http://www.rajivsharma.com/blog/ Summary of the latest Articles/Blogs Published on www.rajivsharma.com en Copyright © rajivsharma.com, 2009 rajivsharma.com RSS Feed Generator v1.0 Rajiv Sharma Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:04:24 GMT 20 /blog/7/god-goodness/30/god-is-formless-or-with-form.aspx <P>In general Hinduism considers God not just as the Supreme All-powerful Gigantic One, Who commands the humanity to tread the way He/She/It says, but also a personal God Whom the individual can worship out of love and not necessarily out of fear ! The fear brings one only up to certain point and beyond that it repels, but love takes through to the point. Devotion or bhakti as often referred to is a very key concept in Hinduism, even for the philosophically inclined ones. While the shashtras - be it vedas, Agamas, purANas - describe the Glory of God, one finds abundance of stotras that praise the God in love.</P><P><STRONG><FONT color=#cc0000>God is Formless or with Form ? </FONT></STRONG></P><P>For Hindus God, as is, is beyond any attributes of form, color, shapes ... That is, God does not have any specific form or name. In this state God is referred to as nirguNa brahman (attributeless god). However God takes forms as perceived by humans and this perceived form is called saguNa brahman (god with (good) attributes). These forms could range from calm to fierce to yogic (1). Each form has its significance. For example when one is depressed and sees the form of God Strong and Powerful, the seeker feels the moral boost that God would definitely be the support for the right thing. Similarly when in an auspicious ceremony would like the God to be the calm provider of boons. In a spiritually elevated state, the choice would be the yogic form of God. The forms provide a basis for the Hindu worshipper to easily pursue the otherwise incomprehensible Supreme. So Hinduism supports both form as well as formless worship of the God. Whether one worships in saguNa or nirguNa way, it is ultimately the same God. <BR>Let us hail the God, Who does not have a name or a form or anything like that, by singing thausands of Its names! <BR>- thiruvAcakam</P><P><STRONG><FONT color=#cc0000>Is there an evil force against God ? </FONT></STRONG></P><P>God is the Almighty and Supreme. So how can there be anything good or bad against It? If the good things are the creation of God and bad things of some other evil force, will the gravitational force of the earth be attributed to God or the other force, as it is vital good element for us to live at the same time kills somebody who falls down from a high-rise building! In the system made by God, normally one gets to enjoy the good or bad things based on what have been their inclinations and the actions they made because of that. (This is called karma). There is no evil (satan type) against God. In fact atharva veda puts it very clearly, </P><P><EM><FONT color=#cc0000>"na dvitIyo na tR^itIyashchaturtho nApyuchyate<BR>na pa.nchamo na ShaShThaH saptamo nApyuchyate<BR>nAShTamo na navamo dashamo nApyuchyate<BR></FONT></EM><EM><FONT color=#cc0000>ya etaM devamekavR^itaM veda"</FONT></EM> </P><P>There is none second to It, neither third not even fourth. <BR>There is none fifth to It, neither sixth not even seventh.<BR>There is none eighth to It, neither ninth not even tenth.<BR>It is the only Supreme. This is to be known. </P><P>The concept of good and bad things is at a lower level and that too in a different way than strictly good and evil. The divines called devas are the protectors and the essentials who support the worlds. For example, air, sun, moon, water, fire etc. Those who disrupt the life supporting mechanism are the daemons called asuras. The conflicts between the two often arise and the Hindu epics talk in detail about them. However it should be kept in mind that as specified in purANas all the devAs are not the perfect beings and the asuras the worthless evils. </P><P><STRONG><FONT color=#cc0000>Is God in some heaven beyond ? </FONT></STRONG></P><P>God is not just something that stays in a far off heaven, who would be met with after death, if one gets to heaven etc. God is omnipresent. It is right in front of us. Oh, It is right inside us too. Well, It is in each and every minute of the minute particle present/void anywhere! Does It stay in a world beyond ? Of course It does there too. (Very renowned gAyatri mantra hails the Supreme to be the earth, the world around and the skies beyond). One need not wait for the whole lifetime to get to meet God. The important concept in Hinduism is that God can be realized right here in this world and the God is not just Magnificent Almighty, but is also a sweet lovely One, with whom yu can have a relationship - devotee, spouse, sibling, child, parent... God is not just in some heavens, It is right in us. It is both transcendental as well as intermixed in everything. Those who realize Its presence reap the grand reward. </P><P><EM><FONT color=#cc0000>Those who say He resides up in the sky, say so; <BR>Those who say the Lord of divines residing down in the world beneath, say so. <BR>I would say, the Lord of wisdom, Who got His throat brightly adorned with the stain of poison, is residing in my heart !</FONT></EM></P><P><A class=tdBlogPostContentsLinks href="http://www.shaivam.org">www.shaivam.org</A></P><br/>Blog Posted on: <b>Monday, May 07, 2007 at 01:29-PM</b> Rajiv Sharma Mon, 07 May 2007 13:29:17 GMT Monday, May 07, 2007 at 01:29-PM /blog/7/god-goodness/31/gods-goodness.aspx <P>What is meant by the phrase "The goodness of God"? By goodness is meant the bounty of God. In saying that a person is good, we refer to his holiness, or else to his charitable and liberal disposition in the management of his goods. The goodness of God is his inclination to deal well and bountifully with his creatures. It is that whereby he wills there should be something besides Himself for His own glory. God is good Himself, and to Himself, that is, highly amiable to Himself; thus He loves Himself and His own Excellency.</P><P>As related to His creatures, God delights in them, and is beneficial to them. God is the highest goodness, because He doth not act for His own profit, but for His creatures' welfare, and the manifestation of His own goodness.</P><P>The goodness of God comprehends all His attributes. All the acts of God are nothing else but the effulgence of His goodness. God's goodness is His glory and Godhead, as much as it delightfully visible to His creatures.</P><P>God is good by His own essence. God is not only good in His essence, but good by His essence. He is essentially good by His own essence; therefore, good of Himself; therefore, eternally good; and therefore, abundantly good.</P><P>God is the prime and chief goodness. In God there is nothing but goodness; and our goodness extends not to Him. For the believer God is the summum bonum.</P><P>God is necessarily good, yet also freely good. The necessity of the goodness of His nature does not hinder the liberty of His actions. This goodness is communicative with the greatest pleasure. What God gives out of goodness, He gives with joy and gladness. He did not only will that we should be, but rejoice that He had brought us into being; He rejoiced in His works.</P><P>The goodness of God is a true and genuine characteristic of God</P><P>God has always been and always will be infinitely good. In His goodness He is prompted to deal bountifully and kindly with all His creatures. If it is God's attribute of majestic holiness that emphasizes His transcendence over His creation, it is God's attribute of goodness that underscores his condescendence toward His creation. </P><P><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#cc0000>"Surely God is good to those who are pure in heart"</FONT></EM></STRONG></P><br/>Blog Posted on: <b>Monday, May 07, 2007 at 02:19-PM</b> Rajiv Sharma Mon, 07 May 2007 14:19:01 GMT Monday, May 07, 2007 at 02:19-PM