Life-Threatening Disasters

Question: Guru, in the past few years there have been so many serious earthquakes, storms, hurricanes and life-threatening disasters around the world. My question is, has man created these disasters or somehow is it karma for that country?

Sri Chinmoy: I do not think it is the karma of Florida — no, it is not the karma of the soul or the heart or life, but there are some very strong undivine forces which play their role in different fields. We have to know, God sometimes is proud of our actions. Sometimes He approves of or sanctions our actions. Sometimes He accepts what happens, and sometimes He tolerates it with infinite Compassion. Sometimes He totally ignores what happens.

You may say, if God is all Compassion, infinite Compassion, how can He ignore such unthinkable happenings in Florida, Puerto Rico and other places? The only answer is: a potter, when he makes statues and other things, breaks and then moulds and shapes all his creations. God knows ultimately what is good for His creation, specially at particular places. As I said before, He can be proud of something we do. Again, sometimes He can only tolerate the situation. But sometimes even He avoids the issue.

Here I cannot say for sure outwardly why some countries, like Japan, suffer from earthquakes, cyclones and other forms of nature’s destructive power. Kind-hearted people like President Gorbachev want to protect the environment, nature, trees, forests and beauty. But when nature revolts and disasters happen, we wonder how this could happen. We are trying to protect nature, save nature, but sometimes nature attacks us ruthlessly. If you use the mind, there can be no satisfactory answer.

But if you use the heart and have oneness with God’s Will, you feel that the Creator always knows what is best for His own creation.