What is God? - Yogic Perspective

[bipinjoshi 0]

Hi Friends,

I am a new member. I am writing a series of articles titled "Lessons in Yoga". Just wrote next article of the series. Just wanted to share with you.

 

What is God? - Yogic Perspective

================================

Any practitioner of Yoga should know the Yogic perspective of God. The God is referred by many names such as Bramhan, Atman, Shiva and so on. Though the names are many the underlying principal remains the same. In Lesson 1 it was mentioned that the final aim of Yoga is self-realization and self-realization is same as God realization. Now we will elaborate on this fact further so as to have clear understanding of Yogic point of view on the subject......

[Guest guest]

 

Hi Friends,

I am a new member. I am writing a series of articles titled "Lessons in Yoga". Just wrote next article of the series. Just wanted to share with you.

 

What is God? - Yogic Perspective

================================

Any practitioner of Yoga should know the Yogic perspective of God. The God is referred by many names such as Bramhan, Atman, Shiva and so on. Though the names are many the underlying principal remains the same. In Lesson 1 it was mentioned that the final aim of Yoga is self-realization and self-realization is same as God realization. Now we will elaborate on this fact further so as to have clear understanding of Yogic point of view on the subject......

 

To meet Yogeswra Krsna

[gHari 0]

When we ask 'what is God' we are searching for ontological definitions, for indeed God is a 'who' not a 'what'. Most succinctly, God is like the thread upon which pearls are strung in a necklace [<a href =http://vedabase.net/bg/7/7/en target=new>BG 7.7</a>]. That is, it is upon His unique sole existence that everything and everyone exist. This should instill the importance of God realization in your readers, as well as impart the most important humility and motivation to take yoga very, very seriously.

 

gHari

[bipinjoshi 0]

When you ask "Who is God?" then you are indicating "personal" God. Entire Vedanta proclaims "Aham Bramhasami". This essesnce of "I am Bramhan" is the true thing to understand. Yoga makes you understand that. Those who find personal God easy to follow can of course continue do that. However, the fact is that we all are God. The same supreme principal is manifested in each one of us. If you practice Yoga sincerely then this very fact is clearly reaveled to you.

[gHari 0]

Friend Bipin,

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you are not God. You could not even spell the word "principle" correctly, let alone create all the worlds and all the living beings. I am much greater than you; and I am nothing.

 

We cannot even imagine how great Arjuna was, yet it was most obvious to him that Krsna was greater than everyone, and that no one could be equal to Him [BG 11.43]:

 

<center>

pitAsi lokasya carAcarasya

tvam asya pUjyaz ca gurur garIyAn

na tvat-samo 'sty abhyadhikaH kuto 'nyo

loka-traye 'py apratima-prabhAva

</center>

pitA--the father; asi--You are; lokasya--of all the world; cara--moving; acarasya--and nonmoving; tvam--You are; asya--of this; pUjyaH--worshipable; ca--also; guruH--master; garIyAn--glorious; na--never; tvat-samaH--equal to You; asti--there is; abhyadhikaH--greater; kutaH--how is it possible; anyaH--other; loka-traye--in the three planetary systems; api--also; apratima-prabhAva--O immeasurable power.

You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the nonmoving. You are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be anyone greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power?

 

PURPORT

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, KRSNa, is worshipable as a father is worshipable for his son. He is the spiritual master because He originally gave the Vedic instructions to BrahmA and presently He is also instructing Bhagavad-gItA to Arjuna; therefore He is the original spiritual master, and any bona fide spiritual master at the present moment must be a descendant in the line of disciplic succession stemming from KRSNa. Without being a representative of KRSNa, one cannot become a teacher or spiritual master of transcendental subject matter.

 

 

The Lord is being paid obeisances in all respects.

He is of immeasurable greatness. No one can be greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, KRSNa, because no one is equal to or higher than KRSNa within any manifestation, spiritual or material. Everyone is below Him. No one can excel Him

. This is stated in the SvetAzvatara UpaniSad (6.8):

 

<center>

 

na tasya kAryaM karaNaM ca vidyate

 

na tat-samaz cAbhyadhikaz ca dRzyate

 

</center>

 

The Supreme Lord, KRSNa, has senses and a body like the ordinary man, but for Him there is no difference between His senses, His body, His mind and Himself. Foolish persons who do not perfectly know Him say that KRSNa is different from His soul, mind, heart and everything else. KRSNa is absolute; therefore His activities and potencies are supreme. It is also stated that although He does not have senses like ours, He can perform all sensory activities; therefore His senses are neither imperfect nor limited. No one can be greater than Him, no one can be equal to Him, and everyone is lower than Him.

