Guest guest Posted August 2, 2002 Report Share Posted August 2, 2002 Parts 1 to 114 were posted earlier. This is part 114. Your comments are welcome... Vivekananda Centre London Earlier postings can be seen at http://www.vivekananda.btinternet.co.uk/veda.htm SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS By Sister Gayatriprana part 115 4. Worship of Divine Incarnations is the First Step towards Recognition of the Oneness of God and Humanity When... any gods or other beings are worshipped in and for themselves, such worship is only ritualistic karma; and as a vidya (science) it gives us only the fruit belonging to that particular vidya; but when the devas or any other beings are looked upon as Brahman and worshipped, the result obtained is the same as by worshipping of Ishwara. This explains how, in many cases, both in the Shrutis and the Smritis, a God, or a sage, or some other extraordinary being is taken up and lifted, as it were, out of his or her own nature and idealized into Brahman, and is then worshipped. (31) In the Vedas we find mention of the matsya avatara (the fish incarnation) only. Whether all believe this doctrine or not, is not the point. The real meaning, however, of this avataravada is the worship of humanity - to see God in human beings is the real God-vision. The Hindu does not go through nature to nature's God - he or she goes to the God of humanity through Humanity. (32) The theory of incarnation is the first link in the chain of ideas leading to the recognition of the oneness of God and humanity. God appearing first in one human form, then re-appearing at different times in other human forms, is at last recognized as being in every human form, or in all human beings. (33) Cross reference to: Mand. Up., 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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