The fundamental difference between an experience and an explanation is that one is felt by the heart and another is spoken in words. One may not always be able to explain an experience. Logicians or ‘scientists’ do not want to accept existence of anything that cannot be seen or cannot be elaborated/explained through some evidence.
However, can you really explain all your experiences?
Let’s take a simple example. Most of us have a sweet tooth and enjoy delicious desserts like Gulab Jamun or your favourite one.
Can you describe its taste so someone can experience it without tasting it?
Try to describe sweetness. Don’t just give the synonyms like “theepi, madhuram” in your dialects. Even a professional language expert cannot give the experience of a taste without someone actually tasting it for real. Some things must only be felt or experienced no matter how well we try to explain about it.
| o:m sabda:thiga:ya namaha (Vishnu Sahasra Nama no: 911) one whose glory cannot be fully expressed by words alone including those of devi saraswathi |
o:m sabdasaha:ya namaha (Vishnu Sahasra Nama no: 912) one who accepts and responds to the call of an animal too, like that of gajendra |
| Upanishad says yatho: va:cho: nivarthanthe: apra:pya: manasa:saha God can neither be explained in words nor be understood through imagination |
Puranas say bhakthim thasya anusanchinthya God deeply reflected on his (Gajendra’s) devotion, i.e. He was responding to the call of a devoted seeker |
Why does He have contradicting behaviour?
The seemingly contradicting behaviour comes from His choice to accept and respond to those who seek Him. An unwanted and undeserved grace does not help the recipient (like feeding a person who is not hungry).
Thus, despite being the supreme multidimensional power who is beyond our imagination and words, He chooses to accept only a true seeker’s desire:
- to serve Him (like the archakas who serve His Deity form in temple, and those of you who serve Him in your puja mandirs),
- to have Him as their lover and friend (like the gopikas and gopalas)
- to be protected (like Draupadi and Gajendra) and more…
Self-Check: Are you a true seeker?
If so, the all-pervasive, omnipotent supreme power God will make Himself accessible to you in the form that you can be receptive to.
Why can’t I see God in His all-pervasive form?
Do you know that a mosquito repellent device produces sounds that only mosquitoes cannot tolerate and thus fly away? Whereas human beings are not affected by the same sound because our ears are limited to take in frequencies only in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
Human beings are made of earth material predominantly. Thus, a deity form made of materials from Earth makes us receptive to God’s grace through it. God also makes Himself accessible through any other and every other entity that exists but it is our receptivity that is limited and not Him.
Through Deity form, God can give the experience of His power, His presence, His love, His grace, His compassion, His supremacy, His unquestionable glory.
God is, therefore, Experienceable (in the heart) and Explainable (in words) when He chooses to. We can and must become true seekers ready to listen to acharyas explain about God and thus experience Him.
– From the discourse of HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– Pushkara Bramhotsavam, Lakshmi Narayana Temple
– 13th August 2021
HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji beautifully elaborated on how experiencing God is plausible and how calling out to God’s protection can be successful at My Home Hum – Sri Lakshmi Narayana, Matsya, Kurma alayam pushkara bramhotsavam (the 12th annual year of the temple).
Excellent & marvelous well explained soo true.