you to walk, but if you sway and stagger you are bound to fall and hurt yourself. The force at work in both cases is the same.
Energy is neutral, impartial; God is absolutely impartial, unbiased. If you use the energy well you can attain the highest experience; use it ill and you can fall into life's deepest abyss. Says Nanak: "All comes through You -- heaven as well as hell." But our desire is behind these. It is Your law that works, but it is we who ask and ask and exhaust ourselves.
A great politician died. When he reached the door of heaven he announced that he would first inspect both heaven and hell before deciding where he would stay. He was taken around heaven and found it too quiet and insipid for his liking. A politician used to living in Delhi with all its excitement is bound to find heaven rather dull. People are relaxed and peaceful; there is no noise, no tumult, no chaos; there is no fighting, no processions, no blockades; in fact,
|
|
|
|
| |