THE SUPREME CAN BE DESCRIBED BY PARABLES, AND NOT IN ANY OTHER WAY

[barney]

THE SUPREME CAN BE DESCRIBED BY PARABLES, AND NOT IN ANY OTHER WAY

 

I shall fully describe the Supreme Being --- the object of knowledge. By knowing this one at­tains immortality. The beginningless Supreme Being is said to be neither eternal nor temporal. (See also 9.19, 11.37, and 15.18) (13.12)

 

In the beginning there was neither Eternal Being nor Temporal Beings; no sky, no air, neither day nor night. There was nothing else whatsoever other than the Absolute Supreme Being (RV 10.129.01, AiU 1.01). The Absolute is beyond both Temporal Beings (celestial controllers, Devas) and the Eternal Being (the Spirit) (Verse 15.18). Therefore, He is neither temporal, nor eternal. The Supreme Being or the Absolute is also both temporal and eternal (Verse 9.19) and beyond temporal and eternal (Verse 11.37, 15.18); because, He is everywhere, in everything, and also beyond everything. Therefore, the Absolute is all three --- neither temporal nor eternal; beyond both temporal and eternal, as well as both temporal and eternal --- at the same time.

 

The Supreme Being has His hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth, and ears eve­rywhere, because He is all-pervading and omnipresent. (13.13)

 

He is the perceiver of all sense objects without the physical sense organs; unattached, and yet the sustainer of all; devoid of the three modes of material Nature, and yet the enjoyer of the modes of material Nature by becoming the living entity. (13.14)

 

The Self walks without legs, hears without ears, performs many actions without hands, smells without a nose, sees without eyes, speaks without a mouth, and enjoys all tastes without a tongue. All His actions are so marvelous that one finds His greatness utterly beyond description (TR 1.117.03-04). The Supreme Being may be de­scribed only by parables and paradoxes and in no other way. (See also ShU 3.19). Self expands Himself as the living entity to enjoy three modes of material Nature.

 

God does not possess a body like an ordinary being. All His senses are transcendental, or out of this world. His potencies are multifarious. Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. All His deeds are automatically performed as a natural consequence.

 

He is inside as well as outside all beings, animate and inanimate. He is incomprehensible because of His subtlety. And because of His omnipresence, He is very near --- residing in one’s inner psyche --- as well as far away in the Supreme Abode. (13.15)

 

He is undivided, yet appears to exist as if divided in beings. He is the ob­ject of knowledge and appears as the creator (Brahmaa), sustainer (Vishnu), and destroyer (Shiva) of all be­ings. (See also 11.13, and 18.20) (13.16)

 

One planet earth appears divided into so many countries, one country appears divided into several states, one state appears divided into districts and so on; similarly, one Reality ap­pears as many. These are apparent divisions, because they have the same order of reality. The term God is used for the Generator, Operator, and Destroyer aspects of the Self.

 

The Supreme Being is the source of all lights. He is said to be beyond darkness of ignorance. He is Self-knowledge, the object of Self-knowledge, and seated in the inner psyche as consciousness (See verse 18.61) of all beings, He is to be realized by Self-knowledge. (13.17)

 

 

[Guest guest]

God does not possess a body like an ordinary being

 

yes.. not an ordinary body, he has a transcendental body, real body

[Dravidian]

I don't think God is describable. But I think as humans we need stepping stones to come to understand the ultimate. So we use vague representation like the scriptures of religion. Although the Vedic culture appears to be the most comprehensive and widest ranging in it's expressions, the Truth can never be uttered by Vak (speech). Although I consider Vedic scriptures to be sacred and enlightening, I still think there is a point in our evolution when we leave it behind. No concepts, or structures to hold on to for reason. The Truth goes beyond all thoughts. Although the vedas may paint a wonderful painting of God and the universe, existence, etc., it is still a painting, and ultimately falls short of reality. Though Vedic parables make wonderful concepts to attempt a description of God. They still never reach the Truth. And I only reffer to the attempt to describe God in this response, nothing else.

[Guest guest]

and it is right, but on another point of view we have the duty to use the intelligence to understand god and spiritual reality

 

so we have to study and practice to spiritualize our intelligence to understand all these realities

[Dravidian]

Agreed