God or Brahman - Two Roads that Lead to the Same Destination - Essay Example

‘God’ or ‘Brahman’- Two Roads that Lead to the Same Destination Introduction The first and foremost question that comes to our mind while writing this article is ‘what, or who is God?’ The answer is not very easy to come, nor can it be very simply framed in one short sentence. Many saints and sages have spent an entire lifetime looking for an answer to this all important question. The search is incessant, interminable, and mankind right from his conception has been asking this question, time and again. A look at the dictionary gives a very simple answer. ‘God’ is an English term that refers to that ultimate presence, an omnipresent and omnipotent entity, which is present in all religions that we see around us. He is the creator of the universe, the one who takes care of all that surrounds us. He may be worshipped as a single entity as in Christianity, Judaism or Islam, or He may be worshipped in various different forms, as in Hinduism and Buddhism. Theologians and philosophers have long argued as to how ‘God’ can be defined. Every religion defines God according to its own perspectives, and also according to what the religious scriptures dictate. So, to understand the concept of God and what the word means to any religion, we will have to study in detail about that particular religion. A brief look at Christianity will tell us that here God is looked upon as the ‘Almighty- Omniscient’ being, who is all-good and all-powerful, while Hinduism envisions Brahman as encompassing both good and evil. This article will explore Christianity and Hinduism as two separate religions, and will try to decipher what God means to both these religions. Body The concept of religion: Before we try to understand the meaning of ‘God’ we will have to know what religion actually is. It may be defined as “ an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioners experiences of life through reference to a higher power, God or gods, or ultimate truth ( Geertz, 89). So, religion is the way one may expedite, to reach God. The theistic forms of religion that include Christianity, Judaism and Islam, demand that the worshipper bow in complete genuflection in front of God. The religions of the ancient world, like that of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Chinese Taoism and Confucianism do not believe in complete fealty to God to get enlightenment. According to these religions, enlightenment is self sought, achieved when the soul or atman becomes one with the Brahman. This state of being can be obtained by the perseverance and self-will of the believer, and so is a natural process, and no God or deities, or for that matter any super natural power, can help in this endeavour to get nirvana. So Christianity and Hinduism differ in the very basic tenets of their religious beliefs, and also in the way they perceive and behold their ‘God’. The concept of God: The early Germanic version of the word ‘God’ was first noticed in Christian Codex Argenteus, in the 6th century and it is assumed by many scholars that the English word God is derived from a proto Germanic word ‘gudan’. The term God in capitalised form was first seen in the gothic version of the ‘New Testament’, which was in reference to the Greek word ‘Theos’. Even in modern times monotheism continues to worship ‘God’ while polytheism continues to revere its ‘gods’. Concept of God is varied, as Judaism believes in monotheistic nature of God, Islam believes in the concept of the one and only Allah, Christianity has its own Trinitarians, while Hinduism with its vast divisions based on caste, creed and sect, varies from being atheistic to monotheistic to polytheistic. Often philosophers and religious preachers have been at logger heads, with the former, with their abstract theories ranging from metaphysical to empirical, often expressing doubt and also going to the extent of completely denying the very existence of this all powerful and almighty God. The term God, though a very much western concept, in modern times, refers to the Ultimate Being worshipped all religions, in a collective form. ‘God’ as per the Christian beliefs: Now a closer look at the term ‘God’ from the perspective of a Christian believer will help us to understand the theology of this religion better. Christianity believes that God can be defined as “All-good (= God always the best that He can) All powerful (= god can do anything that is logically possible) All-knowing (= god knows everything that is true) Eternal (= god exists outside of time) Effective(= god causes change in time) Personal (= god has a will and makes choices)” (Craig and Armstrong, 83). So, Christianity believes that God is the creator and preserver of this universe, who is eternal and omniscient. As a religion Christianity is of monotheism in nature. Monotheism believes that “God has existed from eternity, possessing all power and wisdom, infinite in justice, goodness and holiness. There is no need of any other God” (Caldwell, 5). The Christian Bible refers to God in the most personal terms, as to one who can see, hear and love. He is the Benevolent Spirit, and in the Christian scriptures is shown as a presence who is ever concerned about his followers and their road to salvation (Stagg, New Testament Theology). The Christian God is represented by the Trinitarians, God the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Here God the Father, who is the supreme creator and sustains life; and is also the supreme giver of justice, has the same relationship with mankind as that of a father and son. Since he is the creator of all life, so in a similar vein he is the father of all living beings. Most Christians believe that this relationship