The Nature of God

There are three main ways ‘Ultimate Reality’ is defined in the religions of this world:

(1) A personal being (one who thinks, remembers, hears, speaks, plans, responds, expresses emotion, demonstrates character, exercises will and makes choices and judgments based on reason).

(2) An impersonal being (a non-thinking, non-hearing, non-speaking, non-emotional, non-volitional, non-responsive ‘cosmic energy force’ from which all personal beings originate and into which all personal beings will ultimately be absorbed).1

(3) An eternal principle (a system of rules and laws that govern the universe).

Many would say that these three interpretations of ‘Ultimate Reality’ are actually one and the same. Though appearing to be uniquely different, they can easily be merged in syncretistic harmony. But is that possible? Can a personal God who constantly expresses himself emotionally and makes rational choices be the same as a ‘Universal Principle’ that exists apart from emotion and is governed by nothing more than a system of cosmic laws? If all world religions spring from the same eternal Fountainhead-as separate, yet related ‘divine streams,’ they should all bear a strong resemblance to their original ‘Source.’ If they are all unique parts of a common global spirituality, their interpretation of Ultimate Reality should be identical, or at least run parallel. As you read the views on the nature of God contained in this section, you will discover this is certainly not the case.2

Religions that acknowledge a Supreme Being portray him as transcendent (existing above and beyond the material world), as immanent (present within the material world) or various mixtures of these two views. Some of the most recognized characterizations of God (or of supernatural realities) are as follows:

Animism is the belief in a multitude of spiritual beings that either bless or curse, help or harm man’s condition of existence. These spirits have limited powers and localized dwelling places, such as rivers, trees, and mountains. Some can also function on other planes of existence, above or beneath the earth. Appeasing these spirits and appealing to each spirit’s unique abilities or powers is very much a part of primal religions.

Deism is the belief that after creating the universe God trans-cended creation, leaving it to function on its own, in accordance with certain rational laws. Understanding of God takes place through reason, not revelation. God does not involve himself in the affairs of men or the shaping of history.

Dualism is a belief in two supreme gods or powers that are in opposition to each other.

Henotheism accepts the existence of many gods, but exalts one to a position of greater prominence.

Monotheism is the belief that there is just one God. Normally, monotheistic traditions, such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism, do not subscribe to either pantheism or panentheism. In worldviews such as these, God is immanent because he is omnipresent, but he is not actually ‘manifested’ as the material universe. He is still distinct from creation. Sikhism is an exception, definitely standing for monotheism, yet embracing not a pantheistic, but a panentheistic stance on creation.

Pantheism is the belief that the universe, with its substances, laws and forces, is God in manifestation. In absolute pantheism God does not exist apart from these. In ordinary pantheism, though God is expressed as creation, God is not confined to creation. By identifying the Creator with the creation, pantheism carries the concept of the immanence of God to its furthest extreme. “All is God and God is all.”

Panentheism is a modification of pantheism, insisting that God is the principle behind nature, the essence of life within creation, yet he has not manifested himself as creation. God is not only immanent; he is also transcendent. He is both in the world, yet beyond it. “All is in God and God is in all.”

Polytheism is a belief in the existence of many gods. Each god is usually unique in some personality trait or in the care of a specific facet of nature or a specific condition of human existence.

Theism is the belief in a Supreme Being that highlights divine transcendence, yet believes in his immanence and his care for those who are in this world. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent in theism. He is perfect, even though evil exists in the world. He is a personal God and often intervenes in the affairs of men. The life of creation is a gift from God, but is not a manifestation of God.

The Eleven Main Living Religions

Buddhism: There are diverse opinions within the Buddhist camp concerning the nature of Ultimate Reality. The oldest sect, Theravada Buddhism (called the Lesser Vehicle), is often labeled atheistic because Buddha did not train his disciples to worship any deity. However, “ancient Buddhist doctrines do not deny the existence of gods.” On the contrary, Buddha acknowledged the existence of gods inhabiting the cosmos, yet he insisted that they are “impermanent like all other living beings. Thus, they too must escape rebirth through nirvana.”¹ It is possible that Buddha had contempt for the Indian concept of gods and goddesses because they indulged in sensual behavior or exhibited human frailties. Some Buddhists go a step further, explaining like Reginald Ray-”that while they [deities] appear to exist on a relative level, they have no final reality. Instead they are projections of the deepest qualities of our own human nature.”² Unlike some other branches of Buddhism, Theravada Buddhists do not revere Buddha as a god. He is considered merely a teacher, an enlightened master. Most would agree that even speculating about the nature of God is useless, a hindrance to achieving enlightenment.

