Why is it said that souls are only instruments in the hands of God?

Question by devotee: I have heard you explain in your discourses that we souls are the doers of our actions. Then why have the Bhakti Saints written padas (devotional songs), saying that they are only instruments in the hands of God, and that He is a real doer of their karmas?

Answer by Swamiji: The concepts Karm (action) and Karmphal (fruit of those actions) need to be understood separately for two categories-before surrender to God and after surrender to God.

Consider the first category-those souls who have not surrendered to God. They are under the grip of the unforgiving ego that makes them feel they are the doers. Also, they harbor personal desires independent of the will of God. In this state, God does not inspire their actions. He gives them the power to act, notes their karmas, and gives the fruits at the appropriate time.

Now consider the second category-those souls who are surrendered to the Almighty. They are free from the pride of doership. Also, they make God's desire as their own desire. In this state, the soul becomes the non-doer, and God becomes the Director for that surrendered soul. Hence, the God- realized souls are able to say:

na mai kiyā na kari sakauñ sāhiba kartā mora

karata karāvata āpa hai tulasī tulasī śhora

The Saint Tulsidas says: "I neither wrote the Ramayan, nor do I have the ability to write it. Shree Ram was the writer Himself, yet people say that Tulsidas has done it." We must bear in mind that this statement applies only to the second category, i.e. the God-realized saints.

The path for moving from the first category to the second category is to perform actions as if they are dependent upon us, and at the same time, to internally practice to think that God is the doer. Sage Vasishtha has expressed this very beautifully, in his advice to Lord Ram:

kartā bahirkartāntara vihara rāghava (Yoga Vāsiṣhṭha)

"O Ram! Act carefully, as if the results are dependent upon You. But from within, practice thinking that God is the real doer."

So at present, we will have to keep both principles in mind, as we journey from the materially bound state to the God-realized state.

When God is the actual Doer, why are the souls subjected to the results of their karmas?

Question asked by a devotee: When God is the actual Doer, why are the souls subjected to the results of their karmas?  

Answer by Swamiji:  Many people diminish the need for self-effort in their minds by saying, "Nothing is in our hands.  God is seated within us.  He is the doer of all our actions, and we act as He inspires us."  However, this philosophy is not really true, as the following points will illustrate:

1. If God were the doer of all our actions, we would never have committed any mistakes.  All of our works would have been perfect, since God can never make a blunder.  The fact that we make innumerable mistakes implies that we are performing actions with our own free will.  
2. If God were the doer of our actions, we would not have to bear the karmic reactions.  Why would we suffer for works that God did through us?  He would either bear the karmic reactions on His own, or forgive Himself.  But there is the Law of Karma, "As you do, so you shall reap."  This implies that we ourselves are responsible for what we do. 
3. God is impartial towards all souls and perfectly just.  If He was the doer of our actions, He would either have made everyone do good works and become Saints; or He would have made everyone do bad works and become demons.  But there is so much of variety in the world.  One is a Saint, like Prahlad, while the other is a demon, like Hiranyakashipu.  This variety implies that we have the freedom to choose our own actions, and we are responsible for them, not God.   
4. If God were the inspirer of our actions, there would have be no need for Him to reveal the Vedas or any other scriptures.  There would be no need for Him to explain to us the path to perfection.  He would simply have to say two sentences: "O souls, I am the doer of everything.  So you do not have to understand what proper and improper action is." 

It is true that God is seated within us, and He gives us the power to act.  However, what we do with that power is decided by our own free will.  This is just as the powerhouse supplies electricity to your house.  If it did not give the power, you would not have been able to use any electric appliances in your home.  However, once you do have that power, what you do with it, is your own choice.  You could operate the fan, light the lamp, or heat/cool the house, as you wish.  

