Relationship with God
The truth seeker has different experiences about the existence of God. One experience may be that the formless God is an infinite reservoir of energy, happiness, knowledge, and love and which is within us. In this one also experiences that autumn soul spirit is the real ‘I’ the Self. His identity merges with Him. The complete merger takes place as the water mixes in the ocean. Sometimes the seeker experiences “I and my father are one where stand the father is”.
Although most of the schools of thought do not believe in the form of God they do develop the relationship with Him. They experience that for a relationship the existence is not required. Some devotee may physically feel that the God is his master, father mother or friend but He has no form. They experience that it exists but without form. Hundreds of devotees have got God-realization through this type of relationship with Omnipresent Divinity.
Many devotees do not desire anything from God. They experience that mother knows about the needs of the child. God knows about the needs of the devotee. Some of the devotees become facet world spectator to the changes of whatever is happening outside. They consider the world as a dream.
Other devotees experience the form of God and that the God takes incarnations.
Merged with his Lord, the devotee becomes a medium through which the Divine Will works. Never for a moment does he forget his relationship with the Supreme.
He experiences that the Lord is seeing, speaking, walking or eating in and through his body. It is He who gives the sensation of hunger, urine and stool. Such knowledge results in a spiritual transformation and he now presents a concrete picture of the true spiritual life. The body is like a coat the soul puts on. In this sense, the body may be said to have no life of its own. Such a devotee offers all his actions to the Master all the time quite like the gardener who rears the finest roses and offers them to his master, when they are in full bloom. Such unique surrender is not achieved in a moment. The devotee goes on giving parts of his Being and praying earnestly for further progress.
After having advanced certain steps, the Yogi retains consciousness even during sleep. For Buddha, even turning sides in sleep was a conscious act. He left his body chariot consciously at the time of his death; so have other advanced Yogis.
Where is Your FAITH?
In an illuminating comment on faith, William James has referred to the life of Antoinette Bourignon of the 17th century in France. This deeply religious young woman renounced the comforts of home one morning, with a penny for bread. A voice within her asked,
“WHERE IS YOUR FAITH, IN A PENNY”
So she left it, saying to herself,
“NO, MY FAITH IS IN GOD ALONE.”
William James has rightly remarked on this incident – “That penny was a small financial safeguard but an effective spiritual obstacle.”
Do we not deprive ourselves of God’s bounty and beatitude because of faith in our bank account?
The Lord’s Promise:
In his Song Divine, Lord Krishna has held out the supreme assurance that all those who worship Me, knowing and seeing nothing but the Divine, and are in union with Me every moment, for them I Myself become the spontaneous giver of every good and ensure the preservation of their worldly interests –
ANANYASHCHINTYANTO MAM
YE JANAH PARYUPASATE
TESHAM NITYABHIYUKTANAM
YOGAKSHEMAM VAHAMYAHAM
Aurobindo says –
“As he grows into the Divine, the Divine to flows out upon him with all the light, power and joy of an infinite Existence.”
- FORMLESS
- FORM
KAR BINU KARAM KARAI BIDHI NANAA
BINU BAANI BAKTA BARJOGI
AANAN RAHIT SAKAL RAS BHOGEE
TANU BINU PARAS NAYAN BINU DEKHAA
GAHAI GHRAN BINU VAS VISHEKHA
AS SAB BHANTI ALAUKIK KARNEE
MAHIMAA JAASU JAAI NAHI BARNEE
The intrinsic value of formless God is Sat-Chit-Anand i.e., the energy, the bliss, and the enlightenment. It does not have a form but this exists in every particle of the universe. Vedas proclaim ‘Ishavasyamidam sarvam’ (God pervades in all). Here it has been talked about the formless God. Such a God popularly known as Brahma in Hindu philosophy has been realized by many saints in past and ultimately after getting merge their ego they experienced ‘Aham Brahmasmi” “I am That Brahma” The process goes through Sankhya Yoga or the Yoga of illumination. In this, the Kundalini power is raised till the stage of Agneya Chakra which is the seat of Lord Shiva. This happens when the ego stops and also minus is wiped out. At this stage, the direct experience of Brahma satyam jaganmithya is achieved which means only the Brahma is truth and the whole world is false. Lord Krishna explains the same “Nasato Vidyate bhavo na bhavo vidyate satah” The truth is not being realized and the untruth has covered the same. Lord Shiva speaks to Parvati when he says –
“JAUN SAPNE SIR KATE KOI.
BINU JAGE NA DOOR DUKH HOI.”
(BALKAND 117/2)
The person who is sleeping and his head are chopped off, his sufferings cannot be removed until he awakens. The true illumination removes Moh and then the truth is realized.
Detachment has a very important role in the enlightenment. Selfless service without expecting in return shall bring a serious detachment and meditation will bring true enlightenment. Lord Rama says –
DHARMA TE BIRATI JOG TE GYANA
Here Jog means to join with the inner being through stoppage of senses, mind, and intellect. Lord Krishna in Geeta says-
ABHYASSEN TU KOUNTEYA VAIRAGYAN CHA GRAHAYATE
O Arjuna! you’ve to practice detachment and meditation to realize the true being.
The worshipping of a formless aspect of divinity and achieving enlightenment is not easier. It has been said by kakbhushundi –
GYAN KO PANTH KRAPAAN KO DHARA
The path of knowledge is like passing thru the edge of a sword. The ultimate object of this path is to get free from the cycle of karmas, transcending the sins of past. Getting freedom from life and death and merging in the Divinity.
EN 
HI