Mahayana Buddhism (called the Greater Vehicle) contains many different schools. Zen Buddhism professes that there is no god who can assist a seeker in achieving enlightenment (satori) or final extinction (paranirvana). Yet other Mahayana schools emphasize that Gautama Buddha was a mere earthly manifestation of a transcendent, celestial Buddha, who is the highest deity. Ultimate Reality is shunya (the void)-an impersonal cosmic force that expresses itself through various gods, buddhas and bodhisattvas who are worshipped. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who delay Nirvana in order to aid others in their spiritual evolution.

Pure Land Buddhists worship Amida Buddha, (different than the Gautama Buddha) as a personal savior god. He is also called Amitabha. He was originally a monk, Dharmakara, who attained Buddhahood. Nichiren Buddhists place their faith in Nichiren, a thirteenth century Japanese monk, who is believed to be a reincarnation of Jogyo. According to this sect, Jogyo was a bodhisattva (one who attains Buddhahood but delays passing into Nirvana in order to bring spiritual assistance to others through his boundless supply of good merits). Tibetan Buddhism promotes worshipful devotion to a long line of Dalai Lamas. The most recent one, Tenzin Byatso, is the fourteenth and is presently exiled from Tibet. All Dalai Lamas are considered to be bodhisattvas, as well as incarnations of their predecessors. Tibetan Buddhists worship a pantheon of innumerable Buddhas, bodhisattvas, gods, goddesses and divine beings. Image worship is spurned in some branches of Buddhism, yet promoted in others.

Christianity: Christian doctrine teaches there is one God to the exclusion of all others, and that he has a triune nature. The Godhead is comprised of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are one. They are distinct from one another, yet not divided. They work in perfect unison and they are never in conflict with each other. Jesus Christ is revealed in John’s writings as the Word who was “with God” in the beginning and yet “was God.” (John 1:1) He has no beginning and no end, existing “from everlasting to everlasting.” (Micah 5:2 KJV, Psalm 90:2) Whenever God appeared in any form during the Old Testament era (such as the ‘Pillar of Fire’ leading the Israelites through the desert) that was a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 10:4.) In his incarnation, Jesus is described as being “God manifested in the flesh.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

The personal God of Christianity is the personal God of Judaism: the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is so holy and flawless he cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man. (See James 1:13-14.) There is no negative, evil or dark side to his nature. (See 1 John 1:5.) He is transcendent: existing above and beyond this material world. Yet he is also immanent, actively manifesting himself in this world and making himself accessible to men. (See Jeremiah 23:23-24, Ephesians 3:17.)

Through the example and teachings of Jesus, the Creator was especially revealed as the “heavenly Father” who is motivated by a deep concern for mankind. The apostle John explained, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” (John 3:16)

Idolatry is prohibited in Christianity. Some branches of Christianity use statues and icons, though not in the same sense as idols. Other Christian sects speak against this practice as being non-biblical and idolatrous.

Confucianism: In this worldview, more a philosophy of life than a religion, Ultimate Reality is primarily described as a universal law, a moral principle, omnipresent, invisible and eternal. Confucius contended, “There is no place in the highest heavens above or in the deepest waters below where the moral law is not to be found.” (Doctrine of the Mean 12) However, popular Confucianism has been mixed with other beliefs, becoming polytheistic and animistic. Numerous deities and divine beings are worshipped. Some adherents promoted the worship of Confucius himself, though this practice was never popular. In recent years, the temples of Confucius have fallen into great neglect. Ancestor worship is also encouraged, conducted at special altars erected in the home or temple.

Hinduism: Hinduism accepts the existence of many gods. However, most Hindus believe that all gods are emanations of the One God who pervades everything. Consequently, some might describe this worldview as monotheistic polytheism. In the Upanishads, Ultimate Reality is described as the impersonal Brahman. Brahman is described as possessing two aspects: transcendent (unmanifested) and immanent (manifested). According to the Sankhya School, Ultimate Reality manifests in two main ways: as consciousness (purusha) and as material form (prakriti). Upon manifesting, “it” (the word “Brahman” is neuter gender) is expressed in a multitude of ways, including lesser gods and demigods. Ultimate Reality, which is impersonal (“without attributes”-nirguna), manifests in numerous deities who are personal (“with attributes”-saguna). “Nirguna Brahman is not an object of prayer, but of meditation and knowledge.”¹

According to the Puranas, the most important manifestations of Brahman make up the Hindu triad (or Trimurti)-Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer). It should be noted, though, that in the Vedas (the most revered and ancient sacred texts) Vishnu is seldom mentioned and Shiva is left out altogether.

