Question 5
QUESTIONER: THE LINE OF HINDU INCARNATIONS BEGINS WITH THE FISH AND CONTINUES THROUGH RAMA, KRISHNA, AND BUDDHA. EVEN THE COMING INCARNATION, TO BE KNOWN AS KALKI, IS INCLUDED IN THIS SERIES. BUT HOW IS IT THAT IN THIS LONG LINE OF INCARNATIONS KRISHNA IS SAID TO BE THE COMPLETE INCARNATION OF GOD, ALTHOUGH BUDDHA HAPPENED LONG AFTER HIM? WHY WAS BUDDHA DERIVED THIS HONOR? AND WHAT, FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF EVOLUTION, IS THE SECRET OF KRISHNA PRECEDING BUDDHA? IS IT SO BECAUSE THE MOVEMENT OF TIME IS CIRCULAR?
Even a partial incarnation of God is as good as the complete one. It makes no difference as far as incarnation is concerned. An incarnation means that divine consciousness has become manifest. In how many dimensions it manifests itself is another matter. Krishna is a complete incarnation in the sense that divine energy has become manifest in all dimensions of his life. Buddha's incarnation is not that complete, nor is the coming incarnation of Kalki going to be. As far as the descent of divine energy is concerned, the process of descent is going to be complete in the case of every incarnation, but it may not touch every dimension of a man's life. And there are many reasons for it.
In the ordinary process of evolution, completion should happen at the end. But incarnation is outside this process of evolution. Incarnation means descent from the beyond; it is not a part of the evolutionary process, where something grows with evolution. Incarnation comes from some space that is beyond evolution. Try to understand it: We are all sitting here with closed eyes, and the sun has risen in the East. If someone opens his eyes partially he will see light partially. And another person will see light fully if he opens his eyes fully. The same person can go through both processes -- now opening his eyes partially and then opening them fully. And he can do it any time he likes; there is no evolutionary process involved, no compulsion.
Krishna's life is open, fully open on all sides; he can take in the whole of the divine. Buddha's life is partially open; he can take in the divine only partially. If today someone exposes himself fully to the divine, he will have the whole of it. And if tomorrow someone closes himself, he will wholly miss the divine. No evolutionary process is involved. This process is applicable only in a general way; you cannot apply it to individual cases. Twenty-five hundred years have passed since Buddha, but a man of our times cannot say that he is more evolved than Buddha. Of course, we can say that our society is more evolved than Buddha's society.
In fact, evolution takes place at two levels -- one at the level of groups and the other at the level of individuals. An individual can always overtake his society; he can move ahead of his time by his own effort. And those who do not try to grow on their own will drag their feet with the rest of their society. Also, all members of a group do not evolve uniformly; each individual has his different way of growth. So many people are sitting here, but not everyone is on the same rung of the ladder of growth. Someone is on the first rung, another is on the tenth and a third can be at the top. General rules are applicable only to groups.
For example, we can say how many persons died annually in traffic accidents in Delhi during the last ten years. If fifty have died in the current year, forty-five died last year, and forty the year before last, we can predict that next year fifty-five people are going to die in traffic accidents. And this forecast will prove true to a large extent. But we cannot say who these fifty-five people will be individually. We cannot ferret them out and identify them. They are an unknown persons. And if the population of Delhi is two million, this figure of fifty-five will vary a little. But if the population is two hundred million, fifty-five will remain fifty-five; there will not be the least variation. The larger the group, the greater the chances of making correct statistical forecasts about them.
General rules are applicable only to groups, not to individuals. Evolution is a collective process, and an individual can always come ahead of this process.
A single bird's chirping can herald the coming of the spring, but it takes time before all the birds begin to sing. A single blossom can say that spring is on its way, but it takes time for all the flowers to bloom. Spring is really full only when all flowers have bloomed, but even a single blossom can say it is com ing. Individual flowers can bloom both before and after the spring, but collective flowering happens only in the spring.
Krishna's becoming a complete incarnation even though he happened midway in the long line of incarnations, shows that his life was fully open from all sides, all its dimensions were available to divine consciousness. Buddha is not that open in all his dimensions. And remember, Buddha must have wanted it that way, it was his own choice. If somebody asks him to complete himself because he has the possibility to be a Krishna, he will refuse. Buddha has chosen not to be so; it is not that Buddha falls behind Krishna in any way. Buddha has decided to be the way he is, and so has Krishna. And in this respect they are their own men, masters of their own destinies. Buddha comes to his flowering the way he wants it. Krishna chooses to come to complete flowering, because it is his nature. And in its own dimension Buddha's flowering is as complete.
There is no sequence of evolution in the matter of incarnations. The law of evolution does not operate on individuals; it operates only on groups.
