Beyond atheism and theism
 | This is a real story which happened in Maha yogi Satyandar Nath's life, Maha Yogi Satyandar Nath narrated the incidents of the story, How his guru Siddha Shri Siddhant Nath helped him understand the aspects of spirituality in right manner. When Maha Yogi Satyandar Nath was just a schoolboy he had some confusions in his mind regarding the right view on god, Even yogis from his own tradition seemed to have different perspectives. |
When Satyandra Nath visited his master he asked "Oh master! in our very own tradition there are different types of yogis, those who believe only in formless god, those who believe in form also, some others don't even believe in God they believe nature to be the creative force, there are many other views too, which of these is the right one?"
His master told him to collect stones and fine mud and construct a wall somewhere close to his place of living. "Construct a wall as tall as you are and then come back to see me again" told his Guru.
Satyandra Nath went back to his house, he chose a place in the garden near a small shed to build the wall, he gathered wet mud and put it together with stones and made the structure, he brought stones from the place where the boulders were falling because of the landslide. It took him 4-5 days to do all this, he made it look like a wall in a day after that.
He went back to the mountains looking for his guru, Siddhant Nath Ji was coming down the mountains and met his disciple halfway, "Lets see what you have done" said the guru. They both came together to the spot where wall was built. "Now write on one side of this wall 'There is god, there is sanskriti (culture), there is shastr (scripture), there is dharm (religion), there is divinity , there is humility', and on the other side write 'There is no god, there is religion, no scriptures, no divinity, Nothing' " said the great one.
"Bring those who do not believe in god, religion, divinity or even nature and place them on the side of the wall which says 'There is no God', when you find someone who believes in god, religion and such things bring them to the side which says 'There is no god', do not be hasty, take an year, learn from both of them by asking questions why they believe in what they believe" said the great one. The great one stayed there for the night and went back to the mountains.
Satyandar Nath started looking for those people who would be ready to talk to him on God and belief, He looked particularly for the elder ones. Around Kullu where people are mostly devotional and religious, he found some believers who agreed to come to the wall and talk to him. He sat them on the side which said 'there is god'. "How did you come to believe in god?" he started discussing with them on the subject. The believers said they believed in god because:
- It is written so in the scriptures and makes sense
- The knowledge given by the ancestors said so
- The religion they had been brought up believes in god
- Their own experiences in life, their own quest for God
- All the gains they have had because of their faith in God
Those yogis and saints who heard of Satyandar Nath's experiment came to discuss with him and share their knowledge. For many days Satyandar Nath talked to those who believed in god, they all explained to him from the scriptures, shared their beautiful ideas, their wonderful experiences. Satyandar Nath felt their joy inside him and was convinced that there is God.
Satyandar Nath was lucky enough to find a non-believer. They started discussing on the subject. After a while the non-believer said "You are a rational man, but why do you believe in what you have read, and what others believe. We can not believe what is written in scriptures is right, just because scriptures are from old times, Science is the way"
Satyandar Nath said "I believe in science, In fact I'm a student of science, but I don't believe in science 101%. just 100%"
The non-believer said "Truth has to be found, but it is my opinion that there is no God"
"Alright, lets go to the wall and discuss on this subject" requested Satyandar Nath. "I will bring some friends of mine with me, they too will help us" agreed the atheist. "Alright, but I might not be able to provide you all with food and shelter for many days" cautioned Satyandar Nath. "No problem We will only stay for a week, lets really find out the truth about god"
In two three days there were 10-12 people at the wall who didn't believe in god, "There is no god, existence has come to be as it is from evolution, what the yogis doubted to be true is written in the scriptures, it can't be" was the common opinion of the non-believers. Satyandar Nath and the atheists discussed these matters from morning till the night. At the end of all this Satyandar Nath was convinced there was no god, only science and evolution were true. The non-believers proved that the Religion, scriptures are only political and could one day become the reason for destruction.
When Satyandar Nath contemplated on what the believers had said, he felt "There must be god, and he is always with us". When he thought about what the atheists said he felt "There is no god, all of it is nonsense". After everyone was he would make both the arguments in himself. He thought "Is god real? if he is, is he formless or of form?"
Only 2-3 months had gone, but he was very anxious to know the truth, he went to his Guru, "only my guru could answer these" he thought. He found his guru in his cave, "O Guru, now I'm even more confused than before, please tell me what is real and what is not?".
Siddhant Nath said "Satyandar, in our tradition we accept both the views, there are yogis who do not believe in god, there are some who believe in god who is both formless and also has form". "What should I believe? what should be my view?" enquired Satyandar Nath doubtfully. "Satyandar, you will have to climb up the wall, and sit there. Clear your mind, Know yourself from inside, When you are alone and peaceful that faith you have inside does not change from atheistic view, but when you go even deeper and very close to self-realization it will completely remove atheistic ideas from the root. Atheism is against the religion only until there is preference to external practices, when you are alone there is no argument of theism or atheism. Duality is there to awaken us to the truth, what we perceive with the senses, what has been discovered through science is it complete? science has only been found recently, can it prove what has been found from before is wrong? In society there will be different ideas, sometimes opposing views also.
"Even a single person will have opposing ideas, Only he is a true seeker who doesn't oppose both views. Accept what atheists said, science is for our benefit, it was us who created science, it was us who opposed it. True yogi is neither theist nor atheist, His main intention is to realize himself. Do not believe in external knowledge, there can be errors. People wrongly try to force one's ideas on another. When one realizes truth in himself he won't try to convince others, for him truth does not depend on others' opinion.
"If someone doesn't believe sun is hot, isn't he hot? what is the use of proving, If atheist says there is no god, it is his opinion, what is the use of trying to disprove him? Spirituality is subtle, it doesn't depend on opinions, you have to find the truth in yourself. One who is intelligent and clever will ascend above these two opinions. People form groups, those who believe in god, those who don't believe in god and they fight, true seeking doesn't have anything to do with it. He who is serious in his quest will be indifferent to these"
Satyandar Nath went back to the wall and contemplated on what he had learned, he came to the conclusion that what the atheists taught him were neither completely untrue nor completely true. So was it with what he learned from the theists. Only that can be completely true that which he realizes in himself. One can only be complete when he grows from both the sides of the wall and sits on the top."
"Different religions , sects have different ways, it is of no use to think my way is better than others', true seeking is that which enquires into what is truth."