Ishwar and God

It is hard to imagine a world without Gods but very much possible without an Ishwar. This is because of the essential difference between the believers of the two concepts. For its believers, God is someone who exists outside of us, whereas Ishwar is an integral part of its believers’ being. There is a big difference between the two. For the God believers, each of them have been created for a purpose and the Creator (God) is constantly watching them from outside. Each one of them are answerable for their deeds on the Judgement Day and will go to Heaven or Hell depending on the results of God’s judgement. Thus for the believers of God, everything they do in their lives is for a good judgement after their death and a world without God is simply unimaginable. This is entirely different from the Ishwar believers who spent their life after life trying to realise the spirit within them and finally to be one with it.

One of the main faith problems of India is to do with this extremely different concepts of Ishwar and God. Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) that propagates the concept of Ishwar had gone through its God phase ages back. But being the one and only religious faith that was freely allowed to evolve and develop, the faith itself has realised Ishwar at least a few thousand years ago. There are still strains of God worshippers within HSD, but they do not represent the vast majority. As of now, due to this conceptual difference about the Almighty, HSD is in strong conflict with the Semitic religions coming from the Only My God (OMG) nations. Ever since the advent and development of Science as a widely accepted and convincing tool for objective assessment for mankind, the future and glory of HSD has started looking up once again after centuries of subjugation. If Science and Religion shall eventually meet at one point, it will only be in Hindu Sanatana Dharma.

It is then obvious that the truth about Ishwar is much more strong and powerful than the one of God. Nothing illustrates this point than a funny story about a cross-connection that happened to a simpleton living in one of the OMG nations. The accidental remote connection on his phone got him Heaven’s lady secretary on the other end. Quite naturally the simpleton was flabbergasted and wanted to speak with his one and only God. But promptly came the question from the secretary “Which one of the Gods do you want?”  He was shocked because he was always taught that there is only one. So he told her that there must be only one and asked rather angrily whether she is joking. But the last laugh was hers when she said that during all the weekly meeting of Gods, they always laugh about the foolishness of their believers in Earth and how they are effectively deceiving them, before they offer their prayers to the one and only Ishwar.

Death of a God

India lost one of its most revered Gods, Bhagawan Sri Satya Saibaba on 24th April 2011 and his absence will be very much felt in the days to come. There is only one all pervasive Ishwar, but we have several Gods reflecting and reminding us of the presence of Ishwar in everything. Indians have always recognized the Gods in our midst at all times. It is the presence of these Gods which makes the Indian nation a unique one with heights of philosophy and lows of poverty co-existing side-by-side within a vast population of over one billion. It is very much easier to satisfy our innate rationality when we have faith in an all pervasive entity whose net quality is in favour of sustaining this universe by natural evolution depending upon the cause and effect of individual actions. The concept of an Ishwar who is ‘wasting’ all ‘his’ time in ‘making’ humans, monitoring, punishing and rewarding us is alien to Indian philosophy. It is almost absurd to even imagine one like that. Ishwar is more of a logical energy and it must be its reflections in the form of Gods who interact with us.

Saibaba was truly such a God who interacted with millions and millions of people directly and indirectly. He could achieve much more for ordinary humans than even governments with huge resources at their disposal. His only asset was love and his only investment was again love. Even his arch detractors have nothing to say when it comes to his unique contributions in the field of health and community welfare. Without any outside support he brought drinking water to many districts in Andhra Pradesh. Compare this with governmental efforts in states like Kerala, with 40 odd rivers and one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world, struggling to provide drinking water even 60 years after liberation from British rule. And Satya Sai superspeciality hospital is perhaps the only hospital in the world which does not have a billing section at all. Those who criticize him must now show the moral courage in trying to do something of social significance in their own neighbourhoods.

Godly Presence

More than a social worker, it is the presence of Ishwar in abundance that stood out in Saibaba during his lifetime. Stories and anecdotes from his early childhood days are plenty. It is upto individual followers to believe or not to believe in them. For his arch detractors, it may be cooked up stories, just like the ‘magic’ he used to exhibit in producing various gifts out of thin air. Some of his bitter rivals have even brought out documentary films to highlight his gimmicks in their never ending attempts to expose him. But all such attempts have failed again and again. More their opposition, more became the number of people who came to see him and even worship him. Thousands flocked to him to get a glimpse of him and listen to him when he used to talk. And when he became physically weak even to talk, the number of people flocking to Puttapurthi became unbelievably high. There is a big lesson for the so called ‘rationalists’ in this. Man is intrinsically rational and a Rationalist Association can never replace the individuals’ rationality. They should leave it to the individuals to believe or not to believe.

