However, the individual has a strong will and aspiration for himself and his family to live a life of Samruddhi (prosperity) and Samarthya (strength/capability), and he has deep faith in Mother Gayatri and sincerely prays to Her for this. From your explanation, I understand that the Divine Will is not a mechanical determinism, but a living conscious process, and that it “takes up and uses all the different elements of creation”, including human will, aspiration and faith. You also say that prayer brings our limited human will into contact with the Divine Will, and that granting a prayer may sometimes mean a “detour” while still leading eventually to the Divine Intention.
My difficulty is in understanding what this means concretely in the above example. In other words, does the individual’s will, aspiration and faith have the power to change the actual mode or circumstances through which the Divine Intention is worked out, while the ultimate Divine Intention itself remains unchanged?
If yes, could you please explain how this happens in principle? How does the Divine Will take up and use the individual’s aspiration and faith so that the external course of life can unfold differently? I am asking specifically about this mechanism of the interaction between human aspiration and Divine Will, rather than simply whether prayer helps one grow spiritually.
Dear brother
I understand the difficulty. The Vedas speak of basically two operating systems to which we are subject. The first is when we are being schooled in Ignorance, Avidya. Then we operate through the ego which is actually like a shell within which our true soul is developing from its seed state to a realised divinity. During this phase, we are given a certain freedom to make mistakes, and learn through consequences. In the early stages, big mistakes bring small consequences. But as we grow towards spiritual adulthood, small errors may bring disastrous results. This is classically illustrated in the story of the game of dice between Yudhisthira and Duryodhana. Though Yudhisthira is playing the game according to the rules but the mere fact of being carried away and forgetting that he has no right to put his kingdom at stake costs him heavily. He is saved the first time after losing due to Draupadi’s wisdom. He plays a second time and loses everything, leading to his exile. Shakuni, meanwhile, continues to enjoy the kingdom. So, as in the school, the stakes become higher as we draw towards the final exit. Here, this school of Ignorance is almost completely fashioned from pleasures and suffering. The purpose is not justice but a learning and awakening of the soul through all kinds of experiences. The Divine is generally in the background here, like the wise parent who does not keep rushing and questioning every act of the teachers who are hard task masters, given their tough task of awakening the soul through the challenges, hardships, etc. Here the Divine Intervention is rare except when things cross a point and the soul wakes up with a startle and cries for help. Then the Divine response comes as a Compassion that lifts us out and helps and heals.
The purpose of this schooling is to help the soul grow in wisdom and strength. Once this is over, then at some point it is initiated into the deeper Divine Mysteries. This phase is marked by the birth of Godward aspiration in the person. It is then that the Divine Intervention becomes more and more frequent and the soul has a chance of blossoming in peace and joy.
In other words, the Divine does not want us to suffer. He is all-blissful, all-love, all-peace. The suffering comes when we are going through the schooling process in the fields of ignorance. It is allowed mainly to awaken and train the soul towards its adulthood. The rules of the game change as the soul develops and forges a bond with the Divine through prayers, meditation, selfless service. The purpose of suffering is then over. Then the blossoming is in joy and freedom and knowledge.
In either case, it is never a soulless mechanical law but a law of learning and evolution of the soul through the circumstances of life. The first stage is the soul’s preparation for the Divine Intention; the second is the process of fulfilment of the Divine Will in and through it.
Hope it clarifies the process now.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
