What is the Hindu definition of God-monotheistic or polytheistic?

[Guest guest]

Dear Brother Himanshu,

 

This is a very lovely description on our Hinduism. You are rightly said. I thank you for sharing this view.

 

One of the great saints in Hinduism Ramakrishnaparamahamsa took birth in a Brahmin family. His greatness is after he received blessings from Kali Mata he had taken Baptism and also he accepted Islam. After that he said all God’s are same and different people take different names just like water is same and people call it by different names.

 

And his disciple Swami Vivekananda use to roam with two books in his hand (one is Bhagavat Gita and other is “The Imitation of Christ “written by Thomas a Kempis ).

 

Very few people can see and accept God in every religion. If every person thinks like Rama Krishna and Swami Vivekananda then really we will have a peaceful world.

 

I thank God for giving me birth in such a beautiful place called “Bharatâ€.

 

Indians have unity in diversity.

Have a nice & productive day,

With Best wishes, M.kishore.

 

If you don't like to read this E-mail then please mention in subject line "REMOVE".--- On Tue, 31/3/09, himanshu gupte <hrgupte wrote:

himanshu gupte <hrgupte What is the Hindu definition of God-monotheistic or polytheistic?sacred-objects Date: Tuesday, 31 March, 2009, 8:28 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the Hindu definition of God-monotheistic or polytheistic?

There is much confusion about this, not among Hindus but among those on the outside looking in. Here we will try to explain and delight you with the richness of the ancient concepts of God. We may wish to tell inquiring minds that some Hindus believe only in the formless Absolute Reality as God, others believe in God as personal Lord and Creator. Hinduism gives us the freedom to approach God in our own way, without demanding conformity to any dogma. This freedom makes the concept of God in Hinduism the richest in all the world's religions.

Hinduism is both a monotheistic and a henotheistic religion. Hindus believe in one supreme God who created the universe and who is worshipped as Light, Love and Consciousness. Hindus were never polytheistic, but were always henotheistic. Henotheism is defined by Webster's as "the belief in or worship of one God without denying the existence of others."

We Hindus believe that there is one all-pervasive God, which energises the entire universe. We can see Him in the life shining out of the eyes of humans and all creatures. This concept of God as existing in and giving life to all things is called "panentheism. " It is different from pantheism, which is the belief that God is the natural universe and nothing more. It is also different from theism, which says God is only above the world. Panentheism is a beautiful concept. It says that God is both in the world and beyond it, both immanent and transcendent. That is the Hindu view. Hindus also believe in many Devas (It is a Sanskrit word from which the English word ‘Divine’ was formulated) who perform various kinds of functions, like executives in a large corporation. These should not be confused with God. There is one Supreme God only. What is sometimes confusing to non-Hindus is that we may call this one God by many different

names, according to our tradition.

Truth for the Hindu has many names, but that does not make for many truths.

Similarly God for Hindus has many ‘Roop’ (forms) yet in basic essence it remains the same singular God. God for us is not definitive or confined. The more we try to explain, the more we leave a lot yet to be explained about God. It is not confined to a singular shape, name, form, idea, concept, etc. nor does the approach to God is confined to singular way or dogma.

A verse in Sanskrit Language from Rk Veda (almost 5000 to 7500 yrs old) goes like this ….

That (Brahman or God) is Infinite (or complete) and This (Universe) is Infinite (or complete).

The Infinite proceeds from the Infinite. (Meaning that the Universe proceeds or originates from the Infinite)

Then taking the infinitude of the Infinite (Universe), it remains as the Infinite (Brahman or God) alone (singularly) .

Think it over. This is the reverse theory of Zero (nothingness) as originated in India. God can be explained as Nothingness (zero) too. Infinity and Zero are mathematically two sides of the same coin.

Another verse from an ancient Scripture (Katha Upnishad II.2.2) goes like this …

The Self is the sun shining in the sky;

The wind blowing in space;

He is the fire at the altar

And in the home the guest

He dwells in human beings, in gods, in truth,

And in the vast firmament;

He is the fish born in water,

The plant growing in earth,

The river flowing down the mountain.

For this Self is supreme!

Yet in this verse, a lot remains to be explained, for God is above any definition or name or concept.

Hinduism tells us that the "Self" which dwells in each and every being in this universe is one and the same with Godhead. Every soul in this universe is a reflection of this Supreme Self. Thus every individual has the potential to realise Godhead by the realisation of this "Self".

I am GOD, or a reflection of him, You are God, or a reflection of him, and each is God or a reflection of IT.

In the light of the above said verses, let us examine the UNIVERSE. The universe is composed of so many entities, from minuscule electrons and atoms and ions to massive planets and stars. When we pinpoint at Universe, we very innocently point upwards to the sky. Why not point towards us. After all we are also part of the universe. The universe is so huge that it is beyond comprehension. Similarly, Hinduism says that, God is beyond a layman’s comprehension under normal circumstances. Whatever we comprehend of the universe, we do it by our observation of the entities and phenomenon of the Universe. Similarly whatever man has to comprehend about God, it does so within the framework of his senses & perceptions, and its corporeal self. The Self within, if truly realised, gives us a better (or complete) understanding of God – whom Hindus also address as THE SUPREME SELF (Param Atman). Look at the word Universe – it openly

announces at its singularity "UNI + VERSE", yet it is composed of innumerable entities to be called as ONE. Like the UNIVERSE flows through all its entities, similarly GOD flows through all its entities and beyond them too.

It is of no wonder if anyone hears a Hindu say about God as NIRGUNA + NIRANKAAR and yet in the same breadth he will say that God is SARGUNA + SARVAKAAR.

NIRGUNA = without any aspect or quality

NIRANKAAR = formless

SARGUNA = in all aspects and of all qualities and transcending all aspects and qualities

and SAVAKAAR = in all forms and transcending all forms.

This is no sign of confusion, rather it is the beauty in Hinduism as it is the beauty in science. Science also says that an electron is like a wave (formless or Nirguna nirankaar) and yet it assigns a radius for an electron, thus hinting at its spherical shape (formfull or Sarguna + sarvakaar). This is no confusion in science (I think this was De-Broglies theorem). Similarly in science light travels in definitive small packets called Quanta (hence light has a form) yet it is an Electro-magnetic wave (meaning that it has no form). These are no confusions in Science, rather its beauty. Similarly God as NIRGUNA+NIRANKAAR+ SARGUNA+SARVAKAA R simultaneously is no confusion but a beauty in itself, and a deep rendered truth..

Hindus believe in one God, one humanity and one world. People with different language, different cultures have understood this one God in their own way. This is why we are, in essence, very tolerant of all religions, as each has its own path to this one God. One of the unique understandings in Hinduism is that God is not just far away, living in a remote heaven, but is also inside of each and every soul in the heart and consciousness, waiting for you and me to discover. Knowing the One Great God in this intimate and experiential way is the goal of Hindu spirituality.

Have you ever seen God? Most will say "No, never." Lets see if we can experience a little of GOD by the following way. God is the Life of our lives, and the life within each of us is the same as the life within all of us. In short, looking in one another’s eyes can see that Life which is God. I ask each one to look into each other's eyes trying not to see the person but to just see the life, the pure consciousness, of the person instead. When we are able to see the life in others eyes we are actually seeing God. --- On Mon, 30/3/09, Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 > wrote:

Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 > George Carlin: The Ten Commandmentssacred-objectsMonday, 30 March, 2009, 10:30 PM

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=pkRYaMiP4K8------------ --------- --------- ------