But even those (like me) who have not seen the Bhagawan can easily vouch for his divinity. The sthayi (stable) form in his face and monotonous stability in his actions for the past several years are proof enough of his divinity. Try doing nothing for a few days and you will soon realize the greatness of such Indian Rishis. Deep meditation and Samadhi are the next steps in this path to absolutely stability. The inherent entropy (measure of disorder) has to be brought down to the levels of absolute permanence to achieve oneness with the all pervading, indifferent and immovable Ishwar. By his grace of absolute stability he was providing the sense of stability to millions of his believers who are constantly agitated and unstable under the influence of their own worldly problems. The so-called atheists and rationalists cannot provide such solace to the agitated minds who are constantly perturbed by misfortunes, misery and man-made disasters. Saibaba was definitely not an ordinary mortal and the truly rational believers do not need any more proof regarding this. His was a divine birth meant for bringing solace to millions.

Divine Successor

The controversies regarding Saibaba’s successor smell of a deep rooted conspiracy. His was a divine presence and it is not possible to elect or nominate the next Saibaba. He will come in due course. He will establish his presence and command his acceptability over a period of time just like his predecessors. All that we have to do is to wait for the next incarnation to take place. Unlike temple idols we cannot install a new idol and continue the worship. Exactly like his predecessors, the new Saibaba (Premsai as he will be called) will come and establish his divinity within a few decades. Those who are controlling the reigns of Saibaba Trust must show the sagacity to understand their role. None of those who constitute it have the required divinity and it is not expected also. Those who clamor for action by the Trust are more interested in seeing the end of Saibaba’s legacy, rather than the incidence of Premsai in a much more apt form.

There should not be even an iota of doubt in the minds of ardent Sai devotees that the lineage of Saibabas will continue. Spirituality of Hindu Sanatana Dharma needs the presence of such individuals of heightened divinity to provide guidance. Thousands of such individuals with heightened divinity are already in our midst and the true Premsai shall definitely show up at the appropriate time. No amount of impersonation or false claims is going to succeed in the case of Godmen, as they are called. We have seen umpteen cases where the likes of Premanandas have miserably failed. We all have the divine spark within us and we will always realize the truly divine avatars in a short time. And only those who can offer the much needed spiritual solace in the midst of ever growing human misery can sustain their status in the long run.

Exit of Saibaba is no doubt a tragedy for us, but an end for everything but Ishwar is inevitable. Born of ordinary parents in a nondescript environment, the achievements of Saibaba make his life truly remarkable. What more proof is required for his status than this? He not only radiated divinity, but also attracted some of the most creative minds into the field of service for humanity. His absence in our midst will be felt for a long time to come. But the simple fact that such an exalted soul lived among us and he did bring about lot of changes in our society is enough to make us nearer to Ishwar. His dawn in post-1947 India itself was a great boon for us and his messages have highlighted the relevance of Hindu Sanatana Dharma to an international audience. Legends about Saibaba will continue to inspire generations in the path of doing service to the needy.

Evolution of Gods

The truth of evolution is absolute and it is universal. Evolutionary process is an uninterrupted phenomenon applicable to everything. Evolution is taking place every second in all living beings and because of that in the associated non-living environment too. Though God is everywhere at everytime, the concept of God is man-made and it has also undergone evolution. It is very interesting to analyse the different concepts of God and see how it has evolved over the ages into the level of Ishvar – the omnipresent and omnipotent energy that is devoid of any characteristics (nirguna) and hence beyond any man-made definition. In India the various community, caste and sectarian Gods have evolved over ages, sometimes even vying with one another and have eventually surrendered before the ultimate version of Ishvar. It is definitely difficult to think of something that is present in everything, but that is (and only that can be) what can answer all our questions convincingly and provide the much needed rational support for our faith of Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD).

Knowingly or unknowingly we all recognize the presence of God much before we begin to explore, study and attempt to define it. The same must be true among all living species. But we do not know how other species do it and what is the final outcome of their explorations? Man is just another living species (though many among us have lofty pretensions about our uniqueness and greatness) and our exploratory efforts about God also follow the same evolutionary path. From a mere individual feeling it develops into a collective feeling and continues to acquire the form and name of a community or tribal God. As the individuals evolve, their concepts too evolve and the community or tribal God(s) must also evolve into the perfectly logical concept of a universal God. And if it does not happen in any community or tribe, it is either due to the spiritual deficiency inherent in their pursuits or due to the take over of such spiritual pursuits by extraneous considerations.