Some Bhakti sects (devotional sects) in Hinduism are henotheistic, exalting a singular god, such as Vishnu, Shiva or Krishna, to a place of superiority or prominence above all others. Multiplied thousands of gods are worshipped (the traditional figure is 330 million). Hindu Scripture encourages, “O gods! All your names [and forms] are to be revered, saluted and adored.” (Rig-Veda 10.63.2) Some gods are associated with nature, like Surya the sun god; others with animals, such as Ganesha the elephant-god and Hanuman the monkey-god. Brahman is the underlying Self, the essence of life common to all things. This equates the creation with the Creator-the former is an emanation of the latter. Some Hindus profess a pantheistic view of the relationship between the Creator and the creation; while others hold a panentheistic view.

Though most Hindus are quite tolerant and quick to declare that all religions are one, historical Hinduism is still somewhat exclusive in its claims to correct revelation. Their Scripture states, “In the beginning this [universe] was Brahman alone…whoever reveres any other deity…does not rightly understand.” (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10) In other words, worshipping any personal deity as Ultimate Reality is an unenlightened view of the supreme essence of God. Some Hindus even propose that those who make this error are kept in the cycle of death and rebirth as a result.

For those who subscribe to Brahman being “the origin, the cause and basis of all existence,” the same is an infinitely inexhaustible reservoir of (1) Pure being (sat); (2) Pure intelligence (cit); (3) Pure delight (ananda).² However, this Ultimate Expression of Divinity is beyond the comprehension of the human mind. The Kena Upanishad bluntly informs, “He who thinks he knows Brahman, knows not.” Image worship is accepted and cultivated in Hinduism, though some claim it is only an aid in worship for the spiritually immature.

Islam: Islam is strongly monotheistic, teaching that Allah is the only true God. This name for the Creator probably stems from al illah, meaning “the God.” To associate God with any created thing is the most abominable of sins and is called shirk. Because of this, Islam does not accept the pantheon of Hindu gods, the Trinity of Christianity, or the deification of any religious leader. God has no partner nor equal. The word “Allah” in Arabic cannot be plural and is actually neither male nor female.

Though Allah is a personal God, most Muslims consider him so lofty as to be incomprehensible to the minds of finite men. God never speaks directly to men; he always sends a messenger: either an angel or a prophet. However, for those who are truly devoted God grants noor hidayah-the “light of guidance.” This is the ‘opening of a person’s heart’ to understand Allah’s nature and ways. Sufism, an offshoot of Islam, teaches differently: that Allah is personally accessible, and that ecstatic, mystical experiences with God are obtainable, especially through a whirling kind of sacred dance.

Allah has 99 names, all of which describe various divine attributes (e.g., the Living, the Eternal, the Supreme, the Tremendous, the Merciful and the Compassionate). He is transcendent, independent of the material universe and perfect in all his ways. Muslims believe strongly in the sovereignty of God, to the point that all events in life are traceable to his will. A byword often heard among Muslims is, “if Allah wills.” A great emphasis is placed on Allah’s justice and mercy. Idolatry or image worship is strictly prohibited in Islam.

Jainism: The founder, Mahavira, taught no separate existence of God. Everyone can attain god-hood by making supreme efforts in the right direction. Later deified by his followers, Mahavira is described in Jainist Scripture as descending from heaven, living a sinless life and worthy of worship as the “Omniscient.” He is revered as the twenty-fourth Tirthankara (meaning Ford-maker, a great teacher who guides his followers across the river of transmigration).

Five different types of ‘Supreme Beings’ are venerated in the Jainist religion. Dedicated Jainists participate daily in certain rituals aimed at invoking these ‘Supreme Beings’: (1) Arhats-also known as Jinas (conquerors, great teachers) or Tirthankaras (Ford-makers). Because they have been liberated from the world and its affairs, though they are worshipped, Tirthankaras cannot intervene personally in the lives of their devotees; (2) Siddhas-perfected saints, those who have attained liberation and dwell in eternal ecstasy at the uppermost part of the universe; (3) Archaryas-spiritual teachers who lead monastic orders; (4) Upadhyayas-teaching monks who train other monks and nuns; (5) Monks-devotees who live the life of a monk (necessary for salvation, according to some Jains).¹

Though Mahavira initially refused the multiplicity of gods found in Hinduism, modern Jainism has developed into a polytheistic belief system. For instance, along with superior deities, “there are in heaven and hell ninety-nine kinds of gods who are regarded as menial because they serve.”² Image worship is presently accepted among some Jains, though originally Mahavira taught against this practice. Two principal sects reject the use of temples and idols.

