Is God a Big Bulshitter?
I came across the satsang below at your website that fascinates me and I want to ask you a question about what you wrote. My friends all think the statement that Isvara is a big bullshitter was serious. Here is the statement you made and my reply.
James: I suppose the downside is owing money, but it is an opportunity to put Isvara to the test. He says He takes care of my getting and keeping. Let’s see if the Lord is a Big Bullshitter.
Tom: If for some reason, Isvara does not take care of your getting and keeping, do you then think that Isvara is big bullshitter?
James: It was a joke. Isvara, meaning scripture, doesn’t bullshit, unless it is good for you. For instance, in Chapter 12 Isvara presents the path of love upside down. He tells Arjuna that the most basic form of bhakti is the best form because it is the best for Arjuna who is incapable of understanding non-dual bhakti. But “the best†is relative to the spiritual level of the devotee.
The implied meaning of my joke is that Isvara always takes care of your getting and keeping. But maybe you think that it means that you will always have what you want. For instance, if you are attached to a good job or a good person, Isvara will keep that job or person in your life so you can invest more time in your spiritual growth.
But that is not what it means. It means that if some object, a job or a person, for instance, is inimical to freedom and non-dual love, Isvara will see to it that that job or person is replaced with circumstances more conducive to your stated purpose…freedom and non-dual love.
Everything in the apparent reality is always perfect, whether one appreciates it or not. The point is to see the downside of the objects that you are attached to and the upside of the objects that you fear, in terms of this example, financial and emotional security. I hope this helps.
James: Many statements of Vedanta cannot be taken literally. This is why a guru is required. He or she knows the difference between direct experience and inference and uses inference to remove ignorance. If you take an inferential statement literally, it doesn’t give knowledge. So he knows when scripture is making literal statements and when it is making figurative statements. Figurative statements require a bit of imagination. You have to let your mind run with the train of thought behind the symbol to arrive at the meaning. For instance if you see a sign that says San Francisco 60 you know that the sign is not San Francisco, that San Francisco is 60 miles away. If you take the statement that the Self is consciousness literally you will assume that reflected self, the Jiva, is consciousness, which it is, but you won’t get free from it because you include your body and mind when you think of your self. However, the Self doesn’t have a body and mind. So to overcome this problem you need the whole framework of Vedanta to provide a context that allows you to understand the implied meaning of the word Self i.e. that you are free. It is like rounding off. If it’s 3:55 and I say it is 4:00 am I bullshitting? Yes, to a literalist. No, if my point of reference is a month. 3:55 is as good as 4:00. There is no actual difference, only a technical difference. I have this problem often because I see my whole life as a single object, not a series of events, all the time, so one day/week/month is the same as the next, but someone who has to catch a bus at 3:55 is not going to be helped by my statement that 3:55 is 4:00.
Let’s revisit the previous email
James: I suppose the downside is owing money, but it is an opportunity to put Isvara to the test. He says He takes care of my getting and keeping. Let’s see if the Lord is a Big Bullshitter.
Thien: If for some reason, Isvara does not take care of your getting and keeping, do you then think that Isvara is big bullshitter?
James: The point is that only Isvara takes care of a person’s getting and keeping whether they know it or not. There is no other option. People only think they are in control of what they get and what they retain. This is the essence of karma yoga. So in light of this fact the idea that Isvara might not take care of your life, which is just your ‘getting and keeping’ i.e. your situation, values and priorities, is humorous.
There is always a sense of irony operating when Vedanta is taught properly so it is not surprising that literalists miss it. Sense of humor is based on irony, comparing one thing to another in the absence of a logical connection or when there is a seemingly logical connection as is the case with the Self and objects i.e. satya and mithya
Love,
James