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Next: Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 6
Energy Enhancement Enlightened Texts Krishna Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy
Chapter 10
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 1
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 1, KRISHNA WAS ESSENTIALLY A SPIRITUAL MAN, BUT HE FREELY TOOK PART IN POLITICS. AND AS A POLITICIAN HE DID NOT SHRINK FROM USING THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE. IN THE BATTLE OF THE MAHABHARAT HE GOT BISHMA KILLED BY DECEIT -- A NAKED WOMAN WAS MADE TO STAND BEFORE THAT VENERATED OLD SAGE, WHO WAS A VOWED CELIBATE. IN THE SAME WAY, DECEPTION WAS USED TO KILL DRONACHARYA, KARNA, AND DURYODHANA. THE QUESTION ARISES: SHOULD A SPIRITUAL MAN TAKE PART IN POLITICS, AND IF SO, SHOULD HE BEHAVE AS ORDINARY POLITICIANS DO? AND, WAS MAHATMA GANDHI WRONG IN LAYING STRESS ON THE PURITY OF ENDS AND MEANS? IS NOT PURITY OF MEANS IMPORTANT TO POLITICS? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 2
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 2, COULD HE NOT HAVE KILLED THEM STRAIGHTAWAY WITH WEAPONS, INSTEAD OF RESORTING TO DUBIOUS MEANS? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 3
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 3, THERE WAS A KING NAMED PONDRAK IN THE TIMES OF KRISHNA. THIS MAN HAD DECLARED KRISHNA TO BE A FAKE AND HIMSELF TO BE THE REAL KRISHNA. CAN YOU SAY IF SIMILAR THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LIVES OF BUDDHA, MAHAVIRA AND OTHER ENLIGHTENED BEINGS? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 4
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 4, WHY DID JESUS CLAIM? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 5
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 5, THE LINE OF HINDU INCARNATIONS BEGINS WITH THE FISH AND CONTINUES THROUGH RAMA, KRISHNA, AND BUDDHA. EVEN THE COMING INCARNATION, TO BE KNOWN AS KALKI, IS INCLUDED IN THIS SERIES. BUT HOW IS IT THAT IN THIS LONG LINE OF INCARNATIONS KRISHNA IS SAID TO BE THE COMPLETE INCARNATION OF GOD, ALTHOUGH BUDDHA HAPPENED LONG AFTER HIM? WHY WAS BUDDHA DERIVED THIS HONOR? AND WHAT, FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF EVOLUTION, IS THE SECRET OF KRISHNA PRECEDING BUDDHA? IS IT SO BECAUSE THE MOVEMENT OF TIME IS CIRCULAR? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 6
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 6, KRISHNA PUT UP WITH NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE INVECTIVES HURLED ON HIM BY KING SHISHUPAL, BUT HE KILLED HIM WITH HIS CHAKRA -- A WHEEL-LIKE WEAPON -- WHEN THE KING FIRED HIS LAST INVECTIVE. DOES IT NOT SHOW THAT KRISHNA'S TOLERANCE IS ONLY SKIN DEEP, THAT DEEP DOWN HE WAS INTOLERANT? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 7
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 7, WOULD YOU NOT CALL KRISHNA A KIDNAPPING CHAMPION? HE NOT ONLY KIDNAPS RUKMINI AND MARRIES HER, BUT ALSO INDUCES ARJUNA TO KIDNAP HER SISTER SUBHADRA. WHAT DO YOU SAY? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 8
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 8, ONCE WHEN KRISHNA IS ON HIS WAY TO DWARKA HE MEETS KUNTA WHO REQUESTS OF HIM A GIFT OF PAIN AND SUFFERING. BUT KRISHNA ONLY LAUGHS; HE DOES NOT EVEN SAY THAT SUCH A REQUEST IS NOT RIGHT. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 9
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 9, IT ALL SOUNDS PARADOXICAL. YOU HAVE SAID MORE THAN ONCE THAT WHILE KRISHNA'S LIFE IS EXTRAORDINARY AND MIRACULOUS, LIKE A FLOWER IN BLOOM, FULL OF LAUGHTER AND PLAYFULNESS, THE LIFE OF OTHERS LIKE HIM IS MASOCHISTIC. FOR INSTANCE, NOBODY EVER SAW JESUS LAUGH. IN THIS CONTEXT HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A DEVOTEE PRAYING FOR SUFFERING CAN HAVE A VISION OF THE KRISHNA OF YOUR CONCEPT? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 10
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 10, AS YOU TALK ABOUT GOD AND HIS DEVOTEE, AND YOU CALL KRISHNA 'BHAGWAN', THE BLESSED ONE, A QUESTION ARISES IN MY MIND IF KRISHNA IS A DEVOTEE. IF SO, WHO IS THE BLESSED ONE HE IS DEVOTED TO? AND IF HE IS NOT A DEVOTEE WHY DOES HE SING HYMNS OF PRAISE TO DEVOTION? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 11
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 11, WHAT IS THE TEST OF ONE'S HIGHEST DEVOTION TO KRISHNA? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 12
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 12, KRISHNA INSPIRES ARJUNA TO FIGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE MAHABHARAT. BUT IT IS SAID THAT ONCE IT HAPPENS, KRISHNA HIMSELF PREPARES TO FIGHT WITH ARJUNA. WHAT IS THE MATTER? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 13
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 13, KRISHNA COULD ALSO SAY THAT SINCE BOTH OF THEM ARE HIS FRIENDS HE IS NOT GOING TO FIGHT ON ANY SIDE at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 14
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 14, YOU EXPLAINED TO US THIS SAYING OF JESUS: 'BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH' THERE IS ANOTHER SAYING OF JESUS: 'BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 15
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 15, WHY SHOULD ONE THINK OF GAINING AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING? at energyenhancement.org
- Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 16
Krishna, Krishna: The Man and His Philosophy Chapter 10: Spiritualism, Religion and Politics, Question 16, WHAT YOU SAY IS POSSIBLE ONLY IN A STATE OF ENLIGHTENMENT, AND WE FIND EVERYTHING OF THAT ENLIGHTENMENT IN YOU. YOU ARE UTTERLY HUMBLE, BUT WHEN YOU COME OUT AS A RELENTLESS CRITIC, WE ARE ASSAILED BY DOUBT AND CONFUSION at energyenhancement.org
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