Judaism: Passionately monotheistic, Judaism teaches that there is only one God to the exclusion of all others. He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent: the sole Creator and Sustainer of the universe. In Isaiah 44:6 God declares, “I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” A greatly revered passage in Scripture is Deuteronomy 6:4 (the Shema): “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” (JPS) God is transcendent (independent of the material universe), holy and perfect in all his ways. Idolatry and any representation of God are strictly prohibited. The first two commandments of the Decalogue declare, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” (Exodus 20:2-4) God is formless. Anthropomorphisms found in Scripture are merely symbolic, a literary device used to emphasize some aspect of God’s character.

The ineffable name of God is considered so holy it is not even written in common writing. In the original Hebrew it is represented by the tetragrammaton: transliterated either JHVH or YHWH. Translators have rendered this Jehovah or more correctly, Yahweh, but neither is fully accepted by most Jews. When the tetragrammaton appears in Scripture, those who are reading usually insert the name “Adonai” (meaning “Lord”). The knowledge of the correct pronunciation of the name of God is something else the Messiah will restore when he comes.

Shinto: The word Shinto means “the way of the kami.” This stems from two Chinese words: shen meaning “divine being” and tao meaning “way.” The word kami refers primarily to the various gods or deities worshipped in this religion. However, it also relates to the sacred essence abiding in both animate and inanimate objects (such as oceans, mountains, waterfalls, trees, plants and animals). Specifically, it alludes to the spirits that dwell in the numerous shrines dedicated to them. Generally speaking, the word kami can be used in reference to anything awe-inspiring, mysterious or impressive-including that which is evil. On the highest level this term speaks of the Divine Consciousness that flows through all things, the vital force of the universe.

Originally almost all Shinto gods were identified with forces or objects in nature, such as: Tsuki-yomi, the moon god, and Kagase-wo, the star god. Different kami fulfill different functions, such as: Fudo, who guards against danger or misfortune; Yakushi, who imparts healing for the mind and the body; or Inari, the rice god who brings an abundant harvest. Some kami are righteous in character, while others are wicked, like the evil god Susa-no-wo, and a whole group of “lying deities.” (Nihon-gi 1:20, Ko-ji-ki, 229) There are at least 3,700 gods who have shrines dedicated to their worship, though a common declaration is that there are 800 myriads of deities.

Shinto emphasizes the worship of ancestors as divine beings, because all eventually become kami (thirty-three years after death). Worship of emperors as direct, divine descendents of Ama-terasu, the sun goddess, has also been a dominant theme until recent years.

Sikhism: Sikhs believe in a monotheistic view of God, as revealed to the founder, Guru Nanak. God is described as being “timeless and without form,” the Creator, Sustainer and Director of the universe. Sikhism emerged in the early 1500’s in a culture and geographical area dominated by Hinduism, yet it does not accept the pantheon of Hindu gods, nor Hindu concepts like pantheism, monism and the caste system. Yet this religion is very syncretistic, teaching that all religions and sects are merely using different names for the same God. “There is but One though your forms be unnumbered, Guru of gurus, Creator of all.”¹ Another scripture adds, “From nothingness the Formless One assumes a form, the Attribute-free becomes full of attributes.”(Adi Granth, p. 940)

The main name attributed to the Ultimate Deity in Sikhism is Sat Nam (“True Name”). Other important designations are: Sat (“Truth”), Sat Guru (“True Guru”), Karta Purakh (“Creator”), Akal Purakh (“Timeless Being”) and Wahi-Guru (“Wondrous Guru”). The God of Sikhism is a God of grace (unmerited love). God is the Eternal Guru or Teacher. Sikhs consider God to be both Father and Mother; they do not attribute a specific gender to the Creator.

