Why is God the Father more popular than God the Mother?

[sunyata07]

Frankly I connect neither with the female form nor the male form. Dunno why? Maybe it will take sometime.

Namaste Eriko,

In many respects, this is probably a huge asset, and an ideal state of mind to perceive God. You don't have the divide in the mind that perceives the Divine as being either male or female. That should make it easier for you to grasp then that God is also beyond such other human concepts of joy and sorrow, right and wrong, here and there.

Sometimes I feel like the English language is sorely lacking in a second 3rd person pronoun for the neuter case. I say this in mind with the exception of 3rd person singular, "it". The "it" pronoun seems impersonal to me, and has of course derogatory connotations in semantics.

[DavidC]

People have been saying God is also neuter or feminine, but that is like saying man is also neuter or feminine rather than humanity is. Using the term 'God' for other than what it is perpetuates the stereotypes and biased language of the unreasonable sects in the Abrahamic religions.

The Absolute (Parashakti; Parabrahm; Maha-Vishnu; Parashiva) is neuter but more than 'God.'

'Goddess' is feminine, and I think she is more important than God because of the fact of parthenogenesis: National Geographic (NG) tv had a program that it would have been possible for a 'female' to have XXY chromosomes and give birth to a male, and as someone earlier said here 'how do you know who your father is? Ask your mother.' If NG was wrong then God is as important as Goddess, but even if they are wrong it is true that most mythology in the world has Goddess give birth to God and then they create the rest of reality.

So, let us be clear and use the most accurate words--and be clear on what mythology says.

For those who quoted philosophy of the beautifully illustrated Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, I would recommend reading Bhagavad-Gita As It Was and some Shaktist or Smarta texts.
'The above is as the below; the below is as the above'--Hermes Trismegistus.

[Eastern Mind]

People have been saying God is also neuter or feminine, but that is like saying man is also neuter or feminine rather than humanity is. Using the term 'God' for other than what it is perpetuates the stereotypes and biased language of the unreasonable sects in the Abrahamic religions.

The Absolute (Parashakti; Parabrahm; Maha-Vishnu; Parashiva) is neuter but more than 'God.'

'Goddess' is feminine, and I think she is more important than God because of the fact of parthenogenesis: National Geographic (NG) tv had a program that it would have been possible for a 'female' to have XXY chromosomes and give birth to a male, and as someone earlier said here 'how do you know who your father is? Ask your mother.' If NG was wrong then God is as important as Goddess, but even if they are wrong it is true that most mythology in the world has Goddess give birth to God and then they create the rest of reality.

So, let us be clear and use the most accurate words--and be clear on what mythology says.

I use the word 'God' as a sect neutral word out of respect for my Hindu brethen on these forums who are of of varying sects. If left to my own narrow version, it would be Siva, Siva, Siva, and Siva some more. Then I come off as a narrow South Indian sectarian Saivite. In fact I have been adamantly told that it is Shiva, not Siva. But one of the keys to life is to never feel insulted. Just understand via love why that person says what they say. Of course this is easier said than done. In one ear and out the other.


Aum Namasivaya

[DavidC]

I use the word 'God' as a sect neutral word out of respect for my Hindu brethen on these forums who are of of varying sects.

I understand. I use the distinct terms including 'goddess' out of respect for women. I can see why you say 'God' 'neutrally,' but what was said before the British came to India? Did people call Devis/Shaktis Devas or Brahmas? Do not most/all the schools of abstract philosophy--Vedanta--support what I said and that 'Paramatma' includes both Devi and Devas which are distinct? Using God as a generic term just seems old-fashioned. Maybe it will not spread patriarchal oppression but it will certainly do nothing to balance it with feminism.

I have not read the Puranas yet but am curious to see whether any really say the masculine was somehow defined as what can give birth. You can still say a Deva is some sort of philosophical ideal that has to do with intellection & jnana Yoga--being a masculine guru--but I do not think it should offend or confuse anyone (even in the symbolic abstraction of non-material forces) to say it has a mother.

[devisarada]

Twameva Mata, cha Pita Twameva, Twameva Bandhusch, Sakha Twameva, Twameva Vidya, Dravinam Twameva, Twameva Sarvang, Mama Deva Deva.

Who said that God the Father is more popular than God the Mother?

Who is SitaRam, RadheShyam, UmaMahesh?

Ardhanarishwara

[eriko]

Me, too. And frankly, I think that is the correct way of perception.

