Introduction By H.H. Shri Bhola Nathji Bhagwan

Introduction By H.H. Shri Bhola Nathji Bhagwan

There are many things in this world that appear to come all of a sudden. Man has either not seen such things before, or else he knows little about them. He cannot understand the reason for their existence, and begins to call them unreal. It is a strange kind of reasoning that leads man to say that something does not exist, or it cannot exist, just because he cannot understand it.

There are many forces of Nature that exist in the world and carry out their work without our being aware of them. Man understands some of them, and he calls them the laws of Nature. All the Laws of Nature have been working since time immemorial. It matters little whether anyone understands them or not.

There are some pearls that can be found exhibited in a jeweller’s shop, and there are others that exist in oyster shells deep down in the depths of the ocean. The pearls in the jeweller’s shop can be seen by all, but the numerous pearls inside the ocean must remain hidden from sight. The pearls in the jeweller’s shop have come from the ocean and have thus been revealed. Each and every pearl in the jeweller’s shop has come from some concealed spot in the ocean. One cannot say the pearl appeared suddenly, all by itself, in the showcase of the jeweller.

There is no such thing as chance in the world. Everything follows some law. That, which exists, existed, and shall exist again. A dry leaf lying on the ground gives indication of the fact that it must have fallen off from some tree. The leaf is visible, but the wind that plucked it off from the tree cannot be seen.

The time which brought the leaf is unseen, and the tree from which it fell is not in sight. But the leaf has not appeared before one’s eyes purely by chance. There are numerous events associated with the ultimate appearance of the dry leaf on the ground.

The Universe exists in Space and Time and is ruled by the Laws of Cause and Effect. Without these, nothing can come about. Therefore, there is no chance for chance to exist in the world.

Even as night is followed by day, and Autumn by Spring, and the dried fields receive a showering of rain, so does a time come when God Himself enters the world in human form to grant salvation to mankind. This is not a chance event. It is not something that occurs without a cause, all of a sudden, by itself. The event follows the laws of God, and occurs at a time when it is most essential.

The stars, the moon, and the lamps of man burn in the night, but they cannot remove the totality of darkness. Their light is surrounded by darkness. They exist within this darkness, and the entire picture is that of night. All these illuminations have but one aim–to dispel the darkness; but they cannot succeed in their endeavours. They cannot secure a victory because of their littleness. And the darkness gives place to dreams that carry the sleeping world to regions of doubt and fear.

To dispel this dark picture of helplessness and fear, the Sun must come out. It is only then that the darkness of the night is completely vanquished, and there is light everywhere.

And with the going away of darkness, the powers of evil are annihilated. A light divine protects the devotees of God and leads them towards the final goal of life.

Can one imagine the state of the world if no Sun were ever to rise? The lamps of the world would perish in the darkness, struggling to remove it. The stars would become like teardrops watching silently in helplessness, and the light of the moon, having waxed once, would begin to wane.

The Creator of the world has not left any faults in His creation. If man sees any, these are due to his short-sightedness and imperfect wisdom. A seed, which is sown in the ground, appears to perish. Imperfect reason ponders over this: How can that which has perished itself, give place to anything else? When a tiny sapling begins to grow from the ground, doubts begin to gather: How can anything so small give place to a huge tree? How can hundreds of leaves appear on it? How can flowers and fruits come from it?

For one who has never seen this happen before, there are doubts at every stage, and astonishment at every revelation. In the end, all doubts vanish as reality comes before the eyes.

He, who was ignorant of the hidden laws of Nature, marvels at the coming of the tree from a tiny seed, and at the manifestation of a multiplicity of leaves, flowers and fruits from the unity of the seed. What a great mistake it was to have doubted Nature’s scheme. The imperfect reason of man begins to understand that it is beyond its ken to fathom the great mysteries of creation.

The Universe itself is a great miracle, and the Advent of the Avatar in it, another great miracle.

If for hunger there is food, and for thirst there is water, then there must be an answer for the need for Absolute Peace in the world. It is no ordinary task to establish peace in so vast a sphere and to vanquish the powers of evil.

