My Thoughts on God 2020

 

Communion in the Churchyard at Litchfield August 2020 - the first service following lockdown. The services are now by video, and are followed by a coffee meeting by Zoom

My letter to the Padre at Litchfield, Mark Christian in November 2020 following remarks he made about God in one of our Zoom coffee talks

Mark, your interesting homily at coffee yesterday prompted me to write to you with my thoughts on the subject of God. When you read them, you will understand why I didn’t raise them in company, and I hope they won’t lead to my ex-communication!

I believe that there is God - so let’s get that out of the way - but I also believe that he/she/it is COMPLETELY unknowable. And with that understanding, goes many of the conundrums that we wrestle with, such as why a ‘loving God’ lets terrible things happen. There is no such thing as a ’loving God’ - or indeed a 'vengeful God’.It’s a comfortable human-sized construct that doesn’t accord with reality. Yes, love exists - it’s the ‘power the moves the sun and the other stars’, and love is a property of whatever  God is, but so is hate and all the unpleasant opposites that you have seen in action far more than I. And yes, Jesus is the ’son of God’
- but so are you and I. It’s just that we are cut off from that knowledge and believe ourselves only to be an earth-bound personality and a soul that will one day know the truth. Jesus wasn’t; he was someone who had parted the veil and could see clearly.

Controversially, I believe that are others who have parted the veil - or who were born on the right side of it - like the teachers I went to for 30 years in India. And many others, mainly in India, where they revere and support such genuinely advanced souls (though there are many charlatans too) who can also attest to what reality is really like. None of them ever talk about God (Brahman in Hindu terms). One of the greatest sages of modern times, Sri Ramana Maharshi, refused ever to discuss the nature of God. He said it’s completely pointless as it's completely unknowable by our limited intellect and senses. His only teaching- and that of all of them at the root - is 'Know Thyself'. Know that, and everything else is known.’Be still, and know that I am God’. 

This is not to say I don’t love the Christian path and take great comfort from the liturgy, the psalms, the hymns and your sermons as well as the loving friends that one makes along the way. But I don’t accept the standard Christian vision of God (particularly not the childish Evangelical simplification of it or its dreadful American chimaera) and I interpret the creed and the eucharist in my own way, that accords more closely to my understanding and beliefs. 

I have kept a spiritual blog for many years, in which I put some of my own experiences as well as writings that I find particularly interesting This is a page from it. 10 years ago I did try and write a personal statement which is still relevant, even if it needs updating, https://whoamiadvaita.blogspot.com/2010/03/ I hope it’s Advaita slant doesn't trouble you too much.

Warmest good wishes

Herry 
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sai Baba - the Prayer of Surrender

Image
T he Prayer of Surrender posted outside the Western Canteen at Puttaparthy.  Why get agitated? Let me take care of all your business.  I shall be the one who will think about them.  I am waiting for nothing else but your surrender to Me, and then you do not have to worry any more about anything.  Say farewell to all fears and discouragement. You demonstrate that you do not trust Me. On the contrary, you must rely blindly on me. To surrender means to turn your thoughts away from troubles; to turn them away from difficulties you encounter and from all your problems. Leave everything into me hands saying “Lord, Thy will be done. Thou think of it”.  That is to say ‘Lord, thanks you for You have taken everything into Your hands, and You will resolve this for my highest good.’ Remember that thinking of the consequences of a thing is contrary to surrender. That is to say that when you worry that a situation has not had the desired outcome, you thus demonstrate that you do not believe
Read more

Sai Baba - Seema Dewan's Letter of 3rd May 2011

God is omniscent,omnipotent and omnipresent..........The energy of God pervades all of this universe ............. Every speck........every atom is born from Him.....remains in Him.....and returns to Him.This is the law of existence and all beings and nature follow the rule. Whatever form you love Him as.......it is through that form He shows himself to you. Pure unconditional love is the bond between atma (soul) and Paratma (God). He exists as Universal Consciousness and in it He has placed the Word of Truth and whoever is able to even receive a tiny bit of the sweet honeyed love in that truth basks in bliss. God is in the heart of every soul. Prayer is a voice of one's self that speaks to the depth of ones soul.When love for the Divine preceeds all other desire......then from that comes a two way conversation in which ones conciousness asks and one receieves in vibrational energy the answers in which are revealed Higher truths............ You can call God by any name that pleas
Read more

Ramesh Balsekar 1917 - 2009

Image
Dear Ramesh Balsekar the great advaita teacher died on 27th Sept 2009. Wayne Liquorman's letter is here Dear Friends, It is with the heaviest of hearts I write to tell you of the passing of our beloved Ramesh this morning at 9AM in his home in Bombay. His death was quick and peaceful. Ramesh was truly an extraordinary being. His life as a successful banker, author and spiritual teacher directly enriched the lives of tens of thousands of people. Having met Ramesh was one of the defining moments of my life, as I am certain it was for many of you reading this note. His generous spirit, open, loving presence and spiritual Understanding combined to make him one of the truly great Sages of the 20th century. We are truly blessed to have known him...be it "in person" or through his Teaching. Ramesh lives on. Though his body will this evening return to the elements, his spirit lives on in his books and in the hearts of all of us who have known him and loved him.. Twenty-two yea
Read more