Although there are many gods in the Hindu pantheon, the question remains how do hindus see god as Hindus only believe in one true God. This ‘Supreme’ God is called Brahman and is present in each and every living thing.
Brahman lives in the soul of animals and humans as atman – the true self. Atman belongs to Brahman in living creatures and enables us to function. But it is the Supreme God, Brahman that gives us life and determines what we experience.
Hindus say Brahman is absolute consciousness. The only true God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. Brahman is the one true creator of the Universe and is imperishable, undying and ever-present.
What are the three key aspects of Brahman?
This concept of Brahman is expressed succinctly by the three Supreme Gods of the Hindu Trinity – the Trimurti of Brahma (the creator), Shiva (the destroyer) and Vishnu (the preserver).
The Trimurti address the essence of life. And everything in life moves in cycles – including human consciousness. We have to learn how to do things to cultivate more depth of conscious awareness.
So Brahma is the spark of life that comes into existence. In human terms, this is the thoughts that triggers an idea. Without thoughts, nothing that is manmade comes into being. This is why the God Brahma is known as the creator – and why it is said that you create your own luck in life.
Shiva destroys aspects of creation that we don’t need. For example, when you begin a new project – a new cycle – you may have to learn new things.
But if these new things are not in your programming, you will make mistakes or feel uncomfortable. So you may have to adopt a different attitude or world view. Which means destroying old habits and thought patterns to make way for new habits.
This concept is symbolized in religions by the idea of death and rebirth. So as Shiva destroys, Brahma creates. It is then Vishnu’s role to preserve the new habits and attitudes so you can enjoy more success in your proceeding cycles of life.
The Trimurti Gods, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are also seen in philosophical terms by Hindus. The concept is essentially the same as the religious view, but by combining the two it helps to understand how Hindus see God on a deeper level.
The Philosophical view of Hindus Gods
The ancient sages of India described God as having many aspects. As mentioned above, the all-pervading power that we call ‘God’ is known as Brahman. The other two aspects are the inner God, Antaryami, and the individual soul, Bhagavan.
But together, Brahman, Antaryami and Bhagavan are all seen as aspects of God throughout the Universe, Earth and individuals.
Therefore, whilst Brahman is considered the “all-pervading world soul” Yogis know that Brahman still lives inside them as they are part of the world. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says:
“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart. 0 Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities.”
Therefore, Hindus accept there are many ways to receive God and feel his presence. And thus they also realise that God’s Brahman is to understand the changing nature of oneself so you can discover Atman which leads to Moksha.
Consciousness is one. God is one.
In the Sanskrit poem, Vivekachudamani ascribed to the 8th Century philosopher, Adi Shankara, “Brahman is the only truth, the world is unreal, and there is ultimately no difference between Brahman and Atman.”
So just as Brahman is universal consciousness and atman is the true self of the individual, finding our true nature through self-realisation is how Hindus see God.
To help initiates of Hinduism understand this, the ancient sages used the expression ‘Antaryami’ to explain that the Brahman God residing in our hearts enables us to take control of our thoughts, emotions and actions. This is a concept you will recognise in the Trimurti from the explanation given above.
Author Brian Warner, describes Antaryami as, “the controller within” – the Supersoul Hindus call atman or Paramatman. The Supersoul is perceived by the conscious mind through experiences which become instinct, intelligence, memories, abilities and so forth.
So essentially, the controller within is the sub-conscious mind which enables the Supersoul to express itself on the physical plane. This is the Brahman, the all-pervading consciousness experiencing a different reality.
It is common therefore for Hindus to meditate on the antaryami, the God inside as it is this force of consciousness that determines their thoughts, emotions and actions.
And it is this triangle of manifestation by which we are judged, both physically by others and spiritually by Supreme consciousness – the energy that manifests as reality. This is the unlimited power Hindus call Bhagavan.
God is unlimited power
Whatever action we take in life, we receive the consequence of that action, because for every action there is a reaction. This is the Universal law of Cause and Effect. And the ancients seemed to have a profound understanding of how it worked.
In the Katha Upanishad it is written:
“Those in whose hearts OM reverberates
Unceasingly are indeed blessed
And deeply loved as one who is the Self.
The all-knowing Self was never born,
Nor will it die. Beyond cause and effect,
This Self is eternal and immutable.
When the body dies, the Self does not die.
The ancient sages of India therefore applied one more piece to the philosophical puzzle of God; Bhagavan – “one who is endowed with unlimited opulence.”
Bhagavan is a word that is attributed to individuals that have six qualities, or “six opulence’s”; strength of character, wealth, knowledge, beauty, renunciation and fame.
The six opulence’s can be misleading. Fame does not necessarily mean you have to be famous in the common sense of the word, but recognised for what you do. Wealth does not mean material wealth, but richness of the heart and character.
Hindus recognise that the Supreme God of Brahman and Atman give us these six qualities. And this is why Hindus see God as one presence that resides in each of us yet is everywhere all the time.
So think with your head, feel with your heart and act in accordance with the six opulence’s, and you will see God in the same way Hindus see God.