Best Realisation

Be it Asia, Africa or Europe, the early civilizations have always displayed their zealous enthusiasm for projecting a God or a set of Gods as part of their cultural symbols. The mighty Greek did it and almost all the numerous tribes in Arabia and Africa did this without fail. In India we had our own Gods for almost all communities and castes. This is part of a natural evolution process that concerns the need and definition of God. As individuals we need a God for our worship and we always tend to reach a consensus within a community. And once some collective Gods are established, it becomes rivalry between different Gods that signifies the victory of one tribe or community over others. This process has continued across continents and now we see many such tribal Gods dominating the world scene thanks to the economic and political strength of its supporters (or worshippers). This process will continue without any end until humanity exists.

While most of the civilizations content themselves with the sight of their God or Gods gaining primacy over others, a significant minority of humans have gone further and realized the ultimate truth in this process of Godly evolution. In India we have seen bitter rivalry between Shaivism Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism giving way to Advaitism, Dwaitism and Visishta-Advaitism first and finally accepting the ultimate truth as enunciated by Advaitism. It can be easily stated without an iota of doubt that the realization and recognition of Ishvar in every tangible and intangible part of this universe signifies the height of spiritual evolution that humans have achieved so far. And that remains the best realization that any human belonging to any community or tribe or caste or religion can ever achieve in his or her spiritual pursuits. Most of our inter-personal problems will disappear if this objective gains acceptance as our common target.

Best Practice

The lofty principle of Advaita is complex to comprehend for many and much more difficult to be put into practice. For most of us it will take years and years of effort to reach the level of raised divinity when we begin to see over the wall and start recognizing the divine presence in everything. It is widely believed that a Guru, someone who has already been on the other side of the wall, can guide us in easier ways to achieve the same. But this may not be a necessary condition to reach over the wall. There have been many born and self-made humans who have accomplished the feat. Ramana Maharshi and presently Mata Amritanandamayi are just two examples of the same. Having complete faith and close associations with such realized souls can definitely increase our chances of climbing the wall successfully. In short, climbing the wall is a must but it can be done in many ways. A ladder may not always be required to accomplish the feat.

It is quite interesting and baffling to note that the concept of Ishta Devata (personal god) underlines one of the easier methods of arriving at Advaita. Idol worship forms an integral part of this. In Hindu Sanatana Dharma (HSD) we often hear of the 330 million Gods that make up its pantheon. It is almost certain that this particular figure had come up when we had about 330 million humans in the entire world. The underlying principle is to have a personal god for each of us in the name and form we want. Each and every individual born (reborn and yet to be born) in this world is unique and so his or her method to search for the truth. The concept of personal gods gives such an ultimate liberty for each and every one of us to worship our own form for the one and only Ishvar which is present in all of us. And instead of worshipping one another we have the option to design (and define) our own version of God that symbolizes the ultimate reality ie. Ishvar.

Evolution of Gods must take place in all religious communities to usher in the new era of super humans as Swami Aurobindo had once envisaged. Only the realization that there is only one Ishvar and that it is present in everything can take us individually and collectively into a higher realm. Uncompromising fundamentalism and parochial religious beliefs can lead us only to our mutually assured destruction. Our current situation is akin to a semi lighted room with several individuals, several pieces of rope lying around and a single serpent let loose. We are all sighting the serpent in the piece of rope near to us and claiming it to be the real serpent. Seeing serpents in all the ropes and respecting each of them is not at all bad, provided it is with the full knowledge that there is only one serpent. But realizing the ultimate truth that both the concepts & realty of serpent & ropes are made up of the same Ishvar is Advaita that can give us the ultimate deliverance.

TOaOTi ADVAITA

There are religions and religions, and there are philosophies and philosophies connected with them. Invariably all religious philosophies are centered around the concept of Ishwar. But has any seen this Ishwar? How can we see or feel Ishwar? I am sure there are no convincing answers to all such ‘inconvenient’ questions. Billions and billions of human beings have lived here in this planet before us and probably billions will follow us. Many divine personalities belonging to different regions, races and religions have claimed to have seen or felt or realized Ishwar, but none of them could show Ishwar to another individual. It is said that Swami Vivekananda once challenged Sage Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to show him Ishwar and the Sage could go as far as giving him a feel. Experiences of those who claim to have seen Ishwar vastly differ and even those who claim to have felt Ishwar’s presence have much varied experiences. One thing is very clear – that Ishwar has no permanent form nor feel.