Similarly, God gives our eyes the power to see.  If He did not give us this power, we would not have been able to see anything.  But once we do have this power, what we see is in our own hands.  You could go to the temple and see the Deities, or you could see dirty pictures on theinternet.  God is merely giving you the power to see.  What you decide to see is your own choice decided by your free will.  Hence, we must not blame God for our mistakes.  If we do something wrong, we should take responsibility for the error and strive to correct it.

God works as a referee in our lives

Question asked by a devotee: After death someone becomes spirit, some go to heaven and some attain God.  What is the secret of this diversity?

Answer by Swamiji: This is the judgment of God.  In this world, God has given every soul the free will to perform the actions it chooses.  We are all tiny parts of God, and we possess the independence to act as we wish.  God never forces His will on us.  God's job is just like that of a referee.  For example, there is an umpire in a match of cricket.  Eleven players come for fielding and two for batting.  Along with the players, two umpires also come out on field.  They do not play or interfere in the game.  They simply stand there, note the actions of the players, and pass decisions.  "No ball!"  "Lbw!"  "Four runs!"  "Six runs!"  There is no partiality in it.  The players are free to play as they wish.  The umpires merely pass judgment.  Similarly, God too acts as the referee in our lives.

God has given us human body.  He has also given us the power of knowledge, so that we may use it to know Him.  Now, if someone uses this power of knowledge merely in procuring and eating delicacies to gratify the palate, God will say, "If your only goal was to eat good food, then this human body is not fit for you.  For this, a body of a pig will be perfect.  I'll give you a body of pig next time, so that you can be completely absorbed in the activity of your choice."

If someone uses the free will to put an end to the body, and commits suicide, then God says, "The pain you were getting was a result of your karmas, and it was your duty to bear it.  You have wrongfully put an end to your body.  So now you will not get another body for some time.  You will become a ghost, who has no gross body." 

If someone uses the power of knowledge in pursuing devotion, but is unable to reach the goal in this lifetime, then God will give that soul a human body in next life also, so that it soul may continue its journey to God.

God does three things: He gives us the power to act, He notes our actions, and He gives us the results of our actions.  The soul's destination after death is decided by its own actions.  This is called the law of karma.  We can know its broad principles, but nobody can understand its intricacies, and determine what the exact fruit will be, except God.

 

What is virtue and what is sin?

Question asked by a devotee: We have heard many times that if we do punya we go to heaven and if we do paap we go to hell. So, what are those paap and punya?

Answer by Swamiji: Our scriptures have formulated code of conduct according to class and stage of life called "Varnashram Dharm". This code of conduct have an extensive set of rules like always speak truth, never lie, give respect to your parents etc. You can get detail information about it from scriptures like Manu Smriti, Mimamsha, Mahabharat, etc. There are millions of rules. If you are to keep your feet on ground, chant this mantra, chant this one while bathing etc. But the main purpose of all these rules and regulations are to make you work in accordance to the scriptures. If you work in accordance to scripture it will be called punya (virtue) and if you go against, it will be called paap (sin).

But there is one more theory that is the theory of Karm Yog. What are you supposed to do in Karm Yog? Not much. Do whatever is required in your present situation. If you are in family, look after it. If you are a husband, earn. If you are a wife, take care of house. Perform these basic duties. But, while performing these duties, detach your mind from these worldly objects and transfer your attachment to God. Lord Krishna said in Geeta:

manmanā bhava madbhakto madyājī maṁ namaskuru |
māmevaiṣhyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyosi me ||

Give your mind to Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me and bow to Me. Doing so, you will come to Me alone, I truly promise you; for, you are exceptionally dear to Me.

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has written in his Bhakti Shatak:

man hari meṁ tan jagat meṁ, karmayog tehi jān |
tan hari meṁ man jagat meṁ, yah mahān ajñān ||

Karm Yog is when your mind is fully observed in Shree Krishna while performing duties from your body. But, opposite of this, performing devotional formalities with body and attaching mind on world is greatest ignorance.

So this is called Karm Yog - keep your mind in God and body in the world. Rest are actions  in accordance to the code of conduct set by scriptures is virtue and going against them is sin.