Love and God

Hari Aum.

I just finished watching a Bollywood movie called "Mohabbatein". I've seen it before but for some reason was in the mood to see it again. I invited Krishna to watch the movie with me. I imagined us both in the heartspace on a sofa with a blanket around us watching the movie. This way I try to connect my activities with God, including entertainment.
Many movies are made today that we enjoy watching - God is the maker of the movie, the special effects, the talent in the actors, the sense of humour and jokes, the seriousness and the romance.

This movie is really cheesy. I don't want to spoil it for you (in case you haven't seen it and will want to someday) but it's about love. It's about some people who are willing to sacrifice their all for the sake of their love. They are willing to sacrifice their careers, money and even their very lives for their beloved. Here the love is portrayed between human lovers, between men and women. It is sweet, impressive, charming, quite delightful. It is true and deep. Ah! one says, when watching it... Love really is the most important thing in life.

And some of this love, it is true, is demonstrated by human beings in the world around us. In their relationships with other humans- be it spouse, parents, children, whatever- a deep sacrificing patient unconditional love is there, to differing extents in different people. But where in the world do we find this love in perfection?

After the movie is over, and we switch off the television screen, and look around us, we may well ask, where is such perfect love seen in the world around us?

I would say, such love exists, it truly exists. It exists between God and His/Her lovers.

Now this sounds awfully serious. But it is not. God is not just serious. God is humour, God is play, God is laughter. Think of Lord Krishna as a child- stealing butter/clothes, breaking pots, feeding monkeys- was this serious or funny? He also had a serious side of course (taught us the Gita and all that), but heck, He had one great sense of humour.

We tend to forget that I think. When we start turning towards God, we think we have to be all serious only. No humour, no laughter. No, it is all strict discipline. Control the senses (oof), control the mind (groan), develop virtues (ouch), bear insults and injury (aarrgh). How heavy, how serious, how glum.

Is this all that God is about? Sure, we need all those things. We need discipline, sense-control, etc etc. But is that all?

I don't think so. Ultimately, as the movie says, love makes the world go around. Love is God.

The lovers of God are simply that- His/Her lovers. By lovers of God, I absolutely do not mean monks and nuns - I say this because, for some people, the phrase 'lover of God' instantly conjures up an image of someone in the ochre robe. I mean any person who really loves God, whatever their situation in life. In their hearts, they had this love for Love itself. And they practiced this love in their life. That was it.

Some lovers of God wear matted locks, some shave their heads, some have long luxurious locks, others wear top-knots, some wear a tuft of hair. Some wear tilaks, some smear ash, some wear sandal paste. Some live at home, some live in caves, some live in communities called Ashrams, some live alone, some live with people. Some call themselves single, some call themselves married, some call themselves neither. These people call themselves different things.
But these are all externalities. These are hallmarks of sampradayas and different sects. These are ultimately less important. But despite their external differences, in their hearts, these lovers of God are all the same.

What matters is simply the heart. As this movie also says. But I was reflecting, that the love portrayed in this movie between humans, is not actually seen in this world between two humans. It is seen in this real world between humans and the Divine, between humans and God.

There where God is, love is. There where the lovers of God are, love is. And the closer humans feel to God, the closer their relationships resemble the love between the lovers of God and God.

I was thinking that this movie should have been made about God and His/Her lovers (rather than between human lovers). But then I thought, if someone made a movie like that these days, they would mess it up completely. And spoil the simple love factor. Why?

Because when a movie is a made about love between God and his lover (a saint), or a book is written about a saint, it typically has this very serious format (at least in the yoga tradition). The movie or book will start by saying the saint was born on such and such auspicious day, with the moon in this nakshatra and the weather was most charming. Further, the parents were deeply pious, the child was absolutely brilliant in studies (or didn't care about studies just about God- both are seen as godly), was highly serious as a child, and started meditating in the cradle. Finally the child was non-attached i.e. did not care about family, the idea of spouse. No, God was not seen by the saint in their family or spouse- he or she simply wanted to renounce it all asap and leave for a suitable cave in the Himalayas (or other sacred spot) and close the eyes and think of God. Seeing God all around with open eyes was not an option initially in the sadhana period. Then after years of tapas in a cave or similar, the saint emerges radiant with the love of God and knowledge of God, and preaches to others the greatness of God. Ah. How impressive. How austere. How extraordinary.

But there is usually no emphasis of love in this type of a story. It is not sweet or simple. Like the movie Mohabbatein is. It creates a feeling of great superiority of the saint, he or she is far far above us on a pedestal. God is a distant and serious Being for whom one should leave one's relatives, or at least, be strict with oneself about one's love for them.

I find this really puzzling. I often think- there are 7 billion people on this planet today. There are therefore 7 billion unique ways to God.Why do religious institutions and people then forget the love factor, the most important thing, and bang on only about externalities that are relatively less important?

So many religious people have no love or compassion in them for other human beings or other living beings. They talk about God being all-loving and all-merciful, but can barely show any love and mercy to fellow human beings.

What is the meaning of their religion then? What is the point of religion that makes one argue with someone else about religion? Recently an aunt of mine who follows ISKCON (the Hare Krishna tradition) told me that my following Adi Shankara's advaita philosophy was highly "condemnable" because Sankara's concept of Samadhi is wrong according to their tradition.

I politely said that I fully respect her views, but believe that God and Samadhi is something to be experienced, not argued or talked about. I therefore suggested that when she comes to stay with me in the next few weeks (she's planning a trip to visit me), we spend some time together singing the Names of God (i.e. doing some spiritual practice that will actually get us somewhere), instead of pointlessly arguing about God. She said she wants to convert me to ISKCON philosophy. I said, I am already converted. Because I accept that all philosophies, including ISKCON, can teach us something and are right for the individual practicing that philosophy.

God has created many paths to Him/Her. But we have to work out what our unique path is. And I cannot be a part of any sect or group that criticises or looks down upon other sects or religions. I don't condemn anybody. Each to their own I say. But I personally am not comfortable with groups that claim their religion or spiritual tradition is superior. It doesn't appeal to me. In fact I find this approach has tarnished the fair name of God and religion, and is therefore the one thing that is unacceptable to me. But I have no wish to go around arguing with those who feel their philosophy is superior. To them their way, to me my way. Life is short, time is fleeting. God is to be experienced, and arguing takes us further away from Him not closer. Life is better spend doing sadhana than in arguing.

Anyway, the purpose of this write-up is to say that I feel God is present in ordinary things, in movies, in our relatives, in people, in the blueness of the sky, in the sunlight glinting on the leaves of trees, in the weather, in my own consciousness. And God is funny and has a sense of humour. And makes great movies. One should compliment Him/Her whenever one sees a movie one likes. Or when one enjoys anything ordinary in life. God is present in ordinary things, not just in extraordinary miracles.

After all, all is God. God is not just for monks, nuns and about grim austerity.

God is ultimately love. And as spiritual aspirants, we are trying to discover and manifest that unconditional love or God within us.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.


P.S. When I say God is love, I don't mean this in a cheesy sentimental way. Yes God is present in cheesy sentiments too, but that is not all. I mean that love which involves sacrifice for the well-being of others, which makes one extend a helping hand to someone, which helps us put ourselves in another's shoes. That love which prevents us from being judgemental or superior towards others, which involves us seeing God in others. That love that helps one to keep quiet when one is insulted, to be good to those that do us harm. That Love is God in my view. Not easy to practice, but there it is. The real article, the finest thing in life, the thing worth striving for, the goal of life.