PARADISE AND MAN
World as a Selecting Ground
PROFESSOR Nau Nihal Singh after his retirement from an American University, came to India where he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from 1992 to 1998. He was a true scholar. He had done his masters in political science and had completed his doctorate on international relations.
The story of how he got into the American university is very interesting. While he was in India he came across an advertisement by an American University for the post of professor in his subject. Prof. Singh applied for it and was almost immediately called for an interview.
When he reached USA, he was received by a representative of the university appointed to serve as his guide. Prof. Singh was taken to the university, and accommodated in the university guest house. This guide visited Prof. Singh daily and showed him around the vast university campus from morning till evening. In this way, he took him to different departments of the university and acquainted him with all the main areas of activities of the institution; for instance, the library, the dining hall, the classrooms, the teachers’ club, students' meetings, university workers' meetings, etc.
Paradise is the world of reward whereas the present world is a testing ground.
Almost a week passed in this way. Prof. Singh started to feel anxious. He spoke to the chairman of his department, “I was called for an interview and have been here for a whole week, but so far no interview has taken place." The chairman replied, “Your interview has already taken place and you have been selected. You can join as soon as possible.”
The chairman then went on to explain to Prof. Singh that the person whom he had met at the airport, and who had acted as his guide, was none other than a senior professor and also his interviewer. He added that they had learnt of his educational qualifications from the testimonials he had sent them and now they wanted only to know whether or not he measured up to the culture of the university. This had been the task of his interviewer, who had taken him to the different departments of the university and introduced him to all the activities going on there. The students and teachers had been observant of his behaviour during their meetings. The interviewer too was doing likewise. The report of the interviewer was wholly positive as were the reports of other teachers, students and workers whom he had met during his week-long stay there. Therefore, on the basis of these reports they had selected him.
This incident parallels the situation of Paradise and man. God created a Paradise, a vast world which is perfect in the fullest sense of the word. Everything in Paradise is of the highest possible standards. Therefore, God wants such people to inhabit this world who are flawless in character and thus fully qualify to live in this ideal environment.
In order to select the qualified people for Paradise, God created the present planet earth as a model of that world. Here everything exists that is available in the world of Paradise, the only difference being that Paradise is perfect whereas the present world is imperfect. Paradise is an ideal world whereas the present world is far from being ideal. Paradise is an eternal world whereas the present world is ephemeral. Paradise is free from all kinds of fear and sorrow, whereas the present world is beset by these very ills. Paradise is the world of reward whereas the present world is a testing ground.
Man will live with complete freedom in the world of Paradise but he will be so mature and conscientious that under no circumstances will he misuse his freedom.
According to this plan, God created man and settled him in the present world, on the planet earth. God gave man the opportunity to stay here without applying any curbs on his freedom. Man has the right either to use his freedom in a rightful manner, or to misuse it as he pleases.
Every man who is born into this world has two invisible angels of God with him at all times. They are constantly preparing records of man’s words and deeds. It is on the basis of this record that he will be awarded Paradise or hell in the next world.
Man will live with complete freedom in the world of Paradise; but he will be so mature and conscientious that under no circumstances will he misuse his freedom. He will lead a life of complete discipline in spite of enjoying total freedom. This is the man for whose selection this planet earth was created. All the circumstances that are present in the world of Paradise are also present in this world. Now what is being observed is the man who, while experiencing all kinds of situations, both good and bad, has proved to possess a character worthy of Paradise. He is the one who will be selected and accommodated in the eternal world of Paradise.
God’s invisible angels are ever present with man and they are preparing the records of his deeds at every moment. This is the test of man and it is on the basis of this test that the future of every human being will be decided. The test is of man’s acknowledgement of the greatness of God on every occasion, which is whether he pays attention to the voice of his conscience or ignores it. When he is confronted with logical argument, does he surrender to the truth or go against it? when there is a choice between ego and truth, does he accept the truth or become an egoist?
God gave man the opportunity to stay here without applying any curbs on his freedom.
Similarly, while dealing with people does he adhere to justice or does he become unjust in his own interests? Is he a good person in private just as he appears to be in public? Does he make truth his supreme concern or does he make anything else his supreme concern?
In the same way when he gets a position of power does he become corrupt or does he adhere to justice? When he receives wealth or when he experiences poverty, does he prove himself to be on the path of moderation or does he deviate from it? In social life, when he is given a front seat, how does he behave and given a back seat, how does he react? Does he subjugate his desires and emotions to principles or does he do the opposite? The decision about the eternal future of every man and woman will be based on this very record.
The present world has been created for a limited period of time. After the completion of this period, all human beings born in this world will be presented before God. According to records prepared by the angels, God will decide the future of each and every one. Those men and women whose records show that they lived in the world with nobility of character, and used their freedom according to God’s will, thus proving that they were fit to be lodged in the environs of Paradise will be selected to inhabit the Gardens of Paradise. And all those who fail to demonstrate nobility of character will be rejected and sent to the universal dustbin to spend a life of frustration and regret, and will never escape from this condition.