Original Article by: Tharodi Suresha
English Rendering by: M R Bhashyam
People who say “It Exists” are believers and people who say “No- It does not” are non believers. These are words which are in common use. What exactly are people saying when they say that “I believe” or “I do not”? Actually when believers say “It exists”, they mean that they believe in the existence of GOD or when people argue “It does not exist” they mean that they believe that GOD does not exist. Whose saying is the right one? Does GOD really exist or is it simply a delusion? These questions are but natural. Since believers are many in number, should we apply the principle of democracy and say that because majority of people believe in the existence of God and so “He exists”? He may be called by different names, names are not important, if there is existence, it is fine.
How then can we determine His existence? Is it not true that the existence of something that cannot be known by senses can be determined only by travelling to the realms far beyond? People who have that kind of faculty describe that as “Yogic Vision” or “Vision beyond the senses”. This type of vision is acquired by intense contemplation (Tapas) or by the grace of Guru. Is it not true that things which cannot be seen by the naked eye can be seen if viewed through a microscope? Agnostics may argue that this is all deluding one’s own self and foolish. If IT exists, it must be possible to know and experience IT through the senses, they say. It is futile to search for something which does not exist. If we search for IT throughout our lives and finally discover that IT does not exist, is it not a waste of our lives? - so the non-believers lament. Even modern science does not subscribe to this type of argument. If we were to accept that research itself is futile, then the progress of the modern science would not have been possible.
Shri SriRanga Mahaaguru used to classify people into four types – “Believer - Believer”, “Believer - Non-Believer”, “Non-Believer - Believer”, and “Non-Believer – Non-Believer”. A Believer- Believer is one who not only accepts the existence of God, but has integrated Him into his internal and external lives. He has experienced and has realized Its existence. A “Believer- Non believer” though has accepted His existence within himself, says externally that He does not exist. In a kingdom of people with only one eye, it may be necessary for one’s own safety to pretend that one has only one eye. It will not be surprising if a king with only one eye may want all his subjects to have only one eye. A “NonBeliever – NonBeliever” does not believe in the existence of God. He lives his outer life also in the same vein. He walks the talk. But since a “NonBeliever- NonBeliever” is honest, it may be possible to make him understand the truth someday. But there is one dangerous category the “Non-Believer - Believer”. Though he does not internally believe in the existence of GOD, he pretends to be a believer to the outside world. He makes only a show of being a believer. He has neither tasted nor has any extra-sensory experience. He just needs a title as “A great Believer”. He does not have the intellectual integrity or the inclination to toil for knowing the truth, but, masquerades as a believer. Many a time this concocted acting is for filling the belly. Either knowingly or unknowingly, these types of people cultivate and promote deceit in the society and misuse social order.
We must always be wary of these ‘Non-Believer - Believer” category. The honest live and behave as they say. Their discourse leads one towards the Truth. Also, one must necessarily salute the honest “Believer- Believers”, “Believer – Non-Believers”, “Non-Believer – Non-Believers”.
Note: The Kannada version of this article can be viewed at AYVM blogs