God, Us and The Cycle of Life and Death

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Is God energy?

A visit to Mr. Subramaniam's residence reveals another interesting possibility.

I triggered the debate here too! His opinion that God is energy seems valid. A positive one I assume that is present in every living being to varying extents. The negative is what is commonly called 'Satan'/'Devil'. I believe there is no such entity, but a move in the direction opposite to realising God. The key phrase is 'realising God'.

From the veteran on the question of life after death:

"Those who pass away ahead of their time are destined to spend the remaining (missed out) part of their lives on earth amidst us".

So what happens to souls who complete the course naturally?

"Those who finish the course to completion go in for another birth".

My mind is abuzz with questions once I'm home.

If there is something called 'free will', can one break out of the endless loop of life and death? What if one doesn't want to be re-born? What happens to that soul? Where does it go? Where does it reside if it does not anymore belong to earth? Is it possible or meaningful to realise God after death?

If this free will exists, why is it that we cannot (if at all possible, easily) change the story written about us? If we are to go by the old proverb "One can win fate with brains", is this really possible? Are there any examples to prove? If there is free will, why should one be assigned a fate in the first place! Is it because, without fate, we would aimlessly drift into uncertainty? And in order to avoid the uncertainty, we have been assigned a goal by default? Is our destiny then our choice?

From this visit to get horoscopes matched for a bride to this discussion.. interesting.

Freedom

A slight deviation from the normal course of discussion - when is one "free"?

It takes time and effort to let go of all emotional and material attachments, where the Siddhas and Rishis (ascetics) were successful. I can some what see what Siddhartha had in mind during his course of becoming Buddha.

Since it has been done before, "freedom" is possible to achieve, provided one really wants to.

Astrology? Is it real?

A friend who I'm not in touch with now, had once mentioned, "A story about you has already been written, and you will lead your life accordingly". She told Swami had said this.

Continuing with the Matrix's analogy to life drawn in the previous discussion, is astrology for real? Is it really an art? Or is it a terminology for a sheath imposed on the human perception of vision?

I've heard of a few astrologers who can predict accurately your future. Agreeing on their talent, where exactly do they get this information from, unless the story has already been written. Where is this story maintained and who conveys it to these "talented" astrologers? The position of seven stars? I guess the astrologer's talent is really about reading properly the story the stars convey. At least one can do it, compared to others who are not versed with the subject.

Is life then a pre-meditated game, with an outcome that has already been decided? Can you believe it when, what attire you will wear today, how you will act and behave, have already been decided by someone, albeit a super power. What is freedom then? When is one really liberated? What is the purpose of life? Are we here to merely act out orchestrated roles?

The Discussion

I tell Aparna of my experience and what I feel about the discovery. I chat over an instant messenger to tell her thoughts this can connect to. The discussion is summarized.

What if the strange feeling of the sweet being fabricated is true? What if it is all simulated?

What's "real" for us, is in reality, virtual! Our perceived reality actually concocted by a superior intelligent entity - God. It may be an intermediate entity too, not necessarily God, but of some kind that is nothing short of the intelligence to develop something so complex.

Seems like a direct analogy to 'The Matrix'. We're ruled by the very entities we created, only that in our case, something greatly intelligent, yet non-destructive appears to be ruling. Could we have created this intelligence? Could it be one of us?? If so, such an intelligence would make sense for to be developed in the future, and that which controls the past. Some thing that is intelligent enough to betray the concept of time. If not, the only possible candidate to fit this position would be our assumption of the universal super-power: God. If it is this powerful, can it also defy the restriction of space imposed on earthly creatures?

This intelligence, the master program, is clever enough to create us flawed in some respect to make us "human" - very much the definition that was created by humans themselves! Or has this belief been injected before at some point of our existence?

If this intelligence was God, I would assume it to have no gender, lest it should show the bias at some point in time and space.

I kept using gender as I was typing the above.. and could imagine Aparna snigger!

She shoots to interrupt: "What do you think of God in us?"

I give her the only answer I could think of: God instilling thoughts in every human being to remind that there is a super-power, something that is above us.

Humans need to be controlled, or they can become dangerous. Humans dig pits for themselves, often unconsciously, only to fall. So, there has to be a caretaker, a supervisor.

Aparna pokes: "And where should this God supervisor be? Which is his abode?"

I'm distracted, but I manage to continue to express my thoughts in the fear that I should not forget what the mind is questioning. I believe human beings should question everything, even religion! Only then can mysteries turn into science. On with what I had to express..

God "thinks" to have designed a foolproof, automated system which is self controlled, self contained. One that doesn't require intervention.

There are too many living beings existing for God to take care of. The key words are "living beings".

She quips: "Why not non-living?"

Luckily, I had not seen this interruption which would have made the talk assume another dimension!

I continued.

Which means, including all forms of life.

It would be overwhelming for even a powerful CPU as God for time-slicing between such a humongous population of living beings.

The girl does it again: "What about God is almighty?"

Again, I had not seen the question. I was off on my own thoughts.

Non-living beings don't need attention, because they're not even "real" (virtual in God's perspective).

Non-living material things are created by humans. They require attention only from their creators.

Aparna jabs once more: "You mean, the sand, the oceans, were created by man?"

I fail to see the question again, in continuation.

Man cannot impart life in material things. He can maximum, simulate life.

The moment he develops the capacity to impart life in material objects, he can get dangerous, provided he is not rational, intelligent, humble etc., qualities that only the supreme power can possess, all of them at the same time. At which point God would have no role. That's the reason, man's capacity has to be restricted. Since he doesn't have what it takes to keep all his negative qualities in check.

I get seemingly irritated by the constant interruptions, and snap at her for not allowing me to complete. The argument continues, with me trying to talk sense into her to wait for the Q & A session.

I tell her I'm a sequential machine with only one CPU - one brain! The capacity to process only one assembly instruction at any one time. In keeping with the computer science type analogy, I carry on. If I had to switch between so many questions of yours, I would have to make that many context switches. The switches would take too much time in a continuing heated discourse.

Yet again: "Did you know that the brain isn't sequential?"

That did it. I was pissed! I ask her told to hold the pants.

I scroll up the chat transcript to see the "Non-living beings are created by humans: material things" part, and Aparna's immediate cross examination - "You mean the sand the oceans were created by man?"

I was baffled to have left this loophole in the explanation. I had just thought of the answer before she got busy. I wish I could have told her what I felt was the solution: Man has to start some place with the bare minimum of resources - air, water, shelter, and yes, sand too, though not strictly! God made sure that humans are given a fair opportunity to survive, before joining the race to face Darvin's theory of biological existence.

I look at the clock to see it is 1:45 am. Quickly enough, I tell her of the idea to create a blog, which she resonates with.

I have now, the next morning, converted the transcript to this blog, and halt for the moment. The clock shows 2:50 am and I can hear mom turning in bed. I don't even want to risk imagining her yelling at this hour!

Sweet after lunch

It has been two days since I noticed this happening.

I look at the luscious delicacy and take a bite. The first gives pleasure. The second bite on, I am able to taste the flour used in the sweet. Not that it has been badly prepared, but I was able to dis-assemble the constituents.

A recollection of a series of incidents that had occurred in the past led me to think if the sweet was real. What if it was just to ensure that the tasty object is an illusion to make me feel good? Good God! Am I in the movie 'The Matrix'?