Have we ever paused to think who has created the wonders of nature we see every day in our lives? - the beautiful flowers, variety of plants, so many types of birds and animals? How is it that we have day and night, seasons, seasonal flowers and fruits, regularly with such precision? How can water collect inside the coconut and that too at a height of about 100 feet? How can birds migrate to different lands crossing thousands of miles and return back to their homes with the change of season? Are all these just a matter of chance?
The human body – both structure and function remains an intriguing mystery even today despite centuries of research. It is so very complex that it is not possible for one doctor to have detailed knowledge of the entire human body. So today, we have specialists and super-specialists for every organ of the human body – the heart, the bones, and joints, the brain and nerves etc. Imagine someone who has complete knowledge of all the complex organ systems of the human body, as only then it could have been designed. Who is this?
There are so many things in this world that are beyond our control. Can we choose our parents? Why is it that someone is born in a rich family, while another is born in a poor home? Similarly; beauty, intelligence, health/disease are largely beyond our control. Who is the controller? We have all seen natural disasters - cyclones, tsunamis and earthquakes. In a matter of a few seconds, there can be such devastation that suddenly life changes permanently and irreversibly. Who is the controller………who decides?
In science we have read the Laws of Motion, Law of gravity, Thermodynamics laws and in Optics there are laws of reflection/ refraction. In Physics we have studied that phenomena involving light, sound, thermodynamics, gravity are all governed by laws. So there are specific laws governing various phenomena in nature. Similarly, in our routine lives, there is a silent INVISIBLE LAW……. someone is rewarded/gifted (good health, wealth, prosperity) and someone is punished (diseased, adversity, accidents). Now if we have laws, there has to be an administrator/lawmaker. There certainly is someone (invisible to us with material eyes) who holds the law.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna clearly states that He is the controller of material nature, producing all moving and nonmoving beings.
The Lord says;
mayadhyakshena prakritih
suyate sa characharam
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate.
This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule, this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.
[- Bhagavad Gita 9.10]
In our scriptures, we see that one of the proofs of the existence of God is the law of karma. During a person’s lifetime, his karmic acts (actions) result in merits and demerits. After death, the Supreme Lord recognizes the merits and demerits which he had earned. Then when he is reborn, it is ensured that in this life he might have karmically appropriate experiences. Thus, there must be an administrator or supervisor for karma, i.e., God.
If you say can you show me, God?
In this material world, we do not have direct evidence for many things. We all know that our senses are imperfect. When I send an email, I click on a button and it is sent ….can I see it travel? –no, I have only indirect evidence. Similarly, electromagnetic radiations have a visible wavelength range; ultra-violet (UV)light and infra-red (IR)light is invisible. There is indirect proof that IR light and UV light does exist but can we see these directly? Sound waves have an audible frequency range of 20 Hz -20,000 Hz for human beings. The range beyond 20,000 Hz is audible to certain animals but not to man………. so can we say it does not exist? Similarly, our emotions, feelings, anxiety, thoughts are all subtle, invisible but have existence without a doubt. So we must understand and acknowledge the limitation of our material senses. With these senses, we can not see Lord, unless He wants to reveal Himself to us. This is confirmed from the following statement of Krishna to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita
But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine eyes. Behold My mystic opulence!
[- Bhagavad Gita 11.8]
However, such a fortune is extremely rare when one is blessed to behold the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet there is another vision that helps us to see God around us. This is called the Spiritual Vision. It is derived by understanding scriptures under the supervision of a bonafide guru (Sastra Chakshu). This is the minimum qualification a human being must-have.
Srila Prabhupada has explained this by quoting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, his spiritual master.
My spiritual master used to say that, "You do not try to see God. Just act in such a way that God will see you." Just try to understand. This is very nice. If I want to see God, and I make God as my order-supplier, that "Please come and I'll see You." So God is not so small that He, at once I call Him and He'll come. No. We have to qualify ourselves. We have to qualify ourselves. Therefore by the qualification, by your qualification, God will Himself come and see you.
[- Srila Prabhupada lecture on Bhagavad Gita 10.1 (New York, December 30, 1966)]
My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "You don't try to see God." Just try to understand. "Just work in such a way that God may see you." This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone is busy to see God. Of course, it is not so easy to see God. But a devotee is not busy to see God, but he wants God to see him.
[- Srila Prabhupada lecture on Bhagavad Gita12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974]
HENCE: Behind every creation, there must be a creator. The whole world is a wonderful creation, and God is the invisible silent controller. To realize and understand and in a way see His presence, one must have minium qualification of Sastra Chakshu.
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Krishna Consciousness is extremely simple, natural and logical for the simple hearted. however due to various circumstances many of us find it difficult to comprehend and thus they question, “Can we see God” or say “Show me God to believe in God”.
Excellent article and presentation of bonafide philosophy to answer those questions.
YS
Yes, nature and all beauty is God personified. You don't see Him in person but you do feel His presence and Guru helps connect you to Him.
Srila Prabhupada in Sri isopanishad Mantra 10 Purport writes
One should become a scientist or philosopher and conduct research into spiritual knowledge, recognizing that spiritual knowledge is permanent whereas material knowledge ends with the death of the body. (based on BG 13.8-12)
The article is giving nice analysis of how we see matter and in the same manner how to see GOD, Krishna.
Thank you very much for utilizing your intellect to present Srila Prabhupada's philosophy to establish Krishna Consciousness.
Thank you so much for the encouragement.
Hare Krishna