This is a chicken and egg kind of question, but I struggle to understand what I did wrong to have to be in this planet. What is the reason why we are on earth? Were we in the causal world before and now we are here, or we started here and moving up? Is it all about karma? How did we build our bad karma? What is the quickest way to go back to energy? Many thanks.
—Karla, England
Dear Karla,
Paramhansa Yogananda was asked: “Which came first? The chicken or the egg?” He replied: “The chicken!” ok! (chuckle) Now that we solved that one, we can move on to the other ones!!!! [For what it’s worth, the chicken, like the rest of us, is endowed with the power of reproduction. But the concept of a chicken is the starting point on the causal plane, not the egg which follows on the material plane.]
The Bible tells us that “God so loved the world that he sent His only-begotten Son.” In India it is said that “God created the world that he might share and experience His bliss with all.” We are told that God created the universe (or multi-verse) out of “Himself!” (After all, there couldn’t have been any THING else!)
But how? God is a spirit. Invisible and without form. Pure consciousness! Bliss! By a trick, by an illusion which has been called “dwaita” or duality. By movement from a place of “rest” (in the Spirit) first in one direction and then back in the other direction, the pairs of opposites make their appearance. The One is at the heart of all movement, unaffected by that movement, complete in itself — for the movement is but a thought, an illusion. As this movement goes beyond the idea stage, it vibrates more strongly and produces the appearance of light, sound, and waves of energy of various lengths; as these vibrate even more coarsely, images appear which seem to be in various forms from gaseous, to liquid, to solid.
We are “as old as God.” But as each appearance is manifested it, being inseparably part of the One, contains, holographically, the origin or original marks of intelligence, intention, will power (energy) and feeling (bliss etc etc) and a sense of self, related and apropos to its form and function. Thus began the great wheel of samsara (suffering)! Thrust out of God came angels and beings, stars and planets and all manner of life: each acting out its drama according to its form and function. It is the original “Great Game,” the “lila” of God, who plays all the roles from playwright to hero and villain.
But endowed with the same impulse to be creative and to play the great game, reason, memory, desires and fears appear as the forms evolve into the human form. These powerful aspects of the mind further intensify the sense of separateness which grows into an ever-increasing egoity. A flower isn’t likely to wonder “Who am I? From whence did I come?” But on the human level, the form begins to seek its Creator and the two play hide n seek; the creature pursues down the incarnations its dimly remembered origin of bliss in other forms before learning that no form can give bliss other than furtively, temporarily — if it all!
As the ego grows it draws to itself through karma and especially repetitive actions (samskaras) a personal and unique universe of traits and tendencies. But at some point faced with the idea of repeated rounds of birth, life and death, the indwelling soul cries out in “anguishing monotony”: “I want out.”
The soul seeks freedom! As it does so with increased fervor, it attracts experiences, people, ideas and lessons that eventually point to “Know Thy Self.” Go within! There comes to the soul in human form a line of mentors, teachers and, eventually, an enlightened Being with the power to transmit and reawaken the memory of freedom and bliss in God.
This great story of life will alternate with joys and sorrows, tragedies and comedies. To us, our suffering is, well, insufferable. But God (through our own karma and the grace of the guru) uses our woes to awaken our desire for freedom; our desire for understanding; our memory of compassion and connection. If we did not suffer (as a consequences of our own actions and attitudes, current or past life), we would never seek to play the game of peek-a-boo, I see you with God!
For when God comes to us at last, all is “forgiven,” forgotten (in our identification with it), appreciated, and understood. Time collapses into Infinity as it has no separate reality anyway. The struggles of countless incarnations are but one great tapestry which, when viewed, at last, bring great joy just as an artist finds joy and satisfaction standing back to view his handiwork.
God is as much with you right now as He will be in eternal bliss. All we have to do is “improve our knowing!” “The time for knowing God has come!” announced Paramhansa Yogananda. For, as Jesus Christ also announced: “The kingdom of heaven is within you!”
Yogananda brought the practice of Kriya Yoga out into the world (especially the West) in answer to soul calls just like yours! “What is the quickest way to freedom!” (Read Chapter 26, “The Science of Kriya Yoga”, of his Autobiography of a Yogi)
Seek not mere knowledge or understanding but seek, instead, the joy of the soul; the bliss of God. All else will be revealed to you on a “need to know basis!” Why is this? You will know when you will know (said Yogananda).
Joy to you!
Nayaswami Hriman
Seattle WA USA
www.Hrimananda.org
