59. Human Sense and God's Will in the Law of Reciprocal Action
When we compare Divine Justice and human justice, it will be seen that in most cases they are diametrically opposite, for what is just in the eyes of God is not just in the eyes of man. This is because man's space-bound and time-bound intellect often is not able to see nor to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong from outward appearances. The causes of man's actions lie deep down in his heart hidden away and cannot be gauged or measured by dead paragraphs or by scholars' erudition. Thus it comes that decrees of worldly justice do not correspond with Divine Justice but on the contrary run counter to it.
We need not revert to the Middle Ages and remind the reader of the horrible tortures the unfortunate culprits were sentenced to, the burning of witches and other juridical crimes. Nor need we recall the cases of victims burnt at the stake, tortured or murdered in the name of religion, for such crimes as these reciprocal action will make the perpetrators suffer doubly. They abused the sacred name of the Almighty and perfect God, for they committed these crimes in His Name and as they asserted they were agreeable to Him, they made Him responsible for them in the eyes of men.
These abuses and horrors ought not to be quickly forgotten, but should dwell in the memory of man as warnings when passing judgment today, particularly as they were then apparently justified and were practised zealously in all good faith.
Much has changed since then in several ways and yet naturally the time will come when future generations will consider our present laws barbarous and inhuman, as we, having arrived at our present state of culture, look back on those of that time.
This is the way of the world and in it lies evidence of a certain progress.
If we, however, look below the surface, the progress made between then and now is merely in the outer form. The authority and immense arbitrary power a single individual has over the fate of his fellow-men without the restraint of personal responsibility, is much the same now as it was then.
Nor have men and the principles that dictate their actions, perceptibly changed and where the life of the soul has remained the same, the reaction decreed by Divine Justice will also be the same.
Could the eyes of humanity be opened but for a moment to see things in their true light, they would utter a long-drawn cry of dismay and despair and be seized with horror. No man could raise his voice to reproach his neighbour, for each one would feel the same burden of guilt oppressing him.
As up till then, every one made the same mistake of judging from appearances and entirely overlooking real life, no man would have a right to blame another for doing so.
The first ray of light suddenly and unexpectedly illuminating the truth and enlightening man would cause many to despair utterly, while others who had never allowed themselves time to think, would be exasperated beyond measure at having been asleep so long.
Thus the time has come to admonish man to serious thought and encourage him to develop and cultivate his own independent judgment. He will then no longer blindly agree with the opinions of others, but will only adopt such views and principles for his guidance in thought, deed, and speech as he feels in his heart to be right. Man must never forget that he alone is responsible for his inner convictions, his thoughts and his actions, even if he has unconditionally adopted the views and principles of others and made them his own.
It is well for him who has advanced so far in insight and understanding that he puts to the test every statement he comes across and then acts according to the dictates of his own inner feeling.
By so doing he will not incur the heavy Karma that thousands incur by their thoughtlessness, love of sensation, by their prejudices or by slandering and maligning others which will cause them suffering and sorrow they need never otherwise know.
Thus they allow themselves to be deterred from and indeed robbed of much that is really good in this world; and not only suffer temporary loss but perhaps risk their very existence.
This is how the senseless hatred against Jesus was fanned into a blaze; only few of the malignant clamourers knew the real reason; the others who had never come into personal contact with him merely worked themselves up into blind passion and joined in the general outcry.
It were otherwise impossible that the insane tragedy should have occurred; that the Son of God Himself could be accused of blaspheming the Almighty and be crucified. And He, the only one who had come direct from God to bring man the truth about Him and to proclaim His Divine Will! That it did occur is simply grotesque and fully illustrates the narrow-mindedness of mankind.
Man's true character has not improved since then. On the contrary, in spite of his discoveries and inventions, he has retrogressed. Mankind has only advanced in presumption and self-conceit on the strength of outward success. Arrogance is the special sign of narrow-mindedness.
The soil on which these proclivities grew has but become more fruitful during the past two thousand years and has brought forth the man of today with his perverse mentality. But he, never doubting, is still further entangling himself and thus hurrying on towards his doom.
It is but seldom that it becomes unmistakably obvious that the hardships and visitations a man has to bear, are but the reactionary results of his possibly well-meaning but wrong views which run contrary to Divine Laws and are opposed to Divine Truth.
There are many who suffer on this account, but in their self- sufficient blindness they actually pride themselves on being thus afflicted. It will be a terrible and awful awakening for them when the time comes that they find themselves face to face with Truth itself.
It will then be too late! The debt which they have incurred must be paid, their guilt expiated and to do so they must wrestle with themselves hereafter for long periods.
Having missed the favourable opportunity during his earth- life, where perhaps willingly or unwillingly, he even burdened himself with fresh sin, man will find the way to understanding long and arduous.
Every one can know if he wills to do so, excuses will neither be admitted nor accepted.
He who wants to learn to distinguish between Divine Justice and man's idea of justice should observe the operations of the law of returns in the life around him. Let him pick out one case out of the many that he comes across daily and examine it to find out which side is right and which side is wrong. His innate sense of justice will soon awaken and become more and more assured and enlightened, so that at last he can cast aside all the prejudices and deficiencies that clogged his judgment. Then his sense of justice will be absolutely reliable, for he will see and accept God's Will in the law of returns that governs the fate of man!