The extent of knowledge about Ishwar is so very confusing that it is very difficult for ordinary humans to comprehend it easily. Many individuals have used this situation very cleverly to their own advantage. I am afraid most of the architects and inventors of newer and newer methods or ways to understand Ishwar fall into this category. More than making ordinary people understand about the real meaning of Ishwar, they have used the opportunity to create cults and beliefs that could help them attain power, both political and material. If we analyse the advent of any of the new religions carefully, we can never miss the truth that a major factor is struggle for or against a powerful state or ruler. Those who wanted to sustain or attain power used an enlightened individual as proxy to achieve their ambitions. That is why we find many religions have fallen after some time. Only the most organized could succeed, but that too would fall because the intentions are not to help people but to control them.

Axiomatic Advaita

There are several funny and illogical suggestions that have come to stay among the brain washed followers of organized religions. One such is the concept of Ishwar as someone who has a particular form. Many say that Ishwar is a gigantic version of humans and resembles us. Many more keep telling their followers Ishwar is closely watching our deeds (all six billion of us!). And that Ishwar rewards and punishes each one of us on the judgment day according to our thoughts and deeds. Their flights of imagination include heaven and hell as incentives and threats for blindly following the dictates of religious leaders. One look at these ideologies is more than enough to recognize the real intent and realize that it is definitely not salvation for the individuals. It is greed and thirst for power all the way. And a majority of terrorists are generated from these types of beliefs due to such inherent faults.

In sharp contrast, the concept of Advaita is like an open source code with no ownership. It is part and parcel of Sanatana Dharma, which has no beginning, end or author. There is nothing hidden and nothing that questions the innate rationality of human beings. If Ishwar is the one who has created and owns this incomprehensible universe, how can it be so simple as to resemble us and to bother about us. It is even ridiculous to believe that it will give us messages, warnings, rewards and punishments. It is even more absurd to think of Ishwar as something or someone different from everything in this universe. Logically and rationally it has to be something that is part of us and present in everything. And that is precisely what the ancient seers of India could conceptualize so convincingly thousands of years ago. Adi Sankara popularized the concept of Advaita and Einstein’s ‘objective reality’ is nothing different. Advaita answers all the questions of any rational human being who is enjoying absolute and unlimited freedom of thought.

Advantage Advaita

There are several advantages associated with the wonderful ideology of Advaita. Many of the modern and ultra-modern social concepts can stand on their own foot only if we can make all people realize the extent of uniformity and commonality in our make-up. Advaita is a great eye-opener in this regard. In many respects it is the legitimate forerunner for all the leftist ideologies in this world. The utopian concept of Socialism can make sense only when there is equality, fraternity and liberty among people. And that is exactly what the realization of Advaita brings about in all of us. Everything is made up of the same entity (let us call it Brahmons -http://www.pseudodictionary.com/brahmons) and just that simple understanding is enough to bring in equality and fraternity among human beings.

Another great advantage is the extent of anti-globalisation that is embedded in Advaita. Very often we feel disturbed at the shameless display of hypocrisy and double-standards exhibited by organized religions when they are denouncing the current evils of globalization and liberalization. They are opposing globalization fully hiding the fact that they are doing all dirty things to globalize their own religions. By uninhibited induced and coerced religious conversion, they are attempting to bring everyone under their concept of a single faith. But Advaita stands for the opposite of all these. Each one of us is made up of elements of God and we have God within us. Now it is upto to each one of us to device our own methods for its realization. There is no coercion and inducement. Each individual enjoys complete liberty in their spiritual pursuits. In fact Advaita gives us the freedom to develop our own religion and modify it as we go along.

The on-going CERN experiments are expected to unravel the mysteries of our universe much more with the help of solid scientific evidences. But for followers of Santana Dharma the end result is crystal clear. When a part of Brahman (Ishwar) is present in everything (and nothing) in this universe, the final result of any exploration into the mysteries of our universe is obvious – we will end up seeing a part of Brahman itself. And if ever we can reach such an infinite level of magnification, we will only see a sea of Brahmons floating around everywhere. And such a collection of Brahmons (or Ishwarons) is what we call as Brahman. Then we will realize that The One and Only Truth is (TOaOTi) Advaita.