A little water is enough for a few flowers but when water is required for the entire garden, rain must fall from above.

Jab kabhi chalti hai baade intazaare raihbari

Seenaye Dariyaaye Haq kartaa hai ik soorat

ayaan

Whenever the winds of expectancy sweep the earth for the coming of a Great Soul, That Everlasting Ocean of Truth produces from its own bosom such a Personality.

Whenever the desire for God goes up intensely in the heart of man and the cry for protection from the forces of evil becomes loud and piercing, a stirring, a wave, is produced in the Divine Ocean of Existence, which takes the form of the Avatar.

The wave carries with it Divine Power, Grace and Mercy. It carries the unlimited Form of God in a limited shape, so that unlimited Love, Grace and Power might reach humanity. The wave is limited and unlimited at the same time. It is on the surface of the ocean, and the ocean is unlimited. The human eye cannot see the entire ocean, but it can see a wave on its surface.

The vast ocean limits itself in the form of a wave so that the limited forms of the earth can understand it and identify with it, so that all of mankind can benefit from it, look upon it, touch it and feel it, and drink the nectar of life it contains. It is for this reason that the Infinite God must appear in the form of a limited human shape.

If you want to drink water you cannot drink it from the emptiness of space around you. You must make a glass in which the water can be contained, and then drink from it. The space within the glass is limited and appears to be different from the vast expanse of infinite space outside. But the two are in fact not separate. The limited space inside the glass is united with the infinite space outside, and one with it

The infinite space must appear as limited within the glass, if it is to be of use to man. Similarly the Infinite God must appear in human form to help man. The Infinite exists

in all the limited shapes and forms of the world and is yet not bound by them. He exists even within the tiniest of atoms and is yet outside of them. The Infinite can exist in human form and yet remain infinite.

The human form of a King is like that of any other man, but he possesses a certain power that no other man in his Kingdom has. His power pervades the entire Kingdom–it can reward or punish, it maintains law and order, it makes laws that all must obey. His body is visible, but his power is invisible. If he did not posses any power he would not be able to perform the tasks he does. The invisible power is revealed through his body. If there were no body, through what would the power act? And if there were no power, of what significance would the body be, alone?

The body of the King contains something no other body contains. And it is because of that power that a powerful radiance exists on the face of such a personality, which does not exist on anyone else. People who come to him are at once enamoured of him; suffering souls find solace; empty begging bowls are filled; the faithful are rewarded; and the evil are punished and are afraid to come before him. Some pray to him, others ask for forgiveness, so they fall upon his feet and weep. The King replies to all as he should, in accordance with the relationship they have with him.

If an ordinary King can be in possession of such power, why cannot the Avatar of God contain within Himself infinite power, infinite mercy, infinite grace, infinite benevolence. After all, He is Satyam Shivam Sundaram–Truth, Godliness and Divine Beauty personified.

The pupil of an eye is very small, but it can contain within itself the sun, the moon, rivers and mountains and even the ocean. The human mind can contain within itself an infinity of thoughts. It can even contain in itself the thought of the Infinite.

Vo arzo samaa kahaan jo teri vusat ko paa

sake

Meraa hee dil hai vo ki jahaan too samaa

sake

The Earth and the Skies do not exist that can

contain Thee;

It is only my heart within which thou canst reside!

If the ordinary atoms of Nature’s creation can contain within themselves extra-ordinary power, why cannot the form of the Avatar contain within himself the Unlimited Divine Form of God?

God is He, in whom the entire Universe exists like a tiny atom, and, at the same time, God is He, who can reside within the tiniest of atoms. He can assume forms, which are unlimited and limited at the same time.

A person, who is silent, contains the power of speech within him. A father, who walks a step at a time with his child, contains the strength to run as well, whenever he so wills.

If the power-house can provide current to one electric bulb, surely it can do so to numerous others.

In a like manner, God remains Unlimited even when He is in the limited human form of the avatar.

Shaane Subhaan hai insaan bane baithe hain Deedaao daanist hai naadaan bane baithe hain

Thou hast with thee the form of God,

But pretend thou art man! Thou art the All-Knowing And pretend thou art ignorant!

