Whether you consider yourself an atheist, agnostic, religious or spiritual, it’s necessary to understand God. Why, you may ask?
You see, no matter what you believe in or consider yourself to be, you can’t deny that you are a creature in creation. And if there is creation, there must be a Creator. You can call it God, Lord, the Cause, Source, All-That-Is, the Truth, Reality or any other term that you like.
You can’t deny that you have a Cause just as you can’t deny that your parents exist. You exist, and therefore, so do they. (Read: Where is God?)
When adopted children discover that they are adopted, they want to find out more about their real parents and family. Their identity depends on it. “Who am I?” They ask.
In the same way, you must know and understand God to understand your true identity—not the personality “you” with a name, physical, emotional and mental characteristics, relationships, roles and skills—but who you really are.
Your quest to discover your true identity is your spiritual journey.
Questioning life
Your spiritual journey begins when you start searching for meaning in life. You start to ask existential questions such as, Does life have a greater purpose? Who am I? Where was I before I was born? Where do I go after I die? And, Is there a God?
As you start to seek out the existence of God, you look toward religion for the answers to who, where and what is God.
Who or what is God?
Religion describes God as the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer of all things and beings. He/She/It* is the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent Lord of the ever-expanding countless universes. (*For simplicity I’ll use “he”)
He manifests as all names and forms and it is by his power alone that the universe, the infinite beings and laws exist and function.
God is the indweller of all hearts. It is because of him that we are able to think, feel and act, and he alone is the giver of the results of our actions.
God is the abode of all divine qualities such as love, peace, compassion, mercy and goodness.
The Lord alone is the true protector and support of all. In times of trouble or difficulties, we can pray for his help and protection. He is our sole refuge because being infinite with infinite capacities, he has the power to remove the greatest of sorrows.
Ultimately religion helps us to build faith in, and love for God. This helps us develop inner strength and resiliency to meet the challenges of life.
From duality to oneness
Initially, you see duality— you see God as being separate from you, guiding, loving and protecting you from afar.
As the connection and faith deepens, you see God as the whole and yourself as a part of him.
Gradually, as you grow in your spiritual practice and understanding, you come to realise that God is the Truth of existence.
And the truth is, there is only ONE God/ Reality/ Source expressing in all, as the ALL.
That means that he is in you too!
Where to find God
If God/the Source/the Truth is in you, where can you find him? The Lord of the universe who is everywhere is accessible within you in your own heart.
As you begin to reach out, communicate, love and worship God in your own heart, a desire to meet him arises.
This is when you begin a committed meditation practice. It is in meditation that you will eventually discover God in your own heart. And when you do, you’ll realise your oneness with him.
In fact, you will realise that you are him!
End of all sorrow
It’s necessary to understand God because when you realise that you are one with the great Source/Truth/Creator/God, you will realise your own infinite, blissful nature.
You were never the human you thought yourself to be! You are far more powerful than you ever thought.
All sense of limitation, fear and sorrow associated with being a finite creature in creation will end with the greatest gain in life— the rediscovery of God, your own infinite Self.
*You may also enjoy reading, Do you believe in God if you’re spiritual?
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Thanks, Manisha, this is a beautiful article. The one part I would disagree is your description of the role of religion in our spiritual growth. While everything you said here is what religions “advertise”, in reality, organized religions rarely deliver on their promise. Most such organizations or religious corporates (that’s what they are, for the most part) actually separate people from God by putting themselves between us and Him. By excluding instead of including. By condemning and ruling through fear and guilt. By dividing “us, the godly people” from “them, the heretics.”
What you speak of, I would call “faith” which is starkly different from “religion.”
Thanks Nava for sharing your thoughts. Googling the term, “religion” I see that it comes from the Latin word ligare, “to bind.” I’m thinking the original purpose was to teach ways in which we can unite or become one with God. You are right in observing that some organised religions have come between us and God instead.