Hindu Concepts and God

Vishnu Prakash Nangath

VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

Let’s start from creation...

• In hindu point of view, nothing is ‘created’ in absolute sense. Creation here means something else. This itself is a distinction from other religions! • Whatever exists today is just a transformation of what was before. – A

manifestation of ParaBrahman – the supreme consciousness! We’ll leave the

term “god” because that would bring in mind the prelavent god concepts of Islam/Christianity. VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

What is Parabrahman?

• Parabrahman is the self-enduring, eternal, self-sufficient cause of all

causes; and is called – Sat(existence), Chit(consciousness), Ananda(bliss) • At the time of creation, Shakthi(energy) emerges from Parabrahman. • It is this Shakthi that forms prakriti – the intelligence by which universe exists. Today we know that everything is nothing but energy!

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Shakthi and three gunas

• Shakthi(prakriti/nature)has three gunAs or qualities – sattwa, rajas and tamas. • The whole universe functions due to these three gunAs.

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Shakthi and three gunas

Considering a human being,

Sattwa results in zeal, enthusiasm, happiness and contentment.

Rajas helps you act; in excess, it makes you restless, excited, hyper,

fickle in mind, attracted to your senses.

Tamas gives you sleep – it symbolizes inactivity, and when in excess,

reduces the brilliance of a person's mind, and spurs him in to careless

acts. It also results in laziness, lack of passion in life. VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

ParabrAhman, ParamAtma & Shakthi

• Parabrahman, with the three gunAs of prakriti manifest is known as ParamAtma or Ishwara. • Shakthi is generally represented as a female aspect which is visualised as wedded to god, in the metaphorical works of purAnas. • So, Shakthi is never different from Ishwara or Shiva. Shiva-Shakthi

or purusha-prakriti represent this ONE aspect of parabrAhman!

Relation between

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Names and Forms

• Ishwara is beyond names/forms and cannot be expressed completely using

any name or form.

• But humans are not capable of conceiving anything beyond name or form

directly; as long as he is restricted to the body-mind-sense complex.

• Still, each name or form represents one or more aspects of Ishwara. The

vast number of names used in Hinduism just gives a hint of the vast number

of qualities of that Parabrahman; still being incomplete. VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

Names and Forms

• Interestingly all these names have their own specific meanings

describing different qualities of Ishwara; like Vishnu which means ‘All

Pervasive’, Shiva which means ‘Pure and The Auspicious One’ etc..

• Ishwara is as much present in the centre of a highway as in a

vigraha/temple. Because all in Brahman, in the absolute sense!

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Names and Forms

• To aid this thought, consider some gold coins.

These are certainly gold coins. But wait! Think! Has the gold

really become coin? In absolute sense, Gold is still gold! Coin “appears”

as its form. If you can understand this analogy, the concept (called

mAya) must be clear!

• Hence, every aspect of nature is revered as a form of Ishwara itself,

and they are represented as different ‘devAs’. VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

If god is everywhere, then why

temples?

• Air is everywhere; still we need a wind/fan to experience it. There needs

to be an environment ideal for worship. This is why temples are

important. However, temples are not a must for worship; but are just

ideal, as said.

• Also, temple rituals help a devotee in his/her spiritual growth; to take

his senses from worldly pleasures to something positive. VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

Why different sects in Hinduism?

• Different sects combine to form what is broadly called Hinduism. These

are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism etc…

• Every person has the choice of his own mode of worship.

• In each of these paths, one deity is maintained supreme over other.

• All these paths meets at one common point – and that is Advaita(non-

duality. VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

Why different sects in Hinduism?

• This helps build idea of one supreme source, without deviating from

divinity of nature; This is because while one deity is maintained supreme,

other deities represent various aspects of nature itself.

• In this way, one advances further to know and realize the mahAvAkyas

like ‘Tatvamasi – Thou are that’ and then ‘Aham Brahmasmi – I am that’!

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Multiple gods!?

• Mostly, hindus are misinterpreted as people who worship everything as ‘gods’.

• Now we have seen that for hindus, everything that exists is just a

manifestation of Parabrahman itself, not separated from Him. Hence

these are never separate “gods”! This is the base of non-duality or

advaita.

VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH