The Three Powers
Every human has three powers- power to do, power to know and power to believe. No human being can say that – ‘I don’t do anything and I don’t want to do anything, I don’t know anything and I don’t want to know anything, I don’t believe in anything and I don’t want to believe in anything’. A human does also and also wants to do; he knows also and also wants to know; he believes also and also wants to believe. If yoga is added with these three - doing, knowing and believing then all three will give redemption. If yoga is added in doing then it becomes Karmayoga, if yoga is added in knowing then it becomes Jnanyoga, if yoga is added in believing then it becomes Bhaktiyoga. Yoga is possible only when equanimity comes. (Samatvam Yog Uchyate - Gita/2.48) Equanimity means to rise above opposites of attachment-aversion, happiness-sorrow etc.
There is one great astounding thing. There is no human who cannot do spiritual practice, cannot take the course to God. It is a different issue that he does not want to practice spirituality or walk towards God. If he is willing to do so he can do it. The human-birth is only for doing spiritual practice. This is the womb to do saadhan (spiritual disciplines), not karma. All other wombs are for bearing fruits of previous lives.
A human being has a power to do, a tendency to do. After doing anything he asks- what to do? If this question arises then it means that there is some urge to do. This urge will not slow down if we do for ourselves, but as a matter of fact it will increase. If anything is done for us, then it will only increase this force. To do and achieve (By doing so I will acquire this) - if these 2 things are present then Karmayoga will not happen. If everything is done for others then this urge of doing will get light and eventually wipe out.
By knowing this world, knowing will not be complete i.e. everything will not be known. By studying, knowing will not be complete. Knowing will be complete only when we know our ‘Self’. ‘What am I’- until and unless this is known, till then no matter how much you know, how much you study, how much you read scriptures, how many languages you learn, how many art-skills you learn, but knowing will still be incomplete. If you know yourself properly then knowing will be complete.
By believing in world and various worldly things believing will never be complete. Believing will be complete by accepting God. God is a subject of faith, because without accepting Him we cannot know Him, cannot see Him, cannot learn about Him. Thus, GOD is- if you accept it firmly then believing will be complete.
Believing and knowing- both should not be inharmonious. World was not present before and will not persist and it is perishing every second- all of us have this knowledge. So faith in world is not in tandem with our knowledge and it is not everlasting. God was present before, will persist after and is right now present- this faith will always prevail. God is only a subject of faith, acceptance; not of argument. Only that thing is subject to argument, about which we know something and we don’t know something. In case of God, we don’t know anything, so He can only be believed and accepted. To believe in Him or not- you have freedom. God, saints-mahatmas, and scriptures- they can only be believed. There is some base, refuge of this entire universe; it is created by someone, sheltered by someone, nurtured by someone and will immerse in someone. In this manner, it has to be first believed and accepted, and then He will be visible.
The mistake we make is that neither do we get firm in doing, nor in knowing, nor in believing. You should be so firm that even if God comes and tell you that you are wrong then tell Him that ‘This is your mistake, not mine. You might have forgotten, but I haven’t!’ Parvatiji said
“As for myself, I must wed Sambhu or remain a virgin, no matter if I have to continue the struggle for ten million lives. I will not disregard Narada’s admonition even if Sambhu tells me a hundred times to do so” (Manas 1/81/3)
This is acceptance. If we will meet then we will only meet God. There is no need to meet anyone else. Neither do we require pleasures, nor hoarding, but we only require God. If you accept this then you will be greatly gratified. Nothing else needs to be done and known. Only by firmly accepting, you will attain, you will be complete and there will be no inadequacy. All work will be done by acceptance.
If you know yourself properly then knowing will reach perfection. By accurately and properly knowing Self, knowing will be complete. But if you don’t know self and learn about earth, heaven, hell etc. and a lot many things knowing will still be incomplete. Similarly, if you do for yourself, or even go to Brahma’s (Creator’s) abode but doing will be remaining. If everything is done only for others then doing will not be incomplete.
Thus, we have to ‘DO’ for others, ’KNOW’ our self and ‘BELIEVE’ in God. If any of these 3 is steadily and firmly applied then all 3 will also reach perfection. Either do or know or believe. If there is more urge to do then do, if there is curiosity to know more then know, and if you have habitual in trusting then believe. Be firm on any one thing then doing, knowing and accepting- nothing will be left.
Doing for others is ‘Karmayoga’, Knowing Self is ‘Gyanyoga’ and believing in God is ‘Bhaktiyoga’. If any of these 3 is completed then all 3 will be completed. When doing, knowing, believing will not be left then human life will be a success.