Can I See God?

 dhyanavasthita tad gatena manasa yogina pashyanti paraah !

 There is an incident narrated in Swami Rama's book 'At the Feet of the Himalayan Masters'. Rama, a lad of  sixteen, or so, insists that his master should show him God. His master asks him to first decide first which God, Ram, Krishna, or someone he wants to see and tell him. Perplexed, Rama goes to the nearby river bank and sits there contemplating for almost three hours! When it was too hot and unbearable in the hot sun, he gets up and straight goes to his masters and falls at his feet. Thereafter, the  question of God never came up! 

 It is also stated that Sri Aurobindo and Si Tilak had the vision of Lord Shree Krishna when they were in jail during the freedom movement. Sri Aurobindo was in Alipore jail for attempt to murder a British Magistrate. He saw Bhagavan Shree Krishna wherever he looked at! So also, Tilak was kept in jail in Mandalay and he requested the jail authorities to get him some books. He had the vision of the Lord when he was writing his monumental work- 'Gita Rahasya'. His book is translated into Kannada by Sri Alur Venkata Rao and there is an account of Atma darshan  (pp230-245), as far as I remember. There are many such accounts of God-Visioning.

 It is sometime in 2006 or so when i had similar experience. I used to get up and sit for meditation around 3.30 a.m. One day, i was almost in trance that the images of Lord Sri Ram and Sita and Vishnu and Lakshmi appeared fully covering the sky! Surprised by the vision, i opened my eyes and looked around. In fact, it was raining outside. it took some time for me to realize that i was in California and not India. This visioning repeated in another form soon, after a few  days. This time, it was almost a dream-like situation. I was seated for lunch along with a number of guests at a function. A person resembling Shiva, sharp angular dark face with his hair tied as in normal calendar photos was looking closely at me. I looked at him and he said, "You chant the mantra "Om Maheshvaraya namah", sixty thousand times! I was perplexed and opened my eyes. Again, i realized that this was a revelation in trance! This was a divine proddence. Next morning, i started chanting the mantra during my morning walk and repeated during the evening walk, as well, and never counted it! This went on for several months. Now, it was indeed a beginning of a number of miracles unfolding! I had the God-visioning again and again and there is no more doubt about it. 

 Now, it suffices here to state that a number of people have had this darshan. Rather, "Parameshwara darshanam eve purushartha sadhanam", says Sage Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Any sustained effort will lead to success, so also, about search for God. This revelation is just an appearance of what is already within us, not anything new from outside. Bhagavan Shree Krishna says, "I am the Self of all"! Aham eva Atmaa ! So, one has to take to deep meditation. Any desire will be fulfilled, so also, this God-visioning! 

  However, when it comes to God-visioning, it is quite rational to think and ask, "Who sees whom? " The person established in a state of trance will have no awareness of physical existence, as such. It is a transcendental state, samadhi. It is clearly stated that, "There is neither a devotee, nor his Deity in the state of asamprajnya samadhi". The Deity, Bhagavan says, "You come ten feet towards Me, I come fifty feet towards you; you come hundred feet, I am already there within you"!  Here, Bhagavan is united (sayujya or samya) with His devotee and the devotee is merged in Him. Only 'devotion' exists in such a state of union of God! 

 Hence, one should be careful with regard to God-visioning! It's all in the Mind. Mind is a powerful instrument that is capable of creating whatever is the strongest desire of the jiva. One cannot make fun of such things. Whether it is God or the Demon/Devil/ghost it is all in the mind!