What is God - Part II !!
Continuation of my previous post about my thoughts on God.
http://ideasinca.blogspot.com/2005/07/what-is-god.html
So, if we assume life takes care of itself, where is God ? Is he sitting somewhere up there in the clouds looking at all of us ?
The explanation which sounds most credible to me is the one I heard in the story of Prahalad.
http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/holi/narashimha.htm ( the link is for story of Prahalad ). When is Dad asks him where is God - he answers God is everywhere. If God has created this world then it is only logical that everything here is a manifestation of God. He can be found in anything and everything in this universe. This sounds very similar to how Yoda describes "force" in Star Wars - "The force that binds us all..".
It is only in the name. If God - or an associated religion - is something one does not like very much then we can call it the force, if it is not the force then we can call it nature's wonder. Force or nature's wonder is something most people will agree on mostly due to what God, and the usually attached religion, has come to mean in human history. But in the end we are refering to one and the same thing. It is not something completely beyond humans. Most of us - old enough to have lived for millions of seconds - would have had few seconds of exposure to that force. If we are God's creation then we should have some God nature in us and should be able to feel him.
When God is seen as the all pervading force, it makes all the difference - from believing that there is God, we go where we know that there is God !!
posted by carkar @ 10:09 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
A nice story to add to your thoughts on God:
Sri A. B. Purani, the administrator of the renowned Aurobindo Ashram of Pondicherry in 1962,told the following story:
"In ancient India there lived a most virtuous Brahmin who was considered by all to be the best authority on philosophy. One day the local king ordered him to appear before him. When he did so, the king said: "I have three questions that puzzle-even torment-me: Where is God? Why don't I see Him? And what does he do all day? If you can't answer these three questions I will have your head cut off." The Brahmin was appalled and terrified, because the answers to these questions were not just complex, they were impossible to formulate. In other words: he did not know the answers. So his execution date was set.
On the morning of that day the Brahmin's teenage son appeared and asked the king if he would release his father if he-the son-would answer the questions. The king agreed, and the son asked that a container of milk be brought to him. It was done. Then the boy asked that the milk be churned into butter. That, too, was done.
"The first two of your questions are now answered," he told the king.
The king objected that he had been given no answers, so the son asked: "Where was the butter before it was churned?"
"In the milk," replied the king.
"In what part of the milk?" asked the boy.
"In all of it."
"Just so, agreed the boy, "and in the same way God is within all things and pervades all things."
"Why don't I see Him, then," pressed the king.
"Because you do not 'churn' your mind and refine your perceptions through meditation. If you do that, you will see God. But not otherwise. Now let my father go."
"Not at all," insisted the king. "You have not told me what God does all day."
"To answer that," said the boy, "we will have to change places. You come stand here and let me sit on the throne."
The request was so audacious the king complied, and in a moment he was standing before the enthroned Brahmin boy who told him: "This is the answer. One moment you were here and I was there. Now things are reversed. God perpetually lifts up and casts down every one of us.1 In one life we are exalted and in another we are brought low-oftentimes in a single life this occurs, and even more than once. Our lives are completely in His hand, and He does with us as He wills."
The Brahmin was released and his son was given many honors and gifts by the king.
The Isha Upanishad opens with the answer to the question as to God's "whereabouts."
Thanks for the nice story anon. I will read up Isha upanishad soon.
I would recommend a book called CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD by neale donald walsh.Yes the purusha sukatham and the gita all upanisheds given in easily acceptable form.
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