Cosmic Management

Whilst studying for my degree at UCL, I was obligated to read numerous books on effective management. As I browsed some old notes an interesting quote caught my attention. "The best manager is one who manages so well that you can't even see him, and you don’t even know he is there". Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita, explains in that ancient dialogue exactly how He manages this entire cosmic manifestation. Using the analogy of a necklace, He explains how the universal affairs are actually resting upon Him, just as pearls are strung upon a thread. The thread is the essential binding factor, maintaining the necklace and simultaneously giving it form and shape. Interestingly, however, the thread remains invisible to our eyes.

People like to have a direct experience and perception of things. The fact that we cannot see God at work, that He is not manifest in person before our eyes, seems to be a big sticking point. Show me God, and then I’ll believe in Him, the sceptics posit. However, even according to the management gurus of the 21st century, God would be a pretty average manager if He was frantically running around in front of us directing everything.

If you look at the top CEO’s in the modern business world, they setup a managerial hierarchy and then take a back seat, allowing things to function effortlessly without their direct day-to-day involvement. Instead, you’ll probably find them relaxing at the golf course with their friends. So the fact that we can’t see God creating and maintaining this universe may not be a disqualification, but rather credit to His expert management sense. He manages the material universes remotely, and instead spends quality time in the spiritual realm intimately relating with His devotees.