It is written that “God made man in His Image and Likeness”. Revered Dadaji, Dr. Dinshah K. Mehta, explained that this does not mean that God looks like a man. What it means is that every principle that functions in the universe also functions within the human personality. This has been explained in various Discourses by Revered Dadaji.
The human personality is comprised of the human mind, the human ego, and the spiritual entity, known as the soul. When a child is born, the physical body emerges into the physical dimension which is trillions of times larger. Likewise, the human mind, which is invisible, takes birth in an “Ocean of Consciousness.” Just as everything physical exists within the physical universe, including the physical bodies of all creatures, likewise, the consciousness of all beings resides within the Ocean of Consciousness. And, just as the density and pressure of air changes with altitude and the pressure of the water changes with depth, likewise the nature and intensity of Consciousness changes in the many different planes and levels of consciousness that abide and function within the Ocean of Consciousness.
Revered Dadaji, Dr. Dinshah K. Mehta, has explained that between the earth plane, and the highest spiritual plane, there are 7 planes of consciousness. Almost all human beings function within the first three planes of consciousness which, in modern psychology, are called the unconscious, subconscious and conscious planes. Within each of these planes, there are 7 different levels of consciousness. So, within the Ocean of Consciousness there are several planes and levels of consciousness, and different minds function within this Ocean of Consciousness at the levels that are appropriate for them.
It is true that a High Soul, who is directly linked to God and even oned with God, can incarnate in a human body and, in that limited sense, an aspect of God can and does look like a man. But it is important to note that all of God does not incarnate in the body of a human being. In fact, even when High Beings, like Zarathustra, Ram, Moses, Buddha, Christ and others incarnate and descend from one of the three beams of Spiritual Light that emanate from the Holy Trinity, it is only one ray from the beam that incarnates in a human body. This is because there is no human personality that can ever withstand the full intensity of even one of the beams of the Spiritual Light, let alone withstand the full intensity of God.
Having stated the above, it is because God made man in His image that man has been endowed with a free will. This is also an example of God’s humility. Instead of imposing His Will on man, the Divine Mind surrenders Its Will to man by giving man the gift of free will. However, instead of using this gift of free will in sync with the Divine Will to further the Divine Plan, the vast majority of human beings use their free will to satisfy their human minds and pursue their desires based upon their attachment to thoughts, things and people, which are all made of matter and are linked to matter.
It is not matter that binds human beings to it, but it is the desire for and attachment to things of matter and forms of matter that bind human beings to the plane of matter that is the cosmos within which earth manifests. And it is the human mind which gets attracted to and attached to thoughts, things and persons through which it derives satisfaction. So, it is the human mind which binds human beings to the plane of matter by misusing the principle of attachment, and it is the human mind that can also liberate the Divine that is bound within human beings by applying the same principle of attachment in the right way.
When we are attached to an object, we create an opening in our minds through which we receive thoughts pertaining to the form of the matter to which we are attracted. It is through these openings in the human mind that negative forces influence human beings. We call these negative forces un-Divine and anti-Divine forces, and in the Vedic Scriptures they are called Asuric shaktis or Asuras. On the earth plane, there are negative and positive forces all around us. Whereas the positive forces will not enter our minds to influence us unless we invite them to do so, the negative forces will try to take advantage of the openings in our human minds. This is reflected in the fact that honest people will not enter your home unless you invite them whereas thieves will break into your home through openings such as doors and windows.
God revealed through Rev. Dadaji, Dr. Dinshah K. Mehta, that hell is a state of being linked to a state of consciousness that is much below the earth plane and governed by Satan. Satan and the hordes of hell can influence creations in levels of consciousness that range from hell up to the earth plane and a little beyond the earth plane. But they cannot enter any spiritual plane. So, when we pursue our desires due to attachment to thoughts, things and people linked to matter, we are creating openings through which the negative forces can influence us and further bind us to the earth plane and cycles of birth, life and death. To free ourselves from this bondage, we need to transfer our attachment from the desire for thoughts, things and people linked to matter to the Divine.
The following Script gives some idea about the importance of the principle of attachment*.
ATTACHMENT IS A RESULT OF LOVE
Attachment should not be considered a negative force. It is a result of a positive force which is inherent in everyone. One can’t just detach and remain in that state without being attached again to some other objective.
Hence detach from all seen and attach yourself to Me and Me alone.
Love is the force which attaches. But to be attached to Me purify that force by cleansing it of all the self associated with it and you will come nearer Me.
(End of Script, received on August 08, 1953)
*Attachment is one of the Seven Principles of Right Surrender.
Up next: Descent of the Divine Mind