Practical Vedanta

Practical Vedantaeverything would be a dark mass. He shining, you see the world."One question is generally asked, and it is this that this may lead to a tremendousamount of difficulty. Everyone of us will think, "I am God, and whatever I do orthink must be good, for God can do no evil." In the first place, even taking thisdanger of misinterpretation for granted, can it be proved that on the other side thesame danger does not exist? They have been worshipping a God in heavenseparate from them, and of whom they are much afraid. They have been bornshaking with fear, and all their life they will go on shaking. Has the world beenmade much better by this? Those who have understood and worshipped a PersonalGod, and those who have understood and worshipped an Impersonal God, onwhich side have been the great workers of the world — gigantic workers, giganticmoral powers? Certainly on the Impersonal. How can you expect morality to bedeveloped through fear? It can never be. "Where one sees another, where onehears another, that is Maya. When one does not see another, when one does nothear another, when everything has become the Atman, who sees whom, whoperceives whom?" It is all He, and all I, at the same time. The soul has becomepure. Then, and then alone we understand what love is. Love cannot come throughfear, its basis is freedom. When we really begin to love the world, then weunderstand what is meant by brotherhood or mankind, and not before.So, it is not right to say that the Impersonal idea will lead to a tremendous amountof evil in the world, as if the other doctrine never lent itself to works of evil, as ifit did not lead to sectarianism deluging the world with blood and causing men totear each other to pieces. "My God is the greatest God, let us decide it by a freefight." That is the outcome of dualism all over the world. Come out into the broadopen light of day, come out from the little narrow paths, for how can the infinitesoul rest content to live and die in small ruts? Come out into the universe of Light.Everything in the universe is yours, stretch out your arms and embrace it withlove. If you ever felt you wanted to do that, you have felt God.You remember that passage in the sermon of Buddha, how he sent a thought oflove towards the south, the north, the east, and the west, above and below, untilthe whole universe was filled with this lose, so grand, great, and infinite. Whenyou have that feeling, you have true personality. The whole universe is oneperson; let go the little things. Give up the small for the Infinite, give up smallenjoyments for infinite bliss. It is all yours, for the Impersonal includes thePersonal. So God is Personal and Impersonal at the same time. And Man, theInfinite, Impersonal Man, is manifesting Himself as person. We the infinite havelimited ourselves, as it were, into small parts. The Vedanta says that Infinity is ourtrue nature; it will never vanish, it will abide for ever. But we are limitingourselves by our Karma, which like a chain round our necks has dragged us intothis limitation. Break that chain and be free. Trample law under your feet. There isno law in human nature, there is no destiny, no fate. How can there be law ininfinity? Freedom is its watchword. Freedom is its nature, its birthright. Be free,and then have any number of personalities you like. Then we will play like thefile:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Chitra%20Selva...oksBySwami/PracticalVedanta/PracticalVedantaPDF.html (19 of 113)2/26/2007 12:24:33 AM