The God Question - What should we believe about God, religion, science, etc
The Existence of God
People are generally more inclined to listen to the positive case for God's existence after their objections against His existence are shown to be insubstantial. How could you deal with of the following objections?
1. Why is there so much suffering in the world?
2. You cannot give any proof of God.
3. You have a belief, but we have real knowledge (science).
4. It is just a psychological need of weak people. l
The Ontological argument:
There is no question of whether or not there is a Supreme - something must be supreme in the universe; it is just a matter of finding out what it is.
The origin is either nothing, impersonal, or personal.
The Absolute is by definition unlimited. It must therefore include both personal and impersonal aspects.
Everyone had a father before him. But ultimately the line must trace back to the original father.
We speak of Mother Nature, but who is the Father? Where do the souls come from that give life to the material bodies?
All the scriptures of the world confirm the existence of God.
Krishna as the Supersoul, causes remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness. Instinct and the occurrence of inspiration further indicate His presence in the heart.
Janmadyasya yathah
"The Absolute Truth is that from which everything comes, upon which everything is based. It is the ultimate origin and foundation." A fundamental definition of the Absolute Truth from the Vedanta-sutra. The Vedanta-sutra (1.1.1) states, athato brahma jijnasa: "Now one should inquire about Brahman - The absolute truth, the transcendental, spiritual nature"
How did I know all of this?
By systematic study of Srila Prabhupada's books in the following order:
1. Compilations such as Science of Self Realization, Journey of Self Discovery, 2. Sri Isopanishad, 3. Nectar of Instruction, 4. Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 5. Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto One, 6. Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, 7. The Krishna Book, 8. Nectar of Devotion, 9. Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Canto Six, 10. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, 11. Srimad Bhagavatam, remaining Cantos
What is philosophy?:
1. Seeking after wisdom or knowledge, esp. that which deals with ultimate reality, or with the general causes and principles of things.
2. The academic study of knowledge, thought, and the meaning of life.
3. The particular doctrines of a specific school relating to these issues.
4. Any system of belief or values. Philo- is from Greek and means to have a love or a liking for. -sophy comes from the Greek word for wisdom.
Philosophy is the science of sciences, states Srila Prabhupada, or the science from which all other sciences are derived. It means to search, research, inquire, and see with intelligence the nature of the absolute truth, the ultimate reality, the original source of everything. The search for the absolute truth (athato brahma-jijnasa), he explains, is the beginning of philosophy.
What is theology?
A system of religion; rational analysis or study of a religious faith. Theo- comes from the Greek word for God. -logy refers to the study of something. Theology is the science of God, says Srila Prabhupada, which means knowing God, His nature, and our relationship to Him.
The Science of Love of God:Sambandha, Abhideya, Prayojana
Three spiritual divisions of Vedic knowledge. Sambandha= the living entity's eternal relationship with Supreme Personality of Godhead. Abhidheya= The living entity's understanding of this relationship and acting accordingly. Prayojana=the ultimate goal of life: to develop love of God and return back to Godhead.
The three stages of spiritual advancement: First one has to establish his relationship with God as an eternal servant (sambandha), then he acts in that relationship (abhidheya) to achieve the goal of life, love for God (prayojana). The same applies to any relationship. A boy and girl, for example, may want a family. First they meet and establish a relationship. They marry. Then they act in that relationship, and then comes the children. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. They are the culmination of the entire Vedanta philosophy, the essence of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the great riches of life.
“Dharma means to understand our relationship with God and to act in that relation so that we may attain the ultimate goal of life. That is dharma. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this.” (Srila Prabhupada Lectures) “Caitanya Mahaprabhu concludes that we are after riches. He says that Krishna, devotional service, and love of Krishna, these three items are the topmost riches in life." (Srila Prabhupada Lectures)
The Methods of Attaining Knowledge:
The starting point in philosophical discussion is epistemology-establishing the basis of knowledge. Jiva Goswami lists in his Sad-sandharbha ten methods of attaining knowledge, including tradition, history, guessing, comparison, probability, and logic, and shows how all of them fit into three main categories.
- Pratyaksa (Direct sense perception) The knowledge we get through the five senses,
- Anumana (Mental reasoning) Literally "to follow (anu) the mind (mana)" ,
- Sabda (Authoritative testimony) Literally "sound"
About Vedic Authority:
1. The Vedas are like an instruction manual to the material world.
2. The artist knows best of his own painting.
3. Inductive (by own strength) and deductive (that comes down) knowledge: if the authority is perfect, then hearing from him the perfect method.
4. We can experiment and come to the same conclusion, but accepting authority will save us time.
5. The Vedic knowledge is described as apauruseya (not of man).
6. The Vedas are accepted as axiomatic (vanzelfsprekend, logisch).
The Four Defects of the Conditioned Soul:
- Imperfect Senses (Karanapatava) The senses are limited and can easily be misled.
- Illusion (Pramada) Accepting as real something that is not real.
- Mistakes (Bhrama) "To err is human."
- Cheating (Vipralipsa) To propagate falsehood, to present yourself as something you are not.
Looking for the key under the street light: Using our material mind and senses to find the truth is like the man who dropped his car keys in the driveway but searches for it under the streetlight, where the light is better. Taking help from the scriptures is like using a torchlight in the driveway. God is all-powerful, all-good, and all-knowing.