That statement was made only to drive a point home. Unlike a programmed squirrel (which is the example I had given) which will act in complete harmony with the forest, human beings, given the freedom of choice, can act differently, and Ishwara’s plan is broad enough, flexible enough to be able to take my freedom of choice as part of it. Therefore, I can give it my best shot, but if the plan is that I’m meant to fail then chances of me succeeding are very, very slim. But, yes, there is a slim chance, because if I tap into all the resources available, to the laws of nature that are functional….if I can do all of that, then there is a slim chance that in spite of Ishwara’s plan at this juncture wanting me to not succeed, I may still succeed, and the plan will change and modify itself to take my success into account. So it’s perfectly fine… I don’t have to worry whether I’m meant to succeed or fail, I just have to give it my best shot and do what I can….If I don’t get what I want, I accept it as prasada-buddhi; if I get what I want, be happy and still accept it as prasada-buddhi.
There is one thing that is fundamental to this plan: you’re meant to grow. Therefore, everything that is happening is meant for a human being to grow….grow all the way until one gains moksha. That is the larger plan, but inside this there will be lot of variations, lot of twists and turns…..You don’t have to worry too much about the plan, because, anyway, you’re not going to know all of it. When I say `plan’, I don’t mean it as a grand design, as a rigid design where God has planned out every little detail. If you look at the way Vishnu, the sustainer of the universe, is portrayed in the Hindu sculptures, he’s shown reclining on the bed. So, basically, he’s set up the infrastructure, he’s put things in motion, which includes freedom of choice in human beings, and then let things work out for themselves. He’s not micro-managing every little detail, and this can be a good lesson for those of us who want to micro-manage everything.