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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00150 Oct 2002

 
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Respected members of this list. It is with intrepidation that I put 
forward this post regarding a topic on which the learned have 
commented:

". . . strangely enough this question is never really asked by any of 
our Vedantic philosophers such as Sankara, Ramanuja, etc., as far as 
I know" [Mani, Bhakti list (BL), May 2002]. 

"This topic appears to have been exhausted . . . perhaps we should 
move on to other issues. Thanks, Moderator " [BL, May 2002].

"If one can answer why HE did such such a thing, then it means that 
you know how HE thinks! Gitacharyan says nobody (means NOBODY) knows 
the secret of His birth" [Gita, BL, May 2002]. 

The comments were in response to an innocent question posed by one 
Sri Ranganathan Sounderrajan on the Bhakti List:

"Why did god create universe and the living beings? [Bhakti list, 
May 1 2002]"

A flood of postings then followed on the Lord's 'lila of creation'. 
Some postings implied that our understanding of the purpouse behind 
this creation lila will forever remain a mystery and, since nobody 
can know the mind of God, effectively 'off-bounds'. One illustrious 
contributer, perhaps in sheer exasperation, advised Swamy 
Soundeerajan: "May be you should put the question at the feet of Lord 
SriRanganatha Himself" [BL, May 2002].

Since certain perspectives and priorities of the Bhakti List are not 
entirely congruent with my own, I refrained from entering the 
discusion. However, since the issue has re-surfaced on the Ramanuja 
List, we can go one better than "puting the question {of the why and 
wherefore of creation}at the feet of Lord Ranganatha"- we can ask His 
Acarya, Sri Manavalamamunighal . Hence this im-promto posting.

(The account below reflects the experiance of one soul. It is but one 
story; 'your', 'her' or 'his' story may differ).
----------------------------------------------------------------- 

The Lila of Creation

So where to begin? As far back as recorded history goes would seem to 
be as good a place as any. It was my darkest hour. I lay inert like a 
bird with broken wings, too depressed to experiance not only hapiness 
but even pain. Concerned for my uplift, the Lord gave me a body, a 
mind and organs of sense and the scriptures to guide me towards Him. 
Yet in my peversity, not only did I fail to turn to Him but I used my 
faculties to run away from Him [1]. My abuse of the shastras was an 
even sadder scenario. Mostly I ignored them; and when I followed 
their dictates my ego inflated to obnoxious levels. "Through my own 
efforts I will attain to the highest heavens". Corruption crept into 
the very heart of my soul as I thought my own deeds were the means 
for my salvation [2]. Consequently I turned a universe that was 
supposed to be a vale of soul-making, into a prison of perpetual 
suffering. Even numerous Avataras failed to make the neccesary 
corrective impact on me. 

Yet my Lord was as humble as He was ingenious and patient. He adopted 
the voice of my despair as His own, and used the miseries of life to 
steer me towards Him. 

(The same is true of all beings. How so? Right from birth things 
happen to us against our wishes. We never want to suffer, yet 
suffering comes from all sides. The three samsaric miseries- 
adhidaivika (at the hands of nature), adhyatmika (internal psychosis) 
and adhibhautika (misery caused by others)- remind us that we are 
not masters of our own destiny. Our ego is gradualy broken. Then we 
ask: Who can get us out of this miserable condition? Family, work, 
nation, etc. are the obvious candidates. Yet familiarity breeds 
contempt- the more we learn about our 'saviours', the more we loose 
respect for them. Everyone seems to let us down. Our efforts to drown 
our sorrows in worldly pleasures come to a similarly unsatisfactory 
conclusion. Whilst we have an infinte desire for enjoyment, our 
opportunities and faculties for enjoyment are limited. 

Then through His grace, one fine day the realisation comes: every sin 
is really a misguided virtue- the philanderer is not addicted to his 
ever increasing harem, he is addicted to love, a love that his 
misguided adventures cannot provide. Similarly, the alchoholic is not 
addicted to drink, he is addicted to a sense of peace which the world 
forever denies him. Through one disapointment after the other, the 
soul learns that whilst this world may occasisonaly give us what we 
want, it can never give us what we ultimately need. It is simply not 
up to it). 

>From these disilusioned emotions the Lord began to spiritually 
rescucitate me: "athatho brahma jignasa" [3] the Vedas said. "You've 
tried everything else, now try God" translated the voice of 
experiance. "Turn to your Lord (ananyarhasheshatva), the only 
saviour (ananyasaranatva) and only source of bliss (ananyabhogyatva) 
worthy of your eternal nature", whispered the universe. My haughty 
ego was now ready to listen:

"Having tasted, for long, the fruits , good and bad, of their past 
deeds (in swarg and hell respectively), there comes a stage, in 
everyones's life, when serious introspection begins, as to what he 
is, where he is, whither he is bound and the wherewhithall for 
attaining the goal" [4].

