Hindu Concepts and God

Vishnu Prakash Nangath

VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH

Lets 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! Well leave the term god because that would bring in mind the prelavent god concepts of Islam/Christianity.
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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.
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Relation between
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!

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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.
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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.
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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.

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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(nonduality.
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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.
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