Finding God – One Man’s Search

Evolution of God – As I Understand It

Evolution is a stupendous word. Nature, Prakriti, is continuously evolving itself to find its own divinity, and aiding the Soul, the effulgent and immortal Purusha, in the same journey. The scriptures that record their movement have been undergoing evolution too for thousands of years. This scriptural evolution is intensely revealing when one thinks about the Vedas and the Upanishads including the Vedanta; and an important lesson here for a vedantin is ‘don’t be dogmatic’ in your spiritual search.

The Vedas clearly warn the seeker that no amount of reading their sacred hymns will pave his way for spiritual realization; reading them only opens a new vista, and serves the purpose of intellectual understanding of the road map ahead.

The Vedas prescribe holding of rituals including offering of oblations in fire, and chanting of sacred mantras with flawless intonation to pray to God. The Vedanta does not go for any external means. Its search is limited to finding the Purusha within the human heart, and myriad of manifestations around us. The heart is the seat of the Purusha. Most Hindus practice the Vedanta as their religion though some mix up has taken place.

The Vedas is the work portion of the Hindu system to which the Upanishads/Vedanta is the philosophic part. Work here of course signifies the carrying out the rituals. The Vedanta maintains there is no need of looking for Ishvara (God) anywhere. He is present in yourself, in every being, in everything.

It prompts the vedantin to pray for the whole universe, not for himself or herself. The vedantic prayers reveal this obsessive, almost restless, clamor for universal good.

Here is a common prayer:

“May good befall  all,
May there be peace for all,
May all be fit for perfection,
May all experience That which is Auspicious.”

“That which is Auspicious” has been explained in a pithy aphorism, “That which exists as One; sages call It by various names.” This explains the Hindu’s pantheon of Gods with many sects anxious to give a face to the “Impersonal It” to turn Him into a “Personal God,” to bring Him home, to adore and love Him at close quarters. Even the main branches have been divided and sub-divided into many lanes and by-lanes. Artists, artisans, idol-makers and sculptors have poured their heart out into fashioning and carving out the Effulgent One in different identities. Sages and scholars have composed beautiful hymns to worship and pray.  Mythology records colorful stories on the emergence of different Gods.

A Personal God, Heaven and Earth

The Personal God who is brought home shrinks the distance between heaven and earth. He becomes an exalted part of the family, sharing his Children’s joys and sorrows, exuding hope, providing inspiration and courage. Since concentration of mind is the main issue, the seeker focuses on the image to get beyond imagery.

A householder or a beginner vedantin’s journey may start from the matter to the abstract. Initially, he may take the aid of an image or an idol of a Personal God to engage himself in soul searching exercises. This involves cultivating the power of the mind and the intellect. The intellect is the scriptural “charioteer to control the senses that are restive horses.” This aphorism in question sums up volumes of instructions:

“Know the Self (individual Soul) as the Master of the chariot,
And the body as the chariot;
Know the intellect as the charioteer,
And the mind is verily the bridle.”

The vedantin practices hard to gain total concentration of mind along with intellectual exercises with the scriptures as his instruments. His appeal to the Almighty remains to be:

“Lead us from the unreal to Real,
Lead us from darkness to Light,
Lead us from death to Immortality.
Om Peace Peace Peace.”

This prayer invokes God’s blessing for the whole universe. Swami Vivekananda viewed the universal oneness from an interesting angle. He advised us, “…To look at humanity as one vast organism, slowly coming towards light – a wonderful plant, slowly unfolding itself to that wonderful truth which is called God….” The Vedanta upholds that at some point at the apex of the search we would find that Worship, Worshiper and Worshiped have evolved and emerged as one. Remember Jesus’ assertion, ‘I and my Father (in Heaven) are one.’

(This is Tapas Mukherjee’s personal view of spirituality)

(Photos courtesy: Hinduism Today)

Related Article: Karma 101

Tapas Mukherjee was a journalist in India for over 40 years. He has written on many topics for several publications, but was a business journalist in the latter part of his career with the ABP group of publications. Since his retirement, he has immersed himself with research on spirituality, and the journey of the soul.

What is your view of spirituality? How do you see God? Do share your views!