Finding God Within  Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha Volume 13  Number 19 11 May 2017

You say: “I am a devotee!” Now, the very reference ‘I’ – can you tell me whom it refers to? (Devotees: It refers to myself; ‘ātmā’.(soul)) That ātmā is God! If this is true, is there any distance between God who is remembered and ‘I’ who remembers Him? Also, tell me, who is the real God? The remembered entity is God, or the remembering ‘I’ is God? My dear children, this is called the path of jñāna(knowledge). In the path of jñāna, there is no additional need to remember God at all! Years back I had made some ‘classic propositions’ to God. Listen to me with attention. I gave two challenges to God. One is: “Banish me from your territory, if you can!”.  And the second is: “Exit from my heart, if you will!” And till today, ‘poor God’ has not been able to meet any of the two challenges! Are you able to appreciate the power of Self-realization that enables me to ‘challenge Him’ like this? I am saying this because I know that He cannot do it! For, if He is able to do it, then he ceases to be God. That is the strength of my Knowledge. Generally, none will think of God like this! This statement cannot be, or will not be, made by all; but I am making it! You have to be a Knower of Truth to say like this! When you are enlightened, when you find God so dear, you can even play with God like this. (Swamiji laughs heartily …) There is one more thing I want you to hear from me. I tell God: “My dear God, I cannot always remember you. Do I have to? It is you who has put me into the world; I never wanted to come to this world! Now that I have to live in the world, I have to deal with other things of the world. Whatever actions and interactions I have to undergo, let me do them very well. So, I cannot always remember you. Nor do I propose to remember you always. “Either I will remember you directly, or, I will remember you indirectly through the world, your own product. What difference does it make? It makes no difference to me. If it makes any difference to ‘you’, it is ‘your’ headache, not mine!” My dear children, are you understanding these statements well? And is the understanding giving you some sort of comfort and consolation? So, tell me; what is preventing you from saying like this? (Swamiji pauses, awaiting response from devotees. But there is no reply.) When you communicate with God with this kind of intimacy, will not your whole personality undergo devotional transformation? Nothing will trouble you. Not only that. You will become invincible! (Excerpt from the monthly magazine Vicharasethu published by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha. Subscriptions to Vicharasethu are available at Rs 100 for 12 issues and Rs 1000 for 12 Years.)

Do we have Free Choice in life?

We plan our life before birth. We along with our Soul family, plan out our birth, parents, siblings, life partner, Major obstacles, events and our exit (death) plan before we even enter womb of our mother.  We plan on learning new lessons. If this will happen I will do that.  What We Plan uses up our past store of good karma. 

Once we put a blueprint of our life in motion by taking birth on earth,  we forget what we had planned.  life moves as per our plan but do we remember to act according to our planning????  Sometimes we do sometimes we don't.   

As we are acting as per blueprint of our choice, our free choice making opportunities get reduced drastically unless we had planned an option on the path. 

Major blueprints of life remain unchanged. We probably have freedom to take little detours on the way but final destination cannot be altered.  What we have come to learn on this earth school by way of experiences and its ultimate impression on our soul so that soul is elevated to higher levels, need to be learnt.  There is no turning back.

Higher  forces do not interfere and make sure we stay on course.  They are witnessing our blueprint in action and  do the work of keeping us on track by putting thoughts into our mind and affecting our intuitive abilities accordingly.  Because none has power to alter our blueprint since we made it ourselves.  Thats why our so called Gods messengers n saints etc could not alter sufferings of their loved ones or even themselves.

Our decisions are absolutely affected by external factors, genetic etcs but what about our own unique inner personality.  Ultimately its our decision n we face consequences.  We are more powerful beings then external circumstances.  Body may die but soul carries the experiences.

Best way for me is to learn the ways n means to make this blueprint better for future lives, if there is any.  This is because when blueprint is in action we understand how different it is between planning and then actually going through it.  At some points we are overcoming hurdles and learning learning while at other times we may refuse to learn and grow since the pain is so intense.  Often we have seen people stuck up in their misery.  Given up.  They don't want to improve their situation.  A lifetime goes waste.  

Key to success is our own Will Power.  While planning we are strong but when it actually happens, we are often numb and dumb due to emotional or physical pain.  

Once we master laws influencing working out of blueprints of our journey on earth, we can achieve good results  with no suffering at all n with ease n peace.   We need to learn and understand Laws of the Universe and how they work, right here, in this human body.  Once its in our psyche we cannot fail next time. 

Vandana Ritik Mulchandani
Noida