Concept of God

                       God is a concept. In religious terms, God denotes someone or something far away. But the word `concept' used in spirituality brings God nearer. How? Concept belongs to the mind. Mind is within the body. Once you understand that `God', a word we have coined, carries our own concept, then approaching and realizing God becomes easier. This is a point you have to reflect upon. Confidently say God is our concept, and as such `it' belongs to our own mind.
The world is huge, while the human is small. Sight of the world leads the human to think of its source. Considering world's hugeness and complexity, its creator has to be infinitely powerful. That source is God. You are born of your parents, and they from theirs, then theirs, and so forth. But, wherefrom came the first parents? Can bare, inert elements give birth to sentient living beings? Naturally there is a Power, called God, who creates the world as well as its creatures.
We are living on this huge earth. While living, we have to be under the unpredictable elements like rain, thunder, lightning, cyclone, etc., which lead the mind to wonder about their cause as well as redemption from possible danger. Thus, fear and need for safety persuade the human to think of something greater. God becomes the natural refuge.
Desire to live, and to get hindrances and dangers thwarted, naturally leads to thoughts on God. Even otherwise, to make life smooth and successful, God is sought lovingly. To rely upon a strong refuge and develop confidence, God becomes quite helpful and even essential. Mind generally becomes small, thinking of things of the world. By contemplating on God, it becomes broad, bold and expansive. Expansive mind begets greater thoughts and can perform in an excellent manner, achieving higher goals. When this understanding becomes clear, God becomes a constant coordinate in our life.
By birth, one belongs to a family or society, which may believe in God and worship him in various ways. Once the concept of God grew to become colourful and multi-purpose, we conceived of many Gods or God in many forms. When human emotions and sentiments begin to rule the mind, rationality gets subdued and superstitions become stronger. A constant effort to weed these out and keep religion pure, wholesome and refined is indispensable. Hinduism is great and distinguished in this.

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