Sachchidananda 'The Life Divine' Book I,Ch.9, 10, 11, 12 - Track 1211

The first solution is as I told you that there is a possibility for God to manifest himself in many different ways you might say infinite ways and all the infinite ways are as good as the others, one is as good as the other. In every expression that is delight. But the kind of delight that is in one expression is different from the kind of delight that is in the another expression that was the only difference. So there can be a number of delights, it is a possible, he is full of delight anantguna. Out of that he chooses one which is as good as the other in that particular thing a possibility of suffering is inevitable but that possibility arises only because there is delight that suffering itself is a current of delight if it was not a current of delight suffering would not arise and ultimately it is something that is not absolute that is not destroy able but something that is itself so created that right from the beginning it is intended to be eliminated. Evil is that which is itself is such that it is to be eliminated with the fine even as that which is to be eliminated which ought not to be there which is there and it is avoidable and which can be eliminated that is our definition of evil. Such a evolution is possible as a result of which there is special kind of delight which arises, it is to experience that delight that all of us that God himself and the ourselves at God as his parts he himself is what we are, we have taken a deliberate decision to enter into it and then gradually evolving out of it. It's a process of evolution in which this is a necessary consequence. But something has to be destroyed which is destroyable and it is not inevitable that it will be a permanent condition in which we are going to be it cannot be a permanent condition of permanent condition cannot be created because it is only a result of the evolution. And evolution by nature is something which is bound to evolve further, so evil is not a permanent feature, that evil is not a necessary evil it is only a part of a decision which could have been taken otherwise. Some other decision could have been taken then this evolution would not be there at all. It is only because a decision has been taken that it has to be a evolutionary movement therefore this result is inevitable. Only in that sense it is inevitable only conditioned upon a decision which was taken which was not itself absolute or compulsory. So that is the first answer the second answer is that even while evil or suffering is experienced it does not destroy the inner delight which is present. If it was really contradictory than the moment there is suffering the delight would have been abolished if there was a contradiction between the two but that was not the case. Even when in the deepest sorrow it is always possible for us to withdraw and to experience it. Even in the deepest sorrow we are upheld even though we may feel that we are helpless but actually speaking we are always upheld and when the suffering becomes unsustainable you faint therefore there is no suffering. All suffering is sufferable suffering and that is because the delight which is inside is never abolished you can always recover it. Secondly every suffering is capable of being transformed into pleasure or neutrality that also is possible and thirdly you can transform each one of them into complete delight not only transform them into each other but each one of this neutrality pleasure or pain all can be transformed into complete delight. Not only transform but it will happen ultimately automatically because of the evolutionary force even if you say no you do not want that experience it'll happen evolutionary necessity is there because evolution is going on you are a part of evolution and you cannot avoid it therefore your goal of enjoying the utter delight of the presence of the divine is assured such is the scheme and that being the scheme it is possible to the reconcile it with the Satchitananda. With this reconciliation can take place only if Satchitananda is one, without the second only on the basis of advaita. Then only this is possible therefore it is vindication of advaita also. If advaita was not there, if reality was different from us then the approach could be possible he himself remains above and puts us into this suffering that is a terrible monster but if he himself is we is advaita and he himself knows that when I put myself into suffering the joy will not diminish and I can convert all my suffering into different kinds of joy or neutrality and that there is no suffering which is unsufferable that ultimately all the suffering can be transformed into delight and I'm going to do it then only you can reconcile otherwise there is no other reconciliation possible. So we stop here today.

Question: is the feeling of pleasure and pain felt equally by all human beings or does it depends on their evolution?

Answer: it depends upon their limitations. You can see actually a child was prepared for examination fully the same examination gives delight a child was not prepared the same examination gives pain. It is upon your awareness and your largeness. Actually you feel very happy when examination comes when the child is ready he feels very happy as soon as the examination comes near and he says now I'll show how much I can do. He feels delighted.

Question: but does the largeness give you the feeling of pain with equal intensity?

Answer: it depends upon what largeness it is there are various kinds of largenesses.

Question: doesn't the experience of pain and pleasure go side-by-side or hand-in-hand?

Answer: no these are three currents of the same current basically, depends upon the kind of obstruction mankind of obstruction gives you pleasure another kind of obstruction gives you pain, another kind of obstruction gives you neutrality but basically the current in the same current Ananda. The kind of obstruction that you give, gives you these three consequences.

Question: the obstruction would be measured by a largeness or limitation?

Answer: largeness or limitation the kind of its angularity also what angle you take what kind of angle is there in your obstruction.

Question: there's no homogeneity within angle in a person?

Answer: there are various kinds of possibilities so if you're already angularised you will always take it like that how many people are so cheerful by nature whatever may happen he goes on laughing angularity such and somebody so pessimistic all the time that the heaven will fall now and he feels all the time morose it depends upon his angularity circumstances are the same but see it differently.

Comment: part of it is habit.

Answer: yes it's a process of evolution in which habits are formed they become permanent they become hardened nothing is permanent but they become hardened so it depends upon that is why education is so important. If you educate the children rightly you give a lot of plasticity and give right from the beginning equality and always tell them that he should always expand and that he should get the right knowledge in fact a supramental consciousness or the highest consciousness, has these three qualities complete equality and complete plasticity and absoluteness of knowledge. Train every child into these three capacities right from the beginning his evolution will be much smoother. All right. Now I don't think we need to meet again we have finished chapter number 12. I would like you to read down chapter number 11 and 12 and then if you have questions can you invite me and I will come.

The Life Divine - Chapter IX
The Life Divine - Chapter X
The Life Divine - Chapter XI
The Life Divine - Chapter XII