The doctrine of Brahma, the Creator god in Hinduism, dying and then being reborn in a new era of manifestation is refuted in Sikhism. (See “Hinduism” under Worldviews Contrasted: Cycles, Ages and the Ultimate State of the Universe.) In the Mool Mantra Sikhs make a confession of their faith. In it is the statement, “There is One God…the Omnipresent, pervades the universe…is not born, nor dies to be born again.” He is also described as being “without fear” and “without hate.” The concept of Avatars, or God incarnating in human form, is a contested doctrine among Sikhs. Idolatry or image worship is outlawed.

1 From the Kirtan Sohila, an evening prayer.

Taoism: Lao-Tzu, founder of Taoism (pronounced “Dowism”) explained his interpretation of Ultimate Reality in the following terms: “There was something undifferentiated and yet complete, which existed before heaven and earth. Soundless and formless, it depends on nothing and does not change. It operates everywhere and is free from danger. It may be considered the mother of the universe. I do not know its name; I call it Tao.” (Tao-te Ching 25, emphasis by author)

Five times the governing principle of the universe is described in this passage, not as a he, but as an it. So Ultimate Reality in Taoism is not someone personal, but rather something impersonal, an existing order that guides all things. One source declares this to be simply the “rhythm of the universe.”¹ This Universal Principle is both yin and yang, negative and positive, passive and active, darkness and light. Though yin is not always synonymous with evil, the existence of evil would be assigned to the yin principle in creation. In contrast, good would be assigned to yang, its complementary opposite. (See the explanation of the yin-yang symbol on page 5.)

The word “Tao” means the Way. It speaks of ‘the way’ all things function in harmony, from the smallest atom to the largest swirling galaxy. Beyond human comprehension, “The cosmic Tao is invisible, inaudible, unnamable, undiscussable, inexpressible.”² The cosmic Tao is not a personal Creator and Lord to whom men are accountable or by whom men are ruled-“It [the Tao] creates them but never tries to own them…It raises them but never tries to control them. Herein lies its mysterious virtue.” (Tao-te Ching 51) Wu (Being) and Yu (Not-Being) are terms for the two aspects of the eternal Tao (the Seen and the Unseen, the Manifested and the Unmanifested). Yu (Not-Being) is not a reference to nothingness, but rather, an absence of observable characteristics.

Taoism is pluralistic. Many personal gods are worshipped. The founder of this religion, Lao-Tzu, is considered by many Taoists to be the highest of all deities. In this exalted role he is known as T’ai-shang Laochün. Viewed as the original personification or emanation of the Tao, he is sometimes known as the Emperor of the Undifferentiated Realm (Hun-yuan Huang-ti). Out of Lao-chün were emanated the Three Pure Ones (the Celestial Lords of the Three Pure Realms). Next come “the Jade Emperor, who passes judgment on mortals and decides their fate,” and the Mother Empress of the West, the goddess who “decides who attains immortality.”³

And there are many other deities worshipped in Taoism. Some have existed from various stages in creation, while many others are individuals who attained immortality or expressed great goodness during their earthly sojourn, thus obtaining a high place of recognition in the celestial world. To these personal gods Taoists pray hoping for divine intervention. Especially emphasized are the “the “Three Star Gods” (Shou Hsing, God of Longevity: Tsai Shen, God of Wealth; and Fu Shen, God of Happiness) and the “Eight Immortals.”

Zoroastrianism: Teaches a dualistic view of God, that there are two eternally existent gods. Ahura Mazda (meaning “Wise Lord,” also called Ohrmazd) is the God of light who is assisted by ahuras, which are good spirits or angels. He is counterbalanced and opposed by Angra Mainyu (also called Ahriman, “the bad spirit”), the evil Prince of darkness who is assisted by evil spirits called daevas. At one point these two gods were believed to be twin brothers born of the god, Zurvan (a name meaning “Infinite Time”)-the Ultimate Essence of deity in Zoroastrianism. However, worship of Zurvan (the unified aspect of a dualistic Godhead) is now considered by most Zoroastrians an erroneous concept and a heretical practice.

Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu have always been, from the beginning of time, self-existent, co-equal and able to create. Yielding to one or the other determines whether a person is participating in the Kingdom of Light, Wisdom and Justice or the Kingdom of the Darkness, Falsehood and Evil. These will continue to struggle against each other for a position of supremacy until the end of the age when Ahura Mazda finally overcomes. Because of this prophesied ultimate triumph, most Zoroastrians consider themselves, not dualistic, but monotheistic.

