This transpired during an interview in the 70’s..
A sceptic who had just been turned into a devotee by Swami’s
love and grace ventured for the first time to clear his doubts when encouraged
by Swami to ask Him anything.
“Swami, is man’s future determined by his past deeds?” He
asked
“Yes”
“Then why does not God grant the knowledge of his earlier
birth?” asked the devotee
Swami replied, “God knows the limits of the needs of man. He
has given man a wonderful body, 5 sense organs, mind and intellect. If one utilizes
these properly, there is no truth he cannot cognize and there is no divine
power he cannot acquire.
In the present life man is loosing his peace of mind by
binding himself with desires, attachments, love and hatred towards the existing
possessions and relationships, will he not be subject to greater stress on
account of likes and dislikes beyond his capacity to manage, if he also comes
to know of his past?.
Therefore oblivion of one’s past is God’s boon to man.
Let me give you an example. King Janaka, who accomplished
spiritual scholarship, had the venerable Sage Yagnyavalka as his Guru. Janaka
repeatedly appealed to his master to grant him an insight into his past life.
But the Sage refused to accede to his wish by warning him that such knowledge
would seriously disrupt his mental peace. Once the King was so insistent on
knowing the salient facts of his earlier life that the sage could not resist
any longer and as one endowed with divine vision, he disclosed “Oh King! The
lady who is your wife now was your own mother in your former life.”
From that day on King Janaka became an ascetic. When such a
spiritual giant like Janaka could not stand the jolt of the peep into his
yesterlife, what do you think will be the impact on an ordinary man?” Baba
explained.
