What do we gain from believing in a God, a God who created all this? A God who created us, as well as the world around us. What is the benefit of such a belief? And there must be a tremendous benefit, otherwise a belief in God would be similar to believing in the wind that brings us an occasional reprieve from the heat on a summer’s day.
Well, at some point, people believed in various gods, such as gods dwelling in trees and forests, or the sun, or the rain, or thunder and lightning. Then some people simplified these beliefs and put them all into one God, who creates and maintains all of existence. This was a monotheistic belief that seemed to make more sense to them than believing in a multitude of gods, a polytheistic version of the forces behind this creation.
But, still, whether we believe in one God or a multitude of gods, what is the underlying benefit to us from such a belief? Is it, that when we believe in any god, our lives will run smoother, more in line with the wishes and desires of this god? And, will this god then help us achieve our individual goals more easily and without much struggle? Or is a belief in a god mostly designed to give us comfort for our journey after our souls depart these physicals bodies they inhabit on this material plane?
To answer these questions, it is necessary to gain the experience of god, or god-consciousness. This can be achieved through studying the various religious scriptures and spiritual traditions available so freely. Today, we all can order books, visit websites, enter holy shrines, in order to immerse ourselves in the words and experiences of the prophets and guides that walked the earth before us. Perhaps we are even so fortunate as to find a living master who can give us pointers towards the goal of god-consciousness.
We do not practice spiritual disciplines because we necessarily enjoy doing them, but because we sense that there is more to be attained than simply sitting in meditation for a period of time and gaining some temporary peace of mind.
God-consciousness is a concept that can be found in pretty much every spiritual and religious tradition on this planet. Different paths have been established, using different methods to help us achieve this god-consciousness. Some traditions promise the final liberation to occur only after the physical death and after a subsequent resurrection of the body during the Day of Judgment at some unknown future date.
Once god-consciousness is attained, the realization comes with it that all is contained within me. “I am god. I am existence. I am.”
And then there is no more hiding behind a god. From now on, the responsibility for all my actions, my thoughts, and everything that is in any way connected to me, rests with me alone.
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