Discourse No. (18)
Religion and the origin of Evil.
All religions are pathways to God and no one should arrogate that his religion is the best. In fact, religion is a matter of man's own inner consciousness. This inner consciousness can be roused in two ways. By a man's contact with external phenomena, through Scriptures, association with good and saintly people and Masters. Secondly, by man's own individual quest for something that can satisfy his soul.
Religion is a matter of the heart. When the heart is awakened, the desire to know the secrets of the universe and probe into the problems of life become keener and keener. It is difficult for man to be satisfied with bread alone. He needs divine nectar and that is supplied by religion, which chains him to God and the world beyond the precincts of the earth plane.
Religion should be understood in its essence. It is the ritual side of religion that causes separation and iconoclastism. To know Truth, one must delve deep into the experiences of life in utter disregard of one's own gain, in the pure spirit of enquiry and investigation. When man searches for Truth, in this way, he will notice that all religions as taught by the prophets, saints and sages are universal in their teachings and application, with God, as the object of life and Righteousness as the main factor. God speaks through the chosen ones, with the same voice and with the same object viz., to enlighten mankind and show them the way to His Kingdom'—-
Religion binds man to God. It gives him a philosophy, which both satisfies the hunger of his heart as well as gives him strength and vitality to fight the battle of life bravely and successfully.
No man can live without religion. It is the fulcrum of life, the soul's prop, and the searchlight in the dim, dismal horizon of man's creation. God is all LIGHT, LOVE and BEAUTY. He is absolute. There is no duality in divinity. There is no relativity in God's conception. He is ONE without Second. He is Timeless, Spaceless, Causeless, Motionless. But this divine absoluteness is missed by man, who is finite and who measures all things, with the dim light of his own reasoning faculty. His reason gives birth to the ideas of relativity, dimensions etc.
No evil exists in the Godhead. But man creates it in his finite nature. This is the origin of evil. It is not permanent, for it is the outcome of man, who is finite-The minute he becomes perfect and reaches Godhead, the evil disappears. It is nescience, ignorance and therefore not permanent. God alone is the REALITY and all life should be taken as an unreal phenomenon, to be overcome and conquered by the forces of the Spirit within. Discard the world and its temptations. Seek refuge in God. He is both within and without.
subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.