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General Forum: Religion | | Who/What is God? | |
| God is a concept beyond religions. When you talk in terms of religions you are already discounting a far higher phenomenon.
Personally God is for me not something that I can /want to prove. It is a beautiful experience which is above petty earthly matters. I do not have anything to say about people who wage wars in the name of religion. A person who experiences God cannot hurt even a small creature, let alone wage wars.
I would like to reproduce here a small exceprt which is close to how I feel about God.
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"Each of us conceals an abyss, though few of us are aware of its existence, and even fewer dare to explore its vastness."
In thinking about how to define God, I see that, in a way, it's like defining Truth..... it's one of those nebulous concepts that can easily elude one's intellect and it's mode of verbal communication.
Spinoza's God: one substance, whose essence necessarily involves existence, and who has infinitely many attributes and modes (of which consciousness and extension are but two modes). Spinoza's God is the God that Einstein professed to believe in (though Einstein's authority alone should not be sufficient grounds for accepting Spinoza's God). Spinoza's God is not an anthropomorphic-conception, but rather constitutes a physical/metaphysical Totality of which everything that exists, or can exist, must be a part of.....
.... It is this notion of God as Totality that I believe in. Not only does it satisfy my intellect, but also satisfies my more spiritual side. Whether this Totality is a Totality of Being, a Quantum Mechanical Totality, a Totality of Consciousness (or Absolute Mind), or any other Totality, is rather a moot point. Evidently, consciousness comprises at least part (and is probably involved with all) of that Totality.
Through the experience of transcendental/mystical/expanded states of consciousness, we enter into higher modes of Being and into a more complete Totality.... thus do we obtain knowledge of the divine firsthand, by entering into it, by becoming it.
Those lacking such divine experiences usually try to explain them away as hallucinations or delusions. Those having such experiences require no further explanation and already know where I'm coming from.
This vast immeasurable Totality, we are all a part of it. We do not yet see or experience this Totality in it's entirety, but there is a time for that.... or at least that is one of the ideals I aspire to.
This Totality is Truth, and insofar as we experience this Totality, thus do we experience Truth directly. This direct experience of Truth is of a higher sort than of the descriptive 3rd-person types of truth found elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with the latter, and indeed, this type of truth is very useful for many things and in satisfying our intellects (or at least for giving it toys to play with), but the superiority of the former (Truth) is obvious insofar as it allows us to become Truth, instead of just talking about truth.
What is God? God is many things, infinitely many things. You cannot tie God down with words.... you cannot define that which transcends all definitions. What I've written above concerning God, I have not exhausted, and can not exhaust, since God is an infinitely deep abyss for me. No verbal description will ever exhaust, nor describe, God. The best we can do is experience It directly.
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Answers for questions like these generally come from personal experiences which become very precious to you and which you share with people who are close to your heart but don't want to prove in debates or forums. You just don't feel like.
Hope this helps.
Seeker
Posted by: shaw manetina At: 14, Apr 2004 11:28:29 PM IST
I think it should not be an issue for a debate. For who believes in His existence (not those who simply go to temples and eat prasadams) it is a far more personal experience than one which he wants to argue and fight for.
Secondly even if he does not exist can we assume one (perfection personified, need not be an idol) to who you can talk to ( in a way yourself minus all your weaknesses) and discuss ways to improve yourself?
And then is it possible that humans are not intelligent enough to comprehend the big picture? Is it a coincidence that almost all scientists (who are supposedly more intelligent than the average Joe) believe in God?
My two cents...
Seeker
Posted by: shaw manetina At: 14, Apr 2004 10:01:30 PM IST
In the first place you have agreed there is and after hearing our testimony you will identify whether we are referring to a right GOD or not ?
( Last sentence )
Posted by: Mr. M Kumar N At: 14, Apr 2004 9:05:52 PM IST
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