I thought I was being strange. But it is a good thing to know that you feel the same. The thing that comes to my mind is that God is just spiritual energy and spiritual energy can be represented in any form and hence niether of the gender works for me.

lol You are definitely not alone in this regard. But we have actions and words to counter this. the action/word of namaste with hands together is a 'hello' from soul to soul, a genderless greeting.

Do you know Hindi Eastern Mind? And can I call you Uncle? Sometimes when I think about it, since at home I am like calling everyone Uncle and Aunty, so it gets a bit tough when I am not able to do so on the net. Maybe I am just rambling but I am not sure if it is a good thing that the net makes the age barrier almost dissappear. But I guess I made no sense.

In many respects, this is probably a huge asset, and an ideal state of mind to perceive God. You don't have the divide in the mind that perceives the Divine as being either male or female.

The point is that I don't see God either as male or form but an energy (form) that engulfs the universe. And that our soul is a miniscule the part of spritual energy.

That should make it easier for you to grasp then that God is also beyond such other human concepts of joy and sorrow, right and wrong, here and there.

Maybe but then I am unable to connect joy, sorrow and other stuff to His personality. I see the energy as Law of Karma in action.

Sometimes I feel like the English language is sorely lacking in a second 3rd person pronoun for the neuter case. I say this in mind with the exception of 3rd person singular, "it". The "it" pronoun seems impersonal to me, and has of course derogatory connotations in semantics.

This made me smile. But seriously, I don't even think of God as a human form. Dunno? I try to, sometimes even do but it is never a permanent thing and I am back to square one. So I guess it will take time before I warm to the concept of God. But then I am not sure even if I have to.

[Eastern Mind]

I thought I was being strange. But it is a good thing to know that you feel the same. The thing that comes to my mind is that God is just spiritual energy and spiritual energy can be represented in any form and hence niether of the gender works for me.

Do you know Hindi Eastern Mind? And can I call you Uncle? Sometimes when I think about it, since at home I am like calling everyone Uncle and Aunty, so it gets a bit tough when I am not able to do so on the net. Maybe I am just rambling but I am not sure if it is a good thing that the net makes the age barrier almost dissappear. But I guess I made no sense.

The point is that I don't see God either as male or form but an energy (form) that engulfs the universe. And that our soul is a miniscule the part of spritual energy.

Eriko; I appreciate your honesty and intelligence for you age. My very first 'encounter' with God may have had a gender (male) attached. Our pet dog had suffered a serious injury, and I put out a selfish prayer to a God I thought might exist, for the dog's survival. (My father was an atheist/agnostic and we had no religion at all.) That was about age 9 or so.

But the first REAL encounter was with God was while I was working harvesting machine (called a swather) on the farm when I was about 15 or so. I remember the location, the direction, the temperature, and much more. I looked up from the machine and the grain it was cutting and just got this heavy heavy (yet light) rush of energy, and I saw and felt it permeating EVERYTHING. Later I came to know it as Sat Chit Ananda. Obviously it was genderless. I attend temples and do quiet reflection just to get this feeling again. Although the murthi in a temple may be represented as having gender, its the energy I'm after. So you and I agree totally on this part.

I do not know Hindi. The people I hang out with are mostly Tamil. My only language is English, sorry.

If we were together in person, yes you could use the honorific "Uncle". I get it all the time for my Tamil friend's children. But on here it would seem kind of odd. But if you want to, go ahead. But its good for you to point out that custom because Star and Sunyata and Dani and SS are probably not aware of it. I like the custom. I call all older women 'Amma' in the same way.

Aum Namasivaya

[atanu]

But the first REAL encounter was with God was while I was working harvesting machine (called a swather) on the farm when I was about 15 or so. I remember the location, the direction, the temperature, and much more. I looked up from the machine and the grain it was cutting and just got this heavy heavy (yet light) rush of energy, and I saw and felt it permeating EVERYTHING. Later I came to know it as Sat Chit Ananda. Obviously it was genderless. I attend temples and do quiet reflection just to get this feeling again. Although the murthi in a temple may be represented as having gender, its the energy I'm after. So you and I agree totally on this part.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste EM,

I joyfully agree with the above. God as a person, whether male or female, possibly is the wish of the Sat Chit Ananda, when acting as a person. To paraphrase, IMO, when sad-chit-ananda is a person God is also a person.

Vedanta, of course, teaches us repeatedly that the reality is what one is -- pure unparted consciousness, which must be known.

Om Namah Shivaya

[Spiritualseeker]

This is a very interesting thread.