 

 

The knowledge, strength and activities of the Supreme Personality are all transcendental. As stated in Bhagavad-gItA (

BG 4.9

):

 

<center>

 

janma karma ca me divyam

 

evaM yo vetti tattvataH

 

tyaktvA dehaM punar janma

 

naiti mAm eti so 'rjuna

 

</center>

 

Whoever knows KRSNa's transcendental body, activities and perfection, after quitting his body, returns to Him and doesn't come back again to this miserable world. Therefore one should know that KRSNa's activities are different from others. The best policy is to follow the principles of KRSNa; that will make one perfect. It is also stated that there is no one who is master of KRSNa; everyone is His servant. The Caitanya-caritAmRta (

Adi 5.142

) confirms, ekale Izvara kRSNa, Ara saba bhRtya: only KRSNa is God, and everyone else is His servant. Everyone is complying with His order. There is no one who can deny His order. Everyone is acting according to His direction, being under His superintendence. As stated in the Brahma-saMhitA, He is the cause of all causes.

 

 

gHari

[bipinjoshi 0]

Hello Friend,

I am sorry but you don't understand what is God. I refrain to argue with you any further. If you feel that not making a typo is prerequistes for being a God then I feel pity of you. Follow your path and let me follow mine. I am not forcing anyone to believe what I am saying or writing. You are free to follow your own path but at the same time I have strong belief on my way and I strongly believe in "I am Bramhan". As we practice more and more the effect of maya goes away and we realize our own nature. This is something to experience on your own. Me or anyone else can not make you understand it. All the best.

[Guest guest]

This sounds too narrow. If somebody says only Krishna is the God in this universe then it is totally wrong. It is truth that Krishna died just like any other human being. So he was NOT got. The principal behind Krishna was the real God. The same unmanifrested principal that he talked in Gita manifested for some time as Krishna to destroy evil. So that unmanifested is God not Krishna as a person.

 

In the same Gita, Krishna says - "If you are UNABLE to meditate on the unmanifested supreme principal then meditate on me". So, it is your choice as an individual. You can not say that one path is THE path for self realization and all the others are wrong.

 

If someone says that "Krishna is the God" because he himself has experienced it then I would appreciate him for sharing his views. However, if somebdy says that Krishna is the God because Gita says so then I refuse to accept it. For example I am a Christian and like Christ over Krishna. If someone tries to convince me that Krishna and his Gita are the ONLY true sources of spiritual knowledge then I disagree.

[Guest guest]

It is clear that people misunderstand the meaning of "I am Bramhan". I would suggest such people that - study Vedas, Upanishads, Yoga Sutras, Yoga Vashistha and other scriptures. Also, read Swami Vivekananda and Shankaracharya. You will realize the essense of "Aham Bramhasmi" and "Tat Twama Asi". We all are manifestations of the same supreme God consciousness and thus we all are nothing but God. Because of Maya we have forgotten our true nature. Bhakti Yoga is just one path to expand this God consciousness but that God consciousness is there within all of us. "I am Bramhan" doesn't refer to some egoistic statement. It is the essence of Vedas and Upanishads and I guess that is what the original poster is referring to. I hope people will understand the true meaning of "I am Bramhan".

[Guest guest]

I agree with Bindu:

 

"He is God, hidden in all beings, their inmost soul who is in all. He watches the works of creation, lives in allthings, watches all things. He is pure consciousness, beyond the three conditions of nature."

-- Krishna Yajur Veda, Svetu 6.11. UpM, 95.

 

I appreciate Sumedha for loving God:

 

"O learned people, may we with our ears listen to what is beneficial. May we with our eyes see what is beneficial. May we engaged in Your praises, enjoy with firm limbs and sound bodies, a full term of life dedicated to God."

--Rig Veda. 1.89.8. RvP, 287

 

I respect Bipinjoshi:

 

"Everywhere is the Holy Form. Everywhere is Siva-Shakti. Everywhere is Chidabaram. Everywhere is Divine Dance." -- Tirumantiram 2722.TM

 

And I appreciate the personalist's point of view of gHari:

 

"The knower, the author of time, the possesor of qualities and all knowledge, it is He who envelopes the universe. Controlled by Him, this work of creation unfolds itself -- that which is regarded as earth, water, fire, air, and ether."

-- Krishna Yajur Veda, Svetu 6.2. UpR, 743.

 

Wouldn't it be nice, in this the post 9-11 era of Kali Yuga, the age of quarrel, if we could all strive to do this:

 

"Let us have concord with our own people and concord with people who are strangers to us. Ashvins, create between us and the strangers a unity of hearts." -- Atharva Veda 7.52.1

 

Aum Tat Sat

Aum Aum

[Guest guest]

I agree with what Guest said in previous post. There is no point in proving that "my way" is better than "your way". I like the freedom approach of bipinjoshi. Each one of us are free to pursue our individual paths. There is no need and point in claiming that 'I am correct' and 'You are wrong'. God is not sitting in heaven deciding our lives. He is in you and me. Which path we take to uncover God in ourselves is upto us.

[Admin5 1]

moderator's note: "bipinjoshi" "Sumedha" "Bindu" and "Brad" are all the same person.