God-hood

[Guest guest]

Man has from time immemorial worshiped god. Spiritually a man believes that

god is the benefactor dispensing justice and ruling the world. To serve the

lord and spread his glory is the motto of an ideal devotee in most religions of

the world. We see this sameness in almost all religions of the world. Serving

the lord is performing Karma in the name of the lord and Bakthi is worship of

the lord. Immense indeed is the greatness of Karma and Bakthi. By Karma and

Bakthi man feels the greatness of god and also at the same time the distinction

between himself and god. This man in pursuit of just Bakthi and Karma can never

become god. Man is then finally left behind performing only indefinite

servitude to god. Is this the final destination of man? Are we only born and

created for being servile to the supreme power? Do we ever think we have with

in us the power to be one with that supreme power to whom we worship and serve?

Can we ever become god ourselves? Can that confluence

ever occur where man merges with god and attains god-hood? No says all the

acharyas of different schools of philosophy. They truly believe god is god and

man shall always remain man. By being man ever we are sometimes subject to

forces extraneous to us. How could we overcome even these forces which never

seem to impact god? For if we are always distinct from god then; we are always

in some kind of self imposed servitude to the supreme power. The acharya’s of

different philosophy school tell us that we are different from god and shall

always maintain this difference for ever. Though Bakthi and Karma are great

endeavor they can only take man as close as possible to god and not be one with

god himself. We can get as close to the peak but never be on the peak

ourselves. The lesser men are happy even attaining closer to the peak. But the

aspiring man is never satisfied even being closer to the peak.

The Advaitic guru Adi Shankara promises to such an aspiring man that

he can attain god-hood. The Advaitin in the form of Adi Shankara teaches us

that man is essentially god and has just forgotten his greatness. Advaita tell

us that man is not god in the physical or biological sense as much as he is in

the spiritual sense. This god is already within us in a spiritual sense. There

is no need to pursue god by probing externally. Advaita implores us to seek

with in to realize the status of god. To become god is not easy. The path is

arduous and mined with traps and difficulties. It takes a lot of preparation

and a lot of patience to get to the final point of god-hood. This journey is

not recommended for anyone else but the aspiring man. The aspiring and striving

man who has no fear proceeds on the path laden with booby traps and

difficulties. This man trusts that he will one day at the end of the journey

unite with god. After the commencement of the spiritual

journey the man begins to loose the idea that he is also the body. As he

explores deeper into the spiritual woods the feeling of his distinctness from

god slowly begins to crumble. Controlling the mind and thought the man is able

to bring it to one pointed focus of god-hood. Finally at the end when he has

learnt to master everything that he thought was his; he sees the god-hood in

himself and the pain undergone during the journey vanishes. He realizes the god

within him. This is the state of god-hood where the man in him is no more and

the god within him is everything. He is one with the supreme Brahman. This path

is the path of Advaita and is indeed meant for the aspiring man. This Jnani

looks at everything as the reflection of supreme; he is an ocean of pure love

and forbearance. The Karma yogi’s claim that this Jnani is the supreme karma

yogi. The Bakthi yogi’s sees this Jnani as the supreme baktha of god. It is

indeed possible to be god; and the path towards god-hood

is the path of Jnana yoga that Adi Shankara implores us to pursue.

 

Salutations to Sri Adi Shankara.

 

 

 

 

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