Ahura Mazda created Spenta Mainyu (meaning Bounteous Spirit, similar to the Holy Spirit) to oppose the Destructive Spirit, Angra Mainyu. Six other divine beings (three male and three female) are also individually worshipped. They are called the “Beneficient Immortals” (Amesha Spentas). They are Asha Vahishta (Justice, Truth), Vohu Manah (Righteous Thinking), Armaiti (Devotion), Khshathra Vairya (Desirable Dominion), Haurvatat (Wholeness) and Ameretat (Immortality). These archangel-like entities were created by Ahura Mazda to help govern his creation. Their golden thrones surround his throne in the celestial world. Fire is especially sacred in Zoroastrian worship, being representative of divine emanation.

  Other Religions, Sects or Teachers 

Bahá’í: God cannot be known or experienced directly. All created things reflect qualities or attributes of God. So a seeker can gain knowledge of God by observing nature, saintly human beings, or most perfectly, by studying the lives of those select messengers known as “Manifestations of God.”¹ Shoghi Effendi (guardian and leader of the Bahá’í faith from 1921-1957) described God as “one, personal, unknowable, inaccessible, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty…a supreme reality.” He firmly “rejected incarnationist, pantheistic and anthropomorphic conceptions of God,” insisting that “human conceptions of God are mere imaginations, which some individuals mistake for reality.” However, since God’s attributes are best expressed in human beings, Bahá’ís are encouraged to “turn their gaze to their own selves” in order to find God.² Mystical experiences also grant insight into the divine nature. The greatest name of God is Bahá.³

Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization (Raja Yoga): God is the Supreme Soul, the Father-a personal God (one having a ‘personality’). The correct name for God is Shiva, which basically means “benefactor father, the seed of creation and point-source and implies that there can be no other creator above Him.”¹ He is “the supreme teacher, guide, liberator, friend and purifier of human souls.” Usually the word “Baba,” meaning “father,” is joined to the name Shiva by true devotees.

Though omniscient and omnipotent, God is not omnipresent. To describe him this way would mean that God permeates all things. Therefore, “if God were omnipresent He would be responsible for good and evil.”² The doctrinal explanation of the relationship between God and the universe is this: “Human souls created the present human systems, not God…If God had really created everything, then my woes would also be His will-and we know that cannot be the case.”³ So the pantheistic union of the Creator with the creation is not accepted in this worldview.

God does not possess a subtle body, neither is he formless. He is light, an infinitesimal point of radiant light residing in one location. However, God is not light-years away from human beings. He can be contacted as quickly as a prayerful thought passing through the mind of a worshipper. Only in a figurative sense does God dwell in the heart of human beings-through love. His real home is in the Soul World. What human beings perceive as ‘God within’ is really only their collective impressions of him. God is changeless and his attributes are constant and perfect.

ECKANKAR: The founder of this sect, Paul Twitchell, describes Ultimate Reality as a ‘cosmic current,’ existent everywhere and in all things (a pantheistic, monistic view). God is detached and unconcerned about man and the universe. Paul Twitchell’s main name for God is SUGMAD (pronounced SOOG’MAHD). The manifestation of the Absolute is called ECK-a word also used as an abbreviated form of the word ECKANKAR. The most ancient, secret name for God is HU (pronounced HYOO).

Gnosticism: The Supreme God, the Highest of All, “interposes between himself and finite creatures a long chain of aeons or middle beings, emanations from the divine, which together constitute the Pleroma or fullness of the divine essence. It is only through these intermediate beings that the highest God can enter into various relations with created beings.”¹

ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness): According to the teachings of Swami Prabhupada, Krishna is the principal expression of the Godhead, exceeding even the impersonal Brahman. He admits, “There is a common controversy over whether the Supreme Absolute Truth is personal or impersonal. As far as Bhagavad-Gita is concerned, the Absolute Truth is the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna…the primeval Lord, the reservoir of all pleasure…the eternal form of complete bliss and knowledge.”¹

This is undoubtedly a departure from classical, philosophic, Hindu doctrine, which teaches the impersonal Brahman as the Ultimate Expression and Absolute Essence of Deity. However, this unique approach is not without support in Hindu Scripture. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna asserts, “I am the origin of all this world and its dissolution as well. There is nothing higher than I.” (Bhagavad-Gita 7.6-8) In another Scripture source (the Hari-vamsa), Brahman is relegated to a somewhat inferior status. Krishna explains, “The glaring effulgence of the impersonal Brahman [the impersonal Absolute] illuminates all existences, both material and spiritual. But…you must understand that this Brahman illumination is the effulgence of My body.”²

Deity-forms are accepted and encouraged in ISKCON facilities. (The term “idols,” having a negative connotation, is not used.) Though God is everywhere, it is believed that he makes himself tangibly available for worship in his deity-forms. Images of Krishna are bathed, clothed, and ‘fed.’ Followers drink the water used to bathe them. They also eat food offerings. This is called prasada-a method used to purify the consciousness.

