Upload File

1013 the mystery

1
Published by VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education) Page 1 of 1 ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Pune, India The Spiritual Scientist An ezine for those who think! The Mystery of God's Form Question: If God is indeed a person with form and personality, then why do the Vedic texts describe him with words like arupam (formless)? Answer: These words generally occur in a context that also contains some words that describe God as having a form. Consider the following verse from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad (3.19) apani‐pado javano grahita pashyaty acakshuh sa shrinoty akarnah sa vetti vedyam na ca tasyasti vetta tam ahur agryam purusham mahantam This verse contains apparent contradictions: pashyaty acaksuh "God has no eyes, but He sees." How is this contradiction to be reconciled? If we neglect the part about God's personal aspect, we are not being faithful to the scriptures. The Vedic tradition contains a special pramana (method of acquiring knowledge) called arthapatti (postulation) that is used for this purpose. Consider two apparently contradictory statements: 1. Ravi does not eat food during the day 2. Ravi is growing fat Similarly, the arthapatti to reconcile the statements about God's having and not having a form is: God has a form this is spiritual, not material. Using such an arthapatti implicitly, Srila Prabhupada, the founder‐acharya of ISKCON, translates the above verse as: "The Supreme Lord has no material hands and feet, but accepts whatever is offered to Him and moves very quickly. The Supreme Person has no material ears and eyes but sees and hears everything. He is the knower of everything, and He is all that is to be known. It is said that He is the best and the greatest of all persons." Question: But why do scriptures have contradictions like these at all? Answer: The word "body" has several connotations that do not apply to the Lord. A body is that which: 1. Is separate from the real person, the soul 2. Is a product of the past karma of the soul 3. Tends to degrade the soul 4. Has to be given up in due course of time None of these apply the Lord, whose body is the same as Himself, who has no karmic past, who is never degraded, and whose form is eternal. Because we tend to drag our material conceptions on God, the scriptures sometimes use negative words like arupa to emphasize that God's form is not like ours. Only when we recognize the eternality of God's all‐attractive form and fall in love with that form can we become free from the infatuation with the temporarily good‐looking forms of this word. The arthapatti to reconcile these two statements would be: Ravi eats in the night.

Upload: krishnaram

Post on 16-Nov-2015

4 views

Category:

Documents


2 download

Report

DESCRIPTION

the mystery of God's form

TRANSCRIPT

  • Published by VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education) Page 1 of 1 ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Pune, India

    The Spiritual Scientist An ezine for those who think!

    The Mystery of God's Form Question:IfGodisindeedapersonwithformandpersonality,thenwhydotheVedictextsdescribehimwithwordslikearupam(formless)?

    Answer: These words generally occur in a context that also contains somewords thatdescribeGodashavinga form.Consider the followingverse fromtheShvetashvataraUpanishad(3.19)

    apanipadojavanograhita pashyatyacakshuhsashrinotyakarnahsavettivedyamnacatasyastivetta tamahuragryampurushammahantam

    Thisversecontainsapparentcontradictions:pashyatyacaksuh"Godhasnoeyes,butHesees."How is thiscontradiction tobe reconciled? Ifweneglect thepartaboutGod'spersonalaspect,wearenotbeingfaithfultothescriptures.

    TheVedictraditioncontainsaspecialpramana(methodofacquiringknowledge)calledarthapatti(postulation)thatisusedforthispurpose.Considertwoapparentlycontradictorystatements:

    1. Ravidoesnoteatfoodduringtheday2. Raviisgrowingfat

    Similarly,thearthapattitoreconcilethestatementsaboutGod'shavingandnothavingaformis:Godhasaformthisisspiritual,notmaterial.Usingsuchan arthapatti implicitly, Srila Prabhupada, the founderacharya of ISKCON,translatestheaboveverseas:"TheSupremeLordhasnomaterialhandsandfeet,but acceptswhatever isoffered toHim andmoves veryquickly. TheSupreme Person has no material ears and eyes but sees and hearseverything.Heistheknowerofeverything,andHeisallthatistobeknown.ItissaidthatHeisthebestandthegreatestofallpersons."

    Question:Butwhydoscriptureshavecontradictionsliketheseatall?

    Answer: Theword "body"has several connotations thatdonot apply to theLord.Abodyisthatwhich:

    1. Isseparatefromtherealperson,thesoul2. Isaproductofthepastkarmaofthesoul3. Tendstodegradethesoul4. Hastobegivenupinduecourseoftime

    NoneoftheseapplytheLord,whosebodyisthesameasHimself,whohasnokarmicpast,whoisneverdegraded,andwhoseformiseternal.

    BecausewetendtodragourmaterialconceptionsonGod,thescripturessometimesusenegativewords like arupa to emphasize thatGod's form is not like ours.Onlywhenwe recognize theeternalityofGod'sallattractiveformandfallinlovewiththatformcanwebecomefreefromtheinfatuationwiththetemporarilygoodlookingformsofthisword.

    The arthapatti to reconcile these twostatementswouldbe:Ravieatsinthenight.


Deutz 1013 Catalog

PTR 1013-c2

Fs References 1013

USGS OF10-1013

1013 Bar Syllabus

Curso 1013 Deutz

Logistics Hotspots 1013

1013 backstagepass web

Startup incubator 1013

GU THE 1013

MSR 1013 web

1013 estate

BPMN 1013 (9)

The Mystery of The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices

Lowrance 1013

Memory CHAPTER 9. Intro to Memory The Mystery of Memory The Mystery of Memory The Mystery of Memory The Mystery of Memory

Assignment SADN 1013

Acetoin Diacetyl Method no.: 1013 Control no.: T-1013-FV-01-0809

Voltage Optimiser 1013

THE MYSTERY OF MYSTERY SHACK

IEEE Std 1013-2000 (Revision of IEEE Std 1013-1990) IEEE

Hazemag APK 1013 - International Crusher Solutions Ltd...hazemag apk 1013 technical information manufacturer: hazemag model: apk 1013 category: impact crusher movement type: static

SSYA 1013 Psikologi

Deutz 1013

1013 Square Feet PLAN 1013 2 Bathroomsinside.millcreekhomestexas.com.php56-15.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com/wp... · MillCreekHoMesTexas.CoM PLAN 1013 1013 Square Feet 2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms

Mystery 01- Mystery of the Burnt Cottage - Blyton, Enid ...sh2e-book.synthasite.com/resources/Enid Blyton - Mystery 01... · Mystery 01- Mystery of the Burnt Cottage - Blyton, Enid

C man 1013

ICBELSH 1013

GERMAN 1013 C1 Guten Morgen. GERMAN 1013 C1 Kapitel 2 review

PTR 1013-c1

1013 Big Data

Paivand 1013

BDJ Article 1013

futurity results.pdfKHAYLA D SMITH Dam: 4th Judge: Bradley Luebben 1013 1043 HOLLY HOVER 1013 1043 Derek Hanscome 1013 1043 Tom McBeath 1043 1013 Showbill: 205 Class: PQHA 205 Open

RIMFROST EXHIBIT 1013 page 0001€¦ · RIMFROST EXHIBIT 1013 page 0058. RIMFROST EXHIBIT 1013 page 0059. RIMFROST EXHIBIT 1013 page 0060. RIMFROST EXHIBIT 1013 page 0061. RIMFROST