of father and child has been made through the Holy Son, Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate and who is the saviour of entire mankind. So in Galatians act 4:4-7, we find mention that through Christ, all human beings will be made adopted children of God. The Holy Spirit is the ghost or entity, that guides one to follow Jesus and lead the ideal Christian life. This Holy Spirit resides within the body of all human beings and has the power to cast out evil spirits and bring in the ‘fruits of the holy spirit’, transforming a person and making him perform positive actions. The God of Christianity hates all that is evil, and asks its followers to cut away from anything that is evil and bad. Christianity represents evil in such a manner that creates a sense of fear, and so must be avoided and shunned at all costs. The sense of this all powerful God is very evident in the various Christian scriptures. They claim that, He is the creator of the Universe; He is the one who has spread the heaven above and the earth beneath the entire mankind, and has called human into existence; He creates all visible and invisible objects in this world; we depend on this all powerful God for every breath we take in while sleeping and while being awake; He makes it rain and the sun to shine and it is He who has given the ultimate gift of life to all human beings. His first command is to serve Him and no other God, and to be ‘holy, just, and good’. There is no place for evil in this religion. The Christian God also cannot bear the thought of rebellion from the very lives that he has created and thus demands complete submission. Since God is the father and Son, according to Christian norms, worship of any other God is in direct defiance to the command of God, and so it has been labelled as an act of evil or sin. A rather frightening picture, where one almost gets a feeling that the relations between God and his followers does not exactly toe the line of that of a benevolent father-son relationship. It trudges more in the spirit of a totally authoritarian God, and his slave like followers, who must at all times and above all things, show complete obeisance to this Supreme entity. The concept of God in Hinduism: Now an examination of the concept of God according to Hindu scriptures is necessary to understand as to how this ancient religion perceives its supreme creator or entity. The religion of Hinduism is so ancient that its roots are, till date, shrouded within the mists of prehistoric era. There have been many saints and sages, but none have claimed to be the supreme prophet, as we see Muhammad in Islam and Christ in Christianity. It has been claimed that Hinduism has been there even before the universe came into existence. The term used to it show its antiquity is the word ‘Santana Dharma’ or the eternal religion. The truths of this religion lie within the intrinsic realities of nature itself, and if anyone can happen to look inside and search within the depths of his own self, will find that these same truths lie within. According to this faith, the roots of the universe lie within our own consciousness and are not related to any matter or particles. It also believes that life is present in everything that we see around us, and nothing in this universe is random, so all actions have some meaning or the other. Divine consciousness, or ‘brahma-gyan’ is present in all living beings, and it is up to an individual whether he is willing to discover this consciousness within him, to get moksha. The most ancient and also the most sacred scripture of Hinduism is the Veda, which was composed almost 6000 years back. The Veda speaks of the presence of supreme entity or ‘Brahman’, and it forms the central theme of this ancient scripture. Brahman is the sole reality that is eternal, infinite, transcendent, and innate in nature, and it forms the basis of all that is related to time, matter, energy and space, including everything, that lies beyond this very universe (Brodd, World Religions). He forms the absolute principle which has no beginning and has no end. He is all encompassing, and exists in all living and non living entities, and in all good and bad. He is the original source, the cause, the matter and also the effect, of all creations that is perceived or known, creations that remain unknown, or is still a part of the future and so remains yet to happen. Brahman or the supreme entity cannot be comprehended or even approached by our ordinary senses or understanding, and remains out of reach of all that is by common endeavour or pompous intellect. He cannot be understood by any material means nor can an individual be forced to be conscious of his presence, because Brahman is in the very consciousness itself. So moksha, nirvana, Samadhi or yoga does not mean to achieve salvation by knowing Brahman, but by gaining the knowledge and comprehending that all is Brahman, and will forever be so. So each individual soul, or jiva-atman whether good or evil, is one with the greater param-atman or Brahman-atman. We read in Taittiriya Upanishad (ninth chapter) which says “He who knows the Bliss of Brahman (divine consciousness)...does not distress himself with the thought "why did I not do what is good? Why did I do what is evil?" Whoever knows this (bliss) regards both of these as Atman (self, soul), indeed he cherishes both as Atman. Such, indeed, is the Upanishad, the secret knowledge of Brahman”. So, evil and good are all an inherent part of Brahman, and hence human existence, and it has been so designed so that evil and good both exist together. You overcome the evil without being daunted or frightened by it, you don’t die of repentance that you have done evil, you fight it by bringing back good into your