Here is a strange combination of knowledge and ignorance, of the unlimited and the limited, of strength and weakness. It challenges human intelligence to fathom its mysteries.

The sky appears to be blue, but is not so in reality. The waters of the ocean appear blue, but become colourless in one’s hand. The infinite form of God portrays a multiplicity of creation, but this vanishes when God is in the forefront. There can be only one Infinite–and no one else separate from Him. The Infinite resides in the Infinite form of His Own creation. The infinite ocean exists in the form of the waves on its surface and even in the form of the tiny bubbles within it. And thus, assuming a multiplicity of shapes and forms, it remains one with itself.

The Everlasting One manifests itself as diversity, though ever remaining a unified One! Philosophy is baffled at this strange revelation.

If He were to remain One, all alone by Himself, he would not be realised as One. He appears as many, only so that He might be called One. It is only the existence of two that gives the Realisation of One. Alone by itself, One cannot even be called One. Light cannot be called Light unless there is darkness. The Immortal Nature of God can only be realised through the nature of the perishable world.

Mazaa hasti kaa letaa hoon

Gulo bulbul judaa bankar

Zahoore soorate baaki

Ko main aayaa fanaa bankar

I take the joy of Existence, in separation–

As the nightingale and the rose, To the Eternal Immortal Existence, I come in the form of annihilation.

In the form of the lover and the beloved, the rose and the nightingale–it is He, alone. In this separation, He takes the joy of existence. In order to reveal His Eternal immortal Form, He assumes the guise of the perishable world.

The Avatar is a great miracle amongst miracles–in which the Creator of the world takes upon Himself the limitation of the human form and enters the world in the full glory of His Divine Power. Only those who have been granted an inner sight can understand the reality of the Avatar.

The Sun can only be seen with the light of the Sun. The Avatar, alone, can reveal Himself to whosoever he chooses to bless with His Grace. No one can understand the Avatar with his own efforts, for no one has the fulness of knowledge within him. Unlimited knowledge can only be understood by unlimited knowledge. There cannot be two different kinds of knowledge both of which are unlimited.

God reveals His real form in the Avatar only to those whom He wishes to bring to Himself. The student can only understand the teacher with the knowledge the teacher provides him with. When the teacher gives the student the alphabet A, B, C, the student begins to perceive the alphabet in his teacher. Arjuna saw the Divine Form of Lord Krishna only when this was revealed to Him by Lord Krishna Himself.

An intense, humble yearning and prayer are essential to perceive the Divine Form of the Avatar; numerous prostrations can call upon the Divine Light to reveal itself.

Hinduism conceives of the Avatar as the limited human form of an Unlimited, Formless God, born on earth. In every country of the world, God must send His Avatar in the garb best suited for the country, and in a form the people can identify with–a reformer from amongst them.

It is the Voice of Lord Krishna in the Geeta:

“Ye yathaa maam prapadyante taanstathaiv

bhajaamyaham

Maam vartmaanuvartante manushya paartha

sarvashah

No matter what path man may choose to come to me,

I go out to meet him along that very path”.

When all efforts of man fail to give him the salvation he seeks, then, God, in all His Mercy and Grace, enters the world of the living in human form as the Avatar. The concept of the Avatar is one of the greatest living forces of Hindu belief. Life, which appears in human form, requires God in human form as well. It is before such a Deity that man can bow his head and seek his salvation. To set eyes upon the Avatar is to gain salvation and to be set free of all sins.

The revelation of God, in all His Glory, is this Universe. His Infinite Form is being revealed in the infinitude of the Universe before us. And if He resides everywhere in the Universe, He can also reside in the smallest shapes and forms that exist therein.

God is the soul, And the Universe, His body; This, in truth, is Reality, And the rest is all cant.

But the entire Universe is much too vast for man. He fails to see God in it. He desires God in an embodiment that is limited and altogether sublime. And it is only fitting that He who is the Holiest have the Highest Beauty. To fulfill this desire, God has to assume the form of the limited.

And the time comes when God appears on earth in human form, with all His powers. Those who can recognise the Avatar avail of this opportunity; they call him God, and gain Peace and Salvation from Him.

