“You see all these people who are glorified on television and in print media? You see the movies stars, the athletes, the politicians, and now even the socialites? They are all given attention because of man’s search for God. They are either praised or vilified because of the inherent desire within all of us to serve a divine being who is all-powerful. We look for all beauty, all wealth, all fame, all strength, all knowledge, and all renunciation. Since we can’t find it wherever we go, we continue to look. We are thus easily drawn in by anyone who is able to show any type of extraordinary ability. This is actually deceiving, because such ability does not make one God.”
This seems like a harsh indictment, but with a little knowledge in the spiritual science, the facts start to speak for themselves. All the basics of human behavior are covered in the Vedas, which do much more than just provide information on how to survive in the difficult material existence. Knowledge of that elusive divine being is given, and once one knows Him He ceases to be elusive. Such a knowledgeable person also no longer has to search. They are into the real thing, and since they know His omnipresence, they have no need to look for Him in all the wrong places.
The same holds true for everyone to whom we offer our attention. There are fake spiritual leaders as well. They will claim that they are God or that they are the same personality mentioned in shastras like the Ramayana and Shrimad Bhagavatam. In other instances, they will discount the events described in those texts by calling them mythology. They will instead try to show their own magic in an attempt to lure people in. Of course, such personalities are not God, and their dismissal of authorized works in order to find cheap adoration represents a terrible offense against a very powerful personality. Not only do they find ruin for themselves, they bring their followers down too.
The continuous search for an all-powerful being in places other than the right one brings an unfortunate struggle, one that could easily be avoided. Let’s say that I like to buy in bulk, at least in the short-term. I sign up with the local discount club, where I can buy something like a thousand paper plates for a cheap price. That purchase will last me for months. In other areas, I try to have backups. I use the computer a lot, so I have an extra laptop computer sitting in the downstairs room of the house. I don’t need to really use it because my primary computer works just fine.
Now let’s say that one time my primary computer breaks. It gets a virus. “Oh no, what to do? This is terrible.” First, I will try to get rid of the virus. In the meantime, however, I have important work that needs to get done. “I need a computer, and I need one fast. This really stinks. I’m going to drive here and there, ask others if they have a computer I can use, or find a store that is open so that I can purchase a new one.” Thus there is so much anxiety. I, of course, have forgotten that I have the spare computer in the other room. If I remembered that, there would be no trouble.
The devotees know that nothing can allow the mind to fully grasp the concept of infinite time and space. Therefore they don’t worry so much about the theories that explain the origin of the creation. None of these deal with infinite time, nor can they. If there were chemicals at the beginning of time, what created the chemicals? If the answer is, “They were just there”, then we’re assigning “God” status to chemicals, which is just silly.
If you have found God, who is all-powerful, you don’t have to worry so much about who is doing what. One person may be expert in cooking, while another is skilled in acting, but in either case there is a spirit soul who is meant to serve rather than be served. Every individual in fact has this property, for it is a feature of individual spirit. The origin of spirit is constitutionally fit to be served, and His innumerable sparks of spirit are meant to offer that service.
“O son of Pritha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.13)
In Closing:
When to famous person eyes to lend,
Idea of man’s ability to extend.
Each time again the bar is set,
But never complete vision to get.
Only to real God does this belong,
A fact He explains in Gita’s song.
Devotee no longer God in man to chase,
Instead to adore Krishna of smiling face.
Marvel at His amazing work done here and there,
Worship Him for destination achieved so rare.
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