Dear James,
I couldn’t be present at the last Satsang, but I watched it that week. Very enlightening! I’m going to watch it again to write some things down.
At the end of the Satsang, you say – Ishvara brought the problem (Corona), but it also presents the solution. I have also once heard you also say that Ishvara is not a great man in the sky who can punish or grace the Jivas.
I try to understand what Ishvara is, taking these two lines of yours and what I have read in your books. Could you see if I understood correctly?
Ishvara is a power, it is an impersonal force. This power does not turn to the Jivas in a personal way. This force has as main objective: to maintain the field of creation.
This force does not recognize positive or negative events. Positive or negative is an opinion of the Jiva according to his likes and dislikes. For Ishvara, nothing is positive or negative. Events just are…
When something seemingly negative occurs to a Jiva or a country or a community, it does not mean that Ishvara wants to punish. It means that each occurrence, whether apparently positive or negative, aims to safeguard the balance of the field. (This force, Ishvara, is benign, because everything that occurs in the field of creation goes in the direction of establishing the balance of that field.)
What does it mean to preserve the balance of the field? Was it just preserving Maya, the field of creation? Preserve something that exists, but isn’t it real?
I would think that balance means sattva, it means knowledge, it means love, the gateway and the key to what I am. Only through the field will the Jiva be able to see its true identity.
The Jiva who observes how the field of creation flows and is not stressed by events – sees everything with distance and without involvement – has the chance to pass the portal of the field of creation. What I am is the final destination of each and every Jiva, and for that reason the field of creation must be preserved. Ishvara is me and is the gateway to what I am. I see myself through the field of creation.
Why I, the Self, illuminate Ishvara, the field of creation? That even the sages cannot explain.
Dear Francine,
You have understood correctly. It is very good that you write it out. I can find no fault in your understanding. Now to your question.
“What does it mean to preserve the balance of the field? Was it just preserving Maya, the field of creation? Preserve something that exists, but isn’t it real?”
James: Yes, preserving Maya. Actually Maya doesn’t need to be preserved because it is eternal. It is the material principle. Consciousness and matter cannot be created or destroyed. Both are eternal but only Consciousness is real because it is always present from a jiva’s point of view. Matter, the body/mind entity appears and disappears or as we say, it is manifest and unmanifest.
Your statement, “I would think that balance means sattva, it means knowledge, it means love, the gateway and the key to what I am. Only through the field will the Jiva be able to see its true identity” is true. It is the only logical explanation because jiva’s are always looking for freedom from their material sheaths (body, mind and intellect). So they go through various experiences and learn that rajas and tamas tie them down to objects, whereas sattva opens them up to the escape route from samsara. Then Isvara brings Vedanta to them and gives them the key to escape from their samsaric prison. I’m proud of you and very happy that you are doing your sadhana properly. Good for you!
Love,
James