How God(s) Appear

[Noor]

Hello all!

I was wondering if anyone could help me when it comes to specific terminology within Sanatana Dharma.

Is there an official name/term for God(s) appearing to an individual based on how that individual perceives God or a specific God?

For example, someone who views God(s) as angry and vengeful will only encounter them as such. Another example, if someone sincerely believes a deity wears specific clothing, that god will appear to them as such.

Overall, different individuals can potentially see the same God(s) as drastically different Beings based on their viewpoints.

I have heard of this concept within Hinduism, but I am not sure if it has a name or if it is even an actual concept that people subscribe to.

Thank you for your help!
-N

[markandeya 108 dasa]

Hello Noor

If I understand your question correctly The closest i can think is whats known as istha dev, this can be ones own personal god, traditionally this would be done through astrology or navamsa chart. Seeing as though this practice is not so well practiced outside of India and Asia or native indigenous traditions, generally people tend to choose what form of God they are attracted to, which is also ok and good, this often can depend on the attitude and mind set of the person. This is a widespread practice all over the world, often times choosing a form or energy of God that they see in nature or a deity.

There may also be certain practices that maybe prescribed to a person to deal with certain states of mind, as each form will have specific qualities tailored for the state of mind, some may seem as wrathful and fierce and others as more beneficial looking or beatific, but each one is as beautiful as the other because the intent and purpose of these forms are established in the same consciousness, there is no duality between them, and each one will act accordingly on the state of mind. One may see forms of Kali with a necklace of heads and skulls or some powerful forms of Shiva as bhairava and Mahakala but these are just cleaning subtle negative energies in the astral realms of the minds condition.

Generally with the Indian forms most are aware of the most popular forms, Krsna, Shiva, Rama, Vishnu, Parvati , Ganesh,, Hanuman, Kali and Radha which seem to be some of the most well known, but in India there are to many to count and each different place often has their own form or local aspect of God that they subscribe too, this can change from village to village. If one devotes one time and energy to any of these forms over time they all begin relate to each other and eventually are seen as the same consciousness, somehow along the way boarders have been drawn into these forms of that one consciousness expanding in nature and the mind.

So this does not mean that there are many Gods, God is one whole being that is made up of energy and consisting in this energy there is attribute which expands into unlimited forms but is never limited just one form, yet each form has the absolute energy and power of the whole, our minds are also a product of this energetic cycle , so there is a relationship through energy to mind, attribute and God ( consciousness ) so in this way that one consciousness takes on many forms with varying attributes but the substratum remains one, undivided, this in Sanskrit is what would be known as saguna Brahman with form and attribute and nirguna Brahman without form and attribute and there is no difference between them, as much as a paradox this may sound...... And will only ever be truly understood when the minds ( citta) self nature has fully been transformed back into its original consciousness~nature , different aspects of God may help with this process.