For myself sometimes I dont even like to use the term God. But I know God is pointing towards the truth, but the word itself is not the reality. Mother or father this too also point towards the truth. Siva is the Formless Reality, the One Life from which we manifest out of and then fall back and dissolve in.

Namaste EM,

I joyfully agree with the above. God as a person, whether male or female, possibly is the wish of the Sat Chit Ananda, when acting as a person. To paraphrase, IMO, when sad-chit-ananda is a person God is also a person.

Vedanta, of course, teaches us repeatedly that the reality is what one is -- pure unparted consciousness, which must be known.

Om Namah Shivaya

Beautiful response.

I was contemplating yesterday that it is simply our ego consciousness that causes us to not know our reality. It is profound ignorance that propels us in birth after birth. Also if we say we are God too soon then we will only be like a wave on the ocean claiming to be the ocean as Paramhansa Yogananda mentions as a metaphor. However if we truely experience formless reality then in that state we are the ocean and can claim to be the ocean. It is God's Divine Play. God pretends to forget and pretends to suffer. God also pretends to remember as Mooji says. When consciousness thinks it is the body then that is the role it takes on. Then ofcourse we are stuck in duality of men better than woman or the other way around, or argue what is God and what is His or her nature. But when we awaken to Reality as it is the veil is lifted and there is just the pure bliss of All-knowingness that pervades every corner of the universe and every inner dimension.

OM

[eriko]

Namaste Uncle,

My very first 'encounter' with God may have had a gender (male) attached. Our pet dog had suffered a serious injury, and I put out a selfish prayer to a God I thought might exist, for the dog's survival. (My father was an atheist/agnostic and we had no religion at all.) That was about age 9 or so.

My first encounter with God was when I was 3. I had my new Atlas bycycle and I was riding, when suddenly it started to rain. Everyone ran, of course nobody wanted to get drenched. I didn't and I was very happy. So I was looking up at the sky and there was a lot of lightening and rain was falling very hard. I don't know, could be just my imagination, but I am sure I saw Shiva. It was actually lightening..you know outline of Shiva. I could make out his hair. And I immediately took it to be Shiva, maybe because He was the only God I was familiar with at that time.

And soon after a few years I lost my faith. Though I don't think a 3 yr old's fantasy is faith but I lost it. For some odd reason, it was like I knew He exists and I was not ready to accept it. In short, I started living in self denial. Then couple of problems cropped up (not a good childhood) and I forgot all about God. In short, living in ignorance. But I developed an intense dislike for Shiva. This is something that I find a bit stupid because both my parents have Shiva as their personal God.

So anyways intersest in Hindu Dharma rejuvenated. So I developed an interest in Krishna and started liking Him. But then again it didn't work out. I still like Krishna but that faith thing doesn't come, and even if it is there it is not permanent.

There is one unique thing that I did. Whatever I used to ask for I used to get it (from God). I had this thing in mind that He was favoring me by giving me everything I want. (of course I now know that I thought wrong.) So taking the thought process forward, it meant that Law of Karma was being defied. And so I stopped asking Him for stuff, just for my own mental peace that Law Of Karma is always obeyed.

Of course, when you think, you send certain vibrations to the the Universe and it acts to bring it to you if the vibration is powerful enough, and this according to my personal theory, is part of Law Of Karma itself(learned this just recently). It explains why I got everything I want.

I am not sure how to end this. But I lost blind faith, something that a child realizes that whatever your parents have taught you is not the complete truth, led my life in denial, and then in ignorance and here I am trying to connect the whole Universe together and trying to get rid of mythology and everything that could be false.

My mom prays all the time, I don't. Sometimes I do but my mostly a mantra or two in Sanskrit. My logic because it the world's finest language and it it lets you express yourself completly (Figured out only till here).

So it is like that. I have my own defination of Hindu, which I would like to share if you allow me to. I mean I am not sure, and this getting a bit embarrassing.

Although the murthi in a temple may be represented as having gender, its the energy I'm after. So you and I agree totally on this part.

So that means I am not wrong in my thinking. My Ma calls me an athist sometimes, she doesn't mean it but she says it sometimes.

I do not know Hindi. The people I hang out with are mostly Tamil. My only language is English, sorry.

The sorry is bit embarrassing. It doesn't matter. Though I think it would have been great if you knew, though I don't know why. I am a karate blackbelt, read that your daughter is too. Indian standards are not that upto the mark. But I do have a certificate anyway.