102. God. Part six

 

2. Prophecy or foretelling the future.  What is so special about prophecy? Why is it an argument in support of God or a divine system run by His assistants by His sanction?

               The reason is that, scientifically speaking, nobody should be able to tell that part of future which cannot be told by any scientific means, because it does not exist... Let me explain. Every day we watch on TV weather channel how the weather would be for the coming week. Similarly if a man boards an airplane going nonstop to Hongkong, we can announce that he will be in Hongkong next day (barring some unforeseen event). That is understandable, but some future events cannot be told in advance, because the future is not made yet, and nobody knows how it will turn out.

               At any given moment, there are trillions of events taking place. On earth, there are 6 billions humans, trillions of animals and plants, and innumerable inanimate objects capable of movement (like your watch). Every event takes place because something caused it and produced an effect.  First event is the cause, and the second event the effect, where the second event is a consequence of the first. Where there are so many intermediate events, between the first cause and final effect, the event cannot be predicted in advance by the known laws of nature. Suppose somebody tells me that I will develop cancer of brain and die 2 years from now, it will be really amazing, if it turns out true, because I have no symptoms of brain cancer and last CT scan of brain taken one month ago for an automobile accident was normal. How would anybody know that I am going to die soon?  How could anybody pinpoint the time of 2 years? How could anybody know that I  will die of cancer? How could anybody know that I will die of brain caner?... Here are few examples of prophecies.

               1. One day in 1940’s my grandfather, along with his two sons (my uncles), was sitting outside his home. A Fakir (either a common beggar or a mystic) passed by and asked for alms. My grandfather started talking to him. The Fakir said, you and one of your sons will be buried together in the same grave. Both sons, to show their love for their father, expressed their desire to be the one to have this honor. Many days and year (s) went by. The prediction faded from memory. Then came 1947, and the partition of India , along with terrible ethnic cleansing. More than 9 million people suffered from death, rape, and forced migration (largest human migration in history ). My grandfather and one of my uncles were killed. The killers dug a hole under a tree and threw them together in the grave.

               My other uncle, then remembered the prophecy of the Fakir. He lived over forty years after the  partition and told the story to dozens of people, including my mother. I asked my mother to repeat it to me very carefully. Two persons to be buried in the same grave is a highly unusual event. It just never happens in normal times. There is no scientific explanation of Fakir telling it in advance.

               2.  Swami Yogananda (blog 79-81) writes in his book: ‘During my visit to India and other countries, I was buying gifts for my disciples for the annual Christmas party in USA. As I was walking in Calcutta, I saw a silver cup. I bought it as a gift for one of my disciples, Mr. Dickinson. When I gave him the gift he said “ the silver cup!” he sat down some distance away, apparently in a daze.

               Later in the night, he said “ for forty three years I have been waiting for the silver cup”

He was five years old when he had a near-drowning incident. At the last minute he saw the vision of a saint with tranquil eyes and reassuring smile. There was a dazzling multicolored light which filled all space. He was rescued by his companions

               Twelve years later, in 1893,he was walking with his mother in Chicago. Again there was a mighty flash of light. Few paces away, a man was walking. He recognized him as the same man he had seen when he was near drowning. He and his mother followed the man to an auditorium. His name was Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna (Blog 7). He gave a speech. Mr. Dickinson and his mother met him afterwards. He said “ young man, I want you to stay out of water”

               He hoped that he will be his guru. Yogi read his thoughts

“ No my son I am not your guru. Your teacher will come later. He will give you a silver cup”

               “One night in 1925 I prayed deeply that God would send me my guru. A few hours later, I was awakened from sleep by melody. Celestial beings were playing flutes and other instruments. After filling the air with glorious music , they went away.

               The next evening I attended your lecture for the first time, and knew my prayers had been answered.

               For eleven years now I have been your disciple. Sometimes I wondered about the silver cup. I had persuaded myself, that silver cup was just a metaphor.

               When you gave me the gift, for the third time in my life, I saw the same dazzling flash of light. I was gazing at my guru’s gift that Swami Vivekananda had foreseen 43 years earlier______a silver cup!”

               Mr. Dickenson died in 1969, and told this story many times, the last perhaps in 1967 when he gave a talk to SRF monks.

 

               3. Swami Yogananda writes: A veterinarian visited my guru. Afterwards, my guru said that he will die shortly. He was the father of my friend Santosh. I interceded on my friend’s behalf. My guru, Sri Yukteshwar, outlined the sequence of events that were going to happen.

“ The proud Doctor, picture of health now, will fall ill from diabetes, 2 weeks from now. His death would have occurred 6 weeks from today, but for your intercession, his life has been extended for another 6 months. He will recover from his illness. In order to live he has to fulfill certain conditions. He has to wear an astrological bangle and , after his recovery, not to eat meat

               The doctor won’t do that. After 6 months, he will suddenly drop dead.

               Everything happened as Sri Yukteshwar had predicted.

 

               To be continued