Why Has God Created a World in Which There Is Suffering? part2
Wed, 01/30/2008 - 13:15 — admin
TEACHER: Yes. Actual conviction in the existence of God means conviction in the existence of his supreme opulences. And now the second point. All living beings are part and parcel of the Supreme Being, and as such, each is imbued to a particular degree with the same opulences which the Supreme Being possesses. Just as a drop of salt water is one in quality with the entire ocean (but not in quantity), so also is the relationship between the individual living beings and the Supreme Being. We see, for instance, that every living being has a certain degree of beauty, strength, wisdom, mercy, etc., but that no individual living being possesses these attributes in full. The Supreme Being, however, does possess these attributes in full and is therefore all-beautiful, all-powerful, all-merciful, etc. One of the opulences of the Supreme Lord, and this can be surmised from the definition given in point number one, is that He is fully independent and that His will is always done. Because the Supreme Being has free will, each and every living being, being part and parcel of the Supreme Being, also has free will. When we speak of free will in relation to the innumerable living entities, we do not speak of the ability to accomplish all that one may desire, for the living entities are not all-powerful, either individually or collectively. Rather, free will means the ability, as a person or individual, to make a choice or preference-even though one may not be able to fulfill it. As individuals, each of us is exercising his free will at every moment. Even the prisoner in the jailhouse is using his free will to get off the bunk, pace around his cell, grab the bars and look out the window, curse the judge, etc. The fact that he is imprisoned doesn’t mean his will has been taken away, for he could choose to lie on the bunk instead of sitting up, praise the judge instead of cursing him, and so forth. Rather, his imprisonment simply means that his freedom of choice is restricted due to his having previously abused it, i.e., engaging in an act which has brought him to prison. Thus, the way one utilizes his freedom of choice at one moment directly influences how he will be able to use it in the next moment and in those moments that follow.11
THREE SIMPLE QUESTIONSMICHAEL: So it is therefore a contradiction to declare on the one hand that I have conviction in God’s existence, and on the other hand to question His abilities, mercy, etc.?
Let me ask you a few simple questions: Do you exist at this moment? Did you exist five years ago? Are you your body? Most people would answer “yes” to all three questions. But if you identify your body as yourself, and simultaneously accept that you exist now and also existed five years ago, then you have a problem: The body you had five years ago does not exist today. There is a dynamic turnover of atoms and molecules which make up your body. There isn’t a single particle of matter — not one atom — present in your body today that was present five years ago. The body you have today is not the same body you had five years ago. It’s not that the body you had still exists but has now changed somewhat. No. The body you had is gone. That collection of atoms appearing as flesh, bone, blood, hair, and so on no longer exists. Yet you still exist.
Science of Identity Foundation – Siddhaswarupananda
TEACHER: Yes. Actual conviction in the existence of God means conviction in the existence of his supreme opulences. And now the second point. All living beings are part and parcel of the Supreme Being, and as such, each is imbued to a particular degree with the same opulences which the Supreme Being possesses. Just as a drop of salt water is one in quality with the entire ocean (but not in quantity), so also is the relationship between the individual living beings and the Supreme Being. We see, for instance, that every living being has a certain degree of beauty, strength, wisdom, mercy, etc., but that no individual living being possesses these attributes in full. The Supreme Being, however, does possess these attributes in full and is therefore all-beautiful, all-powerful, all-merciful, etc. One of the opulences of the Supreme Lord, and this can be surmised from the definition given in point number one, is that He is fully independent and that His will is always done. Because the Supreme Being has free will, each and every living being, being part and parcel of the Supreme Being, also has free will. When we speak of free will in relation to the innumerable living entities, we do not speak of the ability to accomplish all that one may desire, for the living entities are not all-powerful, either individually or collectively. Rather, free will means the ability, as a person or individual, to make a choice or preference-even though one may not be able to fulfill it. As individuals, each of us is exercising his free will at every moment. Even the prisoner in the jailhouse is using his free will to get off the bunk, pace around his cell, grab the bars and look out the window, curse the judge, etc. The fact that he is imprisoned doesn’t mean his will has been taken away, for he could choose to lie on the bunk instead of sitting up, praise the judge instead of cursing him, and so forth. Rather, his imprisonment simply means that his freedom of choice is restricted due to his having previously abused it, i.e., engaging in an act which has brought him to prison. Thus, the way one utilizes his freedom of choice at one moment directly influences how he will be able to use it in the next moment and in those moments that follow.11