Battered and bruised by the wheel of samsara, I no longer had the 
peversity to obstruct His grace. The Divine plan for my salvation 
could proceed. Indeed, a curious fascination overtook Him as He began 
my reformation: even my faults were seen as virtues. For example, 
eager to glimpse femminine beauty at its most excuisite, I once 
visited the Lord's temple. True to form, the fairer gender appeared 
in fine silks, braided hair fragrant with flowers' scent, eyes 
captivating with colouruims hue. With my mischievious intentions 
satisfied, I departed with hardly a thought for the Lord. Somehow, He 
considered such a perfidious outing highly meritorious: "See" He said 
to the hoards of skeptical Nityasuris "has he not come to my temple?" 
[5]. Gradualy He weaned me away from the lesser beauties and led me 
towards the correct perspective. His pride and joy in effecting this 
reformation was immense, and He became nostalgic whilst dotting over 
the same 'prakrti sarira' that I had once used to evade Him, for: 

"it was in this body out of numberless bodies assumed by the 
subject, that the Lord could get (him) at long last, and the sweet 
aroma of spiritual awakeing emanating therein is so very pleasing to 
the Lord" [6].

Should we deny Him this pleasure by denouncing our internment in this 
very samsara that made His redemptive miracle possible? 

Yet the "Doubt-Master" in us rears his ugly head even as we find 
ourselves on the verge of the celestial gates. He begins to taunt 
us: 'So all YOUR suffering, just so HE can have the pleasure of 
saving you! Why didn't he just create you a Nityasuri, instead of a 
flawed creature in this dark, miserable and painfull world?'. But 
even this most subtle and devious "Doubt-Master" can be laid to rest:

"No doubt the qualities of sowlabhya (easy accesibility), sowsilya 
(graciousness) and vatsalya (tender solicitude) are also displayed by 
the Lord in His 'Para' or transcendental manifestion, presiding in 
the High Heavens- "Vasudevosi Poornaha". But in that land of perfect 
bliss and perpetual splendour, these qualities can hardly be 
perceptible in such a marked degree, as they are in this land of 
darkeness and despair. There is all the difference between the two 
spheres as between a light burning in broad daylight and the one 
shining forth in a dark room" [7].

You see "Doubt-Master", the souls in samsara are in a unique position 
to appreciate the qualities of the Lord- an insight to make even the 
Nityasuris jealous. In the Highest Heaven, the Nityasuris are 
faultless- what scope then for the Lord to expresse a Vatsalya that 
sees even faults as virtues? The Nityasuris are forever in His 
prescence- what scope for the Lord to to 'welcome' them with His 
Saulabhya? And in the highest heaven all the Nityasuris are great- 
what scope then to relish a Sausilya that finds joy in the company of 
even hunters and apes? Just as it is only the prodigal son who knows 
the fullest extent of His father's love, so it is only the errant 
souls in this "world of darkeness and despair" who fully appreciate 
the Lord's tenderness and love. 

Correspondingly, our happiness on reaching the Highest Heaven is 
excelled only by that of the Lord's "disrtess dispelling feet" [8] 
who have effected our salvation. It is in taking this bird with 
broken wings and teaching him how to fly, that our Lord's qualities 
shine brightest. To enhance His glory, in a manner denied even to the 
Nityasuris, is the destiny that beckons each and every samsari. Let 
us accept our destiny and not be chained by our history, and in the 
words of a very great but lesser playwright than our Lord 
sing: "All's well that ends well" . . . 

The above is based on:

[1] Introduction to Mumuksupadi 
[2] Srivacana Bhushanam sutras 115-126; 130-3
[3] Brahma Sutra I.i.i.
[4] Srivacana Bhushanam sutras 381-98, trans. Sri Satyamurthi Gwalior
[5] Srivacana Bhushanam sutras 381-98
[6] Srivacana Bhushanam sutras 160-8, trans. Sri Satyamurthi Gwalior
[7] Srivacana Bhushanam sutras 32-8, trans. Sri Satyamurthi Gwalior
[8] Thiruvaimozhi 1.i.i., trans. Sri Satyamurthi Gwalior

Other recources used:
Mumuksupadi, trans. TCA Venkatesan, available at: Acaryas.org
---------------------------------------------------------------

In conclusion then:

"Why did God create universe and the living beings?"

1) He created the universe to provide situations and experiances 
whereby we might come to know Him
2) He created living beings so that a) we might evolve from inertia 
to perfect and eternal service of the Lord, b) to offer Him the 
opportunity to expresse tender virtues such of vatsalya, sausilya, 
saulabhya. C) Lest we critisise His plan for our salvation (that 
involves internment in this "world of darkeness and despair"), let us 
remember that we samsaris are privaleged to enjoy the Lord's tender 
virtues to an extent denied even the Nityasuris. 

Of course, there may be many other motives and aspects to the 
creation lila that we do not know. But thanks to our Acaryas, one 
purpose behind the creation lila is evident: the Lord's pleasure in 
effecting our blissfull salvation whilst expressing His tender 
virtues to their fullest extent.

This post is but a spontaneous and brief outpouring of the heart. 
There are many further issues to be elaborated and clarified. 
Throughout our enquiries, the brilliant simplicity of Sri 
Manavalamamunighal will steer us through the complexities of this 
apparently enigmatic topic.

Yours respectfully awaiting advice and correction on the views 
expressed above, S. Ramanujadasan.





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