Seeking god: A journey beyond beliefs

Humanity is always intrigued by the thought of God. Some accept God, while others reject God. Did God create man, or did man create God? If God created man, He should have made humans merciful, compassionate, etc., but we see that humans don’t naturally possess all these qualities.

At a very basic level, God is seen as a punisher. Then the only way to escape His wrath is to worship Him. Krishna resisted worship of Indra stating that we should not worship a god out of fear. Indra became angry and unleashed torrential rain. 

Human beings have a psychological need for someone to take care of them and protect them. The mind seeks comfort in this. Depth of protection depends on the capacity of savior. The greater the power, the greater the protection. We believe in a god who is omnipotent. With His infinite capabilities protecting me, it means I can be above the law and do whatever I want. All I need to do is please Him. If God were not like this, all places of worship would close. If I am my own savior, then there is no need for God either.

Then we find God, who is merciful and compassionate. As long as God's compassion is restricted to yourself, it is fine. But when God is seen as universally compassionate, complications arise. A just God sees all as equal, being equally compassionate towards both the victim and the villain. This is hard to digest.

Do a diligent enquiry before accepting or rejecting God. Do not conclude first and then investigate, like students solving an algebra problem using the answer key. Inquiry about God means inquiring into our own conditionings about God. That requires intellectual courage because all these conditionings get challenged. Suddenly, everything that gave you solace, and comfort is wiped out. That’s painful. Many do not go through this and stay complacent.

Vedanta introduces God as the creator of the world to address the human intellect's need for an explanation of the world's origin. He is not only the efficient cause but also the material cause of the world, thus divinizes entire creation. It furthers our thinking into God as the imperishable substratum supporting the perishable world. Again, all this is a mere intellectual concept. Finally, Vedanta guides one to practically realise its ultimate teaching of ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ That Thou Art.