The difference between Godhead and God
The difference between Godhead and God occupies my mind at the moment. The subject follows from the idea of the plurality of our World's religious faiths, and in seeking to reconcile them, or find a common core.
The subject seeks to draw a distinction between God in God’s ultimate ineffable being and God as humanly known and worshipped.
One good response to this question I have found in the Bhagavata Purana (chapter 22), written in the ninth or tenth century, as translated/interpreted by Swami Prabhavananda. It reads:-
‘Truth has many aspects. Infinite truth has infinite expressions. Though the sages speak in divers ways, they express one and the same Truth. Ignorant is he who says, “What I say and know is true: others are wrong.” It is because of this attitude of the ignorant that there have been doubts and misunderstandings about God. This attitude it is that causes dispute among men. But all doubts vanish when one gains self-control and attains tranquillity by realizing the heart of Truth. Thereupon dispute, too, is at an end.’
This points to the distinction between God in God’s-self and God in relation to the creation.
Anyway, the subject interests me, even as a non-theist. I just cannot relate to God as a supreme person - I find greater clarity of mind in relating to a Reality that expresses itself as (and in) persons.This rather than being some sort or supreme Person itself. (This latter always suggests often very anthropomorphic characteristics that simply do not belong to any God worthy of worship, yet characteristics that are defended by some simply because they think that a book tells them that it is so)
Anyway, a short extract from the Buddhist Theravada scriptures:-
Seeing misery in views and opinions, without adopting any, I found inner peace and freedom. One who is free does not hold to views or dispute opinions. For a sage there is no higher, lower, nor equal, no places in which the mind can stick. But those who grasp after views and opinions only wander about the world annoying people.
As I still often wander around the world annoying people, I am obviously no sage.
😀
The subject seeks to draw a distinction between God in God’s ultimate ineffable being and God as humanly known and worshipped.
One good response to this question I have found in the Bhagavata Purana (chapter 22), written in the ninth or tenth century, as translated/interpreted by Swami Prabhavananda. It reads:-
‘Truth has many aspects. Infinite truth has infinite expressions. Though the sages speak in divers ways, they express one and the same Truth. Ignorant is he who says, “What I say and know is true: others are wrong.” It is because of this attitude of the ignorant that there have been doubts and misunderstandings about God. This attitude it is that causes dispute among men. But all doubts vanish when one gains self-control and attains tranquillity by realizing the heart of Truth. Thereupon dispute, too, is at an end.’
This points to the distinction between God in God’s-self and God in relation to the creation.
Anyway, the subject interests me, even as a non-theist. I just cannot relate to God as a supreme person - I find greater clarity of mind in relating to a Reality that expresses itself as (and in) persons.This rather than being some sort or supreme Person itself. (This latter always suggests often very anthropomorphic characteristics that simply do not belong to any God worthy of worship, yet characteristics that are defended by some simply because they think that a book tells them that it is so)
Anyway, a short extract from the Buddhist Theravada scriptures:-
Seeing misery in views and opinions, without adopting any, I found inner peace and freedom. One who is free does not hold to views or dispute opinions. For a sage there is no higher, lower, nor equal, no places in which the mind can stick. But those who grasp after views and opinions only wander about the world annoying people.
As I still often wander around the world annoying people, I am obviously no sage.
😀
