God is not a concept
I could not help shaking my head when, in a televised debate among students, I heard a panellist saying that God is a concept. I was also worried at the superficiality with which young students talk about God and religion. This gives an insight into the irrational and unscientific approach of people today. It is an irony that on one hand science and technology have made giant leaps, while on the other hand people are so irrational in life.
A concept is an idea or the way something is perceived. God is truth, existence, bliss, consciousness and energy. He is verily all the laws that sustain the universe, such as the universal law of action and reaction. What has concept to do with all these? It is the mind that creates a concept. And what is the mind? It is nothing but a bundle of conditionings, faculties, layers of unconsciousness, ideas (concepts included), habits and experiences in the form of impressions. All these form the very superficial state of the mind; they are its contents. But the true nature of the mind is not all these. The real mind is pure and boundless consciousness.
People talk of 'my concept', 'my idea' or 'my opinion.' The mind can build infinite concepts, ideas and so on, using the stuff of thought. These, however, are mental products and have nothing to do with reality. Whatever we see or hear, any perception is a mental construct and mental vision. In other words, reality is an image on the screen of the mind. On top of that, we have our own habits, ideas and opinions. Not to mention of minds that are drunk with arrogance and bigotry, and veiled by stupidity and bookish knowledge. Such minds build their own concepts of God and religion.
Yes, we have the faculty of imagination that helps us understand reality to some extent. A reality, however, has to be experienced by one of our ten senses. Realities that are beyond the reach of the ten senses are known by intelligence, which includes intuition, logic and scientific means. The theory of the Big Bang, for example, has been built with the help of logic and science. A reality is independent of anyone's belief or concept. We can advance on the path of research with the mind only if we use the conceptual or imaginative faculty, without however limiting ourselves to such abilities.
When it comes to a topic like religion or God, it is extremely stupid to bring in concepts or opinions or still beliefs. It is too vast a subject and our present mind is too limited and imperfect. In fact, it is presently more than 90% unconscious. The little amount of consciousness we have is blurred by thoughts, opinions, beliefs and imaginations. How then can the mind know the truth about God? A clear lucid, unbiased and free mind alone can know Him and that is possible only through direct perception. Yes, direct perception is possible when the mind is fully aware, clear, attentive and free from any conditionings, biased opinions, beliefs or concepts.
The concepts or beliefs that people have about God or religion emanate first from an already distorted version of the scriptures and secondly, from a mind which is very much in conflict with itself. What is crucial to note here is that most people build an opinion or a concept without any systematic study of what I call the science of religion. Like physics, chemistry or any science subject, religion is pure science. It has to be studied in a very rational way, not with a biased or bigoted mind. The mind is already greatly blinded by opinions, ideas and so on, which are relevant only at a superficial level. However, when it comes to truth and religion, one should get rid of all such barriers and approach the subject with an empty, silent and fully attentive mind. People, especially children, should be taught to approach life with the above attitude, especially when it is a question of life, religion, God and other lofty subjects.
That which is formless is also beyond all opinions and beliefs. This is why meditators seek to attain the no-mind state. But few people can understand that the no-mind state is the true nature of their mind and that it is achievable. Looking with the no-mind state is like looking without wearing any coloured glasses, which give a distorted perception of what is actually. It is the innocent eyes of a child. This is why Jesus said, "Let come to me little innocent children for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them."
Therefore, please do not bring in your concepts when it comes to crucial issues of life. You can use them, but do not stop at them. Be ready to throw them away with the same speed you brought them in. This will be a sign of intelligence.