Hinduism, therefore, advocates complete faith in the Avatar. Images of the avatars who have come and gone are worshipped today. But fortunate are those who recognise the Avatar when He is on earth, and who take the joy of sharing in His travails and His works on earth, which are all for the salvation of mankind.

After a number of Avatars of varying forms, there came Lord Rama, and then Lord Krishna. The extent of spiritual power that an Avatar carries is denoted by Kalaa. Thus, Rama was an avatar carrying fourteen Kalaa, and Krishna an avatar with sixteen Kalaa.

Hinduism speaks of the advent of the last Avatar–the Nishkalank Avatar. He is also called the Kalki Avatar. He shall carry the fulness of God’s power within himself. He shall carry an obligation to save the whole world. The avatars that came in earlier ages restricted their activities to Bharat, India. Their task was to vanquish the powers of evil. They had to take up weapons of war to accomplish this task. After the evil Ravana had been destroyed by Rama, there sprang up evil again as Kansa. And after he was vanquished by Krishna, there sprang up evil again in a variety of different shapes and forms.

The time has come for evil to end altogether, and the task belongs to the Nishkalank Avatar or the Kalki Avatar. He is portrayed with a sword in hand. But this sword is not one that will cause physical destruction; it signifies the death of evil within the hearts of men.

Shri Nathji has often said: “The sword of war divides one into two, but the sword of love unites two into one.”

When pride, selfishness, hatred and falsehood vanish, the forces of evil shall find no place to stay. When sin shall cease to be, there shall be no sinner.

The Hindu religion speaks of the coming of this Great Being who shall appear unveiled in all His Glory, and be accepted by all. Evil shall vanish, and a new order based on the Love of God shall be established in the world, in which His Laws shall reign supreme.

There are numerous people in the world. One may ask: How can the Nishkalank Avatar be accepted by people of all Faiths?

The answer is: All religions are waiting for the coming of some Great Being on earth. Christianity proclaims the second coming of Christ; in Hinduism the advent of the Kalki Avatar is awaited; Islam awaits the coming of Imam Mehdi. Judaism speaks of the coming of a golden age wherein God shall appear before man. And, in fact, all the sorrow-stricken souls of the world await a Saviour who can remove their sufferings and grant them salvation.

To give Peace to the entire world is beyond the capacity of man. Only God can accomplish this. When the desire for God becomes intense in man, God answers his prayers. To answer the collective prayers of the world, God has to come down to earth in human form so that mankind can hear His words, and, from the deeds that come from Him, derive a lasting faith in God, and understand Universal Love.

The fruit that was hidden in the seed, and could not be seen in the seed, emerges from it through diverse routes, from the last branches of the tree, unveiled and real. And it says:

“I stand revealed before all, in my visible form–I, who was hidden in many forms before. Within the seed lay my Formless

Form, and on the branch lies my visible face.”

The devotees of God dance with joy, they sing. The tears that fall from their eyes are not tears of sorrow, but tears of rejoicing, which sparkle as drops of dew on the petals of flowers or like starlets in the sky.

People look back at the past–which was filled with cries, which contained the pain of birth and death, where there was conflict and war, death and destruction, where the hearts carried a wound, the minds carried a puzzle of fears and insecurity, where there was separation, a dissolution of ties, where there were clouds of sorrow, lightning flashes of suffering, restlessness and despair. What became of it all?

It was not real. It was a dream and it went away like one. The time of awakening has come–an awakening after which there shall be no further dreams. This laughter is everlasting, this peace is perpetual; this happiness carries only joy, this light contains only brilliance; the strings of life contain the notes of music, of sorrow turned to joy.

The revelation of God carries a beauty so unique that it captures each and every heart; and there is a promise of eternal union, a never-ending meditation, a boundless bliss. The world of atheism is gone, only believers exist in every face, and that beautiful image of personified divinity proclaims:

“Baaz aamdam…Baaz aamdam…

Baaz aamdam…”

“I have come again…I have come again…

I have come again…”

Nath

October 1978

Nagpur

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