posted October 21, 2007 02:49 AM         

The Man who saw God

posted October 21, 2007 02:50 AM         

Tejas was born in a conservative, orthodox family in Bangalore, India. Tejas family encouraged their members to be introverts, and it was seen as a great virtue. Tejas was not an introvert, but he was not an extrovert either. He was ambivert, and did nothing to violate his family values.

He however had an important objective in his mind from his childhood. Tejas believed it is possible to see God, and wanted to see God.

When he was 3 years old, he had asked his father the question, that would later become the most important question in his life.

"Papa, why can't we see God?"

To his father, going to a temple itself was an appointment with God, and he thought it was not necessary to see God. His father tried to tell him an answer that a three year old would understand.

"Tejas, Sages who would do Tapas, and meditation would be able to see God in their dreams" his father said. But Tejas would not understand.

"Papa, I do not want to see God in dreams. I want to see God really!"

posted October 21, 2007 02:50 AM         

"Tejas" his friends would say "God is the most powerful and that is why you cannot see him"

Tejas thought being the most powerful had nothing to do with the human inability to see God.

The children debated the topic in their own way for nearly one month, and during this time, the question asked by Tejas was known to everyone in this school.

"Tejas," his teachers would say "You are an intelligent boy and you must not ask such silly questions"

Tejas thought his intelligence had nothing to do with the question. Infact, he even thought his friends and his teachers are stupid enough not knowing the answer to his question.

Soon Tejas was considered stupid for asking such silly questions. The students would start laughing whenever he entered his classroom every morning.

As a result, Tejas hated school. One morning, he told that to his mother "I won't go to school!"

His mother tried to explain kindly to his ignorant son. "Tejas, if you go to school, you would get good marks and become very successful in life"

"I will go only if you answer my question"

"What is the question?"

"Why can't I see God?"

"You cannot see God because, God is invisible"

"You are lying!"

posted October 21, 2007 02:51 AM         

When he was 17 years old and when he had finished school, and got admission to a prestigious Engineering College, Tejas thought he had grown up. He was not a child or an adoloscent any more. If his father was right he had the sophisticated thinking that would enable him to understand why God cannot be seen.

Tejas, by this time knew his quest was not why God cannot be seen, instead, it was How to see God. He knew there was some way to sneak and look at God.

He asked his father reminding him of his promise "Father, you told me you would say how to see God,when I was a child"

For a moment, it seemed his father remembered that he had grown up.

His fathered gathered his collective wisdom that he had obtained throughout his life, having achieved phenomenally from a God fearing family. He said "Man does not have the purity to see God. To see God begins with purifying yourself. Man cannot see God because Man cannot see God."

Tejas thought it was only a paraphrasing of the blunt sentence "God is invisible"

posted October 21, 2007 02:52 AM         

In his hostel, Tejas saw, which looked to him as if he was seeing the other side of the world. He had room mates and hostel mates of different backgrounds, some poor and some rich, and all the themes he had seen only in movies and cared little had taken a solid real form. In other words, he started seeing what the world was.

His friends had dreams and ambitions as well as fears and self doubt. He found confident young men who discussed how capable anyone can be, indirectly talking about themselves. They seemed to have all the answers. Tejas thought he could ask them this question.

He quickly found out they did not have all the answers.

They told him "Why do you want to see God? If you would have faith, only if you see God, what is the point of faith? What would you do if you see God? God has plans for you. When you depend on His plans, your life is happy. You cannot see God."

Tejas debated and discovered, that not only they missed his point, they did not know what they thought they knew.

There were others who said him something different. In particular there was one gentle young man, who told Tejas that God is everywhere. His name was Hari Krishna and Tejas found his answer satisfying but limiting. Hari Krishna was not answering his question.

Hari said "God is everywhere. He is not flesh and blood, he is spirit. All Nature is filled with his omnipresence. All roads, buildings and human achievements are endowed with his supreme power. Every Mother Teresa is manifestation of God's supreme kindness. God is visible. You are seeing him everywhere."

By the end of the debate, Hari gave up and concluded "When you see God, do tell me. I would join you."

posted October 21, 2007 02:53 AM         

This was something different. And he decided to explore it.

When his college was over, he came back to Bangalore. He visited the library that was in the very street that he had lived. He had never went there, but now he went there.

He found a book "The Secret Life of Sages" written by Grait Moore. The book discussed methods employed by Sages in the Ancient World, who wanted to attain divine powers beyond the scope of even advanced technology. Seeing God was one Trivial task among them.

posted October 21, 2007 02:54 AM         

"Throughout history God was understood in many different ways by different people, and still they do." the expert opined. "Quite often no religious zealot understands how he sees God, and this is a big drawback. This is why it is difficult to bring to consensus on who God is. It is a very sensitive topic.

"Interestingly, very few people in the modern world ruled by technology, as well as those in the depths of history, were interested in seeing or understanding God. You appear to be someone rare. May be you would find your answer.

"There is a monastery in Tibet, very high in the mountains, where there are men who may give you the answer."

posted October 21, 2007 02:54 AM         

There was a silent narrow corridor. Tejas went through it which gave way to a very large hall, where hundreds of saints sat in deep meditation. All of them have shaven head and all of them were wearing saffron clothes. The silent thundered in his ears. It was a great, deep, total silence.

It was quite the opposite of the everyday world, where days are spent in noises. These men in the monastery were spending their life in a different planet. It was a humbling experience for Tejas.

Days passed and nobody asked anything to Tejas. Tejas had food and clothes. Tejas had to do his chores himself. There were no servants in the monastery. Tejas wanted to ask his question and hoped someone here would ask him why he came there. They did not ask. They seemed to understand why he was here, even before he said it. They seemed to know truths about him that he himself did not know. They spoke few words to him, and most of his days were spent in silent contemplation.

Tejas found one man, and anxiously expressed his doubt "I want to see God. Tell me how." Tejas felt he was stupid and foolish.

"When someone comes to our monastery first, we direct him to out Golden Palace." The holy man said "It is the place for deep contemplation, and some say God lives in the palace."

Tejas found the information to be encouraging. The saint led him to the Golden Palace which was really a Hall. The saint took him along the corridors. He found a door, and opened with his key gingerly so that he would not disturb someone staying inside. He opened the door very little, little enough to allow one thin man to squeeze himself inside.

"Go inside, and do not disturb God" the man said.

Tejas found the instruction strangely humorous.

Tejas went through the door and slowly closed it.

The Hall was full of lamps that shone like gold. There were many pillars and there were many shadows cast by all these pillars. This is indeed the place for silent contemplation, Tejas thought.

Tejas moved in the Hall, looking for an altar where a deity could be present. There were none. There were only golden lamps, pillars and shadows everywhere.

After a long time of concentration, Tejas gave up and turned towards the door. Then he noticed something.

From the shadows it seemed, behind one of the pillars, someone was hiding.