Paul Hughes
1 supporter
Conceptualising Spirit

Conceptualising Spirit

Oct 31, 2022

Omnipresence is not a concept that we can wrap our heads around. In this excerpt from Swami Satprakashananda we are reminded to be careful, in this respect, when conceptualising God:

Let a person first feel God's presence intensely somewhere in this world. This is the beginning of worship.

Once you have that feeling of God's presence, you must remember that God is not to be identified solely with the form you have chosen. He is not to be confined solely within the place you worship Him.

"Because I worship God through fire, it is the only symbol that can signify the presence of God."

"Because I have chosen this place for worship, it is the only place where God can be worshipped."

"Because I call God by this name, it is the only name that can save human beings."

These are the mistakes we make. Though we have to worship God through a particular name, place, or form, we should remember that God is not confined in any place, in any name, in any form.

We find in the life of Sri Ramakrishna that when he went to Calcutta the carriage would pass many different places of worship. As it approached a Hindu temple, he would bow his head. Nearing a Christian church, his head would also bow. And as he passed a mosque, his head would bow yet again.

Why? Because though he was a Hindu, he knew that the very God he worshipped was also being worshipped by the Muslims in their mosque, and by the Christians in their church. That is the spirit we should maintain within us.

There is nothing wrong in worshipping God in a temple, through a statue of Buddha, or in the name of Jesus Christ. One has to adopt a certain method. But know at the same time that your method is not the only method, your symbol is not the only symbol, and the name by which you pray to God not the only name. This is the one thing to be remembered.

The above excerpt is from: Satprakashananda (1975) Hinduism and Christianity: Jesus Christ and His Teachings in the Light of Vedanta. St. Louis: Vedanta Society of St. Louis. (pp. 150-151)

Enjoy this post?

Buy Paul Hughes a coffee

More from Paul Hughes