Resources

Swamiji explains how religion originated out of man’s faith in some concept of God. When faced with natural disasters, in the backdrop of their understanding of cause and effect phenomenon, humans inferred some power behind it. Gradually, a cosmic God concept evolved when humans started questioning the origin of God. But our rishis’ inquiry led them to the Ultimate Reality as the causeless cause, through perhaps an experiential samadhi following an analytical understanding that became a logical foundation to the inquiry. They understood that as long as we consider God to be akin to the material universe, we will question about His origin. But such an inquiry will not lead to any definitive answer because the phenomenon of Infinite regression comes in the way.

The material universe, ranging from external objects to one’s own body and mind appears in one’s own Consciousness, the Universal Self and revealer that transcends all limitations, but Itself gets ignored. The changing time is perceived in a clock only because the dial is unmoving. By the same token, one has to go beyond causality to reach the unchanging subject, the Self. When the senses as well as mind, intelligence and thinking are silent, like in surrender, the Self reveals itself.