God? Goddess? Dog? Siva? Shakti? So, Which Is It?
16/08/09 12:43
GoDog
"The difference between god and dog depends on from which direction one approaches. From the tail or the head." - Anonymous
This post is the result of a discussion between Leila and myself about what God means and the use of gender neutral language on this website. The assertion was that God is seen in the Western mind as this large judgemental male personal deity, and I agree, many people's experience of religion in a Western context can be that.
However, this would then also narrow down the conception into an exclusively Western context- a context that I reject, as a Eastern-oriented person. Also, as a devotee of Sri Durga, a goddess, I wanted to consider all of these topics clearly.
Dog Bishop
Further, it was posited that we would be alienating our yoga students by referring to the divine as any one gender and that the word "God" was male. It was, therefore, a thought to appeal to you; our readers, and students directly- with a view that assumed your ability to intelligently hear our intentions and context as well as give us a good look behind some of the concepts that enable us to steer clear of the many hazards that such a polarizing conversation might offer us.
"His" Grace
You will read on this website some references to "God" which are not in the modern conception of "politically correct (PC)" or appear to be narrow, gender-biased or male-dominate. In general, references like this will be read from the words of Swami Sivananda or his disciples, all of whom were also devout Divine Mother (or Goddess) worshipers.
It may be hard to understand contextually from our modern time, but in general the spiritual culture of that time consisted of almost exclusively male aspirants and Swamis, and thus contributes to such languaging.
Having said this, Swami Sivananda was the very first to intiate a woman into sannayas, the vow that an aspirant must take to become a swami. In this he clearly shows that he's before his time, and if you look at his organization (which is primarily based in a quite traditional Indian culture) there are still mostly male Swamis.
You Really Love Me!
However, the reverse is the case with the Sivananda organization from which I participated, and into which both Shakti and myself are initiated. In my experience, there are many more female monastics than male in the Sivananda ashrams.
The male and female principles of the universe are not seen in the Indian conception as being separate. The original ancient name for Lord Vishnu, who is typically depicted in modern times as a man, was formerly Lakshminarayan- both male (Narayan) and female (Lakshmi). There are many examples of combined deities in Indian iconography/mythology, and thus saying one, the other is implied naturally. We will assume so also here.
The Dangers of PC
Having said this, the impulse toward political correctness is an erroneous one, whereby one person treads water on a sea of eggshells for fear that any slight perturbance could throw off any other person's mind into a problem, an issue, a difficulty, an offense, and so on endlessly.
We have become a culture of people whose minds are predisposed to finding offense at every turn in every possible polarizing perspective. Our minds have been hopelessly accelerated by television and a enormous glut of choices. These factors give rise to a constant validation of likes and dislikes (raga and dwesha) in the minds of people and thus creates a mental predisposition that can be removed with only tremendous difficulty.
It is easy to see this sense of entitlement everyone else (but us) carry around with them as we walk though daily life. Our culture is now full of adaptions to this modern mental defect.
God, on Dog
Words are merely words, they do not hold anything other than the conceptions we choose impart upon them. While we can certainly accept, as a part of the intention of this site, to write things in a gender neutral way, we would not want anyone to be offended by such generic or popularly ill-regarded terms, far from it. It is this post's explicit intention to provide the perspective from which we approach these terms, and reject the popular conceits and concepts often placed upon such words, stating clearly our view.
In spiritual life, we adapt, adjust, accommodate to others. Bearing insult and bearing injury is the highest spiritual practice. Eastern cultures understand this well and this website promotes a useful movement and flow of synergy of these two perspectives. If we are to advocate a middle way in spiritual life, and if that middle way is to do what it promises, it must steer clear of all polarizing conceptions.
So, if we do or do not always step lightly and carefully through the muddy waters of political correctness in our language here, it is because we are relying upon you, the reader, to take a perspective informed by a sincere desire to steer clear of the siren song of polarizing attitudes and take the middle way, with us.
To this end, read on.
The Thing Beyond- Brahman
Friend To All
Brahman
I think it can be fairly said that to refer to a conception of "God" properly, one MUST use a gender neutral language, as the vast thing beyond all descriptions, conceptions, and qualities surely must be free of this conception also. This is why when we refer to a vernacular "God" on this website, it must be taken to mean something quite specific from our perspective, and to mean a concept that is gender neutral.
This conception is based on the ancient one that the ultimate reality called "Brahman". If we say Brahman or if we say God, they are one in the same thing. If we say He or His, this is meant in a friendly manner like referring to a father who provides to us, a family member without whom we would not be, not in a perjorative negative manner like an "Old Boys Club" where only the rich, exclusive, and powerful (men) reside.
ALL these conceptions don't even touch the conception of Brahman in scope, and merely argue for the sake of arguing, or to set one side against the other. No good is done by advancing this polarizing framework, nor does unity occur to distort one's mind in this way. We are all one. Tat Twam Asi, "Thou Art That".
In Dog's Name
Therefore, let us not nitpick each other to death with mere terms, and find out, in person, what is in our hearts and reach across and communicate that with the other, who is really your own Self. To hold a conception in our minds that includes all, even those who would appear to be a subset of some group or another; these groups form at some juncture a part of a larger whole, and so on up the chain beyond even time, space and causation until we experience that which permeates all and yet is beyond all.
It is THIS concept of ourselves as wholeness undivided, this poorna, that drives us to improve ourselves in yoga, which after all means union. Union with what? The individual experiencing itself as a divine wholeness.
So let us see everything in the light of that greatest end, to unite with all mankind, animals, earth, sky, mind and space encompassed toward our next step in a greater wholeness.
Om Shanti,
DurgaDas
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