THE DIVINITY WITHIN

“If you seek God, then seek Him in man; He manifests Himself more in man than in any other thing. If you see a man endowed with ecstatic love, overflowing with Prema, mad after God, intoxicated with His love, then know for certain that God has incarnated Himself through that man.”  

(Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa)

In Chapter ten of the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna tells about his various manifestations. Shri Krishna summarizes that there is no limit to divine manifestations and whatever object [all living beings] is verily endowed with majesty, possessed of prosperity, or is energetic, one should know for certain each of them as having a part of God’s power as its source. To conclude the discussion regarding his various manifestations, Shri Krishna says:

अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन।

विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत्।।10.42।।

Or, on the other hand, what is the need of knowing this extensively, O Arjuna? I remain sustaining this whole creation in a special way with a part (of Myself).

M has been a regular student of Bhagwad Gita for the last few years. However, Shri Krishna often leads one to a situation where he tests whether our understanding of his message is superficial or one has whether actually imbibed it in daily life and actions therein. This one incident happened like this:-

It was a rare moment when M lost his cool, and…….on such a small matter. M was in a hurry. The delivery boy at the sweet shop asked for the detachable slip which comes along with the bill after payment. M had accidentally dropped it on the way to the delivery guy after payment. He started his way back after a brief argument, leaving his rightful claim for the sweets ordered. On the way, he saw the slip lying on the floor somewhere. 

M realized it was his mistake and the delivery boy was only following his procedure. Suddenly, the ego gave way, and he apologized to the delivery guy. Later, he also thanked him with a smile on receiving his sweets, neatly packed. The goodness or the godliness inside again triumphed over the ego. A small battle won. M observed that the turbulence which had emerged a few moments ago settled, his breathing had now become normal and a sense of peace returned, which is generally the case with M. The external stimulus in the form of the delivery guy combined with the inherent ego had created the stir. It became settled after M watched the breath and tried to find the cause of the negativity which had emerged from within without his knowing it. M was at peace with himself again. Living in the present without mind feeding negative or positive vibrations in the form of images or thoughts from the past or future.

What is this godliness or the good inside us? Just the lack of ego or God making us realize his presence. Isn’t all the goodness, empathy, and love in this world, just a manifestation of the divine? M believes so. The reverse is also true? Greed, violence, and sorrows are nothing but the absence of God.

दया धर्म का मूल है, पाप मूल संताप। 

जहां क्षमा वहां धर्म है, जहां दया वहां आप।। 

जहां दया वहां धर्म है, जहां लोभ तहं पाप। 

जहां क्रोध वहां काल है, जहां क्षमा वहां आप।।

(Sant Kabir)