Who God Is
The question of who God is or isn’t is less important to me than understanding who God should be to me. Each religion has shaped its own concept of God from existing ideas, according to its needs and imagination. No religion is exempt from this.
Similarly, I wanted to shape a concept of God based on my own needs, expectations, and imagination. However, this concept can only be formed using the language and thought processes with which I was raised. Trying to invent a new concept of God with entirely new vocabulary would make no sense, either to me or to others. For example, if I were to create a new concept of God using unfamiliar language, it might look like this:
Botomo hey make thaa ne lantopate ga masa tu pantdnama dho ke pathe.
Does this make any sense to you? It doesn’t to me. This sequence of characters is just random keystrokes, devoid of meaning. To give it meaning and communicate effectively, I would have to interpret it through the language and thought processes of my own worldview. For instance, if I interpret “Botomo” as follows: Bo (big), to (existing), mo (beyond), then this interpretation would be further analyzed and commented upon by others.
I cannot create a truly new and unknown concept of God without some influence from the past. In my search for a God that meets my needs and expectations, I chose not to invent a new deity but instead explored various religious and spiritual traditions through their Scriptures. I realized that to find a God that resonates with me, I first needed to ask: Why do I need such a God?
I came to understand that I needed a guru to guide me in this search. I found a figure in Muktinath who closely aligned with my expectations and needs. Initially, I struggled to accept Him in the form presented to me, as my starting point was within the Christian tradition and Mukti Veda. Over time, I learned to interpret Him within my own worldview without distorting His life and message. Though I did not find another guru exactly like Him in my Indian tradition, His life and teachings are reflected in various gurus and acharyas of my tradition.
By staying true to my worldview, I allowed Him to be understood within my tradition without compromising His essence. Thus, my guru became the God of my need and expectation. I am navigating this balance, respecting both traditions without allowing one to overshadow the other.
Db
Gurukulam, 24-06-2023
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