consciousness. The Brahman of Hinduism cannot be worshipped in any temple, and does not ask for obeisance from its followers. He chooses to remain deep within the human soul, encompassed by the material aspects of the body, and act as the charioteer or driver of the senses of an individual. He remains completely unattainable by all those who achieve to attain moksha by material means, and comes to the forefront for only those who wish to seek knowledge and the truth. A study of the Upanishads will outline the basic principles that define this all-encompassing, omnipresent Brahman. According to Aitreya Upanishad 3.3, prajanam Brahman, or Brahman is the supreme knowledge. In Chhāndogya Upanishad 3.14.1, its sarvam khalv idam brahma, or everything we see around us in this world represents Brahman. In Nrisimhauttaratāpini (cited in Swami Nikhilananda, The Upanishads: A new Translation) it is sachchidānanda brahma, or Brahman is the core of all existence, consciousness and happiness or bliss. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5 says, ayam ātmā brahma, or the soul is Brahman while Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 proclaims aham brahmāsmi, or that I am Brahman. Mahesh Yogi defines Brahman as “an all-pervading mass of bliss, does not exhibit any quality of bliss. It may be likened to a mass of energy- matter - which does not exhibit any quality of energy... Brahman is that which cannot be expressed into words, even thought the Upanishads use words to educate about Its nature. In the field of speech, Brahman lies between two contrary statements. It is absolute and relative at the same time. It is the eternal imperishable even while It is ever changing. It is said to be both This and That...It is beyond speech and thought, yet the whole range of thought and speech lies within It. ‘Within It’ and ‘without It’ are just expressions, and like any other expressions about Brahman they do justice neither to Brahman nor to the speaker nor to the listener....Verse 29 of Chapter II (of the Bhagavad-Gita) speak of It as a “wonder”, for it is not anything that can be conceived of intellectually; it is not anything that can be appreciated by emotion…Brahman is the value of our life and the truth of it is that it is lived ‘with ease”(Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 440-441). Comparison between Christian God and Hindu Brahman: Now if we compare closely the two religions we will find that though seemingly they are completely different in their religious sermons and theological concepts, they actually point to one supreme entity that is God or Brahman. This supreme entity in both the religions is omnipresent and omnipotent. However, there is one major difference. In Christianity there is no place for evil. Evil is a frightening object that must be shunned and discarded before it can pervade our systems and urge us to commit sin. It believes that God is all good and all powerful (There have been many debates that, if God is all good and all powerful, then why is there so much pain and suffering around us. Christian theology fails to answer this question completely. It is easier to seek this answer through the concept of Hindu religion). Brahman in Hinduism is all encompassing. It embraces both the good and evil and accepts that there is no good without evil. One need not fear evil, but one has to fight it to get good out of it. All living things, good or bad, are a part of this supreme Brahman, and to comprehend Brahman you will have to look inwards into your soul, overcome all that is evil within you, and seek complete knowledge and truth. The Hindu Brahman does not seek complete obeisance from its followers, it just asks an individual to look within his own conscious self, for there lies hidden all the secrets, and therein hides, Brahman. Conclusion Hindu ‘Brahman’ who is the eternal and omnipotent entity, denies all existence of any supernatural power that would help a person to get enlightenment, and advocates that one should look inwards into his own inner conscious self to realise he is Brahman. Brahman is all encompassing, and embraces all that is good and bad. One cannot find Brahman in any temple or prayer houses, he does not ask for complete reverence or loyalty. Christian ‘God’ is all good and all powerful, and there cannot be existence of anything that is evil and sinful. It demands that the followers pay complete obeisance to him and disregard all other gods and forms of worship. One may believe in Christianity, or one may believe in the ancient religion of Hinduism. The ultimate aim of man should be to achieve happiness and peace, and also to serve the needy and the poor. So, ultimately the question does not lie in the fact as to what religion you have followed, but is in found in answer to the question as to how you much you striven to help others, and how hard you have worked to seek that ultimate truth or knowledge, in a quest to better yourself. Works Cited Brodd, J.  World Religions. Winona, MN: Saint Marys Press, 2003. Print. Caldwell, R. Christianity Explained to a Hindu: Or Christianity and Hinduism Compared. Compiled from Bishop Caldwell, Rev. Nehemiah Goreh, Krishna Mohun Banerjea. Read books, 2008. Print. Craig, W and Armstrong, W. God?: a debate between a Christian and an atheist. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print. Geertz. C. Religion as a Cutural System. In Clifford Geertz “Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays”. London: Fontana press, 1993 [1966]. 87-125. Print. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, a New Translation and Commentary, Chapter 1-6. Washington: Penguin Books, 1969, (v 28). Print. Stagg, F. New Testament Theology. Nashville: Broadman, 1962. Print. Read More