CONVERSATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN Chapter 3 ACTIONS, GOD, AND THE ATMA The Upanishads wax eloquent about the Atma and Brahman, but until Krishna taught Atma Vidya (Knowledge of the Self) to Arjuna in simple language, this Supreme Knowledge was almost inaccessible to ordinary mortals. Picking Arjuna as a representative of an intelligent person but entrenched heavily in worldly affairs, Krishna takes him step by step through the amazing connection between ordinary life and God. As a part of that exercise, in this Chapter, Krishna would be speaking about life and its relationship to God/Atma. ********************** ARJUNA : Tell me, Krishna, how is the purpose of life related to the Atma? Frankly, I cannot see any connection at all! KRISHNA : That, Arjuna, is because you are ignorant, I mean, Spiritually ignorant. People imagine that life has been given to them for having a good time, for acquiring wealth, empire-building, enjoyment, sense gratification, etc. Wrong, wrong all the way! ARJUNA : Krishna, I am simply amazed! Why then, according to You, did God give life to humans? KRISHNA : Ah, now you are asking a good question! You see, Arjuna, people do not realize that human birth is an immense blessing. ARJUNA : In what way? KRISHNA : You mean, you do not know? I shall describe all that later; but for the moment, let me just say, human beings have incredible capability that no other living species has, and no species has ever enjoyed before in Creation. And why do you think God gave humans this capability? For something silly like mere pleasure seeking and hoarding wealth? ARJUNA : Tell me please, why did God bless humans with a special form? KRISHNA : I certainly shall. You must have heard the Vedas declare : Jantuunam, narajanmam durlabham. Basically, it means that human birth is rare and special; it is special because humans alone can comprehend there is a God who created this Universe. No other entity, inanimate or living species, has this ability. Further, humans alone have the ability to understand that they are a Spark of the Divine, and that life is given for refining and purifying human nature, cleansing it of all undesirable traits so that one could go back to God! ARJUNA : Going back to God? What does that mean? KRISHNA : Well, you know, don't you, that clouds are formed from the waters of the ocean and that rain comes down from the clouds? What happens to this rain water? Some of it finds its way to a river and then via this river flows back to the ocean, thus completing the cycle. The rest of the water also does the same but takes a much longer route and therefore also a much longer time. In the same way, from God you have come, and to God you must return. That, in one short simple sentence, is the purpose of life. Of course, different people will do it at different speeds! ARJUNA : You make it all sound so simple! What do you mean by saying that to God wee all must return? Where is this God and how does one get there? KRISHNA : (Laughs) Ah, at last we are getting there! That exactly is what I am trying to tell you right now, and let Me do it slowly, one small step at a time. Remember I told you that your true nature is the Atma? That automatically implies that the Atma within ought to be the guiding star of your life. Unless all actions become aligned to the Atma, life would be wasted. ARJUNA : In what way? KRISHNA : If actions are not in accordance with the Nature of the Atma, the purpose for which God gives man his life would be totally lost. Arjuna, I can see you shaking your head! Obviously, you are totally puzzled. It is not all that difficult to understand. Let us start by asking what is God, what is the Atma, and what is the difference between the two. People think they are different, but they are not; in fact they are both one and the same - just that two different names are used to describe the same Formless Supreme Entity, that is BEYOND Creation, and from which everything came later. You see, Arjuna, God has no form. He is Formless! And that exactly is what the Atma also is! So, God is Atma and Atma is God! As simple as that! Just two different names for referring to the same thing - what's so difficult about it? ARJUNA : O Krishna, my head is really reeling! I mean, what about You? I thought You are God and You have a Form, a very beautiful one I might add. And now, You are telling me God is Formless! Krishna, please have pity on me! Don't confuse me so much! I am already so confused about this war! Just tell me why I must fight! KRISHNA : (Laughs) My dear Arjuna! I know your plight but don't worry; I am, in fact, trying to resolve all your doubts; just be patient and listen carefully. Your problem is that you are used to looking at actions from