The full-grown tree encased inside a seed –
this is what I thought after reading Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s views
in the ‘God and I’ column.
Other thoughts in random are given at the end of his views.
Please read on.
- jayasree.
Who decides whether God is ‘He’ or ‘She’?
By Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
(from ‘God and I’ Column,
http://www.dc-epaper.com/deccanchronicle/default.aspx?BMode=100
Sometime ago, when I was speaking to a group of people at
I agree with both. If a white man can have a white God, why can’t a black man have a black God? And why can’t God be a woman? You stop the buffalo on the street and ask him about his God. He will say, “God is a huge buffalo.”
This is because people believe in things which are not a living reality for them. If you look at it, most religions have reduced themselves into a set of belief systems.
If we believe in something according to our convenience or based on our cultural influences, then there is a natural conflict the moment we come in contact with someone who believes in something else.
That is why some of the worst crimes in history have been committed in the name of God.
Essentially, belief systems stem from a basic problem that people are not sincere enough to admit that they do not know. If this sincerity to simply admit, “What I know, I know; what I do not know, I do not know” comes to us, then there is really no room for conflict.
There are two kinds of religions in the world. One seeks the benevolence of God while the other encourages one to manifest one’s own divinity. One teaches prayer, another seeks to manifest prayerfulness. Yoga Patanjali says it beautifully: When one knows how to be truly prayerful, prayer is not the means to reach God, but God is only the means so that we can pray.
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a yogi and spiritual master.
He is the founder of the Isha
Foundation
There are 3 notions woven in a hidden manner
in the first part of Swamiji’s write-up.
One is about his gender.
Another is about the belief system
And the 3 rd one is about the notion of personal god
Elaborating this,
Is God a man or woman?
Does he have a gender?
If no, why is He, He?
The reply is in Svethaswathara Upanishad.
He is not a male, not a female nor even an eunuch.
“naiva sthree, na pumanEsha na chaivayam napumsaka:” (5-10)
The same notion is echoed by Nammazhwar,
“aaNallan, peNNallan aliyumallan” (2-5-10)
But He (or it) will take up the form of anything.
The upanishad says that whatever form he is taking up, he is identified as that.
Even if one says that he has no form , then he is formless.
Since everything of this created universe is his and are of him,
even the excreta is Brahman.
So says Taittriya upnaishad.
(gathirithi padayOgo – 3-10-2)
Nammazhwar continues in that verse,
“vuLan allan, illai allan.
PeNum kaal peNum vuruvaagum”
If you say He is there, He is there.
If you say he is not there, He is not there.
(Since not being there is also an attribute of being-ness in some way,
He is there (as non-being) is what is deduced.
This is indicated in the first part of Thirvaimozhi)
In what ever form or formlessness one thinks of Him, He becomes that.
This is what Swamiji says for the buffalo.
If a buffalo thinks of God, its God will be a big buffalo.
He attributes this to the Belief system.
Any being who is to be thought as a superior one,
must be of the best and superior breed in the category that one belongs to.
This is a logical explanation.
And this works too in reaching / realizing god.
When one keeps contemplating on and
glorifying the best form among their clan,
he too will start emulating that from / person / entity
and in course of time will become like him.
This is also the process happening in belief -in -god system.
God is always personified in Human form, because
He is 1000 times more / better than what man is.
Aithareya Upanishad says that human being with all his faculties
is about 1/1000 of His own being / nature.
That is why,
when simplification of God concept for God realization was needed-
with the deterioration in times and dharma in tandem with deterioration in human faculties-
form-oriented belief system came in place,
depicting God in the best Human form.
And finally, Swamiji’s quote on Patanjali to show that
God is the means for an end.
Yes, the final realization in sanata dharma is that
God is both the means and the end Himself.
You realize Him through Him.
The easy way to understand this is to see our body as an example.
The Jiva / soul is in my body.
It is pervading throughout my body.
I can’t say that my jiva resides in my hand only
or in my leg only.
Or my hands or legs can not say that
they only do their function on their own volition.
Everything of my body with its functions and experiences are
done by my entire body only.
Realizing my body, the fruits of existence of my body
is done by means of my body..
In the same way God is realized by means of God!