Kabbala (Mystical Judaism): God or Ultimate Reality, is called Ein Sof (meaning “Infinite” or “Without End”). Ein Sof is not personal, but rather, an impersonal principle, a supreme divine will beyond human reasoning. Ten emanations stream forth from Ein Sof, called Sefirot, that personify ten different aspects of the divine nature. As seekers come back into union with God, the Sefirot are “ten stages…by which God the Creator can be discerned.”¹

The generally accepted order and naming of the Sefirot are: (1) Keter Elyon (“Supreme Crown”); (2) Hokhmah (“Wisdom”); (3) Binah (“Understanding”); (4) Hesed (“Lovingkindness”) or Gedullah (“Greatness”); (5) Gevurah (“Power”) or Din (“Judgment”); (6) Tiferet (“Beauty”); (7) Nezah (“Victory” or “Lasting Endurance”); (8) Hod (“Splendor” or “Majesty”); (9) Zaddick (“Righteous One”) or Yesod Olam (“Foundation of the World”); (10) Malkhut (“Kingdom”) or Atarah (“Diadem”).²

There is a female aspect of God as expressed in the third and tenth Sefirot. Referred to as the Shekinah, she is considered the bride of God. She is a demiurge, a lesser deity who manifests creative powers. She is also considered the daughter of God and mother of man. Normally, Kabbalists do not embrace pantheism. “Nature may be the garment of God, as the Zohar teaches, but it is not the body of God.”³

According to Kabbalistic tradition, though God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, ‘It’ (Ein Sof is without gender) has surrendered some of its sovereign power over the world to allow humanity to function according to ‘free will.’ This is called tzimtzum (“self-limitation”).

Kriya Yoga (Paramahansa Yogananda): Though on the highest level of reality, God is impersonal, he can be persuaded to take a personal form by intense devotion being generated toward him. Confining God to just the role of an impersonal Being is “a philosophical error, because God is everything: personal as well as impersonal.”¹ Because he created humans as personal beings, “their Originator could not be wholly impersonal.”²

“The Lord is Spirit; the Impersonal is invisible. But when He created the physical world He became God the Father. As soon as He assumed the role of Creator, He became personal. He became visible: this whole universe is the body of God.”³ “In forming for Himself a physical body of planetary systems, God manifested three aspects: cosmic consciousness, cosmic energy and cosmic mass or matter.”⁴

Yogananda especially promoted the idea of addressing God either as the “Heavenly Father” or the “Divine Mother.” He insisted that if a person approaches God in this latter role, his prayers are especially efficacious. He also taught that a seeker can approach God in any form and by any name, and God will respond.

In interpreting the concept of the Trinity, Yogananda offered, “The Father (Sat) is God as the Creator existing beyond creation. The Son (Tat) is God’s omnipresent intelligence existing in creation. The Holy Ghost (Aum) is the vibratory power of God that objectifies or becomes creation.”⁵

Kundalini Yoga (Yogi Bhajan): Offers a monistic and pantheistic view of God. “We have never realized what God is. On the other hand, we say, “God is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.” We say it. We know it. We all agree to it. We expect to find him in a church, in a temple; we find him here, we find him there. God is a stick, God is a cup, God is a man, God is a woman; God is everything and God is nothing-anything which exists in any totality…that dance goes on…Hindus call it anhat, Christians call it communion, Buddhists call it light, Confucians call it wisdom, a Sikh knows it as ecstasy. All is one and one is all.”¹

1 Yogi Bhajan (Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Kalsa Yogiji), The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, The Power of the Spoken Word (Pamona, California: Arcline Publications, 1977) p. 77, #277.