a purely worldly point of view; that would not do. You HAVE to bring in God, Atma, etc., because unless you intimately relate to the Atma, you would not be able to get back to God eventually, and remember, that is the sole purpose of life! By the way, believe it or not, for you, fighting in this war would be one huge step towards God! ARJUNA : Really? Sounds too good to be true! KRISHNA : Not when you understand all that I am trying to tell to you. You see, Arjuna, you are highly confused at present, and it is to remove your Himalayan confusion that I am now imparting Supreme Knowledge, also called Atma Vidya or the Knowledge of the Supreme Self. If you grasp this, you would know everything that is to be known. Thereafter, you would have no doubts about anything, including how to act in any given circumstance. That is why this teaching of Mine is so very important! ARJUNA : Krishna, forgive me please, but I am feeling utterly lost because You are telling me things I have never heard before! KRISHNA : I appreciate your problem, Arjuna, but don't worry, soon you would be able to understand fully all that I am telling you. ARJUNA : I am grateful to You for being so compassionate to me. KRISHNA : Arjuna, you forget that Love and Compassion are My very nature; in fact, they are your Nature too, and that exactly is what I am trying to tell you right now! Now, let us get back to where we were. Basically, God is Formless but when humanity is in deep trouble, God descends with a human form to help man. To put it simply, from time to time, God descends as man so that man may rise to the level of God! Don't rush Me right now with a barrage of questions! I know you have many, and I shall deal with all of them later. For the moment, just try to understand that though you have a body, you are NOT the body; rather, you are something Eternal and that Eternal Nature of yours is the CORE of your personality. ARJUNA : Krishna, are You saying that there is something Eternal inside me, and that something is the Atma? KRISHNA : Correct. ARJUNA : And that this Atma inside is nothing but God? Which means that God is actually in me? KRISHNA : Absolutely. ARJUNA : Krishna, let us be serious. Are You saying that since the Atma is in me, I too am God like You? KRISHNA : Indeed, and you have got the point! ARJUNA : No Krishna, I have NOT got the point! How can I be God? I am Arjuna, right now a very confused Arjuna, I might add. KRISHNA : (Laughs) My dear friend, I KNOW you are confused, and that is why I am telling you all this! ARJUNA : But Lord, what You are telling me merely adds to my confusion! KRISHNA : Arjuna, I understand your problem; so let Me do it all over again slowly, step by step. Will you promise to listen carefully? ARJUNA : I sure do, Lord, especially when You are so kind and compassionate to give me Your valuable time. KRISHNA : Good, and now listen carefully. Point number one. In Creation, God created man as the end-point of the living species so that this one species can cognise, comprehend and understand the SOURCE of Creation. ARJUNA : But Krishna, I know where the Universe came from; it came from You! I am aware that God created the Universe, and everything in it. KRISHNA : Yes, Arjuna, you may know that fact but you seem to forget it when it comes to brass tacks. Now, if you REALLY knew that God created the Universe, then you should also know that God created you too. ARJUNA : But I know that also! KRISHNA : In that case, how come you do not know the purpose of life? If God created you, don't you think there was a purpose behind creating you? ARJUNA : I agree that there was a purpose but why are You saying I don't know the purpose? KRISHNA : I am saying that because you do not know how to act in the present circumstance! Arjuna, know this to be true! The Universe is a stage and Life is a drama, a Cosmic Drama staged by God; and in this Drama, all are actors! ARJUNA : Am I also an actor? KRISHNA : Of course you are, and indeed everything in Creation is! Your problem is that you do not know that you are an actor and that in God's Drama, you are supposed to speak the proper dialogue instead of acting or speaking the way you wish! ARJUNA : There you go again, confusing me totally! KRISHNA : Arjuna! stop interrupting me every second! Just listen to Me for a while, will you? ARJUNA : Yes Lord! ********************** The conversation has now reached an interesting stage where the focus shifts from a single individual, namely Arjuna, and what God expects of him, to the whole of humanity. It is all done with a subtle touch of mystery and the suspense one expects from a great Director! No wonder for is not Krishna, the Divine Playwright, the Divine Director, and also the Divine Producer as well? ( . __,_._,___
