The Basic Idea of God

Summary

The essay by Harisatya Bhattacharyya explores how different religions conceive of a supreme being and what the notion of God signifies for human beings; He begins by noting that religious consciousness arises from a fundamental urge to relate to a being that transcends ordinary empirical life; In some traditions God is imagined as a personal creator; in others as a force or abstract principle; The author reviews polytheistic systems with multiple deities; monotheistic systems with a single God; and dualistic systems such as Zoroastrianism that posit two opposing divine principles; He then turns to philosophical arguments about the creation of the universe; Some schools claim that God created the world ex nihilo; others hold that matter and souls exist independently and that the divine merely organises them; Bhattacharyya surveys views from Hinduism; Buddhism; Christianity and other religions to show that despite differences the deity is generally thought to possess infinite power knowledge and joy; He identifies four attributes that constitute the basic idea of God across traditions: omnipotence; omniscience; omnipresence or direct apprehension; and infinite bliss; When these traits are rationalised they lead to a concept of a being that is beyond the finite limitations of human experience; The paper then examines the development of religious thought; Primitive religions tend to see the divine as a protector or punisher; As societies advance the concept is refined into a moral governor; Later rationalisation produces philosophical systems that either affirm or deny the existence of a transcendent God; The author discusses the views of philosophers such as Kant Hegel and Comte and points out that many modern thinkers interpret God as a projection of human ideals; Bhattacharyya contrasts these with the Jain position; According to Jainism there is no external creator God; every soul has the potential to attain divine status by fully realising its innate qualities; The Tirthankaras are revered not as creators but as perfected beings; The author stresses that Jain doctrine emphasises non absolutism; each viewpoint is partial and truth is multifaceted; The idea of divinity is therefore internalised; Each living being is a potential God when it perfects the fourfold qualities of infinite power; infinite apprehension; infinite knowledge and infinite joy; The essay concludes that the universality of the idea of God lies in the aspiration for perfection and freedom from worldly bondage; Differences in doctrine should lead to dialogue rather than dogmatic conflict; Religion is thus not blind belief in a supernatural power but a conscious effort to cultivate the divine qualities latent within each soul