Meher Baba: God is beyond all distinction and thought, the one Reality at the heart of all religions. God is both an Impersonal Absolute and personal in manifestation. Creation is an emanation of God himself. “God has three Infinite aspects: Knowledge, Power, Bliss.”¹ There are “Ten Principal States of God:” (1) God in Beyond Beyond State; (2) God in Beyond; (3) God as Emanator, Sustainer and Dissolver; (4) God as an Embodied Soul; (5) God as a Soul in the State of Evolution; (6) God as a Human Soul in the State of Reincarnation; (7) God in the State of Spiritually Advanced Souls; (8) God as the Divinely Absorbed; (9) God as a Liberated Incarnate Soul; (10) God as a Man-God and God-Man.² A Man-God is a Spiritually Perfect Master. A God-Man is the Avatar, the Christ. God in his original state existed in “infinite unconsciousness.”³ (See The Origin and Nature of the Universe.) The first two states mentioned above are descriptions of God in an Impersonal State. The third is a semi-personal state, while the other seven states concern God manifesting in creation. The evolution of creation is actually the process of God discovering himself, or becoming fully conscious of his own divinity and nature.

Scientology: The Church of Scientology has “no set dogma concerning God that it imposes on its members.”¹ Such a practice is not meant to imply an atheistic, agnostic or non-caring attitude about this vital subject. Quite the contrary, L. Ron Hubbard taught that men “without a strong and lasting faith in a Supreme Being are less capable, less ethical and less valuable to themselves and society… A man without an abiding faith is, by observation alone, more a thing than a man.”² As adherents expand their spirituality and awareness, they will come to their own realizations concerning the “Allness of all.” who is commonly called God. The Supreme Being or Creator is more correctly and simply defined as “infinity.”

Sufism (Mystical Islam): In the beginning, before the manifestation of creation, the only thing existing was Dhat (the essence of Being). It existed as nothing, a formless Being. Then “a consciousness arose out of the Absolute, a consciousness of existence…This stage is called Wahdah.” From this original consciousness a sense developed…which formed the Ego, the Logos, which is termed Wahdaniyyah by the Sufis...the all-pervading radiance formed its center…the divine Spirit, or the Nur, in Sufi terminology-Arwah.”¹

God is utterly transcendent, for he cannot be compared to any created thing. Even so, he is to be discovered within the heart. Ibn al-Arabi, an early leader, implied a somewhat pluralistic view with the statement, “in every object of worship there is a reflection of Reality.” He also asserted, “We ourselves are the attributes by which we describe God; our existence is merely an objectification of His existence.”² In Sufism is found a synthesis of an impersonal view of Ultimate Reality (as found in the Eastern traditions) and a personal and relational view of God (as found in the Western traditions). The pronoun “Hu” is recognized by Sufis to mean the indwelling Presence of the Divine. The ninety-nine names of God as found in the Qur’an are an emphasis in Sufi worship and doctrine. These especially reveal the nature and attributes of Allah.

Theosophy: Presents a monistic and pantheistic view of God (All is One and All is God). Ultimate Reality is an impersonal ‘Life Force.’ “We reject the idea of a personal…God.”¹ “God and man are the two phases of the one eternal life and consciousness that constitutes our universe! The idea of the immanence of God is that he is the universe; although he is also more than it is; that the solar system is an emanation of the Supreme Being as clouds are an emanation of the sea…It is the idea that nothing exists except God, and that humanity is one portion of him-one phase of his Being.”²

Transcendental Meditation (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi): “God has two aspects, the personal and the impersonal…The impersonal aspect of God is formless, supreme; It is eternal and absolute Being. It is without attributes, qualities, or features, because all attributes, qualities, and features belong to the relative field of life, whereas the impersonal God is of an absolute nature.”¹ “God is one; It appears as many, however. The appearance of the one as many is only phenomenal. The reality of the one impersonal God is still eternal and absolute.”² A pantheistic view of God is promoted: “Everything in creation is a manifestation of the unmanifested absolute impersonal being, the omnipresent God.”³

United Church of Religious Science (Dr. Ernest Holmes): Taught that God is “the Neutral Force,” yet personal to those who believe in “the Infinite.” He redefined the Christian concept of the Trinity using the following descriptions: “The Father [is] the supreme creative Principle…[and] means Absolute Being.”¹ Furthermore, “the entire manifestation of the Infinite in any and all planes, levels, states of consciousness, or manifestations, constitutes the Son.”² Finally, “the Holy Ghost signifies the feminine aspect of the Divine Trinity. It represents the divine activity of the higher mental plane.”³ Ernest Holmes’ concept of God was pantheistic, promoting the idea that the cosmos is the “entire manifestation of Spirit”⁴ and that “God is in everything.”⁵